TXT embraces dark side of friendship with ‘Can’t You See Me?’

Having spent a remarkable year in K-pop, TXT returned with its brand new single “Can’t You See Me?” that touches on the group’s struggle and growth as a youth band. The newest boy band from BTS’ agency Big Hit Entertainment, TXT unveiled the new song during its online media showcase that was livestreamed on YouTube on Monday. “Can’t You See Me?” fronts the group’s “The Dream Chapter: Eternity” EP, which is the third part of it

May 18, 2020

[Newsmaker] 4 K-pop stars test negative after visiting Itaewon last month

BTS' Jungkook and three other K-pop idol singers visited Itaewon, the center of the recent outbreak of the new coronavirus in Seoul, together late last month but have tested negative for the virus, their agencies said Monday. A local internet-based daily reported earlier in the day that Jungkook, Jaehyun of NCT, Mingyu of Seventeen and Cha Eun-woo of Astro hung out at a restaurant and two different bars on April 25 in Itaewon, Seoul's most popular nightlife and multicultural neighborhood, whil

May 18, 2020

[Herald Interview] Writer says ‘Extracurricular’ digs into society’s wounds

Prostitution is not a common subject in South Korean television dramas, let alone dramas in which the main characters are teenagers. Jin Han-sae, creator of the sensational Netflix original series “Extracurricular,” says he felt a huge burden when writing the story, in which he says the protagonists are pushed into situations that are extreme beyond imagination. “I felt like I was setting a time bomb, as it might end up looking like glorifying wrong behaviors. I almost compu

May 18, 2020

Rain is back: Singer’s 2017 ‘Gang’ video goes viral

Singer Rain is unfazed by the sudden popularity of his old music video, knowing full well the less than flattering reason behind it. “Gang,” from Rain’s mini-album “My Life” (2017), came back into the spotlight six months ago when a high school student uploaded a 27-second dance cover video of the song on YouTube. The cover video, which has over 2.2 million views, brought attention to the original. Rain’s iconic performance style -- exaggerated motions, int

May 18, 2020

Following protests, YG announces plans for Blackpink’s first full-length album

Blackpink will release their much-anticipated first full-length album in September, YG Entertainment confirmed Monday. The announcement comes just days after fans dispatched a truck outside the agency’s building in Seoul last week to protest the group’s lack of activities. The lead single from the upcoming album is slated for release in June, followed by another track in the following months before the album’s release later this year, with the full album arriving in three ph

May 18, 2020

Seoul run of ‘Phantom of Opera’ extended to Aug. 8

The Seoul run of the international tour musical “The Phantom of the Opera” has been extended to Aug. 8. The show, currently taking place at the Blue Square Interpark Hall in Itaewon, central Seoul, was originally set to run until June 27. The extension was possible as the Seoul engagement of the National Theater in London’s smash hit production “War Horse” in July at the Blue Square Interpark Hall was canceled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis.  A

May 18, 2020

Star screenwriter struggling with lower-than-expected popularity of 'The King'

SBS' fantasy romance "The King: Eternal Monarch" was one of the most anticipated TV series for the first half of 2020 in South Korea, for the reunion of star screenwriter Kim Eun-sook and actor Lee Min-ho. Lee chose the show as his post-military comeback project after "The Heirs" (2013). But the big-budget series, which was also financed by US streaming giant Netflix, saw its viewership ratings drop to a record low of 6.3 percent on its ninth episode that aired on Saturday

May 18, 2020

[Herald Interview] Tyler Rasch on escaping ‘The Box’

While young Koreans are experiencing a chronic collective despair in past decades, partly due to the stagnant economy, American TV personality Tyler Rasch -- familiar to the public for his TV appearances -- hopes to encourage them through an independent documentary series. To make his message more sincere, Rasch did not turn to major production companies to launch his new serial show “The Box,” but rather decided to take the reins himself. “I did not want my message compromi

May 17, 2020

[Newsmaker] ‘World of Married’ finishes on a high

The hit drama series “The World of the Married” wrapped up its 16-episode run Saturday, setting a record as the most-watched drama series on Korean cable TV channels.  According to viewership research institute Nielsen Korea, the final episode of the JTBC series marked a record viewership of 28.3 percent, outrunning the previous record of 23.8 percent set by another JTBC hit “SKY Castle.” Drama “The World of the Married” centers around the character of

May 17, 2020

Old yet new ‘Chunhyang’

As the performing arts scene slowly gets back on track despite the coronavirus crisis, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea staged its latest production, “Chunhyang,” Thursday. “Chunhyang,” based on the well-known pansori (Korean folk narrative) “Chunhyangga,” depicts the love story between Seong Chun-hyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan, and Lee Mong-ryong, the son of a nobleman. The epic love story is a staple of traditional stories of Korea, and

