[Herald Interview] Pianist puts himself in Beethoven’s shoes

Ludwig van Beethoven is an important figure for every musician, but for pianist Kim Sun-wook -- a promising South Korean composer -- it is more than that, he’s a role model given his life’s work. Kim, the winner of the 2006 Leeds International Piano Competition, will hold a recital Sept. 13 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. The recital, initially scheduled to take place in March, was postponed due to the spread of COVID-19. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birt

Aug. 22, 2020

MBC’s ‘When I was Most Beautiful’ returns to basics of romance drama

A boy falling in love at first sight on a rainy day, a chance meeting as a teacher and a student a few days later and a romantic bike ride in the countryside seem too cliche for a Korean romance drama in a year when a series featuring a husband and wife cheating on each other was a huge hit. Yet MBC’s new romance drama, “When I Was Most Beautiful,” does just that, presenting a romance drama reminiscent of those from the 1990s and early 2000s. “When I Was Most Beautiful

Aug. 22, 2020

BTS takes on new challenge with ‘Dynamite’

Global sensation BTS surprised fans Friday by releasing a digital single, “Dynamite,” ahead of its next album later this year.  The track is all in English -- something the band had never tried before in the seven years since its debut.  During an online media showcase, band leader RM explained that the unprecedented step had indeed presented a challenge for the band.  “We never released a song before the official album release or in English, and frankly, it w

Aug. 21, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

An Old Lady (Korea) Opened Aug. 20 Drama Directed by Lim Sun-ae The elderly Hyo-jung (Ye Su-jeong) is sexually abused by a 29-year-old male nurse’s aide during physical therapy. When she reports the case to police, wary young officers wonder if she may be suffering from dementia. When no one seems to believe Hyo-jung, who has no family or friends, her roommate Dong-in (Ki Joo-bong) investigates the case and speaks to the suspect to persuade him to turn himself in. Moving On (Korea) Op

Aug. 21, 2020

COVID-19 causes TV production stoppages

The South Korean entertainment industry could face a shutdown with the growing number of COVID-19 infections among TV cast and crew members. Terrestrial broadcaster KBS is on alert after a member of the cast of “Men Are Men” was confirmed to have the new coronavirus Wednesday. While all related staff have tested negative, production at the network is encountering mass delays. A public relations official from KBS said Friday that actor Seo Seong-jong of the KBS2 drama was confirme

Aug. 20, 2020

'Evil' beats 'Peninsula' to become most watched summer film of 2020

The South Korean action thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has emerged as the most-watched film at the country's box office this summer, outpacing the performance of homegrown zombie apocalypse movie "Peninsula," data showed Thursday. The number of combined viewers for "Evil," starring Hwang Jung-min and Lee Jung-jae, reached 3.87 million as of early Wednesday, surpassing the 3.79 million aggregate tally for "Peninsula," according to the data by the Korean

Aug. 20, 2020

[Herald Interview] Back from ‘Road to Kingdom,’ Oneus seeks big leap with ‘Lived’

Having recently returned from a fierce competition show, Oneus had a bagful of rich stories to share. From enduring nerve-racking moments together to struggling with missions for each show, the group’s time on Mnet’s “Road to Kingdom” was definitely a big leap in the group’s nearly two-year career. “After the show, what changed the most was that we saw infinite potential in ourselves,” recalled Keonhee during a recent interview with The Korea Herald. &

Aug. 19, 2020

[Herald Interview] Rookie filmmaker wants to talk more about family, children

Director Yoon Dan-bi, 30, received the Bright Future award at International Film Festival Rotterdam in February for her debut feature, “Moving On.” That win followed on the heels of four awards at the Busan International Film Festival the previous year. “I really didn’t expect the film to win an award at Busan, let alone Rotterdam,” Yoon said during an interview Friday. “I just wanted to make a family film. The big plot was that a family of four, parents an

Aug. 19, 2020

Women’s film fest to show ‘mutual gaze’ of women

The 22nd Seoul International Women’s Film Festival will take place Sept. 10-16 under the slogan “Mutual Gaze.” With the novel coronavirus spreading in the capital area at an alarming rate, organizers hosted an online press conference about the upcoming annual event on Tuesday. Stating the main themes of this year’s festival as “bold challenge” and “passionate engagement,” festival director Park Kwang-soo said, “We took the opportunity to

Aug. 19, 2020

‘Space Sweepers’ is not the usual sci-fi hero blockbuster

It is being touted as Korea’s first original space blockbuster, but “Space Sweepers” does not show glamorous heroes on cutting-edge spaceships saving the universe. Instead, you get space laborers collecting dangerous trash and fighting enemies in their struggle to survive. Ahead of the film’s release on Sept. 23, director Jo Sung-hee and cast members Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu and Yoo Hai-jin attended a preview press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. The even

