Most Popular
-
1
[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
-
2
Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
-
3
S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
-
4
Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
-
5
Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
-
6
[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
-
7
Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
-
8
Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
-
9
Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
-
10
[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
-
Images made in Korea
Before Korea became the leading exporter of semiconductors and cellphones, the top money magnet was wigs. Wigs, along with textiles, shoes and plywood, were the pillars of Korea’s exports in the 1960s and ’70s, until cheap-labor countries entered the market.The once-flourishing wig making process is reenacted by contemporary artist Lee Wan for his new exhibition in Seoul. In an 11-minute video, the artist cuts his long hair and asks a wig maker in Namdaemun to make a wig with it. A scene from th
April 30, 2015
-
‘Taming of the Shrew’ makes Asian ballet premiere
A lighthearted tale of love, cunning deceit and comedy, the ballet rendition of “The Taming of the Shrew” made its official Asian troupe debut Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center. The Korea National Ballet, becoming the first Asian ballet company to stage the work choreographed by John Cranko, held a special premiere showing on Wednesday afternoon in front of nearly 1,000 middle school students. The family-friendly performance was intended to give children the opportunity to not only experience a
April 30, 2015
-
ABBA tribute band coming to Chuncheon
ABBA tribute band Abbagirls will be performing in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, from May 2-3. The team will play live versions of ABBA’s worldwide hits including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” and “I Have a Dream.” Abbagirls is an ABBA tribute band from the U.K. that has staged over 4,000 performances in 40 different countries over the past 20 years. A four-member team ― Kim Graham as Frida, Kelly Vallance as Agnetha, Mark Dawson as Bjorn, and Ralph Raison as Benny ― Abbagirls has gain
April 30, 2015
-
‘Sixteen’ compete for spot in JYP’s next girl group
Mnet and JYP Entertainment have teamed up to launch the new survival-style debut program “Sixteen.”The program’s name refers to the number of contestants who will vie for a spot in the new seven-member group to come from JYP. The new group would be named “Twice,” JYP Entertainment’s CEO Park Jin-young revealed at a press conference at the 63 Convention Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday.“We chose that name because the members will be wowing their fans once through their ears, and twice
April 29, 2015
-
Beast to hold 1st solo concert in Hong Kong
South Korean boy band Beast will hold a solo concert in Hong Kong next month, the group's management agency said Tuesday.The concert, "Beautiful Show in Hong Kong" will take place at Hong Kong Asia World-Expo Arena on May 30, Cube Entertainment said.During the event, which will be the group's first-ever solo concert in Hong Kong, the group will perform all of its hit songs. "We'll make them one of Asia's top K-pop artists by gradually broadening their activities in China," a Cube official said.D
April 28, 2015
-
Season of operas
This year’s sixth annual Korea Opera Festival is gearing up for its monthlong commitment to the operatic arts with five main-stage productions that are rare in the local scene.Kicking off on May 8 at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, the festival will feature productions from five major local opera companies: Muak Opera Company’s rendition of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro;” Sol Opera Company’s production of Puccini’s “Il Trittico;” Seoul Opera Ensemble’s production of Rossini’s “Mose;” Nuov
April 28, 2015
-
K-pop label chiefs advance into other industries
Local entertainment agencies are expanding their businesses to cosmetics, golf, gaming and tourism to take advantage of the growing popularity of K-pop culture in the Asian market. Leading the trend is YG Entertainment, which recently became one of the top music agencies in the country. YG, which manages the rapper Psy and K-pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1, has advanced into the booming cosmetics market to capitalize on the growing popularity of Korean beauty products in the Asian market. Last
April 28, 2015
-
‘Crazy Horse Paris’ cabaret to premiere in Seoul
Scintillating one’s seductive senses by gazing upon the sinful tease of bare skin in an unforgettable night of risque sophistication ― this is the very essence of “Crazy Horse Paris.” Alongside celebrated cabaret acts such as “Moulin Rouge” and “Lido,” “Crazy Horse Paris” is one of France’s most iconic live burlesque performances, having seduced more than 15 million people worldwide over the past six decades. In celebration of the Paris-born show’s 65th anniversary this year, “Crazy Horse Paris”
April 27, 2015
-
[Herald Review] Big Bang kicks off world tour with a nod to Seoul fans
“B, to the I, to the?” “Bang! Bang!”YG Entertainment’s iconic boy group Big Bang lit up the Olympic Gymnastics Arena at Seoul Olympic Park on Sunday, the second day of the Seoul concert that kicks off their long-awaited group comeback. The 13,000 seats were packed strong with VIPs (as Big Bang’s fans are called) as the five members dominated the stage, freely moving around onstage and relocating ramps to interact with the audience. “I’m not as nervous as I was yesterday,” rapper T.O.P said, refe
April 27, 2015
-
Lim Kim keeps ‘Simple Mind’ in third EP
