23 K-pop acts confirmed for Naver's ‘V’ live streaming

South Korean search portal Naver has unveiled a full list of K-pop acts joining its new streaming mobile app named “V,” set to launch Aug. 1.  A total of 23 K-pop teams will be streaming their activities and off-stage life on the video app, interacting in real time with the global audience and fans via mobile devices. Joining the lineup Friday as the 23rd member was SM Town, an umbrella brand comprising all 62 acts under the SM Entertainment label, including TVXQ, Super Junior, SHINee, EXO and G

July 31, 2015

[Herald Interview] Artist tackles cultural confusion in modern time

When artist Cody Choi first arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s, he frequently suffered from stomach and bowel problems, stemming from having to adjust to a new culture.  Unable to afford a clinic visit, his go-to remedy was Pepto-Bismol, an over-the-counter stomach relief medicine. Looking back on his early days in the U.S., Choi made a sculpture in 1996 that has the shape of Rodin’s “The Thinker” but is made with pink liquid Pepto-Bismol and toilet paper -- the two objects that represent his earl

PerformanceJuly 30, 2015

Cruise returns to Korea, presenting ‘Rogue Nation’

Tom Cruise is well-known for his love of Korea and its moviegoers, and made a stop here on his promotional tour for “Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation” together with director Christopher McQuarrie in time for its premiere. Actor Tom Cruise (left) and director Chris McQuarrie of "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Thursday (Yonhap)“We just finished the movie a week ago Saturday in London, and the moment we finished we started this tour. One of the

FilmJuly 30, 2015

Ballet festival to bring Stuttgart, Bolshoi dancers to Seoul

  A scene from the Stuttgart Ballet company‘s performance of “Bite” (K-Ballet World)Inviting 32 dance teams from eight countries, this year’s K-Ballet World festival is gearing up to take center stage Aug. 15-28, highlighting both contemporary and classic dance movements. “The theme that we try to uphold every year with the K-Ballet World is to introduce Korean ballet to the world and world ballet to Korea,” said Kim In-sook, head of the Korea Ballet Association, during a press conference held i

PerformanceJuly 30, 2015

Upcoming concert keeps Epik High on toes

Rap trio Epik High says their upcoming concert series will keep everyone -- both the audience and themselves -- on their toes. “Because none of us will know ahead of time what kind of show will be taking place that day, each one will keep us on edge until it goes up. That’s what makes it more fun,” said member Mithra Jin at a press conference Thursday.Titled “Now Playing,” the concert series will allow the audience to vote among six themes -- action, humanity, melodrama, horror, science fiction

PerformanceJuly 30, 2015

K-pop stars brought to life at Grevin Museum Seoul

Leading K-pop stars, such as Psy, G-Dragon and Rain and dozens of other Korean celebrities, as well as historic and sports figures, have been brought to life in wax models at the Grevin Museum opening in Seoul on Thursday.  The French wax museum’s first Asian branch presents 80 life-size wax models of world-renowned figures and celebrities, including 30 Koreans. Life-size wax figures of K-pop stars and Hollywood movie stars are on display at Grevin Museum Seoul, which opens Thursday in Seoul. (G

PerformanceJuly 29, 2015

[Herald Review] Swaggering ‘Veteran’ pulls no punches

After being bombarded this year with back-to-back Hollywood blockbuster movies filled with exploding cars, collapsing buildings, and cities turned upside down, it seemed that bigger, louder and hotter was the only recipe for the success of action flicks.In “Veteran,” director Ryoo Seung-wan brings in an all-star cast led by Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in to flip that assumption on its head.The reunion of Ryoo with stunt coordinator Jung Doo-hong (the pairing seen in Ryoo‘s “The Unjust” and “The Be

FilmJuly 29, 2015

Naver to launch global streaming app for K-pop

Naver, South Korea’s biggest search portal, will launch a real-time mobile broadcasting app featuring the country’s hottest and newest K-pop singers and idol bands for the global audience and fans next month.In partnerships with Korea’s major entertainment and talent agencies including SM and YG, the global V app will stream the stars’ live concerts and their daily activities behind the scenes with real-time English subtitles.Also, the video streaming app will have communication features enablin

PerformanceJuly 29, 2015

Get the most out of ‘all-inclusive’ fun at Kensington Jeju Hotel

Exterior view of the Kensington Jeju Hotel in Seogwipo, Jejudo Island. (Kensington Jeju Hotel)Nestled right in the mix of Jejudo Island’s most luxurious resorts -- Lotte, Shilla and the Hyatt -- is the newly established Kensington Jeju Hotel on the picturesque coast of Seogwipo. The nautical themed resort meets all the standards and quality services of its neighboring brands, however, with the property being relatively smaller, Kensington guests can bask in all its 4-star bliss in a more intimat

