super!

Super Junior T Thrills Young Trot Fans

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Boy band Super Junior T is making old-fashioned trot songs popular once again with their hit “ Rokkuguh.” The group is composed of, from left, Lee-teuk, Sung-min, Hee-chul, Shin-dong, Kang-in and Eun-hyuk. Trot music, a unique Korean pop genre, is probably the last thing you would expect from a group of young, good-looking singers. Trot songs, after all, are most popular among the older generation. These days, trot music is surprisingly trendy. First there was Chang Yun-jung, a female trot singer in her 20s. The baton has been passed now to the boy band Super Junior T. The group’s trot single ``Rokkuguh,” which zoomed to the top of the music sales charts, has both young and old singing along to its infectious beat. Super Junior T is composed of Lee-teuk, Hee-chul, Eun-hyuk, Sung-min, Shin-dong and Kang-in. They are a sub-group from the 13-member Super Junior, one of the most popular K-pop groups today. The Korea Times sat down for an interview with five of the six members of Super Junior T, before they were scheduled to perform at a music show on Friday. Lee-teuk, considered the leader of Super Junior, admitted he was apprehensive when they were first told they were going to perform trot songs. Super Junior debuted in late 2005, but they already have a lot of young fans that love the group’s pop-dance songs. ``I was very nervous about it at first. I was really concerned that it may tarnish the image of Super Junior,’’ he told The Korea Times. ``We made it our motivation to be different from other pop idol groups. After discussing it, we decided to take the chance. Then we started recording the album and we enjoyed it a lot.” As Super Junior T, the members had to adopt a different image by wearing colorful costumes more suited for comedians than heartthrobs. Sung-min, who recently changed his hair color from blonde to pink, admitted he was shocked at finding out they had to wear such colorful costumes. ``Now I think it’s fun to play around when we sing and perform,’’ he said. Fans appeared to embrace the group’s new image, making ``Rokkoguh” one of the best-selling albums these days. This is quite unusual since trot music is not usually well liked by the young generation, who prefer pop and hip-hop music. Even Super Junior T members themselves said they did not particularly like trot music in the past, although their parents and grandparents listened to a lot of trot music. Now as trot performers themselves, Eun-hyuk thinks there should be no generation gap when it comes to music. ``I think its wrong to divide the generations by the songs they prefer. It is not only songs for the old generation, but also for the younger generation. Both can identify with the music,’’ he said. Hee-chul said he feels good knowing Super Junior T’s music is helping bridge the gap between teenagers and their parents. Whenever they perform on stage as Super Junior T, they try to put on a more energetic performance and dance moves different from their usual style. Lee-teuk said the group also gives live performances, in response to criticisms of lip-synching in the past. The popularity of Super Junior T, and the main group Super Junior, cannot be denied but the members still feel they have a lot more to prove. ``Usually, a lot of idol groups take three years to achieve what we have achieved. But we’re concerned that we might have become too famous, too fast. I feel we still have a long way to go. Having these units with different identities, we can contribute to attracting more fans,’’ Lee-teuk said. Shin-dong, known as the group’s funniest member, said he wants to work harder to establish the Super Junior name around Asia. Lee-teuk added Super Junior wants to be known in China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and even Europe. ``I was looking at some UCC (user created content) and I saw one made by Spanish fans, wearing similar clothes and performing our song. It’s great that we have fans there. We really want to be world-class idols,” he said. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr 03-27-2007 20:06

