TVXQ to return with full-length album on March 28

Legendary K-pop duo TVXQ will make a long-awaited return with a new album on March 28, according to the group’s agency S.M. Entertainment on Friday. The duo’s upcoming eighth full-length album will mark the duo’s first release since “Rise As God” in July 2015, as well as the first group activity since U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin were discharged from their mandatory military duties in April and August last year, respectively.  TVXQ (S.M. Entertainment)One of K-pop’s first-generation boy bands a

PerformanceMarch 16, 2018

R&B trio Solid to return with new album in 21 years

After confirming its reunion last week, Solid, an iconic R&B trio from the 1990s, officially announced Thursday that it would release a self-created album titled “Into the Light” on March 22, and throw a party at the Hyundai Card Understage concert hall in Seoul.The accompanying music video for Solid’s new song, which will be released with the album, is to feature a world-famous beatboxer, according to sources. Earlier last week, the trio dropped a teaser clip on its official social media accoun

PerformanceMarch 16, 2018

[Herald interview] Unbridled, yet peaceful rock spirit

Yoon Do-hyun, founder and lead vocalist of YB Band, is one of many celebrities who minimize interaction with the press out of concern that their words may be distorted by the media, stir up controversies, or even be exploited by the government. “I think this is my first interview in over four years. I don’t even remember when was my last one,” said the 47-year-old folk rock singer to The Korea Herald.  The energetic and versatile musician has also never been careless with music in his 24-year ca

PerformanceMarch 16, 2018

[Eye Plus] Straight from the sea

While most of Seoul sleeps, Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul comes alive with freshly caught seafood and merchants preparing for early morning auctions. Dazzling lights brighten the bustling market at 1 a.m., while moving trucks as well as handcarts and boxes being unloaded create an energized atmosphere. The timings of the auctions differ by the types of seafood. Auctions selling shellfish and squid usually start at 1 a.m., while live-fish auctions begin at 3 a.m.  Before these

TravelMarch 16, 2018

[Epicurean challenge] Going toe-to-toe with fiery dakbal

Chicken is beloved around the globe, but in Korea, extra effort is made to avoid wasting any part of it. Along with the neck and gizzards, Korean cuisine makes good use of the feet. Chicken feet, or “dakbal” in Korean, are widely eaten with alcohol. Their appearance alone can be a considerable challenge, with little effort made to disguise what they are. A typical serving consists of a pile of feet chopped off at the ankle. Dakbal are usually broiled in spicy red sauce, although they are sometim

FoodMarch 15, 2018

Solbi announces surprise release

Singer Solbi on Thursday announced an unscheduled new release for Friday, saying she will unveil the music video for the new song at 9 p.m. on YouTube.According to her agency M.A.P Crew, the video will be released on the official YouTube channel of the dance hip-hop trio Typhoon, in which she is the lead vocalist.  Solbi (M.A.P Crew)The new album “Hyperism: Blue -- Class” is a follow-up to the EP “Hyperism: Red” that was released last May. The agency said that the new album would mark the artist

PerformanceMarch 15, 2018

Pianist Kim Sun-wook, cellist Jian Wang to woo audience with romance

Internationally acclaimed Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook will perform a recital with cellist Jian Wang in Korea next month, featuring works by Romantic composers, including Chopin, Schubert and Rachmaninoff. Starting with an invitation-only concert at Samsung Concert Hall in Yongin on Friday, Kim and Wang will hold a total of five duo recitals in Korea in April.  Pianist Kim Sun-wook (Vincero)Their Seoul concert will be held Saturday at Lotte Concert Hall. This will be followed by concerts at Daeje

PerformanceMarch 15, 2018

Winner to return with new album on April 4

K-pop boy group Winner is cooking up something special with the number four, as it returns with a new album on April 4. The four-piece act’s upcoming second full-length album is its first full-length album in four years, as well as its first release in eight months since “Love Me Love Me” from August last year.  (YG Entertainment)The date of Winner’s return also has another significance, as the act had rolled out its breakout hit “Really Really” on April 4 last year as well. Winner was formed th

PerformanceMarch 15, 2018

[Video] An afternoon in Seoul: Vegan cafe

More and more vegan and vegetarian visitors have headed for Korea in recent years, but the concept being relatively new here, some foreign visitors have struggled to find eateries that assure their food is meat-free. Plant is a 100 percent plant-based vegan restaurant in Itaewon, one of a handful of vegan restaurants to pop up around Seoul in recent years. The restaurant offers a wide range of vegan dishes, from the peanut soba bowl and chickpea avocado sandwich to burgers, stews and sandwiches.

