Ryu Jun-yeol takes on villainous role

(Cinema Factory)Actor Ryu Jun-yeol turned into a villain for the upcoming thriller movie “No tomorrow.” 　According to the production company, Ryu drastically transformed himself for the character. Even though he was given a relatively small role, Ryu went through various changes such as dying a section of his hair bright yellow and putting on braces.　　Through talking extensively with the director, Ryu had come up with the unique concept for the character himself. The braces represent the wealth

Feb. 15, 2016

Chinese entertainment firm enters Korean market

China’s leading entertainment agency Yue Hua Entertainment is entering the Korean market by launching a local office Monday, according to company officials. 　“We’re aiming to introduce and develop a new paradigm in the entertainment industry in Korea,” the company said in an emailed statement Monday.　Jung Hae-chang, former head of Pledis Entertainment, and industry expert Lee Sang-kyu have been appointed as co-CEOs of the Korean arm. Pledis Entertainment is home to some of the most popular Korea

Feb. 15, 2016

[Hallyu Power] Kim Jun-su remains ‘ticket power king’ despite legal hiccups

Kim Jun-su (C-JeS Entertainment)This is the third article in a series that explores the driving forces behind hallyu and the global rise of Korean pop culture. --Ed.Dubbed Korea’s “ticket power king” for his ability to sell out performances at the snap of a finger, K-pop and musical icon Kim Jun-su (also known as Xia) is inarguably one of the original driving forces of hallyu. Despite being entangled in a series of legal battles throughout his career, Kim has still managed to rise above all odds

Feb. 2, 2016

[Herald Review] f(x) goes all out at first exclusive concert

The path leading to girl group f(x)’s first exclusive concert has been a long one. It has been nearly seven years since their debut and in this time, the group even lost one of their members. 　However, the group did not disappoint, delivering a stellar performance at “Dimension 4 – Docking Station” on the final day of a three-day concert at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul on Sunday. F(x) performs at Olympic Hall in Seoul on Sunday in “Dimension 4 -- Docking Station,” the group’s first exclus

Feb. 1, 2016

Hallyu fans spike in 2015

The number of global hallyu fan club members surpassed 35 million across 86 countries last year, up from 21.8 million in 2014, according to new data from the Korea Foundation Tuesday. There were a total of 1,493 official hallyu fan clubs worldwide, a 21 percent increase from 2014 when there were 1,229 clubs. A total of 26.21 million fan club members were reported in Asia-Pacific -- a 48 percent increase from 2014. The Americas had 7.58 million fans, a staggering 182 percent rise from 2014 to 201

Jan. 27, 2016

GFriend drops new EP amid much fanfare

Six-member rookie girl group GFriend, which debuted last year, released the new seven-track EP “Snowflake” on Monday. The much-anticipated album comes after the group snagged rookie awards with their hit songs “Glass Bead” and “Me Gustas Tu” at major music award cermonies last year, including the Melon Music Awards and SBS Gayo Daejeon last year and this year at the Golden Disk Awards. The girls returned this time keeping their signature schoolgirl uniforms and maintaining their innocent image.

Jan. 26, 2016

Psy, ‘Non-summit’ members recognized for promoting Korean culture

Rapper Psy, members of the multicultural talk show “Non-summit” and violinist Clara Jumi Kang have been chosen as winners of the Corea Image Communication Institute awards, CICI announced Wednesday. The awards recognize their contribution toward promoting Korea’s image.Psy, who achieved global fame with 2012 dance track “Gangnam Style” and recently released his seventh album, “Chiljip Psy-da,” will be awarded the Stepping Stone Award for showing the “vibrant, dynamic creativity” of hallyu and pr

Dec. 17, 2015

Stars promote Seoul

Hallyu celebrities, with their pan-Asian appeal and growing worldwide fan base, are increasingly taking an active part in promoting Korea’s national brand.One in-demand actor participating in such efforts is Kim Soo-hyun, who shot a promotional video for Seoul that will air throughout Asia, his agency Keyeast announced Tuesday. The clip will air on various network channels in the region, including China’s state-run CCTV.The 30-second video shows some Seoul landmarks, including a field of electro

Dec. 15, 2015

Veteran hip-hop duo Jinusean packs stage for exclusive concert

Indulging in reminiscence with 2000s megahits like “Phone Number,” veteran hip-hop duo Jinusean raised the curtain for the first exclusive concert in their 18-year history Sunday at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul.　As fans brimmed with expectation, the concert “Jinusean Bomb” kicked off with a witty video clip of Jinu and Sean explaining the group’s long history, parodying the epic U.S. film from 1994, “Forrest Gump.”　 Hip-hop duo Jinusean’s concert “Jinusean Bomb” held at Olympic Hall,

