SAC Opera Gala to stage highlights from popular opera pieces

The Seoul Arts Center is scheduled to stage SAC Opera Gala featuring popular opera arias and songs at the Opera Theater from Friday to Sunday. The SAC Opera Gala will offer three different nights of opera performances -- Opening Night, Mozart Opera Highlights and Special Gala performance -- with different combinations of conductors, opera singers, orchestras and choirs. KBS Symphony Orchestra will take the stage with Noi Opera Chorus, under the baton of conductor Toshiyuki Kamioka on Friday and

Oct. 19, 2022

[Feature] Alcohol marketing: How the forbidden became a K-pop trend

K-pop idols must be camera-ready at all times, and be able to sing, dance and show their charms and talents simultaneously on TV shows and in interviews. But there's one thing you wouldn't have spotted the multitalented artists doing on screens: drinking. Despite being a huge part of South Korean culture, the topic of drinking has been mostly kept off limits for K-pop celebrities. And if they do partake in a drink or two, it is often done in secret, away from the cameras. But in recent

Oct. 19, 2022

Netflix film '20th Century Girl’ to bring back 1990s nostalgia

Set in 1999, the upcoming Netflix romance film "20th Century Girl” directed by Bang Woo-ri has many elements that can evoke nostalgia for the previous century. The film centers around Bo-ra (Kim You-jung), a 17-year-old high school student who is athletic and has a bright personality. One day, Bo-ra finds out that her best friend Yeon-doo (Roh Yoon-seo) has a big crush on Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo). But before Yeon-doo gets a chance to become friends with Hyun-jin, she has to go to t

Oct. 19, 2022

BTS Jin to debut solo with single 'The Astronaut' on Oct. 28

Jin of K-pop superband BTS is making his official solo debut with the single "The Astronaut" on Oct. 28. The band's agency Big Hit Music on Tuesday released a statement announcing Jin's solo debut date and the title of his first single. "Jin put his love for the Army in making 'The Astronaut,' and we anticipate it to be like a gift to the Army," the agency said about the song in its statement. Army refers to the band's global fanbase. Ahead of releasi

Oct. 19, 2022

BTS' Jin to debut solo this month, enlist year-end

  K-pop sensation BTS' eldest member Jin will debut as a solo artist at the end of this month before starting his military duty. BTS' label Big Hit Music on Tuesday told the local media that Jin will release his first solo single at the end of October. Several outlets confirmed with the label. The news of Jin's solo debut had first announced last weekend during the septet's concert held in Busan. During BTS' concert held on Saturday at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Jin broke out the news himsel

Oct. 18, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo announces plan for 1st world tour

    Mamamoo will host its first international tour starting from next month, agency RBW Entertainment announced Tuesday. The quartet will kick off the “My Con” tour with concerts in Seoul from Nov. 18-20. Once the group departs, it will be the first time for the girl group to tour outside Korea since its debut in 2014. The name of the tour not only reflects the group's confidence, but also plays on the title of the group's 12th EP, “Mic On,” which it rolled

Oct. 18, 2022

‘First live concert in Korea, dream come true’: American alt-pop trio almost monday

American indie pop trio almost monday, who visited Korea for the first time to present a laid-back yet exciting moment to the local music fans, said that its dream has come true. The San Diego-based alt-pop band, comprised of vocalist Dawson Daugherty, bass guitarist Luke Fabry and guitarist Cole Clisby, held a press conference on Tuesday at Universal Music Korea’s headquarters in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The trio held its first live concert in Korea at Watcha Hall in Mapo-gu, in wester

Oct. 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Lee Sung-min hopes ‘Remember’ narrows generational divide

Veteran actor Lee Sung-min, 53, hopes that his new dramatic film “Remember” can help narrow the generational gap in Korean society. “I think the most attractive element of our film is that an elderly man in his 80s and a young man go on a journey together. I hope that people in this world can also become like the characters in our movie. I hope they can hang out with each other, respecting the older generation and also embracing the younger generation,” Lee said in an

Oct. 18, 2022

‘Project Wolf Hunting’ wins 2 awards, including Special Jury Award, at Sitges

Hard-boiled survival action film “Project Wolf Hunting” has received two awards, including the Special Jury Award, at the official competition selection at the 55th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Catalonia, Spain, on Sunday (local time), announced the film's local distributor TCO on Tuesday. “I am leaving with great inspiration and courage to move on to my next film,” said writer-director Kim Hong-sun in his acceptance speech. The film also won Best Speci

Oct. 18, 2022

Tving’s new ‘Bargain’ takes original film further

Tving, local entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, seeks to put a new spin on a story loved by movie stars, fans and filmmakers alike, with a natural disaster. Adapted from the short film of the same title by filmmaker Lee Chung-hyun, Tving’s upcoming series “Bargain” revolves around people who gather at a remote motel with ulterior motives -- seeking to bargain for sex. Unlike the original project, the series follows the characters afte

