[Herald Review] Young K returns to stage with 'Letters with notes' after 2-year hiatus

Young K welcomed fall with his fans through his first standalone solo concert held at a university campus in Seoul. The concert venue was humble, but accentuated the romantic and youthful vibe that the artist was aiming to convey. Young K kicked off his solo concert with “waited,” one of the side tracks in his first full-length album “Letters with notes” which dropped on Monday. “The opening to today’s set list is also the first track in my new album. While wo

Sept. 4, 2023

Fifty Fifty's agency to launch new girl group next year

Attrakt, the company behind the beleaguered girl group Fifty Fifty, is gearing up to debut a new female team next year through an audition show. "Attrakt is kicking into a new project to nurture a new girl group. All the members of the group will be selected through an audition show, and the whole process will be made public," the company said in a statement, adding it aims to debut the group next year. While not much has been unveiled so far, Attrakt said the main point of its new aud

Sept. 4, 2023

Stray Kids ranks second in album sales in US

K-pop boy band Stray Kids has ranked second in the US in terms of album sales so far this year, the band's company, JYP Entertainment said Monday, citing Chart Data, one of the most credible music data sites online. Taylor Swift ranked in the number one position. Stray Kids' latest release, its third full-length album "5-Star," was the most-sold K-pop album this year, JYP Entertainment added. The group's EP, "Maxident," from last year also landed at the tenth s

Sept. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kang Ki-young feels his acting career has entered new chapter

Many drama fans were closely watching Kang Ki-young -- especially what his next work would be -- after he made a name for himself and won countless drama fans’ hearts in the hit legal drama, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022). Some people thought Kang would have a hard time choosing his next project, but the 39-year-old actor said it wasn't difficult. “‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ was certainly a turning point in my 14-year acting career. I always had a

Sept. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Young K of Day6 hopes to be an artist that people look forward to hearing more from

Singer-songwriter Young K hopes people to look forward to what he does next. “I love when people compliment me as a promising artist, or an artist to look forward to, because I wouldn’t be able to continuously present new songs without these people that wait for me,” Young K told The Korea Herald. Young K, who is also a member of K-pop boy band Day6, returned to the music scene with his first full-length solo album “Letters With Notes” on Monday, after a 2-year hiat

Sept. 4, 2023

Rediscover Gyeongseong's century-old hit songs

Popular hit songs of the 1920s and 1930s will be revisited for two days this week. The National Gugak Center is set to perform “Gyeongseong Hit Songs,” a collection of century-old tunes originally recorded on gramophone records, on Wednesday and Thursday at the center's Pungnyu Sarangbang. Gyeongseong is an old name for Seoul. The introduction of phonograph records the 1920s transformed how music could be experienced. Music, previously only heard on live stage performances, was

Sept. 3, 2023

Popular webtoon-based TV series drive more readers to original works

Kakao Entertainment webtoons are enjoying a renewed bump in popularity from TV drama adaptations by broadcasters and video streaming platforms that have become major hits this year. Disney+’s superhero action series “Moving” became the most watched Korean original project on Disney+ and Hulu, topping Disney+'s TV series charts in several countries, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries. Proving its growing popularity, the original webtoon “

Sept. 2, 2023

Blackpink nominated in 6 categories, Tomorrow X Together in 4 at MTV VMA

South Korean girl group Blackpink has secured six nominations at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, alongside other K-pop bands that have also received nominations, according to the US TV station. According to a list of nominees announced by MTV on Friday US time, Blackpink was nominated for Best Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Choreography, Best K-pop, Group of the Year, and Show of the Summer. During last year's awards, the quartet made its debut performance as a K-pop girl band

Sept. 2, 2023

Low-budget horror flicks to hit cinemas in September

Horror films are traditionally released at the hottest time of the year in Korea -- July or August -- but there is a new trend to release them at the tail end of the summer, when there is usually less competition from massive blockbusters. A series low budget horror films open this month. Jason Yu’s “Sleep” is a 94-minute-long mystery thriller revolving around a sleep-walking husband and his wife, who believes he may be possessed by a demon. The film has been invited to the 76t

Sept. 1, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin goes platinum in US with solo single in record time

  Jimin of BTS earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America with “Like Crazy,” label Big Hit Music said Friday. “Like Crazy” is the only solo single from a K-pop musician to surpass 1 million unit sales in the US this year and hit the milestone in record time for a K-pop solo act at 155 days. It fronted his first solo album “Face” that notched No. 2 spot on Billboard 200 while the lead single landed atop Billboard&rsquo

