Director Hong Sang-soo and actress Kim Min-hee attended the Berlin International Film Festival together on Thursday, marking their first public appearance together since reports of their extramarital affair surfaced last June.The two spoke at a press conference that followed the press screening of their latest film “On the Beach at Night Alone,” helmed and penned by Hong. It is the only Korean film competing in the main competition category of the film fest’s 67th edition.“On the Beach at Night

Film Feb. 17, 2017

Director Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden” has surpassed $2 million in ticket sales as of Sunday, according to Box Office Mojo, a ticket sales chart operated by IMDB. The film ranked 65th on the Box Office Mojo list, despite opening at just five theaters in the US in October last year. By the fourth week of its run, “The Handmaiden” was being screened at 123 theaters, gaining moderate popularity. “The Handmaiden” (CJ Entertainment)The acclaimed Korean director has previously showcased works in N

Film Feb. 16, 2017

The upcoming film “One Line” starring In Si-wan and Jin Goo has been confirmed for a March release, the film’s distributor Next Entertainment World said Wednesday. NEW released a poster for the film, announcing it will hit local theaters near the end of March. The film is a crime thriller that tells the story of an ordinary university student, Min-jae, who joins a team of veteran scammers to steal money from a bank. Im will play Min-jae, the handsome student who is naturally skilled at the art o

Film Feb. 15, 2017

Following the joint Korea-US decision to deploy THAAD battery in Korea last July, a de facto hallyu ban has been in place in China. Following is the first article in a three-part series that examines the impact of the unofficial hallyu ban on the Korean entertainment industry. --Ed.While Beijing has reportedly been banning Korean content within China since last August, the unstoppable flow of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, seems to be seeping into the country through online channels.On a greater sc

Television Feb. 15, 2017

Kim Seong-kon, president of the Literary Translation Institute of Korea, will be receiving an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the State University of New York.　The degree will be conferred in a ceremony on May 19 at the University of Buffalo.Each year, on the recommendation of campus presidents, faculties and a statewide committee on honorary degrees, SUNY confers a select number of honorary degrees upon individuals of “extraordinary merit and achievement in their fields,” according to

People Feb. 15, 2017

Acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho’s son Hyo-min has made his directorial debut with the short film “Wedding” aired on Feb. 5 on cable channel JTBC2, local entertainment outlet Star News reported Monday.About 15 minutes long, it is the fourth in an ongoing film project titled “Directors TV Web Movie” led by YGKPlus, a modeling and acting agency arm of the entertainment behemoth YG Entertainment. “Wedding” features actor Son Ho-joon as its lead character Ji-hwan, a deaf man who attends an old high s

Film Feb. 14, 2017

Taeyeon is set to return with a new song sometime around the end of February, local media reported Monday, quoting unnamed sources in the K-pop industry.The Girls’ Generation lead vocalist has produced various chart-topping solo tracks, including “I,” “Gemini,” “Rain,” “Why” and her latest single “11:11,” which was released in November.  Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)“A new song is always in the works,” Taeyeon wrote via her social media account after the news broke. “People are so impatient.”“Tae

Performance Feb. 14, 2017

Han Suk-kyu and Kim Rae-won share a common hobby -- fishing. Talking about their teamwork on the upcoming film “Prison” in an interview released by Showbox, the film’s distributor, Monday, the two actors said they bonded over fishing.“We’ve talked a lot about life and acting while fishing together over the years,” said Han. “We always wondered when we would be able to work together,” said Kim. Han Suk-kyu (left) and Kim Rae-won star in “Prison.” (Showbox)“What I lacked, Kim made up for, and what

Film Feb. 13, 2017

As the unofficial election season looms, presidential hopefuls are reaching out to younger voters by showing a more genial side of themselves on TV talk shows.Korean politicians have traditionally adopted a formal, scripted approach in their public appearances, but began appearing on nonnews entertainment programs during the 2012 election. Then-presidential candidates Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in went on the talk show “Healing Camp, Aren’t You Happy,” chatting in a relaxed setting about their p

Television Feb. 13, 2017

Girl group Twice has revealed the track list for a new album titled “TWICEcoaster: LANE 2,” set to release on Feb. 20. The album will consist of 13 songs, including remixes of the K-pop group’s three consecutive hit releases “Ooh-Ahh,” “Cheer Up” and “TT.” The lead track for the new album, “Knock Knock,” will be another bubbly pop-dance track, according to the group’s label JYP Entertainment.　 Track list for Twice’s upcoming album, to be released on Feb. 20 (JYP Entertainment)The album is a “spe

Performance Feb. 12, 2017

A rising culinary trend dubbed “semi-home-cooking” delivers to a very specific consumer base: people who are wary of eating out but do not want the hassle of cooking -- and cleaning up -- in their own kitchens.A number of services have begun selling “food boxes,” where prepped ingredients -- prewashed, peeled, sliced and diced -- and sauces are delivered straight to their door, often on the day of order, for hassle-free cooking.A box for the Korean staple doenjang jjigae from food box service My

Food Feb. 10, 2017

The soon-to-be-disbanded Wonder Girls released the cover image for final single “Draw Me” on Thursday.The image depicts watercolor versions of the group’s four current members.Yubin, Yeeun, Sunmi and Hyerim all contributed to the songwriting and lyrics-writing process, according to the album label JYP Entertainment. 　Cover image for Wonder Girls’ final single “Draw Me” (JYP Entertainment)On Saturday, JYP announced the disbandment of Wonder Girls, which rose to icon status after a decade of catch

Performance Feb. 9, 2017

Director Hong Sang-soo is making his third foray to the Berlinale, or Berlin International Film Festival, with the film “On the Beach at Night Alone,” which stars his alleged lover Kim Min-hee.The seemingly autobiographical film features Kim as the lead character who wanders a seaside town in torment over an affair with a married man, according to Internet Movie Database, though its international distributor Finecut did not confirm the plot. 　The film is scheduled to be screened on Feb. 16. Hong

Film Feb. 8, 2017

“Bluebeard,” a thriller directed by Lee Su-yeon starring Cho Jin-woong, has been invited to three prominent international film events -- the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, the Far East Film Festival held in Udine, Italy, and the Hawaii International Film Festival.Brussels film festival programmer Freddy Bozzo called it a suspenseful movie with a striking climax, while programmer Sabrina Baracetti of the Udine festival said the film had significant tension, according to reports.H

Film Feb. 8, 2017

“Interview: A New Musical” will open in New York City on Friday, becoming the first original Korean musical, written and composed by Korean artists, to be mounted off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Clement’s. A preview took place Tuesday.　The show features original music by Huh Soo-hyun and lyrics by Choo Jung-hwa, translated by Bryan Michaels. It premiered at Soo Hyun Jae Theater in Seoul in September last year, later running sold-out shows in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan.The work’s New York staging

Performance Feb. 7, 2017