2NE1’s Park Bom appears at concert in Japan

K-pop girl group 2NE1 embarked on a tour around Japan as part of its world tour concert series “All or Nothing,” despite the uproar over its member Park Bom’s alleged drug scandal. The quartet enthralled some 17,000 fans at the two-hour concert last Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.   The members expressed excitement about seeing the fans at the concert, with Sandara Park saying, “I am so glad to meet you all,” Minzy saying, “I wanted to hang out with you,” and CL saying, “Let’s enjoy it together.” 2

July 6, 2014

Kim Tae-young meets Tang Wei’s parents

Korean film director Kim Tae-yong on Friday paid respects to his prospective parents-in-law in Beijing, accompanied by his Chinese fiancee Tang Wei, Chinese media reported on Sunday.  Korean film director Kim Tae-yong and Chinese actress Tang Wei attend a press conference on July 2 in Seoul. (OSEN)The Asian celebrity couple left Korea on July 2 for Beijing, where the Chinese actress’ parents live. On the same day, the two announced their romantic relationship and wedding plans for the upcoming f

July 6, 2014

EXO members share their true feelings in “Happy Camp”

The members of EXO shared personal stories of what it is like to be in the idol group last Saturday on the Chinese variety show “Happy Camp.”Around the end of the show, members were given the time to talk about their true feelings. Asked about the phrase “EXO brothers,” Tao answered, “There are so many meanings in the word ‘brothers,’” and Baekhyun replied, “EXO is like water to me. I cannot live without our members.”“The members are the most important people besides my family,” Luhan said, whil

July 6, 2014

f(x) returns with powerful song “Red Light”

K-pop group f(x) staged a long-awaited comeback with the powerful electro-pop track “Red Light” on Thursday in a departure from their usual upbeat and invigorating music. The group released the music video at noon through its official website, YouTube and local music download sites. In the music video, the five-member group boasts a sexy look with thick eye make-up and military wear, adding to the sensual atmosphere of their performance.  The group’s third full-length album will be available on

July 6, 2014

[Weekender] Seoul’s eclectic, flourishing nightlife

The history of Korea’s nightlife is short. From 1945 to 1982, the authoritarian governments ordered Koreans to stay indoors between midnight and 4 a.m. Under martial law, the city lights were switched off and people were forbidden to go outdoors, except for those on official duties. Nowadays, those hours are primetime for Korean nightlife.People watch the rainbow fountain show at Banpo Bridge in Seoul. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)The country has seen its night culture thrive since Chun Doo-h

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Guide to Korean nightlife

While South Korea is known for its culture of binge drinking, the country also offers a lot of ways to have fun while staying sober.When they are not hitting the pubs and karaoke bars that stay open until sunrise, some Koreans choose to watch films in 24-hour cinemas, check out evening art exhibitions or enjoy bindaetteok ― Korean mung bean pancakes ― at a night food market.Here are some of the ways to have fun in Korea at night, from movies to the dance club scene in Itaewon.Classy Who says art

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Distinctive culture adds color to Seoul’s nightlife

In the latest music video by K-pop sensation Psy, the rapper and his right-hand man Snoop Dogg drink round-the-clock at different venues, imitating the nightlife in South Korea. They down soju, beer and whatever comes their way.But drinking a copious amount of booze is not what all night activities are about here.From a pub equipped with a digital dating system to chimaek fiesta, new forms of night culture have become fresh recreation for Koreans and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for foreign vi

CultureJuly 4, 2014

Designer emphasizes fun as mantra in life, business

Rattling off statistics about condom usage, Park Seo-won is completely at ease ― or perhaps he is trying to put me at ease by approaching the subject of condoms matter-of-factly. “Among the OECD countries, Korea’s rate of condom usage is at the very bottom. Japan has the highest rate. There, 48 percent of condom buyers are women,” said Park in an interview with The Korea Herald on June 16.No, Park is not some salesperson from a pharmaceutical company. He is the CEO of Big Ant, who, befittingly,

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Calendar

Pop musicg.o.d. 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert: The newly reunited ’90s K-pop idol group g.o.d. will be embarking on a nationwide concert tour starting in July. After more than 12 years apart, the five original members of g.o.d. made a highly anticipated comeback in May with the single “The Lone Duckling.” The K-pop veterans are slated to hold two concerts, on July 12 and 13, at the Jamsil Sport Complex’s Auxiliary Stadium in Seoul, before moving on to Gwangju, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon in Augu

CultureJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Eyelike: Trey Songz is complacent on 6th album

Trey Songz is complacent on 6th albumTrey Songz“Trigga”(Atlantic Records)Six albums in and making R&B hits almost seems too easy for Trey Songz.He’s got the vocals of a crooner with the swagger of a rapper, and on his latest release, “Trigga,” the heartthrob once again darts between the bedroom and bottle service, sending his sweet vocals soaring over a landscape of seductive beats, beautiful melodies and lyrics that beg to be repeated. But Songz’s latest set is missing something: growth. Shuffl

PerformanceJuly 4, 2014

[Weekender] Box Office

Confession (Korea)Opening July 10Crime, Drama. Directed by Lee Do-yoonHyun-tae (Ji Sung), In-chul (Ju Ji-hoon) and Min-soo (Lee Kwang-soo) have been close friends for 20 years. One day, a deadly fire occurs and takes the life of Hyun-tae’s mother and all of her property. The accident turns evolves into an unsolved mystery. Hyun-tae’s suspicion grows over the death of his mother as he begins looking for any kind of evidence. Hyun-tae asks his friends to help, but as the truth unfolds, he begins t

FilmJuly 4, 2014

Riding a sci-fi train: His ticket to a broader audience?

He has been referred to as Korea’s version of Quentin Tarantino, with Quentin Tarantino himself recently likening him to Steven Spielberg. Now, with the ambitious sci-fi action film “Snowpiercer,” Bong Joon-ho makes his English-language debut and a bid for a broader audience.The film is the most expensive South Korean production ever, with a budget of more than $40 million, and broke box-office records when it was released there last year. The film has also weathered a high-profile behind-the-sc

FilmJuly 4, 2014

Home of ‘The Hourglass’ looks to expand tourism reach

For years, the East Coast beachside area of Jeongdongjin in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province has been riding the coattails of one of the nation’s most popular 90s TV dramas, “The Hourglass,” featuring Choi Min-Soo, Lee Jung-Jae and Park Sang-won. The SBS political crime series first aired in 1995 and is still considered one of the most significant and highest-rated TV productions in Korean drama history and had drama fans flocking to the coast to see first-hand some of the show’s iconic filming

TravelJuly 4, 2014

West of old, new and myth meet in Colorado

DURANGO, Colorado ― Without railroads and mines, what would the American West be? Less populous, less prosperous, less polluted. And the town of Durango might not be anything at all.Durango, sporty and historic, stands almost 2,000 meters above sea level among the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, its downtown streets skirted by the Animas River. Look past the runners, rock climbers, kayakers and fly-fishers, past the rampant Subaru wagons, the snowboarders of winter and the second-home-o

TravelJuly 4, 2014

Cardboard boat race to take place on Hangang River

A fun boat race will be held on the Hangang River in August.The event titled “Box1Race” is a competition in which participants will peddle their boats made with cardboard boxes and other materials. Cardboard boat races are held around the world. In Box1Race, a total of 400 teams will compete, using one-of-a-kind cardboard boats. Participants are required to make their boats with a given set of corrugated cardboard sheets and cohesive materials such as duct tape. Poster for the cardboard boat rac

TravelJuly 4, 2014

Haute health food at Epicerie Collage

Onetime Maison de La Categorie executive chef Lee Hyung-jun has momentarily stepped away from his French fine dining roots to open Epicerie Collage, a deli-style eatery in Seoul’s Hannam-dong. A departure from the more upscale French-style eats he showcased at Bon et Beau and La Categorie, the new cafe-meets-grocery store, which opened on June 27, features healthy salads and jazzed-up Greek yogurt. “It was what I wanted to do,” said Epicerie Collage chef and co-owner Lee, 32, explaining why he h

FoodJuly 4, 2014

Dwaeji galbi (pork ribs)

Dwaeji galbi (pork ribs) (Korean Bapsang)Dwaeji galbi (pork ribs) is another Korean favorite BBQ dish. I like to use baby back ribs (deunggalbi) for grilling because they are tender and take less time to cook than spare ribs. Here, I have two different Korean marinades. The first one is sweet and savory, similar to the beef galbi marinade. The other one is the traditional spicy pork marinade similar to that used in dwaeji bulgogi. The secret to tasty Korean pork ribs is to use lots of fresh gar

FoodJuly 4, 2014