BTS unafraid of overcoming barriers, including the wall of Grammys

K-pop sensation BTS conducted a global press conference at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, after opening the curtains to the “Permission to Dance on Stage” concert series the previous night. The seven bandmates -- RM, V, Jimin, Suga, Jungkook, Jin and J-Hope -- shared their emotions and thoughts after reuniting with their global fans, known collectively as Army, in person for the first time in two years, and shared plans for the future. “For the past two years, &lsqu

Nov. 29, 2021

Netflix hopes to continue winning streak with reality shows

With the arrival of Disney+ and Apple TV+ setting off fierce competition in the country’s video streaming market, Netflix is seeking to cement its top position with a slew of new reality shows. The global streaming giant is premiering three original Korean variety shows for the year-end season, hoping to continue its dominance there on the back of recent global hit drama series like “Squid Game,” “My Name” and “Hellbound.” Starring six celebrities --

Nov. 29, 2021

Year-end indoor concert Countdown Fantasy returns amid pandemic

One of the country’s biggest indoor winter music concerts, Countdown Fantasy, will take place as a two-part, in-person event on Dec. 31 at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, just northwest of Seoul. The year-end concert, last held in 2012, will feature 14 music acts across diverse genres such as indie, hip-hop and K-pop, according to Mint Paper, organizer of Countdown Fantasy. The lineup announced Friday includes K-pop boy band Ateez, singer-songwriter Jukjae, girl group Dreamcatcher an

Nov. 29, 2021

[FULL TRANSCRIPT] BTS hopes LA concerts mark the start to their new chapter

K-pop sensation BTS conducted a global press conference at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, after opening the curtains to the “Permission to Dance on Stage” concert series the previous night. The seven bandmates -- RM, V, Jimin, Suga, Jungkook, Jin and J-Hope -- shared their emotions and thoughts after reuniting with their global fans, known collectively as Army, in person for the first time in two years, and shared plans for the future. Following is a full transcript of wha

Nov. 29, 2021

BTS leader says he feels 'invisible wall' for Korean artists

RM, leader of the K-pop sensation BTS, said Sunday (US time) he felt there is an "invisible wall" for Korean artists despite the group's back-to-back success in the global music industry. The remark was seen as referring to the group's failure to win nomination for the top four Grammys despite a series of dazzling successes, such as producing back-to-back Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers and winning the coveted top honor at the American Music Awards. "We secured the AMAs' artist

Nov. 29, 2021

[From the Scene] Fans paint LA purple and orange ahead of BTS concert

LOS ANGELES – With locals having flushed out of the city for the Thanksgiving holiday, the streets of downtown Los Angeles were empty in the days leading up to K-pop sensation BTS’ “Permission to Dance On Stage” concert series, which kicked off on Saturday. But sure enough, a flush of purple, the group’s signature color, flooded into the city as it geared up to welcome the world‘s biggest boy band and their global fandom, Army. The hashtags “Armys have

Nov. 28, 2021

KOCCA, KBS team up for immersive K-pop show for global fans

The Korea Creative Content Agency and state-run broadcaster KBS are joining hands to present immersive K-pop shows for Hallyu fans around the world, featuring augmented reality and extended reality content. The state agency and broadcaster presented Friday’s episode of the popular KBS K-pop program “Music Bank” to 114 countries on KBS 2TV, KBS World TV and the KBS World YouTube channel. The title was “Music Bank With K-Content,” and the live show featured 18 K-pop

Nov. 28, 2021

Actor Lee Chae-young returns as gambler in 'Tazza: The Poker Queen'

When Korean actor Lee Chae-young first heard the title of the upcoming film “Tazza: The Poker Queen,” it immediately reminded her of Korean film “The War of Flower,” which had the Korean title “Tazza.” Lee said she was hesitant to accept the role out of worry she could not outperform the 2006 hit. “However, after reading Kim Se-young’s comic that the film is created based on, I became to think that there is a story about woman gamblers that could

Nov. 27, 2021

[Well-curated] For the cold days: Indie film marathon, esports in person and soothing teas

As the cold winter blast is expected to continue this weekend, how about checking out indie movies at the 47th Seoul Independent Film Festival at CGV Art House Apgujeong and CGV Apgujeong in Seoul. The film festival kicked off Thursday and will run through Dec 3. Those who missed the opening film “Sprinter,” directed by Choi Seung-yeon that premiered on Thursday, can catch it at 3:20 p.m., Sunday. The film centers around three track athletes -- Hyun-soo, Jun-seo and Jung-ho --who

Nov. 27, 2021

Blue Square: Space behind Korea’s musical boom

In 2011, when a sprawling 29,492-square-meter, eight-story building opened its doors near Itaewon, Seoul’s vibrant nightlife district, not many could have imagined what was in store for Korea’s musical scene. Fast forward to a decade later, the building, Blue Square, has welcomed more than 10 million visitors coming to see 7,743 performances of 1,031 musicals, according to Interpark Group, which operates a major ticketing platform. Interpark built and runs the cultural complex, whi

