http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/10/world/asia/south-korea-spokesman-scandal/index.html

South Korean president fires spokesman over 'unsavory incident' in U.S.

By Jethro Mullen and Soo Bin Park, CNN

May 10, 2013 -- Updated 1644 GMT (0044 HKT)

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- President Park Geun-hye of South Korea has dismissed her press spokesman after concluding that he was involved in an "unsavory incident" during a state visit to the United States, her office said.

Police in Washington said they were investigating a report of sexual abuse.

The spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, "showed inappropriate conduct as a high-ranking official and damaged the dignity of the country by being personally involved in an unsavory incident," the chief presidential press secretary, Lee Nam-ki, said in a statement Thursday from Los Angeles.

The embarrassing affair adds an awkward coda to the five-day visit to the United States by Park, South Korea's first female president. During the high-profile trip, her first since taking office in February, she met with President Barack Obama to discuss the recent tensions with North Korea along with other strategic and economic issues.

The South Korean Embassy in Washington now is investigating the incident, Lee said without providing further details on what Yoon is alleged to have done. The presidential office in Seoul didn't respond to repeated requests for further comment.

Asked about the matter, Gwendolyn Crump, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, said, "We are investigating the report of a misdemeanor sexual abuse. We cannot comment further, at this time."

In South Korea, the Democratic Party, the leading opposition group, called for Park to publicly apologize over the matter on Friday, the semiofficial news agency Yonhap reported.

Park and her office "should deeply reflect on their appointment of the wrong personnel and apologize to the people," said Kim Kwan-young, the party's senior spokesman, according to Yonhap.

Park is due to arrive back in Seoul on Friday evening.

Journalist Soo Bin Park reported from Seoul, and CNN's Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Alison Harding in Washington and Judy Kwon in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

South Korean President Fires Spokesman for ‘Unsavory Act’ During Visit to U.S.

By CHOE SANG-HUN

Published: May 10, 2013

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SEOUL, South Korea — President Park Geun-hye of South Korea has fired her spokesman for committing an “unsavory” act while he was traveling with her on her state visit to Washington, her office announced Friday, after South Korean media reported an allegation that the official had groped a young woman.

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Yoon Chang-jung in Seoul earlier this month.

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The firing of the spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, was announced after Mr. Yoon abruptly broke off from the presidential delegation visiting Washington and returned home earlier this week. South Korean news media reported that he left Washington in such a hurry that he did not pack his belongings in his hotel room.

The whereabouts of Mr. Yoon, 56, have not been known since his return home. Lee Nam-ki, Ms. Park’s senior presidential press secretary and Mr. Yoon’s immediate supervisor, said he was fired for an “unsavory act that was inappropriate for a high-ranking government official and damaged the national prestige.”

South Korean journalists accompanying Ms. Park on her trip reported that Mr. Yoon had been accused of unwanted sexual contact with a young woman hired as an intern at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, and that the contact occurred while he was drinking.

A Washington police report on the case, copies of which were carried in South Korean media, did not mention Mr. Yoon by name, identifying the suspect only as a 56-year-old man. The victim reported that the suspect “grabbed her buttocks without her permission,” the report said.

The scandal dealt a blow to Ms. Park just as her office had been billing her Washington trip as an impeccable success. She held a summit meeting with President Obama on Tuesday and spoke before Congress the next day.

But while she was on her way back to South Korea on Friday, a political storm was brewing at home.

Ms. Park and her office “should deeply reflect on their appointment of the wrong personnel and apologize to the people,” said Kim Kwan-young, a spokesman for the main opposition Democratic Party, calling for a thorough investigation of a case that he said had “caused national shame.”

Ms. Park’s office had apologized earlier after at least half a dozen people nominated as ministers and vice ministers in her government were forced to withdraw from consideration amid questions over their ethical standards. As a result, her approval ratings plummeted before recovering in recent weeks as her defiance in confronting North Korea’s nuclear threats proved popular.

Mr. Yoon, a former journalist and political columnist, has been the most controversial political appointee in Ms. Park’s government. As an online political commentator, he used to carry out vicious attacks against Ms. Park’s domestic enemies, once calling them “political prostitutes.”

She first made him the spokesman for her transition team after her December election. Despite protests from the opposition, she stood by him once again when she made him a presidential spokesman.

On Friday, the main opposition party said the Washington scandal was a “foreseeable tragedy” because of Ms. Park’s refusal to heed her critics.

A version of this article appeared in print on May 11, 2013, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: South Korean President Fires Spokesman for ‘Unsavory Act’ During Visit to U.S..

