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Park Jin-hai

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.

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Shows & Dramas

'Underdogs' work on Girls' new album

A scene from “Mr.Mr” teaser videoBy Park Jin-haiThe Girls’ Generation is back. The nine members will break their one-year hiatus with a new mini-album titled “Mr., Mr.”  The upcoming album has drawn much of attention from the music circles and fans, since the SM Entertainment announced Wednesday that the famous American music production duo “The Underdogs” participated in the album making. The R&B/pop production has done work with such celebrity pop icons as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Britney Spears. Tuesday, the group released the 40-second teaser video, where members are seen in glitzy dresses while wearing oxygen masks in a hospital setting. Their electronic and hip-hop mixed music had the repetitive “Mista mista” hook.The group’s popularity is still high even after the news of its two members ― Yoona and Sooyoung were each dating actors Lee Seung-gi and Jung Kyun-ho. Billboard’s K-town article commented that anticipation is high to see what the group can accomplish after an exciting y

Feb 12, 2014By Park Jin-hai
'Underdogs' work on Girls' new album
Shows & Dramas

Kim Woo-bin to launch Asian fan tour

Actor Kim Woo-binActor Kim Woo-bin will meet fans through series of fan meetings around Asian countries.Starting from Hong Kong on Feb. 16, his first overseas fan meetings will take place in Taiwan, China and Thailand. “We’ve had calls from overseas fans to hold fan meetings, since Kim was starring in the drama ‘School 2013.’ Due to the success of following drama ‘The Heirs’ and movie ‘Friend 2,’ his Asian fan meetings could be made possible,” said his agency SidusHQ.In January, Kim held an event to inaugurate his fan club in Seoul, meeting some 3,000 fans that day.

Feb 12, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Kim Woo-bin to launch Asian fan tour
Shows & Dramas

K-bands ready to rock the world

Electronic rock band The Ratios perform at the end of the “K-Pop Night Out,” held during Europe’s music industry trade forum MIDEM in Cannes, France, in this Feb. 2 file photo. / YonhapK-rock pitches its global promotionBy Park Jin-haiAt the recently ended “K-Pop Night Out,” held during the Europe’s largest music market Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale (MIDEM) in Cannes, France, what graced the ending stage was also the electro rock sound of The Ratios.Its vocalist Kim Ba-da, former lead vocalist of legendary rock band Sinawe, heated up the scene with electro-rock bangers, heightened by soaring vocals, electro sequences and thrashing beats.Overshadowed by K-pop for so long, K-rock now starts to show that it can also contribute to the Korean wave, as more and more music fans and producers find it a fresh alternative to the same-old idol packed K-pop acts.This year’s lineup for the northern America’s largest music showcase South by Southwest (SXSW), the most noticeable was the advance of local rock

Feb 9, 2014By Park Jin-hai
K-bands ready to rock the world
Shows & Dramas

Gaon Chart to hold K-Pop Awards 2013

Prestigious local music chart Gaon will hold the K-Pop Awards Wednesday at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium in Seoul. Launched in 2010, Gaon was the first nationally certified music chart, supported by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This year’s ceremony will feature top girl groups 2NE1, Sistar, Girl’s Day, 4 Minute, Miss A, A pink and Crayon Pop, along with K-pop male idols like EXO and B.A.P, and hip-hop artists Dynamic Duo and San E.   The ceremony, co-sponsored by the Star News and Gaon Chart, will feature the giving of awards to the most beloved artists of the year and music staffs, based on the compiled data of digital music and album sales. During last year’s ceremony, the K-pop idols in attendance included Big Bang, Super Junior, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation’s subgroup TaeTiSeo (Taeyeon , Tiffany , Seohyun ), 2NE1 and Wonder Girls.

Feb 9, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Shows & Dramas

5.4 Club seeking tourism linking tourism, culture

Choi Jung-wha, center, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), and Park Moo-jong, third from left, president and publisherof The Korea Times, pose with members of the 5.4 Club at the restaurant Congdu in central Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of CICIBy Park Jin-haiMembers of the 5.4 Club, a cultural tourism promotion organization, agreed at a meeting Thursday that the way to promote tourism in Seoul is to bridge tradition and modernity.  “It has been almost one year since we launched our club. Looking back, we have done many things to present more to see and experience for foreign visitors. But, there is more work to be done,” said Didier Beltoise, CEO of Cs, a consulting firm. He and his wife Choi Jung-wha, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), co-founded the non-profit club in March 2013.     The 5.4 Club was launched by CICI last year under the motto “Feeling Korea through Five Senses and Four Themes.” Choi shared the ideas with its members about the club, including the recent Korea Imag

Feb 7, 2014By Park Jin-hai
5.4 Club seeking tourism linking tourism, culture
Shows & Dramas

Ladies' Code to release new single

The five-member girl group Ladies’ Code will release  a new single titled “So Wonderful” on Feb. 13. The new song is the composed and written by JYP’s Super Changddai. Like the group’s previous songs, the new song has lyrics that catch one’s ears so easily.  The band, after its debut last year, had gained popularity with “Pretty Pretty” the title track of its second mini album. In January, the group was listed as one of “top 5 K-pop Artists to watch in 2014,” together with JYP’s GOT7 and YG’s  Winner.    

