'Doctor Strange 2' tops 400,000 presold tickets

Upcoming Hollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is expected to smash the South Korean box office as its presale tickets outpaced those of biggest pandemic-hit film "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Marvel Studios' film to be released Wednesday recorded 410,000 presold tickets as of 9 a.m., five days before its local release, according to data by the Korean Film Council. The movie accounted for 78.8 percent of all tickets reserved at that time, overwhelmi

April 29, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Air Murder (Korea) Opened April 22 Drama Directed by Cho Yong-sun Doctor Tae-hoon’s (Kim Sang-kyung) son becomes afflicted with lung disease. Then the doctor‘s wife, who had been perfectly healthy, suddenly dies, also with lung disease. Tae-hoon tries to find out the cause of her death with prosecutor Young-joo (Lee Sun-bin). They discover that it could be related to a new lung disease that appears in the spring and disappears in the summer.　 Anchor (Korea) Opened April 20 T

April 29, 2022

Jeonju IFF opens with Kogonada’s thought-provoking film ‘After Yang’

JEONJU--Jeonju International Film Festival on Thursday kicked off with opening film “After Yang” directed by Kogonada. “We selected it because it is a beautiful film. Not only is it set in the future but also it has deep thoughts on human nature,” Jeonju IFF co-programmer Chun Jin-su said during a press conference held on Thursday at JIFF Theque with actor Justin H. Min, who plays Yang in the movie.  Chun added that he was also impressed by Kogonada’s

April 28, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Mamamoo’s Moonbyul discusses new solo EP

Moonbyul of Mamamoo talked about her solo single “Cheese In The Trap” that comes out Thursday. 　 It has only been three months since her third solo EP “6equence” but she felt one week of promoting the main track “Lunatic” was too short. 　 “This time, I am planning to meet fans for longer period and hopefully we can have more fun together so that there will not lingering feelings afterward,” said the musician. 　 The titular track is all about head

April 28, 2022

Hybe’s Bang Si-hyuk receives SNU’s first honorary degree as pop-culture figure

South Korean entertainment company Hybe’s founder and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk received an honorary doctorate in business from Seoul National University on Thursday. Bang, also referred to as the father of K-pop sensation BTS, received the honorary degree at the awarding ceremony which was held on Thursday morning at the SNU campus in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Through a statement, the firm said Bang was given the degree in recognition of his contribution to the development and innovation of the na

April 28, 2022

‘You Quiz on the Block’ defends having President-elect Yoon as guest on show

The production team of “You Quiz on the Block” on Wednesday defended its decision to cast President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol in the tvN talk show, after it came under criticism for politicizing the beloved comedy program. “Faced with an unexpected result, we agonized, reflected on our actions, and were in pain. Like everyone else, we worked week by week with sincerity. So we can speak with pride,” the team said in a statement aired after the end of the latest episode on Wed

April 28, 2022

Stray Kids adds dates after US shows sell out

As fan chants and sing-alongs are back at K-pop concerts, Stray Kids is proving once again its worldwide popularity – selling out its US shows so fast that its label added extra shows in Los Angeles and Newark, New Jersey. The band‘s agency JYP Entertainment said Monday that it has added two more North American dates to its second world tour, dubbed “Maniac,“ which will kick off in Seoul this week. The announcement came after the band‘s tickets for shows in seve

April 28, 2022

Jeonju film festival to open with 217 films

JEONJU -- The annual Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), the country's largest showcase of indie and art house films, will start its 10-day run in the southwestern city of Jeonju on Thursday. A total of 217 films from 52 countries will be shown during the 23rd edition, which runs until May 7, with the in-person opening ceremony to be held at Jeonju Dome in Jeonju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul. Out of the total invited works, 112 films will be also available on JIFF's online platform

April 28, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Kep1er earns gold certification in Japan in record time

   　 Kep1er won gold certification from Recording Industry Association of Japan with its debut song “Wa Da Da.” 　 According to the organization on Wednesday, the song amassed 50 million streams, qualifying it for the certification for March. The song achieved the feat in three months, the shortest time for a debut song from a K-pop girl group. 　  The nine-member act was formed through Mnet’s audition show “Girls Planet 999: Girls’ Saga” th

April 27, 2022

Miyeon embarks on new adventure with her first solo album ‘MY’

As the spring season breathes fresh hope to the world and signals new beginnings, Miyeon of girl group (G)I-dle took a step forward by dropping her first-ever solo album, “MY,” released on Tuesday evening. In a press conference Tuesday, the singer-turned-main vocalist described her latest release as an “album that shows who Miyeon is.” “The album’s title ‘MY’ is the initial of my name ‘Miyeon,’ and it also translates into the term

