The Korea Times

Rookie group CORTIS shows off teen swagger on debut EP

When rookie boy group CORTIS first burst onto the K-pop scene in August with styles straight from the pages of a 2000s teen magazine, following in the footsteps of industry icons such as BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, making their mark seemed like a daunting task. But the five teens who made up BigHit Music’s first group in six years — Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho — have the swaggering confidence and youthful charisma to show they're up for the challenge. Be it through their nostalgic styling choices or their energetic choreography, CORTIS made a splash with their debut EP, "Color Outside The Lines" — an impressive feat for a group with only five songs under their belt. The group is a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year nominations. In a month, the young creator crew broke multiple records by debuting at No. 15 on the global Billboard 200, the highest among their contemporaries; amassing 48 million views for their three official music videos; and gaining over 7.5 million monthly listeners on music streaming platform Spotify. These are numbers and chart placements that e

Oct 11, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Rookie group CORTIS shows off teen swagger on debut EP

Global Community

Rain or shine, Seoul Drag Parade glitters in gold

No amount of rain could dull the sparkle of the kings and queens of the Seoul Drag Parade, who graced the streets of central Seoul’s multicultural Itaewon and Haebangchon neighborhoods, Friday, aiming to show the world the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent of Korea’s queer community. Gathered outside the small neon sign that marked Haebangchon's Rabbithole Arcade Pub, a home for many in Seoul’s LGBTQ+ community, were drag artists of all walks of life: queens draped in elaborate, bedazzled costumes and multicolored tulle, alongside kings who donned fierce statement pieces. Behind them were young queer people wearing Pride flags, carrying signs that declared their gender identity and expression loud and proud. Against the usual neutral-toned backdrop of Seoul were these exuberant declarations of identity, flamboyant and fearless, buzzing with excitement as they sought to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. “We don’t want [drag] to be hidden away and just tolerated on the fringes. It deserves to be a part of the everyday cultural landscape,” Seoul Drag Parade c

Oct 4, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Rain or shine, Seoul Drag Parade glitters in gold

Global Community

Seoul Drag Parade returns with bigger, bolder festivities

In 2018, drag queens Hurricane Kimchi and Ali Vera shared a common goal: to show the world the vibrant community and culture of Seoul’s drag queens. While drag queens have become mainstays around the world, representation and mainstream visibility in Korea remain elusive. And as the two drag artists sought to create a diverse, inclusive space for queer individuals and expression, Seoul Drag Parade was born. “Growing up as a queer person in Korea and living my entire life in Korea, I always felt Korea lacks understanding, support and protection for LGBTQ+ people, other minorities and people who are different in general,” Seoul Drag Parade co-founder Hurricane Kimchi told The Korea Times. For seven years, the two have assembled a diverse mix of allies and members of Seoul’s queer community, growing the festival into a two-week celebration in the heart of Seoul. Seoul Drag Parade, Korea’s largest drag event, will kick off this year on Oct. 3 across central Seoul's diverse Haebangchon and Itaewon neighborhoods in Yongsan District. It also doubles as an LGBTQ+ cultural and human rig

Sep 30, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Seoul Drag Parade returns with bigger, bolder festivities

K-pop

Stray Kids prove their might in 'Karma'

Stray Kids’ new album “Karma” starts with the feisty hip-hop track “BLEEP,” a truculent introduction that lays the foundation for the rest of what’s to come. It’s familiar fare for the boy group, which carved out its niche in the K-pop scene with noisy, boisterous performances (“God’s Menu” in 2020 and “Chk Chk Boom” in 2024), after debuting with an audacious — and at times cantankerous — sound in 2018 (“District 9”). “Yada, yada, noise cancellation,” they repeat throughout “BLEEP,” making a show of muting all the hardships, rumors and boomers. The members of Stray Kids — Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N — have probably heard it all when it comes to the music they make. The band is one of the biggest acts to emerge from K-pop, earning fame in the United States and Europe for its fiery stages and self-produced discography. In their fourth full-length album “Karma,” Stray Kids make it clear who they owe their success to: themselves. While K-pop has no shortage of bravado, only a few groups have the actual n

Sep 4, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

K-pop

Stars align for TXT in ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’

