[Herald Interview] Actor Jo Woo-jin says he was worried about playing title role in ‘Hard Hit’

At the beginning of shooting for action film “Hard Hit,” actor Jo Woo-jin said he had worries because it was his first time playing a leading role in his 22-year career. “I was not sure if I am good enough for it,” he told local reporters during a joint media interview conducted via Zoom on Tuesday. “At the same time, I did not want to be arrogant and reminded myself of the thought that I had when I started acting.” He figured the best way to address his con

June 26, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] EXO’s DO to drop 1st solo album: report

DO of EXO is putting out his solo debut album at the end of July, media reports said Friday. 　 His label SM Entertainment confirmed the news following the report. 　 He has released solo songs, such as “It’s Okay” and “Crying Out,” which were on the original soundtrack for the movie “Cart,” but this will be the singer’s first solo album since his debut in 2012 as a member of EXO. 　 The main vocal of the veteran idol band has been equally successf

June 25, 2021

Yoo Ah-in to star in new Netflix action flick ‘Seoul Vibe’

Netflix on Friday announced that it has cast star Yoo Ah-in for its new action film “Seoul Vibe.” The global streaming platform added that it had finished casting all the main characters for the film, which will be directed by Moon Hyun-sung, who created films including “As One” and “The King’s Case Note.” “Seoul Vibe” revolves around a team investigating a case related to a VIP’s slush fund on the day of the opening ceremony of the

June 25, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hard Hit (Korea) Opened June 23 Action Directed by Kim Chang-Ju Sung-kyu (Jo Woo-jin) works as a manager at a bank in Busan. One morning, he receives an anonymous phone call while driving his two kids to school. The stranger on the phone asks Sung-kyu for money and also threatens him by saying there is a bomb installed under his car seat and it will explode if he does not follow the instruction. Luca (US) Opened June 17 Animation Directed by Enrico Casarosa  Teenage sea monster Luca liv

June 25, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez to release Japanese record

Ateez is launching its next record, “Dreamers,” in Japan next month, said agency KQ Entertainment on Thursday. 　 “Dreamers” consists of the title track and an acoustic version of “Still Here,” a song from its first Japanese full album, “Into the A to Z,” which came out in March. 　 In a 30-second teaser trailer the bandmates appear fresh and cool against the backdrop of Jeju Island. 　 The title track is full of positive energy as the band roots f

June 24, 2021

Visualizing the beauty of scattered melodies

The National Dance Company of Korea’s “Sanjo” is to begin run at the National Theater of Korea on Thursday. In the 80-minute dance show, the national dance company visually depicts the aesthetics of “sanjo,” which refers to a style of traditional Korean music in which an instrumental solo performance is accompanied by “janggu” drumming. 　 While the term sanjo directly translates to “scattered melodies,” it features the gathering and scatte

June 24, 2021

Korean-language Broadway musical ‘Beetlejuice’ to be delayed again

The premiere of the licensed Korean-language musical “Beetlejuice” will be delayed once again as technical glitches continue, according to CJ ENM, the co-producer of the show. The show is now set to start July 6, and performances scheduled before then will be canceled, with compensation to be provided, the co-producer announced on Thursday. The Korean version of the Broadway musical “Beetlejuice,” a production based on Tim Burton’s iconic film, was postponed l

June 24, 2021

S. Korea to inject W50b into animation industry

South Korea plans to invest 50 billion won ($44 million) in a fund specializing in animation investment as part of efforts to boost the industry, the culture ministry said Thursday. The investment is part of a five-year plan aimed at increasing the local animation industry's revenue to 1 trillion won by 2025 from 640.5 billion won in 2019, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The ministry also aims to increase exports from $190 million to $360 million and expand the number

June 24, 2021

Musical ‘Hedwig’ to return with Cho Seung-woo

Cho Seung-woo is to return as the iconic rock star character Hedwig in the rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” According to production company Shownote, Cho, Oh Man-seok, Lee Kyu-hyeong, Ko Eun-sung and Ren from boy band Newest will take the title role in the 13th run of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” in South Korea. The musical, written by Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell, tells the story of a genderqueer rock singer from East Germany. The singer, Hedwig, lea

June 23, 2021

Sejong Center presents sound immersive play

Sound immersive play “In This Garden We Loved” began its run at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, complete with 60 speakers installed across the theater. The play is the third edition of the Sejong Center’s Contemporary S series project that aims to present innovative, original show productions. It is the first time that French writer Pascal Quignard’s play “Dans Ce Jardin Qu’On Aimait” (“In This Garden We Loved”) is bei

