Legendary Korean R&B trio, Solid, is to return to the music scene with a new album after a 21-year absence. After rumors surrounding the band’s return surfaced in the recent months, the trio officially announced that it will release a new album titled “Into the Light” on March 22.  Teaser image of “Into the Light” (Solid)Solid -- consisting of Chong Jae-yoon, Lee Joon and Kim Jo-han -- was an iconic R&B act in the Korean music industry in the 1990s. Debuting in 1993, the group sold over 4 millio

Performance March 11, 2018

After G-Dragon of Big Bang enlisted in the Army in February, the military training center is experiencing difficulties with an excessive number of fan mail addressed to the global star. The singer-rapper’s agency, YG Entertainment, issued a notice on its social media account and website Saturday. The statement read, “G-Dragon is in a difficult position within his military unit as the amount of incoming mail from fans is excessive.”  G-Dragon enters the basic training camp at Cheorwon, Gangwon Pr

Performance March 11, 2018

Sannakji, sliced raw octopus, is definitely an eye-catcher. Looking at a plate of squiggling octopus parts, many wonder if it is dead or alive. While Koreans love to eat octopus prepared in different ways -- braised, stir-fried and stewed, for example -- eating it raw is also a popular choice. Contrary to the scene in director Park Chan-wook‘s ”Oldboy“ where the protagonist takes a whole live octopus and bites off its head before proceeding to stuff the whole thing into his mouth, the tentacles

Food March 11, 2018

Rose scented stay at Park Hyatt SeoulFor those who are looking for a relaxing city escape, Park Hyatt Seoul has prepared the Spring at the Park package. After a relaxing night enjoying the city night scape, guests can enjoy Korean or western-style breakfast in their rooms. A rose scented air freshener from premium perfume brand Diptyque will be offered to fill up the rooms with the fragrance of the flower. For those who are staying at Suite rooms, a bottle of red wine will be provided as well. T

Food March 9, 2018

Pa kimchi is made with tender green onions (also called scallions). It’s a popular kimchi in the spring, when jjokpa is in season. Jjokpa is a small variety of green onions that has dark green leaves and slightly bulged out white stems. They are sweet with a nice aroma, making it perfect for dishes such as pa kimchi and pajeon. If jjokpa is not available, use silpa which simply is regular green onions that are harvested early when they are young and tender. Typically, pa kimchi is seasoned with

Food March 9, 2018

MBC’s new Monday-Tuesday drama “The Great Seducer” aims to show the value of love through characters who don’t believe in it. Park Soo-young, better known as Red Velvet‘s Joy, and rising star Woo Do-hwan are to play the lead roles. In the drama, they are young 20-somethings. After being hurt by family issues, the two do not believe that love exists. Woo will try to seduce Park, as his friend suggests a “dangerous love game.” The storyline is based on the famed French novel “Dangerous Liaisons,”

Television March 8, 2018

From March 16, Netflix subscribers will be able to enjoy a “good laugh” from a stand-up comedy show by Korean TV personality Yoo Byung-jae. A Netflix original, “Yoo Byung-jae: Too Much Information,” is the first Korean entertainment show produced by the world’s leading internet entertainment service.  The poster for “Yoo Byung-jae: Too Much Information” on Netflix (Netflix)Yoo shot the show in 2017 and pre-released short clips have been popular, gaining more than 10 million views online. Yoo was

Television March 8, 2018

More allegations of sexual assault involving filmmaker Kim Ki-duk and actor Cho Jae-hyun were raised Tuesday night in an episode of MBC’s investigative news show “PD’s Notepad.”Kim, who has won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, has been accused of sexually assaulting an actress, while veteran actor Cho has been accused of sexually assaulting staff on set and students at a college where he taught.  Kim Ki-duk (left) and Cho Jae-hyun celebrate winning the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice

Film March 7, 2018

Park Shin-hye and Choi Tae-joon are in a romantic relationship. Choi’s agency Huayi Brothers announced in a statement Wednesday, “After being close friends, as they went to the same university, Park and Choi started dating at the end of last year.”A few hours earlier in the day, there had been news reports claiming that the two had been dating for a year, along with photos of them on a date.  Park Shin-hye (Agatha) and Choi Tae-joon (Huayi Brothers)Park’s agency, Salt Entertainment, denied the c

Television March 7, 2018

TvN’s new drama series “Live” features countless police officers. But there aren’t any amazing heroes, thrilling cases or exciting mysteries. Rather than focusing on spectacular events, the overall plot centers on the everyday lives of average police officers.Jung Yu-mi and Lee Kwang-soo play the lead roles in the Saturday-Sunday drama, as rookies who just started at a busy patrol division. They learn to handle drunken citizens, find lost children and help out with the daily difficulties of the

Television March 6, 2018

Aiming to be more than just a grand fashion showcase for local designers, 2018 F/W HERA Seoul Fashion Week intends to be a bridge for local brands to reach out to overseas markets. The fashion event will take place from March 19 to 24 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, serving as a venue for an intensive examination of Korea’s fashion scene.  The poster for the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week (Seoul Design Foundation)　A total of 40 local fashion brands are to participate through the S

Arts & Design March 6, 2018

Amid controversy surrounding his graduate school admission, CNBLUE’s Jung Yong-hwa enlisted in the military Monday. Jung joined the five-week basic training at a boot camp in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province. His agency had said Jung would like to begin his service quietly without official fan events, but some 300 fans gathered at the scene to say goodbye to the star.  Singer Jung Yong-hwa shows off his buzz cut in this photo shared through his Twitter account on Sunday, to say goodbye to fans before

Performance March 5, 2018

At a media briefing for the JTBC drama “Misty” on Friday, actress Kim Nam-joo showed up dressed in a luxurious black suit. While a black outfit for a formal occasion may seem ordinary, the suit was explicitly chosen to express the lead actress’ support for the ongoing #MeToo movement. Actress Kim Nam-joo wears a black suit at a press conference Friday at Digital Media City in Seoul. (JTBC)Kim was falling in line with dozens of celebrities who wore black at January’s Golden Globe Awards to show t

Television March 4, 2018

Romantic night at Grand Hyatt SeoulFor couples who want to enjoy some private time away from the crowds in the city, Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel offers a special package, including a one-night stay and a breakfast buffet for two. After spending a relaxing night at the hotel, guests can enjoy a scenic view of the city, having breakfast at the hotel’s lobby restaurant, Terrace. Continental breakfast menu is served with waffles and pancakes. Also, a bottle of red wine and fruit will be provided in the

Food March 4, 2018

It’s pretty unusual for a staff member of a Nordic embassy to be a household name in Korea, but Petri Kalliola, a project coordinator at the Embassy of Finland, has made his mark in an unusual way. When he is not at the office, he can often be seen on TV entertainment shows, introducing his country to Korean viewers. Kalliola says his employer, the Finnish Embassy, has been supportive of his TV activities. He thanked his colleagues for putting up with his erratic schedule, but emphasized that hi

People March 4, 2018