Shows & Dramas

Rising Korean-American Singer Priscilla Ahn to Perform in Seoul

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Rising Korean-American singer Priscilla Ahn is causing a buzz in the U.S. music scene, thanks in large part to her song being featured on the hit show ``Grey's Anatomy." The song ``Dream" struck a chord with many fans when it was featured on the season four finale of the hit drama. Korean fans are likewise taking notice of Ahn and her music, mainly because of her Korean heritage. Ahn was born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft in Fort Stewart, Georgia, but later changed her name to reflect her Korean mother's last name. Ahn will perform in Seoul for the first time at the Sangsang Madang Live Hall in Hongdae, Dec. 4. Ahn, who has a beautiful, lilting voice, is often compared to Grammy Award-wining singer-songwriter Norah Jones The 24-year old singer grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Influenced by her musically inclined mother, Ahn always loved singing and playing the guitar. After her high school graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. Ahn independently released a self-titled debut album in 2006. Her

Arashi Whips Fans Into Frenzy

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Popular Japanese pop group Arashi whipped thousands of Korean fans into a state of frenzy, as they staged four sold-out concerts in Seoul over the weekend. It has been two years since Arashi performed in Seoul, but judging from the deafening screams at the Olympic Fencing Stadium, their fans are as crazy about them as ever. The group is in the middle of a three-city Asian tour, ``Arashi Around Asia 2008." Arashi, composed of Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai, opened the concert with ``Love So Sweet." The song was the theme song for the popular Japanese drama ``Hana Yori Dango Returns (Boys Over Flowers)." Throughout the nearly three-hour concert, Arashi performed many of their hit songs ``Step and Go," ``Happiness," ``Kitto Daijoubu (You'll Definitely be Okay)," ``We Can Make It," and ``Truth." Each of the members had solo performances, showing off their distinct personalities and talents. Sakurai rapped and danced to ``Hip Pop Boogie, while Aiba sang a cheerful number ``Hello Goodby

Actor Kim Wins Top Prize at Korea Drama Festival Awards

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Actor Kim Myung-min won the top prize at the 2008 Korea Drama Festival for his role as Maestro Kang (affectionately called ``Kang Mae'') in the hit drama ``Beethoven Virus.'' The Korea Drama Awards opened the five-day festival, which kicked off Saturday in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province. The festival is a joint collaboration among major broadcasters KBS, SBS and MBC and various cable TV stations in Korea. A total of 120 dramas had been reviewed, all of which were aired between Oct. 1 in 2007 and Sept. 30 this year. Kim's character is talented but choosy in Beethoven Virus, the first drama of its kind, which depicts the lives of classical musicians, an orchestra and ordinary people who dream of becoming musicians. The Best Drama award went to KBS's "Mom's Dead Upset" while Choi Soo-jong of "Daejoyeong," an epic drama, and Kim Ha-neul, who played a picky actress in "On Air," won the Best Actor and Best Actress award, respectively. A new hallyu award was given to actor Bae Yong-joon (better known as Yonsama), who didn't appear a

Rain Tests His Own Boundaries

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter One of the busiest stars in the local entertainment business would be none other than singer and actor Rain. The 27-year-old star has a new album out, is waiting for the release of his recently finished Hollywood film ``Ninja Assassin'' and is appearing for local fans through talk shows, music programs and radio shows. Amid his hectic schedule, he never misses a workout routine and dance practice, as it was his diligence and passion that helped pave his way from ``hallyu'' or Korean wave star to up-and-coming actor in Hollywood. ``I was so tired both physically and mentally, but I feel back at home now. I see that many fellow singers have made their comeback and I'm happy to be working with them. It feels like a festival and I am planning to enjoy every minute,'' he told The Korea Times through an email interview. If the mark of an artist who has reached a certain level is confidence and control over his art, Rain demonstrated them with his return. In interviews, Rain was a smooth talker, oozing wit and confidence. His dance moves are marke

