Review: 'Omniscient Reader' bets big on franchise dreams, comes up snake eyes

"Honestly, I'm quite desperate. Please help us out here." Director Kim Byung-woo's closing plea at Tuesday's press conference for "Omniscient Reader: The Prophet" at Megabox Coex carried more weight than your typical promotional patter. With a reported 30 billion won ($22 million) production budget requiring at least 6 million admissions to break even, Kim has every reason to sweat. In a year where theaters are experiencing their worst slump in decades, with "Mission: Impossible's" 3.39 million

Sohn Min-soo, Lim Yunchan bring 2,500 to their feet with four hands, one voice

One of the most anticipated classical concerts of the season took place at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday evening. In the last of three performances in Korea before moving on to the Verbier Festival in Switzerland later this month, pianist Sohn Min-soo, 49, and his pupil Lim Yunchan shared the stage ― an occasion that affirmed what the 21-year-old has often attested to in interviews: the deep influence of his teacher. From the moment the lights dimmed, the audience was ready to be transported.

South Korea’s premier water music festival S2O Korea makes splash in Gwacheon

S2O Korea, one of the best-known water-themed music festivals in the country, lit up Gwacheon with energy and excitement on Sunday, drawing massive crowds despite the humid summer heat. Inspired by Thailand’s traditional Songkran water festival, S2O made its Korean debut in 2022 and has grown into one of the country’s most iconic summer music events. This year’s festival took place over the weekend at Seoul Land in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Although Sunday’s weather was hot and cloudy, festiv

Review: 'Spring Night' a drink-soaked exercise in aesthetic masochism

If alcoholism is a pathology that corrodes the soul with insidious inevitability, "Spring Night" -- director Kang Mi-ja's second feature after a 17-year hiatus -- is cinema's manifestation of that harrowing condition, in both form and content. Fresh from its run at the Berlinale's Forum section earlier this year, this 67-minute exercise embodies the endless cycle of addiction down to its very bones. Rarely does a film mirror its subject matter with such uncanny fidelity, but the effect proves de

Blackpink returns sharper, stronger and more united than ever

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Blackpink made a triumphant return to the stage this weekend, performing for 78,000 fans over two days at Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The highly anticipated "Deadline" concert not only marked the quartet’s official reunion after nearly two years apart, it also underscored why they remain the most successful girl group in K-pop history. The emotional impact of seeing all four members — Jennie, Jisoo, Rose and Lisa — back onstage together wasn’t lost on

'Squid Game' Season 3 will make you weep

"Squid Game" has always been a spectacle -- bloody, brutal and bracingly political -- but at the same time deeply emotional, grounding its violence in stories of desperation and loss. The final season pushes that even further, delivering its most emotionally devastating chapter yet. On Wednesday, the press were given a first look at the entire third season, and the six-episode arc amplifies the series’ long-standing undercurrent of heartbreak and humanity. The performances carry much of the emot

Beautiful Mint Life packs out 3-day festival

Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, Korea’s leading spring music festival Beautiful Mint Life 2025 (BML) came to a close Sunday following three days of indie music at its very best. Held Friday to Sunday across the Olympic Park area in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Beautiful Mint Life featured performances on three main stages: the outdoor Mint Breeze Stage set up at the 88 Lawn Field, the indoor Cafe Blossom House at Kspo Dome and the lakeside Loving Forest Garden. A total of 45,000 festivalgoers f

Weverse Con Festival expands beyond Hybe, Weverse platform

Weverse Con Festival, a concert organized by K-pop powerhouse Hybe’s fan platform subsidiary Weverse, wrapped up this year’s edition over the weekend at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, with its musical diversity and festival structure greatly expanded. Now in its third year, the event, which originally featured only artists under Hybe or the Weverse platform, has broadened its musical palette to include non-Hybe, non-Weverse and even non-K-pop artists in its lineup. This year, rock

'The Rising World' - a message-driven opera that wades through cloudy narrative

"Tick, tick, tick, tick ..." A chorus encircles a giant ticking clock as they chant. Inside is a figure -- an artisan who sacrifices herself to restore order. Her act saves the princess and many others from a world submerged by water. What follows, the scene shows, is left to those who remain. One might read this as an allegory -- a warning about climate change, or a meditation on the power of unconditional sacrifice. In its first-ever original opera production, the Seoul Arts Center on Sunday p

Review: 'Hi-Five' struggles to find its superpowers

Picture this: Two newly minted superhumans discover their extraordinary abilities and decide to ... play the recorder. One holds the instrument at arm's length while the other provides the breath from across a playground using his turbocharged lung capacity. This moment of laughable absurdity perfectly encapsulates what director Kang Hyeong-cheol is going for in "Hi-Five" — a goofy superhero ensemble that wears its dumb-fun ambitions like a badge of honor. It doesn't take long for viewers to app

Le Sserafim begins first world tour with powerful statement of growth

After a difficult year marred by criticism of its live singing, girl group Le Sserafim kicked off its first world tour with an all-out, two-day show. On Saturday and Sunday, Le Sserafim held its first world tour, “Easy Crazy Hot,” at Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the group. Opening the show with “Ash,” Le Sserafim quickly amped up the energy with performances of its latest main track “Hot” and the B-side “Come Over.” The tour title, “Easy Crazy

Infinite proves its enduring power with 15th anniversary concert

Veteran boy band Infinite wrapped up its 15th debut anniversary tour with a grand finale, promising an even greater future with its fans. Infinite held encore performances Saturday and Sunday for its 15th debut anniversary concert at the Inspire Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, attended by 20,000 fans who, over the two days, braved the stormy weather to see Infinite onstage. After kicking off "Limited Edition" in Seoul last December, Infinite went on to perform 13 shows in eight cities including T

Review: A master, a protege and the game between

'The Match' delivers as perfectly serviceable biopic, despite sidestepping deeper implications The ancient board game of Go thrives on silent conflict. Unlike its Western counterpart chess, where dramatic captures and aggressive advances define play, Go's tension lies largely beneath the surface — abstract territories and invisible formations collide as black and white stones rest peacefully on a wooden grid. This metaphysical complexity of the game sets up director Kim Hyung-ju's central challe

'King of K-pop' G-Dragon returns to the stage

Iconic K-pop star more than delivers despite freezing weather GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Even Saturday's sudden cold snap could not chill the connection between G-Dragon and his fans as he he kicked off his “Ubermensch” world tour Saturday. Strong winds delayed the concert at the open-air Goyang Sports Complex Stadium by 73 minutes, but G-Dragon more than made up for the wait as he opened the show with an intense performance of "Power." Dressed in an elaborate outfit reminiscent of red roses an

TMIF begins on high note with Lim Yunchan’s performance

The festival continues until April 6, closing with Britten’s 'War Requiem.' The Tongyeong International Music Festival opened with a performance by its Festival Orchestra, comprising both domestic and international musicians, under the baton of French conductor Fabien Gabel. The concert began with Overture (1973/74) by Isang Yun -- the composer in whose honor the festival was founded in 2002. The orchestra took the stage twice with the same opening program Friday — once in front of about 1,000 e