CL to release Korean single this week

(YG Entertainment)　YG Entertainment said Wednesday that 2NE1’s CL would release her solo track “Hello Bitches” on Saturday.  The release is rather unexpected as CL has been preparing for her solo debut in the U.S., signing a contract with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects. She also took part in Skrillex’s “Dirty Vibe” and Diplo’s “Doctor Pepper.” The 24-year-old entered the international spotlight when she performed at the music festival “Mad Decent Block Party” with global artists. 　“Hello Bitches” w

PerformanceNov. 18, 2015

Rolling Story takes Korean webtoons to global audience

Korea has seen rapid growth in the webtoon industry, with the number of digital comics platforms reaching nearly 30 and more than 4,000 comic artists currently working in the field as of last year, according to data by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  Warren Kwon, CEO of Rolling Story (Rolling Story)For Warren Kwon, the chief executive of Rolling Story, it is time for webtoons to venture overseas. To do so, he teamed up with Korea’s leading webtoon artists and launched a collective

CultureNov. 18, 2015

Dansaekhwa master gets posthumous gallery exhibition

Dansaekhwa, the Korean genre of monochrome painting, is enjoying rising popularity in the global art market. But only a few dansaekhwa artists are still alive to see their works finally get global recognition. Many of the artists, who mostly produced work from the 1960s to 1980s, have passed away. Those who are still around are mostly in their 80s. Nevertheless, their masterpieces have made dansaekhwa perhaps the fastest growing art movement in the global art world.An ongoing exhibition at Kukje

PerformanceNov. 17, 2015

Tate Modern chief advises Korea to open up to foreign museum directors

Korea should be open to accepting foreign museum directors if it wants to expand its global presence in art amid growing competition with China, Japan and India, according to Chris Dercon, the director of London’s Tate Modern. Dercon spoke on Korea’s possible appointment of a foreign director to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, one of the hottest issues in the country’s art circle. “I think it’s very important to open up,” said Dercon, at the reception after the awards ceremon

PerformanceNov. 17, 2015

[Herald Interview] iKON upgrades with ‘Apology’

It‘s difficult to think of YG Entertainment’s latest boy band iKON as just another rookie group.After topping the charts with their warm-up single “My Type” released Sept. 15, they enjoyed another hit with hip-hop track “Rhythm Ta” on their debut half-album released Oct. 1. Now they’ve hit No. 1 again with the single “Apology,” released Monday. Even before coming out with their first full album, the group already had a debut concert at the Gymnastics Arena in Olympic Park, a venue usually reserv

PerformanceNov. 17, 2015

Industry leaders discuss future of content at Seoul forum

The way people consume entertainment content has continued to be reshaped over the past decade. Technology has enabled global consumers to upload, share and watch not only short-length videos, but also movies, documentaries and news, according to Antoine Nazaret, head of content Asia at France-based video-sharing platform Dailymotion. “Video sharing started in 2005 when short videos were really appealing, enabling them to go viral. But now, technology has enabled anyone to upload a variety of co

TelevisionNov. 17, 2015

McKenzie, journalist who delved into Korean justice

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. Frederick Arthur McKenzie (Korea’s Fight for Freedom)Frederick

PeopleNov. 17, 2015

Floating over the DMZ

Four kilometers wide and 240 kilometers long, the Demilitarized Zone serves as a buffer between North and South Korea, which technically remain at war. Heavily fortified with landmines and barbed wire, the strip of land is guarded by millions of soldiers and entrenched artilleries on both sides. The decades-old military tensions, consequently, have made the DMZ one of the world’s best-preserved sanctuaries for thousands of natural species. South Korean artist Choi Jae-eun believes this rich ecos

