NCT Wish to approach listeners with easy-listening, bright songs

NCT Wish, a Japan-based K-pop boy group of SM Entertainment, began promoting its debut single, "Wish," in Korea with a press conference in Seoul on Monday. BoA took part in the event, introducing the group as she took part in producing them, from selecting the final members through an audition, to directing the group's singing and dance. SM collaborated with the Japanese entertainment agency Avex Trax to introduce the six members through the “NCT Universe: Lastart” com

March 4, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to drop mini album next month

Tomorrow X Together will make a comeback with their sixth EP on April 1, announced label Big Hit Music on Monday. The news for EP “minisode 3: Tomorrow” came with a motion logo blending different colors representing each of albums the band has released so far, hinting that the upcoming album will carry on with the narrative it has weaved through them. The five members shared the news first with the audience at its concert held over the weekend in Seoul. The live show marked the fif

March 4, 2024

Classic ballet ‘Swan Lake’ signals arrival of spring

The classic ballet “Swan Lake” is set to grace stages across the country this month, as South Korea’s two major ballet companies -- the Korean National Ballet and Universal Ballet -- embark on nationwide tours, presenting two different versions of the popular ballet piece. The ballet, set to Tchaikovsky’s music, tells the story of Odette, a beautiful young princess cursed by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, who condemns her to transform into a swan during the day. She encounte

March 4, 2024

Son Suk-ku confronts internet trolls as an investigative journalist in ‘Troll Factory’

“A Killer Paradox” and “My Liberation Notes” star Son Suk-ku plays an investigative journalist who digs up the truth behind internet trolls and seeks justice in the upcoming crime flick “Troll Factory.” Son plays Im Sang-jin, a passionate investigative journalist who is suspended from work after revealing a conglomerate’s wrongdoings. He then decides to learn more about a team of three young men who manipulate public sentiments by leaving hate comments o

March 4, 2024

Are virtual idols for real?

From getting good songs and choreographies to holding in-person concerts, things are tough for virtual idols in the highly competitive K-pop scene. “When our virtual idol group Plave was looking for songs, our group members said they felt the composers were not giving them A-level quality songs. That led the group to make their own songs,” said Lee Sung-gu, CEO of Vlast, during a press conference in Seoul last Monday. Vlast is a virtual intellectual property startup that created and

March 4, 2024

Twice tops Billboard 200 with 13th EP ‘With YOU-th’

K-pop girl group Twice topped Billboard’s main album chart, the Billboard 200, with its 13th EP, “With YOU-th,” released Feb. 23. This is the group’s first time landing at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the best-performing albums in the US based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums. The K-pop act competed a

March 4, 2024

V of BTS to release English digital single, ‘Fri(end)s’

V of BTS will release a new English digital single, “Fri(end)s,” at 1 p.m. on March 15. Big Hit Music announced the upcoming release on the global fan community platform Weverse on Monday. The upcoming single is a pop-soul R&B love song with English lyrics, according to the agency. In the run-up to the single’s release, the label released a teaser clip Sunday showing parts of V’s daily life. V’s latest single will be the artist's first release in six months

March 4, 2024

Lucy to kick off first world tour in March

Lucy will meet global fans on the band's first world tour. Agency Mystic Story announced the upcoming world tour with a poster, dubbing it "Written by Flower," via Lucy's official social media channels. The poster features colorful flowers surrounding a globe, evoking memories of the band's debut song, "Flowering." A puppy and the smiley face symbolize the Lucy's fans and the bandmates, respectively. Lucy will kick off its world tour at the Olympic Handbal

March 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'K-occult master' Jang Jae-hyun explores 'invisible' concepts in 'Exhuma'

Director of "Exhuma," a supernatural mystery thriller that became the quickest film to attract 1 million theater-goers so far this year, aimed to discuss "invisible" concepts through the movie, such as religion and belief, at a time when addressing such topics is increasingly shunned. "While engaging in society, there was nowhere else but the church to discuss intangible concepts like love, loyalty and righteousness," said Jang, during an interview held with reporte

March 4, 2024

[Exclusive] Singaporean businessman David Yong to establish K-pop label in S. Korea this year

David Yong, CEO of the Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings and a K-pop artist and producer, plans to establish a K-pop label in Seoul this year. “I’m applying for some licenses this year to establish a full-fledged label in Korea. We are working on getting a management team (and are) looking for the right candidates to join us," Yong said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Feb. 28. "From then, we are definitely (going to get) new talents in, signing established a

March 3, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘My Name is Loh Kiwan’ a weak drama with soppy ending

