10 years of K-pop megastars BTS: Five things to know

SEOUL — Seoul this week marks 10 years of megastars BTS, the supergroup credited with bringing K-pop into the global mainstream and generating billions of dollars for the South Korean economy.

They've been called "icons of progressive globalism", were once South Korean presidential envoys, and have done everything from Korean Air in-flight safety videos to campaigning for UNICEF.

At heart, however, they're entertainers. Here, AFP breaks down what you need to know about BTS:

WHO ARE BTS? 

After debuting on June 13, 2013, the septet went on to become the first all-South Korean act to dominate the US and UK charts, raking in billions of dollars and building a global fandom, known as ARMY, in the process.

Their embrace of social media meant they barely missed a beat during the pandemic, using direct engagement with fans online to cement their position as the world's biggest and most influential boy band.

Despite earlier breakthrough Korean hits like Psy's "Gangnam Style", BTS are widely credited with bringing K-pop into the mainstream in the US.

"As a South Korean idol group, BTS have smashed so many preconceived notions and industry odds to become chart-topping, Grammy-nominated musicians," Jeff Benjamin, Billboard's K-pop columnist, told AFP.

"Crucially, they did it not by adjusting their viewpoints, perspectives or languages to cater to the larger market but by firmly establishing themselves as the K-pop musicians they are."

WHAT DO THEY DO? 

Aside from music, the band has long championed global progressive causes, from the Black Lives Matter protests to fighting anti-Asian racism in the United States.

They've spoken at the United Nations and appeared at the White House, while still remaining one of the most popular bands in the world on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.

Prior to BTS, K-pop "was treated as a niche interest, separate from global culture", Sarah Keith, a senior lecturer in media and music at Australia's Macquarie University, told AFP.

"BTS's global popularity has led to a change in this perspective. BTS has arguably changed how the world perceives South Korea."

HOW ARE THEY CELEBRATING?

Ironically, the band is currently on a hiatus, with two members performing their mandatory South Korean military service.

All able-bodied South Korean men must serve at least 18 months in the military, and after a years-long debate about whether BTS deserved an exemption, Jin, the oldest member of the group, began his service in December. J-Hope started his service in April.

But the septet released a new digital single last week to celebrate the anniversary: "Take Two", purportedly a nod to the band's second chapter after a decade as musicians.

"All seven members participated in 'Take Two'", their agency Hybe said. "The song conveys their appreciation for ARMY, for all the love you shower them with."

A number of important tourist spots across Seoul, including the Namsan Seoul Tower and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, will be lit up in purple -- ARMY's colour -- in celebration of the anniversary.

Band leader RM will attend the main event of the celebration in Seoul at the Han River Park on June 17.

ON A BREAK? 

The band, who are known to be extremely hard-working and have maintained a relentless pace of new releases in their nine years at the top, said last year they were "exhausted" and would take a break.

RM said at the time that the K-pop industry -- known for its cut-throat competition -- was not allowing him to mature as an artist, saying he felt like a "rapping machine".

Since the announcement, BTS members who are still obliged to join the military have focused on their solo careers.

Jimin released his six-track solo album "Face" in March, with the single "Like Crazy" earning him a place in the record books as the first South Korean solo artist to land the number one spot on the top US songs chart.

Band member Suga is currently on his first solo worldwide tour.

WHAT'S NEXT? 

Local media says the ongoing break may last as long as seven years if the septet decides to wait until all members complete their military duties before resuming group activities.

In March, Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Hybe and the mastermind behind BTS, said industry figures -- including global ratings and album sales -- showed a declining demand for K-pop, blaming the BTS hiatus.

"It remains to be seen how the group can re-integrate as a seven-member group once they have finished their military service, as this is usually a difficult time for male artist groups," Keith said.

But the ongoing break could be "a growth period for BTS overall as members pursue solo interests and add more diversity to BTS's output", she added.

Agence France-Presse 

Netflix to invest $2.5 billion in South Korean content

SEOUL — Netflix will invest $2.5 billion in South Korean content over the next four years, the streaming giant's CEO Ted Sarandos announced after meeting with the country's President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington.

South Korea has cemented its status as a global cultural powerhouse in recent years, thanks in part to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite" and the hit Netflix series "Squid Game".

"Netflix is delighted to confirm that we will invest USD 2.5 billion in Korea including the creation of Korean series, films, and unscripted shows over the next four years," Sarandos said in a statement given to AFP Tuesday.

"This investment plan is twice the total amount Netflix has invested in the Korean market since we started our service in Korea in 2016."

Sarandos said that Netflix had "great confidence" that South Korea's creative industry would continue to tell great stories, pointing to the recent success of global hits such as "The Glory" and the reality show "Physical 100".

"It is incredible that the love towards Korean shows has led to a wider interest in Korea, thanks to the Korean creators' compelling stories. Their stories are now at the heart of the global cultural zeitgeist," he added.

Over the last few years, South Korean content has taken the world by storm, with over 60 percent of Netflix viewers watching a show from the East Asian country in 2022, company data showed.

Netflix, which spent more than 1 trillion won ($750 million) developing Korean content from 2015 to 2021, had previously said it would be expanding its South Korean show output, without giving details of spending plans.

Yoon, who arrived in Washington Monday for a six-day state visit, hailed what he described as a "very meaningful" meeting with Sarandos, according to a transcript shared with AFP by the president's office.

Yoon said the new investment "will be a great opportunity for the Korean content industry, creators, and Netflix. We sincerely welcome Netflix's exceptional investment decision."

Yoon's is set to meet US President Joe Biden Wednesday, with his visit coming as the allies move to bulk up military cooperation over North Korea's expanding nuclear threats.

Pyongyang has conducted another record-breaking string of sanctions-defying launches this year, including test-firing North Korea's first solid-fuel ballistic missile this month -- a key technical breakthrough for its military.

In response, Yoon has pulled South Korea closer to long-standing ally Washington, and the trip has a packed schedule including the summit with Biden, where the pair will celebrate 70 years of ties.

