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| yna@yna.co.kr 2022-10-30 09:00:16
◇ At least 149 dead, 76 injured in Halloween stampede in Seoul
At least 149 people have been killed with 76 others injured in a deadly stampede in Seoul's Itaewon district, as huge crowds of partygoers stampeded at late-night Halloween celebrations, fire authorities said Sunday.
The accident took place Saturday night in a narrow downhill alley near Hamilton Hotel in the famous nightlife district after a throng of partygoers flooded into it, according to witnesses.
Tens of thousands of people were visiting the area for Halloween parties.
A total of 149 people, including two foreigners, had been confirmed dead as of early Sunday morning with 76 others injured, 19 of them seriously, fire authorities said, adding the death toll could rise further.
Choi Seong-beom, head of the fire department in Yongsan, which includes Itaewon, told reporters "many casualties were incurred as a crowd of people fell over during Halloween parties."
Victims in their 20s accounted for the age group most affected by the accident, the authorities also said.
Fire authorities initially received dozens of reports from people in the Itaewon area about patients with breathing difficulties. The first report was made around 10:15 p.m.
Rescuers sent to the scene had administered CPR on dozens of victims on a nearby road.
◇ BTS' Jin makes solo debut with 'The Astronaut'
Jin, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has debuted as a solo artist through a collaborative single with British rock band Coldplay on Friday.
The vocalist simultaneously released "The Astronaut" and its music video worldwide at 1 p.m. in Korea, or midnight in the United States (EST).
He became the second member of the septet to make a solo debut, following J-Hope, who dropped his first solo album, "Jack In The Box," in July.
Earlier in the day, Jin said the single is filled with his gratitude and affection for the band's fandom, Army, who made him shine.
"I've dropped songs made to celebrate my birthday, songs for fans and solo tracks on BTS albums, but I'm nervous and excited because it's my first time to release a (single) album in my name," he said in a video released by the band's agency, Big Hit Music, to promote the new song. "I was able to realize the importance of my bandmates once again while preparing for the solo single," he added.
Hours after the song's release, Jin is set to perform the new song alongside Coldplay at the band's concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first time.
The British band previously collaborated with BTS for a single, "My Universe," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart upon its release in September last year. The song was on the chart for 17 consecutive weeks and stayed high on Billboard's global charts for more than 30 weeks.
On the day of its release, the single was sold 709,954 copies according to the Hanteo Chart.
Director Jang Hang-jun will co-host "The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge," set to be broadcast in the second half of this year, the broadcaster said Tuesday.
A sequel to the channel's popular shows "The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge" (2017-18) and "The Dictionary of Useless Crime Knowledge" (2021-22), the upcoming show will explore various figures all over the world from various perspectives in such fields as literature, physics, forensic medicine and astronomy.
◇ BTS, BLACKPINK, Jungkook nominated for People's Choice Awards
South Korean boy group BTS, its member Jungkook and girl group BLACKPINK will compete for this year's People's Choice Awards, a U.S. awards show for recognizing people in entertainment.
According to the full list of 2022 People's Choice Awards nominees released by the organizers on its homepage Wednesday (U.S. time), BTS was nominated in three categories: The Group of 2022, The Music Video of 2022 (for "Yet To Come") and The Concert Tour of 2022 (for "BTS Permission To Dance on Stage").
The group's member Jungkook was nominated for The Music Video of 2022 and The Collaboration Song of 2022, both for "Left And Right," his collaboration single with U.S. singer-songwriter Charlie Puth.
BLACKPINK put its name on the list of nominees for The Group of 2022 and The Music Video of 2022 (for "Pink Venom").
Last year, BTS won three prizes, including the best group of the year, and the global South Korean TV sensation "Squid Game" was hailed as the "bingeworthy" show of the year.
The People's Choice Awards have been held since 1975 to recognizable artists and entertainers in various fields, including movies, television and music, with the public and fans voting for the winners.
This year's show will be broadcast simultaneously on both the U.S. channel NBC and entertainment cable channel E! on Dec. 6 from Santa Monica, California.
◇BLACKPINK begins World tour
YG Entertainment announced on Saturday that the girl group BLACKPINK has successfully held their first North American world tour concert at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, USA on October 25-26 (Local Time)
During the performance, Blackpink performed hit songs such as How You Like That, Pretty Savage, and Pink Venom.
The group said, "We are very happy and honored to be performing at the Dallas Arena for the first time,” adding, "It is so good to meet Blink in the US after a long time. Tonight, let’s have fun like the song 'As If It's Your Last.’”
The concert hall American Airlines Arena is where the famous pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Elton John, and Justin Bieber performed. According to YG Entertainment, the area around the concert hall was crowded since the morning with people who wanted to see BLACKPINK.
YG Entertainment said, "When 'Shut Down' and 'Pink Venom' played, fans cheered and sang along.”
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]