Latest news with #Jeju
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Three Former K-Pop Idols Find It's ‘Time To Be Strong'
Sunim, Sarang and Tae-hee find their trip to Jeju Island is not what they expected. Becoming a k-pop trainee is a dream for many aspiring performers. After years of hard work learning to dance, sing and act, trainees might be rewarded with lucrative contracts and a lifetime of celebrity. But it doesn't always work out that way. The protagonists of the Korean film Time To Be Strong have done their turn in the trainee system and it's time to move on. But where are they headed? For now the destination is Jeju, a popular vacation destination off the coast of South Korea. Sunim (Choi Sung-eun), Sarang (Ha Seo-yoon and Tae-hee (Hyun Woo-seok) are marking the end of their failed careers with a trip. They joke that it makes up for a class trip to Jeju that former classmates Sunim and Tae-hee missed. It also serves as a buffer between the dream they've given up and an uncertain future. Director Namgoong Sun wanted to make a film about Korean teens and the conditions they work in. K-pop served as a metaphor. 'K-pop is really big in Korea,' said Sun. 'So many kids want to be an idol and there are so many trainees. I thought that culture had a similarity with how they are growing up in Korea. The Korea that we're living in today is just an extremely competitive society, and I thought it would be interesting to interview these idols that have gone through that intensive system competition.' No members of an existing k-pop group would talk to her so she had to ask around. 'I met people who used to be idols or who were just trainees or who were in these big competitive TV programs,' said Sun. 'I met them and heard about their life for two hours or so. That's how I decided that it would be fun. There would be something if I looked into these people and interviewed them. I got to know a lot more than I expected.' As the leader of her k-pop group Sunim is used to taking care of others. Sun created Sunim, Sarang and Tae-hee from those interviews. Sunim, the responsible leader of the girl group Love and Leeds, is burdened with guilt over the death of another group member. Her turn as a trainee only exacerbated her eating disorder to the point where she can barely eat without throwing up. Sarang has mental health issues to deal with. Tae-hee's band disbanded, leaving him with a mountain of debt. Between them they face every bad thing that could happen to a k-pop trainee. The film suggests that it's not a training system for the weak of heart. 'In my interview sessions, I just really felt for them," said Sun. "I think it's a very different experience seeing a negative piece of news about the industry from a distance when you're seeing it on TV versus actually sitting with a human being and really hearing their stories in person. That's a very different experience. I realized that the experiences they've had are such intensely, almost cruel experiences and the scars that they still have I felt were worth exploring and really expressing because many of these people are unable to actually verbalize what they've gone through. Before they debut, they are desperate to become the chosen ones to participate in these bands. Until they debut, they really have no say in how they feel or what they're going through. Even after they debut, there is this sense of responsibility to their fans as not to worry or concern them. It's a constant battle of not being able to actually express what they feel.' Sunim makes all the arrangements for her friends. She's used to taking charge, 'There are these positions in k-pop groups," said Sun. "While interviewing, I found out that the leaders have a distinct kind of role. They have to look out for the other members. It's a very stressful place to be at because they themselves are going through some inhumane things, but they need to keep the team together and they generally care for the team and lead the team as a group while talking to the company. It's kind of a middle man position.' The Jeju trip quickly hits a few road bumps, but the k-pop exiles meet a fan who helps them put things in perspective. 'Many bands have rules in their band clubs and they all strictly abide by those rules,' said Sun. "But she doesn't know a thing. She just likes these kids and she is kind of socially awkward as well. I thought that was interesting because that's what a human-to-human connection would look like if we didn't have all these rules.' Sun's film was financed by the Human Rights Commission of Korea, an independent commission for protecting, advocating and promoting human rights and it only had what she describes as a tiny budget. The film's talented cameraman, a friend, lived on Jeju, so she asked if his home could be used for a set. 'It was a simple choice at the beginning and it kind of matched well for these kids to go on a trip on their own for the first time.' It's not unusual for k-pop trainees to start training at 13 and some start as young as seven. They may go straight from their parental home into the trainee dorm where every decision is made for them. 'A lot of our interviewees said that they were managed for so long, the first thing they found weird was to travel alone," said Sun. "They didn't know how to buy tickets, how to do planes. In terms of everyday simple things they were just bewildered.' Sun initially wanted to cast people who had actually been idols or trainees and to showcase their untapped skills. 'But obviously once I started interviewing, I thought in order to protect these people, I couldn't actually use them directly in the process of casting. So I changed my approach to cast actors. In my imagination the characters were very good and kind people.' Choi Sung-eun, the first actor to sign on, previously appeared in the film My Name Is Loh Kiwan, the dramas The Sound of Magic, Beyond Evil and Start-Up. Ha Seo-yoon appeared in Family By Choice, Captivating The King and The Worst of Evil. Hyun Woo-seok had roles in The School Nurse Files, Love Alarm and can be seen next year in Wish Your Death. Namkoong Sun has directed a succession of shorts during the last 15 years, including Meat Incident and The End of the World. In 2020 she made her feature debut with Ten Months, which received a special mention in the UNcaged Award Competition of the New York Asian Film Festival. Time To Be Strong also debuted at NYAFF. Sun also directed the film Love Untangled, starring Gong Myung, Shin Eun-soo and Cha Woo-min. It will be released this year on Netflix.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Crashed Jeju Air jet still had working engine, probe update says
STORY: ::File South Korean investigators have suggested that the Jeju Air plane involved in December's deadly crash could have continued flying for longer, despite damage to its engines due to a bird strike. :: Lee Geun-young That's according to their latest progress report seen by Reuters. Instead, the Boeing jet belly-landed at Muan airport on December 29 and slammed into an embankment. All but two of the 181 people on board were killed. The July 19 update was not publicly released after the victims' families complained, saying parts of it were misleading and appeared to blame the pilots without exploring other factors. The five-page report is not yet final, but contains details about the plane's two engines. :: Lee Geun-young According to the update, the left engine was less damaged than the right after the bird strike. But it was shut down 19 seconds after it was hit. The remaining, right engine was more badly damaged. Still - the update said - it was "confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight". A source had told Reuters on Monday, the probe found the pilots had shut off the less-damaged engine after the bird strike. But the newly emerged details raise the possibility that the remaining engine, despite the damage, could have kept the plane aloft for longer. However - the update did not say what level of performance it still had. Or what options that might have given to the plane's crew, before the jet landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan without its landing gear down. The probe is expected to last months, as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. The investigation board did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Solve the daily Crossword
