BTS' Jin thanks fans after receiving Golden Disc upbit popularity award SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - BTS member Jin thanked fans on Thursday after receiving his plaque for the "Upbit Male Popularity Award" at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, sharing a message on Weverse, a global superfan platform operated by HYBE that enables direct communication between artists and fans. “The precious award that ARMY gave us. It’s been delivered to me now. Thank you. I’ll cherish it,” Jin wrote, expressing appreciation for his fan January 23, 2026

Singer-turned-actor Cha Eun-woo under scrutiny for alleged tax evasion SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - Actor Cha Eun-woo, a member of K-pop boy band ASTRO, has come under scrutiny after allegations of tax evasion surfaced this week. The National Tax Service (NTS) has reportedly launched an audit into his alleged failure to properly declare taxable income, according to multiple sources. The audit began early last year, several months before he enlisted in the military to fulfill his mandatory service in July. The NTS believes that the actor evaded taxes wo January 23, 2026

BTS stages comeback at Gwanghwamun on March 21 SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -The date is set for an open invite for BTS's long-awaited full-group comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 after Seoul on Thursday granted conditional approval for the large-scale outdoor concert and began preparations for an influx of tens of thousands of fans into the city center. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it approved conditional use of Gwanghwamun Square for the “BTS 2026 Comeback Show @ Seoul,” proposed by January 23, 2026

K-Pop Demon Hunters" lands two Oscar nods as Park Chan-wook misses final cut SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” directed by Korean American filmmaker Maggie Kang, earned two Academy Award nominations, while Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” fell short of the final lineup for best international feature. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominees for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday local time. “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was nominated for best animate January 23, 2026

In wintry Korea, grandma's vest turn practical warmth into style  SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) — What was once dismissed as a purely functional item worn by Korean grandmothers has quietly become a global fashion statement. “Grandmacore” — a trend rooted in nostalgia, domestic hobbies like knitting and baking, and unapologetically cozy silhouettes — has caught on with fashion-forward MZ women worldwide. At the center of this movement is an unlikely hero: the flowery, quilted vest South Korean grandmas wear to stay warm January 22, 2026

Koreanness, the answer BTS found for its return SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - As BTS prepares to return as a full group after nearly four years, the question surrounding the comeback has never really been whether it would make an impact, but how the group would choose to reappear. The answer, it seems, is rooted in something familiar — and distinctly Korean. BTS will release its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” on March 20, marking its first full reunion in three years and nine months. Around the album, January 21, 2026

Seoul weighs weekly half-price movie tickets to lure audiences back to cinemas SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea is considering offering half-priced movie tickets and free admission to royal palaces every Wednesday, instead of once a month, as part of a broader effort to revive cultural consumption — though doubts remain over whether the move can rescue a struggling cinema industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it plans to expand “Culture Day,” currently held on the last Wednesday of each month, to every Wednes January 21, 2026

Modern interpretation of ancestral ritual dance wins award in New York SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - "One Dance," a contemporary interpretation of South Korea's royal ancestral ritual presented by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, won an award in New York on Tuesday. It won the New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, which annually honor outstanding achievements by independent dance artists. Choreographers Jung Hye-jin, Kim Seong-hun, and Kim Jae-deok, who collaborated on the modern adaptation of a January 21, 2026

New South Korean rom-com makes strong debut on Netflix's global chart SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Netflix's new South Korean series has cracked the top 10 on the global streaming giant's chart this week. According to Netflix's ranking website Tudum, "Can This Love Be Translated?" garnered 4 million in cumulative views, in less than a week after its release last Friday, securing the No. 2 spot among non-English shows, just behind crime thriller "Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web." The romantic comedy starring Kim Seon- January 21, 2026

Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" emerges as Korea's biggest U.S. box-office hit SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice has become the highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the United States, surpassing the box-office record set by Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and reinforcing the commercial viability of Korean noir among American audiences. After more than three decades of shaping South Korean cinema for global viewers, Park is registering his first major North American box-office breakthrough. No Other Choice, a dark comedy ce January 20, 2026