[K-Talk] Hwang Chi-yeol to release EP in April

Singer Hwang Chi-yeol confirmed the release date of his new record as April 24, his agency said Tuesday.According to HOW Entertainment, Hwang will release the EP “Be Myself,” which is his first release in 10 months since the EP “Be Ordinary” in June of last year.“If ‘Be Ordinary’ focused on the various genres of music in Hwang’s everyday life, ‘Be Myself’ focuses more on depicting Hwang himself, of who he is,“ officials from the agency said.The record is available for online pre-order from Tuesd

April 3, 2018

Yun Sang wishes there’d been more idol singers in NK performance

Sunday’s performance in Pyongyang by a South Korean art troupe was deemed largely satisfactory by the authorities of both Koreas, but music director Yun Sang said that including more K-pop stars could have improved the show.Yun Sang (left), musical director of a South Korean art troupe, speaks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday in Pyongyang. / Yonhap“I wish more idol singers would’ve come. There were some concerns from the North, over an overflow of things that may look alien (to Nor

April 3, 2018

Oh My Girl returns as seven monkeys

A few months ago, K-pop darlings Oh My Girl was a group of seven young women secretly whispering “Inside me I have a precious place only for me” in its shimmering single “Secret Garden.” Who would have thought those ladies would turn into monkeys dancing to a comical tune with a banana in their hands?The seven-piece act Oh My Girl returned with its new EP “Banana Allergy Monkey” Tuesday, aiming for a dramatic change in the group’s image. The album, which is the group’s first pop-up album, featur

April 3, 2018

EXO-CBX to release new EP on April 10

EXO-CBX, a subunit of EXO, will release an EP on April 10.The group’s agency S.M. Entertainment said Tuesday that the act’s second EP is titled “Blooming Days,” fronted by a lead track with a similar name.The lead track “Booming Day” will be a light-hearted dance pop love song that suits the warm weather of spring, the agency said.  (S.M. Entertainment)The subunit, consisting of three members from EXO -- Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin -- debuted with an EP titled “Hey Mama!” in October 2016. It also

April 3, 2018

‘Mavely’ shadows hero Sylvester Stallone in arm wrestling film ‘Champion’

Ma Dong-seok occupies a unique place in the hearts of Korean movie fans: the 18-inch arms, rock-solid exterior and rugged looks immediately spell a tough guy, but the Korean-American actor also packs a friendly demeanor that has earned him the nickname “Mavely,” a combination of his surname “Ma” and “Lovely.” The upcoming film “Champion,” directed by Kim Yong-wan, is one that seems tailor-made for Ma, as it follows the story of Korean adoptee Mark on his journey to become an arm wrestling champi

April 2, 2018

2018 Dream Concert to be held in May

The 2018 Dream Concert, an annual K-pop concert held since 1995, will be take place in Seoul in May. K-pop stars at Dream Concert 2017, held in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, in November last year. (Yonhap)The K-pop event now in its 24th year will be staged at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on May 12, according to the organizer, the Korea Entertainment Producer‘s Association. Last year’s event was held on Nov. 4 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, where the 2018 Winter Olympics took place. It fe

April 2, 2018

Legacy of Yun I-sang celebrated at Tongyeong fest

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- The Tongyeong International Music Festival 2018 began Friday, marking the return of the late composer Yun I-sang to his hometown. Conductor Steven Sloane led the Bochum Symphony Orchestra in its first-ever performance of Yun I-sang’s “Exemplum in Memoriam Gwangju,” an homage to the Gwangju Uprising composed in 1981 while Yun was living in Berlin. “I watched him giving vent to his frustration and sorrow. He often burst into tears while he was composing the

April 2, 2018

All of Black Pink’s music videos top 100m views each

All five of the K-pop group Black Pink’s music videos have each exceeded the 100-million-view mark on YouTube, as of Monday afternoon.According to the group’s agency YG Entertainment, the official music video of “Stay,” released in November 2016 on their second single “Square Two,” reached 100 million views at around 12:40 p.m. on Monday.This comes two days after the music video for “Playing with Fire,” also included in “Square Two,” topped 200 million views on Saturday. A poster released by YG

April 2, 2018

Rapper Junoflo to perform in Germany, before Europe tour

Junoflo is expanding his range outside Korea, as he is slated to hold a showcase in Germany on Friday before planning a European tour in the second half of this year.According to his agency Feel Good Music, the rapper will visit Germany after completing the media tour in the US, most recently performing in New York on Friday. Last month, he performed at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.  Junoflo (Feel Good Music)The live performance will take place at the Matrix nightclub in Boch

April 1, 2018

BTS grow beards for April Fools’ Day?

