MMCA denies allegations of ‘Beautiful Woman’ forgery

The state-run National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art rejected forgery allegations against the late Korean artist Chun Kyung-ja’s renowned painting “Beautiful Woman” on Nov. 4.　After visiting the museum to gather information about other collections by Chun in September, the Paris-based Lumiere Technology reported to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul last week that “Beautiful Woman” was not a genuine work by Chun.　The French company came to that conclusion after inspecting some 1,60

Nov. 6, 2016

Neil Young relents on streaming

Folk rock icon Neil Young has relented and returned his music to leading streaming sites, a year after declaring that the fast-growing format was grating to his ears.The vast catalog of the prolific 70-year-old rocker including his latest, the hard-charging environmental album “Earth,” was available as of Friday on leading streaming site Spotify and rivals such as Apple Music.Young had previously streamed his music only on Tidal, the upstart service led by rap mogul Jay Z that boasts of higher-q

Nov. 6, 2016

France's only erotic museum shuts down

France’s only erotic museum is closing its doors, its owners said Thursday, after passions flagged in the “city of love” for its titillating though surprisingly tasteful collection of artefacts.Just down the street from the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret in Pigalle, the closure hastens the shift of Paris’ naughtiest neighborhood toward respectability.Owners Jo Khalifa and Alain Plumey, a former porn star, who founded the museum nearly 18 years ago, said the double whammy of falling tourist numbers

Nov. 6, 2016

K-pop agencies deny alleged political ties to Choi Soon-sil scandal

Multiple K-pop management agencies are facing fast-spreading rumors about their alleged links to powerful political figures, including the recently arrested presidential confidante Choi Soon-sil. In response, many are denying these rumors. The influence-peddling scandal stemmed from a four-decade friendship between President Park Geun-hye and Choi. It is spilling over to the Korean entertainment industry. One example involves a celebrity football club, named Hoeori, which has been accused as ser

Nov. 6, 2016

g.o.d to go on nationwide tour next January

The members of veteran K-pop group g.o.d will be gathering again to tour the country next January and February.The group will kick off the tour from Jan. 6-8 at Seoul’s Jamsil Arena and subsequently perform in Incheon, Daegu, Ilsan, Gwangju, Busan and other cities, concert planner SJ Entertainment announced Friday. K-pop band g.o.d (Sidus HQ)“Fans can look forward to the five members dressed up in elegant tuxedos,” the agency said. It added that g.o.d will be performing some of its biggest hit s

Nov. 4, 2016

YG, Psy deny ties to Choi Soon-sil

YG Entertainment on Thursday refuted rumors that the company and its singer Psy are connected to Choi Soon-sil, who is under investigation for meddling in various areas of President Park Geun-hye’s administration.“We are releasing this official statement due to rumors that have been generated relating to ‘Choi Soon-sil Gate’ and certain media outlets that are reporting the rumors as if they were true,” YG said in a statement.  Singer Psy (YouTube)The agency added, “Psy is not acquainted at all w

Nov. 4, 2016

[Herald Interview] Black Pink still finding its color

Returning with another EP just three months after its debut, YG Entertainment’s newest girl group Black Pink hopes to differentiate itself from other female K-pop performers through its dance skills. “We practiced on our performances a lot during our time off,” Jennie, 20, told reporters at a press interview Wednesday in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.The four-member group’s second album, “Square Two,” was released Tuesday with two new tracks, “Playing with Fire” and “Stay.” The album comes after the gro

Nov. 3, 2016

Astro, Snuper to return this month

More K-pop stars are returning with new releases this month.Coming out with a new release next week is rookie boy band Astro, which debuted in February with the single “Hide & Seek.” In the run-up to the group’s return, the six-member act had released teaser images for the upcoming album “Autumn Story” and its title track “Confession” on social media Thursday.  The five-track album will be available online from midnight on Nov. 9.Meanwhile, another boy band Snuper is gearing up for the release o

Nov. 3, 2016

IU to hold solo concert next month

Singer-songwriter IU is set to return to the stage next month.　Known for her girl-next-door image, the musician will be holding a solo year-end concert at Olympic Park’s SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Bangi-dong, Seoul from Dec. 3-4.“The upcoming concert is an opportunity to look back on the past 24 years of IU’s life,” according to the artist’s agency Fave Entertainment on Thursday. “She will also be performing never-before-heard tracks.”　 Although she has held concerts abroad in China, Taiwa

