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CNA
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Lee Min-ho and Ahn Hyo-seop on why they would choose Blackpink's Jisoo as their ally when fighting monsters
Popular South Korean stars Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Min-ho brought their smiles, charm and wit as they greeted reporters in Singapore on Tuesday (Jul 29) as part of promotions for their upcoming movie Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy. Singapore marks the movie's first and only international promotional stop outside of South Korea. The two were joined by director Kim Byung-woo as they fielded questions at Marina Bay Sands. Following the press conference, they are set to attend special fan screenings of Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy at selected Golden Village outlets. In Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, Ahn Hyo-seop plays Kim Dok-ja, an ordinary office worker who finds himself battling monsters when his favourite novel comes to life. During the press conference, the 30-year-old, who has seen a rise in his global stardom following roles in 2022's Business Proposal and the smash hit movie KPop Demon Hunters, was asked if he had difficulties playing a "plain-looking character". Clad in a sleek, all-black ensemble, Ahn was the antithesis of "plain-looking" and cooly replied: "I don't think I'm an outstanding person. "Since the story revolves around being ordinary, I asked myself 'What is ordinary?' and 'Who am I?', and I came to the conclusion that my existence itself is ordinary. If I think of myself as outstanding and special, then I won't even be able to start this project. So I worked on balancing out and blurring the boundary between what's ordinary and extraordinary." Co-starring in the movie is Hallyu icon Lee Min-ho, who plays the brooding Yu Jung-hyeok – the original hero of Dok-ja's favourite novel. The 38-year-old echoed Ahn's sentiments of not feeling like an outstanding person. "In the original web novel, Yu Jung-hyeok was described as having an outstanding and beautiful face that can win over anyone. That was the most difficult part of acting," revealed Lee. "I consider myself an ordinary person because I believe people should be defined by their internal selves and not their external selves. And I believe I'm internally an ordinary person. Knowing that made it so hard to portray such an outstanding and extraordinary person [like Yu Jung-hyeok]." With Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy being an adaptation of a megahit franchise that has seen over 2.5 billion views worldwide across its web novel and web comic adaptations, questions have been raised about whether the movie will be a faithful adaptation of its source material. Director Kim Byung-woo, who won numerous accolades for his 2013 movie The Terror Live, said that there were "inevitable changes" because of the different mediums. "What I focused on the most was 'How can the story be entertaining and how can audiences find it exciting?' As such, I tried not to get too restrained by the original story," said Kim. "That being said, whatever you imagined from the web novel, we did portray and bring it to the world of the movie. I just want you to sit down, relax and have fun." In a moment that brought laughter to attendees of the press conference, all three men admitted that if the events of Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy became reality, they would pick Lee Ji-hye, a character played by Blackpink member Jisoo in the movie, to be their ally. And it's not exactly for her skill set. "Instead of her weapon, I'll listen to her songs," quipped Lee Min-ho. "Her music will be the biggest power to me." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Golden Village Pictures (@goldenvillagepictures) Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy will be released for general audiences in Singapore on Jul 31. It follows the story of Kim Dok-ja (played by Ahn Hyo-seop), an ordinary office worker and the only reader of a little-known web novel. Disappointed with the novel's ending, Dok-ja sends an angry message to its author, only to have the novel's apocalyptic world suddenly become reality. When the novel's original hero, Yu Jung-hyeok (played by Lee Min-ho), appears before him, Dok-ja must use his unique knowledge of the story to survive and bring forth a new ending.
