Korea’s youngest-ever local election candidate to debut as idol in JapanA young Korean man who once sought to become the country’s youngest local council member is now preparing to debut as an idol in Japan. Oh Shin-haeng, who drew national attention four years ago when he ran in the local elections as an independent candidate at age 18, finished fourth in the Japanese audition show “Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai” on June 9. The result earned him a place in the program’s final group and a chance to begin a new career as a Japanese idol. In 2022, Oh became the youngest candidate in Korean history to run for elected office after a revision to the Public Official Election Act lowered the minimum age for candidates from 25 to 18. The change applied to elections for the National Assembly, heads of local governments and local councils. Then 18, Oh ran for a seat representing Muan County Council’s second electoral district in South Jeolla Province in the first local elections held under the revised law. However, he finished last with 990 votes, or 5.88 percent of the vote. All four seats in the district went to candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea2d agoBy Hankookilbo
EJAE, Andrea Bocelli perform at World Cup opening ceremonySinger-songwriter EJAE, who performed the hit song “Golden” from the popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” joined renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in performing FIFA's official World Cup anthem, “DNA,” at the tournament's opening ceremony in Mexico City, Thursday (local time). Wearing a sleeveless blue gown with crossed halter straps, the Korean American singer drew attention from Korean audiences by singing a brief line in Korean: “Although I fall, I stand up again.” FIFA said “DNA” embodies the spirit of solidarity and unity for the historic tournament, which is being co-hosted for the first time by three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition will be held across 16 cities and feature 48 teams until July 19.Jun 12, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Violist Kim Sang-jin, pianist Kim Kyu-yeon to share stage in duo recitalViolist Kim Sang-jin and pianist Kim Kyu-yeon will come together for a duo recital on June 20 at 8 p.m. at the IBK Chamber Hall of Seoul Arts Center, offering audiences an evening of intimate musical dialogue on the cusp of summer. The program spans three centuries of repertoire, featuring Robert Schumann's "Märchenbilder, Op.113," Joseph Haydn's "Divertimento" and Johannes Brahms' "Sonata Op. 120, No. 1." The centerpiece of the evening will be the world premiere of composer Ryu Jea-joon's revised Sonata for Viola and Piano — a work that bridges classical tradition and contemporary lyricism. Kim is one of Korea's most decorated violists. The first viola player ever to win the Dong-A Music Competition, he went on to study at the Hochschule für Musik Köln and The Juilliard School before performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Wiener Musikverein, among hundreds of stages across more than 50 countries. He currently serves as music director of the Seoul Chamber Orchestra and is a professor at Yonsei University College of Music. Kim Kyu-yeon has built an eqJun 3, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Korean Gen Z falls hard for Taeko Onuki, Japanese city pop and J-rock"Thank you. This is my first concert in Korea." Taeko Onuki stood before the cheering crowd in Incheon, more than five decades after her debut. For a moment she seemed unsure what to do in front of the welcome. The Japanese singer-songwriter, often described as one of the pioneers of city pop, performed Saturday at Asian Pop Festival 2026 at Paradise City in Jung District, Incheon. Her set, the final performance on the festival’s first day, became one of the night’s most warmly received moments, especially among Korean fans in their 20s and 30s. As cheers rose for the 72-year-old musician, Onuki covered her face with both hands. She had made her official debut in 1975, but this was her first time meeting fans in Korea. Again and again, she thanked the crowd, repeating that she was “so happy.” Despite her long career, Onuki became known to many Korean listeners only recently, after city pop began enjoying a global revival in the 2010s. The genre, shaped by Western soft rock, jazz, R&B, soul and bossa nova, is often associated with a polished urban mood and the sound of Japan’s eJun 3, 2026By Hankookilbo
BTS, Cardi B, Lainey Wilson, Muse, Snoop Dogg and others will perform at iHeartRadio Music FestivalNEW YORK — K-pop band BTS, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Lainey Wilson, Major Lazer, Muse, Snoop Dogg and Zara Larsson are among the performers this fall at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. It will be broadcast live. The lineup for the event, which will take place Sept. 18-19 at the T-Mobile Arena, also includes Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls and Kenny Chesney. More artists will be announced at a later date. Ryan Seacrest will once again host, and fans can hear it all on iHeartMedia radio stations or watch it streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. The general public can buy tickets on AXS.com starting at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT on June 12. Capital One cardholders will be able to access a presale beginning at 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT on June 10. “The iHeartRadio Music Festival is all about bringing together the biggest artists across every genre for two unforgettable nights, and this year’s lineup truly reflects the incredible diversity of music today,” Tom Poleman, chief programming officer, and John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises of iHeartMedia, said in a joint statement. EaJun 2, 2026By AP
