‘Trade Your Love’ to be romantic comedy about issues ailing youngsters

Marriage, plans for the future and expectations of family are issues that put many youngsters in a pickle, and were the inspiration behind upcoming romantic comedy “Trade Your Love,” starring Ko Sung-hee and Kim Dong-wook.“I decided to star in the film not long after I got the script for it because I was happy to work with such a fun scenario,” Kim said in a press conference for the film held in Seoul on Wednesday.Kim, who has been blazing trails with back-to-back appearances in the blockbuster

FilmJan. 9, 2019

[Herald Review] Capernaum, beautiful tale of harrowing reality

“Beautiful” may seem an odd choice of words to describe a story very much devoid of laughter, depicting child abuse and the loss of humanity in the slums of Lebanon via a child transaction that takes place with cold nonchalance.Indeed, “Capernaum” is not an easy movie to watch: The hard-hitting film forces a stream of thoughts. Yet, the poignant drama by director Nadine Labaki manages to summon faith and hope through the heartbreaking tale of a boy in Beirut.The film follows Zain, supposedly 12

FilmJan. 9, 2019

Pork cutlet restaurant confronts downside of overnight fame

Donka 2014, a restaurant praised by celebrity chef Baek Jong-won for its delicious pork cutlets on the TV program “Alley Restaurant,” is experiencing the downside of fame.As a result of Baek’s comments, the restaurant has seen extremely long lines outside its door. One Instagram user claimed to have lined up outside the restaurant since 10:50 p.m. the night before. Many other customers were seen with blankets and hot packs to fight the winter cold while waiting there at night.  (SBS)The racket f

TelevisionJan. 9, 2019

Henry appointed Goodwill Ambassador for International Vaccine Institute

Singer-actor Henry Lau, better known as Henry, was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the International Vaccine Institute at a ceremony at the IVI’s headquarters in Seoul on Tuesday. Founded by the UN Development Programme in 1997, IVI is an independent international organization that works on vaccine development, with a focus on creating awareness about the importance of vaccines among the general public, especially in low-income developing countries.  IVI Goodwill Ambassador Henry Lau tries out e

PeopleJan. 9, 2019

Korea's first K-pop arena to open in 2024

The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will open the country's first K-pop arena in northern Seoul in 2024 to attract more foreign tourists. "We plan to start the work to construct the concerts-only complex, Seoul Arena, in September next year on a 50,149-square-meter lot near Changdong Station for completion at the end of 2023," a city official said.  (Seoul Metropolitan Government)The 18,000-capacity Seoul Arena will include a 2,000-seat concert hall, a K-pop Hall of Fame, a K-pop special

PerformanceJan. 9, 2019

WJSN sings about complications of love in ‘La La Love’

WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, has a lot to say about love with its new track “La La Love.” “This is our first release of the year, and as the new year comes with a lot of expectations and love, our new song is full of love and fluttering feelings,” said Eunseo during the group’s media showcase for its new album in Seoul on Tuesday.(Video shot and edited by Ra Kyoo-yung/The Korea Herald)“We’ve been very busy lately, as we had to prepare for the new album and attend award shows at the same tim

PerformanceJan. 9, 2019

The 10 most-talked-about TV series this week

These were the 10 hottest South Korean drama series during the first week of this month, according to big-data analyst Good Data Corporation’s weekly monitoring report. Sky Castle, drama“Sky Castle” held onto the top position as the most-talked-about TV series in South Korea for the fourth consecutive week, accounting for nearly a third of the online conversations. This figure is determined by the volume of articles and blog posts written about it, as well as reactions on social media and in onl

TelevisionJan. 9, 2019

A look back on Korea’s history through its little-known kingdoms

Projects related to the Gaya Confederacy among major tasks in the culture sector this yearFinding and studying the remnants of ancient kingdoms will be one of South Korean culture authorities’ main tasks this year, buoyed by the president’s desire to launch a joint project between two regions of the country that have long been traditional rivals.Research, excavation, exhibitions and other projects related to the legacy of the Gaya Confederacy account for 40 billion won ($35.7 million) of the 869

CultureJan. 8, 2019

Megan Fox in Korea to film ‘Jangsa-ri 9.15’

Hollywood actress Megan Fox is currently in Korea to film “Jangsa-ri 9.15.”According to the film production company Taewon Entertainment on Tuesday, Megan Fox arrived in Korea on Sunday and is currently filming the Korean movie “Jangsa-ri 9.15” at Namyangju Studio.  (Yonhap)“Jangsa-ri 9.15” deals with the Jangsa landing operation in 1950, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in the well-known battle at Incheon during the Korean War. Fox will play the role of Margaret Higgins, a war correspondent for t

FilmJan. 8, 2019

[K-Talk] SHINee’s Key to hold his first solo concert in Korea

SHINee member Key will be staging his first solo concert in South Korea, “The Agit Key Land – Key,” in February in Seoul.According to S.M. Entertainment on Tuesday, the concert will run for six days, February 2-3 and 7-10, at the SMTown Theatre in SMTown’s Coex Artium.  (S.M. Entertainment)Since he made his solo debut in November with the album “Face,” the singer has successfully reached out to Japan with his first J-pop solo album, “Hologram.” Released in December, the five-track album was well

