[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'

Southeast Asia's largest streaming platform Viu's original "Secret Ingredient" is an adventurous attempt. The series, which Viu labels a regional drama series, is a unique collaboration between a number of countries, featuring a Filipina showrunner, Korean director and a Korean writer as well as Korean, Filipino and Indonesian actors. The six-part romantic comedy follows Ha-joon, played by Lee Sang-heon from Netflix's hit high-teen romance series "XO Kitty," as

Oct. 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific

Countering concerns of many local music critics who believe K-pop has already reached the peak of its growth, Gautam Talwar, Spotify’s general manager for Asia-Pacific, suggests that K-pop’s best years are yet to come. “We’re a data-driven platform and our data suggests that the best years are ahead of us. More Korean artists are being discovered than ever before, more streams are being generated than ever, and more royalties are being generated for the Korean music indus

Oct. 26, 2024

[What to Stream] 3 thought-provoking documentaries to dive into

As the days turn cooler and shorter, grab your blanket, a warm drink and settle in for a perfect autumn weekend with some great documentaries. Whether you’re seeking to dive into real-world subjects and gain deep insights or just want to lose yourself in thought-provoking stories, these well-made documentaries will meet all your needs while you stay cozy and warm indoors. "What Jennifer Did" on Netflix This true crime documentary delves into the harrowing story of Jennifer Pan,

Oct. 26, 2024

Blackpink Rose's 'APT.' hits No. 4 on British singles chart

"APT.," a new song released by Blackpink's Rose in collaboration with global superstar Bruno Mars, ranked No. 4 on Britain's Official Singles Chart this week, hitting the highest-ever spot by a K-pop female musician. The song, a prerelease track for Rose's upcoming solo album, claimed the fourth spot, following "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter, "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez, and "Die with a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, according to the ch

Oct. 26, 2024

FT Island's Choi Min-hwan under investigation for allegedly soliciting prostitution

FT Island's Choi Min-hwan is under police investigation following allegations of soliciting prostitution, Friday. The Gangnam Police Station confirmed on Friday that it has launched an internal investigation into Choi on charges related to the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts. The case began after a complaint was filed through the national petition platform. The allegations first came to light when Choi’s ex-wife, Yulhee, a former member of girl group La Bou

Oct. 25, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez will be back on Nov. 15

Ateez will bring out 11th EP “Golden Hour: Part 2” on Nov. 15, said agency KQ Entertainment Friday. It is the second installment for its “Golden Hour” series that began with previous EP, which came out in May and hit Billboard 200 at No. 2 and stayed on it for seven weeks straight, a record for the eight-piece act. The band has set the bar high for the upcoming album, having placed its all four preceding albums among top three on the main albums chart including the second

Oct. 25, 2024

Hybe retracts statement after National Assembly audit controversy

After being embroiled in controversy related to internal documents disclosed during a National Assembly audit, Hybe faced additional criticism for issuing a statement before the audit was officially closed. During Thursday’s comprehensive audit of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Min Hyung-bae revealed an internal Hybe report titled "Weekly Music Industry Report." This report is issued weekly to C-level executives of Hybe and its affiliate

Oct. 25, 2024

Veteran actor Kim Soo-mi dies at age of 75

Actor Kim Young-ok, more commonly known by her stage name, Kim Soo-mi, a prominent presence in Korean film and television, passed away on Friday morning. She was 75. According to the Seoul Seocho Police Station, Kim suffered a cardiac arrest and was transported to The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 8 a.m., where she was later pronounced dead. Kim's son is reported to have told the local media that the cause of her death is due to hype

Oct. 25, 2024

Jin of BTS to hold solo fan showcase next month

BTS's eldest member Jin will celebrate the release of his solo album with fans. According to the singer's agency, Big Hit Music, Jin will hold a fan showcase titled "Jin 'Happy' Special Stage" on Nov. 16-17 at the Jangchung Arena in Jung-gu, Seoul. Events will also be live-streamed for international fans. During the showcase, Jin will perform tracks from his solo album "Happy," which is set to be released on Nov. 15. He will also share behind-the-scenes st

Oct. 25, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“A Normal Family” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 16 Drama Directed by Hur Jin-ho Successful lawyer Jae-wan (Sol Kyung-gu) and his brother meet for dinner with pediatrician Jae-kyu (Jang Dong-gun) to discuss how to handle a violent crime committed by their children, which tests the brothers' consciences. “Love in the Big City” (South Korea) Opened Oct. 1 Drama Directed by Lee Eon-hee Jae-hee (Kim Go-eun) and Heung-soo (Noh Sang-hyun), young Seoulites who have known each

