Entertainment

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  ​YG's new boy band TREASURE to officially hit K-pop scene in July SEOUL -- TREASURE, a new boy band formed by YG Entertainment through an audition survival show, will finally hit the thriving K-pop scene in July. Exact dates would be disclosed later. YG Entertainment, an entertainment powerhouse in South Korea, uploaded a teaser video titled "TREASURE - DEBUT COMING SOON," onto its official blog. The video briefly introduces all 12 members of the group which will debut in July. "Along with the come 2020-05-12
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  K-pop band BTS to release hit song-themed collaborated products this week SEOUL -- K-pop band BTS has prepared collaborated products featuring symbolic images and colors from the seven-member band's hit song as a special treat for fans who were disappointed at the suspension of this year's world tour due to a coronavirus pandemic. Handsome, the fashion subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai department store group, said in a statement on Tuesday that the company has collaborated with BTS to create some 20 kinds of clothing an 2020-05-12
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  Former KARA member Gyuri apologizes for visiting club in gay district SEOUL -- It's no easy matter, but Park Gyuri, a member of South Korea's inactive girl band KARA, made a public confession and apology for joining a dance party at a club in the epicenter of gay nightlife in Seoul. She was able to avoid infection in an initial coronavirus test but placed herself into obligatory quarantine at least for two weeks. The 31-year-old singer and actress, better known by the mononym Gyuri, made a voluntary visit to a COV 2020-05-12
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  S. Korean moviegoers express excitement over sci-fi film starring Song Joong-ki SEOUL -- South Korean fans expressed excitement over the preview trailer of "Space Sweepers," a science fiction film directed by Jo Sung-hee, that stars Song Joong-ki, a top actor who is popular in Asia for his appearance in the 2016 TV series "Descendants of the Sun." Hollywood blockbusters such as "Interstellar" and "Prometheus" that depict space traveling and the encounter with unknown alien species have 2020-05-07
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  EXO member Suho to begin mandatory military service this month SEOUL -- Boy band EXO leader Suho will begin his mandatory military service on May 14, the 28-year-old's agency said. "I am to start my mandatory military service as of May 14. I think I will really miss you EXO-L guys," Suho said in a handwritten letter uploaded onto his online fan community on Monday. He will enter an army boot camp on May 14. After a four-week basic military training, Suho will be assigned as a public service worker. Norma 2020-05-04
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  Singer Bolbbalgan4 collaborates with EXO member Baekhyun to release new song next month SEOUL -- Singer Bolbbalgan4 has collaborated with boy band EXO member Baekhyun to release a new song next month. Shofar Music said in a statement on Friday that Bolbbalgan4 will release "Butterfly and Cat," a collaborated work between Bolbbalgan4 member Ahn Ji-young and 27-year-old EXO member, as a pre-release song on May 7. The song is included in Bolbbalgan4's new album "Puberty Book II," scheduled for release on May 13. Bolb 2020-04-29
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  S. Korean rapper collaborates with British hip-hop artist Stomrzy to release remake song SEOUL -- South Korean rapper Changmo has collaborated with Stormzy, a British hip-hop artist, to remake "Own It", the 26-year-old British rapper's song released last year. Warner Music Korea said in a statement on Friday that the collaborated work between the 25-year-old South Korean rapper and Stormzy will be released on May 6. The original song featuring British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and Nigerian singer Burna Boy was released 2020-04-29
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  BTS suspends this year's world concert schedule until global COVID-19 pandemic is controlled SEOUL -- In an effort to prevent cross-contamination of band members, staff and fans at concert venues, K-pop band BTS has suspended this year's world tour schedule. The seven-member band will announce a new tour schedule when the global COVID-19 pandemic situation is controlled. "The decision has been made to completely reschedule BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR, originally scheduled to begin in April, 2020," Big Hit Entert 2020-04-29
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  K-pop band TXT to release new mini album next month SEOUL -- K-pop band TXT (TOMORROW X TOGETHER), also known as the brother band of world-popular K-pop group BTS, will come back to the music scene with a new mini-album in May. Big Hit Entertainment, the five-member band's agency, said in a statement on Tuesday that "THE DREAM CHAPTER : MAGIC," TXT's second mini-album, will be released at 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT) on May 18. TXT and BTS share a similar concept of storytelling to crea 2020-04-28
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  K-pop boy band NCT 127 to release repackaged album in May SEOUL -- NCT 127, a unit band of K-pop boy group NCT, will release a repackaged album containing a new song in May, according to the 10-member band's agency. SM Entertainment said that NCT 127 will release "NCT #127 Neo Zone: The Final Round," including three new songs -- "Punch," "Nonstop" and "Make Your Day." A repackaged album contains remade or modified versions of hit songs. The new album will consist of 2020-04-27
