With mega fan base, stars take over YouTube

For the past few months, YouTube has been a popular platform for celebrities seeking more opportunities to promote themselves. But recently, big players have been emerging on the platform, seeking “communication” with fans -- and they have been setting new records. Chef and restaurant tycoon Paik Jong-won started the YouTube channel Paik’s Cuisine on June 11, and has already gathered more than 1 million subscribers.  “I started the YouTube channel after seeing my mot

June 21, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Toy Story 4(US)Opened June 20Animation, Adventure, Comedy Directed by Josh Cooley When Bonnie’s (Madeleine McGraw) beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (Tony Hale), declares himself “trash” and not a toy, Woody (Tom Hanks) takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (Anni

June 21, 2019

BTS' 2016 music video 'Save ME' tops 400 mln YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' 2016 song "Save ME" has topped the milestone of 400 million YouTube views.The "Save ME" music video, off the septet's 2016 compilation album "Young Forever," surpassed the YouTube record Thursday morning, according to the group's agency, Big Hit Entertainment. It is BTS' eighth music video that has surpassed the 400 million mark, including "DNA," which topped 700 million, and "Fire," "Fake Love&quo

June 20, 2019

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev to perform in Seoul

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev is to hold a recital in Seoul next week.For the June 27 recital at the Seoul Arts Center, the Russian pianist will perform Beethoven’s Rondo in C Major, Piano Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata” and a series of compositions written by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.  Pletnev, 62, is a multi-faceted musician, who is a pianist, conductor, composer and also a cultural figure.The winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, Pletnev atte

June 19, 2019

[K-Talk] Mamamoo to hold fan event next month

Girl group Mamamoo will hold a fan appreciation event next month, agency RBW said Wednesday. The event will be held at Korea University at 5 p.m. on July 13, and will be the band’s first fan event since October 2017.Following the Seoul event, the group will play July 27-28 at the Daegu Exhibition & Convention Center. The concert title is “4season F/W.”  Tickets for the fan event will be available at 8 p.m. on Friday, but members of Mamamoo’s official fan club wil

June 19, 2019

Commemorative Resistance Film Festival to kick off next month

The 2019 Resistance Film Festival will be held in Seoul from July 4-7, commemorating the spirit of the Korean independence fighters during Korea’s 1910-45 Japanese colonization, screening 27 films depicting resistance movements around the world.Preparing for the festival’s second edition, organizers expressed their hopes the film festival will become an annual event, eventually to be held at the National Memorial of Korean Provisional Government, slated to open in 2021. This year, it

June 18, 2019

S.M. Entertainment pressed to answer activist shareholder’s demands

S.M. Entertainment, South Korea’s largest K-pop powerhouse by market cap, is at a crossroads having to decide on taking action ahead of a deadline issued by an activist investor to merge with another firm owned by founder and Executive Producer Lee Soo-man.S.M. must respond by Thursday to these and other demands by KB Asset Management, which has publicly called on Like Agency -- a private company owned by Lee -- to be merged with the entertainment firm in order to keep intact the corp

June 18, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘School of Rock’ delightfully charming, as talented cast rocks on

I never thought I’d say this, but having watched the musical adaptation of the 2003 Richard Linklater film “School of Rock,” I actually prefer the stage version. Nobody can recreate Jack Black’s uncontained quirkiness, unorthodox charisma and unhinged charm, qualities whch formed the backbone of the movie. Dewey Finn is a role made for Black, and no one will fit into it better than him. Ever.But while the film was really a one-man show starring Dewey, the musica

June 17, 2019

Feeling great, Ensemble Ditto disbands after 12 years

This month marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for classical music, as Ensemble Ditto wraps up its 12-year journey.The all-male chamber ensemble was launched in 2007 with the aim of introducing classical music to a broader audience. Young musicians, including star violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, teamed up to present artistic and innovative repertoires. But the journey will soon come to an end, as this is the last season for the ensemble. The last Ditto festival, “

June 17, 2019

[Newsmaker] BTS fans complain of tight ID checks at Busan concerts

On the first day of K-pop sensation BTS' first-ever fan event and concert in Busan this weekend, a number of people were blocked from entering the venue although they had tickets in their hands.Officials from Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of BTS, demanded buyer information on the tickets match the ticket holder's identity documents at the event Saturday. Teenage fans who bought tickets using their parents' names were turned down, while students who brought copies of their stu

