Lee Ja-ram transforms ‘Old Man and the Sea’ into pansori

Pansori artist Lee Ja-ram is known for her success in taking the audience to places that are utterly new. Her latest work, “The Old Man and the Sea” at Doosan Art Center, does a perfect job of bringing Ernest Hemingway’s story of a Cuban fisherman to the stage. Lee’s “The Old Man and the Sea” takes the form of pansori, or traditional Korean narrative singing. Except for a few changes, Lee’s pansori production follows the original storyline of Santiago, H

Nov. 28, 2019

TWICE tops Japan's Oricon weekly chart for 5th time

A new Japanese album by South Korean girl group TWICE has risen to the top of Japan's leading music chart soon after its release, its management agency said Thursday.According to JYP Entertainment, "&TWICE," the second full Japanese album by TWICE, topped the Oricon weekly albums chart for the third week of this month.With the feat, TWICE has climbed to the top of the Oricon weekly chart for the fifth time. Earlier, the girl group's first Japanese album "BDZ," sixth Korea

Nov. 28, 2019

Gracias Choir tours 18 cities with heart-warming ‘Christmas Cantata’

In celebration of Christmas, Gracias Choir has embarked on its “Christmas Cantata” tour across Korea from Nov. 15 to Dec. 22. The choir will perform in 18 cities, including Ansan, Gyeonggi Province; Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province; Gwangju; Gangneung, Gangwon Province; and Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. The tour ends in Seoul. The 120-minute performance is separated into three acts. The first act takes the format of an opera, depicting the birth of Jesus. The second follows a mu

Nov. 28, 2019

JYJ's Kim Jae-joong to drop first new album in 4 years

Singer Kim Jae-joong will drop a new album early next year, returning to the Korean music business after a near four-year hiatus, his agency said Thursday.Kim, a member of the Korean pop group JYJ, will also start a concert tour across Asia starting in Seoul in January, according to C-Jes Entertainment.The detailed schedule of the Asian concerts will be determined later, it added. It is Kim's first Korean album in four years since he released his last studio album "No.X" in 2016.His la

Nov. 28, 2019

New EXO album tops iTunes charts across globe

K-pop boy band EXO took iTunes music charts by storm Thursday with its latest album, "Obsession."The sixth full-length album by EXO, released on Wednesday, had topped iTunes' Top Album charts in 60 countries by Thursday morning, according to SM Entertainment, the band's management agency. The 60 countries include Canada, France, Denmark, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Peru and Taiwan. At home, "Obsession" also came atop daily album sales charts by online book stores and music di

Nov. 28, 2019

‘Forbidden Dream,’ tale of relationship between legendary king and inventor

Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon era, was a man of science -- as popularly demonstrated by his depiction in the “Civilization” video game series. Jang Yeong-sil was an engineer and inventor, who made his mark in history with countless inventions during Sejong’s reign that showed the technological advancement of his country.Upcoming historical drama “Forbidden Dream” highlights the relationship between the two geniuses of the 15th century in a creative

Nov. 28, 2019

EXO taps into inner darkness with ‘Obsession’

It’s been one of EXO’s most prolific years, as it has seen both individual and duo projects from its members, some of them promoting as part of S.M. Entertainment’s supergroup SuperM. And the K-pop juggernaut has capped a packed year by putting out its long-awaited “Obsession” album, fronted by new obsession-worthy single of the same title. Thumping with urban synth and bass, “Obsession” is an edgy hip-hop dance track that marks a stylish shift from the

Nov. 27, 2019

Netflix unveils "Made in Korea" collection

Netflix Inc., the global internet entertainment service provider, showcased a new collection entirely devoted to South Korean content on Wednesday."Made In Korea" allows viewers to select original South Korean content ranging from drama series to variety shows within a single collection, Netflix said.The new collection underscores Netflix' recent push to expand its engagement with South Korean film and TV content that can appeal to the global audience. Netflix said that South Kore

Nov. 27, 2019

BTS set to heat up year-end festivities with performances at home, abroad

K-pop sensation BTS will heat up year-end festivities with a series of high-profile performances in its home country of South Korea and outside. With the 2019 Melon Music Awards scheduled for Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, BTS will begin its run of performances throughout December, providing an unusually entertainment-packed month.Appearing at the Melon Music Awards last year as well, BTS dazzled fans by staging specially remixed versions of its songs, featuring elements of traditional K

Nov. 26, 2019

Blackpink’s eight most defining tracks

Blackpink, a four-piece girl group consisting of Rose, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo, each with her own charm, is undisputedly one of the biggest girl groups in the world -- if not the biggest.It is the highest-charting female K-pop act in the US, with its self-titled single and EP having peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 24 on the Billboard 200.With a huge international following, the group’s music videos are also some of the most watched to date, with four of them among the a

