Sales of physical albums by K-pop artists surge 67% on-year in January

The K-pop music industry has extended its growth momentum this year with a surge in physical album sales in January, according to data compiled by South Korean music chart tracker Gaon Chart. The top 400 albums sold more than 4.05 million copies in and out of the country last month, up 66.9 percent from the same period previous year. The figure, however, dropped by 5.4 percentage points from December, the data showed. Of the top 400 albums, boy band Enhypen topped the list by selling 723,478

PerformanceFeb. 17, 2022

Korean director Hong Sang-soo wins grand jury prize for 'The Novelist's Film' at Berlin film fest

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo on Thursday (Korean time) won the grand jury prize at this year's Berlin International Film Festival for his latest film, "The Novelist's Film." At the award ceremony streamed online, the director's 27th feature was awarded the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 72nd Berlin festival, which kicked off on Feb. 10 in-person. It is the third year in a row that auteur Hong has won a silver bear prize at the Berlinale, following his best director honor fo

FilmFeb. 17, 2022

Ha Chong-hyun continues fight as artist, unveils new ‘Post-Conjunction’ series

When Ha Chong-hyun appeared at the press conference for his solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery on Tuesday, the 86-year-old artist evidenced the longevity of his distinct artistic style, some 50 years after he debuted his signature painting series “Conjunction. When unveiling his “Post-Conjunction” series at the solo exhibition, the leading Korean contemporary artist recommitted to his “war against oil paints and burlap canvas.” This “war” began in the

Arts & DesignFeb. 16, 2022

Son Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do and Kim Ji-hyun presents heartwarming stories of three women nearing 40

The upcoming JTBC drama “Thirty-Nine” may look like a typical romance, but for director Kim Sang-ho, it is much more meaningful. “Many people in South Korea believe the age of 39 a little special. I think 39 is a bit too early to have something special accomplished, but too late to start something new. The drama mainly presents a trio of best friends and their romance on the brink of turning 40, but it is more about how their lives develop with lovers, families and relatives,

TelevisionFeb. 16, 2022

[Herald Interview] Director Jang Cheol-soo defends provocative scenes in ‘Serve the People’

After the press screening of director Jang Cheol-soo’s new film “Serve the People” on Monday, a few local media outlets criticized his work, saying that it has too many unnecessary erotic scenes. During his interview via Zoom with a group of local reporters on Tuesday, Jang addressed these criticisms. “I did not intend to make it provocative. I value the emotion (of the characters),” Jang said. “When filming sex scenes, I focused on how I would portray the c

FilmFeb. 16, 2022

BTS to hold first live concerts in Seoul in over 2 years next month

K-pop supergroup BTS will hold its first live concerts in Seoul in about 2 1/2 years next month, the group‘s management agency said Wednesday. Three concerts, titled “BTS Permission To Dance On Stage - Seoul,” will be held on March 10 and March 12-13 at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul, Big Hit Music said in a statement on Weverse. These will be the seven-member band’s first in-person concerts in Seoul since the band’s world tour performance in Octobe

PerformanceFeb. 16, 2022

ACC embarks on fresh start with long-awaited chief

The first official chairman of the Asia Culture Center finally took office on Tuesday after years of an interim head system. Lee Kang-hyun became the first chair to lead the organization for the next three years. Previously, ACC was run by several interim heads since it was launched in 2015 as its previous five attempts failed to find a qualified person. ACC, located in the old center of the southwestern city of Gwangju, is a multicultural complex backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports an

CultureFeb. 16, 2022

[Feature] Local audiences conflicted over sensational Netflix Korean originals

Global expectations for and interest in Korean content, specifically Korean Netflix originals, look set to endure, with series -- such as “My Name,” “Hellbound,” “The Silent Sea” and “All of Us Are Dead” -- all having followed Squid Game's lead to enter the platform's global top 10. According to the global streaming service Netflix, its latest zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead” retained the No. 1 slot on the service’s weekly v

FilmFeb. 16, 2022

Up-and-coming Korean fashion brands promoted at NYFW

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Creative Content Agency held “Concept Korea NY 2022 F/W” online Wednesday, as part of programs scheduled for New York Fashion Week to promote emerging Korean designers overseas. The Culture Ministry and KOCCA launched Concept Korea in 2010 in tandem with New York Fashion Week. It provides an opportunity to show local brands’ collections at NYFW every season. The latest edition introduced three brands -- Nohant, Ul:kin and

Arts & DesignFeb. 16, 2022

Busan publishes online guide book to attract female travelers

First time travels are hard even for avid travelers. Regardless of the amount of time spent planning itineraries on local accommodations and food, spontaneous difficulties arise from the moment one arrives as a stranger to the city. To relieve solo visitors of some of their burden, particularly female travelers, an online guide book introducing the city’s major attractions was launched by the Busan Tourism Organization on Tuesday. The three-month project to produce “The Busan Guid

