Rookie girl group Kep1er will debut in Japan with the single “Fly-Up” on Sept. 7, agencies Wake One and Swing Entertainment announced Thursday.   　 The single will be available in four versions and will consist of three tracks: focus track “Wing Wing” and Japanese-language versions of the main tracks from its first and second EPs: “Wa Da Da” and “Up!” Some albums will also have the new Japanese-language song “Daisy.”   　 The

The Quad, a public theater operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, opened in Daehagno on Wednesday, with a goal to revive the local arts scene hit by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and gentrification of the theater district. The Quad is a transformative black box theater that can accommodate as many as 258 seats and offer several types of stage settings, according to the SFAC, a Seoul-city funded nonprofit organization. It sits on the site of the former Dongsoong Art Center, w

Four BTS members -- Jin, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- will drop a collaboration project with US producer-singer-songwriter Benny Blanco and rapper Snoop Dogg next month, the K-pop group's agency said Thursday. The song "Bad Decisions" will come out Aug. 5 and will be included on Blanco's third full-length album set for release later in the year, Big Hit Music said. "The collaboration was accomplished as Blanco offered to do so," the agency said. "Jin, Jimin, V and

K-pop soloist HyunA’s new album is titled “Nabillera,” a Korean phrase that means “to fly like a butterfly,” according to the artist’s explanation. Speaking about the album through an online press conference conducted on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the release later that day, HyunA said, “the title conveys my will to fly softly like a butterfly on the hearts of the listeners. I want to leave my trace wherever I go, and I hope that many people could thi

Actor Kim Seon-ho on Wednesday publicly apologized over controversies involving his former girlfriend while making his first public appearance in about nine months. “I’m deeply sorry for bad news that has caused concerns to many people. I’ve looked back on my past times and reflected on my conduct,” he said while sobbing during a press conference for the play “Touching the Void.” “Many people have made efforts for this play since the spring. I’m

Setting a foot out into the world through the window, K-pop rookie band Blitzers dropped the group’s third EP, “Win-Dow,” on Wednesday. Jinhwa, Go_U, Juhan, Sya, Chris, Lutan and Wooju said they are finally embarking on a journey to discover their fans in the upcoming album. The album marks the septet‘s return with new music six months after the first single “Bobbin” in January. Ahead of the album drop later in the day, the seven bandmates conducted a pres

Having successfully wrapped up its first global tour in March, P1Harmony said the secret behind its growing popularity overseas is each member’s unique charms and great synergy. At a press showcase event ahead of the fourth EP “Harmony: Zero In”’s 6 p.m. online release, the act’s leader Keeho said, “Since it was our first tour, everything seemed so strange. We were so nervous but felt thankful.” “After seeing the fans’ reactions in person

Marriage, infidelity, divorce, low morals, social climbers, political and business feuds were some of the major setting and themes that captivated Korean TV viewers up until a few years ago. With their seemingly identical characters and implausible stories, such series were labeled “makjang dramas” and seen as trashy soap operas. But while Netflix’s latest presentation revolves around similar themes -- with an upper-class matchmaking company the central point of the drama --

J-Hope of BTS lept straight to the top of Oricon chart with his solo album “Jack In The Box.” 　 The album debuted at No. 1 on Oricon’s weekly digital album ranking, according to the latest tally announced on Wednesday. 　 The 10-track album topped iTunes top albums charts in 49 regions and lead single “Arson” ranked No. 1 on its top songs chart in 62 regions. “More,” a double title track from the LP, was the chart-topper in 84 regions. 　 The latter en

When creating a movie about a heroic figure central to Korean history, there is always the risk of making “gukppong” content, a usually derogatory Korean term for nationalistic works. Director Kim Han-min, who is returning with a movie about the country‘s beloved Adm. Yi Sun-sin titled “Hansan: Rising Dragon,” said he aimed to create a motion picture that is more than just nationalism. “I tried to portray the genuine spirit of Yi Sun-sin in the film with s

Singer-songwriter gears up for second LP with prerelease single “Summer in Love”

Kim Ga-ram of rookie girl group Le Sserafim has been dismissed from the band as her agency decided to terminate its exclusive contract with the artist, who had been embroiled in bullying allegations. The act’s management agency Hybe Labels on Wednesday released an official statement that read: “We extend our sincerest apologies to our fans and to those who have shown love and support to the group for causing you concern over the controversy involving the member (Kim).” Follo

As temperatures begin to soar, rookie rock band Xdinary Heroes released its first EP, titled “Hello, World!” on Wednesday evening, adding a sweet ode to the season with the new album. This marks the band’s return eight months after it last dropped its debut single, “Happy Death Day,” in December last year. The rookie rock band under JYP Entertainment’s artist label Studio J is just the agency’s second pop-rock band to debut in nearly six years, foll

South Korean entertainment giant CJ Group executive Lee Mie-kyung, widely known as Miky Lee, has received a special achievement award from the International Emmy Awards for her contribution to international television. According to the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Tuesday (US time), Lee was named the honoree of this year's Directorate Emmy Award, given to individuals or organizations in management, programming and international relations for yearslong contribution