Music festivals and concerts for the fall season

A diverse lineup of music festivals and concerts are set to welcome the fall season. The Jarasum Jazz Festival, the country’s biggest jazz festival which marks its 20th anniversary this year, kicks off on Oct. 6 and runs for four days on Jara Island, Gyeonggi Province. The event invites 19 foreign artists and 22 Korean artists including Birell Lagrene and Ulf Wakenlus, Julian Lage, Shai Maestro Quartet, Youn Sun-nah, Ju Hyun-mi Jazz Project and the Pasquale Grasso Trio. The venue for the f

Sept. 30, 2023

Maestro Bychkov to debut in Korea with all-Dvorak program

Semyon Bychkov, a Soviet-born conductor who denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is set to make his Korean debut in October, leading the Czech Philharmonic for an all-Dvorak program. The program -- Dvorak’s "Carnival Overture," Op.92, Piano Concerto in G minor, Op.33, and Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op.70 -- is more of a practical choice as it includes pieces that are being performed during their regular season in Prague, where they will perform Dvorak’s three symphoni

Sept. 30, 2023

Jungkook of BTS sweeps iTunes’ Top Songs charts in 100 different regions

Jungkook of BTS topped iTunes’ Top Songs charts in 100 different regions with his second solo single “3D,” according to Big Hit Music. The single “3D” featuring Jack Harlow swept iTunes charts in numerous countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, Canada, and Italy, immediately upon its release on Friday. The instrumental and alternate versions of “3D” also reached No. 2 and No. 3 on iTunes’ Top Songs charts in various countries. The music video f

Sept. 30, 2023

NCT Dream to perform on 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour

NCT Dream will be featured in the annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour which kicks off on Nov. 26. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour is a holiday concert presented by Capital One, with the year’s top artists performing their No. 1 hits. NCT Dream will take the stage in Boston on Dec. 10, Washington D.C., on Dec. 11 and Atlanta on Dec. 14. Other artists joining the star-studded lineup for the event include SZA, Nicki Minaj, OneRepublic, Flo Rida, and Sabrina Carpenter. NCT Dream has been expa

Sept. 30, 2023

NewJeans hits 1 bln streams mark on Spotify with debut album

South Korean girl group NewJeans has hit the 1 billion streams mark on Spotify with its namesake debut album, the group's management agency said Friday. The accumulated streams generated by the album, "New Jeans," reached 1,000,760,129 on the streaming platform as of Thursday, 422 days after its release on Aug. 1, 2022, ADOR said. The agency said NewJeans is the first K-pop girl band that has achieved the feat with its debut album. It is particularly meaningful given the album has

Sept. 29, 2023

Tving streams 2023 MTV VMAs

Tving released Thursday footages of K-pop artists who participated in this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. MTV VMAs 2023, which was held at Prudential Center in New Jersey on Sept. 12, are one of the four major US music shows -- along with the Billboard Music Awards, Grammy Awards and American Music Awards, honoring the biggest music videos and artists. The show featured two of the popular K-pop boy groups Tomorrow X Together and Stray Kids’ live performances, singing their latest sin

Sept. 28, 2023

Action-packed series lined up for Chuseok

Different styles of Korean action series are being released during the six-day Chuseok holiday this week. Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co, showcased a new crime thriller “The Worst of Evil” on Wednesday. The 12-part series tells the story of the biggest drug ring in Northeast Asia and its boss, Jung Ki-cheol, played by “Squid Game” star Wi Ha-jun. Co-starring actor Ji Chang-wook takes the role of an undercover police officer, who i

Sept. 28, 2023

[From the Scene] Whimsical circus workshop offers fun workout

If you've ever wanted to juggle, spin plates or soar through the air like a circus sensation, then the "Circus Playground" workshop was the place to be last weekend. As part of LG Arts Center Seoul's fall season education programs, the one-day workshop, co-organized by the circus education experts at "Jumpers," provided an exciting experience for beginners of all ages, including the young-at-heart adults. The morning session catered to adventure-seeking adults, whil

Sept. 27, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink tops 1.5b views with ‘How You Like That’ dance video

The performance video for Blackpink’s “How You Like That” has reached 1.5 billion views on YouTube, label YG Entertainment announced Wednesday. It is the group’s fourth video to hit the milestone, following the music videos for “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” “Kill This Love” and “Boombayah,” and the first dance video from a K-pop act to do so. The music video for “How You Like That” has 1.2 billion views. “How You Like That”

Sept. 27, 2023

JTBC drama ‘Reborn Rich’ goes to Emmys

“Reborn Rich,” hit drama on local cable channel JTBC that aired in December last year has been nominated to the finalist of International Emmy Awards’ TV drama and series category. According to the production firm SLL, “Reborn Rich” will compete along France’s “Infiniti,” Mexico’s “Dive,” and UK’s “Life and Death in the Warehouse.” “Reborn Rich” revolves around Yoon Hyun-woo (Song Joong-ki), a loyal s

