Uhm Jung-hwa returns in action comedy ‘Okay! Madam’

Singer and actor Uhm Jung-hwa makes her return to the big screen for the first time in five years in action comedy “Okay! Madam.” Uhm teams up with veteran actor Park Sung-woong to play a married couple who, upon their first-ever trip abroad to Hawaii, become involved in the rescue operation of a hijacked aircraft. The film’s director Lee Cheol-ha, Uhm, Park and actors Lee Sang-yoon, Bae Jung-nam and Lee Sun-bin attended a press premiere in Seoul on Monday. “I feel li

Aug. 5, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘We are on an almost different planet here’

While musical shows around the world have been put on an indefinite hold over the past few months, “The Phantom of the Opera” continues to be busy in Korea -- the only production of the beloved show being performed anywhere in the world at the moment. An international tour production of “The Phantom of the Opera” will wrap up its Seoul run at Blue Square Interpark Hall in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Saturday, moving on to the Daegu leg of the Korea tour. “Sometime

Aug. 4, 2020

BTS song lyrics featured on iconic billboard in downtown Seoul

Words from the song "Run" by K-pop group BTS have been featured on an iconic signboard in downtown Seoul. The new billboard on the exterior of the Kyobo Building in the Gwanghwamun square, central Seoul, reads, "Run, run, run again. It's OK if you fall. Run, run, run again. It's OK to get hurt" -- lifted from the lead song of the 2015 BTS album "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life pt. 2." The banner, 20 meters by 8 meters in dimension, has been up on the Gwanghwamu

Aug. 4, 2020

Zombie blockbuster 'Peninsula' posts $40m in revenue in 8 Asian nations

The combined revenue of the South Korean zombie blockbuster "Peninsula" has topped $40 million in eight Asian countries, the film's local distributor said Tuesday. Released on July 15 in South Korea and Taiwan, the movie posted a cumulative $10 million in revenue in its third week in Taiwan, becoming the biggest box office hit in the country, according to NEW. In Vietnam, its sales reached more than $3.33 million, higher than that of Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019), becomi

Aug. 4, 2020

K-pop act (G)I-dle sings of summer, youthfulness in new single

In an about-face from its usually contemplative and edgy sound and imagery, K-pop girl group (G)I-dle said Monday its new single "Dumdi Dumdi" was intended to be a bright dance song inspired by the spirit of youthfulness and the sizzling summer heat. "While writing the new song, I asked myself what summer reminds me of. I thought it was similar to the spirit of youthfulness," (G)I-dle singer Soyeon said during a press conference held online ahead of the single's 6 p.m. relea

Aug. 3, 2020

Cinemas still far from normalcy despite success of few films

Blockbuster action flick “Steel Rain 2” has racked up 1 million admissions in less than a week, following the lead of zombie thriller “Peninsula,” which kicked off the summer movie season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Steel Rain 2” surpassed the mark of 1 million on Sunday, according to the state-run Korean Film Council, five days after its opening on July 29. The film is expected to be in a close race with action thriller “Deliver Us From Evil,

Aug. 3, 2020

S.M. Entertainment secures W100b funding from Naver

S.M. Entertainment said Monday that it has secured 100 billion won (US$83.8 million) in funding from Naver. The new funding will be injected into two S.M. affiliates – SMEJ Plus and Mystic Story – and a separate fund solely dedicated to creating new video contents. As part of the renewed partnership, S.M. plans to unify its global fanclub service into “Fanship” on Naver’s K-pop platform V Live. Launched last year, Fanship is a membership-based paid service for b

Aug. 3, 2020

TV shows go shorter, cross over with online

Once considered fit only to be watched on mobile devices, short-form content has recently been making inroads into television On July 4, JTBC kicked off its first short-form omnibus “Just Comedy.” Comprising five 10-minute episodes that blend comedy with other genres, the show features some of Korea’s most popular comedians, including Jang Do-yeon and Yoo Se-yoon. The show seemed quite successful, creating sensation on social media, but the viewership ratings of the regular

Aug. 3, 2020

‘Mr. Trot’ Seoul concert to start Aug.7 with restrictions

The “Mr. Trot” Seoul concert, featuring top contestants from TV Chosun’s record-breaking program, has been rescheduled to Aug. 7 to 23, after the local government relaxed regulations on large-scale concerts Friday. The concert has been delayed four times due to the spread of COVID-19 and restrictions made by the Songpa-gu Office, which oversees Olympic Gymnastics Arena where the concert is scheduled to take place. Show Play, the concert organizer, announced that the audience

Aug. 2, 2020

Kim Jun-su looks back on 10 years onstage

For stage actor Kim Jun-su, “Mozart!” is more than just another musical on his schedule. Kim, a former member of the legendary K-pop act TVXQ, made his musical debut with “Mozart!” 10 years ago, after leaving the band over a legal dispute with his former agency. “I still remember the moment before I went onstage 10 years ago. My heart was pounding and I could not stay still. I anxiously paced around the room,” Kim said during a press event held Thursday

