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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, August 26, 2007

Korean singer Position set to perform in Waikiki on Sept. 1

By Jeff Chung

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

"Air City" this week is full of nasty doings by mobsters.

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Position (given name: Lim Jae Wook), that tall, handsome South Korean singer with six albums to his name, is planning a Hawai'i concert at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Sheraton Waikiki.

Ticket prices are $250.

The concert, being arranged by two local Hawai'i women, will benefit the Korean Cultural Center Fund.

In the wake of the Rain concert cancellation in June, Position's concert faces many challenges. Once burned, K-drama fans are shy about spending another $250 on a dinner concert ticket, especially since prices for Korean star events are surpassing mainstream American concerts and event promoters are learning that fans are more selective.

In the early years of hallyu, fans couldn't get enough of local appearances by Korean stars and opened their purses. Now they have become more selective.

For this particular event, the promoters are Carol Kaneshiro and Phyllis Aana, K-drama fans who have a passion for Position's music. The founders of the 70-member Position Hawaii Fan Club, the pair went to Korea to attend Position's June 16 concert, and went backstage to meet the singer, his manager and family. After their red-carpet treatment, they went onstage to present lei of aloha as part of the concert program.

Lim Jae Wook was born April 30, 1975. He likes to drive, listen to music, play squash and basketball.

His albums are: "A Love With No Regrets," "Wine and Tears," "Feels So Good," "Run," "The Romanticist" and, most recently, "Elegy." He spent the past two years in Japan, returning to Korea to release his latest album for the aforementioned June concert. He returned to Japan for a Jewel in the Palace concert on Aug. 11 at the Tokyo Dome.

Neither of the Hawai'i women have experience in event promotions and neither speaks Korean. Yet they bravely are tackling visa, labor and marketing matters as well as ticket sales and other logistics — all without a major corporate sponsor.

Ticket sales will have to offset expenses, a strategy that's especially risky if the celebrity is not as well-branded in the market. A challenge for promoters who face lower-than-expected ticket sales is not just monetary losses but the embarrassment of having empty seats in the audience, since celebrities prefer smaller venues that can be packed with people, versus a huge venue with many empty seats.

There have been many hallyu events in the past with the mission of donating a portion of the proceeds to a local charity or worthy cause.

In most cases, the events have donated a few thousand dollars to the named charity when the cost of the event was more than 10 times the donated amount because of the unexpected costs involved when bringing a celebrity to Hawai'i. But the more tickets sold, the better.

The concert includes a steak dinner and no-host cocktails, and the chance for autographs and photos with Position.

Information: Carol Kaneshiro, 780-2333; or Phyllis Aana, 232-7664.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'BRIDE FROM VIETNAM'

EPISODES 5 AND 6

Tonight at 7: Jun-wu tells Jin-ju of his condition on their honeymoon. He gives her money and tells Jin-ju to go back to Vietnam, but Jin-ju begs him to stay with her for two years until she can find her father. Young-min tells Ji-young about his parents' turbulent marriage, and why he doesn't like a woman with a past.

Tonight at 8: Han-suk begs Jin-ju to stay with Jun-wu and tells her that she can make Jun-wu better. Ji-young is shocked to find out Jun-wu got married the day after her own wedding. Mrs. Huh invites Jun-wu, Jin-ju, Young-min and Ji-young to lunch at her restaurant.

'KANGNAM MOM'

EPISODES 3 AND 4

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Sang-won moves into Min-joo's place as a roommate. The two run into a lot of problems with each other. Min-joo thinks of him as a lowlife. At the end of the episode, Min-joo finds out that Sang-won is Jin-woo's new teacher.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Min-joo discovers Sang-won is her son's teacher and treats him differently. But Mi-kyung finds out and tells Min-joo who he actually is. Min-joo and Sang-won agree to treat each other fairly. Sang-won has been mistaking Miss Chung as the chairman's daughter.

'MONEY WAR BONUS'

EPISODES 3 AND 4 (FINALE)

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: An injured and bloodied man brings money and collapses in Nara's office, and he's taken to police for questioning. As he's leaving the police station, Nara gets a call from a stranger at Soo-young's number. Worried she might be in danger, Nara goes to find Soo-young.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Nara and Woo-sung are taken hostages for defying Chairman Yang. Chairwoman Jin enlists the help of Madam Bong to rescue them. Chairwoman Jin receives grim health news.

'AIR CITY'

EPISODES 11 AND 12

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Ji-sung finds out Sergei has been in contact with the Russian mafia before he was killed, but finds no more leads. Ha-joon gets upset when Ji-sung decides to oversee the daily arrival of new bills from Hong Kong to the airport bank.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: The mafia scatters suspicious looking luggage everywhere in the airport to throw off the security system. During the bomb- threat confusion, the mafia successfully switches counterfeit bills for real money.