EXO Chen releases mellow ballads on 1st solo album

Chen, the main vocalist of popular K-pop boy band EXO, released his first solo EP on Monday, presenting six mellow ballads to the spring K-pop scene.The 26-year-old, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, has recorded a number of solos, including on the original soundtracks for various TV series, such as “Everytime” for mega hit 2016 series “Descendants of the Sun,” but it’s the first time he is releasing a solo album.  (Yonhap)The new album, titled “April, and a Flower,” brings to the fore Chen’s exp

April 1, 2019

Spring arrives in Tongyeong with classical music

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- With cherry blossoms in full bloom, the Tongyeong International Music Festival 2019 began Friday.The annual 10-day festival, founded in 2002, takes place at the city of Tongyeong, a southern coastal city and UNESCO City of Music.This year’s edition pays respect to two historical figures of music. One is, as is typically the case, late composer Yun I-sang, as the festival has its roots in a music festival dedicated to Yun. Tongyeong was the famed composer’s

March 31, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Where do I come from? Where am I going?’

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- Refugees were on composer Toshio Hosokawa’s mind when he wrote “The Maiden From the Sea” in 2017. At the time, images of refugees’ suffering and deaths had shocked and distressed the world. “The Maiden From the Sea” had its Asian premiere at the Tongyeong International Music Festival on Friday and Saturday.  Soprano Sarah Wegener (left) and Noh singer-dancer Ryoko Aoki (Tongyeong International Music Foundation)The Black Box theater of the Tongyeong Music H

March 31, 2019

ASAP Rocky to hit Seoul for concert Friday

ASAP Rocky is stopping by Seoul on Friday as part of his 2019 “Injured Generation” world tour.The American rapper kicked off the trek in January in promotion of his third studio album, “Testing,” which was released in May last year.  ASAP Rocky (ASAP Rocky`s official Facebook page)In his Friday show to be held at Jamsil Arena at 8 p.m., Rocky will showcase live performances of tracks from his latest album that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and lists collaborations with Frank Ocean, Moby,

March 31, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Shazam!’ may prove DC has finally figured it out

In retrospect, the DC Extended Universe having the rights to two of the most popular superheroes of all time could have been both a blessing and a curse. Both Superman and Batman have been done on screen masterfully -- though it got rather embarrassing for Supes in later films -- and making new films about them would’ve been like batting after Babe Ruth: You have to fill supersized shoes. After the surprise hit of “Aquaman,” David F. Sandberg’s “Shazam!” appears poised to become another bench pl

March 30, 2019

Director Kim Ki-duk lodges w1b damages suit against actress, broadcaster

Kim Ki-duk, an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, has lodged a damages suit against an actress who claimed she was sexually assaulted by him and a local television broadcaster that reported on the sexual assault allegations against him. According to legal authorities on Friday, Kim filed a 1 billion-won ($880,700) suit earlier this month to the Seoul Western District Court against the actress and MBC, insisting that he suffered damages from their false claims. This file photo taken on June 12,

March 29, 2019

YG, major broadcasters burning bridges with scandal-ridden pop stars

The management agency of boy band BIGBANG ended sales of merchandise related to the disgraced former band member Seungri, while major broadcasters stopped servicing VOD contents featuring the singer and another scandal-ridden artist, Jung Joon-young, in the aftermath of the broadening sex and corruption scandal centering on the two K-pop stars.The accelerating efforts to remove any signs of the two troubled stars come as the police continue their investigation into allegations that Seungri procu

March 29, 2019

[Weekender] Fan translators break through K-pop’s language barrier

K-pop speaks Korean -- for the most part -- but not all its fans.In addition to K-pop’s nonverbal appeal, the language barrier is being broken down by a network of fans who translate Korean content into other languages in real-time. BTS performs at MBC Plus x Genie Music Awards 2018 (Park Hyun-koo, The Korea Herald)Jessica Cuadros Marquez, who manages the BTS fan organization of Peru, said Spanish-speaking fans depend on reliable fan accounts that have a track record of producing quality Spanish

March 28, 2019

National Gugak Center seeks to balance tradition, change

Though Korea’s traditional music, gugak, is often neglected as pop music and Western classical music draw more attention, the National Gugak Center hopes to turn things around this year with fresh, innovative performances.The center, designed to preserve, support and promote gugak, operates four separate units: the Court Music Orchestra, the Folk Music Group, the Dance Theater and the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra.  (National Gugak Center) National Gugak Center (National Gugak Center)“Last year’s

March 28, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Money (Korea)Opened March 20Crime, DramaDirected by Park Nu-riCho Hyeon-il (Ryu Jun-yeol), a young stock broker on the verge of being fired, has his life turned upside down when a colleague introduces him to “Beonhopyo” (Yoo Ji-tae), a mysterious figure who is an architect of shady but lucrative stock brokerage. But Cho’s newfound sense of invincibility is challenged when maverick investigator Han Ji-cheol (Jo Woo-jin) starts pressuring him.Captain Marvel (US)Opened March 6Action, Adventure, Sci