President Fires Press Spokesman

http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/05/10/south-koreas-president-fires-press-spokesman/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=koreareblog

By Jaeyeon Woo

South Korean President Park Geun-hye fired her press spokesman for an unspecified “unsavory incident” while in the U.S., overshadowing an otherwise well-received summit trip in which she and U.S. President Barack Obama presented a united front against North Korea.

Reuters

Yoon Chang-jung.

The move was announced on Thursday during a short news briefing in Los Angeles, the final stop on Ms. Park’s first visit to the U.S. as president.

Yoon Chang-jung was sacked because “he was involved in an unsavory incident during President Park’s state visit to the U.S. and displayed inappropriate behavior for a high-level official that was believed to hurt national dignity,” said presidential press secretary Lee Nam-ki.

The presidential Blue House didn’t specify the nature of the incident, or where or when it took place. On Friday morning, the presidential house said there was no further update on the case. Mr. Yoon couldn’t be reached for comment.

An official at the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington confirmed reports that a complaint had been filed against Mr. Yoon.

“We are investigating the report of a misdemeanor sexual abuse. We cannot comment further, at this time,” said Gwendolyn Crump, director of the Office of Communications at the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, in an email response to the Journal.

The case deals another blow to the president after she suffered a series of failures in gaining parliamentary approval for some of her choices for top government positions after taking office in February.

Mr. Yoon, a long-time journalist, was among the controversial choices. The main opposition Democratic United Party objected to his nomination because of the content of opinion articles he wrote before he worked for the president.

Ms. Park will return to Seoul this afternoon after wrapping up her six-day state visit to the U.S. During her time in Washington, Ms. Park appeared to confirm close coordination with Mr. Obama in tackling North Korea’s provocations and gave a warmly received speech to Congress that stressed the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

North Korea gave a predictably caustic review of the visit on Friday. A dispatch from its state media arm said Ms. Park had made a “despicable sycophantic trip to please her master [and] confirm the master-servant relations.”

• Park Geun-hye, 
• Politics, 
• Yoon Chang-jung

Yoon fired for improper acts   By Kim Tae-gyu LOS ANGELES _ Presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung was dismissed on Thursday (local time) for inappropriate acts during President Park Geun-hye’s first overseas visit to the United States. He is being accused of cupping the buttocks of one of the Korean aides on the mission and the local police are investigating the case. Lee Nam-ki, Park’s senior secretary for public relations, held an emergency press meeting to announce the unprecedented measure. He did not elaborate what the inappropriate acts were although it has been found to be sexual harassment. “President Park decided to fire Yoon because his inappropriate acts during the U.S. visit undermined national dignity,” Lee said. “We are checking the details via the Korean Embassy in the U.S. and will transparently make them public as soon as they are confirmed.” Ahead of the conference, Lee expressed regrets to reporters by saying, “Thanks to your supports, the U.S. visit was evaluated as successful and the internal appraisal was also positive. But I have to let you know bad news.” After finishing schedules in Washington Wednesday, Yoon did not accompany President Park to Los Angeles and returned to Korea to raise suspicions on the reason. Allegations spread fast through the Internet that Yoon sexually harassed an intern working for the Korean Embassy in Washington. Cheong Wa Dae does not confirm whether they are true. Yoon was a former long-time journalist, whose appointment as spokesman for the presidential transition team last December generated criticisms due to his extreme rightist stances. The way he announced personnel appointments also came under fire because he failed to specify backgrounds of the appointments and details of nominees during press briefings. Despite the controversies, Park tapped her as presidential spokesman in time with her inauguration on Feb. 25. But he ended up leaving Cheong Wa Dae in two and half a months. voc200@ktimes.co.kr,

Park sacks spokesman Yoon Sexual harassment rumor taints president’s first overseas trip

Published : 2013-05-10 04:21
Updated : 2013-05-10 09:38

Former presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung (Yonhap News)

LOS ANGELES -- President Park Geun-hye on Thursday (Friday Korea time) dismissed her spokesman Yoon Chang-jung as rumors spread that he engaged in "inappropriate conduct" during the delegation’s stay in Washington.

“The decision was made as it was deemed that Yoon showed inappropriate conduct as a high-ranking official and damaged the dignity of the country by being involved in a disgraceful event personally while accompanying President Park in her U.S. visit,” said Lee Nam-ki, senior secretary for public relations at a briefing.

Lee said they were checking the details of the incident through the Korean Embassy in the U.S. and that they will clarify the facts once they are confirmed.

