by Ra Hwak Jin / Kim Sun Min

 

▲ This photo, a captured from the White House's website, shows BTS taking part in a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 31, 2022, before their scheduled meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in this image . (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 

 

◇ BTS meets U.S. President Joe Biden at White House

K-pop superband BTS highlighted the need to respect one another as they made their first visit to the White House on Tuesday for a rare meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The group also joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a daily press briefing before meeting with the U.S. president.

On this day, three times as many reporters gathered in the briefing room and many of them were standing in the aisle.
 

▲ This file photo shows BTS standing at White House briefing room. (Yonhap)

The YouTube channel of White House, which broadcasted the briefing, garnered more than 300,000 simultaneous users when BTS began to speak.

"It is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity," group member RM said in the press briefing.

RM and six other members of the boy band arrived here earlier in the week. The White House has said the president and BTS members will discuss "Asian inclusion and representation," as well as using BTS' platform as youth ambassador to "spread a message of hope and positivity across the world."

 

▲ This file photo shows BTS standing at White House briefing room. (Yonhap)

The group members exited the briefing room without taking any questions, while some journalists cheered and shouted their group name.

The rare visit by a South Korean band to the White House was met with fervor, with hundreds of BTS fans gathered outside of the White House.

 

▲ This file photo shows BTS returning to South Korea after the visit to the White House. (Yonhap)

◇ BTS returns to Korea for release of upcoming album

S. Korean boy band BTS has returned to S. Korea on Thursday afternoon after wrapping up its visit to the White House.

BTS finished the entry formalities at Incheon Airport at 5:50 p.m. and came out of the entrance. The members waved to the fans and reporters and left the airport amid a flurry of camera flashes.

Among the seven members, V arrived early in the morning due to his schedule.

 

▲ In this EPA photo, K-pop superband BTS members meeting Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C. to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes on May 31st, 2022. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The group had a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden to celebrate the last day of the "AANHPI Heritage Month," on May. 31(KST).

RM thanked Biden for a recent decision to sign the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law and said, "We just want to be a little help and we truly appreciate the White House and the government's trying to find solutions.”

 

▲ This photo, provided by Big Hit Music, shows the group BTS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

BTS plans to release a new album “Proof” which embodies the 9 years history of the group, on June 10.

The septet will appear in the Korean music show for the first time in 2 years in line with the new album release.

Starting with Mnet’s “M Countdown” on June 16, BTS will appear in KBS 2TV’s “Music Bank” on June 17, and SBS’s “Inkigayo” on June 19, according to the agency Big Hit Music on Friday.

 

 

 

▲ This file photo shows the cast of the action-comedy "The Roundup," including Son Suk-ku, Heo Dong-won, Ha Jun, Jeong Jae-kwang, Um Mun-suk, and Kim Chan-hyung, at the Lotte cinema Hongik University Entrance, which was held on June 2nd, 2022. (Korea Odyssey)

◇ 'The Roundup' surapsses 8 million viewers

The Korean action comedy "The Roundup" continued to shatter pandemic-era box-office records, data showed Saturday.

The sequel to the 2017 hit movie "The Outlaws" surpassed 8 million cumulative viewers Saturday, 18 days after its release, according to its distributor, ABO Entertainment Co.

The detective action flick released May 18 became the first movie to reach the 8 million attendance mark in the nation since the coronavirus broke out in early 2020. 

 

▲ This photo, provided by ABO Entertainment, shows the poster of "The Roundup." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

It became the most-watched film this year when it topped 6.5 million in cumulative attendance on May 29.

Starring Ma Dong-seok, "The Roundup" tells the story of a detective heading to Vietnam to extradite a suspect only to find out about additional murder cases involving an unknown killer who has committed crimes against tourists for many years.

 

 

▲ This file photo shows actor Song Kang-ho (2nd from R), director Hirokazu Kore-eda (1st from L) and other cast members of the film "Broker" posing for a photo after arriving at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, on May 30, 2022. (Yonhap)

◇ Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook and actors Song Kang-ho·IU return home

S. Korean actor Song Kang-ho received a hero's welcome in South Korea on Monday after winning the country's first best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Song arrived at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, along with director Hirokazu Kore-eda and co-stars of "Broker," including Gang Dong-won, Lee Ji-Eun, also known as the K-pop star IU, and Lee Joo-young.

"Thank you to all Korean movie fans for your constant interest and support for Korean films," Song told reporters upon arrival. "I thought this achievement wouldn't be possible without Korean fans' love and support."

 

▲ This file photo shows actor Song Kang-ho posing for a photo with his Best Actor trophy, which he won at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for his performance in the film "Broker," upon arrival at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, on May 30, 2022. (Yonhap)

Song received Best Actor at this year's Cannes Film Festival in France on Saturday (French time) for his performance in the Korean drama "Broker," written and directed by Japanese auteur Kore-eda.

It is the first title that Song has earned from Cannes, although he has starred in several Cannes-winning titles, including Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" (2019) and Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" (2009). He served as a jury member at last year's Cannes.

"Broker" depicts the relationships of characters formed through a baby box, where people anonymously drop off newborns that they can't raise.

 

▲ This file photo shows director Park Chan-wook (L) posing for a photo with his Best Director trophy, which he won at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for the film "Decision to Leave," with actor Park Hae-il upon arrival at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of Seoul, on May 30, 2022. (Yonhap)
Later in the day, director Park Chan-wook, who was named Best Director at Cannes for his romantic thriller "Decision to Leave," was also given a warm welcome upon arrival at the airport.

The award is his third trophy earned from Cannes, following the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize at the festival, for his thriller "Oldboy" in 2003 and the Jury Prize for the horror "Thirst" in 2009.

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