Seungho of MBLAQ sealed a deal with Will Entertainment to start his acting career. Seungho of MBLAQ (Herald DB)The agency said Tuesday that it would fully support Seungho’s plan to build his career as an actor, sending an encouraging message about his new step. “Seungho has always wanted to become an actor. Please extend your support to his passion and commitment toward acting,” said an agency official. The singer-turned-actor debuted as MBLAQ in 2009. Aside from group activities, he starred in

VIXX is set to embark on a tour of Southeast Asian countries in July, according to the group’s agency Jellyfish Entertainment.  VIXX (Jellyfish Entertainment)The agency said Monday “VIXX Fan Meeting Tour in Se-Asia” will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok, among other cities. The tour kicks off July 27. “MyMusicTaste,” a Seoul-based crowdsourcing platform for music and live events, organized the event, making it meaningful, the agency added. The six-member group is also planning for

BTS has been recognized as the most influential musician on social media by the ninth Shorty Awards.  BTS delivers an award acceptance speech in a YouTube video posted Sunday after winning the ninth Shorty Awards. (Screen capture from BangtanTV)The seven-member group received an award in the music category. A ceremony was held in New York on Sunday. The award recognizes an individual or a group for their real-time presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube an

Imagine the shock when a boy, 8, drove up to a local McDonalds drive-through and asked for a Happy Meal. The news of the Ohio boy who learned how to drive on YouTube to get a late-night snack was a cutesy tidbit, but it also demonstrated just how easy it has become to educate oneself via new media.  “With the way technology is, more kids will learn how to do anything and everything,” a local patrolman told the Weirton Daily Times, upon witnessing the boy obeying all traffic laws and driving “eff

At the turn of the century, Emperor Gojong declared Joseon an empire in a last-ditch attempt to retain independence.  A re-enactment of foreign envoys’ audience with Emperor Gojong (Cultural Heritage Administration)The move turned out to be futile, as the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) saw the country taking its last breath before being colonized by Japan. This year’s Royal Culture Festival -- from Friday to May -- will re-enact the ceremonies and rituals from the last monarchy on the Kor

Soo Ae is considering returning to the big screen with the upcoming movie “Upper Class” (unofficial title), according to her agency Star J Entertainment.  Soo Ae (Herald DB)The agency recently said the actress was offered a lead role in the movie. “She is in the final phase of making the decision. She is considering the role positively,” said an agency official.  The movie, directed by director Byun Hyuk, tells a story of a woman who tries to climb the social ladder. The seasoned actress made he

Mamamoo is set to return in June, according to the group’s agency RBW Entertainment. Mamamoo (Yonhap)The agency said Thursday the group is currently working on a new album, while the exact date for the comeback is yet to be revealed. The four-member group will celebrate its third anniversary in June. The group debuted on June 19, 2014, with the mini album “Hello.”It released its fourth mini album “Memory” with the lead track “Decalcomanie” last November, which went on to sweep several local musi

SEATTLE - The literary translation community in the US has a tradition of being highbrow, a carefully tended yet narrow reflection of the stirrings of global culture beyond the Anglosphere.Then Amazon.com jumped in, like a whale into a koi pond.Armed with financial might and an intimate, machine-learned knowledge of reader behavior, the e-commerce giant made a big splash.Gabriella Page-Fort, the editorial director for AmazonCrossing, poses for a portrait on March 8, in Seattle, while holding a c

Paris-based Korean pianist Paik Kun-woo is back performing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas.This is not the first time Paik is playing the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle -- he played the 32 pieces in December 2007 at Seoul Arts Center in eight concerts over a period of seven days. The concerts marked the completion of the three-year project to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas under the Decca label.Ten years later, Paik is taking Beethoven sonatas on a nationwide tour, planning to

Cherry blossoms have peaked and are falling, marking the arrival of spring. In celebration of warmer days, The Korea Herald has compiled a list of 10 K-pop tunes -- old, familiar, lesser known and newly released -- for road trips and lazy days in grassy parks.  Clazziquai -- “Fiesta”　Listed in the experimental band’s 2007 album “Love Child of the Century,” “Fiesta” is an ambient techno-infused tune about taking off on an unexpected holiday to a tropical beach.f(x) -- “Traveler” feat. Zico　Like i

