Singer Cho Yong-pil likely to return with new album this year

Legendary Korean singer Cho Yong-pil is likely to release his first new album in nine years sometime this year, according to music industry sources and local media Wednesday. The 72-year-old singer has recently started working on a new album, aiming to release it within this year, according to reports. He is said to be considering various genres and concepts for the upcoming album. If Cho drops an album this year, it would be a follow-up to his 19th full-length album “Hello,” rele

PerformanceApril 20, 2022

SLL aims to become global content provider

Studio LuluLala, formerly known as JTBC Studios and a subsidiary of cable channel JTBC, will invest 3 trillion won ($2.42 billion) over the next few years into producing 30 TV series and five films, seeking to become a global content studio. “We have changed our name from JTBC Studio. It reflects our determination to become a leading production company in the world entertainment industry,” SLL CEO Jung Kyung-moon said during a press conference at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu,

CultureApril 20, 2022

Japanese pianist Yuhki Kuramoto gears up for Korea concert tour

Japanese New Age composer and pianist Yuhki Kuramoto is returning to Korea for a nationwide tour starting in May. The 70-year-old musician will kick off the tour on May 15 with a Jeongseojin Spring Classic performance in Incheon, followed by recitals in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, on May 20; Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province on May 21; Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, on May 27; and Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 28. The tour will wrap up at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul on June 5. Th

PerformanceApril 20, 2022

Bogota intl. book fair kicks off with S. Korea as guest of honor

The 2022 Bogota International Book Fair (FILBO) has opened in Colombia's capital with South Korea as the guest of honor. Launched in 1988, FILBO is the second-largest event of its kind in South America, where an average of 600,000 people visit every year. The event returned in person for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 34th edition kicked off in a ceremony held Tuesday (Colombia time) with attendance of about 200 figures from the two countries, including Colombian

CultureApril 20, 2022

Pianist Son Yeol-eum to step down from TV show

Virtuoso pianist Son Yeol-eum is stepping down as the host of MBC’s classical music program “TV Art Show.” Terrestrial broadcaster MBC announced that Son, who has been hosting the show since 2018, will be leaving “TV Art Show,” seeking to spend more time on her career and overseas performances. Though many viewers were surprised when the much sought-after pianist who performs around the world joined the show, she became the longest-serving host of “TV Art S

TelevisionApril 19, 2022

Legendary pianist Pollini to perform in Korea, commanding unprecedented price for tickets

Maurizio Pollini, who is considered one of the world’s leading pianists, is coming to South Korea for the first time for two recitals next month. The 80-year-old pianist will take the stage on May 19 and May 25 at Seoul Arts Center. Much anticipated by his fans, his 100-minute recital, titled “The Emperor of Piano: ‘Once in a Lifetime,” marks Pollini‘s Korea debut. However, the upcoming recitals are also gaining attention for a different reason -- the exorbitan

PerformanceApril 19, 2022

Disney+ drama ‘Sixth Sense Kiss’ to be released in May

Video streaming platform Disney+ on Tuesday announced that it will release sci-fi romance drama “Sixth Sense Kiss,” starring actors Yoon Kye-sang and Seo Ji-hye, in May. The drama is an adaption of Naver Series’ famous web novel with the same title. The novel has more than 732,000 subscribers and drew over 29.3 million cumulative views on Naver Series’ global platform. The web novel, written by author Got W, centers on a young woman, who has the special ability to be a

TelevisionApril 19, 2022

Ten K-pop singers star in horror film ‘Urban Myth’

The Megabox Coex branch in Seoul on Monday was crowded with fans with cameras, an uncommon scene for most press preview and press conference events. Given that the event was for the upcoming horror film “Urban Myth,” however, which stars 10 current and former K-pop stars, the crowd could be expected. Jaehyun of Golden Child, SeolA and Exy of WJSN, Shownu of Monsta X, Arin of Oh My Girl, Min-hyuk of BTOB, Ju Haknyeon of the Boyz, solo artist Alexa, former Lovelyz member Seo Ji-soo

FilmApril 19, 2022

Songkran Music Festival to hit Korea in July

Songkran Music Festival will be held in Korea for the first time in July, fighting off the summer heat with water and heart-thumping music, according to the festival organizer BEPCTangent Creative on Tuesday. S2O Korea will take place at Seoul Land in Gwacheon, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 9 and 10. It will feature top electronic dance musicians while 1 million liters of water is dumped on the audience, the organizer said. Songkran Music Festival has its roots in Songkran, a 1

PerformanceApril 19, 2022

English Hallyu posts on YouTube jump thirtyfold after ‘Squid Game’

Since the release of Netflix’s mega-hit Korean original “Squid Game” last year, English-language online posts related to Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, have increased approximately 30-fold, according to a Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange report released Monday. The Culture Ministry and KOFICE jointly analyzed data from three online media platform categories -- video and social media, community sites and review platforms -- from June to December last year. Th

