Historical romance dramas catch eyes of S. Korean TV viewers

South Korean historical romance series starring young and up-and-coming actors are creating a fresh buzz at home and abroad for their dramatic settings and resonating love stories. KBS' "The King's Affection," based on the popular webtoon "Yeonmo," is a story of a fictional princess of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), who has been raised as her deceased twin brother and becomes a king. Starring Park Eun-bin, the 20-episode series airing every Monday and Tuesday saw its viewe

Dec. 2, 2021

BTS to be absent from MAMAs due to self-quarantine for all overseas arrivals

K-pop supergroup BTS will be unable to attend the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMAs) scheduled for next week as the members have to go through COVID-19 isolation upon arrival from the United States due to tightened quarantine rules. The government decided to place all overseas arrivals under a 10-day quarantine for two weeks starting Friday, regardless of their nationalities and vaccination status, to tackle the omicron variant. The septet is currently in Los Angeles for its first in-person

Dec. 2, 2021

Rookie girl group Ive ready to make a splash with ‘Eleven’

In the cutthroat K-pop industry, making one’s mark as a singer is no easy feat. But rookie girl group Ive believes they can make it. Produced by K-pop powerhouse Starship Entertainment, which houses globetrotting acts like boy band Monsta X, the sextet threw their glitzy hats into the ring Wednesday evening with an ambition to follow the footsteps of now-disbanded Sistar and girl group WJSN. The six members -- Yujin, Gaeul, Won-young, Liz, and Leeseo, who are Koreans, and Rei from Jap

Dec. 1, 2021

From ‘Hellbound’ to ‘Squid Game,’ churches fret over religious zealot characters

During a recent Sunday service at a church in the suburbs of Seoul, a pastor cautioned churchgoers to not watch a new Netflix series. The messages and symbols in the show are “anti-Christ,” he warned. The sermon was about the six-part dark fantasy series “Hellbound,” directed by Yeon Sang-ho, a churchgoer himself whose previous works include the megahit zombie thriller “Train to Busan.” The dystopian show, which centers on a religious group that cultivates i

Dec. 1, 2021

COVID-19 resurgence halts local filmmaking industry

The COVID-19 pandemic is once again shaking the Korean filmmaking industry, as two star actors -- Jung Woo-sung and Go Kyung-pyo -- tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday. Other actors and crew who worked with Jung and Go now find themselves in a situation in which they have to halt their current projects and undergo COVID-19 PCR tests. According to Jung’s agency Artist Company, the actor went into self-quarantine after being confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Monday night.

Dec. 1, 2021

Master of romance returns with ‘Happy New Year’ starring 14 actors

Korean director Kwak Jae-yong, a master of the romance genre, is releasing “Happy New Year,” a romantic film with an ensemble cast of 14 actors. Kwak, 62, has created many hit romance films, including “My Sassy Girl” and “The Classic.” The film’s format is similar to UK film “Love Actually,” which presents a large cast and tells intertwined love stories between characters. Kwak’s film includes young big-name actors like Han Ji-min

Dec. 1, 2021

[Herald Interview] Park Jeong-min is puzzled by global attention to ‘Hellbound’

For actor Park Jeong-min, the global popularity of “Hellbound” was unexpected. “Because I was simply a huge fan of the original webtoon, I was excited to play the television producer Bae Young-jae. Though I never took the role lightly, I did not have the pressure of turning the project into a smash hit series. I enjoyed working with amazing colleagues and director Yeon Sang-ho,” Park said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Tuesday. “Hearing the n

Dec. 1, 2021

Hybe’s new music label kicks off global audition to incubate BTS wannabes

An independent music label under Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind boy band BTS, announced a plan Wednesday to hold its first global audition aimed at launching next-generation boy bands and girl groups. According to All Doors One Room (ADOR), anyone born between 2002 and 2010 can apply for an audition from Wednesday to Jan. 10, regardless of their nationality and country of residence. Since the audition is set to take place online, applicants are required to submit applications along with t

Dec. 1, 2021

R&B singer Bumkey makes official debut in Japan with ‘Attraction’

R&B singer Bumkey made his Japan debut Wednesday with the release of the single “Attraction (Japanese Remix),” a collaboration with popular Japanese rapper Miyachi as a featured artist. The musician’s single was released on Japanese music streaming platforms at midnight, while it became available on local online music sites at noon. The new single is a remix version of “Attraction,” featuring Korean hip-hop act Dynamic Duo, which was released in August 2013. I

Dec. 1, 2021

'Hellbound' drops to 2nd on Netflix's official chart in its 2nd week

South Korean fantasy horror "Hellbound" has dropped to second place on Netflix's weekly official viewership chart for non-English TV programs in its second week of release, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. Yeon Sang-ho's dystopian horror ranked No. 2 on the chart for the week from Nov. 22-28, posting 67.5 million hours of viewing. It was closely followed by the Colombian telenovela "The Queen of Flow: Season 2" with 69 million hours. The Korean-language

