Indian rapper Raftaar had to face the wrath of the ARMY recently. He had composed the lyrics for a movie song and it was alleged that the music video was copied from Korea’s most popular pop music band BTS’s song “Do you”. The rapper acknowledged the resemblance between the two videos, but pointed out that he was not involved in choosing the sets for the shoot. Though Raftaar was seemingly forgiven, the incident brought to the fore the reach of the ARMY — short for Adorable Representative MC for Youth, a term fans of BTS use to describe themselves. There were hundreds of them, and this was just the Indian branch of the ARMY. International music channel Vh1 India experienced the might of this ARMY two years ago. It asked viewers for song requests via social media platforms for a programme. “We started noticing requests for BTS’s songs. They were incessant to a point where we thought these fans were trolling us on every post we made,” says … [Read more...] about From K-pop to K-drama, Kimchi to K-beauty, Indian youngsters just can’t get enough of Korea
North korea vs south korea
South Korea suspends move to end intelligence pact with Japan
South Korea suspended a decision to end an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan on Friday, just hours before it was due to go into effect, providing the first signs of compromise after several months of feuding over trade and historical grievances.The late change of heart announced by the presidential Blue House should be greeted with relief by South Korea and Japan’s mutual ally, the United States.U.S. officials have been pressuring the neighbours to set aside their differences over history to maintain the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), seen as an important element of trilateral security cooperation in Asia.“This government has decided to suspend our notice of Aug. 23 on the Korea-Japan intelligence agreement on the condition the agreement can be terminated at any time,” said Kim You-geun, deputy director of South Korea’s national security office.“Japan has expressed its understanding,” Mr. Kim said in a briefing.South … [Read more...] about South Korea suspends move to end intelligence pact with Japan
BTS tops Billboard 100 list: How K-pop helped Korea improve its economy
By Vimmy SinhaKorean pop’s phenomenal growth worldwide and with Korean boy band BTS making it to the No.1 position on the Billboard 100 speaks volumes about K-pop’s calibre. Genre experts speak to ET about what it is all about. Back home and elsewhere in the world too, the first brush with Korean pop, or K-pop, probably was with the release of the video, Gangnam Style, by Park Jae Sung, better known as Psy. The ‘invisible horse-riding’ dance by Psy became an instant hit. No one really understood what the song meant, but the catchy music and the dance just caught on. The video got 100 million views in just 51 days of its release, more than what Justin Bieber got for Baby. Till today, it is among the most watched videos on YouTube. That was way back in 2012. Korean pop has since reached staggering heights of popularity. This year, the seven-member South Korean boy band, BTS, became the first ever K-pop album to make it to the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 … [Read more...] about BTS tops Billboard 100 list: How K-pop helped Korea improve its economy
Foreign ministers of S.Korea, U.S. hold phone talks over GSOMIA, defense cost-sharing
Video PlayerClose SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Thursday night over the soon-to-expire military intelligence-sharing pact between Seoul and Tokyo, and how much South Korea would pay for U.S. troops stationed here, the Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exchanged opinions on the issues of mutual concern, including the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the defense cost-sharing for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the ministry said in a statement. The two ministers agreed to continue close communications on various issues in every level, sharing the need for them to sit down face-to-face for in-depth discussions in a foreseeable future. The phone talks came ahead of the scheduled expiration on Saturday of the GSOMIA, which was signed by South Korea and Japan in November 2016 to share military intelligence … [Read more...] about Foreign ministers of S.Korea, U.S. hold phone talks over GSOMIA, defense cost-sharing
India vs West Indies: Mumbai and Hyderabad swap dates of T20Is – Report
The BCCI on Friday has swapped the dates of India’s T20 Internationals against West Indies with Mumbai hosting the third game on December 11 and the December 6 opener going to Hyderabad. The Mumbai Police has expressed inability to provide security as the city would be on a high alert on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition and also the “Mahaparinirvan Din” of B R Ambedkar. On that day, lakhs of Ambedkar followers throng the Chaityabhumi, his memorial in Dadar.Also Read: Samson’s omission from squad incites criticism, fans question Pant’s selection“The BCCI has agreed to swap the dates of the Mumbai (December 6) and Hyderabad (December 11) games. We were able to carry out the swap after HCA president Mohammed Azharuddin agreed,” as senior Mumbai Cricket Association said on conditions of anonymity.Another source said that HCA President and former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin … [Read more...] about India vs West Indies: Mumbai and Hyderabad swap dates of T20Is – Report
