Netflix's 'The East Palace' debuts at No. 2 on global non-English TV chart SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - Netflix's Korean fantasy mystery series The East Palace debuted at No. 2 on the streamer's global Top 10 list for non-English television after drawing 4.9 million views in its first three days, marking a strong international start for Nam Joo-hyuk's first series since completing military service. Released on July 17, the eight-episode series also topped Netflix's daily rankings in South Korea and entered the Top 10 in 27 markets, including Ho July 22, 2026

ARKO festivals bring Korea's living traditions to new audiences SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) — "Ulsoo!" The spirited exclamation that punctuates BTS's hit song "Idol" comes from Pansori, Korea's traditional musical storytelling in which audiences cheer performers over the hypnotic yet exhilarating beat of the janggu drum. That same call-and-response energy also defines Madanggeuk, Korea's open-air folk theater where music, dance, satire and audience participation blur the line between performers and spectators. July 21, 2026

Shin Jin-seo beats KataGo, echoes Lee Se-dol's AI win SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Nine years ago, a South Korean Go master sat across a board from a machine that was not supposed to be beatable. On March 13, 2016, in the fourth game of a five-game match against Google DeepMind's AlphaGo in Seoul, Lee Sedol became the only human ever to defeat that particular artificial intelligence, snapping three straight losses along the way. He would go on to lose the fifth game and the series overall, four games to one. But that one win, built aro July 21, 2026

Yeon Sang-ho's upcoming thriller invited to film fest in Toronto this fall SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Director Yeon Sang-ho's upcoming mystery thriller "Paradise Lost" has been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the film's distributor CJ ENM said on Tuesday. The 101-minute film will have its world premiere in the "Special Presentations" section of the 51st edition of TIFF, which will run from Sept. 10-20. It will mark Yeon's second consecutive appearance at TIFF after his mystery thriller & July 21, 2026

Korean titles make Netflix's most-watched in H1 SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korean productions remained among Netflix's biggest global draws in the first half of 2026, with two Korean series breaking into the platform's worldwide top 10 and multiple other titles attracting tens of millions of viewers, according to Netflix's latest engagement report. Legal drama "Teach You a Lesson" followed at No. 6 with 48 million views, making South Korea the only non-English market to place two July 21, 2026

HYBE to roll out new K-pop girl group Tuide under new label ABD SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - HYBE's newly established girl group label ABD has introduced its first artist, unveiling the seven-member act TUIDE ahead of the group's debut expected in the second half of 2026. The launch marks the first project for ABD, short for A Bold Dream, a label dedicated exclusively to developing girl groups within HYBE's multi-label system. According to the company, the label aims to pursue new creative directions while expanding the boundaries of K-p July 21, 2026

BLACKPINK's Jennie to summer-seasoned single SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's Jennie will officially release her new solo single "Less than a Lover" on July 24 after previewing the song at a string of major international music festivals, her agency OA Entertainment (ODD ATELIER) said Tuesday. Jennie gave audiences an early listen to the track during headlining appearances at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York, Denmark's Roskilde Festival, Poland's Open'er Festival and S July 21, 2026

Korean films reach Ivory Coast cinemas in rare west African expansion SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Two South Korean films have entered commercial release in Ivory Coast, marking the first time Korean historical and horror films have received regular theatrical releases in the West African country, the South Korean Embassy in Abidjan said Monday. The release represents a rare expansion of Korean cinema into sub-Saharan Africa, where commercial screenings of Korean films have remained limited despite the global rise of Korean popular culture. While Korean f July 20, 2026

Na Hong-jin's sci-fi thriller attracts over 2 million moviegoers in less than a week SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Director Na Hong-jin's latest film "Hope" has attracted over 2 million moviegoers less than a week after its release. According to ticket sales data released by the Korean Film Council on Monday, the sci-fi film drew 1.50 million moviegoers over the weekend to top the domestic box office chart, bringing its cumulative attendance to 2.13 million. The impressive start came after the film drew about 330,000 moviegoers last Wednesday, markin July 20, 2026

BTS lights up first World Cup halftime show with "Dynamite" SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) -South Korea failed to reach even the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but K-pop made it all the way to the final stage as BTS headlined the tournament’s first-ever halftime show. BTS brought K-pop to football's biggest stage on Sunday, delivering an energetic performance of their global hit "Dynamite" during the FIFA World Cup final's first-ever halftime show before more than 80,000 spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium. July 20, 2026