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  Singer Chungha to pre-release new song ahead of album release SEOUL -- Singer-dancer Chungha will pre-release "Stay Tonight," a song included in the 24-year-old's upcoming official album. "This song was spoken at a different temperature from Chugha's other songs so that fans would be able to meet Chungha's ego that has become stronger," MNH Entertainment, the singer's agency, said in a statement. The release of Stay Tonight is set for 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Monday. MNH di 2020-04-27
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  LG Arts Center to deliver world-class performances to global audience through online show This file image shows a screenshot captured from New Adventures' 'Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake' webpage. SEOUL -- LG Arts Center, operated by South Korean conglomerate LG Group's cultural wing, will deliver breathtaking performances of world-class artists through online shows for global art enthusiasts who stay at home to keep their social distance from one another. The modern arts center in southern Seoul said in a statement on Monday 2020-04-27
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  Singer IU collaborates with BTS' Suga to release new song in May SEOUL -- Singer-actress IU, one of the most popular female artists in South Korea's entertainment scene, has collaborated with BTS member Suga to release a new song next month. "The two have shared their opinions based on their sympathy as musicians of the same age and incorporated their own synergy into the music," EDAM Entertainment, the 26-year-old singer's agency, said in a statement on Monday. IU will release a new digital single and a musi 2020-04-27
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  K-pop artists Zico and Kang Daniel collaborate with Steve Aoki to release song to express beauty of South Korea SEOUL -- In a musical project involving various K-pop artists to engage in the creation of songs of different genres, rapper Zico and K-pop idol Kang Daniel collaborated with American DJ Steve Aoki to release a song that expresses the beauty of South Korea. Starship Entertainment, a South Korean entertainment agency, said in a statement that "Refresh," the collaborated work between the two popular South Korean artists and Aoki, 2020-04-23
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  Mamamoo's Solar spits out herself and passion through solo debut album SEOUL -- "I spit out myself in the song and lyrics," said Solar, the leading vocalist of South Korea's talented K-pop girl group Mamamoo, ahead of her solo debut with a single album titled "Spit it out" through which she expresses her own words and actions without hesitation. The album is to be released at 6:00 p.m. on April 23. "Spit it out" is a song with trans sounds added to the energetic beat, and the top line 2020-04-23
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  Lady Gaga collaborates with BLACKPINK to release new song SEOUL -- Lady Gaga, an American singer well known for extravagant performances, has collaborated with K-pop girl band BLACKPINK to release a new song. The collaboration between the 34-year-old singer and the four-member K-pop icon was revealed through an image uploaded onto Lady Gaga's Twitter on April 23. The image showed the tracklist for Lady Gaga's new album "Chromatica", including the 10th track of the album "SOUR CANDY WITH BLA 2020-04-23
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  S. Korea joins Beijing treaty on audiovisual performances SEOUL -- South Korea applied for membership of the Beijing Treaty, which is designed to protect singers, musicians, dancers and actors in audiovisual performances. It will pave the way for K-pop artists and audiovisual performers to protect their intellectual property rights in China and other countries which have many Hallyu (Korean cultural wave) fans. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Wednesday that it has sent an application 2020-04-22
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  CJ CGV introduces 'untact' theater with minimal face-to-face service SEOUL -- As a surviving strategy to ride out a crisis triggered by a novel coronavirus epidemic, CJ CGV, a top cinema chain in South Korea, has unveiled an "untact" multiplex with minimal face-to-face services using a self-driving robot and a smart ticket check system to attract movie fans who have shunned theaters for social distancing. An experimental movie theater complex run by CJ CGV emerged in Seoul's main finance and banking district in Yeouido. 2020-04-20
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  Zombie action horror film 'Peninsula' to be reborn as VR content SEOUL -- "Peninsula," a sequel to the 2016 zombie action horror film "Train to Busan," directed by Yeon Sang-ho, will be reborn by Vividthree, a Singaporean visual effects and design studio, as VR content. The new film will be released in South Korea in August this year. The sequel film starring Gang Dong-won and Lee Jung-hyun tells a story about a group of people striving to survive in South Korea, four years after the zombie outbreak depicted i 2020-04-20
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  S. Korean star directors, actors head to Netflix: Yonhap SEOUL -- South Korea's renowned movie and television directors and actors have been heading to Netflix, which has been strengthening original Korean content. Director Lee Jae-kyoo will return with the Netflix original "All of Us Are Dead" about high school students trapped in their school during a zombie apocalypse, after his last film "Intimate Stranger" (2018). "All of Us Are Dead," an adaptation of a popular Korean webtoon titled & 2020-04-17