Kim Ki-duk’s ‘Pieta’ in competition at Venice
It’s the time of the year again when the world’s finest film directors and stars flock to an island in north eastern Italy. The Venice Film Festival, the oldest event of its kind in the world, opened Wednesday on the island of Lido, and veteran director Kim Ki-duk will represent Korea for the main competition. […]
How a chubby Korean man got the world to dance
If you thought the Oscars were too boring, try watching the Korean award ceremonies at the end of the year. Tied down by decorum, everybody forces themselves to stay serious and modest; actresses with plunging necklines remain buttoned up in demeanor. The same could be said about K-pop. The industry has so strenuously but unsuccessfully […]
K-drama leads ‘hallyu’
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. The biggest hit of the first half of this year is MBC’s “The Moon […]
Oh Ji-ho: shrewd actor hidden behind dimples
Ask any Korean entertainment fan about heartthrob actor Oh Ji-ho and you would most likely receive an answer related to his signature smile. The singular focus on his facial expression — as well as his even more famous dimple — has been a mixed blessing. His good-guy image led him to be typecast in romantic […]
SISTAR: Unpredictable girls ready to grow up but no too fast
As the girls of SISTAR settled down in the sofas of their dressing room backstage at SBS’s weekly K-pop show Sunday, it was striking how comfortable they looked, despite the presence of a reporter they had never met before. First to find her spot, Soyou, 20, asked for her poofy Rilakkuma pillow and kept the […]
From ‘Gangnam’ to US, video goes viral
Korean pop singer PSY’s new song “Gangnam Style” is capturing the world’s attention with its wacky music video. The title track of his sixth studio album has topped various online charts including Melon and Naver music for three consecutive weeks since its release on July 15. On YouTube, over 15 million clicks were recorded as […]
BoA returns with ‘best’ record yet
BoA, one of K-pop’s bestselling solo artists, has returned with her seventh Korean studio album, “Only One.” The 25-year-old star says it is her best work to date, from which she draws the most satisfaction. “They’re my songs but to be honest, there are some that I skip, too,” she said, referring to her previous […]
Infinite exude ambience of ordinary
The seven members of K-pop group Infinite appeal to fans with their ordinary boy-next-door looks. After a somewhat lackluster debut in 2010, the group topped the charts with “Be Mine” in 2011 and “The Chaser” in 2012. They not only boast of meticulous dance moves but also high-quality synthesizer pop numbers by noted songwriters. Offstage, […]
Infinite, lean and hungry
when someone is in hot-pursuit of their dream, the hunger, the ardor, the positive energy of pursuit they emanate are undeniable. These qualities can work like magnets for success — and that’s what is happening for the relatively new K-pop group Infinite. The seven members — Lee Sung-jong, 19, Hoya, 21, Lee Sung-yeol, 20, Nam […]
‘Hallyu’ — Korean teaching tool
Super Junior, ‘Winter Sonata’ as new primers NEW YORK ― For learners of Korean in the U.S., it’s goodbye to rote memorization and dull drills; hello to Super Junior and Bae Yong-joon. A new curriculum is set to revamp the traditional teaching method of Korean, a much-needed update aimed at giving the language a more […]
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