Entertainment - The Korea Times

60thAnni Are girl groups riding next hallyu wave?

By Han Sang-hee While some argue that “hallyu,” or the Korean wave has seen its limits, others are discovering yet another one slowly making its way to Asian television channels, newspapers and magazines. Girl groups have become a new source of hallyu entertainment. The young and pretty girls have been criticized for being all talk and no true talent, but it seems they have evolved into another important pathway to spread Korean culture. The pink wave Girls’ Generation’s song “Gee” hit the second spot in Japan’s weekly Oricon chart last week — the first non-Japanese Asian group to do so and the second foreign female group in 30 years, while Kara also reached top 2 in the Oricon album charts. Other girl groups like 4Minute and Brown Eyed Girls followed suit, attracting fans with their sexy and edgy images. The first generation of hallyu was based on dramas and their characters, touching the hearts of mostly women in their 40s and 50s. Nowadays, however, it’s easier to find younger foreign fans walking the streets of the fashion district of Myeong-dong an

Oct 28, 2010

Pop democracy: viewers vote Huh winner of Superstar K 2

By Han Sang-hee The long-awaited winner of the talent show “Supterstar K 2” was announced: Huh Gak. The three-month-long program captivated viewers with talented amateurs delivering colorful music and nail-biting missions, and it finally came to a close with fans voting for the pop star of the hour, Huh. Story of a dreamer Along with fellow contestant John Park, 25-year-old Huh was a favorite from the beginning. There was something about him that touched the hearts of many viewers, whether it was his eyes that sparkled whenever he stood on stage, a sensitivity that inspired several teary scenes or perhaps his tough journey to the stage from being a repairman. He managed to put his past behind him and work his way steadily to the top, as the viewers finally decided to grant the young man his dream ticket. Huh and his family led a rough life after his mother left them when he was three. He couldn’t go to high school because he had to support his family. He had a difficult life, working long hours during the day as a ventilator repairman but the singer didn’t let go of h

Oct 24, 2010

Ha returns with Korea’s first int’l pageant title

By Han Sang-hee Ha Hyun-jung, the second runner-up in the 2010 Miss Korea and the first Korean to be crowned with a main title at an international beauty pageant last September, has returned home not only with the title, but also with a huge confidence boost. The 23-year-old looked happy to be back in Korea, flashing the bright beauty queen-smile throughout the press conference celebrating her return in Seoul, Thursday. ``It’s true that the Miss Tourism Queen International contest is not as well known as other pageants. But it is indeed a major competition with contestants from 75 countries participating. It is particularly meaningful since it is the first time in Miss Korea’s 54-year history for a Korean to win an international event,’’ Lee Sang-seok, vice president of the Hankook Ilbo, sister company of The Korea Times, told reporters. The press event began with a video clip showing the activities and events that took place at the competition, from the very first outfit that was showcased to a walk down the long, narrow catwalk and the final announcement of the winne

Oct 15, 2010

JYJ vows brand new beginning to fans

By Han Sang-hee The end usually opens the door for a new beginning. For boy band JYJ, however, a new beginning reflects many things: the past, the present and the future. JYJ is comprised of Jae-joong, Yu-chun and Jun-su, the former members of one of Korea’s and Asia’s favorite boy bands TVXQ. After a long feud with their former agency SM Entertainment regarding ``slave contract’’ issues, the three idol stars have finally launched a brand new band, poised to leap again with a new album and a showcase in Seoul. The three may have left the group, but their fans certainly haven’t left them. Some 10,000 fans packed the Hwajeong Stadium, Korea University, from top to bottom Tuesday night, to the extent where it was a bit worrisome. The area filled up instantly with young fans resembling pouring soda into a cup, and while the fans in the front dangled on the security guardrail, the ones in the back constantly moved forward to find a better position to watch the stars. As soon as the lights went out, the three members appeared center stage, all dressed in black with rather d

Oct 13, 2010

Superwoman returns to voice working mom woes

By Han Sang-hee The heroine from “My Wife is a Superwoman” (MBC) is back. Actress Kim Nam-joo will reappear, not as the headstrong wife who supported her husband from top to bottom, but a stubborn and determined businesswoman who jumps into the work field and takes problems into her own hands. “My Wife is a Superwoman 2” (working title), whose original Korean title was “The Queen of Turnaround” is season two of “My Wife is a Superwoman,” whose Korean title is “The Queen of Naejo.” Kim had a fruitful year last 2009 with the hit “Superwoman.” After the drama ended, she prepared for another hopefully popular work for the past six months, but it was fate: There was no one better than her when it came depicting a headstrong “ajumma,” or middle-aged woman. “I’m the only one who has appeared in both seasons and so I felt a lot of pressure. I was worried I wouldn’t be as funny as in the last series,” Kim said during a press conference at a hotel in southern Seoul, Monday. “I was offered other roles during my time off, but I had to come back (to the ‘Queen’ series). I

