Alcohol flowing freely on Korean TV

As programs spotlighting alcohol abound on Korean television, concerned viewers are questioning whether there are too many portrayals of uninhibited drinking on the small screen.On Aug. 26, K-pop girl group Mamamoo’s Wheein alarmed viewers by drinking during an online live-streaming and cursing in English. 　The next day, “I Live Alone” showed singer Tony An’s friends revealing his drinking habits. An had been discovered numerous times sprawled next to the door to his home or on his bedroom floor

TelevisionSept. 5, 2017

Antenna kicks off second label concert

K-pop artists managed by Korean record label Antenna Music, led by You Hee-yeol of Toy, held the second part of their label concert series, “With, Antenna,” at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday.A total of 11 acts -- Toy (You Hee-yeol), Jung Jae-hyung, Lucid Fall, Peppertones (Shin Jae-pyung and Lee Jang-won), Park Sae-byul, Lee Jin-ah, Chai, Jung Seung-hwan, Kwon Jin-ah and Sam Kim -- performed in front of some 90,000 fans over the weekend at the four-hour concerts.  A promotional po

PerformanceSept. 4, 2017

YoonA’s ‘You Are My Star’ next in line for SM Station

YoonA of Girls’ Generation is set to drop her new solo track “You Are My Star” on SM Station, S.M Entertainment’s weekly digital music release channel.         A teaser photo for YoonA’s upcoming solo track “You Are My Star” (S.M. Entertainment)According to the agency Monday, the upcoming track, which marks YoonA’s second solo work since “Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway,” will be released in both Chinese and Korean on Friday evening via several local music streaming sites including Melon, Genie and

PerformanceSept. 4, 2017

[Next Wave] Glen Check tells stories of Seoul, curiosity, experience

Electronic duo Glen Check are nothing if not careful in crafting their music. 　It has taken the group four years to drop “The Glen Check Experience” -- a multi-genre EP consisting of five tracks that came out on Aug. 13. It wasn‘t a lack of inspiration or difficulty getting together that led to the substantial gap between the two albums. Glen Check’s Kim June-one, 23, and Kang Hyuk-jun, 22, say that “every single day of the four years” was spent on developing the album’s story, one that could de

PerformanceSept. 4, 2017

'Hitman's Bodyguards' lands at No. 1 in S. Korean box office

The American action-comedy "Hitman's Bodyguard" topped the South Korean box office on its opening weekend by selling 556,100 tickets, data showed Monday. According to the computerized box office figures from the Korean Film Council, the R-rated film starring mega-stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds and Salma Hayek outdid its South Korean rival, "Midnight Runners," which gathered 286,097 views. The Korean comedy-action movie, starring Park Seo-jun and Kang Ha-neul, revolves around two cad

FilmSept. 4, 2017

‘Memoir of Murderer’ invited to London film fest

South Korean crime-thriller “Memoir of a Murderer” has been invited to this year‘s BFI London Film Festival, the movie’s local distributor said Monday.The movie led by actor Seol Kyung-gu will be screened in the Thrill section at the 61st edition of the festival, which is the largest film festival in Britain. This year‘s event will run from Oct. 4-15. "Memoir of a Murderer" (Showbox)Previous Korean titles that have been invited to the same category were “New World” (2013), “A Hard Day” (2014), “

FilmSept. 4, 2017

TOPIK applications to open Monday

Applications to take the Test of Proficiency in Korean on Nov. 19 will open Monday.The test is available in two formats, TOPIK I, which covers levels 1 and 2, and the more challenging TOPIK II, which covers levels 3-6. The test costs 35,000 won for the TOPIK I and 40,000 won for the TOPIK II.  Korean Study materials for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (Paul Kerry/The Korea Herald)There are 47 test centers in Korea, covering all provinces and metropolitan cities except Ulsan and Sejong. The tes

Expat LivingSept. 3, 2017

‘Culture President’ reigns once again with BTS

Even after two decades and a half since his debut, “culture president” Seo Tae-ji, who was a K-pop icon before K-pop was even a thing, proved to more than 35,000 fans why he still remains a legend and pioneer of K-pop. Staying true to its concept of “Time: Traveler,” the Saturday concert that was held at Jamsil Olympic Stadium to commemorate the 25 year anniversary of Seo’s debut, revived a trove of memories from the past, as it showcased the barrage of megahits by the singer. The concert was a

PerformanceSept. 3, 2017

BTS to hold 1st dome concert in Japan

BTS is at it again, this time with an October concert in Japan.Big Hit Entertainment said Sunday the K-pop act would hold a concert on Oct. 14 and 15 at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, marking its first concert at a dome in the country.The boy band has enjoyed popularity in the country, with its Japanese tour gathering some 145,000 fans across Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Saitama, Fukuoka and Sapporo from May to July. A poster for BTS’ upcoming concert in Japan (Big Hit Entertainment)Its single “Blood Sweat

