K-Pop Application: StaRCALL

Attention to all K-Pop fans out there! Here's a smartphone application that you may like. It says you can receive video calls in real-time from your favorite K-Pop stars! 

Just download the application, select the stars you like then once they make a video call, you'll be alerted and you can watch them in real-time! As far as I know you'll get 5 free real-time StaRCALLs when you download the application for the first time (within 1 month only) then you'll have to pay USD 0.99 for every 5 calls received the next time.
 
Here's the list of stars:

Girls Generation, Super Junior, SHINee, 2PM, f(x), BoA, 2AM, FT Island Secret, Sistar, U-Kiss, ZE:A, Rainbow, Jewelry, TEEN TOP, TOUCH, Brave Girls, B1A4, and BOY FRIEND!

Maybe the list will be longer in the future so expect more! The application has news and updates too.

App Features:

VIDEO MAIL
*Get in-depth access to the off-stage life of the stars—catch them hanging out, cruising with friends, or even in their own homes, all on video and in real-time!

*Respond with your own video fan mail, and receive a personal response back from your favorite artist!

NEWS:
Targeted news feeds deliver the hottest gossip and headlines!

TWITTER & FACEBOOK:
Keep your finger on the pulse of KPOP by reading and replying to updates as they happen! Fully integrated, this feature allows fans to view the entire timeline. Fans can comment on their favorite KPOP Star's fanpage or and reply and retweet on Twitter instantly

 











For more information visit

http://www.star-call.net/

 

Or LIKE their Facebook fan page 

StarCall - Receive Video Calls in Real-Time from your favorite KPOP Stars

 

Free Download!

iTunes Link:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/starcall/id473614324?mt=8

Android Market:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.jnm.co_skni.starcall.androidapp

Note: The blogger was not paid to advertise this service.  

Beesket: Naturally Expressive Juices

Located nearby Cheongye stream, Beesket is one of the places that will surely amaze your taste buds and excitement when you visit Seoul!

Bee +Basket= Beesket

         The name Beesket is a combination of the words bee and basket. So why combine these words in the first place?   

Making Your Own Menu
Whenever you visit coffee shops, sometimes you don't have certain drinks in your mind. You spend some time reading the menu and there are times when you wanted several flavors for your drinks too. So, why not create your own drink? 

The moment you get in to this store, you will be given a bee shaped small basket and you put the fruit or vegetable flavors you want for your drinks. Now you can also customize your own drink! .

 A Form of Expression
Giving you the freedom to choose which flavor you want for your drinks is metaphorically a form of freedom of expression. Hahaha. This is something that you never really enjoyed before but now it's more than possible.

Wellbeing

The slogan of the store, “Naturally Expressive Juices,” aside from being a form of expression, it also explains that everything they serve is natural. Surely a mixture of fruits and vegetables in your drink will keep the doctor away! On the other hand, my girlfriend personally likes the cute design of the store. When you visit, try to observe the drawings on the wall. It has an amazing story.  
Menu
The store serves different drinks like smoothie, ade, yogurt, juice and coffee. It also serves , sandwiches, salad and really tasty and healthy cookies

Location

-It's beside Cheongyecheon. It's across Mirae Asset's very big glass building.

-You can also take Euljiru Ipgu Station exit 3.

Like its Facebook Page Beesket

http://www.beesket.com

Banana Talk Special (1): A Place to Eat, Relax and Talk ^^

Let me introduce a place you must drop by when you are in Korea. When we go out on a date with friends or special someone, there are times when we find ourselves agonizing on where to eat or talk because we all have different cravings for food or drinks. I think this place is an answer to that, Banana Talk.

Let's say you and your friends decided to visit Grand Children's Park, after a long walk and fun you can drop by at this place. It's a place to relax and chat over a cup of coffee or smoothies or whatever drinks that soothes you. You might also wanna sip your drinks with some desserts like waffles of different toppings or try the classic burger and fries. Customers happen to be from all walks of life.
Aside from the park, the place is also near Sejong University and residential area. So many students gather, even moms and kids too. If you happen to be hungry you can also order pasta or a Korean food for that matter. The menu is really amazing! In the evening, it caters different events and since it becomes like bar, it's a perfect place to hold parties. The place has a wide space and has sort of European style architecture and ambiance. Definitely a perfect place for small gatherings, chitchats, study and since wifi connection is really good, meaning it could also be a perfect place to do your online chores.

