[Herald Interview] JJ Project returns five years later with reflective ‘Verse 2’

Five years ago, the duo of JJ Project, a subunit of chart-topping boy band GOT7, were not so different from other 18-year-olds, as they galloped on stage with their upbeat hip-hop debut single “Bounce,” full of energy. Likening their past to innocent children, JB and Jinyoung, both now in their mid-20s, said they wanted to showcase the more toned down and mature sides of themselves in their latest autobiographical album “Verse 2,” which was released Monday. (JYP Entertainment)“At first, we were

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Uee, Kangnam break up after dating for 3 months

Actress Uee and singer Kangnam told local media outlets Tuesday that they had broken up, two weeks after they admitted to being in a romantic relationship.The agencies of the two stars confirmed earlier reports that they had parted ways. Officials cited work as the cause, but did not comment on when the two had broken up. The two confirmed their relationship on July 14. They initially denied media reports that they were dating, but confessed after photos of them emerged.  Uee(left) and Kangnam (

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Jessica confirms Aug. 9 album release

Former Girls’ Generation member Jessica heralded the imminent release of her third mini album “My Decade,” slated for Aug. 9. Her agency Coridel Entertainment released Monday a teaser image via social media and its website. The lead track of the album will be “Summer Storm.”  A teaser for Jessica’s upcoming third mini album “My Decade” (Coridel Entertainment)“As she marks her 10th anniversary this year, she is making a lot of effort to show you a high quality album. Please show lots of love and

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Former Beast member Jang Hyun-seung apologizes for bad behavior

Jang Hyun-seung, formerly of Beast, apologized for his past disrespectful behavior, over a year after leaving the now-defunct boy band. His unexpected, lengthy apology to fans was made via Instagram on Monday. He shared his thoughts on his departure from the group in April last year. “During the past seven years, I was so loved by many before I left Beast. I achieved my dreams, but during the activities with the group, I had my own thirst and began to stubbornly pursue my own pleasure instead of

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Winner to reveal behind-the-scenes stories in Hawaii

Boy band Winner on Tuesday revealed the poster for its live broadcast on Naver’s V Live, set to take place a day after the official release of its newest single album, “Our Twenty For,” Thursday.According to YG Entertainment, Winner will take the opportunity to share with fans what happened during the filming of its music video in Hawaii. The band will also spill some details about the new record. (YG Entertainment)Fans of the K-pop act have been anticipating the return of Winner, particularly w

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Black Pink tops 90 million views faster than ‘Gangnam Style’

Black Pink’s music video for “As If It’s Your Last” is one of the hottest K-pop videos ever on YouTube and the fastest to reach 90 million views.The video surpassed the 90 million mark around Tuesday morning. According to YG Entertainment, it took 943 hours to achieve this.  (YG Entertainment)The previous record was held by the music video for “Gangnam Style,” the 2012 song by Psy, who took the world by storm. It took the sensational video 50 days to reach 90 million views. “As If It’s Your Last

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

Girls’ Generation drops Seohyun teaser for ‘Sweet Talk’

Girls’ Generation on Tuesday revealed a teaser image of Seohyun, along with a sneak peek of its new song “Sweet Talk” from its upcoming album “Holiday Night.”The K-pop group uploaded photos of its youngest member on its official homepage, with excerpts of the song. (S.M. Entertainment)Seohyun wrote the lyrics for the dance number, which is about a man and a woman about to fall in love. She also wrote the lyrics for “Holiday,” one of two title tracks for the album.Girls’ Generation will appear on

PerformanceAug. 1, 2017

T.O.P stripped of police post after drug conviction

Police on Monday ruled T.O.P of Big Bang inadequate to serve as a conscripted policeman, after he received a suspended prison term for smoking marijuana.The review committee on reenlistment of the convicted at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reached the decision not to allow the 29-year-old rapper to continue his police duties, which he had been serving as an alternative to mandatory military service.  T.O.P of Big Bang leaves the Seoul Central District Court in this file photo. (Yonhap)Kor

PerformanceJuly 31, 2017

Culture Ministry launches ‘blacklist’ investigation committee

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday officially launched a government-civilian joint committee to investigate the previous administration’s blacklist of cultural figures.The committee, co-headed by Culture Minister Do Jong-hwan and artist Shin Hak-chul, consists of 21 local artists and four ministry officials. Its three subcommittees are respectively charged with investigation, drawing up measures to prevent such blacklists in the future and compiling a white paper on the scanda

CultureJuly 31, 2017

[Next Wave] Kim Ji-won goes from tough female soldier to disheveled girl-next-door

Last year, actress Kim Ji-won was most vividly engraved in viewers’ minds as a tough female army lieutenant who knew what she wanted -- both in life and in love -- and wasn’t afraid to go after her target.　That role in the 2016 hit series “Descendants of the Sun” made Kim one of the most promising actresses on Korean television. Her portrayal of the tenacious but vulnerable Lt. Yoon Myung-joo made a deep impression: Many viewers confessed they watched the drama to support the love story between

