Baby KARA, a group of contestants vying to join K-pop girl group KARA, reportedly drew about 2,000 Japanese fans on the street in Yokohama, Japan, even before their official debut, its management agency said on Tuesday.  (MBC)The fourth episode of “KARA Project,” scheduled to air on Tuesday, will feature Baby KARA’s members taking the stage in Yokohama Tama Plaza to impress Japanese fans. The venue is where a slew of K-pop idol groups perform for local promotions. “The locals’ interest in Baby K

June 17, 2014

 Four main actors and actresses of tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday drama “High School King of Savvy” decided to offer viewers a treat if they exceed the target viewer ratings.Through its official site, the “High School King of Savvy” film crew released photos of Seo In-guk, Lee Ha-na, Lee Soo-hyuk and Lee Yul-eum, revealing a unique pledge to viewers. “If the viewer ratings exceed 3 percent, then I will try my best to get actors’ cherished goods and present them as gifts,” said Seo In-guk.Lee Ha-na sai

June 17, 2014

Fame and wealth may be what hot celebrities commonly gain. In addition to these, some of the stars accumulate their wealth in real-estate. Against this backdrop, The Korea Herald has singled out the top five celebrities who drew attention for their real estate assets. The below may not necessarily reflect the accurate level of their income as it is only listed in terms of the buildings they own. 1. Lee Soo-man (OSEN)SM Entertainment founding chairman Lee Soo-man topped the chart for owning a bui

June 17, 2014

 Chun-ji, a member of Teen Top, will debut as a musical actor.“Chun-ji, who debuted as a charming vocalist of Teen Top in 2010, has been cast in the musical "Caffeine," his agency announced on Tuesday.“Caffeine” premiered in 2008, and has been loved by many musical fans in Korea and Japan. The story is based on wine and coffee, and only two actors, a woman and a man, perform in the musical, causing fans to anticipate Chun-ji’s focused acting and singing.Chun-ji is to play Kang Ji-min, a confiden

June 17, 2014

Lee Jun-ki and Nam Sang-mi conveyed messages of support to the Korean national soccer team at the 2014 Brazil World Cup ahead of its first match with Russia. In the picture, the two beam, holding placards that say “Joseon’s Gunman Supports the Korean National Team.”  They also hold up their fists in victory.Lee and Nam currently busy as they travel all over Korea for their upcoming drama “Joseon’s Gunman.” “Still, we won’t miss Korea’s first match in the 2014 Brazil World Cup. All of our cast an

June 17, 2014

A video of AKMU singing Taeyang’s newly released song, “Eyes, Nose, Lips” was revealed Monday, YG Entertainment said.The management agency of both AKMU and Taeyang announced the uploading on its blog at midnight, with a photo of AKMU and a message that promised an upcoming series called “Cover Project by YG Family 001.”This upcoming series will be followed by more collaborations between the agency’s artists. Fans of YG Family -- all the artists under the agency -- are waiting in anticipation as

June 17, 2014

A pictorial of Taeyang, member of K-pop boy group Big Bang, was released Tuesday, in which the idol oozes sex appeal by posing topless closely with female models.  (Vogue Korea)In the photo unveiled by Vogue Korea on Twitter, Taeyang is wraps one hand around a model’s waist, while lifting the skirt up of another model. (Khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 17, 2014

(MBC)World Cup fever has taken hold in the Korean entertainment industry, driving many stars to appear on soccer-related programs and sing songs in support of the national team.Sistar’s Hyorin performed Brazil’s all-time favorite dance, the samba, attracting half a million views on YouTube. During “Idol’s Futsal Soccer Competition,” which aired on Thursday, K-pop girl groups fought their way to the stage to cheer. Four teams flaunted their cheerleading skills, adding variety and color to the Wor

June 17, 2014

The actress Clara revealed on Tuesday wedding photos taken in shoots with International bnt News. (bnt)Wearing various glamorous and classic wedding dresses, Clara highlighted her curves. (bnt)(bnt)To focus on the dresses, she opted for a simple hairstyle. (bnt)(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 17, 2014

Hallyu star Jun Ji-hyun was spotted working out at a Chinese gym. A picture of Jun exercising at a gym was posted on Weibo by one of her fans. The picture is being circulated online. Wearing a comfortable fitness outfit, Jun concentrated on running and stretching, the photo showed. Jun has been exercising regularly to keep her muscles toned, sources said.(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 17, 2014

