Kim Yu-na to model Post's 'Light up' ad Figure skater Kim Yu-naDongsuh Foods announced Tuesday it will hire figure skating queen Kim Yu-na for Post’s new “Light up” cereal advertising campaign.“We cannot think of a better person. She has a great firm body due to years of training,” said a marketing manager of the food company.“That corresponds to the company’s ideal of leading a healthy life.”The firm expects the commercial to appeal to women on diets seeking healthy food while keeping their weight down..The figure skating phenomenon is a sought-after celebrity in advertising circles, since products she endorses enjoy brisk sales thanks to her image that appeals to all.Appearing on a TV program, Kim said she eats Korean food for breakfast, salad or fruit for lunch and cereal or fruit for dinner. She also posted photos of her eating cereal on her social network service sites, in her role as the company’s new model, according to the official. Apr 17, 2013By Park Jin-hai
'Sweat is smell of Korean dream' A foreigner purchases donuts at a street bakery run by Chinese immigrants at Wongok-dong, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAnsan is test bed for multiculturalismThe Korea Times is launching a year-long series under the title of “Multiculturalism: The Great Experiment.” The series is designed to highlight the influx of migrant workers and brides into the country in pursuit of the “Korean dream.” Korea is rapidly moving toward a multicultural society with growing racial and cultural diversity. In promoting multiculturalism, the nation is undertaking a great social experiment, the success of which depends on whether Koreans can quickly become cosmopolitan in their outlook and tolerant in accepting people from diverse cultures. The following article is the first in the series, reporting the storApr 17, 2013
Hite Jinro exports 'ZERO' to Japan Hite Jinro Beverage will export its non-alcohol beer “ZERO ZERO ZERO” to Japan, where the non-alcohol beverage market has been expanding explosively.The nation’s No. 1 beer and soju producer announced Monday it has closed a deal with Japanese distributor Kasuga and will ship 120,000 cases annually worth 3.5 billion won. The first shipment of 10,000 cases is scheduled to leave Busan on Saturday.The non-alcohol beer is locally touted as an “All-Free” type, with zero-calories, zero-sugar and zero-alcohol.“We have been exporting over 200,000 cases of non-alcohol beverages every year since 2011,” said an overseas marketing manager.“But, we will adopt more aggressive marketing strategies in the near future, such as finding more overseas distributors to beef up sales.”Hite Jinro seeks to make inroads to the Japanese market, whose non-alcohol sector was up 143 percent in 2012 at 40.5 million cases from a year earlier. Apr 17, 2013By Park Jin-hai
Psy's 'Gentleman' hits 100 million views Psy and his dancers perform during his concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday. His “Gentleman” musicvideo amassed more than 100 million views only four days after it was released on YouTube. / Korea Times fileNew clip sets record for 20 million single-day hitsBy Park Si-sooPsy’s “Gentleman” music video amassed more than 100 million views in only four days on YouTube, far outperforming the 36-year-old singer’s previous smash “Gangnam Style” and creating another viral hit.The clip, released at 9 p.m. Saturday (KST), surpassed 100 million around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, according to YG Entertainment, Psy’s management agency.It marks fApr 17, 2013
Black Yak looks to sweep Europe, China Premium mountain wear brand aims to earn 4 trillion won in Europe sales in 2020By Park Si-soo, Park Jin-jaiJung Woon-suk, president of Black Yak, said the mountain wear firm will have 800 outlets across China by 2015. / Courtesy of Black YakMountain climbing is known to have originated in Europe. Given this, it might seem natural for European brands to lead the markets in mountain clothing and climbing gear.However, for Black Yak, a leading outdoor sportswear manufacturer in Korea, this is something of an old-fashioned view. The company is now flexing its corporate muscles in the mountain wear segment ㅡ with a “Black Yak” product range. “We are establishing a business presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, three core outdoor sportswear markets in Europe,” Jung Woon-suk, president of Black Yak, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “These three counties are considered to be the birthplace of mountain climbing. A successful debut in these markeApr 17, 2013
