News

[K-enter] Singer Lee Mi-ja announces retirement after 66 years

2025/03/06 14:00

Bella, today we have fully packed stories on Korean singers. Who are we going to talk about first? We are going to start off with singer Lee Mi-ja. Lee Mi-ja has announced her farewell performance as she declared that she will cease all activities after next month’s concert, indicating her intention to retire. On Wednesday, Lee Mi-ja held a press conference to discuss her upcoming concert, “Connecting the Pulse.” She will share the stage with younger traditional Korean music artists, Joo Hyun-mi and Jo Hang-jo, who will carry on her legacy. Lee Mi-ja’s farewell concert will be held on April 26th and 27th at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Let’s hear what she had to say at the press conference. Next, we have another farewell story from one of the members of Seventeen. Seventeen Wonwoo is set to enlist in the military, becoming the second member of the group to begin his service following Jeonghan. His agency, Pledis Entertainment, announced on Wednesday, that Wonwoo will begin his mandatory military service on April 3rd. As a result, Wonwoo will not be able to participate in scheduled activities after his enlistment, including the “Tecate Pa'l Norte 2025” festival in April and Seventeen’s Japan fan meeting. However, the agency reassured fans by saying that he will take part in the “Carat Land” fan meeting concerts on March 20th and 21st and will also make sure to stay connected with fans through pre-prepared content. And to end off on a happy note, we have some exciting news about singer-songwriter YOUNHA . Singer-songwriter YOUNHA is getting married! YOUNHA announced the news by posting a hand-written letter on her fan cafe on Wednesday. She wrote, “I have found my reliable partner in life and will be getting married.” She added, “I will now support and encourage your life as a stronger and more stable YOUNHA.” Her agency, C9 Entertainment, announced that YOUNHA will hold a private wedding ceremony with family and close friends at the end of this month with a non-celebrity fiancé. YOUNHA debuted in Japan back in 2004, before launching her career in Korea. She released several hit songs, including “Event Horizon” and “Password 486.” Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

Rise of virtual idols broadens K-pop spectrum

2025/03/05 20:00

On the entertainment front. A virtual idol group is gaining a fan base thanks to advances in technology. Our Park Kun-woo met up with the group and explores what's behind it all. Five K-pop band members who claim to come from outer space. They make up PLAVE, the first virtual idol group to sell over a million albums. As their fan base continues to expand, a special cafe has even been created, offering an exclusive space for fans to enjoy related content. Fans from all over the world gather here daily, proving the popularity of these virtual idols. "I think it was just really refreshing. I didn't really listen to K-pop that much before. I was also interested in the technology behind it." Artists like PLAVE, who use motion capture technology from sensors attached to real artists behind the avatars, tend to be more popular than those created purely with advanced technology without an actual person. As a result, more motion-captured idols are being created, and finding ways to reach a broader audience. "Virtual idol groups aren't just performing but they're connecting with fans just like any real-life idols. Let me show you how they send their love." Virtual idols also have advantages on the production side, especially as they save time and money. "They don't need travel time or large entourages during tours and since they're not real people, the risk of mistakes is minimized. Investment costs are much lower compared to real artists, especially in areas like appearance management." The virtual artist market is growing rapidly and one research firm predicts it will grow tenfold by 2028 compared to 2021. "Virtual idols are based on animation and sub-culture, which makes it somewhat difficult to connect with the mainstream audience at first. But if they continue to share their "humanity" with their own stories included in their music-making efforts, they could gradually break through and become more accepted." He also said virtual idols with "humanity" traits are similar to real K-pop idols in terms of their appeal to the audience, meaning the K-pop scene would be able to continue expanding, breaking beyond reality. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

