Singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong indicted for alleged drunk driving

Prosecutors said Tuesday they have summarily indicted singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol last month. (Yonhap)The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office said it sought a fine of 2 million won (US$1,700) against him. A summary indictment does not require a formal trial. The member of K-pop boy band SS501 was caught on March 26 as he fell asleep for about 15 minutes in his car while waiting for a traffic light to change in southern Seoul, acco

April 25, 2017

‘Art circus’ La Verita to be performed in Seoul this weekend

The circus is in town. But instead of lions jumping through flames and brightly-dressed clowns, “La Verita” will seek to portray the spirit and life of surreal artist Salvador Dali through a mixture of music, skits and acrobatics.Daniele Finzi Pasca, who wrote and directed La Verita, said the “art circus” seeks to portray a surreal depiction of Dali’s life through circus.La Verita was inspired by “Tristan Fou (Mad Tristan),” painted by Dali in 1944 and depicting the legend of Tristan and Isolde.

PerformanceApril 25, 2017

Pop diva Lee Eun-mi releases new song 'Albatross'

South Korean pop diva Lee Eun-mi dropped her new song "Albatross" on Tuesday, releasing her first brand new music in three years, her agency said. (Yonhap)The piano-accompanied ballad was released at noon on major streaming services, including Melon, Bugs Music and Olleh Music, according to Neobiz, which represents Lee. The song was written by long-time collaborator Yoon Il-sang, who first worked with Lee on her hit song "I Have A Lover" released in 2004. In October of last year, Lee released he

April 25, 2017

'MAN x MAN' receives heavy media spotlight in China: agency

"MAN x MAN," a new South Korean TV drama starring Park Hae-jin, has received a heavy spotlight from Chinese entertainment outlets despite the show being unavailable in the neighboring country, according to the star's agency Tuesday. (Yonhap)On Monday, entertainment pages of Chinese portals -- including Sina.com, Sohu.com and Eastday.com -- featured stories on the new Friday-Saturday JTBC series as one of their prominent headlines of the day, Mountain Movement, Park's agency, said."MAN x MAN" (pr

April 25, 2017

[Herald Interview] Shim Eun-kyung, between innocence and experience

In the 2011 film “Sunny,” the nostalgic coming-of-age flick about a group of friends at an all-girls high school in the 1980s, Shim Eun-kyung plays a shy, possessed student. When the spirit inside her manifests itself, Shim’s character becomes comically violent, scaring off the school’s bullies and rescuing her friends. Bursting onto the Korean film scene with this role, Shim has since become a symbol of innocent youth and sprightly whimsy. In her breakout role in the 2014 comedy “Miss Granny,”

FilmApril 25, 2017

MBLAQ’s Seungho steps into acting career

Seungho of MBLAQ sealed a deal with Will Entertainment to start his acting career. Seungho of MBLAQ (Herald DB)The agency said Tuesday that it would fully support Seungho’s plan to build his career as an actor, sending an encouraging message about his new step. “Seungho has always wanted to become an actor. Please extend your support to his passion and commitment toward acting,” said an agency official. The singer-turned-actor debuted as MBLAQ in 2009. Aside from group activities, he starred in

PerformanceApril 25, 2017

Lee Sung-kyoung, Nam Joo-hyuk confirmed to be dating

Actress Lee Sung-kyoung and actor Nam Joo-hyuk are officially in a relationship, their agency confirmed Tuesday.  Lee Sung-kyoung (left) and Nam Joo-hyuk (The Korea Herald)“After being close friends since working as models, Lee Sung-kyoung and Nam Joo-hyuk recently developed romantic feelings for one another and are now officially dating,” YG Entertainment said. Rumors about Lee and Nam’s relationship had surfaced Monday and the agency had said that it would make an official statement after chec

TelevisionApril 25, 2017

'Produce 101' tops TV charts for two weeks, dramas taken back

Season two of "Produce 101," Mnet's idol survival show, topped a benchmark TV popularity index for two weeks in a row, while most major weekday dramas fared poorly, data showed Tuesday.The second season of "Produce 101" scored 265.7 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), becoming the most popular TV program from April 10-16. (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 se

April 25, 2017

[Next Wave] Punchnello seeks to shape image as artist

The Korea Herald is introducing Korean singers, musicians and actors poised to join the next wave of top stars in a twice monthly series. - Ed.Punchnello spent a busy year in 2016 after first making headlines in March with his decision to join HIGHGRND, the independent label run by Tablo of Epik High, and releasing his debut deluxe single “Lime” in September.This year, Punchnello hopes to show a different side of himself with the recent announcement of his participation in Mnet&rsquo

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

VIXX to embark on Southeast Asian tour

VIXX is set to embark on a tour of Southeast Asian countries in July, according to the group’s agency Jellyfish Entertainment.  VIXX (Jellyfish Entertainment)The agency said Monday “VIXX Fan Meeting Tour in Se-Asia” will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok, among other cities. The tour kicks off July 27. “MyMusicTaste,” a Seoul-based crowdsourcing platform for music and live events, organized the event, making it meaningful, the agency added. The six-member group is also planning for

