Apink gains tremendous popularity in Japan

Apink gains tremendous popularity in JapanThe girls of K-pop girl group Apink held a showcase in Osaka on Saturday, to the passionate support of fans, the second of its kind after the event in Tokyo.The group was staged at Namba Hatch concert hall in Osaka, with about 4,000 fans packing the venue.Apink held its debut showcase in early August, and the group will reveal its debut single “NoNoNo” on Oct. 22.“Apink has gained tremendous popularity, with more than 50,000 fans applying for the first s

Sept. 15, 2014

Super Junior hits grand slam with ’Mamacita’

Idol group Super Junior won the first place trophy on SBS’ “Inkigayo” on Sunday, hitting a grand slam in Korean music programs.Competing against the nominees Sistar and Winner, the group’s title song “Mamacita (Ayaya)” from its seventh full-length album won the first prize.“We thank all of you, especially our managers, who are putting up with tight schedules, and our (entertainment) agency families,” member Donghae was quoted as saying.The idol group has now won a first prize on every Korean mus

Sept. 15, 2014

Joo Won perfectly resembles manga character

(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

Sept. 15, 2014

Rain thanks fans for food truck gift

(SBS)Singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, commonly known as Rain, thanked his fans for sending a food catering truck to support the actors and production staff of SBS’ new drama “My Lovely Girl,” the broadcaster said on Friday. Gureum, an official fan club of the heartthrob’s Korean fans, ordered a meal truck to feed 80-some actors and staff at the filming site in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday. Jung will be returning to the K-drama scene with “My Lovely Girl,” his first drama in four years. The dra

Sept. 15, 2014

Style goes digital at London Fashion Week

LONDON (AP) ― What to wear to London Fashion Week? The hottest designer heels, the latest fall jacket ― or perhaps a tech accessory like Google Glass. Hundreds of models, stylists and fashion insiders descended on the British capital Friday as the five-day whirlwind of catwalk shows kicked off, bringing the usual heady mix of glamor, parties and beautiful people. This season, however, organizers are also focusing on pairing technology with fashion, launching a series of talks and projects with G

Arts & DesignSept. 14, 2014

‘Conducting is sharing musical thoughts’

“Conducting is a ridiculous technique,” maestro Chung Myung-whun told a young man standing with a baton, looking tense and serious, in front of members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday morning. “Anyone in this room can learn how to do it after just a one-minute lesson.”Chung then started drawing the shape of a box in the air with one hand, counting from one to four. “This is how easy it is.” From this simple technique, conductors have to develop their own way to musically communic

PerformanceSept. 14, 2014

‘The Simpsons’ toast to 25 years with songs, stars

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Bart and Lisa Simpson, Chief Wiggam and son Ralph, bartender Moe and Apu from Kwik-E-Mart celebrated 25 years of “The Simpsons” in Hollywood on Friday. Those characters are performed by three actors ― Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria ― who hosted the world premiere of “The Simpsons Take the Bowl” at the Los Angeles concert venue the Hollywood Bowl. The program featured music, stars and reminiscences from TV’s longest-running scripted show. The Hollywood Bowl Or

TelevisionSept. 14, 2014

[Herald Interview] Korean drama fever hits U.S.

Korean TV dramas have been popular across Asia for the past decade, with series like “Autumn in My Heart,” “Jewel in the Palace” and the most recent “My Love from the Star” all being major hits. Now, Korean dramas are paving the way across the U.S., triggered by new platforms such as on-demand Internet streaming media. “People in the U.S. are gripped by Korean dramas because they are very different from typical American dramas,” said Suk Park, cofounder and co-CEO of DramaFever, a New York-based

TelevisionSept. 14, 2014

LVMH signs $80 million investment deal with YG

South Korea’s management agency YG Entertainment and French luxury giant LVMH signed an investment agreement worth $80 million in Singapore on Saturday. 　The cooperation between the two companies came a month after LVMH’s private equity arm L Capital Asia announced its plan to invest up to $80 million in the entertainment powerhouse. 　(Yonhap)“We believe that the partnership with L Capital can be a trigger that can drive YG’s further growth and lead new trends,” YG’s CEO Yang Min-suk said during

Sept. 14, 2014

Tablo poses with WINNER

South Korean rapper Tablo released a selfie he took with his labelmates in the K-pop group WINNER on Saturday.  (Instagram)“A photo with rising band WINNER,” Tablo wrote on Instagram.The rookie boy band WINNER is currently touring Japan to promote its Japanese debut album “2014 S/S -Japan Collection-” released on Sept. 10. (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

Sept. 14, 2014

Jo In-sung throws first pitch at Hanwha-Kia match

South Korean top actor Jo In-sung successfully threw the first pitch at a game between the Hanwha Eagles and Kia Tigers held in Daejeon on Sunday. Baseball fans gave Jo a big round of applause as he took the mound in a Hanwha Eagles uniform and threw the ceremonial pitch. The big-name actor’s first pitch came after Hanwha’s catcher, also named Jo In-sung, asked him in return for taking on the Ice Bucket Challenge following the actor. The actor is widely known for being an avid Hanwha fan since h

