Youn Yuh-jung nominated for Gotham Independent Film Awards 2020

Gotham Independent Film Awards 2020 announced that veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung was among the nominees for its best actress award. Youn was nominated for her role in “Minari,” directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung. The other nominees are Nicole Beharie for “Miss Juneteenth,” Jessie Buckley for “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” Carrie Coon for “The Nest” and Oscar-winning actor Frances McDormand for “Nomadland,” the US indep

Nov. 15, 2020

Actor Oh Dal-su returns to big screen two years after sexual assault allegations

Oh Dal-su, who dropped out of acting in 2018 following allegations of sexual assault, is returning to the big screen in “Good Neighbor.” The sexual assault claims surfaced in February 2018 amid the spread of the #MeToo movement in Korea, and scenes featuring Oh were subsequently removed from tvN series “My Mister” and hit film “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” in the same year. Filming for “Good Neighbor” was likewise completed in February 2

Nov. 14, 2020

S. Korean moviegoers jump 55% on-month in Oct.

The number of moviegoers in South Korea jumped 55 percent in October from a month earlier thanks to sleeper hits and eased virus fears, a report showed Friday. A total of 4.63 million went to theaters last month, up 1.64 million, or 55 percent, from 2.99 million tallied in September, according to the monthly report by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The on-month gain was led by the releases of mid-sized films, including the human drama "Pawn," which has attracted nearly 1.5 million

Nov. 13, 2020

IZ*ONE, Monsta X to join NCsoft's new K-pop platform

K-pop acts IZ*ONE and Monsta X are set to join game developer NCsoft's new fan platform aiming for launch early next year, the company said Friday. The platform, named Universe, will allow K-pop fans around the world to join fan communities and enjoy original content, according to KLAP, an NCsoft affiliate that is leading the project. The platform includes features like authorization of fan activities, such as buying albums and attending concerts. The company said it also plans to bring the ar

Nov. 13, 2020

Blue chips rush into Netflix-led S. Korean streaming service market

The landscape of the South Korean streaming service market is facing seismic change as new players have been jumping into the booming sector in diversified forms. As the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend toward mobile-based binge-watching of content, e-commerce firms, like Coupang and online portal operators, including Naver, have revealed plans to break into the highly competitive market. Netflix, which launched its service in South Korea in 2016, got a head star

Nov. 13, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Collectors (Korea) Opened Nov. 4 Crime, Comedy Directed by Park Jung-bae Kang Dong-goo (Lee Je-hoon) is a genius thief of ancient treasures and works with an expert in ancient tomb murals, Dr. Jones (Cho Woo-jin), and legendary shoveling expert Sabdari (Lim Won-hee). One day, Kang meets an ancient art expert, Ms. Yoon (Shin Hye-sun), and puts together a team for the dangerous job of stealing the Korean version of Excalibur in the royal tomb Seolleung in Seoul for Ms. Yoon’s boss. The No

Nov. 13, 2020

BTS to headline Big Hit's year-end concert: agency

K-pop megastar BTS is set to appear in a year-end concert organized by its agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the agency-label announced Thursday. Big Hit Entertainment, which also runs a namesake label, said the seven-member act will be included in the lineup for the "2021 New Year's Eve Live presented by Weverse" gig. The concert is expected to be a rare treat for K-pop fans to see their favorite singers in person after a spate of in-person concerts were cancelled amid the new coronavi

Nov. 12, 2020

Seventeen's EP 'Semicolon' breaks 1 million in sales

Boy band Seventeen now has two million-selling albums after its latest EP, "Semicolon," breached the one-million sales mark, its agency said Thursday. "Semicolon" has sold more than 1.06 million copies since its release on Oct. 19, Pledis Entertainment said, citing data from Gaon music chart run by the Korea Music Content Association. "Semicolon," released four months after the album "Heng:garae," features six songs, fronted by the retro-swing lead track

Nov. 12, 2020

R&B singer-songwriter Crush joins army

South Korean R&B singer-songwriter Crush has joined the army to fulfill his mandatory military service, his agency said Thursday. The 28-year-old, whose real name is Shin Hyo-seob, has entered an army boot camp for basic military training, according to P Nation, the management agency led by K-pop star Psy. Crush is set to serve as a public service worker for roughly two years. In October, Crush released the star-studded EP "with HER," featuring K-pop artists, like Lee So-ra, Yoon

Nov. 12, 2020

Pandemic brings end to Netflix vs. theater struggle on theatrical release practice

As the latest Netflix original film, "Hillbilly Elegy," has hit screens of South Korea's two biggest multiplex chains of CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, the yearslong conflict between major theaters and the global streaming giant has apparently come to an end amid the COVID-19 pandemic. CGV and Lotte Cinema decided to screen the Netflix-made film from Wednesday for two weeks before Oscar-winning director Ron Howard's drama is released on Netflix on Nov. 24. It is the first time that a Netfl

