YG Entertainment's growing influence causes friction G-dragon of BIGBANG / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunYang Hyun-sukKorean entertainment giant YG is showing signs of increasing its influence over wider cultural sectors by acquiring promising companies and scouting leading figures in various fields.The entertainment company’s efforts are already apparent in several entertainment scenes.YG Entertainment, whose main business is music, entered the fashion industry three years ago by acquiring local model management company K-Plus. The model agency changed its name to YGKPLUS in October that year and gained a stronger position in the field with YG’s full support.In the recent fall and winter collection at the 2017 Hera Seoul Fashion Week, YG’s model management directed 23 out of total 46 runways including the top shows, such as “Beyond Closet,” “87MM,” “MUNSOO KWON,” and “CRES.E.DIM.” The agency was directly involved in designing the catwalk and casting models.But YG’s presence has caused friction with some.“There are models with certain images thatApr 12, 2017
VIDEO K-pop star IU to sue YouTuber for slander K-pop singer IU plans to sue a man who has made derogatory and suggestive comments toward the star through YouTube videos, her agency said Wednesday.Fave Entertainment, IU's agency, said in a statement that the YouTube user, referred to as "A" by the company, "habitually made comments slandering and personally attacking IU." The company plans to file a legal complaint against "A" by Friday.The person in question has repeatedly uploaded derogatory and suggestive diatribes against IU, comparing the singer to a pet dog. Amid backlash from IU's fans, the man claimed that he's a diehard IU fan who just happens to enjoy vulgar jokes.A representative at Fave Entertainment said that the company will pursue legal action regardless of his apologetic message and also "react to other Internet users who post vicious comments."In November of last year, 11 Internet users who were sued by IU for defamation were handed fines in a court ruling. (Yonhap)Apr 12, 2017
PHOTOS Zumba flashmob takes over Cheongye-cheon Square Zumba flashmob at Cheongye-cheon Square in central Seoul, Sunday / YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanChoi Yeo-jinA flashmob of about 1,000 zumba dancers took over Cheongye-cheon Square on Sunday morning.In the central Seoul spot, where the Cheonggye Stream strolling path starts eastbound for a few blocks, women and men in tank-tops, leggings and hair bands turned on a regimental fitness display that was almost like a party.Actress Choi Yeo-jin helped inspire“Zumba Flashmob Live,” a mixture of trainees and professionals, from the podium.The “takeover” lasted almost three hours.Apr 9, 2017
Taeyeon to hold solo concerts in May Taeyeon / Korea Times fileBy Eom Da-solThe poster of Taeyeon's second solo concert "Persona." / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentTaeyeon, lead singer of K-Pop girl band Girls’ Generation, will give solo concerts in Seoul in May.Her “Persona” concerts will be at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul on May 12-14, her agency SM Entertainment said Friday.It will be her second solo show, nine months after her first one last July and August.She will perform tracks from her first official solo album “My Voice” released this month, and other popular K-pop hits.Ticket sales will open at 8 p.m. Tuesday on booking website YES24. Discounted tickets for families and people with disabilities will be available from 10:00 a.m. the same day.SM expects high demand for tickets. Her first mini-concert at COEX Artium in SM headquarters in Samseong-dong, Seoul, in 2015 sold out within 10 minutes.SM said Taeyeon would then tour Hong Kong, Taipei, and Bangkok. Schedules and venues have yet been finalized.“Make me love you,” the title track from “My Voice,”Apr 9, 2017
Wedding bells: Hip-hop duo Leessang likely 'done' Leessang's Gary, left, and Gil / Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanHip-hop duo Leessang has taken a deeper dive into the belief it will disband, after one member surprised the other by announcing his marriage Wednesday.Gary said on Instagram that he had pledged to a woman from outside show business, but they had not married officially. The news caught many by surprise, including his offsider Gil, staff from the duo’s agency Leessang Company and members of SBS TV variety show “Running Man,” where he appears regularly.The duo debuted in 2002 and has been an influential force in K-pop, releasing hits like “Clown,” “Rush,” “I’m Not Laughing” and “Can’t Breakup Girl, Can’t Breakaway Boy.”But recent rumors said the two were no longer on friendly terms. While neither responded to the rumors, speculation spread after their last album in July 2015 and last concert later that year. They have not appeared together in public since and launched separate labels in April last year.Leessang Company’s office in SinApr 6, 2017
