[Herald Interview] Alex Olle’s realistic reimagination of opera ‘Norma’ keeps art form alive

In opera, tradition often takes center stage. But director Alex Olle of La Fura dels Baus boldly reshapes timeless classics with realism, breathing fresh life into operatic experience while challenging the boundaries of tradition. The opera “Norma,” which premiered as the opening production of the 2016 season at the Royal Opera House in the UK, is set to be staged at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 26-29. "I wanted to come to Korea for at least a week to meet the actors and help t

Oct. 12, 2023

Dawn begins mandatory military service

K-pop solo artist Dawn began his mandatory military service on Thursday, according to music label At Area. “I am going to deliver a bit of a sudden announcement. I am beginning my mandatory military service today by doing alternative service,” Dawn took to his social media. “Please understand that I could not share the information earlier as I wanted to enlist quietly. Nonetheless, I wanted to say that I am very thankful for my fans who always support me and I will be back afte

Oct. 12, 2023

Park Seo-joon starring 'The Marvels' confirms Nov. 8 opening in Korea

Marvel Studio’s much-anticipated superhero flick “The Marvels” confirmed its release in Korea on Nov. 8, according to Walt Disney Korea. South Korean heartthrob Park Seo-joon, who has starred in numerous hit films such as “Parasite,” “Midnight Runners” and most recently the Oscar-submitted “Concrete Utopia,” has been cast to play Prince Yan in “The Marvels.” Prince Yan is the husband of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) – also kno

Oct. 12, 2023

Lee Hyori returns with 1st new song in 6 years

Lee Hyori returns to the music world on Thursday with the digital single "Hoodie e Banbaji." The single is the veteran singer's first record in six years, since the release of her sixth album "Black" in 2017. "Hoodie e Banbaji" means "hoodie on shorts" in Korean, referring to the singer's casual daily style. According to her agency Antenna, the new song is an easy-listening tune that rolls out Lee's own story about walking her own path her o

Oct. 12, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin to discuss making 1st solo album

A documentary will give fans a glimpse at the making of Jimin's first solo album, his label Big Hit Music said Wednesday. A teaser from documentary film “Jimin’s Production Day,” released on the day, showed the BTS singer engrossed in working on his EP “Face” in a dimly lit studio. “Albums cannot be considered simply,” he admitted adding that putting together his solo album helped clarify what he should be doing from now on. The film will be available o

Oct. 11, 2023

More webtoon-based series set to entertain TV drama fans

More popular webtoon series are being adapted into live-action TV dramas with the return of actors and idols Cha Eun-woo and Suzy to the small screen for their respective series this month. MBC premiered its new romance fantasy “A Good Day to Be a Dog” on Wednesday. The 14-part series is the broadcaster’s first ever Wednesday drama in its 62-year history. Adapted from the popular 2017 webtoon of the same title by Lee Hye, “A Good Day to Be a Dog” revolves around Hae

Oct. 11, 2023

Hip-hop 6-piece 82Major hopes to top K-pop

New boy band 82Major on Wednesday threw its hat into the ring with the debut album "On." The six-member group, consisting of Nam Sung-mo, Park Seok-joon, Yoon Ye-chan, Cho Seong-il, Hwang Seong-bin and Kim Do-gyun, is the first boy band debuting under novice label Great M Entertainment. Celebrating their debut, the group held a media showcase event in Seoul on Wednesday. The name, 82Major, combines the country code of South Korea, 82, with the word "major," reflecting the gro

Oct. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Monte-Carlo Ballet's minimalist ‘Romeo and Juliet’ from Maillot

The Monte-Carlo Ballet Company, led by the artistic director and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, is set to present “Romeo and Juliet” at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu from Friday to Sunday. This is the Monaco-based ballet company’s first performance in Korea since their 2019 rendition of “Cinderella.” Maillot reimagines Shakespeare’s literary masterpiece through the flashbacks experienced by the distraught Friar Laurence as he reflects on how the t

Oct. 11, 2023

[New on the Scene] Kim Chang-hoon is determined to tell stories from his heart

It’s rare for a rookie director like Kim Chang-hoon, whose debut action noir “Hopeless” hits local theaters this week, to be invited to the Cannes International Film Festival. “(The festival took place in) a foreign country so I couldn’t really understand the feedback (I received). But just last week in Busan, I was able to meet with local audiences and hear their responses and communicate with them,” Kim told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesd

Oct. 11, 2023

Viviz to drop 4th EP ‘Versus’ next month

K-pop girl group Viviz is returning with a new album next month, according to BPM Entertainment. The trio, which consists of members Eunha, SinB and Umji, is releasing its fourth mini album, “Versus,” on Nov. 2. The latest release is the first in 10 months after the group’s third mini album “VarioUS.” Viviz had hinted at new music in a YouTube interview video on Sunday. BPM Entertainment also released the promotion schedule for the trio’s upcoming album in a p

