[Best Brand] Hotel Tops 10 offers exquisite summer stay

On the east coast of Korea, Hotel Tops 10 is vying to become the No. 1 holiday spot this summer. Since its opening in last December, the hotel has made its presence in the high-end hospitality scene, preferred for its location and service. With more facilities opening in July, the hotel hopes to further fully satisfy its guests. Geumjin Hot Springs, using local thermal water will open, along with Aqua Park, VR Zone, Kids Zone, Golf Zone and a karaoke.  (Hotel Tops 10)On Saturday, a DJ party will

CultureJune 26, 2018

[Best Brand] Vivaldi Park featuring new attractions

Vivaldi Park is adding more fun experiences to its repertoire by adding new attractions, including the first “horror experience-type water slide” in Korea.Pharaoh‘s Tower, will open late June at Vivaldi Park Ocean World and will have the horror theme park attractions of Pharaoh’s Maze on the first floor and Double Spin, Double Tornado water slides on the third floor. Double Spin is a four-person slide which boasts a bobsled-level high speed while Double Tornado has the riders plummet down a funn

TravelJune 26, 2018

[Best Brand] ‘Urban retreat’ at Hilton Busan

For those torn between the convenience of a city and picturesque nature, the seaside city of Busan offers a perfect balance -- just like Hilton Hotel.Hilton boasts a unique concept of “urban destination retreat,” offering a place where nearly all things leisure or business-related are possible. Its spacious guestrooms have private balconies, along with ocean or mountain views.Its eateries are among its most notable features. Da MOIM World Kitchen offers live cooking stations that demonstrate the

TravelJune 26, 2018

YG sued for nullifying the debut of ‘Mix Nine’ trainee

YG Entertainment has been sued for cancelling the debut of Woo Jin-young, who was a trainee of audition program “Mix Nine.” On Tuesday, Woo’s agency Happyface Entertainment stated that it filed a damage suit against YG on June 18 for turning a blind eye over canceling the trainee’s promised debut for months -- Woo was supposed to debut as one of the winners of the show -- and abusing its power against the trainee’s agencies.  Woo Jin-young (JTBC)The released statement by Happyface reads, “Two mo

TelevisionJune 26, 2018

[Trending] G-Dragon fans slam media outlet over ‘special treatment’ coverage

G-Dragon’s fans on Tuesday mounted an online attack on a local media outlet for its report on the K-pop star’s alleged special treatment at a military hospital. G-Dragon, the leader of the K-pop boy band Big Bang, was at the center of a deepening dispute following an online petition filed against the local media outlet over its article about the singer receiving allegedly preferential treatment while serving in the military. Over 34,000 tweets with the hashtag “#Dispatch_Apologize” was posted al

PerformanceJune 26, 2018

‘L’Escape’ to 19th century France in Seoul

When stepping inside L’Escape hotel, guests will feel the illusion of being in 19th century Paris. Shinsegae Chosun Hotel is set to launch its first urban French-style boutique hotel brand L’Escape in mid-July, in central Seoul near Hoehyeon Station.L’Escape was designed by French architect Jacques Garcia, known for his work at Hotel Costes in Paris, one of the most renowned boutique hotels around the globe. The new hotel was inspired by the concept of the 19th century Paris aristocracy, aiming

TravelJune 26, 2018

Will ‘Mr. Sunshine’ find success abroad?

Cable channel tvN is soon to air its new Saturday-Sunday drama series “Mr. Sunshine,” featuring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri as the main leads. The story centers on the two working to save Joseon-era Korea from Japan in early 1900s. The fantasy-romance series is to air through Netflix, a global streaming service. The production has stoked great anticipation, as the team’s previous works, “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” were greatly loved in and out of Korea.  Ki

TelevisionJune 26, 2018

Communication professor to be laureled for bridging Korea, world

Choi Jung-wha, the president of the Corea Image Communication Institute, will receive the Yeongsan Diplomat Award on July 4 for her decadeslong efforts to promote Korea and its culture around the world.　The accolade, bestowed by the Seoul Forum organization, is annually conferred upon an individual who made superlative achievements to enhance the nation’s image and interests through public diplomacy. This year’s award ceremony will take place at the Plaza Hotel Seoul and gather opinion leaders f

PeopleJune 26, 2018

Will ‘Mr. Sunshine’ be next ‘Descendants of Sun’, ‘Guardian?’

Cable channel tvN is set to air its blockbuster drama series “Mr. Sunshine.”The fantasy-romance series grabbed the attention of viewers even before its airing, as it will be scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook and director Lee Eung-bok’s third time working together. The famed duo have proven their teamwork through hit series “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.”The story is set in Korea in the early 1900s, as it is on the verge of being colonized by Japan. “Not much drama or f

TelevisionJune 26, 2018

Exhibition on celebration of royal babies to be held

An exhibition on how Joseon Dynasty (A.D. 1,392~1,910) celebrated the birth of babies in the royal family will kick off Wednesday in Seoul.The National Palace Museum of Korea will hold the exhibition “The Birth of a Royal Baby of Joseon Dynasty” through Sept. 2, which will be at the special exhibition rooms on first and second floor. A ten-panel screen showing the celebration of a crown prince’s birth. (National Palace Museum of Korea)It will introduce the royal relics owned by the NPMK along wi

