OP-ED: KPOP - MUSIC AS ART OR TRADE?
INTERVIEW SPEAKING TO TRISS
A look at creating K-pop as art, or as a trade.
Indie outfit Triss talk to UKP Magazine.
5
SPRING 2018
INTERVIEW WITH
NEW
INCHUN OH
K-DRAMAS TO WATCH
4 FILM
HOT KOREAN RUNWAY LOOKS STYLE
INCHUN OH SPEAKS TO UKP ABOUT HIS LASTEST FILM
3 FEATURE
PLACES TO VISIT IN KOREA
During Spring CULTURE
Win!
TICKETS TO SOUTH CLUB LONDON Details inside. T&Cs apply.
NEWS / REVIEWS / EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
Following the releases of his fellow members RM and Suga’s respective mixtapes, it’s safe to say there was a high level of anticipation and curiosity over when J-Hope’s solo album would be released and the kind of route he would venture into.
a shadow. And that’s exactly what the reception was to the rapper’s release, it beat all kinds of records and even went on to peak at #1 in the UK on the iTunes chart which was a first time for a Korean soloist.
BTS has rapidly evolved into a hot topic group and success trails after them like
The rotational group hailing from SM earned attention during their rookie days, though it appeared to dwindle slightly a year later as the general public wasn’t sure what to make of the sub-units popping up every few months or so. There’s potential with this group that’s for sure, but it didn’t seem like the full capacity of what they could do was being met. However, as the new year trickles on, all the units in NCT have joined forces and their efforts have clearly not gone unnoticed especially in the UK as they charted at #9!
The clock is ticking until the youngest member Seungri has enlisted leaving YG’s biggest group on hold until further notice. They hold the position of being one of the most influential Korean groups and have maintained a loyal and sturdy fanbase over the years. It’ll be a prolonged wait until we get even a whiff of a new song or album from BIGBANG and the members had this in mind when they recorded ‘Flower Road’ which peaked at #42 on the iTunes Song Chart in the UK.
This is the first Korean film to be recognised by the prestigious British Academy Film Awards with a nomination in January for Best Film Not in the English Language. Park Chan Wook’s film was later revealed to be the winner of the award in February when the awards show was taking place, which further highlights the commendable achievement and opens up the opportunity for aspiring directors across the world to be also recognised.
We’ve been seeing more and more success being gained from Korean groups on the UK iTunes charts, but for a soloist to do so is simply another matter. At the time of this release, Jonghyun was the highest charting Korean soloist in the UK at #5
and the album remained for days on the chart which is a remaining testament of how loved and cherished he was and continues to be. It might have been an official last gift that his fans could offer, but it must have been deeply appreciated nonetheless.
our t u o k Chec for e t i s web st e t a l e all th s! new
Fans were ecstatic to learn that the MONSTA X boys would be making their comeback to Europe this year in June and MyMusicTaste had announced that London, Amsterdam and Madrid are all confirmed places on their exclusive Europe Tour! While there were the initial concerns following the issues surrounding K-Pop Knight, European Monbebes were relieved that a second chance was given to show MONSTA X that they have a big following over here. LONDON: June 17, AMSTERDAM: June 20 and MADRID: June 23
European Ahgases were thrilled once the news officially dropped that GOT7 would be finally coming over to perform on their 2018 World Tour in June with MyMusicTaste. Further updates revealed that the boys would be performing in Moscow, Berlin and Paris for the European leg of their
tour. With Jackson having already stopped over in London for the MTVEMA’s last year, hopefully they can extend any future tours with additional stops in Europe! MOSCOW: June 6, BERLIN: June 8 and PARIS: June 10.
They’ve been a group to watch and GOT7’s fanbase has been steadily flourishing over the last two years or so to a point where they’ve grown a robust and dedicated group of fans. The JYP group is arguably an underrated group, some may even consider them to
be one of the underdogs and it’s good to see that they’ve been rising in the ranks on the charts in Korea and on a global scale, with their recent release they peaked at #10 in the UK!
It’s been a long 5 years wait since they last performed for their European fans, but they’re finally returning in April! The official stops include Moscow, Berlin and Paris. We’ve certainly been fortunate with all the K-Pop artists coming over to perform this year and we’re still only in the first half! MOSCOW: April 18, BERLIN: April 20 and PARIS: April 21
ARTIST
PEAK POSITION ON UK ITUNES
Jhope
1 (Album Chart)
Jonghyun
5 (Album Chart)
NCT
9 (Album Chart)
GOT7
10 (ALbum Chart)
Seventeen
11 (Album Chart)
BIGBANG
42 (Song Chart)
COVERAG
Photography by Safia Musa
COVERAGE
The Rose take flight for first European Tour
GE
By Sophia Tang
M
yMusicTaste provided Black Roses with an exciting opportunity as The Rose flew over to Europe to have their first ever European tour! The Rose’s Jaehyung previously mentioned how he had wanted to tour in Europe. Thanks to MyMusicTaste along with the Black Roses, him as well as his members were able to fly to Europe to tour. Despite the group only releasing 2 singles, this didn’t stop the group from conveying their outstanding talents, from instrument playing, beatboxing and more. And thus, the concert experience begins. As the audience area began to slowly form, The Rose’s logo flashed on stage whilst the fans anticipated the group’s entrance. When the show began, the screams from the fans filled the venue. Already, you knew who had appeared whether you were at the front or the very back of the venue. The Rose approached the stage, being greeted with screaming fans as they each grabbed their instruments preparing for their set. The resonating sounds which surrounded the venue began to play as The Rose started to perform. For the fans who had known The Rose from even before debut, you may have recognised some familiar originals. These were showcased at the concert, such as
“
The Rose has already been recognised, as Billboard announced the band as one of the top 5 breakout artists to watch in 2018. ‘Beautiful Girl’ which has some interesting lyrics. An example would be ‘my name is Sam, and I like some ham’. Funnily enough, Woosung who goes by the name, Sammy (or Sam in this case) was questioned about his lyric choice. He responded stating that he didn’t actually like ham – How ironic! But the Black Roses were fortunate enough to gain special renditions of some of The Rose’s unreleased tracks. Having the opportunity to gain access to unreleased tracks is always a commemorative moment as a fan, and hearing a live rendition makes it even more so personal. To list some of their unreleased tracks which were performed, there was ‘OMG’, ‘ILY’, ‘Baby’ and ‘California’. One of the most intriguing performances which stuck out would have to be the members’ talents. Whilst it was already amazing that they had the ability to play the instruments they do so well, watching the members’ switch instruments and play each others’ topped it. The drummer, Hajoon took the guitar and presented a performance which combined his guitar skills with his beatboxing skills. It was an unexpected moment which left the fans breathless. The loudest cheers had to go to The Rose’s official releases, such as ‘Sorry’. As the beginning of the song began to play, the audience couldn’t help get excited. As the fans came together to sing along to the song, it’s no wonder the group demonstrated success from their releases. The Rose has already been recognised, as Billboard announced the band as one of the
top 5 breakout artists to watch in 2018, particularly through their song ‘Sorry’. To quote the article stated that it was “rare for rock-leaning bands to make a major K-pop impression upon debut, but The Rose’s gorgeously emotive “Sorry” was able to do that, scoring a spot on Billboard’s year-end critics’ song list and confirming themselves a multifaceted, new talent on the scene.”
However, it wasn’t right to end the concert without providing a special happy birthday song for Woosung. The singer’s birthday fell on the following day of the concert, on the 25th of February. But taking into account of the Korean time zone, the evening of the concert was his birthday. The fans gathered together to sing along to a special happy birthday rendition for the singer, commemorating his day of birth.
Though The Rose are recognised for their two songs ‘Sorry’ and ‘Like We Used To’, they didn’t limit themselves to performing a number of covers. The covers included the likes of British artists, such as Ed Sheeran or Coldplay, or even American artists such as Bruno Mars or Pharrell Williams. For the special performances, Hajoon and Woosung performed a rendition of Zak Abel’s ‘Say Sumthin”. The song has also been famously performed by the likes of DEAN. On the other hand, Dojoon and Jaehyung performed James Bay’s ‘Scars’. Whilst Dojoon took centre stage for the performance, Jaehyung switched instruments and went for the drums.
As the concert drew to an end, the group conveyed their gratitude for the fans as well as MyMusicTaste for providing them with the chance to tour in Europe. Following their thanks, The Rose announced that they would be touring the US. The Rose came together for a final picture, holding onto the British flag as the fans provided an individual performance of ‘Like We Used To Be’. The fans provided a solid attempt at the song before their struggle of trying to reciprocate the Korean lyrics, but the group couldn’t help but laugh. The concert ended with the fans and the group reuniting to perform ‘Like We Used To Be’ as one.
Despite performing a number of English covers, the group also took the opportunity to perform songs from home. In particular, the group decided to cover songs from YG artists such as G-Dragon and 2NE1. Though 2NE1 has unfortunately disbanded, The Rose covered their song ‘Missing You’. The song provided a nostalgic feeling, commemorating the impact that 2NE1 has made to the K-POP community. They also provided a heartfelt rendition of G-Dragon’s ‘Untitled, 2014’.
Photography by Safia Musa
U P CO M I N G E V E N TS MUSIC
MUSIC
DANCE
K-MUSIC SHOWCASE 2 IMMIXTURE
The Place, London / 9th May
Making their UK debut, the celebrated Korea National Contemporary Dance Company SOUTH CLUB present the beauty of Korean The Underworld, London / 20th April dance and music on stage. South Club - the new and refreshing indie band founded by none other than Nam Taehyun is stepping over to Europe with a four-city tour in April. Debuting in 2017 with their successful EP “90”, South Club are no doubt redefining Korean indie music with their sentimental lyrics and rock melodies.
THE MOON’S TRICK Bradninch Palace, Exeter Until 22nd April
A solo exhibition by South Korean artist Young In Hong that encompasses drawing, textiles, sound installation and performance, to explore processes and ideas around authorship, translation and reinterpretation.
This year, the showcase is focusing on three female vocalists, each known for having their own unique voices and music styles.
DANCE FILM
ORDINARY STRANGER The Place, London / 12th May
A PETAL EXHIBITION
Rich Mix, London / 10th May
KCC, London / 10th May
Stumbling along rivers and roads in tattered, ill-fitting clothes, an unnamed girl trails a vulgar and violent man. Refusing to leave his side no matter how much the man beats, berates, and sexually assaults her, the girl follows him home. The question of what led to the mental collapse and subsequent ruination of this once happy child provides the framework for a film that attempts to address the trauma of the Gwangju Uprising on the psyche of the Korean people.
In Kyoung-Shin Kim’s Ordinary Stranger three performers meet on stage and share memories of their different backgrounds and cultures through intense movement. A whole new story emerges as personal narratives evolve and combine to create a shared moment in the present.
DANCE
DANCE
EXHIBITION
THE HILLS ARE HIGH SWAN LAKE
RIVERRUN & GLORY
Oriental Museum, Durham Until 9th September
Hip-hop, popping, breaking and contemporary dance are driven by Tchaikovsky’s powerful score in Ahn Sooyoung’s re-imagining of the ballet masterpiece.
The first word from James Joyce’s notoriously difficult avant-garde novel Finnegan’s Wake provides the title for dance and choreographer Jin Yeob Cha’s spectacular solo. Against a psychedelic backdrop created by visual artist Vakki, Jin Yeob Cha explores new function and meaning through dynamic movements in this multi-dimensional performance.
