[Today’s K-pop] Karina of aespa is dating actor Lee Jae-wook: report

Karina of aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook are confirmed as dating, according to Lee's agency CJeS Studios on Tuesday. The announcement follows a local media report that said the two have been dating since they both attended the fashion show in Milan for Prada’s fall/winter collection in January. It was love at first sight, the article said, citing an anonymous source. Karina's label SM Entertainment is yet to comment on the news report. Karina, as part of the quartet, will start t

Feb. 27, 2024

Germany probes Berlin film festival in anti-Semitism row

BERLIN - German officials will investigate how Berlin film festival winners made "one-sided" comments condemning Israel's war in Gaza at the awards gala, a government spokeswoman said on Monday. At Saturday's ceremony, several winners were accused of making anti-Semitic remarks on stage in relation to Israel's military assault, which began after an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. US filmmaker Ben Russell, wearing a Palestinian scarf, accused Israel of com

Feb. 27, 2024

[Indie spirit] Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun creates new identity with genre-defying music

Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun is a genre unto herself. Boldly using Korean myth and unusual motifs to create music, she is a musician who enriches the Korean music scene, captivating audiences with her unique blend of tradition and modernity. "It is hard to decide which genre to register with whenever I release a song. Now I have come to think of that as my strength – doing music that cannot be determined by traditional genre definitions," said Ahn. With the strong color of her mu

Feb. 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Go-eun aimed to perfect portrayal of Korean shamans in 'Exhuma'

South Korean actor Kim Go-eun said she aimed to perfect her performance of a Korean traditional shaman in "Exhuma," an occult flick directed by Jang Jae-hyun. Jang popularized the occult genre in Korea with hit occult mystery movies such as "The Priest" and "Svaha: The Sixth Finger." "Exhuma" unfolds as a group of exorcists, an undertaker and a feng shui specialist relocate a tomb. In the movie, Kim plays the role of Hwa-rim, a young shaman who is assign

Feb. 27, 2024

Jungkook, Gaeko, Yoon Mi-rae take part in J-Hope’s upcoming album

J-Hope, the main dancer of BTS, has collaborated with Gaeko of the hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo, and legendary hip-hop and R&B singer Yoon Mi-rae for his upcoming street dance-inspired special album. The there worked together on “Neuron,” from the album “Hope on the Street Vol. 1,” according to Big Hit Music. The album will be released March 29. The title of the track, “Neuron,” refers to the scientific team and the dance crew J-Hope belonged to before joining

Feb. 27, 2024

Karina of aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook confirmed to be dating

Karina of aespa and actor Lee Jae-wook are confirmed to be in a relationship. SM Entertainment, which houses aespa told The Korea Herald on Tuesday that “the two are getting to know each other.” Lee Jae-wook’s agency CJes Studios also confirmed the relationship, saying, “The two are getting to know each other. As the actor is currently filming a drama and the matter involves his privacy, so please respect (the couple's) privacy.” Earlier on Tuesday, a local rep

Feb. 27, 2024

BIFF struggles to fill director post

The Busan International Film Festival is once again accepting applications for the post of festival director after failing to fill the position, which has been vacant since last year. According to the organizing committee of Asia’s largest film festival, there were no qualified candidates who suited the generational change that the committee seeks. A total of seven people submitted applications in the most recent round which ended Feb. 13. “Although many candidates with expertise and

Feb. 27, 2024

Song Joong-ki says ‘My Name is Loh Kiwan’ was emotional, fresh work for him

Actor Song Joong-ki, who appears as North Korean defector Loh Ki-wan in the new Netflix film “My Name is Loh Kiwan,” said playing Loh was an emotionally overwhelming, fresh work for him. “I read the script for the first time six or seven years ago. I didn’t know anything about the story, but the first thing that came to my mind after completing reading was that this was a heartbreaking story, but at the same time, something that I could try for the first time with a fresh

Feb. 27, 2024

Korea National Contemporary Dance Company kicks off season with 'Jungle'

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will kick off the 2024 season with a new production entitled “Jungle,” choreographed by Kim Sung-yong, the company's director and artistic director. “Jungle” is set to be staged April 11-14 at the Seoul Arts Center’s CJ Towol Theater. Kim officially took his position on May 11, 2023, for a three-year term. In October, Kim’s “Jungle -- Sense and Response” premiered as the opening piece at the Intern

Feb. 26, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] EXO to host fan meet in April

EXO is planning to greet fans in person at a meetup on April 14 at Incheon's Inspire Arena, announced label SM Entertainment on Monday. Fan meet “One” will let fans gather with the band for the first time in about a year. All members except Kai and Sehoon, who are serving their military duty, will be present. The veteran idol band put out its seventh studio album “Exist” in July last year, its first full-group effort in almost five years. The LP sold over 1.56 mill

Feb. 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Choi Min-sik brings to fore charisma of shamanistic practitioners in 'Exhuma'

