The full text of Jonghyun's death note

Dear Cloud's vocalist Nine9 revealed the late Jonghyun’s painful suicide note on his Instagram on Tuesday.Following is the unofficial English translation of Jonghyun‘s suicide note in Korean. (Yonhap/Nine9`s Instagram)---------------------------------------------------I was broken from the inside.The depression slowly chipped me away, finally devouring me. I could not beat the negativity. I hated myself. Even though I tried so hard demanding my memories that kept getting cut off to ‘wake up,’ al

PerformanceDec. 19, 2017

TvN's 'Youn's Kitchen 2' to air next month

The second season of the popular reality show "Youn's Kitchen" will be broadcast early next month, tvN said Tuesday.The network said the show will return Jan. 5 with the original cast of Youn Yuh-jung, Jung Yu-mi and Lee Seo-jin. The senior actor Shin Goo will be replaced by Park Seo-joon.Produced by hit-maker Na Young-seok, the new series will show famous Korean actors temporarily run a Korean restaurant in Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands. (tvN)The production team said the new s

TelevisionDec. 19, 2017

Fantasy romance storms TV weekly charts

"Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me" made a successful TV debut, ranking second on a weekly TV program chart, data showed Tuesday.The KBS 2TV's new mystery romance, peppered with fantastical elements and starring Kim Rae-won, Shin Sae-kyeong and Seo Ji-hye, garnered a score of 247.1 on the Content Power Index (CPI) for Dec. 4-10.The drama depicts a tangled web of romantic relations that span three millennia and tells a story about an invisible force that is believed to dictate human destiny by

TelevisionDec. 19, 2017

SHINee member's death ruled suicide, no autopsy

The body of the late K-pop star Kim Jong-hyun will not undergo an autopsy, Seoul police said Tuesday, as the singer‘s cause of death is clear.“We’ve decided not to autopsy the body, as it is certain that the deceased had taken his own life and the bereaved families did not want it,” said an official from Seoul Gangnam Police Tuesday morning. “We will wrap up the investigation as soon as we‘ve finished talking to the family.”Kim Jong-hyun(Yonhap)Kim, a member of boy band SHINee, was found in a st

PerformanceDec. 19, 2017

[Profile] Jonghyun, beloved main vocalist for SHINee

Jonghyun’s untimely death came just a week after he wrapped up his solo concerts, a testament to his successful career that extended beyond the boy band SHINee.  (Yonhap)Born on April 8, 1990, the singer was picked up by talent scouts of S.M. Entertainment in 2005 during a singing contest. After three years of training at the talent agency, he debuted in 2008 as a member of the five-piece boy band SHINee with the EP “Replay.”Jonghyun stood out as the main vocalist of the group, captivating fans

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

Taeyang, Min Hyo-rin to marry

Taeyang of Big Bang will marry actress Min Hyo-rin early next year. YG Entertainment, which represents the singer, confirmed that the two would wed around February next year before Taeyang’s enlistment.　Taeyang is expected to join the military in the first half of next year.  (YG Entertainment/ Yonhap)The two confirmed they were dating in May 2015.Min, 29, appeared in Taeyang’s solo music video for “1AM” in June 2014. The music video, which includes passionate kiss scenes, is based on a storylin

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

Lee Juck to release album in Japan

Singer-songwriter Lee Juck will release an album in Japan on March 14, Lee‘s agency Music Farm announced Monday.　The album is to comprise his past hits. 　“Lee Juck will be foraying into the Japanese market,” said Music Farm. “His Japanese label Pony Canyon has launched his official website.”　Lee, 43, debuted in 1995 and is a folk-rock and acoustic pop singer with numerous hits, including “Run Across the Sky” (2003), “I Didn’t Know That Time” (2003) and “Lie Lie Lie” (2013). 　Lee Juck (Music Farm

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

‘Infinite Challenge’ emerges top on-demand show: Pooq TV

Entertainment show “Infinite Challenge” was the most watched on-demand video on Pooq TV this year, with 15,610,000 hours spent watching the show on the online provider of TV broadcasts and movies.Pooq TV, one of the biggest on-demand video providers in Korea, on Monday released data on the popular shows on its platform in 2017. (MBC)In the period between the beginning of January and the end of November this year, “Infinite Challenge” was the most consumed program on Pooq TV, followed by “Knowing

TelevisionDec. 18, 2017

Super Junior wraps up ‘Super Show 7’ in Seoul

Super Junior wowed fans at “Super Show 7” held at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul from Friday to Sunday.At the concerts, the group performed some of its hit tracks, such as “Sorry, Sorry,” “Boanamana” and “Mr. Simple,” as well as tracks from its latest album “Play” including the lead track “Black Suit,” “Scene Stealer,” “Too late,” “Runaway and “The Lucky Ones.”  Super Junior performs during the “Super Show 7” concert at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul on Sunday. (SJ Label)Four of the group’s members -- Kan

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

Gang Dong-won cast in Hollywood film ‘Tsunami LA’

Korean actor Gang Dong-won is set to make his stateside debut with “Tsunami LA,” a disaster action film to be directed by Simon West.Gang’s agency YG Entertainment said Monday that the actor had been cast for the leading role in the new feature by West, who directed blockbuster action films “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “Con Air.”According to Variety magazine Sunday, “Tsunami LA” is set in Los Angeles, which is hit by a massive tidal wave. The movie is currently in pre-production in the UK. In a