An exhibition by curator/ photographer Lauren Barnes, illustrating the everyday lives of South Koreans over the course of a single year.
The Place, London / 12th May
Focusing on the plight of the tormented swans whose environments are threatened by modern society this unique adaptation is like no other before.
MUSIC
The Place, London / 16th May
FILM
PENOMECO, PUNCHNELLO, MILLIC Scala, London / 13th May
South Korean rappers PENOMECO and Punchnello along with DJ Millic are set to perform concerts in London and Paris.
MY BRILLIANT LIFE KCC, London / 28th June
My Brilliant Life presents an idyllic image of youth and innocence as it recounts the first dream-like encounter of Mira and Dae-su at the tender age of 17. Gentle humour underscores the drama throughout the film as the poetic words of the exceptional Ahreum narrate a message of life and love in the face of extreme difficulty.
The Hills are High explores the issues of politics and popular culture that are familiar to visitors, but goes further to reveal some of the main challenges and joys of life in South Korea today. The exhibition casts a light on how and why South Korea has evolved since the Korean War into the country it is today – one of contrasts and challenges, where traditions coexist with technology; politics with people; and nature with an ever-expanding city-scape.
NEW RELEASES MOMOLAND Bboom Bboom Here comes an unlikely underdog group. However, their arrival to the spotlight is certainly not unwelcomed in the slightest. The girl group released a pretty catchy, bubble-gum pop track that’s often associated with the stereotypical image of K-Pop, which isn’t a bad thing since being an earworm song it has more of a chance to get stuck in your head. ‘Bboom Bboom’ has a high repeatability factor, it’s fun and full to the brim of high energy.
RED VELVET Bad Boy Opening the new year, it’s none other than one of the leading girl groups in the industry. It’s a great follow-up R&B track from ‘Peek-A-Boo’ and the members pulled off the girl crush concept flawlessly. It’s the harmonies that you can always count on with Red Velvet and they rarely fail to deliver on that front. There’s one thing to note about the group’s versatility from the smooth tones of ‘Automatic’ to ‘Rookie’ and how this displays how adaptable they are with various music styles.
SEVENTEEN Thanks The rookie image has well and truly shed from these Pledis boys, leaving behind the image of a diamond in the rough to shifting in a well-rounded group with enough tricks up their sleeves to keep their fans guessing what they’ll do next.
CLC Black Dress While ‘Hobgoblin’, the girls’ previous comeback song demanded your attention, this takes more of a subtle turn.
It’s nice to see that they don’t hesitate to drop slower tracks, much like with ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ which was received well upon it’s release, it allows the opportunity for each of the members to showcase their own unique brand.
The M/V itself shows the transformation take place from the members looking like delinquent high school teens to professional business women who know exactly what they want and how to get it. The song itself plays a seduction tale, using the classic image of a black dress to entice the one that has captured their interest.
NCT U Boss NCT is back in full throttle and in particular NCT U has returned since the unit’s debut in 2016. The smooth undertones from ‘The 7th Sense’ had not quite been matched with the group’s future releases. However, they’ve evidently come back to reclaim territory by nonchalantly declaring that they’re the only bosses in the game with this anthem-esque track.
J-HOPE Daydream In contrast to the music put forward by his fellow members RM and Suga, there’s an undeniably chill and upbeat vibe from J-Hope’s title track ‘Day Dream’. The instrumental gives off the impression of being a throwback sound, which leaves an almost nostalgic feeling. Separately, while they all take up the positions of being rappers in their group, their individual colours couldn’t be anymore different and that’s what makes the trio unique in their own music styles.
O UR P I C KS F RO M JA N UA RY - M ARCH
If you haven’t heard, there’s news circulating that DEAN is ready to drop his second record. by amy furney
having only two eps under his belt, it’s interesting to think that the South Korean R&B singer-songwriter and producer is already at a point where he can release a song without a video and gain an all-kill on South Korean music charts. With his latest track ‘Instagram’, that’s exactly what he managed to achieve. The twenty-five year old has always been ahead of the game. Look no further than his collaboration with American rapper Eric Bellinger on the single “I’m Not Sorry” in 2015. Although Bellinger had already won a Grammy at this point, he was nowhere near the household name he became after working with Rhianna and DJ Khalid on 2017’s pop anthem “Wild Thoughts”. Working with Mila J on “Here & Now” and Anderson Paak on “Put My Hands on You”, Dean has not been one to shy away from international collaborations. He’s also worked with other South Korean artists, such as Dynamic Duo, Dok2, Junggigo, Crush, Zico and Zion.T. His collective mix of influences gives his work a fresh new sound and is easily a major contributing factor to his rise to stardom. His influence in the music scene extends beyond the songs he sings himself, as he as written for VIXX and EXO too. In fact, the LA-based song writing company which he was initially employed by is even credited with Justin Bieber’s “One Less Lonely Girl”!
Dean has aimed to make a viral impact on the music industry, as his song-writing name, Deanfluenza, is a clear jab at the idea of his tunes being infectious, like a form of influenza. But, when he first gained an interest in rapping during his time in middle school, he never saw music as a career. In an interview with Korea Joong-Ang Daily he stated that music at the time was an “escape from studying” rather than a job prospect. It was when he turned sixteen and began performing with hip-hop artist Keith Ape that this changed. Fast-forward eight years and the artist has just released his debut offering, 130 Mood: TRBL, a twenty-four minute long EP with seven songs on it. It’s a clever piece, with the songs being listed and played back-to-front; the first track is in fact the outro.
There’s a sense of narrative, of clever storytelling which lends itself to being manipulated and re-interpreted; this is evident by the fact that the song “Bonnie & Clyde” can be read from both top-to-bottom and bottomto-top in order to obtain two slightly different stories. The song is in itself a close up to the tale(s) told in the EP, and really indicates the detailed nature of Dean’s penmanship. With 2018 having just started, and Dean unleashing his new single, it is only time until he releases a new EP, or better yet, LP. But Dean is not pushed for time. Why would he be? He has the whole world wrapped around his little finger
NU’EST - W
they were certainly the comeback kids in 2017 for sure, this group had flown up high in the ranks in the K-Pop industry and made their awaited return on our radar with their debut mini album ‘W’ Here’ last October. while aren’t new faces in the korean music world, with the temporary line-up change, it called for a revamped group following the result of member currently promoting with
it was brought to light when the members of NU’EST, including JR, Baekho, Ren and Minhyun, were revealed to be auditioning for the survival show. As a rookie group back in 2012, they showed great potential with ‘Face’, the initial interest that was brought to them seemed to gradually dwindle. Amongst the deep-rooted fears with a possible disbandment looming over them, they expressed their strongest and desperate wishes to be given one last chance to prove themselves. It really raised up the question about the foreseeable future of NU’EST, though fortunately for the group, the decision fruitfully paid off in more ways than they could have ever imagined. As the months passed by, NU’EST W had successfully won over the hearts of many in South Korea . The spotlight had turned back on them even more stronger then before, there was now a demand for the group that used to be left on the side-lines. With a newfound vigour, they made
various appearances in more variety shows, magazine photoshoots and end of the year award shows, and it looked like things were starting to look up for them! Once their album was released, their title track ‘Where You At’ garnered success on major domestic charts with #1 on MelOn, Naver, Genie, Bugs and Soribada. They even grabbed their first ever feature on the UK iTunes chart since their debut at #172, rising into the Top 100 at #89 with a final high peak at #49!
And if there’s one thing for sure, seeing the boys shed happy tears after their first win on M’Countdown near the end of October was a proud moment to watch for any K-Pop fan. It was later revealed that it had been a grand total of 2,046 days before they had their first win! A few months later down the line, they had also continued to receive recognition during the award show season at MAMA 2017 and winning two awards at the Golden Disk Awards (Disk Bonsang for W’ Here’) and Seoul Music Awards (Bonsang Award) respectively.
All these events, without a doubt, marked countless special moments for NU’EST W, it was a reminder of their brave decision to try again one more time even when it seemed like the odds were against them. They’ve really turned this year around for themselves, especially during the second half of 2017. And that’s what we find most inspiring about NU’EST W. Even in the face of adversity during the early months of last year, they didn’t back down and they certainly didn’t quit without putting up a fight to continue doing what joined them all in the first place; to sing and perform.
POWER THROUGH PLAYLIST OUR TOP TRACKS TO EXERCISE TO BY AMY FURNEY
E
xercising and staying healthy isn’t always the most fun thing to do, but we’re sure that these tracks will make the time fly past! Running, cycling, dancing; these songs will deliver and keep you energetic during your fitness challenge.
BTS – RUN
Red Velvet - Peek-A-Boo
BTS kick off our list with a particularly exercise-centric track. Despite its name, the song has a fast beat that would work well with any form of cardio. The music video definitely contributes to the airy atmosphere delivered by musical space, and it really makes you want to run so fast that you wish you could fly!
Red Velvet have a great selection of preppy, cheerful tracks to chose from. However, we’ve settled from this recent offering from the group. Can you imagine trying to skip to the beat? You would almost certainly get your sweat on.
EXO – Power There’s no way we could ignore this song, seeing as it was recently played at the Olympic closing ceremony during the 2018 Winter Games. EXO’s Power is, by nature, a powerful song. It’s incredibly uplifting and really gets you through a mid-exercise slump. Look sharp and fix up – you can do it!
Hyuna - Bubble Pop Bubble Pop is exactly what it calls itself, and doesn’t come short to missing that mark. This makes it perfect for the final track of our power-through playlist. The song really feels like summer, which gives it a feeling of warmth. In fact, it’s so care free that it could make you forget that you’re even doing any exercise. All you need now is a drink by a pool-side. Aaah!
SHINee – View Speaking of flying, can you imagine the view from up there? Okay, so that might be a bit of a stretch of a transition, but musically, the tracks go very well together. View has a constant tempo and it is mellow enough not to add additional pressure to your work out. This also means that the song is flexible enough to be used when doing cardio or strength training!
GAMES GUESS WHO?
Can you guess the idol from their silhouettes?
? NAME THAT SONG
?
?
- 2017 EDITION
1. “I got this. I’m truly fine”
6. “Get the ink get the pen”
2. “Love is timing”
7. “Play the game again”
3. “I’m the biggest hit on this stage”
8. “Call me pretty and nasty”
4. “Can’t nobody stop me now”
9. “Ain’t nobody ever made me”
5. “I bet it got my haters hella sick”
10 “I can’t let go. Cause you never know”
GAMES - ANSWERS GUESS WHO?
Did you guess the correct idol?
1. 2NE1 - Dara 2. Super Junior - Heechul 3. JYJ - Jaejoong 4. BTS - V & Jungkook 5. Block B - Zico
NAME THAT SONG
- 2017 EDITION
1. IU - Palette
6. GOT7 - Never Ever
2. TWICE - Heart Shaker
7. Red Velvet - Peek-A-Boo
3. NCT 127 - Cherry Bomb
8. BLACKPINK - As If It’s Your Last
4. Sunmi - Gashina
9. Jessi - Gucci
5. BTS - Mic Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)
10 G-Dragon - Untitled, 2014
CULTURE
MUJU COUNTY’S FIREFLY FESTIVAL By Tania Tavares-Pinto
Muju’s lightshow in action.
