Twice, JYP collaborate for a main track for the first time in 'Signal'

For the first time, Twice will have a main track written by Park Jin-young, the head producer of the group’s agency. JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday that Park wrote the main track “Signal” for Twice’s new EP of the same name. A teaser image of Sana for Twice’s upcoming EP “Signal” (JYP Entertainment)A teaser image of Nayeon for Twice’s upcoming EP “Signal” (JYP Entertainment)A teaser image of Dahyun for Twice’s upcoming EP “Signal” (JYP Entertainment)Park, founder of the company, has writt

PerformanceMay 3, 2017

Seoul springs to life with festivals

With spring in full bloom and the days getting warmer, a number of festivals that focus on outdoor activities are taking place around Seoul. Here is a list of May festivals compiled by The Korea Herald.  Contemporary artist Kildren will hold an exhibition at All Day Out Seoul 2017. (CJ E&M)Nod to street cultureAll Day Out Seoul 2017, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Layer 57 in Seongsu-dong, is an event dedicated to all things hip-hop and street culture, hosted by the entertainment behem

CultureMay 2, 2017

VIXX reveals concept for new EP

Boy band VIXX on Tuesday unveiled the concept for its upcoming fourth EP, along with the title “Shangri-La/Paradise on Earth.”Set for release later in the month, the upcoming release is part of its “VIXX V Festival” project to commemorate the band’s fifth anniversary. The concept image revealed via its official channels bears drawings of flowers, a pine tree, grass and a butterfly with the words “VIXX 4th mini album (EP)” inscribed. The title refers to a utopia, which is made clearer in the Kore

PerformanceMay 2, 2017

Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Do-yeon to debut as i-Teen Girls in July

Choi Yoo-jung and Kim Do-yeon, former members of now-disbanded project group I.O.I, aim to debut as part of a new girl group tentatively named i-Teen Girls.The agency Fantagio said Tuesday, “i-Teen Girls is gearing up to debut in July. With Choi Yoo-jung and Kim Do-yeon as the core of the group, eight to 10 members will form a new group. Except for Choi and Kim, other members have not yet been decided.” Choi Yoo-jung (left) and Kim Do-yeon (Fantagio)In January, the agency hinted at the two artis

PerformanceMay 2, 2017

2017 Dream Concert announces lineup

The 2017 Dream Concert -- one of the largest K-pop concerts in Asia -- announced its lineup of artists Tuesday.The annual music concert will be held June 3 at 6 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul. Now in its 23rd year, Dream Concert will feature 26 acts, ranging from K-pop icons EXO, Twice, Red Velvet and SHINee’s Taemin to rookie groups Gugudan and Pristin.  (S.M. Entertainment/Tomaru)Other idol groups include popular boy bands NCT 127, NCT Dream, VIXX and Seventeen, as well as girl group

PerformanceMay 2, 2017

Number of visitors to seaweed expo tops 600,000

WANDO -- The number of visitors to an international seaweed expo under way on this southwestern island exceeded its target of 600,000 on Tuesday, organizers said.The second Wando Seaweeds Expo received its 600,000th visitor Tuesday morning, 19 days after the exposition kicked off for a 24-day run. The 600,000th visitor to the second Wando Seaweeds Expo (center) poses with officials at the venue on the southwest coast on May 2, 2017. (Yonhap)The organizing committee expected at least 200,000 more

TravelMay 2, 2017

Actor Lee Dong-gun weds drama co-star Cho Youn-hee

South Korean actor Lee Dong-gun and actress Cho Youn-hee, who played a fictional couple in a recent TV series, became an actual married couple, according to their agencies Tuesday."Legally speaking, they have become a married couple," FNC Entertainment and KINGKONG Entertainment said. The companies also announced that Cho is pregnant.(Yonhap)"We're waiting for our baby with gratitude and excitement," Lee said. He promised to "become a better actor and also present an image of a model father."The

TelevisionMay 2, 2017

Cannes-bound Korean film pre-sold to 85 countries

The domestic crime-action flick "The Merciless" has been sold to 85 countries around the world before its domestic release, the film's local distributor said Tuesday.  (CJ Entertainment)The film starring Seol Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan is to be shown in the Midnight Screening, an out-of-competition slot in the 70th Cannes Film Festival set to open on May 17.According to the CJ Entertainment, the movie's distribution right was sold to companies in 85 countries, including France, the Netherlands, Belg

May 2, 2017

'Summer queen' Sistar to drop new album next month

(Yonhap)Girl group Sistar, nicknamed "summer queen" for its strength in the season, will release a new album in early June, music sources said Tuesday.The group is now working on the new album with the producing team Black Eyed Pilseung, they said. This is the group's first album since its last EP "Insane Love" out about a year ago. Sistar last collaborated with Black Eyed Philseung for its hit numbers "Touch My Body" and "I Like That."Debuting in June 2010, Sistar has enjoyed popularity for its

May 2, 2017

Actor So Ji-sub wraps up fan meetings in Asia

Actor and rapper So Ji-sub finished his pan-Asia tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut, his management agency said Tuesday. (Yonhap)The actor met 20,000 fans in eight cities in six Asian countries through the "TWENTY:The Moment" tour that started in Kobe, Japan, on March 25. The tour ended in Seoul on April 29-30, the first such event in the city in three years. At the Seoul event, he shared a series of photos he took with his fans by using a selfie stick."I turned 20 years old in

