19 years on, BoA doesn’t want to be called ‘veteran singer’

There are certain images that K-pop legend BoA, who has spent nearly 19 years in entertainment, keeps away from the public. Her seemingly confident and uptight image seems incompatible with letting loose. She was a “steadfast” musician who pioneered through the rugged K-pop world from the age of 13. And in her upcoming single and first reality show, the veteran singer decided to unveil her true and different selves that weren’t always depicted in the media. “As I got older, I got comfortable wit

Jan. 26, 2018

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)(US) Opened Jan. 17Action, sci-fi, thriller. Directed by Wes BallIn the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they

Jan. 26, 2018

BTS wins big at Seoul Music Awards

BTS reaffirmed its seat on the throne as the K-pop kings, taking home the grand prize at the 27th Seoul Music Awards on Thursday.It capped off an impressive run for the K-pop juggernaut, which had already taken home the grand prize at the Golden Disc Awards earlier this month, along with artist of the year at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and song of the year at the Melon Music Awards in December. BTS speaks onstage after winning the grand prize at the 27th Seoul Music Awards held at Gocheok Sky D

Jan. 26, 2018

Actress Han Hye-jin to return to small screen with new MBC drama

Actress Han Hye-jin will return to the small screen for the first time in four years in a new MBC series with the working title “Let’s Look at the Sunset Holding Hands,” the channel said Friday. Han will play lead role Nam Hyun-joo in the upcoming drama, which revolves round Nam’s last romance amid her nearing death. The drama unfolds as Nam, who has apparently been happily married to Kim Do-young, her longtime lover since college, suddenly decides to divorce him and goes on a search for new rom

Jan. 26, 2018

Jung Yong-hwa to enlist on March 5

Jung Yong-hwa of CNBLUE will begin his compulsory military service on March 5, his agency FNC Entertainment said Friday. The agency announced in an official statement that Jung had received his enlistment notice and canceled all overseas tours scheduled after his upcoming Hong Kong concert slated for Saturday.  Jung Yong-hwa (FNC Entertainment)Asking fans for understanding, the agency also said, “We will do our best to make sure our action doesn’t have a negative effect on fans by taking adequat

Jan. 26, 2018

[Herald Interview] Rapper BewhY: ‘I want to compete with US hip-hop artists, be the best’

“The reason for my US tour? I want to compete with hip-hop musicians in the US in the future,” said BewhY in his dimly lit studio when asked about his six-stop US tour in November last year. He was more than serious, sitting with his hands firmly clutched together and a determined look on his face. And surprisingly, it didn’t sound so cocky when he added, “And in the distant future, I know I will be the best.”The dream of stateside success has been bubbling inside the ambitious 25-year-old rappe

Jan. 25, 2018

Song Kang-ho’s ‘Drug King’ set for summer release

Versatile actor Song Kang-ho will take on the role of a 1970s drug lord in the upcoming film “Drug King,” set for release this summer.Producers of the film on Thursday released a still that showed Song as the movie’s protagonist Lee Doo-sam.  A film still from “Drug King” (Showbox)The photo shows Song sitting in what appears to be his office, which has lavish decorations and guns hanging on the wall. The shot is somewhat reminiscent of an iconic scene from the 1983 movie “Scarface,” starring ico

Jan. 25, 2018

Sisters Chung Kyung-wha and Myung-wha to leave PyeongChang Music Fest after the Olympics

PyeongChang Music Festival’s two artistic directors Chung Kyung-wha and Chung Myung-wha will leave their posts after the PyeongChang Olympics.At a press conference in Seoul to promote the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Music Festival, violinist Chung Kyung-wha and cellist Chung Myung-wha said that they would wrap up their seven-year journey with the music festival.“Though I leave the music festival after the Olympic Games, I will continue to perform for the betterment and improvement of Korea’s cla

Jan. 24, 2018

‘Friendly Driver’ promotes Korea with loose English

Driving home the point that English is not important when communicating with foreigners here, tvN’s newly launched TV show “Friendly Driver” hopes to promote Korea as a tourist destination. The show, which aired its first episode Wednesday, offers to drive foreign visitors from the Incheon International Airport to their destinations. The friendly drivers are comedians Lee Soo-geun and Kim Young-chul, actress Yoon So-hee and singer Microdot. Even though the show deals with foreigners, only Yoon a

Jan. 24, 2018

[Album review] ‘Poet | Artist,’ testament to Jonghyun’s genius

Jonghyun“Poet | Artist”Genie Music Honestly, it wasn’t easy to go through Jonghyun’s posthumous album “Poet | Artist,” maybe because it was a bittersweet testament to the late music prodigy’s genius and his passion for music. Peppered throughout the album, recorded before the SHINee vocalist’s passing last year, is Jonghyun’s outstanding musical artistry, particularly evident in his creative lyrics and sonic style which incorporate everything from electronic pop, edgy R&B and future bass to acou

