AA (Double A) has revealed another audio teaser for their upcoming album!
AA previously announced they would be releasing numerous teaser videos for their comeback. The teasers will include previews of 12 songs, which will go untitled until the release of AA’s new album.
After having revealed the first eleven audio teasers and bonus teasers, they have released the 12th one featuring member Aoora.
Listen to the teaser below!
Rain is ready with his comeback this January. The album, Rain Effect, will be released on January 2 and Rain’s first performance will be at M! Countdown on January 9. To give the fans a sneak peek of his new album, Rain released a teaser of his two title songs, “30Sexy” and “La Song”. Like his previous single, “Ways to Avoid the Sun”, “30Sexy” portrays a sexy image of Rain. While “La Song” is a more powerful song with a mixture of hip-hop, rock and punk in it. Most of the songs in this new album are written and composed by Rain himself.
Check out the song teasers below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: wowkeren.com
Photo Credit: blog.livedoor.jp, klikgaul.com, news.livedoor.com
Lee Min Ho‘s encore concert scheduled for January 2014 received overwhelming response when the 4000 over tickets sold out within a mere 2 minutes! True to his booming popularity, not only in South Korea but internationally as overseas fans are expected to be attending the encore concert as well.
He gained popularity through his princely and charming characters played in dramas such as the famous Boys Over Flowers and recent hit The Heirs. He was also recently in Singapore as an ambassador for the opening of Innisfree.
The encore concert will be the last performance and a closing for his ‘My Everything’ global tour which started back in May. It will be taking place at Seoul Olympic Handball Stadium on January 18.
The Star magazine recently revealed a set of pictorials of Kim Hyun Joong from January’s issue. The pictorials adopted a black and white concept and showcased Kim Hyun Joong’s charisma and sexy abs.
It was also revealed that Kim Hyun Joong was very frank during interview conducted after the photoshoot. Kim Hyun Joong is currently filming for his new drama ‘Inspiring Age’ in China, the drama will be aired on 15th January.
The year 2014 starts with a shocking news that Lee Seung Gi and SNSD’s Yoona are dating. With the leaking news about the couple to the media, both of their agencies quickly confirmed about the two’s relationship. SM Entertainment and Hook Entertainment said that both of them had been dating in secret since September 2013 and asked everyone to watch over the two kindly.
Years ago when Lee Seung Gi was one of the MCs for Strong Heart, Yoona came as a guest. At that time Lee Seung Gi admitted that Yoona was his ideal type. Now, they are officially a couple. Congratulations to both of them!
Source: @RealKshownow, @SMTownEngSub
Photo Credit: chaobuoisang.net
JYJ’s Jaejoong has just pre-released a track from his upcoming album, titled ‘Shiny Day’.
Click here to view the embedded video.
‘Shiny Day’ is a beautiful ballad, and features Noel’s Lee Sang Gon. The song is the work of Baek Moo Hyun, composer for the OST ‘Love Is Like Snow’. The track demonstrates the harmony of the two men, as well as Jaejoong’s strong vocal ability.
‘Shiny Day’ is available to purchase on iTunes, Bugs Music, Naver Music and Melon.
The full solo album is due to be released on the 29th of this month. In the meantime, Jaejoong has released a set of teaser images and the album cover!
^.^
Source: C-JeS Entertainment
Super Junior’s KyuHyun is here to teach you the Pazzo Dance. Clothing brand, SPAO, which uses Super Junior as their CF model, just released a video on Youtube. In this short clip, you can see KyuHyun dancing the Pazzo Dance. His cute dance movements and expressions will make you want to replay the video over and over again.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: SPAOKOREA
Photo Credit: beautifulsonglyrics.blogspot.com
TripleS in South America can rejoice! After two of SS501 members (Heo Young Saeng and Park Jung Min) holding their solo tours in South America this year, Kim Hyung Jun – the maknae of SS501, will also be having his solo concert tour in South America early next year.
Titled ‘The First Kim Hyung Jun’s Concert & Fanmeet‘, Kim Hyung Jun will have concert in 4 countries – Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia in January 2014. This will be the first time Kim Hyung Jun is preparing for concert and fanmeet that will be held beyond Asia.
In the meanwhile, Kim Hyung Jun has recently attended Busan International Film Festival as a cast of the movie ‘An Actor is An Actor’. He will also be acting as the male lead in ‘Love Through Song’ with Sistar’s Dasom.
G-Dragon, leader of the top Korean pop band Big Bang, will be having a solo act at Fide Fashion Week 2013 in Singapore on 12th October. Not only is G-Dragon known for his chart-topping songs and extravagant dances, he is also widely hailed as a super fashionista by his fans around the globe.
G-Dragon sets a perfect example that music and fashion share a symbiotic relationship, his performance at Fide Fashion Week 2013 will definitely be one of the highlights of the event, and not just for his fans.
The G-Dragon Showcase will be held at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Hall F, Marina Bay Sands on the 12th October at 4.30 pm. For more details on ticketing, please check here.
XIA Junsu held his first solo concert in Australia, titled “XIA’s Incredible Concert in Austrailia,” at the Sydney Big Top on September 28. The event drew an audience of 2,500 fans, who cheered, “XIA Junsu Saranghae (We love you)” during the performances. He performed “Tarantallegra,” “Incredible,” “Fever,” “Uncommitted,” and many more of his hit songs.
He said, “This is my second visit to Sydney but my first concert, so it feels great. I’m happy that I’m back in such a beautiful city, this time for a concert, and to spend my last night with you, is an honor. I hope I can have a concert in Australia again as a member of JYJ or as a solo artist.”
On the day of his arrival, he held a press conference, took part in the taping of a TV show, and was in top form for his concert, enrapturing fans with his powerful performances.
XIA Junsu has held concerts in Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul, and Busan since he released his second album, and he will continue his solo concert tour in Japan in October.
JYJ member Kim Jaejoong is set to start a tour of Asia after his first solo album is released. Starting in Seoul at Coex Mall, in Samseong-dong, on November 2 and 3, Jaejoong is planning on heading around Korea before hitting many other Asian countries and cities.
His agency said that the album is about half done and features songs by various other artists as well as songs written by Jaejoong himself. It will probably be released by the end of October.
Since the album includes a variety of rock numbers, this Asia Tour will be like a rock festival.
Jaejoong released his first solo EP in January, and the song “One Kiss” took the top spot on the iTunes charts in nine countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. It also ranked first on the daily, real-time, and weekly Hanter Charts five days after the EP was released.
G-Dragon is inviting fans to his music video shoot for “Who You?” According to his agency, 1,000 fan club members will personally participate in the filming of the music video and create a music video by editing in fan videos and pictures. Although there have been many times when fans appeared in music videos as audience members, it is rare to have fans actually working on the filming of a music video.
Following the news, fans commented: “I’m so excited that fans will get to actually film this!” “This is Awesome.”
On the same day, G-Dragon tweeted, “10.5 Who You? I’m the director,” and “Everyone, let’s make and film a music video together.”
On September 12, CFP, of China, revealed a filming location in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, where the new movie Hellios was being shot. In the movie, Choi Si Won, of Super Junior, plays a policeman. He has been shown in the media while riding a bike on the street.
Choi arrived on location at Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui at 11:30 p.m., greeted the other cast members and staff, and dressed in gray suit for a scene. Because he doesn’t have a Hong Kong driver’s license, he was riding a bike towed by a truck. While being towed, he looked very serious, as if he were running at breakneck speed. He used a double for the bike chase scene. The shooting session was finished by 1:00 a.m.
Hellios is directed by Luklongman and Sunny Luck, who also directed Cold War. It has been seven years since Choi previously appeared on Chinese movie screens. In addition to Choi, several top-profile stars are in the cast, including Ji Jin Hee, Jacky Cheung, Shawn Yue, and Nick Cheung.
Yesterday Microsoft announced the pricing scheme for Windows 8.1 and stated that, instead of selling “upgrade” and standalone versions of its operating system, all purchases of the new code will be complete. Therefore, if you want to move a non-Windows 8 PC to Windows 8.1, or want to build a new PC from scratch, the same software will work in each case.
This led to confusion, as it appeared that Microsoft was halting sales of its “System Builder” builds of Windows, at least to consumers. After much digging (I was not the only confused party), I’ve managed to figure out that I was wrong yesterday and that Microsoft isn’t killing System Builder SKUs entirely.
Instead, Microsoft is shifting gravity away from System Builder builds except for OEM partners and others that buy its operating system in bulk from distribution partners. For the average person, Windows 8.1′s two normal SKUs (regular, and “Pro”) will replace what System Builder SKUs provided previously: the ability to build a new PC from scratch and install Windows on it.
I apologize for the error.
So you will be able to buy a System Builder copy of Windows 8.1 in certain locations, such as Amazon. However, you will not find that code at Best Buy or any other normal retailer. There you will only find the two normal versions of Windows 8.1.
The question now becomes why you would want to buy a System Builder copy of Windows 8.1 when the regular build will do what you need? Perhaps a minor cost differential, or you just really don’t want support from Microsoft with your operating system.
What matters here is that Microsoft has killed System Builder SKUs of Windows — in spirit — for everyone but OEM partners, though the enterprising will still be able to dredge up a copy. The more important news here is that Windows 8.1 won’t be sold as an upgrade, but I wanted to correct the record after my mistake.
Top Image Credit: Dell Inc.
“I Hear Your Voice” Lee Bo-young and long-time boyfriend, Ji-sung will be getting married soon. The wedding photographs, which were taken in Spain was revealed. Let’s take a look.
Lee Bo Young & Ji Sung (Photo: Grazia)
Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung (Photo: Grazia)
Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung (Photo : Grazia)
PROFILE
Name: Lee Bo-young (이보영/李寶英)
Birthday: January 12th, 1979
Height: 168cm
Weight: 48kg
Name: Ji-sung (지성/地成)
Birth name: Kwak Tae-geun (곽태근/郭太根)
Birthday: February 27th, 1977
Height: 178cm
Weight: 70kg
See also:
Lee Bo Young and Ji Sung
Source: Seoul Awesome: Your K-blog
“Monday Afternoon”, IU’s latest single, was released on 11th and ranked ninth on the Oricon Chart the same day. It’s been fourteen months since her second Japanese single, “You & I.”
IU played Lee Soon Shin in the KBS 2TV drama series You Are The Best, Lee Soon Shin, which recently finished, and she will release a new album in Korea in October.
In related news, TVXQ’s new Japanese single, “Scream,” ranks second on the Oricon Weekly Chart.
On 11th, JYJ released second MV teaser of ‘Only One’ – 2014 Incheon Asian Song via youtube. The second teaser video of JYJ’s ‘Only One’ mainly focused on JYJ’s activities and preparations as goodwill ambassador of 2014 Incheon Asian Games (IAG), such as photo shoots and dance practices.
Check out the teaser MV below! Full MV will be revealed on 16th September.
Click here to view the embedded video.
JYJ will also be having overseas activities to promote for 2014 Incheon Asian Games (IAG) :
- Singapore Roadshow – Video conference and interview (9.26)
- Vietnam Roadshow – media event and attend cultural events (10.24)
- GuangZhou Roadshow – media event and attend cultural events (11.21)
- Asian Games 100th anniversary media event in Boracay (end of November)
For more information on 2014 Incheon Asian Games, please visit IAG’s FB page (Here) and official blog (Here).
The boy band CNBLUE’s first pictorial book, titled Blue Travel, has garnered a tremendous number of advance orders in South Korea and Japan. Advance orders began to be accepted on September 5, and the book ranked at the top on the Japanese charts HMV and Tower Records on the 8th and 9th. The photo book also ranked at the top of Korean advance-order charts for magazines and books on the 9th.
The photos were shot in Sydney, Australia, and feature the members in four main themes: nostalgia, shelter, experience, and healing. A behind-the-scenes DVD and handwritten messages and autographs from each of the members will also be included in the book set.
A teaser video for Blue Travel has been released on the group’s official YouTube channel, and the pictorial set will be released on the 26th.
5dolls will release a new EP, First Love, on the 17th. It contains seven songs, including the lead number, “I Love You, I Don’t Love You.” The hit-making composers Double Sidekick and Shinsadong Tiger took part in the production of the EP.
The girls will give their first performance of songs from the new album on Mnet Countdown on the 12th, and Dani, the newest member of T-ara N4, will be also on stage to support them. Dani joined T-ara N4 in July and is featured in the rap segments of “I Love You, I Don’t Love You.” The upcoming performance with 5dolls will be the first time that fans actually get to see Dani perform on stage.
T-ara and 5doll’s agency, Core Contents Media, says, “Dani has trained hard in rapping, singing, and choreography. She joined T-ara N4 in July. Belying her cute look, Dani’s voice is quite deep. Through ‘I Love You, I Don’t Love You,’ fans will be able to check out her mature rapping skills. The upcoming performances with 5dolls on Mnet Countdown on the 12th will be Dani’s first TV performance. She will perform with 5dolls to back them with their new album.”
“I Love You, I Don’t Love You” is a medium-tempo pop ballad that mixes the sounds of an acoustic guitar with Korean traditional instruments. It was composed by Double Sidekick, who also composed “Soulmate No.1.”
According to an announcement by their agency, Super Junior’s first Japanese studio album, Hero, will be released in the Korean market on September 13. The album is a set of two CDs and a DVD, released on July 24 last year in Japan and ranked at the top of Japan’s Oricon Daily Chart at that time.
The album contains a total of 23 tracks, including, three songs, “Mr. Simple,” “Sexy, Free & Single,” and “Bonamana,” that ranked third on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart; three new songs, “Bambina,” “Tuxedo,” and “Hero”; and such other hit songs as “Promise You,” “Rokuko,” “Perfection,” and “I Wanna Dance.”
Various hit songs and music videos by the group are on the DVD. In particular, the music videos of the new song “Hero” and Super Junior-K.R.Y’s “ハナミズキ (A Cornelian Cherry)” are included for the first time. Scenes from the shooting of the music video of “Hero” are also included.
On the 14th, Super Junior will be in China to present the Super Junior World Tour “Super Show 5″ in Guangzhou.
According to the September 13 Billboard 200 Album Chart, G-Dragon’s second studio album, Coup d’état, Part 1, ranked 182. His previous album, One Of A Kind, released in September 2012, ranked 161st and Big Bang’s Alive album, released in February 2012, ranked 150th on the same chart.
G-Dragon is getting a lot of attention from such foreign media as Fuse TV, Complex, and Dazed & Confused. His second studio album, consisting of Coup d’état Parts 1 and 2 and two new songs, will be released on September 13.
G-Dragon took the number-one ranking on Mnet’s M-Countdown on September 12.
By the morning of the 5th, the Oricon Chart, which is the most authoritative in Japan, had already placed TVXQ’s new Japanese single, “Scream,” at number two. It had sold 50,707 copies. Only the Japanese female group HKT48 was ahead of TVXQ on the chart.
TVXQ wrapped up their TVXQ Live Tour Time Final concert at Nissan Stadium in Japan on August 17 and 18. The audience for these two days of concerts totaled 14,400. In the 18 concerts of the tour they attracted a total audience of 85,000.
Babyz! Remember B.A.P’s ”Warrior”? Well, we can finally view the trailer of ”Warrior”’s JAPANESE version! Yes, Japanese!
Click here to view the embedded video.
If we remember, B.A.P’s leader Yongguk, has announced the group will make a Japanese Debut. B.A.P and Japan’s King Records, together, were planning to release the new version of ”Warrior” on October 9. They were also thinking about a Japan Tour on the next month: November. Japanese fans are highly anticipating for these coming months.
B.A.P, is really working hard. After releasing already so many songs in the same year, they also started a Japanese Debut! These boys are really tough like mentioned in their track’s title: Real Warriors.
Source: YouTube
G-Dragon will kick off the promotion of his new album by appearing on You Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook, which airs on KBS 2TV. On September 3, his agency announced, “His appearance on Sketchbook is being recorded today. This follows his appearance on Running Man on September 2 and is part of his efforts to push ahead with the promotion of his second studio album.”
The new album, which comes four years after the first one, was released yesterday, and immediately five of his new songs conquered all the online charts in Korea by being ranked first to fifth, which proves his great popularity.
His album has already reached the top of the iTunes Chart in eight countries and the rank of the two lead songs, “Who The Hell Are You?” and “Black,” has skyrocketed on various singles charts. The star will also perform on SBS’s Ingigayo on September 8.
Heechul made it clear that he left MBC’s Radio Star for good before his enlistment in the military and has now left the reins of the show in Kyuhyun’s hands.
Heechul was welcomed back on the September 2 broadcast of KBS Cool FM’s Super Junior’s Kiss the Radio. About his former spot on Radio Star, Heechul revealed, “I probably won’t even appear on Radio Star as a guest. I don’t think it’s right for me to take Kyuphyun’s spot. He’s like a brother to me and is on the same path as I am.”
Heechul enlisted in September 2011 and served as a public-service officer at the Seongdong District Office. He was discharged on August 30. Heechul has been flooded with calls from variety shows but says that Radio Star isn’t one of them. He says, “I didn’t leave that position temporarily. Kyuhyun is now the owner of that spot.”
Heechul was actively engaged in various fields, not only as a singer but also as a performer on TV shows and drama series, so he’s already being sought after left and right. His management agency revealed that he is considering his next move but nothing is settled yet and added that Heechul will join Super Junior on its current world concert tour once he has had sufficient preparation.
Super Junior’s HeeChul is finally back after a 2-year military service as a public service worker. He is even awarded a good service award for his service. Welcome back, HeeChul!!!
Source: sup3rjunior.com
Idols are spotted filming for the latest episode of Runningman. Infinite’s L and SungKyu, A Pink’s EunJi and NaEun, B3ST’s DooJoon and KiKwang, MBLAQ’s Lee Joon and SeungHo, Girl’s Day’s MinAh and YuRa, 2PM’s WooYoung and ChanSung, and also SISTAR’s HyoRin and DaSom are teaming with a Runningman member to compete against one another. This will be an episode with the most numbers of guests ever appear on Runningman to date. This highly anticipated episode is scheduled to be aired on the second week of September 2013.
Source: @RunningManVirus
Photo Credit: @RunningManVirus
C-JeS Entertainment, the agency that represents Kim Junsu (XIA), of JYJ, says, “Junsu will continue with his second concert tour from next month. He already has confirmed dates to perform in Australia on September 28, Nagoya on October 8 to 10, and Yokohama on October 14 to 16. Over 60,000 fans are expected to attend his concerts at Nippon Gaishi Hall and Yokohama’s Yokohama Arena this October. Junsu will seek to move his fans in Japan with his live performances.”
Since releasing his second album, Incredible, on July 15, Kim has followed up with concerts in Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul, and Busan, performing for a total of 40,000 fans. He performed a variety of dance, ballad, R&B, and other numbers in the first concert tour, and already fans are looking forward to his second tour.
Kim Hee Chul, a member of Super Junior, is receiving a lot of calls from various parts of the entertainment world. He will be discharged on the 30th after completing his duty as a public-service worker at the SeongDong-gu office in Seoul. He was originally scheduled to be discharged on the 31st but will be released one day earlier because the 31st is a Saturday.
A lot of people in entertainment are paying great attention to his discharge because he is talented in a variety of fields, having worked as a singer, a radio DJ, an MC, and an actor before serving in the military.
According to an August 28 announcement by his agency, “Kim Hee Chul is currently getting a lot of offers from various entertainment shows and drama series. He will consider those offers carefully after being discharged and make decisions about them, but at this moment, nothing has been settled on yet. After being discharged, he will join the world tour that the other members of Super Junior are on now when he has rehearsed enough to perform with the group, but for now, we cannot be sure when that will be.”
Kim Hee Chul started his alternative duty on September 1, 2011, and has served as a public-service worker at the SeungDong-gu office for about two years. He had no choice but to choose alternative duty since he had a big accident in the summer of 2006 and underwent major surgery in which eight metal pins were inserted into the lower half of his body.
He has decided to remain demobilized without any official appearances in the media. He told those close to him about this decision because he considers military duty a matter of course that any Korean man is bound to undergo and thinks his discharge is not the sort of thing that merits a loud welcome.
Actor Song Joong Gi will go to the army recruit training center in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, today, and about 30 minutes beforehand, he will say good-bye to his fans and the press. Netizens’ supporting comments flooded various Internet communities. Some examples: “I’m just about to like him.” “It’s good to fulfill his military duty, but I personally will feel very sorry not to see him for the time being. I hope to see him again on TV.” “Have a good time.” “This beautiful guy becomes a soldier.”
Song reported his draft through his agency on August 1, saying, “I appreciate all your love and support with all my heart. I can’t say good-bye to all in person, but I express my gratitude to all the fans this way. I’ll do my best during my two-year military duty and hope to see you again on a good drama series after that. Stay healthy!”
The actor will get military training at the army recruit training center for five weeks after going through the 102 recruitment depot. Then he will be assigned to a regular military unit as the first celebrity to enter the military since entertainment units were recently abolished because of their lack of discipline.
On August 20th, Park Jung Min and Heo Young Saeng performed at the Metropolitan Theatre in Mexico City. The two are currently on a joint fan meeting tour for Latin and South America. A few days before their performances in Mexico, they were in Lima, Peru where both artists held highly successful fan meetings.
The events in Mexico City marked the first time for both artists to perform in Mexico. SS501 has always been very popular in Mexico, as well as in other parts of Latin and South America. Despite the current hiatus of the popular singing group, Mexican fans have still been extremely supportive and have waited patiently for the arrival or performances of any of the group’s members. Their patience was finally rewarded by fan meetings with both Park Jung Min and Heo Young Saeng.
Heo Young Saeng started his fan meeting at 5:00pm on Tuesday evening at the historic Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Mexico City. He was met with deafening cheers and screams, some fans crying with the excitement of finally seeing their beloved idol and the main vocalist of their favorite group ss501. He started the fan meeting with the ss501 song, Love Like This. He was very cute throughout his entire performance- brightly shining a crooked smile, making eye contact with the fans, dancing coquettishly and charming the audience in general. He sang many of his current solo songs, including his hit The Art Of Seduction.
One of the greatest moments for fans is when the lights dimmed and he began to sing the popular ss501 song, Because I’m Stupid. Hearing him sing this song as solo was a moving moment for all fans and left many of them in tears as they sang along. The voices of the audience became so loud that at one point, he lifted the microphone to the audience and listened quietly as they sang, standing there with a sweet smile on his face.
The fan meeting also included a Q&A time, with the gorgeous Young Saeng sharing his thoughts on a variety of subjects including marriage (he doesn’t want to get married), what it’s like to be a soloist after being in a group (not that different since he was the main vocalist in the group before) and his thoughts on his reception in Mexico. He stated that he had been concerned after a quiet welcome in the airport but once he was onstage, he had never felt such love and passion from fans. He said usually he was the one to excite the crowd but this was the first time he had ever been excited by the fans instead. Indeed, his pleasure at being so well received was shown on his face as he smiled genuinely throughout performances and looked surprised at the deafening response when he first stepped on the stage.
He also played a game with 5 lucky fans. After playing rock, paper scissors, each fan was rewarded with a special prize- one fan received a signed t-shirt, another received a polaroid picture with Young Saeng and another was even rewarded by a moment that could have come out of a drama… the handsome artist slowly walked up behind the 15 year old fan, placed his suit coat on her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind while saying, “I love you.” The poor fan looked so overwhelmed at the intimate moment, that the translator jokingly told her to calm down and breathe.
By the time the fan meeting was over, Heo Young Saeng had completely charmed the audience. His vocal talents are undeniable, his normally reserved personality shined adorably onstage, his passion for music was felt by everyone present and his cute smile enchanted everyone as he walked around stage during the encore with a flower in his hair and holding a Mexican flag. After one of the dancers handed him a necklace being offered by a fan, he immediately put it on, then went to the front of the stage to find the fan who had given him the necklace.
When the incredibly talented artist finally left the stage, fans were left in tears of joy at finally seeing their idol and tears of sadness that his fan meeting had come to a close.
Seeing the main vocalist of ss501 onstage was truly a dream come true for everyone in the audience, but the night continued on with the fan meeting of Park Jung Min. Stay tuned for coverage and pictures of his fan meeting and performance!
Check out some of the pictures from Heo Young Saeng’s fan meeting below or click here for the full gallery!
Photo Credit: @writer_korea
The Hallyu 10th Anniversary Japanese Music Awards, which will be held in Chiba, Japan, on October 9, will feature 53 Korean idol groups. According to Oricon, the awards ceremony will take place at the International Convention Hall in Chiba. The organizing committee for the event will hold a poll from the 22nd to the 30th of September for boy bands, girl groups, and female and male soloists in order to choose the top five in each category.
The nominees for the boy band category total 33, including Infinite, Ajax, EXO, Epic High, FT Island, MBLAQ, CN Blue, JYJ, SHINee, SHU-I, SHinhwa, Super Junior, ZE:A, Choshinsung, Teen Top, 2AM, 2PM, TVXQ, NU’EST, B.A.P, B2ST, B1A4, Big Bang, VIXX, Boyfriend, and U-Kiss.
The girl group category has a total of 20 nominees, including Jewelry, After School, A Pink, f(x), Girl’s Day, Kara, Secret, Sistar, Girls’ Generation, Davichi, Dalshabet, T-ara, 2NE1, 4Minute, Brown Eyed Girls, Miss A, Rainbow, and the Wonder Girls.
The male soloist category includes Psy, Se7en, Rain, and Kim Bum Soo while the female soloist category includes IU, Gummy, Ailee, BoA, and Wax.
On the upcoming episode of Runningman, Runningman members will be isolated in an island where they will fight against one another in a series of survival games. A fun and inquiring preview of the episode has made the fans eager to watch it. Something thrilling and surprising is expected to happen in this episode. It will be worth waiting and watching for the fans.
Source: tvreport.co.kr
Photo Credit: tvreport.co.kr
On August 26 at about 9:00 a.m., G-Dragon, a member of the group Big Bang (G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri), posted the first teaser image for his new solo album on YG Entertainment’s official blog, YG Life. In the teaser image, he is wearing a black mask that exposes only his eyes. Seeing his eyes in their smoky makeup is enough to sense his intensity. The phrase, “Coming very soon: G-Dragon’s Coup d’état” on the image suggests that the new studio album will be released soon, and the powerful meaning of the title has everyone wondering what the album has in store for us.
Initially, G-Dragon planned to release the album on August 18, his birthday, but it was postponed as he put so much work into the final stages of producing it. It has been four years since he last released a solo studio album. The last one was Heartbreaker, the first solo studio album, released in August 2009.
G-Dragon, who takes part in producing Big Bang’s albums, also served as an executive producer on his own album. The album is drawing added attention with its featured artist, the world-famous female rapper Missy Elliot.
G-Dragon is scheduled to hold a solo concert at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Arena on August 31and September 1.
A handsome doctor has appeared!
SHINee’s Minho shows his flaming charisma as a doctor in the still cuts for the upcoming drama Medical Top Team. Through the filming crew, Choi Minho expressed, “I was very nervous on the first day of filming, so it is regretful that I didn’t do as well as how I had prepared for it. But in future I will work harder as an actor. Together with seniors, the director and staff, I will do my best to make it a good production.”
In Medical Top Team, Minho will act as Kim Sung Woo, who is passionate and has delicate skills. He is a doctor who specializes in Thoracic (chest) Surgery, who has an image of a doctor with an extraordinary charm, attracting a lot of attention.
On the day of filming at The Severence Hospital in Sinchon, Minho displayed his strong visual appearance in his doctor’s gown. His small face and and tallness contributed much to his superior body ratio, and of course, not forgetting to mention his trademark fatal flower-boy smile. Although Minho is not the male lead of the drama, his casting has definitely increased everybody’s expectations of the drama.
As the name of the drama suggests, Medical Top Team comprises top doctors from different medical fields. Unfortunately, there are still bound to be disagreements between the doctors, so viewers can expect to see intense war and conflict that goes on in the hospital.
This new mini-series will have its first broadcast on MBC on October 2, taking over the Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:55pm time slot after the drama Two Weeks ends.
HMV, a major record company in Japan, released its Korean Asia weekly chart on the 21st, and “One More Time,” from CN BLUE’s second Japanese album, What Turns You On?, sat at the top of the list. It was also number one on Asia weekly chart by Recochoku, a music download site.
This album features 11 songs, including “Change,” “Let Me Know,” “Crying Out,” and “I Can’t Believe.” The members of the group participated in writing the material on this limited edition album, which will also feature an extra song written by Jung Yong Hwa and titled “Robot.” The lead track, “One More Time,” was also written by Jung Yong Hwa.
All the members of the group performed in the music video, which featured the theme of putting one’s whole life on the line for the sake of victory.
The band will hold a World Tour Blue Moon Concert in Malaysia on August 24.
FT Island (Choi Jong Hoon, Lee Hong Ki, Lee Jae Jin, Choi Min Hwan, Song Seung Hyun) is back in Korea. According to an August 22 announcement by their agency, FNC Entertainment, they will give a special concert titled FTHX, to celebrate the sixth anniversary of their debut and will release a special album in September.
It has been nearly a year since the group gave a performance in Korea. That one was titled Take FT Island and took place last September. The upcoming performance will be held at the Olympic Hall in Seoul Olympic Park on September 28th and 29th.
The title of the concert, FTHX, is a compound word of FT Island and Thanx. It is said that the group has prepared the performance in appreciation of their fans for being with them for six years since they debuted in 2007. On September 23, a special album is scheduled to be released, which will feature tracks written by the members of the group themselves.
An official of the group’s agency says, “FT Island has been performing in other countries on their Arena Tour and Asia Tour. In the upcoming concert, they are expected to perform their own songs.
After finishing his current round of solo activities, Super Junior-M member Henry will appear in the Chinese drama series My Sweet City (working title). His agency says, “Henry is a lead character in this drama, and will play opposite an actress playing an older woman. He will stay in China for the duration of the shooting.”
My Sweet City is a remake of an SBS series of the same name, broadcast in Korea in 2008. A popular actress named Jang Shin Yie will play the female lead.
Meanwhile, Henry will perform his new song “1-4-2 (I Love You)” on August 22 on Mnet Countdown.
On the morning of August 12, Big Bang’s agency, YG Entertainment, unveiled the track list and teaser images of Seungri’s second solo EP, Let’s Talk About Love, which will be out on the 19th. It has been two years and seven months since Seungri last released an album with new songs. His first solo EP had two lead songs, “Vvip” and “So What.” The new teaser images show a more mature-looking Seungri, dressed in a suit, and the album contains seven tracks, including six new songs. Seungri has proved his musical talent by taking part in writing all the songs and serving as executive producer.
The main song of the upcoming album is the second track, “Gotta Talk to U,” which is an upbeat lyrical number of the house genre. The music video will be directed by Han Samin, who also directed Big Bang’s “BLUE,” “Bad Boy,” and “Monster.”
The EP is drawing added attention with its featured artists. Big Bang’s G-Dragon and Taeyang took part in writing the title song, “Let’s Talk About Love,” in addition to being featured on it. Also Kim Jenny, who is known as a member of YG’s new girl group, was a featured artist on “GG BE,” the third track.
After the digital release on the 19th, the EP will be available on online and offline music stores two days lator, on August 21.
According to an August 13 announcement by their agency, FNC Entertainment, CNBlue will release a second Japanese studio album, titled What Turns You On?, on August 28.Seven of the 11 songs on the album were written by Jung Yong Wha, including “One More Time,” “Change,” and “Let Me Know,” and the other four are by Lee Jong Hyun, including “Crying Out” and “I Can’t Believe.”
The lead song of the album is “One More Time.” The fact that all the songs were written by members of the group has attracted fans’ attention even before the album’s release. Note that the English version of Jung’s song “Robot” will be included only in the first limited edition.
The album has ranked at the top of the Korean-Asian Pre-order Chart of HMV, a large music distribution company in Japan, since August 5, 20 days before the album’s release.
The group will hold a Zepp-tour concert in Nanba, Osaka on August 14 and 15 and will continue to its 2013 Bluemoon World Tour in Malaysia on August 24.
IU’s agency announced on the 14th, “IU will finish her role in KBS’s weekend drama series Best Lee Sun-sin soon. Right after that, she intends to dedicate herself to working on a new album. As of now, the new album is scheduled to be released in late September, and certainly no later than early October. IU wants to present as many new songs as possible because it has been a long time since she last released an album.” This suggests that IU will likely release an EP or even a full studio album. The agency has also said that IU plans to come out with a new single in Japan before releasing the new album in Korea.
It has been a year and four months since IU released any new material. The last new number was the single “Every End of the Day,” which came out in May last year.