Yoon was also accompanied by more than 120 South Korean business leaders, including Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong, and the visit could address their concerns over Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

Analysts have said that the trip going well is particularly important for Yoon, who is eager to boost his low domestic approval ratings especially in the realm of foreign policy.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Neymar returns as Brazil brush aside South Korea to reach World Cup quarters

DOHA, Qatar -- Neymar returned from injury to help inspire Brazil to a 4-1 victory over South Korea on Monday as the favorites cruised through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The world's most expensive player had sat out his team's last two matches with a sprained ankle suffered in their opening 2-0 win over Serbia.

But he came back for this last-16 tie as Tite's team clicked into gear and delivered an ominous message to their rivals, at least before easing off in the second half.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring inside seven minutes before Neymar added another from the penalty spot to move to 76 goals for his country, leaving him just one away from equaling Pele's all-time record tally.

Richarlison's brilliant goal made it 3-0 and Lucas Paqueta added another before half-time to leave South Korea shellshocked.

Paik Seung-ho pulled one back but by then Brazil were thinking about Friday's quarter-final clash with 2018 runners-up Croatia.

"The time has come to go further," Neymar told Brazilian broadcaster Globo, referring to their defeats in the semi-finals in 2014 and quarter-finals four years ago.

"We are dreaming of winning the title, that's obvious, but we have to go step by step.

"This was the fourth game. There are three to go but we are prepared. Our minds are focused on winning the title.”

The five-time world champions had not scored four goals in a knockout game at the tournament since 1998.

Here they played at times with the joy associated with the Brazilian national team, the players coming together to celebrate each goal by showing off their dance moves and their coach even joining in.

If they finished playing within themselves, their first-half display was superb and a fitting tribute to the great Pele.

The Brazilian legend had said he would watch the game from the Sao Paulo hospital to where he was admitted last week for cancer treatment, and supporters in Doha's Stadium 974 unfurled a banner with a get well soon message to him.

It was a chastening experience for Son Heung-min and South Korea, who have still never won a World Cup knockout match outside their own country.

Their coach Paulo Bento later announced he would not be continuing in the role.

"I believe we can be very proud of what we have done at this World Cup, and what we have done over the last four years to get here," said Bento.

Tite made 10 changes to the Brazil team after rotating his squad for last Friday's inconsequential 1-0 loss to Cameroon, with Danilo also returning from injury at left-back.

- Richarlison stars again -

With Alisson Becker back in goal and Thiago Silva and Marquinhos playing too, this was Brazil's first-choice defense but their forwards quickly put the tie to bed.

The opener came from their first shot on target as Raphinha burst away from Kim Jin-su on the right and his ball across goal came to the feet of Vinicius who coolly picked his spot.

They then won a penalty as Richarlison was caught by Jung Woo-young and Neymar duly beat Kim Seung-gyu -- his last six goals for Brazil have now all come from the spot.

Alisson was then called into action to tip over a vicious long-range effort from Hwang Hee-chan, but Brazil scored their third in style just before the half-hour mark.

Richarlison juggled the ball on his head three times just outside the area before laying it off to Marquinhos and then continuing into the box to get on the end of Silva's pass which he slotted home for his third goal at this World Cup.

Paqueta got their fourth nine minutes before the break with a first-time finish as he connected with a Vinicius ball held up from the byline.

They took their foot off the pedal in the second half, although Raphinha was denied on several occasions by the goalkeeper.

Korea though deserve credit for keeping going and were rewarded inside the final quarter-hour as substitute Paik brought down a clearance and sent in a ferocious shot from 25 metres that brushed off Silva to beat Alisson.

Agence France-Presse

Biden hails $22 bln investment by S. Korea's SK Group

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden hailed progress in the US bid to revamp its 21st century economy after huge South Korean group SK announced a $22 billion investment in US semiconductor and other cutting edge industries.

"This pathbreaking announcement represents clear evidence that the United States, Korea, and its allies are back and winning the technology competition of the 21st century," Biden said in a virtual meeting at the White House with the top executives from SK Group, South Korea's second largest conglomerate.

"America is the key destination for advanced technologies," he added, stressing that the investment signaled success for his broader policy of "working with our allies."

The announcement came just before the meeting where Biden, who is recovering from a Covid infection, appeared on video, while SK Chairman Chey Tae-won joined other executives and senior White House officials in person.

The conglomerate said in a statement it plans to "increase its new investment in the United States by $22 billion in areas including semiconductors, green energy, and bioscience, creating tens of thousands of new high-tech, high-paying American jobs."

"This is in addition to SK's recently announced investment of $7 billion to build two new gigafactories in Tennessee and Kentucky as part of a joint venture with Ford Motor Company," the statement said.

According to a White House spokesman, SK Group's growing commitment reflects a push to rebuild US-based manufacturing and supply chains, which have been severely disrupted by fallout from the global Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns.

"From the beginning of his administration, President Biden has focused on an American industrial strategy to rebuild our infrastructure and our supply chains here at home, drawing good-paying manufacturing jobs back to America," the spokesman said.

"This announcement by SK Group is also another proof point of the success of the administration's efforts to create more resilient and secure supply chains and outcompete the rest of the world in the technologies of the future," he added.

The Department of Commerce says that foreign investment reached nearly $334 billion in 2021, the peak since 2016. Manufacturing accounted for the biggest share of any industry, at $121 billion.

The Biden administration is pushing Congress to quickly pass a proposed $52 billion subsidy package for boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturers, warning that reliance on foreign producers amounts to a national security risk.

Speaking Monday to senior economic and national security staff, as well as representatives from manufacturers and a trade union, Biden said government backing for domestic producers means the United States will "be able to stay in the game."

Congress must pass this bill as soon as possible," he said, citing both the economic and national security "imperative" of securing production of the tiny components needed for everything from smart phones to cars and weapons.

Agence France-Presse

South Korea fines Google $177 million for blocking Android customization

SEOUL - South Korea's antitrust regulator has fined Alphabet Inc's Google 207 billion won ($176.64 million) for blocking customized versions of its Android operating system (OS), in the US technology giant's second setback in less than a month.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on Tuesday said terms with device makers amounted to abuse of Google's dominant market position that restricted competition in the mobile OS market.

