Despite record high album sales, BTS faces barrier of US radio airplay

Despite K-pop band BTS' record high sales of "Map of the Soul: 7," the relatively tepid performance of the album's title track, "ON," on the Billboard singles chart indicates that American radio airplay remains a formidable barrier for the septet. This week, "ON," the lead single from the latest BTS album, slipped sharply to 68th on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart dated March 14 after debuting at fourth on the weekly chart the previous week. The No. 4 spot w

March 13, 2020

Moviegoers fall to 15-year low in Feb. out of coronavirus fear

The number of moviegoers in South Korea fell to a 15-year low in February out of intensifying fears over the infectious coronavirus, data showed Friday. According to the data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), a total of 7.37 million people went to the cinema last month, plunging 66.9 percent from 14.9 million tallied a year ago. It is the smallest February number since 2005, when monthly admissions came to 11.3 million. It is also the first time in 15 years that the February admission dropp

March 13, 2020

After server errors, ‘Mr. Trot’ winner to be unveiled Saturday

The winner of TV Chosun’s hit talent audition show “Mr. Trot” will be announced Saturday, after the broadcaster failed to name the winner on its Thursday’s episode, citing an unprecedented number of text message votes from viewers. “Mr. Trot” was to announce the winner at the end of Thursday’s episode, aggregating the scores by the panel of judges and text message voting from viewers after the final round of competition. However, as the show neared t

March 13, 2020

K-pop soloist Chungha takes big leap into US showbiz

K-pop singer Chungha is taking a big leap by teaming up with ICM Partners, one of the biggest talent agencies in the US, which has represented big name stars such as Beyonce and Megan Fox. “I hope to show more various sides of me while working with ICM. ‘Breaking into the US market’ still sounds like a huge title for me, but I’m excited for what’s to come in the future,” Chungha told The Korea Herald on Wednesday. “As much as it’s a hard-won oppo

March 13, 2020

Busan film festival to feature fewer movies this year

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) will feature about 13 percent fewer movies this year, its organizer said Friday. In a recent general meeting, the secretariat decided to invite about 260 films for its 25th edition, a sharp cut from some 300 screened in previous years. The organizer also decided to hold this year's event from Oct. 7-16 under the slogan of "New Start, Always BIFF." The downsizing came as its funding was slashed 6 percent on-year to 11.95 billion won (US$

March 13, 2020

Film festivals in S. Korea postponed amid coronavirus scare

Local film festivals in South Korea set to open this spring have been rescheduled amid heightening fears over the rapid spread of the infectious coronavirus. Organizers have postponed the opening of the 21st Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), the country's largest showcase of indie and art-house films, for one month to May 28. The 2020 JIFF was originally to kick off April 30 and run through May 9 in the southwestern city of Jeonju. Last year, the festival featured 275 films from 53

March 13, 2020

'Parasite' tops W300b in worldwide revenues

The Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite" has topped 300 billion won ($245 million) in worldwide ticket sales, industry data showed Friday. According to the data by Box Office Mojo, a US film revenues tracker, the black comedy film earned $253.5 million in the world, including $72.6 million in South Korea and $52.8 million in the United States. Released stateside in October last year, "Parasite" is the fourth-highest grossing foreign film in the US, following "Crouchin

March 13, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Dark Waters (US) Opened March 11 Biography, Drama, History Directed by Todd Haynes Corporate environmental attorney Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) has just made partner at his law firm in large part due to his work defending big chem companies. But he finds himself conflicted after being contacted by two West Virginia farmers who believe that the local DuPont plant is dumping toxic waste in a nearby landfill. Bilott files a complaint that marks the beginning of an epic two-decade fight -- one that

March 13, 2020

Film companies to jointly release new pictures

Korean theaters are seeing the lowest number of cinemagoers in 14 years, and film companies, finding it difficult to postpone new releases any further, are seeking alternative ways to keep the industry going. Moviegoers nationwide were less than 60,000 from Monday to Wednesday, marking the lowest figure seen in the last 14 years, according to data compiled by the Korea Film Committee. With the virus pandemic set to continue for days to come, film producers and distributors are putting their he

March 12, 2020

Hit audition show ‘Mr. Trot’ mired in controversy

Just before Thursday’s airing of its final episode, TV Chosun’s hit audition show “Mr. Trot” became embroiled in a controversy over suspected unfair contracts. The TV show, which aired its first episode in January, is a trot singing showdown. Last year, the broadcasting station’s “Miss Trot,” featuring talented female trot singers, was a huge success, with final winner Song Ga-in rising to national stardom through the show.  Buoyed by the succ

