[K-talk] BTS comeback date undecided: Big Hit

Big Hit Entertainment has denied reports that BTS will be releasing a new album in May.On Tuesday, local media reported that BTS was set to return with new material in May.   This photo was posted on BTS` official Facebook account on Dec. 1, 2018. (Big Hit Entertainment)The next morning, the band’s agency Big Hit Entertainment issued an official statement negating the reports, and clarified that the date of the group’s comeback is yet to be decided.“The specific date will be announced through of

Jan. 30, 2019

[K-talk] Netmarble’s BTS mobile game set for Q1 release

Korean gaming industry giant Netmarble Games is introducing a new mobile game called “BTS World,” coupling gaming and K-pop.“BTS World” is a simulation game built around the idea of grooming the BTS bandmates into superstars, with users playing the artists’ managers.  (Netmarble, Big Hit Entertainment)Over 10,000 images and 100 videos featuring BTS will be available exclusively on the game, Netmarble said. The band will also perform all the music.Netmarble launched an official website and Twitte

Jan. 30, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Sky Castle’ star Chani talks stardom, dancing to the show’s theme song

With its final episode to air this week, JTBC’s hit drama “Sky Castle” has been one of the most successful shows of the year so far. And Chani from boy band SF9, whose real name is Kang Chan-hee, is among the cast members who have seen the series take off and win the hearts of viewers across the country over the past few weeks. Sitting in FNC Entertainment’s office in Gangnam, the singer-actor grinned as he recalled the end-of-show party on Saturday, where he said everyone, including actors, sta

Jan. 29, 2019

Kpop Herald joins Twitter’s K-pop push

Twitter Korea said on Tuesday it is launching in-stream video ads in Korea, extending the global campaign to cover red-hot K-pop content. Kpop Herald, an in-house venture of The Korea Herald, the nation’s largest English daily, is one of the first Korean partners to join the social media giant’s K-pop push, along with a slew of media and entertainment companies here.The ad service, launched in October last year, aims to help advertisers effectively expose their products with preroll ads on premi

Jan. 29, 2019

SPO’s ‘Rush Hour Concert’ explores space musically

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will kick off its yearlong exploration of space with “Rush Hour Concert I: Cosmos on Music Paper” on Thursday.  Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Seoul Cathedral Anglican Church of Korea in central Seoul, as part of SPO’s “Rush Hour Concert” series that connects classical music with the humanities. Launched in 2016, the series aims to allow Seoul residents to conveniently enjoy classical music a

Jan. 29, 2019

YG to launch two K-pop boy bands soon

YG Entertainment, the label of such famous K-pop bands as Big Bang and Blackpink, is set to launch two more K-pop boy bands in the near future, the company's chief said Tuesday."Following (the launch of) 'Treasure,' whose membership is fixed at seven, (YG) will soon announce the second team composed of six members," YG head Yang Hyun-suk said on his Instagram account.YG NEW BOY GROUP "TREASURE" (YG CEO Yang Hyun-suk Instagram @fromyg)The seven "Treasure" members were selected in the idol surviva

Jan. 29, 2019

[K-Talk] Brown Eyed Girls snub break-up rumors with comeback

Brown Eyed Girls are returning from a four-year hiatus with their first release since 2015, their agency Mystic Entertainment said Tuesday. The poster for Brown Eyed Girls’ concert in 2016. (Mystic Entertainment)The label confirmed earlier reports that the four-piece act is currently preparing an album that will be revealed in the first half of the year. The members had briefly mentioned a possible comeback on TV. The band had never said it broke up, but speculation had brewed, as a four-year br

Jan. 29, 2019

[K-talk] Taemin of SHINee gears up for new solo EP

Taemin of boy group SHINee heralded a new EP release as a soloist, his first in over a year.Slated for release Feb. 11, the seven-track EP “Want” marks the SHINee vocalist’s first solo Korean work since the studio album “Move” in October 2017. Teaser image for Taemin’s upcoming solo EP (S.M. Entertainment)The 25-year-old debuted as a solo artist in August 2014 with the EP “Ace,” six years after his debut with SHINee in 2008. He has since released two full Korean albums and two Japanese EPs.Taemi

Jan. 29, 2019

Ticket sales for BTS concert film top 200,000 in 3 days

"Love Yourself in Seoul," the second documentary film capturing the thrill of live BTS concerts, attracted more than 200,000 local movie goers in the first three days after its release at some local screens last week, data showed Tuesday.The accumulated ticket sales for the film, which hit 161 theaters on Jan. 26, reached 207,339 as of Monday, according to the Korean Film Council's box office data. BTS (Yonhap)The film was the daily box office No. 2 for the last three days despite the limited nu

Jan. 29, 2019

Winter melodies to bring back memories of PyeongChang

The biannual concert series “Music in PyeongChang - Winter Festival” aims to bring back memories of the PyeongChang Olympics, while also enriching cultural aspect of Gangwon Province with classical music performances. On Monday, the event’s artistic director pianist Son Yeol-eum and Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation Chairman Kim Sung-hwan attended a press conference held at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul and announced the winter portion of the festival’s program, which is held in summer and winter each

