How 'Frozen' takes over Korean cinema 30-something viewers drive frenzy over latest Disney hitBy Do Je-haeStella Chung, a 39-year-old mom with two pre-school girls, thought that she was well past Disney movies until “Frozen” started sweeping local theaters. Following a friend’s recommendation, Chung took her family to the theater over the Lunar New Year holidays.“It was the best Disney movie I’d seen in a long time,” Chung said. “I was as impressed with Frozen as I was with the old Disney classics I grew up watching, like Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Beauty and the Beast (1992). Frozen really combines all the qualities women look for in an animated film — a gripping storyline, lovely characters and unforgettable music.”Chung is among many Korean women in their 30s who are revisiting their youth through “Frozen.” A recent report showed that the women in their 30s were the driving force behind the movie’s record-breaking performance at the box office in the last few weeks here since its local release on Jan. 16.Elsa from “Frozen”According to Feb 9, 2014By Do Je-hae
K-bands ready to rock the world Electronic rock band The Ratios perform at the end of the “K-Pop Night Out,” held during Europe’s music industry trade forum MIDEM in Cannes, France, in this Feb. 2 file photo. / YonhapK-rock pitches its global promotionBy Park Jin-haiAt the recently ended “K-Pop Night Out,” held during the Europe’s largest music market Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale (MIDEM) in Cannes, France, what graced the ending stage was also the electro rock sound of The Ratios.Its vocalist Kim Ba-da, former lead vocalist of legendary rock band Sinawe, heated up the scene with electro-rock bangers, heightened by soaring vocals, electro sequences and thrashing beats.Overshadowed by K-pop for so long, K-rock now starts to show that it can also contribute to the Korean wave, as more and more music fans and producers find it a fresh alternative to the same-old idol packed K-pop acts.This year’s lineup for the northern America’s largest music showcase South by Southwest (SXSW), the most noticeable was the advance of local rock Feb 9, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Gaon Chart to hold K-Pop Awards 2013 Prestigious local music chart Gaon will hold the K-Pop Awards Wednesday at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium in Seoul. Launched in 2010, Gaon was the first nationally certified music chart, supported by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This year’s ceremony will feature top girl groups 2NE1, Sistar, Girl’s Day, 4 Minute, Miss A, A pink and Crayon Pop, along with K-pop male idols like EXO and B.A.P, and hip-hop artists Dynamic Duo and San E. The ceremony, co-sponsored by the Star News and Gaon Chart, will feature the giving of awards to the most beloved artists of the year and music staffs, based on the compiled data of digital music and album sales. During last year’s ceremony, the K-pop idols in attendance included Big Bang, Super Junior, TVXQ, Girls’ Generation’s subgroup TaeTiSeo (Taeyeon , Tiffany , Seohyun ), 2NE1 and Wonder Girls.Feb 9, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Kim Soo-hyun to tour Asia Kim Soo-hyunBy Chung Ah-youngHallyu heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun will meet his Asian fans from March to June, according to Key East, his agency. Responding to the skyrocketing popularity of the drama “My Love from the Star” co-starring with actress Jun Ji-hyun, he will hold fan meetings in China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore and Korea. His fan meetings will start in Seoul in mid-March and then go to seven cities in Asian countries. He has been rising as one of the nation’s most sought-after actors as his works both in films such as “Thieves” and “Secretly Greatly” and the drama series, “The Moon That Embraces the Sun” have been huge hits.His popularity is now culminating with “My Love From the Star” now airing on SBS, which is ruling the small screen with the highest viewer rating in its time slot. “Since making his debut, his works have been making a sensation through his wonderful character performances not only at home but abroad. Particularly, his international commercials have drawn the attention from glFeb 7, 2014
Rebirth of 'gukak' Kim Duk-soo, fifth from left, a “samulnori” master, will collaborate with indie rock musicians as part of his project “Electric Samulnori” on Feb. 14 and 21 at KT&G Sangsang Madang Live Hall in Hongdae area, Seoul. / Courtesy of KT&G Sangsang MadangTraditional music evolves into modern, hip soundsLim Dong-chang, a pianist and composer An album of trio GayakumBy Chung Ah-youngTraditional musicians often face a dilemma of whether they should only play the music of past generations or break established rules to create new styles of expression.In recent years, traditional Korean musicians have begun experimenting audaciously to help modern audiences connect to older cultural content. They “tamper” with their instruments or crossover between traditional and Western music in efforts to popularize traditional music which is called “gukak.” ‘Piatgo’ — crossing west, east Lim Dong-chang, a pianist and composer, invented the “piatgo,” a portmanteau made from the words piano and &ldquoFeb 7, 2014
