SG Wannabe to celebrate 20th anniversary with concert

One of the representative South Korean R&B groups, SG Wannabe, will return with a concert to celebrate their 20th debut anniversary. The trio’s upcoming concert will be held under the title “Our Song,” keeping the name of the group’s concert last year. The title "Our Song" became the concert brand of the trio, starting with a concert in March last year at SK Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park and Seoul. The first "Our Song," was SG Wannabe's f

Feb. 2, 2024

[Photo News] 'Squid Game' to return with second season in 2024

"Squid Game," the South Korean Netflix original drama series which took the world by storm upon its release in 2021, will return with a second season in 2024, according to Netflix. The new season of the thriller will follow the story of Sung Ki-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who gives up his flight to the United States after discovering that the organizers of the death game are continuing to recruiting participants. The drama series will also follow the stories of various contestants wh

Feb. 2, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who usually lives an ordinary life, travels to Qingdao, China, to capture the boss of a criminal organization after she falls victim to a voice phishing scam. She decides to travel to the country after the person who scammed her, Son Jae-min (Gong Myung), calls her from Qingdao asking for help. “Wish” (US) Opened Jan. 3 Animation Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasuntho

Feb. 2, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Babymonster tops iTunes chart in 8 regions with pre-release

    Rookie girl group Babymonster topped iTunes top songs chart in eight regions, according to label YG Entertainment on Thursday. The group topped the chart with “Stuck In The Middle,” a pop ballad tune and English-language single released Wednesday in advance to the release of its first EP, which is due out on April 1. The six-member act debuted in November with “Batter Up” which renewed the record for a K-pop group’s debut song, generating 22.59 mi

Feb. 1, 2024

Son Suk-ku, Choi Woo-shik explore ethics of eye for an eye in ‘A Killer Paradox'

South Korean actors Son Suk-ku and Choi Woo-shik will raise a philosophical question -- whether it is just to condemn evil through murder -- in "A Killer Paradox," a new Netflix original drama series. The eight-part drama series revolves around Yi Tang, (played by Choi Woo-shik) a college student who, under extreme stress, murders those who antagonize him. After discovering that all his victims were serious evildoers "worth killing," Yi comes to believe that he has a supernat

Feb. 1, 2024

[New on the scene] Martial arts director-turned-filmmaker confident of Don Lee’s international appeal

The post-apocalyptic action film "Badland Hunters," which topped the Netflix global chart immediately after its release on Jan. 26, is a work by director Heo Myeong-haeng and his longtime partner, actor Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok. “We were looking for something to do together and because he (Lee) works often on new scenarios, he discovered this story and suggested we do it together,” Heo told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. Having spent more

Feb. 1, 2024

YB returns with nationwide tour

Leading rock band YB returns with a national concert tour, "2024 YB Tour Lights: Infinity." The legendary band kicks off its tour on March 9 at the Chunma Art Center of Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, for a two-day run. The band will visit 10 cities in total, also including Suwon, Ansan and Yongin in Gyeonggi Province, Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province, Busan, Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, Incheon, Wonju in Gangwon Province and Gwangju. "Lights&

Feb. 1, 2024

Too hot to handle? K-pop stars' ‘no pants’ look sparks debate

It is safe to say that the pantsless trend has firmly planted its roots in Korea, especially within the K-pop scene. This look has triggered mixed reactions, with some arguing that it is a way of expressing freedom while others say that it is too provocative and simply inappropriate. The now-trending no-pants look speaks for itself, featuring a style that discards pants, skirts or any bottom-covering attire, except for briefs, often paired with tights. The origins of this look can be traced

Feb. 1, 2024

K-pop artists, agencies step up fight against 'stans'

For some 20 years, K-pop artist Kim Jae-joong has been hounded by fans stalking him to get a sneak peek into his private life. A week ago Kim Jae-joong decided to stand up for himself and take legal measures against “sasaeng” fans -- industry slang referring to fans who invade an artist‘s private life, often exhibiting problematic and obsessive behavior. “We are currently gathering information about Kim Jae-joong’s sasaeng fans and the private taxis they hired to st

Jan. 31, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to headline Italy, UK festivals

     Stray Kids will make headline performances at music festivals in Milan, Italy and London this summer, both a first for a K-pop boy band, said label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. The band will make its festival debut on I Days and British Summer Time Hyde Parkon July 12 and 14, respectively. The lineup for the Milan gig this year includes Metallica, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey and Bring Me The Horizon. The supporting lineup for the British festival will be announced soon, sa

Jan. 31, 2024

Playlists reveal what inspired top classical musicians

Soviet-era pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky, who passed away 1961, has been brought back to the spotlight in South Korea recently thanks to playlists compiled by top musicians. The pianist is on the playlists of two star Korean pianists -- Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan -- unveiled on Apple Music Classical last week. In addition to Lim and Cho, another celebrated pianist, Son Yeol-eum, and composer and music director June Jae-il have partnered up with the stand-alone app dedicated to classical m

