[Herald Interview] Kumho and Kuhmo join hands to highlight young talents

Jet lag is part of the life of internationally renowned musicians these days. Vladimir Mendelssohn, a Romanian-born violist and composer now based in the Netherlands, is no exception. In Seoul for the three-day Kumho & Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Mendelssohn said he fell asleep at 9 a.m. for about an hour before leaving his hotel for the interview held Thursday morning at the Kumho Art Hall in downtown Seoul. Artistic director of the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival since 2005, Mendelssohn is used

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

BTS’ ‘Outro: Wings’ deemed unfit for broadcasting by KBS

State broadcaster KBS has banned a song from BTS’ (Bangtan Boys) soon-to-be-released album citing obscene language. KBS announced that one of the songs contained in BTS’ upcoming album “Wings: You Never Walk Alone” does not meet broadcasting standards. BTS (Bangtan Boys) (Big Hit Entertainment)“After a thorough review, we decided to pull the song from our broadcast,” KBS said. “The lyrics contain profanity and vulgar words including one particular line saying, ‘B------, don’t be scared’.” Bangta

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

Big Bang's T.O.P, JYJ's Kim Jun-su enlist in military

Two South Korean idol stars started their military service Thursday, temporarily leaving behind the glamorous world of show business as well as teary fans.   (Herald DB)Although Big Bang's T.O.P and JYJ's Kim Jun-su had previously warned there would not be any events for fans in front of the basic training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, some 200 fans nonetheless showed up to wish them well.Fans, some from as far as China and Japan, held up signs for their super stars that read "Stay

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

In Oscar docs, an explosion of voice and style

NEW YORK (AP) - If you’re looking for the most vibrant corner of the Oscars, look no further than that once musty and staid category: best documentary feature. Nowhere else do you find such a variety of form, of perspective and of storytelling. While Hollywood has in recent years been busy turning into a superhero factory, the more diverse documentary world has been exploding with an unmatched richness of experimentation and creativity. The stars might be in other categories, but the heat is in

FilmFeb. 9, 2017

Cover image for final single features Wonder Girls in watercolors

The soon-to-be-disbanded Wonder Girls released the cover image for final single “Draw Me” on Thursday.The image depicts watercolor versions of the group’s four current members.Yubin, Yeeun, Sunmi and Hyerim all contributed to the songwriting and lyrics-writing process, according to the album label JYP Entertainment. 　Cover image for Wonder Girls’ final single “Draw Me” (JYP Entertainment)On Saturday, JYP announced the disbandment of Wonder Girls, which rose to icon status after a decade of catch

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

Zion.T to perform solo in London

Korean hip-hop and R&B artist Zion.T will perform at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on Feb. 17, joined by producer Choice 37.One of the country’s hottest artists at the moment, Zion.T has released scores of popular tracks, including “No Makeup,” “Yanghwa Bridge” and “Eat.” Zion.T is part of the VV:D crew, along with Crush, Loco, Gray and ELO. The singer is famous for his collaborations with K-pop stars such as G-Dragon, Song Min-ho, Psy, Gray, Simon D and Crush.Industry insiders have said t

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

‘Star of the Universe’ soundtrack to be released

Jung ji-chan, a Korean singer, composer and music director, and EXO’s Suho are to release the original soundtrack for the nine-part MBC drama series “Star of the Universe” on Friday. The drama is the first of the color drama trilogy made by MBC and Naver, which will be followed by “Romance Full of Life” and “Queen of Ring.”Suho of EXO (Yonhap)Jung Ji-chan (Yonhap)The plot is a love story between a gifted singer-songwriter Woo-joo (Kim Jun-myeon) and Byul (Ji Woo), a 19-year-old student who becom

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

Slimmed down NY fashion week kicks off in Trump shadow

NEW YORK (AFP) -- New York Fashion Week will offer slimmer pickings than usual when it kicks off Thursday as big names decamp to Paris or Los Angeles and fashionistas search for renewed meaning in the Donald Trump era.More than 230,000 people will flood into America’s biggest city and cultural capital to attend the bi-annual style bonanza held in September and February, where hundreds of shows, deals and parties rake in nearly $900 million.Celebrity watchers will be out in force for rapper Kanye

Arts & DesignFeb. 9, 2017

[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Symbol of Korean-Sino Amity and Cooperation, Chu Fucheng

