Teen actress Kim You-jung greets fans with selfies

Teen actress Kim You-jung released several selfies on her agency’s Twitter.With the selfies she wrote: “Haven’t sent SNS greetings in a while. Hope you stay cool and have a nice day. Aja!”  (IHQ Twitter)(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

July 17, 2014

Psy's 'Hangover' tops 100 mln views on YouTube

 The music video for South Korean rapper Psy's new song "Hangover" surpassed 100 million views on YouTube on Thursday, a little over a month after its release.As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, the video had some 123.9 million views on video-sharing site YouTube, 39 days after the video's release on June 9. With this, Psy became the first singer to top the 100 million mark in YouTube views for the third time in a row following "Gangnam Style" and "Gentleman."This proved Psy's steady global influence even

July 17, 2014

K-pop boy group JYJ to hold annual festival for fans

Popular K-pop boy band JYJ will open a massive annual festival in Seoul late this month for its local and Japanese fan clubs, the group's management agency said Wednesday.The trio has held the "JYJ Membership Week" expo annually in the capital city for free since 2012 to better communicate with their fans, drawing more than 20,000 people each year from home and abroad.This year's event, the third of its kind, is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3 at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, accord

July 17, 2014

Seoul’s ‘creative spaces’ integrate arts into urban landscape

A decade ago, the underground section of the Jungang Traditional Market in Sindang-dong, Seoul, was a place without a future. As merchants left the area one by one, what was once the site of flourishing small businesses had turned into a dungeon few cared to visit. The fortune of this unfrequented area of Seoul was reversed in October 2007 when the Sindang Creative Arcade opened. The arcade is one of nine “creative spaces” currently under the auspices of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture

PerformanceJuly 16, 2014

[Herald Review] ‘Priscilla,’ much more than just a gay show

In Korea, where homosexuality is taboo, musical fans, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, have displayed much interest in queer themes. An indication of this, many imported queer musicals have had successful runs here. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Thrill Me” are still showing, while two more ― “La Cage aux Folles” and “Kinky Boots” ― are to open later this year. Still, a gay story can be a risky bet in this market, as recently evidenced by malicious remarks heaped on Jo Kwon, a member of K-po

PerformanceJuly 16, 2014

Korean reggae king releases first solo album

“King O’ Irie,” released on July 17, has been a long time coming for reggae singer Skull. He first started thinking about a solo album during his military service, but it wasn’t until he finished it in 2010 that he was able to start work on it. The album would take him four years to complete as he waited for the perfect time to release it.“I was always thinking of (the) right time,” he said. “I felt like, if I just release the album, only a few people can listen to my album, even if I make very

July 16, 2014

Piano, bass duo Peacock releases 1st EP, ‘Apprivoiser’

A keyboard, a bass and sorrowful vocals ― the formula may sound simple, but the newly debuted Damien Rice-inspired ballad rock duo Peacock is hoping it’s enough to make a mark. Jo Young-il on lead vocals and keyboard and Kim Sang-hoon on the bass met through a mutual musician friend about three years ago and teamed up to create music based on their love of the vocal style of the popular Irish singer-songwriter. Auto-Tuning the electric bass guitar to where it actually sounds like Kim is playing

July 16, 2014

Ancient dragon boating gives cancer survivors a workout

If you’ve been in Portage Lakes State Park in Ohio recently you just might have spotted some dragons. Not the long-toothed Loch Ness kind that live under the sea, but dragon boats that glide across the water.Members of the Dragon Dream Team, all wearing pink life jackets, have been practicing their strokes on recent warm summer evenings. The women remained in sync when paddling the 12-meter watercraft. They were beautiful, strong, energetic and breast cancer survivors.The team, which hones its s

CultureJuly 16, 2014

Older Americans take ‘encore’ jobs

After Fred Wallace was laid off from a high-paying job in 2011, the 56-year-old knew the odds of landing a comparable position were slim.He polished his LinkedIn profile and networked like crazy. But his yearlong job search yielded only a handful of interviews and no offers.So he shifted gears, embarking on an “encore” career by working part time at a child and family services organization in San Bernardino, California.Wallace is among millions of older Americans launching professional second ac

