Most Popular
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Trump picks ex-N. Korea policy official as his principal deputy national security adviser
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S. Korea not to attend Sado mine memorial: foreign ministry
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Wealthy parents ditch Korean passports to get kids into international school
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First snow to fall in Seoul on Wednesday
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Toxins at 622 times legal limit found in kids' clothes from Chinese platforms
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Man convicted after binge eating to avoid military service
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[Weekender] Korea's traditional sauce culture gains global recognition
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BLACKPINK's Rose stays at No. 3 on British Official Singles chart with 'APT.'
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Korea to hold own memorial for forced labor victims, boycotting Japan’s
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Nvidia CEO signals Samsung’s imminent shipment of AI chips
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'Silent as the grave' gets new meaning in Korean theaters
Most people can agree that it is ideal for audience members to make as little noise as possible during plays or musicals. But South Korean theater fans have been divided over the widespread policy that takes it to another level: the so-called "siche-gwangeuk," which refer to the practice of watching while being "still as a corpse." Last week, a controversy broke out when a reporter wrote a critical article on a production of the musical "Lee Jin: The Woman of Light.&qu
Dec. 19, 2023
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JYP forms new Japanese boy group NexZ
JYP Entertainment has finalized the members of its new Japanese boy group, NexZ, through the global audition "Nizi Project Season 2." In the final episode of "Nizi Project Season 2," which ran on JYP's official YouTube channel and streaming service Hulu Japan, the seven members -- Tomoya, Haru, Yuki, Ken, Yu, Yuhi and Seita – were announced with their new group name NexZ. All but Ken, the only Korean member, are Japanese nationals. The global audition held prelimin
Dec. 19, 2023
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Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee drawn to period monster genre of ‘Gyeongseong Creature’
South Korean acting all-stars Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee were drawn in by the unique background and genre of “Gyeongseong Creature" in joining Netflix's upcoming creature feature series, the duo said Tuesday. Directed by Jung Dong-yoon of the hit baseball drama “Stove League” (2019) and written by Kang Eun-kyung of the “Dr. Romantic” series, “Gyeongseong Creature” revolves around a young man and woman in Gyeongseong, today's Seoul, in th
Dec. 19, 2023
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K-pop hits 100m copies in annual album sales milestone in 2023
The K-pop industry has achieved an unprecedented milestone this year as annual domestic sales of physical albums reached the 100 million mark. Circle Chart, a leading tracker of local albums sales, reported Tuesday that the top 400 physical albums collectively sold 116 million copies in the first 11 months of 2023. This represents a remarkable 144 percent increase from 80 million copies in the same period last year, setting a record of 100 million copies in annual sales even before factoring in
Dec. 19, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] Solo work from BTS’ Jungkook remains strong on charts
The solo single from Jungkook of BTS continues to dominate music charts across the world, even though he began serving his mandatory military service last week. “Standing Next to You,” the focus track from his solo album “Golden,” reclaimed the top spot on Billboard’s digital song sales chart. It is the fourth week the song is spending atop the chart, a record for a K-pop solo act. The lead single is staying on Billboard’s Hot 100 for five weeks in a row, cli
Dec. 18, 2023
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Hip-hop trio Epik High rides high on 20th anniversary concerts
Legendary hip-hop trio Epik High held three packed, back-to-back concerts marking the group's 20th anniversary, proving that the group is as strong as ever. “Epik High 20th Anniversary Concert,” held at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, drew a total of 15,000 concertgoers over the three days. Two concerts were originally planned for Friday and Saturday but a third was added for Sunday as all seats sold out immediately upon ticket opening. During the three-hour concert, Epik High pe
Dec. 18, 2023
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Localization, copyright issues biggest obstacles to streaming platforms’ global expansion: CEOs
Localization and copyright issues are the biggest hurdles standing in the way of local streaming platforms’ global expansion, said heads of local streamers Watcha, Wavve, Tving and Coupang Play, pointing to the need for government-run funds to support the industry. “The streaming business is all about global expansion. (In that context), we don’t have any issues in terms of technical difficulties against Netflix. Rather, it is the localization cost that is the issue when compet
Dec. 18, 2023
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Yoasobi's sold-out concerts prove J-pop still strong in Korea
Despite freezing weather, about 4,000 fans gathered at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium on Sunday to see Japanese duo Yoasobi perform. “I am so excited to enjoy Yoasobi’s songs performed live. As a J-pop fan, I hope more singers from abroad would consider visiting Korea,” said Yoon Jin-young, who was waiting in line to get a ticket. Yoasobi, who debuted in 2019, is a duo with a unique concept of reinterpreting novels into music. Producer Ayase is in charge of lyrics a
Dec. 18, 2023
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Legendary singers' idol group comeback as 'Golden Girls' evokes mixed feelings
“Golden Girls” – an entertainment show that features the journey of four legendary female singers from the ’80s and ’90s to transform into a trendy girl group – was a fresh adventure in the Korean music industry. The singers' challenge recorded a 5 percent viewership just after the second episode -- the highest among entertainment programs that KBS has aired on Friday night so far this year. The guerrilla concert held at Coex in southern Seoul on Dec. 5 d
