The South Korean market for popular culture content including K-pop and K-drama expanded nearly 20 percent in 2018 from two years earlier on a surge in overseas sales, a government report showed Wednesday. According to the biennial tally of the popular culture market, compiled by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the combined revenue of the industry came to 6.42 trillion won (US$5.4 billion) in 2018, up 19.5 percent from about 5.37 trillion won

Adding to the phenomenal global ascent of K-pop, led by boy band BTS, another Korean band, SuperM, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart last October, furthering the global influence of Korean pop music. It was a major feat accomplished in SuperM's widely publicized collaboration with Capitol Music Group, a major American music label under Universal Music Group, and a culmination of an increasing number of similar collaboration deals between K-pop artists and American music labels and t

K-pop boy band BIGBANG has renewed its contract with the current agency, YG Entertainment, ahead of the band's new music release planned for this year, YG said Wednesday.  "The BIGBANG members, G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P and Daesung, signed an exclusive contract with YG," the management said in a press release. This will mark BIGBANG' next term with YG after the band's debut under the music label in 2006. BIGBANG later renewed its contract with YG twice, in 2011 and 2015. Y

"ON," the lead single from K-pop boy band BTS' latest album, dropped to 68th on this week's Billboard Hot 100 singles chart after debuting at fourth a week earlier, the latest chart updates showed Wednesday. The sudden skid of "ON" on the Hot 100 chart dated March 14, came mainly amid the dearth of radio airplay for the song in the United States as a non-English single.  Last week, the song, the lead track of "Map of the Soul: 7," debuted at No. 4 on the H

Successful K-pop singer Chungha has signed a contract with ICM Partners, a major American talent agency, as she gears up for a US debut, her local agency said Tuesday. "Chungha recently signed an agreement with ICM Partners, one of the top three global agencies in the US, and is moving to make inroads into the US market," MNH Entertainment said. Headquartered in Los Angeles, ICM Partners is a talent and literary agency and represents or has represented Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Khalid

Why BTS fans want streams for “On” recounted

  Just 12 hours before global sensation BTS released its newest album “Map of the Soul: 7” last month, the group dropped a 30-second preview of lead track “On” -- not on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, but on TikTok. TikTok, a short-form video-sharing app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is becoming the go-to platform for K-pop. Since its release in 2016, the app has witnessed a meteoric rise. According to app analytics site Sensor Tower, its downloads worldwide

 A string of major K-pop concerts have been called off or postponed in Japan as mutual entry restrictions by South Korea and Japan went into force early Monday. South Korea and Japan's visa waiver programs for nationals from each other were suspended at the start of Monday amid outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus. On Monday, Japan's new quarantine measures also took effect, introducing a two-week quarantine period for travelers coming from South Korea and restricting the landing of flights f

"Map of the Soul: 7," the new album by K-pop superstars BTS, ranked No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for this week following its No. 1 debut a week earlier, the US music magazine said on Monday. "BTS' 'Map of the Soul: 7' falls from No. 1 to No. 3 in its second week, earning 84,000 equivalent album units, down 80 percent from its opening week of 422,000," Billboard said on its website, announcing the result of the albums chart dated March 14. It is the BTS album's

Global super band BTS debuted three of its new songs on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for this week on Wednesday while topping a string of other Billboard charts with its new album, "Map of the Soul: 7." According to the weekly Billboard chart updates, "ON," the lead track of "7," ranked 4th on the Hot 100 chart dated March 7, as previously announced by the music magazine. It was BTS' first top 5 hit on the Hot 100. "My Time," a solo song by Jungk

Songwriters who worked on V’s solo track talk about transcultural writing, what it’s like to work with the biggest pop group in the world

"ON," the lead track of BTS' new album, debuted at 4th on the Hot 100 singles chart this week, the highest rank for any BTS song, Billboard said Monday (US time). "BTS scores its third and highest-peaking Hot 100 top 10, and the highest-charting song ever for a K-pop group, as 'On' roars in at No. 4," Billboard said, announcing the weekly chart dated March 7. It is BTS' first top five hit on the highly competitive singles chart and the band's third top 10 entry. "Boy

Mounting fears of the coronavirus outbreak are taking a heavy toll on K-pop overall. High-profile concerts like those of BTS and Twice are getting canceled, while multiple artists back from global events are being tested for possible infections. On Friday, K-pop juggernaut BTS announced it has canceled the Seoul leg of “Map of the Soul” world tour scheduled for April to prioritize the health of artists, fans and staff.  The act’s label Big Hit Entertainment said the

Donations for Korea’s fight against coronavirus led by BTS fans, collectively known as “Army,” exceeded 400 million won ($334,000) over the weekend, according to the Korea Disaster Relief Association on Monday. As of 10 a.m., 9,230 donations worth a combined 425.3 million won had been given to the organization under names such of “Bulletproof Boy Scouts,” “BTS” and “Army.” “The actual amount is likely much higher than the official co

"Map of the Soul: 7," the new album from K-pop super band BTS, landed atop the Billboard 200 chart this week in a history-making fourth No. 1 victory for the band on the American album list, Billboard said Monday (Korean time). "'Map of the Soul: 7' storms in atop the chart with 422,000 equivalent album units earned in the US in the week ending Feb. 27," the pop music magazine said on its website, citing data from Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Of the total, 347,000 was in albu