Seo Min-woo of 100% died of a heart attack Sunday at the age of 33. The boy band’s agency TOP Media announced the death of group leader Seo Min-woo, better known as just Minwoo, through its official website.  Minwoo (TOP Media)“He was found at his home in Gangnam, Seoul. Paramedics rushed to the scene, who pronounced him dead,” the announcement read. Seo debuted as an actor in 2006 through TV drama series “Sharp 3.” He switched to pop music in 2012, as the leader of 100%. The group was to hold c

Performance March 26, 2018

Wrapping up its five-day exploration of styles and trends, the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week ended its run Saturday. The country’s largest fashion event took place from Tuesday to Saturday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where 39 local designers showed off their collections to buyers, the press and the invited public. This year, the organizers invited more than 180 foreign buyers from high-end department stores, boutiques and online shopping websites.There was as much action outside the D

Arts & Design March 25, 2018

Dongdaemun Design Plaza bustled with "fashion people" Saturday, as they took in the last bit of  the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week. Local fashion brands staged shows, bidding to return for the next season.Kwon Munsoo (Seoul Collection) (Seoul Design Foundation)The runway was graced by “playboys.” Based on the idea that modern people are secretly jealous of the playboys they criticize so much, the designer sought to redefine them as modern style icons, making garments that are suitable

Life&Culture March 24, 2018

With a full load of sunshine, Friday’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza was filled with crowds visiting for the fourth day of the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week. Local fashion brands continued to stage inspiring shows. Following are the three highlights of the day. Nohant (Seoul Collection) (Seoul Design Foundation)Nohant’s runway mimicked a city street under construction. The brand’s collection for upcoming fall and winter seasons was labeled as “Dosi,” meaning city in Korean. The wallpaper of

Arts & Design March 24, 2018

Fans of Wanna One attempted to clear the band’s name by requesting a digital forensic audio analysis.Wanna One became embroiled in controversy Monday, when some of its members allegedly made vulgar comments during a live broadcast.  Wanna One poses during a press conference for its new EP “0+1=0 (I Promise You)” in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)The members allegedly used inappropriate language, including slang and a sexual term, unaware of the fact that they were being aired live on cable channel Mne

Performance March 23, 2018

A decade ago, the word “selfie” did not even exist, but almost everyone with a smartphone takes such photos these days. In Korea, there is even a word for a person who looks very different in selfies in a good way: “selgikkun.” For instance, Yura of Girls’ Day, who takes excellent photos of herself. “Taking a good selfie takes enormous effort,” Yura said multiple times while starring in the MBC show “We Got Married.” She explained how she takes more than a hundred snaps for one perfect photo. Yu

Culture March 23, 2018

Gourmet weekend at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton offers multicourse specials at its Chinese and Japanese restaurants, Taipan and Genji, only on the weekends. Taipan, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, offers a gourmet meal comprising six dishes, at 65,000 won per person. The menu features abalones, crab meat, prawns, beef and pine mushrooms as its main ingredients.Genji, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, also offers a weekend special at 86,000 won. The weekend special set-course men

Food March 23, 2018

At the 2018 HERA fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week, there is a distinctive crowd that fills the front rows of fashion shows other than fashion industry insiders, models and celebrities -- buyers. They work for high-end department stores, boutiques and online shopping websites, who decide on what items will be stocked in their stores. It is basically business-to-business shopping. Mario Dell’Oglio speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Thursday. (Seoul Design

Arts & Design March 23, 2018

Dongdaemun Design Plaza was filled Thursday afternoon with crowds attending the third day of the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week at the peak of its hype. Dressed in bold, creative and unique outfits, they gathered to watch the innovative shows staged by local brands. Following are three highlights of the day.Blindness (Seoul Collection)  (Seoul Design Foundation)Blindness’ show managed to fully express the designer’s artistry, featuring garments that maximized the creativeness of the br

Arts & Design March 23, 2018

Choi Soo-young, better known as Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation, is to take a leading role in a Korean-and-Japanese-made film. Choi will play a leading role in the film “Memories of a Dead End,” based on a novel written by Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto. It depicts how a female character faces a life-changing moment. The film will start shooting in April in Japan.  Choi Soo-young (Echo Global Group)Choi debuted as a member of Girls’ Generation in 2007. She did not renew her contract with the age

Film March 22, 2018

Koreans are known for their love of fermented dishes -- for instance, the ever-present kimchi. And Koreans also consume fermented sauces on a daily base. Adding one more to the list is, hongeo, a fermented skate dish, is a delicacy for many. A whole skate is placed in a pile of hay for days for the fermentation that results in its pungent odor -- such that some compare it to a public toilet. Even after the meal, one cannot escape the pungent smell that attaches itself to clothes and hair for day

Food March 22, 2018

Despite heavy snow, a fashionable, passionate crowd gathered at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Wednesday to enjoy the second day of the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week. Various local brands staged creative shows, providing the audience the chance to observe Korea’s fashion industry at the scene. Following are three highlights of the day. Ordinary People (Seoul Collection) (Seoul Design Foundation)Ordinary People went experimental, making use of various materials typically considered unfit f

Arts & Design March 21, 2018

With the hype of the Winter Games beginning to fade, Executive Creative Director Song Seung-hwan revealed the intricate planning that went into staging the Olympic opening ceremony that captivated an international audience. Song directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Olympics. He attended a meeting held by the Corea Image Communication Institute on Tuesday night in Seoul to speak about what it was like to stage performances for a global audience.  Song Seung-hwan delivers

Olympic Games March 21, 2018

Unlike most medical dramas that feature doctors as the main characters, tvN’s new series “A Poem, a Day” depicts staff who are less often in the spotlight. The new Monday-Tuesday drama centers on the lives of physical therapists and radiology technicians, dubbing them “co-medical staff.” It can also be called a “comedical drama,” as it features a combination of comedy and medicine.  From the left, Jang Dong-yoon, Lee Yoo-bi and Lee Joon-hyuk (tvN)Producer Han Sang-jae hopes to set the series apa

Television March 20, 2018

The 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week officially began Tuesday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Various local brands staged eye-catching shows, providing the audience the chance to observe Korea’s fashion industry at the scene. Following are three highlights of the day. A.Bell (Seoul Collection)  (Seoul Design Foundation)“Light” was the main keyword here. Around 34 outfits portraying the refraction and reflection of light were showcased. Hues of white, beige, ivory and black were dominant. The

Arts & Design March 20, 2018