BTS renews contract with Big Hit Entertainment

Here’s good news for BTS fans: The K-pop heavyweight group has inked a deal to work with its agency for another seven years. Representing the act, Big Hit Entertainment said Thursday that it had signed a seven-year contract with all seven bandmates of BTS out of “deep trust and affection.”In its sixth year now, BTS still has over one year left in its first deal -- seven-year contracts have become the standard in K-pop -- but both sides decided to seal the deal early, which the agency explained i

Oct. 18, 2018

Korean TV stars pose with English newspaper

Proficiency in the English language adds to a person’s charm, it seems, as Korean celebrities update their social media feeds with The Korea Herald, the nation’s No. 1 English news daily, as props in their photo shoot or as inflight reading materials.1. Yang Se-hyeongYang Se-hyeong is the latest to join the trend with The Korea Herald. On Tuesday, Yang updated his Instagram with a series of black-and-white photos dressed in a smart suit. In one of the shots, Yang holds up The Korea Herald paper,

Oct. 18, 2018

[Herald Interview] Jung Eun-ji says she sings to comfort herself

Long before Jung Eun-ji started her K-pop career in 2011, music was more than just a hobby or something she was good at. Speaking to The Korea Herald at her record label’s headquarters, she confides it’s always been a source of healing and stability for her. Growing up, she would hum songs like Maya’s “Shout Myself” whenever she felt depressed and Kim Gun-mo’s “My Son” when her parents objected to her dream to become a musician. It’s an effect she hopes to have on others by sharing her soothing

Oct. 17, 2018

Film star under fire for ‘drunken’ interview

In a promotional effort gone sour, Kim Ji-soo made headlines Wednesday by turning up hung-over for her group media interview.It was reported that Kim, a veteran actress whose career spans nearly three decades, was severely hung over when she appeared for her 10 a.m. interview, which was set up to promote her movie “Intimate Strangers.”After appearing 40 minutes late, she reportedly slurred when answering the questions and admitted that she was hung over. The interview was cut off after just 10 m

Oct. 17, 2018

Why is #ARMYIndependenceDay trending?

BTS’ global fandom Army has responded to a different view expressed by some K-pop and non-BTS fans by posting tweets with a sense of humor, resulting in the trending of the hashtag #ARMYIndependenceDay on Twitter. Some K-pop listeners and fans have recently expressed discomfort for the fast-growing BTS fan community. They have claimed that some of the band’s Army only listened to BTS and showed little interest for K-pop in general, leading to a flurry of posts with #ArmysRuinedKpopParty.In respo

Oct. 17, 2018

BTS' 'Love Yourself: Answer' stays on Billboard 200 chart for 7th week

K-pop sensation BTS' repackaged album "Love Yourself: Answer" ranked at No. 31 on the Billboard's main albums chart, data showed Wednesday. Previously taking No. 25, the album has now been on the Billboard 200 for seven weeks since it debuted atop on its release on Aug. 24.  (Yonhap)Along with the solid performance on the main chart, it was No. 1 on the "Top World Albums" chart, placed sixth on the "Independent Albums" chart and sixth on the "Top Album Sales" chart.The group's previous albums ar

Oct. 17, 2018

BTS dominates overseas iTunes songs charts with Japanese version of 'Fake Love'

The global K-pop group BTS has topped overseas iTunes Top Songs charts with a Japanese version of its hit song "Fake Love."The song with Japanese lyrics took the top post on the iTunes Top Songs charts of 38 regions, including Argentina, Chile, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Indonesia and Vietnam, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The song was uploaded on online music services at 12 a.m., ahead of the release of the group's new Japanese album, which includes the song."Fake Love," the original Korean number

Oct. 16, 2018

BoA to drop ‘Woman’ next week

K-pop star BoA is gearing up for a return to the music stage with her ninth full-length album “Woman.”“The veteran singer is getting prepared to return with her LP on Oct. 24,” said S.M. Entertainment, which represents BoA. “A day after the release of the 10-track album via local digital music platforms, the LP will be released in CD format.” (S.M. Entertainment)Eponymous track “Woman” is a dance pop tune with rhythmical base sounds that shines with BoA’s powerful vocals and dance performance th

Oct. 16, 2018

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Ars Nova” provisionally marks its end

Contemporary classical music fans should not miss the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s upcoming “Ars Nova” concerts in October as this year’s edition could be the last season of the 13-year-long music series. In a statement released Monday, the SPO announced that it would not hold the “Ars Nova Series” in 2019, largely due to the current absence of experts who are capable of leading the series at the orchestra.The Seoul-based orchestra is in the process of filling its new music director, artistic

Oct. 15, 2018

[Photo News] BTS in Paris

(Yonhap)BTS met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook during the band’s visit to Paris for a concert celebrating the friendship between Korea and France.The group posted pictures on Twitter of its members with Moon and his wife at the Korea-France Friendship Concert at theater Le 13eme Art on Sunday.(Yonhap)In photos released by the Blue House, Moon looked proud as the group powered through the hit-packed set, including “DNA” and “Idol,” before an audience of 400, inclu

