[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Smuggler” (South Korea) Opened July 26 Crime/Action Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan Jo Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo) returns to her old town after three years away. Her best buddy, Um Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), who spent time in prison on a smuggling conviction during that time, feels betrayed when Choon-ja reappears. But they soon resolve their misunderstanding and collaborate on a mutual goal. “Elemental” (US) Opened June 14 Animation Directed by Peter Sohn Four different anthropom

Aug. 5, 2023

Pentaport Incheon opens big, rocks out in sweltering heat

"We performed right here in front of an empty field three years ago, and it's awesome to be back with a full crowd!" South Korea's long-loved rock band Galaxy Express shouted to a frenzied crowd Friday at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, which was held via livestream for two years due to the pandemic. Even the sweat-dousing humid weather couldn't hold back the live music enthusiasts from sticking close to the main stage and jumping up and down to the band's psyc

Aug. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young see selves in ‘Concrete Utopia’ roles

Actors Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young said the characters they played in upcoming disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia” are similar to their actual personalities. Park Seo-joon plays Min-sung, a reliable, seemingly good-hearted neighbor who is sometimes shy and reserved. He is one of the residents of Hwanggung Apartment building No. 103, the only building to have survived a major earthquake. Min-sung quietly supports Young-tak (Lee Byung-hun) to keep things in order and establish a sy

Aug. 4, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s ‘Pink Venom’ music video tops 700m views

The music video for Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” surpassed 700 million views on YouTube, YG Entertainment said Friday. The video was unveiled in August last year and set a record as the most viewed music video from a female act in 24 hours, logging 90.4 million views on the platform. It also hit the milestone of 100 million views in the shortest time for a K-pop girl group, at 29 hours and 35 minutes. “Pink Venom” is a prerelease from its second studio album, “Bo

Aug. 4, 2023

[Herald Review] 'Memphis' brings Korean audiences to 1950s Tennessee despite limitations

The musical "Memphis" presents the story of the white disc jockey Huey Calhoun, who was one of the first in the 1950s to play music by Black artists, and how his love for rock 'n' roll became the catalyst for a groundbreaking chapter in the history of US music. This story takes place in 1950s Memphis, Tennessee where the racial divide was pervasive everywhere, in the night clubs and restaurants, as well as in music and romantic relationships. In its Broadway run from 2009 to

Aug. 4, 2023

Rebooted Treasure heads to Tokyo Dome

K-pop boy band Treasure is making a foray into Japan's prestigious concert hall, the Tokyo Dome, YG Entertainment said. On Friday, the agency announced its rookie band is holding a fan meeting under the title "'Hello Again' Tokyo Dome Special" at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 12. The biggest concert venue in Japan, the Tokyo Dome is a coveted concert venue for K-pop singers. The five-city 20-show series will start on Sept. 2-3 at Fukuoka's Kokusai Center and continue over

Aug. 4, 2023

[Herald Review] Dystopian black comedy ‘Concrete Utopia’ has questions instead of message

When it comes to ‘living in an apartment,’ or specifically ‘owning an apartment,’ many Koreans perceive that differently from simply having a place to live. An apartment could be someone’s life goal or another’s deep grudge. In that context, “Concrete Utopia” raises questions about the contradictions humans face when put in extreme situations -- such as when your apartment building becomes the only place in Seoul that has survived a devastating ear

Aug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Lee Byung-hun loves black comedy projects for allowing him to bring creative ideas

Lee Byung-hun finds acting in black comedy flicks exciting, as there is room for him to suggest creative ideas and improvisation, or even slapstick action sequences. According to Lee, his upcoming “Concrete Utopia” is not a mere disaster flick, but a black comedy that realistically depicts human nature in an extreme environment. “For some comic scenes in the movie, not just me but the entire staff really enjoyed shooting. I think the black comedy genre gives me room to suggest

Aug. 3, 2023

Popular webtoon series 'Moving' now a Disney+ TV series

Webtoon writer Kang Full’s popular webtoon series “Moving,” which achieved a total of 200 million views, has been transformed into Disney+ TV series to be released Aug. 9. The series centers on the lives of seemingly ordinary people with hidden super powers. The stories of “Moving” revolve around Lee Mi-hyeon (played by Han Hyo-ju) who has extraordinary physical abilities such as exceptional hearing, and falls in love with her colleague Kim Du-sik (played by actor Z

Aug. 3, 2023

Summer stunner Kwon Eun-bi returns with 'The Flash'

Soloist Kwon Eun-bi is out to solidify her image as a sexy summer queen that she gained with her steamy performance at the 2023 Waterbomb music festival with new single "The flash." "I'm back after 10 months with my first solo single, and it's a summer album," she said during a press showcase in Seoul on Wednesday. "I always try to show a new side with my albums, and this time I've brought three songs of different genres, all tuning in with the summer seas

Aug. 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin cinches 3 Guinness World Records