March 28, 2019

Netflix's S. Korean users triple in 1 yr

The number of South Korean users subscribing to US video streaming platform Netflix Inc. more than tripled in one year, industry data showed Thursday, mainly on the back of the popularity of original local content. Netflix is estimated to have nearly 2.4 million active streaming subscribers as of the end of February, compared with 799,000 users at the end of February 2018, according to Nielsen Korea. (Netflix)Netflix, which started as a video rental firm in 1997, currently has more than 189 mill

March 28, 2019

Korea National Opera to cast spell with ‘Magic Flute’

The Korea National Opera begins its 2019 season with performances of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Seoul Arts Center from Thursday to Sunday.The German opera tells the love story of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night. After Pamina is kidnapped by the high priest Sarastro, the Night Queen persuades Tamino to rescue his daughter and gifts him with the magic flute.  Singers perform during a rehearsal of “The Magic Flute” on Tuesday at the Seoul Arts Center

March 27, 2019

Francophone Theater Festival kicks off in Seoul

The five-day Francophone Festival, organized by the Korean International Theatre & Arts Company, kicked off its inaugural edition in Seoul on Wednesday. “The festival’s first edition in Seoul hopes to celebrate the cultural diversity that spans the French-speaking countries. It also hopes to promote the French language and also strengthen ties between the two nations, France and Korea,” said Patricia Vilfeu from KITAC during a press conference Tuesday in Seoul. A scene from Cueilleurs de Brume’s

March 27, 2019

Actor Im Si-wan discharged from military, set for new TV series

Actor Im Si-wan was discharged from the Army on Wednesday as the 30-year-old completed his mandatory military service, setting him up for his return to show business.Im made his first official public appearance in 21 months in a discharge ceremony held at a boot camp in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. He has been serving in the Army special forces since joining the Army in July 2017. (Yonhap)With a big smile, he gave his final military salute to fans and journalists who gathered together at the scene

March 27, 2019

Suzy expected to relocate from JYP to new management agency

Singer and actress Bae Suzy, who debuted in JYP Entertainment's girl band missA, will terminate her contract with the management agency and is likely to move to another talent agency specializing in acting, according to JYP and other sources on Tuesday."We announce that Suzy's exclusive contract with JYP will expire at the end of March," her current agency said in a press release. (Yonhap)"After debuting in missA in 2010, Suzy has worked harder than anyone under JYP ... JYP will cheer for the pa

March 26, 2019

3 actors of 'Avengers: Endgame' to visit S. Korea

Three main cast members of Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame" will visit South Korea next month to promote the movie ahead of its release in the country, the movie's local distributor said Tuesday.The three actors -- Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner and Brie Larson -- and directors Anthony and Joe Russo will be in South Korea on April 14-15 to attend an Asian press junket in Seoul, Walt Disney Company Korea said. (Marvel)This will be Downey Jr.'s fourth visit to South Korea in four years since one for

March 26, 2019

Duo HONNE announces second collaboration with BTS' RM

English electronic music duo HONNE announced Tuesday the release of its second musical collaboration with RM, the leader of K-pop band BTS.The duo posted images reading the lyrics of the new song on its official social media accounts, under a note, "27.03.19", the date of the song's release. It was signed with "HONNE X RM" at the bottom.The new song adds rap lines by RM to HONNE's 2018 song, "Crying Over you," off its album "Love Me / Love Me Not.""Now I don't like a cliche, but I'm reading from

March 26, 2019

Vietnamese version of Korean TV show 'Running Man' goes on-air next month

A Vietnamese version of "Running Man," a long-running TV variety show by South Korean channel SBS, will go on air next month in a joint production project by the two countries, the South Korean broadcaster said Tuesday.The first episode of the Vietnamese edition will hit the small screen on April 6, on HTV7, one of the two main analog channels operated by Ho Chi Minh City Television, or HTV. Vietnamese version of Korean TV show `Running Man`It is the second overseas edition of the popular South

March 26, 2019

Ensemble Ditto to play for last time

Ensemble Ditto will perform its last season in June after a 12-year run, with its members scheduled to part ways after a final festival titled “Magic of Ditto.”　The all-male chamber ensemble was founded in 2007 in an effort to introduce classical music to a wider, younger public. Star violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill teamed up with a number of other young artists, presenting audience-friendly and innovative programs in South Korea and elsewhere in Asia.  Violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill (Credia) P

March 25, 2019

Sales of K-dramas up 15% on-year at Hong Kong fair

Sales of Korean dramas and films rose around 15 percent at a major international content fair in Hong Kong last week compared with a year earlier, a South Korean government agency said Monday. A total of 25 Korean content sellers recorded a total of $16.6 million in sales during the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market held from March 18-21 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency. It was around a 15 percent increase from the $14.5

March 25, 2019