Kim Tae-hwan (김태환)

Flattery, the sincerest form of sycophancy

2007/06/28 | Source | Permalink |

"The Chairman's Guidelines", a popular comedy show on SBS, features an assistant manager and a supervisor who compete over who is best at flattering the chairman. They make absurd comments like "If he wanted, I would play dodge ball against a bowling ball", as they vie to see who can be the bigger sycophant.
The show is wildly popular among Korean employees. "Regular salarymen empathize with this show's premise", said Hyeon Byeong-su, who plays the chairman. "It is similar to how they live their lives. It hits a nerve".
Most of us have thought about how to flatter the boss, but it can be difficult or embarrassing to do it well.
Flattery is an important lubricant of human relationships, but it also tends to be a form of deception or manipulation. It can also be open to many interpretations.
"My boss was having trouble finding the right place for a foothold during a company mountain-climbing event", said a trading company manager. "Then, one of our employees held his hands togethe...| More

'Yonsama' Brings K-Wave Expo Opener to a Halt

2006/11/30 | Source | Permalink |

The Hallyu Expo in Asia celebrating the march of Korean pop culture across the continent opened Wednesday at the International Convention Center Jeju at Seogwipo's Jungmun Resort. Tourists from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong filled more than 2,000 seats, chiefly to catch a glimpse of the actor Bae Yong-joon. But Bae, a goodwill ambassador for the event, was late for the opening ceremony, which started 30 minutes behind schedule due to his tardiness.

When he finally showed up during Jeju City Mayor Kim Tae-hwan's opening address, Bae, his hair tied up in a ponytail for the filming of the new drama "Taewangsasingi" ("The Legend", "Four Gods"), waved and smiled. It was his first official appearance since promoting the movie "April Snow" last year. Chaos ensued. The fans, mostly women between 30 and 80 who had come to Jeju by charter plane, shouted for joy, drowning out the mayor's speech. Bae laid a finger on his lips to quiet down the excited crowd, but it took 10 minutes before Kim was ...| More

Bae Yong-joon Japan's All-Time Favorite Son-in-Law

2006/11/30 | Source | Permalink |

Actor Bae Yong-joon, Japan's favorite son-in-law who is nicknamed "Yonsama", demonstrated unflagging popularity despite a long absence when he attended the opening ceremony of the "Hallyu (Korean Wave) Expo in Korea" on Jeju Island on Wednesday.

Having participated in the shooting of new drama "The Four Gods" ("The Legend") for several months on Jeju island, Bae arrived at the expo 10 minutes late sporting a ponytail and a grey suit. Upon his arrival, his Japanese fans who came to the event to see him cheered and waved, which caused Jeju Governor Kim Tae-hwan to pause while delivering the opening speech.

The media also showed great interest in covering Bae. When Bae emerged from behind the stage and not from the entrance where he was expected to appear, cameramen destroyed the photo line to scramble toward him, causing havoc. And later when he left the stage, reporters even scuffled with the event's staff trying to chase after him.

Bae's Japanese fans showed their passion for ...| More