Twice’s ‘What is Love?’ sets record for fastest 40m views

Twice has outdone itself again. The music video for its recently released song “What is Love?” became the fastest video by a K-pop girl group to top 40 million views on YouTube, a record previously held by another of its songs, “Likey.”The video passed the mark around 3:14 a.m. Sunday, a little over five days and nine hours after it was released last week. “What is Love?” had also set the record for the fastest girl group video to reach 20 million and 30 million views.  A cover image for Twice’s

April 15, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

What a Man Wants(Korea)Opened April 5ComedyDirected by Lee Byoung-heonLegendary playboy Seok-geun (Lee Sung-min) introduces Bongsu (Shin Ha-kyun), who is married to his younger sister Mi-yeong (Song Ji-hyo) to a world of womanizing.Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum(Korea)Opened March 28Horror, MysteryDirected by Jun Bum-shik Ha-jun (Wi Ha-jun) who runs a YouTube channel that deals with the supernatural, leads a team of youngsters to the Gonjiam asylum and the mysterious room No. 402, which is supposed to

April 13, 2018

Actress Go Hyun-jung makes first appearance after stepping down from drama

Go Hyun-jung on Thursday made her first public appearance since stepping down from “Return,” in the middle of production, in February.The actress left her lead role in “Return,” apparently due to conflicts with staff members. She had not made a public appearances since. She did not attend the preview of “Winter Guest Scarier Than a Tiger,” in which she plays the female lead role.  Go Hyun-jung (Yonhap)During a fan meeting held in Seoul on Thursday to promote the film “Winter Guest Scarier Than a

April 13, 2018

Korean films ‘Burning,’ ‘The Spy Gone North’ to screen at Cannes

One of the most recognized film festivals worldwide, Cannes Film Festival announced its official selection list for this year Thursday, including two Korean films.Director Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning” has been invited to the festival’s main competition category, going up against 17 other films. The film features Yoo Ah-in and Hollywood actor Steven Yeun as the main leads. “Burning” (CGV Arthouse)The thriller, an adaptation of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning,” revolves a

April 13, 2018

BTS' 'Face Yourself' becomes fastest-selling K-pop record in Japan

"Face Yourself," the latest Japanese release from boy band BTS, has become the fastest-selling K-pop album in Japan to date, according to the country's main music sales tracker on Thursday."Face Yourself," the septet's third Japanese studio album, released on April 2, sold 282,000 copies in its first week, reaching a new high for a South Korean artist in terms of first week shipments, Oricon reported.The previous K-pop record holder was girl group KARA, which sold 275,000 copies of "Super Girl"

April 12, 2018

K-pop star Hyoyeon takes first steps as ‘DJ Hyo’

She is most noted in the K-pop scene for her astonishing dance moves, but Hyoyeon of Girls’ Generation is showing a new side of herself to fans: DJing.“Sober,” the debut single released under Hyoyeon’s new alias DJ Hyo, will be available at 6 p.m. Wednesday through local online music streaming websites.  A teaser image for “Sober” (S.M. Entertainment)According to her agency S.M. Entertainment, the song is of the tropical future house genre, with Hyoyeon providing both the vocals and DJing.Hyoyeo

April 12, 2018

Comforting life through meeting ‘My Mister’

Drama series “My Mister” didn’t get off to a smooth start, being hounded by controversies from the very beginning. At a media briefing held Wednesday, the producer and cast attempted to dispel concerns about the program, appealing to the public to see its sincerity. The tvN drama that airs at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays aims to portray how scarred souls heal each other, focusing on a relationship between a man in his mid-40s and a woman in her early 20s.  Poster of “My Mister” (tvN)The

April 12, 2018

JTBC’s new channel to launch with beauty show

Broadcaster JTBC’s new lifestyle trend channel JTBC4 is to launch with a beauty show “My Mad Beauty Diary,” featuring singer and actress Koo Ha-ra.  Koo Ha-ra, Hwang Seung-un and Lee Su-hyun (JTBC4)Fashion and beauty magazine Cosmopolitan has been participating in the production with the goal to make a “beauty magazine that can be watched on TV.”According to the network’s announcement, Koo Ha-ra, Hwang Seung-un and Lee Su-hyun are to host the show, revealing their tips on makeup and style. Edito

April 12, 2018

Sewol resurfaces on screen in documentary

A documentary film on the Sewol ferry tragedy of 2014 opened in local theaters Thursday, with the creators tracking down what they say is the real reason behind one of the worst maritime disasters in Korea’s history.“Intention” was directed by Kim Ji-yeong and produced by journalist Kim Eo-jun. It analyzes the data of the ship’s automatic identification system, and comes up with what they claim is the real reason the cruise ferry sank on April 16, 2014. Moviegoers attend the premiere of “Intenti

April 12, 2018

'Avengers' cast excited over ‘Infinity Wars’

To say “Avengers: Infinity Wars” is the most anticipated superhero film of the 2018 would be an understatement: Ever since the highest-grossing film franchise of all time launched in 2008 with the iconic “Iron Man,” the 18 movies, numerous tie-in TV series and comic books have been building up for the final show-down between the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s mightiest heroes and the “Mad Titan Thanos.”“It’s a huge privilege to be part of this ensemble. It is quite astonishing, to mark the 10-year

