NCT Dream drops first studio set: ‘Hot Sauce’

Packed and ready with all kinds of flavors, boy band NCT Dream’s first studio album, “Hot Sauce,” is set for release Monday. The seven-member subunit of S.M. Entertainment’s boy band NCT conducted a livestreamed press conference that day ahead of the album’s release. “This is our first full-length album in six years. While NCT Dream was all about being young until now, we’ve all grown up. We thought it was the most important to portray with the new a

May 10, 2021

K-pop girl group Loona to promote Korean culture overseas

K-pop girl group Loona will be promoting Korean culture abroad in 2021 as honorary ambassadors for the Korean Culture and Information Service. The 12 band members’ main role as honorary ambassadors is to take part in KOCIS events to promote South Korea’s global image as well as its pop culture content, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The girl group has already participated in promotional videos for the Talk Talk Korea contest organized by KOCIS. The video

May 10, 2021

Korean film ‘Opera’ nominated for Annecy International Animated Film Festival

  Korean director Erick Oh’s “Opera” has been nominated to compete for the title of best short film in the Annecy International Animated Film Festival this year. The nine-minute-long unconventional animated film, which won Oh the Minister’s Award at the 2020 Korea Contents Awards, is an 8K-resolution, massive animation installation piece that reflects on life, society and history. Oh’s film was the only Asian short animation and the only nonnarrative form a

May 10, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream’s 1st LP full of energy

NCT Dream shared their thoughts about the group’s first studio album “Hot Sauce” at an online media conference on Monday. 　 Before the event started, the group’s label SM Entertainment announced that the LP’s pre-order sales came in at more than 1.7 million units. 　 “We’re flattered by the fact alone that we were able to fill the album as a septet,” said the members. 　 They had initially wanted to focus on creating as many memories as possible w

May 10, 2021

Coldplay, Ambiguous Dance Company make buzz with ‘Higher Power’

Ambiguous Dance Company, which rose to stardom with its 600-million-view YouTube hit video “Tiger is Coming” with alternative pop band Leenalchi, has joined hands with celebrated rock band Coldplay for its new single. The British rock band, led by lead singer and frontman Chris Martin, released its new single “Higher Power” Friday. In a performance video of the single shared on YouTube, Ambiguous Dance Company dancers appear as hologram dancers, dressed in eccentric co

May 10, 2021

Gugak center shares sound source featuring master singers

The National Gugak Center has released some 2,800 sound sources of traditional Korean music sung by celebrated master singers online for free. Over the past year, the state-funded center dedicated to traditional Korean music has been working on developing sound sources of traditional Korean music on its Musical Instrument Digital Interface platform, also known as MIDI. In September, the NGC released 407 sound sources of notes performed on traditional Korean instruments, along with 2,226 soun

May 10, 2021

Jeonju film fest closes with downsized ceremony

The Jeonju International Film Festival wrapped up after a 10-day run on Saturday without a proper closing ceremony. The decision to downsize the closing ceremony was announced on Thursday night after the event organizer found out that one member of the audience and a festival organizing staffer tested positive for the coronavirus. Except for those two cases, there has not been any other reports of a further spread of the infection, the festival organizer said. Instead of the planned closing c

May 9, 2021

From BTS to NCT Dream, K-pop acts gear up to return with new music in May

From K-pop dynamo BTS to boy band brand NCT's subunit NCT Dream, some of the scene's biggest acts as well as rookie groups are getting ready to come back with new music this month. At the forefront is BTS. The seven-piece group, which released Japanese single "Film Out" in April, is set to drop new song "Butter" on May 21. The English single, which the group's agency Big Hit Music described as a "fun and upbeat summer song," will first be released globally in a d

May 9, 2021

Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung makes triumphant return to S. Korea

Youn Yuh-jung made a triumphant return to South Korea on Saturday, nearly two weeks after winning an Oscar for her role in the immigrant film "Minari." The South Korean actress, wearing a green bomber jacket, jeans and a white mask, waved to reporters as she arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from the United States earlier in the day. She did not hold a news conference at the airport -- something that celebrities usually do as part of a hero's welcome -- due to

May 8, 2021

Musical ‘Midnight Sun’ to be screened live at cinemas across Asia

A local production of the musical “Midnight Sun” will be screened live at cinemas in five Asian countries, including Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. According to the production company Shinswave on Friday, it is the first time a local musical will be screened live in cinemas abroad. On Friday, the performance will be screened at 29 CGV branches in Korea, 15 cinemas in Indonesia, three in Hong Kong, four in Taiwan and two in Singapore. On Sunday, 20 cinemas in

