BIGBANG to make a comeback in spring after four years

Boy group BIGBANG will come back to the K-pop scene this spring after four years of hiatus due to the members' mandatory military duties, the group's management agency said Monday. "BIGBANG will drop a new song in the coming spring," YG Entertainment said in a press release. "The group has completed its recording for the new song and is going to film a music video for the song." The date of the group's return and the title of the new song, however, remain unknown. Debutin

Feb. 7, 2022

Korean content is rising to cultural mainstream: HFPA president

Korean media content will continue to grow in popularity and become a staple in the global market, according to Helen Hoehne, chief of the organization running the Golden Globes.  In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association congratulated Korean veteran actor Oh Yeong-soo for winning the best supporting actor in television trophy at the 2022 Golden Globes Awards for his role in the smash-hit drama series “Squid Game.”

Feb. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] Netflix’s ‘Midnight Asia’ director brings Asian nightlife to light with personal stories

For Joe Evans, 34, the creator and director of Netflix’s travel documentary series “Midnight Asia: Eat. Dance. Dream.,” anyone with an inspiring story was welcome in his six-part series presenting the vibrant nightlife of Asia’s metropolises. “We were able to tell stories across the series from various social strata, ages from 18 to late 80s. It was a very inclusive cast and we were open to anyone as long as they had a great story,” Evans said in a Zoom

Feb. 6, 2022

Hong Sang-soo, Kim Min-hee to attend Berlinale together

Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo and actor Kim Min-hee will participate in the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. In January, the auteur’s 27th feature, “The Novelist’s Film,” was listed along with 17 other movies that will vie for the Gold and Silver Bear awards at the Berlinale. Kim, who is in a relationship with Hong and also considered his muse, is a lead actor and co-producer for “The Novelist&rsqu

Feb. 5, 2022

Disbandment not the end: GFriend members to redebut as Viviz

Putting behind their years as GFriend, members SinB, Eunha and Umji are embarking on a new journey together. As ironic as it may sound, these experienced idols are starting from square one as rookie girl group Viviz. Their first EP “Beam of Prism” is set for release on Wednesday. Ten months have passed since the disbandment of their previous band, GFriend, and it seems the girls are ready to show some new energy. According to their new label, Big Planet Made Entertainment, Viviz

Feb. 4, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] Dawn proposes, HyunAh says ‘yes’

HyunAh and Dawn announced via Instagram that they are tying the knot. 　 Late Thursday, Dawn wrote “Marry Me” with a heart, uploading a short video that showed the hands of the couple wearing new rings. HyunAh uploaded the same video on her account saying “Yes, of course.” The rings are custom made by a Korean jeweler and feature chunky iridescent opals as the main stones embellished with a half dozen colorful gemstones. 　 HyunAh debuted as a member of Wonder Girls in 2

Feb. 4, 2022

Florence Korea Film Fest to kick off in April

Taegukgi Toscana Korea Association on Thursday announced that this year’s Florence Korea Film Fest will take place at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, Italy, from April 7 to 15. Some of the movies also will be screened online on the platform Piu Compagnia during the festival. Although the event organizer has not revealed the full list, it said 12 Korean actors, directors and producers will attend the film festival to mark its 20th anniversary. During the last 20 years, over 2,000 Korea

Feb. 4, 2022

Korean Chamber Orchestra to resume Mozart Project

The Korean Chamber Orchestra on Friday said it is set to resume hosting eight all-Mozart concerts next month after the project was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Mozart Project, the KCO aims to perform all 46 symphonies by the Austrian composer. Led by Finnish-German pianist and conductor Ralf Gothoni and music director Kim Min, the KCO will take the composer’s masterpieces on stage in eight concerts from March 13 to Feb. 8, 2023. The orchestra kicked off the 10-conce

Feb. 4, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Action, Comedy Directed by Kim Jung-hoon Set in the Joseon era, pirate captain Hye-rang (Han Hyo-joo) and her crew go on a journey to look for hidden treasures of the Goryeo Kingdom that no longer exist. Troublemaking swordsman Muchi (Kang Ha-neul) and his followers also decide to join them. However, on their way, they are met with all sorts of adversities.  Kingmaker (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Drama Directed by Byun Sung-hyun Oppositi

Feb. 4, 2022

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin checks in with fans after surgery

　 Jimin of BTS assured fans that he will soon be able to leave the hospital in a post on the band’s online fan community platform on Thursday. 　 Apologizing for making fans worry, the artist said he is recovering quickly and has been eating well. 　 “Please wait for a short while. I will be back on my feet soon and be there,” he added. 　 He suffered from a sore throat and stomach pains on Jan. 30 and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. He also tested positive for the coronav