Teenager releases 'musical album' based on Sewol tragedy By Eom Da-solJisu YunA teenage girl has released a “musical album” on YouTube that commemorates victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy in April 2014.Jisu Yun, 18, wrote and directed the online playlist titled “April 16th (0416)” ― the date of the tragedy ― with the help of six freelance composers from countries including the Philippines and the U.S.“The fact that numerous innocent high school students turned out to be the victims highly shocked me,” Yun told The Korea Times on Apr. 5. “The tragedy haunted me for a while, and later I came up with an idea to inform people more about the incident ― the online musical.”The composers contributed 12 instrumental tracks and Yun two.They depict the accident in storytelling fashion, in chronological order: the elated passengers and worried parents before the trip; the horror when the ferry sank; the anger against those responsible, and the sorrow of survivors and victims’ families.For viewers’ better understanding, the 14-track album includes two videos of news footaApr 6, 2017
인터뷰 세월호 추모 앨범 만든 여고생 윤지수 윤지수/ 본인 제공(서울=코리아타임스) 우지원 인턴기자 = 지난달 25일 유튜브(YouTube)에는 ‘April 16th (0416)’라는 제목의 세월호 추모 앨범이 올라왔다. “자원봉사 음악 프로젝트”라고 취지를 밝힌 이 앨범의 제작에는 미국, 필리핀 등 세계 각국에서 6인의 작곡가들이 참여했다. 총 14곡이 담긴 이 앨범을 만든 제작자의 정체는 다름아닌 경일고등학교 2학년에 재학 중인 윤지수(18)양이다.“시험 기간이라 시간을 많이 내기는 어렵다”는 윤 양은 지난 5일 코리아타임스와 서면으로 진행된 인터뷰에서 제주도에서 중학교에 다니던 중 아침 뉴스를 통해 처음 세월호 사건을 접했다고 전했다. 이날 받은 충격을 잊지 못한 윤 양은 지난해 학교 도서관에서 오준호 작가의 책 ‘세월호를 기록하다’를 읽고 추모 앨범에 대한 아이디어를 처음 떠올렸다.학업과 병행한 탓에 윤 양 혼자서 앨범을 제작하는 데에는 약 1년의 시간이 걸렸다. 그는“프로젝트를 진행하면서 혼자서 모든 것을 계획하고 주도하는 동시에 스토리를 짜는 것이 가장 어려웠다”고 말했다. 그럼에도 윤 양은 전세계 사람들에게 이 참사를 알려야겠다는 마음에 영문으로 프로젝트를 준비해 나가게 되었다고 밝혔다. 윤 양이 만든 앨범은 ‘비극’과 ‘추모’라는 두 가지 테마로 진행되며, 각 곡마다 가상의 인물이 등장해 앨범 하나가 전체적인 이야기를 이룬다. 14개의 곡 중 윤 양이 직접 작곡한 두 곡을 제외한 나머지는 필리핀, 미국 등에서 윤 양의 프로젝트를 보고 연락해 온 해외 작곡가들의 작품이다. 생각 외로 윤 양의 작업에 이어진 긍정적인 반응이 그가 프로젝트를 계속 진행할 수 있었던 원동력이 되었다.세월호 참사에 대해 윤 양은 "이런 참사는 다시는 일어나면 안 된다고 생각한다”며 “저는 학생이라 자세한 절차는 잘 알지 못하지만 어른들이 더 안전한 나라를 만들기 위해 많은 노력을 해 주셨으면 좋겠다”고 소감을 전했다. 마지막으로“미수습자들이 빨리 가족 품으로 다시 돌아왔으면 하는 바람"이라고 Apr 6, 2017
Album commemorates Sewol victims An album of traditional Korean music will be released April 16 to commemorate the third anniversary of the tragic Sewol ferry sinking, record label Akdang announced Tuesday.All proceeds from the studio album’s sales will be donated to the victims’ families.The album, titled “Mi-An,” is comprised of two discs with 14 tracks of diverse genres, including new traditional music, court music, sanjo (freestyle solo), classical music and new age.Various musicians volunteered to help produce the tracks to commemorate the victims.The first disc features familiar pieces, such as Brahms’ “Four Serious Songs,” Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” and Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons, June.”The second disc includes original compositions, such as “Goodbye My Friend,” “Picnic” and “Starlight in Night Sky,” expressing sorrow for the victims.The album tracks are also available on odaeo.com free of charge.Apr 5, 2017
INTERVIEW Winner returns as four-member dancing act YG Entertainment’s K-pop band WINNER, from left, Lee Seung-hoon, Song Min-ho, Kim Jin-woo and Kang Seung-yoon pose in the photo for new mini-album “Fate Number For” release. / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop band Winner is down a member, but the four remaining bandmates push on, releasing their second mini-album with a three-day “concept showroom” showcase at Club NB near Hongik University, western Seoul.The group debuted with five members originally, but main vocalist Nam Tae-hyun bowed out due to mental illness. YG Entertainment announced that the contract with the singer ended on Nov. 18 and the band will continue to perform without a replacement for him.The band took a break in 2015 while its members pursued solo careers. “A year and two months on hiatus wasn’t a long time for us. We released a mini-album last year and we regularly met our fans through V-live shows,” Winner member Kang Seung-yoon said during an interview at Club NB, Tuesday. “It’s quite interesting and awkward without Taehyun and we defiApr 4, 2017
Monsta X to debut in Japanese pop market Monsta X / Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Eom Da-solK-pop boy band Monsta X will make its Japanese debut in May.Agency Starship Entertainment said the band will officially debut on May 17 ― through newly founded Japanese entertainment agency “Mercury Tokyo” ― with an album including hit track “Hero.” The song’s music video has recorded more than 30 million YouTube views.Monsta X’s Japanese debut album will also include another popular single, “Stuck,” in Japanese.The band will hold a showcase at ZEPP NAMBA Hall in Osaka on May 1.Debuting in 2015, Monsta X consists of Lee Joo-heon, Shownu, I.M, Kihyun, Minhyuk, Wonho and Hyungwon. All are winners of TV reality competition show “No Mercy” that aired on Mnet in 2014.The band’s first album, “The Clan Part 2.5, The Final Chapter,” was released this year. It topped U.S. Billboard’s World Album chart on Mar. 21. It also ranked first on Korean music charts, the U.S. iTunes music chart and on the Japanese K-pop chart.Apr 4, 2017