5.4 Club seeking tourism linking tourism, culture Choi Jung-wha, center, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), and Park Moo-jong, third from left, president and publisherof The Korea Times, pose with members of the 5.4 Club at the restaurant Congdu in central Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of CICIBy Park Jin-haiMembers of the 5.4 Club, a cultural tourism promotion organization, agreed at a meeting Thursday that the way to promote tourism in Seoul is to bridge tradition and modernity. “It has been almost one year since we launched our club. Looking back, we have done many things to present more to see and experience for foreign visitors. But, there is more work to be done,” said Didier Beltoise, CEO of Cs, a consulting firm. He and his wife Choi Jung-wha, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), co-founded the non-profit club in March 2013. The 5.4 Club was launched by CICI last year under the motto “Feeling Korea through Five Senses and Four Themes.” Choi shared the ideas with its members about the club, including the recent Korea ImagFeb 7, 2014By Park Jin-hai
She kisses YSL By Kim Ji-sooActress Jun Ji-hyun, wearing a Yves Saint Laurent lipstick No. 52, appears in a scene from “Man From the Star.”Everything she features on is being sold out. Jun Ji-hyun is currently starring in the drama “Man From the Star” opposite the young heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun. Her funny and no-holds-barred portrayal of a top actress who falls in love with the man from outer space has been crucial to the drama’s popularity. And it is spreading to the items that she features on.One of the most notable beneficiaries is Yves-Saint Laurent, whose No. 52 lipstick barely made it onto the shelves before the customers grabbed it. Ever since Jun was seen wearing it, it sold out late January at the Yves-Saint Laurent cosmetic counter in Shinsegae Gangnam. The cosmetics counter sold 2,577 of the lipstick in the month of January, racking up sales of about 103 million won.It’s not only Yves-Saint Laurent. Jun has been wearing Iope lipsticks in the drama. When she wore the Waterfit Lipstick Forever Pink in January,“The sales of that pink lipstick sFeb 6, 2014
YB picks 'Cigarette Girl' as title song of 1st English album Rock band YBBy Park Si-sooKorea’s top rock band YB said on Thursday that its first English-language album’s title song is “Cigarette Girl,” the band’s signature song released here in 1999.The announcement came nearly three weeks after YB signed a promotional contract with Doug Goldstein, a former manager of Guns N’ Roses, as part of an effort to make it into the American and British music markets. The English-language album is expected to be released there later this month.“This is a great song which I think will be beloved widely by foreign listeners,” the band’s leader Yoon Do-hyun was quoted as saying in a statement. “The song is very energetic, so it’s suitable for live performances.”“Cigarette Girl” was written by folk singer and songwriter Song Chang-sik in 1987. YB remade it in 1999.The band’s management agency said Goldstein saw potential for YB’s success in Western countries after reviewing its music and performances.“YB’s music is amazing in everything,” GoldsteFeb 6, 2014
CNBLUE to return this month CNBLUEBy Park Si-soo K-pop boy band CNBLUE will return to the stage this month with a new album, the title song of which was written by its leader, Chung Yonh-hwa, its management agency said on Thursday.FNC Entertainment said the new offering is the band’s fifth mini-album and includes songs written by other members, the agency said.Formed in 2009, the band enjoys heartthrob status in Japan. In August, the band released its second full-length album, “What Turns You On?” there. Feb 6, 2014
Jang Keun-suk to host fan meeting Jang Keun-sukBy Park Si-sooKorean actor and singer Jang Keun-suk will host a fan meeting at a 3,000-seat auditorium in Seoul Olympic Park on Saturday. The first event of this kind in four years has sold out, said his management agency on Thursday, adding that many of the attendees will come from Japan, China and other Asian countries.Jang has prepared a lot to create an “unforgettable memory” for his fans, according to the agency.“Jang is very excited to have his first fan meeting in four years,” an official of the agency said. “It will be a concert-like event. He has prepared a lot to show his best on stage.”Early this week, Jang wrapped up a five-month-long concert tour in Japan, during which he performed in 14 cities there, including Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Sapporo and Nagoya. Last month, he released a teaser for a new song, “Angel’s Tears.” He will begin to work on the song in Japan in March.Feb 6, 2014
