Veteran film director Park Kwang-su has been appointed as the new chair of the Busan International Film Festival. Via a general meeting held at the Busan Cinema Center on Thursday, Park was designated to lead the annual film festival for the next four years. Park’s four-year term began Friday, and can be extended for one additional term. The appointment comes as the BIFF Executive Recommendation Committee unanimously nominated Park as the sole candidate for the position on Dec. 22, 2023, f

South Korean actors Ahn Jae-hong and Lee So-young, better known as Esom, said they attempted to capture realism, portraying romance of the modern couples living through the contemporary age, in their latest work "LTNS." Korean streaming platform Tving's six-part comedy drama series "LTNS," which is short for "Long Time No Sex," centers around the story of Woo-jin (played by Esom) and Samuel (played by Ahn) -- a sexless, married couple -- as they chase unfaithfu

One of the representative South Korean R&B groups, SG Wannabe, will return with a concert to celebrate their 20th debut anniversary. The trio’s upcoming concert will be held under the title “Our Song,” keeping the name of the group’s concert last year. The title "Our Song" became the concert brand of the trio, starting with a concert in March last year at SK Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park and Seoul. The first "Our Song," was SG Wannabe's f

"Squid Game," the South Korean Netflix original drama series which took the world by storm upon its release in 2021, will return with a second season in 2024, according to Netflix. The new season of the thriller will follow the story of Sung Ki-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who gives up his flight to the United States after discovering that the organizers of the death game are continuing to recruiting participants. The drama series will also follow the stories of various contestants wh

“Citizen of a Kind” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 24 Drama Directed by Park Young-ju Duk-hee (Ra Mi-ran), who usually lives an ordinary life, travels to Qingdao, China, to capture the boss of a criminal organization after she falls victim to a voice phishing scam. She decides to travel to the country after the person who scammed her, Son Jae-min (Gong Myung), calls her from Qingdao asking for help. “Wish” (US) Opened Jan. 3 Animation Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasuntho

    Rookie girl group Babymonster topped iTunes top songs chart in eight regions, according to label YG Entertainment on Thursday. The group topped the chart with “Stuck In The Middle,” a pop ballad tune and English-language single released Wednesday in advance to the release of its first EP, which is due out on April 1. The six-member act debuted in November with “Batter Up” which renewed the record for a K-pop group’s debut song, generating 22.59 mi

South Korean actors Son Suk-ku and Choi Woo-shik will raise a philosophical question -- whether it is just to condemn evil through murder -- in "A Killer Paradox," a new Netflix original drama series. The eight-part drama series revolves around Yi Tang, (played by Choi Woo-shik) a college student who, under extreme stress, murders those who antagonize him. After discovering that all his victims were serious evildoers "worth killing," Yi comes to believe that he has a supernat

The post-apocalyptic action film "Badland Hunters," which topped the Netflix global chart immediately after its release on Jan. 26, is a work by director Heo Myeong-haeng and his longtime partner, actor Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok. “We were looking for something to do together and because he (Lee) works often on new scenarios, he discovered this story and suggested we do it together,” Heo told The Korea Herald in an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. Having spent more

Leading rock band YB returns with a national concert tour, "2024 YB Tour Lights: Infinity." The legendary band kicks off its tour on March 9 at the Chunma Art Center of Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, for a two-day run. The band will visit 10 cities in total, also including Suwon, Ansan and Yongin in Gyeonggi Province, Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province, Busan, Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, Incheon, Wonju in Gangwon Province and Gwangju. "Lights&

It is safe to say that the pantsless trend has firmly planted its roots in Korea, especially within the K-pop scene. This look has triggered mixed reactions, with some arguing that it is a way of expressing freedom while others say that it is too provocative and simply inappropriate. The now-trending no-pants look speaks for itself, featuring a style that discards pants, skirts or any bottom-covering attire, except for briefs, often paired with tights. The origins of this look can be traced

For some 20 years, K-pop artist Kim Jae-joong has been hounded by fans stalking him to get a sneak peek into his private life. A week ago Kim Jae-joong decided to stand up for himself and take legal measures against “sasaeng” fans -- industry slang referring to fans who invade an artist‘s private life, often exhibiting problematic and obsessive behavior. “We are currently gathering information about Kim Jae-joong’s sasaeng fans and the private taxis they hired to st

     Stray Kids will make headline performances at music festivals in Milan, Italy and London this summer, both a first for a K-pop boy band, said label JYP Entertainment on Wednesday. The band will make its festival debut on I Days and British Summer Time Hyde Parkon July 12 and 14, respectively. The lineup for the Milan gig this year includes Metallica, Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey and Bring Me The Horizon. The supporting lineup for the British festival will be announced soon, sa

Celebrated pianists Son Yeol-eum, Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan share what inspired them through playlists on Apple Music Classical

The schedule and initial lineup for the 16th Seoul Jazz Festival 2024 have been revealed. In its 16th year, the Seoul Jazz Festival will be held at four venues located in Seoul's Olympic Park from May 31 to June 2, featuring around 60 diverse artists from home and abroad. Singer-songwriter Lauv, who is popular for his dynamic performances and emotional music, and French artist FKJ, who is known for his bold fusion of soul, jazz and electronic music, will visit Korea for the festival. Legend

In recent years, the Hollywood debuts of Don Lee and Park Seo-joon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Blackpink's Jennie starring in the HBO drama “The Idol,” were feted as huge feats in Korea, never mind that their appearances lasted just minutes. Recent wins at major film festivals by creators and actors of Korean descent -- Korean Canadian director Celine Song of “Past Lives” and Korean American director Lee Seong-jin and actor Steven Yeun of “Beef”