[Herald Review] Musical 'Yujin and Yujin' captivates Taiwanese audience

Taipei, TAIWAN -- On Nov. 25, about 160 seats of the Experimental Theater at the National Theater & Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan were full. In front of the audience were two Taiwanese actresses -- Da Tian and Lee Ling-Wei -- and a cello and piano duo. The actresses sitting facing the audience on two simple chairs turned into two characters, both named Yujin: "Big Yujin" and "Little Yujin." With their lines and dramatic songs, the two actresses led the audience into th

Dec. 5, 2023

[Herald Interview] Lee Eung-bok expresses 'Korean spirit' of monster horror in 'Sweet Home'

The star director of hit Korean TV dramas "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (2016) and "Mr. Sunshine" (2018), Lee Eung-bok is back with the much-awaited second season of Netflix's "Sweet Home." Lee's first season of "Sweet Home," a 10-part Netflix original series, gained a global following in 2020, making it to the Netflix US top 10 list as the first Korean TV drama to do so. "When I decided to direct 'Sweet Home', I didn't

Dec. 5, 2023

Lucy returns with 'Boogie Man'

Lucy is back with "Boogie Man." The K-pop rock band, which has continued its musical transformation since debuting in 2019, dropped the new single album Tuesday evening. The titular "Boogie Man" is an emo pop song with a mysterious atmosphere, straying from the refreshing energy Lucy has been known for. The funky yet intense rock sounds are a new attempt, but the sounds of Shin Ye-chan's violin revel in Lucy's unique quality. The boogie man of the song refers to ano

Dec. 5, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ V to appear in IU’s music video: report

V of BTS will appear in a music video for IU’s upcoming single, according to a local media report Tuesday. Management firms for both artists confirmed the news following the report. They have already finished shooting the visuals, said Edam Entertainment, adding that IU’s new album will be released in the first half of 2024. The shooting schedule was moved up as V is set to enlist in the military next week along with bandmates RM, Jimin and Jungkook. His label, Big Hit Music, announ

Dec. 5, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Our Season’: a relatable story for all moms and daughters

The plot of director Yuk Sang-hyo’s “Our Season” is quite simple. Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” after suddenly passing away. Despite Bok-ja’s excitement over the prospect of seeing her daughter again, she is startled to find out that Jin-joo has quit her job as a professor at UCLA and settled down in the countryside to open a restaurant. Together with Jin-joo's best friend, Mi-jin (H

Dec. 5, 2023

Can 'Singles Inferno' boost basketball's popularity?

With the third season of Netflix dating reality show "Singles Inferno" ready to release next week, one participant grabbing the eyes of local basketball fans is Lee Gwan-hee, a brash, outspoken and somewhat-controversial guard playing for the Changwon LG Sakers of the Korea Basketball League. Lee’s appearance will mark the first time an active professional athlete will appear in the wildly popular show, and fans of the mildly liked KBL are wondering if the publicity will help boo

Dec. 5, 2023

National Theater of Korea's 50th year to close with 'Song of King Sejong'

A grand-scale production featuring a blend of traditional Korean instrumental music, Western orchestra, "pansori" (Korean traditional narrative singing), choir and dance will celebrate the year's end at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK). Three state companies -- the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Orchestra of Korea -- affiliated with the NTOK have joined forces to mark the 50th anniversary of the theater's relocati

Dec. 5, 2023

[Herald Review] Munich Philharmonic sets milestones with Lim Yun-chan

The Munich Philharmonic has set several milestones while in Korea. The orchestra made a rare Korea-exclusive tour of seven concerts around the country, including one at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, where the orchestra and pianist Lim Yun-chan took the stage. It was a record-breaking concert for the center -- the tickets for the 2,953-seat Grand Theater were sold out within a minute upon ticket sales opening in August, despite the fact that the Sejong Center is not considered the be

Dec. 4, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink hits 1.9b views with ‘Kill This Love’ music video

    Blackpink’s music video for “Kill This Love” has generated 1.9 billion views on YouTube as of Monday, according to label YG Entertainment. This follows the video of “Ddu-du Ddu-du” and makes the foursome the first K-pop artist ever to have two hits to achieve the feat. The music video came out in April 2019 and was one of the top 10 most-viewed music videos in 2023 while the song hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 41, setting a record for a K-po

Dec. 4, 2023

'Single’s Inferno Season 3' returns with no-holds-barred romance

Netflix Korea's popular dating reality show "Single's Inferno" has returned with its third season, with a brand new group of young, attractive singles and a plot that moves faster than ever. “Single’s Inferno,” the first season of which debuted in December 2021, has garnered worldwide attention, with the series becoming the first Korean reality show to be listed on Netflix's global top 10 chart. Building on this success, Netflix extended the series wi

