Entertainment - The Korea Times

String of talent shows trail Superstar K

By Kwon Mee-yoo Following the smash success of “Superstar K2,” some 10 talent shows will be on air throughout the year, covering from singer, designer and model to announcer and actor. Mnet’s “Superstar K3,” will start auditions for the third season of the hit talent show, Thursday, through phone and UCC (user-created content). After regional preliminaries, the show will start airing from Aug. 12 to Nov. 11, when the third winner will be announced. The show received more than 1.3 million applicants last year and expects even more this time. Huh Gak, the winner of “Superstar K2,” shot to stardom from working as a fan repairman and other finalists such as John Park and Jang Jae-in are also working on albums. Kim Yong-beom, the program’s producer, said this season’s keyword would be diversity at a press conference for the show last week. “This year we will separate the applicants by soloists and groups,” Kim said. “Previous competitions were based on individuals and even competent group members could not survive by themselves. We will give chances to such groups.” Vete

Mar 8, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Blog proves popular overseas

By Lee Hyo-won A government-run English blog has emerged as an online hotspot for scoops on contemporary Korean culture and power-blogging. Having launched only a month ago, The Korea Blog (blog.korea.net) has attracted over 40,000 users, said its operator, the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (director Seo Kang-soo). Moreover, 42 of 75 applicants were recruited as bloggers. The pool of hopefuls included foreigners, either living here or abroad, as well as Anglophone Korean expatriates. “The applicants had various nationalities. They were not only from Southeast Asia, where the Korean ‘hallyu’ wave is prevalent, but also from the Americas and European countries like the United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary and Russia. They also came from a diverse range of professional backgrounds: students, English teachers, actors, bankers, journalists and wine importers,” said KOCIS. KOCIS has selected bloggers according to a set criterion, and they are slated to report on Korean culture, Korea-related events held overseas and

Feb 27, 2011

Love, lies & family secrets

Han Hye-jin returns to small screen with melodrama By Kwon Mee-yoo A new melodrama will uncover family secrets of birth and maternal love on the small screen. “The Thorn Birds,” set to premiere Wednesday on KBS2, includes all the characteristics of a conventional Korean melodrama — a love triangle intertwined with secrets regarding one’s birth. The two women in the drama make opposing decisions about family and their fates get tangled up. Director Kim Jong-chang explained that the story revolves around people who make mistakes and go through the process of forgiviness at a press conference, Wednesday. “We aim to make a show portraying maternal love, morality and the people in search of such,” Kim said. Kim has directed hit programs including “Yellow Handkerchief” (2003) and “Rosy Life” (2005), which were mostly straightforward and melodramatic. Han Hye-jin, the heroine of “Jumong” (2006) and “Jejungwon” (2010), returns to the small screen by playing the role of Jeong-eun. Jeong-eun is an obscure actress desperately trying to find her biological mother. I

Feb 27, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

AJA urges Gadhafi resignation

The Asia Journalist Association (AJA) urged Colonel Moammar Gadhafi to resign and return press freedom to Libya. The new democratization movement seen in the region reached Libya last week, and demonstrators took to the streets, later joined by military defectors. Gadhafi, who has been in rule for four decades, has been panned internationally for his violent crackdowns. The week of protests has left more than 1,000 people dead. “The Asia Journalist Association also urges Col. Gadhafi to step down as soon as possible for his iron hand dictatorship for 42 years, outrageous suppression of reasonable demands by the Libyan people employing foreign mercenaries and fighter planes and even destruction of oil facilities on Libyan land,” according to the statement. “The Gadhafi government is causing international isolation by blocking the Internet and reports from local and foreign journalists but this can never extinguish their burning desire and passion for the truth through social networks and all other means.”

Feb 25, 2011

Culture minister seeks advice on promoting Korea overseas

By Lee Hyo-won A high school student sharply pointed out to the minister of culture, sports and tourism that adolescent efforts to promote Korean culture overseas are often overlooked. The issue was raised during an unconventional briefing Wednesday in Seoul, where the newly appointed Minister Choung Byoung-gug and officials of the state-run Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) remained on the sidelines to hear feedback from 46 representatives of various cultural sectors, rather than just announce the ministry’s 2010 report and future projects. “I served on the National Assembly’s culture, sports and tourism committee for over 10 years, and the same criticisms are raised each year. The government tries its best but civil servant positions change every two years; there is thus a lack of continuity and projects are often disrupted. We are here today to hear your observations and feedback to better introduce Korean culture to the world,” said Minister Choung. Many participants agreed that the G20 Seoul Summit last November helped boost the national image. Choi Jun