May 7, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose thanks fans with photobook

  Rose of Blackpink is releasing a special-edition photobook to thank fans for successful launch of her solo career.  To mark her solo debut album selling over 500,000 units, she published a book named “Rose -R- Photobook [Special Edition]” that goes on sale on June 22. The 204-page tome contains candid shots from the songstress’ daily lives she took herself as well as selfies. Scenes from the shootings of album jacket and music video also are included. The artist p

May 7, 2021

K-pop agency SM teams up with MGM to launch new boy band

SM Entertainment, the K-pop powerhouse behind acts like SuperM and EXO, on Friday unveiled a plan to launch a new K-pop band in the United States through a televised audition program. SM and MGM Worldwide Television will introduce a competition series to pick members of a new boy band named NCT-Hollywood, one of the subunits for SM's NCT boy band brand, the company said in a statement. NCT, short for Neo Culture Technology, is SM Entertainment's international idol group project launched in 201

May 7, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Courier (US) Opened April 28 Thriller Directed by Dominic Cooke In 1960, Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze), an agent of the Soviet Union possesses a letter that contains important information which can prevent a nuclear war and hopes to send it to the CIA. To receive this letter, the CIA and M16 cooperate and send British salesman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) as their spy to the Soviet Union. 　 　 Rain and Your Story (Korea) Opened April 28 Romance Directed by Jo Jin-mo  In 20

May 7, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s Baekhyun starts military service

Baekhyun of EXO shared photos of himself with close-shaven hair, bidding a temporary farewell to his fans Thursday. There also was a picture with bandmate Seho, who was touching his hair with a smile. 　 The veteran idol began his training the same day, which was also his birthday. The exact time and location were not announced. After three weeks of training, he will start his alternative duty as a public service worker, as he has hypothyroidism. 　 He first shared the news of his enlisting in A

May 6, 2021

Argentinian doc wins grand prize in Jeonju film fest international section

The 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival announced its award winners during a closing ceremony that took place at the Korea Traditional Culture Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province on Wednesday. A total of 15 awards in four categories — international competition, Korean competition, Korean competition for shorts and special award — were given out during the ceremony. Under the international competition category, which focuses on new and emerging directors from around the wor

May 6, 2021

Rookie girl group aespa to drop new song in May

Rookie K-pop girl group aespa will release new single "Next Level" on May 17, the group's agency said Thursday. The four-piece group, trained and produced by K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment, made its debut in November with single "Black Mamba." The song made a splash on global music charts, landing on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart and topping streaming on the Korean music chart ran by China's QQ Music. The song's music video also became the fastest debut music video

May 6, 2021

Natalia Garayalde’s Splinters wins 22nd Jeonju Intl. Film Festival

The 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival on Wednesday announced its award winners after reviewing a total 194 films from 48 countries.  In international competition, Natalia Garayalde won the grand prize with her 69-minute documentary “Splinters” and was awarded with a cash prize of 20 million won ($18,000). “Splinters” depicts Argentina’s biggest political scandal through the lens of a 12-year-old girl. “Landscapes of Resistance” by Marta

May 5, 2021

SBS programs win Remi awards at Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival

Five TV programs including a drama series and a documentary produced by network broadcaster SBS received Remi Awards at the 54th Annual Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival. Founded in 1968, the annual film festival is the third-oldest film festival in the US. Past winners include Steven Spiellberg, the Coen brothers, Ang Lee and John Lee Hancock. The film festival ran April 16-25 in Huston. SBS television drama “Hot Stove League” and documentary “Anywhere & N

May 5, 2021

15 Korean pianists compete at Queen Elisabeth Competition

A total of 15 Korean pianists are competing in the first round of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, a prestigious international musical competition held in Brussels, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels. Known as one of the most challenging competitions for instrumentalists, the Queen Elisabeth Competition’s piano section will see 58 pianists -- nine women and 49 men -- from 16 countries vying for the top spot. At 15, Koreans account for 26 percent of the contestants. The

May 5, 2021

[Herald Interview] Chun Woo-hee says she was thirsty for bright, down to earth character

Before playing So-hee in romance film “Rain and Your Story,” actor Chun Woo-hee was focusing on making a strong impression with dark and strong characters, like teenage rape victim Gong-ju in “Han Gong-ju” and the mysterious Mu-myeong in “The Wailing.” “I have played many serious roles, so I was thirsty for characters that are bright and down to earth,” Chun told reporters during a joint media interview via Zoom. Set mostly in 2003, “Rain

May 5, 2021