Zombie thriller ‘Peninsula’ to screen in 185 countries

With “Train to Busan” having scored as a major global success in 2016, the film’s sequel “Peninsula” has already been sold to 185 countries ahead of its official release in Seoul set for July 15. Film distributor Next Entertainment World on Tuesday announced it has secured distribution deals for zombie flick “Peninsula” in 185 countries, including North and South American territories, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia. In Taiwan and Ho

June 30, 2020

Indie cinemas launch #SaveOurCinema campaign

Local indie and art house cinemas are teaming up to save the low-budget film industry struggling from the impact of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Korean Arthouse Cinema Association on Monday announced that 22 indie and art house cinemas will participate in the #SaveOurCinema campaign, which aims to raise public awareness of indie films and encourage moviegoers to return to smaller cinemas from July 1. While the campaign will include a wide range of marketing events conducted by individua

June 29, 2020

Sunmi embraces girl power, praises Hwasa and Chung Ha

Sunmi is tackling city pop in her new single “pporappippam” which is slated for release Monday. While known for her dance-pop sound, the new song -- which translates to purple night in Korean -- sees the singer incorporate elements of city pop into her signature upbeat pop sound -- a subset of pop music originated in Japan in the ’70s. “Imagine a breeze that cools you down on a summer day at sunset after a hot day and you are looking up to the sky at a café terra

June 29, 2020

'#Alive' posts highest weekend box office in 5 months amid pandemic

The new zombie thriller "#Alive" posted the highest weekend box office total in five months since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. According to the data by the Korean Film Council, "#Alive" attracted 702,000 moviegoers over the Friday Sunday period, far outnumbering runner-up "Innocence" with 98,000 and No. 3 "Onward" with 87,000. It is the highest box office recorded by a single flick during a weekend since the drama

June 29, 2020

Overseas-based Korean dancers put on gala shows

Overseas-based Korean dancers wrapped up the 10th Ballet Festival Korea with gala shows over weekends at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. A total of 10 prominent overseas Korean dancers gathered for the gala shows. Most of them were initially unable to participate in the shows due to the tight schedules of their ballet troupes. After the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, however, the seasons were canceled, allowing them to return to Korea and perform onstage. “I wrote about going

June 28, 2020

Cinemas gear up for reboot as daily number of moviegoers exceed 400,000

A total of 409,544 people visited local cinemas on Saturday, surpassing 400,000 for the first time in over four months since the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year. With new summer releases and state-funded discount coupons towing the recovery, the film industry has seen audience numbers climb this month. The Korean Film Council provided discount vouchers for tickets from Thursday through Sunday in the first three weeks of this month. As the number of moviegoers during the three-week event p

June 28, 2020

BLACKPINK's 'How You Like That' becomes fastest video ever to top 100 million YouTube views

The music video of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's latest song "How You Like That" racked in over 100 million views on YouTube at the fastest pace ever, its management agency said Sunday. The 100 million views were reached at around 2:23 a.m. Sunday, about 32 hours after the music video was released, according to YG Entertainment. The previous record was set by BTS in April 2019 with "Boy With Luv," the main track off its album titled "Map of the Soul: Persona."

June 28, 2020

Pianist Kim Kwang-min to hold solo recital in August

Pianist Kim Kwang-min is to hold a solo recital for the first time in three years. According to production agency Credia’s announcement Thursday, Kim will perform Aug. 15 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, eastern Seoul.  Kim, whose repertoire encompasses jazz, new age and classical music and whose work is often featured in films and dramas, graduated from the Berklee College of Music and has worked with numerous K-pop musicians such as Yoon Jong-shin and IU. The upcoming show

June 27, 2020

Blackpink's new song tops iTunes charts in 60 nations

K-pop girl group Blackpink's latest song ranked No. 1 on iTunes charts in 60 nations, its management agency said Saturday, a day after the release of "How You Like That." The number of countries where the song topped the charts represents an all-time high for a South Korean girl group. The song also dominated two major Asian music streaming services -- Line Music of Japan and QQ Music of China -- according to YG Entertainment. Blackpink's fresh music video has also drawn explosive

June 27, 2020

Blackpink says they want to spread positive energy with 'How You Like That'

The members of Blackpink say they want to spread positive energy with their new single, “How You Like That.” It is the group’s first single since “Kill This Love,” which came out in April 2019. Ahead of the song’s release Friday, the bandmates discussed the experience of recording their first full-length album and collaborating with Lady Gaga during a livestreamed press conference. “This may sound a little bit grand. We really tried to give people a

