Korea's Moon wins short film award Moon Byoung-gon, center, is presented the Best Short Film award for his film “Safe” by actor Mads Mikkelson, left, and director Jane Campion. / AP-YonhapKorean director Moon Byoung-gon won the top prize for short films for "Safe" at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival on Sunday.It marks the first time that a Korean film has won an award for a short film at Cannes."Safe," the winner of the Short Film Palme d'Or, draws a sad portrait of contemporary people through a female college student working part-time at an exchange booth in a gambling parlor and a gambling-addicted man."I'm bewildered and didn't know if I would win a prize. I'm all the more happy to receive this award because I completely had no expectation that I'd win," Moon told Yonhap News Agency after the awards ceremony.No Korean feature film was invited for this year's event.The 30-year-old director studied film at Seoul's Chung-Ang University and has director two shorts -- "No More Coffee Break" (2008) and "Finis Operis" (2011). The latter film was featured at Cannes in its Critics' WeekMay 27, 2013
MBLAQ discloses teaser photo Five-member group MBLAQ released a teaser photo of their upcoming album Monday.Titled “Smoky Girl,” the group’s talent agency J. Tune Camp released the single cover artwork featuring an image of a girl applying neon-colored lipstick.The group engineered by K-pop star Rain has announced a return to performing on June 4 with what will be its fifth mini-album. The album is tentatively titled “Sexy Beat,” and is expected to contain several songs written by the members – Seungho, G.O, Lee Joon, Cheondung and Mir. The concept of “sexy” and “smoky” is prevalent in recent works by such K-pop stars as Lee Hyo-ri who sports sexy make-up for her songs “Miss Korea” and “Bad Girl.”The group 2NE1’s leader CL today will release solo album with a track titled “The Baddest Female,” which originally had the same title as “Bad Girl,” but was changed at the last minute.Mir recently dropped out of the popular entertainment program “Real Men,”aired on MBC, for the promotion. CheondMay 27, 2013
Hallyu to become bigger and better A scene from "Winter Sonata"By Jesus Christopher S. Jesena Hallyu, also known to many as the Korean wave, has spread all over the world like a bush fire. From dramas, music, fashion, food and even cosmetics, the popularity of Korea has definitely increased exponentially in such a short period of time.This sudden popularity has been really good for Korea in so many ways. This unexpected fame brought about by the Korea wave has definitely helped the image of South Korea abroad. Before the start of the Korean wave, most people from Western Countries didn’t really know a lot about South Korea, other than what they learned from history books.The Korean War was probably the first thing that came to mind when people were asked what they knew about South Korea but because of the Korean wave, a lot of people have become more and more interested in South Korea to the point where people from other countries are learning the Korean language. This is just one of the many positive effects of the Korean wave.The Korean wave started with the popularity of Korean dramas. Korean dramas had May 27, 2013
'Hybrid' character products mar originals Legal loophole responsible for generating fakes Mashiporo, a “hybrid doll” combining Pororo and MashimaroPororo, The little penguinMashimaroBy Chung Ah-youngWhere can you buy a doll with Hello Kitty’s face on Pooh’s body for your children? This is happening in Korea where diverse “hybrid” children’s character merchandise mixing fictional icons are widely produced and bought. Arcade machines are a main channel to get various “hybrid” dolls; from Mashiporo, a combination of Pororo, the little penguin, known as “the president for children,” and Mashimaro, a fictional rabbit; to a doll with Pucca’s face and Rilakkuma’s body. Sometimes Mashimaro wears Spider Man’s costume. According to the Korea Copyright Commission, such fusion character-inspired goods are sold at a price 70 percent lower than originals ― a market worth 1.6 trillion won or one fifth of the original character goods sales.Naturally this has dealt a serious blow to small and medium-sized manufacturers of originMay 27, 2013
Owall publishes English fairy tale Local publisher Owall Communications has launched a package of fairy tale books written in English in an ambitious drive to sell them in foreign countries.The company, headed by Song Jun-sik, said Friday that the package has 30 books, 14 story-telling CDs and an animation DVD. The target readers range from preschool children to primary school students, the company said. The Chinese version of the books is set to be released soon, it added.“We have made a great effort to make the books the best in quality,” Song said in a statement. “I expect many parents will be interested in the premium fairy tale books.” The Korean version of the books was launched in February and hit the jackpot on online social commerce websites. The English-written package is priced at 285,000 won ($253). May 26, 2013