Oct. 15, 2018

[Video] K-pop ads taking over Seoul subway

Traveling around Seoul on the subway, you’ll often see enormous advertisements featuring fan messages to K-pop idols.As K-pop groups like BTS gain a more prominent place on the global stage, at home in Seoul they are dominating public transport.An onlooker at Hongdae Station takes a photo of an ad celebrating BTS member Jimin’s birthday. (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)At Hongdae Station, which has more K-pop-inspired ads than any other station in the South Korean capital, fans make their way pa

Oct. 15, 2018

Boycott-free BIFF closes with a task at hand

The 23rd Busan International Film Festival drew to a close Saturday, shaken by Typhoon Kong-rey, but having enjoyed its first year since its operations were normalized.Rounding off the festivities was the closing film “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” by Yeun Woo-ping, after the opening piece “Beautiful Days” had kicked things off 10 days earlier.The festival recognized those around the film industry for their contribution and prospects. Landing the top awards in the New Currents award were “Savage”

Oct. 14, 2018

‘Mr. Sunshine’ Lee Byung-hun wins top prize at APAN Star Awards

Actor Lee Byung-hun who starred in hit TV series “Mr. Sunshine” won big at this year’s APAN Star Awards, bringing home the grand prize.Despite the category being one of the most hotly contested, the veteran actor managed to fend off competition from the likes of Kim Nam-joo from “Misty” and Jeon Seung-woo from “Life,” adding yet another award to his glittering career.During his acceptance speech, Lee said many staff and actors worked together for “Mr. Sunshine” and that he had a lot of people to

Oct. 14, 2018

[Weekender] Why BTS matters: From desert to ocean to world

In June, BTS’ “Magic Shop” blared through a crisis residential center in the central US. And it wasn’t a BTS fan who requested the song full of a hopeful message. A 20-something male survivor of a suicide attempt had asked the center’s consultant to play the Korean song during a music therapy class. Describing it as “beautiful,” he sang along to the song. This instance reported by Korean media outlets in September shows that BTS’ success goes beyond its performance on charts and sold-out world c

Oct. 12, 2018

[Herald Interview] BTS fever ‘revolutionizing’ existing structure

After BTS topped the Billboard 200 albums chart -- a feat previously thought impossible for a Korean artist -- people started wondering what makes the group so special. The Korean music scene has been rolling out an endless parade of young, good-looking singers with top-notch dancing skills, none of which had been able to crack into the mainstream Western music market. “BTS is extremely talented and produces quality music, but there had been those who can sing just as well, dance just as well an

Oct. 12, 2018

[Weekender] What’s behind BTS’ iconic message of ‘Love Yourself’

When BTS gave a speech themed on self-love at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September, fans were proud to see their idols at such a high-profile event that further propelled them onto the global stage. During the speech, RM (Kim Nam-joon) encouraged people to speak up for themselves regardless of who they are, where they are from, their skin color and their gender identity.The speech landed the group on numerous headlines worldwide, but not everyone was sure why the boy

Oct. 12, 2018

‘Secret of Leader’ explores changing Central Asian world

“The Secret of a Leader” (BIFF)Written and directed by Farkhat Sharipov of Kazakhstan, “The Secret of a Leader” screened its world premiere Oct. 6 at the Busan International Film Festival. There it competes in a field of nine for the newly created Kim Jiseok Award, honoring the director who passed away last year and remembering his passion to discover new talent across Asian cinema.In its 23rd year, the Busan film fest has grown to take on many roles, and it takes its responsibility of being the

Oct. 11, 2018

‘BTS members say they will definitely enlist for military service’: minister

South Korea’s culture minister put an end to the debate surrounding whether BTS members would be exempted from military service during a parliamentary audit Wednesday.“All of the BTS members say they will definitely enlist for military service,” said Do Jong-hwan who heads the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.His remarks came as Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party had asked about Do’s stance on the recent contentious issue: whether BTS members should be

Oct. 11, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Dark Figure of Crime (Korea) Opened Oct. 3Crime, Drama, MysteryDirected by Kim Tae-kyunConvicted murderer Kang (Ju Ji-hoon) calls up detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yoon-seok) from his cellphone and confesses to six additional murders that were never reported to authorities. Kim investigates the cases, and soon learns that Kang’s testimony is mixed with lies and the criminal is manipulating him.Venom(US)Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Oct. 3Directed by Ruben Fleischer Investigative journalist Eddie Brock

Oct. 11, 2018

Gong Yoo returns as ‘ex-spy agency member’

Gong Yoo is readying to return to the big screen, over two years after 2016 film “The Age of Shadows.”Gong is set to star in Lee Yong-joo’s new film tentatively titled “Seo Bok,” in which the actor will take on the role as a former intelligence agent who lends a helping hand to the world’s first human clone Seo Bok, as different groups try to track him down.Gong, who has appeared in films across different genres including “The Suspect” and “Train to Busan,” has kept a relatively low profile sinc

Oct. 11, 2018