What will Weekly Dolpin bring you this week?

💚Editor Young-Cheol: The Memories that will disappear with Hakjeon😥

💗Editor Lily: Different agencies but same group.🙌

💜Editor Jin-Joung: Can Gag Concert be canceled immediately after its return?

💙Editor Ki-Young: 2023 holiday concerts to color your white winter ☃

'Hakjeon', which led the Korean small theater culture in the early 90s, will close its doors next March. "Due to ongoing operational difficulties, we have decided to close the theater by March 15th next year, the 33rd anniversary of Hakjeon," said Kim Sung-min, the director of Hakjeon. Hakjeon was founded by singer Kim Min-ki, who wrote and sang 'Morning Dew' and 'Evergreen Tree', as a stepping stone for artists who would grow up to become big stars. If your friends aren't familiar with Hakjeon these days, let's take a look at its significance in the history of Korean pop music, along with some of its most iconic artists.

Hakjeon's biggest star was undoubtedly Kim Kwang-seok. In the 1990s, with the rise of Seo Taiji and his children, Yeouido channels went crazy for "music to watch" and singers with baritone guitars were left behind, but Hakjeon provided them with a stage. From 1991 to 1995, Kim Kwang-seok held live concerts at Hakjeon every year, including a 1,000th anniversary performance in the year he celebrated his 10th anniversary as a singer. Kim Kwang-seok insisted on performing in small theaters because he valued interaction with his audience. A monument to Kim Kwang-seok still stands in front of Hakjeon, and the Kim Kwang-seok Singing Competition has been held annually since 2012. Kim Kwang-seok, who left behind many famous songs such as "Letter from a Second Class Soldier", "Although I Loved You", "Wake Up" and "At Thirty", had a great influence on establishing the culture of small theater performances in Hakjeon.

Yoon Do-hyun expressed his affection for Hakjeon by saying, "Hakjeon Small Theatre is where musician Yoon Do-hyun was born”. He was a guest at singer Kwon Jin-won's concert and accidentally caught the eye of Hakjeon CEO Kim Min-ki. He later became involved with Hakjeon not as a singer but as an actor, starring in the musical Dog Shit. "I didn't even know what a musical was, and I thought I had to do it because Mr Kim told me to," Yoon recalls, "and I thought I was in trouble when people asked me what a musical was. His co-stars included some of Korea's leading actors, including Hwang Jung-min and Jang Hyun-sung. Yoon Do-hyun is even married to Imi Ok, who played the opposite role in the musical! The place where Yoon Do-hyun, a newcomer with nowhere else to go, was accepted and where the seniors Kim Kwang-seok, Kwon Jin-won and Yurisangja, who saw Yoon Do-hyun's potential and encouraged him, performed at Hakjeon.

The famous 5 Eagle Brothers’ of Hakjeon are Seol Kyung-goo, Kim Yoon-seok, Jang Hyun-sung, Hwang Jung-min and Cho Seung-woo! In addition to music, Hakjeon also focused on musicals and theater. The musical “Subway Line 1” premiered in 1994 and is considered a milestone in the Korean musical scene. The 5 Eagle Brothers also became famous after appearing in the musical ”Subway Line 1”. When news of the theater's closure broke, Hwang Jung-min said, "The theater means a lot to me because it allowed me to take my first steps as an actor, and I'm very sad to see it close so abruptly”. The theater has been committed to children's plays, which other theaters have turned away from. So far, plays such as "We Are Friends", "Gochujang Tteokbokki" and "Like Superman~!" have always been well received by children's audiences.

Hakjeon will now stage the musical “Subway Line 1” until December 31, host the Kim Kwang-seok Singing Contest on January 6, and close its doors for the last time with the children's play “Gochujang Tteokbokki” in January/February next year. In response to the news of Hakjeon's closure, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it would "explore ways to preserve the historicity of the space, such as turning Hakjeon into a professional theater". Hakjeon is considered the birthplace of live music in Korea and the last bastion of small theater concert culture. We can only hope that good measures are taken to ensure that Hakjeon will be with us for a long time to come 🙏.

