Lee Young-ae on the cover of Cosmopolitan Hong Kong　

  Korean actress Lee Young-ae was the cover model for Cosmopolitan Hong Kong’s special 30th anniversary edition. Despite being a mother of twins, the actress, who gained worldwide fame through the “Jewel in the Palace,” looks stunning and graceful as ever. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Cosmopolitan Hong Kong)

June 11, 2014

[Herald Interview] Kicking an old habit

On March 23, the Cultural Heritage Administration held a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of its foundation. Instead of festive celebrations, the state-run body marked the occasion with a solemn oath that it would change the way it has been working. For Rha Sun-hwa, the CHA’s chief since January, it felt like the end of a chapter ― one that has been brutally tough on her and her staff ― and the beginning of a new one. “The past five months (leading up to the anniversary) was like a ceaseles

CultureJune 10, 2014

White Lies celebrates the art of tease

On a Saturday night at Myung Wol Gwan Club in Hongdae, a crowd has gathered to watch women take their clothes off. But this is not a strip show ― there are no poles, no elevated stage and no leering old drunks reaching to stuff dollar bills in G-strings. The performers here are from the White Lies Burlesque Revue, and are here to celebrate the art of tease. The audience is mostly young women and men, cheering rowdily.Nell Fox, the leader of the group, dressed in a long black skirt cut to the thi

Expat LivingJune 10, 2014

[Herald Review] Between life and death lies ‘Gyeongju’

Gyeongju, an ancient city in the southeastern part of South Korea, is renowned as a popular destination for school field trips. Schoolchildren cluster around the remains from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57 to A.D. 935) and pose for pictures in front of royal tombs or pagodas that date back 1,500 years.The city, known for its authentic landscape, partway between the ancient and the modern, will have a more dynamic and aesthetic taste when Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu’s new movie “Gyeongju” comes

FilmJune 10, 2014

Traditional Korean music with a modern twist

More often than not, long-held stereotypes about traditional Korean music have positioned the art form as difficult and boring, with some dismissing it as “old” under the assumption that what is traditional must remain preserved in its purest form.This summer, however, the National Theater of Korea is providing a rare opportunity to enjoy a special blend of gugak, traditional Korean music, at its annual Yeowoorak Festival scheduled to take place throughout the month of July.The Yeowoorak ― an ac

PerformanceJune 10, 2014

Taeyang unveils MV for ‘1AM’ with Min Hyo-rin

Exactly one week after the release of his second full solo album “Rise,” Taeyang has unveiled the album’s second music video “1AM.”The music video was released on YG Entertainment’s website on Tuesday at 1 a.m. and is the second of three videos that the artist is planning to release as part of his latest album. The video co-stars popular actress Min Hyo-rin and had previously piqued interest among netizens as it was hinted that there would be a bed scene with the two stars. Although the music vi

June 10, 2014

Psy’s ‘Hangover’ falls far short of ‘Gentleman’

After releasing his second international single post-“Gangnam Style,” Psy’s non-dancing-based collaboration “Hangover” featuring Snoop Dogg finds itself nowhere near the star’s accustomed record-breaking pace despite surpassing the 14-million-viewer mark on YouTube in less than a day. The K-pop phenom’s latest single was released worldwide on Monday, more than a year after his “Gangnam Style” follow-up “Gentleman.” However, despite drawing a lot of international attention for teaming up with the

June 10, 2014

Girl’s Day to celebrate 4th anniversary with album

Cutesy-turned-sexy girl group Girl’s Day will be celebrating its fourth anniversary next month with the release of a commemorative album.“Girl’s Day will be making its return on July 14 with a special summer season album produced by duo composing team Edan Yup Chagi,” said an official statement release by the group’s agency DREAMT Entertainment. “This album is meant to commemorate the fourth year since they debuted on July 9.” The statement added that the upcoming album would be light-hearted an

June 10, 2014

Hottest Korean celebrities in love in 2014

Many female celebrities remained hesitant to reveal their love life in the past. These days, however, more stars are open-minded about sharing their love stories, whether they’re married or not. Against this backdrop, The Korea Herald has singled out the top five couples that drew attention for their romance in the first half of this year. 1. YoonA & Lee Seung-gi Girls Generation member YoonA and singer Lee Seung-gi were the first couple to confirm their romance on the first day of this year. Th

June 10, 2014

Lee Seung-gi gets serious eye injury while filming ‘You’re Surrounded‘

Actor Lee Seung-gi sustained a serious eye injury during the filming of “You’re Surrounded,” indefinitely suspending the airing of the SBS television series, the broadcasting station said Tuesday.The actor was accidentally poked in his left eye by a fake sword while filming an action scene on Monday, the broadcaster said. The accident left him with corneal damage and frontal eye bleeding.“Lee Seung-gi was engaged in an accident and is unable to return to the filming scene for the moment,” one of

