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Actress Kim to Host TV Music Program

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Kim Jeung-eun, the heroine of the handball movie ``Forever the Moment,'' will host her first music program, ``Chocolate.'' Instead of the shorts and sneakers she wore in the hit film, Kim appeared at a press conference Wednesday, in a creme color ruffled dress and expressed her excitement by saying that she finally fulfilled her dream. ``I have dreamed of hosting this kind of program for the last five years and I am so happy that I finally can,'' she said. ``Chocolate'' is a music/talk show that will follow Lee Juck's ``Music Space'' on Tuesdays. Viewers will be able to see not only singers but also other celebrities show off their vocal talents. ``Considering that I'm hosting a music program, I thought I needed some sort of a connection. It seems I'm overreacting, but I have started practicing playing the piano for the program. We are going for an acoustic and non-digital atmosphere where the viewers can listen to memorable oldies,'' she said. Viewers have enjoyed a series of music/talk shows, from Lee So-ra's ``Propose,'' Yoon Do-

Mar 7, 2008

Club Korea Seeks People’s Happiness

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Kim Hak-su, who leads a non-governmental organization, has pledged to roll up his sleeves to secure basic rights for human beings. Kim, former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2000-2007), was appointed as chairman of the 10021 Club Korea Tuesday. In his inaugural speech at the Lexington Hotel in Yeouido, he said, ``I am glad to be part again in activity that puts efforts toward enhancing the basic rights of human beings and the level of happiness among individuals." ``As a leader of the club and together with other members, I will strive to increase awareness of basic rights and values among the public,'' he said. Kim worked as a prominent economist in both the government and private sectors. He was an economist with the Bank of Korea, secretary to the minister of commerce and industry and an executive director of Daewoo Corp. Kim took up his position in the United Nations in 1981. The club was recently given official recognition by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs an

Mar 6, 2008

Lee Juck Wins 4 Prizes at Music Awards

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Lee Juck, famed for his sweet melodies and heart breaking lyrics took home four awards at the fifth annual Korean Music Awards, Wednesday. Lee, the 34-year-old singer/songwriter, proved to be the star of the event being nominated in six categories for his latest album ``Song Made From a Tree.'' The album won the awards for Album of the Year and Best Korean Pop Album, while the main track, ``Fortunate,'' won the Song of the Year and Best Korean Pop Song. The song ``Fortunate'' was an instant hit when it was released with Lee's deep voice singing inspirational lyrics to a sad yet strong melody. It also touched the hearts of fans as he explained that the song was written for his wife. ``I give my biggest thanks to my wife, who was the reason I wrote this song,'' he said after receiving the award. A former member of the duo Panic, Carnival and Gigs, Lee has released three solo albums and has also gained popularity as a radio DJ of the ``Ten Ten Club'' and also as the host of the SBS music/talk program ``Music Space.'' sanghee@korea

Mar 6, 2008

Top US Navy Officer Expresses Sadness Over Namdaemun Fire

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The top U.S. Navy officer in South Korea expressed his deep sadness Thursday at the destruction of the landmark Sungnyemun, also known as Namdaemun, by arson late last month. ``The loss of the Republic of Korea's number one National Treasure is truly a heartbreaking event and one I am eternally sorry for,'' Rear Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, said in a letter sent to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Song Young-moo. ``It was a great tragedy to see this historic site be destroyed in less than five hours after withstanding numerous foreign invasions, years of Japanese occupation, and the devastation caused by the Korean War,'' Rowden said. Along with the letter, the U.S. admiral sent a photo taken in April 1950 of Namdaemun with a placard welcoming the arrival of U.S. Naval forces in South Korea. The placard in the picture reads in large block letters, ``Welcome U.S. Navy!'' From April 7-9 in 1950, USS Boxer (CV-21) aircraft carrier visited the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul. The 27,000-ton airc

Mar 6, 2008

Insooni to Have Concert Tour

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Insooni, one of Korea's favorite female singers, will hold concerts nationwide to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her music career. The singer held a press conference Wednesday, showing her ambition and outline her future path. ``I have done many concerts but this is the first time I am holding a press conference solely to introduce one. Dramas and movies have press conferences before their launching, but I wondered why concerts didn't. This will surely be a good start for great concerts to come,'' she said. The concert, titled ``Legend'', will start April 3 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and continue in 20 different cities including Busan, Daegu and Jeju. Insooni, with her trademark permed hair and vibrant smile, introduced her concert with excitement. ``I have performed many concerts. I stopped counting at 1,000. This one is particularly special because I'm holding it at the Sejong Center, which is huge. I will have to run back and forth to interact with my fans, so it has been quite a burden for me. Even the little

