Ha Ji-won to release song for fans

South Korean actress Ha Ji-won turned into a singer for her dear fans, with the track “Now Here I Am,” to be unveiled on June 13. The song was produced and written by Jung Jae-yoon from the R&B group Solid, which was popular in the 1990s. Scriptwriter Jung Kyung-soon of the MBC-TV drama “Ki Empress” wrote the lyrics. The song was specially made for fans who still cannot let go of Ki Seung-nyang, the main character of the drama “Ki Empress,” played by Ha. The veteran actress worked on the song de

June 13, 2014

G-Dragon describes Taeyang's new song as 'red sunset'

A video providing a glimpse of Taeyang’s album-making process was released Wednesday. (YG Entertainment)YG Entertainment, Taeyang’s Korean label, posted a 4-minute video titled “Journey to Rise” on its official blog. The video is composed of a series of comments from the idol’s close friends, fellow members of K-pop boy group Big Bang and his company staff. It starts with Taeyang saying, “I have learned a lot, there were good times and bad times. Now, I would like to tell you my story.”G-Dragon,

June 13, 2014

Culture Ministry seeks to revitalize arts scene after Sewol disaster

Korea’s performing arts scene suffered a major blow when the ferry Sewol sank in April with over 300 people trapped inside. Concerts, musicals and various other stage performances were canceled, postponed or scaled down, as the nation mourned. Even those who avoided such a fate struggled with low ticket sales. About two months after the disaster, the country is slowly returning to pre-Sewol normalcy, but many artists are still grappling with financial hardship and a bitter taste of the reality o

CultureJune 12, 2014

Lovely visuals, smart writing in ‘Dragon’

You thought it was tricky to train a dragon? It’s even trickier to take a much-admired animated film and make a sequel that feels satisfying and worthwhile. And it’s harder still to balance the competing needs of stretching the story in new directions but retaining the guiding spirit of the original enough to make fans happy. It’s nice to be able to report that “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” written and directed by Dean DeBlois, does all that tricky stuff pretty darned well. And you’ll be happily

FilmJune 12, 2014

Placido Domingo to sing before World Cup final

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) ― Placido Domingo will sing before a World Cup final for the sixth time, announcing Wednesday he will perform at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena on July 11. The concert featuring the 73-year-old classic musical star will take place two days before the final at Maracana Stadium. The show also is scheduled to include pianist Lang Lang, soprano Ana Maria Martinez, conductor Eugene Kohn and the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira. Domingo has attended every World Cup final since 1970 w

PerformanceJune 12, 2014

‘For the Emperor’: Vanity of wealth, power

In June, movie theaters have been dominated by Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise in “Edge of Tomorrow,” Hugh Jackman and the other “X-men” characters and Angelina Jolie in “Maleficient.” They attracted 70 percent of movie goers so far this week, according to the Korean Film Council, leaving little room for Korean films to edge in.So when Korean action film “For the Emperor” opened in theaters Wednesday, it was dogged by one question: Will it differ from the other action films premiered in the past

June 12, 2014

Following the beat of her own drum

This is the fourth in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.For salon owner Bang Ji-young, who also goes by Sarah, styling hair is not just a job ― it’s her life’s passion and an avenue for her to express herself. She considers herself an artist and often collaborates with other artists outside of her salon’s doors.Her salon, There’s Salon in Gyeongnidan, is a physical expression of her passion for all things art an

PerformanceJune 12, 2014

‘100 Ideas That Changed Street Style’ is eclectic

Josh Sims’ “100 Ideas That Changed Street Style” is the latest in a “100 Ideas” series of books from Laurence King Publishing (other titles include “100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design” and “100 Ideas That Changed Photography”), and the lavishly illustrated softcover book strikes an entertaining balance between encyclopedia and field guide as it sprints through some 70 years of street style.Many of the movements, trends, fads, statements and style tribes highlighted, cross-sectioned and decons

BooksJune 12, 2014

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ makes for compelling reading

She hasn’t decided yet.Or if she has, she’s not telling.But if Hillary Rodham Clinton does run for president in 2016, her new book “Hard Choices,” a chronicle of her four years as secretary of State, leaves no room for doubt about how she might conduct foreign policy (pragmatically), how she will defend herself against charges that she mishandled the attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya (robustly) and about how much she regrets giving President George W. Bush carte blanche to wage

BooksJune 12, 2014

‘Harry Quebert Affair’: Better in French?