Aug. 18, 2020

SPO member contracts COVID-19, taught student related to church infection cluster

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra canceled its concerts slated for this week, after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19. The member contracted the virus after giving private lessons to a Seoul Arts High School student related to the Sarang Jeil Church virus outbreak. According to the SPO, the orchestra member was tested for the virus on Saturday, after being informed of having come in close contact with a person who had contracted the virus. The following day, the member was confir

Aug. 17, 2020

‘The Golden Holiday’ release delayed as COVID-19 resurges

As COVID-19 cases surge, the release of “The Golden Holiday,” which was scheduled to hit the screens Wednesday, has been delayed until further notice. The announcement came just two days before the scheduled premiere date, making it the first major film to have its release delayed since June. “As the social distancing level is raised and concern about infection clusters in our society rises, we decided that the release of a new movie and gathering audiences in theaters could

Aug. 17, 2020

Culture sector scrambles as COVID-19 cases soar again

With the government having imposed stringent health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on Saturday, the culture sector is scrambling to adjust. As transmission of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area continues at a fast rate, the social distancing plan for the capital area was raised a notch to Level 2 on Saturday. All private and public indoor gatherings are restricted to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Musicals are offering ticket refunds without charging a commission.

Aug. 17, 2020

Ssak 3 bids farewell, Refund Expedition says hello

Superstar trio Ssak 3 bid farewell to fans, as the group wrapped up its three-month project on Saturday’s episode of MBC’s “Hangout With Yoo.” During the Saturday, the trio of entertainer Yoo Jae-seok and singers Lee Hyo-ri and Rain thanked fans and each other while also expressing regret at not being able to meet fans in-person because of the coronavirus situation. “We actually formed Ssak 3 to meet all the people here, but we couldn’t. That’s why our

Aug. 17, 2020

‘The New Mutants’ to hit theaters in Sept.

Walt Disney Co. Korea on Thursday confirmed that Marvel’s horror-superhero film “The New Mutants” will hit theaters in South Korea next month. The distributor has not announced the specific release date. “The New Mutants” was scheduled to open here in April this year, but was forced to postpone the plan due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. An extension of the “X-Men” franchise, “The New Mutants” is about young mutants, involving c

Aug. 14, 2020

'Peninsula’ racks up $48m in 15 countries, tops global box office

Less than a month since the Korean zombie flick opened locally on July 15, “Peninsula” is topping box offices worldwide. According to the film’s local distributor Next Entertainment World on Friday, the zombie blockbuster has exceeded $48 million in sales at box offices in more than 15 countries. In Taiwan, where the film opened the same day as it did in South Korea, the film racked up almost $11 million in sales, the best output achieved by any movie in the country this ye

Aug. 14, 2020

S. Korean crime thriller sold to 56 overseas markets

The South Korean crime thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has been sold to more than 50 overseas markets, according to its distributor on Friday. The film, which has topped the local box office since its release on Aug. 5, was sold to 56 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to CJ Entertainment. With the movie hitting Taiwanese screens this Wednesday, the distributor said it is in talks with its counterparts to fix the release

Aug. 14, 2020

KNB to introduce Korean beauty through ballet

The Korean National Ballet will perform “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” Aug. 21-23 at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, presenting the life of the legendary poet Heo Nanseolheon. Heo Nanseolheon (1563–1589), whose real name is Heo Cho-hui, was a prominent Korean poet from the mid-Joseon era. Having left behind more than 200 poems in her name, her works are appreciated to this day. The ballet “Heo Nan Seol Heon - Su Wol Kyung Hwa,” brings her two

Aug. 13, 2020

COVID-19 worsens existing problems in film industry

The South Korean film industry faces an unprecedented crisis with COVID-19, but at a forum earlier this month some industry representatives argued that the pandemic only amplified a preexisting problem. The forum, held at the National Assembly on Aug. 7, was hosted by Rep. Lim O-kyeong and organized by the Korean Film Council. It was the first such opportunity for movie industry personnel to speak with legislators about the issues the industry faces and discuss possible solutions. Barunson E

Aug. 13, 2020

Big Hit posts estimated record sales of W294b, announces concerts in Oct.

Big Hit Entertainment, the label-management agency of K-pop giants BTS, announced Thursday that its estimated sales revenue during the first half of 2020 reached a record 294 billion won ($244.8 million) on the back of strong album sales and paid online concert revenues. In a biannual corporate briefing held on YouTube, the company added that its estimated operating profit during the January-June period reached 49.7 billion won. Big Hit said the numbers were subject to an audit before confirmat

Aug. 13, 2020