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  K-pop star couple to tie the knot this fall SEOUL, July 9 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop star couple HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung will get married this fall. The news came just a few months after they admitted their romantic relationship early this year. According to their respective agencies, the two plan a private wedding in Seoul with only close family members and friends in attendance on Oct. 11. Debuted as a member of girl band Wonder Girls in 2007 before joining the now-disbanded girl group 4minute, HyunA has often sparked mixed July 9, 2024
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  Virtual artist Suvi's sporty-themed photos unveiled ahead of next week's debut SEOUL, July 5 (AJU PRESS) - Studio Meta-K, the agency behind virtual artist Suvi, released her photos on Friday, showcasing a sporty theme for her upcoming debut single "Suncream." The four photos unveiled on social media capture the vibrant energy of summer, the Korean tech startup said. The 22-year-old virtual singer is scheduled to debut next Thursday with the dance track. In the song, Suvi tells the tale of a mermaid emerging from the sea in search of love, only to July 5, 2024
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  Bucheon's annual film fest kicks off with focus on AI SEOUL, July 4 (AJU PRESS) - The annual Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) kicked off its 11-day run with a star-studded red carpet event at a venue, west of Seoul on Thursday. The Asia's largest genre film festival, featuring primarily horror, thriller and sci-fi movies, will showcase about 255 short and feature films from 49 countries this year. With a focus on the rising trend of artificial intelligence, the festival, in its 28th year, exp July 4, 2024
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  BTS' Jin to 'carry Paris Olympic torch' SEOUL, July 3 (AJU PRESS) - Jin of K-pop boy band BTS is expected to serve as one of torchbearers for the upcoming Paris Olympics this summer, industry sources said on Tuesday. Specific details have not been confirmed yet. As a traditional ritual, the Olympic flame was lit from Greece's ancient city of Olympia in April, beginning the torch relay for this year's quadrennial global sporting event. About 11,000 torchbearers have carried the flame through around 400 Fre July 3, 2024
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  Virtual artist Suvi to debut with dance single 'Suncream' SEOUL, July 3 (AJU PRESS) - Suvi, a virtual artist created by Korean tech startup Studio Meta-K, will debut with the single "Suncream" on July 11. In this dance track, the 22-year-old digital being tells the story of a mermaid coming ashore in search of love but falling for summer instead. A teaser music video for the song will be released on Sunday. Suvi is a member of Studio MetaK's virtual artist group "Season." Standing at 170 centimeters (5'7" July 3, 2024
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  NewJeans' Hanni takes Japanese fans by storm with nostalgic song SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl band NewJeans captivated some 90,000 Japanese fans during their gigs at the Tokyo Dome in Japan last week. The quintet, consisting of Danielle, Haerin, Hanni, Hyein and Minji, held the two-day concerts on June 26 and 27 to promote their Japanese debut album. The highlight of the concerts came when Vietnamese-Australian Hanni performed a fresh rendition of Japanese oldie "Aoi Sangoshou," meaning "blue coral reef" in Englis July 2, 2024
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  Actor Gang Dong-won invited to join Motion Picture Academy SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Actor Gang Dong-won has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy, which awards the Oscars, released a list of 487 new invitees including 71 Oscar nominees for this year. The Korean heartthrob was included in the list. Once they accept, these invitees earn voting rights at next year's Oscars, the most prestigious film awards in the U.S. Gang, renowned for his roles in films like "Broker" (2022) June 27, 2024
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  Jay Park teases upcoming single with steamy images SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Park Jae-beum, also known as Jay Park, is generating some buzz for his upcoming single slated for release this weekend, by unveiling some provocative images. According to his management agency, his new single, "McNasty," a hip hop track with "catchy hook and straightforward lyrics" is set to be released on June 30. Earlier in the week, the Korean-American singer uploaded a somewhat provocative picture of himself half-naked on a bed June 27, 2024
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  Peruvian K-pop girl band hold debut showcase in Seoul SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Rookie K-pop girl band BlingOne, without any Korean members at all, made their debut in Seoul on Wednesday. Consisting of three Peruvian members – Abigail, Kenny and Ruby, they are set to embark on their activities in Korea and overseas as the first-ever K-pop girl band from South America. They were formed through the World K-Pop Center's global audition project "Click the Star," which aims to discover and nurture new talen June 27, 2024
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  Virtual artists rise as K-pop embraces AI celebrities SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Rookie singer iaaa has garnered over 137,000 views on YouTube with her debut single "Our Season." In the heartfelt mid-tempo ballad, her warm, delicate voice sings of first love, with her rippling hair, sparkling eyes and gentle movements evoking an innocent springtime romance. However, none of these are real. Composed entirely of pixels, code and a synthetic voice, iaaa is the latest in a throng of virtual artists to emerge in the vibrant Korean June 26, 2024