Global esports competition 'World Cyber Games' to be held in Busan

SEOUL -- The World Cyber Games, also known as the "Olympics of esports," will take place in South Korea's southern port city of Busan for three days starting on July 28. A total of 72 professional gamers from 10 countries including China, Mexico, and South Korea will compete in 15 different games such as League of Legends, StarCraft 2, and Warcraft 3. The game tournament that began in 2000 was held in various countries such as the United States, Germany, and China. During

July 18, 2023

BLACKPINK completes encore concert at Paris stadium

SEOUL -- K-pop girl band BLACKPINK has attracted about 55,000 fans through its encore concert in Paris. The concert took place at Stade De France, a stadium mainly used for national athletic events such as soccer and rugby games. The four-member band has performed various hit songs such as Pink Venom, How You Like That, and Pretty Savage at the stadium on July 15, YG Entertainment said. The stadium with a capacity of some 80,000 seats was built to host the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The en

July 18, 2023

Korean language-based songs become third most popular music in US: market data

SEOUL -- Korean language-based songs became the third most popular music in the United States after English and Spanish-based music in the first half of 2023, data released by Luminate, a U.S.-based entertainment data provider, showed. The U.S. is currently the second largest K-pop album importer in the world with an import amount of $25.5 million. In a report titled "2023 Midyear Report," Luminate said Korean songs accounted for 0.9 percent of the top 10,000 most streamed mu

July 18, 2023

​BTS member Jungkook tops Spotify Global Top Songs chart with first solo single 'Seven'

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of K-pop band BTS has topped the global song chart of Spotify, one of the world's most popular online music streaming services, with his solo debut song "Seven." The 25-year-old became the sixth member of BTS to release his very first solo album on July 14. When Jungkook's song was released, it topped the charts on various online music services including YouTube, Apple's iTunes, and Spotify. According to Spotify on July 1

July 17, 2023

BTS' 'Beyond the Story' book dominates S. Korean book bestseller chart

SEOUL -- "Beyond the Story," a book by Kang Myeong-seok to celebrate K-pop wonder BTS' 10th anniversary, has dominated the book bestseller chart in South Korea's largest bookstore franchise. According to the weekly bestselling book ranking released by Kyobo Book Center, South Korea's largest offline and online bookstore franchise operator, on July 14, Beyond the Story topped the book bestseller list for the second week of July. The second-most popular book on

July 14, 2023

BTS' Jungkook to make solo debut with dance song 'Seven'

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest artist of BTS, will release his single track "Seven." The 25-year-old has collaborated with American rapper Latto for the dance song with electronic dance and acoustic guitar features. Big Hit, the group's agency, said in a statement that Seven would be rolled out at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on July 14. Without disclosing details, the agency said the digital single is "an invigorating summer song." The summer song was featured by Latto w

July 14, 2023

Singer-songwriter Baek Ye-rin to perform at 'K-Indie Music Night' in New York

SEOUL -- Baek Ye-rin, a 26-year-old former member of JYP Entertainment's female duo 15&, will showcase her singing skills in various genres such as R&B and rock at a South Korean indie music festival set to be held in New York. The singer-songwriter will perform at the Lincoln Center, a performing arts center located in Manhattan. Baek has captivated global fans through her unique voice tone. She received immense popularity for Square, a full English single song released in

July 11, 2023

Civic human rights group files complaint against singer Hwasa for 'rowdy performance'

SEOUL -- A civic human rights group, which claims to stand up for students' human rights, has filed a complaint against singer Hwasa for musical performances which some people found explicit. The 28-year-old singer was accused of performing inappropriate hand gestures at a university festival in Seoul in May 2023. The Union for Students and Parents' Human Rights said that the civic group filed a complaint against Hwasa on June 22 and was called in by police for investigation on

July 10, 2023

Mexico's ruling party candidate considers inviting BTS to Mexico

SEOUL -- Former Mexican foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard is considering inviting BTS to Mexico. Ebrard, who is currently running for the presidential race for Mexico's ruling party, announced that the seven-member band would be able to visit the country after completing their mandatory military service in South Korea. Ebrard made the statement during an animation festival held in Actopan, a city in Mexico's central-eastern region. When a participant asked him if he wou

July 10, 2023

K-pop super rookie NewJeans drops 'Super Shy'

SEOUL -- K-pop super rookie band NewJeans has dropped a new summer-themed song titled "Super Shy." The five-member band's new song released at 1:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) on July 7 garnered some one million views on YouTube in less than two hours of release. NewJeans, which debuted in July 2022, is known for its unique dance performances and outstanding singing skills in various genres such as R&B, electropop, and hip hop. The rookie girl group was formed by ADOR under

July 7, 2023