Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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S. Korea lowers COVID-19 warning level, lifts last-remaining antivirus mandates
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TWICE set for June comeback with ‘More & More’
Popular girl group TWICE will make a comeback with its ninth EP, “More & More,” next month, the first in a series of major K-pop comebacks expected to heat up the early summer chart race. JYP Entertainment‘s nine-piece multinational team will release its new record on June 1. It will be the band’s first collection of songs since the previous EP, “Feel Special,” from September of last year. The title song, which shares the same name as the EP itself, w
K-popMay 23, 2020
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BTS' Suga releases new mixtape 'D-2'
Suga, a member of Korean pop sensation BTS, released his new mixtape "D-2" and the music video for the title track "Daechwita" on Friday. The term "daechwita" refers to a genre of Korean traditional music where percussion instruments are used to play music at a king's parade and other military ceremonies. Big Hit Entertainment, one of the largest music labels in South Korea and home to K-pop darlings BTS, unveiled Suga's second mixtape in four years following his
K-popMay 22, 2020
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How Taeyeon’s ‘Happy’ came to life after ups and downs
When Taeyeon’s latest single “Happy” reached local charts’ top tier earlier in May, fans reveled in the long-awaited joy. The song was originally scheduled for release in March, but it was postponed after the singer’s father passed away on that same day. So when the song was finally out on May 4, fans flooded her social media with blessings and support, but there was also a special someone to whom it felt to the happiest. “When I heard the tragic news, obv
K-popMay 21, 2020
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Epik High, Zico to perform at TikTok's online hip hop show
Epik High, Zico and other top South Korean hip hop stars will perform as part of an online concert hosted by video-sharing mobile platform TikTok next week, the company said Thursday. The company announced that it will hold the online concert, named TikTok Stage with Hiphopplaya, next Wednesday at 8 p.m. via the @tiktok_stage account on the platform. Hip hop trio Epik High, rapper-singer Zico and 20 other artists, including Jessie, Jay Park, Crush, Heize, Changmo and Sik-K, will take part in
K-popMay 21, 2020
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Don’t be too optimistic about lifting of K-pop ban in China: experts
Despite K-pop artists landing endorsement deals in China as of late, pop culture and China experts are cautioning against being too optimistic. Earlier this month, G-Dragon from Big Bang made headlines after signing a contract with Chinese bottled water giant Nongfu Spring to promote the company’s tea brand Chapai. The news marks the first promising sign since China effectively banned K-pop in 2016, after South Korea decided to deploy the US anti-missile defense system THAAD. Soon after
K-popMay 21, 2020
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[Herald Interview] Yubin, CEO and artist, is happier than ever
Yubin may be having the busiest year of her career, establishing her label rrr Entertaiment in February and now putting out a new digital single “Me Time.” Its release date, May 21 (521), read backward is the date she left JYP Entertainment, January 25 (125), 13 years after debuting as a member of Wonder Girls. The track has already garnered a buzz for mentioning JYP in the lyrics: “I’m freaky freakin’ happy / I feel free / THX JYP but Free now.” “
K-popMay 21, 2020
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Sales of BTS’ ‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ underreported to IFPI
Overseas sales of BTS’ 2019 record “Map of the Soul: Persona” are believed to have been massively underreported to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for its prestigious annual global top albums chart. Earlier this year, the septet’s sixth EP was named the third bestselling record of the year in 2019 with 2.5 million unit sales by the London-based IFPI’s Global Top Album Chart. But what would have been a celebratory occasion was soon met wi
K-popMay 20, 2020
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[Herald Interview] Sujeong of Lovelyz takes a leap as a solo musician
Sujeong of girl group Lovelyz returned to the music scene but on her own. It is the first time she is going solo since debuting in 2014 as the lead vocalist of the eight-piece band. Her first solo EP “Tiger Eyes” released Wednesday is packed with seven songs of various genres, from the pop-based EDM title, also called “Tiger Eyes,” to an R&B “Call Back” and acoustics “Your Name” and “zz.” “My voice is husky but isn’t
K-popMay 20, 2020
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New NCT 127 single packs a ‘Punch’
NCT 127 pulled zero punches with its new single, another powerful anthem that stays true to the group’s dynamic nature. "Punch," released Tuesday evening, has been featured on “#127 Neo Zone: The Final Round,” the repackage album of the group’s second full-length album. Also being promoted as the album’s lead track, “Punch” is a fierce urban soul hip-hop track that overflows with powerful synths, throbbing bass and industrial beat
K-popMay 19, 2020
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BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk named executive producer of K-pop reality TV
Bang Si-hyuk, the chief producer for K-pop sensation BTS, will serve as executive producer in the upcoming reality TV show "I-Land," his company, Big Hit Entertainment, announced Tuesday. The new show airs on cable music network Mnet starting June 26. Bang will play a key role in unearthing and discovering fresh idol hopefuls and developing them into K-pop stars, the company said. The reality show is the first joint project between Mnet and Big Hit after the two established a joint
K-popMay 19, 2020
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[Herald Review] NCT 127’s ‘Beyond Live’ was unexpectedly intimate
The long-awaited “Beyond Live” concert of NCT 127 finally happened Sunday, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Facing the release of their repackaged second full-length album on Tuesday, the nine-piece group performed the lead tracks “Punch” and “Make Your Day,” two days before their official release. They also sang “Boom,” a track from their second full-length album for the first time on stage. In keeping with the band’s full nam
K-popMay 18, 2020
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TXT embraces dark side of friendship with ‘Can’t You See Me?’
