Heo Yeong-man (허영만)

Seoul to Host Int'l Cartoon & Animation Festival

Source | 2009/07/16 | 0 comments | Permalink |

The 13th Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival will open on July 22nd for a five-day run at the COEX convention center and the Seoul Animation Center.

This year's event will mark the 100th birthday of the Korean cartoon industry.

Cartoon exhibitions will be held and some 400 animated films from 35 countries will be screened as part of the festival.

Renowned cartoonist Heo Yeong-man and animation producer Hwang Sun-kil will be honored at this year's event for their contributions to the development of the domestic cartoon and animation industries.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio...| More

Rekindling Korean Wave

2009/06/24 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

It's a dilemma Korea has encountered many times before: plenty of tourists ― indeed, numbers are rising ― but a dearth of attractions with which to occupy them.

In the past year, visitor numbers have increased, largely on the back of a weak won.

But with exchange rates turning unfavorable to foreign visitors, the growth is beginning to slow. So authorities are faced with the same old problems: Put simply, the nation lacks things for foreign tourists to see and do.

The tourism industry has been aware of the shortcomings for some time and has made efforts to develop new attractions and programs.

Now another pair of developments are about to come to fruition. At the end of the month a premium Korean restaurant called Unamjeong, which has been revived from a famous comic, and an exhibition hall named "Star Avenue", which will help re-ignite Hallyu, or the Korean Cultural Wave.


Unamjeong

Korean food is growing more popular among...| More

Promoting Korean Cuisine in China via Hit TV Drama

Source | 2009/06/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Put condiments between the cabbage leaves evenly. Now, let's try each kimchi to select a winner".

A promotional event for the Korean TV drama "Gourmet", was held Saturday at a mansion in downtown Guangzhou in China's Guangdong province. Some 200 people there gave a hearty cheer when two of the drama's actors Kwon O-joong and Won Ki-joon appeared as judges.

Hong Kong Star TV hosted the event under the auspices of the Korea Tourism Organization in the run-up to the drama's airing in China. "Gourmet" is the TV adaptation of a comic strip by Heo Yeong-man carried in The Dong-A Ilbo.

The event featured programs promoting Korean cuisine including a kimchi-making contest, a lecture on "bibimbap (spicy mixed rice with vegetables)", and a Korean food eating contest.

Similar events were also held in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan before the airing of the drama in those three regions, but the one in Guangzhou was the first to feature Korean food.

As part of the Korea Tourism Organiza...| More

Filmmakers eye hit with stories from other genres

Source | 2008/11/03 | 0 comments | Permalink |

A good movie tends to have a good script. What if a director fails to get one? No need to worry, because Korean filmmakers are quick to borrow from other genres such as comics and novels.

A striking case in point is "My Wife Got Married", a provocative tale about bigamy adapted from the bestselling novel of the same title, written by Park Hyun-wook. The movie debuted on Oct. 23 and shot up to No. 1 at the box office here, demonstrating that good storytelling works across different platforms.

Other filmmakers with a similar cross-breeding approach seem to have taken heart from the positive performance of "My Wife Got Married".

"Antique", to be released Nov. 13, falls into the same category, though the original story comes from a bestselling Japanese comic series. Directed by Min Gyoo-dong, the film features Joo Ji-hoon, who surged to stardom through his stellar performance in the hit TV drama "Princess Hours". In the movie, which explicitly targets female audiences, Joo plays J...| More

SBS puts money on 'Tazza' drama

Source | 2008/09/15 | 0 comments | Permalink |

In the hopes of carrying a trilogy of dramas based on the works of cartoonist Heo Yeong-man to a successful end, SBS starts airing the final installment tonight.

The broadcasting channel kicked off a trio of Heo's dramas in April with "I Love You - 2008", followed up with the hit series "Gourmet" in June and will now complete the set with "Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower").

Like "Gourmet", the original comic series was already made into a blockbuster movie in 2006. The film wowed audiences with its ruthless plotline, superbly executed by actor Jo Seung-woo and actress Kim Hye-soo, becoming the second-biggest film of the year. The small screen version plans on repeating that kind of success.

The drama's formula to success lies in a revamped storyline, an infusion of humor and a brand new character. Planning to capitalize on the riveting tale of a skilled cardsharp -- or "tazza" in Korean -- named Goni, the bare bones of the plot remains intact, with favorite chara...| More