Entertainment

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  British band 'New Hope Club' to join BTS online fan community platform SEOUL -- New Hope Club, a British pop trio, will join an online fan community platform, which has been operated by the agency of K-pop sensation BTS, in February 2019. The British boy band released a self-titled debut album in February 2020 that peaked at number five on Britain's album charts. Weverse created by beNX, the software wing of Big Hit, invites fans scattered across small online communities and social media to an integrated platform that allows them to interact with a 2020-12-11
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  [TRAVEL] K-HEALING trips to Jechoen and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province SEOUL -- For healing holidays, Jecheon and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province provide perfect quarters to travelers who wish to enjoy beautiful scenery and rest without any interruption. The two cities offer a variety of outdoor activities and good hearty food that can relieve stress. Jecheon and Cheongju have beautiful natural surroundings with unique tourism resources: Cheongju's Cheongpung Lake, Cheongnamdae Presidential Villa and Jecheon's K-Culture Road with an imme 2020-12-11
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  Girl band (G)I-DLE to come back in January with new album SEOUL -- K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE will return to the music scene in January next year with a new album, the six-member band's agency said. The year 2020 should have been the band's best year as (G)I-DLE signed a contract with Republic Records, an American record label owned by Universal Music Group, to target the North American music scene. However, the K-pop band was grounded at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and canceled its world concert tour. "(G)I-DLE aims to 2020-12-09
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  ZEPETO partners with multichannel network to produce AR content SEOUL -- The operator of ZEPETO, a 3D avatar creator platform in South Korea, forged a strategic partnership with DIA TV, a multichannel network for online content creators, to produce augmented reality content. ZEPETO is a popular smartphone app that allows users to interact with others and offers a variety of clothing and accessories for decoration. Naver Z said that ZEPETO would produce AR content with DIA TV's creators and release items emphasizing their individuality. " 2020-12-08
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  Asia's biggest music show wows global K-pop fans with cutting-edge stage technologies SEOUL -- BTS members, who were at the forefront of globalizing K-pop, wowed fans at Asia's biggest year-end music show with a splendid virtual stage and new content based on cutting-edge technologies such as three-dimensional visual effects and extended reality. At the annual music ceremony of Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) on December 6, fans were pop-eyed with surprise when Suga, a BTS member who has been away after shoulder surgery, set up a full stage with teammates fo 2020-12-08
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  BTS agency decides to go online for New Year's Eve concert due to COVID-19 SEOUL -- The agency of K-pop wonder BTS has canceled offline performances for the New Year's Eve concert involving artists under its wing due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The concert was to be broadcast live via social media on December 31. The New Year's Eve concert will only be live-streamed online, Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement through Interpark, an online ticket seller, on December 7, a day before South Korea's strengthened quarantine guidelines took eff 2020-12-08
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  Supernatural thriller 'The Priests' to be recreated into musical at S. Korean theater SEOUL -- "The Priests," a 2015 South Korean supernatural mystery thriller film directed by Jang Jae-hyun, will be recreated into a musical. The film has received positive feedback from moviegoers in North America and Europe. The film depicting two Catholic priests on a quest to exorcise a demon that possessed a little girl garnered unexpected popularity in South Korea where blockbuster films created by Hollywood and domestic studios have dominated the box-office. RNDWO 2020-12-07
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  ​Singer Chungha tested positive for COVID-19 SEOUL -- Chungha, a K-pop female singer, cannot help but put off her comeback that was scheduled on December 10 after the 24-year-old was infected with COVID-19. "Chungha has recently realized that she came in contact with a COVID-19 patient and voluntarily received a test," MNH Entertainment, the singer's agency, said in a statement, adding she has tested positive. The unexpected announcement came just three days before Chungha's comeback with "X," a 2020-12-07
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  Big Hit artists to collaborate with late singer Shin Hae-chul using AI and hologram SEOUL -- Big Hit Entertainment's artists including BTS and TXT will stage a special performance in memory of Shin Hae-chul during their joint New Year's Eve concert. The late singer, known for his role in pioneering South Korea's experimental rock music, will be brought back to life on the stage using artificial intelligence and hologram technology. Big Hit said in a statement on December 2 that artists would perform different versions of Shin's hit songs including a 2020-12-02
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  BTS rewarded with postponement of conscription for obligatory military service SEOUL -- BTS members were rewarded with the postponement of conscription for obligatory military service to continue activities as a united whole for at least two more years after the K-pop wonder achieved another milestone with "Life Goes On" that became the first Korean song to land at No. 1 on the Billboard's main singles chart. In a plenary session on December 1, lawmakers endorsed a revision to South Korea's military service act to enable the postponement of 2020-12-01
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  K-pop bands AKMU and TREASURE in self-quarantine after COVID-19 test SEOUL -- Brother-sister duo AKMU and boy band TREASURE have been placed into obligatory self-quarantine following their participation in a TV music program with a K-pop band member who tested positive for COVID-19. "To be proactive, AKMU, TREASURE and staff were tested for COVID-19, and are currently in self-quarantine," YG Entertainment said in a statement on November 30. "We have not received any test results from the state disease control body and artists have show 2020-11-30
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  American singer Gracie Abrams joins community platform operated by BTS agency SEOUL -- Gracie Abrams, an American singer-songwriter, became the first foreign member to join an online fan community platform operated by the agency of K-pop sensation BTS. Big Hit Entertainment hopes other foreign artists such as American singer-songwriter Alexander and British artist YUNGBLUD will follow suit. Weverse created by beNX, the software wing of Big Hit Entertainment, invites fans scattered across small online communities and social media to an integrated platform that 2020-11-25
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  BTS members voice desire for Grammy before releasing new album SEOUL -- Members of K-pop wonder BTS expressed their desire to grab an award at Grammy's, one of the world's most prestigious music awards events, as they released their new album "BE (Deluxe Edition)," about three months after "Dynamite," a disco-pop track that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's main singles chart. "I think what I want to achieve more is Grammy. Thankfully, we have Billboard's Hot 100 record, but we hope our name will be call 2020-11-20
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  K-pop band ENHYPEN nurtured by BTS producer to release debut album this month SEOUL -- ENHYPEN, a new K-pop boy band nurtured by the creator and head producer of BTS, will release its debut album on November 30. Well before its official debut, the band has been considered this year's most notable rookie, garnering huge attention from global K-pop fans, and each member already has more than one million followers through various social media. The band preparing for its first flight has seven survivors of I-Land, a TV reality program created by South Korean 2020-11-20
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  BTS agency absorbs label established by rapper Zico SEOUL -- The agency of BTS absorbed a label established by Zico, a rapper and record producer who had conquered South Korea's music scene with his single "Any Song" that topped all Korean real-time digital charts in January. Big Hit Entertainment said the acquisition of KOZ Entertainment is part of efforts to expand the intellectual property of artists and strengthen its music-producing ability. "Through Big Hit's global network and systematic music production 2020-11-18
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  SM's new girl group aespa forms fan club to mark official debut SEOUL -- Aespa, a new four-member girl band formed by South Korea's SM Entertainment, launched a fan club called "My" to mark their debut on November 17 with "Black Mamba," a powerful dance song based on synthesizer sound and intense bass, "It's a burden, but I want to show you a good song and a good stage as soon as possible," Karina, a 20-year vocalist and rapper, said before the release of the group's debut song. The group has two South 2020-11-17
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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