Taeyeon’s ‘Something New’ album tops iTunes charts in 12 countries

Taeyeon’s latest album EP has topped iTunes charts in 12 countries, according to her agency Tuesday. “Something New,” the artist’s third solo EP and her first record since “This Christmas? Winter Is Coming” EP released in December, climbed to the top of iTunes charts in Chile, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam and Cambodia, S.M. Entertainment said. Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)Along with the neo soul title track, the six-track album also includes “All Night L

PerformanceJune 19, 2018

Bob Dylan to hold concert in Seoul next month

Singer, songwriter, poet and Nobel laureate Bob Dylan will showcase his famed talent in Seoul with his first concert here since 2010. According to local promoter AIM, Dylan will hold a concert at 8 p.m. on July 27 at the Olympic Park Gymnastic Stadium in southern Seoul.Dylan, one of the most influential figures in popular music, has released 38 studio albums and over 600 songs in his storied career spanning six decades. Classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” have propelled him -- albeit reluctantly

PerformanceJune 19, 2018

‘Over half of women in culture sector fell victim to sexual violence’

Over half of the women currently working in the culture and entertainment sector have experienced some form of sexual violence, a government investigation team on sexual violence in the culture and entertainment industry said Monday. The team recommended that the government create an organization specifically to deal with the issue. The special probe team, formed jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Human Rights Commission, conducted a survey of 3,718 cultural

CultureJune 19, 2018

[Photo] Welcome to Black Pink’s ‘Square Up’ house

If you’ve ever wondered how Lisa of Black Pink was showered by money with a bill-shooting gun in the “DDU-DU DDU-DU” music video, check out Black Pink’s “Square Up” pop up house.Located in the busy street of Hongdae area in Mapo-gu in Seoul, the house, renovated from the previous “Black Pink House,” is full of hands-on experiences related to the band’s recent “Square Up” EP. The pink-and-black set features four different squares, and The Korea Herald took a look to give readers a sneak peak of w

TravelJune 19, 2018

After ‘Omniscient’ fiasco, comedian Lee Young-ja returns with hearty foods

Comedian Lee Young-ja made her first public appearance since she was hit by the “Omniscient” crisis last month. Lee attended a press event held Monday in western Seoul for Olive TV’s upcoming show “Bob Bless You,” a new food reality show about healing oneself through eating tasty foods. Lee Young-ja poses for photos before a press event held Monday at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (Olive TV)The comedian was involved in an unexpected controversy last month, when the production team

TelevisionJune 18, 2018

Real-life judge behind ‘Miss Hammurabi’

Judge Moon Yoo-seok’s first attempt at script writing has so far been well-received by local viewers for its fresh perspective. Moon, a senior judge of the Seoul Central District Court, wrote the script of the drama series “Miss Hammurabi,” which airs Mondays and Tuesdays on JTBC. Rather than dealing with large corporate cases or gruesome murders, the series features stories of desperate ordinary people, from the perspectives of three different judges. Despite being a late-night series on a cabl

TelevisionJune 18, 2018

Hotshots in film industry team up in sci-fi-themed ‘The Wolf Brigade’

Famed anime on special operations force remade into film dealing with Korean unificationIt is not every day that you see Gang Dong-won, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo and SHINee’s Choi Min-ho on the big screen together, but the rare gathering takes place in the upcoming film “The Wolf Brigade.” “Someone told me (the film’s) genre was ‘looks.’ I didn’t realize that until I saw them all together on the same screen, which was an honor as a director,” director Kim Jee-woon joked, during a press conferen

FilmJune 18, 2018

Rising virtuosi to perform Shostakovich, Ravel at Kumho

Violinist Yang In-mo will hold his first chamber music concert on Thursday at Kumho Art Hall, together with cellist Mun Tae-guk and pianist Ben Kim. For the upcoming concert titled “Tri Angle,” the three young virtuosi will present duo and trio performances of chamber music compositions by innovative classical music composers such as Dmitri Shostakovich and Maurice Ravel.  Violinist Yang In-mo (Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation) Cellist Mun Tae-guk (Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation) Pianist Ben K

PerformanceJune 18, 2018

Twice to return with ‘Dance the Night Away’ on July 9

Just three months since its “What Is Love” EP, Twice is ready to return with a summer single in “Dance the Night Away,” on July 9.According to its JYP Entertainment agency Monday, the K-pop girl group’s upcoming song will offer a fresh tune that suits the summer weather. The song’s teaser image, released by the agency, showed a wooden tent against a backdrop of a starry night sky and dark green forest.  Teaser for Twice’s upcoming single, “Dance the Night Away” (JYP Entertainment)Since debuting

PerformanceJune 18, 2018

[Photo News] Models strut down central Seoul to mark ‘carless street day’

Models took to the streets of Sejong-daero in Gwanghwamun to celebrate Seoul’s “carless street day” on Sunday. The main avenue of Sejong-no in central Seoul became the runway for models to showcase two separate fashion shows -- one at 2:30 p.m. and another at 4 p.m. -- under the theme of “Fantasy Seoul.”According to a fashion show official, the theme seeks to highlight the beauty of Korean fashion and its rising prominence in the global fashion industry. Photos by Yonhap Written by Catherine Chu