PerformanceSept. 3, 2017

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Indian cuisine at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering authentic Indian cuisine at its restaurant Feast from Sept. 8-28. Star chefs from Le Meridien Gurgaon Delhi Hotel has been invited to introduce popular local dishes, including Indian-style salad, soup, diverse curry dishes such as lamb, shrimp cream, paneer butter masala, as well as the famous grilled tandoori chicken, seekh kebab and more.At the live station guests can taste Indian bread “tawa paratha,”

FoodSept. 3, 2017

Busan film fest to hold memorial events for late deputy director

Various memorial events are planned through this year's Busan International Film Festival to remember its deputy executive director who died during his last business trip to France, the festival said Sunday.Kim Ji-seok, 57, died of a heart attack at a hotel in Cannes where he visited to attend the 70th Cannes Film Festival in May. He was a founding member and executive programmer of the Busan film festival that launched in 1996. Kim Ji-seok (Yonhap)Screening a memorial video during the opening c

FilmSept. 3, 2017

Hip coffee brand expands in Seoul

Dorrell is a relative newbie to the coffee scene, almost six months old, but this Jeju Island-native is taking root fast. After opening its first 78-seat cafe on Jeju Island this March, the brand launched a second outlet near Seoul’s Garosugil in late May. Then, on Aug. 31, Dorrell opened a lab concept location in Cheongdam-dong. Within less than half a year, this fledgling cafe has unveiled three brick-and-mortar shops. Its latest is a beautiful, coffee geek-worthy spot in a renovated house.  

FoodSept. 1, 2017

IU to drop second cover EP this month

Singer IU will release her new album “A Flower Bookmark Two” in mid-September, her agency FAVE Entertainment said Friday. The album is the singer’s second cover EP following “A Flower Bookmark” released in May 2014. The 2014 album featured the singer’s cover versions of K-pop classics from 1980s to 90s, such as Kim Chang-wan’s “The Meaning of You,” Kim Wan-sun’s “Pierrot Smiles at Us” and Kim Kwang-seok’s “Flower.” It received favorable reactions both from critics and the general public, sweepin

PerformanceSept. 1, 2017

[Eye Plus] Chinatown in Incheon, still at the heart of Korea-China ties, history

A gold-embellished, red-lacquered pailou, or Chinese arch, looms over a street on the shore of South Korea’s port city of Incheon.The blue-colored board attached to the 11-meter high structure reads Zhonghuajia, Chinese for ‘Chinese avenue,’ marking the entrance to Incheon Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the nation. For over 130 years, Incheon Chinatown has been standing as the only officially recognized one of its kind in Korea since 1884, when Joseon Dynasty leased parts of Incheon to Qing

CultureSept. 1, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets(France)Opened Aug. 30Sci-fi, adventure. Directed by Luc BessonIt is the 28th century. Species from all corners of the universe have formed a federation and come together to build Alpha, a sort of galactic capital. They live in harmony there, exchanging knowledge and culture. Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are federal agents who keep the order of space. The two set out on a mission to retrieve a rare treasure, and uncover the sec

FilmSept. 1, 2017

Busan Film Fest announces New Currents nominees

The Busan International Film Festival announced the nominees for its New Currents category, which awards up-and-coming Asian directors, Friday.　The selections provide distinctive perspectives and themes found throughout east and southwest Asia, BIFF said in a statement. 　Three of the nominated films are Korean pieces that convincingly tell tragedies in different ways. Shin Dong-seok’s “Last Child,” about parents’ ambivalent feelings toward a child who survived an accident that claimed the life o

FilmSept. 1, 2017

Lena Park to become KBS World Radio DJ

Power vocalist Lena Park will be debuting as a radio DJ on the program “One Fine Day” on KBS World Radio.　“It’s been my longtime dream to be a DJ,” she told reporters at a press conference Friday at the Yeouido KBS headquarters. 　“One Fine Day” will be delivering Korean music and musicians’ stories to listeners in English. “I want to make a program that can get close to and offer good music to foreigners in Korea and people abroad,” the veteran R&B singer said. 　Park, who married a Korean-Americ

PerformanceSept. 1, 2017

EXO listed in Guinness World Records

EXO has been listed in the 2018 edition of the book of Guinness World Records for winning the most grand prizes, or Daesang, at the Mnet Asia Music Awards. The K-pop sensation won the album of the year award at the annual awards ceremony in 2016 for its third full-length album “EX’ACT.” It won awards from 2013 to 2015 with the albums “XOXO” (2013), “Overdose” (2014) and “EXODUS” (2015). In 2014, the group also won the artist of the year award.  EXO poses at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards held

PerformanceAug. 31, 2017

Black Pink makes powerful debut in Japan

Black Pink’s Japan debut got off on the right path with its first mini album “Blackpink” topping Oricon and Tower Records’ album charts. In less than a day after its release on Wednesday, “Blackpink” sold more than 21,583 copies in the country, putting itself on the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s daily CD album charts by 9 p.m. The album also secured the top spot on the Tower Records’ comprehensive album chart. The Japan debut album consists of Korean and Japanese versions of the group’s hit songs -- “B

PerformanceAug. 31, 2017