For a Korean singer, Psy’s single “Gangnam Style” has gone viral and YouTube is flooded with his videos, especially in Korea. However, despite the invasion of videos of Psy, there is one video which takes a stand firm, attracting about 550,000 viewers, since it was uploaded on September 30. The video is about Greg Priester, an American citizen living in Korea, singing a Korean ballad song at the singing contest JeonGook NoRaeJaRang, which can be translated into the National Singing Contest.

The singing contest, which was first on air in 1908, is one of the well-known TV show in Korea, and it held special contest for expats to celebrate Korean Thanks Giving Day, Chuseok. Greg Priester was one of the contestants.

At the contest, Greg sang the ballad “For you” by Korean singer Lim Jae-bum with his exquisite voice, impressing lots of Korean people. He became the runner up in the contest.

After the show, his video has been spreading quickly among YouTube viewers and blog users, and many people have started to question, “who is this guy?”

Toonari Post recently had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with Greg Priester in Korea.

Toonari Post (TP): Tell us about your background; why do you want to be a singer?

Greg Priester (GP): My name is Greg Priester and I was born in Aiken, South Carolina, USA. I attended college in Indiana. After graduating I followed my dream and starting teaching high school English in Indiana. I realized from doing community service work in high school that I had a passion for teaching, then eventually ventured on another dream, teaching abroad. In the past few years here, I’ve discovered I have a similar love for singing. I enjoy the feeling, and I especially love sharing that with an audience.

TP: Your video from the singing contest is drawing public attention these days. How does it feel? What do you think about it?

GP: It’s quite shocking but it feels fantastic! I didn’t expect the video to be posted at all, but it was online the next day after airing on TV. There were hundreds of positive comments and thousands of views within the first day. After reading many of the comments, I found that many people I didn’t know were watching and really loved my voice. It is an amazing feeling to get that sort of feedback from around the world and especially from Korean viewers. It really gives me hope that I have a chance to be a popular singer if I continue to give it my best effort.

TP: As an American citizen, it would be easier for you to pursue your dream in the U.S. instead of Korea. What brought you here?

GP: Honestly, I came to South Korea to experience a new culture and teach in a new environment. I never planned to pursue singing. It definitely wasn’t my reason for coming to South Korea! My desire to sing started from a trip to a karaoke with friends. I was a bit reluctant to sing and sat quietly, but my friends pushed me to sing a song. Afterward, they were really shocked and loved my voice, so they pushed me to sing more. From that point, I was asked to sing at a friend’s wedding then many other local events and concerts. With each performance my confidence grew and made me feel a real love for singing!  But pursuing a singing career in Korea is not easy, especially with my limited speaking ability. I take it as part of the challenge to achieve my dream but overall I don’t care where or what I sing, I simply want to do it wholeheartedly!

TP: Tell us about your music experience or achievement so far.

GP: I’ve performed at more than 50 weddings in South Korea in the last two years. I sang on TBSeFM for the show, KPopular, which is hosted by “As One.”  Also I joined a few small singing competitions this year like: Global Super Idol, Siheung Migrants’ Singing Competition (1st place), Changwon Migrants’ Arirang (3rd place), and KBS national singing contest (2nd place).

TP: How is your life in Korea? What are the difficulties, and what things do you enjoy?

GP: My life in South Korea is quite simple. I stay very busy with teaching and singing. I guess my main difficulty is being so far away from my family and friends in the US.  There are sometimes cultural differences which are a bit difficult and also language barriers that come up on occasion but nothing life-threatening. I really enjoy Korean culture in most regards and absolutely love the food! Healthy and tasty is an unbeatable combination for me. I’ve actually lost over 20kg since coming to Korea.

TP: What do you think about K-Pop and Psy?

GP: I have a great appreciation for K-Pop because it’s SO energetic. Although my personal singing style is more focused on vocals, I really like the effort that Korean artists are putting into their artistry and all the elements of their performances. The passion is evident in each show and Korean audiences definitely seem to feed off of that! As for Psy, what can I say? He’s created the biggest song/dance craze of this generation. It’s amazing that people around the world can join in on the fun that this song brings! I think he’s taken a huge step for South Korea that will help other Korean artists crossover to foreign markets and also raise international interest about South Korea. Congratulations, Psy!  I’m jealous, and hope to one day have an international hit song like you!

TP: What is your future goal?

GP: My short-term goal is to continue building my song repertoire and perform at all the events and weddings I can handle without burning out. Another goal is to continue learning and practicing Korean as often as I can. The big short-term goal is to join a large singing audition program within the next year, whether it be in South Korea or America. The long-term goals are to become an internationally known singer, continue to push for better education around the world, and live a happy life. I want to be known as an effective, powerful vocalist but also a fun and approachable performer. It will always be my ultimate goal for the audience to have strong feelings during my singing but also to leave the show with a fulfilled feeling. Also I want my fans to know me as a person, not just as a CD seller.

