KissAsian

  On the latest episode of “Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook,” STAYC showed off their vocals with a soulful rendition of BTS’s “Mikrokosmos”! The rookie girl group appeared as guests on the March 4 episode of the KBS 2TV music variety show, where they performed their new title track “RUN2U” and chatted with host Yoo Hee Yeol. To kick things off, STAYC opened their segment of the show with a live cover of “Mikrokosmos,” a beloved B-side from BTS’s 2019 mini album “Map of the Soul: Persona.” Explaining their choice of song, Isa shared, “We were very moved by this song, and considering the times we’re in, we wanted to sing a song that could move many people and bring them hope and comfort.” Sieun went on to note, “BTS has three rappers, but we don’t have that many rappers [in our group]. So we focused more on our vocals, and we tried to harmonize more in order to bring out our unique harmonies.” Check out STAYC’s charming cover of “Mikrokosmos”—as well as their performance of their latest ti...

  Park Hyung Sik and Han So Hee‘s upcoming drama “Soundtrack #1” has released a new OST song by NCT’s Doyoung! Helmed by director Kim Hee Won of “Vincenzo” and “The Crowned Clown,” “Soundtrack #1” is a music romance drama staring Park Hyung Sik and Han So Hee as a man and woman who have been friends for 20 years. When the longtime friends wind up living together for two weeks, they slowly begin to realize their feelings for one another. In contrast to most Korean dramas, “Soundtrack #1” has been steadily releasing songs from its soundtrack before its premiere—and on February 22, the show released its latest track “A Little More,” an emotional ballad sung by Doyoung. “Soundtrack #1” will premiere on Disney+ in March. In the meantime, check out the official live version of “A Little More” below!

    KBS2’s “Café Minamdang” continues its reign at No. 1! According to Nielsen Korea, the July 5 broadcast of “Café Minamdang” garnered an average nationwide rating of 5.7 percent, which marks a 0.1 percent increase from the previous night’s score and a return to their personal best record achieved by the premiere. tvN’s “Link” achieved an average nationwide rating of 2.2 percent, enjoying a boost in ratings from the previous episode’s score of 1.748 percent.

  Hwang Bo Ra is getting married! Hwang Bora has been dating Cha Hyun Woo (real name Kim Young Hoon) since 2013, and they went public with their relationship in 2014. On July 6, her agency Walk House Company announced that the couple, who has been together for nearly ten years, will finally be tying the knot. Read the full statement below: "Hello, this is Walk House Company. Kim Young Hoon, the CEO of Walk House Company, and actress Hwang Bo Ra, who have been in a precious relationship for a long time, will be getting married in November. The wedding will be held privately with family members and close close acquaintances. We ask for your understanding that we are not able to give you the details. We promise to continue to work hard so that they can show better performances in their respective careers, and we hope you send them your warm congratulations and blessings." On the same day, Hwang Bo Ra shared a message to her fans as follows: "Hello, t...

  Veteran idols Hyoyeon, Kim Heechul, and Soyou spoke candidly about their careers on “Dolsing Fourmen”!     KissAsian On the July 5 broadcast of SBS’s “Dolsing Fourmen,” Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon, Super Junior’s Kim Heechul, and former SISTAR member Soyou appeared as guests. As these stars are 16, 18, and 13 years into their idol careers, respectively, they openly spoke about prejudice in the industry, rumors, and more. Kim Heechul explained that living as an idol was uncomfortable in various ways, because idols are not expected to date publicly, have fights or poor relationships with their bandmates, and only upload positive content to social media. Kim Heechul elaborated, “I debuted when I was 23 years old [by Korean reckoning]. I revealed on a variety show that I first dated an older woman I met at a night club when I was 22 years old. But none of that was in the broadcast,” revealing that his agency SM Entertainment had cut it. Since Kim He...