BTS tops Billboard 200 for 3rd week, heads to Japan this week SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) -K-pop supergroup BTS wrapped up its three-day concert run in Goyang over the weekend, drawing more than 132,000 attendees, while extending its record as the first Korean act to top the U.S. charts for three consecutive weeks. According to Billboard on Sunday (local time), BTS’ fifth studio album ARIRANG held on to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — the industry’s main weekly albums ranking based on sales, streaming and track-equivalent units &mda April 13, 2026

Police launch manhunt as burglar flees with BTS entry bracelets SEOUL, April 11 (AJP) - Law enforcers in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, have launched an intensive manhunt on Saturday for a burglar who snatched 500 BTS concert entry bracelets from a ticket booth, police said. The robbery could spark a massive security disruption involving scalpers and ordinary fans. The suspect reportedly seized the cache of credentials at approximately 3:20 p.m. (0620 GMT) before escaping the scene, prompting the police to secure surveillance footage and monito April 11, 2026

PlayStation's March pick Crimson Desert storms past 4 million sales SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Action-adventure game Crimson Desert has surpassed 4 million copies sold in just 12 days, turning its turbulent launch by Pearl Abyss into one of the most dramatic comeback stories in recent gaming history and cementing the South Korean studio's first single-player title as a global commercial juggernaut. The open-world game, built on Pearl Abyss' proprietary BlackSpace Engine, logged 2 million sales on its first day on March 20 across PlayStation 5, April 10, 2026

Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' enters Cannes Competition after 4-year silence for Korea SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Na Hong-jin breaks a four-year silence for South Korean titles at Cannes with Hope, a big-budget thriller that puts him back in the Palme d’Or race. The South Korean director’s fourth feature was named to the 21-film Competition lineup unveiled Thursday (local time), marking the first time since Decision to Leave in 2022 that a Korean film has entered the festival’s top-tier section. The return carries weight beyond selection. Hope is N April 10, 2026

BTS draws global fans to rain-soaked Goyang as world tour kicks off GOYANG, South Korea, April 09 (AJP) — Neither unseasonable spring rain nor distance kept fans from gathering for BTS’ first full-member stadium concert in seven years, as the group kicked off its three-night home run in Goyang, just west of Seoul, on Thursday night. Thousands filled the 41,311-seat Goyang Stadium, where a 360-degree in-the-round stage allowed all seven members to face every section of the crowd. Police estimated that roughly half of those arriving from April 9, 2026

Spy film 'Humint' rebounds on Netflix after box-office flop SEOUL, April 8 (AJP) - Director Ryoo Seung-wan's latest film "Humint" claimed the top spot on Netflix's chart for non-English movies, just a week after becoming available on the global platform, following its theatrical flop in February. According to Netflix's ranking site Tudum, the spy film garnered 11 million cumulative views in about a week after it began streaming last Wednesday, securing the top spot among non-English films. The 119-minute film als April 8, 2026

BTS kicks off first world tour in 7 years amid chart-topping comeback halo SEOUL, April 08 (AJP) - K-pop supergroup BTS will launch its “BTS World Tour Arirang” in Goyang on Friday, opening an 85-show run across 34 cities through 2027 in its first global tour in seven years as the group extends its comeback momentum across global charts and digital platforms. The group will hold three concerts at Goyang Stadium on April 9, 11 and 12, marking the opening leg of the world tour. The April 11 show will also be broadcast through a live-viewi April 8, 2026

Actor Hyun Bin chosen as face of South Korea's spy agency SEOUL, April 7 (AJP) - Heartthrob actor Hyun Bin will take on the unlikely task of serving as the face of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), the spy agency said Tuesday. The NIS said the star has been appointed to carry out promotional activities to raise awareness of the agency's broader role in protecting the country from various security threats, rather than its traditional Cold War–era focus on tracking down North Korean spies, amid an evolving secu April 7, 2026

Chang Han-na to lead Seoul Arts Center in first for musician, woman SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) -Child prodigy-turned cellist-conductor Chang Han-na has been named president of the Seoul Arts Center to become the first musician — and the first woman — to lead South Korea's premier performing arts venue since its founding, the culture ministry said Monday. Her appointment comes as part of a broader reshuffle of leadership across Korea’s flagship arts institutions, signaling a push to bring more practitioner-led vision to the country& April 6, 2026

BTS becomes first K-pop act with multiweek No. 1 on Billboard 200 SEOUL, April 06 (AJP) -BTS’ fifth studio album "ARIRANG" remained at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a second consecutive week, which is the first time a K-pop act defended No. 1 beyond one week. According to a chart preview released Saturday (local time), the album held off new releases including "BULLY" by Kanye West, which debuted at No. 2, and "HADES" by Melanie Martinez at No. 3. The Billboard 200 ranks albums based on a composite metr April 6, 2026