48 Meters: Between life and death

Located on the border between North Korea and China, the Amnok River, or Yalu River in Chinese, separates the two countries by just 48 meters. The river is the shortest route of escape for many North Korean defectors, who risk their lives to cross the border to China. Tens of thousands of North Korean defectors are currently believed to be hiding in China, where many of them are caught and repatriated to the North to face severe punishment, torture and even execution. An upcoming film, titled “4

FilmJuly 3, 2013

September wedding rumored for singers Lee Hyori, Lee Sang-soon

Singer Lee Hyori is to tie the knot with her boyfriend Lee Sang-soon, a renowned guitarist and singer in Korea, in September, according to news reports on Wednesday. Reports said that the upcoming wedding came to light as news spread about the couple preparing wedding invitations. The two have been together since 2011.  However, the news of the impending wedding has not been officially confirmed, with Lee Hyori’s agency B2M Entertainment changing its statements throughout Wednesday.The CEO of th

PeopleJuly 3, 2013

Psy dominates K-pop chart on YouTube in first half

South Korean singer Psy topped the K-pop traffic rankings on YouTube in the first half of this year, snatching more than 400 million views. Psy’s “Gentleman” music video, unveiled on April 2, garnered 456 million hits as of July 2, helped by his previous blockbuster track, “Gangnam Style.” YouTube sensation Psy previously won the Top Streaming Song Video at a Billboard Music Awards ceremony.Trailing behind were top girl group Girls’ Generation, whose “I Got A Boy” and “Dancing Queen” continued t

PerformanceJuly 3, 2013

Won Bin, Lee Na-young dating: agency

The agency of South Korean movie stars Won Bin and Lee Na-young on Wednesday confirmed reports that the two stars are an item. The admission came just hours after a local tabloid published photos of the stars on a date.“The two (Won and Lee) are just starting their relationship,” Eden9 Entertainment said in a statement. “They recently grew fond of each other after frequently bumping into one another while working at the same agency.”Eden9 CEO Kim Nam-kyung had previously denied the reports that

FilmJuly 3, 2013

Korean musicals venture overseas

Hallyu has mostly revolved around K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean cinema, but its influence is expanding to the performing arts in Korea’s neighboring countries. Among many theater genres, the country’s local musicals are beginning to enjoy popularity in Japan and China ― becoming the latest hallyu trend in Asia. Last year, major Korean entertainment company CJ E&M announced that a total of eight Korean musicals would be performed in Tokyo’s affluent Roppongi district. Collaborating with promine

PerformanceJuly 2, 2013

Series of celebrity hospitalizations arouse concerns

June was a tough month for a number of entertainers who had to postpone their activities due to injuries and illness. Comedian and presenter Park Mi-sun sustained injuries to both her ankles while filming MBC’s “Blind Test 180” on June 26. The accident occurred as she was trying a “flying chair,” in which participants are thrown into the air before landing in a swimming pool. It was revealed that Park might need surgery and it would take up to three months for her ankles to heal. Meanwhile, acto

July 2, 2013

CNBLUE, Crying Nut copyright spat gets nasty

Pop band CNBLUE countercharged punk band Crying Nut on June 27 with spreading false information following Crying Nut’s earlier suit against CNBLUE for copyright infringement.CNBLUE also filed for an injunction against Crying Nut’s online criticism. The copyright dispute arose on Feb. 12 when Crying Nut filed a suit against CNBLUE and their agency FNC Entertainment for unauthorized use of their song “Pilsal Off-Side” on Mnet’s “M Countdown” in 2010. Crying Nut also charged that CNBLUE had release

July 2, 2013

Giving Back increases opportunities for kids

For Barry Smith and his wife Yvette Park, the chance to do something for society came from a chance encounter.Their new group Giving Back teaches English to about 50 disadvantaged children at a child care center in Mapo, Seoul. Smith’s brother-in-law works for a local politician, who suggested the project to his wife after meeting her. “It was a bit overwhelming to begin with especially as most of us already have full-time jobs, but we have some great volunteers who have pulled together well to

Expat LivingJuly 2, 2013

Bands to support art for kids in Nepal

Expat bands will gather for a fund-raiser Saturday to help Nepalese women and children learn art and use craft to support themselves.Bluesnake, Magna Fall, Red Cha Cha, and Samba Mamba will be performing at the “Love Music” event, in aid of Global Arts Therapy, a new charity to be led by English teacher Samantha Thomas. Thomas, who is based in Suji, Gyeonggi Province, has experience in teaching art to disadvantaged children at programs in her native Iowa and the Czech Republic over the past seve

Expat LivingJuly 2, 2013

Box office sales near 100 million in first half

Nearly 100 million movie tickets were sold at cinemas in the first half of this year, with more than half of them seeing Korean films, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. Inspired by the record-breaking number, the authorities have been pushing a number of policies to support the local filmmaking industry, including subsidies, stipulation of fair contracts and encouragement of exports. According to the ministry, the number of cinemagoers marked 98.5 million between January

FilmJuly 2, 2013

Art lovers can now visit New York’s Met every day

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Art lovers can now visit New York’s famed Metropolitan museum every day of the week after the management dropped a policy of being closed on Mondays.The Met, which welcomed a record-breaking 6.28 million visitors last year, had closed its doors on Mondays for more than 40 years.“Art is a 7-day-a-week passion, and we want the Met to be accessible whenever visitors have the urge to experience this great museum,” Met director Thomas Campbell said in a statement.The change announced

PerformanceJuly 2, 2013

Music Bank to run international K-pop chart this week

Music Bank, a weekly pop-ranking show on state-run broadcaster KBS, will dedicate this Friday’s edition to hallyu, or Korean pop culture fever. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of KBS World, the satellite broadcasting division of the broadcaster, “Music Bank World K-Chart!” will unveil who is the most popular K-pop star overseas. The short list includes Psy with “Gentleman,” SNSD’s “I Got a Boy,” SHINee’s “Dream Girl,” INFINITE’s “Man In Love” and 2PM’s “Come Back When You Hear This Song.”

PerformanceJuly 2, 2013