[TALK OF THE TOWN]‘The Dark Knight’ sets the Batman franchise back on the right track

Victory goes to Batman this week. Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker, ranked top for the first week after its release last Wednesday.

The superhero film attracted 1,088,300 viewers on the nation’s 461 screens, already outnumbering the total viewers of its prequel “Batman Begins” in Korea in 2005, according to the Korean Film Council.

Until The Dark Knight, the Batman series wasn’t very popular in Korea. “Batman” (1989), the first Batman movie, attracted 350,000 viewers; “Batman Returns” (1992), 170,000; “Batman Forever” (1995), 230,000; and “Batman and Robin” (1997), 190,000.

Kim Jang-hun raises his voice to sing praises for Korea’s 60th anniversary

Singer Kim Jang-hun has once again turned a patriot, following his support for the Dokdo islets advertisement last month.

This time, Kim sang the national anthem and has been spreading it for free on three Web sites - Cyworld, an online networking portal; Melon, an online music store; and Naver, an Internet search engine.

According to Haneulso Entertainment, Kim proposed to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs that he participate in remaking 2005’s independence marching song album. The ministry agreed.

Kim wanted to be involved in celebrating the 60th anniversary of Korea’s foundation, which falls this Friday.

‘Eye Focus’ radio show zooms in on Dokdo by setting up shop on islets

“Eye Focus with Sohn Suk-hee,” a live MBC radio show, will deliver vivid descriptions of Dokdo tomorrow morning. It’s the first-ever live radio show taking place at the islets, which Japan claims ownership over.

“Tomorrow’s program is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the national foundation as well as the 63rd anniversary of the country’s liberation. We hope to bring people together,” said Han Jae-hee, the show’s producer.

Titled “A Visit to Dokdo: The Peninsula’s Lighthouse,” the show will mostly cover facts about the islets, not the ongoing political dispute.

The first and second segments of the program (6:15 to 7 a.m.) will be hosted at the MBC headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, while the third and fourth segments (7:15 to 8 a.m.) will take place on Dokdo. The show airs on FM 95.9.

Around 14 show personnel, including Sohn Suk-hee, the host, and show’s technicians and producers, are to head for the islets today.

By Lee Eun-joo