IU committed to acting after being cast in a leading role in Best Lee Sun-sin, which began last March. The drama is to air its final episode on the 25th, and IU will be able to focus on her singing career again.
The news of her new album is drawing a lot of attention because IU has long since established herself as an excellent singer with outstanding stage presence.
JYJ’s Junsu (XIA) has announced he will performing his solo concert in Sydney Australia on the 28th of September!
The concert will be held at the Big Top Luna Park, and marks Junsu’s first concert in Australia.
The Incredible Junsu (XIA) live in concert
Junsu will be performing concerts in Seoul and Busan this month, before focusing on his role in the musical ‘Elisabeth’ until early September. His concert in Sydney will mark the restart of Junsu’s solo concert tour.
Australian fans are exceedingly excited to see Junsu live in concert. JYJ recently appeared in an interview on Australian program SBS PopAsia, discussing their music, fans, Australia and Crocodile Pizza, and it is clear that Australia loves Junsu, Jaejoong and Yoochun!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: C-JeS Entertainment, SBS PopAsia
MBLAQ is currently in Mexico for a concert and the filming of a new reality show which will air in November in 188 different countries around the world, including South Korea, Mexico and the USA.
MBLAQ has paired with Arirang TV and Televisa as part of a joint project with popular Mexican recording artists Reik. MBLAQ is in Mexico and soon Reik will be heading to Korea. The reality show/documentary will feature both MBLAQ and Reik as they visit and perform in each other’s countries and will focus on aspects of every day life such as food, nightlife, traditional culture, tourist attractions, and more.
In celebration of the joint project and the first ever MBLAQ concert in Mexico, the 2 music groups held a press conference at the Camino Real Polanca hotel in downtown Mexico City. Many MBLAQ fans, known as A+, were there to support the idol group.
The conference was a big success, with both groups answering questions from the audience. Representatives from Korea.com were there at the conference and took part in the Q&A.
When they asked MBLAQ what super power they would choose if they were granted one specific power, Seung Ho responded coyly (to the delight of the crowd) that he would love to have teletransportation so he could go to Mexico immediately any time he wanted. Thunder said he would like to be like Tony Stark and be Iron Man.
Earlier on twitter, the members of Reik had teased that they have been giving advice to MBLAQ on how to conquer the hearts of girls. When MBLAQ was asked to share these tips in the press conference, Reik quickly said they were secret tips and couldn’t be shared. However, they added that MBLAQ didn’t really need any help conquering the hearts of fans because they were already very handsome. Seung Ho was quick to add that his only tactic was to be honest and sincere with girls.
MBLAQ was extremely polite during the press conference and behaved like true gentlemen. Though they were quite serious and reserved at first, they quickly became all smiles and started laughing when asked about super powers and Reik’s advice concerning women.
Over the past few days, Reik has been giving MBLAQ a tour of Mexico by showing them local tourist spots, shopping around town and trying traditional Mexican dishes such as mole. The two groups seem to be getting along extremely well, despite the language barrier. Many pictures have been tweeted of the Mexicans and Koreans hanging out and having a good time. Fans have also been following the group around town and MBLAQ has graciously been taking pictures and giving hugs to fans that have come to support them.
Stay tuned for coverage of the MBLAQ in Mexico concert and check out more photos of the press conference and group below.
MBLAQ and the 3 members of Reik (cr. El Universal)
MBLAQ and Mexican pop group Reik touring Mexico City
Reik member Jesus Navarro tweeted this picture posing with Lee Joon.
Reik teaching MBLAQ a Mexican game
Lee Joon posing with a fan (cr. @frida_abril)
Thanks to Francis and Daniela for their help in covering this event on behalf of Korea.com
Actor Lee Seung Gi showed up at Incheon International Airport on August 9 to depart for Thailand to meet his fans there. In spite of the early hour, fans at the airport recognized and greeted him. According to an announcement by his agency, Hook Entertainment, Lee will meet fans in Thailand for the first time since his debut.
An agency official reported to Starnews on August 9, “Lee left for Thailand to hold a fan meeting titled 2013 Lee Seung Gi Fan Meeting, to be held at Central World in Bangkok at 6:00 p.m. on August 10. We expect he will enjoy the time with his local fans. This is his first visit there. After the kickoff in Thailand, his Asian fan-meeting tour will continue to Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, China, and Indonesia.”
His status as a Hallyu star actor has skyrocketed because of the popularity of his recent drama series Gu Family’s Book and this fan-meeting tour is drawing an explosive response from his overseas fans. Another agency official of his from Thailand says, “Korean content receives a lot of love in Thailand and especially a male character who shows single-hearted devotion to his love engrosses local female fans. Lee Seung Gi is regarded as that type of character by Thailand fans.”
Starting from Thailand, the star will continue meeting his fans in Osaka, Japan on August 31, Singapore and Taiwan in September, and China and Indonesia after October.
Korean star Jang Keun Suk has reported that it is not true that he has been cast in MBC’s new drama series Hwatu (the name of a Korean card game). An official of Jang’s agency told TV Report on August 8, “Jang won’t join the cast of the drama series. He considered it but decided not to accept the role.”
The drama is about Queen Gi of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty, who married a king of Goryeo (a Korean kingdom, 918 – 1392) and was a crucial influence on the relationship between the two countries.
Ha Ji Won has been cast in the role of Queen Gi, and Jang was suggested for the role of the Yuan king who lost his throne to his brother. Joo Jin Mo will play King Chunghye of Goryeo.
According to a August 5 announcement by his agency, YG Entertainment, Daesung performed in the finale of A-Nation Hit Island Carnival 2013, which was held in Japan’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium on the 4th. A-Nation is an annual series of summer concerts held outdoors since 2002 in various cities of Japan. The event is organized by the Avex Group, which is one of the biggest record companies.
Daesung performed seven songs, including his first Japanese single, “I Love You,” “Wings,” and “Joyful.” He said, “I attended this festival as a Big Bang member last year, but I performed as a solo artist this time. Thank you so much for your support.”
From November 16, 2013, to January 12, 2014, Big Bang will hold concerts at Seibu Dome, Osaka Kyocera Dome, Fukuoka Dome, Nagoya Dome, Tokyo Dome, and Sapporo Dome.
Henry’s agency announced on August 3 that that singer had held promotional events for his for his first solo EP in Thailand on August 1 and 2. He had already been gaining popularity in Thailand as a member of Super Junior M, and the EP, Trap, is getting good reactions in the local market.
He appeared on a popular program broadcast live by Thai Channel ‘V and told various stories about his work on the EP.
At a press conference for Trap, attended by Daily News, Pingbook, Sanook, ViVi, and other media, Henry set the mood using his fluent English, Thai, and Korean.
After the successful promotion in Thailand, Henry is going to participate in the Super Junior World Tour — Super Show 5 in Bangkok, which will be held at Bangkok’s Impact Arena. The group will perform the title song of the EP for the first time in front of Thai fans.
In a recent appearance as a guest on the SBS show Thank You, Si Won of Super Junior revealed that he is a close friend of Boa’s. The episode will be broadcast on August 9 and is follow-up on the last week’s show, in which Son Hyun Ju, Boa, and Moon Jung Hee appeared.
In the episode, Boa invited Si Won, who is known as one of her closest friends. He came on the show with a lot of presents for her, which touched the hearts of all the staff members.
The Super Junior member said, “I can’t forget the first time I met Boa, because I was so embarrassed at her behavior.” But Boa herself said she couldn’t remember. He added, “Now, we’ve become so friendly that I can say I’d be willing to be her manager. I even call her ‘Sister Boa.’”
Besides Si Won, actor Yoo Hae Jin, who is close to both Son Hyun Ju and Boa, and other friends of Son appear on the program.
According to an August 7 announcement by his agency, YG Entertainment, Seung Ri will appear on Fuji TV’s variety show Sakigake! Ongaku Banzuke Eight as a special guest MC. The show will be aired on August 8. Seung Ri appeared on this program last summer and had interviews with popular Japanese stars, including Oguri Shun, EXILE’s Akira, and Takei Emi.
On the upcoming program, Seung Ri will walk down the Kamakura streets with Japanese singer May J. in Kanagawa, and he is supposed to attend an event at which Kumi Koda will appear, which will be held at Yuigahama Beach. His meeting with Kumi Koda is drawing special attention. She is his senior on the Avex label, which is also Seung Ri’s label in Japan.
May J. is a talented female singer who has experience working with Seung Ri. She collaborated on his solo album. She will tell some anecdotes about her experience working with him.
Seung Ri will release his first solo album in Japan this coming September 25, and he will continue to perform not only as a singer but also as a guest on various entertainment programs.
In addition, Seung Ri will make an appearance in at the Mezamashi Live Island Tour 2013, which will be held at Zepp Fukuoka on the same date as the release of his album. He is also scheduled to go on a our of the Seven Domes of Japan as a member of Big-Bang from this coming November until next January. The Seven Domes of Japan Tour is a first for non-Japanese artists.
According to an August 1 announcement by their agency, SM Entertainment, SHINee will release combined volume of The Misconceptions of Us made up of the two parts of their third studio album: Chapter 1: Dream Girl—The misconceptions of you and Chapter 2: Why So Serious?—The misconceptions of me.
An agency official says, “The third studio album, which consists of Charters 1 and 2, contains different concepts, colors, and stories. This combined volume summarizes all the emotions that SHINee wanted to convey.”
One of the two new songs on the combined album is “Our Street (Selene 6.23),” which is an emotional ballad. The members’ voices are well matched with the orchestration and piano accompaniment. The other new song, “Better Off,” for which New Age pianist Iruma joined in producing the work, is a medium-tempo melody embellishing the sorrow of parting beautifully. Both songs were written by group member Jong Hyun.
SHINee is currently on a Japanese arena tour, titled SHINee Arena Tour: SHINee World 2013 — Boys Meet U.
According to an August 1 announcement by his agency, Blossom Entertainment, Song Joong Gi will go to the army recruit training center in Choonchun, Kangwon Province, on August 27 and will serve as a regular soldier after taking basic military training.
Song reports his feelings through his agency, saying, “I received a draft notice from the Military Manpower Administration a couple of days ago and will enter the military on August 27. I’ll wrap up all my activities before entering the training center. I appreciate all your love and support with all my heart. I’ll do my two-year military duty well and hope to see you again on a good drama series after that. Stay healthy!”
Song debuted in the movie The Frozen Flower on 2008 and became popular with his impressive acting in such series as KBS 2TV’s Sungkyunkwan Scandal and SBS’ The Deep Rooted Tree. He gained more popularity last year as a lead actor in the KBS drama No Such Thing As Nice Guy and the movie Werewolf Boy.
The actor will meet his fans on August 17 through his official fan club, Ki Aile, at its third fan meeting, under the title of “Our Stories.”
SM Entertainment’s boy group EXO recently released the full music video of comeback track ‘Growl’, not just one but two – a Korean and Chinese version! That’s not all, rumour has it that there would be more versions of the follow-up title track in future. So stay tuned for it!
Since the release of both version, search engines and the YouTube channel has been jam-packed with much traffic from eager fans.
Look out for EXO’s comeback performance on M!Countdown as well as the release of their repackaged album scheduled for August 5. Did ‘Growl’ surpass their previous title track ‘Wolf’?
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: SMTOWN
According to the Billboard Chart of the 2nd of August, Kim Hung Joong’s third solo EP, Round 3, which has released on July 22, grabbed the top spot on the Billboard World Album Chart. This is his first time to rank so high on the World Album Chart.
Currently he’s gaining worldwide popularity. Both the lead song, “Your Story,” and another song, “Unbreakable,” are also getting much attention from all over the world. On July 24, Kim’s album took over the iTunes Dance Album Chart for Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Macau.
The Billboard World Album Chart is the week’s top-selling albums from around the world, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
Babyz, prepare yourselves because BADMAN is coming out soon! August 6 2013 is a day not to miss!
TS Entertainment recently added BADMAN’s Teaser on their YouTube account.
Watch the boys as they become real bad men, rebelling against authority.
BADMAN is the group’s third mini album. On the 28th June, B.A.P announced they will be releasing their third mini album. Through the album, they will show many different styles of music. Their latest tracks such as Coffee Shop (sweet, simple guys falling in love) and Hurricane (rich, chic, handsome guys) will be present in the album.
Let’s not forget, Coffee Shop, Hurricane and BADMAN were all filmed while they were on their first World tour ”Live on Earth”.
B.A.P will do a comeback on next week’s Music Bank, so don’t miss it!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/foreverBAP, http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLLlKJZVbeUTzwjVM7Lx9kg,
According to a July 31 announcement by singer Rain’s agency, Cube Entertainment, his first post-military meeting with his official fan club, “Cloud,” which was originally scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on August 3 at Kyunghee University has been postponed. Several thousand fans were set to turn up at the event. Rain was discharged from the military three weeks ago.
The agency stated, “We apologize for having to postpone the fan meeting in consideration of ongoing preparations. We plan to make an announcement later on with a new schedule. We will work hard to put on a good performance for all the fans who have waited so long.”
With this, Rain’s first official gig will be the music festival Sonic Bang, which will be held on August 24 in Bangkok, Thailand. Sonic Bang is the biggest music festival in Thailand. This year, international artists Far East Movement and Jason Mraz will participate along with Korean musician Epik High.
The agency added that Rain has not even started to make his next album yet. Since he was discharged just recently, he’ll take some time off for a while.
Cube Entertainment officially announced in May that they have made a contract with Rain.
According to a July 29 announcement by their agency, Super Junior held Super Junior World Tour — Super Show 5 in Tokyo at Tokyo Dome on July 27 and 28. They performed several of their hit songs, including “Sorry Sorry,” “Mr. Simple,” “Beauty,” and “Sexy, Free & Single” and some songs from their first Japanese studio album: “Hero,” “Tuxedo,” and “Bambina.”
They did 29 songs in the concurt, put on a makeup show, and gave sub-unit performances to a total audience of 110,000 Japanese spectators. The group has performed for two consecutive years at Tokyo Dome and will hold additional performances at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on November 15 and 16 in response to fans’ explosive requests.
Japanese fans congratulated both their stars’ successful world tour, during which their accumulated audience total topped one million, and the release Super Junior’s first Japanese studio album.
Super Junior will continue the Super Show 5 tour at Bangkok Impact Arena in Thailand on August 3 and 4.
According to a July 29 announcement on YG Life (YG’s official blog) by the chairman of his agency, Yang Hyun Suk, Big Bang’s Seungri is coming out with a new solo EP 31 months after the first one. The announcement said, “You may be surprised to hear that. Seungri’s second EP will be released on August 19. Six songs will be included on the new EP, comes two and half years after the first one, which was released in January 2011. Just as on the first album, Seungri wrote the lyrics and music himself ‘and also produced the EP. The lead song is ‘I Have Something To Say,’ a fast but lyrical piece. The music video will be directed by Sa Min, who also directed Big Bang’s ‘Blue’ and ‘Monster.’ He will stay in Korea until the end of September and go to Japan in October.”
Yang also announced that other members of Big Bang would release solo albums: “Beginning with Seungri, other Big Bang members, inclufding G-Dragon and Tae Yang, will also be coming out with new songs soon. They are staying up all night almost every day at the studio pushing ahead with the final stages of work on their albums.q”
Dae Sung (or D-LITE, as he’s known in Japan), member of the great group Big Bang, made his solo debut in Japan at the beginning of the year.
He managed to conquer everone’s heart thanks to his powerful voice with the album “D’scover” and now he’s going to reach an other huge success. The month of July will see his first solo Japanese single, “I Love You“, which is a remake of the legendary singer Ozaki Yutaka’ song.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The short version of the song was realead in the first half of the month and shows the collaboration with the renowed Japanese violinist Hakase Taro. This song is important and probably unforgettable for Dae Sung because he did his very first kissing scene and after filming he said that he was too nervous to remember anything.
Click here to view the embedded video.
On July 18th the singer has also attended the first airing ceremony for UULA drama “I LOVE YOU” in Japan, giving the audience an enjoyable performance and demonstration of his singing hability, receiving also high praises from Japanese female actors for his surprise live performance. This is not a fortunate coincidence, in fact, “I Love You” will also be used as the theme song for the drama.
Click here to view the embedded video.
During the whole month different versions of the song were realeased, creating a great expectation for the single, which will be released on July 31st. A part of the title track “I Love You” and its instrumental version, it will contain three bonus tracks: the incredible “Wings”, “Try Smiling” and “A Big Hit~ Look at Me, Gwisun”.
Sources: YG Entertainment website and BigBang’s Youtube account
This is the profile photo Bruce Automatic (in the middle) uploaded on Sunday.
In the picture you can see Junsu, Quincy (on the left) and Ebony Cunningham, Bruce’s fiancee.
“INCREDIBLE!” is written by Junsu, Automatic and Ebony and is produced by Automatic for InRage Entertainment. He’s already wrote the lyrics for “Uncommited”, Junsu’s previously English song, which obtained an enormous success.
For this new song, Quincy, son of the famous singer Puff Diddy, does the rap part, giving it an American yet cool touch.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The official JYJ LINE account has also updated their fans saying that XIA’s second album was finally released, adding also that it includes 12 tracks, different in style and genre : there are ballad, dance, Neo Soul and also funky!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Moreover, on July 15th, C-Jes and Loen have decided to show, through different websites XIA’s Showcase, in order to let also foreigners and people that couldn’t attend it to follow it live!
Sources: Bruce Automatic facebook, JYJ LINE, LOEN Youtube channel.
Last week JYJ and their staff went to France, in the town of Chamonix Mont-Blanc, in order to do a photoshoot for the famous brand M-LIMITED.
Chamonix Mont-Blanc, often known as only Chamonix, is an important tourists destination thanks to its ski resort and the beautiful view of the Mont Blanc.
The members have alternated moments of leisure, Jaejoong was spotted riding a bike by some fans, and moments of boredom, as Junsu said on his twitter that he had nothing to do after shooting.
Regarding this episode, Junsu added also that since they were so bored they decided to play baseball but the people there kept on looking at them in a strange way, so he thought Europeans didn’t know this kind of game.
A part some moments of boredom, their work was funny as Jaejoong confirms trought his twitter account:
“The photoshoot for M-Limited~~ It was funny~~ Winter winter hot hot”
Sources : JYJ LINE, Jaejoong and Junsu twitter
Singer Kim Hyun Joong returns with Hollywood movie standard MV ‘Unbreakable’, causing hot response from fans.
‘Unbreakable’ MV was released on 18th, is one of the songs from Kim Hyun Joong’s new album ‘Round 3′ which will be released digitally on 22nd July. ‘Unbreakable’ is a urban hip hop song combining both orchestral sound and Korea’s traditional instruments.
The lyrics “Hey ho, going in well’ also adds a unique touch Korea’s style. In addition, the song featured Jay Park‘s sexy rapping, which generates further attention from the netizens. The audio gives off a strong bouncing effect while visual gives off a chilling effect, as if you are watching a Hollywood blockbuster.
‘Unbreakable’ MV costs 300 million in production fees, with elements such as luxury cars, wushu, mask and eagle. Black, white and red colour contrasts also present an enriched visual, attracting more attention. Kim Hyun Joong dancing with a bare upper body is definitely another key attraction of the MV. Together with previously revealed teaser images, where he shows off his masculine body and tattoo, have caused a great stir among his female fans.
Kim Hyun Joong’s 3rd mini-album ‘Round 3′ will be released digitally on 22nd while physical album will be available on 29th July. Are you anticipating his comeback?
Check out ‘Unbreakable’ MV below!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source : Nate
Kim Hyun Joong showcases a manly and charismatic look via Star1′s August issue cover shoot.
A set of photos were released via Star1 magazine from Kim Hyun Joong’s recent photoshoot. In one of the photos, Kim Hyun Joong was seen with a new short hairstyle, well-built upper body dressed in leather jacket, giving off a sexy charismatic feel.
Although it was just days before his comeback, Kim Hyun Joong finished the photoshoot with professionalism and gained many praises and approval from the staffs. One of the staffs at the photoshoot remarked that “He left me with a strong impression, he gave even more concentration with every cut, irregardless of the stormy weather.”
Kim Hyun Joong’s interview regarding his thoughts about the new album and variety programme will be published in Star1 August issue, which will be released on 19th July. In the meanwhile, Kim Hyun Joong’s 3rd mini album ‘Round 3′ will be released via online music portals on 22nd July, he will have full scale comeback promotional activities in Korea.
According to Cube Entertainment, BEAST will be releasing their second full-length album “Hard to love, How to love” on 19th July 2013. It has been a year since their last album “Midnight Sun”, BEAST’s 5th mini-album, where they promoted with “Beautiful Night”.
Also, BEAST will hold their “2013 Beautiful Show” Concert on 20th and 21st July 2013 at Seoul Olympic Park Gymnasium, one of Korea’s largest indoor venues. The group is expected to introduce a new song at the concert for the first time!
For this new album, BEAST released the first title song “괜찮겠니” (Will you be alright) in May and the second title song “I’m Sorry” in mid-June. Although the group did not participate in broadcasting activities for these two songs, BEAST did well as their songs topped the music charts.
Cube Entertainment expressed that BEAST will portray a dark image and make use of lyrics, hoping that the public will be able to relate to the songs. The highlight of this second full-length album is that every member took part in the production of the album!
On a side note, INFINITE is also making a comeback around the same time as BEAST, releasing their new “Destiny” mini-album on 16th July 2013. With INFINITE coming back with a darker look too, we can expect wonderful songs and intense competition between the two popular male groups!
Triple S can rejoice, for the month of September will be the month specially for you!JNation Entertainment presents Park Jung Min Beautiful Fan Party In Singapore on September 8 at Zouk!It has been nearly 3 years since Park Jung Min last met fans in Singapore. So don’t miss out this one-night only event. The fan-party will be the first of its kind organized by JNation Entertainment. As the name says, the fan-party promises an up-close opportunity with plenty of interaction time and activities planned. Park Jung Min will also be performing songs off his solo albums.The South Korean singer made his entrance in the entertainment industry as a member of boy group SS501. He also played the leading role of ‘Danny Park’ in the musical Grease, for which he bagged the title of ‘Best New Musical Talent’ in the Golden Ticket Awards.He impressed with his solo debut in January 2011 with a mini-album . In 2012, he made a much-awaited comeback with a self-produced Korean album titled . Venturing into the Japan market, Jung Min continued his solo career under the name ‘Romeo’ and released a Japanese album at the end of 2012.An all-rounder talented artiste, Jung Min has also dabbled in acting and modelling. In 2012, he starred in a leading role in Taiwanese drama.
Tune in to JNation for more updates abkut the event at @JNationent on Twitter.
Source : JNation
Actor and singer Kim Hyun Joong has been suggested for the lead role of Shin Jung Dae in a new KBS drama series, The Age Of Impression, and is considering accepting it. A representative of his agency, Yang Keun Whan, said in an interview with Starnews today that Kim is giving positive consideration to accepting the offer of a role in the series but hasn’t definitely confirmed that yet.”
Kim was supposed to appear in the drama series The City Invasion, but the project was canceled, so he had no choice but to postpone further appearances in TV dramas.
The Age of Impression is based on a graphic novel by Bang Hak Gi. The story is about love, friendship, patriotism, and the desires of young people living in Shanghai, China. It will start airing in November.
The girl group 2NE1 look like the “Beach Girls” in teaser image for their new song. The picture was posted on July 4 on the YG Entertainment official blog, 2NE1 will perform “Falling in Love” for the first time on SBS’s Inkigayo on July 7, a day ahead of its release on July 8. The teaser image shows the girls against a refreshing beachside backdrop, exposing some skin to the sun in their perky summer outfits. Sandara Park stands out with blond-dyed tresses in big curly angel-wing bunches.
“Falling in Love” is a reggae number, an entirely new genre for 2NE1. The girls have completed filming a music video for “Falling in Love” and are rehearsing for their intro performance of the song with a new choreographer from overseas.
F.T. Island has revealed a music video of their 11th Japanese single, “Shiawaseori.” According to a July 3 announcement by F.T. Island’s agency, the music video was taken in Chiba, Japan, and it shows the group’s five members (Choi Jong Hoon, Lee Hong Gi, Lee Jae Jin, Choi Min Hwan, and Song Seung Hyun) singing and playing on a cliff somewhere by the seashore. The beautiful scenery of the sea seen from the cliff is a highlight of the music video.
The title “Shiawaseori” is a combination of the Japanese word shiawase, which means ‘happiness,’ and seori, meaning ‘theory,’ creating a made-up word for ‘theory of happiness.’
The new single will be released on July 24 together with two other songs: “Eyes On Me,” written by Choi Jong Hoon, and “Rainy Day,” written by Choi Min Hwan and Song Seung Hyun.
‘Shiawaseori’ was chosen as the ending theme song of the animated feature-film version of Toriko, which will be released in Japan on July 27.
Kyu Hyun has admitted that he was wrong to use excessively familiar language while emceeing a talk show. In a recent episode of the talk show Happy Together Season 3, which searches for next-generation stars, 4 Minute’s Hyun A, Hur Ga Yoon, Sistar Dasom and So Yoo, Super Junor’s Kyu Hyun, and Super Junior-M’s Henry appeared.
Kyu Hyun, who is an emcee of shows on two major TV networks, introduced himself as a “Chameleon MC” because he often imitates other MCs’ way of talking and behavior, saying “I think I assimilate with others easily. When I’m with Jong Shin, I tend to badger the guests. With Se Yoon, I try to create little comedy routines. Because Kim Gura was back on Radio Star, I realized that I kept using language that’s a bit too familiar.”
In this week’s episode of the talk show, which will be broadcast at 11:20 p.m. today, a method of figuring out how much girl groups weigh is revealed.
Big Pocket Group is excited to announce that they will be bringing 4 Running Man members to Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur will be the next highlight for the most anticipated South Korean Variety show, Running Man. After the international showcase that will be held in HongKong on 13 July 2013, their next stop will be in Star Stage, KWC Fashion Mall on 7th September 2013, The main cast that will perform and entertains fans on stage are Kim Jong Kook, Haha, Gary and Ji Suk Jin
This is a not be missed show as the casts will be showcasing their talents and a few surprises will be added in for the fans. Due to high demand from fans, half of the seat has already been booked and it is expected to be sold out fast due to limited seating.
Big Pocket Group is pleased to announce that for the RACE START! in MALAYSIA RUNNING MAN FAN MEETING ASIA TOUR 2013 showcase will be go on the sale on 20 July 2013. A special ticket launch has been arranged to cater for the expected rush for the tickets once they go on sale and this will be held at 15th Floor of KWC Fashion Mall between 11am – 5pm. Only Premium and VIP Tickets will be available at the launch. Online booking will be available via TicketCharge on 21 July 2013.
For more information on this, follow @bigpocketgroup on Twitter and get the latest announcements from the Big Pocket Group’s facebook page.
Concert, drama and more concerts! Sounds like it has been a busy but amazing year for Hallyu star Kim Hyung Jun. However, despite of his busy schedule, Kim Hyung Jun took some time off to provide fans with some insights into his latest plans.
Over the past month, in between the filming for new drama ‘Gold, Appear Quickly!’, Kim Hyung Jun also held ‘Who Am I’ Live Tour in Japan. The tour kicked start on 31st May in Tokyo, with 3 concerts and meeting 5000 fans in 2 days. Just over the weekend, he has successfully concluded his concert tour in Nagoya in which even more fans were met.
When asked about this recent concert tour in Japan, Kim Hyung Jun said “This time it was held at ZEPP again, instead of choosing a big venue, this venue is medium sized. I was able to have a good performance and meet fans up close. Actually, there’s a concert tour held in Japan every year, this year I have prepared bright songs to enjoy the summer coolly with fans on stage.”
Ending the first half of 2013 with a success, where is he heading to and what is he planning to do next? Kim Hyung Jun revealed “I wish to prepare for a concert tour in Latin America or Asia in the second half of the year. This year I have schedules for drama filming, I will release a new album next year. Please show me love in both fields (drama and music).”
In the meanwhile, Kim Hyung Jun was just appointed as the new face of Korean travel agency ‘Lotte JTB’ and is expected to have Hallyu promotional activities overseas as their representative. Kim Hyung Jun is also currently filming for drama ‘Gold, Appear Quickly!’ and will be holding a birthday party with fans in Korea.
Do check out some photos from his recent concert tour in Japan below!
Source : en.korea.com
Photo Credit : S Plus Entertainment
A new music video of Xiah Junsu singing live and a cappella is currently getting a lot of attention. The singer’s agency, C-JeS Entertainment, says the song, titled “11am,” is from his second solo studio album, to be released on July 15.
The song is about the pain of parting with a loved one, and is sung with raw emotion. The special video clip was released through Loen TV. This is the first time in Korea for such a music video to be recorded live and released unedited.
On the fan board, fans commented favorably about “11am,” saying such things as “The live recording is so impressive!”
According to Loen TV, “The music video is of a performance by Xiah Junsu to reveal loneliness and was done a cappella to make the original vocal color stand out. The singer’s sorrowful vocal conveys fantastic emotions along with the sounds of nature at the site where the clip was shot.”
Couldn’t resist this one at Cafe Goodovening. They’re primarily a cupcake cafe. We have two interesting things going on here.
I ordered one today. Rainy season’s about to hit us hard tomorrow, so I’m getting this one in now while I still have two hands free outside.
It looks pretty much like the picture. The brownies are a little cakey with some walnuts. I had to carefully work my way around the ice cream first so that none of these morsels would be sacrificed to the brick sidewalk gods. Since it’s patbingsu, there were some sweetened red beans, which I like. The nice surprise was the dark espresso flavor under the ice cream. At times I wondered if there were even some whole coffee beans in there. All-in-all a pleasant after-lunch treat.
Source: ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal
Running Man’s Lee Kwang Soo has confirmed his first ever fan-meeting and showcase, and it’ll be in sunny island Singapore!
Prior to the show, Lee Kwang Soo has released a special video message to greet his fans. Revealing his nervous yet excited feelings, Kwang Soo appears chic and cool unlike his comedic image in Running Man. As mentioned, he will be showing a hidden side of him, not seen on television! So catch it first-hand live on August 17.
For first-hand updates, do check out organizer Faith&D’s Facebook page! Stay tuned to Korea.com as we bring you full coverage of the upcoming fan meeting!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: faithndentertainment
Shared from YG Entertainment’s Official Twitter last week, girl group 2NE1 will be coming to G-Dragon‘s ‘ONE OF A KIND’ World Tour in Singapore this coming 29 and 30 June 2013!
Known to have brought guest stars from his label mates in each city he tours, this Singapore visit is not to be missed as 2NE1 has previously came as guests in his Seoul concert more than two months ago and we will expect the same craze and surprising collaborations VIP and Blackjacks must look out for!
Upon the completion of the Singapore visit, they will continue their journey as Mnet Countdown Indonesia‘s main artists line-up.
According to an June 18 announcement by his agency, Cry J Company, Jang Keun Suk is definitely joining the cast of the TV drama series Beautiful Man, which is based on the cartoon written by Chun Gyeo Young. Jang will play Matthew Dokgo, who is regarded as the most beautiful man in the world.
An agency official says, “As soon as Jang reviewed the script, he said ‘This is what I’ve been waiting for.’ He was fascinated by the character.” Jang is preparing for his part and trying to get into good shape for it.
The drama is produced by Group 8, which also produced Boys over Flowers, and Tamna the island.
Super Junior’s Hong Kong concerts, held on June 15 and 16 at AsiaWorld-Expo Arena, were a big success, with a total audience of 24,000 in attendance. The audience went wild as the group showed off the variety and scope of their talent, performing 25 songs, including their hit songs “Sorry Sorry,” “Beauty,” “Mr. Simple,” “Sexy, Free, and Single,” and more.
Especially when the group’s subunit Super Junior-M performed “Breakdown” and “A O,” fans showed even hotter response. When they performed “Shake It Up” and “Rock Star,” the stars jumped around and danced along with the fans.
It has been four years since the 2009 Super Show 2. At the June 15th concert fans held placards that read, “Thank you for visiting here again,” and on the 16th, they read, “See you again.”
According to an announcement by their agency, SM Entertainment, on June 17, “Super Junior wrapped up the Hong Kong concert successfully by appreciating fans’ passion and support. They prepared greetings in Cantonese for the local fans to create a feeling of closeness with them.
The group will continue their world tour on July 6 at Indoor Stadium in Singapore.
Marie Claire is a renowed fashion magazine first published in 1937 in France. Of course it has many international editions and one of them is the Korean one, launched in March 1993.
