[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to hold concert next month

Red Velvet will hold its fourth standalone concert in Seoul on April 1-2, label SM Entertainment announced Friday. It has been almost 3 1/2 years since its last concert in Korea and the show “R to V” will be livestreamed on Beyond Live for fans around the world. Meanwhile, the group is set to perform at Primavera Sound 2023 in June. It is the only K-pop band to be invited to the Spanish music festival and will go live in Barcelona on June 1 and in Madrid on June 8. This year’s

March 3, 2023

OPL returns to Korea after 20 years, this time collaborates with cellist Han Jae-min

Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg (OPL) returns to South Korea for the first time since 2003 this time with conductor Gustavo Gimeno. On the Korea-only tour, the Spanish conductor, 47, will lead the orchestra for four performances around the country with 16-year-old Korean cellist Han Jae-min, the youngest winner of the George Enescu International Competition. For the first part of the concert, the orchestra and Han will present Dvorak Cello Concerto, Op. 104, B. 191. After the intermission

March 3, 2023

J-Hope of BTS drops new single 'on the street'

J-Hope of global K-pop sensation BTS dropped his new single, "on the street," on Friday, sending through music a message to fans before setting off to the military. Dropped at 2 p.m. Friday, "on the street" came seven months after his solo debut with the album "Jack in the Box" in July. An easy-to-listen lo-fi hip-hop tune, the song carries J-Hope's earnest heart to share hope and joy through music. The rapper-dancer of BTS contributed in writing the melody and

March 3, 2023

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

“Count” (South Korea) Opened Feb. 22 Comedy Directed by Kwon Hyuk-jae Former boxing Olympic medalist Si-heon (Jin Seon-kyu), who now teaches at a high school in Jinhae, North Gyeongsang Province, decides to start a boxing team after discovering talent in his student Yoon-woo, played by Sung Yoo-bin. The film is based on the real-life story of South Korean boxer Park Si-hun, who won a gold medal in the men’s light middleweight category at the 1988 Summer Olympics. “Mis

March 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Winner’s Mino to start serving military duty: report

Mino of Winner will start to fulfill his mandatory military service from March 24, according to a local media report on Thursday. He is to serve as an alternative social worker, YG Entertainment confirmed following the report. He will be the third member of the quartet to enlist. Kim Jinwoo and Lee Seunghoon have completed their service and Kang Seungyoon will start his soon. Mino hinted at the news last week while on a TV competition show as a judge. Saying that he was sad to leave the show af

March 2, 2023

‘Devil’s Deal’ tops local box office, sets new attendance record

Director Lee Won-tae’s first crime noir flick in four years, “The Devil’s Deal,” has topped the local box office Thursday, setting a new attendance record, according to the Korea Film Council. Data showed “The Devil’s Deal,” which opened on Wednesday, saw a total of 188,827 moviegoers on its first day. As of Thursday, the number of movie theater admissions came to 192,623. The figures represent the highest attendance compared to other films that have ope

March 2, 2023

K-pop artists to celebrate coming of spring

The K-pop scene welcomes back some familiar faces in March that have been missed, just as spring begins. First on the list of much-celebrated returns is Onew of SHINee, with his first solo full-length album “Circle” coming on Monday. "Circle" will be released some 11 months after the artist's second mini album “Dice.” The album comprises 10 tracks across diverse genres, with the lead track “O.” The main track is an R&B song in which the soun

March 2, 2023

[Herald Interview] Unmasked by avatar: K-pop idols show true selves in metaverse

One of the most memorable moments in producing Kakao Entertainment's online audition program "Girl's Re:verse" was when one of the contestants made a rude finger gesture to the others, says producer Son Su-jung. It was the first time all 30 of the contestants' virtual characters had gathered in the metaverse, and Muneo's unexpected cursing not only caught the producers off-guard, but the other contestants as well. "(Muneo's action) smashed the boundary (of

March 1, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook quits Instagram

Jungkook of BTS assured fans it was he who deleted his Instagram account, not a hacker. The boy band star wrote to fans on fan community platform Weverse that he left the social media service as he just did not feel like doing it anymore, lest fans worry. Jungkook opened his own account in December 2021 at the same time as his bandmates. His account had more than 51 million followers as of last week. He was the second Korean celebrity to log 50 million followers on the platform, following bandm

Feb. 28, 2023

11 years since debut, Hwang Min-hyun comes out solo

Hwang Min-hyun opened a new chapter in his music career as a soloist by releasing his first solo EP "Truth or Lie" on Monday. "It took me almost 11 years to release an album that contains only my voice. I promise to make good music and good performances so that the 11 years can count," Hwang said during a press conference held on Monday in Seoul. The musician has been on a fairly successful path since he first set foot on the local entertainment scene more than a decade ago.

