The Korea Times

NAHF to launch early history research team

Kim Hak-joon, president ofNortheast Asian HistoryFoundationBy Park Jin-haiThe Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) will launch a special research team to study ancient Korean history. Kim Hak-joon, president of NAHF, held a press conference Monday, marking the second half of his three-year tenure, and announced that the state think tank will increase the number of its research staff and focus more on the currently underdeveloped study area.“We will organize a grand forum in May to discuss Korea’s early history with scholars having different views on it. Afterwards, we plan to institutionalize it,” he said. “To correct the colonial view of history, we tapped intellectual Shin Chae-ho’s pre-ancient history viewpoint.” Shin, under Japanese colonial rule, attempted to preserve Korea’s identity by setting up societies to research and promote Korean history, as well as the Korean language.The organization will dispatch researchers to sites in northeastern China to excavate relics of Korea’s pre-ancient era, as well. The NAHF’s Engl

Mar 18, 2014By Park Jin-hai

NAHF to launch early history research team

Shows & Dramas

More 'oldies' of K-pop to come back

By Park Jin-haiLast year was a remarkable year for music fans of oldies but goldies.In April, veteran singer-song writer Cho Yong-pil, 63, released his 19th album “Hello,” his first in a decade. Upon its release the single “Bounce” topped major music download charts, eclipsing Psy’s “Gentleman.”At the Korea Music Awards this February, “Bounce” was named Song of the Year and “Hello,” Record of the Year, beating out competitors such as idol group EXO.Prompted by his phenomenal resurgence, more of former stars are planning comebacks this year to a domestic music scene dominated by K-pop. They include Lee Seung-hwan, Seo Tai-ji and g.o.d., a few of whom are working with foreign musicians as did Cho on “Hello.” Lee Seung-hwan, dubbed the “King of Live,” is returning to the local music scene with his 11thalbum this year.Lee Seung-hwanLee Seung-hwan, 48, dubbed the “King of Live,” is one of the first to return to the local music scene. He is known to be putting the finishing

Mar 17, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Big Star debuts in Japan

Five-member boy band Big Star, the protégés of famous composer Brave Brothers, made their debut in Japan at a concert titled “Big Star Live Event In Japan” in Tokyo's Yakult Hall on Sunday, as part of a three-month tour of Japan. The band composed of ― FeelDog, BaRam, RaeWhan, SungHak, and Jude ― are scheduled to stay there over the next three months during which time they will give some 100 performances and meet fans across the country. “Since last year the members have been studying Japanese and now their language skills have improved to manage a concert,” said their agency Brave Entertainment.During the Tokyo concert, they sang some of their previous hit songs since their 2012 debut including “Hot Boy,” “Standing Alone” and “Thinking of You.”Prior to the concert, they also visited Tokyo Tower Records to meet and interact with people there. Meanwhile, their agency is in talks with major music labels in Japan to sign contracts.  

Mar 16, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

CL to appear in Psy's MV

2NE1’s leader CL2NE1’s leader CL will become the third muse for Psy’s upcoming music video, following 4 Minute’s Hyun-a and Brown Eyed Girls’ Ga-in. As Psy’s comeback gets closer, fans have been eyeing on who will show up in his new music video. The singers who had made previous appearances in “Gangnam Syle” and “Gentleman” videos all have risen to global stardom. According to the sources close to her, CL’s appearance, however, was not planned but done by accident. She showed up at the shooting site for Psy’s M.V. in support of her friend Snoop Dogg who has been participating in Psy’s video along with G Dragon. The Billboard in January reported Psy’s new music video and said “Anticipation is high for the K-pop king's forthcoming visual after earning 2012 and 2013's most watched YouTube video.” Meanwhile, CL has been collaborating with American singer-song writer DJ Skrillex’s new album “Recess” along with G Dragon. 

Mar 13, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

SHINee kicks off 3rd world tour

K-pop idols shine with larger-than-life concert in SeoulBy Park Jin-haiA giant antique clock on a massive LED screen counted down to the start of the show.Against the dark background, the five members of contemporary boy band SHINee showed up one by one, their fans’ shrieks filling the dome-shaped stadium.SHINee’s much-anticipated third world tour, SHINee World III, officially started with  two concerts at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul last weekend. The concerts were the band’s first in Korea in nearly two years.Jonghyun, Minho, Taemin, Onew and Key gave larger-than-life performances throughout the three-hour concert, making the fans’ two-year wait worthwhile.The band’s repertoire Sunday night included hits such as “Juliet,” “Lucifer,” “Ring Ding Dong” and “Dream Girl,” as well as Japanese songs and some new numbers.“We were greatly encouraged while preparing for the concert when we heard that all seats including those with partly blocked views were sold out,” SH

