Park Shin-hye ends fan meeting tour in China

Actress Park Shin-hye has rounded up her fan meeting tour in China, her agency officials said.Starting in Shanghai on July 26, Park visited five cities including Chongqing, Shenzhen, Changsha and Beijing for the past three weeks.The fan meeting was comprised of Park’s live performances and talk shows. According to local reports, Park met her fans with beautiful smiles throughout the whole event.　Park also showed her love toward her fans by giving photos of herself taken with a Polaroid camera.　“

Aug. 12, 2014

Winner‘s debut album sweeps music charts

K-pop rookie group Winner’s debut album is dominating local music charts shortly after its release on Tuesday. 　The long-awaited boy band from YG Entertainment dropped its debut EP “2014 S/S” at midnight on Aug. 12. 　One of the album’s two lead tracks “Empty” instantly debuted at the top of nine Korean music charts such as Mnet, Genie, Olleh Music and Naver Music. 　The other songs, including the second title track “Color Ring,” also ranked high. 　 (YG Entertainment)Though Winner is not completel

Aug. 12, 2014

Hong Jong-hyun’s daily life captured in pictorial

Actor and model Hong Jong-hyun’s stylish lifestyle was captured by fashion magazine High Cut. The fashion shoot showed Hong with his dog, taking a selfie and riding a bike, all in casual outfits. The entire pictorial can be seen in High Cut’s 131th edition. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: High Cut) 

Aug. 12, 2014

Jun Ji-hyun in charismatic fall editorial

Actress Jun Ji-hyun’s charismatic fall editorial for fashion brand SHESMISS was revealed on Tuesday. The actress can be seen in a range of styles, including a monotone jacket, dress and trench coat. She also exudes charisma in a black jacket matched with a natural, long hairstyle. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: SHESMISS)

Aug. 12, 2014

Baekhyun draws line between work and love

K-pop idol group EXO’s Baekhyun says he will draw a clear line between work and relationships.Baekhyun said that he would separate his work from his love life at a press conference held Monday in Seoul for the upcoming entertainment show “EXO 90:2014.” During a Q&A session with the reporters, Baekhyun was asked whether he would feel awkward appearing with actresses in music videos as he is dating Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation.“Work is work. I will do my best,” he told the reporters. Baekhyun did

Aug. 12, 2014

JYJ proves it doesn’t need broadcasters’ help

K-pop group JYJ has come back with a vengeance, being nominated for the No. 1 spot on SBS music program “Inkigayo” Sunday despite not having any TV promotions for their latest album.The three members -- Junsu, Jaejoong and Yoochun -- came back together to release their second full-length album “Just Us” on July 29, three years after their last EP album “In Heaven.” The album so far has wowed fans and critics in the music industry, especially after their latest feat on “Inkigayo.”This came after

Aug. 12, 2014

Jung Yunho makes first appearance in ‘The Night Watchman’

Member of K-pop duo TVXQ and actor Jung Yunho appeared as an actor for the first time in the MBC drama “The Night Watchman” on Monday.Jung plays the role of Moosuk, one of the greatest swordsmen in the Joseon Dynasty.The actor appeared in the third episode of the drama with actress Seo Ye-ji, who plays Jung’s cousin Park Soo-ryeon. In the scene, Jung quickly destroyed stone roof tiles that were flying toward Seo. Jung’s charismatic first impression gained attention from viewers, who said online

Aug. 12, 2014

BoA shares preview of upcoming pictorial

K-pop star BoA shared a preview picture of her upcoming fashion shoot with Cosmopolitan on Instagram. The singer can be seen with a pensive face, captured in black and white. “Guys, look forward to Cosmopolitan’s September edition,” she wrote alongside the picture.By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Instagram)

Aug. 12, 2014

[Graphic News] ‘Roaring Currents’ tops 10 million viewers in record time

The number of viewers who have seen “Roaring Currents” exceeded 10 million on Sunday, just 12 days after its premiere, marking the fastest time for a film screened in Korea to hit the box office milestone.The period action flick centers on the historic Battle of Myeongnyang in 1592 at the dawn of the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598), in which Adm. Yi Sun-sin uses brilliant strategy to defeat 133 Japanese warships with only 12 vessels under his command.

FilmAug. 11, 2014

[Papal Visit] A frenzy to study pope, Catholic history

From gracing TV screens and bookshelves to museums, Pope Francis is the hottest star in Korea now. With his much-anticipated arrival here just two days away, various programs and events vie for the attention of a public curious about the leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide as well as the religion’s small, but strong branch here. For Korea’s 5.4 million-strong Catholic community, which is roughly 11 percent of the population, it is a festival of faith that will culminate in the Aug. 1

CultureAug. 11, 2014

Laughter on the high seas

As its subtitle “The Seafaring Mountain Bandits” suggests, period adventure flick “The Pirates” is out to make audiences laugh.Though the film that opened on Aug. 6 faces strong competition from another period movie, “Roaring Currents,” it has taken off in its own way, offering fun and laughter. “‘The Pirates’ is a film for men and women of all ages,” said director Lee Seok-hoon at the press premiere. “I think the main difference from other films (such as ‘Kundo’ and ‘Roaring Currents’) is that

