Two vastly different 'Romeo and Juliet' ballets take to stage in May

In May, Seoul will host two different ballet productions of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, "Romeo and Juliet." Universal Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet" choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan will grace the stage of the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater from May 10 to May 12. The production, for which Universal Ballet acquired the performance rights in Korea in 2012, will return to the stage after its last performances in 2016 and 2012. On May 10 at 7:30 p.m. an

March 31, 2024

J-Hope brings his dance to ‘Hope on the Street’ pop-up store in Seongsu

J-Hope of BTS opened a street dance-themed pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul on Saturday, according to Big Hit Music. The “Hope on the Street” pop-up store promotes J-Hope’s special album “Hope on the Street Vol. 1” released Friday and the documentary series “Hope on the Street” which began streaming Thursday. J-Hope is the first member of BTS to organize a solo pop-up store. Three floors are filled with content related to the special album, the docume

March 31, 2024

This year's Busan film fest to proceed without festival director

Asia’s largest film festival, the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), will proceed with the post of festival director yet to be filled. In a statement released Friday night, the BIFF said that there were “no qualified candidates” despite its continued search for someone to lead the festival. In February, the festival organizers began another search for the post of festival director, accepting applications through March 19. The post has been vacant since May last year. &ld

March 31, 2024

Han So-hee, Ryu Joon-yeol part ways 2 weeks after going public with relationship

South Korean actors Han So-hee and Ryu Joon-yeol have decided to “go their own ways” after two tumultuous weeks surrounding the stars’ admissions of dating and accusations of impropriety in Ryu dating Han so soon after his breakup from his longtime partner, singer and actor Hyeri. Ryu and Han’s breakup surfaced Saturday night when Han uploaded a 2001 photo of Nicole Kidman that had been taken by paparazzi as she walked out of the court following her divorce from Tom Cruis

March 31, 2024

Tongyeong Int'l Music Festival continues to embody diversity

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- The Tongyeong International Music Festival commenced Friday with its artistic director Chin Unsuk saying she’s hoping to provide a beautiful moment that will remain forever with an underlying theme of diversity. "We always strive to present as many diverse elements as possible to the audience within this short period,” she said. “For the past two years of the festival, I have often thought that this moment, when we share this beaut

March 31, 2024

BTS V's 'Fri(end)s' ranks 68th on British singles chart

BTS member V's new song, "Fri(end)s," entered Britain's Official Singles Chart Top 100 for the second consecutive week. His latest digital single ranked No. 68 on the Top 100 chart, down from No. 55 the previous week, according to the chart released Friday. Released March 15, "Fri(end)s" is the artist's first solo project since "Layover," released in September last year. The pop-soul track, entirely written in English, is a sweet love song portraying

March 30, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Zerobaseone to appear on Japan TV special

An exclusive television show with Zerobaseone will air on Japan’s TV Asahi Saturday, said agency WakeOne Entertainment on Friday. The special show titled “ZB1 Eyes on No. 1” is a "variety program for Zerobaseone, a nine-member boy band that has gained popularity across the world,” the broadcasting station said. The bandmates will be split into three teams, play games and perform “Yurayura – Unmeino Hana,” the group's Japanese debut track. The

March 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Ji-yeon, Jang Da-a stress zero tolerance for bullying via 'Pyramid Game'

South Korean actors Kim Ji-yeon and Jang Da-a said they tried to convey the message of absolute intolerance towards bullying via their latest Tving original series "Pyramid Game." Based on the webtoon of the same name, the 10-part drama series narrates the story of Sung Soo-ji (played by Kim), who transfers to a school that decides a target to bully monthly via a voting process. In the story, students are ranked from A to F based on the number of votes they get, and the person designat

March 29, 2024

J-Hope shows his passion for street dance in 'Hope On The Street Vol. 1'

A new album about BTS J-Hope's musical roots has been released. J-Hope's special album "Hope On The Street Vol. 1" is based on the artist’s passion for street dance and is his first solo album in seven months since "Jack In The Box," which was released in August last year. The title of the lead track, "Neuron," came from the name of the dance crew that J-Hope belonged to before his debut. The song is an old-school hip-hop song from the 2000s, marking

March 29, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Spy x Family Code: White” (Japan) Opened March 20 Action/Comedy Directed by Takashi Katagiri Loid, a spy, decides to help his stepdaughter Anya, who holds supernatural power, win a cooking competition at Eden Academy by making the principal's favorite meal. It is the the only way to stop him from getting replaced in a new operation. “Poor Things” (US) Opened March 6 Comedy Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Bella (Emma Stone), a Frankenstein-esque woman brought back fro

