iKon to kick off world tour with Seoul concert

Boy band iKon is back on the world stage, as the seven-member group will begin its world tour with a concert in Seoul in August.YG Entertainment on Monday announced through its official blog the upcoming tour, with a poster of iKon members’ performance. The first part of the tour, the Seoul concert, will be held at 5 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Gymnastics Arena in Olympic Park in southern Seoul.  The poster for iKon’s Seoul concert (YG Entertainment)Following the concert, the act will perform in eigh

PerformanceJuly 2, 2018

Suzy, Lee Dong-wook break up

Actor Lee Dong-wook and singer-turned actress Suzy ended their relationship about four months after they went public.  The stars‘ agencies confirmed the breakup on Monday, stating that the two split due to busy schedules.  The couple -- Lee, 37, and Suzy, 24 -- went public with their romantic relationship earlier in March. The two were reported to have started dating after meeting each other at an unofficial event.   Suzy (left) and Lee Dong-wook (JYP Entertainment, Starship Entertainment)Lee, w

TelevisionJuly 2, 2018

B1A4’s Baro, Jinyoung leave group’s agency

Now in their seventh year in the K-pop scene, Jinyoung and Baro of boy band B1A4 opted out of renewing their contracts with their agency. According to WM Entertainment on Saturday, the two members have decided to leave the agency after a long period of discussion, while the other three members Sandeul, CNU and Gongchan decided to stay.  B1A4 (WM Entertainment)“We respect Jinyoung and Baro’s decision to go their own paths in order to pursue their own dreams. We give our sincere support to their n

PerformanceJuly 1, 2018

SeMA's first floor filled with voices of the voiceless

Voices of the oppressed and marginalized from around the world fill the Seoul Museum of Art in downtown Seoul. A cacophony of sounds from different video and installation works startle the visitors entering the building. The dissonant mixture of sounds is a choir of the voiceless, who speak through works of art. The ongoing exhibition, “Voiceless: Return of the Foreclosed,“ has on display some 30 works by seven artists from home and abroad, featuring various social problems that surround us but

Arts & DesignJuly 1, 2018

G-Dragon discharged from military hospital amid controversy

Big Bang frontman G-Dragon has returned to his military base amid controversy over preferential treatment he allegedly received at a military hospital. The artist’s agency YG Entertainment said Saturday that G-Dragon, who had been receiving treatment for an ankle injury at the Army Hospital in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, returned to his base in Cheorwon in Gangwon Province on Friday.     G-Dragon (Yonhap)The news came about a week after a local media outlet reported that the artist had been hospi

PerformanceJuly 1, 2018

Seven S. Korean Buddhist temples inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

South Korea added seven Buddhist mountain temples to the UNESCO World Heritage list on Saturday, earning international recognition for another set of historical sites.  The unanimous decision was announced on Saturday during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Manama, Bahrain, which runs from June 24 to July 4. South Korea submitted an application in February last year for the seven mountain temples.The temples, all located on mountains, include Seonamsa on Mount Jogye and D

CultureJuly 1, 2018

Art therapy puts troubled teens on right path

An art therapy program organized by Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office is helping wayward teens get back on track. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Friday marked the seventh run of the project, Imagination and the Future, which is designed to give young people who have run afoul of the law a chance to open up and reconnect with their innate artistic abilities. A two-day exhibition showcasing works of the program’s participants also kicked off

Arts & DesignJune 29, 2018

Tiffany shows support for LGBTQ community

Tiffany from Girls’ Generation on Wednesday expressed support for the LGBTQ community in an open letter. Writing for Billboard, the K-pop artist said she wanted to give “thanks” and express her “love” to the LGBTQ community for having given a great amount of “love, beauty, inspiration, and light in every corner of the world.”The singer, who recently released the single “Over My Skin” in the US under her new stage name, Tiffany Young, said she was inspired by some of the uplifting themes of the c

PerformanceJune 29, 2018

When K-pop meets diplomacy: 5 key moments

BBC Radio 1 called it “Korea’s secret weapon.” From greeting the US presidential couple to disarming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea has an unlikely go-to champion for diplomatically tricky situations: K-pop.K-pop has become more than just a music genre in recent years. It has become part of the country’s statecraft, with its horizon expanding to the realm of diplomacy among world leaders. K-pop’s influence used to mean topping the Billboard charts or appearances on the “Ellen” show

PerformanceJune 29, 2018

[Weekender] Take a bite with your eyes and ears

A golden-brown sponge cake is laid on a wooden table, basking in the warm afternoon sunshine. A red plastic brush moistens the genoise with syrup, and then heavy cream covers the sliced sheets layer by layer. Spinning the cake turntable slowly, the patissier spreads cream evenly on every side of the cake. The 5-minute mesmerizing baking journey ends when sugar-coated strawberries are gently placed on top of the cake. Chef Kook Gabie demonstrates how to make strawberry pavlova (Gabie Kook’s YouTu

