[Video] Sohee says angles are most important in ‘Hurry Up’ dance

Every year around Christmas time, the lobby of the Herald Corp. building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, lights up with a brightly decorated towering tree.On Thursday, the brilliance was amplified with the presence of rising K-pop star Sohee, who debuted solo from her group Elris with single “Hurry Up,” in October. Sohee had just wrapped up official promotional activities for “Hurry Up” and had dropped by for an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald. (Video shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea

PerformanceNov. 27, 2018

[Video] KT&G unveils liquid cartridge-type HNB tobacco Lil Hybrid

South Korean tobacco manufacturer KT&G on Monday unveiled its new heat-not-burn tobacco device Lil Hybrid, the first HNB device that works by heating a liquid cartridge.  “Our previous HNB tobacco devices -- Lil Mini and Lil Plus -- had received consumer feedback that the taste needs to be improved. That’s why we came up with our exclusive and new platform called Lil Hybrid,” said Lim Wang-seob, chief of the company’s product innovation division.  According to KT&G, Lil Hybrid works by hea

IndustryNov. 26, 2018

[Video] ‘Encounter’ marks Song Hye-kyo’s return to TV drama

Actress Song Hye-kyo is returning to the small screen with the new romance series “Encounter,” ending a hiatus following her high-profile marriage to Song Joong-ki in 2017.She will star opposite actor Park Bo-gum as his love interest. Park has also been away from TV for nearly two years, since “Love in the Moonlight.” Song plays Cha Soo-hyun, the daughter of a prominent politician and a celebrity in her own right as the ex-wife of a conglomerate heir, widely known as a chaebol in Korea. Cha take

TelevisionNov. 21, 2018

[Video] N. Korea destroys 10 DMZ guard posts

North Korea on Tuesday demolished 10 frontline guard posts located inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said, in a symbolic effort to sustain momentum for inter-Korean detente. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the demolition began at 3 p.m. by simultaneously exploding the guard posts scattered across the DMZ. The ministry said North Korea had notified it of the plan several days earlier. The two Koreas had originally planned to explode the guard

North KoreaNov. 20, 2018

[Video] BTS on red carpet at 2018 MGA

BTS hit the red carpet at the 2018 MBC Plus x Genie Music Awards, with multiple wins on the horizon.MBC Plus x Genie Music Awards or MGA is a newly launched K-pop music awards co-hosted by South Korea’s major television network MBC and music streaming platform Genie.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)(The Korea Herald)Fans and reporters were crowding the venue in Incheon hours before the red carpet officially began at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.BTS is the creme de la creme of the supers

PerformanceNov. 6, 2018

[Video] Modernized hanbok setting trend, reinterpreting tradition

Korean traditional costume, hanbok, is a powerful trend not only in its homeland but also on the global stage. K-pop stars such as BTS and the K-drama “Mr. Sunshine” have played a part in spreading the beautiful garments around the world.Here in Seoul, a “hanbok tour” still tops the to-do lists of many domestic and foreign tourists. Hanbok tours of the capital became a sensation in 2013, when the city government began offering free admission to its ancient palaces, such as popular landmarks Gyeo

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2018

[Video] Koreans line up overnight for Apple’s most expensive phones

More than 200 people had lined up in front of the Apple Store in Garosu-gil, Seoul, as of 7 a.m. on Friday -- the day of the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max and Apple Watch Series 4’s launch in South Korea. Some had come to queue from the night before. Hours later, at 10 a.m., the line showed no signs of shrinking. The new models are by far the most expensive of Apple Inc.’s smartphone creations, with a storage capacity of up to 512 GB. The iPhone XS Max 512 GB is the priciest of the selection this time,

TechnologyNov. 2, 2018

[Video] Cha Eun-woo to star in YouTube Original show ‘Top Management’

Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo is breaking new ground for Korean dramas with the YouTube Original show “Top Management.”Cha, who appeared in the hit TV series “Gangnam Beauty,” will play the role of Yeon Woo, a young man who wants to be an idol star alongside his friends, in the upcoming 16-episode series.“Top Management” is the fourth original series from YouTube Premium in South Korea. It follows variety show “Run, Bigbang Scout!” and documentaries “BTS: Burn the Stage” and “Kwon Ji Yong Act III

TelevisionOct. 29, 2018

[Video] K-pop spreading to older, more mainstream, fan base

The growing number of K-pop fans in Korea and elsewhere is generating a stronger cultural and commercial impact than ever before, as the boom led by high-profile groups such as BTS expands to a wider range of market segments. In recent years, it is not only high school students embracing K-pop music. People in their 20s and older -- those with more purchasing power -- are fueling the exponential growth of K-pop and its associated merchandise market.The Korea Herald met two passionate K-pop fans

PerformanceOct. 29, 2018

[Video] Zion.T at Busan One Asia Festival

The 3rd Busan One Asia Festival boasted a star-studded line up throughout its nine-day run at multiple locations in the southwestern city.Zion.T was one of the singers that took to the stage on Gunam-ro to perform live in front of Haeundae Beach on Friday.(Shot and edited by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)During his performance, the singer-songwriter sang his latest song, “Hello Tutorial” featuring Red Velvet’s Seulgi. “You may notice that Seulgi is not here with me. This means you must help me

