Korean girl group Wonder Girls will release their first eponymous TV movie in February via U.S. cable channel Teen Nick, making them the first Asian singers to star in an American television movie, their agent said Tuesday. Originally titled “Wonder Girls at the Apollo,” the movie’s title was recently changed to “The Wonder Girls.” A brief teaser video has been released via YouTube and Facebook.Scheduled for official broadcast on Feb. 2, the series is garnering attention from fans here since Tee

After the Korean Wave gained serious momentum in the field of television over a decade ago, the global market for Korean dramas has expanded and morphed drastically. No longer restricted to Asia or home theater, broadcasters and production companies must navigate an increasingly complex terrain that encompasses both regional preferences and the Internet.Long gone are the times when TV series were made for the domestic market alone. Take Chorok­baem Media, the production company behind hallyu hit

Exhibitions stimulate five senses by melding art with cookery and musicA giant cabbage hanging from the ceiling greets visitors at the entrance. Made of hanji and dyed in red and green, it is an instant reminder of the spicy flavors of Koreans’ favorite dish. “Is this real kimchi?” asked a boy who looked to be about 5 to his mother on Monday afternoon. His friends started to argue over whether it was real or not. “Art & Cook,” currently running at Sejong Museum of Art, is an art exhibition ― bu

South Korean movie “Poetry” has been selected one of the best 10 movies of 2011 by CNN. “This South Korean film about a grandmother looking for grace in the midst of a sea of trouble is one of those slow-burners that stays with you,” reported the broadcaster about the film directed by Korean director Lee Chang-dong. Starring actress Yun Jung-hee as the heroine, the movie “Poetry” tells a story of an elderly lady who finds happiness in learning poetry for the first time, while a harsh reality for

Irish musician Rice is Jan. 11 concert soldoutWith Guinness and Westlife among the very few Irish things that have made it to Korea, and the singer’s face rarely shown on TV, a fan of Irish singer Damien Rice may pride him/herself on being “a classy minority.” Minor fandom, however, is hardly a suitable term for a musician who sold out some 1,600 seats in just a few hours, despite modest promotion activities and relatively expensive tickets priced at 132,000 to 165,000 won (about $150).In an e-m

This is the ninth in a series on up-and-coming Korean filmmakers. ― Ed.Talking to director Min Yong-keun is as if listening to a late night radio show. The calm, eloquent man knows how to talk about the stuff he loves, without boring the listener.And it’s not surprising to find out he used to be an avid radio listener as a child, and an ardent fan of late folk rock singer and radio DJ Kim Kwang-seok. “I bought the cassette tape of his band ‘Dongmulwon’ (meaning the Zoo)’s first album when I was

Gallery Hyundai holds retrospective of late South Korean painterKim Whanki was a prolific painter ― he worked in the daytime to make use of the sunshine and at night because the electric light was too precious to waste. He worked about 16 hours a day, said Kim Geum-ja, the second daughter of the late South Korean, reminiscing in front of press members on Thursday about how stubbornly her father used to work. “He said that it is his life, to hold a brush. But my heart felt heavy and my pulse race

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Russell Brand is divorcing Katy Perry after 14 months of what appeared to be a storybook marriage.“Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage,’’ Brand said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.’’Brand, 36, offered no other details, but in papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the British comedian cited irreconcilable differences.He and the 27-year-old pop singer were married in October 2010 at a resort ins

NEW YORK (AP) ― Hollywood loves the Next Big Thing, and four years ago, that was Barack Obama, the equivalent of a breakout movie star.“He is ‘The One,’’’ said Oprah Winfrey, his biggest and most influential celebrity champion.“The best candidate I’ve ever seen,’’ said George Clooney.Halle Berry said she’d “collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear.’’ Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am chimed in with the famous “Yes We Can’’ video.But you can’t be the Next Big Thing twice and a

After Emile Zola play ‘Therese Raquin,’ black comedy ‘God of Carnage’ takes stage Following last month’s Korean adaptation of Emile Zola’s novel-based play “Therese Raquin,” another French play is on stage to charm Seoulites, this time a contemporary black comedy titled “God of Carnage.”Based on Zola’s 1867 novel, the play “Therese Raquin” was shown in Korea for the second time last month. It tells the story of Therese, a young woman married to her sickly first cousin, who has an affair with her