'Culinary Class Wars' producers deny trying to spice up results

Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" is indisputably one of the hottest shows in Korea right now. The 12-episode series features 100 participants divided into two teams: the white team of star chefs and the black team of lesser-known cooks and local restaurant owners. The contestants face various elimination challenges judged by popular restaurateur Paik Jong-won and Korea’s only Michelin three-star chef, Ahn Sung-jae. Since the first episode was released on Sept. 17, the show ha

Oct. 7, 2024

Musical artists dazzle at Wellness Seoul 2024’s grand finale

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Banpo Bridge’s fountains cascading over the Han River, Wellness Seoul 2024 concluded on Sunday evening with performances by an orchestra, popera singers and a guitarist -- all delivering a message of embracing a quality, healthy life through the appreciation of music in everyday life. The highlight of the evening event -- the namesake Wellness Seoul Concert -- was British popera singer Paul Potts, who performed pieces including “Impossible Dr

Oct. 7, 2024

Can Jennie break the K-pop solo artist slump?

All eyes are on Jennie of Blackpink as she prepares to release her new solo single, "Mantra," on Oct. 11 -- her first release since "You & Me" came out a year ago. Amid the recent struggles of her fellow female K-pop solo artists, many wonder if an idol as successful as Jennie can break the current slump. Several female K-pop soloists, such as Chungha, Somi and Sunmi, have recently been unable to replicate their past chart successes domestically and internationally. Chu

Oct. 6, 2024

Baseball star Hwang Jae-gyun, T-ara's Jiyeon file for divorce mediation

Baseball star Hwang Jae-gyun and Jiyeon of girl group T-ara have filed for divorce mediation to end their two-year marriage, the singer said Saturday. In a statement released by her legal representative, Jiyeon said the couple initiated the process by mutual consent after failing to overcome a dispute. The couple reached an agreement to part ways after living separately due to an unresolved dispute and the process has been filed with the Seoul Family Court, according to the statement. The two ti

Oct. 5, 2024

From thrillers to animation: Netflix's 2025 Korean originals promise universal fun, fresh stories

Netflix, a global streaming service, plans to roll out seven Korean original films next year, responding to rapidly evolving content consumption trends as movie viewing extends beyond traditional theaters. The company prioritized "enhancing quality and expanding diversity" when selecting the films for next year, Kim Tae-won, director of the Content & Business team at Netflix Korea, said at a press conference Friday night on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival (BI

Oct. 5, 2024

Korean bands get their day in the sun, finally

Bands are dominating local charts at the moment, led by JYP Entertainment's pop-rock sensation Day6. With four of their old and new tracks among the top 10 on Melon’s music chart as of Friday -- “Happy” and “Welcome to the Show” claiming the No. 1 and No. 3 spots and “Melt Down” and “Time of Our Life” holding strong at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively -- it’s clear the Korean music scene is in the midst of a band craze. Day6 is no new

Oct. 4, 2024

BTS-themed moon jar to be unveiled on Hangeul Day

Cultural objects like a white porcelain moon jar will be reimagined with a BTS theme, Hybe, the label behind the K-pop superstars, announced Friday. Fourteen items decorated with BTS lyrics and designs linked to the seven-member boy band have been created in the latest collaboration between Hybe and the state-run National Museum Foundation of Korea, Hybe said. A white porcelain moon jar and a seated pensive bodhisattva and are some of the items to be made public Wednesday, which is also Hangeul

Oct. 4, 2024

CJ ENM vows to invest W1tr in content, maximize cross-platform synergy

BUSAN -- South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ EJM said it would continue to invest 1 trillion won in content production and operation, its CEO Yoon Sang-hyun said Friday at the CJ Movie Forum held on the sidelines of the 29th Busan International Film Festival. “Despite the growing uncertainty in the film industry, we will continue to support creators and enable their imaginations to come to life and shine bright,” Yoon said. Yoon stressed that such investment will support its s

Oct. 4, 2024

Coldplay to celebrate release ‘Moon Music’ with Han River drone show

To celebrate the release of "Moon Music," a drone light show featuring 1,000 drones will light up the night sky at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Seoul on Friday to celebrate the release of British pop band Coldplay's latest LP, "Moon Music," the same day. Music producer Max Martin, who has been working with Coldplay as a co-writer and producer since Coldplay’s 2014 album “Ghost Stories,” also took part in producing the 10-track album. The track listing inclu

Oct. 4, 2024

SPAF 2024 kicks off with bold new narratives and experimental works

The 24th Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) kicked off Thursday with Seongbukdong Beedoolkee Theater's "Gulliverse," a play loosely inspired by Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." Directed by Kim Hyun-tak, the production presents multiple actors portraying young Gullivers navigating different societal landscapes, as the Gullivers have become trapped in the worlds within their smartphones. Running at Daehakro Arts Theater in Daehangno, English subtitles wi

