Jung Joon-young to debut as pro-gamer

Singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young is ready to debut as a professional gamer, having joined Team Kongdoo, a professional gaming team.He will compete as a player of “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” a multiplayer online shooting game. “Jung joined the team Wednesday in an official joining ceremony,” said Jeong’s management agency C9 Entertainment on Thursday. Kongdoo Co.’s CEO Seo Kyung-jong said, “We scouted Jung, valuing his skills and passion as a gamer.” “I certainly know the difference between

Jan. 18, 2018

Chungha rides love’s ‘Roller Coaster’ in new single

K-pop soloist Chungha rides on a “Roller Coaster” of love in her first single of 2018.About six months after making a splash with her tropical hit “Why Don’t You Know” last summer, Chungha returned with her new single “Roller Coaster,” a lead track off her second EP “Offset,” released Wednesday.  Chungha performs during a media showcase for her second EP, “Offset,” in Seoul on Wednesday. (MNH Entertainment)Chungha who rose to fame as a member of project girl group I.O.I, kicked off last year in

Jan. 18, 2018

Singers in boots, new concept for Gugudan

Gugudan heralded its return on Jan. 31 with the single “Act.4 Cait Sith,” which will have the K-pop act brandishing a concept that centers on the “Puss in Boots” fairy tale.Jellyfish Entertainment on Thursday announced the concept for Gugudan’s upcoming single and its lead track “The Boots.”  A promotional image for “Act.4 Cait Sith.” (Jellyfish Entertainment)According to the agency, the new record will feature the K-pop act’s interpretation of the European literary tale “Puss in Boots.” Popular

Jan. 18, 2018

Singer-songwriter Jo Jung-chi to mark return on Jan. 26

Singer-songwriter Jo Jung-chi will return with a new full-length album on Jan. 26, his agency Mystic Entertainment said Wednesday.According to the agency, Jo’s upcoming album marks his first full-length album release since 2013’s sophomore effort “Posthumous Work.”  Jo Jung-chi (Mystic Entertainment)“Jo, who has been loved by fans as a TV entertainer for his witty personality, will return as an artist after a long time. Jo’s new album will feature several talented musicians,” an agency official

Jan. 17, 2018

Vienna Philharmonic’s concertmaster Rainer Kuchl to perform in Korea

Violinist Rainer Kuchl, who held the principal concertmaster post at the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for 45 years, is to perform in Korea this week.Having started his career at the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera in 1971 at the age of 20, Kuchl has performed with numerous acclaimed conductors, including Bohm, Bernstein, Karajan and Solti.Kuchl’s recital on Thursday at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul kicks off this year’s “Beautiful Thursday Kumho Art Hall Exclusive.” Violinist Rainer Kuchl

Jan. 16, 2018

[Herald Interview] How Younha ‘rescued’ herself, found her voice again

Ever since her K-pop career began in 2006, Younha has often been described as one of the most talented singer-songwriters of today. Due to her chameleon-like vocal abilities and masterful songwriting -- which crossed genres from ballad to rock to jazz -- a renowned music critic once said, “I’d like to advise female musician wannabes to study Younha, who is truly the best musician, equipped with perfect vocal, breathing, tone and stability.”The songstress, however, stopped crafting her own music

Jan. 16, 2018

Suzy to release EP ‘Faces of Love’

Suzy has lately been pursuing acting roles in drama series, but she is ready to shine as a singer once again with her new EP. Her management agency JYP Entertainment released details about Suzy’s new EP “Faces of Love” on Tuesday on its official social media account, including its track list, artworks and a video clip.  The track list of “Faces of Love” (JYP Entertainment)In black-and-white footage, Suzy explains the themes of the songs, using facial expressions and body movements. The EP featur

Jan. 16, 2018

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra to perform in Korea

The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by music director Jacek Kaspszyk, will perform Thursday at Lotte Concert Hall in southern Seoul.In 2016, the WPO performed in Korea along with the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition prize winners, including the competition’s first-prize winner Cho Seong-Jin.  Jacek Kaspszyk, music director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Vincero)This time, the Polish orchestra will perform with Austrian pianist Ingolf Wunder, a prize winner at the Chopi

Jan. 15, 2018

[Next Wave] Wetter hopes to revive rock ’n’ roll spirit

From their punky hairstyles to outfits straight out of the 1980s, there is something clearly different, and special, about Wetter. Named after a hope to “wet” people with its music, the four-piece rock band is a rarity in the Korean music scene: Its music isn’t peppered with trendy synthesizers or studio technologies. The stripped-down sound heavily focuses on the pure sounds of the instruments themselves, echoing rock legends the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. “Rock, it’s about pursuing classi

Jan. 15, 2018

BoA sings ‘Man in the Mirror’ with Siedah Garrett

In honor of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, K-pop singer BoA will release a live rendition of “Man in the Mirror,” sung with the song’s writer Siedah Garrett.S.M. Entertainment announced Monday that “Man in the Mirror (Live)” will be released via local music streaming websites at 6 p.m. Tuesday. It is part of the agency’s SM Station project, which involves S.M. artists releasing a song every week.  BoA (right) and Siedah Garrett (S.M. Entertainment)Garrett, who jointly wrote the song with

