Thursday, November 23, 2006

Variety.com - Korean pic has no 'Regrets' at B.O.:
"Gay-themed drama off to strong start
By DARCY PAQUET
SEOUL -- Gay-themed Korean drama 'No Regrets,' which was picked up by Fortissimo for world sales at this fall's Pusan Intl. Film Festival, is off to a strong start at the Korean box office.

Despite opening on only six screens, the low-budget film sold 12,126 tickets to gross $84,000 in its first weekend."
Variety.com - South Korea starts IPTV trial:
"260 households in Seoul region to be connected to service
By DARCY PAQUET
SEOUL — South Korea moved a stop closer to its long-delayed rollout of internet protocol television (IPTV) with the start of trial services by a KT Corp.-led consortium."
GigaOM » Social Networking by the Numbers: "Written by Liz Gannes- Posted Wednesday, November 8 at 1:34 PM

Some interesting figures from social networking company executives here at the Web 2.0 Summit1. Cyworld and MySpace are, more than ever, heads and shoulders above the competition."

Monday, November 20, 2006

TV joins campaign to promote marriage, birth | Korea.net News: "Date: November 21, 2006
TV soap operas are to join the government's campaign to promote marriage and birth.

A two-day workshop organized by the state-run Planned Population Federation of Korea and the Korean TV and Radio Writers Association began on Monday in South Chungcheong Province, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Monday (Nov. 20). The event aims to increase positive portrayals of marriage and birth in mass media, especially in TV dramas. "
INSIDE JoongAng Daily: "Some spamming can save lives

November 15, 2006 ㅡ Joo Ah-young, a 15-year-old with a mental handicap, was separated from her parents on an outing, and was missing for 15 days before the police decided to take another approach to the search. An SMS message with her photo was sent to people in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. Two days after the message was sent, a call came to the police from a security guard of a shopping mall in Dongdaemun, saying that he had found Ms. Joo. "
INSIDE JoongAng Daily: "Barely-clad models cause controversy at game expo

November 15, 2006 ㅡ Korea's four-day game expo Gstar 2006 ended on Sunday, with a little more exposure than its organizers had planned for. On the last day, a special event took place at the Nexon booth, involving a team of female dancers wearing bra tops. During the performance, the top of one of the dancers was pushed up, baring most of her breasts. She quickly fixed her attire, but many of the people attending the show, including minors, were quick enough to capture the moment with their digital cameras."
INSIDE JoongAng Daily: "Barely-clad models cause controversy at game expo

November 15, 2006 ㅡ Korea's four-day game expo Gstar 2006 ended on Sunday, with a little more exposure than its organizers had planned for. On the last day, a special event took place at the Nexon booth, involving a team of female dancers wearing bra tops. During the performance, the top of one of the dancers was pushed up, baring most of her breasts. She quickly fixed her attire, but many of the people attending the show, including minors, were quick enough to capture the moment with their digital cameras."
INSIDE JoongAng Daily: "[Going to the blogs]Free speech and emotional land claims

Freedom of speech, impetuous Korean netizens and the always controversial Dokdo issue converged this past week to provide fodder for the Korean blogosphere. The story began with a post at the blog 'Occidentalism' (www. occidentalism.org/) stating that one of its frequent contributors, Gerry Bevers, had been asked by the president of the university where he is employed to cease posting on the Internet his research into Korea's and Japan's claims on Dokdo/Takeshima. The request from the president evidently came after angry netizens voiced their complaints to the university concerning Bevers' assertions about flaws in Korea's historical claims to the islands"
Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea: "Korean Dubbing Puts Sexism in Hollywood Mouths"
Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea: "New KTF Add Throws Political Correctness Overboard"
Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) : Daily News in English About Korea: "Symptoms of Terminal Spin Disease

Former prime minister Lee Hae-chan told a group of supporters of President Roh Moo-hyun on Saturday the Roh administration is the most stable in terms of system. But the government and ruling party have failed in letting the people feel it.” He said it was mortifying to be the target of so much criticism due to insufficient PR.

The government has split the post of Cheong Wa Dae PR chief into two, the chief presidential public relations secretary and presidential spokesman, and promoted the information officers of administrative agencies from level 2 or 3 officers to level 1 directors. In several meetings with the directors, the president sought to motivate them by saying “public relations reform” is crucial to becoming a world-class country.

The administration has locked the press and civil servants into one-way government propaganda, to the point where the Government Information Agency urged all public officials to protest against, explain, and file suit countering any press articles critical of the government. It also made senior bureaucrats who are either interviewed by or contribute articles to conservative newspapers file written explanations.

That is not nearly all. The president and Cabinet mi.."
Presidential office Web site comes under fire : National : Home:
"With repeated controversy over content, redesign in works, say sources"