[Video] ‘Sound of Grazing Grass’ kicks off new season

The new season of tvN’s variety show “Sound of Grazing Grass” is returning on Monday at 8:10 p.m.The autumn edition of the show is joined by popular comedian Park Na-rae and Hwang Chan-sung from the boy band 2PM, as well as a young farmer Han Tae-woong, who is a 16-year-old but carries himself more like a 61-year-old.(CJ E&M)Han’s mature mannerisms lightened the mood during the showcase Monday, which was held at CJ E&M Center in western Seoul. Han sang a trot song, a genre mostly for older peopl

TelevisionSept. 18, 2018

[Video] Top 3 food combinations in Korea’s convenience stores

For busy workers and students alike, Korea’s convenience stores have emerged as favorite spots to grab a quick meal. The major convenience store chains feature a wide range of food -- everything from individual servings of fruit to basic groceries and ready-made meals. To make a quick meal taste even better, Koreans often mix and match convenience store foods. You can even search YouTube for recipe ideas, such as “legendary combination of foods found in convenience stores,” or “a heavenly taste

FoodSept. 14, 2018

[Video] SHINee’s Key hopes to keep it real on new cooking show

Key from boy band SHINee wants to keep it real with guests on his new “cooking talk show,” titled “Cheongdam Key-chin” and set to air on Kakao TV every Thursday night starting this week.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)Viewers will get to see the singer welcome guests from various backgrounds to his kitchen in the nice Cheongdam neighborhood in southern Seoul -- celebrities, models and even some of Key’s ex-colleagues.“Cheongdam Key-chin,” as the singer’s very first show, wil

TelevisionSept. 5, 2018

[Video] Banzz eats his way to stardom

[Herald Interview]The more the merrier -- such is the life of Banzz.For the 28-year-old YouTuber, it is all about “more”: He eats more than practically anyone, has more followers than most other content creators, and grows more famous each day.  Banzz poses before an interview with The Korea Herald at the DIA TV Studio in Gangnam, southern Seoul. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Banzz has a “meokbang,” which can be translated into “eating show” in English and is a form of entertainment where the

PeopleAug. 30, 2018

[Video] ‘The Great Battle’ to reenact legendary fight of Goguryeo

The ancient kingdom of Goguryeo is a source of an immense national pride for Koreans, as it once single-handedly fought off the most powerful Chinese empires. But it is also a kingdom in which period dramas are rarely set, due to a lack of knowledge and research about it.The upcoming film “The Great Battle,” directed by Kim Kwang-sik, is one that follows the desperate 88-day fight between 200,000 soldiers of the invading Tang Empire and 5,000 Goguryeo soldiers led by Gen. Yang Man-chun.“Most of

FilmAug. 21, 2018

[Video] 5 Korean traditional drinks to beat the heat

As the heat wave continues across the country, here are a few traditional drinks that Koreans typically turn to in summer.Misutgaru (Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)1. MisutgaruAt first glance, misutgaru, a Korean multigrain powder, just seems like a bland substance with a lifeless beige color. But contrary to its appearance, the mixture of roasted and ground grains is well-known for its nutritional benefits and addictive, nutty taste.Koreans often make misutgaru shakes at home by adding water

FoodAug. 21, 2018

[Video] MXM returns with self-produced album ‘More Than Ever’

Rising K-pop duo MXM, consisted of two former contestants of popular audition program “Produce 101 Season 2,” returned Tuesday with its first full-length album “More Than Ever.” Fronted by bubbly chill trap number “Ya Ya Ya,” the 14-track album has the fingerprints of Im Young-min and Kim Dong-hyun all over it, from songwriting to designing the album cover. The lead track, which lyrically compares love with the process of being addicted to bitter Americanos, makes ample use of breathy synths,

PerformanceAug. 14, 2018

[Video] Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin talk about remote-acting in ‘The Negotiation’

With over a decade of acting experience under their belt, it’s almost surprising that Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, veteran actors of the same age, met for the first time while making upcoming crime flick “The Negotiation.” (Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)And it’s striking that the actor and the actress, who have respectively been imprinted in people’s minds as a fraudster in “The Swindlers” and a romance queen in “Something in the Rain,” transformed into a psychopathic villain a

TelevisionAug. 9, 2018

[Video] BT21 characters hit Incheon Airport

BT21 collection, co-produced by BTS and Line Corp., the Japanese subsidiary of Korea's biggest portal Naver, is witnessing an explosive growth in less than a year since its launch.While BT21 may seem like eight fluffs of pure cutness on the outside, one should be careful not to underestimate the fictitious octet's star power.BT21's RJ at Incheon Airport's Terminal 2 (The Korea Herald)Mang, Tata, Chimmy, Cooky, RJ, Shooky, Koya and Van have become some of the hottest names anywhere since their de

PerformanceAug. 2, 2018

[Video] Duty-free store offers broadcast zone for influencers

Shinsegae opened its second city center duty-free store in Seoul at Express Bus Terminal in Gangnam on Wednesday.The new five-story shopping space seeks to attract young and rich foreign tourists interested in Korean cosmetics and fashion. Thirty-six percent of the 13,570-square-meter space has been allotted to Korean brands.Inside the store, there is a space called Studio S where social media influencers can use microphones and lights for live broadcasting and filming. On the store’s launch day