A veteran actor with 35 years of experience in films and TV, Choi Min-sik sought to bring to the screen the charisma of Korean practitioners of shamanistic beliefs such as geomancers, to push people to think about how our perceptions of land impact society, in "Exhuma," his first occult film. Directed by the master of K-occult, Jang Jae-hyun, "Exhuma" follows the story of a feng-shui expert, an undertaker and two shaman exorcists who try to find a new resting place for a dece

Feb. 26, 2024

[Herald Review] Taeyong shines as soloist at his first stand-alone concert

Taeyong, the leader of NCT 127, proved his ability as a solo artist through his first solo concert, "TY Track," held at Olympic Hall, Songpa-gu, Seoul on Saturday and Sunday. After debuting as a member of NCT 127 in 2016, Taeyong released his first mini album "Shalala" in June last year, marking the start of his career as a soloist. Taeyong appeared on the stage with a large T-shaped structure – T is his initial. About 3,000 audience members cheered enthusiastically as

Feb. 26, 2024

Theaters come to life in Feb. with opening of ‘Exhuma,’ ‘Dune: Part Two’

South Korean theaters are experiencing a much-needed boom in February with the release of two much-anticipated films -- “Exhuma” by the so-called K-occult genre master Jang Jae-hyun, and the global sci-fi blockbuster sequel “Dune: Part Two.” According to box office data from the Korean Film Council, “Exhuma” attracted 2 million theatergoers within four days of the movie opening on Feb. 22. “Dune: Part Two,” which is set for release Wednesday, is cu

Feb. 26, 2024

Lucas prepares for solo comeback 2 years after quitting NCT amid controversies

Lucas, a former member of the K-pop boy group NCT, on Saturday uploaded to his official YouTube channel a documentary entitled “Lucas Documentary Part 1 Freeze,” hinting at a possible comeback as a solo artist. “I’m always home. I watch TV, eat and sometimes visit my agency (SM Entertainment). There is nothing special,” he said in the documentary, giving an update on his life after leaving the group in August 2021. “I used to have a strong character back then.

Feb. 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Salome' director Kim Si-hwa adds bold twist to changgeuk with all-male act

It might have been her directional debut in changgeuk, but former choreographer Kim Si-hwa was prepared to push the boundaries with "Salome." In an interview with The Korea Herald, last week, Kim said she was aiming for a groundbreaking traditional performance. She had thought of an all-male changgeuk for a while, believing it could be appealing to the audience. Changgeuk derives from pansori, a traditional narrative singing form involving a solo singer and a percussionist that is regi

Feb. 25, 2024

Hong Sang-soo wins Berlin Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with 'A Traveler's Needs'

South Korean director Hong Sang-soo clinched the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize with his new film "A Traveler's Needs" at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday. The jury announced the award at the ceremony held at the Berlinale Palast. The Silver Bear is the festival's second-highest prize after the Golden Bear. It is Hong's second Grand Jury Prize, following his win for "The Novelist's Film" in 2022. "I’d like to thank the jury.

Feb. 25, 2024

[Herald Review] Eric Nam mesmerizes Korean fans with dance, voice

Singer Eric Nam visited Korean fans for the first time in a year and three months. On Saturday, the Seoul performance of "Eric Nam House on a Hill World Tour" was held at Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Despite the cold weather with rain and snow, about 2,000 fans visited the venue to enjoy Nam's performance. The singer has been on a world tour starting from Orlando, Florida, the US, since September last year after releasing his English language album, "House on

Feb. 25, 2024

Occult thriller 'Exhuma' reaches 1m ticket sales in record time

"Exhuma," a supernatural mystery thriller, surpassed 1 million in attendance Saturday, becoming the fastest film released this year to reach the milestone, the film's local distributor said. The thriller, also known as "Pamyo" in Korean, has set the record on the third day of its release, Showbox said. Starring Choi Min-sik, the film revolves around mysterious events affecting a geomancer, an undertaker and a young shaman duo after they exhume the grave of an ancestor fr

Feb. 24, 2024

K-pop hitmaker Shinsadong Tiger dies at 41

Lee Ho-yang, better known as K-pop hitmaker Shinsadong Tiger, died Friday at the age of 41. His agency, AB Entertainment, confirmed Shinsadong Tiger’s demise Friday night and said they are currently gathering information before a formal announcement. The renowned music producer was found dead at his recording studio earlier the same day. According to industry sources, he was found dead by an acquaintance at the studio after he could not be reached by phone. Shinsadong Tiger is known for se

Feb. 23, 2024

‘Picnic’ surpasses breakeven point, in first such feat by indie film in 5 years

“Picnic,” a low-budget independent film from director Kim Yong-gyun, had recorded 281,000 tickets sold as of Friday, becoming the first Korean indie film to surpass its breakeven point in five years. “Picnic” also became the first film this year to surpass to get over the hump. With a production cost of just some 1.2 billion won ($900,000), the movie’s breakeven point came at 270,000 admissions. Since the movie’s opening on Feb. 7, “Picnic” has dom

Feb. 23, 2024