Global 'hallyu' fans swell to 35 million in 86 countries The number of global fans for the Korean culture "hallyu" have exceeded 35 million in 86 countries, a government-affiliated foundation said Tuesday.As Korean wave becomes global, the number of enthusiastic fans for Korean culture and food last year increased 63 percent to be 35.59 million over the previous year's number of 21.82 million, according to global hallyu data 2015 published by the Korea Foundation (KF). The growing popularity of hallyu, which had initially started in Asian countries, has been now making rapid inroads into other parts of the globe in recent years. Also, the number of hallyu fan clubs rose to 1,493 last year in 86 countries, a 21 percent up from the previous year's 1,229.KF, the subsidiary of the foreign ministry said the data was published through a survey of the K-pop situations around the world, helped by the foreign ministry and Korean diplomatic missions abroad.The hallyu boom last year focused on the K-pop music and Korean cuisines in some countries, but specifically, the K-pop craze has expanded to Korean Web dramas and the Korean style of hiphop, callJan 26, 2016
Mamamoo to release album in February Mamamoo / Courtesy of Rainbow World K-pop girl band Mamamoo will release a single on Jan. 29, ahead of a full-fledged album in late February, Yonhap reports.It will be the band’s first album since its second mini-album “Um Oh Ah Yeh” last July, according to its agency Rainbow World Tuesday.The four-member group debuted in June 2014 with“Hello,” and then began to climb the charts with“Um Oh Ah Yeh.”Jan 26, 2016
Kangta to appear on Chinese show Kangta / courtesy of SM EntertainmentKangta, a member of first-generation boy band H.O.T., will appear on “2016 CCTV New Year’s Gala (Chunwan)” next month.The show has a largest audience for any entertainment show in China.Kangta, whose name is Ahn Chil-hyun, will sing the title song of CCTV’s entertainment program “Ding Ge Long Dong Qiang” with top model Lynn Hung.The show will air in China on Feb. 7. Jan 26, 2016
Kim Dong-wook joins Keyeast Kim Dong-wook / Screen captured from TwitterKorean Actor Kim Dong-wook has signed with Keyeast“Kim is genuine, exquisite, and a manly actor and we will cooperate and support Kim in every way we can,” Keyeast Entertainment said Tuesday. Top hallyu star Bae Yong-joon heads the agency.Kim who debuted in 2004 “A crimson mark,” has been active on the drama, movie, and musical scenes with notable shows including “The 1st shop of Coffee Prince,””Take off,” and “The Brothers were brave.”Kim has recently finished his lead role in the TV show “Riders: Catch Tomorrow,” where he plays an elite who quits his big firm to start a rickshaw venture business with his friends.Kim is in the process of selecting his next projectJan 26, 2016
French comics fest to showcase Korean webtoons South Korean web cartoons, which have inspired many hit soap operas and movies here, will be featured at the world's third-largest comics festival, the South Korean Culture Ministry said Tuesday.Under the exhibit "Webtoon Playground," South Korean webtoons will be displayed on the streets of Angouleme, France, which is host of the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said.The exhibition is the fourth of its kind in the southwestern French city and coincides with the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France.The purpose is to aid South Korean webtoons' entry into the European market, the ministry said.South Korean web comic artists Uksoo and Lee Jong-beom have been invited to demonstrate web comics drawing, with artwork tying webtoon and media art in together also to be showcased.The 43rd Angouleme International Comics Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday.(Yonhap) Jan 26, 2016
Super Junior's Ryeowook to drop first solo album Ryeowook of the boy band Super Junior is set to release his first solo album in 11 years."The Little Prince" is a ballad collection inspired by the French novel of the same name. Ryeowook is the second Super Junior member to fly solo after Kyuhun, who released his first solo album in 2014."Had Kyuhun not done so well, I would have been more overwhelmed," the main vocalist of the 12-member act told reporters in Seoul on Monday. "Kyuhun told me he really likes my music, so I hope that's a good sign."The title track "The Little Prince" starts with no accompaniment and slowly boils to a climax. The lyrics are a dialogue between a man and the narrator in the namesake novel."People You May Know" describes the feelings of a person who encounters his ex in a list of friends suggested by a social networking service.Ryeowook also helped write the lyrics of "POOM," which is dedicated to his mother."I am so different from how I was when I was little. I know I'm still a child to my mother, but I'm sorry I'm not as affectionate as I used to be," he said. "I tried to express that in the lyrics.""ThJan 26, 2016
