Omega X to return with 3rd EP ‘iykyk’ next month

K-pop boy group Omega X is making a comeback after a year and five months, according to IPQ Entertainment. Omega X is dropping its third EP “iykyk (if you know, you know)” on Nov. 7. The agency dropped a teaser poster of the group’s upcoming album in which the title of the album is written in white bubble letters on white paper. Omega X has been showing remarkable growth since the release of its first LP “Story Written in Music” in June last year. The album topped i

Oct. 18, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director Lee Chung-hyeon has many more female narratives to convey

Director Lee Chung-hyeon, who rapidly rose to stardom when his feature film debut “The Call” was released on Netflix in 2020, returned with “Ballerina” on the same platform on Oct. 5. With another female-led story starring his girlfriend and actor Jun Jong-seo, Lee said that women have always been at the center of his storytelling. “I made short films since I was in high school and women have always been at the core, leading the storyline. For me, when I think of a

Oct. 18, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] TXT tops Oricon chart with 3rd LP, sets record

Tomorrow X Together’s third studio album hit Oricon’s weekly album ranking at the top, according to the latest chart published on Tuesday. LP “The Name Chapter: Freefall,” released on Friday, topped the weekly chart in only three days, after debuting atop its daily album ranking. The band is the only artist to place three albums atop the weekly albums chart, said Oricon. The quintet’s fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation,” and second LP in Japan, &ld

Oct. 17, 2023

Singer-songwriter Sunmi: 'My music is an exhibition of myself'

Solo singer Sunmi's music is definitely one-of-a-kind, so much so that it has earned itself the name "Sunmi-pop" from the public. A decade into walking her own path, Sunmi says she now has nothing new to show with her music. Instead of bringing "new" to the stage, she hopes to deliver music that reflects her true self. The latest of such efforts is visible in her new single, "Stranger." Sunmi returned to the music scene for the first time in a year and four m

Oct. 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] Netflix's ‘Devil’s Plan’ expands realm of survival game shows

“Devil’s Plan,” a Netflix Korea survival game show that premiered on Sept. 26, became a global hit soon after its release. The 12-episode show became the most-watched show in Korea as well as ranked third in the global top 10 non-English TV show list on Netflix. Twelve contestants with different occupations, including a lawyer, actor, doctor, YouTube creators, Go player and university student, face off in games of intelligence, wit and strategy. “It was kind of stressful

Oct. 17, 2023

GOT7’s Youngjae to release 1st solo LP “Do It” next month

Youngjae of the K-pop boy group GOT7 is returning to the music scene with his first solo full-length album on Nov. 6. His agency, Sublime, dropped a teaser poster for Youngjae’s upcoming first LP, “Do It,” on Thursday, announcing his comeback. The teaser poster shows an American football helmet lying on grassland with the title of the album, “Do It,” standing out in red letters. Youngjae began his journey as a solo artist in October 2021 with his first mini album &l

Oct. 17, 2023

CGV, tvN Sports to screen Bundesliga’s first ‘Korean derby’

Cable channel tvN Sports and South Korean cinema operator CJ CGV announced the livestreaming of an upcoming Bundesliga match between FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munchen at CGV Gangnam in southern Seoul on Sunday. The game is dubbed a “Korean derby” here as Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung of Mainz plays against defender Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munchen for the first time this year. While Bayern Munchen vies for the top slot with Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and VfB Sttuttgart with a

Oct. 17, 2023

Cast of ‘Norma’ says opera difficult to sing but easy to enjoy

Director Alex Olle's production of “Norma,” which premiered to open the 2016 season at the Royal Opera House in London, is set to be staged at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 26-29. “I am happy to conduct one of the true masterpieces of Italian operas. Bellini’s (composition) is very demanding technically. ... It is a difficult piece to cast. Without exceptional singers, it's better not to perform," said conductor Roberto Abbado during a press conference Mo

Oct. 16, 2023

Welcome Daehakro Festival lights up Seoul's stage hub

Seoul's Daehangno district was brimming with visitors on Sunday for the opening of "2023 Welcome Daehakro," the largest domestic performance tourism festival in the country. The festivities began with a vibrant opening show on the main street, which was closed to traffic for the event. The opening show featured a festive parade of performances from musicals, dance, taekwondo demonstrations and marching bands. As part of the festival, fringe performances will continue throughout Oc

Oct. 16, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NCT127 to tour from November

NCT127 will kick off its third international tour with concerts in Seoul next month, label SM Entertainment announced Monday. The nonet will go live six times, from Nov. 17-19 and Nov. 24-26, under the title “Neo City: Seoul – The Unity.” Details for the upcoming tour are yet to be announced, but its last tour, “Neo City: The Link,” brought the band to 17 cities for 28 concerts that drew about 700,000 concertgoers. The NCT subunit released fifth studio album &ldquo

