WASTED JOHNNYS INTERVIEW
HOW TO: BUBBLE TEA
The Wasted Johnnys talk about their UK tour, music and documentary.
Three great bubble tea recipes for you to try at home!
JANG HANBYUL
SUMMER 2017
Soloist recommends his top places to visit in Korea!
K-POP BEACH READY
Bringing K-pop inspiration to your summer beach style.
SUMMER FESTIVALS Festivals in Korea this Summer, to suit all tastes!
CONTENTS
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CULTURE HANBYUL’S HOTSPOTS
4 places you need to visit in Korea, as recommended by Jang Hanbyul!
NEWS
24 USEFUL SUMMER WORDS Add some summer to your Korean vocab. 26 SIX OF THE BEST FESTS Summer Korean festivals for all tastes.
04 NEWS ROUND UP A summary of the latest UK K-pop news.
28 HANBYUL’S HOTSPOTS Soloist recommends places to visit in Korea
06 UPCOMING EVENTS What’s what in local K-pop/Korean events.
30 RECIPE: SUMMER CABBAGE KIMBAP Easy, delicious and refreshing Kimbap recipe.
08 ELO X DJ PUMKIN COVERAGE A review of ELO X PUMPKIN in London
32 HOW TO: MAKE BUBBLE TEA Three easy recipes to make at home.
10 FEEL KOREA IN PHOTOS Relive the moment in photos!
MUSIC 12 NEW RELEASES A summary of hot new K-pop hits 14 ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT: ONE A look at YG’s up and coming soloist. 16 SPOTLIGHT: DPR LIVE Who is Hong Da-bin?
FILM 38 4 SUMMER FILMS & DRAMAS Korean watching for summer duvet days. 40 BTS: CHEESE IN THE TRAP MOVIE A look behind the scenes of the movie. 42 REVIEW: SEOUL SEARCHING A classic teen summer camp hit. 44 TOP K-MOVIES & DRAMAS ON NETFLIX A guide to K-cinema on Netflix.
18 INTERVIEW: WASTED JOHNNYS Indie hitmakers talk music, touring & more 20 SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER Your summer K-pop playlist 22 GAMES Spot the odd one out!
46
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WELCOME 50
We’re back again with another edition of UKP Magazine. We’ve worked hard to pack this issue with more exclusives and fun content than ever. We hope you enjoy the Summer special!
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FEATURE 46 INTERVIEW: AHN SEO HYUK An interview with OKJA’s lead actress.
Freya Bigg, Founder
f.bigg@unitedkpop.com
48 OP-ED: PRIVACY IN KOREA A look at the demolishment of privacy. 50 INTERVIEW: JIMIN CHOI A chat with filmmaker Jimin Choi. 52 TRENDING TOPICS What’s buzzing in the world of K-pop. 54 FANART CORNER Your fanart, featured!
STYLE 59 WHO WORE IT BEST 3 looks, 6 idols. 60 BAEKSANG BEAUTY Red carpet style from Baekang Awards. 62 K-POP BEACH LOOKS Update your beach style ala K-pop. 64 GTL: DENIM JACKET SPECIAL Get the cover look with denim style. 66 SUMMER PRODUCT WISH LIST Must have K-cosmetics this summer.
CREDITS Writers Freya Bigg Holly Smith Amanda Birchall Kristine Phillips Sophia Tang Locke Kaito Katy Small Donna Sheffield Amy Furney
Ann Amarawansa Emma Alford Lerah Barcenilla Designers Freya Bigg Jakub Wisniewski Emily Stewart
Special Thanks BritRok The GROOVE Entertainment Uniquetunes Entertainment Organic Media Netflix
NEWS ROUNDUP
Some of the greatest of the latest news from UKP.
Monsta X announce EU Tour
by Kristine Phillips After much anticipation from European fans, it was finally announced that MONSTA X would be visiting Paris and Berlin for their first ever European tour with MyMusicTaste. The dates were confirmed for Paris on August
9th at L’Olympia and Berlin on August 11th at Tempodrom. Though many fans were disappointed by the lack of a UK date, there is still a MyMusicTaste campaign open for a London tour stop.
LKF 2017 A Success K-beauty hits the shelves in Selfridges by Amy Furney
by Kristine Phillips With yet another K-pop treat for European fans, 24K announced their return to Europe following a successful European tour that finished earlier this year. The boys will be back this time with a fanmeet tour.
The dates that have been confirmed include Spain (Aug 8), Germany (Aug 7), England (Aug 9), Poland (Aug 12) and lastly Budapest on Aug 14!
EXO hit #2 on UK iTunes by Kristine Phillips The popular boy group made their comeback on July 18 with their 4th Full Album ‘The War‘! With their labelmates NCT 127 and Red Velvet both having success on the UK album chart, EXO have now reached new heights with a peak of #2! It’s the highest a K-pop group has charted so
Following the success of the 2015 London Korean Festival, with performances by f(x), and more, the festival came back to London on July 8th, bigger and better than before. The festival was split into a day and evening event, the evening event being the Feel Korea concert. The concert featured HIGHLIGHT, SNUPER, KNK and EXID, the most acts the UK has hosted in a single concert. Over 12,000 people attended the festival and concert, bringing fans from all across Europe to see their favourite acts. far and even surpassed G-Dragon’s own record at #6, we all express a warm congratulations to the SM boy group for the achievement!
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A quick glance at the ‘beauty’ section of the Selfridges website reveals a Korean beauty section. Filled with 92 items from brands such as Neogen, Skin 79 and Tonymoly, it’s the clearest sign that Korean skincare and make up are having an impact on the British beauty industry. However, Selfridges have stepped up their game with a new mini-department dedicated for East Asian cosmetics. You can find the products on the Selfridges website or at their store on Oxford Street.
24K to return to Europe
by Freya Bigg
She looks like she’s enjoying herself from the snaps of the singer sightseeing to drinking matcha latte’s in a cafe on her summer trip in Prague, the recent pictures have been linked in below! But you can keep up to date with her posts on her Instagram account.
Minzy holidays in Prague by Kristine Phillips Minzy officially debuted back in April with her solo EP ‘Minzy Work 01. Uno’ and has made appearances on a number of variety shows and even was a cast member on the second season of ‘Sister’s Slam Dunk’!
If you’ve been following her IG, you may know that the soloist has been uploading her travel updates since she arrived in Prague yesterday with the caption attached to the picture below: As soon as I got out of the airport, the pretty buildings and flowers welcomed us. What kind of memories will happen again through this trip?
Lee Hi releases Mac lipstick by Sophia Tang Lee Hi will be collaborating with MAC Cosmetics to bring to us a limited edition matte lipstick. The company has brought together 3 new artists, including Lee Hi in collaboration with the ‘Future-Forward’ campaign. MAC Cosmetics has previously collaborated with artists for the ‘Future-Forward’ campaign, such as Halsey, Tinashe and Lion Babe. For this collection, Lee Hi contributed a matte, red lipstick. MAC Cosmetics have described the exclusive lipstick as a
“deep red” as well as “dreamy enough to match Lee’s own style and starpower”. The packaging has been carefully designed to feature Lee Hi‘s logo in black, which is accompanied with a matte bubblegum-pink packaging. There is also a holographic, glittery-silver silhouette featured. The cost of the limited edition, ‘Lee Hi‘ lipstick is $17, and will be available online and in-stores in the US from the 29th of June. The product is then set to release internationally in July!
KIMOXAVI drop London MV by Freya Bigg 5 months after their first release, hip hop duo KIMOXAVI has finally dropped their London filmed MV for their 2nd EP ‘Hold Up‘. This marks the first music video release for the pair. KIMOXAVI released their first EP ‘27%‘ back in February just before jetting off to the UK to film multiple music videos, including the MV for ‘Hold Up‘, shot with local production company SPRY Productions. In the run up to the release of ‘Hold Up‘, KIMOXAVI live
streamed their recording process in 360 VR each week on YouTube, earning respect from Korean rappers and rap fans alike. The music video for ‘Hold Up‘ carries a heartfelt and inspiring message to stand up to racism, featuring their ‘flashlight challenge’ campaign, aiming to show that ‘in the dark, we are all the same’. The message is particularly poignant with the MV set in London, the UK’s most multicultural city.
Charli XCX shows support for G-Dragon by Kristine Phillips The British singer Charli XCX, known for her hit songs ‘Boom Clap‘ from the film ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Break the Rules‘ recently included GD in her top favourite list of artists alongside Justin Beiber, Calvin Harris and others! The South Korean artist has also received recognition from Jaden Smith, who referred to GD as being his inspiration as he hinted that he is preparing to taking on a career in K-Pop in the near future.
by Kristine Phillips It has emerged that Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk and his team are currently faced with the aftermath when his car had been broken into. He had reportedly travelled over to film for the variety show ‘Delivery’. But while that should have been enough trouble, it had been revealed that all the possessions has been stolen including the staff’s phones and their passports. It’s leaves a devastating memory
especially given that just a day ago he had taken a picture with a fan he had met during his stay in Europe as seen on his IG account. The pictures of his car have been included below, which shows the extent of the damage made. Leeteuk disclosed in a statement in the quote on the side and had warned his fans in Switzerland to be cautious in a recent IG post.
f(x)’s Luna visits London by Kristine Phillips
The vocalist from SM Entertainment’s girl group f(x) recently shared pictures of her London trip to Instagram. The last time she was in the UK, it was with her fellow members to perform at the London Korean Festival in 2015!
Luna debuted as a solo artist last year with her first EP ‘Free Somebody‘, she uploaded a picture after seeing ‘The Greatest Showman’, rocking an allblack outfit as she went to see the musical film.
GD Tour to hit UK & Europe by Kristine Phillips Earlier this year, YG Entertainment announced that G-Dragon would be working on a new album, along with an announcement of a new world tour. ‘ACT III: MOTTE‘ is his second world tour which kicked off in Seoul on the 10th of June. G-Dragon recently made announcements regarding additional dates for his second tour. The new dates will include Europe! The cities include: Birmingham (UK) on September 23rd, London (UK) on September 24th, Amsterdam (Netherlands) on September 6th, Paris (France) on September 28th as well as Berlin (Germany) on September 30th. The UK has previously been recognised by YG Entertainment, such as the BIGBANG Alive Tour Concert which took place in 2012.
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The international star has also worked with Pharrell, who gave him a shout out in a video which you can see here. And even Rihanna had followed him and Taeyang on Instagram, which he posted a ‘Thank you’ post in response. It’s encouraging to see the crossover between the West and the East, even more so when music helps them to connect and to simply enjoy the creations put out into the world for anyone to listen to.
