'The Nut Job' selling hot in US box offices A scene from “The Nut Job”By Park Si-sooThe joint Korean-Canadian computer animated comedy film “The Nut Job” is showing a relatively good start in the U.S. box office, putting it in third place, just behind “Ride Along” and “Lone Survivor.”Available at more than 3,400 screens there from last Friday, the film has raked in $20.6 million, the biggest opening-weekend sales of a Korean joint-venture film in the U.S.This is the first film computer-animated in Korea to be screened in America, according to its co-producing firm Redrover, a Korean animation producer. It will soon be screened in 120 other countries, including Korea on Jan. 29, the company said. Nearly $40 million was invested to produce the animation by Redrover and Canada’s Toonbox Entertainment, which was directed by Peter Lepeniotis. YG Entertainment is among the co-investors, and rapper Psy appears as a character at the end of the film dancing to his YouTube smash “Gangnam Style.” Redrover holds exclusive rights to sell the animation and its secondaryJan 21, 2014
Lee Min-ho invited to China TV festival By Park Jin-haiLee Min-hoKorean actor Lee Min-ho, 26, will become the first Korean artist to be invited to the Chinese Central Television’s (CCTV) 2013 Spring Festival Gala, reflecting his strong fan base in China.CCTV’s Weibo account released part of the list of the guests invited to the annual event, Sunday, and Lee’s agency Starhaus Entertainment confirmed that he was on it. The Spring Festival Gala is CCTV’s special program celebrating the Chinese New Year, which will be aired live through the national broadcaster on Jan. 30. Watched by some 750 million people, it has become the single most viewed program among Chinese viewers annually. Last year, it broke the Guinness World Record in terms of viewership.Pop diva Celine Dion was featured on the program last year. The star of “The Heirs” (2013) and “Boys Over Flowers” (2009), will perform a song included in the original sound track of the drama Boys Over Flowers. Last December, Lee won the Best Asian Actor award at the 2013 Baidu Feidian Awards ceremony, the largest award ceremJan 20, 2014By Park Jin-hai
2PM on cover of Japanese magazine By Park Si-sooK-pop boy group 2PM was selected as the cover page model of Japan’s popular fashion magazine CanCam, according to JYP Entertainment on Monday. This is the first time in 12 years and seven months for a male entertainer ㅡ regardless of nationality and profession ㅡ to appear on the monthly magazine’s cover, it said. “2PM members are very masculine and suitable models for the magazine,” a CanCam editor was quoted as saying in a release. The six-member band will release its third full-length album “Genesis of 2PM” on Jan. 29. Prior to the release, it made public two songs ㅡ “Step by Step” and “Merry-go-round” ㅡ early this month. The band will also stage a concert in Nagoya on Jan. 27. Jan 20, 2014
Veteran actor Cha works with YG Cha Seung-wonBy Park Si-sooActor Cha Seung-won signed a contract with YG Entertainment, adding to the country’s second-largest music label’s growing list of actors as it seeks to diversify its business portfolio.The 44-year-old actor has starred in several hit films and TV dramas, including MBC TV’s “The Greatest Love” in 2011 and SBS TV’s “Athena: Goddess of War” in 2010.YG represents several big-name K-pop musicians, including Psy, BIGBANG, 2NE1 and Tablo.“We are trying to establish our presence in non-music industries, especially film and drama businesses,” YG CEO Yang Min-suk said in a statement. “Signing a contract with Cha was part of that effort. On top of this, YG is one of the investors in the big-budget animation film ‘The Nut Job,’ another move in the direction.”Born in 1970, Cha made his debut as fashion model in 1988. Jan 20, 2014
'Uncomfortable truths' on TV shows A poster of “The Genius: Rule Breaker.” Players in the survival game show are allowed to use deceptive measures, steal or conceal rivals' game itemsand forge a “strategic alliance” to bully rivals. / Korea Times fileSurvival show under fire for jungle-like game rules By Park Si-sooCable TV channel tvN’s survival game show “The Genius: Rule Breaker” recently stirred an online controversy for what critics called “inhumane” playing rules that permit contestants to employ deceptive tactics to “kill” rivals and win big prize money reserved for the last survivor.Angered viewers launched online campaigns, calling on the broadcaster to discontinue the program that encourages players to compromise their morality to get closer to handsome compensation. Yet there is another view claiming that the program was a miniaturized “real” society where people hardly come forward with bare-naked faces to survive in this jungle-like society.Airing every Saturday night, the show allows contestants to deceive each other, steaJan 20, 2014