The ouster of Yoon tarnished Park’s first overseas trip that was aimed to highlight the new government’s reinforced alliance with Washington and promote wider investment despite the North Korea risk.

It was revealed early Thursday morning that Yoon went home earlier than other delegates accompanying Park.

As his hasty return remained unexplained, rumors spread that Yoon may have performed “fatal misconduct” to lead him to return alone.

On the website of “Missy USA,” a community for Korean women in the U.S., a posting was put up claiming that a Korean student who interned during the summit event was sexually harassed by Yoon.

Yoon joined Park’s team as the spokesman for her transition team after earning himself a name as staunchly right-wing columnist during the presidential election period. Despite criticisms for his incommunicativeness throughout the transition team operation, Park named him as her first Cheong Wa Dae spokesman upon inauguration.


By Lee Joo-hee
Korea Herald correspondent
(jhl@heraldcorp.com)

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/10/world/asia/south-korea-spokesman-scandal/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

South Korean president dismisses spokesman over 'unsavory incident'

From Soo Bin Park, for CNN

May 10, 2013 -- Updated 0508 GMT (1308 HKT)

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- President Park Geun-hye of South Korea has dismissed her press spokesman after concluding that he was involved in an "unsavory incident" during a state visit to the United States, her office said.

The spokesman, Yoon Chang-jung, "showed inappropriate conduct as a high-ranking official and damaged the dignity of the country by being personally involved in an unsavory incident," the chief presidential press secretary, Lee Nam-ki, said in a statement Thursday from Los Angeles.

The South Korean Embassy in Washington is investigating the incident, Lee said without providing further details on what Yoon is alleged to have done.

South Korean Women Protest Against Spy Agency’s Electioneering

South Korea’s intelligence agency went under fire for hiring bloggers and using its agents to manipulate public opinion before the presidential election. Korean female net users from the ‘Women’s Generation’ [ko] community site took to the streets (photos) of Seoul to protest against the agency’s electioneering and vowed to continue demonstrating till June.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/05/06/south-korean-women-protest-against-spy-agencys-electioneering/

Korean earns third LPGA victory of season in Texas

IRVING, Texas (AP) ― Park In-bee was already preparing to congratulate Carlota Ciganda for winning the inaugural North Texas LPGA Shootout.

Park, the top-ranked woman in the world, was in the middle of a solid final round and still trailed by two strokes after the playing partners both had birdies at the par-5 10th.

Everything changed in a two-hole stretch, when Park went ahead with consecutive pars. The 24-year-old South Korean went on to a bogey-free 4-under 67 that put her one stroke ahead of Ciganda, good enough for her third victory this season and fifth in her last 18 starts.

Korea’s Park In-bee is congratulated by fans after winning the North Texas LPGA Shootout on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap News)

“She was hitting fairways and greens and making putts,” said Park, who finished at 13 under. “And I thought I played really great today, but I just missed a lot of birdie opportunities, so I thought this tournament might not be mine because I missed that many opportunities and Carlota was playing great golf. But she made a couple mistakes on the back nine.”

Ciganda’s drive at the 416-yard 14th hole settled in the right rough with a tree between her and the green, and her shot from about 130 yards clipped a branch and came up short. She had a chance to save par but her 6-foot putt was short, and Park’s par had her within a stroke of the lead.

After stepping away from her approach at No. 15, to a green surrounded by water on three sides, Ciganda hit a shot that went to the right and then rolled down into the water. Ciganda had to go back to a drop zone, where the 22-year-old Spaniard had a decent pitch before her first putt rolled over the left edge of the green for a double bogey 6.

Park had another par and never trailed again.

“I’m very happy with my round and with my week. ... I had two bad holes on the back nine,” Ciganda said.

With the $195,000 check for first place, Park exceeded $6 million in career earnings and will be No. 1 for the third week in a row. It was her sixth career LPGA victory, along with four more wins in Japan.

Fifth-ranked Suzann Pettersen from Norway, the winner in Hawaii last week, had a closing 66 to get to 10 under and finish third. Park Hee-young (64) and Ryu So-yeon (68) tied for fourth at 275.

Ciganda played last season on the Ladies European Tour, where she was the top rookie and the top money winner ― the first player since Laura Davies in 1985 to accomplish that feat. She won twice in Europe last year and now has her best LPGA finish.

At the 403-yard 8th hole, Park made a birdie before Ciganda followed with one of her own and responded with a slight fist pump when her ball dropped into the cup. They both had pars at No. 9, where Park was closer to the hole even though she was missed the green to the left, and they traded birdies again at the par-5 10th.