Mar 5, 2008

Moscow Eyes More Economic Cooperation With Seoul

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter With President Lee Myung-bak putting a high priority on ``energy diplomacy,'' Russia is ready to increase its economic cooperation with South Korea, a former Russian ambassador to Seoul said Wednesday. Alexander N. Panov, 64, who served as ambassador between 1992 and 1993, said the Lee government and Russia's incoming administration of Dmitry Medvedev would have a lot of opportunities to work together in various fields, such as energy resources and railroad projects. ``President Lee already said he's very interested in deeper cooperation in energy between the two countries. We completely agree, especially because right now the international economic outlook is gloomy. But in Russia, we have good economic prospects,'' Panov said in an interview with The Korea Times at a Seoul hotel. ``In this sense, your country may use this good economic situation in Russia to cope with economic difficulties which your country is facing now. The energy field is one of such priorities (of bilateral cooperation),'' said the former ambassador, who currently

Mar 5, 2008

Rhee to Work as Curator for NY’s Seville Biennale

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Korean curator Rhee Won-il has been appointed as curator to the 2008 Seville Biennale, and as guest curator for the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) Asian contemporary art exhibit in New York in 2009. In a meeting with reporters last week, Rhee admitted feeling a lot of pressure as he faces the challenge of organizing two major exhibitions. ``I feel like I'm in the Yankee Stadium, and I need to throw a strike ball to win the World Series,'' Rhee said. Rhee's first priority is his work with the 3rd International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville, which will be held from Oct. 2, 2008 to Jan. 11, 2009 in the Spanish city. He talked about the Seville Biennale's theme ``YOUniverse,'' which refers to the interactivity of each individual with his own personal universe. Aside from Rhee, members of the artistic team include Peter Weibel, general director of the ZKM Centre for Art and Media, Germany and Marie-Ange Brayer, director of the Regional Center of Contemporary Art of Orleans, France ``It will be something different. I t

Mar 4, 2008

Kang Ta to Begin Serving in Military From Next Month

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Kang Ta, a former member of the Korean pop group H.O.T renowned for his chiseled features and sweet ballads will leave his fans to serve in the military, according to his management agency. ``Kang-Ta will leave on April 1 and serve in the army for two years,'' SM Entertainment said Monday. The former H.O.T member and now solo singer is preparing a new album and even a concert for his fans before he says good-bye. According to the agency, the singer will release his latest album, ``Eternity,'' and hold a concert at Yonsei University's main auditorium March 29. The album will be his first in three years. He held his last solo concert five years ago. One of the most popular members in the boy band H.O.T, which disbanded in 2001, he has continued his stardom as a solo singer not only here but also in China. He released three albums and also formed a duo with Taiwanese singer Vanessa Wu in 2006. The singer was invited with Chinese singer Zhang Li-yin to hold a concert for the success of the Beijing Olympics last year. sanghee@koreatim

Mar 3, 2008

Independent Activist Jang In-hwan Honored

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has selected Jang In-hwan (1876-1930) as the Independence Fighter of the month in consultation with the Korea Liberation Association and the Independence Hall of Korea. Jang, along with Jeon Myeong-un, is known for his role in the 1908 assassination of Japan lobbyist and former American diplomat Durham Stevens (1861-1908). Stevens served for Japan's foreign ministry and diplomatic adviser to the Korean government to advance Japanese propaganda in the United States. He was an active supporter of Japan's occupation of Korea (the Joseon Kingdom). Born in South Pyeongan Province, now in North Korea, Jang, a Christian, emigrated to Hawaii in February 1905, working as a laborer. A year later, he became involved with the Korean independence movement while living there, and jointed the Daedong Bogukhoe, a local independence movement association. In March 1908, infuriated by Stevens' remarks supporting Japanese colonial rule of Korea, the association held a meeting with the Gongnip Hyeophe, a

Mar 3, 2008

KEPCO Researcher Recognized Globally

By Jane Han Staff Reporter The Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) said Monday that its state-run research center's principal researcher, Song Il-keun, has been acknowledged by one of the world's leading biographical references on global achievement for his work on testing polymer insulators. Polymer insulators are increasingly replacing ceramics and porcelain insulators in power distribution lines, but setbacks have been aging and unknown long-term reliability. Song devised the ``Multi-Stress Aging Test Facility for Polymer Insulators,'' which aimed to resolve these chronic disadvantages of polymers. This is the second time a KEPCO researcher has been recognized by the American Biographical Institute (ABI). Last April, ABI said it plans to launch an award after the company's chief researcher Sung Tae-hyun for his achievement in the field of superconductivity. KEPCO said it plans to apply Song's research results into advancing the country's power distribution. ``Many advanced countries have already significantly replaced ceramics with polymers because of it

Mar 3, 2008
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