HALLYU Magazine No.32

HALLYU FTISLAND

IN PARIS

SHILLA BEAUTY CONCERT IN SG

JAEJOONG

FANMEETING

IN MANILA 10 FAVORITE

Moments of 2017

WINTER BUCKETLIST: HOLIDAY CONCERTS | WINTER FESTIVALS

ROMANTIC DRAMA AND CHRISTMAS HOTSPOTS

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Special Thanks All images belong to original owners. Concert photography belongs to HALLYU. Thanks Indonesia Team! Thanks June &Dina & Korea Team!

Contents H A L L Y U WINTER 2017 Issue Number 32 4

SHILLA BEAUTY CONCERT IN SG

10

JAEJOONG FANMEETING IN MANILA

16

FT ISLAND CONCERT IN PARIS

20

10 FAVORITE Moments of 2017

34

Idols Who Look Best in RED

WINTER BUCKETLIST 54

Holiday Concerts 7 Romantic Drama Spots Christmas Hotspots Winter Festivals

98

BTS at the 2017 AMA’s

103

Overwatch League

110

Winter Streetfood

116

DIY KPOP Christmas Decorations

SHILLA BEAUTY CONCERT

IN SINGAPORE

By Clara Wong

F

ans of SHINee and Red Velvet were seen gathered at the press conference for Shilla’s Beauty Concert in Singapore’s newly opened Changi Airport terminal 4 on the 24th of November, Friday. A one-night exclusive show was held to commemorate the opening of The Shilla Duty Free’s new store at Changi Terminal 4.

Tickets for the show were available across the various physical Shilla Duty Free stores found in all terminals of Changi, as well as their online store.

Members of SHINee: Jonghyun, Taemin, Minho and Key, as well as members of Red Velvet: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri sat down with fans and the media for a press conference before their concert. Both groups had a chance to browse through and visit the newly opened Shilla Duty Free Store upon their arrival earlier that morning.

The hallyu stars talked about their personal beauty regimes as well as airport fashion and plans for their upcoming activities.

Fans got to know their idols better and got a chance to see their cheeky side as well with their playful answers and gestures.

The Shilla Beauty Concert, held at Suntec City’s Convention Hall showcased a variety of songs and performances, including that of surprise guest Eddy Kim. Fans were seen armed with fanboards and lightsticks to support their respective singers as they waited for the concert to start. Eddy Kim was the opening act and kicked off the concert with Apologize, fans swayed along to his performance and were also surprised with an original song by Eddy which has yet to be released! Eddy said that it was his 2nd time in Singapore (after filming “I’m a film director too” earlier last year in June) and hope to be back soon again to meet his fans.

Red Velvet wow-ed the crowd next with their hit songs “Russian Roulette”, “Red Flavour”, “Dumb Dumb” and “Rookie”. They also performed their newest track – “Peek A Boo” for the first time outside of Korea right here for their fans in Singapore.

SHINee was the last act of the day beginning their segment with their hit song “View” which got the whole crowd singing along with them! They then serenaded their fans with 3 ballad songs “Aside”, “Don’t let me go” and “An Encore”. Their fans could not get enough of the boy-group and they finished off with an encore of “Beautiful” and “1 of 1”.

JAEJOONG

FANMEETING

IN MANILA

T

Written by EJ Allado | Photographed by Lilian Calulot

he 2017 Kim Jaejoong Asia Tour Fanmeeting was in Manila last November 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and it was an early Christmas gift for the fans for they had been waiting for the singer-actor to come back to the Philippines for 14 long years.

The first part of the fanmeet was composed of different types of games played by the fans and Kim Jaejoong himself. But before that, he started by introducing himself in Tagalog with the familiar Filipino greeting, mabuhay.

He also quickly apologized for taking so long to come back to the Philippines and meet his fans. He continued by complimenting his fans that they have not changed since the last time that he saw them.

The first game was for Jaejoong to pick photos, selcas with questions for Jaejoong at the back, submitted by the fans. The highlight of this

portion was when Jaejoong was asked when and where he would want to go if he could time travel. He quickly answered that he doesn’t want to go back because he is currently happy and that if ever he would go back, he wouldn’t want to go that far because everything that has happened is already a part of his life. With that kind of perspective, no wonder Kim Jaejoong serves as an inspiration to his fans.

