G20 Seoul Summit

'Korea's 100-year dream project' - From South Africa, Rome to London and heading to U.S.

Asia Economy Newspaper Go, Jae-Wan] Planned by Seo, Kyoungduk, Korea PR expert and a guest professor in Sungshin Women’s University, and designed by international fashion designer Lee, Sangbong, ‘Korea’s 100-year dream project’ also took place in UK.

Prof. Seo who is visiting London with university students has said “Starting from collecting precious dreams of South Africans last June when the World Cup was held, we are planning to collect the dreams of Europeans all around Europe while we visit various parts of Europe during two weeks in July.

James(35), who took part in front of Buckingham Palace said “I wish my newly started private business to flourish and all my family be well.”

German tourist Saskia(17), visiting London, said “I wish that there be abundant supply of water in poor countries so that people around the world can be happy.

Approximately 8,000 people including Koreans and foreigners have participated in this project so far. This project will be held until the end of September in Korean metropolitan and local cities, in Europe during July, in US during August, and Asia during September, collecting hopes and dreams of people around the globe.

Starting from July, online participation is available. By clicking ‘Say your dream’ in the official web site(www.dreamofworld.com), anyone can participate in this project by writing their dream in either Korean or English.

Prof. Seo, who made headlines last year by making “Thumbprint hanging picture of martyr An, Jung-geun” with thumbprints of more than thirty thousand citizens to celebrate the 100th anniversary of martyr Ahn’s assassination, is again, working with the creative culture club ‘ssengjonkyoungjeng.

This project is planning to collect fabric pieces with dreams written on them from 20,100 people all around the globe and create a large hanging work which will be displayed in Kwangwhamoon district during G20 summit meeting.

Go, Jae-Wan star@<ⓒ Asia Economy Newspaper & Stoo.com) 2010.07.16

Korean famous pop Girl group - Girls' Generation

Girls' Generation (Korean: 소녀시대; 少女時代) is a South Korean nine-member girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2007. The members are Yoona,Tiffany, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Taeyeon, Jessica, and Sunny. They are commonly referred to as SNSD, the acronym of the group's Korean name So Nyeo Shi Dae or So Nyuh Shi Dae. The group has released two albums and various singles. Their biggest song is "Gee", which is the longest-running #1 song on KBS's Music Bank, at 9 weeks total. The members of the group have had various activities as solo entertainers — acting in various dramas and musicals, hosting various reality-variety shows, and releasing solo singles.



Pre-debut : The members were professionally trained primarily in singing and dancing while a select few were also trained in acting and modeling. Many of the members had already made appearances in magazine ads, television commercials, and small television appearances. For nearly two years, Korean websites speculated about which female SM Entertainment trainees would be placed into the group. They were speculated to be called Super Girls after their counterpart Super Junior. [edit] 2007: Debut and first album In July 2007, Girls' Generation had their unofficial first stage performance on School of Rock. The song the girls performed was called "Into the New World" (Korean: "다시 만난 세계", Dasi Mannan Segye), which became their first single. A show documenting the girls' debut titled M.Net's Girls Go To School was filmed during this time. The song had a physical release, which included two other songs, "Beginning" and "Perfect for You", which was later renamed to "Honey" for their self-titled debut album Girls' Generation. An instrumental of "Into the New World" was also included. The group began promoting the single soon after its release. Girls' Generation performed their single on SBS's Inkigayo, MBC's Show! Music Core, and on KBS's Music Bank. They officially debuted on August 5, 2007.


After a short break, the group's first full album was released in late autumn 2007, with the lead single "Girls' Generation" (Korean: "소녀시대"), a cover of Lee Seung-chul's hit. Promotion for the single started in early November. Marked by dance routines and vocals, "Girls' Generation" was a hit for the group, and the album sold 121,143 copies to date, placing 8th in the year-end charts. In early 2008, Girls' Generation began promoting their second single, "Kissing You". The music video featured Donghae from Super Junior. This song achieved the #1 spot on three major TV music rankings—SBS Inkigayo, M.net M.Countdown! and KBS Music Bank. In March 2008, the album was re-released and re-titled Baby Baby. A third single, "Baby Baby", was used to promote the album. A digital EP featuring Jessica, Tiffany and Seohyun was released on April 2008, titled Roommate. The single from the mini-album is "Oppa Nappa" (Korean: "오빠 나빠", literally "Bad Brother", although contextually it refers to an older male friend).