Oct. 16, 2023

Unwind with Korea food, lifestyle docs on Netflix

For those looking for a change of pace from Netflix's action-packed Korean originals, the streaming platform offers a range of Korean food, travel and lifestyle documentaries that are perfect for relaxing and learning something new. “Rhapsody” (2020-2021) and “A Nation” (2022-2023) by ELTV are two such documentary series that are available for viewing on Netflix. “Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody,” the first project to open the six-part “Rhapsody”

Oct. 16, 2023

[New on the Scene] Hong Xa-bin sees hope through ‘Hopeless’

In rookie director Kim Chang-hoon’s feature debut film “Hopeless” which opened in theaters last week, Hong Xa-bin plays Yeon-kyu, an 18-year-old high school student who lives with an abusive stepfather and an enervated mother. He is even asked to leave the Chinese restaurant where he works part time. Then, he meets Chi-gun (Song Joong-ki), the right-hand man of a gang boss, who seems to be a haven for Yeon-kyu. Before "Hopeless," which was invited to the Cannes Film F

Oct. 16, 2023

'Scent of Ink' to be performed at Kennedy Center in Washington

The National Dance Company of Korea is set to perform “Scent of Ink” at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater in Washington on Wednesday as part of its tour in North America, which kicked off on Oct. 10 in Ottawa, Ontario. Directed by Jung Ku-ho and choreographed by Yun Sung-joo, the dance performance has been praised for its meticulous mise-en-scene. The stage and choreography for "Scent of Ink" highlights the beauty of traditional Korean dance through strong yet e

Oct. 16, 2023

Enhypen announces Nov. 17 comeback with 'Orange Blood'

Boy band Enhypen is returning with a new album in November. Belift Lab on Monday announced the group would drop its fifth EP "Orange Blood" on Nov. 17, its first release since "Dark Blood" in May. Ahead of the official announcement, the company uploaded a trailer for the upcoming album on the band's social media. "You and I are connected through 'Blood,'" reads a message on the video, hinting the next album will continue the blood-themed story that be

Oct. 16, 2023

[Herald Review] Lim Hyunsik takes fans for a musical dive into ocean

Sounds of waves hitting the shores of a beach rippled through the dark blue-colored venue in which Lim Hyunsik kicked off his three-day solo concert “Dive Into You" on Friday night in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Lim Hyunsik’s solo concert, held in Seoul from Friday to Sunday, kicked off with the placid instrumental sounds of a live band accompanied by the sound of waves in the background. Then the artist appeared on a lift, playing his guitar. He began with his digital single “Swim

Oct. 16, 2023

BTS Jungkook's star-studded lineup for 'Golden' to include Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and more

Jungkook of K-pop sensation BTS has brought together some global names for his upcoming solo album, "Golden." Big Hit Music on Monday released the full track and producers list for Jungkook's first solo album, which is set for release Nov. 3. The album's main song, "Standing Next to You," is listed as the collection's fourth track. American singer-songwriter Andrew Watt and Canadian record producer Cirkut teamed up once again as producers for the song, followin

Oct. 16, 2023

TXT shatters records, tops charts with 3rd LP

Tomorrow X Together is setting new records worldwide with its latest release, "The Name Chapter: Freefall." The band's agency, Big Hit Music, on Sunday announced the album, which came out on Friday, sold 225,184 copies in Japan on its first day and debuted atop Oricon's daily album ranking. It surpassed the band's previous first-day sales record there of 184,971 copies of its fifth EP, "The Name Chapter: Temptation," in January. The LP also made a splash on Spo

Oct. 15, 2023

BTS' V joined by Jimin in solo fan meeting 'Vicnic'

BTS' V on Saturday made unforgettable memories with fans at his solo fan meeting, "Vicnic." Some 1,400 fans went to the event, which was held at an outdoors theater in the Kyung Hee University Global Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the singer's agency Big Hit Music said Sunday. A special picnic planned by V for his fans, the 120-minute meet-and-greet comes around a month since he made his official solo debut with the EP "Layover." V began with a promise to make

Oct. 15, 2023

Blackpink's Jennie makes solo debut on Official UK Singles Chart

Jennie of Blackpink debuted on UK's biggest singles chart with "You & Me." According to the latest chart data released on Friday, Jennie's solo song "You & Me" logged at No. 39 on the Official Singles Chart Top 40. This marked Jennie's first solo appearance on the UK song chart. The singer's agency YG Entertainment said on Saturday that, with Jennie's feat, Blackpink has become the first K-pop female group whose members have all placed their s

Oct. 14, 2023

28th BIFF comes to an end

The 28th Busan International Film Festival came to an end Friday, completing its 10 day-run. The event saw some 140,000 moviegoers visit the port city to watch 209 films from 70 countries. The closing ceremony for this year’s BIFF, hosted by actors Go Min-si and Hong Kyung, was held at the Busan Cinema Center. As part of the ceremony, the festival bestowed "The Wrestler” by Iqbal H. Chowdhury and “September 1923” by Mori Tatsuya with the New Currents award -- an awar

Oct. 13, 2023