Sept. 1, 2023

BTS' RM denies Islamophobia, says he won't apologize

BTS' rapper and leader RM addressed the issue of Islamophobia building up around him, denying any intention to insult the religion and stating he has no reasons to apologize. The controversy was sparked in August, when RM shared American singer Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" on his Instagram story. The 2012 song talks about loving without the restraint of religion, but some parts were interpreted by listeners as Islamophobic. Online anger mounted over the next days, with many t

Sept. 1, 2023

Exo's D.O. to drop new solo album on Sept. 18

Exo member D.O. is dropping a new solo album, "Anticipation," on Sept. 18. His agency SM Entertainment on Friday made the announcement, heralding D.O.'s comeback as a solo musician after over two years. D.O., whose real name is Do Kyung-soo, debuted solo in July 2021 with his first solo album, "Empathy." With the eight-track EP, D.O. was a smash success, landing atop the iTunes top album chart in 60 countries. According to SM, "Anticipation" will be a seven-tra

Sept. 1, 2023

‘Road to Boston’ a homage to first Korean marathoners

Director Kang Je-gyu, who is behind hit films “Shiri” (1999), “Brotherhood” (2004) and “Take Off,” (2009) is making a comeback after seven years, this time with the real-life story of three legendary marathoners in "Road to Boston." The film is based on the life story of Son Kee-chung, the 1936 Berlin Olympics marathon gold medalist, and how he trained the Korean team for the first international marathon held after World War II. Ha Jung-woo stars as

Sept. 1, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Honey Sweet” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Comedy Directed by Lee Han Chi-ho (Yoo Hae-jin), a nerdy, workaholic researcher at a confectionery company falls in love with Il-young (Kim Hee-sun), a single mother and a remarkably passionate and optimistic telemarketer at a money lending company. “Oppenheimer” (US) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Thriller Directed by Christopher Nolan Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is appointed to lead the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheim

Sept. 1, 2023

Evergreen Group Holdings to invest $7.5m in Fifty Fifty’s agency Attrakt

Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings announced Thursday that it will invest around 10 billion won ($7.5 million) in the K-pop entertainment agency Attrakt to help foster the agency’s vision in the K-pop industry. Evergreen Group Holdings is an enterprise which develops a multi-diversified range of businesses from timber to finance, run by CEO David Yong. David Yong is also a K-pop singer in Korea, having debuted with the single “In My Pocket” last year. “We are happy

Aug. 31, 2023

[Herald Review] Nuanced local adaptations, sound effects transplant suspense of '2:22 A Ghost Story' from West End to Seoul stage

The unidentifiable footsteps heard at 2:22 a.m. and the mysteries surrounding their origin intensify the suspense of “2:22 A Ghost Story,” the title of which captures the essence of the plot. The story revolves around Sam and Jenny, a couple who have newly moved, inviting Sam's longtime friend Lauren and her boyfriend Ben to their home. What starts as an ordinary evening meal takes a turn with Jenny’s confession. Jenny says she hears footsteps and sobs around her baby&rsqu

Aug. 31, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen joins force with New Kids on the Block

      Seventeen will be featured in upcoming music from 1990s sensation New Kids On The Block, according to agency Pledis Entertainment on Thursday. The American quintet has been dropping hints on its social media channel since last week, and tweeted “NKOTB Seventeen” on the day along with the date: Sept. 1. Seventeen reposted the iconic boy band’s “17” post, setting fans abuzz with expectations. Meanwhile, the 13-member act will tour Japan star

Aug. 31, 2023

SM's rookie singer apologizes for past dating pictures

SM Entertainment's upcoming rookie boy band Riize's member Seunghan released an apology after photos of him with a presumed former dating partner went viral online. The apology comes a few days after the release online of several pictures showing Seunghan kissing a woman -- including one where they are on a bed. The pictures spread fast, shocking fans, especially as Riize is about to make its long awaited debut on Sept. 4. Riize is the first boy band to debut with SM Entertainment in s

Aug. 31, 2023

H1-KEY continues to dream in Seoul, city of opportunities

H1-KEY is back and ready to move people’s hearts with its second mini album “Seoul Dreaming,” filled with songs that sing of hope. “Our second EP is for people who have a dream. We hope to spread hope and comfort through this album,” said Seoi of H1-KEY during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. The new album is led by two title tracks: “Seoul (Such a Beautiful City)” and “Time to Shine.” H1-KEY once again paired up with the renowned mu

Aug. 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Baekho starts digital single project with 'Elevator' remake

Baekho on Thursday unveiled a new single, "Elevator," marking the start to a new musical journey. “Elevator” is a remake of the eponymous 1995 hit by singer-producer J.Y. Park. With its risque lyrics singing about making love in the elevator and spicy performances with female dancers onstage, the song became an instant sensation back in its day. In opening up a new chapter of his career, Baekho picked this song same in age with him. "The feeling I had when I first hear

Aug. 31, 2023