MBLAQ‘s Lee Joon chosen as judge for short film festival in Seoul

MBLAQ’s Lee Joon was appointed a judge for “The 13th Mise-en-scene’s Short Film Festival” to be held next week in Seoul.From June 26 to July 2, Lee will attend all public events for the festival, including the opening and closing ceremony and judge meetings, and examine 25 films, his management agency said. He is the youngest judge who is a singer and actor and the selection shows his solid position in the entertainment field. He debuted as an actor in the 2009 Hollywood film “Ninja Assassin” an

June 23, 2014

Bob Dylan lyrics to headline $3m-$5m New York music auction

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Handwritten song lyrics from legendary singer Bob Dylan go under the hammer in New York Tuesday, the most treasured possessions in a collection of rock memorabilia valued at $3 milion-$5 million. Auction house Sotheby’s says other highlights include a peacock jumpsuit worn by Elvis Presley worth $200,000 to $300,000 and a John Lennon piano also played by Lou Reed.Richard Austin, head of Tuesday’s two-part sale at Sotheby’s, said the auction celebrates various rock performers who

PerformanceJune 22, 2014

Michael Jackson remains a provider 5 years after death

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― It’s been five years since Michael Jackson died, yet his career is more alive than it has been in decades. Just last month, the singer moonwalked across a Las Vegas stage in a nationally televised hologram performance. A new album recently debuted at No. 2 on music charts. And a traveling Cirque du Soleil show based on Jackson’s songs has logged nearly 500 performances worldwide. The result has been an estate that has earned more than $600 million since the King of Pop’s untim

PerformanceJune 22, 2014

Understanding Arab culture through films

As part of the 7th annual Arab Cultural Festival, the Arab Film Festival opened in Seoul and Busan for Korean audiences to gain a wide range of knowledge and understanding of less-explored Arab culture. “I hope that through the films of the festival, the audience discovers that the Arabs share the same contemporary and universal issues with us,” said Chung Yong-chil, the secretary-general of the Korea-Arab Society, the host of the festival. The festival runs from June 19-25 in Seoul’s Arthouse M

FilmJune 22, 2014

[Band Uprising] Music for after lights out

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 17th installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.Attempting to capture nocturnal sounds with a new identity, the former teen punk rock band Rocket Diary reintroduced itself as We Are The Night.After debuting as the punk band Rocket Diary in 2005 and performing togethe

PerformanceJune 22, 2014

Kim, Jun seek to revoke contracts for Chinese ad

The two stars from the hit Korea drama “My Love from the Star” Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun are seeking to revoke their contracts for a controversial Chinese advertisement, a move that could potentially result in tens of millions of won in penalties for them. “We have asked (the Chinese bottled water maker Hengda) to revoke the advertisement contract,” said Kim’s agency Keyeast. Jun’s agency has also confirmed that they have taken the same step. A promotional image for “My Love from the Star.” (

June 22, 2014

Namhansanseong becomes Korea’s newest UNESCO treasure

The Western Gate. In 1636, after 47 days under siege, King Injo of Joseon walked through this gate to surrender to the Manchu invaders.For a long time, Namhansanseong has been one of Koreans’ favorite spots for hiking, driving and eating out. Nestled in scenic surroundings on the southern outskirts of Seoul and easily accessible by subway, the fortress has been a place to head to break away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Lesser known to its visitors, however, is that the large circular

CultureJune 22, 2014

Korean fortress obtains World Heritage status

Namhansanseong is a mountain fortress on the southern outskirts of Seoul. (Yonhap News)Namhansanseong, a mountain fortress on the southern outskirts of Seoul, has become a UNESCO World Heritage site, joining the ranks of such natural and cultural wonders as Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, currently meeting in Qatar, voted Sunday to inscribe the Korean fortress on the much-coveted list for its “outstanding universal value

CultureJune 22, 2014

Photos from Gong Hyo-jin’s car accident revealed

(Captured from KBS)Pictures of actress Gong Hyo-jin’s car accident were aired Saturday on KBS show “Entertainment Weekly,” revealing the severity of the accident. The photos, provided by firefighters, showed Gong’s van with the rear and side crushed. At the time of the accident, three people, including Gong, were in the van, returning home from filming SBS drama series “It’s Ok, That’s Love.”Gong was rushed to hospital and had surgery for a fractured left arm.  Gong’s agency said the actress wou

June 22, 2014

EXO’s Luhan sends warning message to obsessive fans

EXO’s Luhan sent out an anguished message towards the boy band’s overly obsessive fans, often referred to as “sasaeng fans.”“Can you please stop following? Aren’t you being too shameless? I won’t go over what you said,” the angered K-pop singer wrote on his Weibo on Sunday morning.This is the first time an EXO member directly warned an extreme fan. The group has only made broad comments about sasaeng fans in previous interviews.EXO has been suffering because of sasaeng fans since its debut three

June 22, 2014

Kim and Jun seek to revoke contract for controversial Chinese ad

The two stars from the hit Korea drama “My Love from the Star” Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun are seeking to revoke their contracts for a controversial Chinese advertisement, a move that could potentially result in tens of millions of won in penalties for them.  Actor Kim Soo-hyun (left) and actress Jun Ji-hyun in SBS television series “My Love from the Star." (SBS)“We have asked (the Chinese bottled water maker Hengda) to revoke the advertisement contract,” said Kim’s agency Keyeast. Jun’s agency

June 22, 2014

Chinese fans of Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho fight, over what?

