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South Korean student filmmaker wins award at Cannes
SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Filmmaker Jin Mi-song has won a gong at this year's Cannes Film Festival which wraps up this weekend, organizers said on Friday. Jin took home second prize with her short film "Silent Voices" in the La Cinef section, the prestigious festival's student film competition featuring short live-action and animated works by emerging filmmakers from universities around the world. This year's lineup included 14 live-action and five animated sh
May 22, 2026
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Former mimiirose member Hyori releases duet single 'Neutron Star'
SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Hyori, former member of K-pop girl group mimiirose, has released a new duet single, "Neutron Star," with rookie vocalist Yuni, her agency Pocket7 Entertainment said Thursday. The digital single was released on major streaming platforms on May 16. Neutron Star is a ballad that uses images of the night sky and outer space to describe longing for someone who has grown distant but still exerts an emotional pull. The track pairs Hyori’s delic
May 21, 2026
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NCT's Taeyong begins 'WYLD' promotions with music shows, Seoul Jazz Festival
SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Taeyong of K-pop group NCT will perform at the Seoul Jazz Festival this week as he begins promotions for his first full-length solo album "WYLD," SM Entertainment said Thursday. The 30-year-old rapper, dancer and songwriter is the leader of NCT and its subunit NCT 127. Taeyong will perform tracks from "WYLD" at the 18th Seoul Jazz Festival 2026, which runs from May 22 to 24 at Olympic Park in Seoul. The festival has grown into one of Sout
May 21, 2026
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AJP Watch: The night Suwon lost more than a ball match
SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - The rain never stopped in Suwon on Wednesday night. Cold rain swept across the stands, soaked the banners and turned the pitch slick beneath the floodlights. Still, hundreds of South Koreans remained in their seats in plastic ponchos, pounding balloon sticks and chanting for a North Korean football club playing in the South for the first time in years. By the end of the night, Suwon FC Women had lost more than a semifinal. Suwon FC Women, led by
May 21, 2026
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aespa maps emotional journey on upcoming album 'LEMONADE'
SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - K-pop girl band aespa has introduced additional tracks from its upcoming second full-length album "LEMONADE," highlighting an emotional arc that moves through freedom, self-protection, desire and connection, SM Entertainment said Thursday. The 11-track album is set for release at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on May 29 through major streaming platforms and will also be available as a physical album. “LEMONADE” marks aespa’s first ful
May 21, 2026
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'More time on paperwork than artwork': Bureaucratic hurdles haunt Korean artists
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - In South Korea, artists must prove they are artists before qualifying for public grants, and many complain the opaque and exhausting certification process has become a bureaucratic ordeal that leaves them spending more time on paperwork than artwork. Artist Certification falls under the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation (KAWF), an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is effectively required to apply for government aid, public grants an
May 20, 2026
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JYP Entertainment donates 100 mln won for children's rehabilitation treatment
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - JYP Entertainment has signed a social contribution agreement with Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital and donated 100 million won to support rehabilitation treatment for children and young people with disabilities, the company said Monday. JYP Entertainment and Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital signed the agreement Monday at JYP Center in Seongnae-dong, Gangdong District, Seoul. Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital is a public children's rehabilitation hospital in the Seo
May 20, 2026
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Stray Kids notch 20th music video with 100 million YouTube views
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - K-pop boy group Stray Kids’ music video for “Walkin On Water” has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, becoming the group’s 20th music video to reach the milestone, JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The music video crossed the 100 million mark Tuesday afternoon. “Walkin On Water” is the title track of “合 (HOP),” a SKZHOP HIPTAPE project released by Stray Kids on Dec. 13, 2024. The video features large-sca
May 20, 2026
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South Korea's 'beloved music coach' to bring spirit of cultural diplomacy to Paris
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - There are moments when music accomplishes what politics, diplomacy, and economics often cannot. It dissolves distance. It softens history. It reminds people, however briefly, that civilization is ultimately sustained not only by power and institutions, but by the human heart. This spring, Lee Gi-yeon, widely known in South Korea as the "Music Coach for the Nation" will travel to Paris with a group of South Korean amateur vocalists and professional m
May 20, 2026
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LIGHTSUM's Nayoung releases cover of YOASOBI's 'Yoru ni Kakeru'
SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Nayoung of K-pop girl group LIGHTSUM has released a cover video of Japanese duo YOASOBI's "Yoru ni Kakeru," according to a press release from Cube Entertainment. The video, uploaded to LIGHTSUM's official social media channels on Tuesday, features Nayoung performing the song at nighttime locations in Seoul, including Namsan and Hangang Bridge. The cover had drawn more than 22,000 views and 1,300 likes within about 14 hours of its release as
May 20, 2026
