Batman won’t appear in Fox’s ‘Gotham’ series

BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) ― Yes, the new Fox series “Gotham” will feature a young Bruce Wayne, but don’t expect him to turn into the caped crusader. Creator Bruno Heller told journalists Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that “If there is a superhero on this show, it’s Gotham.” “To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes,” he said, “because the difference is superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the physically possible. This is about

FilmJuly 21, 2014

‘Ninja Warrior’ competitor wants to inspire others

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― A YouTube video that shows Kacy Catanzaro, 1.5-meter, 45-kilogram gymnast, breezing through an obstacle course where others twice her size often fail has garnered more than 6 million views since she competed in the “American Ninja Warriors” TV show. But being the first woman to complete one of the show’s most grueling courses is not enough for her. Catanzaro tells The Associated Press she wants to inspire women and young people to get off the couch and start getting fit. The s

TelevisionJuly 21, 2014

Seeger tribute at Newport honors traditional folk

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) ― There are few musicians as inextricably linked to the Newport Folk Festival as the late Pete Seeger. Newport, known as the place where Bob Dylan cast aside his acoustic guitar and went electric in 1965, has made its mark on the festival scene more recently with an innovative mix of old and new ― most with a far different sound than the folk movement Seeger helped lead. This year’s top acts include Jack White, Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples. In a hearkening back to

PerformanceJuly 21, 2014

Lee Min-ho to embark on worldwide fan meet

Lee Min-ho. (Lee Min-ho Facebook)Lee Min-ho, one of Asia’s most recognized stars, will be embarking on his first worldwide fan meeting tour starting next month, according to an announcement by representatives of Starhaus Entertainment. After his leading role as Gu Jun-pyo in the hit 2009 drama “Boys Over Flowers,” Lee became a household name and launched his career as one of the country’s top hallyu stars. Since then, the actor has racked up more Facebook page followers than any other Korean ent

July 21, 2014

Rain receives Catholic baptism

Rain (Cube Entertainment), Kim Tae-hee (The Korea Herald)Singer and actor Rain was recently baptized into the Catholic Church, his management agency Cube DC said Monday.The ceremony took place at a small Catholic church in the Namhansanseong fortress in Gwangju, just southeast of Seoul, according to other sources in the K-pop industry. The exact date of the ceremony is unknown.The baptism was attended by his actress girlfriend Kim Tae-hee, who is known for her devout Catholic faith, and his fami

July 21, 2014

g.o.d. concert organizer fined for damaging stadium grass

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has fined the organizer of K-pop group g.o.d.’s recent concert held at Auxiliary Stadium at Jamsil Sports Complex for damaging the stadium.Approximately 20 square meters of the grass was destroyed by the stage structures ― consisting of an 80-meter-long main stage, a 160-meter-long protruding walk way and over 70 LED panels. The field was also damaged by oil that spilled from the stage, according to the city government on Monday.K-pop group g.o.d. performs at Au

July 21, 2014

Sistar drops new album ‘Touch & Move’

Sistar. (Starship Entertainment)Sistar, one of the sexiest girl groups in K-pop, has returned to the limelight with its latest EP “Touch & Move,” which was unveiled on Monday. The six-track summertime-inspired EP comes more than a year since the four members released their second full studio album “Give It to Me.” The new album features lead track “Touch My Body,” an upbeat pop track that started climbing the charts as soon as it was released, topping real-time charts on MelOn, Soribada, Mnet an

July 21, 2014

Actress Lee Ha-na gives thumbs up to Lee Soo-hyuk’s fit body

South Korean actress Lee Ha-na praised her costar Lee Soo-hyuk for his masculine body at the press conference for the drama “The King of High School Manners” held Monday in Ilsan, Gyeonggi province. 　“I have been exercising while on hiatus. As I wasn’t working for quite a long time, I thought I should build up some muscles to get myself ready for the next job,” the model-turned-actor told reporters, smiling.　“But it is hard to keep in shape,” he said.Lee Soo-hyuk (OSEN)The heroine of the rom-com

July 21, 2014

Seo In-guk tells of what makes his role attractive

South Korean actor and singer Seo In-guk pointed out that “honesty” is what makes his role attractive in the drama “The King of High School Manners.” In the tvN rom-com, the singer-turned-actor currently plays Lee Min-seok, a high school student who masquerades as an executive in place of his missing older brother, who looks as though he could be his twin.“Lee Min-seok’s honesty is what makes him attractive I think,” Seo said at a press conference for the drama held Monday in Ilsan, Gyeonggi pro

July 21, 2014

Actor Park Hae-jin becomes fashion designer in China

Park Hae-jin, the hero of sensational drama series “My Love from the Star,” debuted as a designer under Chinese fashion brand “V-modern” on Thursday.“V-modern” was launched by Park and Mark Jang, a fashion virtuoso in China.The actor held his first ever fashion show at the JW Marriot Hotel in Beijing, China with 50 models all dazzling in Park’s line of clothes.For Park’s debut show, more than a hundred news outlets came, highlighting the actor’s ambidextrousness as a model, actor and now, a desi

