[Herald Review] Sleepwalking husband turns idyllic newlyweds’ lives into horror in ‘Sleep’

In director Jason Yu’s “Sleep,” newlywed Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) finds out her husband Hyun-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) suffers from a very bad sleeping habit. Soo-jin’s loving husband becomes a completely different person at night. On top of sleepwalking, he scratches his face until it bleeds or opens the refrigerator and munches on raw meat, fish and uncooked eggs. To protect their newborn baby, Soo-jin is willing to do even crazier things to confront her fear. The 94-minute film i

Aug. 29, 2023

‘Cobweb,’ an ensemble comedy about obsessive filmmaker, picky actors in 1970s

“Cobweb,” director Kim Jee-woon’s first feature film in 13 years, brings to the big screen an unprecedented ensemble comedy portraying a delusional filmmaker and picky, unsupportive actors set in the 1970s, the director told reporters Tuesday. Starring veteran actor Song Kang-ho, “Cobweb” revolves around the struggles of film director Kim Yeol (Song) when the industry languished due to government censorship in 1970s. Obsessed by a delusion that his work -- also titl

Aug. 29, 2023

Wonju city sues production company over title of horror film ‘Chiaksan’

The city government of Wonju in Gangwon Province said Monday that it would file a lawsuit to stop the release of “Chiaksan,” a horror film that is slated to open Sept. 16. Wonju city said it would ask the court to ban the film from being released and further sue for any damages that the film might cause the city and its residents. Directed by Kim Seon-woong and starring Yoon Kyun-sang, “Chiaksan” is set in 1980 and follows a ghost story in which pieces of a dismembered bo

Aug. 29, 2023

Court denies Fifty Fifty's injunction request to suspend contract with agency

A Seoul court rejected Monday an injunction request by K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty to suspend the effectiveness of its contract with its agency. The Seoul Central District Court denied the request the group filed on June 19, claiming the company, Attrakt, failed to fulfill its contractual obligations, such as providing financial documents and caring for their health. The court attempted to mediate a settlement between the two sides on Aug. 9 but failed. Earlier Monday, the group's legal re

Aug. 28, 2023

Two global streamers to release shows for Chuseok

Global streamers Netflix and Disney+ will each release a new action series in time for the upcoming Korean Thanksgiving holiday, known as Chuseok, which runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1. Netflix recently confirmed that its period action drama, “Song of the Bandits,” will premiere on Sept. 22, a week before the Chuseok holidays. Set during the Japanese colonial period in 1920, the series revolves around a group of bandits, who are fighting to survive in the lawless Gando region during tur

Aug. 28, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NCT127 to return in October with 5th LP

NCT127 will return on Oct. 6 with a fifth full-length album, according to SM Entertainment on Sunday. The nine-piece subunit shared the news that it is bringing out a new album at the full-group concert on Saturday. “It will be of a huge scale,” said Taeyong after unveiling a teaser clip to the audience, and the LP “will be the epitome of NCT127,” added Jungwoo. The upcoming LP is titled “Fact Check,” and comes about nine months since “Ay-Yo,” a r

Aug. 28, 2023

Seoul International Dance Festival explores death and aging through movement

The 26th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), organized by the Seoul Section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO, is set to kick off this Friday. A total of 23 dance troupes (196 dancers) from nine countries including Korea will showcase 26 works across Seoul until Sept. 17. As the curtains rise, the theme that will also carry over into the next year is “death and aging,” aiming to explore the profound dynamics of mortality and the human life cycle through the medi

Aug. 28, 2023

Twice’s Jihyo becomes half-million seller with 1st EP ‘Zone’

Twice’s Jihyo became a half-million seller with her solo debut album “Zone” in just a week since its release on Aug. 18. As of last Thursday, a total of 534,565 copies of the EP “Zone” were sold, according to local album sales tracker Hanteo Chart on Monday. This makes "Zone" the highest-selling mini album by a K-pop female soloist in the first week of its release. Her album and its title track “Killin’ Me Good” is currently thriving on t

Aug. 28, 2023

Kara’s Hur Youngji to debut solo with single ‘Toi Toi Toi’ next month

Second-generation K-pop girl group Kara’s youngest member, Hur Youngji, is making her debut as a solo artist with a single album next month. The artist announced her solo debut with a teaser poster of her upcoming single album, “Toi Toi Toi,” on social media, according to DSP Media on Monday. The title of her first single album, "Toi Toi Toi," which drops on Sept. 12, comes from the expression used in the performing arts industry, derived from German, to wish an artis

Aug. 28, 2023

BTS' V releases 3 songs ahead of solo debut

BTS' V on Monday released a series of songs ahead of his solo debut, scheduled for early September. At 1 p.m. on Monday, the singer put out three self-made songs -- "Scenery," "Winter Bear" and "Snow Flower" -- all of which he had previously unveiled for free streaming. The song releases come as V gears up to drop his first solo EP, "Layover," on Sept. 8. V released "Scenery" in January 2019 for free download on SoundCloud. He composed and p