Rise of virtual idols broadens K-pop spectrum

2025/03/05 17:00

On the entertainment front. Virtual idols are doing their part to better promote K-pop amid a growing fan base and greater advances in technology. Our Park Kun-woo met up with one such group. Five K-pop band members who claim to come from outer space. They make up PLAVE, the first virtual idol group to sell over a million albums. As their fan base continues to expand, a special cafe has even been created, offering an exclusive space for fans to enjoy related content. Fans from all over the world gather here daily, proving the popularity of these virtual idols. "I think it was just really refreshing. I didn't really listen to K-pop that much before. I was also interested in the technology behind it." Artists like PLAVE, who use motion capture technology from sensors attached to real artists behind the avatars, tend to be more popular than those created purely with advanced technology without an actual person. As a result, more motion-captured idols are being created, and finding ways to reach a broader audience. "Virtual idol groups aren't just performing but they're connecting with fans just like any real-life idols. Let me show you how they send their love." Virtual idols also have advantages on the production side, especially as they save time and money. "They don't need travel time or large entourages during tours and since they're not real people, the risk of mistakes is minimized. Investment costs are much lower compared to real artists, especially in areas like appearance management." The virtual artist market is growing rapidly and one research firm predicts it will grow tenfold by 2028 compared to 2021. "Virtual idols are based on animation and sub-culture, which makes it somewhat difficult to connect with the mainstream audience at first. But if they continue to share their "humanity" with their own stories included in their music-making efforts, they could gradually break through and become more accepted." He also said virtual idols with "humanity" traits are similar to real K-pop idols in terms of their appeal to the audience, meaning the K-pop scene would be able to continue expanding, breaking beyond reality. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

Passion for K-fashion in Australia

2025/03/05 14:00

Once a week we connect live to a correspondent overseas who fills us in on K-culture issues in their country. Today we will talk about K-fashion, which has been expanding its presence in the global fashion market, including in Australia. We are now connected to our K-correspondent, fashion writer Alexandra Feiam in Australia. Hello Alexandra! Q1-1. Alexandra, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself, as well as your interest in Korea? Q1-2. We heard you were quite surprised by Koreans’ passion for fashion? Q2-1. What about Australians? Walter, let me ask YOU first, you're from Australia. Were you into fashion back in Australia, and did things change for you after coming to Korea? Q2-2. Alexandra, in general, are Australians big fashion lovers? Also, where do they do their shopping? (online, offline, what kind of stores, etc.) Q3. As the Korean wave is spreading worldwide, K-fashion is also gradually taking over. As a fashion writer, do you feel this happening? Q4. So, how popular is K-fashion in Australia? And through which routes are Australians exposed to Korean fashion? Q5. How well known are Korean fashion brands and what are some unique features that make them popular? Q6. Many young people in Australia are influenced by K-pop idols’ fashion I hear? Which ones in particular? Q7. We see many Korean idols active as fashion brand ambassadors. How do you assess this trend and how much influence do they have on the fashion industry? Q8. (According to figures released by Seoul city last week, some 6.71 million U.S. dollars were secured from the 2025 F/W Seoul Fashion Week recently, with 100 international buyers having taken part in it.) Do you see any chances that Korea could become a fashion mecca as big as Paris, New York, Milan, London or Tokyo?

