Anticipation for Friday’s worldwide Netflix release of the first Korean sci-fi blockbuster movie set in space, “Space Sweepers,” could be felt by the cast members and director during an online press conference and fan meeting held Tuesday. Set in 2092, “Space Sweepers” from director Jo Sung-hee revolves around a space cleanup crew trying to sell a weapon of mass destruction: humanoid Dorothy. “Around 10 years ago, a friend of mine told me about the trash i

Here are today's major events that you may have missed out

The world’s largest music streaming platform Spotify on Tuesday announced the official launch of its service in Korea. “We’re looking forward to working even closer with the entire Korean music industry to uncover more artists and connect them with fans in Korea and the world, while also continuously working on providing an ever-improving, unrivaled listening experience to Korean listeners,” Alex Norstrom, Spotify’s chief freemium business officer, said in a state

Hui, a member of K-pop boy band Pentagon, will start his alternative military service later this month, his management agency said Tuesday. The 28-year-old group leader and producer will enter a boot camp on Feb. 18 for four weeks of basic military training and then serve as a social worker, according to CUBE Entertainment. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military, but those judged unfit for active-duty service are allowed to serve an alternative one. The agency

Omnibus drama “Love Scene Number,” spotlights themes of love, marriage and sex, with an emphasis on showcasing a woman’s point of view. The drama, made by streaming platform Wavve and terrestrial broadcaster MBC in a collaborative effort, kicked off Monday on both platforms. Wavve, the streaming platform created by three terrestrial broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- and SK Telecom released all four episodes of “Love Scene Number” on Monday morning as soon as t

Japanese art collector and YouTuber purchase the top-selling items at the auction

Middle-seat vacancy rule relaxed for performing art halls, cinemas

Blackpink wrapped up its virtual concert “The Show” to much fanfare in Seoul on Sunday. The group’s first pay-per-view livestreamed show, which ran for about 90 minutes on YouTube, featured the four bandmates performing a total of 19 songs, including their biggest hits “How You Like That,” “Don’t Know What to Do,” “Love Sick Girls,” “Whistle” and “Boombayah.” Songs from the group’s latest “The Alb

US magazine Esquire picks best pop bands ever; others include Beatles and Queen

At a time when online concerts featuring live communication with fans and state-of-the-art technology have become a new norm in the K-pop industry, BLACKPINK decided to go back to the basics in its first livestream concert Sunday, urging the audience to focus solely on its music and performance. The 90-minute gig, livestreamed for subscribers of a paid YouTube membership, showed the act's four members -- Jennie, Jisoo, Rose and Lisa -- singing some of their best hits and previously unperformed

“Big Hit has chosen to increase pie of industry rather than expand just its shares.”

Communicating freely with K-pop stars is every fan’s dream. The dream came true for many fans in February last year, when S.M. Entertainment launched a new service called “DearU bubble,” often shortened to just bubble, on community app Lysn. The service provides a private space that looks a lot like a private chat room, connecting fans with the artists they love. When an artist sends text messages, voice messages, photos and videos through this service, all fans who subsc

South Korean game maker NCSoft launched its K-pop entertainment platform Universe in 134 countries on Thursday. The all-in-one platform allows users to access exclusive content such as music videos, entertainment shows K-pop groups appear on and celebrity photos, while also allowing artists and fans to interact. Fans can also share their creations on the platform. One of the platform’s most noticeable features is a private messaging and call function powered by artificial intelligence

Humans, AI battle it out on SBS’ upcoming reality show

Kim plays on 1763 Guadagnini on a loan from Kumho art foundation