April Fool’s Day has arrived, and K-pop band BTS’ fans are having a field day making hilarious alterations to photos of their beloved group. In celebration of the annual day dedicated to hoaxes and jokes, global BTS fans made the boy band members digitally sprout extravagant beards and mustaches on Sunday.  (Online community)The retouched images show BTS members V, Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope, RM, Jin and Suga proudly sporting lush, multicolored facial hair that puts Santa Claus to shame.  (Online c

April 1, 2018

Suran ‘distressed’ over dating rumors with BTS‘ Suga

K-pop singer Suran took to social media to express her distress about the cyberbullying that she has faced after dating rumors between her and Suga of BTS surfaced.The singer wrote on her social media account Saturday that she is not romantically involved with Suga, and was distressed from the online personal attacks by those who were angry at her over clarified misunderstandings.  Suran (Million Market)“My relationship with Suga, whom I met last year, was entirely related to music. It was nothi

April 1, 2018

Yura in love with sweet villain character

In films as well as TV, there are villains viewers simply cannot hate. They may even fall in love with the poorly tempered characters, sympathizing with them.Yura of Girl’s Day has become beloved for playing a villain in the recently wrapped TV drama “Radio Romance,” on KBS2. She played Jin Tae-ri, an actress struggling to gain fame – at any cost. Many viewers fell for Yura’s character, as she portrays a sweet villain. The character is mischievous, yet delicate, selfish yet honest. Yura herself

April 1, 2018

‘Infinite Challenge’ producer explains why he had to end program

For the last 13 years, MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” has been more than a just a ludicrous variety show. As one of Korea’s oldest-running and most successful shows, it was like a welcome-rain to people who used to say “Watching the show on Saturday is the highlight of my week.” And when MBC announced the show’s finale for this Saturday, many might have felt wistful, as if bidding goodbye to an old friend.  For the show’s program director Kim Tae-ho, however, those years haven’t always been joyful.

March 30, 2018

TIMF holds memorial ceremony celebrating Yun I-sang‘s return to homeland

The Tongyeong International Music Foundation on Friday held a memorial ceremony paying homage to composer Yun I-sang, who finally returned home 23 years after his death in Germany. The ceremony was held at the site where his ashes are buried, located on a cliff above the sea, right next to the TIMF concert hall.  More than 100 people joined the ceremony to commemorate Korea‘s internationally acclaimed composer. Tongyeong International Music Foundation Chairman Kim Dong-jin, President Florian Rie

March 30, 2018

[Video] ‘Beginning again’ as buskers in Portugal, Hungary

Traveling to a completely unknown place is a great way to escape from the routine, to reinvigorate, or to begin again. But it can also be a huge challenge, if the travelers are musicians with a reputation and solid career, if they have to play music in front of a crowd who have no idea who they are. (Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The second season of JTBC’s music variety show “Begin Again” focuses on how renowned Korean musicians turn into buskers and deal with performing t

March 30, 2018

Super Junior’s new single to feature foreign artists

K-pop act Super Junior has teamed up with foreign artists for the first time since its debut.The act’s agency Label SJ said Friday that “Lo Siento,” a Latin-pop tinged lead track of Super Junior’s upcoming repackaged edition of its eighth full-length album “Play,” will feature vocals from Leslie Grace, an American singer-songwriter known for her specialty in Latin pop. Play N Skillz, a renowned DJ duo from the US, produced the album, according to the agency.  Super Junior (Label SJ) Leslie Grace

March 30, 2018

Ha Ri-su reveals emotional suffering, blaming ‘sole existence’

Lee Kyung-eun, better known by her stage name Ha Ri-su, shared the emotional turbulence she has been experiencing via her Instagram late Thursday night. In the post, the 43-year-old celebrity wrote: “The people I love are called ‘dirty,’ the public criticizes them for loving me and everything falls apart because of me. My sole existence is to blame. Should I just drop everything and rest for a while? I cried too much that I can‘t see or breathe right. I don’t want to live like this any longer.”

March 30, 2018

[Weekender] Reality dating contents cater to viewers' fantasies

Lizz Warner, 26, senior manager of US-based online media company Buzzfeed, met Mexican Olympian skier Robert Franco, 24, through the popular dating app Tinder during their stay in South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics last month.To make their first date in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, extra special, they agreed to film their meet-up on camera, and posted it on social media-- Snapchat, Facebook, Instragram, YouTube. The video instantly captured attention.The viewer count of the two vi

March 30, 2018

TVXQ tops 13 Apple iTunes charts with new album

K-pop band TVXQ's latest album has reached No. 1 on Apple iTunes album charts in 13 regions, according to its agency Friday."New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love," the duo's first new release in three years, climbed to the top of iTunes charts for Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong after being released Wednesday, SM Entertainment said. (Yonhap)The other markets were Macau, the Philippines, Chile, Ecuador and Peru."Chance of Love" is the group's eight ful

March 30, 2018

Lee Joon to serve reservist duty due to panic disorder

Korean actor Lee Joon will continue his military duty as a public service worker.Lee’s agency Prain TPC said Friday, “Lee Joon was transferred to reservist status as of March 23. He will resume his military duty as a public service worker.”Enlisted in October 2017, Lee Joon has been undergoing medical treatments due to panic disorder that he has suffered since prior to joining the army. However, as his conditions did not improve, he was examinated in the military and was ruled ineligible to serv

March 30, 2018