K-pop powerhouse Hybe announced that it will file a complaint against sublabel Ador CEO Min Hee-jin and other executives on the charge of breach of trust on Thursday. In a statement, Hybe said that through the audit of Ador that began Monday, it has obtained concrete evidence of a plan led by Min to seize control of the sublabel, which manages popular girl group NewJeans. Hybe said one of the people subject to the audit has submitted evidence proving the alleged attempts of Ador executives to ta

Some fans of girl group NewJeans staged a protest outside the building of K-pop giant Hybe in Seoul on Wednesday, deploying a "protest truck" to voice their grievances against the chief of its sub-label in an escalating conflict with the parent company. "Min Hee-jin should no longer use NewJeans and its family," blared an electronic billboard mounted on the truck sent by the members of Bunnies, the group's fandom. Min is the CEO of ADOR. Other messages repeatedly flashed

The Korean National Ballet is gearing up for the eagerly awaited Korean premiere of John Neumeier's adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" at the Seoul Arts Center, scheduled for May 1-5. Neumeier, widely acknowledged as one of today's foremost choreographers, has lead the world-renowned Hamburg Ballet since 1973 as its director and chief choreographer. With a prolific career spanning over five decades, he has crafted more than 170 pieces. Currently in Seoul overseeing the KNB&#

Actors Kim Moo-yul, Lee Dong-hwi star as ruthless killer and cheeky mastermind, respectively

K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s multilabel system is being tested as it has locked horns with one of its sublabels, Ador. Executives of Ador, the agency housing popular K-pop girl group NewJeans, began sending complaint emails to their parent company on April 3, about a week after the launch of Illit, a new girl group, by another Hybe sublabel, Belift Lab. Shin Dong-hoon, vice president of Ador, demanded that Hybe CEO Park Ji-won and Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho address the conflict of interest surro

Stray Kids uploaded a teaser photograph for upcoming digital single Wednesday. The band of eight gazed into the camera exuding calm energy for much-hyped single “Lose My Breath,” a collaboration with Charlie Puth. The producing trio within the band – of Bangchan, Changbin and Han – participated in writing the song as it has for all lead singles since its debut in 2018. The digital single will be unveiled on May 10. Separately, the band’s “Why?,” its firs

Pianist Cho Seong-Jin has been named the artist-in-residence of the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic for the 2024-25 season. The announcement of the appointment posted on the German orchestra's website on Wednesday said Cho will present five programs during his residency, which includes programs with the Berlin Philharmonic, collaborations with members of the orchestra, chamber music concerts and a solo recital featuring the complete piano works of Maurice Ravel. In October this year, Cho wi

Since its first outing in 2011, Planet of Apes reboot has demonstrated the pinnacle of visual effects in its realistic depiction of primates. The series has earned global recognition for its VFX techniques, including visual effects nominations at both the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards. Now, a fourth installment, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," is in cinemas, seven years after the previous one. According to the producers, the movie showcases even more advanced visual effects, a cul

"The Roundup: Punishment" set a ticket reservation record for Korean films of all time on its opening day, Wednesday, its distributor said, signaling a robust start for the highly anticipated film. The latest installment in "The Roundup" crime-action franchise starring Ma Dong-seok amassed over 830,000 presold tickets at theaters nationwide, accounting for a whopping 95.5 percent of all box-office ticket reservations as of 8 a.m., ABO Entertainment said, citing figures from t

Music festivals are gearing up for the summer season with artists of various genres from around the world set to ignite the summer in Korea, transcending borders and bringing diverse musical experiences. The Seoul Jazz Festival 2024, celebrating its 16th edition this year, will herald festival season on the summer's cusp, from May 31 to June 2. On the festival's opening day, the band Day6 and singer-songwriter and rapper Kik5o will take to the stage along with American singer-songwrite

Ateez announced plans for its North American tour Tuesday via agency KQ Entertainment. The band will resume the American leg of tour “Towards the Light: Will to Power” that began with a concert in Seoul in January, starting with a live show in Tacoma, US on July 14. It will then visit nine cities in the US and Canada, including: Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York and Toronto. The eight-member act hinted at visiting the region, telling the audience that it will be back in the US thi

K-pop giant Hybe has initiated an audit of its subsidiary Ador, home to NewJeans, claiming that Ador CEO Min Hee-jin attempted a takeover of the sublabel. This is the first time that Hybe, the parent company for multiple smaller K-pop labels, has taken such a move against a subsidiary. Min, who is also the producer of popular K-pop girl group NewJeans, has denied the allegation, arguing that Hybe took action against her after she pointed out that the entertainment monolith's new K-pop girl

Plave, the virtual K-pop boy group launched by Vlast, aims to expand its reach overseas this year. “Our goal for Plave this year is to go global. We are currently in negotiations with an agency abroad for the group’s launch in foreign music markets. We are close to inking the deal,” said Lee Sung-gu, CEO of Vlast, during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Vlast is a virtual intellectual property startup that created and manages Plave. “We are creating a whole new genr

Director Jeong Ji-hye, 29, depicts in great detail an ordinary woman in her 50s in her feature film debut “Jeong-sun.” The concept was based on Jeong's year-long experience working part-time at a food packaging factory -- the same setting where the protagonist Jeong-sun works and faces an unexpected event. “While working at the factory, I became close with many middle-aged women who worked there. I could hear their life stories and about the environment they were in,&rdquo

Get ready for an entertaining ride as South Korea's top comedian Yoo Jae-suk teams up with actor Yoo Yeon-seok. Exploring how Koreans spend their spare time, the duo are the lead MCs in the local broadcaster SBS's upcoming entertainment show "Whenever Possible." The eight-part program will hear from audiences and share their stories by visiting them in person. Each episode also features three other celebrity guests. "The show was designed after we noticed that a lot of