[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Jisoo sells record 1.17m copies of solo album

Jisoo of Blackpink sold more than 1.17 million copies of her first solo album, “Me,” a record for a K-pop solo female artist, said her label, YG Entertainment, on Friday. It is also the second-most sold album from a K-pop female artist, only after Blackpink’s second studio album, “Born Pink,” which logged 1.54 million in sales. Main track “Flower” landed atop the iTunes Top Songs chart in 64 regions and hit Spotify’s Daily Top Songs global chart a

April 7, 2023

Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon to work together in new film

Actors Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Je-hoon will work together for the first time in “Moral Hazard” (working title) by director Choi Yoo-jin, who wrote the films, “Steel Cold Winter” (2013) and “Office” (2015). “Moral Hazard” revolves around South Korea’s No.1 soju company, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, and its struggles against a global investment firm that wishes to take advantage of the situation. Yoo will star as Pyo Jong-rok, a financial d

April 7, 2023

Netflix original ‘Black Knight’ confirms May 12 release

Netflix original drama “Black Knight” starring Kim Woo-bin and Song Seung-heon will be released on May 12 via Netflix, according to the global OTT service platform. Based on the webtoon “Delivery Knight” by Lee Yoon-kyun, published from 2016 to 2019, director Choi Ui-seok of “Cold Eyes” (2013) and “Master” (2016) tells a story of the Earth in 2071 hit by toxic air pollution. People rely on parcel delivery services for their basic needs and delivery

April 7, 2023

[Photo news] 2023 Tongyeong International Music Festival highlights

South Korea’s leading classical music event, the Tongyeong International Music Festival, kicked off on March 30 with the theme, “Beyond Borders.” The 21st edition of the festival, led by Korean composer Chin Un-suk as the music director for the second year, runs until April 9, and features renowned domestic and international musicians and a unique program. Pianist Kim Sun-wook performs with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson in the packed Tongyeong

April 7, 2023

BTS' Suga, IU set to release collaboration single 'People Pt.2'

Suga of K-pop supergroup BTS and diva IU are set to drop their collaboration single, titled "People Pt.2," on Friday, BTS' agency BigHit Music said. "People Pt.2" is a prerelease track from Suga's debut solo album "D-Day," which is due on April 21. It is their first collaboration since IU's hit song "Eight" was released in May 2020. Suga will be the fifth member of the septet to debut as a soloist when he drops the upcoming album under the s

April 7, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Suga adds dates to solo tour

Suga of BTS will perform one more time each in Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore, announced his label, Big Hit Music. His solo tour, “D-Day,” now includes concerts on June 9 in the Thai capital and 16 in the city-state. The artist is set to start his tour in the US on April 26, visiting five cities in the country, before resuming it in Asia where he will go live in four cities. The final concert will be held in Seoul June 24-25. He is the first member of the septet to launch an intern

April 6, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Music is everything to me,' Gong Min-bae, violinist with autism, says

The story of 18-year-old violinist Gong Min-bae, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 5, is one of overcoming adversity, as he has managed to turn his diagnosis into an opportunity to excel in music. “Music is everything to me,” Gong told reporters during a press conference held Thursday. "I feel good and comfortable (when playing the violin)," he said, adding that he finds nothing difficult when he is playing his instrument. He spends four to five

April 6, 2023

CJ ENM faces backlash for rehiring convicted producer Ahn Joon-young

CJ ENM, a Korean entertainment giant and the parent company of the music channel Mnet, is being heavily criticized for rehiring its former Mnet producer, Ahn Joon-young. CJ ENM rehired the producer on Monday despite the fact that Ahn Joon-young, the producer of the channel’s flagship audition show “Produce,” is a convicted criminal. In March 2021, Ahn was sentenced to two years in prison and a penalty of 37 million won ($30,000) for manipulating the voting results to put certai

April 6, 2023

Kang Sue-jin reappointed Korean National Ballet artistic director for unprecedented fourth term

Famed ballerina Kang Sue-jin has been reappointed artistic director of the Korean National Ballet for the fourth consecutive term. “I’ve got a lot on my shoulders,” said Kang at a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu, on Wednesday. “I have put in my best efforts so far, but I will continue to work with the dancers, members and staff to make the Korean National Ballet develop and soar in the international scene.” Kang joined the Stuttgart Ballet

April 6, 2023

[Herald Review] 'Phantom of the Opera' makes strong return after long wait

BUSAN -- While "The Phantom of the Opera," the longest-running show on Broadway, is set to say its final goodbyes with its last performance on April 16, South Korea's production of the show made a strong comeback in Busan last week. The local production kept fans waiting for 13 years, while supporters of veteran actor Cho Seung-woo, who has a reputation for creating memorable characters, had been eagerly anticipating his new role for over seven years. Andrew Lloyd Webber's mu

