[What to Watch] Three movies that will warm your heart with seniors’ wisdom

The 16th Seoul International Senior Film Festival kicked off Thursday, showcasing 75 movies from home and abroad. The festival, dedicated to works with fresh insights from seniors that raise questions not just about elderly life but also death, relationships and generations, has established itself as an international film festival. The festival has evolved into a forum for exchanging ideas and concerns about seniors as the issue of the aging population has become one of the world's top topi

June 1, 2024

NewJeans makes Billboard's 21 Under 21 list for 2024

South Korean girl group NewJeans has been named the only K-pop artist on Billboard's 21 Under 21 list for 2024. The list, released on May 31 (US time), honors the most influential young artists under the age of 21 in the music industry, based on album and song sales, streaming numbers, as well as overall influence within the industry. Billboard noted, "NewJeans has established a singular presence in K-pop since debuting just two years ago," highlighting its remarkable achievements

June 1, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans pop-up store to open in Seoul

A pop-up store will open in Seoul to give fans of NewJeans new ways to enjoy the group's new single, agency Ador said Friday. The temporary store is named after the group’s double single “How Sweet” that came out last week and run from June 5-17. It will be fashioned after a retro vinyl record shop and in addition to a photo zone with a retro, analog vibe, a range of merchandise including a collaboration with The Powerpuff Girls will be offered. The single sold more than 8

May 31, 2024

Ador CEO Min offers to reconcile with Hybe

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin said Friday that she was willing to settle the ongoing dispute and find common ground with Hybe, the parent company of Ador, for the interest of the label and its popular K-pop group NewJeans. “I hope we (Hybe and Min) meet halfway. We have (NewJeans’) Tokyo Dome concert coming up in June and a world tour next year. I don’t want all these opportunities to disappear on account of this issue,” Min said during a press conference in Seoul on Friday. &ldqu

May 31, 2024

English version of Korean original musical ‘Marie Curie’ hits London’s West End

The Korean original musical “Marie Curie” will hit London’s West End on Saturday, the first time a Korean production is being staged in English in one of the two biggest theater districts internationally, along with New York’s Broadway. The musical will run at the 265-seat Charing Cross Theatre through July 28, with the Culture Ministry readying to promote the show through talks between the media and the cast on June 7 and joint concerts by the Korean and UK actors on Jun

May 31, 2024

[Herald Interview] Botis Seva's hip-hop 'BLKDOG' dives into youth trauma, depression

Far From The Norm, the hip-hop dance company led by acclaimed choreographer Botis Seva, is set to make its Korean debut with "BLKDOG," an emotionally charged hip-hop dance theater piece, at the Seongnam Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, June 22-23. Premiered in 2018 at Sadler's Wells Theater in London, "BLKDOG" won the Laurence Olivier Award for best new dance production at the 2019 Olivier Awards. This year, Seva joined Sadler's Wells Theatre as an associate artist

May 31, 2024

Korean Film Archive screens classic films from Philippines

A special exhibition on the golden age of film in the Philippines will continue until June 12 at the Cinematheque in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Nine films that have been digitized by LVN Pictures, a Philippine film studio, will be screened during the exhibition entitled, “Golden Age of Philippine Cinema: LVN Pictures,” the Korean Film Archive said. LVN Pictures, founded in 1938, is regarded as one of the most influential motion picture and post-production studios in Philippine cine

May 31, 2024

Zerobaseone’s IP goes global

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone opened a pop-up store with IPX, the digital IP platform company formerly known as Line Friends, on Friday at the Line Friends store in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The pop-up store celebrating the release of the group’s third EP, “You Had Me at Hello,” will operate until June 9. Diverse merchandise made with official cartoon characters of Zerobaseone called “Zeroni” are available for purchase at the store. The pop-up store includes a photo zo

May 31, 2024

Busan International Dance Festival celebrates 20th anniversary with dance magic

The Busan International Dance Festival is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary with spectacular performances across various locations in Busan. Over the past two decades, BIDF has showcased some 1,000 works from more than 60 countries. This year, the festival will bring over 60 performances by 40 dance troupes from 10 countries, including Lithuania, France, Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, involving over 400 participants. The opening ceremony will kick off at 7 p.m. on

May 31, 2024

Ateez hopes to continue shining bright with music and performances

K-pop boy group Ateez released “Golden Hour: Part 1,” its 10th EP, on Friday. This is the first installment of the “Golden Hour” series that comes after three previous series: “Treasure,” “Fever” and “The World.” “The new series will portray the golden moments we’ve experienced and plan on making in the future through music,” said Seonghwa of Ateez during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. The eight-member group&

