[Today’s K-pop] Illit ready to show ‘Super Real Me’

Girl group Illit held its debut showcase in Seoul on Monday, introducing the group's first EP, “Super Real Me.” The five bandmates exuded positive energy and confidence, saying their strength lies in being “overly immersed” on stage. Off the stage, though, they will show who they really are, the bandmates added. In line with the candid message of the debut album – “my real story also is the best story” -- the bandmates did not hesitate to admit th

March 25, 2024

Tongyeong International Music Festival’s composer-in-residence Peter Eotvos dies

Hungarian composer and conductor Peter Eotvos, who was named the composer-in-residence for the 2024 Tongyeong International Music Festival, has passed away in Budapest at the age of 80, the TIMF said Monday. An internationally acclaimed composer whose works were inspired by Zoltan Kodaly, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, Eotvos' ties with Tongyeong run deep. Having composed the opera "Golden Dragon" for the 2017 TIMF, he was invited to compose for the 2020 edition of TIMF.

March 25, 2024

NCT Dream newly interpretes dream with ‘Dream()scape’

NCT Dream, a cheery boy group that sings of dreams and hopes, returned to the stage with a mature, confident image, confronting wounds and inner troubles. The septet's new album “Dream()scape” contains six tracks including the title track “Smoothie.” It is the group's first album in eight months since the third full-length album “ISTJ.” "We've so far shown our passionate, hopeful and bright sides, but this time we've prepared an album

March 25, 2024

J-Hope says dance is what he cherishes most in life

J-Hope of BTS released a teaser video for his upcoming documentary series “Hope on the Street” via the boy band's official YouTube channel on Monday. The clip shows an interview with J-Hope sitting on a couch wearing a knitted hat, a dark jacket and jeans. “This documentary is about dance, which is what I consider my roots and the most important thing in my life and career,” J-Hope says in introducing the upcoming documentary series. “You will be able to learn

March 25, 2024

More reality shows exploring divorce are on their way

South Korean broadcasters are rolling out new shows about divorce among real-life couples following a wave of successful reality shows that previously explored the same theme. The Maeil Broadcasting Network said it has decided to regularly broadcast "Decision to Divorce" starting in April following the show's successful pilot season of five episodes that aired from January to February. "Decision to Divorce" features couples going through difficult times in their marri

March 25, 2024

[Music in drama] A silver lining in a tale of vengeance

Even in the darkest and the most brutal stories, there is often a silver lining. In a drama full of hatred and malice, soft melodies playing in the background show that there is still some good in the world. "The Glory," one of the most successful K-drama series of 2023, depicts the meticulous journey of a woman as she exacts revenge on the gang members who tormented her at school. Moon Dong-eun, who was subjected to all kinds of violence imaginable, including physical torture, sexual

March 24, 2024

'Exhuma' first movie this year to attract 10m moviegoers

Occult flick "Exhuma" on Sunday became the first movie to surpass 10 million in ticket sales this year, having reached the milestone on its 32nd day in theaters, according to Showbox, the film's distributor. The movie is the first to exceed the 10 million mark in ticket sales since "12.12: The Day," a historical drama about a military coup in 1979, which achieved the milestone on Dec. 24 last year. Since its premiere in theaters on Feb. 22, "Exhuma" has remaine

March 24, 2024

Agency denies Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun dating rumours

Rumors that South Korean actors Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun are dating, which began circulating following a post uploaded on the former's social media account, are untrue, said the agency representing Kim Soo-hyun, Sunday. "The current rumors of Kim Soo-hyun's romantic involvement (with Kim Sae-ron) are groundless. The photos circulating online seem to have been taken during the time Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were signed with the same agency in the past, and the intention behi

March 24, 2024

BTS V hits high mark with ‘Fri(end)s’

V of BTS continues to break records with “Fri(end)s,” even as he serves in the military. “Fri(end)s,” released in March 2024, ranked No. 13 on the Top 100 Official Singles Chart as of March 22. The UK's biggest song data platform runs the chart, Official Charts Company, based on audio and video streams, downloads and sales volume for CDs and vinyl. V bested his own top placement for “Slow Dancing,” the lead track of his first album, “Layover.”