Google in a statement said it intends to appeal. It said the ruling ignores benefits offered by Android's compatibility with other programs and undermines advantages enjoyed by consumers.

The fine comes on the day an amendment to South Korea's Telecommunications Business Act - popularly dubbed the "anti-Google law" - came into effect.

The law now bans app store operators such as Google from requiring software developers use their payment systems - a requirement which effectively stopped developers from charging commission on in-app purchases.

KFTC said Google hampered competition by making device producers abide by an "anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA)" when signing key contracts with it regarding app store licenses.

Under the AFA, manufacturers could not equip their handsets with modified versions of Android, known as "Android forks". That has helped Google cement its market dominance in the mobile OS market, the KFTC said.

The regulator said the fine could be the ninth-biggest it has ever imposed.

In 2013, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd launched a smartwatch with a customized OS, but switched to a different OS after Google regarded the move as an AFA violation, KFTC said.

Samsung Electronics declined to comment.

-reuters

South Korea imposes tighter curbs as new COVID-19 cases set record

SEOUL - South Korea tightened social distancing rules across most of the country on Wednesday to tackle its worst-ever outbreak of coronavirus a day after new cases soared to a new daily peak of 1,615.

The latest daily tally easily surpassed the previous record of 1,378 set last Friday, adding to growing worries centred on the rapid spread of the more contagious Delta variant and a slowing vaccination campaign.

Clusters of infections have sprung up quickly around the capital Seoul and neighbouring areas fuelled by the Delta variant, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said from Thursday the government would tighten distancing rules across most of the country, with the exception of some southern regions, to Level 2 on a four-level scale.

Under Level 2, gatherings of more than eight people are banned, and restaurants and bars must close by midnight.

"The average numbers of new cases from regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area have more than doubled from last week," Kim told an intra-agency COVID-19 meeting, adding further curbs would be enforced in some high-risk areas.

The toughest Level 4 curbs, which include a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m., were imposed on Monday in the greater Seoul area.

For much of the pandemic South Korea has been one of the world's coronavirus success stories with a largely effective campaign to trace and smother clusters of infection.

The recent outbreaks have tarnished that image and shaken public confidence but nevertheless, South Korea's case numbers are much lower than those of many other countries at 171,911 infections in all and 2,048 deaths, KDCA data showed.

The latest infections have brought fewer deaths and cases of serious sickness because many older and more vulnerable people are now vaccinated, despite recent shortages of vaccine supplies slowing the campaign.

The number of people getting a shot has slipped to some 30,000 a day from more than 850,000 a day in early June, KDCA data showed. Just 30.6% of the 52 million population have received at least one dose of vaccine.

KDCA chief Jeong Eun-kyeong apologised on Wednesday after a planned rollout of vaccines for people aged 55-59 was halted for a week after the rush of people trying to get a shot crashed a government-run reservation website.

Jeong said the government had ordered sufficient supplies of vaccines but the scheduling of some shipments over coming weeks had not been finalised.

From Thursday, all schools in the greater Seoul area will switch to online classes until July 25, and private educational institutes are required to close by 10 p.m., the education ministry said.

The Delta variant accounted for 30.7% of all new cases in South Korea reported from July 4 to July 10, the KDCA said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell, Robert Birsel)

-reuters

Young, rich and racy: South Korea’s livestreamers

SEOUL South Korea  – From a converted storeroom on the roof of his mother’s Seoul apartment, Kim Min-kyo plays video games for up to 15 hours a day — and makes a fortune from the thousands of fans watching him.

The cramped studio is an unlikely home for a budding millionaire, but the 24-year-old’s gaming prowess — mixed with quick-witted commentary and high-school-level humour — has seen his income climb to about $50,000 a month.

That puts him well into the top one percent of earners in South Korea, but has not affected his lifestyle.

“I’m not really into cars or spending lots of money,” said Kim, who eats, sleeps, washes and works in the small space.

“My mum manages all my income so I never have a lot of money on me,” he told AFP.

Livestreamers, known as “Broadcast Jockeys” or BJs in South Korea, are hard-wired to the digital infrastructure of youth culture.

They entertain for hours with an interactive mishmash of chat, gaming, dance, music, eating, getting drunk or even just sleeping.

Top livestreamers enjoy subculture celebrity among teens and 20-somethings, who consider them more relatable than traditional media stars.

A few can earn over $100,000 in a good month from broadcasting live on homegrown platform AfreecaTV, and uploading edited content to YouTube.

Kim, who often streams himself playing online battle game League of Legends in his pyjamas, builds on his content with conversations that flirt with the country’s social boundaries.

“Maybe sometimes you need to do something absurd to attract followers,” he acknowledged.

He makes money from fan donations, sponsorship — sometimes consuming local energy drinks midstream — and advertising on YouTube, where he has more than 400,000 subscribers.

There is regular controversy in South Korea over a lack of regulation on livestreaming, from undisclosed product promotion to “lewd” behaviour — a bar set relatively low in a conservative culture.

Some livestreamers have been called out for misogynist commentary and violent behaviour.

And at any given hour it is easy to find scantily-clad women on AfreecaTV willing to “talk cute”, “dance sexy” or send a private video for the right price.

Pandemic surge

For livestreamers, the coronavirus has been good for business.

Over the first four months of last year, as the South urged people to stay at home to control the outbreak’s first wave, time watching videos on smartphones surged, according to the Korea Communications Commission.

YouTube said it saw saw huge spikes in global viewership last year, including in South Korea.

AfreecaTV, which now hosts about 17,000 livestreamers, sells “starballoons” to viewers for 110 won ($0.10) each.

The audience can donate them while interacting with a livestreamer, who converts it back to cash with the platform taking a cut.

Donations on it climbed by more than 20 percent to 41.5 billion won in the third quarter of last year.

