Nichkhun’s 1st solo record in Korea to be released on Feb. 18

K-pop star Nichkhun is releasing an EP titled “ME” on Feb.18, his first record as a solo artist since his debut as a member of the boyband 2PM in 2008.The singer’s agency JYP Entertainment announced Sunday that the upcoming EP will be released at 6 p.m. on that day, after having released a teaser image for the record at midnight through its social media pages.The upcoming release comes after Nichkhun released his first solo record of the same name in Japan in December. He expanded upon his newf

Feb. 10, 2019

'Extreme Job' a step away from becoming No. 1 Korean comedy film

Having drawn more than 12 million moviegoers so far, "Extreme Job" is just a step away from becoming the Korean box-office's No. 1 comedy film in history, data showed Sunday.The film has attracted 12.18 million moviegoers since its release on Jan. 23, after adding 776,162 on Saturday, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. (Yonhap)The record is close to the performance of the box-office No. 1 comedy, "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which drew 12.81 million moviegoers in 2012. The movie was

Feb. 10, 2019

Student-run course at UC Berkeley to explore BTS' global success, impact

A student-run academic course has been launched at the University of California, Berkeley, to explore the phenomenal success of K-pop boy band BTS and its growing global impact, the school's website showed Thursday.The 2-unit course, "Next Generation Leaders: BTS," opened as part of the UC Berkeley's Democratic Education at Cal program, or simply called DeCal, the school's time-honored student-run democratic education program. Under the program, students create and facilitate their own classes o

Feb. 7, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Hit-and-Run Squad (Korea)Opened Jan. 30Action, CrimeDirected by Han Jun-heeLt. Eun

Feb. 7, 2019

BLACKPINK to appear on CBS talk show hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert

K-pop girl band BLACKPINK will take the stage on a late-night talk show hosted by US comedian Stephen Colbert next week, the US broadcaster CBS has said.CBS said Wednesday that the four-piece group is scheduled to perform at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York and chat with Colbert on Monday.Celebrities who have made appearances on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" include former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, singer Lady Gaga, actor Ryan Reynolds, singer Justin Timberlake and actor J

Feb. 7, 2019

Mamamoo's Hwasa to release first solo album next week

Hwasa, the pivotal member of the four-piece K-pop girl group Mamamoo, will release her first solo album next week, its management agency said Thursday.The 24-year-old is set to launch the solo song Feb. 13, the first solo music outside of Mamamoo since the group's debut in 2014, according to RBW.(RBW Entertainment)Hwasa has been building her own color of music inside Mamamoo, known for its powerful vocals and captivating stage performances. In 2014, she and Korean rapper Loco released a collabor

Feb. 7, 2019

Non-celebrity TV shows create buzz, juggling between reality, broadcast

Last year, there was an unexpected buzz on TV about several people who were not big-name actors, singers or TV personalities. They were non-celebrities who had not been exposed to media before. From matchmaking to restaurant mentorship, reality programs featuring non-celebrities have risen in popularity, with viewers seemingly tired of celebrity-centric reality show formats.Viewers say they like watching non-celebrities for their natural behavior. Though the outlines of the shows are laid out, t

Feb. 5, 2019

[Herald Review] Two documentaries to feature belated learning of ‘Granny Poets’

The story of the older generation of women in Korea is one of endless sacrifice that borders on tragedy. While the percentage of women receiving college education has surpassed men since 2005, the post-war and pre-1990s generations in particular have suffered from extreme gender discrimination, the most common of which was receiving little to no education.Upcoming documentary films “Granny Poetry Club” and “The Poem, My Old Mother” features the story of the women in their 80s and 90s learning ho

Feb. 3, 2019

'Underdog' director voices disappointment at poor audience turnout

A co-director of the South Korean animated film "Underdog," said Saturday that he is disappointed at the weaker-than-expected public attention to his brainchild produced after seven years of painstaking efforts."I just feel distressed. I've realized the high wall of prejudice against Korean feature animations," said Oh Sung-yoon in a telephone conversation with Yonhap News Agency.The film, jointly directed with Lee Chun-baek for a period of seven years, was released Jan. 16 but has so far drawn

Feb. 2, 2019

Yoon Ji-sung gears up for solo debut

Yoon Ji-sung, formerly of now-disbanded Wanna One, revealed Friday the events leading up to the release of his first solo album “Aside” on Feb. 20.His agency LM Entertainment unveiled the schedule on social media and the singer’s fan site.  (LM Entertainment)Yoon will hold his first fan meetings, titled “2019 Yoon Ji-sung 1st Fan Meeting: Aside in Seoul,” on Feb. 23 and 24 at Interpark IPark as part of the first leg of his tour. The tour will then head to Macau on March 2 before moving on to sev

Feb. 1, 2019

Taemin returns to the K-pop scene with ‘Want’