[K-enter] Jennie enters Billboard's 'Hot 100' for the fourth time

2025/03/05 14:00

Now it's time for our daily dose of K-enter news with Walter Lee. Walter, today we are starting off with news on Blackpink's Jennie. I told you we have nothing but 100% of the best entertainment news for you today and starting off with Queen J for Jennie and her recent release "ExtraL" . This marks the fourth time Jennie has had a solo track enter Billboard’s main singles chart, the ‘Hot 100.’ This comes as we count down to the release of "RUBY" which is Jennie’s first solo album since her debut as a Blackpink member. There are only two more days left until we get the full album as it will be released worldwide on March 7. In this album, Jennie plans to showcase a diverse range of music that reflects her identity, collaborating with renowned musicians, and with her releases so far such as "Mantra" and "Love Hangover," we are definitely seeing that range. But she is not the only one in the 'Hot 100' is she? That's correct. According to Billboard, my boy Jimin and his title track "WHO" from his second solo album "MUSE" ranked No. 33 on the ‘Hot 100’ climbing 11 spots from last week’s No. 44. "WHO" has now spent 31 weeks on the chart, tying the record set by PSY’s 2012 global hit "Gangnam Style." The only K-pop song to chart longer than "WHO" and "Gangnam Style" on the ‘Hot 100’ is you've guessed it BTS’s "Dynamite" with 32 weeks. Congratulations to both Jennie and Jimin and for keeping our theme of 100 alive for today. Staying with K-pop and moving onto a boy group that is set to entertain stages in Japan and around the world. That's right. Boy group ENHYPEN will hold four concerts for their "ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'WALK THE LINE' IN JAPAN -SUMMER EDITION"-at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium on July 5 and July 6 and Osaka’s Yanmar Stadium Nagai on August 2 and August 3. From November 2024 to January 2025, ENHYPEN successfully completed a three-city dome tour in Japan, performing at Belluna Dome in Saitama, Fukuoka PayPay Dome, and Kyocera Dome Osaka. In June, ENHYPEN will take the stage at Rajamangala National Stadium, Thailand’s largest concert venue. In April, the group will perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the largest music festival in the U.S. Sounds like a busy but exciting schedule for the group and good luck to them. Lastly, let's delve into Korean animation. Korean animation "Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning" which was released on February 21, had surpassed 300,000 viewers as of the morning of Tuesday, March 4. The animated prequel "Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning" explores the origins of its protagonists, taking a different path from the original storyline. It unveils how the disgraced ex-priest Father Park, vengeance-driven martial artist Hyeon-am , and gifted young shaman Joon-hoo unite to form an unlikely team. It is based on the fantasy novel of the same name, which has sold over 10 million copies and amassed 230 million online views.

[Features reporter] Rise of virtual idols broadens K-pop spectrum

2025/03/05 14:00

Kun-woo, I heard you had the chance to dive deeper into the K-pop scene. What do you have for us this week? That's right. I had the amazing opportunity to speak with the members of a virtual idol group and also see how fans are following these virtual artists. But before I tell you more, follow me into the "virtual world." Five K-pop band members who claim to come from outer space. They make up PLAVE, the first virtual idol group to sell over a million albums. As their fan base continues to expand, a special cafe has even been created, offering an exclusive space for fans to enjoy related content. Fans from all over the world gather here daily, proving the popularity of these virtual idols. "I think it was just really refreshing. I didn't really listen to K-pop that much before. I was also interested in the technology behind it." Artists like PLAVE, who use motion capture technology from sensors attached to real artists behind the avatars, tend to be more popular than those created purely with advanced technology without an actual person. As a result, more motion-captured idols are being created, and finding ways to reach a broader audience. "Virtual idol groups aren’t just performing but they’re connecting with fans just like any real-life idols. Let me show you how they send their love." Virtual idols also have advantages on the production side, especially as they save time and money. "They don't need travel time or large entourages during tours and since they're not real people, the risk of mistakes is minimized. Investment costs are much lower compared to real artists, especially in areas like appearance management." The virtual artist market is growing rapidly and one research firm predicts it will grow tenfold by 2028 compared to 2021. "Virtual idols are based on animation and sub-culture, which makes it somewhat difficult to connect with the mainstream audience at first. But if they continue to share their "humanity" with their own stories included in their music-making efforts, they could gradually break through and more accepted." He also said virtual idols with "humanity" traits are similar to real K-pop idols in terms of their appeal to the audience, meaning the K-pop scene would be able to continue expanding, breaking beyond reality. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News. These idol groups may be virtual, but their popularity is "real" for real. And the numbers show that too I remember PLAVE recently entered the Billboard Global 200 chart, as the first virtual artists to do so. Your coverage is making me want to fanboy over some of them! So, can you tell us more about these virtual idol groups? Yes, so if you're interested in following some virtual idols, PLAVE is definitely one of the good choices. The fan culture I witnessed at the "PLAVE cafe," looked so much fun with fans sharing merchandise and information. And as you might expect, their concerts are incredibly popular as the tickets were sold out in just 10 minutes. But as I'm sure you're all familiar with PLAVE now, I'd like to introduce some other groups. The first one is Priz-V whom I had the chance to speak with. And I brought a special message for our viewers from them. First, take a listen. "Hello Arirang TV viewers! This is Priz-V! We've got a lot of exciting things coming up, so stay tuned and please show us your love and support. I truly appreciate it. Thank you! ! " So that was a lovely message from Priz-V who are preparing for their new release this April. Also, there's a boy band called AEONIT that will be releasing a new digital single next week. And I'm now wondering won't the rise of virtual idols be a threat to human K-pop trainees? As it's known that there are over a million K-pop trainees these days, it's quite interesting to think about that. I've been talking about it with my trainee friends as well. One expert I spoke to said this can actually be a new opportunity for the trainees. "The K-pop idol market is dominated by appearance and the endless pursuit of youth, constantly seeking replacements. So, if the idol trainees are tired of the system or can't express their strong musical philosophy due to various practical constraints, becoming a virtual artist can certainly be an opportunity." He also said that the fusion of technology and humans will continue in the future, and he hopes that whether as a virtual artist or a human artist, it's crucial to establish one's own music philosophy and style to succeed in the industry. Let's hope for a healthy coexistence of virtual and human K-pop artists. Alright Kun-woo, thanks for all of that. We'll see you next time. Thank you Kun-woo.

