Top actor Gang Dong-won has signed with the US-based talent agency Creative Artists Agency, US entertainment publication Variety reported Friday. While he will continue to be represented in Korea by his current agency YG Entertainment, Gang’s international representation will be made by the CAA. The 41-year-old model-turned-actor made his name hit movies including “Romance of Their Own” (2004), “Jeon Woochi: The Taoist Wizard” (2009), “A Violent Prosecutor&

Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is collaborating with American rap superstar Cardi B. The rapper is scheduled to guest-star in “Baby Shark’s Big Show!”, a television program jointly produced by Pinkfong and children’s entertainment network Nickelodeon, according to a press release from The Pinkfong Company on Friday. “Inspired by the rapper, a new character Sharki B and her family -- Offshark (played by Cardi B’s

Busan Lotus Lantern Festival The Busan Lotus Lantern Festival will be held at Songsanghyeon Plaza and Busan Citizen’s Park in Busan from April 22 to May 8. Sponsored by the Busan Buddhism Association, the annual festival offers visitors with an opportunity to experience Buddhist culture through the many activities and hands-on experiences, including a lotus lantern making program, temple food meals, widely known as gongyang, and more. In celebration of Buddha’s birthday, various t

Global streaming platform Disney+ didn’t forget the romance as it went musical with its third Korean-language series, “Soundtrack#1.” Starring Han So-hee and Park Hyung-sik, the music drama revolves around two characters who have been best friends for 20 years, as their relationship changes in a romantic way. Taking the role of songwriter Lee Eun-soo, Han, 27, said that her character is a bright, honest person who does not know much about love. “Unlike the character

Ranging from classical, jazz and pop to traditional Korean sounds, music filled the Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall Wednesday night in a concert held to wish for peace amid the war in Ukraine. The “2022 Special Concert for World Peace,” co-hosted by The Korea Herald and the Seoul Arts Center, delivered a message of peace and harmony led by the Seoul Pops Orchestra’s director and conductor Ha Sung-ho. “I am touched and amazed by how many people in Korea are sendin

Not having performed in a concert since December, two violinists of Seoul Pops Orchestra revealed their mixed emotions for the 2022 Special Concert for World Peace, which is to be held Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. “Due to the COVID-19 situation and the fast-spreading omicron variant, we did not have a concert for almost three months. I was happy to see my colleagues to prepare for tomorrow’s concert. I am excited, but nervous at the same time,” violinist S

After “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said the series will return with a second season due to popular demand, one burning question remains: Who will be starring in the next season? On the red carpet at the Producers Guild Awards ceremony on March 19, Hwang said told the press that he was working on many ideas and hinted that Jung Ho-yeon might play the role of a twin sister to Sae-byeok, Jung’s character who died in the final game of season 1. However, it may be prematu

Recently adapted into a television drama, the Kakao webtoon “A Business Proposal” has captured the interest of both local and international viewers with its unique, heart-fluttering storyline and dramatic romance of two couples that were brought together because of an unexpected blind date. Because of the different cultural backgrounds of potential viewers, the global launch of “A Business Proposal” began with concerns rather than excitement, webtoon author and illustra

An artwork created for the “2022 Special Concert for World Peace” is being sold as a non-fungible token on digital art platform and marketplace Evei starting Sunday. Drawn by artist Heo Wook, who graduated from Beaux-Arts de Paris with degrees in drawing, painting, architecture and multimedia, the main image is also featured in the poster for the March 23 concert co-hosted by The Korea Herald and the Seoul Arts Center. Based on Heo’s latest work “Cheom Cheom,” th

Top actor Lee Byung-hun, 51, is set to make his small-screen return in tvN’s new Saturday-Sunday drama “Our Blues” scheduled to premiere April 9. Playing Jeju-born salesman Lee Dong-suk, he travels the island in a truck selling all kinds of household goods and clothing. Lee’s new role is a stark contrast to his previous role as a charismatic US Marine in period drama “Mr. Sunshine” released in 2018. “Our Blues” is one of the most anticipated dra

