Korean Drama

[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008.03.21)
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(25)] Hallyu: The Koreanization of world culture

"Hallyu," or the Korean Wave, marks the long overdue re-emergence of Korean culture into the global arena. Korean culture's newfound international vogue situates South Korean cinema, TV melodramas, K-pop, and computer games as active participants in the transformation of world culture.

These "domestic" electronic audio-visual cultural creations are no longer limited to just the Korean peninsula and the global Korean diaspora despite that they are produced in the Korean language -- a language that is not one of the globalized imperial languages such as English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese.

Despite this linguistic barrier, hallyu is now a recognized agent of global cultural invigoration, committed to its core population of ethnic Koreans while simultaneously becoming attractive to a growing legion of adherents who choose to become cultural Koreans through their engagement with hallyu.

Hallyu cool, compelling, sophisticated

In short, hallyu has inaugurated the Koreanization of world culture because it is aesthetically cool, economically profitable, culturally compelling, technologically sophisticated, and ideologically introspective.

All of these factors reveal the former Hermit Kingdom transformed into a dynamic and sparkling kingdom. A kingdom that has found the means to secure its share of the global cultural limelight, despite historical forces that have stymied the country's rise to global significance.

Chinese hegemony, Japanese colonialism, the Korean War, political division of the peninsula, and the IMF crisis are just some of the more pronounced events that could have, but ultimately did not, conspire to keep Korea as a minor and forgettable national entity.

The birth of Korean cinema

To illustrate my position, I will focus on the cinematic component of hallyu.

Since its origins, Korean cinema struggled to exert its aesthetic, economic, and ideological independence. In 1895, at the dawn of the cinema, Korea's geographic obscurity and technological backwardness positioned Korea as an exhibitor of foreign films rather than a producer and distributor of films.

The Lumiere brothers first unveiled their "cinematographe" in Paris. It would take three years before the cinema arrived in Seoul in 1898, at the tail end of the Chosun dynasty.

Korea came across this new medium well after the metropolitan imperial capitals of Europe and North America. Even across Asia, the people of Bombay, Shanghai and Osaka encountered the cinema well before those in Seoul.

The need for massive capital to contemplate let alone establish the foundations for film production is still a daunting endeavor. It should come as no surprise that it took twenty-one years before Park Sung-pil produced and Kim To-san directed "Righteous Revenge" in 1919.

This is the first Korean kino-drama, a mixture of live theater interspersed with the screening of 1000 feet of film, constructed around 8 acts and 28 scenes.

The real surprise here is that it did not take longer before Korean cinema officially began independent production. Korea's first bona fide feature film arrived four years later.

In 1923, Yun Baek-nam produced and directed "The Plighted Love Under the Moon."

While their cinematic landmarks represent Korean entrepreneurial successes, both were completed during the Japanese occupation of Korea.

Hence, up until the liberation of 1945, the Korean films produced during this oppressive period faced strict Japanese censorship and almost all of these films were compromised in some way. Moreover, these films were designed for local consumption since even domestic distribution was a challenge.

The end of Japanese rule did not automatically improve conditions for the Korean film industry.

In less than a decade, the partition of the peninsula into Russian and American zones of administration was followed by the Korean War before the peninsula was officially divided politically into a democratic South Korea and a communist North Korea.

These events greatly disrupted film production, damaged the industry's infrastructure, and obliterated much of its cinematic heritage. Even under duress, Korean cinema in the south still managed to produce classics such as Choi In-gyu's "Hurrah! For Freedom" (1946), Lee Kyu-hwan's "Chunhyang Story" (1955), Han Hyoung-mo's "Madame Freedom" (1956), Lee Kang-chun's "Piagol" (1955), and Shin Sang-ok's "Flower in Hell" (1958).

Korea's cinematic Golden Age

1955-1972 marks South Korea's cinematic Golden Age. In part, the relative stability of life after the Korean War coupled with the favorable tax incentives for the film industry that President Rhee Syngman instituted made this possible.

A relatively liberal censorship policy also allowed for a degree of unsuppressed expression that was formerly impossible on the peninsula. Thus, for the first time in Korea's cinematic history, all of the pieces were finally in place to grant the film industry a degree of stability and freedom to excel.

This new nurturing environment produced neorealist and experimental masterpieces such as Kim Ki-young's "The Housemaid" (1960), Shin Sang-ok's "Mother and A Guest" (1961), and Yoo Hyeon-mok's "Aimless Bullet" (1961).

Facing the realities of a divided people and the need for rapid modernization just to attain a level of basic survival conditions, let alone prosperity, these films interrogated the depth of the Korean predicament.

The easy answers that are favored by entertainment cinema's escapist mode of filmmaking were eschewed. Instead, these films raised and revealed, in the neorealist mode of art cinema, the very Korean values and traditions that led to Korea's recent series of national tragedies.

