BTS' 10th anniv. fireworks show captures 1.53 mil. livestream viewers worldwide Fans capture the fireworks show at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, marking the finale of a festival celebrating BTS' 10th anniversary, June 17. YonhapApproximately 1.53 million people around the world tuned in to watch a fireworks show livestreamed from Seoul on Saturday to commemorate K-pop superstar BTS' 10th anniversary, according to the group's agency.The fireworks display, which began at Yeouido Han River Park at 8:30 p.m., recorded around 340,000 peak concurrent viewers on YouTube, while nearly 1.19 million fans watched it on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, BigHit Music said Monday.The 30-minute show was streamed worldwide through Weverse, TikTok and YouTube.Fans capture the fireworks show at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, marking the finale of a festival celebrating BTS' 10th anniversary, June 17. YonhapA special talk show hosted by BTS leader RM, which preceded the fireworks show, attracted about 1.08 million viewers on Weverse, the agency added.Saturday's event, which included the fireworks display and the talk show, was the highlight of the two-week festival celJun 19, 2023
Girl group ITZY to drop new album next month A promotional image for K-pop girl group ITZY's upcoming EP, "Kill My Doubt," provided by JYP Entertainment. YonhapK-pop girl group ITZY will put out a new EP, titled "Kill My Doubt," on July 31, the group's agency said Monday.The quintet's latest release was "Cheshire," its sixth EP dropped in November.The upcoming EP will comprise six tracks, led by "Cake," according to JYP Entertainment. It said the five other songs are "Bet on Me," "None of My Business," "Bratty," "Psychic Lover" and "Kill Shot." (Yonhap)Jun 19, 2023
HYBE's first Japanese boy band &TEAM seeks to expand presence in Korea and beyond K-pop powerhouse HYBE's Japanese boy group &TEAM poses during a press event in Tokyo, Sunday. Courtesy of HYBE&TEAM to perform on Korean music showsBy Dong Sun-hwa&TEAM, the first Japanese boy group created by K-pop powerhouse HYBE, has ascended to meteoric stardom in Japan shortly after its debut last year, dominating multiple local music charts including Oricon. It consists of one Korean (EJ), one Taiwanese (Nicholas) and seven Japanese members (K, Fuma, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki and Maki), who were the top contestants on the audition programs, “&AUDITION ― The Howling” (2022) and “I-LAND” (2020). After getting off to a smooth start in Japan, the nine boys ― who all have a good command of Korean ― now aim to raise their profile in Seoul and beyond with their second EP, “First Howling : WE.” The EP hit shelves on June 14.For the first time in their career, &TEAM plans to perform on two major Korean music shows ― Mnet's “M COUNTDOWN” and KBS' “Music Bank” ― next week. “I usually have a lot of worriJun 19, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
Purple hues of fervent fandom: BTS 10th Anniversary Festa captivates fans Fans of K-pop boy group BTS watch a video performance of the group during BTS 10th Anniversary Festa at the Hangang Park in Yeouido, Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Big Hit Music400,000 fans recall K-pop superstar's past 10 years through events, fireworksBy Pyo Kyung-minMore than 400,000 fans of K-pop superstar BTS immersed themselves in a sea of purple, the color symbolizing the boy band, at Hangang Park in Yeouido, Seoul, Saturday, as the highlight events celebrating the group's 10th anniversary were held.The BTS 10th Anniversary Festa commenced on June 12, leading up to the anniversary of BTS' debut on June 13, and "BTS 10th Anniversary Festa @Yeouido" stood as the centerpiece of the festivities.Fans from here and abroad, donning purple attire which signifies their allegiance to the group, flocked to the venue, creating an atmosphere brimming with anticipation. Undeterred by the scorching weather, the dedicated ARMY, the name of BTS' fans, patiently queued to experience the event.“I think it's very worth it,” said Zhafa, a fan from Indonesia wearing a purple checkered dreJun 18, 2023By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS' RM finds the group's 10th anniversary amazing In this photo provided by BigHit Music, RM of K-pop boy group BTS hosts a special talk session during the BTS 10th Anniversary Festa held at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, June 17. YonhapRM, leader of K-pop supergroup BTS, on Saturday shared how he feels about the band's 10th anniversary, which fell earlier this week.He hit the stage for "It's Kim Nam-joon at 5 p.m.," a special program held as part of the two weeks of BTS 10th Anniversary Festa, which kicked off at various places in Seoul on Monday."I used to go to school with Yoon-gi and practice when I was a trainee, but it feels amazing and nostalgic that I'm here to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a festival like this," he said during the talk session held at Han River Park in Seoul's Yeouido area."Kim Nam-joon" in the title is the original Korean name of the BTS member, while Min Yoon-gi is Suga's real name. About 3,000 members of the band's dedicated fandom, ARMY, chosen in a lottery, attended the event, while other fans enjoyed the show on a large screen set up at the festival venue.The rapper read the stories of selecteJun 17, 2023
