Korean Entertainment News 2011

katt

July 4, 2009

'Genie' Mired in Plagiarism Dispute  


Girls’ Generation

"Genie," a new song released by Girls’ Generation last week, has been embroiled in a plagiarism dispute.

Some Internet users have raised questions about the fact that an Uzbek female singer unveiled a song similar to "Genie," which has been enjoying growing population in South Korea, several months earlier.

A music video of "Raqsga Tushgin" sung by Uzbekistan’s Dineyra showed that the song has the same melody as "Genie" with only the lyrics being different.

SM Entertainment, the agent of Girls’ Generation, one of South Korea’s top pop groups, said it had won authorization with regard to "Genie" on Feb. 1 from Sweden’s Music Publishing Group. European composers wrote the song and a South Korean songwriter added a melody and some lyrics to it, it said.

SM reportedly asked the Swedish music group to clarify the problem and Swedish officials said they have no idea of who the Uzebek singer is and have not given a go-ahead to the use of the song. "We will take legal action," a Swedish executive was quoted as saying.

"Genie" ranks first in various online music charts. Girls' Generation has been shining in the local music market since their debut in 2007 with a string of success: "Into the World," "Girls' Generation," "Kissing You," "Baby Baby," and "Gee."

The members of the group are Yoona, Tiffany, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Taeyeon, Jessica and Sunny.  

Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/07/135_47912.html]/size]

katt

July 3, 2009

A mixed bag of pleasures in omnibus Eros film

As Forrest Gump or Haruki Murakami might say, an omnibus film is a lot like a box of assorted candies: You get a mix of all your favorites in a single package, but you never know which one you’ll end up with.

A package of five shorts different in style and genre, “Five Senses of Eros (Ogamdo)” has something for everyone. Just don’t expect all five to be a delight.

With five of Korea’s renowned auteurs and 16 big-name actors and actresses in one movie, Eros has made headlines here since its premiere late last year.

While the styles and plots vary, all five talk about love, Eros and desire - how they intertwine, present pleasure, deceive one another and become a source of catastrophe.

Perhaps the most intriguing among the five, the first two films, made by Daniel H. Byun, director of “The Scarlet Letter” (2004), and Hur Jin-ho of “One Fine Spring Day” (2001), are relatively similar in the way they explore a complex subject with detailed depictions of the emotional changes characters experience. But while Byun’s “His Concern” portrays the tingly feelings of new lovers, Hur’s “I’m Here” is about overcoming the loss of a loved one.

Choosing the “easy way out,” the two auteurs do not attempt anything out of character in their rare shorts.

Byun, 43, upholds his reputation as the most stylish and sleek director of his generation, cleverly using his 30-some minutes with not-too-heavy depictions of a one-night stand that may or may not be the beginning of a relationship.

Hur again shows off his feminine and somewhat modish sensitivity by tracing a young husband’s lonely night after his beautifully fragile wife dies. Although the plot is convincing enough, Hur’s short is somewhat all too familiar, especially for his longtime fans.

“33rd Man” by Yu Young-sik, of “Anarchists” (2000), and “Le Debut et La Fin” by Min Gyu-Dong, of “Antique” (2008), are more experimental than the first two. While Yu throws in man-eating vampires and blood to mock men’s desire and the filmmaking industry, Min again examines the subject of homosexuality (this time between women), using illusive and phantasmal cinematography. The catch here, though, is that both films fail to stay focused on the main theme; in other words, neither turns out to be very sexy.

The last film “Believe in the Moment,” featuring partner-swapping between three teenage couples, is perhaps the most bittersweet of the bunch and appears completely clueless about what it wants to be.

A mere portrayal of the six high school students’ vapid day of kissing someone else’s boyfriend or girlfriend, the film is neither funny nor fresh in terms of its subject. More surprising is that this is the creation of Oh Ki-hwan, who showed talent and style in his past romantic films “The Art of Seduction” (2005) and “Last Present” (2001).

In a nutshell, five proves to be a crowd in this case, where the film as a whole could have been a lot more condensed and entertaining without the one or two components that seem obviously out of place.