Jan. 28, 2019

[K-talk] NCT 127 rounds off first solo concert in Seoul

Boy group NCT 127 rounded off its first solo concert on Saturday and Sunday, attracting 24,000 fans and playing to sold-out crowds both nights.The group’s first concert, “Neo City: Seoul -- The Origin,” took place at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul.  NCT 127 (NCT 127’s official Twitter @nctsmtown_127)“This has been our dream since our trainee days. We’ve worked hard for this day to happen,” said band member Taeyong.NCT 127 debuted in July 2016 as the Seoul-based subunit

Jan. 28, 2019

[K-talk] HyunA, E’Dawn sign with Psy’s new label

HyunA and E’Dawn signed with P Nation, a music label launched by Psy, the musician said Sunday.According to Psy’s Instagram posting, the two former Cube Entertainment artists have gotten on board with the “Gangnam Style” star’s nascent entertainment company. Psy’s official Instagram (Instagram @42psy42)HyunA and E’Dawn left Cube Entertainment last year after getting heat from the label for publicizing their relationship. After her debut in 2007 with Wonder Girls under JYP Entertainment, HyunA ma

Jan. 28, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Hit-and-Run Squad’ pretentious and impressively unimpressive

How do they keep doing this? I thought I’ve seen the worst in the recent flop “Drug King” in terms of putting together a group of very talented people, throwing in a complete badass of a subject matter and coming up with an utter disappointment despite a sizeable budget. That is, until I witnessed director Han Jun-hee’s “Hit-and-Run Squad,” which had a promising premise, a top-notch car chase and gifted actors yet completely broke down. Just like “Drug King,” it is more infuriating because the f

Jan. 27, 2019

Scores from beloved films, dramas to be performed

Familiar music from Koreans’ favorite films and dramas will be played live, bringing back tears and laughter for fans. A series of concerts featuring orchestral performances of scores from the country’s most beloved visual content will be held in Seoul. As the performances are all based on visual productions, many of the concerts will have clips from the shows screened. Original soundtracks from the tvN drama “Mr.Sunshine” will be played at the Lotte Concert Hall on Feb. 24.  Drama “Mister Sunsh

Jan. 27, 2019

Musical performance in memory of Sewol ferry disaster showcased to public

A musical performance created in remembrance of the Sewol ferry tragedy was showcased to the public over the weekend. On Saturday, a preview event for “Song of Jjokbit” -- jjokbit translates to indigo blue -- was held at the Seoul City Hall.  The musical performance “Song of Jjokbit” (Yonhap)The performance centers on the tragic accident in 2014, when the Sewol ferry capsized near waters off Jeju Island, resulting in the death of more than 300 people, mostly high-school students on a field trip.

Jan. 27, 2019

[K-talk] VIXX’s leader N to enlist on March 4

N of boy band VIXX will join South Korea’s armed forces on March 4 as part of the Army band.The VIXX vocalist and leader announced via the group’s official fan website on Saturday that he wanted to enlist without “making a big deal,” but decided he would “deliver the news (himself), as word spreads quickly.” VIXX’s N (Jellyfish Entertainment)He will serve as an active-duty soldier as part of his mandatory military service. All able-bodied Korean men are required to serve in the military for arou

Jan. 27, 2019

[K-talk] EXO tops 200 million view on YouTube again with ‘Ko Ko Bop’

EXO’s hit “Ko Ko Bop” has garnered over 200 million views on YouTube, becoming the third video by the boy band to reach the milestone on the video-sharing platform.  A concept image for the album “The War” (S.M. Entertainment)Dropped on July 18, 2017, the lead track off the group’s fourth studio album “The War” debuted at No. 87 on Billboard 200, marking the group’s second entry on the chart since “Exodus” in 2015.One of the most popular K-pop groups today, EXO also reached the 200-million-view

Jan. 27, 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 that the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when the detectives’ chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Mal-Mo-E: The Secret Mission (Korea) Opened Jan. 9DramaDirected by Eo

Jan. 26, 2019

Police look into news anchor Sohn’s alleged violence

Police said Friday they were looking into allegations that Sohn Suk-hee, a well-known news anchor for cable channel JTBC, punched a freelance reporter earlier this month.Sohn, who is a household name in Korea and also the chief of JTBC, denied accusations of assault at the beginning of his news show “News Room” on Thursday evening, and reported the reporter, surnamed Kim, to the police for blackmail.(Yonhap)According to Kim, Sohn hit him twice during a dinner meeting earlier this month in Seoul

Jan. 25, 2019

Jennie, Kai break up after their relationship was made public this month

Jennie, the pivotal member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, and Kai from the boy band EXO split up less than one month after their romantic relationship was exposed by a media outlet, according to the latter's management agency on Friday.(Yonhap)"The two parted ways," SM Entertainment told the media, without providing the reason for the separation. The former couple was put under intense media attention after their romantic relationship was revealed to the public on Jan. 1 by a media outlet that se

Jan. 25, 2019