BTS to perform new track at Billboard Awards

BTS’ first performance of a new track from its upcoming album will be at the Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs). The K-pop act will perform the song at the BBMAs, according to the band’s agency Big Hit Entertainment. The group has also been nominated for the top social artist award for the second consecutive year. It won the award last year, beating other well-known global artists.  BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)The track is part of BTS’ new full-length album “Love Yourself: Tear” set for release on Ma

PerformanceApril 25, 2018

[Album review] Despite changes, Lovelyz is still Lovelyz

Lovelyz“Healing”Loen Entertainment  Unlike many K-pop competitors that juggle genres and concepts under pressure to keep impressing fans, Lovelyz has rarely stepped out of its pink wonderland, seemingly completely immune to any teardrops or sadness in life. For the first time, the eight-piece K-pop darlings soaked up a small drop of pain in its break-up song “That Day,” a lead track from the recent EP “Healing.” The irresistible nature of those happy Tinker Bells, however, doesn’t seem to have c

PerformanceApril 25, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Infinity War,’ a gift for loyal Marvel fans

This is it. For 10 years, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe waited for the heroes to battle Thanos -- the greatest supervillain in the comic book-based superhero franchise. The result? Awesome, but maybe not for those who haven’t been following the MCU.“Avengers: Infinity War” kicks off where things were left off at the end of “Thor: Ragnarok,” when Thanos and his goons came face to face with Thor, Loki, Hulk and a group of Asguardian refugees. I have to stop there because even talking about

FilmApril 25, 2018

EXO-CBX to drop first full-length album in Japan in May

EXO-CBX, the K-pop boy band EXO's sub-unit, will release its first full-length album, titled "MAGIC," in Japan next month, its agency said Wednesday.SM Entertainment said the album features 11 tracks, including eight new songs, such as "Horololo" and solo songs by its members, Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin.With the May 9 release, the sub-unit will go on tour in Japan. Titled "EXO-CBX Magical Circus Tour 2018," the concert will start off in Yokohama from May 11-13, followed by Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osa

PerformanceApril 25, 2018

BTS to perform new song at Billboard Music Awards next month

Korean Boy band BTS will perform at the Billboard Music Awards next month as the first K-pop artist to do so.Announcing the news on the band's official Twitter account Tuesday night, Big Hit Entertainment said the seven-member K-pop sensation will return to the BBMAs as a performer and debut its new single."Look out for our second appearance or - say what? - FIRST PERFORMANCE at the BBMAs!" the group wrote. It also thanked its fans, known as Army, for making the performance possible with their e

PerformanceApril 25, 2018

Hwang Chi-yeol returns as heart-stirring balladeer

Hwang Chi-yeol, one of the best-known tear-jerking balladeers in K-pop history, has returned with an ever-deeper voice to deliver emotion in a new EP. Drenched in heart-melting strings and melodies, Hwang’s second EP, “Be Myself,” is led by “The Only Star,” a poignant ballad displaying the singer’s romantic side. Likening his lover to his only star, he wails, “I only think about you. ... Why does my heart beat?/Because you are my star,” in the syrupy song penned by the singer himself.  (Yonhap)“

PerformanceApril 25, 2018

‘High School Rapper’ muses on teenage life

The once-controversial “High School Rapper” has wrapped its second season, after striving to deliver teenagers’ stories and messages.　The TV competition, the high school counterpart to “Show Me the Money” and “Unpretty Rapstar,” aired its season finale on April 13. The eight-part show ranked an average viewership rating of 1.5 percent, relatively high for a cable channel. Songs from the show are also currently ranking near the tops of local music charts. 　What set the second season apart from th

PerformanceApril 24, 2018

Lee Sung-kyung to feature as detective in ‘Girl Cops’

Lee Sung-kyung will take the role of a detective in the upcoming film “Girl Cops” (working title).In the comedy-investigative film, Lee co-stars with veteran actress Ra Mi-ran. Taking on the roles of a rookie and a seasoned detective, respectively, the two demoted detectives find themselves accidentally caught up in a major case.  Lee Sung-kyung (YG Entertainment)Rookie director Jung Da-won is to lead the production. He won accolades for “Garak Market Revolution” in 2016, a comedic depiction of

FilmApril 24, 2018

‘Burning’ a different kind of mystery: director

The film genre of mystery drama by definition places some of its elements under cover, and that was the tone the people behind “Burning” sought to achieve.“It’s a mysterious movie,” said Lee Chang-dong, master auteur of Korean cinema known best for his award-winning 2010 film “Poetry,” at the promotional press conference for the upcoming film. “We could categorize it under the mystery genre, but it’s not just about that. The mystery could be expanded to a mystery about the world that we live in,

FilmApril 24, 2018

Crush says happy birthday to me with new single

Crush is planning to celebrate his 27th birthday with a new single.According to his agency Amoeba Culture, the singer will release a single on his birthday, which falls on May 3. It marks the first release for him in five months.Crush has vowed to put more effort into promotional activities related to his music this year. Crush (Amoeba Culture)“He is planning to introduce various types of music this year, including a new album that has the distinct style of the artist. He will also visit the fan

