Even for veteran performer Song Se-byeok, 42, who debuted in 1988 as a stage actor, understanding the reckless character of Kyung-pil in the upcoming film “Special Cargo” by Park Dae-min was not easy. “Special Cargo” is a crime-action film that centers around a professional delivery driver named Eun-ha (Park So-dam). She delivers anything that cannot be delivered legally. One day, Eun-ha receive...

Toxic nationalism manifests online via ‘gukppong’ YouTube channels In 2015, when Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League acquired forward Son Heung-min -- arguably the best soccer player Korea has ever produced -- a curious fad emerged among Korean soccer fans. Whenever Son pulled off a remarkable performance, they would flood online comment sections with the word “Jumo!” It was meant ...

Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, and DC Comics were selected as the project’s first partners in August in a bid to allow fans and readers to enjoy fresh content. “7 Fates: CHAKHO” is the first project to be released after Hybe and Naver Webtoon inked a deal to preview original content starring artists from the entertainment agency. Boy band Tomorrow X Together also starred in “The Star See...

With schools going into winter vacation and more youths being vaccinated, the number of COVID-19 cases in schools have decreased to the 1,200s. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Tuesday, 1,237 students from kindergarten to high school tested positive for COVID-19 in Seoul last week, along with 107 faculty members. Cases of COVID-19 among students dropped by 34.2 percent, 6...

As the art market grows exponentially in South Korea, the tension between primary and secondary players has heightened with galleries uniting to launch an auction event in late January, claiming the country‘s major auction houses have violated a “gentlemen’s agreement” struck in 2007. The Galleries Association of Korea announced Monday that it will hold an auction on Jan. 26 at the Westin Josun ...

Nine out of 10 South Koreans feel climate change firsthand and are willing to accept any inconvenience caused by policies to solve the problem, a poll showed Tuesday. According to the poll of 1,000 adults nationwide by a civic group, 89.2 percent answered that they actually feel the effects of the climate crisis and 88.5 percent expressed a willingness to accept the inconvenience of policies int...

This is not the first time a controversy has erupted over BTS’ fan merchandise. In November, some fans questioned the quality of “Butter” cassette tapes they ordered after receiving items that looked different from the sample photo. The agency offered full refunds for the items after the backlash. According to data compiled by Seoul Electronic Commerce Center, a total of 271 consumer complaints ...

Prosecutors have decided not to indict the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was accused of sexually harassing his secretary, according to local reports Tuesday. The decision was reached by prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday. Prosecutors closed the case as they no longer have the right of arraignment to file an indictment against the deceased Park. ...

A consortium led by South Korean electric carmaker Edison Motors Co. said Tuesday it aims to sign a final deal to acquire the embattled SsangYong Motor Co. by Monday. In April, SsangYong was placed under court receivership for the second time after undergoing the same process a decade earlier. Its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. failed to attract an investor due to the prolonged COVID-19 ...

As for industry rumors that Samsung Electronics might soon start manufacturing OLED TVs, Park said it would lead to an enrichment of the OLED landscape. Traditionally considered a detractor of the OLED technology, Samsung has in the past few months been reportedly in talks with OLED panel maker LG Display to address a supply shortage, but neither has confirmed the notion thus far. Samsung has ho...

Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence violinist Kim Dong-hyun will kick off the new season at the concert hall Jan. 13 with the first of the Beautiful Thursday Concerts series. At the upcoming recital themed “22 degrees: Refreshing,” Kim will play Morzart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454, Ysaye’s Sonata for Solo Violin No. 6 in E Major, Op. 27/6 and Hubay’s “Carmen -- ...

”The Brothers Karamazov,” an original musical produced by a South Korean production company, will hit a major theater in Shanghai in June, Orchard Musical Co. said Tuesday. The Korean musical is the first original musical licensed to take the stage at the Shanghai Grand Theater. “The Brothers Karamazov” is a small-budget musical that is based on Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel of the s...

CJ CheilJedang, a food manufacturer under Korea’s CJ Group, said Tuesday it will reorganize its business units and refine global market strategies in a bid to efficiently promote its Korean food products worldwide. According to the food giant, it plans to divide its headquarters business into global and regional food unit. Namely the Global Headquarter will take charge in promoting its food pro...

The actor said that being an executive producer was an interesting experience. “When a new movie or drama series is unveiled, (as an actor) I should focus my performance on expressing the given role. But I had to see the bigger picture as a producer. I tried hard to listen to different comments and reflect on what I could have done better to satisfy viewers,” Jung said. Though Jung thought that...

S.M. Entertainment’s special winter album has made a successful return after a 10 year break, racking up highest sales among all seasonal project releases from the K-pop powerhouse. According to S.M., the album, “2021 Winter SMTown: SMCU Express,” has notched up over 416,000 units since its release on Dec. 27. The star-studded album from SMTOWN -- which refers to the collective of artists affil...