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

BTS wins 9th Shorty Awards

BTS has been recognized as the most influential musician on social media by the ninth Shorty Awards.  BTS delivers an award acceptance speech in a YouTube video posted Sunday after winning the ninth Shorty Awards. (Screen capture from BangtanTV)The seven-member group received an award in the music category. A ceremony was held in New York on Sunday. The award recognizes an individual or a group for their real-time presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube an

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

‘My Ugly Duckling’ is most-viewed Sunday show

“Mom’s Diary: My Ugly Duckling” has risen to become the most-viewed Sunday variety show, according to Nielsen Korea. The show, which began airing on SBS in August last year, features male celebrities’ moms who view their sons’ daily lives on camera. The show achieved an 18.5 percent viewership Sunday, according to the company that provides television audience measurements.The episode followed singer Lee Sang-min, who fell into debt after a failed business venture and began renting a room in his

TelevisionApril 24, 2017

Yeeun, Jung Jin-wun reportedly end their 3-year relationship

Yeeun from the K-pop girl group Wonder Girls and Jeong Jin-woon from boy group 2AM are said to have ended their relationship, industry sources said Monday. (Yonhap)They have been together since early 2014 but decided to go their separate ways. The reason for the breakup is not known, except that a source told Yonhap News Agency that they naturally drifted apart. The two naturally became close because they used to belong to the same entertainment firm JYP. Their relationship was first reported in

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

BoA to drop new single next week

Pop singer BoA will release her new song "Spring Rain" next week, her management agency said Monday. (Yonhap)S.M. Entertainment said that "Spring Rain" will be out on Friday, next week, as the fifth runner of the season 2 of the agency's weekly digital music release project "Station."Composed by Kenzie, who have collaborated with the singer on such songs as "My Name," "Garden in the Air" and "Moto," the R&B number features sensual lyrics about extreme emotions of love and hatred.BoA is scheduled

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

Jaden Smith looks to debut as K-pop artist

American actor and rapper Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, is looking to a fresh career as a K-pop singer. “I will be dropping a K pop single in the next 4 months,” Jaden tweeted to his 6.28 million followers on April 21. Jaden Smith (Jaden Smith‘s Twitter)The Hollywood star’s son showed his eagerness to be a K-pop star, posting a series of tweets in December which said, “I’m serious I actually wanna be a K pop star” and “I just wanna be a K pop star.” In 2013, the Smiths visited Korea to promote

PerformanceApril 24, 2017

'Fast and Furious 8' wins second weekend in S. Korea

"Fast and Furious 8" has dominated the South Korean box office for the second weekend in a row despite the massive arrival of newcomers. (Yonhap)According to the box office tally from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) on Monday, the Hollywood action flick garnered 682,576 views, which is about 57 percent of all tickets sold, in its second week of release.In the latest installment in Universal's long-running "Fast and Furious" franchise, protagonist Dominic Toretto turns against the crew he's calle

FilmApril 24, 2017

Click here to subscribe - and learn how to drive

Imagine the shock when a boy, 8, drove up to a local McDonalds drive-through and asked for a Happy Meal. The news of the Ohio boy who learned how to drive on YouTube to get a late-night snack was a cutesy tidbit, but it also demonstrated just how easy it has become to educate oneself via new media.  “With the way technology is, more kids will learn how to do anything and everything,” a local patrolman told the Weirton Daily Times, upon witnessing the boy obeying all traffic laws and driving “eff

CultureApril 23, 2017

Recreating fragments of a bygone empire

At the turn of the century, Emperor Gojong declared Joseon an empire in a last-ditch attempt to retain independence.  A re-enactment of foreign envoys’ audience with Emperor Gojong (Cultural Heritage Administration)The move turned out to be futile, as the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) saw the country taking its last breath before being colonized by Japan. This year’s Royal Culture Festival -- from Friday to May -- will re-enact the ceremonies and rituals from the last monarchy on the Kor

CultureApril 23, 2017

[Herald Review] ‘Whisper’ is one tense drama

Recommended if you enjoy intense, serious characters, their turmoil and their schemes; the bleak depiction of Korea’s powerful lawyers and their disregard for the law.Not recommended if you seek even a modicum of comic relief or a gripping legal thriller.The SBS TV series “Whisper,” currently leading in the Monday-Tuesday night time slot, offers tension upon tension in its tale of vengeance, carried by actress Lee Bo-young as its harangued heroine.At work at Jongno Police Station, Shin Young-joo

TelevisionApril 23, 2017

Sechskies to drop 20th anniversary album

K-pop group Sechskies will be releasing an album marking the 20th anniversary of its debut Friday, the group’s agency YG Entertainment announced Saturday. “Sad Song,” one of the two main tracks of the album, was produced by rapper Tablo and YG’s producing team Future Bounce. Contrary to its name, “Sad Song” is an upbeat, rhythmical tune about not wanting to listen to any more sad songs, YG said.  A promotional image for Sechskies’ upcoming release “Sad Song” (YG Entertainment)Sechskies is curren

PerformanceApril 23, 2017