Nov. 27, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Woodz floats poster for December concert

Woodz, also known as Cho Seungyeon, will hold a concert in Seoul Dec. 11-12. 　 Under the theme “The Invisible City,” he said he will bring his fans to a mirage-like space that does not exist in reality but can be found everywhere. The live performance will be also streamed around the world. 　 He held his first concert -- dubbed “2020 Woodz: Not Just a Concert - W Box” -- online last year, and demonstrated his presence for 120 minutes. 　 He won the first place in a telev

Nov. 26, 2021

Jeon Jong-seo praises ‘Nothing Serious’ director’s unique style, humor

Jeon Jong-seo has attracted attention for her character’s frank comments about sex in romantic comedy “Nothing Serious,” but for her the role was all about the director’s wit. Jeon plays Ham Ja-young, a 29-year-old single woman who often talks about her sex life with her friends and even makes sexual jokes to Park Woo-ri, a man she just met on a dating app.  “I think quirky and honest lines are director Jung Ga-young’s style. If I didn’t like t

Nov. 26, 2021

[Eye interview] ‘Squid Game’ VIP actors address criticism of their performance

John D. Michaels and Daniel C. Kennedy faced harsh criticism after appearing on the Netflix global sensation “Squid Game” as two of the VIPs. They addressed that criticism during a recent interview with The Korea Herald. Critics said the foreign actors’ performances were over the top and did not fit the tone of the series. Although they are aware of the criticism, Michaels and Kennedy said they would not do it much differently even if they had the chance. They al

Nov. 26, 2021

MBC’s ‘Teenage Girls’ aims to nurture Billboard chart-in girl group

MBC’s upcoming global audition program “Teenage Girls” is set to premiere on Sunday, with scores of contestants competing to form a seven-member girl group with the potential of making it on the Billboard charts. Viewers will see 83 trainees from South Korea, Japan, China and other countries display entertainment skills such as singing, dancing and rapping. The trainees will be split across four categories based on age. MBC teamed up with Naver and Han Dong-chul, who produc

Nov. 25, 2021

‘BTS law’ at a standstill at National Assembly

A subcommittee of the South Korean National Assembly’s defense committee reached a standstill in its deliberations on changes to the Military Service Act, the so-called BTS law, Thursday. The subcommittee discussed whether the country should grant exemptions from military service to pop artists who have helped elevate its global standing. The bill, if passed, would allow K-pop stars to work in their field for 34 months under an alternative program instead of undertaking active-duty servic

Nov. 25, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz to celebrate 4th anniversary

The Boyz on Thursday shared a timetable for celebrating their fourth debut anniversary with a batch of photographs. 　 Each of the 11 members posed for individual shots as athletes in different sports, ranging from soccer and hockey to shooting and archery, as part of its forthcoming season’s greeting campaign named “Athlete Club.” 　 The band will host an in-person concert, named “The B-Zone,” Dec. 3-5, to mark the anniversary. It has been close to three years sinc

Nov. 25, 2021

[Herald Interview] 'Hellbound' portrays my views about Korean society and humanity: Yeon Sang-ho

“Hellbound,” Netflix’s latest Korean original series directed from Yeon Sang-ho, presents a concrete observation on humans in a dystopian world, where moral principles and beliefs give way to religious zealotry. Yeon, who has been issuing his social criticism by depicting worlds in chaos, does not seem to limit himself in a single profession. The 43-year-old director’s love for fantasy horror has been presented in animation and as a film director, illustrator and scree

Nov. 25, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee’s Minho to host solo fan meet

Minho of SHINee will meet with fans in person at a fan event on Dec. 21. 　 It has been two years and nine months since his previous solo fan meeting, growing anticipation for the event that will also be broadcast live through Naver’s V Live for fans from around the world. 　 The veteran idol will put on a performance and talk to fans as well as play games, quenching the thirst of fans who have been waiting for a chance to see him on stage. 　 In addition to his activities as part of SHINe

Nov. 24, 2021

‘Sing Again’ winner Lee Seung-yoon shares musical philosophy in first studio album

Singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon, the winner of JTBC competition “Sing Again,” released his first studio album, “Even If Things Fall Apart,” Wednesday, revealing his musical philosophy to fans and new listeners. “I would like to be a musician who delivers two messages -- ‘You’re unique in your own way’ and ‘You mean nothing in this vast world’ -- through my songs. ... And this album could be the pinnacle moment of my career into w

Nov. 24, 2021

Hwasa’s ‘Guilty Pleasure’ shows there’s no light without shadow

After a year-and-a-half away from music, Hwasa hopped back into the pop scene during one of its most vibrant months with solo release “Guilty Pleasure” on Wednesday evening. The Mamamoo songstress said in an online press conference the same day that the three-song package talks about who she is, what she has gone through, and her thoughts and emotions about different phases in life. “I think I went through a wave of emotions and downs musically since I released my last solo

Nov. 24, 2021