Entertainment

• 
  Talks on potential business ties underway between CJ ENM and SM Entertainment SEOUL -- Talks are underway between CJ ENM, credited with promoting Hallyu (Korean cultural wave), and SM Entertainment, an entertainment powerhouse that spearheaded the expansion of K-pop, on potential business ties through a share purchase agreement or other means. There have been unconfirmed reports on a joint venture, but the two companies refused to give clear answers. CJ ENM said on October 25 that it has considered acquiring shares in SM to strengthen its music content busi 2021-10-25
• 
  BTS's online concert 'Permission To Dance On Stage' watched by fans from 197 countries SEOUL -- "Permission To Dance On Stage," K-pop band BTS's online concert was watched by fans from some 197 countries on October 24, the seven-member bands' label said in a statement on October 25. The agency did not disclose the total number of viewers. Through the band's first online concert of 2021, BTS greeted fans with stunning visual effects created using a gigantic LED screen measuring 50 meters long and 20 meters high. Fans were able to watch a screen that 2021-10-25
• 
  BTS to mesmerize fans at Seoul concert using cutting-edge visual technologies SEOUL -- Through cutting-edge technologies, K-pop sensation BTS will hold "Permission To Dance On Stage," the first online performance after "Map of the Soul ON:E," a virtual concert held in October 2020. The seven-member band will deliver mind-blowing sensations to fans using a gigantic LED screen and other stunning visual technologies. Permission To Dance On Stage will be live-streamed through an online event in Seoul on October 24. The event will be filmed at 2021-10-22
• 
  Popular singer-actor Lee Seung-gi to take legal action against cyberbullies SEOUL -- South Korea's popular singer-actor Lee Seung-gi will take legal action against malicious online comments, the 34-year-old's agency said on October 21. Hook Entertainment also said that acts of cyberbullying including the distribution of fake news have not stopped despite the agency's effort to suppress online violence. The actor who played main roles in television series including "Mouse" and "Vagabond" became the target of cyberbullying in M 2021-10-22
• 
  K-pop girl band ITZY to release special edition of 'Crazy in Love' SEOUL -- K-pop girl band ITZY will release a special edition of its first official album "Crazy in Love" on October 22, South Korea's K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment said in a statement. This is the first album scheduled to hit the shelves after "MIDZY," a single track released in March 2021. Crazy in Love was released in two years and seven months since the five-member band's debut. The album's title song "LOCO" gained more than 50 milli 2021-10-20
• 
  Squid Game's main actor felt fear after reading 'grotesque' scenario SEOUL -- Lee Jung-jae who starred as the main lead of Squid Game, a South Korean survival drama television series streaming on Netflix, felt a sense of fear when he made his first reading of a "grotesque" scenario. He attributed the drama's explosive worldwide popularity to a great harmony of real aspects and unique settings. "I think that's because of great harmony. Although it has a very unique setting, it also has a realistic aspect, so I think these points 2021-10-13
• 
  CJ ENM teams up with Japan's Toei Animation to produce content targeting global markets SEOUL -- South Korea's leading entertainment group CJ ENM which created the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," teamed up with Toei Animation, a Japanese animation studio, to produce content targeting global markets by using their intellectual properties. CJ ENM thinks the strategic alliance would boost its global move. CJ ENM said Toei Animation's IP can be used to produce movies or dramas while the Japanese company can make animation by using CJ ENM's IP. The tw 2021-10-12
• 
  K-pop girl band Aespa to hold XR performance thru LGU+'s entertainment tool app SEOUL -- Aespa, a four-member girl band formed by SM Entertainment, will captivate global fans with a realistic online performance using cutting-edge technologies such as extended reality through an entertainment tool app run by LG Uplus, a mobile carrier in South Korea. There is no limit to the number of live visitors who can watch only on one device after buying tickets. Extended reality (XR) encompasses a wide spectrum of hardware and software that enable content creation for vir 2021-10-12
• 
  Seoul International Drama Awards holds drama reaction contest SEOUL -- To promote an international drama awards event, the operator of a Seoul international drama awards event invited global drama fans to participate in an online contest of video reactions. The contest is a mixture of drama content and the culture of reacting to viral videos on YouTube. The event committee will offer prize money after selecting candidates who submitted reaction videos on the trailer for the Seoul Drama Awards 2021 in November. A reaction video is content creat 2021-10-08
• 
  SM proposes joint ventures with information technology startups SEOUL -- SM Entertainment, an entertainment powerhouse in South Korea, proposed joint ventures or investments with information technology startups, following up on a new vision outlined by founder Lee Soo-man in June to pursue a "content universe" where original content will be infinitely expanded and recreated by individual prosumers who both consume and produce. "As a content company, I want to talk to people in startups in a variety of ways, even talking about join 2021-10-07
• 
