'The Roundup' off to record-setting start at box office

The action comedy "The Roundup" has set the best opening-day record among Korean films released during the COVID-19 pandemic, box-office data showed Thursday. The sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" garnered about 467,000 viewers upon its debut Wednesday, accounting for 89 percent of the tickets sold on the day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It marked the largest first-day score for a homegrown film since the new coronavirus broke out in early 2020, ou

May 19, 2022

TWICE's Nayeon to make debut as solo artist next month

Nayeon of girl group TWICE will release "Im Nayeon," her first album as a solo artist next month, her agency said Thursday. JYP Entertainment also unveiled a promotional poster for the upcoming EP on social media. Nayeon will drop the EP at 1 p.m. on June 24 in South Korea, which is midnight US EST, apparently with the US music market in mind. The date is Friday, and Billboard charts are compiled from Friday to the following Thursday according to the eastern US time zone. The album

May 19, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] GFriend’s Yerin shows off her colors with debut EP

Yerin, formerly of now-disbanded GFriend, held a media showcase on Wednesday to introduce her first solo EP “Aria.” 　 Even though she debuted in 2015 as a member of the girl group, she admitted that she was all nerves and full of doubts. 　 “I questioned myself, wondering if I could do it right without making any mistake. But I am confident,” she declared before performing on stage. 　 “It would be a lie if I said I didn’t’ feel the pressure striking o

May 18, 2022

Song Hae, veteran presenter of ‘National Singing Contest,’ mulls retirement from show

Veteran television presenter Song Hae is considering stepping down as the host of KBS’ “National Singing Contest” after 34 years, following reports of his latest hospitalization for an unspecified illness, a KBS official said Wednesday. The 95-year-old, the longest-running presenter of a local television program, told the show’s production team that “now is a good time to leave the show due to health issues,” according to the official. The broadcaster however

May 18, 2022

‘Cassiopeia’ director focuses on father-daughter dynamic

Although “Cassiopeia” might seem like a woeful movie about a young lawyer in her 30s suffering from Alzheimer’s, the film’s director Shin Youn-shick said he focused more on portraying the father and daughter dynamic. “When I was working on the script. I watched the movie ‘The Intern’ to cool my head. That was also when I had a desire to work with (the actor) Ahn Sung-ki again,” the director said during a press conference held at Megabox theaters

May 18, 2022

[Herald Review] ‘Death Note’ offers a glimpse at future of musicals

Ever since “Death Note,” a Japanese manga series was first introduced to the world in 2003, it has been adapted for various mediums, including animation, film and TV drama. The story of a teenage genius, Light, with superpowers that allow him to kill with a notebook, was released as a musical in Japan in 2015 and soon thereafter a Korean version featuring K-pop superstar Kim Junsu, a former member of boy band TVXQ, became a huge hit in Korea. For the show’s third local re

May 18, 2022

Ateez to drop new Japanese EP next week

K-pop boy group Ateez will release a new Japanese-language EP next week, its management agency said Wednesday. The octet will drop its second Japanese EP "Beyond: Zero" next Wednesday, KQ Entertainment said, adding it will be the band's first release in Japan since its single "Dreamers" in July last year. The EP will have seven tracks, including the main track "Rocky" and "The King." Ahead of the album's release, Ateez unveiled a music video for

May 18, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee’s Onew to release 1st LP in Japan

Onew of SHINee will roll out his first studio album in Japan on July 6, his label SM Entertainment announced on Tuesday. 　 The LP will consist of ten tracks: six new songs and four remakes of hit Japanese songs including Kazumasa Oda’s “Kirakira” and Misia’s “Everything.” 　 He will unveil the LP “Life Goes On” gradually -- first with a pre-release song “Kirakira,” followed by more tracks. 　 The veteran idol will then tour Japan from

May 17, 2022

‘Psy’s boy band’ TNX makes debut with EP ‘Way Up’

TNX, the first boy band of P Nation, headed by “Gangnam Style” hitmaker Psy, made their long-awaited debut on Tuesday with its first EP “Way Up.” The six-member act – comprised of members TaeHun, KyungJun, HyunSoo, JunHyeok, Hwi and SungJun -- conducted its debut media showcase in Seoul a few hours ahead of the album’s release at 6 p.m. that day. “It feels unreal to be standing here on this stage … as much as we’ve dreamt about this moment

May 17, 2022

Lee Soo-young says making comeback after 13 years feels like ‘redebuting’

Veteran ballad singer Lee Soo-young is back with her 10th full-length album “Sory,” marking her new studio album release in nearly 13 years following “Dazzle,” which dropped in October 2009. In a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, ahead of the online release of the album at 6 p.m., the singer described her grand comeback as “making a debut for the second time,” with a quivering voice while shedding tears. “When I debuted at the age of 20, I w

May 17, 2022

[Unveil] Rising indie group SURL wants to take rock back to the masses

Rock music is seen as a cult genre in Korea, according to SURL, with the wider public not knowing much about it. But as one of the groups scheduled to participate in Mnet’s next music survival program “Great Seoul Invasion,” a program aimed to discover Korea’s next generation of band groups, indie band Surl hopes to bridge the gap. “We want to break down that barrier. Hopefully, our next full-length album and Mnet’s upcoming band survival show will become an o

May 17, 2022

[Reporter’s Notebook] Why desire to be ‘revered’ resonates with many Koreans?

