‘Twenty Five Twenty One’ aims to warm up cold winter nights with romance

Actor Kim Tae-ri returns to the small screen with tvN’s new romance series “Twenty Five Twenty One” following her performance in 2018 period drama “Mr. Sunshine.” “Many mystery, horror, sci-fi and thriller series seem to have become the cultural mainstream, but I felt really happy when I read the script of ‘Twenty Five Twenty One.’ I was drawn to the bright, energetic nature of my character Na Hee-do as well,” Kim said during an online press

Feb. 10, 2022

Suzy returns to singing after 4 yrs with new single

Singer-actress Suzy is returning to singing for the first time in four years with a new single, her management agency said Thursday. The song titled "Satellite" will hit various music services at 6 p.m. next Thursday, according to Management Soop. The singer has participated in the project as a co-writer, with the lyrics about a nostalgic sweetness, it added. The upcoming single is Suzy's first public release since her second mini album "Faces of Love" in January 2018. The 27

Feb. 10, 2022

After 7 years together, GFriend members start over as rookie trio Viviz

K-pop’s latest rookies come with seven years of experience. Eunha, SinB and Umji of girl group GFriend returned to the K-pop scene to make a splash second debut as a rookie trio under new name, Viviz. Indeed, they seemed at home but nervous at the same time on the stage as they spoke to the media Wednesday during their debut showcase, conducted few hours before the release of their first EP “Beam of Prism.” “I wasn’t the least bit nervous until three minutes ago,

Feb. 9, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez to publish 1st photo book next month

   　 Ateez announced Wednesday that it will release its first photo book on March 18. 　 In a trailer for the book, titled “Ode to Youth,” the bandmates give a behind the scenes look of the photo shoots. 　 “Please keep walking alongside us. Let’s take one slow step after another as we’re doing fine,” wrote the bandmates in handwritten message. The 216-page tome will be accompanied by a making-of DVD, photo cards and a poster. 　 The eight-piece

Feb. 9, 2022

KBS adopts animal filming guideline following fatal horse incident during production

KBS TV said Wednesday it has adopted a guideline to ensure the welfare of animals used in television production, following public outrage over revelations that a horse used during filming died due to apparent abuse. The public network has come under fire after it was learned last month that showrunners of the TV series "The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won" intentionally tripped a running horse and caused the creature to fall violently to the ground for filming purposes. The horse died

Feb. 9, 2022

‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik to return to big screen as genius mathematician

Korean actor Choi Min-sik is returning to the big screen for the first time in three years as a genius mathematician in “In Our Prime” directed by Park Dong-hoon. The historical drama “Forbidden Dream” which was released in 2019 was actor Choi’s most recent work. Director Park’s new film started shooting in March 2020 and was originally set to be released during the first quarter last year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had had to delay its openi

Feb. 9, 2022

Kim Tae-ri set to return to small screen with 'Twenty Five Twenty One'

South Korean star actress Kim Tae-ri will return to the small screen after more than three years off as a teenage fencer in the new coming-of-age romance drama "Twenty Five Twenty One." Rising to stardom for her role in Park Chan-wook's period thriller "The Handmaiden" (2016), she chose the tvN's weekend primetime series for her first TV project since the historical romance "Mr. Sunshine" (2018). "I know there are many popular genre movies and TV series now, bu

Feb. 9, 2022

Can political satires rise again in Korea?

As the March presidential election race heats up, political TV series and made-for-television political satires are grabbing attention. “Saturday Night Live Korea,” a reboot of tvN’s “SNL Korea” (2011-17), returned through local video streaming platform Coupang Play. The show’s comedy sketches, including the infamous cold opening, have regularly been offering parodies of contemporary politics and widely known controversies surrounding the presidential candi

Feb. 9, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen’s Vernon to collaborate with Charli XCX: report

    Vernon of Seventeen will team up with British musician Charli XCX, according to a local media report Tuesday. 　 The singer-songwriter tweeted on the day asking “how do i get in touch with Vernon?” and suggested a collaboration. Vernon replied: “YES still can’t believe this is real wow.” 　 In 2019, Charli XCX joined forces with BTS for the soundtrack of BTS World, and the song titled “Dream Glow” topped Billboard’s world digital s

Feb. 8, 2022

[Herald Interview] Park Ji-hu believes ‘All of Us Are Dead’ is pivotal moment

Starring in Netflix‘s latest zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead” has impacted actor Park Ji-hu, 18, in many ways. “‘All of Us Are Dead’ was my first long-series project. It was an experience that I did not have before, but with the help of my colleagues, I have learned about being a lead character both on and off the camera,“ Park said during an online interview with a group of reporters Tuesday. “While shooting the series, I was preparing for t

