(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, March 5, 2008. [Photo: 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.

(CRI March 7, 2008)