Aug. 2, 2020

[Herald Interview] Choi Hyun-woo brings magic online

When Choi Hyun-woo, 41, began to learn magic in high school, he did it to overcome his shyness and impress girls. Choi didn’t get a girlfriend, but he became captivated by the wonders of magic. There weren’t many young Korean magicians back then, but he saw David Copperfield perform when the world’s most famous magician visited Korea in 1995. He was immediately shocked and eventually mesmerized. “I went to Copperfield’s house last year and I found the poster of

Aug. 1, 2020

[Herald Interview] Violinist without a music stand

Blind violinist Kim Ji-sun is set for a new page of her life with plans across the Pacific region. Kim will attend the Manhattan School of Music in New York next year for graduate studies. She will be the first blind person to enter the two-year graduate program at the college. “The program was to begin in September, but has been delayed to January because of the coronavirus pandemic situation,” Kim told The Korea Herald in a phone interview Monday. “But still, I am excite

Aug. 1, 2020

BTS nominated in three categories for 2020 MTV Video Music Awards

K-pop giant BTS won three nominations for the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, according to the American television network Thursday (local time). The South Korean septet's "ON," the lead song on the band's album "Map of the Soul 7," was nominated in the categories of Best Pop, Best Choreography and Best K-pop, according to MTV's website. "ON" peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon release its release in March, the strongest showing ever f

July 31, 2020

In-person music theater festival to take place

It’s coming three months later than planned, but the 19th Uijeongbu Music Theatre Festival will be held with live audiences from Aug. 7-16 in the Gyeonggi Province city. The in-person performing arts festival will take place at Uijeongbu Arts Center and other cultural facilities in Uijeongbu, just northeast of Seoul. Originally slated to take place in May, the UMTF was postponed twice due to the spread of COVID-19. The festival will introduce 11 indoor and 24 outdoor shows, marking a t

July 31, 2020

No joke: Reality TV K-pop act rocks music scene while raising questions of fairness

From its inception, SSAK3, a one-off K-pop team created for MBC TV's weekend variety show "Hang Out With Yoo," was intended to be a silly tongue-in-cheek project, riding on the coattails of the retro boom in today's pop culture landscape. At best, the co-ed trio, formed of two late '90s-2000s singers -- Lee Hyo-ri of girl group FIN.K.L and male soloist Rain -- and top-billed comedian-emcee Yoo Jae-suk, was expected to offer a dose of wholesome feel-good '90s nostalgia to viewers and

July 31, 2020

2020 PLZ Festival at DMZ brings music to border area

The 2020 PLZ Festival kicked off Saturday near the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, in hopes of bringing peace in the Korean Peninsula. Standing for “Peace and Life Zone Festival,” it is the sole international music festival held at the DMZ. This year marks the second year for the festival, held under the theme “The Sound Within the Sound!” The festival is being held in five counties in Gangwon Province close to the DMZ, including Inje, Yanggu, Hwach

July 30, 2020

[Herald Interview] Newkidd teams up with global artists for song to combat COVID-19

Rising boy group Newkidd joined a global music project to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The seven-piece boy band under J-Flo Entertainment teamed up with a batch of global musicians to release “Me Me We,” a song that offers a message of comfort in the fight against COVID-19. This time, four members -- Jinkwon, Yunmin, Woochul and Hwi -- lent their voices for the hopeful-sounding song. “It’s a difficult time for all of us, so we wanted hope to resonate all o

July 30, 2020

New Korean TV drama starring 'Parasite' actress to stream on Netflix

"Record of Youth," a new South Korean television drama starring Park So-dam of Oscar-winning "Parasite" and star actor Park Bo-gum, will be available on Netflix this fall, its production company said Thursday. The series co-produced by Studio Dragon and Pan Entertainment will stream in some 190 countries through Netflix starting Sept. 7, immediately following the first-window airing on South Korean cable network tvN, Pan Entertainment said. The TV show is directed by An Gi

July 30, 2020

SBS TV series ‘Backstreet Rookie’ slapped with KCSC warning

The Korea Communication Standards Commission on Thursday issued a warning to SBS TV series “Backstreet Rookie” for airing provocative and inappropriate scenes. The KCSC noted scenes such as underage female high school student character Saet-byul kissing an adult male stranger while asking him to buy a pack of cigarettes for her are against its regulation on maintaining integrity and also using language fit for broadcast. “In the process of producing an R-rated webtoon into

July 30, 2020

[Herald Interview] Yukika’s journey from Japanese actress to K-pop artist

“Meant to be” is a fitting phrase to describe Yukika’s journey as a K-pop artist. A Japanese singer who released her debut album, “Soul Lady,” in South Korea last week, Yukika took her first step into the entertainment industry in middle school as a model and actress in Japan. Upon entering university, she took a hiatus to focus on her studies. Three years later, she appeared on TV again, but this time in the Korean show “The Idolmaster KR,” and late

July 30, 2020