K-wave AI News

2025/03/05 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The 95th Chunhyang Festival will kick off next month in Namwon City, Jeollabuk-do Province. Rooted in the Tale of Chunhyang, a Joseon-era story of love and devotion, the festival has been one of Korea's most iconic traditional cultural celebrations since its inception in 1931. This year's festival will feature 100 programs symbolizing its century-long legacy, blending tradition with modern trends. Highlights include Korea's oldest beauty contest, the Miss Chunhyang Pageant, along with dance and music performances and a food fair featuring local specialties. Last year, the festival drew over 1.2 million visitors. The National Theater of Korea in Seoul will host a special concert next Friday to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Pavarotti's birth and the Korea-Italy Year of Cultural Exchange. The late Pavarotti was one of Italy's most celebrated opera singers of all time. The event will feature performances by renowned young opera singers from around the world, accompanied by Maestro Paolo Andreoli, who served as Pavarotti's accompanist until his passing. Since last year, Korea and Italy have been actively engaging in cultural exchanges as part of the 2024–2025 Year of Mutual Cultural Exchange. A large-scale underground bunker in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, originally built for emergencies like war, has been transformed into a vibrant media art space. The bunker, which had been abandoned for nearly 20 years, is now emerging as a popular experiential tourist attraction under the name "Wansan Bunker The Space." Stretching over 280 meters, the space connects 10 media art rooms, including the signature "The Dimension Gate" made of LED lights and mirrors. Jeonju City says the bunker attracted over 31,000 visitors in the past month. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

Runners in London race with frying pans for pancake day

2025/03/05 10:00

Runners with frying pans filled with pancakes took to the streets of central London to celebrate "Shrove Tuesday", also known as "Pancake Day." Hundreds of spectators gathered at Guildhall Yard, cheering on participants in the annual "Inter-Livery Pancake Race." This event is one of many held across the UK to mark the day before the start of Lent, the 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and repentance leading up to Easter. In the "Inter-Livery Race," teams representing traditional London guilds with nearly 1,000 years of history competed in costumes. The winners received a trophy and a frying pan as their prize.

BTS J-Hope to perform new track 'Sweet Dreams' on The Tonight Show

2025/03/04 17:00

On the K-pop front. BTS member J-Hope will perform his new track "Sweet Dreams" on the popular American talk show "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." According to his agency BigHit Music on this Tuesday J-Hope will be on the show next Monday for the first time as a solo artist. Meanwhile his new track features global R&B star Miguel and will be released worldwide this Friday at 2 PM Korean time. Exclusive previews of the track can be found on J-Hope's official TikTok account.

