Ha Yeon-soo kisses Kim Jong-guk on ‘Running Man’

Singer-entertainer Kim Jong-guk and actress Ha Yeon-soo. (SBS)Actress Ha Yeon-soo kissed singer-entertainer Kim Jong-guk on SBS variety show “Running Man” on Sunday, trying to beat other teams in a pickled radish game. In the game, two people hold each ends of a thin strip of pickled radish in the mouths and keep eating it toward the center. The couple left with the shortest strip wins the game. “Please do not stop until I tell you to,” said Ha, 23, determined to beat the previous 4-millimeter r

June 2, 2014

2 billion YouTube views and counting for ‘Gangnam Style’

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― The wildly popular “Gangnam Style” music video cemented its place Saturday as one of the defining soundtracks of the digital age, smashing through the 2 billion barrier on YouTube.The infectious and satirical mega-hit by South Korean pop star Psy became a worldwide sensation, fueling a South Korean “K-pop” trend after it was first uploaded to the popular video sharing platform in July 2012.It continues to garner thousands of looks daily and already was hundreds of thousands

PerformanceJune 1, 2014

Confident Susan Boyle readies first U.S. tour

NEW YORK (AP) ― Five years after her musical breakthrough, Susan Boyle says she’s feeling confident and comfortable ― and ready to launch her first U.S. tour. The 53-year-old will hit the road in October on a 21-date trek. Boyle said she hadn’t been ready to take on the tour after her pop culture moment in 2009, but now she’s more relaxed and ready to perform. “I didn’t have the confidence. I didn’t have the right experience, but I feel more ready now, and I really can’t wait,” she said in a pho

PerformanceJune 1, 2014

Depth that comics can achieve

In the age of digital content available at your fingertips, comics have fallen as mere entertainment for killing time during commuting hours. But cartoonist Park Heung-yong’s works have been more than a flip-through. In fact, they have been highlighted with unconventional subjects and depth usually found in novels. Park has created works that are grounded in Korean sentiment and the lives of average people and the underprivileged. Instead of conforming to publishers’ tastes, he has set his own p

PerformanceJune 1, 2014

[Band Uprising] Ten travel enthusiasts take globe-trotting to new level

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 14th installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.What initially started out as a band of four musically inclined travel-lovers unexpectedly transformed into the now, 10-member local indie band “The Tourist.”Meeting a majority of their newest members online via social

June 1, 2014

(Photo News) Walk to donate

Participants in the third Charity Walkathon, organized by the Korean Association of Foreign Languages Academies, stroll the streets of Bukchon, a village in Seoul replete with traditional Korean houses, or hanok, Sunday. Proceeds from this year’s event, which drew over 1,000 participants, will go to a nursing college to be built in Nepal, organizers said. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)

PeopleJune 1, 2014

Lee Hyori shows glimpse of morning coffee time

Lee Hyori showed her morning coffee time on her blog over the weekend. Posting several pictures of her husband Lee Sang-soon brewing coffee, the hallyu star shared a glimpse of how the couple starts the day with coffee. Lee also posted pictures of her waiting for coffee with no make-up. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 1, 2014

[Weekender] ‘Religious leaders should provide stability’

Located across the narrow street from the western wall of the heavily wooded Changdeokgung Palace, Eun Deok Cultural Center is an oasis of serenity in the bustling metropolis of Seoul.Overseeing this rare gem is Lee Seon-jong, 70, a Won Buddhist priest who has occupied many of the top posts in the indigenous Buddhism founded by Master Sotaesan in 1924. While the center is operated by Won Buddhism, there is no trace of religion here.“It is run as a cultural center, not a house of worship,” explai

CultureMay 30, 2014

Calendar

 Pop MusicUltra Korea Music Festival: The annual Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor electronica music fests, will be in full swing in Seoul once again. Last summer’s event drew more than 80,000 EDM fans. Like last year, this year’s lineup will include a handful of world famous DJ acts including Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond, Steve Angello and Paul Vanduk. The festival will be held on June 13 and 14 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Olympic Stadium Complex. Tickets are listed at 130,000

PerformanceMay 30, 2014

Box office

High Heel (Korea)Opening June 4Noir, action. Directed by Jang JinYoon Ji-wook (Cha Seung-won) is a homicide detective whose macho looks match his undisputed ability to nab violent criminals. He is revered as a legend in the police force and at the same time feared among the mafia for his brutality in cracking down on crime. But deep inside, his identity is quite different. Ji-wook has desired to become a woman ever since his teenage days. He tries to suppress the inner desire -- in vain. He fina

FilmMay 30, 2014

‘Fed Up’ finds tragedy, scandal, comedy in U.S. obesity epidemic

Joe, a 180-kilogram Latino boy from Houston, weeps in fear and frustration. He’s not alone. Maggie, a 96-kilogram 12-year-old from Oklahoma, joins him. Wesley, an overweight 13-year-old in Houston, is desperate.But Brandon, 15, a 98-kilogram South Carolinian headed toward diabetes, morbid obesity and being a member of “the first American generation to not live as long as their parents,” is documenting his struggle on videolife, reading up on his diet and the causes of his problem, determined to

FilmMay 30, 2014

Eyelike: IU returns with Korean classics

Old classics never get oldIU“A Flower Bookmark” (LOEN Entertainment)In her new covers album “A Flower Bookmark,” IU leads listeners down memory lane through calm and acoustic reinterpretations of hits from the 80s and 90s.For every track, IU keeps a careful balance between preserving the song’s original sentiments and altering the original with her own color and arrangements. Age does not seem to preclude the 21-year-old singer from reviving old classics released even before she was born.The lea

FilmMay 30, 2014

California’s redwoods: Land of the giants

LEGGETT, California ― It was the first full day of my redwood country road trip, about 290 kilometers north of San Francisco. John Stephenson was showing me his drive-through tree, a 96-meter beauty that’s the pride of Leggett.A storm had just roared through. Raindrops trickled from the forest canopy, and tendrils of steam drifted up from the rough bark of the pass-through trunk, where redwoods store much of their moisture. I thought Stephenson was going to remind me that the tree was called the

TravelMay 30, 2014

Cheong Wa Dae museum gets facelift

Sarangchae, a museum just outside the presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, has reopened this week with a new promotional hall for Korean food. The museum was closed for renovations for about two months to more effectively showcase Korean culture and tradition. Existing exhibition halls have been refurbished, with the Korean food promotion hall and a cafe added. The new hall is open only to those who make phone or Internet reservations. They can taste Korean dishes and also watch cookin

TravelMay 30, 2014