The 10 Best KPOP Videos of 2011

For many Westerners, KPOP ranges from a mystery to a nuisance. But within the Pacific Rim, KPOP is what is quickly becoming the preferred playlist for the youth of Asia. The Korean Wave has been progressing quick to engulf the Asia pop markets in the last five years and it is only a matter of time before the Korean Music Industry adapts a group that will be able to crack into the European and North American pop markets.

KPOP is simply entertainment. Gorgeous people singing and dancing with a catchy tune, some flashy clothes, and a few crazy moves. It does not require thought (especially if you do not speak Korea), and the less you think about it, the more entertainment you will get from it.

These are the ten best music videos of 2010 as chosen by an expert panel of free-time Youtube surfing Waygooks.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#10 - "Itaewon Freedom" by UV (with J. Y. Park)

Release Date: March 27th, 2011

Special Honors: Best Styled Wigs, Most Likely to Offend a Black Person in Itaewon, Best Remake of an 80s Pop Song Nobody Has Heard Of Before







A comedy duo decided to team up with JYP to remake a song called "Harlem Desire" by the London Boys.  These guys had fun making a song dedicated to the foreigner district in Seoul, and the joke was lost on Koreans.  This song received little attention or appreciation from sincere KPOP fans, but it is hard to not be infected by the absurdity of this song and it had to make it on the list of best KPOP songs of the year.  Nice hair!

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#9 - "Knock Out" (뻑이가요) by GD and T.O.P

Release Date: January 3rd, 2011

Special Honors: Best Use of Bubble Wrap, Least Likely to Acknowledge Your Presence In An Elevator, Best Effort at Literacy Promotion in a KPOP Video




G-Dragon and T.O.P of Big Bang had a fantastic year.  They took a break from their own solo work... and their work within their group, Big Bang... to release a series of awesome hits together.  They have a compelling story as childhood friends turned pop stars and their clash and compliments in style make for memorable moments.  If you think these guys deserve recognition, check out their other songs together "High High", "Don't Go Home", "Baby Good Night", "Oh Yeah".

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#8 - "Hot Summer" (핫썸머) by f(x) (에프엑스)

Release Date: June 17th, 2011

Special Honors: Most Likely to Ask to Borrow Your Spare Stick of Deodorant, Best Use of Pink Artillery, First to State the Obvious About the Weather in August


This is a dynamite song with an obvious seasonal message, but it caused some controversy in that f(x) bought the rights and completely stole this song from a German group called Monrose.  Can you blame them for stealing?  It's a... hot... song.  This countdown also needed a second song with a tank in the video, so this song had to make it.  f(x)'s other hit this year was "Danger".

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#7 - "Keep Your Head Down" (왜) by TVXQ (동방신기)

Release Date: January 3rd, 2011

Special Honors: Most Likely to Actually Be Gods, Best Use of Gratuitous-360-HD-Slow-Motion-Panning, Most Likely to Show Up To a Knife Fight With a Fireball


TVXQ holds a very coveted title in KPOP: 'Most names for their group'.  Their international name is TVXQ (also stylized commonly as TVXQ! or TVfXQ) and it stands for Tong Vfang Xien Qi in Chinese. However, in South Korea they are known as DBSK or Dong Bang Shin Ki (동방신기) and in Japan they are known as Tohoshinki (東方神起). All of their names and acronyms are supposed to translate as "The Rising Gods of the East.".  This alone makes them the biggest badasses on the countdown.  The video lives up to their name(s).

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#6 - "Be My Baby" ( 비마이베이비) by Wonder Girls (원더걸스)

Release Date: November 5th, 2011

Special Honors: Least Likely to Be Your Baby, Best in Heels, Most Likely to Have Gotten Their Inspiration From an 'OK Go' Video



Everyone loves the Wonder Girls!  How you can not from watching their videos?  Their style is definitely distinct and their retro fashion and set design always makes for a great combination with their upbeat music. They spent much of 2010 touring with the Jonas Bros. and they took a hit with their fan base here in Korea.  But this song has brought them back and put them back in the top tier of groups.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#5 - "Perfection" (태완미) by Super Junior (슈퍼주니어)

Release Date: February 28th, 2011

Special Honors: Best in Coon Skin Hat Fashion, Most Perfect at Being Perfect, Least Likely to Know the Names of Everyone in Their Group





With Super Junior, you know exactly what you are going to get with every video: amazing style and furious dance moves.  These guys brewed a powerful formula with their all time greatest hit, "Sorry, Sorry", three years ago and all they have done since then is rinse and repeat their silky smooth image.  These guys always show up to entertain and it would not be a true countdown without them representing.  Their other hits this year were "Mr. Simple" and "A Cha".

