Rain reveals wedding cost

Singer Rain, who married actress Kim Tae-hee in January, revealed how much their wedding cost on Tuesday’s episode of “Carefree Travelers.” “We got married after dating for five years,” he said. “A wedding ceremony is about two people being happy. (Kim) suggested holding it in a church. She said she wanted something that didn’t have empty formalities or vanity, something that wasn’t grandiose. I wore a tuxedo that I already had.” “Carefree Travelers” (JTBC)Rain added that the two also did not hi

TelevisionDec. 6, 2017

‘Second, third BTS should be born’: Bang Si-hyuk

Producer-CEO Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, the label behind boy band BTS, hopes to pave the road for future K-pop stars on the international stage. “I believe that a second, third BTS should be born and I believe it is possible. I will try to complete a successful model and let future (K-pop) musicians continue on in this path,” Bang said in accepting the Presidential Citation at the Korea Content Awards ceremony at Coex in Seoul on Tuesday. 　Bang will be donating the 10 million won ($9

PerformanceDec. 6, 2017

Lubaina Himid becomes oldest winner of UK‘s Turner Prize

Lubaina Himid, 63, on Tuesday became the oldest winner of the Turner Prize, Britain‘s most prestigious yet controversial visual art award, for her works celebrating black creativity.Judges praised the Zanzibar-born artist for the “seriousness of themes she addressed”, paying tribute to the “current vitality of Lubaina’s work as well as the current relevance” of it in three decades past.The winning artist said she felt “like I won it for a lot of people, so that‘s why it means a lot. Artist Lubai

Arts & DesignDec. 6, 2017

Lee Young-ae donates for independent film

Actress Lee Young-ae made a donation to support the Seoul Independent Film Festival.According to the festival’s organizer on Tuesday, Lee has donated to the fest her entire salary from her appearance on JTBC reality show “Suitable for General Viewing,” which features independent filmmakers working on a short film.Lee appeared in the reality show as an actress for a short film directed by Lee Kyung-mi. Actress Lee Young-ae (SIFF)The actress is well known for her charitable works. Earlier this yea

FilmDec. 5, 2017

Zion. T, Lee Moon-sae’s ‘Snow’ sweeps charts

“Snow,” the collaboration track between R&B singer-producer Zion. T and veteran singer Lee Moon-sae, has topped major music charts upon its release Monday. 　As of Tuesday, the song sits at the top of eight major music charts including Melon, Bugs Music, Genie and Mnet.　The two singers met on the SBS music program “Fantastic Duo” last year and kept in touch, eventually deciding on a collaboration, Zion. T said at a showcase in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Monday. 　 Zion. T performs at a showcase for his ne

PerformanceDec. 5, 2017

[Newsmaker] Singer’s 2011 expulsion from MBC sheds new light on blacklist scandal

The ongoing investigation into two previous governments‘ blacklist of cultural figures continues to unearth more dirt, with a recent revelation that Lee Myung-bak administration used one of its supporters as a scapegoat to hide its wrong-doings.A 2011 document of the National Intelligence Service, revealed recently by Kyunghyang Shinmun, a local daily, showed that MBC’s sacking of singer Kim Heung-gook that year was part of the conservative administration’s plan to extract left-leaning entertain

CultureDec. 5, 2017

PETA names Bong Joon-ho Person of the Year

PETA Asia, the Asian affiliate of international animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has selected director Bong Joon-ho as 2017’s Person of the Year, the group announced Monday. 　Bong’s latest film “Okja,” released on Netflix and in select theaters in June, draws on the tale of mountainside girl Mija and her best friend, the genetically-modified, docile super-pig Okja. 　The film competed at the 70th Cannes International Film Festival in May. 　 Director Bong Joo

FilmDec. 5, 2017

Reality show depicts celebrities struggling to learn English

Perhaps for the first time, reality show “My English Puberty” follows Korean celebrities as they struggle to learn English. 　The new tvN program features six entertainers who find English daunting. For eight weeks, Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon, balladeer Wheesung, actresses Jung Si-ah and Hwang Shin-hye, comedian Ji Sang-ryul and model Han Hyun-min take on the challenge of furthering their English skills.The show, which kicked off Monday at 8:10 p.m. on tvN, began by testing the English levels of

TelevisionDec. 5, 2017

Fan Bing-bing’s brother aims to be K-pop idol

Chinese actress Fan Bing-bing’s younger brother is training to be a K-pop idol.  (Fan Bing-bing`s Instagram)A local news media outlet reported Tuesday that Fan Cheng-cheng, 17, has been training at the Yeuhua Entertainment, a multinational management agency based in Korea, for over a year. The agency officially admitted that the star’s brother is its trainee. “He really likes Korea and is training hard for debut,” the company said. By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@herladcorp.com)

PerformanceDec. 5, 2017

New black comedy about prison life tops weekly TV ratings

A new TV series that depicts life in prison topped TV weekly ratings, data showed Tuesday. Also known as "Wise Prison Life," the new drama on cable channel tvN, starring Park Hae-soo and Jung Kyung-ho, and directed by acclaimed producer Shin Won-ho ranked first on the Content Power Index (CPI) for Nov. 20-26, with a score of 261.8. The 16-episode black comedy topped the index in its first week of broadcasting due to the interesting peek into the life in jail and the inmates who are kept behind b

