Migrant groups mark anti-discrimination day

Foreign workers and residents groups marked International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with a rally in central Seoul on Sunday.Gathering in front of the Bosingak Bell near Jongak Station, participants held up placards with slogans such as “End racial discrimination and hatred.” Some said “Stop Trump” in reference to the US president’s anti-migrant rhetoric and policies. Foreign residents attend a rally to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Expat LivingMarch 21, 2017

V-Day Seoul to stage monologues in aid of rape crisis center

The V-Day Seoul 2017 Project will present a bilingual Korean and English reading of “The Vagina Monologues” on Saturday and Sunday in aid of the Korean Sexual Violence Relief Center.The reading is part of V-Day, an international collaboration to end violence against women and girls, which also has Korean events in Busan and Gwangju.The award-winning 1996 play by V-Day founder and playwright Eve Ensler is based on interviews she conducted with more than 200 women. It has since been performed arou

Expat LivingMarch 21, 2017

CNBLUE nails it on foreign charts

K-pop band CNBLUE‘s EP “7℃N” has been going strong abroad, topping iTunes charts in nine regions as of Tuesday.The band‘s seventh EP has ranked No.1 in the top 100 music album charts in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam less than a day after its Monday release at 6:00 p.m. CNBLUE (FNC Entertainment)“7℃N” marks the first EP for the four-men band since the release of “Blueming” last April. The main track “Between Us” was written by group leader

PerformanceMarch 21, 2017

[Herald Review] ‘One Line’ tries to discuss money, but falls short

The new bank scam thriller “One Line” traces a very specific type of crime that emerged around 2005. By then, Korea’s economy had recovered to a certain extent from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, but an uneasiness foreshadowed the soon-to-come global crisis of 2007. Locally, it was a period when the gap between the rich and poor widened and solidified, stirring up anger among those with less.　It was during this time that a group of scammers began to “rob” banks, according to director Yang Kyun

FilmMarch 21, 2017

iKON wraps Japan tour, readies for Korea comeback

Boy band iKON has successfully completed its Japan tour, wrapping up with the Japan Yokohama Arena concert on Monday, attended by some 13,000 fans.The group is now gearing up for a Korean comeback sometime before May. The seven-member boy band will be returning with two title tracks written by the group members, its agency YG Entertainment said Tuesday.  iKON performs at the Japan Yokohama Arena concert on Monday. (YG Entertainment)iKON toured three cities -- Osaka, Fukuoka and Yokohama -- and h

PerformanceMarch 21, 2017

'Descendants of the Sun' wins grand prize from broadcasting watchdog

The smash-hit television series "Descendants of the Sun" received the top honor at the 2017 Korea Communications Commission Broadcasting Awards on Monday.The series garnered high scores for its quality screenplay and depiction of the core humanitarian values of peace and dedication while being hugely popular at home and abroad as a successful pre-produced drama series, according to the Korea Communications Commission, the nation's broadcasting watchdog body. (Yonhap)Broadcast simultaneously on S

TelevisionMarch 21, 2017

'Youn's Restaurant' aims to one-up food shows by opening overseas shop

It's been quite some time since "meokbang," a Korean popular cultural phenomenon of people broadcasting themselves preparing food and eating, penetrated mainstream television. An average South Korean hardly has difficulty in seeing a TV celebrity indulging in some epicurean delicacy in front of a national audience every week.  (Yonhap)Yet apparently, the TV market segment on food still has room to grow. Director Na Yeong-seok, who has virtually brought the meokbang genre to mainstream TV via tvN

TelevisionMarch 21, 2017

'Defendant' reigns over TV popularity chart as it nears finale

"Defendant," SBS TV's popular late night crime thriller, kept a firm grip on a benchmark TV popularity index, as the series prepares to bow out from an explosive 18-episode run, data showed Tuesday.  (Yonhap)"Defendant," starring Ji Sung, scored 269.5 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), staying as the No. 1 TV program during the March 6-March 12 period.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of relate

TelevisionMarch 21, 2017

Lee Je-hoon cast as English tutor in new film

Lee Je-hoon will star in the upcoming film “I Can Speak” (unofficial translation), a story of two people who bond through learning English.Lee, who currently stars in the tvN romantic comedy series “Tomorrow With You” with Shin Min-ah, will begin filming at the end of March, according to the film’s producers See Sun and Myung Films on Monday. Lee Je-hoon (Saram Entertainment) Na Moon-hee (Official website)Lee will play a civil servant, acting alongside veteran actress Na Moon-hee, who plays a ne

