[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to return in May: report

Enhypen is set to make a comeback in May, according to a local media report on Wednesday. Its last album, the group's third EP “Manifesto: Day 1,” hit the Billboard 200 at No. 6. It stayed on the chart for six weeks in a row before reentering it twice, in October and December. The mini album and its first studio album “Dimension: Dilemma” from 2021 each sold one million copies. The boy band hosted its first international tour last year holding 22 concerts in 12 cities. I

April 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Nothing fazes Byun Joong-hee, who began acting at 64

For Byun Joong-hee, who taught science at a Seoul boys’ middle school for 39 years, November is an especially nostalgic time. It was when her teachers’ drama troupe would put on its annual performance. “I began acting by joining a small group of teachers who performed in plays for fun. But after my first performance, my lips were dry and I felt like my mouth was full of sand, even after drinking water. I came back home and the thought came to me while doing the dishes -- I ne

April 12, 2023

Joo Won excited to star in antihero drama 'Stealer: The Treasure Keeper'

Actor Joo Won is returning to the small screen for the first time in three years with action-packed comic series “Stealer: The Treasure Keeper.” The 12-part action drama revolves around Hwang Dae-myung, who lives his life as a Cultural Heritage Administration official during the day and becomes a cultural artifact thief named Skunk at night. Aware that Skunk steals illegally owned national treasures, the members of Team Karma -- an unofficial heritage repatriation team -- approach Da

April 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Grass hopes to continue sharing her travel experiences through music

Singer-songwriter Grass started making songs when traveling because she wanted her music to be like a memory box that she can look into whenever she wants to bring back the experiences she had while traveling. “When I travel, I get a lot of ideas from the people that I meet. I write down the stories of these people, and I also write down the feelings and moments I want to remember. Then I look back at those notes and that’s when I have a piece of new music,” Grass told The Kore

April 12, 2023

Taeyang to collaborate with Blackpink's Lisa

Taeyang and Blackpink's Lisa are set to collaborate. Local entertainment outlet Osen on Wednesday exclusively reported that Blackpink's Lisa is set to feature in Taeyang's upcoming album "Down to Earth" set for release on April 25. Taeyang's label, the Black Label, confirmed to The Korea Herald that the two will collaborate, with Lisa featuring in Taeyang's album. Lisa will also be featured in Taeyang's music video for the album, according to Osen. The Bla

April 12, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s ‘How You Like That’ music video tops 1.2b views

  The music video for Blackpink’s “How You Like That” surpassed 1.2 billion views on YouTube, according to label YG Entertainment on Tuesday. It is the group’s sixth video to reach the milestone, after music videos for “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” “Kill This Love,” “Boombayah” and “As If It’s Your Last” as well as the dance video for “How You Like That.” The song came out in June 2020 as the focus track from its f

April 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Ahn Jae-hong, Jeong Jin-woon say actors bonded as one team in ‘Rebound’

“Rebound,” a basketball film by director Jang Hang-joon that opened in local theaters on April 5, is based on the real-life event of a national high school basketball championship that was held in 2012. The Busan Chung Ang High School team, the Underdogs, makes it to the finals for the first time ever with only six members. “When I first heard that it was a film about basketball, I thought basketball is an old sport liked by some fans here who have a special attachment to the S

April 11, 2023

[Album Review] Ive matures with different music, spreading message of 'self-love'

K-pop girl group Ive is back ready to expand its narcissistic universe with its first studio album “I’ve Ive.” After a series of songs on self-love such as “Eleven,” “Love Dive,” and “After Like,” the hitmakers have returned with a different undertone. The members showed a more mature version of themselves through the new titular track “I Am.” The title of the titular track is self-explanatory, as Ive has outdone itself to show wh

April 11, 2023

Documentary 'This is the President' to premiere at Jeonju film festival

A South Korean film on former President Moon Jae-in's life after office will premiere at the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival this month, the organizer said Monday. “This is the President," which will be shown on April 29, documents the "down-to-earth aspects" of the politician who has retired to a quiet farming village, rather than detailing controversies and conflicts in the political arena, according to the festival website. In a 35-second trailer, Moon, Korea

April 11, 2023

Ive's 11 shades in 1st LP, 'I've Ive'

Super rookie group Ive sings of self-worth and confidence through its first full-length album, "I've Ive." Ahead of releasing the album on Monday evening, the six members -- An Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wongyoung, Liz and Leeseo -- held a media event in Seoul that evening. Rei took pictures only and sat out of the press conference due to poor health. The album marked the group's comeback in eight months since the release of its third single, "After Like." It is also t