Feb. 8, 2022

IP-based games to expand into drama and film

Korean game developers are seeking to follow webtoons’ successful jump to films and global streaming platforms. According to South Korean game developer Krafton, “Bystanders,” a short film based on the company’s renowned battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, recorded over 1 million views on the “PUBG: Battlegrounds” YouTube channel as of Monday. The two-part project surprised both local and global viewers when its first short film, &ldquo

Feb. 8, 2022

Pianist Krystian Zimerman to perform in four cities despite omicron surge

Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman is set to perform in Korea in the coming weeks after a couple of delays in ticketing. The celebrated pianist will visit Korea later this month with some changes in the schedule, according to Mast Media, the organizer of Zimerman‘s recitals. Previously, it was unclear whether Zimmerman, who travels with his own instrument, would be able to make it to the country as the recent surge in COVID-19 cases got in the way of transporting his piano. Amid the uncer

Feb. 8, 2022

‘Love and Leashes,’ Girls’ Generation Seohyun’s debut film is about sex

Seohyun of K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation has shed her image as a girl-next-door in her debut film “Love and Leashes,” a rom-com directed by Park Hyun-jin. “When I first read the script, it was fresh and shocking. It was a role that made me want to take up the challenge as an actor,” Seohyun said during an online press conference held on Tuesday. “Not only did it (the script) have a unique topic, it also showed how a man and a woman come to understand the

Feb. 8, 2022

BTS' RM gives thumbs-up to S. Korean short tracker disqualified during Beijing Olympics

RM, leader of K-pop supergroup BTS, has expressed his support for a South Korean short track speed skater disqualified during the Beijing Winter Olympics amid mounting public outrage over the questionable referee decision. The singer posted a photo, along with a thumbs-up emoticon, on his Instagram account on Monday night of Hwang Dae-heon passing Chinese competitors during a men's 1,000m semifinal. Hwang finished first but was disqualified for what the referee said was an illegal late passing.

Feb. 8, 2022

Momoland to appear on Mexican TV show

South Korean girl group Momoland will embark on a promotional tour of Mexico next week for its new digital single, seeking to advance to the broader Central and South American market, its agency said Tuesday. The six-piece group will leave for Mexico on Monday in its second trip to the region since 2019 when it appeared on the country's music-themed pay-TV channel Telehit, according to MLD Entertainment. During the upcoming visit, Momoland will appear as a special guest in the final round of

Feb. 8, 2022

[Today's K-pop] Treasure to host 1st concert in April

Treasure will be holding its first standalone concert in Seoul for two days in April, announced label YG Entertainment on Monday. 　 The set list includes “Jikjin,” the main track from its upcoming album and feature performances by subunits. The concert will be an opportunity to see that the band has grown in musical capabilities and expanded its spectrum, said the management firm. 　 The band is coming out with its first EP “The Second Step: Chapter One” on Feb. 15. The

Feb. 7, 2022

Wonpil says ‘Pilmography’ is the filmography of his life

Wonpil of boy band Day6 welcomed the second month of the year by hopping onto the February music chart craze with his first-ever solo album. The singer-turned-soloist’s album, “Pilmography,” which dropped Monday evening, touches on the different colors of music and emotions. The frosty winter-themed 10-track package aims to “comfort and heal people, especially among times of trouble,” the singer said during an online press conference held Monday. The versatile

Feb. 7, 2022

Big-budget Korean films likely to be out of sight in local theaters, for now

It will be difficult to find big-budget Korean films in the coming month or so as many of them have delayed their opening dates. No films with a budget of more than 10 billion won will open before April, as they delayed their release dates. This is partially due to a surge of COVID-19 cases here. The number of moviegoers hit a new low over the Seollal holiday, usually one of the busiest times of the year for movie theaters in Korea. According to the Korean Film Council’s data, during

Feb. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘All of Us Are Dead’ director Lee Jae-kyoo hopes to return with season 2

The international attention and excitement for the latest Korean zombie series “All of Us Are Dead” took director Lee Jae-kyoo by surprise, but also filled Lee’s heart with anticipation for a possible season two. “Many directions, settings and scenes were intentionally produced to expand the story into an additional season, including the introduction of the new races of zombies -- immune and immortal. If the first season can be seen as having presented humanity‘s s

Feb. 7, 2022

K-pop artists present special exhibitions to coincide with album releases

While gearing up for their big returns to the stage, K-pop musicians have been preparing special exhibitions where visitors can view various content related to upcoming albums at different venues across Seoul. Taeyeon, a member of K-pop powerhouse Girls’ Generation, is holding an exhibition as a preview for her upcoming third full-length solo album “INVU” before its release on Feb. 14, according to her label S.M. Entertainment. “INVU: The Exhibit,” which opened M

Feb. 7, 2022