Jan. 15, 2018

BTS holds New Year meeting with global fan club Army

K-pop sensation BTS held a successful fan event called “Happy Ever After” at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, its agency Big Hit Entertainment said Monday. BTS shared many happy memories with members of Army, which stands for Adorable Representative MC for Youth. Popular comedian-talk show host Kim Saeng-min accompanied the seven members throughout the talk session.  (Big Hit Entertainment)The group wore special uniforms for the event and staged performances that have not been s

Jan. 15, 2018

2AM’s Jo Kwon fires back at article mocking him

Jo Kwon of 2AM slammed an article with a headline that mocked the singer.On Thursday, Jo posted to his Twitter account a screen capture of a headline of a local media report, with a caption that said “I’ve been ignoring all the gossip and malicious comments about me, but this is surely the lowest of low among the articles I’ve seen.” (Jo Kwon`s Twitter)The headline read, “Jo Kwon, Is this real? Do you want to date this man? Sorry, I’m a married man,” along with a photo of the singer dressed as a

Jan. 14, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin awarded 8th Kumho Musician Award

Pianist Cho Seong-jin has been awarded the eighth Kumho Musician Award by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the organization said Sunday.  Pianist Cho Seong-jin (left) poses with Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo at the eighth Kumho Musician Award ceremony in Seoul on Friday. (Kumho Asiana)“It is a great pleasure to present the award at Kumho Art Hall Yonsei,” Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo said during the award ceremony held Friday. “I am very proud of Cho Seong-jin, who ha

Jan. 14, 2018

Tongyeong Int’l Music Fest 2018 to continue legacy of Yun I-sang

Tongyeong International Music Festival 2018 seeks to continue the legacy of the late Tongyeong composer Yun I-sang, known for his attempts to bridge the music of Europe and Asia as well as his experiments with different styles and sounds. This year’s TIMF will be held from March 30 to April 8, under the theme of “Returning Home.” World-renowned musicians from Korea and abroad will join the annual music festival to introduce musical works by Yun I-sang, as well as those of Western legends. (TIMF

Jan. 14, 2018

Park Bo-gum to star in “Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast”

Actor Park Bo-gum will star in the second season of the JTBC reality show “Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast” as a temporary employee. According to the show’s production staff Saturday, Park has been cast as a three-day assistant for Lee Hyo-ri and Lee Sang-soon, a celebrity couple who run a guest house on Jeju Island.  Actor Park Bo-gum (Blossom Entertainment)The staff said that the casting was made based on viewers’ opinions and the fact that the actor has been a longtime fan of Fin.K.L, a 1990s K-pop g

Jan. 14, 2018

G-Dragon to open new cafe, bowling alley on Jeju Island

K-pop icon G-Dragon, well-known for his entrepreneurial spirit, will open his own cafe and a bowling alley on Jeju Island, his agency YG Entertainment said Saturday.According to the agency, GD Cafe and the bowling alley will open in February and March, respectively, as a part of Jeju Shinhwa World, an integrated resort complex. Featuring design ideas of the Big Bang frontman, the cafe was inspired by the logo of his fashion brand Peaceminusone, while the bowling alley, which includes a lounge pu

Jan. 14, 2018

[K-Talk] iKon back with ‘Return’ on Jan. 25

iKon on Friday heralded its return, as the boy band confirmed the release date for its second full-length album, “Return,” for Jan. 25YG Entertainment on Friday released the first official poster for the new album on its blog yg-life.com, with images of the seven members and the release date.  Poster for iKon’s “Return” (YG Entertainment)According to the agency, the title symbolizes the group -- going on its fourth year since its 2015 debut -- reflecting upon how it first started. “(The album) w

Jan. 12, 2018

IU, BTS win at Golden Disc Awards

IU and BTS, arguably the two biggest music stars of 2017, won the top prizes at the Golden Disc Awards, Wednesday and Thursday. The event, held in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, commended last year’s standout achievements in the music industry by referring to statistics from the Gaon Chart.  (Yonhap)IU won the Grand Prize for digital sales with “Through the Night.” The song, released in March, was the most streamed song of 2017. “(It is) so lucky that the song came to me,” she said, after receiving

Jan. 12, 2018

AOA’s Jimin ‘Hey’s fans in solo comeback

AOA’s Jimin is intent to expand as a musician, as she is set to release solo song “Hey” on Jan. 19.FNC Entertainment on Friday announced the K-pop star would release the single at 6 p.m. via local online streaming websites.  Jimin’s teaser image for “Hey” (FNC Entertainment)It is the second leg of the project “#RTJ(Ready To Jimin),” following “Hallelujah” in October last year. The project, jointly conducted with fashion magazine W Korea, is aimed to establish Jimin’s identity as a solo artist th

Jan. 12, 2018

Chung Myung-whun continues life’s calling with One Korea Youth Orchestra

Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun is to lead the One Korea Youth Orchestra’s debut performance in Seoul on Thursday, as part of efforts to continue his life’s calling to bring South and North Korea together. 　During Thursday’s performance at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Chung’s project orchestra is to perform Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, in collaboration with pianist Sohn Jeung-beum, the first Korean winner of the piano category at the ARD International Music Competition in September last year.

Jan. 10, 2018