Popular K-pop band Big Bang will make a much-awaited comeback to the stage at a US music festival this spring after its members completed their military duties, the group's agency said Friday.The act was invited to this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, in April, according to YG Entertainment. Big Bang will perform on April 10 and 17, along with other musicians, including Rage Against the Machine, Peggy Gou and Hatsune Miku.It is expected to be the f

Singer Kim Jae-joong of JYJ will begin a six-city Asian tour later this month, his management agency said Friday.The three-month tour will kick off in Seoul on Jan. 18-19 at the Peace Hall of Kyunghee University and continue in Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Macao, according to C-Jes Entertainment. Kim, a member of the Korean pop group JYJ, will release his first Korean-language album in four years, titled "Love Ballad," on Jan. 14.Debuting as an original member of boy band

For some bands, music is all about breaking stodgy old rules and creating new ones. However, for Black String, a traditional Korean music band, the revolution may be on a bigger scale. It wants to establish its own genre. Black String, founded in 2011, consists of four artists, three of them gugak performers. The group is led by string instrument geomungo virtuoso Heo Yoon-jeong with Lee Aram on daegeum (bamboo flute), Hwang Min-wang on janggu (hourglass-shaped drum) and Jean Oh on electric guit

Though gugak, traditional Korean music, is often considered an unchanging art form from the past, various gugak acts and institutions are working on revitalizing the genre to make it more relatable to today’s audiences.K-pop has taken the world by storm, but Korea’s traditional music is still underappreciated even among South Koreans, let along the wider global audience. Strong prejudices against gugak exist -- namely, that it is boring and difficult to listen to.Despite those negati

Kim Hee-chul of boy band Super Junior and girl group TWICE's Japanese member Momo are in a romantic relationship, the artists' management agencies confirmed Thursday."After getting along as close colleagues of show business, the two have recently started liking and dating each other," Kim's agency, Label SJ, said. The relationship was also confirmed by JYP Entertainment, the talent agency of TWICE.The artists from some of South Korea's most loved idol bands make them one of the highest

K-pop sensation BTS were the second South Korean pop artists to perform live in New York City's Times Square on New Year's eve, in a spectacle packed with crowds set for a countdown to the new year.The seven-member boy band showed up on the stage in the heart of Manhattan just before midnight on Tuesday (New York time), giving an eight-minute performance of two of their best hits: "Make It Right" and "Boy with Luv."When their part ended, the group shouted to the crowd, "

Following a short-lived music career in the early 1990s, Yang Joon-il disappeared into obscurity, leaving many fans without a clue about the star.A JTBC TV show has recently brought the long-forgotten star back to the public consciousness, summoning his old fans, now in their 40's, back to the K-pop scene. Fans' reaction was ecstatic and tickets for Yang's comeback fan meeting on Tuesday sold out, making him one of the most talked-about celebrities of today within the span of one month.In hindsi

Momoland has dropped a new retro-inspired digital single as a six-member girl group, following the departure of three members.In a media showcase held in central Seoul on Monday, Momoland officially unveiled the digital single "Thumbs Up," another addictive number following its captivating hits, such as "Bboom Bboom" and "Baam."It is the group's first music release as a six-piece unit after three members -- Taeha, Yeonwoo and Daisy -- left Momoland. The reconfigurat

As 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s birth, various recitals and concerts are taking place across the world in remembrance of the great musician from the 18th century. Korea is of course no exception in paying tribute to Beethoven. The classical music scene has already been pumped and primed in anticipation, gearing up for a big celebration. Although Beethoven’s music has already been frequently played in musical presentations here, such instances have double

January 2020 will decide if “Parasite” becomes the first South Korean film ever to win at the Golden Globe Awards. The next month, a run at the Oscars will wrap up an impressive series of wins for director Bong Joon-ho’s work, which bagged the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.This year, Korean pop culture experienced highs like the Bong film taking the world by storm and depressing lows such as the untimely deaths of beloved celebrities. Here&rsquo

CJ ENM, the operator of K-pop-oriented music channel Mnet, on Monday issued an apology for the vote-fixing scandal of its high-profile idol competition show and vowed to financially compensate K-pop trainees victimized in the case."We will absolutely take responsibility to compensate trainees who sustained damage from the vote fixing of Mnet's audition shows, including the 'Produce' series," CEO Heo Min-heoi of CJ ENM said in a press conference.  "(CJ ENM) will take necessary

South Korean singer-songwriter Younha will release a new album next week that includes a track featuring RM, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, her management agency said Monday. The five-track album, "Unstable Mindset," is set to hit major online music stores next Monday, C9 Entertainment said.  Of the five tracks, the first, "Winter Flower," is a collaborating song, featuring RM, according to C9.The second, "Black Cloud," is the lead track of "Unstable Mind

Fans of classical music in Korea have a lot to look out for in 2020, as the stage will be packed with celebrated orchestras led by old masters and rising stars.For start, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is set for a new beginning with its new maestro Osmo Vanska. The Finnish conductor begins his term at the SPO with inaugural concerts at the Lotte Concert hall Feb.14-15.  The Mahler and Sibelius specialist will be presenting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection.&rdq

A member of the girl group Red Velvet sustained serious injuries in a fall during a rehearsal for an awards show on Wednesday, her agency announced.SM Entertainment said Wendy was diagnosed with broken pelvis and right wrist after falling from the stage at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, while preparing for the K-pop show to be hosted and aired by broadcaster SBS later Wednesday.SM said Wendy, who also suffered a facial injury, received emergency treatment and will undergo further tests at a nearby h

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is to visit South Korea for the first time, gracing the stage at the Seoul Arts Center Feb. 6-7.It will be the time-honored orchestra’s first visit to the country. A concert scheduled in 1960 as part of its Asian tour had to be canceled due to the April 19 Revolution.  On the first day, the orchestra will present Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra Sz. 116 BB. 123; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491; and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No