Who are 4minute?By Rachel Lee With their bouncy, boisterous character, 4minute are known to us for hits such as “Hot Issue,” and “Heart To Heart.” The five-member K-pop girl group were formed by Cube Entertainment in 2009. Its members are Kwon So-hyun, 17, Heo Ga-yoon, 22, Kim Hyun-a, 19, Nam Ji-hyun, 22, and Jeon Ji-yoon, 21. Each one is truly passionate about music and has pursued a variety of training programs including language classes to improve themselves. They made a successful debut in June 2009 with the single “Hot Issue.” Since their first release, the girls have endeavored to become a leading group by setting trends and constantly trying new things. The most recent EP “Volume Up” attracted much public and media attention for their provocative outfits nd dancing, which the group describes as a “vampire look.” The EP comprises of seven tracks with both ballads and dance tracks featuring “Femme Fatale,” and “Black Cat.” Kim, a former member of the Wonder Girls, also has a solo career. She released her first single “Change,” which became hugely popular followed by such EPs “TrMay 29, 2012
Girl power fuels 4minute5-member act makes bold sounds, sexiness their own By Kwaak Je-yup Even from the first note of their debut single, it is easy to tell: 4minute is not just another girl group. The sounds and words are wild and free — uninhibited — a rarity in an industry that prefers to keep all material fine-tuned for maximum listener friendliness. Since their debut in June 2009, the five member group has conspicuously gone against the grain, keeping their distance from the sweet, girlish or cutesy formula that works so well for the competition. Off-stage and in their studio for an interview, these stars looked and acted more like other girls in their age range, 17 to 22, refreshingly carefree and contagiously youthful. Bubbling with excitement, the five talked simultaneously, cutting each other off or bursting out laughing in unison when someone was still speaking. More often than not, it is hard to keep track. “We’re a girl group, but we have this hard, edgy image ...” said Kim Hyun-a, 19, the best-known member who is also established as a solo performer. “I loMay 29, 2012
YouTube celebrates 7th anniversary with K-popBy Kwon Mee-yoo As YouTube celebrated its seventh anniversary, K-pop singers from TVXQ to Kara performed and rocked Silicon Valley. YouTube, which is now Google/YouTube, and Korean broadcaster MBC co-hosted Monday the “MBC Korean Music Wave in Google” at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., to celebrate the anniversary of the world’s largest video sharing service. Google took over YouTube five years ago. More than 20,000 K-pop fans formed a queue almost 1 kilometer long to enter the theater and sing along to the songs of Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, Super Junior, B2ST, MBLAQ, f(x) and Sistar. Alex Carloss, head of entertainment at YouTube, said K-pop has now become a “phenomenon” but was surprised that the 22,000-seat theater sold out within an hour. Some 6,000 Google and YouTube employees and their families also enjoyed the concert. Google originally planned to hold the concert at a smaller venue at its headquarters, but moved to the bigger Shoreline Amphitheatre due to requests from local K-pop fans. The concert was streamed live through YouTMay 23, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
Modernity, tradition coexist in 'Carmen Mota's Alma'By Rachel Lee Spanish flamenco queen Carmen Mota, 76, is back in Seoul with her latest show titled “Carmen Mota’s Alma,” which will premiere in Korea May 23. Mota will present her 10th creation in which dance becomes a melting pot that combines tradition with tendencies in 20th century Spanish dance. The Spanish word “alma” means “soul.” The legendary dancer is known for mixing traditional flamenco with tango, contemporary dance and Mexican rhythms. She describes her latest work as “the return of a company of artists to international stages, giving the best of themselves, of their art and of their souls,” she told the promoters of the show in March. Korean audiences can expect a series of dances based on scores by renowned composers of popular Spanish rhythms. The audience will travel to a world that reviews the purest flamenco to the most innovative concepts of classical Spanish ballet. She has worked with two other choreographers Joaquin Marcelo and Antonio Najarro to produce the first part of the show. Traditional flamenco merges with tango, jazz and contempMay 18, 2012
Actor who almost has unibrowBy Kim Ji-soo What do Korean actor Song Seung-heon and Robert Pattinson, protagonist in the “Twilight” saga in common? Both of them have good looks that are complimented by their eyebrows. For some fans of the 35-year-old Korean actor, the similarities would go a step further. He never ages as if he were Edward Cullen, the vampire played by Pattinson in the movie adaptations of Stephanie Meyer’s adolescent books. Already in the business for 16 years, he has hopped from one genre to another ― tragedy to comedy. He made his name with “Autumn in My Heart” in 2002. In 2011, he showed his star power yet again with the successful drama “My Princess.” Now, a year after the successful airing of the show on MBC television, Song will return with “Time Slip Dr. Jin,” an adaptation of a Japanese “anime” about time travel. Song is regarded as a member of the Korean quartet, four leading Korean actors who have powered ‘hallyu” or the Korean wave. As cliche goes, it is his good looks that prove to be his limiting factor. Critics say that he still has a long way tMay 15, 2012By Kim Ji-soo
