Soojin makes solo debut with fierce music video for ‘AGASSY’

Netflix this week launched a real-life version of its super-popular dystopian Korean drama, Squid Game. The new show, Squid Game: The Challenge, is streaming now and features hundreds of everyday people competing in games from the original series for a chance to win a life-changing multi-million dollar prize. Created by the same people who made The Traitors and Race Across the World, Studio Lambert, it follows 456 real players all vying for a whopping $4.56 million – the biggest cash prize in reality TV history, according to Netflix.

K-pop girl group aespa have released their own version of Bobby Helms’ classic holiday song, ‘Jingle Bell Rock’.Today (November 24), the quartet unveiled a lyric video for their remake of the iconic 1957 Christmas song. aespa’s version of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ features a hip-hop-inspired beat, as well as a brand-new rap verse.“Ring ring ring, jingle bell rock / Play like a spell I won’t tell, jingle bell talk / So giddy up, giddy up / Turn it up fast till we burn up / We ain’t ever gonna stop, jingle bell rock,” Giselle and Winter rap on the second verse.SM Entertainment first announced the song via a press release earlier this week, describing it as a “catchy and hip” reinterpretation of the classic track, with the girl group’s “unique vocals and rap” setting it aside from the original ‘Jingle Bell Rock’.aespa’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ comes just two weeks after they released their fourth mini-album ‘Drama’.

Gyeongseong Creature, starring Han So-hee and Park Seo-jun.Set in the spring of 1945, Gyeongseong Creature will follow several individuals in the city of Gyeongseong – which was the colonial name for Seoul city during the Japanese rule over Korea – as they go up against monstrous creatures born out of human greed.Park Seo-jun will play Jang Tae-sang, the wealthiest and most attractive man in the Bukchon district, who has a penchant for insider information. Meanwhile, Han So-hee will portray Yoon Chae-ok, a skilled todugun (bounty hunter and sleuth who tracks down the missing).The new trailer for Gyeongseong Creature opens with the tense first meeting between Jang Tae-sang and Yoon Chae-ok, as we are introduced to the two character’s contrasting worlds.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief BTS, the biggest act in K-pop and one of the world’s hottest contemporary music acts, will be forced into hiatus through 2024 and much of 2025 after it was confirmed Wednesday that four band members — RM, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — will imminently enlist in the Korean military. The four follow Jin, who enlisted in December last year, J-Hope (April) and Suga, who have already begun their mandatory military service. The news was announced by Big Hit Music via social media.

The ladies of Blackpink were among the special guests at a state dinner at Buckingham Palace!

The Princess of Wales turned heads on Tuesday, 21 November as she sported an all-red ensemble at Horse Guards Parade complete with a statement hat. Kate, 41, attended a ceremonial welcome for The President and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea in London on Tuesday.

ABS-CBN Entertainment and regional streamer Viu are teaming on a Philippines remake of CJ ENM’s hit romcom series What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim. 

Stray Kids have scored their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with their new single, ‘LALALALA’.Today (November 21), Billboard confirmed Stray Kids’ new achievement in a tweet through its official Billboard Charts account. ‘LALALALA’ makes its debut on the Hot 100 at Number 90 this week.Notably, this makes Stray Kids the second-ever K-pop boyband to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, following BTS.

Thania Garcia Stray Kids returns to the peak of Billboard’s 200 albums chart with its eight-song mini album “Rock-Star.” It becomes the eight-member K-pop outfit’s second No. 1 album this year with the equivalent of 224,000 albums sold throughout the United States. “Rock-Star,” with lyrics in both English and Korean, is only the sixth mostly non-English album to have hit No.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Blackpink, the multinational female music act that is the biggest girl group in the Korean pop (K-pop) firmament, may finally be close to renewing its collective contract with YG Entertainment. The news was widely reported in Korea on Monday and comes after months of speculation that the four-piece act – Jisoo (real name Kim Ji-soo), Lisa (Lalisa Manobal), Jennie (Kim Jennie) and Rose (Roseanne Park) – would take their acts to another shop. Blackpink’s previous contracts with YG expired in August. The Munhwa Ilbo (or Culture Daily) publication Monday claimed an exclusive with the information that Blackpink will re-up with YG, but the four individuals will not renew their exclusive contracts with the agency.