Dec. 1, 2021

Sweet like peach, Kai aims to send message of love through “Peaches”

After rumors about Kai of boy band EXO’s second solo album circulated last month, he answered questions to the anticipation by stretching his solo legs. The singer sent fans abuzz with excitement by releasing his new EP, “Peaches,” which dropped Tuesday evening. In a press conference earlier Tuesday, the singer said his second EP consists of six tracks spanning across genres, adding that the expansion in his musical taste will be worth the listen. The virtuoso’s new

Nov. 30, 2021

[Herald Interview] Just like ‘Would You Run,’ Tri.be wishes to run higher

In an industry where idol bands are still burgeoning, it’s a tough place for rookie groups to make it. But for Tri.be, they knew they had the potential to rise in the competitive landscape. Produced by famous K-pop songwriter Sinsadong Tiger and global entertainment giant Universal Music Group’s Korean leg, Tri.be threw their glitzy hats into the ring in February. Being the label’s first quadrilingual band, the seven members -- Song-sun, Jin-ha, So-eun and Hyun-bin, who are

Nov. 30, 2021

Mnet’s ‘Street Dance Girls Fighter’ to continue ‘K-dance’ fever with teens

Mnet’s upcoming dance competition show “Street Dance Girls Fighter” is aiming to continue growing interest in dance by reviving the premise of the cable channel’s hit program “Street Woman Fighter,” this time with talented teenage female dance crews. The program will feature dance crews comprised of high school girls competing to win a 10 million-won ($8,420) prize. Top-tier female crews -- YGX, Lachica, Want, WayB, Coca N Butter, Prowdmon, HolyBang and Hook

Nov. 30, 2021

Kakao Entertainment and Naver Webtoon to fight illegal websites

As Korean webtoons enjoy new heights of popularity, being turned into drama series and films, the Korean webtoon industry is seeking to take down illegal websites featuring pirated webtoons. Seven leading webtoon platforms -- Kakao Entertainment, Kidari Studio, Lezhin Entertainment, Naver Webtoon, Ridi, Topco and Toomics -- announced Tuesday that they would take collective action to fight the illegal distribution of webtoons. The companies seek to protect the authors’ desire to create ori

Nov. 30, 2021

Korean streaming platforms’ survival plan: original content

Netflix’s “Squid Game” has proven original content’s power to attract subscribers. Following the release of the Korean content in September, the global streaming platform’s monthly active users here reached 9.48 million, the highest since the company entered the Korean market, according to data from Nielsen Korea. Many of the major Korean streaming platforms have been creating original content to secure their own market shares in the Korean market. CJ ENM’

Nov. 30, 2021

‘Squid Game’ wins breakthrough series prize at Gotham Awards

“Squid Game” was announced the winner of the breakthrough series’ long format category at the 2021 Gotham Awards on Tuesday. Five other TV series, including Amazon Studios’ “Small Axe” and HBO Max’s “It’s A Sin,” vied for the prize in the over 40-minute category at the annual US awards ceremony for lower-budget indie movies and TV series. The award ceremony took place on Tuesday in New York and “Squid Game” director Hwan

Nov. 30, 2021

SoFi Review: BTS brings moments of magic, surprises in emotional reunion with ARMYs

LOS ANGELES – Witnessing the emotional reunion of K-pop titans BTS with their fans in Los Angeles, it was clear that the two years apart left their bond not just completely unscathed, but stronger than ever. “I really wanted to say I missed you, and we know how hard things were for you, how thankful I am. In Korea, we didn’t have any fans and performed in front of the camera. I really shouldn’t feel this way, but the first time I saw you in two years, honestly it was a

Nov. 30, 2021

[Herald Interview] Sewing fantasy on to fashion

One of the main distinctions of K-pop idol artists is the magnificent visuals on the stage. Star-studded with shining jewels and elaborate patterns eliciting those of middle age royals, the stage outfits turn those singer-performers into “idols,” and their presence becomes a fantasy for fans to cherish and indulge. But K-pop idol singers, once considered just a young trend in the Korean music scene, were not always so spruced up with luxury, and it would not be a stretch to say the

Nov. 30, 2021

EBS presents XR television shows ‘The Home’ and ‘The Dreamer’

Public educational TV channel EBS is launching two extended reality science programs, “The Home” and “The Dreamer,” this week. Extended reality is an umbrella term encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. The computing technology can merge physical and virtual worlds, bringing digital elements to the viewers. “There has been a few music programs partly applying XR technology, but ‘The Home’ and ‘The Dreamer’ are t

Nov. 29, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez to return next month with “Turbulence”

Ateez announced the name of the focus track from its upcoming EP, “Zero: Fever Epilogue,” with a poster on Monday. 　 In the black-and-white photograph that is fashioned after a graduation picture, the bandmates stand in front of what looks like their school, a recurring setting that appeared in “Inception” from the first installment of the “Fever” series, “Zero: Fever Part 1,” which came out in July 2020. 　 They are wearing mortarboard hats for

Nov. 29, 2021