PerformanceJan. 8, 2019

[K-talk] Chungha’s ‘Gotta Go’ tops iTunes charts

Chungha’s latest song “Gotta Go,” released Jan. 2, was sitting atop global iTunes K-pop charts as of Tuesday.According to the MNH Entertainment, which represents Chungha, the singer’s new digital single “Gotta Go” ranked No. 1 on the iTunes K-pop chart of Thailand and Qatar, ranked second on Singapore’s KKBOX K-pop chart and was No. 8 on Apple Music.  (MNH Entertainment)The track appears to have been well received by global fans, popping up on charts of global music streaming service Spotify in

PerformanceJan. 8, 2019

Pianist Park Jong-hai to have fun playing at Kumho Art Hall ‘playground’

Kumho Art Hall will be up-and-coming pianist Park Jong-hai’s “playground,” where he will meet the Korean audience throughout the year and showcase his musical color. The 30-year-old pianist was selected as the art hall’s artist in residence for this year. Each year, the art hall, run by the Kumho Art Cultural Foundation, selects an under-30 classical musician starting to build up a career. The annual program, titled “Playground” this year, provides opportunities for musicians to further develop

PerformanceJan. 8, 2019

Bench parkas and Korean students: Fashion trend or status symbol?

Bench parkas, widely known in South Korea as “long padded coats,” have become must-have winter fashion items in recent years. The parka trend transcends age boundaries but is especially strong among middle and high school students. As the long coats -- which reach the wearer’s ankles in some cases -- become increasingly popular among students, more parents are complaining about the cost burden: anywhere from 200,000 won ($178) to 1,000,000 won, depending on the brand. The wide price range means

CultureJan. 8, 2019

BTS ends 2018 as second top album seller in US

K-pop boy band BTS finished the year 2018 as the second-highest album seller in the United States, behind Eminem, US data showed Tuesday.The 2018 report on US Music Industry Consumption by Buzz Angle Music showed BTS sold 603,307 albums last year, coming after the top seller Eminem's 755,027. (Yonhap)The BTS sales figure was far more than those by two English-speaking music idols, Justin Timberlake and Ed Sheeran, who sold 432,913 and 409,291 albums, respectively, to rank 10th and 11th.BTS relea

PerformanceJan. 8, 2019

Korean moviegoers captivated by singalong screenings of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

As the theater turned pitch black, nearly 200 moviegoers were waiting for the screening to start, with some holding glow-in-the-dark sticks and tambourines. They were also ready to do something unusual: sing along.As "Somebody to Love," a hit song by the legendary British rock band Queen, blared out, the audience for the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" began to clap their hands, yell with joy and belt out the number as if they were at a live concert. (Yonhap)"Let's sing together, loudly," shouted a yo

FilmJan. 8, 2019

GOT7’s ‘Real Thai’ offers adventure, authentic side of Thailand

GOT7 fans are in for a treat as members of the boy band will embark on an adventure in Thailand to complete a number of missions on the upcoming reality show “Real Thai.” Marking the fifth anniversary of the band’s debut, the first episode of the show is scheduled to air on Jan. 16, featuring four members of the group -- Youngjae, BamBam, Mark and Jinyoung. (XtvN) During the trailer, which was unveiled at

TelevisionJan. 7, 2019

Exhibition ‘Matters of Women’ shows female artists’ takes on lives of women

Roh Seung-bok’s pigment prints titled “1366 Project” are lined up on the wall. The warm toned prints that employ red, purple and pink are abstract at first sight. In fact, the prints are close-up images of bruises of female victims of domestic violence, and 1366 is the phone number of the domestic violence hotline.The print is one of some 60 works by 11 women artists on show at the Seoul National University Museum of Art exhibition featuring their takes on the lives of women in Korea.　“Pale Nigh

Arts & DesignJan. 7, 2019

Novel about love for all living creatures wins Yi Sang award

Writer Yoon Yi-hyung’s novel “Their First and Second Cat” (unofficial translation) was announced the winner of the 43rd Yi Sang Literary Award, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Korea, at a press event held in central Seoul on Monday.The story, inspired by Yoon’s experience after the death of her cat early last year, was published in the November and December issues of local literary magazine Munhaksasang.   (Munhaksasang) Writer Yoon Yi-hyung, winner of the 2019 Yi Sang Literary Aw

PeopleJan. 7, 2019

[K-talk] BTOB’s Lee Min-hyuk releases teasers for first solo album

Lee Minhyuk of BTOB on Monday revealed the schedule leading up to his solo debut slated for Jan. 15.The leader and rapper of BTOB will release his first solo album, “Hutazone,” next week.  (Cube Entertainment)Lee will drop teasers, including the track list, on Tuesday, followed by a concept image, trailer clip, audio teaser and a music video teaser. The rapper previously dropped a single as part of BTOB members’ solo single project series “Piece of BTOB” in 2017. Through the project, Lee not onl

PerformanceJan. 7, 2019

[K-talk] BTS wins 6 awards at GDA including Daesang

Having grabbed bagful of gongs at the MMAs and Asia Artist Awards, BTS once again won big at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards in Seoul on Sunday As soon as BTS was called out to receive the Daesang, or the grand prize, members stood up bowing their heads repeatedly toward all the singers and their fans to show their gratitude. (Yonhap)“We turn the honor of the awards to our official fanclub Army for supporting us throughout 2018,” said leader RM. “We had a hard time at the start of the year, getting

PerformanceJan. 7, 2019