March 12, 2020

Virus-hit S. Korean movie industry faces grim prospects for summer peak season

The South Korean film industry, struggling with the wide spread of the coronavirus, sees the outlook for its summer peak season remaining bleak even if the epidemic eases. As the number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus has reached nearly 7,900 since the first outbreak on Jan. 20, the South Korean government raised the virus alert to the highest level last month and asked the public to refrain from outdoor activities. The rapidly spreading coronavirus has been keeping people from local

March 12, 2020

New BTS album sells record high volume in K-pop history

"Map of the Soul: 7," the new album by boy band BTS, sold more than 4.11 million copies in the first nine days of its release last month, becoming the most sold album in the Korean pop history, its management agency said Thursday. It took nine days for the new album to shatter the previous highest album sales record of nearly 3.4 million set by BTS' own album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," released in April last year. The total sales of "7" in the first nine days

March 12, 2020

Korea's market for pop culture expands nearly 20% in 2018

The South Korean market for popular culture content including K-pop and K-drama expanded nearly 20 percent in 2018 from two years earlier on a surge in overseas sales, a government report showed Wednesday. According to the biennial tally of the popular culture market, compiled by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the combined revenue of the industry came to 6.42 trillion won (US$5.4 billion) in 2018, up 19.5 percent from about 5.37 trillion won

March 11, 2020

More K-pop artists team up with US labels to expand careers

Adding to the phenomenal global ascent of K-pop, led by boy band BTS, another Korean band, SuperM, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart last October, furthering the global influence of Korean pop music. It was a major feat accomplished in SuperM's widely publicized collaboration with Capitol Music Group, a major American music label under Universal Music Group, and a culmination of an increasing number of similar collaboration deals between K-pop artists and American music labels and t

March 11, 2020

[Herald Interview] Oh Ji-ho, director discuss fantasy-thriller ‘The Nightmare’

Actor Oh Ji-ho said he accepted the offer to star in the fantasy-thriller “The Nightmare” because he wanted answers to the many questions that popped into his head as he read the script. “It’s difficult to put it into words, but I was grasped by a mysterious and incomprehensible feeling,” Oh said Wednesday in an email interview conducted ahead of the film’s release on Thursday. “The Nightmare” is a mystery-thriller packed with fantastical elemen

March 11, 2020

Show must go on, even if it’s online

While coronavirus cases continue to climb around the world, the performing arts scene in Korea is turning to a different stage: online platforms. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Culture Ministry, performing arts theaters’ ticket sales in February recorded 20.9 billion won ($18.6 million), nearly down to half of the previous month’s 40.3 billion won. Since mid-February -- when Ko

March 11, 2020

Jeonju film fest postponed due to coronavirus

The Jeonju International Film Festival has been postponed, as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues. The organizing committee of the Jeonju IFF announced on Wednesday the decision to move the event to May 28-June 6. The 10-day event was originally slated to kick off April 30. “We made the decision considering the possibility that COVID-19 may be of a grave threat to the health and safety of our guests,” the board of directors said in a statement. “Although we are postpon

March 11, 2020

Star screenwriters return to small screen

Big-name screenwriters are returning to the small screen this year, raising high expectations for well-made blockbuster TV series. Park Ji-eun, who wrote popular romantic comedies "My Love from the Star (2013) and "Legend of the Blue Sea" (2016), was the first runner in the 2020 lineup of star playwrights. The last episode of her latest drama, "Crash Landing On You," which aired from December last year to February, earned the highest viewership for any drama series fr

March 11, 2020

BIGBANG renews contract with YG ahead of new music release

K-pop boy band BIGBANG has renewed its contract with the current agency, YG Entertainment, ahead of the band's new music release planned for this year, YG said Wednesday.  "The BIGBANG members, G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P and Daesung, signed an exclusive contract with YG," the management said in a press release. This will mark BIGBANG' next term with YG after the band's debut under the music label in 2006. BIGBANG later renewed its contract with YG twice, in 2011 and 2015. Y

March 11, 2020

BTS' 'ON' slips to 68th on Billboard Hot 100 in second week

"ON," the lead single from K-pop boy band BTS' latest album, dropped to 68th on this week's Billboard Hot 100 singles chart after debuting at fourth a week earlier, the latest chart updates showed Wednesday. The sudden skid of "ON" on the Hot 100 chart dated March 14, came mainly amid the dearth of radio airplay for the song in the United States as a non-English single.  Last week, the song, the lead track of "Map of the Soul: 7," debuted at No. 4 on the H

March 11, 2020