[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Kai to return with solo music next month: report

Kai of EXO is preparing a new solo album that will be released at the end of November, according to local media reports Tuesday. 　 Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news and asked fans to keep their eyes peeled. 　 The veteran idol put out his first solo music in November last year. The eponymous EP consisted of six songs including main track “Mmmh,” and topped iTunes top albums chart in 50 regions. 　 Now in his 10th year as a musician, also as a member of EXO and SuperM, he has

Oct. 26, 2021

3 Korean teams claim spots in LoL World Championship semifinals

As Gen.G Esports triumphed over Cloud9 of the US, the last remaining hope for the West, in a clean 3-0 sweep Monday, three of four slots in the semifinals are now occupied by Korean teams: Damwon Kia, T1 and Gen.G Esports. The first game of the semifinals for the League of Legend World Championship will feature a clash of LoL giants Damwon and T1. The two teams, considered the two strongest teams in this year’s tournament, seek to cement their respective legacies by hoisting the Summone

Oct. 26, 2021

tvN reveals star-studded lineup for ‘Jirisan’ soundtrack

K-pop boy band BTS’ Jin and Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation are some of the well-known singers who will be featured in the soundtrack of “Jirisan,” tvN’s latest Saturday-Sunday drama series. The final star-studded lineup for the soundtrack announced by the drama production firms, Astory and Most Contents, also includes Yi Sung-yol, Kim Jong-wan of Nell, Gaho, Paul Kim, Jukjae, Kim Feel, Rothy and 03ohn. The artists are widely recognized for their megahit songs from

Oct. 26, 2021

[Herald Interview] Ahn Bo-hyun says global popularity of ‘My Name’ took him by surprise

The international fervor for the Netflix series “My Name” took actor Ahn Bo-hyun by surprise. “After the success of ‘Squid Game,’ I can definitely feel the change in the air and growing interest in Korean contents, “ Ahn said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Monday. ”I was surprised to hear that our series ranked third place on the global Netflix chart. Though global fans are cheering me and other actors on social media, witnessing th

Oct. 26, 2021

[Herald Review] BTS embraces vulnerability, connects with fans in ‘PTD On Stage’

Over the past year, global K-pop sensation BTS‘ virtual concerts have showcased impressive technological innovation, creative renditions of the group’s biggest hits and elaborate productions, but for Sunday’s livestreamed gig, the septet took time to return to the basics of a traditional concert. “BTS Permission To Dance On Stage,” kicked off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, the exact location where the group had held their last concert in

Oct. 26, 2021

Pianist Paik Kun-Woo files claim for damages against MBC

South Korean pianist Paik Kun-Woo filed a claim for damages on Monday against the MBC investigative journalism program "PD Note," which raised suspicions that he had neglected his wife, actress Yoon Jeong-hee. In a statement released by Paik, he said the contents of the“PD Note” episode titled “The missing actress, two faces of adult guardian,” which aired last month were false. He claimed the reputations of both him and his daughter Paik Jin-hee were significa

Oct. 25, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen enters Billboard at No. 11

Enhypen arrived on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 11 with its first full-length album “Dimension: Dilemma,” the publication tweeted on Sunday, US time. 　 The album was released on Oct. 12 and for the second time in its less-than-a-year-long career, the boy band found itself on the chart. The group’s second EP “Border: Carnival” from April debuted at No. 18 on the chart. 　 In Japan, the LP topped Oricon’s daily and weekly album charts as well as weekly total a

Oct. 25, 2021

Pohang launches classical music fest, aspiring to be city of art

The city of Pohang, a major industrial city in North Gyeongsang Province best known for its steel plants, is launching a classical music festival. The Pohang Cultural Foundation said it will host the Music Festival Pohang 2021, the first edition of the classical music festival from Nov. 5 to 11 for seven days across the port city. “We initially planned to host the festival in 2020, but the plan was postponed for about a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the upcoming festival, th

Oct. 25, 2021

Apple TV+ to launch service in Korea on Nov. 4

The global content service provider under Apple, Apple TV+ is to begin service in Korea from Nov. 4, further heating up competition in the local streaming service market. Tech giant Apple announced Monday that it will begin service for Apple TV+, Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV app service in Korea starting in November, in partnership with local internet service provider SK Broadband. Apple TV+ is the only subscription streaming service that offers only original content, according to Apple. The

Oct. 25, 2021

S. Korean movie industry mogul Lee dies

Lee Tae-won, a renowned South Korean movie producer, died Sunday after his health waned following an accidental fall last year, according to his aides. He was 83. Lee died in the afternoon at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital in Seoul, where he has been under treatment following the accident in May last year. His memorial altar is expected to be set up at the same hospital. Lee first started his career as a movie producer with a film, entitled "A long affection," in 1959. But hi

