Girls' Generation's Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun to leave S.M. Entertainment: sources

Tiffany, Sooyoung and Seohyun of Girls' Generation will quit their management agency S.M. Entertainment, sources in the local music scene said Monday.With the possible departure of the three members, it is unclear whether they will continue working with the idol group."The three members decided to terminate their contracts with the agency," an industry official familiar with the matter said. "Although Girls' Generation will stay afloat, it would be difficult in practical terms for those members

PerformanceOct. 10, 2017

Super Junior’s comeback chronicled in reality show

Celebrating the group’s 12th anniversary with a new album, Super Junior will reveal how it prepared for its much-anticipated comeback in a special reality show. The show “SJ Returns -- Super Junior Real Comeback Story,” which started its six-week run Monday on the Naver TV Cast channel and V Live channel, captures how the members prepared for the new album over 120 days, according to the group’s agency Label SJ on Monday. A poster for Super Junior’s comeback reality show “SJ Returns - Super Juni

PerformanceOct. 9, 2017

‘Aegyo,’ ‘maknae’: How Korean words make up the unique vocabulary of K-pop fans

Using Korean words has risen as a trend among K-pop and K-drama fans worldwide. Certain words and slang that recur frequently in Korean popular culture are being incorporated into the everyday language of fans. Such words include “oppa,” the term females use to affectionately call older males, and “aegyo,” which refers to a display of cuteness. Korean words are sometimes altered for an English-friendly spelling and pronunciation. “Kyeopta” (originally pronounced “gwiyeopda”) means “that’s cute,”

CultureOct. 9, 2017

Events held to celebrate 571st Hangeul Day

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a wide range of events to celebrate the 571st Hangeul Day on Monday.(Yonhap)Commemorating King Sejong’s pioneering move to create the Korean alphabet, more than 30 art and cultural organizations took part in “Hangeul Cultural Festival 2017,” featuring exhibitions, performances, conferences and contests in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. (Yonhap)Some 50 contenders clad in traditional hanbok showed off their Hangeul competence in a writing contest, whil

CultureOct. 9, 2017

Italian film ‘Perfect Strangers’ to be remade by Korean director

Korean director Lee Jae-gyu (also known as J. Q. Lee) will be remaking the 2016 film “Perfect Strangers” by Italian director Paolo Genovese, local media reported Monday.　Lee made his directorial debut in 2014 with the historical drama “The Fatal Encounter,” based on the assassination attempt on King Jeongjo and starring Hyun Bin. He also directed hit television drama series such as 2008’s “Beethoven Virus” and 2012’s “The King 2 Hearts.” 　“Perfect Strangers” (Medusa Film)The original “Perfect St

FilmOct. 9, 2017

LA to host 44th Hallyu festival

The 44th LA Korean Festival is set to take place from Thursday through Sunday at the Seoul International Park in Los Angeles, California. The yearly free festival celebrates the ‘Korean wave’ known as Hallyu. The organizing Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation emphasized that the event not only showcases Korean culture but also provides an arena for various cultures within LA to come together. Over 300,000 people are anticipated to come to this year’s event. During the four days, the visitors

CultureOct. 9, 2017

[Photo News] Koreans return home as 10-day holiday comes to a close

Putting behind the 10-day holiday, South Koreans are flocking back to the capital city of Seoul on Monday from their respite at provincial hometowns and overseas vacation spots. The extended holiday, which started on Sept. 30, is set to end on Monday. Workers and students return to workplaces and schools on Tuesday.Seoul Station and Yongsan Station, the main train stations linking the capital city with local areas, are busy with foot traffic of people returning to Seoul, Monday.A record number o

TravelOct. 9, 2017

Korean rappers MCing in mother tongue

From Jay-Z and Eminem to Kendrick Lamar, the biggest names in hip-hop rap in English – naturally, given that the genre was born in the US. And as most Korean rappers cite American influence, their style inevitably reflects this, with a lot of their lyrics either being in English or using English words. But a few are resisting the temptation, writing rhymes exclusively in Korean.“If hip-hop music starts from wanting to express oneself as he or she is, I thought it was only natural that a Korean w

CultureOct. 8, 2017

Bae Doo-na, Song Kang-ho finish shooting ‘Drug King’

Filming of the much-anticipated crime flick “Drug King” featuring Bae Doo-na, Song Kang-ho and Jo Jung-suk has wrapped up, according to an Instagram post by Bae on Saturday. Bae uploaded a photo of herself receiving a bouquet of flowers from a member of the filming crew.“That’s a wrap,” Bae captioned the photo. Actor Song is also seen clapping in the picture.  (Bae Doo-na's Instagram)The film set in 1970s Korea traces the story of the infamous drug kingpin Lee Doo-sam, who was a major distributo

FilmOct. 8, 2017

BTS to air own music show ‘BTS Countdown’

