Entertainment

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  Beethoven to connect Europe and S. Korea for brainwave-knitting telematics performance SEOUL -- A Beethoven music performance will connect a South Korean pianist, a Buddhist monk and a knitting machine located in Europe to demonstrate a brainwave-knitting telematics performance called NeuroKnitting. The performance to be broadcast live through YouTube on November 27 will show how the emotional and cognitive reactions of a listener to Beethoven music are visually expressed. The telematics performance is a form of a media performance using telecom technology, whic 2020-11-13
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  Big Hit Entertainment to hold all-star concert event on New Year's Eve SEOUL -- The agency of K-pop wonder BTS' agency will hold its first all-star concert on New Year's Eve. The concert will be broadcast live through a social media platform operated by Big Hit Entertainment. Big Hit said in a statement uploaded onto Weverse, the social media platform for fans, on November 10 that "2021 NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE" involving Big Hit label artists will be held on December 31. The agency said that boy bands NU'EST and ENHYPEN will pa 2020-11-11
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  Brother-sister duo band AKMU to release new album in November SEOUL -- Brother-sister duo band AKMU will come back to the music scene with a new single track on November 16. YG Entertainment, the band's agency, said in a statement on November 10 that AKMU will release "HAPPENING". The band had been on a 14-month hiatus since it released the official album "Sailing" in September last year. The family duo band, formerly known as Akdong Musician, received the spotlight in South Korea's competitive music scene in 2 2020-11-10
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  Girl band Bling Bling to make double debut in S. Korea and Japan in November SEOUL -- Bling Bling, a six-member K-pop girl group, will make its double debut in South Korea and Japan simultaneously this month, according to the band's agency, MAJOR9. The group will release "G.G.B," a single electronic dance music track on November 17. G.G.B will be released in two versions, Korean and Japanese, the agency said. Bling Bling consists of three South Korean members -- Yubin, Jieun and Juhyun -- and three Japanese members -- Ayamy, Marin and Narin. Th 2020-11-09
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  Kakao's online comic book store garners popularity in Japan SEOUL -- An online book store app for web cartoons, novels and digitalized comic books operated by Kakao, a web service company based in South Korea, has successfully garnered huge popularity in Japan after it targeted Japanese "snack culture content" consumers, The snack culture content refers to digital content such as web cartoons, also known as webtoons, comic books and short novels that can be consumed quickly anywhere, any time. Japan has the world's largest co 2020-11-09
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  Singers hold VR concerts thru SK Telecom platform to chase away 'COVID blue' SEOUL -- Popular singers will hold non-contact concerts to console South Korean fans stricken with depression and anxiety caused by a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic by showing vivid and realistic spot images of performances and tourist attractions through a virtual reality platform run by SK Telecom. VR content will be available from November 9. SK Telecom (SKT), a top mobile carrier in South Korea, used immersive audio technology that vividly captures the sound of wind and other loc 2020-11-09
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  ​​Los Angeles square named after K-pop powerhouse SM to honor founder Lee Soo-man SEOUL -- A square in Los Angeles was named after SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's major entertainment powerhouses, to honor founder Lee Soo-man who was credited with venturing into the global entertainment market to promote K-pop. SM Entertainment said in a statement on November 6 that LA has designated the intersection of 6th Street and Oxford Avenue in the California city as "SM Entertainment Square" on October 28. This was the first time a U.S. street or city 2020-11-06
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  NCSoft to release new all-in-one K-pop platform for global fans in 2021 SEOUL -- NCSoft, a major South Korean game publisher, will release a new all-in-one K-pop platform for global fans in 2021 to meet the market's demand for safe and fun online communities that offer a variety of entertainment features such as real-time concerts and shopping. The move followed the global success of a playground for fans of K-pop wonder BTS. K-pop representing South Korea's music industry in the global entertainment market has seen steady growth, led by BTS and 2020-11-05
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  Actress Jun Ji-hyun to play main role in spin-off of zombie thriller drama SEOUL -- Popular South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun will star in the spin-off series of "Kingdom," a Netflix original drama series depicting a zombie-infested dynastic kingdom. Netflix said in a statement on November 2 that the 39-year-old would play the main role in "Kingdom: Ashin of the North," scheduled for release in 2021. Jun will portray Ashin, a mysterious character that appeared at the last scene of the final episode of Kingdom's second season. 2020-11-02
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  SM founder predicts creation of 'super-large' virtual world SEOUL -- SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man predicted a big change in the entertainment industry thanks to new technologies such as artificial intelligence and avatars that would create a "super-large" virtual world and innovative content that has never been seen before. "The development of artificial intelligence technology and avatar will create a super-large virtual world. New content that has never been seen before will be created," Lee said in an onl 2020-10-28
