Police investigate knife attack threats against NewJeans

A recent online post threatening knife attacks against popular K-pop girl group NewJeans is being investigated by police, Ador, the group's agency, confirmed Wednesday. "We are preparing to enhance security measures (for NewJeans) in cooperation with the Japanese concert planning company. Police are investigating the matter domestically, and we are actively cooperating with them," Ador said. The threat was made on a local online community site Monday. "I bought this to use at

June 26, 2024

Peruvian K-pop girl group BlingOne to debut with ‘Kiss & Call’

BlingOne, the first-ever Peruvian K-pop girl group, debuts Thursday at noon with its digital single, “Kiss & Call.” The group consists of three finalists of the Peruvian leg of the global K-pop audition, “Click the Star,” hosted by the World K-pop Center, a K-pop education and concert organization institute established in 2020. “Click the Star” began in the second half of last year with the aim to create 32 K-pop girl groups from 32 different countries. Ar

June 26, 2024

A Korean 'Mrs. Doubtfire'? Jo Jung-suk stars in comedy 'Pilot'

Actor Jo Jung-suk, who led the 2019 action comedy “Exit” has returned with comedy flick “Pilot.” In the upcoming movie, appears as Han Jang-mi, a female pilot. The trailer showing Jo dressed up as a female pilot and wearing colorful makeup quickly went viral upon its release Monday. In the film, Jo plays Jung-woo, a retired pilot who disguises himself as a woman – Jang-mi – to get re-employed. The 43-year-old actor said he referenced Robin Williams’ 1993

June 26, 2024

FT Island to return with 'Serious'

FT Island is returning with a full-length album after eight years. The promotion schedule for FT Island's 7th full-length album “Serious” was posted on the group's social media channels announcing the pre-release of "Burn it," one of the double title tracks, and its music video out on June 27. Leading up to the official release of their new album on July 10, the group will sequentially unveil content such as the track list, mood poster, album jacket poster and a h

June 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Je-hoon reflected on his youth while filming 'Escape'

Actor Lee Je-hoon, 39, said that he identified with his role as a North Korean soldier defecting to South Korea, reflecting on his fervent aspirations to achieve his dreams in his youth. In "Escape," an action flick set to hit theaters on July 3, Lee plays the main lead role of Gyu-nam, a North Korean soldier who sets up a plan to cross the border to South Korea with dreams of leading a free life. According to Lee, "Escape" was one of the most difficult projects in his 18-yea

June 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Jae-joong wants to introduce new trend to K-pop scene

Singer and actor Kim Jae-joong pictures his past 20 years as a field of flowers. “Back when I was young, these flowers which I refer to as love and support I get from my fans, looked small and precarious. But as they accumulated to form a flower garden, these flowers were what motivated me to continue moving forward, to make more glorious moments in my life,” said Kim Jae-joong in introducing his fourth LP, “Flower Garden,” during an interview with reporters in Seoul on T

June 26, 2024

National Dance Company invites us to dreamlike reveries

The National Dance Company of Korea is set to present alternating performances of "Sinsun" and "Mongyudowonmu" from Thursday to Sunday at the National Theater of Korea's Daloreum Theater. "Sinsun" will be performed on Thursday and Saturday, while "Mongyudowonmu" will be performed on Friday and Sunday. Having originally premiered as a double bill in 2022, both productions have been expanded into 60-minute performances. "Sinsun" portrays the p

June 25, 2024

Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse at a crossroads

Weverse, Hybe's global superfan platform, stands at a crossroads as a key player in the K-pop powerhouse’s platform business plan, as it seeks to implement an extensive paid membership system in the third quarter of this year amid falling user numbers. Weverse, launched in 2019, allows users to engage in various fan activities and purchase artists’ physical albums as well as related merchandise. It also provides K-pop artists' content on the platform including concert lives

June 25, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] 2NE1 members to meet with YG boss: report

All four members of 2NE1 will get together with the founder of YG Entertainment Yang Hyunsuk within days, according to a local media report Tuesday. Label YG Entertainment confirmed they are set to meet following the report but did not offer any specifics. Last month, CL met with the producer, and the members each uploaded a picture of them together in time for their 15th debut anniversary, raising expectations for their reunion. The quartet debuted in 2009 and established itself as one of the m

June 25, 2024

Only six Korean films score 1m admissions in first half of 2024

Despite the success of blockbuster films “Exhuma” and “The Roundup: Punishment” in the first half of this year, the majority of Korean films have struggled, with only six managing to surpass 1 million in admissions. According to Korean Film Council data, six films -- "Exhuma,” “The Roundup: Punishment,” “The Birth of Korea,” “Citizen of a Kind,” “Following” and “Alienoid: Return to the Future” -- had a

