The Korea Herald

Letter of Joseon naval commander Yi unveiled

TheaterMay 10, 2012

A newly discovered hand-written letter of Joseon’s most celebrated naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin has confirmed his efforts to establish military ties with China’s Ming Dynasty during the Japanese invasions of Korea, said a scholar on Thursday. “The letter is the only written record that shows that Yi tried to forge ties with the Ming Dynasty’s navy during the war,” said Lee Sang-hoon, the chief curator of Korea Naval Academy Museum, who has been studying the document since February. “It rev
Monroe beckons film galaxy to Cannes

FilmMay 10, 2012

Korean directors Im Sang-soo and Hong Sang-soo vye for the Palme d’Or awardPARIS (AFP) ― Druggy roadtrips, soul-searching drama and stylish gangland flicks go head to head on the French Riviera next week as a galaxy of stars and directors converge for the Cannes film festival.David Cronenberg, Ken Loach and Michael Haneke headline the pick of 22 international filmmakers vying for the Palme d’Or award at the 65th edition of the world’s top cinema showcase from May 16 to 27.Star-wise, the 2012 lin
Wonder Girls to make Japan debut in July

May 10, 2012

K-pop group Wonder Girls will release their Japanese debut album “Nobody for Everybody” on July 25, Japan’s Oricon said Thursday.The Japanese version of their hit song “Nobody” is expected to be a highlight of the record.“In Korea, the Wonder Girls have reached their peak, and now we are ready for a bigger challenge,” said Park Jin-young, their record producer.“We are very excited to meet our Japanese fans,” said So-hee, a member of the group. “We are working very hard to show Japan our best.”Th
Depp, Burton bring ‘Dark Shadows’ comedy to London

FilmMay 10, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― Johnny Depp’s gothic comedy “Dark Shadows’’ is creeping into London for its European premiere.The star joined director Tim Burton and co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green and Chloe Moretz on the red carpet in the British capital Wednesday night. The movie hits U.K. cinemas Friday.For Depp, it was the eighth time he’s teamed up with Burton, who keeps things “fresh.’’“It’s always new, it’s always different, so it feels like the first time every time,’’ he said.
Son Ye-jin’s ‘changed appearance’ shocks fans

FilmMay 10, 2012

A recently revealed photo of South Korean actress Son Ye-jin has fired up an online debate over whether her face has changed.In the photo, Son’s nose and eyes appear to be different from before, prompting some to speculate that the actress has undergone plastic surgery. One netizen expressed her discontent on Twitter, saying, “Why did you do it? What happened to that pretty face? You should have just aged naturally.”Another Twitter user said her face now resembled that of veteran actress No Hyun
Wonder Girls to make Japan debut in July

May 10, 2012

K-pop group Wonder Girls will be hitting Japan with their album titled “Nobody for Everybody” on July 25, Oricon reported Thursday.The Japanese version of their hit song “Nobody” is expected to be highlighted as their debut song.“In Korea the Wonder Girls are at a stage where they have reached their peak, and now we are ready for a bigger challenge,” Park Jin-young, CEO of the group’s label JYP Entertainment, stated.“We are very excited to meet our Japanese fans,” said Sohee, a member of the gro
G-Cup news anchor boosts NHK ratings

TelevisionMay 10, 2012

NHK’s news broadcast viewer ratings have been hugely boosted since glamorous news anchor Yuki Sugiura took over the morning news program “Ohayo! Nippon” (Good Morning! Japan) on April 1, media reports said.The 28-year-old was once Sophia University’s beauty pageant winner, and has worked at NHK after graduating in 2006. G-컵 NHK 女아나운서 ‘시청률 제조기’일본 NHK의 유명 아나운서 스기우라 유키가 네티즌들 사이에서 화제를 모으고 있다.보도에 따르면 단
Ministry to investigate showbiz agencies