Super Junior Leeteuk’s car broken into in Switzerland
UPCOMING EVENTS
FREE
FREE
HALCYON QUARTET
MUJONG BY YI KWANG-SU
Korean Cultural Centre UK London
Korean Cultural Centre UK London
July 25th / 7:00pm
July 26th / 7:00pm - 9:00pm
FREE
K-CONTENT EXPO CENTRAL EUROPE 2017 TORWAR Warszawa, Poland August 11th / Evening Event
£13+
PARTY WITH VIOLET TREE
£55+
Cathouse Concert Hall Tallinn, Estonia August 22nd / 6:00pm - 10:00pm
24K EUROPEAN TOUR August 5th to 14th Saturday August 5th Barcelona, Spain Sala-Apolo
£40+
Monday August 7th Dusseldorf, Germany Stahlwerk
August 9th to 13th
Wednesday August 9th London, England KOKO
Wednesday August 9th Paris, France L’Olympia
Saturday August 12th Warsaw, Poland Progresja
Friday August 11th Berlin, Germany Tempodrom
Monday August 14th Budapest, Hungary Dürer Kert
Sunday August 13th Moscow, Russia Stadium Live Club
MONSTA X EUROPEAN TOUR
£4.50
SUMMER KPOP PARTY Metropol Bratislava, Slovakia August 26th / 8:30pm - 4:00am
£30+
DRUG RESTAURANT EUROPEAN TOUR September 3rd to 24th Sunday September 3rd Moscow, Russia Wednesday September 6th St. Petersburg, Russia
TBC
K.A.R.D EUROPEAN TOUR
£55+
Friday September 8th Helsinki, Finland
G-DRAGON EU TOUR
Saturday September 9th Warsaw, Poland
Saturday September 23rd Birmingham, England Genting Arena, Resorts World
September 23rd to 30th
September 1st to 10th
Sunday September 10th Berlin, Germany
Friday September 1st London, England
Sunday September 17th London, England
Sunday September 3rd Lisbon, Portugal
Tuesday September 19th Glasgow, England
Tuesday September 5th Madrid, Spain
Thursday September 21st Paris, France
Friday September 8th Milan, Italy
Saturday September 23rd Cologne, Germany
Sunday September 10th Rotterdam, Netherlands
Sunday September 24th Prague, Czech Republic
Sunday September 30th Berlin, Germany Mercedes-Benz Arena
KOREAN SOUNDS: EAST MEETS WEST - LOVE
KDC K-POP DANCE COVER COMPETITION
Kings Place, Hall One October 11th / 7:30pm
Helsinki, Finland - Gloria October 14th / 4:00m - 7:00pm
Monday September 24th London, England The SSE Arena, Wembley Wednesday September 26th Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome Friday September 28th Paris, France AccorHotels Arena
FREE
Espai Jove la Fontana Barcelona, Spain September 9th / 5:30pm - 9:30pm
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HEY! HAN-A SHOW
ELO x DJ Pumkin in London
COVERAGE By Lerah Barcenilla
After DJ Pumkin’s fire of a set, in comes ELO, and boy was it a grand entrance. Emerging from the sides with his black sunglasses on, he enters to the sound of Who You and rapping Simon Dominic’s part perfectly. ELO was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t stop smiling at the crowd who knew his songs and even sang in Korean. He tried his best at communicating in English, with the crowd helping him and resorted to Korean when he didn’t know the English word (being even more surprised when the crowd replied to his murmurings in Korean!)
For the first time ever, AOMG’s ELO and DJ Pumkin held an exclusive showcase in Europe hosted by BeatCraze Events, the duo landed in London’s Camden Assembly on April 17th. From the Meet & Greet to the afterparty, this was surely an unforgettable concert and honestly, even after more than a week, I still haven’t recovered. Without further ado, here are some highlights from the London show.
ELO came to London because Sik-K Facetimed him during the Yelows Mob tour! He then promptly face-timed Sik-K on stage. The crowd screams and soon, ELO and the whole crowd sings a duet of Rendezvous for a smiling Sik-K.
“Who here is my biggest fan?” ELO asked the crowd. This was a singing game with two luckyfans. ELO sings one part of a song and the fan has to sing the rest. The winner got a special AOMG gift!
There was a point when ELO smiles at the crowd, takes out his phone and films the crowd as he sings Tattoo. The crowd sings back, “like a tattooo” filling the whole of the venue with echoes of the lyrics. The last song was Rose and the crowd held up their roses given by BeatCraze, and in the sea of roses, the showcase ended.
Bonus: London’s Afterpartygoers were also gifted chocolate cake! The next day in La Java (Paris), ELO called out all the names of everyone under AOMG and the fans chanted along with him.
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A E R O FEEL K S O T O H P N I
Photography by Sophia Tang
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- June) New Releases! (April By Sophia Tang winner - 4th april
Teen top - 4th April
WINNER made their first comeback early April without former member, Nam Taehyun. The group released their first single album ‘Fate Number For’, releasing videos for their two title songs ‘Really Really’ and ‘Fool’. The group conveyed contrasting emotions; whilst Really Really’ can be described as a light-hearted, up-beat dance number, ‘Fool’ can be described an emotional, powerful ballad.
And yet another group who unfortunately faced a departure of one of their members, Teen Top made a comeback with their song ‘Love Is’ after a year’s hiatus. Despite, the departure of former member, L.Joe, the group continued to produce a hit melody with an impactful choreography. The song ‘Love Is’ is a part of their 2nd full album ‘High Five’, and is reminiscent of the 2011/2012 K-Pop era.
IU - 21st April
K.A.R.d - 24th April
IU released her fourth full album this year named ‘Palette’. Her title song also called ‘Palette’ features G-Dragon of BIGBANG. The song, ‘Palette’ conveys her feelings of discovering herself as she turns 25, with Jiyong’s rap written as a response to her own personal song lyrics. The song is very sweet and enlightening and really gets in touch with you on a personal level, particularly as IU serves as the primary lyricist and producer to this album.
Once again, the co-ed group, K.A.R.D is back again to bring their final pre-debut single before their official debut in July. The group came back with their song ‘Rumor’ – a melodic dance number which provides a similar reggaeton beat seen in their previous releases, alongside a fusion of hip-hop and EDM. In addition to the release of their MV, they released their final ‘hidden’ video, creating a dance video version which features their choreographer Z.Sun as their ‘hidden card’.
PSY - 10th may
VIXX - 15th may
The international hallyu star, PSY made a comeback after 1 and a half years with his new album ‘4X2=8’. His two title songs include ‘I Luv It’ and ‘New Face. The MV’s featured famous stars, with Lee Byunghun featuring in ‘I Luv It’ whilst Apink’s Naeun featured in ‘New Face’. The songs have an addictive melody and the MVs continue to be unique and abstract which describes PSY’s particular style.
VIXX made a comeback this May with one of the most aesthetically pleasing visual MVs of the year. ‘Shangri-La’ otherwise known as ‘Paradise on Earth’ is the title song of their 4th EP. The concept derives from the Eastern utopia known as ‘Shangri-La’, demonstrating a blend of East Asian concepts to create a fantasy within the MV.
sistar - 31st may
13-member group, SEVENTEEN are back with a new music style as they transition from funk-pop to electropop, delving into EDM sound for their newly produced compositions. The group have already succeeded in gaining over 5 wins for this following comeback, as fans embrace the meaningful ballad voicing the regrets of a past relationship. The choreography accompanying the song can be described as elegant, yet representative of ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ their title song for their ’Al1’ EP.
SISTAR debuted back in 2010, however they unfortunately decided to part ways this year, producing their final single ‘Lonely’ for their last summer as a group. The group are best known for bringing out summer hits year by year, so it has been an unfortunate loss to see these girls go. Although a bitter-sweet ending, the girls disbanded in a good light amidst the peak of their popularity. Their MV for ‘Lonely’ continues to showcase their strong friendship bonds through a heart-felt yet joyful ballad for their fans. The MV conveys much relevance to circumstances of their disbandment.
ft island - 7th june
g-dragon - 8th june
To commemorate their 10 year anniversary, FT Island decided to release an album named ‘Over 10 Years’. It features a remake of their debut song ‘Love Sick’ featuring Kim Na Young. The remake was dropped as a teaser to their 10th anniversary album, conveying a passionate duet between the two. Furthermore, on their 10th anniversary, F.T. Island dropped their title song ‘Wind’. The song ‘Wind’ can be described as a rock ballad, which was personally written and composed by Lee Hong Ki.
Forget traditional CD methods, G-Dragon made a comeback this summer via a USB 2nd mini album release. His single ‘Bullshit’ was originally determined as his lead single, however after T.O.P’s marijuana controversy, ‘Untitled, 2014’ was released amongst radio stations instead. ‘Kwon Ji Yong’ topped iTunes charts in 45 countries, making it the most by any Korean album so far. The song has been described as a “heart-wretching ballad” conveying G-Dragon at his ‘most vulnerable’.
produce 101 s2 - 17th june
blackpink - 22nd june
It’s D-Day, as the Produce 101 Season 2 (boys) competed for the Top 11. The final group was revealed to be named ‘Wanna One’. The results have been highly anticipated by fans from all over the world, as the final 20 compete with the songs ‘Super Hot’ and ‘Hands On Me’ for their final chance to win the hearts of the nation’s producers. The remaining 20 also sang their final song together called ‘Always’ which resulted in many sentimental feelings.
The girls are back to bring us their latest single ‘As If It’s Your Last’. BLACKPINK have had to a lot of expectations to live up to after 2NE1’s disbandment late last year, leaving them to be the only remaining girl group active in YG. Despite the expectations, BLACKPINK have continued to succeed, as their MV becomes the second most viewed online video in the first 24 hours of release by a Korean act. The MV received more than 13.3 million views within 24 hours.
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seventeen - 22nD may
Rookie Spotlight
ONE By Ann Amarawansa
News of YG debuting a new solo rapper left fans awaiting further details. On May 12, It was announced that YG was admit the preparations to debut rapper, One, a debut that was long-anticipated by many fans. One, also known as Jung Jaewon had gained a large following, after being a contestant on the fourth and fifth season of Mnet’s ‘Show Me The Money’. He is also known for formerly being one half of the duo, 1PUNCH, alongside Produce 101’s Samuel Kim, who is also set to debut this year. The rapper joined YG in 2015, and has since been preparing for his debut for 2 years. One will be releasing two title tracks titles, “It’s Just Okay” and “HEYAHE” both of which are written by One himself.
A source from YG Entertainment commented on ONE’s upcoming debut and said, “If the first track, ‘It’s Just Okay’ shows a pure and innocent side to ONE, ‘HEYAHE’ will show a darker and more mature side. It will be about a mysterious romance that happens at night. Essentially, the two title tracks are opposite of each other, so fans will be able to see all sides of ONE.” As he is a relatively new upcoming artist, information is about the rapper runs thinly. However, we are looking forward to his debut and eagerly wait to see what direction his music will take. So make sure to keep an eye out for him. One will have released both his debut tracks and their respective music videos on July 11 at 6 p.m. KST. 10PT MARGIN
“It’s Just Okay” was announced on June 25, accompanied by a debut film titled ‘One Day’ as well as a series of teaser pictures.
The film shows him roaming aimlessly through the open spaces and the muted colours only add to the light images.
“
10PT MARGIN
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The rapper joined YG in 2015, and has since been preparing for his debut for 2 years.
INDIE SPOTLIGHT
DPR LIVE You’d be forgiven for not knowing who Korean Hip-Hop artist Hong Da-bin is. In fact, he’s better known by his stage name, DPR Live, but to many that name is still not a recognisable one. In fact, DPR stands for Dream Perfect Regime; the label he releases his music through.
The independent, multi-genre label prides itself on“producing a unique and dynamic experience of both visual and audio output”. This is evident in DPR Live’s work, where the music videos allow visual and audio forms to combine and complement each other. The soloist has been active since 2015, releasing three non-album singles in the first two years before introducing the world to Coming To You Live, his first extended play.