Why Banana Talk?
First thing that got my attention was the name of the place, Banana Talk. So I asked the owner and he told me that I have to figure it out. haha So it must be the menu? Some food and drinks listed on the menu have bananas on it. It could be a reason, right? Or on the naughty side it could be a place where girls can talk about boys, so Banana Talk. I know what you're thinking.lol By the way, the place is already known for having a "goodlooking" owner and waiters. So, when you come and visit, you can  take pictures with them.

To satisfy your hunger, our next story will be Banana Talk's Menu...and the Boys? haha Stay Tune!

Directions
Grand Children's Park Station Line no. 7, Exit 6 then just walk straight for roughly 5 minutes.

Join the FB group and get updates! 
http://www.facebook.com/groups/167562499988505/

Banana Talk is not a sponsor nor did it pay the blogger. The blogger is a close friend of the owner. hehe ^^ The owner will be featured in Power Korean section. Watch for it.

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

Dating Trends in Korea!

I don't know how girls decide on this..but 30 seconds? Wow! So it must be the physical appearance or what? Here's the article from chosun.com entitled "Most Blind Dates Fix Fate Within 30 Seconds" 

Most Korean men and women decide whether they like a blind date within 30 seconds of meeting them, a recent straw poll shows.

Matchmaking company Baroyeon released a poll on Sunday of 500 single men and women who recently went on blind dates. It found that 63 percent of respondents believe 30 seconds is enough time to figure out if the other person is attractive and a prospective partner.

The trend was even more pronounced among women, with 72 percent agreeing that they could decide almost instantly and 18 percent saying they needed five minutes to assess their date. Only 8.4 percent replied that they needed several dates to make a fair judgment.

Just over half of the men surveyed, or 54 percent, said they know whether they like the partner or not in 30 seconds, and 26 percent needed five minutes.

However, men and women reacted differently once they decided the person was to their liking. Among men, 71.6 percent said they would commit to a relationship, whereas 77.6 percent of women said they would test the waters first and meet other people before making their mind up.

englishnews@chosun.com / Sep. 22, 2011 07:39 KST
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/09/22/2011092200351.html


Another article tells us a new way of sogaeting (blind date) here in Korea. I want to know exactly where in Sinchon can we find this bar. The title is "New Dating Trend by Tab PC Catching On."

A new way of finding romantic matches using tablet PCs installed at a bar in Seoul is catching on as young people find that technology enables them to overcome their reluctance to approach strangers.

The bar, in Seoul's thriving Sinchon area, was crowded at 11 p.m. on Aug. 8 as customers, many of them university students, sat quietly hunched over the hi-tech tabs rating each other's on-screen images mentally and whispering to their friends.

The bar lends the digital hardware to each party of customers, who can communicate with people they take a shine to at other tables due to a special program that intra-links the tabs. They first talk on an instant messaging service, then move on to video chatting and finally, if all goes well, elect to share a table.

Customer feedback so far has been positive. A 22-year-old female college student who visits the bar two or three times a week said, "At ordinary bars, I'm reluctant to meet someone, because I can only judge them based on their looks, but this bar is great because we can talk before we meet." 

"This way of meeting people eases the social embarrassment of having to turn someone down," added the young lady, who has the surname Kim.

Meanwhile, the owner of the bar said business was booming as word-of-mouth spreads.

"We usually get about 20 tables shared by customers on weekends," said the owner, a 50-year-old man surnamed Kim. "People are lining up in front of the bar to get in."

But not all of the customers leave satisfied, and fewer find their knight in shining armor or dream girl.

One man who visited the bar for the first time said that many people often cut off their interlocutor mid-stream because the Internet allows them to short-circuit entrenched rules of social etiquette.

