S. Korea's customs office receives appreciation plaque for cracking down on fake BTS masks packs

SEOUL -- Hybe, the agency of BTS, has delivered an appreciation plaque to South Korea's customs office as a sign of gratitude for stopping the distribution of fake BTS mask packs worth some 625 billion won ($46.7 million) to the global market. South Korean face mask packs are popular among global female consumers for their quality and good price. According to Statista, a global market research firm, about $4.7 billion worth of South Korean cosmetics products were exported in 2021

September 22, 2023

BTS' Suga starts mandatory military service as public service agent

SEOUL -- Suga, a 30-year-old rapper, became the third BTS member to fulfill his compulsory military service, after Jin and J-Hope. While the two BTS members are serving as assistant Army drill instructors, Suga was dispatched to his post as a public service agent. In South Korea, all able-bodied males who are 18 and older must do their military service for at least 18 months unless they have a valid reason for exemption. Unlike the majority of men who serve their mandatory service

September 22, 2023

BTS' Jungkook selected among The Hollywood Reporter's top 25 artist list

SEOUL -- BTS member Jungkook was selected by a prominent American entertainment media as one of the top 25 artists in the music scene. The 26-year-old was the only K-pop artist who stood among other globally famous artists such as Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Drake, and Billie Eilish. The seven-member K-pop wonder is currently not active as a whole group after two members -- Jin and J-Hope, who joined the South Korean Army in 2022 and early 2023, respectively -- are serving as assist

September 22, 2023

Big Hit to renew exclusive contracts with all BTS members

SEOUL -- All members of BTS will renew their exclusive contracts with their agency "Bit Hit Music." The seven-member band would resume its group activities in 2025 after fulfilling their compulsory military service. Currently, two BTS members -- Jin and J-Hope -- are serving as assistant drill instructors in the South Korean Army. In South Korea, all able-bodied males who are 18 and older must do their military service unless they have a valid reason for exemption. Those

September 21, 2023

Girl band NiziU completes two-month Japan tour

SEOUL -- NiziU, a nine-member Japanese girl band, has completed its Japan tour that started in July. The group attracted about 185,000 audience through 17 concerts in eight cities including Tokyo, Osaka, and Hokkaido. The band, which debuted in December 2020, was formed through the first season of "Nizi Project," an audition show launched by South Korea's entertainment powerhouse JYP Entertainment and Sony Music, a global music label based in Tokyo. The girls who we

September 20, 2023

First solo album by BTS' V launches at No. 2 on Billboard's popular albums chart

SEOUL -- "Layover," the first solo album released by BTS member V on September 8, has earned some 100,000 equivalent album sales in the United States during the first week of release. The album launched at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, the weekly chart that ranks the most popular albums in the U.S. Layover is a rhythm and blues (R&B)-themed piece containing six songs. The 27-year-old BTS member pre-released songs -- "Rainy Days" and "Love Me Again" --

September 18, 2023

BTS' V drops solo album 'Layover'

SEOUL -- BTS member V has released his very first solo album called "Layover." V had previously released original soundtracks for dramas and mix tapes, self-composed experimental songs distributed for free, but this is the first time for the 27-year-old to release an official album. Layover is a rhythm and blues (R&B)-themed piece containing six songs. V pre-released songs "Rainy Days" and "Love Me Again" about a month before the release of his album

September 8, 2023

​Boy band Seventeen completes two-day concert in Tokyo

SEOUL -- Multinational K-pop boy band Seventeen has completed its concert at Tokyo Dome, an indoor stadium regarded as a "dream stage" among Japanese artists. About 100,000 audience attended the two-day event held at the stadium with a total capacity of around 50,000. The group will continue its Japan tour at four other domes in Saitama, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. The 13-member band debuted in May 2015 and won the "World Performer Award" at the 2016 Mnet Asian

September 8, 2023

Global art fair Frieze begins in southern Seoul

SEOUL -- Frieze, a major global art fair, has started at a convention center in Gangnam District, Seoul's heart of fashion and finance. Some 120 galleries from 30 countries including the United States, Britain, and South Korea are presenting various artworks at the four-day event. The annual contemporary art event, run by a British art magazine publisher of the same name, is one of the largest art fairs along with Switzerland's Art Basel and France's Foire Internationale d&

September 6, 2023

Justin Timberlake's label signs contract with rookie boy band Riize

SEOUL -- RCA Records, an American record label that includes Justin Timberlake and Khalid, has signed a contract with Riize, a seven-member band formed by South Korea's entertainment powerhouse SM Entertainment. Pre-orders for the group's debut album "Get A Guitar" exceeded more than one million copies before its release on September 4. SM Entertainment said in a statement on September 5 that the boy band signed a label contract with the American label owned by Sony M

September 5, 2023