Aespa held the second “Synk: Parallel Line" concert in Seoul over the weekend as it started a world tour. Over Saturday and Sunday, approximately 12,000 spectators attended the concert held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. On Sunday, the quartet appeared on the stage in dazzling black attire, and kicked off the concert with intense tracks -- “Drama,” “Black Mamba,” and “Salty & Sweet.” Members changed into bright costumes with metallic fabric, and fill

Performance July 1, 2024

Despite their young ages, Kim Da-hyun (15) from South Korea and Sumita Aiko (16) from Japan are remarkable singers. Both were selected as the youngest contestants, respectively, on audition programs "The Current King" in Korea and "Trot Girls Japan" in Japan, which aired from November last year to February this year. The two young singers met on MBN program "Korea-Japan King's Battle" -- which aired from April to May -- where they engaged in friendly competitio

Performance June 30, 2024

Despite K-pop's global expansion, the K-pop industry and Korean society in general remain conservative in several aspects, particularly on LGBTQ+ issues. Amid this backdrop, Lionesses, K-pop's first-ever LGBTQ+ group, has shattered barriers and is sharing courage with fans and listeners. Debuting in 2021 with "Show Me Your Pride," Lionesses is a pioneering LGBTQ+ K-pop trio. Leader Damjun identifies as bisexual, Lee Marlang is gay and Kanghan is a questioning, who continues t

K-pop June 27, 2024

The Korean band Surl released a Thai version of their song through a collaboration with a dubbing company. According to their agency MPMG Music, Surl released the Thai version of "Dry Flower" at 6 p.m. Thursday. "Dry Flower" is the title track from Surl's 2nd mini album "I Know," released in 2019. The music video has been played 5.6 million times on the global music streaming platform Spotify, consistently receiving positive responses from listeners both domest

K-pop June 27, 2024

B.D.U, the winning team of Mnet’s vocals-centric TV competition “Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival," made an impressive debut with the mini album “Wishpool.” The four bandmates -- Bitsaeon, Seunghun, Jay Chang and Minseo -- showcased their powerful and emotional voices throughout the program, earning the opportunity to take to the stage as a project group for two years. “Our group name B.D.U is an abbreviation of ‘Boys Define Universe,’ implying th

K-pop June 27, 2024

FT Island is returning with a full-length album after eight years. The promotion schedule for FT Island's 7th full-length album “Serious” was posted on the group's social media channels announcing the pre-release of "Burn it," one of the double title tracks, and its music video out on June 27. Leading up to the official release of their new album on July 10, the group will sequentially unveil content such as the track list, mood poster, album jacket poster and a h

K-pop June 26, 2024

A proposal inspired by the aesthetic beauty of Hangeul won the top prize in a competition of new ideas to represent Korea, organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute as part of its 15th Culture Communication Forum, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Monday. Also at the event, an AI-generated image of a Korean person wearing a blend of traditional and modern clothing won the grand prize in the Korea Image Created by AI Contest. The winners were selected through online voting by the forum pa

Culture June 25, 2024

Irish pop band Westlife's concert has been postponed to November. According to Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, Westlife, initially scheduled to perform “The Hits Tour” in Korea at the Incheon Inspire Arena on July 6-7, will now hold one concert, on Nov. 23. The band last performed in Korea in October 2011 as part of its "Gravity Tour." Tickets for Westlife’s concert in Korea, which were sold through pre-booking, will be automatically canceled and full refun

Performance June 25, 2024

The band Suede, which helped create and lead the Britpop musical movement in the 1990s, will perform in Korea for the first time in eight years. Suede will perform "Suede Live in Seoul" at KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu on Aug. 23. This will be the band's first performance in Korea since they played at the 2016 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. Formed in London in 1989, Suede is recognized as a key Britpop band alongside Blur, Pulp and Oasis. Britpop, a type of alternative rock that origi

Performance June 24, 2024

Red Velvet is set to connect with fans across Asia with their upcoming fancon tour “Happiness: My Dear, ReVeluv” which will kick off with a two-day event in Seoul at the Olympic Handball Gymnasium, scheduled for Aug. 3-4. The announcement of the tour was marked by the release of a vibrant poster, shared on Red Velvet’s official fan club community and social media platforms Wednesday. The performance holds significance as they will celebrate their 10th anniversary with fans on A

Performance June 21, 2024

Kith Seoul emerges as Seoul’s premier flagship store Seongsu-dong has become a hot spot for young locals and international tourists alike. Among the bustling streets, the newest attraction drawing crowds is Kith’s flagship store, which opened its doors on May 31. Originating from New York, Kith is both a select shop and a fashion brand. What sets Kith Seoul apart is its distinction as the only Kith flagship store worldwide occupying an entire four-story building. The ground floor

Culture June 21, 2024

K-pop girl group H1-Key has returned as lovely rebels. The quartet's new mini-album “Love or Hate” marks H1-Key’s return after four months and includes four tracks: the title song “Let It Burn,” along with “(heart) Letter,” “Iconic,” and “Rainfalls.” The lead single “Let It Burn” combines a groovy boom-bap hip-hop rhythm with intense rock elements. “The title song’s rebellious, straightforward lyrics a

K-pop June 20, 2024

Lisa of Blackpink will return with a new single, "Rockstar," at 9 a.m., June 28, according to a statement from her distributor, Sony Music Entertainment Korea. The previous day, Lisa revealed the artwork for "Rockstar" on the official Instagram of her label, Lloud Company. "Rockstar" is the first song to be released in partnership between Lisa’s newly established Lloud Company and RCA Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music, one of the top three major music distri

K-pop June 19, 2024

Blitzers has made a bold comeback with a new album, returning from appearing on a globally esteemed audition program. Blitzers’ new album “Lunch-box,” released at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, includes six tracks: The title song “Superpower,” “Race Up,” “Ring Ring,” “Fxxking Spring,” and English versions of “Superpower” and “Macarena,” a single dropped last year. "Lunch-box is our fourth travel-themed album. Li

K-pop June 19, 2024

INCHEON -- The Weverse Con Festival, hosted by K-pop powerhouse Hybe, concluded over the weekend, captivating music fans with performances that spanned generations and genres. Held at the Inspire Entertainment Resort on Incheon's island Yeongjongdo on Sunday, the festival featured outdoor and indoor concerts as well as diverse events over two days. On the stage Sunday were 15 artists, including rising K-pop stars TWS, virtual idol group Plave and globally popular groups Seventeen, Enhypen a

Performance June 17, 2024