[Herald Review] Jo Jung-suk’s ‘Pilot’ sidesteps comedy cliches

A trusted name in comedy flicks, actor Jo Jung-suk's unique charm and friendliness maximize the characteristics of any role he takes up, as witnessed once again in upcoming comedy film "Pilot." A remake of the Swedish movie “Cockpit” (2012), “Pilot” revolves around the life of pilot Han Jung-woo (Jo) who, after getting fired from his job and divorced by his wife, is now searching for a new job. Out of desperation, he disguises himself as a woman to get a p

July 21, 2024

BTS’ Jimin takes global music charts by storm

Jimin of the K-pop group BTS is thriving with his second solo album “Muse” released on Friday. “Who,” the lead track of Jimin’s second solo album, landed at No. 3 on Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart dated July 19 after accumulating a staggering 7,901,507 streams. All of the seven tracks in his new album made it to Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global chart, with the Side-B tracks “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)” and “Closer

July 21, 2024

Shakatak says it has hired musicologist to analyze NewJeans’ ‘Bubble Gum’ for plagiarism

The plagiarism dispute between K-pop girl group NewJeans and British band Shakatak looks likely to become drawn out. Shakatak posted to its official account on social platform X on Friday that it has hired a musicologist to analyze the similarities between its song “Easier Said Than Done,” released in 1981, and NewJeans’ latest hit, “Bubble Gum.” “To all our fans and friends in Korea, thank you for all your comments about the usage of ‘Easier Said Than D

July 21, 2024

Disney+'s 'Moving' wins grand prize for 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards

Disney+ series "Moving" won the grand prize at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards held on Friday, clinching its second grand prize after securing the top honors at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards just two months ago. The Blue Dragon Series Awards honors excellence in Korean series and entertainment shows distributed on streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Watcha, Wavve, Kakao TV, Coupang Play and Tving. The nominees for this year's Blue Dragon Series Awards incl

July 19, 2024

Swae Lee, Offset to hold concert in Seoul

American hip-hop artists Swae Lee and Offset will be performing in Korea next month. The two artists will take the stage on Aug. 15 at the Korea University Tiger Dome. The concert is to last approximately three hours and is restricted to adults only. Offset is a member of the trio Migos – along with Quavo and Takeoff – which have been influential in the rise of the trap genre in the American hip-hop scene. Offset is known for his distinctive rap style and unique fashion. As part of M

July 19, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink to host autograph session

Blackpink announced Thursday that it will have an autograph session on Aug. 8 in time to celebrate the eighth anniversary of its debut. The supergroup will invite 88 fans selected through a lucky draw. The event is the first full-group activity since the four members were awarded honorary medals from Britain’s King Charles in November last year. Since then, they renewed their contract with YG Entertainment to handle their group activities but took their individual careers elsewhere. Rose s

July 19, 2024

Plagiarism concerns rise among K-pop bands

Concerns are growing over an increasing number of K-pop bands facing plagiarism accusations, with recent cases involving popular groups like NewJeans and Lisa of Blackpink. Recently, English jazz-funk band Shakatak reportedly appointed a domestic law firm in Korea to represent the group's interests and issued a formal notice demanding that NewJeans cease using its latest hit “Bubble Gum” and compensate for damages. In a letter of claim sent to Ador, the music label for NewJeans,

July 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Tving's 'Shaman: Whispers from the Dead' explores why Koreans still consult shamans

The producers of the popular Tving original documentary series "Shaman: Whispers from the Dead" stated that their goal was to investigate why South Koreans, regardless of their belief in shamanism, continue to discuss and engage in shamanistic practices. The 8-part series explores Korean shamanism and its impact on contemporary Korean society. It features guests who report being tormented by spirits, shamans who help alleviate these experiences, and experts in religious studies and a

July 19, 2024

JYP to establish Latin America subsidiary, create global girl group

JYP Entertainment announced Thursday that it will establish a local subsidiary in Latin America and launch an audition program under the title "L2K" to create a new Latin girl group, marking its first major foray into the Latin American music market. JYP Entertainment said it plans to launch its subsidiary within the current quarter, expanding its artists' tour regions and new business ventures, while also building communication channels with local fans. JYP Entertainment also unv

July 19, 2024

CJ ENM’s 2024 MAMA Awards to kick off in US for first time

The 2024 MAMA Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony, organized by CJ ENM, will kick off in the US for the first time in its history, the company said Thursday. The awards are to start at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Nov. 21, before moving to the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan on Nov. 22-23. This marks a significant step in expanding the reach of K-pop and connecting global fans across different time zones. The MAMA Awards, which have a 25-year legacy, have prev