BTS will wrap up the promotion of its latest album “Love Yourself Seung Her” with a special music show, “BTS Countdown.”Following the format of Mnet’s weekly live music show “M Countdown,” the boy band will introduce the rankings of the 40 tracks it has released so far, which were decided by fan voting. The septet will be divided into two groups to decide on fans’ favorite track, with the competition coming down to “Dope” from the band’s 2015 album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1” and

PerformanceOct. 8, 2017

‘The Fortress’ dominates box office over Chuseok

Historical drama “The Fortress” topped the Korean box office by a wide margin over the Chuseok holiday.　The film amassed 424,409 viewers across the country Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council’s statistics, ranking first place daily for five consecutive days since Tuesday. 　 “The Fortress” (CJ Entertainment)The film directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk tells the story of the 1636 Chinese invasion of Joseon and stars Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yoon-seok and Park Hae-il. It has sold over 2.6 million tick

FilmOct. 8, 2017

Sex, edgy content sells in 1-person online media

“The one with the smallest buttocks has to drink, on a viewer vote.”Three men and three women dance and show off their behinds in front of the camera as part of an internet broadcast.The drinking game is followed by the gang hosting variety of risque games and conversations with none of the profanity or sexual content being edited out.The show by BJ -- broadcasting jockey -- Chulgoo is part of a growing fad for “makjang” entertainment, a Korean slang term for anything deemed to have gone “too fa

CultureOct. 6, 2017

Gender is new battleground in culture wars

With a wave of films, television series and art shows championing "gender fluidity" -- and catwalks awash with "gender neutral" models and clothes -- the old dividing line between the sexes is being increasingly called into question.But as the blurring of boundaries has gone from the margins to being a progressive cause, the political temperature of the debate has risen sharply.Gender fluidity has become a hot-button issue in the culture wars between liberals and conservatives, often reduced to

CultureOct. 6, 2017

Demand surges for Nobel winner's works in native Japan: publisher

The Japanese publisher of Nagasaki-born Kazuo Ishiguro said Friday it would republish eight of the British author's books in translation, reporting "a huge number of orders" after he won the Nobel Literature Prize.Ishiguro left Japan when he was five and moved to Britain, only returning to visit his native land as an adult three decades later.Japan had been pinning its hopes on its best-known novelist Haruki Murakami to win the Nobel Prize but eagerly claimed a link to the  British winner with J

CultureOct. 6, 2017

K-pop agencies move beyond music

Listening to K-pop through digital media is no longer enough for many K-pop fans, as they are now demanding contact, either direct or indirect, with the stars in real life. Catering to those needs, major Korean agencies have been establishing multimedia complexes where fans can indulge in K-pop in ways other than music.  G-Dragon appears on a promotion video of Jeju Shinhwa Wolrd (Jeju Shinhwa World)At the forefront of this new K-pop business is YG Entertainment, which is preparing to launch a t

CultureOct. 5, 2017

'The Fortress' becomes fastest Chuseok movie to surpass 1m in attendance

"The Fortress," a South Korean film depicting King Injo of the Joseon Dynasty taking refuge from a Chinese invasion, has become the fastest movie released during the Chuseok holiday to surpass 1 million in attendance, its distributor said Thursday.CJ Entertainment said "The Fortress" got over the 1 million mark with 552,747 viewers Wednesday. The film premiered Tuesday, with 444,527 watching it on the opening day. (CJ Entertainment)It puts "The Fortress" one day ahead of the pace set by "The Fac

PerformanceOct. 5, 2017

Indie movies to see during the holidays

While family-themed films and blockbuster flicks have traditionally fared well in the holiday box office, some moviegoers may want to peruse more low-key indie pieces during the long Chuseok break, lasting stretching from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9. 　A number of Korean cinemas specializing in indie pieces, such as Indie Space, are offering a selection of delightful small-scale films. “Goodbye My Hero” (Cinema Dal)Unemployed father, young son In “Good Bye My Hero,” a documentary film by director Han Youn

FilmOct. 4, 2017

[Herald Interview] Why Park Hae-il is called a ‘blank sheet’

Directors have called Park Hae-il a “blank sheet,” an actor who absorbs and completely transforms through the roles bestowed upon him. With boyish features and a difficult-to-fathom aura about him, Korean film fans say he possesses a Janus-like charm, similar to the Roman god of duplicity – you can’t quite tell whether he embodies good or evil. Park says he’s familiar with the description. “Director Yim Soon-rye told me I was like a white canvas that could become any color, after filming ‘Waikik

FilmOct. 4, 2017

Actress Lee Young-ae cast in mystery period drama

South Korean actress Lee Young-ae is returning to the small screen with a mystery drama, a PR agency said Tuesday.The script writing for the new series, with the title roughly translated as “Different Dream,” has yet to be completed and the shooting will start next year, the Seoul-based agency The Tik Tok said.Lee Young-ae (The Tik Tok)Set in the Japanese colonial period of Korea (1910-1945), the series revolves around a surgical doctor named Lee Young-jin (played by Lee) who is adopted by a Jap

TelevisionOct. 3, 2017