The EP sold 880 copies and landed the seventy second spot on the Gaon charts during its release week; a far cry from the 278,103 copies that GOT7’s Flight Log: Arrival, the album holding the number one spot, sold. Billboard’s World Music Chart placed the album at number 14, indicating that his influence is far more prominent outside of Korea. But, that’s not to say that he’s entirely unknown. Performing at the 2017 Seoul Sessions in May with Wiz Khalifa, featuring in promotion for NIKE Sportswear with ‘Just Dream It’ and having the likes of Dumbfoundead, Loco, Jay Park and Crush on his songs, DPR Live is a well-respected artist in the community. In fact, he’s the seventh mainstage headliner for the NBA Buzzer Beat festival at the KBS Arena on Saturday 8th July 2017 which features artists such as Zion.T and Heize. Although he’s only just getting his feet off of the ground, DPR Live is one to watch. He’s gaining popularity quickly, and it’s only time until he’s coming to you live.
By Amy Furney
The video for DPR Live’s 2016 single ‘God Bless’ featuring Punchnello is far more colourful than the music videos for any of the Coming To You Live songs, but it has a very similar, distinct style. Released by Dream Perfect Regime almost two weeks after the song, it features the quirky angles, image editing style and quick flashing lights the visual branch of the company are known for. The opening chords of the vocals have an angelic quality to them, and they’re sustained and reworked throughout the entire song. It’s unusual for Live, but it’s a clear indication that he’s willing to push the boat out and work experimentally. It’s when the signature “coming to you live” is said after the instrumental segment and the vocalisations that it becomes incredibly clear that it’s a DPR Live track. Live raps with a strength and fluidity unlike many other rappers, and it’s extremely impressive considering the fact that he debuted only a year earlier.
Punchnello’s rap is of similar power and tone, and compliments DPR Live’s voice well. Dream Perfect Regime as a company clearly focus on offering their work in a complete, whole form. Everything goes hand in hand, but the relaxed atmosphere on the track, partly due to the non-verbal vocalisations, means that this doesn’t have an overbearing effect. ‘God Bless’ sounds like a song on which the pair just wanted to have fun. DPR Live created this song, but with Coming To You Live, he’s on to bigger and better things.
REVIEW ‘GOD BLESS’
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AN INTERVIEW WITH
Wasted Johnnys Formed as a three-piece in 2012, Wasted Johnnys is a bluesy garage punk band, with an intense live energy. Now a four-piece unit, Wasted Johnnys hit the UK in May to play a small number of shows, and join the Zandari showcase stage at Liverpool Sound City. We spoke with Wasted Johnnys about music, their hectic schedule, and their life on the silver screen. /wastedjohnnys @wastedjohnnys @wastedjohnnys
Can you introduce yourselves and your music to UnitedKpop? Hello, everyone. This is Angie An (Vocal & Guitar), Baek Seon Hyeok (Guitar), Yoon-Gyum Chung (Bass), and a drummer Young Jin Kim. Nice to meet you. We create rocking music based on the blues, garage rock, and rock and roll. In most cases, Angie writes rough outlines for songs, then all members arrange them into catch tracks together. As Angie writes lyrics too, all of our lyrics are about her experience and feelings. If our readers aren’t familiar with your music, where should they start? ‘Broken String’. ‘Crossroad Meet the Devil’. These two represent Wasted Johnnys style music very well. However, the songs about our daily lives will be impressive too. ‘River’ is one of those.
You’ve had a very busy performance schedule since 2012 can you tell us more about Wasted Johnnys’ live adventures? Performing on the stage may be the reason why Wasted Johnnys exists. Sometimes we have no schedule on weekends, but it is always boring to spend the weekends in that way. Life would be definitely very bored without performing. Looking back, we have performed on the stage continuously since 2012. We don’t know how we have gone through such busy life. We definitely have been crazy about performing.
You toured the US in 2013? A non-governmental organization called ‘PS Core’ was looking for a band to tour US. Thankfully, we got in. Nothing was different from performing in Hongdae, the mecca of the indie music scene in Korea. The only difference may be we have no reputation there. People just drop by the clubs for other reasons, not to check on us, but hooked up with our songs. We did not make surprising records, but it was meaningful that people loved our songs. You didn’t work with an organisation for your UK tour - how did you find planning this tour? There was a lot of stuff to do to organise the UK tour. We had to book accommodation, transportation, while we looked for chances to perform. Everyone worked very hard to set everything up. Of course, our friends there helped us a lot. Special thanks to ‘Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5’ from Glasgow, ‘I Set The See On Fire’ from Sheffield, and Frank of ‘Ooberfuse’ from London. LOVE YOU ALL, my fellas. Your journey was featured in ‘Life is a Dream We’ll Wake Up and Scream’ by Jeremy Joey, a documentary screened during the ‘Seoul Independent Documentary Film Festival 2017’. What was your reaction to seeing the documentary after five years of work?
As Wasted Johnnys moves forward what words do you have for each other? Angie: I love you all, my fellas. I hope we can do lots of things together throughout our life. And, we should take care of our health conditions more. Yoon-Gyum: Thank you for supporting me always. Seon Hyeok: Let’s be happy. Do you have any words for the fans you made in the UK? It's been a month since we finished our UK tour. We've been fully motivated and enjoyed the UK thanks to many friends while we met. It cannot be forgotten forever!! Promise that we can meet again in the near future. I miss you guys so much!
The group consider their UK tour a success, even with the setback of Liverpool Sound City not allowing Wasted Johnnys to sell their merchandise (due to the inclusion of the slogan ‘Lets get f***ing wasted’ without censor) and hope to return in the future. They continue their hectic live schedule with dates almost every week in Hongdae, Seoul. Wasted Johnnys hope to release an LP later this year before hopefully returning to the stage at Zandari Festa again in October.
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It must have been challenging to film us for 5 years. We can’t thank him enough for filming our history. It would not have been possible if he didn’t love indie music. Thankfully, this documentary has got positive comments from the industry. ‘Seoul Independent Documentary Film Festival’ screened it, and ‘Social Welfare Film Festival’ in Daegu picked it as its opening film, and there are more events to come. The director Jeremy Joey joined
our UK tour to film Season 2 of ‘Life is a Dream We'll Wake Up and Scream.’ and to takes up another challenge, promoting it at ‘Sheffield International Documentary Festival’. Hopefully we can [continue to] inspire each other.
SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER
By Donna Sheffield
Need a playlist to keep you company while packing your case, waiting for a flight or chilling out on the beach? Try this mix of 15 retro and new summer tracks. SISTAR TOUCH MY BODY
SOJIN (FT ZIZO) IN THE SUMMER
INFINITE THAT SUMMER
It’s impossible to write a summer playlist without Sistar - their disbandment this year surely leaves the summer charts forever bereft. This 2014 track has it all, playful lyrics, a bouncy beat, and a Sistar classic butt-shaking poolside MV that’s sure to blast away any summer blues.
Girl’s Day leader Sojin recorded this cover of a 1990s Deux track in 2013, for their 20th anniversary tribute album. This classic early K-pop summer track has been covered by many artists, but Sojin’s light vocals teamed with Zizo’s punchy rap bring it bang up to date.
Originally a hidden track on the 2014 album Season 2, this light summer-filled tune proved such a fan favorite that it got its own MV in July 2016, and became the opening track for Infinite’s third summer concert season.
YOON JONG SHIN PATBINGSOO
DJDOC LET’S GO THE BEACH
GRAY FT HOODY SUMMER NIGHT
Perhaps you’ve eaten Patbingsoo, the popular shaved ice dessert. But have you heard the song? This 2001 track by singersongwriter Yoon Jong Shin is both playful and instructive - it describes how to make the treat.
This hip-hop trio are now in their 40s and still recording. Some of their mid to late 90’s tracks are considered classic Kpop, and this is one of them, still often played at beach parties and summer events.
A great summer-sounding hip hop track from Gray and features the sweet voice of Hoody, the first female artist to join Jay Park’s AOMG label. This digital single was released in August 2016.
TAEYEON WHY
WINNER REALLY REALLY
Sweet treats are good any time of year, but who wouldn’t want to think about putting their face in an ice cream cake during summer? This 2015 track encourages just those thoughts.
Girls Generation leader Taeyeon just shines in this playful, upbeat solo track from June 2016.
It wasn’t a summer release, but this April 2017 track has a surprising light and cheerful summer sound. Be sure to check out the stylish black and white MV.
(FX) HOT SUMMER
ASTRO BREATHLESS
DAY6 I’M SERIOUS
A classic for all the right reasons. Let’s rewind back to the hot summer of 2011, when f(x) were still a fivesome.
A breezy synth-pop track, in typical ASTRO fashion, from July 2016. As a bonus, the MV features Yoojung from I.O.I.
Don’t be fooled by the title, this is a sunny, lightheartedsounding track that helped get the boys into the UK iTunes chart earlier this year.
JAY PARK FT GRAY DRIVE
SHINEE VIEW
B1A4 SOLO DAY
Jay and Gray are stressed out and just want to take you for a drive. They’re the kings of laid-back, summer rap sounds. Listen out for Gray’s ‘sexy English time’ rap, as Jay Park subtitles it on the MV.
SHINee have released a clutch of summer-sounding tracks, but this bouncy chorus from May 2015 especially would make a perfect summer club track.
Sometimes a party of one is just enough! The catchy chorus and cheery whistling makes this a great summer playlist addition, and the MV is uplifting and surprising with its alien-themed plot.
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RED VELVET ICE CREAM CAKE
GAMES FIND THE ODD ONE OUT It’s no secret that some groups can pull of dressing up like pretty girls or handsome boys, but can you tell the difference between the groups and their new ‘additions’ in the pictures below?
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USEFUL SUMMER WORDS SUMMER VOCABULARY
(HAE) SUN 해
(PI-SEO) SUMMER HOLIDAY
is the most common word for the sun in Korean, although you may also be familiar with the more scientific term 태양- tae-yang) too! (태양ㄲㄲㄲㄴㅇㄹㅇㄹㅎ Korean summers can be extremely hot, so make sure you protect yourself from the strong sunlight - haet-bit). (
여름 (YEO-REUM) SUMMER
By Katy Small
더워요
The best translation for 피서 is ‘summering.’ It means spending the summer away from home to try to escape the heat!
여름 (DEO-WO-YO) IT’S HOT
물냉면 (MUL NAENG-MYEON) COLD NOODLES 물냉면It is a Korean noodle dish that is served ice cold and often topped with – oh-ee) cucumbers ( as well as boiled eggs. The ice cold broth is tangy and sweet and makes a delicious way to cool down on a hot summer’s day!
수영 (SU-YEONG) SWIMMING
장마 (JANG-MA) EAST ASIAN MONSOON It 장마is the rainy period that hits Korea in summer, usually at the end of June to mid-July. The phenomenon is caused by a seasonal rain front that spreads across most of East Asia.
(PAT-BING-SU) RED BEAN SHAVED ICE
Summer is the perfect time to go to the beach! You can walk along the shore, relax on the sand or take a dip in the sea ( - ba-da)! Haeundae Beach is an extremely popular beach in Busan and is a must-visit if you are looking for the perfect place to relax in summer.
It 팥빙수is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert with a sweet red bean paste topping. Other toppings can include fruit, whipped cream, condensed milk, yogurt etc.