The filmmakers held that a better national future was not possible unless Korean society addressed these issues in an overt exercise of willful self-critique.

For example, "Aimless Bullet" questions traditional Confucian values and patriarchy as an insufficient moral foundation to address the economic plight facing the Korean people.

In this film, moral purity does not provide an easy answer to economic devastation if the "perfect world" that this morality was supposed to guarantee is turned upside down.

After a series of family misfortunes, the protagonist voices his conundrum. All of his sincere efforts to live the proper life of the eldest son steeped in Confucian virtue is not a source of guaranteed empowerment in post-Korean War Seoul.

He bemoans, "I've tried so hard to be a good son, a good husband, a good father, a good brother, a good clerk."

The protagonist's younger brother expresses the true issue of the questionable Confucian ideal, one that makes one "reasonable, honest, and poor as hell."

But at the end of the day, the only thing that can rectify his family's plight is the stark economic confession, "I know I could have been a little richer."

This type of honest self-critique of sacred Korean values voiced the repressed questions that existed in every Koreans' mind but due to social etiquette remained largely unvoiced.

This film was released in 1960 at a key juncture in South Korea's history after President Rhee's resignation from office and before General Park Chung-Hee's May 16th coup d'etat in 1961. Park pulled the film from the theatres soon after taking office.

The film's interrogation of Confucian patriarchy and its value system still rings relevant today since Confucian ideology continues to define and justify Korea's moral social framework.

1961 marked another tide of paradigmatic change with the start of militarized democracy as former generals became the next three successive presidents.

Begun by Park Chung-Hee and continued by Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo, ideological inflexibility defined by staunch anti-Communism was the standing order of the day.

During this same time, North Korea responded with an equal anti-South Korean policy.

Economic growth feeds censorship

Rapid economic expansion via accelerated industrialization and an export-oriented economic policy catapulted South Korea to its current enviable status as a nation amongst nations.

Questioning or critiquing this dual-focused national agenda -- of anti-communism and industrialized development -- was suppressed and the creative dynamism of the previous decade was compromised.

The cinema was not immune. Stricter censorship laws and film policies that favored over production of domestic films in hopes of securing a lucrative foreign film import certificate created a cinematic dark age.

Korean filmmakers struggled to create films that were critically engaging during a time when such critical perspectives were frowned upon.

Even a film such as Park Kwang-su's 1988 film "Chilsu and Mansu" had to create an oblique critique by having its two protagonists engage in pro-democracy demonstrations.

Yet even this dark cloud could not stop the creation of local box office sensations such as Kim Chung-ki's "Robot Taekwon V" (1976), South Korea's first animated feature film, and a number of landmark films by Im Kwon-taek such as "Gilsoddeum" (1986) and "The Surrogate Mother" (1987).

<continuing in next post...>

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

(source: Korea Herald 2008.03.21) [THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(25)] Hallyu: The Koreanization of world culture

'Shiri' turns the tide

On the cinematic front, the hallyu breakthrough moment occurs in 1999. In the previous year, each and every national film market had succumbed to the Hollywood onslaught represented by James Cameron's "Titanic" (1997) when the film was released to the global film market.

South Korea's national film industry was repeating the global norm under which its domestic market was inevitably dominated by Hollywood films.

Nevertheless, Kang Je-gyu's "Shiri," produced as a Korean styled Hollywood blockbuster film complete with some of the latest special effects wizardry, bested "Titanic" at the local box office: 2,448,399 tickets vs. 1,971,780 tickets in Seoul.

"Shiri" set a new standard, which successive South Korean filmmakers have continued to surpass. Based on box office data compiled by the Korean Film Council, local films have continuously retained the number one spot since 1999: Park Chan-wook's "Joint Security Area" (2000), Kwak Kyung-taek's "Friend" (2001), Lee Jeong-hyang's "The Way Home" (2002), Bong Joon-ho's "Memories of Murder" (2003), Kang Je-gyu's "Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War" (2004), Park Kwang-hyun's "Welcome to Dongmakgol" (2005), and Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" (2006).

The dominant position of the domestic box office hit vis-a-vis the Hollywood challenger and the disparity in favor of domestic films by the domestic audience can be seen in 2006 when "The Host" sold 13,571,254 tickets nationally versus J. J. Abrams' "Mission: Impossible III" (2006) which sold just 5,740,789 tickets.

On top of retaining the number one box office spot for eight successive years, South Korea's domestic film industry also retained the majority share of its box office.

According to KOFIC, domestic films regained majority share in 2001 and retained this through 2006 except for 2002: 50.1 percent in 2001; 48.3 percent in 2002; 53.5 percent in 2003; 59.3 percent in 2004; 58.7 percent in 2005; and 63.8 percent in 2006.