PerformanceOct. 28, 2018

[Video] Salaried workers driving out stress with ‘Running Crew’

Around 7:50 p.m. on Oct. 19, clusters of people in sportswear gathered in front of Samseong Station, Exit No. 1. After putting their belongings in the crew’s vehicles, the runners headed to Coex Square together to do some warm-up exercises at 8 p.m. The Korea Herald ran with 98 runners from Samseong Station to Seocho Station, taking part in the “Run&Walk” program designed for beginners. It was an exhilarating experience to run in a city with so many people. There are a number of running crews in

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2018

[Video] Rise of startups in world’s most reclusive regime

The idea of nurturing budding enterprises in North Korea at first glance draws skepticism.People from free market economies may question how it will be even possible in a country that prohibits the ownership of personal assets, not to mention incentives for ventures.It might sound paradoxical. However, the more North Korea has faced tougher economic sanctions from the international community in the last 10 years, the more passion for business success among people there has built up, said Geoffre

EconomyOct. 25, 2018

[Video] Autumn blooms in pink nationwide

This autumn, photogenic muhly grass and kochia bushes have dyed South Korea’s landscape a mesmerizing shade of pink. Usually full of red, orange and yellow from the autumn leaves, the online world is now full of pink scenery and selfies shot at muhly parks, which are popping up fast around the nation.(Shot and edited by Choi Ji-won and Lee So-jeong / The Korea Herald)Although some worry that these exotic plants risk disturbing the natural botanic ecosystem, most people are welcoming of the muhly

TravelOct. 23, 2018

[Video] K-pop ads taking over Seoul subway

Traveling around Seoul on the subway, you’ll often see enormous advertisements featuring fan messages to K-pop idols.As K-pop groups like BTS gain a more prominent place on the global stage, at home in Seoul they are dominating public transport.An onlooker at Hongdae Station takes a photo of an ad celebrating BTS member Jimin’s birthday. (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)At Hongdae Station, which has more K-pop-inspired ads than any other station in the South Korean capital, fans make their way pa

PerformanceOct. 15, 2018

[Video] Sunfull Internet Peace Prize goes to Japanese anti-hate speech network, online activist

Japanese anti-hate speech organization the Kawasaki Network of Citizens Against Hate Speech and Japanese online activist Ken Ogiso have been awarded the 2018 Internet Peace Prize of the Promotion of Peace on the Internet in a ceremony Thursday at Hanyang University, attended by some 200 participants including Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, ambassadors and students.The Sunfull Internet Movement, the Korean nongovernmental organization, has recognized the anti-hate speech group and the online activi

Social AffairsOct. 11, 2018

[Video] No live performance from K-pop stars during 3rd inter-Korean summit

Celebrities who accompanied South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his three-day visit to North Korea were back in Seoul on Thursday night.While a recent survey marked the visit as mostly successful, the question lingers over why Zico, Ailee, Ali, Kim Hyeong-seok and magician Choe Hyeon-u, among others, were not given the live TV treatment like their predecessors.Ali arrives in Seoul after her visit to Pyongyang on Thursday night. (Yonhap)In a tweet Thursday night, Kim thanked everyone involv

TelevisionSept. 21, 2018

[Video] Nature shares hopes of going global as a multifaceted band

[Herald Interview]It’s been less than two months since the band Nature made its debut on the K-pop scene, but already it’s making a splash. Having launched in August under N.CH Entertainment, this promising rookie band consists of leader Lu, Saebom, Chinese members Aurora and Gaga, Chaebin, Japanese member Haru, Uchae and Sunshine. While Nature has only two songs under its belt -- its debut single “Allegro Cantabile” and pre-debut track “Girls and Flowers” -- it’s already an award winner. In an

PerformanceSept. 20, 2018

[Video] Zico raves about Pyongyang naengmyeon

Pyongyang-style naengmyeon is one of North Korea’s most popular delicacies, and President Moon Jae-in’s special entourage to Pyongyang -- including K-pop icon Zico – were given a chance to sample the real thing during their time in the city.(Footage from Pyeongyang Press Corps, edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The rapper and producer -- along with other members of the entourage including singers Ailee, Ali, magician Choi Hyun-woo, and soccer legend Cha Bum-keun -- joined the first coup

PerformanceSept. 19, 2018

[Video] Chaebol chiefs in Pyongyang show hope for future business opportunities

An unusual sight played out Tuesday as some of the most powerful business leaders from South Korea shook hands with the North Korean economy chief and officials as they walked into a room at the People’s Culture Palace in Pyongyang. On the sidelines of the third summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the first visit to Pyongyang in 11 years, what captured the business world’s attention throughout the day was the encounter between North Korean Dep

IndustrySept. 18, 2018

[Video] Moon enthusiastically received in Pyongyang

President Moon Jae-in received an unprecedentedly enthusiastic reception by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as he arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third meeting with Kim.　Upon stepping off the plane at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport around 10 a.m., Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook were greeted by Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, as well as thousands of cheering North Koreans. 　The leaders embraced each other three times, and exchanged smiles and handshakes, before Kim led Moon to meet

North KoreaSept. 18, 2018