FilmAug. 11, 2014

Smartphone drawings on show

“Untitled” by Kate Barber. (DiGiFun Art Festival)Applications for smartphones and tablets have become a creative tool for users. It is easy to make art on the devices, without paper or paints. Smartphone paintings will go on exhibit at the Seoul Metropolitan Library from next week. The exhibition, “DigiFun Art Festival,” will showcase some 400 sketches, drawings and paintings done on mobile devices by 300 artists and members of the public. They will be on view on the first to fifth floors of the

PerformanceAug. 11, 2014

NewMedia Festival opens in Seoul

An international art festival promoting alternative and independent films and artwork kicked off in Seoul last Thursday.Seoul International NewMedia Festival, a fringe festival in its 14th year, opened under the theme “Ethnography Now” in various locations throughout Seoul, including the Korean Film Archive, Sanwoolim Theater and Seoul Art Space Seogyo. The festival runs from Aug. 7-15. A total of 140 experimental films and artworks in seven categories will be presented during the festival.  An

PerformanceAug. 11, 2014

Cowabunga! ‘Ninja Turtles’ bring box-office power

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” sliced off $65 million at the weekend box office. Paramount Pictures’ comic-book adaptation featuring Megan Fox alongside computer-generated renditions of the pizza-eating, sewer-dwelling superheroes lunged into first place in its debut weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The action film’s totally tubular result prompted the studio to announce plans Sunday for a sequel set for June 3, 2016. Megan Colligan, Paramount’s head of domestic

FilmAug. 11, 2014

2PM to return with new album, worldwide concert tour

Boy group 2PM is set to release a new album and launch a worldwide concert tour this fall. The six-member boy band will release its fourth studio album in Korea and an EP in Japan simultaneously in September. Aside from the title song, each album will include different tracks.The upcoming album is especially garnering attention as its lead single was written and composed by 2PM member Jun.K, marking first time the group has showcased a song written by a member.2PM. (JYP Entertainment)“2PM is get

Aug. 11, 2014

‘All About That Bass’ gives singer a breakthrough

NEW YORK (AP) ― Not everyone was initially “All About That Bass.” Meghan Trainor, the 20-year-old who is having a pop culture moment with the song about body acceptance, said she initially wrote the track and pitched it to other artists, but was turned away. “Labels were like, ‘We love it, but you have to reproduce it. You got to get it more synth-y, pop-y,’” said Trainor, who worked with producer Kevin Kadish on “Bass.” “We looked at each other like, ‘Man, I thought this was a hit, but I guess

PerformanceAug. 11, 2014

Taemin of SHINee to release first solo album

Taemin. (SM Entertainment)Taemin from boy band SHINee will make his debut as a solo artist with a new album this week.Before releasing his new solo EP “ACE” on Aug. 18, the K-pop star will reveal a teaser video on his official website and SM Entertainment’s YouTube channel on Tuesday.Through his solo activities, Taemin seeks to showcase his unique musicality and styles previously unseen as a member of SHINee, according to SM Entertainment.The group ― which also consists of Jonghyun, Minho, Onyou

Aug. 11, 2014

Korean teens win silver in world culinary cup

Korean participants pose in Incheon International Airport before leaving for the Philippine Culinary Cup in Manila on Aug. 3.A group of Korean teenagers aged 15 to 19 won silver medals in the world culinary cup in Manila, Philippines, last week.Six students ― Kim Min-seung, Kim Ji-young, Kim Tae-gyeom, Baek Jang-sun, Jang Hong-chang and Hong Ji-young ― were awarded 10 silver medals in four sections in the 2014 Philippine Culinary Cup. The four sections included pasta, poultry, plated desserts an

PeopleAug. 11, 2014

YG Family concert to be WINNER’s official stage debut

WINNER, YG Entertainment’s first boy-band in 9 years since Big Bang, is to make its official stage debut on Friday as it performs with its fellow labelmates.Amid preparation for the concert, WINNER released still cuts from two tracks on its upcoming EP. “Empty” and “Color Ring” were selected from the 10 tracks on the album.Members of the group were carefully chosen through cable channel Mnet's competition program “Win: Who Is Next” in 2013. To show off their talent, the first EP is to consist of

Aug. 11, 2014

EXO to bring back sounds of 1990s

K-pop idol group EXO will revive the K-pop from the 1990s in an upcoming TV show. 　The 11-member group will shed new light on first-generation K-pop by reinterpreting once-trendy tunes in a more contemporary perspective on Mnet’s entertainment program “EXO 902014.” 　(OSEN)The EXO members, who were all born in the early 1990s, will look into the nostalgic music and trigger vivid recollections for those in their 30s and 40s who grew up with first-generation idols such as H.O.T, g.o.d and Seo Taiji

Aug. 11, 2014