Feb. 28, 2023

COVID-19 restriction lifted, TV travel shows take to road

South Korean broadcasters are set to flood the airwaves with programs filmed abroad as they resume long-suspended plans for shootings overseas. With the easing of travel restrictions and reopening of international routes, broadcasters have been filming in exotic locations hoping to entertain viewers who have longed to see far-flung places beyond their doorsteps. Monopoly-themed travel show Cable channel ENA and YouTube channel Teo are scheduled to release the show “Blue Marble World Tour

Feb. 28, 2023

Wind quintet Les Vents Francais returns to South Korea

Les Vents Francais, a French wind quintet, return to South Korea, bringing along with them their music which is full of colors and a sense of humor, Paul Meyer, clarinetist and founder of the ensemble, said in an email interview last week. “In German romanticism and Russian music, expressions are direct, especially in those of anguish. French music treats the same thing (with a) certain modesty. The taste of French modesty is closer to politeness or humor,” Meyer said. On Wednesday,

Feb. 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Japanese K-pop group XG on group's Korean debut

Walking into The Korea Herald studio, the seven members of K-pop group XG oozed charisma with each step. Their eyes were glistening and a slight yet poised smile was visible over each member’s face. But as soon as the bandmates sat down and uttered their first words of greeting, the tension circling them melted away to the cheerful, high-pitched laughter of the seven young women. XG conducted its first-ever exclusive media interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 17. Here, they shared for t

Feb. 28, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Hwang Minhyun rolls out 1st solo EP

Hwang Minhyun held a media showcase in Seoul on Monday to introduce his first solo EP, titled “Truth or Lie.” “I wanted to tell a story of my own, as it is my first solo album,” said the musician, who debuted as a member of NU’EST in 2012. He chose “Hidden Side” as the main track since it can best demonstrate his strong performance. “I wanted to dance on stage. I’ve had thirst for performance even while I was acting,” said the singer a

Feb. 27, 2023

Contemporary Gugak Orchestra to revisit chamber music by leading composers

The Contemporary Gugak Orchestra under the National Gugak Center returns with a chamber music performance that features the musical works of six leading composers in Korean creative traditional music. "The Korean Composers Series" will be held on March 9, at Umyeondang of the National Gugak Center, located in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The series selects the works of Korean composers who have helped shape contemporary gugak music traditions and provides a stage for reflection on the meaning and

Feb. 27, 2023

[Herald Review] aespa lights up night in 1st solo concert 'Synk: Hyper Line'

SM Entertainment's starlet group aespa held its first-ever concert under the banner of "Synk: Hyper Line" over the weekend at Jamsil Arena in Seoul Olympic Park. It was a long-awaited first concert happening over two years after the group's debut in November 2020, and a much postponed return amid the ongoing internal feud of SM's management. But the two nights of majestic spectacle proved that the wait was more than worth it, and only made the audience wonder what more p

Feb. 27, 2023

Will Korean audition programs have viewers hooked once again?

Audition programs, which once dominated airtime several years ago before a number of vote-rigging controversies and ranking errors, are now poised to emerge as a major trend on television once again. The new impartial judging system aside, the revamped music competition shows are set to entertain viewers with new and yet-undiscovered talents, seeking to overtake other popular shows like sports entertainment and dating reality series -- reality shows that have recently soared through the ranks on

Feb. 27, 2023

J-Hope to release single before military service

J-Hope of BTS is set to release a solo single before heading off to serve his mandatory military duty. The K-pop superstar announced Monday that he will unveil the single “On the Street” on March 3. “On the Street" is a lo-fi hip-hop song with a downtempo vibe that combines elements of hip-hop and chill-out music. J-Hope took part in composing and writing the lyrics to the single giving the track a personal touch, interlaced with messages of hope and warmth. It was the con

Feb. 27, 2023

Jang Hang-jun, Kim Eun-hee’s sports comedy ‘Rebound’ to open in April

Filmmaker Jang Hang-jun and his wife and star writer Kim Eun-hee’s sports comedy “Rebound” will hit local theaters in April, distribution company Barunson E&A said Monday. Based on the real-life story of a basketball team at a high school in Busan in 2012, director Jang has moved the eight-day high school basketball competition event to the screen. The production team for 2017 hit film “The Outlaws” has prepared for the film since 2013, and writer Kwon Sung-hui

Feb. 27, 2023

BTS' J-Hope to join S. Korean military

J-Hope, a member of K-pop supergroup BTS, has canceled his request to delay enlistment, the group's agency said Sunday, in a move to join the country's mandatory military service. BigHit Music did not provide a specific time frame on when he will join the military, saying only it will make an announcement as soon as the notice of enlistment is available. The move came two months after Jin, the oldest BTS member, first joined the Army, and is in line with an announcement that all seven

Feb. 26, 2023