Hyein of NewJeans will be absent from official activities for the group's new album, "How Sweet," due to a foot injury. The group's agency, Ador, posted a notice on the fan community platform Weverse stating that Hyein will not participate in activities related to the upcoming album, including music shows and performances, so that she can focus on rest and recovery. Hyein was diagnosed with a minor fracture in her foot during practice last month and has since been focusing on

American pop star Olivia Rodrigo will hold her first concert in South Korea in September. Rodrigo will perform at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium, Seoul on Sept. 20, according to the concert planning agency Bonboo Entertainment. Born in 2003, Rodrigo rose to stardom in 2021 with “Drivers License,” her debut single and lead single of her first studio album, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track "Sour," released in the same year, stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard al

TripleS, the K-pop girl group with the most members in history, released their first studio album, “Assemble 24,” with all 24 members for the first time since their debut in May 2022. “It took us two years to complete our group of 24. It feels surreal to finally announce a new beginning of TripleS as a group of 24 with this album that some of our members took part in bringing about,” said Seo Da-hyun, the 10th member to join tripleS, during a press conference in Seoul on

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the reign of Caesar, following the War for the Planet of the Apes. Now this journey, which questions everything he's been taught about the past, can determine the future for apes and humans alike. “The Fall Guy” (US) Opened May 1 Action/Comedy Directed by David Leitch A down-and-out stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is called ag

“Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy and romance film set in the near future that deals with relationships, death and life, shows what it is like to communicate using AI technology, director Kim Tae-yong said Thursday. The movie revolves around people reuniting in a virtual world called Wonderland. Tang Wei, Suzy and Park Bo-gum star as those who ask to meet people they loved but cannot meet anymore in the real world. Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik appear as staff who support the AI service

Stray Kids will bring out a new album on July 19, according to a local media report Thursday. The group's last album was the eighth EP “Rock-Star” from November last year, which became its fourth consecutive chart-topper on Billboard 200, following EPs “Oddinary” and “Maxident” as well as LP “Five-Star.” The eight-track extended play sold over 3 million copies in the first week and topped the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 32 regions while the mai

Despite the ever-expanding presence and influence of K-pop around the world, K-pop artists and fans are still affected by racism. K-pop boy group Stray Kids recently experienced racial discrimination at the hands of local photographers during the 2024 Met Gala, one of the biggest annual fashion events in the US, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Tuesday. Stray Kids, who were invited to the event as the brand ambassadors of Tommy Hilfiger, were posing for photos when photogr

K-pop should search for ways to gain sustainability, say experts

Benois de la Danse winner Kang Mi-sun, ABT principal dancer Seo Hee, newcomer Lee You-rim to perform as Juliet

CJ ENM aims to uphold its top position in prime-time viewership ratings by maximizing synergy between streaming platforms and its cable channel tvN, amid the declining use of linear TVs, the company said Wednesday. Announcing the outcomes of tvN content's performance in 2024 During a media event held at the headquarters of CJ ENM located in Sangam-dong, Seoul, on Wednesday, the company said tvN is currently taking the lead in nationwide viewership ratings logged during prime time. TvN is

NCT Dream will roll out the Japanese single “Moonlight” online on Wednesday, in advance of the full release of its second single album of the same title that is due out on June 5, according to SM Entertainment. The band will perform the pop dance tune on stage at its concert in Osaka on May 11-12, giving the audience the first look at the performance. The concert will be the beginning of the Japan leg of the tour, “The Dream Show 3: Dream Escape in Japan,” which will brin

With its total assets reaching over 5 trillion won ($3.7 billion) last year, K-pop giant Hybe, which launched as Big Hit Entertainment in 2005, is looking to claim “large-firm” status. In 2019, Hybe acquired its first subsidiary label, Source Music, aspiring to become a global multi-label entertainment company. Today, Hybe has 11 subsidiaries under its label division, including Big Hit Music, housing the global K-pop sensation BTS; Pledis Entertainment, housing the globally renowned

'Parasite' star Song Kang-ho stars in drama for first time

K-pop rookie group Illit seems to have skirted the controversy surrounding its originality, successfully landing on the Billboard 200 chart with its first EP “Super Real Me” on Tuesday. The group had been facing criticism that its concept was similar to that of the popular girl band NewJeans, which is housed under the same Hybe umbrella. According to Belift Lab, Illit ranked 93rd on the Billboard 200, less than a month after it debuted in 91st place on the Hot 100 chart with its titl

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin is likely to be removed by Hybe at the extraordinary meeting with shareholders sometime between May 27 and 30, an industry source said Thursday. Min revealed Tuesday her plan to hold a board meeting Friday with the parent company to discuss the agenda for a shareholders meeting. Hybe will most likely sack Min for the alleged breach of trust at the extraordinary meeting with evidence it has yet to disclose. “While it is difficult to speculate on the allegation of Min&rs