Oct. 11, 2023

Aespa to return with 4th EP ‘Drama’ next month

K-pop girl group aespa will release its fourth EP, “Drama,” on Nov. 10, according to an announcement by SM Entertainment. The upcoming album will be led by the titular track “Drama,” and will have a total of six tracks which are expected to highlight aespa’s enhanced vocal and musical talents. SM Entertainment released a teaser clip for the EP which shows a video projected onto an old building of the members of aespa walking around in black boots, and then one of th

Oct. 11, 2023

Half of Loona restarts as quintet Loossemble

Loona's Hyunjin, Yeojin, Vivi, Go Won and Hyeju are starting off afresh as Loossemble under a new label on Tuesday. The quintet held a debut press showcase in Seoul on Tuesday afternoon, greeting local press for the first time since its self-titled debut album, "Loossemble," released Sept. 15. "Half nervous, half excited," was how Vivi and the rest of the members said they felt as they set off from scratch again. "We look forward to our future as Loossemble," H

Oct. 10, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jungkook hits Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 5 with solo single

Jungkook of BTS landed on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 5 with solo single “3D,” according to the chart preview published on Monday in the US. The collaboration with Jack Harlow was also No. 1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excl. the US, as well as the digital song sales chart. His last single “Seven” ranked No. 2 on Global Excl. the US, making him the first solo artist to ever occupy the top two spots at the same time. Jungkook is also the first K-pop solo

Oct. 10, 2023

[From the scene] Eye-catching films at 28th BIFF

This year’s Busan International Film Festival, which kicked off Oct. 4, invited a total of 269 movies -- about 90 fewer than last year due to a cut in government funding. But Asia's largest film festival continues to be a hit with the public, achieving a 90 percent seat occupancy rate as of Monday. With just days to go before the 28th edition of Asia's largest film festival comes to an end Friday, following is a recap of the first half of the festival. 'Ballerina' A

Oct. 10, 2023

YG's new girl group Babymonster to debut next month

YG’s new K-pop girl group Babymonster is making its debut next month, according to YG Entertainment. The group will be filming its music video at the end of this month. YG says Babymonster’s debut album will be filled with high-quality tracks that have been gathered through song camps held with renowned foreign music producers and YG’s music producers. Babymonster is set to debut with a piece of powerful music. “We devoted our time and effort to choosing the group’s

Oct. 10, 2023

Jungkook becomes first Korean soloist to log 2 songs in Top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100

BTS' Jungkook has become the first South Korean soloist to place two songs in the top five of Billboard's Hot 100 main singles chart. Jungkook's latest single, "3D (feat. Jack Harlow)," debuted at No. 5 on this week's Hot 100 chart dated Oct. 14. The BTS vocalist topped the chart earlier in July with "Seven (feat. Latto)." The latest feat adds to Jungkook's record-setting streak on the global chart. With "Seven," he had become the second S

Oct. 10, 2023

'Frasier' returns to TV but you don't need to be a superfan of the original to laugh at its jokes

You could say Joe Cristalli tweeted his role as an executive producer and co-showrunner on the new “ Frasier ” sitcom into existence. About 10 years ago as a fledgling TV writer and “Frasier” super fan, Cristalli started a Twitter account with “random jokes" about the show and character made famous by Kelsey Grammer in the sitcoms “Cheers” and “Frasier.” “It was stupid and nobody cared about it. I think I had maybe 3,000 followers

Oct. 10, 2023

Taemin of SHINee to drop new EP 'Guilty' on Oct. 30

SHINee’s Taemin is returning with a new solo EP titled “Guilty” on Oct. 30, according to SM Entertainment. His fourth solo mini album “Guilty” will carry six tracks, led by the titular track “Guilty.” This is Taemin’s first EP since his third EP “Advice” was released in May 2021. The artist hopes to capture global listeners with the upcoming album, which he filled with his unique colors. Taemin is recognized for his outstanding performa

Oct. 10, 2023

Pentagon’s Yeo One, Yanan, Yuto, Kino, Wooseok leaves Cube Entertainment

Yeo One, Yanan, Yuto, Kino and Wooseok of the K-pop boy group Pentagon will not renew their exclusive contract with Cube Entertainment. “We’ve had an open conversation with members as their exclusive contract with our agency is near expiration. After a thorough discussion, Yeo One, Yanan, Yuto, Kino and Wooseok have decided to terminate their contract,” announced Cube Entertainment on Monday in a press release. “We want to thank them for being with us for seven long years

Oct. 10, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Because I hate Korea’ tells about agony and happiness of young Koreans here and abroad

“Because I hate Korea,” director Jang Kun-jae’s coming-of-age film based on the novel of same title by Jang Kang-myung, realistically portrays the journey of Kye-na (Go Ah-sung) in search of empathy and consolation. In her late 20s, Kye-na isn’t sure about her life in Korea. Her longtime boyfriend Ji-myeong who is preparing to become a journalist, not so well-off parents who are dependent on Kye-na and her boss who asks Kye-na to do something unethical because it is a com

Oct. 9, 2023