Zico releases more teaser images for ‘Soulmate’

Rapper Zico of boy band Block B released more teaser images for his upcoming single “Soulmate” featuring singer IU.The rapper’s agency Seven Seasons Entertainment released an image of Zico dressed in a checkered shirt with chino pants inside a yellow elevator. The elevator is distorted like a wave, evoking a dreamlike image.(Seven Seasons Entertainment)Previous teaser images portrayed surreal imagery of a yellow elevator door filled with red flowers and Earth seen from outer space.“Soulmate” is

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018

Fans saddened by death of Spectrum’s rapper Kim Dong-yoon

Kim Dong-yoon, the main rapper of K-pop group Spectrum, died Friday, shocking his fans both at home and abroad. Fans were deeply saddened by the news. The 20-year-old had been active on social media up until the day before his death. Not only did he post pictures on the group’s Instagram account, he also initiated a livestream broadcast to interact with fans.  (MIXNINE)On the day of his death, Spectrum’s agency WYNN Entertainment said, “Spectrum member Kim Dong-yoon left our side. It was so sudd

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018

Actor Jang Keun-suk works at fire department as alternative military service

Actor Jang Keun-suk has been assigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters to fulfill his alternative military service, according to industry sources Friday.The actor, 31, started educational programs run by the Military Manpower Administration on July 16, before beginning the service as a social worker. In 2011, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which classified him as ineligible for active duty in the military.  (Yonhap)The fire agency confirmed he has been serving th

FilmJuly 27, 2018

Coex Aquarium introduces summer performances and ‘healing time’

Coex Aquarium has introduced a set of programs for this summer including extra performances by its divers and a session where visitors can lie down on a bean bag and enjoy the sight of aquatic life.Throughout July and August, except Mondays, the “Healing Time” session is being held at the Deep Blue Square of the aquarium where special performances are held.But from 6:30 p.m. until closing time, bean bags are brought out for visitors to relax while a commentary on the fish swimming in the giant t

TravelJuly 27, 2018

Wanna One not quite over? Rumors swirl over contract extension

One of the hottest boy bands in K-pop today, Wanna One has an expiration date: Dec. 31, 2018. The project band comprises former trainees of different talent agencies here who won the opportunity to perform together by placing atop the standings of the second season of “Produce 101.”Hopes are running high for their fans, however, as Swing Entertainment recently met with the agencies of each of the bandmates to discuss the future of the group. (CJ E&M)“We did meet with the agencies, but nothing ha

PerformanceJuly 27, 2018

Lawmaker discusses military service exemption for BTS

Well-known lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung has criticized the current military exemption law, perhaps giving reason to hope to global megahit boy band BTS. All able-bodied men in Korea are conscripted in the military for around two years. Exemptions can be granted, however, to those who rank atop certain international competitions designated by the government.  (Big Hit Entertainment)“The list of the designated international competitions is unfair,” Ha said in an interview with a local radio show Friday.

PerformanceJuly 27, 2018

Songs to return to small screen

(Yonhap)Following a break of about two years, newlywed couple Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki will each star in their own TV dramas, in their respective returns to the small screen. Song Joong-ki confirmed Thursday his upcoming production will be a tvN period-fantasy drama tentatively titled “Asadal Chronicles.” He will star as a character with a tragic fate who tries to revolt against the fabled kingdom of Asadal. From left: Song Joong-Ki (Blossom Entertainment), Jang Dong-gun (D Entertainment C

TelevisionJuly 27, 2018

Bob Dylan set for his 1st concert in Seoul in 8 years

American music icon and Nobel laureate for literature Bob Dylan will awe Korean fans in his first concert in Seoul in eight years, set to take place at a venue in the southern part of the capital on Friday.The 77-year-old singer-songwriter reportedly arrived in Seoul on a chartered plane through Gimpo International Airport on Thursday, one day before the concert at the Gymnastics Arena of Olympic Park in southern Seoul. (AFP-Yonhap)It is his first performance in Seoul since he last threw a conce

PerformanceJuly 27, 2018

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang displays wide-ranging virtuosity in Pyeongchang

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The 2018 Pyeongchang Music Festival is a great chance to hear versatile violinist Clara-Jumi Kang. She will appear as a chamber music member on one occasion, as a concertmaster of an orchestra on another day and then -- of course -- as a soloist.She might have been tired from the previous night’s performance, but she appeared to be in high spirits while talking about music. “I think I have this mode that gets switched on when I am participating in a festival like

PerformanceJuly 26, 2018

'Panmunjom and DMZ’ highlights history of divided peninsula

‘Scenes of National Division: Panmunjom and DMZ’By Kim Nyung-man Yoonjin (288 pages, 45,000 won) Friday marks the 65th year since the two Koreas signed the armistice that brought the 1950-1953 Korean War to a halt. Photographer Kim Nyung-man’s “Scenes of National Division: Panmunjom and DMZ” is a 288-page book that was released on July 15 amid hope that the current warming of relations between South and North Korea would lead to lasting peace.  Documentary photographer Kim Nyung-man‘s 2017 photo

