K-pop boy group EXO's Baekhyun attracted some 110,000 viewers from around the world in his first online concert held over the weekend, the singer's agency said Monday. "Beyond Live - Baekhyun : Light," livestreamed via Naver V Live on Sunday, drew some 110,000 viewers from 120 countries, according to SM Entertainment. The agency said the concert trended on Twitter as fans in countries like France, the Netherlands, Russia, Vietnam and Indonesia tweeted posts, including hashtags like #

While the year of 2020 was a disastrous year for everyone, the performing arts scene hopes regain its footing this year. Last year, musical productions were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling or postponing shows due to the middle seat vacancy rule according to the authorities’ social distancing scheme. On Dec. 30, the musical scene has launched an association of Korean musical production companies, consisting of major musical production agencies such as Seensee Company, Clip

What would happen if you saw your significant other disappear into an unidentified beam of light? Once again screenwriter Jin Han-sae, best known for the Netflix original series “Extracurricular,” has paired up with Yoon Shin-ae, CEO of the film production company Studio 329, to produce a new Netflix series titled “Glitch.” Studio 329 captivated the public and critics with “Extracurricular,” a 10-episode thriller drama that aired in April, when Jin was still

S.M. Entertainment’s livestreamed global music festival SM Town Live drew a record-breaking 35 million-plus viewers on New Year’s Day, the company said Saturday. Viewers in 186 countries streamed the concert, featuring the likes of Taeyeon, Taemin, Red Velvet, NCT 127, SuperM and aespa. Themed “culture humanity,” this year’s show was online only and free to watch on videostreaming platforms such as V Live, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. Taeyeon said she&r

New tvN entertainment show “Youn’s Stay” plans to bring the warmth of hanok, or traditional Korean houses, to the small screen this winter. In the program from star director Na Young-seok, veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung runs a hanok guest house in Gurye, South Jeolla Province, for foreigners who have been in Korea for less than a year. Guests include those who came to Korea on business or for education, as the COVID-19 situation hinders tourist travel. While Youn’s previ

Coming in at 226 million, the number of theatergoers in Korea in 2019 was a record high. Five movies surpassed 10 million ticket sales and the main concern was the monopolization of screens by CJ and Disney (mainly Marvel) movies. A PwC report predicted in 2019 that the number of theatergoers would increase at an average of 4% per annum for the global movie market until 2023. That all changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, making 2020 a year that the movie industry would rather forg

Star actor Hyun Bin and his on-screen partner in the hit drama "Crash Landing On You," Son Ye-jin, have been dating for eight months, their agencies confirmed Friday. "The two have become intimate as co-stars and have developed such intimacy into a romantic one as lovers after the series concluded," said VAST Entertainment, the management of Hyun Bin, in a statement. The two had repeatedly denied the dating rumors. Rumors had particularly intensified during their costarrin

  South Korean production firm Studio Dragon on Thursday confirmed that it has cast actor Kim Go-eun as the protagonist in the upcoming webtoon-based drama “Yumi’s Cells.” Kim will play Kim Yumi, an ordinary woman in her 30s. “I think many people were able to enjoy happy and sad moments while reading about an ordinary woman character Yumi’s love life for such a long time because it is relatable. I am looking forward to starting on this journey,” Kim s

BTS has become the inaugural winner of a special category at the Japan Record Awards hosted by Japanese broadcaster TBS, the band's agency said Thursday. The septet won the Special International Music Award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards that was broadcasted live late Wednesday, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS, which was the sole overseas artist that won a trophy at this year's ceremony, performed its hit songs "Dynamite" and "Life Goes On." It was the group's firs

After three weeks of reorganization, SBS drama series “Delayed Justice,” starring veteran actor Kwon Sang-woo, will return with its 13th episode on New Year’s Day. Jung Woo-sung, who replaces actor Bae Seung-woo following a drunk driving incident, will join the TV drama starting from the 17th episode, adding more star power to the program.　 The decision to take a three-week break following its 12th episode on Dec. 12 was made after reports surfaced that Bae was caught drivin

　K-pop superstars BTS ranked as the sixth-most-tweeted-about people globally, data from Twitter showed, reflecting the seven-member group’s strong influence on the social media platform. 　While US President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden topped the list, BTS was one of two music acts to make the list of the 10 most-tweeted-about global figures. The other was American rapper Kanye West. 　BTS also topped Twitter’s list of the most-tweeted-about K-pop accounts globally

Star lecturer Seol Min-seok said he will leave all programs in which he appears, admitting to plagiarism of his master’s degree thesis written 10 years ago. He holds a master’s degree in history education from Yonsei University. “I sincerely apologize for causing concerns over thesis plagiarism which was reported on news today. I admit I neglected my research and was not sufficiently thorough with noting references and footnotes,” he wrote via Facebook on Tuesday. &ldquo

With many webtoons being made into movies, TV dramas and games, the medium is enjoying new heights of popularity. Although COVID-19 has made the creation of webtoons more difficult, it could not stop the fast growth of the industry. At the same time, however, illegal websites that feature pirated webtoons have persisted with no signs of abating, despite governmental efforts. The Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released its 2020 annual report on the

Last month a girl group like no other, K/DA, dropped its first EP two years after its official debut. "ALL OUT” follows the smash single “POP/STARS,” released in November 2018. The group started with Ahri, a K-pop artist who made her debut in 2013 and shot to fame in less than three years. But like many artists, Ahri encountered troubles with her agency. Instead of going with the flow, she sought out and recruited current bandmates Kai’Sa, Evelynn and Akali so the

The debut of K/DA, the virtual girl group of four characters from online arena game League of Legends, in 2018 could have ended as just a one-time gift for loyal fans of the game. But with the release of the group’s first single “POP/STARS” and their real-life stage performance at the 2018 World Championship Finals opening ceremony in South Korea that year, the song, along with the four members -- Ahri, Kai’Sa, Evelynn and Akali -- received acknowledgement even beyond t