Sexy, free and singleBy Kim Ji-soo “Every single day try. We’re almost there… Sexy, free & single, all preparations have been made. Sexy, free & single, I’m ready to bingo.” Those are the first lines of Super Junior’s latest hit, “Sexy, Free & Single,” carried on its album released in July. Since their debut in the winter of 2005, the 13-member Super Junior have worked diligently. The group is now down to 10, with Hee Chul serving his military service. “We’re different from J-pop and pop music in China in that we both sing and perform. The singers in China and Taiwan are gradually adapting our style, but our mix of singing and performance is still rare in other countries,” said Lee Tuek, 29, leader of the group. Lee is talking about the “Super Show.” They recently wrapped up their “Super Show 4” with an encore performance in Seoul in late May, after touring Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Jakarta, Macau, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. Their two-day encore performance in Seoul drew some 22,000 people. When they performed at the Tokyo Dome on May 12 and 13, a total of 110,000 JaSep 4, 2012By Kim Ji-soo
Super Junior reigns supremeThis is the 11th in a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “hallyu” or Korean wave, which is gaining global popularity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times produces this special project in cooperation with the Korean Foundation and CJ E&M. — ED. By Kim Ji-soo, Rachel Lee Young K-pop fans may have killed for the chance that we’ve had: to walk backstage on M Countdown, a popular cable television music program. Stepping inside Thursday, we saw immaculately-styled Sung Min, a member of Super Junior, whiz by us. Then up ahead, in the room with a paper sign showing the group’s name on the door, there was Shin Dong having his violet-colored hair styled up, as Si Won stepped out and with a manner worthy of a world star said hello to his interviewers. With its 10 members executing dance moves and addictive tunes in perfect unison, Super Junior is topping the charts in Korea, Taiwan and China, and selling out seats in the Tokyo Dome. But that hasn’t stopped the group and its talented members from evolving. When they debuted seven years ago, they wereSep 4, 2012By Kim Ji-soo
Psy's 'Gangnam Style' set to break 100 mil. YouTube viewsThe free online music video of "Gangnam Style," a new hit single by Korean rapper-singer Psy, is expected to break the 100 million mark in YouTube views soon. The video had attracted 95 million views by Monday night, only 50 days after it was put on the free video-sharing service, YouTube said Tuesday. Psy, whose real Korean name is Park Jae-sang, was not previously well known outside his country but rose to stardom on YouTube for his "Gangnam Style" music video in which he performs a comical horse-riding dance. Interest in the singer has doubled since the video was covered by major foreign news media outlets, including CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and the weekly news magazine Time last month. The song and dance have since gone viral and become an Internet meme, with Nelly Furtado dancing "Gangnam Style" in a concert and Jay Leno showing a parody of Mitt Romney arriving at the GOP convention performing the dance. Psy said he was bemused at such an explosive response. "I experience all these for the first time. I feel like reaching my peak for thSep 4, 2012
How a chubby Korean man got the world to danceBy Kwaak Je-yup, Rachel Lee If you thought the Oscars were too boring, try watching the Korean award ceremonies at the end of the year. Tied down by decorum, everybody forces themselves to stay serious and modest; actresses with plunging necklines remain buttoned up in demeanor. The same could be said about K-pop. The industry has so strenuously tried to break into the United States, the world’s largest record market, with its mix of faultlessly produced electro-pop, complex choreography and toned thighs but has hitherto been unsuccessful because it lacks humor. So seeing someone as funny as Psy achieve fame in America should not come as a surprise, although many pundits here and abroad seem to be scrambling for an overly complex — serious — answer. The 34-year-old rapper’s music video for “Gangnam Style,” his latest single, became an Internet sensation with 65 million views on YouTube and countless parodies worldwide simply because it is a highly amusing video with catchy music and dance moves. It is light entertainment, not a political message, mostly. PAug 28, 2012
Wonder Girls to begin Asia tour next monthKorean music group Wonder Girls will start its Asian tour in Singapore next month, the event's organizer said Thursday. The group has so far visited the United States and Asian countries many times for joint performances with other K-pop singers. It, however, would be the first time that the group has toured around Asian nations for solo performances. According to CJ E&M, the "Wonder World Tour 2012" will begin in Singapore on Sept. 8 and will continue in four other Asian nations till November. The four are Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam. The company said the Vietnam performance scheduled for late November, in particular, was hailed by the group's fans there because they rarely have a chance to see K-pop singers live. "We organized the concert in part to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Vietnam. We hope the concert will help further spread the boom of K-pop in Vietnam and boost exchanges between the two nations," an official with the entertainment company said. Meanwhile, the girl group will visit the New York-based radio staAug 23, 2012
