Designer death on offer in 'Beyond the Memory'

“Beyond the Memory,” an upcoming sci-fi series on local streaming service Tving, seeks to impress viewers with an unprecedented setting named “Yonder.” “I began learning new expressions, thanks to scientific and technological developments. Terms like metaverse and virtual reality are some examples. ‘Yonder’ is a concept that exists in the metaverse, lying between the virtual world and reality,” renowned filmmaker Lee Joon-ik said during an online p

Oct. 12, 2022

Mamamoo ready to 'cause an incident' with 12th EP, 'Mic On'

With sounds of rustling leaves as a backdrop across the country, girl group Mamamoo made its way back to the music charts as a full unit with its 12th EP, “Mic On,” which released Tuesday evening. This marks a return for the band a year after “I Say,” an album that celebrated the K-pop act’s seventh anniversary in September 2021. During Tuesday’s press conference, Solar said the new album shows who Mamamoo is. Moon-byul added that the album’s title could

Oct. 11, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Chen to make his solo return

  Chen of EXO will roll out his third solo EP on Oct. 31, the singer's label SM Entertainment announced on Tuesday. The “Last Scene” EP comes about three years after the release of “Dear My Dear.” The new EP will consist of six tracks. He completed serving his military duty in April and resumed activities as a member of the band, joining bandmates Suho and Kai on stage for the label’s all-star concert in Tokyo, despite mixed responses from fans. In January 2020

Oct. 11, 2022

Dreamcatcher continues to send message of climate action with 7th EP ‘Apocalypse: Follow Us’

Girl group Dreamcatcher returned to the music scene with its seventh EP, “Apocalypse: Follow Us” on Tuesday. The seven-member act aims to continuously share its heartfelt message, calling for action to protect the earth through its new songs. It marks the septet’s return after a six-month hiatus following the release of its second full-length album, “Apocalypse: Save Us,” dropped in April. The new album is the sequel to the group’s previous release. At a press

Oct. 11, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Riceboy Sleeps’ is not similar to ‘Minari’: director Anthony Shim

“Riceboy Sleeps” by director Anthony Shim is being hailed as the next “Minari,” a multiple-award winning drama film directed by Lee Isaac Chung. But Anthony Shim, who directed “Riceboy Sleeps” says that the two films are not alike. In an interview with The Korea Herald on Sunday, also attended by two the film’s two leading actors, Choi Seung-yoon and Ethan Hwang, Shim said that the comparisons between the two films helps explain his film more easily

Oct. 11, 2022

Shinhwa’s Shin Hye-sung arrested for refusing to breathalyze in stolen vehicle

Shin Hye-sung of the K-pop male group Shinhwa has been arrested for refusing to take a breathalyzer test. The vehicle that he was driving was registered as stolen. Seoul Songpa Police Station said that Shin was apprehended in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, around 1:40 a.m., Tuesday, for refusing to comply with a breathalyzer test. Police received a call addressing a stopped vehicle in the middle of the road. When they arrived at the scene, the singer was sleeping in the car, according to the sta

Oct. 11, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘S. Korea my all-time favorite place on earth,’ says Alec Benjamin

Since in-person festivals and concerts resumed after a two-year pandemic break, big-name global pop artists have returned to South Korea to meet local fans. American singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin is gearing up to please local listeners’ ears once again by throwing a concert in Seoul next month. While the upcoming event will mark the Arizona-bred musician’s third time visiting the country, he still could not hide his excitement. “South Korea is my favorite place on the earth.

Oct. 10, 2022

AKMU’s Lee Chan-hyuk to put out solo debut album led by ‘Panorama’

Lee Chan-hyuk of K-pop sibling duo AKMU is gearing up to release his first solo album this month. The upcoming album’s lead track will be “Panorama,” YG Entertainment, the duo’s agency, said Monday. With the announcement, the K-pop powerhouse also released a new poster image hinting at the message of the new song. It shows the musician bending his back and gazing upward in a dark tunnel. His first individual album, “Error” is set to drop on Oct. 17. Details on

Oct. 10, 2022

'Grand Expedition': Hop on culinary journey of immersive dining

A group of guests board a replica hot air balloon. Performers dressed as expeditioners serve pork sausage rolls and biscuits with tomato chutney, while dancing and miming. Guests are invited to take part in the preparation for a takeoff. After a hearty Victorian-style picnic, the guests set off on a journey to surprise destinations led by Sylph, the spirit of air. An immersive dining show “The Grand Expedition” kicked off on Sept. 30 at Blue Square, in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. A un

Oct. 8, 2022

Cartoon, animation groups protest Culture Ministry's sponsorship withdrawal

Korea's cartoon and animation community warned the Culture Ministry Friday that it was violating academic and artistic freedom protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. A statement issued by the Cartoon and Animation Society in Korea (Urimana) and several other groups called for an end to censorship of comics and webtoon artists. The statement also said that freedom of expression must be protected and that the unjust pressure against the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency must stop.

