The Jeonju International Sori Festival ended on Sept. 24, with the organizers adding global and cross-cultural elements to this year's event as part of their aim to elevate the Korean traditional music festival on the global stage. The festival, one of the leading cultural events held in North Jeolla Province, ran from Sept. 15 to 24 around Jeonju Hanok Village and 14 other cities and districts of the province. Launched in 2001, this year’s festival was held under the theme of “

Every moment in Hawaiian-born superstar Bruno Mars' performance in Seoul was delicate and romantic -- and it was his unmatchable finesse that made it all seem so easy. The iconic “Uptown Funk” singer Bruno Mars, born Peter Hernandez, visited Korea for the first time in nine years for a two-day sold-out concert series at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium from Saturday to Sunday. The shows were part of the 27th edition of Hyundai Card’s annual cultural project “Super Concert

Every moment in Hawaiian-born superstar Bruno Mars' performance in Seoul was delicate and romantic -- and it was his unmatchable finesse that made it all seem so easy. The iconic “Uptown Funk” singer Bruno Mars, born Peter Hernandez, revisited Korea for the first time in nine years for a two-day sold-out concert series at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium from Saturday to Sunday. The shows were part of the 27th edition of Hyundai Card’s annual cultural project “Super Conce

Blackpink will change its management to The Black Label, an affiliate of YG Entertainment, according to industry sources. On Friday, an industry insider told The Korea Herald that the four-piece girl group would leave YG to join The Black Label, and that discussions over the contracts were completed early this year. The Black Label is headed by Teddy, a creative director and songwriter who has worked with Blackpink since the group’s debut. Formerly an in-house producer for YG, Teddy co-fou

Even just a couple of years ago, it would have been unheard-of for 10- and 20-something social media users to shrug off a video of a young man shouting out “Mama!” in a quirky, high-pitched voice. With the meteoric rise of TikTok, WonJeong, whose real name is Seo Won-jeong, is definitely in the opportune limelight as a creator. Over the last two years, the 26-year-old has become the nation’s No. 2 TikTok creator boasting more than 50 million followers, right next to K-pop pheno

Once Dublin-born Dermot Kennedy walks down the stage and grabs a microphone, his smoldering vocal evokes a whirlwind of emotions, sometimes eruptive, grainy, melancholy, but ironically at peace. His heartfelt, down-to-earth lyrics boldly share the complexities and beautiful sides of life, embracing a light of hope although it may not always a ray of sunshine. Hailing from Ireland, Dermot Kennedy said this intense connection with his listeners and speaking to them through music have always been -

Korea Herald correspondent OSAKA, Japan -- The long-awaited 2022 Mama Awards successfully came to an end in Osaka, Japan, and it was about more than handing out the haul of trophies. Living up to its reputation as one of the biggest year-end music shows in Asia, two consecutive nights overflowed with all kinds of artistic creativity, sheer talent, standout performances and, most importantly, a wave of emotions and stories that ended up in tears. It was a cloudy raining day in Osaka, but the Ky

전경사진: The 2022 Mama Awards take place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, Wednesday. (CJ ENM) 제이홉 : J-Hope performs at the 2022 Mama Awards at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, Wednesday. (CJ ENM)

전경사진: The 2022 Mama Awards take place at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, Wednesday. (CJ ENM) 제이홉 : J-Hope performs at the 2022 Mama Awards at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, Wednesday. (CJ ENM)

Bobby, a member of K-pop boy band iKon, will not renew his contract with the act's agency YG Entertainment and the industry and fans are left wondering about the future of the group and what the next steps are for the rapper. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Bobby of iKon will not extend his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. An industry insider, who claims to be familiar with YG Entertainment and its artists, told the Korea Herald that Bobby has decided not to renew his con

Back in 2015, Jonas Blue, hailing from the United Kingdom, was behind a DJ booth in a local London bar called “Harry’s Bar” under his real name, Guy James Robin. About seven years later, he is performing in front of thousands who are singing along to his songs at big name festivals all around the world from Ibiza to Amsterdam to Miami, just to name a few. Blue, the 33-year-old DJ and producer, landed in Korea for the first time in four years since his first gig in the country i

