[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Searching(US)Opened Aug. 29Drama, Mystery, Thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. Thirty-seven hours later and without a single lead, David (John Cho) decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. On Your Wedding Day(Korea)Opened Aug. 22Romantic comedyDirected by Lee Seok-geunSeung-hee (Park Bo-young) and Woo

FilmSept. 13, 2018

Actress Jung sparks controversy over feminist film

Audiences were strongly divided over the casting of Jung Yu-mi for the film adaption of the feminist novel “Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982.”A torrent of comments followed Wednesday’s news that Jung, who has appeared in hit films like “Train to Busan,” had been cast for the main role in the film. Many were critical of the actress’ decision to take on the role. Jung Yu-mi pictured above (Management SOOP)Her Instagram soon became a forum for heated debate as critics and supporters of Jung headed to her

FilmSept. 13, 2018

BTS nominated for American Music Awards

BTS has been nominated for the 2018 American Music Awards, becoming the first K-pop act to get a nod for the AMAs. On Wednesday, the AMAs announced that the K-pop superstar was nominated for the award show’s Favorite Social Artist category, alongside big name pop stars like Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Shawn Mendes.BTS has already taken home a bag-full of Stateside trophies, winning the top social artist award at the Billboard Music Awards for the last two years. Last November, BTS a

PerformanceSept. 13, 2018

Achim Freyer’s new ‘Das Rheingold’ unveiled

German producer Achim Freyer’s latest production of “Das Rheingold,” part of Wagner’s “Ring Cycle,” was unveiled to the media in Seoul, offering yet another interpretation of the epic music drama. ”The “Ring Cycle” is a “Gesamtkunstwerk,” in which music, drama, language, light, stage design, costumes and drawings all come into play, Freyer said Wednesday at a press conference held after a showcase performance at the Namsan Creative Center.  German opera director Achim Freyer (right) and Esther L

PerformanceSept. 12, 2018

MMCA Director Bartomeu Mari to leave in December

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided not to renew the term of Bartomeu Mari, the director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.Museum officials on Wednesday said they had received official word from the ministry on Tuesday.  Bartomeu Mari, the director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. (MMCA)The officials said the Culture Ministry had cited calls from within the domestic art world for the museum to focus more on Korean art wh

Arts & DesignSept. 12, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Feng Shui’ pretty solid, but not riveting as political drama

“Feng Shui” is a film with solid acting and an awesome-sounding premise, but it made me go “Eh, OK” upon watching.The setup has betrayal, loss and a power struggle, which amps up expectations for a gripping political drama set in the Joseon era, yet the film does not make as much of an impression as its superior cousin “The Face Reader” did in 2013.The movie is set in the late Joseon era, when the royal family had all but lost its authority to powerful aristocrats, particularly the Kims of Jeong

FilmSept. 12, 2018

[Album review] Oh My Girl’s new album is something to remember

Oh My Girls“Remember Me”Loen Entertainment Congratulations, Oh My Girl, on leaving the hilarious banana monkey land and landing back on your shiny magical world. After shocking fans with comical monkey costumes in “Banana Allergy,” the K-pop darlings declared their return with a shimmering five-track EP “Remember Me.”And it indeed is something to remember -- a pleasant mix of new experiments and the act’s old legacy, transitioning between a charismatic chameleon and a “Secret Garden” kind of fai

PerformanceSept. 12, 2018

‘Show Me the Money 777’ makes splash

The seventh season of music cable channel Mnet’s rap competition show “Show Me the Money 777” has made a solid debut on the weekly TV chart.The first episode, which aired Friday, took the No. 2 spot with a Content Power Index score of 257.6 on the chart for Sept. 3-9.The popular competition show has drawn 13,000 applicants for the latest season, in which a winner earns 200 million won ($177,000) in prize money. With a bigger talent pool, the show boasts more competent rappers than previous editi

TelevisionSept. 12, 2018

BTS' 'Idol' ranks 81st on Billboard Hot 100

K-pop phenomenon BTS' new song "Idol" placed 81st on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart this week, slipping 70 spots from a week earlier.It is the second straight week that the song's digital version featuring Nicki Minaj has appeared on the main chart since the song debuted in the 11th spot last week, according to the chart for the week of Sept. 15.The song's umbrella album, "Love Yourself: Answer," ranked eighth on the main Billboard 200 chart for the week, also coming down from a week earlie

PerformanceSept. 12, 2018

[Herald Design Forum 2018] ‘Space Composer,’ Junji Tanigawa says design will continue to expand boundaries

Design will continue to expand its boundaries, says Junji Tanigawa, a Japanese designer known as “Space Composer.”“There will probably be changes in the concept of design. It will expand into many fields and will all be considered as design. Newsfeeds and shared awareness will be structured at a level different from today’s,” Tanigawa said in an email interview with The Korea Herald and The Herald Business. Junji Tanigawa (Courtesy of the speaker)“I create many different types of communication p

Arts & DesignSept. 11, 2018

[Herald Design Forum 2018] 'Quality architecture should provide future vision'