June 23, 2021

Rock band YB takes part in Metallica’s charity album

South Korean rock band YB, formerly known as Yoon Do-hyun Band, will be featured in legendary US heavy metal band Metallica’s newest album dedicated for charity, scheduled to be released Sept. 10. On Tuesday, YB posted the cover of Metallica’s new album, “The Metallica Blacklist,” on its Instagram account and announced it had participated in the project in February. The upcoming album is a special compilation and reissue to mark the 30th anniversary of Metallica&lsquo

June 23, 2021

Korean creators in high demand in global content productions

Thanks to the growing global presence of South Korean content through online streaming platforms, the world's entertainment industry is wooing Korean professionals who are behind big-name films and TV series. Not only screenwriters and directors who have come into the spotlight for their global hits like Netflix originals "Sweet Home" (2020) and "Space Sweepers" (2021) but also experts in post-production jobs like poster designing, color grading and visual effects are also i

June 23, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] SF9 floats teaser for upcoming EP

SF9 shared a prologue clip on Tuesday for its ninth EP, which will be released next month. 　 The video snippet for the EP, titled “Turn Over,” begins with a golden snake, a recurring character from the band’s previous EP. It slithers into the roots of a tree that symbolizes the universe and the tree withers, losing its leaves and turning black. The bandmates, all clad in black, gaze up at the tree as the screen turns black and white. 　 The band’s ninth EP is the third

June 22, 2021

Violinist Kim Bomsori says new album is like action film ‘The Bourne Identity’

When violinist Kim Bomosori was asked to describe her new album “Violin on Stage” during a press conference held Monday in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, she relayed her acquaintance’s response to the album. “My acquaintance told me that after starting the first track, he couldn’t stop the music for a bathroom break because it was like the movie ‘The Bourne Identity,’” Kim, 31, said with a shy smile. “He said the album is like watching continuous a

June 22, 2021

BTS' 'Butter' extends No. 1 streak on Billboard Hot 100 to 4 straight weeks

BTS' latest megahit dance-pop song "Butter" retained the No. 1 position on the Billboard's main albums chart for the fourth consecutive week in the group's best record on the chart since its debut. "Butter" is officially No. 1 on this week's Hot 100 chart for a fourth consecutive week. It becomes the group's longest-leading No. 1 hit, surpassing the three-week run of "Dynamite."" Billboard said Monday (U.S. time) on its Twitter account. "Butter" dre

June 22, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] The Boyz to put out new EP in August

The Boyz are coming out with a sixth EP in August, said agency Cre.ker Entertainment on Monday. 　 More details will be announced soon, the company added, asking fans to keep their eyes open. 　 It has been 11 months since the band’s previous EP, “Chase.” That was the group’s bestselling EP so far, and all its tracks made it onto all the major local charts. 　 The 11-piece boy band recently participated in “Kingdom: Legendary War” and competed against five ot

June 21, 2021

Actor Jo Woo-jin says ‘Hard Hit’ is like miracle to him

For actor Jo Woo-jin, playing his first title role in the upcoming action film “Hard Hit” in his 22-year career seems like a miracle. “There was a posting that I recently wrote to my fans. It says: ‘Hard hit’ will be released and I am now starting my race. I came to Seoul in 1999 with only 500,000 won ($440.84) in my hand. Everything that is happening to me from now on will feel like a miracle,” Jo said during a press conference held last Wednesday in CGV Y

June 21, 2021

K-dramas face challenges in transnational streaming era

 As more and more viewers around the world watch South Korean dramas on streaming platforms, the industry faces critical challenges that must be met if it is to continue to expand overseas. In an era of transnational streaming, cultural sensitivity has become an issue for content creators around the world. Korea is no exception, and Korean dramas have drawn criticism in recent weeks for racial and cultural stereotypes. The producers of two popular SBS TV dramas, “Penthouse 3&rdquo

June 21, 2021

TWICE's latest EP debuts at No. 6 on Billboard 200

K-pop star band TWICE's new EP album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard main albums chart this week, becoming the second K-pop girl group to make the chart's top 10. "K-pop girl group TWICE debuts at No. 6 with 'Taste of Love,' with 46,000 equivalent album units earned," Billboard reported Sunday (US time), one day before its chart will be updated. The Billboard 200 is one of the U.S. music publisher's main charts, ranking the most popular albums of the week in the United States based

June 21, 2021

Baritone singer Kim Gi-hoon wins BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition

Baritone singer Kim Gi-hoon,won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition held in the United Kingdom on Saturday. Established in 1983, the competition is organized jointly by BBC Wales and Welsh National Opera and its winners include some of the biggest names in opera such as Bryn Terfel. With the win, Kim became the first Korean to receive this main prize at the competition. Kim received 20,000 pounds ($27,600) in prize money. Korean Baritone No Dae-san and bass Park Jong-min have wo

June 20, 2021