For musical fans, once is not enough

Ever wondered why the hottest stars in the musical scene are all men? Or who are the people raging frantic ticket wars for some shows, often leading online reservation systems to crash immediately after sales begin? A new survey offers some clues. The poll, conducted last month by Interpark, a leading ticket reservation site for musicals, on behalf of The Herald Business, a sister paper of The Korea Herald, found that only 12.6 percent of the nearly 3,000 musical fans who responded watch a show

CultureJuly 6, 2014

Film remembers late Cardinal Kim

A documentary on the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009) will open in theaters on Aug. 7 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his passing. “The Cardinal,” directed by Jeon Seong-woo, presents the life of the late clergy member, through interviews with him in his last three years and many accounts from those who knew him. The documentary will focus on acknowledging the cardinal as a human being, beyond his public image. The official poster of “The Cardinal.” (Mountain Pictures)“The

FilmJuly 6, 2014

[Band Uprising] Taste the satisfying bitterness of Sweet Revenge

As the Korean music market begins to receive more international recognition, the local band scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the 19th installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.More than just innocent faces and dainty voices, members of the all-female band Sweet Revenge are here to prove that an act doesn’t have to scream and shout to create rock and roll.“The basic concept of our band is to h

PerformanceJuly 6, 2014

Paul McCartney returns to stage after hospitalization

ALBANY, New York (AP) ― Paul McCartney returned to a concert stage Saturday after being sidelined for two months because of a virus, spinning out songs from the Beatles, Wings and a solo career that has spanned more than 50 years of rock ’n’ roll.McCartney, who turned 72 two weeks ago, looked none the worse for wear. He made no immediate reference to his absence. One oblique reference could have been his performance of the song, “On My Way to Work,” which he said he hadn’t done live before. Paul

PerformanceJuly 6, 2014

Jang Na-ra tells of awkward past relationship with Jang Hyuk

Actress Jang Na-ra confessed that she didn’t even talk to actor Jang Hyuk 12 years ago when they costarred in the hit rom-com drama “Successful Story of a Bright Girl” in 2002.“I did not (privately) chat with him, except when we talked during the filming of the drama back then,” the singer-turned-actress said Sunday during an interview on the MBC show “Section TV.” “We did not even know each other’s mobile numbers. I am not the (kind of) person who can approach someone first. That’s why we could

July 6, 2014

Haru is my muse, Epik High’s Tablo says

Tablo, a member of the South Korean hip-hop group Epik High, revealed two photos of his baby girl, Haru.  (Instagram)The 33-year-old rapper introduced his daughter as his “muse” in the captions to the photos taken at his recording studio. The celebrity father and his starlet baby are capturing the hearts of viewers while starring in the KBS-TV babysitting reality show “Superman Is Back.” 　By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

July 6, 2014

Super Junior’s Choi Si-won turns into cyclist in film

Choi Si-won of K-pop idol group Super Junior unveiled a photo titled “with my friend” on his Weibo account last Saturday.  (Weibo)Choi is posing for a camera with Shawn Dou, a Chinese-Canadian actor on the film set for “Breaking Through the Wind.” The duo are smiling, wearing sportswear and making V signs.  　The two are costarring in the upcoming film, directed by Hong Kong director Lin Chaoxian.　The 28-year-old heartthrob will play a Korean-Chinese cyclist in the film about young cyclists overc

July 6, 2014

JYJ to embark on Asia tour from August

K-pop idol band JYJ plans to meet Asian fans in eight cities across Asia including Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Vietnam, starting in August. (C-JeS Entertainment)The trio will begin its concert tour “The Return of the King” with the first concert to be held on Aug. 9 in Seoul. The first round of tickets to the upcoming concert sold out in just 20 minutes. The second round of ticket sales is slated to open on July 8. The concert tour will come shortly after the release of the group’s second s

July 6, 2014

2NE1’s Park Bom appears at concert in Japan

K-pop girl group 2NE1 embarked on a tour around Japan as part of its world tour concert series “All or Nothing,” despite the uproar over its member Park Bom’s alleged drug scandal. The quartet enthralled some 17,000 fans at the two-hour concert last Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.   The members expressed excitement about seeing the fans at the concert, with Sandara Park saying, “I am so glad to meet you all,” Minzy saying, “I wanted to hang out with you,” and CL saying, “Let’s enjoy it together.” 2

July 6, 2014

Kim Tae-young meets Tang Wei’s parents

Korean film director Kim Tae-yong on Friday paid respects to his prospective parents-in-law in Beijing, accompanied by his Chinese fiancee Tang Wei, Chinese media reported on Sunday.  Korean film director Kim Tae-yong and Chinese actress Tang Wei attend a press conference on July 2 in Seoul. (OSEN)The Asian celebrity couple left Korea on July 2 for Beijing, where the Chinese actress’ parents live. On the same day, the two announced their romantic relationship and wedding plans for the upcoming f

