Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Jung admits dating E Ji-ah

By Kwon Mee-yoo Actor Jung Woo-sung, 37, admitted dating actress E Ji-ah, 30, who starred as his counterpart in the recent drama "Athena.” “I am having a good time with this new friend after filming the drama,” Jung wrote on his website on Sunday. He also admitted his love for E while meeting his fans on the same day. “E and I have things in common and I want people to wait and see our relationship,” he said. Several photos of the two stars together in Paris taken on March 6 were revealed on the Internet on March 11 and the two returned to Korea separately, without commenting on the rumors. Neither E nor her agency has released any official statement on the issue. In the action-packed "Athena" the couple as secret agent partners of the National anti-Terrorist Service. Heartthrob Jung, known for his tough image has appeared on both the small and big screen, with his work including "Reign of Assassins" (2010), "A Good Rain Knows" (2009) and "The Good, the Bad, and the Weird" (2008). E made her debut in 2007 as Bae Yong-joon’s love interest in the hit show "Taewan

Mar 21, 2011

Actor Jang Dong-gun donates $180,000 for Japan

By Kim Se-jeong To support the United Nations World Food Program (WFP)’s recovery efforts in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, actor Jang Dong-gun has donated $180,000. “Jang Dong-gun’s gift will be used to provide specialized logistics support in the delivery of relief items to those who need them the most,” said the WFP in its press release. The actor has been the WFP’s Ambassador against Hunger in Korea since 2008. “It is almost impossible to comprehend the scale of this tragedy ― the loss of life, the destruction, the continued fear of those in the disaster zone,” he was quoted as saying. “I urge all my fans to do whatever they can to help those affected in this time of great need. My heart is with the people of Japan.” The actor also donated $ 100,000 to WFP’s earthquake operations in Haiti last year. Jang is the latest in the stream of such South Korean “hallyu” stars as Bae Yong-joon, Ryu Si-won, and Choi Ji-woo that have donated to help the Japanese government and its people with relief following the March 11 earthquake. Regul

Mar 18, 2011By Kim Se-jeong

Pop stars cancel concerts

By Chung Ah-young Amid the escalating fear of aftershocks and explosions at nuclear facilities in the wake of the recent disastrous earthquake in Japan, pop stars have cancelled concerts in Korea. Pop diva Ke$ha has pulled out of a concert at AX-Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul on March 29. “Ke$ha’s management agency requested us to delay the concert because it is not proper to hold a festive concert in this situation where the world is driven into the deep sorrow following the earthquake,” Hyundai Card, the organizer, said. Hyundai Card will refund tickets. Find more information visit www.hyundaicard.com. American singer-songwriter Raul Midon dropped plans for concert, originally to take place in Osaka on Wednesday and Tokyo on Thursday and Friday and lastly at Mapo Art Hall in Seoul on Saturday. He canceled the dates both in Japan and Korea. Southern Star Entertainment said that it will refund tickets. For more information call (02) 3143-5155. Scottish singer Fran Healy of Travis has also decided against performing here Friday. Adam Pascal, rocker and star of Broadwa

Mar 17, 2011

Stars joining donation rush

By Chung Ah-young Singers and actors are eagerly joining the ongoing donation rush to help Japanese victims hit hard by the recent devastating earthquakes. Actors Lee Byung-hun donated 700 million won and Ahn Jae-wook gave 100 million won to the Korean Red Cross. “Lee thinks life is the most important thing among others. He hopes his donation helps many Japanese victims suffering from the natural disaster,” his agency BH Entertainment said. “The natural disaster comes against human’s will but the power to overcome it depends on our strength and will. I hope there are no more victims,” Lee said in his homepage on March 13. Lee gained huge popularity for numerous hit Korean television dramas such as “IRIS,” “All In” and “Beautiful Days” and films such as “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” “A Bittersweet Life” and “Joint Security Area.” Ahn said, “My heart hurt when I think of how the Japanese victims are still fearful of the dangers of aftershocks and explosions of the nuclear complex facilities amid the increasing death toll and those who are missing. I was thinking ab

Mar 16, 2011

Asia Foundation president visits Seoul

By Kim Young-jin David Arnold, the new president of the Asia Foundation, said Monday his organization is ready to help Korea share its “remarkable” development experience with other countries in the region, at a welcoming reception in Seoul. “The opportunity for sharing of knowledge and experience between Korea and other countries in the region is extraordinary,” Arnold, a former president of the American University in Cairo (AUC), told an audience that included Korean lawmakers as well as diplomats based here. “By virtue of the fact that the Asia Foundation has deep, strong connections with virtually all of the countries in the region, we feel we’re well positioned to facilitate and encourage that kind of sharing.” The U.S.-based foundation supports initiatives in Asia for development in areas such as governance, women’s empowerment, the environment and regional cooperation. Arnold, who previously oversaw a major expansion of AUC, took the reins in January. In Korea, the foundation partners non-governmental organizations and research institutions, among others, t

