SEOUL, June 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Hwang Dong-hyuk, creator and director of Netflix’s global hit Squid Game, said the upcoming second and third seasons will conclude the epic saga while shifting focus from delivering a message to raising profound questions about humanity’s future in a capitalist society. At a press conference held Monday in Seoul, [...]
SEOUL, June 5 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop boy group Seventeen has appeared on U.S. NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” performing “Thunder,” the lead track from its fifth full-length album “Happy Burstday,” according to the group’s agency, Pledis Entertainment. The performance, which aired Wednesday (U.S. time), featured synchronized choreography, dramatic lighting and props — including one [...]
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) – K-pop boy group Seventeen placed third on Billboard’s 2025 midyear Top Tours chart, earning $120.9 million from ticket sales. According to Billboard’s midyear boxscore report released on Wednesday (U.S. time), Seventeen sold 842,000 tickets across 30 shows on its latest “Right Here” world tour legs. The report covers the [...]
MANILA, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Korean dramas are not just winning hearts in the Philippines — they’re reshaping drinking habits, too. Fueled by scenes of characters sharing drinks over grilled pork belly or mixing soju and beer, a growing number of Filipinos in their 20s and 30s are embracing Korea’s iconic green-bottle liquor. At [...]
MANILA, Philippines, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) — A combination of the Korean Wave and expanded local sales networks has driven sales growth at Hitejnro Philippines Inc. in recent years, the company said at a recent media event. Hitejinro Co., South Korea’s leading beverage company, established its Philippine subsidiary in July 2019 to strengthen its presence [...]
SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has added 13 more performances to its upcoming world tour, “Deadline,” the group’s agency YG Entertainment said Tuesday. The four-member act will begin the tour in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, on July 5-6. The 13 newly added performances will take place in six cities, [...]
SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) – K-pop powerhouse Hybe said Tuesday it will sell its entire stake in rival SM Entertainment to China’s Tencent for 200 billion won (US$145.5 million). In a regulatory filing, Hybe said it will dispose of 2,212,237 shares of SM Entertainment, which represents a 9.38 percent stake in the company. The [...]
SEOUL, May 27, 2025 (Korea Bizwire) — All seven members of global K-pop sensation BTS will have completed their mandatory military service by June 2025, sparking renewed anticipation for a long-awaited group comeback in South Korea and across the global music industry. While Jin and J-Hope have already returned to civilian life, RM and V [...]
PARIS, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Renowned Korean soprano Sumi Jo received France’s Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters on Monday in recognition of her contributions to French arts and culture. The 62-year-old soprano was awarded the highest rank of the three-tier honor from the French Ministry of Culture during an award ceremony [...]
SEOUL, May 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Heo Ga-young’s “First Summer” has won First Prize in the La Cinef section of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Friday. Heo is the first Korean director to receive the top honor in the section, which is dedicated to showcasing exceptional short and mid-length [...]