PeopleJuly 16, 2014

Little libraries build community, love for books

SACRAMENTO, California ― Some parents buy a dog or cat when their children leave home. When her son Jack Gavron heads to college in the fall, Mindy Fox will get a library.The library, a handbuilt wooden box decorated to look like the family’s Craftsman-style home, already sits in Fox’s front yard in the Land Park neighborhood in Sacramento, but Gavron is the primary steward. When he built it for his senior high school project this spring, he joined a community of approximately 15,000 Little Free

CultureJuly 16, 2014

Lee Hyori burns photos of ex-boyfriends

K-pop diva Lee Hyori said in a television program on Tuesday that she has burnt all the photos she took with her former boyfriends.In the SBS talk show “Magic Eye,” the hosts including Lee, actress Moon So-ri and model Hong Jin-kyung talked about their past experiences with ex-lovers.Hong said, “After my marriage date was confirmed, my mother chucked all my photos with my ex-boyfriend without my permission. They were cherished memories and I wanted to keep them under cover for myself if I had to

July 16, 2014

EXO Chanyeol and Sehun walks the runway in Seoul

Chanyeol and Sehun, members of K-pop sensation EXO, walked the runway at the fashion festival “Fashion KODE 2014” held in Seoul, Wednesday. The idols participated in the event as honorary ambassadors. The annual fashion festival is to be held from July 16-18, inviting a slew of fashion designers, buyers and brands from here and overseas in an opportunity to broaden networks and do business. By Ok Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

July 16, 2014

Park Shin-hye meets her fans with a stunning smile

Actress Park Shin-hye wowed her fans at a fan meeting on Tuesday in Seoul.The fan meeting, dubbed “It’s White Time,” was a promotional event for the dental beauty care brand Median, which chose Park as its spokesmodel.Along with the fan meeting, Park participated in a small talk show, where she revealed her dental care secrets for a beautiful smile.The 24-year-old actress has finished filming for the upcoming movie “The Tailors,” and is to start her Asian tour “2014 Story of Angel” to meet her f

July 16, 2014

Jang Keun-suk's 'Team H' launches new album

Actor and singer Jang Keun-suk’s project band Team H released its third album, the star’s agency Tree J Co. said on Wednesday.Titled “Driving to the Highway,” the album contains 14 tracks, including title piece “Driving to the Highway,” “Raining on the Dance Floor” and “Gold Digger.” “Take me,” a song from Jang’s latest EP, is also included on the new album. Team H is a K-pop boy band that 26-year-old Jang formed with music partner and K-pop singer Big Brother.  Team H Big Brother“Every time we

July 16, 2014

Park Ji-sung wedding photos released

The wedding photos of retired soccer player Park Ji-sung and his soon-to-be wife Kim Min-ji were released on Wednesday.Park and Kim will tie the knot in a private ceremony at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul on July 27.Back in June, Kim, a former television broadcaster, was spotted on SBS variety show “Running Man,” cheering on Park as he played an away game in Indonesia.(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

July 16, 2014

JYJ Park Yoo-chun gives hug to fans

JYJ member Park Yoo-chun hugged fans in a film showcase on Tuesday. The event was part of the showcase for an upcoming film “Haemoo,” or “Sea Fog.” (OSEN)(OSEN)In the event, Park wore all black in a simple, chic outfit. (OSEN)The film, based on a true story, follows ship crewmembers who unwittingly allowed people to stow away. The film, to be released on Aug. 13, is directed by filmmaker Bong Joon-ho who made “Memories of Murder, “The Host,” “Mother” and “Snowpiercer.” (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

July 16, 2014

f(x) Sulli to shine in fashion magazine

K-pop group f(x)’s Sulli appeared in a summer editorial for the August edition of fashion magazine Ceci, boasting a stylish summer look in an ethnic-patterned dress and metallic sneakers. The girl group member also showed off her natural charms by wearing a sporty white shirt, cap and sneakers in another photo for the magazine. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Ceci)

July 16, 2014

Secret Han Seon-hwa flaunts natural makeup

Han Seon-hwa of girl group Secret released a selfie on Wednesday, showing off her baby face with a slight touch of makeup. The photo was taken in a recording room -- heralding the girl group’s imminent return to the K-pop scene.  Han Seon-hwa of Secret (TS Entertainment)(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

July 16, 2014