Webtoon-based film ‘Along with the Gods’ sold to 12 countries

The film remake of the webtoon “Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds” has been sold to 12 countries at the Asian Film Market.The film directed by Kim Yong-hwa is a story about a person’s journey into the afterlife and the judgment faced in seven hells, led by the angel of death. It stars Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon. Ju Ji-hoon (left) and Ha Jung-woo star in “Along with the Gods.” (Lotte Entertainment)A 12-minute highlight reel was screened for buyers at the Asian Film Market to enthu

FilmOct. 18, 2017

[Herald Interview] Block B’s U-Kwon seeks to make name for himself

U-Kwon is not the first name that pops into your head when you think about Block B. Odds are that it is not even the second or third. But the 25-year-old K-pop star says he wants to be remembered as more than the top dancer of his group, seeking to establish himself as an artist by honing his skills as a musician. “When I look back at the past seven years, I wasn’t the most notable member of the team. I’ve never been the leader,” U-Kwon said, in an interview a month before Block B’s next release

PerformanceOct. 18, 2017

Ed Sheeran cancels part of Asia tour after cycling accident

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran said Wednesday that he is canceling some concerts of his upcoming Asia tour, including one in Seoul, due to an injury he sustained in a cycling accident.“A visit to my doctors this morning confirmed fractures in my right wrist and left elbow that will leave me unable to perform live concerts for the immediate future. Sadly, this means that the following shows will not be able to go ahead as planned: Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong,” Sheeran was quot

PerformanceOct. 18, 2017

[Herald Interview] Girls’ Generation’s stylist caps K-pop fashion industry over years

After over eight years of curating the looks of K-pop fashion icon Girls’ Generation, stylist Seo Soo-kyung is often called the ninth member of the group for her family-like bond and history with the members. Since her initial engagement with the sensational girl group for its third full-length album “The Boys” in 2011, Seo has evolved side by side with Girls’ Generation to become a super-stylist who now has an impressive portfolio highlighted by partnerships with global stars Psy and Seventeen.

CultureOct. 18, 2017

Despair, lack of hope pervades in Asian cinema: Oliver Stone

Director Oliver Stone met with reporters Tuesday at the Busan Cinema Center to discuss his impression of Korean cinema’s current mood. Stone commented on the jury’s review of the New Currents category, of which he is head juror this year.　“The jury saw ten films and I have to say we commented last night and made our choices which will be announced Saturday night. The whole jury commented on the despair and lack of hope that was evident in the ten films we saw, from not only Korea but China, Taiw

FilmOct. 17, 2017

No. of visitors to local tourist attractions soars 60% during holiday

The number of visitors to local tourist destinations soared nearly 60 percent during the recent Chuseok holiday season, government data showed Tuesday.According to data compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 8.87 million people visited 108 major tourist attractions in South Korea during the 10-day Chuseok break, the country's autumn harvest celebration, up 59.6 percent from 5.56 million tallied last year.  Tourists visit Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province (Yonhap)This year,

TravelOct. 17, 2017

iKon transforms into high school students for new JTBC show

K-pop group iKon will go back in time on a new JTBC show that will feature the group’s members going on a field trip as students of an imaginary high school.The variety program will center on a field trip that violates school rules. It will be produced by YG Entertainment and will also feature comedians Jeong Hyeong-don, Jo Se-ho and Kim Shin-young.Seven rising stars from Japan will accompany the K-pop act including members of the Japanese girl group GEM. The three comedians will take on the rol

TelevisionOct. 17, 2017

Ed Sheeran’s Asia concerts in doubt after arm injury

Ed Sheeran’s upcoming Asia tour, including a concert in Seoul, was thrown into doubt Tuesday after the award-winning British artist notified fans that he had sustained an arm injury in a cycling accident.The singer-songwriter on Monday posted a picture of his arm in a cast on his Instagram account. The UK media reported that the incident had happened Sunday. The poster for Ed Sheeran’s upcoming Seoul concert ( Private Curve)“I’ve had a bit of a bicycle accident and I’m currently waiting on some

PerformanceOct. 17, 2017

Block B to comeback in November　

Block B is gearing up for a new release in early November, its agency said Tuesday.According to officials at KQ Entertainment, the group is currently preparing for the album. (KQ Entertainment)“It is likely that (the group) will return next month,” said an official from the agency. “We are uncertain about the details, as we aren’t even set on what the title track will be.”It is still unclear whether the new record will be a single, EP or a full-length album.It would mark the first time in nine m

PerformanceOct. 17, 2017

[Photo News] Han River covered with buckwheat flowers

Buckwheat and canola flowers cover Banpo Seoraeseom Island in Seoul on Tuesday. With temperatures falling to 9 degrees Celsius in the mornings and nights in the capital city, Korea has fully entered the fall season. By Park Hyun-koo (phko@heraldcorp.com)

TravelOct. 17, 2017

Female presence strong at Busan Film Fest

Female actors and directors are being spotlighted at the 22nd edition of the Busan International Film Festival this year.For the first time in the festival’s history, both the opening and closing films -- Shin Su-won’s “Glass Garden” and Sylvia Chang’s “Love Education” -- have been helmed by female directors. “Glass Garden” features actress Moon Geun-young as its lead, while “Love Education” tells the stories of Chinese women.BIFF’s leader Kang Soo-youn, a veteran actress and the first female ex

FilmOct. 17, 2017

Romance titled ‘Let Me Eat Your Pancreas’ grabs attention at BIFF

A romance film titled “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas” has become one of the most talked-about films among festivalgoers at this year’s Busan International Film Festival.The Japanese film directed by Sho Tsukikawa and starring Minami Hamabe, Takumi Kitamura and Shun Oguri, is based on a 2015 novel of the same titled by Yoru Sumino, which became a bestseller in Japan. In the film, the protagonist, a high school student, discovers that his popular classmate Sakura is suffering from a pancreatic disease

FilmOct. 17, 2017

Hirokazu Kore-eda joins ‘Ten Years’ international spin-off

BUSAN (Yonhap) -- Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda on Monday formally announced his plan to executive produce a Japanese spin-off of the 2015 Hong Kong sleeper hit “Ten Years.”“Ten Years Japan” will compose an international omnibus film project along with “Ten Years Thailand” and “Ten Years Taiwan,” which are already filming in their respective locations.The original “Ten Years” was a dystopian anthology of five short films by young Hong Kong directors which envisaged how Hong Kong would chan

FilmOct. 17, 2017

[Herald Interview] Virtual reality is the next great art form: Eugene Chung

BUSAN -- Virtual reality has been grabbing attention as the “next big thing” in film. Busan International Film Festival is operating a VR theater this year; Venice’s Biennale became the first major film festival to incorporate an award category for VR films.　Eugene Chung, VR filmmaker and CEO of Penrose Studios, believes the new medium will impact the film industry in profound ways. 　“My entire life I was very interested in the idea of how art forms change over time. But I never thought I’d live

FilmOct. 17, 2017

BTS hints at new project by flying mysterious blimps

Not long after completing promotions for the group’s latest EP “Love Yourself Seung Her,” BTS swiftly moved on to its new project, this time in the form of advertisement blimps. On Monday, two large ad blimps that showed members Jin and Jimin’s photos appeared in the skies over Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province and Busan, respectively. The blimp in Gwacheon, Jin’s hometown, featured a phrase “Love Myself” on the front and “I Will Always Love ARMY” on the back. The one in Busan, where Jimin is from, ha

PerformanceOct. 17, 2017

Art project seeks to recreate Korean colors in modern context

The digital beauty and fashion magazine 0/1 Creative Book released Monday its new photo series “The Power of Korea’s Special Colors” themed on blue and red threads. Blue and red are considered to be the most Korean colors and they are embedded in Korean people’s lives and culture. The photos depicted the charm of Korea with threads that represent the two colors. The photos are part of the magazine’s long-term project themed “A Splash of Old and New,” which aims to reinterpret and recreate the un

CultureOct. 17, 2017

Platform Busan hopes to provide community for Asian indie filmmakers

BUSAN -- Independent filmmakers from around Asia have high hopes for the Busan International Film Festival’s newly launched feature Platform Busan, they said Sunday.The platform, in commemoration of the late BIFF executive programmer Kim Ji-seok, seeks to provide a network and community for indie filmmakers throughout Asia, who often struggle from lack of funding and producing in their respective countries. Its blueprint was designed by Kim years before his death. “During a lunch last year, Kim

FilmOct. 16, 2017

[Herald Review] Taemin showcases talent as soloist at Seoul concert

  Taemin performs during a concert at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul on Sunday. (S.M. Entertainment)Taemin has pushed the boundaries of his music career, growing from one-fifth of boy band SHINee into a prominent soloist. On the eve of his long-waited return to the K-pop scene with a new solo album, Taemin took to the stage Sunday to showcase the versatility he has built over his nine-year career as a K-pop idol.Taemin hit the stage with songs from his upcoming album at the “Taemin 1st Solo Concert”

PerformanceOct. 16, 2017

Twice to release 1st full-length album

Twice on Monday confirmed the upcoming release of its first full-length album “Twicetagram.” The album, to be released at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, will feature a title track “Likey,” according to JYP Entertainment. Twice performs during a fan event in Seoul on Monday. (JYP Entertainment)It would mark the third comeback for the girl group this year, after “Knock “Knock” and “Signal” were both very well-received.Fans got a hold of the news firsthand during the “Twice Fan meeting Once Begins” on Sunday,

PerformanceOct. 16, 2017

Remains indicate East-West exchange in ancient times

A Korea-Mongolia joint archaeological dig has uncovered the mummified remains of a Chinese man in the Altai Mountains, seemingly indicating ample cultural exchange between the East and West some 2,000 years ago.The project was conducted at the Shiveet Khairkhan mountain in Mongolia, across where Pazyrik culture-style stone tombs are scattered. Pazyrik refers to a Scythian Iron Age archaeological culture that existed between the 6th and 3rd century BC.  An ancient tomb and a mummy of what is pres

CultureOct. 16, 2017