The theme for the fanmeeting was pyjama party and a lot of fans actually showed up in their fun pyjamas. The fans’ efforts in dressing up paid off because there was a portion wherein three lucky fans in their pyjamas were chosen to play charades with Jaejoong on stage. The fan who won was in her nighties and Jaejoong was so shy that he couldn’t even look at the fan. Jaejoong showed his manners when he offered his jacket to the fan during the photo op. It was indeed a night to remember both for the fan and Jaejoong.

He was then immersed in Filipino culture through food and music. In one of the games, Filipino dishes, such as sisig, were offered to him with a glass of beer on the side. The dishes contained a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ underneath. ‘Yes’ meaning he would have to carry out punishments submitted by the fans.

Although the tastes were new to Jaejoong, he actually loved the dishes but he hesitated for a bit when he was told what the dishes were made of. Jaejoong might have enjoyed the food but the fans enjoyed watching him carry out the punishments such as writing his name using his butt and showcasing his charming side with the famous ‘I had a dream, a dreamt of a ghost’ aegyo.

The fans enjoyed singing along with Jaejoong when he hummed Filipino songs while the fans try to guess the title of the song. Even though some of the songs were in the Filipino language, Jaejoong was able to hum the tunes precisely which led to more fans winning signed merchandises. After the game, he commented that he really liked the songs which only proves what he said in one of the previous games that Filipinos are good at singing.

The second part of the fanmeet was of Jaejoong singing his hits on stage for the fans which started with a lyric video of Life Support complete with Tagalog translations.

The ‘Red Ocean’ brought about by the red light sticks of the fans was an amazing sight while they sway to the beat of the songs. After he sang Although We Met Again, all of the fans were on their feet when Jaejoong sang ‘Good Morning Night’. Everyone was jumping, dancing, and singing along with the energetic Jaejoong. After singing Run Away, however, the stage was dimmed and Jaejoong exited the stage. Fans chanted his name as loud as they can to call Jaejoong back on stage. And when Jaejoong came back, singing Healing for Myself, he said that he was scared that his fans were not going to call him back on stage. His last song was Now is Good which probably described that moment with his fans.

Although the 3-hour fanmeet might not have been enough after years and years of waiting, the fans definitely enjoyed the show and said goodbye to Kim Jaejoong without regrets.

He did promised that he will be back soon and that is something that fans will sure look forward to. Afterall, Kim Jaejoong will always be worth the wait.

FTISLAND

in PARIS Written and Photographed by: Soizic Cistac

F

T Island made their Ft Island X Europe Tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Organised by My Music Taste, this Europe tour stopped in Paris at the Elysée Monmartre on the 27th October. It was the third time for FT Island, one solo concert in 2015 and the KCON in 2016, in Paris.

As usual, they were full on energy. They sang old and new songs and were surprised to see that the public also knows their Japanese songs.

They made many interactions with the public, trying to say some words in french like « êtesvous prêt ? » (Are you ready?), « je t’aime » (i love you) or just « merci » (thank you). They were all ok to say that french is very difficult to pronounce.

Fans prepared some bottle of soju for the band. Hongki said that they tasted local beers on the others stops. Fans asked them to do one shot with the little bottles of soju. JaeJin said that he will probably be drunk after that.

A drunken JaeJin is a JaeJin who laugh and smile a lot.

Favorite 10

MOMENTS OF 2017

10 “SAVE YOU IN MY HEART” Wanna One Park Jihoon’s Catchphrase

9 FIRST WIN Monsta X Music Show

8 BIFF Song Triplets at

7 INCHEON KPOP CONCERT

Highlight’s Fandom Special Event at the

6

Reply 1988 Ryu Jun Yeol and Hyeri

CAUGHT DATING IN REAL LIFE

5 NU’EST Rediscovery of

4 POPULARITY tvN’s Goblin

3NAYANA FEVER Produce 101 Season 2

2

Melon MUSIC AWARDS

1 WEDDING

SongSong Couple

IDOLS WHO LOOK BEST

in Red

HyunA

Chungha

Lisa

Nayoung

Mina

Irene

Seohyun

Suzy

Krystal

Taeyeon

Jinyoung

Jungkook

Hongbin

Suho

Kihyun

Junho

Samuel

Yonghwa

Eunwoo

Daniel

Christmas

CONCERTS

7

Romantic

Drama Spots To Warm Our Hearts

SANMOTOONGE CAFE

COFFEE PRINCE Image Credits: http://www.theheyheyhey.com | www.boboandchichi.com

NAMI ISLAND

WINTER SONATA Image Credits: http://www.klook.com | www.bryologue.com

MUJU DEOGYUSAN RESORT

BOYS OVER FLOWERS Image Credits: http://www.winterfriend.com

HANMI BOOKSTORE

GOBLIN (도깨비)

