South Korea Showbiz Latest News and Updates

EXCLUSIVE: America’s undiscovered K-pop stars are getting their shot at fame.

Attrakt has been cleared of charges in a lawsuit filed by former FIFTY FIFTY members over alleged breach of trust.This is according to a statement given to South Korean news outlet Yonhap News today (March 11) by a representative from Attrakt, who said that the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul has “decided not to transfer the case of breach of trust filed by former FIFTY FIFTY members Saena, Sio and Aran [with no charges]”, as translated by Soompi. The K-pop agency also said that it would “hold those who deceived the members, who do not understand the accounting principles of corporate funds and encouraged them to file a complaint accountable for their actions of tampering [with their contracts] until the end”.On the same day, Attrakt also announced the upcoming return of FIFTY FIFTY, with new faces set to join remaining original member Keena in “June or July this year”, per Korea JoongAng Daily. More details about the group’s new line-up and music are expected to arrive in the coming months.In August last year, FIFTY FIFTY’s legal counsel – led by law firm Barun – officially announced that the idols had filed a criminal complaint against Attrakt CEO Jeon Hong-joon for “violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT) have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘Act: Promise’ world tour, which will kick off with concerts in Seoul this May.Tomorrow X Together new world tour was announced today (March 11) by the boyband’s label, Big Hit Music. It will kick off with a three-date concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea from May 3 to 5.The kick-off dates of the K-pop boyband’s 2024 tour will be made available for livestreaming, according to an announcement on TXT’s official Weverse page.

NCT member Lucas Wong has announced his debut solo single, titled ‘Renegade’.Lucas’ new single was announced today (March 11) through the singer’s official social media accounts. According to a teaser image for the release, ‘Renegade’ will drop on April 1 at 6pm KST.‘Renegade’ will feature three English tracks, with label SM Entertainment describing the title track as a “rock-based hip-hop song that embodies the ambition to pursue one’s own path without hesitation, embracing change for a better direction and a stronger inner self”.LUCAS 루카스 The 1st Single 〖Renegade〗 ➫ 2024.4.1 6PM KST#LUCAS #루카스 #Renegade #LUCAS_Renegade pic.twitter.com/kzkTWFPeoK— LUCAS (@lucas_official) March 10, 2024루카스 첫 싱글 ‘Renegade’ 4월 1일 오후 6시 발매! 오늘부터 예판 시작동명의 타이틀 곡 ‘Renegade’ 포함 영어곡 총 3곡으로 구성‘Renegade’는 록 기반의 힙합 곡으로 더 나은 방향을 위한 변화와 더욱 강해진 내면을 통해 망설임 없이 자신의 길을 걸어가겠다는 포부 담겨Lucas is making his… pic.twitter.com/1obOW9Lxrs— LUCAS (@lucas_official) March 11, 2024The official announcement of Lucas’ debut solo single comes just days after SM Entertainment confirmed that the ex-NCT member would make his return this year. It marks his first project since he went on hiatus in August 2021 after a South Korean netizen claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of gaslighting her.Lucas would later leave both NCT and its sub-group WayV in May 2023, but would remain signed under SM Entertainment, with the label saying that the singer was “planning on showing his performance though a wide variety of individual works from now on”.Last month, the Hong Kong-born K-pop idol addressed is past controversies in a two-part documentary titled Freeze and Unfreeze.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading South Korean sales company Finecut has picked up international sales rights to action comedy film “Boss.” It will launch the title at next week’s FilMart in Hong Kong. Directed by Ra Hee-chan (“Going by the Book,” “Mr. Idol”), the film follows gang members embroiled in fierce competition.

Veteran producers Cora Yim and Benjamin Lin are launching a production company, S11 Partners, with an equity investment from Hong Kong-listed Medialink Group.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dune 2” added $2.63 million in its second weekend in South Korea, but the sci-fi fantasy remained a long may short of the year’s runaway winner, “Exhuma,” which has dominated and dynamized box office for three weeks. “Exhuma,” about two shaman, a feng shui master and a mortician who attempt to undo the mysterious events happening to a U.S.-based Korean family, earned $6.52 million between Friday and Sunday, representing a 67% share of the overall box office market, according to data from tracking service Kobis, operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). It was the third weekend in a row that “Exhuma” took two-thirds of Korean box office weekend total. After nearly three weeks on release the film has earned a powerful $58.7 million from eight million admissions.

Noah Centineo has officially embarked on another dangerous adventure as Owen Hendricks in The Recruit, and the cast has been unveiled.

