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  • Films

    Netflix comedy 'Husbands in Action' promises big laughs, chemistry

    The Netflix movie "Husbands in Action" is an action-comedy that follows the hijinks of a rescue operation put together by the ex-husband and current husband of a woman kidnapped by a criminal organization, according to director Park Gyu-tae as he introduced the film, Monday. "I've focused on situational comedy from clashing groups in my past works, but the biggest difference in this film is the action," Park said during a press conference in Seoul. The director, known for the 2022 comedy "6/45," added that the action sequences unfolding across various locations will be a key point for the audience to watch. The movie follows a desperate rescue mission by the elite narcotics detective and ex-husband Choong-shik (Jin Sun-kyu) who teams up with his former wife's handsome young veterinarian husband Min-seok (Gong Myung). Together they chase down a criminal group that has kidnapped Shi-nae (Kang Han-na), Min-seok's current and Choong-shik's former spouse. Throughout the movie, the two leads try to overcome their awkward relationship to navigate a series of dangerous situations while fighting

    2 MIN READBy Baek Byung-yeul
    Netflix comedy 'Husbands in Action' promises big laughs, chemistry
  • Shows & Dramas

    Seo In-guk, Kim Ji-hyun tackle tvN workplace romance 'See You at Work Tomorrow!'

    3 MIN READBy Park Jin-hai
    Seo In-guk, Kim Ji-hyun tackle tvN workplace romance 'See You at Work Tomorrow!'
  • Books

    Nvidia CEO’s webtoon moment highlights global ascent of K-comics

    2 MIN READBy Baek Byung-yeul
    Nvidia CEO’s webtoon moment highlights global ascent of K-comics
  • K-pop

    As virtual idol groups multiply, can any match PLAVE's success?

    3 MIN READBy Pyo Kyung-min
    As virtual idol groups multiply, can any match PLAVE's success?
  • K-pop

    RIIZE doubles down on performance for highly anticipated return

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    RIIZE doubles down on performance for highly anticipated return
  • K-pop

    Seventeen's Hoshi to drop new digital single during military service

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seventeen's Hoshi to drop new digital single during military service
  • Entertainment

    Actor-singer Lee Jun-young to begin military service, leaving behind packed roster of projects

    1 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Actor-singer Lee Jun-young to begin military service, leaving behind packed roster of projects
  • Films

    'Colony' breaks 5 mil. admissions, tops weekend box-office chart for 4th week

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    'Colony' breaks 5 mil. admissions, tops weekend box-office chart for 4th week
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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

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K-pop

LE SSERAFIM to drop new studio album next month

K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM will release its second studio album, "Pureflow pt. 1," next month, the group and its agency said Monday. The quintet announced on the K-pop fan community platform Weverse that the new record will drop May 22 at 1 p.m. (Korean time) through major online music services. "Pureflow pt. 1" marks LE SSERAFIM's first full-length album in nearly three years, following "Unforgiven" in 2023. The release delves into the change and growth experienced by its five members through confronting fear and finding strength, according to the agency, Source Music. It said LE SSERAFIM, which debuted in 2022 with the message "We are strong because we have no fear," now offers a more mature perspective — that understanding fear has made them even stronger — on the upcoming album. Ahead of the album's release, the group will unveil the lead single, "Celebration," on April 24, a song about celebrating the moment it gained the strength to embrace change. LE SSERAFIM earned global recognition last October when its first single album, "Spaghetti," landed at No. 50 on Billboard's Hot 1

Apr 13, 2026By Yonhap
LE SSERAFIM to drop new studio album next month
BTS ARIRANG

BTS claims 3rd week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'ARIRANG,' a first in K-pop

"ARIRANG" by South Korean boy group BTS scored a third week at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard's main albums chart for the first time in K-pop history. Billboard said Sunday (U.S. time) in a chart preview for this week that the group's fifth studio album held onto the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for a third consecutive week, ahead of Morgan Wallen's "I'm the Problem" and "Bully" by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. No other K-pop artist has achieved three weeks atop the chart, marking a historic milestone for the genre's global reach. The original soundtrack of the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" earlier reached No. 1 for two non-consecutive weeks. The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). "ARIRANG" earned 124,000 equivalent album units in the latest tracking week, down 34 percent from the previous week. Of that sum, 71,000 came from physical and digital album sales, while SEA units accounted for 50,000 and TEA

