[Herald Review] ‘Memsore,’ ‘healing’ that fails to heal

Director Choi Nak-hee’s first major film “Memsore” is a film that I would have loved to love. A film with beautiful scenery, mouth-watering visuals and ear-pleasing sound -- a flick to soothe a person fed up with hectic city life with its calming lull.Yes, it did calm me down. And it lulled me to deep sleep near the end. This is one flick that pains me to bash, as I can clearly see the potential it had as a kind of cute, innocent and feel-good movie.The film starts with young woman Se-hee -- pla

FilmNov. 15, 2018

Wanna One suffers leak again ahead of album release

The main track of boy band Wanna One’s first full album was leaked four days ahead of its official release, sources in the K-pop scene said Thursday.They said a music file and lyrics for “Spring Breeze” from the album titled “1¹¹=1 (Power of Destiny)” have spread quickly across social media since Wednesday. Wanna One (Yonhap)This is not the first time that the band has experienced an illegal leaking of its material. In March, files for “Boomerang” and “Gold,” both on the band’s second EP, “0+1=1

PerformanceNov. 15, 2018

Rookie designers aim to be Korea’s next fashion giants

The runway is always admired by emerging designers who want to be the next Karl Lagerfeld, Alessandro Michele or Christopher Bailey. But not all labels make their way into the spotlight. Though Seoul is not one of the “big four” fashion capitals of the world, it has no lack of young brave hearts who hope to make it big. At the 2019 spring-summer Hera Seoul Fashion Week in October, two designer brands, Dew E Dew E and By.D’By, took a big leap at the Seoul Collection, the larger of the two shows t

Arts & DesignNov. 15, 2018

Ohagi and matcha at Mochibang

At Mochibang -- a small, artisanal Japanese-style dessert shop -- one will find “ohagi.” In fact, one will find several variations of the Japanese rice cake customarily served during the autumnal equinox. Mochibang specializes in wagashi, or Japanese sweets, with a focus on rice cakes like mochi and ohagi. (Photo credit: Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Owners Lee Bo-ra and Jeon Chan-hong fill their ohagi with everything from “marrons glaces” (candied chestnuts) to fragrant “yuja” (citron). The ma

FoodNov. 15, 2018

[Eye Plus] Comic characters revitalize old neighborhood

Seongnae-dong in Gangdong District of Seoul was run-down and quiet, a neighborhood occupied mostly by the elderly. But with Kang Full, a popular webtoon artist who has been living in the area since he was 2 years old, the old town has turned into a lively and vivid one with his comic characters. Created in 2013, the Kang Full Cartoon Alley in Seongnae-dong is full of his artworks featuring popular characters and images from his comics. Artists and students from Sungsu High School’s art club join

CultureNov. 15, 2018

[Graphic News] Southeast Asia top spot for S. Korean winter tourists

　Southeast Asia has emerged as the most popular tourist destination for South Koreans planning on overseas trips in December, a leading travel agency said.　Hana Tour, the largest travel agency in South Korea, said that as of Wednesday, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations accounted for slightly over 54 percent of all reservations for overseas travel in the coming month.　The portion is up sharply from 34.1 percent for December last year. Japan followed with 18 percent, trailed by 12.8 percen

TravelNov. 15, 2018

Ansan beckons with oasis of greenery in arid metropolis

A view of snow-covered Ansan Jarak-gil in Seoul (Seodaemun District Office)If anyone asks me for advice on Seoul’s most beautiful getaway, without hesitation I would pick Ansan Jarak-gil in the northwestern part of the city.The 7-kilometer walkway encompasses the 300-meter-high mountain across several urban districts, and offers some of the most scenic views of nature and the city.During late autumn, you can enjoy the last bits of the fall foliage, with canopies and leaves betraying tinges of re

TravelNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] From Chanel to Gucci: Korean women turn into designer rent-a-holics

It is 7 a.m. on a Monday. Hong Mi-jin, 35, an office worker in Seoul, makes a fresh pot of coffee and jumps into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she comes out with a big towel wrapped around her hair. Rummaging through her closet, she picks out a Theory knit top and matching block skirt, Sandro tweed jacket and Givenchy’s Antigona bag -- a set of items rented from different luxury rental sites. “It is stressful for me to choose what to wear, what bag to carry, which heels to go with the wardro

Arts & DesignNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] Subscription plans bring readers back to books

The rate at which Koreans read books regularly is hitting new lows each year. Only 60 percent of adults read at least one book in 2017, down 5.4 percent from 2015, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The decline in book readers comes as no surprise, as people are drawn to activities with more instant gratification, such as games, social media and video streaming. One hopeful sign for authors, publishers and booksellers is the emergence of new services built upon what is cal

CultureNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] ‘Subscription economy’ reshaping Korean pop culture

When the press show for YouTube Premium series “Top Management” was held in Seoul in October, it received a great deal of attention from local media outlets.Starring up-and-coming actor and singer Cha Eun-woo of boy band Astro, the show’s pilot episode was watched nearly 1.7 million times in a week.Nadine Zylstra, head of YouTube Originals for the Asia-Pacific region, said at the event that the company recognizes how influential South Korean pop culture has become on the global stage. “Through t

TelevisionNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] Korean startups craft mix of beer and subscriptions