 Akdong Musician (AKMU), a brother-sister pop duo, did a cover of Taeyang’s song “Eyes, Nose, Lips,” captivating K-pop fans.YG Entertainment released the video of the song on its official blog on Monday. (Twitter)Not only their talent, but also their unique style caught viewers’ eyes. After watching the video, G-Dragon posted “cute” to his Twitter with a link to the cover. Also, AKMU’s teaser image included “Cover Projects by YG Family 001,” which aroused viewer’s curiosity regarding who will be

June 17, 2014

2NE1 member Park Bom was surprised about foreign fans’ interest in her relationship with actor Lee Dong-wook, both of whom appeared in SBS “Good Sunday -- Roommate.”Park Bom said many “BODONG” banners were hung around a press conference packed with many fans in the Philippines. “BODONG” is a combination of the two celebrities’ names.　“BODONG” banners also appeared at the 2NE1 concert in the Philippines. Park’s fans were hoping for a relationship to develop between Park and Lee. “’BODONG’ banners

June 17, 2014

Actor Lee Min-ki revealed a past relationship with an older woman on JTBC’s talk show “Witch Hunt” on Friday.When an emcee asked, “How much older?” Lee answered “6 years older,” surprising members of the audience.“As time passed by, we became sort of a couple naturally,” he said about they started dating. When asked about his current relationship status, Lee said he was still single. “I could not date women a lot when I was a model,” Lee said. Lee starred in a movie “For the King,” which was rel

June 17, 2014

Psy will perform onstage Wednesday in front of crowds gathered on the Yeongdong road in southern Seoul to watch the Korea-Russia World Cup match. The South Korean pop star, is expected to perform his new song “Hangover” live for the first time. The exact time of his appearance and content of the performance are not yet decided.  As the grassy square in front of City Hall, the usual spot for street cheering during the World Cup, has turned into memorial altar for the victims of the Sewol tragedy,

June 17, 2014

Last year, the average Korean adult read 9.2 books, according to an annual report by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a gradual decrease from 10.8 books in 2011 and 9.9 books in 2012. Today, with smartphones no longer just gadgets for the tech-savvy, but necessities for everyone, society’s attention has been diverted from books. In light of the changing environment, an international book fair will begin in Seoul this week to promote reading and expand the Korean publishing industry w

BooksJune 16, 2014

DOHA (AFP) ― Inca trails spanning six countries and a French cave with some of the earliest known paintings are among the sites expected to get World Heritage status at a UNESCO meeting that started Sunday in Doha.Altogether at least 30 natural and cultural sites, including the Arbil Citadel in Iraq’s Kurdistan, are vying to get the United Nations cultural body’s prestigious distinction and add their names to an already 981-strong list.The June 15-25 World Heritage Committee gathering will also

CultureJune 16, 2014

Encompassing nearly every aspect of human emotion ― love, joy, agony and tortuous regret leading to an ultimate scene of forgiveness ― it’s no wonder why “Giselle” is one of the most popularly reprised and haunting ballet masterpieces of the Romantic era. A young peasant girl with a weak heart, both figuratively and literally, is caught in a love triangle between fellow villager Hilarion and the handsome Albrecht. Yet, even with Hilarion’s full-hearted confession of love to Giselle, the emotiona

PerformanceJune 16, 2014

Over 100,000 EDM fans and music lovers came out to Olympic Stadium at Sports Complex in Seoul last weekend for the heart-thumping beats produced by the world’s top DJs at this year’s Ultra Music Festival Korea.On Friday and Saturday, the entire ground floor of the Olympic arena was transformed into the nation’s largest outdoor club. Spread out over four stages, thousands of festival attendees enjoyed an array of electronica music delivered by big-name DJs including Steve Angello, Above & Beyond,

PerformanceJune 16, 2014

South Korea has not given up on the six-party talks, but there must be tangible progress before talks can be resumed, a senior diplomat said Monday at the World Journalists Conference in Seoul.“The history of the six-party talks has seen far more failure than success. North Korea should be more responsible with its actions and words,” South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong told journalists from around the world at a special lecture during the second World Journalists Conference, hosted

PeopleJune 16, 2014