May 9, 2012

The Culture Ministry said on Wednesday it will conduct an investigation to root out criminal entertainment agencies as crimes against trainees becomes a growing concern.The government, in cooperation with two representative organizations from the country’s entertainment industry, will investigate some 1,000 entertainment companies that are mostly not registered as show biz firms and are not known to the two industry groups. The two associations will create a black list of entertainment companies
Yo-Yo Ma and Paul Simon win 2012 Polar Music Prize

MusicMay 9, 2012

STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― Acclaimed Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma and “world-class songwriter” Paul Simon, also of the United States, have won this year’s Polar Music prize, organisers said in Stockholm Tuesday.Born in Paris to Chinese parents and having grown up in the United States, “Yo-Yo Ma has dedicated his virtuosity and his heart to journeys of musical exploration and discovery around the world,” the jury said in its citation.“With a cello and curiosity in his wake, Yo-Yo Ma has ... united pe
Marilyn Monroe ‘last’ pics fail to sell

TheaterMay 9, 2012

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Nude photos from what is said to have been Marilyn Monroe’s last formal photo shoot, just six weeks before her 1962 death, failed to sell at auction Tuesday in New York.The collection on sale as “Marilyn Monroe ― Last Sitting” had an estimated value of between $18,000 and $25,000 at the Bonhams auction. However, the lot “failed to meet its reserve price,” spokeswoman Julie Saunders Guinta said.The photographs were taken by Bert Stern during a marathon session for Vogue magazine
Ulala Session releases debut mini album

MusicMay 9, 2012

Quartet describes the album as ‘buffet’ of different genresUlala Session, the winner of the nation’s famous TV audition program “Superstar K3,” has made their professional debut with their first mini album on Thursday. “We are so overwhelmed by the release of our debut album. The mini album is the start of our journey in our music career,” said the group’s leader Yim Yoon-taek at a news conference on Wednesday. The quartet, which consists of Yim, Kim Myung-hoon, Park Seung-il and Park Kwang-sun
TV celebrity Ko denies rape charges

TelevisionMay 9, 2012

Ko Young-wook has denied allegations that he intentionally got an 18-year-old female entertainer-aspirant drunk to rape her at his home.The former member of K-pop group Roo’Ra was under police investigation on Wednesday morning, after the alleged victim sued Ko for rape.“I am wondering why the accuser sued me, even though she knows the entire truth,” Ko said in a statement on his management agency’s website.“I cannot reveal every detail of the situation to the public but I want to make it clear
Performance artist unveils plan for N.Y. art center

TheaterMay 8, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― Performance artist Marina Abramovic plans to build a $15 million center in upstate New York devoted to the research and production of duration-based works of art lasting from six hours to several days.She unveiled the design for The Marina Abramovic Institute for the Preservation of Performance Art at MoMA PS 1 on Monday.In a phone interview last week, Abramovic said the architectural firm OMA will transform a former tennis center in Hudson, New York _ about two hours north of Ne
South Korean movie ‘Unbowed’ to open FIFF

FilmMay 8, 2012

“Unbowed,” a South Korean movie directed by Chung Ji-young, has been selected as the opening film of the Focus on Asia, Fukuoka International Film Festival (FIFF) to be held in Fukuoka, Japan from July 6-15, movie industry sources said Tuesday.Unbowed is a box-office hit that has drawn 3.5 million viewers since it first screened in Korea in January. Veteran actor Ahn Seong-gi, who played the title role, will attend the opening ceremony. Unbowed is the real-life story of an altercation involving
Former NBC exec and ‘Friends’ tell TV history

TelevisionMay 8, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― After being fired as NBC entertainment president toward the end of the “must see TV’’ period in 1998, Warren Littlefield packed photos, papers, awards and other memorabilia into a self-storage unit and turned the key.For 10 years he paid the rent and never stopped by. Finally he unlocked the vault and began combing through the boxes ― a process of rediscovery that eventually led to his new book, “Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV.’’Jerry Seinfeld, Kelsey Gr