Music videos are important in the entertainment industry. They areintegral in the promotion of artists, and more importantly, their tracks. Any new song needs to be accompanied by a music video to attract audiences. Music videos are among the most effective marketing tools for showcasing artists or bands and their songs. They give audiences an opportunity to experience music visually through the help of the imagery that accompanies the song. 

An illustrated song has set the beginnings of music videos. It is a type of performance art that uses projected still images on a screen while a live performance is ongoing. It was first used in the United States in 1894 to promote a song called “The Little Lost Child.”

In the 1940s, a musician called Louis Jordan, also known as the “The King of the Jukebox” made short films for his songs which are now considered the ancestors of music videos as we know today. The one considered to be the first music video is called “Bohemian Rhapsody” by a British rock band named Queen. Music videos finally mainstreamed in the 1990s when a U.S. video channel called MTV was launched. This TV channel made it possible for viewers to watch music videos 24/7. Music videos used to be shown only on selected channels on TV until early 2000s. However, the Internet has made promotion of music much easier and faster since 2005.

There are three different music video classifications. The narrative-based type of music videos uses a storyline relating to the lyrics of a particular song. It is best used for songs that are featured in motion pictures and TV dramas with their scenes included and inserted into the music video. A good example of this is “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion from the worldwide phenomenon “Titanic.” Next is the performance-based type which features an artist or a band performing or dancing for the camera or an audience. Good examples are Beyoncé’s “All the Single Ladies,” EXO’s “Overdose,” and TWICE’s “Like OOH-AAH.” The third type is concept-based music videos. This type usually uses metaphors, concentrates on a concept or an idea, and utilizes a unique filming technique and particular editing styles.

The production of music videos is complex. Music videos are perfect demonstrations of how different artists collaborate to produce a piece of art for the enjoyment of diverse audiences. Even those who are not music lovers can be entertained by music videos.

By 2019, the property market is expected to face an oversupply of up to 670,000 residential units. Budongsan 114, a real estate information provider, estimates market supply in the next three years will total 1.65 million residential units. However, the government says demand will only reach 1.16 million units. Of the expected supply, 1.02 million units will be in apartment buildings, and 630,000 units will be in low-rise multi-residential homes or single-unit houses. An additional 180,000 units are expected to be in officetels, dual-purpose buildings used for both commercial and residential purposes. Since the end of last year, there has been growing concern about a possible oversupply of residential units that could bring about an economic downturn by lowering apartment prices. 

The phenomenon is likely to differ by region. The Seoul Metropolitan Area, which includes the nation’s capital as well as the city of Incheon and province of Gyeonggi, will likely see the largest oversupply of housing units, an annual average of 390,000 units in the next three years. The country’s southeastern area, which includes Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, is expected to suffer an oversupply of an annual average of 120,000 units, followed by the Daegu and North Gyeongsang area with 100,000 units. The Chungcheong area, which includes the Chungcheong provinces as well as Daejeon and Sejong City, is expected to see an oversupply of 80,000 units, while the country’s southwestern Honam area, which includes the Jeolla provinces and Gwangju, estimates an oversupply of 30,000 units. Although the law of supply and demand dictates that a higher availability of residential units will lower housing prices, not all areas are expected to see a decline. That’s because some regions actually have less supply than the total number of households living in the area. 

In the greater Seoul area as of the end of 2014, there were only enough units to accommodate 98.2 percent of the population, meaning there was a housing shortage in the region. Even if there is an oversupply of 340,000 units on average in the next three years, the impact will likely be limited. However, outside the Seoul metropolitan area, the effects of oversupply are expected to be more severe. The real estate in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang can accommodate 107.1 percent of the population, while the real estate in Daegu and North Gyeongsang can accommodate 108.5 percent, meaning that housing supply has already exceeded the region’s need. As of the end of 2014, the southeastern region of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang is already seeing an oversupply of 210,000 units, while the region of Daegu and North Gyeongsang is suffering an oversupply of 170,000 housing units. “If there are more housing units that are provided in either Daegu or Busan than the average number of houses that are traded, the real estate market [in these areas] will be halted,” said Kim Seung-bae, CEO of Fides Development. In the southwestern Honam region, which includes the Jeolla provinces and Gwangju, the housing supply can accommodate 110 percent of the population, though the oversupply there in the next three years is expected to be relatively smaller than that of other regions.

