The wait is over! HANA, the seven-member girl group formed through the wildly popular audition show No No Girls, officially makes their major-label debut today with the superb single ROSE. A swagger-filled track that depicts themes of survival and self-love leads the way into a fresh, fearless wave of J-pop. ROSE doesn’t just introduce HANA,…
Experience The Festival of Korean Dance Across the UK
The Festival of Korean Dance 2025 is an exciting annual event presented by the Korean Cultural Centre UK and The Place, which returns for its eighth year, offering audiences a chance to experience contemporary dance from South Korea. This year, the festival will present five leading South Korean dance companies and features an impressive lineup,…
JO1 Celebrates 5 Years with Groundbreaking “Best Of” Album
If JO1 hasn’t made it onto your playlist yet, this is your sign to hit play. The 11-member Japanese boy group – Sho, Ren, Ruki, Junki, Keigo, Takumi, Syoya, Shosei, Sky, Shion, and Issei – was born out of PRODUCE 101 JAPAN in 2020. With an eye-watering 65 million votes cast by fans (known as…
Discover Joh!: The Chaotic Soul of Hyperpop-R&B – Exclusive Interview
If you’re unfamiliar with Joh! – yes, the exclamation point is part of the name, and yes, he earns it – consider this your official introduction to one of the most exciting genre-pushing voices coming out of Korea right now. A former hip-hop kid turned hyperpop-R&B romantic with a chaotic soul, Joh! is the type…
27th Far East Film Festival Announces Its Lineup – A True Celebration of Asian Cinema
The 27th edition of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine continues its long-standing mission of showing contemporary Asian cinema. With a lineup of 75 films from 11 countries – including 7 world premieres, 15 international premieres, 20 European premieres, and 19 Italian premieres – the festival presents a diverse mix of popular, auteur,…
Fresh Boy Group NEWBEAT On Living Up To Their Name
We’ve witnessed pineapple hair, wolf howls, and crazier; with K-Pop, there’s no limit to how weird and wonderful things can get. Newest kids on the block NEWBEAT have decided to spark their debut with something very fitting to their name: real hiccups recorded on their predebut release of the same name. At a recent press…
82MAJOR Is Coming Back on April 14th with 3rd Mini-Album “Silence Syndrome”
Buckle up, 82MAJOR fans – your favourite stage dominators (NAM SEONG MO, PARK SEOK JOON, YOON YE CHAN, CHO SEONG IL, HWANG SEONG BIN, KIM DO GYUN) are making a grand return! The group has officially announced their comeback with their third mini album, SILENCE SYNDROME, dropping on April 14th at 6 PM KST. And…
Kevin Woo’s “Deja Vu” New Single: Release Details
There’s a certain nostalgia attached to the early days of K-pop, whether it’s the first or second generation. U-KISS, part of the latter, was one of those groups that impacted many lives, stealing the hearts of fans worldwide. Though the group remained active for years, four of its ten members departed before U-KISS went on…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Lee Yujin, Director of “Manok” – Exclusive Interview
South Korean filmmaker Lee Yujin brings a refreshing and nuanced perspective to the screen with Manok, a film that beautifully combines humour with moving themes of acceptance and belonging. Set in the rural village of Iban-ri, Manok follows its titular character as she returns to her hometown in the wake of her mother’s passing, only…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: Actor Han Gi-chan Discusses “The Wedding Banquet” – Exclusive Interview
Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet revitalises Ang Lee’s 1993 classic, bringing a contemporary lens to themes of love, the weight of tradition, the complexities of identity, and societal expectations. While the original film followed a dutiful Taiwanese son confronting the pressures of tradition, Ahn’s version expands the narrative, introducing new characters and conflicts that reflect…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Kim Si-a – Exclusive Interview
At just 16, Kim Si-a proved she is a truly talented young actress with her superb performance in Summer’s Camera, directed by Divine Sung. She beautifully portrayed the emotions of a teenager experiencing grief and self-discovery through her first love. After the world premiere at the 39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, we sat…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: In Conversation with Divine Sung, Director of “Summer’s Camera” – Exclusive Interview
Divine Sung is a filmmaker based in Seoul with an MFA in Film Directing from the Korea National University of Arts. She has directed short films such as True Story (2018) and My Boyfriend and Our Yesterday (2023). Summer’s Camera is her feature film debut. Summer’s Camera had its world premiere at the 39th BFI…
39th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “After the Snowmelt” Review
Taiwanese-born director Yi-Shan Lo’s latest documentary, After the Snowmelt (2024), which premiered at the 2024 Visions du Réel festival in the Burning Lights Competition, and was also shown at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, is an emotional and visually striking exploration of grief, survival, and identity. After the Snowmelt challenges traditional storytelling…
39th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival – “Summer’ Camera” Review
Having its world premiere at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Summer’s Camera is the feature directorial debut of Divine Sung, a South Korean filmmaker. The film depicts a wonderful and subtle exploration of youth and love. It also captures the theme of self-discovery while painting a portrait of a high school student,…