 Different agencies but same group 🙌

Have you ever wondered: "What if we brought together people who are the best at what they do?

It's always fun to see your dream combination doing something together.

For some time now, the K-pop market has been filled with news of idols forming units.

A unit is a group that reorganizes some of the group members into a new concept in order to showcase their new charms.

From intra-group units to project-type units formed by combining members from different groups, these dreams are becoming a reality.

Let's take a look at some of the endless transformations of idol groups from the past to the present!

The members of four of the biggest girl groups in the K-pop market are teaming up.

K-pop fans are excited about this unprecedented collaboration.

Production company M:USB have announced that the unit, which includes (G)I-DLE, AESPA and IVE, will release their first single, 'NOBODY', this 16th, featuring one member from each group. Already being described as a "crazy combination" both vocally and visually, the album is being touted as a historic collaboration between the industry's top girl groups.

NOBODY' was produced by Big Hit Music's singer-songwriter El Capitxn along with other famous Korean and international composers and lyricist Seo Ji-Eum. K-pop's top artists and writers have also joined forces to support Busan's bid for the 2030 World Expo, so the quality of the song is already guaranteed.

Winter said, "My hometown is Busan, so it's even more meaningful [to participate in the song]," while Liz said, "I'm honoured to be a part of such a glorious project, and I will continue to promote K-pop and Korea through various activities. Soyeon added, "I am honored to be a part of such a meaningful project.

The producer who organized the massive project said, "This is a collaboration that broke the existing grammar and format. The artists, composers, lyricists and staff involved are all representative of K-pop, so it will be a special gift to global music fans," adding to the anticipation.

We can't wait to see what these three unique groups will bring to the stage!

Red Velvet's Sulgi, girlfriend SinB, Cheongha and (G)I-DLE's Soyeon have been making waves with their collaboration  Wow Thing!

Wow Thing's involvement in rap and the powerful choreography of the four members made the group known to the public as a combination of performance goddesses. The group's different identities were combined with the concept of the pop dance genre with hip hop beats to create a refreshingly different look that had not been seen in previous groups.

They were a project combination of SM's STATION X 0, an offshoot of SM's digital music release channel Station, and part of SK Telecom's 10-20 generation culture brand 0 (Young), which has continuously presented various combinations.

Despite the limitations of such a one-off group, it is still remembered as a complete performance group, as it was formed by members who were solid in both singing and dancing within the group.

The hybrid collaboration duo! The two friends, who were born in 1991 and are the same age, are called Toheart and they released a mini album in March 2014. The album attracted attention not only because of the unique chemistry between Key and Nam Woohyun, but also because it was a collaboration between SM Entertainment and Woollim Entertainment, which have different musical styles.

The duo did a great job of revitalizing Sweetune's funky groove 'Delicious' in their own way, turning the unexpected meeting into an impressive stage and EP.

The two members are considered unique in that they are friends from the same year of birth, 91, and have each written a new story in their personal lives outside of their group activities, far away from SHINee and Infinite.

The story behind their formation is that Key, who was a daily radio DJ in 2011, and Woohyun, who was a guest on the show, exchanged phone numbers and struck up a friendship. They named the group TwoHeart to avoid being a one-off, but there has been no news of a mini-album for several years. When SM C&C merged with Woollim Entertainment in the summer of 2013, TwoHeart naturally expanded into an inter-group project, but Woollim was separated from SM C&C in a spin-off in 2016. Due to their short stint, the music video for their first mini-album song 'Departure' was only shown at showcases, leaving only rumors of their chemistry.

Although the unit disappointed many fans with their high expectations, they were recognised for their achievements on 15 January 2015 when they won the Golden Disc Award for Popular Album.

WJMK is a project-based unit consisting of SeolA, Luda and YooJung from the girl group Cosmic Girl and DoYeon from WekiMeki. The group was formed for a limited edition commercial for Pepsi Strong by highlighting the members' individual images, which were prominently displayed through their group activities. WJMK created a new story about 'Cutie Girl Crush' by intersecting the members' stories, which emphasized their individuality as cute and girl crush images respectively.