The cover of the July 2013 issue is the singer Xia Junsu, who will be the first Korean male artist to appear on the cover of Marie Claire.
Since his comeback is in July with the new second album, the issue will be full of photos and an interview where he expresses his real thoughts about the album!
The issue is going to be extremely interesting for his fans so that some Korean online shops are already making pre-sale reservations.
Source: JYJ (EN) Line
Big Bang’s Daesung and Taeyang have been busy with acitivites in Japan recently. Now the title of Daesung’s new upcoming Japanese single has been revealed, as well as the CF which Taeyang had been filming for JSDA.
After the success of his first solo album, “D’scover”, Daesung (known to Japanese fans as D-Lite) has also successfully sold out his first Japanese Tour “D’scover Tour 2013″, which is due to end on on June 18. On June 4 the first mention of a new single had been made, and now more information about Daesung’s upcoming project has been revealed by YG Entertainment.
The new Japanese single is entitled “I Love You” and is essentially a remake of the 1991 original song by Youozaki Yutaka. Daesung’s version will furthermore be the theme song for the Japanese drama “I Love You”, and is the result of a collaboration with famous violinist Taro Hakase. Big Bang’s Official Facebook page also released a photo of Daesung with Taro Hakase, showing the singer’s obvious enthusiasm about working together with such a distinguished musician. The single will be released on July 31.
Meanwhile, Taeyang (known to Japanese fans as SOL) had been busy with another solo project in Japan: filming his first solo CF for Japanese Street Dance Association (JSDA). As reported here previously, Taeyang was chosen to be the visual artist of the CF, which in turn was filmed with an impressive high-speed motion control shooting technique. Indeed, the camera manages to capture the singer’s movements remarkably, using captivating angles and occasional slow motion to create a strong impact. With an entirely black and white concept, nothing distracts from Taeyang’s smooth dance moves, which once again ascertain the singer’s rightful reputation as one of the best dancers in Kpop. Check out the CF here:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Big Bang’s popularity in Japan seems to know no boundaries. In fact, besides the members’ individual activities, the group is also currently planning a six-dome tour in Japan, which is to commence in November. Until then, fans can enjoy Taeyang’s new CF and wait anxiously for Daesung’s new single.
Source: BIGBANG Facebook, BIGBANG YouTube, BIGBANG Official Website
It sure was a rainy and cold day but the handsome boys of CN BLUE warmed the hearts of everyone present in their Open Press Conference at SM Megamall yesterday, June 14. Despite the bad weather, more than a hundred fans came just to see them. The venue was filled with not only the press but also the fans who waited for the group to arrive.
As soon as CN BLUE arrived, the venue was filled with excited screams as this is the first time for both the fans and the group to see each other. The members were dressed stylishly and as soon as they got on stage, they started waving at their fans making them scream some more. The boys definitely enjoyed the response as they even copied it and initiated it through out the interview. The fans definitely weren’t complaining. The press conference was hosted by the beautiful Jinri Park and Kring Elezano.
Source: Korea.com
Wait no more, because the beautiful ladies of SISTAR are back with a new album ‘Give It To Me‘ which consists a total of nine songs with Geeks, Duble Sidekick—who is also one of the people behind the album—and Joohun as featuring artists.
Not only that, SISTAR also treats fans with a music video of “Give It To Me” which further proves their sexy image as they dance a musical-like choreography in fancy dresses. Make sure you watch the music video below to see for yourself!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: Starship TV
The group Kara is going to hold a fan meeting in Korea to keep a promise they made to fans. According to a June 12th report by Kara’s agency, the group will meet their fan club Kamilia at Gyedang Hall in the Sangmyung Art Center, located in Hong-Ji dong, Seoul, on June 13. Kara will spend time with about 1,000 fans who enrolled in advance, with the theme of “Kamilia Awards.”
This event is planned to commemorate “Kamilia Day,” as announced by Kara at a big fan meeting on June 11, 2011, at which Kara decided to make every June 11th an anniversary for Kamilia, whose members always support Kara. In 2012, the meeting was attended by about 400 fans.
A staffer from the agency says, “Even though they are very busy, all the members of Kara will attend the fan meeting to keep the promise they made to fans two years ago. Kara will be the prize winner and fans will be the audience at the awards. There will be a variety of events and performances for the fans.”
The members of Kara are appearing in the drama series Secret Love, produced by Kim Kyu Tae, who is also known for producing That Winter, The Wind Blows.
On June 12, FTIsland’s agency, FNC Entertainment, released a photo of members of the group standing by a truck that is covered with the jacket image of the group’s third Japanese album, Rated FT. The members are taking a break in front of the so-called “FT Car” and have left their autograph on the truck.
From June 10 to 16, the truck is touring several busy city commercial districts in Japan, including Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Omotesando to promote the group’s album.
The album contains eleven songs, including the lead number, “Freedom,” and several songs the members wrote themselves. It will be released soon.
Jung Yong Wha, the leader of CNBlue, greeted his Chinese fans on June 11, posting a message on Weibo (a Chinese site similar to Twitter) that said, “Hi! It’s Yong Wha. I’ve heard there was an SAT in China. I hope you get good results. We’ll have a concert in China soon. I really want to go there soon for the concert as well as to have delicious food. Please expect for us. Take care of your throat so that you can shout at the concert. See you soon!”
He released a photo taken in Australia. In the photo, he is sitting on a lawn. Fans responded after seeing the photo, saying: “I’ve made reservations for the concert.” “Time goes so slow.” “You look like the boy next door.” “Can I see CNBlue’s live concert?”
CNBlue is on their world concert tour under the title of 2013 Cnblue Bluemoon World Tour. They will held a concert in Beijing on June 29.
One more week to go and the popular boy band, CN BLUE will be rocking Manila! Filipino BOICEs, do you have your tickets already?
CN BLUE, is a boy band under FNC Entertainment and label mates with FT Island, AOA and Juniel. The group is comprised of four members namely Yonghwa, Minhyuk, Jungshin and Jonghyun. They will be holding their first ever concert in the Philippines this coming June 15, 2013 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
PULP LIVE WORLD, the producer of the event released a video of these handsome boys greeting their Filipino fans. Watch it below!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: pulpliveworld
Park Yoohwan, Yoochun’s little brother (dongsaeng), appeared on the Japanese magazine Hot Chili Paper, in the June issue.
In the article there’s an interview to him where he talks about Jaejoong. It seems like a continuous compliment to Jaejoong’s kindness, ”obscuring” his real brother Yoochun. In fact in the interview he states that his older brother Yoochun doesn’t like accessories, giving us the reason why he doesn’t like him very much, of course he says everything in a joking way but also laughing.
The key point of the comments about his older brothers are the accessories. Jaejoong is well-known for having an incredible amount of accessories and he’s very generous towards him. When Yoohwan wants to borrow something he says that he really likes the design, so Jaejoong replys with “I’ll give it to you, then” but with the promise that he Yoohwan would send him photos of him wearing the accessories as proofs. He adds also that he’s not going to return Jaejoong‘s accessories, just like a good dongsaeng (little brother)!
In addition Yoochun and Jaejoong are featuring in the same issue.
Sources: DBSK/TVXQ/JYJ ITALIA, JYJ3
Although June 6th is Kim Hyun Joong’s birthday, it was actually the artist who gave a present to his fans.
The singer surprised everyone on his birthday by releasing a single entitled, “The Reason I Live” (aka “Why I’m Alive”). The lovely ballad expresses his appreciation to the fans which have supported him so faithfully over the years.
Although fans had been expecting the release of the singer’s “Tonight” album, most of them were surprised and grateful for the singer’s single released for his birthday.
The singer will perform the song for the first time in public on June 8th at a fan meeting in Seoul. June 8th is also the anniversary of the group ss501, of which Kim Hyun Joong is the leader. Several of the members have made comments lately which hint at a reunion, so some fans are wondering if the rest of the band members will be making a surprise visit at the “2013 KHJ Show- Party People,” since it coincides with the group’s anniversary as well.
The release of the single comes on the heels of a special event KHJ held in Tokyo, where he spent approximately 6 hours shaking the hands of over 8,000 fans. Reports say the singer even showed concern for his fans standing outside in the hot sun and asked them to be escorted inside. Time after time, the talented singer and actor has expressed his gratitude to his fans and continues to show his appreciation by these special events and surprises. Along with his many talents, his humility and true appreciation for his fans continue to earn him more support and respect from Kpop fans around the globe.
We wish Kim Hyun Joong a very happy birthday and many years of continued success!
Check out the new single below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Video Source: BublleFeetGravityCH9
Photo Credit: wink860606
Yesterday, June 4th, was Park Yoochun’s birthday. Fans from all over the world gathered together in order to celebrate this special event. They organized birthday parties, meetings but also donations for charity projects. There were also Chinese fans, from the community Baidu, who showed a billboard in Seoul’s Hongdae entrance subway station.
His agency, C-Jes Entertainment reported “Fans from all over the world are celebrating Park Yoochun’s birthday. Not only in Asia, but also in South American countries. Fans there gather together to celebrate his birthday and do different activities, from tasting Korean food in fan meetings to donating to charitable causes.”
Yoochun’s fame is well known worldwide as evidenced by also the twitter trend #28thYuchunDay, which was on the top on Universal trends and #Happy28thParkYuchun, first in Indonesia,Japan,Singapore and Malaysia. Moreover also some famous Korean stars, such as Kim SoHyun (actress) and the film critic Shim Youngseop, wished him a happy birthday through their twitter account.
Meanwhile JYJ’s members, Jaejoong and Junsu, had a surprise party for him, as they let us know through JYJ Official LINE. Jaejoong also sang a song for him : ” Happy birthday to you ~~ Happy birthday to you ~~ Happy birthday dear Yuchun ~~~” asking to sing it together with him.
Sources : JYJ Official Facebook Account, DongA.com, JYJ LINE, DBSK/TVXQ/JYJ ITALIA Facebook page.
On 3rd June, Kim Hyun Joong’s agency Keyeast has released the news that the singer’s new digital single ‘나 살아있는 건’ (Translated title : My reason why I’m living) will be available via online music portals from 6th June at noon.
Previously, Kim Hyun Joong was busy with overseas activities (Asia Tour and a National Tour in Japan) Feeling sorry to fans in Korea, the song is going to be released on his birthday (6th June) as a special present for Korean fans.
As he was busy with activities in Japan and not so active in korea. He will be giving this song as a special present to fans. It is also revealed that the song will be a traditional ballad with a sweet melody and accompanied by Kim Hyun Joong’s sweet voice. Using lyrics such as “the reason why I’m living is because of the love from you” to thank fans for their continous love and support for him.
In the meanwhile, Kim Hyun Joong will be holding a fanmeet -’KHJ Show Party People’, in Korea on 8th June.
Source : en.korea.com
Photo Credit : Keyeast
Big Bang member Daesung, known in Japan as D-Lite, has sold out his Japanese tour and appears to have plans to release a new single next month.
Daesung released his first solo album, “D’scover”, in Japan on February 27, 2013. It consists mainly of remakes of well-known Japanese songs, as well as Japanese versions of his original songs “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Wings”. The album effectively showcases Daesung’s powerful vocal abilities. It now seems that Daesung, known to Japanese fans as D-Lite, is working on a new Japanese single which is to be released on July 31. The picture above has been released today and has sparked the curiosity of fans, with the words “New Single 2013.07.31 Release!!” clearly indicating the singer’s comeback at the end of next month.
Meanwhile, Daesung is currently completing his Japanese Tour, “D’scover Tour 2013″, which started on March 23 and is due to finish on June 18. Due to high demand, over 20 additional tour dates were added by YGEX, all of which have been sold out. This was highlighted in a short spot which Big Bang’s official YouTube channel released today.
Click here to view the embedded video.
There is no doubt about Daesung’s huge popularity in Japan, and we are looking forward to learning more about this new upcoming project of his.
Source: BIGBANG’s Official YouTube, nazoyo.com
Super Junior’s Kyuhyun continues to amaze people with his smooth vocals on his latest single, “Love Dust.”
The gorgeous song is the 2nd lineup for the special project album of talented composer Hwang Sungjae. The Hwang Sungjae Project Album “Superhero” celebrates the 15th anniversary of the composer’s debut.
The album will include a total of 10 songs which were recorded in the past by other famous artists. However, the songs will be remastered and recorded by new singers.
“Love Dust” was previously recorded by the Bubble Sisters in 2006. The composer says that Kyuhyun maintains the original feeling of the song but that his version is “more concise and warm.”
Without a doubt, Kyuhyun does indeed deliver a wonderful rendition of the song with his beautiful phrasing and flawless vocals. As with other solo recordings such as ”Late Autumn”, Kyuhyun once again shows us that he goes far beyond being a handsome face in a popular boy band. He is an extremely talented musician and a true artist.
The first single to be recorded for the project album was “Atlantis Princess” by Park Jung Hyun, a song made famous by BOA. The next line up for the album is yet to be announced.
To check out an interview and behind the scenes footage for the making of “Love Dust,” watch the video below. The last video features the full length song as recorded by Kyuhyun.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Video Credit: mykikiikyu6
According to an official from his agency, Song Joong Gi is currently considering a role he’s been offered in Bong Joon Ho’s latest cinematic project, Sea Fog. Song has come to be regarded as one of the most prominent actors in the movie industry since he starred in Werewolf Boy, a big hit that drew a total audience of seven million. The drama series No Such Thing as Nice Guys, in which he appeared last year, has also cemented his reputation.
While he is between gigs and considering his next move, Song is thinking about whether to work together with the renowned Korean director Bong Joon Ho, whose movie Snow Country Train is soon to be released. Other movies Bong is known for include The Memory of Murder, Monster, and Mother.
Sea Fog is based on a 2007 play with the same title about the crew of a smuggling ship who experience tragedy and madness at sea.
According to an announcement made by local media on May 26, Girls Generation received an explosive welcome from Taiwanese fans when the K-pop stars visited Taiwan for a concert. The airport was packed with fans and local media. When the female stars left the place, it caused a lot of congestion because of the crowds of people wanting to see the Korean stars.
Soo Young couldn’t come, because of other engagements. Most of the other members wore sunglasses, without makeup. They pleased fans with their comfortable but stylish looks.
Four Korean idol groups performed at the Happy 4 Kpop Concert in Taiwan, held in Taipei on May 26: Girls’ Generation, EXO, ZE:A 5, and BTOB.
Lee Hyori made an appearance in the recent episode of ‘Barefoot Friends’. Lee Hyori, who was from the same agency as Kim Hyun Joong, asked him “I saw on a programme that you have changed your ideal type?“.
Kim Hyun Joong who has revealed his ideal type to be Lee Hyori previously, quickly denied and said “It did not change!“. However, Lee Hyori continued to ask Kim Hyun Joong, “Just say it!“. To which Hyun Joong appear to stammer but denied immediately!
Members also bursted into laughter when Eun Hyuk remarked “Kim Hyun Joong likes the young Lee Hyori” and Hyori reacted by attempting to kick him.
Source : en.korea.com
The members of B2ST show off a mature attractiveness all dressed up in dark suits. Their agency has released a photo for the title song of their latest album, Will You Be Okay? The six present an image of strong masculine beauty, but also with tragic tones.
Their classic suits emphasize maturity at the same time as revealing the individuality of each member. Overall, there’s a soft charisma about the picture.
“Will you be okay?” is a ballad written by Yong Jun Hyung and Kim Tae Joo. The song is to be released at noon on May 29. B2ST’s dramatic voice color, which has matured, exudes sadness, arousing sympathy.
A staffer of the group’s agency says, “B2ST have released not only dance songs but also a series of ballads, which widens their spectrum of musical genres. With their first studio album, B2ST topped the chart with the song “On Rainy Days.” In the last album, they cover the lyrical song “Midnight,” making victorious inroads into the ballad genre.”
B2ST have given notice that they will be back performing in July. Starting with the release of “Will You Be Okay?” on May 29, the group will proceed with a special meeting with fans in June and a solo concert in July.
Lee Jong Hyun, a member of the idol boy band CNblue (Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Jong Hyun, Kang Min Hyuk, and Lee Jung Shin) gave his thoughts on the group’s concert with a picture tweeted on May 26, with the caption: “Hello. This is Jong Hyun, the guitarist. We thank you for making this a wonderful night. We will always be waiting here. Come see us at any time.” In the photo, CNblue members are huddled together in front of the camera, wearing black T-shirts with the title of the concert, Blue Moon, on them. The group members seem to be cheerful about the great time they had with the audience.
Seeing this photo, netizens reacted: “The concert was frantically entertaining. It was the best!” “I was touched.” “I was there, too.” “Thank you for making a wonderful night.”
Starting from the concert in Taiwan on April 6, CNblue held their concert series 2013 World Tour Blue Moon and have ended it successfully, with tickets sold out every day in Singapore and Taiwan.
So far, the concert tour has attracted 12,000 fans, and CNblue ended the current series of concerts at Seoul Jamsil Indoor Stadium, on May 25 and 26. The group is going to continue the world tour in Melbourne, Australia, on May 31 and in Sydney on June 1.
On May 27, IU’s agency, Loen Entertainment, made an official announcement about the rumor that IU will marry a well-known singer. The rumor is based on a document circulating widely in the securities industry.
The announcement said: “We regret to hear that a document that has no basis in truth is circulating widely, making people believe a lie. We have requested a police investigation to find the writer of the document and the person or persons who have circulated it. We intend to take legal action against them. We have also requested an investigation of those who wrote malicious comments on the Internet and will take strong legal action in this case too. This is to protect our artist from being badly affected by the harmful messages. We ask you politely not to write reports based on presumptions and exaggerations.”
Kim Hyun Joong’s 2nd teaser ‘Cappuccino’ was revealed for his 3rd single album ‘Tonight’, which will be released on 5th June.
Regarding the song ‘Cappuccino’, Kim Hyun Joong commented that “This is a song with a fun feeling and a humorous atmosphere. I even did extra studies in order to take full advantage of reggae style rhythm.”
As for the concept of the MV, Kim Hyun Joong remarked “This MV incorporates fun and witty elements to match the concept of the song. In addition, CG effects were used. The most interesting part is at the latter part of the MV, in which it will make people to have an urge to join the party”.
Please look forward to ‘Tonight’ album version B in which the full MV can be found.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source : Universal Music Japan
Actor Zo In Sung of the the popular melo-drama That Winter, The Wind Blows recently embarked on a promotional tour to Malaysia and Singapore last week. The tour was in line with the drama being aired on Channel ONE (SingTel mio TV Ch 513, 604 / StarHub TV Ch 823, 876, 124).
Being the first time that the 31-year-old actor is visiting Singapore, he met up with members of the media for a press conference followed by the meet-and-greet event with fans at Suntec City Mall. Despite the hectic back-to-back schedule and having just arrived from Malaysia, Zo In Sung’s cheery smile never left his face.
The mall was quickly filled up with close to 4,000 fans, all prepared with cameras in hand waiting to capture a timeless memory of the charismatic actor. Prior to his appearance, emcee Pei Fen (93.3FM DJ) handpicked 6 couples to compete on stage. What better game is there than re-enacting the romantic cotton candy scene!
The top 3 couples had to re-enact the scene in front of the actor himself, thereafter getting a polaroid picture with him. Showing his romantic gentlemanly side, Zo requested for a photo with the female contestants and posed intimately as he did with his leading female Song Hye Kyo. Hugs, heart signs, and that cheeky smirk gets any lady’s heart thumping for sure!
Lucky subscribers of ONE who won passes also received a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get up-close and personal with Zo In Sung on stage that evening, getting a polaroid couple shot as well.
He indeed deserves top marks for fan-service. With a personal mission to make eye-contact with as many people, Zo In Sung scanned the crowd thoroughly whilst flashing his smile and victory signs.
Photo credit: ONE
Zo In Sung’s visit is the fifth promotional tour organized by ONE, following actor Jang Hyuk in January 2011 to promote Midas; Lee Dong Wook and Kim Sun-Ah in December 2011 for Scent of A Woman; K-pop boy group BTOB in June 2012 to perform in Jakarta; and budding actor Lee Hyun Woo in promotion of To the Beautiful You in October 2012.
Who do you wish for ONE to bring on their next promotional tour?
Hint after hint was given before YG Entertainment officially announced that 2NE1‘s leader CL will be releasing her solo single “The Baddest Female“, which was previously titled as “Bad Girl“, and to hype it up, a photo teaser has been revealed.
Just as her usual on-stage image, CL looks fearless in a warrior-like black outfits and accessories in the photo, making fans curious about what concept will be accompanying her upcoming single that’s described as a “Slow hip-hop track, which is not much different from a ballad, that combines CL’s powerful rap with dubstep and modern sound.”
Who else is anticipating what CL will deliver?
Source: YG Family
Kim Kyu Jong, Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Jun met up recently and tweeted some pictures of the three ss501 members together.
With Heo Young Saeng’s recent comments about his hopes for the future of ss501, people have already been talking about the possibility of a reunion. In one of the pictures however, the group’s maknae Kim Hyung Jun made a comment which left people wondering if there is really a reunion in the works. His comment loosely translates, “Before coming together as ss501. Coming soon!”
With Kim Kyu Jong currently fulfilling his military duty and the news that Kim Hyung Jun will be entering the service next year, it makes you wonder how the group will be able to reunite and if it truly is a possibility.
What do you think? Do you think there is a real possibility of ss501 reuniting any time soon?
Check out the pictures below to see what the guys tweeted.
Source: Twitter 2kjdream, hyungjun87, and jungmin0403
EXO is going to have their release, XOXO soon and they finally came out with a video teaser.
EXO (Photo: SM Entertainment)
This will probably the title track of the album. It is titled “늑대와 미녀 (Wolf and Beauty)” or simply just “Wolf” in English.
EXO (SM ENTERTAINMENT)
In early 2013, the song “Wolf” has been leaked out and many fans were anticipating their release. Now, people were surprised that the song will really be included and perhaps the title track of the album as the song wasn’t really well-received.
EXO (SM ENTERTAINMENT)
There were many fans like the song as the song is very different and unique from K-pop tunes these days.
EXO (Photo: SM ENTERTAINMENT)
See also:
EXO Comeback Teaser Pictures
EXO-K Profile
EXO-K THE FACE SHOP
EXO-K vs BtoB vs NU’EST
Source: Seoul Awesome: Your K-blog
The first teaser for Kim Hyun Joong’s latest music video has been released. The song is entitled “I Can’t Erase Only You” and is the 2nd track on the Japanese single album. The end of the teaser also shows a quick glimpse of another music video, which appears to be the album’s 3rd track, “Cappuccino.”
The video shows KHJ singing in a field with his band, while the main storyline of the MV centers around a young man and woman. In some comments released about the MV, Kim Hyun Joong states that it has a ”drama concept that mixes the story of men and women passing each other.” He also went on to reveal that he and his band shot their scenes in Jeju Island, while the actors filmed their scenes in Tokyo.
The song has a slightly more indie feel to it, with a softer melody and different vibe than some of his last songs. According to KHJ, it has a tune of a quiet atmosphere which excludes the glitz, a song which channels British rock.
The album will be released on June 5th and also includes the title song, “Tonight.” This will be Kim Hyun Joong’s 3rd Japanese single.
Source: Universal Music Japan
Photo Credit: Lotte Duty Free
According to an announcement made by their agency on May 21, the duo UV (Yoo Se Yoon and Muzi) will hold concerts on May 24 and 25 and Kim Hyun Joong has agreed to perform as a special guest, at Yoo’s invitation. Kim is currently appearing in Barefoot Friends on SBS along with Yoo.
Kim will show a different side of himself, attuning with UV, at the concert. Through his agency, Yoo has said, “Kim Hyun Joong is a true friend of mine. I feel grateful to him for accepting my invitation to perform, in spite of his busy schedule.”
In addition to Kim, other artists will also be joining the concert as special guests. The UV concerts on May 24 and 25, titled “Kkachi and Hani,” will including a show using black light and performances using acoustic instruments.
According to several Chinese media reports, made on May 21, Choi Si Won of Super Junior has proved himself to have strong personal connections by attending the wedding ceremony of his media partner, Wang Ker, the vice chairman of EE Media, one of the biggest entertainment companies in China.
He is known to have good personal connections because he is a well-known member of the popular group Super Junior and has acted several times on the screen. Besides Choi, several MCs of the most popular Chinese entertainment program attended the ceremony. Choi took photos with Chinese stars and posted them on Weibo (Chinese Twitter).
Super Junior successfully finished their Super Show 5 tour in South America and will continue in China and Japan.
After more than a year without a comeback to followup their explosive debut with ‘MAMA‘ in 2012, SM Entertainment‘s newest boy group EXO, which consists of two sub-groups EXO-K and EXO-M, is finally making their way to please the fans with a new full-length album titled ‘XOXO (Kiss & Hug)‘.
Following the two yearbook-like photo teasers that were released yesterday, today fans are treated with two new group shots of EXO-K and EXO-M in colorful shirts and a black-and-white photo of EXO as a whole in suits. More teasers are expected to be revealed until their comeback date, so stay tuned for more!
Source: SMTownGlobal
Super Junior gains its ”world’s biggest boy band” title by having the most
number of members in a group than any other male groups in the music
industry around the world. The title goes well with another biggest achievement
complementarily, by having E.L.F as the biggest fandom among all K-pop fandoms.
The biggest boy band had once reached their record of 13 members in total,
which includes Leeteuk (leader), Siwon, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Yesung, Ryeowook,
Shindong, Sungmin, Heechul, Kangin, Kibum, Kyuhyun and Hangeng in their
“Sorry Sorry” days, later on with the addition of Zhoumi and Henry in Super
Junior M, which gives a sum of 15 members as in overall. However, their number
of members is getting lesser due to various unavoidable circumstances such as
enlistment, acting career and internal/personal issue.
Hangeng left Super Junior due to his dissatisfaction with SM Entertainment under
some internal/personal issue with the company. Kibum went enthusiastically into
his acting career. Likewise any other male Koreans, Super Junior could not detach
themselves from the honorable enlistment duty for their country. The members
take turns to fulfill their duty. Right after the return of Kangin, Leeteuk went for
his enlistment. Yesung as well, has joined the military service recently. Alternately,
Heechul will finish his duty and is expected to join Super Junior in August.
Unfortunately sometimes Siwon too, might not be joining the members in certain
performances due to his busy acting career.
Obviously, the curse of enlistment has left all K-pop fans desperate. The absence
of their bias during their military service is aching the hearts of millions fans around
the world. And yet, patience is the only way to cope with and need not to be taught.
The fans know the best.
Although Super Junior might fail to withhold its honor title with their decreasing
members in the future, ELFs will never abandon Super Junior. Similarly, Super Junior
will always repay ELFs for their magnificent love and support given to them by giving
them their quality performance and the best of Super Junior.
Image Source: Google Image
According to a report by his agency on May 20, Zo In Sung is departing the same day on a four-day three-night trip to promote the popular drama series That Winter, The Wind Blows (written by No Hee Kyung, directed by Kim Kyu Tae), which ended at the beginning of April.
Zo is heading to Malaysia. After an interview with the local media, Zo will meet local fans at the Paradigm Shopping Mall in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Moving on to Singapore, Zo will greet fans at the Suntec City Shopping Mall, after another interview with reporters.
Zo was already well known throughout Asia for the drama Something Happened in Bali and Spring Days, and recently he has received greater attention when That Winter, The Wind Blows aired in Southeast Asia.
A staffer connected to the promotion says, ”That Winter, The Wind Blows aired Singapore and Malaysia at the same time, from March 13 to May 2, and it was tremendously popular. The local media have expressed high expectations for Zo In Sung, and he enjoys the passionate support of fans.”
That Winter, The Wind Blows, having already in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan will soon be seen in countries throughout Asia.
B.A.P’s Himchan and Jongup took a break while visiting New York City for a concert.
“First time on Twitter in a while!” he posted earlier today. “Keke, taking a break in New York and snapped a photo with Jongup.”
The photo shows Himchan and Jongup posing with two of New York’s ubiquitous ‘Liberty Ladies’, actors or actresses dressed up to resemble the city’s famous Statue of Liberty. Standing tall with red, white, and blue draped around their shoulders, they look positively American! (‘Murica!)
TVXQ’s Yunho tried out a look he’s never tried before!
Usually, we’re used to seeing Yunho fierce and strong, but for ‘High Cut’ he decided to go for a more innocent, and – dare I say it – helpless look. Instead of the masculine image he usually has on, he went for a more young, boyish image with shorts and scarves.
During the interview, he talked about his drama ‘Queen of Ambition’, where he said, “While I was filming, I thought I was so lucky. The sunbaes just all watched at first, but when we got close, I learned so much. I especially got close with Kwon Sang Woo hyung, and he really took good care of me.”
On reaching their 10th anniversary soon, he said, “You can’t help but be lonely when you become a sunbae. I want to break away from that, so every time a new album comes out, I go around personally to hoobae’s waiting rooms and give them our CD.”
He also said, “I would have married about now [if I wasn’t a celebrity]. I wanted to marry when my parents did, but that age has already passed. Realistically, I don’t think it’s time yet. I’ll get married when I can be responsible for someone and I’m definitely married.”
What do you think about this look for him?
Singer and ‘Running Man’ star Kim Jong Kook proudly displayed his chiseled legs on the latest episode of ‘Running Man’.
The newest broadcast saw the ‘Running Man’ members – along with guests Uhm Jung Hwa and Kim Sang Kyung – chasing after the ‘betrayers club’ of HaHa, Ji Suk Jin, and Lee Kwang Soo, who had run away with the grand prize that was supposed to be given with the winner.
One of the missions along the way to apprehending the culprits was gathering as many inner tubes as possible and stacking them on their team’s side of the playing field. Kim Jong Kook took the time to layer them on himself, which, combined with the shorts he had been wearing, gave the (not unpleasant) effect that he wasn’t wearing any pants at all!
Drawing the viewers’ attention to his fit and tanned legs, the ‘Commander’ definitely gained a few more female fans this episode, we’re sure.
Check out the full episode below!
2PM’s Jun.K posted a photo to his Twitter showing his gratitude for their fans’ thoughtful gifts.
Clustered around at table at a waiting room backstage, Jun.K’s photo shows the 2PM members gathered around a feast of a meal prepared by Hottests in support for their long-awaited comeback. Although all of the members look amazing, Taecyeon particularly wows with his baby face and stuffed cheeks!
2PM, who has made a comeback with “Grown”, has been continuing promotions for their new albums on music shows.
Actor Jo Jung Suk revealed his ideal type to be none other than his ’You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin‘ co-star IU!
On the May 18th broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Entertainment Relay‘, Jo Jung Suk became the next celebrity to play the game, ‘ideal type world cup’. Among the beautiful contenders, miss A‘s Suzy, IU, 4minute‘s HyunA, 2NE1‘s CL, Lee Yoon Ji, Kim Yuna, Lee Na Young, and Song Hye Gyo, Jo Jung Suk had a hard time deciding between four of them.
The actor chose IU, CL, Lee Yoon Ji, and Lee Na Young as his top four and in the final round of Lee Yoon Ji vs. IU, he ended up giving the ‘ideal type’ crown to his co-star IU.
Jo Jung Suk said his parting words to Lee Yoon Ji, “I hope you understand. You understand me right?” To IU, he shared, “I hope you don’t think, ‘Why did oppa pick me?’, and you got the crown.”
Do you agree with Jo Jung Suk’s pick? Who would win your ‘ideal type world cup’?
Watch Jo Jung Suk’s budding onscreen romance with his ideal type, IU, on ‘You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin’ every Saturday and Sunday.
K-pop is invading the world! Agree or not, K-pop becomes one of the fastest
growing leading successor within worldwide’s music industry.
More and more K-pop rookies made their debut every year. Many of these
rookies did not turn out to look like a rookie at all due to their 360 degree
flawless preparation during their training period before debut.
Many of them performed like they have been in the K-pop music industry for
experienced years instead of amateurs who lacked in many things. Some
good examples would be such as B.A.P, EXO, Hello Venus and many more.
Many of them are able to stand out among senior artists, having superb stage
performance and even having their first world tour after short period of debut.
As we can see, the rookies are no longer rookies. They are capable of anything
and able to gain fame and love from fans with expanding fandoms and received
great attention. As a conclusion, K-pop kingdom is now being dominated with
high quality K-pop idols and groups each year.
Can you think of anyone who fits into this category?
Image Source: Google Image
Kim Hyun Joong finally ‘exploded’ because of the intense labour!
In the recent episode of SBS’s “Barefoot Friends”, Kim Hyun Joong’s mission was to live like a normal Indonesian for 24 hours.
