Seohyun shares thoughts on leaving S.M. Entertainment

Seohyun of Girls’ Generation took to social media to share her candid thoughts about having left her longtime agency S.M. Entertainment last month. The singer-turned-actress wrote a lengthy letter Friday night on Instagram, where she revealed the reason for parting with the group and her future plans.  (Yonhap)“I’ve finally made the difficult decision to leave the group after countless contemplations and worrying. My heart is filled with gratitude to (S.M. Entertainment CEO) Lee Soo-man, who all

PerformanceNov. 5, 2017

Park Chan-wook to helm BBC spy drama

Korean director Park Chan-wook will direct BBC’s TV adaptation of British author John le Carre’s spy novel “The Little Drummer Girl,” Daily Mail reported Friday. Up-and-coming British actress Florence Pugh, 21, stars as the show’s heroine on a mission to track down a Palestinian terrorist mastermind, according to the British media outlet.　Filming on the six-part drama series will begin early 2018, with the release date yet to be announced.　The 1983 novel by author le Carre, whose real name is Da

FilmNov. 5, 2017

Dior reveals making of Song Hye-kyo’s wedding dress

French luxury brand Christian Dior revealed making-of photos of Song Hye-kyo’s wedding dress through its official Instagram, Saturday. At the wedding, which took place Tuesday at The Shilla Seoul, Song Hye-kyo was adorned in a wedding dress made by Christian Dior. (Instagram of Christian Dior)A sketch and final version of the dress was pictured. In another photo, a craftswoman was seen sewing the pattern of the dress. The brand capped the photos, “The process of making Song Hye-kyo’s haute coutu

Arts & DesignNov. 5, 2017

[Herald Interview] Why sensitivity is important in design

In an age where design permeates all industries and aspects of life, this year’s Herald Design Forum questions the role humanity plays in it.At the forum’s second session, set to take place Tuesday at 1 p.m. at The Shilla Seoul’s Dynasty Hall, three global designers will expound on their approach to design.The speakers of the session, titled “Design Thinking,” spoke with The Korea Herald prior to the event to answer questions on the fundamental meaning of design and its lasting value. –Ed. Commu

Arts & DesignNov. 4, 2017

S. Korean boy band BTS to perform at American Music Awards

South Korean boy band BTS will perform at the upcoming music awards show in the United States later this month, its Seoul-based agency said Saturday. BigHit Entertainment said BTS has been invited to perform at the American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. South Korean singer PSY previously showcased his music with MC Hammer at the show in 2012, but the agency said BTS is the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards.  In this file photo taken on Sept.

PerformanceNov. 4, 2017

[Herald Interview] From dog breeder’s son to ‘president of dogs’

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)As a kid, Kang Hyeong-uk was a rather unusual boy. Rather than playing with his peers, he preferred spending time with dogs. While his parents ran a puppy mill, he developed a more sympathetic view of the animals in his formative years, and his interest never strayed from his furry friends since, he said. Kang Hyeong-uk speaks during an interview at his office in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)“I do not know, maybe i

CultureNov. 3, 2017

[Herald Design Forum] Technology a great enabler; but humans are at heart of design

In an age where design permeates all industries and aspects of life, this year’s Herald Design Forum questions the role humanity plays in it.At the forum’s third session on Nov. 7, three global designers will discuss their philosophy and approach to design.The speakers of the session, titled “The Design 4.0: New Normal Design Economy,” spoke with The Korea Herald prior to the event. -- Ed.  George Popescu (Herald Design Forum)IOT in nascent stage, more to explore: George PopescuGeorge Popescu is

Arts & DesignNov. 3, 2017

[Herald Design Forum] Creations that capture emotions

In an age where technology has come to play a pivotal role in design, this year’s Herald Design Forum turns its focus to humanity.The “fourth industrial revolution” that is beginning to transform the economy is characterized by hyper-intelligence, hyper-connectivity and hyper-convergence. Comprehensive thinking and creative perspectives are crucial in order to adapt to this environment.For decades, design has been the core engine in driving convergence among industries. In an era of technologica

Arts & DesignNov. 3, 2017

[Korean Bapsang] Spicy japchae with seafood

This japchae recipe is made spicy with a generous amount of seafood. It will be a nice change from traditional japchae. If you’re not a fan of seafood, this recipe can easily be turned into a vegan japchae by omitting the seafood. Likewise, if you don’t like spicy food, simply omit the gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) for a mild seafood japchae. The main ingredient, of course, is sweet potato starch noodles called dangmyeon, also known as glass noodles. The most common way to cook the

FoodNov. 3, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Heart Blackened(Korea)Opened Nov. 2Directed by Jung Ji-wooIm Tae-san (Choi Min-sik) is an unfathomable conglomerate chairman, at times a hopeless romantic -- such as when he is with his young lover Yu-na (Lee Ha-nee) -- and at others, a fearsome businessman who makes his employees tremble. Instability reigns at home: His daughter Mi-ra (Lee Soo-kyung) is rebellious and spoiled, exploiting her father for money. Tae-san has proposed to Yu-na, a celebrity singer with a tainted past, which prompts M

