59th Idol Groups May Cause Downfall of Hallyu'Mass Media Should Give Balance to Programming' By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter It may not be an exaggeration to say that today's Korean pop charts are literally "occupied" by boy bands and girl groups such as the Wonder Girls and TVXQ, whose members are in their late teens and early 20s and dance to computerized hip-hop music. This trend is making it harder than ever to watch sophisticated performances by middle-aged artists on the small screen particularly during primetime hours. Lim Jin-mo, one of the country's most influential music critics, said the unbalanced exposure of singers to the media will undermine K-pop's international competitiveness and eventually devastate the country's breeding ground for young musical prodigies. "The Korean music industry is extremely unbalanced," Lim said in an interview with The Korea Times. "Music producers, consumers and media are all liable for that. "Producers try to make only money-making music and consumers are moved by songs produced in that fashion. Mass media positioning itself between the two have no choice but to be sNov 1, 2009
Court Rules for 3 Renegade TVXQ MembersBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The Seoul Central District Court gave a partial victory to three members of the five-man boy band TVXQ in legal action taken to free themselves from their contract with SM Entertainment. The three are now free to appear in dramas, commercials and movies, while awaiting a final verdict on the contract. After the court's decision, legal representatives for the three said that they will continue their action until the contract is declared null and void. The three ― Hero, Micky and Xiah ― compared their 13-year exclusive contract with SM with a slave deal and submitted an application for provisional disposition regarding their contract with SM. With the three bolting, the once-popular group is as good as disbanded. They claimed that they were not treated fairly by the agency in terms of profit distribution. The court stated that ``SM Entertainment cannot sign a contract opposes the petitioners' intention or obstructs their individual activities.'' ``Because the group has the possibility to stay together and continue their activitiOct 27, 2009
Lee Joon-gi to Take a Lighter Role as ReporterBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Actor Lee Joon-gi is up to the task to star in the new drama ``Hero,'' which starts next month. The 27-year-old has portrayed various roles in recent years, from a court jester (King and the Clown, 2005), national security agent (``Time Between Dog and Wolf,'' MBC, 2007) to a mysterious thief during the Joseon Kingdom period (Iljimae, SBS, 2000). ``The characters I portrayed in the past were either energetic with a lot of action scenes or emotionally complicated and so I wanted to offer something lighter and fun,'' he said during a press conference at Melon AX Hall, northern Seoul. ``There are various episodes and I think I'll be able to show more versatility. I'm more used to physically built characters, but I'm trying hard to portray a more humorous role.'' ``Hero'' stars Lee as aspiring journalist Jin Do-hyeok, who finds himself working for the newspaper Monday Seoul, famous for its scandalous articles and ruthless paparazzi. Dreaming to move up to the prestigious daily Daesae Ilbo, Jin struggles to get the biggest scoop of his lOct 27, 2009
Mnet’s New Music Awards to Be Held Next MonthBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Mnet Media, one of Korea's most popular music networks, will scrap its 10-year-old music festival for a new one titled ``2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards'' (MAMA). The former event ``Mnet KM Music Festival'' (MKMF) was organized by two music cable channels, Mnet and KM. It was considered one of the biggest music award events in Korea. However, Mnet surprised fans when they posted a large sign on its Web site early this month saying that they were not holding the MKMF this year. Curiosity emerged, and the network finally announced that they were creating a new event that would attract not only Korea's most popular singers, but also those from around the world. ``Our final goal is to not only show the best of Korean music to the world, but also become Asia's representative award event and attract other famous artists to come as well,'' Mnet Media said. The network is preparing subtle yet unique changes, from the style of the event to the judging system. The biggest change will be the overall concept. ``In the past 10 years, the eOct 26, 2009
Wonder Girls Ready for More ChallengesBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The Wonder Girls reappeared in Korea for their local fans with good news last Friday: they ranked 76 in the Hot 100 of the Billboard chart. This is the first time in the chart's 115-year history that a Korean singer or group has ranked in the top 100, according to the five-member group's agency JYP Entertainment. The group and its producer Park Jin-young, also known as JYP, held a press conference to share the news and excitement with local fans. ``The Billboard's Hot 100 is one of the toughest charts to be ranked on. The Wonder Girls is the first Asian group to enter the chart in almost 30 years,'' Park said at the event packed with reporters and photographers held at a caf? in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. ``The fact that the song `Nobody' was played 65 times on the top five radio stations in the U.S. is the equivalent to 650 times on local radio. It's a miracle.'' The ranking is determined by album sales and radio airtime. The five members also looked excited to be back home, smiling and posing for the cameras eagerly. Oct 25, 2009
