Entertainment

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  SM Entertainment partners with Naver to strengthen online fan communication SEOUL -- SM Entertainment, a major entertainment powerhouse in South Korea, and Naver, the operator of the country's top web portal, joined forces to strengthen their global competitiveness with a digital concert live-streaming platform called "Beyond LIVE" that would allow artists and fans to communicate in real time. SM said on Tuesday that the company signed a memorandum of understanding with Naver to create Beyond LIVE that would focu 2020-04-14
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  S. Korean startup to commercialize AI-based K-pop dance lesson program SEOUL -- A ray of hope has shone upon all bad dancers who dream of performing BTS' moves thanks to a South Korean startup that will commercialize an artificial intelligence-based K-pop dance-learning program. SWERVE, an AI-based online dance content platform company, said on Thursday that it has finished the development of "The Choom" which means "dance" in Korean. "Using The Choom can solve both the cost burden of offline dance ac 2020-04-09
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  American label in charge of K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE's U.S. activities SEOUL -- (G)I-DLE, a multinational K-pop girl group, will make an inroad into the U.S. music market under a partnership between Cube Entertainment and Republic Records, an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. The American label will help (G)I-DLE's overall activities in the U.S., including the promotion of "I Trust," a new album which was released after the six-member group postponed its first world tour that was to kick off 2020-04-09
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  Netflix garners record number of S. Korean viewers in March SEOUL -- Netflix, the world's top over-the-top video-on-demand service operator, has recorded the biggest number of viewers due to a social distancing program aimed at containing a novel coronavirus infection. According to a survey of Android smartphone users in South Korea, conducted by app market research company Wiseapp, 4.63 million people used Netflix in March, up 22 percent from a month ago. Other video-sharing apps such as YouTube and TicToc also saw 2020-04-07
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  K-pop girl band (G)I-DLE voices sorry about postponed world tour SEOUL -- "It's a special song for global fans," Miyeon, the main vocalist, (G)I-DLE said about the title track of the group's new album "I Trust" which was released after the six-member multinational K-pop girl group postponed its first world tour that was to kick off in Bangkok on April 4. " I feel sorry about the postponed world tour, but I think everyone's health is the most important thing. The whole world is 2020-04-07
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  K-pop band GOT7 to come back with new album in April SEOUL -- K-pop boy band GOT7 will return to the music scene in late April with a new album titled "DYE". JYP Entertainment said on Monday that the seven-member band will release its new album on April 20. "DYE" will include its title song "NOT BY THE MOON". GOT7 released a teaser video that features a female narrator citing "don't swear by the moon," a famous line from British poet William Shakespea 2020-04-06
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  Former KARA member Kang Ji-young injured by drunk driver SEOUL -- Singer-actress Kang Ji-young, a former member of South Korea's inactive K-pop girl band KARA, sustained injuries after she got caught up in a drunk driving accident that suspended the shooting of a TV romantic comedy-drama. "Kang got caught up in a car accident when she was returning home on April 1. She is currently receiving treatment," Key East, the 26-year-old's agency, said in a statement. The agency said the driver was drunk. 2020-04-03
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  SUPERNOVA leader becomes 1st entertainer infected with COVID-19: Yonhap SEOUL -- Jung Yun-hak, the leader of K-pop boy band SUPERNOVA, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment in Seoul, the band has said. The band broke the news on its official Japanese website Friday, saying, "Having been in a bad condition, Yun-hak got tested on Tuesday, and the test result found the next day that he had been infected with the new coronavirus." He has been admitted to a hospital in Seoul and is focusing on tr 2020-04-03
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  Musical 'Phantom of the Opera' and fans put on health watch SEOUL -- Thousands of opera fans in South Korea were put on health watch after a Canadian ballerina and an American actor who appeared in "The Phantom of the Opera" were infected with a novel coronavirus. The musical had been on a run at a Seoul theater despite a national campaign for social distancing to contain an epidemic. Health officials acquired a list of 8,578 people who have watched the musical manned by 128 actors, actresses and staff member 2020-04-03
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  Media company Belift holds audition to find producers for new boy band Big Hit Entertainment head Bang Si-hyuk SEOUL -- Belift Lab, a content media joint venture established by CJ ENM and the agency of K-pop band BTS, will launch an audition to select producers who will work with a new boy group that would debut this year. Belift said that anyone aged 14 or older can send online applications and songs recorded for limited circulation or reference use from April 7 to May 1. The company launched an audition to form a 2020-04-03
