[Herald Interview] 'Ms. Shibal': Actor Lee Eun-saem surprised by show of love from global fans

Among the many Korean high school students who starred in the latest Netflix zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead,” Park Mi-jin (played by Lee Eun-saem) is arguably the most mesmerizing character, especially to foreign audiences, who were unfamiliar with the Korean curse word “ssibal” until they watched the series. With the 12-part project topping Netflix’s streaming chart around the globe, the Korean swear words have intrigued many viewers. From online posts to h

Feb. 22, 2022

Yoo Jae-suk’s Chinese fan club Yooniverse disbands

Top comedian Yoo Jae-suk is facing backlash in China after remarks made on the latest episode of MBC’s hit variety show “Hangout with Yoo.” Yoo’s Chinese fan club Yooniverse announced Monday evening that the group has decided to disband and end its operation. According to a post on the fan club’s official Weibo channel, the fan club plans to stop its operation because Yoo and the fans’ “directions are different.” No details were offered for the

Feb. 22, 2022

[Herald Review] Virtual influencer Rozy sings of finding true self through ‘Who Am I’

Rozy, the first virtual social media influencer in South Korea, has made her debut as a singer by dropping her first single, “Who Am I,” at Tuesday noon. The song, a medium-tempo ballad, talks about the troubles of being a virtual human. Its warm melody and Rozy’s captivating and refreshing voice adds emotional depth to the song. The lyrics speak of the worries about the 22-year-old’s identity, repeatedly asking herself who she really is. The three-minute song also as

Feb. 22, 2022

BTS' V fully recovers from COVID-19

V, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has fully recovered from COVID-19 and been released from isolation, his agency said Tuesday. The 26-year-old singer, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, tested positive a week ago after experiencing a mild sore throat. "V was released from isolation today as he was confirmed to have fully recovered from COVID-19," Big Hit Music said on the group's online fan community platform Weverse. He completed vaccination and showed no extraordinary symptoms whil

Feb. 22, 2022

In their 10th year, BTOB is ready to ‘be together’ with fans by making memories to cherish

After a four-year hiatus, boy band BTOB is ready to greet fans as the spring season nears and the flowers bloom. Now that all six bandmates have finished their mandatory military service, they‘ve returned with their 3rd full-length album, “Be Together,” released Monday evening. In an online press conference on Monday, Eun-kwang described the album as an album that spells out what it means to be “together” and defines “togetherness.” “BTOB is a

Feb. 21, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to host concert next month

Red Velvet will hold two concerts in Seoul next month, label SM Entertainment announced Monday. 　 The quintet will perform live at “2022 The ReVe Festival: Prologue” on March 19-20. The second day’s performance will be broadcast live for fans from around the world. 　 It has been two years and three months since its previous standalone concert.  Last week the band confirmed that it will put out an album in March, as it hinted at the label’s all-star concert last mo

Feb. 21, 2022

Actor Fan Bingbing to appear in Korean drama for first time

Chinese movie star Fan Bingbing will make her first Korean drama appearance in JTBC’s new series “Insider.” According to local cable channel JTBC, the shooting of Fan’s segments in the series was recently completed. The broadcaster did not say whether the actor is making a cameo or appearing in a minor supporting role. “Though the actor has joined ‘Insider,’ detailed information about Fan Bingbing’s role is yet to be revealed, as it is closely r

Feb. 21, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yeon Woo-jin ‘thirsty’ for innovative movies like ‘Serve the People’

For Korean actor Yeon Woo-jin, director Jang Cheol-soo’s new project, “Serve the People,” caught his eye because it was full of new challenges and innovative elements. “I thought that I would be jealous to see another actor play the role. I felt this way for the first time,” Yeon said during an interview via Zoom with a group of local reporters. “If I were to choose a safer, more commercially appealing film, I would have chosen a different project, but at the

Feb. 21, 2022

[Exclusive] Silver medal-winning Olympic men’s short track relay team to appear on tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’

Five Korean athletes, who won the silver medal in men’s 5,000-meter short track speed skating relay at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, will appear on tvN’s talk show “You Quiz on the Block,” a CJ ENM official told The Korea Herald on Monday. Speed skaters Kwak Yoon-gy, Hwang Dae-heon, Lee June-seo, Park Jang-hyuk and Kim Dong-wook are slated to record their episode Wednesday, while the program is working on an episode featuring athletes who competed in Beijing 2022, th

Feb. 21, 2022

Top movie stars heat up clash of global streaming titans

Global streaming service Netflix, which launched in South Korea in 2015, has been enjoying the first-mover’s advantage, with its megahit “Kingdom” series, which debuted in 2019, among its successes. Looking to strengthen its foothold in the country, Netflix is scheduled to release long-awaited top actor Kim Hye-soo’s streaming debut “Juvenile Justice” on Friday. But Netflix rivals Disney+ and Apple TV+ are close on its heels, seeking to challenge Netflix&rsq

