Dramaband: close bond between TV drama, broadband in Korea A scene from a Korean epic drama, “Damo” (A Female Detective in the Joseon Kingdom) that aired on MBC in 2003. The show became immensely popular thanks to discussions about it on internet forums. / Korea Times file Prof. Kim HyeonBy Kim Hyeon I introduce a newly coined term “dramaband” (drama + broadband) to refer to the mutual relationship between Korea's broadband and TV drama, as well as the secondary impacts generated by this.Mobile telecommunication companies in Korea have constructed a nation-wide network of LTE (Long Term Evolution), a technology that enables data communication on smart phones at a much faster rate than 3G. The greatest beneficiaries of such technology are the providers of video content such as drama. The evolution in broadband-based content providing technology is broadening the customer range of Korean drama, which traditionally consisted mainly of housewives. The new customers will naturally trigger Korean dramas to accommodate their diverse lifestyles, tastes, and interests.Broadband is not simply an environment Jun 12, 2013
BEAST to represent 2013 K-pop Festival BEAST, a popular K-pop boy band, has been named as the face of the “2013 K-pop Festival” that will be held in Wonju, Gangwon Province, this September.The festival will be hosted by the Gangwon Provincial Government, in collaboration with the Visit Korea Committee and the Wonju City Government, as part of promotional activities leading to its hosting of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.“We are glad to represent Korea, and we will do our best so that overseas ‘hallyu’ (Korean wave) fans can enjoy Korea,” the group said through its agency, Cube Entertainment.The Visit Korea Committee will officially welcome the six-member boy group at the National Tourism Organization’s edifice on June 18. After a year’s hiatus, BEAST recently released a new single “Will You be Alright?” that is topping the charts and is set to hold a concert July 20-21 in Seoul. The group’s new album is expected to be released next month.Jun 12, 2013
Mobile service center opens for foreign tourists Hong Ju-min, center, secretary general of the Visit Korea Committee, and Choi Noh-sok, fourth from left, vice chairman of the Korea Tourism Association, and other officials cut tape during a launching ceremony for the Moving Service Center for foreign tourists in Insa-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Visit Korea CommitteeBy Shim Jae-yun The Korea Visit Committee (KVC) has opened a Moving Service Center to facilitate foreigners visiting major destinations across the nation. The service center refers to movable booths providing substantial services for foreigners touring local areas and major event sites. The opening of the new concept service facility comes amid ever growing numbers of foreigners who travel to the provinces, said KVC secretary general Hong Joo-min. The opening ceremony took place in Insa-dong, Seoul, Tuesday, with the attendance of ranking officials from related authorities such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul Metropolitan City and Korea Tourism Association. The center will be operated for events and regional festJun 12, 2013
Gov't to reduce role in 'hallyu' promotion By Kim Tong-hyung Yoo Jin-ryongCulture MinisterPrevious administrations had approached the international boom for Korean cultural products with zealous mercantilism, considering ``hallyu’’ as a tool of soft power to raise the country’s profile.However, there were also arguments that the government’s aggressive marketing was beginning to breed weariness over Korean popular culture as foreigners recoiled from the smell of nationalism.Yoo Jin-ryong, the new minister of culture, sports and tourism, seems to be taking these concerns seriously, telling journalists Wednesday to expect a decreasing government role in the promotion of music, television dramas and films.``I admit to the criticism that the government had been too aggressive in past years. It was funny and inappropriate that policymakers were so passionate about pumping up K-pop and other pop cultural products instead of letting the market do it,’’ Yoo said in a meeting with culture and sports editors of newspapers and television networks at the Press Center in Seoul.``We will let the marJun 12, 2013
Shinhwa, 2NE1 to make debut in Indonesia Shinhwa members perform “This Love,” a single from their 11th album “The Classic.” / Courtesy of CJ E&MShinhwa, 2NE1 and Secret will make their first official appearance in Indonesia by taking part in the “M!Countdown Halo-Indonesia” program. The quarterly music extravaganza hosted by CJ E&M in Asian countries will be held on July 3 at Mata Elang International Stadium (MEIS) in Jakarta, Indonesia.Shinhwa, dubbed the first-generational K-pop group, in May released their 11th album titled “The Classic.” The four-member girl group 2NE1 is expected to release a new album soon.This year, in addition to the three groups, top K-pop artists who have returned with new albums including 2PM, BEAST, MBLAQ, SISTAR, Afterschool, B1A4 and 4minute will take to the stage in Jakarta. Korean pop singers such as Eru, Kim Jong-kook, Verbal Jint and Roy Kim will also perform for Indonesian fans.“I was informed that Indonesia has the second highest preference and exposure to K-Culture, after Thailand. It is a thrilling experience for oJun 11, 2013
