Rom-com ‘Perhaps Love’ features relatable stories about relationship

From the relationship between divorced parents to a gay student who falls in love with a heterosexual teacher, the new rom-com film “Perhaps Love” directed by Cho Eun-ji depicts diverse human connections with a sense of humor. In making this film, actor-turned-director Cho said she focused on making it relatable to the general public. “Instead of focusing on different characters’ relationships and their unique personalities, I tried to focus on how audiences can relate

Nov. 8, 2021

Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi and Kim Sae-ron to star in Netflix’s ‘Bloodhounds’

Global streaming service Netflix has announced a star-studded lineup for its new original series “Bloodhounds.” Actors Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi and Kim Sae-ron will star in the action-noir series, according to Netflix. Veteran actors Park Sung-woong and Huh Joon-ho have also confirmed they will join the cast of “Bloodhounds.” “Bloodhounds,” an adaptation of a webtoon of the same title by Jung Chan, centers on three young people who become unintentionally i

Nov. 8, 2021

Marvel's 'Eternals' dominates S. Korean box office in first weekend

Marvel's "Eternals" easily topped the South Korean box office over the weekend, pushing director Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic "Dune" to a distant second, data showed Monday. "Eternals" drew an attendance of 1.138 million from Friday to Sunday, accounting for 82.4 percent of the period's total ticket sales at local theaters, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The film had topped the 1 million mark in attendance, four days after its release Wednes

Nov. 8, 2021

‘Yumi’s Cells’ production team looks back on first season

Lee Sang-youb, who directed the webtoon-based tvN drama “Yumi’s cells,” did not expect to receive many compliments about the show after the first season ended, knowing his adaption of the well-beloved original web comics might disappoint some fans. “Because the original webtoon, written and drawn by author Lee Dong-gun, was such a popular work and loved by many readers, I worried a lot and had many things to consider. But I was happy to hear that the first season of &ls

Nov. 8, 2021

Four violinists awarded in Isang Yun Competition 2021

The winners of the Isang Yun Competition 2021 in the violin discipline were announced late Saturday after four finalists competed for the prizes at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Gyeongsang Province. The first prize went to Karisa Chiu from the US, who performed J. Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 77. The second and third prizes were awarded to Jeong Ju-eun and Kang Na-kyung from South Korea. Lim Dong-min received the Isang Yun Special Prize. The awardees were announced on the

Nov. 7, 2021

Filipino man’s billboard ad to demonstrate affection to Blackpink Jennie sparks criticism

Online fuss continues after a billboard intended to win the affections of Blackpink’s Jennie was erected near the artist’s agency, YG Entertainment, in Seoul. The ad was put up by Filipino businessman Christian Albert Gaza, who proclaims himself as Jennie’s No. 1 fan. Gaza had the two-panel ad -- with one side in English and the other in Korean -- installed atop a five-story building a few kilometers from the agency in Yongsan, Seoul. The billboard ad reads: “Kim Jennie

Nov. 7, 2021

[From the Scene] Movie theater gets back to normal with vaccine pass

If it were not for all the people wearing masks, it would be fair to say that multiplex theater CGV Yongsan in central Seoul was back to normal on Saturday night -- just as it used to be before COVID-19, especially in vaccine-pass auditoriums. Changes were evident at the snack bar, which had very few customers a week earlier. The theater smelled of popcorn, people were standing in front of the kiosks to buy food, and staff were shouting customer numbers at the pick-up counter. These changes we

Nov. 7, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] IZ*ONE’s Wonyoung joins new band Ive

Jang Wonyoung, of disbanded group IZ*ONE, is joining a new girl group Ive, announced agency Starship Entertainment late Thursday. 　 She is the third member to be identified, following her former bandmate Ahn Yujin, and according to the new profile pictures, will go by her first name only. 　 In the promotional images, she switches between a fresh-faced pretty girl next door and a daring lass in a dramatic makeup. She will be the main vocalist of the six-member act. 　 Jang has been the face of a

Nov. 5, 2021

AppleTV+ presents sci-fi thriller ‘Dr. Brain’ as its first Korean original content

Veteran director Kim Jee-woon, debuting as a TV series producer after a 23-year film career, is feeling a mixed bag of emotions. “I am very nervous and excited about ‘Dr. Brain’ being the first Korean-language original of Apple TV+. I feel like I am here to showcase my debut project as a rookie director,” the director said in an online press conference on Wednesday. “Dr. Brain,” the streaming service’s first original series from South Korea, is an adap

Nov. 5, 2021

Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, CL and more to perform at HITC

Several Korean artists will be participating at the Head in the Clouds music festival that starts Saturday at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California. Known for bringing together some of the biggest names in Asian music, the two-day event is returning after taking a break in 2020. Hip-hop legends Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae, rappers Bizzy, CL, DPR Ian, DPR Live, singer and songwriter Bibi, Seori and guitarist and singer of DAY6 eaJ are among the line up of Korean artists. Other Asian musicians

