Kim Beom-su, the founder of mobile messenger service Kakao Inc., has become Korea’s wealthiest IT entrepreneur by stock value, financial market researcher’s data showed. After Kakao merged with the country’s No. 2 portal Daum Communications Co., Daum shares have rallied on the tech-focused secondary bourse KOSDAQ, according to recent data provided by corporate financial information provider FnGuide.Lee Hae-jin, the founder and CEO of the country’s biggest portal Naver and who had long held the t

Photos of Park Hae-jin and Ma Dong-suk, two of the five lead actors of OCN’s new television action series “Bad Guys,” were released on Sunday. The photos showed Park and Ma leaning on each other’s shoulders while taking a short break between the scenes.  Actors Ma Dong-suk(top left) and Park Hae-jin (top right) take a break between the scenes for OCN's new television series "Bad Guys." (CJ E&M)The action drama portrays the alliance of two police officers and three outlaws who team up in a plea b

Model and actor Julien Kang was not high on drugs when he was caught walking around half-naked in public, the National Forensic Service confirmed on Wednesday. The local police said the Korean-French actor’s drug test results were negative, citing the state forensic agency. Model and actor Julien Kang. (OSEN)Kang was suspected of illegal drug abuse after being arrested on a busy street in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Sept. 25 while wearing only his briefs. He was taken to the local police for an

Lee Byung-hun’s two celebrity blackmailers had requested he give them a new house and cash before threatening to release a lewd video of him, prosecutors alleged on Tuesday.  Actor Lee Byung-hun. (KBS)The 24-year-old model surnamed Lee and 20-year-old Dahee of girl group Glam attempted to blackmail the 44-year-old married man after he turned down the request, according to prosecutors. The women were detained on charges of conspiracy. The prosecutors said the women were introduced to Lee Byung-hu

g.o.d. (sidusHQ)g.o.d., Korea’s first generation K-pop boy band, will hold its first U.S. concerts in California and New Jersey, the group’s label Sidus HQ said on Tuesday. The five members, now in their 30s and 40s, will highlight their 15-year careers with two U.S. concerts at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Nov. 7 and in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Nov. 9.In the U.S. concert, g.o.d. plans to introduce a variety of new performances that it has not shown at

Actor Jung Woo-sung beamed his trademark soft charisma through black-and-grey fashion in the fall fashion pictorials for Magazine W, released on Thursday. The 40-something Korean heartthrob modeled a series of business casual outfits, featuring a “casual dresscode for gentleman.”The actor recently costarred in the romantic drama film “Madam Bluff” with actress Lee Som, set to be released on Oct. 2.By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)(photo: Magazine W)

Singer Ailee released her third EP “Magazine” on Thursday at noon on major Korean music portals.The new EP includes “Don’t Touch Me,” a Britpop rock title track with a powerful piano loop line and drum beat. The album is the collaboration of Ailee and composer Kim Do-hoon, who also composed “I’ll show you” on the singer’s first album, as well as Korean hip-hop group Dynamic Duo. (YMC Entertainment)The 25-year-old singer, born and raised in Colorado, U.S., debuted in the K-pop scene in February 2

KEAST major shareholder and actor Bae Yong-joon was sued by a health supplement maker on fraud charges.  KEAST major shareholder and actor Bae Yong-joon (OSEN)Gorilla Life Way, a company in which the Korean star holds 95 percent of shares, allegedly appropriated 2.5 billion won ($2.4 million) from the supplement maker while processing an exclusive deal to export the Korean red ginseng product to Japan.But KEAST issued an official statement alleging that the supplement maker was “maliciously brin

As most Indonesian children, especially those in urban centers like Jakarta, are exposed from a young age to manga (Japanese comic books) and anime (Japanese animation), J-pop (Japanese pop culture) has established a loyal following that not even the recent invasion of K-pop (Korean pop culture) can rival.On Sunday, more than 45,000 J-pop enthusiasts packed the Parkir Timur Senayan arena in South Jakarta to take part in the last day of the Jak-Japan Matsuri festival organized by the Japanese Emb

The opulent sitting room in the Majestic Hotel’s old wing is an apt place indeed to listen to tales of growing up in post-World War II Malaya. Apart from the fact that the hotel is a fine example of colonial architecture in Kuala Lumpur, it turns out that Rosemary Palmer’s life in this country began in this very place.“We stayed in this hotel for the first three months when we came in 1947. Stepping into the place today, I thought it was absolutely beautiful, but I just couldn’t remember what it