Oct. 4, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] aespa floats teaser for 5th EP

A series of teaser content for aespa’s upcoming fifth EP has been uploadedto promote the new mini album. Short-form clips for “Whiplash,” including snippets of the six tracks and a website dedicated to the mini album, allowed fans to mix and download parts of the titular track. The EP will be fully unveiled on Oct. 21. The album release comes amid the group’s ongoing second international tour “Synk: Parallel Line” which expanded to include North and Latin Am

Oct. 4, 2024

Seventeen to take over Apgujeong

Seventeen is set to unveil a revamped “Seventeen Street” event from Oct. 16-25 in Apgujeong, southern Seoul. Pledis Entertainment on Thursday shared a guidebook on the global fan platform Weverse detailing the offline event, which it is calling "Seventeen Street in Apgujeong." This year, the space will embrace themes of "Feel" and "Fill," aligning with the release of Seventeen's upcoming album, "Spill the Feels." Visitors can expect a vari

Oct. 4, 2024

Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military

A wave of major K-pop artists are gearing up to reenter the music scene after completing their mandatory military service. Monsta X’s Minhyuk was the first of the bunch, officially concluding his military service on Thursday. Of the six bandmates of Monsta X, only Shownu and Minhyuk have completed their duties thus far, with the group expected to be fully reunited next year. Ong Seongwu, a singer and actor known for his debut via season two of Mnet’s "Produce 101" as part o

Oct. 4, 2024

Auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa says he hasn’t discovered his style yet

BUSAN -- Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who gained international attention with the psychological horror thriller “Cure” (1997), said he still hasn’t discovered his style or overall theme, expressing his pure interest and motivation in filmmaking. The 69-year-old veteran filmmaker was in Busan on Thursday as the recipient of the 29th Busan International Film Festival’s Asian filmmaker of the year award. “Making films for over 40 years, people in Japan call me a veteran director.

Oct. 4, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Joker: Folie a Deux” (US) Opened Oct. 1 Crime/Musical Directed by Todd Phillips Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a failed comedian, is institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. While grappling with his dual identity, Arthur stumbles upon true love. “Love in the Big City” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 1 Drama Directed by Lee Eon-hee Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) and Heung-soo (Noh Sang-hyun), young Seoulites who have known each other since their college

Oct. 4, 2024

Bucheon comics fest kicks off, drawing comics lovers

The 2024 Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of South Korea's biggest comics-related events, launched its four-day celebration on Thursday, attracting comics lovers with a variety of engaging events. Organized by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, the festival kicked off with an opening ceremony that featured various sessions, including the presentation of Bucheon Comics Awards, an annual recognition of standout Korean comics. The top honor at the Bucheon Comics Awards went to "J

Oct. 3, 2024

Apple TV+ documentary follows vibrant, fearless lives of haenyeo

BUSAN -- While there are a number of TV shows, documentaries and even fictional movies -- “Smugglers” (2023) -- that depict the lives of “haenyeo” or women sea divers, “The Last of the Sea Women” focuses on the vibrant and fearless lives of these brave, cool women. Korean American director Sue Kim said she wanted to show the joy and strength of these haenyeo and how they are empowered by their profession, which traces its roots to more than 100 years ago. &ldq

Oct. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Dancing with P' explores dance's legacy after death of Pina Bausch

“Dear members of Tanztheater Wuppertal, I am Lee Kyung-sung, a theater director from South Korea.” The play “Dancing with P” opens with this letter Lee wrote in the summer of 2021 to the renowned German dance company founded by Pina Bausch (1940-2009), the legendary figure who transformed the landscape of contemporary dance. “After Pina passed away in 2009, I often saw her works performed on stage, because Tanztheater Wuppertal was still touring worldwide. While it

Oct. 3, 2024

[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?

BUSAN -- The most heatedly discussed topic at this year’s Busan International Film Festival is whether it was appropriate for a big-budget streaming platform title opening Asia’s largest film festival. BIFF has positioned itself for decades as a gateway to discover emerging filmmakers and support independent films. So many industry insiders, film journalists and critics were surprised by BIFF’s decision to open the festival with Netflix’s violent action flick “Upris

Oct. 3, 2024

K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again

As K-pop stars continue to gain global popularity and greater recognition in the music industry, fans have come to hold higher expectations for their live performances. Many K-pop fans now expect impressive vocal performances during live shows, with little tolerance for lip-syncing. However, music insiders explain that it is nearly impossible for K-pop idols to sing perfectly while performing dynamic choreography. The challenge lies in how well they combine prerecorded vocals with live singing o

Oct. 3, 2024