Actress Bae Doona has become the first Korean to appear on the cover of U.S. fashion magazine Vogue in its 127-year history.
She shares the cover of the April issue with film stars Scarlett Johansson of the U.S. and Deepika Padukone of India...More
Singer Goo Ha-ra denied any involvement with Seungri's latest controversy.
She made a post on Instagram on the 12th when a netizen commented, "You're from the same academy as the great Seungri. Are you involved? Did you go somewhere else?"...More
Seungri of boy band Big Bang arrives at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Feb. 27.
Police has booked Seungri of boy band Big Bang on charges that he supplied prostitutes for foreign investors, it said Sunday.
Police also raided a nightclub in the affluent Gangnam area of southern Seoul believed to be the place where Seungri sent his foreign investors for prostitute services...More
Koreans bought nearly US$3 billion worth of products on international e-commerce websites for the first time last year.
According to the Korea Customs Service on Monday, Koreans bought products online worth about $2.76 billion in 32.25 million transactions last year, up 37 percent from a year ago...More
Seungri of boy band Big Bang speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Wendesday.
Seungri of boy band Big Bang was questioned by police on Wednesday night on suspicion that he supplied sometimes drugged women and prostitutes to potential investors and rich customers at his club...More
Seungri of boy band Big Bang is being investigated after allegations that he supplied prostitutes for foreign investors, police said Tuesday.
An entertainment news website published what it claimed were text messages exchanged by Seungri and an executive at his company, Yuri Holdings, identified as Yu, urging another staffer to take good care of an investor from Taiwan...More
G-Dragon, the leader of K-pop boy band Big Bang who is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service, failed to receive a customary promotion to the rank of corporal, it was revealed on Tuesday...More
Apartment sales in Seoul hit their lowest level in about six years in February...More
On January 20th MBC uploaded some behind the scenes images of Joo Ji-hoon onto their website for "The Item". In the pictures, he is seen smiling, and holding up crude pictures he has drawn on a white board...More
People rally in favor of legalizing abortion in Seoul. /Yonhap
Three out of four Korean women of childbearing age believe abortion should be legalized, a poll suggests. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs carried out an online survey of 10,000 women between 15 and 44 last autumn, and 75.4 percent of respondents agreed that abortion should be legal.
The government conducted its own surveys on abortion in 2005 and 2011, and although no exact comparison can be drawn, the general trend is overwhelmingly in favor of legalization...More
"Really enjoying "Kingdom" on Netflix, the Joseon era Korean zombie show, but can we talk about all the hats in the show for a hot second? I need a scholar of Korean history to unpack all of these lids", writes American science fiction author John Hornor Jacobs about the Netflix 6-part Korean drama. In addition to Jacobs, social networking sites are filled with comments from international viewers with different statuses and positions. Even Netflix didn't anticipate the attention for the 'gat', or hat worn in the Joseon period...More
Subway trains and buses will run for extra hours to accommodate holidaymakers during a weeklong break over the Lunar New Year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said...More
Girl group Black Pink's onomatopoeia-driven song drew over 600 million views on YouTube as of Sunday...More
BTS have raised W1.85 billion to charity from November of 2017 to Dec. 6 of this year (US$1=W1,126)...More
Hotel Shilla's Korean restaurant La Yeon in Seoul ranks 175th with a score of 92 on La Liste, a list of the 1,000 best restaurants in the world sponsored by the French Foreign Ministry and tourism board...More
Korean cosmetics companies have been thrown a lifeline by new import regulations in China.
They now only need to register their products on the website of China's National Medical Products Administration without prior approval, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety here said on Tuesday...More
Microdot (left) and Dok2
Korean cyberspace is atwitter with revelations about the fly-by-night families of stars big and small.
Rapper Microdot seemed to have reached the pinnacle of success until his parents were accused of eloping to New Zealand in the middle of the night 20 years ago after borrowing a lot of money from relatives and friends...More
Cheong Wa Dae has started redesigning its petition website after it became a forum for anyone to vent their spleen and was swamped with trivial messages.
In many instances the public also used the website in an effort to pressure judges to arrive at particular rulings. Cheong Wa Dae previously defended the trend, saying it was useful for the public to have any kind of outlet...More
"My Aunt in Texas", a new play produced by the National Theater Company of Korea, investigates the struggle of women who migrate to another country in search of happiness...More
BTS Celebs's OpEd on K-drama leads is here:
Another year of K-dramas is upon us, and that means it's time to reminiscence about the wonderful stars that made this year just a little brighter. From rookies to veterans, these leading men will be unforgettable in the years to come...More
Park Sung-hyun has retained her world No. 1 ranking despite finishing far behind world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand at the Buick LPGA Shanghai on Sunday...More
Boy band EXO will showcase their latest album early next month. They will unveil their fifth album, "Don't Mess up My Tempo", on Nov. 2 at a casino in Yeongjong Island, Incheon...More
Koreans are increasingly embracing cheaper Chinese electronics and abandoning their traditional preference for homegrown gadgets...More
The annual Bucheon International Animation Festival will mark its 20th anniversary as it opens later this week. The fest will begin its five-day run from Friday...More
Shin Seung-hyun, CEO of Funtastic Korea, said she was inspired to start her own business after hearing about the travel needs of her many international friends...More
/Newsis
A strong won and cheap airfares have resulted in Koreans spending a record W32 trillion overseas last year, according to the Bank of Korea (US$1=W1,130). That is an increase of 9.3 percent from a year earlier.
The figure does not even include online shopping on overseas websites like Amazon and Alibaba or spending on business trips, meaning most of it occurred on holiday or during overseas study or training...More
Goo Ha-ra, formerly of the girl band Kara, accuses her ex-boyfriend of threatening to post a sex tape of the two of them online.
Goo (27) and her ex-boyfriend, identified by his surname Choi (27), have been conducting a very public spat since Choi filed a police report on Sept. 13 claiming Goo assaulted him at her home...More
A growing number of Korean men fear being wrongfully accused of sexual harassment in crowded public places due to the new zero-tolerance policy for such offenses.
One woman posted an appeal on the Cheong Wa Dae website last Thursday claiming that her husband had been wrongfully accused of groping a woman in a busy restaurant and sentenced to six months behind bars...More
Morbid ditties about suicide and self-harm are all the rage among schoolkids in Korea.
One mother of a primary school student was shocked recently when she heard her child sing a song that sounded like a children's song but featured the word "suicide" more than a dozen times...More
Clockwise from top, an art work rented by Open Gallery, a clothes refresher by Coway and an automatic pet feeder by Lotte Rental
Leased and rental products are becoming increasingly popular in a country where more and more people live alone and spending money is tight amid record household debt.
Korea's No. 1 supplier of rental products, Coway, launched a new service last month renting out clothes fresheners, a product dominated by LG. "We added an air purifier and humidifier function to clothing fresheners and provide filter changes at regular intervals", it said...More
Foreigners are increasingly dominant in the market for housemaids, often illegally. About 250,000 foreigners work as maids here, and only 20 percent of them are Korean Chinese who are officially permitted to do the job, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor...More
Park Min-young (third from left) takes a selfie with visitors at the launch of Samsung's new Galaxy Note 9 phone in Singapore on Friday. /Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Samsung has launched a global marketing blitz after unveiling the Galaxy Note 9 flagship smartphone in New York on Aug. 9.
The Korean electronics giant also launched the phone in Singapore's Botanical Gardens on Aug. 10, since the Note series is popular in the city state...More
A dog runs on the treadmill at an animal gym in Seoul on July 30.
Korean pets are increasingly overweight as they are often kept in apartments and do not get enough exercise, which has led to a fad for pet diet programs...More
Yemenis wait to file asylum applications in Jeju, in this undated picture. /Newsis
The government on Wednesday promised to toughen screening of asylum seekers amid a surge of xenophobia over the arrival of hundreds of Yemenis on Jeju Island.
Record numbers of citizens signed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website urging the government to toughen screening of foreigners...More
The annual Jecheon International Music Film Festival will be held in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province next week...More
Reporters wait for a press conference by the Shinil Group in Seoul on Thursday. /Yonhap
A company whose share price skyrocketed in recent weeks after it claimed to have discovered a sunken Russian ship with W150 trillion worth of gold on board has predictably backed off its claim (US$1=W1,123).
Shinil Group had been enticing investors since the beginning of this year by saying it found the fabled missing ship off the coast of Ulleung Island. But once controversy escalated about its real aims, it fired several executives and distanced itself from the claim. It also emerged that the former head of the company has been indicted on a separate fraud charge...More
The entrance of a Mumuso store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Enterprising Chinese manufacturers are doing brisk business on the back of the resurgent Korean Wave across Asia.
A staffer at the Ho Chi Minh City office of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said, "We are seeing an explosive growth in stores selling bogus Korean products".
Sometimes it is just a question of printing some Hangeul characters on a bag or playing Korean pop music in stores. But they mainly entice Southeast Asian customers with knockoffs of popular Korean products...More
Director Gwi-dong (played by Kang Ha-neul) is hanging out in the woods with a busted arm eating a birthday cake and checking out his own profile on South Korean film websites. He made "Members of the Funeral", a reference to actual director Baek Sung-bin's first movie. But anyway, Gwi-dong is sad, pathetic and lonely looking. Then there's an ominous explosion and some weird hikers pop up out of nowhere. One of them claims to be a big fan of Gwi-dong's work, and asks to see his next scenario...More
North Korea is cracking down on women wearing short skirts and banned people from imitating dance moves by South Korean music groups.
The war on capitalistic influences brought on by the Korean Wave comes despite an unprecedented thaw in cross-border relations that saw North Korean leader Kim Jong-un enjoy a performance by South Korean pop stars in Pyongyang...More
Yemeni asylum seekers wait in front of an immigration office on Jeju Island on June 18. /Newsis
The number of refugees who have fled to Korea for sanctuary now exceeds 35,000 including those whose applications are still pending...More
A heist on Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb on Wednesday netted W35 billion for the daredevil hackers (US$1=W1,107).
The incident sent investors into a panic who had trusted Bithumb's advertising pitch that its security is unmatched in the industry...More
Another woman has come forward to claim that disgraced actor Cho Jae-hyun sexually assaulted her.
A 42-year-old Korean-Japanese actress told a news website on Wednesday that Cho raped her in the men's toilet of a TV network building 16 years ago. She said she first met Cho while shooting a TV drama in 2001...More
Abandoned children of Korean men in the Philippines are seeking compensation and help finding their fathers...More
Sales of apartments have plunged in Seoul, dwindling to just one-ninth of the same month last year in the upscale district of Gangnam...More
Superstar K-pop boy band BTS are eroding Western perceptions of Asian men as weak and effeminate and becoming poster boys even among white girls.
South Africa's the Dailyvox wrote BTS "is reimagining masculinity -- and it's about way more than how they dress. Their growing popularity means that they are creating new standards of how to be a man"...More
Two of the creators behind one of Korea's most successful varieties, RUNNING MAN, have produced BUSTED!, a new show that pits teams of celebrities against each other to solve a mystery. BUSTED! is produced in partnership with NETFLIX to be seen in 190 countries; a first for a South Korean variety programme...More
The annual music festival will kick off its two-week run in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province in July...More
Overseas fans of popular boy band BTS are rushing to Korean shopping websites to buy the band's latest hit album "Love Yourself: Tear"...More
Singer and actress Suzy has always been lovely at every age.
A community website posted pictures of Suzy during three different stages of her life...More
The "Me Too" movement that swept Hollywood and other celebrity hubs has divided Korea, where every day seems to bring new assertions of fierce girl power in the traditionally patriarchal society.
On the feminist website Womad on Wednesday, a post promised hidden camera shots of men on the toilet -- a dig at the thousands of similar clips of women on offer on porn sites...More
The Internet portals that retain a unique role in Korea's online world are dragging their heels amid an online opinion-rigging scandal and a global uproar over the spread of "fake news" on the web.
Naver and Daum, the two top portals, remain helpless against online opinion-rigging tactics like "macro", or using computer programs to boost the number of clicks on a particular article, and "coordinate sharing", or swiftly passing on the URLs of articles and websites favorable to a group's opinion to boost clicks and "likes"...More
Most jobs advertised online are part-time positions, suggesting that small restaurants and convenience stores are opting to hire staff only for a few hours a day as the minimum-wage hike kicks in.
A growing number of employers resort to this strategy, which results in no improvements in the wages of part-time workers...More
Since Han Ye-seul openly conveyed her feelings regarding a medical accident that occured, the hospital finally released an official apology...More
Kyu Hyun Kim reviews the surprise hit "Gonjiam" for Koreanfilm.org, KoBiz lists the seven highest-grossing K-horrors of all time, the Wildflower Film Awards honours independent filmmaking excellence, and Bollywood is experiencing a "Korean film remake boom"...More
Han Kang /AP-Yonhap
Korean novelist Han Kang, who won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 for "The Vegetarian", was shortlisted for the prestigious award again this year for "The White Book". The shortlist was announced in London, Britain last Thursday...More
The audio-visual festival "Big Day South" will be bigger and better than before, National Geographic showcases K-coolness, Jeju's new Shinhwa World is a stunning one-stopped resort for the whole family, and Wallpaper reviews Kosmos Hotel on the volcanic island of Ulleungdo...More
Actor Heo Jung-min is calling the shots for the first time in his 24 year career...More
National Geographic shares a stunning short time-lapse video of the streets and landmarks in Seoul, Korea Stripes have five great reasons to visit Korea's favourite Island, Rebecca Zhang shares ten top suggestions for traditional temple stays around the country, and don't miss out on these upcoming festivals...More
Worsening air quality aggravated by fine dust particles is taking its toll on Koreans. City dwellers have begun to move to a seemingly pleasant town on the outskirts of Seoul and other remote areas or even emigrate to escape the pollution...More
I daresay, in 2018, the hottest young actor of K-drama world is none other than the actor Jung Hae-in. He seems to have everything: the handsome face, fit body, great acting skills, cute image, outstanding fashion sense, gentleman-like personality… the list could go on and on...More
Amid all the saddening news dominating K-drama newsfeeds, actor Jo Hyun-jae brings something to celebrate with the announcement that he will be ringing the wedding bells this month...More
In some surprising and exciting news, "Mother - Drama" has been selected as a competitor for the first ever CANNESERIES, Cannes International Series Festival. My cynicism over awards and dislike for the support Cannes has shown for problematic figures aside, this is a great opportunity for Korean content abroad...More
A picture of BIGBANG's leader, G-Dragon, in the military was released online...More
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay continues to make the case for Cass, Eat Your Kimchi stars Simon and Martina share their tips for exploring a new city's food scene, wine researcher Sookyung Henriet wants to up Koreans appreciate of wine, and BuzzFeed has 29 reasons why Seoul has some of the best street food in world...More
Trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Gate"...More
10 Magazine track down the 10 best bibimbap spots around the country, Sue makes a beef stew (bulgogi jeongol) packed with mushrooms on My Korean Kitchen, the BBC reports on the significance of eating tteokguk for Lunar New Year, and learn more about the country's complicated relationship with dog meat...More
KoBiz tracks a cluster of rising stars to keep an eye on this year, Darcy Paquet shares his top ten films of the last year, Pieces of Work lists some of the country's best gangster films, and where does "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds" stand in the list of Korea's highest-grossing films of all time?...More
Subway trains and buses in Seoul will have their operating hours extended for two days during the lunar New Year break next week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday...More
Along the news about Go Hyun-jung leaving the drama "Return", there has been active arguments from those who claim to have witnessed Go Hyun-jung creating conflict with the production team of dramas and variety shows...More
While many people enjoy the suspenseful story lines and excellent acting of veteran actress Ko Hyung-jung, evil Shin Sung-rok and Bong Tae-gyu, there's another actress who shines on screen every time she appears. Actress Jung Eun-chae is the newest scene-stealer in the drama "Return"...More
EXO's Xiumin shared his thoughts on materialistic gifts he receives from the fans...More
Bloated Cat Productions and Penguin Films will World Premiere their latest horror feature film, "Under the Knife", at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2018 on Saturday, March 17th at 9pm. Among the world's elite genre festivals, Yubari, now in it's 28th year, is the largest horror festival in Japan...More
Korean movie "I Have a Date with Spring" is among the eight films vying for the most prestigious award at the 47th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) currently taking place in The Netherlands (January 24 to February 4, 2018). The competition line-up (below) includes seven world premieres and one international premiere...More
Actor and a member of K-pop group JYJ Park Yoo-chun has released his first official schedule since his discharge from military duty...More
Make your own sweet walnut pastry with My Korean Kitchen, The Korea Times pairs wine with Gangwon's local delights ahead of the Winter Games, these hot and comforting foods will help you forget the chill, and multi-Michelin-starred restaurant owner welcomes travellers at Incheon International's new Terminal 2...More
Get the best K-beauty advice from some of the country's top YouTubers, browse the most popular stories of last year from the hard-hitting Korea Expose, Quartz looks at the power political memes in Korea, and avoid committing these cultural faux pas...More
The year of 2017 was full of adorable couples on KBS. A total of 13 nominees were up for the Best Couple Award and the winners were chosen by audience votes on the official 2017 KBS Drama Award website...More
Actor Kim Woo-bin greeted fans 7 months after news released that he had been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer...More
If you don't want to hit the road and travel to a beach to see the first sunrise of the New Year, you can still enjoy it from one of several mountains in and around Seoul...More
The Education Ministry on Thursday bowed to a public outcry and reversed plans to ban English language education in kindergartens and childcare centers...More
Ticket sales for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang surpassed 60 percent last week, the organizing committee said on Sunday. Some 655,000 tickets, or 61 percent of the total 1.07 million available tickets, were sold.
Tickets for alpine skiing were the most popular, at 81 percent sold, followed by cross-country skiing (79 percent), short-track speed skating (74 percent) and bobsleigh (70 percent). Ticket sales for the opening ceremony reached 67 percent...More
tvN drama sources for "Prison Playbook" explained that okbarazi.com was a place where inmates in prison with no outside sources asked for favors...More
Apple late last month responded to customer complaints by warning them not to use their iPhones in subzero weather...More
Christopher Weatherspoon looks at how successful Korean comedies are able to tickle funny bones around the world, Pierce Conran (Modern Korean Cinema) lists his top ten films of the year, KoBiz's latest infographic charts four of year's best horrors, and Soompi thinks these seven Korean films would make for wonderful dramas too...More
Holly goes beyond kimchee with her latest soup recipe, The Korea Herald has this great guide to Korean specialities found at 'tented bars' (pojangmacha), Chinese royal cuisine comes to the capital, and explore Korean Bapsang for a list of delicious vegetarian dishes you can make at home...More
Pierce Conran reviews Jeong Ji-woo's "Heart Blackened" on Modern Korean Cinema, The Hollywood Reporter reveals how Bong Joon-ho's and his team created the curious chimera in "Okja", Michelle Cho explores the borderlands between various box office successes and Korea's political climate, and the Busan gets a big boost with the opening of its new Visual Industry Center...More
Boy band Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, released a promotional song for Seoul titled "With Seoul" on Wednesday...More
The venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province is blanketed with snow on Sunday. /Yonhap
Ticket sales for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang have accelerated as the opening approaches, with more than half of the tickets now sold. The Olympics begin on Feb. 9 and run until Feb. 25...More
'Snarkitecture' plays on the borderlands between art and architecture with a complex 400 meter marble track in Seoul, Lonely Planet catches up with a French photographer who fell in love with Jeju's 'mermaids', Tomás Saraceno's first exhibition in Korea is inspired by the beautiful complexity of spiderwebs, and Crystal Tai explores South Korea's street style revolution...More
An upcoming drama based on multi-talent film "Beauty Inside" has been announced and my head is spinning trying to visualize how something like this could work in drama form. The story is about a man who changes sex, gender, nationality, age and generally form every day and the woman who falls in love with him. Aside from changing the love interest from a woman to a man for the drama, the basic concept remains the same...More
Jin-jin's professional work hazards are consistently one of the more unimpressive means of generating conflict on "Boy and Girl From the 20th Century", which is saying a lot considering how challenged this drama is when it comes to developing conflict at all. I'm still wondering how exactly a can of soda can be poisoned in the first place. Does the anti-fan manufacture her own soft drinks? Or was there arsenic on the lid?...More
Make "sweet, nutty and velvety" pumpkin porridge with My Korean Kitchen, the charity on display at the Seoul Kimchi Festival catches the BBC's eye, see why "man-made meat" is becoming popular in North Korea, and blogger Mark Wens has a great travel guide for Seoul-seeking foodies...More
Chinese tourists wait outside a duty-free shop in Seoul in March last year.
Some Chinese travel agencies have started selling cheap package tours to Korea again...More
Singer and actor Choi Si-won is under fire for failing to properly restrain his pet dog, which attacked a neighbor who died later in hospital early this month...More
At the celebrity screening for "Becoming Who I Was", an outpouring of love was shown after the famous folk exited the theater. Combined with the audience reviews, the outlook is looking good for this story about a Buddhist boy who travels to find himself...More
Young Koreans increasingly travel abroad to experience a different lifestyle rather than just tick off the major tourist attractions. Some choose volunteer or job-training experiences, all with the aim of getting a brief taste of what it is like to live like a local...More
Right away the finale for "Criminal Minds" tips its hand by accidentally pointing out the stupidity of its own premise. The suspect is in custody and there is...not actually any evidence linking him to the serial killings outside of the website, which he claims is a fan website. This is a completely plausible explanation...More
The Korean Wave used to be limited to Asia but is now reaching the shores of the U.S. and other western countries as well. MsMojo, a website dedicated to pop culture, recently published a list of the 10 most popular Korean dramas among English-speaking fans...More
There is such wonderful affection between our leads in this opening greeting for "I Can Speak". Such good rapport permeates past the boundaries of the screen and makes me feel good inside. These two hope you'll join them for the film they worked hard on. It's currently airing in Korea...More
Korean actor Kang Ha-neul's first official military photo since he enlisted for active military service earlier this month was released...More
A growing number of young Koreans are looking for jobs abroad amid record youth unemployment at home...More
Some 6.11 million Koreans traveled abroad in the second quarter and spent W4.18 billion on their credit cards (US$1=W1,129). That boils down to $685 per person...More
Han Da-gam was at the Seoul Drama Awards on the 7th in a lacy skirt and top...More
Singer Na Hoon-a is returning to the spotlight after an 11-year hiatus with a nationwide comeback tour...More
Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" helps to raise consciousness about the suffering of animals, create kimchi fried rice with My Korean Kitchen, Holly has a cold seaweed and cucumber soup to enjoy before the end of summer, and 10 Magazine finds 10 new (and delicious) restaurants in the capital, Seoul...More
On the 29th, actor Sol Kyung-gu released an official apology to the fellow actress Seolhyun regrading his comment in that she has "baekchimi...More
In the opening narration to "Write or Dance", Si-hyeong (played by Choi Si-hyung) explains that while he's always meeting up with women, they always end up breaking up with him because he's boring. But Si-hyeong thinks it's not that he's boring, but that the part of him they used to think was interesting has become boring to them. Why this distinction is supposed to be meaningful was not clear to me, and the ensuing five short stories of Si-hyeong meeting up with all these women one on one did not clarify matters...More
Song Hye-kyo and professor Seo Kyeong-deok are promoting Korean historical sites in commemoration of Liberation Day. 10,000 guide books called, "Our History in Foreign Countries" were donated to Kyoto, Japan.
This guidebook was printed in Korean and Japanese and it introduces numerous Korean historical sites...More
An estimated 2.82 million Koreans have traveled overseas for their summer holidays this year, the highest number on record. Cheap flights and falling hotel prices mean the days are gone when Koreans saved up for months to go on vacation somewhere in their own country...More
A long time ago, director David Redman went to the National Library of France to inquire about Jikji, the first book in the world (that we know of) to be printed with movable metal type. Jikji predates the Gutenburg Bible by several decades, and yet nobody outside of Korea has ever heard of it. The obviously inherently interesting premise is no doubt how "Dancing with Jikji" was able to get funding, so it's a bit disappointing that writer/director Woo Kwanghoon's documentary is so...meandering...More
Lately, I've been noticing the actor Sung Hoon being so popular among netizens...More
The co-CEOs of Kakao Bank give a presentation at the launch in Seoul on Thursday. /Newsis
Korea's second Internet-only bank Kakao Bank was off to a roaring start when it opened its virtual doors on Thursday morning.
Customers' response was overwhelming, with 280,000 downloading the bank's smartphone app, 20,000 deposit accounts with over W36 billion opened and W14.1 billion extended in loans on the first day of business (US$1=W1,115). So many customers accessed the website on the first day that the computer system froze temporarily...More
Boy band EXO are set to return with their fourth full-length album, "The War"...More
Girls' Generation topped a list of the 10 best K-pop girl groups of the past 10 years released by Billboard on Wednesday...More
More Korean airliners will carry banners promoting the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games...More
Korea's struggle for identity takes to the catwalk, Great Big History features a Korean balancing artist from Tancheon, contemporary North Korean art on display at the American University, and take your selfie game to the next level with this dedicated selfie studio...More
Crashing Down
During moments of utter despair, one's true character is often revealed. This is certainly the case for "Missing 9", a gripping disaster drama centering around a plane crash that leaves nine individuals, mostly celebrities, stranded on an uncharted island. The only known survivor at the beginning of the drama is Ra Bong-hee (Baek Jin-hee), the inexperienced and compassionate stylist of celebrity Seo Joon-oh (Jung Kyung-ho), and she suffers from temporary amnesia due to the trauma...More
Koreans log in two hours and 10 minutes a day on their smartphones, the sixth-longest time in the world, according to a study by German market researcher Statista on Saturday...More
Actress Sung Yu-ri tied the knot at a private ceremony with only family members in attendance on Monday.
"Sung Yu-ri married professional golfer Ahn Sung-hyun on Monday after about 4 years of dating", her agency said on Tuesday...More
"Liberation Day" documents the first foreign rock band to play in North Korea, check out these American films that feature conflicts with North Korea, enjoy JIFF films online thanks to KoBiz Online Screening, and Seoul Webfest gears up for its third edition...More
With one day left before the 53rd Baeksang Awards, likely nominees are being discussed.
The 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards is being held on the 3rd of May in COEX, Seoul...More
The Jeonju Film Festival puts 'alternative films' in the spotlight, KoBiz reveals which films will compete at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival, Netflix teases new 'Super Pig' website ahead of Bong Joon-ho's "Okja", and get to know some of Korea's smaller film festivals...More
Former rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae has made her first foray into show business. Son will host a show on educational channel EBS alongside comedian Kim Gook-jin...More
Former figure skater Kim Yu-na poses with the torch for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at an event in Seoul on Monday. /Newsis
The torch relay for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang will begin its more than 100-day run on Nov. 1.
It will wind its way along a 2,018 km route across the country. The organizing committee for the sporting event on Monday unveiled its plans for the relay ahead of its opening in February next year...More
53nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 : most popular actress in a drama nominees list...More
53nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 : most popular actor in a drama nominees list...More
53nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 : most popular actress in a movie nominees list...More
53nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 : most popular actor in a movie nominees list...More
A year has passed since the historic baduk or go match between Lee Se-dol and a proto-artificial intelligence program developed by Google. Now a documentary film about the historic match will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York from April 19 to 30...More
Stir-fried chicken and bok choy is on the menu in the Korea Herald's "Home Cooking" segment, Graham Holliday's new book "Eating Korea: Reports On a Culinary Renaissance" is a thoughtful foodie travelogue, My Korean Kitchens has a great suggest for your lunchbox or party table, and Jin Joo gets around to a recipe she's been dying to share for a while...More
Korean festivals see a surge in film submissions, Yoon Min-sik reviews Hong Sang-soo's latest ("On the Beach at Night Alone") for the Korea Herald, find out more about Jeong Da-hee's award-winning animated short film, and Pierce Conran explores the rise of prison dramas...More
Steam some skate at home with the Korea Herald and Korea Bapsang, My Korean Kitchen puts together a delicious sweet and sour pork dish, Kimchimari gets spoilt for choice at a Korean breakfast buffet, and discover the wonderful world of Korea's temple foods...More
Korea's largest portal site Naver unveiled its own Internet browser Whale on Tuesday in a bid to wean Koreans off their attachment to Microsoft's buggy Internet Explorer.
