Lee Joon and Jung So-min couple from the recent KBS drama “My Father is Strange” may have become a real-life couple. Previously, a local news outlet reported that Lee, currently serving his mandatory military duty, was recently spotted dating Jung while he left the barracks on leave. The report said the two were seen shopping for a scarf at a local mall. (Jung So-min`s Instagram)On Monday, Lee’s agency Prain TPC confirmed the rumors, saying that the actor has been dating Jung since October last

Dating rumors between Big Bang‘s G-Dragon and singer-turned-actress Lee Joo-yeon have resurfaced. A local media outlet on Monday reported that the Big Bang frontman and Lee, formerly a member of K-pop girl group After School, have been secretly dating for over a year, claiming that the two celebs recently went on a four-day trip to Jeju Island together. The two were swept up in dating rumors in November last year, when the photos of the two enjoying a trip in Hawaii raised suspicions among fans.

Reigning K-pop act Twice became the first K-pop act to attend Japan’s renowned year-end music festival “Kohaku Uta Gassen” in six-years. On Sunday, the nine-piece girl group performed the Japanese version of its breakout hit “TT” at the annual Japanese show produced by NHK and held live at NHK Hall. The group was the latest K-pop artist to have participated in the show, following TVXQ, Kara and Girls’ Generation. Due to the show’s wide reach, the program is known for inviting artists with the mo

Rounding out 2017, K-pop act Big Bang on Sunday wrapped up its last concert as a group before members’ upcoming military enlistment, with a promise to return as the complete five-piece.“Big Bang 2017 Concert Last Dance in Seoul,” the two-day concert that kicked off Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, was especially meaningful to both the K-pop act and fans, as it marked Big Bang’s last performance before it goes on hiatus due to members G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung’s upcoming enlistment. And

Veteran balladeer Park Hyo-shin will return with the new wintry single “Winter Sound,” according to his agency Glove Entertainment. The agency said Thursday that Park’s upcoming new single, penned and composed by the singer himself, marks his first release since “I am a Dreamer” in October last year. Park is said to have recorded the song while recalling the person he missed most and focusing on the sound of winter. The release date for “Winter Sound” is yet to be revealed. The seasoned singer,

Black Eyed Pilseung, a prominent K-pop producer duo, will kick-start its K-pop management agency by holding nationwide auditions in January next year. In June, Rado and Choi Kyu-sung joined forces with CJ E&M to establish their own K-pop agency called High-up Entertainment.  Black Eyed Pilseung (High-up Entertainment)On Thursday, Black Eyed Pilseung announced the official launch of the agency, along with a plan to hold auditions in eight cities, including Gwangju, Busan and Seoul, in January nex

Still recovering from a series of broadcast mishaps on Sunday’s episode, tvN’s “A Korean Odyssey” was dealt another blow as one of its staff was seriously injured after falling on the set. On Wednesday, local media reported that a staff member of the drama had fallen from a height of more than three meters while setting up a chandelier at the set in the early hours of Sunday morning. He is said to have broken his spine and pelvic bone in the fall and was transferred to the hospital unconscious.

K-pop group MissA will be ending its seven-year career, its agency JYP entertainment said Wednesday. The announcement did not come as a surprise, as the originally four-piece group only consisted of Suzy and Fei, who renewed their contracts with JYP in August this year and May last year, respectively. (JYP Entertainment)Industry insiders had also anticipated that MissA’s disbandment was only a matter of time, with the group taking a long break since the release of its EP “Colors” in 2015. Former

Actress Kim So-hyun is set to embark on a new phase of her career with an agency under Loen Entertainment. According to Loen Entertainment on Tuesday, Kim recently signed a contract with E&T Story Entertainment, a new agency established under Loen. Kim’s contract with her former agency Sidus HQ ended in August.  (Kim So-hyun`s Instagram)“The contract between E&T Entertainment and Kim was made based on her connection with E&T Entertainment’s CEO Park Chan-woo since 2010,” an official of Loen said

[Next Wave] Watching her bandmates, also her longtime friends, walk out of the band over the past few years has been painful. But the vein of optimism still runs through Dalchong, who declared she would become the one and only vocalist of band Cheeze in January this year. “Looking back, I was full of concerns when I stood solo earlier this year. Standing alone was tough, but I remember that my New Year’s resolution for 2017 was, ‘Let me do whatever I can do as much as I can.’ Come to think of it

