The Korea Times

Check out where they kissed

Tourists are busy taking photos at a venue that was featured in a scene in the drama “My Love From the Star” at Petite France, in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo‘My Love’ locations draw many foreign hallyu fansGAPYEONG — In the inner valleys of Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, the weather is still in that limbo between winter and spring. But the northern stretch of the Han River was full and smooth, as if inviting visitors to come. Visitors there were, flocking to Petite France, a theme village where a key scene in the TV drama “My Love from the Star” was shot.As soon as the park opened at 9 a.m., tour buses parked nearby and began pouring out tourists who were fans of the popular drama starring actors Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun.“I really like the characters,” said Chiu Tzu-ting, 38, a Taipei resident who was in Korea for the first time. Chiu and friends were busy taking photos where Kim’s character, Do Min-joon, flew Jun’s character, Chun Song-i, into the air to b

Mar 19, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

N. America out of reach for hallyu

Lady Gaga at the “K-Pop Night Out” on March 11 held on the sidelines of the South by SouthWest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. A total of 15 Korean acts took part in the SXSW this year in a bid to promote not only K-pop but Korean rock bands in one of the largest U.S. music festivals./ Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Culture gap, strong pop industry base stand in wayBy Kim Ji-sooMuch of Asia is in love with the Korean television drama “My Love from the Star,” so much so that the love has reached the shores of North America.But it traveled via a Beijing-Washington course.The Washington Post in its March 7 edition dealt with the popularity of the drama in China, but it was a writer from Beijing. After the story appeared, the Korean press duly reported on it.The popularity of hallyu is strong in Asia, but is slow to pick up in the United States or the larger North American market.In the 2000s, producer Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment took his hottest stars, the Wonder Girls, to break into the U.S. market but

Mar 12, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

Kim Soo-hyun evokes explosive response in China

Actor Kim Soo-hyun take part in the Chinese program “Super Brain” in this captured image. / Korea TimesBy Kim Ji-sooActor Kim Soo-hyun seems poised to grab Chinese drama fans with his recently-ended “My Love From the Stars,” akin to the fashion his mentor Bae Yong-joon won the hearts of Japanese women with “Winter Sonata” (2002).Kim is affiliated with the talent agency Keyeast, which is led by Bae who is known as “Yon-sama” among Japanese fans.Kim flew on a chartered flight to Nanjing Saturday to appear on Jiangsu Satellite TV’s “Super Brain.” News reports had it that the audience at the recording was asked to wear name tags and no cameras or drinks were allowed, to protect the star. Kim reportedly received 400 million won for his appearance on the program. Chinese entertainment media reported that expensive illegal tickets circulated off and on-line for those who couldn’t obtain the tickets for the taping.“My Love” is evoking intense interest from fans, the Chinese media and even the government.

Mar 9, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Kim Soo-hyun evokes explosive response in China

Travel & Food

Oakwood Premier Incheon appoints GM

Kim Sung-hyun was appointed general manager of the Oakwood Premier Incheon, which will open in July. / Courtesy of Oakwood PremierBy Park Jin-haiThe Oakwood Premier Incheon has appointed 20-year veteran Kim Sung-hyun as its general manager.The serviced residence will open in July in Songdo, Incheon.Kim, who is a graduate of Ryde College in Sydney, Australia, started his career at the Seoul Hilton Hotel in 1992. He also worked as the founding member of the Hayatt Regency Incheon that opened in 2003. Since 2008, he has served as the general manager of the Rolling Hills Hotel in Gyeonggi Province, owned by Haevichi Hotel & Resort, the Seo Kyo Hotel in Seoul and the Jeju KAL Hotel.“Kim’s business management and leadership as a hotelier have been highly considered before being appointed to the top position,” said an official of Han Moo Convention, which owns the Oakwood hotel chain.In commenting on his appointment, Kim said, “I am pleased to work in the city of Songdo ... the new center of change and growth.“Since our hotel is designated as the

Mar 6, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Travel & Food

Ecuadorian cuisine rooted in Earth

Ecuadorian chef Maria Moreno holds an Ecuadorian shrimp dish that she prepared for the special event to promote the food of the South Americancountry at the Orangerie buffet restaurant at the Millennium Seoul Hilton, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Millennium Seoul HiltonBy Kim Ji-sooMaria Moreno, 36, was a student of agriculture before she became interested in cooking. It’s a complete cycle of knowledge that helps her in cooking and communicating the flavor of Ecuador.“I find that the knowledge of the product, and knowing all the energy and the effort that went into the product, makes me appreciate the final result,” said Moreno, currently in Seoul to promote the diverse cuisine of Ecuador.The chef traveled 36 hours for the event taking place at the Millennium Seoul Hilton near Mt.Nam, Seoul, throughout March.“We love salty food, acidic food and we use a lot of lime juice in our food. When my fellow cooks tried the ceviche, right away they said ‘too acidic,’” Moreno said.“In Ecuador, ceviche is marinated in lime juice overnight — unlike P

