Politicians show ‘softer side’ on reality shows, paving way for comeback

When thinking of politicians on the small screen, images of fiery verbal showdowns in black suits come immediately to mind. But imagine a man with uncombed hair who has just woken up. In his pajamas, vacant-mindedly making breakfast for his wife.Former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, returning from a seven-year hiatus from the public eye, stars on TV Chosun reality show “Flavor of Wife.” He and his wife are special guests of the show for October.  Screenshot of former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon with his wif

TelevisionOct. 10, 2018

BTS announces 4 Asian destinations on upcoming world tour

The K-pop sensation BTS has revealed four new Asian destinations for its upcoming “Love Yourself” world tour.　On Wednesday at noon, BTS uploaded a tour poster and concert schedules for four Asian countries -- Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand -- via its official fan cafe and social media channels. 　 (Big Hit Entertainment)According to the schedule, the group is to perform Dec. 8-9 at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium in Taiwan, Jan. 19 at the Singapore National Stadium, March 20

PerformanceOct. 10, 2018

BTS wins favorite social artist award at American Music Awards

Marking another milestone, BTS was named favorite social artist at the 2018 American Music Awards. The 2018 AMAs, which kicked off at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater on Tuesday at 8 p.m., announced that the K-pop group had snagged the award, beating out the likes of Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovata and Shawn Mendes. It is the first time a K-pop act has won the award at the renowned awards show.  (AMAs)Currently on its Europe tour, BTS expressed its excitement and gave a shout-out to fans throu

PerformanceOct. 10, 2018

Ex-boyfriend of Goo Ha-ra’s attempt to defend himself backfires

Singer Goo Ha-ra’s ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-bum defended himself against accusations of revenge porn on Tuesday’s episode of SBS’ “Access Showbiz Tonight,” but his explanation that he sent Goo the private video in question to “get rid of it” was met with skepticism.During the show, Choi, who appeared alongside his lawyer, said, “I didn’t want to film the video, and it wasn’t even filmed by me but Goo Ha-ra. As we were ending our relationship and I no longer have a reason to keep the video, I sent

PerformanceOct. 10, 2018

BTS's latest album stays high on Billboard 200 chart for 6th week

South Korean boy group BTS ranked 24th on the Billboard's main albums chart with its latest album, "Love Yourself: Answer," according to the chart, which was updated on Tuesday.The album was up a notch on the Billboard 200 for the week of Oct. 13 from last week's 25th and has now been on the list for six weeks since it debuted in the top spot on its release on Aug. 24. (Yonhap)It was BTS' second No. 1 on the highly competitive album chart, following the "Love Yourself: Tear" extended player, mak

PerformanceOct. 10, 2018

Sam Smith stages first concert in Korea

English pop star Sam Smith wowed audiences here as he staged his first concert in Korea on Tuesday.  Sam Smith performs at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)Held in Seoul, Smith performed for an audience of around 20,000, according to Hyundai Card, the company that organized the concert.Smith told the audience it was his first visit to Korea, and added he would come back for another show. (Yonhap)The concert was part of his world tour that began in March in England and is set to fini

PerformanceOct. 9, 2018

PM acknowledges K-pop’s role in proliferation of Korean language

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon noted Korean pop culture’s influence in promoting the Korean language and culture on Hangeul Proclamation Day, a national holiday celebrating the creation of the Korean characters by King Sejong, the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).“The youth of the world learns and sings the Korean lyrics in BTS songs,” Lee said during a commemorative address at the national ceremony for the 572nd anniversary of the writing system’s inception at Gwanghwamun Square in ce

PerformanceOct. 9, 2018

Seoullo 7017 turns into playground for mobile game

Visitors to Seoullo 7017 will be able to accomplish missions on an interactive mobile game app while walking along the pedestrian overpass in Jung-gu, Seoul, starting Wednesday. Seoul Metropolitan City and the Seoul Tourism Organization have jointly launched a game called “City of Love: Seoul,” which will be available from Wednesday through end-November. The game is offered through the Real World app, which can be downloaded free of charge.  Seoullo 7017 (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) (realwor

TravelOct. 9, 2018

Zimerman, Kissin and Schiff: world renowned piano virtuosos perform in Seoul this fall

Classical music lovers will be treated to performances by internationally acclaimed pianists this fall, starting with Krystian Zimerman in mid-October, followed by Evgeny Kissin at the end of the month and Andras Schiff in November.Zimerman, one of the world’s finest pianists, will perform Oct. 19 at Lotte Concert Hall, together with the London-based Philharmonia Orchestra led by conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The concert marks Zimmerman’s second visit to Korea since 2003.  Pianist Krystian Zimerm

PerformanceOct. 9, 2018

Japanese actor in hot water at home for siding with Koreans over flag dispute

Japanese actor Jun Kunimura faces mounting criticism in his country after suggesting that Japan understand Koreans’ sentiment toward the controversial Rising Sun Flag, given the two countries’ thorny history.During the Busan International Film Festival on Friday, the actor said he thinks Japan should understand the way Koreans feel about the flag, when asked by a journalist about the controversy surrounding the flag being flown at a naval event in Korea.“The Japan Self-Defense Force would say th