Although Cosmic Girls and WekiMeki have different group identities, they found a common denominator through the unifying elements of "cutie" and "girl crush", adding a new color to the charm of their respective group activities.

The project song "STRONG" by the special unit WJMK is the result of combining the strengths of both Cosmic Girls and WekiMeki. CosmicGirls incorporated various concepts such as sweethearts and dreams into the Cosmic Girls' worldview, such as "It's a secret", "I want to reach you", "Happy" and "With a dreamy heart", etc. WekiMekii showed their own charm with their teeny crush concepts such as "I don't like your girlfriend" and "LA LA LA".

Each of them achieved their own results, with a different combination of existing group members and the combination that fans had hoped for in the survival programme Produce 101, with upbeat and clean songs.

Unlike in the past, when members' identities were subordinated to the group by emphasizing the whole, the current trend is to emphasize individual members and to pursue the results of various combinations of individual units.

So what is the appeal of units as a new paradigm in idol group activities?

Compared to traditional group activities, idol units are more free to try out new concepts and offer a different kind of fun, and they are harmonized according to their characteristics, making them more focused on their individual charms.

However, it is a "project" after all, and most project groups disappear after a short period of activity with obvious limitations, such as only being able to release one or two songs, let alone an album. They're often more of a project than a sustained album, and it's hard for them to build their own fan base because they absorb the fandom of existing groups.

Despite these obstacles, the idea of a 'union' is still appealing.

From the perspective of a K-pop consumer, it's a lot of fun to see unconventional combinations of units that have never been seen before.

Of course, for practical reasons, they are often organized as events, but let's hope that they will continue to explore the possibilities of different combinations!

After a three-year hiatus, Gag Concert is being criticized again for its outdated gags.

On the 12th, the 1051st episode of KBS2's entertainment program "Gag Concert" returned to the TV screens

Starting with "2023 Peony Academy", the programme featured a variety of segments, including "Gold Kindergarten", inspired by the era of low birth rates, "bad costumer Trainer", which trained bad customers, and "Short Form Play", aimed at people familiar with the sessions of the program. 

The public's interest in the long-awaited comeback of the show resulted in a 4.7% rating among households nationwide. 

It was a great start for the show, which had been hovering in the 2-3% range just before it ended. 

However, after the show aired, it started to receive feedback from viewers who said they were disappointed.

Some viewers criticized the show for repeating the same old problem of "disparaging gags". 

The most problematic segment was "Nitung's Human Theater". 

It featured Nitung, a Filipina daughter-in-law, as the main character and made a gag about a foreign daughter-in-law's somewhat stilted pronunciation. 

The format involves the mother-in-law appearing and berating Nitung for her behavior.

Commentators have pointed out that the comedy is stereotypically xenophobic.

The controversy was not only about race, but also about  disparaging about physical appearance 

In the "It's My Brother" segment, Jung Tae-ho listened to his younger brother Jang Hyun-wook's concerns.

In this segment, Jung Tae-ho advised Jang Hyun-wook that "brave people get beautiful people" and then said, "I'm married, I'm a coward” Jang Hyun-wook used the comment about his wife not being beautiful as a laughing line. 

He also made a body-shaming gag about Jang Hyun-wook's real-life parents, calling them "cowards" and apologizing to them after the segment ended.

Appearance-related jokes have been a popular gag in the past.

Some of the legendary corners of Gag Concert, such as "Peach Academy and Ok Dong-ja" and "Three Calgary brothers," used appearance jokes as laughing points. 

However, times have changed too much to laugh at deprecating gags.

"Nothing has changed," and "It's outdated," were some of the cold reactions from users.

This viewership indicates that the majority of people watched the show with fond memories of their childhood.

However, we don't know if this audience will continue to grow until the next episode.

In an age where YouTube is flooded with bold comedians with fresh ideas that don't involve degradation. 