But Eros deserves the benefit of the doubt for its attempt at wrapping up five films in one package. The film hits theaters July 9. Yonhap

Five Senses of Eros (Ogamdo)
Romance / Korean
128 min.
Opens July 9

Source: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2906897

katt

July 3, 2009

Tale of Korea's ski jumpers flies onto the big screen



‘I think we’ve come out with an excellent piece worthy of the film’s title.’- Ha Jung-woo

Stories about people struggling against adversity have the power to move us. The effect is often compounded when sports are part of the story, when the characters push against their physical limits to reflect the emotional arc of the narrative. A good example of this kind of film is “Cool Runnings” (1993) based on the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team to make it to the Winter Olympics.

The Korean take on this story is the soon-to-be-released film “Ski Jump,” or “Gukga Daepyo” in Korean, which tells the tale of Korea’s largely unknown national ski jump team. The film’s Korean title means “the national team.” “I’ve had this plan to shoot a sports film for quite some time and I thought that the best way to show the difficulties the characters face and overcome would be through the ski jump team,” director Kim Yong-hwa said in a press conference Monday in Daechi-dong, southern Seoul.

The film spotlights a fictional Korean national ski jumping team, which has been quickly assembled to support the city of Muju’s bid for the Winter Olympics. The team, led by a former children’s ski instructor who knows nothing about ski jumping, appears to be an undisciplined mob of five. There’s the adoptee and ex-U.S. junior alpine skier (Ha Jung-woo) who comes to Korea looking for his birth mother, a nightclub employee (Kim Dong-wook) who joins the team because he has a crush on the coach’s daughter, and a boy (Kim Ji-suk) who is the sole breadwinner for his grandmother and younger brother.

The inexperienced team walks a thorny path on its way to the Games, but eventually evolves into a decent group of jumpers.

The film is based on the true story of the Korean national ski jump team, which faced poor domestic support and unfavorable conditions similar to those depicted in the film but went on to win successive medals in the Winter Universiade in 2003, 2007 and February of this year.

The team helped out with the film by helping to train the actors for their roles. “It was an honor for me to work with real ski jumpers and it felt good to learn something I never would’ve experienced [if I hadn’t participated in the film],” said Kim Ji-suk. He, along with his four co-stars, appeared at the press conference Monday dressed in Olympic opening ceremony uniforms.

“Training and shooting for over 10 months in Muju and Pyeongchang were a lot harder and colder than I had expected, but I think that as a result we’ve come out with an excellent piece worthy of the title ‘Gukga Daepyo’ and the Taegeukgi, [the Korean national flag] that we’re wearing now,” actor Ha Jung-woo said.

“I can confidently say that the audience will be deeply affected by our story, and I hope that this film will provide some encouragement to those who are facing hardship,” Kim, the director, said.

Ski Jump hits local theaters on July 30.

By Park Sun-young [[email protected]] via INSIDE JoongAng Daily, image from yahoo.kr

katt

July 5, 2009

Actress Koo Hye-sun Reveals Artistic Side

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter


http://www.ibtimes.co.kr/article/news/20090704/4992189.htm

Fans may still remember her as the feisty and cute Jan-di who captured the heart of F4 leader Jun-pyo in the hit drama "Boys Over Flowers." But there's more to Koo Hye-sun than just acting.

The 24-year-old Koo has not only released a novel "Tango" last April, but is also showing her artistic talent in a solo exhibition at Gallery La Mer, Insa-dong.

With a sweet smile, Koo shyly admitted she greatly admires Italian master Leonardo Da Vinci. "Some might laugh, but my role model is Leonardo Da Vinci. One of my favorite teachers gave me a book 'Think Like Da Vinci.' I was influenced by it. Reading the book made me realize that even if we're not geniuses and have our shortcomings, we can still accomplish a lot in our lives. This gave me more confidence," she said in a press conference at the gallery last week.

The exhibition features around 40 of Koo's illustrations. Some of the works may be familiar for readers of Koo's first novel "Tango," about a young woman's bittersweet love. It is also the title of a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto, which inspired Koo's writing.