This is a dramatic improvement from the nadir of 15.9 percent in 1993. More importantly, the average attendance per capita for domestic films increased from a low of 0.2 in 1995 to a record high of 2.0 in 2006.

For foreign films, the average rose slightly from 0.8 to 1.1 for the same period, respectively. This clearly demonstrates the domestic film industry's ability to establish and maintain its economic viability and popular appeal on its home turf.

The home audience and market has been and must remain the primary market for South Korean cinema for it to revel in its dynamic success.

The new Hollywood counter model

Unfortunately, data for 2007 reveal a resurgence of American domination with Michael Bay's "Transformers" (2007) taking the top box office slot and Korea losing its majority share of the market with 46.8 percent.

Had "Shiri" been the only local film to attain this unimaginable milestone, this event would only stand as a minor footnote in world cinema.

The fact that "Shiri" heralded a renaissance for South Korea's film industry in tune with its other hallyu media compatriots (TV melodramas such as "Winter Sonata" (2002) and "Jewel in the Palace" (2003), K-Pop artists such as BoA and Rain, and computer games such as NC Soft's Lineage) situates South Korea's cinema as the new counter model to Hollywood.

Prior to 1999, local cinematic power over Hollywood imports occurred in India (Bollywood's "masala" films), China (due to a strict import quota on foreign films), and Hong Kong (prior to the countdown to 1997 and there afterward due to the success of its action cinema and Canton language based comedies).

In effect, South Korea's film industry is now the new cinematic business model by which a small nation can revitalize itself and reclaim its domestic market even against the full weight of Hollywood.

To reflect this new paradigm, Anthony Leong would title his analysis of the rise of New Korean Cinema as "Korean Cinema: The New Hong Kong" (2006).

What began as a Korean specific cultural phenomenon did not remain isolated just to the southern half of the Korean peninsula. One of the earliest foreign adherents to the rise of hallyu was none other than Korea's historical nemesis -- Japan.

According to export figures released by KOFIC, Japan remains the biggest single overseas market for Korean feature films: 74 percent in 2002; 44.8 percent in 2003; 69.3 percent in 2004; 79.4 percent in 2005; and 42.4 percent in 2006.

Next in line is the United States: 10 percent in 2002; 14.5 percent in 2003; 4 percent in 2004; 2.7 percent in 2005; and 8 percent in 2006. However, in 2006, Thailand would take over the number two spot accounting for 13.6 percent.

On a regional basis, Asia has always been the favored area followed by Europe and then North America. This held true from 2002-2006. Asia's share would peak in 2005 at 87 percent. For Europe, it reached a high of 20 percent in 2006. For North America, the high reached 14.5 percent in 2003.

So while Japan's national share may wane, Asia's regional share still increased as new markets opened up in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand.

Hollywood keeps firm grip on U.S. cinema

The status of hallyu films in the United States is somewhat enigmatic. America's domestic screens remain largely closed to foreign films.

There is a ready-made small venue through art cinemas but mass crossover appeal is not possible since American studios and distributors favor direct release to DVD or the creation of Hollywood remakes of foreign originals.

Roy Lee, co-founder and CEO of Vertigo Entertainment, is the "remake king" in large part because he is at the forefront of introducing Asian box office hit films to Hollywood for the remake treatment.

The danger of this strategy is that the Hollywood studio that purchases the remake rights also demands legal ownership of the intellectual property to the original concept behind the film.

So while the remake deal may provide the Korean production company with income and some limited exposure to the U.S. market, it also raises the strange case where it loses ownership of its original cinematic creativity.

This means that if the original Korean creative team desires to make a sequel, they will first have to purchase the rights from Hollywood. Otherwise they will be in violation of intellectual copyright laws.
The inclusion of English subtitles to Korean DVDs of feature films and TV melodramas makes possible the dissemination of hallyu from the blocked-out big screens of the cinema to the more numerous and accessible little screens in individual living rooms across the Anglophone world.

Internet vendors such as yesasia.com and dvdasian.com have seen sales rise dramatically as both ethnic and non-ethnic Koreans return as repeat customers.

In major U.S. cities with large ethnic populations, the local ethnic Asian media outlets also serve as distribution nodes. So while hallyu films may not register on U.S. box office charts, they do circulate with a growing fan base.

For the big screen, independent cultural entities are at the forefront of holding local film festivals that exclusively or inclusively feature hallyu films.

Through the efforts of Kim Jin-young and Cho Yuni, The Korea Society regularly organizes the Korean Film Festival in New York City. Individual universities will also schedule annual or intermittent film festivals for these films.

