City Seoul Showbiz Latest News and Updates

BLACKPINK will be hosting their first-ever virtual concert called ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ in partnership with Meta and production company The Diamond Bros.The concert was announced by Billboard today (November 15), and is confirmed to be a recreation of the group’s special finale show for their ‘Born Pink’ world tour in Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome. Fans can expect performances of the band’s roster of hits including ‘Pink Venom’, ‘How You Like That’ and ‘Kill This Love’, as well as solo music performed by each individual member.Emmy Award-winning production company The Diamond Bros.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Concrete Utopia,” South Korea’s Oscar contender, was Wednesday named best film at the country’s annual Grand Bell Awards. It also won prizes for best actor, best supporting actress, art direction, sound mixing and visual effects.

France’s César Academy has unveiled its annual Revelations list showcasing 32 emerging acting talents making their mark in the French-speaking cinema world.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Ninety-seven times out of 100, a movie makes its moral judgments for us. Yes, there’s a haunting ambiguity to films like “The Conformist” or “Taxi Driver” or “Tár.” But when was the last time you saw moral ambiguity in a genre movie? Even the “Mad Max” films, in their visionary savagery, draw a clean line between nobility and treachery, speed-demon heroism and outlaw selfishness. But “Concrete Utopia” is a dystopian disaster movie with a difference.

EXCLUSIVE: Jee Young Han (Perry Mason) has been tapped for a major role in K-Pops!, the dramatic comedy marking the directorial debut of eight-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak, in which he also stars opposite son Soul Rasheed.

Badland Hunters.Netflix has announced that it has greenlit production on its the upcoming film. Badland Hunters. The movie will be led by Eternals star Ma Dong-seok along with Lee Hee-jun, Lee Jun-young and Roh Jeong-eui.The film, which has been in talks since at least 2022, is reportedly set in the universe of disaster-thriller Concrete Utopia starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young, which was released earlier this year.According to Netflix, Ma stars in the post-apocalyptic film as Nam-san, a wasteland hunter in a decimated Seoul after a devastating earthquake.

K-pop girl group aespa have unveiled snippets of the tracks from their upcoming mini-album ‘Drama’.Today (November 3), aespa released a “Track Poster” clip for their upcoming mini-album ‘Drama’, previewing all six songs on the project. The clip opens with a snippet of title track ‘Drama’, followed by brand-new B-side ‘Trick or Trick’.Also appearing on the record are ‘Don’t Blink’, ‘Hot Air Balloon’ and ‘YOLO’, which aespa performed for the first time at their ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ concerts in Seoul back in February, and closing track ‘You’.In addition, their recent English-language single ‘Better Things’ will also be on the digital version of the record, even though it is not featured in the clip.aespa will make their return with ‘Drama’ on November 10 at 2pm KST/Midnight EST.

FIFTY FIFTY will continue on as a group with “three new members”, their agency Attrakt has shared.Yesterday (November 2), K-pop agency Attrakt announced that it would be adding three new members to K-pop girl group. The news follows a months-long legal battle with original former members Saena, Sio and Aran, whose contracts with the agency have since been terminated.“We plan to reorganize FIFTY FIFTY centring around Keena, who recently returned [to the agency].

Castaway Diva. The song was released yesterday (October 31) on music streaming platforms, alongside its accompanying music video.

G-Dragon will attend a police questioning and take a drug test next week, as part of the ongoing investigations into his alleged drug use.G-Dragon’s lawyer, Kim Su-hyeon, said in a press release that the K-pop idol’s upcoming questioning by the police is voluntary and will take place on Monday (November 6) at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, according to Yonhap News Agency.On top of the questioning, police also announced yesterday (October 31) that they will also be conducting a rapid drug test on the 35-year-old singer as part of procedure.The October 31 statement by G-Dragon’s legal counsel also included a warning from against the dissemination of falsified information about the singer’s current situation.“We urge the media and press to report with responsibility to prevent Kwon Ji-yong, a K-pop artist representing South Korea, from being inflicted any irrevocable damage from the spread of false information,” the statement read.G-Dragon – real name Kwon Ji-young – was first booked by the Incheon Metropolitan Police on October 26, and is currently under probe without detention for his alleged breach of South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act.A day after the allegations surfaced (October 27), the musician came forward to deny claims of his illegal drug use in a statement through his lawyer.According to The Korea Herald’s report on October 30, G-Dragon issued a second statement reiterating his stance, and displayed his notification to the police of his legal representation and will for voluntary questioning and investigation.“Kwon has submitted all the evidence necessary for the investigation and his vow to sincerely cooperate in the hair and urine test, in order to reveal the truth and prove his innocence,”

ARTMS and LOONA member HeeJin member has released her new music video for ‘Algorithm’.The music video for ‘Algorithm’ stars HeeJin as a Korean princess who lives a glamorous life online, but wishing for more freedom in life. She soon makes a break for it, running away from the place to reunite with her ARTMS bandmates.Later, the LOONA singer explores the streets of Seoul, takes pictures at photobooths and joins a dance class.

