[Herald Review] Changgeuk version of ‘Merchants of Venice’ balances East, West

For those unfamiliar with Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and the genre of Changgeuk, the combination of the two might not sound so appealing. After watching such an attempt, "The Merchants of Venice" by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, one might change their mind. Changgeuk is akin to a Korean version of opera. It derives from pansori, Korea's traditional narrative singing form that is registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Chang&r

June 20, 2023

KBS employees demand CEO’s resignation amid fee collection controversy

More than 1,000 KBS employees on Tuesday have demanded the resignation of CEO Kim Eui-cheol and the board of directors. The call for change comes as the broadcaster is expected to face a severe financial crisis when a relevant enforcement ordinance is amended for a separate collection of TV license fees. In a statement released Tuesday, the Joint Committee for KBS Employees and Broadcasters for the New KBS said they collected signatures from 1,080 employees calling for the resignation of Kim and

June 20, 2023

[Today's K-pop] Le Sserafim to release single in Japan

Le Sserafim will roll out second single in Japan “Unforgiven” on Aug. 23, agency Source Music said Tuesday. It will consist of three tracks: the title track, featuring Nile Rodgers, which also fronted its first studio album that was released last month; a Japanese-language version of “Antifragile,” the lead track from its second EP from October; and a collaboration with a Japanese artist. Its first LP topped a number of music charts in Japan including Oricon’s week

June 20, 2023

KOFIC eyes ASEAN cooperation to develop Asian cinema

The Korean Film Council emphasized the significance of Korea-ASEAN cooperation in the film industry, while promising to restructure itself to better support and promote Korean films as a state-funded entity. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism openly lambasted KOFIC on June 15 over its lax management, particularly the organization’s mishandled budget of 2.4 billion won ($1.86 million) over the last five years which was aimed at creating the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Film Organizati

June 20, 2023

Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah overcome fear of water for ‘Smugglers’

The hit filmmaker who helmed “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape From Mogadishu” (2021) returns with the star-studded female-led action film “Smugglers.” Set in a peaceful seaside village in the 1970s, the crime action film revolves around an accident in front of “haenyeo,” female divers who collect seafood from the ocean floor. Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Kim Jong-soo and Go Min-si star in the film. Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ha

June 20, 2023

‘Fusion Korean Music Night’ set to perform in Japan

South Korean world music group Gongmyoung is set to perform “Fusion Korean Music Night” in the Japanese cities of Shimonoseki, Sendai and Niigata on June 23, 26 and 28, respectively. The touring show is co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Consulates General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima, Sendai and Niigata. Since its debut in 1997, Gongmyoung, which translates to “resonance” in Korean, has been introducing a new genre of Korean music, infusing traditional me

June 20, 2023

Tempest to hold 1st concert in August

K-pop boy band Tempest will hold its first-ever concert this summer, according to Yue Hua Entertainment. The concert, “2023 Tempest Show Con (T-OUR) in Seoul,” will be held at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul on Aug. 12-13. Tempest announced the concert Monday via a video clip in which the members showed their enthusiasm over holding a concert filled only with their performances. “This is the moment that we have dreamed of. We are so excited and overwhelmed. Please lo

June 20, 2023

NMIXX to return with new single “A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream” next month

K-pop girl group NMIXX is releasing a new single, “A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream,” on July 11. This comeback comes four months after the group dropped its first mini album, “expergo,” in March. JYP Entertainment announced the comeback by dropping a teaser image of NMIXX’s third single on Tuesday. The teaser image shows a mystic forest with floating bubbles which augments the curiosity over the new concept the girls will present this time. The six-member unit, whic

June 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] Violinist Randall Goosby plays ways to more inclusive classical music scene

American violinist Randall Goosby had a profound revelation at the age of 14: Composers could be Black. That was seven years after he had started playing the violin. Goosby, the son of an African American father and a mother who is a third-generation Korean who grew up in Japan, was troubled by the realization, which only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was a lot of attention on the divide between races in America and I think in classical music that divide is as clear as i

June 20, 2023

[Herald Review] Bruno Mars brings magic to sold-out crowd in Seoul with finesse

Every moment in Hawaiian-born superstar Bruno Mars' performance in Seoul was delicate and romantic -- and it was his unmatchable finesse that made it all seem so easy. The iconic “Uptown Funk” singer Bruno Mars, born Peter Hernandez, visited Korea for the first time in nine years for a two-day sold-out concert series at Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium from Saturday to Sunday. The shows were part of the 27th edition of Hyundai Card’s annual cultural project “Super Concert

June 20, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Baekhyun addresses fans after patching up with label