TravelJuly 29, 2015

Bae Yong-joon foots dinner bill for fans after wedding

“Winter Sonata” actor Bae Yong-joon footed the dinner bill for some 200 of his fans who visited the hotel where his wedding took place Monday, local reports said Tuesday. 　Bae married actress Park Soo-jin at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill hotel in a private ceremony attended only by family and close friends. (Yonhap)About 200 fans, many of whom flew from Japan, lined up in front of the hotel to catch a glimpse of the 43-year-old star and congratulate him on his nuptials. According to the reports

July 29, 2015

Cat cafes become cultural export

There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a cup of tea with a cat on your lap. These days, with the advent of cat cafes, you don’t even need your own cat to experience it. While they have been around in South Korea for some time, the rest of the world is beginning to catch on, and the trend that was once the cultural domain of Japan and Korea is spreading globally. 　Although the first cat cafe was founded in Taiwan in 1998, the concept blossomed in Japan and Korea, particularly in the last deca

CultureJuly 28, 2015

Entertaining tricks in media art

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province -- A man painted from head to toe stands against a painted wall as if he walked straight from a portrait painting. His moving hands seem so unreal that it looks like he could only exist in a painting.When it is taken as a photograph, the scene actually turns into a two-dimensional painting.  “A Man Turned Into Painting” by Yoo Hyun-mi (Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art)In this opening performance for a joint Korean and Russian media art exhibition, artist Yoo

PerformanceJuly 28, 2015

Former U.S. envoy to teach at HUFS

Kathleen StephensHankuk University of Foreign Studies is to appoint Kathleen Stephens, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, as a chair professor for its diplomacy course, officials said Monday.Stephens will be teaching at the HUFS division of language and diplomacy, which combines language study and a training course for diplomatic skills. It was created in 2014 to foster diplomats and members of international organizations.“The practical knowledge, experience and know-how Stephens possesses

PeopleJuly 27, 2015

Bae Yong-joon is no longer a bachelor

First-generation Hallyu star marries actress Park Soo-jin in private wedding Bae Yong-joon, the sweet guy from “Winter Sonata” who stole the hearts of many Japanese housewives in the early 2000s, has married a lesser-known actress 13 years his junior in a private nuptial in Seoul on Monday.  (Instagram)The wedding between Bae and Park Soo-jin took place at 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Walkerhill hotel in Seoul, with only family and close friends in attendance. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the br

July 27, 2015

Inside actor Yoon Kye-sang

Among the many singer-turned-actors that pervade screens today, there are few that have been as willing to climb up from the bottom or are as serious about their newfound craft as Yoon Kye-sang.Unlike most idol singers who foray into acting with an already-established fanbase, Yoon -- who debuted in 1999 with boy band g.o.d, dropped out in 2004 amid much controversy, and rejoined the group a decade later in 2014 -- did not shoot to immediate on-screen stardom or land lead roles in big-budget pro

PeopleJuly 27, 2015

[Herald Review] Closing Ansan rock fest, Foo Fighters bring us back to ‘These Days’

A scene from this year‘s Ansan M Valley Rock Festival, held from July 24 - 26 at the Daebu Sea Breeze Theme Park in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. (CJ E&M)Despite hordes of unrelenting mosquitoes descending on a crowd sweating bullets in the steaming humidity and losing shoes traipsing through the damp mud, this year’s Ansan M Rock Festival concluded its festivities on a high note, inviting American rock gods, the Foo Fighters. With more than two decades as rock and roll music icons, the Foo Fighters

PerformanceJuly 27, 2015

‘Webtoons’ enter mainstream of comics

Webtoons or webcomics have become mainstream among readers of comics, data showed Monday. According to data analysis firm Daumsoft Inc., the word “webtoon” has become more frequently used on blog and Twitter posts since 2010.  A cut from a webtoon is displayed on a smartphone. Sohn ji-young/The Korea HeraldThe company analyzed over 706,000 blog posts and 3.2 million Twitter comments regarding webtoons. The analysis showed that webtoons became the third-most popular way people accessed comics in

CartoonJuly 27, 2015

Time travel to your imaginary destination

When you accidentally find a boarding pass from your last trip, it instantly reminds you of the time and place you had been, bringing an urge to leave everyday work behind and travel to an exotic place. This may be what visitors to the Plateau Samsung Museum of Art feel when they walk into new exhibition “Aeroport Mille Plateaux.” The exhibition hall has been transformed into an airport by artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. The admission ticket looks just like a boarding pass.  Exhib

CultureJuly 26, 2015