The Korea Herald

Court rules against new BIFF advisory committee members

Responding to the Busan District Court‘s ruling against the validity of the appointment of new members to the Busan International Film Festival’s advisory committee on Monday, officials from BIFF expressed regret at the court‘s decision, saying it would pose “serious problems” to the preparations for the festival, set to be held this October.　The Busan Metropolitan Government on March 14 filed an injunction against the appointment of 68 new members to BIFF’s advisory committee -- undertaken by t

FilmApril 11, 2016

U Sung-eun and Kisum release collaboration song

R&B singer U Sung-eun and rapper Kisum released their collaboration song “Jealousy” on Monday.　Singer U won second prize on season one of Mnet music competition show “Voice of Korea,” which aired in 2012. She made her debut with “Be OK” in 2013. Since then, she has gained recognition through TV drama sound tracks and digital singles. Stills from U Sung-eun and Kisum’s “Jealousy” music video (The Music Works)　The new song “Jealousy” features an uplifting hip-hop beat. 　The music video for the so

PerformanceApril 11, 2016

U Sung-eun and Kisum release collaboration song

Kanye makes history with streaming-majority number one

NEW YORK (AFP) - Rapper Kanye West made history on Sunday as the creator of the first album to reach number one in the United States mostly through streaming.　The feat is the latest turn in a highly unusual release for the album “The Life of Pablo,” which the brash rap star debuted at a fashion show at New York’s Madison Square Garden and initially distributed only through the Tidal streaming service.　But the album earlier this month became available on rival sites such as Spotify, bringing in s

PerformanceApril 11, 2016

'The Force Awakens' wins top honors at MTV Movie Awards

BURBANK, California (AP) –- “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” took the top prize at the 25th annual MTV Movie Awards.　The audience at Warner Bros. Studios waved what looked like red and blue light sabers as star Daisy Ridley and director J.J. Abrams accepted the final golden popcorn trophy at Saturday night's ceremony.　The prize capped off the irreverent awards show, which presents fan-voted film awards and touts upcoming releases. Writer-director J.J. Abrams and actress Daisy Ridley accept the Mo

FilmApril 11, 2016

'The Force Awakens' wins top honors at MTV Movie Awards

Avant-garde photography that breaks stereotypes

Society’s minorities are the focus of an exhibition of avant-garde photographs currently running at the Seoul Museum of Art. 　The show presents some 200 photographs by big names in modern and contemporary photography who put into practice French thinker Roland Barthes’ theory on photography. This includes Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Cindy Sherman, Sophie Calle and Christian Boltanski. Untitled No. 67 (Cindy Sherman & Metro Pictures)　Titled “The Family of the Invisible,”

PerformanceApril 11, 2016

Avant-garde photography that breaks stereotypes

Choi Soo-young of Girls' Generation to appear on 'Perfect Sense'

Choi Soo-young, a member of the popular K-pop girl group "Girls' Generation," has been cast in a KBS TV soap opera aimed at improving the perception of physical disabilities, the network said on Monday.The terrestrial network said the 26-year-old singer will appear in "Perfect Sense," a one-off special show produced to enhance the general public's understanding of the challenges and social prejudice faced by handicapped people."Perfect Sense" is the 8th in an annual series of co-produced TV dram

April 11, 2016

Actress Go Ara tapped as face of Korea's Air Force

Go Ara, the leading actress in the sensational nostalgic drama "Reply 1994," will represent South Korea's Air Force as its latest honorary ambassador, the Air Force said Monday.The 26-year-old actress will serve as the face of the Air Force over the next year, appearing on promotional Air Force publications and attending key public events.Go is the daughter of a career service member, who served for nearly 30 years with the Air Force, and her appointment reflected this background, the Air Force

April 11, 2016

Visitors flock to Korean booth at LA book festival

Visitors continued to drop by the Korean booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday, many of them younger people attracted to Korean culture amid "hallyu," or the worldwide popularity of Korean pop music and TV dramas.The annual book fair, which is in its 21st year, opened Saturday for a two-day run on the University of Southern California campus. About 300 publishing firms are participating in the event, with some 150,000 people expected to visit.On display at the Korean booth s

April 11, 2016

Wild tiger population on rise

After years of concerted efforts by the international community, the number of wild tigers has increased to 3,890 last year from the 2010 estimate of 3,200, World Wildlife Fund said Monday.The figure compiled by International Union for Conservation of Nature can be attributed to multiple factors including an increase in tiger population in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan, and enhanced protection of the endangered animal in countries. (Wild Tiger, India © Joseph Vattakaven / WWF)“For the first ti

TechnologyApril 11, 2016

‘Three Musketeers’ returns to local stage with younger cast

Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers,” the musical rendition of the classic tale is returning to the Seoul stage. The story revolves around the adventures of D’Artagnan in his quest to become part of the elite three musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis -- in the backdrop of early 17th century France.The original Broadway production first opened in 1928 to rave reviews. “The Three Musketeers” musical finally made its local debut in 2009, where it ranked No. 1 in performance ti

