Eric Nam to collaborate with KOLAJ

Korean-American singer-songwriter Eric Nam is set to release his first original pop song, “Into You,” in collaboration with American group KOLAJ, the singer’s agency CJ E&M announced Tuesday.　“Into You,” a tropical house track, will be released on music websites in Korea and America including iTunes and Spotify on Thursday. Singer-songwriter Eric Nam (left) and American electronic dance music group KOLAJ (CJ E&M)　KOLAJ is an American electronic dance music group consisting of singer-songwriter T

PerformanceJune 7, 2016

Jung Il-woo to star in Thai drama

Actor Jung Il-woo is set to play the lead role in a Thai drama series, public relations company Shall We Talk announced Tuesday.　Jung is the first Korean actor to be cast as the main character in a Thai drama series.　Jung left for Thailand on Sunday for filming of the TV drama tentatively titled “Love and Lies (Gon rak game ma ya),” in which he will play the male protagonist Tim, the public relations manager of a giant entertainment agency, said the PR company. Jung Il-woo (Official Website)　The

TelevisionJune 7, 2016

Sequels, once a sure thing, are slumping at the box office

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sure things in Hollywood are beginning to look like an endangered species. Sequels, for years the industry’s most “can’t miss” assets, are struggling at the box office this year. The downturn, which continued over the weekend with the low turnout for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows,” calls into question one of the industry’s bedrocks of bankability.  A still from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” (Paramount Pictures)Roughly two decades ago, the

FilmJune 7, 2016

Life of Lee Jung-seob at a glance

The Korean War was no obstacle for the legendary artist Lee Jung-seob (1916-1956) in his pursuit of art. 　While fleeing from the plight of war, he sketched and painted optimistic images of children playing with chickens and crabs. He and other contemporary artists pledged to create art and hold exhibitions in the devastation of the three-year war that has technically not ended, with an armistice agreement having brought a temporary truce on the peninsula. 　“Such life is hard to imagine when you

PerformanceJune 6, 2016

Sydney Film Fest to spotlight Korean films

Sydney Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday, will this year host a new program spotlighting “off-mainstream” contemporary Korean cinema, the festival organizers announced Monday.　Titled “Korea on the Verge: Social Faultlines in Korean Cinema,” the program will screen five films by Korean directors. 　“Alice in Earnestland,” director Ahn Gooc-jin’s first feature and winner of the best Korean feature prize at last year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, is a political satire portraying a wom

FilmJune 6, 2016

Kumho Art Hall violinists shine at international music competitions

Just a few weeks ago, three local Kumho Art Hall piano prodigies took the top three spots at this year’s Prague Spring International Music Competition in the Czech Republic. Kumho violinist Jang Yoo-jin has now added to the phenomenon of Korean musicians dominating the podiums at international music competitions with her first place win in Japan this weekend.　Jang, 25, took home first place in the violin section at this year’s sixth Sendai International Music Competition in Japan on Saturday, be

PerformanceJune 5, 2016

[Eye Interview] 'Hansik is about consideration for others’

Wearing a delicate traditional Korean hanbok made of a light jade skirt and cream top, Yoon Sook-ja, chairwoman of the Korean Food Foundation, is the quintessential host -- elegant and ever so considerate of guests. Aware that the interview schedule precluded lunch, she had her staff pick up kimbap from a store in the building. If she noticed the small paper cup of water was half empty, she paused between sentences to fill it.　“Hansik is about consideration for the diner,” said Yoon, who, before

FoodJune 3, 2016

[Weekender] Green rooftops brighten Seoul skyline

Seo Jin-kyung, 33, frequently visits Seoul Library’s Sky Yard, a rooftop garden located by the cafe on the fifth floor, where the panoramic view of the country’s capital city refreshes her.　Upon opening the glass door at one side of the cafe, a green space filled with various types of hibiscus syriacus – the national flower of South Korea –- and wooden benches under a blue sky welcome visitors. 　“I tend to relax with a cup of tea or talk on the phone here when I study at Seoul Library. I think i

