Will CJ co-create BTS’ younger sibling?

BTS’ agency joins CJ ENM to launch entertainment companyCJ ENM is already the biggest company in the Korean entertainment industry today, but it could be heading for an even bigger presence in the global market, as the agency of BTS -- arguably the biggest star in K-pop at the moment -- is joining its massive family.The entertainment behemoth will collaborate with Big Hit Entertainment to launch an entertainment venture firm later in the month, according to local media reports. The CJ affiliate

PerformanceAug. 1, 2018

Orchestra to hold concert near DMZ

The Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra will hold a peace-promoting concert at Camp Greaves, a former military base in the northernmost area of South Korea, just 2 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone, in collaboration with members from the Yale Symphony Orchestra and young musicians from around the globe. Led by violinist and artistic director Won Hyung-joon, the festival orchestra is a project orchestra formed in 2009 with hopes to create a joint South-North orchestra. It holds a concert at the ca

PerformanceAug. 1, 2018

[Album review] Groovy and emotional, that’s Leo of Vixx

Vixx’s Leo“Canvas”(Stone Music Entertainment)Welcome to the dreamy land of this magician. It seems like Leo, an effortlessly seductive vocalist and songwriter of Vixx, had a pile of stories to unpack on his first solo album “Canvas” -- not a single track in the seven-track collection sounds insipid. Poised as an artist, Leo did a good job in painting his canvas with his own colors, as the songs, woven together with overarching groovy beats, trendy melodies and an emotional attitude, reflect his

PerformanceAug. 1, 2018

[Graphic News] Value of shares held by celebrities rises in 2018

　The value of shares held by South Korea's stock-rich celebrities increased this year despite lackluster market conditions, data showed.　The combined value of shares held by the top seven celebrities stood at 555.1 billion won ($496.2 million) as of July 27, up 21.4 percent from 457.3 billion won as of the end of last year, according to corporate tracker Chaebul.com. 　The gains are noteworthy as the benchmark Kospi market and secondary Kosdaq bourse decreased 6.99 percent and 8.07 percent respec

EntertainmentJuly 31, 2018

Tiger JK to spearhead Black Music Festival

South Korean hip-hop artist Tiger JK will oversee the Black Music Festival, a music event that celebrates various genres of black music including R&B, hip-hop, soul and jazz.The rapper has taken on the role of art director for the two-day outdoor festival, which will take place from Aug. 24-25 in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.Tiger JK said he hopes to see amateur and up-and-coming hip-hop musicians take the stage and keep hip-hop culture alive at the festival. (Yonhap)The BMF embraces the cultura

PerformanceJuly 31, 2018

New Ma Dong-seok movie commences filming

Ma Dong-seok, a muscle-bound action star who packs both action and laughter, is shooting a crime action film featuring him as a reluctant hero.Producers of the film “Ak-in-jeon (The Story of an Evil Man)” said the movie started shooting Tuesday. Starring alongside Ma are actors Kim Mu-yeol and Kim Sung-kyu.Ma Dong-seok (Yonhap)The film features Ma as a mob boss who chases after a serial killer after surviving an attempt on his life. Kim Mu-yeol will play the role of a detective who unwillingly t

FilmJuly 31, 2018

[Photo News] Sea of giant, yellow sunflowers at Haman county

With sunflowers in full bloom, the sixth annual sunflower festival is being celebrated in the host county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province. Local farmers have reportedly planted 1 million sunflowers on 48,000 square meters of land. Festivalgoers can take part in activities such as music performances, cheese-making classes and face painting. The festival, which began on July 21, runs through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. General admission is 2,000 won ($1.80), which will used to support

TravelJuly 31, 2018

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek on chamber music spree

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek will perform in a series of chamber music concerts in August, starting with a performance with the rising Veits Quintet on Aug. 14 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul.Established in 2012, Veits Quintet is a Berlin-based ensemble group of young artists who are currently performing at prestigious orchestras in Europe. The members are flutist Cho Sung-hyun, oboist Ham Kyeong, clarinetist Kim Han, Portugese hornist Ricardo Silva and bassoonist Rie Koyama.Veits Quintet received i

PerformanceJuly 31, 2018

[Herald Review] Kendrick Lamar storms Seoul, despite glitches

The first concert in Korea for hip-hop royalty Kendrick Lamar was long overdue, but he showed his mastery in Seoul, despite a short set with a few hiccups. Performing before the sell-out crowd for the Hyundai Card Super Concert on Monday at Jamsil Sports Complex, Lamar proved his reputation through and through, as he orchestrated the 20,000 crowd.Opening the action was “DNA,” a wildly-popular song that you hear it in virtually every hip-hop club in Korea.  Kendrick Lamar performs in a concert he

PerformanceJuly 31, 2018

‘Boyfriend,’ starring Park Bo-gum and Song Hye-kyo, to air in November

Much-anticipated TV series “Boyfriend,” starring Par Bo-gum and Song Hye-kyo, is to air on tvN in November.The new drama series, which will air every Wednesday and Thursday, garnered attention when reports revealed Song would mark her return to the small screen after marrying actor Song Joong-ki in October. “Boyfriend” is the first series to feature Song since megahit series “Descendants of the Sun” in 2016, while it will also be Park’s first TV gig since “Love in the Moonlight,” a series he sta

