Blitzers reach semifinal of 'Britain's Got Talent'

K-pop boy band Blitzers have reached the semifinal of the British audition program "Britain's Got Talent." Blitzers appeared on the British show Saturday, delivering a passionate performance that secured their spot in the semifinals. The first season of the show, which aims to discover top talent across various fields, including singers, dancers, and comedians, kicked off in 2007. Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli are appearing as judges for the current s

May 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting

Actor Byun Yo-han, whose appearance in “The Book of Fish” (2021) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022) left the audience with resonating, serious acting, has returned to the silver screen with an unlikable, somewhat perverted character in “Following.” The mystery thriller centers on a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun), who has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Whether it’s a person living next door or a cl

May 18, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Uncle Samsik' features tightly woven plot, allusions to Korean history

Disney+ original series "Uncle Samsik," which marks "Parasite" star Song Kang-ho's debut in a drama series, features a tightly constructed plot and superb acting by veteran actors. It also deals with themes and metaphors that may prove challenging for international audiences to fully appreciate. Set in the late 1950s in a war-torn South Korea, the 16-part series tells the story of Kim San (played by Byun Yo-han), a young government official who dreams of transforming the

May 18, 2024

‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang

In a petition filed with the court Friday, Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk made public for the first time his stance on the ongoing feud over Ador CEO Min Hee-jin’s alleged breach of trust. The Seoul Central District Court on Friday convened a hearing on the preliminary injunction filed by Min against Hybe to prohibit the parent company from exercising voting rights in favor of a proposal to dismiss her at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting scheduled for May 31. “The only way

May 17, 2024

Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again

BTS' Jimin and actor Song Da-eun are embroiled in yet another romance scandal after Song on Thursday shared videos and photos on her social media that some have interpreted to mean the two are in a relationship. The actor posted a video of a man, covered by a big emoji, walking by the sea to her Instagram. Netizens argue that the seaside spot is the same location that Jimin visited in the “(Bangtan Bomb) A Boisterous Shooting of ‘3J -- BTS’" content released on BTS&rs

May 17, 2024

Two films featuring late Lee Sun-kyun open this summer

Two films starring late actor Lee Sun-kyun will posthumously hit theaters this summer, according to movie distributors Friday. "Project Silence," an action thriller by director Kim Tae-gon, is currently under review for theatrical release in July, the movie’s distributor CJ ENM said Friday. The film revolves around Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun), who is stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog. Ju Ji-hoon appears as a tow truck driver to clear crashed cars from the bridge. T

May 17, 2024

Netflix Korea launches ‘Grow Creative’ education program for creators

Netflix Korea announced Friday an expanded education program for creators aimed at establishing a high-quality content production ecosystem and discovering and nurturing local talents. Titled “Grow Creative,” the program will run throughout the year to teach the latest production technologies and offer insights into market trends to aspiring content creators and VFX technicians. Netflix Korea has run workshops targeting local industry insiders since 2022 but it is the first time that

May 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans hits 600m Spotify streams with ‘Ditto’

NewJeans logged 600 million plays on Spotify with “Ditto,” agency Ador said Friday, citing the platform’s data. It is the group’s second song to achieve the feat after “OMG.” “Ditto” is the pre-release song from the single “OMG” and the five-member group's first song to land on Billboard’s Hot 100. It debuted on the main songs chart at No. 96 about only six months after the group’s debut, setting a record for a K-pop ac

May 17, 2024

Infinite to hold fan meeting, release new single

Veteran K-pop boy group Infinite is celebrating its 14th anniversary as a full unit with a fan meeting event on July 13 and 14. It will be the group's first meeting with fans in seven years. Infinite announced the event by posting its schedule for May, June and July on Friday. The band is also due to release a new digital single on June 9. The band will also hold a live-streaming event on the same day to celebrate its 14th anniversary with fans and talk about the latest release. Infinite es

May 17, 2024

Stray Kids perform new single, ‘Lose My Breath,’ on GMA

K-pop boy group Stray Kids performed its new English digital single, “Lose My Breath,” on stage for the first time on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday. “We do have some good news. We are preparing a tour. It’s big news because it’s been so long since we’ve prepared for something so big,” group member Felix said during a talk session with local fans in the studio before the special performance. When asked by a fan about the creative process