Arts & DesignJune 17, 2018

Amorepacific’s new headquarters building aims to become gateway to central Seoul

Amorepacific’s newly built headquarters will play a key role in the redevelopment of Yongsan, central Seoul.Yongsan has been undergoing significant changes in the past few years, particularly after the announcement that the US military will be relocating out of Yongsan Garrison, which is to be transformed into a park in the future. Since then, the area has been seeing its old low-rise buildings being replaced by high-rise buildings. Amorepacific‘s new headquarters is located in Yongsan, Seoul ne

Arts & DesignJune 17, 2018

Minseo to return with charismatic ‘Is Who’ Wednesday

A music video teaser image for Minseo’s upcoming single “Is Who” (Mystic Entertainment)　Minseo, a female vocalist from Mnet’s audition program “Super Star K,” will release the third track of her debut album on Wednesday.According to her agency Mystic Entertainment, the artist’s upcoming song titled “Is Who” will feature a dramatic transformation of the 21-year-old singer. While her previous music has been centered on folk songs and ballads, the charismatic “Is Who” will offer a jazzy gypsy-sound

PerformanceJune 17, 2018

[Trending] Korean guy studying alone creates a huge following on YouTube

A handsome Korean man is livestreaming what he does all day: study alone. Nothing special, except for the incredible reaction his videos generate among Korean audiences.YouTube creator "Bot-No-Jam" (YouTube)The mysterious YouTube creator, who is said to prepare for a state exam to become a police officer, has been regularly livestreaming footage of him studying since April this year. Sitting on a chair and reading a book, he rarely moves, speaks, or expresses any emotion during the 6-hour live t

CultureJune 17, 2018

Cube Entertainment artists join voices in 4-hour-long concert

Cube Entertainment held its label concert “United Cube – One” on Saturday. The concert, which took place at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Seoul, featured performances by a total of 33 Cube artists including HyunA, Jo Kwon, BTOB, CLC, Pentagon, (G)I-DLE and Yu Seon-ho, that ran for more than four hours. The annual concert has been held since 2013.  "United Cube-One” was held on Saturday at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Seoul. (Cube Entertainment)　Rookie girl band (G)

PerformanceJune 17, 2018

‘Richard III’ brings entertainment, evokes reflection

One can easily moralize and judge upon his or her evil deeds. But, it is rather complicated when the person comes face-to-face and talks directly at you with bare honesty, even if the person has spilled the blood of family members for his own vain desire. Thomas Ostermeier’s Richard tells one such story.　Having first premiered in Berlin in 2015, talented German director Thomas Ostermeier’s “Richard III” brought sheer-wicked, grotesque, deformed yet relatable vice in front of the eyes of the loca

CultureJune 15, 2018

Trails via rails: Sites to visit on Subway Line No. 3

From historic palaces to chic stores and art galleries, Seoul subway offers plenty of fun places to drop byA weekend getaway to a remote place is a dream, and a dream it remains most of the time; an endless parade of traffic, finding lodging and the cost forces many Seoullites from packing up and venturing somewhere else.But Seoul is a vibrant city with a rich history and interesting people. It is also one of the most well-connected metropolises in the world, with nine subway lines -- not includ

TravelJune 15, 2018

Wolfgang‘s Steakhouse sponsors Kia Women’s Open

Wolfang‘s Steak House Korea said Friday it is sponsoring the Kia Motors 32nd Korea Women’s open through offering gourmet meals for its guests. The restaurant said it offered a special lunch package for 1,000 guests of the K-lounge, who had a taste of the famous eatery‘s dishes as they attended the event. (Wolfgang`s Steakhouse Korea)The event was attended by star golfers including Kim ji-hyun and Park In-bee. “It holds a special meaning to us because we are giving the guests an opportunity to ex

FoodJune 15, 2018

Monsta X to perform in Europe

Monsta X will hold concerts in Europe next week as part of its ongoing world tour, its agency said Friday.According to Start Entertainment, the act will hold concerts in Eventim Apollo in London on Sunday, Afas Live in Amsterdam on Wednesday and Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid on June 23. After Europe, the group will head to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Taipei and then visit seven cities in the US and four cities in South America until August. Monsta X kicked off its world tour last month with a concert

PerformanceJune 15, 2018

[Herald Interview] Violist with a big heart

Receiving an email a few weeks ago that violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill’s press conference for this year’s Ditto Festival would take place in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, my immediate reaction was “Why?”For most Koreans, the industrial city southwest of Seoul is a place of great sorrow -- most of the more than the 300 passengers who died in the Sewol ferry sinking on April 16, 2014 were second year students from a high school in Ansan, on their way to what should have been a fun-filled school trip

PeopleJune 15, 2018

Sharing taste of modern Singapore with Seoul

The eyes of the world turned briefly to Singapore early this week, with the historic summit between the United States and North Korea. Now those who became interested in the city-state can go for a Singaporean gourmet experience in the heart of Seoul. Millennium Seoul Hilton is hosting the Singapore Food Festival, offering authentic Singaporean cuisine to diners in Seoul. It has invited chef Bryce Li from the Beast & Butterflies restaurant at M Social Hotel Singapore, a lifestyle design hotel ru

FoodJune 15, 2018