In 2006, the Korea Foundation sponsored a Korean Cultural Festival at 30 universities in the U.S. with hallyu films serving as one of the key components.

In San Francisco, the Korean Image Makers Association, a diverse group of students led by Professor Heo Chul of Korea University and San Francisco State University, have spearheaded a near-annual Korean film festival in the Bay Area.

On the other side of the continent, Subway Cinema's New York Asian Film Festival plays a significant role in introducing Korean films to a wider American audience, with regular inclusion of popular Korean blockbusters in its program.

The Village Voice even recognized the festival as being "pivotal in recently putting Korean cinema on the urban-American map." Thanks to the efforts and personal passion of the festival's co-director Goran Topalovic, NYAFF also brings attention to smaller, overlooked genre films, such as Song Il-gon's "Feathers in the Wind" (2004) and Nam Ki-woong's "Never Belongs To Me" (2006).

While the limited direct U.S. distribution to theatres of "The Host" and Shim Hyung-rae's "D-War" (2007), released as "Dragon Wars: D-War" in the U.S., mark a welcomed change to an otherwise closed domestic film market in the U.S., hallyu films will continue to circulate largely by way of DVDs and film festivals in North America.

<continuing in next post...>

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

(source: Korea Herald 2008.03.21) [THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(25)] Hallyu: The Koreanization of world culture

Hallyu films become bolder

The strength behind hallyu films is their willingness to readdress aspects of Korea's past that was formerly taboo and their reengagement with cinema as an aesthetic endeavor.

For example, the pain of the divided Koreas and the desire for unification rather than perpetual separation are narrative tropes repeated in "Shiri" and "Joint Security Area."

In "Shiri," the South Korean agents ultimately prevail over the North Korean infiltration team but the terms of victory become bittersweet since the protagonist must shoot dead his fiance and their unborn child.

In "JSA," fifty years of political division -- diligently maintained along the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas -- quickly melts away as two sets of guards from both sides strike up a natural camaraderie.

Rather than remaining as the demonized other, North Koreans have become objects of romantic love and friendship, respectively.

Other examples include Lee Chang-dong who utilizes reverse chronological narratives built around a series of regressing flashbacks in "Peppermint Candy" (1999) to question the inevitability of the Gwangju Incident.

A director like Lee Myung-se continues to push the cinematic aesthetic envelop in films such as "Nowhere to Hide" (1999), "The Duelist" (2005), and "M" (2007).

Even a blockbuster hit like "The Host" upstages the traditional horror genre by revealing in full detail under optimal lighting conditions the monster early in the narrative rather than traditionally delaying this scene until the final confrontation.

Conclusion: A Korean film renaissance

In short, hallyu films reveal a renaissance within the Korean film industry. One that can entice its domestic audience because of its willingness to address local concerns, desires, and sensibilities with the full global cinematic array of genre, aesthetic, and ideological perspectives.

Hallyu cinema advances a new vision of a present and future Korea that is no longer isolated from the global limelight but rather engaged with it. It is this renewed creative cultural openness that positions hallyu cinema as an invited dynamic force in the continuing transformation of world cinematic culture -- one that can remain nationally engaged and thereby internationally compelling.

By Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park
University of Notre Dame
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSI...0803200030.jpg

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008.03.19)
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(24)] Producer believes in power of good storytelling

In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 24th in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.

What comes up to your mind when you hear the word "Hallyu" or Korean Wave might be heartthrobs like Bae Yong-joon or Kwon Sang-woo.

What if, though, they couldn't find the right dramas - "Winter Sonata" for Bae and "Stairway to Heaven" for Kwon - to turn them into pan-Asian stars?

They might or might not be "Hallyu stars" now, but the point is that there is far more than just star power involved in making a Korean cultural product a success in the Asian market, - for example brilliant storylines and good character development.

When Yoon Suk-ho, 50, producer of the massively popular television series "Winter Sonata" (2002), created "Spring Waltz" (2006), the final installment of his famous four-season series, he assigned the main characters of it to actor Seo Do-young and actress Han Hyo-joo - newcomers to the entertainment world.


▲Yoon Suk-ho [Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald]

His previous work, such as "Autumn In My Heart," and "Winter Sonata," featured top stars. "Spring Waltz" wasn't exactly a smash hit here. But overseas, "Spring Waltz" added new momentum to the Korean Wave across Asia. Broadcasting contracts were signed with TV networks in nine Asian nations, even before the drama was shown in Korea.

"Right before his debut in 1994 with 'Love Greeting,' Bae Yong-joon told me excitedly that there were people recognizing him. Bae Yong-joon and Won Bin were not stars from the beginning," Yoon told The Korea Herald. "Star-oriented producing deprives talented rookie entertainers of the opportunity to provide a fresh spin on the entertainment industry, and will do harm to the entire industry by increasing production costs."

