Foreign media expanding coverage on Korean cultureBy Do Je-hae The growing popularity of Korean culture is resulting in more coverage of the country by international media, according to industry officials. A total of 248 journalists from 115 news organizations visited Korea this year, according to the latest press release by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS). “The visiting journalists usually stayed for one week, spending time at major tourist and industrial sites, while preparing news reports on Korea,” a KOCIS official said. “We will make use of important international events such as the Yeosu Expo and the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in 2012 to disseminate Korean culture through foreign press,” KOCIS director Seo Kang-soo said. The journalists who visited Korea this year came from all corners of the world. In June, a TV crew from Hong Kong braved the stormy weather to travel to Ulleung Island to shoot footage for a documentary on Korea’s economic development. Recently, Belgian TV channel RTBF visited the Korea National University of Arts to prepare a documentary on Korean classical musicians. Dec 18, 2011By Do Je-hae
Yoon Jung-hee named best actress of 2011 by LA criticsKorean actress Yoon Jung-hee was chosen as the best actress of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) for her lead role in the award-winning South Korean film "Poetry." The association announced a list of the 2011 award winners, including Yoon, on Sunday (L.A. standard time). Yoon won the honor, beating her close competitor from Hollywood, Kirsten Dunst, the winner of the best actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for her performance in "Melancholia," the association said. It marked the second straight year a Korean actress has received the best actress award from LAFCA following Kim Hye-ja, who received the award in 2010 for her role in Bong Joon-ho's "Mother." Founded in 1975, the LAFCA is comprised of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in Los Angeles print and electronic media. It votes every December to choose award winners. Directed by Lee Chang-dong and released in 2010, "Poetry" depicts a woman in her 60s who develops a belated interest in poetry while battling Alzheimer's disease and guilt over a heinous famiDec 12, 2011
English book on Korean TV dramas publishedA new book on the development of Korean TV dramas has been published in English, the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) said Monday. “K-DRAMA: A New TV Genre with Global Appeal” is a comprehensive guide to the past and present of Korean television dramas, which have been gaining popularity outside Korea as well, particularly since 2000. The 114-page book covers a wide range of topics related to the genre. The first two chapters talk about the global appeal of Korean television dramas and the foreign media’s response to them. Chapter three touches on the history of Korean TV dramas, starting with the 1960s through the 2000s, when the so-called “K-drama” phenomenon started to emerge as part of the growing “hallyu” movement in Asia. Chapter four recounts the famous dramas that first triggered the K-drama syndrome in Asia, such as “Start in My Heart” or “What is love” in the 1990s. The book concludes with profiles of major K-drama stars, like Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo, co-stars of the 20-part KBS series “Winter Sonata,” which ignited a Korean TV drama crDec 12, 2011By Do Je-hae
Create recipe to dine with Super JuniorThe Korean Food Foundation and Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries are holding a Korean recipe contest “Share your Delicious Secret with Super Junior” through the end of December. All fans of Korean cuisine around the globe are welcome to apply. Applicants should submit their unique recipes for Korean dishes with an explanation of the ingredients and pictures of the final product through Dec. 31 via http://sharehansikrecipe.hansik.org/main. Gwak Beom-guk, director of the Korean Food Foundation said “I hope ‘hallyu,’ or the Korean wave, transcends K-pop to K-food.” “This event aims to make Korean food friendly for home cooking,” he said. “I also hope foreigners discover the potential of Korean food to become a part of hallyu through devising their own recipes.” Five winners will be chosen based on three criteria — creativity, practicality and easiness to follow of the recipes. All winners will be invited to Korea in January to participate in opportunities to learn more about Korean food such as visiting famous restaurants and attending culinarDec 12, 2011
Putting a spin on local cocktail cultureBy Noh Hyun-gi Koreans are hardcore drinkers, to say the least, and for the imbibing public, cocktails are regarded as expensive and sweet, a drink for those who can’t handle their alcohol. In truth, cocktails are creative concoctions that can surprise your taste buds, said Brian Kwon, president of bar Mixology. As a mixologist, he has been offering original drinks such as a jasmine citrus martini, which uses jasmine tea brewed in vodka and his own concoction “Herborial” that uses rosemary and basil for a refreshing savory taste. While mixology bars have been on the rise in cities like New York and San Francisco, Seoul is a tough market to crack with the popularity of soju, according to Kwon. But he said that this may pose a great opportunity for aspiring mixologists. “Soju is a great alcohol for a cocktail base - you can make any drink with it. To begin with, it has a detectable taste compared to other distilled liquors. Compared to vodka for example, soju is very sweet,”he said. Indeed, soju-based cocktails are popular in many bars in the United States. Often pDec 6, 2011
