[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to host 1st world tour in September: report

Enhypen will kick off its international tour with a Seoul concert in mid-September, according to a local media report on Tuesday. The band will also have dates in US and Japan. 　 Agency Belift Lab confirmed the news. 　 It will be the band’s first international tour, having debuted in November 2020. The seven members formed the group through an audition reality show, “I-Land.” 　 On Monday, its agency released the tracklist for the third EP, “Manifesto: Day 1.” The

June 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Money Heist’ director contemplates series remake

Director Kim Hong-sun of “Money Heist: Korea -- Joint Economic Area” was a little surprised to hear that some viewers were disappointed that the Korean version bared too much resemblance to the hit Spanish crime drama on Netflix. “Our series was a remake of the hit Spanish drama. I believe the process of making a remake involves keeping the characteristics of the original, retelling the story of the previous production, but using a different cast and setting,” Kim said

June 28, 2022

Van Cliburn winner Lim Yun-chan to perform with maestro Chung Myung-whun

Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old pianist who just became the youngest winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join the KBS Orchestra led by renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun in a concert at the Namhansanseong Art Hall in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 26. Lim will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which he played in the first stage of the Van Cliburn Competition finals. The KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform Dvorak Symphony No. 7 in the sec

June 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] Musical composer Frank Wildhorn on South Korea's musical industry, his favorite actors

There was one common element at four different theaters across South Korea on Thursday night. They all staged the music of American composer Frank Wildhorn, the great mind behind musicals “The Man Who Laughs,” “Death Note,” “Mata Hari” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” “That’s 7,000-8,000 people every single night listening to my music … all I can say is that I’m the luckiest guy,” Wildhorn said in an interview with local re

June 28, 2022

Boy group SF9 to drop new album next month

K-pop boy group SF9 will release a new EP next month, its management agency said Tuesday. The band's 11th EP titled "The Wave OF9" will hit music stores on July 13, FNC Entertainment said. It will be the first release from the group since its 10th EP "Rumination" out in November. Leading the album will be "Scream," a song full of summer vibes. The group debuted in October 2016 with nine members and has gained popularity for its hits such as "Good Guy"

June 28, 2022

Girl group aespa to perform in 'Good Morning America' 2022 Summer Concert Series

South Korean girl group aespa will headline this year's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series, an annual summer concert hosted by the famous U.S. morning talk show, the group's agency said Tuesday. Aespa will perform its hit songs "Next Level" and "Savage," as well as its first English single, "Life's Too Short," during the concert in New York's Central Park on July 8 (US time). It will also premier "Girls," the title t

June 28, 2022

BTS' J-Hope to prerelease 'More' on Friday

J-Hope, a rapper and dancer of K-pop supergroup BTS, will prerelease "More," a track on his upcoming debut solo album, this week, his agency said Tuesday. The song will hit music services at 1 p.m. Friday in Korea, when it will be midnight US EST, two weeks ahead of the release of his first single, "Jack in the Box," on July 15, according to Big Hit Music. J-Hope teased the upcoming album with a photo of him staring into the camera, wearing what appears to be a black jester&#

June 28, 2022

Thai soldiers in the Korean war remembered in Kakao Entertainment webtoon

Kakao Entertainment and the Korean Cultural Center Thailand will present a webtoon about Thai veterans who participated in the Korean War. The webtoon has been created to inform the younger generation about the history of the Korean War. Titled “One Day, My Beloved Idol Group‘s Leader Disappeared!” it will be launched in September in Thailand. The story begins when the leader of the famous K-pop boy band Little Tiger disappears, even from people’s memory. The main charac

June 28, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to put out repackaged album in July

Seventeen will come out with a repackage of their fourth studio album on July 18, said agency Pledis Entertainment on Monday. 　 The news of the repackaged album, “Sector 17,” was first announced during the band’s Seoul concert. The 13-member act held two concerts, on Saturday and Sunday, and shared the news at the end of the second day’s show. 　 Its fourth LP, “Face The Sun,” was released in May and sold more than 2 million copies in its first week, becomin

June 27, 2022

Min-hyuk returns as ‘Huta’ with self-produced second LP, ‘Boom’

Just like his famous catchphrase “Boom Shaka Laka,” Min-hyuk of boy band BTOB has returned, making his way back to the music charts with his second self-produced LP, “Boom,” released Monday evening. This marks the group member-turned-soloist's return in less than a year, having dropped a digital single titled “Good Night” in November. “It’s an album that best shows who Huta is as a soloist,” the singer said, referring to his solo alias.

