Korean indie films

Local independent cinema has not seen many blockbuster hits like 2009’s “Old Partner” lately but smaller films have slowly yet surely been receiving wider exposure. This month sees a particularly strong lineup of low-budget movies in theaters across the country, including international film fest-verified pictures.

Indie flick enthusiasts and moviegoers looking for alternatives to mainstream fare can appreciate this genre, not only in local arthouses, but also at larger venues.

Multiplex giant CGV has been operating Movie Collage, a program that devotes a number of screens to low-budget works, and is hosting an independent film showcase through March 31. Select CGV theaters around the country housing the project will feature premieres as well as past works.




“We feel that an increasing number of moviegoers want more diversity, and Movie Collage does just this. We lose about 3 billion won a year running the program but we see it as a long-term investment. And last year we had a record number of over 3 billion moviegoers visiting Movie Collage theaters,” said CGV’s head of PR Yi Sang-kyu.

“Choked,” which was invited to the Berlin and Miami International Film Festivals recently, opened last week at CGV Daehangno, under a section focusing on works by Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) graduates.

The film, also to be screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival later this month, is the first feature by Kim Joong-hyun. A young man’s life is turned upside down when creditors summon him over his missing mother’s debt. The work has been acclaimed for making incisive observations of contemporary Korean society while exuding a sense of compassion.



“Romance Joe,” a collection of intertwined stories involving a suicidal assistant director, has also been released in select theaters around the country.

The film is considered one of the most anticipated of the season among critics, as it already won a Citizens’ Choice Award at the Busan Festival and competed earlier this year in Rotterdam, which is considered a rite of passage of sorts for promising new directors. It marks the feature debut of Lee Kwang-kuk, the longtime assistant to minimal-realist auteur Hong Sang-soo. The Rotterdam Festival organizers described Lee as playing “the storytelling game with unmistakable pleasure in this elegantly shot first feature.”

Fans will be seeing more films that have been invited to Rotterdam including most notably “Stateless Things,” the second picture by Kim Kyung-mook to be shown at the Dutch event.



The film is about two outsiders — a North Korean refugee and a gay prostitute — trying to find their niche. Audience members will be able to converse with the filmmaker himself and lead cast members following the 7:40 p.m. screening on Friday at Sangsang Madang Cinema in Hongdae and the 7:20 p.m. screening on Saturday at Indieplus in Sinsa-dong.

On Thursday, moviegoers can see the re-opening of multiple award-winning auteur Jeon Soo-il’s stark drama “Pink,” about a traumatized woman finding refuge at an obscure port city bar. The film, which had premiered last October, explores the nature of implosive violence and psychosexuality. As typical of Jeon’s works, it features long shots that ebb and flow like a series of still life photographs, accompanied by lilting music by rocker Kang San-eh.

The CGV Movie Collage Korean Independent Film Festival also presents past works that have come to define the local genre, such as Yang Ik-june’s “Breathless” and last year’s decidedly adult animation “King of Pigs.”

Abovementioned films are/will be shown at arthouses and Movie Collage theaters around the country including CGV Apgujeong, Gangbyeon, Sangam, Guro and Daehangno in Seoul; CGV Dong (East) Suwon, Ori and Icheon in Gyeonggi Province; and CGV Seomyeon in Busan.

Visit www.cgv.co.kr for more information.

Source: The Korea Times

Envoy builds on multiculturalism

Paraguayan envoy here has lent a helping hand to Korea becoming a multicultural country by donating national cultural items from his South American homeland for display at Seoul’s only museum dedicated to promoting multiculturalism.

Paraguayan Ambassador to Korea Ceferino Valdez donated numerous Paraguayan cultural items, including nanduti, to the eponymous Multiculture Museum, Wednesday.

Whether “melting pot” or “salad bowl,” Korea has been, over the past decade or so, opening up to the world. In existence for about three years, the Multiculture Museum opened in Bulgwang-dong last year.

“I think it is very important what he is doing with this museum, teaching the Korean public about multiculturalism, about many people from all over the world,” Valdez said.

The museum is the brainchild of Kim Yoon-tae, the museum’s director. He saw a need for a center that would help raise awareness of the peoples and cultures around the world in Korea.

As Kim saw it, people from dozens of countries are coming here to live, work and study, and but the public lacked sufficient understanding of the larger world.

The museum builds what Kim and Valdez believe is needed understanding through culture multicultural classes for children at the museum and by sending “multicultural emissaries,” usually foreign students here, to local schools to present tutorials, and by having special luncheons.