June 17, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' wins Sydney Film Festival top prize

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has grabbed the Sydney Film Prize, the main award of the 2019 Sydney Film Festival, according to the festival's homepage Monday. The awarding of the AUD60,000 ($41,288) cash prize, which took place during the festival's closing ceremony at the State Theatre in Sydney on Sunday (local time), follows the tragicomedy's winning of the prestigious Palme D'Or at Cannes in late May."'Parasite' has an outrageous disregard for genre conv

June 17, 2019

BTS captivates fans on 2nd day of Busan concerts

K-pop band BTS fascinated fans with dazzling performances for a second day during their fan meeting and concert event held in South Korea's southern port city of Busan on Sunday.Some 22,000 fans from at home and abroad, known as "ARMY," gathered at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium for the second and final day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in the country's second-largest city. The event marks BTS' first live solo performances in Busan, the hometown o

June 16, 2019

Ex-YG head Yang may face police probe over snowballing drug and cover-up scandal

Yang Hyun-suk, the former head and chief producer of YG Entertainment, may face a police investigation over drug allegations involving the agency’s high-profile artists, amid a series of scandals that have damaged the reputation of the leading agency behind the rapid growth of the K-pop industry.On Saturday, police told local media that Yang may face criminal charges if the allegation that he threatened a whistleblower turns out to be true. Yang could be summoned for questioning if the whi

June 16, 2019

'Parasite' surpasses 8 mln in admissions

The Cannes-winning "Parasite" surpassed 8 million in total admissions on Saturday, looking poised to join other films in the 10 million club.According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), "Parasite" reached over 8 million in admissions just past 3 p.m. Saturday, the 17th day since its much anticipated release. The family satire directed by Bong Joon-ho earned the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has stayed at the top of the local box office since it

June 16, 2019

BTS dazzles 25,000 fans in Busan

Throwing its first-ever concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan on Saturday, K-pop band BTS dazzled some 25,000 fans in this bustling port city.The area around Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium, close to the southeastern coastline, was buzzing with BTS fans, famously known as "ARMY," from early in the morning as excited fans arrived at the concert venue far ahead of the first day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in Busan.The two-day fan

June 16, 2019

CGV Arthouse kicks off ‘Cinema Adult Vacation’ in July

CGV, the country’s largest multiplex operator, will kick off an event featuring films exclusively for adult viewers from July 11-24 at CGV Arthouse branches, which focus on arthouse and indie films.  “Cinema Adult Vacation” will introduce 17 films, ranging from classic horror movies, such as “The Exorcist” and “The Omen,” to zombie film “28 Days later.” Some of the films will be screened here for the first time, including Jim Jarmus

June 14, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court dismisses filmmaker Hong Sang-soo's divorce suit

A Seoul court rejected award-winning director Hong Sang-soo's request for divorce at a verdict hearing on Friday.The Seoul Family Court handed down the sentence after Hong applied for a divorce settlement in November 2016 and filed a divorce suit in December that year."Hong and his wife's marriage is on the rocks, and yet the primary responsibility goes to Hong. Supreme Court precedent does not allow those who are responsible for a marriage's breakdown to seek divorce," judge Kim Seong

June 14, 2019

Busan buzzing with excitement over BTS concerts

The second-largest South Korean city of Busan is bustling with excitement and preparations Friday as tens of thousands of fans are set to visit the city to see K-pop world stars BTS over the weekend.The septet will arrive in Busan on Saturday to throw the Busan leg of the band's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" fan meeting/concert events at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.City officials expect the concerts will bring in about 45,000 ticket holders or more to the southern

June 14, 2019

[Graphic News] Rihanna declared world’s richest female musician

　Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house - Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said.　The 31-year-old - born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados - has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star. (AFP)　

June 13, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Parasite(Korea)Opened May 30Drama, Black ComedyDirected by Bong Joon-hoThe Kims, a poor, jobless family of four, work their way into the wealthy glamorous Park family by landing jobs via deceitful means. They earn the affection of the Parks, who are worlds apart from them and yet somewhat alike. Their new way of life is turned upside down when an unexpected visitor comes knocking on the door, kicking off a series of unexpected events.Aladdin(US)Opened May 23Adventure, Comedy, Family Directed by

June 13, 2019