Label control battle casts shadow over NewJeans' comeback

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - An apparent power struggle over control of the music label behind NewJeans is casting a shadow over the highly anticipated comeback of the popular K-pop girl group. Entertainment giant HYBE said Monday it is conducting an audit of the management of its affiliate, ADOR, on suspicion that CEO Min Hee-jin is seeking to take over the management control of the label. The investigation, launched on the same day, targets Min and another ADOR executive, acco

April 23, 2024

Photo shows BTS' V wearing Army antiterrorism unit uniform

SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) - A photo of BTS member V wearing the attire of South Korea's Army antiterrorism unit was unveiled on Friday on a Facebook community dedicated to military issues. The 28-year-old is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service in the Special Duty Team stationed in the northeastern city of Chuncheon. SDT members are selected through a screening process involving physical tests — push-ups, sit-ups, and a 1.5-kilometer (0.9 mile) run &m

April 19, 2024

Billboard, Kakao Entertainment join hands to promote K-pop

SEOUL, April 19 (AJU PRESS) - The Billboard magazine has partnered with South Korea's Kakao Entertainment to boost the global presence of K-pop, the U.S. magazine said Friday. Billboard's President Mike Ven and Kakao Entertainment's co-CEO Joseph Chang have recently signed a partnership agreement on cooperation in Korean music-related content and promotion of K-pop artists' global activities. The two sides will also come up with a new K-pop-related business model.

April 19, 2024

BLACKPINK's Jennie stays on Billboard chart for 16 consecutive weeks

SEOUL, April 17 (AJU PRESS) - BLACKPINK member Jennie's "One of the Girls" ranked 76th on Billboard's Hot 100 chart released Tuesday, extending its run on the chart to 16 consecutive weeks. The 28-year-old artist collaborated with Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd for the song, which serves as the soundtrack for the American TV series "The Idol." The song's official audio on YouTube has accumulated over 121 million views. In June 2023, Jennie

April 17, 2024

Singer G-Dragon to make comeback in second half of 2024

SEOUL, April 16 (AJU PRESS) - After a hiatus of about seven years, singer G-Dragon will make a long-awaited comeback with a new album in the second half of 2024, the 35-year-old artist's agency said Tuesday. Galaxy Corporation said in a press release on Tuesday that G-Dragon is gearing up to drop the new album in the latter half of this year. In the press release, the agency also said the celebrity had recently met with Frederic Malle, the founder of the renowned French perfu

April 16, 2024

TXT's 'Minisode 3 : TOMORROW' album ranks third on Billboard chart

SEOUL, April 15 (AJU PRESS) - Boy band Tomorrow X Together's "Minisode 3 : TOMORROW" has ranked third on Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart. Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" clinched the top spot, followed by "Might Delete Later" by J. Cole. Billboard’s chart released on Sunday showed that Minisode 3 : TOMORROW claimed the third position with 107,500 equivalent album units sold in the United States. The ranking is determined ba

April 15, 2024

S. Korean role-playing game wins award in Britain

SEOUL, April 12 (AJU PRESS) - "DAVE THE DIVER," a casual, single-player adventure role-playing game developed by South Korea's MINTROCKET, has grabbed the "Game Design" award, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Nexon said that DAVE THE DIVER won the Game Design award at this year's "Game Awards 2024," hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on Friday. "Last year was one of the bigges

April 12, 2024

'Kung Fu Panda' series breaks anime box-office records in Korea

SEOUL, April 12 (AJU PRESS) - "Kung Fu Panda 4" broke anime box office records in Korea, bringing solace to many Koreans bidding farewell to their beloved giant panda last week. The fourth installment of DreamWorks' hit animation series swiftly claimed the top spot at the Korean box office upon its debut in local theaters on Wednesday. According to the Korean Film Council, "Kung Fu Panda 4" attracted approximately 429,000 viewers on its opening day alone, nea

April 12, 2024

Girl band NewJeans takes legal action against cyberbullying

SEOUL, April 12 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl band NewJeans has taken action against cyberbullies by pursuing legal measures in an ongoing defamation case. The five-member band has filed a request with a federal court in California, urging Google to disclose the identity of a user who repeatedly posted malicious content targeting NewJeans. Cyberbullying within the K-pop industry poses a significant threat to artists. Awareness of the detrimental effects of online attacks has grown here

April 12, 2024

BLACKPINK member Lisa signs contract with RCA

SEOUL, April 11 (AJU PRESS) - RCA Records, an American record label that includes Justin Timberlake and Khalid, has signed a contract with Lisa, a Thai member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK. The 27-year-old will collaborate with the American record label for her new songs. RCA Records said on Thursday that the agency signed a deal with Lisa to release her solo music. "Lisa is a multidimensional talent and an irrefutable global force. We are thrilled to welcome her and her team

April 11, 2024