CultureJune 3, 2016

[Weekender] Creating the ultimate skyline garden paradise

As a major urban city, Seoul’s dense quarters leave little space for those with green thumbs to enjoy the relaxing pleasures of gardening within the confines of one’s home. However, one of the latest trends in combating Seoul’s lack of space is to utilize one’s rooftop. There are an increasing number of private homes independently creating their own rooftop Gardens of Eden, separate from the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Rooftop Greening Project” that seeks to revitalize public and private ro

CultureJune 3, 2016

[Weekender] Rooftop beekeepers reconnect city with nature

The greening of rooftops in Seoul does not just benefit people, it provides the chance to protect a species threatened by humans – the honey bees. 　The growing number of rooftop gardens and farms is an opportunity to strengthen the city’s ecosystem by protecting the habitats of honey bees, said Park Jin, the founder of the social enterprise Urban Bees Seoul, which was established in 2013. He was speaking to The Korea Herald at the rooftop of the UNESCO House in Myeong-dong where several apiaries

CultureJune 3, 2016

[Weekender] Growing crops on rooftops

Rows of carrots, onions, lettuce and herbs stretch across the 198-square-meter concrete rooftop of a typical four-story office building, against a backdrop of high-rise apartment blocks. 　The sight surprised 35-year-old Park Hyun-ho when he discovered it near his multistory residential building in one of the most densely populated areas of Mapo-gu, Seoul. The farm is run by Pajeori, a nonprofit organization registered with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. 　“Farming in Seoul is an unusual thing

CultureJune 3, 2016

Solo K-pop acts go strong on Billboard chart

Solo albums released by K-pop singers Jonghyun, Tiffany and Jessica are ranking high on the Billboard World Albums Chart.　The most recent chart, which shows the results for the week of June 11, lists SHINee’s lead vocalist Jonghyun’s first album “She Is,” released on May 24, at the No. 4 spot.  　Reports say the position is a testament to the continued global popularity of five-member group SHINee, which debuted in 2008 under S.M. Entertainment. Lead vocalist Jonghyun of boy group SHINee (S.M. En

PerformanceJune 3, 2016

'The Handmaiden' tops box office

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook’s new film “The Handmaiden” has topped the box office, attracting over 550,000 moviegoers within the first two days of its release.　The film, which opened in local theaters on Wednesday, attracted 558,930 audiences from then to Thursday, according to the Korean Film Council on Friday. 　Though viewers under 19 are not allowed, the film attracted about 300,000 audiences on its release day.  Ha Jung-woo (left) and Kim Tae-ri star in “The Handmaiden.” (CJ E&M)　“

FilmJune 3, 2016

[Album Review] EXID’s ‘Street’ hovers between eclectic and hectic

EXID　“Street”　Banana Culture 　Five-member K-pop girl group EXID dropped its first LP album, consisting of 13 tracks and titled “Street,” on Wednesday. The album is coproduced by Shinsadong Tiger and EXID’s LE, who shows off her rapping, songwriting and producing talents here.　Over the past four years, EXID has released four digital singles and two EPs. 　The new album’s title track “L.I.E,” composed partly by LE, shows EXID in a significantly different light from last year’s hit tracks “Up & Down

PerformanceJune 3, 2016

[Album Review] Beth Orton turns to nature on electronic ‘Kidsticks’

Beth Orton　“Kidsticks” 　(Anti/Epitaph)　Beth Orton’s sixth album, “Kidsticks,” amalgamates electronic sounds with profuse references to nature, counterparts evenly matched in the intriguing mix.　With assistance from producer, cowriter and fellow Brit Andrew Hung, “Kidsticks” finds Orton following an experimental route, with nods to the likes of Talking Heads, Kraftwerk and Everything But The Girl.　Orton has been melding electronics with folksy vibes -- “folktronica” -- throughout her career. On “

PerformanceJune 3, 2016