Jimin of BTS now has three titles from Guinness World Records on his own, the British reference book announced on Wednesday in the UK. He has two records with his 2018 single “Promise” on streaming service SoundCloud so far. The track became the most streamed song on the platform with 330 million plays as of June. It is the first self-written song from the artist and still remains the most streamed track in its first 24 hours of release at 8.5 million, dethroning Drake’s &ldqu

Aug. 3, 2023

NewJeans debuts atop Billboard 200, lands 3 songs on Hot 100

K-pop sensation NewJeans has made it to the top of Billboard. The band's new album "Get Up" notched No. 1 on the US music publication's albums chart, Billboard 200, becoming the second K-pop girl group album to land atop the list. According to Billboard's latest chart release, the album, the second EP from NewJeans, led Billboard 200 with a total of 126,500 in sales tallied between July 21-27. The quintet is the second girl group in the world to top Billboard 200 in the

Aug. 3, 2023

Blackpink's Jisoo, actor Ahn Bo-hyun dating

Blackpink's Jisoo and South Korean actor Ahn Bo-hyun are confirmed to be dating. Both the singer and her agency, YG Entertainment, confirmed the news on Thursday. Local news outlet Dispatch's first reported the news in an exclusive on Thursday. The report stated that Jisoo and Ahn have started dating recently, with the couple mostly spending time at Jisoo's house located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Separate pictures of Jisoo and Ahn assumed to have been taken in Jisoo's apartment c

Aug. 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] Mamamoo Plus hopes to pave new path for girl group longevity

A decade together has passed already for Solar and Moonbyul of Mamamoo, yet the two singers still feel like fresh rookies, they said in a recent interview. The interview, conducted with local press on Tuesday in Seoul, came a few days before the duo's subunit return as Mamamoo Plus, with their first EP "Two Rabbits." Imagining this moment around a decade ago when they first set off as Mamamoo in 2014, Moonbyul said she did not imagine a rosy future just then. "I thought that

Aug. 3, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook sets another streaming record with ‘Seven’

Jungkook of BTS generated 200 million streams on Spotify with solo single “Seven (feat. Latto)” in the shortest time for a male artist, according to label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The single reached the milestone in 14 days, setting a record for a male musician as well as for a collaboration song. It is the second-fastest song to hit the mark overall. “Seven” has been breaking records on the platform since its release, hitting the 50 million milestone in three days an

Aug. 2, 2023

KNSO brings back conductor workshop to foster future maestros

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra is bringing back its conductor workshop designed to nurture the country’s future maestros. From Tuesday to Aug. 12, the workshop will offer one-on-one instructions and a series of seminars offering practical advice to becoming a professional musician. David Reiland, who has been leading the orchestra as its music and artistic director since 2018, will provide extensive one-on-one instructions tailored to the three young conductors Kim Ri-ra, Par

Aug. 2, 2023

[Herald Interview] Do Kyung-soo says idol past helped his gravity-defying performance

Do Kyung-soo, the main vocalist of K-pop idol group EXO, said his idol background was especially helpful in playing an abandoned astronaut in “The Moon.” “I have been doing choreography as a singer and I’m good at memorizing body movements in a short period of time. I personally think action sequences are like memorizing choreography, so it was very helpful to shoot action scenes using wires with movements like swimming in space,” Do said in an interview with The Ko

Aug. 2, 2023

[Herald Review] High-quality, realistic visual effects lift ‘The Moon’ beyond banal plotline

After several attempts, the spaceship finally rises high in the sky. Despite small errors and an unfortunate accident losing two fellow spaceship crew members, the youngest and the most unprofessional astronaut inside the damaged spaceship pushes ahead with the mission to land on the moon. But will he be able to get back to Earth safely? This kind of imaginative story taking place in outer space is nothing new to moviegoers these days, with moon-themed sci-fi movies from around the world such as

Aug. 2, 2023

‘Physical: 100’ production team to create new sports competition show

Local broadcaster MBC on Tuesday confirmed the production of new sports variety show “University Survival.” MBC will join hands with production company Luyworks Media and screenwriter Kang Sook-kyung, who helmed Netflix’s hit reality series “Physical: 100,” together with the broadcaster. “University Survival” will require its contestants, who are sports-related majors or are members of Korean university sports clubs, to battle it out in intense survival

Aug. 2, 2023

BTS' V to team up with Ador CEO Min Hee-jin for solo album

V of BTS is coming out solo with NewJeans' producer Min Hee-jin at the lead of production. The group's agency Big Hit Music on Wednesday announced that V will collaborate with Min, who is the CEO and executive producer of NewJeans' label Ador. Big Hit Music and Ador are two independent labels housed under the multilabel entertainment company Hybe. According to Big Hit Music, the collaboration started from V's idea, and Min will take the helm of the singer's solo projec

Aug. 2, 2023