Entertainment

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  BTS agency makes successful stock market debut in S. Korea SEOUL -- The founder of BTS promised to create a new ecosystem in the global entertainment industry where artists, consumers and industry workers can coexist as his company made a successful stock market debut. Share prices soared at the beginning of trading, catapulting Big Hit Entertainment to an unrivaled entertainment powerhouse in South Korea in terms of market capitalization. In a ceremony on South Korea's main bourse to mark the initial public offering (IPO) of Big Hit, 2020-10-15
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  Park Chan-wook's new melodrama film to star Park hae-il and Tang Wei SEOUL -- Chinese actress Tang Wei and actor Park Hae-il will star in a new melodrama film directed by Park Chan-wook, the film's distributor CJ Entertainment said. Shooting will begin in October, but the release date was not disclosed. Park Chan-wook, 57, is a South Korean director recognized in the global cinema scene for his works such as "Old Boy," "Stoker" and "The Handmaiden" that attracted movie fans at home and abroad. CJ Entertainment sai 2020-10-13
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  [FOCUS] Fresh argument flares in S. Korea over military service by BTS members SEOUL -- Whether they like it or not, the argument without their consent and participation goes on from home and pubs to parliament. Fans feel repulsed by excessive interest and contention. A fresh round of debate flared over whether BTS members should be exempted from military service for enhancing the prestige and image of their homeland after they captured the hearts of global music fans with "Dynamite," a disco-pop track that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's main 2020-10-08
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  BLACKPINK agency promises to delete Jennie's controversial scene in music video SEOUL -- Bowing to public criticism over Jennie, a global K-pop star dressed as an attractive nurse in the music video of "Lovesick Girls," the agency of BLACKPINK apologized for distorting the image of nurses and promised to delete the scene at issue. In the music video released on October 2, Jennie played a nurse, wearing a hair cap, a white skirt and red high heels to express the song's lyrics "No Doctor could help when I'm lovesick." The scene spark 2020-10-07
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  K-pop band BTS to use up-to-date technologies for online concert in October SEOUL -- Up-to-date technologies such as augmented reality and extended reality will be used for an online concert to be held by K-pop sensation BTS in October. BTS will perform for about two hours on a scale equivalent to an offline concert, according to the group's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment. Big Hit said BTS would hold its online concert "BTS Map of the Soul ON:E" at 7 p.m. on October 10 and 4 p.m. the following day. The latest technology will be use 2020-09-29
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  K-pop band BTS to release new album 'BE' with message of healing SEOUL -- K-pop band BTS will release its most unique album titled "Be" in November to deliver a message of healing to fans worldwide, according to the group's management agency. "BE (Deluxe Edition) contains the most 'BTS-esque' music yet. The latest story from BTS begins by declaring that 'even in the face of this new normality, our life goes on' and imparts a message of healing to fans and to the world," Big Hit Entertainment said in a sta 2020-09-28
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  All-star unit group SuperM hopes to give positive and hopeful energy thru new album SEOUL -- SuperM, an all-star unit band formed by SM Entertainment, an entertainment powerhouse in South Korea, hopes to give positive and hopeful energy to fans in a difficult time caused by a COVID-19 pandemic through the group's first full-length album titled "Super One" that contained 15 songs. "There are many different genres of songs. It seems that the color of SuperM has finally come out clearly," SuperM leader Baekhyun said in an online news conferen 2020-09-25
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  Kakao unit secures stake in U.S. web comics company Tapas SEOUL -- In a bid to secure a bridgehead in the American webcomics market, Kakao Page, a web media content wing of South Korean web service giant Kakao, secured a 21.68 percent stake in Tapas Media that offers a variety of short and long-form English-language media content including webtoons. Web cartoons, widely known as webtoons or webcomics, are digital comic books created to fit into web or mobile platforms. South Korea is the birthplace of webtoons, with its webtoon market valu 2020-09-25
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  Mnet to hold online Asian music award event due to COVID-19 pandemic SEOUL -- Asia's biggest annual music awards event will be held online this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) has been held held in Asian cities and broadcast live across the world. CJ ENM said it would present the best performance stages for this year's online MAMA, based on its know-how and technologies. "MAMA has been upgraded through innovative challenges. We think that this year's event, which will be held in a non-contact 2020-09-21
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  Former Girls' Generation member Jessica to release autobiographical novel this month SEOUL -- Jessica, a former member of South Korea's first-generation K-pop girl band Girls' Generation, will release an autobiographical novel titled "Shine," based on her experience in the entertainment scene. The novel to be published in 11 countries including Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam will be recreated into a film. The 31-year-old who also designs clothes for her apparel brand BLANC & ECLARE debuted in 2007 and quit in 2014. She signed a management contra 2020-09-18
