Latest news with #KimSeok-jin
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jin of BTS talks new 'Echo' album, first solo tour and finding his voice
Jin of BTS talks new 'Echo' album, first solo tour and finding his voice Show Caption Hide Caption BTS: Suga, RM say Billboard charts, Grammys are goals for 'Butter' BTS is back with a new single, "Butter," performed entirely in English. The group spoke about the song during a press conference from South Korea. Entertain This!, USA TODAY Kim Seok-jin is not only part of BTS, the bestselling musical act in South Korean history with seven members, millions of records sold and a myriad awards won. Jin is also a solo artist. When he released his first solo album, the man called "Worldwide Handsome" by fans wanted to hone in on happiness. He had just finished his mandatory military service in South Korea months prior, and the aptly named "Happy" released in November 2024, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Those were more about easy listening songs; the songs that I would love to listen to myself," Jin tells USA TODAY. But with his new album "Echo", out now, the 32-year-old wanted to dive deeper into his craft, underscoring an emotional depth to his songwriting and stronger performance presence. "The fans told me that they want to see me on stage, so this time around, I said, 'Let's focus more on performing,'" he says. Jin thought about BTS' fans, known as ARMY, while working on "Echo," adding they were the reason he was able to release "another album so soon." "I'm really happy that I'm back with another album after my release last year," he says. "It's an honor for me. I am very grateful." Jin reveals how he curated the songs for 'Echo' Performance played a vital role in shaping the tracklist for "Echo," Jin reveals. "I received almost 1,000 songs for this album, and first I shortlisted about 30 of them. I picked out the 30 that I loved ... then I had a second listen to them, third listen to them," he explains. "I try to picture that image of myself in my head on stage with these songs. I thought, 'This song can bring out a new facet of myself that ARMY would love to see,' or 'This would be a blast on stage.'" The next step was to consider what his fans would like. "It's the ARMY that listen to my music, and that's what really means the world to me," he adds. From there, Jin narrowed down the final count to seven songs, each exploring themes of love and connection. "The definition of love can be different for the different tracks in this album," Jin explains. "I think love comes in many forms. It could be love between lovers (or) between family members ... Friendship can be another form of love. So I wanted to touch on these multiple aspects of love." When Jin wrote lyrics for the album, he honed in on specific scenarios. "When writing 'Loser', I imagined if I dated someone back in my school days, I would have felt this way about this person, and for 'Don't Say You Love Me', it's really about how lovers know that their relationship is falling apart, but because there is that lingering love left, it's really hard to let go," he says. The track "Nothing Without Your Love" is another special one for Jin since it is about the love that he feels about ARMY when he's performing. "I think there are all these different types of love, and love is such a comprehensive term that really embodies all of these facets. So this is truly an album that is full of love," he says. 2024 Paris Olympic Games: BTS' Jin to join torch relay. Finding Jin's voice through rock Jin has always had an affinity for rock, and that shines through on "Echo." "This album really delves into the genre that I hold close to my heart," he says. "I just stayed true to the voice tone that I have, and that's how I found myself in love with the band sound," Jin adds. Jin is not the only member of BTS to venture into solo work. The other six have also released their own albums, each's discography highlights the distinct and individual talents in BTS. "As BTS, because we're a team, we have to have a mixture of all the different voices that we have and all the different colors that we have," Jin explains. "But when we're doing our solo gigs and solo albums, then we can really find the one sweet spot that hits hard for (ourselves). As a team, we have our beautiful color, but as solo artists, I think we can also unleash our creativity and our own voices." Jin talks about 2025 solo world tour Jin is embarking on his first solo world tour to coincide with the album release. This includes eight US stops, including in Anaheim, California and Newark, New Jersey. "I have limited time and places that I can go to," Jin says. "Since J-Hope is on tour right now, I decided to go to places where he couldn't go. "I know that there are a lot of passionate ARMY in the US, and I love seeing that every single time they welcome us with so much love and support. So every time I go to the US, I'm so excited to see them."