Oct. 18, 2022

Love yourself to be able to love others: (G)I-dle on ‘I love’

After enjoying immense love through its first-ever world tour, girl group (G)I-dle has made a return with its new album, “I love,” which dropped Monday evening. This marks a return for the band seven months after it last released “I never die,” the group’s first full-length album, in March. “Being on the world tour was a whole new experience, especially seeing how our foreign fans sang along to our songs. Actually, we finished producing the whole album before

Oct. 17, 2022

Seoul Dance Festival will bring together dance enthusiasts

The 43rd Seoul Dance Festival is set to kick off on a one-month journey on Oct. 27, showcasing various dance genres. Titled “A Wind of Change with Seoul Dance Festival,” this year’s event consists of pre-festival events, the main festival, a dance competition and a closing ceremony. While the event will begin in earnest on Nov. 11, pre-festival events highlighting performances by dance and performing arts students will take place from Oct. 27 to 31. On Nov. 11, four seasoned da

Oct. 17, 2022

N. Flying reflects the anxious hearts of youth in love with 'Dearest'

South Korean rap-rock band N. Flying dropped its eighth album "Dearest" on Monday and held a media showcase in Seoul ahead of its release. The band is returning with a new album just over a year since the release of its first full-length repackage album "Turbulence." "We're happy to be able to have more chances to meet our fans in person and enjoy music together through more music shows and festivals," member Hwe-seung said during Monday's event. "W

Oct. 17, 2022

Le Sserafim returns as quintet with 2nd EP ‘Antifragile’

While rookie girl group Le Sserafim had to overcome the hurdle of repositioning into a quintet just two months after its debut, the members said the experience has toughened them up. That new attitude can be heard throughout the group's second EP, "Antifragile," which dropped Monday. Ahead of the album’s digital release at 6 p.m., the band held a press showcase event to talk about the album and its production. The bandmates said they were able to improve their singing and

Oct. 17, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jin to enlist

Jin of BTS will be the first member of the septet to enlist. His enlistment was pushed back to end of this year as recommended by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, but he will retract the deferral later this month and follow the procedure for mandatory military service, said label Big Hit Music on Monday. The rest of the members will carry out their duties according to their respective plans, and everyone is hoping to resume full-group activities approximately in 2025, the company ad

Oct. 17, 2022

Lee Chan-hyuk says death is the beginning of his new musical life through first solo album ‘Error’

As the phrase goes, every end is the beginning of something new. For sing Lee Chan-hyuk, it took eight years as a part of sibling duo AKMU to finalize the pieces of his solo identity and put together his first solo album, “Error,” which dropped Monday evening. Though there are many terms that can signal a new start, the word that surrounds the whole album is “death." The Lee Chan-hyuk that people are aware of has disappeared, and a new Lee Chan-hyuk has arrived, said the s

Oct. 17, 2022

'The Zone: Survival Mission' wraps up with bittersweet ending

While Disney+’s star-studded unscripted show “The Zone: Survival Mission” caught local viewers’ attention, its lackluster performance elsewhere around the world cast doubt on the possibility of repeated success of Korean reality shows on global streaming platforms. With its final episode released last Wednesday, the reality show became the second most popular show on Disney+’s Korean top 10 chart, data released by streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol showed. &ldquo

Oct. 17, 2022

[Herald Review] Blackpink wraps up in Seoul, jet-sets off on world tour

Blackpink successfully embarked on its first world tour in four years, "Born Pink," kicking it off in Seoul over the weekend. The concerts were held on Saturday and Sunday at the KSPO Dome in Jamsil, Seoul, and the two sold-out shows drew a total of 20,000 people. KSPO Dome is a sports complex with a capacity of some 15,000 seats, but the band's label YG Entertainment said it limited tickets out of safety concerns. The 120-minute gig on Sunday night opened with "How You Like That,

Oct. 17, 2022

Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Yi-hyun return with remake of hit romance film ‘Ditto’

Young actors Yeo Jin-goo and Cho Yi-hyun are returning with a remake of the hit romance sci-fi film "Ditto" (2000). In the new film set in 1999, university student Yong (Yeo) has just returned to school after completing his mandatory military service. There, he meets his first love, freshman Han-sol (Kim Hye-yoon). Meanwhile, Mu-nee (Cho), who lives in the present day, has a secret crush on her best guy friend (Na In-woo). One day, Yong somehow communicates with Mu-Nee through a walk

Oct. 17, 2022

'Knives Out' sequel stars laud Angela Lansbury at Europe premiere

LONDON -- Daniel Craig and co-stars of "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" lauded Angela Lansbury on Sunday as the whodunit sequel in which the late actress makes a cameo closed the London Film Festival. Craig said 96-year-old Lansbury -- who died Tuesday, after becoming a household name through playing a writer-detective in "Murder, She Wrote" -- had been "in my life all my life." "I mean, my favorite film was 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'," said t

Oct. 17, 2022