“I was happy and playing good and having fun and enjoying the day,” said Ciganda, who had a closing 70. “And then I think, let me see, the hole it bounced to the right, but I had a bogey there and then hit it to the water on 15.”

Caroline Masson had a 75 and finished eight shots back. The LPGA Tour rookie from Germany led after each of the first two rounds and started the final round tied for second with Park.

Park Hee-young’s 64 was the best round of the day on the 6,439-yard course with plenty of sloping fairways and raised greens.

Stacy Lewis, the Texas native and No. 2 player in the world, had a closing 66 when all six birdies and her only bogey came between Nos. 7-17. She tied for seventh for her sixth top-10 finish this season.

At the end of her round, Lewis signed the back brace of a 6-year-old Dallas girl who was diagnosed with scoliosis at 18 months old. Lewis wore a similar brace 18 hours a day for seven years after being diagnosed with scoliosis at age 11 and missed her first collegiate season after a spinal fusion.

Third-ranked Choi Na-yeon, among the four players tied for seventh, had 44 consecutive bogey-free holes and was 9 under before consecutive bogeys at Nos. 10-12. She went on to a 72.

Park sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th after Ciganda also birdied even after her final drive went into the right rough. But they had an unusual wait after hitting their drives, when Lee Jee-young, playing two groups ahead of them, had to replay the hole.

Female lawyer battles giant cigarette makers Lawyer Bae Keum-ja speaks to reporters after losing a damage lawsuit against KT&G at the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul in February 2011. The appellate court ruled that there was no evidence that the nation’s biggest cigarette maker committed illegal activities. The case is still pending in the Supreme Court.                             / Korea Times photo by Won You-heon Establishing new legislation crucial for winning suits By Kim Jae-won What product kills 6 million people every year and is probably the most widely-consumed addictive drug in the world? Yes, the answer is cigarettes. Everyone knows how harmful smoking is for people and society; destroying lives and incurring huge medical costs to treat patients who suffer from smoking related diseases such as lung and throat cancers. However, many Koreans remained largely unaware of the dangers of smoking until the late 1990s when lawyer Bae Keum-ja made the issue a public concern by helping smokers and their family members file lawsuits against KT&G, the nation’s biggest cigarette manufacturer. After spending 14 years leading the legal campaigns, Bae is now advocating for a special antismoking law to be legislated in order to fight cigarette makers effectively. Previously she lost three damage claim lawsuits against KT&G at district and appellate courts. She is now waiting for a ruling on one case pending in the Supreme Court. “It is crucial to set up a special law to win against cigarette companies. It is not possible to defeat them under current laws,” said Bae in an interview with The Korea Times at her office in southern Seoul. A cigarette vending machine in an office of KT&G in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, in this February 2006 file photo. There was limited awareness of the harmful effects of cigarettes in Korea until the late 1990s when lawyer Bae Keum-ja raised the issue publicly and helped smokers and their relatives file damage suits against KT&G.                                                                / Korea Times file Bae cited the example of Canada where provincial governments have successfully won lawsuits against cigarette makers based on special laws established from the year 2000 to 2012. The veteran lawyer said that British Columbia led the way for getting compensation from tobacco companies by establishing a special law titled the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act in 2000. Tobacco companies questioned the constitutionality of the act by filing a complaint with the Supreme Court of Canada, but the highest court unanimously upheld the province’s right to sue the tobacco industry and concluded that the act was constitutional in September 2005, according to Bae and the government of British Columbia. Bae drew attention again recently because the state-run National Health Insurance Service said last month that it considered filing a damage lawsuit against cigarette companies. Experts say the amount of damages for the suit is expected to reach up to a trillion won because the national insurance company pays out a few trillion won every year for medical costs related to smoking. Asked why she remains committed to pursuing lawsuits against tobacco companies, although there is little financial reward, she referred to her time studying at Harvard Law School in the late 1990s. “While I was studying at Harvard, lawsuits against tobacco companies were hot issues in the United States. I became interested in the matter, and decided to help smokers file similar suits back in my home country.” After returning to Seoul, she worked on behalf of smokers suffering from smoking related diseases, and helped them file two lawsuits against KT&G in 1999. Later in 2005, she represented another group of smokers who filed a third suit. Unfortunately, they lost all the lawsuits against the giant cigarette company because local courts did not acknowledge that tobacco companies were liable for causing health problems to smokers. However, she argues that tobacco companies should be held accountable for because they made cigarettes harmful and addictive. “Tobacco companies make cigarettes very harmful by putting toxic substances into them. The firms also make people addicted to cigarettes,” said the 52-year-old attorney. Bae says that her ultimate goal is to cause tobacco companies to shut down because cigarettes are the biggest enemy of human beings causing damage to the health of individuals and additional problems in society. In that sense, she says the antismoking movement is synonymous with human rights activism. “The antismoking movement is a key element of human rights activities. I cannot understand some human rights and feminist activists who still smoke. How can smokers who destroy their bodies and lives be human rights activists working to protect people?” In fact, she has led some important human rights lawsuits for the past years. She helped relatives of prostitutes who died in a fire in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province win damages against the state in 2001. She also represented a teaching assistant in a sexual harassment case brought against a professor at Seoul National University in 1993. It was the first such case in the country and contributed to raising awareness about the seriousness of sexual harassment here. Woo Hee-jeong, the teaching assistant, won her lawsuit in the Supreme Court in 1998. Bae said that she believes cigarettes will eventually be removed from society because evil cannot win over good. “I learned from history that evil cannot persist for a long time although it prospers for some time. That’s why I continue to battle against tobacco companies.” shosta@koreatimes.co.kr,

