AI music is already charting. Korea is slow to respondAn artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted song's entry into Melon's Top 100 chart has exposed a regulatory vacuum over AI music in Korea, just weeks after the country's largest music copyright collective withdrew its first attempt to allow the registration of such works. "Forest of the Heart," released in May by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop, peaked at No. 89 on the Top 100 chart and No. 99 on the daily chart for Melon, one of the country's top streaming platforms, according to Yonhap News Agency. The creator wrote the lyrics and produced the melody and vocals using Suno, a generative music AI service. The track became popular by word of mouth, especially among listeners in their 40s. The song has since dropped out of both charts, but its run showed that AI-assisted music can already reach mainstream listeners here, well before rules on authorship and royalties are in place. In March, the Board of Audit and Inspection said 29 composers had submitted more than 200 songs each to the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) in 2024, and roughly 5,200 of those songs showed signs of generativ2d agoBy Pyo Kyung-min
Why K-pop vocal coaches behind EXO, aespa are betting on virtual idols in JapanIt’s hard to say exactly how many K-pop artists have trained under Jang Jin-young and Kim Seong-pil, two of the industry’s most prominent vocal directors, or received their guidance in the recording studio. Jang has trained numerous SM Entertainment acts, including EXO, Red Velvet, SHINee, NCT, aespa, RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts. Kim currently works primarily with artists at The Black Label, while also coaching Japan-based acts including Avex-affiliated XG and artists under LDH. Together, they have spent years shaping the voices of countless stars. The two vocal directors are now stepping into new roles as producers and their first act is an unexpected choice — a five-member virtual idol group aimed at the Japanese market. The pair founded A-TOP Company in 2013 and have since worked with entertainment agencies in Korea and overseas, drawing on more than two decades of vocal training experience. They later established A-TOP Universe to develop and produce their own artists. Their first project is a “2.5D” virtual act combining Japanese subculture with the K-pop production system. ThSep 12, 2026By Hankookilbo
Busan Int'l Rock Festival goes big with 99-act lineupThe Busan International Rock Festival will bring 99 musical acts to Samnak Ecological Park this October, backing a massive lineup with international travel packages, late-night stages and regional transit links to attract fans from overseas. The festival, scheduled for Oct. 2-4, will feature British rock band The Libertines as its final headliner, alongside Korean artists including Jang Beom-jun, Broccoli, You Too, N.Flying, Kwon Jin-ah, Say Sue Me and Lucy. Japanese artists Aina the End and Hanabie also join previously announced performers including Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, Songgolmae, Jannabi, Creepy Nuts, Suchmos, Hanroro and WOODZ. Busan said it is expanding overseas ticket sales through global travel platforms including Klook, KKday and Trip.com, with packages combining festival admission and local tourism products. Round-trip shuttle buses will connect Gimhae International Airport and Busan Station with the festival grounds, while guides will assist international visitors. Foreign visitors can also purchase packages combining festival tickets with round-trip transportation betweSep 7, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Bruno Mars to return to Korea for 4 concerts in MayGlobal pop superstar Bruno Mars is returning to Korea next spring for a high-profile four-night run, marking his first performance in the country in nearly four years. Promoter Live Nation Korea said Friday that "Bruno Mars - The Romantic Tour in Seoul" will take over Goyang Stadium on May 21, 22, 25, and 26, 2027. All four shows are scheduled to begin at 7:45 pm. Adding to the excitement, Mars' Silk Sonic collaborator Anderson .Paak will join the lineup as a special guest, performing under his DJ alter ego, DJ Pee .Wee. The upcoming run follows Mars' legendary 2023 shows at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, which sold out almost instantly. Fans can expect a massive demand for tickets, which range from 99,000 won ($72) to 280,000 won. Presales for artists and Live Nation Korea members open on Sept. 11 from noon to 3:00 pm, followed by general sales starting at noon on Sept. 14 via NOL. The tour comes on the heels of Mars' triumphant return with "The Romantic," his fourth solo studio album and his first in 10 years. The record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, propelled by its smash lead singAug 28, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
InterviewWave to earth shrugs off K-pop, indie labels: 'a band, that is enough'For two years, wave to earth has been introduced abroad as proof that Korean music extends past K-pop, and at home as a band that never quite left the indie circuit. Asked which description fits, vocalist and guitarist Kim Daniel offered neither. "A band. That is enough," he said in a written interview with The Korea Times. The Seoul trio, made up of Kim, bassist Cha Soon-jong and drummer Shin Dong-gyu, who perform as Daniel, John and DongQ, released its new album "bad pieces" on Aug. 7, its first record in two years. The 11-track album arrives ahead of "the pieces tour," the band's largest run to date, which opens Sept. 4 in Vancouver. The album title is a play on the "Bed Peace" sign that hung behind John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their 1969 bed-in against the Vietnam War. "The photos of the Lennon and Yoko bed-in protests were something we stumbled upon while discussing the direction of this album early on," Kim said. "Lennon and Ono stayed in a bed and called it peace, and we liked that the gesture was that