Kasabian Talks About New Album Lunatic AsylumBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter With the quirky title "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum," fans and critics alike have been trying to figure out what British rock band Kasabian's latest album is really about. But frontman Tom Meighan says the title has no relation to anything, other than "it's the words that I actually like." "I like the idea of madness, and music kind of entwines. If you call an album that, it pretty much gives you the freedom to go wherever you want. That's what I was interested in," he said in an e-mail interview. "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum," the band's third album, topped the U.K. charts this June. Meighan says guitarist Sergio Pizzorno was inspired to make the album after watching a TV show about a mental asylum. "One night, Serge watched a program on a mental asylum on TV, and he had this thing to make an album that's really out there and the journey. It's the kind of thing, (where) each song's different and has a different characteristic and that's how it happened," he said. With dark, electronica songs "Underdog," "VladOct 20, 2009
Ahn Fetes 2,000th Episode of Heart to HeartBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Arirang TV's talk show ``Heart to Heart'' started back in 2001, and after eight years of colorful guests and heartwarming stories, it marked its 2,000th episode this month. ``I don't think anybody knew, or expected the 2,000th. It was a surprise,'' Ahn Jung-hyun, the host of the show, told The Korea Times during a telephone interview. Ahn started out as a reporter and anchor at the English-language broadcaster, and when she was offered the chance to host a talk show, she accepted the challenge. ``When you work on news, you read a script written by somebody else, but on a talk show, you can give more input,'' she said. But she added that her experience as a reporter helped. A total of 2,004 famous and inspiring figures around the world have paid a visit to Heart to Heart, including Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, founder of the Body Shop chain Anita Roddick and writer Alice Walker. The show has also given Ahn many opportunities, including her post as the English presenter for the 2010 and 2014 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic bids, aOct 20, 2009
Angelic Mariah Carey in Seoul to Promote Imperfect AlbumBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Pop superstar Mariah Carey's new album might be called ``Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,'' but she charmed everyone at a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. Wearing a fitted black mini-dress and knee-high boots, Carey made her grand entrance at the press conference with a flurry of camera flashes lighting up the room. ``Annyeonghaseyo,'' Carey said, smiling at the room full of local and international reporters at the Rose Hall of the Grand InterContinental Hotel, Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. ``I'm very excited to be back here in Korea after six years. I always said I wanted to see my fans and experience different things in Korea again,'' she said. She arrived Monday evening in Seoul to promote her 12th album. ``Yesterday, at the airport, we were tired, but when we saw the fans there, and the fans were beyond supportive. I feel like I have a family all over the world, and here is part of my family too,'' she said. Asked about how she came up with the album's title, Carey said she originally co-wrote a song with her husbOct 13, 2009
Grand Mint Fest to Bring Fresh TunesBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The Grand Mint Festival 2009 (GMF 2009) will offer Seoulites another year of interesting lineups and distinctive sounds at the Olympic Park from Oct. 24 to 25. Although the event is only in its third year, many music fans have noticed the unique concept of the festival: enjoying good music in the middle of a park on a nice breezy autumn day with friends and family. ``We have not changed the overall concept of the festival, which is to bring a picnic-like music festival where visitors can appreciate the city of Seoul,'' festival organizers said through a press release. The festival is divided into four separate stages ― the Mint Breeze Stage, Club Midnight Sunset, Loving Forest Garden and the Caf? Blossom House. The Mint Breeze Stage is situated in the middle of a grass park that can accommodate more than 5,000 spectators. The Club stage will be located in the Fencing Stadium, where organizers have arranged a feast of music and visual art, while the Loving Forest Garden will be near the '88 Lake. Fans can alsOct 13, 2009
Rain Wows Fans in Legend of RainismBy Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Korean pop star Rain has been busy with his own clothing line and a Hollywood film produced by the Wachowski brothers. But he didn't forget his roots as a singer, gratifying local fans at his Seoul concert ``Legend of Rainism'' held at the Gymnastic Stadium, Olympic Park, Friday. This was the singer's first concert in Seoul in three years, and he somewhat successfully proved that, despite his busy schedule, he still had the time to rehearse and work on a three-hour show with 25 songs. New group MBLAQ from Rain's agency J.Tune Entertainment opened the show and impressed with their powerful stage presence. The five-member group, who were dressed in black-and-white with dark-eye makeup, sounded nervous as they greeted fans, but enthusiastically encouraged them to enjoy the show. Rain finally appeared on stage clad in a floral print velvet jacket with a black-sequined vest and bow tie. He opened his three-hour performance with ``My Way.'' The 27-year-old didn't save his bag of tricks for the end, surprising fans with fireworks throughouOct 11, 2009