Dec. 17, 2023
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Global viewers warm to Korea's 'slow paced' dating shows
South Korean romance reality shows are taking the world by storm. The latest to heat up the screens is the third season of the Korean Netflix original series "Single's Inferno" released Tuesday. The first season secured a spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Shows list for three consecutive weeks following its December 2021 release, the first Korean reality show to accomplish such a feat. "Single's Inferno 2," which was released a year later after the explosive r
Dec. 16, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans to put out 1st remix album
NewJeans will make a comeback with a remix album on Tuesday, said agency Ador on Friday. Album “NJWMX(NewJeans Winter Mix)” is coming out on the first anniversary of the release of “Ditto,” a B-side track from single “OMG.” “Ditto” was released in advance of the full release and was the group’s first entry on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 96. It has amassed 500 million streams on Spotify as of Dec. 4 -- its second song to reach the milest
Dec. 15, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Korean heartthrob Yoo Yeon-seok says he wants to break free from 'good' image
South Korean actor Yoo Yeon-seok, famous for playing kindhearted, gentle heartthrobs in hit dramas such as "Dr. Romantic" and "Hospital Playlist," said he sought to change dramatically his well-known image through his latest thriller drama series, "A Bloody Lucky Day." Korean streaming service Tving original series "A Bloody Lucky Day" is a 10-part drama series based on the webtoon of the same title, which focuses on the story of an innocent taxi driver wh
Dec. 15, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Pianist Vikingur Olafsson's dedicated love of Bach's 'Goldberg Variations'
Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson passionately confessed his deep affection for Johann Sebastian Bach and the “Goldberg Variations.” "I have been dreaming about recording the Goldberg Variations for 25 years, so most of my life,” said the 39-year-old musician during a press conference held at Geoam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. Reflecting on the moment he first encountered the piece through pianist Glenn Gould's performance at the age of 14, Olafsson r
Dec. 15, 2023
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Korean Film Archive screens this year’s acclaimed indie films
The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) is currently screening 14 well-received indie films that were released between December 2022 and November 2023. The 14 films will be screened at KOFA’s Cinematheque theater in Mapo-gu, Seoul. KOFA said the screening will not only wrap up this year’s indie film scene but will also give audiences a chance to revisit this year’s hit indie films. The 14 indie films to be screened include: Director Lee Ji-eun’s “The Hill of Secrets,”
Dec. 15, 2023
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'12.12: The Day' lifts November ticket sales in cinemas overall: KOFIC
The continued success of modern historical drama flick “12.12: The Day” has led to improved November ticket sales at local theaters overall, according to the Korean Film Council. According to KOFIC data, November ticket sales at local theaters reached 70.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels at 41.1 billion won – up by 22.5 percent on-year. The average number of November ticket sales at cinemas from 2017 to 2019 stands at 58.6 billion won. The KOFIC said “12.12: The Day”
Dec. 15, 2023
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[Box office] Movies in theaters this week
“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af
Dec. 15, 2023
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[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen’s Jeonghan to suspend activities after ankle surgery
Jeonghan of Seventeen will take some time off, according to Pledis Entertainment on Thursday. The singer has hurt his left ankle in the past and has been carrying on activities while receiving treatment as he wanted to participate in all of the band's schedule for this year. The pain, however, worsened over the band’s recent tour and he had to undergo surgery on Thursday. The surgery went well but Jeonghan will need time to recover and will have to miss activities for the time being, incl
Dec. 14, 2023
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SM to hold global auditions to discover next generation K-pop stars
SM Entertainment, one of the largest K-pop agencies in South Korea, is holding a global audition in its pursuit of future K-pop stars. The agency began accepting pre-registration applications for the “2024 SM Global Audition” on its global audition website, Tuesday. Anyone born between 2005 and 2013 can apply regardless of their gender and nationality. Applicants must choose one of the categories: vocal, rap, dance and acting. Applications can be made only once and only as an ind
Dec. 14, 2023
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Musical resurrects tragic love story of Joseon court dancer and French envoy
Inspired by the true story of a Joseon court lady and a French diplomat who fell in love with her, the musical "Lee Jin: The Woman of Light" brings to life the poignant love story set in the dramatic final years of the Korean Empire. Yi Jin (also spelled Lee Jin) is a court dancer who meets a newly arrived French envoy, Victor Collin de Plancy. As they teach each other their languages and waltz together, Yi yearns for freedom and dreams of a new life. Playwright Jung Ho-yoon said he dr
Dec. 13, 2023
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[Herald Review] ‘Goodbye, Yi Sang’: A theatrical exploration of literary icon's ambiguity, identity
"An apple has fallen. The Earth felt excruciating pain as it was breaking apart. The final." Thirteen actors chant the poem “The Final” by writer-poet Yi Sang over and over at Yi’s funeral. Meanwhile, Yi's eyes pop open at the altar. He senses someone touching his face to create his death mask. He is bewildered by everything around him, as the actors chant: "Why am I lying here? Why are these people crying by my side? What does my face look like?" Yi Sa
Dec. 13, 2023