June 27, 2022

‘Crash Landing on You’ couple confirms pregnancy

Star couple Son Ye-jin, 40, and Hyun Bin, 39, on Monday, confirmed that Son is pregnant three months after their March wedding. “New life has arrived,” Son announced on her Instagram account with a picture of wildflowers on Monday. “We are still bewildered, but with concerns and excitement, I‘m going through the daily feeling of the changes in my body.” “We will protect the precious life that has arrived,” Son added. Last month, Son posted a photo o

June 27, 2022

[Herald Interview] Park Hye-il still attached to character in ‘Decision to Leave’

When Korean actor Park Hye-il, 45, entered the cafe in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, where an interview with a group of reporters was to take place Thursday, he immediately started wiping the table with a tissue, although it was perfectly clean. When reporters pointed out that it seems like something that his detective character, Hye-jun, in Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” would do, the actor smiled shyly and agreed. “It seems like some of the character remains (

June 27, 2022

From BTS to iKON, K-pop idols break down musical barriers

There have long been distinct elements that make up the “K-pop idol sound” – namely highly-produced songs with catchy choruses sung by camera-ready group members performing their distinct roles. To the unfamiliar, K-pop music can appear to not much more than a product of the entertainment industry. But K-pop idols are, in fact, versatile: They can sing, dance, rap, compose and produce. A handful of K-pop singers have put their talents on full display in various platforms,

June 27, 2022

[Herald Review] Even after 7 years, Seventeen strives to be a beacon of light

Seventeen was among the rush of K-pop acts to hold concerts recently, but the 13-piece band’s two-day entertainment “Seventeen World Tour ‘Be the Sun’ -- Seoul” that took place over the weekend stood out in many ways. On Sunday, Seventeen -- comprising members S. Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino -- conducted the second and last day of its concert at Gocheok Sky Dome, which marked the start to the band&

June 27, 2022

Kakao Entertainment’s ‘The Gift’ coming to TV

Kakao Entertainment’s popular sports webtoon “The Gift” is coming to the small screen. “The Gift,” a webtoon series written and drawn by author J1212, centers around baseball coach Jung Min-yong who has a supernatural power to rate the level and ability of baseball players. Min-yong starts coaching at a high school and scouts Tae-hoon as a first team pitcher, seeing in him potential to become a great player. The story develops as the players show their dissatisfa

June 27, 2022

DC Comics’ ‘Red Hood: Outlaws,’ ‘Zatanna & the Ripper’ to arrive on Naver Webtoon

Naver Webtoon, South Korean tech giant Naver’s web-based cartoon platform, and DC Comics revealed the release date for their latest titles, “Red Hood: Outlaws” and “Zatanna and the Ripper.” During a discussion about the future of comics at the Collision Conference, Marie Javins, DC Comics editor-in-chief, and Naver Webtoon head of content David Lee said their upcoming series will be available on July 11 and Aug. 14, respectively, according to Naver Webtoon’s

June 27, 2022

BTS member V visits Paris after K-pop boyband suspends group activities

BTS member V has visited Paris in an apparent move to start his individual activities after the K-pop boyband announced a plan to take a collective break. According to industry sources Monday, V, or also known as Kim Tae-hyung, is on a trip to France for a fashion show on the invitation of designer Hedi Slimane for Celine. V attended the fashion show at the Palais de Tokyo, together with Korean actor Park Bo-gum and Lisa of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK. He shared photos of his activities in Paris

June 27, 2022

BTS places 4th on Billboard 200 with 'Proof'

K-pop sensation BTS' new album, "Proof," has placed fourth on the US Billboard's main albums chart for this week, staying in the top 10 for two straight weeks since its debut, the chart's operator said. The anthology album fell three notches after hitting the top spot in the previous week, Billboard said Sunday (US time). Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the US, measured by equivalent album units, comprising physical album sales and digital sale

June 27, 2022

Daegu International Musical Festival comes back in full blast

DAEGU -- The iconic Daegu International Musical Festival kicked off Friday, returning in full blast for the first time in three years. The opening event took place at Kolon Bandstand Stage, joined by generation-spanning musical actors as well as aspiring students, including Nam Kyeong-ju, Choi Jung-won, Michael Lee, Park Gun-hyung and Kim So-hyang.  This year’s iteration brought back foreign musicals, also for the first time in three years. The Slovakian version of “Turand

June 26, 2022

‘Manyo,’ hilarious but pitiful folk songs comes to stage in July

When Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, people here needed a way to relieve their grief, even in a sarcastic way. Although it is no longer widely performed, there was the genre of “manyo,” a popular form of folk music in the 1930s. Usually performed by musical troupes at the time, manyo songs generally had comic lyrics set to a melody that belied the sorrow and sarcasm underneath. Bujihwa Arts Company stages “Story Manyo,” a musical performance o

June 26, 2022