FoodJune 29, 2018

Witness of Jang Ja-yeon sexual abuse case comes forward publically

A witness of the sexual abuse case involving the late actress Jang Ja-yeon has gone public with her testimony through media interviews. The actress, identified only by her surname Yoon, was interviewed by local news networks JTBC and KBS on Thursday. As a close colleague of the deceased actress, Yoon claimed that she witnessed Jang being sexually harassed.  Late actress Jang Ja-yeon (Yonhap)Jang took her own life in 2009. She left behind handwritten notes, which allegedly revealed that she had b

TelevisionJune 29, 2018

[Weekender] The rise of gummies

Among mouthwatering sweets, the jelly candies industry is thriving. The surging popularity has led to diverse forms of the chewy sweets, delighting Korean consumers not only with their taste but also low calories. “In this harsh world, soft jelly candies are a streak of light in my life,” said Hwangbo Kyung-sun, an office worker in Seoul. Soft and chewy jelly products that were once perceived as treats for young children have now become one of the most favored types of sweets among adults.  Gumm

FoodJune 29, 2018

[Weekender] Sweet side of life

Kim Ha-jin, a 30-year-old working professional in Seoul, loves buying chocolates after work. “I don’t buy boxes of chocolates,” she told The Korea Herald. “I usually buy one or two pieces at high-end chocolatiers, such as Godiva or Laderach. It usually costs about 5,000 won. It’s a treat that I give myself after long, grueling hours in the office.”Before getting into chocolates, Kim said, she was into “luxurious but small” beauty products. “I would get the cheapest products, such as pink lipstic

FoodJune 29, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Accidental Detective 2: In Action(Korea)Opened June 13Comedy, MysteryDirected by Lee Eon-heeComic book store owner Dae-man (Kwon Sang-hoo) and detective Tae-soo (Sung Dong-il) become full-time private investigators. As their first big case, the duo looks into the seemingly accidental death of a man, which turns out to be something more. With the help of cyber whiz Yeo-chi (Lee Kwang-soo), the two seek to uncover the truth.The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion(Korea)Opened June 27Action, Thriller

FilmJune 29, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Donggang International Photo FestThe annual DongGang International Photo Festival features events such as the DongGang Photography Award Exhibition, International Open Call and Photojournalists Exhibition. It runs till Sept. 21. Admission is 3,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for teenagers and 1,000 won for children. The event is open to visitors of all ages.For more information, call the travel hotline at 1330 for information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese. Everland Summer Water FunThe an

TravelJune 29, 2018

[Herald Interview] More than changing passport

First naturalized basketball player not of Korean descent strives to make lasting impact On Thursday, South Korean basketball fans saw something they hadn’t seen in years: their team dominating the paint against the towering Chinese national team.Ricardo Ratliffe, a recently naturalized Korean player, gave the Chinese twin towers of Wang Zhelin and Zhou Qi a run for their money as he scorched them for 25 points and 11 rebounds in an 82-74 victory in the third game of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers.Th

PeopleJune 29, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ doubles up on everything from action to humor

First things first: “Ant-Man and the Wasp” doesn’t explain any of the million questions left off by “Avengers: Infinity War.” For that you’ll have to wait for “Captain Marvel” next year, and maybe not even then.Besides that, the sequel to the surprise 2015 hit of a vastly-underestimated superhero satisfies nearly every expectation that Marvel fans would have had prior to the release.Directed by Peyton Reed, the film takes off three years after events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Violating th

FilmJune 29, 2018

2PM’s Wooyoung to begin military service

Wooyoung of 2PM will start his military service next month. The singer will enlist on July 9. He will be the third member of the six-piece K-pop act to join the Army, following bandmates Ock Taek-yeon and Jun.K. “As he wants to enlist in the Army quietly, the place of enlistment will not be revealed,” an official from JYP Entertainment said.  Wooyoung (JYP Entertainment)Wooyoung hinted at his plan at a fan event on June 16, saying the event could be his last official schedule.“I won’t get hurt.

PerformanceJune 29, 2018

[Weekender] Beautifying Korean rice cake with flowers, new flavors

Tteok has a reputation of being traditional food that often appears outdated with the same old taste. But Korean rice cakes can be transformed into delicate desserts that are pleasing to the eye if they are handled in a different way. Jang Yeo-jin is one such person offering a fresh take. The owner and instructor of Morak Morak Table, a tteok cooking studio in eastern Seoul, has come up with new versions of Korean rice cakes. “Fusion tteok is making tteok with a new perspective, adding elements

FoodJune 29, 2018

[Video] Like cars, houses and clothes, kitchens can be shared, too

It has been a while since the sharing economy became the next big thing, mainly with companies like Airbnb, Uber and WeWork. But how about sharing a kitchen that supports a community? Located in Huam-dong, central Seoul, Huam Kitchen is a shared kitchen that can be loaned to users for a few hours. The space is basically an ordinary kitchen with everything you need for cooking prepared, including basic condiments, spices, cooking utensils and tableware. (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Kor

FoodJune 29, 2018