K-pop meets old popular music
Collaboration makes ‘trot’ hot The music genre “trot” seems hardly mainstream today. Although it is regarded as the “root” of K-pop, the oldest form of Korean popular music has had to live so far the life of an outcast, whilst its offspring enjoyed global stardom. Such tags as “boring” and “for the elderly only” always […]
Asia’s largest aerospace museum to open in Jeju on April 24
JEJU — Aerospace museums are typically places with cool airplanes that visitors must not touch. The new Jeju Aerospace Museum (JAM), however, will let you sit in the cockpits. The 30,000-square meter institution, which will open on April 24 on the island’s Seogwipo City, is claimed to be the largest aerospace museum in Asia. Located […]
Empress Ki and Viktor Ahn
As a historian of Korea and a fan of lavish re-creations of historical settings in TV and film, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the hit television drama, “Empress Ki” (Ki Hwanghu). This historical figure, who became the wife of the Mongol emperor in 14th century China, was arguably once the most powerful person […]
K-snack to whet global appetite
At Jeong Wol-seon’s “tteokbokgi(떡볶이)” store in Tongin Market, northern Seoul, she sells a slightly different version of “tteokbokgi” or the spicy rice cake snack. It’s a fried, spicy version without the soupy sauce. It’s also the one that John Kerry, U.S. secretary of state, picked up with a toothpick to taste while he was in […]
Crayon Pop’s new video appears on Billboard
Crayon Pop’s new video “Uh-ee” has graced Billboard’s main page. In its article, posted on March 31, pop magazine Billboard said the K-pop girl group has unleashed “mind-bogging, non-stop dance routine” in the video. “Crayon Pop truly shines in the accompanying music video, performing a routine one could liken more to aerobics than a pop […]
Watch out! Scene stealers in Korean dramas
They are neither protagonists nor directors. A few even have “critical flaws” in their looks: a beer belly, poor teeth or just plain ugly. Without them, however, it’s doubtful how many Korean TV dramas or films were or will be able to meet viewers’ ever increasing expectations. They are collectively called “scene stealers,” a cinematic […]
Lee Byung-hun to appear in ‘Terminator’ sequel
Korean actor Lee Byung-hun will appear in Hollywood blockbuster “Terminator: Genesis,” in which he will act with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke and Emilia Clarke among others. This is the fifth sequel of the famous sci-fi action flick “The Terminator” released in 1984. Lee’s management agency said on Tuesday he recently decided to take an offer […]
Intensifying competition results in trashy dramas
The rating success of television dramas has always been vitally important to major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS. The race for top ratings intensified when cable channels like jTBC, TV Chosun, MBN and Channel A entered the drama industry a few years ago, becoming major forces in K-drama. The ratings war drives many broadcasters […]
K-pop group EXO ready will sweep China
K-pop group EXO are ready to release their new mini album in China and Korea, starting with an extravagant showcase at Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul on April 15, SM Entertainment said Tuesday. Titled “EXO Comeback Show,” the concert will unveil the group’s new songs and dances which are highly anticipated by their fans. With this […]
[Books] An Afghan Odyssey from Within
![[Books] An Afghan Odyssey from Within](http://www.theasian.asia/wp-content/themes/city-desk/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theasian.asia%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F02%2FBooks_1.jpg&q=90&w=160&h=106&zc=1 "[Books] An Afghan Odyssey from Within")
A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story By Qais Akbar Omar | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 2013 Unlike many books on Afghanistan written by foreigners and Afghan expatriates, A Fort of Nine Towers is a memoir of native Afghan Qais Akbar Omar. Omar presents a rare first hand account of one of […]
![[Novel] The Road to Shamawes ⑯](http://www.theasian.asia/wp-content/themes/city-desk/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theasian.asia%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2FAshraf-2novel-news_9601.jpg&q=90&w=300&h=0&zc=1 "[Novel] The Road to Shamawes ⑯")
