[Herald Interview] Kim Yong-jun carves new path for decade-plus career with first solo album ‘Suddenly’

Over the course of nearly two decades, Kim Yong-jun of vocal group SG Wannabe has gone from a fresh rookie to an industry veteran who has scored multiple megahits. But he describes himself as a "no-hit wonder" because there’s nothing that he can present as a soloist. Now, Kim seems to be ready to branch out with his first-ever solo album, “Suddenly,” which released Friday evening. “I’m nervous but excited at the same time about dropping my first album, and

Oct. 17, 2022

Pop legend Cho Yong-pil to hold first live concerts in Seoul in 4 years

Cho Yong-pil, who is widely known in Korea as “Gawang” -- the king of singing or pop music -- will hold his first live concerts in Seoul in about four years next month, the concert’s organizer announced Monday. “2022 Cho Yong-pil Concert” will be held on Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 3-4 at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park in southern Seoul, according to Insight Entertainment. This will mark the legendary singer’s first in-person concerts in Seoul since his last national con

Oct. 17, 2022

[Herald Review] BTS' 'Yet To Come' concert brings the world to Busan

BTS' Busan concert on Saturday was not just a live music show, but a promise with the fans of the future it has ahead and a declaration to the world that its best is still yet to come. "Whatever happens, if the seven of us hope for the same and if you guys trust us, we will overcome everything and continue to be happy and hold concerts," the band leader RM said to the crowd during the concert. BTS' concert "'Yet To Come' in Busan" took place at the Busan Asiad Stadium on Satu

Oct. 16, 2022

[From the Scene] BTS paints Busan purple with ‘Yet to Come’ concert, events

  BUSAN -- K-pop sensation BTS has covered Busan in a shade of purple. The boy band’s fandom, Army, from all over the world has flocked to the country’s second-largest city in unison to feel the festive vibes on the day of the septet’s concert, "BTS 'Yet to Come' in Busan" on Saturday. The music event was planned to support and promote Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. While it was scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. at the Asiad Main Stadium, tens of

Oct. 16, 2022

LG Arts Center reopens with LSO concert featuring pianist Cho Seong-jin

Moving to western Seoul after 22 years in the affluent Gangnam district, LG Arts Center made a grand reopening on Thursday at its new Magok venue with a special concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Simon Rattle, with Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin. Cho, the first Korean to win first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2015, took the stage with the maestro and orchestra for the audience who filled the 1,335-seat multipurpose LG Signature Hall to perform Ra

Oct. 14, 2022

Veteran band SSaW celebrates 20th anniversary of 'Bravo, My Life!’ with analog release

Veteran fusion rock band SSaW, or Spring Summer Autumn Winter, has revived its masterpiece, “Bravo, My Life!” restoring it into a package comprising an LP and cassette tape. The band’s vocalist and guitarist Kim Jong-jin called the latest release a “reverential analog product.” To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the band’s seventh full-length album, SSaW held a press conference in Mapo-gu, west of Seoul, Friday. Kim, who is now the only active

Oct. 14, 2022

‘A Wild Roomer,’ ‘Shivamma’ win New Currents Award at BIFF

The 27th Busan International Film Festival has selected “A Wild Roomer,” directed by Lee Jeong-hong and “Shivamma” directed by Jaishankar Aryar as New Currents Award winners on Friday, announced on the last day of the ten-day long film fest. The New Currents Award is presented to the two best feature films by new Asian directors presenting their first or second feature at the Busan film fest. The two winners each receive $30,000. According to the festival's director H

Oct. 14, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids sets sales record with 7th EP

     Stray Kids’ seventh EP “Maxident” sold over 2.18 million copies in the first week of its release, label JYP Entertainment said Friday. The EP became the fourth-most sold album in K-pop history and the band the second-bestselling artist. The top three bestselling albums all belong to BTS. Main track “Case 143” headed straight to the top of Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs Powered By Twitter chart, raising expectations that it would also r

Oct. 14, 2022

[Newsmaker] Netflix to charge W5,500 a month for new ad-supported plan

  Global streaming platform Netflix will introduce a new ad-supported plan in Korea, which will charge its users 5,500 won ($3.85) a month from Nov. 4. Users of the new and cheaper advertising-supported tier will have to watch 15-to-30 second advertisements before and during Netflix content. A total of around four to five minutes long advertisements will be streamed per hour to subscribers, according to Netflix. Some Netflix content will not be available for the new plan’s users

Oct. 14, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Orphan: First Kill (US)　 Opened Oct. 12 Horror Directed by William Brent Bell A psychopath (Isabelle Fuhrman) hiding an enormous secret successfully escapes from an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating Esther, the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Esther’s mom (Julia Stiles) becomes suspicious and she fights "Esther" to protect her family. Life is Beautiful (Korea) Opened Sept. 28 Drama Directed by Choi Kook-hee Housewife Se-yeon (Yum Jung-a

