[Today’s K-pop] All Twice members renew contract

All nine members of Twice have renewed their contracts, label JYP Entertainment announced Tuesday. 　 Their exclusive contracts were due to expire in October but all of them decided to stay and signed well in advance. 　 The group debuted in 2015 with studio album “Twicetagram.” It has established itself as one of the leading female bands in K-pop, setting a series of records. It put its third full album at No. 3 on Billboard 200 and has 20 music videos with over 100 million views e

July 12, 2022

Korean blockbusters offer immersive cinematic experience this summer

Korean blockbusters will hit local theaters this summer in diverse “immersive cinema” formats to attract more moviegoers, as COVID-19 restrictions for theaters have been lifted. Previously, special-format Imax theaters were considered the near-exclusive domain of Hollywood blockbusters such as Marvel Studios’ superhero movies. The Korean movie industry had practically shunned the format. Until recently, only six Korean commercial films had been released in the Imax format. &

July 12, 2022

National Theater unveils 2022-2023 season program

From barrier-free shows to an orchestra conducted by a robot, the National Theater of Korea on Tuesday unveiled more than 60 productions, old and new, for the upcoming season. The National Repertory Season 2022-2023 consists of a total of 61 productions, including 26 premieres and 10 repertoires by national arts groups in theater, traditional drama, dance and orchestra. The new season, from Aug. 31 to June 30, 2023, kicks off with National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s “Rabbit&r

July 12, 2022

Pianist Cho Seong-jin to perform Chopin concertos outdoors

  Cho Seong-jin, one of South Korea’s most sought-after pianists, will perform the complete the Chopin Piano Concertos outdoors, his management Credia said Tuesday. The concert, which was originally scheduled for last year but had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place at Yonsei University‘s Amphitheater at 7:30 pm on Aug. 31. Kremerata Baltica, a 25-year-old chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Baltic countries founded by violinist Gideon Kr

July 12, 2022

Korean dating reality shows have viewers hooked on romance

From terrestrial broadcasts to local streaming services, there seems to be no end to the amount of dating reality shows available to viewers. Cable channel MBN’s hard-hitting dating show “Love After Divorce” returned with season 3 on June 26, while “Singles Inferno,” the first-ever Korean reality show to soar to the No. 5 slot on Netflix’s most popular shows, is set to come back with a second season this December. Content creators of hit romance reality sh

July 12, 2022

Hybe contents featuring BTS to arrive on Disney+

Original content featuring BTS will arrive on Disney+ following a global content collaboration between Hybe Corporation and The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. On Tuesday, Hybe, the media conglomerate behind BTS, announced that it is set to provide a total of five major content projects to the US-based content giant’s platform. The package includes two exclusive series featuring BTS. Among the content coming to Disney’s streaming platform is the 4K Ultra High Definition versio

July 12, 2022

SMTown Live unveils star-studded lineup for Suwon concert

K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment on Tuesday unveiled a final lineup for its upcoming joint concert that features an array of the label’s artists. Titled “SMTown Live 2022: SMCU Express @Human City_Suwon,” the star-studded event will bring together SM artists under one umbrella, including Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Shinee‘s Key and Minho, EXO’s Suho, Xiumin, Chen, D.O. and Kai, Red Velvet, NCT, aespa, GOT the beat,

July 12, 2022

J-Hope's 'More' debuts at No. 82 on Billboard main singles chart

J-Hope, the first BTS member to launch a solo venture, entered the US Billboard's main singles chart with "More," the chart has said. The song debuted at No. 82 on the Hot 100 chart for this week, Billboard said on social media on Monday (US time). It came out on July 1 as a prereleased track from "Jack in the Box," his solo debut album set to be out Friday. He previously reached 81st on the chart with "Chicken Noodle Soup," a collaborative single with American

July 12, 2022

[Herald Interview] Rookie actor from South Africa eyes lead role in Korean productions

Justin John Harvey, who made his big screen debut in “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One,” directed by hit maker Park Hoon-jung, is determined to succeed. In fact, the 31-year-old actor said his will to succeed comes from his love of cinema and acting, making him singularly motivated. Although his fellow actors may also covet success, he believes that few can compare when it comes to his dedication to developing his Korean skills in the hopes of becoming a headlining actor, Harvey

July 11, 2022

Chungha takes on new challenge with ‘Bare&Rare Pt.1’

K-pop singer Chungha returned to the K-pop scene, hoping to show more of herself on her challenging second full-length album “Bare & Rare Pt.1.” It has been around a year and a half since the release of her first studio album, “Querencia,” in February last year. The soloist participated in producing the music and writing the lyrics for all eight tracks. “I had never been able to share my real stories and memories in my music. Since my fans have been waiting

July 11, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to collaborate with iann dior