2008–2009: Other activites, comeback with mini-albums For most of 2008, the group was active in other areas of the entertainment industry. It was announced in autumn 2008 that Girls' Generation would be starring in a reality show on M.net. Titled Factory Girl, the show chronicles the girls working as interns at fashion magazine Elle. The program began airing in early October. The group also participated in SM Town Live '08.

It was then announced that the group's first EP, The First Mini Album — Gee, would be released in January 2009. A teaser video was released in January 2009 and the first single "Gee" released soon after. Interest in the song rose after the digital release, topping Cyworld's hourly music chart on the release day. The song also went #1 on all major digital music charts within two days. The group began its album promotion on January 2009 on MBC Show! Music Core. They sang their new single, "Gee", and "Him Nae (Way To Go)", another track from Gee. Meanwhile, questions were raised when the group did not appear on KBS's Music Bank with "Gee", even after winning #1 on the music chart show. "Gee" is the record holder for the longest-running #1 on music portal M.net (for 8 weeks), surpassing the previous record of 6 weeks set by the Wonder Girls' "Nobody". They also set a record on KBS's Music Bank by being #1 for 9 consecutive weeks, breaking the record previously set by Jewelry's "One More Time", which had 7 wins. "Gee" was also awarded by Music Bank for being the best-selling song of the year.[citation needed] Promotions for the song ended at the end of March.

After a short break, SM Entertainment announced that the girls would be back with a new single and showing a "Marine Girl" concept; the song, titled "Sowoneul Malhaebwa (Genie)" (Korean: "소원을 말해봐", literally "Tell Me Your Wish"); the mini album was released digitally on June 22, 2009. The mini-album, Genie, includes a duet between Jessica and SHINee member Onew called "One Year Later" The group started its promotional activies on the June 26, 2009 recording of KBS's Music Bank. The group then had their return performances on MBC's Music Core and SBS's Inkigayo on June 27 and 28, 2009. The mini-album was released on June 29, 2009. Their first #1 award for "Sowoneul Malhaebwa (Genie)" was on the July 10, 2009 episode of KBS Music Bank.[citation needed] Their second award was claimed at the July 12, 2009 episode of SBS's Inkigayo[citation needed]. The group finished promotions for "Sowoneul Malhaebwa (Genie)" in August 2009. On October 7, Girls' Generation, along with label-mate f(x), released a digital single named "Chocolate Love" for the 4th edition of the Blacklabel series LG CYON phone, "Chocolate". Girls' Generation sang the "Retro Pop Version" of the song while f(x) sang the "Electronic Pop Version". In addition to their musical activities, the girls have had various television series, with varied success.

On May 3, 2009, Girls' Generation starred in their new reality show Sonyuh Shidae Horror Movie factory, with the premiere episode receiving a viewership rating of 3.3%. The show was then cancelled after 6 episodes due to low ratings.[citation needed] The show was replaced with another Girls' Generation reality program Himnaera-Him! or Cheer Up! in which the girls try to cheer up hardworking people in the midst of an economic slump. The show was canceled after two episodes due to the girls becoming too busy with the release and promotion of their new mini-album, Sowoneul Malhaebwa (Genie).[citation needed] Since June 23, 2009, the group has been on a reality series titled Girls' Generation's Hello Baby, on cable network KBS Joy, where they take care of a child and experience what motherhood is like. In that show, they take care of a boy named "Cho Kyungsan" (Korean: "조경산"), and each week they (or fathers, male guests who come out time to time) select "The Best Mom" and "the Worst Mom" among the members according to their work for the day. The show ended on November 17, 2009.[citation needed] In July, selected members, alongside selected Super Junior members, released the song "S.E.O.U.L."[16]. The music video was released as part of South Korea's tourism initiative. The group also announced its first solo tour, with two Korean dates in December and other Asian locations to follow. The Korean dates sold out in 3 minutes. The concert is titled "Into the New World" after the name of their debut single. Due to the success of the first concerts, the group confirmed that they will be holding encore concerts on February 27 and 28.

2010: Second album and other activities In early 2010, the group was chosen to sing SBS's new logo song "Naeireul Bomnida" (Korean: "내일을 봅니다", "Look at Tomorrow"). Later in January, SM Entertainment confirmed the release of Oh!, the group's second full-length album, released on January 28. The lead single "Oh!", was digitally released on January 25 with the music video being released two days later. The song proved to be popular topping various charts upon release.

On January 30, the group started promotions with the recording of MBC's Show! Music Core. The performance experienced a blackout near the end, to which MBC made the whole performance available online. Starting from March 11, 2010, photos of the members were released online showcasing a dark concept, named "Black Girls' Generation". On March 13, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon's photos were revealed.[citation needed] Teaser videos are scheduled to be released on March 16, with the new single released as a digital single on March 17.