FilmNov. 3, 2017

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Seoul Lantern FestivalThe annual Seoul Lantern Festival is being held from Friday to Nov.19. Since its inception in 2009, it has hosted annually nearly 3 million visitors, who can expect to see lanterns along 1.2 kilometers of the Cheonggye Stream stretching from Cheonggye Plaza to Supyogyo Bridge.The lighting hours are from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and the event is free of charge. Visit www.seoullantern.visitseoul.net for more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese or call the travel hot

TravelNov. 3, 2017

2017 MAMA takes countermeasures amid ballot-rigging allegations

The Mnet Asian Music Awards, an annual K-pop awards ceremony, conducted a system check to eliminate fake ballots for its upcoming awards, the organization announced Friday. “We have detected fraudulent votes for 2017 MAMA between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1,” the announcement read. The website undertook a four-hour system check early Friday morning during which time voting was temporarily suspended. “If the ballot rigging continues, the rigging votes will be deleted, their user IPs will be blocked and th

PerformanceNov. 3, 2017

Jo Kwon to leave JYP Ent. for Cube Ent.

Singer Jo Kwon, 28, of 2AM unveiled his decision to leave JYP Entertainment and join Cube Entertainment, home to singer HyunA and boy band B2B. According to music industry insiders on Friday, Jo and Cube Entertainment CEO Hong Seung-sung had kept their long ties intact in producing music together ever since Jo was preparing for 2AM’s debut at JYP.  (Jo Kwon`s Instagram)Hong had worked under JYP Entertainment CEO Park Jin-young as a music producer, but left in 2008 to launch Cube Entertainment. F

PerformanceNov. 3, 2017

[Herald Design Forum] Putting humans first in design

The conventional wisdom has it that a product’s key features are mostly confined to its functions and that design was mostly about decoration. As technology advances, design is playing a key role in emergence of new industries and convergence of existing ones. In an era emphasizing comprehensive thinking skills, creative perspectives and empathy, the role of design and the human elements becomes even more prominent.Under the theme of “Design for Humanity,” Herald Design Forum 2017 will bring tog

CultureNov. 3, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] K-pop stars celebrate arrival of Olympic flame in Korea

Marking 100 days until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, biggest stars of K-pop took to stage in Seoul on Wednesday in a bid to celebrate the beginning of the Olympic torch relay in Korea. The Olympic torch, which last burned in Korea 30 years ago when Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Games, arrived at Incheon on Wednesday after a handover ceremony in Athens on Tuesday. K-pop at EXO performs at a K-pop concert celebrating the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Gwanghwamun Square in cen

PerformanceNov. 2, 2017

Soo Joo reveals life story on TV

Fashion model Soo Joo starred as a guest on “Live Talk Show Taxi” on tvN, Wednesday night, to share her story.  (Instagram)The model revealed she had graduated from the department of architecture at University of California, Berkeley. She was later cast as a model while shopping at a vintage shop in nearby San Francisco when she was in her early 20s.   (The Cut)“I used to work at a company in Silicon Valley, but I gave the job up to be a model,” she said. “It wasn’t easy, as I was Asian and also

PeopleNov. 2, 2017

Can AI take over the music industry?

Ever since Deep Thought became the first program ever to defeat a chess grandmaster in 1988, mankind has been seriously contemplating its supremacy over machines in terms of complex thinking -- not just raw computing power. After AlphaGo trounced go-master Lee Se-dol last year, the consolation prize for humans appeared to be their artistic sense.But now, as more engineers look to teach artificial intelligence how to be more creative to the extent of writing their own music, that artistic edge is

CultureNov. 2, 2017

[Newsmaker] Actor Kim Joo-hyuk laid to rest in Seosan

The funeral ceremony of actor Kim Joo-hyuk, who passed away in a car accident Monday, took place Thursday at the Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul. 　The private ceremony was held at 10 a.m. and was attended by Kim’s surviving family, close friends and staff at the actor’s longtime management agency Namoo Actors. A video clip featuring snippets of the late Kim was shown, according to reports.　The funeral procession took place at 11 a.m.　 Kim Joo-hyuk’s funeral procession takes place Thurs

PeopleNov. 2, 2017

Intimate sound of string quartets to close year

Fans of that more intimate form of music, string quartets, are in for a treat, as renowned string quartets are set to perform in Korea this fall and winter.The Michelangelo String Quartet will perform Thursday at Kumho Art Hall as part of the International Masters Series organized by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation.Violinists Mihaela Martin and Daniel Austrich, violist Nobuko Imai and cellist Frans Helmerson are established soloists, chamber musicians and teachers who came together as a str

PerformanceNov. 1, 2017

Song couple’s marriage dominates Chinese media

Stars of “Descendants of the Sun” Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo’s private wedding on Tuesday grabbed the attention of many, but especially their fans in China, where the TV drama was a big hit, with the event dominating headlines of various Chinese media outlets. On Tuesday evening, the event headlined Chinese online media outlets including Baidu, ifeng and Tencent, while the couple’s wedding trended as the No.1 real-time topic on Weibo. On Weibo, the wedding had been searched for about 160 mil

PeopleNov. 1, 2017