Young K wishes to convey kaleidoscope of emotions through ‘Eternal’

Young K of boy band Day 6 welcomed autumn by hopping onto the September music chart craze with his first-ever solo album. The singer-turned-soloist’s album “Eternal,” which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors and melodies of music. The fall-themed seven-track package aims to talk about “Kang Young-hyun as a person,” referring to his real name, and “Young K as an artist,” the singer and bassist said during an online press conference

Sept. 6, 2021

Live jazz returns to Seoul Forest in October as Seoul Forest Jazz Festival goes in-person

The 5th Seoul Forest Jazz Festival will take place in-person on Oct. 16-17. The festival, launched in 2017, is held annually at Seoul Forest, featuring leading jazz musicians as well as pop acts. On Monday, organizers Page Turner announced the festival schedule, with the lineup to be released Wednesday. Last year, the festival was held as a hybrid event. Under the theme “Silent Picnic,” it allowed some 100 people to attend the event in person, offering them wireless headsets to

Sept. 6, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘D.P.’ gave time for self-reflection, learning lessons: Jung Hae-in

Taking on a character that is a departure from his previous romantic lead roles does not mean he wants an image overhaul, actor Jung Hae-in says. “Shooting the six-part series ‘D.P.’ provided a chance to reflect on my emotions and I am certain that the audience will have many thoughts after watching all the episodes,” said Jung. “I am well aware of the images created through my previous dramas and I did not choose ‘D.P.’ because I wanted to change th

Sept. 6, 2021

[Herald Interview] Role in ‘D.P.’ was an amazing experience: Koo Kyo-hwan

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan believes he still has long way to go. While moviegoers are mesmerized by his performances in the films “Penninsula,” “Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” “Escape from Morgadishu” and the recently released Netflix original series “D.P,” Koo has yet to start feeling comfortable with fame and recognition. “I am grateful that the fans liked how I played my characters in the series, but I still feel uneasy when people refer to me a

Sept. 6, 2021

2 Korean pianists win prizes at Busoni Competition

Korean pianists Park Jae-hong and Kim Do-hyun won prizes at the 63rd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, taking first and second places, respectively. The biennial Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, organized by the Ferruccio Busoni -- Gustav Mahler Foundation, wrapped up Friday, announcing the three winners among 33 semifinalists. For this year’s hybrid competition held in Bolzano, Italy, a total of 506 pianists went through online screening. Thirty-thre

Sept. 5, 2021

BTS to appear on YouTube music show next week

South Korean superband BTS, along with Coldplay front man, Chris Martin, will appear on YouTube's weekly music show next week, the septet's agency said Saturday. The K-pop sensation and Martin are set to appear on a special episode of YouTube Originals' weekly music series "Released" that will air at 12:45 p.m. Friday, according to Big Hit Music, the group's agency. They are expected to share their experiences as musicians on the global stage and talk about a set of topics, such as

Sept. 4, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice gives glimpse of upcoming English-language single

Twice uploaded the first teaser photograph for its first English-language song, “The Feels,” Friday. 　 In the group photo, the nine band members are sitting together in a girly powder room, sporting preppy looks tweaked with trendy accessories. Jeongyeon is with her bandmates even though she is taking some time off, for the second time, due to panic and anxiety attacks since last month. 　 The band released English versions of “More & More,” “I Can’t Stop

Sept. 3, 2021

Park Seo-joon to star in Marvel film

Park Seo-joon, 32, left South Korea on Friday afternoon to star in Marvel Studios’ new superhero film, according to agency Awesome ENT. The announcement was long anticipated by movie fans as there had been rumors about Park appearing in the sequel to “Captain Marvel,” officially titled “The Marvels,” after online film database platform IMDb posted his profile and photo in July identifying him as part of the cast. The sequel to “Captain Marvel” is ex

Sept. 3, 2021

‘Miracle: Letters to the President’ director ready to surprise audience

Director Lee Jang-hoon said his upcoming film “Miracle: Letters to the President” will exceed the audience’s expectations, during an online press conference held Wednesday after the press screening. “If I compare my movie to a food it would be the one that seems to have a predictable taste, but when you actually eat it is unexpected,” Lee said. “So please do not judge it beforehand and come to the theater.” “Miracle: Letters to the President&rd

Sept. 3, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

CODA (US) Opened Aug. 31 Drama Directed by Sian Heder Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her family. Her parents Frank (Troy Kotsur) and Jackie (Marlee Matlin) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant) are all deaf. Ruby is with her family 24/7 to assist them and help them connect with the world. One day, Ruby auditions for the school choir and discovers her talent. However, she is worried about leaving her family to pursue her singing career. 　 Hostage: Missing Celebrity (Korea)

Sept. 3, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen members positive for COVID-19