Paris Hilton to appear in Korean music videoBy Rachel Lee Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton is to appear in a music video of Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon. According to his agency on Wednesday, the celebrity will make an appearance in the video for the 45-year-old’s title track for his 10th studio album, to be released on Oct.4. Hilton, 31, the great granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels is also a businesswoman and fashion designer. She is known for her hard-partying lifestyle and active modelling career. The agency added that she has been cast thanks to her high popularity among other candidates including Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson. “She accepted our proposal because Kim is a well-known musician in Korea,” the agency said. The three-day shoot will take place in Los Angeles and a Malibu beach in California on Thursday. Some 1.5 billion won will be spent on the 3D video production. “There will be a lot of experienced crew at the filming and we will produce the best music video ever,” the singer’s agency in America said. Kim is well known for his love of Dokdo and donations to chaAug 22, 2012
K-drama leads ‘hallyu’This is the 10th in a 15-part series on the stars and trends of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, which is gaining popularity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times is producing this special project in cooperation with the Korea Foundation and CJ E&M. — ED. By Kwon Mee-yoo, Rachel Lee A variety of soap operas, from trendy shows to epic series, grace the small screen from morning till night. The popularity of Korean TV dramas has spilled over the nation’s borders since the late 1990s, igniting “hallyu,” or the Korean wave. The biggest hit of the first half of this year is MBC’s “The Moon Embracing the Sun,” which aired from January to March. Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Han Ga-in, it portrayed a love story between a fictional king and a female shaman during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). It recorded an average viewer rating of 32.9 percent, which peaked at 42.2 percent for the last episode. Based on the domestic hit, the broadcast rights were sold to several Asian countries — including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines — and reacheAug 21, 2012
Oh Ji-ho: shrewd actor hidden behind dimplesBy Kwaak Je-yup Ask any Korean entertainment fan about heartthrob actor Oh Ji-ho and you would most likely receive an answer related to his signature smile. The singular focus on his facial expression — as well as his even more famous dimple — has been a mixed blessing. His good-guy image led him to be typecast in romantic comedy roles for most of his 15-year career, hitting a peak in MBC drama “Wife Queen” (2009), where he played the nice but not so bright husband to co-star Kim Nam-joo’s character. Then, in 2010, he wiped out that stereotype, playing an extremely serious general in period TV series “Chuno” (Slave Hunters) on KBS. It does not seem a coincidence that he returns as another Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) warrior in the ice-stealing comedy “The Grand Heist” (Korean release title: Gone with the Wind) by Kim Joo-ho, yet according to Oh, he only thought about the bigger picture before accepting the role — putting aside the risk of falling into another typecast trap. “I was filming a drama co-produced by Korea, Japan and China last summer when the Aug 14, 2012
Gov't to expand program to cultivate Korean culture expertsThe government will expand both in quality and quantity its education program for aspiring creators of content related to traditional Korean culture, the culture ministry said Wednesday. The ministry has offered a month-long education course on traditional Korean culture for producers, scriptwriters and others with creative jobs in the broadcasting and movie industries, since April, so they can play a role in increasing the world's awareness of Korean traditional culture through their work. It has recently renamed the program originally called "K-Arts Academy" to "Hallyu Academy," hoping their deep understanding of traditional culture will enrich contemporary cultural products, helping to continue "hallyu" or the rising worldwide boom of Korean pop music, films and TV dramas. To help participants get a deeper understanding of the culture, the ministry said it will double the total length of the education to 60-80 hours per person and run five courses -- one for beginners and four others for advanced-level takers -- starting in the second half of this year. Chiefs of varioAug 8, 2012
SISTAR: Unpredictable girls ready to grow up but no too fastBy Kwaak Je-yup As the girls of SISTAR settled down in the sofas of their dressing room backstage at SBS’s weekly K-pop show Sunday, it was striking how comfortable they looked, despite the presence of a reporter they had never met before. First to find her spot, Soyou, 20, asked for her poofy Rilakkuma pillow and kept the Japanese bear character in her arms. “It was a gift from a fan,” she said. “I carry it around with me everywhere I go.” Bora, the eldest at age 22, sat down to her left, impeccably dressed and with flawless make-up on, while the 19-year-old Dasom, the youngest of the four, rushed back from a break and found a seat on Soyou’s opposite side, eyes sparkling. Hyolyn, 21, the vocal powerhouse of the group, was sitting quietly in front of a mirror as stylists frantically brushed the locks of her hair. They were stars with a string of No. 1 hits in their discography, but nothing about their easygoing and cheerful demeanor seemed to suggest any diva attitude. “Are we popular abroad?” said Bora and Soyou in unison, when asked about their place in hallyu, oAug 7, 2012