J-Hope of BTS will take to the stage on his own at 2022 Mama Awards, according to the producer Wednesday. It will be the first time his solo performance is broadcast for public viewing, underlined Yoon Shin-hye, chief producer of this year’s show, during a global media conference. The theme of his performance is “I Am Your Hope.” The artist is the first member of the septet to publish a solo album. His solo debut album “Jack in the Box” from July hit both Billboard

Leaving its powerful and frenzied beats behind, boy group Just B returned with a new batch of songs that shout out equality and the importance of it through its third EP, “= (Neun),” released Wednesday evening. If the group’s previous three records -- the Rage trilogy -- revealed stories of internal and external anger and overcoming their fury by stepping into a new world, this time, the rookie K-pop act took a seismic shift by singing songs that spelled out “equality.&rd

11 bandmates to end exclusive contract with Spire Entertainment, take legal action

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Global streaming service Netflix is scheduled to present an uncanny love story of a young Korean couple in its upcoming thriller series “Somebody.” Exploring the possibilities of making a true friend via dating apps and questioning how open one can be to an anonymous, virtual figure, “Somebody” features different sides of dating apps in South Korea. “The ways how people meet each other have changed over the course of time. The stories of melodramas have changed a

Using K-pop as soft power instrument, South Korea has managed to grow influences in various sectors with idols

K-pop sensation BTS has been nominated by the Grammy Awards for the third year in a row -- and for the first time the band has been nominated in more than one category. According to the the Recording Academy's list of nominees for next year’s Grammy Awards, the boy band has been nominated for best pop duo/group performance with its mega-hit collaboration with British rock band Coldplay titled “My Universe.” Other nominees for the category are ABBA’s “Don’

I.M of Monsta X joined label Sony Music Korea recently, and confirmed the company Tuesday after uploading via social media his photograph only showing silhouettes the previous day. The musician debuted as the youngest member of the boy band in 2015 with EP “Trespass.” All members except him renewed their contracts with Starship Entertainment in August, even though he will continue to be a part of the group. After dropping mixtapes “Who Am I” and “Fly with Me,&rdquo

His unexpected tearing up at “The Owl” press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Nov. 10 having made headlines, actor Ryu Jun-yeol was asked for an explanation during an interview with a group of local reporters Tuesday at a cafe in Seoul. At last month's press conference, the actor dropped his head and teared up when the veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin said, “I can see that Jun-yeol is becoming a big actor.” “I had mixed emotions. The vibe that I felt at the shootin

It took two years, but YooA of girl group Oh My Girl has returned to her solo career with her second EP "Selfish." YooA's solo comeback was more than anticipated as she had proved herself a one-of-a-kind soloist with the debut EP "Bon Voyage" in 2020. The album and its title song "Bon Voyage," called "Forest Child" in Korean, not only scored chart success, but was also critically acclaimed for its musicality and the artistic way it expressed its natur

Bobby, a member of K-pop boy band iKon, will not renew his contract with the act's agency YG Entertainment and the industry and fans are left wondering about the future of the group and what the next steps are for the rapper. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Bobby of iKon will not extend his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. An industry insider, who claims to be familiar with YG Entertainment and its artists, told the Korea Herald that Bobby has decided not to renew his con

With FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicking off Nov. 20, local broadcasters and cable channels are flooding the air with soccer-themed talk shows and variety shows to gin up interest in soccer's biggest competition. The first was terrestrial broadcaster MBC, which premiered the educational talk show “Top Teacher,” a program in which experts are invited to lecture on their fields of expertise, on Nov. 9. The first episode featured the renowned sports commentator Park Moon-sung who int

It's taken a long time to confirm that even BTS cannot avoid South Korea's mandatory military duty. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for around 1 1/2 years, inevitably forcing most K-pop stars to leave the limelight at the peak of their careers. So it was once considered that military service was like a death sentence for a K-pop career. Most aspiring artists cram their youth with efforts to establish their name, and a nearly two-year absence was o

Chen of boy band Exo added a touch more to the beauty of fall with his third solo EP, “Last Scene,” released Monday evening. This marks a return for the singer-turned-soloist in three years since he last released his second EP, “Dear my dear,” in October 2019. “I performed and met (fans) in August through SM Town Live, but it’s been a while since I’ve greeted (fans) with an album. I’ve honed my efforts into making good music, so I hope those who li

Jungkook of BTS will leave Seoul Tuesday and fly over to Doha, Qatar with a chartered jet, said a local media report on Monday. Label Big Hit Music refrained from confirming the schedule following the report. He is set to join the opening ceremony for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that will be held on Sunday. The management company announced on Sunday that he will participate in the performance for the ceremony as well as the official soundtrack for the soccer event. Six to seven musicians from aro