Users can download the program for free at
whale.naver.com and install it on their PC, but the Mac version will have to wait.
"This is a pilot period", a Naver spokesma...
More
Netflix scoops up an exciting Joseon zombie series, read Pierce Conran's review of "A Single Rider" on Modern Korean Cinema, KoBiz examines Korean filmgoer's shift in viewing habits, and know the real independence fighters behind their cinematic counterparts...More
Seoul ranks 24th among 87 world cities in terms of the price of renting a home.
San Francisco tops the list with a staggering W 5,595 per square foot in 2017 Rental Affordability Index released by U.K. property website Nested on Sunday (US$1=W1,132)...More
Two auto-translation programs are to face off against a professional human interpreter here later this month in a bid to gauge progress toward artificial intelligence...More
Arts Desk reviews the DVD version of Na Hong-jin's "The Wailing", discover the long-standing relationship between South Korea cinema and the Berlin International Film Festival, Pierce Conran shares his thoughts on Lee Joon-ik's tenth film about Korea under Japanese occupation, and KoBiz's latest infographic reveals the common thread running through three of Korea's most recent successes...More
For the first time, overseas shoppers are buying more from Korean online stores than Koreans are buying from foreign websites.
According to Statistics Korea, Korean sites' overseas sales surged 82 percent in 2016 from a year earlier to more than W2.25 trillion, or about US$2 billion (US$1=W1,148)...More
Lee Yong-dae (left) poses with his girlfriend in this picture posted on his fan website.
Badminton player Lee Yong-dae will tie the knot with actress Byun Soo-mi in a few months' time. Lee acknowledged being in a relationship with Byun in 2012...More
Pyun Hye-young
"Ashes and Red" by Korean writer Pyun Hye-young has been chosen as the 2016 Book of the Year in Poland...More
Koreans are spending ever more money overseas while foreigners are spending less here.
Korean spent a record W7.62 trillion abroad in the third quarter last year, up a whopping 20.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea on Monday (US$1=W1,162)...More
Added new stills and poster for the upcoming Korean movie "Flirty-zel"...More
Sumi Jo tweets on Tuesday about the cancellation of her tour in China.
Korean soprano Sumi Jo's tour of three Chinese cities that had been scheduled to start on Feb. 19 has been canceled without explanation.
The cancelation comes amid growing signs of petty retaliation in China for Korea's decision to station a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here...More
Fight or Flight
"Bring It On, Ghost" is a mystery romance drama about a reclusive university student and ghost exorcist, Park Bong-pal (Ok Taecyeon), who falls in love with a feisty ghost with lingering regrets, Kim Hyeon-ji (Kim So-hyun). Though their initial meeting is marked with hilarious savagery, they soon form an alliance, which leads to a budding romance...More
Hear how K-pop is enjoyed over the DMZ from a defector, Han Kang's latest novel "Human Acts" gets released, check out these eight Hollywood celebrities who love K-pop, and is Korea's work culture as hectic as Japan's?...More
Eugene and Ki Tae-young took a couple's photo shoot.
The couple was featured on the fashion and style magazine "InStyle"...More
With the ten-year anniversary of "Coffee Prince" approaching, is actress Yoon Eun-hye getting ready for a comeback or taking an extended break? ...More
Check out the most popular recipes of 2016 from My Korean Kitchen, the Economist explores South Korea's food-show craze with an eye on men in the kitchen, soju prices are at a record level, and hear how many are feeling the pinch from the steep rise in egg prices...More
Playboy will get its own Korean edition in June, the Korea Times puts the works of Ryu Kyung-chai in the spotlight, check out a photoblog from a new food tour, and stay up to date with the rise of modern Korean art through the country's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art...More
Online shopping sites are increasingly turning to cars, which can often be sold cheaper than in showrooms.
Online retailer Interpark said Wednesday that it will sell Mazda's Miata convertible roadster and Fiat 124 Spider roadster, though only five of each will be available...More
Variety reports on South Korea's box office figures for 2016, film critic Pierce Conran (Modern Korean Cinema) picks his top 15 film for last year, enjoy classic Korean films thanks to new Blu-rays and KOFA's VOD service, and read professional reviews of Korean films released in 2016 with Darcy Paquet and Kyu Hyun Kim...More
Popular vote for SBS Drama Awards K-Wave Star award is now open...More
Director Park Chan-wook was chosen as one of the TOP 5 directors.
American Website IndieWire conducted a survey with 200 critics on 15 different categories including Best Picture and Best Director...More
Adult rated trailer released for the upcoming Korean movie "Flirty-zel"...More
Added the upcoming Korean movie "Flirty-zel"'s page to HanCinema database...More
If you were in love with the Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, you will definitely enjoy the new kdrama coming out this December called "Hwarang"....More
Actress Shin Min-ah showed off her charm in a photo shoot as parts of a campaign to help those in need...More
Ji-yeon (played by Kim Yoon-jin) is an ace attorney who is also a loving, if somewhat busy mother. Then, for "Seven Days", Ji-yeon is forced to search the world upside-down to solve an intense high-action mystery that has nothing to do with her. And it all happens so fast. One scene it's happy smiles and the next it's vehicular action then emotional wailing then clandestine meetings with rabid dogs and chase scenes and mental institutions and wow, you can just feel the adrenaline right now through the words of this review can't you?...More
Moon Hee-jun (left) and Soyul
Moon Hee-jun, who was a member of the now-defunct boy band H.O.T., and Soyul from girl group Crayon Pop are engaged to be married in February next year...More
My Korean Kitchen shows us how to make one of Korea's most popular drinks, a grandmother's makgeolli business is booming, Korean cooking shows are on the rise, and will Michelin's new restaurant guide help uphold the integrity of Korean food?...More
With estimated earnings of US$44 million, K-pop boy band Big Bang ranked 13th on Forbes' list of the world's 30 highest-paid celebrities under 30 this year...More
Chinese customers are proving the mainstay of Korean online shopping malls, with revenues from overseas doubling over the past year.
Statistics Korea on Wednesday said the total sales of Korean online shopping malls amounted to a record W551.2 billion in the third quarter, up a whopping 105 percent compared to the same period of 2015 (US$1=W1,146)...More
Celebrities will donate their personal items to an auction to help children in need.
K Auction said on Wednesday that it will hold an online charity auction on its website (www.k-auction.com) next Tuesday...More
One of the best ways to learn about a foreign language and culture is to listen to its music. Arirang TV's two-hour radio show "Catch the Wave", which airs at 6 p.m. every day, delivers K-pop around the world based on requests from fans, while also introducing everything from culture and food to travel tips...More
The "2016 Crush On You Tour" Will Stop in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York
Embarking on his second solo concert series, the Hip-Hop and R&B singer-songwriter Crush will be performing and meeting fans from around the world as a true global artist – also performing concerts in Seoul and Europe. Presented by CJ E&M, the organizer of many global concerts including KCON and MAMA, the "2016 Crush On You Tour" will hold concerts in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York throughout November 2016...More
KoBiz brings us all the winners from Korea's oldest film awards, Darcy Paquet showcases the directorial debuts from BIFF on his website, film professionals can now take advantage of KoBiz's online screening service, and are there enough "interesting female personas" in modern Korean cinema?...More
A park in Sangam-dong, Seoul is ablaze with autumn foliage. /Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government
This is the best time to enjoy the autumn foliage as trees and leaves turn their flaming colors.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released some 100 places in Seoul where visitors can still enjoy the beauty of autumn foliage instead of going to the county side...More
Actress Jo An unveiled her pre-wedding photos taken on Jeju Island. She and her fiancé plan to marry later this month...More
Actor Park Bo-gum will appear at a signing event in central Seoul next Wednesday for fans of his TV series.
"Moonlight Drawn by Clouds", which ends its near three-month run next Tuesday, has enjoyed great popularity with viewer ratings topping 20 percent...More
Actress Jo An is getting married to someone 3 years older than her.
She's getting married on the 28th of this month at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul...More
Devotees of Korean-style pop from all corners of the globe are set to strut their stuff in a festival in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province on Friday...More
Over 8 million spectators filled the stadiums to watch professional baseball games this season. This is the first time Korea's professional baseball league has reached the mark in its 35-year history.
The record turnout has been attributed to a combination of factors including the expansion to a 10-team league and the construction of new stadiums...More
This year's Busan International Film Festival will start its 10-day run next week.
Some 300 films from 69 countries will be screened at the annual event, which opens on Oct. 6 with the Korean film "A Quiet Dream" directed by Zhang Lu. The movie revolves around a young woman who runs a small bar and the young men who try to win her heart...More
Seolhyun (left) and Zico
Seolhyun of girl band AOA and Zico of boy band Block B split up after dating some six months, their agencies said in a separate press release on Tuesday...More
Park Ji-sung, who aspires to a career in football administration, has taken his first step toward becoming a sports administrator. Park enrolled in a course at De Montfort University in the U.K. to earn a Master's accreditation.
The former Manchester United player will spend three months at the university...More
Yoo Ah-in is competing with Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Seoul Drama Awards is being held at KBS Hall in Yeouido on the 8th. The 11th SDA is the only drama special awards show in the world. 265 dramas were selected out of 51 countries and 28 drama producers and artists from 28 dramas....More
The number of foreigners studying in Korea has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. The Education Ministry on Tuesday said there are 104,262 foreign students at universities and colleges here, up 14.2 percent from last year.
The overall number of university students has been falling for two years as the young population dwindles, but foreign students keep increasing...More
Incheon International Airport on Tuesday announced measures to recover declining transfer passenger traffic.
They include allowing passengers who bought their ticket directly from an airline to transfer to different flights at the airport, and offering them half-day tours while waiting for their flights and discounts at duty-free shops...More
South Korea's advanced cinematic technologies reach Wales, Short List explores North Korea's fascination with moving images, Taste of Cinema has 20 South Korean thrillers you won't to miss, and visit Darcy Paquet's website on Korean films for the best reviews and insight around...More
On the northeastern coast of South Korea lies Gangneung. Though not heavily populated, Gangneung is easily reachable from most bus terminals in South Korea by virtue of its proximity to the ocean. I went to Gangneung in anticipation of the Jeongdongjin outdoor film festival and my time in the city was marked by constant ceaseless wandering, Sure there's a pretty big beach, but by and large the center Gangneung is your standard urban area. And at this time of year it's murderously hot even at night...More
Discover two "outrageous" attractions in Korea tourists can't get enough of, take a look inside Korea's massive "Taekwondo Town", The Discovery Seoul Pass will ensure you get the most bang for your buck in Seoul, and Adventure Korea makes it easy for visitors to have the time of their lives...More
Fashion magazine Elle has revealed Park Shin-hye's fascinating behind-the-scenes images.
Park Shin-hye, a new muse for Swarovski, wore contemporary style pearl accessories and a watch and earrings from the Fall and Winter 2016. Park Shin-hye, beloved for her natural beauty, exudes the pure-hearted and yet chic moods...More
AOA member Seolhyun displayed the cover of the September issue of Cosmopolitan.
Seolhyun posed in 9 different manners with the jewelry brand. She went from innocent, charismatic and even sexy...More
Zico and Seolhyun
Seolhyun of girl band AOA and Zico of boy band Block B have been in a romantic relationship for five months.
Seolhyund's agency on Wednesday said they two became close because they "counted on each other while going through tough times"...More
Jeonju to host two special events to celebrate the cities traditions and culture in August and September, the Japan Times takes a look at the Andong Hahoe folk village and its importance now and in the past, Pokemon Go glitch causes spike in tourists, and the Korea Tourism Organisations should be your first stop to discovering Korea your way...More
Kim Gook-jin (left) and Kang Su-sie
Comedian Kim Gook-jin is dating singer Kang Su-sie, their management agencies said on Thursday.
The pair have been appearing together on a reality show since March last year and their relationship gradually developed...More
Making phone calls to strangers to wake them up in the morning is fast becoming a popular part-time job among young people in a dismal labor market.
The wake-up call service costs W30,000-50,000 a month (US$1=W1,140). Customers post wanted ads seeking wake-up calls online and choose service providers on a trial basis for a day before they commit themselves...More
Kim Woo-bin adorned the cover page of Elle August issue.
During the photo shoot, which took place on July 6th, Kim Woo-bin pulled off the pieces by Louis Vuitton Men's Collection perfectly...More
The hallyu movement is growing faster than ever. While the popularity of K-Pop has been accelerating rapidly since 2010 in North America, KCON 2016 Presented by Toyota has been arranged for fans who cannot meet hallyu stars easily due to vexing geography. KCON invites large number of hallyu stars to New York and LA. Since KCON 2016 Presented by Toyota held their first concert in California in 2012, they've expanded their venues to the east side of New York. KCON now comes to Abu Dhabi, UAE, Chiba Prefecture, Japan and Paris, France in order to meet the international fans around the globe...More
KCON New York 2016 presented by Toyota featured over ninety booths in the outdoor convention, and many of them were beauty booths. HanCinema stopped by the booths to chat with the businesses that bring Korean beauty products and skin care to New York and the rest of the world outside beauty-forward South Korea. Let's take a look a four amazing companies that set up booths at the Prudential Center June 24 and June 25 for KCON New York 2016! Don't forget to check out the instructions at the bottom of the article to enter our giveaway. Three mystery beauty gift bags are up for grabs this go 'round...More
On a daily basis my main frame of reference for what "looks" like Daegu was bizarrely enough this old Anglican Church, built in 1917 and dedicated to Saint Francis (the guy Pope Francis named himself after). The irony of this being, of course, the fact that an old style Anglican Church is fairly obviously not representative of Daegu in any way but I passed by it all the time in my favored back streets...More
Taeyeon of Girls' Generation broke the 100,000 mark in pre-orders with her second solo mini-album, according to SM Entertainment on Monday...More
After 10 years teaching in middle school there is one thing that baffles Lee S oo-jung -- how many of the girls are wearing makeup. "Just 10 years ago only a couple of girls in a class wore makeup, but now more than half of them do", she says.
The school tried to ban it, but to no avail. "Many girls put on makeup after coming to school, and we aren't sure where to draw the line", Lee says. "We can't simply tell students not to do something without explaining why, plus many girls are very sensitive about how they look"...More
Movie critic DJUNA expressed her disapproval about this whole Hong Sang-soo and Kim Min-hee issue.
She posted on her SNS, "Hong Sang-soo is the most transparent person in the movie industry. I would keep as far away from him as possible but then again, how would I know what their story is? They decided to take the risk and chose to live like that"...More
KBS 2TV's forthcoming Wednesday & Thursday drama, "Uncontrollably Fond" has revealed some snapshots taken during their script reading session through the drama's official website.
In the revealed photos, actors look focused on their acting. The actors show off the perfect matching look for each of their characters as shown in the making film unveiled prior to these snapshots...More
Hwang Jung-min and Kim Hye-soo have been named the most popular actor and actress in an email survey of 10,286 people by the Chosun Ilbo and ticketing site Max Movie.
Kim was also voted best actress, while best actor went to Song Kang-ho.
All three are all in their 40s, while only a few stars in their 20s made it into the top 10. The results clearly reflect the changing demographic of moviegoers in Korea...More
North Korean actress Choe Sam-suk performs in this undated screen grab from the official [North] Korean Central News Agency.
The daughter of decorated North Korean actress Choe Sam-suk is among 13 North Korean restaurant workers who recently defected from China, Radio Free Asia reported Saturday.
The revelation came after the parents of the defectors in a statement demanded their "rescue", apparently under pressure from the North Korean regime...More
The Korea Tourism Organisation releases a new guide for tourists in various languages, discover why South Korea is perfect for family travel, check out six top travel blogs/websites, and The Korea Times has a host of exciting events happening around town...More
Dive head first into the wonderful world of Korean webcomics with a great list from Korea Boo, visit a naughty park in Jeju, explore National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's website for all their latest news and events, and browse Shutterstock's impressive gallery on South Korea...More
Korean women seem to be most suspicious of their husbands, according to big data analysis by market researcher Daumsoft.
The firm analyzed 530 million words that appeared on blogs and community websites and found that the word "husband" appeared most often along with the words "suspicion" and "can't trust"...More
Find out why "Spirits' Homecoming" was a "small miracle", check out the top Korean films on IMDb, Film Doo analysis Korea's film industry in relation to VOD, and visit KOBIZ's website to discover the highest-grossing films released in Korea this year...More
Jung Yoo-mi, who is currently starring as Chae Yeo-gyeong in KBS 2TV's Wednesday & Thursday drama, "Master - God of Noodles" has revealed her summer fashion pictorial for InStyle June issue.
In the pictorial with the title, 'Every Beats', Jung Yoo-mi showcases street summer style. Compared to her usual simple and refined style, this is her transformation to try the new looks...More
Consumers are increasingly so spoiled for choice that it paralyzes them and they end up buying nothing, which is where new "curated" or personally tailored shopping services and goods collections come in.
Assisted choice of this kind ranges from evening meals to baby products and everything in between...More
Critics accuse official sex education materials of perpetuating chauvinism and medieval attitudes to women and their sexuality.
They perpetuate such chestnuts as that men are excited by seeing women without their clothes on whereas women are aroused by "mood", and that girls should avoid "provocative" clothing...More
Next on my itinerary to return to Seoul via the most unnecessarily complicated route was Gamgok, which is located to the north of Jincheon in Eumseong County. Gamgok District (감곡면) is farmland. Peaches are the main crop grown there. Unfortunately the peaches are not in bloom in May so Gamgok looks rather nondescript right this minute. It's the kind of township where solar panels look really cool, simply because they're different from most of what else is available to look at...More
Ha Ji-won and women's fashion brand Crocodile Lady revealed 2016 summer fashion pictorial.
In the revealed pictorial, Ha Ji-won matched a white ethnic blouse with a pair of neutral tone cropped wide pants to create the clean and cool summer look. Her long wavy hair added innocent appeal to the look...More
A new web variety coming your way brought to you by our buddies over at Soompi: Topp Dogg: All-Kill. You may have seen teasers floating around on social media. If you haven't, check the official "Topp Dogg: All-Kill" twitter account and the links below to stay on top of the most current news...More
Actor Lee Min-ho is celebrating his 10th year anniversary.
He showed off the 10th anniversary cake his fans prepared for him on his Instagram...More
"Civil War" continues to dominate despite a host of new challengers...
Marvel's latest outing continued to reign supreme atop the Korea box office, but a string of new releases shuffled the rest of the pack considerably. This latest superhero flick was released in Korea late last month and topped the charts its frist weekend out by capturing over 90% of the box office pie. Over the weekend, Marvel's mighty movie added another 1.5 million admissions (64.8%) to bring it total tally now to 7.3 million ($52.7 million). Worldwide, "Captain America: Civil War" has, to date, banked an incredible $678.4 million...More
Finding a romantic comedy drama that does not go majorly dark and depressing or then lose its coherence completely is hard. "Beautiful Gong Shim" promises a return to the good ol' days, where people trying to hook up with people happily was possible without major physical and emotional scarring. There is still a mean grandmother in the mix, but that is a rom-com staple in Korean drama...More
The Korea Herald has its roundup of travel news from around the world with great specials for travelers, see the celebrities that are enjoying the Land of the Morning Calm, discover great deals and events at some of Korea's top hotels, and how 'smart' is the city of Songdo, exactly?...More
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2016 : most popular actress in a drama nominees list...More
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2016 : most popular actor in a drama nominees list...More
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2016 : most popular actress in a movie nominees list...More
52nd Baeksang Arts Awards 2016 : most popular actor in a movie nominees list...More
Free screenings of independent films will take place at 29 public facilities including art galleries, museums and libraries from May to December, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Monday.
The city government organized the event to promote the independent film industry...More
American gaphic novelist Onrie Kompan has illustrated the famous naval Battle of Myeongnyang in which Admiral Yi Sun-shin defeated a 330-strong invading Japanese fleet ships with only a dozen of his famous turtle ships...More
Ever dated a sassy girl before?
You know, the one that was a bit different than your normal, typical girl. She's a bit strange, wild, and aggressive towards their significant other...More
Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin are going to be parents.
On April 29th, a news report announced Bae Yong-joon's wife, Park Soo-jin, is in the early stages of pregnancy. We've put together all of the important moments of the couple from their engagement announcement to their most recent pregnancy news...More
The battle between Song Hye-kyo and the jewelry brand J. Estina is intense. Song Hye-kyo sued J. Estina for using her image without notice in March and both sides are radical. The core of this situation is image rights.
As the issue got heated up, J. Estina claimed that it understands how Hallyu contents influences national finance and that it respects the actress and her company. However, that doesn't mean the issue has died down. Sports Dong A took a look at three issues related to this case...More
This year's Jeonju International Film Festival is set to kick off its 10-day run on Thursday.
A total of 211 films -- 163 feature and 48 short films -- will be shown on 19 screens at five theaters in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province...More
Lee Joon-gi exuded his mysterious charms in his recent pictorial for men's style magazine Geek.
In the revealed pictorial, Lee Joon-gi showed off the charismatic glare in his eyes while he pulled off the various swoon-worthy styles perfectly...More
Park Hae-jin made unforgettable memories along with his fans on the tenth anniversary of his debut.
Park Hae-jin's Fan Meeting Celebrating Tenth Anniversary of debut was held at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul on April 23rd. Boom emceed the evet, which was streamlined live on Naver V live and the Chinese video streaming website, Youku...More
The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation is opening the former president's home in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province to the public on May 1.
The opening coincides with the seventh anniversary of his death on May 23...More
A growing number of singles have only their houseplants for company because they cost less and require less attention than cats or dogs.
According to online shopping site 11st, sales of cactuses rose 17 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period of 2015. Sales of hydroponic plants grew 22 percent...More
The official website for Frankie and Friends describes the franchise as an "eco-friendly growing up story". In short, the television show's main operating gimmick is that the characters live in a world where food has to come from a specific place- their garden. The usual kids' show moral lessons all come from that vein, and the film version, "Frankie and Friends the Movie: The Tree of Life" is no different. It's a story about how if you wastefully throw away food, a witch will use the energy of the food's unfulfilled souls to power super beetles devoted to absorbing immortality sap from the tree of life. Magic mushrooms are involved...More
Talent alone won't make a singer a pop star. To captivate the public, to capture their imaginations, he or she needs something more -- charisma or "star quality". Whatever it is called, 24-year-old singer and composer Dean definitely has it.
Dean gave mesmerizing performances at South by Southwest (SXSW), one of the world's largest pop music festivals, in Austin, Texas last month. Some 100 American fans wearing "Dean" stickers on their chests followed him around throughout the festival. Dean made his debut in the U.S. before establishing himself in Korea...More
On April 15th, Park Seo-joon's agency, Keyeast Entertainment confirmed through their official website and Facebook, "Park Seo-joon's recent injury did not occur while filming" and "His next drama is currently being filmed under safe environment".
The agency also said, "Park Seo-joon has been making continuous appearances without taking a break since he debuted. Thus his health was affected by the accumulated fatigue" and "The injury has occurred due to the health condition during his training before the filming begins fully"...More
New rental contracts in Seoul dwindled in March by more than 20 percent on-year, but the proportion of monthly rentals reached a record 47 percent.
According to a property information website run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 37,049 rental contracts were signed in Seoul from March 1 to 28, roughly 1,235 a day and down 23 percent from the same period last year...More
The Hallyu wave and Korean culture craze is taking over Canada! Hallyu North is breaking pop culture limits
Hallyu North is proud to announce that SHINee's first time in Canada will be hosted by the Hallyu North 2016 expo taking place on May 6 and 7, 2016 at the Enercare Centre (Canadian Exhibition Place) in Toronto...More
Hong Soo-ah poses at the JARRET fashion show at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Tuesday...More
Actor Park Hae-jin is taking over China.
Park Hae-jin is starring in the Chinese drama "Long Way Love" as a good looking CEO named Sim Ahn. The drama started on the 1st of March and every episode has been getting tremendous feedback...More
Kim Go-eun's refreshing Hawaii pictorial has been revealed.
In the pictorial for the fashion magazine 'Cosmopolitan', Kim Go-eun showed off her lovely smile and her endless charms on the Hawaiian beach. She presented the various stylish looks using the ethnic print dress along with pants and blouse of unique patterns...More
Song Joong-ki, Yoo Ah-in, Park Bo-gum, G-Dragon, Girls' Generation, Li Yifeng, Song Seung-heon, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Honey, Ha Ji-won have been selected as the ten style icons who will lead the fashion trend in Asia.
The ten stars received awards at the Style Icon Asia Awards 2016 (SIA 2016), which was held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on March 15th...More
Style Icon Asia will be livestreamed on the KCON USA website at 4:00am PST, 7:00am EST. Tune-in and see what G-Dragon, Girls Generation, Yoo Ah In, Song Joong Ki and more all decide to where to one of Asia's premiere fashion award shows...More
The fifth Marie Claire Film Festival took place at the Cheongdam CineCity in the afternoon on March 10th.
This year's award recipients include Lee Byung-hun for his role in 'Inside Men: The Original' for Pioneer Award, Seolhyun for her role in 'Gangnam Blues' for Rookie Award, Busan International Film Festival team for Special Award...More
- Artist & Contents Production Management Company 'RYU Ent.' will open its official website 'RYU GENERATION (aka. RYUGEN)' again on March 1st after its renewal.
- 'RYUGEN' is the official website of 'RYU Ent.' as well as a brand channel and a market platform for contents distribution of its artists...More
Average per-capita spending on private crammers for schoolkids reached W240,000 a month last year, the most since the government began tallying statistics in 2007 (US$1=W1,238).
The statistics were gathered in a survey of 43,000 parents across the nation, but since some of them probably underreported their spending, the total is estimated over W30 trillion overall...More
Security experts work at the headquarters of Microsoft's Cybercrime Center in Redmond, Washington, in this picture from the Microsoft website.
Microsoft will open a Cybercrime Center in Seoul next month, it was confirmed Thursday.
The company hopes to share information with international law enforcement agencies...More
As Park Hae-jin's behind-the-scenes stories have been revealed, it drew explosive attention from his fans.
According to Park Hae-jin, as soon as the sales site for the DVD, 'Yoo Jeong's Story: Yoo Jeong's untold story' was open at 6 PM on February 23rd, the online traffic from all over the world rushed in and the sales site crashed as the result...More
Kim Yu-na (left) holds a smoothie she made, in this video grab from the official website of the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
A video clip of figure skating star Kim Yu-na making a smoothie has been uploaded to the official website of the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Kim is currently serving as a promotional ambassador for the Youth Olympics.
Kim's smoothi...
More
Actor Park Hae-jin is planning a special treat for his fans to celebrate 10 years in the entertainment business. He will meet several thousand of them on April 23, though the venue has not yet been set.
Park said it was his wish to stage the event to thank his fans for the undying support they have showed since he made his debut on April 1, 2006...More
Singer actor Lee Seung-gi's photo from his military training center has been revealed.
On February 11th, the official website of the Korea Army Training Center posted a group photo including Lee Seung-gi along with other trainee soldiers who enlisted same day...More
f(x) member Luna said she wanted to co-star with So Ji-sub in a melodrama.
