The Korea Times

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Park Jin-haiNoh Hee-kyung / Korea Times file photoVeteran drama writer Noh Hee-kyung became the winner of the Gender Equality Award for people in the field of culture who have contributed to gender equality. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Wednesday the 52-year-old writer, renowned for her realistic and in-depth portrayals of the lives of ordinary people, as the laureate of this year's Gender Equality Award. “Noh has successfully shown various aspects of society through media by realistically portraying stories of the disadvantaged, the minority and the socially weak,” said the judging committee. “She has greatly contributed to raising awareness of such social issues.”The popular writer, who debuted with “Mom's Gardenias” (1996), telling a realistic story about a terminally ill mother and her daughter, has been writing socially conscious stories in her career as a drama series writer spanning over two decades. With her four-part drama “The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World” (1996), Noh told the story of a dyin

Oct 10, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Trends

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Beauty YouTuber Bae Li-na / Captured from her YouTube channelBy Park Jin-haiBae Li-na, 22, a “beauty YouTuber,” says “It is okay not to be pretty.” In her video clip, “I'm not pretty,” uploaded to support the “free corset movement,” Bae puts on makeup and is ridiculed by harassing comments because her face is “away from the beauty standards this society has.” Then she wipes off all her makeup and says “don't exploit yourself because of who others think you are. You are special as the person you are,” with a big smile on her face.Amid the free corset campaign that defies standards of female beauty demanded by society such as long hair and makeup, beauty YouTubers who have been spreading beauty tips online have also joined the movement. Bae's clip posted in June received strong backing from women, garnering nearly 5 million views. Bae, a makeup artist, started to post makeup videos. But after she happened to read the stories of women taking part in the free-corset movement, she realized how many women are suffering

Oct 9, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Law & Crime

Arrest warrant sought for Shinhan head

By Park Jin-haiProsecutors sought an arrest warrant for Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung, Monday, for his involvement in hiring irregularities at the group's banking unit. Cho, along with other former high ranking executives at Shinhan Bank, is suspected of having hired unqualified applicants, who were the children of high ranking company officials, between March 2015 and March 2017 when he was the head of the bank, according to the prosecution.Two former officials have already been arrested on charges of providing favors in recruitment to such job applicants, who also included children of former ranking government officials. Prosecutors believe nearly 90 people landed jobs at the bank through the irregularities practiced by the two officials.They summoned Cho twice earlier this month for questioning over the allegations to find out how deeply he was involved. The Seoul Eastern District Court will decide whether to issue the warrant for Cho soon.The investigation began after the Financial Supervisory Service conducted an inspection into the suspicion and found 22 case

Oct 8, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Arts & Theater

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Shim Hyung-rae, comedian-turned-director, carries the torch as the last torchbearer to kick off the 6th Busan Interntional Comedy Festival in this Aug. 24 file photo. / Courtesy of Hankook Sports EconomyBy Park Jin-hai Comedian-turned-director Shim Hyung-rae, well-known for his Dumb and Dumber-like slapstick in the 1980s, will return with his oldies-but-goodies classic comedy show for adults. The 60-year-old comedian, who earned fame with his slapstick character “Young-gu” in the KBS popular comedy show “No.1 Humor Street” segment, will recreate his character in the live adult-only comedy show. “Adult-only Variety Shim Hyung-rae Show,” which will kick off a nationwide tour on Nov. 3, originates from “Shim Hyung-rae Traveling Troupe” he has been doing since February. “When I was invited to a festival at a small town in South Chungcheong Province, I put on stage a comedy show reviving one of my favorite segments. Audiences still remembered me and gave a strong response to my shows, although I've been away from live comedy for a long

Oct 8, 2018By Park Jin-hai

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Films

Comedy tells what cell-phone party games can bring

A scene from film “Intimate Strangers” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Park Jin-haiA-listers have been gathered to star in the dramedy “Intimate Strangers,” which will hit local theaters at the end of the month. Veteran actors including Yoo Hae-jin, a top character actor reputed as a comic scene stealer in many films; Cho Jin-woong of “Assassination,” “The Handmaiden” and “The Spy Gone North”; and actor and variety show host Lee Seo-jin, known for the television shows “Grandpas Over Flowers” and “Youn's Kitchen,” have been cast in the much anticipated movie telling the story of close-friend couples who end up playing a cell-phone game at a housewarming dinner party where they must reveal all incoming messages and calls to each other. “When I first read the scenario, I wondered if it could be possible to play such a game with married couples. But the interesting relations intertwined with each other made me join the project,” said Yoo during a press conference at a Lotte Cinema in Seoul

Oct 5, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Comedy tells what cell-phone party games can bring

