Veteran actors Shin Gu, Kang Boo-ja to receive cultural merit medals

Veteran senior actors Shin Gu and Kang Boo-ja will receive the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit, the second-highest medal, at the 2024 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards to be held at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Thursday. According to the Culture Ministry and the Korea Creative Content Agency, a total of 31 celebrities including singers, actors, comedians, voice actors, screenwriters and musicians will receive awards this year. The annual awards, now in its 15th edition, are the

Oct. 28, 2024

SM founder Lee Soo-man is back with A2O Entertainment

K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man, founder and former chief producer of SM Entertainment, is throwing his hat back in the ring. A2O Entertainment, Lee's newest agency, recently unveiled a one-minute promotional clip on its official YouTube channel, showcasing 15 trainees organized into three distinct groups by age and gender. A2O Entertainment positions itself as a collaborative global artist development platform where trainees are taught in these groups. “Throughout their training, the rooki

Oct. 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific

Countering concerns of many local music critics who believe K-pop has already reached the peak of its growth, Gautam Talwar, Spotify’s general manager for Asia-Pacific, suggests that K-pop’s best years are yet to come. “We’re a data-driven platform and our data suggests that the best years are ahead of us. More Korean artists are being discovered than ever before, more streams are being generated than ever, and more royalties are being generated for the Korean music indus

Oct. 26, 2024

G-Dragon to perform at 2024 MAMA

K-pop icon G-Dragon will perform at the 2024 MAMA, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony, held this year in Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan. According to the event’s organizer CJ ENM, G-Dragon will take the stage on the event's last day in Osaka. As this is his first MAMA appearance in nine years, he is expected to unveil new releases during his performance. Other artists performing at this year's MAMA revealed on Tuesday include BoyNextDoor, (G)I-dle, Plave and Bibi. The

Oct. 22, 2024

Twice to drop new EP ‘Strategy’ in December

K-pop sensation Twice will release its new EP “Strategy” on Dec. 6. JYP Entertainment announced the news via the group’s official social media channels, sharing an image of a "coming soon" poster. The upcoming release is Twice’s 14th EP and comes approximately 10 months after the previous mini album, "With YOU-th," launched in February. The EP "With YOU-th" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Billboard’s main album chart, on March 9,

Oct. 21, 2024

NCT’s Jaehyun to drop new single ‘Unconditional’ on Oct. 24

NCT’s Jaehyun is releasing a new single “Unconditional” on Oct. 24 before beginning his mandatory military service. According to SM Entertainment, the single “Unconditional” will be available on various music platforms, including Melon, Flo, Genie, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kowo Music. Jaehyun's first solo album, "J," released in August, showcased a diverse range of R&B tracks that highlighted his artistic sensibility

Oct. 18, 2024

Rose collaborates with Bruno Mars on ‘APT.’

Blackpink’s Rose has collaborated with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars on a single for her upcoming solo album. According to The Black Label, Rose released the single, “APT. (Rose & Bruno Mars),” on Friday ahead of the release of her first solo LP, “Rosie,” scheduled for Dec. 6. The single is a duet that Rose took part in composing and writing the lyrics to. Rose’s upcoming solo LP will have 12 songs through which she will deliver a more honest and i

Oct. 18, 2024

[Well-curated] Pokemon, 'Wes Anderson' photos and farm flowers

Pokemon Card Shop at HDC IPark Mall For those particularly passionate for Pokemon -- perhaps the digital Pokedex is already full several times over and you've already consumed 25 years of the anime -- the next format to collect them all in is cardboard. And nowhere is better than the eighth floor of HDC IPark Mall in Yongsan, central Seoul. Pokemon Card Shop, which opened in August 2023, is where Pokemon Korea -- the Korean branch of Nintendo-owned The Pokemon Co. -- beckons Pokemon fans wi

Oct. 18, 2024

Fifty Fifty to embark on first US tour next month

K-pop group Fifty Fifty is embarking on its first US tour, “Love Sprinkle Tour in USA,” in November. According to Attrakt, the rebranded group -- now consisting of Athena, Chanelle Moon, Hana, Keena and Yewon -- is going to perform its debut album, “Love Tune,” in eight US cities. “As we prepare for our first US tour, we are fully dedicated to showcasing a variety of performances and delivering a high-quality stage experience. We hope you look forward to it,”

Oct. 17, 2024

Kim Jae-joong’s girl group Say My Name debuts

Say My Name, the first K-pop girl group produced by K-pop singer Kim Jae-joong, debuted Wednesday with its first EP, “Say My Name.” “The motivation for Say My Name is hearing fans call out their names. The team name represents their ambition to run toward their dreams. We aimed to showcase fresh and diverse music genres as well as the unique colors of each member in their debut album. This mini-album is something we put a lot of effort into, from song selection to all aspects o

Oct. 16, 2024