[Herald Interview] Lee Sung-min reflects on himself with ‘Shadow Detective’

Though Lee Sung-min played the role of detective in his previous projects -- thriller movies “Broken” (2014) and “The Beast” (2019), Taek-rok, a veteran detective who is on the verge of retirement, caught the actor’s attention from the beginning. “When I first received the script, the title of the series was ‘Old Detective.’ The word ‘old’ seemed so moving and I felt I could relate myself a lot to the series,” Lee said during an

Nov. 17, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ J-Hope to appear solo at Mama Awards: producer

J-Hope of BTS will take to the stage on his own at 2022 Mama Awards, according to the producer Wednesday. It will be the first time his solo performance is broadcast for public viewing, underlined Yoon Shin-hye, chief producer of this year’s show, during a global media conference. The theme of his performance is “I Am Your Hope.” The artist is the first member of the septet to publish a solo album. His solo debut album “Jack in the Box” from July hit both Billboard

Nov. 16, 2022

Just B says equality is for everyone in 3rd EP ‘= (Neun)’

Leaving its powerful and frenzied beats behind, boy group Just B returned with a new batch of songs that shout out equality and the importance of it through its third EP, “= (Neun),” released Wednesday evening. If the group’s previous three records -- the Rage trilogy -- revealed stories of internal and external anger and overcoming their fury by stepping into a new world, this time, the rookie K-pop act took a seismic shift by singing songs that spelled out “equality.&rd

Nov. 16, 2022

Omega X sues agency & ex-CEO over yearlong violence, sexual abuse

It was not just a one-time event that the former CEO of Spire Entertainment assaulted members of Omega X during the act's recent global tour. It was a yearlong nightmare of assault -- both physical and verbal -- and sexual harassment, the bandmates say, and they are now taking legal action against the ex-CEO and the agency. Omega X on Wednesday afternoon held a press conference where the group announced the termination of its exclusive contract with Spire Entertainment. The 11 bandmates wer

Nov. 16, 2022

BTS' J-Hope to headline 2022 Mama Awards

The Mama Awards, the annual K-pop celebration hosted by CJ ENM, are taking another leap forward in efforts to evolve into a global K-pop festival. Ahead of the 2022 Mama Awards set to take place at the end of the month in Japan, a global press conference about the event took place Wednesday at CJ ENM Studio in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. A lineup of special performers for this year's ceremony, including J-Hope of BTS, was also revealed during the conference. This year marks the first time

Nov. 16, 2022

Netflix’s ‘Somebody’ presents chilling stories of dating apps

Global streaming service Netflix is scheduled to present an uncanny love story of a young Korean couple in its upcoming thriller series “Somebody.” Exploring the possibilities of making a true friend via dating apps and questioning how open one can be to an anonymous, virtual figure, “Somebody” features different sides of dating apps in South Korea. “The ways how people meet each other have changed over the course of time. The stories of melodramas have changed a

Nov. 16, 2022

[Feature] Making big waves: How K-pop swelled into cultural superpower

The Washington Post called it a “cultural force” -- from welcoming the US presidential couple to representing the country at the Olympic Games -- K-pop has become pervasive now beyond the realm of the entertainment industry. K-pop idol groups have communicated with the world through song, and their milestones at both local and international levels indicate Korea might have found a new resource for diplomacy. In a recent exclusive interview with The Rolling Stone, RM of BTS opened up

Nov. 16, 2022

BTS earns three Grammy nominations

K-pop sensation BTS has been nominated by the Grammy Awards for the third year in a row -- and for the first time the band has been nominated in more than one category. According to the the Recording Academy's list of nominees for next year’s Grammy Awards, the boy band has been nominated for best pop duo/group performance with its mega-hit collaboration with British rock band Coldplay titled “My Universe.” Other nominees for the category are ABBA’s “Don’

Nov. 16, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Monsta X’s I.M signs with Sony Music Korea

I.M of Monsta X joined label Sony Music Korea recently, and confirmed the company Tuesday after uploading via social media his photograph only showing silhouettes the previous day. The musician debuted as the youngest member of the boy band in 2015 with EP “Trespass.” All members except him renewed their contracts with Starship Entertainment in August, even though he will continue to be a part of the group. After dropping mixtapes “Who Am I” and “Fly with Me,&rdquo

Nov. 15, 2022

[Herald Interview] Ryu Jun-yeol on why he cried during 'The Owl’ press conference

His unexpected tearing up at “The Owl” press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Nov. 10 having made headlines, actor Ryu Jun-yeol was asked for an explanation during an interview with a group of local reporters Tuesday at a cafe in Seoul. At last month's press conference, the actor dropped his head and teared up when the veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin said, “I can see that Jun-yeol is becoming a big actor.” “I had mixed emotions. The vibe that I felt at the shootin

Nov. 15, 2022

Oh My Girl's YooA takes her second step as soloist with 'Selfish'