TP: Please say something for people who love your music and voice.

GP: Thank you so much for your kindness and support. The reason I love singing is because of you! You’ve strengthened my joy and desire for singing by the love you’ve shown me. I can only ask that you all continue to be there for me during this journey and I’ll do my best to give you the greatest singing I can.

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Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has decided to make Psy’s song ‘Right Now‘ X-rated in Korea, and Korean people are expressing their displeasure.

Since ‘Right Now’ has attracted attention worldwide along with ‘Gangnam Style’, it is expected that Psy might release this song as his U.S. single by rewriting it. Psy said on September 29 via his twitter, “I heard the music video of ‘Right Now’ is getting attention on Youtube. It is a nice chance to follow up with this song!”

The song ‘Right Now’ was released in 2010, and it has attracted about 6 million viewers on Youtube with its distinctive lyrics and dance.

However, watching this music video on Youtube requires confirmation that the viewer is an adult, not only for Koreans, but also for foreigners. This is because Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has made the song X-rated, so Psy also had to open this music video only for people aged over 18.

The ministry, which was built in 2001 to protect the rights of women, teenagers, and children, made ‘Right Now’ X-rated because of a series of slang terms that were used in the song.

Regarding the ministry’s decision, the signature collection campaign by Korean Internet users is being held online, asking the ministry to withdraw its decision.

The campaign started on September 16, and as of October 1, about 1,200 people signed for this campaign.

The Internet user “ChungDoSeYou,” who led this campaign, said, “Because of the ministry’s decision, people are having trouble with watching the music video of ‘Right Now.’ I believe this song and music video have a possibility to become popular in the foreign market. Even some comments on Youtube said this song is better than Gangnam Style.”

He added, “The ministry’s decision is an outdated view which is limiting the chance to promote K-pop to people worldwide.”

This was not the first time Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been blamed for an outdated view. Since the ministry was established, many Korean songs and music videos have become X-rated for their lyrics. For example, the song ‘SulYiYa,’ which can be translated alcohol in English, by a Korean singer Jang Hye-jin, became X-rated because the song talks about alcohol, which is bad for teenagers. The song ‘Americano’ also was banned from teenagers because the song has the word cigarette in its lyrics.

The website of ministry is flooded with Korean Internet users’ frustrated comments. Surnamed Ko said, “The ministry is ruining the right to pursue people’s happiness by applying outdated standard to K-pop songs,” while surnamed Jung said, “I understand the purpose of ministry to protect teenagers from vulgar content, but in Psy’s case, I think the ministry has gone too far.”

Image Courtesy of  KOREA.NET – Official page of the Republic of Korea

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Tourism is becoming Korea’s main way to make money. The number of tourists who visited Korea reached five million in 2000, and it is expected that the figure will be doubled by the end of this year.

According to Korea National Tourist Organization, the number of tourists will reach about ten million by November.

The increased number of tourists to Korea is surprising because Korea is thought to have poor tourism infrastructure compared to for example the U.S., France, China, Italy, or Turkey. Korea is currently on the 32nd place in the tourism competitiveness ranking issued by the world economy forum.

The main reason people are visiting Korea recently is the “Korean wave,” which refers to the surge in popularity of Korean culture such as Korean music, movies, and food in Asia and other parts of the world. The term was created in 1999 by journalists in Beijing surprised at the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China. Korean pop music, K-pop, is playing a main role in the Korean wave, attracting many fans worldwide. The Korean wave has contributed to Korean economy, adding revenue and creating jobs. According to Korea Matters for America, the Korean wave brought approximately 3.8 billion dollars of revenue to the South Korean economy based on international activity in 2011.

It is reported that 22.7 percent of tourists visit Korea to experience Korean culture or to see K-pop stars.

Korea can now almost compete with countries which are famous for their tourism. For example Australia attracts about six million tourists every year on average.

As the number of tourists who visit Korea to see Korean celebrity increases, Gangnam-gu, a southern area of Seoul, is planning to build “Korean stars’ street.” About 300 entertainment companies are placed around this area. Tourists from China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other South East Asian countries visit this area to wait and see Korean celebrities.

Twenty one-year-old Yuki Yosida from Japan said, “I’m here to see Girl’s Generation. But, I’m not sure if I can see them today or not. Usually, fans visiting this area like me are just waiting in front of an entertainment company.”

She added, “I’m okay with just sitting here and waiting for Korean stars to pass by. But, sometimes I wish there were other places that people like me can visit or enjoy around here.”

The Korea wave affects the increased popularity of medical tourism. According to the Korea Tourist Service, many Asian people who watch Korean shows or dramas visit Korea for getting plastic surgery or skin therapy, because they tend to think Korean celebrities are handsome or pretty, and want to look like them.

