‘Following’ contrasts voyeuristic man, attention-seeking woman

First-time director Kim Se-hui's “Following” is a mystery thriller that depicts the secretive life of a voyeur and a pretentious attention-seeking social media influencer. Byun Yo-han stars as real estate agent Gu Jeong-tae, who follows influencer Han Sora, played by Shin Hae-sun. Lee El stars as detective Oh Young-ju investigating a death related to Jeong-tae and Sora. “Jeong-tae is a kind of character who is really hard to explain in words. That’s why we produced a

April 17, 2024

K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show

A member of the South Korean girl group Ichillin’ was briefly rendered unconscious after being struck by a foul ball while waiting for a performance during a pro baseball game in Seoul on Tuesday. The singer soon recovered consciousness, but her performance was canceled. “Chowon is currently in good health. There were no abnormalities found during a detailed (medical) examination, and she will undergo additional tests later today,'" her agency Kmet said in a statement

April 17, 2024

Stray Kids to release digital single featuring Charlie Puth

Stray Kids are set to release a digital single, “Lose My Breath,” featuring global pop star Charlie Puth on May 10. JYP Entertainment, the label housing Stray Kids, announced the release on the group's official social media accounts on Wednesday. Charlie Puth rose to stardom with “See You Again,” the original soundtrack of the film “Furious 7,” released in 2015. He has worked with other K-pop artists in the past. Jungkook of BTS featured on Charlie Puth&r

April 17, 2024

Bolshoi Ballet gala show in Seoul canceled

A gala ballet concert featuring the principal dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet has been canceled. The performance, newly titled “Super Ballet Concert of Ballet & Model 2024 in Seoul” from the initial title “Bolshoi Ballet Gala Concert 2024 in Seoul,” was scheduled to be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday to Friday. The cancellation came after the organizer’s proposal for alterations to the show’s cast and program was rejected by th

April 16, 2024

Discounted bundles introduced amid 'streamflation'

South Korean streaming platforms are launching subscription packages tied with complementary services in response to mounting criticisms that the subscription fees for streaming services are getting too high, a phenomenon nicknamed "streamflation" here. On Monday, local telecom service provider KT launched a subscription package named "Tving + Starbucks" which includes access to Tving and a monthly coupon for a tall Americano at Starbucks. Three types of subscription packages

April 16, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to return soon: report

Stray Kids is gearing up for a new release in the summer, according to a local media report on Monday citing industry sources. Considering that it is slated to headline a series of music festivals abroad -- “I-Days” in Milan, “British Summertime Hyde Park” in London and “Lollapalooza Chicago” in Chicago -- from mid-July, an album is likely to be released in June, it speculated. Its last album was the November's “Rock-Star” tEP, which topped

April 16, 2024

Busan One Asia Festival moves up to June

The Busan One Asia Festival, celebrating its eighth edition this year, will take place over two days on June 8 and 9. BOF is hosted by the Busan city government and organized by the Busan Tourism Organization. On the first day of the festival, the BOF Big Concert, featuring various K-pop artists, will be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, while on June 9, the Park Concert will take place at Hwamyeong Eco Park. The lineup for the Park Concert has not yet been announced yet. The BOF Big Concert

April 16, 2024

SM-Kakao Games to launch mobile game in H2

SM Entertainment and Kakao Games Corp. signed a partnership at SM Entertainment’s headquarters in Seoul on Monday to create a mobile game. The partnership follows South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp.'s acquisition of SM Entertainment in March last year. The K-pop label will use its artist IP to create a mobile game tentatively titled “SM Game Station” to be launched globally in the second half of this year, according to SM. Kakao Games Corp., the gaming unit of Kakao Corp.,

April 16, 2024

Illit debuts on Billboard’s Hot 100

K-pop rookie group Illit made its first showing on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated April 20 with “Magnetic,” the lead track of its debut EP “Super Real Me,” landing at No. 91 on the chart. This makes Illit the first K-pop act to enter Billboard’s main songs chart with a debut single. Billboard’s Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular current songs across all genres by streaming activity from digital music sources, radio airplay and sales data compiled by

April 16, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘The Roundup’ returns, but is more predictable, even sloppy

It’s not an exaggeration to say that “The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment of South Korea’s most successful crime flick franchise, is guaranteed to be a box office hit. Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok here, is confident about the upcoming movie, even telling reporters that this particular installment garnered the highest ratings at a blind screening among industry insiders. His long-time industry partner and martial arts director Heo Myung-haeng directed t

April 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] Master organist Ben van Oosten to bring 'deep feeling of spirituality' to concerts

