Jeonju festival subverts cinematic expectations, seeks to surprise

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- For those who enjoy the cinematic experience without such stringent requirements as a discernible plot, for those who relish artful ambiguity and tightly framed shots awash in rising natural sounds, the ongoing film festival in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, beckons once again as a reprieve in a moviegoing world defined by blockbusters and safe formulas. Jeonju International Film Festival opened its 24th iteration on Thursday and runs through May 6. The film fest

May 1, 2023

[Herald Review] 'K-pop Super Live' spotlights major K-pop artists

Some of the biggest K-pop artists gathered Sunday night at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul to perform at "K-pop Super Live," an event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Around 40,000 people flocked to the stadium to enjoy the event and show support for their favorite artists. The stadium was glittering in red, yellow, pink and blue – the colors of fans’ light sticks. With fireworks bursting into the sky, Kep1er kicked off the night with its popular single “Wa D

May 1, 2023

B.I announces comeback with 2nd full-length album on June 1

K-pop solo artist B.I is set to make a comeback with his second full-length album, “TO DIE FOR,” on June 1. He announced the comeback through the release of a poster on social media on Monday. A message on the announcement poster read, “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today,” giving fans a sneak peek into what this upcoming album might be about. The comeback comes seven months after B.I released his global EP “L.O.L: Love or Loved

May 1, 2023

'Ilmu' puts contemporary spin on Joseon royal ancestral rites

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre is set to perform its iconic repertoire “Ilmu” at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from May 25-28. Premiered in 2022, the performance directed by Jung Ku-ho, is a modern reinterpretation of a traditional dance inspired by Jongmyo Jeryeak, a royal ceremonial performance encompassing singing, music and dance that took place during ancestral rites held at Jongmyo Shrine. Tablets of Joseon kings and queens are preserved at the shrine. Jongmyo

April 30, 2023

Park Eun-bin, "Decision to Leave" win top honors at Baeksang Arts Awards

Park Chan-wook's romantic thriller movie "Decision to Leave" and Park Eun-bin, who starred in the drama series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," have taken top honors at this year's Baeksang Arts Awards. "Decision to Leave" won the grand prize in the movie category at the 59th awards ceremony on Friday night. Park Chan-wook clinched best director and Chinese actress Tang Wei received best actress for her role in the movie. The period thriller "The Night O

April 29, 2023

'OMG' by NewJeans hits 300m Spotify streams

"OMG," a hit song from rookie girl group NewJeans, has garnered 300 million streams on Spotify, the group's agency said Saturday. The song had recorded 301,242,550 streams on the world's largest music streaming platform as of Thursday, after its release on Jan. 2 this year, ADOR said. The group's "Ditto" also has garnered more than 300 million streams on Spotify earlier this week. The girl group's "Hype Boy" and "Attention" saw their Spotify streams top 20

April 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to release 2nd LP in Japan in July

Tomorrow X Together will roll out its second studio album in Japan on July 5, announced label Big Hit Music on Friday. The band will also hold a showcase to mark the release of LP “Sweet.” The album will consist of 12 tracks – four new songs and Japanese-language versions of its hit songs, including “Sugar Rush Ride,” the main track from its fifth EP, “The Name Chapter: Temptation.” The quintet has placed seven consecutive albums atop Oricon’s wee

April 28, 2023

YG to announce final Babymonster members on May 12

YG Entertainment is set to unveil the final members of Babymonster on May 12. Seven pre-debut members have completed the months-long evaluation process that began in January. Five members from the pool will debut officially as Babymonster, with those members set to be unveiled on May 12. The announcement was made on Friday through the latest episode of Babymonster's debut evaluation series posted on YG's official YouTube channel. In the video, the seven girls performed to YG group 2NE1

April 28, 2023

Five films including ‘Decision to Leave’ and ‘Hunt’ to vie for Baeksang Arts Awards

South Korean hit films including the Cannes-winning “Decision to Leave” and star actor Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut film, “Hunt,” will vie for the best film award at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards to be held on Friday. Along with the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Daejong International Film Awards, the Baeksang Awards is one of the most prestigious ceremonies here honoring the past year’s films, TV dramas and plays. This year’s award will be led by act

