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  'We support BTS, not HYBE' SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Amid a growing dispute between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, BTS, the global K-pop phenomenon under HYBE, has seemingly become collateral damage. Their devoted fanbase, ARMY, is now taking action. On Friday, ARMY issued a full-page statement in some newspapers demanding HYBE and its subsidiary Big Hit Music "take responsibility for the unsubstantiated attacks and defamation targeting BTS" and called for "immediate legal action.” May 3, 2024
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  BTS agency launches global audition for new boy band SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Big Hit Music, the entertainment powerhouse behind BTS and Tomorrow X Together, has launched a global audition to discover a new boy band that will continue the legacy of the K-pop sensations. The contest is open to males of any nationality born after 2006 and will be held both online and offline, the company said Friday. The offline audition will run from June 1 to August 31 in 17 regions around the world, including Hawaii, Vancouver, Sydney, Oaklan May 3, 2024
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  Korea to launch international webtoon festival in September SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) – The Korean government plans to launch an international webtoon festival in September to promote the globally popular digital comics that originated in the nation about two decades ago. The inaugural Global Webtoon Festival will be held in Seongsu-dong, an emerging hipster hotspot in northeastern Seoul, from September 26 to 29, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday. The festival will institute new webtoon awards to May 2, 2024
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  Teaser video for NewJeans' collaborated song with Japanese artist creates buzz SEOUL, May 01 (AJU PRESS) - A music video for girl band NewJeans's new song "Right Now" was teased on Wednesday. Min Hee-jin, who masterminded the iconic K-pop quintet, also uploaded the video on Instagram the same day. There are already high expectations about the song as the music video comes as a collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist Murakami Takashi. Murakami, renowned for blending Japanese traditional art with pop culture, is considered one of Ja May 1, 2024
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  HYBE takes legal action against NewJeans agency CEO amid management control feud SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - Entertainment giant HYBE plans to file a complaint Thursday against Min Hee-jin, the CEO of its affiliated label behind popular K-pop girl band NewJeans, on charges including breach of trust. HYBE said this week's audit confirmed that Min had devised plans to take over management control of the subsidiary, ADOR, and break away from the K-pop powerhouse. Auditors secured a computer file from an ADOR executive that showed Min's side con April 25, 2024
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  Label control battle casts shadow over NewJeans' comeback SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - An apparent power struggle over control of the music label behind NewJeans is casting a shadow over the highly anticipated comeback of the popular K-pop girl group. Entertainment giant HYBE said Monday it is conducting an audit of the management of its affiliate, ADOR, on suspicion that CEO Min Hee-jin is seeking to take over the management control of the label. The investigation, launched on the same day, targets Min and another ADOR executive, acco April 23, 2024
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  Photo shows BTS' V wearing Army antiterrorism unit uniform SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) - A photo of BTS member V wearing the attire of South Korea's Army antiterrorism unit was unveiled on Friday on a Facebook community dedicated to military issues. The 28-year-old is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service in the Special Duty Team stationed in the northeastern city of Chuncheon. SDT members are selected through a screening process involving physical tests — push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-kilometer (0.9 mile) run &m April 19, 2024
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  Billboard, Kakao Entertainment join hands to promote K-pop SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) - The Billboard magazine has partnered with South Korea's Kakao Entertainment to boost the global presence of K-pop, the U.S. magazine said Friday. Billboard's President Mike Ven and Kakao Entertainment's co-CEO Joseph Chang have recently signed a partnership agreement on cooperation in Korean music-related content and promotion of K-pop artists' global activities. The two sides will also come up with a new K-pop-related business model. April 19, 2024
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  BLACKPINK's Jennie stays on Billboard chart for 16 consecutive weeks SEOUL, April 17 (AJU PRESS) - BLACKPINK member Jennie's "One of the Girls" ranked 76th on Billboard's Hot 100 chart released Tuesday, extending its run on the chart to 16 consecutive weeks. The 28-year-old artist collaborated with Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd for the song, which serves as the soundtrack for the American TV series "The Idol." The song's official audio on YouTube has accumulated over 121 million views. In June 2023, Jennie April 17, 2024
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  Singer G-Dragon to make comeback in second half of 2024 SEOUL, April 16 (AJU PRESS) - After a hiatus of about seven years, singer G-Dragon will make a long-awaited comeback with a new album in the second half of 2024, the 35-year-old artist's agency said Tuesday. Galaxy Corporation said in a press release on Tuesday that G-Dragon is gearing up to drop the new album in the latter half of this year. In the press release, the agency also said the celebrity had recently met with Frederic Malle, the founder of the renowned French perfu April 16, 2024