[Album review] Jun. K peels off idol mask to show true self in ‘My 20s’

Jun. K “My 20s”Genie MusicBidding farewell to one’s 20s can be hard, especially when it was filled with love, breakups, regrets and pain. It’s hard to move on because it reminds people of the most passionate and innocent times of their lives. On the verge of entering his fourth decade in life, Jun. K reflects on the rollercoaster that was his 20s in his new album “My 20s.” The album is testament to the singer’s life that has not been very different from those of others, except that he didn’t hav

PerformanceNov. 29, 2017

Taeyeon’s car accident raises favoritism controversy

A multiple-vehicle accident caused by Taeyeon of Girls‘ Generation sparked some controversy Wednesday amid allegations that the K-pop star had received quicker medical attention from the paramedic due to her celebrity status.Taeyeon, the leader and main vocalist for Girls’ Generation, drove her Mercedes Benz vehicle into a taxi at a stop light around 8 p.m. Tuesday, causing the taxi to crash into an Audi vehicle, also at a stop, that was in front of it.  Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)Police said t

PerformanceNov. 29, 2017

Women, rookie directors to be spotlighted at Seoul Independent Film fest

The Seoul Independent Film Festival is set to spotlight films by female directors and debut features by promising indie filmmakers this year.The 43rd edition of the nine-day festival -- Korea’s only competition film festival for indie films -- takes place from Thursday to Dec. 8. This year’s opening film is “Cinema With You,” a 36-minute omnibus film by Yoo Ji-young, Jeong Ga-young and Kim Tae-jin. The film begins by tracing the life of Sun-mi, an office worker who has been dispatched to a remot

FilmNov. 29, 2017

Rain opens up on married life with Kim Tae-hee

Singer Rain spoke up about his marriage to actress Kim Tae-hee on the travel reality show “Carefree Travelers,” which aired Tuesday evening.　Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, said he feels “comfortable” giving into his wife’s wishes. 　Rain and Kim wed in January after five years of dating and welcomed a daughter on Oct. 25. 　The JTBC show featured comedians Kim Yong-man and Jung Hyung-don, announcer Kim Sung-joo and former soccer player Ahn Jung-hwan on a trip to Taiwan. 　 Rain stars in “Ca

TelevisionNov. 29, 2017

[Photo] Camel is the new black

Female celebrities pulled off a chic but relaxed look with camel coats at a fashion event. Italian fashion house Max Mara held an exhibition named “Max Mara, Coats!” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Tuesday. Many of the stars at the scene donned camel-colored coats, the signature item of the brand.Irene, a fashion model, showcased a unique style by wearing two coats at once. She wore one as a dress, slinging the other one back on her shoulders.  Model Irene (Herald DB)Actress Kim Ock-b

Arts & DesignNov. 29, 2017

Actor Jung Woo-sung to visit Rohingya refugee camps

South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung will visit refugee camps for Rohingya people in Bangladesh early next month in the capacity of a national goodwill ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said Artist Co., the actor’s agency, on Wednesday.The actor’s destination is Cox’s Bazar, a city near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, where approximately 307,500 people sought asylum after fleeing violence in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar.According to a UN report, they suffer from a chronic

PeopleNov. 29, 2017

[Photo News] Peninsula verging toward wintry days

As the trees shed their foliage, the cold winter looms over mountains across the country.Seemingly disappointed in winter coming so early, the leaves did not fall so quickly.A snow-covered mountain peak welcomes the change of the seasons.The first snowfall of winter arrived in Gangwon Province on Nov. 3 and the first big snow storm dropped up to 16.2 centimeters of snow in the Daegwallyeong distirct, Pyeongchang-gun, on Sunday.A blueberry farm located in Yanggu-gun, a northern district of the pr

TravelNov. 29, 2017

Jay-Z leads Grammy noms with 8 as rap, R&B take center stage

Jay-Z is the leader of the 2018 Grammy Award nominations in a year where the top four categories are heavily dominated by rap and R&B artists, giving the often overlooked genres a strong chance of winning big.The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that Jay-Z is nominated for eight honors, including album, song, and record of the year. Bruno Mars is also nominated for the big three, while Kendrick Lamar -- who earned seven nominations -- and Childish Gambino are also up for major awards.Jay-Z’s

PerformanceNov. 29, 2017

GFriend to hold first individual concert

K-pop girl group GFriend will hold its first individual concert ever in January, its management agency said Tuesday. The “Season of GFriend” concert will take place at the Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul on Jan. 6-7, 2018. The concert, named after the group’s debut album “Season of Glass,” consists of five seasons: the four seasons which represented the group’s various music and a special season which features the GFriend members’ individual performances.  A teaser pos

PerformanceNov. 28, 2017

Nigerian-Korean model meets Congo’s ‘royal brothers’

Model Han Hyun-min was pictured with two of the Congo’s “royal brothers.” Nigerian-Korean fashion model Han uploaded the photo to his social media account last Saturday. In the photo, Han posed with the two brothers from Congo, Rabbi and Jonathan. He captioned the photo as “With Congo’s princes.”  (Han Hyun-min`s Instagram)The two brothers have amassed a large following for their YouTube videos about life in Korea.The brothers are sons of Yiombi Thona, who was born king of a little tribe town Ki

