Arirang Fantasy 2011 Sing Arirang!! Sing to the World!

Link 
http://tv.chosun.com/event_eng.html
l

SEMYUNG UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Hi for those who are interested in studying undergraduate in Korea this might be your chance. Just saw this posted on one of my groups' wall so might share it to my readers too ^^ There is an application form but sad enough I couldn't see any downloadable link for it so please just e-mail the school directly. Here's the information

AGSP is a full scholarship program covering tuition fee, on-campus housing and meals for the duration of their maximum five year stay (1year in a Korean Immersion Program as well as 4 years of undergraduate study at Semyung University.) By nurturing these foreign students as civilian ambassadors, Semyung University is expecting them to be capable of delivering proficiency in their studies, Korean culture as well as their own cultures to Korea.

Application Requirements

For the ACE Global Scholarship Program (AGSP)

1. Number of Grantees : 2 students

2. Duration and Financial Aid

- Duration: AGSP begins in March 2012 with the Korean language program and continues until the end of the undergraduate program in February 2017

- Financial Aid:

 * The entire tuition fee for the 6 month Korean language program as well as the following 1~4 years of undergraduate work will be fully covered by financial aid.

 * Room & Food Waiver

 Room (dormitory room/ double occupancy) & Food

PIKO Christmas Song Festival 2011 (Event Invitation)

The Pinoy Iskolars sa KOrea (PIKO) is organizing a very special Christmas event this year

“HIMIG PASKO TINIG PINOY: The PIKO Christmas Song Festival 2011, Ang Patimpalak sa Solong Pag-awit”

For a country known for having the longest Christmas season in the world and people who are good at singing, a Christmas Song Festival is a perfect choice.  This activity is supported by the Embassy of the Philippines and will be held in the Tong Seong High School
Auditorium in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul City, in December 4, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

All proceeds from
this event will be used to support the projects of PIKO Inc., which are especially directed to helping Filipino students in Korea to be a strong pillar of support and resource for our country and our people.


If you want to join please visit:

http://pinoyiskolars.org/ 
http://www.facebook.com/groups/pinoyiskolars/

Power Korean: Hyunwoo Sun 선현우

If there’s someone King Sejong the Great should be thankful to, that would be my friend Hyunwoo. ^^  Korean language is now easier and more convenient to learn through an online source called Talk To Me In Korean (TTMIK), which happens to be managed by the Great Hyunwoo himself. hehe

Hyun Woo Sun was born and raised in Gwangju, Jeolla Province. He graduated from Gwangju Je-il High School in 1999. He then took B.A. in French Language and Literature at Korea University and graduated in 2008.

Multilingual at Heart

Many of you might wonder why of all languages he majored French. Until middle school, being able to greet in English was a milestone for him.  So starting high school he decided to put more weight in studying the subject, which at the start made him really feel good because of the progress he was achieving, from zero to almost native. He shared an interesting study method, which is like that of a B-Boy. In order to master your moves you have to record your dance and watch it many times to see where it gone wrong and what kind of improvements are needed. It’s exactly the same when you learn a language. He practiced a lot, recorded his progress up to the point where he got fed off of studying it. 

 

In his senior year in high school, 1998, he was chosen to represent his school in the National Foreign Language Contest for High School Students, a very prestigious national competition in Korea. As expected, he won first place. Since it was sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the benefits were unimaginable. He could choose the university he wanted to go. He decided to attend Korea University and was assigned to the Department of Western Languages.. Meaning, he had to study another foreign language aside from English. At that time he found French as the most attractive among western languages so he took French.

Now Hyun Woo can speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, aside from the languages mentioned above Korean, English and French and to add more to that he’s planning to learn more. 

Blogger

         Hyun Woo is a very prolific blogger.  As a blogger myself, an amateur one hehe, Hyun Woo형 is like one of my mentors. He started blogging in 2005 ,so maybe that gives you the idea of him as a pioneer in the blogging world, especially in Korea. He started to write a blog when he realized that people around him ask a lot about learning languages and he kept on answering the same thing. And exactly, one good way to stop the torture of answering the same thing again and again is to write one entry and share it to everyone.         

