South Korean NGO sues Disney over alleged screen monopoly by ‘Frozen 2’
Seoul: A South Korean non-governmental organization has lodged a complaint against the Korean unit of Walt Disney Co., claiming its latest animated film, “Frozen 2,” violated the antitrust act by occupying up to 88 percent of domestic movie screens. The movie topped the box office over the weekend again, drawing about 2.15 million viewers, according […]
Pengsoo, the giant penguin South Korean millennials love
Seoul: Pengsoo is South Korea’s newest rising star. Debuting in March with a 23-second “meokbang,” or eating show, clip of munching on meringue cookies, Pengsoo now boasts more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. Pengsoo soared to stardom in less than a year, appearing on both terrestrial and cable TV and radio programs and […]
K-Cinema comes to Bahrain at annual Korean film festival
By Habib Toumi Manama: A film festival bringing four of the best and most exciting movies produced by South Korea and covering different periods and styles will be launched next month in Manama. The free admission screenings are expected to be a big hit among Bahraini and international viewers as movies by Korea, a country […]
K-pop diva Goo Ha-ra found dead at her home
Seoul: Goo Ha-ra, a K-pop diva and member of girl band KARA, was found dead Sunday at her home, police said. An acquaintance of the 28-year-old found her dead at around 6 p.m. at her home in Seoul’s Gangnam Ward and notified the police and firefighters, the police said. The police said they are currently […]
Grammys under fire after BTS wasn’t nominated for 2020 event
Seoul: The Grammy Awards, one of the major American pop music award events, have become fodder for criticism after K-pop band BTS was shut out of the nominations for the 2020 Grammys. Many eyes had been on BTS’ possible nomination when the American Recording Academy announced the 2020 list of nominees Wednesday following the septet’s […]
South Korea celebrities open YouTube channels to ride new media trend
Seoul: Lee Eun-hee, an office worker living in Seoul, subscribes to the YouTube channel of South Korean golfer Ko Jin-young, the 2018 Rookie of the Year and the current World No. 1 in the LPGA tour. “Ko Jin Young Ko Jin Young Ko,” the player’s YouTube channel, shows the professional golfer’s daily life between tournaments […]
BTS will not be exempted from military service: culture minister
Paris: South Korea’s globally acclaimed superstars BTS and other high-flying K-pop stars will not be exempted from mandatory military service under the government’s new guidelines on conscription waivers, the culture minister has said. Since early this year, a government task force has been working to revamp the guidelines to raise fairness in military conscription, and the […]
Korean internet cafés upgrade foods to lure hungry gamers
Seoul: Kim Ji-soo goes to a PC bang, or Korean-style internet café , once or twice a week to play his favorite online game, League of Legends, but there’s another reason to go there on late nights or weekends. After checking in at a self-service kiosk, Kim clicks on the “order food” button on the computer […]
Kyrgyzstan pays tribute to local actor, painter
Bishkek: Kyrgyzstan paid rich tribute to local artist Suimenkul Chokmorov as the country celebrated his 80th anniversary. “Suimenkul Chokmorov is the pride of the country, the greatest artist, an amazing actor, and an immensely talented son of the Kyrgyz people,” Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said as he took part in the solemn event to […]
BLACKPINK becomes 1st K-pop group to have music video with over 1 billion YouTube views
Seoul: BLACKPINK has become the first K-pop group to have a music video with more than 1 billion views on YouTube, the group’s Seoul-based agency said Monday. YG Entertainment said that the female group’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” music video surpassed the threshold in the afternoon, nearly 17 months after it was released last June. BLACKPINK is […]