“Even though it’s sad that Covid-19 has happened, it would be a lie to say that it hasn’t helped BJs grow,” said Joshua Ahn, who heads local production company Starfish Entertainment.

The 44-year-old Maserati-driving media entrepreneur manages dozens of top livestreamers, and produces variety shows for some of the country’s biggest TV stations.

Only a small fraction of streamers make significant sums, but Ahn said the stars who were already earning tens of thousands of dollars a month have seen their takings “double or even triple” during the pandemic.

‘Anyone can have a channel’

The hyper-wired South is often at the forefront of technological change — it launched the world’s first nationwide 5G networks in 2019, two years after internet television subscriptions overtook cable TV.

Mobile advertising revenue tripled between 2015 and 2019 to 4.56 trillion won, according to regulators, overtaking broadcast advertising along the way, which fell by almost a quarter.

“Conventional media is at an important crossroads,” said Ahn, whose business activities straddle both traditional and new media. “Now with YouTube, anyone can have their own channel.”

Some livestreamers have moved into the mainstream, including appearances on TV variety shows and sports commentating.

Meanwhile minor celebrities, financial analysts and even some politicians have turned to livestreaming to boost their profiles.

And in a country that has long stressed academic qualifications, “content creator” ranked fourth in a survey of primary schoolchildren’s most desired jobs last year.

South Korea’s best-known contribution to the global livestreaming phenomenon has been “mukbang”, where the host commentates while eating huge plates of food.

Some broadcast activities are more controversial, such as scantily-clad suggestive conversation, or even criminal, for instance threats of violence against rivals.

“The reason why the content of these BJs is getting more sexual and violent is because they seek more attention,” said California State University Monterey Bay researcher Hojin Song.

“The more audience that they can draw in, the better chance they get at making better money.”

Agence France-Presse

Christmas services canceled in Seoul churches as COVID-19 surges

SEOUL — As the stricter social distancing scheme that goes into effect Tuesday does not allow houses of worship in the greater Seoul area to hold in-person Christmas services, some Protestant churches are calling the order “unrealistic.”

After the government raised social distancing measures to Level 2.5, the second highest in the five-tier system, in the Seoul metropolitan area in an effort to slow down the fast spreading wave of COVID-19, churches in the greater Seoul area will not be able to hold in-person services for three weeks beginning Tuesday.

Under the Level 2.5 plan, only up to 20 people can attend in-person activities organized by religious facilities. Small group gatherings and dining together are prohibited.

The United Christian Churches of Korea, one of the biggest associations of Protestant churches in the country, issued a statement Sunday, calling the Level 2.5 measure regarding religious services an “unrealistic regulation.”

The UCCK called for the government to regulate the number of people that can attend a church service considering each religious facility’s space and its infectious disease prevention capabilities.

“(The government) should suggest a tightly targeted model that does not infringe on the freedom of religion and daily lives of the people,” the statement read. “We should prepare for the post-pandemic, recognizing the importance of not just sanitary, physical disinfection but also psychological, mental disinfection.”

Reactions from worshipers to the strict social distancing rule are mixed. While some argue that the government is imposing stricter restriction on churches, some agree with the need for tight restrictions in the fight against the virus.

“We also are not happy with the full ban on in-person services. However, online services do not undermine the faith of congregations,” the National Council of Churches in Korea official Son Seung-ho said.

The NCCK is a Christian ecumenical organization in Korea.

“The government cannot provide individual guidelines for each church. The UCCK cannot decide for its churches. Churches should follow the governmental guidelines to fight the spread of the virus,” Son said.

Though the government had previously implemented two-week long restrictions, the scheme will continue for three weeks in an effort to curb Christmas and year-end gatherings.

The Level 2.5 response was necessary to “keep the health care system from collapsing,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing held Sunday.

-The Korea Herald

BTS rewrites Billboard history with ‘Life Goes On’

SEOUL — It was not the first time that sensational K-pop boy band BTS had seen its name at the top of US music publication Billboard’s main singles chart, but this time it was different.

Billboard on Monday announced via social media that “Life Goes On,” the lead track of the band’s latest album, “Be,” debuted at No. 1 on this week’s Hot 100, the coveted singles chart, becoming the first song sung predominantly in Korean to top the chart in its 62-year history. It also marked the first non-English song to debut in the top spot.

The single “drew 14.9 million US streams and sold 150,000 in the week ending Nov. 26,” Billboard stated.

While the group has celebrated the milestone of topping the Billboard main chart earlier in September with their prereleased single “Dynamite,” the disco-pop song had been an all-English song and had sparked controversy as to whether it could actually be considered part of the K-pop genre.

“Many people had been wary even until now, saying ‘Dynamite’ became No. 1 as it is an all-English song, degrading BTS’ value as musicians,” Lee Gyu-tag, a cultural studies professor at George Mason University Korea, told The Korea Herald. “‘Life Goes On’ has proved that BTS could succeed without the exquisite strategies targeting the US music market.”

Lee explained that such a feat by “Life Goes On” is more significant, as it could hint at diversification in the global music industry.

“It’s a soft ballad song singing words of comfort to people worn out from the virus pandemic. Although it was unclear whether both the song and its message could succeed commercially, the members pushed through with voicing their honest thoughts in their own way, and this seemed to have won the hearts of many listeners,” Lee said.

“Just a decade before, K-pop songs were often considered exotic and even mocked. With the efforts of BTS and many other Korean artists, much of the wall has been torn down.”

Meanwhile, the eight-track set, released Nov. 20, debuted atop this week’s main albums chart, the Billboard 200, becoming the group’s fifth consecutive chart-topping album, spanning just 2 1/2 years. The band is the first act to achieve five No. 1 hits on the albums chart since British rock legends the Beatles in the 1960s. BTS is also the only act other than Taylor Swift to grab top placements on both the main singles and album charts in Billboard history.

The last track of the album, “Dynamite” climbed back up to No. 3 on the chart from No. 14 last week, remaining on the chart for 14 consecutive weeks. The band is the first act to debut multiple songs on Billboard’s main singles chart.