FilmOct. 9, 2018

BTS to get medal for spreading Korean culture: presidential office

K-pop sensation BTS is being commended for its contributions in spreading Korean culture and language, the presidential office said Monday.Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said it had been decided at a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day to award the seven members of the boy band with a fifth-class Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit. “Many young people overseas are now singing Korean lyrics, one of the examples of (BTS) contributing to not only spreading Hallyu, but also Hangeul,” Prime Mi

PerformanceOct. 8, 2018

[Photo News] Korea celebrates Hangeul’s birthday

Tuesday is the annual Hangeul Day that commemorates the creation of the Korean alphabet in the 15th century, with events scheduled throughout the country.Hangeul, which can be translated into “writings of Koreans,” was created by King Sejong of Joseon in 1443 and was promulgated three years later. As the king himself wrote upon the promulgation, it was created to help commoners read and write. Up until that point, the Korean language existed without a writing system and people had to use Chinese

CultureOct. 8, 2018

Seoul International Writers’ Festival to examine where literature stands today

Local and foreign writers are set to gather in Seoul to discuss literature later this month, when the Literature Translation Institute of Korea hosts the Seoul International Writers’ Festival. The biennial event, which started in 2006, is in its seventh edition this year. This year’s festival, which runs Oct. 21 to 28, will tackle the theme “Nowhere / Now Here.” Poster image for 2018 Seoul International Writers’ Festival (LTI Korea)“As (the institution) focuses on introducing Korean literature t

CultureOct. 8, 2018

John Legend sings duet with Wendy

The rumor that heightened fans’ curiosity turned out to be true. Girl group Red Velvet’s Wendy is to release a duet with US singer-songwriter John Legend for next “Station x 0” project.S.M. Entertainment confirmed Monday via its official YouTube channel that Legend and Wendy have formed the fifth team for the “Station x 0” project with a song titled “Written in the Stars.”(SK Telecom)In the video, Wendy and Legend appear sitting side-by-side on a couch talking about the upcoming song. According

PerformanceOct. 8, 2018

LG Electronics airs BTS video in New York's Times Square

LG Electronics Inc. said Monday it aired a special video dedicated to South Korean boy band BTS at Times Square In New York to coincide with the K-pop group's world tour.The tech giant said it aired the video, which included music clips and messages from fans, for 24 hours over the weekend.  (Yonhap)BTS wrapped up the American leg of its tour with a historic concert at the Citi Field baseball park on Saturday (US time).The South Korean tech giant also operated a BTS Studio at the venues of the c

PerformanceOct. 8, 2018

VR cinema at BIFF a glimpse into future?

BUSAN -- Many kids have dreamed of jumping into their favorite cartoon and being part of it, and virtual reality cinema is as close as you’re likely to get with today’s technology.The VR Theater section at the ongoing Busan International Film Festival offers a peek at what may be the next step for cinema and entertainment in general.The section is divided into three parts: VR Movie, VR Movie Live and VR Movie Experience. VR Movie works like your standard cinema, where audience members sit down a

FilmOct. 7, 2018

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang, pianist Alessio Bax to hold nationwide tour

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang will start a nationwide tour with Italian pianist Alessio Bax with a recital on Oct. 14 at Seoul Arts Center.This is Kang’s first nationwide tour since 2016 when she toured with pianist Son Yeol-eum, her close friend and the artistic director of the Pyeongchang Music Festival.Kang’s upcoming recital will feature works of French and Belgian composers, including Debussy‘s Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L148, Eugene Ysaye’s “Poeme Elegiaque,” Op. 12 and Cesar Fran

PerformanceOct. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] BTS dazzles New York with history-making stadium concert

Every step of BTS in the US has been history-making, from its performance at Prudential Center in Newark to its heartfelt speech in front of the United Nations in New York. But maybe it was the highly anticipated show at Citi Field in New York that allowed the K-pop phenomenon to vault to the highest tier of pop superstardom in the US, where it also marked the end of the North American leg of its “Love Yourself” world tour.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The enthusiasm for the act’s first-ever statesid

PerformanceOct. 7, 2018

Music video of BTS' 'Idol' garners more than 200 m YouTube views

The original music video of BTS' latest song "Idol" surpassed the 200 million-view mark on YouTube, 43 days after its release, the band's management agency said Sunday. The video achieved the milestone at 1:13 a.m., according to Big Hit Entertainment. The song's album "Love Yourself: Answer," the finale of BTS' "Love Yourself" trilogy, was released on Aug. 24.(Yonhap)Two weeks later, BTS dropped another "Idol" music video, featuring American pop icon Nicki Minaj.The second music video had garner

PerformanceOct. 7, 2018

‘Ode to the Goose’ explores communication, paths of characters’ lives

“Ode to the Goose” by Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu is a curious film. The main characters go through numerous conflicts in their lives, many of which remain unresolved.“I do not know the answers (to the conflicts). A director’s job is to find (things) to be curious about in life,” he said at a press conference for his film, screened at the Busan International Film Festival on Friday.True to his words, the director refused to spell out what his film was about, leaving the audience to interpre

FilmOct. 5, 2018