[Today’s K-pop] Kep1er adds date to Japan showcase

Girl group Kep1er has decided to perform one more time in Japan, agency WakeOne Entertainment said Thursday. 　 The nine-member act is making an official debut in the country with a showcase that was originally planned for Sept. 10-11. When the tickets for the two events sold out as soon as they became available, the agency added another concert to the second day. 　 The rookie band dropped “Wing Wing,” the main track from its Japan debut single “Fly-Up,” in advance on W

Aug. 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Lydia Lee sings about fluidity of life in ‘Ways We Change’

In 2015, Lydia Lee, then a teenager studying music in high school, took the internet by storm with her cover video of Adele’s “Hello.” The viral video led to Lee appearing on popular US TV talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and speaking of her dreams to be a singer. Fast forward seven years, Lee has now earned the title of musician and is free to roam her musical universe at her own pace, sharing her thoughts with the world through her words. Popping in and out of the local

Aug. 4, 2022

Coupang Play vs. ‘Anna’ director: Platform operator and creator duel over right to edit

Newcomer Coupang Play immediately became a notable player in the local streaming market after releasing the K-drama series “Anna” starring Korean heartthrob Bae Suzy on June 24. The platform had the fourth biggest monthly active users in Korea in June, with 3.73 million. However, just as it was time for Coupang Play to celebrate its success, trouble arose after “Anna” director raised a complaint against the company. On Tuesday, “Anna” writer and director

Aug. 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] Jung Woo-sung says working with best friend Lee Jung-jae was not easy

Top star Jung Woo-sung said he felt more pressure working with Lee Jung-jae since he really wanted his best friend’s directorial debut feature “Hunt” to be a success. The top actors became close friends while working together in the movie “City of the Rising Sun,” directed by Kim Sung-soo in 1999. Their fans have taken to calling the two the “Cheongdam couple,” as they are often spotted hanging out together at bars and restaurants in the Cheongdam-don

Aug. 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Squid Game’ star Lee Jung-jae ready to ‘hunt’ global audience

Korean moviegoers seeking out Lee Jung-jae’s “Hunt” will see a different version of the film to the one shown at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The actor said he reworked his directorial debut feature after it premiered at the festival, as some foreign viewers told him that the movie was difficult to follow without knowledge of 1980s Korean politics. “When writing the script, I aimed to target audiences in their teens and 20s. Since my goal was to target

Aug. 4, 2022

Rookie girl group NewJeans makes impressive debut on charts

NewJeans, the first girl group from an independent label under K-pop powerhouse Hybe, has made an impact on music charts at home and abroad upon its debut. "Attention," a lead track of the group's debut EP, "New Jeans," topped Spotify's daily top songs chart in South Korea on Monday, when it dropped, the global music streaming service said Wednesday. The album's three other tracks, "Hype Boy," "Cookie" and "Hurt," also placed secon

Aug. 4, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Lisa 1st female to top Billboard‘s new chart

The solo track by Lisa of Blackpink went to the top of Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart dated Aug. 6. 　 She became the first female artist to claim the No. 1 spot. 　 The tally, powered by Twitter, is a weekly recap of the most popular songs across genres and across the world, ranked by online streaming activity data. 　 Her first solo single, “Lalisa,” climbed five places to the top spot from the previous week. It also is the only song to stay on the chart since it was la

Aug. 3, 2022

EBS International Documentary Festival returns with in-person programs

The 19th EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF 2022) kicks off Aug. 22 with a return to in-person ceremonies and screenings for the long-awaiting documentary fans. Under the slogan “Pitch Your Dream,” the seven-day festival will begin with an opening ceremony at EBS Space Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, which will also be broadcast live on EBS 1TV, the EIDF organizing committee said during a press conference Tuesday. Chinese director Jin Haquing‘s documentary, &ldqu

Aug. 3, 2022

Choi Yena brings summertime magic to beat the heat with ‘Smartphone’

Out with the old, in with the new, Choi Yena welcomed the hottest season of the year with her improvement-themed second EP, “Smartphone,” released Wednesday evening. This marks the soloist‘s return, nearly seven months since she released her first EP, “Smiley,” in January. During Wednesday’s press conference, Choi said the theme of her new album is “upgrading.” The singer said she is back with new songs that have improved in sound, reflecting

Aug. 3, 2022

Hong Sang-soo’s ‘Walk Up’ invited to two overseas film fests

Director Hong Sang-soo’s new film “Walk Up” has been invited to two film festivals – the San Sebastian International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. “Walk Up,” which was filmed in the fall of 2021 in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, follows the interactions of a middle-aged moviemaker. Actors from Hong‘s previous film “The Novelist’s Film,” Kwon Hae-hyo, Lee Hae-young, Jo Yoon-hee and Park Mi-so also star in t