Even the presence of Korean megastar Song Joong-ki in its titular role couldn’t sustain interest in director Kim Hee-jin’s “My Name is Loh Kiwan." Song, who plays a North Korean defector for the first time in his 15-year career, referred to his acting in the film as "refreshing and satisfactory." Despite the actor's confidence, however, the 133-minute movie based on the 2011 novel “I Met Loh Kiwan” by Cho Hae-jin, fails to portray the North Korea

March 3, 2024

EDM festival 'Don't Let Daddy Know' returns to Korea in April

The celebrated international EDM festival "Don't Let Daddy Know," featuring famous overseas DJs and music producers, will mesmerize Korean audiences in April. DLDK Korea will take place April 20 at Seoul Land in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, the performance agency BEPC Tangent said Wednesday. The festival was first held in the Netherlands in 2012 and has traveled to 21 countries, including Austria, Germany, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Japan. The first DLDK in Korea took place last Ap

March 2, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘Past Lives’: First love and its many ‘what ifs’

It is not unheard of for people to imagine what would happen if a childhood sweetheart showed up after years apart. This is the story that unfolds on screen in Korean Canadian director Celine Song’s directorial debut romance film “Past Lives.” The film, which received 75 awards and over 200 nominations at film festivals around the world, including best director and screenplay nominations at the Academy Awards, revolves around the story first love, admittedly something of a clic

March 2, 2024

'Exhuma' tops 5 mln admissions in 10 days since release

Director Jang Jae-hyun's occult flick "Exhuma" continues its strong box-office performance, surpassing 3 million cumulative viewers in just one week since its release. According to the distributor Showbox on Saturday, the supernatural thriller topped 5 million cumulative viewers earlier in the day, becoming the most-viewed film released this year. Starring Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun, it follows two shamans, a feng shui expert and a mortician, who team up to get to the bottom of a

March 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Mary & George' will resonate with global audience: actors

Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine and Tony Curran said their latest period drama "Mary & George" will connect with global audiences by exploring social constraints and the theme of human greed in 17th-century England. The 7-part historical drama series narrates the story of Mary Villiers, an ambitious, minor member of the gentry who is determined to rise to power by grooming her second son George Villiers to become the favorite of King James I. Set during the Jacobean era in Engla

March 1, 2024

NewJeans, Silica Gel win 3 prizes at KMAs; Beenzino nets album of the year

The winners of the 21st Korean Music Awards have been revealed, with K-pop girl group NewJeans and rock band Silica Gel tying for the most prizes with three categories each. Rapper Beenzino clinched album of the year with "Nowitzki." The 21st KMA Awards ceremony was held Thursday at Prism Studio in southern Seoul. NewJeans won song of the year and best K-pop song for "Ditto," and also won the best K-pop album prize for "Get Up." The group had also won three awards a

March 1, 2024

S.Coups of Seventeen gets military exemption due to knee injury

S.Coups, leader of boy group Seventeen, has been exempted from military service due to his knee injury, local media said Friday. S.Coups suffered a knee injury in August 2023 and underwent surgery. The artist’s agency, Pledis Entertainment, announced that S.Coups injured his left knee while filming with Seventeen members and was diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Following his surgery, S.Coups was unable to participate in activities related to Seventeen's 11th mini

March 1, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Exhuma” (South Korea) Opened Feb. 22 Mystery/Thriller Directed by Jang Jae-hyun A feng-shui expert, an undertaker and two shaman exorcists pull together to find a new resting place for a deceased person for a hefty sum of money and discover a supernatural phenomenon a dark omen related to a wealthy Los Angeles family. “Dune: Part Two” (US, Canada) Opened Feb. 28 Action/Sci-fi Directed by Denis Villeneuve In the year 10,191 on Arrakis, recently outcast heir to the thron

March 1, 2024

'The Birth of Korea' sequel to be released next year

The sequel to the box office hit political documentary film “The Birth of Korea” will be released next year, while director Kim Deok-young plans to produce up to five installments for the detailed portrayal of South Korea's first president Syngman Rhee. Director Kim said “The Birth of Korea 2” will open in local theaters on March 26 next year, marking the 150th anniversary of Rhee’s birth. “I have so many stories to tell. Because I have covered so many th

Feb. 29, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz to return next month

The Boyz will make a comeback March 18 with the third installment of the group's second studio album, announced agency IST Entertainment on Thursday. The album “Love Letter” is the final part of the LP “Phantasy” and comes about four months after the release of the second installment, “Sixth Sense,” which sold over 600,000 copies in the first week, a career-high for the band. The upcoming album will feature all 11 members as Joo Haknyeon has rejoined afte

Feb. 29, 2024