April 5, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] GOT7’s Jinyoung to enlist next month: report

Jinyoung of GOT7 will enlist for his compulsory military duty on May 8, according to a local media report on Wednesday. Agency BH Entertainment confirmed the news following the report, adding he will serve as an active-duty soldier in the Army after basic training. He is the second member of the septet to serve his duty, following Jay B, who in February began working as a social service agent. Jinyoung debuted as a member of the band in 2014 after appearing in drama “Dream High 2” in

April 5, 2023

SHINee ends military hiatuses, eyes full comeback

Boy band SHINee is gearing up for a full group comeback following two years of military hiatuses. On Tuesday, Taemin of SHINee was discharged from his military duty as the last member of the quartet to complete the compulsory service. Taemin's discharge comes a year and 11 months after he enlisted in May 2021. Beginning his service in the Army band, Taemin was transferred from active duty in January last year after his symptoms of depression and anxiety worsened. The singer served out his r

April 5, 2023

Jeon Do-yeon says she approached director Byun Sung-hyun of ‘Kill Boksoon’

Jeon Do-yeon said it was she who first approached Byun Sung-hyun, director of the Netflix action film “Kill Boksoon.” She was looking to collaborate with young and rising filmmakers after her own silver screen projects had faltered. “I had spent quite a long time waiting for the right project to come along, but I wanted to become more of an independent actor. So I approached a number of young and rising directors and director Byun was one of them,” Jeon told The Korea Her

April 5, 2023

BTS' Suga, IU to collaborate again

Suga of BTS is teaming up with singer-songwriter IU for the second time with his new solo album. Big Hit Music, the label behind BTS, broke the news of the collaboration on Tuesday night with a poster published on the seven-member group's official social media platforms. According to the poster, the song, "People Pt. 2 (feat. IU)," is set to come out on Friday as a pre-release track from Suga's forthcoming album "D-Day." Suga is slated to make a solo comeback on Apr

April 5, 2023

From NCT Mark to Seventeen, major comebacks warm up K-pop scene this month

Just as the weather has been warming up, some of the major K-pop artists are gearing up for comebacks to warm up the music scene. Mark of NCT is returning with his second solo single, “Golden Hour,” on Friday. This track is the sixth to drop from SM Entertainment’s special archiving project, “Station: NCT Lab.” Mark took part in composing and writing the lyrics to this hip-hop song. The song is composed of strong guitar and drum sounds that harmonize with Mark&rsquo

April 5, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kang Gil-woo stays true to indie roots while thriving in new large-scale projects

Kang Gil-woo, an established actor in the South Korean independent film scene who has played notable roles in award-winning indie films, recently starred in a number of supporting, yet indispensable, roles in large-scale productions such as Netflix series “The Glory,” JTBC drama “Reborn Rich” and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Broker.” The 37-year-old actor has never been so active as he is now, going back and forth between indie films and commercial projects. &ld

April 5, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans to return in late June: report

Rookie girl group NewJeans will be back again in late June with a prerelease from a new album due for early July, according to a local media report Tuesday. Agency Ador said that no dates have been set for its return yet following the report. The five-member act debuted in July last year with a self-titled EP and brought out first single album “OMG” in January. The group entered Billboard’s Hot 100 in only six months after debuting, a record for a K-pop girl group at the time,

April 4, 2023

Singer Hyun-mi dies at 85

Veteran singer Hyun-mi has died at the age of 85, according to local police Tuesday. The president of Hyun-mi’s fan club found the singer collapsed on the floor in her home in Ichon-dong in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Tuesday morning. She was transported to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead. Yongsan police are currently investigating further details, but have not found any evidence of criminal or suspicious circumstances. Hyun-mi, whose original name is Kim Myeong-seon, was born in

April 4, 2023

AfreecaTV aims to broadcast diverse Korean content for global audience

AfreecaTV, one of South Korea’s biggest livestreaming service platforms, is exclusively broadcasting the K-pop idol survival program “Boys Planet” in Southeast Asia in real time with translations in various languages spoken in the region. The online platform, which airs the show every Thursday, has since garnered popularity across the region. The show, produced by Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s music channel Mnet, involves evaluating K-pop trainees through vari

April 4, 2023

Netflix Korea to roll out seven reality shows including adult talk show

Netflix Korea has announced a lineup of reality shows, including a new type of talk show and a zombie-themed reality show, in addition to their flagship dating shows and survival competitions. “We are ready to release at least seven different reality shows throughout the year,” Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix Korea’s director in charge of non-fiction content, said during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. In recent years, Netflix Korea has collaborated with reality TV creators to pro

April 4, 2023