Just a few blocks off the busy streets near Gwanghwamun Plaza are clusters of Korean traditional houses -- or hanok -- that have stood the test of time in Seochon. Seochon, which means west village in Korean, is a collection of districts west of Gyeongbokgung, including Cheongun-dong, Hyoja-dong, Ogin-dong and Sajik-dong. People of varying classes resided in this area in the Joseon period, while, in the modern era, its residents included writers and artists.Today, it is also a popular tourist sp

Culture April 13, 2018

K-pop soloist Eric Nam was once an icon of “sweetness,” the kind of a guy who would readily whisper words of romance into one’s ears. In his new EP “Honestly,” however, he pulled out a more “candid” self, stripping off his previous boy-next-door image and transforming himself into a man who confesses “maybe it’s a lie that I still love you.”   The “Honestly” EP, Nam’s first EP in two years released Thursday, features six tracks including lead track “Honestly…,” a mid-tempo dance pop number that

Performance April 12, 2018

EXO-CBX“Blooming Days”IRIVERThank God EXO-CBX’s new album is nothing like its previous funky-disco tune from “Hey Mama” or the ear-drum bursting EDM sound from EXO’s “Power.” In the world of K-pop where boy bands are given credit for their powerful performances and indiscreet use of synth sounds, the EXO unit’s toned-down “Blooming Days” EP soothes the listeners with a fragrant spring breeze. What is brilliant in this seven-track album is that each track correlates to a day of the week while lyr

Performance April 11, 2018

Actress and singer Choi Soo-young has been cast in a film based on a novel by Japanese novelist Yoshimoto Banana, which started filming in Japan on April 1.According to Zoa Films, Choi will play the protagonist Yumi and her co-star Tanaka Shunsuke will play another main character Nishiyama in the upcoming film “Memories of a Dead End.” Choi Soo-young (Zoa Films)Yoshimoto, one of the most popular Japanese writers in Korea, is well-known for works such as “Lizard” and “Kitchen” -- her debut work w

Film April 11, 2018

After talking about the feeling of love with “Heart Shaker” last winter, Twice is back with a question about love this time: “What is Love?”On Monday, the chart-topping girl group returned with its fifth EP “What is Love?” fronted by a lead track of the same name. In the lead track, which is upbeat and bubbly with the group’s signature pop effusiveness, the members transform into naive young women who have learned about love through books, movies and dramas, but haven’t actually experienced it.

Performance April 9, 2018

The K-pop newcomers of Noir are all about black -- the color of power and charisma.On Monday, nine-member act Noir debuted with the group’s first EP, “Twenty’s Noir.” Featuring six songs, the album is led by explosive electronic dance music track “Gangsta,” which leans heavily on the band’s rappers. Overflowing with propulsive beats, flamboyant synths and EDM breaks, “Gangsta” captures the blazing hearts of nine wishing to capture a woman’s heart. Noir, represented by Luk Factory, consists of Ye

Performance April 9, 2018

Day6 will hold its first ever concert in Japan in June, its agency said Friday.According to S.M. Entertainment, the five-piece K-pop boy band will hold its Japan solo concert “‘DAY6 1st LIVE in JAPAN “THE BEST DAY’” at Tsutaya O-East in Tokyo and Umeda Trad in Osaka on June 13 and 14, respectively.  Day6 (JYP Entertainment)The act made its Japanese debut on March 14 with its first Japanese single EP “If ~ I See You Again ~” which became a theme song for Japanese drama “Repeat.” Day6 is also set

Performance April 8, 2018

A K-pop idol act’s full-length album means more than just setting out another promotional cycle, especially if it is packed with 12 self-created tracks. Four members of Winner, a prominent K-pop boy band under YG Entertainment, was confident in that the act’s second full-length album “EVERYD4Y” was a result of its continuous efforts to reinvent and hone themselves.“For the last few years since our debut, there was no single time we have stopped to become better Winner. I can confidently say that

Performance April 5, 2018

In this hustling and bustling world where people are connected through social media even when we are physically alone, finding complete solitude can be a luxury. One may think of it, but mostly find it a far-fetched dream. For those who’ve ever dreamed of removing themselves from their overloaded routines, tvN’s new reality show “Solitary Stay” is a decent alternative. Featuring two big-name actors So Ji-sub and Park Shin-hye, the documentary-formatted program follows their off-grid lives in a h

Television April 5, 2018

Primary & Anda“Do Worry Be Happy”(Stone Music Entertainment)Primary and Anda blend about as well as oil and water. Anda, Primary’s new muse in recent project album “Do Worry Be Happy,” was better known for rumors surrounding her relationship with a member of the Middle Eastern billionaire Mansour family than as a singer. So when the hit producer tapped this lesser-known musician to be his partner, one might have wondered why it had to be “her.” Unfortunately, Primary’s first collaboration album

Performance April 4, 2018

A few months ago, K-pop darlings Oh My Girl was a group of seven young women secretly whispering “Inside me I have a precious place only for me” in its shimmering single “Secret Garden.” Who would have thought those ladies would turn into monkeys dancing to a comical tune with a banana in their hands?The seven-piece act Oh My Girl returned with its new EP “Banana Allergy Monkey” Tuesday, aiming for a dramatic change in the group’s image. The album, which is the group’s first pop-up album, featur

Performance April 3, 2018

EXO-CBX, a subunit of EXO, will release an EP on April 10.The group’s agency S.M. Entertainment said Tuesday that the act’s second EP is titled “Blooming Days,” fronted by a lead track with a similar name.The lead track “Booming Day” will be a light-hearted dance pop love song that suits the warm weather of spring, the agency said.  (S.M. Entertainment)The subunit, consisting of three members from EXO -- Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin -- debuted with an EP titled “Hey Mama!” in October 2016. It also

Performance April 3, 2018

The 2018 Dream Concert, an annual K-pop concert held since 1995, will be take place in Seoul in May. K-pop stars at Dream Concert 2017, held in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, in November last year. (Yonhap)The K-pop event now in its 24th year will be staged at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on May 12, according to the organizer, the Korea Entertainment Producer‘s Association. Last year’s event was held on Nov. 4 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, where the 2018 Winter Olympics took place. It fe

Performance April 2, 2018

For the last 13 years, MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” has been more than a just a ludicrous variety show. As one of Korea’s oldest-running and most successful shows, it was like a welcome-rain to people who used to say “Watching the show on Saturday is the highlight of my week.” And when MBC announced the show’s finale for this Saturday, many might have felt wistful, as if bidding goodbye to an old friend.  For the show’s program director Kim Tae-ho, however, those years haven’t always been joyful.

Television March 30, 2018

Traveling to a completely unknown place is a great way to escape from the routine, to reinvigorate, or to begin again. But it can also be a huge challenge, if the travelers are musicians with a reputation and solid career, if they have to play music in front of a crowd who have no idea who they are. (Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The second season of JTBC’s music variety show “Begin Again” focuses on how renowned Korean musicians turn into buskers and deal with performing t

Television March 30, 2018