Seventeen’s new EP dominates online charts

K-pop boy band Seventeen’s new EP “You Make My Day” is dominating online music charts.The group released the EP on Monday night, and within hours, saw multiple tracks from the record chart in the top 100 on a number of charts including Bugs, Melon, Mnet and Genie Music.As of Tuesday morning, the lead single from the EP “Oh My!” was at number seven on the online streaming service Bugs, while other tracks from the EP “Holiday” and “Come to me” charted at number 39 and number 44, respectively. (Ple

PerformanceJuly 17, 2018

[Photo News] International pop group Now United poses for the camera

International pop group Now United posed for the camera in a studio in Yongsan, Seoul, as part of the promotion for their debut album “Summer in the City” in South Korea. Now United poses in a studio in Seoul. (Yonhap)Formed by English producer Simon Fuller, the group consists of five boys and nine girls from across the world including the US, Germany, Russia, China, Finland, India, Japan, Brazil and South Korea.The 14 members were put together after taking part in the final audition in Los Ange

PerformanceJuly 17, 2018

[Video] Despite eye-popping action, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is about the story

With the worldwide release of “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout” just around the corner, the latest installment in the spy action franchise is being hailed as the best in the series. Tom Cruise, known for doing his own stunts, keeps upping the ante as he actually flies a helicopter in a borderline-insane maneuver.Why would a Hollywood superstar constantly risk his life?“For you (the audience). To entertain you,” Cruise said, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. Tom Cruise (le

FilmJuly 16, 2018

BTS on Coca-Cola cans

Coca-Cola will be releasing special packaging with the bandmates of BTS, who recently became global ambassadors of the brand.The Korean branch of the brand stated Monday that “with the hope for consumers to have a special summer with Coca-Cola, we are to release packaging of BTS members on cans.” (Yonhap)Each of the bandmates of the popular boy band can be seen posing with the beverage in one hand in a different color scheme. The special edition is planned for the summer and will be available in

PerformanceJuly 16, 2018

Tourism agency seeks to expand vacation subsidy, border tourism

The newly appointed chief of the state-run tourism body presented his vision on its future operation, including expansion of government vacation subsidy programs and inter-Korea border tourism, during a press meeting Monday.Ahn Young-bae, newly appointed president of the Korea Tourism Organization, expressed hopes that the KTO would lead the trend of work-life balance for Koreans. “I learned that so far this year, some KTO employees have not taken a single day off. ... Maintaining a high quality

CultureJuly 16, 2018

[Photo News] Korean students go all-out for yearbook photos

Students at Uijeongbu High School in Gyeonggi Province dressed up for their yearbook photo shoot Monday, keeping their wacky tradition of creating eye-catching graduation photos. Uijeongbu High is an all-boys school that has made headlines both at home and abroad for its unconventional graduation pictures. The class of 2018 chose to dress up as Hog Rider of the mobile game “Clash of Clans,” a demon clown from the horror movie “It,” Sanrio’s lazy egg character Gudetama, South Korean Skeleton Olym

CultureJuly 16, 2018

Ballerina Kang Ho-hyun latest Korean addition to Paris Opera Ballet

There are now three Korean ballerinas at the Paris Opera Ballet as Kang Ho-hyun recently joined the company after a year-long training period. Founded in 1669, the Paris Opera Ballet is one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, together with The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and the Mariinsky Ballet. Attracting numerous talented dancers from around the world, the renowned national ballet company selects only a few outstanding dancers to join its ranks. Here are three ballerinas f

PerformanceJuly 16, 2018

[Trending] Tom Cruise visits Korea for ‘Mission: Impossible - Fallout’

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise arrived in Seoul on Sunday to promote his upcoming movie “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” It was his ninth visit to Korea. The actor was welcomed by local fans who awaited his arrival at Gimpo Airport. Cruise greeted the fans by waving his hands with a big smile and spent about 40 minutes with them at the airport. The friendly manner of the 56-year-old actor has earned him a nickname “Hospitable Tom Ajeossi” among Koreans. Ajeossi is a word used to describe or addr

FilmJuly 16, 2018

BTS' 'Love Yourself: Tear' tops S. Korea's main record sales chart for H1

K-pop superstars BTS' latest record, "Love Yourself: Tear," ranked atop South Korea's leading record sales chart for the first half of this year, the chart result showed Monday.The album, released in May, sold 1,750,117 copies, claiming No.1 on the album category of Gaon Chart for the January-June period. (Yonhap)The chart is filed by the Korean Music Content Association. With the result, the BTS record was given Gaon Chart's recognition of "Million" sales record, becoming the first album to ear

PerformanceJuly 16, 2018

Daegu Chimac Festival to offer a mix of fried chicken and beer

The 2018 Daegu Chimac Festival will run from Wednesday to July 22 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province. The festival's name is based on a compound word of chicken and beer in Korean that reflects Koreans’ enthusiasm for pairing fried chicken with beer. Daegu started the festival in 2013 with a crowd of 270,000. The number of attendees steadily grew in the following years, and topped 1 million in 2016 and 2017.Photo from 2017 Daegu Chimac Festival (DaeguChimacFestival)This year’s event is set to t

