Monsta X returns with ‘Rush’

Rookie hip-hop boy group Monsta X of Starship Entertainment was blessed with a crew of the most in-demand names in hip-hop for their second EP “Rush.”The six-track EP includes songs worked on by Mad Clown, Crybaby and Rhymer, as well as the lead track “Rush” produced by Giriboy. Monsta X’s rapper Jooheon took part in writing the lyrics for five of the six tracks, with fellow rapper I.M joining him on four, including “Rush.”The lead track “Rush” is a pounding hip-hop track with cute, witty lyrics

PerformanceSept. 7, 2015

Lee Bul showcases ‘micro versions’ of her signature, gigantic works

Lee Bul rose to fame in the Korean art scene with her radical performance art involving the subject of abortion in 1989. At an exhibition space in Seoul, the 25-year-old artist hung herself upside down while nude and spoke of her physical trauma to the audience. In 1990, she held another performance wearing a monstrous oversized costume that was reminiscent of disfigured human forms on the streets in Tokyo. The performances in her earlier art career were to express prejudice and oppression again

PerformanceSept. 6, 2015

DMC Festival kicks off with ‘K-pop Super Concert’

The “Digital, Media and Culture Festival” kicked off with the “K-pop Super Concert” at the Sangam Culture Plaza in Seoul on Saturday. Hosted by TV personality Kim Sung-joo and SNSD’s Tiffany and Yuri, the concert saw some of the biggest names in K-pop take to the stage to kick-start the nine-day festival.Jointly hosted by broadcaster MBC and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the DMC Festival will continue until Sept. 13.The festival aims at promoting the Korean Wave a step furthe

Sept. 6, 2015

Have eyes that see beauty, you will be beautiful

In her 20s, she was the darling of the silver screen who enjoyed a meteoritic rise to stardom. Starring as the ever-laughing, ever-cheerful young woman in the 1974 film “A Girl Who Looks Like the Sun,” Moon Sook captivated the audience with her ray of sunlight. In real life, she and the film’s genius director Lee Man-hee, 23 years her senior, fell in love and secretly got married.Their fairytale romance, however, came to an abrupt end when Lee died a year later from liver cirrhosis. After winnin

FilmSept. 4, 2015

September box office to be dominated by men

It was the summer of women in Korean cinema, with heavyweights like Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), Uhm Jeong-hwa, Jeon Do-yeon and Lee Jung-hyun all returning to the screen around the same time. Now, the men are poised to take over for September. Here’s a look at some of the Korean films coming up in September.　　Deep Trap (Sept. 10)　Directed by Kwon Hyung-jin　　Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), a fan favorite who often provides balance and comic relief to otherwise heavy action movies, returns to the screen as

FilmSept. 4, 2015

'Innovative platforms can turn tide for Korean animations'

The Korean animation industry poses a mixed picture. Despite the popularity of children’s animations with such hits as “Pororo,” “Robocar Poli” and “Tayo” in the local and global market, many local animation studios still suffer losses. They are trapped in a vicious cycle. Animation studios face mounting losses as they continue to create sequels to their series. Securing a spot on TV doesn’t solve the problem. The fees they receive airing their series on TV doesn’t even cover half the production

CultureSept. 4, 2015

Fostering creativity while cultivating skill

A quick walk through the campus of Korea Animation High School (nicknamed Anigo among locals) makes it immediately apparent that it is not an ordinary Korean high school. The campus is big and brightly colored, and students roam freely with dyed hair and piercings, dressed in casual clothing. Each floor, and even the stairwells connecting the floors are decorated with the students’ artwork.“We try to give our students an environment that maximizes their creativity,” teacher Kim Young-mi told The

PerformanceSept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Giriboy becomes Everyman on ‘Lonely 4Songs’

　Giriboy　“Lonely 4Songs”　(Loen Entertainment)　In all of Giriboy’s songs, the common denominator is Giriboy’s ability to write lyrics that are highly relatable. He doesn’t disappoint on “Lonely 4Songs,” an EP devoted to expressing the process of coping with loneliness that most people go through after a breakup. Written entirely as a collaboration between Giriboy and Han Yo-han, a producer-guitarist who has worked with Block B’s Zico and most recently on Blacknut’s song “What I Can Do” for “Show

PerformanceSept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Beat Win lacking X factor on ‘Insatiable’

　　Beat Win　“Insatiable”　(Loen Entertainment)　It has been reported that at the media showcase for the album “Insatiable,” Beat Win announced they would “break” the Korean pop music industry. Unfortunately, their first EP “Insatiable” -- which came out after the group regrouped into five members -- does not seem to take them quite there. “Insatiable” starts off with a bold intro called “Attention,” warning other artists about who they’re dealing with, but things spiral very fast. The lead track “S

PerformanceSept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Verbal Jint shows off on ‘Yeoja’