Oct. 7, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim’s 2nd EP sells over half million copies in pre-orders

Le Sserafim’s forthcoming EP sold more than 560,000 million units in pre-orders as of Friday, according to a distributor. EP “Antifragile” started receiving pre-orders on Sept. 19 and surpassed the sales record of its debut album “Fearless.” The EP will be the rookie girl group's first album since it became a quintet. A trailer for the new EP, dubbed “The Hydra” after one of the five tracks, clocked up 1 million views on YouTube in about 10 hours. On Sa

Oct. 7, 2022

Big-name film director Lee Joon-ik’s debut drama ‘Yonder’ premieres at BIFF

BUSAN--Big-name film director Lee Joon-ik’s debut drama “Yonder” premiered Thursday night at Sohyang Theater in Busan during the 27th Busan International Film Festival. After the first three episodes of the six-part series were screened, Lee subtly expressed his disappointment about the theater’s facilities during a guest visitor event. “We are not at a movie theater. This is actually a musical performance stage. So while I was watching the film the sound did not

Oct. 7, 2022

Jung Hae-in stars in terror master Takashi Miike's 'Connect'

Rising Korean star Jung Hae-in stars in Japanese horror master Takashi Miike’s Disney+ fantasy thriller series “Connect” as a man with special healing power. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Shin Dae-sung, the series begins with Jung’s character Dong-soo (Jung) being kidnapped by organ hunters. Although he manages to escape, he is unable to retrieve his eye that was pulled out by the organ hunters. He later discovers that his eye has been transplanted to a

Oct. 7, 2022

Rock band Sanullim to drop remastered LPs for 45th anniversary

  The first thought that came up in rock singer Kim Chang-wan's mind after hearing the remastered version of his band Sanullim's past LPs was his late brother Chang-ik who had been the band's drummer. "This remastering project brought back memories of our brothers back in 1977, and especially of the youngest. His drumming had been recorded as if he was tapping with wooden spoons. It had been such a shame," Kim Chang-wan said during a press conference on Thursday. "I felt so r

Oct. 7, 2022

Korean drama ‘Little Women' banned in Vietnam

Cable channel tvN’s mystery thriller “Little Women,” a Korean drama series which is ranked sixth on the global Netflix chart, has been pulled from the service in Vietnam. According to Vietnam online publication VnExpress, Vietnam’s Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information removed the series from Netflix in Vietnam for presenting misleading information about Vietnam and the Vietnam War. “We recognize the ongoing situation with ‘Little W

Oct. 7, 2022

Stray Kids can be darlings: Boy band returns with ‘Maxident’ that spells out love

As once-verdant leaves are transforming into reds and browns of autumn, Stray Kids welcomed the season with their new album “Maxident” on Friday evening to navigate the seasons of love. This marks the boy band’s return nearly seven months after it released its sixth EP, “Oddinary,” in March. “We didn’t know how to prepare for our new album. We’ve received so much love in the thick of our second ‘Maniac’ world tour, and our skills and st

Oct. 7, 2022

Young, talented musicians to play in Muse On Day

2022 Muse On Day, an indoor music festival, will take place on upcoming weekends starting this Saturday at Watcha Hall in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. The festival is making a return after a two-year break as South Korea continues to lift its COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. Organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and terrestrial broadcaster MBC, the annual music festival offers an opportunity for rookie artists to take the stage and perform live in front of music fans. Ten musicians

Oct. 7, 2022

[Herald Review] The Kid LAROI cranks out mega-hits at first Korea show

Dramatic drum rolls, electric guitar riffs and flashing lights built an electric atmosphere at KBS Arena Thursday night ahead of Australian singer-songwriter and rapper The Kid LAROI bursting onto the stage. As the crowd roared, the singer jumped onstage with a beaming smile on his face. The 90-minute set jumped back and forth through the musician’s three-year musical journey, switching from an upbeat ballad to several unreleased tracks, showing off what it felt like to return to pre-pande

Oct. 7, 2022

Films about King Sejong and Hangeul

From a ruler to an academic, a musician and a linguist, King Sejong wore many hats. And the 15th-century monarch who invented Korea’s writing system Hangeul has also been an inspiration for Korean filmmakers and TV drama producers. The most recent of the big-screen attempts to convincingly depict Sejong was 2019's “The King’s Letters,” directed by Jo Chul-hyun and starring none other than “Parasite” star Song Kang-ho as King Sejong. The film follows the t

Oct. 7, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Life is Beautiful (Korea) Opened Sept. 28 Drama Directed by Choi Kook-hee Housewife Se-yeon (Yum Jung-ah) has devoted her entire life to her family, but her family does not appreciate this. One day, she finds out that she has lung cancer and only a few months left to live. As her last birthday present, she asks her husband (Ryu Seung-ryong) to help find her first high school crush. Though reluctant at first, her husband decides to go on this strange journey with Se-yeon. Honest Candidate 2 (Ko

Oct. 7, 2022