Taemin of boy band SHINee will unveil his second solo EP at a showcase this month. According to S.M. Entertainment, “Taemin Showcase – Want” will take place at the Gyedang Hall of the Sangmyung Art Center in Seoul on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. It will be aired on V Live in real time. (S.M. Entertainment)Taemin will perform the EP’s lead track “Want” at the event for the first time. He will also share stories related to the making of the record, along with updates on what he has been up to recently.The al

Feb. 1, 2019

NU’EST renews contract with Pledis

All members of NU’EST have renewed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment, which has managed the group for the past seven years, the agency announced Friday.The extension allowed the five-piece band -- consisting of JR, Aron, Baekho, Ren and Minhyun -- to remain intact. Most K-pop groups have an average lifespan of seven years.  (Yonhap)NU’EST made the announcement directly on its official fan cafe, saying “We united our minds to show our growth as NU’EST with Pledis Entertainment. We will do

Feb. 1, 2019

[Herald Interview] Twitter: K-pop’s great leveler

While Twitter is headquartered in San Francisco, the social media giant’s K-pop capital is its office in Seoul. At the helm of the K-pop hub is Kim Yeonjeong, the head of global content partnerships at Twitter Korea.“It’s been a while since K-pop took off in Asia, and it’s safe to say it has now expanded its reach to a wider audience worldwide -- BTS being one example,” Kim said, adding she is proud to witness the genre’s globalization.As a Billboard charts staple, United Nations speaker and 201

Jan. 31, 2019

Seungri’s reputation in peril over alleged assault at his club

After reports that an unlawful assault had occurred at a club run by Big Bang’s Seungri at the time, subsequent revelations related to the accusation continue to threaten the musician’s already-tarnished reputation.　Local broadcaster KBS on Wednesday reported the testimony of an alleged former employee of the Burning Sun club suggesting that illegal drug use occurred in its VIP rooms. A 28-year-old man named Kim Sang-kyo recently claimed to have been physically abused by security guards at the c

Jan. 31, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘The Odd Family,’ a zombie film that should’ve been more

The only thing that is more irritating than watching a film that is a complete disaster is to watch a movie and think “coulda shoulda woulda” throughout. To see the path that the director could have taken to really improve the material, and groan in bitter disappointment.“The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale” (Megabox Plus M)Director Lee Min-jae’s “The Odd Family: Zombie for Sale,” a rare zombie comedy film in Korean cinema, was one with several interesting attempts, clunky delivery and plenty of clic

Jan. 31, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hit-and-Run Squad(Korea)Opened Jan. 30Action, CrimeDirected by Han Jun-heePolice lieutenant Eun Shi-yeon (Gong Hyo-jin) is demoted to a hit-and-run investigation squad after her superiors question her investigative methods regarding race car driver-turned-businessman Jeong Jae-cheol (Jo Jung-suk). Working with the team leader Woo Seon-yeong (Jeon Hye-jin) and Seo Jin-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol) a young officer with a keen sense about cars, she soon learns that Jeong is somehow connected to a hit-and-run

Jan. 31, 2019

SPO appoints new associate conductor

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announced Wednesday that it has appointed Wilson Ng from Hong Kong as its new associate conductor.Ng was selected via a competition last year, beating out 112 other contenders, according to the orchestra. He has been hired as an associate conductor, a title given to those with a wide range of musical abilities who do more than just assist.  Conductor Wilson Ng (SPO)Ng started out as a flutist and went on to study conducting at the Berlin University of the Arts. H

Jan. 31, 2019

[K-talk] Infinite to release new single in Korean, Japanese

Infinite is gearing up to release a new song in February, marking the boyband’s return from a yearlong hiatus since its third full-length album “Top Seed” in January 2018. (Woollim Entertainment)The new single, titled “Clock,” has been unveiled prior to official release at a fan meeting dubbed “Forever,” which was held in December last year. Performing the song, Infinite explained that the lyrics signified the group’s wish to “share (with fans) an ‘infinite’ moment.”Music label Woollim Entertain

Jan. 31, 2019

[K-talk] GOT7’s Japanese EP debuts No. 1 on charts

GOT7’s new Japanese EP became an immediate success on charts upon its release Wednesday, topping two of Japan’s most prominent charts.The septet’s third Japanese EP, “I Won’t Let You Go,” debuted at No. 1 on the daily albums charts of Oricon and streaming service Line Music.The album cover of “I Won’t Let You Go” (JYP Entertainment)The EP’s title track was released on Dec. 17 along with a music video. The song, with lyrics that sing of not giving up on love, also landed atop Line Music’s weekly

Jan. 31, 2019

Zhang Lu’s ‘Fukuoka’ to premiere at Berlinale

“Fukuoka,” an upcoming drama from Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu, will have its international premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.According to Lu Films, the movie has received an official invitation to screen at the Forum section of the Berlinale, a noncompetitive section that is open to films of all formats and genres. It is one of seven sections at the festival, the others being Competition, Panorama, Generation, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Berlinale Shorts and Retrospect

Jan. 30, 2019