BOMNAL CAFE

WARM AND COZY

POCHEON ART VALLEY

LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA Image Credits: http://koreafreeandeasy.blogspot.com

PETITE FRANCE

MY LOVE FROM THE STAR

Image Credits: http://www.forevertravel.com.my | lacesandtiaras.blogspot.com

Christmas

HOTSPOTS

Ice Skating Rinks Grand Hyatt Ice Skating Rink

Image Credits: timeout.com

OLYMPIC PARK ICE SKATING RINK yeouido ice park

ONE MOUNT SNOW PARK

Ski Resorts

Pyeongchang Phoenix Park Ski Resort Image Credits: jpramses.files.wordpress.com

Pyeongchang Yongpyong Ski Resort

Image Credits: http://seoul-adventure.blogspot.com

Pyeongchang ALPENSIA Ski Resort

Image Credits: http://cnn.com

Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Image Credits: http://klook.com

Jeongseon High1 Ski Resort

Winter Festivals

PYEONGCHANG TROUT FESTIVAL At Pyeongchang Trout Festival, visitors can cut a hole through the ice covering the frozen river to catch their own fish. Other fun events to try include bare-handed fishing, sledding, and more! The festival is also close to Alpensia Ski Resort and Yongpyong Ski Resort, official venues of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Period: December 22, 2017-February 25, 2018 Location: 3562, Gyeonggang-ro, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

JARASEOM SINGSING

WINTER FESTIVAL

The Jaraseom Singsing Winter Festival is famous for ice fishing for trout, and your catch can be eaten right away, raw or grilled! Other activities include ice sledding, riding bumper cars on snow, traditional experiences, and more. It is easy to reach Gapyeong simply by taking the ITX Cheongchun train from Yongsan Station.

Period: January 2018 - February 2018 Location: 60, Jaraseom-ro, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do

HWACHEON SANCHEONO

ICE FESTIVAL The Sancheoneo Ice Festival is held in the pristine natural environment around Hwacheoncheon Stream, the natural habitat of mountain trout and otters. One of the most popular programs at the festival is ice fishing, where people cut a hole through thick ice and try their luck at catching trout. After fishing, enjoy your freshly caught bounty, raw or grilled, on site.

Period: January 6 – 28, 2018 Location: 137, Sancheoneo-gil, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do

INJE

ICEFISH FESTIVAL

At Inje Icefish Festival, visitors can enjoy ice fishing and other exciting programs such as ice sledding, a large icefish sled, and snow slides. All the icefish caught by participants can be served as hoe (sliced raw fish) or deep-fried for a warm treat.

Period: January 27 – February 4, 2018

Location: 555-2, Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do

TAEBAEKSAN SNOW FESTIVAL

Taebaeksan Snow Festival offers guests an array of events and activities that are sure to amuse and entertain everyone.

In addition to performances and exquisite snow sculptures, visitors can participate in snow sledding with the beautiful Taebaeksan Mountain covered with snow as their backdrop.

Period: January 19 - February 11, 2018 Location: 162, Cheonjedan-gil, Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do Information and Image Credits: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr

Winter

LIGHTING

FESTIVAL

Image Credits: thetravelintern.com Info from: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr

Image Credits: http://seoulcafe2013.blogspot.com

BYEOKCHOJI

BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Botanical Garden BCJ was established in 1965 on the belief that nature brings great joy into people’s lives. Located in a suburb of the Seoul Metropolitan area, it is a perfect natural getaway for urban residents, as well as an important habitat for preservation of diverse plant species from home and abroad. The night scenery at the botanical garden is even more spectacular than the daytime one. Moreover, the multicolored lights of various shapes and sizes give the surroundings a romantic ambiance.