small. This album is a bed on a messed up earth." The band's 2023 debut albumAug 23, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Korean Chamber Orchestra to spotlight rising talent in 2026 debut concertThe Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) will bring together young musicians and a teenage composer for its 2026 Debut Concert on Sept. 12, offering a compact showcase of Korea’s next generation of classical musicians. The concert, set for 5 p.m. at Seoul Arts Center's Doam Hall, will feature musicians identified through KCO’s camps and competitions. The program opens with the world premiere of “Nachtlicher Monolog” (Nocturnal Monologue), a work by Lee Tae-hwan, winner of the 2026 KCO Composition Competition. The piece, written for clarinet, viola and piano, traces the unsettled thoughts and emotions, such as regret and anxiety, that surface during a sleepless night. A freshman at Sunhwa Arts High School, Lee began composing music in elementary school and has since developed an interest in both classical and contemporary genres. The evening will also feature violinist Park Ye-hoon, the grand-prize winner of the 2025 KCO Competition; violinists Yoo Ji-min, Yoo Ye-seul and Wang Ruiyi; cellist Moon Ji-won; and clarinetist Kim Ye-eun. Conducted by Kim Jae-yoon, the program pairs the musiciaAug 14, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
InterviewOrganists Olivier Latry and Lee Shin-young return to Seoul after 8 years for homecoming duetIt is a strikng image: two musicians sharing a narrow bench, their hands crossed crossing hands over keyboards as four feet delicately coordinate over pedals. For married organists Olivier Latry and Lee Shin-young, the organ is a stage where they work together as a single musical mind. The couple will bring their partnership to Seoul’s Lotte Concert Hall on Oct. 6 in “Four Hands,” their first Korean appearance together in eight years. The program moves from Rameau to Stravinsky, revealing the organ as a rhythmic, theatrical and orchestral instrument. From restraint to musical trust In a recent written interview with The Korea Times, the duo said their partnership began with a restraint. Latry, then 23 and a titular organist at Notre-Dame de Paris, said he fell in love with Lee years before she entered his class at the Paris Conservatoire. “That was not easy, not to show anything during her studies,” he said, adding that he waited eight years until she was no longer his student to reveal his feelings. Lee recalled him as disciplined and reserved, but exceptionally severe in her lAug 12, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
'Maybe Happy Ending' wraps Taiwan run with 97.5% paid attendanceIn a quiet theater in New Taipei City, two decommissioned helper robots — designed to care for humans but left behind in an isolated apartment complex — fall softly, unexpectedly in love. It is an intimate, gentle story that has captivated audiences in Seoul and New York. Now, it appears the charm of "Maybe Happy Ending" translated just as effortlessly across the Taiwan Strait. The acclaimed Korean musical concluded a 12-performance engagement in Taiwan Sunday, drawing a paid attendance rate of 97.5 percent — a near-total sellout that underscores the growing global appetite for Asian stage productions. Staged from July 31 through Aug. 9 at the New Taipei City Art Center, the run marked another milestone for the production’s international reach, according to ticketing and operations provider NHN Link. Set in a retro-futuristic version of Seoul, the show centers on Oliver and Claire, two aging "Helperbots" facing obsolescence. As they navigate their finite lifespans, they discover companionship, heartbreak and romance. Since its 2016 debut in Korea, the musical has maintained a raAug 10, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Why BLACKPINK fans feel disappointed ahead of group's 10th anniversaryBLACKPINK approaches its 10th anniversary this Saturday. But with the major milestone less than three days away, the mood within the global K-pop group’s fandom is tinged with disappointment, if not outright frustration, over an apparent lack of projects and appearances featuring all four members together. The group debuted with the album “Square One,” which featured “Whistle” and “Boombayah,” and went on to take the global music scene by storm with hits such as “Playing with Fire,” “How You Like That,” “Pink Venom,” “Shut Down” and “Jump.” From 2023 onwards, however, its members took a "together but separate" direction by signing an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment only for the group projects and activities. Each member pursued solo careers with their respective agencies and found success, placing their solo albums on the Billboard charts and performing at recognized music festivals. As the group is set to mark its 10th year, some fans have begun expressing disappointment that even this landmark anniversary may pass without the four members celAug 6, 2026By Xportsnews
Soprano Sumi Jo becomes first Asian to win Maria Callas Special AwardKorean soprano Sumi Jo has become the first Asian musician to receive the Maria Callas Special Award, an annual Italian honor recognizing contributions to global opera and classical music, her PR agency said Monday. Jo received the 12th edition of the award Sunday (Italian time) in Verona, Italy, at a ceremony held as part of the International Maria Callas Festival, according to The PRM. The award was established in 2014 to commemorate Greek American opera legend Maria Callas, one of the 20th century's most influential sopranos. It is presented each year to individuals who have advanced the field of opera and classical music on an international stage. Previous recipients include Italian film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli and Italian baritone Leo Nucci. "As this award bears the name of a great artist who illuminated an era, I will cherish it as a precious moment for the rest of my life," Jo said in a statement following the ceremony.Aug 3, 2026By Yonhap
