Park Chan-wook misses out at Golden Globe Awards

Internationally acclaimed director Park Chan-wook’s romance thriller, “Decision to Leave,” failed to win the best non-English language film prize at the 80th Golden Globe Awards Wednesday. The award went to "Argentina, 1985," an Argentine historical drama film written, produced and directed by Santiago Mitre. The film became the first recipient after the award was renamed from best foreign language film, amid controversy over ethical lapses and a lack of diversity in

Jan. 11, 2023

Blackpink becomes first K-pop act to headline Coachella

Blackpink will be the first K-pop act to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year. The Korean quartet will take the stage on April 15 and 22 as headliners for the festival that takes place at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California, according to the festival’s promoter Goldenvoice on Tuesday. Others leading at Coachella include Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican singer who will be the first Latino artist to headline the show, and the renowned alternative R&B singe

Jan. 11, 2023

Enhypen's Jay apologizes for disparaging Korean history

Jay of K-pop band Enhypen apologized on Wednesday for his contentious comments regarding Korean history. On Tuesday, Jay spoke with his bandmate Sunghoon of Enhypen on the issue of history during an online broadcast. In the casual chat, Jay said Korean history is "like a short novel," causing some fans out to lash out that his words as disparaging. The conversation began with Sunghoon saying, "I used to find history not fun, but I'm into Korean history recently. It's bee

Jan. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Byul returns after 14 years with new album

After a 14-year break of devoting herself to her family, Byul is ready to return with her sixth full-length album. Byul on Wednesday is set to unveil her sixth full-length album, "Startrail," the first album under her name since she tied the knot with comedian and singer Haha in 2012 and since her fifth LP "Like A Star - Primary" dropped in 2009. Standing before local press for a joint interview a week ahead of the album release, Byul expressed that she had been "despera

Jan. 11, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ V to join Na Young-seok’s reality show spin-off

V of BTS will appear in a spinoff of hit reality show directed by star producer Na Young-seok and headed by actor Lee Seojin, according to local media reports on Tuesday. The artist will join the lineup of the show tentatively titled “Seojin’s Place,” which continues from “Youn’s Kitchen,” a show that enjoyed huge popularity in 2017 and 2018. In the original show, veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung, Lee and actress Jung Yumi struggled to run a pop-up Korean restau

Jan. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Director He Shuming tells Singaporean story through Korean drama in ‘Ajoomma’

In Singaporean film director He Shuming's debut “Ajoomma,” the description of "ajumma," a Korean term for middle-aged women, is somewhat different from what Koreans understand it to be. The film centers on a widowed housewife played by Singaporean TV actor Hong Huifang, who steps out of her comfort zone by making a trip to South Korea by herself. During her trip she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and strikes up an unexpected friendship. The director said he wan

Jan. 10, 2023

Jeon Do-yeon excited to return with romance series after 17 years

Jeon Do-yeon shared a mixed bag of emotions about her long-anticipated return to a romance series in “Crash Course in Romance.” “It has been a very long time to read a script with bright stories. I was simply drawn to the series’ bright, positive energy,” Jeon said during an online press conference Monday. “My character revealed some of the sides that I had forgotten for a long time.” The Cannes-winning actor shared that she felt pressure and questioned

Jan. 10, 2023

SF9 returns as secret agents for ‘The Piece Of9’

K-pop boy band SF9 returned again after about a year as a full unit on Monday with the group's 12th mini album, “The Piece Of9.” “It feels good to be back with my group members. I feel at home and we are very satisfied with how this album turned out. I am excited to see what our fans will think about it,” said Rowoon of SF9 at a media showcase held at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul ahead of the album release. Rowoon had put a halt to his participation in the band t

Jan. 10, 2023

BTS' Jin drops special YouTube message for fans

K-pop supergroup BTS' eldest member Jin, who is serving in the military, surprised his fans Monday by dropping a special message filmed before his enlistment. 　 　“I turned on the video camera because I wanted to leave a message for you,” he said in the video uploaded on the band’s official YouTube channel. 　 　Appearing in a white gym suit before he had his hair cropped short, Jin said the video was recorded while he was filming for the Korean variety TV show, “Running M

Jan. 9, 2023

Monsta X reflects on 8-year career through new EP “Reason”

Returning with more powerful performances and unique musical color, South Korean boy group Monsta X launched its 12th mini album "Reason" on Monday. The album, released nine months after the previous EP “Shape of Love,” conveys the group’s story of how it found the reason behind its existence and the meaning of their relationship with one another, according to agency Starship Entertainment. The latest work looks back on the group's eight-year career, the long-est

