‘Burning’ shortlisted for foreign language Oscars, first for Korean film

Lee Chang-dong’s thriller “Burning” joined Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” as one of nine contenders for the Academy Awards, becoming the first Korean movie to make the short list for one of cinema’s most prestigious awards.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list Monday, which also included “Birds of Passage” from Colombia, “The Guilty” from Denmark, “Never Look Away” from Germany, “Shoplifters” from Japan, “Ayka” from Kazakhstan,” “Capernaum” from Lebanon and “Cold War” from P

Dec. 18, 2018

H.O.T.’s Kangta owns 5,500 S.M. shares

Kangta, or Ahn Chil-hyun, a former first-generation K-pop star from the now-defunct group H.O.T., owns 5,500 shares in S.M. Entertainment. The information was publicly posted on Monday.Ahn is an unlisted board member of S.M. Entertainment. The shares he owns account for 0.02 percent of S.M. As of 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, at the time of this article’s writing, an S.M. share was priced at 49,900 won ($44), making Ahn’s stake worth 274.45 million. Kangta (S.M. Entertainment)S.M. is the biggest talent

Dec. 18, 2018

Elementary YouTube starlet’s success draws ‘haters’

“Ddiye,” a 10-year-old YouTube sensation who charmed the Korean public, has announced she will take a break because “haters” reported her videos for no apparent reason. The YouTuber uploaded her first ASMR video Nov. 2 and had gained 5.9 million views for it as of Tuesday. The child’s unscripted actions -- nibbling on sea grapes with a microphone taped near her mouth -- distinguished Ddiye from numerous professional ASMR YouTubers. Her instant popularity brought in over 460,000 subscribers in a

Dec. 18, 2018

Fans remember SHINee’s Jonghyun at memorial event

No sounds of sobbing or wailing were heard at a memorial event for SHINee’s Jonghyun on Monday, but the singer’s death is still keenly felt by his fans. On Monday evening, the event to commemorate the late lead vocalist of SHINee, who died a year ago, was held at a theater in S.M. Town Coex Artium in Gangnam. It took the form of an art fair that showcased clips and writing dedicated to Jonghyun. The event also included a memorial service. (Hong Dam-young/The Korea Herald)Organized by Shiny, a no

Dec. 18, 2018

Jonghyun remembered in arts exhibition on 1st anniversary

Dec. 18 marks the first anniversary of Jonghyun’s passing.On this day last year, boy group SHINee’s lead vocalist was found unresponsive at a studio apartment in Cheongdam-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul’s Gangnam district. He was rushed to the nearby Konkuk University Medical Center, but did not survive. Jonghyun (SHINee`s official Twitter @shinee)The 27-year-old star’s untimely passing was reported in major media outlets across the world, including the BBC, CNN, Forbes, the New York Times and th

Dec. 17, 2018

Sylvester Levay says ‘Elisabeth’ marked turning point for him

Nearly two decades after winning the Grammy Award for “Fly, Robin, Fly,” composer Sylvester Levay was at a crossroads, about to venture into writing songs for musicals.“Writing music for (musical) ‘Elisabeth’ was around the time when I was peaking in Hollywood writing film music. I was torn between potential career choices when my wife pushed me forward. It was a turning point for me as a creator,” said Levay during an interview in Seoul on Thursday. The interview was in German, translated into

Dec. 17, 2018

Epic Games Korea denies gun powder use, wishes Seolhyun quick recovery

Epic Games Korea, the host of Fortnite Korea Open 2018, confirmed in a statement Monday that gun powder had not been used during AOA’s performance at the event, after the group’s member Seolhyun left the stage in the middle of the performance because she felt faint. The company also wished Seolhyun a quick recovery.Seolhyun’s management agency FNC Entertainment had initially blamed the singer’s dizziness and retching on the heavy use of gunpowder. However, fans had criticized the agency for not

Dec. 17, 2018

'Bohemian Rhapsody' reclaims box office throne with nearly 8m admissions

"Bohemian Rhapsody" reclaimed the top spot on the weekend box office chart in its eighth weekend in South Korean theaters.The Queen biopic, which stars Rami Malek as legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, sold 553,807 tickets from Friday to Sunday, data from the Korean Film Council showed Monday. The film's cumulative audience reached 7.94 million.(20th Century FOX Korea)After debuting at No. 2, the movie first topped the chart in its fourth weekend. It fell to second place after the release of the

Dec. 17, 2018

[Photo News] BTS wins big at 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong

BTS took home what is regarded as the highest honors of the evening on the third and final night of the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong: artist and album of the year. BTS delivers a thank-you speech at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) BTS after winning `Album of the Year` at 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) BTS delivers a thank-you speech at the 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) Leader RM speaks on behalf of the group at MAMA in Hong Kong on Friday (CJ ENM)“Love Your