Following the rise of the subscription economy, an increasing number of startups have launched services adopting the new business model. One such startup is Daily Shot, which offers a craft beer or cocktail at a pub for a monthly fee of 9,900 won ($8.70).Daily Shot includes a drink at partner pubs and bars to customers who sign up for the monthly plan. The average price of a craft beer or cocktail is set at about 10,000 won at Daily Shot, but subscription customers can enjoy a daily drink for ju

CultureNov. 15, 2018

On Twitter, Jo Kwon is rare voice of support in K-pop for LGBT fans

Though Jo Kwon’s career is currently on hold, LGBT fans cannot thank him enough for his support for the LGBT community on Twitter.The singer is currently serving in the military after enlisting earlier this month to fulfill South Korea’s mandatory military service requirement, but his online presence is stronger than ever. This is due in large part to his willingness to voice support for sexual minorities -- a rare bold move in the K-pop world.Jo Kwon. (Jo Kwon‘s Instagram)In one of the recent t

TelevisionNov. 15, 2018

How BTS’ Suga dealt with nerve-wracking college entrance exam

It’s that time of year again, when around 600,000 Korean students go through one of the most nervous and significant moments of their lives by sitting the nationwide college entrance exam. And with Suneung, Korea’s annual college entrance exam, taking place on Thursday, BTS Suga’s recollection on Twitter of that nerve-wracking day has resurfaced across social media, which fans called as super down-to-earth. His tweet, dated November 2015, read, “Hi this is Suga. Today is the college entrance exa

PerformanceNov. 15, 2018

BTS concert in Japan draws crowds despite controversy over A-bomb image

Renowned Korean boy band BTS has successfully finished its two concerts in Tokyo, drawing a total of 100,000 fans, the group's management agency said Thursday.BTS performed live about 30 songs, including the Japanese version of "I Need You," "Run" and "DNA," during the "Love Yourself" concerts at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday. (Yonhap)The group received an enthusiastic response from the fans for performing "Fake Love," the title track off its latest Japanese single album "Fake Love/Air

PerformanceNov. 15, 2018

E’Dawn cuts ties with Cube Entertainment

E’Dawn from boy band Pentagon is leaving Cube Entertainment.The singer, who was mired in controversy after going public with his relationship with fellow singer HyunA, will no longer be at Cube Entertainment as of Wednesday, the agency confirmed in a statement.“Cube Entertainment agreed with E’Dawn to end his contract on the 14th,” the statement read. (E'Dawn's Instagram)The decision comes nearly a month after the agency cut ties with female solo artist HyunA, who remains romantically connected

PerformanceNov. 14, 2018

Mariinsky Ballet’s Spanish rom-com comes to Seoul

The Mariinsky Ballet will perform “Don Quixote” at the Sejong Center in Seoul from Thursday to Sunday, with ballerino Kim Ki-min and ballerina Viktoria Tereshkina in the lead roles. The production is Alexnader Gorsky’s version of the ballet, created in the early-20th century. It is a reinvention of choreographer Marius Petipa’s work, which premiered in 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre. The Mariinsky Ballet’s Kim Ki-min performs as the poor barber Basilio in Gorsky’s “Don Quixote” (Mariinsky Theatre)

PerformanceNov. 14, 2018

'League of Legends' virtual K-pop group slays the charts

“POP/STARS” by virtual K-pop girl group “K/DA,” composed of game characters from online multiplayer arena game “League of Legends,” has made it to the top of the US iTunes’ K-pop and Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales charts, following its release on Nov. 3.“K/DA Ahri, K/DA Evelynn, K/DA Kai’Sa, and K/DA Akali take the world stage with their debut single,” reads the description of the song’s music video on YouTube, which had garnered nearly 55 million views as of Wednesday. (Billboard)On Billb

PerformanceNov. 14, 2018

Brokerage issues positive outlook for JYP Entertainment

South Korean music label JYP Entertainment has seen a strong quarter on the strength of its veteran players and newcomer acts, along with steady overseas market expansion, a brokerage said Tuesday. “JYP Entertainment has shown a solid third-quarter performance due to the increase in overseas revenue of the major lineup (of artists such as GOT7, Twice) and the rapid growth of the newcomer lineup (Stray Kids),” NH Investment & Securities said in a report.  (JYP Entertainment)The music label’s oper

PerformanceNov. 14, 2018

Big Hit apologizes for recent BTS wardrobe controversy

BTS' agency Big Hit Entertainment has issued a statement over the recent controversies surrounding its artists' wardrobe choices."We don't condone any activities of war or the use of atomic weapons. ... We had no intention to hurt victims of the dropping of atomic bombs," it said Tuesday night, referring to the controversy regarding BTS member Jimin's T-shirt that had an image of an atomic bomb.(Big Hit Entertainment)It was the company's first public statement on the issue since Japanese music p

PerformanceNov. 14, 2018

Boy band member sued by own fans over fraud, embezzlement

A member of a popular South Korean boy band in the 1990s has been sued by his own fans over fraud and embezzlement, court officials here said Tuesday. Kang Sung-hoon, the main vocalist of the boy band Sechs Kies, and his fan club, "Hoony World," are facing investigation from legal authorities after 70 of the band's fans lodged a complaint with Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office claiming that the two misappropriated fan donations, according to the officials. The fans said that Hoony World

PerformanceNov. 13, 2018