Dreamcatcher transformed into heroes through ‘VirtuouS’

Dreamcatcher returned with its 10th EP “VirtuouS,” presenting an energetic performance that embodies the image of heroes, in contrast to the previous release, November's "VillainS." The focus track, "Justice," is an alternative rock song depicting a hero fighting against evil. Dreamcatcher is a seven-member band, but due to health issues, the main vocalist Siyeon will not participate in the promotion of the new release. "Siyeon is the voice of our team a

July 11, 2024

Hong Sang-soo’s ‘By the Stream’ to compete at Locarno Film Festival

South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo's new work “By the Stream” will have its world premiere and compete at the Locarno Film Festival, Hong’s production firm Jeonwonsa Film said Thursday. The 77th Locarno Film Festival, which kicks off on Aug. 7, showcases artistic and experimental movies from around the world. Established in 1946, the festival is one of the longest film festivals in the world, taking place every August in the northeastern city of Locarno, Switzerland. It is

July 11, 2024

[Exclusive] CJ ENM's 'KCON Saudi Arabia' canceled this year: source

KCON, the globally renowned K-pop music festival organized by CJ ENM, will not be held in Saudi Arabia this year, according to an industry insider. Earlier this year, CJ ENM announced its 2024 KCON schedule that included events in five locations: Hong Kong, Japan, Los Angeles, Europe and Saudi Arabia. While specific dates were released for the first three locations, the dates for Europe and Saudi Arabia were left unspecified. In June, CJ ENM announced that the European KCON would take place in F

July 11, 2024

Long-lost royal 'Sajik Jeryeak' returns to stage after more than a century

During the Joseon era (1392-1910), the two most important ceremonies personally overseen by the king were Jongmyo Jerye, a royal ancestral memorial rite held to pay respect to the late kings and queens; and Sajik Daeje, a national rite to gods of lands and crops. This was when Jongmyo and Sajik were considered the very essence of the nation. Thus the Jongmyo Shrine housing the tablets of deceased royal ancestors is located to the left of Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon royal palace, while the Saj

July 11, 2024

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang hopes to offer 'healing power' of music during September recital tour

Clara-jumi Kang, a violin virtuoso, will embark on a nationwide recital tour in September with a new instrument and a program that holds a significant meaning to her. Kang is set to blend technical mastery with lyrical expression with a program consisting Tartini's "The Devil's Trill," Prokofiev's Violin Sonata No. 1, Chausson's "Poeme," and Franck's “Violin Sonata.” Regarding the program, Kang said, “I've chosen pieces that I p

July 10, 2024

K-pop fans uneasy about return of main culprits in ‘Burning Sun’ scandal

The recent sights of former K-pop singers who were central figures in the “Burning Sun” scandal -- Jung Joon-young, Seungri and Choi Jong-hoon -- are raising questions about the image of K-pop and where to draw the line between celebrities' public and private lives. The roots of the scandal began in 2016 with Jung's illegal filming and distribution of sex videos. Investigations into an assault at the Burning Sun nightclub owned by Seungri in 2019 revealed a group chat in wh

July 10, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen subunit duo goes gold in Japan

Seventeen’s Junghan and Wonwoo earned gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan with their first subunit single, according to the organization, Wednesday. The duo’s single album “This Man” logged 100,000 shipments as of last month, and the band now has 16 albums that went gold in the country. The single came out on June 17 and topped Oricon’s daily single ranking and ranked No. 2 on its weekly and weekly combined album rankings. The album s

July 10, 2024

Cheerleading 'Victory' rekindles '90s nostalgia

A coming-of-age drama set in 1999, "Victory" will rekindle nostalgia and provide solace for those fatigued from the hardships of life, its director said Wednesday. The film centers on Pil-sun (portrayed by Lee Hye-ri), who creates a cheerleading group to gain access to the school's dance room. The film is set to premiere as the opening film of the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival, which runs from Friday until June 28 with Lee Hye-ri receiving the Screen International Rising Star

July 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] 15 years on, Uangel Voice still finds way to sing anew

An all-male six-member choir walks up to the stage and takes a deep breath, as guests are all ears for a tune that will animate a ceremony marked by many handshakes and applauses. “That’s the thrill, an adrenaline rush -- the feeling of undivided attention on the stage,” said Son Ye-bin, a baritone at Uangel Voice, a choir that has been performing since April 2009. Most of their performances since then have involved charity work, either raising funds for the marginalized or rai

July 10, 2024

[Herald Review] Lee Sun-kyun’s presence lights up ‘Project Silence’

Stranded on a collapsed bridge shrouded in thick fog, a father and daughter on their way to the airport, an older couple returning from a trip, two sisters who missed a flight and a tow truck driver come together to escape the catastrophic scene. But it is not the 100-car pileup or helicopter crash that happened right in front of them that are threatening their lives. It is a dozen military dogs implanted with bot chips that were mistakenly released from a transport truck on the bridge. “P

