A prosecutor overly reliant on using his fists in the name of justice and a corrupt politician looking to take advantage of that hot temperament -- the underlying premise of director Lee Il-hyeong’s newest flick, “A Violent Prosecutor,” may appear grim on the surface, but do not be fooled. The prison comedy doles out its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments.The film stars the contrasting combo of the stoic-faced Hwang Jung-min as Seoul district prosecutor Byun Jae-uk and Gang Dong-won as the sl

FilmJan. 26, 2016

Six-member rookie girl group GFriend, which debuted last year, released the new seven-track EP “Snowflake” on Monday. The much-anticipated album comes after the group snagged rookie awards with their hit songs “Glass Bead” and “Me Gustas Tu” at major music award cermonies last year, including the Melon Music Awards and SBS Gayo Daejeon last year and this year at the Golden Disk Awards. The girls returned this time keeping their signature schoolgirl uniforms and maintaining their innocent image.

Jan. 26, 2016

Fans of ’70s pop music will soon have a chance to indulge their nostalgia as stars Olivia Newton-John and Tom Jones are set to hold concerts in Korea at Seoul Olympic Park in May and April, respectively.It has taken a long time for both musicians to return to Korea -- 16 and 33 years, respectively, for Newton-John and Jones.Olivia Newton-John (Official Facebook)Newton-John, a four-time Grammy award-winner recording five No. 1 and ten other Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, will perform old favor

PerformanceJan. 26, 2016

It is safe to say that Lee Joon-ik is one of Korea’s foremost film directors of all time. His body of work explains it all with a string of hits such as “Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield,” “King and the Clown” and “The Throne.”Director Lee Joon-ik at a cafe in Buam-dong, Seoul, last Saturday. (Park Hyong-ki/The Korea Herald)Some film critics label Lee a “master filmmaker of period movies,” while others say he has a “knack for telling stories by blending fictional stories with historical charact

FilmJan. 26, 2016

In Korea’s turbulent path toward independence and nation building, there were foreign nationals who stood steadfastly by the Korean people, although their contributions have been largely overshadowed by those of Korean patriots. The Korea Herald, in partnership with the Independence Hall of Korea, is publishing a series of articles shedding light on these foreigners, their life and legacies here. This is the eighth installment. ― Ed.Stanley H. Martin was a medical missionary dispatched to Korea

CultureJan. 25, 2016

Actor Park Hae-jin, enjoying growing popularity in both Korea and China with his new tvN drama “Cheese in the Trap,” has signed endorsements with 15 advertisers, according to industry insiders.　Park has recently signed on with a wide range of brands, including 7-Eleven, Beanpole and outdoor brand Centerpole. He also renewed contracts with Mind Bridge, Kohler Novita and Lotte Duty Free. Park’s total income from spokesman activities is estimated at around 11 billion won ($9.2 million).A still from

TelevisionJan. 25, 2016

　Hip-hop rapper San E of Brand New Music and R&B and soul singer G.Soul of JYP Entertainment are set to release a song in February, according to industry insiders.　The label crossover collaboration between JYP Entertainment and Brand New Music is expected to showcase harmony between G.Soul’s soulful voice and San E’s rapping. San E (Brand New Music) and G.Soul (official Facebook)　San E, previously affiliated with JYP Entertainment, debuted in 2010, winning the Best Hip Hop Song award at the Kore

PerformanceJan. 25, 2016

PARK CITY, United States (AFP) - The stranger-than-fiction story about a famous South Korean film director and a glamorous actress abducted by North Korea‘s movie-obsessed Kim Jong-il has premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.　“The Lovers and the Despot,” a documentary by British filmmakers Ross Adam and Robert Cannan, traces the bizarre tale of director Shin Sang-ok and actress Choi Eun-hee, the golden couple of South Korean cinema in the 1960s.Choi Eun-hee (left) and Shin Sang-ok (Sundance I

FilmJan. 25, 2016

Following his win at last year’s International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, pianist Cho Seong-jin has signed on with Deutsche Grammophon, the world’s most prestigious classical music record label, according to an announcement by Solea Management Sunday. 　Cho, who is the first Korean to win first place in the competition, has now joined the ranks of internationally renowned classical pianists including Lang Lang, Yundi and Yuja Wang.  Cho Seong-jin (Bartek Sadowksi)　Deutsche Grammophon was

PerformanceJan. 25, 2016

CAIRO (AFP) - Eight employees of Cairo‘s Egyptian Museum will face a disciplinary hearing over a botched repair of the golden mask of King Tutankhamun, officials said Sunday.　The 3,300-year-old funerary mask of the boy pharaoh was damaged when its beard was knocked off in August 2014 as museum staff removed it from its display case to repair the lighting. The gold mask of King Tutankhamun is seen in a glass case during a press tour, in the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square, Cairo. (AP-Yonhap)　I

CultureJan. 25, 2016

It is striking how much actor Im Si-wan, at first glance, really seems to be an incarnation of the characters he plays on the screen. 　Lanky, wide-eyed, awkwardly sheepish yet terribly sincere, it requires very little effort to associate Im with the good-hearted, passionate but wandering young protagonists he has portrayed -- golden-hearted lambs seeking guidance.Im Si-wan (Yonhap)　At a group interview at a cafe in Seoul, Im said that the similarity between his characters and himself was not int

FilmJan. 25, 2016

While Korean monochrome art, dansaekhwa, movement continues to garner international attention as a unique abstract art movement in Asia, curators and art critics in Korea are looking to highlight other important artistic movements. 　Gana Art Center is presenting works of eight artists who led the minjung art movement and realism art that reflected Korea’s fast-changing social and political environment in the 1980s and 1990s. 　Another exhibition, also backed by Gana Art Foundation, an affiliate o

PerformanceJan. 24, 2016

The Korea Association of Futures Studies held a launching ceremony Friday and elected Lee Kwang-hyung of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology as its founding president.Lee, currently a dean of KAIST Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy, will head the group devoted to research in the field of future studies, including establishment of state-level strategy, education in the field and hosting conferences. He will lead the group for two years. Lee Kwang-hyungProfessors at colle

PeopleJan. 24, 2016