Feb. 20, 2022

Korean soundtrack album sales surge, merchandise profits plunge

In line with the K-pop boom in and out of South Korea, sales of original soundtrack albums of Korean dramas and movies have surged. K-pop merchandise sales, on the other hand, have been sluggish in the wake of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Sunday. Last year, 28,939 copies of soundtrack albums of hit dramas and movies were sold at Ktown4u, an online shopping mall that sells albums of K-pop groups and related goods. This marked huge jump from 8,784 copies in 2020 and 2,624 in 2019,

Feb. 20, 2022

2 members of K-pop girl group Momoland test positive for COVID-19

Two members of South Korean girl group Momoland have tested positive for the coronavirus during their trip in Mexico, their management agency said Sunday. "Hyebin and Nancy tested positive for coronavirus in Mexico," MLD Entertainment said in a statement. The six-member group was visiting Mexico to promote its new digital single, seeking to advance into the Central and South American market. Another member, Jooe, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and has fully recovered.

Feb. 20, 2022

[Video] Meet the designer behind Cha Jun-hwan’s outfits!

Always wanted to know how figure skating outfits are made? Check out our exclusive interview with the designer behind Cha Jun-hwan’s outfits! By Team Konnect Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Jung Ji-eun (jungje@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com) Kim Jeong-ryul (ryul@heraldcorp.com) By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Feb. 19, 2022

Director Park Chan-wook unveils iPhone film 'Life is But A Dream'

Park Chan-wook, the director of ‘Oldboy,’ and ‘The Handmaiden,’ unveiled a short martial arts fantasy filmed with Apple iPhone 13 Pro on Friday. “Life is But a Dream ‘’ revolves around an undertaker, played by Yoo Hae-jin, who needs wood to build a coffin for the savior of his village, played by Kim Ok-vin, and digs up an abandoned grave. But while doing so, he accidentally awakens the ghost of an ancient swordsman, played by Park Jeong-min, who want

Feb. 19, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Red Velvet to return in March: report

   　 Red Velvet will make a comeback in March with a new album, according to local media reports on Friday. 　 Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news saying the band is preparing for a new album due out next month. 　 The quintet’s last album was its sixth EP “Queendom” released in August last year, which marked the group’s return after being away for more than 1 1/2 years. The EP topped iTunes top albums chart in 54 regions as well as all major charts at

Feb. 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Blitzers spends rock ‘n’ roll year after debut

Rookie boy band Blitzers on Thursday successfully closed the curtains to their first US tour, making a foray into the global music scene less than a year since the act’s debut last May. Starting Feb. 5, the act traveled around six cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago. “It’s such a big opportunity for us, so we hope to show everything that we’ve prepared,” member Lutan said during an exclusive interview with The Korea Hera

Feb. 18, 2022

[Herald Interview] Han Yo-han makes soundtrack of his life by revisiting boyhood

A keyboard piano, several electric guitars, a widescreen monitor, speakers and mini figurines dot Han Yo-han’s modest studio room. Unlike the powerful, flashy beats the musician is known for, Han appears down-to-earth and straightforward. In a pair of sneakers and donned in black head to toe, the rapper entered his private space, which was covered in a snug ambiance. “You’re lucky to catch the natural side of me,” he said, laughing, as he showed his atelier where he

Feb. 18, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Dune (US) Reopened Feb. 9 Science fiction Directed by Denis Villeneuve In the year 10191, Paul Atreides (Timothy Chalamet) is born into a great destiny beyond his understanding. In his dream, he meets a strange woman from the dangerous desert planet Arrakis. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over Arrakis’ exclusive supply of precious resources that could unlock humanity’s great potential, Paul and his family receive an order to head to the planet.  Death on the Nile (

Feb. 18, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to host fan meeting in March

Seventeen will meet its fans in person at its sixth fan meet event in Seoul, the group’s agency Pledis Entertainment announced on Thursday. 　 The event, titled “Seventeen in Carat Land,” will be held in person on March 25-27. The final day will be livestreamed online. 　 On Monday, the 13-member act reclaimed the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s daily single chart with its special single in Japanese “Ainochikara.” It topped the chart for six consecutive days upon releas

Feb. 17, 2022

[Newsmaker] Hong Sang-soo’s ‘The Novelist’s Film’ wins grand jury prize at Berlinale

Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s 27th feature “The Novelist’s Film” on Thursday won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlin International Film Festival. The 72nd Berlin International Film Festival is being held from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. “I really didn’t expect this big prize. I’m very surprised. Thank you all the jury members for your appreciation,” Hong said in an acceptance speech in English. “I feel like I should say somethin

Feb. 17, 2022