[Video] SHINee’s Key hopes to keep it real on new cooking show

Key from boy band SHINee wants to keep it real with guests on his new “cooking talk show,” titled “Cheongdam Key-chin” and set to air on Kakao TV every Thursday night starting this week.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)Viewers will get to see the singer welcome guests from various backgrounds to his kitchen in the nice Cheongdam neighborhood in southern Seoul -- celebrities, models and even some of Key’s ex-colleagues.“Cheongdam Key-chin,” as the singer’s very first show, wil

Sept. 5, 2018

Black Pink featured in Dua Lipa’s new album

South Korea’s girl group Black Pink is set to be featured on an upcoming album from English pop singer Dua Lipa.Lipa tweeted an image Tuesday of the track list for her new album, due for release Oct. 19. The track list includes a song titled “Kiss and Make Up (Dua Lipa & Blackpink),” implying that the two pop icons had collaborated on one of Lipa’s new songs. (Instagram)“So excited to release a super deluxe edition of my album on October 19th with 3 NEW SONGS!!” Lipa tweeted.The collaboration st

Sept. 5, 2018

BTS puts LA concerts before TV appearances

BTS appears to have decided to put TV promotions on the back burner and focus on its concerts while in Los Angeles.Before BTS landed Monday in the City of Angels, where it is scheduled to perform four shows this week, the group received an invite from comedian and host James Corden to come on his popular “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”“I want BTS to come on my show and perform serendipity so bad! Maybe we could even sing it in a #CarpoolKaraoke?” Corden wrote in a tweet on Aug. 29, which

Sept. 5, 2018

Sunmi tops charts with ‘Siren’

Sunmi has managed to fit another hit single into her discography after dominating online streaming charts with her brand new single, “Siren.”The former member of Wonder Girls topped the singles charts for several online streaming services including Melon, Bugs, Mnet and Soribada, just hours after releasing her song Tuesday night.(MAKEUS Entertainment)“Siren” is the lead track for Sunmi’s new EP, “Warning,” her third record since she parted ways with JYP Entertainment and inked a contract with Ma

Sept. 5, 2018

BTS commended by President Moon for Billboard success

BTS earned praise from South Korean president Moon Jae-in for the band’s Billboard success.Billboard officially confirmed that BTS’ latest release, “Love Yourself: Answer,” had reached No. 1 on its top 200 albums chart Monday -- a phenomenal achievement, yet one that many expected. The band had already come atop the albums chart in May with “Love Yourself: Tear.”  BTS earns praise from the Blue House. (Big Hit Entertainment)What was unexpected was the congratulatory tweet that came from the pres

Sept. 5, 2018

What international hit ‘Baby Shark’ endured at home so far

An upbeat version of “Baby Shark,” under the South Korean education brand Pinkfong, has attracted some 1.6 billion views on YouTube as of Tuesday, but the seemingly innocent children’s song faced its share of controversy.Though the variations of the song have enjoyed success on the video platform, its dance version is by far the most watched.The children’s song with a K-pop makeover became so popular it charted in the top 40 singles chart in the UK last week, joining the likes of Psy and BTS. (P

Sept. 4, 2018

‘Solitary Gourmet’ actor talks about Korean dining culture during Seoul visit

Top Japanese actor Yutaka Matsushige talked about Korea’s dining culture during a visit to Seoul on Monday to attend the 2018 Seoul Drama Awards. The 55-year-old actor gained popularity in Korea for his role in the Japanese TV drama “Kodoku no Gurume (The Solitary Gourmet).” The show depicts the journey of salesman Goro, who visits eateries across Japan to try out local cuisine.  Yutaka Matsushige (Yonhap)Appetizing footage of him relishing the dishes has swept social media platforms in Korea as

Sept. 4, 2018

Is BTS entitled to military duty exemption?

On Monday morning, many Koreans woke up to the news that K-pop boy band BTS clinched a second victory on the Billboard's main albums chart.It's been only three months since the group dominated the same Billboard 200 albums chart with the second of its "Love Yourself" trilogy, becoming the first K-pop act to be victorious on the American main music chart. BTS is not just a K-pop sensation now, it has become an important player in the global music industry. The Korean septet rewrote pop history by

Sept. 4, 2018

Germany’s ‘Babylon Berlin’ wins Seoul International Drama Awards 2018

German drama series “Babylon Berlin” won the grand prize at the 13th Seoul International Drama Awards held at the KBS Hall in Yeouido on Monday. Crime-period drama “Babylon Berlin,” which portrays post-World War I Germany, took the top spot for its well-written storyline and stunning visuals. Moritz Herzogenberg, producer for “Babylon Berlin” (Seoul International Drama Awards)Poster for “Babylon Berlin” (Seoul International Drama Awards)Apart from the grand prize, this year’s competition was div

Sept. 3, 2018

[Photo News] BTS fans take over airport as group leaves for LA

BTS was spotted at Incheon Airport on Wednesday evening as it embarked on its world tour. The seven members showed up in casual outfits, along with sunglasses, masks and caps to cover their faces.(Yonhap)(Yonhap)Fans had gathered at the airport since afternoon to get a glimpse of BTS, which was scheduled to depart in the evening. As BTS entered the airport, crowds of fans followed.  (Yonhap)The world tour will see the boy band perform across North America, Europe and Japan, covering 16 cities wi

Sept. 3, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, conductor Chung Myung-whun to mark German record label’s 120th anniversary

Rising pianist Cho Seong-jin and conductor Chung Myung-whun will mark the 120th anniversary of Deutsche Grammophon with a concert on Dec. 6 at Seoul Arts Center.“Since when I was a child, I liked listening to CDs, and about 40 percent were by Deutsche Grammophon. I believe it is because the label has worked with many great artists over many years. I am really grateful to work with the label that I have grown up with,” pianist Cho said during a press conference Monday at the Plaza hotel in Seoul.

