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

Universal Ballet's Kang Mi-sun wins best female dancer at Benois de la Danse

Kang Mi-sun, a principal dancer at Universal Ballet in Seoul, has won the top prize at the prestigious Benois de la Danse, an annual ballet competition held in Moscow. Kang, along with China's Qiu Yunting, jointly received the best female dancer award at the awards ceremony held at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on Tuesday, according to the organizing committee. Kang was honored with the award for her role as a widow who bids farewell to her husband in "Mirinaegil,” an original pr

June 21, 2023

[Herald Review] Lee Soon-jae's charisma shines in final turn as 'King Lear'

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, recently wrapped up a 16-day run of “King Lear” on Sunday at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. The 88-year-old -- the oldest actor still active in Korea -- commanded the stage for 200 minutes, in captivating performance as Shakespeare’s tragic ruler. Having completed the 16 performances from June 1-18, Lee expressed his gratitude through a statement released by the production company, Theater Yeonwoo, Monday: “I would like to thank all t

June 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Restraints are off for return of ‘The Zone: Survival Mission’

Disney+’s “The Zone: Survival Mission,” has scaled up the set pieces for its second series. Using escape room-style games, the first season of “The Zone: Survival Mission” threw a star-studded cast of Yu Jae-seok, Lee Kwang-soo and Kwon Yuri into catastrophic situations such as a zombie apocalypse, water shortage, gambling addiction and more, for four hours. In an interview with local reporters at a cafe in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, directors Cho Hyo-jin and Kim Don

June 21, 2023

[Today's K-pop] Le Sserafim joins hands with Bibi for new campaign

Le Sserafim has invited fans to create their own take on “Eve, Psyche ＆ …,” a B-side track from its first studio album “Unforgiven.” It uploaded the instrumental version of the song Tuesday for the project, allowing fans to add their personal messages and share them online. Singer Bibi unveiled hers in a video clip in which the bandmates appeared at the end. The single has climbed up to the top five rankings on a series of music charts at home. The song is also po

June 21, 2023

Park Chan-wook touts first-ever Netflix project in front of co-CEO

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook talked about his first-ever film project with Netflix during a roundtable discussion with the US streaming giant's co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who is on a two-day visit to Seoul. On Wednesday, Park and Sarandos gave a talk to aspiring filmmakers and content creators in Korea, sharing their insights and ideas on the future of the digital content market. Park, who recently announced his participation as co-screenwriter and producer in the new Netflix film &ldq

June 21, 2023

‘Concrete Utopia’ more black comedy than disaster flick

Six years after “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned,” director Um Tae-hwa returns with disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia,” in which home turns hostile for a group of apartment dwellers. The movie is based on the second part of a webtoon about an earthquake and its aftermath, “Pleasant Neighbor.” Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young star as few residents of Hwang Gung Apartments in the devastated city. Lee plays Young-tak, a leader among the resident

June 21, 2023

BTS tops Billboard Global 200 with latest single 'Take Two'

K-pop sensation BTS topped the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US charts dated June 24 with its latest single, “Take Two.” BTS' single “Take Two,” released to mark its 10th debut anniversary, was streamed 60.2 million times and sold 64,000 copies worldwide from its release June 9 through June 15, according to Billboard. It garnered 54.3 million streams and 48,000 copies were sold outside the US during the same period. The Billboard Global 200 and Bill

June 21, 2023

Five former Loona members to re-debut under new agency Modhaus

Haseul, a former member of the disbanded K-pop girl group Loona, has signed an exclusive contract with Modhaus, the company said Wednesday. “We will do our best to help Haseul show off her talents and meet with her fans in many ways,” said Modhaus in a press release on Wednesday. With Haseul joining the agency, Modhaus now houses a total of five former members of Loona: Heejin, Kimlip, Jinsoul, Choerry and Haseul. They will be part of the agency’s Artms project, under which the

June 21, 2023

Park Seo-joon ‘doesn’t deny’ dating YouTuber Xooos

Asked to make a comment on his personal life, actor Park Seo-joon, meeting with the press a day after a media report said the actor was dating Korean YouTuber and singer Xooos, neither confirmed nor denied the news. Park was attending a press conference for his upcoming disaster thriller flick “Concrete Utopia,” held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, Wednesday. “I heard the news late yesterday because I was shooting another project. First thing I felt after reading th

June 21, 2023

Singer Kim Jae-hwan aspires to become next Psy, Bruno Mars

"Journey above music," the full name of Kim Jae-hwan's new album, "J.A.M," perfectly reflects what the new piece means for the 27-year-old singer. Appearing in front of the local press on Tuesday for the album's media showcase, Kim took to the stage with an air different from the temperate demeanor he has shown in the past. "I feel like I'm debuting again as a soloist. I can't remember where the past Kim Jae-hwan has disappeared to. I'm reveling

June 21, 2023