Dec. 14, 2015

TTS don alluring red for ‘Dear Santa’ teaser video

K-pop group Girls’ Generation subunit TTS dressed in regal crimson red ball gowns for a Christmas carol teaser video, published to YouTube on Monday. (YouTube)Taeyeon styled voluptuous blonde curls against her halter bodice, while Tiffany chose a dress with a plummeting neckline and frilly train. Seohyun, sitting at a piano, opted for a strapless dress matched with a glittering crystal statement necklace. (Seohyun's Instagram)Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun’s first carol album “Dear Santa” will be

Dec. 1, 2015

Han Ga-in five months pregnant

Actress Han Ga-in, who is married to actor Yeon Jung-hoon, has been pregnant for nearly five months, according to a press release from Han’s agency, BH Entertainment, Monday. (OSEN)"Han and Yeon will become parents next year. Han has been very cautious about everything since her pregnancy. She even tries to refrain from going outside,” said a person familiar with the matter. The couple tied the knot in 2005 but did not have their first child until recently. Last year, Han made headlines after ge

Nov. 23, 2015

IU ‘still loves’ song ‘Zeze’ despite pedophilia controversy

Singer-songwriter IU stood by a song she wrote inspired by a 5-year-old boy character from a classic novel and for which she was mired in a controversy over pedophilia. At her solo concert in Seoul on Saturday, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter performed the controversial song, “Zeze,” explaining to the audience that she “still dearly loves it.” (Loen Entertainment)A track on IU’s latest EP “Chat-shire,” the song is named after the boy protagonist of Portuguese novel “My Sweet Orange Tree.” Its

Nov. 23, 2015

SMTOWN builds K-pop mecca

A self-admitted die-hard K-pop fan, Zhang Yu Ting of China was already wandering around the five-story complex of SMTOWN@coexartium just minutes after its doors opened Wednesday morning. Sitting at the “LIVErary Cafe,” Zhang kept close guard of one particular white cafe table, constantly caressing and photographing the tabletop religiously with her phone. Upon closer look, one can see the table was autographed by mega K-pop idol duo TVXQ.  SMTOWN@coexartium in Gangnam, Seoul. (Julie Jackson/The

Nov. 18, 2015

Yoo Seung-ho bridges movie, terrestrial and cable dramas

After being discharged from the military a year ago, actor Yoo Seung-ho is kicking back into action with a number of films and TV dramas lined up for release before the end of the year.Upcoming works starring the 22-year-old Yoo include cable TV drama “Imaginary Cat,” terrestrial TV drama “Remember” and films “Joseon Magician” and “Kim Seondal,” to be released in that order.  'Imaginary Cat' (MBC every1)MBC every1’s drama “Imaginary Cat” will premiere on Nov. 24 at 8:50 p.m. It is a soothing tal

Nov. 3, 2015

Choi Si-won hits 5mn Twitter followers

Super Junior member Choi Si-won has racked up more than 5 million Twitter followers five years after making his debut on the micro-blogging site. Choi, who is expanding his singing and acting career worldwide, has amassed 5,001,170 followers as of Tuesday morning, according to the website.Super Junior‘s Choi Si-won (OSEN)Choi has been had the highest number of followers among Korean Twitter users since December 2011. The “Sorry Sorry” singer has been focusing on his acting career lately, with fo

Oct. 28, 2015

V app invites global stars, beauty gurus

 Vietnamese celebrities and beauty gurus will appear on Naver’s live broadcasting app V, expanding the already star-studded app across the globe and diversifying its content, Naver said Monday. Ten Vietnamese stars, including female singer Dong Nhi and actress Chi Pu, confirmed their participation on the app to interact in real time with the global audiences and fans. Also, local makeup artists will teach about hair and makeup to the viewers on the app, starting in November.  (Naver V App)The ap

Oct. 21, 2015

Mapping K-pop stars' wealth

The road to becoming a successful K-pop star requires years of unpaid training starting from an early age. But those big-hitting K-pop singers who have persevered and emerged out the other end of the high-risk, high-yield system often amass a fortune equally early in life, raking in considerable sums of money in their tender twenties. The Korea Herald has compiled a list of ways Korea’s youngest and hottest celebrities manage their wealth, from investing in real estate to opening chic cafes and

Oct. 15, 2015