Most Popular
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Jimin of BTS, actor Song Da-eun suspected to be dating, again
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What's next for the government's push in quota hike?
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Woman falls to death from acquaintance's home after exhibiting ‘unexplained' behaviors
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‘Malice should not undermine the system, social order,’ says Hybe's Bang
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N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'
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N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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Korean firms target EV charging market in US
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Seoul sees further jump in cost of dining out
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Super Junior's new album 'Devil' is hyper-trendy
Super Junior is all style and sophistication in its new album “Devil,” a special release celebrating 10 years since the group’s debut. Featuring bouncy, stylized beats and collaborating with an eclectic bunch of musicians, the new album sees the band branching out musically and appealing to a wider audience.In more than a few ways, Super Junior has arguably been a group atypical to SM Entertainment. At a label known for producing ultramodern pop beats and veiling its artists in a pristine public
July 20, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Magical world underneath water
A girl in a white feather dress has her eyes closed and floats aimlessly with her dress and hair moving naturally to reveal their velvety layers. The weightless calm captivates the viewer, wondering where this place with such a calm state could be. “Angel 1,” Swan Song by Zena Holloway (Courtesy of the artist)This mystical photo is in fact taken underwater by photographer Zena Holloway, a British photographer who specializes in underwater photography. She is holding her first exhibition in Seoul
July 20, 2015
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[Herald Review] ‘Chicago’ induces unapologetic laughter at lust, greed and murder
A scene from the original cast production of “Chicago,” on run at the National Theater of Korea until Aug. 8. (Seensee Company)One of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history, “Chicago” has made its way back to Seoul with an American cast who brilliantly recreate the good ol’ days of scandalous jazz tunes. Sprinkled with a wicked murderous twist, the show weaves one of musical theater’s more shamefully alluring tales of lies and human greed. “You’re about to hear a story of murder, gree
July 19, 2015
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‘The Last Empress’ gets an overhaul for its 20th anniversary
Known as the godfather of Korean musicals, Yun Ho-jin occupies a special place in the Korean musical scene 20 years after he burst upon the scene with “The Last Empress,” a large-scale original musical, the likes of which had never before been seen in Korea.An adaptation of a novel by Yi Min-yol based on the assassination of Queen Min, also known as Empress Myeongseong, by Japanese killers in 1895, the grand opera-like musical took the nascent local musical scene by storm when it premiered at th
July 17, 2015
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[Weekender] Summer music fests to stomp out the heat
Despite grueling temperatures that make going outside seem like an unwanted tax on the body, this summer still has all the makings of an unforgettable season of music festival fun. Following last month’s two-day EDM blowout Ultra Music Festival, which drew more than 100,000 partygoers, the remaining summer months promise an eclectic array of big-time international acts and fan-favorite local names. Ansan M Valley Rock Festival Forced to cancel its festivities last year in light of the tragi
July 17, 2015
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Indie band performances to take place in Seoul
The Seoul metropolitan government said Wednesday it will put on a series of concerts by indie musicians next month as part of celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Korean liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.The concerts will be held every night from Aug. 15 through Aug. 20 at the public square in front of Seoul City Hall free of charge, according to the city government. The lineup includes folk artists such as Ki Myung-seung and Spicy Soda on the first day, multinational ha
July 15, 2015
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Gracias Choir holds summer night concert
Over 5,000 Seoulites enjoyed an evening of free music Saturday, as the award-winning Gracias Choir held a public concert for citizens at Seoul Plaza in the heart of Seoul. The stage featured internationally esteemed musicians such as conductor Boris Abalayan, who is a professor at Russia’s Saint Petersburg Conservatory, pianist Igor Lebedev and British flutist Paul Edmund-Davies, who participated in the soundtracks of the “Harry Potter” and “Mission: Impossible” film series.A male quartet sings
July 13, 2015
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Eyelike: 9Muses, Minx, Miguel
9Muses targets club scene with new EP9Muses “9Muses S/S Edition” (KT Music)9Muses are a group known mostly for their stunning looks. Nicknamed the “model idol” group, the eight members boast an average height of 172 centimeters and are known for their sexy choreography in songs like “Dolls” and “Wild.”On their new EP “9Muses S/S Edition,” the group continues to do what they are best known for, choosing consistency over variety. Thumping club-style beats underline both the lead track “Hurt Locker
July 10, 2015
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Classic operas to usher in the summer, fall seasons
From crowd favorites Mozart and Verdi, to one of the world’s earliest known opera productions, the remainder of the 2015 season promises moving and memorable arias.Seoul Metropolitan Opera is gearing up for its staging of one of the world’s oldest known operas -- Claudio Monteverdi’s early baroque piece “L’Orfeo.” Based on the mythical musician, poet and Greek prophet Orpheus, the opera tells the tale of his journey to the underworld and his challenge to Hades to retrieve his deceased wife, Eury
July 9, 2015
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Eyelike: Joy Williams, Neil Young + Promise of the Real, Pete Rock
