Created by one of the original producers of “Saturday Night Live Korea,” tvN‘s new Friday night series “Conte and the City” hopes to reach a bigger audience than “SNL” with comic skits focusing on a wider range of social topics.“The show is an omnibus serialized comic drama,” producer Yoo Sung-mo told press at the Amoris Wedding Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on Monday. “Even though it’s a comedy show, we focused on keeping it high quality. We also emphasized the dramatic narrative aspect, and i

Snoopy and the Charlie Brown gang from Charles Schulz’s timeless comic strip “Peanuts” are some of the most recognized characters in the world, which made it no small task to translate the four-panel strip into a feature-length 3-D movie. After running tests with various production agencies, the Schulz family, who still own the rights to the characters, decided to give that task to Blue Sky Studios -- a small but strong U.S. production company that created the “Ice Age” and “Rio” films. “(The fa

At 43, Bae Sung-woo is no newbie to acting.He says he’s always been working since he graduated from college at 29 -- but it wasn’t until this year that he made his mark with the general public. Bae was the face of a distraught office worker driven to murder in the Cannes-invited “Office.” He played Woo-jin, the man who wakes up with a different appearance every morning in “The Beauty Inside.” He was the leader of an illicit international car dealership in the runaway hit “Veteran.” On Oct. 22, h

Seven-member boy band Click-B joined the ranks of g.o.d, Fly to the Sky and Buzz on Wednesday, becoming the next group from the first generation of K-pop stars to make a long-awaited comeback. Click-B debuted in 1999 during the height of the first wave of idol groups, which included H.O.T, Sechs Kies, Fin.K.L and S.E.S, and had enjoyed hits like “Undefeatable” and “Cowboy” before breaking apart to pursue other solo and smaller group projects. Their new two-track album “Reborn” would be the first

After a summer of blockbuster action movies and dramas over the Chuseok weekend, the Korean box office is opening its fall-winter lineup with a healthy dose of thrillers. Three Korean films are poised to open in the last two weeks of October and keep you on the edge of your seat, each with a different kind of story and vibe.　Action thriller: “The Phone”Opening Oct. 22　Presented by new director Kim Bong-joo, time-travel suspense flick “The Phone” offers a cast with excellent thriller credentials

Performing to a sold-out audience at the 1,000-seat LG Arts Center in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, one of Korea’s most iconic rock bands demonstrated the secret to its vibrant two-decade career: its continued evolution in music with its songs growing together with their fans.“Music is made by musicians,” said YB bassist Park Tae-hee on Sunday, the last day of the four-day Seoul concert “20-years.” “But music also matures the musician. It’s right here, when we’re connecting with our fans, that we

As Seoul has a reputation for fashionable men whose devotion to fashion and skin care tops in the world, menswear collections by Seoul-based designers are some of the must-see shows at the ongoing Seoul Fashion Week. Here are the highlights of menswear shows from Friday to Sunday. 　Munsoo Kwon　One of the hottest emerging menswear designers in the Korean fashion scene, Munsoo Kwon presented light, sporty looks for the 2016 spring-summer season Saturday.Inspired by some youngsters turning to fishi

Upscale guest rooms and outdoor pools at Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul will transform into art gallery space during the four-day BANYAF Art Fair next week. The premiere edition of the art fair, organized by the resort company, presents some 400 works of art selected by 20 art galleries and agencies, including Arario Gallery, Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Gallery Kong and Gallery Koo. The works will be on display in the hotel’s exclusive club rooms from Oct. 22-25. Plate and tea bowl by Kim Nam-hee (Ga

Heading to theaters this week? The Korea Herald gives you a rundown of what's playing on the big screen.This weekend's box office in Korea has a lot of thrills and chills to offer up, with Korean flicks "Circle of Atonement" and "The Advocate" both chasing down murder mysteries, and the American "Regression" adding a hint of supernatural horror. For some more light-hearted fun, check out "The Martian," which is going strong in Korea, or the romantic Chinese remake "Only You."Circle of Atonement

Singaporean director Royston Tan is known for several signature touches in his films, two of which are his love for items from the past and his use of color and music. For Tan, these touches serve as tools that help to preserve snapshots of Singaporean history.“In Singapore, we are changing too quickly,” Tan told The Korea Herald at the Busan International Film Festival, where his latest film “3688” made its international premiere.“Every 20 years, there’s a big, major change in our society. Ever