President Moon Jae-in recently said in a meeting with South Korean reporters that he hopes the success of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics will contribute to easing regional tensions sparked by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.As Moon goes all out to promote the games, the government is now putting the finishing touches on preparations for the country’s first Winter Olympics.The Winter Games will kick off on Feb. 9, 2018 and run until Feb. 25, followed by the Paralympic G

Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay apparently didn’t like one of the most popular Korean street foods during his recent stay here. The British TV star was featured in a short interview clip Thursday where he tried out Korean street food bungeo-ppang, a fish-shaped pastry stuffed with sweetened red bean paste. As Korean TV personality and interviewer Yang Se-hyung handed him the snack, Ramsay didn’t get a good first impression. “What the hell is this? So it’s like something out of ‘Finding Nemo?

K-pop act Infinite will roll out the album “Top Seed” on Jan. 8, according to the group’s agency Woolim Entertainment.   A teaser photo for Infinite’s upcoming album “Top Seed” (Woolim Entertainment)At midnight on Thursday, the agency heralded Infinite’s return by dropping a teaser image for “Top Seed,” which marks the group’s third album. Fronted by the lead track “Top Seed,” the album will be the group’s first release in more than a year after “Infinite Only.”The teaser photo showed the member

Following Jonghyun’s untimely death that spread grief around the globe, an Indonesial female fan’s recent suicide attempt has sparked a possible copycat suicide alert. According to Indonesian media reports Thursday, the fan was found unconscious from an overdose and hospitalized in an apparent suicide attempt. On Monday she left suicidal posts on her Twitter account, the day Jonghyun passed away. She wrote, “I can‘t endure it anymore. Mom, dad, Jonghyun oppa, we’ll meet really soon” in both Kore

For decades, K-pop stars have been the envy of teenagers here due to the seemingly glamorous and lucrative lifestyle show business has to offer. But a note written by the main vocalist of SHINee, who took his life Monday, showed the depth of their struggles and lives in the public eye, shedding a critical spotlight on the multibillion-won industry where some artists are crushed under depression. In his letter, Jonghyun wrote, “I’m broken from the inside. The depression that has slowly eaten away

The death of Jonghyun, the talented main vocalist of SHINee, sent shock waves among fans and peers that resonated throughout the country and the K-pop scene. Jonghyun, whose real name was Kim Jong-hyun, was found in a rented studio apartment in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul at 6:10 p.m., Monday. The 27-year-old singer had suffered a cardiac arrest upon discovery and was taken to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead after attempts to revive him failed.Police confirmed Tuesday that his deat

The end of the year is the perfect time to wallow in nostalgia, but walking down memory lane may not always be joyful; after all, the word “nostalgia” is said to come from “the pain from an old wound” in Greek. And with his silky voice, veteran singer-songwriter Shin Seung-hun, still reigning supreme after 27 years, told those attending his year-end concert Sunday that it is okay to embrace those past pains. Singing a verse from his first-ever digital single “Polaroid,” Shin said life, no matter

Another drug-related incident involving an artist from YG Entertainment has the public demanding that the K-pop agency assume more responsibility for its performers.On Friday, Seoul Bangbae Police Station said YG Entertainment’s rapper Kush, who also works under YG’s independent label The Black Label as its producer, was booked without detention for purchasing and using cocaine. According to police, Kush, whose real name is Kim Byung-hoon, 33, was nabbed in an undercover operation on Tuesday at

Actress Song Hye-kyo and EXO-CBX, subunit of K-pop act EXO, joined Korean president Moon Jae-in at the opening ceremony of a Korea-China Economic and Trade Partnership event that took place in Beijing Thursday. The star-studded event was part of Moon’s first state visit to China since taking office in May. It has been reported that the presence of such celebs reflects Moon’s intention to revive bilateral economic exchanges, which suffered a blow in a row over Seoul’s deployment of the Terminal H

Continuing its domination of the Billboard charts, BTS’ recent single “DNA” has landed on the US magazine’s 100 Best Songs of 2017 chart. According to Billboard Wednesday, the smash hit from its latest album “Love Yourself Seung Her” was ranked No. 49 on the chart, making the seven-piece boy band the only K-pop act on this year’s list.   BTS‘ “DNA” lands No. 49 on Billboard’s 100 Best Songs of 2017 chart. (Billboard)“BTS’ crossover into the US market isn’t a coincidence: The K-pop superstars hav