'Strike balance between old and new' Former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, fifth from right in the front row; Choi Jung-wha, fourth from right, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI); U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, in the back to Han’s right; and foreign participants and dignitaries pose for a photo at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday, ahead of the fifth Culture Communication Forum. The three-day forum involved 16 foreign experts on culture and communication and tackled the theme “Culture — Mirror and Trigger of Change.” / Courtesy of CICI5th Culture Communication Forum wraps up its Aug. 31-Sept. 2 runBy Kim Ji-sooParticipants at the 5th Culture Communication Forum (CCF) in Seoul agreed Tuesday that culture is a powerful force that enables stronger communications, not only among countries but within them too.The CCF, hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) tackled this year’s theme of “Culture — Mirror and Trigger of Change” on the last day of the three-day forum at the Westin Chosun in downtown Seoul. Choi Jung-wha, presiSep 2, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Super Junior returns with 'MAMACITA' Members of K-pop boy band Super Junior pose after a press conference at the Imperial Hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday, to announce the release of their seventh studio album, “MAMACITA.” / YonhapBy Kim Ji-sooThe king of K-pop, Super Junior, is back with a seventh studio album: “MAMACITA.” The album is the band’s first in two years.The 10 active members ― Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Siwon, Donghae, Eunhyuk, Sungmin, Shindong, Kangin, Heechul, and Leeteuk ― said they were excited and more nervous than ever as they looked forward to celebrating the group’s 10th anniversary next year.“This is a time I have been waiting for,” said Leeteuk at a press conference at the Imperial Hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday. “I wondered when I could perform with the other members.”“Our goal with this album is to have a good time,” said Lee, the leader, who returns to the group after completing his two years of military service.“We have prepared hard,” said Eunhyuk. “My heart is fluttering more than ever and we areAug 28, 2014
YG-managed artists to hold joint concert in Beijing Rapper Psy and several other artists managed by YG Entertainment, a leading entertainment agency in South Korea, will hold a joint concert in Beijing in October, the agency said Thursday.The concert titled "YG Family 2014 Galaxy Tour: Power in Beijing" will kick off on Oct. 19 at a football stadium in Beijing, the company said in a statement.The YG artists have been on a concert tour of major Chinese cities and Southeast Asian countries since June.The lineup will include global star Psy, who recently released "Hangover," girl group 2NE1, boy bands BigBang and Epik High, and rookie group Winner.Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest smartphone maker, will sponsor the event, helping to fund publicity and marketing activities in China and providing brand-new smartphones and audio equipment, it added.The YG artists previously held joint concerts in the Japanese cities of Osaka and Tokyo in April and May. (Yonhap)Aug 28, 2014
TVs tune in for 40-somethings New programs geared for middle-aged tastes By Baek Byung-yeulCable network tvN’s talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” / Courtesy of tvNTV stations used to ignore 40-somethings.All schedules were geared to cater to teens in music, drama and variety shows.Now programs for middle-aged viewers are popping up.A popular example is the talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” on CJ E&M’s cable channel tvN, where hosts reminisce about the pop music scene of the 1980s and ’90s.“We paid particular attention to the selection of hosts so that we can please people with fond memories of those times” said Bangjajeon producer Kim Do-hyung in a press conference ahead of the show’s launch.All six hosts are instantly recognizable to anyone near and over 40.They are comedian and show host Joo Byung-jin; pop star Kim Wan-sun; Jung Won-kwan from the former boy band Sobangcha; 1990s heartthrob singer Byun Jin-sup; comedienne Park Mi-sun; and Kim Tae-won, guitarist of rock band Boowhal.Mnet, the music channel for CJ E&M, isMay 30, 2014
Illness forces McCartney to can Korea concert Fans take photos in front of a promotional truck bearing an image of Paul McCartney at Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo, Tuesday. The singer’s spokesman said Wednesday that his upcoming Seoul concert has also been affected by an illness that caused him to cancel the Japan tour. / AP-YonhapBy Do Je-haePaul McCartney is canceling his first-ever Korea concert because of illness, his organizers said Wednesday.The 71-year-old singer was scheduled to give a solo performance on May 28 at Jamsil Sports Complex Main Stadium as part of the Hyundai Card Super Concert series.The former Beatle contracted a virus last week and canceled a string of concerts, including the one in Japan’s Nippon Budokan hall, where the Beatles performed during their first Japanese tour in 1966. “Acting on the advice from his doctors, McCartney has canceled his plans in Seoul to facilitate a complete rest,” read a Hyundai Card statement.“Paul is still not feeling better and this cancellation is unavoidable. All possibilities to reschedule this show are being explored,” a spokeMay 21, 2014By Do Je-hae