   　 Tomorrow X Together will team up with American rapper and songwriter iann dior, according to their label Big Hit Music on Monday. 　 The band will put out the single “Valley of Lies (feat. iann dior)” on July 22. The American artist, whose collaboration with rapper 24kGoldn “Mood” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2020, suggested working together. 　 K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin touted the collaboration as the boy band’s “next crossover m

July 11, 2022

BTS celebrates Army’s anniversary through ‘BTS x Street Galleries’

Google Arts & Culture launched a special collaboration with K-pop juggernaut BTS to celebrate the birthday of the band’s official fandom, known as Army. Dubbed “BTS x Street Galleries,” the exhibition aims to bring viewers and fans on a virtual tour of the iconic pop group’s favorite artworks and to celebrate the Army’s birthday, which falls on July 9. The collaboration project takes fans on a street view tour of locations around the world chosen by the mem

July 11, 2022

[Feature] LGBTQ streaming content influences Koreans' perception of sexual minorities

Two men fall into each other‘s arms on a bed. This scene, which might have been nearly unthinkable on Korean TV only a few years ago due to negative attitudes toward homosexuality, was part of the first episode of Korean streaming service Wavve’s new reality show “Merry Queer,” starring gay, lesbian and transgender couples. The co-hosts of the show, famous comedian Shin Dong-yup and TV personality and restaurateur Hong Seok-cheon, who came out as gay several years ago,

July 11, 2022

Korean EDM fans cool off at Songkran Music Festival

Songkran Music Festival landed in Korea for the first time over the weekend, with heart-thumping music and about 1 million liters of water. S2O Korea took place at Seoul Land in Gwacheon, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday. Some 40,000 festivalgoers attended the two-day event to enjoy performances by top electronic dance artists while being sprayed with water. The daytime highs reached over 35 degrees Celsius over the weekend, but the festivalgoers came equipped -- wi

July 11, 2022

BTS’ J-Hope to kick off solo venture with ‘Jack in The Box’

J-Hope, the rapper and dancer of boy band BTS, will launch his much-anticipated debut solo studio album “Jack in The Box” on Friday on global music platforms. Days after the K-pop juggernaut released its anthology album “Proof,” the septet’s agency Big Hit Music announced that J-Hope would expand his musical horizons with a new solo project. “Jack in the Box” reflects his “aspirations to break the mold and grow further,” said the agency.

July 11, 2022

[Herald Review] Dance fever continues at ‘Street Woman Fighter’ reunion concert

After seeing phenomenal success with Mnet’s dance survival show “Street Woman Fighter,” female dance crews from the program returned over the weekend with more powerful and dynamic performances for a reunion show at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium at Seoul’s Olympic Park. The two-day event “Street Woman Fighter Reunion: The Next Era” was a treat for the audience and also a chance for the eight top-tier dance crews -- YGX, Lachica, Want, WayB, Coca N Butter

July 11, 2022

Gonjiam Music Festival, dedicated to flute, to return next week

Gonjiam Music Festival, an event to dedicated to flutes, is coming back on July 17 after two years of pandemic-related hiatus, its organizer said on Monday. From July 17 to 21, the festival offers two concerts and master classes in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, with participation of musicians from Europe, Japan and Korea. For a concert on July 17, themed cinema, Orchestra The Original conducted by Adriel Kim will perform a familiar repertoire that an audience of all ages can enjoy including

July 11, 2022

Tving sees increase in mobile users in June on partnership with Paramount+

Tving, the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, saw its mobile users rebound last month on the back of the launch of a new service with US streamer Paramount+, industry data showed Monday. The number of its monthly mobile users reached 4.02 million in June, up 5.4 percent from the previous month's 3.81 million, according to the data compiled by IGA Works. It is Tving's first on-month increase in the monthly figures in 2022, as the local stre

July 11, 2022

Jang Hyuk, Ryu Seung-ryong win awards at NY film fest

Acclaimed Korean stars and content creators are set to take center stage at the upcoming New York Asian Film Festival 2022, with actors Jang Hyuk and Ryu Seung-ryong, among others, winning awards at the fest. According to NYAFF, Jang won the Daniel A. Craft Award for excellence in action cinema for his roles in “The Swordsman” (2020) and “The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die,” which will be shown during a special screening at NYAFF. Ryu will receive the inaugural Bes

July 10, 2022

[Photo News] aespa kicks off Good Morning America’s summer concert series

K-pop girl group aespa on Friday premiered the title track “Girls” of their second EP on the opening stages of the Good Morning America’s summer concert at the Rumsey Playfield in the Central Park in New York. According to the group’s agency S.M. Entertainment, aespa became to the first K-pop girl group to perform at the summer concert series hosted by ABC, a major US television network.   The four-member group also delivered performances of “Black Mamba

July 9, 2022