BTS fans pack Seoul park to celebrate 10-year anniversary Fans wait to watch BTS' past performances on a screen at Yeouido, Seoul, during the BTS Festa. YonhapAn estimated 300,000 people are expected to gather in the heart of South Korea's capital Seoul on Saturday as fans from around the globe commemorated the debut of K-Pop boy band juggernaut BTS 10 years ago.BTS is on temporary break as a group with two of its seven members currently doing mandatory military service, but that didn't stop a host of celebratory events this week catering to the band's loyal fanbase known as "ARMY".At the "BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA" at Han River Park in Seoul on Saturday, thousands of fans wandered under clear skies and bright sun among various exhibits including a BTS history wall, stage costumes and commemorative sculptures, many in BTS' signature purple color.People enters into Yeouido Hangang Park to attend BTS Festa in Seoul, June 17. YonhapWith the bands' songs playing in the background, fans danced under shady trees or bonded over their favorite band members."Through this event I think we can get experience (of) how we build up our connection with BJun 17, 2023
Fifty Fifty's 'Cupid' spends 12th consecutive week on British chart K-pop girl band Fifty Fifty/ Courtesy of ATTRAKTK-pop rookie sensation Fifty Fifty's hit song "Cupid" has charted for the 12th consecutive week on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100.According to the latest chart released Friday (British time), the song ranked 12th, dropping five places from 11th the previous week."Cupid" tied for the longest-charting song from a K-pop girl group with "Kiss and Make Up," a collaborative single between BLACKPINK and Dua Lipa. After entering the chart at No. 96 in early April, "Cupid" rapidly ascended the rankings, peaking at No. 8 on May 12. The achievement made Fifty Fifty the first K-pop girl group to crack the top 10 of the chart.The four-member group made its debut in November and quickly rose to stardom in late March, becoming the fastest K-pop group to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100."Take Two," the latest digital single from K-pop supergroup BTS, debuted at No. 59 on the chart this week. The song dropped June 9 in celebration of the group's 10th anniversary, which fell Tuesday. (Yonhap)Jun 17, 2023
SM founder calls on K-pop stars to plant trees Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, speaks during the 2023 World Cultural Industry Forum (WCIF) at Hotel Susung in the southeastern city of Daegu, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Dong Sun-hwaWorld Cultural Industry Forum brings together cultural leadersBy Dong Sun-hwaDAEGU ― K-pop stars and social media influencers should participate in tree-planting initiatives for the environment and encourage their fans to follow suit, says Lee Soo-man, the founder of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. Lee, the mastermind behind A-list stars like NCT and aespa, made the remark during the 2023 World Cultural Industry Forum (WCIF) at Hotel Susung in the southeastern city of Daegu, Thursday. The forum, which brought together renowned cultural figures from around the world, revolved around the theme "Creator Economy & Sustainability."“I want to believe that K-pop has broken into the global mainstream and that it has begun to have big clout,” Lee said. “K-pop fans are everywhere in the world. So I desperately hope our singers exert their influence and spearhead the movemeJun 16, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
Police to deploy around 630 personnel for BTS anniversary event Fans photograph a mural of BTS members on the outer wall of the entertainment agency Hybe's office building in central Seoul, June 12. YonhapPolice will deploy about 630 personnel for traffic and safety control at the venue of an event commemorating BTS' 10th debut anniversary this weekend, officials said Friday. The event, part of the two-week BTS' 10th Anniversary Festa, is scheduled to take place in Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul on Saturday. Police expect about 300,000 fans to participate. The Yeongdeungpo Police Station will hold a meeting Friday to discuss traffic control, crowd management and other safety measures for the festival, and conduct an on-site inspection with officials from the Seoul metropolitan government, officials said.Starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, the police plan to block a road adjacent to the venue and implement traffic control measures on some nearby roads. According to the officials, about 630 traffic police officers and safety personnel will be deployed to the area, and around 374 signs and banners will be installed in the vicinity to facilitate the smoothJun 16, 2023
BTS' 10th anniv. book becomes bestseller ahead of official release This photo provided by BigHit Music shows the cover of "Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS," set for release, July 9. YonhapK-pop juggernaut BTS' book commemorating their 10th debut anniversary topped the bestseller list of a major bookstore Friday, even before its release next month, the bookseller said.Yes24, a local online bookstore, said "Beyond the Story: 10-year Record of BTS" shot to the top of its bestseller chart as of Friday, just one day after the book's online preorders began.The book, which marks the first official publication by the band's agency, BigHit Music, includes interviews with its seven members and reflects on the band's efforts, hardships and growth from their first gathering to becoming the pop icons of the 21st century. It will be published in 23 languages, including Korean, English and Japanese, on July 9 to coincide with the founding of the band's passionate fanbase, known as ARMY. (Yonhap)Jun 16, 2023
