Blackpink announced Thursday that it will have an autograph session on Aug. 8 in time to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its debut. The supergroup will invite 88 fans selected through a lucky draw. The event is the first full-group activity since the four members were awarded honorary medals from Britain’s King Charles in November last year. Since then, they renewed their contract with YG Entertainment to handle their group activities but took their individual careers elsewhere. Rose s

Music critic attributes increase in plagiarism claims to global popularity of K-pop, enlarged market size

Series' writer says Koreans' views on shamanism are changing

JYP Entertainment announced Thursday that it will establish a local subsidiary in Latin America and launch an audition program under the title "L2K" to create a new Latin girl group, marking its first major foray into the Latin American music market. JYP Entertainment said it plans to launch its subsidiary within the current quarter, expanding its artists' tour regions and new business ventures, while also building communication channels with local fans. JYP Entertainment also unv

The 2024 MAMA Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony, organized by CJ ENM, will kick off in the US for the first time in its history, the company said Thursday. The awards are to start at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 21, before moving to the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan on Nov. 22-23. This marks a significant step in expanding the reach of K-pop and connecting global fans across different time zones. The MAMA Awards, which have a 25-year legacy, have prev

Stray Kids have returned with confidence and aspirations to reach a broader audience. The eight-member group dropped its 9th mini album, “ATE,” on Friday, expressing ambitions to broaden their musical spectrum. "This is our first album of the year. As our unique style has become more distinct, we've worked hard to prepare it, so please enjoy it," said leader Bang Chan during a press conference held at the Conrad Seoul in Yeongdengpo-gu, Seoul on Friday. The title track

“Project Silence” (South Korea) Opened July 12 Thriller/action Directed by Kim Tae-gon Trapped on a collapsing bridge shrouded in fog, national security officer Jung-won (the late Lee Sun-kyun), his daughter and other survivors find themselves in a fight for their lives against a mysterious creature. “Escape” (South Korea) Opened July 3 Action Directed by Lee Jong-pil North Korean soldier Gyu-nam (Lee Je-hoon) is about to be discharged after 10 years of service. Faced w

"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer," as the 76th Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Downey portrays four characters in the seven-part black comedy miniseries: a CIA agent, film director, congressman and professor. For his performance as multiple antagonists in the series, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said that Downey has been

BTS's Jimin set to perform "Who" from the upcoming solo album on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Jimin will appear on the popular American NBC program at 12:35 p.m., Tuesday, Korean Standard Time, performing "Who" from his second solo album "Muse." The Jimmy Fallon Show announced Jimin's appearance on Thursday via a teaser video released on its official social media accounts. The teaser shows Jimmy Fallon drinking from a can labeled &qu

Despite Ador CEO Min Hee-jin’s wish to reconcile with Hybe, the parent company’s anger shows no signs of abating as its subsidiary labels continue to take legal measures against Min. On Monday, Source Music, the Hybe music label behind K-pop girl band Le Sserafim, filed a lawsuit against Min for defamation, obstruction of business and insult, seeking damages of around 5 billion won ($362,450). Source Music claimed that Min's comments have caused Le Sserafim to suffer from rumors

All eight members of Stray Kids agreed to stay with label JYP Entertainment and signed contract renewals, the company announced Thursday. Their exclusive contracts were due to expire in March next year, but were renewed in advance. The octet is set to bring out their ninth EP, “Ate,” on Friday, amid high expectations after the four previous albums – EPs “Oddinary,” “Maxident” and “Rockstar” as well as third LP “Five-Star” -- all d

Park to perform in 'Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala 2024' with fellow etoiles

Seoul’s Experimental Film and Video Festival (EXiS), the largest of its kind in Asia, kicked off Thursday for eight days of experimental films, documentaries and moving images from around the world. Under its competition program EX-Now, a total of 21 experimental films will be screened in the international section, selected from 2,008 films from 79 countries, while 11 Korean experimental films will compete in the Korean section. From the 32 films, a jury will select three films for awards.

Netflix Korea working to get season system take root in Korean market

K-pop sensation NewJeans will perform during the halftime at the big match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur. NewJeans will perform at the halftime show of the "2024 Coupang Play Series" match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Seoul World Cup Stadium, according to Ador, the group's agency. The "2024 Coupang Play Series" is a highly anticipated game that has local football fans excited about the prospect of seeing Tot