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Kim Rahn

Korea Times Managing Editor Reporter

Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.

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K-pop

BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records

K-pop girl band BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment By Kim RahnK-pop girl group BLACKPINK has added six more titles to Guinness World Records, its agency, YG Entertainment, said, Friday. The band was named the first K-pop female group to reach No. 1 on the albums charts in the U.S. and the U.K., respectively, with its second full-length album, “Born Pink,” released last September. Lisa of BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment The group also earned recognition for receiving the inaugural Best Metaverse Performance award at MTV's 2022 Video Music Awards (VMAs) in August, for its in-game concert, “BLACKPINK the Virtual,” on PUBG Mobile.Group member Lisa bagged three more Guinness records as a solo artist: first K-pop solo winner at MTV's VMAs and the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs), respectively, as well as the K-pop artist with the largest numbe

Jan 27, 2023By Kim Rahn
BLACKPINK sets 6 more Guinness records
Opinion

'Slam Dunk' scores big on nostalgia

Signboards at a movie theater in Seoul display the animated film “The First Slam Dunk,” Jan. 15. YonhapBy Kim RahnEvery class had one Kang Baek-ho, one Seo Tae-woong, one Jeong Dae-man, and so on. When playing basketball, boys used to say lines like “Commoner's shoot!” “The left hand is just for holding the ball” or “Whoever controls the rebound controls the game.”Girls were no different; there were always Chae So-yeon and fangirls cheering for good-looking, athletic boys.Those who spent their teens in the 1990s in Korea will immediately learn what these mean ― the impact given by the legendary sports comic series “Slam Dunk” created by Takehiko Inoue.The Japanese series, which ran from 1990 to 1996 in Japan, is recognized as a historic manga publication that set the structure of sports-genre comics and influenced all sports comics thereafter.Its popularity spread around the whole world and Korea, where Japanese pop culture like J-pop, films and TV series were not officially allowed until October 1998, was no exception. Anim

Jan 25, 2023By Kim Rahn
'Slam Dunk' scores big on nostalgia
Films

'Avatar 2' tops 10 million viewers

Signs show screening times for “Avatar: The Way of Water” in a theater in central Seoul, Jan. 15. The sci-fi film drew over 10 million viewers in Korea as of Tuesday. YonhapBy Kim Rahn“Avatar: The Way of Water” has drawn more than 10 million viewers in Korea as of Tuesday, 42 days after its opening, according to the Korea Film Council and Walt Disney Company Korea. It is the first foreign film to surpass the 10-million mark since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Among Korean films, “The Roundup” sold some 12.69 million tickets in 2022It reached the 5-million mark in 12 days, at a faster pace than the 2009 original, “Avatar,” which amassed 5 million filmgoers in 15 days, but attained the 10-million mark later than the original, at 42 days compared to 38 days.With the original and the sequel, James Cameron has become the first foreign director to draw over 10 million moviegoers each for two of his hit films here.“I was really touched by everyone's support and love,” Cameron said in a video posted on 20th Century Studios Korea's

Jan 24, 2023By Kim Rahn
'Avatar 2' tops 10 million viewers
People & Events

Birthday party for 'Captain Rock' set for February in Hongdae

A poster for the 2023 Kyungrockjeol Mapo Renaissance, an annual festival in the Hongdae area of Seoul that started as a birthday party for punk band Crying Nut's bassist Han Kyung-rock / Screenshot from CaptainRock Company's InstagramIndie band Crying Nut's bassist hopes to bring renaissance to Hongdae's music sceneBy Kim RahnAn annual festival marking the birthday of one of Korea's leading indie musicians will be held in February, with a wide range of offline concerts and events planned around the Hongik University area, known as Hongdae, after three years of scaled-down editions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Han Kyung-rock, a member of the legendary 1995-formed punk rock band Crying Nut, will hold the 2023 Kyungrockjeol Mapo Renaissance at various venues around Hongdae and other places in Seoul's Mapo District from Feb. 8 to 12.Kyungrockjeol, literally meaning Kyung-rock Day, started as a small birthday party for Han, at a fried chicken restaurant on Feb. 11, 2005, after Han, nicknamed “Captain Rock,” returned from his mandatory military service. As most of the party pa

Jan 22, 2023By Kim Rahn
Birthday party for 'Captain Rock' set for February in Hongdae
North Korea

North Korea suspected of plagiarizing South Korean girl group's song

A video clip compares South Korean girl group GFRIEND's song “Fingertip,” left, and a North Korean singer's song titled “Envy Us,” which is suspected of having plagiarized the former. Screenshot from YouTubeBy Kim RahnNorth Korean musicians are suspected of having plagiarized a 2017 song by South Korean girl group GFRIEND, according to a North Korea expert here.Kang Dong-wan, a political science professor at Dong-A University, posted a video on his YouTube channel, Jan. 9, showing North Korean singer Jeong Hong-ran singing an arranged version of “Envy Us” (direct translation) during a New Year's Eve celebration event.Then an internet user left a comment that the song was similar to now-disbanded K-pop girl act GFRIEND's song “Fingertip” released in 2017.Kang then uploaded two more videos, Jan. 14 and 16, comparing the two songs after consulting music experts, and said the North Korean one seems to have copied a large part of the South Korean one.“I asked music experts to compare them and found they had the same pitch names,”

