SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – When Yoon Sun-young’s high school freshman child asked for tickets to PSY’s “Soaked Show,” she was taken aback by the price tag. Even with a 20% student discount, standing room tickets cost over 130,000 won, and factoring in food and transportation, the total expense would easily surpass 200,000 won. “A [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against four major K-pop merchandise retailers for unfair business practices, highlighting growing concerns over consumer rights in the booming idol goods market. The FTC announced on August 11 that it would issue corrective orders and impose fines totaling 10.5 million won [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – As New Jeans Nim (comedian Yoon Sung-ho) gains popularity among young people with his electronic dance music (EDM) and Buddhist chant fusion, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is introducing its own Buddhist idol group, BTENS, as a new strategy to spread its teachings. The Jogye Order announced on August [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The K-pop industry’s overseas sales surpassed 1 trillion won (US$722.28 million) for the first time last year, according to a government report released Wednesday. The report by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, a state-run think tank under the culture ministry, showed that the industry’s combined revenue reached an [...]
SEOUL, Jul. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – In a bustling airport lounge, a masked celebrity enters, flanked by bodyguards. Suddenly, one guard turns and shines a bright flashlight at nearby passengers, ostensibly to prevent them from taking photos. This scene, captured on video and widely shared online, has ignited a fierce debate in South Korea about the [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – Kakao Entertainment has struck a deal with the U.S. Billboard magazine to further propel K-pop onto the world stage, the South Korean entertainment firm said Thursday. Joseph Chang, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, Billboard U.S. President Mike Van and Kim Yuna, the publisher and CEO of Billboard Korea, signed the [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – In a heartwarming display of environmental stewardship, the globally renowned K-pop group SEVENTEEN and their dedicated fans have joined forces with the music platform Melon to create a second forest under the platform’s eco-friendly initiative, further amplifying their positive influence. According to an announcement made on April 9 by Kakao [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Babymonster, the latest girl group from YG Entertainment, has set a new record for first-week album sales for the first album of a K-pop girl group, the agency said Monday. The group’s first EP, “Babymons7er,” sold 401,287 copies in its first week after being released last Monday, YG said, [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — BTS RM reaffirmed his unwavering admiration for art through his latest social media update, where he documented his recent visits to local galleries and art museums. The leader of the K-pop supergroup, who is currently serving in the Army, shared photos on his Instagram on Sunday, capturing his recent [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – In a groundbreaking move for South Korea’s phenomenally popular K-pop music scene, a new group composed entirely of deaf members will make its debut next month on National Disabled Persons Day, according to their agency, Parastar Entertainment. The trio, called Big Ocean, consists of Lee Chan-yeon, Park Hyun-jin and Kim [...]