Oct 12, 2010

Investigative drama to deal with rare diseases, humanity

By Han Sang-hee Crime scenes, autopsies and stern faced criminalists and surgeons working together to catch a suspect: If this description reminds you of the popular television series ``CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” tune in to the new Korean version titled ``The Quiz of God’’ on cable network OCN. ``Rare diseases are like quizzes made by the gods. They created them fearing humans will become arrogant. These quizzes are dreadful tasks we must solve,’’ according to the press release for the drama. And that’s exactly what the new series is expected to do: solve mysterious crime scenes and accidents revolving around rare, unknown diseases. Compared to U.S. and even Japanese crime and investigative dramas, Korean shows have not yet proved their influence on the television scene. Some say it’s because of the storyline, while others argue about the content, but it’s quite easy to say that despite efforts, such series have not yet attracted as many local viewers as they wish. To scrap the old perception of local investigative dramas, the makers of ``The Quiz of God’’ ar

Oct 6, 2010

Reality TV stars hair-dos for success

By Han Sang-hee Starting a business is never easy, although you think you have the determination and talent. That’s why you need help from others. Thanks to television, aspiring businessmen and women can watch if they are on the right track through the small screen and that is exactly what hair stylist Tabatha Coffey has been doing for the past two years with her reality show ``Tabatha’s Salon Takeover.’’ ``I am very proud of the show and all the salons I have been able to help. I feel a lot of burden as these businesses truly need my help and in some instances I am their last hope and I take it very seriously,’’ she told The Korea Times in an email interview. Coffey first appeared on television through the reality show ``Shear Genius’’ and although she didn’t make it to the final round, she managed to earn a spot in the reality television business as a host of her own show. The edgy and sometimes outspoken Coffey follows owners and hairdressers at various hair salons around the United States and offers advice and insights on how to lift their game and regain respect

Oct 5, 2010

Will female president appeal to TV drama fans?

By Han Sang-hee The year 2010 may be slowly coming to an end, but the local drama scene is hotter than ever. With KBS featuring the Rain-led ``Runaway’’ and MBC relying on heartthrob Kim Hyun-joong’s ``Playful Kiss,’’ the Wednesday/Thursday slot is expecting fierce competition with a new SBS series ``Daemul’’ scheduled for Wednesday night. In terms of the storyline, it seems that the cartoon-based ``Daemul’’ could manage to attract viewers with its ``first female president’’ card, but viewers will have to wait and see if the actors will be able to live up to the expectations. Seo Hae-rim, played by actress Ko Hyun-jeong, is a plain yet pretty anchorwoman but manages to make history as the first female president after the death of her war correspondent husband. The makers explained that the 24-episode series will be about an ordinary woman who becomes president: how and why she became head of state and also the complicated schemes and plots surrounding her, her presidency, allies and enemies. ``The drama made me realize how open we have become when it comes to themes.

Oct 5, 2010

Miss Koreas host charity in China

By Lee Hyo-won Miss Korea and contest runners-up hosted a charity event in China, Thursday, for aid relief in the country’s disaster-struck regions. The young women hosted the event in a local hotel where some 50 businessmen, citizens and other special guests were present, said the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Miss Korea 2010 Chong So-ra, 19; first runner-up Chang Yoon-jin, 24; and second runners-up An Da-hye, 21, Lee Gui-joo, 19, Ha Hyun-jung, 23, and, Ko Hyun-young, 20, shone during the occasion. The evening opened with a speech by Chong Han-young, CEO of Humantech China and chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in China. He is also the father of Miss Korea. The events continued in the order of presenting the charity fund, a souvenir photo shoot, a cake cutting ceremony and a music performance by Miss Korea and the runners-up. Korean industries including GS Engineering & Construction, Samsung Electronics and Dongbang CJ, among others, gave some 270,000 yuan in a collective donation. Proceeds will go to aid relief in the recently flooded Gansu Prov

Sep 29, 2010

Runaway to bring stars, style and spies

By Han Sang-hee Spies, in sleek black suits, plotting revenge and, of course, tangled up in a love triangle — add in some of the hottest actors in the local entertainment industry, and you have yourself the highly anticipated drama “Runaway.” Singer and actor Rain, commercial princess Lee Na-young and Hollywood blue chip Daniel Henney may be enough to explain why the press and fans have been in a frenzy about this series long before its airing, but wait, spies? Again? The lovely cast Indeed, the 20-episode soap has an impressive cast, but will it be able to live up to the hyped expectations? At first glance, or at least in the first scenes shown during a press event, it seemed a bit familiar, not so unique. Rain’s character Ji-woo is a detective, working for clients aiming for targets all around the world, but is faced with a dilemma. The attractive Jinny, played by Lee, approaches Ji-woo and asks him to find an unknown man but Ji-woo senses that there is a catch. Just as he convinces himself that this case should not be carried out, Jinny tells him t

Sep 28, 2010

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