, the craze for fermented foods and superfood has been inescapable in recent years. Kimchi, in particular, has gone from being South Korea’s national dish to something of an international phenomenon.

LOONA singer Chuu in a second trial against her former label Blockberry Creative.South Korean news outlet Xsports News reported earlier today (March 8) the result of a second trial in a lawsuit between Chuu and music label Blockberry Creative, ruling in favour of the former again. A representative of the court told Xsports in a brief statement: “We judged that the conclusion of the first trial was reasonable,” per Soompi. Chuu’s lawsuit against the company was first filed for a provisional injunction to suspend her contract with Blockberry Creative in January 2022, which the court had accepted.

aespa have teased a brand-new song titled ‘Get Goin”, for the upcoming second season of Apple TV+’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.The upcoming aespa song is described as “Fraggle-pop” by the official Apple TV account on X (formerly Twitter). In its post, the streaming platform also release a teaser video for the song, feature members of the K-pop girl group singing the new track with Fraggle Rock character Uncle Traveling Matt.aespa’s ‘Get Goin” will be released on March 29, alongside season two of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.

NCT member Lucas Wong will make his solo debut this year, his label SM Entertainment has confirmed.Earlier today (March 8), South Korean news outlet JTBC reported that ex-NCT singer Lucas Wong would be making his solo debut this April, with the publication citing several “music industry officials”.The news was later confirmed by SM Entertainment, which represents Lucas, in a statement to Dispatch. “Lucas is preparing for solo activities next month,” the K-pop agency said, adding that a “detailed schedules will be revealed at a later date”.The former NCT member went on hiatus in August 2021 after a South Korean netizen claiming to be his ex-girlfriend accused him of gaslighting her.

Pyramid Game has been dubbed the new Squid Game in some circles, and it isn’t just because of its similar name.Based on the South Korean webtoon of the same name, Pyramid Game is a psychological thriller survival series set in an all-girls high school where students are ranked based on their popularity – which leads to violence against the lower ranks.The series is created by Lee Jae-gyun and stars Kim Ji-yeon, who is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group WJSN. Other cast members include Jang Da-ah, Ryu Da-in, Shin Seul-ki and Kang Na-eon.Pyramid Game will have its European premiere at Series Mania in March, following its debut in Korea on TVING last month.Along with the similarities in title, Pyramid Game and Squid Game are both Korean dramas which share similar survival themes – with the former set in the hierachy of a school, while the latter serves as commentary on capitalist society at large.The huge success of Squid Game has also led to a chase to replicate its success, with the existence of Pyramid Game likely being a byproduct of its popularity.The series has also received some positive early buzz.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Veteran mainland Chinese director Zhang Yimou is to be honored twice over at the Asian Film Awards ceremony on Sunday. He will be presented with a lifetime achievement award and a separate prize for directing the highest-grossing Asian film of 2023.

SHINee member Taemin has confirmed that he will be leaving SM Entertainment after 16 years at the K-pop agency.SHINee’s Taemin recently addressed his status as an artist with SM Entertainment in a message posted on fan community app Bubble, where he confirmed that he would be “embarking on a new journey soon”, per Korea JoongAng Daily.“I made the decision to leave the company last year,” the K-pop idol explained, adding that he has also “talked with the other members [of SHINee]” regarding his decision to leave his long-time label.Taemin also spoke about how he had “wanted to break the news carefully to not cause any unnecessary concern”, while also thanking “everyone who has helped me so far” as well as “those who have faith in my decision and support me”.“I believe better things are coming and I will make sure they do,” the singer added. “I ask for your continued support in the future, both as a member of SHINee and as Taemin.”Taemin’s confirmation comes shortly after South Korean media reported that the singer would be leaving SM Entertainment this month after his current contract expires.

Stray Kids are one of the biggest groups coming out of the South Korea.

The Tyrant, including its plot, cast and more. Read on for everything you need to know about the show.The Tyrant begins when the South Korean government’s top-secret creation of a bioenhancer is stolen and exposed by U.S intelligence agencies.

SHINee member Taemin and Onew will reportedly leave SM Entertainment sometime this year after their contracts with the K-pop agency expire.Yesterday (March 5), South Korean news outlets SpoTV News and YTN reported in separate stories that SHINee members Taemin and Onew would be leaving SM Entertainment following the expiration of their contracts. The duo have been with the K-pop agency since 2008, when they debuted as members of SHINee.SM Entertainment has since responded to the reports, saying that while “future plans remain unconfirmed” for the pair, they are “actively considering various options”, per The Korea Times.

