Kelly Frances Biography

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Kelly Frances McKenna, stage name "Kelly Frances" is a Canadian media personality living in Seoul, South Korea. She is an animal rights author/activist, author TV and voice actress. Seoul-based works include EBSe's award-winning program "Bike Family", (IMDB), Arirang TV's Move it segment, voicing SK Telecom's Atti Robot's "Hansel and Gretel" Google app, and multi-genre work as an English speaking, character voice actress and singer in Korea.

Upon the release of SK Telecom's 'game-changing' product, popular tech website eGadget reviewed "Atti", stating: "Atti" is Korean for buddy or friend and judging by how he (or she?) and Brad got along we'd suggest robo is aptly named. Using a phone snapped into the top of the head, the robot reacts to <your> interaction with it via camera and a wand attachment that sits in Atti's hand while not in use."

In February 2016, she began hosting JEI TV brainchild, FULL SENTENCE ENGLISH, and was eventually credited with shaping its learning focus based on her background in voice acting and professional experience in story board generation, eventually establishing a multi-season franchise.

She is currently a co-host on EBSe's "English news", an unusual broadcast combining Korean and English, and using AP content and improv.

Frances is a graduate of Denis Morris Catholic High School, and Brock University, in St. Catharines.

Career

Prior to entering the acting profession, Frances freelanced as a guest columnist for The Korea Times, a national newspaper in South Korea. and freelance author for the Korean government, focusing on health and tourism

Frances' hosted the EBS network segment, alongside Celebrity English Instructor"Saturday's Story-time with Kelly', a program in which she acted as writer, narrator, and/or voices the main characters of the original "story" with the cast of the network's Flagship morning show, Good Morning Special. She is the writer of EBSe's 'Actual English', Actual Talk, and also an actor (S2-Season 3). In 2015, with the launch of EBS TV's 2 channel, Frances joined the multi-media ESL program "Bike Family" playing "Mike", Macha", and "Amy".

Frances was quoted as saying that, upon attempting to enter the voice acting field as an expat, she "left her first audition Korea in tears after failing miserably. However, she was determined. So she went home, turned on the TV and "The Simpsons" came on. While watching, she started to practice until she could successfully make one voice." In 2013, Frances voiced a full-feature, Dear Emily. Since then, she has voiced video game characters, commercials, ARS, been on radio and TV, and provided voices for SK's educational robot Atti. She has also started her own media company, called Mediaspyre, in Korea that does casting and develops content for various applications. She starred in the music video "Stay" for indie K-pop artist Savina and the Drones, a project that she says "is close to her heart. I was just blown away by the privilege," she said, commenting that she was able to record in KOFIC, which is the largest sound recording studio in Asia.

Other televised works include EBS? TV Survival English (actor, writer), SBS Star King: Teacher, Mentor to Korean Kim Na-young (television personality), CJ E&M: Step Up English.

She has been formally recognized by Chaebol Hyosung for voicing numerous international ATMS and providing the visual acting and footage for 2 new models (N America) for the visually and hearing impaired; Models: NH8OOSE, MX4000W, MX5000SE, over 30,000 locations (Launched 2013).

Collaborations, Independent:

Dexter Studios: WHITE RABBIT VR (English dub) post-production, 2017 launch, Directed by Chuck Chae, voice over.

Dear Emily: Feature film, English dub (Main character, Emily), 2012, Directed by Seungbin Baek voice over.

"Stay" by Savina and Dronez: Music Video, actress, featured actress, lip sync

Activism

In English-based activism, Frances is known as an author and spokesperson for the plight of the Asiatic Black Bear, or "moonbear", a threatened and vulnerable species that is farmed for medicinal purposes in some countries. Frances opened a petition that has garnered over 10,000 signatures, calling for the cessation of bear bile farming, a practice she dubbed as "rejected by the Korean people to the tune of 94%"

In 2007, Frances began English-based work in animal welfare with network Moon bears.org as a general Manager. Shortly after, she established an activism network known as Bear Necessity Korea. In 2012, Frances joined a team of international experts led by David Garshelis which succeeded in establishing a IUCN resolution to end bear bile farming worldwide. The resolution was considered a victory, with only China opting out.

Throughout her campaigning Frances appeared on Indie radio in Ireland, and TBSefm, and in all of Korea's primary English media. Her first video interview was on KBS World, where she discussed her reasons for stepping into the issues, highlighting how "The bear plays an important role in Korea's founding myth. As the legend goes, the nation was founded by the union of a bear-woman and the son of the Lord of Heaven, Hwan-ung. Sadly, less than 20 Asiatic Black Bears roam South Korea's wild areas today. Yet over one thousand of these animals, also known as Moon Bears, are kept in terribly inhumane conditions, due to the practice of bear bile farming."

Frances became a key reference point for English speaking media regarding the animal in Korea, though often expressing cautious optimism and frustration regarding the lack of media coverage about the issue in Korea, stating ""We found the Korean media to be unreceptive to the issue," she said. "It seemed to me that the issue of bear bile farming "?was simply not big news"? in [South] Korea: it is not headline-worthy, lacks "?sex appeal"?, and it isn"?t exciting enough to brandish [on] our front pages."

Frances stated that she hoped the media would continue to provide coverage to the issue.

As part of her methodology, Frances urges tourists and locals to avoid zoos and theme parks, noting sub-par conditions and the risk of sending a dangerous message about the dignity of animals. She organised 2 research trips to document the facilities at Korea's popular Bear Tree Park, stating ""Our objective is the documentation of bear care, facility maintenance, and to observe any changes in the quality of bear care."

The 2010 G20 Summit served as a platform for campaigning. A local movement, dubbed, 'The Bear Truth" was quick to capitalise on the scene with a giant bear and bear toys for sale in the streets of Seoul's Itaewon district. As the world leaders arrived, tension built around hot issues in the peninsula. "Our national image is being harmed and we are trying to resolve the situation," Choi Jong-won, an official at the environment ministry, tells me. "But the bears are private property and it is difficult to abolish the practice overnight."

Later in 2010, Frances joined Seoul pub Craftworks in their effort to launch an India Pale Ale in honour of the plight of the moonbear. Owner Dan Vroon reached out to Frances as a consultant. The beverage, which features the image of a moon bear and includes merchandise, has financially supported the cause. Vroon is vocal about his support; "We'll do everything we can to help out," (he) Vroon said., making him one of few entrepreneurs to openly oppose bear bile farming.

When asked about her hopes for the beers sporting bears around the bar, Frances answered, "We want to change people's attitudes towards the bears here."