S. Korean PM lauds Pearl Abyss' 'Crimson Desert' for 5 mln sales, pledges industry support SEOUL, April 25 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok congratulated video game developer Pearl Abyss (263750.KQ) on the record-breaking global sales of its latest title, "Crimson Desert," pledging proactive government support to bolster the country's gaming industry across broader platforms. In a social media post late Friday, Kim highlighted the action-adventure game's milestone of surpassing 5 million copies sold just 26 days after its release, call April 25, 2026

BLACKPINK's Jisoo wins rising star award at Canneseries SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) - BLACKPINK's Jisoo has won an award at this year's Cannes International Series Festival, which kicked off its weeklong run in the French resort city earlier this week. Jisoo received the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award last Wednesday at the annual festival, also known as Canneseries, which promotes television series around the world. According to the festival's organizers, Jisoo, alongside her music career, has "steadily expanded her pr April 24, 2026

Samsung heiress' ex-husband serving jail term in bizarre case involving shaman girlfriend SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - Im Woo-jae, the ex-husband of Samsung heiress Lee Boo-jin and former adviser at the conglomerate's minor subsidiary Samsung Electro-Mechanics, has been serving a one-year prison sentence, it was belatedly revealed on Thursday. Lee was found guilty of obstruction of official duties after getting caught up in a bizarre case involving his girlfriend, who is a shaman, according legal sources. He apparently deceived officials while attempting to shield his April 23, 2026

BTS' song tops Billboard global charts for fourth straight week SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' latest song has held the top spot on Billboard's global charts for four consecutive weeks. According to the American music chart, "Swim," the title track from their fifth full-length album "ARIRANG" remained at the top of the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts for the week ending this Saturday, extending its run to a fourth straight week. Their album also held steady on the main U.S. charts, remain April 22, 2026

K-pop band NCT WISH heat up Seoul dome stadium with encore concert SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - The courtyard of the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul was a sea of colorful outfits and posters on Sunday, buzzing in a state of suppressed excitement. Thousands of fans stood in long lines under a torching, late spring sun, clutching lightsticks and merchandise with the sternness of warriors before battle. They were there for the final stop of the first solo tour by the boy band NCT WISH, an event that has become a focal point for the latest phase of the expansion April 20, 2026

K-pop identity and global expansion take center stage at Kookmin University special lecture SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - Professor Lee Gyu-tag from George Mason University Korea examined the cultural evolution and future trajectory of K-pop during a guest lecture at Kookmin University on April 16. Speaking as the featured guest for the 663rd Thursday Special Lecture, Lee explored how the genre's identity has shifted from a local South Korean product to a global phenomenon, the prominent university said Monday. The lecture defined K-pop not merely as a broad term for all S April 20, 2026

Horror film emerges as surprise box-office draw SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - Horror film "Salmokji: Whispering Water" held onto the top spot at the domestic box office for a second consecutive week, driven by strong word of mouth among younger moviegoers. According to the Korean Film Council on Monday, Lee Sang-min's directorial debut feature attracted 472,109 moviegoers over the weekend, bringing its cumulative total to 1.46 million since its release earlier this month. It already surpassed its break-even point o April 20, 2026

Han Kang leads Korea's book market for a decade SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -South Korean author Han Kang, the country’s first Nobel laureate in literature, is not just a literary heavyweight but the defining commercial force in South Korea’s book market over the past decade with her bestsellers "The Vegetarian" and "Human Acts", data showed. According to data released Sunday by Kyobo Book Centre ahead of World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, the two novels ranked first and second, respectively, in April 19, 2026

K-pop girl group KATSEYE to release new album this summer SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Los Angeles-based K-pop girl group KATSEYE will release their new album this summer. According to their agencies HYBE and Geffen Records, their third EP "Wild" is slated for release on Aug. 14, more than a year after their previous mini album "Beautiful Chaos" was released in June last year. KATSEYE, consisting of multinational members, have recently gained traction through appearances at major music festivals like the Coachella Festi April 17, 2026

Kpop big 4 unite to launch Coachella-scale Kpop festival  SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s K-pop powerhouses — HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment — are moving to institutionalize a Coachella-style annual K-pop festival, marking a rare joint initiative among the industry’s fiercest rivals. The four agencies have jointly submitted a joint-venture proposal, tentatively titled “Fanomenon” a portmanteau of “fan” and “phenomenon” to the Fair Trade Co April 17, 2026