A backstreet in Hongdae bustles with well-dressed teenagers. The area, famous for its night life, teems with youngsters on most nights. But this alley’s crowd is younger than usual -- some are even still in their school uniforms.Even in the twilight, the alley reverberates with the music as the young students excitedly line up with groups of friends to get into the nightclub.  Teen-clubbers wait outside in a line to enter a nightclub in Hongdae (Photo by Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)Wave, a te

Widely known for his controversial works, photographer Rotta has been accused of sexually harassing a model. The alleged victim claimed in a television news interview that Rotta harassed her five years ago while shooting a pictorial.“(The photographer) suddenly asked me to bite his finger, claiming that he demands the act of all girls when shooting. He kept touching me as well,” the accuser said. Despite her clear refusal, he continued to physically come into contact with her, she added. She lef

Wonder what Cupid might look like if he stepped out of Greek mythology? OCN’s new drama “Evergreen” may provide an answer, taking a step farther to show what Cupid is like when he falls in love. The romantic comedy-drama series features actor-musician Lee Jong-hyun as a modern-day Cupid named O Su, who works as a barista. Born with the ability to detect and control people’s romantic emotions, he plays Cupid by sprinkling magical flower dust into their drinks.  Lee Jong-hyun (leftO and Kim So-eun

Back with a brand new concept, WJSN wishes to work some magic as it tries to encourage fans to achieve their dreams. The 13-member girl band dropped its fourth EP “Dream Your Dream” on Tuesday. A few hours before the release, the band held a media showcase at Gwangjin-gu in eastern Seoul.  WJSN performs “Dreams Come True” at a media showcase Tuesday at Yes24 Live Hall, Gwangjin-gu of Seoul. (Yonhap)With the title song “Dreams Come True,” the EP contains six songs in total --“Love O’clock,” “Rena

Big Bang’s G-Dragon has enlisted in the military. Rapper-singer Kwon Ji-yong, widely known by his stage name G-Dragon, began his mandatory military service by joining the five-week basic training camp Tuesday. Military service is compulsory for all able-bodied men in Korea.  G-Dragon enters the basic training camp at Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday.(Yonhap)His management agency YG Entertainment previously announced that it would not hold any official farewell events for fans, adding that the

TV personality Jun Hyun-moo and fashion model Han Hye-jin are dating, Jun’s agency said Tuesday. The agency’s confirmation came shortly after a local media outlet reported that the two stars are in a romantic relationship. The report claimed that the couple often go on late-night dates, despite their busy schedules. Photos from the scenes were revealed with the report.  Jun Hyun-moo (left, SM C&C) and Han Hye-jinA few hours later, Jun’s management agency SM Culture & Contents put out a statement

Rapper Don Malik has admitted to sexually harassing a high school student. On Wednesday, the rapper, whose actual name is Moon In-sub, was accused of sexually assaulting a high school student fan. The victim said through social media that the rapper demanded sexual acts against her will. Later in the day, the rapper’s management agency, Daze Alive Music, admitted to the accusation and announced that Don Malik would immediately be expelled from the label.  Don Malik (Daze Alive Music)Don Malik is

Strawberry afternoon at Sheraton D Cube CityFor those who are unsure who filling a buffet of strawberries can be, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City has prepared a strawberry afternoon tea set. On an intricately designed tea tray, 12 sweets and snacks, all centered on the use of fresh strawberries, are prepared. The hotel’s Lobby Lounge on the 41st floor is widely known for its panoramic view of the city. While enjoying the tea set, one can get a bird‘s eye view of the city. The tea set is offered until

Renowned photographer Bae Bien-u, 68, has become the latest figure outed in the #MeToo movement, being accused of sexually harassing female students when he was a professor.  (Yonhap)According to local daily Kyunghyang Shinmun, graduates of Seoul Institute of Arts are lashing out at the photographer for sexually assaulting students both verbally and physically. “Teaching a class at his studio in November 2010, the professor came up to me from behind and grabbed my buttocks,” one of the accusers

The hip-hop scene is characterized by its own style of dress -- its loose yet cool sense of fashion. Thanks to the music genre’s recent boom, more people than ever are seeking to dress like the rappers and DJs that they admire. Hip-hop fashion is more commonly referred to as street fashion in Korea. Though the term was originally used to differentiate the “realway” look from the runway one, it is now used to signify a hip-hop style. Rap has been creating a buzz in the last couple of years. Audit

Actor So Ji-sub is to star in a new drama series “Terius Behind Me” (working title). So is to play the role of a character named Terius. The character is inspired by a widely-known Japanese comic “Candy Candy.” Although the original character is named Terrence in English, he is more referred to as Terius, in Korea.  So Ji-sub (51K)The veteran actor’s latest drama was “Oh My Venus” on KBS2 in 2016. He had lately been focusing on his filmography, featuring in various films. “Terius Behind Me” is s