Wentworth Miller

*just have to say that Wentworth is sooooo HOT. And he smiled at ME. Hahaha! and check out this link. soo funny.   Wentworth Miller Wows Fans
	By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Wentworth Miller, star of the popular TV series ``Prison Break'' won the hearts of Korean fans with his intelligence, charisma and even his singing during a fan meeting event at the Shilla Hotel, Seoul on Friday. Miller was in Seoul for two days, as the new model for Korean brand Bean Pole Jeans. Wearing a white hooded jacket, blue shirt and jeans, Miller greeted the mostly female crowd with ``Annyonghaseyo,'' drawing excited screams. Miller is immensely popular among Korean fans, who call him ``Sok Ho-pil,'' the Koreanized version of his Prison Break character Michael Scofield. ``I was told my character was given a nickname in Korean, which has a direct reference to an historical figure. That meant the world to me to know I'm part of a show that knows no borders when it comes to cultural differences or language,'' he said. Scofield is also the name of Frank William Scofield, a Canadian who helped in Korea's independence movement. Around 500 fans and journalists attended the press conference and fan meeting. Throughout the 40-minute event, it seemed Miller's every move, whether it was a smile, a wave or the casual way he took off his jacket, made his fans squeal. When asked about his similarities with his Prison Break character, Miller said he is a ``simple and boring person,'' but the character shows him at his ``most compelling.'' ``In my career as an actor, there is a catchphrase that Scofield always says often in regards to his brother, `Have a little faith.' In my own career as an actor, there were times when I was the only one who believed in myself in the face of the odds,'' he said. When asked about his ideal woman, Miller admitted his preference is for dark-haired women who are confident, stylish and have a sense of humor. Comedian Park Kyung-rim, who hosted the event, jokingly told him that she fulfills the qualifications for his ideal woman. ``I should be so lucky,'' Miller said, with a smile. Miller, who was part of an a cappella group while studying at Princeton University, gave fans a sample of his smooth singing voice. He sang ``Happy Birthday Korea,'' in a low, deep voice, making his fans swoon. Bean Pole Jeans will soon unveil the ads featuring Miller wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt. ``I am very pleased to be part of the Bean Pole family. The relationship makes sense to me since Bean Pole has a lot in common with Prison Break. We're both enterprises that have the highest levels of creativity, craftsmanship and innovation,'' he said. Miller said he would tour the Secret Garden in Changdok Palace before he left for the United States. He added he would like to return to visit Cheju Island. During the event, three fans were given a chance to present Miller with presents including an Oriental style painting of his Prison Break character and two big teddy bears. Last year, Bean Pole hired American actress Gwyneth Paltrow and popular actor Daniel Henney for its advertising campaign. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr 03-23-2007 19:52

sassy girl

Jun Goes to Hollywood
	By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun advances to Hollywood. Korea, say goodbye for now to Jun Ji-hyun. Hollywood, say hello to Gianna Jun. Jun, one of the top Hallyu stars, is undergoing a name change as she makes her debut in Hollywood. Her management agency SidusHQ recently announced Jun has been cast in the role of a vampire hunter named Saya in the film ``Blood: The Last Vampire.’’ The film is a remake of a Japanese anime film by Oshii Mamoru. For her first Hollywood role, Jun has decided to change her name to Gianna Jun. This move has drawn mixed reactions from her fans. Her agency said Jun will use the Italian-sounding name Gianna for her roles in the United States and other English-speaking countries. Jun will still use her Korean name in Asia, where she is already well known. . Jun’s name change is in contrast to actress Kim Yun-jin, who retained her name when she moved to Hollywood. Kim stars in the hit TV series ``Lost.’’ Although ``Blood: The Last Vampire’’ is still in production and will be released in 2008, Jun’s involvement in the film has attracted a lot of attention. The action-packed film will be shot entirely in English. Jun has reportedly been studying hard to learn English for the past few months. The film will also star Allison Miller, who has appeared in guest roles in ``Desperate Housewives,’’ ``CSI’’ and ``Cold Case.’’ Jun’s move to Hollywood has drawn comparisons to Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang, who attracted Hollywood’s attention with her role in the successful film ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’’ Zhang is known for her marital arts roles in films like ``Hero’’ and ``House of Flying Daggers,’’ but has moved on to roles in English films such as ``Memoirs of a Geisha.’’ She is now considered one of the most well known Asian stars in Hollywood. Jun started her career as a model and debuted as an actress in ``White Valentine’’ in 1999. However, it was her role in ``My Sassy Girl’’ (2001) that undoubtedly made Jun a star. Since then she has not had a hit film. Her films ``The Uninvited’’ (2003), ``Windstruck’’ (2004) and ``Daisy’’ (2006) performed dismally at the Korean box office. Despite this, Jun is still considered one of the top stars when it comes to advertising. She continues to appear in dozens of commercials for cosmetics, beverages and cell phones. Jun may be hoping to leave behind her losing streak at the Korean box office when she goes to Hollywood. Hollywood is already familiar with Jun’s works, such as ``Il Mare,’’ which was remade as ``Lake House’’ starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The Hollywood remake of ``My Sassy Girl’’ is currently in production. Elisha Cuthbert, who is known for her role as Kimberly Bauer in the TV series ``24,’’ will play Jun’s role. Also starring in the movie is Jesse Bradford, who starred in ``Flags of Our Fathers’’ and ``Bring it On.’’ The film is scheduled to be released later this year. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr 03-20-2007 20:00