Kim Hyun Joong earned the most out of his team, by doing labour such as carrying heavy baskets loaded with fruits. Although the amount he has earned is enough to make him a rich man in Indonesia, however, in order to make a saving even after paying for accomodation and food, Kim Hyun Joong worked until late night.
Kang Ho Dong and JongShin used excuses such as “a handsome person does everything handsomely” to make Kim Hyun Joong work. To this, Kim Hyun Joong finally “exploded” and through his hat onto the floor, causing members to burst into laughter.
Source : en.korea.com
Although SS501′ member Kim Kyu Jong is currently serving in army, but he is not forgetting the important days! On 16th May, Kim Kyu Jong tweeted “SS501 mansae!!! hehehehehet”, followed by another tweet “2900 days, the day is coming very soon heehee~ see you”.
Turns out, it has been 2900 days since SS501 debuted, many fans commented on his tweet, saying “You are the president of TripleS”, “Oppa, are you a ss501 member or are you really a fan like us ^^” and “waiting for ss501 to comeback!”.
Source : en.korea.com
Earlier today, One Foundation revealed via Chinese social platform -Weibo, that hallyu star Kim Hyun Joong has made a donation of 100 million Won to victims of Ya’an earthquake in China. Ya’an earthquake, also known as Lushan earthquake happened on the 20th of April, it was said to be the most traumatizing disaster for China in 2013. The earthquake has resulted in at least 196 people dead, 24 missing and at least 11,826 injured.
On weibo, One Foundation confirmed the receive of donation from Kim Hyun Joong and promised everyone to make good use of the money in reconstruction of affected areas. With the donation made, Kim Hyun Joong also wishes that victims in Ya’an could be blessed.
In response to this, fans on various social platforms left messages praising Kim Hyun Joong of his good deed, such as – “He did this once again, I’m proud to be his fan.” , “He is always reaching out to those in need!” and “He knows how to give back to the society, really proud of him!” etc.
Indeed, Kim Hyun Joong is known to be a charitable man as he has made various donations to people in need throughout the past few years, such as donating to victims of Japan earthquake, World Vision and Abierta’s House of Friendship in Philippines.
Source : en.korea.com
When it comes to Korean food, what do you think of? Kimchi. Kimchi is a so-called
must have dish in every Korean meal, whether it is used as the main ingredient of
the dishes or just simply an additional appetizer or an authentic side dish.
No doubt kimchi plays a very important role in all Korean food. The most common
Korean food which easily come across our mind would be Bibimbap, Bulgogi, Kimchi
Jiggae and Korean Pancake. Whether like it or not, Kimchi is served to you without
special request.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of vegetables, chili paste and spices.
Koreans eat it everyday, throughout their life. Its recipe was similar in every different
types of Kimchi. However, it can be made of raddish, cabbage and a variety of vegetables,
all mixed thoroughly in a big tray and kept as a pickled dish, as if it will definitely come in
handy in every meal preparation.
Korean food is generally perceived as healthy due to the large ratio of vegetables used
alongside with every main dish. However, some might think Korean food as unhealthy
because large portion of ingredients used was pickled and prepared with excessive
salt. The debate rooted in different opinions.
What is your opinion on Korean food?
Image Source: Google Image
Lee Seung Gi really does deserves every compliment he gets!
For Teacher’s Day in Korea, he wasn’t able to go to class because he was busy filming ‘Book of the House of Gu‘, which is currently the top drama in its time slot. So instead, he gifted the 50-60 Masters/Doctorates students and professors at the Dongguk University Culture Contents Graduate School a feast at a restaurant.
The school was delighted and said, “We didn’t have a separate event for Teacher’s Day at school, but we had our first event in years thanks to Lee Seung Gi. He prepared the highest quality food, and the manager stayed until the last person left and took care of everything.”
This really is how top stars should be!
Brian revealed his ideal type as the actress with timeless beauty, Choi Ji Woo, and even sent her a proposal!
On the upcoming episode of Life N‘s ‘Ruby Slipper‘, Brian entered a coffee shop and noticed the many autographed mugs, sharing, “[The coffee shop] must have a lot of celebrity visitors.”
When he discovered Choi Ji Woo’s signature on a cup, Brian shared, “Choi Ji Woo is totally my ideal type. I’ve been a fan of her since high school.” When Kim Jun Hee joked, “We’re also celebrities, so why are you being like this. It makes me embarrassed.” Her comment didn’t seem to faze Brian, and he proposed to Choi Ji Woo right at that moment, saying to the camera, “What does it matter. She is my ideal type. Ji Woo, I will wait for you at the coffee shop. Let’s get married.”
Brian has been a busy bachelor with the launch of his own entertainment agency, B You Entertainment.
Let’s hope Choi Ji Woo is watching when Brian’s full proposal airs on the 17th at 11 PM KST!
YG Entertainment has a special announcement for Blackjacks on 2NE1‘s 4th anniversary!
As you know, to celebrate the special occasion, YG Entertainment‘s official blog YG-Life posted a 4th anniversary poster for the girls. The poster reads, “ARE YOU READY?”, and it’s now confirmed that those words are meant to not only prepare fans for CL‘s solo debut on May 28th, but 2NE1′s comeback as a whole as well!
Rumors have been circulating for a while that the group’s comeback may happen after CL’s solo single promotions, and they have turned out to be accurate!
YG Entertainment stated regarding the poster, “It’s a teaser that embodies CEO Yang Hyun Suk‘s goal to make this year 2NE1′s golden year,” as well as, “Although 2NE1′s official comeback date hasn’t been confirmed yet, the girls will be releasing a new song.”
So, “ARE YOU READY?” for 2NE1′s comeback?
If you’ve been awaiting more news on Lee Min Ho‘s first album, then you’re in luck as he’s revealed some details!
He revealed his jacket image for ‘My Everything‘ on the 16th, and fans are looking forward to the album more than ever! Even though he’s busy acting, he’d always taken time to sing for his fans during his fanmeetings. Fans loved it so much that requests were endless for an album, and he decided to celebrate his 7th anniversary with one!
His label said, “He wanted to show something he’d never been able to before, and he wanted his fans to enjoy his music and approach them comfortably. This album’s concept is ‘communication with fans’.”
The album will contain 7 song including “My Everything“, “Without You“, “Love Motion“, “My Little Princess“, and “You & I“. The album will also have a special making DVD and a photoshoot.
The release will take place on the 22nd!
As you all know by now, EXO is finally getting ready to return after what seems like forever, and they’re continuing the excitement with more photos!
Ahead of the boys’ first full length album, ‘XOXO (Kiss&Hug)‘, coming up, the group has unveiled a new set of group teasers showing the boys shedding their school uniforms for a more casual, sporty attire, going from the model-student image to a more rambunctious group of students!
As mentioned earlier, EXO-K and EXO-M will be promoting as EXO (that means all 12 members) this time around and travel back and forth between Korea and China to promote!
We’ll be greeted with a new teaser each day most likely up until the release, so make sure you’re on the lookout!
Yoon Gun has returned with the release of his theme song for his own TV series ‘Yoon Gun’s British Memories‘.
The talented singer should have you reminiscing back on 90s rock music with this track that incorporates elements from that period with its piano riff and guitar sounds.
Check it out below as well as a short 30 sec MV teaser!
Jinwoon and Star Love Fish have revealed a new song for the upcoming music event ‘Strawberry X-treme Festival‘, in which the two will be performing.
Various artists are already lined for this event, taking place starting June 13th, including the mentioned two as well as Baek Ji Young, Dok2, Ailee, and more.
In addition to the festival, various songs will be released from the participating artists, and revealed today is Jinwoon and Star Love Fish’s collab track, “Words I Couldn’t Say“.
Take a listen below!
Acoustic Version
IU celebrates her birthday today, May 16th!
IU’s reps shared on her official Facebook, “Today is an exciting day because it’s IU’s 21st (20 international age) birthday! Congratulations! Let’s all be excited together!!!! Please congratulate her.” IU also previously updated her fan cafe with a message of thanks for the early birthday presents given by fans.
Fans congratulated the singer commenting, “I am watching your drama well. Happy birthday, Soon Shin!”, “Congrats. I can’t wait to hear your next album”, and “I love you, IU!”
IU plans to return with new music after her KBS 2TV drama ‘You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin‘, so continue to get your dose of the singer every weekend until then!
Happy birthday, IU!
Tip: allison
The longest running idol group in K-pop, Shinhwa, have achieved another milestone with their 11th album ‘The Classic‘ which is now available for your listening pleasure!
Shinhwa has recruited the best of the best for their comeback with the composer behind their previous single “Venus”, Andrew Jackson‘s team as well as Samuel Waermo, Robert Vadadi, Lee Hyori‘s “Ten Minutes” composer Kim Do Hyun, Ahn Young Min, Shinhwa’s “Once In A Lifetime” composer Brian Kim, and more.
Their title track “This Love” features a trendy beat that will have music lovers grooving along. The group will also go where no idol has gone before with their ‘voguing dance’ choreography, which fans will get to see on ‘M! Countdown‘ later today!
Without further ado, take a listen to the songs and watch the MV for “This Love” below!
Geurae (“Yes”)
A Guy You Know
Scarface
New Me
While Laughing…
Mannequin
Hurricane
I Gave You
Love Song
Tickets for the G-DRAGON 1st WORLD TOUR 2013: ONE OF A KIND IN MALAYSIA concert went on sale on 11th May 2013 at a special ticket launch event at Fahrenheit88 and here’s a short update on the event. In the meantime, here are some pointers about the event:
RITS website: www.runningintothesun.com
EXO is coming back! You better believe it because it’s really actually confirmed this time around with the release of teaser photos!
They’ll be presenting their fans, who have been waiting for ages, with their first full length album, ‘XOXO (Kiss&Hug)‘!
To tease you all, the boys of EXO-K and EXO-M have teamed up for teaser photos that look much like something you’d see in a school yearbook!
It’s said that the 12 members will promote together traveling back and forth between Korea and China to once again show off powerful stages that are sure you make you swoon all over again.
Starting on the 17th, individual teasers will be released one by one, so stay tuned for more to come!
2013 is off to a great start in K-pop with the return of some of the top acts in the music industry. Even though digital sales have been steadily taking over the physical album sales, this year many idols have enjoyed high album sales.
The ranking isn’t exactly scientific as album releases vary by date, and certain albums have more than one part or include repackage editions. But still, when’s a ranking ever not fun?
Here is a list of the top 10 artists who sold the most albums in 2013 so far from January 1 to April 30 courtesy of Gaon:
1. SHINee
283,189 albums sold (Part 1 & Part 2)
‘Dream Girl: Misconceptions of You‘ released February 2
Why So Serious?: Misconceptions of Me‘ released April 26
SM Entertainment
2. Girls’ Generation
282,760 albums sold
‘I Got a Boy‘ released January 1
SM Entertainment
3. Jaejoong
206,740 albums sold (EP & Repackaged Album)
‘I‘ released January 17
‘Y‘ released February 26
C-JeS Entertainment
4. INFINITE
158,084 albums sold
‘New Challenge‘ released March 21
Woollim Entertainment
5. Cho Yong Pil
150,000 albums sold
‘Hello‘ released April 24
YPC Production
6. CNBLUE
118,666 albums sold
‘RE:BLUE‘ released January 14
FNC Entertainment
7. INFINITE-H
91,958 albums sold
‘Fly High‘ released January 10
Woollim Entertainment
8. B.A.P
77,990 albums sold
‘One Shot‘ released February 12
TS Entertainment
9. TEEN TOP
76,917 albums sold
‘No.1‘ released February 25
T.O.P Media
10. Super Junior-M
50,505 albums sold
‘Break Down‘ released January 7
SM Entertainment
Did your favorites make the list?
IU revealed the secret to her change in appearance compared to her past graduation photos.
On the May 15 broadcast of SBS‘ ‘One Night of TV Entertainment‘, IU’s past graduation photos from elementary, junior high, and high school were unveiled. IU explained why she seemed to have lost a lot of weight from her elementary to high school days sharing, “My graduation photos for elementary and middle school were so so.. I always took the photo while laughing so my cheeks came out more chubby. For my high school graduation photos, I smiled a little less.”
Most viewers agreed with IU stating that you lose most of your baby fat in the cheeks as you grow older and transition into college.
IU is currently undergoing another transformation to become a star in ‘You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin‘.
SS501‘s Heo Young Saeng gave hope to fans with his wish to possibly reunite like the longest-running idol group Shinhwa.
During a recent filming for KBS2TV‘s ‘Happy Together 3‘, Heo Young Saeng revealed he’s been thinking a lot about his group SS501 these days with the pending comeback of Shinhwa. He shared, “When I look at Shinhwa, who continues to gain popularity without breaking up over the past 15 years, it makes me reflect [on my own group].”
“After watching Shinhwa on ‘Win Win‘, I thought of my SS501 members and sent text messages to them. The other members were also watching that broadcast with the same heart,” revealing their members’ special bond that they’ve gained throughout their years together.
Is a possible reunion in store? Tune in to see what Heo Young has to say about SS501 on May 16 at 11:15 PM KST.
Tip: TripleS
VIXX took things to the extreme in their teaser for “HYDE“!
We saw the boys with black wings in their teaser images, and it looks like they won’t be just having black wings – they’ll be taking the famous story ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde‘ to their album concept. They’re first seen smiling serenely and dressed in white, but obviously there’s something wrong when we see snakes and other creepy crawlies featured in the teaser.
The creepiness goes up a bit with the words “You’re beautiful and I want to own you forever“. The boys go through a transformation into a ‘demon’, with crazy eye makeup and even more bugs. VIXX’s official YouTube channel wrote: “VIXX introduces mans who turned into a demon due to a hurt of love, but still has internal duality, good and evil through ‘Jekyll & hyde’ concept. [sic]”
As we wait for the release on May 20, check out their unique teaser below!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
2NE1’s leader CL will be back as a solo artist. Her agency, YG Entertainment, revealed a fourth teaser, titled “Who’s Next?” in the company blog today. The date “2013.05.18” is written in the teaser along with the name CL. The agency has been screening out their artists to see who would make a sortie on May 28 and finally they revealed it is CL.
The 2NE1 leader is well known for her distinguished talents at dance and rap music and is also good at vocals. She has drawn attention for her solo activity since the 2NE1’s debut in May 2009, and she has finally announced the release of a solo song, which has fans thrilled.
A high official of her agency says, “CL is a hidden card that president Yang Hyun Suk has been preparing to reveal. People will feel the freshness of her music. Her new song is not regarded as a project song that will last for just a short period of time but as a song that she can perform continuously as a solo artist. A music video is soon to be released along with the song, and we will promote it from the weekend after the song is released.”
The longest-running idol group will be making another legendary return to the K-pop scene. To get their fans pumped up, Shinhwa have unleashed their comeback teaser photos and the making-of film for the “This Love” music video.
The individual shots highlight the members’ mature, manly charms that set them apart from the other idol groups out there, and their obvious chemistry can only come from the 15 years they’ve been together.
Shinhwa will be returning with their 11th album ‘The Classic‘ on the 16th, and they’re pulling out all the stops by bringing in director Cho Soo Hyun, who worked on “Gangnam Style“ as well as Shinhwa’s very own “Once in a Lifetime” back in 2006.
Get a dose of what’s to come with these hot teaser photos as well as the making of the MV!
Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun, f(x)‘ Sulli, and Girls’ Generation‘s YoonA were all smiles as they showed some SM family love on the set of their upcoming ‘SKT LTE‘ CF.
Kyuhyun posted to ‘SKT LTE’s official Twitter, “It’s already time to wrap up. I filmed a CF with Sulli and YoonA today, and I think this CF will also turn out to be a fun one!~ I feel regretful that it is so short… It would be nice to meet you again soon~ Bye.” He also added a selca of himself in a matador costume and labelmates Sulli and YoonA hovering over his shoulder. The three SM Entertainment idols are currently endorsement models for ‘SKT LTE’.
Fans commented, “It’s nice to see you all together,” “Kyuhyun has two women by his side,” and “They all look like idols.”
Are you excited for the CF?!
Fans of handsome actor Lee Min Ho celebrated his 7th anniversary since his debut!
Lee Min Ho made his debut on the EBS teenage drama ‘Secret Campus‘ back in 2006, and fans of the actor from all over the world banded together to show him their love and support. His agency stated, “A great number of fans from Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, America, and other countries in Europe and South America are holding large events in celebration of Lee Min Ho’s anniversary.”
For the fourth year in a row, Korean fans put on a ‘billboard event,’ posting advertisements celebrating his anniversary on billboards across Myungdong, Gangnam Station, and Dongdaemun. Fans from Japan wrapped buses that traveled around Seoul to advertise Lee Min Ho’s world tour, while Chinese fans made a donation to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake in his name.
Lee Min Ho’s Turkish fans showed their support with a laser message on a bridge in Bosphorus that said, “Happy 7th Debut Anniversary Lee Min Ho! Minoz (Lee Min Ho’s fan club) Turkey will always love and support you!”
The actor is currently preparing for his upcoming world tour, which will start in Korea later this month. He’ll also be releasing a new album, ‘My Everything‘, as a gift to his fans.
Lee Min Ho posted to his SNS: “Lucky7! Thank you for your celebrations.”
Rising star Kim Woo Bin is in discussion to join the star-studded cast including Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye in the upcoming SBS drama, ‘Heirs‘!
As mentioned before, ‘Heirs’ will be a 20-episode drama and has already piqued the interest of fans with the reveal of its top-notch writer and director, Kim Eun Sook and Kang Shin Hyo PD. Kim Woo Bin has already worked with writer Kim Eun Sook before on ‘Gentlemen’s Class‘ so this will be her second work he’s been cast for. He and the drama production team are currently working out the details before the finalization, so if everything goes smoothly, we should be seeing him alongside others in the program!
‘Heirs’ will focus on the story of wealthy high school students and their roller coaster ride of love and friendship, and is set to premiere this October!
Blackjacks have been waiting eagerly on the edge of their seats to find out if their girls will be coming back as a whole or if it will be a solo album for leader CL.
The answer has been revealed as YG-Life has revealed their final teaser poster for their “Who’s Next?” question!
CL will be releasing her first solo track in 5 years, and it’s guaranteed to be a good one because.. well.. it’s CL! And because Yang Hyun Suk himself is said to be the one behind this project.
According to a rep at the agency, CL’s solo track won’t be just a one-step project, as she’ll be having promotional activities as well.
So stay tuned for CL’s solo release and its music video on May 28th!
Even though Park Si Hoo had stated multiple times before that he’d ‘reveal the truth’ during the investigation, it seems like he won’t be doing that anytime soon.
Throughout his sexual assault case, Park Si Hoo had often commented that he had been wrongly accused and stated multiple times, “I will reveal the truth.” His acquaintances also previously said, “He’s been wrongly accused about many things. If there is something he did do wrong, he’d take responsibility, but on things he has been wrongly accused of, he feels the situation is unjust. Once the investigation is over, he’s planning to hold an official event to reveal everything.”
However, that has all changed, as his law firm Purme said, “We can’t release any statements about this case. The representative lawyers are all refraining from commenting about Park Si Hoo. Park Si Hoo will also not be having a press conference nor making any official statements.”
The public will never hear about ‘A‘s reason for dropping her charges either as her lawyers have also revealed that they will not be offering any comments, remaining firm on the silence with comments like, “It’s true that she has dropped her charges, but we cannot reveal the reason.”
With both pledging silence and dropping their lawsuits against each other, many speculate that there were settlements and negotiations that took place between the two sides. However, it seems the public will never find out, and are now left with the questions: Why did A drop her lawsuit?, Why did Park Si Hoo drop his lawsuit?, What took place between the two?, And of course, most importantly, what’s the truth?
Psy is taking over the popular mobile app ‘Kakao Talk‘ with his character for ‘Wind Runner For Kakao‘ and now with a second set of emoticons on the messaging app.
Those of you with the ‘Kakao Talk’ app may already have Psy’s first set of emoticons downloaded, but now a second set has been launched in 230 countries to commemorate his latest release!
The new set is made special in that they’re not just regular old emoticons, but ‘sound-cons’ (sound emoticons). Psy’s set features 4 sound emoticons in addition to 8 regular emoticons. The new set is bound to be a hit in chat rooms with Psy’s catch phrases and dance points from his new song “Gentleman” such as “Mother father gentleman”, “wet psy“, “allangamolla“, his ‘arrogant dance’, and more.
Kakao Talk stated, “We are joyful that users will get to meet Psy’s dace and voice through the sound emoticon function on ‘Kakao Talk’. We are also proud to collaborate with the international star Psy who is receiving popularity with ‘Gangnam Style‘ and now ‘Gentleman’.”
The new Psy emoticon set can be purchased for $1.99 through the app for android phones (not yet available for iPhones).
Jason Mraz will be appearing on tvN‘s ‘SNL Korea‘!
The singer-songwriter will be appear on the May 18 episode of ‘SNL Korea’ along with Sam Hamington, JK Kim Dong Wook, and Younha. ‘SNL Korea’ decided to cast celebrities that you can’t normally see on variety shows, and they managed to bring on the world famous singer.
The CP of the show said, “The celebrities that have their own charms will be showing off the SNL style including sexy, crazy humor, and they’ll parody themselves. All of these celebrities will be heating up Saturday night.”
Jason Mraz is also scheduled to perform at the Jamsil Sports Complex on May 17.
DATV has announced they will air the Kim Hyun Joong drama City Conquest this summer.
The program will be aired in July and features Kim Hyun Joong in the role of Baek Mi-reu, a young man who takes revenge on society after becoming bitter with his father for abandoning their family.
Though filming had begun and the drama was pre-sold to several different countries, it went unaired after KBS denied it a slot in their 2013 lineup. However, footage from the show was aired last October as part of the City Conquest Memorial Event put on by Henecia, the official fan club of KHJ.
The drama also features Jeong Yu-mi, star of the 2011 melodrama A Thousand Days’ Promise. When City Conquest was unable to secure a time slot, Jeong Yu-mi went on to accept a lead role in the show Wonderful Mama.
With the news that DATV will be airing City Conquest, the question that fans are asking is will they finish filming the television series now that it will be broadcast. However, no details have been announced at this time.
Are you looking forward to the new drama?
Stay tuned for more news about Kim Hyung Joong and City Conquest.
Source: http://lovingkimhyunjoong.com
Want to go to school with SHINee‘s Minho?
Well, that’s exactly what Konkuk University wants you to think when you see these photos! Minho took promotional photos for the school he’s attending with a major in film. He took photos which will be featured on the promotional material for admissions and also filmed a video as well.
Minho was dressed up in the Konkuk University Varsity Letterman Jacket, and he looked as cool as ever as he talked with the other students and then enjoyed the sun with a bright smile.
Who wouldn’t want to attend the school after seeing these pictures?
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and Donghae are releasing a new single album on June 19th. To celebrate the release of their new album, the duo will be holding a launch event in Japan on July 4th.
The adorable pair from Super Junior are known to be great friends and have a huge fan following known as “Eunhae” shippers. So when the duo’s first album “Oppa, Oppa” was released in 2011, it came as no surprise that it was a big hit with fans. The day it was released in Japan, it quickly reached #2 on the Oricon charts and went on to place #1 on the Tower Records’ daily charts.
Perhaps it is due to the success of the first album in Japan that the duo is now releasing their second album for Japanese fans and holding the launch party in Tokyo. The album is entitled “I Wanna Dance” and includes the title song, plus an additional song called “Love That I Need.” The 2nd song was composed by Henry from Super Junior-M and features him on the album.
To see Eunhae talking about their new album, check out the video below. The English translation is written below the clip.
Click here to view the embedded video.
EH：Hello, everyone. We’re “Super Junior”Hi, Im EunHyuk.
DH：Im DongHae.
EH：DongHae & EunHyuk’s Japanese activity was confirmed again!!
DH：You shouldn’t say “Again”
EH：Oh I shouldn’t have said“Again”?
DH：Yea, it’s a little bit late.
EH：That’s right.
DH：Yea, it’s what everyone had been anticipated for long!!
EH：DongHae & EunHyuk’s new single was finally confirmed!!
DH：The date is.. as far as I know,, it’s June 19th!!
EH：That’s right!! On June 19th, Super Junior – DongHae & EunHyuk’s new single album 『I WANNA DANCE』will be released!! We prepared a really great song, great single for you, so please look forward to it! This single has got many wonderful songs.
DH：There are only 2 songs..
EH：I mean those 2 are wonderful.^^; First of all, the title song 『I WANNA DANCE』is the song, which has enjoyable beat, can make you happy.. and who composed the 2nd song??
DH：Our member!! This time, I coded the role to him. He’s Henry.
EH：『Love That I need』which Henry-ssi composed and featured..
DH：Oh,, ur English pronunciation might be hard (for everyone) to get..
EH：『LOVE THAT I NEED』Anyway, two songs are in the single album. Everyone, please love both of those songs much. I’d like you to anticipate SJ DongHae & EunHyuk’s new single much. Arigato gojaima～～su
Source: avexnetwork
Translation: MineMygf & Just 8604 via sup3rjunior.com
Super Junior‘s Yesung quietly enlisted in the army on the 6th, and fans were able to see him for the first time since his enlistment with a new, short hairstyle.
Although it’s only been a week since Yesung enlisted in the army, fans who missed him were definitely happy to see the photo update, which was posted to a military training department’s online cafe. Yesung followed the normal procedure for every soldier who enlists by shaving his head and putting on a standard uniform.
ELF commented, “It’s nice to see Yesung again after his enlistment,” “He looks good with short hair,” and “I don’t need to worry anymore after seeing him smile.”
What do you think? Does he look much different from the Yesung you’re used to?
According to a May 13 report by MBC, actress Ha Ji Won has accepted the role of Empress Ki, a real historical person, in Hwatu, which is going to air in the second half of this year. Hwatu will be the sequel to The Goddess Of Fire, Jung-Yi, which will take over the time slot of The Gu Family Book when it ends. Hwatu is a historical drama that describes loves and conflicts in the life of the real Empress Ki.
In the drama, Ha Ji Won play the attractive, wise empress of Goryeo, who has a powerful influence over the Yuan Dynasty of Genghis Khan. Empress Ki fulfilled political ideals and predestined love with pride in Goryeo as part of an unfamiliar foreign imperial family. The story of Empress Ki is not popularly known and will fascinate viewers with its tale of beautiful yet sorrowful predestined love.
It has been a year since Ha Ji Won appeared in The King, Two Hearts, which ended in May 2012. Viewers will be looking forward to seeing how Ha Ji Won will do. SHe has shown acting skill in a variety of genres playing very different characters in MBC’s Damo, SBS’s Secret Garden and Something Happened in Bali.
Hwatu is written by Jang Young Chul and Jung Kyung Soon, who has been credited for outstanding historical research and powerful writing skills for KBS 1TV’s Dae Jo Young and SBS’s Giant and Salaryman. Producer/director Han Hee, who directed MBC’s Dr. JIN and Over the Rainbow, will direct the series.
Actor Jo Jung Suk, who is an honorary ambassador for the Taiwanese Travel and Tourism Administration, held a fan meeting at the Taipei International Convention Center on May 11. Fans were taken by the way he treated them to hugs, tried the local food, and even said “Hello” and “Good night” to them in halting Chinese.
Taiwanese actress Chun E Han, who is also an honorary ambassador along with Jo, attended the event, too. Jo and Chun appear together in “Futong Futon 24 Hours In Taiwan,” a promotional video for the Taiwanese Travel and Tourism Administration.
In the episode of SBS’s Barefoot Friends broadcast on May 12, the cast visited Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Their mission was to act as gendong, or Indonesian porters, in order to earn their daily wage.
Kim Hyun Joong earned the largest amount of money and other members of the cast drew laughter by trying to curry favor with him.
Yoon Si Yoon was criticized by other cast members when he said, “Actually, at first I wasn’t interested in joining the cast of Barefoot Friends but changed my mind when I heard Kim Hyun Joong was going to be on the show.” Uee used flattery on Kim, saying, “My ideal type has been changed since the show began: Kim is my ideal man now.”
JYJ has kicked off their activities as the honorary ambassadors of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games!
On May 12, they started recording the official theme song for the Incheon Games. As previously reported, they will also be doing the ‘Incheon Dance’ and record the MV for the “Incheon Song“.
The boys were selected since they’re so well known not only in Asia but also all over Europe, North America, and South America. Since they’re now the honorary ambassadors, JYJ will surely be one of the best ambassadors for the Asian Games.
In June, they’ll wrap up filming the MV for the “Incheon Song”, release the song in the Summer, and then head over to Vietnam and China to have a showcase for the Games in October and November.
Tip: Ecah
Jonghyun celebrated his upcoming birthday with 7,000 fans in Hong Kong!
CNBLUE held the Hong Kong leg of their ‘Blue Moon World Tour‘ on May 10 and 11 at the AsiaWorld-Arena. During the concert that took place on the 11th, Yonghwa, Minhyuk, and Jungshin brought out a birthday cake for Jonghyun, an early birthday surprise as he will officially celebrate his birthday on May 15. Jonghyun was incredibly surprised and Minhyuk made to sure to emphasize, “This was my idea“, bringing laughter from the crowd.
All 7,000 fans at the concert sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for Jonghyun, and afterwards, Jonghyun took to his Twitter to share the good news with fans, writing, “Hello, it’s Jonghyun who plays the guitar. We finished our Hong Kong concert today successfully! ^^ I was so happy ^^ Everyone, thank you for congratulating me on my birthday!! And members, I love you. I was so happy today! Thanks!! Heart heart.”
Happy early birthday to Jonghyun and check out a fan cam of the birthday surprise below!
IU and the rest of the ‘You’re the Best, Lee Soon Shin‘ cast and staff shared their honest opinions on why their drama wasn’t meeting expectations in terms of ratings.
Of course, with ratings in the 20% range, the drama may seem like it’s doing very well on the surface. But following hits such as ‘Unexpected You‘ and ‘My Daughter Seoyoung‘, dramas that have achieved ratings in the high 40s, the drama isn’t exactly living up to expectations. It’s not due to the original concerns of IU’s acting, but because of issues with the storyline. Some have voiced their complaints that the story progresses too slow, while others are frustrated with IU’s character constant flip-flopping on important decisions.
On May 13, the drama held a brief press conference on one of its sets during a public shoot, where PD Yoon Sung Sik said, “I can’t say that it isn’t a burden (to be following such successful dramas). It’s true that I was very burdened because the previous works had such good results. KBS weekend dramas usually have low ratings on Saturday and good ratings on Sunday. It’s somewhat of a tradition. But I know our ratings aren’t as good as expected. We’re analyzing why that’s happening. We think it’s because most of the people watching our drama is younger than the norm. Also, we have one story arc of IU’s and Jo Jung Suk’s love line being anticipated and another arc with IU’s birth secret running simultaneously. This may not be very appealing to a more elderly audience (50′s – 60′s) which is our main demographic, so we’re doing further research. We’ve been building up the characters. It’s true that our beginning was slow, so it’s a little disappointing, but we’re going to speed it up. We have 30 episodes left. The end is what’s really important. We’ll be ending the drama beautifully.”
IU also stated, “It’s probably because the shooting set is always in such a good mood, but our aura hasn’t dropped. Saturday dramas normally don’t perform as well as Sunday dramas. On Sunday morning, I feel a little… I do think a lot about ratings, but I’m satisfied about the ratings on Sunday. When I was active as a singer, only young people recognized me when I went out. But lately, the elderly see me and say, ‘It’s Soon Shin’. When I see that, I think that I did good participating in this drama.”
Jo Jung Suk added, “We’re having fun filming. I think there’s still a long way to go. I’m satisfied with our ratings now, but I think the response we’re getting is because the ratings of the dramas before us were so high. I’m filming with the mindset that if I work hard, we’ll get good results, since we have a long way to go.”
Are you actively watching the drama?
After news came out that ‘A’ had dropped her charges against Park Si Hoo and his hoobae, it’s now been revealed that Park Si Hoo had tried to reach a compromise with his previous CEO ‘C’.
Park Si Hoo’s lawyers contacted C’s lawyer by phone, asking to reach a compromise and drop both lawsuits against each other. However, C’s side had other ideas as they stated, “It’s true that we had a phone call with Park Si Hoo’s lawyers. But we have no intent to end our lawsuit here. As Park Si Hoo made it appear as if CEO ‘C’ had been controlling ‘A’, we need an official apology first.”
Park Si Hoo had sued ‘C’ with false accusations, and defamation of character, and ‘C’ had filed a countersuit against Park Si Hoo for similar charges.