Five members of Enhypen tested positive for COVID-19, agency Belift Lab announced Thursday. 　 Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake and Sunghoon were found to be infected with the virus during self-quarantine. The bandmates began self-isolating as a preemptive measure on Aug. 26, when they learned a staff member had been diagnosed with COVID-19. 　 Jake started showing symptoms, including a cough and fever, so he got tested and the results came back positive on Monday. The rest of the band showed simila

Sept. 2, 2021

Classical music expands horizons

Hoping to appeal to a wider range of audiences, the local classical music scene has been engaging in more barrier-breaking opportunities. Though classical music performances are often associated with formal attire, rigid expressions and stiff audiences, more artists and institutions are trying to embrace the latest trends with an aim to open the genre to wider audiences. Classical music festival Hic et Nunc! -- hosted by the Sejong Soloists string ensemble -- has hopped on the “metave

Sept. 2, 2021

[Feature] Goodies and give outs, how K-pop birthdays are celebrated

Signboards welcoming bypassers for a cup of joe, the scent of a fresh bag of coffee beans, little nooks for a sip and music playing in the background are no different from an ordinary cafe. But cafe buffs would see a minor tweak to the definition once stepping inside the venue. Birthday cafes Kim Na-young’s dream was to run a cafe business with her older sister. Although the two are nine years apart, they share similar tastes and hobbies. And after years of talking about living out

Sept. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to be 11-piece act for rest of 2021

Seventeen will be active as an 11-member group for the remainder of the year so that Chinese bandmates Jun and The8 can focus on activities in their homeland, agency Pledis Entertainment announced on Wednesday. 　 The company supports the activities of all Seventeen’s members, as well as the band as a whole, and is actively looking for opportunities for them at home and abroad, the statement continued. 　 Jun and The8 will work on projects in China that they had postponed, Pledis added, a

Sept. 1, 2021

Bidding farewell to storied cinema

The Seoul Cinema in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, which opened in 1979, closed its doors for good on Tuesday. Even after weathering decades of hardships, the weight of the severe financial difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic last year was too much to bear for the cinema. Despite the gloomy weather and oncoming downpour, it did not stop movie lovers from gathering in front of the Seoul Cinema building to take pictures of the theater’s sign at 9:30 a.m. “To be honest, I

Sept. 1, 2021

[Photo News] BTS Army euphoric on Jungkook’s birthday

K-pop megastar band BTS’ global fandom gathered at a coffee shop in Yang-jae, southern Seoul, to celebrate Jungkook’s 24th birthday on Saturday. Fans of all ages came together to talk, laugh, share memories and mark the special day with Jungkook-themed goodies and songs.  Since the pandemic has made it impossible for stars to perform at live concerts or hold meet and greets, the BTS Army took to cafes around the country to pay tribute to their favorite singer. 

Sept. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Shinee’s Key to hold online solo concert

Key of Shinee will be hosting an online concert on his own on Sept. 26 that will be livestreamed around the world via Naver’s V Live. 　 The concert, titled “Key: Groks in the Keyland,” will be his first standalone concert in about 2 1/2 years. Tickets to the show will be available for purchase from Sept. 1. 　 In the meantime, his prerelease single “Hate That ...” that came out on Monday hit No. 1 on iTunes’ top songs chart in 10 regions as well as several mu

Aug. 31, 2021

Conductor seeks new stage with video games

Though orchestral music performances are often associated with big names such as Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert or Mahler, the keywords for conductor Chin Sol’s performances strike a different note: League of Legends, StarCraft, World of Warcraft and more. Chin, 34, wears many hats. She is the exclusive conductor of the Daegu MBC Symphony Orchestra, principal conductor of the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts Symphony Orchestra and the Seoul Student Philharmonic Orche

Aug. 31, 2021

[Herald Interview] Band Lucy: Creating music to be heard, seen and felt

Reaching the final stage of 2019 JTBC music competition “Superband,” the show’s runner-up group Lucy brought light upon a genre still unfamiliar and unexplored in the Korean music scene -- ambient pop. With an unconventional harmony of a violin, acoustic guitar, bass guitar and drums, and two on vocals, sprinkled with real-life sounds -- self-handedly recorded by the group’s producer and bassist Cho Won-sang -- Lucy’s music was able to help listeners visualize the

Aug. 31, 2021

Promotional videos of Korean food screened in London

Two promotional videos of Korean cuisine titled “Korea in Food” are being screened at Westfield shopping center in London, the Cultural Heritage Administration  and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation announced Tuesday. The promotional project is organized as part of the administration and foundation’s joint “Visit Korea Heritage” campaign. The videos, co-created by Michelin-star chef Yoo Hyun-soo and Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s

Aug. 31, 2021