May 17, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Late Night with the Devil” (Australia) Opened May 8 Horror/Thriller Directed by Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes Things go horribly wrong during the live broadcast of a successful variety late-night talk show Night Owls in 1977, as the show’s host Jack Delroy invites special guests for the occult-themed episode on Halloween. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (US) Opened May 8 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Wes Ball A young ape goes on a journey many years after the re

May 17, 2024

Mark of NCT unveils first solo single, ‘200’

Mark of the K-pop boy group NCT released his first solo single, “200,” on Thursday. The single “200” is a rock number with trendy, fast-tempo bass and drum sounds. Mark took part in writing the lyrics and composing the single, which is about a fateful meeting with someone that leads to a perfect relationship in which together the couple shines even brighter. Mark used cartoons and a vintage-style video filter to give the song's music video an early 2000s look. Mark a

May 16, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Kep1er extends life as septet: report

Kep1er will begin a new chapter as a seven-member group, according to a local media report Thursday. The group debuted in January 2022 with survivors of the audition show “Girls Planet 999: Girls Saga” and was supposed to disband in July. Seven members, however, decided to renew their contracts to continue as Kep1er, a first for an idol group launched through such a program in Korea. Kang Yeseo and Mashiro will return to their original agency and join another girl group Limelight, ad

May 16, 2024

Treasure to release new single ‘King Kong’

K-pop boy group Treasure is releasing a new single on May 28, according to YG Entertainment. This comeback comes after nine months. Treasure unveiled a 14-second teaser clip on Wednesday that has “My love is like” written on a typewriter, hinting that the new single will be about love. Choi Hyun-suk and Yoshi of Treasure took part in writing the lyrics to the single, and renowned K-pop producers including Airplay, Jared Lee and Choice37 took part in composing. “The single bring

May 16, 2024

Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?

If NewJeans, the popular K-pop girl band under the music label Ador, were "given" a year and a half "break" after their Tokyo Dome concerts in Japan next month as Hybe CEO Park Ji-won promised the parents of NewJeans members, the still-new band could be critically impacted, music critics said Thursday. Three parents of NewJeans members met with Park on April 25 -- the day Ador CEO Min Hee-jin held a press conference to refute an alleged attempt to usurp the management rights

May 16, 2024

'Furiosa' speeds into the Cannes Film Festival

CANNES, France (AP) — Start your engines. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” rolls into the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, returning George Miller's dystopia-on-wheels to the Croisette promenade and launching one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. The latest “Mad Max” film, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa, is premiering in Cannes almost exactly nine years after “Mad Max: Fury Road” debuted at the French festival. Miller, who has se

May 15, 2024

Robots, puppetry breathe life into musical adaptation of ‘A Thousand Blues’

On a white Christmas, a building collapses trapping a woman named Bo-gyeong in the basement. Amid the ruins and darkness, Darpa, a rescue robot navigates the debris to locate signs of life. Outside, people gather in despair, praying for a miracle, while the woman’s mother pleads for her daughter’s rescue. Darpa spots Bo-gyeong and calculates the survival odds: body temperature at 35 degrees Celsius, an 88 percent chance of another collapse, and only 20 seconds left. It estimates Bo-g

May 15, 2024

NewJeans to headline palace show

K-pop girl group NewJeans will perform Tuesday for the first time since a dispute started between the group’s label Ador and Hybe, the label’s parent company, on April 22. The two-hour show, which starts at 7 p.m. on May 21, will mark the occasion of the official renaming of the Cultural Heritage Administration as the Korea Heritage Service. The five-member girl group is one of 12 K-pop singers and groups that will perform in front of Heungnyemun, one of the gates of Gyeongbokgung, a

May 15, 2024

'The Roundup: Punishment' sets another record with 10m admissions

The crime-action film "The Roundup: Punishment" set another record by attracting more than 10 million viewers on Wednesday, after 22 days of screening, data showed. According to the data from the movie's distributor, ABO Entertainment, the fourth installment of the "The Roundup" crime-action film franchise topped more than 10 million. With Wednesday's record, three installments in the "The Roundup" series attracted more than 10 million viewers each. "

May 15, 2024

Jennie, Stray Kids's Met Gala attendance puts them on 'digital guillotine' blacklist

K-pop celebrities' attendance at the 2024 Met Gala last week has landed them in hot water, along with other celebrities who attended the event, for their silence on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since Jennie of Blackpink and the boy group Stray Kids attended the gala on May 6, some fans have been calling on the celebrities to speak publicly about the war. The names of celebrities at the fashion event were shared on social media platforms, alongside calls to boycott them by unfollowing or bl

May 14, 2024