“We thank you so much. It’s grateful that we not only reached No. 1 but hold two songs in the top 3. We’re sincerely grateful to all the Army who love us,” BTS said on social media on Tuesday, reacting to Billboard’s announcement. “Army” refers to the band’s official fandom.

Pop culture critic Jung Min-jae said the feat achieved by “Life Goes On’” shows that BTS’ fandom has reached another milestone in the United States.

“While ‘Dynamite’ had enjoyed explosive US radio streams as an English song, ‘Life Goes On’ showed a disappointing number in terms of radio plays. And this proves that BTS now holds a fandom huge enough to guarantee them a No. 1 in the launch week just with digital streaming and downloads, as well as an enhanced reputation among the general public in the US,” Jung said.

“But this just proves BTS is at the pinnacle of stardom, as all pop culture has always revolved around such fandoms that make the stars, and in return, enforce their stardom even more. This has applied exactly the same to other global stars, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Beatles. Stars only exist upon huge fandoms,” the critic added.

Jung explains that with popular K-pop idol groups such as BTS, the unique fandom culture in this digital age — which supports artists through aggressive streaming and advertising on social media — has amplified the power of stardom in the US, which was once considered too big a market to be targeted by a single fandom.

With the top US music charts now under the group’s belts, hopes are higher for BTS to also take down music’s top award — a Grammy — after the act became the first K-pop artists to earn a nomination.

Stating he had been predicting a win even ahead of Billboard announcements Monday, professor Lee said, “Based on BTS’ achievements and popularity this year, I would not be surprised to see them win — or rather — disappointed if they didn’t.”

Jung was more cautious in promising a win, stating a nod as a finalist is symbolic in itself.

“The nomination proves that this team has become a rightful part of their industry and that it is impossible to disregard them,” the critic said.

“While the Recording Academy (which presents the Grammys) has been making efforts to embrace more diversity in their members in recent years, this has not led to a significant difference in the results.”

At the 63rd Grammy Awards, slated for Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, BTS will vie in the category for best pop duo/group performance against stars including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa.

-The Korea Herald

South Korea elevates distancing as virus nears spring levels

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Beaches and churches were closed and baseball games were played in empty stadiums on Sunday after South Korea added hundreds of new cases to its growing coronavirus caseload amid concerns that the epidemic is getting out of control.

The 397 new cases reported by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention marked the 10th straight day of triple-digit increases and indicated that the speed of the virus’s spread was nearing the levels seen during the worst of the outbreak in the spring.

The resurgence, which began in the densely populated capital area before reaching practically every major city and provincial town over the past week, is a major setback for a country that had been eager to tout its hard-won gains against the virus.

KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said things will probably get worse before they get better. The daily jumps could become even bigger in the coming days because health workers are increasingly struggling to keep up with the pace of infection, scrambling to trace and test the contacts of virus carriers, she said.

“We don’t see the current state as the peak ... we believe that infections could further increase,” Jeong said during a virus briefing. “Patients are increasing not only in the Seoul metropolitan region, but also across the 17 (major) cities and provinces throughout the country, pushing us on the verge of a massive nationwide outbreak.”

After avoiding stringent social distancing measures because of concerns about hurting the economy, officials stepped up restrictions nationwide on Sunday.

They banned gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors and shut nightclubs, karaoke rooms, buffet restaurants and computer-gaming cafes. Churches can hold online services only while fans were removed from professional sports, just weeks after baseball and soccer teams had been allowed to sell limited portions of their seats.

The Seoul city government said it will require people to wear masks in public — indoors and outdoors — starting Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear how the city could effectively enforce such requirements. Seoul has been mandating masks on mass transport since May, but enforcement has been relatively lax as it depends on bus drivers and subway station workers.

Some experts say such measures are too little, too late.

There’s a possibility that government officials this week could further elevate social distancing measures to “Level 3,” which could include prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people, shutting schools, halting professional sports and advising private companies to have employees work from home.

“An elevation to ‘Level 3’ practically means the stoppage of all daily activities aside of essential social and economic activities, and that would bring painful results to all our people and the economy as a whole,” senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a separate briefing. He called for vigilance by citizens to slow the spread of the virus, and pleaded that people cancel or push back large events such as weddings.

Sunday’s jump in infections marked the third consecutive day they’ve crossed 300. Most of the new cases have come from the Seoul area, home to half of the country’s 51 million people. Cases were also reported in other major cities such as Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon and Daegu, the epicenter of the previous major outbreak in late February and March.

The country managed to stabilize the situation in the Daegu area by April through aggressive testing and contact tracing. That approach worked because many of the infections had been tied to a single church congregation with thousands of members.

But it’s unclear if the formula will be as effective now, with the virus spreading nationwide.

South Korea has 17,399 confirmed cases overall, including 309 deaths.

“With the number of virus patients rising rapidly, it has become difficult for anti-virus measures alone to contain the outbreak — the reduction of human-to-human contact is crucial,” Jeong said.

Churches have constantly been a major source of infection. More than 840 cases so far have been linked to a Seoul church led by a bitter critic of the country’s president.

The spread worsened after thousands of anti-government protesters, including members of the Sarang Jeil Church and its conservative pastor, Jun Kwang-hun, marched in downtown Seoul last week despite official pleas to stay home.

Jeong said at least 136 infections have so far been linked to the protest. Jun has been hospitalized since Monday after testing positive for the virus.

Health workers have used cellphone location data to identify some 50,000 people who spent more than 30 minutes on the street during the Aug. 15 protest 15 and have been urging them to get tested.

Associated Press

K-dramas walk a fine line with controversial scenes

SEOUL — As viewers’ complaints about the inappropriate sexual objectification of women in SBS’s drama series “Backstreet Rookie” remain unanswered by the program’s producers, the drama has been embroiled in yet another controversy, this time over the racist portrayal of a foreign-national character.

During the show‘s fifth episode that aired on Friday, a man who introduces himself as a Nigerian encounters a Korean man with a similar dreadlocked hairstyle to his in a convenience store and the two suddenly embrace each other as “belonging to the same Jamaican family.” Singing incomprehensible melodies, the two dance together to instrumental music.