In her third EP, Lim Kim has grown up, and learned to approach life with a “Simple Mind.” “It’s an album about looking at things as simply as possible,” Kim said at a press showcase at Lezhin Comics V-Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul on Monday.Newly blonde and dressed in a studded black leather jacket, Kim sang three songs from the seven-track album ― the playful and daring “Awoo,” which was prereleased on April 22, the addictive title track “Love Game,” and the poetic “Barama,” originally performed with
April 27, 2015
-
[Up & Coming] Art meets technology
Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed. Art has no boundaries ― especially when it comes to digital media art.Young media artist Nam Hye-yeon describes her work as a “true collaborative art form.”It requires the skills and talents of many people from diverse fields ranging from computer science and engineering to business and art to create something unimaginable, yet with a social meaning that can help break down social barri
April 26, 2015
-
Summer fests to burst K-pop bubble
Young K-pop boy and girl groups may take center stage in Korea’s music industry, but the Korea Creative Content Agency is looking to expand K-pop’s scope by promoting a number of emerging small-label artists to the world.The state-run content agency will host the “K-pop Night Out” at music events in Canada, Singapore and Cannes, France.“We hope to introduce global audiences to a wider variety of Korean music,” Song Sung-gak, president of KOCCA, said at a recent press conference.“We also aim to p
April 26, 2015
-
Eyelike: Brian Wilson, Calexico, Cama Incendiada
Brian Wilson is back with evocative albumBrian Wilson“No Pier Pressure”(Capitol)Brian Wilson‘s “No Pier Pressure” offers ample reason to celebrate the extended solo career that has followed his Beach Boys’ journey. His 11th solo studio offering opens with “This Beautiful Day,” a short track that captures all of Wilson‘s yearning and desire in the simplest, most direct way, offset by lovely harmonies and some fine trumpet work. Of course, the entire CD does not reach that level, and some of t
April 24, 2015
-
Park Bo-ram on way to being ‘Celepretty’
Singer Park Bo-ram dropped her first EP “Celepretty” on Thursday.After making a splash on the star discovery program “Superstar K2,” 21-year-old Park made her official debut last August with the single “Beautiful” featuring Zico of Block B.The song made waves for its autobiographical story of a girl who became beautiful through a hard diet ― Park herself lost 32 kilograms while preparing her first release. Her new medium-tempo title track “Celepretty” continues the true-story theme. The lyrics a
April 24, 2015
-
Barbed wires become canvas for art
PAJU, Gyeonggi Province ― Just a few kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone runs a long line of barbed wire fences, separating the rice fields in the south and no-man’s land in the north. Imjingang River also crosses the world’s most fortified border between South and North Korea. It is a tense and hostile area, with a man shot to death trying to cross to the Nouth in September 2013. In this area, a white signpost reads “Hello” in Korean on both sides. Looking alien in its surroundings, the
April 23, 2015
-
Namolla Family bringing more than just laughter with ‘Hot Show 2’
The saying “laughter is the best medicine” may just be an old adage to some, but to entertainers Kim Kyoung-wook, Kim Tae-hwan and Ko Jang-whan of comedy trio Namolla Family, it’s a line that sums up their philosophy of life. In fact, they go even further to say that “a world without laughter is a world not worth living.”Following the success of “Namolla Family Hot Show 1,” a live variety show held in the trendy performance hot spot of Seoul’s Daehangno last year, the comedians are back with the
April 23, 2015
-
Soprano Hong Hei-kyung to return to local opera stage
Having enjoyed more than three decades at the top of the international opera scene, New York Metropolitan Opera veteran and local soprano icon Hong Hei-kyung has her eyes set on Mozart, rather than retirement. After debuting with Mozart’s “The Clemency of Titus” at the Met in 1984, Hong is making her return to the Korean operatic stage for the first time in a decade, tackling another Mozart classic, “The Marriage of Figaro,” as the Countess Rosina Almaviva. “Unlike performing a recital, an opera
April 21, 2015
-
[Herald Interview] U.K. piano prodigy Grosvenor to hold first concert in Korea
Benjamin Grosvenor is one of the rising stars in today’s international piano scene, but his playing is not like that of any of his contemporary competitors. Called by some the “Golden Age” pianist for his admiration of the 20th-century piano greats, the British musician has publicly displayed his disillusionment with how today’s piano virtuosi play. Benjamin Grosvenor (Decca/Sophie Wright)“The wonderful thing about that (Golden Age) era of pianists is their individuality,” Grosvenor, 22, told Th
April 21, 2015
-
Ivan Fischer conducts RCO in homage to Beethoven
Pianist-turned-renowned conductor Ivan Fischer has retaken the helm of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, returning to Seoul to showcase his four-day homage to the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven. Noted as one of the most prominent Hungarian conductors of his generation, Fischer is guest conducting the historic RCO, now in its 127th year, for four consecutive nights in Seoul starting Monday at the Seoul Arts Center. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (Simon Van Boxtel/Vincero)“It’s bee
April 20, 2015
-
Jo to make West End debut
Musical actor Jo Sang-woong has been cast for the part of Thuy in the West End musical “Miss Saigon.”According to Cameron Mackintosh, the production company behind the musical’s London revival, Jo will be replacing Korean actor Hong Kwang-ho for the part starting May 11. He will be a member of the new cast for the production’s second year at the Prince Edward Theatre in West End. Jo Sang-woong. (Project H)“Miss Saigon” is one of the world’s most successful musicals. It is an adaptation of Puccin
April 20, 2015