RIIZE have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con world tour, with concerts in the US, Asia and more.Today (March 5), RIIZE revealed that they would be going on a fan-con world tour in 2024, titled ‘RIIZING Day’, featuring concerts and stops in nine different cities and territories in the coming months.The boyband’s tour will kick off with a two-day concert at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, South Korea on May 4 and 5. In the same month, the group will play hold shows in Tokyo, Japan and Los Angeles, California.The following month, RIIZE will bring their ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con tour to Hong Kong and Taipei, before heading to the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Exhuma,” a locally produced occult drama-thriller, expanded its domination of the South Korea box office on its second week of release. That left the newly-released “Dune 2” several sand dunes behind in second place. “Exhuma,” about two shaman, a feng shui master and a mortician who attempt to undo the mysterious events happening to a U.S.-based Korean family, earned $17.2 million between Friday and Sunday, representing a 69% share of the overall box office market.

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas is officially a grandma!

IU aka Lee Ji-eun is scheduled to headline six huge concerts at arenas all over the U.S. as part of her “HER World Tour.”The sprawling tour, which officially got underway in IU’s home country South Korea on March 2, will mark the first time that the “LILAC” singer will perform in North America.In fact, as of now, she’s never performed outside of Asia.Once she arrives stateside, IU will kick off the tour at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Monday, July 15.After that, she’ll drop into Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (July 19), Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena (July 22), Rosemont’s Allstate Arena (July 25), Oakland’s Oakland Arena (July 30) and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum (Aug.

V of BTS will be releasing a brand-new digital single titled ‘Fri(end)s next Friday, Big Hit Music has announced.V made the announcement earlier today (March 4) at midnight KST thought BTS’ social media platforms. The label described the upcoming track as a “love song in the pop soul R&B genre”, and included the first teaser for the upcoming song.

TWICE is achieving new heights!

released the first trailer for an upcoming comedy series in which a woman is accidentally turned into a chicken nugget. “A woman steps into an odd machine and becomes… a chicken nugget,” reads the South Korea-produced show’s synopsis on Netflix’s site. “Now, it’s up to her father and admirer to embark on a zany quest to bring her back.” The show, which is expected to hit the streaming site on March 15, stars Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong and Kim You-jung.Netflix’s protein-packed comedy is directed by Lee Byeong-Heon, whose 2019 film “Extreme Job” also focused on chicken.

K-Pop is going strong in 2024.

The Masked Singer is back with a new season Wednesday (March 6) at 8 p.m. ET on FOX!

RIIZE’s Wonbin has revealed that he nearly quit after his first day as a trainee at SM Entertainment after meeting his then-future bandmates, Sungchan and Eunseok.The rookie boyband uploaded a vlog yesterday (February 29) that captured the band’s time in Paris, France. In one segment, Wonbin and Sohee were chatting about their first impressions of each other and of the other RIIZE members, which led the former to reveal why he had almost given up on becoming an idol.Wonbin recalled feeling dejected after seeing his then-fellow trainees on his first day training under SM Entertainment. “I remember it clearly.

SEVENTEEN leader S.Coups has received an exemption from mandatory military service, Pledis Entertainment has confirmed.In a statement to South Korean news outlet Edaily, Pledis Entertainment confirmed earlier reports that SEVENTEEN member S.Coups had been exempted from mandatory military service due to an injury.“Due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee joint, S.Coups underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and anterolateral ligament reconstruction surgery,” the label explained, per Soompi.“Because it was a major surgery, he has been undergoing physical rehabilitation therapy for a long time, starting from last year up until now,” the label added. S.Coups had been absent from SEVENTEEN’s promotions for their ‘Seventeenth Heaven’ as well as the Asian leg of their ‘Follow’ tour since October last year due to the same injury.As a result of the severity of his injury and surgery, the South Korean military classified S.Coups as a Grade 5 during a medical examination determining his ability to serve the military.

Bang Yongguk has announced his upcoming 2024 US tour, titled ‘III’, featuring 11 concerts in April.Today (February 29), Bang Yongguk and his label YY Entertainment announced the dates and venues for the 2024 ‘III’ US tour, which will kick off on April 5 with at concert at the Warsaw in New York City.Thereafter, the rapper will play one-night-only shows in the cities of Louisville, Chicago and Orlando, followed by two concerts in the state of Texas. Those will be held in Dallas and Houston on April 14 and 17.Following those performances, the South Korean musician will hold concerts in Phoenix and Las Vegas, before heading over to California to play shows across three different cities in the state.