Joy Williams goes solo and bares soulJoy Williams “Venus” (Sensibility/Columbia)Nearly 20 minutes into “Venus,” an acoustic guitar emerges from the computer clamor that fills most of the album. The refreshing sound of an actual musical instrument nudges Joy Williams into the set’s best song, the soul-baring ballad “What a Good Woman Does.”“I can’t carry the weight of this war,” she sings.Williams’ acrimonious split with Civil Wars partner John Paul White is at the core of “Venus,” her first solo
July 3, 2015
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Nine Muses jumps into heated summer girl group scene with heavy club beats
The leggy, statuesque eight-member group Nine Muses has made a comeback with a special summer album, “9 Muses S/S Edition,” jumping into the heated summer K-pop scene a mere few days after fellow girl groups Sistar and AOA. The title track “Hurt Locker” is a throbbing Euro-electronic dance beat, written by Swedish songwriter Erik Lidbom -- who also composed “Genie,” the massive 2009 hit by Girls’ Generation -- British producer Herbie Crichlow and Norwegian songwriter Anne Judith Wik. The lyri
July 3, 2015
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Hanwha Classic 2016 to headline French baroque
Following its recent staging of the distinguished Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century for the annual Hanwha Classic 2015, representatives have revealed that next year’s concert series will feature French conductor Marc Minkowski and the Musicians of the Louvre orchestra. The Musicians of the Louvre orchestra is an internationally renowned French baroque music ensemble, which originally formed in 1982 in Paris by Minkowski. Since 1996 the orchestra has been based in Grenoble, southeastern France
July 2, 2015
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Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ opera reborn, aiming for family fun
Soprano Lee Yoon-geong (left to right), bass Attila Jun and tenor Kim Woo-kyung to take part in the upcoming production of Mozart‘s “The Magic Flute” opera. (Seoul Arts Center)The Seoul Arts Center is getting set to unveil its upcoming production of Mozart’s enchanting opera “The Magic Flute.”The upcoming show will be the center’s first opera production in six years, following another Mozart’s classic -- “The Marriage of Figaro.” From 2001 to 2009, “The Magic Flute” was staged at the SAC every y
July 2, 2015
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EXO’s ‘Call Me Baby’ most watched K-pop video in the first half
EXO. (SM Entertainment)South Korean mega-idol group EXO’s “Call Me Baby” was the most watched K-pop music video in the first half of 2015 on YouTube. “Call Me Baby,” the title song of EXO’s second regular EP “EXODUS,” released March 31, recorded a smashing 52.4 million combined views on YouTube with its Korean and Chinese versions as of July 2. The Korean version raked in 40,621,247 views, already enough to give it the most views of any K-pop music video released in the first half of 2015, while
July 2, 2015
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[Herald Review] Peering through mask of ‘Phantom’
In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-hit musical “Phantom of the Opera,” the protagonist ― a disfigured man living in dark cellars of a Paris opera house ― has no name. Known as the Phantom, he lurks in the shadows and manipulates, desires and finally kidnaps the object of his obsessive affection, Christine Daae. In another musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 horror romance, currently playing in Seoul, he is Erik ― a man who has to live underground and hidden because he was born with the face of
July 1, 2015
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Girls’ Generation to return
K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation will make a much-awaited return to the music scene on July 7. The upcoming single “Party” will be released at 10 p.m. on July 7 through major music sites. After releasing the single, the eight-member group will drop a full-length album containing tracks “Lion Heart” and “You Think.”The single arrives a year and six months after the last EP, “Mr. Mr.,” in February 2014. It is also Girls’ Generation’s first new album release as an eight-member outfit, with Jessic
June 30, 2015
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Modigliani, Kahlo and Botero on show
As the summer begins, Seoul welcomes exhibitions of great art masters such as Amedeo Modigliani, Frida Kahlo and Fernando Botero. These exciting shows offer a cool cultural getaway from the city’s hustle and bustle. Meet some of the early modern iconic artists at Seoul’s major museums. Modigliani: Legend of Montparnasse "Reclining Nude with Loose Hair" by Amedeo Modigliani (Osaka City Museum of Modern Art)The rare exhibition of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) just kicked off last w
June 30, 2015
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Seoul Philharmonic gets new chief amid lingering bitterness
A former top banking executive was appointed chief executive of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Tuesday, amid lingering troubles at the country’s finest ensemble after the scandalous departure last year of its former CEO. Choe Heung-sik, the former head of Hana Financial Group, the country’s fourth-largest financial group, will take office on July 1 as the orchestra’s CEO, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said in a press announcement. The orchestra is partly funded by the municipal governme
June 30, 2015
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Daegu musical fest rolls out hard-to-find works
DAEGU -- From an out-of-this-world space musical set on a forbidden planet to the skin-crawling murder mystery of a serial killer, the ongoing Daegu International Musical Festival features a wide range of international productions, catering to all artistic tastes.The 9th annual DIMF kicked off its 18 days of festivities Friday in the southern city of Daegu, inviting cast members from all corners of the world, with shows that one would be hard-pressed to see in Korea or elsewhere in Asia. A scen
June 30, 2015
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BTOB returns with first full album, musical maturity
Seven-member boy group BTOB dropped their first full-length Korean album, “Complete,” on Monday. The title track, “It’s Okay,” is a heartfelt R&B ballad that seeks to comfort weary hearts, and topped musical charts upon its midnight release. “It’s a song meant to heal us of the everyday trials that we face. The lyrics are sincere and uplifting,” said leader of the group and vocalist Eun-kwang at a showcase for the album’s release Monday.“It might not have the showy performances of dance songs, b
June 30, 2015