Summer queens Oh My Girl to return with new album in late July

K-pop girl group Oh My Girl is making its long-awaited full-unit comeback with a new album in late July. Oh My Girl’s new album will be released next month, a year and four months after the act dropped its second LP “Real Love,” according to WM Entertainment on Thursday. The seven-member group debuted in April 2015 with its EP “Oh My Girl" and has since released hit singles such as “Nonstop,” “Dolphin,” and “Dun Dun Dance.” The lin

June 29, 2023

More familiar names announced for 'Squid Game 2'

Netflix Korea on Thursday revealed the additional cast members joining the second season of South Korean phenomenon “Squid Game.” Actors Park Gyu-young, Kang Ae-sim, Jo Yu-ri, formerly of disbanded IZ*ONE, Choi Seung-hyun -- also known as Big Bang member T.O.P. -- are among eight more to be confirmed for the cast of “Squid Game 2.” Though the cast may seem unfamiliar to some viewers, many of them have made a name for themselves in other Netflix Korean originals. Park, 2

June 29, 2023

K-pop artist Kim Sungkyu drops 5th EP '2023 S/S Collection'

Kim Sungkyu is ready to cool off the sweltering summer season with his new album “2023 S/S Collection.” The singer's fifth mini-album, which was released on Wednesday, is led by the track “Small Talk.” “I wanted to make bright and energetic music this time, unlike my prior albums which mostly consisted of serious and sad tracks. This album comprises tracks perfect for summer,” said Kim Sungkyu during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. “The ti

June 29, 2023

[Herald Interview] WEi ends odyssey of 'Love' with sixth EP

Boy band WEi is marking the end of its odyssey of love with the new EP "Love Pt. 3: Eternally." The new album, the sixth EP from the sextet, comes out on Thursday, marking their return to the music scene after eight months. Ahead of their return, the members held a joint press interview last Thursday in Seoul. The final episode of the band's love trilogy "Eternally" takes the topic of love to a more profound level and addresses the universal emotion of self-love. With th

June 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to hold 1st international tour from August

Le Sserafim announced plans for its first global tour, “Flame Rises,” on Wednesday. The group will begin the tour in Seoul with a two-day concert slated for Aug. 12-13 and head over to Japan to visit fans in three cities -- Nagoya, Tokyo and Osaka. In September and October, the five members will perform in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand. In the meantime, the quintet will release its second single in Japan, “Unforgiven,” on Aug. 23. It will be fronte

June 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Christian Burgos finds roots, opportunities in Mexico

In 2017, Mexican TV personality Christian Burgos told The Korea Herald that his dream was to one day become Mexico's ambassador to Korea. Although not quite there yet, the 30-year-old star has stepped closer to that dream, taking on various roles beyond the small screen to connect the two countries. Returning to The Korea Herald's building after six years, Burgos said, "I still have that dream with me, but so much has happened since. The pace and direction of my life has changed.

June 28, 2023

Ari Aster makes ‘unhomelike’ home in his movies

The masterful filmmaker behind hit horror films “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019) arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for the release of “Beau Is Afraid,” another film that deals with the protagonist’s darkest fear becoming a great adventure. Written and directed by Ari Aster, the American surrealist tragicomedy horror film starring Joaquin Phoenix revolves around Beau, a paranoia-ridden middle-aged man. His epic journey begins as he heads home to

June 28, 2023

How hit Korean dramas plan to avoid sophomore slumps

A number of smash hit Korean dramas that enjoyed both local and global popularity are scheduled to return for second seasons this summer, gunning to shoot past a sophmore slump. Global streaming service Netflix confirmed that the military series “D.P.” (2021) will return for a second season on July 28. Short for “Deserter Pursuit,” the series presents the lives of Pvt. Jun-ho (played by Jung Hae-in) and Cpl. Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan). The show reveals the reasons w

June 28, 2023

Fifty Fifty applies for injunction to suspend exclusive contract with agency Attrakt

All four members of rising K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty have applied for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with their agency Attrakt. Members Keena, Aran, Sio and Saena have applied for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with Attrakt on June 19 to the Seoul Central District Court, according to their legal representative Barun Law on Wednesday. “Such a measure was taken for breach of contract by Attrakt and for having lost trust with the members. We’ve r

June 28, 2023

Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder expresses undying love for Beethoven

Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder is finally bringing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas to South Korea, marking his 60th cycle since he embarked on the journey in the 1970s. Starting from Wednesday, he takes the stage seven times at Seoul Arts Center through July 9. Several hours before his first performance of the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle, for which he will perform Nos. 1, 4, 10, 13 and 14, the famed "Moonlight Sonata," he met with reporters and delved into his dedication t

