Chinese market draws Korean producers, screenwriters “Running Man” is a famous TV entertainment show.By Kwon Ji-younShin Woo-chulJang Tae-yooIn the past China was satisfied with imports of “finished” hallyu content such as dramas, reality shows, music and other forms of entertainment.Now, however, it wants to make its own versions, using Korean producers, screenwriters and the whole nine yards. This was emphasized late last year when China’s Juna International bought Chorokbaem Media ― Korea’s largest drama production company. The purchase comes as part of a strong pull of top talent by the Chinese market, which has an immediate advantage due to its sheer size. Those who have jumped on the Chinese bandwagon include star producers such as Jang Tae-yoo, who produced “My Love from the Star,” which had a viewership of 3 billion on iQiyi, a Chinese video platform, Shin Woo-chul of “Secret Garden” and the Hong Sisters, screenwriters of “The Greatest Love.”“Dad! Where Are We Going?” is a reality TV program.Chinese companies have also bought the rights to Jan 14, 2015
This week's headlines By Kwon Ji-younThe entertainment industry is rarely quiet, and last week, like any other, featured a number of controversies that ranged from drunken frenzies on flights to hygiene matters in the kitchen. Here’s a roundup of issues that made headlines last week. Song apologizes for wife’s Facebook postActor Song Il-gookActor Song Il-gook, father of adored triplets Dae-han, Min-guk and Man-seh, apologized for his wife’s Facebook post.Song’s wife had responded to a dispute that had been raised six years ago which alleged that the Song in 2009 had had his road manager registered as a lawmaker’s aide, and was paid his monthly due with taxes.To this, Song’s wife Jung Seung-yeon stressed that the manager had been her mother-in-law’s intern -- Jung’s mother-in-law is Rep. Kim Eul-dong of the ruling Saenuri Party. As an intern, Jung said, the manager was not restricted from taking on an additional job, and because Song had suddenly been left without a road manager, they had decided to hire him part-time. Song had provided all payments, sheJan 13, 2015
Can Lee rebound from latest scandal? Actor Lee Byung-hunModel, singer who blackmailed actor Lee Byung-hun face final hearingSeen above are text messages that Dispatch reported as having been sent between actor LeeByung-hun and model Lee Ji-yeon. / Korea TimesBy Kwon Ji-youn Could Lee Byung-hun have taken a liking to the role of antagonist after starring as T-1000 in the upcoming film “Terminator Genisys?”The actor had weathered a good number of storms before he married Lee Min-jung -- including a batch of rumors about his relationship with drama co-star Song Hye-kyo and a scandal with a Korean-Canadian gymnast ― but no one saw the 5-billion-won hurricane coming his way after he tied the knot in August 2013.New evidence has suggested Lee may not be as innocent as he claims to be in a scandal involving two women ― a singer and a model ― who he has accused of attempting to blackmail him.Online entertainment news outlet Dispatch unveiled text messages Jan. 5 that Lee and the model, named Lee Ji-yeon, allegedly exchanged, just 10 days ahead of a final hearing in the trial of the two womenJan 13, 2015
CNBLUE's Jung Yong-hwa to collaborate with JJ Lin Jung Yong-hwaKorea’s representative rock band vocalist Jung Yong-hwa has taken the veil off of last collaboration partner for his very first solo album debut: JJ Lin. Jung’s agency FNC Entertainment announced Monday that Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin will collaborate with Jung as the final artist on his solo release and appear on the song “Checkmate.”JJ Lin is well-known artist in Taiwan who won Best Male Mandopop Perfomer for his work on his 10th album in 2014.CNBLUE’s Jung has also collaborated with actor and rapper YDG (Yang Dong-geun), rapper Verbal Jint, and rocker Yoon Do-hyun for his upcoming album.Actor and rapper YDG was the first featured artist to collaborate with Jung’s solo album. On Jan. 9, Jung released the hip-hop and pop-rock track “Mileage,” and received positive responses from the fans.The second featured artist Verbal Jint is a producer and rapper, recently featured on Epik High’s song “Born Hater,” also together worked with Jung for his new album. He and Jung created the song titled “WJan 13, 2015
CICI to hold annual image awards Korea’s cosmetics firm AmorePacific, led by CEO Suh Kyung-bae, center, has been chosen as the recipient of the Stepping Stone Award, the highest prize of the CICI Korea 2015 awards ceremony. Chinese actress Tang Wei, left, will receive the Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award and teenageskater Shim Suk-hee will receive the Korea Image Budding Youth Award. The awards ceremony will be held at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of CICIAmorePacific, Tang Wei, Shim Suk-hee recognized for promoting Korea’s global image By Baek Byung-yeul An awards ceremony to recognize people and organizations that made big contributions to promote Korea’s image overseas last year will take place Monday.The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), headed by Prof. Choi Jung-hwa, will hold “CICI Korea 2015” awards ceremony at the Coex Intercontinental Seoul hotel in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul starting from 5:45 p.m.AmorePacific, Korea’s leading cosmetics firm, will receive the awards’ hiJan 11, 2015
