NCT127 will head to Japan for a tour in May and June, its label SM Entertainment announced Thursday. 　 The band will perform five times in Japan, starting in Nagoya on May 22 and will travel to Tokyo before visiting Osaka in June. It will be the first time in more than three years the nine-member act will perform in Japan. It also marks the group’s first dome tour, with stops at some of the biggest venues in the country. 　 NCT127 topped Oricon’s daily, weekly and monthly charts with

French director Denis Dercourt said he is not surprised to see Korean films gain popularity worldwide. “It is no mystery that Korean films are everywhere in the world because they (Koreans) work so hard,” the director said during an interview with a group of Korean reporters Wednesday. He explained that the staff he worked with for his upcoming thriller, “Vanishing,” which was filmed entirely in Korea, had a deep understanding of cinema and also spent a lot of time wo

Global streaming platform Disney+ didn’t forget the romance as it went musical with its third Korean-language series, “Soundtrack#1.” Starring Han So-hee and Park Hyung-sik, the music drama revolves around two characters who have been best friends for 20 years, as their relationship changes in a romantic way. Taking the role of songwriter Lee Eun-soo, Han, 27, said that her character is a bright, honest person who does not know much about love. “Unlike the character

K-pop juggernaut BIGBANG will drop "Still Life," its first single in four years, next month, the group's management agency said Thursday. YG Entertainment also unveiled a teaser poster featuring white, pink, yellow and red daisies in full bloom for the highly anticipated song set to be out on April 5 at midnight. The four-piece group has announced that it will come back to the K-pop scene that day without giving further details. "'Still Life' is a song that represents the members'

Ranging from classical, jazz and pop to traditional Korean sounds, music filled the Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall Wednesday night in a concert held to wish for peace amid the war in Ukraine. The “2022 Special Concert for World Peace,” co-hosted by The Korea Herald and the Seoul Arts Center, delivered a message of peace and harmony led by the Seoul Pops Orchestra’s director and conductor Ha Sung-ho. “I am touched and amazed by how many people in Korea are sendin

  Brave Girls held a media showcase Wednesday to present their sixth EP, “Thank You.” The EP came out on March 14, but the showcase was pushed back as three of the bandmates tested positive for COVID-19.   　 The titular main track is intended to express their gratitude for the love they received last year, they said, as they felt they had not had the chance to do so properly.   　 “Fans thanked us for hanging in there, but we wanted to tell them that we could b

Jung Woo said he was instinctively attracted to the noir film “Hot Blooded,” directed by Cheon Myoung-kwan. “My heart told me to join the project, not my head,” he said in an interview with a group of local reporters Tuesday. “The film does not have the plot of a typical commercial film, but I really wanted to do a noir film.” He hesitated a little, however, when he found out that the film was set in Busan, as he had played multiple characters already from

Cellist Mischa Maisky is coming back to South Korea for the first time in five years, with three recitals in April and May. The cellist will be accompanied by pianist Lily Maisky, who is also his daughter. Maisky and his daughter will kick off a three-concert series at Gunsan Arts Center in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, on April 29. After performing at the Seoul Arts Center on May 1, the duo will travel to Gwangju for the last recital here at Gwangju Culture & Art Center on May 3. Bo

Singer‘s latest album takes inspiration from the films “American Beauty” and “Bonnie and Clyde”

South Korean boy group BTS has taken home two prizes from the iHeartRadio Music Awards, one of the American music industry's award shows. The septet won best music video for its 2021 megahit single "Butter" and best fan army for its international fandom ARMY during the awards ceremony held in Los Angeles on Tuesday (US time). It marks the third consecutive year for the group to win in the best music video category, following 2020 for "Boy With Luv" and 2021 for "Dynamite

Boy band Cravity dropped its latest album “Liberty: In Our Cosmos” on Tuesday, making a return to the music scene after a seven-month hiatus. Originally scheduled to be released on Feb. 22, the album was delayed after the whole group tested positive for COVID-19 just a few days prior. Ahead of the album’s release at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the nine-member act conducted an online press conference livestreamed via YouTube. “Everyone is back in good condition, and we all suff

KCON is back and live for the first time in two years, and the global K-pop festival will be featuring some of the biggest acts to celebrate the return of in-person concerts, including the six teams that will compete on the upcoming survival program “Queendom 2.” CJ ENM, the event’s organizer, on Tuesday announced the full line-up of performers set to hit the stage during the two-day “KCON 2022 Premiere” in Seoul this May. A total of 13 acts will be performing

　 Onew of SHINee is preparing for a second solo album that will be released in April, according to local news reports on Tuesday. 　 Label SM Entertainment confirmed the news following the reports. 　 The veteran idol put out his first solo album “Voice” in 2018. It landed atop the iTunes top albums chart in 23 regions. In January, he hinted during a variety show appearance that he would return as a solo musician. 　 He has been participating in a series of original soundtracks, most r

Ukrainian and Russian colleagues believe music, culture stronger than politics and war

After “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said the series will return with a second season due to popular demand, one burning question remains: Who will be starring in the next season? On the red carpet at the Producers Guild Awards ceremony on March 19, Hwang said told the press that he was working on many ideas and hinted that Jung Ho-yeon might play the role of a twin sister to Sae-byeok, Jung’s character who died in the final game of season 1. However, it may be prematu