June 10, 2014

Tickets to VIXX’s first concert sold out in 9 minutes

(Jellyfish Entertainment)Six-member boy group VIXX scored a homerun as tickets to its first solo concert sold out in 9 minutes, according to CJ E&M on Tuesday.　Tickets to “VIXX Live Fantasia ‘Hex Sign’” opened to the public on Auction Ticket at 8 p.m. on Monday. A total of 7,000 seats for the two concerts sold out so quickly it resulted in the website being shut down.“The server went down due to the sudden influx of traffic on the booking site. We had so many calls from fans who lost in the ‘tic

June 10, 2014

Kim Soo-hyun slams plastic surgery rumor

Korean sensation Kim Soo-hyun has dismissed growing rumors in China about his having had plastic surgery as totally groundless.A Chinese news outlet raised the possibility that Kim had gotten plastic surgery, claiming that the actor is a perfect product made through plastic surgery.But Kim ended the controversy at a recent news conference in China. “Many South Korean celebrities get plastic surgery. Have you done it too?” a reporter asked. 　“Not all Korean celebrities undergo plastic surgery,” K

June 10, 2014

2NE1 to dazzle Singapore after success in Indonesia

(YG Entertainment)2NE1 successfully staged a concert at Meta Elang International Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday.In its second destination on its world tour, the girl group captivated local fans who looked forward to their colorful performance.“I like 2NE1 because they are not like typical K-pop girl bands,” one Southeast Asian fan said on social media.According to audience who attended the concert, it was staged to exceed the expectations of long-awaited fans with powerful vocals and a

June 10, 2014

Choi Si-won to star in Jackie Chan film

South Korean actor and singer Choi Si-won was cast to star in Jackie Chan’s latest film, “Dragon Blade,” along with Jackie Chan, Mel Gibson and John Cusack, according to his agency SM Entertainment. Choi’s part in the film not yet known. Set in ancient China, “Dragon Blade” is the tale of a Roman prince, played by Cusack, who gets caught up in an adventure in China and teams up with a Chinese hero, played by Chan, to fight a foe who threatens the whole world. The shooting kicked off early this y

June 10, 2014

Boyfriend reveals ‘B Cut’ pictorials to new song ‘Obsession’

K-pop boy group Boyfriend released their “B Cut” pictorials to their new song “Obsession.” The members showed off their wild and sexy side by posing in different clothes. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo credit: Starship Entertainment)　

June 10, 2014

Ex-KARA member Kang Ji-young mulls comeback as actress in Japan

Kang Ji-young, a former member of KARA, is in talks with a Japanese management agency about returning to the entertainment scene, local news outlets reported Tuesday. “Kang Ji-young, who left Kara and went to London to study last April, will resume (her) activities,” an industry watcher told a Japanese weekly magazine.  (Instagram)According to the reports, Kang is mulling over signing a contract with Japanese talent agency Sweet Power, home to top actresses including Meisa Kuroki and Maki Horiki

June 10, 2014

Woman who blackmailed Park Yoo-chun faces prison term

A woman who threatened to disclose private pictures of JYJ‘s Park Yoo-chun was sentenced to 10 months in prison for blackmail Tuesday. The woman, only identified by her surname Kim, was found to have blackmailed the idol, saying she would release private photos and text messages stored in the phone she found last February in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The 30-year-old woman demanded 100 million won in return for not releasing the information, according to the Seoul Central District Court.In the rul

June 10, 2014

Yoon Doo-joon gives away expensive stuff to BEAST members

Members of the popular idol group BEAST revealed that Yoon Doo-joon has given them expensive things.Of the six members, Lee Ki-kwang, Yang Yo-seop, Yong Jun-hyung and Son Dong-woon participated in an episode of the KBS2 talk show “Hello,” broadcasted on June 9.When sharing their opinions about a story about a spendthrift husband, Yo-seop started to talk about Doo-joon, saying that “Doo-joon is a little bit similar.”Yo-seop also revealed that the members call Doo-joon a “Donating Angel.” “Doo-joo

June 10, 2014

Official poster for ‘Joseon’s Gunman’ hints at rocky road for Lee Jun-gi

Broadcaster KBS released the official poster for its new historical television series “Joseon’s Gunman” on Tuesday. The official poster for KBS’ historical television series “Joseon’s Gunman.” (KBS)In the poster, Heroine Nam Sang-mi is desperately hanging onto the gunman, played by actor Lee Jun-gi, with the phrase “I will protect you, no matter what” suggesting that a historical upheaval lays ahead. The Wednesday-Thursday night series is a historical action-romance drama about the last swordsma

June 10, 2014