CultureApril 19, 2022

Comedian saves choking woman with Heimlich maneuver

Comedian Yang Se-hyung has saved the life of a choking woman by performing the Heimlich maneuver on her. Yang learned the life-saving skill during an episode of SBS’s reality show “Master in the House,” which aired on May 12, 2019, in which the cast members got a first-hand experience of what it was like to be a firefighter. The incident, which came to media attention Tuesday, took place Sunday at a restaurant located in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu.  Yang was having dinner wi

TelevisionApril 19, 2022

Tongyeong Triennale vivifies coastal city's 420-year history of craftsmanship

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- On the southern coast of South Korea is a cozy and quiet port city called Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province. The small port city with a population of 126,000, including some 570 islets, is known as the home to great cultural figures such as composer Yun I-sang, novelist Park Kyong-ni and poet Kim Choon-su. It is little known, however, that the city has a long history of craftsmanship and was a mecca for producing craftwork during the Joseon era (1

Arts & DesignApril 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Anchor’ director dives into women‘s fear of motherhood

Director Jeong Ji-yeon, 38, said her new film “Anchor” intentionally deals with topics related to maternal love in a way that commercial films often do not show. “I was not happy with commercial films and dramas depicting mothers as simply people who are willing to make sacrifices (for their children),” Jeong said. “I had a problem with such stereotypical depictions of mothers.” The director explained that she was also one of many women who was afraid to

FilmApril 18, 2022

Orchestra performance of the blind from Joseon to be reborn at Gyeongbok Palace

To celebrate the nation’s Day for People with Disabilities on April 20, the Cultural Heritage Administration will hold a special performance played by leading musicians from the Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind, at Gyeongbok Palace on Wednesday. Jointly hosted by the CHA’s Gyeongbok Palace Management Center and the Siloam Center for the Blind, this will be the second performance of its kind, after the first was held last year in the front yard of Sujeongjeon, the pal

CultureApril 18, 2022

MBC to present new Lego audition program ‘Blockbuster’

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC is set to present a new audition program “Blockbuster: Genius Brick Battle,” a South Korean adaptation of the global hit series “Lego Masters.” The original show, created by British production company Tuesday’s Child Television and the Lego Group in 2017, features Lego artists competing against each other to wow judges with splendid Lego buildings. According to the broadcaster, television celebrity Ro Hong-chul will star as the host of

TelevisionApril 18, 2022

BTS attracts over 620,000 fans to Las Vegas concerts

Some 624,000 people joined K-pop supergroup BTS’ latest live concert series both online and offline, according to data compiled by the band’s agency Big Hit Music. During the four “Permission to Dance on Stage - Las Vegas” shows on April 8-9 and Friday and Saturday at Allegiant Stadium, nearly 200,000 fans -- 50,000 attendees per session -- showed up to the sold-out concerts. It was also estimated that a total of 22,000 people gathered at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in

PerformanceApril 18, 2022

Kansong Art Museum reopens after seven years, pledges not to put collection up for auction

Kansong Art Museum, South Korea’s oldest private museum, opened its doors for the first time since 2014 on Saturday. The current show is the last chance to view an exhibition at the historic venue before restoration on the 85-year-old main building begins. The museum had remained closed since the fall of 2014 as it became difficult to accommodate visitors in the aging facility. From 1972 to 2014, the museum held exhibitions twice a year, each highly anticipated exhibition drawing lar

Arts & DesignApril 17, 2022

2NE1 reunites to perform at Coachella festival

Disbanded girl group 2NE1 surprised music fans by reuniting to perform at Coachella music festival in the US as a four-member act for the first time since disbanding six years ago. The reunion took place on the main stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which was held in Indio, California, Saturday. Following a mini solo set by former leader CL, the former bandmates -- CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom and Minzy -- teamed up to perform “I Am the Best,” released in 2011.

PerformanceApril 17, 2022

[Herald Interview] Lee Ju-myoung grateful to have started her 30s with ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

For Lee Ju-myoung, 30, playing the role of high school student Ji Seung-wan in “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” was meaningful in many ways. “Performing my role aside, I was able to learn various tips for improving myself as an actor off-camera as well. I still have many things to learn as an actor,” Lee said during an interview with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, on Thursday. “Participating in the series with actors Kim Tae-ri and Nam Ju-hyuk, who

TelevisionApril 17, 2022

Seventeen’s first all-English single ‘Darl+ing’ gets favorable response

K-pop boy band Seventeen’s first all-English language single “Darl+ing,” which was released Friday, has received favorable comments from foreign media. US music magazine Billboard took note of the 13-member act’s latest release, calling it “a touching song that acts as a love letter and shows appreciation to their dedicated fanbase.” “For Seventeen, doing the work of recording in another language isn’t just about making a global crossover, but a

PerformanceApril 17, 2022