June 25, 2024

'The Whirlwind' embraces timeless appeal of well-made classics

Netflix's "The Whirlwind" will honor classic storytelling by remaining faithful to the script of a seasoned screenwriter, said the director, Tuesday. "The Whirlwind" is a 12-part series that tells the story of Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), the prime minister of South Korea who, believing the president to be unfit to lead the country, kills him. Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae) tries to stop Park as he seeks to grab power after the president&#

June 25, 2024

Westlife concert in Korea postponed to November

Irish pop band Westlife's concert has been postponed to November. According to Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, Westlife, initially scheduled to perform “The Hits Tour” in Korea at the Incheon Inspire Arena on July 6-7, will now hold one concert, on Nov. 23. The band last performed in Korea in October 2011 as part of its "Gravity Tour." Tickets for Westlife’s concert in Korea, which were sold through pre-booking, will be automatically canceled and full refun

June 25, 2024

Trendy 'gugak' festival 'Yeowoorak' spotlights artists

The iconic summer "gugak," or traditional Korean music, festival "Yeowoorak" is back from July 4 to 27, marking its 15th edition. Derived from the Korean phrase "Here is our music," Yeowoorak is the National Theater of Korea's flagship summer festival, showcasing musicians who explore and experiment with gugak. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has attracted over 77,000 people to the National Theater of Korea on Namsan. In the previous editions, Yeowoor

June 24, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT 127 to drop 6th LP on July 15

NCT 127 set the release date of its sixth studio album as July 15, according to label SM Entertainment on Monday. The LP “Walk” will consist of 11 tracks, including the main track of the same title, that will fully demonstrate the band’s ever-expanding musical spectrum. The title of the album suggests that it will look back at the journey the group has made so far and at the same time look ahead at the path it is paving. The LP comes about nine months after the fifth LP &ldqu

June 24, 2024

Indie filmmakers obtain help finding distributors with First Link

The Korean Film Council is accepting applications, starting July 1, for a support initiative to connect indie filmmakers with distributors, the state-run agency said Monday. Now in its fourth year, the First Link program aims to bridge the gap between artistic creation and commercial release in the country's vibrant independent cinema scene. While Korean arthouse cinema has garnered international acclaim, with works like "Breathless" (2008) and "House of Hummingbird" (20

June 24, 2024

Can K-pop thrive beyond its Korean identity?

After K-pop's global success in recent years, music moguls have been grappling with the question of how to sustain the momentum. They agree that localization -- by which they mean taking the K-pop style of discovering and training talent and applying it in different overseas market -- is a key strategy. SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man introduced the concept in 2016 with a new boy band initiative that sought to expand and open up K-pop. His plans included groups based in cities around t

June 24, 2024

Red Velvet celebrates 10th anniversary with new EP ‘Cosmic’

K-pop girl group Red Velvet dropped a new mini album “Cosmic” on Monday. "Cosmic" carries six tracks in which the quintet uses celestial metaphors to convey the feelings that come from important values and relationships. The lead track “Cosmic,” was composed by Kenzie, the veteran producer behind dozens of K-pop’s biggest hits, and the Swedish musician duo Moonshine. It’s about meeting a traveler from a remote star who Red Velvet encounters like dest

June 24, 2024

Twice’s Nayeon lands at No. 7 on Billboard 200

Nayeon of the K-pop girl group Twice achieved a landmark feat on Billboard’s main album chart with her latest mini album, “Na.” According to Billboard, "Na," Nayeon’s second EP, landed at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 dated June 29. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the best-performing albums in the US based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Nayeon is now the first female K-pop soloist to have two albums in the Bil

June 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] Pixar animators suggest Patience, Empathy for 'Inside Out 3'

The animators of "Inside Out 2" suggested that if "Inside Out 3" were to be made, Patience and Empathy could be introduced as new emotions at Riley's brain headquarters, during an interview on Friday. The recently released "Inside Out 2" is the sequel to Pixar's hugely successful "Inside Out" (2015), which delves into the psyche of an 11-year-old girl named Riley by following the adventures of five anthropomorphized emotions: Joy, Fear, Disgust,

June 24, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘Hijacking 1971,’ honest-to-goodness action flick based on true story

When it comes to films based on true events, whether a politically charged event or life of a heroic citizen, the biggest disappointment for the audience often comes in teary moments or an overly dramatic ending. Director Kim Sung-han’s crime action film “Hijacking 1971” follows a simple plotline centering on a good-hearted pilot Tae-in (played by Ha Jung-woo) over its 100-minute-long running time. Ha’s portrayal of a former fighter jet pilot Tae-in, who was dismissed fro

June 24, 2024