The Korea Herald

Cigarettes named Psy's 'Gangnam' to be showcased in Canada

MusicJan 30, 2013

K-pop sensation Psy's "Gangnam Style" will now reach smokers as a Canadian tobacco company gears up to launch a new cigarette named "Gangnam" next month, a company official said Wednesday.The tobacco firm CT&G set up last year by South Koreans residing in Ontario, Canada, said three Virginia blend-typed cigarettes -- Gangnam, c38 and MIDAS -- will be released in mid-February. "One of our new arrivals will have the name of 'Gangnam,' riding on the huge popularity of Psy's 'Gangnam Style,'" said K
Celebrate artful Valentine’s Day at Opera Gallery Seoul

TheaterJan 29, 2013

Love-themed artworks express a variety of feelings, states of love
Kim Tae-won’s daughter to release debut album

MusicJan 29, 2013

Kim Suh-hyun (also known as Kris), the teenage daughter of veteran rocker Kim Tae-won of “Boohwal,” has made public her plans to follow in her father’s footsteps and enter the music scene as a singer/songwriter. Kris announced that she will release her debut mini-album titled “Into the Skies,” on Thursday. The upcoming album will include two single tracks that she wrote and composed. The album’s title track of the same name is a modern rock ballad piece, while the second single “Goodbye” is an A
Yang Dong-geun’s bride-to-be is pregnant

MusicJan 29, 2013

Hip-hop artist and actor Yang Dong-geun plans to marry a woman he has been dating for a long time. His bride-to-be is also pregnant. The artist updated his status in his KakaoTalk account to “Dad” to inform his close friends about the good news. A source close to Yang told a television entertainment news program on Jan 29, “Yang Dong-geun did not really care about the public’s eye, he always dated freely. Up to now he has been very happy with the news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy.” The source a
Taylor Swift talks of sexier look, new tour

MusicJan 29, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― Taylor Swift has been turning heads with her new, sexy wardrobe, but the 23-year-old says it’s just a reflection of getting older.Swift has people buzzing about her recent red carpet choices, which have included plunging necklines and shorter skirts. “As far as wardrobe, we have been operating from a different place,’’ Swift said.While her choices may be demure compared with the Kim Kardashians of the world, for Swift, a former teen sweetheart, it’s raised eyebrows, and she ackno
Economic crisis fallout in focus at star-studded Berlin film fest

FilmJan 29, 2013

BERLIN (AFP) ― Next month’s 63rd Berlin film festival will comb through the “collateral damage” of the global economic crisis with Hollywood movies and independent releases vying for prizes, organizers said Monday.The Feb. 7-17 Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year, will showcase 24 pictures from 22 countries in the main program, with a total of more than 400 movies screened in its sprawling sidebar sections.A jury led by Chinese director Wong Kar Wai will choose among 19
Singer Ali to make comeback with ‘Bittersweet Ballad’

MusicJan 29, 2013

Marking 13 months since the release of her first full album, solo singer Ali will be making a comeback on Jan. 30 with her new album “Bittersweet Ballad.” Her agency stated that her album will include a bittersweet ballad that shows off her amazing voice.She took an extended break after she was criticized for her song “Na Young-I,” which she composed and wrote in December 2011. The song was about a victim of sexual assault, which took place in 2008.Ali said she wrote the song to comfort the vict
Clooney picks up stranger’s bill

FilmJan 29, 2013

A German man said he was shocked to discover actor George Clooney had paid his restaurant tab after fearing he and his friends had been rude.The man, whose name was not released, told the Bild newspaper he was eating Friday evening at the Grill Royal restaurant in Berlin and was told by his waiter his $134.66 bill had been covered by Clooney, who had been dining with friends at the next table, The Local.de reported Monday.The waiter told the man Clooney was concerned he and his friends had been
Forgery scandal leaves distrust in art world

TheaterJan 28, 2013

An art scandal involving fake paintings by two great Korean modern artists came to an end as the court ruled them to be forgeries last week. Art experts have been casting doubts about the authenticity of 2,834 paintings, claimed to have been made by Lee Jung-seob and Park Soo-keun, since they were first unveiled to the world in 2005. The court ruling came last Friday after several appraisals conducted by the National Forensic Service and museums over the past seven years, but left a deep distrus
‘Mother of George’ wins award for best cinematography at Sundance

FilmJan 28, 2013

A film partially produced by two Koreans won the cinematography award at Sundance Film Festival on Saturday.Titled “Mother of George,” the film features an immigrant couple from Nigeria living in Brooklyn who have difficulty conceiving a baby. Two Koreans, Saerom and Saemi Kim, participated in the production process of the film, along with eight other producers. The sisters have been working at Maybach Film Productions, an independent film production company and investment group based in Beverly
Leessang’s newest single sweeps charts

MusicJan 28, 2013

The dynamic duo of Leessang released its latest hip-hop single “Tears” on Jan. 25, immediately topping all of the major Korean real-time music charts. The track knocked off Superstar K2 winner Huh Gak’s newly released “Monodrama,” which had sat at the top spot on most of the charts. As of Monday morning, the mid-tempo ballad rap piece ranked at the top on the Naver, Daum, MelOn, Mnet and Bugs music charts. Hip-hoppers Gary and Gil worked the hit-making production team Duble Sidekick on the track
‘Argo’ wins top SAG award, in latest pre-Oscar boost

FilmJan 28, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ―Iran hostage crisis drama “Argo” won the best film drama prize at the Screen Actors Guild awards Sunday, in yet another boost for its prospects at next month’s all-important Oscars.Steven Spielberg’s top-tipped presidential drama “Lincoln” also scored successes with best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, and supporting actor Tommy Lee Jones.“Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence took best actress SAG award for her role in romcom “Silver Linings Playbook,” while Anne
Korea’s oldest silent film goes to Berlinale

FilmJan 28, 2013

Live-narration performance of ‘Crossroads of Youth’ to be featured in Berlin
Kim Bok-hee reelected director of Dance Association of Korea

TheaterJan 28, 2013

Kim Bok-hee, the current director of the Dance Association of Korea, has been reelected to the same position, the organization announced Sunday. After earning a master’s degree in dance from Ewha Womans University, Kim studied philosophy at Wonkwang University and received a doctor of science degree from Kyonggi University.Since founding her own dance troupe, Kim Bok-hee Dance Company, in 1971, Kim has served a number of positions in the local dance scene, including director of the Korean Societ
‘Shear Madness’: When the audience becomes the detective

TheaterJan 27, 2013

What makes “Shear Madness” ― one of the longest-running plays in the world ― interesting is arguably its ending with almost-limitless possibilities. The crime drama’s ending is spontaneous, requires the audience’s participation, and always turns out to be different for each and every show. The German play, which deals with a mysterious murder case, is back for its second run in Seoul. It was first premiered back in 1963.The play takes place in a hair salon, which is owned by a gay hairdresser na