Lawmakers clash over measures against youth crimes on TV

Politicians and experts clashed over the best way to deal with the growing number of violent juvenile crimes across South Korea during last night’s special debate program on KBS.During the two-hour special “Citizens’ Assembly,” lawmakers Pyo Chang-won and Keum Tae-seop, both from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, went head to head with their differing views on whether toughening punishments for youth crimes would prove effective.Rep. Pyo, who wants to see tougher youth penalties introduced,

Sept. 17, 2018

BTS cancels collaboration with Yasushi Akimoto

Kpop sensation BTS confirmed that it has canceled the release of a new single, made in collaboration with Japanese producer Yasushi Akimoto.On Sunday, BTS’ agency, Big Hit Entertainment, said on its official fan page, “The track list for the new Japanese (album) planned for November will be changed due to production problems. Instead of the new track, ‘Bird,’ a remixed version of ‘Idol’ will be included. Sorry for the inconvenience.”BTS. Big Hit Entertainment)“Bird” was set to feature lyrics wri

Sept. 17, 2018

K-pop stars Zico, Ailee to visit Pyongyang

K-pop stars Zico and Ailee will head north, intent to wow the northern neighbors with their music, as it was announced Sunday the two will be part of the South Korean entourage that will visit Pyongyang for the upcoming inter-Korea summit.The artists -- along with songwriter Kim Hyung-suk -- have been included in the 52-member team that will accompany President Moon Jae-in, which consists of government officials, politicians, business leaders, civic groups and figures from other fields.Ailee (YM

Sept. 16, 2018

Goo Ha-ra faces image crisis over assault allegations

Singer Goo Ha-ra, who shot to stardom as a member of the K-pop group KARA, now faces a public image crisis amid a dating violence scandal after her boyfriend alleged she assaulted him for wanting to break up.Her image suffered severe damage over the weekend after her boyfriend spoke with the Chosun Ilbo and shared a picture of his face, which seemed to bear deep scratches around his eyebrows and on his forehead. He said they were the result of a scuffle he had with the singer Wednesday night.The

Sept. 16, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Dark Figure of Crime,’ a gripping trip tumbling down the rabbit hole

A convicted murderer confesses to a detective there is the blood of six lives on his hand.Why? Is he dumb? Most definitely not. He is cunning enough to manipulate people from within his cell. Is he crazy? Probably, but his intentions lie outside what most people would imagine, and it is this mystery that compels the audience to follow detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yoon-seok) in “Dark Figure of Crime.” “Dark Figure of Crime” (Showbox)The thriller, directed by Kim Tae-kyun, pulls cinemagoers in rig

Sept. 16, 2018

Tyra Banks, BTS ‘smize’ for cameras backstage at ‘America’s Got Talent’

American supermodel Tyra Banks unleashed her “inner Army” as she shared Thursday a photo with the K-pop megastar group BTS on social media following the group’s appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” Along with the photo, the host of the show did not hesitate to express her love for the group. She described BTS as being “already legends, smizing masters, fierce and fine fellas, wig snatchers, enormously talented, genuinely kind, sexy and the biggest boy band on the planet.”  Tyra Banks and BTS on

Sept. 14, 2018

Cube Entertainment withdraws decision to expel HyunA after public backlash

Cube Entertainment, which represents HyunA and boy band Pentagon’s member E’Dawn, announced the expulsion of the two artists from the agency on Thursday morning, only to retract the decision later in the day. “After much deliberation, we’ve concluded that the trust between the company and the artists had been damaged to a degree that it cannot be restored, leading us to believe expulsion is necessary,” read its official statement in the morning.Although the statement cited the “loss of trust” as

Sept. 14, 2018

BTS' management agency plans global auditions to recruit new talents

The agency for K-pop superstars BTS said Friday it will conduct international auditions to recruit new talents in six major cities.The auditions will be held in Los Angeles and Vancouver on Oct. 6, in Atlanta and Toronto on Oct. 13, in New York on Oct. 20 and Hong Kong on Nov. 4, according to Big Hit Entertainment. This poster for Big Hit Entertainment`s global audition program is provided by the company. (Yonhap)The audition will be in five categories -- vocals, rap, dance, acting and modeling

Sept. 14, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘The Great Battle’ has its flaws, but is an action-packed spectacle

While he is by no means a great actor, Zo In-sung’s acting has improved tremendously since his sitcom days. But the actor’s voice is one of his glaring weaknesses, and a weak voice is a significant disadvantage in period pieces.This is why I expected Zo, cast in the lead as Gen. Yang Man-chun, to be the downfall of “The Great Battle,” which depicts the Goguryeo Kingdom’s fight against the powerful Chinese empire of Tang.To my surprise, director Kim Kwang-sik did a clever job of masking his actor

Sept. 13, 2018

Goo Ha-ra embroiled in scuffle with beau

Singer Goo Ha-ra was reportedly embroiled in a scuffle with her boyfriend at her flat late Wednesday night after her boyfriend tried to end their relationship.Her boyfriend called police to accuse Goo of assault during a row at her flat in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul around midnight Wednesday. (Yonhap)The 27-year-old singer claims that both parties were involved in assault, according to Gangnam Police Station.Police said both parties will be called in for questioning as part of the ongoing investigatio