Source: Sports Hankook via Nate
Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong will hold a showcase for Korean fans in June. On May 13, Kim’s agency said, “The 2013 KHJ Show—Party People, which combines a fan meeting and concert, will be held at the Hwa Jung Gymnasium of Korea University on June 8. We are producing the concert because we have been sorry that Kim Hyun Joong has had little opportunity to meet fans in Korea because of his activities overseas. Kim is busy these days preparing a new album which will be released in Japan in June. He also appears as a regular on the SBS Sunday entertainment program Barefoot Friends.”
Tickets for Kim Hyun Joong’s showcase can be reserved from 8:00 p.m. on May 16 through Interpark.
As a break between grueling filming sessions for ‘Book of the House of Gu‘. Lee Seung Gi sponsored a pizza party for the drama cast and staff members.
Taking advantage of his current endorsement deal with pizza chain Pizza Hut, he had dozens of piping-hot pizzas delivered to the set as a means of feeding the time-strapped filming crew. Dressed in their stage costumes, the cast members seem to have jumped straight out of a time-travel novel, munching on pizza slices while wearing their traditional costumes for the drama.
“When filming gets extended, most of the time we have to skip meals,” a staff member said. “Thanks to the pizza, we were able to enjoy lunch for the first time in a while.”
Source: Newsen via Nate
Popular Korean cosmetics brand The Face Shop’s annual event TOP GIRL is back again! In conjunction with it’s 10th year anniversary, The Face Shop is inviting all ladies to join their search for Top Girl and stand a chance to get papmered with attractive prizes, free trip to Korea and most excitingly – meeting The Face Shop ambassador Kim Hyun Joong and have a special photo-shoot with him!.
TOP GIRL 2013 will be selecting the finest girls from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Philippines to be the new face of the brand in their respective countries. Application is now open at http://bit.ly/TOPGIRL_2013 .
So, will you be the one?
Click here to view the embedded video.
“Hello! Greetings to all THEFACESHOP customers! This is Kim Hyun Joong, official ambassador for THEFACESHOP. 2013 T.O.P. GIRL event has just started. I am looking for your active participation and interest in this exciting event. I can’t wait to meet you all here in Korea! I will be waiting for you so see you in July! Thank you.”
Source : en.korea.com
Many people know Kim Jong Kook for his amazing singing voice and his ‘Commander’ role on ‘Running Man‘. However, what’s been going on with his one-time Turbo partner, Mikey?
During a recent appearance on jTBC‘s ‘Hidden Singer‘, Kim Jong Kook reported on what his erstwhile bandmate has been up to these days. “Mikey is living in America,” he related. “He’s transformed from a rapper into an insurance man.”
“Apparently, he’s doing very well at selling,” he said. “He told me that he’ll become the insurance king soon.”
Kangta broke his usual charisma to unearth his compassionate side on Mnet‘s ‘Voice Korea 2‘.
The competition became more intense on the May 10th episode when Kangta’s team, consisting of Kim Woo Hyun, Lee Jung Suk, and Jang Jun Su, faced off for the one ticket available to move onto the live broadcast competition.
Although all three of Kangta’s singers received good reviews from the judges with their impressive stages, Kangta was only able to choose one and hesitantly called out the name, “Lee Jung Suk.” He then went on stage to comfort the other contestants and suddenly broke down in tears.
Kim Jin Pyo responded in shock, “This is really my first time seeing coach Kangta unable to control his emotions like this.”
Kangta revealed the reason for his tears, sharing, “I shared eye contact with the two friends who lost and I just felt so sorry. Those two worked harder than anyone else. I grew attached to them, and I began to cry at the thought of having to leave them.”
G-Dragon successfully wrapped up his two-day concert in Taiwan in front of 26,000 fans at the Taipei Arena on the 10th.
He had fans jumping up and down for two hours as he sang a total of 20 songs, including “Heartbreaker“, “MichiGO“, “One of A Kind“, and more. Fellow Big Bang member Taeyang also showed his support as a guest performer and sang “Bad Boy” with G-Dragon as well as his own solo hits.
The Big Bang leader recently kicked off his solo world tour, ‘G-DRAGON 2013 WORLD TOUR : ONE OF A KIND‘, at Seoul in March, and he’s visiting 13 cities across 8 countries for a total of 26 concerts in front of 550,000 fans. He’ll move onto Hong Kong to perform at the AsiaWorld-Expo on the 17th and 18th.
G-Dragon has also received a platinum commemorative plaque in honor of his album ‘One of A Kind‘ hitting platinum in Taiwan with over 10,000 albums sold.
Congrats to G-Dragon!
It’s been reported that Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun will replace labelmate SHINee‘s Minho as the new MC of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Mamma Mia‘.
According to a few broadcast representatives, Kyuhyun is said to have already completed his first recording for the show on the 9th. Minho, who was one of the original MCs, will be stepping down from his position with his final appearance on the May 12th broadcast.
‘Mamma Mia’ gathers celebrities and their mothers who share behind-the-scenes stories on their childhood, and is led by three MCs. With Minho’s leave, Kyuhyun will make up the trio with Park Mi Sun and Lee Young Ja as the replacement MC.
Jo Hyun Ah PD explained that Minho’s departure is due to his conflicting schedule, revealing, “Since the beginning, Minho was only supposed to film for one month due to SHINee’s Japan tour. Minho’s portion will be aired until this week’s episode”
The PD also revealed why Kyuhyun was selected sharing, “Because of his hosting on MBC‘s ‘Radio Star‘, we believed he is a more experienced MC compared to other idols. Upon seeing his good teamwork with MCs Yoon Jong Shin, Kim Guk Jin, Yoo Se Yoon, and more, we feel that he will work well with Lee Young Ja and Park Mi Sun as well.”
With the summer season approaching, Nell is receiving a flood of love calls from domestic rock festivals, becoming the #1 most requested band!
In response to this, Woollim Entertainment said, “Every rock festival in Korea requested their appearance. They’re trying to attend as many rock festivals as possible to meet with their fans. But realistically, it’s not possible to attend everything, so they feel disappointed about it.”
So far, Nell has confirmed their attendance for the Rainbow Festival and the Insan Valley Rock Festival in June and July, and they’ll be performing their hits like “Time to Walk Memories” and “White Night“.
In addition to practicing for the upcoming events, they’re also busy with preparing for their comeback this month with the second part of their 3 part ‘Gravity’ album series.
MBLAQ‘s Mir befriended a terminally ill cancer patient.
Channel A‘s documentary ‘Like A Miracle‘ filmed the story of Kim Dong Hee, a 20 year old who has suffered from cancer since he was in the 10th grade. He was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma and spent three years of high school in and out of the hospital. However, he never gave up on his life and even took the college entrance exam to successfully become a college student. In a tragic turn of events, even when the tumor was removed from his spine, the cancer cells had already spread to his lungs, and he even stopped his chemotherapy treatments.
When Mir heard of Kim Dong Hee’s story, he pushed aside all of his other schedules and requested that wanted to appear on the show. He revealed that when he was young, he had problems with his lungs and he had to be hospitalized for a long time, so he could somewhat relate.
Before they met, Mir prepared a handmade lunch for Kim Dong Hee, making sure to include the meat that Kim Dong Hee loved. They talked for a long time and Mir told Kim Dong Hee to call him hyung. Mir then went on to help Kim Dong Hee as much as he could to fulfill the list of things Kim Dong Hee wanted to do, and even prepared a surprise birthday party.
Looks like Mir really has a heart of gold! The documentary will air on May 12.
Tip: asha
Kim Hyun Joong‘s fans from all over Asia gifted the staff members from his variety reality show, ‘Barefoot Friends‘!
The official Twitter account of SBS‘ posted the above photo and wrote, “Kim Hyun Joong’s fanclubs from 6 different countries gifted a surprise present to the staff o #BarefootFriends~ >_< The fans’ love was sent to the staff who were filming in Indonesia. Thanks to you, we felt strong~^^*”
Fanclubs from Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, China, and Thailand had gifted the staff members with sunblock and moisturizer while they were filming in the scorching heat of Indonesia. The PD said, “Thank you for thinking about the staff. We’re going to work hard to give back to the fans who came so far to visit us to give us strength during the hot weather.”
The episodes that were filmed in Indonesia will begin airing this Sunday on May 12.
Super Junior Siwon had tweeted previously through his Twitter that he will be visiting Singapore prior to his other overseas trip. He arrived in the country on 8 May 2013, and made his appearance on the 9th as one of the distinguished Chanel Cruise Show held at Loewen Cluster, Dempsey Hills, Singapore.
The show marks the first ever foray of the Parisian brand to show in Singapore as their ongoing statement to showcase their collections in Asia.
He was also spotted with Hollywood A-list Dakota Fanning (above) and fellow Korean actress Jung Ryeo-won with Chanel creative director himself, Karl Lagerfeld.
Photo Credits Sup3rjunior
Younha chose her ideal type on KBS 2TV‘s ‘Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook‘!
During the latest episode, she confessed, “I’m always especially nervous on ‘Sketchbook’ performances. I try so hard to be good that I end up being awkward. It’s like meeting the parents of your fiance.”
Yoo Hee Yeol joked, “Does that mean I’m the father-in-law?” and Younha replied, “Looking at your body, you’re more the sister-in-law,” bursting into laughter. He added, “As an oppa, I feel bad for you because I feel like you’re only focusing on music at such a young age. Who is your ideal type?”
Younha answered, “I don’t care about looks.” However, contrary to what she said, she chose Song Joong Ki as her ideal type! It’s true that Song Joong Ki’s known for being a gentleman, but perhaps she considers looks after all?
Tip: sofia
BoA showed her support for the veteran ‘K-pop star’ Lee Hyori.
BoA took to her Twitter and wrote to Hyori, “Unni, I will anticipate your new album~~!! Please take care of your health~~ Fighting^^ Miss Korea~~!!” Lee Hyori replied back, “Thanks~~”, and fans were happy to see their friendship is still going strong.
Lee Hyori made her debut back in 1998 while BoA made her debut soon after in 2000 and the two stars have been known to be good friends over the many years they’ve been together in the K-pop scene.
Now that Lee Hyori has her trusty divas Uhm Jung Hwa and BoA by her side, there is no stopping her as she gets ready to unleash her 5th album on the 21st!
G-Dragon censored himself because he ‘wasn’t wearing any pants’!
The Big Bang leader posted a photo of himself sitting on a chair, possibly wearing shorts (or perhaps nothing at all). In any case, he left that part up to the fans’ imagination as he tweeted the above photo and wrote, “This is sexual it’s like I’m not wearing any pants. I’m going to censor myself“.
He placed a big red line in the center of the photo to ‘censor’ himself while looking a bit uncomfortable.
Fans commented, “So Shy“, “Post the photo again without the red line“, and “You’re the Best“.
U-KISS successfully visited and greeted their Indonesian Kiss Me’s after obstacles for the event to happen.
Last month, they played, sung, hugged, and even piggy backed their lucky fans during the showcase.
But other than that, the six members who were present had disclosed what they found to be their new favorite dish in Indonesia: “Our favorite foods are nasi goreng and mie goreng!” (Fried rice and Fried noodles)
The showcase, despite the abrupt cancellation for Hi-5 session was ultimately engaging and warm; most U-KISS members could speak English fluently and thus, made communication with fans very easy just like friends.
The group Shinee (Onew, Jong Hyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin) compete against female high school students in KBS 2TV’s Let’s Go! Dream Team 2. The episode, which is to air on May 12, will be not like the usual ones, which typically feature such events as obstacle races, but will be a Shinee special.
The episode was shot at Dongsan Information Industry High School on May 1. All the members of the group took part except for Jong Hyun, who was not able to appear, because of a car accident he was injured in last month. Comedian Noh Woo Jin filled in for Jong Hyun.
They had some good times with soccer players of the high school, playing games related to soccer. Minho, a member of Shinee, is the son of Choi Yoon Gyum, who was a former couch of the Daejeon Citizens of the K League, and it seems that this gives Minho a more competitive spirit.
A preview of the Shinee special was shown during the Children’s Day episode that aride last week.
Kwon Yong Taek, the director of Let’s Go! Dream Team 2, shared his thoughts on the atmosphere of the shooting of the episode: “Minho showed his passion, and he is known for being good at sports. Whenever he takes on a challenge, he takes a deep breath with his hand on the chest, showing off his ability, which is as good as that of pro athletes.”
U-KISS‘ Eli has always been good about updating his fans on Twitter, replying to as many as he can as frequently as possible.
Of course, because of the sheer number of mentions he gets, it’s impossible for him to reply to everyone, and that apparently results in some sad fans. For these particular fans, Eli had a piece of great advice: to stop being so negative! He wrote,
Please dont send me tweets saying “eli hates me” “he doesnt reply me bcuz im ___” yea~ im not going to reply neg. Fans
— Eli Kim (@u_kisseli) May 9, 2013
Well, KISSMEs, now you know what not to do when you want a reply back from Eli! Make sure to stay positive, and since Eli is usually very good at replying to fans, you may just get a reply yourself.
According to a May 9 announcement by a staffer of the KBS Entertainment Department, Shinhwa are to appear in the episode of Happy Together 3 that will be shot on May 11. It has been nine years since all the Shinhwa members appeared o Happy Together, Season 1 in 2004.
In this episode, announcer Choi Hee and singer Heo Yeong Saeng, who were charter members of Shinhwa’s fan club, Shinhwa Chang Jo, will appear, too. Choi and Heo are to disclose all kinds of rumors, such as hints of scandals, that circulated among the fans.
A staffer for the program says: “Shinhwa revealed a lot about their past themselves on the episode of MBC’s Golden Fishery – Radio Star that air on May 8. In Happy Together 3 episode, the group’s past as remembered by fans will be disclosed. Viewers are looking forward to seeing how Shinhwa members will react when their fans talk about the group’s past. Staffers are also curious about how Shinhwa regarded Choi Hee and Heo Yeong Saeng, who represent the fans. Viewers can expect to see a completely different side of Shinhwa from what they showed on Radio Star.”
The episode of Happy Together 3 in which Shinhwa appears will air on the afternoon of May 16.
On May 9, Hyun Bin attended the 49th Paeksang Art Awards, held at Peace Hall of Kyung Hee University. Joo Won, Kim A Joong, and Oh Sang Jin emceed. The actor attended as a presenter and said: “It’s been a long time since I stood at this stage. I’m a bit nervous. I was in the military when I received the grand prize in 2011, so I couldn’t attend the ceremony at that time. I wanted to say thank you for giving me the award. I’ll do my best to bring you some quality acting in my next project.”
The Paeksang Art Awards are Korea’s only annual performing-arts awards for production crew members and actors, in TV series or movies. The purpose of the award is to stimulate the development of popular culture as well as to boost to the morale of artists.
On May 9, Jang Keun Suk tweeted a picture of his mother, saying, “It’s Parents Day. I had dinner at a restaurant with my parents. My dad got drunk.”
His mother, smiling brighly, is holding a bouquet of flowers in the picture. Anyone can easily tell she is Jang’s mother, because there is a strong resemblance between them.
Netizens who saw the picture commented: “Jang’s mother is very beautiful.” “He is handsome because he takes after his mother.” “She must be very happy with his son.” “He looks like a good son.”
On May 1, Jang was a guest on Verbal Jint’s Pops Pops on KBS Radio Cool FM and talked about his recent activities and his next move.
No one said the road to stardom would be easy.
IU, whose character is preparing for her debut, became a victim of bullying as seen in new still cuts from ’You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin‘.
IU unknowingly walks into the path of her enemies’ wrath as her female classmates enter the restaurant where she works and begin egging her. Young Hoon (Lee Ji Hoon) and Jae Bum (Choi Kang Won) come to IU’s rescue as they pull the other girls away from the fight.
A representative commented, “During the filming that lasted until the early morning, the passion of the cast who keep their fighting spirit while acting and the staff’s effort were amazing. Please look forward to Soon Shin’s growing pains, which begin on this week’s ‘You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin’.”
Watch to see if IU can successfully make her debut on ‘You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin’ every Saturday and Sunday at 7:55 PM KST!
At the show, they both had a chance to meet and take a photo together with the reverent designer from Paris himself, Karl Lagerfeld, and the photo was shared from Jung Ryeo Won’s Twitter.
Netizens commented how “it’s a great shot of all you three!” and “A great chance to meet Karl Lagerfeld in the Chanel Show!”
The Chanel show ended with an elegant touch and mingling A-lister Hollywood and other Asian stars that came to watch the show.
Photo Credits Jung Ryeo Won’s Twitter
After the release of CL, Dara, and Park Bom‘s teasers for a mysterious project called ‘2NE1 Loves‘, as predicted, Minzy is now here with her own!
Continuing on with the naming scheme, this new clip is titled ‘2NE1 Loves Vol.2 – Minzy Loves‘ with a link to the website 2ne1loves.com.
As mentioned previously, although fans are hoping that this is related to their comeback, it seems most likely that it’s actually for an endorsement project of some kind as YG Entertainment commented on their me2day, “Please continue to keep an eye on 2ne1loves.com homepage!! What kind of collaboration could it be?”
Take a look at Minzy’s clip below!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Fans of k-drama That Winter, The Wind Blows will soon get the opportunity to catch the dashing leading actor, Zo In Sung (Spring Day, Memories in Bali) upclose and personal! The star of the beautifully shot and popular Korean romantic drama series will be on going on a promotional tour to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore – organized by ONE/ONE HD channel.
Leading man Zo In Sung stars opposite Song Hye Kyo (Full House, The World That They Live In), both making their comebacks to TV with this series. That Winter, The Wind Blows is Zo’s first TV drama in eight years since Spring Day in 2005, and first acting project since completing mandatory military service in 2011.
In That Winter, The Wind Blows, Zo plays Oh Soo, an orphan who gives up on life after losing his first love, gets obsessed with gambling and becomes a con-artist. His next target is Oh Young, played by Song, the sole heiress to a large corporation after tragically losing her parents and her eyesight. He tries to get near Oh Young by pretending to be her long-lost brother and henceforth, these two individuals – isolated in their own ways from the world, begin to understand the meaning of life together.
Zo In Sung’s visit is the fifth promotional tour organized by ONE / ONE HD, following actor Jang Hyuk in January 2011 to promote Midas; Lee Dong Wook and Kim Sun-A in December 2011 for Scent of A Woman; K-pop boy group BTOB in June 2012 to perform in Jakarta; and budding actor Lee Hyun Woo in promotion of To the Beautiful You last October.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Stay tuned for Korea.com’s coverage on the charming Zo In Sung’s visit to Singapore! For more information, visit ONETVASIA‘s facebook page!
CNBLUE‘s Jungshin has been cast in the upcoming KBS 2TV historical drama ‘Knife and Flower‘.
The new drama will be a suspenseful historical drama involving martial arts, love, jealousy, and revenge between a daughter of a murdered king and the illegitimate child of his murderer.
Jungshin will play the role of Goguryeo Kingdom’s finest swordsman, Si Woo. Although Si Woo normally blazes with charisma, he turns into a romantic guy around the king’s daughter Mooyoung (Kim Ok Bin). He watches over Mooyoung and gets himself entangled in a love triangle with Yun Choong (Uhm Tae Woong), who Mooyoung has her eyes on.
‘Knife and Flower’ will premiere following ‘Mandate of Heaven‘ this July.
Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Key East Entertainment, announced on May 7 that Kim will hold a large-scale fan meeting in Shibuya, Tokyo, on June 30 to celebrate the inauguration of an official fan club. He has visited Japan before to promote his drama series, but this is the first time for him to meet his fans officially. He will reveal some video content during the event, including highlights from the series he appears in and scenes from his movies.
An agency official says, “Kim is regarded as one of the hottest Korean stars in Japan. His drama series The Moon that Embraces the Sun is currently being broadcast on NHK, gaining viewer recognition in Japan, and his movie Thieves is going to be released in June. We expect public interest in the actor will be even greater.“
Kim will expedite his overseas activities starting with this official fan meeting in Japan. Greatly Secretly , a movie in which he appears in a lead role, will be released on June 5.
In the May 7 episode of the MBC drama series The Gu Family Book (written by Kang Eun Kyung, directed by Shin Woo Chul), Dam Yeoul (played by Suzy) reveals her name to Gang Chi (played by Lee Seung Gi).
In an earlier episode, Yeoul was attacked by Gang Chi, who transformed to a gumiho. Because of this, Yeoul has developed a high fever and has begun losing consciousness. To make matters worse, she can’t move at all, because she is being kept in a room in which a silver box is hidden, with Gang Chi.
Worrying about her, Gang Chi says, “Hey, Miss Dam.” Yeoul answers, “My name is Yeoul, you silly boy,” and blanks out. In this conversation, Gang Chi recalls a meeting with her in their childhood. In a previous episode, Yeoul was disappointed that Gang Chi couldn’t remember her. It is anticipated that a romantic relationship between the two will develop because Gang Chi says, “Would it be meaningful if I recall a memory with you?”.
The Gu Family Book is an action historical drama that tells the story of love between shapeshifter Choi Gang Chi, the son of the guardian god of Mt. Jiri, and Dam Yeoul, who is an instructor of martial arts.
JYJ‘s Junsu has lent his heavenly voice for KBS 2TV‘s ‘Mandate of Heaven‘!
His fellow agency member Song Ji Hyo is the female lead in the drama, and a snippet of the song was previewed through the latest airing of the episode.
There’s no information about his song yet, – not even the title, or when it will be fully released. But it will be the theme song of the love line between Lee Dong Wook and Song Ji Hyo’s characters.
A representative said, “Junsu’s voice is perfect for emphasizing the two main characters’ desperate love. We expect a great synergy effect between the drama and Junsu’s voice.”
Check out a bit of the song played during the latest episode below!
Taemin was chosen as the idol mostly likely to be good to his parents.
An online portal site ran a poll from April 30th to May 7th asking users, “Which idol will be the most filial to their parents?“. Out of the 379,633 total votes, Taemin placed first with 37.2% of the vote. Even though Taemin had debuted at a very young age, he previously revealed that he gifted his parents with a house in Cheongdamdong as well as an expensive car.
Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon wasn’t far too behind Taemin as she received 31.1% of the vote. Taeyeon also revealed last year that she’d bought her parents a house that had 3 bathrooms. In third place was IU with 16.1% of the vote. The “Nation’s Little Sister” revealed that she had gifted her father with his dream car.
Big Bang‘s G-Dragon, JYJ‘s Yoochun, and Kim Hyun Joong followed respectively in the rankings.
Do you agree with the results?
What’s Psy‘s secret to having two huge hits and 4 Guinness World Records?
Well, he says it’s because he’s “a bit handsome”. On the show ‘Live with Kelly & Michael‘, the singer was asked, “What do you think you’ve tapped into globally with people, that your songs and dances are so catchy? That everyone does them instantly, and everybody rushes to the computer to see the new Psy number?“. He answered jokingly, “So, my previous song ‘Gangnam Style’ has 1.6 billion views right now… [On 'Gentleman'], it was 38 million a day. Isn’t it crazy? Two songs in a row on YouTube. I can say at this point, I think I’m a bit handsome, maybe?“.
MC Kelly Ripa agreed vigorously as the audience clapped and laughed. Psy then taught the pair the “Gentleman” dance. When Kelly Ripa announced, “We want to be in your next video“, Psy suggested that the trio do a dance cover of the song instead.
Check out the clip below!
Tiffany, a member of Girls’ Generation, visited LA Dodgers Stadium on May 7 to support Ryu Hyun Jin, a Korean Major League Baseball pitcher who was scouted by LA Dodgers this year. She threw the first ball before the game began.
Ryu didn’t pitch at this game but went to the mound to catch Tiffany’s trial pitch. She tried her best, but the ball she threw flew the wrong way.
LA Dodgers asked Girls’ Generation to throw the first ball before the game began. Tiffany responded because she was available. She shook hands with Ryu and shot several photos too.
The LA Dodgers tweeted several photos that day, including ones of the singer’s visit and a photo taken with player Matt Kemp.
miss A‘s Suzy is spending her days busily, switching back and forth between being the ‘nation’s first love’ and her character Dam Yeo Wool in ‘Book of the House of Gu‘.
As a treat for fans, JYP Entertainment revealed BTS cuts of this singer-turned-actress going back to her characteristic ‘first love’ image with her long hairstyle and innocently cute charms.
Since we’ve seen quite a few still cuts of Suzy in character as the rough-on-the-edges martial arts instructor in the drama, fans were glad for the bit of a break, seeing the idol’s familiar image again.
Tip: kimber2x
With longevity you build a large fan base and Shinhwa‘s fans came out in full force.
Their 11th album ‘The Classic‘ went on pre-sale at 10AM KST on May 8, but due to an overwhelming surge of traffic, the server for Synnara Records crashed immediately as soon as the clock hit 10:00 AM.
Synnara Records, the pre-order site, revealed, “Most popular idols crash the server for 1-2 hours, but the server will come back up soon after that. However, Shinhwa’s pre-order site is still down. It’s the first time this has happened in our history.”
Shinhwa Company was awed themselves as they announced, “We sold out the concert last year, and sold out every copy of the album last year. We were wondering if they’d perform well this year as well, but we never thought they could crash the server. We’re very awed.”
Shinhwa’s 11th album ‘The Classic’ will be released on May 16.
Tip: jo
The members of CNBLUE were appointed as ambassadors for the international relief organization, Food for the Hungry, to help bring awareness to child poverty.
CNBLUE were all smiles as they showed up to bring some light onto the bleak situation of underprivileged families. The group has been active as ambassadors who bring awareness on the plight of children around the world on issues such as receiving proper education, poverty, and forced child labor.
Yonghwa, Jonghyun, Jungshin, and Minhyuk also played with the ‘Pororo‘ mascot that was present at the ceremony for the children.
Image(s): Star News
It appears that Nell will also join the May comeback rush!
Their agency Woollim Entertainment revealed, “Nell’s upcoming songs are filled with the members’ efforts to get closer with the public. You will be able to come across different songs from the ones you’re used to from the old Nell.”
Nell is gearing up for a return with part 2 album of their three-part album series entitled, ‘Gravity‘. The group will also perform at the upcoming Rainbow Festival and Ansan Valley Rock Festival this summer.
With more quality music heading our way from the likes of Nell, May just seems to be getting better with each day!
Tip: woollimfans
Here’s proof that Super Junior‘s Siwon doesn’t need any makeup to look like a prince.
On the May 7th broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education‘, Kang Ho Dong, Lee Soo Geun, and TVXQ‘s Changmin asked their athletic friends to come join them over the phone. Changmin called in his labelmate Siwon asking if he wanted to grab a drink. Siwon, believing that he was simply meeting up with Changmin for a casual get together, arrived without any makeup on and seemed bewildered by the cameras upon entering.
Changmin as well as the other cast members complimented Siwon’s sculpted face sharing, “He is really handsome.” Siwon looked a little flustered as he said, “I was on my way to the gym when I received the phone call and came straight here. I have no makeup on and didn’t even shave. This if my first time doing broadcast like this.”
Are you digging Siwon’s ‘rugged’ look?
Lee Seung Gi showed fans that you’ve got to really dig in to enjoy chicken to the fullest.
‘Book of the House of Gu‘ released still cuts of the actor devouring a chicken meal during one of the filming sessions. Since the singer-turned-actor had lost weight and had been strictly maintaining his diet to accurately portray his character on set, he seems to have been glad to take this opportunity to feast.
As soon as filming started, he gripped the chicken pieces in his hands and started to eat away, which made the filming staff hungry according to those on set.
PD Park Tae Young said, “Lee Seung Gi is doing his best no matter which scene. Because of the delicious way he ate his food, the entire set had fun. He’s a source of energy that gives laughter everywhere.”
Are you enjoying this drama?
As Shinhwa‘s comeback date rolls closer and closer, Shinhwa Company has released new information about the 11th album ‘The Classic‘ through their Facebook!
The title song will be “This Love“, and the MV will be directed by Cho Soo Hyun, the same director for “Gangnam Style“. However, it’s not Shinhwa’s first time working with the director as he previously directed the MV for “Once in a Lifetime” back in 2006.
Shinhwa Company said, “We’ll be revealing Shinhwa’s unimaginable choreography through the screen. They’ll be showing a new side that no one could have imagined, and it’ll be ‘the best choreography in history’. The Shinhwa members all practiced waiting for their turn while they were filming for the MV.”
They also released the tracklist:
Their album will be released soon on the 16th. Are you ready for the return of the legends?
Tip: SoShin
People are enthusiastic about something Hyun Bin recently said about his thoughts on his career. He joined the army when he was at the peak of his popularity and had his first interview after being discharged on the episode of KBS2′s Entertainment Relay that aired on May 4,after a fan meeting in Shanghai, China.
About the timing of his joining the army, Hyun Bin says, “I planned to join the army then. The drama series Secret Garden was working out well for me, and though I hadn’t intended to reveal it, during the filming of the series, it became known that I had had a physical and an oral exam.”
Asked about whether he was worried about losing popularity because of the break, Hyun Bin says, “I have been concerned about my acting and about fear that I might disappoint people who trust me as an actor. I haven’t thought much about popularity.” This thoughful revelation has had an effect on viewers.
On the interview, Hyun Bin’s appearance drew attention. He looked as good as ever. After the interview aired, people reacted variously: “Hyun Bin is not only handsome but also thoughtful.” “He is a perfect guy.” “Hyun Bin is the best.” “He has become more manly since the army.”
It wasn’t just Psy who was invited to the annual costume ball in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. A handsome gentleman, Super Junior‘s Siwon was also in attendance at the Met Gala, otherwise known as the ‘party of the year’ on May 6!
He first hinted that he’d be at the Met Gala when he wrote,
See you tonight NYC! Lets Enjoy :^) twitter.com/siwon407/statu…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) May 6, 2013
He then confirmed he’d be at the Met Gala, writing,
See you all at the Metropolitan Museum Red Carpet event at 6:30pm. It will be fun! twitter.com/siwon407/statu…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) May 6, 2013
At the Gala, he posed next to a bed of roses and wrote,
Could’nt spend a lot of time with you due to time constraint :^( twitter.com/siwon407/statu…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) May 7, 2013
New Yorkers, did you manage to catch him while he was in New York?
Tip: madisen
TVXQ debuted in back 2003, and they’ve come an incredibly long way.
The legendary group will be meeting their 10th anniversary this year in December, and now the boys men are more than just singers. Korean media outlet Newsen recently wrote an article chronicling how much the group has achieved over the years.
Yunho and Changmin have been active in both dramas and variety shows, and they’ve spread out from just Korea and Japan to all over the world.
Yunho has been sometimes criticized for his acting, but he showed much improvement in the recent drama, ‘Queen of Ambition‘. In the past, Changmin was never active in variety shows, but that’s changed recently and he has been a permanent panel member of ‘Moonlight Prince‘ and ‘Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education‘.
They then went onto create a record for themselves with a 5-dome tour in Japan, attracting 850,000 fans. They’re also have the privilege of being the first foreign artist to perform at the 72,300 seat Nissan Stadium. Of course, after that they’ll be heading toward the rest of the globe with their world tour.
It can’t be said that their road had some bumps along the way. They experienced the biggest pain when they split into halves with JYJ and TVXQ. But still, all five (even those who aren’t active under the TVXQ name anymore) broke out the road of ‘idol-dom’ for countless hoobaes that would follow in their steps.
A few short hours ago, the above picture was posted on Yesung’s official twitter with the message, “I will miss it all. Stages, songs… I look forward to the day we meet again, ELF. No worries, love you all!”
May 6th is the day Yesung (real name Kim Jong-woon) reports for his enlistment to the Jeonbook Jeonju 35th Reserves. He will receive 4 weeks of basic military training and will then serve as a public worker for 22 months.
Anyone who follows Super Junior will have witnessed many changes in Yesung over the years. Always blessed with an amazing voice, he was never the strongest dancer of the group and was generally placed towards the back of the routines. Because of that, most fans will remember the charming story of how his mother cried when Yesung was featured on camera for 3 whole seconds during an onstage performance at the beginning of his career. The emotional moment is still a precious memory for Yesung to this day.
We have seen Yesung grow from a slightly awkward trainee to a confident, gorgeous and talented artist whose unique voice wows people around the globe. Without a doubt, he will be greatly missed from the entertainment scene over the next 2 years.
