[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to return next month: report

Enhypen is coming out with a new album at the end of September, according to local media reports Wednesday.   　 The boy band will come back five months after its second EP, “Border: Carnival,” which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 18. In May, the band was named by Grammy.com as one of five K-pop artists -- along with StayC, Itzy, Ateez and Tomorrow X Together -- that “have the potential to dominate the global pop space.”   　 Its debut single in Japan, &ldquo

Aug. 25, 2021

Bang Min-ah wins rising star award at NY film fest

Actor Bang Min-ah, widely known as Minah of K-pop girl group Girl’s Day, has won an award at the New York Asian Film Festival 2021. The 20th edition of NYAFF was held virtually and in-person at the Lincoln Center, New York, from Aug. 6-22. Bang won the Rising Star Asia Award for her role as Kang-yi in the Korean film “Snowball,” directed by Lee Woo-jung. The film, an adaptation of the award-winning novel “The Best Life” by Lim Sol-ah, revolves around three teena

Aug. 25, 2021

Movie stars to return to small screen

South Korean movie stars are turning up on TV dramas in the second half of the year, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing number of streaming platforms. Many household names who have been mostly working in film are returning to the small screen after years of absence. Lee Ha-nee and Cannes winner Jeon Do-yeon will kick off a season full of dramas starring big-screen actors. Jeon is returning to TV for the first time since her 2015 hit tvN drama “The Good Wife.” The a

Aug. 25, 2021

Netflix released films to be screened in local CGV theaters

Due to the COVID-19 situation, some Korean movies have chosen to skip their theatrical release and gone straight to Netflix. But now, these movies will be screened in local CGV theaters, according to Netflix on Wednesday. Last year amid the pandemic, the number of people who visited local theaters plunged 74 percent from the previous year. It was the greatest decline since the Korean Film Council started compiling box office data in 2004. This drop led thriller “Time to Hunt,” direc

Aug. 25, 2021

Kwon Eun-bi opens new chapter of musical career with ‘Door’

Kwon Eun-bi landed well with fans Tuesday, being the first to kick off as a solo artist from the now-disbanded project girl group IZ*ONE. The idol-turned-soloist opened the door to a new chapter of her musical career with her first EP, “Open,” released Tuesday evening. The six-song print is a package brimming with six different flavors, including a ballad track and several eye-catching performances, the singer said during an online press conference Tuesday. “As the name su

Aug. 24, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Kwon Eunbi takes 1st step as solo musician

Kwon Eunbi, of the now-disbanded IZ*ONE, made her debut as a solo artist on Tuesday at an online showcase for media. 　 “My role model is BoA. I want to be a cool solo singer that spans across a range of genres and concepts,” she said. 　 She is the first of the girl group to strike out on her own and she confidently introduced herself as a musician who can dance, sing and write songs. 　 Kwon co-wrote the lyrics for the swing-influenced “Door,” the lead track off of her

Aug. 24, 2021

Ballet dancers to present own works

Korean National Ballet dancers are to present their own choreographed works through the “KNB Movement Series 6” show this weekend. The KNB is to go onstage on Saturday and Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center, presenting original works choreographed by its members, including principal dancer Park Seul-ki’s “Imagine,” principal dancer Shin Seung-won’s “Harmonia,” soloist Kang Hyo-hyung’s “Mannequin’s Story,” soloist Bae Min-so

Aug. 24, 2021

EBS doc festival showcases daily life around the world

Selected documentaries from around the world are being presented at the 18th EBS International Documentary Festival 2021 until Sunday on public broadcaster EBS. EBS International Documentary Festival, which began Monday, is Korea’s only documentary festival that combines TV broadcasting with online and theater screenings. Under the slogan “normal is now special,” the EIDF seeks to send a hopeful message of overcoming the pandemic and documenting the slowly vanishing moments o

Aug. 24, 2021

Selections from 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival to be rescreened

The Jeonju International Film Festival will hold a special event, “ Falling in Jeonju,” from Sept. 9 to 12 to screen a selection of films that drew great attention during the film festival that was held from April 29 to May 8. Thirty movies -- 16 features and 14 short films -- that were screened during this year’s film fest will be presented. The opening film of the 22nd Jeonju IFF, “Father” directed by Srdan Golubovic, is included in the list of films to be scr

Aug. 24, 2021

SHINee's Key set to release new song, album

Key of South Korean boy band SHINee is set to drop a new song next week ahead of the release of his first solo album in 2 1/2 years, his management agency said Tuesday. The song "Hate that..." will hit domestic online music services at 6 p.m. on Monday, before the release of the new album containing the track in September, according to SM Entertainment. The 29-year-old's previous solo album was released in March 2019 on the day he enlisted in the military to begin his mandatory servi