Jan. 31, 2024

Seoul Jazz Festival returns to Olympic Park with diverse lineup

The schedule and initial lineup for the 16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024 have been revealed. In its 16th year, the Seoul Jazz Festival will be held at four venues located in Seoul's Olympic Park from May 31 to June 2, featuring around 60 diverse artists from home and abroad. Singer-songwriter Lauv, who is popular for his dynamic performances and emotional music, and French artist FKJ, who is known for his bold fusion of soul, jazz and electronic music, will visit Korea for the festival. Legend

Jan. 31, 2024

More Korean actors debut in Hollywood, changing Asian representation there

In recent years, the Hollywood debuts of Don Lee and Park Seo-joon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Blackpink's Jennie starring in the HBO drama “The Idol,” were feted as huge feats in Korea, never mind that their appearances lasted just minutes. Recent wins at major film festivals by creators and actors of Korean descent -- Korean Canadian director Celine Song of “Past Lives” and Korean American director Lee Seong-jin and actor Steven Yeun of “Beef”

Jan. 31, 2024

Lee Young-ae to star in sequel to legendary K-drama 'Jewel in the Palace'

South Korean veteran actor Lee Young-ae will star in the sequel to the legendary Korean drama series "Jewel in the Palace," reprising the role which shot the actor to international fame 20 years ago, said Korean entertainment company Fantagio. According to Fantagio, Lee Young-ae has been cast as the lead actress for the sequel series which is expected to begin filming in October and air in early 2025. The working title for the drama series is "Medic Dae Jang Geum" and the ser

Jan. 31, 2024

[Herald Review] Unclear message of 'Dog Days' disappoints, but fine acting saves the day

A heartwarming tear-jerker with cute, adorable dogs might just be enough to chase away the February cold. In "Dog Days," the different stories of the characters gradually converge as the plot progresses. Renowned architect Min-seo (played by Youn Yuh-jung), who has lost her only family, her beloved dog, embarks on a journey to find the dog. Seon-yong (played by Jung Sung-hwa) and Jeong-ah (played by Kim Yun-jin), a couple who struggle to connect with their newly adopted daughter, fin

Jan. 31, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] (G)I-dle tops iTunes chart in 24 regions with 2nd LP

(G)I-dle's second studio album "Two" topped the iTunes top albums chart in 24 regions, according to agency Cube Entertainment on Tuesday. The LP also was No. 1 on Apple Music’s top albums chart in eight regions. The album was released on Monday and had more than 1.8 million pre-orders, becoming the group’s second million-selling album after its sixth EP “I Feel” from last year. The LP sold over 860,000 copies on the first day, a record for the quintet. Minnie a

Jan. 30, 2024

Kim Tae-hee, Park Hae-soo to make Hollywood debut with 'Butterfly'

South Korean actors Kim Tae-hee and Park Hae-soo are set to make their Hollywood debuts via Amazon Prime Video's new spy thriller series, "Butterfly," according to the agencies representing the two actors, Tuesday. The six-part series about former Central Intelligence Agency agent David Jung (played by Daniel Dae Kim) and a sociopathic CIA agent named Rebecca (played by Reina Hardesty), is adapted from the graphic novel of the same title authored by Marguerite Bennett. Kim Tae-hee

Jan. 30, 2024

[Herald Review] Awesome action lifts dull plot of 'Badland Hunters'

For a popcorn flick this weekend, Netflix original film “Badland Hunters,” Don Lee’s first project with the global streaming platform, might be the ideal answer. Set in a post-earthquake Seoul where society has collapsed, fearless hunter Nam-san (Lee, better known in Korea as Ma Dong-seok) goes out to rescue Soo-na (Roh Jeong-eui), a teenager who has been kidnapped by Yang Gi-soo (Lee Hee-joon), a crazy doctor. “D.P” and “Mask Girl” star villain Lee Jun-

Jan. 30, 2024

Hyolyn, Kai to go on world tour

Hyolyn, who occupies an unrivaled position in K-pop with her charisma and powerful voice, is to embark on a world tour. “2024 Hyolyn Show World Tour Concert" will kick off at the Taipei International Convention Center, Taiwan, on Feb. 25. The next destination of the world tour is yet to be unveiled. The upcoming world tour is Hyolyn's second. Her first world tour, "True," took place in 2019 and had her perform eight concerts in seven countries including England, Germany

Jan. 30, 2024

'Gyeongseong Creature' inadvertently raises historical awareness among viewers around the world

While the show's writer and director clearly said that their intention for "Gyeongseong Creature," a Netflix original drama series, was to show how the people of the time lived, the show inadvertently raised awareness about the harrowing history of the Japanese colonization of Korea among viewers around the world. "Gyeongseong Creature," which ended Jan. 5, has enjoyed global success, securing its position on Netflix's global top 10 list in the TV (Non-English) ca

Jan. 30, 2024