"I feel very uncomfortable, actually, as it seems as though the kind of bad manners you encounter on the Internet have found a good home here," said the man, a 33-year-old office worker who only provided his surname, Jung.

englishnews@chosun.com / Aug. 19, 2011 07:24 KST 
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/08/19/2011081900374.html
 

Pictures taken from these sites
Khuntoria: http://www.allkpop.com/2011/09/nichkhun-and-victoria-confirmed-to-be-leaving-we-got-married
Min Ho and Min Young: http://k-popexpress.com/lee-min-ho-park-min-young-dating/
Yonghwa and Seohyun: http://vivi-love-mylife.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html
Jae Jung and UEE: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/we-got-married/quiz/show/587096/whats-age-difference-between-uee-jae-jung
Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo: http://rainaftershine501photos.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/offcial-photo-hyun-joong-hwang-bo-never-released-we-got-married-wedding-shots/

International Students Sports Festival 2011 (Event Invitation)

Recruiting Teams for the 1st Annual “Global Family in Korea” International Students Sports Festival.

Date: Saturday November 5, 2011
Place: Namyangju Sports and Culture Center (near Donong Station, Jungang Ln.)

In this Sports Festival, 8 teams, representing 8 different regions, will compete against each other for the championships. These 8 regions include:
Seoul A, Seoul B, Seoul C, Gyeongin Region (Gyeonggi-do & Incheon), Yeongnam Region (Gyeongsang-do, Busan, Daegu, Ulsan), Honam Region (Jeolla-do, Gwangju, Jeju Island), Gangwon Region, Central Chungcheong Region (Chungcheong Province, Daejeon)

Each regional team will compete in the following events:
Men’s football
Women’s 7-a-side football
Volleyball (co-ed team)
Korean wrestling
Relay races- Men’s 200m, Women’s 200m, Co-ed 200m
Tug of War
Cheerleading Contest

Happy Concert 2011 (Event Invitation)

 

Are you in Seoul on October 1st? Do you wanna see SNSD, SG Wannabe, U-Kiss, f(x), Davichi and more? Watch this year's Happy Concert! 

6:30pm at Seoul Worldcup Stadium (Line 6 Exit 2) 

The concert is free of charge, and you can get tickets by filling out the form on the TBS’s website.For more details, please visit the website http://tbs.seoul.kr/index.do?method=mainIndex or call at (02) 311-5681~2.

Hangeul Day 2011 Exhibition in Seoul, Korea

My friend and 형, Hyunwoo is organizing another activity for Hangeul Day this year ^^  Please participate, share it to others and also fuel the project ^^

Check it out!

Love Hangeul? Learning Korean? Let's do something special this year! 

October 9th is the official Hangeul day (한글날), and 한글날 2011 is coming up soon! If you remember, for the past two years, I've made a video each year to celebrate 한글날 with you all. I thoroughly enjoyed receiving all the pictures from all over the world and putting them together for a video. 

I'd like to do it again this year, for Hangeul Day 2011, but it seems like A LOT MORE people are going to be interested in participating this time. If I receive 100 pictures, that's fine. But when there is more than 200 pictures, it's difficult to put them in one video. 

So here's my suggestion:

Too many participants? Not a problem! Instead of a video, how about an actual EXHIBITION in Seoul, Korea?

Imagine an actual exhibition hall in the center of Seoul, Korea, where YOUR submission, your Hangeul writing or artwork is displayed for visitors to see!!!

This will not only be very memorable for the participants, but also be very inspirational for the viewers of the exhibition. 

I am aiming for a two-day exhibition, and it will involve various types of costs, such as renting and preparing an exhibition place, printing out pictures and getting them ready for display, etc. So help me make the exhibition possible by funding this project! You can fund as little as 2 dollars or as much as 500 dollars. 

My goal for this funding is $3,000 USD and I have 10 days to raise this amount. When I reach or exceed this goal, I can not only make this exhibition happen but also make it extra awesome. 

Even if you are not interested in participating yourself, please support this project so this international Hangeul Day celebration exhibition can happen.

Please share this project with your friends and tell them to participate as well. I'm very excited to see what kind of creative entries will be submitted!

For more about how to participate, please check out my YouTube channel. 

- Hyunwoo Sun - 

http://hyunwoosun.com

Visit this site to fuel the project
http://rockethub.com/projects/3303-hangeul-day-2011-exhibition-in-seoul-korea

A video of last year's Hangeul Day!

Pictures taken from  
http://rockethub.com/projects/3303-hangeul-day-2011-exhibition-in-seoul-korea

Power Korean: Johannes Rosenthal

You’ve probably seen him on posters and billboards in some department stores here in Korea. A walking fashion icon! Literally attention-grabber! His head turning boy next door aura and looks make girls giggle, drool and faint… Everyone! Meet my friend Johannes. 

