Veteran singer Uhm Jung-hwa to drop new album next month

Singer-actress Uhm Jung-hwa will release a new album next month, according to a music production company Tuesday.The five-track record will be the second half of "The Cloud Dream of the Nine," Uhm's 10th full-length album, Mystic Entertainment, the production company of Uhm's record, said. The first half, a four-track record, was released in December of last year.The new album will feature contributions by fellow '90s idol stars Lee Hyo-ri and Jung Ryeo-won. The 48-year-old songstress has finish

PerformanceOct. 24, 2017

Veteran balladeer Im Chang-jung returns with heart-wrenching EP

There are certain tracks that need to be heard in this sweater weather, and veteran balladeer Im Chang-jung is back on the circuit with a new fall-focused EP to help you get in the mood for the season. Best known for his effusive voice that evokes a whirlwind of feelings, Im returned with his second EP “Do You Know That Person” on Monday, fully charged with bitter emotions for past romances. After kicking off the media showcase for his new EP on Monday in Seoul with a performance of his previous

PerformanceOct. 24, 2017

Epik High’s done something wonderful with new album

Hip-hop trio Epik High is sweeping music charts at home and overseas with its long-awaited ninth full-length album “We’ve Done Something Wonderful.”Since their release on Monday evening, the album’s two lead tracks “Home is Far Away” and “Love Story,” each featuring singer Oh Hyuk and IU, quickly cruised to the top of seven local music charts including Melon and Naver Music. Other tracks from the album -- which feature star-studded artists such as Crush, Suhyun of AKMU, Kim Jong-wan of Nell, Son

PerformanceOct. 24, 2017

'The Fortress' sold to 28 foreign countries

The South Korean period drama "The Fortress" has been sold to 28 countries around the world, including the United States, Japan and Singapore, the film's local distributor said Tuesday.The film starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok and Park Hae-il follows the 47 days spent by King Injo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and his officials in Namhan Mountain Fortress, on the southern outskirts of Seoul, to escape the invasion by China's Qing Dynasty in the winter of 1636.Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk

FilmOct. 24, 2017

CJ CGV to open 33 cinemas in Russia by 2020

CJ CGV, South Korea's largest cinema chain, will advance to the Russian market for the first time as a foreign theater chain.CJ CGV signed a contract Monday with Russian land developer ADG Group in Seoul to set up a joint venture in Hong Kong with registered capital amounting to US$30 million. The South Korean company will acquire a 70 percent stake.Under the contract, the two companies will run 33 theaters and 160 screens in Moscow by 2020. (CJ CGV)"Through this contract, we have secured a base

FilmOct. 24, 2017

Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo to honeymoon in Europe

Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo will be honeymooning in Europe after their wedding on Oct. 31, according to reports Monday. The wedding is set to take place at 4 p.m. at The Shilla Seoul’s Yeong Bin Gwan, a Korean-style banquet annex. The ceremony will be open to friends and family only. A longtime friend of Song Joong-ki will officiate the wedding, the reports said.  Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo star in “Descendants of the Sun.” (KBS)Singer-turned-musical actress Ock Joo-hyun, a longtime frien

TelevisionOct. 23, 2017

AOA’s Mina to publish book of essays

Singer and actress Mina of K-pop girl group AOA will soon publish her first essay collection, on Nov. 1, according to her agency.FNC Entertainment announced that Mina’s soon-to-be-released essay, titled “Stars Don’t Lose Their Way, Even at Night,” will offer insights into the author’s experiences as well as candid personal stories.The book will additionally feature quotes of wisdom that have supported the singer through her tough times in the past, through which Mina intends to encourage fellow

PerformanceOct. 23, 2017

How artificial intelligence will impact culture

Experts in the artificial intelligence and content industries gathered to address the impact of new technology on culture at the Next Content Conference on Monday. The conference, hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Culture Ministry, is taking place at Coex in southeastern Seoul through Tuesday. New media theorist and computer science professor Lev Manovich addressed the potential of Korean content in the international market. “With the rise of K-pop from around 2009, Korea’s con

CultureOct. 23, 2017

Actor Kim Soo-hyun quietly begins military service

Kim Soo-hyun began his mandatory military service without a ruckus Monday.　The actor entered an army training center located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, around noon. 　Kim arrived at the site in a black van and entered the center without addressing the crowd of some 40 international fans, who had been waiting at the entrance of the center since morning. 　Kim’s management agency Keyeast Entertainment had previously said that Kim did not plan to address fans or the media prior to the start of his s

TelevisionOct. 23, 2017

Jarasum Jazz Festival draws 100,000

The 14th Jarasum International Jazz Festival successfully closed the curtain on its three-day event, Sunday, with 100,000 music lovers attending the festival. The JIJF, which is the biggest festival celebrating jazz music in Korea, takes place in October each year on Jarasum Island at the heel of the surrounding mountains in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province – an hour from Seoul by the ITX Cheongchun High Speed Train.At this year’s festival, a total of 257 musicians from 20 countries formed 42 teams t