April 27, 2022

K-pop singer Soyou returns with first EP ‘Day&Night’ after 13 months

K-pop singer Soyou returned to the stage with her first mini-album “Day&Night” Wednesday, following her last single “Good Night My Love,” which was released in March last year. “Since ‘Day&Night’ is my first mini-album, I have a deep affection for it. I tried to fill up with various genres of songs,” Soyou said during a press showcase event held in Seoul on Wednesday, ahead of the EP’s online release at 6 p.m. “Day&Night&

April 27, 2022

Monsta X draws ‘Shape of Love’ for fans with 11th EP

Dancing ferociously to blaring music, K-pop band Monsta X has returned with another serenade of love to their fans with their 11th EP “Shape of Love.” The group dropped the album on Tuesday evening and conducted a showcase event to allow fans a closer look into their latest work. The album comprises six tracks through which the members take the listeners on a roller-coaster ride of the different shapes of love: the title song, “Love,” and the side-tracks “Burning

April 27, 2022

President Moon Jae-in interview with JTBC elicits diverse reactions

The last part of cable channel JTBC’s two-part special “Five Years of Moon Jae-in” aired Tuesday, reflecting on the Moon presidency’s five years. Hosted by veteran JTBC journalist Sohn Suk-hee, the one-on-one interview reviewed Moon’s achievements and regrets, ranging from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to international relations. On Monday’s first episode, Moon talked about real estate prices and his administration’s efforts to tame South Kore

April 27, 2022

Busan International Short Film Festival explores potential of short films

The 39th Busan International Short Film Festival kicked off Wednesday at the Busan Cinema Center for a six-day run through Monday. Under the theme of “Expanding Cinema,” the festival aims to focus on showing the variability and infinite potential of short films, according to the film fest organizer.　 The selected films will be screened at two theaters: Busan Cinema Center and BNK Busan Bank Art Cinema. For the 39th BISFF, 154 short films from 48 countries were selected for scre

April 27, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yoon Ji-sung is back in bloom with another spring EP

Perhaps because songs in the spring season can cheer listeners, remind them of romance, or even welcome new beginnings, singer-songwriter Yoon Ji-sung has made his way back to the music scene each time the cherry blossoms have bloomed. This year is no exception, with his 3rd EP, “Maze,” set to be released Wednesday evening. It is his first release in nearly a year. His previous work “Temperature of Love,” was released last April, and since then he has joined a new ag

April 27, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] TXT to tour US for 1st time

    　  　 Tomorrow X Together will hold concerts in the US in July, announced Big Hit Music.   　 It will be the boy band’s first international tour, titled “Act: Lovesick,” bringing the group to Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles, just a week after two concerts in Seoul. More concerts are expected to be added.   　 The five-piece act debuted in 2019 and held showcases in six cities in the US in May of the same

April 26, 2022

Psy collaborates with BTS’ Suga for new single ‘That That’

Global world star Psy has teamed up with Suga of K-pop phenomenon BTS for his new album, “Psy 9th.” Psy’s agency P Nation on Tuesday revealed Suga collaborated with the “Gangnam Style” hitmaker’s new song “That That,” which will front Psy’s ninth full-length album. Suga co-produced “That That” with Psy, taking part in the overall production from lyrics-writing to composition and arrangement, the agency said. A teaser video of &

April 26, 2022

Ex-justice minister Cho Kuk documentary raises over W50m within three hours on crowdfunding platform

“The Red Herring,” a documentary about the embattled ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk, met its funding goal of 50 million won ($40,000) within three hours on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug on Monday. “Funding aims to secure screens at multiplex theaters by proving that there are supporters of ‘The Red Herring,’ so that we can create an opportunity for more people to watch the film at the theater,” production company CK Project said in a statement. “The f

April 26, 2022

Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Seol-hyun confident in ‘fast-paced, entertaining’ tvN mystery comedy

Cable channel tvN’s new Wednesday-Thursday drama, “The Killer’s Shopping List,” will be unlike any of the currently trending dramas with either heartwarming storylines or hard-hitting action sequences. “Unlike the typical mystery thrillers with intense mind games and breathtaking actions, our series takes a different approach to a mysterious murder case. The exciting script aside, the character was really new to me. I thought I would not have another chance to pla

April 26, 2022

Viviz first K-pop girl group on Grammy’s ‘Global Spin’

Girl group Viviz will be taking the virtual stage on the Grammy’s digital performance series titled “Global Spin,” according to the trio’s agency Big Planet Made Entertainment on Tuesday. The act will be the first K-pop girl group to perform on the music show. Viviz will showcase “Bop Bop!” from its first mini-album “Beam of Prism,” released in February. The prerecorded performance will show the trio in black hanbok -- Korea’s traditional co

April 26, 2022