HyunA’s upcoming MV will be ‘racier’

HyunA, girl group 4Minute member and the sexy girl from Psy’s Gangnam Style music video, released a teaser video of her new track “A+” on YouTube Monday.After a one-year hiatus following her last solo album “A Talk” in 2014, she is set to make her solo return in August.Shot in Los Angeles, the R-rated music video highlights HyunA’s striking transformation.In the video, HyunA enjoys her daily life by going shopping and for a drive, while also showing her provocative beauty in a private party. She

PerformanceAug. 10, 2015

[Herald Review] Big Bang’s new releases are disturbing, emotional

Big Bang has made several waves this summer with each monthly release from its latest album “M.A.D.E,” but it seems the group has been saving the best for last. The two songs unleashed in the fourth and final EP “E” -- “Zutter” by subunit GD&TOP and “Let’s Not Fall in Love” -- and their respective music videos feature at once some of the most disturbing and the most emotionally resounding work the revered boy band has showcased so far.T.O.P and G-Dragon in the music video for "Zutter" (YG Entert

PerformanceAug. 10, 2015

Herald wraps up ‘Young Diplomats’ program

Herald Corp.’s three-day program for aspiring diplomats and opinion leaders ended on Sunday with some 300 participants expressing their satisfaction over a series of high-profile figures’ lectures on diplomacy and world affairs. Singaporean Ambassador Yip Wei Kiat delivers a lecture during the Young Opinion Leaders’ Knowledge Forum at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, on Friday.　Held at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, the program consisted

PeopleAug. 9, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘The Beauty Inside’ asks what defines us

Director Baek Jong-yeol’s “The Beauty Inside” offers a humorous and sentimental take on a subject that could have been too far-fetched for anything other than slapstick comedy or serious to the point of philosophical. The film tells the story of a man –- Woo-jin, played by over 20 different actors –- whose physical appearance changes radically every day. Yi-soo (Han Hyo-joo, left) and Woo-jin (Park Seo-joon) in “The Beauty Inside” (Yong Film)Though originally a 29-year-old man, Woo-jin wakes up

FilmAug. 9, 2015

Uhm Jung-hwa’s comeback imminent as a singer

(Yonhap)Korean actress and singer Uhm Jung-hwa is to release an album this year, ending a seven-year hiatus in her music career, local reports said Sunday. The reports, citing unnamed sources, said renowned composers and lyric writers were participating in making her new album, expected to be out within the year. 　　Uhm made a big screen debut with “We Must Go To Apgujung-Dong On Windy Days” in 1992 and started her singing career the next year with the debut album “Sorrowful Secret.”With a sexy d

PerformanceAug. 9, 2015

The long commute from Tokyo to Cape Town

South African expat Albert Retief had four years of savings from English teaching under his belt and a keenness for travel when he settled on a plan to travel overland from Tokyo to his home in Cape Town. “I wanted to experience ‘the real world’ that marches at you head on, and where you realize how small you really are,” he said. “I’ve always dreamed of going on a big mission like this and decided to put all my chips on the table and go.”Retief embarked on the mission last year, using only publ

Expat LivingAug. 9, 2015

[Weekender] University districts hotspots for young Koreans

“Let’s go to Hongdae -- Hongik University” is quite commonly heard in Seoul, although it doesn’t mean they are going to the campus. They go to the place stretching out from the university to dine out, go shopping and enjoy concerts. 　Here in Seoul, some entertainment districts featuring cafes, theaters, cinemas and concert venues are formed near college campuses, although the mood is slightly different from place to place.Currently, the busiest college district is the Hongdae area in the western

CultureAug. 7, 2015

[Weekender] Membership training breaks ice for campus life

South Korean students tend to have high hopes about their campus life, giving them something to look forward to as they trudge through years of cramming and countless tests. Membership training is one of the campus events that boosts freshmen’s expectations.The “MT” ritual is designed to help freshmen adapt to campus life. Staying at a simple resort, usually in the woods or along a river, for a day or two, students can make new friends and build rapport with each other, as well as exchange infor

CultureAug. 7, 2015

[Weekender] Cupid’s arrows target Korea’s college campuses

A couple reunites at the completion ceremony after a five-week basic military training course held at the Republic of Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. (Yonhap)After a resounding shout emanating from a bunch of shaved heads echoes across the grounds of the military training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, the camp is suddenly filled with sobs and sniffles. With short good-bye hugs, the men march back to their squads.Since all able-bodied Korean men ove