The festival holds an indisputable cultural significance. The firefly is South Korea’s 322nd National Treasure; the insect, which only thrives in clean and unpolluted areas, has not only become a symbol for Muju county’s thriving tourism industry but it’s also an indication of the dedication of South Korea’s rural communities towards the sanctity of nature.
Muju’s lightshow in action.
S
outh Korea’s nature festivals are a celebration of and a step towards the preservation of the country’s most magnificent natural phenomena. In Seoul, Spring brings with it the Cherry Blossom Festival; thousands of black-trunked trees crowning delicate white and champagne-pink blossoms which detach and gently flow towards the ground along with the wind,blanketing the streets and the revellers who have come to witness it. Whereas in Jindo Island you can watch the miraculous parting of the Sea opening up a 2.8km road towards a smaller offshore island named Modo. The Miracle Sea Road Festival, which is enjoyed alongside this walk, involves picking Jindo’s distinctive brown seaweed, and the search for clams and abelones. The connection South Korea has with nature is a tangible one; it’s a both a source of cultural pride and an association with health and spiritual prosperity in a world that is becoming increasingly more polluted. Muju-gun, a county located in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province (Jeollabuk-do), has a tourist industry that depends on the promotion of nature’s best spectacles.
Muju is known as the hill of light and wind, and the Firefly Festival, often held as the spring rolls into the balmy days of summer, is a light show funded almost entirely by nature. Four mountains surround the county, which boasts ski slopes and beautiful rivers, but it also has an extensive insect museum and a vibrant market that sells everything from clothing to freshly made Kkwabaegi (twisted Korean doughnuts). As darkness falls, the Nakhwanori – the light show events begin. Pouches made of traditional hanji (Korean paper) are filled with charcoal powder and hung along the length of the river. When they are lit, they offer a burst of light and colour, fading quickly but leaving a lasting impression. Similarly, you can inscribe large paper lanterns with handwritten messages of hope and personal wishes that are lit and released into the sky. The main event of the festival begins as hundreds upon thousands of tiny fireflies fill up the sky. The purity of the air and the clarity of the night sky ensures a light show that exhibits a drama and an un-choreographed visual spectacle that is idiosyncratic to each and every night it occurs.
“ Muju now remains one of the few places that these insects can safely inhabit.” With the rapid industrialisation of South Korea, and the consequent pollution that occurred, Muju now remains one of the few places in the country that these insects can safely inhabit. So on a broader, globally ecological scale, Muju-gun is an important player in the preservation of some of our world’s smallest and most endangered co-habitants. Muju’s Firefly School farms fireflies for the local festival each year, but it is also a research centre with aims to boost the firefly population. The festival is a celebration of nature and in doing so it functions as an education as to how much pollution and climate change affects the landscape of a country. It is a call for the visitor to become aware of their surroundings, to cherish it and, perhaps, to contribute to the preservation of its natural beauty too.
TRAVEL
Spring Edition
Places to Visit in Korea By Keeley Burridge
Yeouido Spring Flower Festival performer.
“ Whether you’re alone or together, a walk through the blossom trees can be refreshing and reflective.”
As the the snow of winter is gradually dusted off to make way for spring, colour floods back into Korea. Both inner city locations and rural areas are adorned with flowers and bird calls can be heard once again. It’s an almost magical time, an in between period of months not too hot nor cold. Spring means new life; flowers blooming, a gentle breeze distantly calling in summer, and more time spent in the company of the sun. The outside world truly opens up again after the cold that encouraged spending more time wrapped up warm in doors. It’s time to get outside and start watching the world come to life again. There are many places all over Korea that capture the beauty of spring and the chance to start your year off with some stunning sights. Cherry blossoms are the epitome of spring. A perfect symbol of the natural world waking after sleeping through the winter months, they symbolise hope and new starts for many people. Korea is well known
for its cherry blossom season in which tourists come pouring in the walk under the dreamlike canopies of pink, perhaps with friends or family or with a significant other. Whether you’re alone or together, a walk through the blossom trees can be refreshing and reflective. The Cherry Blossom tunnel on Yeuido’s Yeouiseo-ro Road provides the perfect place for blossom-filled strolls. Found behind the National Assembly Building in Seoul, the mile long stretch of road is one of the most popular cherry blossom sights in Seoul and plays host to the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival. The blossoms are at their height in early to mid April, so if you want to walk along the blossom lined streets, it’s best to visit the area around that time. Traffic has limited access to the road around this time as well, meaning the views are uninterrupted for anyone who wants to walk down the centre of the road.
“ As spring settles into Korea and new life takes hold, there are many places to go and experience the new season.” Bukhahsan
This isn’t the only cherry blossom paradise in Korea. There are many places where the trees take over the scenery when spring comes around. Near the southern point of the country, Simni Cherry Blossom road awaits near Jirisan mountain. The blossoms of both the cherry and floral kind make this walk stretching towards Ssanggyesa Temple a spring time paradise, full of quiet and colour. Much like Yeuido’s cherry blossom tunnel, the trees stretch into a canopy over head that visitors can walk under right up to the entrance of the temple. Routes like these give the perfect reason to leave the house for walks. The view waiting at the end can also prove to be great encouragement to reach your goal. Many Seoulites, young and old, flock to Bukhansan, the mountain at the most Northern point of Seoul to hike up it’s trails and take in the amazing view of Seoul waiting at the end. With a mix of nature and cityscapes to enjoy, spring is an excellent time to take in the sights here. The Bukhansan National Park has a lot of history to discover; from the fortress built on
the edges of the mountain to the many temples that still remain on it’s peaks. Not to mention the hundreds of different mountain paths that can lead you to the top of it’s famous rock peak Insubong, meaning the mountains hikers never have to take the same routes twice. If you fancy a walk on ground that’s just as high rising, the well known Haneul Park offers much the same mix between nature and the city. The World Cup Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul was built to commemorate the 17th FIFA World cup and is situated close to the World cup Stadium. It transformed an old landfill site, turning it into a little slice of nature paradise in Seoul. There are five main parks that make up the larger area: Nanji, Pyeonghwa, Noeul, Nanjicheon, and Haneul. Haneul means Sky in Korean, in this particular park is filled with fields and grassland and is situated in the highest area of the park. As the most popular of the five parks, it might appear quite familiar - many idols have posted photos of their visits to the park, whilst plenty of kdramas have also filmed on
location in it’s lush areas. It’s a perfect place to visit in the spring, when the sky is clear and bright, fitting for its namesake park. The names of the locations to visit around Korea certainly speak for themselves in this sense. The country has previously been called The Land of the Morning Calm since the Joseon era - so it’s only right that there is Garden of the Morning Calm of course! If you want to stroll through the twenty themed areas filled with flowers and other florals you’ll have to travel to Gapyeong in Gyeonggi province. One of the many sections, the Sukgeun garden, is designed in the shape of the Korean peninsula. Flowers cover the area, both depictions of north and south, symbolising the hope that one day the country will be united once again. During spring, the Garden of the Morning Calm also holds the Spring Garden Festival, showcasing the flowers of the season. It’s not only calm walks amongst the flowers that spring offers. Korea’s theme parks celebrate the season
As spring settles into Korea and new life takes hold, there are many places to go experience the new season. Whether walks amongst the newly blooming nature are your thing, or night time cafe sessions are more your cup of tea, Korea has so many places to experience. There are countless more aside from just these spots, but if there’s one thing spring encourages it’s exploration and trying new things. Hopefully the beautiful sights that places in Seoul and beyond offer inspire you to search for the little pockets of spring before the warmth of the summer months come creeping up on us
Everland
in their own way too, combining the fun and thrills of rides with exciting events to commemorate the arrival of spring. Seoulland brings it’s family friendly characters into the mix. Children will be able to meet with a variety of lively characters, whilst older guests will enjoy sights as the amusement park is turned into a colourful garden full of flowers. Outside of Seoul, in Gyeonggi-do, Everland hosts it’s Tulip festival every year from March to April. There are themed gardens to discover, filled with sculptures and hundreds of different varieties of tulips, alongside the popular Magic Tower and a nighttime Musical Rose Garden which is lit and surrounded with music. Although spring is the best time to go outside, it can also be just as nice to spend some time indoors. After all, being inside doesn’t mean you cannot look outwards, and since spring often proves to be a very reflective time of year, sitting down with a good cup of tea or coffee overlooking a view might be the idea of a perfect day
for some less adventurous souls. The Han river, running all the way through the centre of Seoul, can be a beautiful sight, especially in the gentle spring sunshine. The aptly named Maruswimteo, or River View Spring Cafe, is just the right place for people who want to sit back and take in the view. Located on Jamsildaegyo, this cafe runs various events for women such as barista classes. It’s also in a good spot for visiting when you’re on the way to or back from Lotte World. Another set of cafes perched among the great views of Han River, Gureum Cafe and Noeul Cafe (Cloud and Sunset Cafe respectively) are known for their fabulous views of the Han River at night. Whilst they do tend to get crowded in the later hours of the day, the amount of people are worth it - both cafes boast the highest views out of the numerous cafes scattered along the length of the river. There’s even outdoor terraces that visitors can use to enjoy the cool night air of spring, or even take a few photos.
Strawberry Satang RECIPE
By Keeley Burridge
S
trawberries are known for being a summer fruit in the UK, most often seen doused in cream or dipped in chocolate. However, in Korea, strawberries are associated with the spring, with their main growth season occurring between March and April. Not only are strawberries packed full of vitamins and nutrients, their deliciously juicy taste is hard to resists. In fact, they make the perfect sweet treat if your looking for a healthier alternative to sugary snacks. A popular street food in Korea, Ddalgi Satang is hard candy made from strawberries. They’re super easy to make, good to eat on the go and an especially tasty take on dipped strawberries that you might not have tried before. To prepare these treats, all you’ll need is the amount of strawberries you’d like to transform into candy, some wooden skewers and something to place to skewers in. This could be an old cardboard carton with holes punched into its surface, or a few tall glasses. To make the syrup for coating, you’ll also need 128g of caster sugar and 64ml of water.
METHOD First off, it’s important to wash the strawberries and then properly dry them with a paper towel. The drier they are, the better the sugar glaze will coat them. Cut the tops off the strawberries to make them easier to eat straight for the stick, just like street food. Put each of the strawberries on a stick, making sure that the stick doesn’t go all the way through the strawberry if you’re just using one. Less ripe strawberries work better for this reason. Alternatively, could put three or more on the same stick, pushing them all the way through like a fruit kebab. Shorter sticks work better for this method. Whichever you choose, make sure to leave space at the end of the stick so that they are easy to hold. Place the sugar and water into a sauce pan, heating and stirring until all the sugar is dissolved and the water looks completely clear. Bring it up to the boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until it thickens ever so slightly. Make sure your strawberries are ready to dip s soon as the syrup is ready as it will cool quickly. Keep the syrup warm as you dip the strawberries in the syrup, twisting them to ensure they’re completely covered.