Nov. 12, 2020

Soprano says 20th century Korean songs best way to express her ‘free spirit’

Korean-language songs sung by a South Korean soprano will be presented around the world by the German classical music label Deutsche Grammophon. Soprano Park Hye-sang, also known as Hera Park, made her Deutsche Grammophon debut with the release of her new album, “I Am Hera,” Nov. 6. The album consists of 18 pieces hand-picked by Park. The album features two works of “gagok,” a traditional Korean music genre: “Like the Wind That Met With Lotus,” a poem by t

Nov. 11, 2020

BTS shares details of upcoming album 'BE'

K-pop megastars BTS on Wednesday unveiled the details of their much-anticipated album "BE," scheduled to be released later this month. An image posted on the band's agency Big Hit Entertainment's Twitter account showed a handwritten list of the eight songs that will be featured on the album set for release on Nov. 20. The simple image shows the main track "Life Goes On" as well as the titles for seven other songs -- including "Blue & Grey," "Skit",

Nov. 11, 2020

EXO's Kai to debut solo this month: agency

Kai, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, is set to release his first solo album in November, his agency said Wednesday. The six-track album titled "KAI (开)" is scheduled to be released on Nov. 30, SM Entertainment said, without elaborating on the main track and track list. KAI, who debuted in 2012 as the main dancer of EXO, has gained popularity for his dance skills and solid performance. He is also the main dancer of SuperM, a project group managed by SM Entertainment. Apart from his m

Nov. 11, 2020

[Herald Interview] How WEi’s musical talent shapes teamwork

When it comes to K-pop career, WEi is no stranger to spotlight, even though it debuted as a group just last month. Consisting of Jang Dae-hyeon, Kim Dong-han, Kim Yo-han, Yoo Yong-ha, Kim Jun-seo and Kang Seok-hwa, the six-piece group debuted under Oui Entertainment on Oct. 5 with its debut EP “Identity: First Sight,” featuring lead single “Twilight.” The group just made its first step, but the footprints of the bandmates are everywhere in the K-pop industry. Both Daehy

Nov. 11, 2020

Soprano Park Hyesang records Korean-language songs for her first DG album

Soprano Park Hyesang said Tuesday that she has picked two Korean-language songs for her new album to show her own process of self-discovery as a Korean vocalist. Her latest album "I Am Hera," named after her English name, was released last Friday, with the German classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon (DG). It was DG's first official recording since the COVID-19 outbreak. "Many people had advised me to come up with a stereotypical repertoire that would never fail for

Nov. 10, 2020

‘Contactless’ musical ‘Killer Party’ set for debut

A new original musical created to be presented online rather than put on stage is set for release later this month. While it has become the norm for performing arts production companies to stream their shows online during the pandemic, musicals created for the screen remain a novel idea. Produced by EMK Entertainment, affiliated with major musical production company EMK Musical Company, the musical “A Killer Party” consists of nine episodes, with each running about 10 minutes.

Nov. 10, 2020

Rolling Stone to launch Korean edition starting Nov.

American music publication Rolling Stone is set to roll out a Korean edition starting this month in the latest addition to its international edition series. Rolling Stone Korea, the 12th international edition by Rolling Stone, will be produced in partnership with e.L.e Media, under a license agreement with Penske Media Corp., according to the publication. The Korean edition, which the magazine said will be a mix of local content and syndicated articles, will be available in a bi-monthly print

Nov. 10, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'Kill This Love' hits 1.1b views on YouTube

South Korean all-female band BLACKPINK's music video "Kill This Love" has topped 1.1 billion views on YouTube, its agency said Tuesday. The four-member act's music video of the iconic hit song reached the milestone at around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to YG Entertainment. "Kill This Love," released in April 2019, is one of the band's most popular songs, having ranked No. 41 on the US music chart Billboard's main singles chart in its first week of release. An extended play

Nov. 10, 2020

GFriend bandmates transformed into modern witches in ‘Mago’

GFriend released its new full-length album, “Walpurgis Night,” Monday. “Right after releasing our previous ‘Song of the Sirens’ album, we’ve been constantly working on the new album right until the comeback. We really did our best to make it happen as soon as possible,” said band leader Sowon during an online press showcase for the new album in Seoul on Monday. The fully packed collection is fronted by upbeat disco track “Mago,” which abou

Nov. 9, 2020

Number of TV dramas likely to decrease next year amid coronavirus pandemic

The number of South Korean TV drama series is expected to decrease next year due to the fallout of the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic, experts said Monday. In the summer, when the country was struggling with a resurgence in novel coronavirus infections, TV studios and broadcasters halted productions of dramas and shows. Entertainment giant CJ ENM and its drama production affiliate Studio Dragon suspended drama filming for a week in August, with several shows on tvN and OCN affected by t

Nov. 9, 2020