Mar 6, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

Heroines of hallyu come to fore

Girls’ Generation members pose in this promotional photo for their fourth mini-album “Mr. Mr.”By Kim Ji-sooKorean women are coming to the fore and taking lead roles in various sectors of society.At the just-ended Sochi Winter Games were Korean female athletes such as speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, and figure-skating champion Kim Yu-na. Coincidentally, it’s the girl groups and female solo singers that are having the best of times. In just two months the girl groups have industriously put out new songs and dazzled with image changes since the start of the New Year.Female solo singers have joined in, demonstrating that women power is a force to be reckoned with in the popular music sector. Sunmi, Ga In and Park Ji-yoon have all released new songs. Sunmi and Ga In are faring well. The former, a member of the Wonder Girls is once again barefoot for alluring performance for her new song “Full Moon.” On the Naver music chart, the song has charted at No. 5. Right behind her are Ga In, a member of the Brown Eyed Girls, whose “Truth or Dare” and &ldq

Feb 27, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

Oakwood Premier Incheon to open in July

This is a view of the Northeast Asia Trade Tower, where the Oakwood Premier Incheon is located in Songdo, Incheon. / Courtesy of Oakwood Premier IncheonBy Kim Ji-sooIncheon is a city with increasing global appeal, offering an airport, the Songdo international business district and the 2014 Asian Games.Oakwood Premier will add its name to this list of assets when it opens the Oakwood Premier Incheon in July.The premier serviced residence will move into the soaring Northeast Asia Trade Tower (NEATT) skyscraper in Songdo.Standing 68 stories, NEATT is currently the tallest building in the nation. The Oakwood Premier Incheon will occupy the upper part of the edifice built by POSCO E&C.Oakwood Premier Incheon will offer a total of 423 suite-grade residences placed from the floors 36 through 64, and boasting of unbeatable panoramic views. A penthouse will be located on the 64th floor. Oakwood Premier boasts of providing luxurious hotel services with the spaciousness of a private home, and the Incheon branch will not be an exception. Oakwood Premier Incheon will be the only luxury reside

Feb 20, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

Singer Rain to promote new album in Beijing March 28

Singer Rain in this promotional photo for “Rain Effect” / Courtesy of Cube EntertainmentBy Kim Ji-sooRain will hold a showcase to promote his sixth studio alum “Rain Effect” in Beijing next month.Cube Entertainment announced Wednesday that he will hold the “2014 Rain Effect Show in Beijing” at the National Gymnasium on March 28. The singer’s agency said that they are expecting around 9,000 fans to attend.This will be Rain’s first official album showcase since its release on Jan. 2. The singer, Jung Ji-hoon, topped domestic charts with “30 Sexy” and “La Song” from the album.The tickets for Rain’s showcase will open worldwide on Feb. 28.“Rain Effect” is his first album since his discharge for compulsory national military service last year. The singer and actor, who is dating actress Kim Tae-hee, has been actively promoting his new album and filming the Hollywood movie “The Prince.” He has also been cast as a guest star for the popular variety program “Running Man” that will

Feb 19, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Singer Rain to promote new album in Beijing March 28

Shows & Dramas

Will China become bigger for hallyu?

Actor Lee Min-ho poses after performing at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala in this Jan. 30 file photo. He was the first Korean entertainer to make an appearance in the popular holiday program. In the wake of “The Heirs,” Lee has been zigzagging across major cities in China to meet with his fans. / Korea Times fileBy Kim Ji-sooTaiwan is the place where the word “hallyu” was first coined with the popularity of dramas and music. Then the Korean wave spread to the greater Chinese-speaking region in 2005 when Korean dramas such as the “Jewel in the Palace” (2005) exploded to grab mainland China.China’s 1.3 billion population and the growing affluence means its potential as the biggest consumer of Korean popular cultural content is an attractive goldmine for Korean entertainers.At the moment, China remains the second largest cultural content export destination. According to the 2012 figures released by the Korea Creative Content Agency, Korea exported a total of around $4.4 billion of cultural content overseas, with the Japanese ma

Feb 19, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Shows & Dramas

'Three Musketeers' goes to Tokyo, Seoul

By Kim Ji-sooThis photo shows an image of a scene from the musical “Three Musketeers.”With more top stars in its cast, the Korean adaptation of the musical “Three Musketeers” will be staged both in Tokyo and Seoul.For both shows, the company M Musical Art has recruited a star-studded lineup. In Japan, the musical will be performed at Yuraku-cho’s Tokyo International Forum scheduled from March 2 to 15 and in Korea, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. M Musical Art will showcase top K-pop stars such as 2 PM’s Jun. K and ZE:A’s Park Hyung-sik.The Korean adaptation was first performed in 2009. The musical was originally created in the Czech Republic and is based on the novel by Alexander Dumas. 

Feb 13, 2014By Kim Ji-soo

Kim Ji-soo

Read more

Check out where they kissed

N. America out of reach for hallyu

Kim Soo-hyun evokes explosive response in China

Oakwood Premier Incheon appoints GM

Ecuadorian cuisine rooted in Earth

Heroines of hallyu come to fore

Oakwood Premier Incheon to open in July

Singer Rain to promote new album in Beijing March 28

Will China become bigger for hallyu?

'Three Musketeers' goes to Tokyo, Seoul

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