CCF 2017 contemplates Korea in eyes of world

A cultural exchange event on the topic of Korea‘s image will take place later this month, with opinion leaders across the world expected to participate.On Aug. 28 and 29, Corea Image Communication Institute will host its Culture Communication Forum 2017, organizers said Wednesday. The annual event will provide an opportunity for avid discussion about “Korea’s image felt though the five senses.”This year‘s topic will be Korea through sight, more specifically the country‘s image through pictures a

CultureAug. 16, 2017

BTS reveals highlight reel of ‘Love Yourself’ series

Bangtan Boys on Wednesday dropped a highlight video of its upcoming “Love Yourself” series, a collection of music under a single concept, which will be launched with its album in September. Uploaded via the official YouTube channel of the group’s agency Big Hit Entertainment, the video hints at how the series will unfold. Short love stories revolving around each of the seven members are featured. Excerpts from BTS’s highlight reel of the “Love Yourself” series (Big Hit Entertainment)“We were pla

PerformanceAug. 16, 2017

'Midnight Runners' to open in 12 foreign countries

South Korean police comedy-action film "Midnight Runners" will be shown in 12 regions overseas, its local distributor said Wednesday.Beginning in Indonesia on Aug. 23, the movie will open in North America on Aug. 25, Australia on Aug. 31 and later in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam, Lotte Entertainment said. (Lotte Entertainment)Directed by Jason Kim, the film starring Park Seo-jun and Kang Ha-neul revolves around two students at t

FilmAug. 16, 2017

What not to do in North Korea

While the US has only recently issued a ban on travel to North Korea, travel to the hermit kingdom has always been extremely risky.The oppressive and authoritarian regime does not tolerate any challenges by visitors, and tales of foreigners being detained for minor mistakes have frequently come up in the media.Chinese travel agencies have distributed a list of things to be aware of when travelling in North Korea, and here are some that have been reported via Korean and Chinese media. A scene fro

CultureAug. 15, 2017

SHINee’s Onew to face probe over sexual harassment

Prosecutors will investigate Onew of boy band SHINee for allegedly touching a woman inappropriately at a club in Gangnam, Seoul, on Saturday. The singer was arrested at the club after a friend of the woman called the police. Onew denied the charges, saying that he has no memory of the alleged incident, as he was too drunk at that time.Police plan to send the case to the prosecutor’s office.  Onew of SHINee (Herald DB)SHINee’s agency S.M. Entertainment said the incident stemmed from “a misunderst

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

K.A.R.D turns to world stage again

K-pop mixed gender rookie group K.A.R.D wrapped up its promotional activities in Korea for its latest track “Hola Hola” and will meet its overseas fans again. K.A.R.D will perform at the Summer Sonic 2017 rock festival in Japan on Saturday. It will then head to Los Angeles for KCON 2017, the annual Hallyu convention hosted by entertainment giant CJ E&M. In September, it will embark on another world tour in Europe, during which the group will visit five countries including the United Kingdom and

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

Alleged portrait of Empress Myseongseong on show for first time

A Joseon-era portrait of a woman dressed in a traditional garment is on display in Seoul, with the gallery claiming it to be a painting of the last queen of Joseon.The alleged drawing of Empress Myeongseong (1851-95) -- also known as Queen Min -- is on display at Daboseong Gallery in Jongro-gu, central Seoul until Aug. 31. It is part of a special exhibition of 300 artifacts from the late Joseon Dynasty, which include writings by independence fighters and items used by the last royal family of Ko

CultureAug. 15, 2017

BTS nabs best int’l artist at Teen Choice Awards

K-pop megastar BTS once again proved its global popularity, snagging the international artist prize at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards held in the US.　The seven-member act was announced the winner of the Choice International Artist Award on Sunday, local time, at the ceremony which took place at Galen Center in Los Angeles. 　The category included four K-pop nominees, including EXO, Seventeen and Monsta X, and Mexican group CD9 and Latin pop group CNCO. 　BTS has become the second K-pop group to win t

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

Did Ariana Grande refuse to enter Korea? Speculations of terror fears ahead of concert

Pop star Ariana Grande, who is in Korea for her first concert here, is refraining from any contact with the media and fans before her performance, possibly out of fears of terrorism.Grande is believed to have arrived at Gimpo International Airport late Monday, without being greeted by a crowd of fans and the media as is the norm when megastars visit the country. This sparked a rumor that Grande had refused to enter Korea after seeing a flock of reporters at the airport. Ariana Grande (AP)Hyundai

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

Incheon Pentaport Rock crowd size reaches 76,000: organizer

The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, a major summer music festival in South Korea, saw a slight drop in the number of visitors from last year, according to organizers Monday.Industry watchers attribute the drop to a growing competition from other music events held in the summer.   (Yescom Entertainment-Yonhap)The festival was held at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, from Friday to Sunday, featuring a total of 70 international and domestic artists, including

