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TVXQ, Agency Fail to Reach Settlement

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter Members of K-pop idol group TVXQ and its agency have failed to reach a court-mediated settlement of a legal battle over what the group called ``unfair'' terms of their contract. A Seoul district court said Wednesday it called in three members of the boy band at the end of September to mediate a settlement with their agency, SM Entertainment, but the mediation collapsed. Court officials said the members refused to accept the mediation, leaving the court to make a ruling on the injunction in the near future. The controversy over the five-member group's working contract touched off in late July after three of its members ― Micky, Xiah and Hero ― filed an injunction with the Seoul Administrative Court to nullify the validity of their contract with the agency. The other two members, Max and U-Know, did not take part in the action. According to the legal document filed, the agency prohibited their freedom as artists by claiming that the activities of the group and its members belonged to the agency, requiring them to follow its demands to app

Oct 14, 2009

Dynamic Duo Members Start Military Service

The two members of hip-hop group Dynamic Duo entered a military camp yesterday to start serving the country. Choiza and Gaeko joined a camp in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, where they will participate in basic military training for five weeks before being dispatched to divisions for the two-year mandatory service. The indie hip-hop duo released their fifth album, "Band of Dynamic Brothers," on Oct. 6. They appeared on cable music TV channel Mnet Oct. 8, which became the first and last promotional performance for the album. During the program, Choiza said he was pleased to have released a new album before joining the army. Gaeko also said the timing of the start of his military service was good as he has grown a bit tired of creating music after 10 years of work. They had a farewell party at a bar in southern Seoul on Sunday with a hundred colleagues and other singers. Dynamic Duo debuted with the album "Taxi Driver," which became the best-selling hip-hop album in the country. chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Oct 13, 2009

Kim Je-dong to Host Talk Show at MBC

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter TV presenter Kim Je-dong, dismissed Saturday from KBS weekend primetime show ``Star Golden Bell,'' has been picked as the host for a new talk show at MBC TV, according to MBC Tuesday. In the new talk show ``Oh My Tent,'' Kim and guests to the program will talk about life and various other topics in a reality show format. They will travel around the country, pitching a tent, and sleeping and eating together. MBC officials said the first edition of the show will air Oct. 16 at 11:35 p.m. They said the taping of the first edition was done on Sept. 25 and 26 and had nothing to do with the dismissal of Kim by KBS. In the mean time, Kim made a tearful farewell to his fans during the last recording of Star Golden Bell, Monday, according to KBS program staffers. The recording of the last edition came as the dismissal has attracted speculation that the sacking is the latest in a series of eliminations of liberal figures from organizations run by the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration. ``I really appreciate our staff and viewers for hav

Oct 13, 2009

G-Dragon to Hold 1st Solo Concert

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Singer G-Dragon will hold his first solo concerts at the Gymnastics Stadium in Olympic Park, Dec. 5 and 6. The concerts titled ``Shine a Light'' are the first solo events for the leader of boy group Big Bang since his debut three years ago. ``We are investing to the fullest to bring the best show for G-Dragon, who is not only an icon in music, but also in fashion. We are planning to offer the best performance for both the ears and eyes,'' his agency YG Entertainment said. ``Shine a Light'' will give G-Dragon the chance to offer his own distinctive personality, and also special features that he had to restrain as a member of the popular boy band. According to YG Entertainment, the 21-year-old is very active in preparing the show and is working hard to bring something new and different to his fans. The title of the concerts is part of the lyrics of G-Dragon's song ``Boy.'' The song features the thoughts and struggles he had to go through as a young boy who started as a YG trainee at the age of 13. Most agencies and singers give

Oct 13, 2009

Former Actress Makes TV Appearance

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Moon Hee, one of the hottest screen sirens of the 1960s, will appear on a television talk show after a 38-year hiatus. Her pre-recorded interview with "Yeoyumanman'' is due to air Thursday on KBS2 at 9:30 a.m. The 62-year-old was one of the top three actresses of the day alongside Nam Jeong-im and Yoon Jeong-hee, but retired after marriage in 1971. Moon debuted at age 18 in Lee Man-hee's "Heukmaek.'' "I had to follow a tight working schedule, with a dozen non-stop things to carry out every day. I was physically and spiritually drained. I couldn't develop an affinity for the filmmaking process so I made my wedding announcement at age 24 and lived without regret as a housewife until now," she said in the interview. During her marriage to the late Chang Kang-jae, former chairman of the Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, she had two sons and one daughter. Her eldest son, Joong-ho, is currently head of Ilgan Sports. "Now that I'm done raising my children I'm already in my early 60s," she said. "After my husband died and my c

