[Herald Interview] From morning to midnight, K-pop rookie Good Day presents ‘All Day Good Day’

This group of K-pop newcomers wants to make sure that fans’ daily lives revolve around good music all day, from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they lay their heads on their pillows at night.Good Day, a bubbly K-pop act that will introduce itself Tuesday with its first EP “All Day Good Day,” is the first girl group to debut under C9 Entertainment, the label of artists such as Younha, Jung Joon-young and Cheetah. Fully charged with an upbeat spirit and youthful energy, the 10

PerformanceAug. 28, 2017

[Seoul saunter] Overrated, but charming ‘town of selfies’

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are labyrinthine alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. We explore Seoul‘s many nooks and crannies. - Ed.  Cafes and stores alongside “Mangridan-gil,” the main street of Mangwon-dong, Seoul, are seen in these photos. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)At first glance, it is not immediate what is so special about “Mangridan-gil,” a nickname for the main stre

CultureAug. 28, 2017

Limited LP versions of Seo Tai-ji tribute album announced

A remake album celebrating the 25th anniversary of groundbreaking Korean pop musician Seo Tai-ji's debut will also be released in limited vinyl copies, according to the publisher Monday.The Seo Tai-ji Co. said that it has printed 2,500 LP editions of "Time: Traveler," a 20-song album consisting of covers of Seo's past catalogue, which will come out Saturday.  (Seo Taiji Company)The retrospective album is a collection of songs produced by today's leading K-pop artists, including BTS, Suran, Younh

PerformanceAug. 28, 2017

K-pop star BoA chosen as promotional ambassador for Jeju Biennale

Singer BoA has been tapped as the promotional ambassador for the Jeju Biennale, an inaugural international art event on the resort island of Jeju, the organizer said Monday."BoA's image of always challenging herself and trying to adapt to different trends in the Korean music scene while globally raising the profile of K-pop matches exactly with what the Jeju Biennale is pursuing," said the organizer Jeju Museum of Art in a statement. BoA (Yonhap)The singer will attend the opening ceremony at the

PerformanceAug. 28, 2017

'Battleship Island' to compete in Spain's Sitges Film Festival

"The Battleship Island" has been invited to a competition category of this year's Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in Spain, the movie's local distributor said Monday.Sitges, one of the world's largest genre film festivals, is set to run from Oct. 5-15 in the city located 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona.The Korean historical action flick will be shown in the Orbita section for introducing most notable films of the year and honoring a title chosen by the jury compose

FilmAug. 28, 2017

'V.I.P.' wins first weekend box office

Three homegrown films -- "V.I.P.", "A Taxi Driver" and "Midnight Runners" -- waged a neck-and-neck race for box office dominance sweeping the top three posts over the weekend, data showed Monday.According to the computerized box office figures from the Korean Film Council, "V.I.P." topped the weekend chart by selling 598,717 tickets. Directed by Park Hoon-jung, the crime thriller starring Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Lee Jong-suk and Park Hee-soon is expected to surpass the 1 million mark on Mo

FilmAug. 28, 2017

[Herald interview] Adidas Women’s Wannabe Linda styles her life beyond body

Before earning the name Wannabe Linda, the body stylist, and being tapped by Adidas Women as its ambassador last year, Linda Shin was a typical office worker whose life was swamped with work and daily stress. And just like any other women in her mid-20s, Linda started working out in a small gym with the goal of losing weight and most importantly, looking pretty and slim like K-pop idol stars. Nine years later, more than 271,000 Instagram users are now following the fitness icon’s Instagram page

CultureAug. 27, 2017

Tablo says new Epik High album will feel like ‘autumn’

Rapper Tablo appeared on the live music program “Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook” Saturday, announcing the upcoming return of his rap trio Epik High. 　“We’ve continued to make music. Now, I think we’ve completed an album that we can let you hear,” Tablo said on the KBS show. 　“After three years, it will be an album that will make you feel ‘autumn’ for certain.” 　 Rapper Tablo appears on “Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook” (KBS)Epik High’s new album will drop in October. 　YG Entertainment announced Friday that

PerformanceAug. 27, 2017

JYJ member Park Yu-chun discharged from military

Actor and singer Park Yu-chun of boy band JYJ on Friday was discharged from nearly two years of mandatory military service.Park was discharged late Friday from the Gangnam District Office in southern Seoul, where he served as a public worker in substitution for his military service. All able-bodied South Korean men between the ages of 18 and 35 must serve in the military for about two years, as the country remains technically at war with North Korea. Park Yu-chun (Yonhap)While serving his duty,

Aug. 25, 2017

East and West coexist in steep Old Town Central of Hong Kong

Stephen Cheung is a 27-year-old man with a British father and native Hongkonger mother. Working as a tour guide, which facilitates his major in history, Cheung himself may be a living example of Hong Kong, a city of coexistence of Eastern and Western cultures, tradition and modernity, after 156 years of British colonial rule. The Old Police Station is under renovation to be an art gallery. (Hong Kong Touism Board)“The Old Central Town is my favorite place to introduce to tourists, because it is

