TVXQ tops 13 Apple iTunes charts with new album

K-pop band TVXQ's latest album has reached No. 1 on Apple iTunes album charts in 13 regions, according to its agency Friday."New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love," the duo's first new release in three years, climbed to the top of iTunes charts for Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong after being released Wednesday, SM Entertainment said. (Yonhap)The other markets were Macau, the Philippines, Chile, Ecuador and Peru."Chance of Love" is the group's eight ful

PerformanceMarch 30, 2018

Lee Joon to serve reservist duty due to panic disorder

Korean actor Lee Joon will continue his military duty as a public service worker.Lee’s agency Prain TPC said Friday, “Lee Joon was transferred to reservist status as of March 23. He will resume his military duty as a public service worker.”Enlisted in October 2017, Lee Joon has been undergoing medical treatments due to panic disorder that he has suffered since prior to joining the army. However, as his conditions did not improve, he was examinated in the military and was ruled ineligible to serv

TelevisionMarch 30, 2018

Han Hye-jin stunning at shoes event

South Korean model and TV personality Han Hye-jin attended on Thursday a promotional event for footwear brand “Superga and ALEXACHUNG” at Chungdam-dong, southern Seoul. Given her years of modelling experience, Han did not shy away from the camera. She looked stunning in a long, white dress embellished with red roses. Her waist was accentuated with a red belt. The model stood out from the crowd with her lean and long figure.  (Twitter)Many other celebrities, such as model Jang Yoon-joo, model-act

TelevisionMarch 30, 2018

Primary to release new album on April 3

Star producer Primary will hit the K-pop scene with a new project album on April 3.The artist’s agency Amoeba Culture said Friday that the upcoming “Do worry Be happy” will be released on April 3, and features various up-and-coming artists such as Colde of hip-hop duo offonoff, Xin Seha, 1of1 and Kevin Oh. Primary is teaming up with Korean songstress Anda, who lends her hand in creating and singing songs for the album. Signed under the label Emperor Entertainment, Anda has sometimes been labeled

PerformanceMarch 30, 2018

Choi Ji-woo’s wedding garners attention in and out of Korea

Actress Choi Ji-woo’s surprise announcement about her wedding hours before the ceremony Thursday has garnering a significant amount of interest from the public. A local news agency revealed a photo compilation of Choi in a wedding dress. As the wedding ceremony is private, the public wondered about the star’s dress. The news agency, searching through old drama series, found shots of Choi wearing a white dress.  (Shisedo)Numerous Japanese media outlets reported on the news saying “The great actre

TelevisionMarch 29, 2018

T.O.P holds arts and crafts class for children: video

A clip of Big Bang‘s T.O.P was shared online Wednesday, which showed the top boy band rapper serving his military duties at the Yongsan-gu Office in Seoul. In the released video, T.O.P was seen helping children make arts and crafts with clay at the Yongsan Crafts Museum. The children all had rolls of clay in front of them. They appeared to be enjoying their time rolling out the clay.  (Facebook)T.O.P stood behind the children with his arms folded behind his back. Despite his stern face, he appea

PerformanceMarch 29, 2018

Jeju remembers

The narrow, muddy hike up Dongbaekdongsan is full of branches and leaves hindering your every step. You get irritated, struggling to keep up with the rest of your group, before you realize this was the path dozens of villagers from Seonheul-ri took to reach where they believed would be a safe haven from death.The harrowing moment comes when you realize you are headed to a graveyard of 20 men and women -- elderly and children -- slaughtered, on a night in 1948 by soldiers who had sworn to protect

TravelMarch 29, 2018

Choi Ji-woo announces ‘surprise’ wedding

Actress Choi Ji-woo announced her marriage hours before the event, Thursday. Choi Ji-woo updated a photo of a handwritten letter on her fan club website Thursday, saying, “Today is the day I have promised for a new beginning with my partner for life.”  Choi Ji-woo (Golden Dew)She added that she had to be cautious about revealing the news to not burden her in-laws. Her management agency, YG Entertainment, confirmed the announcement saying that Choi will marry through a small, private wedding cere

TelevisionMarch 29, 2018

[Video] Finding ‘Something in the Rain’

Based on the idea that one’s love life can be more important than a foreign war, JTBC’s new drama “Something in the Rain” hopes to portray the beauty of ordinary yet real love. Actress Son Ye-jin and actor Jung Hae-in take the lead roles in the new Friday-Saturday drama series. Son’s character, who works as a coffee franchise supervisor, falls for her friend’s younger brother, a character designer at a computer game company, played by Jung. Producer Ahn Pan-seok directs the production. He is kno

TelevisionMarch 29, 2018

[Epicurean challenge] Eating ox from head to tail, someori gukbap

In the past, oxen were an important asset for Korean farmers and it was very rare for ordinary folk to have the luxury of eating beef as the oxen had to farm the land and beef was exorbitantly priced. In those days, beef dishes could only be eaten at wedding feasts or other celebrations. Even at those events, not a single part could be wasted. Oxen heads, tails and leg bones, were used to stretch the dishes that could be made.  Someori gukbap (Photo by Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)Those parts