PerformanceApril 24, 2018

Halsey to hold first concert in Korea

Halsey will visit Korea for the first time in August for a concert, local promoters said Tuesday.As part of the pop singer’s “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour,” Halsey will hold a concert at Yes 24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul at 8 p.m., Aug. 6. The tour follows the release of her second studio album “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” last year, which became her first album to top the US Billboard 200. “Bad at Love,” a single off the album, became her first solo top 5 entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

PerformanceApril 24, 2018

Lovelyz returns as ‘healers’ in new album

Having captured the K-pop world’s attention with its vivacious “Ah Choo” signature tune, K-pop girl group Lovelyz returned as musical “healers” in its new EP. Lovelyz’s fourth EP “Healing,” released Monday, is an extension of the group’s representative twinkling synths which has been seen in the act’s previous hits “Ah-Choo” and “Now, We.” The difference is that Lovelyz sprinkled a bit more of freshness in its new songs, as if trying to wash all the dust from one’s heart.  Lovelyz performs durin

PerformanceApril 24, 2018

Korea to open Asia's largest arboretum with released Siberian tigers next week

BONGHWA, North Gyeongsang Province -- South Korea's forest authorities said Tuesday they plan to open an arboretum with two Siberian tigers strolling in a "tiger forest" in southeastern South Korea next week as part of efforts to preserve the endangered species in the wild.The Korea Forest Service will open to the public on May 3 the National Baekdu-daegan Arboretum located on a mountain range near Bonghwa, a town in South Korea's southeast province of North Gyeongsang, before showing visitors t

CultureApril 24, 2018

'Rampage' wins second weekend in South Korea

The Hollywood sci-fi action flick "Rampage" ruled the South Korean box office for the second consecutive weekend, data showed Monday.Dwayne Johnson's arcade game-inspired "Rampage" sold 363,703 tickets from Friday to Sunday, bringing its domestic total to 1.26 million, according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council.A new documentary film on a tragic 2014 ferry sinking jumped four spots to No. 2 in its second weekend, adding 108,961 to its cumulative figure of 385,

FilmApril 23, 2018

Lawyers to wear tailored ‘Suits’ in Korea

A Korean remake of the popular US drama series “Suits” aims to focus on interpretation rather than imitation, making the series more relatable to a Korean audience. The Wednesday-Thursday series on KBS2 revolves around the relationship between legendary lawyer Choi Kang-suk and rookie lawyer Go Yeon-woo, played by Jang Dong-gun and Park Hyung-sik, respectively. Choi hires Go as an associate lawyer, even though he isn’t qualified for the job, valuing his photographic memory.  Jang Dong-gun (left)

TelevisionApril 23, 2018

MMCA show asks how much we know about Asia

How much do we know about Asia? “How Little You Know About Me,” currently running at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, sets out to remind us how little we know about the diverse voices that have remained unnoticed or forgotten in the narrative of the mainstream history of Asia.Fifteen artists and artist groups working in different regions across Asia are participating in the museum’s first Asia Project for this year. “The exhibition is a research-based exhibition. When i

Arts & DesignApril 23, 2018

World-class DJs to land in Korea for Ultra Korea 2018

Party-rockers of Korea are in a for an ear-blasting treat, as Ultra Korea recently confirmed its schedule and the preliminary lineup for Ultra Korea 2018, including the Chainsmokers, Above & Beyond and Swedish House Mafia.Organizers of the electronic dance music festival announced that Ultra Korea 2018 will be held June 6-10 at a venue yet to be confirmed. Last year’s event was held at Jamsil Olympic Complex in Seoul. The crowd cheers during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, on March 2

PerformanceApril 23, 2018

Yoona to kickoff fan meeting tour next month

K-pop star and actress Yoona will be holding fan meetings across Asia, her agency said Monday.According to S.M. Entertainment, Yoona is slated to hold a fan meeting at 6 p.m. on May 20 at Sejong University in Seoul. It will be part one of her Asia fan tour that will include Bangkok in July and Hong Kong in August. More cities are expected to be added. The poster for Yoona’s Seoul fan tour (S.M. Entertainment)Yoona, whose real name is Im Yoon-a, is best known for her involvement with K-pop act Gi

PerformanceApril 23, 2018

Gyeongbokgung Palace to host ‘Starlight Tour’

Gyeongbokgung Palace will commence the Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour next month, featuring various programs centered on traditional food and performances of the Joseon royal palace.This year’s evening tour will be held from 7:40 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on May 9-19 and June 6-16, except on Tuesdays. Up to 60 people can participate in each tour.The tour starts at Heungryemun Gate with actors re-enacting a day in the Joseon royal place, and includes a taste of a king and queen’s daily meal, and a performa

CultureApril 23, 2018

Another ‘Black Panther’ statue destroyed in Busan

Following the vandalism of a “Black Panther” sculpture at Gwangbok-ro in March, another statue of the Black Panther superhero in Busan near Gwangalli Beach was found toppled over with its head damaged. The Walt Disney Co. had initially sent a pair of Black Panther sculptures to be displayed in Busan, one in Gwangbok-ro and one along Gwangalli Beach, to commemorate the first time for Marvel Studios to shoot at the southern coastal city of Korea. A “Black Panther” statue is seen vandalized at Gwan

FilmApril 23, 2018