Movie "Bungaeman" leading actor and actress Jeong Hyeon-jin and Luna appeared in the February 9th's episode of SBS Power FM radio show, 'Two O'clock Cultwo Show'...More
Wooh Na-young
Wooh Na-young, better known by her pen name Obsidian, has established herself as a well-regarded illustrator with creative interpretations of classics with a modern and Korean twist...More
Added new character posters and making video for the upcoming Korean movie "Bungaeman"...More
An increasing number of seniors are looking for part-time jobs, as more people retire at a younger age, only to find they still have to make ends meet but cannot afford to open their own businesses.
According to part-time job portal Alba, 24,682 resumes of people aged 50 or over were posted on its website last year, a whopping 664 percent increase from 3,232 in 2010. A similar portal, Albamon, saw its resume count for the over-50 age group grow by 26 percent last year compared to the previous year...More
Korean movie ""A Melody to Remember"" to be released in theatres on January 29th in CGV Los Angeles and nationwide on February 2nd
Synopsis
War took away many things
But hope was never gone.
South Korean platoon leader HAN Sang-ryul (Im Si-wan) lost his family and comrades due to the Korean War. He assigned to another unit and comes across war orphans, some of whom are exploited for profit. He decides to help the orphans by creating a choir, thereby healing their wounds with beautiful songs with the help of volunteer teacher Park Ju-mi (Go Ah-sung). Their beautiful voices rise from the battlefield and begin to melt everyone's hearts...More
Tzuyu
The Twitterstorm surrounding a teenage member of manufactured girl group TWICE who waved a Taiwanese flag in a webcast refuses to subside.
Tzuyu (16) of of the nine-member multinational group has apologized for waving the flag in the webcast, but so vociferous has been the online response that politicians are now getting involved in the non-event...More
Added main trailer and first stills for the upcoming Korean movie "Bungaeman"...More
Singer actress Suzys pictorial has been revealed.
On January 15th, Beanpole Accessories has unveiled their spring 2016 pictorial starring Suzy. Suzy exudes her innocent, fresh and vivacious appeals in the pictorial...More
Actor Song Il-gook is going to narrate the EBS FM "100 Actors, Read Korean Literature".
He will be reading a novel by Song Yeong called, "Stonemason"...More
Actors Yoo Ah-in, Lee Min-ho, Lee Seung-gi, Kim Joon-soo, Choi Seung-hyun (T.O.P) from Big Bang, Joo Won and others have the military coming up ahead of them.
First of all, Yoo Ah-in, born in 1986, is on the top of the list. He debuted in 2004 with the drama "Sharp 1" and has been building on his filmography ever since. He's made it big with "Tough as Iron", "Punch", "Veteran" and "The Throne". He's currently performing in the SBS drama "Six Flying Dragons" as Lee Bang-won and is looking forward to the release of the movie "Like for Likes"...More
In the rural outskirts of Andong a seventy-year old man pushes his ninety-five year old mother home in her wheelchair. And that's about all there is to "Where Is My Son??"- a documentary focused almost entirely on ambience. There's the love between a son and his mother, the sense of peace that comes as the elderly mother slowly but steadily moves toward the end of her life, and then there are the visuals of rural Andong, where traditional architecture and greenery overwhelms every shot...More
Actress Bae Doona has become the first Korean to participate in the commercial campaign of the luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton has unveiled their global commercial campaign, Series 4 starring Bae Doona on January 4th. This campaign is based on the inspiration of the the last 16 years of Spring and Summer collection by Louis Vuitton and the campaign is targeted at the global patrons worldwide...More
Added poster and updated cast for the upcoming Korean movie "Bungaeman"...More
SBS Drama Awards 2015 vote for best actor is now open until December, 30...More
Lee Min-ho said a word of caution after hearing that counterfeit tickets were being sold in China.
Lee Min-ho is holding an exclusive concert called 'MINOZ MANSION' on the 16th of January in Korea and in Japan on the 25th. Other countries haven't been confirmed yet...More
Namsan Tower, officially named the "N Seoul Tower", is one of the quintessential romantic spots found in Korean film and drama, and is also a tourist attraction for Koreans and international visitors alike. The communication and observation tower is famous for it's night glow, the "Locks of Love", and the spectacular cityscape view that is lovely during the day and mesmerizing at night...More
The Korea International Photo Festival wraps up its third year, see how North Korean interior design needs a reality check, the Academy of Korean Studies showcases nine images from their research catalogue, and see how Korean beauty trends came and went in one time-lapse video...More
Yeon Jung-hoon and
Soo Ae received Best Actor and Best Actress awards at Grime Awards 2015, which took place in the afternoon on December 10th at KBS New Building in Yeouido-dong, Seoul on December 10th.
Yeon Jung-hoon and
Soo Ae received Best Actor and Best Actress awards for their roles in SBS
"Mask". Drama
More
Actress Hwang Jung-eum on Tuesday confirmed that she is in relationship with a professional golfer and businessman Lee Young-don.
The admission came after the couple were papped by a gossip website holding hands on a date...More
SBS Drama Awards 2015 partial nominees for the 2015/12/31 ceremony...More
As it turns out "Riders: Get Tomorrow" is now finally firmly in the whole rickshaw business stage, so throughout the entire episode we're getting snippets of how the rickshaw business is managed / mismanaged. See, Gi-joon is making the rather questionable decision of getting So-dam involved in the plot by hiring her to do a job it's not clear the rickshaw business actually needs- at least on a full-time basis. The quoted salary really was a tad high, and the dinner especially was unnecessary even if it could probably be written off as a business expense...More
Actor Lee Min-ho's single "The Day" is in second place on the Japanese Oricon Charts.
The single album which came out on the 30th in Japan made it to Top 2 without promotion which is a rare case...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M says that best-known Chinese actor CHOW YUN FAT and famous Taiwanese singer JOLIN TSAI are confirmed to attend 2015 MAMA, which is set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong on December 2nd.
CHOW YUN FAT, born in Hong Kong in 1955, started to gain immense popularity after starring in TV series "Hotel" in 1976. In 1980, his role as Hui Man Keung in another television smash "The Bund" made him a household name throughout Asia. In 1986, Asia's legendary gangster action film "A Better Tomorrow" made him a mega star and won him Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards...More
In a fairly radical turnabout, this episode ignores the present day adventures of Ri-hwan and Haeng-ah altogether, instead having the story take place entirely in flashback. I wasn't sure what to make of this creative decision at first, but upon further reflection "Bubble Gum" really did need the reprieve. The melodrama had become just about completely unbearable. At least in flashback mode there are decently long stretches of time between individual sad events...More
HyunA, Jessi, San.E confirm to join star-studded night in Hong Kong. GOT7, MONSTA X, Seventeen, Vivian Koo to perform on the red carpet event
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M announced HyunA, Jessi, San.E as final additional lineup for 2015 Mnet Asia Music Awards, which is set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong on December 2nd...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has officially announced that EXO, SHINee and TAEYEON from Girls' Generation will join the line-up of the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, which is set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong on December 2nd...More
Lee Min-ho has showed off his unbeatable popularity again as the tickets for his first talk show in the year of 2016 was sold out as soon as the tickets were out for sale.
Lee Min-ho's solo talk show, 'Minoz World (second title, MINOZ MANSION) will take place at 8 PM on January 16th, 2016 at Grand Peace Palace of Kyung Hee University...More
The photos of Choi Si-won and Changmin, who enlisted at the same time, have been revealed.
In the photo revealed on the official website of Korea Army Training Center, Choi Si-won and Changmin look happy and manly. Changmin with his clear-cut face features and Choi Si-won, reminding of the image of the dissembling Ttol reporter from his recent drama, "She Was Pretty", made the fans seeing the photos happy...More
- PSY, acclaimed for sweeping various global music charts and breaking Youtube records, is set to perform at 2015 MAMA
- Celebrity list includes Gong Hyo-jin, Lee Kwang-soo, Choo Ja-hyun, Claudia Kim, Han Chae-young, Lee Jung-jae, Park Bo-yeung, Son Ho-jun, Yeo Jin-goo and more
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has announced a list of artists and celebrities who will take part in 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), set to take place at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong on December 2nd...More
CJ Entertainment's latest thriller "The Priests" makes its North American debut beginning Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2015 in Los Angeles and Dallas, followed by a wider release on December 4, 2015 in San Francisco, New Jersey, Honolulu, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto and more...More
Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun stand atop the stairs of the National Theater of Korea in episode 21 of "My Love from the Star" and share a heartbreaking kiss just before he suddenly disappears. This "red carpet kiss" is one of the most famous drama kisses in recent history and it was filmed on the steps on the first national theater in Korea, a space dedicated to supporting Korean traditional arts and the arts in general. As the home of three national performance groups, the theater holds a lot of history even though it was established fairly recently in 1950...More
Son Heung-min (left) and Yoo So-young
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Son Heung-min has been papped on a date with Yoo So-young, an ex-member of girl group After School who has turned her hand to acting.
The candid shots were published by online gossip rag the Fact...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has announced that there will be a new program added to 2015 MAMA this year from November 28th to December 1st called, '2015 MAMA Nominees' Day & Night', through which it plans to provide a whole new experience for fans...More
Airbnb is conquering Korea, but resistance remains to the flagship of what is being touted as the "sharing economy".
Since it got started in Korea nearly three years ago Airbnb has listed 11,000 lodging spaces, a 2.3-fold jump from last year.
More and more younger people are discovering a simple and convenient way of making money by letting their home through the site, in full or in part, year-round or while they are away on holiday or business...More
The 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards will hold a free screening event playing the nominated films from November 12th to 20th in Hall Two of CGV Yeouido.
This event has been organized for movie fans to enjoy the nominated films for free prior to the main award ceremony. This is a special opportunity for the public to be able to enjoy the best Korean films in 2015 at one spot...More
Kim Soo-hyun's new winter fashion pictorial has been revealed.
Men's clothing brand ZIOZIA has revealed their winter 2015 pictorial starring their exclusive model Kim Soo-hyun in Korea and China simultaneously...More
Best Producer, Best Engineer, and Best Live Entertainment in Asia
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has announced that they will be adding three professional awards categories including Best Producer, Best Engineer, and Best Live Entertainment for 2015 MAMA. Winners will be chosen from those who have played important roles in contributing to the development of Asian pop culture over this past year...More
Did you know North Korea has its own car company? The New York Times examines the life and death of those who can't afford either, pressure to change Korea's image-orientated hiring practices, and is South Korea's fashion too petite for the rest of the world?...More
One thing I love about these diary pieces is that I can tell you, HanCinema readers, about my adventures in Korea and bring you along with me no matter how big or small my adventure may or may not have been. One thing I particularly loved about the Korea Joa 2015 program was that I not only met dedicated colleagues of Korean entertainment, but I also made friends. There is nothing quite like sharing good times with a good friend...More
One Lucky Fan Will Win A Trip To The 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards
KCONUSA'S COM2US MAMA 2015 Sweepstakes has begun. One lucky fan will win two roundtrip tickets to Hong Kong on December 2nd with their accommodation paid for by KCONUSA to attend The 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the biggest K-Pop award show of the year. The winner and their guest will fly economy class on Asiana Airlines from the United States to Hong Kong on November 30, 2015 and return to the United States on December 3, 2015. In addition to winning a trip to Hong Kong, the winner and their guest will have the opportunity to see their favorite K-Pop stars...More
Starts this Friday!
The 13th Annual New York Korean Film Festival showcases the nation's cinema doing what it does best: the crime thriller, the romantic fantasy, and feverish erotica. The Peninsula's filmmakers bend genre cinema to a uniquely Korean pulse and purpose, making the countrys national film industry the most vibrant in East Asia...More
KBS 2TV's new Monday & Tuesday drama, "Oh My Venus" starring So Ji-sub and Shin Min-ah has revealed exceptional bed scene teaser.
The second teaser released on KBS' official website is 29 second video. In the new teaser, So Ji-sub and Shin Min-ah present the shyly sexy and romantic bed scene while an ambient music plays. The scene creates curiosity about an unusual and provocative side of the drama...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has announced a full list of nominees across 18 categories for the upcoming MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards), set to take place at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong on December 2nd. The announcement was broadcast live on Mnet and through Naver's mobile application V at 6 p.m. (KST) on October 30th.
The nominees have been carefully selected from a pool of artists, who have had songs and albums released during the period from October 26th 2014 to October 29th 2015...More
On the official website of MBC's "She Was Pretty", a series of behind-the-scenes photos with a caption saying, 'Who made Sin-hyeok wear a big smile on his face?!" have been posted.
In the revealed photos, Choi Si-won is looking at somewhere while smiling brightly. The following photos show Jung Joon-ha and Hwang Kwanghee wearing the funny makeup for filming 'Infinite Challenges'...More
Fashion magazine Elle met the beautiful actress Park Shin-hye in the romantic city, Paris.
Park Shin-hye had the special meet with the local people in Saint-Ouen in Paris. Although the environment was not familiar, Park Shin-hye's amiable and friendly personality fascinated the Parisians she met...More
Actress Han Ji-min is a enthralling fall woman in her new pictorial for magazine Cosmopolitan.
The synonymous name for a pure and innocent image, actress Han Ji-min has presented the five fall makeup looks in her pictorial taken for magazine Cosmopolitan...More
Find out how to make spicy shredded squid from Beyond Kimchi, make sure your kimchi fried rice comes out right every time, Maangchi has some tips for K-food newbies, and forget the pancakes you used to know with Jinjoo...More
So-yeon (played by Kim Min-kyung-III) has recently suffered through a miscarriage. She grieves in her own way, as does her husband Joon-sik (played by Jo Han-sun). So-yeong comes up with an idea to try and make the pain more bearable- a trip to a nice island villa with a view of the beach. There they meet the owners Seong-cheol (played by Ma Dong-seok) and Min-hee (played by Ji An). Seong-cheol appears to enjoy off-color jokes, and Min-hee suffers in silence. But are they really jokes, or is Seong-cheol...possibly evil..?...More
The Seoul Senior Film Festival will open its three-day run on Wednesday next week, featuring 41 short films...More
Actress So Yi-hyun took pictures of her pregnant self.
She participated in the 'Moms are women too' campaign run by skin care brand Biotherm...More
A woman sits on roadside late at night in Jongno in downtown Seoul on Sept. 23, 2015.
Violent crimes against women occur in such a wide variety of locations that it is becoming impossible to call anywhere safe.
The Chosun Ilbo analyzed cases of murder, robbery, rape and abduction from 2013 and found that 45.3 percent of murders and 21.7 percent of rapes occurred in homes, and 18.8 percent of murders and 16.6 percent of rapes in the streets. With robberies more than three out of 10 occurred on the streets...More
8th Korea Drama Awards 2015 nominees list...More
Taeyeon of Girls' Generation unveiled songs on her first solo mini-album on major music-streaming websites on Tuesday at midnight and garnered tons of clicks overnight as soon as its release.
She will make the rounds on music shows starting Thursday and will hold concerts from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25 and between Oct. 29 and Nov. 1...More
Korea's only specialised documentary project market, Docs Port, kicks off later this month; check out BIFF's official page to find out what's happening at Korea's biggest film festival; KOBIZ recaps the Hollywood blockbusters that made bank over the summer; and Hangul Celluloid shares their experience of the 'Korea Joa Project'....More
The annual Busan International Film Festival kicked off its 10-day run in the southern port city on Thursday.
Actor Song Kang-ho and Afghan actress Marina Golbahari hosted the opening ceremony, during which Studio Ghibli received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award...More
HanCinema has begun its Korea Joa journey! KOFICE - The Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange - brought fifteen Korean culture-focused websites together to the Ritz Carlton Hotel of Seoul to commence the first year of Korea Joa, a program geared towards sharing Korean culture through its entertainment and the journalists' personal experience of Korea itself. September 30th was the orientation banquet where the journalists met with the KOFICE director general and staff, and with one another...More
Korean beauty trends via online videos are becoming more popular, 10 Magazine showcases 10 over-the-top gift sets for Chuseok, Eat Your Kimchi reflect on suicide in Korea, and how good is your K-slang?...More
More than 300 films from 75 countries will be screened during the annual Busan International Film Festival, which starts its 10-day run on Oct. 1 in the southern port city.
The Indian film "Zubaan", directed by Mozez Singh, will open this year's festival. The film is about a young man's search for his true self. Closing the festival will be the Chinese melodrama "Mountain Cry", directed by Larry Yang. Set in a remote village, the film revolves around a young villager and a widow who fall in love...More
Actress Ha Ji-won turned into a goddess in Hawaii.
On September 21st, fashion magazine 'Cosmopolitan' has unveiled a pictorial starring Ha Ji-won...More
What is Korea Joa?
We have been looking forward to sharing this with our readers for months and the time is finally here. HanCinema has been invited by KOFICE (Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange) to attend ten days of events covering Korean culture and entertainment, including Korean cinema, Kdrama and Kpop. The project, named 'Korea Joa', includes 15 members from 9 nations. The events will take place mainly in Seoul and Busan, where we can also follow the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Members of the 'Korea Joa' project will be creating content for their respective sites and we will also be collaborating to promote one another's content through social media, giving you a fuller experience...More
Taeyeonof girl group Girls' Generation will stage her first solo concert next month in Seoul. She will hold six shows from Oct. 23-25 and Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at COEX in Samseong-dong.
It will also be the second in a series of concerts staged by SM Entertainment featuring artists on its roster...More
Actor Park Si-hoo is running an Internet travel site called PSH Tour. The website is currently gathering tour requests for the Kimje Jipyeongseon Festival from the 7th of October to the 11th. In April this year, the website held a birthday party tour for his fans.
What's unusual about this website is that, not only is it making it convenient for foreign fans to participate in his own events, he's linking them to domestic festivals as well. This is only possible due to Park Si-hoo's reputation abroad...More
Son Heung-min, who recently transferred to Tottenham Hotspur, is set to make his English Premier League debut this weekend.
The London side announced on its website Wednesday that Son had been granted a work permit to play in England, finalizing the paperwork for his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. Son is expected to play against Sunderland on Sunday...More
Several decades ago Maggi lost both of her sons to unforeseen incidents, leaving behind only three daughters. In traditional Confucian culture this is a big deal- children and especially sons are supposed to care for you in old age. So Maggi dealt with this problem by buying Chunhee, a mentally deficient woman, to serve as her husband's temporary concubine. Now, in the present day, long after Maggi's husband has died, "With or Without You" chronicles the irony of their continued living arrangement...More
Being an American in my late twenties I have an appreciation (well, disgust is probably the better word) for the extent to which empty pop culture references pass for communication. And yet for all that, while I've heard the name Ed Sullivan, I never knew what Ed Sullivan actually looked like until I saw "Try to Remember - Documentary". There was this huge pop culture phenomenon regarding what I can best describe as lounge music, and today we don't even have a good word to describe what that genre of music even was. What does this have to do with Korea? Well, "Try to Remember - Documentary" is the story of the Kim Sisters- who became the first Korean girl group to break into international popularity...More
Director Lee Eun-ji-I came out of film school in her thirties at a bit of a loss as to what to do with her life. She ultimately ended up deciding that the best way to move forward, for the moment anyway, was to accompany her mother on a trip to France. Lee Eun-ji-I's mother, a professor who also does translation work, had been commissioned to produce a new translation of the works of Michel de Montaigne. And so it seemed that Michel de Montaigne, one of the world's most famous and influential philosophers, would help Lee Eun-ji-I figure out what she wanted to do with herself...More
Actress Han Sung-yun showed off the fabulous chemistry with EXO members, Chen and Do Kyung-soo, while they are all dressed up in school uniforms.
On September 8th, Han Sung-yun's agency said, "The school uniform brand, IVY Club has released a commercial cut through their official website, featuring their model Han Sung-yun and the EXO members....More
HanCinema recently met up with actor Kahlid Elijah Tapia to find out about his experience working in South Korea's television and film industry.
You came to South Korea back in 2009 to teach English. What was it about the country and culture that inspired you to explore its film and television industry?
This is a funny one actually because it wasn't the country or the culture. I was living in Florida taking acting classes before I came to Korea and I actually was just wanting to live in this country for one year and go home. A fellow actress and now close friend recommended that I put my headshot and resume on Craigslist. I thought to myself, "For what?" "This is Korea, I can't get anything done here". But I did it and 28 credits on IMDb later, I'm still here. What I learned after posting my information is that I can be an actor anywhere. Especially in this internet driven age...More
Actor Ahn Yong-joon and his lover, singer Venny, who is 9 years older than him, will tie the knot soon.
On August 26th, Ahn Yong-joon's agency has announced in a press release, "Ahn Yong-joon and Venny will tie the knot on September 19th at Ramada Seoul Hotel. Any further specific details have not been decided yet"...More
Young people who are making ends meet doing part-time jobs commonly suffer abuse at work, a straw poll suggests.
Job portal website Albamon polled 612 part-time workers and found that seven out of 10 suffered abuse at work. Part-time workers are people who are employed for less than one-year contracts, including temps...More
Fashion magazine Elle has unveiled their cover page featuring Lee Min-ho and his interview for 2015 September issue.
Elle Korea's exclusive cover page is drawing attention with Lee Min-ho's image set in the desert of LA in the background. Two more intense pictorial images featuring Lee Min-ho's strong and sexy appeals also have been unveiled...More
Eun-beom (played by Baek Sung-hyun) manages a part-time job search website. He has to take care of his little sister Eun-byeol (played by Kim Ji-young-III), but other than that life is mostly unremarkable. Matters take a turn for the dramatic when on a live debate show Seong-woo (played by Jang Se-hyun) takes the entire production hostage. And from there the story takes an even more bizarre and outlandish turn. What could possibly be more extreme than a deranged hostage negotiation? Well...I don't want to ruin it...More
The annual EBS International Documentary Festival will be held in Seoul from Aug. 24 to 30. In its 12th year, the festival will feature 52 documentaries from 32 countries.
"Good Things Await", the opening film, tells the story of Danish farmer Niels Stokholm whose biodynamic farming methods aren't widely accepted in the European Union...More
Park Bo-young, Jo Jung-suk's ghostly romance, 'Oh My Ghostess' has been drawing heated attention domestically and globally.
While the drama is still running, it has already been sold to eight different countries. Putting aside the high viewership rating, it has been receiving explosive reaction on VOD as well...More
Rapper So Ji-sub will release a summer song.
So Ji-sub will unveil his new song, 'Cola Bottle Baby' at noon on August 10th through major music source websites. With his sparkling 'Fizzy hip hop', he will captivate the ears of music listeners...More
A growing number of young people are heading to ear, nose and throat surgery clinics in Gangnam to undergo surgery to change their voices.
Some are aspiring singers in their teens who want to be on reality TV show, while others are college students or jobseekers who want to work as TV presenters or flight attendants...More
This year's Jecheon International Music and Film Festival takes place in the North Chungcheong Province city from Aug. 13 to 18, featuring 101 films about music from 25 countries.
"Try to Remember" by Korean director Kim Dae-hyeon opens the festival. The documentary is about the Kim Sisters, the nation's first girl band who were active half a century ago...More
K-pop girl group Wonder Girls unveiled a teaser on Monday for their third full-length album "Reboot".
The image was posted on their official website and JYP Entertainment's Facebook and Twitter accounts...More
Jin-han (played by Choi Jong-hwan) is the long-lost eldest brother of the Choi family, and the not-exactly-husband of Eun-soo. He's gotten amnesia and now lives a humble existence selling street food with his wife. Strictly speaking "Make a Woman Cry" hasn't actually confirmed that this person is Jin-han, but he's currently listed as such on MBC's official website. And besides, given how much of the conflict lately has been about Jin-han, it would be pretty ridiculous if the snack guy wasn't actually Jin-han after all...More
Intelligence officials look at screens at the National Cyber Security Center in Seoul.
The number of cyber attacks against South Korea has surged after it was confirmed that North Korean hackers obtained leaked data from a top Italian hacking software company.
According to intelligence officials, a total of 17,000 cyber attacks were aimed at major websites operated by the government and other agencies as of 8 a.m. Thursday. At 9 a.m., the frequency surged to 35,000, and a total of 1 million took place over the whole day, averaging at around 41,000 per hour...More
2015 Session 2 Free Korean Language Classes are back on Macquarie Campus on the 10th of August for 14 Weeks!!!!!!
Registration line will open on 27th of July, 10:00 AM (sharp), so don't miss out this time! Online application is on the KCC Official Website . Please be advised that any applications applied BEFORE the due date and time will be invalid...More
Girl group A Pink showcased their second full-length album in a live performance at Kyunghee University in Seoul on Thursday.
The group's six members, who have tried to set themselves apart from other "sexy" girl groups, said they had made a great effort to broaden their musical horizons on the new album...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M says that KCON 2015 USA will be an attractive site for K-beauty lovers, as the event is endorsed and joined by a large group of people from the beauty industry, ranging from small startups and individual YouTubers to cosmetics company sponsors.
"We are confident that KCON 2015 USA will be a good business opportunity for Korean beauty companies trying to find ways to expand their business overseas. Also, it will be a big K-beauty extravaganza for the visitors who want to catch the latest trends in K-Beauty", says Hyun-Soo Kim, head of Global Festival Business at CJ E&M, who is in charge of organizing KCON 2015 USA...More
Goo Ha-ra of girl band Kara will make her solo debut next week.
"The songs of her first mini album will be released to major music-streaming websites on July 14", her management agency DSP Media said on Monday...More
Movies of fantastic features including fears, grotesqueness, suspense and action, which fans cannot experience in real world, are coming in droves.
The 19th Bucheon International Fantastic Movie Festival (BiFan), which will take place on July 16 July 26, will showcase 235 movies under the theme Love, Fantasy and Adventure from 45 countries. The opening film is the French movie Moonwalkers (director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet) and the closing work will be "The Chosen: Forbidden Cave" by Kim Hwi...More
Well Go USA Presents "Northern Limit Line"
Starring:
Kim Moo-yeol , Jin Goo , Lee Hyun-woo
Directed by Kim Hak-soon
Release date: July 17TH, 2015 (WELL GO USA)
Cities:
New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Hawaii, Dallas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, New Jersey, Toronto, Vancouver...More
Seven years ago, an ambitious reality show called Family Outing appeared on Korean TV. Hosted by "The Nation's MC" Yoo Jae-suk (most may know him only as the guy with the bowl cut in PSY's recent videos), this variety show took outdoor reality to a level that is still trying to be reached. The show ran for nearly 2 years on SBS's 'Good Sunday' and had many of the same cast and crew members from the game show X-Man. What this show offered was more than just silly games and jokes, it was a travelogue of Korean villages and offered a glimpse into the Confucian-based society unheard of in America...More
Girls' Generation will be back on stage with the release of a new single and music videos this weekend.
The single "Party" is set to be unveiled on major music-streaming websites on July 7 and will also be available at local stores the following day...More
Fashion magazine Elle had an interview with Kim So-eun, who has recently completed MBC's 'We Got Married', in which she co-starred with Song Jae-rim, and is getting ready for her new drama, 'Scholar Who Walks the Night'.
