INFINITE to sing for L’s upcoming sitcom ‘What Is Mom’

INFINITE will be lending their voices for the OST of MBC‘s upcoming sitcom, ‘What Is Mom‘!

Although Woohyun‘s “Time” had been heard playing during a few scenes in ‘All My Love‘, this will be the first time the group as a whole will be officially participating in an OST of a show, and they have once again teamed up with Sweetune for their new track.

Woollim Entertainment revealed, “For the fans within Korea who haven’t been able to see INFINITE in a while, we have decided to participate in the OST to bring them a bit of enjoyment… You can expect a song filled with INFINITE’s unique color.”

In related news, INFINITE’s L has been confirmed as part of the cast for ‘What Is Mom’, which is scheduled to air starting next month.

Source + Photo: Osen via Daum

Tip: Minspirit7

Global popularity of Korean language surges

More than 10,000 were enrolled at King Sejong Institutes ― Korea’s state-run Korean language institutes operating overseas ― last year, double the number of students registered when the language school was established in 2009, according to the Culture Ministry.

The institute was founded in 2009 with 4,301 students enrolled at 17 branches in six countries in 2009.

According to Ahn Mi-jung of the Korean Language Policy Division of the Culture Ministry, the language schools, also known as Sejong Hakdang, was established to serve the needs of Koreans living overseas. 

Foreign students take TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) at Kyung Hee University in Seoul on Sunday. A record number of students ― 19,344 of them ― took the test on Sunday at 14 locations nationwide. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

However, the number of non-Korean students has been growing rapidly in recent years as more become interested in Korean culture in response to hallyu, a Korean cultural wave including K-pop and K-dramas.

Sejong Hakdang’s L.A. branch, for example, did not receive many non-Korean students when it opened. At the time, 75 percent of its students were Korean-Americans. But this year, 74 percent of its students are non-Korean. At its basic-level classes, more than 90 percent of the students are non-Koreans.

“We hope to see those who are interested in Korea’s pop culture deciding to learn the Korean language, and those who learn the Korean language getting interested in Korea’s pop culture at the same time,” said a Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles official, who is in charge of running Sejong Hakdang’s L.A. branch.

“Aside from the hallyu effect, more people overseas are interested in learning the Korean language as many Korean corporations have entered the overseas market and therefore have created jobs for the locals,” the official said.

The institute currently has 76 branches in 35 countries, including 17 in China, five in Vietnam, four in the U.S., three in Russia and Turkey, and one in Nigeria.

The government plans to increase the number of Sejong Hakdang branches to 90 by the end of this year, and to 200 by the year 2016, the Culture Ministry said.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldm.com)

Source & Image : The Korea Herald

Digital art show celebrates K-pop

S.M. Entertainment to hold an IT exhibition on K-pop singers in collaboration with global firms


S.M. Entertainment, one of the country’s three major entertainment agencies, is hosting the world’s first interactive entertainment exhibition in Seoul next month in collaboration with global firms. The S.M. Art Exhibition will present various types of entertainment content visualized through state-of-the-art IT technology.

Don’t let the title mislead. Despite being called an “art exhibition,” the event is more of a high-tech show rather than an exhibition.

The list of programs and shows includes “Fantasy Tree” ― a 13-meter-high circular installation consisting of 55 Samsung LED screens ― that shows super-sized S.M. Town artists performing in virtual space, “S.M. Motion” that offers the visitors a chance to experience the 360 degree camera technique that was used in the Hollywood movie “Matrix,” and a media show with Hyundai Motors using projection mapping technology. Among the jumbled up offering of IT and entertainment is SHINee’s live performance shown in a 3-D panorama theater. Visitors will also have a chance to make video calls and meet stars, sneak into artists’ secretive daily lives and view props used in concerts.

An artist’s drawing of “Fantasy Tree,” a 13-meter-high circular screen to be on display at the upcoming S.M. Art Exhibition at COEX. (S.M. Entertainment)

SHINee members pose for photo with figure artist Michael Lau (third from right). (S.M. Entertainment)

The only event that sounds like art is its collaboration with figure artist Michael Lau.

“The internationally acclaimed artist used TVXQ and SHINee as motives to his art work and added wit and humor to his creations,” S.M. Entertainment said.

The S.M. Art Exhibition is one of the latest events organized by entertainment agencies experimenting with new business method ― selling their content to big firms or collaborating with them.

YG Entertainment, led by former Seo Taiji member Yang Hyun-seok, is operating global collaboration with Hyundai Card on the branding of artists’ albums and Cheil Industries in the fashion business while JYP, led by singer Park Jin-young, has worked with Samsung Electronics. JYP has been offering its music content to Samsung’s digital devices.

S.M. Entertainment, on the other hand, seems to have taken the lead in its collaborations with big firms. It has become literally an all-in-one enterprise that develops entertainment content, makes it sellable and launches it in the market to finally reach “die-hard” fans or customers, not necessarily with help from big global firms.

As a sideline event, S.M. is holding “S.M. Town Live World Tour III” in Seoul on Aug. 18, a day before the exhibition ends.

“This time, all of our singers, including Kangta, BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x) and EXO, will present a varied show,” the agency said in a statement. The S.M. Entertainment artists performed in the United States in May and Taiwan last month, drawing attention from the local media. Before the Seoul show, they are scheduled to perform in Tokyo on Aug. 4-5.

S.M.Art Exhibition takes place at COEX, Samseong-dong in Seoul from Aug. 10 to 19. Tickets are 25,000 won and 85,000 won. For ticket purchase, visit www.ticket.auction.co.kr or call 1566-1369.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldm.com)

Source & Image : The Korea Herald

10 Male Idols we’d like to be on a date with this weekend

It’s the weekend and unfortunately we’re hard at work, ugh! If we had our way though, these are the top 10 male idols we’d like to be on a date with right now!

Super Junior's Siwon

 

Super Junior's Donghae

 

CNBLUE - Jung Yonghwa

 

Big Bang's TOP

 

B.A.P's Bang Yong Guk

 

B2ST's Doojoon

 

2PM's Taecyeon

 

Infinite's L

 

TVXQ - All 5 of them!

 

Psy - OPPARS GANGNAM STYLE