K-pop artists, agencies step up fight against 'stans'

For some 20 years, K-pop artist Kim Jae-joong has been hounded by fans stalking him to get a sneak peek into his private life. A week ago Kim Jae-joong decided to stand up for himself and take legal measures against “sasaeng” fans -- industry slang referring to fans who invade an artist‘s private life, often exhibiting problematic and obsessive behavior. “We are currently gathering information about Kim Jae-joong’s sasaeng fans and the private taxis they hired to st

Jan. 31, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to headline Italy, UK festivals

     Stray Kids will make headline performances at music festivals in Milan, Italy and London this summer, both a first for a K-pop boy band, said label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. The band will make its festival debut on I Days and British Summer Time Hyde Parkon July 12 and 14, respectively. The lineup for the Milan gig this year includes Metallica, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey and Bring Me The Horizon. The supporting lineup for the British festival will be announced soon, sa

Jan. 31, 2024

Playlists reveal what inspired top classical musicians

Soviet-era pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky, who passed away 1961, has been brought back to the spotlight in South Korea recently thanks to playlists compiled by top musicians. The pianist is on the playlists of two star Korean pianists -- Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan -- unveiled on Apple Music Classical last week. In addition to Lim and Cho, another celebrated pianist, Son Yeol-eum, and composer and music director June Jae-il have partnered up with the stand-alone app dedicated to classical m

Jan. 31, 2024

Seoul Jazz Festival returns to Olympic Park with diverse lineup

The schedule and initial lineup for the 16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024 have been revealed. In its 16th year, the Seoul Jazz Festival will be held at four venues located in Seoul's Olympic Park from May 31 to June 2, featuring around 60 diverse artists from home and abroad. Singer-songwriter Lauv, who is popular for his dynamic performances and emotional music, and French artist FKJ, who is known for his bold fusion of soul, jazz and electronic music, will visit Korea for the festival. Legend

Jan. 31, 2024

More Korean actors debut in Hollywood, changing Asian representation there

In recent years, the Hollywood debuts of Don Lee and Park Seo-joon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Blackpink's Jennie starring in the HBO drama “The Idol,” were feted as huge feats in Korea, never mind that their appearances lasted just minutes. Recent wins at major film festivals by creators and actors of Korean descent -- Korean Canadian director Celine Song of “Past Lives” and Korean American director Lee Seong-jin and actor Steven Yeun of “Beef”

Jan. 31, 2024

Lee Young-ae to star in sequel to legendary K-drama 'Jewel in the Palace'

South Korean veteran actor Lee Young-ae will star in the sequel to the legendary Korean drama series "Jewel in the Palace," reprising the role which shot the actor to international fame 20 years ago, said Korean entertainment company Fantagio. According to Fantagio, Lee Young-ae has been cast as the lead actress for the sequel series which is expected to begin filming in October and air in early 2025. The working title for the drama series is "Medic Dae Jang Geum" and the ser

Jan. 31, 2024

[Herald Review] Unclear message of 'Dog Days' disappoints, but fine acting saves the day

A heartwarming tear-jerker with cute, adorable dogs might just be enough to chase away the February cold. In "Dog Days," the different stories of the characters gradually converge as the plot progresses. Renowned architect Min-seo (played by Youn Yuh-jung), who has lost her only family, her beloved dog, embarks on a journey to find the dog. Seon-yong (played by Jung Sung-hwa) and Jeong-ah (played by Kim Yun-jin), a couple who struggle to connect with their newly adopted daughter, fin

Jan. 31, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] (G)I-dle tops iTunes chart in 24 regions with 2nd LP

(G)I-dle's second studio album "Two" topped the iTunes top albums chart in 24 regions, according to agency Cube Entertainment on Tuesday. The LP also was No. 1 on Apple Music’s top albums chart in eight regions. The album was released on Monday and had more than 1.8 million pre-orders, becoming the group’s second million-selling album after its sixth EP “I Feel” from last year. The LP sold over 860,000 copies on the first day, a record for the quintet. Minnie a

Jan. 30, 2024

Kim Tae-hee, Park Hae-soo to make Hollywood debut with 'Butterfly'

South Korean actors Kim Tae-hee and Park Hae-soo are set to make their Hollywood debuts via Amazon Prime Video's new spy thriller series, "Butterfly," according to the agencies representing the two actors, Tuesday. The six-part series about former Central Intelligence Agency agent David Jung (played by Daniel Dae Kim) and a sociopathic CIA agent named Rebecca (played by Reina Hardesty), is adapted from the graphic novel of the same title authored by Marguerite Bennett. Kim Tae-hee

Jan. 30, 2024

[Herald Review] Awesome action lifts dull plot of 'Badland Hunters'

For a popcorn flick this weekend, Netflix original film “Badland Hunters,” Don Lee’s first project with the global streaming platform, might be the ideal answer. Set in a post-earthquake Seoul where society has collapsed, fearless hunter Nam-san (Lee, better known in Korea as Ma Dong-seok) goes out to rescue Soo-na (Roh Jeong-eui), a teenager who has been kidnapped by Yang Gi-soo (Lee Hee-joon), a crazy doctor. “D.P” and “Mask Girl” star villain Lee Jun-