여름 수박 (SU-BAK) WATERMELON
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꿀벌
여름 (KKUL-BEOL) HONEY BEE
(HAE-BYUN) BEACH/SEASIDE
Six of the Best Fests! It’s sweltering outside, but it’s also high holiday time so the summer season in Korea is jam-packed withfestivals. Here’s six ones you shouldn’t miss.
By Donna Sheffield
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (13th July to 23 July) Best pick for: Movie buffs, those who like large festivals Now in its 21st year, this popular festival is the place to catch thenew and coolest releases i n a variety of genres including, horror, mystery, thriller and sci-fi. There will be 289 films from 58 countries screened this year and many have English subtitles. The movies are screened in a variety of venues, and organised into groupings like‘Family Zone’ and ‘Forbidden Zone’ to make sure festival-goers don’t get any nasty surprises.
Advance tickets are available online, and prices vary depending on the movie type and screening time. For example, Family Zone screenings are from 3,000 KRW, general screenings are around 6,000 KRW, and the opening ceremony is around 10,000 KRW. The fancy opening and closing ceremony is usually attended by movie actors, directors and more. More info: bifan.kr
Gangjin Celadon Festival (29th July to 4th August) Best pick for: Arty types, those who prefer quieter festivals Celadon is a type of soft green-grey ceramic glaze, and it has a history dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries, when it came to Korea from China. Gangin was a historical center of the artwork, as over 200 ancient kilns for firing Celadon ceramics were built here.
This festival aims to help educate the young ‘uns about these historical ceramics, and offers hands-on workshops where foreigners can also join in and make some ceramics. There’s a nice detailed English website too. More info: eng.gangjinfes.or.kr
Busan Sea Festival (1st August to 6th August) Best pick for: Those who like festivals with a lot of variety, and anyone who needs to cool down in the heat! This is a festival spanning EDM pool party, rock and six different beaches classical music concerts, across the Busan and latin dancing. There’s coastline, and with a wide not a lot of English variety of events going on, information on the official it might be the best pick website, so it’s best to call for a group with different the Tourist Board for more festival needs. Haeundae detail aboutwhat’s on Beach, Gwangalli Beach, where. Songdo Beach, Dadaepo Beach and Songjeong More info: Beach all play host to bfo.or.kr/festival_Eng different events including kid-friendly water fights, an evening
Tongyeong Great Battle of Hansan Festival (11th August - 15th August) Best pick for: History buffs There’s been a long history of Korean and Japanese naval battles, and this event celebrates one of the most important ones in history, the Great Battle of Hansan. It took place on July 8, 1592. Admiral Yi Sunsin and his men, who had been fighting Japanese ships off the coast for some time, destroyed 47 Japanese ships, and captured 12 on this day.
At this festival, you can see replicas of the ships involved in the battle on both sides. The official website is only in Korean, but it does have a schedule and pics of previous years’ events to whet your appetite.
Pohang International Fireworks Festival (26th July - 30th July) Best pick for: Those with busy day schedules, fireworks fanatics If the only way you can Aside from the opening and closing ceremonies, survive the Korean summer sun is to stay in there’s an international competition, and a movie the aircon until sundown, this might be the festival OST fireworks show to for you. There are a bunch ooh and ahh at. Sadly the website doesn’t offer any of daytime events, including a fireworks English, so try the Korean Tourist Info site. seminar (likely to be in Korean only), sand-sledding and a water More info: fight, but this festival is english.visitkorea.or.kr really about lighting up the night sky.
More info: hansanf.org english.visitkorea.or.kr
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Bonghwa Eun-Uh (Sweet Fish) Festival (29th July - 5th August) Best pick for: Korean cuisine lovers, those who prefer smaller festivals There’s a lot of Bonghwa Eun-Uh is a fish-themed events on the sweet smelt fish that day too, so you can learn smells like watermelon. more about marine life in Really! You can get your Korea, and try other local hands on one - literally foods along with your fish. at this festival, as the aim The website is Korean of the game is to try and catch your dinner. You can only, so it’s better to use the Tourist Board site for try with your bare hands, directions. or with a net, for 10,000 KRW More info: english.visitkorea.or.kr
Pyeongchang Because I came from a place that was pretty hot, I really like the winter in Korea. There weren’t any ski resorts in the place that I lived so. Ski resorts are really nice in Korea, and any other resorts. They have very nice facilities, it’s very luxurious. One of the places that I would recommend is where they are having the winter
Olympics next year, Pyeongchang. It’s going be even better than what it was. So, Pyeongchang is definitely a place to go for people who like the snow, ski lovers and for people who haven’t seen snow a lot in their lives, I think that Pyeongchang is definitely a place to go.
Gweongju
Next, if they like the really traditional kind of cultural places/locations and are interested in Asian culture as well as Korean history then Gyeonju, near Daegu (it’s an hour away). Gyeongju… There is really a lot to see. It’s really peaceful, tranquil, it has a lot of historical
Korean locations as well as it really depicts Korean traditional architecture very well. There are lot of gardens and plant life, trees… Gyeongju is better to go in autumn where the leaves are gradually falling down. It’s a very, very peaceful place. Your mindset and you get really at ease with yourself.
Hanbyul’s
Hotspots Soloist Jang Hanbyul is here to give you his travel recommendations where you should visit on your next trip to Korea!
Hongdae
And the reasons why I like Seoul the best, compared to other countries and other cities in the world, is because the nightlife here is consistently going around 24/7 where if you pick the right places to go, even on the weekdays. A lot of people will be drinking; some of the clubs here are open every day as well. Hongdae, Gangnam or Itaewon, those places in Seoul. Hongdae more than Gangnam, because it gets a little bit crazier. And whilst I don’t really like that, it’s too busy, I find that a little bit difficult to go there with my friends. But for people travelling to Korea, I think that’s definitely one of the places to go. And I don’t think they’ll see anything like it around the world. Maybe, in Miami but apart from that Hongdae is one of the craziest places, I think.
Most of the places around the world, clubs close at 3-4AM but in Korea, people party until like 11AM. Sometimes there’s clubs that on particular days e.g. public holidays, they open for 24 hours so people start drinking from midday then go clubbing for 24 hours. My limit is 3 hours. If I go 3 hours it’s the maximum, that’s even when I’m drunk, so if I’m not drunk maybe 45 minutes is enough for me. I’ll stay for half hour amd then I’ll be asking for my friends to leave!
life is endless, sometimes if people are here on a holiday or vacation or to study Korean. I’ll ask someone, or people from the Western world “what do you like so much about Korea?” or “why do you come back?”. Every person will say that it’s just that the nightlife is crazy.
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Another place to recommend is Namiseom! Nami Island in Chuncheon, not so much a cultural and not so much historical but that place again is very peaceful. A lot of people in Korea actually travel as a tourist destination and it’s a good place to go with some of your friends or if you’re in a relationship with someone who you like, it’s a very nice place to go! I found it a little bit tiring after around 2 hours, my stamina is not that great. But in Nami Island there is a lot of wildlife there. There are camels, emus, ostriches, goats… I think there’s sheep as well? There’s a zip-wire you cross the water onto the mainland. I didn’t go on it, but there’s a boat cruise too. Korea’s so end to end, like even more… even in Australia there’s like the outback and that’s like the furthest you can go. But the night life isn’t that busy but in Korea the night
Nami Island
Summer Cabbage Kimbap Everyone loves Kimbap, but not everyone can get varied ingredients for it, especially when you’re feeling too hot from the Summer heat and want something easy but delicious. One recipe you can do with pretty much any ingredient you can find is simple kimbap! Here is an example of a very tasty recipe I’ve gotten to eat this summer:
Directions: 1) In a rice cooker or pot make two cups of rice (ratio is two cups water to one cup rice.) 2) While your rice is cooking, julienne (or very thinly slice) your cabbage until all is shredded 3) Put the sliced cabbage in a bowl and add four tablespoons (or to taste) of salt, and mix. Let that sit until your rice is done. If you want to add more vegetables, you can do the exact same thing to carrots or green onion. 4) Once the rice is done you need to remove it and put it in a bowl to cool.
5) If you don’t have a sushi roller, you can use kitchen wax paper as an easy substitute. Lay your nori or other seaweed sheet down on your paper/roller and spread your rice down evenly to cover 7/8 of the sheet. 6) Here’s where you add your cabbage. Grab a handful of cabbage and squeeze it until all the water runs out then add it to the bottom section of your rice in a horizontal line. 7) Any additional ingredients should be added now, and then you roll it up!
Ingredients
2 Cups Rice Nori (Seaweed) Sheets ¼ Cabbage Head Salt additional Ingredients
Soy Sauce Furikake (a dry Japanese seasoning) Sesame Seeds Carrot
By Locke Kaito This recipe should make about 5 kimbap rolls. You can slice it any way you want or just pick it up and eat it like a kimbap burrito (I personally love eating it that way and dipping it in soy sauce.) This is great for beating the heat and I imagine any assortment of simple kimbap would be great to take Put your thumbs under the sheet and paper/roller until the along on a summer road-trip or end of the sheet hits the crook picnic! of your thumbs, gently pick it I hope you have fun with the up with your thumbs and as recipe, and let us know on you pick up, use your palms to start rolling. Once you have the UKP website, Facebook, or Twitter, about your it down (basically the insides experiences with Summer covered), you just roll as Cabbage Kimbap! straight and even as you can! If you’ve never rolled kimbap before it can seem daunting but it’s simpler than you’d think and totally yummy even if you have some cracks or messy rolls (trust me, the ones I ate weren’t perfect but they were still awesome.)
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MAKE YOUR OWN
Bubble Tea By Emma Alford
ummer is all about kicking back, S relaxing with loved ones and enjoying the heat with a cool drink in hand. Whether it be carbonated, sweet or even a little alcoholic, the season brings with it some delightful iced beverages but one Taiwanese classic is emerging to be quite a popular option; the Bubble Tea.
So what makes Bubble Tea so addictive? With a strong tea base, customers are free to mix and match flavours and even different toppings to make their own personalised drink. It allows the opportunity to be creative, something that stores across the country encourage with customisable menus.
Originating in the 1980s, multiple street vendors in Taiwan were inspired to add fruit infusions with tea which proved to be very popular in the decade. However, It wasn’t until 1983 that the beverage would become what we all love today. Interestingly enough, the name Bubble Tea doesn’t come from these pearls, but in fact from the frothy foam on top which is created while the tea is mixed together.
However, it is just as easy to whip up a tasty creation at home with ingredients you can find in your local supermarkets. We have three recipes to get you inspired and help you become your own Bubble Tea barista, all in the comfort of your own home.
Bubble Tea wouldn’t come into the United Kingdom until 2011, with the opening of Bubbleology in Soho, London. Not only has it become an interesting experience for curious members of the public, but it is also a staple for K-Pop culture. Bubble Tea is widely popular in Asia, specifically in South Korea where many idols and actors have been seen enjoying the beverage.
Recipe #01
The Classic • Tea Bags (Flavour and Brand is Optional) • Sweeteners – Honey, Stevia, Condensed Milk etc. • Milk – Full Fat or Semi-Skimmed is recommended for a creamy taste • Tapioca Pearls • Ice
A classic Bubble Tea brings a rich but sweet taste, without the need for brewing loose tea leaves or relying on specific ingredients. To create the tea base, all you need is a few tea bags. This recipe can work with both specialist tea such as Earl Grey or Assam but is also just as good with your standard supermarket and popular brands. The secret is to make sure the tea base is strong by piling in the tea bags and letting it brew. When adding in the milk and ice, the tea itself will become diluted so this step is ensure that the taste isn’t lost when mixing.