March 24, 2024

Rumors of Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun dating swirl after social media post

South Korean actors Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun have become embroiled in dating rumors after the former uploaded a picture of the two together on her social media account on Sunday. Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, Kim Sae-ron posted and swiftly deleted a picture featuring herself and Kim Soo-hyun on her Instagram account. After deleting the photo, Kim Sae-ron did not post any further updates. Gold Medalist, the agency representing Kim Soo-hyun, told local news outlets Sunday morning that it is current

March 24, 2024

S. Korean celebrities call for action from major social media platforms against online phishing scams

A group of South Korean TV celebrities and media personalities on Friday called on major social media platforms, including YouTube, to take action against increasing online phishing scams exploiting their identities. "Since last year, phishing scam organizations have been targeting famous or influential figures, such as former presidents, the leader of a conglomerate, entertainers and YouTubers, on Facebook and Instagram," a joint statement released by a coalition of more than 130 peop

March 22, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Twice receives 500m views on ‘Feel Special’ video

Twice has amassed 500 million views on YouTube for the music video for “Feel Special,” JYP Entertainment announced Friday. It is the seventh video from the girl group to reach the milestone, following those of “TT,” “Likey,” “What is Love?,” “Fancy,” “Cheer Up” and “I Can’t Stop Me.” “Feel Special” is the title track from the group’s eighth EP that was released in September 2019 and renewe

March 22, 2024

NTOK Live+ lets theatergoers enjoy plays from UK, Netherlands onscreen

The National Theater of Korea will screen three plays in April as part of NTOK Live+, a program introducing prominent overseas theatrical performances. The three plays -- Ivo van Hove’s “The Hidden Force,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag” and Lyndsey Turner’s “The Crucible” -- were produced by the International Theater Amsterdam; DryWrite, Soho Theatre and Annapurna Theatre; and the National Theatre in London, respectively. They will be scree

March 22, 2024

Zerobaseone tops Oricon chart with 1st Japanese single album

K-pop boy band Zerobaseone has topped Oricon’s daily singles chart for two consecutive days with its debut Japanese single album, “Yurayura-unmeinohana.” Selling 187,694 copies of the Japanese single album on the day of its release, the group landed at No. 1 on the daily singles chart, which is based on physical album sales. Zerobaseone made its official debut in Japan with the release on March 20 under a contract with Sony Music Label. The single album is led by the titular &l

March 22, 2024

Hybe artists ready to return in April

K-pop powerhouse Hybe has a roster of artists waiting to make spring that much sweeter, beginning with J-Hope of BTS releasing a special album on March 29, followed by TXT on April 1 and Boynextdoor on April 15. J-Hope is also set to release a documentary series, “Hope on the Street,” on March 28, a day before the release of “Hope on the Street Vol. 1.” The documentary series comes in six episodes that show J-Hope visiting Osaka in Japan, Paris, New York and his hometown

March 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Exhuma’ director Jang Jae-hyun won't make sequel

South Korean supernatural mystery thriller “Exhuma,” which has been sweeping not just the domestic box office, but box offices across Asia, will not release a sequel nor a spinoff, the movie’s director told reporters Thursday. “Exhuma,” which opened in Korea on Feb. 22, has topped the local box office for 27 consecutive days, aggregating 9.52 million admissions as of Thursday. Captivated by its immersive storyline, filmgoers are already eager for a sequel or spinoff

March 22, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Spy x Family Code: White” (Japan) Opened March 20 Action/Comedy Directed by Takashi Katagiri A spy agent Loid decides to help his stepdaughter Anya, who holds supernatural power, win a cooking competition at Eden Academy by making the principal's favorite meal -- the only way to help him prevent from getting replaced in a new operation. “Poor Things” (US) Opened March 6 Comedy Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Bella (Emma Stone), a Frankenstein-like woman brought back

March 22, 2024

Im Soo-hyang, Ji Hyun-woo ready to play romance between celeb and producer in 'Beauty and Romantic'

South Korean actors Im Soo-hyang and Ji Hyun-woo said with the help of veteran director and screenwriter, they are ready to embody their intriguing roles in the new KBS weekend drama series, "Beauty and Romantic," set to premiere Saturday. "Beauty and Romantic" is a 50-part series that tells the story of a top celebrity (played by Im Soo-hyang), who experiences a decline in popularity and a drama series producer (played by Ji Hyun-woo), who falls in love with her. The drama s

March 21, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink tops 600m views with ‘Shut Down’ music video

Blackpink amassed 600 million views on YouTube with the music video for “Shut Down,” said label YG Entertainment on Thursday. It is the group’s 15th video to reach the milestone and achieved the feat in about 1 1/2 years. “Shut Down” fronted its second studio album, “Born Pink,” and the hip-hop tune sampling Paganini’s “La Campanella” hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 25. It also landed atop Spotify’s global songs chart. The

March 21, 2024

'Queen of Tears' garners popularity on global, domestic stage

As South Korean romance drama series "Queen of Tears" continues to receive critical acclaim, the show has recorded high viewership ratings and ranked high on the charts of global streaming platforms, according to entertainment giant CJ ENM, Thursday. Written by star screenwriter Park Ji-eun, who wrote the scripts for a slew of hit Korean romance dramas such as "My Love from the Star" and "Crash Landing on You," "Queen of Tears" stars Kim Ji-won and Kim Su-

March 21, 2024