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  Singer Jaejoong under fire for pulling COVID-19 prank on social media SEOUL -- Singer Jaejoong, a member of boy band JYJ, came under fire from fans after the 34-year-old pulled an April Fool's day prank on social media claiming that he was infected with a novel coronavirus. "I am infected with COVID-19. It was the result of my carelessness after ignoring guidelines from the government and people I know," Jaejoong said in an Instagram post uploaded on Wednesday. He also argued that he was hospitalized at an undis 2020-04-01
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  ​Singer AleXa to carry out live concert via Twitter to celebrate release of first mini-album SEOUL -- Alexaundra Christine, an American singer and dancer better known by her stage name AleXa in South Korea, will hold an online showcase to celebrate the release of her very first mini-album, following the global trend among artists holding online concerts to promote social-distancing in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. ZB LABEL, the 23-year-old's agency, said in a statement on Tuesday that AleXa will hold an online 2020-03-31
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  ​K-pop band MONSTA X new album to hit S. Korean shelves in May SEOUL -- K-pop band MONSTA X will return to South Korea's music scene with a new album in May, marking the six-member band's comeback since the release of "FOLLOW: FIND YOU," a mini-album, in October last year. Jooheon, who could not join the band's promotion in the North American region last month due to extreme anxiety, will join the band's promotion at home, according to Starship Entertainment, the ba 2020-03-27
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  BTS postpones North American leg of word tour due to COVID-19 SEOUL -- BTS has postponed the North American leg of the group's world tour due to a global coronavirus pandemic. The North American tour was to take place from April 25 to June 6. Big Hit Entertainment said that all tickets will be honored for new dates and promised to keep fans updated with new information. "We would like to inform you that there will be some adjustments to the upcoming BTS MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR- NOR 2020-03-27
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  Pandemic disrupts much-anticipated world tour by k-pop band BTS SEOUL -- After its stellar success last year, BTS saw this year's world tour being disrupted by a pandemic. The K-pop band updated fans on the schedule of its 2020 tour saying changes will be made. "We are closely monitoring the situations in the countries and cities that are part of our upcoming tour," Big Hit Entertainment, the seven-member band's' agency, said in the statement on Tuesday, referring to a hig 2020-03-24
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  S. Korea's internet traffic skyrockets due to social distancing SEOUL -- South Korea's internet traffic has skyrocketed as many people abandoned outdoor activities to watch over-the-top video-on-demand services or watch religious services via social media Social distancing, an act of not engaging in social activities or not visiting populated places, has settled as a social trend since the first COVID-19 case was found in South Korea in January. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Tuesday, South Korea's i 2020-03-24
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  Actor Song Joong-ki begins 14-day self-quarantine after returning from Colombia SEOUL -- Song Joong-ki, a South Korean actor who gained international fame for his appearance in the 2016 hit drama series "Descendants of the Sun," put himself into self-quarantine for two weeks to see if he was infected with a novel coronavirus after he returned home from Colombia. "Song Joong-ki returned home today and fortunately, his health condition is normal," HISTORY D&C, the 34-year-old's agen 2020-03-24
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  BTS agency launches language learning initiative to bring down language barrier SEOUL --The agency of K-pop band BTS' agency, will launch an online initiative on March 24 to break down the language barrier between the seven-member band and fans. "Learn Korean With BTS" is designed to help global fans who have difficulties of enjoying BTS' music and content due to the language barrier, Big Hit Entertainment said in a statement uploaded onto its smartphone fan community app. "Due to the 2020-03-23
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  Film 'Time to Hunt' to be released on Netflix without hitting cinemas SEOUL -- South Korean film "Time to Hunt" directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, will be released on Netflix, the world's top OTT video-on-demand (VOD) service, without hitting local cinemas due to the sluggish box-office hit hard by a coronavirus epidemic. Originally, Time to Hunt, a crime thriller film starring actor Choi Woo-sik from Academy-winning film "Parasite," was to hit the screen on February 26. The film gained attention for 2020-03-23
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  Singer Kang Daniel gears up for March comeback with teaser video for song '2U' SEOUL -- Singer Kang Daniel dropped a teaser video hinting at his comeback song "2U," four months after he suspended activities due to depression and panic disorder caused by cyberbullying. The 23-year-old dropped the teaser video for 2U on Friday. 2U is the title song of "CYAN," a mini-album scheduled for release on March 24. The singer's comeback performance will be aired live globally through M2, a music show ho 2020-03-20