[Herald Interview] 'River and Liver' flows through emptiness in humanity's last days

On what might as well be the world’s last day, L and O share beer on a sweltering, humid night, talking about the end of humanity. Their neighbor is under quarantine, a mermaid has been spotted on the Han River, and a sinkhole has formed as the ground collapses beneath their home. Gazing into the abyss, the two joke about who would rescue them if they fell in. The scene is from "River and Liver," the National Theater Company of Korea's surrealist dark comedy playing at Myeon

Oct. 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] Tiago Rodrigues weaves poetry, memory and collective experience in 'By Heart'

Portuguese playwright, director and actor Tiago Rodrigues credits his deep love of literature with inspiring his iconic theater piece “By Heart.” Rodrigues, artistic director of the Avignon Festival in France, became the first non-French artist to lead one of the biggest performing arts festivals in the world since it was founded by Jean Vilar in 1947. Visiting Seoul for the second time -- his first visit was as a programmer for the Seoul Performing Arts Festival -- Rodrigues brings

Oct. 18, 2024

NCT’s Jaehyun to drop new single ‘Unconditional’ on Oct. 24

NCT’s Jaehyun is releasing a new single “Unconditional” on Oct. 24 before beginning his mandatory military service. According to SM Entertainment, the single “Unconditional” will be available on various music platforms, including Melon, Flo, Genie, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, QQ Music, Kugou Music and Kowo Music. Jaehyun's first solo album, "J," released in August, showcased a diverse range of R&B tracks that highlighted his artistic sensibility

Oct. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to release 3rd Japanese single in December

Le Sserafim will put out the single “Crazy” in Japan on Dec. 11, agency Source Music said Friday. It is the group’s third physical single to be released in the country and will consist of three songs: the Japanese-language versions of “Crazy” and “Easy,” focus tracks from its fourth and third mini albums, as well as a new song. The original song “Crazy” hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 88 and climbed to No. 76, the highest rung for the

Oct. 18, 2024

Rose collaborates with Bruno Mars on ‘APT.’

Blackpink’s Rose has collaborated with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars on a single for her upcoming solo album. According to The Black Label, Rose released the single, “APT. (Rose & Bruno Mars),” on Friday ahead of the release of her first solo LP, “Rosie,” scheduled for Dec. 6. The single is a duet that Rose took part in composing and writing the lyrics to. Rose’s upcoming solo LP will have 12 songs through which she will deliver a more honest and i

Oct. 18, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Love in the Big City” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 1 Drama Directed by Lee Eon-hee Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) and Heung-soo (Noh Sang-hyun), young Seoulites who have known each other since college, find themselves and come to understand one another better than anyone else. “The Wild Robot” (US) Opened Oct. 1 Animation Directed by Chris Sanders Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a newly manufactured robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island with no human inhabitants, learns to adapt to

Oct. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Day6's Sungjin to drop solo album

Sungjin of Day6 will release his first solo album on Nov. 5, label JYP Entertainment announced Thursday. The company shared the news of the LP “30” with an image fashioned after a subway sign, giving details for the studio album as well as his first solo stand-alone concert, slated to be held in Seoul on Nov. 8-10. The leader of Day6 will continue the band’s international tour "Forever Young" which will take it to Jakarta, Indonesia, this weekend before resuming in Si

Oct. 17, 2024

BTS' J-Hope completes military service, returns to fans

J-Hope of K-pop sensation BTS returned Thursday as the second member of the group to complete his military service. J-Hope enlisted in April last year and served as an assistant instructor at the 36th Recruit Training Battalion in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Around 10 a.m., he left his battalion, where fellow member Jin greeted him with a large bouquet. The two shared a warm hug to celebrate J-Hope’s discharge. J-Hope smiled and expressed his gratitude to fans. "I completed my service in

Oct. 17, 2024

[Herald Interview] Go Jun likens end of 'Snow White Must Die – Black Out' to breakup

Actor Kim Jun-ho, better known by his stage name Go Jun, recalled feeling a deep sadness after the airing of the final episode of "Snow White Must Die – Black Out" -- a feeling like breaking up with a girlfriend. "It was both touching and bittersweet, like being heartbroken," said Go, during an interview with a group of reporters on Oct. 7. "I had never enjoyed (filming) a drama this much before. I got deeply immersed in it, as if I had been in a relationship for a

Oct. 17, 2024

Fifty Fifty to embark on first US tour next month

K-pop group Fifty Fifty is embarking on its first US tour, “Love Sprinkle Tour in USA,” in November. According to Attrakt, the rebranded group -- now consisting of Athena, Chanelle Moon, Hana, Keena and Yewon -- is going to perform its debut album, “Love Tune,” in eight US cities. “As we prepare for our first US tour, we are fully dedicated to showcasing a variety of performances and delivering a high-quality stage experience. We hope you look forward to it,”