　　Verbal Jint & Sanchez　“Yeoja”　(Loen Entertainment)　Sanchez was cast personally by Verbal Jint to put “Yeoja” together, and it’s easy to see why: Sanchez’s thin, high voice provides a nice contrast to Verbal Jint’s distinctive low voice and staccato rapping style. The lead track “Favorite!” is a new version of the 2007 track Verbal Jint released with Dynamic Duo, which turned the hip-hop track into a pop track with Sanchez’s vocal style reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s. “My Type 2.5” is also a

PerformanceSept. 4, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide

The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's playing in theaters this weekend.For those seeking some drama, check out "The Immigrant," in which Marion Cotillard transforms into a young Polish woman trying to make it in the U.S. For some more light-hearted fun, "Ricki and the Flash" offers a musical experience while "Ant-Man" provides a dose of superhero action. From Korean cinema, "Veteran" still remains in box offices after surpassing 10 million ticket sold, while the Cannes-screened "Office" supp

FilmSept. 4, 2015

[Weekender] Target grown-ups -- the recipe for hit animation films

"Inside Out” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)The colorful world of 2-D and 3-D characters is no longer an area exclusive to the little ones, it seems. In recent years, large-scale animations that succeeded globally catered to both children and adults, with mature and layered plotlines. Such projects’ success speaks volumes on the tweaks that can be made in the Korean animation industry to achieve a wider global reach, says Kim Won-gyu, director at the Korean Animation Producers’ Association

FilmSept. 4, 2015

Around the Hotels

Chuseok gift sets at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering a variety of luxury gift sets for the Korean Chuseok holidays, when gifts are traditionally exchanged amongst family, colleagues and business associates. The gift hampers will be on sale from Sept. 1-25.The top-grade galbi gift sets range from 420,000 won to 1.2 million won and offer a range of prime-grade beef including hanwoo, Australian wagyu and U.S. beef and a marinade made by Millennium Seoul Hilton.The premium

FoodSept. 4, 2015

‘Pororo,’ ‘Larva’ change game in Korean animation

Scene from the popular animated comedy television series “Larva.” (Tuba Entertainment)Up until the turn of the 21st century, many Korean youngsters who plopped in front of their television sets found themselves regaled with delightfully innocent tales of popular international cartoon series such as “Dragon Ball Z,” “Sailor Moon” or “Tom and Jerry” with their rambunctious games of cat and mouse.A couple of decades ago -- in the pre-“Pororo” era of Korean animation -- TV cartoon options for Korean

CultureSept. 4, 2015

Korean craft beer and gargantuan meatballs at Malt

Malt’s whole roasted chicken (back), colossal meatballs (right) and Scotch eggs (left). (Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald)At Malt, a gastropub that opened two months ago in Seoul’s Nonhyeon-dong, drinks and grub take equal standing. Craft beer, cocktails and whiskey are paired with eats that lean toward rib-sticking fare like meatball pasta, roast chicken and Scotch eggs.“One can have a meal here,” said Jo Yun-mi, 27, of the two-chef team at Malt, explaining how Malt is not a small plate-centric spot,

FoodSept. 4, 2015

Korea welcomes world of animation

Walt Disney once said, “Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive.”It is a versatile art that takes years of capital and hard work from a variety of people with great imagination.Drawing inspirations from the lives of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation and environment, animations and their characters can reach the hearts of many diverse people regardless of class, color or sex.They can move you, make you laugh and cry, and make you escape to a fantasy world away from

CultureSept. 4, 2015

Yangnyeom gejang (spicy marinated raw crabs)

Yangnyeom gejang (Korean Bapsang)Gejang is a traditional dish that is marinated in a salty soy sauce brine as a way of preserving the crabs for a long time. These days, the crabs are lightly preserved, in either a mild soy sauce-based brine (ganjang gejang) or in a spicy sauce (yangnyeom gejang), to be consumed within a few days. The most important thing is to buy the freshest crabs. Freezing them will help with cleaning. Clean the crabs very well under running water.Making the spicy version is

FoodSept. 4, 2015

[Travel Bits]

Share your Haerang travel stories Korail Tourism Development will hold a travel story contest on its flagship rail cruise Haerang to celebrate its seventh anniversary.Participants can submit their stories and experience riding the Haerang from Sept. 3-13, and the rail tour operator will announce the winners on Sept. 18.The winners will be offered the chance to ride the “hotel train” for two days starting in October, and see Korea’s beautiful landscapes and seascapes.The Haerang, launched in Nove

TravelSept. 4, 2015

[Herald Interview] Ko A-sung, Park Sung-woong talk ‘Office’

The two lead actors of screenwriter Hong Won-chan’s directorial debut “Office” proved their acting chops in the thriller genre long before this year. Ko A-sung rose to fame as a child actress in 2006’s “The Host” and made her international mark with 2013’s “Snowpiercer,” while Park Sung-woong’s big break was his role as a tough gangster in 2013’s “New World,” which he followed with a serial killer role in “The Deal” early this year.They brought those past experiences with them to create an eerie

FilmSept. 3, 2015