July 10, 2024

BTS items displayed at Grammy Museum in special Hybe exhibition

The Grammy Museum is opening an interactive exhibition with K-pop powerhouse Hybe that explores K-pop music, culture, technology and fandom. The “Hybe: We Believe in Music” exhibition will be held from Aug. 2 to Sept. 15 at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The venue showcases items worn and used by Hybe’s roster of artists and creators over a space of 372 square meters. It includes original outfits worn in the music videos of “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)&rdqu

July 10, 2024

Blackpink’s Lisa to headline 2024 Global Citizen Festival

Lisa of Blackpink is headlining the 2024 Global Citizen Festival in New York City's Central Park on Sept. 23. This is the K-pop superstar’s first live performance at a music festival as a solo artist since her solo debut with the digital single “Rockstar” on June 28. “We are thrilled to join forces with Lisa for what will be her first-ever solo performance at a music festival. Lisa is not only an incredible performer, but also a powerful advocate, leveraging her voic

July 10, 2024

Stray Kids to embark on new world tour ‘dominATE’

K-pop boy group Stray Kids is going on a grand-scale standalone world tour “dominATE,” according to JYP Entertainment. The world tour which kicks off in August includes six stadium concerts. This is the group’s third world tour coming two years and four months after their second world tour “Maniac” held from April 29, 2022, to April 2, 2023. Stray Kids’ upcoming tour begins at the Kspo Dome in Seoul on Aug. 24-25 followed by 21 shows in 12 different cities. Un

July 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin logs 5th solo entry on Billboard’s Hot 100

Jimin of BTS made Billboard’s Hot 100 for the fifth time on his own with the single “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco),” according to the publication on Monday. The single claimed the No. 88 spot on the main singles chart dated July 13. It was dropped in advance of the release of his second EP “Muse” which will be out on July 19. His previous entries include “Like Crazy,” which fronted his first solo EP “Face.” The lead track debut

July 9, 2024

Future of fear shown in BIFAN Choice section

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- Under the banner “Stay Strange,” Korea’s largest genre film festival, the 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, or BIFAN, kicked off Thursday, running to July 14. This year the film fest has brought 253 films from 49 countries to the Gyeonggi Province city just west of Seoul. Never the festival to shy away from trends in cinema, this year’s edition has notably opened the door to generative artificial intelligence, including 15 A

July 9, 2024

'Revolver' to show new side of Jeon Do-yeon

Crime action film "Revolver" will unveil a new aspect of veteran actor Jeon Do-yeon that audiences have yet to see, according to the film's director, Tuesday. "Revolver" tracks the journey of Soo-young (portrayed by Jeon), a former detective who is released from prison after being convicted for crimes she did not commit. The film marks a reunion of Oh and Jeon, who worked together on critically acclaimed "The Shameless" (2015). The film earned Jeon the best act

July 9, 2024

Jay Park to hold fan meeting

Jay Park, also known as Park Jae-beom, is to hold his first solo fan meetings in 11 years. According to his agency More Vision, Jay Park will host "Jay Park Season 3: Dedicated 2 U" at the Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 10 and 11. The event marks the first solo fan meetings for the singer since "Jay Effect" in 2013. It is the third of the season projects that the singer kicked off in April with a video trailer promising fans that he would focus on music

July 9, 2024

Ballerino Jeon Min-chul to join Mariinsky Ballet as soloist

South Korean ballet dancer Jeon Min-chul, 20, is set to join the world-renowned Mariinsky Ballet in Russia. Jeon is the second Korean dancer to become part of the prestigious company, following its principal dancer Kim Ki-min, 32. According to media reports, Jeon recently passed an audition in Russia and is scheduled to join the Mariinsky Ballet as a soloist in February next year. Jeon who graduated from Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Sunhwa Arts High School, is currently a third-year student at

July 9, 2024

Song Joong-ki, Katy Louise Saunders expect 2nd child

Actor Song Joong-ki is expecting his second child, following the birth of his first child a year ago, according to his agency. According to Song's agency, HighZium Studio, on Monday afternoon, Song's wife, British model and actor Katy Louise Saunders, is expecting their second child. The agency did not disclose specific details about the second child, including the gender or the due date. The news of Saunders expecting their second child arrives a year after the couple announced the bi

July 9, 2024

Lia to join Itzy’s comeback in H2

Lia of Itzy is returning to the K-pop scene after taking a break since September 2023 due to health issues. According to JYP Entertainment, Lia will be joining her group for the upcoming album scheduled for release sometime this year. “Lia has been getting treatment for her anxiety issues and has recovered remarkably. After a thorough discussion with Lia, we’ve decided Lia will be resuming her group activities for their upcoming solo album scheduled for release in the second half of

July 9, 2024