Proof of Innocence(Korea)Opened June 16Crime, Drama. Directed by Kwon Jong-kwanOnce a model cop, Pil-jae (Kim Myung-min) now brokers cases to lawyers. One day, he and his lawyer partner (Sung Dong-il) receive a mysterious letter from a criminal on death row claiming his innocence. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows(U.S.)Opened June 16Action, Fantasy. Directed by David GreenThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are living in secret, when a villain, Shredder, joins forces with mad scienti

Film June 17, 2016

A second woman has filed a complaint against actor and singer Park Yoo-chun for sexual assault, police said Thursday.　The complaint comes after the woman who previously claimed sexual assault by Park last week withdrew the charge Wednesday morning. Police, however, said the same day that they would investigate the case nonetheless. 　The second woman claimed she was assaulted by Park on June 12 in much the same manner as the first woman, inside a bathroom at a Gangnam bar in which she worked, pol

Performance June 16, 2016

Award-winning translator Deborah Smith said Wednesday that staying faithful to the spirit of a text was her priority. And the spirit that she tried to preserve in Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” was one of “tenderness and terror at the same time, never too far one way, always this very perfect balance,” said Smith at a press conference held at the Seoul International Book Fair on Wednesday.“The style was so controlled, restrained, without being cold and indifferent, and so those two things were the

Books June 15, 2016

“The Truth Beneath” tries a little too hard to thwart expectations at every turn. Director Lee Kyoung-mi had previously said she wanted to “avoid the typical” in this film. The result is a plot that lacks logic, characters that are frenzied but hollow, and a jarring mix of genres.　Lee, whose 2008 comedy “Crush and Blush” received favorable reviews, has returned with a thriller starring actress Son Ye-jin as the harangued heroine. 　Son, known primarily for detailed romantic portrayals, and Kim Jo

Film June 15, 2016

Since the smash-hit drama series “Descendants of the Sun” ended its 16-part run, speculation has abounded as to who is to succeed Song Joong-ki -- who played dashing Army Capt. Yoo Si-jin -- as Asia’s next leading heartthrob. 　From medical dramas to period pieces, an ambitious roster of TV shows starring some of the country’s most in-demand male leads are scheduled to launch in the coming months.Actor Kim Rae-won in “Punch” (SBS)　First up is the SBS show “Doctors,” featuring actor Kim Rae-won as

Television June 14, 2016

While the tradition of busking -- performing music outdoors for passersby -- is appreciated as a spontaneous display of creativity unique to indie musicians, a growing number of K-pop groups are straying from the confines of their scrupulously set stages to roam the streets. 　Live outdoor performances allow management-led singers to show off their talents, display a more carefree side, stripped of K-pop’s notoriously choreographed stage sequences, and bond with the crowd. In addition, with live

Performance June 13, 2016

This year’s Seoul International Book Fair, set to take place next week at Coex Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul will highlight French and Italian books, the annual book fair organizers said at a press conference Wednesday.　France, invited as the “Culture Focus” country, will introduce a new generation of French writers, said Anthony Chaumuzeau, director of the French Institute in Seoul. From left: French writer Antoine Laurain (Philippe Matsas/Seoul International Book Fair), French cook a

Books June 8, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- An online resource for literary content is hoping to create the publishing equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes.Literary Hub (lithub.com) announced Tuesday the launch of Book Marks, compiling reviews from more than 70 outlets ranging from the New York Times to the Las Vegas Weekly. Reviews will include links to the original publications, and individual books will be assigned composite letter grades by Lit Hub editors. Any work that has been reviewed three or more times will be listed i

Books June 8, 2016

Ultra Korea, also known as Ultra Music Festival Korea, has come around again this year, offering partygoers and music fans in Korea a rare chance to see some of the world’s most acclaimed electronic musicians. 　In celebration of its fifth anniversary this year, the festival will go on for three days instead of the usual two, at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium from Friday until Sunday. 　Headliners will include world-class acts such as Avicii, Afrojack and Armin van Buuren, all of whom previously took to

Performance June 7, 2016

Solo albums released by K-pop singers Jonghyun, Tiffany and Jessica are ranking high on the Billboard World Albums Chart.　The most recent chart, which shows the results for the week of June 11, lists SHINee’s lead vocalist Jonghyun’s first album “She Is,” released on May 24, at the No. 4 spot.  　Reports say the position is a testament to the continued global popularity of five-member group SHINee, which debuted in 2008 under S.M. Entertainment. Lead vocalist Jonghyun of boy group SHINee (S.M. En

Performance June 3, 2016

EXID　“Street”　Banana Culture 　Five-member K-pop girl group EXID dropped its first LP album, consisting of 13 tracks and titled “Street,” on Wednesday. The album is coproduced by Shinsadong Tiger and EXID’s LE, who shows off her rapping, songwriting and producing talents here.　Over the past four years, EXID has released four digital singles and two EPs. 　The new album’s title track “L.I.E,” composed partly by LE, shows EXID in a significantly different light from last year’s hit tracks “Up & Down

Performance June 3, 2016

The Handmaiden(Korea)Opened June 1Thriller, Drama. Directed by Park Chan-wookHorror Stories III(Korea)Opened June 1 Horror. Directed by Min Kyu-dong, Kim Gok, Kim Sun, Baek Seung-binIn a futuristic universe, a girl arrives on a planet ruled by machines and begins to tell an omnibus story of horror-filled experiences involving human beings (Lim Seul-ong, Park Jung-min, Kyung Soo-jin) and why she had to escape.Me Before You(U.S.)Opened June 1Romance, Drama. Directed by Thea SharrockA small town En

Film June 3, 2016

In his movies, Greek writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos sets up surreal, outlandish premises and then pulls you inside, so the nonsensical takes on weighty, emotional import. In 2007’s Oscar-nominated “Dogtooth,” the lives of the members of a screwed-up family served as an exploration of misbegotten parenting and the perils of strict idealism. In 2011’s “Alps,” a group of eccentrics hired themselves out to people mourning the recent death of a loved one, examining the ways in which we all sometime

Film June 3, 2016

According to Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, it is significant that the Korean word for “desire” -- “baram” -- is also a homonym of the word for “wind.” 　“Like the wind, desire is rough, intense and sudden, but it also provides useful inspiration. Isn’t this what all literature attempts to show?” posed the French-Mauritian writer and Nobel laureate at a lecture titled “Korea, a Culture of Desires” in Seoul on Wednesday. 　“Literature has traditionally depicted diverse forms of desire

Books June 2, 2016

At the end of June, Big Bang will release a movie tracing the world tour concerts the group held last year, YG Entertainment said Wednesday. The film, titled “Big Bang MADE,” will open June 30 exclusively at CGV theaters in Korea. The group’s agency YG released a poster for the film on its official blog and social media outlets Wednesday. “Big Bang MADE” recounts the group’s 66 concerts held across 32 cities throughout 13 countries in North and South America, Australia and Asia from last April t

Performance June 1, 2016