Jan. 30, 2024

Hyolyn, Kai to go on world tour

Hyolyn, who occupies an unrivaled position in K-pop with her charisma and powerful voice, is to embark on a world tour. “2024 Hyolyn Show World Tour Concert" will kick off at the Taipei International Convention Center, Taiwan, on Feb. 25. The next destination of the world tour is yet to be unveiled. The upcoming world tour is Hyolyn's second. Her first world tour, "True," took place in 2019 and had her perform eight concerts in seven countries including England, Germany

Jan. 30, 2024

'Gyeongseong Creature' inadvertently raises historical awareness among viewers around the world

While the show's writer and director clearly said that their intention for "Gyeongseong Creature," a Netflix original drama series, was to show how the people of the time lived, the show inadvertently raised awareness about the harrowing history of the Japanese colonization of Korea among viewers around the world. "Gyeongseong Creature," which ended Jan. 5, has enjoyed global success, securing its position on Netflix's global top 10 list in the TV (Non-English) ca

Jan. 30, 2024

S. Korea is ideal country for ticket scalping, says Record Label Industry Association of Korea

South Korean laws have limited scope in enforcing ticket scalping regulations, according to the Record Label Industry Association of Korea's Chairman Yoon Dong-hwan, who spoke in response to the association's recent report on ticket scalping laws in several foreign countries. The report, published Tuesday, compares the ticket scalping policies and laws of seven countries -- Japan, China, Taiwan, the US, Canada, France and Belgium. Ticket scalping in these countries is subject to fines

Jan. 30, 2024

IU to unveil 6th EP ‘The Winning’ next month

Singer-songwriter and actress IU will release her sixth mini album, “The Winning,” on Feb. 20, according to Edam Entertainment. The artist’s new album is the first in two years and two months after the release of her special extended play, “Pieces," in December 2021. The teaser clip of IU’s upcoming album uploaded to her official YouTube channel shows the artist with long bleached hair, wearing a red outfit. IU is seen spraying a red-colored spray at the camera

Jan. 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Vanner ready for 'Jackpot'

South Korean boy band Vanner is contending for victory in the K-pop scene this year with a full transformation of their image from fresh youth to powerful and charismatic artists. “We want to show that Banner is a group that can handle sexy, powerful and charismatic themes through our second mini album, ‘Capture the Flag,’” said Taehwan of Vanner during a group interview in Seoul on Thursday. The quintet’s new album, scheduled to be released on Tuesday at 6 p.m., is

Jan. 30, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to go encore in Korea, Japan

Seventeen is adding more dates to its tour, announced agency Pledis Entertainment on Monday. The 13-member act will perform in Incheon on March 30-31 and in Osaka and Kanagawa, Japan on May 18-19 and May 25-26, respectively. All venues are stadiums, with Nissan Stadium in Kanagawa being the largest in the country and accommodating about 70,000 audience members. The band will be the second K-pop boy band to hold a concert there, after TVXQ. The bandmates have toured Asia since July last year, pe

Jan. 29, 2024

'SNL Korea' lawsuit sheds light on streaming shows' working conditions

The legal disputes surrounding the popular Korean entertainment show "SNL Korea" is shedding light on the poor working conditions experienced by staff working at production companies that supply content to streaming services, according to experts, Monday. South Korean production company Astory, which produces content for various streaming services, said on Thursday the company has filed a lawsuit claiming 7 billion won ($5.2 million) in damages for restraint of trade against CP Enter

Jan. 29, 2024

[Herald Review] Ateez kicks off world tour with dramatic performance

Boy band Ateez completed a two-day concert in Seoul, marking the beginning of the group’s second world tour, “Towards The Light: Will To Power," last weekend. From Saturday to Sunday, 15,000 fans gathered at Jamsil Indoor Stadium to support the eight-member group with enthusiastic cheers. The group’s second world tour follows the group’s 8th mini album, “The World Ep.1: Movement,” 9th mini album, “The World Ep.2: Outlaw,” and second full-lengt

Jan. 29, 2024

Jason Yu’s ‘Sleep’ wins top prize at Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival

South Korean director Jason Yu’s mystery thriller “Sleep” won the top Grand Prix award at the 31st Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival in Gerardmer, France. Yu’s win marks the first for a Korean film in 20 years, after Kim Jee-woon’s “A Tale of Two Sisters” won the prize in 2004. “Sleep,” which opened in domestic theaters in September last year, is Yu's feature-length directorial debut. The late actor Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi star as ne

Jan. 29, 2024

Captain Rock leads 70 indie artists in biggest Kyungrockjeol ever

One of South Korea’s largest annual indie rock music festivals, Kyugrockjeol, on Tuesday kicks off 2024 Rock and Roll Paradise, in its largest iteration ever. Kyungrockjeol, considered one of the top three festivities in Seoul's indie enclave of Hongdae, along with Christmas Eve and Halloween, started in 2005 as a birthday party for Han Kyung-rok, the bassist of punk band Crying Nut. The event became one of the biggest festivals for South Korean indie musicians and took place at the l

Jan. 28, 2024