Always open and friendly with fans, Yesung is one of the most active idols on social networks. Always posting current updates and pictures of him, his family and friends, he even recently answered a fan letter on twitter. Because of his engaging personality, most fans truly feel that they know the “real” Yesung and not just the distant image of a Kpop idol. With the news of his enlistment, his dedicated fans have been posting messages telling the star they will faithfully wait for him and encouraging him as he faces these new changes in life. Many fans have shared how he has changed their lives through his music and how they will always love and support him.
The 28 year old is not the first member of Super Junior to enlist. Kangin completed his service in 2012 and both Heechul and Leeteuk are currently in the service. Since most of the other Super Junior members still have to complete their service, fans wonder who will be next to enlist and what changes are in store for the future of the band.
Yesung expressed a desire to spend his last few days before enlistment with his family and then to enlist quietly and without fanfare. This is a change from some of the very public enlistments of Kpop idols in the past.
We wish Yesung the very best of luck and assure him that fans will wait faithfully for his return.
Until then, I leave you with this gorgeous video featuring some words of praise for Yesung from fellow band member Eunhyuk.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Please join us in wishing Yesung a fond farewell. Fighting!
Shinhwa teased their fans with a photo of their silhouettes as they prepare to return with a new album.
A photo of the members filming the music video for their latest album ‘The Classic‘ has been uploaded onto their official Facebook with the caption by the administrator, “This is the site of the MV shooting for Shinhwa’s 11th album’s title song, continuing on late into the night. I have to show at least the silhouette of the dramatic choreography, no, the best choreography and outfit ever.”
Even though there’s no information on the album yet except for its release date of May 16th, the announcement of their comeback has fans excited to see the longest-running idol group make their return.
Can you tell which member is which from their silhouettes?
[Thanks to those who sent this in!]
On 2nd May, singer Kim Hyun Joong released jacket photos of his upcoming 3rd Japanese single ‘Tonight’. A total of 5 versions of album covers were revealed.
The photos displayed an array of concepts used for Kim Hyun Joong’s new album. With the use of graffiti and pop art, new jacket photos also display an unique theme in which fans can look forward to.
Record label Universal Music Japan also revealed that Kim Hyun Joong’s new Japanese single ‘Tonight’ will come in 5 different versions – A, B, C, D, E. This time round, 3 songs ‘Tonight’, ‘Cappuccino’, etc. will be included in each album.
Last year, Kim Hyun Joong release Japanese albums ‘Heat’ and ‘Unlimited’, both of which has gained great success in Japan and topped Oricon chart. Kim Hyun Joong’s 3rd Japanese single will be released on 5th June. In the meanwhile, Kim Hyun Joong is participating in SBS’s new varity programme ‘Barefoot Friends’.
Check out jacket photos for ‘Tonight’!
Source : en.korea.com
Photo credit : Universal Music Japan
Kim Hyun Joong has released 5 different covers for his new Japanese single “Tonight“!
As he previously revealed, Kim Hyun Joong went for 5 completely different image concepts for each of the covers. In one, he gave of a bad boy vibe as he was dressed as a hardcore biker. In another, he looked like a classic gentleman, dressing up in a neat suit. The other covers feature him as a playful guitarist and he also went for a more classical old school look in an old building.
His third Japanese single will include 3 songs including “Tonight” and “Cappucino“. The 5 different versions includes 3 different limited editions that will include a DVD with the music video to the 3 new songs. There will also be a supplement version that contains photocards, and a normal version that just comes with the CD.
The single will be released on June 5.
Check out the 5 covers below! Which is your favorite?
Yesung has chosen to enlist as quietly as possible.
Unlike Leeteuk, Heechul, or Kangin held public events where most of Super Junior were present, the other members will not be present for Yesung’s enlistment. He plans on having a quiet goodbye before enlisting.
SM Entertainment said, “His military training area is far away, and he wants to enlist quietly. The Super Junior members will not be accompanying him this time.”
Currently, Yesung is preparing for enlistment and spending time with his family and friends.
Yesung will be enlisting at the Jeonbook Jeonju 35th reserves on May 6. He’ll be receiving 4 weeks of basic training and then serve 22 months as a public service worker.
Super Junior and f(x) decked out in rainbow colors for apparel brand ‘SPAO‘!
‘SPAO’ released the making film for the two respective groups 2013 S/S photoshoot. Both Super Junior and f(x) are all smiles for the entire set, dressing up in colorful shirts and belts. The groups also display their friendship with one other, goofing around and encasing each other in hugs.
Check out the video below!
Tip: ad
Big Bang‘s Seungri seems to have a way with animals. He met Bambi in real-life and showed how he’s popular even among deer!
Seungri shared on his Instagram on the 1st, “Bambi’s Like me!” He also shared a hilarious proof shot of him holding food for the deer to eat, looking frightened as the deer approach him. The ‘Bambis’ seemed to like Seungri, but judging by how freaked out he looks, Seungri didn’t feel the same way.
Fans commented, “Seungri’s facial expression is priceless,” “But you’re scared of them,” and “You’re bigger than the deer, but you’re scared.”
Seungri is currently promoting in Japan as V.I.
It’s been revealed that SS501‘s Kim Hyung Jun is planning on enlisting next year in 2014.
He was recently cast in the upcoming MBC drama ‘Gold, Appear!‘ (‘I Summon You, Gold!‘), and he revealed that he wanted to secure the image of himself as both an actor and a singer before he enlists.
For ‘Gold, Appear!’, he’s so passionate that his sunbae actors are coming earlier than they’re scheduled to go over their lines with him and monitor his acting. Not just that, he’s also been cast in ‘An Actor is an Actor‘, where he plans to further hone his acting skills.
As for being a singer, he’ll be heading to Japan for his live tour ‘Who Am I‘ in June and sing 23 songs live. His label said, “Since he’s planning on enlisting next year, he’s trying to secure his image as an actor and a singer. He’s working hard to make sure he doesn’t lose his image.”
Tip: Bethf07
‘Book of the House of Gu‘ previously achieved its highest viewer ratings yet, and its now broken its former record.
According to AGB Nielsen Media Research, the April 30th broadcast of ‘Book of the House of Gu’ achieved a 16.4% viewer rating, which beats its 16.3% viewer rating achieved last night.
Meanwhile, KBS 2TV‘s ‘God of the Workplace‘ gave ‘Book of the House of Gu’ a run for their money by achieving a solid 14.5% viewer rating, which is a 1.0% increase from its previous viewer rating of 13.5%.
SBS‘ ‘All About My Romance‘ fell behind with a 7.8% viewer rating which was a 0.4% decrease from its previous viewer rating of 8.2%. Luckily for loyal fans of this drama, SBS has denied the rumors of ‘All About My Romance’ cutting its run short due to poor viewer ratings.
Jazzy Group will be bringing Lee Min-Ho to Malaysia, to hold his world live concert at Kenanga Wholesale City (KWC Level 15) on the 29th June 2013, at 7.00 p.m. Tickets will be available starting 26April 2013 (Friday) at 11a.m. VVIP zone tickets only can be purchased at Jazzy group office.
Lee Min-Ho was born in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea on June 22, 1987. In the 2nd year of his high school career, Lee Min-Ho turned his attention to acting. By the time Lee Min-Ho reached senior year in high school, he joined Starhaus Entertainment with the help of an acquaintance. After going through training, Min-Ho started auditioning for roles and landed smaller roles in several television dramas. His major breakthrough came with Min-ho landing the lead role in the KBS2 drama “Boys Over Flowers” as Ku Jun-pyo. The television series became immensely popular and regularly received ratings of over 30% in South Korea. Lee Min-Ho is currently majoring in Film & Art at Konkuk University.
In 2011 Lee Min-Ho starred in popular drama series “City Hunter.” The drama was based off a Japanese manga by Tsukasa Hojo.
With the release of Lee Min Ho’s special album, he will be embarking on a live world tour concert series to 10 countries including Korea, Beijing, Taipei, Bangkok, Osaka, Tokyo, Malaysia, Shanghai, Myanmar and Hong Kong. The tour will last until July and each concert will be in the hybrid format of a talk show. However, the purpose of this album is to give his thanks to supportive fans. Lee Min-Ho’s domestic and international fans have been asking for this album and Lee Min-Ho put two years of time and effort into this album in return. Moreover, a part of the profit made from this album’s sales will be donated to charitable organizations helping people in need. Up to now, Lee Min-Ho has prepared a song for every fan meet he’s hosted but never released the song officially or performed elsewhere.
Minoz - get ready to join him at Kenanga Wholesale City (KWC Level 15 as the venue sponsor) to enjoy his loveable and spectacular performances that will definitely melt your heart.
Stay tune always with Jazzy Group Facebook, Jazzy Group Twitter, official radio station One FM & Hot FM, and official TV station One HD & 8TV for their latest news update. For more information, please visit Jazzy Group website
On April 30, TVXQ’s agency, SM entertainment reported that the duo will hold a concert for two days (August 17 and 18) at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. This concert will be the final performance of TVXQ’s Live Tour 2013 Time and the first concert at which foreign singers perform at the stadium.
Nissan Stadium is a very large stadium that can accommodate up to approximately 75,000 people, and about 150,000 people are expected to attend during the two days of the concert. Singers who have performed at the stadium include such legendary Japanese singers as X Japan, L’Arc-en-Ciel, SMAP, and EXILE. A stadium concert is regarded as a next step up from an arena (or “dome”) concert, and only singers who rise to the top can give a concert at stadiums in Japan. TVXQ’s final performance at the stadium proves popularity in Japan.
It is expected that TVXQ will draw a total of about 850,000 spectators durintg the big-five dome tour and the final stadium concert. If so, TVXQ will have the record for drawing the highest number of attendees. The Japanese press, including Sankei Sports, have given major coverage of the news in such words as “splendid achievement” and “skyrocketing popularity.”
The concert tour began on the 27th for three days at the Saitama Super Arena (in stadium mode) amid 100,000 fans’ tremendous enthusiasm, and the concert will be hold at the Sapporo Dome on May 5; at Nagoya Dome from May 10 to May 12; at Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome on May 25 and 26; at Osaka Kyocera Dome on June 5, 6, 8, and 9; at Tokyo Dome from June 15 to 17; and finally the last concerts on August 17 and 18 at Nissan Stadium.
-Also, TVXQ are planning to release a new Japanese single, titled “Ocean,” on June 12.
Actor Hyun Bin has chosen The King’s Wrath (directed by Lee Jae Gyu, Choicecut Pictures) as his first movie after being discharged from the military.
Yeongnin (The King’s Wrath) is a historical drama dealing with the period of political chaos during the conflict between the Old Learning (Noron) and the Young Learning (Soron) in the Joseon Dynasty.
There have been many TV series and movies dealing with the life of King Jeongjo. However, Hyun Bin is going to differentiate his character from the earlier portrayals, giving it a tough and charismatic personality. The movie is highly anticipated because it is the first time for Hyun Bin to attempt acting in a period piece.
The meaning of title, Yeongnin, implies “rubbing the scales on the dragon’s neck the wrong way,” which stands for the king’s wrath. It implicitly shows Jeonjo’s determination not to allow his royal authority to be undermined in the conflict between the and the Young Learning.
The director, Lee Jae Gye, who directed such TV series as Damo, Beethoven Virus, and The King Two hearts, is making his debut as a movie director.
As blue chips in the endorsement world, JYJ can add another deal to their list as they’ve become the new faces for outdoor brand ‘Millet‘s ‘M-Limited‘.
‘M-Limited’ is an outdoor gear series targeted towards the 25 to 35-year-old demographic, and the handsome trio is expected to do a good job in engaging this age group.
Millet stated, “When we noticed the growing trend of the young generation taking part in an outdoor lifestyle, we decided to conduct exclusive branding with ‘M-Limited’. JYJ, who have been receiving a lot of love from the whole world with their unique music and style, have been chosen as the endorsement models.”
JYJ recently made a triumphant return to Japan through their long-awaited three-day concert at the Tokyo Dome, selling out all 150,000 seats.
After their incredibly successful South American tour, it can be expected that the Super Junior boys would be welcomed as heroes back in Korea.
But being Super Junior, the boys took things to a literal level.
The members proudly stepped out of the gate to greet the fans and media that were patiently waiting for their return at the Incheon airport, and the boys decided to surprise their fans as they stepped out in Superhero costumes!
Henry had dressed up as Goku from ‘Dragon Ball Z‘, Kangin had turned into Thor, Eunhyuk changed to Wolverine from ‘X-Men‘, Shindong was the Incredible Hulk, Siwon was Captain America, Donghae was Iron Man, Kyuhyun was Loki from ‘Thor’, Ryewook (presumably) was Spiderman, and Sungmin was Huo Yuanjia from Jet Li‘s ‘Fearless‘.
Which outfit is your favorite?
[Images credited as tagged]
Tip: RikkuMi07, Karin
It appears Heechul will be rejoining Super Junior soon!
A close friend of Heechul stated, “Heechul really wants to rejoin Super Junior as soon as he’s done with his service on August 31. He’s preparing to stand on stage on Super Junior’s world tour ‘Super Show 5′ when he’s discharged. He has about 4 months left of service. Heechul is using his free time on weekend and nights to practice choreography by himself.”
He will be the second Super Junior member to successfully return from the army after Kangin. So far, Leeteuk is in the army, and Yesung will be soon be joining him when he enlists on May 6.
Tip: L
Super Junior wrapped up the South American leg of their ‘Super Show 5‘ world tour in Peru!
They set records in every country, by being either the first Korean artist to have a solo concert or drawing the largest crowd. The group started off their South American journey in Brazil on the 21st and continued onward to Argentina, Chile, and Peru. In all, they performed in front of 40,000 South American fans.
SM Entertainment said, “Every airport Super Junior went to was filled with an incredible number of fans, so they had to use the VIP passageways for safety precautions. It wasn’t just limited to the airport. Fans were waiting for them everywhere they went, including their hotel and concert venue, they showed an immense amount of passion and support for them. At one point, the police even had to step forward.”
Super Junior held the South American finale in Peru at Lima’s Jockey Club in front of 10,000 fans. About 3,000 extra fans stood outside the concert venue because they weren’t able to get tickets. Super Junior said, “It hasn’t hit us yet that we’re done with the South American tour. We had such a great time. We’re so thankful to our South American fans for showing us love from the opposite side of the globe.”
In Celebration, Zhoumi posted a photo onto his Weibo, writing, “We’re done with our South American tour. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, good work everyone!“. In the photo, all the members were sharing a drink with a big grin.
Super Junior will be having a break in May and then ‘Super Show 5′ will continue onto Jakarta and Hong Kong in June.
Actor Uhm Tae Woong has been cast to play the lead role in the upcoming KBS drama ‘Knife and Flower‘.
The new drama will be a suspenseful, martial-arts historical drama revolving around love, jealousy and revenge between a daughter of a murdered king and the illegitimate child of his murderer.
The drama will be directed by Kim Yong Soo, who also oversaw the production of last year’s acclaimed ‘Equator Man‘.
Playing the role of Yun Choong, the illegitimate child, Uhm Tae Woong defies his father’s orders to murder the daughter and travels between his love for his prey and his fealty towards his father.
‘Knife and Flower’, currently wrapping up its casting, is expected to begin broadcasting in July following the final episode of ‘Mandate of Heaven‘.
Source: TV Report via Nate
YG Entertainment announced that singer Se7en, currently serving out his military duty, will be following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Boom, Rain, and Super Junior‘s Leeteuk to join the ‘celebrity soldier’ ranks.
“After completing basic training on the 26th, his status has been changed to a celebrity soldier,” his agency stated.
As a designated celebrity soldier, Se7en will be participating in non-combat areas such as military radio broadcasts and performance tours.
Source: Star News via Nate
Kim Hyun Joong went through a cathartic moment after his experience abroad for SBS‘s ‘Barefoot Friends‘.
Wrapping up their visit to Vietnam, the cast of ‘Barefoot Friends’ gathered to reflect on what they had learned after completing their mission to live their lives as a normal Vietnamese person for 24 hours.
“As a celebrity, I always had a soft spot for living as a normal person,” Kim Hyun Joong said. “But after experiencing today, I felt that being a normal person is the hardest thing.”
“I’m very happy right now, where I get to do what I want to do,” he concluded.
Actor Jang Geun Suk has become a student like many of us as he studies for the TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication).
Jang Geun Suk shared on his Twitter, “Tomorrow is the test and today is the first extracurricular assignment.. looking at this, it’s full of language twists and turns.. getting sleepy just looking at it… School dean, can you let me take a test besides the TOEIC which is harder, but tests my Korean language ability…”
Fans commented, “I also hate taking the TOEIC”, “It seems Jang Geun Suk also gets stressed from the test”, and “I wish there was a Korean language test besides the TOEIC.”
Good luck, Jang Geun Suk!
Source: TV Daily via Nate
South American ELF are in for some tears as Super Junior‘s Eunhyuk says goodbye to Chile.
Eunhyuk said goodbye to ELF in Chile,
Bye Chile~ see ya!!!!!!!twitpic.com/cm5bhp
— Eun Hyuk (@AllRiseSilver) April 26, 2013
Super Junior recently set a record with their ‘Super Show 5‘ concert in Chile by drawing in the largest audience for a Korean group in South America with their latest concert.
Super Junior will be wrapping up their South America tour in Peru on the 27th.
Epik High‘s DJ Tukutz revealed a photo of his adorable son!
Tukutz’s son Yoon Woo greeted the world back on December 14, and Tukutz shared a photo of his newborn’s feet through his Twitter. He took to Twitter again to introduce the world to his son, as he first wrote, “Yoon Woo’s 100 day just passed… Are you curious as to how he looks?“.
Tukutz had posted photos of his son’s feet often, but he’d never shown the public the face of his son. He finally posted, “Our Yoon Woo~ To be honest, even I think we look so alike keke“.
The photo showed his adorable son at his baby photoshoot, and he looked exactly like a baby version of Tukutz. DJ Tukutz must be so happy to be the father of such a cute son!
Actor Hyun Bin visited Shanghai and was warmly received by local fans. Hyun Bin visited China for the first time since his discharge from the military and appeared at a launching event held on April 23 in Shanghai.
Hyun Bin captured the hearts of women at the event with his fashionable, chic appearance in all black, including coat, tnrousers, and shoes, and a shirt with an unusual black-and-white pattern.
Prior to the event, Hyun Bin expressed his consolations to the victims of earthquakes that occurred in Sichuan on April 20. He said, “I’ve heard that there are many victims of the earthquakes. I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and hope that the surviving victims recover soon.”
At the event, Hyun Bin gave out gifts to the fans and also gave hugs, which excited the fans in China.
Hyun Bin is currently holding a series of fan meetings after his discharge from the Marine Corps. They will continue in Singapore, Shanghai, and Guangzhou on April 27 and 28.
Super Junior‘s Siwon and Girls’ Generation‘s Seohyun have joined their labelmates Kyuhyun, Sulli, Minho, and YoonA as the new endorsement models for ‘SKT LTE‘.
The official CFs feature Siwon and Seohyun enjoying a date with some orange juice and showing off their moves in a dance battle.
Check out the CF as well as their interviews in the clips below!
Siwon and Seohyun’s CF
Seohyun’s CF
Siwon’s CF
Siwon vs. Kyuhyun and Seohyun vs. YoonA CF
SHINee has just revealed the music video to their title track “Why So Serious?“ as well as other songs on their album!
The group’s third album’s second half, which is titled ‘Why So Serious? – The Misconceptions of Me‘, has been released containing a total of 9 tracks. This is a continuation from their first part of the album, which was titled ‘Dream Girl – The Misconceptions of You‘, and is geared to show you a bit of a transformation compared to their “Dream Girl” promotions.
They’ve had fans holding onto their seats with the release of a video teaser, and now the full release is here!
Check out the MV below!
Super Junior captivated Argentine fans’ hearts at the concert they held in Luna Park Stadium, in Buenos Aires on April 23 for a gathering 8,000 local fans. This is a meaningful event because it is the first concert held in the region by Korean pop stars.
The group performed 24 songs, including several of their hits and ballads, and also gave some funny performances.
At a press conference held prior to the concert, 20 local media, including C5N, Telenoche, La Nacion, La Capital, and Reuters, attended to report on the K-pop idols. On April 22, the day when the group landed in the country, a large crowd gathered at the airport and hotel, singing the group’s songs and occupying the street at night.
Having finished the concerts in Brazil and Argentina, Super Junior will continue their tour in Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, on April 25.
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk and Siwon relax at the L.A. airport, while waiting for their flight to Brazil.
Super Junior fans… take a deep breath and prepare yourselves for a treat! Eunhyuk, Donghae and Siwon are getting into the summer spirit by relaxing poolside in Brazil and we have the shirtless pictures to prove it.
Eunhyuk tweeted two different photos of the trio. The first one shows the 3 gorgeous guys flashing peace signs at the camera while walking. The photo caption read, “walk walk walk….run run run!!!!!!!” Eunhyuk and Siwon are both smiling at the camera, while a shirtless Donghae peers around Siwon to get in the shot also.
The second picture Eunhyuk shared shows them by the pool, each one relaxing and without a shirt. The caption read, “swim swim swim.” Donghae is wearing a black cap and gazing up at the camera, Siwon is looking out across the water and Eunhyuk is smiling at the camera while making a v across his forehead.
Though Donghae and Siwon’s bodies are mostly hidden in the shot, Eunhyuk is posing playfully in his swim trunks and gives a fully exposed view of his amazing abs. It appears someone has been doing some extra exercise lately! Judging from all the comments and responses on twitter, the pictures have certainly met with the approval of Super Junior fans around the globe.
Super Junior is currently on their world tour “Super Show 5″. The tour kicked off with two performances in Seoul and was followed by a performance in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 21st. The tour continues in South America, with the next show in Argentina on April 23rd. The tour marks the largest South American tour by a Korean artist.
While many of us won’t be able to attend the “Super Show 5″ in South America, I don’t think anyone will be complaining too much. Because if the warm, summer-like weather in South America is what will give us pictures like these, then I say bring it on!
Photo Source: Twitter
Shin Se Kyung chose between her ‘When a Man Loves‘ co-stars, Song Seung Hun and Yeon Woo Jin.
The cast of the MBC drama was present for the press conference at the Gyeonggido Culture Land. On her two co-stars, Shin Se Kyung commented, “I have a romance line with Song Seung Hun and Yeon Woo Jin. Seung Hun oppa has a lot of childish elements, so when I see him, I can’t help but smile. But when I see Woo Jin oppa, my heart starts beating all of a sudden.”
When asked about who she would pick for her character, she answered, “If it were up to me, I’d pick Yeon Woo Jin. But Seo Mi Do [her character] has a lot of personal pain, such as her family, so she has a lot of points when she does things that aren’t easy to understand. Because of her wishy-washy attitude, there are times when she’s criticized by the viewers. But I started this knowing she’d be criticized. I hope a lot of people can see from her perspective.”
Currently, the drama ranks #1 in the Wednesday-Thursday drama slot.
Super Junior performed in front of 8,000 Brazilian fans at ‘Super Show 5‘ in Sao Paulo.
It’s the first time a Korean artist held a solo concert in Brazil, and the boys had sold out all 8,000 seats. They performed a total of 24 songs, including “Twins (Knock Out)“, “Sorry Sorry“, “Bonamana“, “Mr. Simple“, and “Sexy, Free & Single“. They showcased their trademark brightness and high performance throughout the entire concert, and even sang Brazilian singer Michel Telo‘s “Ai Se Eu Te Pego“.
Their fans responded so passionately to their rehearsed Portuguese and high quality stages that it has over 140 fans either passed out during the concert or had to be wheeled out of the venue. The on-site medical staff were surprised at this high number, and revealed that it was the first time they had such an experience.
Super Junior said, “We flew 25 hours for our South American tour. We thought it was far, but when we stand on stage, we realize it’s actually very close. When we debuted, we couldn’t even dream that we’d have a solo concert in Brazil, and we thank you for letting us keep setting new paths.”
The boys will be performing in Argentina tonight, in Chile on April 25, and they will wrap up their South American tour in Peru on April 27.
[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Idol group Super Junior’s South America Tour has opened first in Brazil. According to an April 23 report from the group’s agency, SM Entertainment, on April 21 Super Junior held their Super Show5 concert at São Paulo Credit Card Hall. The concert lasted about three hours from 7:30 p.m. (local time). This concert is the first show that a Korean idol group has held in Brazil and is the start of Super Junior’s South American Tour.
Super Junior performed a total of 24 songs, including “Twins,” “Sorry, Sorry,” “Bonamana,” “Mr. Simple,” and “Sexy, Free and Single,” showing a variety of performing styles unique to the group. About 8,000 local fans attended.
After the concert, the group said: “South America seemed far away, but now that we have performed here, it feels closer. We did not expect that someday we’d hold our own concert in Brazil, but now we’ve done it, thanks to Brazilian fans.”
Super Junior will continue the South American Tour at luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the 23th of April.
CNBLUE celebrated the release of their 5th Japanese single “Blind Love” with no one other than their BOICEs!
Only 100 lucky fans were able to meet and greet CNBLUE during their fan meeting, ‘Only 100 fans! Recochoku’s exclusive premium event‘. Japanese music download site Recochoku invited 100 fans who downloaded CNBLUE’s new single ‘Blind Love’ to the event held in Tokyo on the 21st.
CNBLUE shared, “We wrote the lyrics while pondering on the image of cherry blossom songs.”
CNBLUE’s 5th Japanese single “Blind Love” was composed by Jonghyun and expresses the feelings of a man who can’t forget his past love. “Blind Love” has already topped charts in Japan prior to its release on the 24th.
JYJ will become honorary citizens of Jeju Island for their contribution on the Seven Wonders of Nature Campaign.
The boys have previously been chosen as the ambassadors of the island for international promotion purposes.
With JYJ’s help, the island was voted as one of the New Seven wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders committee. On behalf of the island, JYJ actively promoted internationally to help raise the profile of the island. The members were selected as honorary citizens for their influence and ability to attract and raise foreign votes for the island.
Depending on their world tour schedule, there’s a possibility the members will be able to attend the official appointment ceremony.
Tip: Ecah
Have you gotten your tickets to TVXQ Live World Tour ‘Catch Me’ in Kuala Lumpur? The good people of JPM Music have announced that every week from now until concert day, a few lucky fans will be chosen to win exclusive pass to attend the official media press conference.
Also with every purchase of VVIP tickets or Premium zone tickets, ticketholders may even win themselves a holiday to Korea that includes tickets to a concert by one of the incredible K-Pop artists under SM Management.
Check out JPM Music website for more information. Only less than a month away to concert day – are you ready?
Super Junior‘s Eunhyuk and Donghae have personally announced the upcoming release of their new single in Japan!
The duo introduced themselves through a video shout-out as they revealed that there’s a single album in store entitled ‘I Wanna Dance‘! This will be released on June 19th, and to make this even more exciting, there is an inclusion of a special song. Along with the title track “I Wanna Dance” will be another song, “Love That I Need“, by their fellow member Henry, who will also feature in the track.
Check out their message below!
On the evening of April 20, actor Hyun Bin held his third Asia tour fan meeting in Hong Kong, which turned out to be a great time spent with local fans. Most of those in attendance were female fans, who responded Hyun Bin’s every move. The popular star drew great cheers from the crowd.
He showed previously undisclosed aspects of himself to thousands of fans as he sang a song and put on a laser show. During the event, Hyun Bin greeted fans with the “V” sign and went down from the stage into the audience to personally hug a fan who did not understand Cantonese and had therefore missed the hugging event. His warmhearted behavior touched the fans.
Hyun Bin returned to Korea on April 21, and will continue his Asia tour in Singapore on the 27th and then proceed to Shanghai and Guangzhou in May. 
Super Junior finally went to see their Brazilian fans.
The boys landed in Brazil on April 20 for the South American leg of their ‘Super Show 5‘ tour. More than 10 times the normal amount of security officers were stationed at the Sao Paulo airport for their arrival, but even with the extra security there were so many people gathered that Super Junior had no choice but to use the hidden VIP passageway.
However, the members didn’t forget about their fans, as the vans that contained the members was driven to the front of the airport just so they could greet their fans before they departed.
The member then went to the KOTRA CSR event at the Sao Paulo Renaissance Hotel. Super Junior attended the seminar celebrating the 50th anniversary of Korean immigration into Brazil, and donated 2,000 t-shirts that were specially made to the Sao Paulo government and the Red Cross.
Super Junior said, “As we prepared the South American tour, we thought about how to give back to the fans who had loved us and waited for us. We heard about the CSR event, and decided to participate. It’s a small present, but we hope that the t-shirts get used for a good cause.”
The boys also put on an awesome performance the following evening at the Sao Paulo Creditcard Hall.
Super Junior is having a blast in Brazil ahead of their sold out concert there today. The members have been keeping fans updated with periodic updates of their zany South American antics.
Donghae began with a tweet from Los Angeles, together with this baby photo/present day two shot, while other members also tweeted anticipation for their arrival in Brazil.
Ola Brasil !!! I’m at LA !! I’m about to board now ~~See u soon !! 12hrs later!! twitter.com/donghae861015/…
— Super Junior 이동해 (@donghae861015) April 20, 2013
with @ryeong9! off to Brazil!! sao paulo!!!! so excited .안녕!!!! ㅋㅋㅋ twitter.com/henrylau89/sta…
— Henry Lau (@henrylau89) April 19, 2013
Eunhyuk, on the other hand, tried his hand at some Spanish Portuguese tweeting, “Hello!!!!!! Please wait!!!!! Brasil fans~~~~“.
Ola!!!!!! Espere por favor!!!!! Brasil fans~~~~twitpic.com/ckj5kc
— Eun Hyuk (@AllRiseSilver) April 20, 2013
Even before Donghae disembarked, he was tweeting more goodies for rabid fans, this time bringing Siwon on for the ride, in set of wacky selcas. 
We just arrived !! Brasil ~~ R U Ready?? we just hang out !! Let’s rock&roll twitter.com/donghae861015/… — Super Junior 이동해 (@donghae861015) April 20, 2013
Yes we are here :^) @donghae861015 twitter.com/siwon407/statu… — SiwonChoi (@siwon407) April 20, 2013
The long flight did not dampen thier zest to get out and soak up the famed Brazilian sun.
We have star jogging ~~ in Brasil ^^ twitter.com/donghae861015/…
— Super Junior 이동해 (@donghae861015) April 20, 2013
What’s a holiday in Brazil without a bit of topless fun at the pool? 
swim swim swim~~~~~~twitpic.com/ckqox2
— Eun Hyuk (@AllRiseSilver) April 20, 2013
@allrisesilver Nice weather ! ^^ twitter.com/donghae861015/…
— Super Junior 이동해 (@donghae861015) April 20, 2013
walk walk walk….run run run!!!!!!!twitpic.com/ckpyjx
— Eun Hyuk (@AllRiseSilver) April 20, 2013
Looks like they are having so much fun, wish we were there.
After their concert in Brazil, Super Junior will be heading to Argentina, Chile, and Peru!
Kim Jong Kook will try his hand at acting for the first time since he debuted 18 years ago.
Sadly, it won’t be an actual drama, but a short special of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Crisis Escape Number 1‘ for the ‘dangerous spring outing’ episode. He plays the part of a man going on a fishing trip. Even through the harsh early spring wind, Kim Jong Kook never lost his smile and finished his first acting project ever.
The episode will air on April 22nd at 8:50PM KST, so keep a watch out for his scene!
It looks like the rumors were wrong. Singer Baek Ji Young (Korean age: 37) and her boyfriend actor Jung Suk Won (27) are marrying this June after 2 years of dating!
Jung Suk Won’s agency Polaris Entertainment announced on the 18th, “Famous celebrity couple Jung Suk Won and Baek Ji Young are getting married. The final date and wedding hall have yet to be confirmed.”
According to an insider, the couple began to have serious discussions about marriage earlier this year. They both decided on June, which is when Jung Suk Won wraps up filming the movie ‘N.L.L.-Battle of Yeonpyeong‘.
Congratulations to both of them!
Korean Media outlet Sport Seoul has released a video talking about a ‘rude and disrespectful’ female idol along with a ‘two-faced’ male actor.
Their corner ‘SS Rumors and Truth‘ spoke about a certain female idol group member who is getting very popular. They didn’t mention a specific name as it was beeped out. However, in the YouTube description they described her as someone who is also active as an actress and is nicknamed the ‘Nation’s First Love’, in addition to providing her initial ‘B’.
Reporter Kim Ka Yeon reported, “OO is currently the biggest issue. However, because of her rapidly growing popularity, we have heard that she is getting arrogant, and she is being criticized by reporters, broadcast PDs, and broadcast station personnel. She is always late to her photoshoots, and when it’s time for her to resume filming after her break, she gets annoyed. Not only so, but she uses profanity that is not befitting for a female idol. There is also a reported case where she cried and complained she didn’t want to film, and ran off the set. Even though she has a beautiful face, because of her contrasting personality, she is currently being called the rudest among all the girl group members.”