Kim So-eun, who has been loved much for the lovely chemistry between her and Song Jae-rim, first talked about the reality variety show. She said, "I have so many memories from the last 9 months. I felt so emotional when I thought I had to leave the people whom I had met on the set". She explained why she shed her tears in the last episode. She also said it was a good opportunity for her to share her truthful heart with the public...More
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M has completed the list of K-pop artists who will be performing at KCON 2015 USA (see below for the full list). Besides the K-pop artists, a number of celebrity guests are expected to join, and their names will soon be announced...More
The main street in the shopping district of Myeong-dong, Seoul is empty amid fears of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome on Wednesday. /Newsis
The outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which began with the first confirmed case on May 20, has caused many businesses and workers to struggle to make ends meet...More
CJ E&M's Must-see Event Will Take Place on July 24-26 in Ansan, Korea
Award-winning rock bands and artists, such as Foo Fighters, The Chemical Brothers, Noel Gallagher, Motorhead and Deadmau5, will excite tens of thousands of fans this summer at the popular Ansan M Valley Rock Festival, organized by Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M...More
Added the upcoming Korean movie "Bungaeman"'s page to HanCinema database...More
Bae Yong-joon's fiancé Park Soo-jin posted her handwritten letter on her personal Instagram on May 20th.
The letter said "I've been thinking hard because I didn't know how to start my words. So here I am finally" and "Thank you so much for your congratulations and support despite the sudden revelation of the news"...More
Fashion magazine Elle June issue revealed actress Song Hye-kyo's recent interview and pictorial. She is currently getting ready for filming KBS 2TV's new drama, 'Descendants of the Sun' starting in June.
Song Hye-kyo will play Kang Mo-yeon, who is a military medical doctor dispatched internationally. She said, "It's a cheerful role that I took on first time in a while in Korea. It's like an adult version of 'Full House" while she revealed her anticipation on the new project...More
What Korea films are on at Cannes this year? Chris Horn reviews the heartbreaking "Taegukgi" for Modern Korean Cinema, actor Cha Seung-won to play famous geographer in Kang Woo-seok's first period film, and be sure to visit Korean film critic and journalist Darcy Paquet's website for quality news and reviews...More
2015 51st PaekSang Arts Awards : most popular actress in a drama nominees list...More
2015 51st PaekSang Arts Awards : most popular actor in a drama nominees list...More
2015 51st PaekSang Arts Awards : most popular actress in a movie nominees list...More
2015 51st PaekSang Arts Awards : most popular actor in a movie nominees list...More
While Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin have announced they are getting married through their agency's official website on May 14th, the SNS posting by the two are drawing public attention.
In the morning on the day their relationship was announced, the two posted each one's selfie with the big bright smiles on their personal Instagram...More
Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Nam-gil's "The Shameless" will hold a special photo exhibition.
As one of the official selections invited to the sidebar "Un Certain Regard" competition of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, "The Shameless" has been garnering attention.
"The Shameless" now will hold a special photo exhibition from May 12th to June 7th at several movie theaters including CGV Yongsang, CGV Yeongdeongpo, and Busan cgv centum city...More
Actor Yoon Park's pictorial has been revealed.
Yoon Park has had a pictorial session and an interview with KWAVE, a Hallyu magazine recently...More
"Angry Mom"s top issue maker, Ji Soo brought a coffee truck as a gift to the set.
Ji Soo successfully earned the viewers' hearts for his role in "Angry Mom", presenting his versatile ever-changing appeals. He has become a public topic with every episode of the drama by putting his name along his character name Go Bok-dong within the top range of the search word ranking on portal websites...More
Luxury hotels here are struggling as profits dwindle amid a marked decline in high-rolling Japanese customers.
Lotte Hotel, the biggest hotel chain in Korea, saw operating profit fall by half last year to W24.3 billion (US$1=W1,071). Hotel Shilla, a favorite choice of visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state, posted an operating loss of W20.6 billion last year...More
Myung Films Art Center and Myung Films Institute opened on April 30 at the Myung Films HQ building in Paju City of Gyeonggi Province, which are spaces designated for complex video art and culture with a medium of movie. Myung Films, a Korean film production that marks the 20th anniversary of its foundation this year, provides various entertainment to the public under the motto of Movie City in the Paju Book City...More
Actor Lee Min-ho will participate in the campaign to protect endangered animals.
On April 30th, his agency Starhous Entertainment has said Lee Min-ho will participated in the endangered animal protection campaign collaborated with the jeans casual brand, Guess...More
Romantic casual fashion brand Union Bay revealed BTS images featuring IU and Lee Hyun-woo from the set to film their 2015 summer commercial.
In the revealed images, Lee Hyun-woo and IU, who are dressed up each in a cool sky-blue colored linen shirt and a casual shirt, look focused on taking the pictorial...More
Bean Pole Accessories displayed models Suzy and Yoo Yeon-seok in its Summer Collection.
This is Yoo Yeon-seok's first time with Suzy and Bean Pole. They have met before in two dramas and worked well as a team...More
Actor Ji Chang-wook's Bali pictorial has been revealed.
"Healer" actor Ji Chang-wook proved his acting ability as well as his ability to earn public fame and has emerged as one of the top stars...More
On April 23rd, men's total lifestyle brand, TNGT by LF (CEO: Goo Bongeol, www.lfcorp.com) has announced they will launch the promotion event with Lee Min-ho, 'The Tomorrow Man, Min-ho's Gift'.
Starting April 24th, TNGT stores nationwide will present a gift package, 'Min-ho's Gift' to their customers on first-come, first-served basis. 'Min-ho's Gift' includes an eco-friendly bag, a bracelet and 2015 S/S catalogue starring Lee Min-ho...More
Actress Han Ye-seul has revealed her pictorial taken in the set of night in Paris.
Fashion magazine Singles has released Han Ye-seul's pictorial for Decke. In the Pictorial, Han Ye-seul showcased various styles from a blue dress to two-piece set. She also matched the signature bags by Decke to each of her styles in the pictorial...More
On April 21st, the production team of KBS 2TV "Producers" revealed a video clip on their official website.
The revealed video showed the two leading actors Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Kim Soo-hyun having a meeting prior to the main filming begins...More
Over 200 smitten teenage girls and young women congregated at EBS headquarters in Dogok-dong in southern Seoul on Monday to see JYJ's Kim Jun-su on stage.
He was performing on EBS' music show. It was a rare exception to the usual indie lineup, made possible by the persistence of JYJ fans. Since Kim released a solo album in March, fans kept writing requests on the EBS' website to have him on the show...More
Many older people are joining the online sales market dominated by 20- and 30-somethings as e-commerce has grown markedly and become much easier to handle.
People over 50 accounted for a mere 18 percent of the startup sellers on shopping website 11st.co.kr in 2012. But their proportion jumped to 24 percent in 2013 and 39 percent in 2014, more than doubling in two years...More
The new generation Hallyu star, actor Lee Jong-suk's popularity is heating up globally.
People are buzzing about his live streamed fan meeting, '2015 Asia Tour in Shanghai', which was held on March 28th. The simultaneous online traffic recorded 800,000 people...More
Model and actress Lee Sung-kyung who is currently starring in the MBC drama "The Queen's Flower", modeled for fashion magazine Vogue.
She displayed ADIDAS Stella Sportswear which included jackets, shorts, sneakers, and everything from gym wear to street wear...More
JYJ member Kim Jae-joong has a headache.
According to sources, various local travel agencies have been selling illegal 'Kim Jae-joong Farewell Tour' packages to fans which takes place during March 30th to April 1st. The package includes going to see the artist entering base on the 31st of March and visiting a few of his relevant places...More
Spicy Dandelion Salad, Asia's Top Restaurants Revealed, and Zen Kimchi's latest "Seoul Restaurant Expat Guide" has your taste buds covered for 2015...More
Korean Cinema Today...
The latest two episodes of KOFIC's bimonthly podcast features Simon McEnteggart (founder of Hanguk Yeonghwa: "The Home of Korean Cinema") as he joins Pierce Conran and June Kim in studio to chat about Korea's indie cinema circuit, and then again about the blockbusters Korean cinephiles can get excited about this year...More
Byun Yo-han's rebellious image went on the cover page of magazine 1st Look 85th issue. His charismatic eyes and masculine beauty get your heart pumping.
Byun Yo-han's mischievous and rebellious facial expressions appeared on the magazine's cover page. The pictorial was a collaboration with a watch brand, Swatch...More
China is expected to lift a ban on kimchi imports from Korea later this year.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday said China's National Health and Family Planning Commission announced on its website on Feb. 11 plans to ease regulations on the permitted level of coliform bacteria so kimchi imports can resume...More
Actress Jang Nara showed her special appreciation to her fans.
On her official website, a 'live time comment' event was held on the 8th. Jang Nara commented on her fans' posts in live time in celebration of the New Year. This allowed for communication with her fans...More
Lee Su-jin's "Han Gong-ju" @ 24fps...
There are so many films flashing furiously past our eyes nowadays that it's hard to remember some of the devilish details, moments, and ideas from our favourite features. Add to that all the music videos, T.V. series, news broadcasts, digital advertisements, YouTube playlists and gaming, and it might well start to feel like there's an insurmountable backlog of compelling content, and you'd be right (sooner or later). Our lifetime is slowly being replaced by digital dream streams that if we were to watch all the classics, the critically acclaimed, personal recommendations and cultural must-sees, our lives would no longer have a convincing anchor in reality, and screen-time would be our only time...More
Total lifestyle brand TNGT appointed Lee Min-ho as their official model.
The brand released pictures of the actor in 'Real City Life'. The concept of the look is a sophisticated one where Lee Min-ho is wearing a blue jacket with matching jeans...More
"Emergency Couple" took home three awards including Best Korean Drama, Best Actress and the Boldest Moment Presented by Toyota
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M is proud to announce that its hit romantic comedy drama "Emergency Couple" won three awards – Best Drama, Best Actress (Song Ji-hyo) and the Boldest Moment Presented by Toyota (wedding scene in the 1st episode)–at the 3rd DramaFever Awards, which took place at Hudson Theatre, Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York on February 5, 2015...More
Actor Lee Min-ho will meet his fans through a concert in Hong Kong this March.
According to Starhouse Entertainment on February 5th, Lee Min-ho will join his fans in Lee Min-ho LIVE IN HONGKONG 2015, which will take a place in AsiaWorld-Expo arena in Hong Kong on March 21st...More
Chinese film, 'Diamond Lover' starring Rain is being filmed in Seoul.
According to a media source, Rain is filming the movie along with other actors in Seoul. The female lead, Tang Yan is staying in Seoul as well to participate in the shooting...More
Actress Oh Yeon-seo's beauty collection is in fashion magazine 'Cosmopolitan'.
Oh Yeon-seo is wearing bronze make-up that makes her look like a doll with long wavy hair down her sides. She's wearing a white dress that makes her look like a goddess and a tube top dress with frills and more...More
CJ E&M to Promote the Must-see Summer Event Globally, Using Its Music Brand M
Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M announces that it has renamed its premier annual rock festival as Ansan M Valley Rock Festival, and that the event will be held in Ansan, a city located south of Seoul, from July 24-26...More
Actress Kang So-ra is attracting attention with her office look that reminds of Ahn Yeong-I of "Incomplete Life".
On January 16th, the magazine Cosmopolitan released Kang So-ra's photos taken for its February issue...More
The melodrama "Ode to My Father" is set to become the 14th film ever to draw 10 million viewers here on Tuesday.
The first film to achieve the mark in Korean cinema was the 2003 blockbuster "Silmido"...More
The collection of Actor Ji Chang-wook's eight different facial expressions is drawing attention.
Ji Chang-wook (Seo Jeong-hoo) from KBS 2TV drama, "Healer" has been winning female fans' heart through his thriving acting performance lately. The collected image of his eight different facial expressions have been uploaded on an online community website...More
People are buzzing about the triplets' photo uploaded on an online community website, showing Song Il-gook and triplets, Daehan, Minguk, Manse who went to market for red bean porridge.
On December 22nd, the Winter solstice in Korea, which marks the longest night of the year, they went to a market to get red bean porridge...More
Actress Kim Yoo-jung revealed her ways of practice.
She claimed that she wrote letters of advice to children who dreamed of being an actress like her, on the EBS Plus2 "School Land – Teen Teen Interview"...More
The Sales Team 3 from tvN drama, "Incomplete Life" wore their custom-ordered group T-shirts.
In one of the photos uploaded on Park Hae-joon's fan club website, it showed the Sales Team 3 in their group T-shirts in a restaurant. The actors from 'Incomplete Life" in the photo wore shirts imprinted Chajang (Deputy general manager), Gwajang (Manager), Deari (Assistant manager), and Sawon (Staff) on each one's...More
An indie documentary about a devoted elderly couple is rewriting the history of Korean cinema.
"My Love, Don't Cross That River" topped the box office on Friday last week, and maintained its lead on Saturday by drawing 247,658 viewers in one day. It has now been watched by 776,424 people and is on course to hit 1 million 18 days after its release on Nov. 27...More
- With 10 months of preparation and 16 years of production know-how, CJ E&M successfully hosted Asia's premiere music awards ceremony
- The show has reached 2.4 billion people in 16 countries and garnered 65 million online votes worldwide
- Renowned Korean, Chinese, and US artists such as EXO, Taeyang, and John Legend delivered stunning performances in front of 10,000 audiences
The 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) was successfully held in Hong Kong on December 3 announced Asia's leading content and media company CJ E&M today. In its sixth year since evolving into Asia's premier music festival, MAMA's impact has spread far beyond its origins in Korea to across Asia and other parts of the world...More
Red carpet event of 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (2014 MAMA) was held in the evening on the 3rd in Asia World Expo Arena, AWE, Hong Kong.
In the phone, actress, Kang So-ra walks red carpet at the venue of 2014 MAMA.
The 2014 MAMA is hosted in Asia World Expo Arena, the largest performance venue in Hong Kong...More
- CJ and UNESCO partnership - "Bright Girls. Bright Future!" - supports the education of young girls
- The Asia's premiere music awards speaks to the power of music to bridge cultures and bring people together
Oscar-winning actor and the honorable UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation Forest Whitaker will deliver a video message for girls' education at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) announced Asia's No.1 content and media company CJ E&M today...More
Added many new posters and briefing video for the upcoming Korean movie "Dad for Rent"...More
Novelist Lee Oi-soo has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and will undergo surgery next Wednesday. Lee broke the news on Twitter account on Wednesday, saying the test results were worse than he had thought...More
Korean consumers are more enthusiastic online shoppers than their Chinese and Japanese counterparts, according to a study by IBM.
Surveying 30,554 adults in 16 countries, the company found that Chinese consumers are avid users of social media, location tracking services and smartphones, while the Japanese consumers prefer traditional offline shops...More
The 20-minute short film "A Rose Reborn" directed by Park Chan-wook was unveiled at the closing ceremony of the Shanghai Fashion Week on Wednesday. The film, having three episodes plus the finale, is a global collaboration between Park and the Italian luxury brand Ermenegildo Zegna.
British actor Jack Huston and California-born Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu starred in the film, wearing costumes made by the luxury label...More
Added new official trailer and press photos for the upcoming Korean movie "Dad for Rent"...More
Chinese investors are increasingly putting their money into Korean TV soap and movie productions as they continue to enjoy huge popularity on the mainland and beyond.
That means they can also flex more muscle in showbusiness here...More
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then a low-rent Chinese soap firmly establishes Korean TV dramas at the top of entertainment products in the world's most populous country.
"The Heirs from the Star", a 10-episode Chinese miniseries, has understandably stirred up a plagiarism controversy with its mash-up of two popular Korean soaps, "The Heirs" and "My Love from the Star"...More
Open for trade visitor which are sourcing for Korean products to represent in Malaysia, public and K-WAVE fans.
K-Show 2014 Invitation to K-Wave fans and businessmen sourcing for innovative Korean products to bring into the market.
'Anyeonghasaeyo!' The 2nd K-Show 2014 has return again introducing its presences with wider range of Korean's latest beauty and lifestyle trends, technology, food and beverage products. A trade exhibition with the objective to introduce exclusive Korean products to Malaysians!...More
Janice Min, who leads Billboard and the Hollywood Reporter, the two most influential U.S. showbiz publications, has some advice for the popular music industry of her ancestral home.
Min attended the MU:CON Seoul 2014, a world music market hosted by the Korea Creative Contents Agency, which ended on Wednesday.
Min delivered a keynote speech on Monday on K-pop and shared candid thoughts about it at a press conference afterwards...More
Lee Byung-hun is going through a great ordeal.
The aftermath of this scandal is lingering with the two women who were prosecuted after trying to blackmail the actor out of 5 billion won. The brand Lee Byung-hun is currently modeling for, has reduced exposure of him and his movie. They're looking for an ideal release period for his exposure...More
Chinese tourists shop in a duty free shop in Seoul (file photo).
Seoul has emerged as one of the favorite destinations of Chinese tourists. The Beijing Youth Daily reported in early September that Korea and Japan were the top two destinations for Chinese tourists last year thanks to geographical proximity, citing a report from the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF)...More
Asian horror is without a doubt one of the biggest genres known to international viewers. Korean horror specifically has its hits and misses, but very few movies really manage to go beyond the entertaining type of pop-corn horror. Those that manage something different usually have a strong human drama behind them, but that is still not a guarantee of quality and leaves no surprises by now. "Arang" is an interesting and good enough thriller film and has a bit more to it than your average "light" pastime horror, but certain aspects of it keep it from being great...More
The annual DMZ International Documentary Film Festival started its weeklong run on Wednesday in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
Some 111 documentaries from 30 countries have been selected from among 661 entries from 69 nations...More
CJ E&M teams up with major broadcasters to present a new preschool show for children to enjoy the diverse cultures around the globe
CJ E&M [http://en.cjenm.com], Asia's leading content and media company, announced today that its animated preschool series, Super Wings, will be launching on major television networks worldwide including Canal Plus' preschool channel, Piwi+ in France, SVT in Sweden, EBS in Korea and other key channels in the US, Latin America, Germany, Spain and Russia...More
Added the upcoming Korean movie "Dad for Rent"'s page to HanCinema database...More
"My Lovely Girl", a new Korean television series to be aired by SBS, a major broadcasting network, on Sep. 17, has been sold at the record price of 200,000 US dollars per episode.
SBS said on Tuesday that it signed a copyright contract over the series with Youku Tudou, China`s largest video hosting website. The series has 16 episodes and the total price is up to 3.2 billion won (3.2 million dollars). "Fated to Love You", an MBC series starring actor Jang Hyuk and actress Jang Nara, and "It's Okay, That's Love", an SBS series starring actor Jo In-sung and actress Gong Hyo-jin, had been sold to China at the highest price of 120,000 dollars per episode...More
OPENS IN SELECT THEATERS SEPTEMBER 12th
STARRING: Kim Nam-gil, Son Ye-jin, Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Kyung-young, Kim Tae-woo, Park Chul-min, Oh Dal-soo
DIRECTED BY: Lee Seok-hoon
RELEASE DATE: September 12th, 2014 (WELL GO USA)
CITIES: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Denver, Boston, Hawaii, Toronto, Vancouver...More
Sun Hyun-woo launched the website Talk to Me in Korean in 2009 to teach Korean via various online formats such as YouTube videos, podcasts and e-books. His business has made big strides in no more than five years with some 8.7 million users from 199 countries around the world. Total downloads of his lessons have surpassed 50 million.
The 34-year-old first got inspiration for his business from exchanging letters with foreigners while at university.
"When I returned to school after a two-year absence to complete mandatory military service in 2004, I wanted to make foreign friends, so I introduced myself on foreign websites and asked for people to contact me if they wanted to chat with me", Sun said...More
Fans can experience all things KCON 2014 from the comfort of their own homes right now
KCON (www.kconusa.com), the largest annual fan celebration of Korean entertainment and culture, announced that every aspect of KCON 2014 will be showcased exclusively on Mnet America's website www.mnetamerica.com and their YouTube page through the docu-series -KCON Experience 2014 – airing now. If you can't come to LA for KCON, Mnet America is bringing all the excitement to you...More
American Teens Take a Deep Dive into the Korean Wave and Explore K-Pop's Cultural Roots at 3rd Annual Hallyu Camp
WHAT: Korean Pop/Traditional Culture Immersion Camp for American Teenagers
WHEN: August 11-15, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
WHERE: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland
(3800 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park, MD 20742)
WHO: 20-30 teenagers + Korean youth interns
HOSTS: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission...More
Son Heung-min, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is dating Minah of K-pop band Girls Day.
They were caught dating at night, according to an online website on Thursday. As a photo of the two walking hand-in-hand, which was taken in mid-July, was revealed, Minah's management agency admitted that rumors of the relationship are true, but it said that the two recently started dating and have met just twice so far...More
KCON 2014 Includes Two Night of K-pop Concerts, Appearances from Top Korean Drama Stars, "League of Legends" Exhibition Match, and the "Taste of KCON"
A Larger Convention with More Panels, Workshops and Special Guests from Across Hallyu Storm Downtown L.A. August 9 and 10
KCON, the largest annual fan celebration of all things Hallyu, announced today that the third annual convention will feature a free marketplace with vendors from around LA and a free outdoor stage. KCON 2014 also revealed its program schedule for this year's two day convention taking place August 9 and 10 in Downtown Los Angeles. Building on last year's highly successful event at the Los Angeles Memorial Arena, KCON 2014 will return with a programming slate double the size and more varied than ever. In addition to two star-studded K-pop concerts (up from one in 2013), special guests and a new program of panels and workshops, KCON 2014 will add a slew of first-time features to the convention.
These include:
- A free market and outdoor stage, which will showcase local artists along with vendors from the L.A. area including the "Taste of KCON", serving up some of the best food from K-Town.
- Huge K-Drama stars Yoo In-na, Lee Seung-gi and Lee Seo-jin appearing at KCON as special guests...More
Ha Seok-jin and Lee Jae-yoon both modeled for a photo shoot with fashion magazine Cosmopolitan, August issue.
Under the concept of five different sports categories, the two actors were dressed for horseback riding, fencing, tennis and more...More
Indie Korean Music and Cinema are Finding Its Feet Internationally
Psy's Gangnam Style was just the beginning. There is no longer any doubt that the independent music and movie scene in Korea is gaining traction all over the world-especially in the United States and United Kingdom. K-Pop has been huge in the US and other western countries for a couple of years and more and more Korean movies are getting screen time in "mainstream" American movie theaters...More
Courtesy of the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival
The 10th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival will take place in North Chungcheong Province from Aug. 14 to 19, featuring 88 films about music from 32 countries...More
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), which marks its 18th anniversary this year, started 11-day-long move festival.
Starting with an opening ceremony at Bucheon stadium in Bucheon City of Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, PiFan presents a variety of 210 films from 48 nations (123 long films and 87 short films). Stereo, a German thriller film directed by Maximilian Erlenwein, was screened as opening film. Based on the gangster genre, the film transcends present and past, and tears down the barrier between reality and fantasy...More
Asia's leading contents company CJ E&M [http://en.cjenm.com] has released official photos of M COUNTDOWN held in Seoul on July 3. The photos feature the first ever performances of new singles by f(x), T-ara's Hyomin, and 100%...More
The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday ordered a cosmetic clinic in Busan to pay actress Kim Sun-ah W25 million for using her name in advertising without her permission (US$1=W1,012)...More
Lee Young-ae (left) talks to a Taiwanese mother at International St. Mary's Hospital in Incheon on Sunday, in this screen grab from Sina.com.
Actress Lee Young-ae has quietly picked up the huge hospital bill of a Taiwanese tourist who gave birth prematurely on her holiday to Seoul in February.
According to Taiwanese website Sina.com, Lee paid a visit to International St. Mary's Hospital in the western port city of Incheon on Sunday and met the mother and baby...More
By Choosing Favorite K-Pop Song of the Decade Fans can vote online for their favorite K-Pop song of the decade
M COUNTDOWN, the world's No.1 live K-Pop chart show, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special online poll allowing fans to vote for their favorite K-Pop song of the decade announced CJ E&M today...More
Its the rights of the sexual minority! vs. Were concerned that children might see them
There is controversy over Korea Queer Culture Festival, the largest event for the sexual minority in Korea. The event started in 2000 and marks the 15th anniversary this year. A parade heralding the beginning of the festival was scheduled to take place on Yonsei-ro, Shinchon, Seodaemun district in Seoul on June 7, but the district office cancelled the permit to the event on Tuesday. A queer festival has been held to promote the understanding of the general public on the sexual minority and increase a sense of pride among the sexual minority in Korea...More
South Korea's highly anticipated film "No Tears for the Dead" (directed by Lee Jeong-beom) is set to be released in North American theaters June 20th!
PROLOGUE
Veteran hitman Gon (Jang Dong-gun) receives a mission, which is to target Mogyeong (Kim Min-hee). The trouble is, he falls in love with her.
SYNOPSIS
Abandoned by his mother shortly after immigrating to America, Gon is raised by the mafia and grows up to become a cold-blooded hitman. Though usually flawless in taking out his targets, Gon makes a terrible mistake of killing an innocent young girl. A flood of guilt takes over his life and the situation becomes worse when his boss assigns him the job of killing the young girl's mother. Gon's new target, Mogyeong, is a risk manager at an investment firm and has buried herself in work to bury her grief. She is completely unaware of her role at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy. Finally, she meets the man who wants to tell her the truth behind the death of her child...More
Its the rights of the sexual minority! vs. We're concerned that children might see them.
There is controversy over Korea Queer Culture Festival, the largest event for the sexual minority in Korea. The event started in 2000 and marks the 15th anniversary this year. A parade heralding the beginning of the festival was scheduled to take place on Yonsei-ro, Shinchon, Seodaemun district in Seoul on June 7, but the district office cancelled the permit to the event on Tuesday. A queer festival has been held to promote the understanding of the general public on the sexual minority and increase a sense of pride among the sexual minority in Korea...More
K-pop icon Seo Taiji will go on a nationwide tour with his first album in five years.
Label Wellmade Yedang, which signed a contract with Seo for his new album, on Monday said the singer will release his ninth album this fall, and start the countrywide tour in Seoul...More
KBS 2TV weekend drama comes in first out of the 3 broadcasting stations.
According to Nielsen Korea, "Very Good Times" on the 27th rated 27.9%. This is 3.7% higher than the previous episode...More
The sixth Terracotta Far East Film Festival (TFEFF) will be held in two central London venues over ten days from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June, showing 23 films including International and European premieres.
The festival is one of the UK's biggest showcases for contemporary Asian cinema, boasting an electrifying mix of movies from emerging and established artists across a range of genres. The 2014 edition will open on Friday 23 May with the UK premiere of ON THE JOB, the latest ground-breaking work from Erik Matti which premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2013 in the 'Directors' Fortnight'. The closing film of the festival, screened on Sunday 1 June, will be the International premiere of JUDGE! with special guest appearance from director Akira Nagai...More
The 15th Jeonju International Film Festival takes place throughout the city from May 1 to 10.
The JIFF has a reputation for featuring innovative and experimental movies rather than the mainstream fare...More
Kim Soo-hyun is having a fan meet.
He's going to be at the autograph signing event for the men's clothing brand ZIOZIA on the 11th at 6.30PM...More
Sun-ye with her husband
Wonder Girls' Sun-ye will leave for Haiti with her husband in a few months' time to participate in long-term missionary work there. The K-pop singer revealed her plan on a website run by her fans on Tuesday.
"My husband and I have decided to spend the next five years in Haiti from this July conducting missionary outreach projects", she wrote...More
Lee Min-ho, Kim Soo-hyun, Jang Geun-suk, Kim Woo-bin and Lee Jong-suk are the most loved in China. While "My Love from the Star" and "The Heirs" are great hits in China these days, www.kugou.com, a music and entertainment website, carried out a fan vote online. 1,355,150 netizens logged on to vote for this survey and Lee Min-ho came first with 510,764 votes.
Then came along Kim Soo-hyun from "My Love from the Star" with 469,948 votes. This is 34.7% of the votes, 3% less than Lee Min-ho...More
Singer Lee Seung-gi smiles at a promotional event for a social media website in Seoul on Friday...More
"Another Family" is coming out on TV.
