BTS member Suga fined 15 million won for drunk driving

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - BTS member Suga was fined 15 million won (US$ 11,463) on Monday for driving under influence earlier this year. The Seoul Western District Court ordered the 31-year-old rapper to pay the fine. Suga, who is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service with a public-sector desk job, was caught riding under the influence after falling off his electric scooter near his residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan on Aug. 6. At the time of the accident, his

September 30, 2024

Korean cooking show becomes most-watched non-English series on Netflix in its debut week

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Netflix's latest Korean show debuted as the most-watched non-English series worldwide in its first week. Reality show "Culinary Class Wars" garnered 3.8 million views about a week after its release on Sept. 17, the U.S. video-streaming site said on Wednesday. In the 12-episode survival show, 80 lesser-known chefs, referred to as "Black Spoon," compete against 20 celebrity chefs known as "White Spoon" in an intense culi

September 26, 2024

Korean short-story collection longlisted for French literary award

SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) - Korean novelist Park Sang-Young's queer novel has been longlisted for France's prestigious literary award. The French edition of "Love in the Big City," released in August this year, is vying for the Prix Médicis, one of the most prestigious literary awards recognizing works of fiction annually in France. Other included works are "Question 7" by Australian author Richard Flanagan, "The MANIAC" by Chilean nov

September 24, 2024

'Veteran' sequel exploring complex theme of justice poised to draw 6 million moviegoers

SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - Director Ryoo Seung-wan's latest film "I, the Executioner" attracted over 300,000 moviegoers on Sunday alone, remaining at the top of the Korean box-office chart for 10 consecutive days since its release earlier this month. The action-packed crime film, a sequel to Ryoo's 2015 hit "Veteran," is expected to continue its dominant solo run since there are no big rivals including Hollywood blockbusters. Its cumulative attendance i

September 23, 2024

KBS demands apology from Real Madrid after abrupt cancellation of K-pop concert

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - Terrestrial network Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) has requested a public apology from Spain's prestigious football club Real Madrid for abruptly canceling a K-pop concert that was scheduled to take place next month. The Spanish club unilaterally announced last week its decision to suspend all music concerts and other events at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium until next March, citing constant noise complaints from residents. Staff members and o

September 20, 2024

Virtual artist nævis' debut single surpasses 1.3 million views on YouTube

SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - The music video for AI-powered virtual artist nævis' debut song has garnered over 1.3 million views on YouTube just nine days after its release, SM Entertainment said. The video for the English single, "Done," released on Sept. 10, had accumulated over 1,342,500 views on YouTube as of Thursday. It shows nævis, SM's first virtual artist, performing alongside four human backup dancers. In her debut track, nævis embarks

September 19, 2024

BTS included in Billboard's list of greatest pop stars of this century

㎤ SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - K-pop boy band BTS has been included in Billboard's list of the greatest pop stars of this century. The seven-member group ranked No. 19 among the 25 most influential pop stars of the 21st century. "When you think of what it takes for a group to become pop stars, imagine having seven individual talents who can each do it all well: sing, rap, dance, and amass a love and fandom that even some of the biggest pop stars could only dream

September 12, 2024

Members of NewJeans demand HYBE reinstate their mentor

SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - K-pop girl group NewJeans held a live YouTube broadcast on Wednesday, urging HYBE, the parent company of their label ADOR, to reverse its decision to dismiss Min Hee-jin, the label's former CEO. The abrupt broadcast came just a day before HYBE shareholders' meeting. Min, the woman behind the stellar success of the quintet, established her reputation at SM Entertainment, where she orchestrated the launch of popular groups like Girls' Generati

September 12, 2024

SM Entertainment's first virtual artist debuts

SEOUL, September 11 (AJP) - SM Entertainment has debuted its first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual artist, nævis, with an English single, "Done." The music video for the digital single, released on Tuesday, has gained over 590,000 views on YouTube within 17 hours. The video features the virtual artist performing alongside four human backup dancers. Through her debut song, nævis expresses her first step toward freedom, breaking away from the space and

September 11, 2024

BTS fans unite to defend Suga, calling for trust in 'official' sources

SEOUL, September 10 (AJP) - BTS's global fan base, ARMY, spanning 58 countries, voiced their support for Suga on Monday following his recent investigation for drunk driving. In a joint statement, 127 ARMY groups reaffirmed their backing for all seven BTS members. "The Global ARMY Alliance supports all seven members of BTS," the statement read, emphasizing that fans do not expect the members to take any more responsibility than what is legally required. Suga was

September 10, 2024