“The aftermath in areas where there has been huge interest by potential homebuyers due to favorable factors [that help apartment values rise after purchase] such as KTX and industrial development will be severe if the population moving in the area doesn’t meet its potential [resulting in a large number of unsold apartments],” said Kwon Dae-joong, a real estate professor at Myongji University.

Before Korean shooter Jin Jong-oh left for Brazil, he had one goal; to leave his legacy on the world of shooting. Now, after winning the men’s 50-meter pistol event, the Korean marksman has left his mark not only on his sport but on the history of the Olympic Games. For Jin, there are two moments from this year’s Games that will be ingrained in his memories for the rest of his life. The first moment came on Saturday, when Jin, considered a surefire contender for gold, finished fifth in the men’s 10-meter air pistol event and failed to clinch a medal. As the defending champ from the 2012 London Olympics in the event, and the best shooter in the world in his prime, no one doubted Jin would be at the top of the podium. “I am sorry” is all Jin said after the event, before he stormed out of the Olympic Shooting Centre. 

Then came the 50-meter pistol event on Wednesday, his main event. Already having suffered a heartbreaking loss few days earlier, Jin was not going to let this chance slip by. The 10-meter event was not his main event and although it was painful, he could still let it go. But if he missed the podium on Wednesday, it would have meant his opportunity to cement his legacy would be forever lost. During the qualification round, Jin shot 567 points to advance to the final. In the final, which was in the form of a sudden-death round, eight shooters were given 20 bullets and starting from the sixth bullet, the shooter with the least amount of points would be eliminated. No one suspected Jin would shoot poorly, but he scored a 6.6 out of a perfect 10.9 with his ninth shot, a potentially fatal score. But unexpectedly, this provoked the fighting spirit of the 36-year-old veteran, who would stay on and ultimately set a new Olympic record of 193.7 points to claim gold. As Jin fired his gun, he looked as if he was in a trance. 

“That 6.6 made me really focus more than anything else,” Jin later said. He climbed back up in the standings and, with two shots remaining, cut the deficit between himself and Vietnam’s Hoang Xuan Vinh to 0.2 points. Xuan Vinh had overcome all the odds in the 10-meter air pistol event on Saturday to claim the first Olympic gold that Vietnam has ever won in its history. With his 19th shot, Jin shot a 10.0 while Xuan Vinh shot 8.5, finally taking the top spot. He added 10.3 more points with his final bullet and took the podium with a new Olympic record, 2.3 points ahead of Xuan Vinh, who claimed silver. North Korea’s Kim Song-guk, meanwhile, took bronze for the country’s third medal at this year’s Games. What was noteworthy about Jin’s run from potential elimination to setting a new Olympic record was the level of Jin’s concentration, which was evident on his face towards the end of the event as his eyes were dead set on the target. Jin is known for keeping a strict routine before a big event like the Olympics, and this year was no exception. He stays away from watching the television so as not to wear out his eyes, he always stomps his feet several times before taking his stance and he always takes aim at the target without a gun before the competition begins. After taking his third gold medal in the 50-meter pistol, Jin became not only the first shooter in the world to take three consecutive Olympic golds, but he also is now the first Korean athlete to win three straight titles at the Olympics, whether it be the summer or winter Games. He has a total of four golds and two silvers on his shelf now, making him the most successful Olympian in Korea’s history. 

