Thanks to the growing global popularity of K-pop, exports of Korean cultural content marked a remarkable success last year, with one exporter hitting 100 billion won ($92 million) in exports for the first time in the industry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Sunday.According to an administrative report to Rep. An Min-suk of the Democratic Party, S.M. Entertainment, the country’s most profitable showbiz agency with stars such as SNSD, TVXQ and Super Junior, marked 103.6 billion w

CultureSept. 8, 2013

This is the fifth in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.Rapper Zizo said he walked away from Mnet’s hip-hop audition program “Show Me the Money” with many things besides coming second, one of the most important being the support his family began to show him. “My mother doesn’t really know about hip-hop, but by appearing on TV, I was able to get her support. She is proud of her son,” he said. On top of that, he said the show was a lea

PerformanceSept. 8, 2013

With the “emotional pervert” aboard, Saturday Night Live Korea was filled with more powerful and edgier humor Saturday that made even the most brazen audience members blush. New cast member You Hee-yeol, famously known for lyrical, sensual and trendy ballad music under the project group, “TOY,” showed off his mischievous side in the program’s “Weekend Update” slot. “I would like to leave a video message to Suzy (from girl group Miss A): This is my first on the show and I am so nervous. ... By th

TelevisionSept. 8, 2013

South Korean director Na Hong-jin was called a “heavyweight talent” on a list of “20 Directors to Watch” in the Friday edition of The New York Times.The critics gave the 39-year-old South Korean high points for keeping the viewers’ attention with his second feature “The Yellow Sea,” despite the unfavorable 10 p.m. screening slot at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.“Before it was over, this thrillingly visceral movie confirmed Mr. Na as a heavyweight talent,” the critics wrote.The daily’s film criti

FilmSept. 8, 2013

A prominent gay rights campaigner and movie director “married” his partner in South Korea Saturday, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized.Kim Jho Kwang-soo ― a rare openly gay celebrity in conservative South Korea ― and Kim Seung-hwan held an outdoor ceremony in central Seoul, urging the government to recognize their union.“Through this ceremony, we will become a married couple, regardless of whether our marriage is legally accepted or not,” Kim told journalists.“Same sex marriage is

PeopleSept. 8, 2013

From Sept. 18 through 20, the country will be filled with the holiday spirit as families gather, share love, news and, most of all, holiday presents over Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving.Families will visit their hometowns or gather at their parents’ houses, enjoy holiday meals, watch TV and play games, share conversation to catch up on each other’s lives, take a break from their daily routines and then return home with a sense of fulfillment. And of course, their hands will be full with presents

CultureSept. 6, 2013

Classical Music“Countertenor Andreas Scholl Recital”: Prominent German countertenor Andreas Scholl will have a recital on Sept. 23 at Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. A specialist in Baroque music, world-renowned countertenor Scholl is known for having a singing voice equivalent to that of a female contralto or mezzo-soprano. The program for the recital will include notable German lieder such as Haydn’s “Despair,” Schubert’s “Du bist die Ruh D. 776,” Brahm’s “Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2” and Mozar

CultureSept. 6, 2013

Kara fails to impress on ‘Full Bloom’Kara“Full Bloom”(LOEN Entertainment)Kara has made a comeback with a completely new look, shedding its cutesy concept for an edgier look. Despite the new, exciting look, however, the group’s fourth studio album “Full Bloom” is standard pop affair. Title track “Damaged Lady” is about a woman bitter about a break-up and features the sound of French pop with a touch of rock. The melody is catchy enough, but the voice of each member is difficult to discern through

PerformanceSept. 6, 2013

The Spy Opened Sept. 5Comedy. Action. Directed by Lee Seung-joon. Chul-soo (Sol Kyung-gu) is one of the best intelligence agents in Korea and is able to complete any given mission, however difficult. But like any other married man, he has one weakness: his wife. One day, a mysterious explosion occurs in Seoul and Chul-soo flies to Thailand on a mission to rescue a person who allegedly holds clues to solving the incident. While on his mission, Chul-soo is surprised to see his wife Young-hee (Moon

FilmSept. 6, 2013

There’s a pub in North London called the World’s End that sits across from the Camden Town tube station. Luminaries, including Charles Dickens, figure among its famous patrons, but it’s also important in the annals of British comedy as the place where Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright would meet up in the early years of their creative partnership, grabbing a pint after seeing movies like “X-Men” at a nearby cinema.So when it came time for the pair to write the screenplay for their film about a 40-ish

FilmSept. 6, 2013

PORTLAND, Oregon ― Greetings from fast-changing Portland. On your right, note the dozens of breweries and distilleries, none of which existed until the other day. On your left, take care not to provoke the bicyclists, who may control everything by the day after tomorrow. If you’d like to feed them, locavore treats and artisan coffee only, please.And now to today’s postcard picture, just ahead among the hippies and hipsters of the Eastside’s Hawthorne neighborhood: the Bagdad Theater & Pub, built

TravelSept. 6, 2013

Fall in HE:ON Packages at Lotte Jeju HotelLotte Jeju Hotel is offering packages to get the most out of autumn from Sept. 27 to Nov. 30. The Fall in HE:ON Package offers a night’s stay in the Deluxe Room, breakfast for two, and two complimentary wine-based cocktails. Rates start at 330,000 won per night. For 330,000 won, guests can enjoy the Fall in Wine Package, which features a night’s stay in the Deluxe room, breakfast for two, and two tickets to “Romantic Olle Winery Tour.” The Fall in HE:ON

FoodSept. 6, 2013