Agency behind BLACKPINK to search for new K-pop talent next month

SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - YG Entertainment, a talent mill behind K-pop icons like 2NE1, Big Bang and BLACKPINK, will search for the next K-pop stars through a nationwide audition tour that kicks off early next month. The auditions will begin in Gwangju on Feb. 7 and will make stops in several other cities including Daejeon on Feb. 8, Jeonju on Feb. 9, Daegu on Feb. 15, Busan on Feb. 16, and Seoul on Feb. 22 and 23. Open to young K-pop wannabes born between 2007 and 2014, the audi

January 22, 2025

Song Hye-kyo ready to impress viewers with unconventional role in horror film

SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Actress Song Hye-kyo is expected to show a new side of herself in her upcoming film "The Dark Nuns" slated for release this week. Directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, the exorcism-themed film marks Song's return to the silver screen about a decade after her appearance in "The Crossing," the 2014 Chinese epic drama directed by acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo. It is also her first venture into the horror genre in her acting career spanni

January 22, 2025

Actress Kim Min-hee expecting baby this spring

SEOUL, January 17 (AJP) - Actress Kim Min-hee is pregnant and expected to give birth this spring, multiple online entertainment outlets reported on Friday. The actress, in her early 40s, was caught by paparazzi cameras earlier this week on her way to an ob-gyn clinic with her lover and filmmaker Hong Sang-soo. Kim has been involved in a May-to-September romance with Hong who is in his mid-60s, since 2016. The couple went public with their romance the following year and have been

January 17, 2025

Rosé's latest hit song stays at No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100

SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - "APT." sung by Rosé, a member of South Korean girl band BLACKPINK, has remained at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks, making it the highest-ranked song on the American chart by any K-pop female artist. The collaborative song with American pop star Bruno Mars made its entry into the top 10 of the U.S. Hot 100 at No. 8 at the time of its release in October last year and has since stayed on the chart, slightly moving up

January 15, 2025

BTS' J-Hope to embark on North American tour this spring

SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - J-Hope, a member of the K-pop juggernaut BTS, will embark on his North American tour this spring. The tour includes a stop in Los Angeles, where he is set to perform at the La La Land's iconic BMO Stadium in April, becoming the first K-pop artist to do so. BMO Stadium near Exposition Park in downtown Los Angeles is an open-air soccer-specific arena with a seating capacity of around 22,000. It is the home stadium for Major League Soccer's Los Ange

January 15, 2025

JYP Entertainment's new boy band set for debut next week

SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) - Seven-member boy band KickFlip will make their debut next week. "KickFlip will kick off their activities on Jan. 20 with the release of their first mini album, 'Flip It, Kick It!'," said their agency JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. Comprising five South Koreans and two Japanese, a couple of them including rapper Kyehoon have gained some recognition through their appearance on terrestrial broadcaster SBS' audition program "LOUD,"

January 15, 2025

BTS' explosive hit song achieves new milestone with 2 billion streams on Spotify

SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - K-pop juggernaut BTS' hit song "Dynamite" has garnered over 2 billion streams on Spotify. According to their agency BigHit Music on Tuesday, the septet boy band became the first K-pop act to achieve the milestone on the world's largest music streaming site with a single track. Known for its upbeat rhythm, the song helped them reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 at the time of its release in 2020 and also earned a Grammy nomination th

January 14, 2025

SM Entertainment's new girl group set for debut next month

SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Rookie girl band Hearts2Hearts will make their debut next month. SM Entertainment said on Monday that the eight members of its new girl band are preparing for their debut on Feb. 24. They will become the talent mill's first girl group in about five years, following the debut of aespa in 2020. The announcement came just a day after SM unexpectedly unveiled a teaser video for the group during their 30th anniversary concert, "SMTOWN LIVE 2025," h

January 13, 2025

Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi blockbuster set for world premiere at Berlinale

SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho's new Hollywood film will have its world premiere at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Slated for release here on Feb. 28, "Mickey 17" has been invited for screening at the festival, which kicks off its 10-day run on Feb. 13. This marks Bong's return to the festival after more than a decade, since his previous post-apocalyptic thriller "Snowpiercer," starring Hollywood star

January 13, 2025

Netflix's megahit series 'Squid Game' tops non-English show chart for second consecutive week

SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - Netflix's megahit South Korean series "Squid Game" has remained at the top of its chart for the non-English shows for the second consecutive week after its release late last month, the U.S. streaming giant said on Wednesday. Despite mixed reactions to the dystopian thriller's second season since its release on Dec. 26, it garnered 58.2 million views during the week ending last Sunday, securing the top spot in over 90 countries. It has ac

January 8, 2025