49th Seoul Independent Film Festival aims to encourage indie filmmakers working in tough times

This year's Seoul Independent Film Festival, the country’s one and only independent film festival with a competition showcase, aims to send a message of encouragement to creators, the organizer said Wednesday. Under the slogan of “Dear Life,” SIFF’s Executive Chairman Kim Dong-hyun said this year’s festival hopes to encourage those who are experiencing tough times in the movie industry. According to Kim, a total of 1,374 films were submitted this year. Compared

Nov. 8, 2023

Pianist Sohn Min-soo wants students to find own style

Last week, pianist Sohn Min-soo took the stage with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58 at the opening concert of Music Festival Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province. On Oct. 27, Sohn, the artist of the year of the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, performed Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 with the orchestra in Busan. In 2017, Sohn began performing and recording Beethoven's complete piano sonatas, a project that would take five years to complete. In 2022, he offered the

Nov. 8, 2023

'Omega X will not give up': Boy band returns to share message of hope

Overwhelming emotions must have hit Omega X members as they spoke to the local media in Seoul on Tuesday, taking the spotlight for the first time in a year since they announced the termination of their contracts with Spire Entertainment, under which they reportedly suffered abuse. Despite appearing in overly bright smiles, as if to assure the public that they were okay, their voices trembled several times as they responded to questions throughout the hour-long event, held in celebration of the

Nov. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ V logs record streak on Billboard 200 with solo album

The first solo album from V of BTS extended its stay on the Billboard 200 to a seventh consecutive week, a new record for a K-pop solo artist. EP “Layover” debuted on the main albums chart at No. 2 after being rolled out in September and ranked No. 160 on the chart dated Nov. 4, surpassing the six-week mark set by bandmate RM. The six-track mini album sold over 1.6 million copies on the day of its release and 2.1 million in the first week, both records for a K-pop solo musician at t

Nov. 8, 2023

[From the Scene] 20-hour pansori relay celebrates 20th anniversary of pansori's UNESCO listing

The inaugural World Pansori Festival, organized by the World Pansori Association, took place Tuesday and Wednesday, celebrating the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's recognition of "pansori," at the Seoul Namsan Gukakdang in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Pansori is a traditional genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist accompanied by a drummer. It is characterized by the deliverance of an epic tale by a single singer, who weaves together folktales using an expressive form of sin

Nov. 8, 2023

Mama Awards stays in Japan for 2nd straight year

Despite its global aspirations, the renewed Mama Awards by Mnet is set to take place in Japan for the second straight year. Although at a more sluggish pace than expected, the world's biggest K-pop festival said it is inching toward its goal of being held outside Asia, with this year's event taking place at the Tokyo Dome, Japan's top concert venue, for the first time. With 20 days left until the festival on Nov. 28-29, producers of organizer CJ ENM, and this year's host, Jeo

Nov. 8, 2023

Bae Doo-na to make her Netflix return with ‘Rebel Moon’

South Korean movie star Bae Doo-na returns to the small screen with yet another Netflix project “Rebel Moon -- Part One: A Child of Fire” in two years. Helmed by American filmmaker Zack Snyder, “Rebel Moon” is a sci-fi fantasy, unfolding the stories of interstellar heroes in a far-flung corner of the galaxy. The story centers on Kora (played by Sofia Boutella), who decides to fight against the brutality of Imperium -- a ruthless interstellar empire bent on controlling the

Nov. 8, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Zerobaseone’s 2nd EP is another million-seller

    Zerobaseone’s second EP sold over 1.45 million copies on the day of release, becoming the rookie band’s second million-selling album, said agency WakeOne Entertainment on Tuesday. EP “Melting Point” was released Monday and sold over a million on the day, as did its debut album “Youth In The Shade” in July. The first EP sold more than 1.24 million units on the first day, making the nine-member act the first K-pop musician to sell over a milli

Nov. 7, 2023

Kard signs with Cardi B, Post Malone's agency

Co-ed K-pop quartet Kard is set to expand its scope in the US after signing with the United Talent Agency, the American company representing global pop star Post Malone. DSP Media and its parent company RBW on Tuesday announced Kard has signed an exclusive contract with the California-based talent agency, whose roster of artists include some of the world's most celebrated musicians, including the likes of Cardi B, Jason Derulo, Rosalia and The Kid Laroi. "Kard is set to extend its glob

Nov. 7, 2023

'Justice will prevail': G-Dragon insists no drug use, tests negative

K-pop singer Kwon Ji-yong, more known by his moniker G-Dragon, maintained confidence following the first session of police questioning over alleged illegal drug use on Monday. "Justice will prevail," he posted on his Instagram account through an image on Monday night, following the police questioning session that afternoon. Below the four-letter Korean idiom, he marked in bold, "Everything will go in its right way in the end." The Instagram post came a few hours after Kwon le