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#4 - "Sixth Sense" by Brown Eyed Girls

Release Date: September 22nd, 2011

Special Honors: Best Use of Sex Appeal in a Music Video, Most Super-Sexy-Sex-Sexiness, Least Likely to be Without a Date on Valentine's Day




Is there any group that Korea missed more than B.E.G.?  We all have been waiting forever for them to release a new hit together.  The girls who brought us "Abracadabra" more than two years ago are finally back and their new hit was the sexiest video of the year.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#3 - "Love Song" by Big Bang

Release Date: April 13th, 2011

Special Honors: Most Likely to Spontaneous Combust, Least Likely to Comprehend the Origins of the Universe, Best at Not Looking Sweaty in the Desert




Be careful if you utter the words "Big Bang" in public, it will cause the Korean masses to go into a fit of panic.  No other male group can come close to the recognition and respect that Big Bang has earned for their members both as a group and as individuals over the last three years.  These guys are all accomplished and distinct personalities and their return this year generated the most hysteria among diehard KPOP fans.  Their two big hits this year were "Long Song" and "Tonight".  Love Song made the countdown for all the cool stuff that gets set on fire and blown up in the video.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#2 - "Roly Poly" by T-ara

Release Date: June 28th, 2011

Special Honors: Coolest Dance of the Year, Most Totally Historically Accurate KPOP Video Ever, Most in Need of a Popped Collar



For those who remember T-ara's "Bo Peep Bo Peep" from two years ago, it is difficult to watch these girls and not picture them in cute animal outfits saying what in English really fast sounds like "puck me, puck me, puck me".  T-ara easily had the best dance of the year and their video was a cute retro throw back to a time in Korea that probably never existed.  This video is buckets of awesome.  You just have to skip the first 8:00 minutes to get to the good part.  Click here for the 'Copacabana' version.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

#1 - "I am the Best" (내가제일잘나가) by 2NE1

Release Date: June 27th, 2011

Special Honors: Most Modest, Best Use of a Rotating Chair, Last People You Want to Know the Combination to Your Gun Safe


The title of their song says it all.  If artists were allowed to repeat on this countdown, then all their hits from this year would have had to have been included on the countdown.  These girls are fierce, fun, sexy, and overall hands down the best pop group that Korea has to offer to the world.  They can dance.  They can sing.  And they will charm your pants off in an interview.  They are the best, don't hate.  Their other hits were "Hate You", "Don't Cry", "Don't Stop the Music" "Ugly", and "Lonely".



There were lots of other lesser known and appreciated KPOP videos that were still good this year.  If you like KPOP and missed any of these, check 'em out.

Mighty Mouth - Tok Tok
Girls' Generation - Visual Dreams
Girl's Generation - Taxi
Kahi - Come Back You Bad Person
GD&TOP - Don't Go Home
2NE1 - I Hate You
Kim Wan Seon & Yong Jun Hyeong - Be Quiet
IU - You and I
Girl's Day - Twinkle Twinkle
B2ST - Fiction
Orange Caramel - Shanghai Romance
Orange Caramel - Funny Hunny
Tiger JK - Get It In
Secret - Shy Boy
Sunny Hill - Midnight Circus

Happy New Year!

Hey All,

It's been a while.  I took a new job in Korea last summer and it consumed a significantly higher portion of my time and energy than my previous job, so I decided to take a break.

It has also been a fantasy of mine to either start or promote this blog to a video blog and post more original videos and content.  I have tons of ideas, but lack the technical knowledge and tools to make the stuff.  I bought a mac and the software needed, but self-teaching is difficult and the internet at times really isn't as intuitive as programmer manuels want you to believe.

Cheers!

Lost Time

My schedule became a little too overwhelming this spring and I decided that updating a blog was an unnecessary source of stress in my life, so I decided to take some time off.  I have also been having internet/computer issues and have plans this summer to reevaluate what I want from my time blogging.

I recently took a trip out to the remote island of Beegeum Do Island off the coast of Mokpo.  It was as remote as you can get anywhere in Korea...

They also had a naturally formed heart shaped beach (only looks that way from one perspective).  Cool, eh?

North Korea Cyber Attacks Nonghyup Bank

A couple weeks ago my facebook news feed erupted with a lot of annoyed native English teachers complaining about their banking services provider, Nonghyup, being closed unexpectedly.  Nonghyup closed its doors and cut off ATM and check cards services for three days because of a security breach that crippled the bank.  I was not able to withdrawl or use any of my personal money for three days.  If you work for EPIK (like I do), then you have to bank with Nonghyup and many other government employees also have to bank with Nonghyup exclusively.  As it turns out, it looks like North Korea was responsible for the cyber attack.

