One of the biggest box-office hits of 2012, “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time,” is opening in Japan on Aug. 31 under the Japanese title of “Bad Guys.” The action flick directed by Yoon Jong-bin stars two big-name actors, Choi Min-sik and Ha Jung-woo. The film is set in the ’80s and ’90s in Busan when corruption and crime were so rampant that the government declared a war against organized crime in 1990. The movie attracted over 4 million moviegoers in the first 26 days of its release here. D

Singer Ailee is planning to release her second EP titled “A’s Doll House” in July. The 24-year-old singer known for her strong vocal skills has already unveiled the album cover and also plans to provide a teaser video for the album via an online music site on Friday. For her latest album, Ailee has adopted a unique look, donning lighter hair and a nose stud on the album cover. “Ailee’s image on the album cover is both lively and chic, giving off an interesting vibe,” said the singer’s agency, YM

“Scarlet Pimpernel,” “High School Musical,” “Elizabeth,” “Chicago,” and many more are set to raise their curtains on South Korea’s musical stages in the latter half of 2013.In a bid to forecast which musicals and actors would advance, The Herald Business, a sister paper of The Korea Herald, conducted a 10-day survey from June 21-30 about the upcoming musicals on 1,891 members of Interpark’s Play DB, a performance arts Web portal.Kim Jun-soo, a member of music group JYJ, dominated the charts.Out

Prominent contemporary artist holds ‘petite’ retrospective at Plateau, Samsung Museum of Art, with new works

K-pop experts chose Seo Taiji and Boys as the top K-pop icons Tuesday. The selection was a part of cable channel Mnet’s project show called “Legend 100-Artist.” The show invites 50 music professors, critics and professional musicians every month and selects the most influential Korean musicians in certain category. July’s edition sought to decide on the leading K-pop icons. “Seo Taiji and Boys influenced Korean pop culture greatly enough to divide our past 100 years of history into the times bef

Co-produced by North Korean defectors, ‘48M’ deals with desperate attempts to escape the communist state

South Korean singer Psy topped the K-pop traffic rankings on YouTube in the first half of this year, snatching more than 400 million views. Psy’s “Gentleman” music video, unveiled on April 2, garnered 456 million hits as of July 2, helped by his previous blockbuster track, “Gangnam Style.” YouTube sensation Psy previously won the Top Streaming Song Video at a Billboard Music Awards ceremony.Trailing behind were top girl group Girls’ Generation, whose “I Got A Boy” and “Dancing Queen” continued t

The agency of South Korean movie stars Won Bin and Lee Na-young on Wednesday confirmed reports that the two stars are an item. The admission came just hours after a local tabloid published photos of the stars on a date.“The two (Won and Lee) are just starting their relationship,” Eden9 Entertainment said in a statement. “They recently grew fond of each other after frequently bumping into one another while working at the same agency.”Eden9 CEO Kim Nam-kyung had previously denied the reports that

Daehangno’s ‘Finding Mr. Destiny’ becomes first musical to be performed in Korea, Japan, China

June was a tough month for a number of entertainers who had to postpone their activities due to injuries and illness. Comedian and presenter Park Mi-sun sustained injuries to both her ankles while filming MBC’s “Blind Test 180” on June 26. The accident occurred as she was trying a “flying chair,” in which participants are thrown into the air before landing in a swimming pool. It was revealed that Park might need surgery and it would take up to three months for her ankles to heal. Meanwhile, acto

Pop band CNBLUE countercharged punk band Crying Nut on June 27 with spreading false information following Crying Nut’s earlier suit against CNBLUE for copyright infringement.CNBLUE also filed for an injunction against Crying Nut’s online criticism. The copyright dispute arose on Feb. 12 when Crying Nut filed a suit against CNBLUE and their agency FNC Entertainment for unauthorized use of their song “Pilsal Off-Side” on Mnet’s “M Countdown” in 2010. Crying Nut also charged that CNBLUE had release

More than half of moviegoers watched Korean film

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Art lovers can now visit New York’s famed Metropolitan museum every day of the week after the management dropped a policy of being closed on Mondays.The Met, which welcomed a record-breaking 6.28 million visitors last year, had closed its doors on Mondays for more than 40 years.“Art is a 7-day-a-week passion, and we want the Met to be accessible whenever visitors have the urge to experience this great museum,” Met director Thomas Campbell said in a statement.The change announced

Music Bank, a weekly pop-ranking show on state-run broadcaster KBS, will dedicate this Friday’s edition to hallyu, or Korean pop culture fever. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of KBS World, the satellite broadcasting division of the broadcaster, “Music Bank World K-Chart!” will unveil who is the most popular K-pop star overseas. The short list includes Psy with “Gentleman,” SNSD’s “I Got a Boy,” SHINee’s “Dream Girl,” INFINITE’s “Man In Love” and 2PM’s “Come Back When You Hear This Song.”