While the pearls soak up the syrup, it is time to mix our tea base and milk together to make the best bubble tea. During our experiments to find the best balance, we found a good ratio of two parts milk to one part strong tea is an easy way to make a classic milk tea, with the addition of sweetners to taste. Some recipes call for condensed milk to add this sweetness but for a natural taste, honey works perfectly. Add your tea, milk, sweetener and ice into a cocktail mixer or a sealed contained before shaking it together. This brings the frothy bubbles that gives the drink its name and allows each ingredient to mix equally. Pour it into a glass over your tapioca pearls and your classic Bubble Tea is ready to enjoy.
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Next is making the Tapioca Pearls, which is the only ingredient on the list that may not be easy to find. In the UK, dried tapioca pearls can often be found in specialist Asian supermarkets or online for an affordable price. Preparing the pearls for Bubble Tea is also a fairly simple process; place your measured amount in boiling water and stir until they float to the top before letting them cook on a high heat for around 15 minutes. This cooking time may depend on the brand of Tapioca you’re using so make sure to refer to the guidelines on the packaging. After that time, let them continue to cook off the heat for a further 15 minutes. Throughout this process, it is better to cover the pot to keep the steam inside and
allow the pearls to soften. Finally, drain the pearls and run cold water over them to retain the ideal texture before letting them sit in sugar syrup or honey while making the milk tea.
Recipe #02
Strawberry Green Tea • Green Tea • Strawberry Flavoured Tea • Strawberry Milk Mix – Nesquik, Crusha etc. • Milk – Regular or Vanilla flavoured • Honey • Tapioca Fruity Milk Teas are a very popular choice in teahouses across the world but equally just as easy to make without the use of rich fruit syrups. All you need is a childhood favourite – Flavoured Milk mix. We used Nesquik to get that classic sweet taste. Black tea – I.e Assam, in this recipe will overpower the flavour of the milk. Instead, using a balance of Green tea and fruit infusions work best in this as it add a natural tea base while still adding to the flavour overall. The recipe follows the same process as the original, with the only changes being the mixing process.
Ensure your tea base is strong before adding the Milk mix as stated on the package. For one glass of sweet Strawberry milk tea, we followed the instructions to three teaspoons but add according to taste. Adding the mix before the milk will also ensure that the base flavour is strong before adding ice and tapioca which may again dilute it while shaking. In this recipe, you can also add a little extra sweetness by using Vanilla flavoured milk or keep to basics with a regular milk tea mix before adding in your tapioca and serving.
Recipe #03
Coffee • Filter Coffee • Sweetened Condensed Milk • Coffee Syrup (Optional) • Ice • Tapioca Pearls
If you love your Caffeine kick, this Vietnamese take on Bubble Tea may be just what you’re looking for. The classic method for this recipe is to filter your coffee either through machine or through a French press but granulated can work just as fine. Just make sure to add a good amount to your water to get a strong coffee flavour. Using the same method, the coffee is mixed with condensed milk to make the drink rich and sweet before adding the tapioca pearls for an easy twist to the regular iced coffees.
If you love a little extra sweetness to your coffee, you can also add a wide variety of syrups that range from caramel to vanilla or to save time without sacrificing flavour, add in granulated coffee which is already infused with sweet flavours. They add to the overall taste, without going overboard on sugar.
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A D V E R T I S E I N T H E U K P M AG - I N F O @ U N I T E D K P O P. C O M
A D V E R T I S E I N T H E U K P M AG - I N F O @ U N I T E D K P O P. C O M
4 Dram as and F ilms for the Summer
By Ann Amarawansa
Okja (2017) Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure Director: Bong Joon-Ho Cast: Ahn Seo-Hyun, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Lily Collins From the critically acclaimed director, Bong Joon-Ho, who brought to the screen masterpieces such as The Host (2006) and Snow Piercer (2013), has collaborated with Netflix to create, Okja.
IN
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RV O I
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Genre: Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age Director: Jo Yong-Seon Cast: Seo In-Guk , Lee Jong-Suk, Kwon Yuri
The film tells the tale of Mija (Seo-Hyun), a young farmer girl, that goes up against the multinational conglomerate Mirando Cooperation, in attempts to rescue her dearest friend from its hideous ‘fate’. In her pursuit to save Okja, she soon gets caught up in the cross-fire between animal activism and corporate greed.
No Breathing
Woo Sang (Jong Suk) is a national swimmer who relentlessly aims to be number one. Won Il (In Guk) is the son of a gold medalist swimmer and is a swimming prodigy,however he couldn’t care less for competitive swimming until he forced to pick it up again. The two could not be any different and instantly become rivals, but both boys have eyes for the same girl, Jung Eun (Yuri), as aspiring singer who they both know from childhood.
Woo Sang and Won Il constantly butt heads, but they have to learn to work together in order to reach their dreams.
Shut Up Flower Boy Band Genre: Coming of Age, Romance, Drama, Music Director: Lee Kwon Cast: Sung Joon, L (Kim Myung-Soo), Lee HyunJae, Yoo Min-Kyu, Kim Min-Suk, Jo Bo-Ah, Lee Min-Ki Byung Hee (Lee Min-Ki) is the charismatic, free-spirited front man to the underground rock group, Eye Candy. Playing the electric guitar is Byung Hee’s right hand man, Ji Hyuk (Sung Joon). Followed by second guitarist Hyung Soo (MyungSoo), Bassist Ha Jin (Min-Kyu), Keyboardist Kyung Jong (Min Suk) and drummer Do Il (Hyun-Jae). These rebellious youths embrace the rock star lifestyle, until they are forced to face reality when their school gets closed down. The boys are then transferred to the elite Jung Sang High, where they confront the current ruling band, Strawberry Fields.
What ensues is a battle of the bands that raises the stakes to a level the boys never anticipated. The story follows them through their individual struggles and the growth of their friendship.
Genre: Mystery, Coming of Age, Drama Director: Kang Il-Soo Cast: Kim Hyun-Soo, Jang Dong-Yoon, Seo Ji-Hoon, Seo Young-Joo, Cho Jae-Hyun
Perjury (2017)
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Solomon’s
The body of a male student is discovered on the grounds of an elite high school. Instantly the authorities write it off as a suicide, but when a letter surfaces with claims of a murder, the students begin to grow restless. Class President, Go SeoYeon (Hyun-Soo) enlists the help of a few fellow class mates to take matters into their own hands, as they decide hold their own school trial. With the guidance of an anonymous helper, Seo-Yeon seeks to uncover the truth behind the incident. As SeoYeon continues to find answers, some other painful secrets are revealed along the way.
MOVIE
BEHIND THE SCENES In April, we were lucky enough to be able to walk onto set for the new Cheese in the Trap movie! The movie is a second adaption after the successful drama and is considered a sequel to the popular webcomic. The writer is none other than Soon Ggi who penned the original. Aside from casting changes which have been widely discussed (notably Oh Yeon So replacing Kim Go Eun), the movie has been kept relatively secret. We jumped at the opportunity to head on over to the set on Park Hae Jin’s birthday where we got an exclusive behind the scenes insight and celebrated the actor’s birthday. Filming ended on the 22nd June 2017 and the movie will be released later on in the year (TBC)
By Amanda Birchall
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Review
Seoul Searching By Sophia Tang
“Seoul Searching provides a whirlwind experience, as we watch the characters evolve as well as learn to understand and comprehend one another.”
S
eoul Searching (2015) is a film directed by Benson Lee, telling the tale of a Korean summer camp in 1986. It can be described as a predominately hilarious teen film, but also conveys the coming-of age genre. The story explores the life of Korean immigrants in a comical but also emotional manner. Benson Lee originally based this film off his own experience as a 16 year old, where his parents made the decision to send him to Korea to attend a summer camp in 1986. The summer camp’s purpose was for him to learn about his own Korean heritage. He lived in California, USA (similarly to the main character, Sid) but grew of Korean descent.
The film captures the representation of modern society and to somewhat, the behaviour of adolescences of today. ‘Seoul Searching’ unexpectedly follows a westernised perspective, particularly as the director, Benson Lee was influenced by 80’s films such as ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Pretty in Pink’.
Overall, ‘Seoul Searching’ provides a whirl-wind experience, as we watch the characters evolve as well as learn to understand and comprehend one another. We discover stories behind each character, such as the reasoning for their actions and behaviour as well as their outlook towards life. The character development for each character is original to each individual, and you can’t help but anticipate what will happen next… Have you watched ‘Seoul Searching’?
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Each individual of the summer camp has their own unique character. From a wild, rockstar, ‘cool’ guy with shades, known as Sid (Justin Chon), to an elegant, reserved gentleman, known as Klaus (Teo Yoo) along with a lustful, funny guy, named Sergio (Esteban Ahn). The trio are assigned in the same room, but despite the contrasting personalities, character traits as well as appearances, they get along well. Along with the trio, we also have some crucial players throughout the film such as Kris (Rosalina Lee), Mr Kim (Cha In-Pyo), Grace (Jessica Van), Mike (Albert Kong) and Sara (Sue Son). With so many characters, with variating roles, it’s impossible not to be able to relate to one of them.
At times, you may consider some rather questionable actions portrayed in the film, as well as stereotypes promoted… But the film also brought to light the thoughts and feelings of Korean immigrants, particularly with the pressure to meet the standards of Korean traditions and expectations. For example: The expectation of being successful and high-ranked in regards to the education system. Also, the film highlights various issues in society, ranging from abuse/violence, alcoholism, sex/ rape as well as adoption. Some of these themes were highly developed, providing us with an emotional plotline along with a progressing relationship between two characters, whilst some other issues were lightly touched upon and can be criticised for being downplayed considering the seriousness of the issue.
12 South Korean Films and Dramas on Netflix From K-drama classics such as Boys Before Flowers and Playful Kiss, to romantic comedy Miss Panda and Mr Hedgehog and new films such as Okja – the release of many SouthKorean films and dramas on Netflix will surely cater for all viewers, whether to revisit old favourites or to discover new ones. Below are six films and six dramas from across all genres, from romanticcomedies to noir, which one will you watch first?
FILMS OKJA (2017)
Okja is a 2017 South Korean-American actionadventure film directed by Bong Joon-ho and cowritten by Bong and Jon Ronson. The film stars an ensemble cast headed by South Korean child actress Ahn Seo-hyun alongside Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal and tells the story of young Mija, who, for 10 idyllic years, has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja - a massive animal and an even bigger friend - at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when familyowned, multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where an image-obsessed and self-promoting CEO has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend. With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission.
Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014)
Released in 2014 and directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol, Tazza: The Hidden Card is a gambling film based on Huh Youngman and Kim Se-yeong’s manhwa of the same name. After Ham Dae-gil enters the gambling world, he is set up as the fall guy in a crooked deal. To get revenge, he enters a final game which could be fatal to the loser. Starring Choi Seung-hyun (T.O.P), Shin Se-kyung, Kwak Do-won and Lee Ha-nui.
small Korean town. He is dating a woman named Yeon-joo, while working at the local nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Pyungsub works at the same plant. He is worried about the conditions there, but nobody in the government listens to him. An earthquake strikes the small town where Jaehyeok lives and causes explosions at the plant. The situation quickly spirals out of control, leading the entire nation to panic. To prevent another nuclear disaster, Jae-hyeok and his co-workers return to the nuclear power plant.