Jan 18, 2023By Kim Rahn
North Korea suspected of plagiarizing South Korean girl group's song
People & Events

Palaces, royal tombs to offer free admission, cultural events for Lunar New Year

People visit Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul in this Feb. 13, 2022 photo. Four palaces in the capital including Gyeongbok will provide free admission during the Seollal holiday from Saturday to Tuesday. Korea Times fileBy Kim RahnVarious cultural events are planned for the Lunar New Year holiday at Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul and other locations across the country, to offer glimpses into the country's traditions.During the long weekend from Saturday to Tuesday, admission will be free at four major Joseon palaces ― Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong and Deoksu palaces ― as well as Jongmyo Shrine and royal tombs of the dynasty in Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi Province, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, Tuesday.Jongmyo, which usually requires visitors to make a reservation, will be open to those without reservations during the period. A picture of rabbits, which visitors to Gyeongbok Palace can receive during the Lunar New Year holiday / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage AdministrationWhile the usual changing of the guard ceremony

Jan 17, 2023By Kim Rahn
Palaces, royal tombs to offer free admission, cultural events for Lunar New Year
K-pop

K-pop star Ravi under probe for involvement in draft dodging scandal

Ravi, member of K-pop boy group VIXX / Courtesy of GROOVL1N By Kim RahnRavi of K-pop boy band VIXX is under the prosecution's investigation for seeking a military broker's help to manipulate his health records to be able to avoid active duty. According to local media reports, Friday, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office examined phone conversations and messages the broker, surnamed Ku, exchanged with his “clients” to give them “consultations” about the illegalities, and Ravi was one of them.Ku was indicted and arrested in December for receiving tens of millions of won from each of his clients after helping them get manipulated health records with false diagnoses of epilepsy. The Dong-a Ilbo reported the prosecution found Ravi's health documents in Ku's cell phone.While all able-bodied men in Korea have to serve in the military, they are graded according to their physical and mental health conditions. Those in grades 1 to 3 are put on active duty for 18 mo

Jan 13, 2023By Kim Rahn
K-pop star Ravi under probe for involvement in draft dodging scandal
People & Events

CICI recognizes changes in global awareness of Korea

Dignitaries of the 2023 Korea Image Awards by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) pose before the award ceremony at InterContinental Seoul COEX, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of CICIKorea Image Awards given to actor Lee Jung-jae, figure skater Kim Yuna, swimmer Hwang Sun-wooBy Kim RahnParticipants at the 2023 Korea Image Awards, bestowed by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) to people who help promote the nation's image abroad, unanimously said global awareness of Korea has significantly changed ― in a positive way ― over the last 20 years.The CICI held the award ceremony, Wednesday, at InterContinental Seoul COEX, southern Seoul, also in celebration of the culture promotion advocacy group's 20th anniversary.Lee Jung-jae, the lead actor of Netflix global hit series “Squid Game,” who won the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award, said this award is meaningful because it reflects how Korean dramas, including “Squid Game,” are being loved by viewers all around the world.The first Korean to win an Emmy with the Netflix series, Lee also made

Jan 12, 2023By Kim Rahn
CICI recognizes changes in global awareness of Korea
K-pop

NewJeans under attack from Chinese online users for promoting traditional Korean paper 'hanji'

K-pop girl group NewJeans members talk about “hanji” in a video promoting the traditional Korean paper. Captured from Korea Craft & Design Foundation's YouTubeBy Kim RahnK-pop rookie girl group NewJeans has faced malicious comments from Chinese online users after promoting Korea's traditional paper “hanji” and its papermaking technique. Chinese users claim “cultural appropriation” by saying Korea is trying to “steal” its traditional culture because China invented paper, while Korean users counter the claim by saying the group did not claim paper originated in Korea but simply talked about Korea's own papermaking tradition.The girl group appeared in the hanji promotion video that was organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and posted on the foundation's YouTube channel on Friday.In the 13-minute video, the five members, clad in traditional Korean dress or “hanbok,” talked about the distinct features of hanji, which is made with the inner bark of th

Jan 9, 2023By Kim Rahn
NewJeans under attack from Chinese online users for promoting traditional Korean paper 'hanji'
  • NewJeans' 'OMG' sells 700,000 copies in debut week
Trends

Oldest Hangeul letter to be granted 2nd-highest cultural heritage status

A letter written by Joseon-era military officer Na Sin-geol (1461-1524), which is believed to be the oldest letter written in the Hangeul alphabet / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration By Kim RahnAn over-500-year-old letter written in Hangeul will be designated as a treasure as it shows the use of the Korean alphabet in the late 15th century, only decades after its development, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Friday.The administration announced its plan to designate the “Hangeul letter by Na Sin-geol,” which is believed to be the oldest letter written in Hangeul, as an official treasure, meaning that it will be considered as a tangible cultural heritage of important value and will be given the second-highest level of heritage status following national treasure, which is the highest level.The two-page letter was sent by Na (1461-1524), a military officer of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), to his wife Shin Chang-maeng. He is presumed

Dec 30, 2022By Kim Rahn
Oldest Hangeul letter to be granted 2nd-highest cultural heritage status
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