  [INTERVIEW] Japanese idol sees S. Korean music scene as platform of opportunity SEOUL -- Miyu Takeuchi's endless desire to live her life doing what she wishes has captivated the Japanese singer since she participated in a child model contest at an amusement park when she was seven years old. The desire drove her to become a child actress and move on to become a member of AKB48, one of the iconic girl bands in Japan. The 25-year-old had spent nine and a half years on the stage as a member of the country's top idol band. Suddenly, an opportunity to start 2021-10-01
• 
  BTS to hold live concert in the US for the first time in two years SEOUL -- K-pop wonder BTS will hold offline concerts in the United States in November and December 2021. The U.S. concert will be the seven-member band's first offline concert in about two years after the band's "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" world tour held in Seoul in October 2019. Big Hit said in a statement through Weverse, an online fan community platform, on September 28 that BTS will hold "BTS Permission to Dance on Stage - LA" at SoFi Stadium in 2021-09-28
• 
  Lisa promotes Thailand's soft power thru first solo track LALISA SEOUL -- Lisa, a Thai member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, showcased K-pop's unique aspect of quickly absorbing and adapting to other cultures through her first solo music video, "LALISA." The 24-year-old presented how K-pop could be mixed with various cultures by featuring Thailand's cultural assets such as Phanom Rung Stone Castle and Thai craftsmanship. Although South Korea was once a barren land for domestic popular music industries, the country's music com 2021-09-24
• 
  ​[INTERVIEW] How K-pop culture reshapes Japan's music industry and fans SEOUL -- There was once a time when Japanese cultural content, especially music, had controlled the culture of fashion, arts, and entertainment in South Korea. During the 1990s, culture-savvy teenagers had indulged in Japanese media. Mainstream idol bands dressed like their Japanese counterparts and sang songs that had similar beats and rhythms. Many young South Koreans felt that their culture was inferior compared to Japan's. However, the table has turned during the mid-2000s w 2021-09-17
• 
  Time includes 'Minari' actress Youn Yuh-jung in 'The 100 Most Influential People of 2021' list SEOUL -- South Korea's veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung was included in Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people of 2021. In the 2021 film "Minari," directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the 74-year-old actress presented her outstanding acting skills which led her to become the first South Korean to win an Oscar award for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role in April 2021. After making her Hollywood debut in the drama film, Minari, Youn was praised for her perfor 2021-09-16
• 
  BTS to hold virtual concert 'Permission To Dance On Stage' in October SEOUL -- K-pop sensation BTS will host a virtual concert to comfort global fans grounded by COVID-19. The online performance is the first performance to be held by the seven-member band after "2020 Map of the Soul" world concert tour was canceled in August 2021. The world tour came to a stalemate for more than a year due to a COVID-19 pandemic. BTS will hold "Permission To Dance On Stage" through online live streaming on October 24, said Big Hit through Weverse, 2021-09-15
• 
  Coldplay to release collaboration single 'My Universe' with BTS SEOUL -- British rock band Coldplay has collaborated with K-pop wonder BTS for the first time to release a new single. The five-member rock band had collaborated with Ambiguous Dance Company, a South Korean contemporary dance performance group, in May 2021 but this is the first time for Coldplay to work with the world's most influential K-pop band. Warner Music Korea said in a statement that the British band has collaborated with BTS to release its collaboration single titled &q 2021-09-14
• 
  ​BLACKPINK member Lisa to showcase first-ever solo album thru Nave NOW SEOUL -- Lisa, a Thai member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, will showcase her very first solo track "LALISA" through Naver NOW, a smartphone live audio show app, using extended reality (XR) technology. YG Entertainment said in a statement on September 7 that the 24-year-old rapper's solo album would be released on September 10. She will communicate with global fans through a 60-minute online live showcase on September 14. The online pre-sale for Lisa's solo al 2021-09-07
• 
  KDDI, LG Uplus collaborate to produce online K-pop concert featuring two idol groups SEOUL -- KDDI, a telecom operator in Japan, tied up with South Korea's mobile carrier LG Uplus to co-produce an online K-pop concert featuring two idol groups, The Boyz and Attez. It is designed to provide a non-face-to-face experience to global fans and increase their accessibility at a time when it has become difficult to hold large-scale events due to a COVID-19 pandemic. The concert titled 'THE BOYZ & ATEEZ ONLINE LIVE: 2WILIGHT ZONE" will be held on September 2021-09-06
• 
  [INTERVIEW] Entertainment industry's rapid adaptation to global trends plays key role in K-pop's global success SEOUL -- As a barren land for domestic popular music industries, South Korea has consumed popular music from English-speaking countries such as the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson since the 1960s. By absorbing mainstream Western music including rock and hip-hop, the South Korean music community has gradually formed its own fandom culture in the late 20th century using various digital platforms. K-pop has successfully bridged the cultural divide with the outside world by 2021-09-03