The scene sparked a huge outrage from the drama’s foreign viewers. A Twitter user wrote, “Tell me why this is on a popular K-drama in this day and age. As much as I love Ji Chang-wook, this drama has got to go,” to which more than 2,400 people “liked.” A similar number of users retweeted the tweet, with one of the retweets reading “this is so stereotyping. They really think every African person is the same. I’m so disgusted by the fact this drama is made in 2020.”

The SBS drama, starring Kim You-jung and Ji Chang-wook, was in hot water even before its first episode aired for its original web comics series with sexually suggestive scenes. The web comic of the same title contained sexual objectification of an underage female, as the story depicts a romance between an underage employee and a grown-up male manager of a convenience store.

In response to outcries of concern, the series’ director Lee Myung-woo explained that the series is a show that the whole family can watch together, “only taking the positive energy of the two lead characters in the original comic.”

As the show hit the air, however, the series instantly received backlash from viewers due to several inappropriate scenes, including one showing a high-school girl flirting with a grown-up man and kissing him on the lips and another portraying prostitution — not depicted the original web comic — which is prohibited by law in Korea.


A few days after the first episode aired, more than 6,000 complaints were made on the webpage of the Korea Communication Standards Commission, some even calling for the show to be halted, while others took it to the broadcaster’s website and social media to lash out at the drama’s controversial scenes.

According to the explanation made by an official from the KCSC on Wednesday, a subcommittee is expected to deliberate the episodes in relation to the Article 27 (duties of integrity) and Article 51 (use of broadcasting language) of the body’s review regulation.

“It seems the producer believed he could sublimate such problematic elements of the original webtoon — whether it be the sexual or the discriminatory aspects — through exaggerated black comedy, also portrayed in the producer’s previous series ‘The Fiery Priest’,” TV drama critic Yun Suk-jin told The Korea Herald. “The thought that he could adapt the original content to drama overlooking such elements was a mistake.”

Meanwhile, tvN’s “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” also received over 50 complaints on KCSC website regarding its scenes depicting sexual harassment.

In the show’s third episode, which aired on June 27, the lead female character Mun-young, played by Seo Ye-ji, makes her way into the men’s dressing room and eyes overtly at Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-hyun) as he gets changed, touching his bare body against his will and making sexually offensive remarks to him.


Mun-young, who is depicted as having a personality disorder, continues to make judgemental comments about Gang-tae’s appearance, calling him “pretty,” and treating him like her possession.

The KCSC official added the deliberation on “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” has not been decided yet.

Yun, also a professor of Korean literature at Chungnam University, explained the discordance between the TV producers and the younger viewers in their sensitivity to gender issues may be the fundamental reason behind the continuing controversies.

“The expression ‘gender-sensitivity’ itself is unfamiliar to many in our society, and although ideas about gender equality have been evolving fast recently, this is not portrayed in television drama productions. These idle attitudes (toward gender) held by producers, pushed by their battle for viewership ratings, ends up to the creation of such inappropriate scenes.”

The Korea Herald

South Korea says second wave of coronavirus already ‘in progress’

SEOUL — A second wave of the novel coronavirus has already hit South Korea, with Seoul as the epicenter, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jung Eun-kyeong.

“If a wave is defined as an explosion of infections that significantly strains the health care system, I believe a second wave is in progress in the Greater Seoul area,” she said in a Monday briefing.

The KCDC director said the rise in cases appears to have stemmed from an increase in movements during the holiday weekend in early May.

“As long as close contact amongst people continues to take place, the coronavirus trends in and around Seoul have the makings of the next big wave,” she said, warning that in the absence of physical distancing, the second rush of the coronavirus may arrive sooner than the previously anticipated fall or winter.


“The aim is to keep the speed and size of the outbreaks below our capacity and minimize damages until there is a cure or vaccine,” she said, urging yet again, compliance to physical distancing.

So far in the month of June, the patient count in the Seoul area stands at 788, having already exceeded May’s 505 and April’s 412, growing at an average of 38 a day.


Nearly half of the new patients confirmed last week were in their 50s or older, making severe outcomes more common. The number of severely or critically ill patients rose from eight on June 2 to 34 by Saturday, according to the Health Ministry.

The National Medical Center’s central clinical committee for emerging infectious diseases has warned of an impending intensive care unit bed shortage in the capital, where the number of patients has surged most.

“We worry that densely populated Seoul may be facing explosive and concentrated outbreaks,” the state-run hospital’s Director Chung Ki-hyun told reporters Sunday.


Addressing the NMC’s concerns, Yoon Tae-ho, the public health policy director at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said in a Monday briefing that patients with no or minimal symptoms would be housed at care facilities instead of hospitals. There are four such facilities in operation nationwide, with one more to be installed this week, he said.

Yoon said the government was also seeking solutions such as flexible work shifts for health workers on the frontline to alleviate the “COVID-19 burden.” In addition, 200,000 surgical gowns which are lighter and more heat-friendly will be distributed at testing centers around the country every month until September, he said.


Minister of Health Park Neung-hoo, speaking at a meeting at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters on Monday, said the recent uptick in the number of imported cases called for amplified border checks. The number of cases linked to overseas travel almost doubled to 90 during the week of June 15-21, from 48 the week prior.

“The disease control authorities are having to fight local outbreaks while at the same time monitoring potential infections coming in from outside the country,” he said.


In response, starting Tuesday, visa applications will be restricted for people from Pakistan and Bangladesh, as a high proportion of passengers flying in from those countries have arrived infected.

Korea added 17 cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours ending Sunday at midnight, according to the KCDC’s daily situation report.

Eleven of those were locally transmitted — seven in the Greater Seoul, two in South Chungcheong Province, and one each in North Jeolla Province and Daegu. The remaining six cases were imported.

To date, there have been 12,438 coronavirus patients here, of whom 280 have died.