Nov. 7, 2023

Enhypen to make MBC show debut, ending yearslong performance dispute

K-pop boy band Enhypen is scheduled to perform on MBC’s “Show! Music Core” for the first time since its debut in 2020, signaling an end to a yearslong dispute between the group's agency Hybe and the broadcaster. Though the group has starred in various local music shows, including KBS’ “Music Bank,” SBS’ “Inkigayo” and more, Enhypen -- along with other Hybe artists -- have not been able to perform on MBC programs since a disagreement ov

Nov. 7, 2023

From Itaewon to Hollywood, Park Seo-joon enters Marvel universe

Upcoming American superhero film “The Marvels” director and co-writer Nia DaCosta said she cast Park Seo-joon after watching the 2020 hit TV drama “Itaewon Class” during the pandemic. Park Seo-joon plays the role of Prince Yan of Aladna in "The Marvels," making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Hollywood. “I was really into Korean dramas, films and K-pop when I was younger at 17, 18 and I just fell in love with this Korean pop culture. I watch

Nov. 7, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen hits Billboard 200 at No. 2 with 11th EP

The 11th EP from Seventeen notched second place on the Billboard 200, according to the preview article published by the American publication on Monday. EP “Seventeenth Heaven” sold over 5 million copies in the first week and rewrote album K-pop sales records. The mini album claimed the top spot on Oricon’s weekly and weekly combined album rankings, cementing its status as the international artist that topped both charts with the most albums at 11. At home, the band picked up f

Nov. 6, 2023

Zerobaseone reaches 'Melting Point' with 2nd EP

Million-seller rookie group Zerobaseone is taking the next step in its youthful journey with its second EP, "Melting Point." The new album came out Monday afternoon, marking the group's swift return to the K-pop scene four months after making its debut in July. In their last album, "Youth in the Shade," the boys sang about how the uncertainties in their endeavors made their youth shine. In the new album, the boys overcome ambivalence and gain confidence in themselves.

Nov. 6, 2023

From horror to romance, November is new battlefield for local films

With various genres of Korean films slated to hit theaters this month, November has become a new battlefield, a season that had been regarded as relatively less competitive compared to summer and winter holiday seasons. Last November, rookie director Ahn Tae-jin’s 9 billion-won budget “Night Owl” attracted 2.5 million moviegoers, becoming a box office hit. The film grabbed attention for combining thriller elements in a period setting. Actor Ryu Jun-yeol starred as a blind acupu

Nov. 6, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Vigilante,’ a reflection of public outrage against criminals

“Vigilante,” director Choi Jeong-yeol’s crime/action thriller based on a webtoon of the same title by Kim Kyu-sam, offers a reflection of growing public frustration and fury over what some view as the justice system's failure to adequately punish those who commit the most heinous crimes. Accidents caused by drunk drivers, drugs, domestic violence, attempted murders and insurance fraud are all crimes we read about in the news on a near-daily basis. For Kim Ji-yong (Nam

Nov. 6, 2023

Enhypen's new album to be led by 'Sweet Venom'

Enhypen will continue its serenade of love with "Sweet Venom," the track leading the group's new EP, "Orange Blood." The boy band's agency Belift Lab on Monday released the track list for the upcoming album. "Sweet Venom" picks up the story from the band's previous title song, "Bite Me," which fronted the EP, "Dark Blood." The song tells of a boy's promise of love, which is so strong that not even the lethal poison seeping thr

Nov. 6, 2023

Jungkook on top: BTS singer racks up more landmark feats with 'Golden'

Jungkook of BTS continues his record-setting streak as a K-pop solo artist with his first album, "Golden." According to Spotify on Saturday, local time, the 11-song album racked up 39,653,740 streams in total with release on Friday, logging the highest first-day stream counts by a K-pop solo artist's album on the platform. Jungkook's songs dominated Spotify's Daily Top Song Global chart, with pre-released "Seven" reclaiming the top spot, while the newly unveile

Nov. 5, 2023

Le Sserafim lands on UK, US charts with 'Perfect Night'

K-pop girl group Le Sserafim's English song "Perfect Night" debuted on several music charts in the US and UK. Following its release last Friday, "Perfect Night" entered three charts run by Official Charts, the UK's biggest song data provider. It made its first appearance on the singles download chart at No. 44, and tallied No. 12 on the independent singles breakers chart and No. 52 on the single sales chart, topping its own records on the latter two charts. On Spoti

Nov. 5, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Iron Mask,’ a rare kendo film filled with wordless yet powerful scenes

“Iron Mask,” which has the Korean title of “One-Ten-Thousandth of a Second,” follows the story of Kim Jae-woo (Joo Jong-hyuk), who joins the boot camp to be selected for the national kendo team. The film centers around Kim's encounter with Tae-su (Moon Jin-seung), who killed Jae-woo's older brother when he was young. The movie’s Korean title is intended to show how the competition’s victory is decided within a very short amount of time. Throughout th

Nov. 4, 2023