Samsung adds free movie VOD service to digital TVs

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has added movie video-on-demand service to Samsung TV Plus, the company's free video content service for Samsung TV users. The tech giant partnered with the ecommerce wing of South Korea's largest telecom service provider KT to gradually increase the number of serviced films to up to 1,000 by the end of 2024. Video-on-demand (VOD) services are internet-based video content services in which viewers can search and select films they wish to watch on

December 13, 2023

Revenge series 'The Glory' ranks third on Netflix's most-watched series chart in first half of 2023

SEOUL -- South Korean revenge thriller TV series "The Glory" became the third globally most-watched content on Netflix in the first six months of 2023. The series, rolled out on December 30, 2022, portrays a story of a woman who experienced vicious bullying at high school taking revenge on bullies after becoming an adult. According to the global streaming service giant's report released on December 13, the South Korean series recorded 622.8 million hours of viewing in

December 13, 2023

BTS' Jin could train band mates Jungkook and Jimin as drill instructor at military boot camp

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, and the group's lead vocalist Jimin started their mandatory military service. The two artists will go through five weeks of basic training at a front-line infantry division that guards the inter-Korean border. Currently, the band's eldest member Jin is training new soldiers as an assistant army drill instructor at the infantry division. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above must complete their military service unless they have

December 12, 2023

BTS' RM and V begin mandatory military service  

SEOUL -- BTS' leader, RM, and V, a member of the group, have commenced their compulsory military service. After completing five weeks of basic training at South Korea's largest army boot camp, the two artists will be assigned to their unit, where they will spend the rest of their time with fellow soldiers for about 16 months and three weeks. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above are obligated to complete their military service unless exempted for valid reasons. Those enl

December 11, 2023

Boy band Ateez tops Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart with 'THE WORLD EP. FIN: WILL'

SEOUL -- K-pop boy band Ateez has topped Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart with its second full album "THE WORLD EP. FIN: WILL," beating Taylor Swift's "1989" and "For All the Dogs" by Drake. The eight-member band became the seventh K-pop group to grab the top place on the weekly chart that ranks the 200 most popular albums in the United States. The album, released on December 1, arrived atop the list on the Billboard 200 chart with 152

December 11, 2023

BTS' leader RM anticipates finding inspiration from mandatory military service

SEOUL -- K-pop boy band BTS' leader RM hopes to find inspiration from his 18-month mandatory military service which he will start this month along with three other members. The artist will begin his service on December 11. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above are obligated to complete their military service unless exempted for valid reasons. Those enlisted in the army serve for about 18 months. Currently, three BTS members have begun their service -- Jin, J-Hope, and Suga.

December 7, 2023

YG Entertainment renews group contract with BLACKPINK members 

SEOUL -- K-pop girl band BLACKPINK has reached a consensus with its agency "YG Entertainment" to carry on with its group activities. The four-member band is currently discussing with its agency regarding the possibility of each member continuing individual activities. "We are happy to maintain our relationship with BLACKPINK," YG Entertainment's head Yang Hyun-suk said after signing the agreement with the group. The producer added: "BLACKPINK members wil

December 6, 2023

NewJeans' Super Shy selected as seventh best song by online music magazine Pitchfork

SEOUL -- "Super Shy," a summer-themed song by girl band NewJeans, was ranked seventh among this year's top 100 songs by American online music publication Pitchfork. The track is the only Korean language-based song chosen in the online magazine's top 100 songs list. Pitchfork is a prominent online music magazine with more than seven million monthly loyal readers. "Zero-to-hero anthem 'Super Shy' is the daydream wafting through the mind of an overlooked

December 5, 2023

Boy band TXT wraps up world tour with Seoul concert

SEOUL -- TXT (Tomorrow X Together), a five-member boy band organized by the agency of top K-pop band BTS, has completed its world tour that started in March 2023. The last concert took place at Gocheok Sky Dome, an iconic domed facility in the southwestern part of Seoul. The group has attracted some 407,000 fans through 29 concerts held in 15 cities including Los Angeles, Osaka, and Jakarta. The brother band of BTS wrapped up its world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome on December 3, Big Hit

December 4, 2023

Naver scores highest annual webtoon sales record in Japan in 2023

SEOUL -- South Korean web service giant Naver has scored the company's highest-ever webtoon sales in Japan, the home of manga (Japanese-style comic books) and anime (Japanese-style animated cartoons), by surpassing 100 billion yen ($6.1 billion). Webcomics, well-known by the name of webtoons, originated in South Korea in the early 2000s. Web service giants Kakao and Naver are the top players in the global market which is growing at an annual average growth rate of some 40 perc

December 1, 2023