Articles by Hong Yoo
Hong Yoo
yoohong@heraldcorp.com-
Exclusive, new stages highlight of 2024 MAMA
This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards presented new and exclusive performances while exploring the tastes of K-pop fans worldwide Thursday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and at Osaka's Kyocera Dome on Friday and Saturday. The Korean music awards ceremony, broadcast live in around 200 countries, held part of its three-day event in the US for the first time, attracting an audience of around 93,000. 2024 MAMA was held under the theme of "Big Blur," which the festival host sai
K-pop Nov. 24, 2024
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[What to Play] Cozy songs to warm you up
As winter's chill sets in, cozy up with the soothing sounds of Zion. T's "Snow," a smooth and soulful track that perfectly captures the serene beauty of the season. For a more upbeat yet equally cozy vibe, NewJeans' "Ditto" brings a warm, dreamy atmosphere that pairs wonderfully with a hot drink by the fireplace. Lee Mujin’s "When It Snows" offers a soft, heartfelt melody that perfectly complements the peacefulness of a snowy day. These songs wi
weekender Nov. 23, 2024
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Music performances to end the year on high note
As the year-end draws near, there are major music awards to look forward to here, where the most talented and popular artists are rewarded for their work and fans are rewarded with witnessing first-ever collaboration stages and spectacular performances. This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony organized by CJ ENM, is the frontrunner, taking place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles Thursday local time, and at the Kyocera Dome Osaka,
K-pop Nov. 20, 2024
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[K-pop 101] How 'homma' became little helpers of Korean celebrities' rise to stardom
"Homepage masters," also known as “Homma” among K-pop fans, are superfans who, armed with professional cameras with sophisticated lenses, take high-quality pictures of their favorite artists. These superfans follow their artist’s official schedules such as fan meetings, concerts, end-of-the-year awards ceremonies and world tours. They use the pictures taken at these events to create content of their favorite artists, which gets redistributed by other fans to different
K-pop Nov. 19, 2024
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Singer Ailee to tie the knot with actor Choi Si-hun
Singer Ailee is set to marry actor Choi Si-hoon next April, A2Z Entertainment announced Tuesday. The two met through a mutual acquaintance and have been openly dating for about a year. They became engaged in May after developing a deep bond built on love and trust, the agency said. "I have met someone who is not only supportive and caring, but also someone I can rely on. His understanding and consideration made me want to spend the rest of my life with him,” Ailee shared on her offici
K-pop Nov. 19, 2024
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BTS’ Jin releases ‘Running Wild’ remix album
Jin of BTS is releasing the remix album, “Running Wild (Remixes),” at 2 p.m., Tuesday. The album contains eight versions of “Running Wild,” the main song in Jin’s first solo album “Happy.” The eight versions are the original version, instrumental, extended, band, ballad, holiday, Afropop and UK Garage versions. The extended version features an extra chorus, intensifying the song's energy, while the band version amplifies the song’s genre appea
K-pop Nov. 19, 2024
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Lee Seung-gi to mark 20th anniversary with album release next month
Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi is celebrating his 20th debut anniversary with a new album next month. According to Big Planet Made Entertainment, Lee will drop “With” on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. This marks Lee’s first physical album release in four years since his seventh LP “The Project” in December 2020. Reflecting on this 20-year career as a singer, Lee shared his enthusiasm and vision for the upcoming album, the agency said. The album title symbolizes reuniting and colla
K-pop Nov. 19, 2024
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[K-pop 101] Celebrate your fave K-pop artist’s birthday at a ‘birthday cafe'
