NTCK to celebrate 100th Seoul performance of ‘The Orphan of Zhao’

The National Theater Company of Korea is set to captivate audiences once more with its signature production, "The Orphan of Zhao: Seeds of Revenge," returning with its sixth run at the Myeongdong Theater in central Seoul from Nov. 30 to Dec. 25. Premiered in 2015, “The Orphan of Zhao” is a reinterpretation of the Chinese "Zaju" drama script of the same title, written by the Yuan Dynasty playwright Ji Junxiang. Among the six Zaju plays he wrote, “The Orphan o

Nov. 20, 2023

K-pop artists take home 4 awards at BBMAs

Jungkook of BTS nabbed the award for top global K-pop song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards with his single “Seven.” “It’s very hard to express my gratitude in words. Thank you ARMY and everyone who loves this song. Without you, I couldn’t have (received) this amazing award. While we were working on ‘Seven,’ I hoped everyone could enjoy this track, so the fact that I won this category means a lot to me. I’m so glad to share great music with eve

Nov. 20, 2023

[Herald Review] NCT 127 takes inspiration from ‘Matrix’ for 3rd tour

Thousands of NCT 127 fans gathered at the KSPO Dome in Seoul on Sunday for the third show of the group’s third tour, “Neo City - The Unity.” Most in attendance were Korean fans carrying banners with the name of their favorite member on them. As the house lights went down to signal the start of the show, the fans' lights illuminated the venue in neon hues. NCT 127 ascended to the stage decked out in all white. The band stood silently, taking in acclamations from the thousan

Nov. 20, 2023

Fifty Fifty's Keena marks group's 1st anniversary with apology

Downsized from a four-piece, Fifty Fifty's last remaining member Keena celebrated the group's first anniversary with an apology. Keena penned a hand-written letter to fans Saturday, a year on from the group's debut. "I'm cautious as to how to start this since I'm addressing my fans, Hunnies, for the first time in a while, but I'm plucking up my courage to speak on my honest thoughts," Keena began her letter. "First of all, I'm sorry to Hunnies wh

Nov. 19, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Aespa’s new album is 3rd million-seller

     The fourth EP from aespa sold more than 1.13 million units in the first week, according to label SM Entertainment on Friday. EP “Drama” is the group’s third consecutive album to sell over a million, following previous EPs “Girls” and “My World.” The new mini album also earned “double platinum” certification from China’s largest music platform QQ Music. Meanwhile, the foursome celebrated its third anniversary wit

Nov. 17, 2023

'Fuerza Bruta Wayra' returns to Seoul

Fuerza Bruta Wayra, the renowned Argentinian theater production known for its captivating dance performances and circus-like acrobatics, has made its return to Seoul. The show is set for its first run on Friday and will continue until Feb. 15. This marks the fourth appearance of the Argentinian spectacle in Korea, following its previous presentations in 2005, 2018 and 2019. The show means "brutal force" in Spanish, and its signature "360-degree performance" uses not only the

Nov. 17, 2023

Dancers say Street Woman Fighter 2 made dance more approachable

Just a month since Mnet’s dance competition show “Street Woman Fighter 2” ended, the leaders of the show's seven dance crews say the show helped encourage more people to try dancing. At a group interview in Seoul on Friday, they also talked about their time on the show as a springboard to bigger things. “I've been having mixed emotions because I can’t believe the show is over. I think the show will continue to spread around the world as time goes. We are p

Nov. 17, 2023

Seventeen’s Dino to release first solo mixtape ‘Wait’ this month

Dino of the K-pop boy band Seventeen is releasing his first solo mixtape on Nov. 27, according to Pledis Entertainment. The agency dropped a teaser image of the upcoming mixtape in which Dino is seen crossing a road. “Dino plans to show something new through his first solo mixtape, ‘Wait.’ We hope the audience looks forward to Dino’s first step as a solo artist,” said the agency in a press release on Friday. He recently released “Icarus,” the original so

Nov. 17, 2023

Woman faces prosecution after demanding marriage from V

The case of a woman in her 20s, accused of stalking BTS member V has had her case transferred to the prosecution, according to the police. On Nov. 8, the woman was referred for investigation on charges including violating the Anti-Stalking Act and trespassing. The woman allegedly waited in front of V's residence, followed him into the apartment parking lot, and accosted him in the elevator on Oct. 26. She initiated a conversation with V and declared her intention to marry him. After the enc

Nov. 17, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Boy and the Heron” (Japan) Opened Oct. 25 Animation Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Twelve-year-old Mahito finds a new home following the death of his mom. But after encountering a talking heron who tells Mahito that his mom is still alive, he decides to leave the town in search of her, which leads him to a whole other world. “The Marvels” (US) Opened Nov. 8 Action Directed by Nia DaCosta A sequel to “Captain Marvel” (2019), the film follows the story of C

Nov. 17, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Fantasy Boys to host live show for 2nd EP