But Jin is not satisfied with where he is at now. He will try to extend his record even further, by staying on in the sport for a while longer. Before the Rio Games, Jin said, “I would like to take a shot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as well. Some say I should make room for up-and-comers, but I just want to do my best and nothing more. I still haven’t been to Paris [a likely venue for 2024 Summer Games] yet.”

A special 50-episode series that teaches basic Korean to Chinese viewers has officially started filming this week, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Wednesday. The beginner-level learning program, whose title translates as “Travel Korean,” will start airing in China from October, offering five-minute lessons on everyday Korean expressions and useful tips to get around in Seoul and Gangwon, the two main tourist destinations for Chinese tourists. 

The joint project between China and Korea is led, on the Korean side, by the Korean Culture and Information Service, an organization affiliated with the Culture Ministry, the King Sejong Institute Foundation and Arirang TV. Joining from China’s side are China Education Television and the Seoul bureau of People’s Daily Online. Among the five channels that China Education Television runs - CETV1, CETV2, CETV3, CETV4 and CETV5 - “Travel Korean” will air on CETV4. The broadcaster, which was established in 1987 with the purpose of promoting Chinese culture and ideology across the globe, is watched by some 970 million people, the ministry highlighted in its press release. A Chinese woman who knows “absolutely no Korean” will be shown traveling around Seoul and Gangwon, teaching viewers how to use the right Korean phrases in various situations that most Chinese tourists here actually deal with, said the ministry. “We expect the program to ‘scratch an itch’ for many foreigners who are trying to learn Korean,” said Song Hyang-keun, president of the King Sejong Institute Foundation, referring to a Korean idiom that means to “provide the answer to a perennial problem.” 

To give the series a more realistic vibe, Song pledged to film the episodes at actual spots in Korea, instead of relying on indoor studios. That way, he stressed, Chinese viewers can feel like they are physically in Korea. “It’ll be a chance to genuinely understand Korea and Korean culture,” said Kim Kab-soo, director of the Korean Culture and Information Service. “We’ve been told that Chinese tourists in Korea mostly suffer with communication problems,” he continued, further vowing to expand the project so that more episodes could be aired in the future. Filming will run through September. After editing, “Travel Korean” will start airing in October. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Gangwon Provincial Office will sponsor the productions. The latest initiative between Korea and China dates back to March, when the Korean Culture and Information Service signed an MOU with the Seoul bureau of the People’s Daily Online. Both sides agreed to boost cultural and language exchange, which includes running a program in China that generally promotes Korea.

The West Philippine Sea is a small portion of the South China Sea that is located at the western seaboard of the Philippines. It is where the Spratly Island Group can be found. This group of islands is a good source of indigenous gas, a wide array of seabedminerals and marine life.

There has been a long-standing dispute between the Philippines and China on the territorial rights over the West Philippine Sea.There has been no concrete distinction as to which country really has sovereignty on the sought-after maritime area until July 12, 2016 when an international arbitral tribunal named the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled in favor of the Philippines in its case against China over the West Philippine Sea. 

According to the ruling, there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the “9-dash line.” China has violated the Philippines' sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone, and China's large-scale land reclamation has caused severe harm to the environment, among others.

China, especially its government, is disappointed with the ruling. Xi Jinping, the President of China, said that China’s territorial sovereignty and marine rights in the seas will not be affected by the ruling. However, he said that his nation is still open to settle territorial disputes with neighboring countries.

Getting territorial rights over the maritime area is important for China because if that happens, the country would be able todominate a major oil source and would have the power to control sea-related activities in East and Southeast Asian countries. This would include having a certain degree of control over foreign military forces like that of the United States.

Other countries affected by the ruling also had different reactions. Vietnam, another claimant of territorial rights over the South China Sea, hopes the two countries involved would settle the issue peacefully. The United States of America did not give specific comments about the arbitration, but it hopes that China and the Philippines would both respect the ruling given by the international tribunal.

