ASEAN-Korea Center to host knowledge workshop The ASEAN-Korea Center will host the “2014 Knowledge Sharing and Benchmarking Workshop” for government officials of the ASEAN member States April 22-26 at the center in Seoul.The workshop has been organized to strengthen the ICT capacity of the ASEAN Member States and will be participated in by 18 related ministry government officials from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.The workshop will be composed of lectures by Korean information communication technology (ICT) experts on topics such as “Korea’s ICT Application” and “Digital Economy Policy in Korea” to share Korea’s experience of an innovation-led rapid growth in the sector. Participants will also visit related organizations such as SK T.um, Korea Development Institute in Sejong City and Daedeok Innopolis (Daedeok Science Town) in Daejeon, to provide access to the latest industrial trends and an opportunity for networking with the sector’s professionals. Apr 20, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
AKMU's album ranks second on Billboard Akdong Musician’s “Play”By Chung Ah-youngK-pop duo Akdong Musician’s debut album placed second on Billboard’s World Albums Chart. Consisting of siblings Lee Chan-hyuk, 17, and Soo-hyun, 14, Akdong Musician, also known as AKMU, released its album, “PLAY” on April 7. The album landed on the week’s top-selling world music albums behind Irish band Celtic Woman’s “Emerald,” which captured the top spot. The album’s lead track, “200%,” ranked fifth on the World Digital Song chart. It has a total of 11 songs all written and produced by Chan-hyuk.After the release, the album’s songs have swept major music charts in Korea, as well as iTunes album charts in five countries. The duo has garnered huge popularity with its creative and unique style while appearing on “K-pop Star 2.” The duo’s signature playful songs, such as “Don’t Cross Your Legs,” “A Foreigner’s Confession,” “Crescendo” and “It is Ramen,” were among the duo’s Apr 18, 2014
'Let Me Out' wins gold medal in NYF awards The poster of “Let Me Out”By Chung Ah-youngThe Korean low-budget film “Let Me Out” won the Gold Medal Award at the 57th New York Festivals (NYF) International Television & Film Awards, the Baekdu Daegan Film Company said Friday. It became the first Korean film to win the top prize in the film category at this festival, after competing with more than 50 international films. The event, which took place on April 8, is one of the world’s top three international advertising fests, along with Clio Awards and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (Cannes International Advertising Festival.)“Let Me Out” was released back to back in both Korea and the United States last year, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences. The movie is a hilarious indie meta-film about the coming of age of an amateur student director from a film school making his first zombie melodrama. Written and directed by Jae Soh and Kim Chang-rae from the Seoul Institute of the Arts, and produced by Irene Cho and Min Soh, the film starring Kwon Hyun-sang, the Apr 18, 2014
Drama sets becoming 'ghost towns' The Park Southern Land on Jeju Island, which was built as the filming site for the 2007 blockbuster TV series “Taewangsasingi,” was torn down last year after being deserted for a few years. / YonhapBy Chung Ah-youngThe sensational drama series “My Love From the Star” is elevating “hallyu” or the Korean wave to new levels. It has created a positive overflow, particularly in the tourism sector as the locations where the drama was shot have become tourist hot spots. But how long will they continue to draw tourists?Years after they were utilized, several filming locations are becoming abandoned as repairs or maintenance are no longer conducted.The Park Southern Land on Jeju Island was the nation’s major filming site for the 2007 blockbuster TV series “Taewangsasingi” (“The Four Guardian Gods of the King”) starring iconic hallyu star Bae Yong-joon and actress Moon So-ri.The drama portrays the life of King Gwanggaeto of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668). Along with an ancient Goguryeo castle from 1,500 yearsApr 18, 2014
K-pop stars cancel events By Kim Ji-sooK-pop stars have decided to delay new album releases or cancel promotional events in the wake of the sinking of the ferry Seowol.EXO postponed a group interview planned for Thursday, and their appearance on KBS’s Music Bank scheduled for today was cancelled.Major music programs usually aired on the weekend ― Music Bank, Show Music Core (MBC), Inkigayo (SBS) and M! Countdown (CJ E&M) ― have been put on hold.Singer Junggigo delayed the release of his new single originally planned for Thursday.Another K-pop group Block B, which was supposed to release its new single “Jackpot,” Wednesday, also postponed it. Singer Lena Park also put back the release of her new album, for which she was to introduce the single “Synchrofusion” today. Singer G.NA said she will also delay the April 21 release of her new album.The girl group A-Pink cancelled a fan meeting slated for Saturday.Korean film sector also joined in. The makers of the movie “The Fatal Encounter” starring actor Hyun Bin cancelled a Wednesday event, and promoApr 17, 2014