The Chinese fans of the two world-class Korean actors, Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho, waged a fierce debate online, arguing over the actors’ facial size and height.Lee Min-ho(left) and Kim Soo-hyun (right) (OSEN)The photo of Kim and Lee in the printed advertisement for a Chinese clothing brand ignited the online war, a Hong Kong news outlet reported. In the poster, the two appeared to be of similar height and “facial size.” The fans of Lee posted disturbed comments over the fact that Kim, official

June 22, 2014

Nichkhun kisses Yu Wenwen on the beach

Photos of 2PM member Nichkhun and Chinese actress Yu Wenwen were published recently, showing the two stars kissing on the beach.In the still cuts from the upcoming Korea-China collaborative drama series “One and a Half Summer” the two will play a couple that falls in love on the romantic island of Santorini, Greece.Several photos were posted on the drama’s official Weibo account, unveiling the throbbing moments of the actors, stirring up excitement among fans.During the recent press conference f

June 22, 2014

Baekhyun makes first appearance on Inkigayo after admitting relationship

 Baekhyun of EXO appeared on the official TV program for the first time after confirming his relationship with Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation.As one of the emcees for SBS music program Inkigayo, Baekhyun appeared wearing a soccer uniform to celebrate the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Despite his first appearance after confirming that he is dating Taeyeon, the singer-emcee did not mention his new relationship status during the opening of the show.The romantic relationship between the two celebrities was c

June 22, 2014

2014 Incheon Asian Games music album released

An anniversary album to celebrate the upcoming “2014 Incheon Asian Games” was released on Friday, Universal Music Korea said on Sunday.The album is the first of its kind to commemorate the global sports event, the Korean leg of the multinational music publisher said. The album aims at bringing the Asian Games’ message “Diversity shines here“ to the world through multiple channels. The album comes in two volumes and a DVD. The first volume contains songs by world-class popular Western musicians,

June 22, 2014

Park Shin-hye wows Asian fans in Myeongdong

Actress Park Shin-hye wowed her fans at a fan meeting that was held in cosmetics shop “Mamonde” in Myeongdong, central Seoul, on Saturday.The promotional event was held to celebrate one million sales of “First Energy Serum,“ which is one of the company’s bestselling products.As a spokesmodel of the brand, Park met about 100 fans from Korea, China and Japan.The actress, 24, has recently debuted as a singer, releasing the single album, “My Dear.”By Kim Min-jin, Intern reporter (minjin103@heraldcor

June 22, 2014

[Weekender] Haenyeo up close and personal

Larger-than-life photographs of Jejudo Island’s iconic female divers in wetsuits hang on the walls of the second and basement floor spaces of POSCO Art Museum on Tehran-ro in southern Seoul, the women’s weathered faces bearing witness to a lifetime of struggles with the sea. The photographs are part of “Mother in the Sea, Haenyeo,” an exhibition of 165 works by celebrated photographer Joon Choi, running through July 3.Choi captures the faraway look in the eyes of an aged diver just out of the wa

CultureJune 20, 2014

[Weekender] Calendar

Dance“Don Quixote”: Following the Korean National Ballet’s staging of Swan Lake this past April, the company is gearing up to present it latest production, a resurrection of Marius Petipa’s classical tale of humor, “Don Quixote.” Based on the eponymous novel by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, the ballet version first made its premiere more than 260 years ago in the 18th century and has since become one of the ballet world’s most beloved comical productions. “Don Quixote” will run from June 2

PerformanceJune 20, 2014

Eyelike: Lena Park fuses fresh sounds on new EP

Lena Park fuses fresh sounds on new EPLena Park“Syncrofusion”(Loen Entertainment)Female vocalist Lena Park, best known for her powerful and moving ballads, has returned with the upbeat three-track EP “Syncrofusion,” featuring a fresh style and sounds that fuse electronic and pop-rock melodies with Park’s distinctive vocals.The lead single “Double Kiss,” an energetic and exuberant dance track, deviates drastically from Park’s usual musical style. Decorated by funky guitar riffs played by Paul Jac

PerformanceJune 20, 2014