When she sat down to chat with The Korea Herald, Taiwanese producer and director Frankie Chen was glowing, coming straight from meeting thousands of festival attendees at an outdoor event at the Busan International Film Festival. Chen was amazed at the Korean audience’s enthusiasm for her film. In her nostalgic romance flick “Our Times,” two high school friends who each have a crush on a guy and girl dating each other work together to try and tear them apart -- only to end up falling in love wit

The last patient here diagnosed with the Middle East respiratory syndrome was readmitted to the hospital and tested positive for the virus again after showing symptoms such as high fever, the Health and Welfare Ministry said Monday. Yang Byung-guk, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at an emergency press briefing Monday. (Yonhap)The 35-year-old patient, who contracted the virus while suffering from lymphoma, had left the hospital earlier this month after testin

Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the most beloved operas, with its incredible drama and music featuring an alluring gypsy enchanting fans around the world. The timeless classic is a Korean favorite, having ranked No. 1 in a 2013 Korea National Opera survey. A lesser-known work of the French composer is set to hit the local stage this week, marking the very first time for it to be staged in Korea. The KNO will stage a production of “The Pearl Fishers,” with an international cast, at Seoul Arts

South Korea’s largest film festival held its closing ceremony on Saturday with “Mountain Cry” by Larry Yang after a successful presentation of films from all over the world, and particularly Asia.More than 227,000 visitors came to celebrate the Busan International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary and watched 302 movies from 75 countries. The BIFF closing ceremoy takes place at the Busan Cinema Center (Yonhap)The festival also drew hordes of the world’s most recognized stars in the film industry.

The early segments of “The Advocate: A Missing Body” are spent introducing all the typical characters needed to put together a typical criminal law drama. Lee Sun-kyun (acclaimed for “A Hard Day”) plays Byeon Ho-seong, an unscrupulous top lawyer with an incredible 100 percent win rate. Kim Go-eun (most recently in “Memories of the Sword”) is a spunky cub prosecutor named Jin Seon-min who believes justice will always prevail. Jang Hyun-sung becomes the untouchable giant Moon Ji-hoon leading a pha

Actors Cha Seung-won, Yoo Hae-jin and Son Ho-jun are back at Manjaedo Island in the far waters off the southwest corner of Korea for the second season of “Three Meals a Day -- Fishing Village.”The first season of “Fishing Village,“ which aired in January, was a spin-off of the original “Three Meals a Day,” starring actor Lee Seo-jin and singer-actor Ock Taecyeon. On the show, stars try to maintain a self-sufficient life in the countryside by preparing their meals from scratch.  Official poster f

BUSAN -- According to Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, “in some ways” the world of film “is just beginning,” with many changes to the industry on the horizon. Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Yonhap)Speaking to press at the Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday ahead of a keynote speech at the film festival’s conference, Isaacs touched upon several developments in the film world that the Academy faces today.First was the issue of diversity, which the

　　Gary　“2002”　(Loen Entertainment)　Rapper Gary of Leessang has widened his fan base with his steady role in the megahit game show “Running Man,” but his first studio-length album “2002” shows that he is first and foremost a musician.Collaborating with artists like Koonta, Jay Park, John Park, Skull and Deepflow, Gary weaves together an album that bears the hallmarks of past Leessang hits -- strong featured vocals that provide choruses to anchor down the candid, sometimes explicit lyrics that are

Heading out to the theaters this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's currently playing in theaters.For a historical drama, check out "The Throne." "The Intern" offers some lighthearted fun, while "The Long Way Home" combines comedy with the emotional drama of war. "The Loft" is a thriller for those who are looking for a little more spice, and "The Martian" is a blockbuster to look forward to next week.　　The Martian (U.S.)　Opening Oct. 8　　Adventure. Directed by Ridley Scott　　When a

After a ten-month break, JTBC‘s hugely popuar reality game show “Hidden Singer” is returning for its fourth season with singer BoA headlining the first episode.“We weren’t sure that we could come back this year,” chief producer Cho Seung-wook told press on Thursday. “But thanks to the support of those who waited for Season 4 to come back, we were able to be ready by October.”Poster for Season 4 of "Hidden Singer" (JTBC)The show, on which established singers are pitted against five fan contestant