Articles by Lee Jung-Youn
Lee Jung-Youn
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JYP forms new Japanese boy group NexZ
JYP Entertainment has finalized the members of its new Japanese boy group, NexZ, through the global audition "Nizi Project Season 2." In the final episode of "Nizi Project Season 2," which ran on JYP's official YouTube channel and streaming service Hulu Japan, the seven members -- Tomoya, Haru, Yuki, Ken, Yu, Yuhi and Seita – were announced with their new group name NexZ. All but Ken, the only Korean member, are Japanese nationals. The global audition held prelimin
K-pop Dec. 19, 2023
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Hip-hop trio Epik High rides high on 20th anniversary concerts
Legendary hip-hop trio Epik High held three packed, back-to-back concerts marking the group's 20th anniversary, proving that the group is as strong as ever. “Epik High 20th Anniversary Concert,” held at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, drew a total of 15,000 concertgoers over the three days. Two concerts were originally planned for Friday and Saturday but a third was added for Sunday as all seats sold out immediately upon ticket opening. During the three-hour concert, Epik High pe
Performance Dec. 18, 2023
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Yoasobi's sold-out concerts prove J-pop still strong in Korea
Despite freezing weather, about 4,000 fans gathered at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium on Sunday to see Japanese duo Yoasobi perform. “I am so excited to enjoy Yoasobi’s songs performed live. As a J-pop fan, I hope more singers from abroad would consider visiting Korea,” said Yoon Jin-young, who was waiting in line to get a ticket. Yoasobi, who debuted in 2019, is a duo with a unique concept of reinterpreting novels into music. Producer Ayase is in charge of lyrics a
Performance Dec. 18, 2023
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Legendary singers' idol group comeback as 'Golden Girls' evokes mixed feelings
“Golden Girls” – an entertainment show that features the journey of four legendary female singers from the ’80s and ’90s to transform into a trendy girl group – was a fresh adventure in the Korean music industry. The singers' challenge recorded a 5 percent viewership just after the second episode -- the highest among entertainment programs that KBS has aired on Friday night so far this year. The guerrilla concert held at Coex in southern Seoul on Dec. 5 d
Performance Dec. 17, 2023
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[Well-curated] Harry Potter, Warner Bros. and an experimental bakery
Chewy rusk? Experimental bakery at Haebangchon Located on the way down the steep Haebangchon hill, O’pato, which has been loved for its homely European brunch and dining menu from soup to sandwiches, has newly opened a bakery offering a variety of experimental but irresistible bread. Although the bakery opened just a month ago, O’pato bakery’s chewing bread -- a chewy rusk made with a whole loaf of bread or salted butter roll -- has gone viral and can be purchased online and d
Culture Dec. 15, 2023
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SM to hold global auditions to discover next generation K-pop stars
SM Entertainment, one of the largest K-pop agencies in South Korea, is holding a global audition in its pursuit of future K-pop stars. The agency began accepting pre-registration applications for the “2024 SM Global Audition” on its global audition website, Tuesday. Anyone born between 2005 and 2013 can apply regardless of their gender and nationality. Applicants must choose one of the categories: vocal, rap, dance and acting. Applications can be made only once and only as an ind
K-pop Dec. 14, 2023
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Twice to hold encore concert in North America
Girl group Twice will hold its fifth world tour encore concert at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in March. The group’s agency JYP Entertainment has released the poster of an encore concert of Twice's fifth world tour “Ready to Be” on its official social media feeds. The concert will take place at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, on March 16, 2024. As part of its fifth world tour, Twice has held concerts at large venues in Asia, Oceania and North Amer
K-pop Dec. 13, 2023
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Hybe ranks fifth on Billboard's 'Top Promoter' chart
Hybe, driven by the strong performance of various artists under its wings including K-pop sensation BTS, has recorded global tour sales of about 250 billion won ($189 million) this year. The agency ranked fifth in Billboard's "Top Promoter" chart, making it the only Korean company to be ranked among the top 10. Billboard's "The Year In Tour 2023" report on world tours of pop stars from Nov. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30 shows that Hybe’s artists attracted about 1.6 mill
K-pop Dec. 13, 2023
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Itzy unveils new album concept, announces world tour
Girl group Itzy, who will open the new year with a new album and world tour, has raised anticipation with its first teaser image for the upcoming release. The album "Born To Be," which will be released on Jan. 8, features 10 songs, including the title track "Untouchable." The teaser image released on the group's official website showed the members posing like warriors against a red and blue background. One of the highlights is that the album features each member's f
K-pop Dec. 12, 2023
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Jimin and Jungkook begin mandatory military service
Jimin and Jungkook of the internationally loved boy band BTS began their mandatory military service, Tuesday, as the last members to be enlisted. All seven members of BTS are now in the military. Jimin and Jungkook entered the boot camp at the 5th Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. Prior to the members’ enlistment, BTS’ agency asked fans to refrain from visiting the training center to prevent possible safety accidents by congestion. Fans posted placards and sent buses
K-pop Dec. 12, 2023
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Lucid Fall returns as musical explorer
Back with a new ambient record, singer-songwriter Lucid Fall returns as a diligent explorer who collects, combines, and twists sounds around us. “After some transition period, I feel like my identity has split into two parts: Lucid Fall who makes songs, and Lucid Fall who explores through sounds,” the artist said in a group interview Thursday. The album "Being-with," his second ambient music album after “Dancing With Water” in 2020, is a collection of five piece
Performance Dec. 12, 2023
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Comedy, talk show and girl band caught YouTube users' attention this year
This year, Korean YouTube users enjoyed talk shows and comedy videos the most while female idol groups showed outstanding performance in terms of viewership in the music video section. According to YouTube's statistics released Monday, an episode from Rapper Lee Young-ji’s talk show channel, “Not Much Prepared,” featuring aespa's Karina, topped the list of the most popular videos of the year. The video, which was released six months ago, had more than 16 million views
Culture Dec. 11, 2023
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Antenna concert series mixes music, art and cocktails
Jazz melodies and fragrant cocktails captivated the audience at the LG Art Center, Wednesday, marking the first day of a series of special performances presented by the music agency Antenna. "Club Arc Antenna" showcases the work of six Antenna singer-songwriters, offering music, art and cocktails, as well as allowing the audience to visit backstage areas and mingle with the performers. Renowned jazz pianist Yun Seok-cheol kicked off the series on Wednesday, and will be followed by sing
Performance Dec. 8, 2023
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BTS’ V to star IU’s new music video next year
BTS member V will appear in the new music video of a singer-songwriter IU. IU's agency, Edam Entertainment, confirmed that she wrapped up filming the music video with V on Tuesday. The new album is likely to be released within the first half of 2024. V appeared as a guest on IU's official YouTube channel in September, showing their close friendship. The new music video was directed by Um Tae-hwa, who directed the 2023 film “Concrete Utopia.” Um was also in charge of directi
K-pop Dec. 8, 2023
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Solbi talks about dealing with malicious online comments in documentary
Appearing in a US documentary, singer and painter Solbi has impressed viewers with her courageous journey in overcoming malicious comments. Solbi appeared in a documentary entitled "Painting Through Pain" as part of the Voice of America's 52 Documentary series on YouTube, sharing the painful experience of malicious comments and cyberbullying and how she overcame them. Directed by Komeil Soheili, the documentary was part of the weekly documentary series released from the VOA. Accor
Film Dec. 6, 2023
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