Mar 15, 2011

Kara to appear on Japanese TV

By Kwon Mee-yoo Girl group Kara, successful both in Korea and Japan, will appear on Japanese television for the first time after a dispute with their agency, DSP Media. According to Japanese newspaper Sponichi Annex, Kara will participate in "Music Station," a live music program on TV Asahi, on March 18. This is the first time for the group to take part in a live music show since three members of the group, Han Seung-yeon, Nicole Jung and Kang Ji-young, notified their agency of their wish to terminate their contract in mid-January. The five-member girl group plans to perform their hit song "Mister" and a new single "Jet Coaster Love," which is scheduled to be released on March 23. The members have been filming the Japanese drama "URAKARA" since the dispute. The members, currently staying in Japan, will return to Korea on Saturday to film their new music video and return to Japan next week. They also plan to appear on a live program filming at Universal Studios Osaka on March 20. The group topped Oricon's weekly DVD chart for two weeks in a row with their DVD "Kara

Mar 10, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Big Bang ranks 3rd on Billboards world album chart

By Chung Ah-young Korean boy band Big Bang’s new mini-album “Tonight” ranked third on the World Albums of the Billboard Chart after sweeping the nation’s major online music charts. YG Entertainment said the album, which was released in Korea on Feb. 24, is seeing success on its U.S. debut after being listed at No. 7 in the Heatseekers Album Chart for artists that have newly arrived in the top 100 of the Billboard Chart. Although it has not been listed in major charts such as the Hot 100 and Billboard 200, it is rare for a non-English language album to place in the charts without promotions in the U.S., the agency said. Big Bang made its comeback last month with a concert titled “2011 Big Show” and its fourth album. The album is sweeping the weekly top spots in the dance genre on the major local charts of online music service providers such as Monkey 3, Melon, Bugs and Soribada. The album became the first K-pop album to reach the top 10 on the U.S. iTunes chart. Composed of G-Dragon, T.O.P., Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri, the group made its debut in 2006 and has rel

Mar 9, 2011

Hyun Bin joins Marine Corps

By Kwon Mee-yoo Heartthrob actor Hyun Bin, 29, joined the Marine Corps training camp in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday, to begin his 21-month military service. Hyun gained popularity after playing Kim Ju-won in the recent television soap opera “Secret Garden” and two movies released in February, “Late Autumn” and “Come Rain, Come Shine.” He held a short press conference before entering the training center. "I received so much love from fans from around the end of last year. I don't know how to express my gratitude," Hyun said. "I will spend my two years in the army well and repay my fans." He took off his cap and showed his new haircut and bowed deeply to fans with tears in his eyes, before entering the camp. Some 500 fans, including some from Japan, China and other countries came to the camp to bid farewell to the actor. Hyun's enlistment with the Marine Corps has been drawing public attention as some celebrities shun their military duties through illegal means. His agency AM Entertainment said the actor did not want to join the Army’s ente

Mar 7, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Koirala wins Manhae Prize

By Kwon Mee-yoo Anuradha Koirala, 62, the founder and executive director of Maiti Nepal, won the 15th Manhae Prize Thursday. Manhae Foundation, an organization commemorating poet Han Yong-un, also known as Reverend Manhae, hosts the annual Manhae Prize to honor people who promote peace across the globe. A Korean poet under Japanese colonial rule, Han is most famous for his work "Love's Silence" and his patriotic activities. Koirala was formerly an English teacher, but now she fights for the human rights of sex trade victims. She was chosen as the Hero of the Year by CNN in 2010, for saving Nepalese girls sold for sex trafficking. The literature section of the prize was awarded to Mo Yan of China and Lee Keun-bae of Korea. Mo is a modern Chinese author known for his works such as "Red Sorghum" (1987) and "Big Breasts and Wide Hips" (1996). Lee's poems are based on sijo, traditional three-verse Korean poems, and he modernized the traditional style in his own way. Sri Lankan archaeologist S.B. Hettiaratchi won the practice section, for academically analyzing the history o

Mar 4, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Pianists Son, Cho to vie at Tchaikovsky Competition

By Lee Hyo-won Up-and-coming pianists Cho Seong-jin and Son Yeol-eum are among 11 South Koreans set to compete in the upcoming International Tchaikovsky Competition, organizers announced Tuesday. A total of 122 musicians, aged between 16 and 32, from 29 countries, will compete in four sections ― piano, violin, cello and vocals. The 14th edition of the event will be held between June 14 and July 2 in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Held every four years, the competition is considered among the most prestigious in the world. Three of 30 pianists are local artists including Cho, winner of the 14th Moscow Chopin Competition; Son, silver medalist of the 13th Van Cliburn Competition; and Park Jong-hai. Jang Yoo-jin, Lee Je-hye and Marisol Lee are three of 27 youngsters in the violin section. Two Koreans, Jang Woo-lee and Kang Seung-min, are among 25 cellists in competition. Two of 20 female vocalists, Seo Sun-young and Yoon Jung-nan, are Korean, while Korean Park Jong-min is among 20 males. Korean laureates of the competition include Maestro Chung Myung-whun, who won second prize

Mar 3, 2011

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