BooksJuly 26, 2018

‘My ID is Gangnam Beauty’ to be more than just lovey-dovey campus romance

JTBC’s upcoming drama “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” promises to be more than just a sweet campus romance tale.The Friday-Saturday drama, an adaptation of a well-known web comic of the same name, centers on a character named Kang Mi-rae, who grew up listening to hateful comments about her appearance.  Actress Lim Soo-hyang poses for photos before a press event at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (JTBC) Stressed out by her appearance, the character undergoes extensive plastic surgery. But

TelevisionJuly 26, 2018

Trendy, toothsome eats at Taupe

Taupe, a new restaurant near Dosan Park in Seoul, quickly reeled in reservations when it soft opened in June. “Yes, response has been very hot,” said Taupe sous chef Kim Chul-ho, admitting he and his team have been very busy whipping up popular eats like their savoy cabbage rolls, pork belly with ginger apple puree, and salmon and green bean risotto. Snap-worthy eats and a picturesque view from its third and fourth floor perch are certainly some of the attractions of this hip, new hotspot. But w

FoodJuly 26, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Beer night at Hotel La Casa　Hotel La Casa, a lifestyle design hotel in south central Seoul, is offering its “Rooftop Summer Night” package. The package includes a one-night stay in a double room, two bottles of Schneider Weisse Tap 7 beer and a four-piece bruschetta plate. Customers can sip on cool beer while enjoying the city lights on a hot summer night on the rooftop of lounge bar House of Alchemy. The package is available until Sept. 9. For more information, contact House of Alchemy at (02)

FoodJuly 26, 2018

[Epicurean Challenge] Yet another pig part to devour -- tail

Koreans are known for “thoroughly” eating the pig. We barbecue the meat, grill the intestines, make a soup with leftover meat and steam the feet. But there is more to the list: grilling pig tail and pork rinds.  Pork rinds and pig tail (By Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)When visualizing a pig tail, an image of a squiggly, pinkish, spring-like tail comes to mind. The cute visual isn’t really appetizing. But no worries, pig tail on the grill doesn’t look anything like it. The tail is chopped into

FoodJuly 26, 2018

[Eye Plus] Summer fun in the heart of city

A record heat wave has been scorching the peninsula this summer, with a temperature north of 40 degrees Celsius marked in Daegu. The heat wave even thinned out the crowds of the usually busy streets of Gwanghwamun Plaza of Seoul, as Seoulites seek refuge in the well air-conditioned indoors.Bustling with people, however, is the fountain area where children have the time of their lives running through the spouts of water shooting out from below their feet. Some adults join in to wash their faces o

CultureJuly 26, 2018

[Weekender] Stereotyping personalities -- by blood type

When getting to know someone in South Korea, there is a good chance that at one point or another, you will be asked, “What’s your blood type?”　To outsiders, blood type may mean nothing more than information needed to find a match for a blood transfusion.　But in Korea, a person’s blood type -- either A, B, O, or AB -- is widely believed to be predictive of personality and temperament, similar to horoscopes in the West. 　Under the blood type personality theory, a person with Type A blood is dilige

CultureJuly 26, 2018

‘Bad Guys’ spinoff to start shooting in September

A spinoff movie of the popular TV series “Bad Guys” will start shooting in September, with its cast to include most of the actors from the original OCN drama.According to CJ Entertainment, “Bad Guys: The Movie” -- a working title -- will feature actors Ma Dong-seok, Kim Sang-joong and Kang Ye-won who left a lasting impression in the series that aired from October to December in 2014. Ma, Kim and Kang will reprise their roles as gangster Park Un-cheol, detectives Oh Gu-tak and Yoo Mi-young, respe

FilmJuly 26, 2018

Vivaldi Park's new attractions bring new kind of fun

HONGCHEON, Gangwon Province -- Vivaldi Park’s water park Ocean World has always been a big draw for both adults and kids, but its latest attractions bring a different type of appeal.　It is not easy to find high-speed go kart tracks in Korea, but K1 Speed, an indoor go kart racing company based in California, has opened its first track in Asia at the Vivaldi Park resort in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The track at Vivaldi Park is 202 meters long and 3,057 square-meters wide, with its karts that c

TravelJuly 26, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding its “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” event, with special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.The special features for the summer season include underwater performances by the “Octonauts” at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9 p.m.

TravelJuly 26, 2018

[Eye]Trailblazing through botany

POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- At first, the achievements of Lee You-mi, director general of the Korea National Arboretum, as the first woman to be tapped as the chief of the organization in 2014 may simply sound genteel and classy.But just minutes into talking with Lee, there is so much more to her and her story.While the stereotype of botanists are of those examining plants in a research lab, Lee said they are in fact adventurists, setting out to explore and find rare plants in wildlife.Nicknam

CultureJuly 26, 2018