Local movie theaters, which have been in the doldrums amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, are expected to get a fresh boost from several upcoming releases of homegrown blockbusters. The black-and-white historical drama "The Book of Fish" has spearheaded the potential spring run that would attract audience members who have been reluctant for nearly a year to come to theaters under strict social distancing. It garnered nearly 35,000 moviegoers on its opening day Wednesday, far outnumb

K-pop sensation BTS has added another feat to its long list of accolades, becoming the first Korean artist to be nominated for the annual Brit Awards. The seven-piece act was nominated for the international group award, alongside musicians Fontaines D.C., four-time winner Foo Fighters, HAIM and Run the Jewels. Past winners in the category include prominent acts like Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2 and Daft Punk. This year's awards ceremony, which was postponed due to the pandemic, is sche

Shinee is putting out a repackaged version of its recently released seventh studio album “Atlantis,” SM Entertainment said Wednesday. 　 It will include nine tracks from the LP “Don’t Call Me” as well as three new songs: “Atlantis,” “Area” and “Days and Years.” 　 The veteran idol group came out with new music for the first time in 2 1/2 years and topped iTunes top albums chart in 47 regions. 　 It will host its first virtual conc

Producers of the popular Korean TV series "Vincenzo" said Wednesday that they will remove the controversial scene featuring a Chinese product from overseas streaming services amid rising domestic anger over Chinese sponsorship. In the eighth episode of the dark comedy that aired on March 14 on tvN, an instant Chinese bibimbap brand was exposed while the lead characters Vincenzo (Song Joong-ki) and Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-bin) have a meal. Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish consisting of a

The megahit BTS single "Dynamite" has tied the 2012 viral sensation "Gangnam Style" for the longest charting song by a South Korean act on Billboard's main singles chart. The disco-pop number, released in August, jumped eight notches to No. 26 on the weekly Hot 100 chart, refreshed Tuesday (US time). This marks the song's 31st consecutive week on the chart, equaling the record set by singer-producer Psy's "Gangnam Style" in 2012. Since its release, the septet's f

Live clubs in the Hongdae area will now be able to hold performances under the current social distancing scheme, as details of the infectious disease prevention and control measures have been changed. “The Mapo-gu district office has decided general restaurants with stages and performance facilities in its jurisdiction can host performances while complying with the government’s infectious disease prevention and control measures for performing arts facilities,“ the Korea Live

Ballerino Kim Ki-min will not perform at the staging of “La Bayadere” in Seoul in April, as the organizer said on Wednesday he was not granted an exemption from a mandatory two-week, self-quarantine in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim, the principal dancer of the prestigious Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, was to perform in the Korea National Ballet’s “La Bayadere“ scheduled for next month, along with Olga Smirnova, a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet. The K

Broadcaster JTBC on Tuesday hit back at criticisms of history distortion by releasing part of its plot for their upcoming drama “Snowdrop.” “Snowdrop,” a romance drama featuring actor Jung Hae-in and Blackpink’s Jisoo, is set to air in the second half of this year. Based on earlier released synopsis and character descriptions, some inferred that the plot revolved around a North Korean spy and the South Korean pro-democracy movement in the 1980s. Critics said th

Baekhyun of EXO talked about his new EP, “Bambi,” at an online media conference Tuesday. 　 “Through ‘Bambi,’ you will be able to see that Baekhyun has grown from a boy into a young man,” said the artist, adding that fans would feel his maturity as a 30-year-old (Korean age). He agonized over how to be sexy without coming on too strong, he added. 　 The EP, his third as a soloist, consists of six R&B tracks. One, “Amusement Park,” was dropped

Artist getting ready for military enlistment next month

With music halls and auditoriums shut down or under strict limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year, bands are turning to “performing” at local cinemas. Under the government’s social distancing scheme, audience numbers at concerts are limited to under 100. Though the rules were relaxed in late-February for musicals and classical music performances -- the number of people in the audience is not capped as long as the middle-seat vacancy rule is practiced -

The new YouTube Originals series “K-Pop Evolution” will trace the rise of K-pop to global prominence. The seven-part English docuseries will kick off Wednesday at 10 p.m., and a new episode will be uploaded each week. The show chronicles the growth of the now 10 billion dollar K-pop industry from its birth with Seo Taiji and Boys in the 1990s to its current global popularity. K-pop idols from different generations -- SuperM, H.O.T., BoA, Super Junior, Kara, Ha:tfelt of Wonder Girls

"I Can See Your Voice," a music entertainment show from South Korean cable music network Mnet, has been newly sold to three countries, the company said Tuesday. Mnet said it has signed new remake export deals with broadcasters in France, Belgium and Canada, raising to 18 the total number of countries that purchased the format, including the United States and Britain. Since launching in 2015, "I Can See Your Voice" has been highly popular in Korea, continuing into its eight

Joining the widening "Stop Asian Hate" movement, triggered by the recent deadly shootings in Atlanta, K-pop boy band BTS condemned racial discrimination and violence in a resolute Twitter message Tuesday. "We feel grief and anger," BTS said in a message posted both in Korean and English on its official Twitter account. "We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," the band said, apparently referring to the bereaved families of the vic

K-pop sensation BTS has said its first stand-alone performance at this year's Grammy Awards was meaningful enough to offset their loss for one of the world's most coveted music honors. "There are many Grammy trophies up for grabs, but there were only 20 singers who had onstage performances during the ceremony. So we thought it would be better performing than winning," leader and rapper RM said during "Let's BTS," a self-branded talk show on KBS on Monday. "Nevertheless