by Ra Hwak Jin / Cha Min Kyung
◇ Lovelyz officially reaches near end of idol group career, all members except Baby Soul to leave Woollim
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| ▲ This file photo shows K-pop girl group Lovelyz. (Yonhap) |
K-pop girl group Lovelyz is on the verge of bidding farewell to fans after building a seven-year career as an idol group.
On Nov. 1, the group's management agency said seven out of the eight Lovelyz members will leave Woollim Entertainment this month when their contracts with the company expire.
Exclusive contracts between our company and Lovelyz members are set to expire on Nov. 16," it said in a statement Monday. "After a long in-depth discussion, seven members -- Yoo Ji-ae, Seo Ji-soo, Lee Mi-joo, Kei, Jin, Ryu Su-jeong and Jung Ye-in -- have decided to prepare for another start."
But the remaining member Baby Soul will renew her contract, according to the company.
The agency did not use the expression "disbandment," but industry insiders said it would not be easy for them to continue working as an eight-piece group following the changes.
◇ Trot singer Young Tak's agency admits to allegations over chart manipulation
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| ▲ This photo shows singer Young Tak. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The CEO of trot singer Young Tak's agency, Milagro Entertainment, has been indicted for "sajaegi," which refers to manipulating music charts and streaming numbers of an artist's music.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police sent Lee Jae-kyu, CEO of Milagro Entertainment, to the prosecutor's office for accusations on the violation of the Music Industry Promotion Act and others on Nov. 1.
Lee is accused of having requested "sajaegi" to a marketing company in order to manipulate the ranking of singer Young Tak's 2019 song, "Why Are You Coming Out From There" on the chart.
"I was blinded by my own greed of wanting to introduce a song by my artist and now I have committed a wrongdoing that I never should have done. I admit to all the accusations and deeply regret my actions," said Lee through press releases on Thursday.
"The case was done by me only and the singer (Young Tak) wasn't involved in any business except for music and schedules. He wasn't informed of anything. I am sorry to have caused trouble to the artist who finally gained attention with pure talent through an audition program after enduring a long period as a nameless singer," apologized Lee.
For several years, there have been rumors that sajaegi happens commonly in the music industry, but this is the first time for such crime to be caught.
◇ 'Eternals' becomes first movie to revive pandemic-hit film industry
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Walt Disney Company Korea, shows the movie poster for "Eternals." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Starting from Nov. 1, restrictions on movie theaters were fully lifted, allowing people to watch movies after 10 p.m.. In addition, movie theaters were required to implement the "vaccine pass" system where people have to show they have been fully vaccinated or have a negative test result. Those who qualify the conditions are able to consume food and do not have to sit apart from one another.
"Eternals" has jumpstarted the pandemic-hit film industry with its release nearly coinciding with the start of the government-led "living with COVID-19" policy on Nov. 1.
The new superhero film "Eternals," which marks the new beginning of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was released on Nov.3 in South Korea.
"Eternals" attracted 296,000 viewers on the first day of its release, and accounted for 88.9 percent of ticket sales, scoring the highest opening performance among Marvel movies released this year. On the second day, the film garnered 177,000 viewers and took up 81 percent of ticket sales.
South Korean-born actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, stars in the film as one of the Eternals, becoming the first actor from the Korean entertainment scene to take a lead role in a Marvel superhero film.
◇ Apple TV+'s official launch in S.Korea expected to create competition between online streaming platforms
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| ▲ A teaser image of "Dr. Brain" by Apple TV+ (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Apple also unveiled its first Korean-language original series "Dr. Brain." Starring actor Lee Sun-kyun of "Parasite" (2019), "Dr. Brain" is a sci-fi thriller based on a popular Korean webtoon with the same title.
With the launch of Apple TV+ in Korea, the service is expected to enter a full-fledged competition in the country against rivals like Netflix.
The competition is likely to expand to Disney+ as it is scheduled to start its service in Korea on Nov. 12.
While Netflix, which has pioneered the over-the-top media service market in Korea, has launched a collection of new TV series produced in Korea, Apple TV+ is promoting 70 different original contents and relatively low subscription fees. Meanwhile, Disney+ will showcase various works from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars.
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