Asian musicians to perform at Paradise City in June

Paradise City in Incheon is set to mesmerize music fans with an Asian music festival in June. The Asian Pop Festival, hosted by Paradise Culture Foundation and APF Co., will take place June 22-23 at Paradise City, Yeongjongdo, Incheon, and will feature well-known artists from different countries in Asia. The first lineup announced Wednesday includes Korean musicians such as Kim Chang-wan Band, Nell, Playbook, Yeoyu and Seolbin, Lang Lee, Glen Check and CHS. Taiwan's No Party For Cao Dong,

March 27, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Parasyte: The Grey,' run-of-the-mill monster horror series that lacks charm of original manga

"Parasyte: The Grey," the ambitiously re-imagined series by star director Yeon Sang-ho, is a run-of-the-mill monster horror show that fails to capture the charm and essence of the original manga. The 6-part Netflix original series follows the story of Jung Soo-in (Jung So-nee) as she is partially turned into a monster after an alien species called the Parasytes invade Earth. The series is set in the universe of the popular Japanese manga series "Parasyte," but completely de

March 27, 2024

NewJeans to debut in Japan in June

NewJeans is set to release a single in Korea on May 24 and make its debut in Japan with another single on June 21, according to Ador, the group's agency. The single to be released in Korea on May 24, “How Sweet,” will come with three B-sides including “Bubble Gum,” and instrumental versions of both songs. “Bubble Gum” will be unveiled next month as part of a Japanese commercial and a theme song for a TV program before the official album release. The group

March 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Making the jump from corps de ballet to swan

A new swan is scheduled to grace the stage, as the Korean National Ballet presents “Swan Lake” at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from Wednesday to Sunday. On Friday, ballerina An Su-yeon, a member of the corps de ballet, will take center stage, making her debut as the iconic Odette and Odile. It's a highly unusual and bold move to cast a dancer in the corps de ballet, the lowest in the ballet company's ranking system, to take the lead role in “Swan Lake.” Such cast

March 26, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim surpasses 200m Spotify streams with ‘Unforgiven’

Le Sserafim reached the 200 million streams milestone on Spotify with “Unforgiven (feat. Nile Rodgers),” according to agency Source Music on Tuesday. It is the group’s fourth song to hit the mark, after “Fearless,” “Antifragile” and “Perfect Night.” “Unforgiven” is the lead track from the five-member group's first full album of the same title that came out in May last year and debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 6. The album stay

March 26, 2024

EXO D.O., Suho to hold stand-alone concerts

Two EXO bandmates will meet with fans through solo performances to strengthen their respective standing as solo artists. D.O. will meet with global fans at his first solo Asian fan concert tour, "Bloom." He is to perform in 11 cities, starting with his two days of concerts in Seoul on June 8 and 9. He will then perform in Taipei, Taiwan on June 22, Hong Kong on June 29, Jakarta, Indonesia on July 12, Tokyo on July 18, Nagoya, Japan on July 19, Osaka, Japan on July 21, Bangkok on Aug. 1

March 26, 2024

Boynextdoor to hold first fanmeeting at Olympic Hall

Up-and-coming K-pop boy group Boynextdoor will hold its first fan meeting in June. Boynextdoor uploaded a poster on the group's official social media channel and global fandom platform Weverse Community announcing that the "2024 Boynextdoor Fanmeeting ONEDOORFUL Day" will be held both in-person and online at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, June 1-2. The fan meeting will commemorate the first anniversary of Boynextdoor, which debuted on May 30 last year. Meanwhile, Boynext

March 26, 2024

'Parasyte: The Grey' explores coexistence, nature of ties between individuals and organizations

Director Yeon Sang-ho, known for hit thriller series "Hellbound" and groundbreaking zombie flick "Train to Busan," said he aimed to explore the true meaning of coexistence and dynamics between individuals and organizations in "Parasyte: The Grey," his latest Netflix original series. "Parasyte: The Grey" narrates the story of Jung Soo-in (Jeon So-nee), who is partially turned into a monster by an alien species that falls to Earth from outer space. Seol Gang

March 26, 2024

Zerobaseone writes K-pop history with 1st Japanese single album

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone has topped Oricon’s Weekly Singles Chart with its debut Japanese single album, “Yurayura-unmei no hana.” Zerobaseone made its Japanese debut with the album's release on March 20 under Sony Music. Selling around 302,000 copies of the Japanese single album within five days of its release, the group took the throne on the Weekly Singles Chart dated April 1, which is based on physical album sales. This is a record-breaking number for a foreign album

March 26, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Kim Hee-jin compelled by stories of marginalized

In her 2010 short indie film “A Brand New Journey,” Kim depicts the agony of a middle school student whose parents can’t afford the money for a school trip. Although the boy finds a way to save up money for the trip by taking on a part-time job, he is harassed by the tyrannical shop owner who doesn't pay him. “I was attracted to the stories of marginalized people, whether I met them in my personal life or in books. So it was natural for me to shed light on the lives