The Philippines considers the arbitration a significant development in the case of the Philippines against China. Government leaders say that the ruling is still not conclusive of the West Philippine Sea’s fate especially because China refuses to acknowledge it. However, they added that the Philippines is likewise open to have bilateral talks about the issue with China.

On Saturday, as the temperature hit an afternoon high of 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), an apartment complex in Bundang, Gyeonggi, was on the brink of reaching its maximum power capacity. An announcement came from the management office at 3 p.m. asking residents to “please turn down the air conditioner since we are experiencing high electricity consumption.” The same notice was sent again at 9 p.m., as the area was experiencing a tropical night low of 27 degrees Celsius. Residents were reasonably perplexed by the request, since they knew the nation as a whole was not suffering from any kind of power shortage, as it has in summers past. “I don’t understand why the electricity is running out during the first week of August, which is when large-size factories are all taking breaks,” said a 59-year-old man surnamed Kim, who is living in the complex that asked its residents to turn down the power. 

It turns out the problem in Kim’s complex was not the energy supply but the transformer in his building delivering the power. With Korea’s automobile and shipbuilding factories on vacation since the first week of August, the electricity supply in the country should be enough to cover at least 113.5 percent of total electricity consumption across the nation, according to the Korea Power Exchange on Saturday. Despite the ample supply, old buildings, especially in Bundang, where many apartments were built in the 1980s and ‘90s, are ill-equipped to handle the large demand for electricity. “This is why we have no other option but to ask our residents to turn down the air conditioning at least during peak hours,” said a manager at the complex. That particular building in Bundang was built in 1993, and the transformer dates back to the same year. There are currently 800 households living in the apartment complex. “It cost about 20 million won [$18,000] to buy a new transformer that can handle consumption for 1,000 households, and they would have to pay installation fees on top of it,” said a businessman who sells used distribution transformers. “Apartment management offices just have a hard time asking their residents to pay extra fees.” 

Transformers pull down the 22,900-volt electricity provided by the Korea Electric Power Corporation to 220 volts, the level used by residential consumers. Single houses usually have transformers installed on electric poles nearby, while apartment buildings often have them in the basement. The transformer can be blown out if electricity use is higher than what the unit can handle. Indeed, the largest cause of power outages in the country, according to the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, is overheated transformers. Many of the apartment buildings in suburban towns such as Ilsan in northern Gyeonggi and Bundang in southern Gyeonggi were constructed during a building boom in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and most contain transformers that can manage 1 kilowatt an hour per household. Since then, electricity consumption has risen significantly, and most newly-built apartment buildings are equipped with transformers that can handle 3 kilowatts an hour per household. But many of the old buildings still retain the lower-capacity transformers, and this has led to a large number of power outages. They have especially become a menace this summer, as the country is experiencing abnormally hot weather. There were three power outages in apartment complexes in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on Thursday alone. A complex in Hwajeong-dong with 1,500 households and one in Haengsin-dong with 1,800 households, both located in Goyang, experienced power outages at around 10 p.m. Another building in Wonheung-dong with 400 households saw an outage at around 10 p.m. as well. 

One of the problems is that there are no specific regulations or laws to manage safety issues for transformers. While it is mandatory for building managers to inspect and report accidents related to gas lines, there are no such rules for transformers. As a result, no one knows exactly how many power outages or problems occur due to blown-out transformers. “Transformers used for more than 20 years can’t be fixed or improved, and the only way to solve the problem is to replace them with new ones,” said Lim Jong-min, a director at the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation. “Apartment residents should care more about transformers rather than just focusing on how the new paint job on their apartment building will look.”