Koo said she draws every day for one or two hours in her studio at home. Aside from illustrations for her novel, Koo has also done artwork for singer Gummy's fourth album. "I want to share my works with everyone. I hope everyone can come and see my exhibition," she said.

Koo does show a talent for drawing, but to have a solo exhibition of her works may seem premature.

The repetitive swirls of blue ink on white canvas can get old fast, especially when the entire room is filled with similar works. Koo's small, delicate ink illustrations show a great attention to miniscule details. Aside from drawing and writing, Koo said she is also writing a script for a full-length film. She has written and directed a short film "The Cheerful Caretaker," which was included in the Busan Asian Short Film Festival.

At the exhibition opening, heartthrob actors Lee Min-ho and Kim Jun, her co-stars from "Boys Over Flowers," met Koo to show their support.

Proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to the WITH campaign. The exhibition runs through July 7. Visit www.gallerylamer.com.

Credits: cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 5, 2009

TV Actress Lee Honey Meets Fans


Lee Honey

TV Actress Lee Meets Fans Former Miss Korea and TV actress Lee Honey sprayed sunscreen lotion onto the arms of fans during a fan meeting hosted by Neutrogena Sun Care at the Lotte Department Store in downtown Seoul Saturday.

"I am very delighted to meet fans whom I could hardly meet before," Lee said with a bright smile in her unique, cool costume. She is a model for the UV ray sunscreen lotion.

Lee is currently starring in the soap opera "Partner," which airs Wednesday and Thursday on KBS 2TV, as a lawyer with talent and sex appeal.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 5, 2009

Actor Yoo to Receive Seoul Women's Prize

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter


Actor Yoo Ji-tae will be the first male winner
to receive the Seoul Women’s Prize for his work
supporting women suffering from domestic violence.
/ Korea Times File

Actor Yoo Ji-tae, 34, will receive the Seoul Women's Prize along with five others today at City Hall, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government Sunday.

The grand prize will be given to Song Yong-sun, 88, the director of the Korea Women's Association, for her dedication in bringing women to actively participate in social issues and fighting for women's rights over the last 40 years.

Yoo, who is the first male winner, will receive the honor for participating as a member of the "100 Supporters," a support group that helps women suffering from domestic violence. "I realized that emotional pain could be much greater and more serious than physical pain. The fact that violence can be transmitted from generation to generation breaks my heart," he said about his support of the group.

Attorney Lee Myung-suk will also receive an award for her efforts in revising laws and working on various cases regarding women's issues.

Other winners are Kim Mi-gyeong, the CEO of consulting group W-Insights, for her dedication in lifting women's social status within society; housewife Lee Young-ja, who has been financially supporting underprivileged children; and Hwang Eun-suk, the head of the Single Parent Family Institute of Korea, who helps single parent families through counseling and financial support.

The Seoul Women's Prize was created in 2004 to award citizens who have dedicated their time and efforts for the well-being and happiness of women and society as a whole.

Yoo made his debut in 1998 in the movie "Bye June" and starred in numerous films and dramas. His best-known works are "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005), "Oldboy" (2003) and "One Fine Spring Day" (2001). He also made his debut as a director with the short film "Out of my Intention" (2007).

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 5, 2009

Korea Aims to Attract Muslim Tourists

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has offered about 40 travel agents and guides a lecture on Islamic culture and introduced a Halal food lunchbox and tour programs tailor-made for Muslims in a bid to attract more Muslim tourists here.

Hanyang University professor Lee Hee-soo gave an orientation on how Muslims in the Middle East and Southeast Asia have developed their traditions on food and other living styles, such as eating meat only from certain animals slaughtered in a special way.

Annie Yu, director of an inbound travel agency Plaza 21 Plus, has been arranging programs for travelers from Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. But the director acknowledged, "I learned that I've been so ignorant of Islamic culture even though I have developed tour programs for Muslim travelers."

The biggest obstacle to attracting Muslim tourists is strict rules on food and prayer, the agents said. It is not easy to prepare "Halal food" in this non-Islamic country and ensure tourists can pray in the direction of Mecca five times a day.