TelevisionJuly 31, 2017

‘Stranger’ ends amid much fanfare

Crime-thriller series “Stranger” ended with much fanfare Sunday, achieving 7.3 percent viewership at one point during its last episode.　The tvN drama that aired Saturdays and Sundays was lauded for its gripping plot and strong performances.　Viewers have eagerly demanded a second season, to which tvN replied Monday that “no specific plans are in place as of yet.” 　“I believed that we could ... have a good-hearted influence on the world,” actor Jo Seung-woo said of the series.　Jo played seemingly

TelevisionJuly 31, 2017

'The Battleship Island' sells spectacular 2.5 mln tickets on opening weekend

"The Battleship Island," one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, debuted at No. 1 on the weekend box office chart in South Korea, surpassing 4 million in the accumulated number of views, data showed Monday.The historical action flick directed by Ryoo Seung-wan claimed the top spot by attracting 2.5 million people to 2,019 theaters across the country over the July 28-30 weekend, according to figures from the Korean Film Council.The movie surpassed the 4 million audience mark Sunday,

FilmJuly 31, 2017

Star-studded YG will produce reality TV show

YG Entertainment said Sunday it will produce its own reality TV program featuring its stars as the company is set to push its boundaries beyond the music industry. "From September, we will start shooting a reality show titled 'YG JeonJa' based on real-life episodes happening inside YG," the company said in a statement. "JeonJa" in Korean is short for strategic archive. It also unveiled a teaser video titled "Planning Meeting of YG JeonJa."

TelevisionJuly 31, 2017

Girls' Generation to showcase new album at fan meeting next week

K-pop group Girls' Generation will unveil its new album at an upcoming fan meeting slated for next week, its management agency said Sunday.S.M. Entertainment said the eight-member act will sing new songs, including "All Night" and "Holiday," from its sixth full-length album "Holiday Night" during the meeting on Aug. 5 to mark the 10th anniversary of its debut.The event titled "Holiday to Remember" will take place at 7 p.m. at the Olympic Hall of the Olympic Park in eastern Seoul. (S.M. Entertain

PerformanceJuly 31, 2017

Korea unites with Tomorrowland for all-night music festival

Through the magic of music and livestreaming, revelers here were granted front row access -- so to speak -- to Tomorrowland, a world-renowned electronic music festival. “Unite With Tomorrowland” landed in Korea on Saturday at Munhak Stadium in the country’s gateway city of Incheon. The event is held simultaneously in different locations around the world, with fans also enjoying performances of top-class DJs at the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium.Local DJs kicked things off. Glory was the openin

PerformanceJuly 30, 2017

[Herald Interview] Park Seo-joon, from shy teen to lively boy next door

Few would be able to tell that actor Park Seo-joon, who has been in the spotlight recently for his portrayal of a playful boyfriend, used to be an intensely shy teenager. In the recent hit drama series “Fight! My Way,” Park plays the spirited Dong-man, a boy-next-door type character who remains boisterous despite numerous setbacks in life. 　Next month, Park will make his movie debut in the police-buddy flick “Midnight Runners” as the energetic cop trainee Ki-joon who leaps to action before think

FilmJuly 30, 2017

Kim Woo-bin completes first round of chemotherapy: Sidus HQ

Actor Kim Woo-bin has completed his first round of chemotherapy, the actor’s management agency Sidus HQ announced Sunday.　“He has recuperated to the point that he is now able to exercise,” a company official said. 　In May, Sidus HQ revealed that Kim had been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and was undergoing treatment. 　With the recent announcement, Sidus HQ said that they are cautious but optimistic about a second round of chemotherapy and new test results scheduled for August. 　Kim Woo-bi

FilmJuly 30, 2017

Apink, Heize appear on JYP’s ‘Party People’

K-pop group Apink and rapper-producer Heize, whose songs have been topping local music charts, were featured on Park Jin-young’s talk show, during which they discussed stardom and past loves.　The musicians appeared on the second episode of “Party People,” producer-singer JYP’s first foray into hosting a late-night talk show.Apink performed its hit songs “No No No” and “Mr. Chu,” and discussed the pressures of the K-pop scene.　“There was a point when I didn’t know if the public and our fans would

TelevisionJuly 30, 2017

Seoul delays Jamsu Bridge beach festival due to heavy rain

Jamsu Bridge beach festival (The Seoul Metropolitan Government) Seoul has delayed its Jamsu Bridge beach festival due to the wet weather. The festival, which was to be held from Friday to Sunday, will be postponed by two weeks. In a bid to create a summer vacation spot for citizens who cannot get away from the city, the city plans to turn the bridge into a beach-like playground from Aug. 11-13. Jamsu Bridge beach festival (The Seoul Metropolitan Government)The festival will feature attractions s

TravelJuly 28, 2017

[Home Cooking] All purpose Korean marinade (manneung ganjang)

This marinade is all you need for Korean barbecue this summer! It takes less than an hour to put this large batch together. You don’t need to assemble a marinade or run to a store to buy a jar of pre-made marinade every time. All the flavor enhancing ingredients are boiled together, so the marinade is very flavorful and the shelf life is naturally long. To make this all-purpose marinade, the ingredients are boiled with umami-boosting vegetables such as dried shiitake mushrooms and dashima. Korea

FoodJuly 28, 2017