Sept. 27, 2023

Auteur Chung Ji-young returns with another high-profile case-based film in ‘The Boys’

South Korean auteur Chung Ji-young returns for the first time in four years with the crime flick “The Boys,” another work based on a real-life high-profile case. The new film follows “Unbowed” (2011) and “Black Money” (2019), which dealt with the true stories of a professor who went against a corrupt Korean judicial system in 2007 and the 2012 sale of the Korean Exchange Bank to American equity firm Lone Star Funds, respectively. “The Boys” revolve

Sept. 27, 2023

Seoul streets transform to open stage for Seoul Street Arts Festival

Seoul's streets are to become a festive outdoor venue for various street arts, circus performances, dance, multidisciplinary shows and art installations this weekend. The outdoor performing arts festival organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, known as the Seoul Street Arts Festival, kicks off Friday at Seoul Plaza, along with a Chuseok full moon viewing event. The opening performance, “Full Moon,” starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday, featuring artists from this year&rsqu

Sept. 27, 2023

XG storms back with 'New DNA'

Japanese K-pop band XG returned to the music scene on Wednesday with its first EP "New DNA." The latest release by the seven-piece girl group comes nine months after the launch of the third single "Shooting Star" in January. "New DNA" is a six-track package expanding on XG's sonic scape, weaving through multiple new genres the likes of UK Drill and Jersey Club to the group's essential hip-hop and R&B sound. The album is led by the title song "Pupp

Sept. 27, 2023

NewJeans sings 2023 Lol World Championship anthem

K-pop girl group NewJeans will sing the anthem of the 2023 League of Legends World Championship, “Gods,” according to Riot Games. The anthem will be released on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. The game developer has worked with popular musical artists for the championship theme song for the past 10 years, such as Imagine Dragons, Zedd and Lil Nas X, but it is the first time it is collaborating with a K-pop artist. Sebastien Najand, the head music producer of Riot Games, and Mako who produced the or

Sept. 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] Forever is not impossible: Oneus aspires to global reach with 'La Dolce Vita'

Every Oneus album is a well-made package of music, story, artistry and performance. With its latest EP, "La Dolce Vita" released on Tuesday, the group once again takes listeners on an adventure of new wonders. In "La Dolce Vita," the quintet plunges into the depths of the ocean, like mermaids dancing with loved ones at night. The Latin pop texture of the album's title song "Baila Conmigo" was the first inspiration to the mermaid story, according to the members

Sept. 26, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Carmen’ redefines iconic femme fatale as stalking victim

Breaking away from the traditional portrayal of the iconic femme fatale, Carmen, Seoul Metropolitan Theatre's theatrical rendition of the classic character meets audiences with the haunting specter of dating violence. Seoul Metropolitan Theatre Artistic Director Koh Sun-woong undertook the adaptation of “Carmen” to reevaluate the character in a new light and to deliver a powerful message: Obsession is not love. Based on Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella and Bizet's opera

Sept. 26, 2023

Orchestra composed of players with visual impairment to perform Oct. 4

The Hyegwang Blind Orchestra, composed of individuals with visual impairments, is gearing up for a special performance titled “International Music Concert with Hyegwang Blind Orchestra” on Oct. 4. The orchestra has continued its musical journey for 15 years since the Incheon Hyegwang School for the Blind established a wind instrument program for high-schoolers in 2008. Currently, the ensemble includes members from various backgrounds, such as massage therapists, teachers, rehab worke

Sept. 26, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen invites fans to Seoul for new EP

Seventeen beckons fans to join an offline event in Seoul to celebrate the release of its 11th EP, “Seventeenth Heaven,” said agency Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday. Dubbed “Seventeen Street in Seongsu,” the event will offer a range of experiences and merchandise to promote the upcoming album. It is the second time the band is hosting such an event. The previous event held in April drew about 150,000 visitors. The 13-piece team is set to make a comeback on Oct. 23 and has

Sept. 26, 2023

[Feature] The rise and fall of terrestrial TV dramas

For countless South Korean actors, getting a role on a local broadcaster's TV drama series was a ticket to stardom. However, this notion is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, as local TV channels like SBS, MBC and KBS now compete with a slew of streaming platforms and changed viewing habits. Weekly television program schedules, typically filled with multiple drama series up until a number of years ago, is now filled with reality shows and pilot programs. Among local braodcasters, SBS has

Sept. 26, 2023

[Herald Interview] Song Joong-ki seeks different genres over types of characters

Actor Song Joong-ki, who has wowed the audience with both commercial and critical TV success through “Reborn Rich” (2022) and “Vincenzo” (2021), chose to show his rough side this time through rookie director Kim Chang-hoon’s noir flick “Hopeless.” Song, who returned to Korea after spending time with his newborn son and British wife in Rome for nine months, said he has always been on the lookout for opportunities to try new genres and projects internation

Sept. 26, 2023