Hair for the summer Koh Joon-heeCarey Mulligan as Daisy in “The Great Gatsby” Yoon Eun-hye in MAC advertisement Koo Ha-ra of KARAJessica AlbaVictoria of f(x)By Yun Suh-young For women, it’s the time of the year to take action in order to stop your sweat-soaked hair from sticking to your neck.For those with long hair, putting it up in a ponytail may be the easiest option, but even that may be cumbersome if strands of hair stick out of the hair band and end up nestling on your neck.Women with shoulder-length hair probably have the hardest time because there’s not much they can do with it: it’s not long enough to tie back, nor short enough to leave it down.Is it better to cut it really short so that it won’t annoy you? Yes, if you’re brave enough to do so.For those willing to go for a big change or those stubborn about keeping their hair length as it is, here are a couple of options for the summer to help you stay cool.Braided hairThe most noticeable hair trend for this summer is braided hair.At the New York Fashion Week last winterJun 11, 2013
Hologram helps K-pop Girls’ Generation performs during the “2013 Girls’ Generation World Tour — Girls & Peace” concert held on June 8 and 9 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in southern Seoul. Members’ holographic images are projected onto a stage backdrop. / Korea TimesBy Park Jin-haiGirls’ Generation concerts show where the future of K-pop lies ― holographic back projection.In the nine-member girl group’s “2013 Girls’ Generation World Tour – Girls & Peace,” hologram technology was used during their performance.The concerts held on June 8 and 9 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in southern Seoul, had members’ holographic images projected onto a stage backdrop.The images, appeared in the opening song “Hoot.”“The heart of our concert today is holograms,” said Tae-yeon, at a press conference before the concert.Holography is a technology that enables 3D images of the singers to be projected onto a backdrop. Major entertainment agencies including SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment joineJun 11, 2013By Park Jin-hai
Seoul trains migrant wives as tour guide The Seoul Metropolitan government is receiving applications from migrant wives and husbands for a tour guide training program starting today via its website www.mcfamily.or.kr.To become a tour guide in Korea, one must be able to deliver Korea’s history, culture and tourist attractions to foreigners in their respective languages and facilitate entrance and departure into Korea. It also requires a state-certified license.The city of Seoul is expecting to ease the short supply of tour guides with language abilities of East Asian countries while at the same time alleviating unemployment and resulting economic difficulties facing interracial families.The program will run from July through October with 100 migrant wives and husbands who can speak languages from such Asian countries as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are eligible to apply. Once the trainees receive the state license, the city will also help in their job search starting in December.The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said that there were a total of 220,687 migrant wives and husbands in Korea as of JanuJun 10, 2013
SK helps sick Vietnamese kids Vietnamese children, Korean medical staff, and SK group and SK student volunteers pose before operations for facial deformities at a hospital in Binh Dinh, Vietnam. / Courtesy of the SK Group By Kim Ji-soo SK Group, in conjunction with Smile for Children, said Monday that it treated 200 Vietnamese children through “Operation Smile” from June 1 to 8 in Binh Dinh, Vietnam. The children living in remote areas had facial deformities that sometimes hurt them emotionally as well as physically.About 30 Korean doctors and members of SK’s student volunteer group took part in the treatment. In addition, SK and Smile for Children donated equipment, materials and medicine to local medical institutions and relayed medical skills and knowhow.SK Group has been involved in the project since 1996, and to date 3,200 children have received treatment. The group said the project is part of its contribution to children here and overseas to grow and in return contribute to their nation’s economic growth.In China, the group has been supporting the quiz showJun 10, 2013
Celebs set new wedding trends By Park Si-soo June has long been preferred as the “month of weddings” in Korea; and this year has lived up to its name.Not even halfway through the month, there are already several celebrities who have unveiled their spouse-to-be or actually tied the knot. Perhaps those who stirred the biggest media frenzy were actor Lee Byung-hun and popular TV anchorwoman Jung Sae-jin.The 43-year-old actor, who made his Hollywood debut in 2011 and had his hands imprinted in front of the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles last year, surprised the public last week with the announcement of his marriage with top actress Lee Min-jung on Aug. 10. On the same day, by coincidence or not, the 40-year-old anchorwoman of the country’s biggest TV station KBS said she will marry her boy friend on June 21.Star’s weddings always draw massive public attention. And many new brides and grooms feel tempted to follow the way their favorite star hosts his/her own wedding ceremony.More important, stars’ weddings are a showcase of new marriage trends. In this regard, the two celebritieJun 10, 2013