FIFTY FIFTY will be “reorganised” following legal troubles, says the act’s agency Attrakt.Earlier this year, the four members of the girl group – Keena, Saena, Sio and Aran – filed a lawsuit to suspend their exclusive contracts with K-pop agency Attrakt.The Seoul Central District Court rejectrf the girl group’s injunction request in August 2023, with all four members later appealing the decision. However, Keena withdrew her appeal earlier this month and returned to the Attrakt.Soon after, the K-pop agency announced that it terminated its exclusive contracts with the remaining three members, alleging that the trio had “show[n] o sign of remorse for violating their contract”.In the wake of that decision (October 29), Attrakt has announced that Keena would be attending the 2023 Billboard Music Awards this November to represent FIFTY FIFTY.

Persona: Sulli, a documentary film starring late K-pop star Sulli, will premiere on Netflix in November.Today (October 26), Netflix confirmed that Persona: Sulli will be released on the streaming platform next month. According to a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, the film will be split into two parts.The first is a short film called 4: Clean Island, which stars the late Sulli as the titular “4”, who travels to an island that is dubbed the cleanest place in the world.

The Finals has announced another beta for the upcoming free-to-play shooter and players will be able to earn in-game extras and keep them for launch.Held from October 26 to November 5, this will be available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players and it will an open beta allowing for cross-platform play.Two maps from the closed beta will return, Monaco and Seoul, and a new map titled Skyway Stadium will be introduced.Players can get to grips with The Finals mechanics and movements in the practice range before entering one of the four game modes.Cashout involves teams of three players who will compete to find cashboxes, secure them and then deposit them in vaults.

EXCLUSIVE: Concrete Utopia, South Korea’s International Film Oscar entry this year, will hit theaters in NY and LA on Dec. 8 with a wide release on Dec. 15.  In the U.S, 815 Pictures and Seismic Releasing are releasing the Lotte Entertainment feature.

FIFTY FIFTY‘s label Attrakt has terminated the contracts of group members Aran, Sio and Saena.K-pop agency Attrakt announced today (October 23) that it has decided to terminate its exclusive contracts with three of the K-pop act’s members: Aran, Sio and Saena. It comes amid a legal battle between the label and the K-pop idols over their contracts.In its statement, Attrakt said that it had informed the three K-pop idols on October 19 that their contracts with the label would be ending as the trio had “show[n] o sign of remorse for violating their contract”, per The Kpop Herald.According to South Korean news outlet Dispatch, Attrakt also accused the trio of having “slandered and defamed the agency, and to this day continue to distort facts and make false claims, repeating arguments that have been rejected by the court, without any remedy for the breach of contract”.FIFTY FIFTY shot to worldwide fame earlier this year due to the viral success of their single ‘Cupid’.

EXCLUSIVE: Korean webcomic platform Manta has named its first CEO.

“Incredibly weird — but delightful” was one audience member’s indelible comment after the UK premiere of Lee Won-suk’s insane comedy Killing Romance on Friday. Starring Lee Hanee, a former Miss Universe recently seen in the sci-fi romp Alienoid, it tells the story of Hwa Yeo-rae, a viral internet star who becomes trapped in a controlling marriage to the evil Jonathan Na (Lee Sun-kyun, who played the head of Parasite’s rich Park family). To escape from Na, Yeo-rae teams up with her new neighbor Beom-woo (Gong Myung), a young superfan who dreams up a series of increasingly bizarre murder plots.

EXCLUSIVE: Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) and Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park (Raya and the Last Dragon) have joined the cast of K-Pops!, the film marking the directorial debut of eight-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak, which we were first to report on. Also now aboard the project from Stampede Ventures, which has secured an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, is new strategic partner Live Nation Productions, which has made an equity investment into the production alongside the former company. It’s been set to enter production in Los Angeles October 30, with additional filming to be done in Korea and AlUla, an ancient Saudi Arabia market city which was scouted through Film AlUla, the film agency of The Royal Commission.

Daily Dose of Sunshine, starring Park Bo-young.Daily Dose of Sunshine – slated for an exclusive global release on the streaming platform on November 3 – follows the story of nurse Jung Da-eun, portrayed by Doom at your Service’s Park Bo-young, whose adventure starts when she unwittingly ends up being transferred to the hospital’s Psychiatry Unit.The trailer features the unit’s miscellany of eccentric patients, from those who suffer from depression to those afflicted with schizophrenia. Despite her inexperience in the area, Da-eun tries her best to support her patients where she can – from letting herself get drenched in the pouring rain to bring a patient back into shelter to putting herself in harm’s way trying to restrain a violent patient.Due to her perceived inadequacy for the job, she apologises to the chief nurse, Song Hyo-shin (played by Parasite actress Lee Jung-eun), who comforts her and explains to her that mental illnesses are not as straightforward as the physical ailments Da-eun is used to treating.