July 19, 2024

Stray Kids return with ‘ATE,' ambitious to broaden music

Stray Kids have returned with confidence and aspirations to reach a broader audience. The eight-member group dropped its 9th mini album, “ATE,” on Friday, expressing ambitions to broaden their musical spectrum. "This is our first album of the year. As our unique style has become more distinct, we've worked hard to prepare it, so please enjoy it," said leader Bang Chan during a press conference held at the Conrad Seoul in Yeongdengpo-gu, Seoul on Friday. The title track

July 19, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Project Silence” (South Korea) Opened July 12 Thriller/action Directed by Kim Tae-gon Trapped on a collapsing bridge shrouded in fog, national security officer Jung-won (the late Lee Sun-kyun), his daughter and other survivors find themselves in a fight for their lives against a mysterious creature. “Escape” (South Korea) Opened July 3 Action Directed by Lee Jong-pil North Korean soldier Gyu-nam (Lee Je-hoon) is about to be discharged after 10 years of service. Faced w

July 19, 2024

Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Emmy for Park Chan-wook's 'The Sympathizer'

"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer," as the 76th Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Downey portrays four characters in the seven-part black comedy miniseries: a CIA agent, film director, congressman and professor. For his performance as multiple antagonists in the series, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said that Downey has been

July 18, 2024

Jimin to showcase new song at Jimmy Fallon Show

BTS's Jimin set to perform "Who" from the upcoming solo album on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Jimin will appear on the popular American NBC program at 12:35 p.m., Tuesday, Korean Standard Time, performing "Who" from his second solo album "Muse." The Jimmy Fallon Show announced Jimin's appearance on Thursday via a teaser video released on its official social media accounts. The teaser shows Jimmy Fallon drinking from a can labeled &qu

July 18, 2024

No end in sight for Min's legal troubles

Despite Ador CEO Min Hee-jin’s wish to reconcile with Hybe, the parent company’s anger shows no signs of abating as its subsidiary labels continue to take legal measures against Min. On Monday, Source Music, the Hybe music label behind K-pop girl band Le Sserafim, filed a lawsuit against Min for defamation, obstruction of business and insult, seeking damages of around 5 billion won ($362,450). Source Music claimed that Min's comments have caused Le Sserafim to suffer from rumors

July 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids renew contract with label

All eight members of Stray Kids agreed to stay with label JYP Entertainment and signed contract renewals, the company announced Thursday. Their exclusive contracts were due to expire in March next year, but were renewed in advance. The octet is set to bring out their ninth EP, “Ate,” on Friday, amid high expectations after the four previous albums – EPs “Oddinary,” “Maxident” and “Rockstar” as well as third LP “Five-Star” -- all d

July 18, 2024

Etoile Park Sae-eun says childbirth was turning point

Ballerina Park Sae-eun, the first Asian etoile (or principal dancer) of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet, returns to the Korean stage for "Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala 2024” performance alongside French colleagues. This performance, taking place Saturday to Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seoul, will be her first time meeting Korean audiences since giving birth. When Paris Opera Ballet performed "Giselle" in Korea in March last year, Park was u

July 18, 2024

Asia’s largest experimental film and video fest kicks off in Seoul

Seoul’s Experimental Film and Video Festival (EXiS), the largest of its kind in Asia, kicked off Thursday for eight days of experimental films, documentaries and moving images from around the world. Under its competition program EX-Now, a total of 21 experimental films will be screened in the international section, selected from 2,008 films from 79 countries, while 11 Korean experimental films will compete in the Korean section. From the 32 films, a jury will select three films for awards.

July 18, 2024

Director of 'Sweet Home 3' hopes fun will return in series finale

The director of "Sweet Home 3" shared that he listened attentively to all feedback given to "Sweet Home 2" and hoped the final season would, once again, be fun. Netflix's monster horror series "Sweet Home," was a huge success in 2020, becoming the first Korean series to enter Netflix's top 10 list in the US. However, "Sweet Home 2" flopped, criticized for its expansive setting and limited screen time for fan-favorites such as Hyun-soo (played by

July 18, 2024

NewJeans to perform during halftime at Tottenham-Bayern match

K-pop sensation NewJeans will perform during the halftime at the big match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur. NewJeans will perform at the halftime show of the "2024 Coupang Play Series" match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Seoul World Cup Stadium, according to Ador, the group's agency. The "2024 Coupang Play Series" is a highly anticipated game that has local football fans excited about the prospect of seeing Tot

July 18, 2024