Place the strawberries in your container, standing upright without touching as they dry. If there’s nothing you can store them in, asking someone to help you hold them whilst they cool as it doesn’t take long. This will help them keep their smooth, glossy appearance. Be certain they are completely cool before eating. The outer coating should be hard to the touch. The end result should give the strawberries a thin, crunchy layer of sugar that looks lovely with the vibrant red colour of the fruit. When trying these ourselves, we found them to be a perfect balance, the sweet of the sugar complimenting the zingy sweetness underneath, much like with chocolate. It’s a little trickier to make if you choose to put more strawberries on one stick; puring the hot sugar water over the strawberries to get them coated can be harder to do, especially as the sugar gets incredibly hot. However, it’s such a simple recipe that looks great and tastes lovely. If you want a little more variety, mix up other slices of fruit such as oranges, kiwi or even banana to make individual candies or fruit skewers. It’s a fun way to dress up your favourite fruit, even if it is for those with a sweet tooth!
T
RY THIS DEVILISHLY TASTY PROTEINPACKED DISH FOR ONE, A FAVE OF GIRL GROUP IDOL JISOOK. While Koreans traditionally love to eat socially as a group, the younger generation, especially young professionals, are increasingly becoming solo chefs and diners. The solo dining trend is known as hon-bap.The word is created from the Korean for solo (honja) and meal (bap). Former Rainbow member Jisook is just one of the new honbap generation, and capitalised on it for a new KBS TV show aired last year. Jisook’s Table for One is a tenminute show introducing modern, simple recipes for Koreans living or eating by themselves. On Episode 8, she made this simple but hearty dish, called Eggs in Hell - so called because of the deep tomato red colour that surrounds the egg. UKP made a basic vegetarian version, but you can follow Jisook’s original by adding bacon and sausage to your pan, or spice it up more, classic Korean style.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
- 1 egg - 6-7 button mushrooms - 1 whole pepper (any colour) chopped - 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed - ½ an onion, chopped - ½ jar of tomato-based pasta sauce (or make your own) - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil - A heap of grated cheese - Some fresh basil leaves - Bread
Warm the oil, then add the onions and garlic. When the onions are looking transparent, add the peppers. Stir well. Add the mushrooms and stir until coated. Add the tomato sauce, stir and cook for five minutes on a medium heat. Crack an egg into the centre of the pan, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the pan with its lid, and wait a few minutes for the cheese to melt (and the egg will cook!) Take a quick peek. If the cheese is all melted, it’s ready. Remove from heat. Add a few basil leaves, and serve hot with fresh bread.
(serves one, takes 10 minutes including prep)
OPTIONAL
(meat version) - 1 slice of bacon, chopped (thicker American/Canadian varieties may work better than streaky bacon) - 1 sausage, thinly sliced
EQUIPMENT - Iron skillet or any shallow pan with a lid - Knife - Garlic press
For the meat version: add bacon to the skillet first, and let the fat from the cooking meat coat the pan before adding the garlic and onions. You don’t need to add oil to this version. Add the sausage before the mushrooms. For a spicy version - add a generous spoonful of Korean red pepper paste to the tomato pasta sauce before you add it, and sprinkle red pepper flakes before serving. Veg it up even more: add Quorn pieces or firm tofu in place of the meat (but be sure to add oil in this case). For more easy to cook recipes for one with a Korean taste, check out Jisook’s Table for One on the KBS World YouTube channel.
EGGS IN HELL RECIPE
By DONNA SHEFFIELD
K
im Yonghwa’s Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) is one of the easiest movies to watch this year. It isn’t draining or dull, despite its two-hour run time, but it’s very simple. The story follows Kim Jahong (Cha Taehyun), an earnest fire fighter who dies honourably in the line of duty before attempting to journey through the afterlife within 49 days, hoping for resurrection. His only obstacles are the trials hosted by seven Gods who judge him on his life, his actions and his intentions. Along with the Gods is not a fantasy movie so much as a courtroom drama with elements of fantasy, horror, and moments of explicit and violent distress. Jahong’s lawyers are a trio of reapers: Gangrim (Ha Jungwoo), Haewonmak (Ju Jihoon), and Lee Deokchoon (Kim Hyanggi). They guide him through his journey but they also nurture their own motivations for Jahong’s successful reincarnation. These reapers are mysterious, powerful and, honestly, a little bland. The characters aren’t unlikeable in and of themselves but they translate across the screen as little more than stock characters. We have the cold and distant yet warm-hearted leader Gangrim; the funny, snarky and reckless Haewonmak; and the gentle and naïve Deokchoon. They’re presented as mysterious but there isn’t that much mystery to them, not with any meaningful depth anyway. What we see is what we get, and the general tone of the film follows this too. It’s an express ride through a long and detailed history. Within this two-hour movie we see all seven trials, but they’re not explored in a way that feels completely satisfying. Portraying the Gods are strong actors of calibre— amongst them Kim Haesook (I Can Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio), and Kim Haneul (Blind, Don’t Forget Me)
—but we are so rushed through each trial that the resolutions we encounter in these scenes feel feeble and lacklustre. There are also some petty annoyances that arise with the storyline. Established rules govern the fictional universe but these rules are disregarded at crucial moments and, worse, they’re set up without consideration of their implications on the way that the film’s universe works. For instance, a soul can’t enter a certain place, but when it does, there’s no real explanation for why that is. Even though it’s an incredibly important plot point. The reason why the soul can’t enter and the method of ‘killing’ it also doesn’t make sense considering the ways that mortals die or are commonly laid to rest. In general the cinematography could be better, but this film excels in moments of horror: when the picture of the idyllic scene falls away to reveal human souls eternally crushed by giant rotating log, or shadows crawling up in the hopes of escaping the volcanic hell that awaits below them, or the decaying face of a ghoul materialising above someone’s shoulder. Even beyond that, the standout feature of Along with the Gods has to be the portrayals of Jahong’s mute mother by Ye Soojung (The Train to Busan, Defendant) and Private Won Dongyeon by EXO’s Do Kyungsoo (Hyung, It’s Okay That’s Love). Jahong’s mother doesn’t speak, but Ye Soojung employs a beautiful, emotive, and poignant portrayal nevertheless. Her performance is stunning in its silence and the precise, quiet control of her body language. Whereas Private Won is a complete
contrast: he is erratic, his speech is a long, on-going murmur and his anxiety and mental distress is real and painful.
In Along with the Gods there is no sense of an unexpected plottwist, or tangible crisis or even a climax in storytelling – we go from point A to point B. But if you only want a movie that is thrilling, action driven and direct this fulfils that, and it’s good in what it does. The movie ends up being empty of substance, and while it doesn’t particularly make up for it in visual effects there are pockets of brilliant cinematic moments. It plays with genre and artifice, with being somewhere between a comedy and a sad story of human actions driven by guilt and sense of duty – but it’s a film made for the eyes, rather than making any attempts at being anything more than just a movie.
FILM REVIEW
ALONG WITH THE GODS By Tania Tavares-Pinto
INTERVIEW
STEPPING INTO THE DARK WORLD OF
INCHUN OH By Lerah Barcenilla
We speak to Inchun Oh, the director of the chilling real life inspired, NIGHTSCAPE.
Please introduce yourself to our UnitedKpop readers! Hello. I am a film director, Oh In-chun. Nice to meet you! Let’s start with one of your most recent films – can you tell us a little bit of what inspired NIGHTSCAPE and the kind of themes you wanted to explore? NIGHTSCAPE is a found footage horror film made by retelling a real taxi driver serial killer case in South Korea. I wanted to ask the question of the moral dilemma between the scoop and the truth, and whether the truth that is presented in the mass media is reliable information. How was it to work as writer, producer, writer and actor in NIGHTSCAPE? Did you find that being both actor and writer affected your creative process? It was a very interesting experience for me to appear as a director of photography, a producer, a director, and as an actor in the movie NIGHTSCAPE. I and my colleagues also had a lot of fun. And what I realized is, I’d rather be outside the camera than standing in front of it.
“ The surprise of horror is darkness, and the surprise of humour is brightness.” The found-footage subgenre is fascinating, and NIGHTSCAPE is interesting in its use of this – what made you choose this type of narrative storytelling in films like NIGHTSCAPE and 월하 (Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising)? I’ve always loved found footage genre films (for instance REC, Creep, Blaire Witch and Paranormal Activity series). As I prepared for the production of Nightscape and Wol-ha: very bad moon rising, I wanted to present events and characters in the first person I had never tried before. As in past films such as Metamorphoses, there is also an element of humour in NIGHTSCAPE despite the dark setting – what inspired this mix of horror and humour? I think the commonality between ‘horror’ and ‘humor’ is surprise. In other words, ‘horror’ and ‘humor’ are complementary relationships. I think the surprise of horror is darkness, and the surprise of humor is brightness. So, my films are not just slapstick comedies, but ‘black humor’ in the ironic situations in which social relationships and characters are forced.
NIGHTSCAPE was inspired by horrific real crimes committed in between 2004 and 2011.
Inchun Oh directing NIGHTSCAPE. NIGHTSCAPE, 월하 (Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising), 12 Deep Red Nights, 소녀괴담 (Mourning Grave) - what attracts you towards making horror films? Do you think there are certain topics and themes that only the horror genre can explore? I think horror films, while talking about things that are out of the box, actually tell us that you need to adhere to social norms. I think horror films are the genres in which the two values conflict. Moviegoers can interpret different directions according to their wishes, and I think horror films are the most peoplefriendly genre. The director can also exercise the most cinematic imagination and creativity. What are some of your favourite horror films? Of course, my films. Haha, kidding. There are many, but let me say a few… ‘Evil Dead’, ‘Carrie’, ‘The Last House On The Left’, ‘Invasion Of The Body Snatchers’ and ‘The Devils Reject’. Which other filmmakers have inspired you in your career up until now? John Woo, Mike Takashi, Brien De Palma, George A. Romero, Don Siegel and Wes Craven.
Any recent films you have watched that you particularly enjoyed, and why? ‘Gerald’s Game’. I loved Steven King’s novel, but I also enjoyed watching the movie. The woman character’s sense of fear and trauma left alone, and the process of escaping on her own were impressive. And finally, what are your plans for your next project and can you tell us a little about it? Now post production work is done, the thriller feature film, ‘The DMZ’, is officially invited to the 27th Arizona International Film Festival. And I am ready to make horror and thriller feature films. Please look forward for it!
New Korean Dramas in 2018 2018 has been one crazy year in the world of Korean dramas; there’s so many new ones we can barely keep up. Luckily, you don’t have to, as we’ve rounded up the best five here.
“This is a God wanting to be freed from the human world.”
We’ve already posted about this show on our website. The fantasy rom-com is being aired on Netflix, and if the storyline about a God wanting to be freed from the human world isn’t enough to draw you in, the star-studded soundtrack (AOA, NU’EST W) sure will be!
Radio Romance: This show started at the end of January, so is still being aired! Watch along as aspiring radio writer Geu Rim (Kim So Hyun) is forced to follow her dream. Due to her lack of writing skills, she always lands the assistant writer role. When her only show is cancelled, she must become a writer in order to secure her fate in the industry. Will she make it?
“ This show is sure to pull at your heart strings. Cross: Meet Kang In-gyu (Go Kyung-pyo), a first year resident doctor who happens to be a genius. Having studied medicine and being at the top of his class, Kang In-gyu is working hard in his academic studies and job in order to avenge his father, who was brutally murdered a decade and a half ago. This show is sure to pull at your heart strings.