Cellist Kim Tae-yeon wins 2nd prize at Queen Elisabeth competitionCellist Kim Tae-yeon won second prize at the 2026 Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious classical music contests in Brussels, Sunday. The 20-year-old was named runner-up during the final award ceremony held Saturday at the Bozar concert hall in Belgium's capital. Italy’s Ettore Pagano took first place, while Leland Ko of the United States and Canada finished third. Founded in 1937, the Queen Elisabeth Competition is widely regarded as one of the top three international music competitions, alongside the Chopin and Tchaikovsky competitions. It rotates annually among violin, voice, cello and piano disciplines, with this year dedicated to cello. Kim was among 64 finalists selected from 185 applicants worldwide, including five Koreans. Twelve advanced to the final round, held from Tuesday to Saturday, where they performed with the Belgian National Orchestra. As the youngest finalist, Kim took the stage last, performing Chinese American composer Fang Man’s commissioned work “Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers” and Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto undeMay 31, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
'No more BTS-style Cinderella stories': Young Korean fans and artists leave K-pop for trot“It is undeniable that trot singers are more skilled and have better attitudes than some K-pop idols caught up in scandals. Many trot singers have gone through hardships in life, and they have the determination to overcome them. It is no wonder they are becoming more popular.” The comment was posted under a members-only Hankook Ilbo article about why Koreans in their 20s and 30s are increasingly turning to trot music. The apparent resentment toward repeated controversies involving K-pop idols — whether another military service dispute surrounding a male idol or a government probe into tax evasion allegations — offers a glimpse into why some young Koreans are shifting their attention to young trot singers. Trot refers to a Korean popular music genre that predates K-pop. Influenced by Japanese enka and Western musical styles, it dominated Korea’s music scene for decades and remained a favorite among older generations even after K-pop took over the charts. For many younger Koreans, however, the genre long carried an image of being old-fashioned and tacky. Recently, however, trotMay 25, 2026By Hankookilbo
Dora Morelenbaum brings new Brazilian sound wave to SeoulA soft bossa nova breeze swept through western Seoul Thursday night as Brazilian singer-songwriter Dora Morelenbaum brought her genre-blurring sound to Korea for the first time, opening her Asia tour at a small venue in Hongdae. The concert at West Bridge Live Hall offered Korean listeners a rare chance to experience contemporary Brazilian music up close on a spring weeknight. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1996, Morelenbaum is one of the most closely watched artists among Brazil’s new wave of musicians redefining Música Popular Brasileira (MPB). The daughter of cellist-arranger Jaques Morelenbaum and vocalist Paula Morelenbaum, who both performed with bossa nova legend Antônio Carlos Jobim and collaborated with the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, she grew up in a household where music was an everyday language rather than a separate profession. “My parents are musicians and that took a big part of my musical formation,” she said in an interview with The Korea Times before the show. “When I was little, I traveled a lot with my family for their shows. I was always surroundedMay 9, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon explores lyricism behind Liszt's virtuosity in new albumFor pianist Sunwoo Yekwon, Franz Liszt was once a composer of empty virtuosity — all flash and little substance. But with his new album released Thursday, Sunwoo is peeling back the Hungarian composer's dazzling facade to reveal a profound human voice and dramatic lyricism. "Liszt is a composer full of splendor, but I wanted to create an album that remembers him for the human voice and lyricism within it," Sunwoo said during a press conference held in Seoul to promote the album, titled "Liszt." It marks the first studio album from the 37-year-old pianist who has firmly established his career since making history in 2017 as the first Korean to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He previously released his debut studio album, "Mozart," in 2020, followed by "Rachmaninoff, A Reflection" in 2023. During the press conference, Sunwoo revealed that while he frequently practiced Liszt during his middle school years, drawn to the immediate and flashy appeal of the music, he completely stopped playing the composer's works in his 20s. "I didn't feel much charm in it. I thought itMay 7, 2026By Yonhap
Soprano Sumi Jo marks 40 years on world stage, signs to SM with new album ‘Continuum’Soprano Sumi Jo is marking the 40th anniversary of her international career with a new album, a fresh partnership with K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment and a yearlong slate of concerts and mentorship projects that she hopes will carry her legacy into the next generation. At a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, the 61-year-old singer looked back on four decades of breakthroughs, beginning with her 1986 debut as Gilda in Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Italy. Since winning major competitions and joining leading opera houses abroad, Jo has built a globe-spanning career that has taken her to the world’s top stages, from La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera to concert halls across Asia, Europe and the Americas. She became the first Asian to sweep seven major vocal competitions and star as prima donna at five of the world’s leading opera houses. Also, she became the first Asian and first Korean to win a Grammy for Best Opera Recording and Commandeur of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Her exclusive recording contract with SM Entertainment is central to tMay 6, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
