Pontiff to meet Sewol families

Pope Francis will visit South Korea on Aug. 14 to attend a Catholic youth festival and preside over a ceremony to beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs, the Vatican and the local preparation committee for the visit said Wednesday.During the five-day state visit, the pope will conduct four Masses, including one for the beatification ceremony and another for the closing ceremony of Asian Youth Day. He will attend an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and pay a visit

PeopleJune 18, 2014

Psy lights up Gangnam with World Cup street cheering concert

International K-pop sensation Psy helped cheer on South Korea in its first World Cup match against Russia with a concert in Gangnam, Seoul, on Wednesday morning. On a special stage set up in front of the Coex convention center, Psy put on a heated performance starting at 6 a.m. for some 20,000 people who had gathered to root for South Korea, which drew 1-1.“I will cheer with the loudest voice in the world. ... If we get tired, we lose. If we go crazy, we win!” said Psy as he took the stage decke

PerformanceJune 18, 2014

Lotte Hall to open in 2015 with Seoul Phil concert

Lotte Hall, a classical music hall currently under construction in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul, will open on Sept. 3, 2015, with a concert by maestro Chung Myung-whun and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the chief executive of the hall said Wednesday.The opening will be followed by a four-month music festival, during which the hall will make some necessary adjustments in acoustics and other installations.“From March onward, the hall will be made available to rent for concerts,” Kim Eui-joon sai

CultureJune 18, 2014

Chin Un-suk’s concertos available on CD

Three concertos of composer Chin Un-suk, played by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra with maestro Chung Myung-hwun, are now available on CD. The Deutsche Grammophon album, which was globally released Tuesday, features the Korean artist’s compositions for three different instruments ― piano, cello and the Chinese mouth organ or “sheng.” It is the world’s first recording of the works. The featured soloists are Kim Sun-wook on piano, Alban Gerhardt on cello and Wu Wie on sheng. Composer Chin Un-suk (rig

PerformanceJune 18, 2014

Godzilla: Still relevant and raging after 60 years in Japan

TOKYO (AFP) ― While a digitalized Hollywood reboot stomps its way to box office success around the world, the original Godzilla ― a man in a rubber suit ― has hit screens in Japan again, as relevant as ever.The 1954 classic, which spawned more than two dozen follow-ups, has been cleaned up for a two-week run in Tokyo to mark the 60th anniversary of the monster from the deep.Despite the shaky sets and the all-too-obvious latex costumes, a new generation of movie-goers declared themselves impresse

FilmJune 18, 2014

2NE1’s ‘Crush’ makes U.S. TV’s best albums list

The latest album by South Korean girl group 2NE1 was among the world’s top 25 albums selected by an American cable music channel, according to the television’s website.Fuse TV said Monday the band’s second full-length album “Crush” was included in its best albums of 2014 together with such big-name artists as Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Pharrell Williams and Michael Jackson.The channel cited “Come Back Home,” “Baby I Miss You” and “Gotta Be You” as major tracks on the album.Released in February, the

PerformanceJune 18, 2014

[Herald Interview] Rapper San E living his dream

It appears that the sky is the limit for rapper San E, who is still scoring hit after hit despite his decision last year to leave JYP Entertainment, one of the nation’s top management agencies.After joining popular hip-hop label Brand New Music shortly after his departure from JYPE, the artist released a single “Story of Someone I Know,” which topped local music charts. His newest single “A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness,” a duet with After School’s Raina, also claimed the No. 1 spot upon its relea

PerformanceJune 18, 2014

‘Star Wars’ droid builders bring galaxy down to earth

Most people just have cars, bikes and lawn mowers in their garage. George Westwater has a droid.As in R2-D2. As in “Star Wars.” As in ...“Whoa! Where’d you get that thing?”With “Star Wars: Episode VII” now shooting, every tidbit of news about the iconic franchise flies across social media and the Internet at light speed.Fan-built droids are part of the frenzy. Costing more than $16,000, the Lenexa, Kansas, man’s R2 is no dime-store copy. Though you could believe he got it at a George Lucas estat