ZE:A member promotes rights of disabled people By Park Si-sooKim Dong-jun of the popular K-pop boy band ZE:A will appear in a single-episode TV drama designed to improve public awareness of the disabled. He will play a leading role, along with actress Kim Bo-ra, in the drama to be aired on Friday and April 20 on KBS2.The education ministry and a private foundation promoting the welfare of disabled people supported the production to celebrate the Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on April 20. Kim agreed to appear in the drama without compensation, according to his management agency.In the drama, Kim portrays the depressed son of a disabled climber who falls in love with a visually-impaired woman.“I hope the drama will help improve public awareness of disabled people,” Kim said in a media briefing about the drama at Duksung Girls’ High School in Seoul, Wednesday.Apr 17, 2014
Korean games popular in China, Japan Critics argue tough regulations curb growth potentialBy Park Si-sooK-pop’s rise is fast and furious, representing the country’s booming cultural industry. Yet this doesn’t mean K-pop is the most profitable export item among cultural products.Guess what the No.1 is? Computer games.According to the state-run Korea Finance Corporation, Korea’s games exports in 2012, the latest date, reached $2.6 billion, nearly more than half of the country’s cultural products exports. The figure was a whopping 11 times the $235 million in exports of K-pop content that year, the institution said Monday.By sector, online games using fixed-line Internet were the biggest money-maker with $2.4 billion or 91.4 percent of the total export volume, including mobile games available on smartphones and arcade games. Mobile games came second with $169 million.The export volume gap between online and mobile games was huge, but analysts say it is narrowing rapidly as more people use smartphones and high-speed mobile Internet links.“The game industry can be linked with a number of oApr 17, 2014
G.NA to release new single April 21 G.NAFemale solo singer G.NA released a cover photo for her new digital single “Pretty Lingerie” on Wednesday.The singer known for her sexy image is seen dressed in a white dress looking very coy, in a sign that the new single will portray yet another image of the 26-year-old. The song will be released on April 21.G.NA who is affiliated with Cube Entertainment debuted in 2010. Her last official release was the mini album “Beautiful Kisses” with the single “Oops” in March 0f 2013.Apr 16, 2014
Seo In-guk to star in new drama Singer/actor Seo In-gukBy Kim Ji-sooSeo In-guk, a singer and actor whose recent work includes the hit Korean drama “Reply 1997,” will appear in the lead role of a cable TV drama with the working title of “The King of High School Manners.”He will star opposite actress Lee Ha-na, who will play the female lead role in the tvN show.Seo won the popular audition program “Super Star K” and since then has both performed as a singer and appeared in several dramas.In the upcoming drama, which will start airing in June, Seo will portray a high school hockey player who becomes a director at a major company as a substitute for his brother. Unaware of Korean office rules, Seo’s character learns how to make his way in the world of adults.Apr 16, 2014
Three-member KARA to meet fans starting next month From left, Park Gyu-ri, Han Seung-yeon and Goo Hara, the three members of KARA will meet Korean fans in Seoul on May 24 and Japanese fans at the Budokan, Tokyo on June 1.By Kim Ji-sooKARA fans will have to wait no longer, as the K-pop girl group will jumpstart this year’s official public events with a fan meeting by the three girls — Park Gyu-ri, Han Seung-yeon and Goo Hara.Two former members, Nicole and Kang Ji-young, left this year when their contract with the agency DSP expired. Nicole returned to the United States and Kang left for studies in England.The now three-girl group KARA will first meet their fans on May 24 at the Blue Square’s Samsung Card Hall in Seoul and on June 1 at Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. They are meetings with the group’s fan club Kamilia.Following the departure of the two former members, DSP said KARA would continue as a group either with the three members or the addition of new members.But with no word on new members yet, the fan meetings are KARA’s first major public event in five months. The group popular both in Korea and JApr 16, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