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  Samsung uses smartphones to create romance film for 8K QLED screen SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics will use new smartphones to create a romance film to promote ultra-high-definition 8K quantum dot LED (QLED) technologies. The project is designed to encourage consumers to engage in the creation of high-quality video content using Samsung phones. The South Korean tech giant said in an online press conference on September 17 that the company would produce "Untact," a new film starring popular actress Kim Go-eun and actor Kim Joo-hun. The film 2020-09-17
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  Indie musicians plan small concerts to console pandemic-stricken fans SEOUL -- MY Music, an entertainment agency, will work with a state culture and content nurturing body to hold small indie music concerts for fans who cannot see musicians due to strict quarantine rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19. MY Music said in a statement on September 18 that the company will cooperate with the Korea Creative Content Agency to host "Minimal Life Festival," a 25-day indie music festival from September 18, in Seoul's western district of Hongdae 2020-09-17
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  Singer-songwriter Heize joins rapper Psy's agency SEOUL -- Singer-songwriter Heize has joined an entertainment agency established by PSY, a rapper know for Gangnam Style. Artists such as singer HyunA, Dawn, JESSI and Crush have nested under Psy's wings. "We have come to form a good relationship with Heize. "Please look forward to new music and performances," P NATION said in a statement on September 16. The 29-year-old debuted in 2014 but she was able to catch attention from music fans in 2017 with " 2020-09-16
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  Singer Chungha to collaborate with Danish singer Christopher to release new song SEOUL -- Singer Chungha has collaborated with Christopher Lund Nissen, a Danish singer better known by his stage name Christopher, to release new song "Bad Boy". MNH Entertainment, the 24-year-old's agency said in a statement on September 11 that Chungha and Christopher will release the new song on September 23. Bad Boy was originally planned to be sung by Christopher and his K-pop counterpart during the 28-year-old Danish singer's concert in South Korea. Christ 2020-09-11
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  S. Korean zombie thriller film '#ALIVE' becomes global Netflix fans' favorite SEOUL -- "#ALIVE," a South Korean zombie thriller film directed by Cho Il-hyung, has garnered the love of global zombie film lovers using Netflix, the world's most popular over-the-top video-on-demand service. The zombie film starring actor Yoo Ah-in and actress Park Shin-hye was released in cinemas in June this year but its creators have decided to release #ALIVE through Netflix about three months after its domestic release because of a coronavirus pandemic that pro 2020-09-11
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  SM Entertainment partners with institute to nurture global K-pop specialists SEOUL -- SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's iconic K-pop powerhouses, will work with a private educational body to establish a K-pop institute aimed at nurturing entertainment specialists. The institute would provide foreign language classes and admit students from South Korea and other countries in March next year. SM said in a statement on September 9 that the company and Haneul Education would build "SM Institute" for K-pop and pop-culture specialists in Seo 2020-09-09
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  Melon promotes uncharted popular song thru new service SEOUL -- To diversify the range of music for customers, Melon, a major online music service operated by South Korean web service giant Kakao, has introduced a new music service to promote uncharted songs. South Korean online music services have provided daily and weekly song charts that are refreshed in real-time. However, such charts have been criticized for limiting listeners to enjoy charted songs while taking away opportunities to listen to new songs published by relatively 2020-09-08
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  Girl-crush icon MAMAMOO to return to music scene with new single track SEOUL -- Girl band MAMAMOO will return to the music scene with a single track, according to the four-member band's agency said. RBW said in a statement on September 8 that the quartet will release "WANNA BE MYSELF" on September 10. The agency said the new single contains MAMAMOO's unique colors and charming points. Unlike many other K-pop girl bands that express the cuteness or the visuals of members as the key attraction points, MAMAMOO has captured 2020-09-08
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  ​Popular artists prepare free online concert to help overcome COVID-19 depression SEOUL -- Popular hip-hop and R&B artists will hold a free online concert via YouTube in an effort to help South Koreans overcome depression and anxiety caused by a COVID-19 pandemic. In an April survey of 600 people, conducted by Lee Dong-hun, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University's College of Education, 29.7 percent experienced COVID-19 depression while 48.8 percent suffered from anxiety. Fears and anxiety about catching a novel coronavirus linger in the community and 2020-09-07
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  Economic ripple effect caused by 'Dynamite' estimated at $1.4 bln SEOUL -- The global success of "Dynamite," a new single published by BTS, is expected to generate at least 1.7 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in economic ripple effects, including 246 billion won in direct sales, government data showed. Revenue from offline concerts was not counted due to a prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Dynamite, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's main singles chart, would induce some 372 billion won in exports of related consumer goods, includin 2020-09-07