K-wave AI News

2025/03/04 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The Leeum Museum of Art, one of Korea's most prominent museums, has launched this year's exhibition program with works by French artist Pierre Huyghe. Huyghe has long explored the relationship between human and non-human entities, integrating artificial intelligence technology and living organisms into video, sculpture, installation, and performance art. The exhibition runs until July 6. Marking the 60th anniversary of the Samsung Foundation of Culture, Leeum's operator, the museum is also presenting its contemporary art collection. It features 44 works by 35 artists, including "The Burghers of Calais" by French sculptor Auguste Rodin and "Tall Figure III" by Alberto Giacometti, one of Leeum's signature holdings. It will be showcased for an indefinite period of time. A volume of Samguk Sagi, a crucial historical text for the study of Korea's three kingdoms period, has been put up for auction. Kobay Auction will hold an online auction on Wednesday featuring more than 600 items, including the volume of Samguk Sagi. As the oldest surviving historical record in Korea, Samguk Sagi is widely regarded as the foundation of Korean historical research, offering a detailed account of the rise and fall of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje. The starting bid is set at 150 million won, or roughly 103 thousand U.S. dollars. The auction will also include a reprint of "Hyeol-ui Nu," or "Tears of Blood," a novel by Lee In-jik that set the highest bid record for modern Korean literature at a domestic auction last year. The "2025 Taean World Tulip Festival" will open on April 8 on Anmyeondo Island, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Held at Korea Flower Park near Kkotji Beach, the festival is a major local event that received a prestigious award at the World Tulip Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, last year. Under the theme "Spring in My Hometown," the festival will showcase over 2.7 million tulips and 1.4 million flowers of various species, welcoming visitors through May 6. Guests can also enjoy the stunning sunset at Kkotji Beach, renowned for its Halmi and Harabi Rocks, which is one of Korea's top three sunset spots on the West Coast. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[K-Enter] BLACKPINK's Lisa receives standing ovation at the Academy Awards

2025/03/04 14:00

Now it's time for our daily dose of K-enter news with Walter Lee. Starting off with some news from the Academy Awards. History was made for K-pop when BLACKPINK's Lisa became the first K-pop singer to perform at the Academy Awards. On Sunday local time, Lisa took the stage at the 97th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. She was then followed by performances by Doja Cat and RAYE. Lisa performed "Live and Let Die", Doja Cat sang "Diamonds Are Forever", and RAYE performed "Skyfall", all hit songs from the James Bond franchise. Originally, the three were supposed to sing Lisa's latest release "Born Again," which features Doja Cat and RAYE, but this was changed. After the performances, the three artists greeted the audience together, receiving a standing ovation. Although Lisa wasn't able to perform her own song, I imagine it was fulfilling to sing at such a prestigious award ceremony. Moving onto movies now, you have some figures on how Bong Joon-ho's latest movie "Mickey 17" has been doing. Korean director Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Mickey 17" has surpassed 1 million moviegoers domestically within four days of its release, making it a perfect movie for the long weekend. As of Monday morning, "Mickey 17" had accumulated over 1.11 million viewers. The film was released last Friday, and as of Tuesday morning, the total audience count had reached approximately 1.3 million. To put this into context, "Mickey 17" reached 1 million moviegoers in a shorter time than Christopher Nolan's 2023 film "Oppenheimer." The movie is based on "Mickey 7," a novel by American author Edward Ashton. "Mickey 17" is Bong Joon-ho's first film in six years since the Academy Award winning "Parasite." The film stars Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. The production of "Mickey 17" cost around 118 million U.S. dollars, approximately 170 billion Korean won. It is the most expensive film ever made by a Korean director. It was a movie that many had high expectations and it seems that "Mickey 17" is living up to them. Now even though Squid Game season 2 has been out for a while, the fever has not slowed down Tell us what news you have on the series. Welcome to the "Squid Game: The Experience"! What is it you may ask? Well it is an immersive attraction where visitors can directly engage with the thrills and excitement unique to the massive Netflix series "Squid Game". First launched in New York in October last year, it has since expanded to major cities such as Madrid and Sydney and it opened in Seoul last Friday. What can you do at this place located in the hip area of Seongsu? Well, a variety of games. Participants can take on six unique challenges inspired by the series, including marbles, a treasure hunt, memory steps, red light, green light, tug-of-war, and round and round. Also visitors can eat food from the show, snap tonnes of memories in the photo zones, and purchase exclusive merchandise. "Squid Game: The Experience" has been running from February 28 and will until June 25. Sounds like a whole lot of fun! Thanks for the entertainment news Walter. Thank you. Now time to go over to our AI anchor Ari, for other culture related news. Ari, take it away!