Korea's growth model on demand Foreign students attend a class on the Saemaul Movement at an auditorium of the Korea Saemaul Undong Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, inthis file photo taken on Nov. 15, 2011. Up to 240 students from 46 countries mainly in Asia and Africa took part in the program./ Korea Times file Developing countries keenly follow late Prime Minister Nam’s legacyNam Duck-wooLate former Prime MinisterBy Park Si-sooAn old saying goes, “Tigers die and leave their skins; people die and leave their names.” Perhaps it’s hard to find a better example than former Prime Minister Nam Duck-woo to clarify the dictum that highlights the everlasting value of human achievements.Nam has passed away, but, as the maxim suggests, the legacy of the architect of the country’s post-war economic growth model under President Park Chung-hee will likely go on. The strategy, credited for lifting the country from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War to one of the world’s economic powers, is expected to evolve with various studies and research, and is being exported to underdevelopMay 26, 2013
Conservative cable TV recycles ousted politicos Yoo Jung-hyunKang Yong-seokBy Baek Byung-yeulPoliticians who fail to get reelected or get into hot water now have a venue to start their comebacks: cable television.Driving this trend are new cable television channels launched last year, which are engaged in a ratings grab and apparently not afraid to take risks to win viewers.Last week, former lawmaker Yoo Jung-hyun, 45, appeared as a guest on tvN program “Taxi,” in an apparent bid to get back on the country’s radar after failing to secure a nomination from the Saenuri Party during last year’s general election.Yoo - who debuted in 1993 as an anchor on SBS TV - eventually stood as an independent candidate in last year’s polls, but lost. His appearance on Taxi signaled his return to the media.“I won’t be a politician ever again,” he told “Taxi.”“As a lawmaker, I inevitably had to tarnish others, and I hated it,” he said, appearing alongside ousted conservative politician Kang Yong-seok.Yoo has hosted a variety of entertainment shows through which he cultivated a lMay 26, 2013By Baek Byung-yeul
Summer to sees sizzling comebacks K-pop girl group Rainbow is expected to release the second part to its album titled “Rainbow Syndrome” in June, earlier than originally planned as several other groups and singers are making their comebacks in June and July. / YonhapRainbow, 2NE1’s CL, BEAST and other K-pop singers set to return for summerBy Kim Ji-sooIf last year was the one for the rookies with the debut of about 30 newcomer K-pop boy and girl groups, familiar faces and veteran K-pop singers such as 2PM and 4minute have returned so far this year.And as the summer starts in earnest just ahead of June, more female solo singers, K-pop girl and boy groups are joining the domestic rush. Girls in droves Leading the female singers and groups is sexy diva Lee Hyo-ri, 34, who released her 5th album “MONOCHROME” on May 21. Singles such as “Miss Korea” and “Bad Girl” from the album are high on the domestic music charts.Suh In-young, 29, formerly of the girl group Jewelry, is expected to grace more music stages since her solo release on May 15 May 24, 2013By Kim Ji-soo
Akdong Musicians to join hands with YG Akdong Musicians, a sibling duo who won the top prize at “K-Pop Star 2” audition in AprilThe Akdong Musicians, the young brother and sister duo who won “K-Pop Star 2,” will sign up for YG Entertainment.YG announced on Friday they are in the final stages of finalizing a contract with the duo’s parents and expect it to be signed within days.“We believed YG would be the best place to support our music. We’d like to make good songs in a better environment,” said Lee Chan-hyuk, 16, and Soo-hyun, 13.The Akdong Musicians became a sensation here when they sang their self-written songs on the televised music contest. Their songs “Don’t Cross Your Legs,” “You are Attractive,” and “Is it Ramen?” swept local music charts when they were released.“We will play the role of the frame of a picture. They will paint the picture, and we will not add any layers of paints on it,” said Yang Hyun-suk, CEO of YG Entertainment.“We will retain their freshness and ingenuity.”As the top prize wiMay 24, 2013By Park Jin-hai
Filipino wives have opportunity to visit home By Park Jin-haiMulticultural households with Philippine migrant wives were given a rare chance to visit their families back home, Thursday.The “Homeland Visit Event,” jointly organized by the Korean Red Cross and the Korea Airports Corporation, gave round-trip tickets to 30 households with a total of 111 family members, allowing them a trip home they couldn’t afford because of economic woes they faced in Korea. The multicultural family members will stay in the Philippines from 10 to 15 days and each family also received 500,000 won in cash to use during their stay.“Due to the economic conditions, I couldn’t go to my country and stand beside my father’s death bed. I am so grateful now that I can go and visit my ailing mother for the first time in about 16 years,” said Margarito Gado, a 46-year-old housewife living in Busan who is a beneficiary of the program.The organizers have hosted the event every year since 2010 as a corporate social responsibility program.Under the program, multicultural migrant women and their families that couldn’May 24, 2013By Park Jin-hai
