Director Ann Hui wins BIFF Asian Filmmaker of Year

Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui has been chosen as the winner of the 2014 “Asian Filmmaker of the Year” by the Busan International Film Festival, organizers said Monday.“We selected director Ann Hui as the winner of this year’s award to show respect for her contribution to the Asian film industry and her pioneering spirit with the creation of many masterpieces that will be remembered for ages,” the film festival said in a release.The award is given annually to an Asian filmmaker who has significantl

FilmAug. 4, 2014

[Herald Review] Rockin’ in the rain

The sweat-dousing, sauna-like humid weather and Typhoon Nakri’s heavy rains did not top tens of thousands of rock lovers from flocking to Penta Park in Incheon over the weekend to attend the annual Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. With a near decade-long run, Pentaport is still one of the country’s most attended summer festivals. The three-day event brought around 80 acts this year, including headlining overseas acts Kasabian and Travis as well as local pop rock icon Lee Seung-hwan.  English roc

PerformanceAug. 4, 2014

YG rookie group Winner’s debut week kicks off

K-pop rookie band Winner unveiled a poster on Monday heralding the launch of their official debut in the entertainment scene. The fledgling group’s management agency YG Entertainment released a poster, titled “Winner ― 2014 S/S Debut Week,” on its official blog at midnight on Aug. 4.In the poster, the five members stand in line while looking ahead in dark suits, exuding charisma.  Winner’s “Debut Week” poster. (YG Entertainment)The poster also announces the group’s upcoming schedule this week, d

Aug. 4, 2014

Singer joins hunger strike by Sewol victims’ families

South Korean pop singer Kim Jang-hoon said Monday that he will join a hunger strike by family members of those killed in the Sewol ferry disaster to press politicians for the early parliamentary passage of a special law aimed at determining the cause of the disaster.“I’ll join the hunger strike by the bereaved family members at the Gwanghwamun square from 2 p.m. today,” Kim wrote on his Facebook page.“The special law is for all of us and the country, not just for the bereaved families, but (I do

PerformanceAug. 4, 2014

Oakwood Premier Coex makes Expedia Insiders’ Select list

Park Yong-soon (left), general manager of Oakwood Premier COEX, poses with Denny Jeon, the director of Expedia’s Korea office, at the Insiders’ Select Award conferral ceremony. (Oakwood Premier COEX Center)Oakwood Premier Coex has made Expedia’s Insiders’ Select list, becoming one of 650 hotels and resorts worldwide to earn this title in 2014. Expedia, one of the world’s leading online travel agencies, founded the Insiders’ Select Award to recognize outstanding hotels and resorts around the worl

TravelAug. 4, 2014

Jang Geun-suk celebrates 28th birthday with fans

Actor Jang Geun-suk celebrated his 28th birthday with his fan club “Cri-J,” his management agency said on Monday.From Aug. 2-3, various events were held for fans including photo exhibitions, a fan art zone and an open broadcast of Jang’s radio program “ZIKZIN.”The exhibition was comprised of various pictures and video footage of the actor. The fan art zone displayed high-quality art sent in by Jang’s fans.All proceeds of the photo exhibition, which brought in more than 16 million won, are to be

Aug. 4, 2014

2AM, 2PM idols take selfie at concert practice

K-pop idol group 2AM’s Im Seul-long released a photo he took with his fellow group member Jeong Jin-woon and 2PM‘s Taecyeon on Monday. 　Along with the photo posted on Instagram, he wrote “giants” in the caption. 　In the picture, the trio are standing side by side, with Taecyeon in the middle draping his both arms around the other two’s shoulders. They appear to be practicing for the upcoming joint concert in casual outfits. 　Lim‘s group 2AM, along with other JYP-affiliated musicians including 2P

Aug. 4, 2014

Secret’s teaser photos published ahead of album release in August

K-pop girl group Secret has disclosed more teaser photos in the run-up to its grand EP release in mid-August. 　Secret’s label TS Entertainment disclosed two more individual teaser pictures on the band’s official website and fan site, raising expectations for the group’s comeback in eight months. A white-themed picture features Jun Hyo-seong posing for the camera in a white sheer dress. 　In a black-themed photo, Song Ji-eun exudes sensuality and femininity in a black corset dress with smoky eye m

Aug. 4, 2014

Min Hyo-rin’s dog goes viral online

Actress Min Hyo-rin and her pet dog "Tank." (Instagram)A photo of actress Min Hyo-rin and her dog Tank has gone viral. In the photo, the actress flaunted her long and wavy hair and flaming red lips. The photo was released on the actress’s Instagram on Sunday. With the photo she wrote: “Tank, you sure are photogenic today.” (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Aug. 4, 2014

