Steven Yoo announces new album after controversy, plans to donate proceeds

Steven Yoo, also known as Yoo Seung-jun, will release a digital album after an 11-year hiatus that followed a controversial decision to acquire US citizenship. By becoming a US citizen, Yoo was able to avoid South Korea’s mandatory military service.According to local media, the singer will send out a prerelease track Thursday, titled “Another Day.” The song is a medium-tempo ballad.  (Steven Yoo Weibo)Yoo’s album will be available Dec. 5 along with a music video for the title track. The singer c

PerformanceNov. 21, 2018

Kim Sun-a discusses ‘fun’ thriller ‘Children of Nobody’

Actress Kim Sun-a will play a counselor who works with children in MBC’s upcoming thriller “Children of Nobody.”Kim, who has a number of hit TV series under her belt, including “My Lovely Sam Soon,” will play Cha Woo-kyung on the Wednesday-Thursday show, which starts airing this week. Cha unravels a mystery surrounding a child, and she finds clues in poems.Speaking to the press during a showcase event on Tuesday, the actress said she had taken on the role because the original book was fun to rea

TelevisionNov. 20, 2018

[Trending] Announcer Jo Su-ae to marry Doosan Group’s Park Seo-won

The upcoming wedding of former JTBC announcer Jo Su-ae and Doosan Group’s Park Seo-won is causing a stir on social media platforms and a search engine’s trending bars.According to local media reports, the couple will tie the knot at a hotel in Seoul on Dec. 18. Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Jo had quit her job. JTBC confirmed that Jo left the company, but declined to confirm reports about the marriage, citing privacy. The couple have yet to confirm news of their wedding. Jo Su-ae and Pa

TelevisionNov. 20, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Default’ both shines and falls short in unexpected places

When choosing a film to see, the lead actor often plays a major part in cinemagoers’ decisions. Lead actors take up much of the screen time, and thus their performances greatly influence how much the audience enjoys the picture. In rare cases, however, the main narrative can have less impact than the overall atmosphere of the film and the subplots. Director Choi Kook-hee’s drama “Default” is one that exceeded expectations in unexpected aspects.The film takes us back to 1997, to the eve of the wo

FilmNov. 20, 2018

‘Burning’ nominated at Independent Spirit Awards 2019

Korean film “Burning” was nominated best international film at the Independent Spirit Awards 2019, Pine House Film announced Tuesday.The Independent Spirit Awards, founded in 1984, are dedicated to independent films or movies that are not produced by major film studios. The awards are often seen as indicators of which films could win prizes at other prominent awards ceremonies, including the Oscars. (Pine House Film)“Burning,” a mystery drama released in May, was directed by Lee Chang-dong and s

FilmNov. 20, 2018

Ed Sheeran on BTS: ‘I think they are great’

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran said on Tuesday that he is interested in working with BTS, saying the band is “great.”  (Twitter)“Actually, I wrote a song that I think they might be messing with. I heard this the other day,” said Sheeran in an interview with a UK media outlet. “I really like BTS though, I think they are great.” (Instagram)Tuesday was not the first time the renowned singer has shown interest in collaboration with BTS. When the boy band released its latest album, “Love Yourse

PerformanceNov. 20, 2018

J.Fla becomes first Korean YouTuber to reach 10m subscribers

YouTube sensation J.Fla, famous for her covers of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” has become the first independent Korean YouTuber to attract 10 million subscribers.“J.Fla is the first individual Korean YouTuber to surpass 10 million subscribers,” J.Fla’s agency Feel Music said Tuesday.(J.Fla Music=YouTube)The singer, also known as her Korean name Kim Jung-hwa, wrote “10,000,000 subscribers! It’s incredible! I didn’t expect this to happen so soon.” on her Twitter accoun

PerformanceNov. 20, 2018

Wanna One makes its ‘bittersweet’ return with first -- and last -- EP

　K-pop boy group Wanna One returned with its new -- and probably last -- album on Monday, eliciting a mix of excitement and sadness among its fans.　The project boy group, comprised of 11 winners of music channel Mnet‘s idol competition show “Produce 101,” started its group activities in August 2017 for a limited time, with its deadline set at the end of this year.　The new album, “1¹¹=1 (Power of Destiny),” is the group’s first full-length album. It has so far dropped two EPs, “1×1=1 (To Be One)”

PerformanceNov. 19, 2018

[Trending] Hong Jin-young’s sister exudes joyful energy on TV

Korean trot singer Hong Jin-young appeared on a TV show with her sister, Hong Sun-young, Sunday night, and the sibling soon captivated Korean viewers with her joyful energy. The singer had talked about her sister several times on TV, but it was the first time for the older sister to actually show up herself.  Hong Sun-young (SBS)The two revealed their daily life via SBS reality show “My Little Old Boy,” featuring a pork belly meokbang, or eating broadcast, as well as mini-concerts. The Hong sist

TelevisionNov. 19, 2018

[Photo News] Chefs awarded for ‘modern’ Korean food creations

Three young Korean cuisine chefs were awarded Monday by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for their innovative dishes using local ingredients. An event the same day invited a panel of judges to taste and evaluate 10 up-and-coming Korean chefs’ new creations at the Korean Cuisine Cultural Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)(Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)The contesting restaurants were selected at the start of this year a

