‘Fatal Encounter’ draws 3m viewers

The period blockbuster “The Fatal Encounter” sold over 3 million tickets in just 11 days since its release, according to official data provided by the Korean Film Council. Starring Hyun Bin, Jeong Jae-young, Jo Jung-suk and Han Ji-min, the 10 billion won ($9.8 million) project is inspired by Jeongyuyeokbyeon, the assassination attempt on the Joseon era King Jeongjo by his political opponents in 1777, his first year as the nation’s ruler.Fatal EncounterThe movie is also the film debut for promine

FilmMay 11, 2014

EXO-M tops China’s CCTV music chart with ‘Overdose’

EXO-M tops the music chart in China. (CCTV)EXO-M, the Chinese unit of K-pop boy band EXO, topped the music chart on Chinese state-run media outlet CCTV, SM Entertainment said Sunday.“Overdose,” the title track of the boy band’s latest EP, won the most votes on “CCTV Global Chinese Music Bang Shang Bang,” which aired live in China on Saturday 7:30 p.m. local time. The music program is the first of its kind to have the audience vote via telephone, Internet and SNS, according to SM Entertainment.EX

May 11, 2014

Kim Sung-ryeong okayed her role in “Fatal Encounter” partly for Hyun Bin

Actress Kim Sung-ryeong (Issue Daily)Kim Sung-ryeong said actor Hyun Bin was part of the reason she joined the cast of historical epic film “Fatal Encounter” on KBS 2tv “Entertainment News” Saturday.The comment came as Kim, 47, was asked about a past statement she made, calling Lee Min-ho her ideal date and Hyun Bin her ideal husband. When she was asked again if she took up her part because of Hyun Bin, she jovially said “partially.”The actress won public envy as she played the beloved mother of

May 11, 2014

Filmmaker brings moving portrait of his adoptee life to big screen

Korean-born Belgian filmmaker Jung Henin (Jeon Jung-sik) was only about five when he was adopted by Belgian parents after being found as a lost child at Namdaemun Market in Seoul. He doesn’t know who filled out his adoption papers, but whoever it was recorded his skin color as “miel,” which means “honey” in French, instead of “Asian.”Now 48, Henin, who wants to be called by his Korean name, recently visited Seoul for the local release of his autobiographical animated film “Approved for Adoption.

FilmMay 9, 2014

Calendar

Pop musicSeoul Jazz Festival 2014: Every year the annual two-day Seoul Jazz Festival features a wide variety of musical acts, from legendary jazz musicians to popular contemporary figures. This year’s headline artists include Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, jazz-pop musician Jamie Cullum, jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, the Jack DeJohnette Trio and R&B soloist Eric Benet as well as local bands Jang Kiha and the Faces and Urban Zakapa. The 2014 Seoul Jazz Festival will be held at Seoul Olympic

CultureMay 9, 2014

Singers resume releases delayed by ferry disaster

(from left) g.o.d.’s “The Lone Duckling” (IHQ), Baek Ji-young’s “Bulggot” (WS Entertainment)Singers are resuming releases stalled after the Sewol ferry disaster in April.They have delayed their releases amid national grief over the ferry sinking off the southern coast on April 16, which killed 269 passengers and left 35 people still missing. EXO released their second EP “Overdose” on Wednesday, followed by single “Bulggot” by Baek Ji-young. K-pop group g.o.d. reunited and made a full comeback on

May 9, 2014

‘Belle’ filmmakers go where Jane Austen never dared

Folding fans flutter, bosoms heave above Empire-waisted dresses and class distinctions get in the way of true love.But in the 18th-century romance “Belle,” the young British aristocrat trying to find her place, in society, and in love, is black, the daughter of a black woman and a white sea captain of noble birth. Still, try to find a review of the new costume romance that doesn’t mention “Jane Austen.”The comparison to the works of the author of “Emma” and “Pride & Prejudice” may be too obvious

FilmMay 9, 2014

Eyelike: EXO makes listeners ‘Overdose’

EXO makes listeners ‘Overdose’EXO-K “Overdose” (KT Music)EXO has made its return to the K-pop scene in Korea, as the music industry slowly picks up its activities since coming to a virtual standstill after the Sewol ferry accident in late April.EXO-K, the South Korean unit of the 12-member group EXO, released a Korean version of the group’s new EP “Overdose” on Wednesday. The album features five tracks, including the lead single “Overdose,” which immediately climbed to the top of major local mus

FilmMay 9, 2014

Box Office

Mad Sad Bad (Korea)Opening May 15Fantasy, drama, horror. A collaboration between three renowned Korean directors, “Mad Sad Bad” consists of three short films, each telling a different story. It starts off with “Ghost” by Ryu Seung-wan, which deals with a senseless murder by reckless teenagers based on a real-life case. The second is Han Ji-seung’s “I Saw You,” a romance between a zombie and a human. The last film, “Picnic” by Kim Tae-yong, is about a child and her relationship with her autistic