Oct. 14, 2022

BTS’ Busan concert looms amid purple frenzy

  With only two days left until K-pop superband BTS' concert in Busan, the city has flushed into the shade of purple with a series of events taking place to welcome the band and its fans. The septet is holding its concert "BTS 'Yet To Come' in Busan" on Saturday in its efforts to support and promote Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. The city has literally lightened up in purple as landmark spots, from Busan City Hall to the Gwangan Bridge and Busan Tower, gleam in purple ev

Oct. 13, 2022

Kep1er returns to solve problems in 3rd EP ‘Troubleshooter’

Right in time for the season of leather jackets, Kep1er returned with a girl crush concept. Leaving its usual cute and perky image behind, the girl group dropped its third EP, “Troubleshooter,” Thursday evening. This marks a return after nearly four months for the rookie K-pop act, since its second EP, “Doublast,” in June. Before releasing the new album, the band successfully forayed into Japan's music market with its Japanese debut album, “Fly-Up,” last

Oct. 13, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Kep1er’s Kim Dayeon dating Ciipher’s Won: report

  Kim Dayeon of Kep1er and Won of Ciipher are seeing each other romantically, according to a local media report on Thursday. There have already been speculations among fans that they are in a relationship, as the pair uploaded on social media their pictures visiting the same places, wearing the same clothes. Kep1er’s agency told the media outlet that it will not deny the rumor. “We’re not responding to the dating rumor because we don’t see a reason,” it said. R

Oct. 13, 2022

Pride film fest to be held at new venue in Seoul

The 2022 Seoul International Pride Film Festival, which mainly focuses on queer films, will be held from Nov. 3-9 at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul. The Pride film festival, which used to be held at CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library in Seoul, had to look for a new venue after the operator of the pandemic-hit theater in Myeong-dong suspended business there last year. “Although the CGV Myeongdong started operating again, it was when we had already signed the new deal with Megabox,” SIP

Oct. 13, 2022

Nam Joo-hyuk avoids elephant in room during ‘Remember’ press conference

Despite the expectation that rising star Nam Joo-hyuk, 28, would address a series of bullying allegations raised against him, the actor avoided facing the elephant in the room after a press screening of his new film, “Remember,” at CGV Yongsan in Seoul on Wednesday. It was the first offline event that the Korean actor has attended since allegations of his involvement in bullying that occurred in middle and high school, about 10 or more years ago, emerged in June. “It has be

Oct. 13, 2022

Park Ji-hoon hopes ‘My Answer’ will give listeners 'genuine happiness'

Having spent a year away from music, singer Park Ji-hoon has returned with his sixth EP, “The Answer,” which dropped Wednesday evening. “I was on hiatus for quite a long time since I was busy shooting a drama and doing other activities. I’m a little nervous and excited at the same time thinking that I’ll be able to see my fans in person,” he said during Wednesday’s online press conference. “Since I’m putting out an album after so long, I dyed

Oct. 13, 2022

Kwon Eun-bi hopes to cause a stir in K-pop scene with 3rd EP 'Lethality'

Kwon Eun-bi, formerly leader of Iz*One, returned to the stage Wednesday with her third EP, “Lethality." The singer held a press showcase to talk about the album and its production at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul, ahead of the EP's release at 6 p.m. the same day. The new album marks the soloist’s return after a six-month break following the release of the second EP, “Color,” released in June. “Like the lexical meaning of the word ‘lethality,’ my goal

Oct. 12, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Ex-Iz*One Lee Chaeyeon shares excitement with solo debut EP

    Lee Chaeyeon, formerly of Iz*One, held a media showcase in Seoul Wednesday to bring out her first solo EP “Hush Rush.” “I am nervous filling up the stage on my own, not as a team, but am also excited to show a new side of me,” she said. She has paved her way as a performer through a string of audition shows, including “Produce 48,” through which the multinational girl group was formed. “I’ve missed the stage so much and couldn’t

Oct. 12, 2022

[Herald Interview] Baekho makes solo debut with EP 'Absolute Zero'

Physics considers absolute zero to be the lowest temperature possible. At this point, all particles inside a substance are motionless. Baekho said he felt like he was in that state when he first started making his first solo album earlier this year, unconstrained yet unable to take the next step. "When I first thought of making an album, I didn't know what kind of song to write. It didn't really hit me at first, and I felt kind of lost," the singer said during an interview

Oct. 12, 2022

'The Match' starring Lee Byung-hun, Yoo Ah-in mulls skipping theaters for Netflix release

  New drama film “The Match,” which stars big-name actors Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in as Go players, is considering skipping a theatrical release and going straight to a streaming platform. Netflix on Wednesday said they are in talks with officials of ‘The Match’ concerning its release, but "nothing has been decided yet.” The announcement denies a local news outlet’s report Tuesday that said Netflix and producers of “The Match” had agree

Oct. 12, 2022