Nov. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Late Goo Hara left ‘despairing note’: police

Singer Goo Hara, who was found dead at her home Sunday, left a note, according to police.A note written by Goo was found on a table in her living room at around 6 p.m. Sunday by her housekeeper, who then filed a report with police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said during a press briefing Monday.Police said in the note she “despaired over personal affairs.”Police added that based on on-site inspections and family testimonies, foul play was unlikely. A closed-circuit TV review

Nov. 25, 2019

[INTERVIEW] Ryan Jhun believes embracing new sound bodes well for K-pop’s future

Over the past few years, the K-pop scene has seen a flood of foreign producers and songwriters landing credits on notable hits. Fans are already familiar with names like Teddy Riley, LDN Nosie and Divine Music, who are often credited on songs from big acts like EXO, Girls’ Generation and SHINee. K-pop powerhouses like S.M. Entertainment have also been extending their global reach to push their musical boundaries. And at the forefront of the crossover movement is Ryan Jhun, a K-pop mas

Nov. 25, 2019

BTS picks up American Music Award for 2nd consecutive year

K-pop sensation BTS picked up three American Music Awards on Monday to mark the second consecutive year that the band has won honors at the mainstream US award show.Early in the show, the septet was announced as the winner of Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock in the 2019 AMAs ceremony held at Microsoft Theater in California on Sunday night (US time).BTS then lifted two other awards for Tour of the Year and Favorite Social Artist, winning all three categories in which the band was nominated for th

Nov. 25, 2019

'Frozen 2' tops 4m ticket sales within 4 days of release

The sensational Walt Disney animation "Frozen 2" has topped the milestone of 4 million ticket sales less than four days after its release in South Korea, data showed Sunday. "Frozen 2" sold 1,661,967 tickets on Saturday alone after it was released in South Korea last Thursday to top the Korean box office on the very release day, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The Saturday daily sales were only 502 tickets less than the highest local one-day sales record o

Nov. 24, 2019

Grammys under fire after BTS wasn't nominated for 2020 event

The Grammy Awards, one of the major American pop music award events, have become fodder for criticism after K-pop band BTS was shut out of the nominations for the 2020 Grammys.Many eyes had been on BTS' possible nomination when the American Recording Academy announced the 2020 list of nominees Wednesday following the septet's unprecedented feats in the American music scene this year.With its latest album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," BTS topped the Billboard 200 album chart, becoming th

Nov. 22, 2019

Topping box office upon release, 'Frozen 2' to continue winning streak

Sensational Walt Disney animation "Frozen 2" immediately topped the box office on the first day of its release in South Korea, box-office data showed Friday."Frozen 2" sold 606,816 tickets on the first day of its release Thursday here, debuting atop the box office, according to data by the Korean Film Council.On Thursday, the film was shown on 2,343 movie screens across the country and ran 12,998 times, according to the data. This marked 63 percent of all the shows screened t

Nov. 22, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Black Money(Korea)Opened Nov. 13Crime, DramaDirected by Chung Ji-youngAn employee of the Financial Supervisory Service is killed in an accident. An employee of a bank takes her own life, putting the blame on alleged sexual harassment by public prosecutor Yang Min-hyeok (Cho Jin-woong). Seeking to clear his name, Yang finds that the two seemingly unrelated deaths are linked to a questionable acquisition by a foreign investment bank.The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful(Korea)Opened Nov. 7Crime, ActionD

Nov. 22, 2019

BTS off to New Zealand on ‘Bon Voyage’

The fourth season of BTS’ travel show “Bon Voyage” was unveiled on Tuesday evening, with the seven bandmates seen preparing for their trip to New Zealand.In the first episode, released exclusively via Weverse, the members got together at a Chinese restaurant in August, to brainstorm and prepare for the trip that took place in September. The members were supposed to do some research on New Zealand before the meeting. They discussed what they wanted to do there while eating

Nov. 20, 2019

BTS chosen Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year

BTS was chosen as Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year, becoming the first South Korean act to attain the honor as it swept up prizes and stayed on the Billboard 200 for a year. Variety, an influential US entertainment magazine, announced that it had selected BTS as “Group of the Year” on Tuesday (US time), elaborating that “the record-breaking septet has solidified their status as global superstars, rounding out one of the largest stadium tours of the year and releasing a stri

Nov. 20, 2019

BTS will not be exempted from military service: culture minister

PARIS -- Globally acclaimed superstars BTS and other high-flying K-pop stars will not be exempted from mandatory military service under the government's new guidelines on conscription waivers, the culture minister has said. Since early this year, a government task force has been working to revamp the guidelines to raise fairness in military conscription, and the final result is due for announcement this week. The government has been facing rising calls to allow BTS a military service waiver, whi

Nov. 20, 2019