South Korean stadium reportedly “severely damaged” after hosting Psy’s ‘Summer Swag’ concert

BTS’ potential military exemption.South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence has followed-up on minister Lee Jong-sup’s previous comments regarding a potential public poll on BTS’ military exemption, announcing that it will not be going forward with the poll.During an August 31 parliamentary hearing, defence minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers of plans to implement a national survey to gauge public opinions on exempting the boyband from mandatory military service. The ministry later clarified that officials were only examining the need of such a survey at the time.As of September 1 however, it confirmed that it will not be conducting a poll on BTS’ enlistment.“The Ministry of National Defence will not arrange a public poll on the matter, nor making decisions on the issue of BTS’ military service solely based on the result of the poll,” it shared through an official statement, as reported by SBS News.All able-bodied male citizens of South Korea are to enlist in the military by the age of 28, serving at least 18 months of mandatory service under the current law.

As the debate in South Korea over whether or not BTS should serve military service continues to drag on, the latest idea is to put the matter to the South Korean public, as the country’s government has failed to reach a conclusion.Yeah, that’s right, a referendum on the future of a pop group. Why can’t we have votes like that, instead of bloody Brexit? Actually, this is more a survey to gauge public opinion than a full on referendum.

Jeff Benjamin With new headlines dropping daily about the global expansion of K-pop, overseas investors now have a chance to cash in. Today, Sept. 1, a K-pop and Korean-entertainment ETF — under the ticker name KPOP — launched on the NYSE Arca Exchange through South Korean IP investment company Contents Technologies. With top pop-culture players on board, KPOP marks the first time investors in the U.S. and Europe can access the companies most directly involved in the expanding K-pop music scene. Of the 30 corporations in the exchange-traded fund, the major holding companies of KPOP include several of the scene’s most internationally influential names, all publicly listed on the local Korea Composite Stock Price Index. 

BTS exemptions from mandatory military service.Debates over the necessity of BTS’ fulfilment of local military conscription requirements have long been a point of public contention, which have recently intensified as the boyband’s oldest member, Jin, is due to turn 30 this December. The law calls for all male Korean citizens – no older than age 30 – to enlist in the military for mandatory service.On August 31, The Korea Times reported that South Korea’s defence minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers that he has ordered officials to implement a survey to gauge the public’s opinions on BTS’ enlistment.

Korean actor Song Kang-ho, who starred in Parasite and won best actor at this year’s Cannes film festival for his role in Broker, is set to make his debut in a Korean series with Uncle Sam Shik for Seoul-based production company Slingshot Studio.

Parasite star and this year’s Cannes Best Actor winner Song Kang-ho has been confirmed for his first-ever Korean drama role of his 32-year career.On August 30, production company Slingshot Studio announced that Song has accepted a role in its upcoming K-drama series titled Uncle Sam Shik.The upcoming role will mark the critically acclaimed actor’s first-ever K-drama role of his acting career, which first began in 1990. Song spent the first six years of his career starring in theatre productions before making his film debut in 1996 with The Day a Pig Fell into the Well.According to Asia Gyeongje, the upcoming 10-episode series will follow the “bromance” between a pair of longtime friends, Sam Shik and Kim San, who survived South Korea’s turbulent 1960s period together.Uncle Sam Shik will be directed by Shin Yeon-shik, whom Song recently worked with on upcoming films One Win and Cobweb, which are currently in post-production.Best known for his roles in the films Thirst, Memories of Murder, Snowpiercer and Parasite, the 55-year-old became the first South Korean male actor to win the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his recent drama film, Broker.The film, directed by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and also starring K-pop idol IU, received a 12-minute standing ovation after its premiere screening at the festival earlier this year.“Winning an award from such a prestigious festival as Cannes is a great and happy moment, an unforgettable turning point of my life,” said Song during a recent interview.However, the actor added: “I have won the award, but that itself cannot become the purpose.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief More than 600 buyers from companies in 30 countries are expected to be in Seoul, South Korea from Wednesday for the in-person return of the Broadcast WorldWide convention, better known as BCWW. Although BCWW bills itself as Asia’s largest broadcasting content market, given the strength of the Korean wave, much of the focus will be on Korean content and the business of working with Korean companies. Registered buyers and potential partners include Amazon Prime, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, PCCW the Hong Kong-based owner of Viu, and China’s iQiyi, all of which have already become purveyors of K-programming. “For the past 22 years, BCWW has served as a foundation for K-content to garner the global attention it is getting today,” said Cho Hyun-rae, president of the government-backed Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). He added that he expects KOCCA and BCWW to “provide continuous support for K-content.”