My Golden Life: A woman, Seo Ji-an, has the ability to rise through social ranks. Her determination to join a successful company and overcome her father’s bankruptcy has led to a man, Sunwoo Hyuk, taking an interest in her. It’s an interesting concept, and will be familiar to those who have read
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Is it her or her wealth that has Sunwoo Hyuk swooning? With sibling swapping and surprise siblings thrown into the mix, there is a drama waiting to be watched!
I’m Not a Robot: Kim Min-kyu lives alone. It’s not his fault; he has an allergy to other people. Just touching them gives him a rash. He ends up encountering Jo Ji-ah, and she then decides to pretend to be the robot that was modelled after
her by her ex-boyfriend. It’s funny, it’s crazy and a little bit of everything else too. Check out our full review over on the next page.
When will robots take over the world? That’s a question that’s being brought up more frequently these days as technology takes leaps and bounds beyond what anyone thought was possible years ago. A video that emerged online in February of this year of two robots from Boston Dynamics showed a robot opening a door - a simple action, but the uncanny feeling it gave sent a lot of people questioning the use of robots once again. Maybe it’s too gloomy of an outlook, but a question always comes up. Is there a point where robots will become just as intelligent as humans? Will there come a time when it’s impossible to distinguish a human from a robot? Despite it’s low viewer ratings at the time of airing, I’m Not a Robot won the hearts of many who watched it for the performances of it’s cast and the sweet plot. Going into this drama, it’s the questions above that feature most prevalently. However, the tale that unfolds is much more a story about humanity, and the bonds that humans make through life, than it is about any kind of loss of humanity through technology. In many ways, this is because of the two protagonists. Our female lead, Jo Ji Ah (Chae Soo Bin) is a girl with a love of creating and chasing her dreams. She strives to create products that will make a difference to people’s lives, no matter how small. Despite her determination, at the beginning of the drama, she hasn’t seen much success. We’re introduced to her trying to make another business venture work out - buying limited edition figurines for collectors. It seems she’s pretty good at this too. She waits in line to be the first to get her hands on the latest figure and makes her way into the store as soon as the doors are opened. However, disaster strikes when, in the heat of battle, the pristine box of the action figure she’s obtained is marred by a smear of ketchup. Ji Ah and the child whose snack is the culprit for the stain pat ways, our lead protagonist failing to notice the turn of events. It’s then that we are introduced to our male lead. Rich, handsome, with a fearsome reputation that precedes him, Kim Min Kyu, (Yoo Seung Ho) is the CEO of KM Financial, a company that in recent years has made its fortune through buying and selling
companies. Having employed Jo Ji Ah to collect the action figure for him, they arrange to meet in order to complete the exchange. Min Kyu waits in his car, refusing to get out when Ji Ah arrives, figure in hand. Misunderstandings occur, leading to Min Kyu believing Ji Ah is a fraud due to the ketchup marked box, and Ji Ah thinking the wealthy CEO is trying to con her out of the money she is owed by pretending that the box is fine. It’s these kind of misunderstandings that the drama is built upon. What Ji Ah sees as arrogance in the form of Min Kyu staying in his car and flinching away from her is actually fear. Kim Min Kyu has an allergy to humans. It is a life threatening psychological condition that he’s lived with ever since the death of his parents. And as a defense mechanism, Min Kyu has lived much of his life since alone. However, misunderstandings only go so far, and thankfully the writer (Kim Sun Mi) doesn’t let them out stay their welcome. This provides a nice touch of dramatic irony for the audience to get behind as the drama gradually reveals it’s main plot. Alongside his love of action figures, Min Kyu has an interest in robotics, just as his father had done in the past. A secret team, named Santa Maria, exists as a division of his company, and they have been working on a project - Aji-3, the most humanoid robot ever created. It just so happens that the leader of the Santa Maria team, Hong Baek Kyun (Um Ki Joon), used to date Jo Jia Ah. Seemingly not over their relationship, he built Aji-3 in her likeness. Conveniently enough for him, as it goes, after a freak accident in which a drop of beer fries Aji-3’s circuits the day before her presentation to Kim Min Kyu means they need a stand in. Thus, when Min Kyu and Jo Ji Ah (who is now pretending to be robot Aji-3) finally meet face to face, both have something their not telling each other. And both of these things the audience know. Through this, a nice little touch of tension is added to their relationship from the get go. Min Kyu doesn’t want anyone to know about his human allergy; Ji Ah can’t let him find out that she is not a robot.
This premise is the central point of the drama, and it does well to stick to it throughout. The interaction between Min Kyu and Aji-3 is the focus of the first half the drama, which means that the audience really get to know our two leads. Neither one of them feels flat in this regard. Both have interesting enough backstories that are slowly revealed, backed up by interesting character traits that make them fun to watch on screen. It goes without saying that both Chae Soo Bin and Yoo Seung Ho do much of the work in bringing the characters to life. There portrayals of each are comedic when called for, but never to the extent that it lessens their integrity. When emotional moments appear, they pack a punch, but do not stray into the realm of melodramatic. Of course, this being a romantic comedy, the relationship between these two characters is imperative. All too often in dramas, fantastic actors are paired up only to provide little to no chemistry. Often times this impacts the drama, particularly when much of it’s plot relies on the relationship. I’m Not a Robot manages to miss avoid this problem entirely due to the amazing chemistry between Yoo Seung Ho and Chae Soo Bin. Their rapport is incredibly engaging and easy to watch. It’s almost as though they are simply playing themselves. Not to mention, when an inevitable kiss scene arrives, it truly feels as though the wait has paid off. It would be a shame to spoil these moments, but suffice to say that a pleasing amount of both sweet and passionate scenes occur - enough to satisfy anyone’s shipping needs. These moments are nicely dispersed as well. The plot of I’m Not a Robot doesn’t try to be more than it is, which makes it very pleasant to watch. At thirty-two half an hour long episodes, the writer manages to tell a cohesive story for Min Kyu and Ji Ah that doesn’t feel like it drags. In fact, it could possibly benefit from a little more focus on the main relationship at times. A number of story arcs run adjacent to the rom com that is central to the show, but some work better than others. Hong Baek Kyun’s Santa Maria team are a particular highlight, one that could have done with more screen time and, in particular, more time with Kim Min Kyu. These scenes are often heartwarming and a nice change from the romantic tension to look at friendship between people who would not normally accept it. There are also a couple of filler plots that could have done with a conversely smaller amount of time devoted to them -
specifically, a love line between Ji Ah’s best friend and a Santa Maria team member, and two spies sent from the antagonist to observe Aji-3. As always, there needs to be some kind of larger conflict in which all the characters find themselves caught up. In I’m Not a Robot, this conflict comes in the form of disturbances at Kim Min Kyu’s company. Whilst this does reveal itself to be linked to Min Kyu’s past, a crucial point to the development of his character and in turn, his relationship with Ji Ah, some of the struggles feel like unnecessary conflict. As a catalyst for the more personal struggles the characters face, it does it’s job. However, less focus could have been placed on this to allow those personal struggles to always be at the forefront. Because that is, overall, where this drama’s heart lies. Is it possible to fall in love with something you believe has emotions to give back? Is it necessary to overcome the events of the past to understand the present? Can you trust someone after discovering their lies? When I’m Not a Robot is answering these questions with it’s eclectic cast of characters, it’s hard not to be won over. Striking a balance between these deeper questions and light hearted fun is tough, but it’s this that the writer does so well. Backed up with a stellar cast, I’m Not a Robot holds a lot of heart for a drama about an android who is supposedly without one.
Rising Star JUNG HAE IN
Following a successful 2017 in supporting roles, Jung Hae-in looks set to shine ever brighter this year as he takes his first lead role in a drama this month. The 29-year-old Seoulite will be in the new JTBC romantic drama 밥 잘 사주는 예쁜 누나,Pretty Sister Who Buys Me Food. It’s only eight years since Hae-in signed up with his agency, FNC Entertainment. He signed with the agency after completing his mandatory military service, and graduating from the Broadcasting Entertainment Department at Pyeongtaek University. His first public appearance, beyond musical plays at uni, was in AOA Black’s music video Moya in 2013. His official acting debut was in April 2014, in the TV Chosun drama Bride of the Century. The drama, starring FT Island’s Lee Honggi as a lead, told the story of a family curse that causes the first wife of the first born son to die. Hae-in played Choi Kang-in, an idol singer and the younger brother of Lee Honggi’s character. After that, he took part in Indie film The Youth, historical drama The Three Musketeers, and made a cameo in Goblin (The Lonely and Great God) as the first love of Kim Go-eun. But 2017 was really his year to catch the public eye, as he appeared in two hit dramas, SBS’s While You Were Sleeping and tvN’s Prison Playbook. In While You Were Sleeping, he played a policeman who gets caught up in the lives of Suzy and Lee Jong-suk, preventing crimes and saving lives with the aid of their dreams. In contrast, he was on the wrong side of the law in black comedy Prison Playbook, playing Yoo Jeong-woo (aka Captain Yoo), a commanding officer who assaulted his teammate and led him to death. Two movies he was in were also released in 2017, historical comedy The King’s Case Note and historical action thriller Conspiracy: Age of Rebellion. This combination of movie and TV exposure, showing how versatile an actor he is, has surely earned him many new fans as well as more roles. In Pretty Sister Who Buys Me Food, Hae-in is the romantic interest for Son Ye-jin. His character is called Seo Joon-hee, and he’s a character designer at a computer video game company that has recently returned to Korea after working abroad for three years. Sneak peek stills from the drama hint at a very cute chemistry between the mains. You can also catch Hae-in this year in the historical drama movie Heung-Boo: The Revolutionist. The plot is based on the Korean folk tale Heungbu and Nolbu.
BY DONNA SHEFFIELD
OP-ED
K-pop: Music as Art or Trade? By Tania Tavares-Pinto
“ The quality of a song is not determined by who wrote it, but by the emotive intelligence of the performers.”
K
-pop is a network of associations; idols are intrinsically associated with their genre, their company, and their concept. This is true of most music industries around the world, but there’s a singular specificity regarding this within k-pop that makes these connections far more apparent. Here idols are less in control of their images and their sound in the ways we might expect of other artists in other industries. Non-idol artists tend to have a wider range of choice in how they present themselves to the public, whereas k-pop idols are much more bound to belonging to a specific company’s image and its accompanying sound. Idols are not required to be songwriters and producers, although there is a growing demand for that, and so companies turn to professionals to fill that gap. This is something that is often picked up on by publications, journalists and casual commentators who are not involved with the kpop industry. It’s considered a negative
aspect – a step further in the manufactured process of an industry that is just a system of commodification. Maybe the reason that this is viewed so negatively is because in this process music becomes a product or a service, and that’s completely removed from the usual romantic ideas we have of spontaneous artistry and the emotional significance of music. But that means that an exploration of this sub-industry is not given as much attention as is warranted. There are two major ways that song writing and producing is conducted within the K-pop industry: in-house producing, and outsourcing talent. Both of these methods feed into each other, but ultimately it comes down to the difference between a company being associated with a producer (i.e. YG Entertainment and Teddy, or SM Entertainment and Kenzie), and a producer’s sound being associated with a specific concept or group (i.e. Shinsadong Tiger with provocative tracks like Hyuna’s
Bubble Pop and EXID’s UP&Down, as well as groups like WJSN and Apink; or Black Eyed Pilseung, known for their catchy, hook-driven megahits like Twice’s Cheer Up and TT, and Sistar’s Touch My Body). This can both be a blessing and a curse. Teddy’s association with YG doesn’t mean that he is restricted in who he works with, indeed just recently he produced Sunmi’s Gashina and Heroine. But it does mean that as listeners we expect a certain quality from the track, and a particular chart performance to go with it. The media coverage for collaboration focused precisely on that it was a collaboration between Sunmi and YG’s Teddy. It was a surprisingly polarising move; with criticisms claiming that Teddy’s presence within the song was too strong, too dominant. On the other hand, the praise that SM receives for their idols’ diverse genre exploration is due to their rotating cast of producers hired to work in-house, and their buying of foreign demos to be reworked
into K-pop singles. SM has worked with Carly Rae Jepsen, LDN Noise, Korean songwriter Kim Eana, and pioneer of the New Jack Swing genre as well as Michael Jackson’s producer Teddy Riley. The criticism here is, instead, that their idols don’t have enough presence in the construction of their discographies.
performance of it carries the same emotional resonance as BTS’ self composed Moving On. Similarly, Pristin’s Seungyeon co-wrote their debut song WeeWoo. It’s a fun, if generic, pop song focused on the trivialities of young love and in that vein it could quite as easily have been a song written by Black Eyed Pilseung.