Dutch organist Ben van Oosten, 69, has devoted his life to the instrument ever since his first appointment as a church organist at the age of 11. His father, an amateur organist and pianist, would take him to organ concerts in The Hague and to different churches where he played. His first impression of the instrument’s sound was overwhelming, and it soon became his favorite instrument. “Due to its almost limitless sound colors and dynamic possibilities, the organ is capable of provok

April 16, 2024

[Music in drama] Centuries-old royal romance regains life

Some stories become more powerful because they are not told directly. Having aired in late 2021, the MBC period drama "The Red Sleeve" depicts the story of King Jeongjo of the Joseon era and his beloved concubine, Uibin Seong. That the story is based on history is intriguing, but the series is remarkable in its focus on the will of the female character even within the patriarchal narrative. It is a departure from the typical Korean period drama formula, especially for one that involves

April 15, 2024

Billboard Korea aims to become K-culture ambassador

Billboard, an American media company known for its music charts and news, begins a new chapter in South Korea with the launch of Billboard Korea, a subsidiary that will extensively cover the Korean music industry, Billboard CEO Mike Vans announced Monday during a press conference. “At Billboard, we recognize the significance of K-pop and K-music as not just a musical genre, but as a cultural movement that continues to transcend borders and redefine the landscape of the global entertainment

April 15, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT hits Billboard 200 at No. 3 with 6th EP

The sixth EP from Tomorrow X Together ranked No. 3 on the Billboard 200, label Big Hit Music said Monday, citing the chart preview published on its website. The group's EP “Minisode 3: Tomorrow” became its 10th entry on the Main Albums chart, on which the band is the only K-pop act besides BTS to have ten albums. The mini album is TXT's fifth to sit among the top five following the fifth EP “The Name Chapter: Temptation” (No. 1), the third LP “The Name C

April 15, 2024

‘Mad Max’ mastermind George Miller says audience ‘completes’ his storytelling

For “Furiosa: Mad Max Saga” director George Miller, the audience is what completes his storytelling. The Australian director was in Seoul on Monday to promote the fifth installment of his dystopian “Mad Max” franchise, which began in 1979. “Furiosa: Mad Max Saga,” a spin-off of Oscar-winning “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), tells the story of young Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her vengeful journey back home to find warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

April 15, 2024

BTS' Jungkook creates Instagram account for his dog

K-pop megastar Jungkook has launched an Instagram account exclusively for his dog Bam, which reached over three million followers as of Monday. The 26-year-old member of the boy band BTS introduced the account through the global fan communication platform Weverse, saying that he is going to "brag about his baby." The account currently has seven posts, all of the singer's Doberman who he first revealed to the public in 2021. The account name is "bowwow_bam" -- not to be c

April 15, 2024

SSF: 19 and still going strong

Why do artists return to the annual Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, which is staging its 19th edition this year? Pianist Park Sang-wook and violinist Danny Koo, who have performed at the festival for several years, said that it’s a festival that offers valuable opportunities for artists and audiences alike. “Soloists spend a lot of time practicing alone and critiquing themselves, which can lead to feelings of depression. While I can express my emotions and colors during perfo

April 15, 2024

[Herald Review] Day6 dazzles 34,000 audience members with impressive live band performance

Day6, a South Korean pop-rock band under the label JYP Entertainment, welcomed 34,000 fans to its concerts held at Jamsil Arena in Seoul, April 12-14. The band turned the arena's main stage into a circular stage surrounded 360 degrees by the audience. Dressed in black suits, the group's four members -- guitarists Sungjin and Young K, keyboardist Wonpil and drummer Dowoon -- kicked off the last day of their “Welcome to the Show” concert Sunday with the song of the same title

April 15, 2024

Taking risk or targeting global fans? Netflix pushes ahead with 'Goodbye Earth' release

With Netflix set to release its original dystopian drama series “Goodbye Earth” on April 26, media and viewers are curious how frequently Yoo Ah-in, the lead actor, will be seen in the 12-part series. Some argue that it is too early to see him on-screen as the 37-year-old actor is set to appear in a fourth court hearing over charges of illegal drug use on Tuesday. In a trailer for “Goodbye Earth” released on Friday, Yoo is clearly omitted in the 2-minute video, which tell

April 14, 2024

Ateez incorporates traditional Korean elements into Coachella performance

On Friday, Ateez performed on the Sahara stage of the Coachella Valley Music Festival, becoming the first-ever K-pop boy group to perform at the annual festival held in southern California. The performance was livestreamed on YouTube. “We are touched by how you are enjoying our stage and singing along to our music. Thank you for coming to see us,” Ateez said during the performance. Ateez performed a medley of hit singles, including “Say My Name,” “Hala Hala” a

April 14, 2024