[Profile] Moonbin, beloved Astro all-rounder, leaves behind 14-year entertainment career

Singer and actor Moonbin was found dead Wednesday evening at his home in Seoul. Moonbin entered the entertainment industry at just 11 years old, making his debut in the 2009 KBS drama “Boys Over Flowers.” Even before his official debut in the entertainment industry, Moonbin used to model for kid fashion brands. In 2016, Moonbin made his way into the K-pop scene as a member of Astro, a six-member boy band under Fantagio. He was 18 at the time and took on the role of a sub-vocalist and

April 20, 2023

K-pop singer Moonbin of Astro dies at 25

Moonbin of K-pop group Astro died on Thursday at the age of 25. The singer was found dead in his home on Wednesday night. Astro's agency, Fantagio, announced Moonbin's demise through the official fan community on Thursday early morning. "On April 19, Astro's member Moonbin has unexpectedly passed away," the announcement read. "The bandmates of Astro and the artists and staff of Fantagio who have known Moonbin for a long time are mourning his death in great grief and

April 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] Ryu Sujeong explores feelings in 1st LP 'Archives of Emotions'

As Ryu Sujeong enters her late 20s, she continues her journey as a solo artist, deeply reflecting on the feelings she felt along the way, transforming them into songs. Ryu's songs, written as if they were her diary, fill her first full-length album “Archives of Emotions,” which was released on Thursday. “The tracks from my previous albums are more hopeful and mellow, filled with pretty words. But these recent ones embrace more realistic concerns that I’ve been having

April 20, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Twice to drop 10th single in Japan

Twice will release its tenth single in Japan “Hare Hare” on May 31, according to label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. The company floated teaser photographs for the single album via its social media channel in the country. The nine-member act is set to go live in Osaka and Tokyo on May 13-14 and 20-21, respectively. It will be the first K-pop girl group to hold concerts in stadiums in Japan. It is part of the group’s fifth international tour that began in Seoul last weekend.

April 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Yang Jung-ung brings modern visuals to timeless classic 'Faust'

For South Korean director Yang Jung-ung, founder and director of theater company Yohangza, it was natural for him to return with yet another classic play. Known for reinterpreting classics with a modern touch, Yang has directed many Western classics, including Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” and “Hamlet” and Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt.” This time, Yang draws on “Faust” the classic play written 250 years ago by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The play st

April 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Why director Jang Hang-jun tried to make ‘Rebound’ 99% realistic

Director Jang Hang-jun, better known for his wit and being the husband of the country’s top-paid drama writer Kim Eun-hee, has returned to his directing roots with sports comedy “Rebound,” which opened on April 5. After the 2017 mystery thriller “Forgotten,” Jang decided to try his hand at a comedy film, with the aim of building up characters and a storyline in a more exciting way, he said. “I did not want to make this sports comedy into something that was &ls

April 19, 2023

Blackpink dazzles Coachella with Korean hanbok

K-pop idol singers are often touted as the representatives of Korean culture -- especially fashion -- with many making use of their global stardom to spotlight Korean heritage. Taking the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday in southern California, as the first headlining K-pop girl group, Blackpink also used the historic moment to turn the world's attention to hanbok, Korean traditional dress. Stepping on stage at the music fest as the night's final perfor

April 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'There's ppongjjak inside every Korean': producer 250

It all began from a question about what makes Koreans dance, music producer 250 said about his sensational first album "Ppong." "When you think about the music that all Koreans know, there's not so many genres. In the case of ppongjjak, however, from the teenagers to our parents in their 50s and 60s, we all recognize ppongjjak when we hear it," 250, whose real name is Lee Ho-hyeong, said during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul last month. Ppongjjak among us

April 18, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink notches another Guinness record

Blackpink set yet another Guinness World Record, as its YouTube channel became the most viewed music channel on YouTube, according to YG Entertainment on Tuesday. The group’s channel has registered 3.01 billion views as of last week, edging past Justin Bieber. The channel opened about six years and nine months ago and had the most subscribers among artists as of September 2021. It currently has 86.9 million subscribers. This is the foursome’s 21st time to set a record recognized by

April 18, 2023

'Blackpink producer' Teddy Park launches audition in Thailand

Hit K-pop producer Teddy Park's label, The Black Label, has launched a new company in Thailand to discover new global talent. The Black Label, an affiliate label co-founded by Teddy Park under YG Entertainment, on Tuesday announced it has established a joint venture, Theblacksea, with Bangkok-based Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group. Teddy Park, once an in-house producer of YG, made his name as the creative director and composer of K-pop stars Blackpink, Big Bang and 2NE1. In 2016, he