"Halal restaurants are very rare here, and there are almost none outside Seoul, Busan and Jeju. So we take Muslim travelers to seafood restaurants, Indian or Pakistani eateries, or vegetarian restaurants," said Bob Lee, sales manager and guide at Jacky Travel Service.

Bill Yi, a freelance guide, said, "Some tourists do not eat food even at vegetarian restaurants, thinking the chefs may use the same knife in cutting both vegetables and meat slaughtered in a non-Halal way. Some bring their own food with them, such as noodles, and eat only them."

To cope with the food trouble, the KTO held a sampling party of a Halal food lunchbox.

"It is 'Korea-style Halal' lunchbox. As ordinary Korean restaurants do not offer Halal meat, it was not easy for Muslim visitors to try Korean foods like 'bulgogi,' which they learned about through Korean movies and dramas. So, the lunchbox was designed to provide Muslim travelers with Halal food and to publicize Korean food at the same time,'' Joo Sung-hee, a KTO manager, said.


Grilled Marinated Beef 불고기 l http://www.trifood.com/bulgogi.html

For prayer, the agents usually ask Halal restaurants to prepare a space for Muslim tourists, Lee said. Joo said only a few tourist destinations, including Everland and Nami Island, have prayer rooms.

The KTO recently opened a prayer room at the Tourism Information Center on the first basement floor of its headquarters, so that Muslim tourists can visit. The carpeted room has a compass showing the direction of Mecca.

The tourism body also introduced a program at Bukchon Hanok Village near Insa-dong, in which visitors can try a traditional Korean way of dyeing with indigo plant. "After dyeing cloth, Muslim women travelers can use it as hijab," Joo said.

She said that people from the Middle East are usually family tourists, enjoying shopping and visiting hallyu destinations and theme parks. Their interest in medical tourism here is also growing. Many from Southeast Asia are incentive traveler groups, and they prefer seasonal attractions, such as skiing in winter and flower festivals in spring, she said.

"We believe the Muslim market with a 1.3 billion population has good potential. We hope the lecture and the programs we offered today will help attract more Muslim travelers," Joo said.

Credits: rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 6, 2009

'Transformers' makes another splash in S. Korea with sequel



SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- The sequel to the Hollywood sci-fi action "Transformers" has drawn over 5 million moviegoers in less than two weeks since hitting local cinemas, the Korea Film Council said Monday, making it the most watched film among this year's releases.

   "Transformers: Revenge of the fallen," which opened at some 1,700 theaters on June 24, had drawn 5.22 million viewers as of this weekend, becoming the No. 1 box office hit of the year so far and the first to surpass the 5 million mark.

The first "Transformers" was released in Korea in October 2007 and drew 7.4 million people, giving it the top position at the box office that year.

   Directed by blockbuster master Michael Bay, up to US$200 million was spent in making the "Transformers" sequel, which features over 60 transforming robots who battle to determine the fate of the universe.

Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr

katt

July 5, 2009

Domestic movies see increased audiences in H1

South Korean movies attracted an increased number of local audiences during the first half of this year, a report said Monday, signaling renewed hope for the domestic film industry struggling amid an ongoing economic downturn and a deluge of Hollywood blockbusters, Yonhap News reported.

Domestic movies took up 44.7 percent of the film market in the first half of this year, an increase of 7.5 percentage points from the same period last year, the Korea Film Council said.

U.S. films took up 45.1 percent of the market, a decrease of 9.3 percentage points from the same period in 2008, the report added.

The number of overall ticket sales at local theaters increased by 2.9 percent, totaling a record-breaking 476 billion won, or about $375 million. Among the 72.1 million tickets sold, more than 32 million were for domestic films.

Source: koreaherald.co.kr

katt

July 6, 2009

TVXQ Performs at Tokyo Dome  


Dong Bang Shin Gi

Dong Bang Shin Gi, one of South Korea's top pop groups also known as TVXQ, has achieved its dream of performing at the Tokyo Dome.

The performance, held Saturday and Sunday, drew more than 50,000 fans. It was the group's last concert staged as part of "Tohoshinki ― 4th Live Tour 2009 ― The Secret Code." TVXQ has been touring Japan's nine major cities since May, attracting more than 300,000 spectators.

