Astro's Cha Eunwoo takes 1st lead role in movie: report
He finalized his decision to star in the film tentatively titled "First Ride,' which follows four close friends on their first overseas trip together to mark turning 30.
The singer and actor is currently shooting the Netflix comic action drama 'The Wonder Fools,' playing the male lead with a superpower opposite Park Eunbin.
Separately, members of Astro will put together an album in memory of their late bandmate Moonbin, who passed away in April 2023. They will team up with Moonbin's sister, Moon Sua of Billlie, as well as Seventeen's Seungkwan and Dogyeom to release the album later this month.
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Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' tops UK Official Singles Chart
13 years after Psy's "Gangnam Style," K-pop hits No. 1 again The original soundtrack "Golden" of Netflix's global animated hit "KPop Demon Hunters" soared to the top of the UK Official Singles Chart, marking the first K-pop song to reach No. 1 in over a decade. Released as part of the animated film, "Golden" achieved the No. 1 position in its sixth week on the chart, rising three spots from the previous week. The track, performed by the fictional girl group Huntr/x, is a part of the movie's soundtrack, which features a K-pop girl group battling evil spirits to protect the human world. The UK Official Charts Company highlighted that this is the first K-pop No. 1 on the British chart since Psy's record-breaking "Gangnam Style" in 2012. In a statement published on the company's website, Martin Talbot, CEO of Official Charts, called the achievement "another landmark moment for the globally dominating South Korean genre." "Golden" has resonated with listeners for its catchy melody and impressive vocal performances. The track has garnered attention for its blend of K-pop and English lyrics, with some lines including Korean phrases like "forever unbreakable." It has been described as a summer hit, gaining traction alongside the success of the animated film. The song, composed by Ejae, a former SM Entertainment trainee, and performed by Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, also includes production from renowned K-pop producers Teddy and 24 of The Black Label. The film's success has helped propel "Golden" to new heights, moving up steadily from No. 93 to No. 4 before claiming the top spot. In addition to its success in the UK, "Golden" has reached No. 1 on South Korea's Melon Top 100 chart and No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Other tracks from the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack have also charted in the UK, with "Your Idol" at No. 10, "Soda Pop" at No. 11 and "Takedown" at No. 63.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
[Editorial] Take down hurdles
Korean platforms shut out global fans with outdated rules while Korean culture surges The global success of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' an animated film released on Netflix in June, has provided an unexpected boost to Korea's soft power. The film, in which a fictional K-pop girl group battles demons with music-infused powers, has topped streaming charts in over 30 countries and propelled its soundtrack to second place on the Billboard 200. But perhaps more telling than the film's entertainment value is what it revealed about Korea's export potential and its limitations. While fans from Singapore to the Netherlands eagerly bought Korean goods tied to the movie's characters — from folk-art-inspired souvenirs to traditional accessories — the process of buying those products was anything but smooth. Korean cultural products may now command a powerful emotional pull globally, but the infrastructure for overseas consumers to access Korean products, especially through e-commerce, remains strikingly inadequate. According to the Bank of Korea, South Korea's cross-border e-commerce exports to individual consumers overseas — often referred to in Korea as 'reverse direct purchases' or 'yeok-jikgu' in Korean — totaled 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) last year. It was just one-fifth the volume of inbound direct purchases by Korean consumers from overseas retailers. The data shows that Korea's e-commerce platforms have failed to capitalize on foreign demand despite the surging popularity of Korean entertainment, beauty and food. Much of the problem lies in unnecessary procedural bottlenecks. Most domestic platforms still require identity verification through a Korea-registered mobile number, even though no legal obligation mandates this. International consumers, even if motivated to purchase, are routinely blocked during the sign-up process. Those who clear that hurdle often encounter another at checkout, where many Korean sites do not accept international payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or Alipay. The result is a highly restrictive system that effectively turns away willing customers. By contrast, major platforms like Amazon, AliExpress and Temu allow foreign users to register and pay with minimal friction. These companies conduct their own verification using standard card information or global e-wallets, lowering entry barriers while managing fraud risks internally. Chinese e-commerce platforms operating in South Korea have even integrated domestic systems such as Naver Pay to localize their offerings. Yet Korean platforms have been reluctant to reciprocate even