Mar 13, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

UC Berkeley plans to hold K-pop conference

By Park Jin-hai An in-school club at UC Berkeley will hold a two-day convention on the colorful and diverse aspects of the K-pop community. Under the theme “[Be] CHROMATIC,” KPOPCON will be held on March 8 and 9, in and around the university campus in northern California.  “KPOPCON strives to gather fans from all backgrounds to celebrate the continuously evolving K-pop community in a social, creative, and academic setting,” said its organizer K-Popular. “While enjoying the hallyu content provided during the workshops, we hope fans will find their creativity and dreams.”  Since the student club launched the K-pop event in 2012, it has been providing a platform for studying the phenomenon academically as well as organizing dance competitions and fan meet-ups.    The event will be all about K-pop. Participants will participate in workshops interspersed with singing and dancing.  On Saturday, workshops on K-pop’s shifting representation of gender and sexuality, incubation systems, and the collision between

Mar 5, 2014By Park Jin-hai

UC Berkeley plans to hold K-pop conference

Shows & Dramas

Dramas, R&D fuel K-cosmetics

An image capture from the drama “My Love from the Stars” shows actress Jun Ji-hyun using cosmetic products, stocks of which have since run instores. /  Courtesy of AmorePacificBy Park Jin-haiFanding Zhou, 24, from Beijing, says the first items that her friends asked her to buy on her visit to Korea were cosmetic products, showing off small boxes of low and medium priced local brands “Missha” and “The Faceshop.”“There is this perception that the quality of Korea moisturizing products exceds that of others, since it has a long dry winter season,” she said. Zhou was among a band of tourists that walked out of Lotte Duty Free Shop’s ‘star zone,’ walled with pictures of local pop actors, in central Seoul, last week. Their hands were full of shopping bags. Thanks to the popularity of Korean dramas, fed virtually freely through various on-line websites and mobiles, fans throughout Asia pay almost instant attention to what the actresses use on the screen. Local cosmetic companies are enjoying the stardust effect. Type in

Mar 4, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Key, Woohyun to peform as duo

Woohyun, left, and Key will perform as a subunit duo named “Toheart.”K-pop group SHINee’s Key and INFINITE’s Woohyun will launch a subunit named “To Heart” and release a mini-album.The album consisting of six tracks will be available on March 10, according to their agencies Tuesday. The album has drawn high expectations from the music circle before its official launch since composers for SHINee and INFINITE have collaborated on the album. “Delicious” is a collaboration work of Sweet Tune, who wrote INFINITE’s songs such as “Man In Love,” and Sean Alexander, who composed SHINee’s “Amigo.”

Mar 4, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Jazz singer with 'thousand voices'

Nah Youn-sun, 44, has been gaining worldwide recognition as bold and daring jazz vocalist  /Courtesy of Na Seung-yullBy Park Jin-haiKoreans rejoiced as Sochi passed on the Olympic flag to PyeongChang, the host of the next Winter Games in 2018.The celebratory mood that night escalated when Korean artists performed their country’s beloved folk song “Arirang,” against the background of mountain ranges and a flock of cranes flying in the night sky.The first part of the song was sung by the fabulous soprano Jo Su-mi. What came next was jazz singer Nah Youn-sun’s performance of “Arirang,” in a way less mainstream but nevertheless heartwarming.In fact, Nah has a long history with the national folk song. Not only did she sing it for the inauguration ceremony of President Park Geun-hye last year, she also included various regional variations in her global-selling hit albums.“I always thought that the Korean language wasn’t made for jazz,” said Nah during the interview with The Korea Times.“But, when my French friends said their

Feb 28, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

New CQ class offers ways of learning Korea by experience

Choi Jung-wha, fourth from left in the first row, president of the Corea Image Communications Institute (CICI) poses with participants of the Korea CQ Forum’s 17th session, including Indonesian Ambassador to Korea John Prasetio, fifth from left in the first row, and his wife, sixth from left, at an opening event held at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul. Standing behind Choi is James Bemowski, fourth from left in the second row, vice chairman of Doosan Corp.By Park Jin-haiThe Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) launched the 17th session of its CQ forum, Tuesday, which will be devoted to learning more about Korea over the next three months. A launch ceremony was held at the Indonesian Embassy in Yeouido with some 70 participating. “CQ” represents culture, concentration, communication, creativity and cooperation. CICI, founded in 2003, has held CQ forums twice a year since 2006 and brings together leaders from all walks of life to share cultural experiences, and to brainstorm innovative ways to promote Korea’s image overseas. “This year, we introduced

Feb 26, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Park Jin-hai

Read more

NAHF to launch early history research team

More 'oldies' of K-pop to come back

Big Star debuts in Japan

CL to appear in Psy's MV

SHINee kicks off 3rd world tour

UC Berkeley plans to hold K-pop conference

Dramas, R&D fuel K-cosmetics

Key, Woohyun to peform as duo

Jazz singer with 'thousand voices'

New CQ class offers ways of learning Korea by experience

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