Instead of depending on star power, the producer chose to turn the two rookie actors into stars, and the result was impressive. The profits from the initial export deal of the 20-episode drama - about young sweethearts who meet again after being out of touch for 15 years - was over 5 billion won ($4.9 million), covering the production costs of the drama.

Besides, "Spring Waltz" also made the two rookies far bigger stars in Japan than here, after the television series was aired on Japan's NHK television last year.

Earlier this month, about 100 Japanese fans of Seo Do-young visited Korea to see him act in the new KBS sitcom "Unstoppable Wedding," a remake of the movie of the same title, in which he plays Wang Gi-baek, son of an overnight millionaire. Han Hyo-joo, 21, who won the Best Actress award at the 20th Singapore International Film Festival last year for her performance in director Lee Yoon-ki's "Ad-lib Night," earned the delightful nickname of "The Nagasawa Masami of Korea" in Japan.

"Star power does generate revenue, but sometimes the power to create new stars comes from good storytelling," continued the producer, who enjoys rock-star-like popularity in Japan. Yoon says that the almost phenomenal success of "Winter Sonata" in Japan is because the story reminds Japanese viewers of something universal and time-transcending - pure love and self-sacrifice - which had become old virtues in Japanese television drama making.

The power of the storytelling outliving star power was proved when "Winter Sonata" was staged as musical drama in Sapporo, Japan two years ago. There - even without "Yonsama" or "Jiwoohime" in the cast - the musical version of the soap opera still had a magical hold on its Japanese fans, making audiences weep with its story of unfaltering love.

In fact, the true star of the evening was Yoon, who also attended the performance as the artistic director of the musical version. At the end of the show, many Japanese fans recognized him and surrounded him to get his autograph.

While television dramas mean much to him, he also has a good reason to carry on with the musical drama, despite his busy schedule.

"I thought it is worth trying to expand the realm of cultural content," the producer said. "A performing arts work like a musical drama often outlives television series, and the good thing is it can always be revised, performance after performance," he added.

At the invitation of the Japanese entertainment giant, Amuse Entertainment, the musical made its way to Tokyo and Osaka in the autumn of 2006 for what Yoon thinks is the true premiere of the musical. "Many plans are currently in my mind, though not many of them are finalized. We may remake it with Japanese actors to perform in Japanese later, or we will bring it to Korea, targeting foreign tourists," he said.

The musical doesn't deviate much from the TV drama in the story. Different from the television series, where Jun-sang (Bae Yong-jun), Eu-jin (Choi Ji-woo), Sang-hyuk (Park Yong-ha) and Chae-rin (Park Sol-mi) are all school friends, the musical version made Chae-rin a stranger to Eu-jin, to good dramatic effect.

"They say 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,' but I've come up with many new ideas about musical dramas while working on the musical," Yoon said. "Making new musical dramas out of my past television dramas is one of them."

In May of last year, Yoon's Color, his production company located near Hongik University in Seoul, opened a Korean television drama theme park called "Four Seasons House" at its office building, which includes memorabilia from Yoon's hit soap operas including the "Four Season Series." In less than a year's time, the place has become a must visit for fans of Korean television dramas.

"I always try to bring a warm humanity to my works, and I believe this is what made 'Winter Sonata' popular in Japan. Though television dramas here are becoming more and more sophisticated and commercial, in a sense, at the same time, I'd like to remain on track to create the best, based on my sense of what is right," said the producer.

By Lee Yong-sung (danlee@heraldm.com)

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[Laneige]

So sad someone went overseas and end up cannot come back to home country....

KBS World every Mon will have some celebrities update. Maybe they will talk abt this too.

[MAGs]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

* WHEN IT'S AT NIGHT * MAIN CAST: Kim Sun-ah (My Name Is Kim Sam-soon), Lee Dong-gun (Lovers In Paris, Sweet 18, Smile Again) PD: Son Hyung-suk (Auction House) SCRIPT: Kim Eun-hee & Yoon Eun-Kyung (Winter Sonata, Summer Scent, Sweet 18, Snow Queen) BROADCAST STATION: MBC EPISODES: 16 START: June 16, 2008 (replacing Yi San) BROADCAST TIME: Monday & Tuesday @ 9:55 PM (Korea Time) GENRE: Romantic Comedy [image=stoo] About The Writers... * Kim Eun-hee * The Snow Queen (2006/2007) - Hyun Bin, Sung Yu-ri Once In A Summer (2006) [movie] {wrote with others} - Lee Byung-hun, Soo Ae Sweet 18 (2004) - Han Ji-hye, Lee Dong-gun Summer Scent (2003) - Song Seung-hun, Son Ye-jin Winter Sonata (2002) - Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo * Yoon Eun-kyung * The Snow Queen (2006/2007) - Hyun Bin, Sung Yu-ri Temptation Of Wolves / Romance Of Their Own (2004) [movie] {wrote with others} - Kang Dong-won, Jo Han-sun, Lee Chung-ah Sweet 18 (2004) - Han Ji-hye, Lee Dong-gun Summer Scent (2003) - Song Seung-hun, Son Ye-jin Winter Sonata (2002) - Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo

this should be good

[mastermemei]