[Features-reporter] How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/03/04 14:00

Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin tells us how. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/03/04 10:00

South Korea is home to many K-pop stars and artists now the country is on the hunt to cultivate and foster conductors who will lead the field of classical music. Our Song Yoo-jin tells us more. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a 피아니스트." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

Oscars 2025: "Anora" sweeps five categories including Best Picture and Director

2025/03/03 18:00

Anora," the Palme d'Or winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival, took home "Best Picture" at the 97th annual Academy Awards held in Los Angeles. The film also swept four categories, including "Best Director" and "Best Actress." "Best Actor," the only category that Anora lost out in among the six it was nominated for went to Adrien Brody for "The Brutalist," marking his second Oscar win. And LISA of the girl group BLACKPINK performed at the Oscars for the first time as a K-pop artist, joining Doja Cat and RAYE for a medley of songs as part of a James Bond tribute.

[Arts & Culture] Meet Korea's conductors of tomorrow

2025/02/28 20:00

Friday means it's time for our Arts and Culture segment. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin joins us in the studio. Welcome! Great to be here! What do you have for us today? Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world, with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now, the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. I had a chance to see one of these efforts up close. Take a look. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Yoo-jin, the report mentioned that the top conducting fellows will be performing at the concert today. Who are the lucky ones? Three conductors have been selected. All were featured in my report: Harris Han, the youngest participant, born in 2000, assistant conductor of the Frost Symphony Orchestra; Park Keun-tae; and Song Min-gyu, in order of their appearance. Director Van Zweden said the orchestra members will vote on who they want to perform with the most. The concert just began at 8 PM Korea time at the LOTTE Concert Hall in Seoul. Each conductor is leading a different piece: Song Min-gyu is conducting Wagner, Park Keun-tae is taking on Mozart, and Harris Han is presenting Bartok. The fellows shared that the repertoire was challenging but allowed them to develop new skills. Congratulations to the three conductors and all the fellows on completing the program! Could you also tell us about the significance of programs like this? Absolutely. I spoke to a classical music expert, who said that this could broaden Korea's classical music scene, not just producing world-class musicians but a new generation of conductors. Take a listen. "The conducting scene in Korea is still relatively small, so opportunities like this, which do not come often, are a huge step forward. Intensive, personalized training is crucial because every conductor has unique strengths and weaknesses." And there's another exciting class by a world-renowned musician coming up. At the Tongyeong International Music Festival, taking place in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, pianist Lim Yun-chan, last year's Gramophone winner, and the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra will hold a concert exclusively for elementary, middle, and high school students in the city. This is part of the festival foundation's school concert program, which aims to expose students to performances by top-tier musicians, expand access to classical music, and nurture their artistic sensitivity. The concert is scheduled for March 28th. Yet another opportunity to learn from the best. Yoo-jin, thank you for your report today. My pleasure.

How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/02/28 17:00

Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin tells us how. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

