Cosmic Girls dropped from space in new music video

As befits the girl group’s name, the members of Cosmic Girls are featured dancing on an extraterrestrial planet and being dropped from space onto earth in the music video for “Secret,” the title track of the group’s second EP.　The Korean-Chinese girl group, created by Korea’s Starship Entertainment and China’s Yuehua Entertainment, held a showcase for the release of its new album Wednesday in Seoul. The group performed onstage “MoMoMo,” the title track of its 2016 debut EP “Would You Like,” “Sec

PerformanceAug. 17, 2016

A North Korean defector’s life in webtoon

Seoul (AFP) -- When North Korean defector Choi Sung-Guk decided it was time to go public with his experiences, he avoided the well-trodden “harrowing memoir” route in favor of a cartoon strip. Drawing skills and some online space provided Choi with everything he needed to reach a young Korean-speaking audience that might otherwise have little attention to spare for a 36-year-old escapee from over the border.Choi, who spent eight years making cartoons at Pyongyang’s SEK animation studio, now post

CultureAug. 17, 2016

Hong's ‘Yourself and Yours’ invited to 3 international film festivals

Director Hong Sang-soo’s latest full-length film “Yourself and Yours” has been invited to three international film festivals. The movie will be screened at the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival, the 41st Toronto International Film Festival and the 54th New York Film Festival, which are scheduled to run in September and October. Starring actors Kim Joo-hyuck and Lee You-young, the movie chronicles one man’s search for his girlfriend after a night of arguments. 　At San Sebastian Film Festival, whic

FilmAug. 17, 2016

CL to release first US single

Management agency YG Entertainment revealed the performing artist hinted at by a mysterious teaser image asking “Who’s next?” released Tuesday. 　After a lot of speculation from fans online, YG announced Wednesday that singer-songwriter and member of K-pop group 2NE1 Lee Chae-rin -- who goes by the stage name CL -- will be releasing her first US single “Lifted” on Aug. 19. Since her broadcast debut on SBS’ year-end music program “Gayo Daejeon” in 2007, she has garnered a global following, gaining

PerformanceAug. 17, 2016

‘Seonbi’ opera to perform at Carnegie Hall next month

Chosun Opera Company’s “Seonbi: The Noble and Wise Man” opera is gearing up for its New York premiere, slated to take place at Carnegie Hall next month.The upcoming performance will mark the first-ever Korean opera to be staged at the prestigious concert venue. “This opera has a genuine storyline and melody, and we are hoping that it will elevate Korean operas to an entirely new level,” said a Chosun Opera Company spokesperson. “This concert opera will showcase the best of our country’s musicali

PerformanceAug. 17, 2016

Your life is comfy compared to the hell of the North Korean border

“How I Became a North Korean”By Krys LeeViking (244 pages, $27)Forgetting the complexities of other lives is so easy these days, immersed as we are in our daily grinds, our political battles, our iPhones and our Netflix. With her devastating yet ultimately hopeful first novel, Krys Lee provides the reminder that sometimes we need a wakeup call. “How I Became a North Korean” demands that we look outside ourselves, pay attention and bear witness to the world and how it can break so many of us.In t

BooksAug. 17, 2016

Essays illuminate fears of disaster

“This Is Only a Test”By B.J. HollarsBreak Away Books (180 pages, $17)In his essay collection “This Is Only a Test,” B.J. Hollars is buffeted on one side by terrifying cataclysms and on the other by typical new-parent anxiety.These forces converge spectacularly in the opener, “Goodbye, Tuscaloosa,” where Hollars describes huddling in a bathtub with his wife and their dog as a violent EF4 tornado begins tearing apart their neighborhood. She has just learned that she is pregnant with their first ch

BooksAug. 17, 2016

The pleasures and perils of an affair in ‘Blue Bath’

“The Blue Bath”By Mary Waters-SayerSt. Martin’s Press (307 pages, $25.99)At first, “The Blue Bath” seems to be just a particularly well-written take on an old story, one often encountered in more sophisticated “chick lit” -- the pleasures and perils of an extramarital affair. Kat Lind, an American married to a very busy English businessman, is conveniently left alone at their posh London home while her husband goes on a long business trip and their little boy stays with her in-laws so she can mo