TelevisionJuly 30, 2018

5 must-see exhibitions to stay cool in summer

As the summer weather turns sultry, exhibitions can provide a cool escape. Recent exhibitions in Seoul have been creating hype as renown and talented artists take over the local art scene.Here are five must-see exhibitions in Seoul:"Penking: Making Mistakes”Aug. 8, 2018 – Sept. 4, 2018  (WTFM)Up and coming artist Penking is set to exhibit his black comedy art at Backroom in Hannam-dong, Seoul. His work reinterprets the fable of the rabbit and the turtle, questioning if earnest hard work can stil

Arts & DesignJuly 30, 2018

‘Lion King’ readies first ‘original’ performance in Korea

Beloved 1994 Disney animation “The Lion King” has been made into a Broadway musical seen by 95 million people across the world since 1997.More than two decades after its debut, the musical will land in Korea later this year for its first performance in its original language. An international tour of “The Lion King” will land in Korea in November for performances in Daegu, Seoul and Busan. It will kick off at Keimyung Art Center in Daegu -- where it will play from Nov. 9 to Dec. 25, before moving

CultureJuly 30, 2018

How much do we know of late artist? MMCA holds retrospective exhibition of Bahc Yi-so

The late artist Bahc Yi-so’s career was short-lived. He died of a heart attack in 2004 at age 47, two decades after launching his career in New York in 1984. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch is holding a retrospective exhibition that highlights works of Bahc, as well as an archive of materials he left behind.“Bahc Yi-so: Memos and Memories,” the artist’s first-ever posthumous solo exhibition at the MMCA Gwacheon branch, makes extensive use of archive materials

Arts & DesignJuly 30, 2018

KARD: 'We're walking our own path'

Mixed-gender group KARD has had a world tour even before its official debut in its home country. The group has collected more than 1 million subscribers on its official YouTube channel, and the video for its first digital single recently surpassed 20 million YouTube views.Since KARD is better known to overseas K-pop fans rather than locals, its two EPs from July and November last year have not charted high on local music streaming services.But the four-piece group said during a recent interview

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018

Actor Ji Sung attends press conference for new TV series 'Familiar Wife'

Actor Ji Sung said during a recent promotional press conference for his new TV series that he would have been a baseball player if he hadn't been an actor. Actor Ji Sung poses with the cast of the tvN series "Familiar Wife," at a media event held in Seoul on Wednesday. (tvN)"If I hadn't been an actor, I would have been playing baseball," he said during the event held at Time Square in Yeongdeungpo in southwest Seoul on July 25. "I still enjoy watching baseball games and want to play baseball in

TelevisionJuly 29, 2018

K-pop light sticks explained: BTS, Apink, GOT7, Mamamoo

In K-pop culture, a light stick is so much more than a glow stick for concerts.While it is a practical item to have in dark concert venues, light sticks act more like a symbol of fans’ unity and strength. It enables artists to look out into a crowd and see a sea of their trademark color being emitted from light sticks they have created.Although they typically have the same purpose, artists put in the effort to add a special twist to their light sticks, whether it be using a specific color, type

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Hotel Transylvania 3’ a funny film for children

A funny-looking vampire in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts dancing to “Gangnam Style” is how I would describe “Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation.”That is exactly the yardstick to determine who will enjoy the film and who will hate it. Does that image -- actually in the movie, and exactly as it sounds -- have you rolling on the floor? You are in for a treat. Are you grinding your teeth? Leave now. "Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation" (Sony Pictures Korea)The movie briefly looks at the pa

FilmJuly 29, 2018

Arario Gallery show looks at how young artists deal with surroundings

People often write journals not just to record the daily grind but to look back and understand various encounters, experiences and phenomena.Titled “Jet Lagged,” the latest exhibition at Arario Gallery’s Ryse Hotel branch is an exhibition that presents works of young artists striving to find their way in their cultural, historical and personal surroundings.Opened on July 19, “Jet Lagged” is a group exhibition featuring four Asian artists: Indonesian artist Jompet Kuswidananto, Chinese artist Zhu

Arts & DesignJuly 29, 2018

Twice wins No. 1 on ‘Inkigayo’ without appearance

Girl group Twice topped the charts again on the local music show “Inkigayo,” even without making an appearance. This is the group’s sixth win on a music show. Twice took first place Sunday for its new song “Dance the Night Away.” Twice wins No. 1 on a music show (Screen capture from SBS’ ‘Inkigayo’)Since the release of the song on July 9, the group has earned a total of six wins on the main local music shows, including “Inkigayo,” “M Countdown,” “Music Bank,” and “Show! Music Core.”Promotional a

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018

iKON B.I melts fans’ hearts with teaser for ‘New Kids: Continue”

With just four days left to its much anticipated return, iKON unveiled Sunday a teaser image of B.I for its upcoming EP “New Kids: Continue” via YG Entertainment’s official blog (www.yg-life.com). In the teaser, B.I looks straight ahead while resting his face on one hand. He wears a red sleeveless T-shirt and has red highlights in his jet black hair.  iKON B.I teaser poster with lyrics (YG Entertainment)The boy band, known for its creative lyrics, is poised to return with its third installment o

PerformanceJuly 29, 2018