Oct. 24, 2021

[Herald Interview] Spanish writers talk about compromising an ideology to achieve a bigger goal

The winners of this year’s TV Movie Golden Bird Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards talked about the main topic of their film, “Federica Montseny, the Woman Who Speaks”: compromising one’s ideology to achieve a bigger goal. The Spanish film, co-written by Russo Felsen Rafael Eduardo and Mireia Llinas Ventura, is based on a true story. It depicts the life of Spanish anarchist leader Federica Montseny (played by Marcia Cistero), who went on to serve as the countr

Oct. 24, 2021

BTS to hold online concert for first time in almost 1 year

K-pop superband BTS was set to hold an online concert, "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage," on Sunday, featuring cutting-edge visual effects, according to its management agency. The seven-piece act's performance on a scale equivalent to an offline concert will be livestreamed from a local stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m., Big Hit Music said. It is BTS' first global online concert in about a year. The agency said powerful visual effects will help the audience enjoy computer-generated vis

Oct. 24, 2021

Bucheon Intl. Animation fest brings healing to pandemic-weary audiences

The 23rd Bucheon International Animation Festival began its five-day run Friday in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, with events held both online and offline at the Korea Manhwa Museum and CGV Bucheon. In 2017 the festival became the very first in South Korea to be officially accredited by the host of the Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. With a mission to enrich the animated film genre and expand its presence in Asia, the BIAF features a general competition section that

Oct. 24, 2021

Evgeny Kissin Seoul recital slated for November

Pianist Evgeny Kissin is to return to South Korea in November for a recital. On Wednesday, the Lotte Foundation for Arts announced that Kissin will perform at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul on Nov. 22. The upcoming recital is part of the Russia-born pianist’s Asia tour, which also encompasses Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He will perform six recitals in Japan from Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 before coming to Korea. After the Seoul recital, he will travel to Hong Kong and Taiwan for more

Oct. 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen releases 1st English song

Seventeen put out its ninth EP, “Attacca,” on Friday, with its first English-language song “2 Minus 1” included among the seven tracks.   　 “It is a song that Joshua and I sang together,” explained Vernon. It is a digital-only track and was made in English “to express our gratitude toward our fans from around the world,” he said.   　 The two searched for the best genre to highlight their charms, and as per Vernon’s suggestion, cho

Oct. 22, 2021

‘Hellbound’ posters offer sneak preview of upcoming fantasy thriller

Netflix released two poster images for its original series, “Hellbound,” on Friday, drumming up excitement for the upcoming project. “Hellbound,” a fantasy thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is an adaptation of an animation and webtoon of the same title. The series features supernatural events in which random people receive a text message saying they will be sent to hell. Supernatural beings like grim reapers deliver final judgment on people according to their past deed

Oct. 22, 2021

Don Lee says ‘Eternals’ will warm people’s hearts

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, says that he will return to the cinema with a heartwarming Marvel film in “Eternals.” “The film centers around the people of different races from around the world getting together to form a new family. The audience will be drawn to the touching stories of the film,” Lee said during an online press conference with a group of reporters Friday morning. “It was a surprising experience to become fr

Oct. 22, 2021

All Korean teams to play in LoL World Championships quarterfinals

The chances of Korean teams facing each other in the semifinals -- or even in the finals -- of the League of Legends World Championships have increased, as the Korean teams qualified in their respective group stages. The eight teams that made the quarterfinals are: Damwon Kia, T1, Hanwha Life Esports and GenG Esports of Korea; Edward Gaming and Royal Never Give Up of China; Cloud9 from US and Mad Lions of Europe. Damwon Kia, T1, Royal Never Give Up and Gen.G Esports topped their sections in th

Oct. 22, 2021

Samilro Changgo Theater to host project for drama creators

The Samilro Changgo Theater, which is managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, is to run a three-week program in November for drama creators under the theme “Meetings and Hospitality.” Founded in 1975, the Samilro Changgo Theater in central Seoul was the first private small theater in Korea. Since 2018, it has been managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The “Changgo Opening” project, which runs Nov. 5

Oct. 22, 2021

Seventeen ready to rock the stage with ‘Rock with You’

K-pop sensation Seventeen welcomed the fall foliage, autumn breeze and the romance of October by dropping their ninth EP, “Attacca,” on Friday afternoon, returning in nearly four months after their previous work. “Attacca” is a follow-up to the band’s previous album and its “Power of Love project.” The EP is aptly named -- attacca is a direction in music at the end of a movement to begin the next without pause. In a press conference on Friday, the 1

Oct. 22, 2021