That was not all. The corner continued to talk about a male actor who was famous for his kind manners but that his true personality is anything but. The reporter revealed, “Even though he is well known for his manners, other actors are shaking their heads at his two-faced personality. Because of his recently faltering health, he orders his staff members to fetch him tea or give him a massage. If they’re even a bit late in doing his chores, he gets annoyed and angry at them. A broadcast personnel said, ‘He’s only nice in front of reporters. Even if he gets nice, his rude temper won’t go anywhere’.”
Even though the names are bleeped out, from the clues including the ‘zy’ pronunciation at the end of the bleep, along with the nickname of ‘Nation’s First Love’, and Suzy’s last name being ‘Bae’ (Initial ‘B’), it seems to hint that the the female idol in question is miss A‘s Suzy. The male actor is a bit harder to decipher. Who do you think the male actor could be?
Actor Han Jae Suk and actress Park Sol Mi will be getting married later this month and recently unveiled their beautiful pre-wedding pictorial!
Park Sol Mi left fans in awe at how gorgeous she was as she donned three different wedding dresses, especially since her last fixed appearance on the small screen was through ‘Laws of the Jungle‘s Amazon edition. Han Jae Suk, whom many of you will recognize from the drama ‘Oohlala Couple‘, also looked like the prince charming every woman dreams of in his suit and tie , and even played the role by putting Park Sol Mi’s white high heels on for her.
Han Jae Suk and Parl Sol Mi will be holding their wedding ceremony on the 21st!
Actor Song Joong Ki, who is known for his clean-cut image, perfectly displayed the fresh and clean taste of the soft drink ‘Sprite‘ in his latest CF for the brand.
Song Joong Ki is seen showing ‘the cleanliness that wakes me up’ for the CF as he drinks a bottle of ‘Sprite’ in a refreshing way that makes fans thirsty for the soft drink as well. It has also been revealed that Song Joong Ki will continue as the endorsement model for ‘Sprite‘ for the second consecutive year.
A representative commented, “We believe that Song Joong Ki will effectively portray Sprite’s clean freshness to trendy youth that are drawn to new things.”
Check out the CF below!
Tip: yurany
MBC‘s ’Book of the House of Gu‘ ranked #1 in viewer ratings!
According to AGB Nielsen, the drama received 13.6% in viewership ratings for its 3rd episode, 1.4% higher than its episode last Tuesday. In the 3rd episode, Suzy‘s character had just saved Lee Seung Gi‘s character’s life.
KBS 2TV‘s ‘God of the Workplace‘ ranked at a close 2nd place with 13.4%, and SBS‘ ‘Jang Ok Jung‘ ranked in last place at 7.9%.
Which drama are you watching?
Psy may be garnering a staggering number of views worldwide with his “Gentleman” MV, but he was no match for Lee Seung Gi and Girls’ Generation who were recently voted as the most popular artists in Korea.
Research firm Leespiar conducted a poll asking 1,332 men and women 13-69 years old across Korea about the most popular stars.
Among the male celebrities, Lee Seung Gi came out on top with 9.2% of the votes, while Psy trailed behind in 2nd place with 8.5%. Big Bang, Lee Seung Chul, SHINee, Kim Bum Soo, INFINITE, Sung Shi Kyung, Huh Gak, K.Will, and more also ranked high on the list. Psy previously ranked #1 while Big Bang came in at #2 on last year’s poll, but Lee Seung Gi, who ranked in third place last year, was able to rise above the successful artists.
Among the female celebrities, Girls’ Generation effortlessly maintained their #1 spot on the chart with a whopping 20.6% votes, a 1.5% increase from their previous ranking of 19.1%. Baek Ji Young, IU, SISTAR, Jang Yoon Jung, Lee Hyori, BoA, Park Jung Hyun, Ailee, and Lee Hi also made it onto the list. Unlike last year’s poll, KARA, T-ara, and the Wonder Girls were not on the list.
Tip: Xesyre
It was announced earlier today, that CN Blue’s Jung Yong-hwa has been cast in the upcoming SBS series “The Heirs”.
The show has already been a popular topic of late, due in part to the popularity of the lead actors Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye. Add to the cast the popular Yong-hwa and talented director Kang Shin Hyo and it seems like the show is destined to be a hit.
Yong-hwa has acted in a total of 3 roles. HiIs last lead role was 2 years ago in the MBC melodrama “Heartstrings”, which also starred Park Shin Hye. The new series “The Heirs” will mark their third acting project together.
The series is set to release later this year.
What’s after Valentines Day and White (Valentines) Day in Korea? It’s Black Day!
JjaJangMyeon (짜장면)
This is the day where single people gather together to enjoy Jajangmyeon (자장면) … or Korean black sauce noodles, a noodle dish influenced by Chinese’s Zhajiangmian (炸醬麵).
For single people, what else can you do on this day?
How about listen to K-pop songs that depicts single-hood?
For those who has just broken up – Alone (나혼자) by Sistar
SISTAR Alone
“I walk alone, watch TV alone
I get drunk alone, cry and cry like this everyday
Love was sweet, under the shade of breakup
I can’t fall asleep again tonight…”
“나 혼자 길을 걷고 나 혼자 TV를 보고
나 혼자 취해 보고 이렇게 매일 울고 불고
사랑 참 달콤했어 이별이란 그림자 안에서
오늘도 잠 못자…”
For those who just got rejected – Good Day (좋은 날) by IU
IU Good Day
“Was my recent hairstyle change bad?
Did I wear the wrong clothes?
Still pretending like I don’t know
Like I don’t remember
Should I act as if nothing happened?”
“새로 바뀐 내 머리가 별로였는지
입고 나왔던 옷이 실수였던 건지
아직 모르는 척 기억 안 나는 척
아무 일없던 것처럼 굴어볼까?”
Those ready to have a new relationship – Sexy Free & Single by Super Junior
Super Junior Sexy Free & Single
“My person, my person, I’ve become stronger.
Yeah! Finally it’s our Time for romance.
Again I will fly toward a greater dream.
Another Upgrade, just watch me, leave it to me”
“내 사람아, 사람아 난 더 강해졌어.
Yeah! 드디어 우리 Time for romance.
더 멋진 꿈을 향해 또 날아가겠어.
다시 Upgrade 지켜봐, 맡겨봐.”
So, which category fits you the best?
See also:
Korean Black Day
Valentines Day
Korean White Day
Source: Seoul Awesome: Your K-blog
The queen of OSTs will be singing for the new drama, ‘Book of the House of Gu‘!
She’ll be singing “Spring Day“, the love theme song for Lee Seung Gi and Suzy‘s characters. It will be a traditional ballad that emphasizes Baek Ji Young‘s voice with the acoustic melody line and the heartfelt lyrics.
According to the drama’s production team, Baek Ji Young decided to lend her efforts for the show because she’d known PD Shin Woo Chul from ‘Secret Garden‘, which she also sang the OST for. The song will be released on the 22nd!
On April 14, Kim Jae Joong’s agency, Cjes Entertainment, announced that more than 50 media representatives gathered at a press conference for his first solo Asia tour, titled Your, My and Mine in Taiwan, followed by the concert.
An agency official said the event was combined with a fan meeting and concert, which was drew many fans and was well received. Local media in Taiwan reported Kim’s every movement: Taiwan broadcaster TVBS highlighted the concert and other media, including GTV, Phoenix Satellite TV, Liberty News, and China Press reported their interest in Kim’s tour and his next move as an actor.
Kim said, “Whenever I visit Taiwan, I receive energy. I often enjoy tofu in Taiwan, but I want to try some dimsum this time.”
CNBLUE‘s Yonghwa will be joining Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye on ‘Heirs‘!
The upcoming SBS Wednesday/Thursday drama cast the CNBLUE leader as one of the 3 leading roles. SBS said, “Yonghwa has been cast into ‘Heirs’ along with Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye. It’s his comeback to the small screen after his last drama 2 years ago“.
Since there are three big names in the drama, SBS said, “As the three Hallyu stars that are well loved everywhere are place in the leading roles, there will be a huge synergy effect. Yonghwa and Lee Min Ho will be playing heirs that have different charms.”
Park Shin Hye and Yonghwa had already appeared in ‘You’re Beautiful‘ and ‘You’ve Fallen For Me‘ together, so this is their 3rd drama together. The drama is a trendy drama that talks about the love and friendship of rich high school students.
No word on when the drama will begin airing.
Tip: cody
miss A‘s Suzy and Lee Seung Gi‘s characters are about to take one leap closer to starting their romance on the upcoming episode of ’Book of the House of Gu‘.
In newly released still cuts, Dahm Yuh Wool (Suzy) is seen training Choi Kang Chi‘s (Lee Seung Gi) reflexes by hitting him with her shinai (a bamboo weapon to train with instead of a sword in martial arts). However, Choi Kang Chi, who is not quick enough to ward off her attacks, grabs the shinai in frustration and gets close with Dahm Yuh Wool, surprising them both.
It was revealed that Lee Seung Gi was hit on the head 15 times for the scene, showing his endurance and dedication to the drama.
Park Tae Young PD commented, “In this scene, Lee Seung Gi and Suzy bicker and start to show their feelings for each other. It will be an important scene. Although it’s their first historical drama, they show their chemistry and are creating a high quality drama.”
Catch the third episode of ‘Book of the House of Gu’ on the 15th at 9:55 PM KST!
Siwon has been chosen as the Asia model representative for the global mobile messenger ‘LINE‘!
His label SM Entertainment stated, “Siwon will be the model centered in the markets located in Southeastern Asia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore. He’ll be doing various promotions as the ‘LINE’ model.”
‘LINE’ said, “We decided that Siwon was a good representative for Asia, his professional and sophisticated image matched very well with the lifestyle brand image we want, so we chose him as our model.”
He had a press conference with ‘LINE’ in Hong Kong on the 11th, and in Malaysia on the 12th.
The enlistment date of Super Junior’s Yesung has been set.
During Super Junior’s ‘Super Show 5′ concert in Seoul on March 24th, Yesung hinted that he will be enlisting in the army this year. As he shed tears on stage along with the fans, Yesung expressed his gratitude towards his fans. He also asked them to take care of Super Junior members when he’s not there and to never forget him.
Now the date has been confirmed by SM Entertainment through an official press release. Yesung will enlist on May 6th. He will have his basic military training for 4 weeks before continuing as a public service worker for 23 months.
There will be no big event to send Yesung off as he wishes to enlist quietly. Hopefully, his fans will be patient and wait for him to come back.
Source: TV Report
On April 11, Korean star Choi Si Won attended a promotional event in Hong Kong for the mobile messenger Line.
He looked like a stylish, dignified gentleman in neat, formal suit with a white bow tie on a white shirt. He smiled and waved in response to fans and reporters. During the event, a brief commercial in which Choi appears was shown, followed by an interview with local media.
When he was asked unexpectedly about the current military escalation on the Korean Peninsula, which had nothing to do with the event itself, Choi kept his response quite brief, adding, “I’m a Korean citizen and all my people think the same.” He also said he would be attending an awards ceremony while in Hong Kong.
Super Junior started its latest concert tour, Super Show 5, on March 23 in Seoul and will go on to China, Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
“Missing You”, the drama starring Park Yoochun, Yoon Eun Hye, Yoo Seung Ho and more will be aired in the Philippines starting the 22nd of April 2013. One of the most popular local network in the country, ABS-CBN already released a teaser for the drama. The drama will be dubbed in Filipino. For sure, all the K-drama enthusiasts out there are excited to watch this!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: ABSTVPromo|YT
On April 5, the Taipei airport was packed with six hundred fans who gathered to see their idol stars CNBlue who had come to Taiwan to kick off their world tour. The group’s performance was explosively welcomed in Taipei, and the concert tickets sold out in forty minutes.
A press conference was held on the day of their arrival. The group’s leader, Jung Yong Hwa, said he was thrilled to be there for the concert. He played the guitar and sang the group’s hit song “I’m Sorry” as representatives from the local media photographed him at the press conference.
The group’s world tour is receiving a lot of attention, especially from Chinese-speaking countries. After the tickets to the Taipei concert sold out, the group extended their run for one more day in Hong Kong, where the concert tickets also sold out in just five minutes. The opening concert of the tour was held in a Taipei arena on April 6.
Happy birthday to Choi Siwon who turned 27 today! Siwon was born on April 7th, 1986 in Seoul, South Korea (although his birthday was officially recorded on February 10, 1987). Siwon is a well-known singer from the band Super Junior and an actor and model as well.
Siwon tweeted pictures of himself in Jerusalem, where he is currently touring the city and celebrating his birthday. He tweeted the pictures, along with the message to his fans, “thanks all. love you always #HappySiwonDay LOVE from Jerusalem.”
We wish Siwon a very happy birthday and many more years of continued success!
Check out the pictures Siwon tweeted and don’t forget to join us in wishing him a happy birthday.
Did you catch the premiere of the highly anticipated MBC drama ‘Book of the House of Gu‘ on the 8th? Well, if you did, you were not alone because Suzy, Lee Seung Gi, and the entire staff of the drama also gathered together to watch the live broadcast.
Suzy shared on her Twitter, “Are you all watching the live broadcast! We are also watching the premiere together!! mbc!!!!!!!!!!”, along with a group shot of the entire team monitoring the first episode as a family.
According to AGB Nielsen Media Research, the premiere of ‘Book of the House of Gu’ kicked off to a solid start, achieving a 11.2% viewer rating. Meanwhile, KBS 2TV‘s ‘God of the Workplace‘ and SBS‘ ‘Jang Ok Jung‘ garnered a 12.3% and 11.3% viewer rating, respectively.
(Photo credit : TvReport)
It has been confirmed that Kim Hyun Joong is one of the participants in SBS’s new variety show ‘Barefoot Friends’. On 4th, Kim Hyun Joong arrived at Incheon International Airport in the morning, dressed in black outdoor outfit, posed for a photo before departing for Vietnam.
‘Barefoot Friends’ is a new SBS variety programme hosted by Kang Ho Dong, it will be aired on SBS Sunday following up on ‘Survival Audition Kpop Star2′. The first filming of ‘Barefoot Friends’ will be a 4 days 3 night trip in Vietnam. Other participants of the programme are After School’s Uee, Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, Yoo Se Yoon, Yoon Jong Shin, Kim Bum Soo and Yoon Si Yoon.
Source : Korea.com
Okamoto, The president of the well-known Japanese concert agency Kyodo Yokohama, recently praised JYJ (Kim Jae Joong, Park Yoo Chun, and Kim Jun Su), saying, “They are comparable to Michael Jackson.” Okamoto, who is planning JYJ’s Japan Tokyo Dome show, went on to say, “I have been in charge of world-famous artists’ shows, and I was amazed at how well-disciplined JYJ’s dancing is. It compares well to that of Michael Jackson, who is the most famous artist I have ever worked with.”
JYJ plan to hold three concerts, titled 2013 JYJ Concert in Tokyo Dome – The Return of The JYJ, from last April 2 to April 4. The group gave a concert in the Tokyo Dome in June 2010, which is three years ago.
JYJ had to stop their activities for a while because of a contract problem with the large Japanese entertainment company Avex, but expectations for their return to performing are great, with all 150,000 seats for the three days of the upcoming concert sold out and advance requests for tickets were more than twice that.
“I think JYJ are incredible artists. They have shown us that Japanese fans are really looking forward to this concert. However, Japan has its rules and we want to adhere to them while at the same time keeping up the good work with JYJ. who prevailed in the trial,” said Okamoto, showing high expectations for the concert. He also said, “I expect JYJ to do a good job with their messages, songs, and performances for the fans, not only in Japan but also in the whole world.”
The JYJ concert will be broadcast live in 113 theaters nationwide in Japan. This will include Japan’s largest movie theaters, THOHO Cinema and Warner Mycal Cinema, on the last day of the show, April 4.
ELF all know that underneath Super Junior Kyuhyun‘s rough image on ‘Radio Star‘, the idol star has a heart of gold.
Kyuhyun will be donating 2750kg (~6062 lbs) of rice to charity in the neighborhood of Nowon, where he used to live, on the 6th. The rice, which will feed 275 families, was presented by fans to congratulate him for being cast in the musical ‘Catch Me If You Can‘.
Thirty-three lucky fans from the ‘Korea Cultural Experience’ organization in Taiwan who came to support Kyuhyun’s musical ‘Three Musketeers‘ will also attend the donation ceremony on behalf of ELF worldwide.
Tip: :)
Donghae transformed into ‘Iron Man‘.
Perhaps because Robert Downey Jr. trip to Korea to promote his new movie ‘Iron Man 3‘, Donghae dressed up in the Iron Man getup, complete with the Tony Stark mustache.
He uploaded the above photo onto his Twitter and simply wrote,
^^ twitter.com/donghae861015/…
— Super Junior 이동해 (@donghae861015) April 4, 2013
Even though the mustache was temporary just for the photo, fans got a glimpse of how Donghae might look with a mustache.
It also seems like the Super Junior boys are huge Iron Man fans, because Siwon had previously posed with his own life-sized Iron Man.
CNBLUE will be building their 2nd school in Africa!
Back in March 2012, the boys help build the ‘CNBLUE School’ in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest and smallest countries in Africa. The members of CNBLUE donated a part of the profits from their album sales and concert ticket sales to the school, and will be doing so every year to help keep it running. About 100 children study at the school, and the school provides a pre-school, an after school class, and also nutritious food for the children as well.
Now, the boys have decided to help build another school in the country. The donations will be collected at their world tour concerts, and they’ll be building a 2nd school from the donations.
For their world tour, the boys will be performing in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, the Philippines, China, and Malaysia. Their label is also currently in the process of confirming potential concerts in America and Europe as well.
Eunhyuk celebrated his 27th birthday.
The singer was born on April 4, and as soon as midnight struck in Korea, he was presented with gifts. In celebration, he shared a photo with a giant bouquet on his Twitter and wrote, “Mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha It’s my birthday, my birthday“. The bouquet seems to be presented by his fans, and you can barely see him behind the bouquet.
He posted two more photos with a cake presumably given to him by sports apparel brand Adidas, as he wrote,
Thank you ADIDAS!!!!!twitpic.com/cgprvy twitpic.com/cgprvz
— Eun Hyuk (@AllRiseSilver) April 3, 2013
Happy birthday to Eunhyuk!
[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Yoochun has announced that he’ll be revealing his new song “Walking in Spring With Her” through JYJ‘s upcoming Tokyo Dome concert!
Their label C-JeS Entertainment revealed, “Yoochun is planning to reveal his self-composed song through this concert. Unlike the other members who released solo albums this year and last year, Yoochun didn’t have an opportunity to have a solo album because of his drama activities. So he decided to release the song for his fans. It’ll be a good present for fans who are looking forward to this concert.”
The song is said to be British pop, and talks about the feelings of a man who is beginning to fall in love. Yoochun said, “It’s been a while since I met Japanese fans at the Dome. There was sadness during the long wait, but we’ll be able to meet each other in the end with smiles. I wanted to gift this song with the anticipation of another start. I made the lyrics and melody thinking about the new season of Spring.”
The boys will be at the Tokyo Dome from April 2 to April 4!
Super Junior has proved their Hallyu superstar status.
The group will be traveling to Brazil to hold their ‘Super Show 5‘ concert on April 21. The tickets for the concert have been completely sold out and there’s a lot of precaution in place for their highly anticipated arrival. The Sao Paulo airport will be bringing the biggest scale of safety guards out to make sure no one gets hurt on the day the boys arrive.
Brazil is the first stop for Super Junior on their 4-country tour in South America. According to SM Entertainment, the on-site concert producers collaborated with the airport to provide 10 times the regular amount of safety guards compared to most other pop artists.
Because all 5,000 seats are already sold out, many fans who weren’t able to obtain a ticket have been willing to pay high prices for already sold tickets. Additionally, due to overwhelming requests from fans, the concert venue has lifted the ban on glowsticks for the first time since its opening in 1999.
After their concert in Brazil, Super Junior will be heading to Argentina, Chile, and Peru!
[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Lights, camera, action: the latest episode of SBS‘s ‘Running Man‘ turned itself into a drama set, shooting a three-part Korean drama loaded with reversals, bloodline feuds, and more with guests Go Ara and Lee Yeon Hee.
Although the drama began happily enough – with the cast and guests divided into couples and seeking to win the approval of their father, the CEO of a major corporation – it eventually came to light that two within their midst were, in fact, blood relatives!
With victory, and the company’s inheritance, coming to the one who solved the mystery of the family heritage, the crew hustled to find the clues relating to the bloodline and piece together the truth behind the siblings.
The final victor was the female sibling, Lee Yeon Hee, who had ripped off the name tag of her own brother, Yoo Jae Suk, earlier in the race – giving this drama a decidedly tragic element, as well.
Check out the full episode below!
You’ll soon be able to enjoy weekly doses of Lee Min Ho as he will be returning to the small screen through a new SBS drama ‘Heirs‘ (working title)!
‘Heirs’ will be a 20-episode drama and has already piqued the interest of fans with the reveal of its top-notch writer and director, Kim Eun Sook and Kang Shin Hyo PD, as well as its male lead Lee Min Ho.
Lee Min Ho shared, “As I normally watch writer Kim’s productions, I wanted to definitely work with her and my wish was fulfilled through this opportunity. Working with the writer and director whom I respect, I think it will become a meaningful production.”
The drama’s production company also stated, “Lee Min Ho is confirmed to play the male lead and we are currently working on the casting of the female lead.”
Meanwhile, Lee Min Ho will be meeting fans through a 10-city tour across Asia kicking off in Korea on May 25th!
In a recent interview, Lee Seung Gi revealed that he lost 3 kgs (6.6 lbs) for his new role in ‘Book of the House of Gu‘!
He revealed, “I decided to act in the drama because I trusted the writer. I took special action lessons and also worked on my horseback riding so I could get close to my character.” In the drama, he plays the role of a half human, half beast (nine tailed fox). This is his first drama in 10 months since he least appeared on ‘The King 2 Hearts‘.
It’s also his first historical drama, and when he was asked about it, he said, “I was worried if I would be able to do well, since when people think of historical dramas, they have a set frame in mind. I couldn’t do my hair the way I wanted, and even my clothes would be limited, so I was worried. But the staff prepared everything so well that I think I’m getting close to my character.”
When asked about how he got thinner, he said, “I tried to look like my character in terms of physical appearance as well. I wanted to look agile, so I practiced action and attended action school. I lost 3 kgs as well. For this drama, I want to be the character, not Lee Seung Gi.”
On his co-star Suzy, he said, “She’s a bright person that bounces everywhere. She’s the first opposite actress I’m working with that’s younger than me. The energy of a 20 year old Suzy will be a big help while we film.“
Verbal Jint recently teamed up with Phantom for their new single “Come As You Are“, which has been rising up music charts, and the singer-songwriter has more in store for fans with his own version of the song!
Verbal Jint shared, “As labelmates, I know Phantom’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else, so it was a possible collaboration. I thank Phantom who perfectly sang ‘Come As You Are’. It came out better than the picture I had in my mind when I planned to do it myself, so I’m happy. I also have plans to show a Verbal Jint version of ‘Come As You Are’, which will sound totally different so please anticipate it.”
“Come As You Are” has ranked #1 on Mnet, #2 on Melon, and #3 on Bugs. Phantom will also be holding their first solo concert mid-May!
Check out the “Come As You Are” MV if you haven’t seen it already!
Versatile entertainer Lee Seung Gi has departed for Japan to meet with his fans.
Dressed simply in black pants and a green jacket, Lee Seung Gi still managed to make women’s hearts flutter with his casual airport fashion. On the 28th, he jetted off from Gimpo Airport to head to Japan for his event ‘Lee Seung Gi the Brilliant Show‘ on March 29th.
At the event, he’ll be holding a talk show as well as a mini-live concert to share with his fans.
On another note, Lee Seung Gi will be taking on his first historical drama role in MBC‘s ‘Book of the House of Gu’ with miss A‘s Suzy.
The boy group Super Junior revealed strong ambitions for their world tour Super Show 5 at a press conference held in the Gymnastics Arena of Olympic Park at 3:00 p.m. on March 24. Shindong said the group has set a goal of of doing 100 performances during the tour to a total audience of a million. Eunhyuk added, “We will start the tour with a fresh mind. The performances will be done under a concept similar to that of Super Show 1, and we will all do our best to use all the skills that we have accumulated over the years, in order to make the performances the best that they can be.”
The group has been doing the Super Show since 2008, and this year’s tour will be the biggest so far. New members, Zhoumi and Henry from Super Junior M, have joined recently. The group finished their Seoul performances on March 23, 24 and now will go on to China, Japan, and South America.
Super Junior‘s Leeteuk sent Yesung a message of encouragement on his plan of enlistment.
On March 27, Leeteuk was appointed a PR ambassador along with Sangchu at the Seoul Military Manpower Administration’s 10th annual military ambassador ceremony. At the ceremony, Leeteuk said, “When I was out in society, I was able to eat and do anything I wanted. After I enlisted, I realized I was happy and appreciated for all the small things. I also realized how precious people were. Yesung is going to enlist soon, and I want to tell him to have strength. I know Yesung must be nervous, wondering if he’s going to do well. But I was the same, and anyone can do it. I want to tell Yesung, ‘Yesung, have strength, and do your best as a member of Super Junior in the time you have left.”
Meanwhile, Leeteuk is scheduled to be discharged from the army on July 29, 2014.
Song Seung Hun (36) talked about the difficulties of getting married.
On March 27, the actor participated in a press conference for his new drama ‘When A Man Loves‘ at 63 City in Yeouido. He was asked if he had any plans to get married soon, and he joked, “I don’t think I’ll be able to get married. When I date someone, I date them because I think I could get married to them. But in the end, I don’t get married.”
He added, “My dream was to make a family with a woman, but I realized that dream was not a small thing but actually a hard thing to achieve. Nine out of the 10 sunbaes around me tell me not to rush into marriage. My fantasies about marriage is getting ruined.”
But he revealed that his friend Kwon Sang Woo was one of the 10 that was living a happy life. He said, “Sang Woo really loves his married life. He gets really happy when he shows me the photos of his baby.”
The drama ‘When A Man Loves’ will start airing on April 3 after ‘7th Grade Civil Servant‘ ends.
Super Junior‘s Donghae has reached the milestone of 3 million followers on Twitter!
The Super Junior members are the most-followed Korean celebrities on the social networking site, with Siwon in the overall lead with over 3.3 million followers, and Yesung having over 2 million followers.
Donghae is the second Super Junior member to reach over 3 million followers. Most of the other members all also have well over 1 million followers, a rare feat for K-pop stars on Twitter.
Are you following Donghae?
Tip: tiko
On March 25th, Super Junior’s Ryeowook posted some pictures on his Twitter account with the comment “I tweet before leaving for China. With our members at the wrap-up party.” In the picture are Super Junior’s Ryeowook, Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Shindong as well as Jomi and Henry, of Super Junior M. They all look cute with bright smiles.
Super Junior began its world tour, titled Super Show 5, in Seoul on the 23th and 24th of Marchwith about 20,000 fans in attendance.
Those who saw the pictures responded: “All the members of the group are handsome.” “Go for it, Super Junior!” “Keep your energy high!” “Super Show5, fantastic!”
On March 25th, during the final concert of Kim Hyun Joong’s “Unlimited” Japan Tour 2013, audience members were treated to an unusual sight… the “Break Down” singer and popular leader of ss501 broke down into tears as the concert came to an end.
An emotional Kim Hyun Joong fought back tears as he thanked his audience, . As fans continued to cheer, he finally lost control and started crying. Overcome with emotion, KHJ was unable to speak and had to wipe away his tears with a towel from the stage. As he tried to regain his composure, the delighted fans just kept cheering.
Kim Hyun Joong then went on to thank the popular rock band “Down Hell” who toured with him throughout Japan. They then closed out the tour with a cake onstage. After a final thank you and a gracious bow, KHJ gathered flowers, notes, and other items from the audience before exiting the stage.
The “Unlimited” Japan Tour 2013 was Kim Hyun Joong’s second tour in Japan as a solo artist. The singer has also performed in Peru and Brazil in the past month.
The videos below show Kim Hyun Joong’s farewell in two parts- the first is of his emotional thank you to the audience and the second is his thank you to the band and his final bow to the fans.
After showing their action moves for the new MBC drama ‘Book of the House of Gu‘, Lee Seung Gi and Suzy got a little close.
Recently released still cuts show Dam Yuh Wool (Suzy) staring at the sleeping Choi Kang Chi (Lee Seung Gi) lovingly and caressing his face. However, upon waking up, Choi Kang Chi gets flustered by her skinship, while Dahm Yuh Wool confidently stares at him like the tough girl she is.
Shin Woo Chul PD advised Suzy, “You have to express the feeling of staring at someone you love,” for this romantic scene. Park Tae Young PD shared, “Watching Lee Seung Gi and Suzy’s scenes, I think they look so good together that the term ‘lovebirds’ is not enough to describe them. Although it is their first time doing a historical and action-packed drama, they are working hard to create the best production. Please look forward to their ‘Book of the House of Gu’.”
‘Book of the House of Gu’ will premiere on April 8th!
Fans had their hopes up as it was recently rumored that MC Mong was getting ready for a comeback. However, it turns out the artist has no plans of doing so at this time.
JTBC‘s ‘Entertainment News‘ gave viewers exclusive coverage of MC Mong’s current status and revealed, “MC Mong is currently taking trips to LA, and spending the majority of his time in a studio in Gangnam with musicians that he’s close with.”
The news team also asked a worker near the vicinity of the studio who shared, “I spotted MC Mong visiting the studio over three times in one week.” Duble Sidekick‘s Park Jang Geun who has been frequently meeting up with the rapper in the studio updated fans on how MC Mong is doing and shared, “He will be coming back later anyways. MC Mong is doing well.”
The program also raised questions about whether MC Mong was secretly participating in activities with Duble Sidekick. They also stated that one of NS Yoon-G‘s songs, “Shower“, which featured Duble Sidekick, sounded like it contained MC Mong’s voice.
After the show aired, a rep of MC Mong denied the questions raised about preparing for a comeback on the show by stating, “As of now, there is absolutely no plans of returning. The recording studio is just a place that MC Mong can find peace in. [These questions raised] are absurd.”
Park Jang Geun also expressed disappointment with the way ‘Entertainment News’ used his statement to help support their claims, commenting, “I don’t understand what is their concern with MC Mong hanging out at a place that is his only source of comfort. MC Mong is a hyung who created Duble Sidekick’s project room in his recording studio for us. He seems to have a hard time even just going back and forth to the recording studio.”
On the issue of MC Mong’s voice being heard in NS Yoon-G’s song, he added, “The voice in NS Yoon-G’s ‘Shower’ is mine, but I guess it matches 91% with MC Mong’s voice? I’m glad at least 9% is considered to be my own voice. They say an expert analyzed it… I want to meet this supposed expert.”
SM entertainment, the agency representing the boy group SHINee, made an official apology on March 19 for the group leader’s bad behavior. He was caught giving the finger to someone. The agency explained, “Onew did that unwittingly while playing around with the other group members as they waited to appear on a radio program. It was not his intention to offend others, but he is now deeply regretting his mistake and will be more careful so as not to let something like that happen again.”
Onew appeared with other members in MBC Radio’s Star Shining Night, which is broadcast over the Internet. Right after the program, people put comments on the program site saying, “Onew showed his middle finger.”
Hyun Bin returned with his charismatic charms in his first photo shoot in two years.
The actor posed for the cover of Esquire‘s April issue, his first pictorial since he wrapped up his army service three months ago. The photo shoot captured his stylish fashion as well as his handsome features.
The staff applauded the actor for his ability to express different images ranging all the way from an innocent boy to a charismatic man. Hyun Bin pulled off the fashion styles with his chic trademark charm.
He shared, “I’m curious to see how I’ve changed.” During the following interview, he also revealed his thoughts on spending two years in the marines not as a famous star, but as Kim Tae Pyung.
CNBLUE‘s Jonghyun as well as ‘School 2013‘ co-stars and best friends Lee Jong Suk and Kim Woo Bin will be appearing on the upcoming episode of ‘Running Man‘.
The three ‘flower boys’ were spotted filming in Incheon for the show on March 18th, and a selca of the young stars in school uniforms has also been released, causing curiosity about what kind of concept they’ll be competing around. Actors Kim Su Ro and Min Hyo Rin were seen on set as well.