Gom TV is providing simultaneous theater service for "Another Family". A payment of 10,000 won allows to you download or stream from the website...More
Figure skating star Kim Yu-na, who won gold at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and silver at the recently ended Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, has admitted she is dating ice hockey player Kim Won-jung, who is six years her senior.
Her management agency All That Sports said in a press release on Thursday, "Most of the reports about the dating rumors [by entertainment website Dispatch] are true, and they are in a relationship".
On Thursday morning, the Korean online paparazzi published an article claiming that the two athletes were in love, along with numerous photos showing them together out on dates...More
This Korean psychedelic/folk rock band is very well known in South Korea, and about to perform at SXSW2014 this March. After attending SXSW, the band decided to perform in NYC as well.
Currently they are booked for two shows in NYC, and one of 'em is almost sold out...More
The sixth Terracotta Far East Film Festival (TFEFF) will be held in two central London venues over ten days from Friday 23 May to Sunday 1 June.
The festival is one of the UK's biggest showcases for contemporary Asian cinema, boasting an electrifying mix of movies from emerging and established artists across a range of genres...More
South Korea's "Tabloid Truth" is coming to N. American theaters on March 7th!
A scandalous rumor about an up-and-coming actress is included as a gossip item in a stock market tipsheet and propagated by the tabloids, causing her to take her own life...More
Park Chan-kyong (left) and Park Chan-wook
If a city is like food, what could Seoul taste like? To film director brothers Park Chan-wook and Chan-kyong, Seoul is bittersweet. Out of 11,852 video clips of Seoul, the brothers chose 154 cuts and edited them into a 65-minute film promoting the city.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government called for video images of Seoul for 100 days from Aug. 20 to Nov. 25 last year, and 6,523 video clips were submitted by Koreans and 5,329 by foreigners.
The resulting montage the Park brothers edited and created was unveiled on YouTube last week...More
- Taking place April 2 at Yokohama Arena, anticipation at a fever pitch among both local and international fans as hit K-Pop chart show makes its first global tour stop in 2014
- Event will also feature various fan engagement events including a meet & greet, red carpet ceremony, and cultural workshops/booths
Seoul, Korea (February 21, 2014) – Popular K-Pop groups Choshinsung, 2PM, and Girl's Day are slated to appear at "M COUNTDOWN: No.1 Artist of Spring 2014" on April 2 at Yokohama Area in Japan announced executive producer CJ E&M [http://en.cjenm.com] today. With the first lineup of artists revealed (all top-notch K-Pop stars ranked on M COUNTDOWN's weekly charts during the first quarter of the year), anticipation is at a fever pitch among both local Japanese and international fans as the popular K-Pop chart show makes its first global tour stop in 2014...More
- Connecting with a new generation of viewers, show has ranked as one of nation's top two cable programs among 20-49 year olds in each of the 11 weeks it has aired to-date
- Show has also propelled the "Muk-bang" (eating scene) TV trend in Korea where viewers, inspired by scenes of characters enjoying delicious meals, hunt down these foods in real life
Seoul, Korea (February 13, 2014) - Exploring the isolation of modern Korean society and food as an important medium to connect, CJ E&M's [http://en.cjenm.com] recent drama "Let's Eat", starring actress Lee Soo-kyung and Yoon Doo-joon from K-Pop group BEAST, has been a hit with a new generation of Korean viewers. According to Nielson, the drama has ranked as one of the nation's top two cable shows among 20-49 year olds in each of the 11 weeks it has aired to-date. The show has also propelled the "Muk-bang" (eating scene) TV trend in Korea inspiring a food craze as viewers passionately watch and hunt down the foods they see on episodes...More
Cable channel tvN drama "Answer Me 1994" is parting with Dohee for a while.
Dohee acted out Jo Yoon-jin from Yeosu and was put in the spotlight for speaking with a dialect. Thanks to the popularity she gained here, she continued to star in various TV shows such as MBC "Radio Star", KBS 2TV "Happy Together Season 3", SBS "Running Man" and more. She also appeared in Lunar New Year Specials and modeled in various ads and commercials...More
Added new trailer, images and updated cast for the upcoming Korean drama "Pluto Squad"...More
Introducing HanCinema simplified Website for mobile phone...More
CITIES: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Las Vegas, Boston, Washington D.C., Hawaii (Aiea), Toronto, Vancouver, Anchorage, Denver
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2014 (WELL GO USA)...More
K-pop group Girls' Generation ranked fifth on U.S. news weekly magazine Time`s "Top 10 Songs of 2013" with "I Got a Boy".
"The nine-woman South Korean group Girls' Generation is a ridiculously effective hook machine, and a major phenomenon in Asia, whose biggest pop acts make One Direction and Katy Perry sound like audience-alienating avant-gardists", the magazine said in an article posted on its Website Wednesday. "If you like songs that do everything at once, go straight to YouTube and call up the over-the-top video for this monomaniacally charming hybrid of bubblegum, dubstep and hard rock...More
Added the upcoming Korean drama "Pluto Squad"'s page to HanCinema database...More
MBC anchor Kim Joo-ha is seeking a restraining order for her estranged broker husband.
Legal sources on Thursday said Kim is seeking the restraining order citing repeated physical abuse by her husband of nine years as the couple prepare to divorce...More
Traditional Korean lanterns lit simultaneously at Changgyeong Palace in Jongno district at 6:30 p.m. on October 1, 30 minutes ahead of its first nighttime opening this autumn. The lamps brightened up at the main entry Honghwa Gate to Myeongjeong Gate, and to Myeongjeong Pavilion. People lined up long outside at the ticket office to buy tickets.
A father visited the palace with this son, and pointed out to Myeongjeong Pavilion, saying, "This is where King lived". He said, "I work in Jongno but it is the first time that I visited Changgyeong Palace. I came here with my family to enjoy nighttime scenery and because I thought it would be a good history and cultural experience for my child". On the way east to the Chundangji Lake, couples were either walking hand in hand or with baby in stroller. The lights stayed bright on the pathways to the 6,400 square meter botanical garden located on the north of the lake...More
Upcoming movie "Tough as Iron" (starring Yoo Ah-in from "Punch" and "Sungkyunkwan Scandal") to be released in North America on October 11th this week! The movie has been released in S. Korea last week and has received rave reviews from critics and moviegoers...More
Actress Kang Sung-yun now hosts her own poetry reading program on EBS, but even until high school she was extremely shy and recalls being afraid to look others in the eye. Her personality naturally drew her to books, she says.
"I was too afraid to speak and felt like I was going to burst if I wasn't able to express myself on paper at least", Kang recalls...More
Rumors of celebrity relationships have been added day after day. On Wednesday, two models, Kim Woo-bin and Yoo Ji-an, were reported as a couple while Thursday saw two more romantic rumors -- idol star Sulli of the girl group FX and singer Choi Ja of Dynamic Duo, and Soyeon of the popular girl group Tiara and singer Oh Jong-hyeok. Friday added one more couple of idol star L of the boy group Infinite and an ordinary woman.
Though Sulli (19) and Choi Ja (33) denied their romantic relationships, many netizens believe they are a couple based on pictures of them posted on the Internet in which they walk hand in hand. Because of the 14-year age gap, a netizen commented, Choi Ja is a true winner! Another netizen said, Sulli used to say that she adores a man like a father. The father-like man must have been Choi Ja...More
Unique style and cultural festival with awards ceremony, fashion shows, film festivals, photo exhibitions, and more
Having promoted K-Culture worldwide, will be broadcast and streamed live across Korea, Southeast Asia, China, and the U.S.
The highly anticipated 2013 STYLE ICON AWARDS (2013 SIA) will take place on October 22-24 in Seoul, Korea announced CJ E&M today. A unique style and culture festival with fashion shows, film festivals, photo exhibitions, celebrity parties and more, SIA has grown rapidly in popularity worldwide, with this year's awards ceremony to be broadcast and streamed live across Korea, Southeast Asia, China and the United States...More
The 5th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival will take place for a week from Oct. 17 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, marking the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The festival, largely non-competitive, will feature 119 documentaries from 38 countries...More
HeeJun Han Takes a Seat Next to Danny Im for the First Time
Thursday September 26 on Mnet America at 7:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm PT
Mnet America (www.mnetamerica.com) the only national, English-language lifestyle network in the U.S. for fans of Asian pop culture, is bringing on American Idol vet HeeJun Han to co-host their flagship talk show Dannyfrom LA with former K-pop superstar, Danny Im. The singer currently is making headlines raking in YouTube views with his new single"Bring the Love Back" featuring Pusha T...More
Taking place September 6 to November 3 in the city of Gwangju in southwest Korea, the 2013 Gwangju Design Biennale will showcase around 660 installations and designs works. Around 358 participants, including 339 designers from more than 20 countries, will take part in the event.
Held every two years, the Gwangju Design Biennale was initiated in 2005 by Metropolitan City of Gwangju following the success of the Gwangju Biennale, the first biennale to be held in Asia...More
Seoul is opening a festival for those who want to enjoy the last days of summer. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday it would hold the 2013 Seoul Open Night for two days this Friday and Saturday at Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and Yongsan and Seongbuk districts. Now in its sixth year, the event is a key summer festival in Seoul where people join and enjoy various cultural events.
The event contains three themes. "Seoul Music Festival" will be held at Seoul`s key cultural spaces under the theme music; "Open House Seoul" will prepare various architecture and facilities with storytelling; cultural project "Sangsang +" will help people experience cultural and arts imaginations of Seoul and create new culture...More
Singer Lee Hyori unveiled her wedding photos and thoughts about her recent marriage on Tuesday on a website run by her fans. Lee tied the knot with guitarist Lee Sang-soon in a private ceremony on Jeju Island on Sunday.
"I hope you understand how I wanted to be just like an ordinary daughter and daughter-in-law to my family, relatives and parents-in-law on my big day", she wrote. "I was worried about the possibility of rain, but luckily the weather was very pleasant. The wedding preparations were not easy, but still enjoyable"...More
Seoul is opening a festival for those who want to enjoy the last days of summer. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday it would hold the 2013 Seoul Open Night for two days this Friday and Saturday at Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and Yongsan and Seongbuk districts. Now in its sixth year, the event is a key summer festival in Seoul where people join and enjoy various cultural events.
The event contains three themes. "Seoul Music Festival" will be held at Seoul`s key cultural spaces under the theme music; "Open House Seoul" will prepare various architecture and facilities with storytelling; cultural project "Sangsang +" will help people experience cultural and arts imaginations of Seoul and create new culture...More
Making authentic electronic music based on the alternative and punk rock sounds of the 90's and pop sounds of the 80's, is creating a heavy buzz around this visionary group of musicians
With each of its members possessing more than a decade of experience, becoming more and more sensitive to their music than anyone else. Love X Stereo is quickly becoming a band that people are watching with interest. These consummate professionals, whom also handle all of their own composing, lyrics, producing, recording and mixing are about to take their years of live performing on the road to share it with the recording industry and the rest of North America...More
The six member band Beast from South Korea made an exciting comeback on 19th July with their new song Shadow. Based on a dark, creepy theme, the track went viral among fans on the release day and didn't take long in topping the charts.
Shadow showcases the kind of music that suits the band pretty well. Beast went away from usually summer hippie style and it worked well for them because the track reached number 1 on major Korean music websites...More
Actor Lee Beom-soo has made his directorial debut with a short film urging people not to smoke.
Lee, who is a promotional ambassador for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, unveiled "Puppet" at the Sponge House Theater in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on Tuesday. It was made as part of an anti-smoking campaign funded and organized by the ministry...More
Singer Seo Taiji and actress Lee Eun-sung, who is 16 years his junior, tied the knot at Seo's newly-built home in the affluent Pyeongchang area of northern Seoul on June 26.
Seo broke the news of his wedding on his website on Wednesday...More
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Hosts Largest K-pop Convention in North America - August 24-25
Full Line-Up of M COUNTDOWN What's up LA Includes Major K-pop Artists EXO, f(x), Dynamic Duo, TEEN TOP, 2AM and G Dragon
Five-time Grammy Award winning rapper, singer-songwriter Missy Elliott is coming to KCON 2013, the country's largest K-pop fan convention to perform as part of the event's M COUNTDOWN What's up LA concert on August 25.
"I'm excited to be a part of KCON. This event will allow me to interact with a diverse group of artists and fans", said Missy Elliott.
Missy Elliott represents the most recent example of a hip hop artist participating in the worldwide explosion of K-pop. Since releasing her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly and hit single "The Rain" in 1997, Missy Elliott and her distinct vocal style skyrocketed to the upper echelons of rap music success and became one of the most recognizable figures in America pop culture...More
Former Wonder Girls' member Sun-mi revealed the first teaser photos ahead of her solo debut on Monday. To promote her return to show business, her agency JYP Entertainment posted three pictures of the singer sporting pink bobbed hair on its website.
Sun-mi quit the girl band in January 2010 to go back to school in order to prepare for college entrance exam...More
Kim Yeon-ju, a housewife, has to struggle every day with her 7-year-old daughter who throws a tantrum all day long to use a computer. But once the kid gets on a computer, she does not leave the computer for hours. Kim said, A few days ago, my daughter asked me to buy something for her while pointing to the computer. On the computer screen, I found a lot of toys in a shopping cart. Im worried if I can let her be like this.
Many Korean children aged six through nine are found to have developed high dependence on the Internet. The Korea Internet Security Agency conducted a study on the Internet use of 5,000 children aged six or older across the country, which was titled The 2012 Survey of Information and Culture. According to the study, children aged six through nine use the Internet an average of 2 hours per day...More
We hope you are prepared for the Many Faces of Korean Cinema!
If you love Korean movies, culture and food then the 4th KOFFIA Korean Film Festival in Australia is perfect for you! Taking place across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, the festival will showcase the very best of Hallyuwood, the vibrant cinema emerging from South Korea. 17 feature films including 7 Australian premieres and many short films will screen in an exciting line-up not to miss!...More
[KOTRA Open Gallery Series] 2013 KOTRA Hallyu Art Competition Winners' Exhibition
About a month ago AT&D Korea Blog featured the KOTRA Open Gallery exhibition 'Life of Small Companies'.
KOTRA has recently opened a new Open Gallery exhibition about Hallyu that shows how Hallyu is influencing the world. Let us have a look around this Open Gallery exhibition...More
CJ E&M's Online Content Channel INSITE TV's Hallyu Makeup Show 'Pony's Beauty Diary' is among the most popular!
Korea's largest entertainment group CJ E&M introduces a high-profile Hallyu makeup show "Pony's Beauty Diary" online to target young female audience throughout Asia. Currently, the show is rapidly growing in online popularity. "Pony's Beauty Diary" is updated every Friday on INSITE TV's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/insiteTV1
"Pony's Beauty Diary" stars a renowned makeup artist in South East Asia 'Pony' (Park Hye Min) who introduces the latest Hallyu makeup tips in various occasions...More
Convention Capping Concert Includes EXO, f(x), 2AM, TEEN TOP with Additional Artists to be Announced in the Coming Weeks
KCON 2013, North America's first and largest Korean pop culture convention has announced that G-Dragon, one of the biggest individual music stars in Korean pop, will be headlining KCON's M Countdown: What's Up LA! concert.
G-Dragon is the leader, rapper, and producer of the extremely popular Korean boy band BIG BANG. Since beginning his career at the age of 13 with YG Entertainment, G-Dragon has grown to become one of the biggest individual male icons in Korean pop music...More
Park Hee-eun
Park Hee-eun is the 28-year-old CEO of Korea's largest online dating site "ium", which has over 900,000 members and registered annual sales of W4 billion as of July. She achieved this within three years of setting up the business in November 2010 at the age of just 25.
The site provides a social dating service with a twist. Members can be introduced to one person each day via a mobile app that automatically matches their profiles and asks them if they'd like to exchange contact information. Both parties must consent to proceed...More
Verizon Presents One Grand Prize Winner with the Ultimate K-Pop Experience
The KCON Fly-Away Sweepstakes presented by KCON Gold Sponsor Verizon is back this year. One lucky fan will win a VIP trip for two toKCON 2013, the first and largest Korean pop culture convention in North America. The winner will receive VIP access at the convention and VIP tickets to the concert, an exclusive meet & greet opportunity with the artists performing, and travel and hotel accommodations...More
Communicating Environmental Issues through Film!
The Green Film Festival in Seoul (GFFIS) is a festival that provides us a place to think about the coexistence of humans and nature through film. Founded in 2004, the GFFIS is an international film festival, held annually, that has discovered and introduced about 100 outstanding environmental films from all over the world.
The 10th Green Film Festival in Seoul began in May 2013. With 21 submissions that qualified for the main contest, a total of 146 films from 46 countries were shown in various categories under different themes, such as "Climate Change & Future", "Green Panorama", "Korean Eco-Panorama", "Children of the Earth", and "Animal, Our Sweet & While Companion".
This festival was hosted by Korea Green Foundation and was sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Seoul Special City, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Embassy of Canada to Korea and Korean Film Council...More
The 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival will take place from Thursday to July 28 in the city that also goes by the spelling Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, providing an escapist diversion from the searing heat and monsoon rains. On the themes of love, fantasy and adventure, a total of 230 films -- 135 features and 95 shorts -- from 44 countries will be screened this year.
"The Terror Live", a Korean thriller directed by Kim Byeong-woo and starring Ha Jung-woo, will close the festival. It focuses on a radio show host who takes a call from a terrorist threatening to blow up a part of the city. The movie will hit local theaters on Aug. 1...More
/AP-Newsis
Ryu Hyun-jin has been rated as the Los Angeles Dodgers' best rookie this season by MLB.com.
Ken Gurnick, who covers the Dodgers' beat, wrote an article for the official website of U.S. Major League Baseball on Wednesday under the headline and prediction, "Player health at forefront, LA could overtake NL West". In it, he looked back at the players' performances over the first half, and named those who deserved the MVP, Cy Young, rookie, and top reliever awards based on their contributions so far...More
TEEN TOP Joins EXO and 2AM In Line-up for Convention Capping Concert August 25
Bekkah (formally of After School) also Scheduled to Participate
As tickets for KCON 2013 go on-sale today, North America's first and largest Korean pop culture convention announced that TEEN TOP will be one of the six groups to perform at this year's two day convention and concert. The line-up already includes EXO and 2AM. Tickets can be purchased through the KCON website here. Additional announcements surrounding the artists including headlining acts attending KCON 2013 will be shared in the coming weeks...More
Communicating Environmental Issues through Film!
The Green Film Festival in Seoul (GFFIS) is a festival that provides us a place to think about the coexistence of humans and nature through film. Founded in 2004, the GFFIS is an international film festival, held annually, that has discovered and introduced about 100 outstanding environmental films from all over the world.
The 10th Green Film Festival in Seoul began in May 2013. With 21 submissions that qualified for the main contest, a total of 146 films from 46 countries were shown in various categories under different themes, such as "Climate Change & Future", "Green Panorama", "Korean Eco-Panorama", "Children of the Earth", and "Animal, Our Sweet & While Companion".
This festival was hosted by Korea Green Foundation and was sponsored by Ministry of Environment, Seoul Special City, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Embassy of Canada to Korea and Korean Film Council...More
The Greatest Dance Battle on Earth "Dancing 9" to be Aired on July 20, 11PM via Mnet
Cheif Producer Met with Jon Chu to Discuss the Show!
Contestants from 62 Countries Worldwide!!
Shinhwa′s Lee Min-woo and Girls′ Generation (SNSD)′s Hyoyeon & Kwon Yuri Join as Team Masters!!
Korea's renowned music channel Mnet now presents a new kind of dance survival TV show "Dancing9"...More
ENVEX 2013: Green Technology
The 35th International Exhibition on Environmental Technology & Green Energy
From June 11 to 14, "The 35th International Exhibition on Environmental Technology & Green Energy" (ENVEX 2013) was held at the COEX. This exhibition was hosted by the Korea Environment Corporation, the Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corporation, the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, and the Korea Environmental Preservation Association. This year's ENVEX was held to provide a "space to maximize promotion and marketing opportunities" to assist businesses in establishing themselves as key enterprises spearheading green growth through green technology and new renewable resources...More
Won Bin (left) and Lee Na-young
Actor Won Bin is in love with actress Lee Na-young, their management agency Eden Nine Entertainment said on Wednesday.
"They got intimate recently, as they bumped into each other a lot because they are both under the same management agency", the agency added...More
With just weeks to go before the 4th Korean Film Festival in Australia opens, it's time to mark the date in your diary as this is the one you will not want to miss!
This year we will begin our festival journey at Event Cinemas Myer Centre, Brisbane (Aug 14-18) before traveling down to our new venue of Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney (Aug 21-29)...More
South Korean Fashion and Kpopsicle: Summer Dresses for Trendy Ladies
Kpopsicle is a stylish online fashion store which provides amazing fashion all year round. In this article, the emphasis is on adorable summer dresses from Kpopsicle which stand out based on lovely designs, delightful color schemes and the natural feel they represent. Therefore, with the sweltering heat of the Far East about to get even hotter over the next few months; then clearly these elegant and stylish dresses will appeal to trendy ladies who adore fashion.
The exquisite Kpopsicle (http://kpopsicle.com) website highlights the stylish buzz of South Korean fashion whereby the Korean wave related to K-pop and other areas is still running high. Indeed, the beauty of Kpopsicle is that they fuse the dynamic styles of America, Japan, and South Korea, in order to provide a lovely international vibe which appeals all over the world...More
Some natural beauty before the the ugliness of the rant
Okay, so this article will probably annoy a few people and while that's not my intention, I just can't keep quiet this time. I didn't write a response to the last celebrity-in-the-military scandal and I should have. So I have to say something now because it's just bursting out. I need to put my two cents in...More
Cine-Asie is pleased to present the 1st edition of the Korean Film Festival (KFF). This festival is touring through five cities across Canada and showcases a total of ten critically acclaimed Korean films. The festival focuses on rising Korean actor Ryoo Seung-yong, director Bong Joon-ho, and feature films representing Korea at the Oscars. There will also be a selection of the best short films from the prestigious MSFF (Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival) that takes place every year in Seoul...More
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea, a selection of 10 outstanding Korean films will be showcased in Montreal from July 4th to 10th, 2013.
Ciné-Asie, along with the major support of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, presents the first edition of the Korean Film Festival in Canada – KFF – which will be launched in five Canadian cities, highlighting Montreal in partnership with the Cineplex Odeon Forum and Mosaicultures Internationales Montréal at the Montreal Botanical Garden (an event that expects nearly two million visitors this summer), the KFF anticipates to receive a large number of visitors for its first edition. For the first time, the KFF website is composed in three different languages: English, French, and Korean.
The KFF will present ten full length feature films and five short films.
The feature films are either the highest grossing movies in recent years, totalling 7 to 13 million admissions in South Korea, or have gained international critical acclaims, winning significant awards. Among them include Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" (Le grand prix at Venice 2012), "Miracle in Cell No.7" (over 12 million admissions in Korea, 2013), and "Masquerade" starring actor Lee Byung-hun (over 12 million admissions in Korea, 2012)...More
Over 100,000 people attend ULTRA Korea held in Olympic Stadium in Seoul's Jamshil area on June 14-15, 2013.
ULTRA music festival came back to Seoul, South Korea for a second year as a two-day musical event the weekend of June 14-15. 2013. ULTRA is considered the worlds most famous electronic music festival.
The event began in 1999 in Miami and has grown massively in recent years into an international festival with multiple stages and some of the biggest electronic headlining artists...More
"Content Curators" evaluate and provide perspectives on fragmented information on the internet
Source: http://bit.ly/14LgeQi
As modern Korean culture focuses on speed and simplicity, services that offer a customized list of products for consumers with too many choices and too little time, such as busy office workers, are coming into the spotlight. These kinds of services make up what is called "Curation Commerce". Curation Commerce is a type of E-commerce, in which experts in particular fields provide a customized selection of products for customers...More
Dreaming of a Beautiful and Safe City
Design is everywhere. There is almost nothing in today's world for which the importance of design does not matter. Think of an example as common as cooking your dining. It is important not only to cook something delicious but also to make it with a consideration of the harmony of the colors and shapes of the ingredients, to present it on a nicely matching plate, and to arrange the plates on the table as attractively and conveniently as possible.
Designing refers to any formative activity intended to make our living more pleasant, beautiful, and convenient and thus includes planning and engineering. While design is frequently discussed as a main topic of the corporate world concerned with promoting consumerism, it is also closely integrated into people's daily lives on a broader level. We find good examples of this broader concept of design on Korean streets...More
'Terracotta Film Club' presents "Hansel and Gretel" at the Prince Charles Cinema on Wednesday 26 June
To time with the release of HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS on DVD, 'Terracotta Film Club' offers the chance to watch the South Korean adaptation of HANSEL AND GRETEL at the cinema...More
Kim Soo-hyun posted on a community website a while ago.
This was when he was preparing to apply for university. He said, "I'm a repeater Kim Soo-hyun. I am getting ready to apply for university. I've applied for Chung-Ang, Hanyang, Sungkyunkwan, Gungook, Gyeonggi, Kyunghee and Seokyeong universities. I've been chosen for the second interviews and I'm working hard in preparing the acts, skills, questions and answers. I wish for good results"...More
by: Raine
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I'm so mad. The show was amazing when Soon-shin found out the truth. And now it should be called "Mi-ryeong is the Worst" because I don't think this show is about Soon-shin. She's more of a football being kicked around between people.
AGB Nielsen Nationwide had this episode coming in at 24.4%...More
Police in Incheon are investigating a 51-year-old man on charges of spreading malicious and libelous online comments about singer Jang Yoon-jung.
The man, identified as Song, is accused of posting 29 libelous comments from April 6 to 29 on the website dedicated to the trot singer which he runs...More
With 2 days to go to the Opening Night, it's time to reveal the guests of the 5th annual Terracotta Far East Film Festival and the Festival organisers are delighted to make a series of other announcements.
Highlights of this edition are the guest talent from Asia who will be attending the festival, the talent Masterclasses, the winner of the inaugural Terracotta Short-Film Competition, unveiling of the Official Trailer and the festival parties...
More
If you ever have lived in Britain, you must have heard about the popular TV program, 'Master Chef'. The Korean version of the program called 'Master Chef Korea Season II' is also a smash hit in Korea.
Do you remember Leo Kang? Leo Kang is a star chef in Korea famous for his cooking skills recognized by the world. He became a star overnight as one of the presenters of Master Chef Korea. His professional competence in the TV show was not something built in a day. Let me tell you his special story...More
Are you planning a trip to Korea to see K-pop stars?
KTO LA office offers K-pop fans some very special opportunities to attend a live taping of "Show Champion", a K-pop program of MBC MUSIC at UNIQLO-AX in Seoul. Around 15 K-pop singers/groups perform on stage in front of a live audience and is broadcast in Korea.
We at the KTO LA office are securing some seats for K-pop fans traveling to Korea this Summer! Check out the de...tailed information below...More
Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-yueng will wed actress Han Hye-jin, eight years his senior, in July, just months after they went public with their relationship in March.
Han's management agency said on Friday that they decided to tie the knot in July in consideration of their work schedules, dispelling rumors of a shotgun wedding due to the sudden nature of the announcement. "The relatively short dating period had no bearing on their decision to tie the knot", the agency said...More
New York, NY - NYC Parks & Recreation and CYNTHIA-REEVES Projects, in cooperation with the Union Square Partnership, is pleased to debut LOTUS, by Seoul-based artist, Jaehyo Lee, in New York Citys Union Square Park. Located at the parks south eastern triangle, the exhibition will be on view May through October, 2013.