Apr 13, 2026By Yonhap
BTS claims 3rd week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'ARIRANG,' a first in K-pop
Films

Korea returns to Cannes with ‘Hope,’ ‘Colony’ after year of absence

Korean cinema is making a return to the Cannes Film Festival this year, with two films selected for the official lineup of the 79th edition, after its absence last year raised concerns about the sustainability of the local film industry. The executive committee of the Cannes Film Festival announced Thursday that director Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” was invited to the Competition section, while director Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie thriller “Colony” secured a spot in the Midnight Screening section. This marks the first time in four years that a Korean feature has returned to the festival’s prestigious Competition section since Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” in 2022. The two films’ invitation is significant, given that no Korean feature films were included in last year’s lineup. Industry observers pointed to the shift toward streaming platforms and a prolonged slump in the domestic movie market as key factors behind the absence, Korea’s first in 12 years. “Hope,” which will compete for the Palme d’Or alongside films from some of the world’s most celebrated directo

Apr 12, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea returns to Cannes with ‘Hope,’ ‘Colony’ after year of absence
BTS ARIRANG

ReviewBTS continues 'ARIRANG' tour in Goyang with firepower, heritage

BTS lit up the second night of its large-scale world tour — one that could signal a new beginning not only for the group but perhaps for K-pop itself — with a performance steeped in Korean aesthetics. The group is currently engaged in its "BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’" with three concerts, starting Thursday and continuing over the following weekend at Goyang Stadium, west of Seoul. The tour marks its return roughly four years after wrapping up "BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE" tour in April 2022. The Saturday show signaled a deep infusion of Korean aesthetics even before the official kickoff. Melodies of gayageum, a traditional 12-stringed zither, filled the venue alongside VCR visuals evoking ink-wash paintings, prompting chants of the group’s name from fans in anticipation. Shortly after 7 p.m., all seven members stormed in from the edge of the stage alongside a black-clad mega crew, launching straight into the hip-hop openers “Hooligans” and “Aliens.” Pyrotechnics and fireworks ripped through the air from the very start, but it was the group’s sheer command of the st

Apr 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS continues 'ARIRANG' tour in Goyang with firepower, heritage
Entertainment

500 admission wristbands stolen at BTS concert venue

About 500 admission wristbands were stolen at a BTS concert venue in Goyang, Saturday, according to police. A report was received at around 3:20 p.m. that a man had fled with the wristbands from a ticket booth at Goyang Stadium in the city just northwest of Seoul, where BTS' new world tour, titled "BTS World Tour 'Arirang,'" is currently under way, according to police. After receiving the report, police began tracking the suspect. The wristbands are required for entry to the concert venue. BTS kicked off its new world tour in Goyang, with performances held on Thursday, and continuing on Saturday and Sunday. The three-night run marks the start of an 85-show tour across 34 cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Toronto, Lima, Santiago and Bangkok, through 2027.

Apr 11, 2026By Yonhap
500 admission wristbands stolen at BTS concert venue
K-pop

BTS fans flood Goyang ahead of 2nd night of 'ARIRANG' tour

Hours before showtime, the area around Goyang Stadium was already heaving with fans Saturday, as K-pop juggernaut BTS prepared to launch its new world tour, transforming the venue's outer grounds into a sea of purple, flashes of red and black tied to the group's latest album, "ARIRANG." Fans crowded around the stadium's exterior, taking photos, filming videos and adjusting outfits in the band's signature colors. Some held banners and light sticks, while others simply stood back to take in the scale of the gathering. Their conversations carried in multiple languages, reflecting the group's unmistakable global pull. BTS launched its "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'" with three shows in Goyang, located about 20 kilometers west of Seoul, beginning Thursday and continuing through the weekend. The tour will span 34 cities with 85 concerts across Japan, North America, Europe, South America and Asia, making it the largest tour ever mounted by a Korean act. Additional shows in Japan and the Middle East are also expected. Even outside the gates Saturday, the sense of occasion was unmistakable. Some fans

Apr 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
BTS fans flood Goyang ahead of 2nd night of 'ARIRANG' tour
Entertainment

$14 mil. ‘first home?' Musical star Ock Joo-hyun buys record-breaking Hannam The Hill penthouse