Standard and Poor’s (S&P), one of the world’s top credit ratings agencies, upgraded Korea’s sovereign credit rating to a record high of AA from AA- Monday. AA is the third highest credit rating and Korea now ranks with Great Britain, France and Belgium. There are only six regions that are ranked higher than Korea: Germany, Canada, Australia, the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong. “Korea’s superior track record of steady economic growth has generated a prosperous economy, greater fiscal and monetary flexibility, and continual improvements in external metrics,” S&P said in a press release on Monday. “The stable outlook on the long-term rating reflects our expectations that geopolitical risk on the Korean peninsula will not escalate beyond what we have observed since the last North Korean leadership transition in 2011.” 

This is the second time in 10 months that the credit ratings agency upgraded Korea’s rating. In September, S&P raised Korea’s rating by one notch from A+ to AA-. S&P’s ratings for Korea started off with A+ in 1988 but fell to B+ in December 1997, when Korea was hit by the Asian financial crisis. Since then, or over 18 years, Korea’s rating has risen by 11 notches. “It is very meaningful that S&P upgraded Korea’s rating even though the agency has been downgrading both developed and emerging countries around the world,” said Choi Jin-young, a director at Ministry of Strategy and Finance. “We are also widening the gap with neighboring China and Japan.” In fact, China received an AA- rating in March, and Japan received A+ last September, or two grades lower than Korea’s current rating. The Finance Ministry said it was exceptional for S&P to raise the credit rating without changing its outlook on economic growth for Korea beforehand. S&P expressed positive views on the Korean economy in general in its press release. 

“We project Korea’s average GDP per capita to rise above $30,000 in 2019, from approximately $27,000 in 2016,” the agency said. “We estimate the trend rate of real per capita GDP growth at 2.6 percent, higher than the typical 0.3 percent to 1.5 percent range we observe in most high-income countries.” The ratings agency also expressed concerns about Korea’s future economic situation but said the negative factors that Korea faces would have limited impacts on the agency’s ratings at least for two years. “The chief weaknesses in Korea’s credit fundamentals remain contingent liabilities and geopolitical risks,” S&P added. Last December, Moody’s gave Korea ranking of Aa2, which is equivalent to S&P’s AA. Fitch is the only major credit ratings agency that gives Korea an AA- grade.

One of the most recommended diets for weight loss is a low-carbohydrate diet. It is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary food, pasta, and bread. This diet is high in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Many studies have already shown that it can cause weight loss and give health benefits. 

First, a low-carb diet improves blood sugar levels. Many studies have shown that it reduces fasting glucose and haemoglobin levels which are crucial for people who have metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and pre-diabetes. 

Second, a low-carb diet improves blood pressure and triglyceride levels significantly which are known as risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. To be specific, studies indicate that it lowers blood pressure in obese or overweight individuals who are the ones at most risk of having heart diseases.

Third, in a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, they found that apart from test subjects showing improvement in insulin sensitivity and triglyceride levels, subjects have also reduced more weight in six months on a low-carb diet than in any other restrictive diet. 

Another type of diet that is often pitted against the low-carb diet is the low-fat diet which restricts the intake of fat especially saturated fat and cholesterol. Recommended types of food for a person who goes on a low-fat diet are plenty of vegetables and moderate amounts of lean meat, dairy products, cholesterol, and carbs. This type of diet also has many benefits.

First, a low-fat diet can help people especially those with heart diseases and obesity. The calories cut from eliminating fat from a person’s diet helps in weight loss. To explain further, fat has nine calories per gram while carbohydrates and protein each has four calories per gram. This means that people on a low-fat diet can eat larger portions of food and not feel starved. 

Second, a low-fat diet helps prevent heart diseases. Decreasing fat intake from 35-40 percent to 15-20 percent and decreasing LDL cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent have been proven to decrease total cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent mostly due to the reduction of saturated fat. 

Lastly, apart from reducing heart diseases, low-fat food tends to be high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. These are all essential in fighting other types of diseases such as cancer.