During the Tokyo concert, TVXQ fascinated fans by singing its 32 hit songs for three hours and 20 minutes.

The Tokyo Dome is the dream stage where top and popular singers like SMAP, GLAY and Ayumi Hamazaki had performed. South Korean singer Rain and actor-singer Ryu Si-won had performed at the Tokyo Dome but this marked the first time that a South Korean group has performed there.

TVXQ has been dreaming of having a concert at the Tokyo Dome since it entered Japan.  

Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/07/135_47979.html

katt

July 5, 2009

Arrest Warrant Sought for Late Actress' Former Agent

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter


Bundang Police chief Han Pyung-hyeon said Sunday
that an arrest warrant has been issued for the former manager
of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon at the police station south of Seoul.
Police have yet to identify the list of VIPs the actress was allegedly
forced to have sex with./ Korea Times Photo by Oh Dae-geun

An arrest warrant was sought Sunday for the head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon's former agency on charges of intimidation and violence, embezzlement and fleeing to avoid police questioning.

But the warrant request does not include his alleged coercion of Jang into providing sexual services to corporate and media heavyweights. Police said the probe period since his extradition from Japan to Korea Friday was too short, adding they will intensify their investigation into the allegation once the warrant is issued.

The 40-year-old agent, Kim Sung-hoon, had been hiding in Japan since December. Jang committed suicide in March, claiming in a suicide note that he forced her to provide sex and entertainment to influential showbiz figures. "So far, he claims that there were many events with drinking for his business, and that Jang voluntarily accompanied him to several functions. We'll focus on probing the forced sex allegations after the warrant is issued," police officer Han Pyung-hyeon at the Bundang Police Office said.

Police said that Kim admitted to his alleged violent behavior towards her. "Kim testified that he hit her on the head and in the face with his hands and a plastic bottle during a party inside his agency building in southern Seoul in June last year, because she revealed his private information to others. But he claims it was a minor tapping," Han said, adding the "private information" was related to drugs.

He also allegedly sent a text message to one of Jang's acquaintances saying that he took drugs with her, and threatened Jang, saying he would spread the rumor which could have dealt a serious blow to her showbiz career.

Police took samples of Kim's hair and urine to verify whether he took narcotics.Kim is also suspected of embezzling part of the money that the late actress was supposed to receive after shooting a film in January.

The prosecution also included a fleeing charge in the warrant request. Police arrested Kim on Nov. 26 on suspicions of sexually harassing a male model, but he fled while police officers were searching his car to find illegal drugs, and flew to Japan on Dec. 2.

A court will decide whether to issue the warrant today. If it is issued, police will resume the probe into the showbiz figures allegedly implicated in the scandal. In April, police wrapped up an initial investigation as they had difficulty confirming allegations without questioning Kim, booking nine people and suspending investigation of another four.

Credits: rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 6, 2009

19% of Actresses Forced to Provide Sex for Career

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

A recent survey of entertainers found that one out of five actresses was forced to provide sexual entertainment to influential figures or witnessed their colleagues forced to do so.

This indicates the late actress Jang Ja-yeon, who committed suicide in March because of her coerced involvement in "casting couch" favors ㅡ a situation in which actresses are forced or expected to have sex with influential figures in order to get work in films or on TV ㅡ was not an isolated victim in the entertainment industry.

The first survey of its kind was conducted by a union for entertainers, headed by actor Kim Eung-seok, in April, one month after Jang was found dead in what was ruled suicide.

The results are based on 183 respondents out of nearly 2,000 entertainers who were asked to take part in the survey ㅡ the remainder declined to answer. Of the 183, 19.1 percent said they were either forced to have sex with influential figures or witnessed their colleagues being coerced to do so.

About 25 percent also said they were "directly" asked to pay money in exchange for media exposure or experienced behavior infringing upon their human rights, while 68.2 percent said they witnessed or have information about similar cases involving their colleagues.

According to the union, the respondents gave the names of producers and executives of TV stations, writers, politicians, and business and entertainment heavyweights who were involved, but it refused to make them public.