Boys in the Kitchen named K-Rookies 2015 champs Boys in the Kitchen, winner of the 2015 K-Rookies program / Courtesy of KOCCABy Jon DunbarGarage rockers Boys in the Kitchen emerged victorious as six bands wrapped up the 2015 K-Rookies program with a battle of the bands, Saturday.The program by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) concluded its fourth run with the final concert, held at AX-Korea in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul on Jan. 23. Each year since 2012, the government-backed program has incubated six talented Korean bands every year before squaring them off in a final competition."Korean music is mainly known for K-pop stars," said Kim Jung-seok, a member of KOCCA's music team, "but we know there are many less-well-known competent musicians in Korea.”The six bands in the 2015 program were Boys in the Kitchen, all-girl jazz/funk act A-FUZZ, female-fronted blues rockers Billy Carter, rock duo Dead Buttons, brass hip-hop band NP Union and pop-rockers the Stray.The top three bands played for cash prizes, with the top winner receiving 5 million won, followed by 3 million won for the runner-up and 2 million won for third Jan 25, 2016
Produce 101, another Mnet tearjerker The cast of Mnet’s reality girl group survival show “Produce 101” attend a press conference with 101 girls at 63 Conventional Center, Yeouido, central Seoul, on Jan. 21. From front left are vocal trainer Kim Sung-eun, choreographer Bae Yoon-jung, rapper Cheetah, actor Jang Keun-suk, solo singer Kahi and singer JeA of Brown Eyed Girls. / Courtesy of CJ E&MBy Kim Jae-heun“Produce 101,” Mnet’s new reality girl band survival show, premiered last Friday amid criticisms that the program is another typical cable network tearjerker using provocative editing.“Produce 101” puts together 101 trainees from 46 entertainment companies to produce a girl band that will consist of 11 finalists. During the 11 episodes, 90 participants will be eliminated solely based on audiences’ online voting. The final 11 members will perform four songs together for a year and release a debut album under the record label of CJ E&M, Mnet’s mother company.Mnet has invested about 4 billion won ($3.33 million), which is the second-largest budgJan 25, 2016
Early filming of K-dramas targets Chinese market Park Hae-jin, above, and Kim Go-eun star in the drama “Cheese in the Trap” / Courtesy of tvNBy Kwon Ji-younThe temperature in Seoul dropped to minus 18 degrees Celsius on Sunday, but its summer going on fall in “Cheese in the Trap,” which airs on Monday-Tuesday evenings on tvN.This is because the filming for the hit drama series, featuring Park Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun and Seo Kang-jun, began in the second half of last year, and is now in its final production stages. The seventh segment of the 16-episode drama aired Monday.“Cheese in the Trap” is among many drama series for which the greater part of the shooting took place, or will take place, before the first episode airs, or is set to air. SBS’s “Saimdang: the Herstory,” in which actress Lee Young-ae will make a comeback to the small screen as Shin Saimdang (1504-1551), a noted artist, poet and the mother of Confucian scholar Yulgok, will be filmed in its entirety before being broadcast later this year.The filming for Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki’s “DesceJan 25, 2016
CNBLUE comes out rocking in Beijing Jung Yong-hwa from CNBLUEK-pop rock band CNBLUE rocked Beijing at Workers' Stadium on Saturday ― part of the band’s “Come Together” tour. Starting in Shanghai last October, the tour ― which also played Seoul ― will continue in Taipei, Singapore, Nanjing, Chongqing and Guangzhou.The band concert opened with “Domino,” followed by such hits as “Roller Coaster,” “Stay Sober,” “Hero” and “Irony.”Fans surprised the band with a cake celebrating the group’s sixth year since its debut.On the same day, vocalist Jung Yong-hwa was named last year’s No. 1 performer on the Gaon Weibo Chart, a major Chinese SNS chart that ranks K-pop stars.Jung topped the chart frequently throughout 2015.Jan 25, 2016