CultureJune 26, 2018

K-drama writer Kim Eun-sook denies divorce rumors

Screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, the mastermind behind hit dramas such as “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” has nixed rumors that she divorced her husband.Earlier on Tuesday, a local media outlet reported that Kim recently separated from her husband after 12 years of marriage. It claimed that the writer has been focusing on writing the script for “Mr. Sunshine,” a highly anticipated tvN drama, after overcoming the pain.  (Yonhap)Shortly after the news broke, Kim took t

TelevisionJune 26, 2018

Black Pink sets record in topping 100m views

Black Pink set another record as a K-pop girl group, topping 100 million views for a music video 10 days after its release.The music video for “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” the lead track on the group’s latest EP, set the record at around 11:45 p.m. Monday. The EP, “Square Up,” was released on June 15, 6 p.m.No other South Korean girl group has garnered 100 million views within 10 days of a release. (YG Entertainment)With this new record, every music video released by Black Pink now has more than 100 million

PerformanceJune 26, 2018

Black Pink becomes highest charting K-pop girl act on Billboard’s Hot 100

Black Pink rewrote history as the highest charting K-pop girl group ever on Billboard 100 chart, as its latest single “DDU-DU DDU-DU” peaked at No. 55 on the competitive ranking dated June 30. According to Billboard, the act’s successive single from its “Square Up“ EP arrives with 12.4 million US streams and 7,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending June 21, according to Nielsen Music, also prompting its No. 39 entrance on the Streaming Songs tally, where Black Pink becomes the first K-po

PerformanceJune 26, 2018

Mamamoo confirms July release of new EP

Mamamoo announced the newest segment of its ongoing “Four Season Four Color Project” by confirming on Tuesday the release of its seventh EP next month.According to its agency RBW, the new EP based on the theme of summer will be released at 8 p.m. on July 16. It marks the first release for the act since “Yellow Flower” in March.  Mamamoo (RBW)The two albums are part of the team’s project to commemorate four seasons of the year by depicting them in its own way. Accordingly, the upcoming EP will ca

PerformanceJune 26, 2018

Award-winning musical 'Matilda' to premier first non-English production in Seoul

Based on a 1988 children's novel by the widely-loved British author Roald Dahl, the musical "Matilda" has toured the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand since its West End premier in 2011.For its British producer, the Royal Shakespeare Company, "Matilda" is the second major musical production of works by contemporary writers, going beyond their usual repertoire of productions based on works by the literary legend of the Middle Ages. And for the first time ever,

PerformanceJune 25, 2018

Korean hip hop act Epik High teams up with Japanese band for new single

South Korean hip hop act Epik High has teamed up with Japanese rock band Sekai no Owari to release a new single later this week, a music label said Monday. Epik High (YG Entertainment)The collaboration single, "Sleeping Beauty," is the result of the two acts' friendship dating back to the Japanese band's Korean trip in 2016. In 2017, Epik High again met with the Japanese band during the latter's concert in South Korea, according to Sony Music.The joint single is scheduled for release on Friday,

PerformanceJune 25, 2018

Government probe clears Momoland of chart rigging

Momoland has been cleared of accusations that it bought thousands of its own records to rig the official sales chart after a government investigation found it to be not true. The girl group’s agency MLD Entertainment announced Monday that a probe by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has cleared the act of any wrongdoing. “We are glad that the misunderstanding is no more. We thank everyone who trusted and supported us,” MLD said. “We vow to try our best for the development of K-pop.” Mo

PerformanceJune 25, 2018

Art exhibition looks at Korean artists’ ties with US arts

In 1957, Seoul National University held an art exchange with the University of Minnesota, marking the nation’s first international art exchange with the US. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the event, SNU’s art museum is holding an exhibition that highlights works of Korean artists whose careers have unfolded in the US. Titled “Oscillation: Between Korea and the United States,” the exhibition features eight artists of different generations from the 1950s to 2000s, tracing how Korean ar

Arts & DesignJune 25, 2018

Ever-growing global K-pop festival KCON captivates US fans

KCON, a global K-pop festival that brings music stars to overseas fans, took place over the weekend in Newark, New Jersey.The two-day event at the Prudential Center, attended by some 53,000 fans, was divided into two parts -- K-pop concerts and outdoor convention programs.The event brought to the US popular K-pop stars, including Heize, Pentagon, Red Velvet, Super Junior, EXID, Wanna One and NCT 127, who took the stage in front of loyal fans that jam-packed the 12,000-seat venue. The convention,

PerformanceJune 25, 2018

Jung Woo-sung attacked for supporting Jeju’s Yemeni refugees

Actor Jung Woo-sung has been criticized by some for showing support for Yemeni refugees on Jeju Island, with Koreans divided over whether or not to grant them official refugee status.Around 500 Yemeni refugees are now on Jeju Island after fleeing from the war in Yemen, with most of them having applied for refugee status. While many Koreans have called for the government to accept them on humanitarian grounds, others demanded for refugees’ expulsion.　Jung as an honory ambassador for the UN Refuge

TelevisionJune 25, 2018