Narco-Saints. Created by The Spy Gone North filmmaker Yoon Jong-bin, Narco-Saints stars Ha Jung-woo (Ashfall, Entourage) as protagonist Kang In-su, an modest entrepreneur who lands in Suriname for business and ends up getting framed by a Korean drug lord operating in the country and sent to prison.As he’s beginning to serve his sentence, In-su is roped into a secret mission by Choi Chang-ho (Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo), an agent of the Korean National Intelligence Service. Their goal is to eventually snare Jeon Yo-han (Hush’s Hwang Jung-min), the head of a notorious drug cartel and the one responsible for In-su’s imprisonment who is moonlighting as a pastor as a cover for his operations.The trailer begins with the conversation between Chang-ho and In-su as they discuss the details of the secret mission and what the latter needs to do for the NIS.

The Company You Keep, starring Milo Ventimiglia, based on the 2019 Korean drama My Fellow Citizens!.On August 22, Variety reported that ABC has picked up the series for a full season, which is now set for a 2023 premiere, after it was originally ordered to pilot this year. The Company You Keep is set to star This Is Us actor Milo Ventimiglia, alongside Catherine Haena Kim.It is an adaptation of the 2019 South Korean drama My Fellow Citizens!, which starred Super Junior member Choi Si-won, Dr.

Brad Pitt, who is in South Korea promoting  amid a 2016 FBI report in which Angelina Jolie accused him of assault. The 58-year-old actor on Thursday visited Seoul for the premiere of the action comedy film at Yongsan CGV. Pitt looked carefree as he sported a smile from ear to ear.

Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are back on the Bullet Train press tour!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe third decade of the millennium looks quite different for the Korean entertainment scene compared with just a few years earlier.In March 2020, “Parasite,” a Korean-made film noir made history by winning three Oscars, including best picture. The following year, Korean veteran Youn Yuh-jung took the Oscar for best supporting actress in “Minari,” while in 2022 “Squid Game” leading man Lee Jung-jae looks poised for Emmy accolades.K-pop has broken out to become a phenomenon that tops charts, fills global stadiums and airwaves, and the social media warriors of group BTS, who call themselves “ARMY” would even claim to have had a small influence at the last U.S.

SEVENTEEN singer Dino will miss the group’s performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a concert in Houston, Texas after testing positive for COVID-19.South Korean label Pledis Entertainment published a statement Wednesday (August 17) announcing Dino’s absence from some upcoming promotional activities as he had tested positive for the coronavirus.“Dino took a PCR test in Los Angeles on August 16 (PT) and was confirmed with COVID-19. He is currently experiencing a mild sore throat and has been under self-quarantine and administering self-treatment, away from the other members,” wrote the label in an English statement shared to SEVENTEEN’s official Twitter page.

Interpark Music Plus has responded to reports about the dissolution of girl group LABOUM.Last week (August 12), StarNews and other South Korean news outlets reported that LABOUM would be disbanding in late August or early September, following the agency’s acquisition by Yanolja.However, Interpark Music Plus has since said it is still in the midst of discussions regarding LABOUM’s future. “We saw the article about [LABOUM’s] disbandment, but absolutely nothing has been decided yet,” the agency told Sports Hankook, per Soompi.

The beloved K-Pop group SEVENTEEN is currently touring the world and you can check out their setlist right here!

EVERGLOW member Aisha has been hospitalised due to a “sudden health deterioration” and will not join her bandmates at the K-pop festival HallyuPopFest in Sydney this weekend, her label says.South Korean news outlet News1 reported earlier today (August 11) that the K-pop idol had collapsed amid preparations for an undisclosed scheduled activity. Following the incident, News1 said that her label, Yuehua Entertainment, immediately took her to the hospital.In response to the report, Yuehua Entertainment issued a statement to XSports News to confirm Aisha’s hospitalisation.

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. who are shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re speaking with Korean super-agent Soyoung Lee, who represents some of the nation’s biggest stars and talked to us about her experiences of the Korean content boom.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA+E Networks is giving a multinational launch Wednesday to “If You Wish Upon Me,” a Korean drama series that was produced by its A+E Studios unit.The show is a transformational story of an impoverished man with a troubled past and a twisted attitude who accidentally joins Team Genie, a group which carries out the last wishes of patients in hospice care. He starts caring for people other than himself for the first time and learns how to open his heart and live harmoniously.

star Song Kang-ho leads the cast of the South Korean thriller, which hits U.S. theaters this Friday, and only ET exclusively premieres an intense first look from the pandemic drama.The film, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last year, kicks off when a terroristic threat that goes viral online and Korean authorities discover that a suspect has recently boarded an international flight bound for the United States.