Nov. 3, 2016

Actor Park Bo-gum to embark on Asia tour

Park Bo-gum, the star of TV series “Love in the Moonlight,” will soon travel across Asia to meet with fans, his management agency said Thursday.Park, who played the charming Crown Prince Lee Yeong, will kick off his tour in Malaysia and then travel to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and China, Blossom Entertainment said. The tour will wrap up with a fan meeting in South Korea before the end of the year.Details of his visits to each country will be announced through Bloss

Nov. 3, 2016

German YouTube alive with sound of music after copyright deal

FRANKFURT (AFP) -- One of the world’s most restrictive countries on access to music videos opened up Tuesday as YouTube announced a deal with musicians’ body GEMA to pay when people stream music in Germany.YouTube users in the country had for years been confronted with a red sad-face emoticon and messages announcing “this video is not available in Germany” when trying to view videos ranging from the latest pop clips to films with GEMA-controlled background music.Now the blockages should largely

Nov. 2, 2016

Sony Music, producer apologize over Nazi-like outfits

TOKYO (AFP) -- Sony Music and the producer behind a Japanese girl band that performed in military-style costumes resembling Nazi uniforms apologized Tuesday following a protest lodged by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.Teeny-boppers Keyakizaka46 had sparked anger with their black one-piece dresses and capes -- complete with peaked caps bearing a golden bird symbol resembling the Nazi eagle above a swastika -- donned at a Halloween concert in Yokohama on Oct. 22.The Jewish documentation, monitoring a

Nov. 2, 2016

Psy to hold year-end concert

Global K-pop sensation Psy has announced the dates and venue for his annual year-end concert.　Titled “All Night Stand 2016 -- Psadrenaline,” the concert will take place at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, Seoul, on Dec. 23 and 24 at 11:50 p.m.Now in its 13th year, Psy’s annual concert is known for its surprise guest appearances, flashy visuals and laser light shows.  The K-pop star, who released his seventh studio album “Chiljip Psy-da” last year, will perform a new, never-before-heard single a

Nov. 1, 2016

Black Pink returns with a bang

Black Pink has done it again.　Back with its second EP “Square Two,” the rookie girl group topped both local and global music charts upon the mini album’s release Tuesday. “Playing with Fire,” one of two title tracks from the EP, dominated seven local music charts -- Olleh Music, Mnet, Bugs, Naver Music, Soribada, Monkey3 and Genie -- as of Tuesday morning. Ranked just below “Playing with Fire” is the other lead track “Stay,” which topped iTunes charts in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand and

Nov. 1, 2016

K-pop star maker predicts rise of EDM in 2017

It has been another big year for Korean hip-hop, with more talent entering the mainstream music scene this year. Hip-hop survival shows like “Show Me the Money” continued to be major boosters of the genre, even driving ordinary office workers to rent studios and try their hand at rapping. However, the trend could change next year, according to Brave Entertainment CEO and chief producer Kang Dong-cheol, who goes by the stage name Brave Brother. The 37-year-old star producer believes that electron

Nov. 1, 2016

‘Lohengrin,’ ‘Macbeth’ operas to hit Seoul stages

Local opera lovers will get the chance to see two vastly different operas this November -- Richard Wagner’s rarely staged “Lohengrin” and Giuseppe Verdi’s musical interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies “Macbeth.” Following on the heels of “Tosca” earlier this month, the National Korea Opera is gearing up to present its second production of the season -- the mystically romantic tale of “Lohengrin,” which is being staged for the first time in Korea in four decades. In 2013, the

Oct. 31, 2016

Twice’s new album continues to break records

After returning with one of the most anticipated albums of the season, Twice continues to set new records.　The group’s latest mini album “TWICEcoaster: LANE 1,” which topped major local music charts after its release on Oct. 24, has so far sold some 165,000 copies, according to Gaon Music Chart on Monday. To date, it is this year’s fastest-selling album from a K-pop girl group within a week. Twice’s second EP “Page Two,” just recently reached the 165,000 sales mark, six months after its release.

Oct. 31, 2016