Korean hip-hop musician and producer MC Mong wrapped up two days of concerts in Seoul, walking down memory lane with longtime fans. Dubbed “Halloween Workshop,” the Halloween-themed shows at KBS Arena in Seoul on Oct. 22 and 23 were jam-packed with the musician’s hits, ranging from classics to his recent album. Living up to his reputation as a hit-maker, MC Mong, whose real name is Shin Dong-hyun, filled the nearly three-hour set with 27 tunes, including “I Love U Oh Than

Koyote, a legendary co-ed Korean vocal group that boasts a career extending across 24 years, is back on the music scene with the new album “Let’s Koyote.” The band, consisting of Kim Jong-min, Shin Ji and Bbaek Ga, held its ever-first media showcase since debuting in 1998 in Seoul on Wednesday to unveil two new songs -- “Hero” and “Soulmate” -- and look back on a long-lasting career. The two-track album is the follow-up to upbeat summery song “Go,&

TOKYO -- Under the starry, lofty dome of Japan’s largest concert venue, it was made crystal clear during a concert that ran over four hours with a whopping 41-song setlist: SM Entertainment, one of Korea’s largest entertainment agencies, has not only successfully recaptured the spirit of its early heydays, but also embodied the pinnacle of collective power made possible by bringing together various music genres. The label’s joint label concert, dubbed "SMTown Live 2022 :

LAS VEGAS -- In what would be one of the most memorable nights in the history of Las Vegas, BTS took over Sin City, proving the K-pop phenomenon’s matchless presence once again. Ahead of the four-day sold out show, which kicked off at Allegiant Stadium on Friday, the already festive Las Vegas strip completely transformed for BTS fans visiting from all over the world. With an array of Army -- the group’s fandom -- flooding the busy strip and fancy hotel casinos, the iconic Bellagio

To much fanfare, Verivery successfully kicked off their first US tour in Los Angeles, where they reunited with their global fans for the first time since the pandemic outbreak. Marking the first leg of the band’s stateside tour, dubbed “2021 VERIVERY 1st TOUR IN US,” the gig took place at the Vermont Hollywood, a live performance venue in LA, on Dec. 5. As the clock ticked toward 7 p.m., concertgoers started queuing up from the entrance all the way to the end of the street

LOS ANGELES – Witnessing the emotional reunion of K-pop titans BTS with their fans in Los Angeles, it was clear that the two years apart left their bond not just completely unscathed, but stronger than ever. “I really wanted to say I missed you, and we know how hard things were for you, how thankful I am. In Korea, we didn’t have any fans and performed in front of the camera. I really shouldn’t feel this way, but the first time I saw you in two years, honestly it was a

In the highly competitive K-pop scene, it’s hard for rookies to rise above the crowd and make a splash. Despite the global lockdown during the ongoing pandemic era, EPEX is off to a good start. Hailed as a super-rookie band, the eight-piece group under C9 Entertainment released its first EP, “Bipolar Pt. 1: Prelude of Anxiety,” June 8 and achieved the highest first-week sales for a debut album among newcomers this year: a total of 33,353 copies sold on the Hanteo chart. Wit

After breaking record after record with “Dynamite” last year, BTS is ready make another big splash with the brand-new summer bop “Butter.” The group’s second English-language single, “Butter” is an upbeat dance pop anthem with a seasonal vibe, peppered with dazzling synths and an infectious hook. The seven-piece act held an offline global press conference in Seoul on Friday evening, right after the song’s release, where the musicians talked about

When global sensation BTS danced to its 2018 hit “Idol” at an ethereally moonlit Gyeongbokgung in Seoul on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” last September, fans all over the world had their eyes on the seven beloved superstars -- first for their mesmerizing performance and then for their black outfits inspired by Korea’s traditional attire, or hanbok. Those stylish suits, sleekly embellished with Korean elements, immediately created buzz on soc