PerformanceOct. 23, 2017

AOA’s Mina to publish book of essays

Singer and actress Mina of K-pop girl group AOA will soon publish her first essay collection, on Nov. 1, according to her agency.FNC Entertainment announced that Mina’s soon-to-be-released essay, titled “Stars Don’t Lose Their Way, Even at Night,” will offer insights into the author’s experiences as well as candid personal stories. Cover of AOA Mina‘s first essay collection “Stars Don’t Lose Their Way, Even at Night” (FNC Entertainment)The book will additionally feature quotes of wisdom that hav

PerformanceOct. 23, 2017

Actor couple Choo Ja-hyun, Yu Xiaoguang to become parents

South Korean actress Choo Ja-hyun is expecting her first baby with Chinese actor Yu Xiaoguang, their agency said Monday.BH Entertainment confirmed that the actress is two months pregnant.The couple became popular on the reality TV show "Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny" on SBS. The two have appeared on the show since July. (SBS)The couple met through a Chinese drama in 2012. In September 2015, Choo revealed her romantic relationship with Yu and legally married him in January of

TelevisionOct. 23, 2017

Residents leave Bukchon due to ‘touristification’

Local residents of the Bukchon Hanok Village in northern Seoul are suffering from the side effects of an influx of tourists in front of their homes, Hankook Ilbo reported Monday. Bukchon Hanok Village, situated east of the Gyeongbokgung palace in Jongno, is a cluster of old-style Korean houses that has attracted both local and foreign tourists in recent years. There are about 1,200 hanok structures in the Bukchon neighborhood. (Yonhap)The latest demographics data show that the number of people l

CultureOct. 23, 2017

Twice tops Japan's Oricon chart for fifth straight day

K-pop group Twice has led Japan's main music chart for the fifth day, with combined sales of its latest single album in the country poised to soon break the 200,000 mark, its agency said Monday."One More Time," released in Japan last Wednesday, held on to the pole position on Oricon's Daily Single Chart as of Monday morning, according to JYP Entertainment. Combined sales stand at 191,157 copies to date.Twice has become the fastest-selling K-pop girl group album in Japan based on first week figur

PerformanceOct. 23, 2017

'The Outlaws' again dominates box office, soon to hit 5 mln viewers

The crime action film "The Outlaws" defeated newcomer "Geostorm" to remain atop the weekend box office for the second straight week.The Korean film sold 787,242 tickets, bringing its total haul to 4.97 million, according to the Korean Film Council, a state agency for promoting Korean films.Directed by Kang Yoon-sung and starring Ma Dong-seok and Yoon Kye-sang, "The Outlaws" has maintained its box-office lead for 15 straight days and is expected to surpass the 5 million mark in attendance Monday.

FilmOct. 23, 2017

Film festivals galore

A number of film festivals with themes as diverse as animation and elderly life are taking place in the coming weeks, starting with the Bucheon International Animation Festival, one of Asia’s key animation events.The 19th BIAF, which runs through Tuesday, opened with the Asian premiere of French director Benjamin Renner’s “Ernest & Celestine.” 　 "Ernest & Celestine" (Bucheon International Animation Festival)The international competition section will see seven films including Sunao Katabuchi’s “I

FilmOct. 22, 2017

BTS makes it to US Weekly’s ‘Most Influential Celebs on Social Media’ chart

K-pop superstar BTS has been tapped as one of the most influential celebrities on social media by US Weekly. On Friday, the US magazine published a list of the top 15 celebrities around the globe that are the most influential and active on social media. BTS landed at No. 14, becoming the only Asian act to make it to the star-studded list. US Weekly also introduced BTS’ recent achievements related to social media, which included how the group’s worldwide fan group contributed to BTS winning top s

PerformanceOct. 22, 2017

Netizens demand Choi Si-won drop out of drama after recent dog bite death

Netizens are demanding that singer-actor Choi Si-won drop out of “Revolutionary Love,” a newly launched drama series in which Choi plays a lead role, following the death of a local businesswoman who died after being attacked by Choi’s family pet dog.  Choi Si-won poses with his family dog. (Choi Si-won’s Instagram)As of Sunday morning, the tvN drama’s online viewer board has been bombarded with comments claiming that Choi should take responsibility for the incident by quitting the series. Some o

TelevisionOct. 22, 2017

Busan film festival audience up 17% to top 190,000

The number of attendees at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) increased about 17 percent from last year to top 190,000, its organizer said Saturday.The 22nd BIFF opened in Busan on Oct. 12 and closed its 10-day run after featuring 299 movies from 69 countries which have been shown on 32 screens at five theaters in the southern South Korean port city. World and international premieres reached 99 and 31, respectively.(Yonhap)In a closing news conference, the BIFF organizing commi

FilmOct. 21, 2017

Singer-actor Choi Si-won apologizes for death of neighbor bitten

Korean singer and actor Choi Si-won on Saturday offered an apology over the death of a local businesswoman who recently died after being attacked by his family's pet dog at an apartment in southern Seoul.The 30-year-old Choi, who gained fame as a member of the Korean boy band Super Junior, said in his social media post that he is deeply sorry for the death of his neighbor bitten by a dog raised by his family and offered an apology to the bereaved family.(Yonhap)News reports said earlier that the

PerformanceOct. 21, 2017