July 21, 2014

Kim Bo-sung does what he preaches: ‘Uiri Uiri’

Actor Kim Bo-sung (OSEN)Tough guy actor Kim Bo-sung’s actions met his trademark slogan “Uiri uiri,” which refers to the faith between friends with a masculine connotation. Kim donated 20 million won for the visibly impaired and underfed children, the Community Chest of Korea said on Monday. The actor wished to split the donation in half, benefiting both underprivileged groups.“Because I am a visibly impaired person myself, I know what their difficulties are... I would like to help them,” Kim sai

July 21, 2014

Sistar tops 10 music charts in 2 hours after release

(Captured from official music video)Four-member K-pop girl group Sistar soared up to the top of 10 local music charts shortly after releasing the EP “Touch & Move.”The main track “Touch My Body” topped main local charts Melon, Genie, Mnet, Olleh Music, Bugs, Soribada, Monkey3, Naver Music, Daum Music and Cyworld Music by 2 p.m.The second track “Naughty Hands,” featuring hip-hop artist Verbal Jint, also ranked second on real-time music charts.With the six tracks from the upcoming EP safely sittin

July 21, 2014

Dynamic Duo to release collaboration EP with DJ Premier

Dynamic DuoHip-hop group Dynamic Duo has joined hands with the legendary DJ Premier to unleash the collaboration EP “A Giant Step” on July 16.DJ Premier is a U.S. DJ and producer who was the instrumental half of hip-hop duo Gang Starr. As a record producer, DJ Premier worked with top musicians like Jay-Z, Maroon 5 and The Black Eyed Peas.Dynamic Duo, consisting of Choiza and Gaeko, is a groundbreaker in the Korean music industry, where rappers rarely find a place on local music charts. The duo m

July 21, 2014

KBS, KNOC point fingers over renaming Gag Concert's ‘Mansour’ to ‘Uhksour’

State broadcaster KBS and state-run oil company Korean National Oil Corp. are pointing fingers over the name change of a comedy skit on “Gag Concert” over fears it could cause political tension. The dispute began as KBS said on Sunday that its comedy show “Gag Concert” changed the name of popular sub-segment skit “Mansour” to “Uhksour,” following a request from the Korean National Oil Corp.The comedy skit centers on the massive wealth of oil tycoons from the oil-producing countries of the Middle

July 21, 2014

Secret’s Hyosung flaunts glamorous body

Hyosung, leader of the K-pop girl group Secret, flaunted her sensuality in a pictorial in the fashion magazine Geek. The men’s magazine released the August edition cover photos in which the idol is showing off her glamorous body in a form-fitting dresses on its official Facebook page.The 24-year-old vocalist debuted in 2009 as a member of the four-member group Secret. The band is set to make a comeback in August. She is now starring in the KBS daily drama “My Dear Cat.”　(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.

July 21, 2014

HyunA’s sensual editorial

HyunA from 4Minute’s alluring fashion pictorial by Arena Homme Plus has been released. The K-pop idol, who is going to have her solo comeback soon, shows her femme fatal side by wearing an oversized shirt over a lingerie set. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo Credit: Arena Homme Plus)

July 21, 2014

CNBLUE’s Jung Yong-hwa in all-black suit

CNBLUE’s Jung Yong-hwa appeared in an all-black suit for Vogue Korea. The singer and actor is going to appear in his first historical drama along with actor Lee Jin wook, the boyfriend of Gong Hyo-jin.By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Vogue)

July 21, 2014

Paris Hilton under fire for alleged tardiness at events

American socialite Paris Hilton has faced criticism from some Korean news organizations for her alleged late arrivals at some events.The Hilton heiress arrived in Seoul on Thursday for a two-day trip to participate in the shooting of two TV shows on cable channels operated by CJ E&M.  (OSEN)But Ilgan Sports reported on Friday that Hilton arrived at the recording studio for the OnStyle “Get It Beauty” three hours late and the StoryOn “True Live Show” three and half hours late, keeping production

TelevisionJuly 21, 2014

3 reasons why Kim Jun-su makes a perfect 'Dracula'

The curtain rose for the musical “Dracula” on July 15. Among the cast, Kim Jun-su, a musical actor and a member of the idol group JYJ, is gaining the most attention.A local news report suggested three main reasons why Kim Jun-su’s version of “Dracula” is the most eagerly awaited.1. Dark atmosphere Kim Jun-su already has experience in showing a character’s dark atmosphere through the musical “Elizabeth.” Kim also succeeded in expressing the complicated character of Dracula, who expresses both dar

July 21, 2014