Psy's new video tops 100 million hits on YouTube South Korean rapper Psy's new video, "Gentleman," recorded more than 100 million hits on YouTube Wednesday, less than five days after its release.The clip, released at 9 p.m. Saturday, surpassed 100 million around 5 a.m. on Wednesday.It marks far faster growth in the number of YouTube hits than his previous mega-hit video, "Gangnam Style." "Style" topped 100 million views in 51 days after it was posted. It remains the most-viewed YouTube video with more than more than 1.5 billion hits. Apr 17, 2013
'Three-strike' rule for stalkers; size matters for T-ara By Kim Tong-hyungHere’s your midweek update on the stories in entertainment and media you might have missed while reading about Psy galloping into self-parody or because your life is probably a lot more fulfilling than ours.That’s three "nos,’’ you sick stalker In face of increasingly aggressive threats from North Korea, it was mind-boggling that the first thing Park Geun-hye’s Cabinet decided to do last month was to rewrite the penalties for minor offenses.According to the changes that were enforced on March 22, anyone wearing overly-revealing clothes in public can now be tagged with a fine of 50,000 won (about $44). An 80,000 won fine was set for stalking. Neither of these actions was considered remotely as bad as ticket scalping, which will bring a 160,000 won fine. Interestingly, the police guideline on punishable stalking didn’t include this kind of behavior. &nApr 16, 2013
Stanford University opemsp Korean studies program Director Shin Gi-wookStanford University campusBy Shim Jae-yun Stanford University of the United States recently set up a Korean studies course for American high school students. The “Sejong Scholar Program” will be provided free of charge and in English. It will cover Korea’s history, culture, religion, arts, politics and relations with the United States. The university said 60 students applied for the program from across the U.S. and 27 were selected through deliberation on their academic records, recommendations and essays. The university’s Asia Pacific Research Center is initiating the program with assistance from the Korea Foundation. Noted Korean studies scholars are taking part in the program, including center director Shin Gi-wook; associate director David Straub; Charles Armstrong, director of the Korean Studies Center at Colombia University; and Michael Robinson, a professor at Indiana University. Japan has been conducting a similar program for the last 10 years. Those who undergo the program may get credits from the uniApr 16, 2013
K- beauty products hot overseas Cosmetics exports up 32 percent, surpassing imports for 1st timeBy Park Jin-haiFor the first time Korea exported more cosmetics products than were imported – thought to be thanks to the growing popularity of "hallyu" (Korean wave), coupled with efficient marketing strategies.Exports of cosmetic brands stood at $1.1 billion in 2012, up by 32.6 percent from a year earlier, while imports remained at $978 million, according to the Korea Pharmaceutical Traders Association (KPTA).Amore Pacific, LG Household and Healthcare and Missha proved especially strong in oversea markets.Amore’s exports grew 35 percent to reach $442.8 million from the previous year, quadruple the domestic sales.LG Household saw its overseas sales grow 31.4 percent, to $232.3 million, while Missha's exports rose 32 percent to the value of 28.3 billion dollars.Market analysts attributed the better-than-expected results to several factors: localization, distribution, brand-image and market diversification strategies.An increasing number of exporting companies, based on the Apr 16, 2013By Park Jin-hai
Psy success hikes brands' image Psy smiles with food company CJ’s company logo as a backdrop during a press conference held ahead of his concert at Seoul World Cup Stadium Saturday. / YonhapBy Park Si-sooIn this time of an economic slowdown, Psy’s release last Saturday of his new single “Gentleman” brought rare good news for companies that have signed up the 36-year-old pop star for their commercials.The stock prices of instant noodle maker Nongshim and alcohol maker Hite-Jinro shot up Monday as Psy’s new music video passed more than 50 million views on YouTube, and may replicate the worldwide sensation of “Gangnam Style.” Buyers expect this will lead to brisker sales in overseas markets.NongsApr 15, 2013