CultureAug. 7, 2015

[Weekender] Housing shapes college students life

An off-campus jachui roomIn Korea, college students’ accommodations are an important factor that determines their lifestyle. There are three major types of housing for Korean students -- “jachui,” dormitory and family home -- each of which comes with its own set of pros and cons. “I don’t like to tell people that I’m a ‘jachui-saeng’ because then they would target me as an ‘easy’ girl,” said a university student who declined to give her name. The Korean word “jachui-saeng” refers to a student wh

CultureAug. 7, 2015

'Unwrap the gift within'

International humanitarian assistant Han Bi-ya carries many names.She is called a saint or angel who helps people whenever and wherever in need without conditions.She is often referred to as the Korean Mother Teresa.Han Bi-yaA traveler at heart and a passionate relief worker who has been to over 100 countries -- she is most widely known as “baram-eui ddal” or “daughter of the wind” in Korea.But Han now wants to translate the Korean word “baram” to hope, and become the Daughter of Hope to spread

CultureAug. 7, 2015

Mikkeller Bar hits Seoul

Mikkeller Bar Seoul serves a whopping 30 draft beers -- primarily Mikkeller -- on continual rotation. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)　Craft, cult, genius ― these are words often used to describe the brews originating from Mikkeller, a much-buzzed-about Danish “gypsy” brewery that recently launched its second Asian bar in Seoul. Now, as of late June, beer aficionados in Korea can taste a diverse range of Mikkeller’s famed beer straight from the keg and deem for themselves whether or not these ex

FoodAug. 7, 2015

Around the Hotels

Romantic dinner courseat Sheraton Grande Walkherhill (Sheraton Grande Walkerhill)　Sheraton Grande Walkerhill is introducing grill restaurant Clock 16, which offers a range of authentic grilled dishes. All dishes are seared atop the finest local hardwood charcoal for a rustic, savory flavor. The restaurant also offers a sparkling night cityscape and a sophisticated interior.For couples, a seven-course meal titled “Romantic Anniversary Dinner” will be served. The menu will start with a grilled sea

CultureAug. 7, 2015

Travel Bits

Musical festival to celebrate 70th Liberation DayThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold a musical festival in Seoul to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country’s liberation from Japan’s imperial rule.The festival, to held Aug. 14 from 7:30-9 p.m. at Seoul Plaza, will stage musical performances from Korean stars including Lee Seung-cheol, Sistar and Insooni.Renowned art director Yoon Ki-churl will direct the live cultural festival, themed “Grand Journey and New Takeoff.”Yoon s

TravelAug. 7, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide

Heading to theaters this weekend but not sure what to watch?The Korea Herald offers a summary of the top box office hits now playing or movies that are coming soon."Mission :Impossible -- Rogue Nation" and "Assassination" are battling it out in the box office, with action crime film "Veteran" fighting the good fight and Illumination's adorable "Minions" maintaining a steady audience particularly among moviegoers in their 20s. Next week, the battle gets fierce as the highly anticipated "Memories

FilmAug. 7, 2015

[Album Review] Soft, grooving beats and soul on Lee Michelle’s second EP

Lee Michelle”I Can Sing”(Sony Music)　Lee Michelle’s second EP “I Can Sing” starts off with a light, playful guitar riff that is surprising to those who have come to associate the 24-year-old singer with soaring, powerful vocals. As a contestant on the star discovery competition program “K-pop Star,” Lee Michelle had used her strength to climb up to the Top 5. But on this album, it becomes clear that what truly sets the half-Korean, half-African-American singer’s voice apart is not her ability to

FilmAug. 7, 2015

Salvation Army to give financial aid to handicapped

Attendants to the Salvation Army signing ceremony included (From left): Cochlear Korea general manager Hwang Yong-jae, Seinmedex Korea president Ko Chang-hoon, Surgitech Korea president Park Sang-woo, Asianstar managing director Nam Yong-wan and Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle headquarters secretary-general Lee Su-geun. (Salvation Army)The Salvation Army Korea signed an agreement Wednesday with local companies to provide medical expenses for the physically challenged in low-income households.I

PeopleAug. 6, 2015

Exhibition sheds light on tragic artist

When the 38th Parallel was drawn to divide the Korean Peninsula after the Korean War, many people had to make a tough decision: Which side would they support?Artist Lee Quede faced the question at a prison camp where he was jailed after being captured by South Korean soldiers for being cooperative with North Korean soldiers who briefly occupied Seoul. The artist, born in 1913 in the small town of Chilgok, South Gyeongsang Province, chose to go to the North in 1953, leaving his wife and four chil

PerformanceAug. 6, 2015