June 26, 2020

Return of 3 'hallyu' actors fail to give TV dramas a boost

The return of three A-list South Korean actors who finished their military duties has drawn wide attention from fans of Korean TV dramas at home and abroad. But their new dramas were performing far below expectations, and even the stars with large followings abroad were unable to give them a badly needed boost. Lee Min-ho, who soared to stardom with the 2009 drama series "Boys Over Flowers," starred in the fantasy romance "The King: Eternal Monarch" on SBS this spring. It

June 26, 2020

[Eye Interview] Journeying the world on wings of music

This year was to have been my “big” travel year. The ambitious plan included two weeks in Tuscany, basking in the autumn sun and sauntering the streets of Florence. Having decided on the destination, I followed Instagram pictures of Italy in all their golden and azure glory, and had Rai Radio Tutta Italiana as background noise, the music on the Italian radio station transporting me thousands of miles away to a place that sounded full of life and joy. I served panettone on Christma

June 26, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Alive (Korea) Opened June 24 Thriller, Drama Directed by Cho Il-hyung An unexplainable disease spreads in the city, turning infected people into zombie-like creatures, and Jun-woo (Yoo Ah-in), a YouTuber and gamer, is stranded inside his house alone. What food he had left is soon finished, and in a matter of days, electricity and water are cut off. The creatures roam around the apartment complex, sometimes making their way inside houses. Just as Jun-woo starts to lose hope, another survivor on

June 26, 2020

Twice’s 30 best tracks, ranked

30. “Firework” (2020) Songs on Twice’s latest album “More & More” have a more mature sound and “Firework” is no exception. With Latin guitar melodies sprinkled all over, the rhythmic tune conjures up images of fireworks on a summer night. 29. “Chillax” (2018) As bright and cheerful beats open the song, the group’s warm vocals sing in harmony, “Chill and chill and relax-lax” as the song talks of wanting to go on a holi

June 25, 2020

[Herald Interview] Lee Bong-geun moves pansori from stage to big screen

A master of the traditional Korean music genre pansori, Lee Bong-geun is launching a new career as an actor in the upcoming film “The Singer.” In it he plays the lead, Shim Hak-gyu, also a pansori singer. Speaking with the local media on Wednesday, Lee said he vicariously experienced the original form of pansori -- a traditional form of narrative music -- during the filming. “I thought that perhaps this is how the past masters would have sung. Although pansori has now become

June 25, 2020

Actor Woo Do-hwan to start military service next month

South Korean star actor Woo Do-hwan will join the military on July 6, his agency said Wednesday. Woo, 27, debuted in 2011 and rose to stardom after starring in the hit television series "The King: Eternal Monarch" this year and the film "The Divine Fury" in 2019. "Due to safety and health reasons, the location and time for Woo's entrance to the military camp will be kept closed without official media or farewell events," his agency, KeyEast, said in a statement.

June 24, 2020

How Trump and K-pop ended up in the same headline

After fans of South Korean pop music enjoyed weeks of media attention as an emerging political force, the conversation is now turning partisan in the US. On Monday’s episode of Fox News’ weekly “Fox & Friends,” one host explained the low turnout at US President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday, then added, “And there were these reports that teenagers on TikTok and fans of the group K-pop took credit because they reserved a bunch of tickets never intending

June 24, 2020

Actor Park Bo-gum to join Navy in August: officials

Actor Park Bo-gum is expected to join the Navy's military band in August to fulfill his mandatory military service, officials said Wednesday. Last month, the 26 year-old celebrity applied for a naval military band and honor guard unit. After going through a performance test and interview, he was deemed qualified to be a member specializing in piano, according to the officials. Park will begin his service on Aug. 31 at the Navy Education and Training Command in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Pro

June 24, 2020

‘Fanfare,’ a fantastical toss and turn of five villains overnight

While the sound of fanfare precedes celebratory events these days, in the past it often marked the start of a war that would leave all dead bar the victors. To the vanquished, the sound of the fanfare would be horrific, but to the vanquisher it would mark the start of a party. Likewise, crime-thriller “Fanfare” from aspiring Korean director Lee Don-ku is an 88-minute whirlwind of blood-splattering horror and satirical humor, as five of the cruelest villains tangle with each other i

June 24, 2020

Remake of ‘Hotel del Luna’ coming to the US

Last year’s popular drama “Hotel Del Luna” will be remade into a US television series. Studio Dragon, the maker of the drama, which recently opened a US branch, announced a collaboration with Skydance TV on Wednesday to plan and produce the US remake. Skydance TV is the production company behind “Terminator: Dark Fate,” “6 Underground” and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” among others. This is the first time a Korean studio will be w

June 24, 2020