Sept. 14, 2014

‘Tazza 2’ draws about 3m viewers

“Tazza: The High Rollers 2” has maintained its top box office position and will soon break 3 million viewers.According to the Korean Film Council on Sunday, the movie had 200,000 viewers on Saturday alone, nearing a grand total of 3 million viewers as it tops the box office.“Tazza 2” has broken 3 million viewers within 11 days of its release which is amazing, considering that the movie was only for adults, officials said.Six million viewers saw the precursor to the movie, “Tazza: The High Roller

Sept. 14, 2014

Final performance of ill-fated Ladies’ Code to be revealed on TV

The onstage performance of K-pop girl group Ladies’ Code, which was made just hours before its fatal car accident, will be televised on Sunday evening.  　Korea’s public broadcaster KBS has decided to air the footage of the quintet’s last performance on its music show “Open Concert” after a heated in-house debate over whether or not to broadcast it, officials said.　 (OSEN)“We have carefully discussed whether to broadcast the last performance of the group that lost two of its precious members in a

Sept. 14, 2014

Updating a venerated institution

How do you renovate a popular 18th-century museum with minimum disruption to the visitors? Hotel Biron, the Paris location of the two-site Rodin Museum in France, has undertaken just that challenge with its two-year renovation.“The building was in very bad condition and the renovation was an opportunity to strengthen the structure,” said Catherine Chevillot, director of the Rodin Museum, during an interview with The Korea Herald on Sept. 3 at the Alliance Francaise in Seoul. She was in Seoul to

CultureSept. 12, 2014

Calendar

Pop music“Let’s Rock Festival”: The upcoming “Let’s Rock Festival” is gearing up to feature some of the country’s most notable indie bands in a two-day outdoor rock fest. The festival will include headlining acts Clazziquai Project, Peppertones, Zitten, Sister’s Barbershop, Crying Nut, No Brain, Guckkasten and Rose Motel as well as more than 30 other acts. The two-day indie music festival will be held at the Nanji Hangang Park on Sept. 20 and 21. Ticket prices are listed at 66,000 won for a one-

CultureSept. 12, 2014

‘God Help the Girl’ finds remedy for troubles in catchy songs

The lively, playful, self-aware musical “God Help the Girl” has such a will-o’-the-wisp quality you fear it will disappear if you attempt to fence it. Writer-director Stuart Murdoch called it “our little hymn to the possibility of healing in music” when he introduced the film at Sundance, and that’s about as close as you’re going to get.Murdoch, the lead singer and songwriter of Scottish band Belle & Sebastian, also wrote the film’s supremely melodic score as a stand-alone pop opera and nurtured

FilmSept. 12, 2014

Box Office

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (U.S.)Opened Sept. 11Crime, Thriller. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” based on codirector Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, is a sequel to the 2005 film “Sin City.” The film combines five crime stories from the novel set in the fictional Sin City, beginning with that of Johnny (Joseph Gordon Levitt), a fearless gambler, who arrives in the city, faces the villainous Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe) and plays a hi

FilmSept. 12, 2014

Eyelike: Maroon 5 choose ‘V’ for victorious

Maroon 5 choose ‘V’ for victoriousMaroon 5“V”(Interscope Records)Maroon 5 must have made a pact with the devil to hit this high a ratio of memorable tunes on an album.On the band’s fifth effort, “V,” they pack so many catchy hooks, you’d think they’ve left all pirates in history defenseless. Going through the playlist, it feels like a well thought-out party, mixing the right amount of hip-swaying, eyelash-batting and emotion. Although “Maps” is the lead single, it is the least adventurous and th

PerformanceSept. 12, 2014

Cliff jumping all in a day’s fun in Scotland

We sat among strangers, stuffed into wet suits and squeezed into a van headed toward a beach. No one was quite sure what to expect when we arrived.The website had used words like “climb,” “scramble,” “swim” and “jump.” It added: “A hair-raising and spine-tingling journey of exploration.”We were going coasteering.Never heard of coasteering? Neither had we until I started digging around the Internet as I planned our family’s summer vacation in Scotland. My husband, two boys and I would tour castle

TravelSept. 12, 2014

Erie Canal barges in on modern world

HERKIMER, New York ― In 1825, travelers navigated 83 locks. I crossed one.They traversed nearly 640 kilometers. I went 11.They saw the whole thing from mule-pulled barges. I was on the Lil’ Diamond II.We all saw no sign of a mule named Sal, but we still got to ride on the Erie Canal.Today, the Erie Canal is open for navigation from May 1 to Nov. 15. You can kayak through its locks, bicycle its shores, fish or visit the small towns along its meandering route. You can even rent a canal boat and sk

TravelSept. 12, 2014