Have you ever attended a birthday party without the guest of honor? That’s exactly what K-pop fans are doing: celebrating their favorite artists' birthdays at cafes that allow them to be used for this purpose. In Hongdae and Myeong-dong in Seoul, where many of these birthday cafes are located, you’ll find cafes decorated with neon signs, posters and balloons in honor of various K-pop idols. Fans from both Korea and abroad flock to these celebrations. “I live in Japan, but
K-pop Nov. 18, 2024
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[팟캐스트] (637) 빙그레 "바나나맛우유 용기, 국가문화유산 등재 추진"
진행자: 홍유, Elise Youn Chubby banana milk bottle eyes national heritage listing 기사 요약: 빙그레가 가공우유 제품 '바나나맛우유' 단지 모양 용기의 국가등록문화유산 등재를 추진한다. [1] For over half a century, yellow banana-flavored milk has held a special place in Korean culture, gracing supermarket shelves as a nostalgic favorite across generations. Now, its maker, Binggrae Co., aims to elevate the beloved drink’s status even further. grace: 꾸미다 nostalgic: 향수어린 [2] The Korean dairy maker said Sunday that it is launch
Podcast Nov. 18, 2024
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Stray Kids to wrap up 2024 with ‘Skzhop Hiptape’
Stray Kids will adorn the end of the year with the release of their new album, “Skzhop Hiptape,” on Dec. 13. The group announced Friday via social media the upcoming release of the new album by unveiling its first teaser, showcasing graphic artwork. “Skzhop Hiptape” is a creative combination of the group’s initials with “hip-hop.” It suggests that the album will feature the type of hip-hop music that defines Stray Kids. The teaser clip shows two glowing
K-pop Nov. 15, 2024
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BTS Jin releases 1st solo album ‘Happy’
Jin of BTS released his first solo album, “Happy,” on Friday. The album explores the journey of finding happiness and features themes of love, excitement, courage and positivity. Through the album, Jin describes himself as a "ray of sunshine," hoping listeners will find happiness through his music. “It’s meaningful to release a solo album. I hope that Army (the BTS fandom) enjoys it. I’d like for everyone who listens to this album to feel happy. This album
K-pop Nov. 15, 2024
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NewJeans reassure fans after giving ultimatum to Ador
NewJeans members reassured fans after issuing an ultimatum to Ador that they would terminate their exclusive contracts if certain demands, including former CEO Min Hee-jin’s reinstatement, were not met. “Just in case, do not worry about us. Everyone has an important stage in their lives and for us, it’s just now. Don’t worry about us when taking the test,” Hanni of NewJeans shared on the fan community app Phoning on Wednesday, a day ahead of Korea's college ent
K-pop Nov. 14, 2024
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Jin of BTS to appear on NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’
Jin of BTS will begin the global promotion of his upcoming solo album, “Happy,” by starring on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Falon,” on Nov. 21. The show dropped a trailer for Jin’s episode on its official social media Wednesday. The 33-second clip shows Jimmy, the host of the show, opening a “top secret” envelope in an 1990s-style office. In the envelope is a disk that says “Special Guest,” showing a photo of Jin with the date
K-pop Nov. 14, 2024
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[팟캐스트] (636) 수원 이어 의왕서도 사슴 나타나
진행자: 홍유, Elise Youn Deer incidents put Seoul's southern suburbs on alert 기사 요약: 경기 수원시에 이어 의왕시에서도 도로에 사슴이 나타나 소방당국에 포획됐다. [1] Residents south of Seoul are watching their step as another deer incident has put local authorities on high alert, just days after attacks left two people injured. watch one's step: 신중하게 행동하다 [2] A deer was spotted late Saturday on a roadway in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, prompting an immediate response from fire officials. The emergency call came in around
Podcast Nov. 14, 2024
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Park Jin-young to hold 30th-anniversary concert ‘Still JYP’ in Tokyo
Celebrating his 30th debut anniversary, Park Jin-young, singer and founder of JYP Entertainment, will be holding two days of concerts titled, “Still JYP,” in Tokyo in February 2025. According to JYP Entertainment, the concerts will be held at Tokyo Dome City Hall Feb. 20-21, 2025. This marks Park’s return to Japan for a solo concert after nearly two years, following his “Groove Back in Japan” concert in January 2023. Prior to his Japan shows, Park will hold three da
K-pop Nov. 13, 2024