The current global economic climate offers limited trade and investment options for businesses seeking much-needed growth. The economies of the traditional regional giants (North America and the European Union) have mainly stood still or contracted in the last five years. Apart from China, which appears to be defying the odds by continuing to exhibit double-digit growth, where else in the world can a company hope to grow its business?Southeast Asia seems to be the best bet. While contributing a

Moon Joon-young of ZE:A takes back accusations of abuse leveled against his agency, leaves fans unconvincedMoon Joon-young of K-pop boy band ZE:A. (OSEN)Moon Joon-young, the leader of K-pop boy band ZE:A, on Monday took back his fiery criticisms of his agency’s alleged exploitation of its singers, but fans remained skeptical of the “reconciliation.”The 25-year-old singer wrote on his Twitter Monday morning that he had an all-night talk the day before with Shin Ju-hak, the chief executive of Star

It is the world’s most consumed and used vegetable oil, yet it has come under more intense scrutiny and has been criticized more than any other type of oils and fats. What is it about palm oil that draws such flak?At the International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference held recently in Kota Kinabalu, participants and speakers attempted to sort through the sometimes emotional reactions this agricultural product elicits with an exchange of differences and misgivings, shared perspectives and clarif

Brick-and-mortar bookstores are facing hard times as Amazon and other online retailers offer convenience and lower prices. Nevertheless, many real bookstores are making serious efforts to win customers’ hearts and make their life and work more fulfilling by offering good book selections and well-devised displays in addition to sincere assistance from store clerks. Foreign book departments in Japan are no exception.More emphasis on specialized booksOn Sept. 1, Maruzen Bookstores Co. expanded the

Jiang Wen, Li Yuchun and Fan Bingbing might not be household names in the West, but when China’s top editors at fashion and lifestyle magazines want to sell more copies, they approach the three stars, who are among the hottest go-to people to have on the cover. As the Chinese market for lifestyle magazines grows, editors have gotten to know their audiences well, and in the high-stakes game of developing tastes and competition for readers, highlighting of Chinese models and actors, among others,

Actress Shim Eun-kyung appears on the official poster of KBS’ upcoming rom-com “Cantabile Tomorrow.” (KBS)The second batch of official poster for KBS’ new rom-com “Cantabile Tomorrow” was released on Tuesday, showing the sparkly naivete of actress Shim Eun-kyung as the heroine, Seol Nae-il. In the poster, Shim is barefoot, wearing a loose chiffon dress. In her hand is a copy of a music score -- part of the daily life of every music school student, her role in the rom-com. The award-winning actre

Singer-actors Jung Ji-hoon (Rain) and Jung Soo-jung (Krystal) attend the press conference for SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" in Seoul, Monday. (OSEN)Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, commonly known as Rain, said he does not feel the 12-year age difference with f(x)’s Krystal, declaring himself an old fan of the girl group member.“We have had such a great teamwork that it made the 12-year age gap totally forgettable,” Jung said in a press conference for SBS’ new rom-com “My Lovely Girl” that was hel

Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon (Rain) attends the press conference for SBS's rom-com series "My Love Girl" in Seoul, Monday. (OSEN)Rain said he wanted to shatter the rosy illusions about being a TV celebrity through SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" by showing behind-the-scenes experiences that celebrities undergo. With 12 years of acting under his belt, the singer-Hollywood actor asserted that the drama realistically portrays many of the hidden realities, such as the heartbreaking hardships of that

Actors attend the press conference for SBS's new rom-com "My Lovely Girl" in Seoul on Monday. From left: actors Jung Ji-hoon, Jung Soo-jung (Krystal), Cha Ye-ryeon, Kim Myung-soo (L), Park Young-gyu, Kim Jin-woo and Haeryeong. (OSEN)SBS’s new rom-com “My Lovely Girl” perhaps is one of the most anticipated K-dramas for K-pop fans this fall. Directed by Park Hyung-gi and written by No Ji-seol, the Wednesday-Thursday drama stars several singer-actor hotshots, including Rain, Krystal from f(x), L fr

(KBS)The official posters for KBS’s new rom-com, “Cantabile Tomorrow,” were released on Monday, showing the resemblance between the lead actor Joo Won and the original character from a Japanese graphic novel.In the posters, Joo Won is dressed up in a black tuxedo and white shirt, a trademark outfit for the maestro of an orchestra. The actor perfectly matches the original character Shinyichi Chiaki from the Japanese graphic novel “Nodame Cantabile” by Tomoko Ninomiya. The Korean heartthrob plays