FilmMarch 20, 2017

Gong Yoo tops brand value among film actors

Gong Yoo was ranked as the film actor with the highest brand value in February and March, according to recent research.  Actor Gong Yoo (Management Soop)Korea Reputation Center collected and analyzed over 36 million pieces of data on the 25 most talked Korean film actors between Feb. 17 and March 17. The result showed that Gong Yoo, who most recently starred in tvN’s hit drama “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” received the highest consumer participation rate among the 25 actors, which means

March 20, 2017

[Seoul Saunter] Odd but pleasant mix of past, present in Ikseon-dong

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are maze-like alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. The Korea Herald explores the many nooks and crannies of Seoul, proclaimed the capital of Joseon in 1392, that reveal a multifaceted city. -- Ed. Walking out of the Jongno 3-ga Station in central Seoul, you will find vibrant streets of jewelry shops, tourists, couples on dates, street vendors and movie

CultureMarch 20, 2017

Rap Monster, Wale collaborate on ‘Change’

Bangtan Boys’ Rap Monster and US rapper Wale on Monday released their song “Change” along with the music video via the K-pop group’s official social networking pages. “The two artists have been interested in each other’s music and naturally came to work together,” said BTS’s agency Big Hit Entertainment.  A scene from the music video of “Change.” (Big Hit Entertainment)Wale initiated the collaboration in November when he replied to Rap Monster’s cover of his song with a comment “Collab???!” whic

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017

Dynamic Duo's Gaeko to release second new album next month

Gaeko of South Korean hip hop act Dynamic Duo will release his second solo album next month, according to his agency Monday."Gaeko has led the album's production as well as the overall artistic direction of the music video," Amoeba culture said, and asked fans to expect new songs with Gaeko's distinct color and style.Amoeba Culture released a teaser image for Gaeko's new album, featuring what appears as an anthropomorphized elephant wearing a robe on a cloud, shooting beams from its eyes.  A tea

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017

2,500 flock to 2017 SXSW's K-pop night: Seoul agency

From mainstream idol groups to indie acts, South Korean musicians representing today's Korean music scene have thrown a heated gig at this year's South by Southwest festival in the United States, according to organizers Monday.Seven South Korean acts -- Red Velvet, Tiger JK, Hyolyn of girl group Sistar, Yoon Mi-rae, No Brain, Galaxy Express and Big Phony -- took part in the "K-pop Night Out" at the 2017 SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 17 local time, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency.

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017

K-pop groups seek to explore non-Chinese markets

Popular K-pop stars held successful concerts in East Asian nations over the weekend, in a positive sign that the region can fill the hole left in the wake of a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over a US anti-missile system.On Saturday, Kim Jae-joong, a member of JYJ, performed in Bangkok, Thailand. It was his first visit to the country since March 2014.Around 5,000 fans, not only from the country but also from neighboring nations including Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, flew in to see the Ko

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017

IU to release 'Night Letter' from upcoming album this week

Singer-songwriter IU will release her new song "Night Letter," part of her upcoming fourth full-length album, this week, her agency said Monday. (Yonhap)The K-pop diva will release "Night Letter" on Friday, according to Loen-Fave Entertainment. The company released accompanying movie poster-like teaser images for the song on the artist's social media.IU's new album will be released on April 21. The singer is scheduled to release another song on April 7 before the entire album comes out.The upcom

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017

'Beauty and the Beast' enchants S. Korean box office

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" smashed the local box office on its opening weekend, taking up nearly 67 percent of all ticket sales, data showed Monday.The live-action version of the animated classic, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, garnered 1.4 million views over the March 17-19 weekend, supplanting the previous No. 1, "Kong: Skull Island," according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council. A promotional poster for "Beauty and the Beast" (Yonhap)The King Kong

FilmMarch 20, 2017

CNBLUE drops new teaser for 'Between Us'

South Korean idol rock band CNBLUE has unveiled a new teaser for its upcoming new song "Between Us." (Yonhap)The short clip uploaded on the website of FNC Entertainment, the group's agency, features the four band members performing the pop rock number in a live stage setting, transitioning between black-and-white and color footage. The song, part of CNBLUE's seventh EP album titled "7℃N," is about the emotional complexities two people face right before the start of a romantic relationship, commo

PerformanceMarch 20, 2017