FilmDec. 18, 2017

Film on sex worker's death wins best virtual reality award

Virtual reality film "Bloodless" by South Korean filmmaker Gina Kim won best VR film award at the Bogota International Film Festival, the movie's production company Crayon Film said Monday.Earlier this year, the film won the best virtual reality story award at the 74th Venice International Film Festival and the best VR film award at the 58th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The 12-minute-long film is based on a real-life murder case in 1992 where an American soldier killed a Korean bar

FilmDec. 18, 2017

CICI announces 2018 award winners

The Corea Image Communication Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a positive image of Korea, will be honoring CJ Group, Joachim Son-Forget and Angelina Danilova at this year‘s annual CICI Korea Image Awards ceremony, which will be held at the InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong on Jan. 16The Korea Image Stepping Stone Award will be awarded to the CJ Group for its contribution to promoting Korean cultural content, CICI said in a statement Monday.　CJ Group Chairman

PeopleDec. 18, 2017

'Steel Rain' beats 'Star Wars' at weekend box office

“Steel Rain,” a new North Korean-themed action blockbuster, took the No. 1 spot at the South Korean box office on its opening weekend, data showed on Monday.The movie, starring Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won, sold 1.09 million tickets across the country from Saturday to Sunday, accounting for 54.9 percent of all tickets sold over the weekend, the Korean Film Council said. The film’s accumulated audience has reached 1.62 million since opening last Thursday.In “Steel Rain,” Jung plays a North Korea

FilmDec. 18, 2017

27 years on, balladeer Shin Seung-hun says ‘life is Polaroid’

The end of the year is the perfect time to wallow in nostalgia, but walking down memory lane may not always be joyful; after all, the word “nostalgia” is said to come from “the pain from an old wound” in Greek. And with his silky voice, veteran singer-songwriter Shin Seung-hun, still reigning supreme after 27 years, told those attending his year-end concert Sunday that it is okay to embrace those past pains. Singing a verse from his first-ever digital single “Polaroid,” Shin said life, no matter

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

BTS' agency considers IPO

The South Korean mastermind behind K-pop band BTS, which was tweeted about more than any celebrity in the world this year, is considering an initial public offering as the $5 billion industry that unleashed Psy’s “Gangnam Style” climbs the charts in the US and China.Big Hit Entertainment has talked with its shareholders -- which included Legend Holdings Corp.’s venture-capital arm and LB Investment -- about an IPO, Bang Si-hyuk, the company’s chief executive officer and founder, said during an i

PerformanceDec. 18, 2017

Rapper Kush nabbed buying cocaine　

Another drug-related incident involving an artist from YG Entertainment has the public demanding that the K-pop agency assume more responsibility for its performers.On Friday, Seoul Bangbae Police Station said YG Entertainment’s rapper Kush, who also works under YG’s independent label The Black Label as its producer, was booked without detention for purchasing and using cocaine. According to police, Kush, whose real name is Kim Byung-hoon, 33, was nabbed in an undercover operation on Tuesday at

PerformanceDec. 17, 2017

BTS’ ‘DNA’ music video surpasses 200 million views

Trailblazing K-pop boy band BTS has set yet another record in K-pop history. 　The music video for the group’s song “DNA” has surpassed 200 million views on YouTube in three months since its Sept. 18 release. 　It is the quickest a K-pop music video has surpassed 200 million views.　BTS now has under its belt four videos that have surpassed the 200 million mark, including those for “Fire,” “Blood, Sweat & Tears” and “Dope.”　 BTS stars in the music video of “DNA.” (Big Hit Entertainment-YouTube)Seve

PerformanceDec. 17, 2017

Record-breaking 8,000-member orchestra perform in Seoul

More than 8,000 musicians performed at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul Saturday to set the Guinness World Record for the biggest ever orchestra.The giant orchestra, consisting of amateur musicians from churches across the country, played a medley of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance Marches, the South Korean national anthem and two hymns for seven minutes in total. With 8,076 musicians involved, an orchestra performance in Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul Saturday, trumped the previous biggest such performance i

CultureDec. 17, 2017

Lee Young-ae stars in film about air pollution

Lee Young-ae has returned to the movie scene with the short film “The House Below.”　The film, directed by Lee Kyoung-mi (“The Truth Beneath,” 2016), is a project for the JTBC TV show “Suitable for General Viewing,” which follows independent filmmakers and entertainers collaborating on original films.　The role marks Lee’s first film performance since she starred in the 2005 crime thriller “Lady Vengeance,” directed by Park Chan-wook. 　 Lee Young-ae stars in “Suitable for General Viewing.” (JTBC)T

FilmDec. 17, 2017

[Herald Interview] North Korea is a glass box: Jung Woo-sung

In the new political thriller film “Steel Rain,” Jung Woo-sung lost weight and adopted the Pyongyang dialect to portray his character, the North Korean special agent Uhm Chul-woo. Uhm is tasked with taking care of the injured North Korean leader when his regime is overthrown in a military coup. He manages to flee to the South with the leader, and desperately seeks a way to at once revive his leader, defend his family up North and wade through global politics. Jung, 44, has never been shy to expr

FilmDec. 17, 2017