April 28, 2023

24th Jeonju IFF kicks off for 10 days of indie films

One of South Korea's main indie film events, the Jeonju International Film Festival, officially kicked off Thursday evening with a star-studded list of actors and directors visiting the city for the red carpet event and opening ceremony prior to the 10-day film festival. Actors Park Hae-il, Lee Dong-hui, Lee Soo-hyuk, Shin Hyeon-joon, Ok Ja-yeon and some 170 other actors and directors appeared on the red carpet, meeting with fans. Actors Jin Goo and Gong Seung-yeon were the hosts of the ope

April 28, 2023

[Video] How this K-pop singer fell in love with India

“The love we received was beyond expectation,” says AOORA. Known for his remixes of Korean and Indian music and his reaction videos, the K-pop singer held his first K-pop concert in Jammu, India. In this episode, we learn about AOORA’s passion for bringing Korea and India together, his experience in Jammu and his latest collaboration with Aksh Baghla. Kim Soo-young and Noh Seong-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Video] My life running a convenience store in Korea

“I find myself organizing things at other people’s stores,” chuckles Bong Dal-ho, an 11-year veteran convenience store owner and author, as he reflects on his daily life running a convenience store. Learn what it’s like to run a convenience store, from the strange, to the heartwarming, to the bittersweet moments an owner has with customers every day. This video was produced as part of The Korea Herald and University of Utah Asia Campus Internship Program, under the

April 28, 2023

[Video] Meet the bodyguard protecting your favorite K-pop stars

Learn why Han Jimin started his career as a bodyguard and how he protects K-pop artists. What’s it like to be a bodyguard to the stars? Let’s find out! This video was produced as part of The Korea Herald and University of Utah Asia Campus Internship Program, under the supervision of the Asia 101 team.

April 28, 2023

[Video] Meet the fave K-pop nail artist of Red Velvet's Wendy

Once a sports major, Shin Hye-jin, popularly known as Shinggomggom, never thought she would one day become K-pop stars’ go-to nail artist. From Red Velvet’s Wendy, IZ*ONE’s Jang Won-young and fromis_9 to even Hybe founder Bang Si-hyuk, her list of famous clients goes on and on. What’s it like to be a nail artist for K-pop icons? We asked all of our burning questions and got the inside scoop on her journey! This video was produced as part of The Korea Herald and Uni

April 28, 2023

[Video] Everything about K-pop's first African star, Fatou Samba

From listening to a K-pop song for the first time to leading a multicultural K-pop group, Blackswan’s Fatou Samba shares her journey with the Asia 101 team. Watch till the end for Fatou’s tips on taking fabulous photos! Lim Su-mi and Park Ju-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Video] What it’s like to be a K-pop reporter

From shaking hands with BTS to covering over 100 K-pop concerts, The Korea Herald’s Hong Dam-young told us all about her life as a K-pop reporter. Park Seo-hee and Park Ju-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Video] How Hari Won became a celebrity in Vietnam

Asia 101 visited Ho Chi Minh City to meet Hari Won, a singer and actor in Vietnam with more than 8 million followers across social media platforms. Born to a South Korean mother and a Vietnamese father, identity and diversity are close to her heart. We sat down with Hari and learned about how she became a celebrity in Vietnam. Lee Ji-min and Park Ju-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Video] Park Hae-soo on life after "Squid Game"

One of the most familiar faces from a Netflix Korean original, Park Hae-soo spoke with Asia 101 about his life after "Squid Game," his journey from being a small theater actor to getting nominated for an Emmy and more. Watch until the end for an impromptu dance performance! Park Seo-hee and Park Ju-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Video] 1st Indonesian K-pop girl group member Dita on how to become a K-pop star

Anak Agung Ayu Puspa Aditya Karang, popularly known as Dita of Secret Number, shares what it is like to be Indonesia’s first K-pop girl group member. Make sure to watch until the end, as Dita teaches us traditional Balinese dance moves! Park Ju-min contributed to this report.

April 28, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Ghost Station” (South Korea) Opened April 19 Mystery Directed by Jeong Yong-ki Based on 2011 webtoon “Oksu Station Ghost,” the film tells the story of a news reporter, Na-young, working an exclusive investigative story about a series of mysterious deaths happening at a subway station. She finds out that her source is already dead at the time of the scheduled interview. “John Wick: Chapter 4” (US) Opened April 12 Action Directed by Charles F. Stahelski Leg

April 28, 2023