[Herald Review] Ordinary woman in midlife ‘Jeong-sun’ shatters preconceptions

In director Jeong Ji-hye’s debut feature film, drama “Jeong-sun,” Jeong-sun (Kim Geun-soon), a woman in her 50s lives an ordinary life with her busy daughter following the death of her husband. Feeling that it’s better to do something rather than stay at home, Jeong-sun works at a food packaging factory where she gets along with her colleagues. At work, she develops a secret romantic relationship with a newcomer, Young-soo (Cho Hyun-woo). That relationship leads her to fa

April 14, 2024

Zerobaseone to release new album next month

K-pop boy group Zerobaseone is releasing its third EP, “You Had Me at Hello,” on May 13, according to Wakeone, the group's agency. The nine-member group announced its comeback Sunday by dropping a teaser poster through its official social media accounts. The teaser poster shows a radiant sun which hints that the new album will carry songs that remind listeners of the coming summer season. The upcoming album will convey a story about destiny, says the agency. Before the official

April 14, 2024

More Koreans still prefer watching new films in theaters: survey

Despite the widespread popularity of watching films on streaming platforms like Netflix, slightly more Koreans still prefer watching the latest movies in theaters, according to market data. According to the survey conducted by consumer research institution Consumer Insight of 1,064 Korean moviegoers aged between 20 and 64, 37 percent said they prefer watching new films in theaters, whereas 33 percent said they only watch new films when they are uploaded on streaming services. Another 10 percent

April 13, 2024

Don Lee’s upcoming ‘The Roundup: Punishment’ to open in 164 countries

“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment of the crime film franchise featuring South Korean action star Don Lee – known as Ma Dong-seok here – will meet audiences in 164 countries for a global release. The number of countries this installment will be released in is the most of the four films. The second installment, “The Roundup,” was sold to 132 countries in 2022 and the third installment, “The Roundup: No Way Out,” was sold to 158 coun

April 13, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS sets record in Japan with ‘Butter’

BTS notched the No. 1 spot on Oricon’s five-year single ranking with its 2021 hit single, “Butter,” according to Big Hit Music on Friday. The single claimed the top spot on the chart that spanned over five years of the country’s Reiwa era. In 2020, the group's “Dynamite” ranked No. 4 on the chart. It is the first time ever for an international artist to top the periodic era ranking, the label added. “Butter” made a hot-shot debut on Billboar

April 12, 2024

Mnet presents new audition program ‘I-Land2: N/a’

Mnet, a Television music channel known for several successful audition programs, presents another girl group audition program with advanced technology and the ambition to launch an iconic next-generation K-pop group. "I-Land2: N/a," scheduled to premiere on April 18, is a sequel to "I-Land," which produced the seven-member boy group Enhypen. CJ ENM, Wakeone, and The Black Label came together to launch the second season, and the final debut group will be under the management o

April 12, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Blood Free': gripping mystery elevated by veteran actors' performances

"Blood Free," a new Disney+ original mystery drama series, is compelling and full of suspense, supported by meticulously controlled performances from some of Korea's veteran actors. Set in the near future, "Blood Free" is a 10-part thriller series that follows the story of Yoon Ja-yoo, (Han Hyo-joo), the chief executive officer of a biological engineering titan called BF. Yoon constantly faces attacks launched by a range of individuals, including agricultural workers --

April 12, 2024

Singer Park Bo-ram dies, age 30

Singer Park Bo-ram has died at the age of 30. The singer's agency, Xanadu Entertainment, said that Park Bo-ram died unexpectedly Thursday afternoon. According to the police, Park was with two other women at her acquaintance's house when she was found collapsed and in cardiac arrest. She was moved to the hospital but died at 11:17 p.m., about an hour later. Police are investigating the exact cause of her death. Park Bo-ram drew attention by appearing on Mnet's audition program &quo

April 12, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Last 10 Years” (Japan) Opened April 3 Drama Directed by Michihito Fujii Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has 10 years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides not to dwell on her life and not to fall in love, but then she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion.   “The First Omen” (US) Opened April 3 Horror Directed by Arkasha Stevenson Young American woman Margaret (Nell Tiger Free) heads to Rome to devote her life to serving the

April 12, 2024

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