His Cyworld blog got a lot of attention from readers when it was featured by Cyworld on its main page. Just like any other blogger out there, he got excited so he started to write everything in his mind through his blog. When Cyworld removed the blog feature in their services he decided to create a Naver blog in 2007, why-be-normal.com. This is a blog for Koreans mostly about language learning and things you can do with it. The same year he also started writing a Google blog for foreigners http://sendmetokorea.blogspot.com .The idea is to get the feel of every day Korea for people who haven't been to Korea. His blog received awards from Naver making him a power blogger and has thousands of followers not just in Korea but all over the world.

G9 Languages
         Hyunwoo is the CEO of G9 Languages when he created it together with 2 other friends in 2009. Under this company you can avail a lot of services, some of which are already very familiar to you. The Talk To Me in Korean (TTMIK) http://TalkToMeInKorean.com/ , a venue for people who want to study Korean language online especially to those who can't come to Korea for the time being. It has a very friendly and creative approach of teaching. TTMIK is a product of his work experiences when he was a college student. He used to work part-time at a publishing company where he made education materials and did a lot of editing and translation works. He also gained teaching experiences through his part time English jobs.

           Other services are My Korean Store, where we could purchase study materials being taught on TTMIK; GongbuGage, which is for Koreans for them to purchase foreign language learning materials. G9 Languages has a lot or projects dealing with social media and they also do a lot of consultations for different companies.

More About Hyun Woo
          Hyunwoo started doing B-Boy in his freshie year (1999) in college. A proud member of KU Dance, he used to join small competitions and performed in various dance concerts.  He is also well-known for his talks on Korean modern history to different venues like EPIK, where his students are English native speakers who will be teaching English in Korea. He is also into photography http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyunwoosun and vlogging http://youtube.com/ever4one.

          Hyunwoo is an adventurer. He wants to try and learn something new. Some people would think he is the nerdy type of student when he was in college. Well, think again. Probably he was… until high school. Did you know that he got a warning for skipping classes? He didn’t like a very routine type of lifestyle so at that time he wanted to sort of rebel. He dreams of a society free from all the social constraints.

          He is now happily married to Mikyung Cho. I'm afraid that this entry would not justify Hyunwoo형's achievements and success. So please refer to the links for a clearer picture. 

Check these links too

http://HyunwooSun.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ever4one

http://twitter.com/ever4one   
http://www.languagecast.net/

 

Vote and Win All Paid Trip to Las Vegas (Billboard KPOP Masters)

You are to choose hottest KPOP MASTERS group and star. Here are the guides :

• Vote for ONE GROUP and ONE STAR, separately.
• Click all of the 'Like' buttons (see link)  to vote.
• You can vote ONLY once a day until the event ends.
• Event Period: October 21 ~ November 10

Every voters are eligible to apply for the All Paid Trip to KPOP MASTERS in Las Vegas.

Check the following links 

http://en.korea.com/event/5367/vote-win-all-paid-trip-to-las-vegas/
   
http://www.facebook.com/KPOPMasters

Vision Korea (Event Invitation)

Vision Korea(December 18th to 22nd, 2011)
KINSA is looking for international students from Asian Countries!!
Vision KOREA is a program hosted by Aisa Exchange Association and supported by Ministry of Public Administration & Security.

Vision KOREA!
1. Program Information
Name : 'Vision KOREA! Asia International Student policy suggestion project’
Contents : Cultural Exchange between Korean & International Students,
Solving difficulties in their(International Students) life
Date : 2011. 12. 18.(Sun) ~ 22(Thu) (Participants will stay 4 nights 5 days in the hotel)
Venue : Olympic Parktel(Seoul, Songpa-Gu)

PUNCH (완득이)

If you're looking for a good movie to watch, PUNCH (완득이) is super extremely highly recommended. ^^

I've seen the movie when it was pre screened at the recently concluded 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

I personally like PUNCH (완득이) for many reasons. Aside from a very touching story, the script or the lines are very witty. The jokes in the movie may be a bit cultural but it really cracked up everybody in the theater. I've already seen it twice before the gala premiere and twice again until yesterday, everyone in the crowd seemed to have liked it ^^ The jokes never cease to make me laugh.