BooksAug. 17, 2016

Amber Tozer pens one of the funniest books on alcoholism you’ll ever read

"Sober Stick Figure: A Memoir”By Amber Tozer(Running Press, $24)Comedian Amber Tozer is 39 years old. She is funny, profane and drop-dead honest. A recovering alcoholic, Tozer walked away from drinking eight years ago, and now she has written a book about it.I picked up “Sober Stick Figure: A Memoir” (Running Press, $24) because alcoholism has run in my family, and because of recent news about the prevalence of binge drinking among young people.“Sober Stick Figure” might be the funniest book abo

BooksAug. 17, 2016

Schumer keeps it real in ‘Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo’

“The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo” By Amy Schumer(Gallery Books)Amy Schumer is a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, thanks to her Emmy-winning TV series, “Inside Amy Schumer,” and feature film box-office smash “Trainwreck.” A comedian, actress, writer, producer and director, Schumer is on her way to adding “best-selling author” to her list of achievements with her new book, “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.”Schumer is a talented storyteller. She’s known for standing in a spotlight

BooksAug. 17, 2016

Dine like a Joseon king at Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon era’s main royal palace, will invite visitors to dine at its royal kitchen to experience Joseon kings’ daily meal and walk around the palace at night in September. The new Starlight Tour will run twice a day at 6:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. from Sept. 1-17, inviting up to 60 people per tour.The tour will start at the royal kitchen of Sojubang where participants will be served a royal box meal, which is based on the Joseon kings’ typical meal with 12 dishes, but presented in a

CultureAug. 17, 2016

[Hallyu Power] Korean webtoons make big strides in global comics market

A young college student stranded in a rocky mountain on the outskirts of Seoul grabs a rope to go down a rugged cliff. His friend tries to stop him as the rope is not long enough, but he is too late and ends up looking at a length of rope swinging helplessly in a fierce wind. This introductory scene of the Korean comic series “Peak” might be made into a film as its provider Rolling Story signed a film production deal with a US entertainment agency in October last year. “Peak” revolves around fiv

CultureAug. 16, 2016

Big Bang partners with UNICEF

To commemorate its 10th debut anniversary, iconic K-pop group Big Bang partnered with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund for the organization’s Special Days Campaign, according to the group’s management agency YG Entertainment on Tuesday. 　“Big Bang has been doing its part in various charity campaigns to celebrate its anniversary every year,” said YG Entertainment in a press release. “This project with UNICEF is a way to show appreciation for all of the support from fans over the past

Aug. 16, 2016

Star Trek is story of ‘infinite diversity,’ cast says

Star Trek tells a story about integration and “infinite diversity” that resonates in today’s world more than ever, according to the actors of “Star Trek Beyond,” the latest installation in the science-fiction film franchise set for local release Thursday.Cast members Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin discussed the film’s core values at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. “It’s a franchise with all the hallmarks of a summer blockbuster but also has a lot of heart,

FilmAug. 16, 2016

K-pop concepts: From supernatural to schoolgirl

Glittering costumes and colorful streaks of hair have become the trademark of K-pop singers, who are now known as much for their flashy visuals as for their hypnotic music. In the hypercompetitive world of K-pop, recent releases have been toying with niche concepts in an effort to stand out from the increasingly crowded market.Boy band VIXX chose to take the supernatural horror route for its single “Fantasy” from the group’s fourth album “Hades” released last Friday. The song’s music video featu

PerformanceAug. 16, 2016

Broadway’s best to light up Coney Island at Elsie Fest

The famous Coney Island boardwalk will host some special hot dogs with a Broadway flavor this fall. The second annual Elsie Fest, a one-day outdoor music festival celebrating theater stars, is set for Sept. 5 at the 5,000-seat Ford Amphitheater, offering a new location and a new slate of singers.This year’s performers include Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Darren Criss, Evan Rachel Wood, composer Jason Robert Brown, Tony-winner Lena Hall, Corey Cott, Tony-winner Cynthia Erivo, radio host Julie Jam

PerformanceAug. 16, 2016