CNA
4 days ago
- General
- CNA
Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
SEOUL: A Jeju Air plane that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, according to an update from South Korean investigators. The Boeing 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamming into an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a Jul 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight," in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. MORE QUESTIONS So far, public attention has focused on the possibility that the crew may have shut down the less-damaged engine, rekindling memories of a 1989 Boeing 737-400 crash in Kegworth, England, where pilots shut down a non-damaged engine by mistake. The disaster led to multiple changes in regulations including improvements in crew communication and emergency procedures. A source told Reuters on Monday that the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash also raises the possibility that even the more heavily damaged engine that was still running could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given to the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating nor the state of systems connected to either engine, said former US National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contains some new facts but omits far more, resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE and France's Safran - were examined in May and no defects or fault data were found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the Jul 19 report, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained copies. Boeing and GE referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jeju Air has previously said it is cooperating with ARAIB and is awaiting publication of the investigation. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability. The Jeju Air pilots' union said ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given that bird remains were found in both. A source who attended the briefing told Reuters that investigators told family members the left engine also experienced a disruptive "surge," citing black box data. The pilot union and representatives of bereaved families have asked that evidence be released to support any findings. Relatives say the investigation also needs to focus on the embankment containing navigation equipment, which safety experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll. Global aviation standards call for any navigation equipment in line with runways to be installed on structures that easily give way in case of impact with an aircraft. South Korea's transport ministry has identified seven domestic airports, including Muan, with structures made of concrete or steel, rather than materials that break apart on impact and has said it will improve them.
Reuters
4 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
SEOUL, July 27 (Reuters) - A Jeju Air ( opens new tab plane that crashed in December during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, according to an update from South Korean investigators. The Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamming into an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a July 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds after the bird strike. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight," in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. So far, public attention has focused on the possibility that the crew may have shut down the less-damaged engine, rekindling memories of a 1989 Boeing 737-400 crash in Kegworth, England, where pilots shut down a non-damaged engine by mistake. The disaster led to multiple changes in regulations including improvements in crew communication and emergency procedures. A source told Reuters on Monday that the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash also raises the possibility that even the more heavily damaged engine that was still running could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given to the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating nor the state of systems connected to either engine, said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contains some new facts but omits far more, resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. ARAIB, which plans to issue a final report next June, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE (GE.N), opens new tab and France's Safran ( opens new tab - were examined in May and no defects or fault data were found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the July 19 report, saying that it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained copies. Boeing and GE referred questions about the crash to ARAIB. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jeju Air has previously said it is cooperating with ARAIB and is awaiting publication of the investigation. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability. The Jeju Air pilots' union said ARAIB was "misleading the public" by suggesting there was no problem with the left engine given that bird remains were found in both. A source who attended the briefing told Reuters that investigators told family members the left engine also experienced a disruptive "surge," citing black box data. The pilot union and representatives of bereaved families have asked that evidence be released to support any findings. Relatives say the investigation also needs to focus on the embankment containing navigation equipment, which safety experts have said likely contributed to the high death toll. Global aviation standards call for any navigation equipment in line with runways to be installed on structures that easily give way in case of impact with an aircraft. South Korea's transport ministry has identified seven domestic airports, including Muan, with structures made of concrete or steel, rather than materials that break apart on impact and has said it will improve them. Designs for the new structures are in progress, a ministry official told Reuters last week.
Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Jeju Air crash families denounce report blaming pilot error
The final investigation report on the Jeju Air flight crash is planned to be released in June next year. (EPA Images pic) SEOUL : The families of victims of South Korea's deadliest plane crash on home soil have denounced a government report which blamed the disaster on pilot error, a representative told AFP Tuesday. The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to South Korea's southwest on Dec 29 last year but ended up belly-landing at Muan airport and exploding in a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier, killing 179 people. South Korea's land ministry told AFP it had planned to release the partial findings of the investigation into the crash at the weekend but called off a briefing and withheld the report after the families objected, claiming it could be misleading. The report said a bird strike damaged the plane's right engine, but the pilot then mistakenly shut down the left engine instead, a representative for the families, who saw the report, told AFP. The error resulted in a total power loss and a failure of the landing gear system, they said. The pilot said, 'Let's shut down engine number 2 (the right engine),' but the flight data recorder showed that actually it was the left engine that was shut down, according to the report. 'No one has directly seen or heard the cockpit voice recorder or the flight data recorder,' Kim Youn-mi, a representative of the victims' families, told AFP. 'We weren't given any proper explanation about those things. We need to hear that to know. We have the right,' she added. The Jeju Air pilots' union also criticised the report, saying it was 'strongly angered' by the findings and would 'firmly reject the malicious attempt to shift blame onto the pilot'. The findings were part of an ongoing probe by South Korean and US investigators, who are still investigating the cause of the disaster. A bird strike – feathers and bloodstains were found in both engines – a faulty landing gear and the runway barrier are among the possible issues. The final report is planned to be released in June next year.