If the only public comedy program in existence doesn't want to suffer the fate of being canceled again, it needs to break new ground instead of taking the easy way out.

The performance world is gearing up for a warm and beautiful winter in 2023, with concerts galore. 

From sold-out concerts to highly anticipated solo performances, we've got some great news to make your year-end special!

Melt away the winter chill with warm, soulful voices and vibrant, rich stage sounds to match your holiday spirit!

💙 HEIZE

“Music Queen" Heize, who is building her own musical world by crossing different genres, has announced that she will release a new album in December and hold a solo concert at the end of the year to usher in the warmth of this winter.

On the 8th, her agency P NATION released the video for "COMING UP NEXT" on their official SNS to announce her comeback. It's been seven months since she met fans with her digital single "VingleVingle" in April, and the video showed her looking at an extinguished match with a sad expression, raising curiosity about her new album.

Along with the news of his December comeback, on December 13th, she posted a poster for his "2023 Heize City Last Winter" concert, which will be held at Kyung Hee University's Peace Hall in Seoul on December 16th and 17th, via his official social media accounts. Heize's more mature mood in the released photos has raised expectations for his year-end solo concert.

As Heize continues to expand her range with new styles of music, we can't wait to see what new music he will bring to the concert this time around.

Tickets for the concert will be available on online ticketing sites Interpark and Ticketlink on December 17th at 8 p.m. Last year, Heize held her first solo concert in nine years, "Heize City," and it was a huge success, so let's see what kind of legend he will renew this year!

💙 Kim Junsu

Luxury singer and performer Kim Junsu is set to hold a year-end concert with a new concept. The agency has confirmed the performance schedule for Kim Junsu's new brand concert, "XIA 2023 CONCERT Chapter 1: Recreation," which will be held at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium for three days from December 29th to 31th.

For this concert, he will end the year in a meaningful way by planning a branded concert that will write a new chapter, instead of the "Ballad & Musical" concerts that he has held every year-end for the past 10 years.

The name of the concert, "Recreation," is derived from the Latin words for "recreation" and "renewal. The theme of the concert suggests that it will be a performance that will soothe the tired minds and bodies of the audience.

Kim Junsu also expressed his excitement, saying, "I hope that the concert, which marks the beginning of a new chapter, will be a meaningful time to end the year together and look forward to next year”.

A representative for the concert said, "Kim Junsu's upcoming concert will showcase a new branding, and he plans to present a different direction through a 'full band live performance' that is different from his previous musical compositions.

Tickets for Kim Junsu's year-end concert will be sold exclusively through Ticketink, with a pre-sale opportunity for 2nd term COCONUT members on the 20th at 8pm General sales will begin on the 22nd at 8 p.m. For more information on the performance and ticketing, check out the official Ticketing website and the announcement on Kim Junsu's Weverse!

💙 PSY

Concert god and performance king PSY has announced his annual holiday concert.

PSY's "All Night Stand" has been attracting a lot of attention every year for its increased scale and colorful guest lineup.

Held every year at the end of the year since 2003, "All Night Stand" is PSY's representative winter brand concert, loved by many for its colorful performances and endless running time under the slogan "Winter is hotter than summer".

On December 13th, P NATION announced, "PSY will be holding 'All Night Stand 2023' at KSPO DOME (Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium) in Seoul for three days from December 22nd to 24th. According to the first poster of 'All Night Stand 2023', PSY will spend a romantic time with the audience under the subtitle of 'White Snow'. In particular, 'All Night Stand' is an all-night performance that starts at 11:42 pm and continues until the first train departs, so it is expected to be an epic performance this year.

Tickets for PSY's 'All Night Stand 2023 - White Snow' will go on sale exclusively on Interpark Tickets, an online ticketing site, on March 21, with PSYGER NFT pre-sales starting at 12pm and general sales starting at 8pm the same day!

Winter is hotter than summer, so why not end the year on a high note and dance the night away with PSY?

