Modern interpretation of ancestral ritual dance wins award in New York SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - "One Dance," a contemporary interpretation of South Korea's royal ancestral ritual presented by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, won an award in New York on Tuesday. It won the New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, which annually honor outstanding achievements by independent dance artists. Choreographers Jung Hye-jin, Kim Seong-hun, and Kim Jae-deok, who collaborated on the modern adaptation of a January 21, 2026

New South Korean rom-com makes strong debut on Netflix's global chart SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Netflix's new South Korean series has cracked the top 10 on the global streaming giant's chart this week. According to Netflix's ranking website Tudum, "Can This Love Be Translated?" garnered 4 million in cumulative views, in less than a week after its release last Friday, securing the No. 2 spot among non-English shows, just behind crime thriller "Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web." The romantic comedy starring Kim Seon- January 21, 2026

Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" emerges as Korea's biggest U.S. box-office hit SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice has become the highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the United States, surpassing the box-office record set by Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and reinforcing the commercial viability of Korean noir among American audiences. After more than three decades of shaping South Korean cinema for global viewers, Park is registering his first major North American box-office breakthrough. No Other Choice, a dark comedy ce January 20, 2026

South Korean violinist in wheelchair wins top prize at US competition SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Violinist Lim Hyun-jae won the triennial Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition (EOIVC) in Boca Raton, Florida last weekend. At last Sunday's finals at Lynn University Conservatory of Music, Lim, 28, performed Jean Sibelius' "Violin Concerto in D minor" while seated in a wheelchair and won the top prize among four finalists. She also won two special prizes awarded to the best performers of the EOIVC's commissioned work. January 20, 2026

INTERVIEW: Park Seo-joon: confident "Waiting for Gyeongo" will linger despite low ratings SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - For Park Seo-joon, returning to the romance genre after seven years with, "Waiting for Gyeong-do" was a project that demanded full embracement of character’s life. Following the timeline of protagonist "Lee Gyeong-do," who continues to live with the same feelings even after two relationships at the ages of twenty and twenty-eight, the narrative goes beyond a simple reunion melodrama. Instead, it asks how the emotion of love is January 19, 2026

Japanese teenage actor to visit Seoul next month as film becomes sleeper hit SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Japanese actor Soya Kurokawa will visit Seoul next month as his latest film "National Treasure," also known as "Kokuho became a sleeper hit in South Korea, the film’s distributer said on Monday. Directed by Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter of Zainichi Korean descent Lee Sang-il, the film has attracted over 200,000 moviegoers in about eight weeks since its release in mid-November last year, an impressive feat for an indie film her January 19, 2026

EXO set to drop first full-length album in over two years SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - K-pop boy band EXO are returning with their eighth full-length album on Monday. "REVERXE," set for release at 6 p.m. on major music-streaming sites, is the group's first full-length album in about two years and six months. The album contains nine songs including its title track "Crown," a hard-dance track about protecting a loved one, symbolized as a crown. To promote the album, a showcase is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Kyun January 19, 2026

BTS to release fifth full-length album 'Arirang' in March SEOUL, January 17 (AJP) - K-pop supergroup BTS will release its fifth full-length album titled "Arirang," drawing its name from Korea's most iconic folk song. According to BigHit Music on Friday, BTS revealed the album title during a live broadcast on fan platform Weverse at midnight, announcing that the album will be released on March 20. Leader RM said during the live stream that the group wanted to incorporate something symbolic of Korea into the album's conc January 17, 2026

Actress Nana cleared of assault charges in home break-in case SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - Actress Nana has been cleared of assault charges filed by a man who allegedly broke into her home late last year, police said Friday. Police in Guri, Gyeonggi Province said they would not pursue charges of attempted murder and assault against Nana in a countersuit filed by the intruder, determining that her actions were in self-defense. After questioning Nana last week, police concluded that her actions were lawful self-defense, in line with prosecutors January 16, 2026

Actor Lee Byung-hun appears on US late-night talk show SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - Actor Lee Byung-hun appeared on NBC's late-night talk show "Late Night with Seth Meyers" earlier this week, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from his latest films. After walking on stage to loud cheers at a studio in New York on Tuesday, Lee recounted a few episodes from the set of award-winning director Park Chan-wook's film "No Other Choice," drawing laughter with witty answers that garnered repeated applause from the au January 15, 2026