Song Hye-kyo Returns to Small Screen

Bae Receives National Order of Culture Merit

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Hallyu (Korean wave) star Bae Yong-joon has been given the Hwa-Gwan Order of Culture Merit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at an event celebrating the 2008 Culture Day. ``I will further think about my roles as an actor and celebrity. I will also do my best to promote Korea in the future. I thank everyone here and abroad who allowed me to stand here on this honorable stage,'' he said after receiving the merit at a ceremony held at the Cheongju Arts Center, North Chungcheong Province Saturday. This is the first time an actor has been given the honor, which is divided into five categories, Geum-Gwan, Eun-Gwan, Bo-Gwan, Og-Gwan and Hwa-Gwan. Having such a tight schedule, the actor arrived by helicopter, rushing through some 400 Japanese fans who have been waiting for him in front of the arts center prior to the event. Bae, 35, was given the honor as he has continuously devoted his work and himself to promote Korean culture to the world through dramas, his restaurant business and other cultural activities. His drama ``W

Actress Breaks Nose, Falls Into Well

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Actress Moon Geun-young will stop filming scenes for the SBS drama ``The Painter of Wind'' for one week, after she fractured her nose last week. Moon sustained the injury while filming an argument scene with actor Park Shin-yang, Oct. 9 at the Korea Folk Village, Yongin. Park accidentally hit Moon on the nose with his elbow, and the actress had to be rushed to the emergency room for immediate treatment. In a press release, SBS Drama said X-ray results showed a slight fracture of her nose. Doctors have advised Moon to rest for a week, so she stopped filming the drama temporarily. Moon is starring in the drama as legendary artist Shin Yun-bok, who lives as a man to figure out the mysterious death of her family during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). She earlier suffered minor injuries on the set when she fell into a well. Park was quoted as saying he was worried about the Moon's health, and wishes her a speedy recovery. SBS will air re-runs of ``The Painter of Wind'' this week. New episodes of the drama will be aired next week

State-run Network Offers Korean Lessons

By Kang Seung-woo Staff Reporter Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) World Radio will launch a multilingual Korean language lesson program (MKLLP) in 10 languages on air and on its Internet Web site (http://world.kbs.co.kr/) simultaneously on October 9, Korean Language Day. The 10 foreign languages are English, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Vietnamese and Indonesian. The free Korean language lesson service targets KBS World Radio's listeners around the globe, foreigners residing in Korea, members of multicultural families in Korea and second and third generations of overseas Korean residents. The MKLLP, comprising 20 lessons on 250 pages, is a guide for foreigners wishing to learn Korean through situational dialogue taking place in a variety of settings, including airports, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, department stores and tourist attractions in Korea. All vocabulary and conversations are accompanied by Romanized pronunciation guides and translations in ten target foreign languages. Each lesson also comes with `Cultural Tips,' a segme

It Will Be Raining Again in Korea

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Korean pop star Rain is returning to the local music scene for the first time in two years. The 26-year-old singer will release his new album ``Rainism,'' hold a showcase and also appear in a two-day special program on MBC this and next Friday. Rain has been busy exploring his talent as an actor in Hollywood for the past couple of years. His first movie ``Speed Racer'' was in theaters this summer, and he has just finished filming ``Ninja Assassin'' with its release scheduled for next year. Making his debut six years ago, Rain has come a long way as a singer and actor, making difficult choices along the way. The parting with his old friend and producer Park Jin-young and decision to move overseas to expand his boundaries, raised worries and expectations alike, but the hard-working star made it through. ``Speed Racer'' was not a huge hit as many fans wanted it to be, but some were simply thrilled to see Rain at the film's premiere with famous stars like Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. To celebrate his comeback, MBC will show exclusive

Filipino Band Surprised by Fans

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Rivermaya, one of the most popular rock bands in the Philippines, performed in Seoul for the first time Saturday at the Asia Song Festival. But the biggest thrill the group got was meeting their Korean fans, who even put up a Rivermaya banner during the concert. The Korea Times met Rivermaya, composed of drummer Mark Escueta, vocalist Jayson Fernandez, bassist Japs Sergio and guitarist Mike Elgar, for an interview backstage at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Saturday. Even the fact that they were invited to perform at one of Asia's largest pop music festivals was a surprise for the down-to-earth band members. ``We were really surprised when we got an email, but it's a great honor to be invited to perform at this festival,'' Escueta said. Rivermaya was in a relaxed mood throughout the interview, cracking jokes and listening to music on their iPods while waiting for the concert to start. But they are serious about their music. ``We try to do our best with every gig we do. We give the same performance,'' Elgar said. Ri