[Herald Interview] Kim Bum-soo marks 25 years in music with new album 'Journey'

Singer Kim Bum-soo has returned with his 9th full-length studio album, "Journey," celebrating his 25th year as a singer. Although the recent landscape of the entertainment industry calls for versatility and multifaceted identities, the singer believes in dedicating himself to the role of vocalist and preserving his values as a singer. Unlike in previous albums in which Kim prioritized the singing ability, high notes and technique, Kim said that his new album is "minimal and poetic

Feb. 22, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to open pop-up store in Seoul

A pop-up store and cafe for Stray Kids will open in Seoul from March 14 to March 31, according to an announcement by label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. The store, dubbed SKZoo’s Magic School, is themed after the animal-inspired version of the bandmates and is in line with the eight-member team’s fan meet event slated to be held in Seoul on March 29-31, for which the members will turn into magicians. In April, they will fly over to Japan and greet their fans in Osaka and Saitama,

Feb. 21, 2024

Timothee Chalamet thankful for Korean fans, promotes ‘Dune: Part Two’ in Seoul

Actor Timothee Chalamet said he is thankful for Korean fans of the "Dune" series during a press conference held to promote his new film, “Dune: Part Two,” in Seoul on Wednesday. Chalamet, director Denis Villeneuve and other cast members including Zendaya, Austin Butler and Stellan Skarsgard were present at the event. Pronouncing the term in Korean carefully, “Dune-chin-ja" -- short for "Dune-e-michin-ja" or one who‘s crazy for ”Dune" in

Feb. 21, 2024

Jeon Do-yeon, Park Hae-soo to star in Simon Stone's play 'Cherry Orchard'

Renowned South Korean actor Jeon Do-yeon, who is a familiar face from both TV and film, is returning to the theatrical stage after 27 years, taking on a leading role in the play "The Cherry Orchard.” World-renowned Australian director Simon Stone will helm the production, which is slated to run from June 4 to July 7 at the LG Art Center in Seoul. Stone has collaborated with prestigious theaters such as the National Theatre in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Jeon will be

Feb. 21, 2024

NCT Wish makes grand debut at Tokyo Dome

NCT Wish took its first steps as a K-pop act by performing at SM Entertainment’s all-star concert at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday. The group comprises six members -- Yushi, Riku, Sakuya, Jaehee, Ryo and Sion. NCT Wish is the latest and final subunit of NCT. Other subunits include NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream and WayV. SM collaborated with the Japanese entertainment agency Avex Trax to introduce the six members through an “NCT Universe: Lastart” competition show which aired last

Feb. 21, 2024

Hybe’s new girl group I’ll-It to debut next month

K-pop powerhouse Hybe is launching a new girl group I’ll-It under its subsidiary Belift Lab on March 25. According to Belift Lab, the group consisting of five members -- Minju, Wonhee, Yunah, Moka and Iroha -- is releasing its debut mini album on March 25. Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk took part in putting together the group. “We are happy and excited to finally get to debut. We are thankful for our fans who have been waiting for us. We enhanced our skills when recording and shooting th

Feb. 21, 2024

'Exhuma' digs up traumas of Korean land

Director Jang Jae-hyun said he wanted to dig up the traumatic past of Korea through the symbolic act of exhumation in his latest occult mystery film "Exhuma." Starring veteran actors such as Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Do-hyun, "Exhuma" follows the series of mysterious events that occur as a group of exorcists, an undertaker and a feng-shui specialist take on the task of relocating the tomb of a wealthy family. The movie is largely separated into two parts.

Feb. 21, 2024

'The Birth of Korea' sweeps local box office, rarity as documentary

“The Birth of Korea” by Kim Deok-young, a documentary film covering South Korea's first president Syngman Rhee and the country’s first-generation politicians and their efforts to protect the country, is sweeping the local box office, a rarity for a documentary screened in theaters. Looking back on a 70-year history, “The Birth of Korea” reinterprets some of Rhee's major achievements like farmland reform. According to the film distributor Docu Story, the fi

Feb. 21, 2024

Seoul Metropolitan Ballet begins inaugural season with contemporary focus

The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, centering its artistic vision on contemporary ballet, has been officially inaugurated, announced the Seoul City and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts at a press conference held on Tuesday. This marks the establishment of the third public ballet company in Korea in 48 years, after the Korean National Ballet in 1962 and the Gwangju City Ballet in 1976. Diverging from traditional ballet companies that predominantly focus on classical repertoire, Seoul Metropolitan

Feb. 20, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream confirms 3rd world tour

NCT Dream announced plans for its third international tour “The Dream Show 3” Tuesday. The NCT subunit will kick off the tour in Seoul with a three-day concert starting May 2. In Japan, it will perform at three major domes – in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya – for the first time and then visit Jakarta, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Manila until August. The Asian leg of the tour will be followed by concerts in South and North America as well as Europe through November. It

