Shin Gu says ‘Freud’s Last Session’ could be his last play

When asked to recite a line from his latest play, Shin Gu adjusted his posture and transformed himself into Freud. “When I was a child, the two of us were walking down the street. When a man knocked his hat off, the man shouted at him, ‘Jew! Get off the sidewalk!’” Starting his lines quietly, the 86-year-old's voice crescendoed into a bellow, stunning the audience. Returning for the third season, following previous runs in 2020 and 2022, Shin is set to play Freud in

June 26, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez hits Billboard 200 at No. 2 with 9th EP

The ninth EP from Ateez debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 2, according to the publication’s preview article on Sunday in the US. “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw” notched second place on the main albums chart, marking a career-high for the band. “The World Ep. 1 Movement” from July last year was No. 3 on the chart, while first single “Spin Off: From the Witness” in December was No. 7. The mini album sold over 1.52 million copies in its first week, another rec

June 26, 2023

[Herald Review] BTS' Suga proves solo power with 'D-Day' in Seoul

Suga made a bold jump from BTS rapper to solo musician Agust D this year, dropping his first official album, "D-Day," in April and instantly kicking off a global tour. The two-month odyssey was set to end on Sunday in Seoul, with the world tour -- officially titled "Suga | Agust D Tour ‘D-Day’" making its apparent final two-day run in the rapper's home country, before Suga made the surprise announcement of encore concerts the same day. Opening the act to the

June 26, 2023

[Herald Review] 15 years after debut, SHINee makes radiant comeback with 3-day concert

The KSPO Dome in Seoul was packed Sunday with 10,000 SHINee fans, eagerly waiting for the K-pop veterans to appear on stage and kick off its much-anticipated concert. As the lights dimmed to signal the beginning of the last day of SHINee’s three-day concert, “Perfect Illumination," the dome rippled with cries of joy. Minho, Taemin and Key of SHINee appeared in front of the audience on a spacecraft-like platform singing “Chemistry.” Dressed in bejeweled sky blue suits

June 26, 2023

'Revenant,' starring evil-possessed Kim Tae-ri, off to strong start

"Revenant," a new mystery thriller from the star writer behind “Kingdom,” is off to a strong start, with two episodes aired so far. With the second episode aired Saturday, the SBS TV drama, starring Kim Tae-ri, the heroine of “Mr. Sunshine,” as the protagonist who is possessed by a devil spirit, recorded a viewership rating of 10.8 percent among the Seoul metropolitan area's TV-watching households, while nabbing 10 percent of viewers nationwide, according t

June 25, 2023

[Korean Producers] Han Seung-won: Growing bigger with smaller, original musicals

HJ Culture, a South Korean musical theater production company, embarked on its musical journey with an enchanting production of "Vincent van Gogh" in 2014. This inaugural musical set the stage for the company's commitment to introducing historical figures through musicals, bringing to life the stories of legendary artists and other luminaries in musicals "Rachmaninoff," "Farinelli," "Paganini," "Egon Schiele," "Modigliani" and &q

June 24, 2023

Fifty Fifty becomes longest-charting K-pop girl group on British Official Singles Chart

Fifty Fifty's hit song "Cupid" has set a new record for the longest entry on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 by a K-pop girl group. According to the latest data released Friday (the United Kingdom time), the song ranked 16th, down from 12th the previous week, staying on the chart for the 13th consecutive week. The previous record for the longest-charting song from a K-pop girl group was held by "Kiss and Make Up," a collaborative single between BLACKPINK and D

June 24, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez’s 9th EP sells 1.5m in 1st week

Ateez's ninth EP sold more than 1.52 million units in its first week, according to agency KQ Entertainment on Friday. Sales of “The World Ep. 2: Outlaw,” which came out last week, surpasses that of its previous EP, “The World Ep. 1: Movement,” at 930,000 last year. The new album topped Oricon’s daily album ranking and worldwide iTunes albums chart as well as a number of weekly albums charts at home. The music video for main track “Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers

June 23, 2023

I.M sets off afresh with 'Overdrive'

Singer-songwriter I.M has set off afresh as a solo musician with "Overdrive," his first album dropped under his new label Sony Music. I.M, whose real name is Im Chang-kyun, released his new solo album, "Overdrive," on Friday. The album marked the artist's return as a soloist for the first time in over two years since the release of his first EP "Duality" in February 2021. "Overdrive" is the first release from the artist since he signed with Sony Music