I also like it because it shows some realities in the Korean society that need to be reflected by Koreans themselves. Actually the movie is  based on a novel written by Kim Yeo-ryung. I'll just drop bits of the movie since I don't want to take the surprise element from you hehe. In the movie, I like how they tried to give justice to foreigners who marry Koreans.You should watch it and see what I mean ^^ Well, I am not sure but you may also find yourself crying...People who were sitting beside me all cried.. So you might as well bring hankies with you.

And of course, I like it because three of my friends are part of the movie. Yep, they're all celebrities. ^^  hahaha. The leading actor Yoo Ah-in 유아인 , the beautiful Filipina actress Jasmine Lee 이쟈스민  and Lee Tae Yeong. Again, I don't want to take the element of surprise, so please just watch it ^^

Other Casts
Kim Yoon-seok 김윤석 
Park Soo-young 박수영   
Kim Yeong-jae 김영재
Kim Sang-ho 김상호
Park Hyo-joo 박효주
Kang Byeol 강별

Directed by Lee Han (이한)

Pictures: Taken at 16th BIFF, except for the movie poster.

Note:
-For me the trailer is a bit misleading. It's part of the story but I think it's not the main message it conveys. The actual message is way deeper. (Although I know why they made the trailer like this)
-Some theaters in Seoul offer English subtitles check http://www.koreanfilm.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1735

Reference: http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Punch.php

A Chance to FLY to SINGAPORE for the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards

SHOW OFF YOUR SHUFFLE DANCE MOVES and FLY TO 2011 MAMA SINGAPORE

‘Music Makes One’ Song Dance Relay (An event for K-pop fans across the globe)

How to Join?  

1) Watch the tutorial video (http://youtu.be/cUGHAOB98k0). Make your own video with a message to your favorite artist/s along with a shuffle dance. 
2) Upload your video on your Youtube
3) Post your "Country / Age / Youtube video URL" on Mnet Youtube comment box. (www.youtube.com/Mnet)
ex. Philippines/ 21 / http://youtu.be/3dlksGflD32

*Schedule
- Event period : 2011.10.18~11.15
- Winner announcement : 2011.11.17

*Awards
- 1st : 3 persons will be invited to 2011 MAMA in Singapore (Air Ticket + Hotel included)
- 2nd : 5 persons will be awarded Beats Headphone - MAMA edition
- 3rd : 20 persons will be awarded MAMA gift set

Dubbed as Asia’s leading music awards, the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (hereinafter MAMA) to be held in Singapore on November 29th, is offering a sensational event for K-pop fans from all over the world to watch MAMA live and also appear on stage.

Under 2011 MAMA’s theme of going beyond Asia and bringing global fans together through music, this year’s ‘Music Makes One’ Song Dance Relay has been prepared to allow fans worldwide to communicate with each other.

The three contestants selected for their enthusiastic and creative ideas will be awarded seats at the event, roundtrip tickets to Singapore, accommodation as well as a once in a lifetime opportunity to appear on stage. In addition, 25 participants will be given MAMA Special Edition Beats headsets, gift sets and many more.



MAMA organizers said, “We have prepared an event to actually hear the voices of fans who love K-pop and to bring them together as one. Since this will be an unprecedented event that offers people a chance to enjoy a large scale performance by their favorite artists in real life and a magnificent opportunity to get up on the same stage, we look forward to see fans from home and abroad participate.”

For further information, refer to Mnet Youtube(www.youtube.com/Mnet) or Facebook(www.facebook.com/MnetMAMA). 