Feb. 3, 2022

Treasure is ready to add value to 2022 with ‘Second Step’

After nearly a year away from the music scene, boy band Treasure has found the perfect way to ring in the new year: releasing a new EP. The K-pop act burst on the scene two years ago, beginning “The First Step” series with “Chapter One.” Since then it has released another single -- “The First Step: Chapter Two” in September 2020 followed by its first album, “The First Step: Treasure Effect,” last January. Now the boys are ready to embark on a

Feb. 3, 2022

[Eye interview] Captain Rock celebrates birthday in grand way with 3-day music festival

How many people can claim to have an entire festival dedicated to their birthday, and while they are still living to boot? Since 2005, rocker Han Kyung-rock, the bassist of iconic punk band Crying Nut, who is also known as Captain Rock, has been celebrating his birthday by hosting a large party in the Hongdae area of Seoul, a notorious center for indie music. Held every year on Feb. 11, Han’s birthday, what started out as a gathering of fellow musicians for drunken revelry and

Feb. 3, 2022

‘All of Us Are Dead’ tops global charts, fuels Korean zombie sensation

Global streaming platform Netflix mesmerized drama fans around the world by circling back to yet another zombie hit, “All of Us Are Dead,” after the service’s South Korean market debut with period zombie drama “Kingdom” in 2019. The Korean zombie thriller topped Netflix’s streaming chart around the globe, reaching the top spot in 58 countries as of Wednesday, including Korea, Australia, Japan, Kuwait, Germany, Canada and more, according to US-based streaming

Feb. 3, 2022

JYP's new girl group to debut this month

Nmixx, a new girl group from JYP Entertainment, will debut this month, the K-pop agency said Thursday. The seven-member group will debut on Feb. 22 with its first single "Ad Mare," which translates as "toward the sea" in English, the agency said on social media. Its seven members are Lily, Haewon, Sullyoon, Jinni, Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin. Except Lily, who is half Korean and half Australian, all members are South Korean. Nmixx has been gaining attention from in and out of the

Feb. 3, 2022

'All of Us Are Dead' makes strong debut on global charts

Netflix's latest South Korean drama, "All of Us Are Dead," has made a successful global debut while being hailed as a new "Squid Game." Released on Friday, the coming-of-age zombie horror topped the streamer's non-English language TV Top 10 list for the week of Jan. 24-30 with 124.79 million hours viewed, according to Netflix on Thursday. Netflix said "The Silent Sea" made the top 10 in the category in 91 countries over the one-week period and topped the list in 2

Feb. 3, 2022

[Video] What if 'All of Us Are Dead' happens in real life? I Zombie Survival 101

Could you survive if 'All of Us Are Dead' happened in real life? Find out how to escape from a zombie attack! 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)

Feb. 3, 2022

'The Pirates' tops S. Korean box office over Lunar New Year holiday

"The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" has topped the South Korean box office over the Lunar New Year holiday but its total admissions were lower than expected amid omicron owes, data showed Thursday. The fantasy action blockbuster attracted a combined 649,000 moviegoers to bring its cumulative total to 881,000 during the five-day holiday that started Saturday, according to the data by the Korean Film Council. The political drama "Kingmaker" drew 358,000 people over the cit

Feb. 3, 2022

Busan International Film Festival aims to connect Asia’s film industry

Busan International Film Festival announced its vision and goals to expand its presence in Asia on Tuesday. Established in 1996, BIFF is the first international film festival in Korea, held annually in the local theaters of Busan. According to the BIFF secretariat, it held the first general meeting of 2022 on Jan. 27 at BIFF Hill of the Busan Cinema Center. Following the meeting, it announced its new vision to hold an event to link filmmakers and moviegoers in Asia. BIFF‘s previous visi

Feb. 2, 2022

[Herald Interview] Love hurts, love heals, and ‘So Life Goes On’

Just as weather in its essence is whimsical, our lives are defined by its ups and downs, singer-songwriter Heo Hoy-kyung touches the hearts of listeners with her new song “So Life Goes On” that delivers this simple message. “The song talks about our ordinary lives. We all know that we’re just living and that’s the essence of our lives. But we forget this because we strive for higher goals, work harder and feel burdened by it, hoping for bigger joy and happiness. Bu

Jan. 31, 2022

Films produced by actors you should check out over Seollal

The Seollal holiday is usually one of the busiest times of the year at movie theaters with many new works being released. It is also the time when local broadcasters present special films for viewers who are staying home during the holidays. Despite the plethora of options on offer, there are times when it feels like there is nothing to watch. For those people, it might be a good idea to check out some of the films produced by familiar stars. These vary from series on streaming platforms to s

Jan. 30, 2022