K-pop sensation BTS' new album, "Proof," has placed fourth on the US Billboard's main albums chart for this week, staying in the top 10 for two straight weeks since its debut, the chart's operator said. The anthology album fell three notches after hitting the top spot in the previous week, Billboard said Sunday (US time). Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the US, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales and digital sale

DAEGU -- The iconic Daegu International Musical Festival kicked off Friday, returning in full blast for the first time in three years. The opening event took place at Kolon Bandstand Stage, joined by generation-spanning musical actors as well as aspiring students, including Nam Kyeong-ju, Choi Jung-won, Michael Lee, Park Gun-hyung and Kim So-hyang.  This year’s iteration brought back foreign musicals, also for the first time in three years. The Slovakian version of “Turand

When Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, people here needed a way to relieve their grief, even in a sarcastic way. Although it is no longer widely performed, there was the genre of “manyo,” a popular form of folk music in the 1930s. Usually performed by musical troupes at the time, manyo songs generally had comic lyrics set to a melody that belied the sorrow and sarcasm underneath. Bujihwa Arts Company stages “Story Manyo,” a musical performance o

Actor says he learns from the performances of fellow idol-turned-actors in TV and film

J-Hope, a rapper and dancer of K-pop supergroup BTS, plans to release his solo album "Jack in the Box" next month, his agency said Sunday. J-hope will debut his first solo album on July 15 and drop a prerelease single Friday, according to Big Hit Music. He will be the first BTS member to go solo since the septet announced plans earlier this month to take a temporary break to focus on their individual projects. J-Hope released his first solo mix tape, "Hope World," in 2018, wh

Director Choi Dong-hoon, known for “The Thieves” (2012) and “Assassination” (2015), which attracted over 10 million viewers, is returning this summer after a seven-year break from the industry with “Alienoid,” an extraordinary film that combines science fiction with Korean folklore. “When I was a kid, I used to wonder about the existence of aliens. It made me excited and, at times, also frightened. Imagining aliens made my childhood more entertaining. I

Korean War and postwar situation have spawned films across genres but critics question whether this is sustainable long term

Nayeon of K-pop band Twice dropped her first solo album “Im Nayeon” on Friday as the first member from the group to go solo. Ahead of dropping the album at 1 p.m., Nayeon conducted a press conference in Seoul to discuss her first album. “I have very mixed feelings right now. I’m kind of relieved as I’ve been preparing this for so long, but at the same time, I feel excited and very anxious,” Nayeon said, sporting platinum-blonde hair and in an elegant black p

NCT Dream will hold its second standalone concert series in Seoul from July 29-31, SM Entertainment announced Friday. 　 It has been over 2 1/2 years since its previous standalone concert, and it will be an upgrade in terms of music and performance, the band’s label proclaimed. The last day’s performance will be broadcast live as well via Beyond Live. 　 The septet put out their second full-length album “Glitch Mode” and repackaged album “Beatbox” in March an

A musical that highlights the charm of taekwondo, Korea’s traditional martial arts, has recently been unveiled at Theater Yong at the National Museum of Korea. With a mixed group of musical actors and actual taekwondo athletes, “Taekwon, Fly Up!” offers a dynamic 70 minutes for all ages. The musical revolves around the story of a high school taekwondo team that used to be famous for its high ranking. But after several years of underperforming, their school decides to give th

On Sunday, Lim Yun-chan, 18, received the Gold Medal at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The news arrived two weeks after cellist Choi Ha-young won the Queen Elisabeth competition and three weeks after violinist Yang In-mo became the first Korean winner of the Sibelius Violin Competition, making it an inspiring time for Koreans. But the phenomenon didn’t start in 2022. Last year, Korean pianists Park Jae-hong won first place at the Busoni International Piano Comp

Lightyear (US) Opened June 15 Drama Directed by Angus MacLane While spending years attempting to return home, legendary Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg, who aims to steal his fuel source. To fight against Zurg, Buzz Lightyear embarks on an adventure alongside ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby and his robot companion Sox.  The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (Korea) Opened June 15 Action Directed by Park Hoon-jung So-nyeo (Shin Shi

Seventeen will tour three cities in Japan from Nov. 19, Pledis Entertainment announced Thursday. 　 It will perform six times, in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya, until Dec. 4. It will be the band’s first dome tour in the country. 　 The Japan leg is likely to be the final part of its upcoming international tour. The first show is in Seoul on Saturday. In August, the band will start the North American leg bringing it to 12 cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington.

  Leaving behind the glitz and the glamour of a contestant who finished in third place on JTBC’s audition program “Sing Again” in 2020, singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin is back with his first EP, “Room Vol. 1,” which released Thursday evening. As the title suggests, the aptly named “Room Vol. 1” marks the start of his “Room” series, and it’s music that best shows the stories of “musician Lee Mu-jin” and who he was before

Public broadcaster KBS is scheduled to release a new documentary series, “Oops! We Forgot Your Order 2,” featuring four mild dementia patients challenged to cook and sell their own food. Located on the beautiful island of Jeju, a small restaurant is run by four seniors with star chef Lee Yeon-bok, comedian Song Eun-i, actor Jin Ji-hee, and television celebrity and chef Hong Seok-cheon. A second season was commissioned after the huge success of its first, which explored issues such