Address: 242, Buheung-ro, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do Lighting Hours: 17:30 – 21:00 Admission: 8,000 won (7,000 won on weekdays) for adults/ 6,000 won for teens/ 5,000 won for kids Website: http://www.bcj.co.kr

Image Credits: enjoykorea.asia

BOSEONG GREEN TEA PLANTATION

Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival will light up the green tea fields at Korea Tea Culture Park and Yulpo Beach (Solbat Beach). The magical allure of the Boseong Green Tea Fields grows tenfold in winter as bright Christmas lights cast a cheery glow over the expansive fields.

The themed spaces and exhibits bring “Christmas decorations” to a whole new level.

Address: 775, Nokcha-ro, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do

Directions: From Seoul Central City Bus Terminal, take an express bus to Boseong Terminal Operating Hours: Sunday-Thursday 18:00-22:00 Friday, Saturday 18:00-24:00 Admission: Adults 9,000 won / Teenagers 6,500 won / Children 5,500 won Website: light.boseong.go.kr

Image Credits: @lightrosegarden

LED ROSE GARDEN AT DDP The LED Rose Garden at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) has transformed an open space into a beautiful night garden.

Popular among couples, this is also a great place for nightscape photography. When night falls, a total of 25,550 LED roses light up, with impressive skyscrapers serving as the backdrop. Visitors may wonder, “Why such a specific number of roses?” The display began on National Liberation Day in 2015 as a celebration of the nation’s 70th year of independence. The number of roses on display corresponds to the number of days since liberation: 365 days multiplied by 70 years is equivalent to 25,550 roses.

Address: 281, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul Directions: Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Line 2, 4, 5), Exit 1 Dongdaemun Station (Line 1, 4), Exit 7 Lighting Hours: 17:30-24:00 Website: www.ddp.or.kr

Image Credits: www.timeout.com

LITTLE PRINCE

PETITE FRANCE Petite France is designed as a small French Village in Korea, and it is also recognized as a top filming location for popular Korean dramas such as “My Love from the Star (2013)” and “Secret Garden (2011).” The lights used for the decorations were directly purchased from France, and the design of Little Prince Lighting Festival was inspired from a small suburban city of Montpellier, located in southern France. The buildings painting in pastel tones harmonize with the lights strung throughout the village to create a fairytale atmosphere.

Performances such as “Do Minjun’s Supernatural Power Time,” “Marionette Dance Performance” and other exciting programs are lined up for all visitors to enjoy!

Address: 1063, Hoban-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeonggun, Gyeonggi-do Directions: From Cheongpyeong Station/Gapyeong Station, take Gapyeong City Tour Bus Lighting Hours: 09:00-20:00 Admission: Adults 8,000 won/ Teenagers 6,000 won / Children 5,000 won Website: www.pfcamp.com

Image Credits: lovesouthkorea.tumblr.com

POCHEON HERB ISLAND Pocheon Herb Island in Gyeonggi-do is a beautiful arboretum by day, but when the sun goes down, the garden transforms into a romantic space lit by colorful lights on every side.

Visitors can enjoy a light festival in various themes throughout the year. The attractions are endless, from the lovely pink wish tunnel to Santa’s Village, featuring Santa House and Santa Church. The photo spots throughout the park are perfect for couples to commemorate their love for one another.

Address: 35, Cheongsin-ro 947beon-gil, Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do Directions: Soyosan Station (Line 1), Exit 1 → Soyosan Station Bus Stop → Take Bus No. 57, 57-1, 57-2, or 57-4 → Get off at Samjeong 1-ri or Samjeongri Herb Island Bus Stop Admission: Adults 6,000 won / Children 4,000 won Website: herbisland.co.kr

Image Credits: http://en.ggtour.or.kr

ANSAN STARLIGHT VILLAGE The Ansan Starlight Village hosts a beautiful year-round lighting festival matching each season. The theme of this year is Animal & Heart Village, and visitors will be greeted by over 200 animal displays.

The many areas to explore include White Road, Cupid Road, Rain Road, and Propose Road. With the many colorful lights and lively sculptures, the park is perfect for romantic trips. Enjoy a wonderful time with your family and loved ones when the sun sets.