Lucid Dream (2017)
Netflix premiered the film digitally worldwide on June 2, 2017. A science fiction/mystery/thriller film written and directed by Kim Joon-sung in his directorial debut, Lucid Dream tells the story of Dae-ho, an investigative journalist, seeks to track down the whereabouts of his son who was abducted three years ago. With the help of a detective and a psychiatrist friend, he will retrace his memory of the incident through the use of lucid dreaming techniques.
The Good, The Bad and The Weird Pandora (2016)
A 2016 disaster film written and directed by Park Jung-woo, and starring Kim Nam-Gil, Pandora tells the story of Jae-hyeok who lives with his mother, his sister-in-law and nephew Min-jae in a
Released in 2008, directed by Kim Jeewoon and starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung, The Good, The Bad and The Weird is a South Korean action western film. It was inspired by Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Man on High Heels Man on High Heels is a 2014 South Korean noir film written and directed by Jang Jin, starring Cha Seung-won as a transgender homicide detective.
K-DRAMAS
It’s Okay, It’s Love
Starring Jo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lee Kwang-soo and Do Kyung-soo, It’s Okay, It’s Lovetells the story of Jang Jae-yeol, an author of bestselling mystery novels and a radio DJ. Playful and a bit arrogant, he also suffers from obsessive–compulsive disorder. Ji Hae-soo is a psychiatrist on her first year of fellowship. Driven and ambitious with her career yet compassionate towards her patients, Hae-soo has a negative attitude towards love and relationships in her personal life.
A South Korean classic released in 2009 South Korean and starring Lee
Min-ho, Ku Hye-sun, Kim Hyun-joong (of SS501), Kim Bum, Kim Joon (of T-Max) and Kim So-eun. Hardworking Geum Jan Di (Ku Hye-sun) attends the exclusive Shinhwa High School through a scholarship she obtains. She finds her shallow, privileged classmates unbearable, especially the notorious F4, consisting of four rich and handsome men: the arrogant Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min-ho), the quiet Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim HyunJoong), the charming So Yi Jung (Kim Bum), and the flirtatious Song Woo Bin (Kim Joon). They are considered to be the kings of Shinhwa High School. After Jan Di manages to withstand all of Jun Pyo’s pranks, he begins falling in love with Jan Di but she only has feelings for Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo knows it.
Playful Kiss (2010)
Also known as Mischievous Kiss or Naughty Kiss, and released in 2010, this romantic-comedy television series stars Jung So-min and Kim Hyun-joong. A clumsy high school girl named Oh Ha-ni (Jung So-min) who is at the bottom of her class has had a crush on a popular and genius male student called Baek Seung-jo (Kim Hyunjoong) ever since she laid eyes on him on the first day of high school. What happens when a series of events leads them to living together?
Miss Panda & Mr Hedgehog
A 2012 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Lee Donghae of Super Junior and Yoon Seungah, the story revolves around Go Seung-ji, a talented patissier though shown often with a cold and tough attitude (like a hedgehog) deep inside is a kind and understanding heart, and Pan Dayang, an optimistic and easygoing cafe owner with a laidback personality (like a panda).
IRIS (2009)
IRIS, a 2009 South Korean espionage television drama series starring Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee, Jung Joon-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim Soyeon and T.O.P (Choi Seunghyun) of Big Bang, tells the story of two best friends from the 707th Special Mission Battalion who are recruited into a secret South Korean black ops agency known as the National Security Service. As the two friends find their loyalties tested and forge new, unlikely alliances, the journey takes them from their home country to Hungary, Japan, and China where they find themselves at the centre of an international conspiracy.
One More Time
This fantasy drama mini-series starting Kim Myung-soo (L), Kim Gi-du and Yoon So-hee follows an indie band singer who repeatedly undergoes unwanted time slips and the girlfriend he must save from an unlucky fate.
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Once Jae-yeol and Haesoo meet, there is much contention between them caused by their strong personalities and refusal to give in to each other. But slowly their bickering turns into love and they begin to learn how compatible they are. Jaeyeol and Hae-soo attempt to heal each other’s deepseated wounds, but their fledgling relationship takes a blow when they learn that Jae-yeol’s mental health issues are more serious than they initially suspected.
Boys Before Flowers
By Lerah Barcenilla
Interview
OKJA Star: Ahn Seohyun OKJA is a film directed by the highlycommended, Korean director, Bong Joon Ho. The film is the first Korean film production made by Netflix. It is a story focusing on a girl named, Mija who is on a journey to prevent her best friend, an animal named Okja, from being captured by a powerful multi-national corporation. OKJA features many world-wide actors, from Ahn Seohyun who plays the main protagonist, Mija (known for ‘Single-Minded Dandelion’), Tilda Swinton (known for ‘Snowpiercer’ and ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’), Jake Gyllenhaal (known for ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Nightcrawler’), Steven Yeun (known for ‘The Walking Dead’), as well as Choi Wooshik (known for ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘Train to Busan’). The Korean-American Netflix film production was released on June 28th.
How does it feel to be part of your first international production? It’s been an honour to act in such a big project with worldly actors and Director Bong. There were a lot of things that I learnt on and off set, and through this experience I wish I could do it again. I definitely learnt a lot from Director Bong’s respect and compassion as a director to an actor, and it made me realise why Director Bong was acknowledged as Director Bong to other people. What drew you to participate in OKJA? Was there something that attracted you to the role of Mija? I found that the main girl in the film, Mija portrayed a very different concept in comparison to other girls that you would typically see in other films. This particular film portrays the relationship between an animal and a girl. Usually when these two are portrayed together, it is a relationship which focuses on happiness, similarly to the lighthearted and fairy-tale stories that we know best. However, in this one, it’s actually almost the opposite. The film primarily has that focus, but somebody takes that away, which leads us to see how the story evolves. The uniqueness that Director Bong has in the creation of this story, alongside the uniqueness of Mija as a character is what drew me to participate in this film.
What was it like to work with such big names? E.g. Bong Joon Ho, an acclaimed Korean director, Tilda Swinton, Academy and BAFTA award winner, plus fellow Korean actor, Steven Yeun? First of all, I’d like to say that Tilda is obviously recognised as a very worldly famous actor that at first I was very nervous to act with her and meet her. However, when we were on set and acting together, I felt like Tilda was like a neighbourhood auntie almost… A very friendly auntie! I was very surprised that even on and off set, Tilda was really nice to me, and took care of me. I even watched a movie with Tilda and her daughter. The amount she cared for me… I am very thankful and it was an honour to be cared for so much. On set, Tilda has such a unique, charismatic quality to herself that I learnt a lot from her. Whilst, Steven… It was so great to have an actor who also spoke and understood Korean whilst shooting abroad. I had previously seen Steven in ‘The Walking Dead’ that it was surreal to see him standing right in front of me. Director Bong, like I stated before, is also a wellrespected director like you said as well. I learnt and realised why Director Bong was received the way he is by people, particularly with the way he respects actors. You’ve already won your own award at the KBS Drama Awards in 2014 for ‘Best Young Actress’ for your role in ‘Single Minded Dandelion’, after being nominated for Dream High in 2011. How does it feel to have already achieved so much at the age of 10 back then, and now 13 years old?
“ I felt like Tilda was like a neighbourhood auntie almost… A very friendly auntie!” Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years’ time? I hope that my journey just continues the way that it is now. I just hope that I can continue to have the same mind-set and remember where I came from. I want to remember to be thankful as well as all the other things. There is a part of me which wishes that I have done a lot of projects by this time, and become worldly. I hope I get a chance to do a lot of international projects and much more. But at the same time while doing all this, I hope that I can carry my love for acting and love for film and art altogether. I want to remember the beginning from where I began, because it is so easy to forget when you get to a point high enough in your career. Because of this, I hope that I never forget about these things. In 10 years, to simplify all that, I wish that I become an actress that the crew and other actors love and enjoy working with. Who are your favourite actors/ actresses – Who do you look up to most in the industry? I have a Korean actor that I’ve looked up to and always respected. His name is Hwang Jungmin. He’s almost like a comedian in any roles
he plays. He always looks like he’s wearing the right fit for any role he does, and that doesn’t mean that he always does the same roles. He actually does a variety of roles. Sometimes he’s an antagonist and sometimes he’s the protagonist, and those are completely different types of roles, and that’s what I really respect him for. At the same time, whilst I respect him, I also hope that I can find my own unique way of doing the roles that I have in the future. Not necessarily in the way where I’m just like him especially in acting, as we definitely have different acting styles, but I hope to continue in portraying my own style and provide my own unique colour in my future roles. There’s also another person that I did the film ‘Housemaid’ with when I was 4, which actually went to Cannes even though I didn’t go myself. The actress named Jeon Doyeon, who I acted with, is someone I still keep in contact with. She’s almost like a mentor to me even now and at times when we were shooting, Jeon Doyeon took care of me in the most intimate ways you would think of, like a mum takes care of her child. She also has a very natural acting style that I really respect and look up to through her ability to portray her characters. And finally, in a few words, why should UnitedKpop readers watch OKJA? I’m sure that they must be curious to see what Okja looks like, so by watching this film you’ll definitely get to meet Okja almost in flesh alongside Okja’s relationship with the pure country girl, Mija. As well as their love, the film is also topped with many famous actors that you already know of which will be playing very interesting roles. And just the particular fact that this is a film by Director Bong should give you a reason to watch!
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I’m very proud of my achievements, just the fact in particular for the Cannes experience, which is all thanks to Director Bong. For one, I was able to go to Cannes but also be like the people I see online, as I participate in interviews, do press conferences as well as see lots of articles about these things. All of
this almost feels like a thrill, and within this whole experience I’m just thankful. From achieving those awards and nominations for Dream High and for the other Korean drama, I am thankful to the people who helped me at the time. Within this particular experience, I’d like to especially thank Director Bong. It is almost surreal to think I was able to achieve these things.
BY LOCKE KAITO DISCLAIMER: EVERYTHING STATED IN THIS ARTICLE ONLY REFLECTS MY VIEWS. SEPARATE FROM UKP AND ANYONE
I
n countries around the world, every celebrity knows that in the process of accruing fame, they also sign away any modicum of privacy they had on certain parts of their life. They are going to be under the televised microscope for the endurance of their peak fame and well after, but nowhere is it more obvious where the line of paparazzi thirsting for a juicy tidbit crosses over into a complete abandonment of human decency than in South Korea. While most Korean media fans are aware that Korean artists of every genre (though musicians are the most obvious) start out really young and have been continuously getting younger for debut, how often do we think about their state of mind when they start out? They’re just kids, wanting to make it big with their passion. It’s the same story in every country around the globe. Fame and living off your passions are a common goal. But when these kids sign contracts (and therefore sign away their future of normalcy and privacy), I’m sure some of them are aware of what can happen, and their parents who gave them permission may have a vague idea, but what if they knew what lengths it could extend?
Any fan of K-Pop has most likely watched the chaos of their favorite artist getting caught in the crosshairs of scandal. They’ve seen the ruthless criticism of Netizens and the abhorrent need for some sort of punishment to said artist for whatever act they committed. These can range from things like a simple human interaction seeming a bit too romantic for their comfort and the public demanding a statement about the artist’s love life, to a live performance being a bit too risqué in their eyes and the public out-crying that the slightly erotic showmanship was an abusive act against underage viewers; but sometimes, hard legality comes into play, and the crescendo of loss of humanity in press and public alike is, in lack of a better word - amazing. There’s nothing like a real controversy for South Korea to gobble up and spit out with satisfying vigor.