Kim Ki-soo makes sure to captivate the audience when he films a makeup tutorial: he winks, chortles, bats his eyelashes and daintily lifts a brush with impeccably manicured fingers. “Smudge, smudge, smudge,” he repeats, patting pigment onto his eyelids. “Touch, touch, touch,” he chants while coloring his cheeks in rhythmic strokes.　“I’ve given my eyes a feline flick today,” he said at an interview with The Korea Herald last Thursday. The 39-year-old comedian-turned-beauty creator walked into the

The new season of "Produce 101," Mnet's idol survival show, debuted on the top of a TV popularity index, while most prime time dramas on weekdays took a back seat, data showed Tuesday. (Yonhap)The second season of "Produce 101" scored 265.7 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), becoming the most popular TV program from April 3-9.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stories, online sea

Dato Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, Malaysian minister of international trade and industry, believes Malaysia and Korea can skillfully navigate the volatile world economy by enhancing partnerships tailored to 21st-century commerce.Since assuming his post in 2009, the economics-trained politician has striven to raise the competitiveness of Malaysian enterprises and bureaucracies, with an emphasis on attracting quality foreign direct investments. The key objective of the Malaysian government is to uplif

Singer Eric Nam was named one of the world’s most influential Asian celebrities by Forbes. Singer Eric Nam is featured in Forbes‘ ’30 Under 30 Asia‘ list Wednesday. (Herald DB)Forbes unveiled its 2017 “30 Under 30 Asia” list Wednesday, which features 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are making an impact in the world. The second annual list includes 30 honorees, all under age 30, for each of the 10 industries that make up the list. Nam was featured as one of the most recognized

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday decided not to register “Jeungdogaja” as a national treasure, after examination results confirmed that they could not be the 13th-century metal print types used to print “Jeungdoga.”Hwang Kwon-soon, an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration, announces the results of the examination of movable metal types claimed to have been used to print “Jeungdoga.” (Yonhap)However, the agency said it was still possible that they are metal types from

Kim Woo-bin was appointed an honorary ambassador for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, according to the PyeongChang Organizing Committee.  (Yonhap)The POC said Thursday the actor has been named as the event’s honorary ambassador and will promote next year’s Winter Games in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. Kim attended the signing ceremony held at the POC office in PyeongChang on Thursday afternoon.  Actor Kim Woo-bin, second from right, poses with Lee Hee-beom, head of the PyeongChang Organizing Co

Kim Chung-ha of disbanded girl group I.O.I is set to embark on a solo career, according to her agency MNH Entertainment.  Kim Chung-ha (MNH Entertainment)The agency said Wednesday the singer’s first digital single will be prereleased on April 21 via online music streaming sites and Kim will share details of the song via the Naver V app on Wednesday evening. The official album release is slated for May. Kim will be the first to debut as a solo artist among the 11 former members of I.O.I., which w

South Korean actor Jang Hyuk will attend Star Awards 2017 in Singapore early next week as a presenter, his agency said Wednesday. (Yonhap)The star of the Korean TV series "Beautiful Mind" and "The Voice" will present awards to this year's top 10 male and female artists during the awards show on Sunday, Sidus HQ said.Star Awards is an annual ceremony held every year by Singapore's state-run media company Mediacorp to honor the best in the local television industry. This year's event is scheduled

"Good Manager," KBS 2TV's late-night office comedy series, topped a benchmark TV popularity index in late March, while SBS TV's new legal thriller "Whisper" soared to second place, data showed Tuesday. (Yonhap)"Good Manager" scored 260.7 points on the Content Power Index (CPI), becoming the most popular TV program from March 27 to April 2.CPI, developed by entertainment company CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the popularity of TV shows based on the number of views of related news stories, onl

South Korean singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong will hold his upcoming publicity events in Japan as scheduled despite being charged with drunk driving, his agency said Monday. (Herald DB)According to Keyeast Entertainment, Kim will release a new single in Japan on June 6 and hold a 16-city tour there, titled "Inner Core," starting the next day. Kim, a member of the K-pop boy band SS501, was caught driving under the influence of alcohol on a street in Seoul's Songpa Ward around 1:55 a.m. on March 26, ac