Fewer Students Studying Abroad

Whether it's a trend or not, for 3 consecutive years now, the number of Korean students studying abroad is getting lower. There are many speculations about the said "phenomenon." Some argue that it has something to do with the global financial crisis while some think that it's connected to the changes made by local prestigious universities in Korea on its admission process. As I mentioned in my previous blog entries, English test scores (TOEFL, TOEIC etc.) are no longer decisive for college adimissions.

According to a report by the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the affluent Gangnam neighborhood in southern Seoul, which ignited and led the boom in the early 2000s, has shown reductions in the number of primary, and middle school students studying overseas for the third straight year after hitting its peak in 2006 when it stood at 2,517. It fell to 2,336 in 2007, further to 2,282 in 2008 and nearly by a third to 1,614 in 2009.

Among middle school students, the number fell to 550 last year from 1,247 in 2006. In the same period, the figure for elementary school students dropped to 1,064 from 1,270.

If Gangnam area residents are starting this downward trend, the rest of the country is likely to follow suit, the report said.

The total number of the nation’s elementary, middle and high school students studying overseas has also fallen. Hitting an all-time high at 29,511 in 2006, the figure fell to 27,668 in 2007 and 27,349 in 2008. The 2009 figure has yet to be tallied, but is most likely to be smaller.

English bubble burst?

Some analysts have suggested that the “English bubble” is deflating. “With more prestigious specialized schools putting less weight on TOEIC, TOEFL and other English proficiency test results in their admissions criteria, more parents are less likely to send their children abroad spend a lot of money and deal with the other side effects,” Kim Seong-cheon, spokesman of civic group “World Without Private Education” was quoted as saying to Yonhap.

Some agents taking care of overseas school admissions believe the shift in public school English education to speaking and other practical English skills from reading and writing is also helping narrow the gap between those who have studied abroad and those who haven’t.

“There were also reports that those who studied abroad are unable to smoothly re-adjust to the academic atmosphere in Korea. This may have impeded students planning to enroll at domestic high schools or universities,” an official from the education ministry said.

In fact, in a separate report by KEDI in 2007, more than 50 percent of the 418 elementary, middle and high school students studying in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and China said they wouldn’t recommend the academic sojourn to others.

On the other hand, some skeptics say the phenomenon is a temporary one, affected by the global economic slump and the low birthrate. “Most students are in elementary schools. Since the number of students in that bracket has been falling fast, it is natural that the number of students going abroad also gets smaller,” an education ministry official said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/05/117_65201.html

Will 2PM still be the hottest time of the day?

Together with Rain and Lee Hyori, 2PM made an official comeback on stage. This time it seems that the group is package as more manly/beasty and sexier group than before. A news article in Korea Times asked 

whether its charisma could excite fans like it did last year.

The six-member band returned to the stage last weekend through cable music channel Mnet's ``M Countdown'' and performed two new singles ― ``Don't Stop Can't Stop'' and ``Without You.'' Fans and critics have expressed mixed opinions, and it's time to wait and see what the group has in store this year.

Music and Moves

The dance moves were definitely restrained compared with last year. Created by producer Park Jin-young, also known as JYP, a singer and dancer himself, the sixtet proves that it's a dance group, true to its form. Instead of the acrobatic moves and group choreography formed in perfect harmony, the members move to the beat in more controlled movements.

``I was expecting difficult moves like last time, but they kept it clean and simple. I was disappointed at first, but then it helped me listen closer to the music,'' Lee Su-jeong, a fan of 2PM, said.

The song ``Don't Stop Can't Stop'' is a dance number with strong drum beats, and the members appeared on stage in oversized hoodies and white bands on their wrists, dressed like boxers.

The lyrics, written by JYP, also send out a strong message.

The group went through a difficult time after its agency JYP Entertainment decided to kick out its leader Park Jae-beom, also known as Jay Park, permanently, citing that he admitted that he had ``done something wrong'' during the promotion of the group's first single ``Again and Again.'' Fans, feeling betrayed and frustrated for not knowing the exact reason for his removal, demanded the agency withdraw its decision to fire him or that they would boycott the six-member group altogether.

"Don't Stop Can't Stop" responds directly to the criticism. ``You wanna see me fall right? Haters. Like a candle on a windy night, yeah right. Just watch me do this, take a deep breath, hold tight. I'm never going down without a fight,'' the lyrics go.

While members have moved on and started to branch out in different areas, including acting and co-hosting entertainment programs, the decision to return with such a song proves that they are serious in continuing as the group 2PM, even after tough decisions and consequences were made.

Style

The first impression of 2PM's overall look is simplicity. The group shed their smoky makeup and dark suits of last year, returning with a more composed look.

``Overall, the concept is modern chic. We avoided using too much makeup or shiny accessories, and switched to a more casual look. We didn't want the members to look too serious and dark, but more modern and simple,'' Mei Han, the agency's publicist, told The Korea Times.

``We wanted them to look a bit cold and chic. If you look closely, they are all wearing different outfits, but because of the color and the overall tone, they work as a team,'' she said.