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

Kim Soo-hyun among most influential figures in Chinese showbiz

Iconic hallyu star Kim Soo-hyun ranked among the five most influential figures in Chinese show business, according to a survey conducted by a Chinese broadcaster.  Kim Soo-hyun (Yonhap)The survey put together five categories: media attention, influence on the public, reputation, frequency of media exposure and overall impact.　Kim, who shot to stardom through mega-hit SBS drama series “My Love from the Star,” making millions of female hearts flutter in the process, sets trends in whatever he wear

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

April returns as fivesome on Nov. 25

K-pop girl group April, downsized from a sextet after Somin left the group, will return to the music scene with five members on Nov. 25, its agency DSP Media said Monday.  (DSP Media)The agency uploaded a teaser video via its official YouTube channel, with April’s logo under a pink background. The forthcoming album’s title will be “Boing Boing.”Former member Somin recently withdrew from the group. “Somin will move on with her new life, leaving April. She has been mulling over the future of her c

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

What Big Bang means to iKON

YG’s new boy group iKON spoke about what labelmate Big Bang means to them.As the newest boy group from YG Entertainment, iKON faces the big task of continuing in Big Bang’s footsteps while differentiating themselves at the same time. iKON (YG Entertainment)“They’ve given us a lot of help since ‘WIN,’ and they’re our idols to a certain extent,” said leader B.I in a group interview at a Seoul cafe on Monday. “WIN” refers to the survival TV program “WIN: Who is Next,” where the team’s members went

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

Bobby and B.I say they‘re perfect pair

Bobby and B.I of idol group iKON say that they make the best duo.“We’re a duo who really care for and like each other,” Bobby said during a group interview in Seoul Monday, talking about the two iKON rappers’ single “Anthem.”“At the end of the song, there are lyrics that talk about how great we are together, like ‘Leslie Cheung and Chow Yun Fat.’ We hope fans will really hear those lyrics.”Other lyrics compare the duo to “cabbage and radish” and “beer and chicken.”B.I and Bobby (YG Entertainment

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

What made Ju-ne cry on ‘Apology’ set

Idol group iKON member Ju-ne talked about what made him cry on the set of the music video for iKON’s new single, “Apology.”“The director asked me in a cut if I would be able to cry, but I couldn’t really do it,” he said during a group interview at a Seoul cafe on Monday.“I ended up thinking about my mom, and that made the tears come. I think it came out well in the music video, and I was happy,” he said. Ju-ne (YG Entertainment)Regarding the other members’ acting, Ju-ne said, “I didn’t get to se

PerformanceNov. 16, 2015

Veteran baritone to retackle Wagner’s ‘Flying Dutchman’

Richard Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” is not the typical operatic tale of love and remorse.Inspired by his own autobiography “Mein Leben,” Wagner adapted his 1839 stormy sail from Riga to London into a story of desperation, salvation and redemption through love.  Finland native Jukka Rasilainen practices his upcoming role of the Dutchman in the Korea National Opera’s new production “The Flying Dutchman.” (Korea National Opera)“The Flying Dutchman” is a three-act German opera that follows the ta

PerformanceNov. 15, 2015

‘Eternal Sunshine’ rerelease attracts 130,000

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (Focus Features) The 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which reopened in Korean cinemas on Nov. 5, has been met with much enthusiasm by local viewers.The film, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, garnered some 130,000 viewers in its first 10 days, according to statistics released Saturday from local film distributor Noba Media. The movie drew 170,000 viewers when it opened here in 2005. Though the film is only being screened at a handful

EntertainmentNov. 15, 2015

‘The Priests’ tops 3m moviegoers

The exorcism thriller “The Priests” topped 3 million ticket sales as of Saturday, box-office data showed Sunday. 　Since its release on Nov. 5, the film was watched by 3.12 million viewers as of Saturday, including a daily viewer count of 460,160 registered on that day, according to the state-run Korean Film Council.  Kang Dong-won in "The Priests" (CJ E&M)　The record is on the same pace as box-office hits “Masquerade” (2012) and “Ode to My Father” (2014), which both crossed the coveted 10 millio

FilmNov. 15, 2015