Entertainment

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  BTS' digital single 'Take Two' to be released ahead of 10th debut anniversary SEOUL -- Big Hit will roll out BTS' digital single "Take Two" prior to the seven-member band's 10th debut anniversary. All members participated in the song including two members currently fulfilling their compulsory military service -- J-Hope and Jin. The group debuted on June 13, 2013. The new single will be released at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on May 31, Big Hit said through its social media platform Weverse. The agency added: "We sincerely express our gratitude t 2023-05-31
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  BTS' RM to become official ambassador for S. Korea's agency for retrieval of unreturned soldiers SEOUL -- K-pop boy band BTS' leader RM will become an ambassador for the Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification under South Korea's defense ministry. The agency focuses on the excavation and retrieval of the remains of unreturned soldiers. The Ministry of Defense Agency for KIA Recovery & Identification is an agency that operates special units of teams that are deployed to the frontlines of the Korean War to find the remains of soldiers and send them back home to 2023-05-31
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  BTS' Suga completes solo concert in Indonesia SEOUL -- BTS' lead rapper Suga has completed his solo concert in Jakarta. A total of 30,000 spectators attended the three-day event that began on May 26. "Thank you for enjoying (my concert). Today is not the end," the 30-year-old said after completing his concert in Indonesia's capital city. The artist showcased "Haegeum," the title track of his solo album "D-Day," and other rap songs such as "Daechwita" and "August D." The 2023-05-29
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  Big Hit to host festival in Seoul to celebrate BTS' 10th debut anniversary SEOUL -- BTS' agency will greet fans through "2023 BTS FESTA", an online festival that will be held in June to celebrate the group's 10th debut anniversary. The seven-member band debuted on June 13, 2013. Big Hit, the band's agency, uploaded a promotional video of BTS FESTA on Twitter to tell fans about the annual event, which will begin on June 12. Without disclosing specific information, the agency said the 14-day festival will take place at various attracti 2023-05-25
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  ​Court dismisses arrest warrant for actor Yoo Ah-in over drug use SEOUL -- A South Korean court has dismissed an arrest warrant for Yoo Ah-in, a promising actor on charges of drug use. Prosecutors have requested the warrant on suspicion of five illegal drugs including cocaine, propofol, a powerful anesthetic, and zolpidem, a sedative primarily used for the treatment of insomnia. "It is difficult to conclude that there is apprehension for the suspect of destroying evidence or fleeing beyond the scope of his right to defend himself," Lee 2023-05-25
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  BTS member J-Hope completes basic training at army boot camp SEOUL -- BTS' main dancer J-Hope has completed his basic training at an army boot camp located in Wonju some 86.8 kilometers (53.9 miles) east of Seoul. After receiving a military occupational specialty, the 29-year-old will be assigned to his unit where he would spend the rest of his time with fellow soldiers for about 16 months and three weeks. In South Korea, all able-bodied males who are 18 and older must do their military service unless they have a valid reason for exempti 2023-05-24
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  Rookie K-pop girl band Fifty Fifty tops Billboard Global Excl. US chart with dance song Cupid SEOUL -- Rookie girl band Fifty Fifty has topped Billboard's global chart through "Cupid," a disco song released in February 2023. The four-member band is the third South Korean group to top Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, followed by BTs and BLACKPINK. The single with relaxing vibes showcases the four members' strong feelings toward their crush. As of May 23, the music video of Cupid has garnered more than 65 million views on YouTube. Earlier this month, the g 2023-05-23
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  Busan to showcase 31 countries' cultural assets on global citizens' day SEOUL -- South Korea's southern port city of Busan will host a cultural festival where visitors can enjoy 31 countries' unique cultural assets such as traditional dances. The event will take place on "Together Day," which is a commemorative day on May 20 designed to bridge the gap between domestic and foreign residents in South Korea. Traditional dance performances will be showcased by five nations -- Japan, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Belarus, and Ecuador. There are so 2023-05-19
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  Rookie K-pop girl band Fifty Fifty gains explosive popularity through dance song Cupid SEOUL -- Fifty Fifty, a rookie girl band, has ranked 17th on Billboard's top 100 popular song chart with "Cupid," a disco song released in February 2023. The rookie girl group has expressed their strong feelings toward their crush through the single featuring relaxing vibes. The four-member band stepped into the spotlight after releasing the single, which has also entered the UK Singles Chart. As of May 17, its music video has garnered more than 58 million views on Yo 2023-05-17
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  BTS agency unveils collaboration project with AI voice synthesis tech startup SEOUL -- BTS agency has released a digital single created by combining the voice of a human artist and artificial intelligence-based voice synthesis technology. The new single titled "Masquerade" is available in six languages -- Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Masquerade, rolled out on May 15, was produced after Lee Hyun, a member of disbanded vocal group 8Eight, sang the song in six languages. Using AI voice synthesis technology by AI startup 2023-05-15