Despite the use of fantastical elements, OCN’s new series “Children of a Lesser God” looks to enhance the realism of drama, a new attempt in the crime-fantasy genre.The press conference for the drama series held Wednesday in Seoul had an unusually charged atmosphere: One of its actors, Jo Min-ki had been hit with several allegations of sexual abuse just the day before.  Mere hours before the press conference, Jo announced he was dropping out of the series in response to the sexual misconduct all

Caper film “Gate” hopes to be “better than the news,” keeping the elements of comedy while reflecting reality by satirizing Choi Soon-sil. The main plot of the film centers on a group planning to rob a secret safe. The former thieves, a prosecutor, a hacker and two friends team up, each for their own reasons. Veteran actors Jung Ryeo-won, Im Chang-jung, Jung Sang-hoon, Lee Kyung-young, Lee Moon-sik and rookie Kim Do-hoon form the main cast of the comedy caper. The cast of “Gate” (JNC Media Group

Poet Ko Un is to leave Suwon amid sexual harassment allegations surrounding him and complaints over the city’s use of public funds to support him.Suspicions of sexual harassment arose when a female writer wrote a poem, explaining that the story came from her own experience of being sexually harassed. The unidentified character’s details matched that of the poet Ko, although she has not confirmed it was him.  Ko Un at the Maninbo Library (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)He has not responded to the

Model-actor Ye Hak-young was charged with driving under the influence. He is to face legal punishment once again after the drug scandal in 2009. Ye was caught by the police Friday morning, sleeping in his car on the streets of southern Seoul. His alcohol level was 0.067 percent at the time, enough to get his driver’s license revoked.  Ye Hak-young (Ye’s social media account)Though not arrested, he will soon be summoned to the police for further investigations. Ye was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in

NCT hinted its return to the K-pop scene, pre-releasing the music video of its unit’s new track “Boss” on Sunday. NCT U, consisted of seven members from the original group, recorded the song and shot the accompanied music clip in Ukraine. Taeyong and Mark participated in the lyric writing.  Teaser image of NCT U’s new track “Boss” (S.M. Entertainment)The song is a hint to the upcoming album “NCT 2018” which will be released in March. All 18 bandmates of the group are to participate in the album

For foodies who are traveling overseas, Michelin-starred restaurants are not the only choice available when it comes to experiencing the local food culture. Many, thirsty to know more about everyday local cuisine, take advantage of culinary tourism, joining cooking classes or food tours. Taking some time off from wandering the streets, tourists are immersing themselves in authentic local experiences, under the guidance of professionals. Listening to stories behind foods, cooking classes“Do you k

A Korean actress has expressed her disappointment with the Berlin International Film Festival organizers for their inviting filmmaker Kim Ki-duk to the event while championing the values of the global #MeToo movement.The same actress, who wishes to remain anonymous, accused the prize-winning filmmaker of physically and sexually abusing her during the filming of “Moebius” in 2013. Kim was fined 5 million won ($4,600) in December on the physical assault charge. Other charges were dismissed due to

Having just returned to the K-pop scene, solo singer BoA will release a new EP on Feb. 20. “One Shot, Two Shot” will contain seven tracks. The singer has released 18 regular albums since her 2000 debut, but this is her first EP release. BoA (S.M. Entertainment)BoA’s new songs will be dropped on local music websites at 6 p.m. on Feb. 20. The physical albums are to go on sale the next day. BoA released her latest album “Nega Dola” on Jan. 31. The powerful dance anthem was well received for showing

국내외 영화계가 ‘미투 운동’으로 들썩이는 가운데, 베를린영화제가 성추문과 관련된 작품을 라인업에서 열외시키기로 결정했다. 그렇지만 김기덕 감독의 영화는 출품에 지장이 없을 예정이다.디에터 코슬릭 베를린영화제 집행위원장은 지난 6일, 감독, 배우, 스탭 중 한 명이라도 성추문에 관련된 작품을 라인업에서 제외시키겠다고 발표했다. 그는 “다섯 작품 이하”의 출품을 이미 취소시켰음을 밝히며,  작품들의 이름에 대해서는 말을 아꼈다.사진=2013년 8월 <뫼비우스> 영화 제작발표회에 참석한 김기덕 감독. 김기덕필름 제공영화제 최종 라인업에는 김기덕 감독의 “인간, 공간, 시간 그리고 인간”이 포함됐다. 김 감독은 2013년 작품인 “뫼비우스”와 관련돼 지난 여름, 익명의 여배우에게 고소당한 바 있다.해당 배우는 김 감독이 스탭들 앞에서 자신을 폭행했으며, 시나리오에 없는 베드신 촬영을 강요했다고 주장했다. 그녀는 결국 영화 촬영 도중에 다른 배우로 교체됐다.검찰은 김 감독을 폭행 혐의로 약