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Tag: Korean entertainment

  • [🇺🇸] BTS Announces Full-Group Comeback and World Tour

    The global music scene is buzzing as BTS officially confirms their long-awaited full-group return.

    Scheduled for March 20, BTS will release their fifth studio album, followed by a massive, large-scale world tour. This announcement marks the end of a hiatus lasting approximately three years and nine months—a period that has only served to heighten the anticipation of fans and industry experts alike. Major international media outlets are already dedicating significant coverage to the group’s trajectory, emphasizing the immense cultural weight of this reunion.

    The reaction from the global press has been nothing short of electric.

    Leading outlets such as CBS News, Complex, and the UK’s NME are closely tracking the group’s every move. Billboard captured the sentiment perfectly, describing it as “the moment a giant artist representing K-pop returns after a nearly four-year hiatus,” while

    The Washington Post remarked that BTS is set to “heat up 2026 like ‘Dynamite’.” Variety further added that for fans, this comeback isn’t just about the end of a season, but a long-awaited “spring” that the group’s return signifies for the world of pop music.

    Beyond the charts, the industry sees this as a historic milestone for modern pop history.

    L’Officiel Singapore highlighted the group’s pivotal role in bringing K-pop into the global mainstream, stating that the return of all seven members will be one of the most decisive moments in contemporary music.

    The upcoming album is set to feature 14 tracks that weave together the members’ personal reflections and emotions gathered throughout their journey. It also carries a heartfelt message of gratitude to the fans who have stayed by their side, making this return a deeply emotional experience for the global community.

  • Rowoon to Enlist on October 27 — Promises to Continue Acting After Service

    Actor Rowoon shared his thoughts on the conclusion of the Disney+ drama series Tackryu (Turbid Stream) ahead of his upcoming military enlistment.

    Through his agency FNC Entertainment, Rowoon said on the 20th, “It was an honor to take part in Tackryu before my enlistment. This project gave me great courage and confidence in my acting career. I was truly happy to create such a wonderful piece with amazing colleagues.”

    He continued, “I sincerely thank all the viewers who have watched Tackryu. I hope you’ll remember this drama for a long time. Even after I return from the military, I plan to continue acting without rest, so please keep supporting me.”

    In Tackryu, Rowoon played the lead role of Jang Si-yul, marking his most intense transformation since debut. He portrayed the emotional journey of a man who rises from a humble worker to a powerful figure with extraordinary depth, displaying his impressive acting range. Performing most of his action scenes himself, Rowoon once

    again proved his limitless potential as an actor.

    Rowoon is set to begin his mandatory military service on October 27.

  • Inside Korea’s Ticket Scalping Problem — Even Free Concerts Have Black Market Sales

    Despite the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) labeling ticket scalping as a “social evil” and launching crackdowns, illegal ticket resales continue to thrive online.

    For the upcoming NCT WISH concert, scheduled from October 31 to November 2, VIP seats priced at 198,000 KRW (≈ $150) are reportedly being resold for as much as 1 million KRW, over five times the face value.

    Government data shows that ticket scalping reports surged from 359 cases in 2020 to 4,224 in 2022, a tenfold increase. In 2023 and 2024, 2,161 and 2,224 cases were filed respectively, with 1,020 reports already recorded in 2025 (January–August). Even at free events such as Cho Yong-pil’s concert, scalped tickets were sold for 100,000 KRW, reflecting the scale of the problem.

    However, enforcement remains challenging. Under current law, authorities must prove that tickets were purchased through fraudulent means such as macros and then resold for profit — a standard that ticketing platforms find nearly impossible to verify. Although the MCST announced plans to amend the law last year to penalize resales regardless of macro use, the revision has yet to take effect. Since 2023, only 5.6% of reported cases have been deemed valid for prosecution.

    Shockingly, the Korea Creative Content Agency’s Fair Trade Center currently employs just one staff member dedicated to ticket scalping cases, who also handles other duties. Officials stress the urgent need to increase manpower and establish a real-time monitoring system to curb the ongoing issue.