By Lee Minji SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Yonhap) -- The new coronavirus has proven to be a longer-than-expected obstacle that has pushed the global music industry out of its comfort zone and into uncharted land where the heat and energy of live gigs no longer exist. But it couldn't stop BTS and its dedicated fan base ARMY from connecting and proving their strong bond during the K-pop superstars' latest online concert, held Saturday. BTS, the South Korean act that has made history with a Billboard No. 1 hit, "Dynamite," held its second-ever online concert on Saturday in the first session of a two-day schedule that was held virtually amid the ongoing pandemic. BTS “Map of the Soul ON:E” completed with ARMY, Jimin sheds tears during the concert[https://youtu.be/SCZl8XmcvF8] For BTS and its agency, Big Hit Entertainment, it was their second time experimenting with the new format after successfully holding their first-ever online concert, "Bang Bang Con: The Live," which drew some 756,000 v

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SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- The top court on Thursday upheld a one-year prison term for a former chief of staff to ex-President Park Geun-hye, who was indicted on charges of abusing his power to illegally support conservative groups. Kim Ki-choon, who served as Park's chief of staff from 2013-2015, is accused of pressuring the Federation of Korean Industries, a business lobby group, into getting firms to provide 2.4 billion won (US$2.1 million) to 21 organizations favorable to the administration at the time. The organizations included the Korea Parent Federation, a right-wing civic group that staged pro-Park rallies. The lower courts had sentenced Kim to a 18-month prison term on charges of abuse of power and extortion, but the Supreme Court sent the case back to the appellate court after dismissing the extortion charge in Feburary. The top court said at the time that requesting FKI records on assistance to conservative groups did not constitute a restriction of the freed

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(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES throughout) SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean military captured in real time through wiretapping the North Korean military's order to kill a South Korean civil servant last week, parliamentary sources here said Tuesday. According to the sources with access to the assembly's defense and intelligence committees, the South Korean military's intelligence unit was eavesdropping for hours from when the North Korean military spotted the South Korean official drifting on the northern side of the inter-Korean maritime border around 3:30 p.m last Tuesday. The 47-year-old official in charge of overseeing fishing activities was shot dead by the North's troops about six hours later, according to the South Korean defense ministry on Thursday. It also said the body was set on fire at sea on the same day. Through the wiretapping operations into the North Korean military's internal communications, the South Korean military verified that the nation

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SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- Big Hit Entertainment, the agency of K-pop superstar BTS, may face increased volatility following last week's rocky stock market debut, as institutional investors are likely to sell part of the company's stocks. Right after debuting on the country's main bourse on Thursday, the K-pop entertainment company soared to 351,000 won (US$306), sharply up from the 135,000-won initial public offering price, but closed down 4.44 percent. On the following day, the company dropped 22.29 percent as foreign and institutional investors sought after profit-taking. Local analysts noted that the selling spree may not have ended yet, warning of another flurry of sell-offs by institutional investors, who hold about 4.28 million Big Hit shares, or some 35.68 percent of the company's stocks. According to the data compiled by the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), some 1,527,000 shares held by institutional investors will be traded within one month as a lock-in

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SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of K-pop superstars BTS, began a two-day subscription on Monday for its initial public offering (IPO) next week, probably the biggest share sale on the local market. The IPO subscription runs Monday to Tuesday, prior to the company's listing on Oct. 15. Big Hit Entertainment put up 1,426,000 shares, valued at 192.51 billion won (US$165.3 million), for offering for retail investors. The shares account for 20 percent of the company's total offering this time. Its IPO was set at 135,000 won. The agency has been dubbed one of this year's three big IPO deals in South Korea, along with biopharmaceutical blue chip SK Biopharmaceuticals and mobile game giant Kakao Games. Last month, investors chipped in 58.5 trillion won in Kakao Games' subscription deposit, the most in South Korean IPO history. Some experts forecast that Big Hit Entertainment, the creative nest of BTS, may break the game publisher's rec

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SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Big Hit Entertainment, the label-management agency of BTS, has won multiple defamation suits against an individual who has repeatedly posted malicious comments about the global K-pop group on the internet. According to Big Hit Entertainment, the person, whose identity was withheld, was recently fined 4 million won (US$3,400) in total by the Seoul Eastern District Court for three separate criminal complaints for defamation. BTS hater gets maximum penalty for defamation, Big Hit will not tolerate[https://youtu.be/hqM8rRjPQB0] Big Hit added that the company was filing additional separate criminal complaints against those who have posted malicious comments even after being questioned by the police. The company also noted it was providing law enforcement with postings that make light of police investigations or spread false information on the legal proceedings. odissy@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- The Air Force has launched a naming contest for the country's next-generation fighter jet under development, officials said Friday. South Korea is building the first prototype jet for the KF-X project after its design was confirmed last year, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Through Oct. 30, South Koreans can submit suggestions for the new fighter with an explanation on how they represent the new jet's mission. The winner will be given a model aircraft with an award from the Air Force chief of staff, officials said. Under the KF-X project worth 8.8 trillion won (US$7.5 billion), South Korea has been working since late 2015 to develop a homegrown cutting-edge fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. The new fighter's prototype is expected to be rolled out in the first half of next year under a plan to complete the development by 2026. scaaet@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- K-pop sensation BTS will catch the eyes of its long-waiting fans with fresh up-to-date viewing experiences at its upcoming live online concert next month, its management agency said Tuesday. The online concert titled "BTS Map of the Soul ON:E" will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 and at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, according to Big Hit Entertainment. During the two-hour event, the septet will perform on a scale equivalent to an offline concert, featuring augmented reality and extended reality software technology with high-definition content. A multi-view live streaming service will also help audiences select and enjoy various scenes taken from six different angles on a real-time basis. "We are preparing an unprecedented stage and a variety of set lists for fans who are missing offline concerts that have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Big Hit said. The Oct. 10-11 concerts were originally set to take place in-person in Seoul under go

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SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- A teenage boy died after being administered with a seasonal flu vaccine, yet the cause of his death has not yet been determined, health authorities said Monday. The 17-year-old boy in the western port city of Incheon, whose identity has been withheld, died early Friday morning after receiving the flu shot on Wednesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The KDCA said he was administered with one of the vaccine bottles that were shipped by Shinsung Pharm Co., a distributor of some vaccine bottles that were exposed to room temperature during shipments as part of a nationwide free flu shots program. "It is necessary to first determine the cause of his death as no specific side effects were reported after receiving the shot and he passed away after a certain period of time," KCDA Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said during a briefing. The authorities earlier said the mishandled vaccines have passed quality tests and c

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(ATTN: ADDS Chinese embassy's remarks in paras 8-10, info in 7th para) BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Ambassador to China Jang Ha-sung said Wednesday that he has taken issue with a senior Beijing official over the reported suspension of the delivery of some merchandise featuring K-pop superband BTS. Jang made the remarks during a video-linked parliamentary audit session following reports that the Chinese logistics firm, Yunda Express, and other firms have boycotted the shipments of goods related to BTS. The boycott came after BTS faced online rebukes in China earlier this month following its member's remarks honoring the sacrifices of South Koreans and Americans during the 1950-53 Korean War, in which Chinese troops fought in support of North Korean forces. "The day after the related situation was first reported in the media, I directly communicated with a high-level official in the Chinese government," Jang said, stressing he will seriously watch and respond to

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