May 16, 2020

Korean medical dramas break out of mold, heal viewers

One does not have to be a doctor or a nurse to be able to relate to what happens inside hospitals, where lives are born and deaths pronounced, wounds are healed and hurt minds are treated. It is for such reasons, perhaps, that medical dramas have flourished in the recent decade or so, the stories and themes becoming more diverse with time. Two of the most popular TV dramas so far this year take place in a hospital. The second season of SBS’ “Dr. Romantic” racked up a 28.4

May 16, 2020

Star actress Choi Ji-woo gives birth to her first child

Star actress Choi Ji-woo gave birth to her first child Saturday, two years after she got married, her management said. "Choi gave birth to a daughter this morning," YG Entertainment said, adding that Choi and her baby are healthy and doing well. Choi, best known for her role in the 2002 hit Korean drama "Winter Sonata," plans to resume work as an actress following the childbirth to pursue her acting career more vibrantly, working at the same time while being a wife and mom

May 16, 2020

Monthly moviegoers hit record low in April

The number of moviegoers fell to a record low last month as the coronavirus scare has kept people from going to cinemas, data showed Saturday. A total of 970,000 movie tickets were sold in April, plunging 92.7 percent from 13.3 million tallied a year ago, according to data from the Korean Film Council. It is the lowest monthly box office number since KOFIC started to compile such data in 2004, and below the previous all-time low of 1.83 million set in March. Total revenue nose-dived 93.4 per

May 16, 2020

Despite news of new music, Blackpink fans are not happy

Twitter was abuzz on Thursday as Blackpink fans also known as “Blinks” stormed the platform with the hashtag “NO_More_Lies_YG.” In Seoul, a truck hired by fans was dispatched outside YG Entertainment’s building in the city’s Mapo District, for the second time within six months, as YG staff members coming out of the building looked dumbfounded. “Let’s kills this love,” the group’s 2019 hit single “Kills This Love” was bein

May 15, 2020

Beauty of Hangeul rediscovered through Korean pop songs

The National Hangeul Museum in Seoul has recently reopened with a special exhibition titled “Korean Pop Lyrics -- Melodies of Life.” The exhibition that opened Friday celebrates the beauty of the Korean language through the lyrics of about 190 beloved Korean pop songs since the 1920s. Consisting of two parts, its first section called “Power of Lyrics” examines the changing themes and messages of songs’ lyrics depending on the era. The second section, “Fla

May 15, 2020

‘Gag Concert’ to go on hiatus after 21 years

KBS’s “Gag Concert” is going on a break until further notice, signaling the end of comedy shows on terrestrial television networks. In the 2000s Koreans gathered in front of the TV on Sunday night to watch KBS’s “Gag Concert,” a comedy show that at one point enjoyed viewership rating of roughly 30 percent. Many people closed out the weekend with the guitar tunes that signaled the end of the episode on Sunday night and readied for another week. As “Gag

May 15, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Call of the Wild (US) Opened May 14 Adventure, Drama Directed by Chris Sanders Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life gets turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon in the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail-delivery dog sled team, Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the postal service closes and Buck gets into the hands of gold-hungry Hal, who constantly abus

May 15, 2020

KOFIC ensures clean cinemas, filming locations

The Korean government agency for the film industry sought to assure the public of safety inside cinemas and at filming locations, and promised measures to support the industry suffering from the prolonged spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Korean Film Council on Wednesday said it is operating a special safety management committee of health experts and members of the film industry to draw up new guidelines to be applied at the film scene in accordance with the government’s ease

May 14, 2020

50 songs from Monsta X to mark band’s 5th anniversary

50. Underwater Monsta X uses sea metaphors to convey the feeling of being lost, singing “I’m falling for you,” in this love song from its second studio album. 49. Lost in the Dream As the title suggests, this mid-tempo track creates a dreamlike atmosphere as the group sings the dramatic melodies against strong beats and piano riffs. 48. By My Side Despite normally opting for a powerful synth-dance sound, the group adopts a soft-rock arrangement for &l

May 14, 2020

Will virtual concerts replace offline tours?

When the coronavirus epidemic first struck South Korea, many expected the K-pop scene to take a major financial blow. Tours worldwide got postponed, long-awaited new music releases were delayed, showcases canceled. According to the Record Label Industry Association of Korea, a total of 211 concerts were canceled from February to April, accruing losses of almost 63.32 billion won ($51.6 million). But as in any crisis, artists and their labels found ways to adjust and not only came up with innov

May 14, 2020