Can 'Superstar K' repeat early success? Roy Kim, winner of Superstar K's fouth season, is among the biggest stars that the audition program has produced. / Korea Times fileJudges are a crucial component of Superstar K. Pop star Lee Seung-chul is one of the judges that has raised the profile of the singing talent show.By Baek Byung-yeul"Superstar K” is coming off a lackluster fifth season, with fewer people watching the Korean equivalent of “American Idol.” To turn things around, entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M plans to incorporate some modifications into the singing competition’s format.Ahead of the Superstar K’s new season, to be carried by cable TV’s Mnet starting Aug. 22, its creators talked to the press about some of the new elements that will be added to the show.“To find more gifted musicians, we increased the number of local tryouts from seven to 14 this year,” said Kim Moo-hyun, the show’s new producer, at a press conference in Seoul, Monday. “We also want to find the next Busker Busker. For this reason, we are expanding audition opportunities fMay 20, 2014
Bae Doo-na appears at Cannes fest with Jim Sturgess Bae Doo-na is seen with ‘Cloud Atlas’ actor Jim Sturgess on her arrival at Cannes, Monday. / AP-YonhapBy Lee Kyung-minActress Bae Doo-na arrived at the Cannes Film Festival to promote her latest film “A Girl at My Door,” one of three Korean films that have gotten a nomination at the prestigious event. The film is a debut for director July Jung.In the latest movie, Bae plays police academy graduate Young-nam who gets demoted and sent to work at a police station in a remote coastal city. Her character meets Do-hee, played by Kim Sae-ron, a teenage girl who suffers constant abuse from her stepfather, played by actor Song Sae-byeok. Bae portrays a character who sees herself in Kim Sae-ron’s character and recognizes that they are suffering from similar pain, and the two characters develop a meaningful friendship. Bae said that she was so fascinated by the storyline that she decided to star in the movie without pay. At the film’s official screening at the Theatre Debussy, those in attendance gave it a three-minute standing ovation and it received poMay 20, 2014
Pop singer Seo Tai-ji to make comeback in fall Popular veteran singer Seo Tai-ji will return to his fans with a new album in the fall, an entertainment agency said Monday.Wellmade Starm Inc. said Seo has recently signed a contract with its performance planning subsidiary, Show21, for a nationwide concert tour to mark the planned release of his ninth full-length album.The tour is set to begin in Seoul but the exact timing and venues of the shows were not fixed, the company said.The shows are expected to sell more than 10 billion won (US$9.77 million) worth of tickets as it would be his first single performance in five years, it added. Seo's management agency, Seotaiji Company, will be in charge of the shows' production, Wellmade said.Seo made his debut as lead singer of the boy band "Seo Tai-ji & Boys" in 1992 and went on to produce several mega-hit albums.The 41-year-old star tied the knot with actress Lee Eun-seong in August after ending a 14-year-long secret marriage with actress Lee Ji-ah. He last released an album in 2009 and his ninth album is highly likely to be out after the closure of the Incheon Asian Games in OctobeMay 19, 2014
Leaping toward stardom Actor Ji Chang-wook poses at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Tuesday, May 13. / Courtesy of Glorious Entertainment‘Empress Ki’ actor outshines Ha Ji-won with breakthrough roleBy Baek Byung-yeulWhen MBC announced plans to air the period drama “Empress Ki” last year, it was actress Ha Ji-won, one of the biggest names in K-drama, who received all the media attention. By the time the drama ended a few weeks ago, it was the performance of budding actor Ji Chang-wook that had left the strongest impression on critics and fans of the drama.The 26-year-old now finds himself well on his way to stardom after a compelling portrayal of an ancient Chinese monarch who passionately falls for a Korean peasant ultimately becoming his queen. Their intense love story made the 51-part series a huge hit for six months from last October to April. At a time when major broadcasters are losing drama viewers to cable channels, Ji’s impassioned performance led ‘Empress Ki’ to a rare ratings success.In a recent interview with The Korea Times, the up-and-coming thespian,May 18, 2014
Jeon Do-yeon arrives in Cannes Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, left, and American director Sofia Coppola attend the opening ceremony of this year’s Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday (KST). /AFP-YonhapBy Kim Tong-hyungJeon Do-yeon graced the red carpet with an elegant black dress and heels at the opening ceremony of this year’s Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Thursday (KST).eon, a star of several critically acclaimed films such as "Secret Sunshine” (2007) and “The Housemaid” (2010), joins jury president Jane Campion and other influential figures in world cinema, including Sofia Coppola, Willem Dafoe and Gael Garcia Bernal. Chinese director Jia Zhangke, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn and Iranian actress Leila Hatami complete the list.Previous Korean jury members at Cannes included late director Shin Sang-ok (1926-2006), at the 1994 event, and director Lee Chang-dong for the 2009 event. Lee was the director of ``Secret Sunshine,’’ which won Jeon the best actress award at the 60th Cannes festival May 15, 2014