FilmMay 9, 2014

Jumping into Normandy, 70 years after D-Day

COMMES, France (AP) ― Weather conditions over Normandy had been iffy for days. Showers and wind in the morning gave way to glorious spring sunshine in the afternoon, then electric green lightning storms over the sea at night. We watched the sky and waited for the go sign ― the signal that meant it was time to jump. With a brief window of only a few hours in which it would be possible, I began to doubt our chances. Finally the message my companions and I had been waiting for arrived: The jump was

TravelMay 9, 2014

Changdeokgung Palace unveiled beneath a full moon

One has not witnessed the true beauty of Changdeokgung Palace until seeing it unveiled under a full moon, the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation claims. And it is beautiful with the full moon rising above Buyongji Pond and brushing through the royal court of Nakseonjae and the Secret Garden. Prior to the foundation’s launch of the “2014 Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace,” all visitors had to exit this UNESCO world heritage site by 6 p.m. without exception. But thanks to the monthly special

CultureMay 9, 2014

Brioche and coffee at Mill

Mill's butter-hued brioche (front) and nutty cranberry-walnut pain de campagne (Lee Sang-sub/ The Korea Herald)When Mill owner Joo Eun-suk moved to Seoul’s Seochon, she felt the time was right to open up a small local bakery, one that would fit right in with the storied neighborhood. “It is a great place for strolling,” said Joo, 49, explaining how she would frequently take her dog out for walks. Pleased by the lack of high-rise buildings and the organic fusion of new and old shops and stores, J

FoodMay 9, 2014

Around the Hotels

‘The Wine Club’ event at Grand Hyatt SeoulGrand Hyatt Seoul’s Paris Bar is offering “The Wine Club” event, in which guests can enjoy a selection of tapas-style canapes with premium Italian wines. Held under the theme “Italian Stallions,” the event offers guests a chance to sample a variety of wines from Italy and enjoy unlimited canapes ranging from cheese, steak brochette and more. Wine experts will be present at each table to introduce the wines and pair the most suitable selections according

FoodMay 9, 2014

Gimbap

Gimbap (Korean Bapsang)Gimbap is a must for school field trips and outdoor activities as well as family outings. Whether it’s the anticipation the night before or watching the early morning preparation by mom to pack these rolls in lunch boxes, there is no other dish that takes me back to my childhood like gimbap. Today, gimbap is the most popular on-the-go meal in Korea.Traditionally, the rice is lightly seasoned with sesame oil and salt. The fillings are individually seasoned and cooked, yield

FoodMay 9, 2014

Psy features Korean rap in Jencarlos Canela’s new song

Psy arrives at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. (Psy Facebook)K-pop sensation Psy has been featured in a new single by the Cuban-American Latin pop musician Jencarlos Canela. Psy raps in Korean during “Give It Up Tonight (feat. Psy & KC of KC and the Sunshine Band),” one of the tracks from Canela’s new album “Jen” released Tuesday.The Hispanic star stated in an interview released by Billboard Wednesday that his collaboration with the Korean rapper is a notable surprise included on his new album.

May 9, 2014

Beauty of math in art

“GRIB 4” (Bernar Venet Studio)Mathematics and art may seem irrelevant in the world of contemporary art, in which artistic creativity takes precedence over the aesthetic ideals pursued by Renaissance artists. But French artist Bernar Venet said mathematics has inspired his works since the early 1960s, when he started his career as an artist. The first painting Venet created was a mathematical painting that resembles functional graphs consisting of symmetrical curves on a y-axis. “I painted a line

PerformanceMay 8, 2014

Kim Hee-chul out for laughs in detective comedy

Super Junior member Kim Hee-chul is no stranger to television, having starred in a small screen series before making his major boy band debut in 2005. Now, the singer-actor returns to the television drama as a detective in tvN’s upcoming “Flower Grandpas Investigators.” Kim revealed at the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Wednesday that several years have passed since he last starred in a Korean TV series, adding that he is fully invested in his new role. The cast of tvN’s “Flower Grandpas I

May 8, 2014

Film fest promotes promising projects

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province ― Aside from film screenings and talk sessions with cineastes from all over the world, one of the most exciting events at Jeonju International Film Festival is Jeonju Project Market, during which local filmmakers pitch their latest film projects to potential investors and distributors.On May 3, a total of 10 selected filmmakers made presentations at the Jeonju Digital Independent Cinema in Jeonju, with some 300 industry figures attending, including those from Lotte

FilmMay 8, 2014

No longer stuck in a box

This is the second in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.South African Bronwyn Mullen, 30, is grateful for how far she’s come in the Korean TV industry, but she’s the first to admit that it wasn’t easy and no one ever gave her a “golden ticket.”She said that things were a lot different when she started out.“Eight years ago, when I first came to Korea, there were no female-dominated TV shows. Within eight years of

TelevisionMay 8, 2014