(LEAD) Psy to return this year: agency

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SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- Psy is planning to return to the stage this year, his management agency has said.

"He is in the final stage (in preparing for a new album), and he will be back this year," YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-seok told reporters Sunday.

The South Korean rapper had widely expected to return last month with a new album, which has been produced by the man who wrote his mega hit "Gangnam Style."

The 2012 single brought him global stardom, with the music video surpassing 2.4 billion views on YouTube.

"Psy has been very much burdened by the success of 'Gangnam Style,' but I've told him just to take it easy," he said. "I think he does not have to beat his own records. I just want to see him again loving being on stage."

Last year, Psy scrapped plans to release a new song titled "Daddy" and announced that he will try to restore his mindset before "Gangnam Style" and fight the pressure of being a global phenomenon.

As for YG's budding boy band iKON, Yang said the group will be active both at home and abroad.

The seven-piece act has been the talk of the town, boosting expectations to be another big name in K-pop, though it debuted just last week. It released a warm-up single in September, with a 12-track full album to be released next month.

"iKON is planning to have at least six rounds of fan meetings in Japan ... and it is planning to hold a concert tour there," Yang said.

Mentioning that there are more than 140 million messages with iKON's hashtag on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Yang pledged to make inroads into China "with superb content."

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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