Actor Lee You-mi, who shot to stardom in Netflix’s “Squid Game” and “All of Us Are Dead,” has been cast in a new sports drama called “Mental Coach Je Gal Gil.” In the upcoming tvN series, Lee plays the female lead for the first time, her agency Varo Entertainment said Saturday. The series presents the stories of former world short track medalist Cha Ga-eul (played by Lee), who is especially hard on herself. Cha Ga-eul, once a short track prospect, is

Jeju Fire Festival The Jeju Fire Festival will be held at Saebyeol Oreum in Aewol-eup on Jeju Island from March 18 to March 20. The annual festival is a reinterpretation of “bangae,” the oldest nomadic culture in Jeju, where people pray for richness and health by burning off old grass and, in the process, kill vermin in the fields. Lighting up the night sky, the fire show puts on a stupendous display for visitors. For safety reasons, all programs at the Jeju Fire Festival -- the

The League of Legends Champions Korea 2022 Spring final returns to esports fans and spectators face-to-face at the country’s largest convention center, Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, just northwest of Seoul. In compliance with social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the last five final matches have been livestreamed. LCK announced it would close this year’s spring season at the No. 1 exhibition center in Kintex on April 2, where the first LCK final was

Thriller webtoon “Money Game” has become the first Korean webtoon to be made into a web-based entertainment show in the US. Though a local adaptation of the webtoon series was made last year on Korean YouTube channel Jin Yong-jin, this is the first time a Korean webtoon’s IP is being adapted by foreign creators, production team and cast, according to Naver Webtoon. The five-part reality show on YouTube channel Jubilee features eight participants who are kept in separate cells

Former Navy special warfare officer Rhee Keun, who recently left South Korea to fight as a volunteer soldier in the war in Ukraine, said in an Instagram post that he is alive in Ukraine. Denying recent rumors about his death after the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement that around 180 pro-Ukrainian volunteer soldiers on Ukrainian training bases had been killed, Rhee posted “I’m alive” via social media on Tuesday. “My teammates withdrew safely from Ukraine. I

When it comes to nightlife, Seoul may be a restless city with its glittering building signs, rowdy car horns and packed crowds spilling out from work. But there is always a place to take a break from urban life and take a small emotional refuge. With numerous ancient sculptures and artworks, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, is a home to art from Korea and beyond. But the serene museum is also a place of peace and silence.  In a darkened part of the museum, a bl

Top movie star Kim Dong-wook will make his streaming platform debut with Tving’s upcoming series “The King of Pigs” on March 18. Kim, 38, takes on the role of Hwang Kyung-min, who was bullied in school in the past and is being investigated by police as the prime suspect in a serial murder case. Actor Kim Sung-kyu co-stars as detective Jung Jong-suk, who seeks to find the truth behind the killings. Adapted from the 90-minute animation of the same title by “Hellbound&rdq

Two Korean novels have been named on the long list to qualify for the annual International Booker Prize, formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize. “Love in the Big City” by Park Sang-young and “Cursed Bunny” by Chung Bora are among 13 works announced as in the running for the international literary award announced Friday. In 2016, “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang won the prestigious international prize given to a book translated into English and pub

Taean World Tulip Flower Festival The World Tulip Flower Festival is scheduled to run from April 9 to May 9 at Korea Flower Park in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Some 200 types of flowers, including flamingo, lambada, red proud tulip and more, will be on full display. On-hand experiences, like a flower planting program, will not be offered at this year’s event to prevent any spread of COVID-19. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and tickets are 12,000 won for adults and 9,000

Public broadcaster KBS had the most-watched presidential election coverage on TV in Korea Wednesday night. KBS1’s election coverage recorded a viewership rating of 11.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. It was the highest-rated election coverage, while SBS and MBC, which aired in the same time slot, followed with 6.1 percent and 5.6 percent viewership ratings, respectively. Claiming that the first metaverse ballot count and the broadcaster‘s own artificial intelligence predictio