June 28, 2023

Benois de la Danse winner Kang Mi-sun reflects on 21-year career in Korea

It has been a week since Kang Mi-sun won the top prize at the Benois de la Danse, yet she said the surreal feeling of her win has yet to fully sink in. “I still find it hard to believe that I received such a huge honor,” said Kang during a press conference held to mark her win at the Universal Arts Center in Seoul on Tuesday. The principal dancer at the Seoul-based Universal Ballet shared the best female dance award with China’s Qiu Yunting at the awards ceremony held at the Bo

June 28, 2023

'Self-love is my style': Yena returns with 'Hate XX'

K-pop singer Yena released new single "Hate XX" on Tuesday, returning after five months following the release of her first single, "Love War," in January. "There are three songs, and I expressed various emotions in my unique cheerful energy," Yena, going by her real name Choi Yena in Korean, said during a press conference held on the same day as the release. The single's main song is "Hate Rodrigo," a dance tune that sings of the cute jealousy toward

June 28, 2023

Robot to conduct orchestra for the first time in Korea

Can a robot conduct an orchestra? Would a robot replace a human conductor? A National Theater of Korea rehearsal which was open to the press on Monday aimed to answer the questions amid growing concerns that cutting-edge technology may challenge a job that has been regarded one that only humans can do. As soon as the host said, “We will now begin,” the human-like robot named EveR 6 raised its hands. When EveR 6 swished its baton, the sound of a gong resonated in the rehearsal room. W

June 27, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee lands atop iTunes chart in 40 regions with LP No. 8

  SHINee topped the iTunes top albums chart in 40 regions with eighth studio album, according to label SM Entertainment on Tuesday. LP “Hard” also was No. 1 on the worldwide iTunes albums chart as well as multiple music charts at home. The album consists of 10 tracks including the titular track and the bandmates performed six of them for the first time at its concert held in Seoul last week. Leader Onew, however, was absent from the live show as he is taking a break for health r

June 27, 2023

With pants on backward, 8TURN makes a splash with 'Uncharted Drift'

Rookie boy band 8TURN continues its adventure to break the rules with its second EP, "Uncharted Drift," which was released Monday. "We want to show we've grown with every comeback, and this time, as it's our very first, we tried hard to improve in terms of our visuals, music and performance," Yoonsung said at the band's comeback showcase held in Seoul on Monday. The fledgling team takes another go at shaking up the scene with its new summer sizzler, "Uncha

June 27, 2023

Rising K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty's outlook for near future is foggy

It has been over four months since K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty shot to fame with the hit single “Cupid” but the outlook for the group remains foggy. Although Fifty Fifty's management announced in May that the group will be releasing an album in the near future, several impediments that have emerged since then appear to be holding the group back. Attrakt, Fifty Fifty's agency, released a press statement Monday saying that there has been an attempt by a third party to poach

June 27, 2023

Band production master FNC Entertainment debuts new boy band Hi-Fi Un!corn

FNC Entertainment’s new boy band Hi-Fi Un!corn made its debut on Monday with the single “Over the Rainbow.” “We hope to comfort listeners with our music in diverse languages. We are really nervous and excited about this debut, but we can confidently say that we are ready to face the public,” said Taemin of Hi-Fi Un!corn during a press conference in Seoul to mark the band’s simultaneous debut in South Korea and Japan. Hi-Fi Un!corn consists of five members&mdas

June 27, 2023

Director over “The Moon” with sci-fi blockbuster

Director Kim Yong-hwa, whose two movies “Along with the Gods” in 2017 and 2018 notched up more than 10 million admissions each, returns with sci-fi film “The Moon.” Starring actors Sol Kyung-gu, Do Kyung-soo and Kim Hee-ae, the movie was motivated by director Kim’s long-yearning to set story around the moon and backed by Korea’s sophisticated visual effects. “While I was shooting the ‘Along With the Gods,’ I thought that even a fantasy story

June 27, 2023

[New on the Scene] Ka Sung-moon portrays human imperfections in ‘Dream Palace’

Director Ka Sung-moon described the four years he spent working on his debut feature film, “Dream Palace,” as a time of breaking barriers in the indie film scene. “For short, indie films, (I tend to work with) people who know me well, so communication is easy and the staff all understand who I am and what kind of life I have lived. But working on a long feature film required me to communicate with a variety of people and meant that I often had to persuade them (of my vision),&r

June 27, 2023

Enchanted evenings with star-studded ballet gala

Enchanted evenings of ballet gala performances by a group of star dancers from prestigious international dance companies are in store this week. The Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2023, celebrating its 20th anniversary, will take place at the Universal Arts Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday and Thursday. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Kang Hyo-jung, first soloist from the Vienna State Ballet, Lee Eun-won, principal dancer from the Washington Ballet, Chae Ji-young, prin

June 27, 2023