Castaway Diva, starring Park Eun-bin of Extraordinary Attorney Woo fame.Castaway Diva follows Seo Mok-ha, a crass countryside girl who has pipe dreams of becoming a pop star. One fateful day, as she’s making her way to Seoul city in order to make her dreams come true, Mok-ha somehow finds herself stranded on an uninhabited island, where she remains for the next 15 years.The new trailer introduces the eccentricities of Mok-ha, who speaks in a heavy dialect synonymous with rural South Korean towns and is extremely vocal about her dreams, despite being well aware of the fact that she “sounds hopeless”.

Doona!.In Doona!, Yang Se-jong plays college student Lee Won-jun, who ends up living and falling in love with Doona (Bae Suzy), a former K-pop idol who has left behind her glamorous celebrity life and retired from the entertainment industry.During the premiere event for Doona! in Seoul yesterday (October 18), the actor opened up about the lengths he went to in order to look younger for the role. Yang Se-jog turns 31 this year, in comparison to his character, who is in his mid-20s.“I’ve put a lot of effort into my appearance.

When Netflix announced in April that it’s planning to spend $2.5 billion on Korean content across the next four years, on top of the more than $1 billion already spent since 2016, it made the world sit up and take notice.

Red Velvet have announced their upcoming third studio album, titled ‘What A Chill Kill’.Red Velvet revealed the title and release date for their third studio album today (October 18), through a post on their social media accounts. Titled ‘What A Chill Kill’, the girl group’s new record will be released on November 13 at 6PM KST.

BTS singer Jungkook has unveiled the tracklist for his upcoming debut album ‘Golden’, featuring Major Lazer, DJ Snake and more.Today (October 16), BTS’ Jungkook released the tracklist for his forthcoming debut album ‘Golden’, featuring a number of high-profile collaboration, notable songwriters and more. The record will be released on November 3, led by the single ‘Standing Next to You’.‘Golden’ will feature 11 songs, including with French producer and rapper DJ Snake on the track ‘Please Don’t Change’, while Major Lazer are set to feature on ‘Closer to You’.

IVE have shared the official music video for their latest single, ‘Baddie’, which was released earlier today (October 13).The track is taken from the Starship Entertainment girl group’s new EP, ‘I’VE MINE’, which also arrived today.In the colourful video, the group becomes “cat humans” that inspire a wave of news bulletins warning: “These so-called baddies are ruining our society.”Throughout the video, the members embody these apparent scourges, taking over supermarkets and performing choreography around a fire under the moon. “I’m a baddie / Pretty little risky baddie,” they chant on the chorus.

Lee Hyori has returned with her first official single in six years, ‘Hoodie E Banbaji’, which translates to ‘Hoodie And Shorts’ in English.The singer debuted with the girl group Fin.K.L in 1998 and launched a successful solo career in 2003 with the album, ‘Stylish…E’.Now, Lee Hyori has shared her first official single since the release of her 2017 album ‘Black’. ‘Hoodie E Banbaji’ follows a handful of OST tracks and songs shared as part of her TV series Seoul Check-In and Canada Check-In.The video opens with Lee, dressed in a hoodie, shorts, and sparkly shirt, in an industrial area that’s buzzing with people out for the night.

Taemin has announced the first details of ‘Guilty’, his first solo comeback in over two years.The SHINee singer and dancer last released solo material in May 2021 with the mini-album ‘Advice’, which arrived shortly before he began his mandatory military service.‘Guilty’ is set to arrive on October 30 at 6pm KST (9am GMT). Further information, including a tracklist and single, is yet to be revealed.

BTS’ V has drawn criticism from fans for wearing a durag during his latest live broadcast on Weverse Live today (October 9).The star spoke to fans during a brief livestream on the fan community platform early this morning after attending an after-party for Lil Uzi Vert in Seoul.During the Weverse Live, V showed fans a red durag that was hanging on a keyboard stand behind him. After fans noticed it, he put it on to show them what it was, saying: “I received it as a gift.” After wearing the item for around 20 seconds, he removed it.

BTS’ Jungkook has announced details of his first solo concert, which will be titled ‘Golden Live On Stage’.The show will be held in the weeks following the release of the singer’s upcoming debut solo album, which is also called ‘Golden’.Jungkook will headline Seoul’s Jangchung Arena in Seoul, with the concert set to stream online for fans around the world. It will take place on November 20 at 8pm KST (11am GMT), with tickets available for fans who hold ARMY membership or who have purchased ‘Golden’ from the Weverse Shop.“Jungkook ‘Golden’ Live On Stage will feature performances of various tracks in the album,” a notice on Weverse read.