Of the respondents, 62.3 percent said they faced disadvantages for refusing such demands. In the meantime, police continued their investigation of the head of the late Jang's former management agency for a fourth day Monday, after a court questioned him to determine whether it will issue an arrest warrant.

Kim Sung-hoon, the key figure who is believed to hold clues to solving questions surrounding the actress' suicide, arrived at a court in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, at 11:40 a.m. and was questioned for about two hours. After the review, he was taken back to Bundang Police Station.

Kim, who was extradited from Japan Friday, had been questioned for more than 40 hours over three days until Sunday. Police are deepening their investigation as he is reportedly denying allegations that he forced the late actress to provide "sexual services" to corporate and media executives and showbiz VIPs for greater media exposure.

In their application for the arrest warrant, charges against Kim include intimidation, violence, embezzlement and threats. But the alleged coercion of Jang into sexual entertainment was excluded for a lack of evidence, police said.

The 40-year-old was apprehended last week in Tokyo after hiding in Japan since December. During the period, he defied repeated requests to return to Seoul for questioning over Jang's suspicious death.

If the court issues the arrest warrant, police are expected to interrogate other figures implicated in the case.

Credits: pss@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

July 6, 2009

Culture minister vows to bolster rights of celebrities

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- Actor-turned Culture Minister Yu In-chon vowed Monday to make correctional measures to the nation's entertainment sector to better protect the rights of celebrities, who are often violated by unfair contract terms.

   Yu's remarks came as police reopened their investigation into the suicide of a young starlet who was allegedly forced to provide sexual favors to high-powered entertainment officials and journalists, an unspoken but common practice in the local entertainment industry that which takes advantage of young female actresses trying to become famous.

   "Our entertainment sector has become somewhat of a national brand that has formed a massive market not just here, but throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East," Yu said in an opening speech at a parliamentary seminar Monday. "There is an urgent need for us to correct the wrong in order to improve and continue developing the industry."

   Actress Jang Ja-yeon hanged herself at her house on March 7, leaving behind a suicide note that said she had been forced by her agent to serve and provide sexual favors to big names in entertainment. Jang's former agent, identified only by his surname of Kim, is currently being questioned by police after he was extradited from Japan, where he was hiding.

   "In a survey conducted during my term as the chairman of the entertainers' labor union in the 1990s, the majority of stars said they wanted most to be treated properly as human beings," Minister Yu added. "Getting proper financial treatment came after that."

   Yu, 58, debuted as a stage actor in 1971, moving to television two years later and becoming one of the most widely known actors in Korea. He was appointed as culture minister last year.

   Unfair deals between entertainers and agent firms, commonly dubbed "slave contracts" here, must be abolished once and for all, the minister added.

   Monday's seminar for discussions on how to improve the entertainment industry was held at the parliament and attended by lawmakers, experts and celebrities.

   Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr

katt

July 2, 2009

Crown J Performs in NY



Rapper Crown J will perform in New York for two straight days, starting on July 2nd. The rapper’s concert was held for the Korean community in New York, before launching his American career.

Originally Crown J had planned only one concert on July 2nd, but was contacted by a Manhattan club to hold another one. He will perform at Irvin Plaza in Manhattan first, and then continue on at the club Circle the following day. Included in the concert repertoire is his new release “I’m Good,” which he worked on together with singer/producer Lee Hyun-do. “I’m Good” contains hopeful messages typical of southern hip hop and its Korean version will be produced separately for his Korean fans and the Korea-American communities.

Crown J’s latest album will be released on July 10th after which he’ll go on a concert tour with stops at Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. He wrapped up his stint in Korea earlier this year to return to his hometown Atlanta, where he founded an independent album label “Fly Boy Entertainment.”

Source: KBS Global

katt

July 6, 2009

Authenticity of Girls’ Generation’s New Song Questioned



A controversy has arisen over the song “Genie” from Girls’ Generation. The song allegedly has the same melody as the song “Raqsga Tushgin” from Uzbek singer Dineyra, who released it a few months ago.

