Comedy actors take charge on silver screen

Actors who have gained nationwide popularity for their comedy skits and trending memes are increasingly making their marks on the silver screen. Experts say such a trend may be attributed to the actors' flexibility to tackle various roles and the growing preference among filmmakers to adopt a lighter atmosphere in films. Yoon Ga-i, who recently won the rookie entertainer award at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards in July for her performance in Coupang Play's "Saturday Night Live K

Aug. 26, 2024

NCT Jaehyun debuts solo with first solo album ‘J’

Jaehyun of the popular K-pop boy group NCT debuted as a solo artist with the release of his first solo album “J” on Monday. “J” carries eight tracks led by the title song “Smoke” released in both Korean and English versions. The album showcases a range of emotions and sounds reflecting Jaehyun’s unique music style. “The album is designed to be the perfect soundtrack to tune into for the late afternoon to early dawn,” said Jaehyun in a press r

Aug. 26, 2024

Is Korea being too harsh on Suga?

There has been a lot of discussion recently about Suga’s drunk driving incident, raising the question of whether the global K-pop star deserves the level of criticism he has received. Opinions on the issue are particularly divided among local and international fans of Army, BTS’ dedicated fanbase. Suga drove an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol, registering the highest blood alcohol concentration level ever reported in a DUI (driving under the influence) case involving

Aug. 26, 2024

[Exclusive] YouTube says account of singer convicted of sex crimes terminated according to guidelines

YouTube said that it decided to shut down the account of Go Young-wook, a former member of '90s band Roo'Ra who served 30 months in prison for raping minors, according to its guidelines, Monday. “We have terminated Go!Youngwook GoDog Days channel in accordance with our Creator Responsibility guidelines, which prohibit off-platform behavior that harms YouTube’s community. This means that the uploader is unable to use, own or create any other YouTube channels.” a YouTub

Aug. 26, 2024

20th JIMFF to kick off next week, features 98 music films

The 20th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival will kick off Sept. 5 for a six-day run, with a program combining contemporary music and cinema and live concerts. Under the slogan of “Superascendo,” which means “to transcend” in Latin, the festival will screen 98 movies from 37 countries and hold music concerts by 26 performers. The slogan represents JIMFF’s commitment to advancing into a new era, reflecting on its 20 years of history while looking forward

Aug. 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Oh My Girl presents soothing music to bring listeners comfort

K-pop summer queens Oh My Girl return Monday with their 10th EP, “Dreamy Resonance,” led by “Classified,” a fresh track that brings something new to the table. “It’s a dreamy and lyrical music, which is quite different from our popular summer songs that involve energetic rhythm. This song conveys a message of comfort to those who need someone by their side for support. As you would see in the music video for the song, we are portrayed as dolls that comfort chi

Aug. 26, 2024

R-rated changgeuk 'Madam Ong' returns for 10th anniversary

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s comical and provocative changgeuk, “Madam Ong,” a long-standing favorite, is set to return to the stage this September, celebrating its 10th anniversary. Changgeuk is a Korean form of opera that combines elements of pansori, a traditional narrative singing style. "Madam Ong," the first changgeuk to be rated for adults only, has garnered attention for its bold themes and vibrant portrayal of human vitality. This year's pro

Aug. 25, 2024

Rise of empowered women on Korean variety shows

Korean audiences have been thrilled by wrestling athlete Jang Eun-sil pushing a massive boat with burly men in "Physical: 100," female Korean police officers, firefighters and soldiers competing in the reality competition series "Siren: Survive the Island," as well as female celebrities passionately participating in soccer matches in "Kick a Goal," in recent years. These shows are among the popular women-led Korean variety shows -- including "Unpretty Rapstar,&

Aug. 24, 2024

Busan International Comedy Festival kicks off 10-day run with captivating opening ceremony

The 12th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of the largest comedy events in Asia, kicked off on Friday evening in the port city of Haeundae. The festival's opening ceremony, held at the Busan Cinema Center, attracted some 3,000 attendees. Among the attendees were popular comedians such as Danny Choi, Hong Yoon-hwa, and Kim Won-hyo, members of the BICF Organizing Committee, as well as Busan Mayor Park Heung-joon. Hosted by popular comedians Yoo Se-yoon and Jang Dong-min, the opening ce

Aug. 23, 2024

Suga of BTS undergoes first questioning on drunk driving

Suga of BTS showed up for his first round of questioning at Yongsan Police Station in Seoul around 7:45 p.m. Friday in connection with allegations he was drunk while riding an electric scooter. “I am deeply sorry. I sincerely regret disappointing my fans and the public. I will cooperate with the investigation. Once again, I apologize,” said Suga once getting out of his car with a serious expression and bowing in front of reporters at the scene. When questioned by reporters about why