Baekhyun of EXO thanked and apologized to fans Monday over trouble with label SM Entertainment. Through a statement released through the firm, the veteran idol, along with Chen and Xiumin, reassured fans that they have reached an agreement over their contracts. Earlier this month, the three members voiced their discontent over the fairness of their contracts. “Thank you for believing and sorry for making it hard for you,” wrote Baekhyun via a platform dedicated to communications wit

June 19, 2023

‘Lies Hidden in My Garden’ promises chilling suspense to beat summer heat

Cable channel Genie TV will kick off the summer with its highly anticipated eight-part suspense thriller series “Lies Hidden in My Garden.” Director Jung Ji-hyun and the star-studded cast did not hide their excitement for the series during a press conference at Stanford Hotel Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul on Monday. “Our drama does not have a lot of sensational, shocking scenes to surprise and thrill viewers like many existing thriller projects. However, our show has a mysterious aur

June 19, 2023

Dream Concert kicks off smoothly in Japan

Dream Concert, a major K-pop concert, made its historic debut in Japan on Sunday. Officially titled "2023 Dream Concert in Japan," the event took place in Japan's Saitama Super Arena, a stadium located on the outskirts of Tokyo, with some 30,000 fans attending in person. Fourteen acts, including Dream Catcher, Xia, Kim Jae-joong and AB6IX, performed that day. The full list includes Korean artists Kingdom, Class:y, Ily:1, Aimers and Hi-Fi Un!corn and Japanese artists JO1, INI, DXTe

June 19, 2023

NewJeans to drop new album 'Get Up' on July 21

NewJeans will make a comeback on July 21 with the new album "Get Up," the group's agency Ador announced Monday. The album will be comprised of six songs -- three title songs "Super Shy," "ETA" and "Cool With You," the prologue track "New Jeans," interlude track "Get up" and epilogue track "ASAP." Two tracks, "Super Shy" and "New Jeans," will be released on July 7 ahead of the album. The six songs will

June 19, 2023

Itzy to drop new album, 3 music videos in July

Girl group Itzy will herald an epic comeback with a new mini album to be released on July 31, JYP Entertainment said Monday. The album will be a six-track collection consisting of the title song "Cake" and five other songs, "Bet On Me," "None of My Business," Bratty," "Psychic Lover" and "Kill Shot." With the album, Itzy is rolling out three official music videos, each for "Cake," "Bet On Me" and "None of My Business

June 19, 2023

[New on the Scene] Lee Shin-young does not want to be defined in acting

Actor Lee Shin-young, who appeared as third-year medical resident Dong-hwa in the third season of the SBS hit drama “Dr. Romantic” that just finished last week, has kept himself busy in the first half of this year. In the sports comedy film “Rebound,” which opened in local theaters on April 5, the 25-year-old played a high school basketball genius who leads the underdog team as they approach the final round in the national competition league. “I don’t really s

June 19, 2023

Dynamic Duo to release digital single prior to 10th studio album drop

Hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo is preparing to drop its first new studio album in four years, later this year. Prior to what will be the duo’s 10th studio album, Dynamic Duo will first release digital single “2 Kids on the Block - Part 1” on Friday. Amoeba Culture, which houses the hip-hop duo, unveiled a teaser image for the upcoming album showing the artists surrounded by musical production equipment and previous albums. Dynamic Duo’s 10th studio album is expected to carry the

June 19, 2023

Treasure’s first unit T5 to debut with single “Move”

So Junghwan, Doyoung, Jihoon, Yoon Jaehyuk and Junkyu of Treasure are dropping a single called “Move” as a new unit called T5 in July. YG Entertainment unveiled Monday a credit poster for the upcoming single which shows that Junkyu took part in composing and writing the lyrics to “Move.” This is the first time since his debut that Junkyu has taken part in producing a track. “The single ‘Move’ will be a fresh and new type of song never done by Treasure be

June 19, 2023

South Korea's Hong Seok-young nabs top prize at junior edition of Cliburn Piano Competition

South Korean teen pianist Hong Seok-young became the winner of the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival that ended Saturday in Dallas, Texas. For the final round that took place on Saturday, the 15-year-old performed Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43.” Hong also took home the Audience Award. The third edition of the junior competition designed for pianists age 13 to 17 took place from June 8 to Saturday, with 37 pianists out of 248

June 19, 2023

[Graphic News] Following BTS’ footsteps in Seoul

K-pop boy band BTS is in the midst of two weeks of events for “2023 BTS Festa” at various venues in Seoul until next Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary since its debut. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation have rolled out the “Seoul BTS Tour Map - Map of the SEOUL,” featuring 13 important locations the iconic group has visited along with filming locations for web series “Run BTS.” The map will be available at six Seoul Tourism In

June 19, 2023