Korea 3rd best place to do business in Asia

I just had this talk with a friend earlier today who just started managing his own business here in Korea. He said I won't be seeing him for a month because he will fly to California next week for a training. The good thing is, it's an all-expense paid trip by the Korean government for start ups. So when I read this article on koreatimes.co.kr, I can see that Korea is really doing something to make the country a better place to do business
Here's the article
Korea is the eighth best country in which to run a business, according to an annual report by the World Bank Thursday. It marked the first time the country made the top 10 of the World Bank’s ``Doing Business’’ study, leaping eight spots from last year’s 16th place thanks to positive reviews on government efforts to weed out bureaucratic inefficiency.
 
For full article check:
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2011/10/182_97043.html

Business Start-up School offered by the Seoul Global Center

 I also saw this program for international residents in Seoul by the Seoul Global Center.


For foreigners interested in doing business in Korea, might as well register for this program! It's for FREE^^


Check this link for more information 

http://global.seoul.go.kr/bbs.do?cmd=view&url=%2Fbbs%2Findex.jsp&BOARD_ID=8&BOARD_SEQ=13456

2011 K-Pop Music Fest in Sydney ^^

 If you are in Sydney, this is your chance to see your favorite K-Pop stars personally!

"TVXQ,Shinee, SNSD, Sistar, Secret, miss A, MBLAQ, Kara, CN Blue, B2ST,4Minute, 2AM"

Visit http://www.kpopmusicfest.com.au/  for more information ^^


Check the Promotion tab and join the contests to win exciting prizes like an all-expense paid trip to Korea and more ^^ 

2011 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards)

Time and Date November 29th, 2011 (Tuesday)

Main Event – Live Broadcast from 7pm to 11pm
(Korea time / Singapore local time – 6pm to 10pm)

Red Carpet Ceremony – 5pm to 7pm
(Korea time / Singapore local time – 4pm to 6pm)
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium 

2011 MAMA Theme Music Makes One
Bringing Asia and the World Together Through Music

The 2011 MAMA will open its curtains on November 29th at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore’s most prominent performance venue. Korean artists leading the K-pop wave along with artists from Asia and other parts of the world will be on stage for a spectacular finale music event of the year. 

Starting with a Red Carpet Ceremony from 5pm till 7pm, this year’s main event will be held from 7pm till 11pm on November 29th (Tuesday) and will be broadcasted live from Singapore throughout the entire six hours with over 1.9 billion viewers watching from approximately 19 countries including China, Japan, Singapore as well as the US and Europe. 

For further information, refer to Mnet Youtube(www.youtube.com/Mnet) or Facebook(www.facebook.com/MnetMAMA). 

2012 KOICA Scholarship- Korea University GSIS

Here's another scholarship you might be interested ^^ It's offered by KOICA and one of Korea's best universities, Korea University.

Program Title: Master’s Degree Program in International Development

Duration: February 16, 2012 ~ February 28, 2013 (13 months)

Training Institute: Graduate School of International Studies, Korea University 

Number of Participants: 20 persons
 Language: English

Accommodations: International Cooperation Center (ICC) and at the Dormitory of Korea University (CJ I House)

Scholarship: KOICA and Korea University Graduate School of International Studies together provide full tuition coverage for the program participants. KOICA provides financial support to meet costs of extramural training and to cover allowances and other
related expenses.

For more information about the program, support services etc. of the scholarship click this link

http://uvg.edu.gt/empleos/practicas/becas/Program%20Information_%20Korea%20U%202012%20%28KOICA%204%29.pdf

Please check these links too for more information 
KOICA 
http://www.koica.go.kr/  
http://training.koica.go.kr/


KU GSIS
http://gsis.korea.ac.kr/students/admissions.html 
http://gsis.korea.ac.kr/ 
http://reslife.korea.ac.kr/

DMZ Trekking Festival (5th Nov.)

KINSA prepares DMZ Trekking Festival(Host : Korea Leisuresports Council-http://www.www.koleco.or.kr/dmz/index.htm) for the international students.

