The Korea Times

Leessang wraps up Asia showcase

Popular hip-hop duo Leesang wrapped up their first Asia showcase with unexpected success. According to their agency Leessang Company, the duo ― Gary and Gill ― met fans from four Asian countries through the “2013-2014 Leessang 1st Asia Showcase.” The tour, started out in Singapore on Nov. 30 last year, went through Taiwan and Hong Kong and wrapped things up in Malaysia on Jan. 11. “The showcase was made at the request of overseas fans, wanting to know more about the duo other than their appearances in popular variety shows,” said a manager of the agency.Gary, 35, has earned popularity across Asia through SBS’s “Running Man,” while Gill has also been known for starring in MBC’s “Infinite Challenge.” “This is large for a hip-pop act. Also meaningful is that it is not from typical K-pop idols but from musicians of a different genre,” said his agency. Some 3,000 fans crowded each of the performances. CJ E&M, organizer of the event, said they were surprised to see fans singing along with the act, adding

Jan 26, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

K-pop system incubates foreign stars

Indonesian boy group S4 was trained under the K-pop grooming system for a year at the Rainbowbridge Agency prior to its debut. The group has beennominated for four World Music Awards. / Courtesy of Rainbowbridge AgencyIndonesian boy band S4 captures Korean looks, feelBy Park Jin-haiIndonesian boy band S4 ― comprised of “sexy” Firly, “sweet” Jeje, “sentimental” Arthur and “smart” Alif ― evokes images of Korean pop-stars.Their outfits, hairstyles and hand gestures, as well as the symmetric and spacious background settings in their music video are similar to those of 2PM. Their song resembles the hook-heavy dance songs of Korean acts.The fact is that the four-member group, winners of the Korea-Indonesia audition project “Galaxy SuperStar Season I,” received yearlong training in Korea before their debut in October 2012.Their title song, “She Is My Girl,” was composed by K-pop song hit-maker Kim Do-hoon, who composed songs for Korean idols like 2AM, G.NA and Davichi.Hyun-a, Korean female singer famous for he

Jan 26, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

G-Dragon tops MTV Iggy 2013 with “Crooked”

G-Dragon of Big Bang performs at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards inthis November 2013 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Jin-haiBig Bang member G-Dragon’s “Crooked” was selected as MTV Iggy’s Song of the Year. In a week-long poll, conducted on its website from Dec. 13 through Dec. 20, 2013, music fans across the world picked “Crooked” as the number 1 song for 2013, receiving the 47.7 percent of the vote.Bunji Garlin‘s “Differentology” was a close second with 47.68 percent.Other competitors included Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Drake’s “Started from the Bottom,” Lorde’s “Royals” and PSY‘s “Gentleman.” K-pop girl group 2NE1 ― also nominated for the Song of the Year ― saw “Falling in Love” picked as MTV Iggy’s 2013 Song of the Summer. MTV Iggy commented that K-pop spread its global dominance a little more during 2013. The website added, “G-Dragon made a big splash in the world of K-pop and beyond with his solo album Coup D’

Jan 22, 2014By Park Jin-hai

G-Dragon tops MTV Iggy 2013 with “Crooked”

Shows & Dramas

Lee Min-ho invited to China TV festival

By Park Jin-haiLee Min-hoKorean actor Lee Min-ho, 26, will become the first Korean artist to be invited to the Chinese Central Television’s (CCTV) 2013 Spring Festival Gala, reflecting his strong fan base in China.CCTV’s Weibo account released part of the list of the guests invited to the annual event, Sunday, and Lee’s agency Starhaus Entertainment confirmed that he was on it. The Spring Festival Gala is CCTV’s special program celebrating the Chinese New Year, which will be aired live through the national broadcaster on Jan. 30. Watched by some 750 million people, it has become the single most viewed program among Chinese viewers annually. Last year, it broke the Guinness World Record in terms of viewership.Pop diva Celine Dion was featured on the program last year.  The star of “The Heirs” (2013) and “Boys Over Flowers” (2009), will perform a song included in the original sound track of the drama Boys Over Flowers. Last December, Lee won the Best Asian Actor award at the 2013 Baidu Feidian Awards ceremony, the largest award cerem

Jan 20, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Messenger of elegance

Hanbok designer Koo Hye-ja who was designated the Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 89 in needlework by the Cultural Heritage Administration in 2007 / Courtesy of Koo Hye-jaNeedlework master Koo delivers traditional beauty of hanbokPresident Park Geun-hye wears a yellow “hanbok,” or a Korean traditional dress, made by Koo Hye-ja, a needlework master in this June 2013 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Jin-haiWhen President Park Geun-hye visits other countries or greets foreign heads of state, she wears “hanbok” or Korean traditional dress. Her traditional couture is seen as an attempt to show her so-called “hanbok diplomacy” to emphasize the “soft” side of her leadership as well as hospitality.“At a time when tradition gives way to modernity, the head of state wearing hanbok itself means a lot,” said Koo Hye-ja, 71, the designer who made Park's yellow hanbok for the June 2013 summit with China.Also, Kim Young-seok who learned needlework from Koo as an apprentice designed President Park’s inau

Jan 19, 2014By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Migrants help KEB in marketing