“I met Mr. Kim through Paraguyan students because he hired them to raise awareness about Paraguayan culture among the Korean public,” Valdez said at the museum when he donated the Paraguayan cultural items. “Then I visited the museum with my wife.”

The Guampa and bombilla were donated by the Valdez. A Guampa is a traditional drinking vessel made from cow horns and handcrafted silver om which to drink yerba mate through the straw-like bombilla. Yerba mate is a delicious caffeinated tea wildly enjoyed in Paraguay.

The museum will now also have Paraguayan currency to display, donated by Veronica Lopez, student in Korea and sister of Adriana. Valdez also donated a pancho, children’s books and a statue of kurupi, an important figure in Guarani mythology well known for his his enormous prehensile male appendage.

“The most important thing is that he is teaching children here about cultures of people around the world,” Valdez said.

Nanduti is a traditional Paraguayan embroidered lacework. The examples of Nanduti that the museum will display were donated by Adriana Lopez, 2nd secretary at the Paraguayan Embassy. The name means “spider web” in Guarani, the official, indigenous language of Paraguay. Multicultural classes are available for children daily at the museum.

Today a class on Japanese culture is offered. Tuesday French, Wednesday Nigerian Thursday Colombia and Friday Polish. Class subject are subject to change. For more information about the classes and the museum, check out www.multiculturemuseum.com.

Korean make-up go ga-ga over the world

First there were TV dramas and K-pop, and now Korean makeup style is becoming a global fad. Already the makeup styles of Korean actresses and young pop groups influence fashions in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, where the Korean Wave first started, but recently American and European women, too, have been learning the techniques on YouTube, which features hundreds of videos promising to reveal Korean "beauty secrets."

◆ What Is the Appeal?

Beauty expert Lee Kyung-sun says the videos started being uploaded from all over the world about three years ago. In the early stages it was mostly Malaysian, Filipino, Thai and Taiwanese women who posted videos on how to make up like Kim Yu-na, Song Hye-kyo and Kara, but now the trend is expanding to the U.S. and Europe.

Another beauty consultant said, "What foreigners are especially interested is Korean women's natural-looking skin and one-point technique that highlights just one part of the face. They want to emulate the Korean style of light makeup that leaves the skin looking natural, rather than slathering thick makeup all over the face."


◆ From Test Market to Trend Leader

U.S. channel WNBC's program "Extra" reported in September last year that Korean makeup techniques were embraced by many Hollywood stars. Now, large cosmetics companies in the U.S. and Europe are recognizing Korea as a leader in beauty trends, a shift from the country's traditional image as a test market. A spokesman of cosmetics brand MAC said, "Until two or three years ago, Korea was simply regarded as a country where we test new products before the official launch as it has a huge demand for cosmetics goods, but now things have changed and we think that we should read trends in Korea first."

MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation N18 and Behave Yourself Lipstick were launched after studying the reaction from Korean women. Beauty consultant Pi Hyun-jeong said, "Wherever in the world I go, I get questions about the secrets of Korean women's natural-looking beauty. I think Korea can look to the position of a global beauty trend leader like Paris and New York."

Domestic cosmetics brands have been riding the wave of this popularity, holding promotional events and makeup demonstrations in China, Japan and several Southeast Asian regions, while planning to launch or expand new branches in U.S. and Europe.

Korean Stars Boost Korea brand at overseas

The Korean Wave has proven to be of tremendous help for exporters in finding new overseas markets and boosting shipments. Companies who hire popular stars like girl group Kara and actor Jang Keun-suk as their models are seeing their overseas sales rise dramatically.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry surveyed 300 companies in the service and manufacturing industries and found that 51.9 percent said their sales increased due to the Korean Wave, it said on Wednesday. Some 83 percent believed the spread of the Korean Wave has boosted the image of Korea and its products.



In the service industry, 87 percent of culture-related businesses were found to have benefited, followed by travel agencies (86 percent) and retailers (75 percent).

In manufacturing, food (45 percent), electronics (43 percent), cosmetics (36 percent), automobiles (28 percent) and clothing (23 percent) were found to have benefited strongly from the positive impact of the Korean Wave in overseas markets.

Food company Daesang hired girl group Kara in August last year to advertise its beverage drinking Hongcho, a kind of fermented apple vinegar. Sales of the product in Japan rose from a mere W1.4 billion in 2010 to W50 billion (US$1=W1,119) last year, a 35-fold increase.

