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
Culture ministry, biz bodies to launch body to support ‘hallyu‘ Korea's culture ministry and business bodies, led by the Federation of Korean Industries, will launch a government-business organization to support the popular culture known here as "hallyu," or the Korean wave, as a means of enhancing businesses' competitive edge, the ministry said Thursday. Major business organizations, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea International Trade Association, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business and the Korea Federation of Banks, will join with industrial associations that have relationships with the development of hallyu. The related industry bodies include the Korea Cosmetics Association, the Korea Food Industry Association, the Korea Tourism Association and the Korea Association of Information and Telecommunication Promotion. Experts on the contents industry from government and private research institutes and representatives from the entertainment business will also participate in the council. The body, tentatively dubbed the "Hallyu Support Council," will hold an inaugural meeting in Seoul Friday andApr 26, 2012
World grows smaller for boy band CNBLUEThis is the first of a 15-part series on the stars and trends in “hallyu,” or the 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 Since their 2009 debut in Korea, CNBLUE have been one of the few rock bastions in the ultra-competitive local music scene dominated by danceable electro-pop. Their lasting success has comforted some about the continuing mainstream appeal of rock, while detractors have accused them of packaging innocuous poppy sounds, even calling them a “fake band.” At a recent interview with the four members, front man Jung Yong-hwa, bassist Lee Jung-shin, guitarist Lee Jong-hyun and drummer Kang Min-hyuk, seemed to weigh in little on the controversy, which has been their biggest asterisk since they began. Rather than theorizing or rationalizing about their career, the barely 20-somethings reveled in it with ample humility. Sometimes, even they were at a loss to describe the reasApr 17, 2012
Hwang Jung-min to play Don Quixote in musical By Kwon Mee-yoo Hwang Jung-min will return to the stage in the role of Don Quixote in the musical "Man of La Mancha" from June, at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul. Hwang, a seasoned actor in movies, soap operas and theater, will portray writer-tax collector Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote of La Mancha in Cervantes' play and sing the famed number, "The Impossible Dream." His previous stage credit includes Guido Contini in “Nine” (2008) and Robbie Hart of “The Wedding Singer” (2009). Most recently, he starred in the movie “Dancing Queen” with Uhm Jung-hwa. Veteran musical actor Seo Bum-seok and 30-year-old Hong Kwang-ho will alternate in the role with Hwang. Seo currently plays Yu-bong in homegrown musical "Seopyeonje" and Hong is known for his portrayal of the Phantom and Raoul in "The Phantom of the Opera" and Jekyll in "Jekyll and Hyde." Aldonza, or Quixote's lady Dulcinea, will be played by actresses Lee Hye-kyung and Cho Jung-eun. Lee, Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera," starred as Aldonza in the 2005 and 2010 productions of "Man of La Mancha" andApr 15, 2012By Do Je-hae
Seoul int‘l awards show highlights best in TV dramas Park Eun-mi has been watching TV almost all day for months. As a television programmer, she is among those responsible for sifting through scores of submissions to create a list of candidates for the Seoul International Drama Awards. Now in its seventh year, the awards ceremony recognizing the best in television dramas will be held in August in South Korea, a country increasingly known worldwide for producing top-notch programming. "It is our way of giving back," said Min Young-dong, last year's producer of the awards show. "The rest of the world enjoys our Korean dramas so much, that we feel like we should give back to the industry and hand out awards for their shows as well." Korean dramas are what started "hallyu," or the Korean Wave, as viewers, first in Asia and then across the globe, tuned in. Popular Korean actors and actresses now clinch starring roles in shows produced in other countries. The Korean-language productions are also winning recognition in some previously unimaginable places, like "Dream High," a story about students at a performing arts high school, beiApr 11, 2012
Rock band opens school in Burkina Faso By Kwaak Je-yup, Kim Bo-eun CNBLUE, the K-pop and rock band, are starting a goodwill project in the West African nation Burkina Faso, their agency FNC Entertainment announced Wednesday. The group will donate part of their records and concert proceeds on a regular basis, the statement said, to a school based in Niamadougou, a small village about 350 kilometers southwest of the capital Ouagadougou. The project, organized through the non-profit organization Korea Food for the Hungry International, will pay for food and after-school activities for 100 kindergarten students and 1,000 children in primary and secondary schools. The school was opened in March. “The school-building project came to fruition as a way to share the love CNBLUE have received,” said FNC Entertainment, CNBLUE’s agency, in a press release Wednesday. ”We will continue to be at the forefront of supporting underprivileged children.” The specific figures of the contribution have not been disclosed by the agency. An official at the Korea Food for the Hungry International declined to comment. CNBLUApr 4, 2012
Big Bang, 2NE1 most favored by French fans: survey Korean pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1 are the most favored K-pop stars among French fans, a government poll released on Tuesday showed. In the online survey of 3,755 French respondents conducted by the Paris branch of the Korea Tourism Organization, 49.9 percent picked the five-member hip-hop band Big Bang as their favorite K-pop boy band and 64.8 percent chose the four-member hip-hop group 2NE1 as the most favored K-pop girl group. Respondents were allowed to select multiple groups for each category. Thirteen-member ensemble Super Junior took second place in the boy band category, with endorsements from 45 percent of respondents, trailed by SHINee and Beast, which received 35.5 percent and 33.8 percent respectively. Nine-member Girls Generation was the second favorite girl group, gaining 45.4 percent support, followed by miss A and f(x), which garnered 31.1 percent and 29.4 percent respectively. Korean pop groups have enjoyed rising popularity in France over the past year, selling out concerts and putting on performances in Paris. More than 90 percent of respondents saiApr 4, 2012
New TV corner on mens‘ grooming By Noh Hyun-gi Cable channel XTM is adding a corner on grooming to its men’s trend-watching show “Homme 4.0.” The new segment “Get It Grooming” is inspired by On Style’s “Get It Beauty.” With singer-turned-actress Eugene as the host, the women’s beauty show is responsible for increasing the sales of the numerous products it has featured. The male version which will begin airing on April 4 incorporates many sections of the original such as blind testing for the best products in a category with a panel. Beauty expert Doh Yoon-bum will host the new spot. “Homme 4.0” focuses on fashion trends, presented by stylists Jung Yun-ki and Kim Min-joon. The first episode will discuss identifying one’s skin type and establishing an appropriate cleansing routine.Mar 30, 2012