SMAP star Tsuyoshi Kusanagi chats in Korean with Lee

Wednesday 23rd April, 06:25 AM JST

TOKYO —

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, 33, a member of the popular idol group SMAP, chatted in Korean on Monday with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on the news program NEWS23. In the program, Kusanagi appeared as a representative of about 100 audience members. Kusanagi told Lee: “I started learning the Korean language because I want to work with Korean actors who I respect.” Lee wished him well, telling him, “I hope you’ll be popular in South Korea as well.”

After the talk, Kusanagi said, “I would like to act as a bridge between Japan and Korea. I hope I can appear in Korean films.”

Latest 15 of 17 Total Comments Show All

Pukey2 at 09:25 AM JST - 23rd April

At least there's a member of SMAP who can string two sentences together in a foreign language. Poor Katori Shingo.
papasmurfinjapan at 09:50 AM JST - 23rd April

Pukey2,

haha, yes I was going to say, at least he's doing better with his Korean studies than Shingo is with his English.
Fair dinkum! at 09:55 AM JST - 23rd April

Is this news? So what!?!? If he was trying to open his career in Korea he was speaking to the wrong person.
Dog at 10:21 AM JST - 23rd April

I know that it's all BS, because he's Japanese by any 'normal' standard, but isn't he second generation Korean Japanese?
Hikozaemon at 10:41 AM JST - 23rd April

I actually stumbled on this on TV - and I was interested to hear what Lee had to say to Japan during the Q&A (not his comments to Kusanagi-kun), but the live simultaneous translation was broadcast quieter than the Korean that the pres was speaking. I struggled to listen to the Japanese translation for five minutes, and like most viewers I suspect, gave up and changed the channel with a slight headache.

NEWS23 butchered the broadcast, which was a shame, because it is good to see the first president in Korea since Kim Dae Jun, and who knows how long before that, who actually wants to foster good relations with Japan.

Peace
superesonator at 11:23 AM JST - 23rd April

I've heard Kusanagi's Korean and it is pathetic. He seems to think speaking Korean will somehow justify his looking like Mr. Bean. Don't ask me the logic.

I guess he is of the set that thinks the Korean language is called 'hangul'.

Being the worst singer and actor of the bunch, it is almost sad that he can't excel something... er, almost but not quite.
xpompey8 at 12:41 PM JST - 23rd April

I say good for him.
papasmurfinjapan at 01:01 PM JST - 23rd April

Being the worst singer

I thought that title belonged to the famously tone-deaf Nakai-kun. He even admits it himself.

and actor of the bunch

That's a tough call. I've seen them all act, and none of them are what I'd call "good" actors - not even the much-revered Kimutaku.
Hikozaemon at 01:21 PM JST - 23rd April

Supersonator - papasmurfinjapan speaks the truth. Kusanagi kun does not even come close to Nakai-kun for tone deafness.

As for attacking his Korean (I'm sorry, I don't speak a lick of the language but thought it was called Hangul... what is it called?), it isn't like he has any special background that we should expect him to speak fluently. On the contrary, I think part of the whole thing of having him learn Korean and speak it on shows in a not overly impressive way is to encourage more Japanese people to take up the language and learn about Korean culture... in the same sort of way that they use Nakai kun to make kids think they can sing SMAP songs better than SMAP can (and let's face it, with Nakai in the mix, who can't?) and then they go out and buy the CDs and sing the songs in Karaoke.

I don't see anything to really get worked up and attack the guy over, other than the fact that he could have used the opportunity to talk with the Korean president on nationwide tv to do more than ask how he can promote his own career.

Peace
Altria at 01:36 PM JST - 23rd April

Why the hate? Good on him.
enasan at 02:24 PM JST - 23rd April

wow , most of U guys so cynical and negative. I think Japanese pop stars make the world so happy and they are all so cute :) You better go out and buy POTATO magazine !
eiver at 04:47 PM JST - 23rd April

Well, good for him he was able to speak to the president of South Korea. With regards to his singing and acting ability... hmmmm, more practice pls.
superesonator at 11:56 AM JST - 24th April

Hiko - I'm not worked up. and neither should you be! ^_^

Nakai kun can not sing, point taken. I'm not attacking Kusanagi but am enjoying having a dig at him in return for the anguish he has caused in his 'acting' roles to date. Plus he once stole my umbrella.

For your information the Korean language is not called hangul. "gul" means script, from the word "kku da", to write, and "hangul" is the name of the Korean alphabet. The Korean language is known as hangukmal (mal, from malhada - to speak)or more correctly "hanguk-u" (the Korean pronunciation of 韓国語).

To say "Let's speak hangul" is as ridiculous as saying "Let's speak hiragana". NHK persists in marketing its language course under this comic title, but now you know better.
Hikozaemon at 12:00 PM JST - 24th April

Superesonator - hehe. Glad to see neither of us are worked up ;)

And there you go, I had no idea that the title was comic... So thank you for making me a wee bit smarter...

And that sucks about the umbrella, dude. Now I completely understand.

Peace
zaichik at 06:12 AM JST - 28th April

I believe the Japanese tendency to refer to the Korean language as hangul is to try to avoid offending those Koreans who are not from the ROK. Granted, DPRK Korean has variations from ROK Korean, but effectively calling the language "South Korean" seems a little odd.

As for Kimutaku, who cares if he can act. He looks nice and that's what we girls are after! Not that I've seen him act since Beautiful Life in 2000 - I decided life was too short to watch Japanese dramas....