The Korea Herald

Bob Dylan charged in France over Rolling Stone interview

MusicDec 3, 2013

Bob Dylan has been charged with incitement to hatred in France after he was quoted comparing Croats with Nazis in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, a judicial source said Monday.The world-famous American singer was questioned and charged last month while on a visit to Paris during which he gave several concerts and was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, one of France's top honors, the source said.The charge against him centers on a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone magazine during which he co
Joy of Strings ensemble to hold European tour

MusicDec 2, 2013

Korean classical music ensemble Joy of Strings will hold a European tour with its art director Lee Sung-ju this month. Their repertoire encompasses Austrian and Korean music including Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto,” Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C Major, Mozart’s Divertimento in D, Kreisler’s “Liebesfreud & Liebesleid,” Gounod’s “Ave Maria,” Lee Young-jo’s Arirang Variations for String Orchestra and several carols. Lee, a noted violinist, will participate as soloist. The string ensemble will kick o
Contemporary art of Southeast Asia showcased in Seoul

TheaterDec 2, 2013

Contemporary photographs and media art from Southeast Asia are being showcased in Seoul, shedding light on the dynamic and vibrant cultural scenes in Southeast Asia. The exhibition “ASEAN-Korea Contemporary Media Art Exhibition 2013” brings together some of the hottest contemporary artists in ASEAN countries. They are introducing their compelling works of art alongside the artwork of Korean artists. The exhibition, in its fourth year, presents some 90 photographs and pieces of media art by 18 ar
Slow TV casts snail-paced spell on Norwegian audiences

TelevisionDec 2, 2013

OSLO (AFP) ― Say goodbye to breathless intrigue and dramatic twists: “Slow TV” is attracting record audiences in Norway, with hours, even days, devoted to knitting, fishing and panoramic landscapes.Public broadcaster NRK has replaced some of its usual prime-time drama and entertainment with long, lingering images of cruise liners touring fjords and hours of crackling log fires. With up to 134 hours of uninterrupted footage, this snail-paced entertainment has become something of a Norwegian speci
Psy reveals Santa dress code for concerts

MusicDec 2, 2013

The comedic rap star Psy has released a new promotional image of his head placed on a muscular male body sporting a sexy Santa outfit, revealing the event’s dress code for his upcoming winter series. As in Psy’s previous concert in Seoul, with its all-white dress code, the singer has set a dress code for the upcoming concerts: He is asking that fans come dressed up in their best Santa outfits. The performer is making his return just in time for the holiday season and holding a special four-day s
Big Bang performs for 30,000 fans in Osaka

MusicDec 2, 2013

As part of the group’s Japanese dome concert tour, the five hallyu stars of K-pop idol group Big Bang performed in front of 30,000 screaming Japanese fans on the tour’s Osaka stop, selling out the weekend performances. The three-day, three-hour long concerts held at the Kyocera Dome were the second leg of the group’s six-city, 15-concert “Big Bang Japan Dome Tour 2013-2014.” The tour kicked off with two performances at the Seibu Dome in Saitama on Nov. 16 and 17 and will soon take the artists to
EXO to release special winter album

MusicDec 2, 2013

Ultra-popular K-pop rookies EXO will be ending the year on a celebratory note with the release of the group’s winter EP, “Miracles of December.”The new album is said to contain five “winter-inspired tracks” and will be released in both Korean and Chinese, according to a representative at S.M. Entertainment. EXO will prerelease the album’s lead track on Thursday through local music sites. The album in its entirety will be available on Dec. 9. The 12 members of EXO, also split into the subunits of
Berlin Film Festival to honor Ken Loach

FilmDec 2, 2013

BERLIN (AFP) ― The 64th Berlin Film Festival in February will award veteran British director Ken Loach an honorary Golden Bear prize for lifetime achievement and present a retrospective of his work, organizers said Friday.Festival director Dieter Kosslick said the event would pay tribute to Loach’s brand of humanist cinema portraying the lives of working-class Britons and his outspoken political engagement. “Ken Loach is one of Europe’s great directors. Over his almost 50-year career, he has sho
‘Darker’ take on Phantom classic opens U.S. tour

MusicDec 1, 2013

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) ― Mark Campbell started memorizing the songs from “The Phantom of the Opera” when he was 14 ― he’d sing along with his portable CD player while mowing the lawn. Not long after, he saw his first performance of the show, and waited outside the stage door to meet the man behind the mask.Now, he’s playing the Phantom himself in a reimagined production of the longest-running show in Broadway history. In some ways, Campbell has had to let go of the Phantom he grew up with
U.S. rappers say they filmed music video in N. Korea

MusicDec 1, 2013

BEIJING (AP) ― Two aspiring American rappers said Saturday that they had filmed part of a music video in North Korea, hoping the novel locale will make it a hit.The rappers known as Pacman and Peso did not say where and how they filmed the footage, which their fundraising proposal suggested would be done on a karaoke party bus in Pyongyang.Their custom trip was arranged through a travel agency specializing in taking Westerners to North Korea, according to the proposal.Americans are able to trave
Taking pride in Korean hip-hop

MusicDec 1, 2013

Honey Family’s Digiri hopes more artists rap in Korean
All in white: Sensation lures 12,000 clubbers

MusicDec 1, 2013

Around 12,000 party-goers decked themselves out from head to toe in all-white, ready to liberate themselves in a night of thumping house music with a naughty storyline at one of the world’s biggest club scenes. KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, was filled with eye-catching and seductive theatrics on Saturday night through the theme of Wicked Wonderland, mesmerizing lights and special effects, explosive fireworks and tense electrifying beats by internationally praised DJs, including the night’s
Box Office: The Fake, The Hunger Games, The Counselor

FilmNov 29, 2013

The Fake Opened Nov. 21Animation. Thriller. Directed by Yeon Sang-hoA rural Korean town is on the verge of being flooded. Amid the gloom, a good-looking young minister enters the scene. He charms the villagers, and seems to have the ability to heal. He and his coworker tell the villagers they will build a church and a house where they will all be able to live together after the town is completely submerged, all the while periodically collecting money from them. Min-cheol, a man known in the vill
‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is bigger, better, broodier

FilmNov 29, 2013

The Districts are in revolt. People are being shot simply for raising their hands and whistling ― not because they’re trying to hail a cab (they’re too poor), but as a symbol of solidarity and protest.And Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) ― the girl from Appalachia with the fierce eyes, daunting archery skills and multi-demographic fan base ― is making trouble.“She’s become a beacon of hope for the rebellion,” a worried President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) confides to the new head ga
Eyelike: Hyolyn shows promise on “LOVE&HATE”

MusicNov 29, 2013

Hyolyn shows promise on “LOVE&HATE”Hyolyn “LOVEA&HATE”(LOEN Entertainment) Sistar member Hyolyn’s unique, husky voice has always been a main feature of many of the group’s tracks. No doubt she has a special voice, but compared to the hype, Hyolyn was not able to show her full potential on her solo album. Instead the 10-track album delivers pleasant-sounding but overall mediocre pop tunes. Hyolyn’s usually strong vocals are toned down in starting track “Lonely,” a mid-tempo ballad. But in “One Wa