June 23, 2023

In seventh run, Musical 'Mozart!' returns with all new faces

Musical "Mozart!" has returned for its seventh run in South Korea since its premiere in 2010. The musical follows the struggles of the genius composer and pianist until his death. EXO member Suho, musical actor Lee Hae-jun, N.Flying member Yoo Hwe-seung and singer Kim Hee-jae, who makes his musical theater debut, will take turns in the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. All four actors portraying Mozart are making their debut in the role. "The director and I expected a lot of work

June 23, 2023

Wien-Berlin chamber orchestra to tour Korea for the first time

Kammerorchester Wien-Berlin, a chamber orchestra consisting of members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, will make its debut in Korea later this month. The first encounter that led to the formation of the ensemble in 2008, was made possible by maestro Simon Rattle in 2005. It is led by Rainer Honeck as the music director and concert master. The string section of Kammerorchester Wien-Berlin is solely entrusted to members of the Vienna Philharmonic, who ad

June 23, 2023

Don Lee joins Hollywood production of ‘Hell Divers’ as main cast, producer

“The Roundup” star Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, will join the Hollywood production of adaptation of sci-fi novel “Hell Divers” with Arad Productions, the actor’s agency said Friday. The film is based on bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s 2016 dystopian sci-fi novel series “Hell Divers,” moving the first three books in the 10 book-series to the screen. Set two centuries after World War III has poisoned the planet, the movi

June 23, 2023

‘Concrete Utopia’ confirms Aug. 9 release

Director Um Tae-hwa’s upcoming disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia” will be released in local cinemas on Aug. 8, the film distributor Lotte Entertainment said Friday. The film’s star-studded cast including Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young, garnered industry attention after a teaser was released in the past week. Based on the second part of a webtoon about an earthquake and its aftermath, “Pleasant Neighbor,” the film revolves around few residents

June 23, 2023

Release of Netflix original featuring late singer Sulli could be imminent

A Netflix original film featuring late singer Sulli received its mandatory age certification Friday, indicating its imminent release. According to The Korea Media Rating Board, the second part of a series of omnibus films by four different directors, “Persona: Sulli,” will be available to viewers 15 years old or older. The movie, which has four parts in four different genres, is 2 hours and 10 minutes long. The first part of “Persona” opened in 2019, with the directors e

June 23, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Elemental” (US) Opened June 14 Animation Directed by Peter Sohn In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common. “The Flash” (US) Opened June 14 Action Directed by Andres Muschietti The Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change events of the past. But his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future and h

June 23, 2023

[Reporter’s Notebook] Netflix co-CEO barely scratches surface of Korea investment details

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in South Korea for the first time in seven years, on Thursday spoke about the US streaming giant’s interest in Korean content and what its partnerships with local production and VFX firms could lead to. Almost 200 local reporters gathered to hear the details of Netflix’s $2.5 billion investment plan in Korea over the next four years, but details were scant. “It’s been an amazing partnership between the Korean creative community and Netflix. Bu

June 22, 2023

Lapillus celebrates 1st anniversary with 'Who's Next'

Fully loaded with lively energy and frenzied vibes, Lapillus returned with its second EP, "Girl's Round Part. 2," on Wednesday. This EP marks the band's comeback after nine months. Sporting fresh new visuals and beats, the members -- Chanty, Shana, Yue, Bessie, Seowon and Haeun -- held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to launch the comeback. "We feel like we're debuting again," the band's leader, Shana, said, adding, "We've worked hard t

June 22, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS returns to Billboard Hot 100 at No. 48 with ‘Take Two’

BTS placed its digital single “Take Two” on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 48. The single was dropped on June 9 in time to mark the 10th anniversary of debut for the superband. It also landed atop a series of other charts including Billboard 200 and Billboard Global excl. the US. The last time the septet hit the main albums chart as a group was a year ago when “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” debuted on it at No. 13. The song fronted its anthology album &ldquo

June 22, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘King of Clones’ reexamines story of disgraced S. Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk

Netflix’s UK original documentary, “King of Clones,” sets off on the jaw-dropping tale of South Korean veterinarian Hwang Woo-suk at a research center in a desert in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Watching a scene where the scientist stands in front of the portraits of key Emirati leaders, the viewers can sense that Hwang is a man with a long, complex story. Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Aditya Thayi, the 85-minute documentary, “King of Clones,” features one o

June 22, 2023

KBS files injunction against gov't move to separate fee collection

Public service broadcaster KBS filed an injunction with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday seeking to halt the government's plan to separate the collection of its license fees from electricity bills. The move came as the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is planning to amend a Broadcasting Act enforcement ordinance for the separate collection in the latter half of the year following a recommendation by the presidential office on June 5. Since 1994, KBS has charged a monthly fee of 2,

June 21, 2023