Actor Jung Woo-sung beamed his trademark soft charisma through black-and-grey fashion in the fall fashion pictorials for Magazine W, released on Thursday. The 40-something Korean heartthrob modeled a series of business casual outfits, featuring a “casual dresscode for gentleman.”The actor recently costarred in the romantic drama film “Madam Bluff” with actress Lee Som, set to be released on Oct. 2.By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)(photo: Magazine W)

Sept. 25, 2014

Singer Ailee released her third EP “Magazine” on Thursday at noon on major Korean music portals.The new EP includes “Don’t Touch Me,” a Britpop rock title track with a powerful piano loop line and drum beat. The album is the collaboration of Ailee and composer Kim Do-hoon, who also composed “I’ll show you” on the singer’s first album, as well as Korean hip-hop group Dynamic Duo. (YMC Entertainment)The 25-year-old singer, born and raised in Colorado, U.S., debuted in the K-pop scene in February 2

Sept. 25, 2014

KEAST major shareholder and actor Bae Yong-joon was sued by a health supplement maker on fraud charges.  KEAST major shareholder and actor Bae Yong-joon (OSEN)Gorilla Life Way, a company in which the Korean star holds 95 percent of shares, allegedly appropriated 2.5 billion won ($2.4 million) from the supplement maker while processing an exclusive deal to export the Korean red ginseng product to Japan.But KEAST issued an official statement alleging that the supplement maker was “maliciously brin

Sept. 23, 2014

As most Indonesian children, especially those in urban centers like Jakarta, are exposed from a young age to manga (Japanese comic books) and anime (Japanese animation), J-pop (Japanese pop culture) has established a loyal following that not even the recent invasion of K-pop (Korean pop culture) can rival.On Sunday, more than 45,000 J-pop enthusiasts packed the Parkir Timur Senayan arena in South Jakarta to take part in the last day of the Jak-Japan Matsuri festival organized by the Japanese Emb

World News Sept. 23, 2014

The opulent sitting room in the Majestic Hotel’s old wing is an apt place indeed to listen to tales of growing up in post-World War II Malaya. Apart from the fact that the hotel is a fine example of colonial architecture in Kuala Lumpur, it turns out that Rosemary Palmer’s life in this country began in this very place.“We stayed in this hotel for the first three months when we came in 1947. Stepping into the place today, I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I just couldn’t remember what it

World News Sept. 23, 2014

Moon Joon-young of ZE:A takes back accusations of abuse leveled against his agency, leaves fans unconvincedMoon Joon-young of K-pop boy band ZE:A. (OSEN)Moon Joon-young, the leader of K-pop boy band ZE:A, on Monday took back his fiery criticisms of his agency’s alleged exploitation of its singers, but fans remained skeptical of the “reconciliation.”The 25-year-old singer wrote on his Twitter Monday morning that he had an all-night talk the day before with Shin Ju-hak, the chief executive of Star

Sept. 22, 2014

It is the world’s most consumed and used vegetable oil, yet it has come under more intense scrutiny and has been criticized more than any other type of oils and fats. What is it about palm oil that draws such flak?At the International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference held recently in Kota Kinabalu, participants and speakers attempted to sort through the sometimes emotional reactions this agricultural product elicits with an exchange of differences and misgivings, shared perspectives and clarif

World News Sept. 16, 2014

Brick-and-mortar bookstores are facing hard times as Amazon and other online retailers offer convenience and lower prices. Nevertheless, many real bookstores are making serious efforts to win customers’ hearts and make their life and work more fulfilling by offering good book selections and well-devised displays in addition to sincere assistance from store clerks. Foreign book departments in Japan are no exception.More emphasis on specialized booksOn Sept. 1, Maruzen Bookstores Co. expanded the

World News Sept. 16, 2014

Jiang Wen, Li Yuchun and Fan Bingbing might not be household names in the West, but when China’s top editors at fashion and lifestyle magazines want to sell more copies, they approach the three stars, who are among the hottest go-to people to have on the cover. As the Chinese market for lifestyle magazines grows, editors have gotten to know their audiences well, and in the high-stakes game of developing tastes and competition for readers, highlighting of Chinese models and actors, among others,

World News Sept. 16, 2014

Actress Shim Eun-kyung appears on the official poster of KBS’ upcoming rom-com “Cantabile Tomorrow.” (KBS)The second batch of official poster for KBS’ new rom-com “Cantabile Tomorrow” was released on Tuesday, showing the sparkly naivete of actress Shim Eun-kyung as the heroine, Seol Nae-il. In the poster, Shim is barefoot, wearing a loose chiffon dress. In her hand is a copy of a music score -- part of the daily life of every music school student, her role in the rom-com. The award-winning actre

Sept. 16, 2014

Singer-actors Jung Ji-hoon (Rain) and Jung Soo-jung (Krystal) attend the press conference for SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" in Seoul, Monday. (OSEN)Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, commonly known as Rain, said he does not feel the 12-year age difference with f(x)’s Krystal, declaring himself an old fan of the girl group member.“We have had such a great teamwork that it made the 12-year age gap totally forgettable,” Jung said in a press conference for SBS’ new rom-com “My Lovely Girl” that was hel

Sept. 15, 2014

Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon (Rain) attends the press conference for SBS's rom-com series "My Love Girl" in Seoul, Monday. (OSEN)Rain said he wanted to shatter the rosy illusions about being a TV celebrity through SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" by showing behind-the-scenes experiences that celebrities undergo. With 12 years of acting under his belt, the singer-Hollywood actor asserted that the drama realistically portrays many of the hidden realities, such as the heartbreaking hardships of that

Sept. 15, 2014

Actors attend the press conference for SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" in Seoul on Monday. From left: actors Jung Ji-hoon, Jung Soo-jung (Krystal), Cha Ye-ryeon, Kim Myung-soo (L), Park Young-gyu, Kim Jin-woo and Haeryeong. (OSEN)SBS’s new rom-com “My Lovely Girl” perhaps is one of the most anticipated K-dramas for K-pop fans this fall. Directed by Park Hyung-gi and written by No Ji-seol, the Wednesday-Thursday drama stars several singer-actor hotshots, including Rain, Krystal from f(x), L fr

Sept. 15, 2014

(KBS)The official posters for KBS’s new rom-com, “Cantabile Tomorrow,” were released on Monday, showing the resemblance between the lead actor Joo Won and the original character from a Japanese graphic novel.In the posters, Joo Won is dressed up in a black tuxedo and white shirt, a trademark outfit for the maestro of an orchestra. The actor perfectly matches the original character Shinyichi Chiaki from the Japanese graphic novel “Nodame Cantabile” by Tomoko Ninomiya. The Korean heartthrob plays

Sept. 15, 2014