FoodMarch 15, 2018

Global boy band project NCT on attack as full group

Just as all seven dragon balls are summoned to maximize their power in Japanese manga and anime “Dragon Ball,” all 18 members of NCT, hailing from different backgrounds and countries, have joined forces to rattle the K-pop scene with its massive “NCT 2018 Empathy” project.NCT, an acronym for “Neo Cultural Technology,” was launched by entertainment behemoth S.M. Entertainment in 2016 with the idea of an unlimited number of subunit groups based in cities around the world. After performing separate

PerformanceMarch 15, 2018

Professor BG Muhn’s publication sheds lights on North Korean art

‘When people ask whether I am liberal or conservative, I tell them that I am an artist,’ said Muhn Baum-gong, also known as BG Muhn, an artist and professor at Georgetown University, during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday to promote his latest publication “Pyongyang Art: The Uncovering the Complex Layers of Chosonhwa.” Dispelling any possible suspicions concerning his ideological orientation and possible ties to North Korea, Muhn emphasized that North Korean art deserves due attention f

BooksMarch 14, 2018

TV drama ‘Mother’ to go to Cannes

Cable channel tvN’s Wednesday-Thursday drama “Mother” is to be screened at Canneseries, the Cannes International Series Festival.The festival, which is to take place from April 4 to 11 in Cannes, France, aims to highlight series from around the world, giving “the new art form” an international voice. The poster of the drama series “Mother” (tvN)The roster for the festival’s official competition was announced Tuesday. Some 10 drama series from various countries were nominated, including tvN’s “Mo

TelevisionMarch 14, 2018

[Video] Promoting ‘Beauty’ of Korea globally

Sheet masks, lip stain and BB creams have been mainstays of the tidal wave of Korean beauty around the world, but new beauty entertainment show “The Beauty” hopes to add more to the list. The show, which aired in August via KBS World to more than 110 countries, is to return with its second season on March 24 with six new episodes. The cast of “The Beauty,“ (from left) makeup artist Park Tae-yun, Choi Jong-hun of FT Island, comedian Jang Do-yeon and actress Han Eun-jung pose for photos at a media

TelevisionMarch 14, 2018

Big Bang’s Seungri reveals enlistment plan

Seungri of Big Bang revealed his plan to enlist in the military via his social media account.The youngest Big Bang member took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to share his thoughts on his mandatory military service.  (YG Entertainment)“Today, Daesung enlisted. And I, the last group member who has yet to enlist, also plan to join the Army after finishing all scheduled activities for this year, in order to minimize the group’s hiatus,” he wrote. Seungri posted a promotional image for the group’s n

PerformanceMarch 14, 2018

[Album review] GOT7’s new album is decent, but not fresh

GOT7“Eyes on You”IRIVERAfter several style switch-ups ranging from hip-hop to EDM, GOT7 has been pursuing “pure” and “boyish” images rather than a charismatic and edgy vibe for its last few singles. And the seven-piece’s new EP is in the vein of the effusive sound that it favored on last year’s “7 for 7” album. The seven-track album, created by the members, has nice things to talk about: “love” and “gratitude,” themes that go well with the season as the weather gets milder. But here’s the thing:

PerformanceMarch 14, 2018

YouTube to stream original documentary series on BTS

An original documentary series featuring K-pop group BTS will be made available on YouTube's paid service this month, according to the US video streaming company Wednesday.The series, titled "BTS: Burn the Stage," will consist of eight episodes, with the two first episodes to be available May 28 on YouTube Red, YouTube's paid service. Episode 1 will be made available for free. (Twitter)The weekly series, which will last until May 9, will feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews of BTS me

PerformanceMarch 14, 2018

St. Patrick’s Day Festival’s ‘Irish welcome’ to all Seoulites

The Irish Association of Korea extends a warm invitation to all Koreans and expats in Seoul to wear green and immerse themselves in everything Irish at a free St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Saturday.The family friendly open-air festival, themed “An Irish welcome” or “Failte” in the Gaelic language, will feature live music and dance performances in a marriage of traditional and modern Irish culture.This includes appearances by Irish rockers Sweet Murphy’s Fancy and The Strumpunks, traditional Iris

Expat LivingMarch 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Stephen Hawking: a brief history of genius

Stephen Hawking, who has died aged 76, was Britain's most famous modern day scientist, a genius who dedicated his life to unlocking the secrets of the Universe.Born on January 8, 1942 -- 300 years to the day after the death of the father of modern science, Galileo Galilei -- he believed science was his destiny.But fate also dealt Hawking a cruel hand.Most of his life was spent in a wheelchair crippled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of motor neurone disease that attacks the nerves

PeopleMarch 14, 2018

Big Bang dominates music streaming charts with 'Flower Road'

Big Bang made a clean sweep of South Korean music streaming charts on Wednesday with "Flower Road," a song produced before the act went into a hiatus due to members' mandatory military duties.The song, released Tuesday evening, stood at No. 1 on all eight domestic music streaming charts, including Melon, Genie, Bugs Music, Mnet and Soribada, as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. K-pop act Big Bang poses for photos during a publicity event for the movie "Big Bang Made" in Seoul on June 28, 2016. (Yonhap)Big Ba

PerformanceMarch 14, 2018

[Trending] #SolitaryChatRoom

Don’t speak, just send a picture.Chat rooms with one simple rule, dubbed “solitary chat rooms,” are gaining popularity among young Koreans. Solitary chat rooms are part of the open chat rooms offered by mobile messenger KakaoTalk. Anyone with a KakaoTalk ID can enter the chat room and join the conversation via the open chatting service anonymously. Comedian Park Myung-soo holds a message board saying "Myung-soo pictures only." (Twitter)Each solitary chat room has its own distinctive theme, with

CultureMarch 13, 2018