Lotte Liquor turned to actor Jang Keun-suk to model for its traditional rice wine or makgeolli, and sales totaled 36 million bottles last year, twice the amount it had originally targeted.

The KCCI said, "The Korean Wave is not only helping our businesses enter foreign markets but also boosting domestic consumption by attracting foreign tourists. We need to expand the benefits to encompass fashion, medical services and other areas."

Korean Date 14th : get fever on 14th April or high on 14th March

All things bright and beautiful when we start falling in love. Date 14th of every month in Korea has a special day, starting from the first month of the year itself.But you know, this month i,e March 14th is more special from the resst of other month 14th.

Yes it is so special for women and well as for lovers or couple than the Valentine day which fall on 14th of Frebruary. Because women are pampared by their lovers with flowers, chocolates anything which symbolise the meaning of love.


Initially, I find it funny and strange about this unique culture
of Korea. Because in most of the countries what we hear about is people celebrating Valentine's day. Again shocking thing for me is that on Valentine's day women give chocolates to their men and confess their love which is contrast from other countries.


January 14th – Diary Day
Couples are meant to give each other a diary or year planner thing, and note down all the rest of these lovely gift-giving days.


February 14th – Valentine’s Day



In contrast to Western society,in Korea today is traditionally when women give chocolates to their men and confess their love.




March 14th – White Day



Men give candy to the women they love (and flowers and choc and cuddly toys….in fact, anything really!)


April 14th – Black Day



A purely Korean day, for those singletons out there, who havnt received choc or candy so far, console yourselves by eating ja jang myung – a black noodle soup – or other black foods.


May 14th – Rose Day or Yellow Day



Couples exchange roses, and those lonely hearts gather for curry and companionship. Apparently dressing in yellow is also recommended.

June 14th – Kiss Day
As one site puts it: Lovers confess their feelings to one another and kiss passionately.

July 14th – Silver Day
I’m liking this idea – couples can freely ask their friends to give them money to pay for a date. Couples exchange gifts made of silver, and announce their relationship to their friends.

August 14th – Green Day
Couples are supposedly dress in green colors, and walk around the woods (the only day to go and get green green or to get camouflage opportunity)
And those who are singles, they go for a drink a bottle of soju to console themselves.

September 14th – Photo & Music Day
You know on this very day, Couples take photographs together, then in the evening go out with friends to noraebangs maning song-room and night clubs.

Well here some fluctuation on the month of October and November, as on October instead of 14th they have Apple day on 24th. On November , our very own irresistable snacks Papero day on 11th of November.

(October 24th – Apple Day)



Are you ready to learn something? The Korean word for apple, Sa-kwa or Sa-gwa, also means to apologize. On Apple Day, friends, family and couples give an apple to each other to apologize for their past mistakes which they did unknowingly or with intension.

November 11th – Pepero Day (Ah yes, the choco stick day the day when boys use to gift basketfull of green or red color chocolate coted stick.)



A new day that has taken off in South Korea which was started from Japan, it is named after a long stick-shaped cookie stick covered in chocolate, given mostly by young Koreans as an expression of their affection.Once, I got bunch of green color pepero boxes from my Korean freinds.


The 11th day of the 11th month is specifically chosen as the number looks like a Pepero stick. Students exchange the treats with one another with the thought of growing tall and thin.

November 14th – Movie Day & Orange Day



Ok, Well from family to lover or couples go for movies and eat oranges as thir snacks of the day .

December 14th – Hug Day
Iget hugged last time , when I was at Korea. Actually, people in Seoul giving out free hugs at this time.Freinds hug each other to tighten their freindship and the couples are meant to hug one another lovingly to stay cosy in the cold winter months.

Do you know: Early Joseon bar room brawls

In the late 19th century, Jemulpo (modern Incheon), the main port of Korea, was an international city filled with merchants, traders, sailors from warships and steamers and various indigent riffraff looking for “a situation” (employment). Catering to this large transient population of men was a number of hotels and taverns that provided not only lodging but strong drink.

One of the most popular hotels in the late 1880s and early 1890s was Hotel de Coree. Isaak Kamerling Steinbeck, the owner of the establishment, was one of the earliest Austrians to live and do business in Korea. An early visitor provides insight into

why his hotel was so popular:

Hotel de Coree is “a favorite resort for sailors of men-of-war when they called at that port, partly because a drinking saloon, well provided with intoxicants of all descriptions, was the chief feature of the establishment, and partly because glasses were handed over the counter by a very fascinating young lady, daughter of the proprietor, a most accomplished damsel, who could speak fluently every language under the sun — from Turkish and Arabic to Corean and Japanese.”