April 11, 2023

MBC apologizes for featuring controversial singer Horan

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC admitted to carelessness and apologized for featuring vocalist Horan on Sunday's prime time TV show “King of Masked Singer.” While broadcasting the music show in which singers and celebrities compete while wearing masks, MBC released footage of Horan removing her mask and being interviewed about her upcoming albums, plans and concerts. Controversy erupted Sunday night with viewers’ comments on the official website of “King of Masked Singer

April 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter duo LAS on life, love and music

Soldiering through life, we often fail, get discouraged and become worn out. But, as we journey on, we come to realize that life is not just about overcoming hardships to reach our moment of glory, but it is about embracing all the steps along the way as pieces of ourselves. Singer-songwriter group LAS stepped out into the world last year with their debut single "Hero," which carries a message of self-love, something the two musicians, Avin and Slay, have learned in life. "It was

April 11, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Caveae’ brings audience on stage in immersive, experimental dance

To watch "Caveae," the latest production by the National Contemporary Dance Company, the audience had to enter the performance hall in an unusual way. The audience lined up in designated sections and were guided onto the stage through a passage that, on any other day, would only be used by staff members. On the dimly lit and slightly chilly stage, the dancers were already seated in the middle. The audience sat around in a seating area which was specially built for this performance, enc

April 10, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Suga unveils track list for solo album

Suga of BTS shared the track list for its first solo album on Monday. Album “D-Day” will consist of 10 tracks including “People Pt. 2,” a collaboration with singer and actor IU that was dropped in advance Friday. The pre-release landed atop the iTunes top songs chart in 87 regions and ranked No. 11 on Spotify’s daily top song global chart. It also headed straight to the top of Oricon’s daily digital single ranking. Japanese composer Sakamoto Ryuichi, who pass

April 10, 2023

[New on the Scene] Director Kim Tae-joon proves that hard work does pay off

Director Kim Tae-joon had dreamed of becoming a filmmaker since when he was in high school. After graduating from university in a non film-related major, he went straight into the film industry, working on shooting locations without any pay. The 39-year-old filmmaker’s debut film, “Unlocked,” a mystery thriller based on Higa Akira's award-winning Japanese novel of the same title, tells the story of Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee) and how her life is threatened by Jun-young (Yim Si-wa

April 10, 2023

Cellist Choi Ha-young first winner of Fendi music award

Global fashion brand Fendi has launched a music award to support emerging young Korean musicians, Fendi Korea announced Monday. The award, created in tandem with the string ensemble Sejong Soloists, is to be presented to talented individuals who show excellence in classical music. Candidates are recommended by 15 music experts and the winner is selected by a panel of four judges led by Jaap van Zweden, the current music director of the New York Philharmonic who will lead the Seoul Philharmonic O

April 10, 2023

Kep1er returns love-struck with 4th mini album

K-pop girl group Kep1er transformed from heroes to love-struck girls for their fourth mini album, “Lovestruck!,” which dropped on Monday. The return comes six months after the group released its third mini album, “Troubleshooter.” The story of this new album is about the nine members landing on Earth due to a magnetic attraction towards someone that they all fall in love with. This is the first time Kep1er members encounter the feeling of love and sing about how being in

April 10, 2023

Disney+ to release Psy concert film

Disney+ -- the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co. -- has announced the release of Psy’s 2022 concert film “Summer Swag 2022.” The film features the global K-pop star’s signature summer concert series, where some 350,000 concertgoers took in the artist's hit songs while being sprayed with water. According to the streaming service, the film presents some of the most exciting performances among Psy’s “Summer Swag 2022” concert

April 10, 2023

Studio Dragon confirms 2nd season of 'The Big Door Prize'

South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s drama production subsidiary, Studio Dragon, decided to renew its first original US drama series, “The Big Door Prize,” with expanded stories for the second season. The production company confirmed the launch of its second season through a press release on Friday, ahead of the first season's fifth episode to be aired on April 15. The series premiered on March 29. Adapted from a novel of the same title written by American writer

April 9, 2023

Korean National Ballet's dancer-choreographer brings fresh perspective to 'Don Quixote'

The classic ballet “Don Quixote” has been re-choreographed in the hands of the Korean National Ballet's emerging choreographer. Dancer-choreographer Song Jung-bin’s adaptation of “Don Quixote” will kick off Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The show will run until Sunday. “It started with the question, ‘Why isn’t Don Quixote the main character in the ballet piece of his own name?’&rdquo

April 9, 2023