Aug. 24, 2021

Expanded platforms call big-name film directors to small screen

As the entertainment horizon has been widened thanks to the advent of global streaming platforms, not only silver screen stars but also big-name film directors are making the switch to television or even smaller devices like mobile phones. Director Lee Joon-ik of the historical dramas "The King and the Clown" (2005) and "The Throne" (2015) will make his small screen debut with "Beyond The Memory," an original series by Korean streamer Tving and a TV adaptation of a

Aug. 24, 2021

BTS' 'Butter' ranks No. 8 on Billboard Hot 100

K-pop sensation BTS' mega-hit "Butter" placed eighth on this week's Billboard main singles chart, staying in the top 10 for 13 consecutive weeks. The summery song dropped one notch to No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart after earlier spending nine weeks at No. 1, Billboard said on its website Monday (US time). In the Digital Song Sales category, "Butter" led for a 12th week, with 55,000 downloads, it said. "Butter" had sat atop the main singles chart for nine nonconsecuti

Aug. 24, 2021

Verivery attempts horror with new album ‘Series ‘O’ [Round 2: Hole]’

Boy band Verivery is back with their sixth EP “Series ‘O’ [Round 2: Hole],” an exploration of darker themes and the group‘s first-ever horror concept. Ahead of the album’s release on Monday, the group staged its first performance of the single “Trigger” and shared insights in to the new album at a media showcase event. Led by “Trigger,” the new album opens the second chapter of the group’s “O” series, which kicked

Aug. 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink's Lisa floats solo teaser

Lisa of Blackpink signaled her solo debut with a teaser poster on Monday. 　 On the black poster that reads “Coming Soon,” the idol, albeit blurry, is seen sitting down in a red suit paired with high-heeled boots striking a confident pose, with hair dyed dark blonde. 　 She will be the third member of the quintet to put out a solo album, following Jennie and Rose, both of whom set multiple records both at home and abroad with their releases. 　 Lisa boasts the most followers among K

Aug. 23, 2021

Artist collaborations are latest web entertainment

Web-based entertainment programs featuring the inner workings of collaboration projects between artists have emerged as a new trend in the Korean music industry. 　 In early August, KQ Entertainment announced that its K-pop boy band Ateez was working with veteran singer Kim Jong-kook on a duet summer song. The agency also hinted that the collaboration would not be limited to music. “Starting Aug. 11, fans can see how Ateez’s new song with Kim Jong-kook is being produced in the real

Aug. 23, 2021

[Herald Interview] Film on film: ‘The Rain Comes Soon’ is comedy about releasing movie during pandemic

It was a hot summer day last year when director Ko Bong-soo decided to start making his new comedy film, “The Rain Comes Soon,” about a director who releases a film during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since the virus outbreak, many people had been saying that they felt depressed. As a filmmaker, I thought about what I could do to make the situation better. Since my specialty is making comedy films, I decided to make people laugh,” Ko said during an interview with The Korea H

Aug. 23, 2021

After 18 months of preparation, ‘Billy Elliot’ ready for stage

Four Billies are ready to take to the stage after a 1 1/2 years of training in ballet, tap dance, acrobatics, acting and more. 　 The musical, based on a hit 2000 film of the same name, is set in northern England during the 1984-85 miner’s strike. Working-class boy Billy discovers his passion and talent for ballet and pursues his dream. Elton John composed the score and Lee Hall, who wrote the film’s screenplay, wrote the book and lyrics. 　 A licensed version of the musical &ldquo

Aug. 23, 2021

Action thriller 'Hostage' tops S. Korean box office over weekend

The South Korean action thriller "Hostage: Missing Celebrity" topped the local weekend box office in its first week of release, data showed Monday. The movie about the kidnapping of star Hwang Jung-min garnered a combined 454,000 ticket sales over the Friday to Saturday period, bringing its combined total to over 638,000 since its release last Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" dropped to second place with 326,000

Aug. 23, 2021

Rock star Yoon Do-hyun looks back on life through musical

Rock musician Yoon Do-hyun has been able to reminisce about the old days while starring in the musical “Gwanghwamun Sonata.” The musical, produced by CJ ENM, tells the story of middle-aged musician Myungwoo. In a coma on his deathbed, Myungwoo travels back to his past in the ‘80s and ‘90s, guided by Weolha. Yoon plays the title role of Myungwoo along with stage actors Um Ki-joon and Kang Pil-seok. “Myungwoo is a composer who is crazy about music. I can relate

Aug. 22, 2021

KBS orchestra to go onstage with Chung Myung-whun, Garrick Ohlsson

The KBS Symphony Orchestra is to hold the concert, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” at the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday, joined by maestro Chung Myung-whun and pianist Garrick Ohlsson.   At the upcoming concert, the orchestra will present Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.   Ohlsson, the winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, went onstage with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in September 2019,

Aug. 22, 2021