The Korean music industry is on alert as a growing number of singers have tested positive for the coronavirus amid an ongoing fourth wave of infections. Lee Min-hyuk of K-pop boy band BTOB was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, the band’s agency Cube Entertainment on Saturday. After Lee found out that his vocal coach tested positive for the coronavirus, he took two polymerase chain reaction tests and the results came out negative for both. However, he started showing symptoms on Fr

 Two years have passed since the 2019 film, “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. Although Korean films were not among the 24 competing feature films at the festival’s 74th edition, the firm presence of the Korean cinematic scene was acknowledged by the appearance of its star directors and actors. Director Bong Joon-ho proudly announced the opening of the festival on July 6, while actor Lee Byung-hun took the stage to

Veteran actor Hwang Jung-min returned to the big screen playing himself in the upcoming movie “Hostage: Missing Celebrity” directed by Pil Gam-seong. Hwang said he did not feel pressured playing the character based off his own life. “I actually enjoyed it. I thought that the audiences would take the situation in the film as being more real,” Hwang said during an online press conference held on Thursday. The actor added that it was interesting to read about his own kid

Seventeen will not meet fans in person during its fifth fan meet “Seventeen in Carat Land,” agency Pledis Entertainment said Friday. 　 Through its official fandom channel Weverse, the company announced that it would cancel the in-person meet for the event after the social distancing guideline was strengthened as the country seeks to overcome another COVID-19 wave. 　 The 13-member group was originally planning to host the fan meet events in southern Seoul from Aug. 6-8, both off- a

Director Yoon Dae-won’s “Cicada” has won the second prize at the 24th Cinefondation Selection, the Cannes Film Festival announced Friday. “Cicada,” a Korean short film portraying a transgender prostitute Chang-hyun and his old friend, was invited to the Cinefondation, a category for student filmmakers. Cinefondation, established in 1998, is devoted to spotlighting new talents in the film industry. This year’s selection consisted of 17 short and medium-leng

Art theater to move to new Ando Tadao building in western Seoul in 2022 　　

Robert Downey Jr. is joining director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming drama “The Sympathizer,” US online entertainment trade publication Deadline reported Friday. The drama is an adaptation of Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title, a spy thriller work of historical fiction. The story centers around a spy from North Vietnam in the South Vietnamese army. The drama will follow the character in exile in the US, depicting the struggles of a communi

Ballerino Kim Ki-min, a principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, will hold a recital celebrating the 10th anniversary of his joining the renowned Russian ballet troupe. Kim‘s recital, titled “An Artistic Evening with Kimin Kim,” at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, will be the closing performance of the theater’s XXIX Music Festival Stars of the White Nights, according to the Mariinsky Ballet website. It will mark Kim’s second r

MSG Wannabe, an all-male act that formed on the popular Korean TV show "Hangout With Yoo," is going strong on South Korean music charts. The eight-piece act is far from a typical K-pop band. The group consists of a comedian, singers and actors -- including two in their 50s and three in their 30s -- and their name MSG Wannabe comes from monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is often derided here for being a junk food ingredient but making food flavorful. Nonetheless, the project group t

The Medium (US) Opened July 14 Thriller Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun A documentary team follows Nim (Sawanee Utoomma), a shaman living in a mountain village in Thailand. After Nim’s sister Noi (Sirani Yankittikan) refused to become the designated shaman years ago, she succeeded in the role instead. One day, Nim finds out that her niece Mink (Narilya Gulmongkolpech) has developed some strange symptoms. Black Widow (US) Opened July 7 Action Directed by Cate Shortland Following the e

Kakao Entertainment announced Thursday that it has decided to merge with South Korea’s leading online music streaming platform, Melon. The decision comes as Kakao aims to secure competitiveness and leadership in the showbiz industry. The two companies jointly agreed at a board meeting held Thursday and attended by both sides. The deal is expected to be finalized through a shareholders meeting on Sept. 1. Under the merger, one share of Kakao will be exchanged with around 7.8 shares of

Another bout of speculation on a collaboration between Coldplay and BTS emerged after lyrics from “My Universe,” thought to be the British band’s new song, was registered on lyrics database MatchLyrics on Thursday. 　 BTS’ label Bit Hit Music, however, said that it cannot confirm the news and asked fans for their understanding. 　 There have been talks about a potential collaboration since April when Chris Martin was reported to be in Korea. Earlier in June a tweet appear

Actor Cha Ji-yeon is to return to the musical stage after a positive test for COVID-19 forced her into quarantine. “Cha tested negative for the virus on Wednesday and checked out of the residential treatment center,” her agency, C- JeS Entertainment, announced Thursday. “She will carry on with the schedules for musicals ‘Red Book’ and ‘Gwanghwamun Sonata,’ while complying with the government’s social distancing rules.” The veteran actor w

D.O., member of K-pop boy band EXO, on Thursday released the details of his debut solo EP ahead of the album's scheduled release later this month. SM Entertainment earlier announced the singer will drop his first-ever solo release, titled "Empathy" in Korean, on July 26. The eight-track album, which includes six new tracks in addition to two bonus tracks, will be fronted by the main track "Rose," the agency said Thursday. D.O. wrote the lyrics for "Rose," it added

BTS became the top-selling artist in total CD album sales in the United States in the first half of this year, according to Billboard on Tuesday (US time). The K-pop juggernaut sold 573,000 copies of its CD albums from Jan. 1 to July 1, the most by a single music act in the US, Billboard said, citing MRC Data, a music sales data provider. American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift came in next with sales of 414,000 units. In terms of broader physical album sales that took vinyl albums and casset