Art and Culture

It's Monday and it's the start of a new week and our Michelle Kim has brought us updates on the latest arts and culture events in Korea and abroad. Today, she has updates on a new single by a Brit pop group and an event that celebrated the D-100 days of the Pyeongchang Winter Special Olympics.

Hello Michelle

[Reporter : ] Hello Han-ul

So what do you have for us on this Monday[Reporter : ] Well, to start the week off, I have news about the new single released by British pop group Girls Aloud. This is the band's first release since 2009, and they seem happy to be back together. Take a look.

After taking a break to work on solo projects in 2009, the five members of British pop group Girls Aloud reunited Friday in London to talk about the release of their latest single, "Something New" and their plans for a UK tour next year.
The band -- which includes Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding -- seemed delighted to be back together, with Cole describing the reunion as "emotional".

[Interview : Cheryl Cole, Member of Girls Aloud] "It was emotional to talk about the fact that we're ten years down the line and we're gonna be able, even able to still be together and tour, you know, so that's always gonna be emotional".

The single will be released on November 18th, and is the first off of the band's greatest hits album "Ten".
The album, which will be released November 26th, spans the last decade and includes four new tracks.
Girls Aloud was put together on the British ITV show "Popstars: The Rivals" in 2002 and have since received tremendous attention all around the world, scoring four number one singles and two number one albums in London.
The band will start its 9-city tour on February 21st in Newcastle, hitting the O2 in London for two dates on March 1st and 2nd.
The tour also includes stops in Manchester and Glasgow and ends in Liverpool on March 20th.

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I'm not very familiar with Girls Aloud, but they remind me of the Spice Girls because both groups have five members and they have a very similar sound.

[Reporter : ] I agree. When they debuted in 2002, Girls Aloud had an 80s synthpop and new wave sound, which drew frequent comparisons to girl groups like Bananarama and The Bangles, in addition to the Spice Girls.

You know, the rise of electronic music nowadays has made me miss the music of the 80s and 90s. But I feel like I can get a taste of that sound by listening to Girls Aloud, so I'm excited for the new single and album. And now moving on, I heard you went to a very special event yesterday.

[Reporter : ] I did. Sunday marked 100 days before the start of the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
This city in Gangwon province, as viewers may remember, will be the site of the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To celebrate the 2013 Games, figure skater Kim Yu-na joined a host of other athletes for a special event in Seoul. Take a look.

Figure skating queen Kim Yu-na and star baseball player Yang Joon-hyuk were in Cheonggye Plaza yesterday to start the countdown to the 2013 Special Olympics, which will be held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon province.
The event featured performances by K-pop musicians Lee Jeok and Ulala Session, musical theater star Nam Kyung-joo and entertainer Poppin' Hyun-joon.
Afterward, Special Olympics athletes, supporters and the general public participated in a 3-kilometer walk along the Cheonggye Stream to raise awareness about the event.
The day kicked off with speeches by Na Kyung-won, the chairwoman of the 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics.

[Interview : Na Kyung-won, Chairwoman
2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics ] "There are only 100 days left until the start of the 2013 Special Olympics, but there's still a lack of awareness about it. So it is through this event that I hope Korean citizens will become aware of the Special Olympics and cheer for our athletes".

Figure skating star Kim Yu-na, the ambassador for the Pyeongchang Special Olympics, talked about her role in promoting the event.

[Interview : Kim Yu-na, Figure Skater] "As the Ambassador for the Special Olympics, I will do my best to tell citizens more about this exciting event".

The 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics will offer an exciting combination of winter sports, while also promoting cultural exchange among countries.
It starts January 29th and continues through February 5th.
This sounds like an event that everyone should take note of so that we can all root for our athletes next January.

[Reporter : ] Definitely. You know, the Special Olympics, Paralympics and the Olympics aren't really all that different from one another, other than the fact that some of the athletes are people with disabilities. I really hope that the event on Sunday helped generate excitement for the first event in 2013.

I hope so too, and I'll be sure to watch so I can root for Korea's athletes. And now, you have the events bulletin for us[Reporter : ] Yes, I do. Today's bulletin features three concerts, all of which are being held this month and each of which offers a different musical style. Take a look.

[Reporter : ed: jenny] This bulletin features 3 events

Balladeer Sung Si-kyung will be performing at Samsung Hall at Ewha Womans University from October 22nd to the 30th. The dress code for the concert is loungewear, and there will be a best dressed contest with a prize for the best dressed and a light penalty for the worst.

Acoustic rock band One More Chance, featuring Jung Ji-chan and Park Won, will be performing songs from its first album to soothe the souls of their listeners. This concert at the Interpark Art Center on October 27th and 28th will be their first since last Christmas.

Hip-hop duo Leessang will perform at Gwangju's Culture and Art Center on October 27th and 28th as part of its Korean tour. The tour will then take the duo to Ulsan and Daegu and will make its final stop in Daejeon on November 17th and 18th.

Thank you for the update

[Reporter : ] My pleasure

OCT 22, 2012

Reporter : dainee@arirang.co.kr