Aug. 28, 2023

Hybe to launch girl group audition project in the US

South Korea's Hybe and Universal Music Group affiliate Geffen Records are embarking on a global girl group project together, Tuesday. Hybe, the company behind global K-pop phenomenon BTS, on Monday in Korea announced it is set to hold a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon there to unveil its global girl group audition project called "The Debut: Dream Academy." The event will give a first look into the long-awaited female pop group project that the two companies hav

Aug. 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Musical actor Cha Ji-yeon hopes to tell her story in first solo concert

Korean actor Cha Ji-yeon made her debut on the musical stage in 2006 as Rafiki, the wise monkey and advisor to the king, in “The Lion King." She was working as an office worker when she got the role after years of discouraging auditions and falling victim to scams in her attempt to rekindle her passion for music and performance. As a child, she had performed alongside her maternal grandfather and uncle, both esteemed masters of "pansori gosu," the skilled drummers who perfor

Aug. 28, 2023

Actor Jung Yu-mi says director Bong recommended joining the cast of ‘Sleep’

Actor Jung Yu-mi said it was director Bong Joon-ho who recommended she join the cast of “Sleep,” a mystery thriller by rookie director Jason Yu. Yu worked with Bong as an assistant for “Okja" (2017). “Director Bong said a person he knows well wrote a scenario and that he hoped I would take a look at it,” Jung told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Aug. 22. She appreciated the succinct and straightforward story. "There were no unnecessary things

Aug. 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Proud Korean Peggy Gou aims to make 'timeless' music

Peggy Gou is a superstar DJ doing tours around the world year-round. Her shows are always sold out across mostly European cities. Gou’s latest single “(It goes like) Nanana” has been on the UK top 10 singles chart for 10 straight weeks, and topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium over the summer. Although she may not be as widely known as BTS in her home country, Gou is a proud South Korean, born and bred in Incheon. “When people see other Asian performers and as

Aug. 27, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Oppenheimer” (US) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Thriller Directed by Christopher Nolan Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is appointed to lead the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists are directly involved in developing the atomic bomb from scratch, without knowing their research would forever change the course of history. “Concrete Utopia” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 9 Thriller/Disaster Directed by Um Tae-hwa Residents of Hwanggung Apartment buildin

Aug. 26, 2023

[Herald Interview] Go Youn-jung finds familiarity in playing Hui-soo

It can take a lot of analysis and effort for an actor to transform into a character. But for rising star Go Youn-jung, playing Hui-soo -- a high school girl with a superhuman healing ability in Disney+’s latest action fantasy series “Moving" -- came naturally. She was auditioning for "Moving" not for a particular role, but when she read Hui-soo’s lines, she felt comfortable. “Playing a character or reading lines without knowing the background story is alway

Aug. 26, 2023

BTS Jungkook's 'Seven' third most-streamed song on Spotify this summer

BTS member Jungkook's debut solo single, "Seven," became the third most-streamed song of the summer on the global streaming platform Spotify, his agency said Saturday. "Seven" was ranked only behind "Ella Baila Sola" by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma at No. 1 and Bad Bunny's "Where She Goes" on Spotify's "most-streamed songs of the summer" list, BigHit Music said. Jungkook achieved the feat in only about 40 days following the releas

Aug. 26, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Overexcited fan grabs BTS’ V in Japan

    An overexcited fan grabbed BTS member V by his hair in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to media reports. The singer was visiting the newly renovated flagship store of Celine in Omotesando as the global ambassador of the French house. It was first time in about four years since the artist visited the Japanese capital. He greeted fans who had gathered on the street, waving and even giving high fives. While he was trying to get in the vehicle to leave, a woman reached out and grabb

Aug. 25, 2023

EBS lecture series ‘Great Minds’ to return with season 3

Public education broadcaster EBS confirmed the return of its lecture series, “Great Minds,” with a third season, featuring world-renowned academics. “Great Minds Season 3” will offer insights on major challenges faced by South Korean society, including artificial intelligence-based education, the country’s record-low fertility rate, nature, trade and more. According to the broadcaster, he series is scheduled to feature a total of six Nobel laureates -- American scho

Aug. 25, 2023

DKB hopes to reach global audiences with English single 'All yours'

K-pop boy band DKB hopes to expand its reach beyond Korea's borders with the help of its latest English-language single, according to Brave Entertainment. DKB released its sixth mini album repackage, “We Love You,” on Aug. 14 which is led by two title tracks, “All yours” and “Told You.” The single, “All yours,” which garnered love from many foreign fans, is the group’s first song released completely in English. “We wanted to give b

Aug. 25, 2023