Nov. 5, 2021

S. Korean broadcasters to resume shows with studio audience

With South Korea on its way to returning to normal from COVID-19, local broadcasters are set to resume the recording of their programs with a studio audience for the first time in nearly two years. Cable channel tvN said Friday that its long-running skit show "Comedy Big League" will be filmed in front of an audience next Tuesday for the first time in about 20 months. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the prime nighttime program on Sundays has been forced to conduct tapings

Nov. 5, 2021

[Herald Interview] Samuel Seo, a musician who owns the moment and lives in the now

Samuel Seo’s artistic identity could be a little understated. He dons black from head to toe, large portions of his body are shaded in pitch-black ink and the look is completed with several piercings. Yet in contrast to his simple look, the singer-songwriter draws upon a wide range of musical genres to produce songs worth the listen. Scavenging for music Six years ago, a budding rapper in his mid-20s introduced fresh tunes to listeners that were somewhat offbeat. But now his distincti

Nov. 5, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Ron’s Gone Wrong (US) Opened Oct. 27 Animation Directed by Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith In the future, the AI robot model B-bot is every child’s friend. Middle schooler Barney Pudowski’s deepest wish is to get a B-bot since he is the only student in the school who doesn’t own one. One day he finally gets a robot named Ron. But there seems to be something wrong with Ron, who can’t connect to the network. 　 Dune (US) Opened Oct. 20 Science fiction Directed b

Nov. 5, 2021

YouTube and S.M. to unveil remastered old K-pop music videos

K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment will be bringing K-pop music videos from the 1990s and 2000s back into the limelight through their remastering project with YouTube. S.M. Entertainment CEO Lee Sung-soo and YouTube Head of Music Partnerships in Greater China and Korea Lee Sun, on Thursday held an online press conference that livestreamed through YouTube. Members of S.M.‘s rookie girl group aespa, Karina and Giselle, also joined the event. According to the two companies, the “S

Nov. 4, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Hybe posts record quarterly earnings thanks to “Butter”

Hybe announced in a disclosure on Thursday that its third-quarter operating profit jumped 63.33 percent on-year to 65.6 billion won ($55.41 million). 　 Its sales reached 341 billion won, up 79.49 percent from the same period last year. Both figures are the highest ever for the company. Its net profit ballooned 81.86 percent to 49.5 billion won. 　 Album sales, merchandise and licensing all propelled the stellar performance, said the firm. 　 Album sales increased 21 percent from the previous qua

Nov. 4, 2021

Hybe says ‘boundless’ is its future, shares plans for more diversified portfolio

Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind boy band BTS, announced its plan to augment its business portfolio and garner more people to engage in the process. The label held an online YouTube event Thursday morning to share its futuristic visions and strategies to lead the entertainment industry. Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Hybe and founder of the label, said, “Hybe has always used the terms like ‘global’ and ‘connected,’ but now, these words are common and easily found els

Nov. 4, 2021

Korean Pacific Philharmonic Orchestra to hold concert Tuesday

The Korean Pacific Philharmonic Orchestra is to hold a concert at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, introducing classical music works from the 20th century. The concert, led under the baton of conductor Kang Won-ho, will present the overture from Verdi’s opera “La Forza del Destina” and Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123. Following the intermission, the orchestra will perform Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 283, joined

Nov. 4, 2021

[Newsmaker] Netflix promises to invest more into Korean content, doubles down on network fee issue

Netflix Vice President of Public Policy Dean Garfield, decked in a green tracksuit costume from the hit Netflix show “Squid Game,” entered the press conference room at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday, accompanied by the theme song from the drama series. Garfield began his speech by talking about how Netflix is willing to invest more into creating Korean content. However, when addressing the most heated issue on paying internet service providers bandwidth usage fees,

Nov. 4, 2021

‘Running Man’ spinoff to be first original Korean content on Disney+

A spinoff of the popular SBS variety show “Running Man” will be the first original content from South Korea on Disney+, the streaming platform said Thursday. The Walt Disney Company announced that “Outrun by Running Man” will star three members of the original cast -- Jee Seok-jin, Kim Jong-kook and Haha. While the original show’s main producer, director Im Hyung-taek, is behind the spinoff, its main star, Yoo Jae-suk, is not part of the upcoming series. “

Nov. 4, 2021

[Newsmaker] Marvel's 'Eternals' tops S. Korean box office on its first day

Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster "Eternals" has topped the South Korean box office on its opening day, data showed Thursday. The film posted 296,000 attendees on Wednesday, accounting for 88.9 percent of the day's total ticket sales, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It marked the second-highest first-day record this year to date, following 400,000 visitors set by "F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series, in May. The new film

Nov. 4, 2021