Oct. 25, 2024

Hybe COO denies Illit plagiarized NewJeans, Hybe chart manipulation allegations

Belift Lab CEO Kim Tae-ho, who also serves as Hybe’s chief operating officer, has refuted allegations that his company's rookie girl group Illit plagiarized NewJeans' concept. "It is not true that Belift Lab plagiarized NewJeans. As the CEO of Belift Lab, I would like to state that we have filed a civil lawsuit and pressed charges against former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin regarding this issue,” Kim said during a National Assembly audit on Thursday. “We are awaiting the

Oct. 24, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose logs 100m views with solo music video

Rose of Blackpink garnered 100 million views on YouTube with the music video for her Bruno Mars collaboration “Apt.,” her agency The Black Label said Thursday. The artist expressed gratitude via the agency, saying the song came out naturally while hanging out at a studio playing the game -- originally a drinking game in Korea -- and is “really touched and grateful that so many are listening to and enjoying it.” "Apt." achieved the feat in five days, the shortest

Oct. 24, 2024

Youn Yuh-jung to star as billionaire in Netflix's ‘Beef’ season 2

Veteran actor Youn Yuj-jung (“Minari,” “Pachinko”) will star in season two of the Netflix series “Beef.” The new installment of this US anthology drama will feature Youn as the Korean billionaire owner of a country club. While the show’s creator, executive producer and showrunner Lee Sung-jin continues to helm season two of “Beef,” the new season will feature a whole new cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton and Cai

Oct. 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Seung-yoon presents his defiant world with ‘Yeok Seong’

Singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon, known for profound messages and intense sound, has returned with his third full-length album, "Yeok Seong," pouring out his stories into the music. “With this album, I feel like I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted as a musician," Lee said in a group interview in Gangnam, southern Seoul, Monday. "There’s a sense of pride in realizing the songs and albums I’ve dreamed of creating since the moment I started music.&

Oct. 24, 2024

BTS member J-Hope throws out ceremonial pitch in Korean Series

J-Hope, a member of the global K-pop sensation BTS, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the Korean Series in his hometown Wednesday. Wearing a cap and a jacket bearing the Korean Series logo, J-Hope tossed the pitch prior to the second game of the South Korean baseball championship round between the home team Kia Tigers and the Samsung Lions at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. J-Hope is from Gwangju. J-Hope was discharged from mandatory mil

Oct. 23, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Wish’s Riku to miss tour for health reasons

Riku of NCT Wish suspended activities for health reasons, announced SM Entertainment Tuesday. He has been feeling under the weather and will focus on treatment and recovery as per doctor’s advice, and will therefore miss the NCT subunit’s upcoming tour in Japan, added the company. The idol debuted in February as part of the six-member team which is set to host two concerts each in six regions in his native country -- Ishikawa, Kyoto, Kanagawa, Hyogo, Fukuoka and Aichi -- from Nov.

Oct. 23, 2024

[Behind the K-pop Scene] 'I hope to inspire many people in my country who share similar dreams'

Debuting in a K-pop group is often likened to searching for a needle in a haystack, and for aspiring idols who aren’t Korean nationals, the odds are even slimmer. Nguyen Trung Kien, who goes by the stage name Kien, is one of the rare few to have made his dream come true. The 19-year-old Vietnamese idol has undergone a long and challenging journey to reach the K-pop stage as a member of the newly debuted boy group ARrC. Although ARrC’s future is yet to be determined -- they debuted on

Oct. 23, 2024

[Herald Interview] Decoufle casts spell with 'Shazam!' to discover beautiful traces of time

Philippe Decoufle, the master of French multidisciplinary performance arts, is set to bring his iconic production "Shazam!" back to Seoul, almost 25 years after its 1999 performance at the Seoul Arts Center. The show will be performed at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from Friday through Sunday. Originally created in 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, “Shazam!” has been performed over 200 times at major venues worldwide. The production pays homage t

Oct. 23, 2024

Cho Yong-pil drops 20th studio album, possibly his last

Cho Yong-pil, a living legend of the Korean music scene, has returned with his 20th full-length album, “20.” The album is composed of seven tracks, including new songs as well as songs from the project singles “Road to 20—Prelude 1” and “Road to 20—Prelude 2,” which were released in 2022 and 2023. The album spans a variety of genres, including rock, electronica and ballads. Marking the 56th anniversary of his debut this year, the 74-year-old singer

Oct. 23, 2024

Gangbuk office apologizes for video parodying NewJeans' Hanni

The Gangbuk-gu office has apologized after coming under fire for releasing a video parodying K-pop group NewJeans’ Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni, who recently appeared at a parliamentary audit. The video, which was released last Thursday, was taken down on Sunday, following backlash from viewers criticizing the video of discrimination against foreign nationals. “We humbly accept the concerns and criticisms that the video’s content could be seen as discriminatory toward for

Oct. 23, 2024