Fans and fellow actors mourn death of 'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun

SEOUL -- Fans and artists of Lee Sun-kyun mourned the death of the "Parasite" actor. Lee, who gained global fame through his appearance in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, directed by Bong Jun-ho, was found dead in his car parked at a public park in central Seoul on December 27. A block of burnt coal briquet was found near the 49-year-old's body. Burning coal briquet blocks to induce carbon monoxide poisoning is a method often used by people who take their own lives. T

December 28, 2023

'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in car, sparking suicide speculation

SEOUL -- Actor Lee Sun-kyun, globally well-known for his role in the Academy Award-winning film "Parasite," directed by Bong Joon-ho, was found dead in his car after facing a series of allegations of illegal drug use. Despite three summons by law authorities for investigation, he tested negative for drugs. According to police, the 48-year-old actor was found dead in his car at a park in Seoul's central district of Seongbuk at about 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) on December 27.

December 27, 2023

G-Dragon to donate 300 mln won for establishment of foundation against drug abuse

SEOUL -- South Korean singer Kwon Ji-yong, known by his stage name G-Dragon, will donate 300 million won ($231,570) to set up "JusPeace," a foundation to combat drug abuse. The 35-year-old artist, who was put under a drug investigation, has been cleared of all charges, and the police have officially closed the case. Along with Lee Sun-kyun, who gained global recognition after appearing in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," directed by Bong Joon-ho in 2019, G-Drag

December 26, 2023

BLACKPINK to release virtual reality version of Seoul concert

SEOUL -- Girl band BLACKPINK will showcase a special concert on Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality platform created by Meta formerly known as Facebook. The four-member band will perform various hit songs such as "Pink Venom" and "How You Like That" through the virtual concert available in seven countries including the United States, Canada, and France. The concert is the virtual reality version of BLACKPINK's encore concert held in Seoul in September. The Sept

December 26, 2023

S. Korean film production company recreates historic sea battle with visual effects technology

SEOUL -- South Korea's film production company Bigstone Pictures has recreated a historic marine battle using visual effects technology. The intense battle scenes were showcased in "Noryang: Deadly Sea," a war action film directed by Kim Han-min. The film highlights Korea's 16th-century naval commander Yi Sun-sin who scored dramatic victories against Japan. Visual effects (VFX) technology, which incorporates computer graphics (CG) elements, is often used by filmmak

December 23, 2023

G-Dragon's agency sends out deadline warning towards cyberbullies

SEOUL -- The agency representing singer Kwon Ji-yong, known by his stage name G-Dragon, has issued a deadline warning to cyberbullies spreading malicious rumors about the 35-year-old artist's drug scandal. The agency will take legal action if such comments are not deleted or corrected by December 28. Meanwhile, G-Dragon plans to establish a foundation to combat drug abuse. Along with Lee Sun-kyun, who gained worldwide popularity after appearing in the Oscar-winning film "Pa

December 21, 2023

BTS' Jimin to drop solo digital single 'Closer Than This'

SEOUL -- BTS member Jimin's solo digital single will be released while he fulfills his mandatory military service in South Korea. The 28-year-old will deliver his sincere feelings toward his fan club, "ARMY," through the song titled "Closer Than This." Big Hit, the agency of BTS, said the digital single will be rolled out at 2:00 p.m. (0500 GMT) on December 21. "As we approach the final days of 2023, we hope that 'Closer Than This,' with its lyri

December 21, 2023

Girl band NewJeans to drop remix album to commemorate release of hit song "Ditto"

SEOUL -- K-pop girl band NewJeans will drop its very first remix album containing 12 songs. The album is to be released at 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT) on December 19, the first anniversary of the release of Ditto. Ditto is the five-member's 2022 global hit song that garnered more than 400 million streams on Spotify, the world's top music streaming service. NewJeans, which debuted in July 2022, is the brainchild of Min Hee-jin, the prodigy producer who successfully incubated iconi

December 19, 2023

Boy band Seventeen completes three-month tour in Japan

SEOUL -- Multinational K-pop boy band Seventeen has completed its Japan tour that started in September. The group attracted about 515,000 fans through 12 concerts at in five cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. The 13-member band debuted in May 2015 and won the "World Performer Award" at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), an annual music festival in Hong Kong. Seventeen consists of three subgroups -- hip-hop, vocal, and performance. The group made its debut i

December 18, 2023

BTS member V to join special counter-terrorism unit

SEOUL -- BTS member V is set to join South Korea's military police unit specializing in counter-terrorism operations and protecting high-profile individuals. The 27-year-old would be deployed to the "Special Duty Team" after completing a five-week basic military training at an army boot camp and an additional three-week training related to the military police missions. Males aged 18 or older must fulfill their mandatory military service of about 18 months unless th

December 18, 2023