Global K-pop fest KCON to be streamed on YouTube amid outbreak

KCON, a major K-pop and Korean culture festival series held overseas every year, will be held partly online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its organizer announced Thursday. Under this year's banner theme "KCON:TACT 2020 Summer," KCON will be streamed on June 20-26 through the channel "M-net K-POP" on YouTube, according to South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM. Content will be streamed 24-hours a day for seven days, spanning a total of 168 hours, CJ said. Without naming

May 14, 2020

Korea Film Council vows to ensure safe environment for film industry

South Korea's film industry governing body said Wednesday it will do its best to keep local theaters and filming sites safe from exposure to the novel coronavirus. The Korean Film Council said it has set up a special safety management committee, consisting of health experts and film employees, to oversee the implementation of quarantine rules in accordance with eased social distancing in the cinematic scene. "Our goal is to help healthy people protect themselves from possible virus infec

May 13, 2020

Lotte Concert Hall goes online with ‘Music Keeps Going’

The Lotte Foundation for Arts is set to launch artist support program “Music Keeps Going,” hoping to invigorate the stagnant performing art scene and help audiences and performers communicate through music. The foundation received applications from late-April to early-May from artists or acts under 10 persons. The applicants were limited to Korean nationals residing in the nation.  According to the art foundation’s announcement Wednesday, four acts were selected: Spec

May 13, 2020

With BIGBANG, BTS on course to return, K-pop scene to present dream team lineup

With two K-pop sensations, BTS and BIGBANG, warming up to release new albums, the K-pop community is on course to host a unprecedentedly star-studded lineup of artists coming back to rock the music scene this year. Breaking out of its more than two-year hiatus due to members' military service, boy band BIGBANG is scheduled to drop new music this year, the band's first release since "Flower Road" in March 2018, according its management, YG Entertainment. The exact date of the new mus

May 13, 2020

‘Bori’ a story of special yet ordinary people around us

While most other films about disabilities focus on the disabled characters, “Bori” sheds light on the life of a hearing child in a deaf family. Such children, referred to as CODA -- children of deaf adults -- may be deemed “normal” outside the home, but with their family they find themselves to be special at times, or “abnormal” other times, just like Bori in the film. Among the family of four, Bori is the only person who does not have a hearing disability.

May 13, 2020

Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun to star in plane disaster blockbuster

A much-hyped aviation disaster film has confirmed its full cast lineup, featuring some of the biggest names in Korean cinema today. Next Entertainment World, the distributor of “Emergency Declaration,” announced the full cast of actors Tuesday and said shooting is to begin this month. The blockbuster is helmed by director Han Jae-rim of “The Show Must Go On” (2007) and “The Face Reader” (2013). Actors Song Kang-ho of this year’s top Oscar winner &ld

May 12, 2020

‘Free, Minu’ pays tribute to migrant who fought for foreign workers’ rights

Director Jee Hye-won of “Free, Minu” had not intended the film to hold the last words of Nepalese singer and activist Minod Moktan -- better known by his Korean name Minu -- when she began working on the film in 2016 with the intention to raise the issue of migrant workers in Korea. The documentary that follows Minu from 2016 to 2018 premiered at the 10th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival in 2018. While Minu was banned from reentering South Korea for 10 years after a 2009

May 12, 2020

[Newsmaker] Park Yu-chun apologizes on air for lying about drug use last year

Park Yu-chun, an actor and a member of K-pop group, JYJ, apologized for having lied about the drug charges against him last year in a TV interview aired on Monday. He said he had lost “rational judgement” when he swore to leave the entertainment industry if found guilty. “I really regret that I lied (about using drugs), and I still wonder ‘What if I had told the truth to people and sincerely asked for forgiveness (instead of insisting on innocence),’” Park

May 12, 2020

How Chung Ha’s house-inspired ‘Stay Tonight’ came to life

Chung Ha’s latest single, “Stay Tonight,” came as somewhat of a surprise. To begin with, it was a pre-single before the upcoming release of her very first full-length studio album, which meant the singer wouldn’t promote the track the way she would a lead single. Despite the lack of media exposure, the song’s multilayered structure, stomping beats and voguing-inspired video propelled it into the top 10 on streaming service Melon’s weekly chart for the week

May 12, 2020

BIGBANG's 2nd documentary featuring Taeyang to hit YouTube next week

The second documentary film by iconic K-pop band BIGBANG will hit YouTube next week, featuring member Taeyang, in the runup to the band's upcoming music release, its agency said Monday. The first episode of the eight-part documentary, "White Night," will hit BIGBANG's official YouTube channel on May 18. Each of the rest of the shows will be released every Thursday and Monday for the duration of four weeks, according to YG Entertainment. The upcoming documentary featuring Taeyang, BI

