[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to drop 2nd EP in Japan next month

　 Stray Kids will put out its second Japanese EP “Circus” on June 22, the group’s label JYP Entertainment announced on Monday. 　 It will consist of six tracks -- a title track and two new songs, as well as Japanese versions of three songs, including “Maniac,” the lead track from the group’s most recent EP “Oddinary.” The EP came out in March and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. 　 The songwriting trio within the band – Bang Chan, Changbin

May 16, 2022

Cho Kuk documentary ‘The Red Herring’ raises over W2b

“The Red Herring,” a documentary directed by Yi Seung-jun about the embattled ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk, has raised a total of over 2.6 billion won ($2 million) from over 51,000 people on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug as of Sunday, far exceeding its original goal of 50 million won. “I was very surprised by the Tumblbug funding result. I am moved by the support. Thank you,” Cho said in a video clip released on Tumblbug Monday. “I want to have a talk with t

May 16, 2022

Local broadcasters MBC, JTBC continue forays into NFTs

South Korean broadcasters are seeking to expand their platforms with non-fungible tokens. Attempting to turn the highly popular “Infinite Challenge” intellectual property into NFT artwork, terrestrial broadcaster MBC is holding a special exhibition to showcase its NFT project. Inspired by popular “Infinite Challenge” episodes, South Korea’s longest running and most successful variety show, the artworks present well-known scenes from the show. Drawn by artist Seo

May 16, 2022

BTS extends winning streak with three Billboard Music Awards

K-pop sensation BTS took home three prizes at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), marking the group‘s sixth consecutive year winning a trophy at the event. The septet’s wins -- top duo or group, top song sales artist and top selling song -- were announced by Billboard on social media on Sunday, ahead of the awards show that took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Since becoming the first-ever K-pop act to win a BBMA award in 2017 by snagging the top social arti

May 16, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘The Sound of Magic’ was a challenge, but consolation as well: Choi Sung-eun

For actor Choi Sung-eun, 25, the challenge posed by Netflix’s latest series “The Sound of Magic” was compounded. It was not just her first major role in a series – but her first singing and dancing as part of the role. “Our series decided to present the thoughts and emotions of a teenage girl through music. There was some pressure in acting and singing at the same time. ‘The Sound of Magic’ gave me time to grow as an actor,” said Choi during a

May 16, 2022

[Herald Review] Beautiful Mint Life 2022 brings festival sing-alongs back to Seoul

With festival season back in full swing after many COVID-19 social distancing rules were removed earlier this spring, around 8,000 music fans flocked to Olympic Park’s 88 Jandi Madang in southeastern Seoul on Saturday, eager to enjoy long-awaited outdoor performances. Beautiful Mint Life 2022, an annual indie music festival, was special not only for attendees, but also the performers onstage. With audience sing-alongs and cheerful dances, the performances felt as though people had almost f

May 15, 2022

[Herald Interview] Screenwriters Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae learned valuable lessons from ‘Monstrous’

While satisfied with the recent success of Tving’s suspense thriller “Monstrous,” screenwriters Yeon Sang-ho and Ryu Yong-jae believe that they still have a long way to go to satisfy the public. “‘Monstrous’ is a six-part series with each episode running almost 30 minutes. I wanted to make a series presenting a straightforward storyline at a quick pace. I believe ‘Monstrous’ is the first film-length series to be released by a local streaming plat

May 15, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids’ EP sells over 1 million

   　 Stray Kids earned certification for its million-selling EP “Oddinary.” 　 The EP was released on March 18 and has become the band’s second million-seller, following second studio album “Noeasy” last year. 　 The EP sold 1.3 million copies in preorders and in the first week of sales, sold more than 850,000 units, a record for the eight-member act. The album landed atop the Billboard 200 and made the band the third K-pop musician ever to achieve th

May 13, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Musical introvert’ Kim Ye-ji breaks out of shell to sing for women, socially disadvantaged

Kim Ye-ji found fame as a musician through the survival show “The Voice of Korea” in 2020. Last year, the singer became the center of attention when she introduced herself by singing Bishop Briggs’ “River” on the audition program “Super Band 2.” People know her as a rock vocalist with short hair and a signature winged eyeliner look who makes great cover songs. But this time, the singer made her way onto the music charts with her first EP, “Turned

May 13, 2022

aespa listed as one of 'next generation leaders' by TIME

South Korean girl group aespa has been chosen as one of the Next Generation Leaders by the US news magazine TIME. Since 2014, the magazine has annually announced the list featuring trendsetters and trailblazers who are guiding the way to a brighter future. "aespa is an experiment, but it may also be the inevitable next step for the music industry: a fresh way to bridge the virtual and the real," it commented of the rookie group, unveiling the list Wednesday (US time). Debuting in Novem

