WINNER member Mino could be required to complete another 102 days of alternative military service after receiving a suspended prison sentence for violating Korea's Military Service Act. An official from the Military Manpower Administration told Xportsnews on Thursday that Mino would have to serve again for the number of days he was absent without authorization if the court ruling becomes final. "If the ruling is finalized, he will have to serve again for the number of days he was absent from duty," the official said. The Seoul Western District Court on Thursday sentenced Mino, whose legal name is Song Min-ho, to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after finding him guilty of violating the Military Service Act. The ruling is from the first trial and has not yet been finalized. The official who was responsible for supervising Mino's service at the time and was tried alongside him received a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years. Prosecutors said Mino was absent without authorization for 102 of approximately 430 required workdays. If the ruling is upheld and becomes final, h

Korea is turning its fall performance season into a nationwide invitation, with more than 1,700 shows set to be promoted together through Nov. 30 under a campaign designed to bring audiences to stages across the country. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Arts Management Service launched the 2026 Korea Is Performing campaign Thursday, bringing together major festivals, markets and regional performances. The campaign will connect major events including Seoul International Performing Arts Festival, Seoul Performing Arts Market and RE:BOUND Festival with performances promoted by 16 regional cultural foundations. The Seoul International Performing Arts Festival will run from Thursday through Oct. 25 at venues including the National Theater of Korea, Daehangno Theater QUAD and Arko-Daehangno Arts Theater, featuring 20 international and domestic works spanning theater, dance, music and multidisciplinary arts. Seoul Performing Arts Market will run from Oct. 13-16, offering nine performances, presentations and demonstrations of works, exhibitions and one-on-one business meetin

A five-year veteran K-pop girl group has taken the rare step of launching its Japanese major-label debut. LIGHTSUM, which debuted in Korea in 2021, has embarked on a new venture built around "kawaii" — the Japanese aesthetic centered on cuteness — leaning into the country's distinct idol culture. Now in its sixth year, the group is seeking a fresh start in Japan by abandoning its established style to tackle the overseas market. The six-member act — Sangah, Chowon, Nayoung, Hina, Juhyeon and Yujeong — released its debut mini-album, "Re:idol," on Sept. 23. The album title signals the group's intent to start over in Japan under a transformed identity. The release arrives after a roughly two-year hiatus. Adapting its image for the new concept, LIGHTSUM brought the bright, charming aesthetics of Japanese idols to the forefront, overhauling its makeup, stage wardrobe and poses. The kawaii concept marks a sharp departure from standard K-pop girl-group conventions. Instead of replicating its Korean image in Japan, the group actively embraced the participatory fan culture of the local ido

KATSEYE, a multinational girl group formed by K-pop powerhouse HYBE and U.S. record label Geffen Records, will perform at the 2026 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Los Angeles, the agencies said Wednesday. The group was invited as one of the performing artists for the event, set for Oct. 18 (local time). First held in 1995, the annual show by the U.S. lingerie brand pairs runway appearances by supermodels with live performances by global music stars. Previous performers include Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gaga. This year, KATSEYE shares the lineup with Canadian pop star Tate McRae, American rapper Megan Thee Stallion and rising country singer Megan Moroney. U.S. music magazine Billboard highlighted the group's rapid growth when it introduced the lineup. It noted that KATSEYE's third EP, "WILD," topped the Billboard 200 albums chart in August. It also noted that the group recently launched "THE WILDWORLD TOUR," its first arena tour. The group's momentum is also evident on the charts. On the latest Billboard Hot 100, the magazine's main singles chart, dated Oct. 3, "Animal" ranked No. 30

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan and director Lee Ok-seop, long known as one of the Korean film industry's most enduring couples, have actually been husband and wife for four years. Xportsnews learned that Koo and Lee legally married after registering their marriage in 2022. The revelation comes as a surprise because the pair had continued to be widely described as a longtime couple rather than a married one. Koo and Lee began dating in 2013 and publicly confirmed their relationship in 2020. Two years later, they quietly registered their marriage without publicly announcing the change in their relationship status. The couple did not hold a separate wedding ceremony after registering their marriage and currently have no plans to hold one, according to sources. Beyond their relationship, Koo and Lee have built a long creative partnership in Korea's independent film scene. Both attended the Seoul Institute of the Arts and have worked together on numerous projects, including "A Dangerous Woman," "Love Docu," "Fly to the Sky" and "Maggie." They also jointly run the production company 2X9HD. Their collaborat

An electrifying Korean romantic comedy is headed to the small screen for the fall season. Starring Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin, the Netflix series "Take Charge of My Heart" is set to spark a lovely romantic connection with viewers and warming hearts as chilly autumn days set in. The drama follows a man whose artificial heart battery is dying and a woman burdened with high-voltage superpowers. Baek Ho-rang (Kim), a third-generation chaebol heir whose artificial heart is dangerously low on power, enters into a pragmatic contract with Na Bo-bae (Chae), a TV writer whose own love life remains hopelessly drained due to her electrical abilities. As subtle feelings develop between them, their transactional dynamic quickly evolves into a series of thrilling, heart-fluttering moments. "When I first received the script, the female lead's electrical powers immediately hooked me," director Park Soo-won explained during a press conference for the Netflix series at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo District, Seoul, Thursday. "Unlike standard rom-coms where heart-fluttering moments come purely f