Dec. 16, 2018

The Weeknd rocks Seoul with exhilarating, nonstop performance

As part of the Hyundai Card Culture Project, The Weeknd held his first concert in Korea at Gocheok Skydome in Seoul on Saturday.Even before the show’s 7 p.m. start, the huge dome was already jam-packed with some 24,000 people waiting for the world’s leading R&B artist. Canadian R&B artist The Weeknd performs at Gocheok Skydome in Seoul on Saturday. (Hyundai Card)The Weeknd kicked off the concert with “Pray for Me” from blockbuster film “Black Panther.” Though it was the first among his performan

Dec. 16, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘The Drug King’ has strong acting by Song, but not much more

“The Drug King” is not a flop by any means. On the contrary, it is probably one of the better South Korean films of the year.But when you have masterful Song Kang-ho as the protagonist, plus the brilliance of Bae Doo-na, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Sung-min and so many other talented actors and let it all go to waste, that just doesn’t cut it.Woo Min-ho’s upcoming crime drama about a 1970s drug lord is funny, visually impressive and well-acted by the always-dependable Song, but it suffers from a weak story

Dec. 16, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Default(Korea)Opened Nov. 28DramaDirected by Choi Kook-heeAs the 1997 financial crisis hits Korea, Bank of Korea analyst Han Shi-hyeon (Kim Hye-soo) warns senior government officials. But her call for immediate action and the need to alert the public falls on deaf ears, as the high-ranking officials are more focused on covering up everything. Meanwhile, investment consultant Yun Jeong-hak (Yoo Ah-in) looks to make money off the crumbling economy.Door Lock(Korea) Opened Dec. 5Thriller, DramaDirec

Dec. 16, 2018

BTS' 'Fake Love' surpasses 400M YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' global hit song "Fake Love" has achieved the milestone of getting 400 million YouTube views, their management agency said Sunday.The artistically charged "Fake Love" music video, released in May, achieved the feat Saturday afternoon, Big Hit Entertainment said.  (Yonhap)The song was the main track of the BTS album "Love Yourself: Tear," with which BTS rewrote K-pop history. The album landed atop the Billboard 200 chart about a week after its release, making

Dec. 16, 2018

Gracias Choir to hold ‘Christmas Cantata’ tour

Gracias Choir is holding a nationwide Christmas tour through Dec. 23. Under the title of “Christmas Cantata,” the choir will hold a total of 43 concerts in 19 cities, including concerts at KBS Hall in Seoul from Dec. 21-23. Leading the choir is its principal conductor Boris Abalyan, who is also a professor of Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory.  Gracias Choir performs at a concert in the US (Gracias Choir)The “Christmas Cantata” program comprises three different parts: an opera featuring the bi

Dec. 13, 2018

[Photo News] BTS walks red carpet at 2018 MAMA in Japan

BTS arrived at the red carpet at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Japan.Arguably one of the most high-profile acts to hit the annual music awards, BTS trumped Mnet’s online poll in five of the 18 categories: this year’s best group, best dance performance for male groups, best music video, best song and best artist. The monthlong poll garnered 10,942,117 votes. (Mnet) (Mnet) (Mnet)The septet was the last to walk the red carpet at the three-part MAMA’s second ceremony dubbed “Fan’s Choice Japan

Dec. 12, 2018

Business owners in Itaewon open up on TV about gentrification

Young restaurant and cafe owners recently opened up to TV personality Sam Okyere about the effects of gentrification on the once-lively neighborhood of Itaewon -- now a place beset with rising rents and fewer visitors.Okyere was walking around Itaewon filming an episode of tvN’s new variety show “Shift,” which aired Friday, in which he pretended to be a candidate campaigning for the 2022 local elections in the Yongsan district.During the documentary-style episode, he met with business owners in

Dec. 12, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Aquaman’ goofy but fun and visually stunning

It’s apparently a backward day in DC town; its crown jewels, including the iconic fight between Batman and Superman, turned into a snore-fest, while one of its least beloved heroes exceeds expectations and could herald a Warner Bros. comeback after a series of superhero flops.Let me clarify one thing: I do not think James Wan’s “Aquaman” is even remotely close to being a superhero masterpiece, or even on par with “Wonder Woman,” the highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes that is based on charact

Dec. 12, 2018

BTS’ team sweeps four awards at 2018 MAMA in Seoul

BTS did not attend the first night of the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards, but the group’s presence was still felt, as its team swept four awards at the event. Held Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the first part of the three-day event saw awards being presented to rookie artists who had debuted recently, which was why BTS did not attend.  This photo of BTS and Bang Si-hyuk was posted on Bang`s Twitter account on Dec. 29, 2014.The event also recognized the efforts of those behind K-pop g

Dec. 12, 2018

JTBC to remake American sitcom ‘Younger’

JTBC said Monday it will produce a remake of the American TV series “Younger.”The story revolves around a 40-year-old, newly divorced single mom trying to get a job by passing herself off as 26 years old.  (JTBC)A source from JTBC said they were attracted to the series’ story and strong female protagonist. “We will produce a good remake that reflects today’s society for our Korean audience,” the source stated.“Younger,” which aired its first episode in 2015, ran for five seasons on TV Land and i

Dec. 11, 2018