💙 Sung Si Kyung

Sung Si-kyung, the original trustworthy and listenable "Eardrum Boyfriend" and unrivaled ballad emperor, proved his continued ticket power by selling out his year-end concert.

S27, a performance planning company, announced on the 11th, "All tickets for the '2023 Sung Si-kyung Year-End Concert', which was held exclusively on the reservation site Interpark Ticket, sold out on the 3rd”.

Sung Si-kyung's year-end concert will be held at the KSPO DOME in Olympic Park, an upgraded version of Seoul's Jamsil Indoor Stadium, which was the venue for last year's concert. Sung Si-kyung said, "We will set up a 360-degree circular stage inside the concert hall so that artists and audiences can communicate closely through music and conversation”.

Sung Si-kyung is demonstrating his performance as a powerhouse by selling out the 'Sung Si-kyung Year-End Concert' after 'Congratulations', the 10th spring season performance held this year, and 'Sung Si-kyung with Friends, Today', a joint performance by K-pop seniors and juniors.

The '2023 Sung Si-kyung Year-End Concert' will be held over three days, at 7:30 pm on December 29th, 6:00 pm on December 30th, and 9:00 pm on December 31st.

Since Sung Si-kyung's concert is a concert that is loved by couples, it has become a legend for selling out tickets. For those who unfortunately did not get tickets, take advantage of the year-end period when couples break up to get a chance to buy tickets!

As the scale of the performance has increased, I am curious to see what kind of playlist 'Sung balad' will return to as his original character this year!

On the 13th, after taking office, the new president of KBS, Park Min, made personnel changes, replacing 9 senior managers, including the head of the news department, and 60 people between directors and major departments subdirectories. A large number of people who had been excluded from important positions were appointed, including Jang Han-sik, former director of the Future Strategy Planning Bureau, who was demoted shortly after the inauguration of the last government and served as a reporter for the Multi-Platform Programming Bureau in charge of the Internet, and was appointed as the head of the News Department. Just before the appointment of President Park Min, a rare event occurred in which the anchor of the KBS news program was replaced.

As soon as President Park Min took office, he began a major reorganization. First, the face of the main news agency changed. On that day, KBS selected reporter Park Jang-beom, who hosted 'Sunday Diagnosis Live', and announcer Park Ji-won, who was in charge of 'Weekend News 9', as the new male and female anchors of 'News 9'. It was reported that the head of the radio center for KBS1 Radio's 'Jinwoo Joo Live', a current affairs program on KBS Radio, called the PD in charge the day before and informed him of his departure as host. Earlier, at the National Assembly's personnel hearing, President Park Min responded to a question from a ruling party member on Joo Jin-woo Live who demanded that "a punishment should be taken" and that he would "take action. It is said that instructions were given to the radio center to "stop appearing on panels of existing current affairs programs and invite new ones”.

In response to this reorganization, KBS headquarters pointed out that according to the labor-management collective agreement and programming regulations, management must consult with the working-level staff on the reorganization and notify the representative bargaining union in case of emergency programming, but these procedures were not followed. also claimed, "These actions are in violation of the Broadcasting Act, which guarantees the freedom and independence of broadcast programming and states that no one can regulate or interfere with broadcast programming."

Accordingly, President Park Min held a public press conference on the 14th, one day after his inauguration, and bowed his head saying, "I express my deep regret and respectfully apologize for the loss of trust by undermining fairness, a core value as a public broadcaster”. He also stressed, "We will ensure fairness and trust the top management value," and added, "If there is a controversy about unfairness, we will determine the right and wrong and hold them accountable." At the same time, members of the KBS headquarters of the National Press Workers' Union chanted "Don't apologize to the public, announce your resignation" and "Replace the host, abolish the program" in front of the press conference hall. They protested with picket signs that read, "We condemn the destruction of broadcasting independence.

Public broadcasting' refers to broadcasting for the public good rather than for profit. A harsh wind is blowing at KBS, the public broadcaster in Korea. The candle is snuffed out by the wind, but the wood fire burns brighter. Attention is being paid to whether the future of KBS will be a success or a disaster.