Reds defeat Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) ― The Cincinnati Reds were watching when Carlos Marmol came on to pitch the eighth inning, and they knew exactly what to do.

It pays to be patient when the erratic right-hander is on the mound.

Marmol walked two guys and hit another batter before he was pulled, and Cincinnati scored four times to rally for a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

“You’ve got to take what they’re giving you, and Marmol had a little tough time out there,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “Our guys stayed off some close pitches and were fortunate enough to get the hit when we needed it. But also did a good job of keeping the ball off the ground when we had the bases loaded.”

Choo Shin-soo (right) of the Cincinnati Reds scores a run as Welington Castillo of the Chicago Cubs takes a late throw during the third inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

That’s right, Cincinnati had just one hit in the big eighth inning, but that was all it needed to secure its first winning road series of the season. The Reds held on for a 6-5 victory in the opener on Friday when Darwin Barney struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Alfonso Soriano hit a pair of two-run homers for the Cubs, who have lost four of five. But Soriano’s 31st career multihomer game had an all-too-familiar end for the veteran slugger.

“We have so many games where we’re winning in the sixth, seventh inning and we give it to the other team,” Soriano said. “I think that’s the difference. ... A game like this we can’t give it away.”

Jeff Samardzija pitched six effective innings for Chicago after Choo Shin-soo homered on the first pitch of the game, and James Russell got three outs before Marmol entered with a 4-2 lead. It was Marmol’s 453rd relief appearance with the Cubs, snapping a tie with Lee Smith for the franchise record.

He marked the occasion by walking Zack Cozart on four pitches, walking Joey Votto on a full count and hitting Brandon Phillips to load the bases with no outs. That was enough for manager Dale Sveum, who replaced Marmol with Hector Rondon. The crowd of 36,455 showered Marmol (2-2) with boos as he made his way to the dugout.

“Obviously, we know the guys that are out there pitching that have been doing it for a while,” Reds right fielder Jay Bruce said. “Marmol’s tough, but he’s certainly hit or miss, and we took what they gave us and it was enough.”

Bruce hit an RBI single and Todd Frazier followed with a sacrifice fly to right, tying it at 4. After Xavier Paul was walked intentionally, pinch-hitter Jack Hannahan walked to force home a run and Devin Mesoraco, another pinch hitter, sent another fly ball into right field to give the Reds a 6-4 lead.

“Nice team effort,” Frazier said. “Got nine guys up that inning and we manufactured runs. It wasn’t a big one there.”

Logan Ondrusek (2-0) worked the seventh, Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth and Aroldis Chapman finished for his seventh save. Chapman worked around a one-out walk by Soriano one day after he gave up three runs in a non-save opportunity.

Marmol began the year in the closer’s role, but was demoted after he blew a save opportunity at Atlanta on April 6. He also was in and out of the closer’s spot last year.

He had put together 10 consecutive scoreless appearances before this bad outing.

“I feel very good and that’s it,” Marmol said. “I didn’t throw strikes today. That’s what happened.”

The Cubs wasted a solid start by Samardzija, who settled down after Choo sent a drive over the left-field wall for his seventh career leadoff homer. He allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits while throwing a season-high 111 pitches.