PeopleNov. 28, 2017

Seoul City to host internship for international students

Seoul City is recruiting 30 international students for its biannual global internship program. International students currently enrolled at colleges in Seoul are invited to apply.The interns will work full-time at Seoul City Hall and affiliated organizations for an eight-week period between Jan. 2 and Feb. 21 next year. The interns' task will include research on foreign policy, translation of materials and other globally oriented work at governmental bodies.The city’s global internship program,

Expat LivingNov. 28, 2017

Busan art fair to open next month

BUSAN (Yonhap) -- The annual Busan International Art Fair (BIAF) will open in the South Korean port city early next month and will feature 3,000 artworks by more than 200 local and foreign artists, the event's organizer said Tuesday. Launched in 2007, the BIAF is an open market where artists and collectors can make direct deals on the spot. "The 16th BIAF will kick off for a five-day run at the BEXCO center on Dec. 7," the K-Art International Exchange Association said.The fair will house 37 boot

CultureNov. 28, 2017

Choi Si-won to appear in Super Junior’s December concert

Choi Si-won will perform in Super Junior’s concert in December, his agency Label SJ announced Tuesday.Label SJ, a subsidiary of S.M. Entertainment, said Choi’s participation in the concert had been prearranged by a contract finalized months ago. Choi has not taken part in promotional activities for the band’s latest album “Play,” amid a recent controversy involving his family’s dog.The agency said the promotional activities are not bound by prearranged contracts and therefore could be changed at

PerformanceNov. 28, 2017

Ryu Jun-yeol to star in hit-and-run unit police film

Ryu Jun-yeol is in the last stages of accepting an offer to star in the upcoming police film “Hit and Run Unit (Bbaengban),” his agency C-Jes Entertainment said Monday.If confirmed, the actor will be teaming up with Gong Hyo-jin in a film dealing with a group of idiosyncratic police detectives in the hit-and-run unit of a police station.   Ryu Jun-yeol (Herald Pop)The film is set to hit theaters next year.It will be helmed by director Han Jun-hee, who previously helmed the female-driven crime th

FilmNov. 28, 2017

[Herald Interview] ‘Mic Drop’ director hopes BTS breaks free of social fetters

Continuing from “Dope,” “Save Me,” “Young Forever” and “Not Today,” music video director Kim Sung-wook has added “Mic Drop” to the list of music videos for global K-pop act BTS. In what could be the music video of the year, the swaggering video of BTS’ “Mic Drop” remix, a collaboration between American DJ Steve Aoki, rapper Desiigner and the seven-piece world superstars, has lived up to hype since its release last week. And Kim, a creator behind the recent BTS fever, shared in-depth details abou

PerformanceNov. 28, 2017

BTS says on 'Ellen' it’s all about fans

Having grown from K-pop sensation to international pop stars, members of the BTS appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to thank the American fans for their support and perform a kick-ass show to show their appreciation.“Korea and US, we have our different languages but we all share similar thoughts,” said Suga of the BTS in the show aired Monday, when asked about the relevance of their lyrics. “We may talk in different tongues, but we’re thankful that you (the fans) identify themselves with us.

PerformanceNov. 28, 2017

Exhibition on famed modern-era Korean novelist taking place in Seoul

Works by renowned early 20th-century Korean writer Yeom Sang-seop will be displayed at the National Library of Korea in Seoul from Tuesday through Feb. 25, 2018.The latest exhibition at the library -- located in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul -- will display novels and short stories written by Yeom, who is considered a master of realism in the country.Yeom was born in 1897 and died in 1963. His life coincides with the most tumultuous years of Korea, including the fall of the Joseon Kingdom, Japan’s c

CultureNov. 27, 2017

Kim Min-hee wins best actress at Gijon Int’l Film Fest

Kim Min-hee wins best actress at Gijon Int’l Film Fest Actress Kim Min-hee has nabbed another award for best actress, this time at the Gijon International Film Festival which took place in Spain from Nov. 17-25. Kim won the award for her performance in Hong Sang-soo’s “On the Beach at Night Alone.” Kim previously won best actress at the Berlin International Film Festival in February for the same role. Actress Kim Min-hee speaks during the award winners press conference for the film “On the Beach

FilmNov. 27, 2017

K-pop drama ‘Part-time Idol’ premieres on Netflix

New K-pop-themed drama series “Part-time Idol” premiered Monday on online streaming platform Netflix. 　The show was jointly created by SBS Mobidic, the mobile content arm of major broadcaster SBS, and YG KPlus, a model management agency and subsidiary of K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment.“Part-time Idol” will begin airing on SBS on Dec. 10 at midnight. 　The show centers on a famed K-pop producer who, disillusioned by the industry, leaves the entertainment scene and returns to help train a new co

TelevisionNov. 27, 2017

Kim Whan-ki's 'Morning Star' sells for 4 bln won in Hong Kong auction

A 1964 painting by late artist Kim Whan-ki sold for HK$28 million (4 billion won) in an auction in Hong Kong over the weekend, Seoul Auction said Monday.The oil painting titled "Morning Star," 145.5 by 145.2 centimeters in size, started at around 2.8 billion won, but bids escalated to finally fetch 4 billion won at the auction held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong on Sunday.The abstract art master holds the record for the most expensive Korean art ever sold at an auction. In April, "Tranqui

CultureNov. 27, 2017