[Herald Review] fromis_9 promises happy ending in first concert 'Love From.'

It was a long and rough path for fromis_9 on its way to its first exclusive concert, with the band changing its agency once and losing a member in the meantime. But for fans, the three-night show proved the wait was more than worth it. K-pop girl group fromis_9 on Friday kicked off its first stand-alone concert series "Love From." at KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, and continued the show over the weekend. The eight members of fromis_9 are Lee Sae-rom, Song Ha-young, Park Ji

Oct. 3, 2022

Suzy to make musical comeback with new digital single ‘Cape’

Actor and songstress Suzy is making a return to music with a new digital single, “Cape,” on Thursday. According to her agency Management Soop, the singer-songwriter is making her way back seven months after the release of “Satellite” on Feb. 17, which she wrote the lyrics for. It added that her upcoming single has also been written by the musician. “Cape” has a folk-based melody that gives off an ethereal ambiance. The song’s musical arrangement is mainl

Oct. 3, 2022

Action comedy film becomes 3rd Korean flick to top 6m admissions in 2022

"Confidential Assignment 2: International," the action-comedy sequel to a 2017 hit, became the third South Korean film to top 6 million tickets sold on Sunday. According to the film's distributor, CJ ENM, the film, starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin, reached over the 6 million mark at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, 26 days after its premiere. It joined "The Roundup" and "Hansan: Rising Dragon" in the 6-million club among South Korean flicks in 2022. "Confidential Assignme

Oct. 2, 2022

[Photo News] fromis_9 holds its first concert 'Love From.'

K-pop girl group fromis_9 on Friday kicked off its first stand-alone concert series "Love From." at the KBS Arena in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul. On the second night on Saturday, the members performed a total of 22 songs from their near five-year career since the act's debut in 2018. An eight-piece band, fromis_9 consists of members Lee Sae-rom, Song Ha-young, Park Ji-won, Roh Ji-sun, Lee Seo-yeon, Lee Chae-yeong, Lee Na-gyung and Baek Ji-heon. It originally debuted as a nine-piece

Oct. 2, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Honest Candidate 2 (Korea) Opened Sept. 28 Comedy Directed by Jang Yoo-jung Sang-sook (Ra Mi-ran) is jobless after losing the Seoul mayoral election. One day, she accidentally saves a man in the sea and sees an opportunity to return to politics. She starts lying again for a higher approval rating. But Sang-sook soon finds out that she is once again unable to lie -- and this time, she’s not the only one suffering from this mysterious affliction. Project Wolf Hunting (Korea)　 Opened Sept.

Oct. 1, 2022

'Hallyu'-themed annual K-culture fest to kick off Saturday in Seoul

An annual festival showcasing the Korean Wave will kick off in Seoul on Saturday, featuring popular K-pop stars, such as NCT Dream, The Boyz, Monsta X, Ive, Oh My Girl and WJSN. Founded in 2020 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliated private Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), the festival has been held every year to promote "hallyu," or the global boom of Korean pop culture. The festival's third edition will take place at Gwangh

Sept. 30, 2022

Asian stars to take part in BIFF

Star actors from Asian countries will take part in the 27th Busan International Film Festival, which will be held from Oct. 5-14. Among the actors in attendance will be Thai film star Mario Maurer, as his new film, “Six Characters” directed by M.L. Bhandevanov Devakula, is screening at the festival. Maurer is known for “Pee Mak,” the first film to attract an audience of more than 10 million in Thailand. Along with Maurer, three other actors from “Six Characters&r

Sept. 30, 2022

[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ Jung Ho-yeon makes '100 Next' list

“Squid Game” star Jung Ho-yeon has been listed in the phenoms category of Time magazine's "100 Next." Launched in 2019, Time 100 Next is the youthful version of its more prominent "Time 100" list and was created to spotlight 100 rising stars shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more. “I often joke around and call her a ‘warrior.’ There’s no doubt that she has the skill and courage to fight h

Sept. 30, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids adds dates to world tour

Stray Kids will perform two more times in the US in March next year, announced label JYP Entertainment on Friday. The band added one concert each to those planned for Atlanta and Fort Worth, Texas according to the poster uploaded by the company. This will expand the ongoing tour to seven cities – from Jakarta, Indonesia and Bangkok to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia -- and 11 concerts from Nov. 12 to March 27. The poster also hinted that more concerts may be on the way. The eight-member t

Sept. 30, 2022

g.o.d to reunite after 4 years for year-end concert in Seoul

All five members of veteran K-pop idol group g.o.d will meet fans in person in a year-end concert in Seoul. According to IOK Co., organizer of the upcoming concert, on Friday, the quintet is scheduled to kick off a three-day concert on Dec. 9 at KSPO Dome at Olympic Park in southern Seoul. The event will mark the band's first time together in four years, since the act’s last concert “Greatest” in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its debut. The group has been unable t