April 18, 2023

David Yong drops new single 'Maybe Love' featuring Mamamoo's Moonbyul

Singaporean entrepreneur David Yong continues to expand his scope as a K-pop singer with his new digital single "Maybe Love." The CEO of Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings on April 12 dropped his new single, "Maybe Love," featuring Moonbyul of girl group Mamamoo. The song marks Yong's return with a Korean song for the first time in around 9 months since the release of his single "In My Pocket" in July 2022. According to Evergreen Group Holdings, "May

April 18, 2023

Two star actors to lead new ENA thriller 'Lies Hidden in My Garden'

South Korean television channel ENA hopes to repeat the sensational popularity of its courtroom series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022) with a new suspense thriller, “Lies Hidden in My Garden,” scheduled for release in June. Numbers of ENA dramas, including romance series “Good Job” (2022), rom-com “Love is for Suckers” (2022), comedy series “Unlock My Boss” (2022) and more, were released after “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,&rd

April 18, 2023

Director, cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ embark on world tour in Seoul

Marvel Studios’ superhero franchise “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” began its world tour for film promotions in Seoul on Tuesday. Director James Gunn said the film will end the trilogy by looking deeper into the story of Rocket. “We chose to kick off our tour in Korea because I’ve never been to Korea and I wanted to come to Korea,” director James Gunn told reporters at the press conference held at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Gunn said he is w

April 18, 2023

BTS' J-Hope enlists in army

K-pop phenomenon BTS' member J-Hope is enlisting for military service Tuesday. The singer bid farewell to fans through his social media on Monday night, posting a picture of himself with his head shaved, along with a hand-written message that read, "I'll be back in good health." J-Hope is reportedly beginning his obligatory military service on Tuesday. Reports showed that he will complete five weeks of training at an army division boot camp in Gangwon Province, before joining

April 18, 2023

iKON to release 3rd full-length album 'TAKE OFF' on May 4

K-pop boy group iKON is making a comeback for the first time since they joined a new label. iKON is set to drop its third full-length album “TAKE OFF” on May 4, according to 143 Entertainment on Tuesday. All members of iKON joined 143 Entertainment on Jan. 1 after their exclusive contract with YG Entertainment expired in December last year. iKON, consisting of members Bobby, Jay, Song, DK, Ju-ne and Chan, debuted under YG Entertainment in September 2015. They were grouped together wh

April 18, 2023

Invitation to most extraordinary farewell in ‘Beyond Diverse Dimensions’

We are all destined to die someday. We often contemplate death and what might come after -- where we would go and how those left behind will carry on. “Beyond Diverse Dimensions," a participatory performance that kicked off Saturday at the LG Arts Center in Seoul, explores the unknowns of death and mourning. The show that bills itself as an "immersive sci-fi, fantasy, humanism, comedy, technical, sung-through, (perhaps) blockbuster musical" starts from the lobby. Four crew

April 17, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink to hold encore concert in US this summer

Blackpink will hold four more concerts in the US in August, said label YG Entertainment on Sunday. The quartet will perform in New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles from Aug. 12-26, returning to the US where they held 14 concerts in seven cities last year. On Saturday in the US, the bandmates headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as the first K-pop act to do so. They will go live again on Saturday, the last day of the music fest. Meanwhile, speculations claiming t

April 17, 2023

Lee Kigwang returns as solo artist with 'Predator'

Singer Lee Kigwang, who is also a member of the K-pop group Highlight, is back as a solo artist with his first full-length album "Predator." Lee held a press conference in Seoul on Monday before the album's release later in the evening. "I'm happy to be back doing my main job," Lee said during the press event. "I made the album thinking about what I could show more as a solo artist. I worked on it hoping I could show an upgraded version of myself as a solo musi

April 17, 2023

[New on the Scene] For Choi Seung-yoon, ‘Riceboy Sleeps’ is about strength of mothers

There are many stories and films that depict the lives of immigrants, struggling to adapt to family life in a new country with an uncooperative child. Canadian actor and filmmaker Anthony Shim’s “Riceboy Sleeps” (2022) is about So-young, a single mother from Korea who settles in the suburbs of Canada in the 1990s with her son, Dong-hyun. Soon after the film's March 17 release in Canada, it swept the global film awards, with the actors and director being invited to numerous

April 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘Bargain’ stars say Cannes seems 'like a dream'

The cast of "Bargain" did not hide their excitement and anticipation as Tving's new crime thriller competes at this year's Cannes International Series Festival, setting a major milestone as the first Korean streaming service to be invited to the international television event. “When I walked out of the airport, a foreign fan came up to me with posters of my past films," said Jin Sun-kyu, adding that it was the first time a foreign fan asked for his autograph ove

April 17, 2023