Oct 13, 2009

Yacht Delivery Man Takes on World

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter Yoon Tae-geun, 47, embarked Sunday on a journey to sail solo around the world on his 11.3-meter yacht, Intrepid, from Busan. "It will be a challenging voyage. But I will be back after sailing around the world successfully," Yoon said. "It's really exciting to finally start the journey." If he succeeds, it would be the first solo round-the-world voyage starting from Korea. He is expected to clock 40,233 kilometers and take about 1 year. His route will encompass Japan, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, South Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and Panama Canal. Yoon said he started preparing for the voyage seven years ago, saving about 200 million won for the trip. Yoon, who makes a living delivering used yachts from Japan to Korean buyers, bought the Intrepid in Hokkaido for 100 million won and installed a GPS system and other equipment worth some 30 million won. He left 50 million won in living expenses for his wife and three sons. He expects the cost for the journey to reach about 20 million won. About 20 individual sponsors plan to contri

Oct 12, 2009

Tablo, Actress Kang to Wed Oct. 26

Hip-hop group Epik High leader Tablo and actress Kang Hye-jung will wed on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. Gill of Leessang, the famous hip-hop duo, who is close to Tablo, revealed the news during a cable TV entertainment show Friday. Leessang will sing their congratulatory song during the wedding ceremony. The couple reportedly plans to invite only a handful of relatives and close friends. Last month, Tablo's agency said, ``Tablo is preparing for an October wedding. The couple will become father and mother next year." They had planned to get married next year but Kang's pregnancy caused them to advance the wedding date. Tablo, 29, and Kang, 27, have been dating since they first met at Epik High's Christmas concert last year. Unlike other celebrity couples who usually keep their love lives secret, Tablo and Kang have talked about their relationship through various TV shows and press interviews. Tablo is a leading Korean hip-hop musician, rap artist, songwriter and lyricist. Kang made her debut as a magazine model while attending high school. She gained fame through her ro

Oct 12, 2009

Yoo Jae-suk MBC’s Priciest Entertainer

Popular comedian Yoo Jae-suk, nicknamed the"MC of the nation," is the most expensive entertainer at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). Yoo earned 940 million won ($783,000) from the broadcaster last year, the largest amount among MBC entertainers, according to data submitted by Rep. Lee Jung-hyun of the Grand National Party to a broadcasting committee of the National Assembly. Trailing Yoo were comedian Park Myung-soo at 843 million won, TV personality Shon Seok-hee at 177 million won, singer Lee Moon-se at 176 million won and radio personality Bae Chul-soo at 174 million won. It was Yoo's third consecutive year at the top of the list. He received 922 million won in 2007 and 800 million won in 2006. Including his income from appearances on KBS and SBS, Yoo earned an estimated total of about 3 billion won. MBC's top 10 most expensive entertainers accounted for about 22 percent of its total payment to those who appeared in its TV and radio programs last year. chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Oct 12, 2009

Designer Seeks to Empower Disabled People

By Bryan Kay Staff Reporter A British designer hopes to demonstrate the benefits and possibilities that come with including the disabled in the process of "mainstream" design during this year's Seoul Design Olympiad. Julia Cassim, of the Royal College of Art in London, will be holding a competition in "inclusive design," or design based on the inclusion of the disabled. "By understanding the extreme, you can design for the mainstream ― and design better," Cassim said in an interview with The Korea Times. Named the 48 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge in Seoul, the competition began Sunday, with the results to be announced in a presentation Wednesday. "The wonderful thing about these competitions is that there is always an element of surprise," said the designer. "I'm sure the results will be great." The competition is based on what are called "Challenge Workshops" ― projects that focus on encouraging the inclusion of the disabled as a means for innovative design, explained Cassim. "Helping designers to engage with disability (is my aim)," said Cassim, adding

Oct 12, 2009

Kim Ok-vin Named Best Actress at Sitges Film Fest

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Actress Kim Ok-vin shared the award for Best Actress with Spain's Elena Anaya at the 42nd Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Spain. The 23-year-old won the award, the festival announced Sunday, for her role in Park Chan-wook's ``Thirst.'' Kim shared the award with Anaya for her role in ``Hierro,'' a psychological thriller. ``Thirst,'' a thriller that won the jury prize at Cannes this year, is about a priest-turned-vampire (Song Kang-ho) struggling with his desire for blood and sex. Kim received critical acclaim for her portraying a femme fatale who seduces the bloodsucking priest. In 2005, South Korea's Lee Young-ae won the award for ``Sympathy for Lady Vengeance,'' also directed by Park. Kim debuted through an online beauty contest hosted by Internet portal site Naver in 2004. Her filmography includes the comic period film ``The Accidental Gangster and Mistaken Courtesan'' and teen sex comedy ``Dasepo Naughty Girls'' (2006). Founded in 1967, Sitges is the largest genre film festival in the world and takes place every Octob

Oct 12, 2009
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