
(L-R) Taihe Rye Music's singers Li Yuchun, Man Wenjun
and Pu Shu attend a press conference in Beijing where South Korean telecom and
digital entertainment giant SK Telecom announced its strategic investment in
Taihe Rye, on Wednesday.--ent.people.com.cn
Importing pop cultures is not a one-way street. Chinese music fans have long
been influenced by what has been christened K-pop from South Korea. Now Korean
fans, it's time to get ready for C-pop.
South Korean telecom and digital
entertainment giant SK Telecom has announced its strategic investment in
Beijing-based Taihe Rye Music, one of China's top music labels with icons such
as Li Yuchun, Zhang Yadong and Pu Shu.
Numerous stars from both Taihe Rye
and SK Telecom joined the companies' celebration at a press conference held in
Beijing on Wednesday. The luminaries included Li Yuchun, Pu Shu, and Korean
singers Kan Mi-Youn and Moon Hee-Jun.
Exact figures of the investment are
yet to be available, but Song Ke, Taihe Rye's chief executive officer, told the
Oriental Morning Post that SK Telecom's involvement is beyond financial support,
meaning the Korean giant's presence at Taihe Rye will be on a strategic
level.
While SK Telecom aims to explore the Chinese market for its
entertainment resources, under the new contract it will also open a special
section for Taihe Rye's musicians on its popular MelOn Web site within three
months. MelOn provides music available for paid download, and SK Telecom claims
it ranks first among Korean paid music sites in terms of
revenue.
Foreseeing a potential career in South Korea, Taihe Rye's
artists are all striving to pick up the Korean language, Song Ke told the
newspaper.
Li Yuchun excitedly told the reporters that she was looking
forward to polishing her dancing skills in South Korea.