Rookie band Fantasy Boys are set to mark the release of their second EP with a live show, according to agency Pocketdoll Studio on Thursday. The live event for EP “Potential” will be broadcast via Tik Tok and the bandmates will discuss the makings of the new album while communicating with fans in real-time. Details of the event will be announced later. The upcoming EP was set to be released on Nov. 24 but the date was changed to Nov. 23. The 11-member act will unveil the main track

Nov. 16, 2023

Surf's up: Enhypen enjoys the ride with 'Orange Blood'

Enhypen returns with a riveting new sound with its fifth EP "Orange Blood." The members on Thursday held a press conference in Seoul, a day ahead of the album's release. Member Jungwon said the album deviates from the team's iconic intoxicating music and exudes a "subtle sexiness." Representing Enhypen's new sound on "Orange Blood" is "Sweet Venom," a groovy and chill punk-pop melody through which the members vow their eternal love. Accordin

Nov. 16, 2023

Ampers&one hopes to seep into listeners’ hearts with positive music

FNC Entertainment’s new boy group Ampers&one set its foot on the K-pop scene on Wednesday with their debut single album “Ampersand One.” “This is our first-ever performance on stage and we hope to get the chance to perform on diverse stages from now on,” said Kamden of Ampers&one after performing at a press conference in Seoul. “I spent four years as a trainee, and my parents and I had decided that it would be time for me to look for something else to

Nov. 16, 2023

Wavve’s ‘The Deal’ to reach wider audience

Mystery thriller series “The Deal” is set to be released on a global streaming service and screened at an upcoming international film festival. The eight-part series, which premiered locally Oct. 6, spurred a rise in the number of paid subscribers and unique visitors to domestic streamer Wavve in the four days following its release. The series also secured the top spot on Taiwanese streaming platform FriDay. “‘The Deal’ is set to be released globally via Rakuten Vik

Nov. 16, 2023

‘Concrete Utopia,’ ‘Moving’ sweep 59th Daejong Film Awards

Director Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian thriller “Concrete Utopia” swept Wednesday’s 59th Daejong Film Awards. Hosted by actor Cha In-pyo and comedian Jang Do-yeon, the award ceremony, also known as the Grand Bell Awards, was held at Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on a smaller scale than in previous years. “Concrete Utopia” won the most coveted best picture award and five other awards, with Lee Byung-hun snatching the best actor award for his role i

Nov. 16, 2023

SM to launch boy group in the UK

SM Entertainment has joined hands with the British entertainment company M&B to launch a boy group in the UK. The K-pop powerhouse announced Thursday that it has inked a strategic partnership with M&B in Seoul. M&B is led by Nigel Hall, known as the producer of British competition shows such as “The X Factor” and “Britain’s Got Talent.” M&B co-CEO Dawn Airey is also known as a former CEO of Getty Images, and another co-CEO Russ Lindsay is one of the

Nov. 16, 2023

Soyeon, Winter, Liz's collaborative song 'Nobody' comes out Thursday

A collaborative single by (G)I-dle's Soyeon, aespa's Winter and Ive's Liz comes out today. Titled "Nobody," the single gets it global release at 6 p.m., according to the song's music video distributor M:USB on Thursday. The music video will be released with the song on M:USB's YouTube channel. The high-profile collaboration of the top girl group members comes in support of the 2030 Busan World Expo host bid, the producer said. "The song is based on disco-i

Nov. 16, 2023

‘Concrete Utopia’ clinches best picture at Daejong Film Awards

Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian thriller "Concrete Utopia" won best picture at the 59th Daejong Film Awards, one of the major film awards in South Korea, on Wednesday. The film secured an additional five trophies, including Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun, Best Actress, Sound Effects, Visual Effects and Art Direction. The disaster thriller unfolds the narrative of the residents of an apartment complex that survived a catastrophic quake in Seoul. Ryoo Seung-wan received the best director

Nov. 15, 2023

FNC's new boy group Ampers&One debuts with energetic, youthful single

A new boy band from local cable channel Mnet's latest audition program, "Boys Planet," made its debut Wednesday under the name "Ampers&One." It is the first boy group from FNC Entertainment, the K-pop label behind FTisland, CNBlue and SF9, in three years, following P1Harmony. The rookie group consists of seven members -- Brian, Kamden, Jiho, Siyun, Kyrell, Mackiah and Seungmo. The first three members were contestants on the show who scored high but failed to make t

Nov. 15, 2023

Production teams called out for carelessness

The local production teams behind hit drama series “Castaway Diva” and the third season of reality show “Unexpected Business" recently issued official apologies for lack of caution while shooting their projects. Controversy erupted Monday afternoon when a resident of Jeju Island shared that the production team of “Castaway Diva” had left a pile of stones near Hwanguji Coast in Seogwipo, in the south of the island. The props were used to shoot a scene in which t

Nov. 15, 2023