Sept. 30, 2022

New SAC president vows to focus on 'pure art' like opera and ballet

The new president of the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday unveiled plans to focus on “pure art," such as opera and ballet, as the organization seeks to return to its original goals. Chang Hyoung-joon, who was appointed in June as the 17th president of South Korea’s top art complex by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The Opera Theater, which was built as an opera and ballet theater, will regain its original position by presenting pure art works centered on op

Sept. 29, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids’ new EP sells over 2m copies in pre-orders

Stray Kids’ upcoming EP “Maxident” sold more than 2.24 million copies in pre-orders, according to label JYP Entertainment on Thursday. The EP will roll out on Nov. 7 and the figure is strong indication that it will be another million-selling album. The eight-piece act’s second studio album “Noeasy,” from August last year, was its first to sell over 1 million units. EP “Oddinary” from March was its second. The EP landed atop the Billboard 200, a fe

Sept. 29, 2022

Melon Music Awards to return offline after two years

After three years of pandemic-related setbacks, the Melon Music Awards are returning offline, according to Kakao Entertainment, which runs Melon, the nation’s largest music streaming platform. The South Korean entertainment giant said Thursday that the 14th edition of the event will be held at its usual ceremony venue at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, southwestern Seoul, on Nov. 26. This year’s event will be presented by Kakao Bank, the banking affiliate of the Korean internet firm. &l

Sept. 29, 2022

K-Music Festival in London to offer rich Korean flavor beyond K-pop

The 9th edition of K-Music Festival, hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre UK, is set to bring an experience beyond K-pop with a lineup of artists that use traditional Korean music to find new sounds during the eight-week event. K-Music 2022 will kick off Oct. 5 with a joint concert by Dal:um and ReMidas at the Barbican Centre in London. Dal:um, a musical duo featuring gayageum player Ha Su-yean and geomungo player Hwang Hye-young, made their London debut at the Purcell Room last year. This time,

Sept. 28, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s ‘Shut Down’ lands on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 25

Blackpink has placed two songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated Oct. 1. “Shut Down,” the main track from its second studio album “Born Pink,” hit the chart at No. 25 while the pre-release from the album “Pink Venom” ranked No. 57, extending its stay to fifth week. The two songs were No. 1 and No. 2 on Billboard’s Global 200, respectively, as well as on the Global Excl. the US. Blackpink is the fourth artist ever to top both charts at the same time, af

Sept. 28, 2022

From Treasure to Stray Kids, boy bands gear up for October return

With the rush of cool air, boy bands are welcoming the year's colder seasons with new music, and some big names, from Treasure to Stray Kids, are in for a clash in the coming weeks. Among the most anticipated returns will be Treasure, the rookie boy band of K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment. Treasure is set to drop its new album, "The Second Step: Chapter Two," on Oct. 4. The act's second EP, "The Second Step: Chapter Two," will be fronted by the main track "He

Sept. 28, 2022

Comedy film ‘Daemuga’ blends Korean shamanism, rap battles

After a beat drops, three participants in colorful clothing begin delivering a rhythmic speech about their lives while breaking out in dance. The crowd surrounding them erupts into cheers when they spit out punchlines. What looks like an ordinary hip-hop rap battle scene in the upcoming comedy film “Daemuga” is a reinterpretation of “gut,” a special performance by a Korean modern-day shaman to bring back spirits. “It (shamanism) is a surreal topic and I wanted to d

Sept. 28, 2022

[Feature] Will SM go back for sale after terminating contract with Lee Soo-man’s Like Planning?

After leading K-pop agency SM Entertainment’s announcement that it was considering early termination of its contract with music production company Like Planning, the entertainment industry and market are keeping a close watch on SM’s fate amid the undervaluing of its stock and a “brief halt” on a takeover deal. SM Entertainment is seeking to terminate its contract with the music production company wholly owned by SM’s chief producer and founder, Lee Soo-man, by the

Sept. 28, 2022

Namkoong Min to wed longtime girlfriend next month

Namkoong Min is to wed his longtime girlfriend, model and actor Jin Ah-reum, next month, according to Namkoong's agency. “Actor Namkoong Min and his longtime partner Jin Ah-reum will be tying the knot,” 935 Entertainment announced Wednesday. “The private wedding will be held Oct. 7 in Seoul with close friends and families in attendance,” the agency said. The couple met in Namkoong’s directorial debut short film “Light My Fire” (2016), in which Jin starre

Sept. 28, 2022

National Gugak Center to unveils cantatas of 'Jongmyo Jeryeak,' 'Arirang'

The National Gugak Center, a state-supported organization that aims to foster Korean traditional music, is set to perform a set of cantatas featuring Korea’s "Jongmyo Jeryeak" and "Arirang." The concert, conducted by Lee Yong-tak, the artistic director of the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra, will present a harmonious sound created by 123 performers. The first part, which will run for 45 minutes, will premiere a new rearrangement of "Jongmyo Jeryeak" by Suwon Un

Sept. 27, 2022