The Korea Herald

‘Let It Go’ from Disney’s ‘Frozen’ stirs up Korean music scene

MusicFeb 14, 2014

Two Disney princesses are leading the local music scene and setting new box-office records in South Korea.Since premiering on Jan. 16, Walt Disney Animation Studio’s recent film “Frozen” has been making local box-office history, becoming the most-viewed animated film in South Korea by attracting over 8 million local viewers according to the Korean Film Council on Tuesday.Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Snow Queen,” “Frozen” tells the story of Anna, a brave, determined princ
Girls' Generation mulls album release delay after losing video footage

MusicFeb 14, 2014

Girls' Generation, one of the most popular South Korean pop groups, may postpone the release of its new album after footage for the video of the album's title track was accidentally deleted, the group's management agency said Friday.The K-pop group originally planned to end a one-year hiatus with the release of its fourth mini-album titled "Mr.Mr." on Feb. 24. Before the official release, the group was scheduled to release the title track "Mr. Mr." on local online music services such as Melon, N
Harpist’s special homecoming

MusicFeb 13, 2014

An internationally acclaimed musician, Korean adoptee Lavinia Meijer returns to country of birth with new album
Grim forecast for Korean art market

TheaterFeb 13, 2014

Korean art auction market, still in its infancy, struggles to recover as both sales and prices fall
Three nights of Beethoven sonatas

MusicFeb 13, 2014

Attention, Beethoven fans! Some of the world’s most highly acclaimed musicians are coming to Korea this month for three all-Beethoven sonata concerts in Seoul. Scheduled for Feb. 17, 20 and 21 at Seoul Arts Center, the three concerts are a unique chance to indulge in the world of Ludwig van Beethoven through three different instruments ― the piano, violin and cello. Kicking off the Beethoven bash on Feb. 17 is Catherine Cho, a Korean-American violinist who teaches at the prestigious Juilliard Sc
Oscar-winning writer calls in favors to make ‘Winter’s Tale’

FilmFeb 13, 2014

Oscar-winning screenwriter, producer and director Akiva Goldsman fell in love with Mark Helprin’s 1983 novel “Winter’s Tale” decades ago. And despite the book’s themes, texture, density and sheer bulk ― it is 740 pages long ― he could never quite give up the idea that it should be a movie. “It’s a fairy tale for grownups,” says Goldsman, who won an Oscar for adapting “A Beautiful Mind,” and counts “The Da Vinci Code,” “Cinderella Man” and “A Time to Kill” among his screenplay credits. “The most
SM ballad artists serenade fans in joint recital

MusicFeb 13, 2014

Six of the representative vocal powerhouses of SM Entertainment gathered on Wednesday night to perform an intimate recital show in front of 800 fans for the “SM The Ballad Vol.2 Joint Recital.” The special recital was held in commemoration of the agency’s second ballad album project, titled “Breath.” Under the theme of painful break-ups, this year’s ballad singles project features collaborative work by eight SM artists from Korea and China, including SHINee’s Jonghyun, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeo
U2 to play Mandela song at Oscars

TheaterFeb 13, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Irish rock veterans U2 will play their Oscar-nominated song “Ordinary Love” from the movie “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” at this year’s Academy Awards, organizers announced Wednesday.The March 2 performance at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood will be the first time U2 has played the song live, said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of the 86th Academy Awards. The tune is among four nominees for best original song along with “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2,” “Let It Go” from
2NE1 announces release date of second album

MusicFeb 13, 2014

After nearly five years since making their K-pop debut, the four ladies of 2NE1 are finally releasing the act’s second full studio album titled “Crush.” The group’s upcoming album is slated to be released on Feb. 24, the same day rivaling powerhouse girl group Girls’ Generation is scheduled to release its comeback EP album “Mr. Mr.”YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk is calling this album 2NE1’s “first full album with brand new songs,” explaining that the ladies’ debut studio album featured only
Sid Caesar, comic genius of 1950s television, dies

TelevisionFeb 13, 2014

Sid Caesar, who died Wednesday at 91, invented TV sketch comedy, gathering a dream team of fellow performers and writers _ among them Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Woody Allen _ whose own impact on comedy will be lasting.“He was one of the truly great comedians of my time, and one of the finest privileges I've had in my entire career was that I was able to work for him,” Allen said.“Your Show of Shows,” which debuted in 1950, and “Caesar's Hour” three years later, drew as many as 60 million viewers
2NE1 to release new album this month

Feb 13, 2014

South Korean girl group 2NE1 will release a new album this month, the group's management agency said Thursday."We will upload the group's second full-length album, 'Crush,' on major online music services at midnight on Feb. 24," Yang Hyun-suk, chief of YG Entertainment, said in a posting on the company's official blog. The album will hit the shelves of local record stores a week later, he added."2NE1 released its first full-length album in September 2010, made by simply adding a few new songs to
Park brothers’ ‘mosaic’ film accentuates raw, uncut Seoul

FilmFeb 12, 2014

Placing cultural heritage sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace on the backburner, global citizens helped the city of Seoul produce its new “promotional” art house film that portrays the essence of the city in its rawest form. “Bitter, Sweet, Seoul” is the latest film project by the famous Park brothers, directors Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong, who have taken an unconventional approach to the typical city tourism video documentary and given the country its first globally crowd-sourced movie premi
Shirley Temple, iconic child star, dies at 85

FilmFeb 12, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Shirley Temple, the dimpled, curly-haired child star who sang, danced, sobbed and grinned her way into the hearts of Depression-era moviegoers, has died, according to publicist. She was 85. Temple, known in private life as Shirley Temple Black, died Monday night at her home near San Francisco. She was surrounded by family members and caregivers, publicist Cheryl Kagan said. “We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly
The evolution of samulnori

MusicFeb 12, 2014

Kim Duk-soo teams up with indie-rock band for Electric Samulnori
Major entertainment companies join big business federation

MusicFeb 12, 2014

South Korea’s two largest entertainment companies, whose performers include Big Bang, Girls’ Generation and Psy, have become members of the country’s main lobby group for big businesses, an official press announcement said Tuesday.The Federation of Korean Industries said the group’s 21-member executive body approved the membership of SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment along with applications made by 52 other companies. The other companies are leaders in the country’s service and tech venture