This is the gallerys second public art exhibition with Parks Art in the Parks program. A ribbon-cutting event is scheduled for Friday, May 3 at 5:30 pm to inaugurate this six-month long exhibition, weather permitting.
Please visit the website for event confirmation.Lee exhibits internationally, with recent works included at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York; the Saatchi Gallery, London; and the Sungkok Museum, Korea, among others. LOTUS follows Lees signature use of Korean big-cone pine...More
Park Gyu-ri was seen in the subway.
A picture of Park was posted on the official Kara website LINE on the 1st. Park Gyu-ri with her hair down is riding on the subway, looking out far...More
The government will revise its website for the Dokdo islets, currently only available in Korea, to include the six official UN languages -- English, Chinese, French, Arabic, Russian and Spanish -- as well as Japanese...More
Psy's latest song "Gentleman" is soon expected to rack up 200 million views on YouTube after it breached the 100-million mark last Wednesday in a world record time of 80 hours of it entering the public domain.
It was released online at midnight on April 12...More
The third Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival will be held from Wednesday through Saturday at the COEX branch of cinema chain Megabox in Seoul.
An international section will join the domestic and youth competitions for the first time this year, and organizers will also recognize the best director and best actor in addition to the existing best film award...More
Here Is the Solution for Your Genre Film Project
PiFans NAFF It Project 2013: Call for Submissions
After its ambitious debut in 2008 and the splendid success of past five years, Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan)s industry initiative, seeks prospective films and filmmakers from all over the world for the 6th edition of It Project...More
A Seoul district court on Saturday upheld the government's suspension of the license of an ophthalmologist who ran online ads giving the false impression that celebrities underwent surgery at his clinic.
The doctor, identified only by his surname "Uhm", filed a suit against the former health and welfare minister for suspending his license for two months. But the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the false ads caused co...
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The Terracotta Festival, for its 5th year anniversary, will expand from the usual four-days to 10 days from Thursday 6 June to Saturday 15 June 2013. The festival will increase the number of films and venues, and still remain in the heart of the capital.
To commemorate this special occasion, Terracotta Festival organisers are delighted to announce that more strands have been added to the line-up. The four strands of the festival are:
CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA,
IN MEMORY OF
: Leslie Cheung & Anita Mui,
SPOTLIGHT ON: Indonesia and the
Terror Cotta Horror All-Nighter.
Terracotta Festival will continue to screen its usual selection of best contemporary films from any genre, any Far East country, at the Prince Charles Cinema from 6-9 June 2013. Like previous editions, guest actors and directors will attend the festival to introduce their film, host Q&A sessions, run Masterclasses and interact with festival goers. This will be the CURRENT ASIAN CINEMA section of the festival...
More
Ryu Hyun-jin (right) does the "Gangnam Style" horse-riding dance with teammates Matt Kemp (left) and Clayton Kershaw.
A "Gangnam Style" performance by Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won his first victory in Major League Baseball on Sunday, was revealed on the Internet on Tuesday...More
A video starring K-pop girl band f(x) and American actress Anna Kendrick of "Twilight" fame has been released on U.S. comedy website Funny or Die (www.funnyordie.com).
In the video that lasts four minutes and 36 seconds, Kendrick is told to learn K-pop in order to keep up with trends. She then goes to f(x) and manages to learn their song and dance moves after a great deal of trouble...More
The Seoul Central Prosecutors Office on Thursday said it is investigating TV personality Kim Yong-man on charges of illegally gambling billions of won. According to prosecutors, Kim allegedly bet more than W1 billion (US$1=W1,117) since 2008 through on several illegal gambling websites using the bank account of his manager.
Prosecutors summoned Kim for questioning on Tuesday and apparently obtained a confession that he blew a lot of money gambling...More
Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle "The Last Stand", which was released in Korea on Feb. 21, has tanked at the box office and dropped off the list after attracting only 66,698 spectators in just under a month.
The film is directed by Kim Jee-woon, who shot to fame with "The Good, the Bad and the Weird", but the combination of top director and star was unable to attract viewers. This appears to be part of a wider trend where star power is fading in favor of strong storylines.
Film booking site Maxmovie asked 2,754 members of its website from Feb. 26 to March 6 what they consider when choosing a movie and found that a massive 74.2 percent said the plot is the most important factor...More
As the dust settles after a massive cyber attack on major broadcasters and banks in South Korea on Wednesday, intelligence officials here say North Korea's persistent online subversion and propaganda pose a more fundamental threat.
North Korean spy agencies have been launching concerted activities to spread propaganda and foment dissent and subversion in South Korea by using 84 directly operated websites as well as hundreds of accounts on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Their aim is to influence South Korean public sentiment in favor of the North and to split the population along ideological lines...More
Stylish tech accessories… compact, convenient gadgets… technology today is all about form and function! To recognize the best designs existing today, the iF Industrial Forum Design joins other design professional organizations around the world with a mission of increasing public awareness about design.
Mid-century modern was all the rage in 1953, when the iF (International Forum) Design Awards were established. Now, 60 years later, diminutive devices dominate the 4,352 entries from 51 countries. They were judged by renowned experts across the industry and, like recent years past, Korean companies were well represented...More
Yoo Seung-ho's picture was put up in the training camp website on the 12th. He's being handed over a gun and he's seems like he's been disciplined already.
Netizens say, "He's awesome", "Come back quickly", "He's all grown up now", "He looks good in uniform" and more...More
Park Si-yeon and Lee Seung-yeon charged with illegal injection of propofol.
The celeb world is being smudged with continuous happenings.
From rape charges to illegal injections and marijuana. The atmosphere is muddled as stars continue to be in trouble for the wrong reasons. It seems like celebrities have to ring the alarm and stay alert and practice self control to avoid any legal trouble...More
by: Raine
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Episode 10 dropped a percentage point to 9.6%. I can't really blame viewers. This show is suffering from severe multiple personality disorder.
So this website is called "Raine's Dichotomy". I think my emotions this episode really embody that. Brain versus heart. I was dreading writing this recap because I really didn't think I knew what to write besides exactly what happened. My brain was completely appalled. My heart was moved...More
When I hear "IFC Mall", I immediately think of Hong Kong's IFC Mall, which opened back in 2003 and is home to some of the city-state's best shopping and restaurants. So it was a pleasant surprise to hear that Korea was getting an IFC of its own in Yeoido, known to some as Korea's Wall Street/Financial District.
Opened in August 2012, the three towers that make up IFC Seoul definitely catch the eye and have transformed the Yeoido skyline, previously defined by the 63 Building. The project consists of nearly 6 million square feet distributed over two office towers and the 5-star Conrad Hotel, owned by Hilton...More
Cosmetic surgery is costly. There are also serious complications and risks associated with cosmetic surgery, from blot clots to infections and in some cases death. Another major risk, of course, is that the outcome is never guaranteed. A doctor can speculate how a patient will look after their procedure, but the result may be different than what the patient expected. Further surgeries may then be required to repair the problem, resulting in additional money spent and more exposure to other risks.
Despite these risks, researchers are discovering significant increases in the number of people undergoing cosmetic surgery. Even teenagers, as young as 12, are having cosmetic procedures.
According to a new study from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, approximately 15 million cosmetic procedures were performed worldwide by licensed cosmetic surgeons in 2011, up almost 5 percent since 2010.
Where is most cosmetic surgery performed? If you answered the USA, you are correct. When it comes to sheer numbers, more cosmetic surgery procedures are carried out in America than anywhere else, with over 3 million performed in 2011. America is followed by Brazil, China, and Japan...More
While actor Park Si-hoo has been charged with rape, tax evasion has been added to his charges.
A post titled, "I am reporting Park Si-hoo to the tax office" spread throughout the net on the 27th. A netizen had posted captured pictures regarding this online...More
Final Extended Deadline for Submissions is July 19
2013 Guam-USA Int'l Film Festival Announces Call for Entries
HAGATÑA, GUAM, USA - The Guam International Film Festival (GIFF) has officially announced its open call for entries to begin on February 1st, for its third annual event scheduled to take place in September. Submission forms can be completed directly online at the official GIFF website, www.guamfilmfestival.org.
Deadlines to submit films for the 2013 Guam International Film Festival are:
April 5, 2013 - Earlybird Postmark Deadline
June 7, 2013 - Regular Deadline
July 5, 2013 - Late Deadline
July 19, 2013 – WAB Extended Postmark Deadline...More
Park Chan-wook, director, screenwriter, and producer, is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers on the international film festival circuit. To celebrate the release of "Stoker", his major directorial debut in Hollywood, The Korea Society and MoMI co-present a retrospective of his work. The special screening of "Stoker" (starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska, and Matthew Goode) will play on February 28 at 7PM at MoMI.
Park Chan-wook, a director, screenwriter, and producer, is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers on the international film circuit. To Celebrate the release of "Stoker", his major directorial debut in Hollywood, The Korea Society and MoMI co present a retrospective of his work. He debuted with 'The Moon is What the Sun Dreams of' in 1992, but he started to gain international recognition from the sensational movie 'JSA - Joint Security Area' in 2000 which The Guardian praised it as "airy, subtle and playful, and showcases the best elements of modern Asian cinema"...More
Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/RKPffV
It's Monday again! The worst day of the week! The dread of having to go back to study or work started creeping up on you on Sunday evening and now it's very real. You knew it when you opened your eyes in the morning. It is real. It is Monday. You cannot run away.
Enough with the pessimism! You're not the only Monday-hater. Take Korean designer, Hong Jung-mi, for example. She hates Monday so much that she created a brand called "i hate monday". As a smart gal, she focused on ways of making herself feel better and came up with the idea of making fun, colorful socks and putting them into vending machines. Why? Because wearing cute socks made her happy… Even on a Monday...More
Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/X3BrhE
Korea will greet a new president (our first female president!) at the end of the month and according to the Wall Street Journal, she sees information technology and science as so important to the future of Korea that she's creating a new ministry just to handle these two areas...More
A bronze statue of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il at Mansudae in Pyongyang before (left) and after being fitted with his trademark anorak. /Reuters-Newsis
North Korea has replaced the overcoat of a massive bronze statue of Kim Jong-il with the former leader's trademark shapeless anorak.
To mark the Lunar New Year holiday, the official Rodong Sinmun daily on Monday published on its front page a photo of North Koreans placing flowers in front of statues of Kim Jong-il and his father, nation founder Kim Il-sung, atop Mansudae Hill in Pyongyang.
Compared with a photo the daily published on Jan. 2, the statue of Kim Il-sung is unchanged, but Kim Jong-il is wearing a brand-new anorak...More
NCsoft, one of the leading Korean game makers will take its two most popular games to China in the second half of this year.
Both "Blade & Soul" and "Guild Wars 2" are MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) and highly popular worldwide. Sales of Guild Wars 2 passed 3 million copies and for its beta test, Blade & Soul got more than 150,000 players.
How fun are NCsoft's games? Apparently the company got sued for making one of it's games "too addictive". A player named Craig thought that the game was too addictive that as a result, he decided to sue NCsoft. He played the game for 11 hours per day, on average, over a 5-year period. As one could imagine, Craig couldn't function in real life. While we couldn't find any articles of what happened in this lawsuit, it's incontrovertible evidence of how fun the game is...More
"Les Militaribles", a video parody of the movie "Les Misérables" produced by the Korean Air Force, is receiving much attention on YouTube. It attracted over 3 million hits as of Monday, six days after it was first uploaded on the video-sharing website.
The 13-minute video revolves around an airman called Jean Valjean, the same name as the lead character in Victor Hugo's classic novel. His girlfriend comes to visit him while he is tasked with clearing snow on a runway, but he has only a few minutes to see her. As they part, he says he will overcome his sadness "for spring will come at last...More
Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/VHstLT
It is no surprise that young people often prefer "cool" music genres such as pop, rock, hip hop, house and electronic to classical music. I've heard sneers when I admit my own love for compositions made hundreds of years before I was born. One group has set out to change the way young people see classical music.
The Ahn Trio, comprised of twin sisters Lucia (piano) and Maria (cello) and younger sister Angella (violin), were born in Seoul and educated at the Juilliard School of Music. They are on a mission to get younger audiences to connect more closely with classical music. To fulfill this task, they have appeared on MTV television series, MTV Unplugged and regularly visit middle schools, high schools and colleges, giving workshops and master classes...More
Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/XjKdcQ
Every year the Korea Grand Sale draws fashionistas from around the world who are looking for great deals on Korean or global designer label fashion. And every year, these fashionistas drag with them friends and significant others who have absolutely no interest in clothing. We think that this spectacular sale can be fun for everyone and we've put together a guide for people who are more interested in sleek designs and sleek electronics than the sleek lines on an Andre Kim dress...More
Psy amassed millions of fans, raising interest in Korean entertainers in the process. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/Y2r4MU
Girls' Generation's latest single "I got a boy" racked up over 30 million views on YouTube, but K-pop fans outside of Korea have a new option: Now you can listen to all your favorite K-pop right on your smartphone. KT Corp announced that it was expanding its Genie KPOP mobile music app to 45 countries to meet global demand.
It's undeniable that K-pop fever has only increased with Psy's breakout fame in 2012 and the continued popularity of groups like Big Bang, 2NE1 and SHINee around the world. But it wasn't always easy for fans outside of Korea to buy music and video content of their favorite celebs...More
The 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter Games kick off on Tuesday for their eight-day run, with high-profile dignitaries such as Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi set to attend the opening ceremony at Yongpyeong Dome from 6 p.m.
The international sporting event is held every four years for people with intellectual disabilities and is now being held in Korea for the first time. Some 4,200 people including President Lee Myung-bak, volunteers and 3,190 athletes from 111 countries will attend. Korea is being represented by 236 athletes, more than any other country.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, leader of her country's National League for Democracy, entered Korea on Monday. She is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Global Development Summit on Wednesday in front of world leaders to discuss welfare programs for people with intellectual disabilities...More
The bitch was sprinting now, faster than I had ever seen her run. I called her name repeatedly but she openly ignored the pleas. I found myself slapping the side of my right leg in frustration and in an effort to get her attention. The long beach taunted me with its scale as I briefly pondered the thought of having to chase her along the seemingly endless strip of cooling sand and shells. I haul her name at her again, my face reddening as passers-by start to turn their heads. She was free, and there was very little I could do for her now. I would just have to trust that she would come back to me, me and the secretly sticky treat I had snuck into my pocket before we left the house.
She was perfect, but at the time I wasn't sure if I could have her. I had seen pictures of her online and, while beautiful and particularly striking, I was also reminded of just how much time, effort, and, most definitely money, it would take to keep her happy, to keep her by my side and coming back to me. I wasn't sure if I was ready, I also wasn't sure if I could, in all honestly, do this to myself again. Was I ready? What about when I leave Korea? Would she come back with me? These were some of the questions I had to ask myself before committing to this 'till-death-do-us-part' relationship, at least that's how I planned to look and it. She was perfect and mine...More
Born in Queens to Korean parents, Jennivere is a first generation Korean American. From an early age, Jennivere had a strong passion for the arts. She took tap, jazz and ballet classes throughout her childhood as in addition to playing piano and making costumes for church plays. As soon as she was of legal age, Jennivere worked two jobs after school. She worked weekdays after school at an ice cream bakery and as an orthodontist assistant on the weekends.
When she was 16, her mother enrolled her in fashion design classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Noticing Jennivere's restlessness, her English teacher recommended she take a drama class. Jennivere enjoyed the class but never considered pursuing it as a career, since it was rare to see Asian actors on television. Upon graduation from high school, she took a break to work, travel, write and soul search. After a year, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology as a Fashion Design major. While at FIT, she learned of her more fulfilling first love - writing. After taking another break from her studies to work and experience life, she became a personal fitness trainer, a real estate agent, waitress, personal assistant, photographic model, artist model and even a street canvasser for Greenpeace during a very cold winter! She feels that her life experiences add enrichment and fuel her need to experience even more life has to offer...More
A performance by global superstar Psy of "Gangnam Style" fame is being considered for the inauguration of president-elect Park Geun-hye on Feb. 25. Officials planning the event on Thursday agreed to make the ceremony as dignified and frugal as possible...More
Korea is a leader in next generation lighting technologies like LEDs. Companies like Seoul Semiconductor churn out solid state lighting that makes its way into TV backlights, advertising marquees, car headlights and, more and more commonly, our homes.
With Korea's contribution to lighting, there's no better place to put an entire museum dedicated to lights and lighting. About an hour north of Seoul by car in Yanju, sits the Feelux Lighting Museum. The facility aims to showcase the beauty and innovation of a technology that's often taken for granted.
If your lighting history is a bit rusty like mine, one section of the museum will take you through the evolution of lighting from electric bulbs to fiber optics. After that, absorb a fascinating exhibit about the medical use of light through light therapy. It explains how coming to rely mostly on artificial light as we've moved more of our activities indoors has distanced us from the changing brightness and color temperature of the sun, moon and stars, which used to dictate life...More
Shin Dong-wook's CRPS is a rare disease that no one knows the cause of.
While it has been known that actor Shin Dong-wook is suffering from a rare disease, attention for CRPS increased as well...More
Girls' Generation's new album "I Got a Boy" is receiving rave reviews from the U.S. media.
Billboard on Friday ran a review on all the tracks on the album and described them as "polished K-pop confections that combine elements of forward-thinking EDM (electronic dance music), classic and modern R&B, 80s new wave, and more". It added that "it should more than satisfy not only K-pop fans but also listeners of all types of popular music".
It said the title song is "one of the most-forward thinking lead pop singles heard in any country", adding that, "with this title track, Girls' Generation just set the bar truly high for pop in 2013...More
K-Pop has made it onto the website of arguably the biggest musical honour in the industry...More
Half a dozen stars such as actor Jang Dong-gun are suing a cosmetic clinic for W120 million in damages for using their pictures without permission (US$1=W1,064).
According to the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, they include actress Song Hye-kyo, actor Kim Nam-gil, singer BoA, and Jessica and Tiffany of Girls' Generation...More
K-Pop has made it onto the website of arguably the biggest musical honour in the industry.
The now internationally-recognized PSY along with idol group B.A.P.
were included in a section titled "Snapshot: Best of 2012" on the official website for the Grammy's...More
Singer and actor Rain, who is serving his mandatory military service, has provoked controversy over the privileges enjoyed by star conscripts by taking unusually frequent holidays. The star attracted the latest unwelcome publicity after it was reported that he is dating actress Kim Tae-hee.
Rain began his service in October 2011 as an assistant instructor at a boot camp on the front line but was transferred to Seoul in March last year to serve in the Army's entertainment corps.
According to the Defense Ministry, Rain got 17 days off as a reward and took another 10 overnight vacation days since March. He spent another 44 days outside his military base on official business such as morale-boosting performances, recording sessions and dance practice for military events. In July, Rain spent four days at one studio in Gangnam...More
Singer Lee So-eun recently passed the U.S. bar exam, offering an alternative role model for Korean youngsters who regard becoming a celebrity as the be-all and end-all of existence.
For Lee, going to law school was not an escape from a flagging musical career. She has released four albums since debuting in 1998, when she was just in high school. Lee spent her childhood in the U.S. and had difficulty adjusting to school back to Korea. Then she happened to hear about an audition on education broadcaster EBS and entered it. She made it to the finals with a piece she composed by herself...More
An electric blanket is a popular item in Korea in winter, warming up faster than ondol, or a boiler heating the floor. But the faster the device warms up, the more electromagnetic waves are emitted.
A study on electric blankets by seven manufacturers has found that the device emit electromagnetic waves of an average of 21.4 mG, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research under the Environment Ministry on Sunday...More
Korean hallyu is so much more than just K-pop and K-dramas! As we mentioned before, Korean skincare and makeup products are dominating the global cosmetics industry. According to Statistics Korea, Korean cosmetic sales are up by 9.6% since a year ago- a growth obtainable largely due to Korea's international visitors. I'm also no stranger to "care package" requests from friends living overseas for brands such as Etude house, MISSHA, Skin Food and Too Cool for School! Most of you who have tried to get your hands on these products know how difficult it is to purchase Korean cosmetics let alone get the latest news about the products. But a new online store called Soko Glam (Soko, short for South Korea) is on a mission to change all that – by offering high quality, affordable Korean cosmetics...More
South Korean singer PSY's music video for "Gangnam Style" has now received a record number of hits on video-sharing website YouTube...More
Kid actress Joo Da-young revealed a picture of herself in pajamas on Twitter.
She is looking at the camera with her hair down and forehead exposed...More
South Korean singer Psy has officially made Youtube history, ranking No.1 on the video-sharing website's most-viewed chart...More
The Shilla Seoul offers lifestyle services like a medical clinic. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/TN6qh6
It's no surprise that in the land of the wired, South Korea's capital is full of hotels that offer high-tech, geeky touches for guests. Here are some ideas of where to book for your next trip to Seoul if you need just that!
The Shilla Seoul
The Shilla Seoul is the cream of Seoul's luxury hotel crop. On a stay you may find yourself rubbing elbows with visiting royalty, world leaders and celebs. And if you're planning a conference or business meeting at this premiere hotel, you're sure to enjoy the state-of-the-art communications technology on offer...More
Can you guess which part of Seoul this photo was taken in? It's the now posh neighborhood of Apgujeong, circa 1978! The third annual Seoul Photo Festival kicked off this Wednesday and offers an unusual opportunity to see the city's transformation. Through the ages, it's grown from a compact, walled city into the sprawling, trendy metropolis that you're familiar with today.
* 압구정 밭갈이 사진 – 전민조 작가 (1978년) Plowing outside of Apgujung by Minjo Jun. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/V0V2my
This exhibition will take place across several venues in Northern Seoul, including the Seoul Museum of Art. This year's theme is A Thousand Villages, A Thousand Memories...More
Can you guess which part of Seoul this photo was taken in? It's the now posh neighborhood of Apgujeong, circa 1978! The third annual Seoul Photo Festival kicked off this Wednesday and offers an unusual opportunity to see the city's transformation. Through the ages, it's grown from a compact, walled city into the sprawling, trendy metropolis that you're familiar with today.
* 압구정 밭갈이 사진 – 전민조 작가 (1978년) Plowing outside of Apgujung by Minjo Jun. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/V0V2my
This exhibition will take place across several venues in Northern Seoul, including the Seoul Museum of Art. This year's theme is A Thousand Villages, A Thousand Memories...More
KaKao plans to make another new leap forward.
It all started with a free messaging service in 2010 and was followed by the introduction of mobile games in July.
The games, such as the wildly popular Anipang, now bring KaKao a monthly profit over 40-million U.S. dollars.
And from early next year, the company plans to launch a mobile content shop called 'KaKao Page'.
Under the new service, users can publish and sell their songs, music videos and electronic books to other users, and 50-percent of the sales go to the content creator...More
Gwangju, a relatively sleepy city on the south end of the Korean Peninsula, has become host to an important arts and culture festival, the Gwangju Biennale. This event is part of an effort by the city, known for its important role in Korea's movement for democracy, to recreate itself as a regional center for the arts and artists.
The ninth Gwangju Biennale came to a satisfying close on November 11th after two months of artwork and performances. The focus of this year's event was honoring of the sacrifice of activists killed in 1980 as they fought for Korean democracy.
Much of the artwork included thought-provoking pieces centered on political and social issues. Ala Younis created a project called "Tin Soldiers" that consists on hand-painted metal figures...More
Watch the biggest K-POP festival of the year on the BIG SCREEN.
CGV Cinemas in LA and MNET are giving you TWO ways you can get tickets to this exclusive event:
1) Can't get enough of Song Joong-ki? Watch him at the 2012 MAMA in Hong Kong AND in his latest movie, "A Werewolf Boy"!
Purchase advance tickets to "A Werewolf Boy" on-site at the CGV Box Office from 11/23-11/29 and get FREE tickets to the 2012 MAMA screening!...More
A music video titled "Pyongyang Style" that pokes fun at the North Korean regime based on Psy's global hit "Gangnam Style" is drawing growing attention with over 200,000 hits in almost three months.
Made by a performance group called Haramggun, it features lyrics such as, "It's a country who's number one export is nucular test". The band has a patriotic bent, also promoting reunification and South Korea's sovereignty of the Dokdo islets...More
Actress Son Ye-jin was seen picking her nose.
A picture was posted on a community website titled, "Son Ye-jin picking her nose"...More
Korea, with its super-fast Internet speeds, is the most wired country in the world.
You'll find Koreans browsing news, playing smartphone games and doing online shopping anywhere.
The Internet Economy Outlook 2012 report released by the OECD on Friday showed, not only did Korea have the highest internet access but also had the most experience in producing online websites...More
Actress Jung Ryeo-won is eager to promote the new SBS drama "The King of Dramas".
The website for the drama posted pictures of Jeong doing cute poses in front of the official poster out in public...More
"A Werewolf Boy" grabs #1 at Korean box office on opening night and logs 1.3 million admissions over the first weekend!
Coming to North American theaters in late November!
South Korean theaters scared up more than candy and costumes on October 31st – a supernatural buzz filled the air as audiences were enchanted by "A Werewolf Boy", CJ Entertainment's fantasy romance starring up-and-coming stars Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-young...More
Girl's Generation Yoona revealed a self-cam of herself.
Four pictures were posted on a community bulletin. This picture is a profile picture for the UFO Town website where a star and fans communicate through messages...More
Popular consumer technology website CNET recently conducted a series of endurance challenges for the most popular smartphones on the market.
First up, the Samsung's Galaxy S3 comes out of the freezer after a chilly two hours.
[Interview : Molly Wood, Executive Editor
CNET ] "Ice build-up on there. Let's try to turn it on. Ok, it comes on. It's sluggish but functional...More
By Lee Jay Walker
Tokyo Correspondent
Stunning International Fashion
Images belong to KPOPSICLE.
Kpopsicle (http://kpopsicle.com) is an amazing online fashion store which caters for stylish ladies who want to connect with the vibes of South Korea, America and Japan. Of course, the styles of these buzzing nations appeal internationally and this is the beauty of Kpopsicle. Therefore, this online fashion company provides stunning female fashion products all year round.
The Kpopsicle website is user-friendly and is updated regularly in order to connect with their client base and to highlight the latest trends hitting the streets of Seoul, Tokyo, New York and other vibrant cities. Also, images of items are extremely clear and taken from different angles in order that viewers can get a real feel about the product being viewed.
On the Kpopsicle website this company states that We focus on stylish and trendy designs and this is clearly true. Immediately on entering the website ladies will find an abundance of images and products to search. True to the words of Kpopsicle it is clear that this adorable online fashion company does focus on stylish and trendy designs which will appeal to ladies all over the world...More
Maybe you've read our post on Learning Korean on the Go and checked out an app or two on your smartphone.
If you don't own a smartphone or want to invest some more time into learning Korean from the comfort of your desk, check out some online options below (credits to the Korea Tourism Organization):
Absolute Beginner
Who it's for: Got 30 minutes? This course claims it will teach you the Korean alphabet in just half an hour. I say that's a pretty sweet deal. At the very least, you'll be able to spell your name in Korean!...More
From top, Kim Dong-jun, Kim Jae-joong and Im Seulong
Idol singers no longer seem satisfied with merely appearing on stage and in TV dramas. Recently, more idol group members are getting involved in moviemaking, with Kim Dong-jun of boy band ZE:A currently receiving the most attention for his supporting role in "A Company Man", which was released on Oct. 11.