May 11, 2020

Bang Si-hyuk named chairman of Big Hit

Big Hit Entertainment, home to the likes of BTS and TXT, announced Monday that founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk added the title of chairman of the company in a recent shareholders meeting. Bang, who also maintains the CEO title as chief producer, will be “leading the company from the forefront,” making decisions on core business projects and key issues as well as creative aspects including music production, the company said in a statement. The decision to elevate Bang&

May 11, 2020

Boy band NU'EST drops new alum 'The Nocturne'

Returning to the K-pop scene with a new album, "The Nocturne" Monday, five-member boy band NU'EST explores the thrill and fascination of nighttime with an homme fatale concept. The EP is NU'EST's first music release since "The Table" seven months ago. It marks a dramatic style change into alluring R&B pop from the previous album's breezy, uplifting sound. Member Baekho lent his talent to the composition and writing of five of the album's six tracks, including the lead

May 11, 2020

‘The World of the Married’ Jeong Jun-won apologizes for controversial photos

Actor Jeong Jun-won, who appears in the popular drama series “The World of the Married,” has caused controversy after pictures of the 16-year-old drinking and smoking with friends went viral on the internet. On Sunday, pictures that appear to be screenshots from Jeong’s social media page were trending in a local online community. One of the pictures showed the actor and his friends sitting around a table full of soju bottles, while another showed them smoking. The legal dri

May 11, 2020

[Herald Review] Theater turns into barbecue eatery in ‘Table for One’

The sound, smell and sight of sizzling meat on grill had the audience’s stomach growling during the play “Table for One” at the Doosan Art Center. The play features main character O In-yong who is left to eat by herself, unable to get along with her colleagues. In order to eat alone well, she takes lessons on how to eat alone at a private institute.  Plastic bags where diners place their coats and jackets at barbecue restaurants to prevent the odor of grilled meat fro

May 11, 2020

DAY6 temporarily suspends team activities

Five-piece boy band DAY6 will suspend all upcoming team activities, its label, JYP Entertainment, announced late last night via social media. “Recently, several members acknowledged suffering symptoms of psychological anxiety. We immediately conducted a medical examination and received professional medical advice that sufficient rest and psychological stability were essential,” read the statement. “For this reason, after an extensive discussion with the DAY6 members, we hav

May 11, 2020

COVID-19 seating guidelines stand in way of musicals

Some musical productions are finding it difficult to reopen as performance venues comply strictly with government guidelines requiring a seat between audience members to be left vacant so that they can be seated in a zigzag configuration. This seating arrangement was emphasized after the government on April 19 announced guidelines for relaxed social distancing. Although such a seating configuration is only recommended, performing arts centers, including Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul,

May 10, 2020

LCK and LPL top teams to clash online later this month

The top four teams of Korean League of Legends league LCK and Chinese LoL league LPL are to clash online on May 28, according to reports, but Riot Games has yet to make an official statement regarding the event. The top four teams of LoL Championship Korea -- T1, GenG, DRX and Damwon Gaming -- and the top four teams of the LoL Pro League -- JD Gaming, Top Esports, FunPlus Phoenix and Invictus Gaming -- will determine which region is on top. The Korean teams will play in LoL Park in Jongno, cen

May 10, 2020

Netflix’s ‘Time to Hunt,’ ‘Kingdom’ nominated for Baeksang Arts Awards

A Korean film and series released via streaming service Netflix -- “Time to Hunt” and season two of “Kingdom,” respectively -- have been nominated for the Baeksang Arts Awards, set to take place in June. This is the first time that Netflix releases have been nominated for the annual Baeksang Arts Awards. This year’s nominees were chosen among TV programs, films and plays presented between April 1, 2019 and April 30 this year. On Friday, the second season of &ld

May 10, 2020

’90s music is back, across generational divide

Young artists are repopularizing songs from the ’90s as part of a newtro trend that has hit the music scene, along with a wide range of other industries in South Korea, influencing tastes in beverages, fashion and games. Spearheading the newtro music trend is the soundtrack from the popular tvN drama series “Hospital Playlist,” which has released songs from each of its episodes. “Hospital Playlist” centers on five doctors in their 40s who have been friends since

May 9, 2020

YouTuber vet student denies abusing animals

A veterinary student and prominent YouTuber denied allegations that he abused and starved animals for his videos to get more traffic. According to a news report by local broadcaster Channel A on Thursday, an animal rights group filed a police complaint against Park Gab-su, the owner of the YouTube channel Gabsupasture, accusing him of abusing animals for his videos. Gabsupasture has more than 500,000 subscribers, having gained popularity for its videos on cats and dogs. The animal rights

May 8, 2020