TelevisionDec. 5, 2017

BTS ranks 28th on Billboard Hot 100 with 'Mic Drop'

K-pop group BTS' latest song "Mic Drop" has reached No. 28 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart making it the first Korean boy band to make it into the crucial top-40 list, according to the US music publication."Mic Drop," featuring hip-hop artist Desiigner and remixed by Steve Aoki, debuted on the Billboard main chart, backed by 9.8 million first-week US streams and 45,000 downloads for the week of Dec. 16, Billboard reported on Monday (US time), citing Nielsen Music.The song, originally listed on the

PerformanceDec. 5, 2017

Annual craft fair to look at value of artistry in digital era

An annual fair to showcase Korea's best craftsmanship will cast light on the smartness and convenience of traditional handiworks and the wisdom of artisans, the organizers said Monday.The craft trend fair titled "Smart X Craft," hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and run by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, entered its 12th year to promote the country's distinct handiworks and elegant artistry that have been passed down for generations.The value of handiwork hasn't faded ev

CultureDec. 4, 2017

[Next Wave] Clara C seeks to shed YouTube star image, find roots in Korea

For singer-songwriter Clara C, who was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, Korea had been an unknown land. She wrote and sang in English, but deep in her heart, Chung had room for Korea, the motherland of her parents.“At first, I didn’t even know that I had Korean fans on my YouTube channel. When I realized I had Korean fans, I started to write Korean on social media, and they liked it. And now, I’m very excited to meet my fans here, in Korea,” said Chung Jae-yeon, better known as C

PerformanceDec. 4, 2017

John Park to appear on JTBC’s ‘Politics Desk Meeting’

Korean-American singer John Park will make a guest appearance on JTBC’s political news show “Politics Desk Meeting" on Wednesday. It will mark the second celebrity appearance on the show following singer Kim Jang-hoon’s appearance in January. “We invited John Park as his ‘Smile’ conveys the message of healing that no matter how hard it gets, there will be days when you can smile,” the show’s production team said referring to the singer’s latest single “Smile” released on Tuesday.  John Park (Mus

TelevisionDec. 4, 2017

BTS producer Bang Si-hyuk receives Presidential Citation

Producer-CEO Bang Si-hyuk of Big Hit Entertainment, the label of K-pop boy band BTS, is to receive a Presidential Citation for his contribution to cultural exchange, the Korea Creative Content Agency announced Monday. 　Bang is being recognized for spreading Korean culture through BTS, who became the first Korean artist to rank 7th in the Billboard top 200 and win top social artist at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year. 　Bang is being recognized as part of the 2017 Korean Content Awards

PeopleDec. 4, 2017

Taeyeon won’t face indictment, dog unrelated to accident

Taeyeon of Girls‘ Generation admitted that her recent traffic accident was caused by her error, Seoul police said Sunday evening. But the officials denied rumors that the K-pop star’s three-month-old dog -- sitting on the passenger‘s seat at the time -- was related to the accident.Seoul Gangnam Police Station summoned the singer Saturday and questioned her for 20 minutes, during which she said she failed to keep an eye on the road when the accident occurred. Taeyeon also vowed to compensate the

PerformanceDec. 4, 2017

Jung Yong-hwa of CNBLUE to hold solo concert

Jung-Yong-hwa, the vocalist and leader of K-pop band CNBLUE, will hold his second solo concert in Seoul next month, his agency FNC Entertainment said Monday.The concert, “2018 Jung Yong Hwa Live [Room 622] in Seoul,” will take place at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul on Jan. 20-21, followed by a Jan. 27 concert in Seoul. It will be Jung’s first concert as a solo artist since March of 2015.Jung, who made his solo debut in the same year with “One Fine Day,” has been expanding his range beyond m

PerformanceDec. 4, 2017

Social media, a double-edged sword for celebrities

BTS, the latest hotshot K-pop group, recently topped 10 million followers on Twitter, marking the first time a K-pop group had reached that many number of followers. It was also another milestone for the boy band that has used social media to its advantage.While always a powerhouse back home, it was nabbing the top social artist award at the Billboard Music Awards that propelled Bangtan Boys to international fame. BTS’ use of social media has worked to its benefit, but social media has also thru

CultureDec. 3, 2017

[Herald Review] ‘The First Lap’ offers no fantasy, but is ultimate romantic comedy

Like his debut film “End of Winter,” Kim Dae-hwan’s sophomore feature “The First Lap” takes place in the wintry cold, zooming in on two characters huddled together in bulky parkas, rubbing their hands and wondering where to go. 　The film follows a fresh-faced thirty-something couple who are clumsy when it comes to life and romance. After seven years of dating, they’re under pressure, both from families and others, to move forward to marriage. 　That next looming step of adulthood causes anxieties

FilmDec. 3, 2017

[Photo] Korean model crowned Miss Supranational 2017

Jenny Kim, 24, won the title of Miss Supranational 2017 on Friday in Poland, marking the first time a Korean has won the major international pageant.  (Supranational Webpage)Kim is a student of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, where she is pursuing a double major. In January, she represented Korea in the Miss Universe pageant 2017.  (Instagram) (Instagram) (Instagram)By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

PeopleDec. 3, 2017