Shows & Dramas

Kim Hee-sun plays double roles in soul-changing thriller

From left are actor Kim Young-kwang, actresses Kim Hae-sook and Kim Hee-sun, cast for tvN's upcoming fantasy thriller “Room No.9” during a press event in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Park Jin-haiKim Hee-sun, heroine of the 2017 mystery thriller “The Lady in Dignity,” returns to the small screen this year in the fantasy thriller “Room No.9.” In the 16-part weekend drama, the 41-year-old actress will take the role of the young and beautiful but manipulative lawyer Eulji Hae-yi, whose soul gets switched with death-row convict Jang Hwa-sa, played by veteran actress Kim Hae-sook, in room No.9, an inmate-lawyer meeting room. Although the soul-switching story is not very innovative in Korean dramas, tapped mostly in romantic comedies and depicted humorously, “Room No.9” uses it as a device to intensify the plot. “The switching souls story is not entirely new. But when it was used elsewhere, it often led to humor. In this drama, soul-changing will be used differently, driving the characters into a more dire situation,” the

Oct 3, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Kim Hee-sun plays double roles in soul-changing thriller

Shows & Dramas

'Mr. Sunshine' gives new life to independence fighters

This photo taken by British war correspondent Frederick Arthur McKenzie in 1907 shows the members of the Righteous Army in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo from Frederick McKenzie's “Korea's Fight for Freedom”By Park Jin-haiThe 24-part blockbuster drama “Mr. Sunshine” finished its journey Sunday, rekindling viewers' attention to the forgotten freedom fighters who had sacrificed their lives for the independence of Korea on the verge of Japan's annexation.The popular TV series has left burning flames in viewers' hearts. In the last episode, ordinary people _ bakers, street vendors, pawn shop owners and many more young and old _ joined the freedom fighters called the “Righteous Army” to stand up to the repression of the Japanese military. Hiding in the mountains, the Righteous Army soldiers who have been struggling with jammed old rifles and running out of bullets tell a foreign correspondent interviewing them, “We know that all of us are bound to die if we continue this fight. But, we'd absolutely hate to live as Japanese slaves. We'd muc

Oct 1, 2018By Park Jin-hai

'Mr. Sunshine' gives new life to independence fighters

Shows & Dramas

So Ji-sub returns as babysitting undercover agent

Actor So Ji-sub, right, and other cast members of MBC's new romantic comedy “My Secret Terrius” pose during a press conference at the broadcaster's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of MBCBy Park Jin-haiVeteran actor So Ji-sub has returned to the small screen after a two-and-a half-year hiatus with MBC's new romantic comedy series “My Secret Terrius.”The series, which combines elements of thriller and comedy, kicked off to a good start garnering a viewership rating of six percent to seven percent for its special four-episode, two-hour pilot aired Thursday. The 40-year-old actor So takes on the role of legendary National Intelligence Service (NIS) black ops agent Kim Bon, known as “Terrius.” Kim lives a reclusive life after a mishap three years ago that caused the death of his lover and his colleagues chasing him after being falsely suspected of being a double spy. He finds that the same killer who he has been after, was involved with the death of a neighbor, a father of six-year-old twins, and so he volunteers to work as babysitter i

Sep 30, 2018By Park Jin-hai

So Ji-sub returns as babysitting undercover agent

K-pop

BTS delivers heartening speech at UN

In this photo released by the United Nations, K-Pop band BTS speaks during a meeting focused on youth issues at the United Nations in New York, Monday. K-Pop sensation BTS brought their star power to the United Nations on, telling the world's youth to listen to their inner voice and resist pressure to conform. AFP-YonhapBy Park Jin-haiK-pop superstar BTS took to the UN stage to deliver a speech during the UN General Assembly in New York. Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM, the band leader, in his seven-minute speech as a youth representative, urged young people to “speak for yourself” at the launch of UNICEF's “Generation Unlimited” campaign aiming to empower and support young people across the world in fulfilling their potential.News media and music critics around the world reported another history-making moment for the seven-member K-pop band, which has been regarded as already having surpassed the K-pop genre tag on the global music landscape. “I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars. I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself

Sep 26, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Korean Heritage

Traditional performances selected by UNESCO to be staged in Oct

Samulnori performers and street dancers showcase their collaborative work for the upcoming performance “All for One, One for All” at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. / Courtesy of KOTPABy Park Jin-haiStarting with Samulnori, Korea's intangible cultural properties selected by UNESCO will be performed in Seoul. Marking the 40th anniversary of Samulnori, a Korean traditional percussion music genre, Korean traditional musicians will hold a large scale collaborative performance with street dancers. In the performance titled “All for One, One for All,” under the direction of master drummer Kim Duk-soo, who created the genre in 1978, originating from Korean folk music pungmul, samulnori performers will join hiphop musicians and street dancers in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Sept. 30. “Samulnori, born 40 years ago, has evolved over the years and now it has become one of the most popular traditional music genres. Global music fans give fervent reaction to the BTS song that has a hypnotic refrain that came from samulnori,” said

Sep 21, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Park Jin-hai

Read more

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Arrest warrant sought for Shinhan head

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Comedy tells what cell-phone party games can bring

Kim Hee-sun plays double roles in soul-changing thriller

'Mr. Sunshine' gives new life to independence fighters

So Ji-sub returns as babysitting undercover agent

BTS delivers heartening speech at UN

Traditional performances selected by UNESCO to be staged in Oct

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