Park Jin-hee, a recent winner of the Iakov Chernikhov International Prize, is an architect based in Seoul and New York widely recognized for her “micro-housing” projects. For the upcoming Herald Design Forum 2018, Park will join Martha Thorne, executive director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, to talk about the changing role of architects, as well as the new possibilities of architecture. Park will also share details of her past projects.Architect Park Jin-hee (Courtesy of Park Jin-hee)Micro

Arts & DesignSept. 11, 2018

[Graphic News] George Clooney is highest paid actor

　George Clooney topped an annual list of the world’s highest-paid actors, mainly due to the sale of his tequila company. 　The 57-year-old earned an estimated $239 million between June 2017 and June 2018, the highest earnings of his 35-year career in film and television, according to Forbes. 　Clooney sold the Casamigos tequila company he co-founded to British spirits company Diageo in June 2017. He has not starred in a Hollywood movie since the 2016 crime thriller “Money Monster.” 　His on-and off

EntertainmentSept. 11, 2018

Berry Good to perform without Sehyung after foot injury

Berry Good has decided to continue promotions for its new album as a five-piece act after bandmate Sehyung injured her foot last week. Sehyung injured herself while getting out of a vehicle during the DMC Festival. On Saturday, she took to social media to promise fans she would return soon. The originally six-piece group was quick to reorganize itself as it is in the midst of TV promotions for its album “Free Travel.” An official image of Berry Good. (JTG Entertainment)JTG Entertainment said the

PerformanceSept. 11, 2018

Koreas to resume joint dig of Kaesong palace site

South and North Korea have agreed to resume the excavation of the ancient palace site of Manwoldae located in the North Korean city of Kaesong, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday.A study of Manwoldae, where the now-demolished royal palace of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) once stood, could offer a way for the two Koreas to reconcile their differing views on Korean history. Manwoldae site (Cultural Heritage Administration)South Korean officials held a working-level meeting with the

CultureSept. 11, 2018

‘Aim High in Creation!’ looks at artistic passion in hermit kingdom

Before its recent pursuit of diplomacy, North Korea had appeared hostile to other countries, from its sworn enemy of “capitalist Americans” to its southern neighbor. “Whenever a film is made about North Korea, three stories are allowed: It (North Korea) is a land of gulags and starvation, it is an evil brainwashing empire where the citizens have no control, or it is a backward state and a member of the axis of evil,” said Anna Broinowski, the documentary filmmaker who directed “Aim High in Creat

FilmSept. 11, 2018

Sunmi edges out Girls’ Generation in chart battles

After swapping positions back and forth, Sunmi came out on top at last in the latest weekly charts, fending off competition from Girls’ Generation.Sunmi’s new single “Siren” secured the top spot on last week’s singles chart on multiple streaming services like Bugs, Melon and Mnet during the week ending Sunday.Last week saw one of the hardest fought chart battles in K-pop history, with Sunmi, formerly of girl group Wonder Girls, releasing her new single “Siren” on Tuesday and Girls’ Generation’s

PerformanceSept. 11, 2018

S.M. poised to launch Vietnamese unit

S.M. Entertainment plans to make inroads into Vietnam by widening the scope of its global business.CEO Han Se-min announced Tuesday that the company is preparing to establish a corporate branch in Vietnam, at a Korea-Vietnam business seminar in Hanoi, Vietnam.  (Yonhap)Founder and executive producer Lee Soo-man also attended the event as a keynote speaker.“We have previously announced our plans to search for talented youths in Vietnam and create NCT-V, a subunit of NCT,” Lee said in his keynote

PerformanceSept. 11, 2018

[Herald Design Forum 2018] Life changes as we sit on chairs

As you read this, you are probably sitting on a chair. Indeed, a large portion of our time is spent sitting on chairs. Italian artist and furniture maker Martino Gamper has examined what chairs mean to us and he will share his insights as a speaker at the Herald Design Forum 2018 on Friday. Furniture designer Martino Gamper (Courtesy of Martino Gamper)Gamper’s works are highlighted by deconstruction and reconfiguration. He became widely recognized through his “100 Chairs in 100 Days” project. Co

Arts & DesignSept. 11, 2018

[Herald Design Forum] An architect who understands humans

There was a time when Korea was practically obsessed with architecture. In 2012, the film “Architecture 101” made singer-actress Suzy a household name. Then, last year, there was a resurgence of interest in architecture when Yoo Hyun-joon, a professor of architecture at Hongik University and the head architect at Hyunjoon Yoo Architects, appeared on tvN’s “Trivia.” Yoo immediately rose to stardom. His way of connecting human desires to architecture was fascinating -- not to mention his soft, gen

Arts & DesignSept. 11, 2018

Koreas to restart joint excavation of historic palace site in Kaesong

South and North Korea will resume their joint excavation of the site of an ancient palace in the North's border town of Kaesong late this month, Seoul's cultural heritage authority said Tuesday.The Cultural Heritage Administration said that it has agreed during a working-level meeting with the North's National Reconciliation Council in Kaesong on Thursday to conduct a joint survey and preservation of the Manwoldae site for three months from Sept. 27 to Dec. 27. Manwoldae was the palace of the Go

CultureSept. 11, 2018