``Without You'' is a house number featuring a man expressing his feelings, heartbroken by his lover's betrayal. Dressed in tight black sweatshirts and dress pants, the members didn't have to tear or pull up their shirts to be sexy. The black clothing did all the work, highlighting their nicely toned and tanned arms. Male groups and singers have been showing skin like it's a trend these days, and it seems the classy move of showing just a little will work as an advantage.

The Future?

Currently, the group's single ``Without You'' has reached the top 10 in major online charts, including melon.com, dosirak.com and bugmusic.com as of Tuesday, but it will take some time to see if their popularity will reach expectations.

JYP had been going through a divorce battle with his former wife, and news that they had finally separated made headlines last week. The producer may not be involved in all of the group's activities, but having too much on your mind is never a good thing, especially when fans are closely watching the moves of former 2PM leader, Jay Park.

After leaving the group and the country last year, the 23-year-old managed to make a name for himself in the United States through his dancing and singing talent. News that he was returning to Korea to shoot the b-boy film ``Hype Nation'' and that he was working with U.S. hip hop musician, Dumbfoundead, instantly made headlines. Some have pointed out that the dancer should clear his name before starting over, but the decision will be made by Park himself.

He may have left the group, whether voluntarily or not, but it will certainly be hard for fans to distance the image of him from the group altogether ― a factor that could work in 2PM's favor.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/04/201_64912.html

Lee Hyori on the Chitty

In Korea Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is not the 1968 Ian Fleming's book based film nor the musical popular in  US and London during the late 1960s.  In Korea, it is the title of Lee Hyori's newest single.

In the music video of ``Chitty Chitty Bangbang,'' she appears as an alien. Led by her fellow dancers, Lee is dressed in bright colored outfits, various wigs and dark eye makeup resembling Lady Gaga.

Different she may be, but it's hard to ignore the fact that she went a bit overboard with the colors and costumes. And the fact that she was ``inspired'' by Lady Gaga may also work as a minus in terms of originality.

The music, which is one of the most important aspects of a singer, is currently under the microscope by fans and experts.

``(Chitty Chitty bangbang) is powerful, with the intro starting with drum beats, a staccato rap style and speedy bridge. It's a good combination of power and beats,'' a reporter from the sports daily Sports Seoul wrote, while other Web sites and reporters pointed out the lack of creativity.  Despite the criticism, it's evident that Lee has continued to contribute to the music scene, and we will have to wait and see if she will be able to impress fans with her music, along with her clothes and makeup.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/04/201_64093.html

Rain and JYP 'faceoff'

Korean pop singer Rain, who is arguably the biggest sensation throughout Asia, made "a slip of the tongue" during a TV show, which incurred a response from another formidable pop musician, Park Jing-young or better known as "JYP" among his fans.

Rain recently made a remark: "I already surpassed Park Jin-young," a statement that could be interpreted as a sign of confidence or arrogance, depending on how it was seen.

During a show, aired by SBS on Friday, Rain said he received a personal text message from Park after the remark.

Park shot back to Rain: "Am I your jumping board?" said Newsen.com Saturday.

Judging that his remark might have irked Park's anger, Rain came to his defense, by apologizing to Park. "Oh, no∼ there was misunderstanding," Newsen. Com cited him as saying.

Park said: "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?" it said.

But Park apparently took Rain's comment in good faith. He later told Rain. "No worries. I enjoyed it."

Park is one of Korea's best pop musicians, who is well known for his talents in singing, dancing, song-writing since 1994. He later extended music career by forming JYP Entertainment, a production company in 1999 which is one of the biggest talent and music producing companies in South Korea.

Great talents like Jinju, G.O.D., Byul, Lim Jeong Hee, Min, Noel, Ivy, Park Ji-yoon and Rain all got their start there.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/05/135_65181.html

S. Korean facelift popularity in China proves fatal

A Chinese woman died after a failed facelift at a beauty parlor in China, which earned her trust by falsely telling her that a South Korean doctor would operate her, Chinese media outlets said.

Chen Li, a 38-year-old woman from Hunan province last month, saw an advertisement from a beauty parlor that said a South Korean medical doctor would visit Changsha, the provincial capital.

Chen, who had been considering a plastic surgery, saw it as a "rare" opportunity to get a surgery directly from a South Korean doctor. South Korea is now perceived as the "Mecca" for plastic surgery throughout Asia, including China.

She paid 270,000 yuan ($39,600) and agreed to a surgery that would rearrange her teeth and remove scars, said Chinese news sites, citing Singaporean newspaper, Lianhezaobao.

Unlike what was initially advertised, there was no South Korean doctor visiting the city.

The surgery was performed on the morning of April 19.

Until 4 p.m., there was no news coming out from the surgery room. Chen's mother asked about it.

The beauty parlor's chief told her: "Something unexpected happened. She was already transformed to a hospital," the report said.

Her family members immediately rushed to the hospital where Chen was supposed to be. But they only found her in the cadaver room, already frozen, the reports said.

The details regarding the exact cause of her death was unknown. But the case was resolved, the report said, after the beauty parlor paid Chen's family 560,000 yuan (US$82,000), it said.

With the popularity of South Korean plastic surgery, some Chinese hospitals advertise they have "connections" with South Korean hospitals. Some beauty parlors in local provinces also have jumped the wagon by illegally performing plastic surgery.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/05/113_65179.html