PerformanceApril 10, 2016

‘Three Musketeers’ returns to local stage with younger cast

LTI Korea Translation Academy recruits new students

The Literature Translation Institute Korea’s Translation Academy is recruiting new students for its 2016 semester, which begins this September.The academy offers two-year courses in the translation of Korean literary and cultural texts into English, French, German, Spanish and Russian. The programs feature comprehensive and in-depth training in literary translation, comprising some 9 to 15 hours of classes per week, as well as excursions that provide insight into Korean culture and history, talk

CultureApril 10, 2016

LTI Korea Translation Academy recruits new students

[Eye interview] Scholar warns Korean youth to avoid passivity

How does an “outsider” become an “insider?” 　By building a house, a palpable demonstration of the determination to belong, discovered Robert J. Fouser, a columnist for The Korea Herald and former Seoul National University associate professor of Korean language education.　Fouser, who made local headlines when he became the first foreign Seoul National University tenure-track professor to teach Korean language education in 2008, was in the limelight again after he bought and renovated an old hanok

CultureApril 8, 2016

[Eye interview] Scholar warns Korean youth to avoid passivity

'Descendants of the Sun' searched over 10 bln times on Weibo

South Korean TV series "Descendants of the Sun" has topped 10 billion in the accumulated number of searches for the show on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.As of Friday morning, the drama depicting a romance between a soldier (Song Joong-ki) and a doctor (Song Hye-kyo) in a fictional war-torn country in the Mediterranean has been searched 10.3 billion times, the largest, on Weibo.But the buzz among Chinese fans in regards to the show has cooled recently.The drama recently was rated 8.1

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

Psy to appear at China Music Awards

South Korean pop star Psy has been invited to China's major music awards show that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, an entertainment source said Friday. Psy, 39, is on the 2016 China Music Awards roster, along with K-pop idol bands that include VIXX, iKON and KNK, and Chinese pop stars Wang Lihong and Lin Junjie, the source said on the condition of anonymity.Launched in 1994, the awards program recognizes talented singers throughout Asia.2015 was a fruitful year for Psy, who actively e

April 8, 2016

'KBS Documentary' section to open on Chinese portal sites

South Korea's territorial network KBS will have its own section to show documentaries on Chinese video streaming sites, the station said on Friday.According to the network, it opened "KBS Documentary Zone" on China's major new media platforms including the video website iQiyi, in cooperation with LIC China, the country's largest producer and importer of documentaries. The section comprised of 24 Chinese-subtitled KBS documentaries such as "Korean Geographic," "Rain and Life," and "Colors, Four D

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

Park Hae-jin donates to charity

Actor Park Hae-jin will donate the earnings from his fan meeting to Shanghai Baby’s Home, public relations firm HNS HQ announced Friday.　Shanghai Baby’s Home is a private charity that helps orphans with health problems to recover and prepare for adoption, explained the PR company.　Park will donate the entire amount earned from Chinese website Youku, which will exclusively show the actor’s fan meeting in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his debut. Actor Park Hae-jin (WM Company)　Park has l

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

Actress Ku Hye-sun to wed next month

Actress Ku Hye-sun, 31, and actor Ahn Jae-hyeon, 28, have announced they will get married on May 21.　“We have decided to spend the rest of our lives together as partners,” the couple announced in a joint statement released by Ku and Ahn’s agencies YG Entertainment and HB Entertainment, respectively, on Friday.　“We are learning from each other what it means to ‘live for another person’ during our time together, and wish to continue to respect each other’s values,” the statement added. Actress Ku

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

‘American Idol’ crowns 15th and final winner as TV show ends

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The first "American Idol" finale in 2002 was a battle of the sexes, with Kelly Clarkson the victor over Justin Guarini. The last contest settled the score as Trent Harmon defeated La'Porsha Renae for the crown.　Harmon tumbled to the stage in surprise as host Ryan Seacrest announced him as the 15th and final winner of "American Idol," which ended its remarkable run Thursday."I know that I have a God-given ability, but I didn’t want to take it for granted. I wanted to work so,

TelevisionApril 8, 2016

‘American Idol’ crowns 15th and final winner as TV show ends

Super Junior Choi Si-won's fans donate wells to Myanmar and Cambodia

Fans of Choi Si-won from K-pop boy band Super Junior have made donations to build wells in Myanmar and Cambodia, a nonprofit organization said Friday.The Seoul-based Worldshare said, with the donations, a well will be dug in Myanmar and another one in Cambodia to commemorate the singer's 31st birthday.The fan clubs from 11 countries, including China, Japan, Mexico and Egypt, donated the money in the name of "A Well of Love."The association of the fan clubs said they wanted to do something meanin

April 8, 2016

First ‘Rogue One’ trailer excites ‘Star Wars’ fans

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- It is unlikely to make as big a splash as “The Force Awakens” but the first trailer for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” has at least caused a ripple in the Force.　The 100-second teaser released Thursday led to a frenzy of speculation over the similarity between female lead Felicity Jones, who plays the titular rogue, and “Awakens” heroine Rey, portrayed by Daisy Ridley.　People have been trying to work out Rey’s place in the “Star Wars” family tree since December -- with fans

FilmApril 8, 2016