Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Yoo hae-jin and Kim Tae-ri will star in the historical drama film tentatively titled “1987,” which draws on the democratization movement of 1987, a watershed event in the history of Korean democracy, the film’s distributor CJ Entertainment announced Monday.The film will chronicle the anti-government protests that took place from June 10-29, 1987, sparked in part by the death of Park Jong-chul, a Seoul National University student killed while being interrogated and tor

FilmApril 3, 2017

South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung signed a management deal with a Japanese company, her Korean agency said Monday.Management AND said she inked the deal with Humanite Co., expecting the Japanese company to help the actress expand her career in Japan, as well as in other countries.  This undated photo provided by Management AND shows South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung. (Yonhap)"We believe the good connection Humanite has established will serve as a stepping stone for Shim to enter other market

FilmApril 3, 2017

Korean boy band Monsta X will make its debut in Japan next month in partnership with Universal Music Japan, the group‘s agency said Monday.The seven-member act has signed a contract with Universal Music Japan’s new label Mercury Tokyo to drop its Japanese debuting single “Hero” on May 17, Starship Entertainment said. (Starship Entertainment)The single will have the Japanese version of two hit songs “Hero” and “Stuck.” The music video for the original Korean version of “Hero” has drawn 30 million

PerformanceApril 3, 2017

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- The sound of a lone cello struggling against the orchestra opened this year’s Tongyeong International Music Festival in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday.German-French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt and the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra led by Stefan Soltesz performed Yun I-sang’s Cello Concerto written in 1976. The Korean-born composer was abducted from Germany by Korean agents in 1967 and handed a lifetime sentence on a charge of treason. He was imp

PerformanceApril 2, 2017

Boy band Winner on Saturday released a teaser clip of the music video for its new single “Fool,” slated for release Tuesday, via the official blog for its agency YG Entertainment.The 26-second video features the four bandmates clad in white and walking out of a building in what appears to symbolize their long-waited return to the stage. The group has not released a song for over a year, although its members continued on with their individual musical and acting gigs.Winner (YG Entertainment)“Fool

PerformanceApril 2, 2017

As an April Fool’s day gag, South Korean girl group Oh My Girl announced their comeback as male group “Oh My Boy” on Saturday. The group released a teaser clip of their choreography for “Perfect Day,” which is part of their fourth album “Coloring Book.” In the clip, the band is dressed in white uniforms and declaring, “A miracle! Today is April 1. Aren’t you curious about the ‘Perfect Day’? April 5, 2017. Oh My Boy comes back!” Teaser image by Oh My Girl (WM Entertainment)The group’s agency WM E

PerformanceApril 2, 2017

“Russia in Revolution: An Empire in Crisis, 1890-1928” by S.A. Smith; Oxford University Press (455 pages, $34.95)“Lenin on the Train” by Catherine Merridale; Metropolitan Books (353 pages, $30)“Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, Russia, 1917: A World on the Edge” by Helen Rappaport; St. Martin‘s Press (430 pages, $27.99) Russian President Vladimir (right) denounces Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin for his brutal rule and for placing a “time bomb” under Russia. (AP PHOTO)One hundred years ag

BooksApril 2, 2017

Children’s birthday at Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Grand Hyatt Seoul is offering a children’s birthday party package at restaurant JJ Gazebo. Up to 15 children can have a private garden party with pizza, a birthday cake, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, apple pie and more. After lunch, they will have two hours of play time with friends under the supervision of a recreation specialist, with activities ranging from sword play to treasure hunts, ball games and more. After playing, children can take a short trek

FoodMarch 31, 2017

As winter ends so does the robust seafood season that filled our palates with the freshest catches in the frigid months. As if to offer one last hurrah, baby webfoot octopus, known as jjukkumi, make their way onto menus heralding the advent of a glorious spring.There is no doubt that Koreans know their seafood, and there is no surprise as to how creatively they like to enjoy it. From raw soy-pickled crab to par-dried salted grilled fish, to the absolutely wacky, wriggling sannakji squid eaten al

FoodMarch 31, 2017

Michael Breen, a consultant and a former journalist, has just published a new book on Korea as seen through his eyes.“The New Koreans” was originally intended as a sequel to his previous book “The Koreans,” written in the late 1990s. But as is natural with the passage of time, much in Korea has changed and so has Breen’s perceptions and observations about the nation. In his first book, Breen proposed the idea that Korea’s economic miracle, so-called the “Miracle on the Han,” led to the second mi