Feb 24, 2011

Money, ambition and love blend in Midas

By Kwon Mee-yoo SBS aims to reign the local drama scene again with money, ambition and love all intertwined in the series “Midas.” The drama will examine people’s thoughts on money and desire, rather than feature normal happenings of everyday life. “When people pass by Yeouido or Teheran-ro, they might wonder who owns those tall buildings and why they have nothing. This drama will portray the people who own them and those who want them,” Kang Sin-hyo, the director said at a press conference for the show, Monday. Kang directed the 2008 drama “Tazza,” which dealt with the world of gamblers. The program will show how a young lawyer changes as he becomes greedy under the influence of the richest woman in Korea. “Midas” casts veteran actors to realistically portray the deepest desires of people blinded by ambition and how the wealthiest people live. Jang Hyuk, the winner of 2010 KBS Drama Awards with his role in “The Slave Hunters,” returns to the small screen as Kim Do-hyeon, a lawyer awakened by an impassioned desire to achieve success. “Kim is a person of amb

Feb 22, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Woongjin offers multicultural stories via radio, Internet

By Ines Min The Woongjin Foundation is providing traditional tales from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand and Japan for foreign residents living in Korea on the radio, all day long. The new program is designed to support multicultural families as they overcome barriers in their daily lives since it is provided in six languages. Additionally, a special online feature offers animated versions of each folk tale in both their native tongue and Korean, while cable broadcasts will also air. There were more than 103,000 children of multicultural families by the end of last year, according to a survey by the Seoul Global Center. Of these, 25 percent are struggling with defining their cultural identity and tackle difficulties in normal language development. “My Mom’s Fairy Tales” seeks to find understanding and acceptance of another person’s traditions through the well-adapted, time-worn method: storytelling. Each tale, which runs from five to seven minutes long, was chosen for the lessons it teaches, the universality of the theme and its distinguishing

Feb 18, 2011

Korean dramas stream into America

By Jane Han NEW YORK — Korean fans hooked on American dramas, or “mideu” as they call it, know that it’s only routine to stay up all night with bloodshot eyes and at least half a dozen episodes queued up on the playlist. Well, guess what? The love is becoming reciprocal as Korean dramas, too, are slowly starting to find their way into the hearts of American viewers. “NCIS and CSI are good, but this is action drama at a whole new level. It’s one of those shows where you promise yourself ‘just one more episode’ and you end up watching the sun come up,” says Rick Stone, 32, referring to the KBS hit “Iris.” A newcomer to the world of Korean drama, Stone admits the newfound hobby is beginning to take its toll on his work during the day. On Hulu.com, an online portal that streams TV shows and movies, it’s easy to find people with the same addiction. “The first Korean drama I watched was ‘Coffee Prince.’ I watched all 17 episodes within 36 hours... every episode ends in a way that you just have to keep watching,” Shannon Simmons wrote in her review of MBC’s popular

Feb 10, 2011

Family fun for the long holiday

Movies, performances and exhibition lineup for Seollal By Lee Hyo-won, Kwon Mee-yoo and Ines Min Seollal falls on Thursday this year, giving way to a long lunar New Year break that allows some people to take up to nine days off. For those who haven’t booked tickets for an exotic getaway, there is plenty to do around town — from enjoying operas straight from the New York Met at the local cinema to catching your favorite pop stars doing wild stunts on television and making family outtings to the museum. There are also many holiday discounts for performances that should not be missed. Happy Seollal! Big screen With the temperatures plummeting to the lowest in nearly 50 years, Seoulites have been opting for indoor activities. Movie theaters have been benefiting from the weather, and even more people are expected to flock to them for the latest offerings over the break. Domestic cinema has kicked off 2011 on a positive note with Kang Woo-suk’s sports drama “Glove” attracting 1 million viewers. The feel-good movie follows in the footsteps of the family comedy “H

Feb 1, 2011

KoreaToday Secret Garden leaves fairytale love story

By Kwon Mee-yoo Viewers were invited to a secret garden where a magical, soul-switching love story of a rich but arrogant president of a department store Kim Ju-won (Hyun Bin) and a brave stunt woman Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won) was told through SBS drama “Secret Garden.” Viewers were glued to the small screen for two months as they fell in love, exchanging souls whenever it rained. Though its last episode was aired last week with Kim and Gil living happily with three children, the impressions the drama instilled seems to linger in the viewers’ minds. Magician with words Scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook created the modern version of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” She created many hit phrases in popular dramas such as the “Lovers” series — “Lovers in Paris” (2004), “Lovers in Prague” (2005) and “Lovers” (2007) — and “On Air” (2008). She is the winner of the 41st Baek Sang Arts Awards in 2005. The most famous line of “Secret Garden” might be Kim’s “Is this the best? Are you sure?” As he was the CEO of a department store, Kim often asked his junior employees if wha

Jan 26, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Shows & Dramas