CultureJuly 16, 2018

Actor Jang Geun-suk starts alternative military service

Actor Jang Keun-seuk began his mandatory military service on Monday, his agency Tree J said in the morning.Earlier this month, the agency said the actor would do alternative service as a social office worker following his diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2011, which classified him as ineligible for active duty in the military. The agency didn't disclose where the 31-year-old actor will work for the coming two years. Actor Jang Keun-suk is shown in this photo provided by Tree J Company. (Yonhap)U

TelevisionJuly 16, 2018

British pop star Ellie Goulding to hold first Seoul concert

British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will perform for the first time in South Korea in September.The female singer will hold her first Korean gig at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park in southern Seoul on Sept. 6.Goulding was propelled to stardom with her debut album “Lights” in 2010, topping the BBC’s Sound of 2010 list and leaving behind the likes of Hurts and Owl City. (Live Nation Korea)The singer has a bank of hit singles including “Lights,” which peaked at the second spot on the US Billboard

PerformanceJuly 16, 2018

Ku Hye-sun opens up on rumors of pregnancy, plastic surgery

Actress and director Ku Hye-sun addressed recent rumors that she was either pregnant or had undergone plastic surgery. She was invited Saturday to speak with viewers about her new short film “Mystery Pink,” as part of the 22nd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. 　 Ku Hye-sun at GV event (Naver‘s V live)During an interview, she mentioned the rumors about her weight gain, saying she found it amusing how the matter had garnered attention. She also talked about accepting changes in her bo

FilmJuly 15, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘Culture, education critical in reaching out to the world’

Not many Koreans may be aware that there is a considerable K-pop following in Pakistan. Just last year, a K-pop festival was hosted in Islamabad by the city’s King Sejong Institute and the National University of Modern Languages.According to NUML chief Zia Uddin Najam, however, it has not always been that way. “There was very little knowledge about Korea,” he told The Korea Herald, referring to when his university first started collaborating with the Korean government to run a King Sejong instit

PeopleJuly 15, 2018

Exhibition gauges changes in human life brought by ever-developing technology

Produced on the occasion of the 1993 Venice Biennale, Paik Nam-June’s “The Rehabilitation of Genghis-Khan” is one of the artist’s pseudo-robot sculptures that foresaw the coming of an age. Riding a bike instead of a horse while wearing a diving helmet and carrying TVs on his back, the Kahn of the 20th century suggested a new paradigm of exchanges between human lives and multimedia technologies and data. Paik Nam-June’s “The Rehabilitation of Genghis-Khan” (Nam June Paik Art Center)Nam June Paik

Arts & DesignJuly 15, 2018

LA police looking into death threat against BTS member

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking into a death threat made against Jimin, a member of K-pop act BTS that is scheduled to perform in the US in September. US broadcaster NBC News reported Saturday that LAPD has confirmed the matter and is currently looking into it, quoting an officer of the LAPD’s media relations section. Jimin, a vocalist of the seven-piece boy band, recently received a death threat from an anonymous Instagram user who posted a photo of a gun and a statement that the u

PerformanceJuly 15, 2018

19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicks off with preliminary roundtable

The 19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicked off Friday with the event “PRISM OF ART: Human rights bloom in culture and art.” Sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Seoul, the event took place on the 11th floor annex of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The occasion served as a preliminary roundtable discussion for the exhibition of the “Amsterdam Rainbow Dress,” featuring Arnout van Krimpen and Diederik Lujit from the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress Foundation,

CultureJuly 13, 2018

Mystery romance follows woman's search for her identity lost after plastic surgery

A woman undergoes a major surgery to change her appearance, after which she loses her memory and becomes a totally different person. Her doctor helps her bring back her lost memory and in the process, falls in love with her.The new mystery romance thriller "Let Me Introduce Her," set to begin this weekend on SBS, follows the journey of a confused woman seeking to find out her past and discover her true self.Actress Nam Sang-mi, who plays protagonist Ji Eun-han, said Friday she was "absolutely at

TelevisionJuly 13, 2018

With ‘Secretary Kim,’ Park Min-young rises as fashion icon

TvN’s “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” has been a roaring success. The rom-com drama has been ruling the Wednesday-Thursday evening slot, with an average viewership share of 8.4 percent as of Friday. Lead female actress Park Min-young, who features as secretary Kim Mi-so, rose as a fashion icon for women in their 20s and 30s. Park has always been recognized as a trendy character. Her photos taken during traveling in Europe went viral here a few years ago, with many posing for same shots when tr

TelevisionJuly 13, 2018

Black Pink rocks! Here are 10 reasons

US-based Billboard spotlighted Black Pink with a feature titled “10 Things to Know About Black Pink” on Wednesday.  (Yonhap)“Female quartet Black Pink is making big waves in the K-pop scene,” it said. “As they grow more prominent internationally, here are a few facts to know about the revolution that is Black Pink.”The following are 10 key points about Black Pink listed by Billboard:1. They’re the best charting female Korean act ever2. They have only nine songs3. Four members, four flavors4. Bot

PerformanceJuly 13, 2018