BIBI and Latin pop artist Becky G have teamed up for a new single titled ‘Amigos’.The ‘Amigos’ visual features the duo taking a drive to a house party together, where they lounge by the pool, singing to the sensual new track. As the sun goes down, they take the party to a bonfire, dancing and driving figure-eights.The new song features Becky G singing in Spanish before BIBI joins in her native Korean.

OnlyOneOf have announced the dates and stops for the North American leg of their upcoming world tour in 2024.OnlyOneOf announced last week that they would be embarking on a world tour next year, with concerts set for cities across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. It will mark the band’s first-ever world tour.On November 14, the group announced that the world tour will kick off with its North American leg with 10 shows unveiled to take place in Vancouver, Chicago, New York City/New Jersey, Toronto, Atlanta, San Juan, Orlando, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

DEAN has been confirmed to release his first music after four years and six months this November.The singer’s label, Universal Music, announced the upcoming release of DEAN’s first single in more than four years through a statement to South Korean outlet TV Daily earlier today (November 14). In the company’s brief statement to press, it wrote: “DEAN will return after 4 years and 6 months.

Sweet Home, starring Song Kang.Taking place shortly after the events of season one, the new Sweet Home trailer reveals the world outside the Green Home apartment building. Monsters and soldiers hunt one another, while civilians are ushered into quarantine zones.Half-monster Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) is seen chained up in captivity, where he offers himself up to be used to research a vaccine to stop monster transformations.

SM Entertainment has previewed its upcoming music releases for the first quarter of 2024, featuring new music by aespa, NCT’s Taeyong and RIIZE.In the newly published SM Entertainment Earnings Release report for the third quarter of 2023, the company included a preview of the music line-up for the first quarter of 2024 It details a slew of planned album, mini-album and single releases from several SM artists for the period.Following the most recently announced upcoming release of Taeyeon’s mini-album ‘To. X’ on November 27, SM Entertainment has revealed that other artists slated to put out new music for the rest of the year include Super Junior’s Ryeowook, NCT 127 and TVXQ.

Pledis Entertainment, home to K-pop group SEVENTEEN, has announced the upcoming debut of a brand-new boyband in early-January 2024.South Korean media outlet JTBC reported on November 7 that Pledis Entertainment is planning to debut their first boyband in nine years in early January 2024. The report claimed that the group will consist of five to six members, including some who are not native Korean.Shortly after speculations surfaced, the company confirmed the news in an official statement to SPOTV News.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief CJ ENM Hong Kong, a unit of South Korea’s CJ ENM, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) and local TV network – TVBS to launch a multi-year content fund that would support the co-production and joint distribution of audiovisual content. The “strategic alliance” combines assets including production, distribution and marketing, media networks and technology.

BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo was reportedly paid up to US$80,000 per episode for her 2021 K-drama series, Snowdrop.From December 2021 to January 2022, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo starred in the JTBC K-drama series, Snowdrop, alongside Jung Hae-in. The series was the singer-actress’ first starring role in a TV show, following a number of guest appearances over the years.It’s been reported that the BLACKPINK member and co-star Jung were reportedly paid up to ₩110million (roughly US$81,000) per episode of the K-drama series, according to data obtained by SBS.The figure was part of an October 24 report that was presented by Lee Sang-heon, a member of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, who is also the chairman of the Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Committee.The report, submitted by the Korean Broadcasting Actors Union and the Performing Arts Rights Association of South Korea, was part of efforts to highlight the pay gap between lead and supporting actors in the entertainment industry.According to the report, Lee Sun-kyun was paid ₩200million (US$148,000) for an episode of the 2023 SBS series, Payback.

South Korean studio CJ ENM has entered into a MOU with Saudi Arabian content company Manga Productions to jointly co-produce and distribute content.

ARTMS‘ HeeJin has opened up about the difficulties she has faced in socialising as a public figure.HeeJin recently sat for an interview for the latest digital cover of Vanity Teen, where she spoke candidly about the challenges she and other Korean celebrities face when it comes to forming social circles.“There’s a common misconception that becoming an idol will lead to having many celebrity friends, but it’s actually quite challenging,” the ARTMS singer told the outlet.She later revealed that she has few celebrities friends even now, despite having made her debut in 2016. “Maybe it’s because of my personality, but I don’t think I’ve made celebrity friends since my debut as an idol,” she added.Elsewhere during the interview, HeeJin also spoke about upcoming music from ARTMS.