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  AI company ESTsoft showcases virtual fitness trainer for Pilates trainees SEOUL -- South Korean artificial intelligence company ESTsoft has released a virtual fitness trainer for those who want to learn pilates and yoga at home. After analyzing users' movements, the virtual instructor helps trainees to exercise properly and give various advice on Howfit, an AI-based fitness training application. Howfit said in its Instagram post on May 12: "We are showcasing virtual human Kim Yi-so’s pilates class on Howfit!" The virtual trainer crea 2023-05-12
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  BLACKPINK member Lisa achieves Guinness World Record through first solo album LALISA SEOUL -- LALISA, a solo album by Lisa, a Thai member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, was streamed more than one billion times on Spotify, the world's most popular music streaming service. The solo album which shows various Thailand's cultural assets been listed in Guinness World Records. Through the album's lead single of the same name, the Thai artist presented how K-pop could be mixed with other cultures by featuring Phanom Rung Stone Castle, a temple complex in Northea 2023-05-11
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  Girl band NewJeans listed on 100 most influential Asians in US SEOUL -- K-pop girl band NewJeans was included in the list of 100 most influential Asians in the United States by Gold House, a nonprofit organization that supports Asian and Pacific artists and creators. The five-member band that captivated global fans through dance songs such as Attention, Ditto, and OMG was listed along with American fashion designer Anna Sui and Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball pitcher. "Just like a pair of jeans that has been a staple of every wardrobe 2023-05-02
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  Seoul launches virtual pet service through metaverse world SEOUL -- Seoul has created a metaverse world where users can adopt pets and raise them in the virtual space. Using an avatar, anyone can choose one animal among 10 different kinds including a dog, a cat, a rabbit, and a lizard. Users can receive points after completing training missions and purchase various items such as headbands and shoes. Metaverse enables humans to engage in different social, cultural, and economic activities in simulated virtual spaces. The virtual world, whic 2023-05-02
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  BTS agency to showcase collaboration project with AI voice synthesis tech startup Supertone in May SEOUL -- During an exclusive interview with Billboard, BTS creator Bang Si-hyuk announced that he would showcase a collaboration project with Supertone, an AI voice synthesis technology startup in South Korea. The AI company earlier acquired by Hybe has provided sound technology for Disney+'s drama series "Big Bet" to reproduce the voice of Choi Min-sik, a 60-year-old veteran actor who was playing a role of a young character in his 30s. In an interview released on Apr 2023-04-27
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  Baby Shark's creator to host drone show in Seoul on Children's Day SEOUL -- A gigantic shape of a Baby Shark created using some 500 drones will greet Seoulites on the sky of Gwanghwamun Square, an iconic square located in central Seoul featuring beautiful scenery on May 5's Children's Day. During the event, visitors can also enjoy magic shows, concerts, and try on Baby Shark costumes. Gwanghwaun Square is favored by Seoulites and tourists as there are many museums and attractions nearby. Around the square, there are many tea houses and fanc 2023-04-26
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  Multi-genre music producer DJ Chen to perform at 'K-Pop Dance Night' in New York SEOUL -- DJ Chen, a multi-genre music producer who has gained attention for his Djing experience in the eastern region of the United States, will lead a K-pop festival set to be held in New York with K-pop dance clubs from two universities in the Northeastern state. The musician will curate various songs by K-pop idols including boy band Stray Kids, NCT, and Seventeen. DJ Chen is a New Jersey-based artist that has shared the stages with various artists including British-Norwegian 2023-04-25
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  BTS member Suga rolls out rap song 'Haegeum' prior to solo world tour SEOUL -- BTS's lead rapper Suga released a rap song titled "Haegeum" ahead of his solo world tour set to start in Belmont Park, New York on April 26. The 30-year-old artist has questioned the meaning of freedom in a restricted world through the title track of its solo album "D-DAY." The music video of Haegeum was watched by more than 2 million viewers less than two hours after its release on April 21. The title song featuring a fast reap beat and a dramatic 2023-04-21
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  Squid Game actor Lee Byung-hun regrets declining to take part in Parasite SEOUL -- Lee Byung-hun, a South Korean actor who appeared in Netflix drama series Squid Game, said he regrets declining a casting offer for Parasite, an Oscar-winning film, at a conference held by Standford University's research institute. The 52-year-old has interacted with global fans at the event designed to discuss directions for South Korean films, K-drama, and Korean studies. Parasite is a non-English language film that vividly depicted the rich-poor gap. The 2020 Oscar-w 2023-04-21
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  ​Boy band ASTRO member Moonbin passes away SEOUL -- Moonbin, a 25-year-old member of popular K-pop band ASTRO, has passed away, the band's agency said through a social media post. The cause of death was not disclosed but the agency and the late singer's family members urged media and fans not to make wild speculations about the singer's death. Moon, who was the main dancer of the five-member band, began his career in the entertainment sector by becoming a child fashion model during his pre-school days. He debute 2023-04-20