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  Warner Music ties up with Airbnb to connect K-pop with world SEOUL -- Warner Music, an American entertainment and record label conglomerate, tied up with Airbnb, a multinational vacation rental online marketplace company, to connect K-pop with the world in a different way through an online experience program that delivers the story of K-pop industry workers to guests. Airbnb Korea said the partnership with Warner Music Korea is aimed at shedding light on the backstage routines of K-pop artists and unraveling deep stories in the K-pop indust 2020-10-27
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  Singer IU collaborates with vocal trio Sweet Sorrow in special single 'Little Room' SEOUL -- IU, a popular singer-actress in South Korea, has collaborated with Sweet Sorrow, a vocal band, to create "Little Room," a special single to be released on October 29 "IU has perfected the song by participating in the post-production after collaborating as a featuring artist," Sweet Sorrow Company, the three-man band's agency, said in a statement on October 23. Sweet Sorrow, which debuted in 2005, is known for its heartwarming lyrics and melody. Me 2020-10-23
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  Rapper BewhY makes unexpected marriage announcement SEOUL -- BewhY, a popular South Korean rapper, has made a surprise announcement on his marriage with a non-celebrity girlfriend which he had been in a relationship since he was 20 years old. "In order to raise God's family before my Army enlistment, I wish to bear the fruit of love after an eight-year relationship," the 27-year-old rapper said in a handwritten letter uploaded onto his social media on October 22. BewhY urged fans not to criticize or leave malicious c 2020-10-22
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  Former 2NE1 member Minzy sets up own entertainment agency to nurture young K-pop stars SEOUL -- Former girl band 2NE1 member Minzy has set up her own entertainment agency to nurture young K-pop stars. The 26-year-old will continue her career as a solo artist. "We will nurture stars that would receive love from the MZ (millennial and Z) generations," MZ Entertainment said in a statement on October 22. Minzy is the general director of MZ Entertainment which she had co-founded with a professional management specialist. Minzy will lead her company based on 2020-10-22
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  Thriller film starring actress Park Shin-hye to premiere on Netflix SEOUL -- "Call," a thriller film starring popular actresses Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo, will premiere worldwide in November on Netflix, the world's most popular over-the-top video-on-demand service. Netflix Korea said in a statement on October 20 that Call directed by Lee Chung-hyun will be released globally on November 27. The film was originally planned to hit cinemas in March this year but NEW, the film's distributor, postponed the release due to a COVID-19 2020-10-20
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  Annual Incheon rock festival attracts 78,000 online global fans SEOUL -- Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, an annual event that was broadcast live online due to a COVID-19 pandemic, has attracted about 78,000 fans, according to the festival's host city. The annual rock festival in the western port city of Incheon that kicked off in 1999 is now one of a very few rock festivals in South Korea where hip-hop music is popular. This year's festival was broadcast through social media on October 16 and 17 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. T 2020-10-19
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  Anti-trust watchdog endorses BTS founder's acquisition of domestic entertainment agency SEOUL -- The founder of BTS has secured approval from South Korea's anti-trust watchdog to push ahead with the acquisition of Pledis Entertainment, which controls two boy bands, NU'EST and Seventeen. The greenlight came as Big Hit Entertainment founded by Bang Si-hyuk became an unrivaled domestic entertainment powerhouse in terms of market capitalization through a stock market debut. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC), known for its strict attitude toward business combination 2020-10-19
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  K-pop band EXO member Chen to enter boot camp in late October SEOUL -- K-pop boy band EXO member Chen will start his mandatory military service on October 26, the 28-year-old's agency said. "Chen will begin his military service on October 26," SM Entertainment said in a statement on October 26. The agency did not disclose location and other details. All able-bodied South Korean men who are aged more than 18 must serve their country. The average period of service for a conscripted soldier is 18 months. "So that I can sa 2020-10-16
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  Brother-sister duo band AKMU's Lee Su-hyun to release solo song "ALIEN" SEOUL -- Lee Su-hyun, a member of brother-sister duo band AKMU, will showcase a new dance-pop song. According to YG Entertainment, the 21-year-old will release her new song at 6:00 p.m. (1100 GMT) on October 16. The song was written by her brother Chan-hyuk. Su-hyun will show off her choreography skill that has been kept hidden since her debut in 2012. AKMU stepped into the spotlight in 2012 when the band appeared in the second season of "KPOP STAR," a TV music au 2020-10-16
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  8K romance film produced with smartphones hit special screens SEOUL -- "Please pay attention to the unique visual beauty and in-depth acting that 8K resolution shows," said Kim Go-eun, a 29-year-old actress who took the leading role in "Untact," an experimental short romance film produced with Samsung Electronics' new smartphones, that hit the screens of two Seoul cinemas equipped with quantum dot LED (QLED) panels. 8K resolution refers to an image or display resolution with a width of about 8000 pixels. 8K TVs show a s 2020-10-16