Tom Cruise returned to Korea for his 13th visit with a new film, “Digger,” that marks one of the Hollywood superstar’s most radical transformations in his five-decade career. "Digger" follows Digger Rockwell, a stubborn billionaire whose drilling operations in a Greenland glacier cause a minor fracture that escalates into an unprecedented worldwide disaster. In the movie, Cruise takes on a new look. Complete with grey hair, aging makeup and a notoriously quick-tempered personality, he plays a figure who plunges the world into chaos. Expressing his joy at visiting Korea once again, the 64-year-old actor highlighted his deep connection with Korean fans. "There are 13 visits to Korea. Fantastic. That's probably a Hollywood record. I love it," Cruise said. "I'm very excited to share a dinner with you all, and I just love coming here." When asked what drew him to "Digger," Cruise emphasized his desire to work with world-class director and step into unfamiliar creative territory. "Alejandro Iñárritu is definitely one of the greatest filmmakers in cinema history. He is an extraordinary ar

During King Jeongjo’s reign, Lady Cho (Son Ye-jin), who lives in Hanyang's Bukchon district and is married to the minister of rites, asks her younger cousin and former lover Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook) to seduce her husband's young concubine, So-ok. Cho Won, Joseon's notorious libertine, rejects the request as too easy. He instead targets Hui-yeon (Nana), a young widow and the eldest daughter-in-law of the left state councilor. A reckless bet begins between two manipulators who believe they can control and exploit love. Netflix released "The Scandal" on Sept. 18. The series reimagines French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel "Dangerous Liaisons." The original work has inspired dozens of international adaptations, including director Stephen Frears’ 1988 film. This production marks the fourth Korean screen adaptation, following the 2003 film "Untold Scandal," the 2012 film "Dangerous Liaisons" and the 2018 television drama "Tempted." Director Jung Ji-woo praised the 18th-century novel for possessing classic elegance while remaining strikingly modern during an interview late

Global K-pop sensation BTS has become the first pop group in the world to surpass $500 million in cumulative ticket sales with its ongoing "Arirang" world tour, Billboard said. The South Korean septet's tour was the seventh by any group to reach the milestone, the U.S. music industry publication said, citing its latest Boxscore figures released Wednesday (U.S. time). "It puts them in unprecedented territory as a pop group, as the other six ensembles are all rock bands," Billboard added. Much of this milestone was driven by recent shows. In August alone — about four months after the tour began in South Korea in April — BTS staged 12 concerts, drawing about 800,000 fans and generating $171.7 million in ticket sales, according to the figures. This performance put the group at the top of Billboard's monthly Top Tours chart for the fifth time, placing it behind Bad Bunny with 10 No. 1 finishes, and Beyonce, Coldplay and Elton John with seven each. The group's August revenue was also the second-highest monthly total in Billboard Boxscore history, behind Beyonce's figure from August 2023. Wit

Bradley Whitford is ready to return to The West Wing if it came back as a “limited series of some kind”.

Josh Hartnett is "just dad" to his childrenand they have "never" seen any of his work.

Country singer Wynonna Judd has revealed she is "taking a break" from her actress sister Ashley Judd and they are not "connected" at the moment.

Meghan Markle is rumoured to want to narrate her husband Prince Harry’s documentary about his late mother Princess Diana, which is thought to be released on the 30th anniversary of her death next year.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esme Creed-Miles step into the shoes of Jane Austen's beloved Dashwood sisters in the latest adaptation.

Take That have announced their 10th studio album Dreamers, out November 20, with the title track released ahead of next summer’s major European tour.

Alec Baldwin's lawsuit for malicious prosecution in connection with the charges he faced over Halyna Hutchins' death has been largely thrown out on immunity grounds.

Chris Hemsworth's 14-year-old daughter is a rodeo champion after winning a competition in which she was the only female entrant.

Madness frontman Suggs has undergone double knee replacement surgery after wearing out the cartilage by "jumping up and down" on stage for the last 50 years.

Comedian Pete Davidson has confessed he was "cooking" ketamine and downing pills at the height of his drug addiction and he only got clean after an emotional call with his mother.

Nicolas Cage thinks the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is becoming a "well-funded and glorified WWE" because there is too much focus on action at the expense of storytelling.

Sir Paul McCartney has revealed John Lennon “could be a complete idiot” at times, admitting he expected “something different” from him as he launched Wings post-Beatles.

The NSW Supreme Court has reserved judgment in Rebel Wilson’s legal battle with the producers of The Deb, a $22m film that earned just $320,000.

Anne Hathaway has revealed she's developed "the craziest sense of smell" during her pregnancy and she's convinced her nose is now so sensitive she's able to "smell time".

Veteran actress Monica Bellucci has declared she wants to "grow old with dignity" because getting older is a "wonderful gift".

Farrah Abraham is unable to speak or eat solid food for two months after undergoing jaw surgery to correct an ongoing problem.

Sharon Stone believes a lack of sex education growing up led to her getting pregnant as a teenager.

Horror hit Obsession is reportedly being categorised as a musical or comedy for the purpose of the Golden Globes.

Hollywood actor/director Ben Affleck has defended his decision to use AI in his new Netflix movie Animals - insisting it's just "another form of computing".

Macklemore has reacted after his three Free Palestine gigs this month "sold out immediately".