Lee Sung-kyung to feature as detective in ‘Girl Cops’

Lee Sung-kyung will take the role of a detective in the upcoming film “Girl Cops” (working title).In the comedy-investigative film, Lee co-stars with veteran actress Ra Mi-ran. Taking on the roles of a rookie and a seasoned detective, respectively, the two demoted detectives find themselves accidentally caught up in a major case.  Lee Sung-kyung (YG Entertainment)Rookie director Jung Da-won is to lead the production. He won accolades for “Garak Market Revolution” in 2016, a comedic depiction of

April 24, 2018

‘Burning’ a different kind of mystery: director

The film genre of mystery drama by definition places some of its elements under cover, and that was the tone the people behind “Burning” sought to achieve.“It’s a mysterious movie,” said Lee Chang-dong, master auteur of Korean cinema known best for his award-winning 2010 film “Poetry,” at the promotional press conference for the upcoming film. “We could categorize it under the mystery genre, but it’s not just about that. The mystery could be expanded to a mystery about the world that we live in,

April 24, 2018

Crush says happy birthday to me with new single

Crush is planning to celebrate his 27th birthday with a new single.According to his agency Amoeba Culture, the singer will release a single on his birthday, which falls on May 3. It marks the first release for him in five months.Crush has vowed to put more effort into promotional activities related to his music this year. Crush (Amoeba Culture)“He is planning to introduce various types of music this year, including a new album that has the distinct style of the artist. He will also visit the fan

April 24, 2018

Halsey to hold first concert in Korea

Halsey will visit Korea for the first time in August for a concert, local promoters said Tuesday.As part of the pop singer’s “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour,” Halsey will hold a concert at Yes 24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul at 8 p.m., Aug. 6. The tour follows the release of her second studio album “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” last year, which became her first album to top the US Billboard 200. “Bad at Love,” a single off the album, became her first solo top 5 entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

April 24, 2018

Lovelyz returns as ‘healers’ in new album

Having captured the K-pop world’s attention with its vivacious “Ah Choo” signature tune, K-pop girl group Lovelyz returned as musical “healers” in its new EP. Lovelyz’s fourth EP “Healing,” released Monday, is an extension of the group’s representative twinkling synths which has been seen in the act’s previous hits “Ah-Choo” and “Now, We.” The difference is that Lovelyz sprinkled a bit more of freshness in its new songs, as if trying to wash all the dust from one’s heart.  Lovelyz performs durin

April 24, 2018

'Rampage' wins second weekend in South Korea

The Hollywood sci-fi action flick "Rampage" ruled the South Korean box office for the second consecutive weekend, data showed Monday.Dwayne Johnson's arcade game-inspired "Rampage" sold 363,703 tickets from Friday to Sunday, bringing its domestic total to 1.26 million, according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council.A new documentary film on a tragic 2014 ferry sinking jumped four spots to No. 2 in its second weekend, adding 108,961 to its cumulative figure of 385,

April 23, 2018

Lawyers to wear tailored ‘Suits’ in Korea

A Korean remake of the popular US drama series “Suits” aims to focus on interpretation rather than imitation, making the series more relatable to a Korean audience. The Wednesday-Thursday series on KBS2 revolves around the relationship between legendary lawyer Choi Kang-suk and rookie lawyer Go Yeon-woo, played by Jang Dong-gun and Park Hyung-sik, respectively. Choi hires Go as an associate lawyer, even though he isn’t qualified for the job, valuing his photographic memory.  Jang Dong-gun (left)

April 23, 2018

World-class DJs to land in Korea for Ultra Korea 2018

Party-rockers of Korea are in a for an ear-blasting treat, as Ultra Korea recently confirmed its schedule and the preliminary lineup for Ultra Korea 2018, including the Chainsmokers, Above & Beyond and Swedish House Mafia.Organizers of the electronic dance music festival announced that Ultra Korea 2018 will be held June 6-10 at a venue yet to be confirmed. Last year’s event was held at Jamsil Olympic Complex in Seoul. The crowd cheers during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, on March 2

April 23, 2018

Yoona to kickoff fan meeting tour next month

K-pop star and actress Yoona will be holding fan meetings across Asia, her agency said Monday.According to S.M. Entertainment, Yoona is slated to hold a fan meeting at 6 p.m. on May 20 at Sejong University in Seoul. It will be part one of her Asia fan tour that will include Bangkok in July and Hong Kong in August. More cities are expected to be added. The poster for Yoona’s Seoul fan tour (S.M. Entertainment)Yoona, whose real name is Im Yoon-a, is best known for her involvement with K-pop act Gi

April 23, 2018

Another ‘Black Panther’ statue destroyed in Busan

Following the vandalism of a “Black Panther” sculpture at Gwangbok-ro in March, another statue of the Black Panther superhero in Busan near Gwangalli Beach was found toppled over with its head damaged. The Walt Disney Co. had initially sent a pair of Black Panther sculptures to be displayed in Busan, one in Gwangbok-ro and one along Gwangalli Beach, to commemorate the first time for Marvel Studios to shoot at the southern coastal city of Korea. A “Black Panther” statue is seen vandalized at Gwan