as global demand for Korean goods rises. This hesitation reflects both rigid regulatory constraints and an outdated culture of risk aversion, especially around identity theft, fraud and payment disputes. But technological solutions already exist. Viable steps Korean retailers can take include integrating payment systems that are popular in target markets, adopting user-friendly authentication procedures and expanding their overseas fulfillment capabilities. The Korean government and regulators have a critical role to play. The Bank of Korea's recent recommendation — to simplify account verification, provide legal clarity around non-Korean sign-ups and actively embrace global payment tools — is a necessary starting point. More broadly, failure to liberalize South Korea's e-commerce model may deepen the structural imbalance in digital trade. As global commerce increasingly revolves around platforms rather than physical intermediaries, the country cannot afford to remain digitally insular. Ironically, the very appeal of "KPop Demon Hunters" — its seamless fusion of traditional Korean motifs with contemporary music and lively animation — highlights what the country does best: Marrying heritage and innovation in ways that resonate globally. But turning cultural capital into economic return will require an equally imaginative overhaul of Korea's digital marketplace. Nearly a decade after the so-called 'Cheon Song-yi coat' moment, when a Korean drama ignited global fashion interest and prompted calls for easier reverse purchases, progress has been woefully limited. The nation's major platforms still operate largely as if their only customers are local. That must change. With global attention now fixed on Korean products, the least the country can do is avoid shutting the door on K-culture's global rise.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
What would you do if you had a gun?
Netflix 'Trigger' star Kim Nam-gil discusses complexities of gun ownership and the questions his drama raises Guns and South Korea are two subjects rarely linked in everyday discourse. Netflix's new series 'Trigger' challenges that perception, imagining what could happen if guns were suddenly introduced into a society already grappling with deepening social divisions. 'Trigger' follows Yi-do (Kim Nam-gil), a police officer who begins to suspect that civilians are receiving shipments of guns. As violent incidents escalate, Yi-do races to uncover the root of the crisis. The series premiered Friday, just four days after a rare and shocking gun-related crime rattled the nation: a father allegedly shot and killed his son using a homemade firearm in Songdo, Incheon. On Tuesday, Kim began the press interview by emphasizing that, despite the timing of the release coinciding with the real-life tragedy, the show was not inspired by true events. 'It wasn't a work created with such a situation in mind, so I would appreciate it if people could view it separately from the incident,' Kim said during a group interview held in Seoul. 'Although (we) intended to add a fantastical element when creating it in Korea, I wondered if it might be something that could happen in real life — and I was surprised when it did. There are victims depicted in 'Trigger' as well, so I think that's why I feel the need to speak cautiously.' According to Kim, the bold premise of arming Korean citizens is what drew him to the project. 'When someone hears that all men can handle guns, they might question if that really is possible — but in our country, it is,' he said. 'Korea is a country where half the population is trained to handle guns. As military service is mandatory for men, men know how to use them. That's why imagining what might happen if guns were suddenly unleashed here felt fresh and intriguing." Kim also noted that the production took special care in depicting firearms responsibly, aware of the sensitivities surrounding the topic in South Korea. "If even the slightest inaccuracy is presented, it increases resistance to the show. So we made every effort to avoid causing any discomfort.' At its core, 'Trigger' grapples with an ethical dilemma: What choices would people make if handed an absolute weapon — one capable of killing on impulse? For Kim, the answer is clear. "I used to think about that a lot in the past,' he said. 'During my school days, I wasn't fully developed emotionally or physically, so I sometimes felt that if I'd had a gun in moments of emotional turmoil, I might have actually used it. It wasn't so much about punishing someone, but more about the sense of power that a gun represents. It was a time when I felt extremely suppressed and restricted, with so many things I wasn't allowed to do ... so I think I imagined having a gun as a kind of escape." "My values have changed since then. ... I've come to believe that if possessing a gun isn't for protecting others, and if peace can only be achieved by killing someone, then perhaps such peace is something we should avoid altogether." For Kim, the show isn't just a thriller — it's a trigger for conversation. ''Trigger' is a work with a powerful story, and I believe stories that invite discussion are the most meaningful,' he said. 'Even if a piece has a clear message, I think there should still be room for broader conversation. That's why I hope this kind of work can inspire and influence other content to grow and evolve as well.' All episodes of "Trigger" are currently available on Netflix. yoonseo.3348@