About Park Ji sung.

Park Ji-Sung (Hangul: 박지성; Hanja:朴智星; Korean pronunciation: [pak̚t͈ɕisʌŋ]; born 25 February 1981) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for the English club Manchester United and is the captain of the South Korean national team. He is the only Korean player to win the UEFA Champions League and the first Asian to play in a final of the tournament.[3]

Park began his football career in his native South Korea and played for the Myongji University team before moving to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga. After Park's national team manager Guus Hiddink moved back to the Netherlands to manage PSV Eindhoven, Park followed him to the Dutch side a year later. After PSV reached the semi-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Park's talents were recognised by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and he signed Park for a fee of around £4 million in July 2005. Since then, Park has played in three consecutive Premier League-winning Manchester United teams and has also won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Park is able to play anywhere across the midfield and is noted for his exceptional fitness level.

As a member of the South Korean national team, Park has won 84 caps and scored 11 goals, and was a member of the team that finished fourth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

This is the video clip of Ji sung Park's Goal recently. Please enjoy.

Three ancient tribes in Korea

1. Goguryeo

Goguryeo or Koguryŏ (Korean pronunciation: [koɡuɾjʌ]) was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province.

Along with Baekje and Silla, Goguryeo was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Goguryeo was an active participant in the power struggle for control of the Korean peninsula as well as associated with the foreign affairs of peer polities in China and Japan.

The Samguk Sagi, a 12th century CE Goryeo text, indicates that Goguryeo was founded in 37 BCE by Jumong, a prince from Buyeo, although there is archaeological and textual evidence that suggests Goguryeo culture was in existence since the 2nd century BCE around the fall of Gojoseon, an earlier kingdom that also occupied southern Manchuria and northern Korea.

Goguryeo was a major regional power in Northeast Asia until it was defeated by a Silla-Tang alliance in 668 CE. After its defeat, its territory was divided among the Tang Dynasty, Unified Silla and Balhae.

The English word "Korea" derives from "Goryeo", which comes from "Goguryeo".


2. Baekje

Baekje or Paekche (Korean pronunciation: [pɛk̚tɕ͈e]) (18 BCE – 660 CE) was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.

Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumong and So Seo-no, at Wirye-sung (around present-day Seoul). Baekje, like Goguryeo, claimed to succeed Buyeo, a state established in present-day Manchuria around the time of Gojoseon's fall.

Baekje alternately battled and allied with Goguryeo and Silla as the three kingdoms expanded control over the peninsula. At its peak in the 4th century, Baekje controlled some colonies in China and most of the western Korean Peninsula, as far north as Pyongyang. It became a significant regional sea power, with political and trade relations with China and Japan.

In 660, it was defeated by an alliance of Silla and China's Tang Dynasty, submitting to Unified Silla.


3. Silla

Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) (Korean pronunciation: [ɕilːa]) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park (박, 朴), the dynasty was to see the Kyungju Kim (김, 金) clan hold rule for most of its 992-year history. What began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with China, Silla eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla or Later Silla, as it is often referred to, occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms, handing over power to its successor dynasty Goryeo in 935.[1]

This article is from Wikipedia.

About Korea~!

This is the cite from Wikepedia.

Korea (Korean: 한국 or 조선) is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait.

Korea was united until 1948; at that time it was split into South Korea and North Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a capitalist, democratic and developed country, with memberships in the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a single-party communist country founded by Kim Il-sung and currently led by his son Kim Jong-il. North Korea also has membership in the United Nations.

Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people were in Altaic language-speaking migrants from south-central Siberia,[2] who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age.[3] The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Korea later passed on a modified version of these cultural advances to Japan.[4][5][6][7]

Since the Goryeo Dynasty, Korea was ruled by a single government and maintained political and cultural independence until the 20th century, despite the Mongol invasions of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century and Japanese invasions of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. In 1377, Korea produced the Jikji, the world's oldest existing document printed with movable metal type.[8] In the 16th century, the turtle ships were deployed, and King Sejong the Great promulgated the Korean alphabet, Hangul.

During the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan and Europe. In 1910, Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.

In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender and disarming of Japanese troops in Korea; the Soviet Union accepting the surrender of Japanese weaponry north of the 38th parallel and the United States taking the surrender south of it. This minor decision by allied armies soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea.

If you want more, go to the cite,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea

Do you know about Yu Na Kim, the figure skater?