Aug. 23, 2024

The 29th BIFF to hold special program on late actor Lee Sun-kyun

The late actor Lee Sun-kyun will get special attention during the 29th Busan International Film Festival when it presents a special program entitled “In Memory of Lee Sun-kyun.” Six of Lee’s films will be screened and a special talk event will be held as part of the program that sheds light on Lee’s work. “Through the program, the festival aims to reflect on and commemorate the achievements of the late actor, whose diverse and profound performances have represented

Aug. 23, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee’s Onew to hold solo concert in Korea, Japan

Onew of SHINee is planning to take the stage as a solo singer in Korea and Japan, according to agency Griffin Entertainment on Friday. Onew's solo fan concert “Hola!” will be held in Seoul on Oct. 5-6 and in Yokohama, Japan on Nov. 21-22. The set list will include songs from his third solo EP “Flow” which will be released on Sept. 3. The album comes about 1 1/2 years after his first solo studio album “Circle.” The LP was atop “The 25 Best K-Pop Al

Aug. 23, 2024

YouTube account of former singer convicted of raping minors shut down

The YouTube account of Go Young-wook, a former member of the popular '90s band Roo'Ra who served 30 months in prison for raping and sexually harassing minors, was shut down Friday, 17 days after its creation. "It seems my YouTube channel was shut down overnight. I didn't upload any harmful content, yet it seems YouTube applied a rule (to shut down accounts) solely to me just because of my criminal record. I've already served my legal punishment, so why is it that some pe

Aug. 23, 2024

Military Manpower to inspect BTS’ Suga military service onsite

The Military Manpower Administration is set to conduct an on-site inspection to check whether BTS’ Suga is faithfully performing his military service as a social service worker. Suga of the world-renowned K-pop boy group BTS is also currently being investigated by the police for driving an electric scooter under the influence of alcohol. On Aug. 6, Suga was caught by the police drunk driving an electric scooter in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gut, Seoul. In Korea, electric scooters are classified

Aug. 23, 2024

‘Pachinko’ season 2 about characters’ growth, emotions

Apple TV+’s Korean original series “Pachinko” has returned with the new second season narrating the internal growth of the characters and their portrayal of a range of emotions, the show’s main actors said Friday. Based on Korean American author Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel of the same name, the period drama chronicles the life of a Korean family spanning four generations, who moved to Japan in the early 1900s. The second season continues to depict the life of Su

Aug. 23, 2024

NCT Dream releases first English single ‘Rain in Heaven’

K-pop boy group NCT Dream released its first English single “Rain in Heaven” on Friday. “Rain in Heaven” is an '80s-style pop song blended with drum n' bass sounds. Mark of NCT Dream took part in writing the lyrics to the single to convey a warm message of comfort and promise to stand by those who are tired and struggling, offering a sense of solace to global listeners. For Mark, English is his mother tongue as he was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. The musi

Aug. 23, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Twisters” (US) Opened Aug. 14 Action/Adventure Directed by Lee Isaac Chung Retired tornado chaser and meteorologist Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and test a groundbreaking tornado tracking system. “Land of Happiness” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 14 Drama Directed by Choo Chang-min Passionate lawyer In-hoo (Jo Jung-suk) strives to defend his client Tae-joo (Lee Sun-kyun), a soldier implicated in the assassination of P

Aug. 23, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink hits 900m views of debut music video

Blackpink’s music video for its debut song “Whistle” has garnered 900 million views on YouTube as of Thursday, said label YG Entertainment. It is the group’s 10th video to achieve the feat. “Whistle” is the lead track from its debut single “Square One” which also included its mega-hit “Boombayah.” The music video for the latter surpassed 1.7 billion views on the platform. The quartet swept all music charts at home when it brought out

Aug. 22, 2024

Famous child model Ella to debut as member of The Black Label's first girl group

The Black Label announced Thursday that Ella Gross, a child model-turned-K-pop trainee, will debut as a member of its first girl group MEOVV to be launched in September. The agency dropped an introduction clip of the member, who goes by Ella, on its official YouTube channel Wednesday. The two-minute clip highlights Ella’s authentic looks and the chic mood radiating from her. The clip includes a quote from Ella, “I remember nothing but the destination I was heading to. Which is why I

Aug. 22, 2024

Young Posse showcases bold ambitions with new EP 'Ate That'

Rising K-pop girl group Young Posse, less than a year old, showcased their ambition to conquer the K-pop industry with their latest release, "Ate That," at a Seoul event on Wednesday. After successfully debuting with their first EP "Macaroni Cheese" in October last year and raising the bar with their second EP "XXL," released in March, the group's third album represents their ambition to take over the K-pop scene with “Ate That," according to group l

Aug. 22, 2024