Viewers have heaped praise on the 20-year-old for his movie debut, posting comments on local movie websites about how he was able to acquit himself well in both action scenes and those that require emotional depth. They say he deserved more on-screen time beyond that of a supporting role...More
It's Wednesday and it's celebrity news time with our Michelle Kim. Today she has the latest celebrity gossip and a merger between two very big film productions that made headlines this week.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what do you have for us today[Reporter : ] To start us off, I have news on the American Music Awards, an engagement for one rock star and legal trouble for another, and a wedding video gone bad. Take a look...More
Ambassador Hotel Group
Ambassador Hotel Group has renewed the joint website for its eight branches in Korea ― Grand Ambassador Seoul, Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, Novotel Ambassador Doksan, Ibis Ambassador Seoul, Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong, Novotel Ambassador Daegu City Center, Pullman Ambassador Changwon City Seven and Ibis Ambassador Busan City Center.
The website, www.ambatel.com, offers quicker and easier reservation services and access to information about the hotels.
Celebrating the renewal opening, those joining the membership or making reservations through the website will have a chance to win prizes. The event is held through Dec. 7. For inquiries, call (02) 2270-3999...More
Singer Hyun-a has been receiving much attention from the foreign media as the next Korean star to potentially follow in the footsteps of Psy, who is currently basking in his global success.
British daily The Guardian said on Wednesday that "if anyone could follow Psy's success, it would be 4minute's very own Hyun-a, who not only produced one of 2011's greatest songs with 'Bubble Pop!' but also has a cameo in 'Gangnam Style...More
"Gangnam Style" singer Psy puts in a cameo performance in the music video for one of the tracks on Hyun-a's second solo album "Ice Cream", which was released on Monday...More
The new version of Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video, which was released on Aug. 15 as a treat for fans of the original, attracted a total of 100 million hits on YouTube as of Sunday.
Featuring Psy and Hyun-a of girl band 4minute -- who also featured in the original -- "Oppa Is Just My Style" presents itself as a light-hearted send-up of the hopes and desires of a woman living in Seoul's affluent Gangnam area...More
South Korean singer and internet sensation PSY's addictive tune "Gangnam Style" has now received over 500 million hits on video-sharing website YouTube.
The video reached 502 million views on Saturday, 98 days after it was first uploaded in mid-July...More
A sneak peak of the film "COBU 3D", singer BoA's upcoming Hollywood debut, is attracting people's attention. The 10-minute video clip was posted on BoAjjang.com, a website run by her fans, on Sunday...More
Tessa Jeon rehearses "Mein Herr" from "Cabaret", featured in "Night at The Paradise" ahead of the musical's Friday opening. The show will be at the Spazio Luce Theater in Itaewon, Seoul. / Courtesy of Dennis Kim
By Alan Green
Expat-produced musical "Night at The Paradise" opens at the Spazio Luce Theater in Itaewon, Seoul, Friday, featuring 22 numbers from award-winning shows including "Wicked", "Cabaret", "Chicago" and "The Producers". The cast of 27 more than do the Broadway hits justice with slick choreography and powerful vocal performances.
As retiring manager of New York's Paradise Theater Owen Morgan prepares to hand over the reins to his successor, he reminisces on his years in the business. Memories of the shows, events and performers from his career are vividly brought to life through song and dance...More
By Ryu Chang-gi
The much-touted project for globalization of Korean food has failed to yield fruits as expected despite the whooping 80 billion won budget allocated, according to Rep. Kim Jae-won of the Saenuri Party, Thursday.
Initiated in 2009, by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, its impact is now being seriously questioned. First lady Kim Yoon-ok led the Korean Food Foundation to showcase the image of Korea, with the goal of improving business opportunities for Korean restaurants overseas.
Kim asserted that the construction of the flagship Korean food restaurant New York's Manhattan, has failed to make progress. In addition, the foundation has been very sluggish all this while...More
Now it's time for our final arts and culture segment of the week. Today, Michelle Kim tells us about a special screening at the Busan International Film Festival and a new film about Led Zeppelin.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Han-ul
So what do you have for us today[Reporter : ] Well, the Busan International Film Festival is heading towards its grand finale, but before the closing ceremony, I'd like to introduce to you one more movie that may catch your interest. Take a look.
This year's Busan International Film Festival offered up a screening of the North Korean film "Comrade Kim Goes Flying".
It was the film's first screening in the South and it may also be the last, as South Korea generally forbids all forms of media from the North...More
By Rachel Lee
Kim Hyun-a of Korean girl group 4minute is to release an EP next week.
According to Cube Entertainment Wednesday, her second solo effort titled "Melting" will be available through various music websites from Oct. 17...More
By Kim Rahn
Worldwide awareness of the affluent southern district of Seoul has never been higher thanks to the ever-increasing popularity of Psy's hit song "Gangnam Style" and its accompanying video. So it is not surprising that the tourism sector is moving to take advantage of the fervor.
The Novotel Ambassador Gangnam is offering a special Gangnam Style Package. The hotel said Tuesday that the package, comprising of accommodation and a tour of the area, will be offered from next week after it was proposed by the Australian headquarters of the worldwide hotel chain.
"Such an offer is very unusual and shows the popularity of the song there. Psy is scheduled to play in Australia on Monday, and almost all Australian media will likely cover the event. It means Australians are paying attention to Gangnam Style and the attention is expected to lead to trips to Korea, especially Gangnam", a director at the Korean hotel said...More
It's the start of a new week and our Michelle Kim is here for our daily arts and culture segment. Today, she will tell us about a dance performance she saw this weekend and a Korean film that premiered recently at the Busan film festival.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what was the performance you saw this weekend[Reporter : ] I went to see Sweden's Cullberg Ballet Company, which is in town as the opening performance of the 15th Seoul International Dance Festival. The festival features a wide rang of choreographic styles, and Cullberg started it off with three innovative works from its repertoire. Take a look.
The Seoul International Dance Festival kicked off on Friday with a performance at the Gangdong Arts Center by the Cullberg Ballet Company from Sweden.
The company, which is known for its modern interpretations of classical ballet works, last appeared in Korea nearly 10 years ago in 2003...More
By Jason Lim
Above is the title of a lecture that I have to give to a group of University of Maryland students this Friday for a College Leadership Academy session sponsored by the D.C. chapter of the Peace Foundation.
And I am stumped. I can't believe that I ever agreed to speak on this topic since I have no idea what a Korean American is, although I am supposedly one. And if I can't define what I am, what chances do I have of lecturing about it and then comparing and contrasting it with its reverse derivative? I mean the title makes for nice copy but to build meaningful substance around it? I feel like that I have been too clever by at least half...More
Rapper Psy`s global smash "Gangnam Style" has belatedly swept across China. The song, however, received a frosty response from Japan due to a bilateral diplomatic conflict with Korea.
When the song went viral across the globe, Chinese netizens remained lukewarm on the hit. Things began to change over the Golden Week Holidays (Oct. 1-8), however, and Chinese finally began responding with explosive enthusiasm...More
The worldwide popularity of rapper Psy's hit "Gangnam Style" has boosted the stock holdings of Yang Hyun-suk, CEO of YG Entertainment, a major entertainment company that represents Psy, from 130th place to 49th, said Chaebul.com Tuesday.
Ranking the wealthiest conglomerates and individuals in the nation, the website said Yang`s stocks jumped 161.8 percent in value Friday from Jan. 2 this year to 340.2 billion won (305.5 million U.S. dollars), rising more than 200 billion won(179.6 million dollars) this year. Yang`s stock value surpassed that of SM Entertainment`s Chairman Lee Soo-man to make the former the richest stockholder among Korean entertainer-turned-entrepreneurs...More
It's Wednesday, which means it's celebrity news time with our Michelle Kim and as always, she brings us all the latest from Hollywood and beyond.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what are you going to tell us about first[Reporter : ] To start us off this Wednesday, I have the scoop on the next host for the Oscars, the latest James Bond theme song, Glamour U.K'.s Sexiest Men cover model, and more. Take a look.
"Family Guy" creator Seth Macfarlane has been tapped to host the 85th annual Academy Awards, which will air on February 24th. This will be his first outing as the Oscar MC.
Adele fans, listen up: After months of rumors, the singer confirmed on Monday that she had recorded the theme song for the new James Bond film "Skyfall". and posted a picture of the sheet music for the song on her Twitter page...More
Photo Credit: Bryan Derbella
Picking up from my last post about the Creator's Project in Seoul, I'll give a few highlights from my favorite parts of Saturday night.
Exhibitions
The Treachery of Sanctuary by Chris Milk
According to the artist's website, "The Treachery of Sanctuary" is an interactive triptych that is a panoptic narrative interpretation of the universal human experience: birth, death and regeneration. Each panel in the piece represents a step on a journey. It is also the artist's intention to reflect the parallel experience of the artist as he journeys through the creative process.
In the first panel, your shadow appears. A flock of birds gather at the top of the panel. If you reach up, your shadow begins to dissolve into hundreds of small birds that flutter up to join the flock. Your shadow disappears...More
Counter cyberbullying with Sunfull
By Rachel Lee
In October 2008, a merciless tide of public opinion was a major reason that drove movie star Choi Jin-sil to take her own life. The most well-known victim of cyberbullying in Korea was also a mother of two.
Her suicide is not an isolated incident. It is part of the country's growing problem with insidious chat room activity. In May 2010, a group of Internet users attacked rapper Tablo, whose Korean name is Lee Seon-woong. The members accused the 32-year-old of forging his Stanford degrees and argued that he did not graduate from the prestigious university. He presented his credentials, yet the group continued to attack the artist.
As one of the most wired nations, almost every household in Korea is equipped with broadband Internet. But this freedom in exchange of information and opinion has made celebrities as well as ordinary people vulnerable to relentless online attacks known here as "akpeul", or vicious online replies. Min Byoung-chul, a renowned English educator and a professor of International Studies at Konkuk University, has been trying to combat it. In 2007, he started Sunfull, a non-profit organization formed to fight bullying and hateful comments posted on the Internet...More
Many coffee chains are expanding business hours to 24 hours a day as diversifying lifestyles create more night owls. Convenience stores and restaurants that operate around the clock are already going strong in the streets of Seoul, and now over 100 coffee shops in the city have joined their ranks.
The leader in this niche market is Tom N Toms. Starting with its Apgujeong-dong shop in the affluent Gangnam district in 2005, some 81 out of its 340 outlets nationwide are open 24 hours.
The number of the chain's 24-hour shops increased from one in 2005 to 48 in 2009, and 81 this year. They target places with a large itinerant population such as Hyehwa-dong and Sinchon and university areas...More
And now it's time for our arts and culture segment with Michelle Kim. I hear she'll tell us about a flash mob and the outcome of the Emmy Awards.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what do you have for us today[Reporter : ] Well, the global phenomenon that is "Gangnam Style" doesn't seem like it's going away anytime soon. The video has prompted a number of parodies by groups from students to office workers to naval officers, and inspired an explosion of flash mobs around the world. There was one in Korea over the weekend, but it was no ordinary group of dancers. Let's take a look.
A mob filled Gwanghwamun Plaza on Friday,.. a flash mob, for the chance to dance to Psy's now world-famous "Gangnam Style".
But this is no random group of dancers.
They're all here in Korea to participate in the finals of the K-Pop Cover Dance Contest, which took place in Gyeongju on Saturday.
The 13 teams from 11 countries, including the U.S., Russia and Nigeria, are all the regional winners of the contest and they've beat out more than 18-hundred teams for a ticket to Korea to compete in the finals.
They couldn't seem to hide their excitement at dancing to "Gangnam Style" in its city of origin.
[Interview : Alena, Russian team member] "Great dance, great music and then charisma. There are three things in one dance so I think that 'Gangnam Style' is one of the best songs that people will hear forever".
[Interview : Michael, Nigerian team member] "'Gangnam Style' is a wonderful and exceptional dance that is ...
More
By William Schwartz
This weekend Gyeongju hosted the 2012 Hallyu Dream Festival. The event is a major promotion of K-Pop artists, and has been marketed explicitly to foreigners for the sake of Korean tourism. By and large the event has been too rich for my blood. The two major events, Friday and Sunday night, were star-studded performances by multiple famed Korean groups, and were sold out, leaving only hopers to wait in line for spare tickets. I took part in the third event, on Saturday night, with a much smaller audience- the Cover Dance competition.
Cover dancing is when a group of people, for fun and exercise, dance to a recording of a popular song. I'd never heard of this phenomenon before I came to Korea, but from what I can tell, it's an important part of K-Pop's popularity. Shortly after I started at Dongguk University, I saw a cover dance performance (labelled on the poster as "musical") where students performed cover dances for a large group. Not all of the songs were K-Pop, though none were of Western origin...More
The Creators Project is going to be in Seoul this weekend from September 21-23!
Founded by Intel and Vice Magazine, The Creators Project started out as a website combining technology with creativity and art. It travels around the world to hold short cultural festivals that "bring together innovators working at the forefront of creativity and technology".
In Seoul, the Creators Project will transform the Dongdaemun Design Plaza into an interactive and visual cultural hub, hosting art installations, film screenings and live music and performances from top Korean artists, such as Drunken Tiger and 2NE1, as well as bands like Idiotape...More
Photo Credit: The Korea Herald
A decade ago, when Korean electronic products started to slowly gain popularity in the global market, it was mostly because of the high quality and great durability. The design aspect wasn't at the same level as Japanese competitors.
Now things have changed, however. Many Korean companies are ranking in prestigious international design awards such as red-dot, IDEA and iF. Samsung received more awards at IDEA than any other company and Ralph Wiegmann, the Managing director of iF design award, says it's no surprise that Korean companies thrive in design as they have motivation and passion to improve.
Now the world stage is the playground for Korean designers in categories beyond consumer electronics. For instance, Maison et Objet is one of the world's largest design shows and took place in Paris in early September. This year several Elle editors chose designers to participate in a special section called Talents à la Cartes, selecting among them Korean designer Heewon Kim...More
Featuring Performances by K-Pop Superstars Kangta, BoA, TVXQ!, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee & f(x)
Plus an Intimate, Behind-the-Scenes Look at 32 of K-Pop's Biggest Stars
Worldwide Sensation Explodes on DVD & Blu-ray in U.S.A. on Nov. 6th
Includes Full-Length Concert (2 ¾ Hours); Feature-Length Documentary (2-Hours) With Never-Before-Seen Footage on Stage and Off; and Special Features (45 Minutes)
Check Out the I AM: SMTOWN Sweepstakes at: www.iamk-pop.com
"If the massive roars of the sold-out show were any indication, everyone had a great time... "...More
Semifinalists of the 2012 audition for the "K-pop Cover Dance Festival" dance to rapper-singer Psy's hit song, "Gangnam Style", during performance at Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-sun
By Yun Suh-young
"Oppan Gangnam Style!" shouted foreigners who danced to the song "Gangnam Style" in the middle of Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul, Friday.
About 70 foreigners danced to rapper-singer Psy's hit song which has gone viral online and hit the billboard charts in the United States, during a dance session held Friday from 11:30 a.m. till noon...More
A Korean production of the Czech musical "Jack the Ripper" in Tokyo, Sunday, was well received by the audience.
/ Courtesy of M Musical Company
By Kwon Mee-yoo
A Korean production of musical "Jack the Ripper", successfully opened at the Aoyama Theater in Tokyo, Sunday. Despite the high price of 9,500-16,000 yen ($120-$200) a ticket, the first night starring Sungmin of Super Junior was sold out and some 1,200 audience members gave it a standing ovation.
The show, revolving around a serial murder case in London in 1888, is originally a Czech musical, but Japan wanted to stage the Korean adaption. The Korean rendition has new characters and choreography, adding more of a spectacle to the show. "Hallyu", or Korean wave, stars such as Ahn Jae-wook and Sungmin attracted more than 40,000 foreigners to the show here following its Korean premiere in 2009...More
Actress Jung Ga-eun mourns at the news of Woo Jong-hwan's death.
She posted on her Twitter on the 16th, "I hope you put aside your troubles and rest in peace".
Other celebs are expressing their mourning for the man...More
By John Redmond
The 48-Hour Film Project ― Seoul (48HFP Seoul) is being staged again this year, and as the Oct. 9 deadline for registration approaches, there are only a few spaces left for teams to register. The 48HFP Seoul invites filmmakers from around the world to produce a complete short movie in just two days. This year the dates are Oct. 19 to 21.
Seoul organizers are pleased with the response they have received so far from both the Korean and foreign community participating in information sessions and registering early but urge interested members to get their teams registered before there are no more spaces. The regular registration closing date is Oct. 9 however contestants can register until Oct. 19.
Regular registration fees are 200,000 won per team until Oct. 9 and 250,000 won thereafter...More
With still 35 days on the fundraising clock to go, EYK has managed to receive more than $94,000 in pledges. Were you two just lowballing everyone because your followers have spoken and they rejected your modest $40,000 and have more than doubled it! How does this massive response from fans factor in on what now may be possible moving forward?
Well, for starers, we really did not expect us to reach our goal of $40,000. We didn't even think we'd reach half that. We put on a long deadline because we thought that we needed all the time we could get. Wow. We were quite mistaken. Holy crap were we ever mistaken.
As for how this has factored in on our future, it's difficult for us to explain, but we have a different feeling for Eat Your Kimchi now. Before, it just seemed like us behind the camera, viewers behind the screen, and we each were separate. Now, we feel so closely connected with our fans and supporters that we need to find a way, somehow, to include them more in this. Eat Your Kimchi feels like it's as much theirs as it is ours now. Or...that could just be the overwhelming emotions speaking for me now. I don't know...More
Rapper Psy, left, teaches Britney Spears, center, the "Gangnam Style" dance on Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday. This photo was captured from the main page of Billboard's website. / Courtesy of Billboard.com
By Rachel Lee
The popularity of Korean rapper Psy shows no bounds as he is on his way to become an international s tar. Included in the photos of the week on the main page of Billboard's website is Psy dancing with American singer Britney Spears on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show".
The singer of the moment appeared on the popular American talk show on Tuesday and taught the host and Spears how to do the "rodeo dance" for his latest hit "Gangnam Style". The Korean musician instructed them to "bounce like you are riding an invisible horse" as they tried to follow the motions...More
The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering special packages to mark its first anniversary and the 75th anniversary of the Sheraton brand.
/ Courtesy of the Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel
By Kim Rahn
Three hotels here will celebrate anniversaries in September and offer attractive deals to guests for the occasion.
For the Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, the first anniversary of its opening is on Sept. 16 and the Sheraton brand also marks the 75th anniversary this month. In commemoration, the hotel presents the Happy Birthday Sheraton Package.
The first option includes a one-night stay at a deluxe room and a Sheraton mug, and is available for 75 reservations on a first-come-first-served basis at 175,000 won. The hotel's restaurants and cafes offer stamps to guests, and those who receive more than three stamps during their stay will be given a gift with the Sheraton logo on it...More
Busan police officer Kim Hyun-chul, who was featured on CNN's website after his daring apprehension of a fleeing suspect /Newsis
Kim Hyun-chul (34), the Busan police officer who gained the nickname "Die Hard cop" for hanging on to the roof of a drug dealer's car as it escaped, has been featured on CNN. The U.S. cable news broadcaster featured Kim in a segment on CNN News Stream on Tuesday, including footage of his daring arrest and interview...More
As advanced technology becomes more a part of daily life in Korea, the advertising and marketing industry is responding with new forms of advertising to grab attention from digitally-plugged-in consumers. Here's a list of five ways that marketers are going digital:
1. Digital Ads
Billboards have gone from static statements to short video clips. Take the LG Whisen advertisement below, which spans out across a corridor at the Incheon International Airport. Though they may be more expensive, these may completely replace traditional display advertisements.
Photo Credit: Betanews
2. Interactive Touch Screens
Media kiosks and poles, like the ones in Gangnam, provide information in an interactive and visually attractive way. They give information such as transportation schedules as well as places to find the latest movies, books and music. These take digital ads another step with their interactive capabilities...More
- enewsWorld to release special edition articles looking back at the k-pop industry the past year
- enewsWorld thanks readers for their support by holding Reader's Appreciation Month on website
(Sep 7th, 2012, Seoul, Korea) 'enewsWorld' (www.enewsworld.com), a global entertainment news service affiliated with Korea's No.1 entertainment & media company, CJ E&M, is celebrating its one year anniversary on September 19...More
It's finally Friday and many of you may have already planned your weekend outings. But for those of you who are still in need of a few ideas, our Michelle Kim is here with suggestions for some fun arts and culture events.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what do you have for us[Reporter : ] Today I have two things from the theater. There is a musical adaptation of a classic novel and a festival that brings works from the global stage to Seoul. Take a look.
Charles Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities" was first made into a musical on Broadway in 2007.
Now, it comes to Seoul to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth. The show continues at Chungmu Art Hall through October 7th...More
Korea's largest K-pop festival, "Incheon K-Pop Concert 2012", will be held at Munhak World Cup Stadium in Incheon from 7 p.m. on Sunday. Admission tickets are free of charge, but reservations are required.
The concert, organized by the Incheon Metropolitan Government, will feature top stars like BoA, SHINee, Kara, 4Minute, IU, Girl's Day, Kim Tae-woo, Boyfriend, Dalshabet, B.A.P, and Woo-young from 2PM. Super Junior will host the show...More
Korean rapper-singer Psy's hit-single "Gangnam Style" on Friday rose to the top of a major chart of the U.S. music publication Billboard boosted by the viral popularity of the song's music video on the Internet.
"Gangnam Style" sits on top of Billboard's "Social 50" chart, beating famous North American pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber as well as British idol group One Direction and rock band Muse as of Friday, according to Billboard's website.
The Social 50 chart ranks the most popular artists on such social networking services as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, using a formula that blends weekly additions of friends, fans and followers along with weekly artist page views and weekly song plays...More
Seoul on Thursday officially rejected Japan's proposal to take the question of sovereignty over Korea's Dokdo to the International Court of Justice. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba declared himself "extremely disappointed", according to the Kyodo news agency.
The ICJ needs the consent of both parties in any dispute to spring into action...More
A landmark jury verdict in California fining Samsung massive damages for copying Apple's designs continues to make waves amid concerns that it was flawed and hastily delivered.
Immediately after the verdict, public opinion in the U.S. was dominantly positive about the respect for innovation it can be seen to affirm. But as time goes by, an increasing number of people point to inconsistencies and warn that it could cost consumers money.
IT website CNET, in an article headlined "Legal analysts suggest Apple-Samsung verdict may not be safe", said on Saturday, "Some experts poring over statements of Apple-Samsung jury members and details of their judgment suggest that the verdict could be overturned".
The final judge's ruling in the Northern District Court of California is not expected for some time...More
"Oh! That bag is so PRETTY!" Seeing her pleading eyes, shimmering like ripples on water, her boyfriend begins to sweat. The only thought in his mind now is, PLEASE don't let her ask to go into the store to get a closer look. That thing probably costs more than what I make in a month!
Sorry guys, but the worst nightmare for every boyfriend is happening right on Seoul's trendy, tree-lined Garosu-Gil. Simone Handbag Museum is a museum where you can find bags from every era and region of the world, ranging from European purses from the early 1500s to the newest "it bags". Insofar as I could find, it is the first handbag museum in the world and as a bag-lover I had to check it out immediately!...More
The Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry on Friday said it will distribute 350,000 booklets promoting Koreas sovereignty over its easternmost islets of Dokdo in 10 languages, including English, French, Japanese and Arabic, to some 160 diplomatic missions around the world next week.
In an unprecedented move, the ministry will send the 33-page material that provides brief summaries of historical grounds for Koreas claim to Dokdo and rebuttals to Japans claim to the islets...More
The theme of the contest is [My K-life, "Show your Korea(n)~!"] and any photo related to Korea is fine.
Applicants should make the photo to be opened to everyone so that we can check the uploaded photos through the URL written in the application...More
Planet of Snail opened to great reviews when we released it at the ICA earlier this year, and also launched the membership service on Dogwoof.TV, with monthly subscribers able to watch the film from the day of it's cinema release. This stunning documentary film is now available on iTunes , and pay per view on Dogwoof.TV as well. With the paralympics kicking off in London, find out the realities of being deaf and blind in this stunning film...More
By Kwaak Je-yup
After a high-profile controversy about internal bullying, members of T-ara, one of K-pop's most popular girl groups, are asking for forgiveness.
The dance-pop act's management agency Core Contents Media posted Wednesday a scanned handwritten letter from the current members, the first public apology since the Twitter warfare last month ultimately ousted one girl out of the group.
"We deeply regret our foolish behavior, displaying our personal problems in the public domain instead of reconciling our differences between ourselves", they wrote in the statement on the agency's official website. "We truly apologize for our rash decisions"....More
KOFFIA 2012 - 22-28 August, 2012
The 3rd annual Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) kicked off last week on 22 August at picturesque Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia. It was a packed house at Dendy Cinema for the Opening Ceremony which began with an official welcome and a brief run through of this year's festival by KOFFIA 2012 Artistic Director Kieran Tully. Guests were then treated with a delightful performance of a traditional Korean Fan Dance (Buchaechum) by Hyun Kim before the official opening of the festival by Consul-General of the Republic of Korea (Sydney) Mr Jin-Soo Kim. The night concluded with a well-received screening of the highest grossing Korean film of 2011, Kim Han-min's spectacular "Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon"...More
Kara (left) and Song Il-gook
Korean Wave stars who are popular in Japan find themselves in a fiendish dilemma as tensions rise between Seoul and Tokyo over Dokdo. A case in point is comments by Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi about actor Song Il-gook, who took part in a relay swim to Dokdo on Aug. 15, which marks Korea's independence from Japanese colonial occupation.
"Unfortunately, it will not be easy for him to come to Japan from now on", Tsuyoshi said on a TV program on Friday...More
By Yun Suh-young
The Constitutional Court's decision Thursday that the online real name policy is unconstitutional is expected to accelerate the scrapping of the policy.
The court made a unanimous decision that the Information Communications Law requiring the use of real names online violated people's freedom of speech...More
The Seoul Arts Center is continuing their popular "Family Weekend Festival", which showcases exciting performances in music, dance, and so much more.
The world-class art and cultural center will be holding a variety of free concerts and musical screenings on their outdoor stage every weekend through early October...More
Kim Soo-hyun, top right, embraces his onscreen love interest Han Ga-in in a scene from "The Sun and the Moon" ,a popular MBC drama. / Courtesy of Pan Entertainment
This is the 10th in a 15-part series on the stars and trends of "hallyu", or the Korean wave, which is gaining popularity in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Korea Times is producing this special project in cooperation with the Korea Foundation and CJ E&M. - ED.
By Kwon Mee-yoo, Rachel Lee
A variety of soap operas, from trendy shows to epic series, grace the small screen from morning till night. The popularity of Korean TV dramas has spilled over the nation's borders since the late 1990s, igniting "hallyu", or the Korean wave...More
Christian Sigouin, wine consultant and sales manager, opens a bottle of wine at Pieroth Korea office in Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times...More
Singer Lee So-eun, who debuted in high school but put down the microphone in 2009 to go to the U.S. to study law, is getting ready to return to the stage. She will give a solo concert in Seoul on Sept. 1.
The 30-year-old singer has recently graduated from Northwestern University Law School in Chicago and found a job with a law firm in New York...More
It's the start of a fresh new week and of course, our Michelle Kim here with us to give us the updates on the latest events we can attend. Today, she has two movies and a K-pop exhibition for us to enjoy.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what do you have for us today
[Reporter : ] Two Korean comedies hit theaters last Wednesday...More
How would you describe Korean culture and its relationship to animals, particularly pets? Would you say that Korea is an Animal friendly place?