FoodMarch 29, 2018

Oh Yeon-seo, Kim Beom confirm relationship

Oh Yeon-seo and Kim Beom admitted that they are in a romantic relationship. A news report on the relationship surfaced Monday morning. According to the report, the two have been spotted multiple times, dating in the neighborhood of Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.  On the left, Oh Yeon-seo (Celltrion Entertainment) and Kim Beom (Yonhap)The couple’s agencies quickly confirmed the news, explaining that the two stars met at a gathering after Oh’s recent drama “Hwayugi” ended in early March. Finding it easy t

TelevisionMarch 29, 2018

K-pop duo TVXQ take on new challenge with love-filled album

U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin of legendary K-pop duo TVXQ have always been invincible as a pair. In 2011, they confidently proclaimed, “This is the return of the king,” in “Keep Your Head Down,” their first release after three members left the originally five-piece act. The pair’s 2015 album was also titled “Rise as God.” This time, TVXQ has returned with a new album fully charged with love. After breaking records worldwide, including in Japan, the duo released its eighth full-length album “New

PerformanceMarch 28, 2018

[Video] ‘Switch’ to show swindler serving justice to ‘corrupt’ society

The new SBS series “Switch: Change the World” depicts a petty conman serving justice to the corrupt rich by faking the role of a prosecutor.The aim of the program is to deal a cathartic blow to the world where true villains live in penthouses while petty criminals are put behind the bars.The satisfaction will be thrilling, promised director Nam Tae-jin, at the press conference for the show held at SBS headquarters in Mok-dong, Seoul, Wednesday, where he was joined by the main stars Jang Geun-suk

TelevisionMarch 28, 2018

[K-talk] Choi Yu-hwa to star in ‘Suits’

Actress Choi Yu-hwa will be featured in the upcoming legal drama “Suits.” Choi will take the role of an informant for actor Jang Dong-gun, who plays a legendary lawyer. Her character will collect information and complete missions in secret for Jang. The actress, who debuted in 2010, has starred in films, such as “The Age of Shadows” and “Worst Woman.” The new Wednesday-Thursday series “Suits” is a remake of the popular US drama of the same name. Its cast also includes Park Hyung-sik and Chae Jun

TelevisionMarch 28, 2018

BTS, Cho Seong-jin make Forbes' '30 Under 30 Asia' list in entertainment

K-pop group BTS and rising classical pianist Cho Seong-jin have been named among Asia's 30 most influential people under the age of 30 in entertainment and sports this year. BTS and Cho were included in Forbes' "30 Under 30 Asia" list in the entertainment and sports category, which was published on the US magazine's website Tuesday (local time).The other Korean stars included on the list were actress Ahn Seo-hyun, figure skater You Young, skeleton gold medalist Yun Sung-bin, LPGA golfer Park Sun

PerformanceMarch 28, 2018

Seoul's royal palaces throw open gates for tours

As blossoming flowers herald the arrival of spring, the Cultural Heritage Administration is running several programs related to the royal palaces in Seoul.　Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour, an annual event that kicked off in 2010, will be held from Thursdays through Sundays, from April 5 to the end of May, and from Aug. 23 to Oct. 28. There is no tour on May 6.Nighttime view of Changdeokgung (Cultural Heritage Administration)While visitors can freely roam the palace every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,

CultureMarch 28, 2018

Women’s film festival to open on May 1

The 20th Seoul International Women’s Film Festival will kick off on May 31, showcasing films made by women that advocate gender equality.Organizers of the annual event on Wednesday said that the festival would be held from May 31 to June 7 at Megabox in Shinchon-dong, Seoul. This year’s SIWFF has added the category of feature-length domestic and international film competition to the existing categories of Asian short film and video competition, documentary Ock-Rang award, Pitch & Catch and I-Tee

FilmMarch 28, 2018

Kim Whan-ki, Lee U-fan’s works to lead Seoul Auction’s Hong Kong sale

Seoul Auction will hold its 24th Hong Kong Sale, with a total of 69 artworks by acclaimed artists from here and abroad, including Kim Whan-ki, Lee U-fan, Yun Hyong-keun, Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst. The estimated worth of the artworks reach some 13 billion won ($12.2 million).Kim Whan-ki and Lee U-fan‘s works are expected to the draw collectors’ attention again this year.Kim Whan-ki’s ”Jar and Poetry“ (Seoul Auction)Leading the sale is five of Kim‘s works, including ”Jar and Poetry,“ full-c

Arts & DesignMarch 28, 2018

[Album review] Why Stray Kids are super rookie group of 2018

Stray Kids“I am NOT”IRVER Upon seeing the Stray Kids on a music chart, one may not be so intrigued to press the play button. One might think, “What a name. Maybe it is one of many K-pop rookie groups trying to ride the latest trends.” But hear the throbbing beats of “District 9,” from Stray Kid’s debut album, “I am NOT,” and one will be convinced it’s only a matter of time for this nine-piece act to rise to the fame level of, let’s say, BTS. The reason for comparing Stray Kids with super star BT

PerformanceMarch 28, 2018

Seoul confirms lineup for NK, Psy left off

The South Korean government on Tuesday confirmed the final lineup, size and schedule for its art troupe that will perform in North Korea next month.In a briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially announced the lineup of Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, Choi Jin-hee, YB led by Yoon Do-hyun, Baek Ji-young, Jung-in, Seohyun, Ali, girl group Red Velvet, Kang San-ae and jazz pianist Kim Kwang-min.Hwang Seong-woon, the spokesman for the Ministry of

CultureMarch 27, 2018