wentworthy

Prison Break Star to Visit Korea

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter American actor Wentworth Miller Wentworth Miller, star of the hugely popular TV series ``Prison Break,’’ will be coming to Seoul on Thursday. Korean brand Bean Pole Jeans has hired Miller as the new model for its line of casual wear. Cheil Industries Inc. last month said it had signed a one-year contract with Miller to be the model for Bean Pole Jeans. It said it hired Miller for his intellectual appeal. Miller will arrive in Seoul on Thursday and will have a fan meeting and press conference on Friday. Miller was originally supposed to visit Seoul last month, but the visit was postponed because of a scheduling conflict. Miller is not the first Hollywood star hired by Bean Pole to promote its brand. Last year, Bean Pole hired American actress Gwyneth Paltrow and popular actor Daniel Henney for its advertising campaign. Miller is known as ``Scofield’’ among Korean fans who watch the action-packed series ``Prison Break.’’ In the series, he plays Michael Scofield, a man who deliberately goes to prison with a daring plan to help his brother escape a death sentence. The 34-year-old actor was born in England, but was raised in the U.S. He graduated from the prestigious Princeton University with a degree in English Literature. After graduating, he headed to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Miller is currently one of the models for clothing chain Gap’s ``Khakis with Attitude’’ spring campaign in the United States, along with actress Kyra Sedgwick and actor Chris O’Donnell. Prior to Prison Break, Miller starred in the TV mini-series ``Dinotopia’’ and in the 2000 film ``The Human Stain.’’ He also appeared in Mariah Carey’s music videos, ``It’s Like That’’ and ``We Belong Together.’’

who are these four guys?

And was it really four years ago when I was crazy about them? And now I saw them here!!! (and my pic is at the bottom)

 

Boy Band F4 Invites Korean Fans to Taiwan
	By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Taiwanese boy band F4 are appointed Tourism Ambassadors by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau at the Lotte Hotel in Myongdong, downtown Seoul on March 9. F4 members, from left, are Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu and Vic Chou. /Yonhap For several years now, die-hard fans of Korean actors, actresses and pop stars have been traveling to Seoul to attend fan meetings and concerts. Hallyu or Korean wave has helped boost Korean tourism, thanks to the popularity of Korean dramas, movies and music around Asia. Now Taiwan is using the same tactic, hoping the charm and popularity of boy band F4 will entice Korean tourists to visit the island F4 members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu and Vic Chou, who gained popularity among Korean fans with its drama ``Meteor Garden” visited Seoul for the first time on Friday. F4 was appointed by Taiwan Tourism Bureau chief Lai Se Zhen as its ambassadors to promote Taiwan tourism to the rest of Asia. Taiwan is hoping to increase the number of Korean tourists going to Taiwan, which is estimated at 200,000 annually, while there are some 400,000 Taiwanese tourists going to Korea annually. To kick off the ``Wish to See You in Taiwan” tourism campaign, F4 announced it is holding a fan meeting in Taipei on April 22. During the press conference, Yan said it has been a long time since F4 reunited as a group, so they are preparing some surprises for their fans during the event. As part of being tourism ambassadors, Chu said F4 will film a commercial for the Tourism Bureau and start working on a TV drama, which will be shot in tourist spots throughout the country. The drama will be aired in Korea and Japan later this year. F4 members talked about their favorite places, including food and tourist attractions in Taiwan, which they hoped would be enjoyed by Korean tourists. Wu said Korean tourists should sample the island’s delicious mangoes, while Chu recommended the hotpot shabu-shabu. Yan said tourists should visit Kaohsiung, a major port city, where he served for 2 years during military service. He added he couldn’t forget the place since it is where his girlfriend broke up with him. F4 is also currently in negotiations with Korean organizers to hold their first concert in Seoul. Wu said they are eager to meet Korean fans, especially after seeing so many enthusiastic fans welcoming them at the airport. F4 members also expressed their desire to work with Korean actors and actresses in the future. Wu, who formed a duo with Korean singer Kangta last year, said he would like to do an action movie with Kwon Sang-woo or Ryu Seung-beum, while Yan said he is a fan of the film ``Old Boy” and its star Choi Min-shik. Chou said he would like to work again with Park Eun-hye, who co-starred with him in the drama ``Silence” and So Ji-sop. Yan, Wu, Chu and Chou gained popularity throughout Asia after starring in the TV drama ``Boys are Prettier than Flowers” and its sequel. F4 has released two albums ``Meteor Rain” and ``Fantasy Forever” and has staged sold-out concerts. However, in recent years, F4 members have concentrated on solo work such as dramas, movies and albums. F4 members have visited Seoul on separate occasions but never as a group. In November 2004, Chou, Chu and Wu attended the Asia Song Festival, while Yan attended the M-net Music TV festival in December 2004. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr 03-12-2007 19:46

 

 

MUSE!