The music video for “Raqsga Tushgin,” which was posted on YouTube, has the same melody as “Genie” but different lyrics. SM Entertainment obtained approval for “Genie” back in February from the Universal Music Publishing Group of Sweden, which approved it as being released for the first time in the world. The music was written by the European songwriter group Design Music, whose copyrights are managed by Universal Music. Korean songwriter Yoo Young-jin added the melody and wrote the lyrics.

In response to the controversy, SM Entertainment contacted Universal Music, whose official said he had no idea who the Uzbek singer was and that nobody had sold her the right to use and sell the song. Universal Music has pledged legal action for the illicit use of the song by Dineyra.

In a phone interview with Yonhap News on July 3, a person from SM Entertainment said the agency had yet to receive an answer from Universal Music on how the song was leaked to Uzbekistan. He added that publishing companies usually produce song catalogs to market the songs overseas, and that the Uzbek singer probably saw the song in one of the catalogs and plagiarized it.

Source: KBS Global

katt

News Index Page 24

July 3: ‘He Who Can’t Marry’ Signals Budding Love
July 6: Authenticity of Girls’ Generation’s New Song Questioned
July 6: 'The Partner’ Drawing Growing Attention
July 7: Song Most Favored by Hong Kongers
July 7: S. Korea to enhance rights of entertainers following actress suicide
July 7: Ku Hye-sun Draws Crowds with Her Paintings
July 6: Police arrest ex-talent agency head linked to death of actress
July 7: 'Swallow the Sun' to Capture Love, Revenge
July 7: TVXQ Wows Japanese Fans at Tokyo Dome
July 7: Asia featured at Montreal fest
July 8: Tale of ambitious young adults / Swallow the Sun
July 8: Yu-na Invites Davichi to Ice Show
July 8: Ahn is overall favorite among Koreans
July 6: Kim Kyung-ho Back from a Slump
July 8: TV Personality Kim Ji-hoon Nabbed for Taking Ecstasy
July 8: Lee Seung-ki's Popularity as Singer, Actor, Entertainer Skyrockets
July 7: Kim Jun Gearing Up for Solo Debut
July 8: Celebrities to be Commended by Military
July 4: Bong Joon-ho's Latest Challenge in 'Mother'
July 9: Ministry appoints goodwill ambassador
July 9: Actress interviews artists as part of OnStyle program
July 8: Regulation Limits Entertainer Contracts to 7 Years

katt

July 3, 2009

‘He Who Can’t Marry’ Signals Budding Love

The June 30 episode of “He Who Can’t Marry” has caused high expectations that the relationship between Jo Jae-jui (Ji Jin-hui) and Jang Mun-jeong (Uhm Jung-hwa) has finally turned romantic.

Jae-hui spills water by mistake on Mun-jeong, who had happened to visit him. Getting wet, Mun-jeong borrows Jae-hui’s clothes to go back home. The incident seemed to serve as a chance for the two to develop feelings for each other

The episode vividly depicted how relatively old single children can be at odds with their parents yet mend the conflict, striking a chord with viewers. In particular, the care and love that Mun-jeong and her father show for each other are more moving than those depicted in the original Japanese version.



The drama has received a good response for the perfect portrayal of an older single professional by Uhm Jung-hwa and older eccentric bachelor by Ji Jin-hui. Kim So-eun and Yu A-in are also attracting viewers in their teens and 20s with their young, cheerful roles as Jae-hui’s neighbor and assistant. Viewers are curious about how the relationship of the two young characters will develop.



“He Who Can’t Marry” airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:50 p.m. on KBS2.

Writer: Honorary reporter Kim Ha-yan l Copyright ⓒ KBS & KBSi

http://english.kbs.co.kr/TVRadio/BehindtheDrama/view.html?No=100

katt

July 6, 2009

Authenticity of Girls’ Generation’s New Song Questioned



A controversy has arisen over the song “Genie” from Girls’ Generation. The song allegedly has the same melody as the song “Raqsga Tushgin” from Uzbek singer Dineyra, who released it a few months ago.