JTBC’s drama “My Liberation Notes” does not conform to the typical K-drama mold. There’s no handsome chaebol prince; there’s no crazy mother-in-law. What you see in it are three siblings who live in a small and humble house on the outskirts of Seoul. Although it takes one and a half hours to their workplaces in Seoul, none of them have a car because their conservative father -- who despises unnecessary spending and believes in the dignity of labor -- won&rsquo

May 17, 2022

[Feature] Major movie projects link foreign directors, Korean actors to draw global audiences

Famous Korean stars Song Kang-ho, Kang Dong-won, IU and Lee Joo-young entered the theater to take part in a press event held at Yongsan CGV on May 10. Just like every other press event with Korean reporters, the stars introduced their roles in the new film, shared their experiences from the set and posed for photos. However, there was one difference. Director Hirokazu Koreeda joined the event via video conference from Japan. There was also an interpreter for the director. The situation was s

May 17, 2022

Music in PyeongChang returns bigger and earlier

The 19th edition of Music in PyeongChang is set to take place earlier and will be bigger than before, the festival’s artistic director Son Yeol-eum said Monday. The iconic music festival will be held for 22 days from July 2 to 23 at various places in Gangwon Province under the theme of “Mask.” “Because of the masks during the pandemic, we were able to stay connected during a time of disconnection,” Son said. In ancient Greece, masks were synonymous with perso

May 17, 2022

Korean broadcasters start to release overseas projects, film abroad

South Korean broadcasters are beginning to air TV programs filmed abroad as they resume long-suspended plans for shootings overseas. With the easing of travel restrictions, including mandatory quarantine for international arrivals and the reopening of international routes, broadcasters are keen to resume filming TV programs in exotic locations. Cable channel tvN recently released the new entertainment show “Unexpected Journey,” a series starring Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung. The sh

May 17, 2022

Girls’ Generation to make full-group comeback in August after five years

Girls’ Generation is making a long-awaited comeback in August in celebration of its 15th anniversary. After rumors that the K-pop legend is returning with a new batch of songs, the band’s agency S.M. Entertainment confirmed Tuesday that the band will drop a new album sometime in August. The band also plans to appear on various television programs to celebrate the 15th anniversary album and launch a new reality show, according to the agency. The company said it would provide mor

May 17, 2022

Girls' Generation to make comeback in August after five years

K-pop group Girls' Generation will make a comeback in August by dropping a new album to mark the 15th anniversary of its debut, the group's agency said Tuesday. All eight members of the group will take part in the album that will be the band's first release in five years, SM Entertainment said without giving any details on the upcoming album. Debuting in 2007, the group churned out hit after hit, such as "Girls' Generation," "Gee," "Genie" and &q

May 17, 2022

S. Korean cinema chains still in red in Q1 but optimistic about possible rebound

South Korea's major cinema chains remained in the red in the first quarter of this year amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, but the lifting of distancing rules will likely provide them fresh momentum for a possible turnaround in the coming quarters, data showed Tuesday. CJ CGV, the No. 1 multiplex operator under the wing of entertainment giant CJ Group, said its operating loss reached 54.9 billion won ($42.9 million) for the first three months of 2022, narrowing from an operating deficit of 6

May 17, 2022

'Doctor Strange 2' tops 5m admissions

Hollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" surpassed 5 million admissions Tuesday, data showed. The latest Marvel Studios' flick hit the milestone at 7:20 a.m., on the 13th day of its theatrical release in South Korea, according to the official box-office data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It became the fastest movie to top 5 million in the past three years, outmatching the country's biggest pandemic-era hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the film

May 17, 2022

Astro boasts its signature freshness in 3rd LP ‘Drive to the Starry Road’

K-pop boy band Astro is back with its signature freshness for its third full-length album, “Drive to the Starry Road,” delving deeper into new sounds with the band’s six years of experience. The six-member act held a press conference in Seoul on Monday afternoon, a few hours ahead of the album’s release. Member MJ, real name Kim Myung-jun, started his military service last Monday and was absent from the event. “Drive to the Starry Road” marks the band&rsquo

May 16, 2022