Sept. 3, 2018

K-pop boy bands defy traditional idea of masculinity

From bright hair dye, heavy eye makeup to flashy stage costumes, some of the key elements of a K-pop boy band defy conventional beauty standards for men.K-pop groups have long drawn a stark contrast with Western boy bands, but are increasingly challenging what many brand as “traditional masculinity” by fully embracing makeup and fashion forward styles to best deliver their music.Perhaps ironically, BTS, the group that has enjoyed most success in the West, is also among the groups that least conf

Sept. 3, 2018

BTS tops Billboard 200 again with ‘Love Yourself: Answer’

Breaking record after record, K-pop phenomenon BTS has topped the Billboard 200 for the second time with its latest album, “Love Yourself: Answer.” The repackaged album, the final part of the band’s multiyear “Love Yourself” trilogy, took the top spot for the week ending Aug. 30 with the equivalent of 185,000 albums sold, according to Billboard. Of that number, 141,000 consisted of traditional album sales. (Big Hit Entertainment)The band’s previous album, “Love Yourself: Tear,” made history by r

Sept. 3, 2018

Korean romantic movie tops box office again

A Korean romantic film stayed atop the box office in its second weekend, data showed Monday."On Your Wedding Day," starring Park Bo-young and Kim Young-kwang, brought 568,267 moviegoers to theaters from Friday to Sunday to once again top the box office for the second weekend straight, according to data from the Korean Film Council. This brought to its 12-day cumulative audience to 1.9 million. (Yonhap)The movie by first-time director Lee Seok-keun depicts an eventful decadelong courtship between

Sept. 3, 2018

Scandal-ridden comedian Shin Jung-hwan makes controversial comeback

Singer-comedian Shin Jung-hwan has broken his yearslong hiatus with an appearance on the JTBC’s hit talk show “Knowing Bros,” but the comeback has sparked controversy from the public still disgruntled about the gambling scandal that led to his absence.In Saturday’s episode, Shin appeared as a guest, along with Kim Ji-hyun and Chae Ri-na. The three and Lee Sang-min, a permanent cast member of the show, were members of old-school co-ed group Roo’ra. The show mainly focused on the fame and the popu

Sept. 2, 2018

Humming Urban Stereo to return with new album on Sept. 13

Popular one-man band Humming Urban Stereo is making a much-anticipated comeback after a six-year hiatus with fifth album “V” on Sept. 13, according to the band’s agency Waltz Sofa. (Waltz Sofa)Electro-pop band Humming Urban Stereo made its debut in 2004 with the album “Short Cake.” In addition to its four prior albums, the group’s music has also appeared on various soundtracks and TV commercials. Humming Urban Stereo has been labeled among Korea’s “original” indie bands, coming years before more

Aug. 31, 2018

N. Korean films to be shown at S. Korean mountain film festival

Five North Korean films will be shown at the Ulju Mountain Film Festival set to open in Ulju, southeast South Korea, on Sept. 7, organizers said Friday, marking the latest in a recent string of inter-Korean cultural exchanges.The organizers of the Ulju Mountain Film Festival, the only international mountain film festival in South Korea, said they will screen one full-length film jointly made by North Korea and United States and four North Korean animated films during a special event for the Nort

Aug. 31, 2018

BTS wins grand prize at 2018 Soribada Best K-Music Awards

Continuing its winning streak, K-pop king BTS scooped up the grand prize at the 2018 Soribada Best K-Music Awards. At the annual event, held Thursday at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Jamsil, Seoul, the pop idols received the grand prize along with the main prize and the world social artist award. Actor Han Seok-jun and singer Son Dam-bi hosted the awards, now in their second year, for the popular music-streaming company.  (SBS)Winners were chosen on the basis of sales volume, both for albums a

Aug. 31, 2018

AKMU’s Suhyun reveals story behind beauty vlog

(Screen-captured from MBN`s "Cart Show 2")Suhyun of AKMU shared the story behind her decision to become one of a growing number of Korean beauty vloggers during Thursday’s episode of MBN’s variety program “Cart Show 2.”  (Screen-captured from MBN`s "Cart Show 2")The singer-turned-beauty vlogger revealed that her peers used to “bully her in the past for having squinty eyes and a small nose.” Even after she debuted as a singer, she said, some netizens wrote hurtful things about her appearance.  (S

Aug. 31, 2018

Infinite’s Woohyun releasing another solo album

At midnight Friday, Woohyun of Infinite posted a video on his official social media channels providing a preview of his second EP, “Second Write..” The video featured highlights of all seven tracks from the short album, including the title track, “If It’s Okay With You.” Fans were also excited to see various photos of Woohyun in the video, including a few new ones. (Woollim Entertainment)The EP consists entirely of tracks composed by Woohyun, showcasing his skills as a singer-songwriter. All the

Aug. 31, 2018