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

HyunA to drop new album on Aug. 29: sources

HyunA, a former member of the now-disbanded girl group 4minute, will put out a new album late this month, sources in the music scene said Monday.The sources said the idol singer will release her sixth EP led by a song composed by Sinsadong Tiger on Aug. 29. It will be her first album after "A'wesome," her fifth EP out in August last year.HyunA had a "fan meeting" tour of Seoul and eight North American cities in February to mark the 10th anniversary of her debut as a 4minute member. In May, she f

PerformanceAug. 15, 2017

Ji Chang-wook joins military Monday

Ji Chang-wook started his mandatory military service Monday. Ji Chang-wook salutes at a recruit training center at Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, on Monday before enlistment. (Yonhap)Ji’s agency Glorious Entertainment said the actor will undergo basic military training at a recruitment training center at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, after which he will be in active service for 21 months. Ji enlisted in the military on Monday evening without a press event. After his latest SBS drama “Suspicious Par

TelevisionAug. 14, 2017

Family drama, rom-com and genre series will continue to go strong

With each passing year, Korean TV dramas are creating bigger ripples around the globe. In 2014, “My Love From the Star,” featuring Kim Soo-hyun as a charming extraterrestrial and Jun Ji-hyun as a loveable actress, caused a sensation throughout Asia. In 2016, military romance “Descendants of the Sun,” starring Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, swept fans in the region off their feet.Earlier this year, “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” propelled its lead Gong Yoo to global fame, despite a de fact

TelevisionAug. 14, 2017

Bubble not to pop anytime soon

Has K-pop reached its peak? Or will it be able to keep climbing the ladder of global success? More than 20 years have passed since the first generation of K-pop boy groups H.O.T and Sechs Kies made waves within the Korean music scene in the ‘90s. In 2000, legendary dance music duo Clon went overseas and mesmerized fans in Taiwan, which heralded K-pop’s overseas popularity. Since then, the K-pop industry has never slowed down in rolling out K-pop acts that appeal to a global audience, ranging fro

PerformanceAug. 14, 2017

2017 Asia Song Festival to kick off next month

The 2017 Asia Song Festival, an annual Asian pop music festival, will take place in September, featuring a star-studded lineup of artists, according to its organizer Monday. Under the theme of “Asia is One,” the festival will be held from Sept. 22-24 at venues across Busan. The opening ceremony of the Asia Song Festival in 2016. (Busan-Yonhap)On its first day, music industry officials from 10 countries will gather for a conference at Nurimaru APEC house in Haeundae to discuss issues related to i

PerformanceAug. 14, 2017

Taeyang reveals teaser video for ‘Darling’

Taeyang of Big Bang on Monday revealed the teaser video for “Darling,” the title song for his upcoming album “White Night.”The video, uploaded on YG Entertainment‘s official blog www.yg-life.com, featuring the K-pop star alone on a glacier, atop a skyscraper, and running through a sandstorm. (YG Entertainment)“I had this song since four years ago, and I tried many variations with this. Couples would empathize with this song,” said Taeyang. Taeyang will drop the new album at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.(

PerformanceAug. 14, 2017

Gugudan to hold first overseas fan meeting

South Korea's rookie girl group Gugudan will hold its first-ever overseas fan meeting in Singapore next month, its star agency said Monday.The group will meet its international fans in the "Gugudan Live Show in Singapore 2017" at MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on Sept. 27, Jellyfish Entertainment said.  (Jellyfish Entertainment)Debuting last year, Gugudan has released two albums and recently launched its first sub-unit "Gugudan Ogu Ogu" with members Mina and Hyeyeon, backed

PerformanceAug. 14, 2017

Changdeokgung to open for night-time tour

The Joseon-era palace of Changdeokgung will be offering evening tours from Aug.31 to Nov. 5, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday.According to the state-run agency, the “Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace” commences at 8 p.m. and lasts about two hours. The tours will be held from Thursday to Sunday each week, and will be held twice a day on Oct.7, Oct.14 and Oct.21. On those days, the first tour will start at 7 p.m., and the second tour at 8:00 p.m. Visitors visit Changdeokgung d

CultureAug. 14, 2017

Elvis: 40 years since the death of ‘the King’

MEMPHIS (AFP) - Elvis Presley, American icon and King of rock ‘n’ roll, transformed popular culture, sold over a billion records and is idolized as ever on the 40th anniversary of his tragic death. A fan takes a photo of herself at the Meditation Garden where Elvis Presley is buried alongside his parents and grandmother at his Graceland mansion on Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee. (AFP-Yonhap)His Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee -- the second most famous home in the United States after the

PerformanceAug. 14, 2017

Hallyu’s future; limitations and sustainability

In the 1990s, Korea’s popular culture begin to expand overseas, mostly to other Asian countries. It was during this time that the government begin emphasizing the potential of culture industry.The term Hallyu (Korean wave), which was coined by the Chinese media in 2000 to describe the onslaught of Korean dramas and pop songs there, was quickly adopted by Korea too to refer to Korean entertainment content. Today, it is used to describe a gamut of content and products of Korean origin.K-pop artist

CultureAug. 14, 2017