Seo Hyun-jin on way to find ‘Beauty Inside’ herself

“Rom-com queen” Seo Hyun-jin will take on the role of a top star in JTBC’s upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama series “Beauty Inside.” The character has a secret -- her face changes into that of another person for a week every month.  Seo Hyun-jin poses for photos at a press event Monday at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (Herald DB)Co-star Lee Min-ki plays a successful director of an airline firm who also has a secret -- he cannot recognize anyone’s face. For him, it is always as if he i

Oct. 1, 2018

BTS to appear on BBC's 'The Graham Norton Show'

The massively popular boy band BTS will appear on "The Graham Norton Show," a popular BBC talk show, next week, the group's agency said Monday.The band will appear on an episode of the show at 10:35 p.m. on Oct. 12 alongside actors Whoopi Goldberg, Rosamund Pike, and Jamie Dornan as well as singer Harry Connick Jr., according to Big Hit Entertainment.The seven-piece group will be in Europe from Oct. 9-20 as part of its world tour. Tickets for the upcoming concerts were sold out as soon as their

Oct. 1, 2018

[Trending] Masked rapper ‘Mommy Son’ creates buzz on Korean hip-hop scene

A rapper in a pink mask has created a buzz on social media after debuting on Mnet’s rap competition show “Show Me the Money 777.” The first episode of the program featured the story of the masked rapper, “Mommy Son,” who refused to take off his pink mask until the end of the competition to hide his identity. (Mnet)“I feel my confidence get a boost when I wear the mask,” Mommy Son said when asked why he chooses to perform in disguise. “There are some weird sides to me. When I put this mask on, I

Oct. 1, 2018

[K-Talk] IU to release 10th anniversary single ‘BBI BBI’

Singer-songwriter IU is set to commemorate 10 years since her debut on Oct. 10 with the new single “BBI BBI.”On Monday, IU posted a teaser image for the new single on Instagram with the comment, “October 10 (at) 6 p.m. BBI BBI.” (Instagram)The new EP comes after a yearlong hiatus for the singer, who released cover album “A Flower Bookmark #2” in September 2017.“Originally, there was no official plan for the release of the new EP,” said IU’s agency, Kakao M, Monday. “But 2018 is a special year as

Oct. 1, 2018

BTS merchandise sale starts at Big Hit Shop

Big Hit Shop dominated local search engines Monday, when it started selling merchandise for BTS’ latest world tour.The merchandise shop run by BTS’ agency, Big Hit Entertainment, posted an announcement on its homepage Sunday, indicating that official merchandise for the “Love Yourself” tour would be available at the shop starting Oct. 1. (Big Hit Entertainment)For premium photos, key rings, magnets, picture scrolls and image pickets, the announcement said, sales would be limited to one product p

Oct. 1, 2018

Wanna One’s agency apologizes for manager’s violent act toward fan

Swing Entertainment has issued a formal apology for Wanna One’s manager, whose violent act toward a fan has sparked off a storm of criticism.  (Twitter)The incident took place Friday when Wanna One members were on their way to “KCON 2018 Thailand.” A video of the group’s departure from an airport in Thailand captured a manager of Wanna One swearing and pushing a fan with excessive force.  (Twitter)The video went viral and drew criticism. “The man pushing fans in the video is a manager of Wanna O

Sept. 30, 2018

New ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film sparks dispute over casting of Korean actress as ‘pet snake’

The casting of South Korean actress Claudia Kim as Lord Voldemort’s pet snake in the latest installment of the “Fantastic Beasts” series has sparked yet another debate over typecasting in Hollywood.Kim, whose Korean name is Soo-hyun, sounded excited Tuesday when she revealed on her Instagram account that she would appear in the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” as Nagini, originally described as Lord Voldemort’s right-hand snake in the books and films. H

Sept. 30, 2018

NCT 127 to perform at Disney special on ABC

K-pop group NCT 127 will put up a musical performance at an upcoming American TV event celebrating Disney’s most iconic figure -- Mickey Mouse.The two-hour “Mickey’s 90th Spectacular” will air on Nov. 4 (EST) with appearances by stars from Disney movies and TV such as Kristen Bell, Sofia Carson and Tony Hale. NCT 127 (S.M. Entertainment)NCT 127 will be featured in the musical performance, along with Josh Groban, Leslie Odom Jr., Zac Brown and Meghan Trainor.According to the boy band’s label S.M.

Sept. 30, 2018

Returning Sunye explains reason for leaving Wonder Girls

Sunye of the now-disbanded K-pop girl group Wonder Girls insisted via Instagram that she’d “never thought about leaving the entertainment industry,” amid criticism from some fans that she is “being selfish” by making a comeback. After tying the knot with Korean-Canadian missionary James Park in 2013, Sunye went to live in Canada despite the fact that her contract with JYP Entertainment had not expired. It wasn’t until 2015 that the singer officially left the agency.  (Polaris Entertainment)At th

Sept. 28, 2018

Korean cello maker wins gold medal at prominent int'l competition

ROME -- A young South Korean cello maker has topped a prominent international competition in Italy for making string instruments in the category.The 28-year-old Jung Ga-wang became the first South Korean to take the gold medal at the 15th International Triennale Violin Making Competition Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, Italy. He is also the youngest award winner ever at the Olympics for violin making held in the hometown of the legendary violin maker Antonio Stradivari. The event closed Wednesday