Doctor-filmmaker probes capitalist exploitation in medical worldBy Lee Hyo-won A doctor has stepped up as an ombudsman for patients who cannot afford proper treatment due to what she calls the “capitalist exploitation of the medical world” and has made a movie to make sure her voice is heard. “White Jungle” by occupational environmental physician Song Yoon-hee has been creating a buzz online, even before its theatrical release Thursday, as it documents the darker side of the current healthcare system. Touted as the local version of Michael Moore’s “Sicko,” the film opens with how hospitals are forced to spend tens of millions of won each month on advertising. Operating on profitability, many institutions rank their doctors based on numbers, such as how many patients they see and the amount of revenue they bring in. As a result, consultations last an average of 31 seconds and high-cost examinations are unnecessarily prescribed, with some professionals even receiving bonus payments for each MRI they recommend. “Sure, medicine is an industry but it cannot compromise its role and responsibility in terms of welfare. No sick person should bNov 29, 2011
’America’s Next Top Model’ producer in KoreaBy Noh Hyun-gi “Congratulations. You are still in the running to become America’s next top model.” Tyra Banks has been delivering the fate of aspiring models in America’s Next Top Model, a reality show, since the first season aired in 2003. The show is now in its 17th season and has inspired reality shows for top models in numerous countries including “Korea’s Next Top Model.” Ken Mok, 50, the producer of the blockbuster show, and the founder and president of 10x10 Entertainment, tells his story on the talk show “Heart to Heart” which will air Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. on Arirang TV. Mok says that Banks suggested making the show. She shared her life story of becoming one of America’s top models which became the foundation of the show. Banks has been the charismatic host of the show. Chinese-American Mok faced parental pressure from his Chinese parents to become a white-collar professional like a doctor or a lawyer. But he had passion for TV. So he left his first job out of college at a textile company and took a job at CNN News. But Mok was drawn more to the entertainNov 28, 2011
’Live from Seoul, It’s Saturday Night!’By Noh Hyun-gi Legendary American sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL) has entertained the world with its pointed political satire and priceless skits for the past 37 years. Channel tvN is taking on the formidable task of producing a Korean version. Famed director and writer Jang Jin, who will be directing the program, called it a dream come true at a press conference in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, Thursday. But how the show full of acid political satire and sexual jokes will hit it off with the Korean audience remains to be seen. The original “Live from New York, Its’ Saturday Night!” Watching SNL, though not so well-known in Korea, is part of the American tradition. Every episode usually features a guest host, usually a celebrity, with a permanent SNL cast to perform live acts. In the opening sketch, various figures have made cameo appearances including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Korean version will follow the same format of a host and 16 cast members and will present 10 skits each Saturday. LNov 27, 2011
Makeovers to be normal, not beautifulBy Noh Hyun-gi The sheer number of advertisements for plastic surgery wallpapering any subway station in Seoul should speak for the pressure women are under about their looks. But not everyone seeks a makeover to achieve stunning beauty; for some it is a desperate solution to live a normal life. Producers of channel Story On’s new show “Let Me In” promised to help such women at a press conference in Chengdam-dong, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Beauty icon and actress Hwang Sin-hye, 49, will host the show with Korea’s top make-up artist Lee Kyung-min and stylist Kim Seung-ill. Women on the show underwent a vigorous screening process to reach those in need of helping hands. One of the contestants, Choi Young-hui, 24, had traumatizing experiences being bullied as a child and even attempted suicide. The pain the participants suffer is not limited to their physical appearance; sometimes there really isn’t any problem with their looks. Producer of the show, Park Hyun-u said. “We don’t offer plastic surgery to every woman. Actually, you will see in the show that there are women wNov 23, 2011
K-pop girl group to promote Korea at Paris entertainment expoA four-member popular girl group will help promote the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo slated to take place in Paris early next month, a state-run trade agency said Wednesday. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said singers of the group Secret have been named as goodwill ambassadors for the event that runs for three days starting on Dec. 1. Formed in 2009, Secret is signed under TS Entertainment, and has steadily won over fans in South Korea and many Asian countries. KOTRA said the expo aims to help the recent boom in Korean popular music take root outside of Asia and fuel the so-called "hallyu" phenomenon in Europe. Such developments, it claimed, could translate into more trade, improved brand image for South Korean companies and other economic benefits. "Hallyu," or the "Korean Wave," refers to the growing popularity abroad of South Korean popular culture, ranging from television shows and movies to pop songs. "The girl group was tapped to promote the expo because they are best suited to highlight the attractiveness of Korean culture in Europe," KOTNov 23, 2011