IndustryJuly 19, 2018

[Video] KT takes lead in infusing artificial intelligence into hotels

No more clumsiness when trying to find a light controller or favorite TV channel while starting your vacation at a sleek hotel. Instead, just say the words: “Genie-ya, turn on CNN.” “Genie-ya” is the wake word for KT’s GiGA Genie artificial intelligence platform. AI is starting to enter some of the newest hotels in Seoul, including Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences by AccorHotels and L’Escape Hotel by Shinsegae, with a new mission to build “ICT hotels.”Novotel Ambassador Do

TechnologyJuly 19, 2018

[Video] Sweetness overload at 2018 Seoul Dessert Fair

Thousands of people with a sweet tooth descended on the 2018 Seoul Dessert Fair to satisfy their cravings for all-things sweet on Saturday at the Setec Exhibition Hall.The theme for the two-day weekend event was watermelon. Many stalls infused watermelon elements into their desserts, such as green-and-red sweet bread, watermelon fruit punch and watermelon-flavored macarons.(Video shot and edited by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)Beyond indulging their taste buds, visitors were also treated to a

CultureJuly 18, 2018

[Video] When French luxury brand meets Korean traditional beauty

French crystal maker Baccarat held an exhibition in Seoul from July 13-18 in collaboration with South Korean creative director Kan Ho-sup, featuring the blend of Eastern and Western beauty.Under the theme “the beauty created by combining Baccarat and a scroll dress,” the exhibition presented a collection of Baccarat’s crystal pieces and director Kan’s artworks. The scroll dresses are parts of Kan’s signature artworks, which has gained a worldwide reputation among the fashion industry. The dresse

Arts & DesignJuly 18, 2018

[Video] Despite eye-popping action, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is about the story

With the worldwide release of “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout” just around the corner, the latest installment in the spy action franchise is being hailed as the best in the series. Tom Cruise, known for doing his own stunts, keeps upping the ante as he actually flies a helicopter in a borderline-insane maneuver.Why would a Hollywood superstar constantly risk his life?“For you (the audience). To entertain you,” Cruise said, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. Tom Cruise (le

FilmJuly 16, 2018

[Video] LGBT people share what Pride means

Tens of thousands of people descended on Seoul Plaza on Saturday to celebrate this year’s Seoul Queer Culture Festival.In honor of the annual event, we asked a group of LGBT people what the Pride event means to them.(Video shot and edited by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)YouTuber Lee Yeol said Pride means so much to sexual minorities.“We often hide ourselves in everyday life as we live in a society where it is difficult to be truly ourselves. That’s why to be able to express ourselves and send

Social AffairsJuly 15, 2018

[Video] Samsung heir leaves for India with two missions

Samsung Electronics’ heir apparent Lee Jae-yong departed for India on Sunday with two major tasks: recover relations with the Moon Jae-in government and lay groundwork to further expand in the Indian smartphone market. The highlight of Lee’s trip to India will be his meeting with President Moon -- who also left Sunday for a state visit to the country and Singapore for six days. They will be face to face at a ceremony on Monday to mark the completion of Samsung’s newest factory for smartphones in

IndustryJuly 8, 2018

[Video] Housewives on YouTube: From cooking, home training to tech reviews

A housewife in her mid-30s, Choi Seo-young describes herself as a tech influencer on YouTube. She mainly reviews electronic goods and home appliances through video clips. With more than 94,000 followers, she has numerous companies offering her test products for review. But in the beginning, some questioned her credibility, citing her gender and profession. “Some thought that it was awkward for a woman, a housewife, to review tech,” Choi said at a press event held Wednesday at Google Campus in so

PeopleJuly 4, 2018

[Video] Kentaro Sakaguchi talks about ‘Color Me True’ and Korea

Japanese movie star Kentaro Sakaguchi visited South Korea and talked about his upcoming movie “Color Me True” at a press conference Tuesday.The 26-year-old actor, who has been garnering massive popularity among J-pop fans in Korea, arrived in Seoul on Monday to promote the film, which will be released on July 11. News on his visit soon plastered social media platforms, while movie tickets that include fan meetup events were sold out in a minute.(Related article: [Trending] Kentaro Sakaguchi to m

FilmJuly 4, 2018

[Video] Like cars, houses and clothes, kitchens can be shared, too

It has been a while since the sharing economy became the next big thing, mainly with companies like Airbnb, Uber and WeWork. But how about sharing a kitchen that supports a community? Located in Huam-dong, central Seoul, Huam Kitchen is a shared kitchen that can be loaned to users for a few hours. The space is basically an ordinary kitchen with everything you need for cooking prepared, including basic condiments, spices, cooking utensils and tableware. (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Kor

FoodJune 29, 2018

[Video] E-mart’s new discount store attracts shoppers on opening day

Hundreds of shoppers flocked to the first branch of E-mart’s new discount store chain Pierrot Shopping on its opening day Thursday. Located at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, the two-story shop garnered anticipation on the internet before its opening. Curious shoppers flooded the store, forming long checkout lines, while onlookers at the shopping mall turned their heads.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The new discount store chain by Shinsegae, which runs discount reta

IndustryJune 28, 2018