K-wave AI News

2025/02/28 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. A special event reenacting Korea's historic fight for independence from Japan will take place at the Independence Hall of Korea this Saturday in commemoration of March 1st. Titled 'The Cry of the Nation,' the event honors the March 1st Movement, one of the earliest and most significant nationwide independence movements against Japanese colonial rule. In addition to the main reenactment, the program will include a commemorative ceremony attended by 100 pre-registered families, a special aerial demonstration by the 'Black Eagles,' and a Taekwondo performance. Visitors can also enjoy a diverse lineup of performances, including a musical stage and a performance by the Korean Army band. Changgyeonggung Palace will be illuminated at night throughout this year, starting next month. The Korea Heritage Agency is hosting the "Changgyeonggung Moonlight Illumination Night Tour," which will run from March 7 to December 31. The program offers visitors a scenic night view of the palace, enhanced by state-of-the-art media art. First introduced at last year's Royal Culture Festival, the event will now be a regular feature, taking place daily at 7 PM, except on Mondays. The moonlight night tour is open to all palace visitors. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, will launch the "Spring Travel Campaign" from next month through May to boost domestic tourism. Minister Yu In-chon kicked off the campaign on Thursday in Seoul, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the ministry and 관련 기관 to drive tourism growth. The campaign aims to counter the decline in domestic travel and increase both travel activity and spending by more than 1%. Some 500,000 travelers will be offered various tourism benefits, including discounts on travel expenses. Last year's campaign led to 235 million domestic trips in June, with travel spending reaching 13.5 trillion won, or around 9.2 billion U.S. dollars. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[K-enter] G-Dragon world tour Korea concert tickets sold out

2025/02/28 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Today we start off with a ‘powerful’ artist. G-Dragon definitely showed off his power as tickets for his first world tour concert in Korea have already sold out. According his agency, Galaxy Corporation, G-Dragon’s World Tour “Übermensch in Korea” sold out both in-advance and general tickets, selling out 64-thousand seats in total. General reservation attracted 240-thousand simultaneous users, resembling a reservation war between fans. “Übermensch in Korea” is G-Dragon’s first concert in eight years since his world tour back in 2017. The concerts will be held on March 29th and 30th at Goyang Sports Complex. At the concerts, G-Dragon will perform his new songs from the latest album “Übermensch” and also some legendary songs that are still getting plenty of love. Let’s continue with our next story on another male artist. BTS member J-Hope is coming back with a love song. He will release his new digital single “Sweet Dreams” featuring Miguel next Friday, March 7th. The new single is a pop R&B serenade that contains the sincerity of J-Hope, who wants to love and also be loved. “Sweet Dreams” will feature R&B singer Miguel to give his sweet tone. Miguel won the “Best R&B Song” with “Adorn” at the GRAMMYs back in 2013. The new single will be pre-released at “J-Hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in Seoul” on Friday, which is today Korea time. Meanwhile, J-Hope will hold an offline fan event, “Sweet Dreamland” on March 7th, the day of the new single’s release. He will meet 613 fans in person, to match BTS’s debut date June 13th. Lastly, we move onto a girl group. Who are we talking about? We are going to talk about aespa. Aespa will perform at “SUMMER SONIC 2025.” “SUMMER SONIC” is the largest music festival in Japan, and attracts more than 200-thousand attendees every year. This year’s festival will take place on August 16th and 17th in Tokyo and Osaka. The group will join the lineup for the Tokyo performance, which will be held at ZOZO Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe. Aespa officially debuted in Japan last year with their single “Hot Mess” and attracted over 93-thousand fans through a two-day concert at Tokyo Dome. The group will continue with their world tour, “2024-25 aespa LIVE TOUR – SYNK:PARALLEL LINE,” next month in London, Paris, Madrid and other European cities. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

Katy Perry is heading to space on an all-women Blue Origin flight

2025/02/28 10:00

Pop star Katy Perry, known for hits like Firework, is set to embark on a space journey aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. She will be joined by Lauren Sanchez, fiancée of Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos, CBS anchor Gayle King, a former NASA rocket scientist, a civil rights activist, and a film producer. This mission marks the first all-women spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo journey in 1963. While an exact launch date has not been announced, the historic flight is scheduled to take place this spring.

World News 3: Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, wife and dog found dead at home

2025/02/28 10:00

Police investigating the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, said Thursday that preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of trauma or foul play. However, authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of death and have not ruled out the possibility of criminal involvement. The 95-year-old actor and his 65-year-old wife were found dead alongside their dog in their New Mexico home on Wednesday. Officials are waiting for further autopsy and toxicology reports, including tests for carbon monoxide exposure, while the investigation remains ongoing.