Entertainment

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  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
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  [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
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  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
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  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
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  ​[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
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  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 performa 2021-09-16
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  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
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  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 collaborated with a South Korean contemporary dance performance group called Ambiguous Dance Company in May 2021, but this is the first time 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 &quo 2021-09-14
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  ​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
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  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
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  [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
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  LG Electronics releases campaign music led by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth SEOUL -- Through its YouTube channel, LG Electronics released the music of an international campaign led by American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth to help young people create songs and video content about meaningful memories in life and post them on social media. LG's "Life's Good" campaign is aimed at giving young people the opportunity to let their creativity and talent shine. Artists covered Puth's song in their own unique ways and uploaded video content on 2021-09-03
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  K-pop girl band Brave Girls releases first repackaged album SEOUL -- Brave Girls, a four-member K-pop girl band, has released its first repackaged album. The album is the repackaged version of Summer Queen, the group's fifth mini-album. The band unexpectedly stepped into the spotlight with single dance track "Rollin'" in February 2021, 10 years after its debut. Brave Entertainment, the label that manages Brave Girls, said on August 23 that the group showcased its new album on Naver NOW, an audio streaming service operated b 2021-08-24
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  BTS cancels 2020 Map of the Soul concert due to prolonged pandemic SEOUL -- K-pop sensation BTS canceled its 2020 Map of the Soul concert tour, which was originally scheduled for April 2020, due to a coronavirus pandemic. After suspending the concert for more than a year, the cancellation was finally announced by the band's label on Weverse, BTS's official fan community platform. Originally, BTS had planned a stadium-sized tour of 18 cities in countries including the United States, Canada, Britain and Japan after the release of the band' 2021-08-20
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  YG Entertainment extends management contract with K-pop boy band WINNER SEOUL -- All members of K-pop boy band WINNER will renew their contracts with YG Entertainment for another five years. The band has signed agreements with the South Korean entertainment powerhouse, YG said in a statement. All four members interacted with their fans through Naver V LIVE on August 17 to mark the 7th anniversary of its debut. Kim Jin-woo and Lee Seung-hoon, who are still serving their compulsory military duties, also joined the online streaming event via smartphones. 2021-08-18
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  Seoul kicks off subway film festival to cheer up commuters SEOUL -- Seoul's subway network kicked off an annual international subway film festival to gratify commuters who are fatigued by a prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Some 40 short films created by domestic and global directors will premier via screens installed inside subway train cabins. Seoul's subway train operator said in a statement on August 17 that it has started the premier of final competitors of the 12th Seoul Metro International subway Film Festival. Of 1,093 candida 2021-08-17
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  S. Korea's game society partners with local arts center to create metaverse platform SEOUL -- Through a partnership with Korea Game Society, an academic society of video game industry officials, an arts center will develop a metaverse platform specializing in hosting performing arts events. The demand for virtual concert venues has increased in South Korea since its arts industry was devastated by a coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The metaverse refers to a digital world where physical reality and virtual spaces are combined. By creating the virtual world, a metaverse 2021-08-13
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  Miltiary court sentences disgraced BIGBANG member Seungri to three years in prison SEOUL -- Seungri, a disgraced BIGBANG member who has been at the center of sex and other scandals that rocked South Korea's music community, was jailed after a military court sentenced him to three years in prison on multiple charges including embezzlement, overseas gambling and arranging sex services for business favors in a bid to attract money from foreign investors. Seungri, a 31-year-old whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, has been on trial at the military court since he joi 2021-08-12
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  K-pop event KCON to go online to meet global fans SEOUL -- CJ ENM, CJ Group's entertainment wing will hold a special virtual concert amid a coronavirus pandemic for global K-pop fans. The entertainment company will also utilize augmented reality technology to allow the audience to interact with artists. CJ ENM said in a statement on August 11 that the company will hold the fifth online event of KCON, an annual Korean culture convention for global fans. The convention, which was scheduled to take place in New York in June 2020, 2021-08-11
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  American producer Lynda Obst joins CJ ENM's project to make K-pop movie for global market SEOUL -- Lynda Obst, an American feature film producer and author known for "Interstellar," a 2014 science-fiction drama, will join a project launched by CJ ENM, the South Korean entertainment group that produced the Oscar-winning 2020 film "Parasite," to make a new movie based on K-pop targeting the global market. CJ ENM said the fresh film would reflect the world's high interest in K-pop and Hallyu (Korean cultural wave) content and the trend of multicultu 2021-08-10