Sept. 28, 2018

[Eye Plus] Retro cinema welcomes film buffs to Dongducheon

Multiplex cinemas are easily seen in major cities nationwide. Moviegoers can pick their favorites among several films playing simultaneously in different rooms in a building.Most of all, visitors’ accessibility has quite improved compared to some 30 years ago, as many movie theaters are now located in shopping malls near residential areas.Despite the convenience and high-end facilities, some middle-aged Koreans cling to memories of their school days, when they looked forward to going to cinema h

Sept. 27, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Great Battle(Korea) Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, ActionDirected by Kim Kwang-sikThe Chinese Tang Empire, led by Taizong (Park Sung-woong), is disgruntled by the military coup of Goguryeo’s Yeon Gaesomun (Yoo Oh-seong), and invades the kingdom. With the Goguryeo army suffering a devastating defeat, it is now up to Ansiseong fortress and its leader Yang Man-chun (Zo In-sung) to defend the country.Feng Shui(Korea)Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, Political thrillerDirected by Park Hee-gonIn the

Sept. 27, 2018

So Ji-sub returns with ‘My Secret Terrius’

So ji-sub is returning to the small screen with upcoming MBC romantic comedy series “My Secret Terrius.”The Wednesday-Thursday series that begins with a special two-hour pilot episode this week was filmed in part in Poland, and will feature a number of historic spots including Warsaw Old Town.So, who has returned after 2 1/2 years’ hiatus, said during a showcase, “I’m a little nervous. I will watch from home tonight feeling nervous.” (MBC)“I chose the show because I thought it would be a fun sho

Sept. 27, 2018

‘2 Days & 1 Night’ receives Presidential Citation for promoting tourism

KBS2’s “2 Days & 1 Night” has been awarded a Presidential Citation for promoting domestic tourism. In light of the 45th World Tourism Day, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism awarded 24 figures for contributing to the local tourism industry.  From left: Singer Jung Joon-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan and TV personality Kim Jong-min pose for photos at the World Tourism Day ceremony held at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)Whil

Sept. 27, 2018

BTS talks about UN speech, next goal on Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’

After impressing the world with its heartfelt speech at the UN, BTS made a stop at Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show,” one of the most popular and longest-running nighttime talk shows in the US, to talk about its recent feat and next goal. The show’s highly-anticipated episode, aired on Tuesday night in US time, kicked off with BTS members, clad in flamboyant outfits, introducing themselves. RM introduced himself as a translator for the group, while Jin and J-Hope drew out cheers from crowd by callin

Sept. 26, 2018

iKON’s Ju-ne faces backlash for his Instagram post ahead of group’s comeback

Now that iKON’s Ju-ne has apologized for the controversy surrounding his Instagram post about a Japanese director, attention is now on whether he will be able to ride out the storm before the group’s imminent return. On Saturday, the iKON member posted a now-deleted image of an autograph he received from Japanese movie director and comedian Takeshi Kitano.But the image attracted criticism, as Kitano is known here for his disparaging comments about Korea.  (Dazed)In an effort to protect Ju-ne fro

Sept. 26, 2018

BTS’ hanbok from ‘Idol’ MV to be put on display

Hanbok worn by BTS in its music video for “Idol” will be put on display in Seoul from this week. The Gangnam Tourist Information Center said Tuesday that seven of the Korean traditional garments, one worn by each member, will be displayed at the center in Sinsa-dong in Seoul from Sept. 28 to Oct 7, as a part of “2018 Gangnam Festival.”The hanbok exhibition will take place at the center’s outdoor square on its first floor from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors are also able to try on hanbok of the same

Sept. 26, 2018

K-pop stars flaunt athletic agility in ‘Idol Star Athletics Championships’

MBC’s annual “Idol Star Athletics Championships -- Chuseok Special” aired its first episode on Tuesday with many K-pop stars showcasing impressive athletic performances.On the first day of the sports event, K-pop stars competed in various sports categories: jokgu, archery, bowling, rhythmic gymnastics and track and field. Key events included the semi-final rounds in bowling and archery, final rounds in jokgu and rhythmic gymnastics.  (Screen-captured from MBC’s “Idol Star Atheltcis Championships

Sept. 26, 2018

[Photo News] K-pop boy band BTS at UN

K-pop boy band BTS at UNKorean pop singers BTS attend the UN Youth Strategy Conference at United Nations headquarters during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Yonhap)(AP-Yonhap)(AFP-Yonhap)(UPI-Yonhap) (Reuters-Yonhap)

Sept. 25, 2018

Film ‘Dark Figure of Crime’ made without permission from bereaved family

A member of a bereaved family has applied for an injunction to ban the screening of the upcoming film “Dark Figure of Crime,” arguing that the production crew did not ask for permission before making a story about the murder of her brother.In the movie, a prisoner confesses that he killed seven people, six more than what he was charged for. The story follows a detective who believes the criminal. One of the six cases was based on the murder of her brother.  “Dark Figure of Crime” (Showbox)The mo

Sept. 21, 2018