April 23, 2018

Doctor who performed lipoma procedure on actress Han Ye-seul admits fault

The doctor who performed a lipoma removal procedure on actress Han Ye-seul apologized for the botched operation in an interview uploaded to YouTube, Saturday.Dr. Lee Ji-hyun of the Cha Medical Center in Gangnam admitted to damaging skin from the inside while he was removing the lipoma.A lipoma is a noncancerous tumor of fat tissue beneath the skin. Han Ye-seul (Instagram)“It’s easier to remove the tumor if surgery is done right around the lipoma. But considering that she is an actress, I suggest

April 22, 2018

Yoo Jae-suk aims for global market in upcoming Netflix series

Netflix’s upcoming variety show “Busted!” starring comedian Yoo Jae-suk, is aiming at the global market. According to the popular global video-streaming platform, the show will feature seven celebrity sleuths tackling different mysteries in each episode. The star-studded cast of the show also includes EXO’s Sehun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Jong-min, Park Min-young, Ahn Jae-wook and Gugudan’s Kim Se-jeong. The first-ever Korean original variety program to be launched by Netflix, “Busted!” is expected to

April 22, 2018

Lee Moon-sae wraps up tour series in New York

Veteran singer Lee Moon-sae wrapped up the last leg of his world tour in New York on Friday, according to his agency KMOONfnd. During his performance in Lincoln Center in New York on Friday, Lee said, “This is my first visit in New York in four years. Thank you for greeting me as if I were your first love.”“I was happy being a singer, and it has been a tour that received more love than I expected. I will remember your love for a long time. Thank you,” he added.  Lee Moon-sae performs at Lincoln

April 22, 2018

Things to look out for in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Ever since “Iron Man” in 2008 launched the grand adventure that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie franchise has galloped toward the final show-down between the MCU’s biggest superheroes and the “Mad Titan Thanos.”With the “Avengers: Infinity War” expected to be the culmination of 10 years, 18 movies and numerous tie-in TV products, here are some of the tidbits to consider before viewing the film.(Walt Disneay Company Korea)Who is Thanos? Supervillian Thanos is easily one of the stronge

April 20, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Intensions(Korea)Opened April 12Documentary Directed by Kim Ji-yeongFour years have passed since the Sewol ferry sank on April 16, 2014, leaving 304 dead or missing. A documentary team tracks down and analyze records from the day of the sinking -- including the ship’s AIS record -- to come up with their own answer to why the ship went down.Rampage(US)Opened April 12Action, Sci-Fi, AdventureDirected by Brad PeytonPrimatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) shares an unshakable bond with silverback

April 20, 2018

Kim Joo-hyuk’s energetic performance to be a factor in ‘Believer’

It has been half a year since Kim Joo-hyuk passed away in a car crash, but the Korean actor’s character acting has left a lasting impression via his filmography.“Believer,” directed by Lee Hae-young, is a crime action film that will give the audience one of the last -- and supposedly the most impressive -- glimpse of his talents.“He is the most heated character, and it is impossible to know what his boiling point is. He makes the others nervous as he is impossible to predict,” said director Lee

April 20, 2018

Super Junior to hold 4-nation tour in Latin America

K-pop group Super Junior will kick off a four-nation tour in Latin America this week, its agency said Friday.The South Korean boy band will launch the tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday (local time), according to S.M. Entertainment. The group will later head to Lima, Peru, and Santiago, Chile for shows on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Super Junior will cap off the regional tour in Mexico City in Mexico next Friday. (S.M. Entertainment)The series of shows is the band's first tour in th

April 20, 2018

K-pop video streaming service Mubeat launches in Brazil

Mubeat, a new K-pop video streaming service, has opened its service in Brazil, according to the company Friday.The app developed by Vlending, a joint entertainment venture formed by MBC and SBS Contents Hub, started its service in the South American country this month, the company announced. A screen grab of Mubeat site as of 1:30 p.m., April 20, 2017.The service provides K-pop related programs and content produced by South Korea's three major networks -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- along with their cab

April 20, 2018

[K-Talk] SHINee tops Oricon daily album chart

Boy band SHINee landed the No.1 spot at Oricon’s daily album chart, impressing fans with its first best of album released in the country. “SHINee The Best From Now On” climbed to the top of the Japanese chart upon its release on Wednesday. It also notched No.1 on iTunes album charts in 15 countries, including Japan, Romania, Chile, Peru, Thailand and Malaysia. The cover image for “SHINee The Best From Now On” (S.M. Entertainment)The album includes the lead track “From Now On,” along with its pre

April 19, 2018

[Herald Review] Putting perspective on reality through ‘Claire’s Camera’

A camera is a curious thing. One may think he or she is making a copy of reality, but it is in fact a modified version of it. A photograph may show a happy couple, but they could be smiling to cover their animosity toward each other. It is only through a person’s perspective that a photograph takes meaning.“Claire’s Camera,” directed by Hong Sang-soo, is a film emblematic of the Korean auteur’s style, conjuring up a vague air of mystery for what is captured through the titular character’s lens.

April 19, 2018