Originally Posted by MAGs

this should be good

ITA! I love Kim Sun Ah and the male lead

[bag.lover]

Actress Moon Geun-young



[images=sina]

[bag.lover]

Han Ye-seul




[images=sina]

[bag.lover]

Actress Ha Ji-won





[images=sina]

[bag.lover]

Actress Ha Ji-won





[images=sina]

[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008.03.26)
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(27)]Pop producer: Korean Wave is in trouble

Media and policy makers are giddy over what Korean entertainers have achieved in Asia in the past 10 years.

Superficially, at least, there is plenty of optimism floating around here about the future of the Korean Wave, or "Hallyu" -- more and more Korean singers and actors are targeting overseas markets from the very beginning, while top Hallyu stars continue to rule Asia.

From a different angle, however, Korean stars' increased sense of presence in Asia also reflects their ongoing struggles to survive the current crisis of the local entertainment market. This is why Lee Soo-man, founder and producer of the now 12-year-old SM Entertainment, presents a somewhat gloomy prospect for the future of the Korean Wave.

"The local pop music market almost doesn't exist now, with only a few albums selling over 100,000 copies a year, and the pervasive practice of illegal downloading of films and songs is making the matter worse," Lee said in an interview with The Korea Herald. "What is big in Japan is also big in Asia, and what is big in Korea has a good chance of becoming a winner in the Japanese market, but the collapse of the local pop music market deprived us of our testing grounds."



Having been a popular singer and show host himself throughout the '80s and '90s, Lee successfully revised his career when he founded the local entertainment giant with seminal boy band H.O.T.'s sensational debut back in 1996.

In fact, Lee's production house has been the most successful pop-idol factory in all of Asia during the past few years. Many of the pop stars leading the Korean Wave such as BoA, TVXQ (also known as Tong Vfang Xien Qi or Dong Bang Shin Ki), Super Junior and most recently, Girl's Generation (Sonyeo Sidae) were all discovered and nurtured by SM. Their music has been transformed into a competitive cultural commodity.

Like BoA, 22, who has sold over 10 million copies of her albums in Japan since 2001, each of them strategically planned to satisfy the varying tastes of young pop-music fans. In a 2004 briefing to then-President Roh Moo-hyun, the company said that BoA alone had produced about $100 million worth of both tangible and intangible profits in and outside of Korea.

"SM has experimented with the combination of dance music with swing or soul, which has never been big in the history of Japanese pop music. Through these efforts, we have come up with a unique music style that can be called 'K-pop.' Culture is not something that can be developed in isolation, and the same goes for pop music," Lee said.

Although his entertainment powerhouse is not involved as much in the film industry as it is in the pop industry, Lee expressed serious concern about the effects of illegal downloading on the country's film industry.

"Film producers and investors often take financial risks to make good films, because there is a DVD market. But illegal downloading has killed that market." According to Lee, the issue is more serious here than in China, the country once notorious for massive copyright infringement. As systems are getting better in China, the once well-established market here has suddenly gone cold.

To improve the overall competitiveness of Korean television dramas, Lee argued that the cost of a TV commercial, which is currently fixed regardless of the popularity of a program, should be left to the invisible hand of the market. "Who in God's name is going to invest more to improve the quality of a soap opera if they ends up getting the same amount of money whether it's popular or not?"

Lee believes that Korean soap operas could be nearly as competitive in the entertainment world as the almost ubiquitous U.S. television series, if only there was a proper incentive to attract creative talent to produce good dramas at good prices in Asian market.

In his previous interview with The Korea Herald in 2006, Lee expected that China will grow to have the biggest entertainment market in Asia in a few years. "The biggest star always comes from the biggest market, and thus the Asian market will become the most important source of the world's top entertainers, as it includes China, which will be a 'future Hollywood.'"

He still holds on to this belief. "Changes taking place in the Chinese market are moving far faster than I expected. We still have a know-how in star management that China doesn't have, so we have to work to bring the benefits to Northeast Asia, collaborating with Japanese capital and Chinese human resources."

On Monday, Lee delivered a lecture on the future of Asian entertainment to 22 students from the MIT Sloan School of Management at the headquarters of SM Entertainment in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul. The lecture was part of the student's field trip to Korea, through which potential future global business leaders meet with the country's leading political and business figures.