The land is slowly shifting when it comes to idols becoming involved in their musical output, although SM is indeed on the latter end of that shift.
The quality of a song is not determined by who wrote it, but by the emotive intelligence of the performers – how well they embody the song, how they sing it. To say otherwise is a disservice to the hard-working sub-industry that create memorable discographies for the artists that we, as fans and listeners, love. We must hold producers accountable when they put out rushed or uninspired songs, of course, but we must remember that music is both a passion and a profession – and in that vein, we should be equally thankful to idols and producers for their contributions to the process of K-pop.
But if we are to judge music for music’s sake, then the first step is to discard prejudices against songs that are not composed by those who perform it. The ability to interpret and perform music with sensitivity to mood and character is independent to composing a song. After all, what difference does it make if the idols performing the song created it or not if, in the end, they’re conveying the meaning of the track to the listener? Taeyeon’s 11:11 was composed by British songwriter Chelcee Grimes but, for me, Taeyeon’s
i n t e r v i e w b y S o p h i a Ta n g
w h e n y o u p e r f o r m o n s ta g e ,
your words become stron
nger
/ b a n dt r i s s
TRISS is one of the hottest rising bands in Hongdae. The band finally had the opportunity to hold their very first concert. As a band, they can be described as an alternative synth-pop/ rock band. Their music hopes to drive you to a setting, leading you into the sci-fi world through their compositions. The band consists of 4 members, Yang Hyun-Duk (vocalist/composer), Kim Min-Kyu (bassist), Shin Young-Kwon (drummer) and Jung Daisy (synth player). The band who originate from South Korea, are known to be strongly influenced by sounds derived from the 80’s, such as the use of synth sounds and sci-fi movies. Though the band originate from South Korea, their songs are largely created with English lyrics. This is due to the band’s composer, Hyun-Duk whom spent most of his childhood in America. Despite the band only playing for approximately a year within the Korean indie music scene, otherwise known as Hongdae, they were widely recognised within the community. They released their first debut single [Ice Cream], and as followed, released 3 single albums. As a result, they have won a couple of the most intensive indie music auditions in Korea such as the ‘2017 KT&G Band discovery’ and ‘2017 Busan Rock Festival competition, Burock’. In turn, the group have recently released their first EP known as ‘Science and Fantasy’ in February 2018! Under the alternative K-POP music label, UniqueTunes Records, the group launched their adventurous compositions which were integrated to form their recent EP. The album consists of 5 tracks: ‘Come Into Life’, ‘Science and Fantasy’, ‘Chasing Star’, ‘Body and Soul’ and ‘Breaking Star’. UnitedKpop had the opportunity to interview TRISS’ lead singer/composer, Yang Hyun-Duk on behalf of his band. Check out the exclusive interview next:
How was the band formed? How did you meet each other? I’ve been writing songs and playing live shows in Hongdae for about 12 years. I was playing guitar for a couple of bands. However, one day I just got tired of writing songs to fit the taste of a specific audience, so eventually I left all the bands and started writing songs as I wanted. This is where ‘TRISS’ began. Min-Kyu (bassist) and I have known each other for a couple of years as we were in the same band together. Young-Kwon (drummer) was a friend of someone I knew. I asked him if he was interested in playing in a band, and he said he would depending if my music was good enough. So, I sent him a couple tracks from the demo I made, and he fell in love with me ever since. Meanwhile, Daisy was a bartender at a bar where we played as ‘TRISS’ for the first time. She appreciated our music, which led us to become friends. When we decided we needed someone to play synthesiser live, Daisy joined the band. Thus, we signed a contract with UniqueTunes Records last year. And now it looks like we are a big family now! I’m really looking forward to the work we will be doing together from now on.
How would you describe your group’s music style in a few words? Sci-fi music, alternative synth-pop, I guess… I don’t know it’s always hard to describe our music. I’ll just say it’s ‘TRISS’. If there is one thing I consider when I write a song it is to be authentic and unique. So, if I can easily describe my music in a genre or certain style, it would mean that I have failed my purpose.
i f i c a n e a s i ly d e s c r i b e m
i t w o u l d m e a n t h at i h
bass
synth
If you had an opportunity to perform internationally, where would you perform?
김민규
데이지 daisy
drums
vocals
kim min kyu
신영권
shin young kwon
양현덕
The UK of course! As I grew up listening to western music, my childhood dream was to play at a huge festival in Europe and America. However, these days I would also like to play live at a place where nobody, or at least not many Korean and/or western musicians have played before. E.g. India, or a country in South East Asia. Currently, we are sending proposals to lots of festivals every time we see any opportunities. But since we are a fairly unknown band, we are willing to go anywhere in our own expense if we don’t get any invitations from other countries.
Are there any artists you would like to collaborate with?
ya n g h y u n d u k
Chvrches (a synth-pop band originating from Glasgow, Scotland) and Phoenix (an indie pop band originating from Versailles, France). Their music is great, and it influences me every time I listen to their music.
Are you working on any new music for future releases, if so how would you describe your upcoming release in a few words? What genres do you hope to explore for future releases? Personally, I like Sci-Fi movies. The music and sound in these movies inspire me a lot when I write my music, so I want to experiment more with the feel of Sci-Fi movies. If I had to choose from a music genre… I’d have to say 80’s or 90’s electronic dance music and jazz. At the moment, I also work with Ray Hill from the alternative hiphop duo, ‘KIMOXAVI’ who is also a producer of ‘UniqueTunes Records’ where I write my music. He is a very talented musician and has a very different musical background. There is a lot to explore in relation to his music, so I’m looking forward to our next project. It will be very interesting.
my music in a genre
h av e fa i l e d m y p u r p o s e Have you suffered any hardships whilst becoming a performer? If so, how did you overcome these hardships? To be honest, not having enough money is the biggest hardship which still impacts me today. I wasn’t born under wealthy parents, my father left our family when I was a teenager, and I had to support my family ever since I turned 20. Wanting to become a musician, I needed time and energy to be able to dedicate to my work. If I couldn’t focus on writing my music, how would I expect listeners to like it? I worked full-time to make a living and support my family. I tried to save time and energy to focus on writing music, but it was never enough. I overcame the situation by not sleeping enough… haha. But now that I have more people to work with together at UniqueTunes Records, the workload feels much lighter than before. Also, after partnering up with the label, we are now able to get more opportunities to play at bigger venues along with better media coverage. And I hope that things will continue to get better from there.
I just wrote a song yesterday. It’s a throwback to 90’s dance music. If I could say so myself, the song is my personal homage to the memories of my 90’s childhood. I hope it will be released sometime soon… We’ll try our best!
As a performer, do you have any tips for those who wish to become a performer themselves? When you perform on stage, your words become stronger. If you luckily become famous, your words and influence become even stronger. Please don’t be ignorant or arrogant. Your word is a gift, so be a decent person and please have the courage to say what’s right.
Performing in Hongdae, what is the group’s favourite place to be? Are there any particular hotspots you would recommend going to in Hongdae? Club FF Is where you will go to the most if you want to listen to indie bands in Hongdae. However, Club FF is too dark and uncomfortable, so I would recommend going to Club CONVENT is cleaner and a much nicer place to be. Hongdae is too crowded so we usually just go wherever it is quiet, and not too far from the club we are playing that night. If you like Korean style noodle and dumplings, there is a place called ‘Buk Chon Son Man Do (북촌손만두)’ which is across from ‘Sang Sang Ma Dang’. If you would like a cup of coffee in a quiet café, there is a place called B-Hind, which is close to the club ‘Evans Lounge’
Lastly, if you could recommend one song for UnitedKpop readers to listen to, what would you recommend? I always recommend people to listen to the latest song because it is the closest song to representing the writer’s current life. It will represent the writer’s thoughts and feeling up till the current date. In our case we released our 1st EP, ‘Science and Fantasy’ last month so I will recommend ‘Science and Fantasy’ to the UnitedKpop readers.
FIVE TRENDING TOPICS FOR MARCH
While TOP is still serving his mandatory military duty as a public servant, three other members of BigBang, GDragon, Taeyang and Daesung all enlisted recently, giving them a predicted completion date of winter 2019. Seungri will also enlist once he completes his solo promotions this month. G.D. joined the 3rd Infantry Division recruit training center located in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. The army base has since been inundated with emails from fans, which they’re obliged to print out, causing a massive headache for the base staff as well as other recruits. YG Entertainment posted a notice on social media about the issue, gently encouraging fans to save their loving messages for now.
Winter Olympic fever gripped the nation in both February and March, as the Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in Pyeong Chang. A host of Korean celebs took part in both the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays. CL and EXO’s performances made for a memorable Olympic closing ceremony, and Ailee wrapped it up nicely at the Paralympics closing ceremony. Many idols shared sporty pictures or hashtags on their social media, encouraging people to support the events. Daniel Kang of Wanna One has also since offered to treat one of the ladies’ curling team, Kim Kyung Ae, to dinner. The Korean ladies’ curling team, aka ‘the garlic girls’, became so iconic while on their road to Olympic silver, that even the glasses styles they wore sold out.
The Me Too movement, where women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment and worse, has also begun to spread in Korea with some tragic stories and results. Actor Jo Minki, who had been accused of sexually molesting at least eight victims, committed suicide. Female film director Lee Hyun-ju, 36, retired after being found guilty of sexually assaulting an actress. Prominent theatre director Lee Yoon-taek apologised for sexually harassing actresses over an 18-year period. Outside the entertainment world, a would-be presidential candidate, governor Ahn Hee-jung, resigned after his secretary publicly accused him of repeatedly raping her.
Legendary duo TVXQ are finally done with their two-year mandatory military service, and stirred fangirl and boy hearts worldwide this month with their long-awaited comeback teaser and images. Fans responded by trending the hashtag #RETURN_OF_THE_KING worldwide, mentioning TVXQ in 100,000 tweets. Their 8th full album, New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love will be out by the end of March.