Cozart had an RBI single in the third for Cincinnati, but Samardzija retired 11 of his final 13 batters. The right-hander is winless in six starts since he tossed eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory at Pittsburgh on opening day.

D-backs 8, Padres 1

Dodgers 9, Giants 8

Rangers 5, Red Sox 1

Rockies 9, Rays 3

Tigers 17, Astros 2

Indians 7, Twins 3

Yankees 4, Athletics 2

Reds 6, Cubs 4

Mariners 8, Blue Jays 1

Cardinals 7, Brewers 6

Orioles 5, Angels 4

Nationals 5, Pirates 4

Royals 2, White Sox 0

Marlins 2, Phillies 0

What’s the secret to K-pop success in the U.S.? Only Psy knows

Pre-“Gangnam Style,” there had been many attempts by Korean talent agencies to spread K-pop beyond the bounds of Asia and finally infiltrate the oh-so-competitive American music market. 

Before Korean rap sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video exploded onto the global music scene, the “big three” Korean entertainment agencies ― S.M., YG and JYP ― had all sent some of their most prominent and successful artists to the U.S. with the hopes that one of their own could make an impression in the West. 

Psy. (Yonhap News)

S.M. Entertainment, currently the country’s most profitable agency, groomed solo artist BoA to make her debut in the U.S. with the release of her English single “Eat You Up” in 2008 and English-language album “BoA” the following year. 

Around the same time, YG Entertainment’s hip-hop soloist Se7en also took a stab with the release of his debut U.S. single “Girls” featuring Lil’ Kim. 

Although both artists made their U.S. debuts in English while working with American producers, neither was able to make a significant impact, returning home empty-handed. 

But of all the acts that have ventured stateside, one of the most valiant attempts at breaking into the American mainstream was by Wonder Girls, a five-member girl group managed by JYP Entertainment. 

The group was the first Korean act to have a single enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, with “Nobody” in 2009. That same year, Wonder Girls landed the opportunity to open for the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 and perform on American TV talk show program “The Wendy Williams Show” as well as reality dance competition program “So You Think You Can Dance.” 

In February last year, the girl group starred in “The Wonder Girls” TV movie, which premiered on TeenNick, about a fictional story of the girls entering a talent competition at the renowned Apollo Theater. Later in July, Wonder Girls collaborated with American hip-hop star Akon for the electro-pop track “Like Money.” 

But after all these attempts, Wonder Girls were unable to break through, and have since returned to Korea, currently on hiatus from their group activities. 

Girls’ Generation (S.M. Entertainment)

Of Korea’s most successful girl groups is Girls’ Generation (SNSD). The group has enjoyed tremendous popularity throughout Asia since its debut in 2007, with a fan base that continues to expand.

At the end of January 2012, SNSD decided to join the list of K-pop acts attempting to break into the Western market with the release of the English version of its hit Korean track “The Boys.” 

Shortly after the English single’s release, the members performed on U.S. talk shows “Tonight Show with David Letterman” and “Live! With Kelly.” However, much like its K-pop predecessors, Girls’ Generation was unable make it big. 

After all these efforts, Rolling Stone magazine published a feature on the “10 K-pop Groups Most Likely to Break in America” in May 2012. Although the list included some of the biggest names in the K-pop world ― 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, After School, Beast, Ailee, Sistar, SHINee and Miss A ― the one act that did finally overcome this monumental hurdle was on no one’s list. 

Psy’s unexpected international success not only took Korea by surprise, but the rest of the world as well. On July 15, the Korean rap star, who had enjoyed little international popularity in the past, released his comedic and cleverly choreographed “Gangnam Style” on YouTube. 

What followed is history. With more than 1.5 billion global views, “Gangnam Style” has become one of the world’s most successful songs. 

“Gentleman,” Psy’s follow-up single to his record-breaking track, was released worldwide on April 12. The music video which was uploaded onto YouTube the following day broke a world record for the most views in 24 hours with an astonishing 38.4 million hits, making it the rapper’s fourth entry in the Guinness World Records. As of Thursday afternoon, “Gentleman” has been viewed more than 267 million times, alleviating Psy’s public worries of becoming a one-hit wonder.

Psy was the underdog that no one thought could make it big overseas. Whereas the previous K-pop acts who premiered in the U.S. before him had tried to conform and blend in with the sounds and trends of the Western music market and had sung in English, it was Psy’s comedy, creativity and pure entertainment that finally caught America’s interest. 

As for an explanation for his phenomenal global success, Psy summed it up best when he stated, “I’m simply an entertainer.” 

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)