Resurgence of 90s singers spawns copycats A scene from “Saturday, Saturday is for Singers,” a segment of MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” on MBC / Korea Times fileBy Kwon Mee-yoo Singer Uhm Jung-hwa's "Poison," an upbeat dance track, topped Korean music chart Genie last week, some 17 years after its original release in 1998. Other 90s hit songs such as Jinusean's "Tell Me," Kim Gun-mo's "Wrongful Meeting" and Turbo's "White Love" are enjoying popularity again.Uhm is one of the 90s top singers that is regaining attention by "Saturday, Saturday is for Singers," a segment of Korea's popular television show "Infinite Challenge" on MBC. The show, which aired on Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, recorded a whooping 22 percent viewing rate and captured the hearts of nostalgic fans. Called "Totoga" in Korean, the show featured dance duo Turbo, girl band S.E.S, hip-hop duo Jinusean, techno singer Lee Jung-hyun and ballad singer Jo Sung-mo. The profit from the music sales is expected to be around 10 billion won ($9.1 million).The unexpected success of the show, however, has resulted in copycats jumping on the bandwagon.Jan 11, 2015
'Soulful, hard-work key to success,' Martin, Nam say YoungSong Martin, left, founder of Wildflower Linen, and Nam Su-jin, a music producer and pianist active in Hollywood after an interview held with The Korea Times in Hannam-dong, Seoul, on Dec. 24. / Courtesy of Wildflower Linen Korea By Kim Ji-soo YoungSong Martin, 55, and Nam Su-jin, 46, could well have been lifetime friends.But the two ethnic Korean leaders in their respective fields in Hollywood came to know each other just two years ago through a group that supports Korean culture at the University of Southern California. The camaraderie as leading players in a competitive field must have bonded them. The two were in Seoul during the Christmas holidays and sat down — on Christmas Eve ― for an interview with The Korea Times.Martin’s success as Hollywood’s foremost party planner has been documented not only with her success in planning for the Obama White House but also in Korean network shows. She has also branched out her business Wildflower Linen to Seoul.“I remember walking into the White House’s East Wing and meeting FirDec 31, 2014
The hallyu 2015 to-do list Hallyu 1.0: Actress Jun Ji-hyun, right, and actor Kim Soo-hyun starred in “My Love From the Star,” an SBS drama about an alien who landed on Earth during the Joseon Dynasty and falls in love with an actress 400 years later. The word “hallyu” was coined by Beijing journalists in the mid-1999s. Hallyu began with Korean dramas like “Winter Sonata,” “Daejanggeum” and“Stairway to Heaven,” and gave birth to hallyu stars like Choi Ji-woo, Lee Young-ae and Bae Yong-joonCultural exchange key to overcoming ‘hallyu’ recessionBy Kwon Ji-younDemand for “hallyu” (Korean cultural wave) content surged in the early 2000s, when K-pop bands like TVXQ! swept through neighboring countries to dazzle fans in Japan and China. Hallyu then peaked in 2012 when rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video went viral on YouTube.According to Lee Pal-seung, president and CEO of the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE), TV dramas were a part of “hallyu 1.0,” K-popDec 31, 2014
Linton thanks Korea for recognizing his family John Linton’s friendly jovial face would instantly calm a patient, but his passion would also engage people in causes that better human rights. Linton poses during an interview with The Korea Times Tuesday at his office at Severance Hospital at Yonsei University, Sinchon, Seoul./ Korea Times photos by Choi Won-sukBy Kim Ji-sooJohn Linton, 55, calls himself a “Jeollado” or Jeolla Province person. The southwestern region was once known for political oppression and lesser development compared to other regions in South Korea. It is the home of the Gwangju Democracy movement, the late former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kim Dae-jung. But for Linton’s family, it has been home since his great-grandfather’s days.Linton, director of the Severance Hospital International Health Care Center at Yonsei University in Sinchon, now lives in Seoul where he works.“When I say I am a Jeollado person, it means that I value equality, a fair society, and upholding the integrity of the marginalized and the weak,” Linton told The Korea Times.Linton’sDec 28, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'My Love from the Star' named top television program of 2014 Kim Soo-hyun, left, and Jun Ji-hyun appeared in SBS drama “My Love from the Star,” which was named as the most popular television program here in the year-end Content Power Index round-up. / Courtesy of SBSBy Baek Byung-yeulSBS hit drama “My Love from the Star” was named as the most popular television program here in the year-end Content Power Index’s (CPI) top 10.As more and more people not just watch dramas and variety shows on traditional TV set but via other platforms such as mobile and on-demand, a need has arisen to measure the popularity of contents in a new way.The CPI is a weekly-based measurement of every television program in the country developed two years ago by CJ E&M and research firm AGB Nielsen Media Research.Unlike existing viewers’ ratings indexes that measure the number of television viewers using their home TV sets, the CPI monitors more detailed variables, including numbers of mobile and Internet streaming viewers and online “buzz” in social media.“My Love” is a sci-fi drama, telling the romancDec 26, 2014By Baek Byung-yeul