TravelAug. 25, 2017

Actor Lee Joon-gi breaks up with actress Jeon Hye-bin

Actor Lee Joon-gi, hugely popular in Korea and other Asian countries, has ended his relationship with actress Jeon Hye-bin, their talent agency confirmed Friday. (Yonhap)"Lee and Jeon recently broke up as they became estranged due to their busy schedules," Namoo Actors, which manages both stars, said in a release.The announcement came one and a half years after they began seeing each other in the first half of last year.Lee, 35, and Jeon, 34, worked together for the 2014 KBS 2TV historical drama

FilmAug. 25, 2017

[Home Cooking] Yeolmu kimchi

Yeolmu is young summer radish greens. It’s a variety of white radishes with tender, long greens, and a thin, small root. It’s not the top leafy part of mature white radishes or chonggak mu (young radish), which is much tougher. 　Very commonly, young napa cabbage, called putbaechu or eolgari, is also added to yeolmu kimchi, giving it a different texture and flavor. I like the ratio of radish greens to young cabbage to be 2:1. You can use only the radish greens without any young cabbages. 　 Yeolmu

FoodAug. 25, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

V.I.P.(Korea)Opened Aug. 23Crime, drama. Directed by Park Hoon-jungSouth Korean intelligence agent Park Jae-hyuk (Jang Dong-gun) is tasked with overseeing North Korean criminal Kim Kwang-il (Lee Jong-suk), a psychopathic serial killer who has tortured and murdered dozens of women. Police investigator Chae I-do (Kim Myung-min) seeks to capture Kim and bring him to justice. Chae is blocked, however, by an insurmountable wall of international powers who seek to protect and retrieve information from

FilmAug. 25, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Wedding package at Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton will offer a personalized wedding package designed to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for couples from Oct. 13 through Dec. 22. The package is for a minimum 100 guests and to be held after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays. Various discounts are available for food, wine and decorations, among others. For more information, call the hotel’s Wedding Gallery at (02) 317-3431 or visit www.thehwedding.co.kr. Fruit desserts at Sh

TravelAug. 25, 2017

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Cultural Night Walk in JeonjuCultural Night Walk in Jeonju, a program selected by the Cultural Heritage Administration in a competition, offers visitors the chance to walk through hundreds of traditional Korean homes at the Jeonju Hanok Village under the moonlight.Highlights include a moonlight photography competition, traditional music, Jeonju traditional opera, a shadow orchestra and night views of Jeonju.The event is being held until Sept. 13. For more information, visit www.jeonju-night.kr f

TravelAug. 25, 2017

Documentary sheds light on beloved singer’s mysterious death

Two decades after Korean folk singer Kim Kwang-seok passed away, a documentary film about him is shedding light on a popular conspiracy theory that his supposed suicide was actually a homicide.The film “Suicide Made” was screened in Seoul from Wednesday to Friday, and is to hit the local theaters on Wednesday. It follows the last days of Kim before his death in 1996 through his music and investigative reporting. A scene from “Suicide Made” (Cineport)“I’ve been following Kim’s case for a while, a

FilmAug. 25, 2017

[Eye Plus] One summer night, when you only live once

“You only live once: that’s the motto,” said Drake in “The Motto.” Since then, YOLO has become the anthem of youths all around the world.Thousands of young men and women gathered for the 2017 Cass Blue Playground. Filled with excitement, they blasted away the scorching heat of August, rocking on to music provided by the hottest hip-hop and electronic dance music artists the country has to offer.Kicking off the festivities, DJs Garenz and Juncoco pumped up the crowd, who did not need much convinc

PerformanceAug. 25, 2017

[K-Talk] BTS’ Suga may participate in Lee So-ra song

BTS’ rapper Suga may take part in an upcoming single by Korean singer Lee So-ra, which would mark the first time a song by the vocalist features rap music.Lee’s agency told local media that Lee is currently preparing a new single that might involve collaboration with Suga and Tablo of the hip-hop trio Epik High, adding that it has not been confirmed yet. BTS (Big Hit Entertainment)Earlier in the day, a local media outlet reported that Lee is eyeing to return to the music scene in the second half

PerformanceAug. 25, 2017

Actor Park Hae-jin to star in new drama with singer-turned-actress Nana

Actor Park Hae-jin and former After School member Nana will star in a new TV romantic thriller, its producers said Friday.Park will play four different characters, including a mysterious business executive, while Nana will perform the role of a woman who unexpectedly bumps into a dead ringer of a man she loved, according to Victory Contents Co. and Mountain Movement Story.Park Hae-jin (left) and NanaThe drama whose Korean title means “four men,” will go into production in November and is expecte

TelevisionAug. 25, 2017

[Album review] Taeyang explores new style, but something’s missing

Taeyang “White Night”Genie Music (YG Entertainment)K-pop fans have always expected something different from this particular Big Bang member and when the emotional R&B crooner dropped his third solo full-length album “White Night” last week, the expectations were heightened.With his mellow and soulful vocals, Taeyang explored new genres in this electro-R&B fueled eight-track album, successfully projecting himself as an irresistible mournful lover. The artist’s vocal is impeccable as always in “Wh

PerformanceAug. 24, 2017