Having spent a remarkable year in K-pop, TXT returned with its brand new single “Can’t You See Me?” that touches on the group’s struggle and growth as a youth band. The newest boy band from BTS’ agency Big Hit Entertainment, TXT unveiled the new song during its online media showcase that was livestreamed on YouTube on Monday. “Can’t You See Me?” fronts the group’s “The Dream Chapter: Eternity” EP, which is the third part of it
K-popMay 18, 2020
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[Newsmaker] 4 K-pop stars test negative after visiting Itaewon last month
BTS' Jungkook and three other K-pop idol singers visited Itaewon, the center of the recent outbreak of the new coronavirus in Seoul, together late last month but have tested negative for the virus, their agencies said Monday. A local internet-based daily reported earlier in the day that Jungkook, Jaehyun of NCT, Mingyu of Seventeen and Cha Eun-woo of Astro hung out at a restaurant and two different bars on April 25 in Itaewon, Seoul's most popular nightlife and multicultural neighborhood, whil
K-popMay 18, 2020
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Following protests, YG announces plans for Blackpink’s first full-length album
Blackpink will release their much-anticipated first full-length album in September, YG Entertainment confirmed Monday. The announcement comes just days after fans dispatched a truck outside the agency’s building in Seoul last week to protest the group’s lack of activities. The lead single from the upcoming album is slated for release in June, followed by another track in the following months before the album’s release later this year, with the full album arriving in three ph
K-popMay 18, 2020
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Despite news of new music, Blackpink fans are not happy
Twitter was abuzz on Thursday as Blackpink fans also known as “Blinks” stormed the platform with the hashtag “NO_More_Lies_YG.” In Seoul, a truck hired by fans was dispatched outside YG Entertainment’s building in the city’s Mapo District, for the second time within six months, as YG staff members coming out of the building looked dumbfounded. “Let’s kills this love,” the group’s 2019 hit single “Kills This Love” was bein
K-popMay 15, 2020
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Beauty of Hangeul rediscovered through Korean pop songs
The National Hangeul Museum in Seoul has recently reopened with a special exhibition titled “Korean Pop Lyrics -- Melodies of Life.” The exhibition that opened Friday celebrates the beauty of the Korean language through the lyrics of about 190 beloved Korean pop songs since the 1920s. Consisting of two parts, its first section called “Power of Lyrics” examines the changing themes and messages of songs’ lyrics depending on the era. The second section, “Fla
K-popMay 15, 2020
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50 songs from Monsta X to mark band’s 5th anniversary
50. Underwater Monsta X uses sea metaphors to convey the feeling of being lost, singing “I’m falling for you,” in this love song from its second studio album. 49. Lost in the Dream As the title suggests, this mid-tempo track creates a dreamlike atmosphere as the group sings the dramatic melodies against strong beats and piano riffs. 48. By My Side Despite normally opting for a powerful synth-dance sound, the group adopts a soft-rock arrangement for &l
K-popMay 14, 2020
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Will virtual concerts replace offline tours?
When the coronavirus epidemic first struck South Korea, many expected the K-pop scene to take a major financial blow. Tours worldwide got postponed, long-awaited new music releases were delayed, showcases canceled. According to the Record Label Industry Association of Korea, a total of 211 concerts were canceled from February to April, accruing losses of almost 63.32 billion won ($51.6 million). But as in any crisis, artists and their labels found ways to adjust and not only came up with innov
K-popMay 14, 2020
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Global K-pop fest KCON to be streamed on YouTube amid outbreak
KCON, a major K-pop and Korean culture festival series held overseas every year, will be held partly online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its organizer announced Thursday. Under this year's banner theme "KCON:TACT 2020 Summer," KCON will be streamed on June 20-26 through the channel "M-net K-POP" on YouTube, according to South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM. Content will be streamed 24-hours a day for seven days, spanning a total of 168 hours, CJ said. Without naming
K-popMay 14, 2020
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With BIGBANG, BTS on course to return, K-pop scene to present dream team lineup
With two K-pop sensations, BTS and BIGBANG, warming up to release new albums, the K-pop community is on course to host a unprecedentedly star-studded lineup of artists coming back to rock the music scene this year. Breaking out of its more than two-year hiatus due to members' military service, boy band BIGBANG is scheduled to drop new music this year, the band's first release since "Flower Road" in March 2018, according its management, YG Entertainment. The exact date of the new mus
K-popMay 13, 2020