Source:

Banking operations at Nonghyup, a South Korean farm co-operative, were halted by the cyber intrusion, leaving customers unable to access their money. 

The Seoul prosecutors' office called it "unprecedented cyber-terror deliberately planned" by North Korea. 

It said the software used matched that used in earlier attacks by Pyongyang. 

Prosecutors said that a laptop used by a subcontractor "became in September 2010 a zombie PC operated by the North, which... later remotely staged the attack through the laptop". 

One of the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used to break into Nonghyup's system was the same as one used in March for a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that originated in North Korea, they added. 

The software used in the incident was also similar to that employed in July 2009, when a number of South Korean government websites were attacked, the prosecutors said. 

The latest attack caused a three-day service outage at the bank - also called the National Agricultural Co-operative Federation - and caused the records of some credit card customers to be deleted. 

South Korean media outlets have in the past accused North Korea of running an internet warfare unit aimed at hacking into US and South Korean government and financial networks. 

The two Koreas technically remain at war following the 1950-53 Korean War, and tensions have been high in recent months in the wake of two deadly incidents. 

South Korea blames North Korea for sinking its Cheonan warship in March 2010, with the loss of 46 lives, although North Korea denies any role in the incident. 

Four South Koreans were also killed when North Korean troops shelled a border island in November 2010.

South Korea has some of the most strict internet laws in the world, but that does not mean they are the best or the smartest.  South Korea passed a myriad of internet laws around 2006 and none of them have been updated by lawmakers since.  The internet evolves quickly and a lot of government agencies and businesses are being hampered by these laws to rely on outdated security software (like activeX plugin request) because that is what Korean law states they must use, even though it has become outdated and unsafe.

NMA TV Animates for The Daily Show

The Royal Wedding was last weekend, but its covered got overshadowed by the death of OBL.  The Royal Family actually banned satirical and news shows from using any of the footage from the Royal Wedding.  So the crew at the Daily Show contacted the Taiwanese animating crew at Next Media Animation to make a funny clip to mock the Royal Wedding.  I enjoy their work and this one was pretty good...

The Daily Show - The Wedding Banners Uncensored
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

I often hear from British foreign teachers here in South Korea how much they dislike the Royal family.  They also often claim that they are a waste of tax money and completely worthless.  I found a clip by CJP Grey explaining the true cost of the Royal Family to British tax payers.  This was really interesting information on an issue I have ever cared about...

Superman Renounces US Citizenship

Looks like Superman and the United States have some irreconcilable differences.  He will no longer be fighting for "truth, justice, and the American way" and will need to come up with a new slogan.

Source:

Superman is no longer an American. 

In Action Comics’ new record-breaking 900th issue, the iconic super hero renounces his U.S citizenship following a clash with the federal government. 

The Man of Steel, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, has always been recognized as a devoted American warrior who constantly fought evil, but as of Thursday, he is no longer the country's own to claim. 

"I intend to speak before the United Nations tomorrow and inform them that I am renouncing my U.S. citizenship," he says in a cell in the issue. "I'm tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy." 

Superman even questions his longtime motto: "Truth, justice and the American way."

"Truth, justice, and the American way -- it's not enough anymore," he states. 

Superman's creators defended the decision. 

"Superman is a visitor from a distant planet who has long embraced American values. As a character and an icon, he embodies the best of the American Way," DC's co-publishers, Jim Lee and Dan DiDio said in a statement to FOX411.com. "In a short story in ACTION COMICS 900, Superman announces his intention to put a global focus on his never ending battle, but he remains, as always, committed to his adopted home and his roots as a Kansas farm boy from Smallville." 

The landmark issue is certainly sparking controversy. 

"Besides being riddled with a blatant lack of patriotism, and respect for our country, Superman's current creators are belittling the United States as a whole. By denouncing his citizenship, Superman becomes an eerie metaphor for the current economic and power status the country holds worldwide," Hollywood publicist and GOP activist Angie Meyer told FOX411's Pop Tarts column. 

But not everyone is outraged by Superman's citizenship surrender. 

"Superman has always been bigger than the United States. In an age rife with immigration paranoia, it’s refreshing to see an alien refugee tell the United States that it’s as important to him as any other country on Earth -- which, in turn, is as important to Superman as any other planet in the multiverse," wrote Wired blogger Scott Thill. 

"The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection," Thill added. "He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in pop culture."

This prompted Stephen Colbert to include Superman on his Theatdown this week.

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Happy Children's Day

Both South Korea and Japan celebrated Children's Day on May 5th.  It is a national holiday to celebrate children.  Kids get the day off school and most businesses are closed.

