[Herald Review] In ‘Troll Factory,’ Son Suk-ku walks tightrope of daring docu-like black comedy

Son Suk-ku is the kind of actor who doesn’t rest on his laurels -- from melancholic stranger Mr. Gu in a remote town in “My Liberation Notes” to psychopathic kidnapper Kang Hae-sang who perfectly fits the slasher cinematic universe in “The Roundup,” he is one of the busiest, hottest stars in the Korean entertainment scene. This time, his versatility has landed him in another experimental and unprecedented story – documentary-style crime flick “Troll Fact

March 21, 2024

UK Deputy PM Oliver Dowden visits SM Entertainment

British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden visited K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment during his visit to South Korea for the 3rd Summit for Democracy, according to SM Entertainment. Dowden met with chief officials of the agency including the Chief Executive Officer Jang Cheol-hyuk and the Chief Global Officer Choi Mi-na, at the headquarters of SM Entertainment in Seoul on Tuesday. British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks and Edward de Minckwitz, a special adviser to Dowden, were also pres

March 21, 2024

Hybe named among Fast Company’s top 50 innovative companies in the world

K-pop powerhouse Hybe made it on Fast Company’s list of the world’s 50 most innovative companies for the current year. Fast Company, an American business magazine, tracks 58 industries and sectors from advertising to video to compile the annual list. Hybe landed at No. 23 on the list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2024, according to Fast Company. This is the third time Hybe has been named on the list, following 2020 and 2022. Fast Company directs the success of

March 21, 2024

The New Six returns as full unit with Junhyeok back from 14-month break

K-pop boy group released its first digital single, “Fuego,” its first new project in nine months. This is also the group’s full unit comeback as a group of six for the first time in 14 months with Junhyeok back with the group to promote the new digital single. Junhyeok had been taking a break from group activities since January last year due to health issues. “I want to thank the members for waiting for me and also for telling me that they need me in the team. Their suppo

March 20, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] TXT announces US tour

Tomorrow X Together will hit eight cities in the US for its third international tour, “Act : Promise," said label Big Hit Music on Wednesday. The American leg will run from May 14 to June 8 and bring the five members to Tacoma Washington; Oakland; Los Angeles; Houston; Atlanta; New York; Rosemont, Illinois; and Washington, DC. The tour will kick off in Seoul with a three-day concert slated to be held May 3-5, following the release of its sixth EP, “minisode 3: Tomorrow.”

March 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Choo Ja-hyun realizes her dream of melodramatic role in ‘While You Were Sleeping’

South Korean actor Choo Ja-hyun, who enjoys greater acclaim as an actor in China than in her home country, returned to the silver screen after 13 years with “While You Were Sleeping.” In recent years, she starred in Korean dramas in various genres such as “Green Mother’s Club,” “My Unfamiliar Family” and “Little Women.” Most of her roles in her 20s were fierce, wild characters which made it difficult to land roles in melodramas, according to

March 20, 2024

Stray Kids to headline Lollapalooza Chicago

K-pop boy group Stray Kids will headline Lollapalooza Chicago, scheduled to take place at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois on Aug. 1-4, according to JYP Entertainment. Lollapalooza, which began as a touring show in 1991, has since made Chicago's Grant Park its annual venue and become one of the leading music events in the US. Stray Kids previously performed as a headliner at Lollapalooza Paris held last July, a first for a K-pop artist. Other headliners of the Chicago festival this year incl

March 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Like cilantro, some will love Netflix's 'Chicken Nugget', others won't: actor, director

While Netflixes new mystery-comedy-drama series "Chicken Nugget" has elicited mixed responses from viewers, the show has a distinct, never-before-seen comedic style, said actor Ryu Seung-ryong and director Lee Byeong-heon. "Chicken Nugget" is a 10-part Netflix original series about the adventures of Choi Seon-man (Ryu Seung-ryong) and Go Baek-joong (Ahn Jae-hong), as they try to turn Choi's daughter, Choi Min-ah (Kim Yoo-jeong), back into a human after a mysterious mac

March 20, 2024

XG to kick off first world tour

Japanese K-pop band XG is to hold its first world tour since its debut in March 2022. XG released the schedule poster of its first world tour "The First Howl" on its official social media channel. The silhouette of a wolf, which brings up the image of the group's official fan club Alphaz and the world tour title Howling, is drawn on the background of the schedule poster. The world tour will begin in Japan on May 18 and 19 in Osaka, and Yokohama on May 25 and 26, followed by concer

March 20, 2024

Spire Entertainment discloses video allegedly showing Omega X member sexually harassing its former CEO

Spire Entertainment held a press conference Tuesday, claiming that the former CEO of the agency, Kang Seong-hee, was sexually harassed by one of the 11 Omega X members. Hwang Seong-woo, CEO of Spire Entertainment, disclosed a clip from a surveillance camera that allegedly showed Lee Hwi-chan, a member of Omega X, pulling up Kang’s shirt and touching her inappropriately. Kang is shown pulling down her shirt and attempting to stop Lee from continuing with his action. Hwang also showed anothe

