Love Letter (Drama - 2003)

Evolution of Local Music Programs

Source | 2009/06/30 | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

The format of music programs has come a long way in Korea, where the love of Korean pop music is quickly extending to an interest in television music programs. With more than five music shows airing each week on various channels, these shows are now becoming trademarks of local television.

It was back in 1981 when KBS started the first K-pop television show with a charting format, "Gayo Top 10". For the next 17 years, it saw tremendous success as the first program to have such a format based on viewers' and fans' votes.

"Unlike today, when the Internet plays a greater role in every aspect, we would receive post cards with people's vote for their favorite singer of the week written on it. We would combine all those votes, and carry out a survey among producers and music experts for a more professional perspective, and then air the final results", Jun Jin-suk, former producer of the program back in 1995 and now the executive director of KBS Chang...| More

Jo Hyeon-jae to Hold Fan Meetings in Japan in June

Source | 2008/05/21 | Permalink |

Actor Jo Hyeon-jae, who has emerged as a Hallyu star through his appearances in TV dramas and films, will visit Japan to meet his fans before starting his military duty.

Jo will hold a series of fan meetings in Japan next month. The actor will meet his fans at the Osaka NHK Hall on June 22 and at the Tokyo Nagano Sun Plaza on June 23. He has also invited 400 fans to a dinner show themed " First Love " at the Westin Nagoya Castle Hotel in Nagoya on June 27.

Jo, who was cast alongside Bae Yong-joon and Jeon Do-yeon in the 2003 'Untold Scandal', rose to stardom with his roles in the TV drama series 'Love Letter' and 'Seodongyo'. His upcoming fan meeting will be his first visit to Japan in ten months since his last visit in August last year when he took part in the 'Hallyu Expo" event held at the Tokyo Dome.

Some 3,300 fans are expected to attend the fan meetings in Osaka and Tokyo....| More

[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(33)] Whetting U.S. appetite for Korean TV dramas

Source | 2008/04/24 | Permalink |

In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 33rd in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.

Following is an email interview with Tom Larsen, president of YA Entertainment, the largest distributor of Korean TV drama DVDs in the United States. - Ed.

The Korea Herald: What is the current market position of Korean TV dramas in the U.S. market? How are they perceived in comparison with mainstream U.S., Chinese and Japanese programming?

Tom Larsen: Like most other TV programming from international markets, Korean TV dramas are generally considered a specialty entertainment niche here in the United States. Having said that, the popularity of Korean TV dramas in the United States has grown dramatically over the past five years. Korean TV dramas are now widely recogni...| More

'Lost in Love' depicts lovers lacking courage to tell truth

Source | 2006/01/26 | Permalink |

She has a crush on him. But she cannot ask him out because she's timid and shy. Worse, she helplessly observes how he suffers from a broken relationship with another woman. She is always close by him, but he thinks of her as just a good friend, not a woman for a deeper relationship. After all, love is elusive, isn't it?

"Lost in Love" (Sarangeul notchida), directed by Choo Chang-min, is about people who have difficulty in telling the truth and lack courage when it comes to relationships. The subject is familiar with Koreans (or other Asians) because cases of being unable to reveal true feelings abound due to the cultural tradition of cherishing reticence over garrulousness.

The pain of failing to talk about affectionate emotions is best showcased in "Love Letter", a Japanese romantic film by Shunji Iwai, which still mesmerizes Korean fans. The surprising revelation at the end of the 1995 classic is so irresistibly moving - even by today's enhanced filmmaking standards - that it s...| More

Jo Hyeon-jae to advance to Japan

Source | 2005/12/09 | Permalink |

Actor Jo Hyeon-jae is set to make inroads into the Japanese market in a joint effort with the Japanese talent management agency IMX, which also manages "Yonsama" Bae Yong-joon.

Jo will hold a meeting with 1,000 Japanese fans Dec. 30-31 at the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. The event has already drawn significant attention as IMX has lent its full support to Cho, promoting him as a next-generation hallyu star.

Jo came into the spotlight in Japan after the movie "Untold Scandal", which co-stars Bae and Jo, was shown in that country in 2004. His popularity rose further for his role in the TV drama "Love Letter", which aired several times in Japan on the cable channel KNTV and Fuji TV.

"The foundation for his advancement into Japan has already been laid through his roles in movies and TV dramas; he just didn't have the right opportunity. But thanks to IMX, whose support is very solid, he will finally step up his efforts to establish his presence in Japan", said a person from Cho...| More