It took two years, but YooA of girl group Oh My Girl has returned to her solo career with her second EP "Selfish." YooA's solo comeback was more than anticipated as she had proved herself a one-of-a-kind soloist with the debut EP "Bon Voyage" in 2020. The album and its title song "Bon Voyage," called "Forest Child" in Korean, not only scored chart success, but was also critically acclaimed for its musicality and the artistic way it expressed its natur

Nov. 15, 2022

[Exclusive] iKon's Bobby to not renew contract with YG

Bobby, a member of K-pop boy band iKon, will not renew his contract with the act's agency YG Entertainment and the industry and fans are left wondering about the future of the group and what the next steps are for the rapper. According to industry sources on Tuesday, Bobby of iKon will not extend his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. An industry insider, who claims to be familiar with YG Entertainment and its artists, told the Korea Herald that Bobby has decided not to renew his con

Nov. 15, 2022

Broadcasters warm up for World Cup with entertainment shows

With FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicking off Nov. 20, local broadcasters and cable channels are flooding the air with soccer-themed talk shows and variety shows to gin up interest in soccer's biggest competition. The first was terrestrial broadcaster MBC, which premiered the educational talk show “Top Teacher,” a program in which experts are invited to lecture on their fields of expertise, on Nov. 9. The first episode featured the renowned sports commentator Park Moon-sung who int

Nov. 15, 2022

[Feature] No more a career crisis: How K-pop singers are overcoming military hiatus

It's taken a long time to confirm that even BTS cannot avoid South Korea's mandatory military duty. All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve in the military for around 1 1/2 years, inevitably forcing most K-pop stars to leave the limelight at the peak of their careers. So it was once considered that military service was like a death sentence for a K-pop career. Most aspiring artists cram their youth with efforts to establish their name, and a nearly two-year absence was o

Nov. 14, 2022

Exo’s Chen talks honestly about his time away from music in ‘Last Scene’

Chen of boy band Exo added a touch more to the beauty of fall with his third solo EP, “Last Scene,” released Monday evening. This marks a return for the singer-turned-soloist in three years since he last released his second EP, “Dear my dear,” in October 2019. “I performed and met (fans) in August through SM Town Live, but it’s been a while since I’ve greeted (fans) with an album. I’ve honed my efforts into making good music, so I hope those who li

Nov. 14, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook to fly to Qatar via chartered jet: report

Jungkook of BTS will leave Seoul Tuesday and fly over to Doha, Qatar with a chartered jet, said a local media report on Monday. Label Big Hit Music refrained from confirming the schedule following the report. He is set to join the opening ceremony for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that will be held on Sunday. The management company announced on Sunday that he will participate in the performance for the ceremony as well as the official soundtrack for the soccer event. Six to seven musicians from aro

Nov. 14, 2022

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk wins 1st prize at Long-Thibaud Competition

South Korean pianist Lee Hyuk became joint first prize winner of the 2022 Long Thibaud International Competition, along with Japanese pianist Kamei Masaya, according to its organizers Sunday. Lee is the second Korean pianist to win the prize, following Lim Dong-hyek, who won the prize in 2001. The third prize was given to American pianist Davidman Michael. The 22-year-old will receive 27,500 euros ($28,300) in prize money in addition to an opportunity to participate in about 20 concerts and mu

Nov. 14, 2022

[Herald Interview] Jin Sun-kyu hopes viewers enjoy ‘Bargain’ without a frown

Since making a name for himself with the hit crime film “The Outlaws” in 2017, Jin Sun-kyu has been mesmerizing the Korean audience playing charismatic, hard-boiled characters in various projects, including “Dark Figure of Crime” (2018), “Extreme Job” (2019) and “Confidential Assignment 2: International,” released in September. While many fans already consider him one of the nation's go-to actors with an impressive filmography and a long lis

Nov. 14, 2022

‘Decibel’ to hit theaters in North America next month

Director Hwang in-ho's thriller “Decibel” will be released in theaters in North America on Dec. 2. Shaw Entertainment, which has introduced hit Koreans films including Park Chan-wook's “The Handmaiden,” Yoon Je-kyoon's “Ode to My Father” and “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” directed by Kim Han-min, to the North American market, will be distributing the new Korean thriller. In Hwang’s new film, former Korean Navy commander D

Nov. 14, 2022

BLACKPINK's 'Boombayah' video tops 1.5 bln YouTube views

The music video for K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's debut song "Boombayah" has surpassed 1.5 billion views on YouTube, the group's agency said Saturday. YG Entertainment said the video passed the milestone at about 3:50 a.m. the same day, six years after the K-pop quartet launched its debut EP album, "SQUARE ONE," in August 2016. Boombayah is one of the two songs on "SQUARE ONE," along with "Whistle." As of Saturday, three BLACKPINK videos have garn

Nov. 12, 2022