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  • K-pop

    InterviewKATSEYE reflects on AMA wins as group prepares new release

    Girl group KATSEYE is having its moment. It recently swept all three of its nominations at the 52nd American Music Awards (AMAs) on May 25: New Artist of the Year, Best Music Video for "Gnarly" and Breakthrough Pop Artist. "We never expected to go home with all three awards that night," Sophia said in a written interview with The Korea Times. For a group that debuted less than two years ago, the achievement marks an important milestone in the group's rapid rise. KATSEYE was formed through the 2023 competition reality show "The Debut: Dream Academy," and the members went through the K-pop trainee system, involving months of vocal and dance training under a survival format. Signed jointly under HYBE Labels and Geffen Records, the group debuted in August 2024 with its first EP "SIS (Soft Is Strong)," positioning itself as a bridge between the K-pop world and Western pop audiences. While KATSEYE was conceived as a global pop act, its connection to Korea remains strong. Korea is often among the first stops on the group's promotional schedule, and its members credit the country's music industry

    3 MIN READBy Pyo Kyung-min
    KATSEYE reflects on AMA wins as group prepares new release
  • K-pop

    'KPop Demon Hunters' singer EJAE to take World Cup opening stage

    2 MIN READBy Park Jin-hai
    'KPop Demon Hunters' singer EJAE to take World Cup opening stage
  • Shows & Dramas

    Are multiple seasons becoming the new norm for Korean dramas?

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Are multiple seasons becoming the new norm for Korean dramas?
  • Shows & Dramas

    'His Man' creators return with Korea's first bisexual dating show

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    'His Man' creators return with Korea's first bisexual dating show
  • K-pop

    BIGBANG unveils plans for world tour marking 20th anniversary

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    BIGBANG unveils plans for world tour marking 20th anniversary
  • K-pop

    Stray Kids' Han to drop solo digital single 'back to life'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Stray Kids' Han to drop solo digital single 'back to life'
  • Films

    ReviewSpielberg returns to familiar territory with ‘Disclosure Day’

    2 MIN READBy Baek Byung-yeul
    Spielberg returns to familiar territory with ‘Disclosure Day’
  • Shows & Dramas

    From temple stays to TV: The rise of Korea's 'hip Buddhism'

    3 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    From temple stays to TV: The rise of Korea's 'hip Buddhism'
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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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Films

Park Jeong-min talks 'Humint,' Blue Dragon fame, future plans

After a viral performance at the Blue Dragon Film Awards — Korea’s equivalent of the Oscars — actor Park Jeong-min’s life took an unexpected turn. Autograph requests became frequent. Old friends reached out. One message read, "Hey, you finally made it." Park, however, was baffled. "What was I before then? How far do I have to go to have 'made it'?" Park said during an interview with the Hankook Ilbo Monday. "It’s actually my dad who’s loving the attention. I’m still just bewildered." Park’s recent career trajectory, including a starring role in director Ryoo Seung-wan’s spy thriller "Humint," has cemented his status as a top-tier actor. Yet, when asked about his newfound status as a "heartthrob" capable of making fans swoon, Park tilted his head. "I’ve never thought about it. I think they’re reading too much into it," he said, prompting laughter in the room. "I never intended or aimed for that appeal. The world sometimes gives you strange gifts from unexpected places. My way of staying grounded is to think, 'This, too, shall pass.'" Park insists he has never successfu

Feb 12, 2026By Hankookilbo
Park Jeong-min talks 'Humint,' Blue Dragon fame, future plans
Others

Barbie Hsu’s family shuts down $32 million inheritance feud rumors involving DJ Koo

The family of late Taiwanese actor Barbie Hsu has publicly rejected reports suggesting a dispute with her husband, South Korean singer DJ Koo (Koo Jun-yup), over her inheritance, calling the the claims harmful speculation. Nearly a year after her death, the Taiwanese media reported Tuesday that Koo was preparing legal action against Hsu’s mother over the division of the late actor’s estate, describing alleged tensions behind the family’s appearance at a recent memorial statue, unveiled to mark the first anniversary of her death. Further reports claimed Hsu’s mother had appointed a lawyer in response. Hsu’s mother, however, rejected the claims outright, emphasizing her relationship with Koo. “I detest lawsuits. They waste people and money,” she said. “I now call Koo my son. He deeply loved my daughter and respects me. He is part of our family.” Hsu’s younger sister, Dee Hsu, also addressed the reports. “Whoever creates this sort of rumor is malicious and has ill intent. Koo gave my sister pure love and real happiness. Our family is grateful to him,” she said. “He i