PerformanceJune 18, 2014

Mirror, mirror: Style meets activity trackers

Eight kilometers equals approximately 10,000 steps.How do I know this?Because just as I made it to the 8-kilometer mark on the Kelly Drive loop Saturday morning, the teeny LED lights in my red Fitbit Flex started doing the happy dance. And the silicone wristband ― reminiscent of cyclist Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong bracelets ― vibrated.I stopped for a smoothie and did some grocery shopping. And when I got home, I synced the Flex to my laptop and ― drumroll, please ― my grand step total was 18,14

Arts & DesignJune 18, 2014

Modern meets traditional at London menswear shows

LONDON (AP) ― In the world of women’s fashion, London often plays second fiddle to other style capitals ― it lacks the allure of Paris’s haute couture or the polish of Milan’s luxury labels. Yet when it comes to dressing gentlemen, no city can rival the British capital’s heritage. Steeped in a rich history of tailoring for kings, army generals and the world’s wealthiest men, London is now being marketed as the home of men’s fashion ― the original birthplace of the tuxedo jacket, the bowler hat a

Arts & DesignJune 18, 2014

2NE1 gears up to hypnotize Japan

The K-pop girl group 2NE1, currently on world tour, released a promotional video for its upcoming Japanese edition of the EP “Crush” on YouTube.The group is to release the album in Japan on June 25 with repackaged contents, different from the Korean edition.As the Korean version of “Crush” was thoroughly loved by fans worldwide, the upcoming album is raising anticipation among eager fans. The album will have 10 tracks: “Crush,” “Come Back Home,” “Gotta Be You,” “Do You Love Me,” “Happy,” “Fallin

June 18, 2014

Lee Seung-gi to debut on screen with ‘Woman of 3 Men’

South Korean singer and actor Lee Seung-gi will make his screen debut with “Woman of Three Men,” according to local news reports on Wednesday.  (Yonhap)“Lee Seung-gi will accept the male lead in the film ‘Woman of Three Men’ if the plan goes well,” a film insider told entertainment news outlet Star N. Directed by Park Jin-pyo, the rom-com will follow the story of three male friends who happen to fall in love with the same woman, who works as a TV weather forecaster, played by Korean actress Moon

June 18, 2014

Lee Seung-chul in feud with JYJ fans over cover song

The feud between Korean ballad singer Lee Seung-chul and K-pop band JYJ’s fandom is deepening due to a dispute over the promotion method for Lee’s remake of a song originally sung by Junsu.Lee released a song on the soundtrack for SBS drama series “You Are All Surrounded” on June 5. The song “I’m in Love” was initially sung by Junsu as part of his second solo EP.The controversy sparked as JYJ fans claimed the way “I’m in Love” was promoted was improper since it did not mention the original song.

June 18, 2014

KBS releases couple photos of “Joseon’s Gunman”

KBS TV released couple photos of the two main characters of “Joseon’s Gunman,” Lee Jun-ki and Nam Sang-mi. The first episode of KBS 2TV’s “Joseon’s Gunman” will be broadcast on June 25. Just by looking at the photos, viewers can predict not only the story line, but also the strong chemistry between Lee and Nam. “We didn’t even need time to get used to each other. We’ve known each other for seven years, so we were able to film comfortably. We prepare every scene together. When I film, I feel like

June 18, 2014

‘Jung Sisters’ reveal their natural faces

 K-pop starlets Krystal of f(x) and Jessica of Girls’ Generation, also known as the “Jung Sisters,” revealed their natural faces without makeup.    OnStyle’s “Jessica & Krystal” was broadcast on Tuesday. The episode was about their trip to New York for a photo shoot. After the photo shoot, they went back to the hotel and removed their makeup, showing sisterly love by washing off each other’s cosmetics. After taking off their false eyelashes, they hesitated to show their natural faces. Jessica sa

June 18, 2014

Psy gives a thumbs up for Korea WC team

World star Psy offered encouraging words to the Korean national soccer team, following the Korea-Russia World Cup match that ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.  (Yonhap)“The Korean soccer team did really well. It was a wonderful match,” he said after watching the neck-and-neck game with his dance crew in Seoul. Earlier in the day, the viral sensation staged a 40-minute performance starting at 6 a.m. for the cheering crowds who gathered on Yeongdong road near Coex in Gangnam, to root for South Kor

June 18, 2014