May 31, 2024

ADOR shareholders' meeting retains CEO Min, appoints 3 new board members from Hybe

K-pop powerhouse Hybe put three of its executives on the board of its sublabel ADOR housing popular girl group NewJeans on Friday, taking over control of the board amid a protracted conflict between the two companies over ADOR's management rights. ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin retained her position during an extraordinary shareholders' meeting held at an undisclosed place in Seoul in line with Thursday's court decision to grant an injunction to prevent Hybe from exercising its voting right

May 31, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (US) Opened May 22 Action/Sci-fi Directed by George Miller A young Furiosa (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), left only with fury after her mother is ruthlessly killed by warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), embarks on an 18-year-long vengeful journey home. “Following” (South Korea) Opened May 15 Mystery Thriller Directed by Kim Se-hwi Real estate agent Gu Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han) has a strange, if not perverse, habit of peeping into other people&rsq

May 31, 2024

Constitutional Court dismisses petition against separating collection of public broadcaster fees

The Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed a petition against a government revision separating the collection of public broadcasters' license fees, citing it does not violate their broadcasting rights. Last July, the Korean Broadcasting System filed the petition against a revised enforcement ordinance to the Broadcasting Act requiring it to collect license fees separately from electricity bills. KBS argued it would threaten the financial stability of public broadcasters. Since 1994,

May 30, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez ready to shine with 10th EP

Ateez held a media conference in Seoul Thursday to introduce its tenth EP “Golden Hour: Part 1,” which is due out Friday. The band has poured a lot into the new album, especially since it is the first installment of the “Golden Hour” series and the first release for the group this year, said leader Hongjoong. The six-track EP “captures the shining moment of Ateez” and how the band realizes its dream, explained Sunghwa. All songs including the main track &ldquo

May 30, 2024

Ador CEO Min Hee-jin not leaving Hybe

The Seoul Central District Court, Thursday, upheld a preliminary injunction filed by Ador CEO Min Hee-jin against Hybe on May 7. Hybe, the parent company of Ador, is now not permitted to exercise its voting rights to dismiss Min during the company’s extraordinary shareholders’ meeting scheduled for Friday. “The material evidence submitted to date does not sufficiently establish Hybe’s alleged grounds for (Min’s) dismissal,” the court ruled. “It is clear

May 30, 2024

Paju Fair_Book & Culture to bring books to stage in September

Paju Book City will be transformed into a vibrant performing arts festival site in September, showcasing a variety of performances rooted in books. The inaugural edition of the Paju Fair_Book & Culture will take place Sept. 6 to 9, aiming to bring fresh energy to the cultural complex of publishers and printing houses located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The fair endeavors to explore and expand cultural and artistic narratives rooted in literature while serving as a global platform for their i

May 30, 2024

Singer Kim Ho-joong temporarily banned on KBS

Popera singer Kim Ho-joong, who was recently issued an arrest warrant under charges of committing a hit-and-run while driving under the influence, will temporarily be banned from appearing on the Korean Broadcasting System. "Although the court has not yet made its ruling, Kim Ho-joong caused serious public controversy by making up repeated lies about a hit-and-run accident that occured while drunk driving. As a result, we received numerous petitions from viewers requesting a ban on his appe

May 30, 2024

Byeon Woo-seok’s debut film ‘Soulmate’ back in cinemas

Thanks to the skyrocketing popularity of TV series “Lovely Runner” and its lead actor Byeon Woo-seok, local multiplex chain CGV is bringing back Byeon’s debut film “Soulmate.” Starting Friday, 21 CGV cinemas across the countries will screen “Soulmate” which premiered in March 2023. A special edition of the movie poster will be given to moviegoers on a first-come first-served basis. Fourteen more CGV theaters including those in Gangneung, Mokpo and Jeju w

May 30, 2024

NewJeans shares stories of band life and fans with British magazine

Popular K-pop girl band NewJeans talked about their band life and fans in an exclusive interview with a British monthly magazine, The Face in the June edition published Wednesday. “It’s helped us learn a lot about each other and grow very close. To me, it feels like being on a school trip, but a very extended one, with a bunch of friends,” NewJeans member Hanni said of living together as a band. On the unwavering devotion of their fan base, another member Minji said, “We&

May 29, 2024

University festivals criticized for K-pop concert ticket scalping

Local universities are under fire for ticket scalping by students who sell tickets to K-pop concerts held as part of the school festivals to outsiders. Every May and June, universities around the country host a two-to-four-day campus festival for students and alumni, organizing events such as sports games, club performances and K-pop concerts. In recent years, schools have been competing to book bigger names to appear at their festivals to boost their reputation. It resulted in drawing not onl

May 29, 2024