First-generation Korean immigrants share poignant experiences “I Am Homeland,” edited by ChoiYearn-hongBy Amanda MeekerThe title “I Am Homeland” and the poetic cover image seem a little vague until you see the poem upon which the book was named.The poem, “I Am Homeland” by Yi Chun-u explains the feeling of being trapped between two cultures, that of America and that of Korea. The poet concludes that he is not trapped between two countries but is like a country unto himself: “Since I am the homeland now there can be no other.”This is unlike the idea of a sovereign citizen, a legal concept that is laughed at by government officials, but is more like an idealistic identity, the identity of a Korean-American who is neither Korean nor American, but both at the same time. From the introduction, the reader can tell that the theme of this book is the experiences of first generation Korean immigrants.However, within that theme there are few other similarities. It is a well-rounded book with a lot of different perspectives on the same theme.When we read “Poet” by Ro Se-woong, we are remindeJan 19, 2014
K-pop singers to launch world tour K-pop singers of YG Entertainment, one of the nation’s top three talent agencies, will hold a joint world tour concert starting from April.High-profile stars such as Psy, Big Bang, 2NE1 and Epik High will join the tour in Japan and China under the title of “2014 YG Family Concert.”The event will take place for the first time two years after the joint performance was held to mark the 15th anniversary of its launching in Japan and Korea in 2012. The concert will kick off at Osaka Kyocera Dome April 12-13 and Tokyo Dome May 3-4 in Japan before moving to other parts of the world. The 2012 YG concert drew some 200,000 fans from both countries but the agency expects this year’s concert will attract 210,000 fans from Japan alone. Particularly, artists such as Epik High, Akdong Musician, Lee Hi and WINNER, who recently joined forces under YG, will perform together.“This year will be more plentiful for YG because our ambitious projects such as a girl group will be set to launch and diverse artists will join the stage,” the agency said.The company said that Jan 19, 2014
Billboard puts YG head on leaders' list By Chung Ah-youngYang Hyun-sukYang Hyun-suk, founder and CEO of YG Entertainment, has been selected as one of the International Power Players by Billboard Magazine. The U.S.-based magazine said in its upcoming issue that the list includes Yang together with European Live Nation President John Reid, Syco Entertainment co-representative Simon Cowell, Sony Music President Nick Gatfield, and Masato Matsuura, better known as Max Matsuura, a Japanese record producer and president of Avex Group. Live Nation collaborated with YG for Big Bang and 2NE1’s world tours.The first Billboard list of movers and shakers in the music industry, compiled in cooperation with Midem, the yearly international music exhibition, conference and festival, is aimed at shedding light on leaders in the business who have contributed to changes in the global scene.Billboard described Yang as the K-pop star who made his debut in the iconic group “Seo Taiji and Boys,” and then reinvented the modern K-pop genre in 1992, turning himself into a music producer generating K-pop singers.Yang’s stable Jan 19, 2014
Messenger of elegance Hanbok designer Koo Hye-ja who was designated the Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 89 in needlework by the Cultural Heritage Administration in 2007 / Courtesy of Koo Hye-jaNeedlework master Koo delivers traditional beauty of hanbokPresident Park Geun-hye wears a yellow “hanbok,” or a Korean traditional dress, made by Koo Hye-ja, a needlework master in this June 2013 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Jin-haiWhen President Park Geun-hye visits other countries or greets foreign heads of state, she wears “hanbok” or Korean traditional dress. Her traditional couture is seen as an attempt to show her so-called “hanbok diplomacy” to emphasize the “soft” side of her leadership as well as hospitality.“At a time when tradition gives way to modernity, the head of state wearing hanbok itself means a lot,” said Koo Hye-ja, 71, the designer who made Park's yellow hanbok for the June 2013 summit with China.Also, Kim Young-seok who learned needlework from Koo as an apprentice designed President Park’s inauJan 19, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Filipino furniture on sale at Maison Lebeige The ASEAN-Korea Center is holding a Filipino furniture and interior goods sale at Maison Lebeige, in Hannam-doing, Seoul through Feb. 21.Three furniture design companies from the Philippines will showcase goods. For interested buyers, the center can arrange meeting opportunities with participatingcompanies from the Philippines. The event is expected to promote further trade between the Philippines and Korea by providing an opportunity to introduce furniture and interior products of thePhilippines, and to establish business cooperative partnership between companies from the two countries. For business meeting inquries, call (02) 2287-1125.Jan 17, 2014