I INTERVIEWED DOM HOWARD!!! HOW COOL IS THAT????       British Rock Band Muse Electrifies Seoul By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter British modern rock band Muse lived up to their reputation as one of the best live acts around these days, with an electrifying, nearly two-hour concert in Seoul on Wednesday evening. Muse, composed of members Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme, did not disappoint the 7,000 fans who flocked to the Chamsil Indoor Stadium in southern Seoul. Howard shared some of the Muse's secrets for giving spectacular live performances, during an interview with The Korea Times at the W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel, hours before the concert. ``We always want to try to make everyone feel like they were part of the show. We didn't want the people at the back feeling like they couldn't see what was going on. ... We've always tried to give our best. We give 100, 110 percent of our energy and soul to the music and passion into what we're doing,” he said. Howard, who plays the drums, said it is amazing to be recognized for their live performances, especially since they worked hard to expand their production and add visual elements to the show. Muse received several Best Live Act awards in the United Kingdom and Europe last year. Muse is currently on their first Asian tour, wowing crowds in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Although the band is used to performing before thousands of screaming fans in Europe, Howard said they were still surprised at the level of intensity and excitement generated by Asian fans during their concerts. ``For us, it is incredibly exciting playing for people who have never seen us perform live before. The difference that we’ve noticed is there is a lot of really high-energy excitement. All the crowds have been so loud. People were screaming their heads off. It feels good. I’ve been told that sometimes when you’re at the front, the screaming is louder than the music," he laughed. Howard said the members have all ``changed drastically” since they formed in Teignmouth, Devon in England in the 1990s. Since then, Muse has recorded four albums including the critically acclaimed and commercially successful ``Absolution” and ``Black Holes and Revelations.” ``I think we’ve become closer as a group. I think that’s one of the unique things about how we’ve stayed together for so long. Because we’ve always had the past to get back to, we’ve always stayed together through ups and downs. We could go back to when we were 15 and laugh about the little things,” he said. Howard said he doesn’t know what musical direction Muse will take in the future, although the group will continue experimenting with different styles of music. When asked which songs Muse enjoys playing live, Howard named ``Map of the Problematique” and ``Knights of Cydonia.” ``I like Knights because when you get to the ending, everyone knows what to do and that's to jump around and lose your mind,” he said. Jumping around and losing their minds is just what thousands of energetic fans did throughout the Muse concert on Wednesday. The concert started at around 8:45 p.m., nearly 45 minutes later than originally scheduled, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Deafening screams greeted Muse, as they performed ``Take a Bow,” ``Hysteria” and ``Supermassive Black Hole.” The charismatic Bellamy showed he was equally talented in singing, playing the guitar and the piano. However, Muse concentrated solely on their performance, barely talking to the audience. Bellamy and Howard said a few words in Korean, such as ``Annyonghaseyo” and ``Saranghaeyo, Seoul, (I love you, Seoul)” which were received with loud cheers. Muse performed 18 songs throughout the show, including ``Stockholm Syndrome,” ``Starlight,” ``Time is Running Out” and ``Knights of Cydonia.” However, some were disappointed when Muse ended the show with just one encore, leaving them longing for more. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr 03-09-2007 20:38

my epik article on freemuse

This is funny... my article is quoted by FreeMuse.

 

NEWS 01 March 2007

South Korea: Censors attempted to silence hip hop group Because the top-selling Korean hip hop group Epik High talks about social issues, the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism has tried to censor their songs, tells the group in an interview with The Korea Times Epik High is a three-member hip-hop group whose fourth album 'Remapping the Human Soul' topped Korean music sales charts in January 2007 and made them one of the most popular musical groups in South Korea. The group consists of the two rappers Tablo and Mithra Jin, and the disc jockey Tukutz. The Korea Times reported that the 27-track two-disc album has courted controversy because some lyrics deal with sexual crimes, war, education and religion. Staff reporter Cathy Rose A. Garcia wrote in the newspaper on 19 February 2007: "Tablo can’t help but get passionate when talking about censorship, especially since he said the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is trying to prevent some of the songs from being played on the radio." Tablo explained to the reporter: "Most songs aren’t censored because of language. There are no cuss words or bad words. But if we talk about a social issue, we get censored. I don’t understand how discussing a social issue or saying that something wrong should be made right is bad for the youth… If talking about serious issues and reality and how to make it better is wrong; If we're living in that kind of society, things are not going to get any better." Despite the censorship, Epik High is not about to change their style. The group is a firm believer in using music as an instrument for social change. Tablo said in the interview: "We're not going to say we're not doing this because it might mean less album sales. If we think that, then we're no longer doing things that we're supposed to do. We’re no longer being honest with ourselves. As long as it’s our heads, in our hearts, we’re going to approach that no matter what." According to the Korean Music Industry Association, 'Remapping the Human Soul' recorded a total of 47,909 units sold in the first week it was on sale. This placed the trio in the top spot.

Epik High's new album 'Remapping the Human Mind'

Source The Korea Times – 19 February 2007: 'Epik High Soars to New Heights' Epik High's official home page: www.epikhigh.com