“...THEY ALSO SIGN AWAY ANY MODICUM OF PRIVACY THEY HAD...”
To disclaim partway through: South Korea is a beautiful country with a rich culture and a wonderful sense of community. My writing doesn’t reflect the opinion of anyone but myself and I want to make it clear that while I have a certain exasperation towards South Korea’s way of handling celebrities, I adore and respect the country and its citizens. Now back to the source of this article. For years I have been driven up the wall by rumors, scandals, lawsuits, and general grasping at straws towards celebrities and the attempts to slander or ruin them, to watch them be examined like lab rats with unwavering scrutiny and I’ve simply had to endure it, but recently there was a scandal that crawled under my skin and has been begging for a published form of demarcation. It would be laborious to write out all the details and I’m sure most people reading this have already seen news from the past month, but T.O.P from Big Bang was involved in a marijuana scandal. Now, I will try not to go on a tirade about my views on marijuana legality (where I live it is legal and I can’t comprehend the severity it carries in South Korea, but I digress) or the absurdity of the scandal as a whole - that’s not what
OP-ED:
THE DEMOLISHMENT OF PRIVACY IN SOUTH KOREA I’m writing about. Something struck me harder than ever before when my beguiled hands clicked play on a video, out of curiosity (against my better judgement.) T.O.P was under what I can only imagine as an insurmountable amount of stress, with military service, a marijuana scandal, his foundation being shaken and uncertain like his future currently is, and while the details were made clearer by doctors, the summary is, he took too many legally prescribed pills and ended up in the ICU. He was critically ill on arrival and unconscious for a couple days. It shook the Big Bang fandom to its core. There were people talking about it affecting their sleeping and eating habits as well as their jobs and schooling schedules. I prefer writing from a slightly objective standpoint most of the time but I will admit that I am starting to shake as I’m remembering and writing.
As said above, it’s understood that privacy is no longer a privilege that will be granted once someone reaches a level of fame, but to crowd a hospital (where I’m certain it wasn’t comfortable for the staff or any of the other patients), and wait for this wounded man to be wheeled out, so they can push, pull, shout, thrash against security and each other, just for what? A few pictures of this sordid scene? It’s no longer a career in news reporting, it’s a defiling monstrosity.
And for the newcomers, the dreamers, the aspiring K-Pop sensations that were mentioned at the beginning of the article - I doubt they would lay down their pen even with the crushing reality of it, because they tell themselves that they’re not like that person, they’ll be careful, they won’t make mistakes, but more than likely - they will. At some point the public will get a taste for their sorrow and they’ll be taken apart, bit by bit, only to find a way to make it through and hopefully put themselves back together stronger than before. What do you think? Truly. Feel free to share your opinions on the UKP website, Facebook, or Twitter. I’d love to hear how you feel about it.
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He’s better as of now and was recently berated by paparazzi when he made a statement after his first court trial - hundreds of camera flashes every second, dozens of reporters making it look like a politician who had been caught up in some seedy scandal. That’s when I saw the link, waiting like a forgotten thumbtack to prick my finger as I clicked the title.
It was T.O.P being moved from the hospital in which he had been in intensive care, to a more private, disclosed hospital for psychiatric care. He was in a wheelchair and hospital gown, with a blanket over his lap. He was gaunt and sullen, as anyone would be after an experience like that and in his current physical and mental state, and there were an unbelievable amount reporters, dozens of cameras, literally thrashing against his wheelchair as hospital staff tried to get him to the elevator and out of the hospital to be put in an ambulance and moved to the next location. My hand was over my mouth and tears cascaded down my arm as I watched this debacle. It was a stark contrast to the usual invasion of privacy. This was an invasion of humanity.
I was always a kid creating art. Ever since I was a teenager, I had my own dance team and in my free time, I used to write poems, screenplays, short stories and also take pictures and videos. I think I always had the desire to express how I see the world and all these genres of art were just mediums to do it.
Interview
Jimin Choi
When I was 20 years old (Korean age), after all those genres of art, video seemed the most interesting to me since I thought it was the best way to express my own art. So I started Malhada with friends who were vocalists, composers, dancers and me as a videographer.
I was actually the first one to produce mash-up song videos in Korea, and then this one video went viral, which is how Koreaboo found me. That was when I was 21 years old (Korean age). From then, I started working in larger boundaries with Koreaboo. I got to meet a lot of new people from the entertainment industry and had more chances to make high-quality videos, which developed my skills. After 2 years of working with Koreaboo, I left the company and started my own production businesses such as Pongsfamily (MCN), That Moment (Fashion Brand) and JIMINCHOIFILM (Commercial, Music Video Production).
“ I always try to find the right colour for the right situation.�
FIND JIMIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
/jimin.choi1 @jiminchoifilm
Who has been your biggest influence in regards to your work? Well I originally started by myself shooting videos and everything, but I met this guy called Flowsion, the CEO of Koreaboo, who helped me a lot to get into the industry. Because he was the first person to help me get into the industry I guess I would consider him a big influence in my life. Out of the videos you’ve created, which has been your favourite? Recently I made a short film with Emily the Mermaid (@emilythemermaid) and Christina (@chrisaliescorners) who are Instagram influencers. I started making videos to be able to make movies, but there isn’t much of chance to make movies. Fortunately, I still had a chance to make a short movie, and the short movie was made how I wanted it to. So far that is my favourite. Usually my favourite always changes when I make new videos so it’s mostly the recent ones I like. As you’ve worked with celebrities, what has been your best experience to date?
to confuse other people, just make them question. Because I think everyone is different, and everyone thinks differently. Everyone has different experiences and everyone has different answers in their lives. So I don’t want to say this is this, and that is that, I want to say more like ‘what do you think of this?’
So, do you have any plans for the future, in regards to your filming?
Which of your videos so far would you recommend UKP readers to watch?
I’ve been focusing more on more multi-channel networking (MCN) business these days for more than a year now. But from now on I want to make my own career for music videos and movies. So, recently I’ve been talking to a lot of big entertainment companies to make music videos and movies as well. Like short movies, which is what I’m interested in.
So far, I think I would choose the short film with Emily. Currently, I’m in the middle of the process of working with some specific idols but it’s hasn’t been decided yet, but if I get to do it, it will be released at the end of this month. (Girlfriend: ‘what about your cover videos?’) As an artist, a cover video is a cover video, it cannot be my baby.
How would you describe your filming style? [laughs] Weird… She thinks it’s weird (in response to his girlfriend’s comment ‘weird?’). I cannot explain… I have a lot of things to tell if I start talking about this but if I categorise them, for example like colours. I think I always try to find the right colour for the right situation and even if some people might think that sometimes the colours don’t really fit the situation, I try to do it to make another message. Usually I think I’m not really direct so I’m not really straightforward. More like, I give you a question, but I don’t give you the answer. I want people to make the answer by themselves. I’m not trying
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Steven Yeun! I had a chance to film him for a documentary. It was just for one day but I always loved Walking Dead and I never watched Walking Dead ever since he died [laughs] so he was basically my favourite character. Also, I watched so many interviews and everything was so funny. I really liked how he had been shown on the TV but when I
met him he was a little bit different from what I expected. He was more serious about everything and I think he loves social problems and philosophy as well, so he’s always talking about that stuff. He was really interesting and was one of the biggest celebrities that I ever met so it was a good experience.
Trending Topics
by Lerah Barcenilla
A Farewell Fit for Queens The past few months have seen sad times for what is dubbed as the Second Generation of Kpop. Groups that many have grown to love and also cement their place in the Industry have made their official departure, either through member changes or contract expiration. This year has already seen the disbandment of many big names, including SPICE, History, Wonder Girls and 2NE1. However, in the summer period of this year, two departures have been more difficult for some. Both groups are considered big in their own right but both SISTAR & T-ARA have brought their fans together one last time for their curtain call, performing on live music shows and also releasing a final track before their official disbandment. After seven years of consecutive summer hits, SISTAR made their final comeback in May, with the acoustic ballad “Lonely”. What made their performances for this track special is they had one final chance to share the memories in a special medley of “Touch My Body”, “I Swear”, “Shake It” and “Loving U”; proving exactly why they will always be dubbed as the Queens of Summer. T-ARA also shared one
last farewell, negotiations. Hyomin, Qri, Eunjung and Jiyeon released “What’s My Name?” in June which will also be their final single before disbandment. Their pop track also brings an emotional conclusion as the group received their first music show win in five years during the June 20th episode of “The Show”, which brought the members to tears over the continuing support from QUEENs. As wesay goodbye to both SISTAR and T-ARA, we thank them for the memories and wish them luck in the future.
Boyband 101 At long last, we have a new trainee supergroup to admire. The second season of MNET’s hit survival show, “Produce 101” has been a rollercoaster ride of controversy, fan backlash and tears. Even before the first episode aired, fans were already in uproar over some of the confirmed trainees,
including A-Tom of TOPP DOGG and four out of the five members of NU’EST. Multiple accusations of bullying and cheating soon came to light, with trainees steppin down throughout the process. Despite this, the show has continued onward and finally we have the official line-up for WANNA ONE; including center Kang Daniel, “wink boy” Park Jihoon, HOTSHOT member Ha Sungwoon and NU’EST member Hwang Minhyun. WANNA ONE is scheduled for an August debut at the latest and will continue to promote until late 2018. After the show, the hype doesn’t seem to be dying
down with several of the trainees already lined up forfurther projects. Kim Sungri and fan favourite, Kim Samuel are already confirmed for solo debuts this year.The remaining NU’EST members will be aiming for a late 2017 comeback without Minhyun and FNC trainee, Yoo Hoeseung will be joining N.Flying as their youngest member. It seems it will be a long time yet until we hear the last of the Season Two alumni, which have proved to be memorable in more ways than one.
Bangtan Vs The World
From “Cherry Bomb” to Big Apple SM Entertainment has also had an International breakthrough of their own with NCT 127. Only one part of an ever-evolving group and yet their latest title track, “Cherry Bomb” is having a huge success with worldwide audiences. Afterrelease, their album of the same name topped music charts in 11 countries including Norway, Russia and Argentina. Alongside this, the Seoul based
The “Real” Deal? After months of hype and speculation, Kim Soohyun’s latest flick; “Real” is now being dubbed as the worst film in South Korean history. Despite the initial excitement from the actor’s reputation and the film also being Sulli’s sub-unit has also become the first K-Pop group to feature on Apple Music’s “New Artist of the Week”, hand-picked by editors to be showcased on their streaming services. Not only that, but Apple invited the group to perform at their Brooklyn store for the brand’s “Today at Apple” event while they were in New York for KCON 2017. Fans gathered in the early hours, just to watch the boys perform “Cherry Bomb” and their previous hit, “Limitless” while also opening up on life as idols. As the first ever K-Pop group to be invited to the event, it looks like the explosive impact of NCT isn’t slowing down any time soon.
first actingproject since leaving f(x), it seemed to gather 4.85 stars out of ten on Naver with reviews commenting on plot holes, the overall quality and also why such abig star like Kim Soohyun was even chosen as the lead role after his success with “My Love from Another Star”. As of June 2017, “Real” has only gained an audience of over 150,000 and backlash has been on going on both the director and the stars. However, this didn’t stop the people of the internet from having a little fun, flooding a movie review sites with ten star reviews; stating the film cured several kinds of diseases and had to be “preserved” for the next generation. The reviews went on to troll viewers even more by recommending it as a study aid for exams and a cheaper remedy for insomnia. Although it isn’twhat director, Sa-Rang Lee intended for the film, you can’t help but admire the savage creativity of the online community in South Korea.