A team of South Korean entertainers, including girls’ group Red Velvet, AOA’s Seolhyun and Baek Ji Young are visiting North Korea in April for a special show. Around 160 performers will take part in two shows in Pyongyang. One will be held at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, and one at the Ryukyung Chung Ju Yung Gymnasium. Music industry veterans Cho Yongpil and Lee Sunhee are part of the delegation. Cho was the last South Korean singer to perform in the North, back in 2005. The event is another public demonstration of the warming relations between North and South Korea, following the Olympics where athletes from both countries marched under a special unified flag.
Interview
A chat with Grace Kim By Sophia Tang GRACE KIM is a soul R&B dedicated singersongwriter based in London. She and her trio band met each other at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and have been exploring musical fusion rooted in neo-soul. With a blend of jazz elements, Grace Kim’s music resembles Esperanza Spalding to Gretchen Parlato. However, a sprinkling of the Kate Bush eccentricity on her songwriting sets a very unique tone to her music. Accompanied by the tight performance of the band, her storytelling gets expressed through the soaring vocal virtuosity. She started to get recognised by performing at many beloved festivals in Northwest England such as Liverpool Soulfest 2016, Threshold Festival 2017 and Liverpool International Music Festival(LIMF). Also, her first single ‘No One’ was featured by BBC Introducing.
“My current music
is more based around the groove and rhythm of the song. As someone who has been making music from a very young age, what was it that got you started? In my family, my mother is a piano tutor, but she also used to be a choir director. I’ve seen her teaching and conducting music from very early on so, it was quite a natural process that I got into music and music writing. What is your musical process when creating compositions? For songs written with vocal melodies, I normally work on the lyrics first. Making notes of ideas which pop up during my daily life really helps. They come together, usually at night, and I create a whole story upon it. When it gets clothed with music, I tend to visualise and imagine what emotion, scenery or message I want to convey and try to transfer that into musical language. It’s quite a fun process to go through yet also pretty tricky to create something new from scratch.
Do you think that your upbringing in Korea has influenced how you make music? Absolutely! My upbringing in Korea is what formed the foundations of my musical background. I’ve always been surrounded by Korean music for my entire life. When I first came to the UK and started my career as a singer-songwriter, my upbringing is what also became my obstacle as well. It was just because the musical trend in Korea and in the western society is fairly different. I had to take some time to transition and adjust my music to fit the western scene.
After moving to the UK, how would you say your music evolved? The music I used to do back in Korea was based on the classical way of writing, because I used to study classical music in the university. After moving to the UK, I got into R&B and neo-soul which are the genres that I’ve kept until this day. The biggest difference would be my current music is more based around the groove and rhythm of the song and it seems to be more instant for the audience to feel the vibe and I like it! Would you say there are any differences in performing at festivals in the UK vs in Korea? Well performing at a festival is always big fun in both countries from my experience! If I was to find a difference, it seems there are tons of UK festivals welcoming grassroots musicians and bands. In Korea, most of the big festivals are still quite exclusive to established musicians. However, that means there are also many more emerging new bands and independent musicians than in Korea considering the size of the music industry in the UK.
Do you prefer to perform at festivals or smaller more intimate gigs? What do you like best about your choice? Ooh, that’s a tough choice! They are both very enjoyable. But I would say I like to perform at festivals a tiny little bit more. It’s difficult to feel the intimate connection from the audience - that’s true. However, my band and I have experienced talking with the crowd, connecting with them offstage after the show and enjoying the rest of the festival together! That’s a very unique and fun experience at festival gigs. You cite Esperanza Spalding and Gretchen Parlato as musical influences. Are there any other musicians you look up to as a singer and a composer? As a songwriter I look up to Kate Bush. Her storytelling is always brilliant and pleasantly quirky! When people listen to her tracks many people would be able to notice that she wrote them. It’s amazing to have that musical signature. As a singer in particular, my ultimate model is Sohyang! I don’t think I’d be able to beat her at any time in the future since she’s so up there haha. But I practice her songs and her resonance every now and then.
“If I could live off only making and sharing the music I write, my life would be filled with delight. You are a soul R&B singer, but are there any other genre you would love to try? To compose or collaborate with another artist on? Actually, I had a chance to perform a 45-minute set of Jack White renditions at the beginning of this year! It was very challenging to sing with the band playing Jack White’s punk sound. Using a distortion pedal on my microphone and some occasional shouting was surprisingly joyful! I would love to try that again or any other genres really. I’m quite an open book. How did it feel to have your first single ‘No One’ featured by BBC Introducing back in 2016? That was a great moment. I could not catch it as I was having a gig in that exact time. But I could listen to it on BBC website. I had gigs before that, but this airplay actually gave me the sense of getting into the music scene and being a part of it. I am very grateful to Dave Monks for playing my track and giving some lovely comments.
Can you tell us a little bit about the band you perform with? How was the band formed? My band, Grace Kim Band was formed in Liverpool in 2016. All of the members are from the same university, called LIPA which is known as Paul McCartney’s fame school. Adam Fairclough and Robyn Wilkinson are the current members. We still work together even though I moved down to London and they stayed there. I’ve been performing with these people for a year, and now they are my biggest support mentally by just being there for me. There is another band starting up in London called Grace Kim & The Skittles, which is leaning more towards contemporary jazz. We’re kicking off our journey soon and we will see how that goes!
If you could pick any artist - past or present to collaborate with, who would it be? Actually, I loved his music before, but working on Jack White’s materials I fell in love with his music even more! It’d be the day to remember if I ever had the chance to collaborate with him - as an R&B singer if that’s a good call… For a Korean artist, it would be absolutely dreamy to perform or write songs for Lena Park. I’ve always adored her music world and it influenced me a lot as a singer. That would be my dream! Having won awards in both Korea and the UK, what is the dream for Grace Kim as a performer and composer? Chasing where my heart beats, I ended up in London performing my own music. However, as time goes by I only realised my real dream is simply to live off my music. It is quite a difficult thing to achieve as a featured musician like myself to be able to focus on my own music only. Not doing anything else, if I could
live off only making and sharing the music I write, my life would be filled with delight. Wherever I’d be that’s my dream. In a sentence, why should UKP Magazine readers check out your music today? Starting with Korean and now far-fetched to Caribbean influences, it could be a whole package for you to enjoy a slightly different side of Korean music! In more than one sentence… Even though my music has been changed and shaped far-fetched since I left Korea, the flavour of Korean music is still massively there. If you enjoy Korean pop, you might enjoy my music as well! Also, it would be great if I could introduce some other side of Korean modern music than K-pop to you. I do collaborations with other Korean independent musicians quite regularly so that could be an interesting point to keep on. Hope you like it :)
GUEST ARTICLE - XINA
K-POP DANCE IN THE UK
I fell into K-Pop by pure chance. To put it simply, I met a girl, Shub – now one of my best friends – who happened to dance to K-Pop on YouTube. I can never thank her enough though, because she sat me down and introduced me to the incredible music and complex choreographies that come hand in hand within K-Pop. She helped me learn group members’ names (I really sucked at this at first) and is completely at fault for my BTS album collection. It’s safe to say I doubt I’d ever have gotten into K-Pop, and K-Pop dance without her. Seeing her videos, how confident she was and how much fun it looked, immediately I knew I wanted to be like her. I wanted to have the confidence to not only dance these dances but film and upload them to YouTube. Dances that were (at the time)
styles that I felt I could never do justice or would just look ridiculous attempting. So, from there, I fell hard and fast into the world of K-Pop and the wonderful community that has built itself around it. Believe it or not, I was always the shy, awkward, quiet type and often still am. (The first time I was ever recognised from YouTube…. I asked THEM for a selfie because I couldn’t believe it…!?! I am awkward incarnate.) Though few people I meet believe this after seeing the type of videos I make. However, what I think people don’t realise is that I, like many others, started out filming videos in my bedroom, or leaving my house at 5am to go somewhere to film whilst nobody would be awake to see me. I didn’t even tell my friends or family I’d started a channel until they found out themselves months later. But now I step out onto the busy
streets of London with my camera and start dancing un-phased. (I still haven’t mastered talking to the camera in front of people though!) I wholeheartedly put this down to the wonderfully supportive community of K-Pop fans that cheer on not only myself, but everyone, with such love and passion that I’ve never seen in any other online community. They finally helped me get a little self-confidence to stop being so shy and awkward – though I won’t lie, I still have my moments… A lot of them. My favourite thing about dancing K-Pop and uploading covers though, is the people you meet as a result. Thanks to K-Pop dance I have found countless like-minded people through YouTube (and Instagram, I never knew there was such a big K-Pop dance community there!?) who
TWITTER I YOUTUBE
Xina is a K-Pop dancer and YouTuber from the UK. You can often find her filming dance videos on the streets of London, hosting K-Pop dance meets or performing at events across the UK.
love the same things as me, and now have this wonderful group of friends that I’d never have met had I not gathered up my courage and filmed a poorly lit video, balancing a camera on a stack of books and uploaded it to the internet. I have truly never felt as at home in a group of people as I do within that of the K-Pop community, and an added bonus? It makes filming videos ten times more fun when you can collaborate and muck about with others in the process! As a result, I hope to do what I can to help bring K-Pop to the U.K. and encourage more people to give it a go. To give people the chance that I stumbled across and provide opportunities for others to make wonderful friends they have K-Pop in common with too. Because one of the best things about the K-Pop community is we’re not
confined by age, ethnicity, gender, even language – as let’s face it, how many of us are actually fluent in Korean? While there’s social media which makes it a lot easier to find other K-Pop fans nowadays, and with the rise in K-Pop’s popularity in the U.K. it’s a lot more common to like K-Pop here. However, to actually meet other fans in real life and break that virtual wall, there’s still a limited amount of opportunities. (Although this year we’re totally being spoilt with K-Pop concerts!) Therefore, I hope to expand on what I began to do in 2017, to host K-Pop events like the ones I did with the London Korean Festival, or at MCM Comic Con, and make these more frequent and accessible to everyone. Doing this last year truly made me so happy to see people turning up alone, shyly joining in with dances, yet by the end
of the event they were slaying routines and sat swapping Facebook’s with new friends. It’s incredible how wherever you are, the moment you find another person who likes K-Pop you’re instantly not alone, you’re part of a family. So, to end this on what I hope to be an inspiring (Insfires-ing? BTS anyone? No? Okay. Awkward moment over) note, I guess I just want to say to any other shy aspiring K-Pop dancers out there, or shy K-Pop fans in general, never be afraid to speak to other people in the community or turn up to a K-Pop event alone as it really is the friendliest most welcoming family of people… You never know when you might meet your future best friends! ~Xina~
SOUTH CLUB
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Off-White
denim have always been a popular choice and their SS18 ‘Temperature’ jacket was no exception. Seventeen’s Woozi sticks with a classic white shirt combination for the group’s “Thanks” promotion while the former EXO member and solo artist goes for a street style by teaming it up with darker denim and a distressed flannel shirt.
Flamenco by B
Fashion can always be dow shows with how Bubulee worn by Tiffany and Oh My G with Ceci, the Girls Generati a black waist belt for a flirt it with delicate earrings an ethereal and elegant conc Garden”.