April 12, 2018

Eric Nam isn’t sweet anymore in ‘Honestly’ EP

K-pop soloist Eric Nam was once an icon of “sweetness,” the kind of a guy who would readily whisper words of romance into one’s ears. In his new EP “Honestly,” however, he pulled out a more “candid” self, stripping off his previous boy-next-door image and transforming himself into a man who confesses “maybe it’s a lie that I still love you.”   The “Honestly” EP, Nam’s first EP in two years released Thursday, features six tracks including lead track “Honestly…,” a mid-tempo dance pop number that

April 12, 2018

96 girls from Korea, Japan to vie for ‘Produce 48’ in June

Mnet’s new audition program “Produce 48” will start airing in June, the TV network said Wednesday. “Produce 48” will broadcast competitions among 96 trainees from both South Korea and Japan, contesting for four months to debut as a global girl group.Members of popular Japanese girl group, AKB48, will also be part of the 96 contestants.Trainers will include Lee Hong-ki of FT Island, Soyou, rapper Cheetah and choreographer May J Lee.The survival show will be the third of its kind by Mnet, followin

April 11, 2018

Korean ‘King of Pop’ lives on after half a century

Cho Yong-pil is widely referred in Korea as “Gawang” -- the king of singing or pop music. The nickname is hardly an exaggeration, as the famed singer has performed everything from pop, rock, trot and folk to even songs comparable to contemporary K-pop, in an unparalleled music career.“I found such a nickname actually burdensome. That was never my goal when I sang, I don’t know about being the top, or setting records. I just did it because I love music,” he said at a press conference Wednesday in

April 11, 2018

Lee Tae-hwan to star in ‘What's Wrong With Secretary Kim’

Rising actor Lee Tae-hwan will star in upcoming drama “What‘s Wrong With Secretary Kim” (tentative title).Lee has joined the crew of the much-anticipated drama series, the production company announced Wednesday. The drama is based on a popular web novel of the same title. Due to its popularity, the work has been made in to a web cartoon series as well. Lee Tae-hwan (Fantagio)Actress Park Min-young is to take the lead role, playing the character of Kim Mi-so, a secretary to a wealthy business man

April 11, 2018

Seeing family through eyes of daughter-in-law

The word “myeoneuri,” which means daughter-in-law in Korean, denotes much more than just a legal familiar relationship. It is a word loaded with layers of meaning, reflecting the position that a daughter-in-law occupies in the patriarchal Korean society.In recent years, entertainment contents discussing daughters-in-law have been a hit, such as documentary film “Myeoneuri: My Son’s Crazy Wife” and webtoon “Myeoneuragi.” Both works explore the reality of marriage, portraying what it is like to be

April 11, 2018

[Album review] EXO-CBX’s album inspired by days of the week is top-notch

EXO-CBX“Blooming Days”IRIVERThank God EXO-CBX’s new album is nothing like its previous funky-disco tune from “Hey Mama” or the ear-drum bursting EDM sound from EXO’s “Power.” In the world of K-pop where boy bands are given credit for their powerful performances and indiscreet use of synth sounds, the EXO unit’s toned-down “Blooming Days” EP soothes the listeners with a fragrant spring breeze. What is brilliant in this seven-track album is that each track correlates to a day of the week while lyr

April 11, 2018

Choi Soo-young to star in novel-based film

Actress and singer Choi Soo-young has been cast in a film based on a novel by Japanese novelist Yoshimoto Banana, which started filming in Japan on April 1.According to Zoa Films, Choi will play the protagonist Yumi and her co-star Tanaka Shunsuke will play another main character Nishiyama in the upcoming film “Memories of a Dead End.” Choi Soo-young (Zoa Films)Yoshimoto, one of the most popular Japanese writers in Korea, is well-known for works such as “Lizard” and “Kitchen” -- her debut work w

April 11, 2018

D.O. of K-pop boy band EXO cast for new tvN series

K-pop boy group EXO's Do Kyung-soo, better known by his stage name D.O., has been cast in a new TV series set to air later this year on cable channel tvN.The network said Wednesday that the singer, 25, and actress Nam Ji-hyun, 23, have been cast for the main characters of "Dear Husband of 100 Days." This image provided by tvN shows Do Kyung-soo (L) and Nam Ji-hyun. (Yonhap)In the romantic comedy, Do will play Prince Lee Yul of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a fictional character who loses his m

April 11, 2018

[Trending] #What is Love #Twice

K-pop super star Twice released a spring-themed song “What is Love?” Monday and the internet went crazy for the girl group’s return.(Related article: Twice asks ‘What Is Love?’)  Twice (JYP Entertainment)The song has swept the local music charts as soon as it was released, ranking the top spots on every chart at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The group’s name “Twice” also skyrocketed to the first spot of Naver’s trending bar Monday, while “Twice What is Love” ranked fifth on the same day.The music video for “W

April 10, 2018

UAE media zero in on K-pop mania amid recent SM gala concert

Media outlets of the United Arab Emirates have offered extensive coverage of a recent K-pop gala concert thrown by SM Entertainment, South Korea's largest entertainment agency, last week in Dubai.The concert, "SM Town Live World Tour VI in Dubai," was held at the Autism Rocks Arena in Dubai on Friday. A total of 14 acts, including EXO, Red Velvet and TVXQ, participated in the joint label concert. The company announced that some 15,000 gathered at the event.Gulf News, a Dubai-based English langua

April 10, 2018