The Mainichi
10-05-2025
- The Mainichi
Japanese woman accused of forcibly kissing BTS member Jin sent to S. Korean prosecutors
SEOUL (Mainichi) -- South Korean police have referred a Japanese woman accused of forcibly kissing K-pop group BTS member Jin on charges of violating the sexual crimes punishment law, the Yonhap News Agency reported on May 8. The woman in her 50s reportedly turned herself in to South Korean police. Kim Seok-jin, known professionally as Jin held a hugging event for fans in Seoul after completing his approximately 18-month military service in June 2024. A video showing a fan trying to kiss the 32-year-old star at the event spread online, and another fan filed a complaint with police through a government-run petition website. The Japanese woman is suspected of kissing Jin without consent. While a different woman is also suspected of kissing him, and her whereabouts reportedly remains unknown. South Korean police in February announced that they had requested the Japanese woman to turn herself in. The woman had already left South Korea and didn't initially comply with the request. The police had announced in March that they would suspend the investigation as her residing overseas made it difficult to investigate the case. (Japanese original by Motomi Kusakabe, Seoul Bureau)
New Straits Times
09-05-2025
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Japanese woman who kissed BTS' Jin without consent turns herself in
SEOUL: A Japanese woman in her 50s who allegedly kissed BTS member Jin without his consent last year has voluntarily turned herself in after returning to South Korea recently. Korea JoongAng Daily reported yesterday that the police said the woman has been charged with sexual harassment in a public space under the country's special law on sexual crimes. Under South Korean law, sexual harassment in a public place can lead to one year in jail or a fine of up to three million won (about RM9,247). The incident reportedly happened on June 13 last year at a fan event at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, a day after the 32-year-old star whose full name is Kim Seok-jin finished his military service. During the event, where 1,000 fans were invited to hug Jin, the woman was said to have kissed the K-pop star on the cheek. Viral photos and videos showed Jin looking shocked and uncomfortable, which led to public anger and debate. "My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft," the woman reportedly wrote online later, which sparked even more criticism. After someone reported the case through a government petition site, police started an investigation. With help from Interpol in Japan, police identified the woman and booked her last month. Investigators also found that another woman may have tried to kiss or touch Jin at the same event, but she has not been found.
Tokyo Weekender
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Japanese Woman Charged After Forcibly Kissing Jin From BTS
On Thursday, Seoul's Songpa Police said that a Japanese woman has been charged with sexual harassment in a public space under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. She is accused of forcibly kissing Jin — real name Kim Seok-jin — a member of the popular South Korean K-pop band BTS, at a 'free hug' event that took place in Seoul last June. The woman, who is in her 50s, reportedly returned to South Korea and voluntarily appeared before the police. List of Contents: Criminal Complaint Made After Woman Kisses Jin From BTS at Hug Event BTS Members' Mandatory Military Service Related Posts Criminal Complaint Made After Woman Kisses Jin From BTS at Hug Event The woman's identity has not been revealed. After the incident, though, she allegedly wrote on her blog that she kissed him 'on his neck' and his 'skin was very soft.' Clips of the kiss soon went viral and anger spread among BTS fans. In the footage, Jin responded by turning his face away before moving on to the next fan. A criminal complaint was subsequently made against the woman and Songpa Police launched an investigation in February of this year. The incident occurred a day after the BTS star was discharged from the army. He performed in front of 3,000 people. Of those in attendance, 1,000 won the chance to go up on stage to hug him. A report by Yonhap says another woman is suspected of kissing him during the three-hour-long 'hugathon.' However, she has yet to be located . Under Korean law, sexual harassment in a crowded public space is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine not exceeding 3 million won (around ¥300,000), detention or a minor penalty. BTS with their Billboard Music Award BTS Members' Mandatory Military Service Kim Seok-jin, better known by the mononym Jin, is the oldest member of BTS. He enlisted in the army in December 2022 and became the first member of the group to finish his mandatory military service on June 11, 2024. Jung Ho-seok, known professionally as J-Hope, was discharged four months later. The other five members of the group — Kim Nam-joon (RM), Kim Tae-hyung (V), Park Ji-min (Jimin), Jeon Jung-kook (Jungkook) and Min Yoon-gi (Suga) — are due to complete their service in June of this year. Related Posts DJ Soda Molested at Osaka Festival Japanese Director Sion Sono Accused of Sexual Assault Do New Legal Proposals for Sex Crimes Go Far Enough?
CNN
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
South Korean police summon Japanese woman for kissing BTS member without consent
South Korean police said Friday they are summoning a Japanese woman for questioning over allegedly kissing Jin, a member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, without consent during a free hug event last year. A police officer who answered the phone at Seoul's Songpa police station said it requested the woman to appear for questioning over an allegation of sexual harassment. The police station refused to disclose her identity citing privacy. The station said it had launched an investigation after receiving an online complaint and refused to provide further details because an investigation was under way. Media reports said that South Korean police were able to confirm the identity of the woman with the help of Japanese police. The reports said the woman, who is in her 50s, was refusing to appear for questioning. A day after finishing his mandatory 18-month military service in June 2024, Jin, whose real name is Kim Seok-jin, celebrated his discharge and the band's 11-year anniversary by offering free hugs to his fans at an event in Seoul. During the event, reportedly attended by 1,000 people, a woman abruptly kissed Jin, on his cheek. Video footage that went viral showed Jin apparently looking uncomfortable. The woman wrote in an online blog post that 'My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft,' according to Yonhap news agency. BTS was created in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the 'Army.' Jin, 32, is the oldest member of the band.
