K-pop Demon Hunters take down U.S. Billboard charts and TV shows

SEOUL, October 09 (AJP) - The fictional K-pop idol group remains unstoppable in its reign over global music charts as Netflix’s animated sensation K-pop Demon Hunters extends its historic run on the U.S. Billboard rankings — now bolstered by viral television performances. According to Billboard on Monday (local time), the film’s original soundtrack (OST) reclaimed the top spot on both the Hot 100 singles chart and the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking its second

October 9, 2025

K-pop girl bands Hearts2Hearts and Babymonster to make October comebacks

SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Two of South Korea's most talked-about girl groups are returning with new albums this month. Super rookie band Hearts2Hearts from SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment's Babymonster are both preparing October comebacks, drawing attention from K-pop fans worldwide. Hearts2Hearts (H2H), which debuted in February this year with the single album "The Chase," will release its first mini-album "FOCUS" on October 20. The six-track album

October 8, 2025

Hit anime 'K-pop Demon Hunters' drives surge in resale of related items up global traffic

SEOUL, October 06 (AJP) - Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters is fueling a rush in South Korea’s secondhand market. Action figures, badges, and other show-themed goods are moving quickly on resale platforms as fans look for items tied to the animation's tiger and magpie characters. Released in June, the animation follows a K-pop idol group that secretly fights demons in Seoul. It blended mythology, music, and action and built major buzz. It became the first South Korea&nda

October 6, 2025

G-Dragon, Park Ji-sung, and other Korean superstars pitch APEC 2025

SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - The APEC 2025 organizing committee released a special promotional video ahead of the summit. K-pop star G-Dragon stars as the ambassador, with cameo appearances by director Park Chan-wook, soccer player Park Ji-sung, IVE's Jang Won-young, chef Ahn Sung-jae, and DJ Peggy Gou. Directed by award-winning Shin Woo-seok, the video begins with APEC members gathering at a fusion Korean restaurant, symbolizing Korea's cultural heritage. President Le

October 2, 2025

Park Bo-gum to promote hanbok globally in time for Chuseok

SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - A series of giant billboard ads featuring actor Park Bo-gum is set to appear in several major cities overseas including Times Square, New York next week, coinciding with Chuseok, one of the country's biggest holidays. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday, the ads showing Park in hanbok or traditional Korean dress will light up the streets of New York, Milan, and Tokyo for a week, starting from Chuseok Day,

October 2, 2025

Korea shrugs off Trump's tariff threat on foreign-made films

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korea's film industry officials and legal experts largely brush off U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat about slapping tariffs on movies filmed outside the American soil. Speaking on Monday, Trump said his administration would levy "100 percent tariffs" on films that were not fully produced within the United States, repeating a proposal he first raised in May. South Korea's national film agency, the Korean Film Counci

September 30, 2025

K pop to drum up APEC celebration on Oct. 10

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korea, home to K-pop, is hosting APEC Music Festival on Oct. 10 to drum up celebratory mood toward the 2025 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held in Gyeongju. The event to stage on Gyeongju Civic Stadium is co-hosted by North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju governments with support from the APEC Summit Organizing Committee. KBSN, the main broadcaster. Performers include Billie, NCT Wish, Choi Yena, ONF, ONEUS, WEi, Youth Fear, Izna, J

September 30, 2025

Pop-up stores for popular South Korean time-slip series set to open across Asia

SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Following the huge success of cable channel tvN's period drama "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty," pop-up stores selling merchandise and other goods in three Asian countries are expected to keep captivating fans. The drama's production company, Studio Dragon, said on Tuesday it will open pop-up stores in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, with the one in Seoul running from Thursday through next week. In Japan, these stores will be av

September 30, 2025

HYBE revs up global idol pipeline as BTS comeback nears

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) -HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse behind global superstar BTS, is accelerating its international expansion with region-specific idol franchises as it sets the stage for BTS’s long-awaited group comeback next year. Latin America is the next market to host a HYBE-incubated idol group, following rollouts in Japan, the U.S., and China. The company also announced it will open a new outpost in Mumbai, India, this year — its fifth overseas base — to ta

September 26, 2025

Another K-pop themed movie set for release early next year

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Another K-pop themed movie has begun filming after finalizing its cast, following the success of Netflix's South Korean anime "K-Pop Demon Hunters," talent mill HYBE's U.S. branch said on Thursday. Produced by HYBE in collaboration with Paramount Pictures, the film stars singer-songwriter Eric Nam and Yoo Ji-young, an American actress of Korean descent known for her roles in American drama "Expats" on Amazon Prime Video as well

September 25, 2025