Johannes Hyun Su Tim Rosenthal is a Korean- German born and raised in Oberhausen, Germany. He graduated from an elite music high school, Landesmusikgymnasium Rheinland- Pfalz in Germany in 2009. Hmm quite long for a school name huh? Hihi.. He is currently in a double honors program, B.Sc. in Business Management and B.A. in Korean Studies at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, UK.

Music

Germany has always been associated with its legacy in classical music. Johannes career and training in music lived up to this association. He is a naturally gifted singer and musician. Being a member of a choir, “Art of the Voice,” in high school, he got to travel to many places in Europe for tour concerts. Also, being part part of a string orchestra, “Musica Viva,” he also plays cello and piano like a god. Musica Viva was awarded 2nd best youth string orchestra in Germany in 2008.

Modeling

Johannes’ modeling career all started in Korea during his stint as an exchange student at Yonsei University. He was discovered by a small modeling agency in December of 2010, where he did some sportswear pictorials and a fashion show for FILA. He said, his friend, David Sheldrick introduced him to the modeling industry here in Korea. He got invited to different fashion events and met people in the industry. He walked in Seoul’s Fashion Week this year, March. He also had photo shoots for different clothing lines like The Studio K, street photo shooting for Kai-Aakmann which appeared in Vogue Girl (April issue), modeled in a Volkswagen car ad, which appeared in Esquire (June issue) if I were to name some. In addition to that he became the new male campaign model of the Italian sports brand “Freddy” which many of you might have seen in many department stores already.

On Korean Fashion

Being a walking fashion magazine himself, it would be nice to hear his thoughts on Korean fashion. He said Korean fashion industry is still very young in terms of age but its development is extremely remarkable. He mentioned that the designer brand Caruso literally gives him ‘goosebumps’ every time the collections are out. He also likes how Korean people take care of their fashion at all times, wherever they go whether there is an occasion or just going to school. Though, he is quite on the warpath with the ‘couple shirt’ culture. Asked him why, he said it’s too cheesy and that he would never date with someone who will ask him to do it. So girls out there you know what to watch out hihi

Loving Korea

For Johannes, Korea is a home away from home. As a Korean- German he already visited the country during holidays when he was younger almost every year. His mom’s hometown Yeosu has always been his destination every time he visits here. Just a trivia, Yeosu is the venue for the World Expo next year. He also loves the convenience in Korea, where everything you want is within reach. Some of his favorite hangouts are Seoul’s very own fashion capital Karusugil and Apgujeong Rodeo area.  

More About Johannes

Many people know him as a party organizer. If you’re his Facebook friend, chances are you’re gonna see many of his statuses and postings are about the parties he organized or supported/promoted. He is also a member of a social brand called Deviant, a platform for people to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends, hot event tips, and that throws exclusive parties/events itself, too. Johannes is also multilingual. He is fluent in German, English, Korean and French. Many people call him John or Hyunsu especially in Korea, knowing that his name is quite long. If given a chance, he is also very open to the idea of working in the entertainment industry in Korea. So, you might see him one day in a Korean drama or movie or as a solo artist or even part of an idol group.   
Twitter: @johnhyunsu

Facebook: John Hyun-Su Tim Rosenthal

Hyun Bin Going to Visit Indonesia?

The phenomenal main actor of the drama Secret Garden, Hyun Bin, may visit Indonesia through the Korean Marine Corps. As we know, Hyun Bin is currently doing his military service. To my friends in Indonesia! This is it! hehe. Here's the article from chosun.com.

Korean drama star Hyun Bin may visit Indonesia next month to support the export of defense industry products as part of his two-year-long stint in the Marine Corps.

The 29-year-old model and actor, who is now serving his mandatory military service, apparently cannot escape his transnational appeal and may be heading overseas in an unofficial ambassadorial role.

"The Indonesian government invited Hyun Bin to the nation's Armed Forces Day ceremonies from Oct. 4 to 7, and the Ministry of National Defense is considering sending him to Indonesia," an officer of the Marine Corps said.

Jaejoong's kissing scene that made all girls cry... (Protect the Boss)

Just saw this drama spoiler post from allkpop.com earlier (allkpop.com is a leading source of information and updates regarding K-pop/ Korean artists).  At first I thought it's a good way to get more viewers. The drama "Protect the Boss" where Hero Jaejoong of JYJ is one of the leading actors, is currently airing here in Korea and it's getting a fairly high viewership.