“The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair” By Marion Winik (Newsday)I just finished “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair,” by 28-year-old Swiss writer Joel Dicker, and all I can say is, God save Europe.According to the jacket copy, this book sold a million copies in France, won three literary prizes there and was a finalist for the Prix Goncourt, while knocking Dan Brown from No. 1 spots in Italy and Spain. I am not a Brown fan, but this book makes him look like Marcel Proust.Let’s assume t

BooksJune 12, 2014

Kidnappers turn War on Terror on head

“The Abduction”By Tish Wells(McClatchy Washington Bureau)In Jonathan Holt’s first book, he introduced readers to Capt. Kat Tapo of the Venice Carabinieri (police). She and 2nd Lieutenant Holly Boland make two interesting sleuths, along with the reclusive Daniele Barbo, creator of Carnivia, an elaborate online world that reflects Venice itself.His newest novel, “The Abduction” deals with the kidnapping of an American girl, interrogation techniques used by the United States in the War on Terror, d

BooksJune 12, 2014

Psy says thanks despite mixed reactions

South Korean rapper Psy expressed his gratitude to even those who “disliked” his music video as the MV for “Hangover” reached 30 million views on YouTube within 50 hours.“Good things and Bad things make Everything!! THX to all ya!!” Psy wrote on Twitter right after the music video on his official channel exceeded the milestone on Wednesday.In the picture Psy attached to the post, a screenshot of his YouTube page shows both counts for “Likes” and “Dislikes.” Numbers at the time showed 3.4 million

June 12, 2014

‘Joseon’s Gunman’ releases images expressing five characters‘ role

In an aim to provide a better understanding of the drama plot for “Joseon’s Gunman,” KBS-2 released on Thursday images of the five main characters of its new drama to be aired on June 25.The five included Lee Jun-ki, Nam Sang-mi, Jun Hae-bin, Han Joo-wan and Yoo Oh-sung. Viewers are currently raising their expectations of the new drama, a follow-up to “Golden Cross.”  1. Gunman with a knife/ Park Yoon-gang (played by Lee Jun-ki)Following his father’s path, Yoon-gang wants to become an outstandin

June 12, 2014

Actor Lee Jong-suk steals China’s heart

Actor Lee Jong-suk’s popularity is continuing to increase in China, attracting the attention of head hunters who are targeting the mainland.Dubbed as one of the “Fantastic Four of Hallyu,” all of Lee’s recent shows -- “School 2013,” “I Hear Your Voice” and “Doctor Stranger” -- have been successful in Chinese-speaking countries, proving his popularity among Chinese fans. The other three are Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min-ho and Kim Woo-bin.To respond to his international fans, Lee Jong-suk streamed scenes

June 12, 2014

Photo shows behind scene of ‘Avengers 2’

South Korean actress Soo-hyun revealed a photo from behind the scenes of the movie “Avengers 2” on her Facebook, Wednesday.The picture of three chairs emblazoned with the owners’ names is more than special. The seats are for Chris Evans, who plays ultimate soldier Captain America, Chris Hemsworth, who plays god of thunder Thor, and Claudia Kim, also known as Soo-hyun, who will star as a genius scientist in the upcoming film. (Facebook)“Two Chrises and Claudia. The 3Cs. Three actors of ‘Avengers’

June 12, 2014

YB says Psy’s experiment should go on

Yoon Do-hyun, vocalist of South Korean veteran rock band YB, left a heartfelt comment about world star Psy’s latest song “Hangover.”  (OSEN)“Putting music or its contents aside, I can feel Psy’s agony from his latest song ‘Hangover.’ I hope the huge pressure and high expectation on him does not narrow the range of his musical experiments,” Yoon said on his Twitter on Thursday. 　“Hangover,” unveiled on June 9, is back under the international spotlight, garnering more than 41 million views by 3 p.

June 12, 2014

Lee Hyori tells of her 'ironic life'

South Korean pop diva Lee Hyori talked about her life in Jejudo Island on Thursday on her blog, portraying it as “ironic.”(OSEN)“I don’t eat land animals, but I like eating sea animals. I love dogs, but I wear leather shoes,” she wrote. She went on to say, “I don’t drink milk, but I love ice cream. Fireflies are beautiful (so I cannot kill them), but I kill mosquitos. I love the forest, but I ruin it by building a house. I don’t eat pork, but I bow before a pig’s head during traditional rituals.

June 12, 2014

SNSD behind-the-scenes photo goes viral

A shot of Girls’ Generation filming on a Chinese TV show was unveiled Wednesday by Chinese entertainer Peng Yu.(Facebook)　Girls’ Generation, along with Super Junior M, carried out the shooting for the upcoming episode of Chinese TV show “The Ultimate Group” on June 10. 　The nine members pose in the photo, making a “V” sign or thumbs-up.　“The Ultimate Group” is a Korean-Chinese joint TV show, hosted by f(x)‘s Victoria, Super Junior-M’s Zhoumi, Jeon Hyun-moo and Peng Yu.　By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.o

June 12, 2014