The Korea Herald

Singer Navi admits relationship with soccer player

MusicJun 14, 2013

Singer Navi on Friday confirmed media reports that she is in a romantic relationship with soccer player Yeo Hyo-jin.“I was surprised when I heard the news via media yesterday… I felt it is right for me to be honest with my fans,” Navi wrote on her Twitter account.“He (Yeo) is my reliable friend and a lover who is always there for me, whether I’m happy or sad.”The 27-year-old singer, whose real name is Ahn Ji-ho, has been dating Yeo for two years.According to Navi‘s agency, the couple first met w
Love and filmmaking in UAE

FilmJun 13, 2013

Emirati filmmaker Jamal Salim speaks about his experience making a romance film in his country
Works of Gauguin come to Seoul

TheaterJun 13, 2013

Masterpieces of the French post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin are on exhibition in Seoul. The exhibition, which runs from Friday to Sept. 29 at the Seoul Museum of Art, is the first-ever comprehensive survey of Gauguin’s artistic career presented to a Korean audience. It showcases about 60 artworks on loan from 30 major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Musee d’Orsay in Paris and the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in Moscow. The exhibition focuses on
‘The Bling Ring,’ ‘Man of Steel’ fail to meet expectations

FilmJun 13, 2013

“The Bling Ring”Given that the film currently ruling the box office is about Americans encouraged by their government to indulge their homicidal urges one night a year ― we’re talking about “The Purge’’ ― it’s tempting to hail the clueless young burglars in “The Bling Ring’’ as veritable humanitarians. After all, they’re not out to kill or even hurt anyone. All they want is your designer shoes, your cute tops, your Rolex watches, your cash. And if you’re not a hot young celebrity they’ll leave
Sistar dominates charts with ‘Give It To Me’

MusicJun 13, 2013

Sexy four-member girl group Sistar has returned to the music scene with their second full album, “Give It To Me,” with most of the songs sweeping the local music charts. The 11-track album was released on Tuesday and as of Thursday afternoon Sistar’s lead track “Give It To Me” still sits at the No. 1 spot on all the major local music charts. Eight tracks, including “Bad Boy,” “The Way You Make Me Melt” and “Summertime,” made it into Naver’s Top 10 real-time music chart while six ranked on the Da
ESPN to cease 3-D broadcasts by year-end

TelevisionJun 13, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― ESPN says it will stop broadcasting in 3-D by the end of the year, dealing a major blow to a technology that was launched with great fanfare but has been limping along for years.The sports network says there were too few viewers to make 3-D broadcasts worth it. It didn’t say exactly how many it had, but the number was “extremely limited and not growing.”ESPN 3D was one of nine 3-D channels that launched in the years following the late 2009 release of James Cameron’s “Avatar.” But
2013 lineup of hottest Hollywood celeb visits in Seoul

FilmJun 13, 2013

A growing number of Hollywood stars make trips to South Korea to promote their films or boost the image of global brands. In 2013 alone, a dozen well-known celebrities flew to the country, and here‘s a list of the top figures. 1. Fanning sisters (Jan. 5)Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning were the first Hollywood celebrities to visit Seoul this year. The sisters reportedly came to Seoul to promote local jewelry brand J. Estina, which is also promoted by figure skater Kim Yu-na. Other than their prom
After School puts on a new color for 6th album

MusicJun 13, 2013

Girl group After School released on Thursday its sixth album together with a music video of its title song “First Love.”In the music video, the eight members of the group dance along to the funky and groovy melody, singing about unforgettable first love. Seeking to shed their established image, After School put on a sentimental look, accentuating each singer’s sorrowful vocals.After School partnered again with famed Korean producer and songwriter Brave Brothers -- the creator of “Because of You”
Foreign songwriters enhance the K-pop sound

MusicJun 13, 2013

Lee Hyo-ri has finally marked her return to the music scene after a three-year hiatus. The K-pop diva’s fifth album “Monochrome” not only highlights Lee’s quest to become a singer-songwriter but also her new retro sound with the help of foreign composers.Including the lead single “Bad Girls,” 12 out of 16 tracks were by songwriters from abroad. Critics are seeing her album more fitting for Lee than any of her previous releases, escaping her hip-hop sounds one tracks like “Chitty Chitty Bang Ban
Agency strives to regain hallyu’s luster in Japan

Jun 13, 2013

Hallyu has grown much in Japan since 2004 when Korean melodrama “Winter Sonata” hit the jackpot there. The drama achieved record ratings on a state-run NHK, heralding the spread of the Korean Wave. In the decade since, hallyu has evolved in many respects, generating billions of won in revenues. But experts say the current state of hallyu is “just enough to maintain the status quo.”“The Korean Wave has not died in Japan, but it did not show any sign of growth in recent years,” said Kwon Ho-young
Bong Joon-ho’s English debut set for Aug. 1 release

FilmJun 12, 2013

Korean film distributor CJ E&M has announced the release date for director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming thriller, “Snowpiercer.”Bong’s English-language debut, starring Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans, will hit local theaters on Aug. 1 and open later in North America, France, Japan and Russia, CJ E&M officials said in a statement on Wednesday.The sci-fi film is based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Set mostly on a train in a post-apoc
Classical music fest gets Nordic touch

MusicJun 12, 2013

Great Mountains Music Festival and School gets cooler this year with music of Nordic composers
Super-producer Just Blaze to hold his 1st showcase in Korea

MusicJun 12, 2013

American hip-hop record producer and celebrated party DJ Just Blaze (Justin Smith) is having his first showcase in Korea, the event organizer Red Bull Music Academy announced on Tuesday. “RBMA Info Session Seoul: Just Blaze” will be held on June 15 at Cakeshop in Itaewon. At the event, Just Blaze will host a question-and-answer session with his fans before his DJ showcase. The event is open to those 19 and over, and the admission fee is 20,000 won. Just Blaze, from New Jersey, is best known for
Made of memories

TheaterJun 12, 2013

Choreographer Hong Sung-yup says he fears developing Alzheimer’s disease much more than any other life-threatening illness.“You completely lose the sense of who you are (with the disease), and that is just extremely frightening,” said the choreographer, who currently serves as the artistic director of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company. “I fear it more than cancer.”Hong’s latest work, “The Dog and the Shadow,” reflects the artist’s thoughts on memories and how they shape us into who w
Senior actors lead TV show, defying youth-centered industry

TelevisionJun 12, 2013

South Korean TV entertainment shows are usually dominated by comedians and young entertainers, but a unique show featuring senior actors is trying to buck the trend.“Ggotboda Halbae (Gramps over Flowers),” the newest show on cable TV channel tvN’s, is garnering nationwide attention weeks before its launch next week.As of Wednesday afternoon, the unaired show became one of the most searched keywords on Naver, South Korea’s biggest Internet portal.“Halbae” features four acclaimed actors as cohosts