Seventeen put out its ninth EP, “Attacca,” on Friday, with its first English-language song “2 Minus 1” included among the seven tracks.   　 “It is a song that Joshua and I sang together,” explained Vernon. It is a digital-only track and was made in English “to express our gratitude toward our fans from around the world,” he said.   　 The two searched for the best genre to highlight their charms, and as per Vernon’s suggestion, cho

Literary critic Lee O-young, an important figure in the Korean cultural scene, was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit Geumgwan on Friday, alongside artist Park Seo-bo. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selected 17 recipients of the cultural order, recognizing their contribution for the development of arts. Lee and Park recieved the Geumgwan Merit, the highest honor. Lee is a critic, writer and scholar who served as Korea’s first culture minister from 1990-91. He is curre

Netflix released two poster images for its original series, “Hellbound,” on Friday, drumming up excitement for the upcoming project. “Hellbound,” a fantasy thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is an adaptation of an animation and webtoon of the same title. The series features supernatural events in which random people receive a text message saying they will be sent to hell. Supernatural beings like grim reapers deliver final judgment on people according to their past deed

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, says that he will return to the cinema with a heartwarming Marvel film in “Eternals.” “The film centers around the people of different races from around the world getting together to form a new family. The audience will be drawn to the touching stories of the film,” Lee said during an online press conference with a group of reporters Friday morning. “It was a surprising experience to become fr

The chances of Korean teams facing each other in the semifinals -- or even in the finals -- of the League of Legends World Championships have increased, as the Korean teams qualified in their respective group stages. The eight teams that made the quarterfinals are: Damwon Kia, T1, Hanwha Life Esports and GenG Esports of Korea; Edward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up of China; Cloud9 from US and Mad Lions of Europe. Damwon Kia, T1, Royal Never Give Up and Gen.G Esports topped their sections in th

South Korean mobile payment app operator Kakao Pay has priced its initial public offering at 90,000 won ($76.60) per share, at the top end of its indicative price range of 60,000-90,000 won, the company said in a regulatory filing Friday. Kakao Pay, a 55:45 joint venture of internet giant Kakao Corp. and China’s Ant Group, wrapped up its book building on Thursday. While institutional investors placed their bids to obtain new shares for the IPO, a total of 1,545 domestic and overseas insti

The Samilro Changgo Theater, which is managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, is to run a three-week program in November for drama creators under the theme “Meetings and Hospitality.” Founded in 1975, the Samilro Changgo Theater in central Seoul was the first private small theater in Korea. Since 2018, it has been managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The “Changgo Opening” project, which runs Nov. 5

Some of the metal type blocks found in Insa-dong, central Seoul in June have been confirmed to be Gapinja, the oldest extant metal types from the Joseon era, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Friday. The National Palace Museum of Korea is to hold a special exhibition, “Encounter With the Brilliant Scientific Technology of Joseon Dynasty,” from Nov. 3, showcasing the metal type blocks to the public for the first time. In June, the Sudo Research Institute of Cult

President Moon Jae-in will embark on a nine-day trip to Europe next week that will include a Vatican meeting with Pope Francis, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday. The president will hold a bilateral meeting with the pope in Vatican City on Oct. 29 before heading to Rome to attend the G-20 summit on Oct. 30-31. For Moon, the nation’s second Catholic president, it will be his second visit to the Vatican. North Korean issues, including a possible papal visit to Pyongyang, are expected to top

Dear U, a company under S.M. Entertainment that provides a platform service connecting K-pop stars and their fans, is looking to launch a metaverse platform with funds to be raised through its initial public offering. “We are looking forward to establishing a solid foothold as the No. 1 global communication platform provider through listing on the country’s secondary Kosdaq market. We are planning on expanding our services such as a metaverse platform,” Dear U Vice President L

Edison Motors will ask for a loan of some 700 billion to 800 billion won ($596 million-$681 million) from Korea Development Bank to acquire the troubled SsangYong Motor, its chief executive officer said Friday. The electric bus maker-led consortium looks set to be chosen as the preferred bidder for the debt-ridden SsangYong, after a bankruptcy court eliminated its strong contender from the competition, citing doubts over its funding capability. Holding an online press conference, Edison Moto

K-pop sensation Seventeen welcomed the fall foliage, autumn breeze and the romance of October by dropping their ninth EP, “Attacca,” on Friday afternoon, returning in nearly four months after their previous work. “Attacca” is a follow-up to the band’s previous album and its “Power of Love project.” The EP is aptly named -- attacca is a direction in music at the end of a movement to begin the next without pause. In a press conference on Friday, the 1