Singer and musical actress Ock Joo-hyun is drawing attention after purchasing a luxury residence in Seoul’s elite Hannam-dong neighborhood — with the price tag alone sparking online buzz. According to Sports Kyunghyang on April 11, Ock bought a unit in Hannam The Hill for 19 billion won (approximately $14 million), marking the highest recorded transaction in the complex’s history. The property, located in Yongsan District, spans about 332 square meters and features a rare duplex layout across the first and second floors. It was reportedly acquired from Hur Hee-soo, an executive of SPC Group. Ock is said to have signed the contract in May last year and recently completed the final payment. A mortgage was set with a maximum bond amount of 12.3 billion won as part of the transaction. The sale has also drawn attention for its scale of profit. The previous owner purchased the unit in 2015 for 6.9 billion won and realized a gain of about 12.1 billion won after roughly a decade — highlighting the steep rise in luxury real estate prices in Seoul. Hannam The Hill, built in 2011 on the form

Apr 11, 2026By Xportsnews
$14 mil. ‘first home?' Musical star Ock Joo-hyun buys record-breaking Hannam The Hill penthouse
Shows & Dramas

IU returns with ‘Perfect Crown,’ aims to revive MBC dramas with bold royal romance

It is, once again, IU. IU has returned with a new project following the Netflix series “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” joining hands with Byeon Woo-seok in a high-profile attempt to revive struggling ratings at broadcaster MBC. MBC’s new drama “Perfect Crown,” which premiered April 10, is set in a fictional 21st-century constitutional monarchy. It follows the romance between a wealthy heiress who has everything but social status and a royal prince who has status but little personal freedom. The first episode depicted how Sung Hee-joo (IU), a chaebol heiress, comes to propose marriage to Grand Prince Ian (Byeon Woo-seok). Despite her wealth, Hee-joo faces discrimination for being a commoner, while Ian, as the king’s second son, lives under constant pressure and limitations within the royal family. Both characters, pushed into arranged marriages by their families, cross paths at a royal birthday banquet. Determined to change her fate, Hee-joo seeks an audience with Ian and, upon meeting him, boldly proposes marriage — setting the tone for the drama’s unconventional roman

Apr 11, 2026By Hankookilbo
IU returns with ‘Perfect Crown,’ aims to revive MBC dramas with bold royal romance
K-pop

‘I was mocked’: EXO’s Chanyeol revisits viral ‘hand-sync’ controversy in candid confession

K-pop star Chanyeol is revisiting one of his most talked-about “black history” moments — and this time, he’s addressing it head-on. In a recent YouTube video uploaded on April 9 to EXO’s official channel, Chanyeol opened up about the long-running “hand-sync” controversy that once sparked widespread mockery online, turning an awkward onstage moment into a viral talking point among fans. The video, titled “We Are One, let’s EXO,” featured members of EXO — Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai and Sehun — gathering to celebrate their 14th anniversaryof its debut. During the conversation, Chanyeol brought up the incident that continues to circulate on social media years later. “I dropped the drumstick while doing a hand-sync performance. I was really flustered. In that short moment, I broke into a cold sweat,” he said, before asking if he could finally clarify what happened. The controversy dates back to a concert performance where Chanyeol appeared to be playing drums. When he accidentally dropped a drumstick, the sound continued — revealing that the performance was pre-re

Apr 11, 2026By Xportsnews
‘I was mocked’: EXO’s Chanyeol revisits viral ‘hand-sync’ controversy in candid confession
Films

'The King's Warden' becomes Korea's 2nd most-viewed film ever

"The King's Warden" has become the second most-watched film in Korean cinema history, its distributor said Saturday. The film has attracted a cumulative audience of 16.28 million as of Saturday morning, outperforming the 16.26 million recorded by the 2019 comedy action "Extreme Job," the previous second-place holder, according to Show Box. "The King's Warden" is now only behind the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" which holds the all-time record with 17.6 million admissions. In box office revenue, however, it has already became the biggest earner, grossing 156.9 billion won (US$10.56 million), well above the 135.7 billion won earned by "The Admiral: Roaring Currents." Whether it can close the admission gap with "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" remains uncertain. On Friday, "The King's Warden" ranked third in the local box office, with 38,000 tickets sold, behind the mystery horror "Salmokji" with 111,000 and "Project Hail Mary" with 56,000. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following the unlikely friendship be

Apr 11, 2026By Yonhap
'The King's Warden' becomes Korea's 2nd most-viewed film ever
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