BTS leader RM to drop prerelease track from second solo album this week

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - BTS leader RM will drop "Come Back to Me," a prerelease track from his upcoming second solo album, this week, its agency said Tuesday. The indie-pop song and its music video will be unveiled at 1 p.m. Friday ahead of the release of the 11-track album titled "Right Place, Wrong Person" slated for May 24, according to Big Hit Music. The music video was written, directed, and produced by Lee Sung-jin, who directed the awar

May 7, 2024

Opinion: What a second Trump presidency might mean for the rest of the world

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - Just over six months ahead of the U.S. election, the world is starting to consider what a return to a Trump presidency might mean. While Americans might be weighing up the difference between the two candidates domestic policies, the rest of the globe is more interested in what foreign policy decisions he might make. Donald Trump has already hinted at some areas he is particularly likely to address: China, NATO, Ukraine and Gaza among them. Recent statem

May 7, 2024

Opinion: Global auditions are changing the 'K' in K-pop

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop giant JYP Entertainment recently launched VCHA, an all-female idol group composed entirely of members from Canada and the United States, who had passed auditions held in North America. The band says its members' backgrounds include Korean, white, Latino, Black, Vietnamese and Hmong ancestries. The once-novel idea of a K-pop group without Korean members, which caught the attention of the BBC and CNN, now seems on the brink of becoming the norm.

May 7, 2024

Commemorative event explores Tagore's legacy in Korea

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - An event celebrating the birthday of Indian philosopher and poet Rabindranath Tagore took place on Korea's picturesque Nami Island near Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on Friday. This year marks the 163rd birth anniversary of Tagore, born in 1861, who became the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature in 1913. Hosted by Nami Island Arts & Education in collaboration with Indian and Bangladesh embassies, the event started with an opening ce

May 3, 2024

Africa represents important, often overlooked security challenge

KENOSHA, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - The United States is being unceremoniously evicted from the African nation of Niger. Meeting in Washington D.C., Niger Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine informed Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell that all 1,000 U.S. special operations troops and other personnel must vacate the country. This is a major setback, during a time of general instability in that region. Last year, the leader of Gabon, Ali Bongo, was removed in a sudden military coup on A

May 3, 2024

VISUALS: Indian philosopher Tagore's 163rd birth anniversary celebrated on Nami Island

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - An event to celebrate the 163rd birthday anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Prize winner in literature, poet and philosopher, was held on Nami Island in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Friday. Hosted by Nami Island Arts & Education in collaboration with Indian and Bangladesh embassies, Tagore devotees and many other visitors gathered for the event to remember the renowned poet. Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar and Bangladesh Ambassad

May 3, 2024

John Y. Lee, Korean War hero who interpreted for MacArthur, dies at 95

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) – John Y. Lee, a Korean War hero famous for serving as an interpreter for Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the 1950 Incheon Landing Operation, died in Atalanta, the U.S., on Wednesday (local time). He was 95. The Korean-born U.S. lawyer received the U.S. Legion of Merit in April 1952 from then-President Harry S. Truman for his service in many crucial battles during the 1950-53 war. He also won the St. Maurice Medal from the U.S. National Infantry Associa

May 3, 2024

'We support BTS, not HYBE'

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Amid a growing dispute between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, BTS, the global K-pop phenomenon under HYBE, has seemingly become collateral damage. Their devoted fanbase, ARMY, is now taking action. On Friday, ARMY issued a full-page statement in some newspapers demanding HYBE and its subsidiary Big Hit Music "take responsibility for the unsubstantiated attacks and defamation targeting BTS" and called for "immediate legal action.”

May 3, 2024

Hanwha Robotics, B-Robotics join hands on restaurant automation project

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Hanwha Robotics signed a memorandum of understanding with service robot firm B-Robotics to cooperate in restaurant automation solutions, the robot arm of Korea's Hanwha Group said Friday. Under the deal, Hanwha will provide expertise in food technology, including culinary robots proficient in cooking meals and pouring wine, while B-Robotics will contribute serving robot-related technologies. Previously, Hanwha Robotics showcased a robot sommelier c

May 3, 2024

BTS agency launches global audition for new boy band

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Big Hit Music, the entertainment powerhouse behind BTS and Tomorrow X Together, has launched a global audition to discover a new boy band that will continue the legacy of the K-pop sensations. The contest is open to males of any nationality born after 2006 and will be held both online and offline, the company said Friday. The offline audition will run from June 1 to August 31 in 17 regions around the world, including Hawaii, Vancouver, Sydney, Oaklan

May 3, 2024