Four naturalized immigrants, hired for the retail market development division of the Korea Exchange Bank, have a meeting at their office in Jung-gu, Seoul. From left are Suresh Limbu, Choe Ahrip, Ajima Chaphu, and Liang Zhixi, who came from Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand and China, respectively. / Courtesy of KEBBy Park Jin-haiA lean figure with a friendly smile and greetings. Then he excuses the absence of a member of the special corps of five that he belongs to at the bank.Sitting around a meeting table, they talk about the sales figures with soft but confident voices. They are the first naturalized Korean bankers hired by the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB). They currently work in the retail market development division at the bank’s headquarter office in Jung-gu, Seoul.In an age when the number of expats residing in Korea nears 1.5 million, businesses targeting them are booming. The financial industry is not an exception.Many banks set up special kiosks called “Sunday bank” at the crowded streets of Ansan or Guro-gu and hire interpreters to attend to foreign customer

Aug 2, 2013By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Young Latin leaders learning K-pop

Amaury Hechavarria Nistal, left, vice president of Jose Marti Cultural Center in Cuba, and Antonio Angel Soliz Tapia, third from left, anchor of radio station Batallon Colorados and head of Asian fan club AWy from Bolivia, pose along with other visiting Latin American leaders of SM Entertainment in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, on Friday.By Park Jin-haiYoung leaders from Latin American countries, mostly in their 20’s and 30’s, said that K-pop is huge in their region and its popularity is spinning off interest in other things Korean.“I am impressed by the size of Korean entertainment agency’s global business model and its advanced star-churning system,” said Amaury Hechavarria Nistal, 37, vice president of the Jose Marti Cultural Center in Cuba.He and seven others, including a head of Asian music fan club and government officials from Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Cuba, and Ecuador, toured the SM entertainment on Friday.Over the past decade, K-pop has grown steadily in the minds of Latin American fans, accompanied by the popularity

Jul 29, 2013By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Korean foods clad in local costumes

“Goldfish Waffle” brings Korean street food to Londoners’ dining table. / Courtesy of CJ FoodvilleRed-bean dessert, ginseng go globalSteak bibimbap, launched by CJ’s bibigo, in the United States, caters to the meat-lovingAmerican taste./ Courtesy of CJ FoodvilleKGC’s product combines ginseng and chicken essence / Courtesy of KGCOrion’s Choco Pie with the Chinese name “Horyeowoo” has “in” or benevolence on its package, since it is one of Chinese’s supreme values./ Courtesy of OrionBy Park Jin-haiSpurred by the global popularity of Korean culture, hot dogs sprinkled with “kimchi” toppings are sold on the streets of New York and Londoners have “bung a bbang” or goldfish waffles made Korean-style for dessert.After over a decade of trial and error, the food and confectionary makers finally prove that they can create new markets with smart ideas that intertwine their foods with the culture of target markets.The latest example is the goldfish waffles.  Based

Jul 29, 2013By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

'I want to flip ideas'

Actors of a new reality show “Halbae (Grandfathers) Over Flowers” pose at the launching ceremony at Patio9, Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, in thisJune 28 file photo. From left are actors Lee Suh-jin, Baek Il-sup, Park Geun-hyung, Shin Gu and Lee Sun-jae. / Korea TimesStar producer speaks of variety show on old gentsProducer Nah Yung-sukBy Park Jin-haiProducers making variety shows in the past have eyed overseas content markets to benchmark or to import.“Korea’s Got Talent” originated from “Britain’s Got Talent,” while “Project Runway Korea” and “Master Chef Korea” are foreign iimports.Now the tables have turned. Following the singing competition program “I Am a Singer” and “Hidden Singer,” Korea has been exporting entertainment program formats to China including the “Running Man” and “2 Days and 1 Night.” Foreign buyers mainly from Asian countries hail the format and the content as fresh and new.A reality program “Halbae(Grandfathers) Over Flowers”

Jul 23, 2013By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Teenage Chinese students learn more about Dokdo

Some 10 middle and high school students from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, in China, listen to the museum guide at the Dokdo Museum in Seodaemun, Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea TimesBy Park Jin-haiA group of Chinese middle and high school students were excited to tour a museum for Dokdo in Seoul, Tuesday.“Even though I knew of the name Dokdo, I hardly knew anything about it until I visited here,” said Qu Yuan, a 14-year-old middle school student from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.He was among the 10 middle and high-school students that the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) invited to Korea and visited the Dokdo Museum in Seodaemun, Seoul Tuesday.“I already knew about Dokdo from TV and newspapers. Korea is not far from China. I am interested in everything about Korea,” said Wang zekua, 13, a fellow student who is on his first visit to Korea.The cultural exchange program, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Zhenjiang Municipal Education Bureau, brought the sixth batch Monday.The NAHF has been organizing the annual event since 2008, to give

Jul 16, 2013By Park Jin-hai

Park Jin-hai

Read more

Leessang wraps up Asia showcase

K-pop system incubates foreign stars

G-Dragon tops MTV Iggy 2013 with “Crooked”

Lee Min-ho invited to China TV festival

Messenger of elegance

Migrants help KEB in marketing

Young Latin leaders learning K-pop

Korean foods clad in local costumes

'I want to flip ideas'

Teenage Chinese students learn more about Dokdo

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