The boys of K-pop group TOMORROW X TOGETHER, also known as TXT, have always been known for blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Since their debut in 2019, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai have combined their personal stories with mythical lore, cementing their status as preternatural storytellers in the music they’ve put out in their six-year career. In their latest full-length album, “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER,” released July 21, TXT finds themselves at an artistic crossroads, unveiling in eight tracks a search for identity — not just as a band, but as individuals. Bouncy bass and sophisticated synths drive the album’s club-ready opener, “Upside Down Kiss,” where they playfully invite you for a night out together. “Baby girl, let’s get freaky,” the boys sing — one of their more quirky, and mature, one-liners. The album takes a sharp thematic turn with the lead single, “Beautiful Strangers,” an EDM-laden hip-hop track that plays like an ode to TXT themselves. “The Star Chapter: TOGETHER” comes under the shadow of contract negotiations

Jul 31, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Stars align for TXT in ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’

Photo News

PHOTOS How K-pop's past, present and future come together at SMTOWN LIVE in London

Minho of SHINee greets the press on the red carpet of "SMTOWN LIVE 2025 [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE]," the first ever K-pop festival at London's iconic O2 Arena, June 29. Courtesy of Nieca Mae

Jul 2, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

K-pop

BTS' Suga donates $3.6 mil. to build autism center at Severance Hospital

Suga, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, donated 5 billion won ($3.6 million) to Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital to help establish a treatment center for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), partnering with the hospital to support long-term care and research for their social independence. The hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Min Yoon-gi Treatment Center in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Monday. Min Yoon-gi is Suga’s real name. The center, set to open in September, will provide psychiatric support for individuals with ASD, aiming to establish programs using language, psychological and behavioral therapies geared toward developing skills for social independence. "Over the last seven months preparing for the program launch and engaging in volunteer work, I have come to understand that music can be a positive outlet for expressing emotions and communicating with the world,” Suga said in a statement. “I am so happy and grateful that I was able to participate in the treatment process for children with ASD.” According to a press release from

Jun 23, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel and Kwak Yeon-soo

BTS' Suga donates $3.6 mil. to build autism center at Severance Hospital

K-pop

BTS' Jin taps into nostalgia in 'Echo'

For most artists, each new album is a chance at reinvention. BTS’ Jin, a member of the most famous boy band in the world, is no stranger to this. After completing his military service last year — the first BTS member to do so — the singer was handed the heavy task of carrying the band name while the rest were out of the limelight. In the year since, Jin has done just about everything and anything, managing to surprise even his most ardent supporters as he makes headlines for stints across industries. He carried the Olympic torch during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games, starred in a quirky Netflix reality show where he runs a bed and breakfast on an island, and even introduced Tom Cruise to his mom. Still, the K-pop maverick reminds us of his strongest skill, doubling down on his identity as a vocalist in his sophomore solo offering, “Echo,” released Friday. “Echo” starts off subtle, helmed by the unassuming “Don’t Say You Love Me.” It’s an easy listen, with a mellow hook that you’ll find yourself humming throughout the day. True to the album name, Jin’s voca

May 21, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Photo News

PHOTOS K-pop stars dazzle at the 2025 Met Gala

Jennie of BLACKPINK attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibition, Monday, in New York. AP-Yonhap

May 6, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

K-pop

REVIEW Le Sserafim turns up temperature in 'HOT'

Like moths to a flame, the five members of K-pop girl group Le Sserafim seem to welcome every challenge life throws at them. Kim Chae-won, Sakura, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha and Hong Eun-chae have cemented a formidable reputation in the industry with genre-bending explorations, viral performances and numerous unexpected collaborations with music acts from all over the world. The quintet’s grueling yet storied musical journey reaches a boiling point in its latest mini-album, “HOT,” released March 14. In a mini-album that calls itself “HOT,” any casual listener would expect high-octane, hard-hitting cuts — in the usual K-pop fare — especially since Le Sserafim has been known for taking on performance-heavy tracks such as the bombastic “Unforgiven” (2023) and “Antifragile” (2022). But the five members go against the grain in their latest EP, treating listeners to a surprisingly subtle exploration of their past year, despite focusing on their no-holds-barred approach to the challenges they face. “HOT” starts with “Born Fire,” heavy bass beats crawling into your skin an

Mar 27, 2025By Inna Christine Cabel

Inna Christine Cabel

Read more

Rookie group CORTIS shows off teen swagger on debut EP

Rain or shine, Seoul Drag Parade glitters in gold

Seoul Drag Parade returns with bigger, bolder festivities

Stray Kids prove their might in 'Karma'

Stars align for TXT in ‘The Star Chapter: TOGETHER’

PHOTOS How K-pop's past, present and future come together at SMTOWN LIVE in London

BTS' Suga donates $3.6 mil. to build autism center at Severance Hospital

BTS' Jin taps into nostalgia in 'Echo'

PHOTOS K-pop stars dazzle at the 2025 Met Gala

REVIEW Le Sserafim turns up temperature in 'HOT'

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