Address: 1723, Suin-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do Directions: From Jungang Station (Line 4), take a taxi for approx. 9 min Operating Hours: Weekdays 15:00-23:00 Weekends & Public Holidays 15:00-24:00 Admission: Adults 7,000 won / Children 5,000 won Website: www.star1723.co.kr

Image Credits: http://travellerelf.blogspot.com

BUCHEON AIINS WORLD

WORLD NIGHTVIEW FANTASY Aiins World, the world’s best miniature theme park is hosting the second season of ‘World Nightview Fantasy Lighting Festival’. Located in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, the theme park is easily accessible via public transportation as the nearest subway station is Samsan Gymnasium (Seoul Subway Line 7), making it an ideal destination to visit during the late evenings, after meal time.

Address: 1, Doyak-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do Directions: Samsan Stadium Station (Line 7), Exit 4 or 5 Admission: Adults 16,000 won / Children 13,000 won Website: www.aiinsworld.com

Image Credits: besbeesystem.com

Image Credits: http://seoulcafe2013.blogspot.com

BYEOKCHOJI

BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Botanical Garden BCJ was established in 1965 on the belief that nature brings great joy into people’s lives. Located in a suburb of the Seoul Metropolitan area, it is a perfect natural getaway for urban residents, as well as an important habitat for preservation of diverse plant species from home and abroad. The night scenery at the botanical garden is even more spectacular than the daytime one. Moreover, the multicolored lights of various shapes and sizes give the surroundings a romantic ambiance.

Address: 242, Buheung-ro, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do Lighting Hours: 17:30 – 21:00 Admission: 8,000 won (7,000 won on weekdays) for adults/ 6,000 won for teens/ 5,000 won for kids Website: http://www.bcj.co.kr

Image Credits: fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com

EVERLAND

CHRISTMAS FANTASY Everland’s Christmas Fantasy is a fantastic and romantic winter festival. During the period, tourists can enjoy various attractions like T-express, Thunder Falls, Lost Valley and the Safari Ride more freely compared with other seasons as well as a romantic Christmas ambience in advance of the real season.

In particular, a village where Santa and Rudolph are living creates a strong Christmas atmosphere through carol songs playing all day long. At night, the village boasts its concept of gold, brightening the area.

Address: 199, Everland-ro, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do Directions: Jeondae-Everland Station (Yongin EverLine), Exit 3.

- Take the shuttle bus to Everland Operating Hours: 10:00-22:00 Website: everland.com

E-WORLD

STARLIGHT FESTIVAL

E-World Starlight Festival is held with ten million lights in an area of 120,000 pyeong around E-World and 83 Tower. Hot-air balloons, roses, and masks light decorations and other events will catch people’s eyes at this carnival-like festival. The events start at night and large characteristic trees are decorated along the 200m Light Road, as well as a Umbrella Road, Carnival Road, and photo zone created by 1,000 lights.

Also, 10,000 LED roses cover the proposal stairs, creating a romantic and special ambience. This festival is beloved by young couples as part of a night dating course.

Address: 200, Duryugongwon-ro, Dalseo-gu, Daegu Directions: Duryu Station (Daegu Subway Line 2), Exit 15 Operating Hours: Mon-Thu 17:00-21:00 Fri-Sun 17:00-22:00 Website: www.eworld.kr

Image Credits: http://webzine.koreaconvention.org

BUSAN CHRISTMAS

TREE FESTIVAL The Busan Christmas Tree Festival, Busan’s annual winter event, will be held in the Gwangbok-ro area of the Jung-gu District in Busan.

To add a more festive atmosphere, there will be concerts, a tree of wishes, street performances, collecting love coins, a photo and video contest, and many more.

Address: 88, Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu, Busan Directions: Nampo Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 1 Take Bus 8, 15, 17, 26, 27, 30, 41, 58-1, 61, 70, 71, 103, 113, 126, 134, 139, or 1003 and get off at Nampo Station Website: bctf.kr

CHEONGDO PROVENCE STARLIGHT

FAIRYTALE TOWN Experience Cheongdo Provence Photo Land’s Starlight Fairytale Town at night during the Lighting Festival. Children will enjoy seeing life-sized fairytale characters, while adults will enjoy the romantic and beautiful atmosphere with the soft lights.

