Today   Music

Red Velvet completes tour of 5 US cities, set to hit Canada next

K-pop girl band Red Velvet wrapped up its tour of five American cities and will set out on a tour of Canadian cities, the band's management agency said Tuesday.The five-piece girl group's latest United States tour started in Los Angeles in the first week of February. The band next performed in Dallas, Miami, Chicago and Newark on Sunday (US time), as part of the ongoing world tour, "Red Velvet 2nd Concert [REDMARE]." (Yonhap)At the last US concert at Newark, the band staged a medley of its hit s

Today   Music

[K-talk] After 7 years, B.A.P disbands

K-pop boy band B.A.P has disbanded, with all six of the original bandmates leaving its agency. TS Entertainment released an official announcement Monday saying that the agency’s exclusive contracts with Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae and Jongup have expired. (TS Entertainment)“The B.A.P members’ exclusive contracts with TS Entertainment have ended, and we came to an agreement to go separate ways,” the announcement read. The boy band debuted in 2012 with the single “Warrior.” With hit tracks “1004” a

Today   Theater

‘Kill Ahn Young-ho’ raises awareness about runaway youth

Knowing and witnessing are two different things. The former deals with thoughts, whereas the latter involves confronting reality up close. “Kill Ahn Young-ho” is a drama that forces the audience to confront the realities facing teenage runaways. By showing us this story of three marginalized young people who have run away from home and the violence and difficulties that pushed them onto the streets, the work invites the audience to empathize. Once you meet these alienated teenagers -- though the

Feb 18, 2019   Music

BTS attracts 380,000 spectators on Japanese leg of world tour

BTS drew some 380,000 spectators on the Japanese leg of the world concert tour "Love Yourself," which hit four major Japanese cities, the band's management agency said Monday.BTS wrapped up the "Love Yourself ~Japan Edition~" with the final stop at Fukuoka's Yahuoku! Dome held from Feb. 16-17, according to Big Hit Entertainment. (BTS Official Twitter)It was the final stop of BTS' tour of four Japanese cities, which kicked off at Tokyo Dome on Nov. 13 for a two-day run.Following Tokyo, the septet

Feb 18, 2019   Entertainment

2PM's Nichkhun set to release first solo album

Nichkhun, a Thai-American member of boy band 2PM, will release Monday his first solo album since his debut in the band 11 years ago, his management agency said.The album "ME" has nine tracks, all composed and written in English by Nichkhun himself, according to JYP Entertainment. (JYP Entertainment)It is fronted by "Lucky Charm," a song that combines mellow melodies with Nichkhun's sweet voice. The song "carries a story about fantasy and reality. It may come more soothing if you listen on a lazy

Feb 18, 2019   Film

[Herald Review] ‘Resistance’ an uninspiring story of inspiring heroes

It’s one thing for Jo Min-ho to direct a steaming pile of you-know-what like “A Million” and call it a “thriller.” But when you take a tale of Yu Gwan-sun -- one of the most-recognized independence fighters in Korea, yet whose story has not appeared in many films -- and butcher it like this, it is just unforgiveable.“A Resistance,” the movie about the heroic 16-year-old who died while fighting against Japan’s colonization of Korea, was one that had so much potential and one that I prayed would b

Feb 17, 2019   Music

BIGBANG's Seungri apologizes over club scandal

K-pop boy band BIGBANG's Seungri went ahead with a planned concert in Seoul on Saturday despite a snowballing scandal centering on a nightclub he was formerly involved in, although he apologized for his controversial stance on the club. Ahead of his solo concert at Olympic Park in southern Seoul, Seungri said he was sorry for causing "disappointment and concerns" to his fans over controversies surrounding Burning Sun, a famous club located in the bustling Gangnam Station area.  (YG Entertainment

Feb 16, 2019   Music

Park Bom returns to K-pop stage in March

Park Bom, formerly of the now-disbanded 2NE1, is reportedly set to return to the K-pop scene in March. According to a report from the Star News on Friday, Park will release her new song in March, and is working on a new album. (Park Bom`s Instagram)Park’s upcoming release would be her first in eight years, following her digital single “Don’t Cry” released in April 2011. She debuted as a solo artist with the hit solo album “You and I” in 2009.Park Bom left YG Entertainment after 2NE1 disbanded in

Feb 14, 2019   Music

Momoland's Daisy admits to romantic relationship with iKon's Yun-hyeong

Daisy, a member of K-pop girl band Momoland, admitted Thursday that she is dating Song Yun-hyeong, a member of boy group iKon.An official from Momoland's management agency, MLD Entertainment, told Yonhap News Agency "the two have been in a dating relationship with mutual affection for three months," confirming a media report that the two started dating three or four months earlier. (YG Entertainment / MLD Entertainment)YG Entertainment, the music label for iKon, however, played down the report,

Feb 15, 2019   Film

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA team of narcotics detectives goes undercover at a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang. When they learn the restaurant is going out of business, they decide to acquire the place and run it themselves. Things take an unexpected turn when their chicken recipe suddenly transforms the rundown joint into the hottest eatery in town. Innocent Witness(Korea) Opened Feb.13DramaDirected by Lee HanSun-ho (Jung Woo-sung)

Feb 15, 2019   Film

[Herald Review] ‘Savaha’ has clever buildup, relevant message, insufficient payoff

In only his second feature-length film, director Jang Jae-hyun cleverly builds up suspense while mixing it up with mystery and a message about religion in “Savaha: The Sixth Finger.” But it takes a U-turn toward the end, which I thought was a strange move.While it is not a bad film, I did not think the payoff was satisfying at the end of such a heart-pumping journey.The film starts with the backstory of Geum-hwa (Lee Jae-in) who was born with a twin sister she, and every member of the family, th

Feb 15, 2019   Music

Re-creating Haydn’s ‘Creation’ with stunning visual effects

A stage production of Haydn’s 1798 oratorio “The Creation” by La Fura dels Baus, an experimental theater group from Spain, will have its Korean premiere at the Art Center Incheon on March 1 and 2 at 5 p.m. The production will kick off the center’s 2019 season. The Barcelona-based theater troupe is known for its innovative performances that mix modern technology with classical music.  Haydn’s “The Creation” by La Fura dels Baus (Art Center Incheon) Art Center Incheon (Art Center Incheon)For Haydn

Feb 14, 2019   Film

[Herald Review] ‘Creed 2,’ recipe for a classic

What sets a classic apart from a cliche? Both involve a deep sense of deja vu, a time-tested formula, yet the former is like wine that ripens with age while the latter feels repetitive and irrelevant.This is the case with Steven Caple Jr.’s “Creed 2,” which has no real surprises around the corner but manages to create a drama that tugs at the heartstrings with the classic narrative of the “Rocky” franchise.The film begins a few years after the action in “Creed,” with Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jor

Feb 13, 2019   Music

BTS album charts on Billboard 200 for 24th week in row

K-pop sensation BTS' latest album has remained on the Billboard main album chart for the sixth month in a row, chart results showed Wednesday."Love Yourself: Answer," the finale of BTS' "Love Yourself" trilogy, came to 91st for the week of Feb. 16, the album's 24th week on the chart since it landed atop it in early September.  (Yonhap)It ranked 77th a week earlier.The trilogy monopolized the Billboard World Albums chart, with "Answer" topping the list, while two others -- "Love Yourself: Her" an