Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Veteran' sequel invited to Cannes Film Festival

Ryoo Seung-wan, the director behind 2015 action blockbuster “Veteran,” has been invited to the 77th Cannes Film Festival with the film's sequel, “I, the Executioner,” the festival announced Thursday. The Cannes Film Festival unveiled its lineup in a press conference held in Paris on Thursday. The 77th edition runs May 15-25. Ryoo’s “I, the Executioner,” also referred to as “Veteran 2” here, was listed in the midnight screening category,

April 11, 2024

Stray Kids wins grand prize at ASEA 2024

K-pop boy group Stray Kids nabbed the grand prize at the Asia Star Entertainer Awards 2024, held at the K-Arena Yokohama in Japan on Wednesday. The Asia Star Entertainer Awards is a new awards ceremony launched by Newsen and @star1 magazine. “We enjoy singing and performing on stage these days. We are thankful for being able to positively influence our fans. We will never forget this feeling and continue to march forward," said member Lee Know after receiving the award onstage. Lee al

April 11, 2024

Broadcasters' exit polls predict landslide but overestimate margin

While South Korean broadcasters correctly predicted a sweeping victory for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea in Wednesday's general election, the actual margin of victory was not as great as their forecasts suggested. When the counting had concluded on Thursday, the main opposition Democratic Party claimed 161 out of the 254 seats in electoral districts, while the ruling People Power Party claimed 90. Including proportional seats, the main opposition and its satellite party won 175 s

April 11, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NewJeans’ Hyein suspends activities due to injury

Hyein of NewJeans will take time off due to a foot injury, said agency Ador on Thursday. She suffered an injury while practicing and was found to have a hairline fracture on the top of her foot that requires her to focus on treatment and recovery, explained the firm. The group is set to drop the single album “How Sweet” on May 24 and another in Japan on June 21. The pre-release “Bubble Gum” is due out on April 27. Meanwhile, NewJeans logged 100 million streams on Spotify

April 11, 2024

Lisa of Blackpink signs with Sony Music’s RCA Records for solo album

Lisa of Blackpink signed a partnership with RCA Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, according to Sony Music Entertainment Korea on Thursday. Together with RCA Records, Lisa is set to prepare a solo album to be promoted globally. “I’m super excited to be joining the RCA family and I am confident they are the best team to create a bigger movement in my solo career. Looking forward to showing the world everything we have been preparing,” said Lisa

April 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-pop at forefront of changing music consumption: Hello82 founder

K-pop is leading a new generation of music consumers for whom social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, have become the leading outlets for experiencing music, says Choi Jae-yoon, the founder and CEO of Hello82, a Los Angeles-based K-pop record label and distributor established in 2018. “K-pop artists are like social influencers with a fan community. That fan community consumes content related to the artist available online and shares such content. They are the main target consum

April 10, 2024

Epex rolls out 'youth' trilogy with 1st LP 'Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days'

K-pop boy group Epex released its first studio album, “Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days,” on Tuesday. The group rolled out the first installment of its “youth” trilogy with this album containing songs about the concerns of youth, their dreams and stories related to love. “The keyword of this album is ‘secret.’ We wanted to describe how even though youths seem full of brightness and joy, each individual could be hiding a scar. The two upcoming albums of the tr

April 10, 2024

Young Korean stars vote for first time

For this month's legislative election that selects the members of the National Assembly, several young celebrities have gained their right to vote for the first time. The election law of South Korea was amended in 2020, allowing all Koreans aged 18 and above to vote. That means any Korean born before April 11, 2006, can participate in the nation's 22nd legislative election. For those born between June 3, 2004, and April 11, 2006, this year’s election is the first election in thei

April 10, 2024

[What to Play] Songs to get you ready for fresh new beginning

With Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, coming to an end, many are set for a new start in 2024. Even the weather is starting to warm up, confirming that spring is coming. Here are three songs that will prep you for a fresh start. TWS - “Plot Twist” Anyoneoff to a new start can relate to this song, which sings about the difficulty of encountering people you have never met before in a new environment. This single, by K-pop rookie TWS also conveys the message that not everything goes

April 10, 2024

‘Lasting idols pivotal to sustainable Hallyu’

K-pop stars and idols are now going through a phase of transition where versatility is required -- both to stand strong as individual artists and to project a collective appeal when called to perform as teams. How K-pop stars make it through this period of transition will largely determine whether South Korea will continue to command its global cultural reach and impact in years or decades to come in the name of Hallyu, or the Korean wave, said Kim Heon-sik, a culture critic who has written a bo

April 9, 2024

Korean period thriller ‘The Night Owl’ to be remade in China

South Korean period thriller “The Night Owl” by director Ahn Tae-jin will be remade in China, the movie’s Korean distributor NEW said Tuesday. According to NEW, a copyright deal for a Chinese remake of “The Night Owl” was clinched at a “record-high” price. A Chinese entertainment firm preparing for the local production of the film is behind the deal. NEW didn’t release the name of the Chinese company. Given that previous remakes of Korean films in

April 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS tops 600m views with ‘On’ film

BTS garnered 600 million YouTube views with the performance music video for “On," according to label Big Hit Music on Tuesday. The kinetic manifesto film for the focus track off the group's fourth studio album “Map of the Soul: 7,” featuring a throng of dancers and a marching band, became the group's 13th music video to reach the view count milestone. The film received 100 million views in a week. The lead single entered Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 4 after i

April 9, 2024

Seoul Metropolitan Theatre presents Ibsen's wintry family drama, 'John'

The Borkman family's fortunes have been drained following the imprisonment of former banker John Gabriel Borkman. After eight years behind bars and another eight years in solitude, Borkman obsessively dreams of making his comeback. Meanwhile, his wife, Gunhild, insists on restoring the family name. When her sister, Ella, arrives unannounced, the three engage in a fierce battle over young Erhart Borkman, driven by their own obsessions. The story comes from Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen&#

April 9, 2024

Eight Korean films compete at Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival

Eight Korean films of diverse genres are competing at the 42nd Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival which kicked off Tuesday. Known as the world’s largest fantastic film festival dedicated to experimental genre films from thriller, sci-fi, cult and horror to animation and underground, the BIFFF invited Korean directors Jang Jae-hyun’s supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and director Han Dong-seok’s mystery fantasy “The Sin” to its international co

April 9, 2024

Jazz singer Nah Youn-sun to mark 30th debut anniversary with concert

Korean jazz singer Nah Youn-sun will mark the 30th anniversary of her debut with a concert. Nah's concert, "Elles," will take place on April 17 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul. The concert is titled after her 12th album released in January which commemorated her 30th year as a jazz musician. Nah's latest album is dedicated to influential female musicians who have had an impact on her musical career. The album features songs by legendary singers such as Nina Sim

April 9, 2024

Legendary DJ, producers to play at World DJ Festival

South Korea's World DJ Festival has announced a lineup that includes legendary DJs and producers. This year's festival will mark the first visit to Korea by Swedish DJ Eric Prydz, renowned as one of the top progressive house and techno producers. Prydz, whose hits include "Call on Me" and "Pjanoo," will also take to the stage with dazzling lights, visuals, and special effects. Also in the lineup are The Chainsmokers, known for their hits in Korea, Alok, who ranked f

April 9, 2024

TXT to embark on dome tour in Japan

K-pop boy group TXT is embarking on its first-ever dome tour in Japan, according to Big Hit Music. TXT announced the tour, “Act: Promise in Japan,” by posting a video clip on its official X account on Monday. The dome tour will kick off with a concert at the Tokyo Dome on July 10-11 followed by concerts at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on July 27-28, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya on Aug. 4-5 and the Fukuoka PayPay Dome on Sep. 14-15, for a total of eight shows. Previously, TXT had performed at t

April 9, 2024

Korean National Ballet to perform ‘Season; Spring’ in London this week

The Korean National Ballet is set to perform "Season; Spring" in London this week. The performance comes at the invitation of the Royal Ballet for the KNB to participate in the International Draft Works 2024, jointly hosted by the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet. The KNB is scheduled to perform at the Linbury Theater, on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The International Draft Works serves as a platform where the Royal Ballet, together with various international companies, pres

April 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to host 1st fan meet tour in Japan

Le Sserafim will meet and greet fans in Japan through its first fan meet tour in the country from late June, agency Source Music said Monday. The group of six will visit four cities – Hyogo, Aichi, Kanagawa and Fukuoka – for nine meetups from June 29 to July 31. It will be an expansion of the group's fan meet event, “Fearnada 2024 S/S,” which will be held in Seoul on May 11-12. The group officially debuted in Japan with the single “Fearless” in January

April 8, 2024

National Dance Company's 'Book of the Dead' to journey beyond the veil

Empty-eyed female dancers gracefully whirl around, their movements intertwined with pounding beats. The scene reinterprets the traditional ritual of ground hardening of burial to protect the resting place from outside intrusion. Set to premiere at Haeoreum Grand Theater on April 25 where it will run through April 27, “Book of the Dead” is the latest work by the National Dance Company of Korea, affiliated with the National Theater of Korea. Choreographed by the state dance company

April 8, 2024