Also attending the one hour-long lecture were celebrities under the company's management, including members of Girl's Generation and boy band Super Junior and actress Lee Yeon-hee. After the lecture, the students joked with the stars on the stage, taking photos together.

During the lecture, Lee emphasized that "made by Korea" should be more important than "made in Korea," in what he calls "the third stage of Hallyu."

He explained that the first stage was initiated and led by Korean cultural content and artists born in Korea, such as the now-defunct H.O.T. and BoA, while the second one came when local agencies turned their eyes to neighboring markets -- China and Japan -- to make their talent and content big in Korea and elsewhere in Asia.

"In the third stage, Korea, Japan and China will exert control over the global entertainment market through their cooperation," he said. In that case, "made by Korea" should be more important than "made in Korea."

By Lee Yong-sung (danlee@heraldm.com)

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2008-03-25)
Samsung Unveils Promotional Music Video Starring Rain



Samsung Electronics has unveiled the 2008 Beijing Olympics theme song and the music video that will be used for advertising its Anycall mobile phones. Singer and actor Rain, who is one of the hottest celebrities in Asia, stars in the music video.

Samsung Electronics, one of the official sponsors of the 2008 summer Olympic games, launched the music video starring Rain at a recent event announcing the participants of the Olympic Flame relay. The music video is about working hard and achieving one's dreams. Rain conveys the message by dancing throughout the music video.

Rain took active part in choreographing the dance moves for the music video, which boasts blockbuster-level cinematography. In the video, Rain battles it out with talented B-Boys and shows off his sexy charm to the fullest. Rain's physique in the music video reportedly looks very impressive, as he underwent months of hard training to prepare for the shooting of the film 'Ninja Assassin,' a new Hollywood action movie.

Director Jang Jae-hyuk, who made the music video for 'It's Raining,' the title song of Rain's 3rd studio album, took charge once again. Samsung Anycall's promotional music video starring Rain will be played throughout the Olympic Flame relay as well as the summer Olympic games for a total of 97 days. The video will also be edited into a 15-second commercial clip that will go on air nationwide in China and Hong Kong starting in early April.

Once he finishes shooting 'Ninja Assassin,' Rain will visit China in mid-August to take part in events related to the Summer Olympics.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Times 03-25-2008 16:28)
'Three Kingdoms' Premieres in Seoul

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter


Director Daniel Lee, star actors Maggie Q and Andy Lau, and martial arts director Sammo Hung appear at the world premiere of "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon'' at a theater in central Seoul. / Yonhap

The star-studded cast and crew of "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon'' saw the world premiere of the Korean film project Monday at CGV Yongsan Theater in central Seoul. Superstars Maggie Q and Andy Lau and directors Daniel Lee and Sammo Hung sent a buzz through the city as reporters and fans gathered for the exclusive event before its release across Asia.

Korea and China bring an ambitious war epic inspired by "Romance of the Three Kingdoms.'' The 600-year-old epic novel by Luo Guangzhong is one of the most important literary pieces in China and is also a classic read in Korea.

The film marks many firsts and challenges for the makers. Korea's Taewon Entertainment, which handled sales and post-production scripting, calls it a "global'' project that goes beyond being a Korea-China collaboration. It is aimed for wide release outside of Asia.

"We spent a really long time,'' said director Lee, the martial arts maestro of films like "Dragon Squad.'' "It's a dream come true,'' he said.
"Three Kingdoms'' presents historical fiction from a different angle, with Zhao Zilong as the protagonist instead of three sworn blood brothers.

Andy Lau, a household name in many Asian countries, had fans waiting for him outside the theater. He plays the role of Zhao, a commoner-turned-general remembered as an undefeated hero in Chinese history.

"It's such a well-known story, so I was very nervous, but I think audiences might like it,'' said Lau. About portraying a historical figure, he said it was tough. "There are three perspectives on Zhao historians' professional knowledge, how normal people like us remember him and his character known through a popular computer game. I can't satisfy all these, but I tried to stay true to the script,'' he said.

During the 17th century, China remains divided and Zhao fights for the Shu Kingdom's unification efforts. After decades of victory but still no unification, an aged Zhao faces his final battle against warring state Wei.

Maggie Q, the sexy star of Hollywood blockbusters like "Die Hard 4.0'' and "Mission Impossible 3,'' stars as Cao Ying, a vicious female warrior heading the Wei kingdom.

"I came to this project as an outsider, not really understanding the history of it, not speaking the language and not having any background,'' said Q, who had to not only pull off demanding action sequences but also learn Mandarin and pipa, a traditional string instrument. "I'm not a musician, not even close… It was a cause of a lot of stress. I would go to sleep crying,'' she said with a hearty laugh. "I feel myself more clumsy and not so feminine and so I just had shut Maggie off for a while and be this person and really believe it.