Dec. 4, 2023

Seoul Art Center highlights next-generation musicians

The Seoul Arts Center’s Inchoon Art Hall will host the last installment of a special series that highlights the rising classic musicians this month. Launched in May, the "Seoul Arts Center Inchoon Art Hall Special – The Next" series showcases talented young musicians. Throughout this year, a total of seven young musicians have been featured. The last part of the series will present pianist Park Jin-hyung, violist Yun So-hui and pianist Chon Sae-yoon, all of whom won sever

Dec. 4, 2023

P1Harmony expands reach in US with iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour

P1Harmony has expanded its presence in the US, performing in front of some 30,000 people during the annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, performing in front of some 30,000 local fans. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, a holiday concert presented by Capital One, featuring the year’s top artists performing their No. 1 hits, kicked off Nov. 26 in Tampa, Florida. The multicity tour's lineup is one of the most anticipated, particularly of the Christmas holiday season. It stops at 11 cities

Dec. 4, 2023

Itzy to drop new album, go on second world tour

JYP Entertainment’s girl group Itzy is set to release a new album, "Born to Be," on Jan. 8. The agency announced the five-member group's comeback scheduled for next year, including the album promotion schedule and the album tracklist, on its official social media accounts, Monday. The upcoming release is a 10-track studio album led by the title track, “Untouchable.” The lead track was produced by renowned K-pop lyricists and producers Lee Seuran, Jam Factory and

Dec. 4, 2023

49th Seoul Independent Film Festival to screen indie Korean animations

The 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, the only independent film festival in South Korea that features a competitive showcase, will for the first time screen independent Korean animation films from the 1980s and 1990s in local theaters. This year's Independent Film Archive Exhibition, being held alongside the film festival, will feature six indie Korean animations from the 1980s and '90s created using the cel animation method. Cel animation involves the manual creation of two-dimens

Dec. 3, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan (Hwang Jung-min), an officer in the new military. Another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan. “Five Nights at Freddy'” (US) Opened Nov. 15 Horror/Mystery Directed by Emma Tammi Mike starts working as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Spending

Dec. 2, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS member Jungkook’s ‘Golden’ 4th most-streamed on Spotify this year

The solo single from Jungkook of BTS was the fourth most-streamed song this year on Spotify, according to the platform’s year-end roundup announced Wednesday. His “Seven (feat. Latto)” ranked No. 4 on Spotify’s Top 10 Songs Globally, after “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Kill Bill” by SZA and “As It Was” by Harry Styles. The single was No. 1 on its Global Top K-Pop Songs of the Year list. He earned a Guinness World Record with the single fo

Dec. 1, 2023

[Herald Interview] ‘Our Season’ Kim Hae-sook wants to play mothers of all kinds

Veteran actor Kim Hae-sook, mostly known for her mother role in hit projects “My Brother” (2004), “Sunflower” (2006) and “Mom” (2010), stars once again as a mother in “Our Season.” Kim plays Bok-ja, a deceased woman who has come to visit her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) in the world of the living as part of her “vacation from heaven” led by a guide (Kang Ki-young). While Bok-ja can see her daughter from a close distance, Jin-joo cannot

Dec. 1, 2023

Ateez closes 1st chapter of career with 'The World Ep. Fin: Will’

K-pop boy group Ateez dropped its second full-length album “The World Ep. Fin: Will” on Friday. “It took us four years to release our second studio album. This album wraps up our five years as Ateez and previews what is to come in the following years. Also, we included some unit and solo singles in this album for the first time ever,” said the group’s leader Hong Joong during a press conference in Seoul. The new album carries a total of 12 tracks led by the title tr

Dec. 1, 2023

Lee Jung-jae donates W50m to support senior actors

Actor Lee Jung-jae has donated 50 million won ($38,000) to the Korean Senior Filmmaker Association to support members of the local film industry, according to Shin Young Kyun Arts and Culture Foundation. The donation included the 20 million won the actor received in prize money for the film artist award at the 13th Beautiful Artist Award organized by the Shin Young Kyun foundation in October. “Whenever I hear of senior members inthe industry who devoted their youth to film but are living a

Dec. 1, 2023

BM of Kard to return solo with single ‘Lowkey’ this month

BM from the co-ed quartet Kard is set to make a solo comeback this month for the first time in more than a year. According to RBW, BM is releasing his third single, “Lowkey,” on Dec. 7. This is his first solo comeback after releasing his second single, “Strangers,” in August 2022. BM has been expanding his career spectrum as a solo artist by releasing various singles he composed and wrote the lyrics to. The artist announced his comeback by releasing a teaser poster on his

Dec. 1, 2023