Feb 11, 2026By Xportsnews
Barbie Hsu’s family shuts down $32 million inheritance feud rumors involving DJ Koo
K-pop

NMIXX to become first K-pop act to perform at Brazil’s Carnival

K-pop group NMIXX will become the first K-pop act to perform at Brazil’s Carnival, one of the world’s largest cultural festivals, their agency said. The group is scheduled to appear as a special guest at Brazilian pop artist Pabllo Vittar’s Bloco da Pabllo block party during Carnival celebrations in Sao Paulo, which will run from March 14 to 18. NMIXX is set to perform on March 16 (local time). Block parties are large-scale street celebrations that form a central part of Brazil’s Carnival culture. NMIXX’s appearance will mark the first time a K-pop act has participated in the event. The performance builds on the group’s partnership with Vittar, which drew international attention with the release of "MEXE" in August last year. The track blends NMIXX’s signature style — combining multiple musical genres within a single composition — with Vittar’s energetic and distinctive Brazilian pop sound. The song features joint vocals, lyrics in both Korean and Portuguese, and Latin-inspired choreography. The stage highlights collaboration between K-pop and Brazilian pop and marks t

Feb 11, 2026By Hankookilbo
NMIXX to become first K-pop act to perform at Brazil’s Carnival
K-pop

Why BTS is returning to Korean identity in new album 'Arirang'

When BTS, one of K-pop’s most globally recognized groups, returns as a full seven-member act in March, it will mark more than just the end of a hiatus. The comeback has been interpreted as a deliberate statement about identity and belonging, at a time when fans and observers are debating whether K-pop is evolving into something more culturally neutral, often described by its biggest producers as "global pop." Scheduled for March 20, BTS’ return is defined by two closely linked choices: a new album titled "Arirang," named after one of Korea’s most enduring folk songs, and a large-scale free outdoor performance the following day at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Thus, the K-pop juggernaut is positioning its comeback as a return home, centering the members' Korean heritage rather than displacing it. "Centering an album on 'Arirang' reflects BTS’ confidence in placing Korean heritage at the core of their global identity," Kim Hee-yon, an assistant professor of strategy at Cornell University, told The Korea Times in a written interview. Adding that the move aligns with BTS’ l

Feb 11, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Why BTS is returning to Korean identity in new album 'Arirang'
Films

Korean film industry in peril: Can ‘Humint’ revive box office?

Action scenes unfold carefully and ferociously, while romance lingers in quiet melancholy. Director Ryu Seung-wan, long regarded as one of Korea’s most reliable action filmmakers, expands his range with "Humint," a spy thriller that balances spectacle with emotional undercurrents. The film opened on Wednesday. And with a production cost of 23.5 billion won ($16 million), excluding marketing expenses, the film stands among the most anticipated Korean releases of the first half of the year. The title combines the words “human” and “intelligence.” Set partly in Vladivostok, Russia, the story follows the clash and uneasy cooperation between South and North Korean agents revolving around a female North Korean informant working at a restaurant. At first glance, the premise evokes the cerebral espionage dramas associated with John le Carré. Yet "Humint" ultimately leans closer to the brooding atmosphere of Hong Kong noir, blending intelligence warfare with unresolved romance and internal tensions within North Korea. The story follows Jo, a National Intelligence Service officer played

Feb 11, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korean film industry in peril: Can ‘Humint’ revive box office?
K-pop

'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' hits No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100

"Golden" from the original soundtrack of Netflix's global animation sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" ranked fifth on the U.S. Billboard main singles chart this week, extending its run on the chart to 33 consecutive weeks. The song slipped one spot from No. 4 the previous week on the Billboard Hot 100, according to the latest chart released on Tuesday (local time). Another hit from the soundtrack, "How It's Done," came in at No. 85. On the Billboard 200, the main albums chart, the soundtrack album placed sixth, also extending its chart run to 33 consecutive weeks. Hybe's U.S.-based girl group Katseye placed two albums on the chart -- Its second EP "Beautiful Chaos" at No. 43 and its first EP "SIS (Soft Is Strong)" at No. 176. Boy band Enhypen's new EP "The Sin: Vanish" ranked 48th, marking its third consecutive week on the chart, while Stray Kids' "Do It" held at No. 158.

