North Korea: Last News

South Korean supergroup BTS  is to go on “temporary hiatus” so its members can pursue solo careers. The news came as the seven-man group hosted their annual FESTA dinner, which celebrates their founding.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentBack in Japan after his Korean-language drama “Broker” won two prizes at this year’s Cannes festival, Kore-eda Hirokazu appeared as a press event in Tokyo on Tuesday to announce the launch of a group of industry professionals who aim for structural reform of the Japanese film industry.The group calls itself the “Association for the Establishment of a Japanese Version of CNC.” The reference is to France’s government-backed oversight body, the Centre National du Cinema et de l’Image Animee. Kore-eda noted the low incomes and long working hours of freelance filmmakers and emphasized the need for reform.

ENHYPEN will be returning in July with a brand-new mini-album titled ‘Manifesto : Day 1’.Today (June 14), the septet shared an intense animated trailer introducing their upcoming release. The intriguing new visual includes narration by different members of the boyband in Korean, English and Japanese, where they ponder the the idea of crossing lines and borders, while a human-like figure is seen bound and trapped.As it breaks free, the figure bursts into colour, and a snippet of an upcoming track, ‘Walk The Line’ begins to play.

aespa have added a new show to their forthcoming ‘Showcase SYNK’ concert in Los Angeles later this month.Today (June 14), SM Entertainment and Live Nation shared that the quartet will be holding a second show for their upcoming ‘Showcase SYNK’ concert in Los Angeles. The second date is set to take place at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles, California on June 27, after the original June 26 date sold out.“Thanks to the enthusiasm shown by the local fans, we have decided to do an extra day of performance,” said SM Entertainment, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAction-drama film, “Emergency Declaration” pulled together several of Korea’s top stars – Song Kang-ho (“Parasite”), Lee Byung Hun (“G.I. Joe”) and Jeon Do-yeon (“The Housemaid,” “Secret Sunshine”) – and it first took to the air as a Midnight Screening at the Cannes Film Festival, back in July 2021.Directed by Han Jae-rim, the story involves a veteran police detective who receives a tip-off about an unspecified terrorist threat against a plane. Puzzlingly, he discovers that the chief suspect has got on the flight too.

Squid Game breakout star Jung Hoyeon and Killing Eve actress Sandra Oh recently came together to discuss what it’s like being at the forefront of Korean-American representation.In a new instalment of Variety’s Actors on Actors conversation series, the two the actresses sat down to chat about the growing amount of Korean-American and Asian-American representation in the media during the past few years.“I think that we both feel like being here together, having this conversation and being shot together is very special – and I’m curious about your point of view,” said Oh, who was born to Korean immigrants in Canada. “This is a real change for us as Korean-Americans, and I’ve been always interested in the native Korean perspective.”The South Korean model-turned-actress the shared her view on what it’s like being a native Korean in media, specially following the success of Squid Game.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Broker,” the art house drama film that appeared in competition in Cannes last month had a bright start in Korean cinemas, picking up over $6 million in its opening foray. Its score, however, was not enough to unseat mainstream crime actioner “The Roundup” from the weekend’s top spot.“Broker” earned $4.13 million over the Friday to Sunday weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That put it second behind “The Roundup” with a weekend score of $6.69 million.

Netflix has officially confirmed the record-breaking Korean survival drama Squid Game has been renewed for season two.The series, which premiered on the platform last year, became the most-viewed original title in Netflix history within 12 days of its release.Today (June 12), two new posts on the streaming service’s social media accounts confirmed that the show would be getting a second season. The first post featured the infamous doll from the first episode, with a number two flashing in its eye. “On your marks.

BTS’ Jungkook has shared a heartfelt new song called ‘My You’ as part of the band’s “festa” celebrations – scroll down the page to watch the video for it now.Around June 13 each year, the Korean group mark their anniversary with “festa” content, including new music, photos and videos.“All these lights are coloured in by you,” Jungkook sings on the acoustic guitar-driven track. “All these times are precious due to you / Four seasons have passed with you / Four scents were left cause of you.”“When I think of you all, sometimes the emotions I feel are so overwhelming that I often wonder what would happen if all of this disappears or if this is all a dream,” Jungkook wrote to fans in a note accompanying the release, per fan translations.

It’s official — Netflix has renewed its biggest series, Squid Game, for a second season. The followup had been in development, and Netflix brass — as well as the series’ writer, director and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk and main cast — had  teased a return of the show following the runaway success of the initial installment.

The political world is focused on the shocking hearings taking place this week on the awful right-wing insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol Building that took place in Washington, D.C. on January 6 of last year.

Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve,” “The Chair”) and Jung Ho-yeon (“Squid Game”) bond quickly at our photo shoot for Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” presented by Apple TV+. They’d gone viral on the internet in February, when Oh congratulated Ho-yeon for winning best performance by a female actor at the SAG Awards, posing for selfies with the cast of Netflix’s “Squid Game.” But this feels more intimate. Or, as Oh puts it to Ho-yeon, who got her start as a model: “Immediately we’re so close; immediately, you sat on my lap.” By the end of their conversation, the two are making dinner plans so they can continue talking off camera.In between, they discuss how the representation of Asian people has changed in popular culture since Oh portrayed Dr. Cristina Yang on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and the importance of taking care of yourself — especially as Ho-yeon navigates the global fandom for the heroic defector Kang Sae-byeok from “Squid Game.” With “Killing Eve,” another TV series that has captivated viewers around the world, ending after four seasons, Oh talks about what it felt like to say goodbye to her spy character. SANDRA OH: I think that we both feel like being here together, having this conversation and being shot together is very special — and I’m curious about your point of view.

Seo In-guk has dropped a teaser for the music video of his upcoming single ‘My Love’, featuring VIXX member Ravi.The South Korean singer-actor unveiled the brief teaser yesterday (June 9). In the clip, , soundtracked by soft piano instrumentation, Seo walks along the side of a highway solemnly, looking back longingly in the final seconds before the teaser cuts to black.‘My Love’, which features VIXX member Ravi, is set to be the title track off his forthcoming single album ‘LOVE&LOVE’, which will also include a B-side track titled ‘Be My Melody’.

Anderson .Paak will play a tiny London gig at the House of Vans later this month – get full details on the intimate show below.The singer, drummer and Silk Sonic member will play the Waterloo venue on Monday, June 27 to celebrate his new collection with the footwear brand.Tickets for the gig will be free, and fans can enter a ballot for their chance to win. The ballot opens at midnight on Monday (June 13) and tickets will available to apply for here.The gig also promises “a bespoke UX experience throughout the 32,000 square foot venue which is situated underneath Waterloo station.”Elsewhere, Anderson .Paak is set to direct his first feature film, K-POPS!, a dramatic comedy in which the rapper will also star alongside his son.The film follows a musician who travels to Korea to write for K-pop stars, only to discover that his long-lost son is about to front one of the country’s most popular new groups (per Deadline).After attempting to hijack his son’s new-found fame to boost his own career, the older musician is forced to confront the importance of fatherhood.“My mom is from Korea but she was adopted so I never knew anything about my Korean heritage until I met my wife,” .Paak explained.

Getting back in the game. Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk has already started thinking about new games and challenges for the players to take on in season 2.

Only a year after Min Jin Lee’s original novel was published in 2017 and became a New York Times bestseller, Apple acquired rights to Pachinko to turn it into series. The bet paid off, as the eight-episode drama, with Soo Hugh as writer, showrunner and executive producer, became a worldwide hit, scoring big enough numbers that Apple announced a Season 2 renewal on the day the Season 1 finale premiered on the streamer.

aespa have sold more than 1million copies of their upcoming album ‘Girls’ through pre-orders alone.The K-pop quartet’s label, SM Entertainment, told South Korean news outlet Yonhap News Agency earlier today (June 9) that aespa had managed to sell a million copies of their forthcoming second mini-album titled ‘Girls’ so far. Notably, it’s only been a week since pre-orders started on June 2.This achievement makes aespa the second K-pop girl group in history to sell a million copies of an album in pre-sales, following BLACKPINK with their 2020 record ‘The Album’.

Broker lead actor Song Kang-ho has shared his thoughts on his recent Best Actor win at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.In a recent interview with South Korean outlet Korea JoongAng Daily, the South Korean actor, who plays Sang-hyun in the film, shared his sentiments on “finally” taking home an award at the Cannes Film Festival after previously starring in six films that have all debuted at the festival prior.Song is the second Korean to win Best Actor, after Jeon Do-yeon for 2007’s Secret Sunshine. “Of course, winning an award from such a prestigious festival as Cannes is a great and happy moment, an unforgettable turning point of my life,” Song said, before adding that awards are not as significant as they might seem.“I don’t think the action [of receiving an award] itself holds much significance,” he explained.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSouth Korean TV network MBN is to give a weekly primetime slot this summer to a localized version of studio-based reality show “Mystery Duets.”The concept sees the nation’s most famous singers and celebrities perform a duet without knowing with whom they share the stage. It is only in the middle of the song that they discover each other’s identity as the screen between them rises.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Broker,” the unconventional family drama which appeared in competition at last month’s Cannes Film Festival, topped the box office in South Korea on Wednesday, its opening day.“Broker” grossed $1.10 million, enough to depose crime actioner “The Roundup” from the top spot that it had enjoyed for the past three weeks and which had made it the highest performing film this year.According to data from the Kobis tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, “Broker” played on 1,590 screens and sold 145,000 tickets for Wednesday screenings. Its cumulative total of $1.15 million includes some $44,000 of previews earned on 14 screens.The feat by a local art-house film gives further support to the notion that cinema attendance is rebounding in Korea.

BTS has confirmed that it will release its latest album on Friday, under the title “Proof.”The anthology will stretch across three CDs and consist of 48 tracks. These are intended to represent the past, present and future of the nine-year-old band, agency Big Hit Music said Wednesday (Korean time).Within the mix are three new songs: “Yet To Come,” “Run BTS” and “For Youth.”“Proof” will be available from 1pm local time on Friday, or midnight EST and 9pm Thursday PST, for U.S.