 

Application Procedure

 

1. Everyone who wants to join this festival must sign up our website(www.kinsa.org)

2. Deposits(15,000won) should be sent to by 1st Nov.:

- Bank : Kookmin Bank(KB) 국민은행

- Account no. : 758601-00-000245

- Name : KINSA

*Please include your full name as the transaction ID

**20% DISCOUNT(12,000won) : More than 20 persons as one group together  

***FREE for KINSA Committee Members

3. Send e-mail to Jason(president@kinsa.org) with below information by 1st Nov.

- Full Name(Sex) :

- Nationality :

- University(only for student) :

Nino- Philippine Entry for the 16th Busan International Film Festival won New Currents Award

Directed by Loy Arcenas, the Philippine entry Nino tied with Iran's Mourning, won the New Currents award in the 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

I watched the movie on its first screening during the festival at the newly constructed Busan Cinema Center. Aside from being screened in a huge movie theater it was also jam packed with viewers so it was really overwhelming. Plus I got to sit beside an internationally acclaimed Filipina film director, Laurice Guillen. hehe

Other films in the New Currents section were: August Drizzle (Sri Lanka), Choked (Korea), Damn Life (Japan), Here...or There? (Vietnam/Switzerland), I Carried You Home (Thailand/Singapore), Lost in the Mountain (China), The Passion of a Man Called Choe Che-u (Korea), Return to Burma (Taiwan/Myanmar), Starry Starry Night (Taiwan/China/ Hong Kong, China), Watch Indian Circus (India), and The Mirror Never Lies (Indonesia).

The director is now based in New York. An Obie-winning production designer and theater director and a Gawad Buhay-nominated director.


References:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/337841/filipino-film-about-greed-grabs-biff-top-prize

http://news20.busan.com/news/newsController.jsp?newsId=20111014000092

Paparazzi 1 (Hallyu Dream Festival)

Check
Miguel's Amateur Photography 

Paparazzi First Album

Featuring
TVXQ, SNSD, MBLAQ, 4 Minute, B2ST, T-Ara, ZEA, IU, So In Guk, Kim Bo Kyeong, 2PM, Gil Hakmi, miss A, Secret, A Pink

Please LIKE the page ^^ 

http://www.facebook.com/miguelphotog

K-Pop Medley by Korean Grandmas and Granpas ^^

An amazing medley of K-Pop idols' songs by Korean grandmothers and grandfathers ^^

The songs according to order are I Don't Care of 2NE1, Genie of Girl's Generation, Nagging of IU and Seulong, Heartbeat of 2PM, Ring DIng Dong of Shinee, Shy Boy of Secret, Heartbreaker of G-Dragon, Can't Let You Go Even if I die of 2AM.

The choir conductor is Kim Tae Won, a famous musician in Korea and the pianist is Yang Moon Hee. 

How To Get a Korean Boyfriend

I wanna share this video my friend Cherish and Kring 선배made. The website is made by Kring herself and her Korean boyfriend Jimmy. The portal's name is catchy, I guess. hehe The video is extremely funny and probably helpful to all girls out there! hehehe I couldn't stop laughing while watching it! Enjoy!

Visit: http://mykoreanboyfriend.com/

Subscribe to Kring's Youtube channel 

http://www.youtube.com/user/funnysexy0624

Follow Twitter @koreanboyfriend

Kyung Hee University GIPS Scholarship

2012 Spring Admission Guide for International Applicants at The Graduate Institute of Peace Studies, Kyung Hee University

□ Majors
- Peace and Global Governance
- Asia Pacific Studies
- New Politics and Future Governance

□ Qualification
1) A person whose nationality isn't Korean and is a graduate or a graduate-to-be for a bachelor or master degree.
2) Dormitory life during the academic semester is mandatory for all students.
** Our school only offers Master's Degree Programs **
** There has been some Major change in requirements please refer to the following : Due to change of law, beginning from the 2012 Spring semester all international students who are accepted as a newcomer must have health insurance to cover their stay in Korea, the school will not cover this expense, If student wish to use the local health insurance in Korea the price is approximately $170 USD per year **
  
