Singer Tim grateful for ‘New Beginnings’

It’s been quite a while since Korean fans last heard from K-pop singer Tim. After a hiatus of three years, Tim recently got back to the K-pop scene with his fifth album “New Beginnings.” It is his first album with Sony Music Entertainment Korea.The biggest change occurred inside his heart. He said he became more mature and serious in the search for “his” music, after realizing that he was born to

Jan. 20, 2011

KARA member Gu Ha-ra withdraws contract termination

Gu Ha-ra, a member of five-member girl group KARA, said she will remain with her agency DSP Media, withdrawing from the earlier announcement that the group will terminate their exclusive contract with the agency.Four members of KARA, excluding the band’s leader, earlier on Wednesday made the announcement through a legal firm. Girl group KARA receives a commendation from the Culture Ministry for pr

Jan. 19, 2011

Nine Korean films invited to Berlin International Film Festival

 A total of nine Korean films, including “Night Fishing,” a short film by director Park Chan-wook shot entirely with an iPhone, and “Love, or Not,” a feature-length film starring Hyun-Bin and Im Soo-jeong, have been invited to next month’s Berlin International Film Festival.Of the nine, three films have been invited to the competition section: “Night Fishing,” “Love, or Not,” and “Broken Night.”Pa

Jan. 19, 2011

‘Green Hornet’ director: 3-D hype will fade

Gondry prefers to use computer-generated images to enhance the narrativeJames Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar” may be seen as legendary by many, but for French director Michel Gondry, director of the newly-released superhero flick “The Green Hornet,” the 3-D technology of “Avatar” just does not appeal.“I personally don’t like using CGI technology when shooting the characters’ faces,” Gondry told repor

Jan. 19, 2011

Family’s podcast challenges Hollywood hitters on iTunes

MINNEAPOLIS ― A Plymouth, Minnesota, family with a recording studio in their basement is giving entertainment giants Nickelodeon, Universal Studios and Radio Disney serious competition for iTunes listeners.“Kid Friday,” a weekly podcast by Dave Swerdlick and his daughters, Hannah, 12, and Zoe, “almost 10,” consistently makes the top-10 list in iTunes’ Kids & Family section.“Because you are a kid i

Jan. 19, 2011

New pan-Asian girl group gearing up for global launch

The results are in. After a six-week training-and-elimination process, “Project Lotus” ― the pan-Asian girl group enterprise that kicked off last summer ― has whittled contestants down to the final five. A mere three to four months remain till the world meets Blush ― the appropriately girly moniker of the upcoming quintet of singing-and-dancing talent hailing from the Philippines, China, India, Ja

Jan. 19, 2011

Can Max’s acting break TVXQ losing streak?

When TVXQ member Max makes his major acting debut in SBS’ new series, “Paradise Ranch,” on Jan. 24, the public will most likely wonder whether or not he will be able to break the losing streak of fellow TVXQ member U-Know’s and member-gone-independent Park Yoo-chun’s respective television series debuts. U-Know made his small screen debut in MBC’s “No Limit” in 2009, a series that brought in abysma

Jan. 18, 2011

Shin returns home to face police probe

Troubled TV celebrity Shin Jung-hwan who is accused of illegal gambling abroad, is expected to return to Korea on Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Tuesday that 36-year-old Shin will arrive at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday morning and head to the police agency for investigation.  Shin Jung-hwanThe singer-turned-TV personality is accused of playing Baccarat at W

Jan. 18, 2011

Choreographer to bring out mysticism in ‘Giselle’

French choreographer Patrice Bart said Tuesday he would help the Korea National Ballet Company reproduce the 19th century French classical ballet “Giselle” next month in Seoul.“There have been different versions of ‘Giselle’ performed in the U.K. and Russia since late 19th century. But I think it is important to stage the original version of the 19th century French classical ballet,” Bart, first b

Jan. 18, 2011

Shin Jung-hwan returns Wednesday

TV celebrity Shin Jung-hwan, 36, who is accused of gambling abroad, is expected to return to Korea on Wednesday. Shin Jung-hwan (Yonhap News)By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldm.com)<한글 기사> 신정환, 내일 입국.. 곧장 경찰조사 필리핀에서 원정 도박을 한 혐의를 받고 있는 방송인 신정환(36)이 19일 입국한다.18일 경찰은 신씨가 19일 오전 인천공항을 통해 입국할 예정이라고 밝혔다. 신씨는 곧장 서울경찰청에서 조사를 받는다.신씨는 지난해 8월 필리핀 세부 W호텔 카지노에서 억대 바카라 도박을 한 의혹이 제기된 뒤 입국을 미룬 채 마카오와 네팔 등에 머물다 한 시

Jan. 18, 2011

Kidman, Urban have 2nd child through surrogate

NASHVILLE, Tennessee _ Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have added a second daughter to their family, born through a surrogate mother.The couple announced Monday the arrival of Faith Margaret Kidman Urban, born on Dec. 28 at a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital. Nicole Kidman arrives with her husband Keith Urban for the Golden Globe Awards Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP-Yonhap News0K

Jan. 18, 2011

Scarlett Johansson’s sexy new ad for Moet & Chandon champagne

(captured from Youtube)Glamorous star Scarlett Johansson has appeared in a new ad for world-famous champagne makers Moët & Chandon. The "Lost in Translation" star posed for photos in a strapless, blue gown holding a bottle of a champagne. The pictures were taken by British photographer Tim Walker at Trianon in Epernay, North East of Paris.Moët & Chandon President and CEO, Daniel Lalonde told the D

Jan. 18, 2011

Beatles museum opens in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ― A brick from The Cavern Club, a check for 11 pounds signed by Ringo Starr, an “authentic” Beatles wig. These and thousands of other objects related to the “Fab Four” are luring Beatles fans to a new museum in Buenos Aires.The museum is the product of the particular “Beatlemania” obsession of Rodolfo Vazquez, a 53-year-old accountant who became a fan at the age of 10

Jan. 17, 2011

Schenck painting disappears from National Museum

The police said Monday that it is searching for a painting which allegedly disappeared from a storage room in the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The request for the investigation came from Yoo Chong-ha, the South Korean Red Cross President and former foreign minister, who is looking for his oil painting by Albert Schenck, a Dutch artist, according to the Seoul

Jan. 17, 2011

Gong Li, Tang Wei set to visit Korea

Prominent Chinese-born actresses Gong Li and Tang Wei are to visit Korea in promotion of their upcoming films.Gong, who last year finished shooting her latest film “Shanghai,” a mystery thriller co-starring American actor John Cusack, will make her very first visit to Seoul on Jan. 23. Chinese-born actress Gong Li’s latest film is “Shanghai,” a mystery-thriller co-starring John Cusack and Chow Yun

Jan. 17, 2011

Golden Globes to launch Hollywood awards season

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Hollywood’s annual awards season kicks off Sunday as stars and filmmakers gather for the Golden Globes, with British historical drama “The King’s Speech” hoping for a boost toward Oscars glory.Starring Colin Firth as the stuttering King George VI, the movie is nominated in seven categories at the Globes, seen as a key pointer to who will win prizes at the Academy Awards next mo

Jan. 16, 2011

KT supports online French film festival

Cinephiles in Korea now have a novel way of enjoying a film festival in a novel way ― completely paperless and online.“The objective of the MyFrenchFilmFestival.com is to take fully into account the evolution of cultural consumption and to reach a new audience for French cinema abroad,” said Audiovisual Attach at the French Embassy Daniel Kapelian.Film lovers anywhere in the world will be able to

Jan. 16, 2011