K-pop singer HyunA will be hosting a free fan meeting in Seoul to celebrate 10 years in the business.Titled “Fantopia, HyunA Land,” the event will take place on Feb. 17 at Sogang University’s Mary Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul.A total of 200 tickets, free of charge, are available at HyunA’s official fan cafe, cafe.daum.net/cube-hyuna.HyunA performs at Club Button on Saturday. (Official Facebook)HyunA debuted in 2007 with girl group 4Minute, which rose to fame through hit songs including “Hot Issue” and

Performance Feb. 7, 2017

Two sci-fi thriller films set to hit theaters this month take place in the alternate realities of dreams and games.“Lucid Dream,” opening Feb. 22, stars Go Soo as a journalist whose specialty lies in exposing corruption inside big companies. To recover his kidnapped son, the character uses his ability to remain conscious in a dream state to retrace his memory back three years to the time of the incident.The film also introduces various notions related to the mystery of human sleep, including col

Film Feb. 6, 2017

Singer-producer Zion.T’s song “Complex,” from his recent album “OO,” was selected among the “Best of the Week” by the US’ Apple Music on Sunday.“Complex,” a moody tune that sings about personal insecurities, features rapper-producer G-Dragon of K-pop group Big Bang.Every week, the “Best of the Week” list selects new tracks released by artists from around the world. Also listed among the 50 songs were Eminem’s “No Favors” and Imagine Dragon’s “Believer.”  Album cover image of Zion.T’s new album “

Performance Feb. 6, 2017

Korean webtoons -- online comic strips -- have in recent years become the basis of various successful drama series, including “Cheese in the Trap” (2016), “The Girl Who Sees Smells” (2015) and “Misaeng” (2014). Rich in themes and offering timely commentaries on Korea’s current societal issues such as job unavailability and lookism, webtoons are now read by over 10 million readers here out of the country’s 50 million population, according to a report released Friday by the Korea Creative Content

Culture Feb. 5, 2017

Two special episodes of the hit drama series “Guardian: The Great and Lonely God” aired on Friday and Saturday, revealing behind-the-scenes collaboration among the cast and the secrets of the show’s costumes and special effects.　The episodes, narrated by cast members Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na, showed a cheerful set. Scenes featured Kim Go-eun, who played the high-school student Ji Eun-tak, bursting into laughter at the goofy antics of Gong Yoo, who portrayed the immortal god Kim Shin. The swor

Television Feb. 5, 2017

The first two episodes of the new drama series “Tomorrow With You” aired on Friday and Saturday, featuring a mix of time-travel fantasy and destined romance.The first episode kicked off with a 3.9 percent viewership while ratings for the second episode slipped slightly to 2.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. Though the figures are lagging when compared to the pilot of the preceding show “Guardian: The Great and Lonely God,” which averaged a 6.9 percent viewership, viewers responded with favo

Television Feb. 5, 2017

Returning to television drama after 14 years, Lee Young-ae said she wants to portray a passionate, modern rendition of a historical figure in her latest role. “Saimdang, Light’s Diary,” which launches Thursday at 10 p.m. on SBS, alternates between the present and the past. Lee plays both Seo Ji-yoon, an art history student living in modern-day Seoul, and Shin Saimdang, a famed poet, artist and scholar of the Joseon era, as their lives overlap.“I thought it would be interesting if I could show th

Television Jan. 25, 2017

Yet another fantasy romance series -- “Tomorrow With You”-- is set to follow the recently concluded hit tvN series “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” which featured a hybrid of modern times and traditional Korean fairy-tale elementsA love story featuring time travel, mystery and intrigue, “Tomorrow With You” is a “a mix of genres,” according to its producer Yoo Je-won, who spoke at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. “But it’s very heartwarming and comforting,” he said. “I hope viewers foc

Television Jan. 23, 2017

K-pop quartet 2NE1’s farewell song “Goodbye” has topped iTunes charts in eight Southeast Asian countries, while its music video surpassed 4.5 million views as of Sunday. The song, a ballad bidding goodbye to the group’s fans, ranked first on the iTunes charts of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines, upon its release Saturday.　The song’s lyrics, co-written by 2NE1’s leader CL and Oh Hyuk of Hyuk Oh Band, expresses wistfulness about the breakup of

Performance Jan. 22, 2017

Soprano Hong Eun-sie is holding a solo recital at the Chamber Hall of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday.Hong, 29, studied in Italy after graduating from Seoul National University’s College of Music and returned to Korea in 2015. She graduated with top scores from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan and also studied at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado there. Hong also completed the canto course at Rome’s Arena Academy.“When I was young, I wanted to bec

Performance Jan. 22, 2017

The King(Korea)Opened Jan. 18Drama, thriller. Directed by Kim Sung-suProsecutor Park Tae-soo (Zo In-sung) thirsts for unlimited power and wealth in Korean society, and is willing to go to any lengths to obtain them. He meets Han Gang-sik (Jung Woo-sung), a ruthless politician who wields endless influence in the country through his wealth, numerous connections and schemes. The two revel in their power until one day, things come crashing down. Moana(US)Opened Jan. 12Animation, adventure. Directed

Film Jan. 20, 2017

Through the ups and downs of his career, the name M. Night Shyamalan has always been synonymous with one thing: twist. While watching his films, it’s easy to spend more time wondering if he will or won’t, and how he’ll twist. It can take away the power of what’s actually on screen -- which is a shame when the filmmaking and performances are particularly exceptional. In the multiple-personality psycho-thriller “Split,” Anya Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy shine as predator and prey who understand eac

Film Jan. 20, 2017

To most Korean moviegoers and fellow actors, Jung Woo-sung is best known for his role in Kim Sung-su’s 1997 gangster film “Beat.” He plays a teenager who drops out of high school -- something Jung also did in real life, due to his family’s poverty and his desire to pursue an acting career -- and is forced into the world of gangsters. Jung is often referred to as “the celebrity’s celebrity” here. Many actors who debuted in later years, including Hyun Bin and Park Hae-jin, confessed to having idol

Film Jan. 19, 2017

Female-led films and storylines will likely be a rarity on the big screen in 2017. Korean cinema this year, similar to previous years, seems set to be rife with political thrillers that critique its players’ individual greed and ambition, while focusing on male characters. According to tentative schedules released by some of Korea’s major film distributors CJ Entertainment, Lotte Entertainment, Showbox and Next Entertainment World, the majority of films awaiting release in the upcoming months ar

Film Jan. 16, 2017

The public perception of actor Yoo Hae-jin has changed over the years. In the early years of his career, he was regarded primarily as a comical sidekick before being recognized as a colorful supporting actor in Korean cinema. Last year, Yoo nabbed his first lead role after 24 years in show business. He starred in the action-comedy flick “Luck-Key” as an assassin-turned-struggling actor, and the film was a box office success here, selling over 6.5 million tickets and marking a breakthrough for Yo

Film Jan. 15, 2017