- The Korea Herald

BTS’ ‘DNA’ music video tops 1 billion YouTube views

SEOUL — The music video of BTS’ 2017 hit song “DNA” topped 1 billion YouTube views on Monday, becoming the band’s first music video to surpass that milestone.

“DNA,” the lead track of BTS’ 2017 album “Love Yourself: Her,” achieved the feat early Monday morning, according to the band’s label-management agency Big Hit Entertainment.


Released in September 2017, the song stayed on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for four consecutive weeks, and in February the following year, it was certified “Gold” by the Recording Industry Association of America.

“DNA” is so far the most viewed video in BTS’ globally acclaimed catalogue, followed by “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, with over 700 million views, and “Fire,” “MIC Drop” and “Idol,” each with over 600 million views.

The septet has announced that it is currently producing a new album to be released in the coming months. BTS also plans to hold a paid online concert, Bang Bang Con the Live, on June 14.

BTS is also the first male K-pop group with a music video with over 1 billion views. Singer Psy was the first Korean artist to achieve the milestone with his 2012 global hit “Gangnam Style,” with K-pop girl band BLACKPINK also racking up more than 1 billion views with “Ddu-du Ddu-du” in November of last year.

Yonhap News Agency

BTS’ ‘Fake Love’ tops 700m YouTube views

SEOUL — The music video of K-pop boy band BTS’ “Fake Love” has drawn more than 700 million clicks on YouTube, the band’s management agency said Sunday.

The lead track of BTS’ 2018 release “Love Yourself: Tear” surpassed the 700 million mark at around 6 p.m., according to Big Hit Entertainment.

This is the group’s third music video to hit this number of views on the global video-streaming site, after “DNA” and “Boy With Luv.”

Yonhap News Agency

4 K-pop stars, including BTS’ Jungkook, test negative after visiting Itaewon last month

SEOUL — BTS’ Jungkook and three other K-pop idol singers visited Itaewon, the center of the recent outbreak of the new coronavirus in Seoul, together late last month but have tested negative for the virus, their agencies said Monday.

A local internet-based daily reported earlier in the day that Jungkook, Jaehyun of NCT, Mingyu of Seventeen and Cha Eun-woo of Astro hung out at a restaurant and two different bars on April 25 in Itaewon, Seoul’s most popular nightlife and multicultural neighborhood, while the country was under relaxed social distancing in response to COVID-19.


As soon as the report was out, management agencies of the four K-pop stars confirmed the visit and apologized for their failure to comply with the social distancing campaign.

They pointed out, however, that the stars did not visit specific bars and clubs where the cluster infection occurred and tested negative for the virus.

The country has seen a spike in the number of new daily infections since a 29-year-old man tested positive following visits to five clubs and bars in Itaewon in early May.

A total of 170 infection cases, including clubgoers, their family members and colleagues, have been reported as of Monday morning.


Quarantine authorities have asked people who have been to Itaewon and nearby areas from April 24-May 6 to undergo virus tests even if they don’t have any symptoms.

Big Hit Entertainment, the agency of BTS, admitted that Jungkook visited the district on April 25, and he got tested even though he had no COVID-19-related symptoms. The 22-year-old tested negative for the virus, it added.

“He deeply reflects on his conduct that he did not comply with social distancing sincerely,” Big Hit said. “We will make sure that this kind of problem will not happen again and apologize for worrying many people including fans.”

SM Entertainment, which manages NCT, also confirmed the news report and said that Jaehyun tested negative after getting examined on his own initiative.

“Jaehyun regrets his carelessness as he had to refrain from personal meetings during social distancing,” the company said.

Pledis Entertainment and Fantagio, which are behind Seventeen and Astro, respectively, said their artists spent the night in Itaewon and apologized for not complying with social distancing properly.

Yonhap

Teenage BTS fans swindled by financial frauds

SEOUL — Judy Bae, 19, a member of the global fan club of South Korean boy band BTS known as ARMY never thought she would be exposed to financial fraud risks until she received a Twitter message from a fellow member asking for money in December last year.

Pretending as a teen ARMY member, the man who turned out to be in his 20s, claimed that he need money so that he could buy new albums or rare photo images of BTS members. He said he would pay her back soon, but never kept that promise.

Bae sent over 1 million won ($812) to her fellow BTS fan. But it was too late for her to realize the money she sent out of solidarity was irretrievable.

“I trusted him and have sent the money in several installments so far, but he never paid me back, ignoring my calls and messages,” she said.

In fear of telling her parents of losing money, Bae researched online and discovered she was not the only one.

Bae is one of a number of teenagers who have been victims of financial fraud schemes targeted at young idol fans.


A 27-year-old youth counselor identified only by her surname Jung launched a Twitter community in March to seek relief measures for teen victims. The community now has around 30 members who claim to be victims of unexpected financial fraud. Around 70 percent of them are underage with the total damage reaching some 13 million won.

“There is a close bond between teenage fans and this makes it easy for swindlers to deceive them, posing as teenagers,” said Jung. “Starting this year, I even heard of many similar cases in which swindlers beg for money, saying they are in a bit of a tight spot financially due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Young idol fans are often a target of such financial fraud as offenders take advantage of underage students’ inability to take legal steps to recover financial damages, according to local police.

“Teenagers cannot file a civil lawsuit without telling their parents. Even if they have legal representatives and pursue civil lawsuits to get the money back from offenders, it takes a long period of time while relevant legal expenses surpass 1 million won, even for minor thievery or fraud cases,” said Lim Pan-jun, head of cybercrime investigation unit at Dongdaemun Police Station.

Online money transfer scams targeting teenagers have been on the rise.


As of 2019, the number of SNS postings that involve illegal financial transactions with teenagers as well as college students reached 12,000, nine times higher than a year earlier, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.

“In some cases, individual lenders granted small loans worth less than 100,000 won to young students aged below 19 on SNS and then required interest rates as high as 10 percent a day,” said Ahn Shin-won, an official at FSS’ illegal private loans response unit, in charge of monitoring cyber financial frauds.

“Such new online scams have been on the increase recently, so we ask parents and school teachers’ special discretion to their students.”