YG rookie group Winner‘s debut week kicks off

K-pop rookie band Winner unveiled a poster on Monday that heralds the launch of their official activities in the entertainment scene. 　The fledgling group’s management agency YG Entertainment released a poster, titled “Winner - 2014 S/S Debut Week,” through its official blog at midnight on Aug. 4.　In the poster, the five members stand in line while looking ahead in dark suits, exuding charisma. 　The poster also demonstrates the group’s upcoming schedule this week, dubbed “Debut Week.” Winner is

Aug. 4, 2014

Clara shares tips for a sexy body line

Korean star Clara shared her know-how on how to create a sexy body line in an interview with health magazine BEAUTY+. (BEAUTY+)Clara was able to get her S-line through a six-month intensive workout, she said. She danced and did hard-core exercises for two hours every day.Along with the workout, Clara only consumed low-salt food. For example, she did not put hot pepper sauce or sesame oil in her bibimbap and only preferred olive oil-based pastas. Moreover, she tried to eat less for breakfast and

Aug. 4, 2014

f(x) Krystal to star 'My Lovely Girl' with Rain

Krystal of f(x). (S.M. Entertainment)Krystal of girl group f(x) will co-star in MBC’s upcoming television series “My Lovely Girl” with singer-actor Rain, a local media outlet reported on Monday.Krystal was confirmed for the romantic drama’s female lead, Sena, who dreams of becoming a top music producer. She is 12 years younger than Rain. The broadcaster reportedly said, “We agreed that (Krystal) in fact would fit Sena’s role. She is chic, pure and strong-willed, which are all required for the ro

Aug. 4, 2014

Song Hye-kyo, Kang Dong-won reveal 'My Brilliant Life'

Hallyu stars Song Hye-kuo and Kang Dong-won revealed Monday their film “My Brilliant Life.”  (OSEN)In the press conference, Kang showed off a unique style with a dot-print navy suit, while Song wore an elegant, feminine pink dress. (OSEN)The movie centers on a relationship between parents who had a son at age 17, who is now 17 and suffering from progeria, a genetic disorder that displays prematurely early signs of aging. The film will be released next month. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Aug. 4, 2014

Shin Se-kyung flaunts sporty look

 Actress Shin Se-kyung boasted a sporty look for fashion magazine Grazia. The actress wears a variety of outfits from Adidas Original for the photo shoot, flaunting her sexy and sporty sides at the same time. Shin can be seen in a black tank top and loose knitwear, where she bares her shoulder. She also shows off her slim body by wearing black leggings and a matching crop top. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Grazia)

Aug. 4, 2014

Chasing the K-pop dream

"Time to get up girls!" The call comes at 6:00 am as it does every morning, pulling Ray from her bunk bed at the start of another 16-hour day in search of stardom.Ray and the five other young women sharing a small Seoul apartment make up the K-pop band "Billion" -- which at times can feel like the number of miles they are from achieving their goal.K-pop glamour has conquered much of Asia and beyond, but for every headlining boy and girl band, there are many more like "Billion" struggling for a b

Aug. 4, 2014

Kim Hee-sun models for casual brand PAT

Korean actress Kim Hee-sun was chosen as the new model for casual brand PAT’s 2014 F/W collection. Kim posed with model-turned-actor Lee Hyun-wook and wore luxurious clothes in khaki and beige.By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: PAT)

Aug. 4, 2014

‘Who rules on SNS?’ : Korean celebrities with most followers

Social network services have become celebrities’ window to their fandoms online. As the number of the stars’ followers on mainstream SNS has become indicative of their influence online, many Korean celebrities try to keep their SNS homepages updated with frequent postings. The Korean celebrity who currently has the most number of Facebook followers is actor Lee Min-ho, with more than 15 million followers. Singer Psy comes in second with more than 12 million followers on Facebook. Actor Lee Min-h

Aug. 4, 2014

Children’s musical rethinks disabilities

Giraffes capture the imagination as majestic creatures towering over the African savannah with elongated necks suitable for reaching high branches. But what would life be like for a giraffe born with a short neck? Were such an anomaly to exist in nature, a rough guess based on the notion “the survival of the fittest” would be that it would face many kinds of adversity, all pointing to an early exit from nature’s stage. An inspiring story premised on the same thought experiment questions this gri

BooksAug. 3, 2014

[Herald Review] Fearful battle for the fearless admiral

Audiences were already eager for the film “Roaring Currents,” even before it premiered. Part of it had to do with veteran actor Choi Min-sik (“Old Boy”) starring as the protagonist, Adm. Yi Sun-sin. The rest was the fact that the film is about Adm. Yi, one of the most revered figures in Korean history. His statue stands at the heart of Seoul in Gwanghwamun. The film’s broad road of success was forecast as the film centers on the historic Battle of Myeongryang in 1592, during the Japanese invasio

Aug. 3, 2014