No team in the Olympics could have asked for a better start than Team Korea, whose football squad annihilated its Fiji counterpart 8-0 in its first preliminary match today in the 2016 Summer Games in Salvador, Brazil. Ryu Seung-woo quickly gained a reputation as the team’s next ace with a hat trick, while his teammate Kwon Chang-hoon and wild card Suk Hyun-jun each had two goals to lift Korea over Fiji. Son Heung-min, a wild card from Tottenham Hotspur, also scored one for Korea. 

Korea had kept its momentum throughout the entire match against the South Pacific national team, dominating in ball possession and consistently penetrating into the opposing side. Korean young talents such as Ryu, Kwon and Moon Chang-jin led Korea’s offense, while team captain Jang Hyun-soo led the team from the midfield with meticulous passes and ball control. The Korean squad pressured their opponents especially with their passes from either flank. As a matter of fact, it was from one of these side passes that Korea’s opening goal came in the 31st minute. After missing two perfect opportunities to score in the 30th minute of the match, Ryu trapped the pass from the right side with his chest and drilled in a diving shot off his left foot. Ryu’s shot left the Fiji goalie Simione Tamanisau dumbfounded and shook the left side of the net. 

Kwon added a goal with a turning shot off his left foot in the 16th minute, only to quickly add another less than a minute later in the 17th minute, assisted by Ryu. Ryu then tallied the fourth goal for the Korean squad less than a minute later when he drove a shot from the left corner of Fiji’s penalty box. Wild card Son netted the fifth goal for Korea in the 26th minute off a spot kick. Suk extended the lead to 7-0 by nailing a shot off his left foot in the 32nd minute and again in the 89th minute. Ryu, whose plays throughout the match left spectators in awe, had his third and final goal of the match during the injury time. With Son and Suk Hyun-jun stepping onto the pitch in the second half, all three wild cards of the team saw some playing time and were able to loosen up before the next match against Germany, which is slated for August 7. Elsewhere in Group C, in which Korea and Fiji are competing, Germany and reigning gold medalist Mexico were tied 2-2, giving Korea an early lead in the group rankings. 

By netting eight goals while conceding none to Fiji, Korea has boosted its chances to enter the quarterfinals. When two teams are tied in match records after the preliminary stage, the goal difference between the two teams determines who will move to the next stage. The top two teams from each group will then advance to the knockout stage.

A soundtrack is music that is synchronized to and accompanies the images of motion pictures, TV programs, books, or video games. They can be recorded music for motion pictures such as “Titanic,” “Moulin Rouge!,” and “Star Wars” and TV programs such as “Game of Thrones.” However, soundtracks are independent works despite being intended for motion pictures and TV programs. 

A soundtrack can also be music specifically written for a book like in the case of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works namely “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” and Steve Perry’s Star Wars novel called “Shadows of the Empire.” It can also be music written for video games such as “Final Fantasy.” Finally, it can also be music arranged for theme parks, cruise ships, and special events. 

Despite the many uses of soundtracks, the term loosely refers to the music used in a movie, TV show or a commercial album inspired by them. Some songs that are not in the movie can also be part of a soundtrack. 

Behind the soundtracks are musical supervisors. Music supervision is considered one of the most coveted jobs by people who have passion for music. Musical supervisors have the gift of matching songs with images. They usually help directors choose the suitable music according to the directors’ vision as well as the mood that scenes intend to convey. Moreover, music selected for a particular work can be copyrighted works of art. Apart from being an expert in the creative process, musical supervisors also need to know the legal processes that come with music selection.

Soundtracks are very crucial to the success of motion pictures and TV programs. A common moviegoer may not appreciate the work that has been put into soundtracks. However, watching movies or TV shows is not just a visual experience. Rather, it is an experience for the senses. 

Soundtracks give movies and TV programs their individual identities. They also help set the mood of the story, convey emotions effectively, round up the atmosphere of a scene, and make scenes more dramatic. With all these mentioned, soundtracks and sound effects are as important as actors and actresses, visual effects, cinematography, and screenplay. Without them, movies and series are just like black and white pictures — dragging and lifeless.