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Standing room only: The bizarre absence of benches in Singapore's glitzy malls
Women shopping inside a mall SINGAPORE: If you've ever strolled through an expansive shopping mall and pondered why your feet are sore and throbbing with no seats in sight, you're not alone. One Redditor recently voiced a sentiment that many have felt but never articulated — why are there so few free seating options in shopping centres, particularly in a city-state with a large elderly population? Places like Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Orchard Central in Singapore, the Redditor pointed out, appear predominantly bereft of places to relax without shelling out some dollars. However, netizens were fast to highlight that the shortage of public seating isn't a mistake — it's a tactic. 'Every sitting visitor is a wasted space and time in business terms,' one Redditor wrote candidly. The reasoning is simple — a buyer on her feet is more likely to spend than one sitting on a bench. In the eyes of mall operatives, every bench is a possible sale sliding away. This viewpoint might sound greedy, but it's ingrained in unemotional business maths. Another commenter noted that the seats are frequently taken by ageing patrons. From a profit perspective, this demographic, while socially significant, isn't always the target customer, so malls give priority to foot traffic and income, not ease and comfort. 'Developers realised that free seats mean people sitting around not spending money,' another Redditor clarified. 'So instead, they took away the seats and put in F&B. Now, when you sit, you're obliged to spend money.' It's an intentional design choice, claimed those who know renter policies and understand customer experience (CX) development. Take MBS, for instance, which is identified as a luxury shopping and upscale dining destination. The setting is prudently arranged to inhibit casual strolling. Rather than benches, exhausted customers are pushed towards boutique coffee shops or restaurants, where relaxation comes with a price tag. However, a few malls have kicked the trend. Funan, for example, has become a chosen location for those in search of a more accepting atmosphere. 'There's a load of seating areas, free-to-use power sockets, and fantastic amenities for cyclists,' a Redditor noted. Funan's model implies that seating, when meticulously integrated, can boost the mall's appeal without reducing profits. However, they are the exception, not the rule. 'In hyper-capitalist environments, doing things just for public good is rare,' another commenter bewailed. 'That's why legal minimums are required. Unless it benefits the bottom line, it doesn't happen.' See also Michael Jackson's orbit, 10 years later Essentially, malls aren't public spaces; they're for business. While they may imitate the shared feeling of piazzas or town squares, their chief objective remains the generation of ROI. Seating, unless it serves that purpose, is usually viewed as a liability. But as customer outlooks change and rivalry among malls surges, maybe more developers will begin to see that a contented and relaxed shopper just might become a loyal one. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Michelin Guide Singapore 2025: Sushi Sakuta promoted to two stars, one restaurant gets its first star
The ninth edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore announced a total of 42 starred restaurants. The live ceremony was held Thursday night (Jul 24) at The Sands Grand Ballroom in Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. European restaurants Les Amis at Shaw Centre, Odette at National Gallery Singapore and Zen at Bukit Pasoh Road continue to dominate the three-star category. Les Amis' executive chef Sebastien Lepinoy said that despite being awarded three stars for the past six years, they cannot rest on their laurels. 'Around 40 per cent of our tourist guests come to our restaurant because of the guide. So every year we must push and improve our operations. We did a total renovation of our kitchen this year to keep it at top level.' This year, former one-star Sushi Sakuta joined the ranks of two-star recipients: Cloudstreet at Amoy Street, Jaan by Kirk Westaway in Swissotel The Stamford Singapore, Meta at Mohamed Sultan Road, One Fullerton's Saint Pierre and Shokouwa as well as Thevar, which just moved to 16 Mohamed Sultan Road. Among the 32 one-star winners was progressive Japanese restaurant Omakase @Stevens, whose head chef, Osaka native Kazuki Arimoto, was also named Young Chef of the Year. The 31-year-old, who started as sous chef at the restaurant in 2022 and took over the helm last year, joked that he was not that young and attributed his success to his team. He said: 'It's never a one-person effort. We work as a team to personalise the dining experience for our 16 customers. We change options for regulars so they taste something different each time.'
Business Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Marina Bay Sands H1 revenue rises 17% to US$2.6 billion as travel spend in Asia expands
[SINGAPORE] Net revenue for Marina Bay Sands (MBS) rose 17 per cent to US$2.6 billion (S$3.3 billion) in the first half of 2025, up from US$2.2 billion (S$2.8 billion) for the same period in 2024. The casino resort operator's parent company, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) said on Thursday (Jul 24) that MBS delivered 'record financial and operating performance'. The company drew down S$1.1 billion to fund the payment of the land premium for the US$8 billion MBS expansion. Revenue from rooms for Q2 grew 8 per cent year on year to US$134 million, though hotel occupancy dropped by 0.3 percentage point to 95 per cent across the same period. The average daily room rate rose 11.4 per cent, up to US$888 million, resulting in a revenue per available room of US$844 million compared to US$759 million in Q2 2024. The company's Ebidta margin for the second quarter grew 4.9 percentage points to 55.3 per cent. To be completed in 2030, the new luxury hotel tower is set to have 570 suites and is expected to feature boutiques, gaming and wellness amenities. It will be 55 storeys tall and showcase a 76,000 square foot 'Skyloop'.
CNA
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Immersive live concert experience featuring music from The Witcher 3 coming to Singapore in November
Something extraordinary is coming. For the first time ever in Asia, The Witcher in Concert is coming to Singapore this November. This immersive live concert, featuring music from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt Red, will take place on Nov 29 and 30 at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Following its acclaimed tours across North America and Europe, the concert arrives in Singapore to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the beloved video game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Audiences will be transported into the epic tale of the protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, through a powerful blend of live orchestral music, storytelling and immersive visuals.