□  Scholarship and benefits
1) Official academic language : English
  (All official academic events, classes, examination are conducted in English)
2) Full Scholarship for tuition and accommodation fee
3) Free text books
4) Other scholarship opportunities
5) Separate Campus etc

□  Application deadline
1) September 1st ~ October 31st for the Spring (March) Semester
2) Applications with postal mark until the deadline will be accepted but still must physically arrive within one week after the deadline if

The 1st ISAIK Global Festival

The International Students Association in Korea is hosting the

1st ISAIK Global Festival  

ISAIK Final Football and Athletic Friendly Match

Date and time: November 5th, 2011 9:30~18:00

Venue: Bucheon Main Stadium [Bus will be on standby at Sosa Station (line 1 Exit 3) from 8:30 to 9:30)

Qualification: all foreigners in Korea;

For the matches & games, each team (university or country) should be consists of more than 30 persons.

Prize for the Football Game: 1st: 2,000,000won;

2nd: 1,000,000won;

MVP: 500,000won.

Prize for Athletic Match: 1st: 5,000,000 won;

2nd: 2,000,000won;

3rd: 1000,000 won;

Most Popular Award: 500,000won. 

THE MATCHES: Man football game (final game);

Power Korean: Chan Hu Lee (이찬후)

In front of a very small theater in Daehangro, there was a beeline of young girls carrying presents waiting for the clock to tick to 7pm. One would wonder why almost all of them were girls. That was just one of the musicals of my friend Chan Hu, a friend I call the Prince of Hyehwa!*

Lee Chan Hu was born and raised in Uijeongbo, Gyeonggi Province. He is a homegrown talent of Uijeongbo and Kyeongmin ladder school. He graduated at Kyeongmin High School in 2004 and took B.A. in Theater Arts at Kyeongmin University in 2009 in Uijeongbo.    

The Making

Even before elementary school, Chan Hu already showed some interest in acting. So when he went to high school he already considered taking acting as his major in college. His decision was mainly influenced by the first musical he watched at Kyeongmin University by theater arts majors. He never knew that it would also make him decide to study Theater Arts at the same school. 

Despite his young age, he already has a lengthy list of musicals and plays both at school and at professional theaters. To mention some he was part of Macbeth in 2004 and before serving the military from 2005 to 2007, he acted in an opera called “This Masquarade La Boheme” in 2005 at Seoul Arts Center. Seoul Arts Center is a preferred location for big production musicals and plays. In 2009, he also had two big plays. He was part of Hamlet, which was shown at Uijeongbo Arts Center and The Good Woman of Setzuan, shown at Daehangro. Then in 2010 he played as Yuu in the musical that attracted and captured the hearts of many girls, Hwarang. This year, 2011, he took part of another musical called Paul, which is a Christian themed musical. He played different roles, which I think makes him a very versatile actor. Although Chan Hu wants to take roles that are quite closer to his character in real life, he is still amazed with actors who play different roles. He thinks it is a big challenge. After doing musicals and plays he said he would try to venture to the mainstream entertainment industry. So probably we could see him on TV dramas, movies and commercials next time.

 

More About Chan Hu

Chan Hu is the kind of friend who could always cheer you up. There are no dull moments if you are with him because of his cool and wacky character. His dimples already made many girls faint so if you don’t want this to happen you should not let him smile.

He also likes to travel. After military, in 2007, he visited the Philippines to study English for a short period and at the same time traveled the country. Then in 2008, he went to the US also to study English for a bit and work at the same time as a waiter in a coffee shop. When he was serving the military he already planned to go to New York to experience Broadway personally so it was like a dream come true for him.

   
Chan Hu is a gifted musician. He can play guitar and piano and he’s also into composition, lyrics and music. On the other hand, call it totally unrelated, he wants to manage a chicken store in the future because he likes chicken. Funny but he was very serious when he told me about this plan. 

So we'll see ^^! Please support him! 



*you get off at Hyehwa station to go to Daehangro, Korea's broadway.