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' hits No. 5 on Billboard Hot 100
Others

Civic group files complaint over leaked Cha Eun-woo tax investigation

A South Korean civic group has filed criminal complaints over the alleged leak of tax investigation details involving celebrity Cha Eun-woo, warning that unchecked disclosures risk repeating the kind of reputational damage seen in the case of late actor Lee Sun-kyun. The Korea Taxpayers Federation said on Tuesday it had reported a tax official accused of leaking confidential information and the journalist who first reported it to police. The federation said the complaint cites violations of the Personal Information Protection Act and criminal law provisions on disclosure of official secrets. The group said the leak concerned details of a tax investigation into Cha, a member of K-pop boy band ASTRO who is also active as an actor. It said the information could only have been known to tax investigators or officials in the approval chain, raising strong suspicions of an internal leak. “The accused parties unlawfully disclosed specific details related to Cha Eun-woo’s tax investigation, infringing on confidentiality principles guaranteed by the Framework Act on National Taxes and the rig

Feb 10, 2026By Xportsnews
Civic group files complaint over leaked Cha Eun-woo tax investigation
K-pop

BTS' comeback show to admit about 15,000 fans

K-pop supergroup BTS' upcoming comeback concert in central Seoul is expected to draw about 15,000 ticketed fans, music industry sources said Tuesday. According to the sources, Hybe, the K-pop company behind BTS, is coordinating with the Seoul metropolitan government on a plan to admit 15,000 fans in the standing and reserved seating sections for the "BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang" concert on March 21. The free concert will take place at Gwanghwamun Square the day after the release of BTS' fifth studio album, "Arirang," named after the famous Korean folk song. It will be its first release since "Proof" in June 2022 and the first since all members completed their mandatory military service. The septet plans to walk from inside Gyeongbok Palace, passing through the Gwanghwamun gate and the "woldae," a traditional ceremonial stage located in front of the gate, before moving onto a stage built at the northern end of the square to open the show. Applications for 2,000 standing tickets opened on Tuesday via Hybe's K-pop fan community platform Weverse for those who preordered the album. Accordin

Feb 10, 2026By Yonhap
BTS' comeback show to admit about 15,000 fans
Shows & Dramas

'The Art of Sarah' focuses on pursuit of fake luxury

Netflix's new Korean original "The Art of Sarah" peels back the layers of a woman who built her life on a lie and a detective determined to uncover it. "There is a special kind of fun in watching a person chase their desires, and the man who’s trying to catch her," director Kim Jin-min said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. He described the drama as one that captures the psychological tension between a woman who aspires to become a luxury brand and a man drawn into her enigmatic world. Kim praised the drama’s unconventional narrative. "When I first saw the script, I thought the structure was very interesting as it unfolds in an unknowable way,” he said, hinting at the unpredictable turns awaiting viewers. The upcoming series follows Sarah Kim (Shin Hye-sun), a luxury brand manager who built a perfect life on a fake identity. Her world of lies begins to crumble when she becomes a suspect in a murder case and gets chased by Mu-gyeong (Lee Jun-hyuk), a detective who tries to find out who she really is. The drama largely follows Mu-gyeong's point of view, positioning him as

Feb 10, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Art of Sarah' focuses on pursuit of fake luxury
Music

What K-pop and Bad Bunny have in common: Power of language, fandom, cultural pride

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show carried an energy Korean audiences already recognize: the confidence of pop that does not need to translate itself to be understood. Before it became a spectacle of fireworks, choreography and the roar of the crowd, it was a statement about language as power — the idea that a global stage can be claimed without switching tongues, flattening accents or sanding away cultural specificity. The Puerto Rican singer transformed Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, into a full-scale Latin celebration on Sunday (local time), making it the most-watched halftime performance in Super Bowl history with more than 135 million viewers tuned in. This was not merely another high-impact spectacle, but a cultural statement: For 13 minutes, Spanish dominated one of the most influential stages in U.S. entertainment, treated not as a niche language but as the default. Like BTS or BLACKPINK performing in Korean at global stages, Bad Bunny didn’t code-switch for mass appeal. Instead, in a sensitive sociopolitical climate, he brought the audience into his wor

Feb 10, 2026By Lucero Santiago
What K-pop and Bad Bunny have in common: Power of language, fandom, cultural pride
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