by Ra Hwak Jin / Cha Min Kyung
◇ Rookie K-pop girl group aespa continues global activities by appearing on "The Kelly Clarkson Show"
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| ▲ This photo provided by SM Entertainment shows K-pop girl group aespa. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Rising K-pop girl group aespa, which gained popularity with its hit single "Next Level," has become popular after appearing on popular American talk show.
The group will perform the title track of its latest EP "Savage" on NBC's "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on Saturday at 3 a.m. (Korean time).
"Savage," a trap-genre song released last week as the lead track for aespa's first mini-album, has already topped various Korean music charts as well as the iTunes Top Albums chart in 20 regions.
The multinational act -- consisting of members Karina, Winter, Ningning and Giselle -- was chosen on People magazine's Hollywood's rising stars in 2021.
The article uploaded on People's website, stated, "The single’s music video made history, becoming the fastest debut by a K-pop group to notch 100 million YouTube views. Now, with the release of their genre-spanning first EP, ‘Savage,’ asepa is eyeing global superstardom.”
◇ 'Squid Game' becomes Netflix's 'most successful' original content
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| ▲ This promotional image of Squid Game is provided by Netflix. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Netflix's hit original Korean series "Squid Game" was estimated to have been watched by more than 100 million households around the world within the first 26 days since its release, making it the most watched drama in Netflix series history.
Netflix announced on Wednesday that the survival drama was watched by more than 111 million accounts around the world, surpassing the previous record holder "Bridgerton," which was viewed by 82 million households after the first 28 days of its release.
National Football League (NFL) Buffalo Bills' star and wide receiver Stefon Diggs drew attention by wearing customized shoes inspired by "Squid Game" while playing against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 11. On one of his shoes, the faces of the main characters in "Squid Game" were drawn in detail, while the Korean title of "Squid Game" was clearly written on the other shoe.
In Gangneung, Korea, a hotel was banned from holding a "Squid Game" themed special event as part of a marketing strategy due to violating quarantine guidelines.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who directed and wrote "Squid Game," also made headlines in a recent interview with IndieWire, a film review website, saying, " Donald Trump became the president of the United States and I think he kind of resembles one of the VIPs in the Squid Game."
However, voices of concern are also growing in proportion to the popularity of the drama.
Schools in various countries, including the U.S. and Australia, urged parents to not expose children to any more violence as students were imitating violent actions from "Squid Game" to each other.
Several South Korean lawmakers urged domestic producers to take measures to secure copyrights, saying Netflix is estimated to have enjoyed more than 1,000 times its investment in squid games, and there are no additional incentives other than production costs.
◇ Rapper NO:EL arrested for unlicensed driving and assaulting police officer
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| ▲ This Sept. 30, 2021, file photo shows rapper NO:EL, whose legal name is Chang Yong-jun, entering Seocho Police Station in southern Seoul as part of an investigation over his alleged driving without a license and assaulting a police officer. (Yonhap) |
Rapper NO:EL, whose real name is Chang Yong-jun and the only son of three-term lawmaker Chang Je-won of the main opposition People Power Party, was arrested on Oct. 12.
NO:EL was accused of hitting the police officer's head after refusing to take a breathalyzer test at 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 while driving his Mercedes-Benz in Seoul.
Last year, NO:EL was also indicted on charges of drunk driving and sentenced to one and a half years in prison and put on probation for two years. As a result, the rapper's license was revoked and he was unlicensed at the time of the accident.
The 21-year-old rapper was accused of violating the Road Traffic Act, causing injuries and obstructing official duties.
"I truly apologize to many people and will take responsibility for my wrongdoings," NO:EL said, adding that he would give up his rights to attend the arrest warrant hearing.
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