Feb. 20, 2024

IU adds her own definition of ‘winning’ into 6th EP 'The Winning'

Singer-songwriter and actor IU thinks living a successful life, or "winning" as she calls it, does not always have to be about making a lot of money or living a life everyone looks up to. Instead, through her sixth EP, "The Winning," the artist shares her own definition of “winning,” which she says is accepting the fact that not everyone blooms into a flower. The new EP was released Tuesday. On the day of her new album release, IU posted a video on her official Y

Feb. 20, 2024

Timeless tunes reworked with trendy spin by young musicians

Masterpieces stand the test of time, retaining their value and significance throughout the ages. Songs from the 1970s to the 2000s are these days gaining new life through reinterpretations by junior singers. Hong Joo-chan, a member of the boy group Golden Child, released solo digital single "Still Thinking About You" on Sunday. It is a remake of ballad singer Lee Jung-bong's debut album title track, which was released in 1996. The original song gained huge popularity, mesmerizing

Feb. 20, 2024

Timothee Chalamet to shoot local shows in Seoul to promote ‘Dune: Part Two’

French American actor Timothee Chalamet, who arrived in Seoul Monday evening to kick off his Seoul tour for the promotion of his latest film, “Dune: Part Two,” will appear in local TV shows and meet with Korean TV personalities, according to the industry on Tuesday. Industry sources said that Chalamet will shoot a program with Pengsoo during his stay in Seoul. Pengsoo is a penguin character from the YouTube channel Giant Peng TV, a show run by Korea's Educational Broadcasting Sy

Feb. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Moonbyul of Mamamoo pursues diversity releasing LP in time for 10th anniversary

Moonbyul of K-pop girl group Mamamoo always tries to step outside of her comfort zone to develop into a better artist. “I am fortunate to have established a character in the entertainment industry as a singer who has been active for 10 years. But to become a better artist, I hope to go beyond my limits,” said Moonbyul in a group interview in Seoul on Wednesday. That involves continuously working on enhancing her vocal and dancing skills despite being a rapper by receiving lessons. &l

Feb. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Theater Ganda marks 20th Anniversary with yearlong parade of original productions

In Korean, the word "ganda" means "to go." Yet, the name of this 20-year-old South Korean theater troupe also carries a dual meaning, signifying its commitment to creating compact ("gan" in Hanja) and diverse ("da" in Hanja) performances. Theatre Ganda is set to showcase a series of the company's most notable works, one after another, until early 2025, in a rare and precious moment for a theater group as it marks its 20th anniversary with a parade of

Feb. 19, 2024

Le Sserafim talks about their fear and doubts in 3rd EP ‘Easy’

Le Sserafim members spoke candidly about their fears and concerns hidden behind their fearless attitude in their third EP, “Easy,” released on Monday. “We focused on expressing our inner side to show that we are no different to ordinary people who have concerns and doubts in their life,” said Kazuha of the K-pop girl group during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. The group tried to express that even though their fame could look as easily achieved, there is always the

Feb. 19, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ J-Hope to unveil album, documentary next month

J-Hope of BTS will drop a special solo album on March 29 along with a documentary film, said label Big Hit Music on Monday. As the title “Hope on the Street Vol. 1” suggests, the six-track album is themed after street dance, which the main dancer of the band harks back on. A series of the same title also will be rolled out on the day before, starting with the first episode from the total of six. Shot before he enlisted in April last year, the series follows the artist across the wo

Feb. 19, 2024

[Indie spirit] Maktub on broadening spectrum, contemplating deeper emotions

In the 13 years since his debut, most of the songs that singer Maktub released have been about sweet, overwhelming love. The singer said he takes a bit of pride in his songs being chosen for romantic events such as proposals and weddings. "I'm a love enthusiast. I may have written countless love songs because I didn’t have particularly hard times dating. But I also believe that messages about love are the messages that the world needs." The 35-year-old singer-songwriter made

Feb. 19, 2024

K-pop idol-led variety shows expand to cable

A TV variety show featuring K-pop idols is proving that TV and fandom-based online platforms could be a winning combination. K-pop groups have been running their own variety shows for a while on social media and the fan platform Weverse. But for "Nana Tour with Seventeen," the episodes were also broadcast on cable channel tvN, looking to simultaneously appeal to the K-pop super-fans and a wider audience among the general public -- while making use of Weverse's potential for aud

Feb. 19, 2024

Photo of RM with saxophone in military band goes viral

Even while serving in the South Korean military, global K-pop star RM of BTS remains in the public eye. On Thursday, a photo of him in a red military band uniform, holding a saxophone, went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. As of Monday, the photo had garnered over 20,000 likes and 4,000 reposts. The viral post said, "I received a photo of Nam-joon (better known as RM) from an acquaintance who attended the military's basic training completion ceremony." The ceremony is only o

Feb. 19, 2024