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It seems nothing can stop the power of BTS, as they are continuing to make history and break into mainstream music. If it isn’t gaining the attention of pop stars through covers, it is winning awards and being front and centre in one of America’s biggest music award shows. As soon as the boys were confirmed as nominees for Billboard’s Top Social Artist Award, ARMY stopped at nothing to ensure they got the recognition they worked hard for over the years. Despite being in the midst of their sold-out US leg of their Wings tour, BTS received an invitation to join the biggest names in music at the Billboard Music Awards. With their first US TV appearance and their historical win, it has brought even more attention on K-Pop in the mainstream industry and also on the members themselves. Many viewers who never heard of the group before commented onthe group, specifically with Jin as his
mesmerising appearance earned him another nickname; “Third Guy from the Left” which soon began trending worldwide throughout the award show. However, this was not the only online love call we saw for BTS as they have been pictured alongside Halsey, The Chainsmokers and Steve Aoki, who hinted on Instagram at a possible project with the boys. BigHit hasn’t revealed anything since this post but we cannot wait to see what will be another amazing international collab from BTS.
t R a n Fa r e n r o C
MAMAMOO by Beni Instagram @beni_the_onion
YOUJIN KNK by Hannah Louise Kirkup Instagram @hanaz_art Twitter @tinkidding DeviantART Hanazart
SUNGJONG INFINITE by Melody
Instagram @melolusion
JUNGKOOK BTS Instagram @monimu Twitter @monimu
by Ari
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JIMIN BTS SPRING DAY by Shra Rai Instagram @s.rai.illustrations Tumblr sraiillustrations
HADES KEN VIXX
JIMIN BTS
JAEHO HISTORY
by Emily Twitter @kenssnapback
by Tatiana Ali Instagram @parkchiga
by Kasia Antosiewicz
RAP MONSTER BTS
HYEMI 9MUSES
DAEHYUN BAP
by Bebiana Alfonzo Instagram @babocustom
by Gabriel Taylor Instagram @lunarsory
by Rossana Torres
t r o f f E m a Te
Works from the UKP Team
LUNA F(X)
BAEKHYUN EXO
by Emily Stewart / Designer Instagram Deviantart @constellux constellux
by Jakub Wisniewski / Designer Instagram @jakbtime
r u o y t e G e th n i art g a m t x e n to ur work Email yo kpop.com ited mag@un
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TOP BIGBANG
A D V E R T I S E I N T H E U K P M AG - I N F O @ U N I T E D K P O P. C O M
r e tt e B T i e r Who wo By Lerah Barcenilla
Sehun vs Minho
The Chanel jacket was featured in the 2017 Crafting Collection. While GD wears this jacket with dark blue baggy pants and beige sneakers in ELLE magazine, Jennie goes for a more sophisticated style, wearing the jacket in full length as a one-piece style dress and a blue clutch.
Sehun can be seen wearing this royal blue coat by Gucci designer Alessandro Michele on the March issue of Thailand magazine OPTIMUM, paired with a white Gucci shirt and pink and white floral dress pants. Minho, on the other hand, dons the long designer coat with the same white Gucci shirt but with black dress pants at the Fall Winter 20172018 Fashion Show in Milan. with same coloured pants, black heels and a black and white clutch.
Sulli vs Kiko Mizuhara While Sulli wears the seethrough dress from DIOR’s 2017 S/S Collection with a black dress underneath and a black and gold leather DIOR clutch, Kiko Mizuhara plays with the nude colours with same coloured pants, black heels and a black and white clutch.
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GD vs Jennie
BAEKSANG We were fortunate enough to be able to snap the red carpet at this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards held at the COEX in Seoul on 3rd May 2017. The biggest and best actors, actresses, producers and directors graced the red carpet as nominees hoping to take home an award. Baeksang brings together creators and contributors in both film and television and this event is considered South Korea’s very own Golden Globes.
By Amanda Birchall
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GO GO FOR
Beauty
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6 ASOS | £
PINK N I Y T T E | £45 PR E THING PRETTY
LITTL
In Style
Idols
SNSD YOONA
MISS A SUZY
GIRL’S DAY MINAH EXO D.O
Best Script: Noh Hee Kyung for “Dear My Friends” Best Screenplay: Yoon Ga Yoon for “The World Of Us” Best Actor: Gong Yoo
Best New Movie Actress: Lee Sang Hee for “Our Love Story” Best New Movie Director: Yeon Sang Ho for “Train To Busan”
Winners
Best Educational Show: “Ssulzun” Best Male Variety: Yang Se Hyung for “Mobidic” Lifetime achievement: Kim Young Ae Star Century Popularity for TV: Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung Star Century Popularity for Movies: D.O and YoonA Best Producer: Yoo In Sik for “Romantic Doctor”
Best Movie Director: Kim Ji Woon for “The Age of Shadows” Best Movie Actor: Song Gang Ho for “Age Of Shadows” Best Movie: “The Wailing” Movie Daesung: Park Chan Wook for “The Handmaiden”
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Best New Movie Actor: Ryu Joon Yeol for “The King”
Best Style: Kim Ha Neul
K-pop Beach Looks By Holly Smith
Summer is here! Meaning we can flock to the beaches either at home or abroad, enjoy the warm weather and perhaps an ice cream (or twenty)! If you are looking for some beachwear inspiration, why not check out the looks of some of our favourite K-Pop idols and see if their style (swim) suits your taste? Here’s how you can get their beachy fashion:
2.
Miss A’s Suzy
Suzy goes for a more casual beach look here, pairing brightly coloured swimwear with a casual oversized vest and a baseball cap.
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1. ASOS: £12/£8 / 2. boohoo.com: £10 / 3. River Island: £15 / 4. New Look: £9.99 2.
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1. New Look: £24.99 3.
4.
1. River Island: £10 / 2. Topman: £20 / 3. Topman: £20 4. ASOS: £18 2. New Look: £26
Miss A’s Fei
For the guys, we have Kikwang’s style of a bold, Hawaiian shirt and denim shorts. Finishing it off with some surfer, style accessories means you are ready for the coast, but also looking good for the town.
UKP Magazine // 063
Fei embraces her feminine side with a classic black swimsuit and flowing kaftan to cover up.
HIGHLIGHT’s Kikwang
GET THE LOOK DENIM JACKET SPECIAL By Holly Smith
ON THE FRONT COVER OF THIS SUMMER EDITION OF THE UNITEDKPOP E-MAGAZINE, WE HAVE V FROM BTS SHOWING US A COOL AND CASUAL BEACH LOOK. IT’S A VERY SIMPLE, UNDERSTATED STYLE, WITH THE FOCAL POINT OBVIOUSLY BEING HIS BLUE, DENIM JACKET!
With the resurgence of 90’s style fashion coming forth in the past year or so, denim jackets have also enjoyed a rise in popularity. Though, it is something that may have never left your wardrobes in the first place due to their versatility. Taking inspiration from V, we have picked out a selection of denim jackets that can see you through those summer days that are a bit on the chilly side.
Another good thing about denim is the fact that it comes in many colours and styles, so you are likely to find something that suits your taste whatever that may be. Of course, denim jackets also go with lots of different outfits and can be layered over jumpers and hoodies for an extra level of warmth. If you want to look like the beloved idol V though, it’s best to keep the look as simple as possible and keep accessories to an absolute minimum. This will help you achieve that classic, laidback beach look!
These jackets can be on the more expensive side, but a big plus about them is that they are usually durable and resistant to the wear and tear that everyday life brings. This means that one of these could last you quite a while.
WOMEN’S BLACK RIPPED OVERSIZED DENIM JACKET: RIVER ISLAND: £30 MEN’S NEW LOOK DENIM JACKET WITH RIPS IN DARK GREY: ASOS: £21.50
WOMEN’S QED LONDON FLOWER AND BIRD EMBROIDERED DENIM JACKET: ASOS: £35 MEN’S EMBROIDERED DENIM JACKET: TOPMAN: £45
UKP Magazine // 065
WOMEN’S BLUE OVERSIZED DENIM JACKET: NEW LOOK: £34.99 ALWAYS RARE BLACK DISTRESSED SLEEVELESS DENIM JACKET: TOPMAN: £35
Wishlist
Summer Product
Etude House - Sunprise Must Daily Lotion SPF50+ PA+++
Though the UK isn’t always reknowned for having the most amazing Summer weather, that doesn’t mean we can’t take care of our skin in the warmer months. Here’s our Korean product must-haves for Summer 2017!
By Katy Small
In summer, the best thing you can do for your skin is sun cream! This lotion from Etude House is a geltype, moisturizing and hydrating sun screen and will protect your skin with an SPF of 50+. It’s soft, lasts well and doesn’t interfere with the application of makeup. Available on YesStyle.com for £6.86
Summer Steal
Tip
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peripera - Inklasting Mint Cushion (Perikiki Edition) This longwearing cushion fights the summer elements and gives a soft and clear makeup look. It is available in 3 shades and is formulated with peppermint and tea tree extracts which give an instant cooling effect when applied to the face. This cushion is small but mighty, making it perfect to take with you when you go on holiday! Available on YesStyle.com for £13.04
Etude House - Dear Darling Water Gel Tint
Holika Holika Juicy Sheet Mask
These juicy lip tints are deeply moisturizing and ever so cute! These summer-themed, popsicle designed tints come in 6 different shades from a deep red to a soft coral, each are highly pigmented and long lasting and they will keep your lips hydrated and tasting sweet!
Does your skin need a hydration boost? These juice inspired sheet masks from Holika Holika have your back! They will soothe, nourish and protect your skin while each having a different range of benefits. Aloe will calm and heal red, sensitive skin. Hydrating honey locks in moisture while soothing irritation and brightening blueberry packs a major antioxidant punch that energizes tired looking skin.
Available on YesStyle.com for £4.56 each
Available on urbanoutfitters.com for £2.00 each
Tony Moly - Double Needs Pang Pang Mascara
Available on YesStyle.com for £6.56 each
UKP Magazine // 067
Summer can take its toll on your eye make-up, but this super strong mascara from Tony Moly will stick through it all! Not only does it curl and enhance your lashes, but it also has a strong resistance to water, sweat and oils. It comes in 3 different colours – black, brown and blue which each add volume and lengthen your lashes. Feel free to go outside in the summer heat or go swimming; this mascara will still leave you with a vivid eye look all day long!
Fresh faced for less
GET IN TOUCH To place an ad, give feedback or enter your fanart for the next edition of UKP Magazine, feel free to get in touch at our email address: mag@unitedkpop.com
GAME ANSWERS Answers: A) BTS’s Suga. B) EXO’s Suho. C) VIXX’s N. D) Seventeen’s Jeonghan. E) Mamamoo’s Moonbyul.
Be one of the first to get your hands on a physical print of the Spring edition of UKP Magazine! All you have to do to enter is share the Summer mag on social media with the tag #UKPMag Winner will be selected on August 9th.