K-pop

What does military service mean for members of BTS – and their fans?

Jin is the first member of the K-pop supergroup to enlist, as fans hope to see ‘busking’ and await his ‘return from war’

Elizabeth de Luna

15, Dec, 2022 @6:00 AM

RM: Indigo review – BTS star’s slick solo debut

The K-pop phenomenon’s frontman strikes out alone with the help of guest stars Erykah Badu and Anderson .Paak

Tara Joshi

04, Dec, 2022 @3:00 PM

Blackpink review – K-pop juggernaut with world-beating attitude

Despite arriving late, and rumours of rifts behind the scenes, the South Korean superstars unleash their expertly blended mega hits with total commitment

Kitty Empire

03, Dec, 2022 @2:00 PM

Blackpink review – world-conquering K-pop girl band prove worthy of the worship

Mixing trap with europop and R&B, as well as precision-tooled dance moves, the South Korean superstars put on a hugely entertaining show

Alexis Petridis

02, Dec, 2022 @1:03 PM

‘The perfect gateway’: are Broadway audiences ready for a K-pop musical?

The first Broadway show celebrating Korean culture hopes to show there’s ‘more to K-pop than just Gangnam Style’

Adrian Horton in New York

29, Nov, 2022 @2:56 PM

The Guardian view on Korean soft power: harder than it looks | Editorial

Editorial: Pop music and TV shows might not sound like a serious business, but public diplomacy matters – whatever form it comes in

Editorial

28, Oct, 2022 @5:25 PM

Squid Game, Blackpink, kimchi pancakes … How did South Korea become such a world power? | Zoe Williams

One minute everyone wants a bit of British and American culture; the next you’re on the phone desperately trying to get tickets for the latest K-pop sensation, writes Zoe Williams

Zoe Williams

04, Oct, 2022 @6:00 AM

Hallyu! The Korean Wave review – a dazzling historical remix

This gleeful, giddy celebration of the culture of South Korea ranges from fashion to fine art and grand guignol to Gangnam style

Jonathan Jones

21, Sep, 2022 @2:19 PM

Flying colours: K-pop girl group Blackpink get ready to rule the music world

Making a clear bid for the western market, the South Korean act will fortify their status as the biggest girl group in pop with the release of second album Born Pink

Katie Hawthorne

14, Sep, 2022 @2:42 PM

K-BOX review – K-pop and loneliness in surreal family drama

Echoing her own life as a child of transracial adoption, Ra Chapman’s mainstage debut is funny and incisive but struggles with pace and politics

Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen

12, Sep, 2022 @5:30 PM

Our critics’ guide to Korean culture

Where to start with K-music, film and TV

Kitty Empire, Michael Hogan and Guy Lodge

04, Sep, 2022 @7:00 AM

K-everything: the rise and rise of Korean culture

From music to film, technology to food, the world has fallen in love with everything South Korean. Tim Adams visits Seoul in search of the origins of hallyu – the Korean wave

Tim Adams