President Park Geun-hye, who participated in the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China, had a Korean-Sino summit with president of China, Xi Jinping in September. The meeting of the two leaders provided an opportunity to gauge the state of relations between the two countries made awkward by Korea’s decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system. President Xi’s opening statements mentioned the Korean provisional government’s (hereafter KPG) exile in China and Kim Koo’s struggle

CultureFeb. 9, 2017

Iran displays ancient Persian artifacts returned from the US

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran is displaying hundreds of ancient and Persian artifacts, some dating back as far as 3,500 years and all of them recently brought back home from museums and collections in Western countries. Mohammad Hassan Talebian, deputy head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran, told the Associated Press that all of the items on display were repatriated over the past two and a half years from England, Belgium, Italy and the United States. He credits t

CultureFeb. 9, 2017

Painting stolen by Nazis returned to Jewish owner’s heirs

NEW YORK (AP) - Some 80 years ago, the Nazis forced prominent German Jewish art gallery owner Max Stern to sell his family’s roughly 400-piece collection before he was exiled from his country.FBI agents on Wednesday returned one of those works, a 17th century oil painting by a Dutch master, to representatives of the Dr. and Mrs. Max Stern Foundation during a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.The recovery of Jan Frans Verzijl’s “Young Man As Bacchus’’ marks the 16th piece of S

PerformanceFeb. 9, 2017

Berlin film fest gets into swing with biopic ‘Django’

BERLIN (AFP) - The Berlin film festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Django,” a biopic about Gypsy-jazz great Django Reinhardt focused on the little-known story of his family’s persecution by the Nazis.The French production is one of 18 movies vying for the coveted Golden Bear, which will be awarded Feb. 18 by a jury led by Hollywood director Paul Verhoeven (“RoboCop”, “Elle”).“Django” marks the directorial debut of Etienne Comar, a screenwriter and producer behind hits such as “Of

FilmFeb. 9, 2017

Badminton star Lee Yong-dae to marry his longtime girlfriend

South Korean badminton star Lee Yong-dae will tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend, an official from the athlete's sports club said Thursday. (Yonhap)Lee, who won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will marry actress Byun Soo-mi, whose stage name is Han Soo-hyun, an official with the Yonex badminton club said.The official added the athlete-actress couple will have a private wedding ceremony, but the exact date and location are still unknown.Lee and Byun have been

TelevisionFeb. 9, 2017

In Berlin with woman at center of scandal

Director Hong Sang-soo is making his third foray to the Berlinale, or Berlin International Film Festival, with the film “On the Beach at Night Alone,” which stars his alleged lover Kim Min-hee.The seemingly autobiographical film features Kim as the lead character who wanders a seaside town in torment over an affair with a married man, according to Internet Movie Database, though its international distributor Finecut did not confirm the plot. 　The film is scheduled to be screened on Feb. 16. Hong

FilmFeb. 8, 2017

JYJ’s Junsu opens up about hotel controversy

Junsu of K-pop group JYJ attempted to clear the controversy involving him and Toscana Hotel employees via Instagram on Tuesday. A local media outlet reported Tuesday that Junsu had allegedly earned an unfair profit of $2.62 million from the hotel business. The employee came forward with multiple allegations of financial grievances after the hotel was sold to a real estate company in January. The 30-year-old singer called the report defamatory and said that he had never made money by harming othe

Feb. 8, 2017

‘Bluebeard’ invited to film fests

“Bluebeard,” a thriller directed by Lee Su-yeon starring Cho Jin-woong, has been invited to three prominent international film events -- the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, the Far East Film Festival held in Udine, Italy, and the Hawaii International Film Festival.Brussels film festival programmer Freddy Bozzo called it a suspenseful movie with a striking climax, while programmer Sabrina Baracetti of the Udine festival said the film had significant tension, according to reports.H

FilmFeb. 8, 2017

Bily Acoustie to hold concert in March

South Korean singer-songwriter Bily Acoustie will hold three solo concerts next month in Seoul. The artist will meet fans at CJ Azit Daehakro from March 10 to 12. The concerts will be different from previous shows, showcasing colorful acoustic sounds and a string quartet to capture the warm feel of spring, according to sources. DH Play Entertainment said the event will “radiate a warm glow of spring” and “Bily Acoustie’s soul-touching tone will be harmonized with the strings’ tunes.”The 34-year-

PerformanceFeb. 8, 2017