BTS Comeback D-22: The line between private and public - Jungkook Editor’s Note — As BTS prepares to return as a full seven-member act with a new album set for March 20 and an open-stage performance at Gwanghwamun on March 21, following a near four-year hiatus for rotational military service, AJP revisits the group’s 13-year trajectory. This series reexamines BTS’s history, music, performance identity and enduring appeal. The eight installment traces the roots and growth of Jungkook. SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - They sing a February 27, 2026

WAIFF D-7: World AI Film Festival in Seoul for the first time SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - The World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 will kick off on March 6 at offline venues including a concert hall and a franchise movie theater, kicking off the annual AI film festival in the Asia region and highlighting South Korea’s growing presence in AI-driven content creation. The two-day event, running through March 7, is part of the World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026)’s expanding global network founded by Institut EuropIA unde February 27, 2026

K-pop girl band aespa to release collaborative single 'Keychain' SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - K-pop girl band aespa will drop "Keychain," a collaborative single with Grammy-winning artist Anderson .Paak on Friday, the four-member group's agency SM Entertainment said. The collaborative track will unveil globally at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT) across major streaming platforms. "Keychain" serves as an original soundtrack (OST) for "K-POPS!," a film produced, directed and starring Anderson .Paak. The song blends the February 27, 2026

Love in the grey zone; how K-dating shows captured the world SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) – The island is fictional, the sand sun-bleached, the contestants impossibly polished. There is no king or queen of the jungle. No one makes grand declarations of love. Instead, they wrestle — sometimes almost literally — for a cup of iced Americano or a coveted night at a luxury hotel called "Paradise." Five seasons in, Single's Inferno has barely altered its rules. Contestants remain immaculate, well-educated, courteous t February 26, 2026

How 60-second micro-dramas are redefining screen culture SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Over the past two decades, researchers have found that the average time people remain focused on a single task has fallen from roughly 2.5 minutes to about 40 seconds. For a generation raised on scrolling rather than scheduled programming, sitting through a two-hour film can feel like a commitment. A drama told in one or two minutes, however, fits neatly into the rhythm of daily life. Micro-dramas — serialized stories delivered in 60 to 120 second February 26, 2026

BTS Comeback D-23: V more than a pretty face Editor’s Note — As BTS prepares to return as a full seven-member act with a new album set for March 20 and an open-stage performance at Gwanghwamun on March 21, following a near four-year hiatus for rotational military service, AJP revisits the group’s 13-year trajectory. This series reexamines BTS’s history, music, performance identity and enduring appeal. The seventh installment traces the roots and growth of Jimin. SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - As of 3:20 p.m February 26, 2026

BTS Comeback D-23: When free meets the resale machine SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Standing, A-4 section, seat 3n. +15.” A Wednesday search for “BTS Gwanghwamun” on X did not just surface fan updates. It revealed a marketplace. The shorthand “+15” meant 150,000 won ($105.5) — for a ticket whose official price is zero. Dozens of similar posts appeared within hours, some already stamped “transfer completed.” The event in question — BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG — is scheduled February 26, 2026

South Korean director Park Chan-wook to lead jury at 79th Cannes Film Festival SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - Korean film director Park Chan-wook will serve as jury president of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, organizers announced Thursday, marking another milestone in his long-standing relationship with the prestigious event. Park will chair the main competition jury responsible for selecting the Palme d'Or, the festival’s top prize. He is the first Korean filmmaker to preside over the Cannes jury. His ties to Cannes date back more than two decades. February 26, 2026

BTS Comeback D-24: What Is Your Love Song? SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - “What is your love song?” The question flashes on screens from Seoul to New York’s Times Square. It makes you pause. It sends you back — to a first confession, a quiet heartbreak, a family memory, even a hard-earned sense of self. A song can seal emotion inside three minutes and return it intact years later. Few artists understand that power better than BTS. K-pop amplifies emotion through collective empathy. A messa February 25, 2026

NewJeans' creator proposes settlement to HYBE to resolve NewJeans legal disputes SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - Min Hee-jin, the CEO of OOAK Records and former head of ADOR, has offered to waive a 25.6 billion won ($18.9 million) legal payout from HYBE in exchange for the termination of all ongoing litigation involving herself and the girl group NewJeans. During a press conference held in Seoul on Wednesday, Min announced her willingness to give up the funds recently awarded to her by a court regarding a put option on her former ADOR shares. Her proposal requires February 25, 2026