March 26, 2024

Illit says goofiness and honesty are what make them ‘Magnetic’

Hybe’s new girl group Illit made its debut Monday with its first EP, “Super Real Me.” Illit consists of three Korean members Yunah, Minju and Wonhee, and two Japanese members, Moka and Iroha, who were the finalists of the JTBC global girl group survival program “R U Next?” which aired for three months starting June 2023. “The name of our group is a combination of the words ‘will,’ which depicts our independent and adventurous will, and ‘it,&r

March 26, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Illit ready to show ‘Super Real Me’

Girl group Illit held its debut showcase in Seoul on Monday, introducing the group's first EP, “Super Real Me.” The five bandmates exuded positive energy and confidence, saying their strength lies in being “overly immersed” on stage. Off the stage, though, they will show who they really are, the bandmates added. In line with the candid message of the debut album – “my real story also is the best story” -- the bandmates did not hesitate to admit th

March 25, 2024

Tongyeong International Music Festival’s composer-in-residence Peter Eotvos dies

Hungarian composer and conductor Peter Eotvos, who was named the composer-in-residence for the 2024 Tongyeong International Music Festival, has passed away in Budapest at the age of 80, the TIMF said Monday. An internationally acclaimed composer whose works were inspired by Zoltan Kodaly, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, Eotvos' ties with Tongyeong run deep. Having composed the opera "Golden Dragon" for the 2017 TIMF, he was invited to compose for the 2020 edition of TIMF.

March 25, 2024

NCT Dream newly interpretes dream with ‘Dream()scape’

NCT Dream, a cheery boy group that sings of dreams and hopes, returned to the stage with a mature, confident image, confronting wounds and inner troubles. The septet's new album “Dream()scape” contains six tracks including the title track “Smoothie.” It is the group's first album in eight months since the third full-length album “ISTJ.” "We've so far shown our passionate, hopeful and bright sides, but this time we've prepared an album

March 25, 2024

J-Hope says dance is what he cherishes most in life

J-Hope of BTS released a teaser video for his upcoming documentary series “Hope on the Street” via the boy band's official YouTube channel on Monday. The clip shows an interview with J-Hope sitting on a couch wearing a knitted hat, a dark jacket and jeans. “This documentary is about dance, which is what I consider my roots and the most important thing in my life and career,” J-Hope says in introducing the upcoming documentary series. “You will be able to learn

March 25, 2024

More reality shows exploring divorce are on their way

South Korean broadcasters are rolling out new shows about divorce among real-life couples following a wave of successful reality shows that previously explored the same theme. The Maeil Broadcasting Network said it has decided to regularly broadcast "Decision to Divorce" starting in April following the show's successful pilot season of five episodes that aired from January to February. "Decision to Divorce" features couples going through difficult times in their marri

March 25, 2024

[Music in drama] A silver lining in a tale of vengeance

Even in the darkest and the most brutal stories, there is often a silver lining. In a drama full of hatred and malice, soft melodies playing in the background show that there is still some good in the world. "The Glory," one of the most successful K-drama series of 2023, depicts the meticulous journey of a woman as she exacts revenge on the gang members who tormented her at school. Moon Dong-eun, who was subjected to all kinds of violence imaginable, including physical torture, sexual

March 24, 2024

'Exhuma' first movie this year to attract 10m moviegoers

Occult flick "Exhuma" on Sunday became the first movie to surpass 10 million in ticket sales this year, having reached the milestone on its 32nd day in theaters, according to Showbox, the film's distributor. The movie is the first to exceed the 10 million mark in ticket sales since "12.12: The Day," a historical drama about a military coup in 1979, which achieved the milestone on Dec. 24 last year. Since its premiere in theaters on Feb. 22, "Exhuma" has remaine

March 24, 2024

Agency denies Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun dating rumours

Rumors that South Korean actors Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun are dating, which began circulating following a post uploaded on the former's social media account, are untrue, said the agency representing Kim Soo-hyun, Sunday. "The current rumors of Kim Soo-hyun's romantic involvement (with Kim Sae-ron) are groundless. The photos circulating online seem to have been taken during the time Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were signed with the same agency in the past, and the intention behi

March 24, 2024

BTS V hits high mark with ‘Fri(end)s’

V of BTS continues to break records with “Fri(end)s,” even as he serves in the military. “Fri(end)s,” released in March 2024, ranked No. 13 on the Top 100 Official Singles Chart as of March 22. The UK's biggest song data platform runs the chart, Official Charts Company, based on audio and video streams, downloads and sales volume for CDs and vinyl. V bested his own top placement for “Slow Dancing,” the lead track of his first album, “Layover.”

March 24, 2024