According to the statistics by Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, 122,297 people visited Korea for medical purpose in 2011, and that number marked a 49.5% increase compared to previous year. The profit from a fee for consultation was about 180 billion dollars. The proportion for plastic surgery was 12.2%, taking second place out of all medical tourism items.

However, even though the number of tourists visiting Korea is increasing, the fact that most tourists are from China and Japan, and that they mostly stay in Seoul, remains as an accommodation issue Korea should work on solving in the future.

As of July, 81.7% of tourists were Asian. Chinese travellers counted for 32%, while 29.7% were from Japan, showing that most visitors were concentrated on Asian people. People from the Americas make up only 7.6%, and people from Europe accounted for 6.1%, according to the report by Korea Tourist Service. The report shows that nine out of ten tourists who visited Korea last year stayed in Seoul.

Image Courtesy of  Bikeworldtravel / Shutterstock.com

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MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), a campaign to promote freedom and respect for human life, will return to Vietnam after two years. It is estimated that 2.5 million people worldwide are currently victims of human trafficking and that more than half of them originate from Asia and the Pacific.

Often, the victims are young. For example Vietnamese men, women, and girls are trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation in other Asian countries like Malaysia and South Korea; they are smuggled into Arab nations, on to Eastern Europe and all the way up to Sweden and the UK while some even go to Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica.

In 2010, the total number of Vietnamese working overseas in 40 countries and territories is estimated to be around 500,000, and most of them work in construction, fishing, agriculture, mining, logging, and manufacturing sectors. Many state-affiliated and private labor export companies force these migrants to sign contracts in languages they do not understand and charge these migrants high fee in excess of those allowed by law which forces them into extreme debt from which they cannot escape.

In both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, debt bondage, confiscation of identity and travel documents, and threats of deportation are commonly utilized to intimidate victims.

Therefore, the MTV campaign in Vietnam includes a nation-wide initiative against human trafficking, featuring a series of events, TV shows, and the very first multi-media exhibition on human trafficking as part of MTV EXIT Youth Sessions. The exhibition will highlight innovative ways of discussing this issue. It will be divided into a series of different experiences, such as video, music, photography, and interactive activities for young people. The flagship event will be a massive live concert at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on May 26, featuring performances by famous Vietnamese singers along with Canadian modern-rock sensation, Simple Plan.

This will be Simple Plan’s first-ever live performance in Vietnam. Simple Plan‘s members have established “The Simple Plan Foundation”- to support a variety of worthycauses, including various cancer charities.

“Over our career, it’s always been very important for us to get involved socially and support causes that are close to our hearts. We started the Simple Plan Foundation with the goal of helping young people in need,” said Chuck Comeau, the drummer of Simple Plan. “Teaming up with MTV EXIT to raise global awareness around the issue of human trafficking is exactly what our mission is all about.

Human trafficking is a horrible crime with devastating consequences for so many young people and their families. We are proud to stand together with MTV EXIT and their partners in the fight against exploitation. We can’t wait to play in Vietnam for the first time and are looking forward to informing our fans on how they can get involved and help out.”

The organizer of the live concert hope it will be successful as MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert tour in Vietnam, where 80,000 Vietnamese music fans attended four concerts across the country, including performances by K-pop band Super Junior.

To find out more about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit

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Live Nation Entertainment announced recently it has opened a concert promotion office in Seoul, South Korea.

This marks another important step in Live Nation’s international expansion into new markets. South Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world, and the 3rd largest in the Far East, with growth of 6% in 2010. It also ranks as the 12th largest music market in the world, which is largely attributable to K-Pop, whose popularity is now spreading rapidly to other markets outside of South Korea and the Far East.

“We see great opportunity for concerts around the world and our move into South Korea represents another step in the growth of this business,” stated Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation Entertainment. ”Our strategy is to continue our international expansion into under penetrated regions and identify new markets to deliver our unique live experience product.”

“With a growing interest from international artists to perform in South Korea, this is a natural step for us to be able to serve artists and fans better in Korea,” said Alan Ridgeway, President of Live Nation International and Emerging Markets. ”We also have plans to work with Korean artists both in Korea and internationally to meet the expanding demand around the world for the K-Pop phenomenon.”

“Live Nation Korea will further enhance the touring opportunity for both international and local artists in the Asia region,” says Mats Brandt, President of Live Nation Far East. “Live Nation Korea will, together with our existing offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing, expand Live Nation’s network and capabilities in the region.”

Live Nation Korea will be a fully owned subsidiary of Live Nation, and will be led by Steven Kim and Yongbae Cho, who, together, have more than 20 years’ experience within both the Korean and international live music and promotion industry.

Chuwit Srisomwong / Shutterstock.com

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