BooksMarch 31, 2017

Seoul Fashion Week fall-winter 2017 comes to an end today after six fashion-filled days and nights.Celebrated for its wealth of young talent and their vibrant energy, Seoul Fashion Week is also remarkable for the colorful scenes that unfold outside Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the main fashion week venue. Hordes of young fashionistas strut down the long walkways outside the DDP as if on a real runway and strike poses in front of the cool metallic panels of the iconic Zaha Hadid building for anyone a

Arts & DesignMarch 31, 2017

Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival will be held in the area of Jeonnong-ro and the entrance of Jeju National University. The peak of the King Cherry Tree blossoms lasts for only two to three days, but the beautiful blossoms can be seen for weeks, until April 9.There are no admission fees. For more information, call the travel hotline at 1330 for Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese services, or visit www.visitjeju.net for information provided in Korean, English, Japanese

TravelMarch 31, 2017

One Line(Korea)Opened March 29Crime, thriller. Directed by Yang Kyung-moUniversity student Lee Min-jae (Im Si-wan), struggling in poverty, seeks out loan brokerage services to borrow money from banks. The head of the operation is Jang Seok-goo (Jin Goo), who helps people fabricate documents and identities in order to obtain loans they do not qualify for. The two, both savvy at reading people and with a knack for numbers, eventually team up to funnel huge sums of fraudulent loans. The Prison(Kore

FilmMarch 31, 2017

One of the most striking sequences in “Ghost in the Shell,” a dystopian noir-thriller with no shortage of striking sequences, shows a female cyborg being assembled in mid-air, piece by piece. The circuitry pulses exquisitely. A fleshy pink brain snaps neatly into place. The body, once built, is submerged in a milk-white liquid, forming a hard, glossy shell that splinters open to reveal the impeccably sculpted form and features of Scarlett Johansson.While this “birth” sequence closely follows the

FilmMarch 31, 2017

A small child lifts his arms so that he can be lifted up into a waiting train. There is an innocence in the youngster’s eyes revealing no knowledge of the horrific fate that lies ahead.He’s followed by another child and then another. Finally the last child is placed on the train and the Jewish youngsters begin their trip to death at the hands of the Nazis. Only the mix of looks of anguish, loss of hope and hatred on the face of Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) reveals the heartbreaking truth of

FilmMarch 31, 2017

K-pop behemoth S.M. Entertainment has become the largest shareholder of Mystic Entertainment after strategically investing in 28 percent of the management agency’s shares, S.M. stated Thursday.Helmed by producer Yoon Jong-shin since 2010, Mystic is known for fostering artists with folksier, alternative sounds such as Eddy Kim, Puer Kim and former 2AM member-turned-rocker Jeong Jin-woon. Mystic recently strengthened its video content department by recruiting Yeo Woon-hyuk, the producer of variety

PerformanceMarch 31, 2017

Kim Nam-gil and Chun Woo-hee team up for an unlikely romance in “Oneday,” a quiet drama about death and the grief of those who survive.　“It felt like a fairy tale for adults. I wasn’t sure how the fantasy elements would be used in the film,” said Kim on Thursday at a press conference in Wangsimni, Seoul.　“My biggest concern is always how to convey characters as naturally as possible.”　 A still from “Oneday” (Opus Pictures)In the film, Kim plays Kang-soo, an insurance company employee who struggl

FilmMarch 31, 2017

Over 30 Korean TV networks and production companies will attend this year’s MIPTV, the world’s largest TV and online content trade show next month in France, a state-run content agency said Thursday.　 This file photo provided by Korea Creative Content Agency shows the exhibition floor of the MIPTV 2016 in Cannes, France. (Yonhap)A total of 19 networks and production firms -- including KBS, MBC, SBS and CJ E&M -- and 15 animation studios, including Samg Animation, Synergy Media and Aurora World,

TelevisionMarch 31, 2017

Following the hit office drama series “Good Manager” will be the romantic comedy show “Mystery Queen,” featuring Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Kang-hee as leads.　The 16-episode show will air Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m., beginning April 5, KBS announced Thursday. Kwon will be portraying the hardened, charismatic detective Ha Wan-seung, while Choi will play Yoo Seol-ok, a spunky civilian who has a huge interest in solving mysteries.　Kwon Sang-woo (left) and Choi Kang-hee star in the upcoming TV s

TelevisionMarch 30, 2017