CultureNov. 19, 2018

‘Drug King’ to bring out gritty side of Song Kang-ho

Song Kang-ho, arguably the best actor in Korean cinema today, is definitely an artist of range. But many of his iconic roles are as the everyman caught up in extraordinary situations, which is why upcoming crime drama “Drug King” will be an intriguing change of pace.“The audience is used to seeing (me portray) characters that look like an everyday man, the guy next door, so I think ‘Drug King’ will feel different,” Song said, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. “It is an u

FilmNov. 19, 2018

European tour marks SPO’s first step toward normalcy

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is taking tangible steps to return to normal after a yearslong struggle.The orchestra will embark Nov. 25 on a tour of five European cities -- Geneva, Udine, Lucerne, Grenoble and Paris -- and will perform at its final stop, Paris, Dec. 1. This is the first European tour for the orchestra in four years, which was left floundering after a bitter controversy over allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and irregularities. The Seoul-based orchestra has also started

PerformanceNov. 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] ‘Blame system, not men’: San E defends controversial ‘Feminist’

Rapper San E has defended his song “Feminist,” despite facing public criticism the song is “sexist” and “ignorant” of what feminism actually stands for.In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, the rapper said “Feminist” was not meant to bash women, as he encouraged fans to give his song a thorough listen.(Yonhap)“I chose the topic to highlight the pressing (social) issue of gender-based hate,” the statement read.“My intention was to point out the hypocrisy upheld by people like the narrator

PerformanceNov. 19, 2018

Annual fair to show how crafts can enrich daily life

The Craft Trend Fair 2018 will introduce the latest trends in the craft market, giving visitors a chance to rethink the value of crafts in our lives. The annual trend fair, in its 13th year, is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and run by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. This year’s event will take place from Thursday to Sunday at the Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul.The event, dedicated to the promotion and commercialization of local craft market, invit

Arts & DesignNov. 19, 2018

Korean Empire period works show advent of modern Korean art

The short-lived Korean Empire (1897-1910), also known as the Daehan Empire, an interregnum between Joseon and Japanese colonial rule, is often seen as a dark period in Korean history when the 600-year-old kingdom struggled to remain independent amid the onslaught of foreign powers, especially Japan. “Art of Korean Empire: The Emergence of Modern Art,” running through Feb. 6 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Deoksugung branch, looks at the period through art produced during

Arts & DesignNov. 18, 2018

“French Cinema Tour 2018” kicks off, to play eight French films

The third annual “French Cinema Tour 2018” kicked off Thursday, featuring eight French films that will be screened prior to their official opening here. Eight Movies: “Family is Family (La Ch‘tite famille),” “Taxi 5” “Diving(Plonger),” “Treat Me Like Fire(Joueurs),” “Non-fiction(Doubles Vies),” “A Paris Education,” “The Nation” and “Dilili in Paris” . (French Cinema Tour)The opening ceremony was held at Hotel Shilla in central Seoul, where the festival’s “Etoile du cinema” awards were given to F

FilmNov. 16, 2018

Idols spotted on the way to Suneung test sites

Students in Korea who were born in the year 2000 took the national collge entrance exam Thursday, and several pop stars were among them. On the morning of the test day, reporters spotted several teenage stars headed to their assigned test sites.  Kim Chae-won (Yonhap) Kang Hye-won, Kim Chae-won and Sakura Miyawaki (Yonhap)IZ*ONE’s Kim Chae-won went to a high school in Songpa-gu, Seoul, flanked by her bandmates Kang Hye-won and Sakura Miyawaki who walked her to the gates in support.  Choi Bo-min

PerformanceNov. 16, 2018

Drunken Tiger's new song featuring RM tops US iTunes' hip-hop chart

South Korean hip-hop icon Drunken Tiger's new song featuring BTS leader RM debuted at No. 1 on the US iTunes' hip-hop chart, its agency said Friday."Timeless" from Drunken Tiger's 10th full-length album topped the hip-hop/rap songs chart, the K-pop chart and the music video chart of the US iTunes upon its release, according to Feel Ghood Music. The piece also ranked high on the main pop chart while topping iTunes' song charts of 26 countries, including Sweden, Egypt, Romania, Israel, Finland, Sa

PerformanceNov. 16, 2018

[Herald Interview] How Blair Williams ended up hosting family on South Korean TV

After nearly three years since appearing on popular TV show “Non-Summit,” Blair Williams’ name is back in entertainment news.This time, the spotlight was shared with his family, who recently appeared on “Welcome, First Time in Korea?”Sitting down at a cafe in the upscale neighborhood of Sinsa-dong, the 26-year-old, originally from Brisbane, Australia, looked back on showing his family around Korea on TV, an experience that he called “a blessing.”(Video shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Kore

TelevisionNov. 16, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

‘Iron Chef’ desserts at JW Marriott DongdaemunGuests will be able to taste desserts prepared by star patissier Jason Licker at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul’s The Lounge. Sweet delights created by Licker are available at The Lounge until the end of November. White chocolate Junmai, matcha and makgeolli desserts are on the menu. Licker was the champion of the Thai version of culinary TV show “Iron Chef.” He has been working in Asia for more than 12 years, successfully adapting to local pala

FoodNov. 15, 2018