Sept. 13, 2018

Mixed reactions over HyunA and E’dawn’s dismissal by agency

Fans were dumbfounded on Thursday to hear the shocking news that Cube Entertainment had dropped HyunA and E’dawn, saying the two singers had irreparably broken the agency’s trust. Social media erupted in response to the announcement. HyunA and E’dawn, members of the K-pop trio Triple H, went public about their romantic relationship in August without their agency’s permission and have been keeping a low profile ever since. “We decided the trust is broken and cannot be saved, so we are kicking the

Sept. 13, 2018

BTS talks about success in pop stronghold of US

After making headlines with its recent show at Staple Center in Los Angeles, BTS sit down with the Grammy Museum to discuss its music, love for fans, achievements and more. The highly anticipated event titled “A Conversation with BTS” took part at the museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday. It was the first time a Korean act had participated in an event held by the organization. Hosted by the museum’s artistic director Scott Goldman and attended by about 200 fans, the event saw the seven K-pop stars’

Sept. 13, 2018

[Weekender] The secret to YouTube success

YouTube stars are often described as self-made celebrities with bright ideas and irresistible content. They are considered brave pioneers whose outstanding creativity propelled them to success on this unconventional media platform. YouTube creators are now role models for youngsters. Increasing numbers of elementary school students dream of becoming YouTubers. Videography classes and workshops are extremely popular. A content creator shoots a video at Jamong Media Space in southern Seoul. (Media

Sept. 13, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Searching(US)Opened Aug. 29Drama, Mystery, Thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty After David Kim’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. Thirty-seven hours later and without a single lead, David (John Cho) decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. On Your Wedding Day(Korea)Opened Aug. 22Romantic comedyDirected by Lee Seok-geunSeung-hee (Park Bo-young) and Woo

Sept. 13, 2018

Actress Jung sparks controversy over feminist film

Audiences were strongly divided over the casting of Jung Yu-mi for the film adaption of the feminist novel “Kim Ji-young, Born in 1982.”A torrent of comments followed Wednesday’s news that Jung, who has appeared in hit films like “Train to Busan,” had been cast for the main role in the film. Many were critical of the actress’ decision to take on the role. Jung Yu-mi pictured above (Management SOOP)Her Instagram soon became a forum for heated debate as critics and supporters of Jung headed to her

Sept. 13, 2018

BTS nominated for American Music Awards

BTS has been nominated for the 2018 American Music Awards, becoming the first K-pop act to get a nod for the AMAs. On Wednesday, the AMAs announced that the K-pop superstar was nominated for the award show’s Favorite Social Artist category, alongside big name pop stars like Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Shawn Mendes.BTS has already taken home a bag-full of Stateside trophies, winning the top social artist award at the Billboard Music Awards for the last two years. Last November, BTS a

Sept. 13, 2018

Achim Freyer’s new ‘Das Rheingold’ unveiled

German producer Achim Freyer’s latest production of “Das Rheingold,” part of Wagner’s “Ring Cycle,” was unveiled to the media in Seoul, offering yet another interpretation of the epic music drama. ”The “Ring Cycle” is a “Gesamtkunstwerk,” in which music, drama, language, light, stage design, costumes and drawings all come into play, Freyer said Wednesday at a press conference held after a showcase performance at the Namsan Creative Center.  German opera director Achim Freyer (right) and Esther L

Sept. 12, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘Feng Shui’ pretty solid, but not riveting as political drama

“Feng Shui” is a film with solid acting and an awesome-sounding premise, but it made me go “Eh, OK” upon watching.The setup has betrayal, loss and a power struggle, which amps up expectations for a gripping political drama set in the Joseon era, yet the film does not make as much of an impression as its superior cousin “The Face Reader” did in 2013.The movie is set in the late Joseon era, when the royal family had all but lost its authority to powerful aristocrats, particularly the Kims of Jeong

Sept. 12, 2018

[Album review] Oh My Girl’s new album is something to remember

Oh My Girls“Remember Me”Loen Entertainment Congratulations, Oh My Girl, on leaving the hilarious banana monkey land and landing back on your shiny magical world. After shocking fans with comical monkey costumes in “Banana Allergy,” the K-pop darlings declared their return with a shimmering five-track EP “Remember Me.”And it indeed is something to remember -- a pleasant mix of new experiments and the act’s old legacy, transitioning between a charismatic chameleon and a “Secret Garden” kind of fai

Sept. 12, 2018

‘Show Me the Money 777’ makes splash

The seventh season of music cable channel Mnet’s rap competition show “Show Me the Money 777” has made a solid debut on the weekly TV chart.The first episode, which aired Friday, took the No. 2 spot with a Content Power Index score of 257.6 on the chart for Sept. 3-9.The popular competition show has drawn 13,000 applicants for the latest season, in which a winner earns 200 million won ($177,000) in prize money. With a bigger talent pool, the show boasts more competent rappers than previous editi

Sept. 12, 2018