March 29, 2024

[Graphic News] Only 1 out of 35 Korean commercial films had female director last year

Only one out of 35 Korean films with a major budget was directed by a female director last year, a report showed. Action thriller “The Point Men,” directed by Yim Soon-rye, was the sole movie with a female director among the 35 commercial films with a production budget exceeding 3 billion won ($2.25 million), according to the report released by the Korean Film Council on the status of gender equality in the Korean film industry. The state-run movie promotion agency has been publish

March 29, 2024

BTS' Suga begins boot camp training as social service agent

Suga of the K-pop sensation BTS began receiving basic military training at a boot camp in a central region Thursday as part of his ongoing alternative service, according to the group's agency. The rapper, whose original Korean name is Min Yoon-gi, has been serving as a social service agent since September, an alternative form of military service in South Korea. Suga entered the Army training camp in Nonsan, located 152 kilometers south of Seoul, BigHit Music said, adding that the move is in

March 28, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to meet fans in May

Le Sserafim invited fans to the group's second fan meetup, to be held in Seoul on May 11 and -12, via Source Music on Thursday. The two-day event, “Fearnada 2024 S/S,” will stream online as well for fans across the world. The poster for the fan meeting was inspired by a scene from the trailer video for third EP “Easy,” and showed the five bandmates shooting laser beams with their eyes. The mini album is now spending a fourth week on the Billboard 200 at No. 112, af

March 28, 2024

J-Hope shares his dance journey through documentary series ‘Hope on the Street’

J-Hope of BTS unveiled the first episode of his documentary series “Hope on the Street” on Thursday via online streaming platforms Tving in South Korea and Amazon's Prime Video for overseas viewers. “With the mandatory military service enlistment ahead of me, I kept asking myself what helped me become the person I am now and the answer was 'dance,'" J-Hope said, explaining his decision to create the documentary series. The first episode of the series begins

March 28, 2024

Will scrapping 3 percent tax on movie tickets invigorate local cinema?

Following the government’s decision to scrap its 3 percent charge on movie tickets starting next year, concerns have been raised about whether such a discount would actually lead to more people going to the cinema. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, about 420 to 450 won ($0.30) will be reduced from movie tickets priced at around 15,000 won, in an effort to “lessen the burden on people who visit movie theaters.” The ministry plans to push for such detail

March 28, 2024

Veteran folk singer Seo Yoo-seok returns to stage

Korea's first-generation folk singer Seo Yoo-seok has released new songs, expressing a strong will to continue making music. Seo, 79, performed three new songs during a press conference held in Seoul Citizen Hall's Baseurak Concert Hall, Jung-gu, Seoul on Wednesday, with power and emotion that belied his years. The first new song, "Why," calls for hope and solidarity. Seo said the lyrics reminded him of the several ongoing political and armed conflicts worldwide, including th

March 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Dynamic Duo revisits its 20 year history with '2 Kids on the Block'

Gaeko and Choiza, the two members of Korea's legendary hip-hop duo, Dynamic Duo, are not only irreplaceable musical partners but also old friends who have spent more than 30 years together, having known each other since elementary school. Celebrating the 20th year of the group’s debut, the two looked back on their long history together with their 10th studio album, “2 Kids On The Block.” "We first met when we were 12, and it's safe to say that there was no hip-ho

March 28, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ V hits Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 65

V of BTS ranked No. 65 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with his single “Fri(end)s,” according to the latest chart published in the US on Tuesday. The new single is the artist’s fourth entry on the main songs chart. His previous entries were “Christmas Tree” from a drama original soundtrack, as well as “Love Me Again” and “Slow Dancing,” the pre-release and main tracks from his first solo album “Layover.” The digital single was rele

March 27, 2024

Unis, filled with self-esteem and confidence, debuts as ‘Superwoman’

Unis, a K-pop girl group consisting of eight finalists from the SBS audition program “Universe Ticket,” made its debut Wednesday with its first mini album, “We Unis.” The group is made up of four Korean members, Hyeonju, Yunha, Yoona and Seowon; two members from the Philippines, Elisia and Gehlee Dangka; and two Japanese members, Nana and Kotoko. “We finally get to debut as Unis. My life from the day I began dreaming about becoming a K-pop artist to the day that I w

March 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Son Suk-ku chooses to be swayed by others in navigating life

Just weeks after appearing as a relentless detective in the Netflix original “A Killer Paradox,” actor Son Suk-ku met with reporters for the promotion of his new film “Troll Factory.” “I haven’t rested a single day since the start of the year except for the public holiday in January,” Son told reporters in an interview in Seoul on Friday. “I’m constantly tired. I wake up, go to work, back home and sleep. I have also opened my own agency and i

March 27, 2024