Jan. 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Everyone will be able to make their own music'

Pozalabs' artificial intelligence composition technology does not aim to replace the role of human songwriters, but to assist them and help more people flourish as composers, according to founder and CEO Huh Won-gil. During an interview with the Korea Herald in December, the engineer-turned-CEO said he was able to start the company because he himself was a musician. Having played the piano since he was 5 years old and grown up playing music, Huh said he still spends whole weekends on the pi

Jan. 9, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez hits Billboard 200 at No. 7 with single

    Ateez entered Billboard 200 at No. 7 with first Korean single album, said agency KQ Entertainment on Monday. Single “Spin Off: From The Witness” became its second entry among the top 10 on the chart after its eighth EP “The World Ep. 1: Movement” that debuted on the chart at No. 3 in August. The bandmates thanked its fans for “a huge present at the beginning of a new year” and promised that it will repay with better performances and music. T

Jan. 9, 2023

Korean production of 'The Phantom of the Opera' to return after 13 years

The Korean production of the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” is returning for the first time in 13 years. The third Korean-language revival after the 2001 and 2009 runs, the latest production is set to premiere in Busan and will feature headlining actor Cho Seung-woo, musical actor Jeon Dong-suk and baritone Julian Kim as the Phantom. Sohn Ji-soo and Song Eun-hye will take the role of Christine. The Busan performances will kick off at Dream Theatre, a venue dedicated to musicals

Jan. 9, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] The complications of the 'one-inch' barrier

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project which consists of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of its language within the league of world languages. – Ed. Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho made headlines by using his acceptance speech at the 2020 Golden Glo

Jan. 8, 2023

‘I Live Alone’ poised to become all-time favorite reality show in MBC

With its latest episode recording 11.7 percent viewership, terrestrial broadcaster MBC’s “I Live Alone” topped the viewership ratings among all Friday reality TV shows for 30 consecutive weeks. The Friday night unscripted show caught the viewers’ attention across the globe with the realistic depiction of the everyday life of its hosts and other guest celebrities, both in and outside of their homes. According to the Gallup Korea poll on the best Korean TV shows, “I L

Jan. 8, 2023

Woodstock festival to land in Korea for first time

The legendary Woodstock festival is coming to Korea with the theme of "freedom, peace and love." The festival will be held from July 29 to 30, at the Hantangang River Geopark complex, in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province in memory of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice agreement, SGC Entertainment announced Friday. The company said it has signed an official copyright agreement with the Woodstock Music and Art Fair to host the three-day festival in Korea. Launched in 1969 in Bet

Jan. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS Jungkook, Charlie Puth collab biggest of 2022: Billboard

Billboard highlighted “Left and Right,” a collaborative work between BTS’ Jungkook and Charlie Puth, as one of the 17 Biggest Song Collaborations of 2022. The “charming, cleverly produced duet” peaked at No. 22 on Billboard’s Hot 100, making Jungkook’s highest charting entry as a solo musician. The single stayed on the chart for 17 consecutive weeks, the longest streak for a K-pop idol. “Left and Right” was also listed on six of Billboard&rs

Jan. 6, 2023

Heartwarming family film ‘Two Heart’ begins shooting

A heartwarming family movie revolving around young patients in the children’s ward, “Two Heart” began shooting on Jan. 2, production companies Miro Vision and Studio Santa Claus Entertainment said Friday. Starring Jung Man-sik and On Joo-wan, the film is expected among industry insiders to become the next touching drama film on the scale of “Miracle in Cell No. 7” for its heartrending storyline. Comedy-drama “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” released in 2013, sol

Jan. 6, 2023

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

“The First Slam Dunk” (Japan) Opened Jan. 4 (Adventure/Comedy) Directed by Takehiko Inoue Based on the Slam Dunk manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the animated sports film follows Ryota Miyagi, a high school student who plays the point guard at the school’s basketball team and his journey to win the basketball championship at a nationwide basketball competition. “Gentleman” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 28 Crime/Action Directed by Kim Kyung-won

Jan. 6, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Treasure adds concert to Asia tour

Treasure will perform in Hong Kong on May 20, announced label YG Entertainment on Thursday. This expands its Asia tour “Hello” to eight cities and nine live shows in total. The band is set to begin touring the region on March 4, starting in Taipei, Taiwan. It held two standalone concerts last year and headed to Japan, going live in seven cities for 24 concerts, drawing an audience of about 210,000 across the country. On Jan. 28-29, it will take to the stage at Kyocera Dome in Osaka.

Jan. 5, 2023