Pioneering 'hallyu' actor Song returnsBy Kwon Mee-yoo Heartthrob Song Seung-heon is coming back to his fans through the small screen. Despite 16 years passing since his debut, Song, 35, remains as handsome and single as ever, coupled now with better acting ability. As one of the pioneers of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, his popularity continues to the rise, both in Korea and overseas. Song began his career in 1995 as a model and then starred in dramas such as “A￢ utumn in My Heart” (2000) and “Summer Scent” (2003). He tried taking on a tough image in the 2008 drama “East of Eden” then turned into the perfect man in the romantic comedy “My Princess” (2011). Returning from a year hiatus, Song is ready to rock the small screen again by appearing in the MBC drama “Time Slip Dr. Jin,” which will begin airing on May 26. Based on the original comic by Japanese Murakami Motokai, it has been previously dramatized in Japan. The actor plays Jin Hyeok, a smart and cold-hearted surgeon who takes a journey back through time to the late 19th century Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). This time warp will be portrayed in his costMay 15, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea pursues 'hallyu' initiatives30 language institutes will be set up around world every year By Do Je-hae As part of efforts to boost the staying power of “hallyu” or the Korean wave, the government plans to set up language institutes around the world — 30 or more every year. Plus, the current Romanization system, already 10 years in existence, will be fixed in order to enable foreigners to read Korean words closer to their original pronunciation. During a recent interview with The Korea Times, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choe Kwang-shik said, “I find that people who have watched Korean TV dramas tend to become enthusiastic in learning our language as well. In this regard, we will build more sejonghakdang, or Korean-learning institutes, in the coming years.” Sejong was the fourth king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) credited with the creation of the Korean alphabet. The sejonghakdang program was first started in 2007 with 12 facilities in major cities such as Tokyo and New York. These language classes take place at overseas Korean cultural centers or in universities that have dMay 14, 2012By Do Je-hae
Sustaining, expanding Korean waveBy Do Je-hae Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik recently handed out copies of “True Colors of Hallyu” (Maekyung Publishing) to all 700 officials of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 23. Since taking office in September 2011, Choe has placed the expansion of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, at the forefront of his agenda. By distributing this book, he wants to send a message; this is no time to be complacent about the partial success of hallyu. It cautions against hasty predictions that hallyu will become a major trend in the world’s cultural landscape. He presents a dozen surveys including one conducted among 3,600 people in nine countries (Brazil, China, Japan, France, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States) that signal ominous prospects for the future of the Korean wave. More than 60 percent of the respondents said that hallyu will only last for the next five years of less. The limitations of the cultural trend are also apparent in consumer statistics. The book states that around 98 percent of hallyu-related exports remain insMay 14, 2012By Do Je-hae
White club ‘monster‘ hits Asia Electronic music fest to open in July with Le Grand By Kwaak Je-yup Organizers say it is like no other music festival or mega club. Along with world-famous DJs spinning the turntables, Cirque de Soleil-like theatrics with acrobatic dancers flying around on harnesses and larger-than-life stage props enliven the ecstatic partiers. Welcome to Sensation, the Dutch project that is in a league of its own in the crowded electronic dance music festival circuit. And for the first time this summer it is coming to Asia. The creators ID&T, backed by Heineken, are bringing the show to Seoul, its debut on the continent on July 21, before Bangkok and Kaoshiung, Taiwan. “The Ocean of White,” which first premiered in Amsterdam in 2008, will take place at the KINTEX exhibition space in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, just northwest of Seoul. It is headlined by two of today’s hottest house music sensations, Fedde Le Grand from the Netherlands and Sebsastien Leger from France. Funkagenda and Nic Fanciulli are also among the initially announced headliners. Riding on the popularity of elMay 6, 2012
SHINee keep changing for fansBoy band tireless in making cutting-edge music, dance their own This is the second of a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “hallyu,” or Korean wave, which is gaining global popularity particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times produces this special project in cooperation with the Korea Foundation and CJ E&M. — ED. By Kwaak Je-yup When the five members of SHINee (pronounced SHY-nee) sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho and Taemin sacrificed a much-need break before a live performance. But they wore their professional faces, eager to take their best shot at explaining the reason behind their success. “We show something new with every release,” said Onew. “Initially, we can feel a bit awkward (in the new shoes), but then we fill them.” “We don’t follow trends,” Jonghyun added. “That’s probably why.” But that fails to rationalize how the four-year-old group upstaged agency mates such as Girls’ Generation and Super Junior with more experience under their belts, at SM Entertainment’s collectiveMay 1, 2012