Oct. 17, 2024

'Love in the Big City' lead actor says perceptions toward LGBTQ+ are changing

A new series based on an internationally recognized novel, exploring the romantic life of a young gay man in Seoul, is set to hit streaming service Tving next week. “Love in the Big City” centers on Go Young, a novelist navigating the highs and lows of romance with various partners, from a club-goer to a member of a royal family, over the course his life. The series is adapted from the bestselling novel by author Park Sang-young, which has sold over 100,000 copies since its 2019 rele

Oct. 16, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Wish to tour Japan from next month

NCT Wish will host a tour around Asia starting in Japan next month, announced label SM Entertainment Wednesday. Tour LOG In will begin Japan where the band will visit six cities -- in Ishikawa, Kyoto, Kanagawa, Hyogo, Fukuoka and Aichi -- for two concerts each, from Nov. 3 to Dec. 13. The six members will then hold a concert early next year and tour more cities in the region per an itinerary that will be announced soon. Last week, the youngest NCT subunit came in first place in a television musi

Oct. 16, 2024

Movie for 4,000 won? Short horror film ‘4 mins 44 secs’ to hit theaters Nov. 1

The short-form thriller “4 minutes 44 seconds” will hit local theaters next month, following the unusual success of the short film “Night Fishing” starring Son Suk-ku in June. As the title suggests, “4 minutes 44 seconds” is an eight-episode horror-thriller with each story lasting 4 minutes and 44 seconds. The short-form film follows residents and visitors of the mysterious Bukchon Apartment, where someone disappears at 4:44 p.m. every day. The movie will ex

Oct. 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Culinary Class Wars' explores today's views on fairness: creators

The creators of "Culinary Class Wars," the hottest Korean original on Netflix right now, stated they felt they had accomplished the impossible when recruiting participants for the show. According to the show's creators, there were a total of 600 applicants. Around 10 writers participated in the casting process, with the final 100 participants being selected through interviews. Interviewing the applicants was a difficult process, but recruiting some of the chefs the creators wanted

Oct. 16, 2024

Zico to hold first solo shows in six years

Zico, a rapper and music producer, will be holding a pair of solo concerts for the first time in six years. On Wednesday, Zico announced through the global fan platform Weverse and his official social media channels "Zico Live: Join the Parade." The concerts are to take place on Nov. 23 and 24 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. "Zico Live: Join the Parade" will be the first such concerts since "King of the Zungle" in 2018. The concert poster, rel

Oct. 16, 2024

Kim Jae-joong’s girl group Say My Name debuts

Say My Name, the first K-pop girl group produced by K-pop singer Kim Jae-joong, debuted Wednesday with its first EP, “Say My Name.” “The motivation for Say My Name is hearing fans call out their names. The team name represents their ambition to run toward their dreams. We aimed to showcase fresh and diverse music genres as well as the unique colors of each member in their debut album. This mini-album is something we put a lot of effort into, from song selection to all aspects o

Oct. 16, 2024

[Exclusive] Weverse accused of exploiting labels, fans with new mandatory paid-membership service

Weverse Company, a global fan platform run by Hybe, is facing backlash for alledgely forcing its partner labels into a mandatory paid membership service, sparking accusations of monopolistic practices. The new "digital membership" service, set to launch on Dec. 1, compels over 130 music labels to participate, raising concerns about coercion, unfair revenue-sharing and exploiting fan loyalty for profit. According to Rep. Lee Jung-mun of the Democratic Party of Korea, Weverse emailed 130

Oct. 16, 2024

Kiss of Life sets sights on Coachella, releasing 'Lose Yourself'

Rising K-pop girl group Kiss of Life has set its sights on one of the biggest stages in music: Coachella. With the release of its third EP, "Lose Yourself," on Tuesday, the four-member group revealed its aspirations to perform at the renowned North American music festival. The group, known for hits like "Shhh," "Bad News" and "Sticky," held a press showcase in Seoul to discuss the new album and future ambitions. "We've had this big dream of perfo

Oct. 15, 2024

'Respect each other as human beings’: Hanni testifies at National Assembly audit

NewJeans member Hanni appeared as a reference witness at a National Assembly audit of the Environment and Labor Committee on Tuesday, where she expressed her concerns about workplace bullying. "I hope that no one -- whether seniors, juniors, peer artists or even trainees -- has to experience what I went through,” Hanni said during the audit session. “If we respect each other as human beings, there would be no workplace bullying or ostracism.” The Vietnamese Australian sing

Oct. 15, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen’s 12th EP sells 2 million in 1 day

Seventeen’s 12th EP sold more than 2.49 million copies on its release day, agency Pledis Entertainment said Tuesday, citing a local tally. The EP “Spill The Feels” was released Monday and became an instant double million-seller, as did the group's previous compilation album “17 Is Right Here” in April. The new mini album debuted atop the iTunes Top Albums Chart in 18 regions and the main track “Love, Money, Fame (feat. DJ Khaled)” claimed the No.

Oct. 15, 2024