Rediscovering old songs, talking about music, and recreating old songs into new versions -- at first glance, the format of JTBC’s new entertainment program “2U Project -- Searching for Sugarman” seems familiar. But according to the chief producer Yun Hyun-joon, it’s something different.“The idea for the program began with the documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man,’” he said at a press conference Tuesday, referring to the 2012 film about Rodriguez, a singer who faded into obscurity in the U.S. but

Television Aug. 18, 2015

CHEORWON, Gangwon Province -- An annual art project exploring the historical and contemporary significance of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas chose Geumhak Street in the Dongsong neighborhood as its venue for 2015.This year’s “Real DMZ Project,” marking its fourth year with an exhibition titled “Lived Time of Dongsong,” brought together 49 individual and team artists to decorate various locations along the street with pieces reflecting the creators’ thoughts and emotions on the

Performance Aug. 18, 2015

South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo has won the prestigious Golden Leopard award at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival for his 17th feature-length film “Right Now, Wrong Then,” according to the film’s distributor Finecut on Sunday. Hong Sang-soo at Locarno (Locarno International Film Festival)In addition to the top prize, the film also picked up a Best Actor award for leading man Jung Jae-young. He is the first male Korean actor to win that honor at Locarno; actress Kim Ho-jung took home

Film Aug. 17, 2015

In Park Heung-sik‘s martial arts epic “Memories of the Sword,” the most notable element of Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon’s performance is not her poignant emotion, nor her impressive sword action. It is her ability to do portray both while also playing a blind character -- without ever blinking or focusing her eyes. According to Jeon, it was an obstacle she had failed to foresee. Actress Jeon Do-yeon (Lotte Entertainment)“I actually asked (Park) if we could change the story to let her (Jeo

Film Aug. 12, 2015

Explaining the name of their second world tour, Infinite member Sungyeol said: “Bringing everyone together through our music, that’s the ‘Infinite Effect.’” And the seven-member boy group did just that for fans packing Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Arena in Seoul on Aug. 8. Infinite performing at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena (Woollim Entertainment)Throughout the concert kicking off the tour, Infinite tried to bring that “Infinite Effect” to life with a comprehensive 180-minute set that included

Performance Aug. 10, 2015

Romantic dinner courseat Sheraton Grande Walkherhill (Sheraton Grande Walkerhill)　Sheraton Grande Walkerhill is introducing grill restaurant Clock 16, which offers a range of authentic grilled dishes. All dishes are seared atop the finest local hardwood charcoal for a rustic, savory flavor. The restaurant also offers a sparkling night cityscape and a sophisticated interior.For couples, a seven-course meal titled “Romantic Anniversary Dinner” will be served. The menu will start with a grilled sea

Culture Aug. 7, 2015

Heading to theaters this weekend but not sure what to watch?The Korea Herald offers a summary of the top box office hits now playing or movies that are coming soon."Mission :Impossible -- Rogue Nation" and "Assassination" are battling it out in the box office, with action crime film "Veteran" fighting the good fight and Illumination's adorable "Minions" maintaining a steady audience particularly among moviegoers in their 20s. Next week, the battle gets fierce as the highly anticipated "Memories

Film Aug. 7, 2015

Lee Michelle”I Can Sing”(Sony Music)　Lee Michelle’s second EP “I Can Sing” starts off with a light, playful guitar riff that is surprising to those who have come to associate the 24-year-old singer with soaring, powerful vocals. As a contestant on the star discovery competition program “K-pop Star,” Lee Michelle had used her strength to climb up to the Top 5. But on this album, it becomes clear that what truly sets the half-Korean, half-African-American singer’s voice apart is not her ability to

Film Aug. 7, 2015

When people talk about Uhm Jeong-hwa’s career as an actress, they often describe it as having begun with a successful transition from her singing career. Uhm’s long and diverse filmography certainly confirms that it was successful -- but at an interview at a cafe in Seoul on Monday, Uhm emphasized that it wasn’t a transition. “I actually debuted as an actress,” she said. “It just happened to take me eight years to find my second movie.” During that time, Uhm built her name as a sexy and charisma

Film Aug. 5, 2015

JYP Entertainment’s signature girl group Wonder Girls are back after three years and two months with their long-awaited third studio album “Reboot.” The Wonder Girls pose for the media at Hyundai Card Understage in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Monday. (Yonhap)Newly reorganized into a four-member band, the Wonder Girls now consists of Lim on guitar, Sunmi on bass, Yenny on the keyboard and Yubin on drums.“It feels really strange and new to be back after three years,” said Lim at a press showcase Monday at

Performance Aug. 4, 2015

Tom Cruise is well-known for his love of Korea and its moviegoers, and made a stop here on his promotional tour for “Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation” together with director Christopher McQuarrie in time for its premiere. Actor Tom Cruise (left) and director Chris McQuarrie of "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Thursday (Yonhap)“We just finished the movie a week ago Saturday in London, and the moment we finished we started this tour. One of the

Film July 30, 2015

After being bombarded this year with back-to-back Hollywood blockbuster movies filled with exploding cars, collapsing buildings, and cities turned upside down, it seemed that bigger, louder and hotter was the only recipe for the success of action flicks.In “Veteran,” director Ryoo Seung-wan brings in an all-star cast led by Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in to flip that assumption on its head.The reunion of Ryoo with stunt coordinator Jung Doo-hong (the pairing seen in Ryoo‘s “The Unjust” and “The Be

Film July 29, 2015

Sporting a retro neon sign, mint green banquettes and Formica tables, the latest iteration of Brooklyn the Burger Joint’s hit restaurant chain reads like a 1950s American diner.The resemblance, Brookyn the Burger Joint owner-chef Park Hyun revealed, is intentional, as are the diner-like opening hours -- 24 hours, seven days-a-week. “I wanted to do it somewhere big and I wanted to do a 24-hour spot,” Park, 35, explained how he came to launch Brooklyn the Burger Joint’s fourth outlet this June nea

Food July 24, 2015

There’s nothing quite like a sandy beach and open ocean in the summer to wash away the fatigue of everyday stress. With long, stretching coastlines, Korea offers a variety of beaches for midsummer vacations, each with its own unique personality. The Korea Herald suggests some of the nation’s best beaches for relaxation, for crowded fun and for fun experiences.　Quiet seaside paradises　For those seeking a quieter, more relaxing summer getaway, the following are some of the country’s hidden seaside

Travel July 24, 2015

 This boiling hot noodle soup is a popular summertime dish in Korea. Kalguksu literally means “knife noodles”, but it actually refers to a steaming hot noodle soup that’s traditionally made with handmade, knife-cut noodles. There are many variations using different ingredients for the soup base or for the dough. Dak (chicken) kalguksu is made with a rich chicken broth, and shredded chicken meat. For convenience, you can use commercially packaged fresh kalguksu noodles available in the refrigerat

Food July 24, 2015