But drinks and conversation weren’t the only things these drinking establishments offered. Card games and pool tables provided the men with entertainment and some even provided female companionship.

Of course, with so many men drinking in such a confined area there was bound to be trouble. In December 1886, Walter Laws, an African-American described as “destitute,” was involved in an altercation at the Daibutsu Hotel — a Japanese-owned establishment.

Laws was drinking with a friend at a table and made a disparaging comment about the Chinese. According to Laws, a Chinese man overheard the comment and “felt aggrieved and dared me to repeat. I repeated it, he shoved me, I struck him. Feeling ashamed at the result of my hasty action, I apologized. He refused to accept the apology and caused me to be arrested.”

Laws was apprehended by the Chinese police and then — some twenty-two hours later — turned over to Commander Selfridge of the U.S.S. Omaha, an American warship.

A Japanese newspaper claimed that Laws had “committed a brutal and unprovoked assault on a peaceable Chinese storekeeper” and was part of the riffraff that had been dispelled from Nagasaki. Selfridge, however, felt that Laws was an “inoffensive young man” and the incident was nothing more than “a simple case of assault.”

But not all the incidents were so simple.

On Nov. 19, 1899, Frederick W. Richmond, a 23-year-old Canadian, met an “untimely and shocking death” after being involved in an altercation in a small hotel. Richmond was a relatively newcomer to Korea and had served in Tientsin (or Tianjin), China as a bandmaster before coming to Jemulpo to begin a new career as a member of the Korean Imperial Customs Service.

On the evening of his death, Richmond was in the Ryan Hotel with a friend when he apparently exchanged some harsh words with Cambas, a passenger aboard the Russian steamship Sungari. At about 6:30 p.m., Richmond left the hotel alone — possibly returning home — and “was found at 7 o’clock in an alleyway quite dead, with several wounds on the head and neck, supposed to be inflicted by a dagger.”

Almost immediately suspicion fell upon Cambas but the suspected murderer managed to get aboard his steamship as it departed and, judging from the lack of information, made good his escape.

Richmond was buried three days later; his grave — like many at the Jemulpo Foreigner’s Cemetery — unvisited and forgotten.

'Shinhwa' Korea's longest-running boy band

Korea's popular K-pop group "Shinhwa" said recently, wants to remain the country's longest-running "boy band" as it announced plans for a new album and concerts after four years away from the stage.

Clad in sharp black suits, the six members of the group expressed their excitement at a news conference in Seoul to mark their 14th anniversary and upcoming Asian tour.

"I feel really great and thankful about coming back to the stage," Eric, the group's leader, told reporters. He is also chief executive of the Shinhwa Company, an entertainment agency set up by the group. "We will become a group that stays in the center of the pop musical world for a long time in the future, not ending with our 14th anniversary," he said.

He expressed special thanks to Lee Soo-man, a singer and head of SM Entertainment, for having "six boys of naught" gather under the name Shinhwa, and also the group's fans for their consistent support.

After making its local debut in March 1998, Shinhwa and another boy band "H.O.T," which has since disbanded, enjoyed huge popularity through the late 1990s.

Shinhwa took a break from group activities for the past four years since its last concert in 2008 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band's debut, as members fulfilled their mandatory service in the military. While on hiatus, the individual members have worked as television and musical actors, solo vocalists and television entertainers.

Vocalist Lee Min-woo recently completed his military service and the group is expected to release its 10th regular album later this month.

Kim Dong-wan, another vocalist, said there was no secret to the group's longevity, but simply luck.

"Some groups separate after their members fight but, fortunately, such things became chances to bring us together more tightly," he explained.

The group said they will try "to be more like themselves" rather than change their style to compete with a recent flood of K-pop groups.

"We want to show that being old does not always mean being a step behind and that a masterpiece is not made in a day," Eric said.

Shinhwa will mark its comeback and 14th anniversary with concerts at Seoul's Olympic Park on March 24 and 25. Tickets for the concerts were sold out within 40 minutes of going on sale, according to the agency.

After the Seoul concerts, the group will begin an Asian tour that will take it to Shanghai, Taiwan, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Kobe and Beijing until early July. (Yonhap)