In my opinion, traditionally Koreans see animals on a much lower rank than that of humans. Animals have a function to be either eaten as food or to be used to aid in some way. Most large dogs are kept as guard dogs or/and are traditionally eaten for health to help cool down one's body during the hottest days of summer. Nowadays things have changed only a little. Dogs and, on rarer occasions, cats are kept as pets. It seems that the smaller the pet, the cuter it is. Dogs are still used as guard dogs for factories and homes. These are not considered 'pets' as they are not socialized with and given the bare minimum of food, water and shelter. Cats are mostly street cats and are often killed with poison or picked up by animal control vehicles and put down. Although many Koreans' attitudes are changing towards animals, it is not an animal friendly place whatsoever. Pets are often thrown away if there is an inconvenience with them at all. When a wife becomes pregnant, out goes the dog. There is a fear that the animal hair will cause problems for the newborn baby. If an animal is sick, often they are also leave it on the street to fend for itself because the cost of veterinary care is thought to be too expensive. Few people spay or neuter their pets...More
At this time every year, Chuncheon gets crowded with people from all areas. Taking advantage of its geographic vicinity to Seoul, Chuncheon always tops the list of destinations for summer vacation. However, there is one more reason to visit Chuncheon in the first week of August. The city of mountains, lakes, and rivers turns into a stage for dancers.
Earlier this month on August 2, Chuncheon started to attract visitors to open the day-day 2012 Chuncheon Art Festival. In addition to the party of Korean dancers from modern dance, Korean dance, and ballet at the opening, a series of impressive performances including Korean gugak combined with jazz and classical continue to excite festival attendees...More
Slender singing stars and slick dance moves are the common currency of K-pop, which has propelled Korean music to ever more far flung corners of the globe.
But a somewhat plump songman named Psy is changing all of that with sharp lyrics that poke fun at Korean society and cheeky videos that show he's not afraid to turn his satirical observations on himself...More
We recently posted an article from the Korea Times on the Advanced Technology and Design Korea Facebook page about how Naver is the number one portal site in Korea, beating out search engine giants like Google.
Naver, which officially launched in 1999, was the first Korean portal site to develop its own search engine and has been leading the Korean Internet industry with its innovative services ever since. Naver goes beyond search functions, as it also offers services like blogs, online communities, advertising and more...More
Writers who were fired by MBC last Wednesday hold a press conference to denounce the company for their dismissal in front of MBC headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Yun Suh-young
Writers who work on current affairs programs declared a boycott Monday of "PD Notebook", a program broadcast on MBC, after the company fired a group of writers formerly employed to contribute to the show...More
Seokguram, a grotto inside the complex of the Korean Buddhist temple Bulguk, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul was the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
To promote these Korean cultural relics to the world, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea opened an English-language website. Yet foreign users have no means to find the site...More
Actor Kim Soo-hyun and comedian Kim Jun-hyun were both honored this year for the 39th Korea Broadcasting Awards...More
Auditions to be held on August 12, 2012
MBC is proud to present the 3rd season of "MBC Star Audition", Korea's celebrated singing competition show. Contestants will be picked from all over the globe to compete for a cash prize and a chance to debut as a pop singer in Korea.
The Los Angeles auditions will be held on Sunday, August 12, 2012. (Details including time and location will be released soon.) Contestants who pass the initial audition phase will be flown to Korea in September to compete against other finalists for the grand prize, and an opportunity to become an international singing sensation...More
The Korean Cultural Center Washington DC is pleased to announce Hallyu Camp 2012, a 5-day cultural immersion experience for fans of Korean pop culture, August 6-10.
Korean Pop Culture, including K-pop music, dramas, and movies, has become a global phenomenon in recent years, growing a passionate fan community that spans cultures and languages worldwide. The term hallyu, or Korean Wave, has come to encompass all of these trending genres...More
The 16th Annual Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, or PiFan 2012, rolled out the red carpet this week to celebrate the best in international niche cinema.
The largest genre film festival in Asia showcases a wide range of horror, fantasy, mystery, and animated movies, with particular attention paid to Asian cinema.
This year, a total of 230 short and feature films from 47 countries will be shown during its 10-day run and many of the films will be premiering for the first time there...More
An Interview with S. Korea's Rising Artist Lee Min-Jae
By Kristy M
Chicago Correspondent
" Fa ith " by South Korean illustrator
Lee Min-Jae
K-Pop may have stolen the hearts of millions across the world, but artist Lee Min-Jae is capturing global attention with his mesmerizing artwork. Lee, whose artistic nickname is GrenoMJ, creates massive murals of colorful human portraits that quenches the abstract artist's thirst...More
Participants enjoy themselves during the Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach, South Chungcheong Province, in this file photo. This year's event will take place from July 14 to 24. / Korea Times
By John Redmond
During the summer festival period, tourists flock to Daecheon Beach, South Chungcheong Province, to experience the beneficial properties of Boryeong mud, and also to have lots of fun from July 14 to 24.
Fully immersed in both the mud and the festival's great atmosphere, visitors enjoy mud wrestling, mud sliding and even swimming in the mud mega tub. Those feeling particularly energetic can try the marine mud-training course, while people looking for something more chilled can relax in the mud massage zone. In the evening, music and fireworks continue the party on the beach...More
I've done some international travelling lately and, being the tech junkie that I am, stopped into a few electronics stores along the way. One thing I noticed quite quickly was that TVs from Samsung and LG were always displayed in the most prominent spots.
This made me wonder, how long have Korean tech companies like Samsung and LG been the de facto leaders in the TV industry? According to a data from the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, Korean companies had 46.5 percent market share in the global TV industry in 2009. It has actually been the market leader since it passed Japan way back in 2001...More
Popular K-pop group 'Shinhwa' will hold a news conference in Seoul next month to publicize their comeback after a four-year hiatus during a live online broadcast for the group's fans all over the world, the group's entertainment agency said Friday...More
The Korean Cultural Office has just announced it's program for the new season of Cinema on the Park beginning on July 19th.
Providing a diverse range of Korean cinema, this weekly event is perfect for both the average movie-goer and the seasoned cinephile. With special guests and tasty snacks, EMBRACE YOUR CONNECTION to Korean cinema...More
You may have heard that several Korean gamers were able to finish the Diablo 3 game in six hours. It shouldn't then come as too much of surprise to you, then, that the game hyped nation also has a vibrant development community able to create digital worlds just as addictive and graphically enchanting as the Diablo 3.
Blade & Soul stands out among recent releases and is one of the most texturally-rich MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game) ever developed, both in terms of story and graphics. Keep reading for more on this highly strategic fantasy martial-art game from NCSoft...More
Kia Motors has swept the world`s top three major global design awards, with its latest honor being the International Design Excellence Award, or IDEA.
The Virginia-based Industrial Designers Society of America said on its website (www.idsa.org) Monday that the subcompact Kia Rio (known as Pride in Korea) won the bronze medal in the transportation design category...More
The White House has posted a response to a petition drive by Koreans on its website seeking to include "East Sea" as the name for the body of water between Korea and Japan on U.S. maps. The White House said it stands by the name "Sea of Japan" currently in use but this "in no way implies an opinion regarding any issue related to sovereignty".
The comments were posted by Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on the White House blog "We the People". The U.S. government must respond to any petition that garners more than 25,000 signatures...More
It's Wednesday and you know what that meansyes, you guessed it, it's celebrity news time with our Michelle Kim. As always, she's brought us the latest on what people are talking about this week all over the world.
Hello Michelle
[Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young
So what's the latest buzz...More
K-Pop lovers from across the globe vied for their chance at fame in the 2012 K-Pop Video Contest hosted by the Korean Cultural Center Washington DC, and the 15 winners have just been announced (full list below).
The winners-hailing from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, and Romania-were selected from among 270 submissions that included cover dances, singing, and instrumental performances, evaluated based on expression and content.
The understanding of Korean culture and the enthusiasm for K-Pop became important factors for evaluation, said Byung Goo Choi, director of the Korean Cultural Center Washington DC. The quality videos made us realize the popularity of K-POP...More
By Janet Shin
How far can saju tell one's destiny? How deep does it dig out one's life?
Trauma, according to the dictionary, is an experience that produces psychological injury or pain. It is usually hard to stand the pain of trauma and it may continue throughout one's life. For example, an experience, such as a car accident in one's childhood can make it hard to drive even after reaching adulthood. Those who experienced strangulation are afraid of wearing a neck tie. Even without specific symptoms, the physical or psychological wounds frequently shed shadows across one's life, in the forms of mental instability and insomnia, and so on...More
North Koreans work to irrigate a field in this image taken from the website of the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Monday. The North has reported the country could experience food shortages resulting from a prolonged drought. / Yonhap
By Kim Young-jin
North Korea lashed out at the United States Monday for its joint military maneuvers with South Korea, saying the allies crossed the line by firing at a North Korean flag.
A foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement that Pyongyang would boost its "nuclear deterrent" after the allies held joint drills in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, and naval drills in the West Sea that coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War that fell Monday...More
Your website, Modern Korean Cinema, has been up since mid-2010, how did you come to discover Korean cinema and what was it about Korea's film industry that really cemented your passion for it?
My first exposure to Korean cinema came long before the inception of MKC and it's kind of a funny story (at least I think it is)! When I was in boarding school in Dublin (high school) we were studying Macbeth and as a nascent cinephile I wanted to seek classic filmed versions of Shakespeare's work, first came Polanski's, then Orson Welles' version but soon I came across Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" (1957) and fell in love with it. Thus began my discovery of Japanese cinema and one day I was in my local media retail store in Switzerland when I came across a striking DVD in the Asian section. I thought it might have been something like a Takashi Miike film but it turned out to be none other than "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" (2002) and... I hated it, it made me furious. But I couldn't stop thinking about it and a week later I forced my self to watch it again and my whole world changed. My next film was Lee Chang-dong's "Peppermint Candy" (2000) and it's safe to say that the quality and social engagement of those works resulted in my becoming deeply attached to Korean cinema...More
Clubs
The Octagon
Nonhyeon-dong
This club recently opened near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong. The venue offers a club stage, lounge bar and dining area in a hip and modern setting. Leave via exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. Call (02) 516-8847 for more information.
Club Volume
Itaewon
Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station, Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and world-class DJs. Club Volume was listed by TIME magazine among the "10 things to do in 24 hours in Seoul". For more information, call 1544-2635.
Le Nuit Blanche
Cheongdam-dong...More
By Yun Suh-young
A website providing information on global travel destinations launched its site in Korean, the company said Tuesday.
The site, www.tripadvisor.co.kr, provides information about tour sites in Korea and all kinds of travel related information from hotel prices, best restaurants and even reviews from ordinary citizens and travelers about their experience...More
Teaser photos for K-pop group Super Junior's new album show the members in a different light, attuned to the concept behind the new album titled "Sexy, Free & Single". / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
By Rachel Lee
Korean boy group Super Junior will return to the local stage with a new album next week.
According to SM Entertainment, their sixth studio album titled "Sexy, Free & Single" will be released on July 1 through various music websites and will hit store shelves on July 4...More
By Cecilia Park
Blush, a five-member multinational girl group, appeared in Seoul Wednesday, showcasing their fifth album.
The group sang its big hits such as "Dance on", "Holding to a Dream", "Electric" and "All Star" at a private hall near Dosan Park, southern Seoul.
They also invited Yoon Do-hyun as a special guest. He was a judge and mentor of Project Lotus, a TV audition in 2010 to select members of the newly forming group, Blush. Today's show exclusively aired live all over the world by the world's No.1 live video streaming website, Ustream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hot-issue)...More
Thousands of people are starving to death in North Korea's South Hwanghae Province even though it is the country's rice bowl, according to a defector.
"Villages in remote mountains can resort to slash-and-burn farming to survive, but in lowland areas where there are only cooperative farms, 30 to 40 people in each village starve to death every year", said Choi Myong-chol (not his real name), who used to handle crop harvests in Haeju, South Hwanghae Province. "The reason is that their entire harvest is confiscated", he told the activist website NK Reform...More
Sun Hyun-joo, Oriental medicine doctor and nutritionist
By Kelly Frances
Oriental medicine doctor and nutritionist Sun Hyun-joo says the benefits of vegetarianism are numerous, including positive physical and emotional changes as well as a reduction in the potential for disease.
As a vegan herself, who does not consume any animal products, Sun also condemns the unethical and environmentally harmful nature of the meat industry, emphasizing the heavy use of additives...More
North Korea is now running a restaurant at a facility that it seized from South Korea at the joint Mount Geumgang tourism resort...More
By John Redmond
Volunteers will return to Guryong to clean up trash in the village and the river on June 23. People from the expat and Korean communities will roll up their sleeves and fill as many bags with trash and debris as possible to help prevent pollution from washing into the streams this summer...More
2012 Taekwondo Photo & Video Contest Hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
The Korean Cultural Center at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea is proud to announce the 2012 Taekwondo Photo & Video Contest, a nationwide search for exceptional photography and video creations that capture the spirit and unique personal experiences of Taekwondo, Koreas native martial art. The annual contest, now in its fourth year, has been a key embassy program for promoting and reaffirming the special bond between the United States and the Republic of Korea by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds with a common passion. Previous years have included essay and visual art categories, while this years contest changes gears to highlight original photography and videos. This complete guide and application form for submissions can be downloaded from www.Dynamic-Korea.com...More
By Grace Kim
An overwhelming majority of contestants in the 2012 Miss Korea pageant have voted Lee Honey, 29, better known as Honey Lee in Western media, as their role model, according to a beauty website.
Forty out of 55 contestants replied they want to be like Lee Honey in a survey conducted by Beauty Hankook, affiliated with Hankook Ilbo. They regard her as an "alpha woman" who has intelligence combined with beauty, the most important factor in winning the pageant according to 30 respondents...More
A North Korean propaganda website on Wednesday blasted South Korea`s backlash against pro-North politicians and groups...More
A series of exhibitions shedding light on the arts and culture of Koreas modern era kicked off late May at two of Seouls most-frequented museums, revealing how Korean artists have shaped their own expertise and identity over historical adversities in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Modern art rediscovered at the National Museum of Art, Deoksugung
The Deoksugung Palace Annex of the National Museum of Contemporary Art reopened its doors on May 26, following months of renovation. The building has undergone a process of architectural restoration and refurbishment based on historic research to better accommodate its new role as a representative art institution specializing in Korean modern art...More
The recent 'tip-toe kiss' by Ji Hyun-woo and Yoo In-na in the tvN drama "Queen In-hyun's Man" was chosen as the best kiss by single men and women in their 20~30s.
Dating service Ium carried out a survey of 1083 men and women in their 20~30s in celebration of "Kiss Day" on the 14th of June. The result of the 'best kiss' was Yoo In-na and Ji Hyun-woo's 'tip-toe' kiss with a result of 39% (422)...More
By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung Electronics is expected to make a foray into the social network service (SNS) market early next year by introducing a Facebook-like service, according to Samsung officials, Tuesday.
They said that the electronics giant is developing a social networking service it hopes could eventually compete with Facebook. The new website will be accessible on a wide variety of Internet-capable devices, including cameras and televisions...More
After having their comeback date be postponed, ZE:A - Children of Empire will finally be making their long-prepared return to the music scene.
The group's comeback date was originally slotted for June 21st until member Jun-young hurt his right ankle. In order to have all the members on board in one piece, Star Empire decided to push back the comeback date indefinitely...More
Do you enjoy looking at things from a different perspective? If you do, and you're in London, how about hopping down to Saatchi Gallery for the upcoming Korean Eye 2012 exhibition?
"Korean Eye" is a cultural project sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, promoting contemporary Korean artists and their works. Its next destination is London, just in time for the summer Olympics...More
In commemoration of Memorial Day, the National Archives of Korea in Seoul released letters written by South Korean soldiers fighting in the Korean War in the 1950s and the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
Reflecting a longing for their families, the letters were written by young soldiers who fought for their country. Their families visited the website of Seoul National Cemetery to read their letters and post replies...More
Photo Credit: Taste Korean Temple Food website
As I wrote about in this blog post, last Monday was Buddha's Birthday in Korea. While I'm not Buddhist, this holiday got me thinking about some of the foods and traditions associated with the religion.
To commemorate Buddha's Birthday, many believers go to the temple and eat food that doesn't contain meat or strong-smelling ingredients like garlic. The most popular food for the day is bibimbap...More
The beauty of camping is most keenly felt at night. It's when the sun sets and the campfire is the solitary light in the dark that you come to appreciate the fact that you're in the great outdoors. As the orange light flickers, it mesmerizes people gathered at the scene. The ambient glow brings people together, but it's not just the temperature of the fire that creates warmth. Accompanying the sound of crackling firewood is animated laughter. In the end, cozy chats, heated debates and intimate conversations create a warm atmosphere. Such moments are what money can't buy.
By Yun Suh-young
The beauty of camping is most keenly felt at night.
It's when the sun sets and the campfire is the solitary light in the dark that you come to appreciate the fact that you're in the great outdoors.
As the orange light flickers, it mesmerizes people gathered at the scene...More
The first official mock test for this year's college entrance examination will be held on Thursday from 8:40 a.m.
The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation said more than 675-thousand people who are preparing for this year's state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test will take the mock exam at two-thousand-100 high schools and 270 private institutions nationwide...More
After having their comeback date be postponed, ZE:A - Children of Empire will finally be making their long-prepared return to the music scene.
The group's comeback date was originally slotted for June 21st until member Jun-young hurt his right ankle. In order to have all the members on board in one piece, Star Empire decided to push back the comeback date indefinitely...More
A scene from "Arirang Fantasy", a musical about married immigrants in Korea. The show will open the sixth Daegu International Musical Festival, June 15-July 9. / Courtesy of DIMF
The sixth Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) will heat up the southeastern city of Daegu with musical performances from five countries from June 15 to July 9.
Beginning in 2006, the DIMF is one of the biggest musical theater festivals in Korea. The festival aims to bridge musical creators and market by supporting homegrown works...More
Visitors at Ocean Park enjoy the wave at Surfing Mount, the largest wave pool in the park.
By Yun Suh-young
Ocean World, one of the major ocean parks in Korea, began to provide upgraded attractions for visitors in preparation for the peak summer season which will begin next month.
Officials at the park, located inside Daemyung Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, said in a press conference Wednesday that it has improved accommodation for user convenience...More
Photo Credit: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture website
The dragon. A symbol of fiery chaos in the West and a symbol of strength, wisdom and royalty in the East. In Korea, being born in the year of the dragon means a child will be healthy and strong. Dreaming of a dragon means that something good will happen soon.
These beliefs may seem old-fashioned to some, but the architectural firm Adrian + Gordon Gill picked up on the continued popularity of this archetype when it designed two dragon-inspired towers slated for construction in the new Yongsan International Business District in Seoul...More
New York University
By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― American colleges and universities mailed out their admissions decisions in the past weeks, leaving many competitive and qualified Korean students puzzling over why they were rejected.
The truth is, in the eyes of admissions officers, students from Korea look as if they came off an assembly line. They have the same grades, test scores, all were on athletics teams and took part in similar extra-curricular activities ― the only difference among them is their family name.
And many say even those are similar, setting students further adrift on a sea of sameness...More
Tim Klasson, chief operating officer of MetaMetrics, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times, at the Seoul Intercontinental Hotel in southern Seoul, May 23. He visited Seoul to establish partnerships with businesses in Korea and promote the Lexile measurement system. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Kim Bo-eun
Let's say you went to the mall with your son to get him a pair of sneakers. It wouldn't be easy to choose a pair based on his age or grade at school, instead of his actual foot size.
Yet this is what happens when parents select books for their children to read.
Many parents select books that surpass their children's reading abilities, believing a challenge is what will improve their skills...More
Women stroll through the white archways of the Victoria Garden.
By Kim Susan Se-jeong
Love is in the air.
Spring is the season of weddings, new beginnings and romance. So what better way to celebrate it than being surrounded by roses, the symbol of unconditional love?
The rose has been Korea's best-loved flower since the first survey of favorite flowers was conducted in 1990, according to research company Gallup Korea. Approximately one million of the affectionately named "queen of flowers" greet visitors in the gardens of Everland at its 27th annual Rose Festival, which will continue through June 17 at the Yongin amusement park, an hour drive south from Seoul. It started on May 11...More
The culprit behind the illegal outflow of the movie "Architecture 101" has been captured.
Cyber Terror Response Center booked cultural welfare company employee Yoon on the 31st for the charges of illegally spreading videos of "Architecture 101".
The police have also arrested 11 others who received these files from Yoon and spread them out through messengers and other methods...More
Kim Tae-hee's unedited pictures have been going around.
Several pictures titled, "Kim Tae-hee up close" had been posted on an online community website recently. She had attended the Busan Motorshow event in Bexco on the 28th...More
Actresses Kim Hye-soo and Jun Ji-hyun can't hide their beautiful bodies.
A picture was uploaded on the official website for the movie "The Thieves" titled, "Pepsi, Popeye, Andrew and Anycall"...More
Los Angeles auditions to take place on June 9; New York auditions June 10
Season Four will air LIVE on Mnet America for the first time
NEW YORK – May 30, 2012 – Mnet (www.mnetamerica.com), the first and leading national, 24/7 English-language television network in the U.S. for all things Asian cool, has announced the ultra popular singing competition show, SUPERSTAR K (SSK)will again hold auditions in America for their upcoming fourth season. The show will scour the earth for the best talent to bring back to Korea to compete for the chance to win 500,000,000 Korean Won or approximately 500,000 US Dollars along with an opportunity to perform at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and many more prizes...More
Actor Bae Yong-joon waves upon his arrival as Japanese fans gather at Tokyo International Airport in Narita on Nov. 25, 2004. Bae, a main actor of the mega-hit Korean soap opera "Winter Sonata", was on a promotion tour of Japan. / Korea Times file
Actor Bae Yong-joon leads 'hallyu' (Korea wave)
Some years ago, this writer climbed into a taxi in Seoul. As is commonly the case, the driver asked where I was from. On hearing "the United Kingdom" he responded, "Aha! Beckham!" Then, in excellent Konglish, he continued, "U.K. ― David Beckham! Korea ― Bae Yong-joon!"...More
Members of South Korean pop group "Boyfriend" pose on a ship in Tokyo Bay Monday. / AP-Yonhap
By Rachel Lee
Rising Korean stars "Boyfriend" made their official Japan debut Monday.
The boy group's agency said that they have signed a contract with Bing Entertainment, an agency based in Japan, and will release their first single on Aug. 22. Famous Japanese musicians such as B'z, ZARD and Kuraki Mai belong to the same agency...More
Photo Credit: Yeon Deung Hoe
For the past week Korea has been holding festivities throughout the country to celebrate Buddha's Birthday, including enormous lantern parades and ancient religious rites. This is an important holiday in Korea, as about half of religious people in Korea practice some form of Buddhism. Korea also has a long traditional of Buddhism, stretching back centuries...More
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg made US$20 billion in the initial public offering of the social networking site on Friday to become the world's 29th richest man. Zuckerberg set up the website eight years ago when he was a sophomore at Harvard University. The day after the IPO, Zuckerberg made headlines again by marrying his girlfriend of nine years Priscilla Chan. The two tied the knot at a ceremony in the backyard of their home. What made the wedding grab more headlines than the Facebook IPO was how modest the ceremony was...More
By Janet Shin
Saju has been widely used in Korean society, not only by governing groups but by common people. For common people, it is mingled with shaman and divinations to be practiced for ordinary rituals or weighty events, such as marriage, birth or death, ancestral rites, moves, and various kinds of exams. When it comes to governing people, it was more adroitly utilized to acquire or maintain power, or eliminate an old foe, choose the Crown Princess and even determine the future owner of the throne.
Quite a few stories related with saju are handed down either by word of mouth or by historical books. For instance, the saju of Yeong-jo, the 21st king of Joseon kingdom and that of Nongae were the same. The latter was a gisaeng in the late 16th century. She led a Japanese general to a cliff, during a long battle with Japan in Jinju, Jeolla province and there she embraced him and threw herself along with him into the river, resulting in both their deaths. Saju scholars have studied to figure out how the lives of the two are different while having the same saju...More
Like most kids who grew up playing house, I can talk about my virtual dream house forever. It will have a garden filled with roses and bamboo (weird combination I know), have a massive 3D television, a robot that does my laundry and cooking… I still daydream like this from time to time.
Thankfully, LG Electronics read my mind and started a special campaign to better connect with customers around the world. Its digital interactive campaign on Facebook, called My Eco Home, allows Facebook fans around the globe to not only create but share their own virtual dream house with friends...More
Several Japanese tourists make wishes as they toss coins into a pond at the Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, Tuesday. The accumulated Korean coins added up to nearly 75 million won and when including the 37,801 foreign coins, the total reached approximately 80 million won, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corp. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
By Kim Bo-eun
Coins tossed into Cheonggye Stream are expected to add up to be worth 100 million won in August, the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corp. said Tuesday...More
Photo Credit: Passion84Photos @Flickr
We already introduced our readers to hanok – beautiful and environmentally friendly traditional Korean houses – in another blog post. Today we want to tell you about how to experience staying in one. It isn't just an opportunity to admire a beautiful home but also to learn about Korean customs and culture...More
This post is part two of a two-part series chronicling our visit to SK Telecom's futuristic T.um museum in downtown Seoul.
Continuing our journey into the future, we moved to the third room which produced an appreciative "ahhh" from the guys as we took in a sleek sports car awaiting us on a platform. The room, U.DRIVING is where you can experience driving a car from the future. The car, which you can operate with your T.Keym, not only drives on its own but it also literally puts you on the road to much more...More
내 가 제일 잘 나가. If you're a Kpop fan you might recognize that as the opening line to 2NE1's latest hit song. But what does it mean? If you're a Kpop fan who doesn't speak Korean then there's a great new website and iOS app for you called pop!gasa. It provides up-to-date English translations of the latest Kpop songs.
Pop!gasa is actually the brainchild of two of my friends from Syracuse University: Sung-eun Grace Lee and Jenny Kim. They are passionate about their work with pop!gasa, which is done on the side to their full-time jobs (in unrelated industries). As a friend, I was excited to support their project. As a huge Kpop fan, I was excited to write about their project on this blog...More
By Rachel Lee
New female artist Juniel has made a promising start with the recent release as duet "Stupid", is ranked second on various music charts, FNC Entertainment said Tuesday.
The up-and-coming singer released the single Tuesday, along with a music video, performing with Jung Yong-hwa from Korean rock band CNBLUE, who wrote and composed the song...More
Singer-songwriter Lee Juck's collection of short stories has become available as an e-book for iPad users. He first uploaded them on his website then had the stories published in book form in 2005. They concern a city in which people's fingerprints start to disappear and strange things happen...More
'enewsWorld' (enewsworld.com), CJ E&M (CEO Kim Seong Su)'s hallyu entertainment news service, has revealed on May 21 that it will launch the 'KPOP News' mobile application (iOS and Android).
It is expected that the 'KPOP News' app, CJ E&M's first-ever English hallyu news service, will receive positive responses from hallyu fans all over the world through its differentiated content and English language service.
The 'KPOP News' app provides fans with the latest hallyu news about K-Pop, Korean dramas and movies, along with celebrity interviews. It also allows users to view photos and multimedia clips as well...More
Children learn taekwondo, a Korean martial art, during the opening festival for the Korean Cultural Center in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 10./ Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
By Do Je-hae
A state-run overseas promotional agency, the Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) has undergone organizational shifts with each new administration, inciting some criticism that its policies have lacked continuity or lasting impact.
The affiliate of the culture ministry was formerly in charge of operating 24 Korean culture centers abroad. But after a reshuffle in February, the ministry has taken over this task so that the KOCIS can focus more on creating quality contents and methods for online and offline promotions of Korea...More
A K-Pop page opened on Facebook on Monday to deliver news about Korean pop stars and their new songs to fans around the world. Facebook is the second global user-content
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