Sunggyu“10 Stories”Loen Entertainment　When offstage, Sunggyu of Infinite has always been an upfront man unafraid of expressing his deep, sophisticated feelings. And it’s a good thing to see his trait bloom musically, with the help of his mentor Kim Jong-wan, the singer with indie band Nell. Sunggyu’s first full-length solo album, also his third solo release, shows a lot of influence from Kim, who produced all of the album’s 10 tracks. It’s not surprising to see the Nell frontman’s fingerprints a

Performance Feb. 28, 2018

Up-and-coming Korean musicians will showcase a wide range of genres at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) and The Great Escape music festivals.They will perform in this year’s “Korea Spotlight,” which consists of annual showcases for Korean talent hosted by the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency at SXSW and TGE.  Musicians who are to perform at the “Korea Spotlight” showcase event of the South by Southwest music festival pose during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. (Korea Creative

Performance Feb. 27, 2018

Veering away from the aggressive dance he once did with his bandmates, Sungkyu of K-pop boy band Infinite returned as an emotional soloist with “10 Stories,” the singer‘s first solo full-length album. “This is my third solo album, and I feel more nervous than if it were Infinite’s comeback. When I was part of Infinite, we’d told stories of the members, but today, I feel nervous as I have to talk alone,” said Sungkyu during a media showcase for his new album “10 Stories” in Seoul on Monday. The 1

Performance Feb. 27, 2018

YG Entertainment on Sunday opened its restaurant complex YG Republique at Jeju Shinhwa World, an integrated resort complex on Jeju Island. YG’s new multifaceted dining complex consists of three restaurant brands: a meat place called “Three-Way Butcher,” a salad cafe called “3Birds” and a pub called “K-Pub,” all of which are operated by YG in conjunction with YG Foods, the agency’s restaurant business.  G-Dragon’s cafe Untitled, 2017 (YG Foods) YG Republique (YG Foods)YG Republique also has branc

Culture Feb. 25, 2018

Legendary K-pop act H.O.T. presented fans with the best present they had been waiting for: Reuniting after 17 years through MBC’s “Infinite Challenge.”Saturday’s episode of MBC’s variety program featured the five-piece band throwing a concert attended by about 2,500 fans at the Olympic Hall in Seoul as a part of the program’s special edition “ToToGa 3: Return of the Kings,” which chronicled the group’s process for its reunion. The actual concert was recorded earlier on Feb. 15. H.O.T. performs a

Performance Feb. 25, 2018

With a spate of #MeToo accusations spreading through the Korean entertainment scene, local broadcasters and production companies are grappling with the repercussions of the global movement as they witness a cascade of sexual harassment accusations made against big-name actors. On Friday, actors Cho Jae-hyun and Oh Dal-soo were accused of sexual harassment after online posts by victims and witnesses about their misconduct surfaced online. Accusations against Cho, 52, came after actress Choi Yul w

Television Feb. 25, 2018

Korean traditional bronzeware, called bangjja, is the ultimate in sophistication. Artisan Kim Ki-chan, who is a sixth-generation bangjja maker at his family-run business, makes just one pair of a bangjja chopsticks and spoon a day at his workshop in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. To make one bronze spoon, Kim pounds the metal more than 365 times with a hammer, then tempers and files it.  Photo: Park Hyun-koo/The Korea HeraldTo Kim, making bangjja was more than just continuing his family business. It

Culture Feb. 23, 2018

“Gatsby and I, it was such a perfect coincidence. I just immediately related to him.” When PH-1, a 25-year-old rapper from the US, finished recording two tracks for his latest EP -- both of which take critical aim at society -- he couldn’t find an overarching theme for the album. And while flipping through Netflix, he stumbled upon “The Great Gatsby” film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s 1925 novel. And a light bulb switched on. “I thought of Gatsby as a person who has everything but at the same t

Performance Feb. 23, 2018

Rock singer Yoon Do-hyun has returned with two new digital singles “Song Calling for You” and “Cold” Thursday. According to his agency Dee Company, the two songs have been produced by Yoon himself, and the entire recording process, as well as the shooting for the music video, was completed in London. An image for Yoon Do-hyun‘s new single “Song Calling for You” (Dee Company)　Yoon recorded “Song Calling for You” with the London Symphony Orchestra at Air studios in London, which was founded in 196

Performance Feb. 22, 2018

YG Entertainment’s upcoming variety program “YG Strategy Center” (working title) will be broadcast via online streaming platform Netflix. The K-pop agency announced Thursday that its new sitcom-variety program will premiere on Netflix, while the exact release date is yet to be set.  A promotion image for “YG Strategy Center” (YG Entertainment)Featuring a group of YG families including Seungri of Big Bang, Lee Jae-jin of Sechskies and comedian Yoo Byung-jae, the eight-episode Netflix series will

Television Feb. 22, 2018

BoA“One Shot, Two Shot”(Iriver)Successfully blending futuristic sounds with hip-hop dance beats, the veteran singer’s first ever EP “One Shot, Two Shot,” features two of BoA’s greatest strengths: conforming to a trend but keeping her excellence. The seven-track collection, which includes the previously released “Nega Dola” and “Camo,” is also a testament to how BoA was able to stand tall on her own throughout her 19-year career.The opener and title track “One Shot, Two Shot” is a deep-house danc

Performance Feb. 21, 2018

Throughout her 20-year career, Wax has been typecast as a nationally acclaimed but secretive balladeer. Her biggest hit, “Fixing My Makeup,” a tear-jerker of a post-breakup song, has been on the list of people’s favorite karaoke sing-alongs for more than a decade, while her personal life has been veiled from the public. “Due to my balladeer image and vocal, people think me as a serious person. But I want to dismantle that image,” Wax, 45, whose real name is Cho Hye-ri, told The Korea Herald in S

Performance Feb. 20, 2018

Acclaimed stage director Lee Youn-taek on Monday apologized for his acts of sexual harassment which he admitted went on for 18 years but denied allegations of rape.During a press conference held at the 30 Studio in Jongro-gu, Seoul, on Monday, Kim So-hee, head of the Yeonhee Street Theatre Troupe, said that the troupe had been aware of the various sexual misconduct allegations involving Lee and that she has decided to disband the group in order to take responsibility. Lee Youn-taek speaks at a p

Film Feb. 19, 2018

Having recently returned from a tour in Brazil, K-pop boy band VAV isore motivated than ever, with a goal in mind to expand its reach all around the globe. "It’s really interesting that more than half of our social media followers were from Brazil, even before we visited the country. We didn’t realize our popularity in Brazil until we got there,” said Ayno from the seven-piece group in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Tuesday. VAV, from “Very Awesome Voice,” may sound unfamiliar to

Performance Feb. 14, 2018

The second season of “Begin Again,” a music variety show that features Korean musicians promoting their music overseas, will air its first episode on March 23, according to broadcaster JTBC on Tuesday.The music show follows Korean musicians traveling overseas, where their names are unknown, and busking and promoting their music to foreigners. 　A poster for second season of “Begin Again” (JTBC)The upcoming season will star musicians Kim Yoon-ah and Lee Sun-kyu of band Jaurim, Lena Park, Hareem, Y

Television Feb. 13, 2018