The music video for “Raqsga Tushgin,” which was posted on YouTube, has the same melody as “Genie” but different lyrics. SM Entertainment obtained approval for “Genie” back in February from the Universal Music Publishing Group of Sweden, which approved it as being released for the first time in the world. The music was written by the European songwriter group Design Music, whose copyrights are managed by Universal Music. Korean songwriter Yoo Young-jin added the melody and wrote the lyrics.

In response to the controversy, SM Entertainment contacted Universal Music, whose official said he had no idea who the Uzbek singer was and that nobody had sold her the right to use and sell the song. Universal Music has pledged legal action for the illicit use of the song by Dineyra.

In a phone interview with Yonhap News on July 3, a person from SM Entertainment said the agency had yet to receive an answer from Universal Music on how the song was leaked to Uzbekistan. He added that publishing companies usually produce song catalogs to market the songs overseas, and that the Uzbek singer probably saw the song in one of the catalogs and plagiarized it.

Source: KBS Global

katt

July 6, 2009

'The Partner’ Drawing Growing Attention

The new KBS2 legal drama “The Partner” has been receiving a good response, with its viewing rates increasing.

In the third episode on July 1, Kang Eun-ho (Kim Hyun-joo) and her partner Lee Tae-jo (Lee Dong-wook) won their first case together where a brother was suspected of killing his half-sister.


▲ Scenes from the third episode of “The Partner”

The case showed that the two can be perfect partners, as Eun-ho approaches a case with a warm and sincere heart and Tae-jo uses cool-headedness to secure evidence. They succeeded in convincing the jury that the defendant Jeong Jae-ho killed his sister by accident when everyone else believed that he committed the crime on purpose, thereby leading the jury to deliver a “not guilty” verdict.

Eun-ho said in the last proceeding, “The law I know is not something hideous that creates innocent victims but something benevolent that listens to and cares for people falsely accused. We should not create even one innocent victim even if that means having 10 criminals on the loose, and the defendant Jeong Jae-ho is the very ‘one’ man we can save.”

Her line demonstrates the purpose of the drama -- to depict lawyers who people want, that is, those who work for justice rather than money or fame and put finding the truth before anything else.


▲ Scenes from the third episode of “The Partner”

The performance of An Seok-hwan playing Jae-ho’s father also caught viewers’ attention. When he said, sobbing, “I want him to get punishment, but please forgive him. I feel hatred toward both the one who was killed and the one who killed. But they are all my children,” it touched the hearts of not only jurors in the drama but also viewers.

Viewers wrote messages on the drama’s web board, saying, “I shuddered to watch An’s performance. It just made me cry with him,” “The drama gets more and more interesting with speedy development and a well-structured story,” and “It’s like watching a real court case.”

The fourth episode on July 2 also kept viewers engaged as it pitted Tae-jo against his brother Young-woo (Choi Chul-ho) in a case where a secretary of an executive at a large company was murdered.

“The Partner” airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:55 p.m.

Writer: KBSi Jin Yeong-joo l Copyright ⓒ KBS & KBSi -
http://english.kbs.co.kr/TVRadio ... l?page=1&No=103

katt

July 7, 2009

Song Most Favored by Hong Kongers


Song Hye-kyo

Song Hye-kyo has become the South Korean entertainer favored most by Hong Kongers.

The development was revealed after a survey of 1,145 Hong Kong citizens conducted by the Hong Kong branch of the Korea Tourism Corp. June 11-14.

When asked about their favorite South Korean entertainers in a multiple-choice question, 40.4 percent picked the 27-year-old Song.

Lee Young-ae, who has been enjoying high popularity in Hong Kong and other Chinese communities in Asia with her starring role in "Jewel in the Palace," ranked second with 40.2 percent. Lee took first place in last year's survey.

Next came Jeon Ji-hyun (31.2 percent), Bae Yong-joon (16.2 percent), Rain (14.4 percent) and Ji Jin-hee (12.9 percent).

Asked about their must-visit destinations in South Korea, 68.2 percent chose Seoul. Jeju Island and Gangwon Province came second (42.6 percent) and third (24.7 percent), respectively.

Song, a model and actress, starred in a number of hit dramas, including "All In," "Autumn Fairy Tale" and "Full House."

Credits: koreatimes.co.kr