Aug. 3, 2022

Bong Joon-ho starts shooting ‘Mickey7’ in the UK

Korean director Bong Joon-ho has started filming his new sci-fi film under the working title of “Mickey7” at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK. Many popular movies, including films from the “Harry Potter,” “Kingsman, “ and “Mission Impossible” franchises, were filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Bong is scheduled to finish shooting by the end of this year, with the film‘s release expected at the end of 2023 or the beginning of

Aug. 3, 2022

Girls’ Generation, Blackpink and Twice: K-pop A-listers gear up for summer

As a slew of big-name K-pop artists are set to return with bops for the sweltering summer, with major girl groups among those vying to make their way into summer playlists. On the star-studded roster is Girls’ Generation, one of the longest-running K-pop girl groups, making its long-awaited full-group comeback to celebrate its 15th anniversary. After rumors that the K-pop icons were returning with new songs, the band’s agency SM Entertainment confirmed that the band would drop i

Aug. 3, 2022

[Herald Review] Three Parks bring to life Victor Hugo’s lesser known ‘The Man Who Laughs’

  French writer Victor Hugo’s 1869 novel, “The Man Who Laughs,” went onstage in South Korea as a musical in 2018. Best known for “Les Miserables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” Hugo’s works have inspired many musical and film adaptations. Hugo’s lesser known “The Man Who Laughs” inspired the EMK Musical Company to create a musical version of the story and in its third production this year, the musical shows the power of

Aug. 3, 2022

'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' regains position as No. 1 non-English series on Netflix

The South Korean legal drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has regained the top position on Netflix's latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The TV series, which has aired every Wednesday and Thursday on the cable channel ENA since June 29, marked 65.6 million hours of viewing for the week of July 25-31 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs available on the service, according to th

Aug. 3, 2022

Joo Won returns with Netflix action film ‘Carter’

Korean actor Joo Won is returning with new Netflix action film “Carter” directed by Jung Byung-gil. “I can confidently say that ‘Carter’ is a new kind of action film. I hope that through this film, we can spread Korean action films to the world,” the actor said during a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Tuesday. “When I first read the script, I thought, ‘Is it possible to film these scenes?’ but also really w

Aug. 3, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen tops Oricon chart with repack

Seventeen’s repackaged album claimed the No. 1 spot on Oricon‘s weekly album ranking, according to the most recent tally that was released on Tuesday. 　 “Sector 17,” a repacked version of the fourth studio album “Face The Sun,” is the band’s seventh album – and the third in a row to top the chart. 　 The reissue came out on July 18, landed atop Oricon‘s daily album ranking on July 29 and stayed for three consecutive days. The album and lead

Aug. 2, 2022

KF World Cinema Week to look into films from Latin America

An unprecedented blackout hits Central America, and people struggle to get through the crisis. A pilot suffers severe injuries from an accidental landing; an elderly lady with her grandson tries to find her daughter at a hospital; a millionaire housewife is trapped in her penthouse with her housemaid; a teenage girl’s 15th birthday party goes awry; a pastor and his daughter take advantage of the chaotic situation; a detached couple finds each other amid a solar storm. These six different

Aug. 2, 2022

[Newsmaker] BTS to resume group variety show amid ongoing solo work

K-pop group BTS is getting together amid each member’s busy solo schedule to relaunch its online variety show. Big Hit Music, the label behind BTS, on Tuesday announced that the band would resume the variety show “Run BTS” after a 10-month break. “‘Run BTS’ is finally returning after a 10-month hiatus,” leader RM said in a teaser video released on YouTube on Monday. “We’re back recharged and it will be more fun, so please look forward to

Aug. 2, 2022

BTS to resume 'Run BTS' variety show after 10-month break

K-pop boy group BTS has announced the return of its own variety show, titled "Run BTS," after 10 months. "'Run BTS' will finally make a return after a 10-month break," the band said in a teaser video it shared on social media Monday. "Please look forward to the release, because the show would be more fun after being recharged." "Run BTS" is a South Korean web-based series starring the septet, which first began in August 2015 and has since release

Aug. 2, 2022

BTS could be allowed to perform overseas during military service: defense minister

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has said there could be a way to allow members of K-pop supergroup BTS to perform overseas while carrying out their mandatory military service. Lee made the remark during a parliamentary defense committee meeting Monday, saying the issue can be handled without breaching the principle of "fairness and equity." "I believe there is a way to give BTS an opportunity to continue to perform for the benefit of national interest," Lee said. "If they

Aug. 2, 2022