May 2, 2017

'Produce 101' tops TV charts for three weeks; dramas take backseat

Season two of "Produce 101," Mnet's idol survival show, topped a benchmark TV popularity index for the third straight week, while most big dramas performed sluggishly, data showed Tuesday.The second season of "Produce 101" scored 268 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), becoming the most popular TV program from April 17-23. (Mnet)CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stories, online s

May 2, 2017

Yoo Ah-in to undergo 5th checkup for military service

Yoo Ah-in, star actor of tvN's "Chicago Typewriter," will undergo his fifth physical checkup to determine whether he's fit to serve in the military, after the most recent one drew inconclusive results, according to his agency Monday. (Yonhap)UAA, which represents the 30-year-old actor, said that Yoo will receive the additional physical screening on May 22, after being ordered by the Military Manpower Administration to undergo re-examination.Yoo ruptured his shoulder muscle during the filming of

TelevisionMay 1, 2017

[Seoul Saunter] Repurposed park acts as corridor of civic energy

Around sunset each day, Park Bong-soon strolls through the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, back and forth, for a good healthy hour. For the 71-year-old resident of the area near Gongdeok Station in northwestern Seoul, the refashioned esplanade stretching from Hyochang Park Station to Gajwa Station is an urban oasis of recreation and leisure. “I come here every day because it’s safe and comfortable to saunter,” Park told The Korea Herald. “The scenes of families, children and young people enjoying the

CultureMay 1, 2017

Singer Kim Jang-hoon promotes history of ‘Battleship Island’ in Japan concert

Kim Jang-hoon on Monday said he held a history-themed concert in Japan about the forced Korean laborers during World War II on Hashima Island, better known as Gunkanjima or “Battleship Island,” on Sunday.According to the Korean singer, the concert in Fukuoka, Japan was held in cooperation with the labor union of KB Securities. “I’ve been meaning to hold a concert in Japan for Koreans in the country and Japanese people who are persecuted by the Japanese far-right, but I wasn’t able to get a permi

PerformanceMay 1, 2017

‘Villainess’ actors to attend Cannes

The actors of action thriller “The Villainess,” invited for the Cannes Film Festival’s midnight screening this year, will walk the red carpet of the prestigious event that kicks off May 17.Kim Ok-vin, Sung Joon (credited as Bang Sung-jun) and Kim Seo-hyung, along with the film’s director Jung Byung-gil, have confirmed they attend the Cannes screening and other events there. It is unclear whether Shin Ha-kyun, who is currently recovering from a leg injury obtained while shooting the film, will be

FilmMay 1, 2017

Britney Spears rumored to be planning Seoul show

American pop singer Britney Spears is set to hold her first solo concert in Korea, according to a local media report on Monday.“Britney Spears is preparing to meet fans in Korea. The concert will be part of her Asia tour ‘Britney: Live In Concert,’ which will start in Tokyo, Japan on June 3,” the report said. American pop singer Britney Spears (Yonhap)Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, which manages the stadium, confirmed that Gocheok Sky Dome is reserved from June 6 to June 1

PerformanceMay 1, 2017

Jeju’s female diving culture gets heritage listing

Female divers in Korea’s southern island of Jeju have been designated as an Intangible Cultural Property of Korea, Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. Hanyeo, which roughly translates as “women of the sea,” refers to female divers on Jeju Island who harvest marine products using minimal diving gear. The divers use basic tools like wetsuits, goggles and chest weights, but are not assisted by oxygen tanks.“The culture of ‘haenyeo’ has stood the test of time to represent Korea’s tradition

CultureMay 1, 2017

Park Shin-hye to embark on Asia tour in June

Actress Park Shin-hye is set to embark on a tour of Asian countries in June, according to her agency on Monday.“Park Shin-hye is preparing for the upcoming tour. She has been going on annual overseas tours since 2013, but since she was so busy with filming an upcoming movie, Park could not make time to hold the event last year,” S.A.L.T. Entertainment said. Actress Park Shin-hye (S.A.L.T. Entertainment)Park will visit Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore in June with other Asian countries to follow,

TelevisionMay 1, 2017

Twice’s new ‘Signal’ slated for May 15

Twice is set to drop its new album on May 15, according to agency JYP Entertainment. A preview image of Twice’s upcoming mini album “Signal” (JYP Entertainment)The agency said Monday the group’s fourth mini album “Signal” and the title track will be released on May 15 at 6 p.m. In a preview image of the new album unveiled via the agency website also Monday, the band can be seen wearing white and navy school uniform-styled outfits.    The nine-member girl group debuted in October 2015. Its first

PerformanceMay 1, 2017

‘W’ wins Special Jury award at WorldFest-Houston film fest

South Korean TV series “W” has won the Special Jury award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, MBC said Sunday.“Winning the award is a great honor to me. I think it was possible for ‘W’ to win the great award, as the new imagination and venture of it were highly rated by the judges,” said Jung Dae-yoon, who directed the 16-episode TV series.  A poster for the MBC drama “W” (MBC)“W” is a sci-fi romance drama that aired from July through September last year. Starring Lee Jong-suk

TelevisionApril 30, 2017