It was a somber day for a lot of families in Japan that lost parents and children earlier this year.  I saw a touching clip on Al Jazeera.

Google Office in Seoul Raided by Police

I do not think anyone should be surprised by this anymore.  If you own a smart phone or tablet, then your service provider and the government knows where you are at all times and everything that you do on that device.  The information exists, and corporations and governments cannot help themselves but collect and exploit that information.

Last week a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple for their location tracking technology in the iphone.  Another class action lawsuit has also been filed against Google for their location tracking technology in the Android phone.  South Korea is following up on this information and made a visit to Google South Korea's main office in Seoul.

Source:

SEOUL (MarketWatch) -- South Korean police raided Google Inc.'s local office on Tuesday as part of an investigation into whether the U.S. search giant's local unit has been illegally collecting individuals' private location data through its mobile advertising platform. 

The police said it is looking into allegations that Google's AdMob platform was used to illegally collect private data about people's geographical locations. It didn't elaborate. 

A Google Korea spokeswoman confirmed that the police visited the Seoul unit to investigate how cellphones and tablets that run on Google's Android operating system collect information about users' location. 

"Google will fully cooperate with the investigation," the spokeswoman said. 

In November 2009, Google purchased mobile advertising start-up AdMob Inc. for $750 million as part of a push to extend its dominance in Internet advertising to mobile phones. 

Tuesday's police action is the latest in a number of investigations of Google in South Korea to determine whether the company has broken local regulations. 

South Korea is the most wired country on the planet and has some of the most complicated and strict internet enforcement and privacy laws.  South Korean internet police have already picked fights with Youtube and Facebook.  They aren't scared to go after Google either.

In August last year, the National Police Agency launched an investigation into whether the U.S. company collected and stored private information illegally while it prepared for the South Korean launch of its "Street View" mapping service, which provides panoramic views of streets for Internet users. 

Separately, two South Korean search portals--Naver and Daum Communications Corp. (035720.KQ) -- filed a complaint last month with the country's Fair Trade Commission against Google for allegedly limiting their access to Android smartphones. 

No further announcements have been made by regulators about the status of these investigations, which Google Korea has said it will co-operate with. In the latter case the company has said Android is an open platform and carrier partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android phones. Google also told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday that neither the policy agency nor the antitrust regulator has further contacted the company about these issues. 

The latest probe into Google came just a few days after South Korea's telecommunication regulator, the Korea Communications Commission, said it sent a list of inquiries to Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) Korea unit to clarify how it collects location data from iPhone and iPad users, reflecting concerns about the collection and storage of private information gathered from smartphones and tablet devices.

Japan Has 'Wonderful Dream' to Host 2020 Olympics

Japan is facing billions of dollars in reconstruction costs, but they are also thinking about making a bid to host the 2020 Olympic games.  The Japanese Olympic Committee thinks that hosting the games will have a healing effect on the country.  Certainly, South Korea hosting the 1988 Olympic games did wonders for their economy and their national pride.  The world probably would give it to them thinking it would help them recover from the devastation.  The last time Japan hosted the Summer games was in 1964.

Past countries to host the summer games, from Wikipedia:

TSA Security Made Miss USA Cry

I personally have not flown back to the United States in the last two years... but I am dreading the day I will have to go through security and get my nut sack pat down.

The full body scanners take a full body image of your front and back.  All of your bio-metric specifications are then recorded on a computer.  The government claims they do not keep this information... but the government does not have the best record of being honest about respecting the privacy of Americans (or non-Americans passing through our airports).  Another reason is money.  These machines are very expensive and former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff personally is profiting from the sales of machines he says are absolutely essential to preventing terrorist attacks.

Now, in order to persuade people to willingly stand in line and use the full body scanners to get a naked picture taken of them, the TSA has invented a pat down procedure more invasive and offensive than any regular police pat down.  TSA employees have to perform a procedure to be invasive and to make the person feel uncomfortable.  They have to otherwise nobody would ever choose to go through one of the full body scanners, thus making them pointless.  It is a comfort battle for passengers between the lesser of two evils.

Miss USA 2003 Susie Castillo is a frequent flyer and recently passed through the Dallas Airport and felt like TSA went too far.  We need more celebrities to make these videos and speak out, because nobody listens when average people complain...

Susie then went on the today show.  She made some great points.  How come these TSA screening procedures are not being used at the White House or the Pentagon?  If this is the best way to screen and catch terrorists, why is it only happening in airports and not all government buildings?  What about foreign airports?  They have other methods that have worked for them just fine.  There is no evidence that the TSA enhanced pat downs do anything to protect passengers more than metal detectors, behavioral profiling, and dog units.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy