Park Yu-chun’s wedding delayed

Singer-actor Park Yu-chun’s wedding has been put off once again, as the date has not been set yet, according to his agency. In July, the member of JYJ confirmed the wedding rumors -- which had been circulating since April -- and subsequent reports said his wedding would take place on Sept. 10. It was later reported that the date had been postponed to Sept. 20. Park Yu-chun (C-Jes Entertainment)“A specific date hasn’t been set yet. Park technically never confirmed the date himself, so it can’t be

PerformanceSept. 13, 2017

Actor Ryu Jun-yeol to release single for fans

Ryu Jun-yeol will release his first official single, according to Amoeba Culture and Loen Entertainment.  Actor Ryu Jun-yeol to release single for fansThe agencies said Tuesday that the actor had collaborated on a music production project called “Mixxxture” and would release a single later this month. Continuing from the project’s first volume, “Nosedive” by Dynamic Duo and EXO’s Chen in January, Ryu’s upcoming song has been produced and written by Philtre, the mastermind behind “A Little Girl,”

TelevisionSept. 13, 2017

CJ E&M aims to become global film production studio

Contents conglomerate CJ E&M plans to aggressively expand global film production, the company announced at a press conference Wednesday.CJ E&M, the largest film distributor in Korea, plans to produce and distribute 20 films per year in foreign markets by 2020. Currently, the company funds and distributes some 10 to 15 films in Korea each year. 　“The Korean movie market has reached saturation point,” said Jeong Tae-sung, CEO of CJ Entertainment, the company’s movie arm, in a presentation at The P

FilmSept. 13, 2017

BTS' 'Fire' music video tops 200 mln YouTube views

K-pop band BTS' music video for "Fire" surpassed 200 million views on YouTube, its agency said Wednesday.Released on May 1, 2016, the video reached the milestone at around 1 a.m., becoming its fifth video to hit the mark according to Big Hit Entertainment. (Big Hit Entertainment)"Fire" is the title track of its "Epilogue: Young Forever" album. It was No. 3 on YouTube's 2016 list for the world's most-viewed K-pop music videos.BTS will release a new album titled "Love Yourself: Her" next Monday. T

PerformanceSept. 13, 2017

Hip-hop duo UV’s Muzie makes solo return

Hip-hop artist Muzie, better known as a member of comedic hip-hop duo UV, will return as a solo artist after a five-year break.According to Muzie Sound, the singer is set to drop a new solo EP on Sept. 22. It will mark his first release since his first solo EP “My Name Is Muzie” in 2012. The label also stated that Muzie plans to continue releasing EPs and full-length albums.  Muzie (Muzie Sound)After years as a singer-songwriter and a member of band High Syde in the underground music scene, Muzi

PerformanceSept. 12, 2017

NU’EST W fans warned about ticket scam for Taiwan concert

NU’EST W fans have been warned against purchasing fake tickets from scalpers for the group’s upcoming concert in Taiwan. The event’s organizer took to its Facebook page Monday to clarify the situation and asked fans not to be deceived by the scalpers saying, “If you have purchased the tickets, they are absolute scams!” Tickets for the concert have not yet been released. Fans in Taiwan were confused by Weibo posts which said “reserved tickets” or “group tickets” for the concert were being sold. 

PerformanceSept. 12, 2017

Celebrity muzzling in Korea dates back to Lee Myung-bak administration

In light of revelations that two previous administrations had blacklisted “leftist” cultural figures since 2009, investigators are expected to expand their probe to target the Lee Myung-bak administration as well.A National Intelligence Service investigation on irregularities of past administrations on Monday turned up a blacklist of 82 figures in the culture and entertainment circles that was drawn up during the term of former President Lee.It was revealed earlier in the year that former Presid

CultureSept. 12, 2017

[Photo News] ‘Beolcho’: Weeding of ancestral tombs

The annual Weeding around ancestral tombs is ongoing ahead of the Chuseok holidays at Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.“Beolcho” is an effort by descendants to maintain their ancestors’ burial spots in respectable conditions. It normally takes place two to four times a year following a Joseon-era tradition.(phko@heraldcorp.com)

CultureSept. 12, 2017

Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton to visit Korea for ‘Kingsman 2’

Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Taron Egerton from the cast of “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” will be coming to Korea on Sept. 20, 20th Century Fox Korea announced Tuesday.It will be the first Korea visit for English actor Firth, known here for the “Bridget Jones” series, “Love Actually” (2003) and “The King’s Speech” (2010). Welsh actor Egerton and Scottish actor Strong also gained popularity in the 2014 prequel “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” which was a box office hit here. Taron Egerton stars in

FilmSept. 12, 2017

Congress of Korean-language writers kicks off in Gyeongju

An event celebrating Korean-language literature by writers from around the world kicked off Tuesday in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.The 3rd International Congress of Writers Writing in Korean will run until Friday at the city’s Hwabaek International Convention Center.Some 63 writers from 17 countries are participating in this year’s event organized under the theme, “Korean literature, dreaming of peace in the global world,” to discuss Korean-language literature’s significance and globaliz

BooksSept. 12, 2017

Busan film fest to open, close with female directors

For the first time in its 22-year history, works by female directors will both open and close the Busan International Film Festival.　Korea’s “Glass Garden,” directed by Shin Su-won and starring actress Moon Geun-young, is set to open the festival, which will run in the southeastern port city of Busan from Oct. 12-21.　 Busan International Film Festival’s Executive Director Kang Soo-youn (left) and Chairman Kim Dong-ho speak to press at the President Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Monday. (Yonhap)The fi

FilmSept. 11, 2017

'Memoir of a Murderer' soars on debut weekend

"Memoir of a Murderer," starring actor Seol Kyung-gu, got off to a promising start over the weekend, data showed Monday.The Showbox crime-thriller, which received mostly positive reviews, attracted a solid audience of 899,986 on its opening weekend, according to real-time box office figures from the Korean Film Council. The movie's accumulated number of views reached 1.191 million.Based on Kim Young-ha's best-selling novel of the same name, the Won Shin-yun-directed film has topped the daily cha

FilmSept. 11, 2017

Ever-expanding universe of ramen

Ramen -- or ramyeon, as instant noodles are known locally -- is widely recognized as Korea’s soul food. 　 Korea is the leading consumer of ramen per person in the world, each person eating about 76 bowls per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. 　 The dish’s popularity was palpable at the annual Ramen Fair that took place at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul from Sept. 9-11. In its third year, some 80 companies set up 230 booth at the fair

CultureSept. 11, 2017

US remake of 'Good Doctor' set for premier this month

An American remake of the South Korean TV series "Good Doctor" is poised to make its premier this month in the US, with the collective eyes of the Korean television industry fixed on whether the show can make a successful landing.The American adaptation of the show, titled "The Good Doctor," is scheduled to premier on Sept. 25 on ABC, according to the network and producers. The weekly show is the first remake of South Korean source material to get prime time treatment. (Sony Pictures Television)

TelevisionSept. 11, 2017

2017 MAMA to be held in 3 countries

Mnet Asian Music Awards, an annual K-pop award ceremony, will hold “MAMA Week” in three countries this year, its organizer CJ E&M said Monday. The music awards will kick off in Hoa Binh Theater, Vietnam on Nov. 25, then head to Yokohama Arena, Japan on Nov. 29, before winding up in Hong Kong with two events, at W Hotel Hong Kong on Nov. 30 and at AsiaWorld-Expo on Dec. 1.  (CJ E&M)“Expanding MAMA, which has been a one-day event in an Asian country, as a week-long event in Vietnam, Japan and Hong

PerformanceSept. 11, 2017

The Chainsmokers collaborates with BTS for ‘Love Yourself’

BTS’ upcoming album “Love Yourself Seung Her” will feature a collaboration with American DJ and producer duo the Chainsmokers.The track “Best of Me,” is an electronic dance music track featuring the Chainsmokers’ expressive harmonies. Rap Monster, Suga and J-Hope of BTS and Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers collaborated on the track.  (BTS' Twitter)The two artists met in May when BTS attended the Billboard Music Awards where the K-pop juggernaut grabbed the award in the top social artist catego

PerformanceSept. 11, 2017

Halal eating, not as easy as ABC in Korea

For Muslims, eating right means more than simply a balanced diet; it is a sacred law of their religion that they dutifully abide by.Halal -- roughly translated into “permissible” from Arabic -- food refers to that which is permitted for consumption in Islam. Haram, or “forbidden,” foods are those that Muslims must stay away from, such as alcohol and certain types of meat, notably pork and dog meat. Muslim bloggers in Korea try halal food at a hotel in Seoul on Thursday during an event organized

FoodSept. 10, 2017

‘A Taxi Driver’ becomes 10th most-viewed Korean film

“A Taxi Driver” has become the first film this year to surpass the 12 million-ticket mark as of Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council. 　The film has sold 12,023,670 tickets in total, becoming the 10th most-viewed Korean film in the country. It sold some 40,000 tickets on Saturday alone. 　The ninth most-viewed Korean film is “King and the Clown” (2005) by Lee Joon-ik, with 12,302,831 tickets sold.  Song Kang-ho stars in “A Taxi Driver.” (Showbox)“A Taxi Driver,” directed by Jang Hoon, ha

FilmSept. 10, 2017

Pianist Sohn Jeung-beum ranks 1st in Munich competition

Pianist Sohn Jeung-beum has become the first South Korean to win the piano category of the ARD International Music Competition, its organizer said Sunday.The 26-year-old won the first prize at the 66th ARD International Music Competition in Munich, the largest international classical music competition in Germany.In the contest’s final stage that took place Saturday, Sohn played Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto No. 1.It is the first time a South Korean has won the first prize in the piano category of

PerformanceSept. 10, 2017

Gina Kim, Eugene YK Chung nab top VR awards at Venice film fest

Korean filmmaker Gina Kim won the best virtual reality story award for “Bloodless” at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, which closed Saturday.The best VR award went to the animation film “Arden’s Wake,” written and directed by Eugene YK Chung, director and founder of Penrose, a US startup that focuses on augmented and virtual reality. “Bloodless,” a 12-minute film about a sex worker’s final moments, is based on the case of a US soldier’s brutal murder of a Korean bar worker in the US

FilmSept. 10, 2017