Jan. 24, 2018

Red Velvet releases new songs in repackaged album

Red Velvet on Wednesday announced the repackaged edition of its second full-length album, complete with three new songs and nine pre-existing songs. “The Perfect Red Velvet,” a repackaged version of “Perfect Velvet,” will be released at 6 p.m. Monday via local music streaming websites, according to S.M. Entertainment. The agency said the lead track “Bad Boy” is a hip-hop based R&B dance track.  A teaser image for “The Perfect Red Velvet” (S.M. Entertainment)“Perfect Velvet” topped iTunes K-pop a

Jan. 24, 2018

Rappers search for ‘Everyday Swag’

What does “swag” mean? Rappers toss the word out all the time, but it’s not always easy to tell what qualifies.A shortened form of “swagger,” the word is used to imply a certain insolent cockiness. To help sort the swag from the square, five rappers and a funnyman will search daily life for examples in the new hip-hop reality TV show “Everyday Swag” (working title).  A press conference for entertainment TV show “Everyday Swag” is held at Times Square mall, Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul on Monday. (Xt

Jan. 23, 2018

'Get It Beauty 2018’ aims to promote healthy beauty

The new season of “Get It Beauty” hopes to differentiate itself from its past seasons, valuing the importance of healthy beauty that comes from within.OnStyle’s beauty talk show “Get It Beauty” which launched in 2006 and gained popularity with its blind tests of makeup products, has become a standard reference for many beauty consumers. The new season of the show is to start Friday, featuring models Jang Yoon-ju and Moon Ga-bi, Weki Meki’s Kim Do-yeon, Akdong Musician’s Lee Soo-hyun and beauty i

Jan. 23, 2018

Rappers search for ‘Everyday Swag’

What does “swag” mean? Rappers toss the word out all the time, but it’s not always easy to tell what qualifies.A shortened form of “swagger,” the word is used to imply a certain insolent cockiness. To help sort the swag from the square, five rappers and a funnyman will search daily life for examples in a new hip-hop reality TV show “Everyday Swag.”  A press conference for entertainment TV show “Everyday Swag” is held at Times Square mall, Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul, Monday. (XtvN)Nucksal, Don Mill

Jan. 23, 2018

[K-talk]Jonghyun’s last album released posthumously

The last album by late SHINee member Jonghyun was released online Tuesday, along with a music video for its lead track. Jonghyun’s album “Poet | Artist,” which was completed last year, comprises 11 songs showcasing the K-pop singer-songwriter’s distinctive musical tonalities. (SM Entertainment)The lead track “Shinin” is an electro-pop song with trap beats and tropical-tinged sounds. The music video for the track was released on streaming platforms including YouTube and Naver TV.The album also in

Jan. 23, 2018

Kim Yoo-jung confirms lead role in upcoming JTBC drama

Actress Kim Yoo-jung will be back on the small screen with JTBC’s upcoming drama “Clean with Passion for Now” (tentative title).The channel on Tuesday confirmed that Kim will play job-seeker Kil Oh-sol in the webtoon-based drama revolving around a budding romance between Kil and heart-throb Jang Sun-kyul. The story unfolds as Jang, a cleaning business’ CEO obsessed with hygiene, falls in love with Kil, a carefree girl who puts aside “cleanlness” for making everyday living. It has been reported t

Jan. 23, 2018

Jung Hae-in falls for Son Ye-jin in new drama

Rising actor Jung Hae-in is to star in a new JTBC drama series “Pretty Sister who Treats Me to Meals” (working title) with veteran actress Son Ye-jin. Jung Hae-in (FNC Entertainment)Jung’s management agency FNC Entertainment announced the news Monday. Jung will play Seo Joon-hee, a character designer at a computer game company. He and Son will be the lead couple of the drama. The rookie actor has featured in various dramas and films, including “While You Are Asleep” and “Blood.” His most recent

Jan. 23, 2018

Rappers search for ‘Everyday Swag’

What does “swag” mean? Though the word is frequently used, its definition remains elusive to many.To solve the mystery, six “hipsters” will strive to find swag in daily life through a new hip-pop reality TV show.  A promotional poster for "Everyday Swag" (XtvN)Swag, a slang word, is a shortened form of “swagger,” used to imply a certain insolent cockiness. It dates back to the days of William Shakespeare. Nowadays, the word commonly refers to a sense of confidence and style. The cast of new hip-

Jan. 22, 2018

Kumho Art Hall to kick off 2018 Rising Star Series this week

Kumho Art Hall this week begins its 2018 Rising Star Series, a classical music program dedicated to introducing Korea’s young talents. Starting with a recital Thursday featuring James Kim, the first prize winner of the 2006 International David Popper Cello Competition, Kumho Art Hall will highlight two other young artists -- pianist Shin Chang-yong and violinist Kim Gye-hee. Cellist James Kim (Kumho Art Hall)Cellist Kim has given solo recitals organized by New York classical music radio station

Jan. 22, 2018

‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ actor Jun Tae-soo dies

Jun Tae-soo, the younger brother of actress Ha Ji-won, died Sunday after reportedly battling depression.  The actors’ agency Haewadal Entertainment on Sunday released a statement addressing his untimely death. It read, “Jun passed away on Sunday at the age of 33. He was being treated for depression and had recently been in discussions for his next project as an actor, as his condition seemed to improve.” (Jun`s Instagram)The agency also stated that Jun’s family plans to hold a private funeral at

Jan. 22, 2018