July 6, 2014

EXO members share their true feelings in “Happy Camp”

The members of EXO shared personal stories of what it is like to be in the idol group last Saturday on the Chinese variety show “Happy Camp.”Around the end of the show, members were given the time to talk about their true feelings. Asked about the phrase “EXO brothers,” Tao answered, “There are so many meanings in the word ‘brothers,’” and Baekhyun replied, “EXO is like water to me. I cannot live without our members.”“The members are the most important people besides my family,” Luhan said, whil

July 6, 2014

f(x) returns with powerful song “Red Light”

K-pop group f(x) staged a long-awaited comeback with the powerful electro-pop track “Red Light” on Thursday in a departure from their usual upbeat and invigorating music. The group released the music video at noon through its official website, YouTube and local music download sites. In the music video, the five-member group boasts a sexy look with thick eye make-up and military wear, adding to the sensual atmosphere of their performance.  The group’s third full-length album will be available on

July 6, 2014

[Weekender] Seoul’s eclectic, flourishing nightlife

The history of Korea’s nightlife is short. From 1945 to 1982, the authoritarian governments ordered Koreans to stay indoors between midnight and 4 a.m. Under martial law, the city lights were switched off and people were forbidden to go outdoors, except for those on official duties. Nowadays, those hours are primetime for Korean nightlife.People watch the rainbow fountain show at Banpo Bridge in Seoul. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)The country has seen its night culture thrive since Chun Doo-h

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Guide to Korean nightlife

While South Korea is known for its culture of binge drinking, the country also offers a lot of ways to have fun while staying sober.When they are not hitting the pubs and karaoke bars that stay open until sunrise, some Koreans choose to watch films in 24-hour cinemas, check out evening art exhibitions or enjoy bindaetteok ― Korean mung bean pancakes ― at a night food market.Here are some of the ways to have fun in Korea at night, from movies to the dance club scene in Itaewon.Classy Who says art

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Distinctive culture adds color to Seoul’s nightlife

In the latest music video by K-pop sensation Psy, the rapper and his right-hand man Snoop Dogg drink round-the-clock at different venues, imitating the nightlife in South Korea. They down soju, beer and whatever comes their way.But drinking a copious amount of booze is not what all night activities are about here.From a pub equipped with a digital dating system to chimaek fiesta, new forms of night culture have become fresh recreation for Koreans and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for foreign vi

CultureJuly 4, 2014

Designer emphasizes fun as mantra in life, business

Rattling off statistics about condom usage, Park Seo-won is completely at ease ― or perhaps he is trying to put me at ease by approaching the subject of condoms matter-of-factly. “Among the OECD countries, Korea’s rate of condom usage is at the very bottom. Japan has the highest rate. There, 48 percent of condom buyers are women,” said Park in an interview with The Korea Herald on June 16.No, Park is not some salesperson from a pharmaceutical company. He is the CEO of Big Ant, who, befittingly,

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Calendar

Pop musicg.o.d. 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert: The newly reunited ’90s K-pop idol group g.o.d. will be embarking on a nationwide concert tour starting in July. After more than 12 years apart, the five original members of g.o.d. made a highly anticipated comeback in May with the single “The Lone Duckling.” The K-pop veterans are slated to hold two concerts, on July 12 and 13, at the Jamsil Sport Complex’s Auxiliary Stadium in Seoul, before moving on to Gwangju, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon in Augu

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Eyelike: Trey Songz is complacent on 6th album

Trey Songz is complacent on 6th albumTrey Songz“Trigga”(Atlantic Records)Six albums in and making R&B hits almost seems too easy for Trey Songz.He’s got the vocals of a crooner with the swagger of a rapper, and on his latest release, “Trigga,” the heartthrob once again darts between the bedroom and bottle service, sending his sweet vocals soaring over a landscape of seductive beats, beautiful melodies and lyrics that beg to be repeated. But Songz’s latest set is missing something: growth. Shuffl

PerformanceJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Box Office

Confession (Korea)Opening July 10Crime, Drama. Directed by Lee Do-yoonHyun-tae (Ji Sung), In-chul (Ju Ji-hoon) and Min-soo (Lee Kwang-soo) have been close friends for 20 years. One day, a deadly fire occurs and takes the life of Hyun-tae’s mother and all of her property. The accident turns evolves into an unsolved mystery. Hyun-tae’s suspicion grows over the death of his mother as he begins looking for any kind of evidence. Hyun-tae asks his friends to help, but as the truth unfolds, he begins t

FilmJuly 4, 2014