Feb 5, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Shows & Dramas

'Korean models are strong, confident'

Participants in the ninth “Asia Model Festival Awards” are seen on stage at the opening show of French designer Castel Bajac, at the Olympic Hall inJamsil, southern Seoul on Jan. 17. / Courtesy of KMAModel-in-chief promotes globalizationYang Eui-sig, Chairman of Korea Model AssociationBy Park Jin-haiNo one knows better about the ins and outs of the local model industry than Yang Eui-sig who chairs the Korea Model Association (KMA), one of the largest grouping of models with its 7,000 members.“Now is the right time for more Korean models to stand on foreign catwalks, becoming another locomotive of the Korean wave,” said Yang, 47, a former model who has been in the industry for more than 20 years.“Korean models are regarded as trendy and having a posture and expression that stands out from those of other Asian models,” he said. “On the back of the Korean wave as well as the fast growth of Asian fashion industry, fashion people are starting to look at Korea differently.”Eleven young KMA models recently signed five-year contracts

Feb 5, 2014By Park Jin-hai
'Korean models are strong, confident'
Shows & Dramas

Im Tae-kyung to release album in Japan

Musical actor Im Tae-kyungBy Park Jin-haiMusical actor and crossover tenor Im Tae-kyung will release a new album titled “All This Time” concurrently in Korea and Japan on Feb. 5.The album will include various songs from musicals that Im has been starred in, as well as a soundtrack from a famous movie, his agency Theatro said.The songs are “All This Time” from the musical “The Count of Monte Cristo;” “From the Beginning Until Now” from the musical adaption of famous drama “Winter Sonata;” the theme song from the musical “Werther” as well as “Love Theme” from the movie “Cinema Paradiso.” A new song from star composer Frank Wildhorn will also be included on the album. Im’s agency said that Watanabe Music Publishing, a Japanese music label, which recognized Im’s Tokyo performance at the K-Musical Stars Concert in April 2013, will make the album available to Japanese fans. 

Feb 2, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Im Tae-kyung to release album in Japan
Shows & Dramas

Startups taking steps toward creative tourism

Tourists ride the Artee pedicab as they tour around Changdeok Palace, Jongno-gu, central Seoul. The pedicab business won the grand prize at the 2013 competition for “creative tourism business model” run bythe Korea Tourism Organization. / Courtesy of ArteeBy Park Jin-haiAlong the Bukchon Hanok Village, where traditional Korean houses and small alleys dating back to the Joseon Kingdom(1392-1910) stand, runs a blue pedicab. "This area is called Bukchon. It was the center of old Seoul. New Seoul is much bigger," says the driver, Lee In-jae, 28, founder of Ride Artee. Tourists on the ride by his guide slowly go around the beautiful neighborhood, including some hidden tourist spots like Bokjeong Well which supplied water only to royal palaces in the past.  Artee pedicab is a venture firm that was honored to receive the top prize at the 3rd competition for the “creative tourism business model,” run by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in May 2013.Ride Artee offers two routes in central Seoul. The History Course takes passengers around historical attractions

Jan 28, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Startups taking steps toward creative tourism
Shows & Dramas

International co-production frequent in musicals

By Park Jin-haiThis is a scene from “Feast for the Princess,” a musical produced by CJ E&M in cooperation with China's United Asia Live Entertainment./ Courtesy of CJ E&MThe saturation of the domestic musical market is prompting local entertainment firms to seek co-productions in China and Japan.Highlighting the attractiveness of these two markets is the saturated local musical industry in recent years.Dream International signed a contract with a Chinese production company to produce the musical “Mulan.” The musical, which was an animated film by Disney in 1998, will feature the heroic life story of fictional Chinese character Fa Mulan. There are already several movies and dramas based on the story within China.“It will depict a tragic love story as well as comradeship during war time,” said Lee Yong-do, producer of the musical.Starting with a showcase scheduled for June during the Daegu Musical Festival, the musical will be staged from January to mid February in Seoul in 2015, before touring several Chinese cities.Another pr

Jan 27, 2014By Park Jin-hai
International co-production frequent in musicals
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