TravelFeb. 16, 2022

'All of Us Are Dead' tops Netflix weekly viewership chart for 3rd week

The coming-of-age zombie apocalypse drama "All of Us Are Dead" topped Netflix's weekly viewership chart for the third consecutive week, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The 12-part Korean-language series marked 113.2 million hours of viewing for the week of Feb. 7-13 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs, according to Netflix. It has stayed at the No. 1 position since its first entry two weeks ago with 124.8 million hours of viewing just t

TelevisionFeb. 16, 2022

Tongyeong hit with concert cancellations

At least two classical concerts that were slated for later this month at Tongyeong Concert Hall have been canceled due to the highly transmissible omicron variant, but the organizers who are also preparing the Tongyeong International Music Festival in March said that its flagship music gala will take place as planned. The New York Philharmonic String Quartet, which was scheduled to play at Tongyeong Concert Hall on Sunday will skip the city, which was to have been the first of their performanc

PerformanceFeb. 15, 2022

‘Sing Again’ contestant Han Seung-yun marks solo start with ‘Lovender’

Singer-songwriter Han Seung-yun, contestant No. 17 on the first season of JTBC’s competition “Sing Again,” dropped his first mini album, “Lovender” at 6 p.m. Tuesday through online music streaming platforms, marking his new start as a solo artist. “It feels great to be on stage after a good while. ... I prepared the mini album like I were making a debut. My goal (for the album) is to let listeners know that I’m an artist who tries various genres of mus

PerformanceFeb. 15, 2022

‘Kill Heel’ shows human nature in cutthroat home shopping world

Television director No Do-cheol is certain that his upcoming tvN drama “Kill Heel” will surprise viewers with its powerful storyline and impressive performances from three renowned actors -- Kim Ha-neul, Lee Hye-young and Kim Sung-ryoung. “The straightforward depiction of human desire and greed was the most fascinating aspect about the series. After reading the script, I believed that this is not a characteristic found only in the home shopping sector. The show’s critica

TelevisionFeb. 15, 2022

Pre-event of 20th Director’s Cut Awards to be held on Thursday, Friday

The 20th Director’s Cut Awards announced on Tuesday that it will hold its special pre-event Director’s Chair online on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., before the award ceremony takes place on Feb. 24. Director’s Chair is a panel discussion event that had been held in person with five nominated Korean directors for the award. However, the event organizer, the Directors Guild of Korea, said that this year it is holding it through Zoom, and audiences will be able to watch on bot

FilmFeb. 15, 2022

Virtual influencers rush into entertainment scene

While a growing number of businesses are choosing virtual social media influencers to promote their brands, others are seeking to take these artificial intelligence personalities into the entertainment industry as well. Rozy, the first virtual social media influencer in South Korea, is set to debut as a singer with her first single “Who Am I” on Feb. 22. The debut single is produced by Vanilla acoustic’s Jung Jae-won, who has worked with artists such as Bolbbalgan4. Prior to

CultureFeb. 15, 2022

[Herald Interview] Lee You-mi embraces hate for her character in ‘All of Us Are Dead’

Actor Lee You-mi, 27, returned to the small screen as self-centered high school student Na-yeon in “All of Us Are Dead,” after rising to global stardom with Netflix’s megahit “Squid Game.” Playing a character that is nearly the opposite of her role in “Squid Game,” Lee was surprised to receive barbed comments from drama aficionados, but was satisfied with her performance in the latest zombie thriller. “Unlike how the viewers showed their love an

FilmFeb. 15, 2022

Interdisciplinary artist touches on history of marginalized people

Strongly believing that visual art has power to influence the human condition, UK-based interdisciplinary artist Hong Young-in has been exploring ways to contribute to the society as an artist. The exhibition “Young In Hong: We Where” at PKM Gallery is Hong’s first solo show after presenting her work at the 2019 Korea Artist Prize organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Born in 1972, Hong studied at Seoul National University and Goldsmiths Co

Arts & DesignFeb. 15, 2022

Actress Lee Yoo-mi says 'Squid Game,''All of Us Are Dead' expanded her horizons

Lee Yoo-mi might be one of the luckiest actors in the world because she instantly skyrocketed to global fame for her roles in two highly successful Netflix dramas, "Squid Game" and "All of Us Are Dead." In the sensational survival drama "Squid Game," released in September last year, Lee played Ji-yeong, or Player 240, a young woman who competes for the 45.6 billion won ($38.1 million) in the mysterious contest after being released from prison for killing her abusive

TelevisionFeb. 15, 2022

The power of two: “Double event” secret behind stage longevity of ‘Lion King’

In the dark reality of the pandemic, a long-running classic has brought a sense of hopeful nostalgia to the stage. “The Lion King” is back in Seoul after nearly 3 years, and has once again shown why it captures so many hearts. As the curtains go up, the audience is immediately enraptured by the march of animals as Futhi Mhlong, who has been playing mandrill Rafiki for the past 14 years, sings “Circle of Life.” Even though the iconic entry of the animals through the a

PerformanceFeb. 14, 2022