May 13, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (US) Opened May 4 Action Directed by Sam Raim Set a few months after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021), Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a powerful sorcerer who must protect the earth from mystical menaces. He battles these unexpected enemies with a teenager America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) with the power to travel across the alternate universe. In the process of doing this, he travels into the multiverse. I

May 13, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids’ “Thunderous” music video tops 200m views

   The music video for Stray Kids’ 2021 hit “Thunderous” surpassed 200 million views on YouTube, according to label JYP Entertainment on Thursday. 　 It became the third music video from the eight-member act to reach the milestone following those of “God’s Menu” and “Back Door.” 　 The song is the main track from its second full album “Noeasy” and topped iTunes top songs chart in 52 regions when it came out in August last year.

May 12, 2022

Legendary pianist Pollini’s recitals in South Korea canceled due to health issues

The much-anticipated recitals in South Korea by Maurizio Pollini, considered one of the world’s leading pianists, have been canceled due to health reasons, the event organizer said on Thursday. Event organizer Mast Media cited chronic bronchitis as the reason for the 80-year-old musician’s abrupt cancellation of the recitals, titled “The Emperor of Piano: ‘Once in a Lifetime’” scheduled for May 19 and May 25 at the Seoul Arts Center. The company said that

May 12, 2022

Over 70 years old and fangirling: Lim Young-woong leads evolution of trot fandom

At age 71, Kim Im-kyung is learning how to be a fangirl. At her three-room apartment in Seoul, Kim turned one whole room into a shrine dedicated to her idol -- Korean trot singer Lim Young-woong -- decorating it with his posters and a collection of fan merchandise like a light stick. To help Lim’s songs rank high on music charts, she plays his latest album through an online music streaming service all day long, despite personally owning five physical copies of it. She watches al

May 12, 2022

Don Lee returns with crime film sequel ‘The Roundup’

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, is returning as a beast-like cop called Ma Seok-do in “The Roundup,” a sequel to the hit crime film “The Outlaws” (2017). “What differentiates the film (from the first movie) is that it has a different villain. Also, the scale of the crime differs, as well as the process of how the cops catch them. The jokes and action in the film were also upgraded,” Lee said during a global press confer

May 12, 2022

(G)I-dle to hold first world tour

South Korean girl group (G)I-dle will hold a world concert tour for the first time since its debut four years ago, its agency said Thursday. The tour will kick off in Seoul on June 18 and 19, and make stops in 15 major cities in the United States, Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Singapore until Oct. 1, Cube Entertainment said. Debuting in May 2018, the quintet has released many popular songs, such as "Latata" (2018), "Senorita" (2019), "Oh My God&quo

May 12, 2022

Jeong Sewoon invites people to stop by his ‘musical garden’ and gain comfort through ‘Where is my Garden!’

As the season has changed from the springtime blooms to bright summer, singer-songwriter Jeong Sewoon has welcomed the transition with his fifth EP, “Where is my Garden!” released Wednesday evening. This is the soloist’s first release since “24 Part 2,” which was put out in January 2021. In a press conference Wednesday, the singer described his latest album as “an album that sings the hopes that the youth carry.” The titular garden is Jeong’

May 11, 2022

Ciipher ready to crack ‘The Code’ with third EP

Singer Rain’s boy band Ciipher on Wednesday dropped its third EP “The Code,” making a return in eight months since their last album. The seven-piece band -- comprising members Tan, Hyunbin, Hwi, Keita, Tag, Dohwan and Won -- conducted a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the album’s release that day. Spruced up in chic black suits, the boys performed the new title song “Fame” leading “The Code,” along with the sub-title tra

May 11, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] TXT’s new album becomes million-seller in record time

　 Tomorrow X Together’s fourth EP “minisode 2: Thursday’s Child” sold more than 1.07 million copies in two days, according to label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. 　 The EP came out Monday and became the boy band’s first million-selling album, only three years since its debut, a record in K-pop history. It sold more than 1.46 million units in preorders. 　 The five-track EP topped iTunes top albums chart in 43 regions upon release as did focus track “Good Boy Gon

May 11, 2022

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk recommends political film ‘The Red Herring’ to conservatives

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk made a surprise appearance via video to ask conservative Korean moviegoers to watch “The Red Herring” during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration day, Tuesday. “What I want the people to know is that there are different perspectives on the situation and that there are different experiences and different testimonies,” Cho said in the video. “I hope this documentary will be watched by man

May 11, 2022