The K-pop industry has achieved an unprecedented milestone this year as annual domestic sales of physical albums reached the 100 million mark. Circle Chart, a leading tracker of local albums sales, reported Tuesday that the top 400 physical albums collectively sold 116 million copies in the first 11 months of 2023. This represents a remarkable 144 percent increase from 80 million copies in the same period last year, setting a record of 100 million copies in annual sales even before factoring in

The solo single from Jungkook of BTS continues to dominate music charts across the world, even though he began serving his mandatory military service last week. “Standing Next to You,” the focus track from his solo album “Golden,” reclaimed the top spot on Billboard’s digital song sales chart. It is the fourth week the song is spending atop the chart, a record for a K-pop solo act. The lead single is staying on Billboard’s Hot 100 for five weeks in a row, cli

Legendary hip-hop trio Epik High held three packed, back-to-back concerts marking the group's 20th anniversary, proving that the group is as strong as ever. “Epik High 20th Anniversary Concert,” held at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, drew a total of 15,000 concertgoers over the three days. Two concerts were originally planned for Friday and Saturday but a third was added for Sunday as all seats sold out immediately upon ticket opening. During the three-hour concert, Epik High pe

Localization and copyright issues are the biggest hurdles standing in the way of local streaming platforms’ global expansion, said heads of local streamers Watcha, Wavve, Tving and Coupang Play, pointing to the need for government-run funds to support the industry. “The streaming business is all about global expansion. (In that context), we don’t have any issues in terms of technical difficulties against Netflix. Rather, it is the localization cost that is the issue when compet

Despite freezing weather, about 4,000 fans gathered at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium on Sunday to see Japanese duo Yoasobi perform. “I am so excited to enjoy Yoasobi’s songs performed live. As a J-pop fan, I hope more singers from abroad would consider visiting Korea,” said Yoon Jin-young, who was waiting in line to get a ticket. Yoasobi, who debuted in 2019, is a duo with a unique concept of reinterpreting novels into music. Producer Ayase is in charge of lyrics a

Personal challenges are more inspiring than the music, some viewers say

Melodrama storytelling, cultural intricacies 'refreshing,' viewers say

NewJeans will make a comeback with a remix album on Tuesday, said agency Ador on Friday. Album “NJWMX(NewJeans Winter Mix)” is coming out on the first anniversary of the release of “Ditto,” a B-side track from single “OMG.” “Ditto” was released in advance of the full release and was the group’s first entry on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 96. It has amassed 500 million streams on Spotify as of Dec. 4 -- its second song to reach the milest

South Korean actor Yoo Yeon-seok, famous for playing kindhearted, gentle heartthrobs in hit dramas such as "Dr. Romantic" and "Hospital Playlist," said he sought to change dramatically his well-known image through his latest thriller drama series, "A Bloody Lucky Day." Korean streaming service Tving original series "A Bloody Lucky Day" is a 10-part drama series based on the webtoon of the same title, which focuses on the story of an innocent taxi driver wh

Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson passionately confessed his deep affection for Johann Sebastian Bach and the “Goldberg Variations.” "I have been dreaming about recording the Goldberg Variations for 25 years, so most of my life,” said the 39-year-old musician during a press conference held at Geoam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. Reflecting on the moment he first encountered the piece through pianist Glenn Gould's performance at the age of 14, Olafsson r

The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) is currently screening 14 well-received indie films that were released between December 2022 and November 2023. The 14 films will be screened at KOFA’s Cinematheque theater in Mapo-gu, Seoul. KOFA said the screening will not only wrap up this year’s indie film scene but will also give audiences a chance to revisit this year’s hit indie films. The 14 indie films to be screened include: Director Lee Ji-eun’s “The Hill of Secrets,”

The continued success of modern historical drama flick “12.12: The Day” has led to improved November ticket sales at local theaters overall, according to the Korean Film Council. According to KOFIC data, November ticket sales at local theaters reached 70.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels at 41.1 billion won – up by 22.5 percent on-year. The average number of November ticket sales at cinemas from 2017 to 2019 stands at 58.6 billion won. The KOFIC said “12.12: The Day”

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af

Jeonghan of Seventeen will take some time off, according to Pledis Entertainment on Thursday. The singer has hurt his left ankle in the past and has been carrying on activities while receiving treatment as he wanted to participate in all of the band's schedule for this year. The pain, however, worsened over the band’s recent tour and he had to undergo surgery on Thursday. The surgery went well but Jeonghan will need time to recover and will have to miss activities for the time being, incl

SM Entertainment, one of the largest K-pop agencies in South Korea, is holding a global audition in its pursuit of future K-pop stars. The agency began accepting pre-registration applications for the “2024 SM Global Audition” on its global audition website, Tuesday. Anyone born between 2005 and 2013 can apply regardless of their gender and nationality. Applicants must choose one of the categories: vocal, rap, dance and acting. Applications can be made only once and only as an ind