Seungho of MBLAQ sealed a deal with Will Entertainment to start his acting career. Seungho of MBLAQ (Herald DB)The agency said Tuesday that it would fully support Seungho’s plan to build his career as an actor, sending an encouraging message about his new step. “Seungho has always wanted to become an actor. Please extend your support to his passion and commitment toward acting,” said an agency official. The singer-turned-actor debuted as MBLAQ in 2009. Aside from group activities, he starred in

Performance April 25, 2017

VIXX is set to embark on a tour of Southeast Asian countries in July, according to the group’s agency Jellyfish Entertainment.  VIXX (Jellyfish Entertainment)The agency said Monday “VIXX Fan Meeting Tour in Se-Asia” will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok, among other cities. The tour kicks off July 27. “MyMusicTaste,” a Seoul-based crowdsourcing platform for music and live events, organized the event, making it meaningful, the agency added. The six-member group is also planning for

Performance April 24, 2017

BTS has been recognized as the most influential musician on social media by the ninth Shorty Awards.  BTS delivers an award acceptance speech in a YouTube video posted Sunday after winning the ninth Shorty Awards. (Screen capture from BangtanTV)The seven-member group received an award in the music category. A ceremony was held in New York on Sunday. The award recognizes an individual or a group for their real-time presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube an

Performance April 24, 2017

Imagine the shock when a boy, 8, drove up to a local McDonalds drive-through and asked for a Happy Meal. The news of the Ohio boy who learned how to drive on YouTube to get a late-night snack was a cutesy tidbit, but it also demonstrated just how easy it has become to educate oneself via new media.  “With the way technology is, more kids will learn how to do anything and everything,” a local patrolman told the Weirton Daily Times, upon witnessing the boy obeying all traffic laws and driving “eff

Culture April 23, 2017

At the turn of the century, Emperor Gojong declared Joseon an empire in a last-ditch attempt to retain independence.  A re-enactment of foreign envoys’ audience with Emperor Gojong (Cultural Heritage Administration)The move turned out to be futile, as the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) saw the country taking its last breath before being colonized by Japan. This year’s Royal Culture Festival -- from Friday to May -- will re-enact the ceremonies and rituals from the last monarchy on the Kor

Culture April 23, 2017

Soo Ae is considering returning to the big screen with the upcoming movie “Upper Class” (unofficial title), according to her agency Star J Entertainment.  Soo Ae (Herald DB)The agency recently said the actress was offered a lead role in the movie. “She is in the final phase of making the decision. She is considering the role positively,” said an agency official.  The movie, directed by director Byun Hyuk, tells a story of a woman who tries to climb the social ladder. The seasoned actress made he

Film April 23, 2017

Mamamoo is set to return in June, according to the group’s agency RBW Entertainment. Mamamoo (Yonhap)The agency said Thursday the group is currently working on a new album, while the exact date for the comeback is yet to be revealed. The four-member group will celebrate its third anniversary in June. The group debuted on June 19, 2014, with the mini album “Hello.”It released its fourth mini album “Memory” with the lead track “Decalcomanie” last November, which went on to sweep several local musi

Performance April 20, 2017

SEATTLE - The literary translation community in the US has a tradition of being highbrow, a carefully tended yet narrow reflection of the stirrings of global culture beyond the Anglosphere.Then Amazon.com jumped in, like a whale into a koi pond.Armed with financial might and an intimate, machine-learned knowledge of reader behavior, the e-commerce giant made a big splash.Gabriella Page-Fort, the editorial director for AmazonCrossing, poses for a portrait on March 8, in Seattle, while holding a c

Books April 20, 2017

Paris-based Korean pianist Paik Kun-woo is back performing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas.This is not the first time Paik is playing the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle -- he played the 32 pieces in December 2007 at Seoul Arts Center in eight concerts over a period of seven days. The concerts marked the completion of the three-year project to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas under the Decca label.Ten years later, Paik is taking Beethoven sonatas on a nationwide tour, planning to

Performance April 19, 2017

Cherry blossoms have peaked and are falling, marking the arrival of spring. In celebration of warmer days, The Korea Herald has compiled a list of 10 K-pop tunes -- old, familiar, lesser known and newly released -- for road trips and lazy days in grassy parks.  Clazziquai -- “Fiesta”　Listed in the experimental band’s 2007 album “Love Child of the Century,” “Fiesta” is an ambient techno-infused tune about taking off on an unexpected holiday to a tropical beach.f(x) -- “Traveler” feat. Zico　Like i

Performance April 18, 2017

Kim Ki-soo makes sure to captivate the audience when he films a makeup tutorial: he winks, chortles, bats his eyelashes and daintily lifts a brush with impeccably manicured fingers. “Smudge, smudge, smudge,” he repeats, patting pigment onto his eyelids. “Touch, touch, touch,” he chants while coloring his cheeks in rhythmic strokes.　“I’ve given my eyes a feline flick today,” he said at an interview with The Korea Herald last Thursday. The 39-year-old comedian-turned-beauty creator walked into the

Culture April 18, 2017

The new season of "Produce 101," Mnet's idol survival show, debuted on the top of a TV popularity index, while most prime time dramas on weekdays took a back seat, data showed Tuesday. (Yonhap)The second season of "Produce 101" scored 265.7 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), becoming the most popular TV program from April 3-9.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stories, online sea

Television April 18, 2017

Dato Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, Malaysian minister of international trade and industry, believes Malaysia and Korea can skillfully navigate the volatile world economy by enhancing partnerships tailored to 21st-century commerce.Since assuming his post in 2009, the economics-trained politician has striven to raise the competitiveness of Malaysian enterprises and bureaucracies, with an emphasis on attracting quality foreign direct investments. The key objective of the Malaysian government is to uplif

Foreign Affairs April 17, 2017

Singer Eric Nam was named one of the world’s most influential Asian celebrities by Forbes. Singer Eric Nam is featured in Forbes‘ ’30 Under 30 Asia‘ list Wednesday. (Herald DB)Forbes unveiled its 2017 “30 Under 30 Asia” list Wednesday, which features 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are making an impact in the world. The second annual list includes 30 honorees, all under age 30, for each of the 10 industries that make up the list. Nam was featured as one of the most recognized

Performance April 14, 2017

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday decided not to register “Jeungdogaja” as a national treasure, after examination results confirmed that they could not be the 13th-century metal print types used to print “Jeungdoga.”Hwang Kwon-soon, an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration, announces the results of the examination of movable metal types claimed to have been used to print “Jeungdoga.” (Yonhap)However, the agency said it was still possible that they are metal types from

Culture April 13, 2017