March 19, 2024

Apink's Kim Nam-joo returns solo with total transformation

Kim Nam-joo of Apink returned to the music scene as a solo artist with the release of her second solo single album, “Bad,” on Monday. The album is the singer's first solo release in four years. “I came back with an extreme makeover for this album. It’s been four years since I last performed on stage in front of reporters and fans. I’m considering this as the debut of the solo artist Kim Nam-joo,” said the artist during a press conference held in Seoul on

March 19, 2024

Intricate plot compelled Lee Bo-young to join 'Hide'

Korean veteran actor Lee Bo-young, known for her roles in hit titles such as "I Can Hear Your Voice," said her new mystery series showcases an intricately crafted storyline. The 12-part drama series narrates the story of Na Mun-yeong (played by Lee), a prosecutor-turned-lawyer who faces a series of ominous events after her husband goes missing. The drama series is based on the Welsh thriller television series "Keeping Faith," which was broadcast on BBC One Wales in 2018. &q

March 19, 2024

New 'Star Wars' franchise 'The Acolyte' starring Lee Jung-jae to stream on Disney+

Disney+ on Tuesday announced that the new “Star Wars" series, "The Acolyte," will be released exclusively on the streaming platform service on June 5. "The Acolyte" is an eight-part live-action series set in the High Republic era, a century preceding the events of "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." The series follows the story that unfolds as Jedi, or the users of the energies of the Force, are faced with a slew of mysterious events. South Kore

March 19, 2024

‘Exhuma’ sets opening record in Vietnam

Director Jang Jae-hyun’s occult mystery flick “Exhuma,” which is expected to surpass 10 million in audience numbers here this week, has also caught the attention of moviegoers in several Asian countries. “Exhuma” opened in Indonesia on Feb. 28 and sold 180,000 tickets in 20 days, becoming the most successful Korean film in Indonesia to date. The movie has also surpassed the animated franchise flick "Kung Fu Panda 4" in terms of the total number of screens

March 19, 2024

BoA to return with new single

K-pop legend BoA is returning to the scene with a new single. According to her agency SM Entertainment, BoA's new track "Emptiness" will be released on March 26. It has been 16 months since her last comeback in November 2022 with her third mini album, "Forgive Me." For "Emptiness," BoA participated in writing the lyrics, composing and arranging the Afrobeat-based pop track, according to the agency. The teaser image for the new song, released on BoA's offi

March 19, 2024

Remake songs abundant as K-pop goes 'newtro'

Listeners of Korean pop music from around two decades ago will find many of the songs on today's popular music charts familiar, as remake songs continue to gain popularity. On Melon, the largest Korean music streaming platform, Lim Jae-hyun's "Rhapsody of Sadness" and boy band Riize's "Love 119" have secured spots on the Top 10 popular music chart as of Tuesday. The two tracks are remakes of the originals: "Rhapsody of Sadness" by singer Choi Jae-ho

March 19, 2024

'Nothing Uncovered' reinterprets legendary web novel, marks return of Kim Ha-neul

KBS is eyeing a ratings turnaround with its new crime mystery drama series "Nothing Uncovered," with veteran actor Kim Ha-neul returning to the broadcaster for the reinterpretation of the legendary web novel. "Nothing Uncovered" is a 16-part drama series based on a popular web novel of the same name, which was serialized on Naver Webnovel in 2021. The original web novel won the grand prize in the web novel category during the web portal's annual “The Greatest Webto

March 18, 2024

NTCK brings inclusive theater experience with ‘Scapin’

The National Theater Company of Korea is set to present their cherished production, "Scapin" (Les Fourberies de Scapin), geared toward fostering an inclusive environment with what they term "open audience" performances aimed at providing a more relaxed experience. Scheduled to run from April 12 to May 6 at the Myeongdong Arts Theater, the Korean rendition of French playwright Moliere's classic "Scapin the Schemer” is returning for its fourth run. The comedy ma

March 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT’s Taeyong to enlist next month

Taeyong of NCT will start his mandatory military duty from April 15, label SM Entertainment said Monday. The musician shared the news with a hand-written letter uploaded on a fan platform on the day thanking his fans and bandmates for letting him grow and mature. “Every single moment has been really meaningful and blissful,” said the idol promising that he will do his best and learn a lot during the service and return as a better self. He will be the first member of NCT to enlist a

March 18, 2024

[History through films] ‘Ode to My Father,’ story of Korean fathers in the post-war era

Director Yoon Je-kyoon’s 2014 hit drama flick “Ode to My Father,” which drew crowds of 14.2 million upon its release, is the fourth most successful film in South Korea's history. The movie is still talked about as a work that helped foster a deeper understanding of Korea’s modern history and how people lived through the post-war era. The movie follows the journey of Deok-soo (Hwang Jung-min) and his efforts to protect his family, spanning from his early adulthood to

March 18, 2024