Some financial authorities say an absence of mandatory finance education at public schools in South Korea could be one of contributing factors behind a surge in teenager-related money frauds.

In a recent joint survey released by Financial Services Commission and Gallup Korea, the amount of time spent on teaching financial matters at public schools in Korea reached merely nine hours on average last year. Not included in the official educational curriculum at elementary, middle and high schools, financial subjects have been covered in different courses like social studies.

Meanwhile, the finance education for teenagers is mandatory in many developed countries.

The US and Canada have implemented and operated curriculums covering financial topics at elementary schools since 2014 with an initiative to reduce the social costs of financial crimes involving teenagers.

“Quite a number of fraud cases here were caused by individuals’ lack of basic knowledge regarding finance,” said an official at the FSC Financial Education Department.

“Since there are certainly limits to the authorities’ preventative measures against financial crimes, relevant public education at an early age is indispensable.”

The Korea Herald

BTS to dazzle fans with series of US shows next week

SEOUL — K-pop super band BTS will dazzle the world music scene with a series of high-profile performances in the United Sates next week ahead of its official release of a new album.

American broadcaster iHeartRadio recently announced an upcoming live show featuring the septet, heralding the band‘s full-swing return to the public eye in the run-up to the official release of a new album, “Map of the Soul: 7,” on Feb. 21.


“Although fans have a lot of upcoming dates to look forward to, they can add one more to the list: January 27th,” iHeartRadio said last week on its website.

“The BTS ARMY can watch the band during an exclusive event in Los Angeles, ’iHeartRadio LIVE with BTS‘ presented by Hot Topic,” the broadcaster said.

The Monday show will be closely followed by BTS’ much-anticipated showcase of its new single, “Black Swan,” during a US TV show the very next day.

Appearing on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on Tuesday, BTS will stage the emo hip-hop song off the band‘s upcoming album, according to the band’s management agency, Big Hit Entertainment.

“Black Swan,” a track under the upcoming full-length album, was pre-released last week before the full release of the album.

Ahead of the two programs, BTS was also reported to take the Grammy stage next week alongside American rapper and singer-songwriter Lil Nas X during the 62nd Grammy Awards ceremony slated for Jan. 26 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

US magazine Variety has recently reported that the American artist will be joined onstage by BTS and other musicians when he performs his megahit song, “Old Town Road,” during the ceremony.

In July last year, BTS leader RM released a collaboration with Lil Nas X called “Seoul Town Road,” a Seoul version of “Old Town Road.”

If confirmed, it will be the K-pop band‘s second appearance on the Grammy stage after BTS attended the awards’ 2019 event as an award presenter. (Yonhap)

Seoul officials on alert over heightened risk of US-Iran conflict

SEOUL — Seoul officials said Sunday they were cautiously watching escalating tensions between the US and Iran and staying vigilant about the possible repercussions here.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a task force to evaluate the current situation in the Middle East and to discuss measures to protect Koreans living in the area, the officials said.


On Friday, the US confirmed that President Donald Trump had ordered the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani — the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force and the second-most powerful man in Iran — which took place at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The attack has raised tensions between Washington and Tehran to new heights.

Presided over by Vice Foreign Minister Cho Se-young, the inaugural meeting of the task force was held Sunday morning.

Results of the meeting were reported to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who directed the team to enhance the security of Korean citizens and businesses in the Middle East.

The ministry added that in coordination with the diplomatic offices in the region, it will maintain an emergency response system around the clock.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Samsung Galaxy Fold available again in Korea, soon in Japan, China

SEOUL — Samsung was to begin taking orders for the foldable gadget on its homepage as well as some e-commerce platforms like 11st, eBay and Coupang at midnight on Sunday, according to the tech giant.

The exact volume of the third batch has not been revealed, but industry officials estimate around 10,000 units would be rolled out.

According to market forecasts, Samsung has released around 20,000 Galaxy Folds so far for the Korean market alone through the first and second rounds of preorder-based sales in September.

Despite the high price tag of 2.39 million won ($2,020), the available units sold out in just a few minutes for the two previous batches.

Now the third session is drawing public attention to the strictly controlled volume of limited-edition phones.

“It seems like Samsung is exploiting the value of rarity,” said an industry official. “Because of the limited volume, the phone’s value has been raised incredibly.”


The official predicted that Samsung Display has prepared a total of 100,000 foldable AMOLED display panels for the Fold, including a portion set aside for potential replacements for defective ones.

After being sold out not only in Korea but also in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and France, Samsung plans to debut the foldable device in challenging markets like Japan, Poland, Mexico and Switzerland later this month.

For the Japanese market, the Galaxy Fold will not have the Samsung logo on the hinge of the in-folding device, a strategy Samsung is employing in the market dominated by American rival Apple. The Fold’s Japan launch is slated for Oct. 25.

Samsung will also venture into the Chinese market again with the Fold on Nov. 1, which will see it compete against Huawei’s foldable Mate X.

The Korean company has suffered slumps in China sales in recent years, accounting for less than 1 percent in market share.

source: technology.inquirer.net

K-pop star Seungri summoned over gambling charges

SEOUL — Seungri, a former member of the K-pop boy band BIGBANG, appeared Wednesday for a police probe over illegal overseas gambling allegations.

Dressed in formal attire, the disgraced K-pop star said he will sincerely take part in the probe and apologized for “causing deep worries”. He did not reply to journalists’ questions about gambling charges.


Earlier this month, police booked Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, the former CEO of BIGBANG’s management agency, YG Entertainment, over the allegations.

The two are charged with habitually gambling in foreign countries and illegally securing funds for gambling in violation of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act.

Cable network JTBC reported that Seungri and Yang were regular guests at Las Vegas hotel casinos where they gambled millions of dollars.

Prior to the overseas gambling allegations, Seungri was referred to the prosecution in June on embezzlement and pimping charges.

Seungri, whose legal name is Lee Seung-hyun, ceased all entertainment activities in March after a nightclub he was associated with came under probe over drug use and sexual abuse. Yonhap

source: entertainment.inquirer.net