CHU NGH A
wn to how they are styled and it e’s Flamenco Check Dress is Girl’s Jiho. For a recent photoshoot ion star wears its off shoulder with ty summer look, while Jiho teams nd lace gloves to keep with the ept of her group’s song, “Secret
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Love Sees No Colour Sequin Top by Ashish
Ashish’s “Love Sees No Colour” shirt has made two
distinct appearances in recent teaser photos. For Red Velvet’s “Peek-A-Boo”, Yeri stuns with her short hair and knee high books to keep with the concept’s glitzy but badass vibe. Meanwhile, for her recent single “Roller Coaster”, Kim Chungha goes for a more retro vibe by keeping the vibrant colour in her make up and a teased half up do, all while letting the sequins speak for themselves.
W
e all have our New Year Resolutions; lose weight, succeed a personal goal or maybe its just taking better care of yourself. Self-Care is a big trend nowadays with books, gadgets and hacks to make our lives just a little better but our bodies are just as important as the soul. You can do a style overhaul, consume every strange smoothie on the planet but nothing compares to a routine that helps you glow from within. K-Beauty has slowly become universal with companies all over the world investing in the country’s strange but often wonderful products. It’s no surprise that some of the biggest fashion reporters have covered its rise in the industry and that many are investing in big beauty labels including Tonymoly, Etude House and The Face Shop. However, to the time and money saving individual, it can be very daunting to say the least. Not everyone has the time to invest fulling on the infamous 10-step routine tried and trusted by many models, actresses and idols. The products have high-end results but also high-end prices which can discourage anyone who stays true to the High Street and not willing to spend extra money just to get products delivered straight from Korea. The New Year is the best time to get you ready to feel good and look great at the same time but don’t worry, you can revamp your routine just by including a few new products. From both South Korean and Western companies, we have your one-stop beauty overhaul to step into fresh, youthful skin.
Step One: Double Cleanse Your face can go through a lot of things in the space of a day; make up, stress and even dirt can leave your standard facial wipes helpless to get just the right level of clean. Double Cleansing deals with all types of grime in two specific ways. First, start with an oil based cleanser to dispel the stubborn waterproof make up and break down all the dirt before going in with your standard cleanser to suit your skin type. Perfect for cosmetic freaks and also stressed out city girls, using both products in order at least twice a week will get your skin clean and ready for all the treats lined up in your routine.
Step Two: Essence Applied after toner, essence is the skin pick-me-up which is key to many K-Beauty styles including the youthful nomake up look or the infamous “glass skin” tread. With a consistency between water and serum, it is loaded with active ingredients that soothes and nourishes the skin after cleansing. Continuous use can rejuvenate the skin to make it smoother and bright, ready for the serums and special oils to target the specific problem areas.
Kick Start Your K-Beauty Routine
BY EMMA ALFORD
Step Three: Pampering Face Masks If you are starting up K-Beauty, you are guaranteed to gravitate towards the signature face masks first. From bubbling clay, multi-tasking colours to strange ingredients, it is the perfect way to inject some love into your routine without wasting time and money. Just apply, relax and soak up its refreshing ingredients. Masks are appearing in many ways but it is the sheet masks that are sweeping the Western market. Both mess and fuss free, it is easy just to unfold and enjoy, especially with companies creating wonderful ingredient combos and fun prints to make those stay-in spa nights all the more fun.
Step Four: Face Mists A stable for any time of day. We all know priming and setting sprays but sometimes when you’re on the go or working hard in the day, you need a refreshing dose of
moisture either to freshen up your make up or cool down. Face mists are perfect for this and are often packaged in cute mini-bottles in South Korea just for this purpose. Don’t let that stop you. Pick your favourite and carry it around in a little spray bottle when you are out and about to keep your skin dewy and hydrated throughout the day.
Step Five: Sleeping Packs The final step in any night time routine is to moisturise but South Korea goes one better by locking everything in with one last layer that keeps the regimen going as you rest. Need a little boost to your moisturiser? A Sleeping Pack is usually the perfect partner. Just apply, leave to dry and sleep with no mess. When you wake up, just wash your face and reveal radiant skin. From specialised ingredients to cute fruit shaped packaging, they are an essential for taking your beauty sleep to the next level.
Spring Fashion Faves
Now that Spring is here, fashion simplifies, and brighter, softer colour palettes become more common for idol fashion. Comfort reigns supreme, but it still looks fresh and clean! Here are some of our favourite, emerging Spring favourites for the new season.
The Cropped Shirt From Sunmi, to Seulgi, to iKON’s Bobby, crop tops have been all the rage for quite some time. The trend is here to stay for the coming Spring months. Swap the darker tops for their paler, zestier counterparts and hike up your your highwaisted bottoms to elongate your figure. Structured blazers, oversized hoodies and sleek leather jackets all make the perfect combination for those braving the chill with mid-riffs to the wind!
The Hair Accessory As cute hair accessories are continuing to make their comeback, hair clips are beginning to reassert their prominence. Idols like WJSN’s Seola and NCT’s Taeyong are showing how beautiful hair clips can look as part of an overall hairstyle. It’s a fun, fast way to liven up an outfit with almost zero effort! Other idols rocking this look include Red Velvet’s Irene and Joy, and also Blackpink’s Jennie.
The Blushing Pink The preppy look is back for Spring, and what better way to showcase it than wearing pastel pink in soft fabrics, or as the highlight of a neutral palette - as EXO Suho’s does with his pink sweater and matching pink scarf and sneakers? Or by making it a definitive feature of your look through your hair like Up10tion Xiao’s bubblegum pink style, or Mamamoo Solar’s pale pink version. Other idols embracing the quirk of pink this springtime include Oh My Girl, Red Velvet, BlackPink for Marie Claire, and Suzy for her Season’s Greetings.
GET THE LOOK
CLC and Gugudan ensemble your style with Black Dress and The Boots For girl groups these days, it’s difficult the carve out your own niche within k-pop whilst simultaneously pleasing fans. It seems like they can’t win; when they opt for a cute vibe for their concept, they’re told it’s too young for them. So then they go the opposite way, delving into darker and sexier concepts, oftentimes to a great amount of criticism once again. This is what Gugudan and CLC have tried with their latest comebacks. Despite both having members from the wildly popular Produce 101, the groups have struggled to find their own place in the industry but are beginning to leave their mark. CLC have tried various concepts from quirky to cool and, despite the high quality of all these comebacks, have received a somewhat tepid response. It wasn’t until last years Hobgoblin, in which they effectively did a complete 180 in sound and style, that they started gaining some attention. This concept was a hit with international fans in particular, having a similar sound to 4Minute due to label mate Hyuna’s direction. After another trial of an innocent concept, CLC came back with a punch. The style throughout the music video and later their live stages, sticks with power fashion
statements. In nearly all of these outfit interactions, the boots the girls wear bring the outfit together, with skirts and shorts paired with blazers or bright statement jackets.
this with a belt as Gugudan do also creates an hourglass figure. Glam it up with a diamante belt or go more casual with this silver buckle belt from River Island.
Meanwhile, Gugudan share that powerful yet classy feeling in their style. Fittingly, The Boots is their main theme. Having focused on a variety of concepts since debut, much like CLC, this comeback marks Gugudan’s first foray into something with a sexier vibe. Elements of their look take inspiration from the french fairy tale Puss in Boots; the silver embellished buttons and belts, the hat adorned with feathers and of course, the boots.
If you’re more of a dress lover, then CLC’s combo of a skater dress with ankle boots is the way to go. In the MV, each member has a slightly different variation, from shorts, to skirts and crop tops, to Black Dress. The saying goes that every girl must own a little black dress, and even though that’s not always the case, it’s versatility can’t be denied!
These styles can easily be replicated with key elements. If you want boots that will steal the show, opt for knee high. Gugudan use these to draw your eyes to their choreography during the chorus, whilst CLC members Seungyeon and Elkie pull them off to the same striking effect. Pairing these with black shorts or skirts brings the eyes up higher, making your legs appear long and slim. High waisted shorts have been a hot style for a while now, and in the UK there are many places where you can pick up something that fits your figure perfectly. Teaming
The item the finishes the look is the black military jacket. CLC has a variety of versions of this look, from skirted jackets to cropped fitted blazers. Whatever style you choose, the jacket adds a powerful, classy touch. Finally, follow those Puss in Boots motifs from Gugudan’s concept with some feather accessories. The hat is emblematic of the fencing French cat and evokes a feline feeling. A hat that grand might be a little too bold for everyday wear, but using the feather can really soften your overall look and give it that girly charm that CLC and Gugudan exude whilst also pulling off sexy with confidence; the perfect dual style!
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Black Military Jacket 1. £29.50, Debenhams Three Button Military Jacket 2. £44.95, Joe Browns Mesh Skater Dress 3. £39.50, lulus.com
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Silver Buckle Belt 4. £12, River Island High Rise Shorts 5. £25, Topshop Suedette Metallic Trim 6. Ankle Boots £29.99, New Look Velvet Knee High Boots 7. £40, prettylittlething Black Feather Earrings 8. £12, OccultThreads on Etsy
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RUNWAY LOOKS As the weather lightens, the days are getting long and warmer. Spring is here and eyes are on Seoul as an emerging fashion capital. Here we look back on October’s Spring/ Summer fashion week runways, and pinpoint the key trends for this upcoming season. Making a hot splash are the cool, comfortable styles we’ve been yearning for as the long, heavy winter has come to a close. Blushing colours, breathable fabrics and designs made to emphasise movement are in, incorporate them into your wardrobe for a fresh, new mood for this fresh, new season:
Low Classic S/S 18
Pushbutton
Lee Myungshin’s show favoured mono-palette looks in muted colours, bringing traditional silhouettes together with modern elegance and simplicity. But it’s a line that is subtly feminine and super comfortable. Models wore minimal make-up (strong brows and hair tucked behind the ears), their garments were long and made of soft silks, breathable cotton, and sheer chiffon. They walked with their hands cocked coolly into their pickers, and the clothes flowed on the runway - moving with the contours of the body. Super chic, but super casual.
If Low Classic was a lesson in traditional, soft femininity, then Pushbutton’s Spring showing is taking the meaning of feminine outside of the boundaries. The models are multi-ethnic and multigendered, the colours are bright and vibrant, and the silhouettes are sharp and eccentric. No two looks are the same and, here, the focus is on accessories: pointed sunglasses, slim ankle boots and bags all play a vital role. The collection plays around with texture and fit, with colour and length. Fashion is a playground, it says, have fun and push as many boundaries as you can!
Moohong
Münn:
If you love art, and if you love offbeat creativity, then Kim Moohong’s Spring showing is for you. It’s less of a display of outfits that you’d want to wear, and more a display of outfits you want to talk about. A pair of trousers pinned to the front of the model’s body (but not worn, a standard blazer deconstructed within the outfit, and a swathe of fabric precariously balanced on a model’s head are but some of the visuals shown here. It’s about pushing standards, and exploring the unexplored.
Münn’s spring collection is all about youthfulness. Designer Han Hyunmin makes use of neon colours, heavily blushed cheeks and colours that are vibrant no matter how light or dark they are. It focuses, too, on the athleisure trend that’s cycling back into fashion: athletic leisure wear. Münn showcases gym shorts paired with polo shirts and structured trench coats, and sports jackets in preppy plaid prints and cords of climbing rope tucked into the ensemble. Although it looks like a more serious collection at first glance, the fun and the quirky elements are hidden in the details.
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