But when I read the some comments of his fans, many feel sad and broken hearted...hehe. Of course not all. Some are quite positive and 'pretended' not to mind. hihi Now I'm not sure whether it's a good strategy ...or... well... yeah... maybe I'm right... I guess SBS can expect a higher viewership.  After all Jaejoong's fans are very supportive, no matter what, they will support him ^^

The drama is broadcasted on SBS every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:55.

Other Main Casts are
Choi Kang Hee, Ji Sung and Wang Ji Hye  (the so-called lucky girl).



The drama is fun to watch so if you haven't watched it better start watching now! 


Here's the link of the article from allkpop.com

http://www.allkpop.com/2011/09/spoiler-protect-the-boss-wang-jihye-pulls-jyjs-jaejoong-in-for-a

And here's a video of the kissing scene


You can also watch the drama online
http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-drama/protect-the-boss/

Meet 2PM and MIss A

Pyongyang and Seoul

Just saw this picture from matadornetwork.com. I think it's worth sharing. I know many people outside of Korea are still not aware of the difference between these two 'countries'

The above picture is Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea (officially called Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK).

The one below is where I am currently living, Seoul, the capital of South Korea (Republic of Korea).

Here's a link
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-know-if-youre-in-north-or-south-korea-pic/
the picture's via reddit 

Be a member of buzz KOREA!

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15th Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival (Invitation)

My friends will have dance performances in the upcoming 15th Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival ^^ If you have time please please watch their performances on

Sept. 22 to 24, 6pm at Choosa Madang.

The troupe's name is Project Wae. The artistic director is Han Sol Yoo and the crew are my friends. Let's support them ^^

(http://www2.gcfest.or.kr/eng/program/program_view.php?idx=47&site_left2=1&page=2)




The festival will run from Sept 21st to 25th. Check out the schedule of other performances of both local and foreign artists too at  
http://www2.gcfest.or.kr/eng/index.php

See you there ^^ 

Asia Song Festival 2011 (Invitation)

This year's Asia Song Festival is will be held at Daegu Stadium on October 15th (Saturday).

If you happen to be in Korea for the Hallyu Dream Concert on the 3rd of October, you might as well extend your K-Pop "fandoming" until 15th ^^

Performers listed on the website are Super Junior, Girl's Generation (Korea), Perfume, AAA (Japan), Peter Ho (Taiwan), Leo Ku (HK), Bibi Chou (China) and Tata Young (Thailand).

You might wonder how come there are only 8 performers. Based on my experiences, (well it's gonna be my 4th time to watch ASF,always VIP seats ^^), there are many performances at the start of the concert. Usually the rookies or new groups, like the groups that just had their debut. I am hoping it's gonna be the same this year.

It's for FREE! For tickets visit http://asf.kofice.or.kr/

Revealing Backstage Secrets! RT M Countdown!

You can now watch backstage scenes before, during and after M Countdown!

This is the RT Mcountdown URL
--> http://youtu.be/-RMdQnTr6h4

Please take note of the Time

Tue 6:00PM (PST)
Tue 8:00PM (Chicago, Mexico city,Peru)
Tue 9:00PM (Newyork)
Wed 2:00 AM (London)
Wed 3:00AM (Spain,Rome,Netherlands)
Wed 8:00 AM (Thailand)
Wed 9: 00 AM (Taiwan,MALAYSIA,HongKong,

Sing­apore,Philippines)
Wed 10: 00AM (Korea, Japan)
Wed 11:00 AM (Sydney)

*RT M Countdown is planning to stream high-lights of every episodes on YouTube*

Nike Running Korea

Nike Korea is sponsoring running activities these days 

Just visit Sangam World Cup Park every Wednesday at 7:30 pm and

Yeoido Park every Saturday at 9:30 am.

If you're into running or just wanna exercise and sweat or wanna enjoy Han River with your friends, please join! It's for free and if ever you just happen to passed by the area, Nike will lend you running shoes.

Plus they also provide you snacks, water and soft drinks after finishing the race! What more can you ask for huh? ^^

For more details visit http://www.facebook.com/NikeRunningKR and click the LIKE button