"It was probably the most difficult film I've done yet,'' she said, adding "everything attracted me about the role and the film.'' Despite her initial doubts and fears, her "love and respect'' for the director enabled her to follow through.

About the rough battle scenes, she said "It's tough being in these guy movies, I feel like I'm always in these guy movies, I really want to do a chick flick.'' It's easy, she said, to be overshadowed by the strong talent and presence of actors like Lau. But like her character, who must emulate a man, she said "I got to feel like that in this industry, where you sort of wish you could just be a woman and relax and be happy but it takes a lot of strength to be where you are.''

Renowned martial arts director Sammo Hung not only directs but also plays a principal part as Zhao's jealous friend. He said he was extremely satisfied with the leading actors' moves. While he had previously worked with Lau and had no worries, he was initially concerned about Q but later felt comfortable.

The director also expressed great satisfaction working with the cast. "It's hard to describe in words how happy I am with their performances. Lau had to portray a man from his 20s to 70s, and he did it perfectly, with the look in his eyes and all, particularly in the last scene when an invincible hero loses for the first time,'' he said. "As for Maggie, who had to play what was originally a male part, I had doubts. But she blew me away.''

Like many big-budget war movies, visual effects played a large part. "I believe that computer graphics are a type of language,'' said Lee. "There are many excellent firms around the world. I specifically asked the Korean firm (Mixfilm) for realistic depictions. I wanted to film a `documentary' version of `The Three Kingdoms' through the characters. So I didn't want anything too beautified, and I am very satisfied with the results,'' he said.

"The computer graphics were essential for not only the war scenes but for every minute detail. For example, while filming in the desert we'd experience four seasons in one day. It's be rainy and then sunny and snow at night,'' he said.

"Three Kingdoms'' will open across theaters April 3 in Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. It will also appear in the competition section of New York's Tribeca Film Festival in mid-April.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Times 03-25-2008 16:22)
Experts Believe Seoul Fashion Moving on Right Course

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter



Seoul Fashion Week may not yet be on the level of Paris, Milan, New York or London, but international fashion experts believe it is headed in the right direction.

Jean-Pierre Mocho, president of the French Ready-to-Wear Federation, and Anna Orsini, head of the British Fashion Council International, had high praise for the collections presented by Korean designers during Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Monday.

"With this kind of collection you are building, you are coming close to the right direction. Not today, but I think in two year's time,'' Mocho said.

Orsini was also impressed with Korea's fashion and retail market. "Korea is a very important market for fashion… We have seen Korean multi-brand stores with 11 or 12 floors of international brands. We would like the buyers to be interested in Korean fashion and help Korean fashion reach international level,'' she said.

Mocho and Orsini met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who attended designer Moon Young-hee's fashion show Sunday.

Seoul is hoping to establish its Fashion Week as the 5th major international fashion collection, after Paris, Milan, New York and London. Seoul Fashion Week, which started in 2000, still faces stiff competition from other Asian fashion capitals like Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Mocho gave his insights on Seoul Fashion Week, and gave suggestions on how to strengthen the link between Seoul and Paris' fashion industries. He suggested establishing a Korean fashion information center in Paris, as well as holding a fashion competition for young Korean designers.

"I think the collection at Seoul Fashion Week is very high level. You have different ways, both high and medium. But the way you are creating this collection is in the right direction. It doesn't matter if the schedule (of Seoul Fashion Week) is good or not. The most important thing is if the collection is good,'' Mocho said.

It is also important for Korean designers to incorporate traditional elements in their designs. "One reason why we travel the world to see fashion is because we want to see the individuality of the country. It is important for designers to use elements of traditional fashion, use traditional fabric and make it as wearable as possible,'' Orsini said.

Top fashion designers Lee Young-hee and Lie Sang-bong have taken elements of Korean culture such as hanbok and Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and incorporated it in their designs, which have been recognized abroad.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has identified the high-value fashion industry, as one of the new growth drivers for the economy. Korea is one of the world's top 10 fashion industries, in terms of creativity, design and quality.

When asked to describe Seoul's fashion industry, Oh cited the "strong passion for fashion, and the rich history and culture of Korea as its main characteristics.

"I believe if the city government gives the fashion industry enough support, our fashion industry can be a world-class industry. When the local government aids the industry, it should be indirect, and focused on creating a proper environment for our design industry,'' Oh said.

He also expressed support for initiatives to increase exchanges in fashion and culture between Seoul and Paris. "Paris is no doubt the center of the world's fashion industry. I am proud to say Seoul is the fashion center of Northeast Asia. In this regard, I think it is really important for cities to have this kind of cooperation and exchanges,'' he said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

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