Address: 272-23, Iseulmi-ro, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do Directions: Take a train from Seoul Station to Cheongdo Station Website: www.cheongdo-provence.co.kr

BTS

at the

2017 AMAs

he first Korean Pop act to grace the American Music Awards stage, BTS has surely created another milestone for Hallyu name in the American music industry. On the night of November 19, RM, Jin, Suga, Jungkook, V, J-Hope and Jimin performed at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

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presence but also with the overwhelming support of ARMYs in the crowd. Filling the Microsoft Theater with the deafening cheers as fans chant along through the group’s catchy performance.

The group performed their hit song DNA and have been the talk of the town not only because of their outstanding stage

Considering their continuous success, BTS is surely out to put their names in the Hallyu history book.

After their performance, BTS ranked number one on the Google Trends in the US. Showing the immense response from their appearance.

THE OVERWATCH

LEAGUE IS ALMOST HERE

What you need to know about Blizzards ambitious project

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he esport industry has been steadily growing over the last decade alongside an already booming video game industry.

The industry is said to have produced an estimated $493 million dollars in Revenue during 2016 which is up 50% from 2015.

The video game industry as a whole is estimated to break over $100 Billion in 2017. For some perspective, the total box office ticket sales in 2016 was around $38.6 billion. The North American Sports market in 2015 was sitting at $63.9 billion.

So while esports doesn’t have the big numbers yet, nearly half a billion dollars in revenue in an industry that is exploding ahead is nothing to sneeze at. Esports is

also excelling in viewership numbers of it’s major events. League of Legends has been one of the biggest esports in the world both with popularity and revenue. In 2016 43 million people tuned in to watch the world championship, 2nd only to the Intel Extreme Masters topping out at 46 million.

With more and more people turning away from TV and focusing more on social media and live streaming platforms like twitch where esports thrives, the popularity of esports will continue to rise.

Enter the gaming behemoth Activision Blizzard. With the revenue from esports increasing steadily, everyone is trying to get a piece of the action. Blizzard already has a proven track record in the gaming

industry with an impressively popular library of game titles, some of which are already popular esports. These coupled along side with their recent acquisition of MLG and highly successful Blizzcon event and you have a company that knows what it’s doing. And that brings us to Blizzards recent game, Overwatch.

Winning multiple game of the year awards for 2016, Overwatch has quickly become a massively popular game not just with players and streamers but also within esports. In Korea, Overwatch has even managed to dethrone League of Legends in certain areas and has even seen Korean Pro Overwatch players turn into megastars on a similar level to that of K-pop stars. With

the success of Overwatch as a video game and as an esports, Blizzard has decided to double down on the game, creating the Overwatch League.

Winning multiple game of the year awards for 2016, Overwatch has quickly become a massively popular game not just with players and streamers but also within esports. In Korea, Overwatch has even

managed to dethrone League of Legends in certain areas and has even seen Korean Pro Overwatch players turn into megastars on a similar level to that of K-pop stars. With the success of Overwatch as a video game and as an esports, Blizzard has decided to double down on the game, creating the Overwatch League.

The Overwatch League is Blizzards attempt at creating an entire sport from scratch, modeled after traditional sports leagues such as the NBA or NFL. In this they are trying to create a long lasting league that can serve as a true and complete professional entity. By bringing in big name team owners and organisations they hope to create franchises that are meant to last and that are fully functioning on every level just the same as a professional

sports team. In the creation of these franchises they are hoping to create a stable and consistent environment for the players and to also help create a clear pathway of ascension for future players to move into the esports scene as well. This will also include fostering and nourishing local fan bases and they hope to do this by localizing teams as opposed to the current more fragmented model that esport organisations have taken. Esports has always been fragmented because of its organic nature and its beginnings, but now Blizzard is trying to change that and really bring esports into the mainstream and Overwatch is its mantle piece.

While others have tried before and failed, Blizzard might just have all the pieces it needs to pull this off. 12 teams have signed

on for the inaugural season of the OWL with some very big names jumping on board behind some of these teams, some of which carry big reputations of success and extremely deep pockets. Some of those names include the Kraft Group (Owners of the Patriots), the Hersch Family (Big oil and Natural Gas), Miami Heat, Kroenke Sports and VC Sterling (NY Mets). The rumored minimum buy in price of $20 Million per team was at first seen by some as ridiculous but now that the league is a reality it would seem that there is a lot of faith in this venture.

The league itself is split into 2 divisions consisting of 6 teams each. 3 of the teams are based overseas while the rest are centered around the US. Stage 1 starts on the 11th of January while the preseason games happen on the 7th of December. 4 stages hold 6 weeks of matches per stage with a title match rounding off each stage. The playoffs are scheduled to take place during June and July with an all star weekend looking to round off the year to be held during August. The rosters of the 12 teams include most of the top Overwatch Players in the world along with some of the fan favourite teams maintaining most of their rosters. Powerhouse Overwatch teams like Lunatic Hai (Seoul Dynasty) and EnVyUs (Dallas Fuel) are fully represented under their new banners as well as many other popular esport franchises like Cloud 9

(London Spitfire), Optic Gaming (Houston Outlaws) and Misfits (Florida Mayhem) Of course the formation of the league hasn’t been without its critics and the game of Overwatch itself is far from perfect. As a game it can be extremely hard to follow and understand for the average person with little knowledge of video games. The fast and hectic pace of the game coupled with a meta that can get stagnant before being completely changed will make generating new fans difficult. Even though Blizzard was able to showcase some effective new changes to the spectator experience during this years Overwatch World Cup, there are still some concerns going forward. Blizzard has also seen that all eyes will be on the OWL, with most other Overwatch tournaments having to stand down their activities, they are certainly putting it all on the line here.

And while Blizzard still has some chance to polish their product further after the preseason round, the League goes live in January and it will then be up to the fans to decide if it is worth their attention or not.

Marcus Powell has been living and working in South Korea since 2010. Aside from writing for Gangnam Gamers, he is also a popular club DJ, English Teacher, gamer, sports and esports fan and anime enthusiast. facebook.com/akadjblaze instagram.com/akadjblaze www.akadjblaze.com

My Life in Korea:

Eight Months In!

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Written By: Cassie Clifford

his month marks 8 months since I arrived in Korea.

When I arrived, I assumed time would go slowly. I was wrong. It is flying by quickly. As I write this article, I think back at the things that I’ve done so far here. Hopefully, this will give ideas on what can be done in here.

I am from Canada and live far away from anything K-POP related. If a band does happen to come to my part of the world, I have to travel by plane to another concert just to see them. I always had to pick and choose only my favourite groups because flights are an expense. In Korea, I live in Busan. Seoul has many concerts and is an almost 3-hour KTX ride from me. Even though I still have to pick and choose what concerts I go to since I don’t live in Seoul, I am still able to see more concerts than I’ve been able to in past years. I am very lucky to have seen my favourites, like B.A.P, Monsta X, VIXX, and duo group HOMME (with Lee Hyun and 2AM’s former member, Lee Chang-min). Also, in Busan there have been various festivals like the One Asia Song Festival, and the Busan One Asia Festival. I attended both of these events and had the opportunity to see a variety of talented singers.

Earlier in my time here, I participated in a day trip to the beautiful Namhae Island, which was hosted by the travel group Enjoy Korea. This was one of the prettiest places I have been to in Korea. We visited the German Village there, which is a tourist spot dedicated to German culture. I also participated in the Mijo (Anchovy) Festival, where I ate delicious seafood and danced with the locals. It was a really fun day and it was one of my first trips in Korea.

As you might have read in previous articles, I am an English Teacher here. My contract has blessed me with amazing vacation days. In the summer, I went on my first international trip to Japan. Traveling internationally is incredible easy from Korea. Countries are so accessible so why wouldn’t you take a trip?

Japan is a beautiful country and I highly recommend it. During Chuseok, I went south to the stunning Jeju Island, and had the chance to tour around and see its beauty. Jeju Island is also an easy place to visit, and it’s domestic!

There are so many other things to do in Korea. I decided to renew my contract and stay an additional year in Korea (starting in March). I’m so excited to spend another year in this wonderful country and I cannot wait for the experiences and journeys I’ll have.

WINTER STREET FOOD Bungeoppang Red Bean Filled Pastry

Gungoguma Roasted Sweet Potatoes Gunbam Roasted Chestnuts

Hotteok Filled Cinnamon Sugar Pancake

Gyeranppang Egg Bread

Hodugwaja Wallnut Cake Snack Jjinppang Steamed Bun

Odeng Fishcake Skewer

Tteokbokki Stir-fried Rice Cake

Tteok Mandu Guk Rice Cake Dumpling Soup

Gukhwappang Chrysanthemum Bread

HALLYU

MERRY HALLYU-DAYS