Check out this episode when it airs on SBS on March 24th KST! Are you excited for the episode?
SHINee became the first artist to win 4 times on ‘Show Champion‘!
The latest victory was celebrated on the show’s Twitter, where they wrote, “Which song was the Champion Song for the March 20th episode of ‘Show Champion’? It was the shining SHINee ^^. SHINee won the Champion Song trophy 4 times in a row for the first time on ‘Show Champion’ and for the first time for ‘Dream Girl‘! They asked if they can really take it ^^. We sincerely congratulate you!“.
Check out the performance below!
Tip: lunew
Say goodbye to Lee Seung Gi‘s nice guy image, and say hello to him kicking some butt for the new drama ‘Book of the House of Gu‘!
Still cuts released show the singer-turned-actor filming his first action scene and surprising fans with his transformation into a fighter. It was also revealed that Lee Seung Gi went straight into filming his action scenes for eight hours straight and kept smiling throughout without any signs of exhaustion, showing his professionalism.
A representative revealed, “Lee Seung Gi filmed an exciting action scene that matches exactly with the martial arts action-packed drama.”
PD Park Tae Young stated, “After a lot of practice, Lee Seung Gi was able to perfectly pull off the intense action scenes from the beginning. For his first historical drama and action role, please look forward to Lee Seung Gi the fighter.”
The fantasy-historical drama, which takes place during the Joseon Dynasty, portrays the love and hate relationship of male ‘Gumiho’ or nine-tailed fox Choi Kang Chi (Lee Seung Gi) and martial arts instructor Dam Yuh Wool (miss A‘s Suzy).
The drama will premiere through MBC beginning on April 8 KST.
Super Junior‘s member, Siwon recently tweeted that they are ready for their upcoming concert this March. He tweeted a picture that looks like it was taken in a practice room either during break time or after their practice.
As have been announced by SM Entertainment before, Super Junior will be having their Super Show 5 concert in Seoul, Korea this 23rd to 24th of March. More details regarding locations and dates will be revealed soon.
Source: @siwon407|Twitter
Lee Seung Gi has retaken his throne as the king of CFs!
Since October of last year, Lee Seung Gi had placed #1 on a CF model ranking list conducted by Korea CM Research Lab. However, in January, his top spot was taken over by Kim Tae Hee. In fact, Lee Seung Gi dropped down to #3 on the list. The lab reasoned, “It’s because most of the CM brands that he featured in did not have any significant ads in January.”
However, he has taken back the top spot in February, with Song Joong Ki coming in at second. Psy was ranked #3 while Kim Tae Hee dropped down to #6.
‘Book of the House of Gu‘ has released its trailer featuring stars Lee Seung Gi and Suzy!
The drama is the co-production of PD Shin Woo Chul of ‘Secret Garden‘ and ‘Gentlemen’s Class‘ along with writer Kang Eun Kyung of ‘Baker King Kim Tak Gu‘.
Lee Seung Gi, miss A‘s Suzy, Lee Sung Jae, Lee Yeon Hee, Choi Jin Hyuk, Jung Hye Young, Uhm Hyo Sub, Yoo Yun Suk, Lee Yoo Bi, and Kim Hye Won will be starring in this highly anticipated drama.
The fantasy-historical drama takes place during the Joseon Dynasty and portrays the love and hate relationship of male Gumiho or nine-tailed fox Choi Kang Chi (Lee Seung Gi) and martial arts instructor Dam Yuh Wool (Suzy).
The drama will air through MBC beginning on April 8.
Check out the trailer below!
Tip: jane chua
New still cuts of Lee Seung Gi sporting a longer hairstyle for MBC drama ‘Book of the House of Gu‘ have popped up!
The actor plays a half-man/half-beast creature with a rough personality in his first historical drama. The photos revealed on March 18th revealed a Lee Seung Gi with a happy, romantic charm.
Apparently, he discussed his character with the director very seriously, meticulously monitoring his own performance and making sure he went over the details of his character carefully. His tied hairstyle also attracted much attention, as it added to his youthful look and his bright eyes and smile.
After his first day of filming, the actor stated, “I’m honored to be working with writer Kang Eun Kyung and producer Shin Woo Chul. The other actors I’m working with and the energy from the set are really raising expectations for the drama. It’s my first time trying a historical drama, so I’m working especially hard to prepare. I’m practicing speaking like people did in historical times. I want to complete a fun drama that doesn’t fall short of everyone’s expectations.”
In related news, ‘Book of the House of Gu’ will begin airing in early April!
On 18th of March, MBC released some photos of Lee Seung Gi, who had begun to shoot a new drama series titled Gu Family’s Book, which is scheduled to on start airing in April. The first shooting of the series took place on March 14 in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province. With his hair tied up in a dark reddish-brown traditional costume, he played Choi Gang Chi, a half-man-half-beast, in his first historical drama.
He exchanged some in-depth opinions with the producer about the drama. After shooting the first day, Lee said, “I feel honored to work with the screen writer Kang Eun Kyung, the producer Shin Woo Cheol. and I feel happy and raise my hopes as I perform with other actors I like. Because this is my first historical drama, I’m spending a lot of time preparing for it, especially getting accustomed to a way of speaking that is suitable for a historical drama.
Park Tae young, the chief producer, said, “Lee Seung Gi will show a new aspect of himself as an actor which has never been seen before.”
The new series will begin airing on April 1 in the time slot of Horse Doctor.
Never one to stay back during a scandal, ‘Dispatch‘ has just released their exclusive article on Park Si Hoo‘s sexual assault case as they claim that they’ve obtained KakaoTalk message history between trainee ‘A‘ and her friend ‘B‘, as well as the audio file of the conversation between ‘B’ and ‘C‘ (the CEO of an agency that ‘B’ knows).
The media outlet states they’ve been investigating into this issue themselves, and was able to obtain text messages exchanged between ‘A’ and ‘B’ that should give insight into why ‘A’ had reported the sexual assault so early, even before a full day had passed; and also how this case was able to hit the news so fast, in just 3 days after her report to the police
According to the portions of the messages revealed by ‘Dispatch’, ‘B’ was the one who insisted that ‘A’ makes sure she goes to the police immediately on February 15th, when ‘A’ had planned on going the day after on February 16th.
In addition, it seemed ‘A’ and ‘B’ were consulting with acquaintances to figure out what their next steps should be, and also talked about if they should be giving a portion of the settlement money to those who gave them advice about what they should do.
The conversation between ‘A’ and ‘B’ on February 15th:
February 15th Night (the day after the alleged incident when ‘A’ decides to report the case)
A: Do you think I can go tomorrow?
B: No. They said you need to go now
B: Don’t answer the phone. Don’t wash yourself either
A: Eung. I’m going to the police now
A: Should I get urine and hair strand tests too?
B: Eung. They said do everything you can.
B: Let’s settle too and get several tens of millions KRW. Park Si Hoo will probably get on his knees and beg
B: Actually instead of money, let’s just get him punished. He’s dead now
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Conversation between ‘A’ and her worried mom:
Later on the 15th (when ‘A’ undergoes investigation by the police)
A: Mom, I’m going to the police now
A: Don’t worry. If Park Si Hoo had the upper hand, he wouldn’t be this scared
A: I heard his entire fortune is about 3 hundred billion KRW [~ 270 million USD] so do you think [with a sum like that] he can’t even stop the police?
A: But seeing that Park Si Hoo is asking to let him live, it means he’s caught in a situation where he can’t do anything about it
This next set of messages are from February 17th between ‘A’ and ‘B’:
February 17th noon (the day before news breaks out on the 18th)
B: They say it’s right to get news articles out first
B: They say that settling is nonsense
A: Eung. There is no settling
A: kekeke
B: They say that if we get articles out tomorrow, we can get even more settlement money
B: And Park Si Hoo will be getting a fatal blow
A: Eung Eung
February 17th night
A: Do you think those people are telling us to take settlement money so they can claim it for themselves..
B: Eung, but I think it’ll be good to give them a bit of it too
While ‘A’ had gone to file her report, ‘B’ met with the CEO of the agency she knows, ‘C’, and told him that ‘A’ had been raped. ‘C’ then called ‘D‘ (Mr. Hwang – the CEO of Park Si Hoo’s former agency, Iyagi Entertainment). ‘B’ then heard about ‘D’s response to the situation and told ‘A’ about it.
However, it seems after ‘A’ and ‘B’ had decided to get articles out into the media, ‘C’ and ‘D’ apparently started to get suspcious and questioned the intention of ‘A’.
‘B‘ then called ‘C‘ and warned him not to mess with them, saying, “Mr. Hwang ['D'] told ['A']s father to settle so the situation hasn’t turned out well. That’s why I got news articles talking about rape to go out first,” and, “I’ve already planned it even up to this so don’t mess with us.”
She also mentions how she speculates there might be drugs involved and how Park Si Hoo probably can’t do anything about it because he’s probably given ‘A’ drugs in her conversation with ‘C’.
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So with these messages and conversations revealed, ‘Dispatch’ offers answers to 4 questions they’ve proposed:
1.) Did ‘A’ and ‘B’ conspire? - ‘B’ gives advice to ‘A’, which ‘A’ follows
2.) Who planned the media play – ‘A’ and ‘B’
3.) Is there another accomplice? – ‘A’ and ‘B’ seem to be getting advice from their acquaintances as ‘B’ keeps passing on the words she’s obviously heard from someone else. They also discuss about giving a bit of settlement money away to these acquaintances.
However, ‘Dispatch’ says that the person or people helping ‘A’ and ‘B’ is not ‘D’ or Mr. Hwang, Park Si Hoo’s former agency CEO. They say that from what they’ve uncovered ‘D’ had only met with ‘A’ after she was investigated by the police. According to the files the agency has submitted to the police, ‘D’ sent text messages to ‘A’s father asking to settle.
4.) Does ‘A’ have other intentions besides punishment? – ‘Dispatch’ says most of the conversation was about settlement money. ‘A’ and ‘B’ were confident about this case as ‘B’ even suspected of drug use involved, and their hopes for the settlement money were great. ‘Dispatch’ also says that they spoke with someone who worked with ‘A’, who said she had plans to go to Australia. When they asked ‘A’ if she has the money for it, she said she was confident that she would be able to go. ‘A’ also talked about Park Si Hoo’s fortune with her family.
Source: Dispatch via Nate
White Day is tomorrow, and the women of Korea have made it clear which male celebrity they want candy from. Voters chose Lee Seung Gi, who also claimed #1 for most desired Valentine, as the male celebrity they’d most like to receive sweets from on the romantic day.
A dental office in Gangnam asked 337 women in their teens and twenties, and Lee Seung Gi came in first with 142 votes.
Handsome idol star B2ST‘s Kikwang came in 2nd with 97 votes, and rising actor Kim Soo Hyun came in 3rd with 94 votes.
A representative revealed, “[Lee Seung Gi] has a clean image and an attractively beautiful smile. There is no woman who would reject candy from a man with a beautiful smile on White Day.”
Lee Seung Gi will be starring in the upcoming MBC drama ‘Book of the House of Gu‘ premiering this April.
Is there someone you want candy from tomorrow?
The five panel members of ‘Moonlight Prince‘ bid their program a bittersweet farewell.
The variety show aired its final episode on March 12. At the end of the episode all the members of the show spoke up about their short experience on the show. Jung Jae Hyung said, “I thought that I’d be able to get to know the MCs and the staff for a long time, but I’m disappointed that the time was so short. I was happy that I was able to participate in this program.” Brave Brothers added, “I was wondering if I would be able to read books, but I was surprised at myself. It was a time where I was able to think of others and upgrade myself.”
Changmin said, “It was a special time where I was able to feed my heart and increase the quality of my life.” Tak Jae Hoon merely said, “I was happy.”
Kang Ho Dong concluded, “It was short, but the books introduced on ‘Moonlight Prince’ became bestsellers.”
After two weeks, KBS will continue on with Kang Ho Dong’s new variety show.
‘B’ apologizes to Park Si Hoo
After initially accusing Park Si Hoo of setting out with the intention of sexually assaulting trainee ‘A’ and maybe even drugging her in the process, ‘A’s friend ‘B’ has now offered her apology to the actor and blamed ‘A’ for telling her a different story.
In the continuation of her interview with a media outlet, ‘B’ further explained why she accused Park Si Hoo in the beginning and why she no longer talks to ‘A’.
“Due to ‘A’s lies, even I have become a victim, and Park Si Hoo is also a victim as well… If Park Si Hoo has been victimized due to anything I said, I want to sincerely apologize,” ‘B’ said.
Ever since her initial accusations and the surfacing of the text messages between her and ‘A’ in which ‘B’ told ‘A’ to request for money and bring Park Si Hoo down, ‘B’ has been severely criticized for possibly scheming with her friend for money. To make things harder, her parents have been suffering from much emotional distress lately as well due to all the rumors surrounding the case.
‘B’ shared, “After hearing from ‘A’ that she was sexually assaulted by Park Si Hoo, as an unni, I couldn’t just sit back. She is a close dongseng and we’ve spent time closely for the past four years, so I completely trusted everything that ‘A’ told me… However, during the police investigation and the revealing of KakaoTalk messages, I thought to myself ”A’ has lied to me!’” leading her to make up her mind to apologize to Park Si Hoo. ‘B’ further added, “I hope the truth about this case will be revealed soon.”
According to ‘B’, ‘A’ previously told her “I lost consciousness while drinking” and “I want to know why I was sexually assaulted”. However, as reported earlier, ‘A’ was spotted walking out fine on her own on the CCTV at the restaurant she and Park Si Hoo and his hoobae drank at, and ‘A’ never once mentioned anything about sexual assault in her messages to Park Si Hoo’s hoobae, Mr. Kim. Thus, ‘B’ has come to believe that she has also been a victim of ‘A’s lies.
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Park Si Hoo’s former agency (Iyagi Entertainment) sues Park Si Hoo and ‘B’
With ‘A’ suing Park Si Hoo, and Park Si Hoo counter suing ‘A’, ‘B’, and his former agency’s CEO, more lawsuits are here to complicate the matter even further. The actor’s former agency has now counter-sued Park Si Hoo and announced their intention to sue ‘B’ as well.
Iyagi Entertainment‘s CEO was sued by Park Si Hoo on allegedly conspiring with ‘A’ to bring down the actor, harboring ill intentions towards him. ‘B’ further added to the flame when she said that she had heard that Iyagi’s CEO met up with ‘A’ and offered their help in suing Park Si Hoo.
The CEO and his agency have been vehemently denying the accusations stating that the CEO and ‘A’ had only met because the CEO was trying to convince her to settle the matter with Park Si Hoo, not conspiring with her. They previously warned that they would sue Park Si Hoo if it meant clearing up their innocence, and now they have followed up as Iyagi Entertainment’s legal team stated through a press release, “We have sued Park Si Hoo on the 11th.”
The legal team also added, “We will also be suing ‘B’, ‘A’s friend, for defamation of character for making up false stories about Iyagi’s CEO.”
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Park Si Hoo’s DNA found in ‘A’s test results, but not Mr. Kim’s (‘K’)
As expected, Park Si Hoo’s DNA has been found in ‘A’s test results. This is to be expected as Park Si Hoo has already openly admitted that he and ‘A’ had intercourse.
However, the police had also wanted to see if Park Si Hoo’s hoobae, Mr. Kim or ‘K’s DNA would also be found in ‘A’ on suspicion that Park Si Hoo and ‘K’ might have purposely teamed up to take advantage of ‘A’. But, there was no traces of ‘K’s DNA found in ‘A’.
Source: eToday, Sports Seoul, Xsports, Segye
The boys of Super Junior thanked their enthusiastic Indonesian fans for supporting them for a recent performance in the country.
Posting a group photo on member Siwon‘s Twitter account earlier today, Asia’s #1 boy band gathered together to express their gratitude. “Thank you Jakarta!” the posted. “See you at the SUPER SHOW 5 :^)”
Super Junior had participated in a recent recording for a KBS ‘Music Bank‘ filming session in the Southeast Asian nation.
Actor Hyun Bin recently did a video in which he does the “dusting dance” with his dimpled smile. Hyun Bin is a model for Samsung Smart TVs, and in a recent online advertisement, he does his version of DJ Spider’s “dusting dance” from the Samsung TV All Share commercial, adding his charming smile to the mix. The DJ Spider video clip has gotten more than five million hits on YouTube after only a little over two weeks.
Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong recently shared the stage with world-class musicians at the U-Express Live 2013 concert, held in Japan. About 15,000 fans joined the frenzy. The concert, a special collaborative performance hosted by Universal Music, brought together representative singers from five record labels: the Beatles’ Ringo Starr, Kim Hyun Joong, KARA, Far East Movement, Dreams Come True, Perfume, and Naoto Intiraimi.
Kim Hyun Joong performed eight of his hit songs, including “Heat,” “Kiss Kiss,” “Lucky Guy,” and “Your Story.” His dynamic dance performance along with the strong rock-band sound overwhelmed the audience.
Officials from his agency announced, “Kim Hyun Joong is getting global attention by getting his name on the representative list of world-renowned music labels.“
He has successfully completed his Asian and South American concert tours, and has zeroed in on his current Japanese tour,f titled Japan Tour 2013 Unlimited. Japanese fans will be able to see him by the end of March in Tokyo, Sappro, Fukuoka , and Osaka.
Last March 1, 2013, 2PM arrived in Manila, Philippines and experienced a warm welcome from their Filipino fans. This is the first time the group have come to the country. On the same day, they held their press conference at Manila Hotel and amused the media partners and press present.
Yesterday, they managed to heat up the atmosphere at their “What Time Is It?: 2PM Live Tour 2013″ held at SM Mall of Asia Arena. Lots of fans went to see them and enjoyed the night away singing, screaming, cheering, dancing and experiencing all kinds of fun.
2PM performed a total of 26 songs including solo stages by each member. Each solo stages left a mark to every fans present. Chansung‘s sensual dance in his solo stage, “Love You Down” earned him deafening screams from the fans. Junho‘s solo stage, “Just A Feeling” made fans dance and dance and dance! Then came Wooyoung‘s solo stage that made female fans faint at his sexiness. Taecyeon meanwhile amused everyone with “It’s Time”. Nichkhun definitely became the epitome of an angel as he sang, “Let It Rain” with a piano accompaniment. And of course, Jun.K amazed everyone with his vocal skills during his performance of “Just One Night”. The VCR played as a present for HOTTESTs touched the heart of every fan present at the concert.
The highlight of the event would be their performance of “10 Points Out of 10″ followed by “Hands Up” wherein the atmosphere was so high, everyone was singing along much to the group’s delight.
Source: Korea.com
Kim Jae Joong, a member of the Korean idol group JYJ, topped the German Asian Music Chart in February 2013, according to a report on March 4 by C-Jes Entertainment, the singer’s agency. The song that took the number-one ranking was the lead track, “The Mine,” from his first EP.
His song “One Kiss,” released on the 8th of January, ranked on the i-Tunes Rock Chart in nine countries, including Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and he has gained popularity around the world.
His solo EP took the second place on a Billboard chart and occupied the first place for album sales in Taiwan and Japan. Also, on of his songs spent four weeks atop the Inwetai V Chart, which is published by China’s biggest music-video site.
On February 26, Kim released a repackaged version of his album Y with two electronic dance songs newly added. On March 5, he is going to attend a charity event supported by the Korean Committee for UNICEF as a representative of his group, JYJ.
Actress Han Chae Young has announced that she is expecting her first child after six years of marriage. She is currently 11 weeks into her pregnancy and is taking care of her health while continuing to film for the KBS drama ‘Advertisement Genius Lee Tae Baek‘.
BH Entertainment confirmed the good news of the 5th, “Han Chae Young will become a mother after six years of marriage. Although Han Chae Young is currently undergoing a busy filming schedule, her and her baby are both healthy. Han Chae Young and her family couldn’t contain their joy upon hearing the happy news. We ask that you encourage and congratulate her on the happiest moment of her life.”
Despite being pregnant, the actress will continue on with her scheduled activities as long as possible. A representative commented, “Han Chae Young will take on her responsibility of being a new mother by taking care of her health, to continue on with her acting career and look after her family as well.”
Congratulations to Han Chae Young and her family!
Source + image: Segye via Nate
With Park Si Hoo‘s side now taking the offense by firing back with lawsuits of their own, trainee ‘A’ and her legal team has revealed the full KakaoTalk message history between ‘A’, and Park Si Hoo’s hoobae, Mr, Kim (‘K’).
Feeling that only certain parts of the KakaoTalk history between her and Mr. Kim, the one who introduced her to Park Si Hoo, was unfairly revealed last week, ‘A’s legal time has now released more of the conversation that took place the day after the night of the alleged sexual assault.
The KakaoTalk history reads as follows:
K (Mr. Kim): Sorry I had to leave earlier, I had stuff to take of at home. Call me when you and oppa (Park Si Hoo) are done hanging out.
K: You feeling okay? (in reference to the night of drinking)
A (trainee): I still can’t sober up..
A: I think I was crazy yesterday ㅜㅜ
A: Ah Ah ㅜㅜㅜ
A: The biggest mistake of my life
K: I didn’t know we’d drink like that yesterday either..
K: I was totally caught up in the mood
K: ㅠㅠ Take medicine since you aren’t feeling well
A: ㅜㅜ And on top of that.. sigh ㅜㅜㅜ
A: Ji Mot Mi (an abbreviation for ‘Sorry I couldn’t protect you’) ㅜㅜ
K: You didn’t make any mistakes
K: It’s fine as long as you had fun
K: Let’s go to the club later
A: Sigh keke you’re going to Club L**, right?
K: Yup
K: Your figure is totally
K: I was really surprised
A: Kekeke ㅜㅜㅜㅜ Are you making fun of me
A: The thing I was more surprised about was why I was on the bed with Park Si Hoo oppa ㅜㅜ
K: Then do you think you should have been with me?
K: I was going to sleep with you guys but the bed was too small, so I just came out into the living room
A: Darn!! ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ Ah ah it was something totally unexpected keke… whew
K: keke I was drunk yesterday too.
K: I’m never going to drink again.
K: You shouldn’t drink either, okay?
A: I usually don’t drink ㅜㅜ but I drank yesterday on purpose because of you!!!
K: Aw really?
K: Rest up first
K: Let’s play later keke
By revealing the entirety of the conversation that took place after the night between herself and ‘K’, ‘A’ hopes to show that the alleged incident did not occur due to natural feelings that had developed between her and Park Si Hoo. ‘A’s reps countered Park Si Hoo’s sides argument, stating, “While playing a drinking game at the suggestion of Park Si Hoo and after drinking a couple of mixed drinks with soju, she lost consciousness. There was no time for them to develop feelings for one another.”
It also goes against what ‘K’ had stated earlier on in the investigations as he had said that he didn’t drink at the time.
In addition, on the account of ‘A’ conspiring with Park Si Hoo’s former agency’s CEO to frame Park Si Hoo, her legal team commented, “There were times that the former agency’s CEO contacted us asking to settle, but there is absolutely no truth to us conspiring with him.”
Park Si Hoo’s former agency also directly denied having anything to do with this case after the news of Park Si Hoo and ‘K’ suing ‘A’ as well as her sunbae ‘B’ and the actor’s former agency’s CEO ‘C’, commenting, “Even after their contract ended, the CEO and Park Si Hoo decided to remain as acquaintances who could offer help to one another in times of need. So in order to do so, the CEO tried his best… Due to various assumptions and false rumors, it seems Park Si Hoo and his side’s misunderstanding has been growing, and led to this lawsuit. We feel very sad and regretful that it has come to this. The CEO will do all that he can, even if it means getting into a lawsuit with Park Si Hoo, to prove his innocence.“
Get a glimpse of what we’re talking about and listening to at the 6Theory office with this fun feature! We’ll be offering you guys a personal selection of our favorite things from K-Pop.
K-Pop and K-Drama go hand-in-hand, so it’s only natural that many K-Pop Idols venture into acting. It’s a common sight now for our favorite idol singers to expand their role and participate in acting. The crossover effect in K-pop and K-drama’s is usually mutually beneficial. Sometimes the acting role will propel a staggering idol career while on the flip side, TV executives will bring on a well recognized idol singer to help revitalize a fledgling franchise with their built-in fanbase. However, just because you’re a big name doesn’t mean you’re a good actor. This staff pick features who we believe are some of the best idol talents in the acting world today.
After School‘s UEE
UEE happens to be one of the rare idols who can star on a drama and make it into a hit. Even though most idol-dramas are highly popular with the international crowd, they sadly suffer in terms of ratings in Korea. UEE seems to be one of the few exceptions, with ‘Ojakgyo Brothers‘ breaking over the 30% rating mark. Even though ‘Jeon Woo Chi‘ didn’t see that big of a success, it still snagged the #1 spot in viewer ratings for most of its run. She also took home multiple rookie awards for her acting in ‘Ojakgyo Brothers’ as the lovely main character Baek Ja Eun, and she and Joo Won acted so naturally they had multiple scandals. Check out a clip below!
Super Junior‘s Siwon
Siwon’s been acting in plenty of dramas including ‘Oh! My Lady‘, ‘Athena‘, and ‘Poseidon‘. But he really showed off his acting chops through ‘The Lord of the Drama‘, where he hilariously played the role of an arrogant top actor. While it’s true that the drama wasn’t stellar in terms of ratings, it was a really big plus for Siwon, who showed that he much more to the table than playing serious, charismatic roles, and that he could be a perfect chameleon to whatever role he played.
2PM‘s Chansung
Chansung may not be the first 2PM member people think of when they think ‘acting’, but he’s proven himself to be the best through his role on ‘7th Grade Civil Servant‘. He completely revamped his image and stole hearts of viewers all around. Of course, it’s always a plus that he has a cool, charismatic character to play, but even with a gift like that. Like Siwon, people might view him as only being able to play certain tough guy roles, so it will be interesting to see how Chansung grows as an actor in the future.
[HD] 130221 MBC '7th Grade Civil Servant' EP 10… by ohudushi
Big Bang‘s T.O.P
T.O.P swept rookie awards with his role in ‘71: Into the Fire‘, and made a huge impact as a cold-blooded, incredibly sexy killer in the original ‘Iris‘. For the most part, all he has to do is smirk and look sizzling, which is what he’s natural at anyway. He took on a more comedic role for ‘I Am Sam‘, and will be playing yet another killer for ‘Alumni‘. Maybe his roles are getting a little redundant, but it’s not a bad idea to stick to what you’re good at. Check him out on ‘Iris’! (With the matching up lyrics as a bonus!)
A Pink‘s Eunji
Eunji gained incredible popularity for her role in ‘Reply 1997‘, not just with her cute satoori but also her freshness as a rookie actress and her incredible chemistry with Seo In Guk. The drama was so great for her that she became a household name overnight and also helped spread awareness for her group A Pink. It gained her roles in the musical ‘Legally Blonde‘ and ‘Wind Blows in Winter‘. She’s tackling the standard dialect this time around, so we’ll have to see if she can keep up her praises. Meanwhile, check out her and Seo In Guk below!
MBLAQ‘s Lee Joon
Lee Joon is the only idol of the current generation of K-pop stars to have acted in a Hollywood movie – while that might have been mainly because of Rain, Hollywood doesn’t take its actors just because of connection. He even left behind a famous line – “You shouldn’t do that“, and performed all of his action scenes himself. His acting shone even in the short music videos that MBLAQ had. He finally got a character that was more like his lighthearted yet hardworking self in ‘Iris 2‘, so hopefully he can prove that he doesn’t have to stick to the silent and stoic type to shine.
JYJ‘s Yoochun
Yoochun’s had a stable career since his role on “Sungkyunkwan Scandal“, but unfortunately all of his dramas suffered from low-to-mediocre ratings. But despite this, he’s won an award for Best New Actor in 2011. He even won two Excellent Actor Awards for his 2012 dramas. Yoochun is one of the few idols who have broken free from the ‘idol actor’ stereotypes, so check out a hilarious video of him pretending he can’t sing below!
What does it take to be Kim Jong Kook‘s girlfriend? His good friend and actor Jang Hyuk revealed the musclebound singer’s requirements on the latest ‘Entertainment Relay‘.
Jang Hyuk shared, “My good friend Kim Jong Kook recently got a leg injury, so he hasn’t been able to participate in ‘Running Man‘ normally. If he had someone beside him, it’d be better, but because he’s [suffering alone], I feel sorry and worry for him.”
In terms of Kim Jong Kook’s ideal, the actor commented, “She has to be someone who likes spending a lot of time at the gym and loves protein as well as chicken breast meat,” causing laughter.
Do any of you meet the requirements?
Although the battle between #1 spot for the Weds-Thurs dramas was initially between ‘IRIS 2‘ and ‘Wind Blows in Winter‘, the latter has once again left the former behind, leaving ‘IRIS 2′ to compete for the #2 spot with ‘7th Grade Civil Servant’.
‘Wind Blows in Winter’ came out as the victor this week, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise, as the melo-drama starring Song Hye Kyo and Jo In Sung continues to proceed at a speed that viewers are enjoying. As such, it managed to grab 13.9% coming out as #1.
‘IRIS 2′, although it was initially the most hyped drama out of the three due to its action-packed scenes and high budget, the slow story line that seems a bit too similar to the original ‘IRIS’ has turned away viewers leaving it to desperately hang on to double digits, barely managing at 10.1% – coming in at 3rd.
Thus, ’7th Grade Civil Servant’ has once again reclaimed the #2 spot, narrowly beating out ‘IRIS 2′ at 10.6%.
Which of these three are you enjoying the most?
JYJ will hold a concert in Japan for the first time in four years.
From April 2 to 4, JYJ will hold a live concert three times at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. It’s the first time for the group to hold a concert in Japan in four years since they held the last one in June, 2010.
C-Jes Entertainment, JYJ’s agency reported, “It means a lot to JYJ because it’s the first official event for the group to hold in Japan after the lawsuit against AVEX was concluded in September, 2010.”
Selling over 170,000 copies of More, the last EP released in Japan in 2010, JYJ attracted over 200,000 people to their concerts at the Tokyo Dome and the Osaka Dome for four days.
JYJ say, “We’re very excited to see our fans in Japan. Because it’s our first concert to be held in Japan in four years, we’ll do our utmost to provide the best concert.”
A person from the performing arts industry in Japan says, “JYJ have been acknowledged as a group that shows off great singing abilities and performing skills. At the news of the group holding a concert at the Tokyo Dome, a lot of people are already inquiring about tickets for the concert.”
In January, AVEX, JYJ’s previous agency in Japan, lost a suit against JYJ. The Tokyo District Court declared that its exclusive management rights to JYJ are invalid. The court also ordered AVEX to pay damages totalling 660 million yen (about 7.8 billion won) to JYJ.
At this, AVEX appealed against the decision, but JYJ are actually free from the agency.
C-Jes Entertainment created JYJ’s official account on Naver on February 28. It’ll deliver news about JYJ to fans in thirteen countries in Asia and Europe in five different languages – Korean, Chinese, Japanese, English, and Vietnamese.
JYJ revealed how they felt during the 4 years of lawsuit with SM Entertainment.
In the interview with their new magazine ‘The JYJ‘, the subject of leaving their former label, 4 years ago in 2009 was brought up. Yoochun said, “Our label at the time, SM Entertainment, must have suffered, but if we look back at it now, we’re the ones that suffered even more. We used to think, ‘This, too, will pass’.”
Junsu added, “It was really hard on us, but all we could do was bear with it.”
Jaejoong reminisced, “All we could do was silently maintain our position. If we said something, it could be misunderstood, and if we said it wasn’t true, we would seem like cowards, so we couldn’t do anything.”
‘The JYJ‘ magazine was recently released chronicling thoughts they have kept to themselves for 1000 days. It contains 139 pages in all including their various interviews which lasted a total of 25 hours.
On their past 1000 day experience, the members said, “There were a lot of hard things to endure over the past 1000 days, but we can say we were honestly happy. We had to work hard and there were unexpected obstacles, but we were able to grow and learn that much more.“
Jackie Chan surprised the viewers on ‘Knee Drop Guru‘ by revealing that he could have married a Korean woman that he dated for 8 years.
On February 28th, Jackie Chan guest starred on MBC‘s ‘Knee Drop Guru’ and shared various stories of his life. During one segment, the subject of Jackie when he lived in Korea was brought up.
He shared, “From ages 18 to 20, I lived in Myung Dong, Korea. I wasn’t famous back then and I went to Korea to work as a stunt double. There was a curfew set in place and the only places that were open at 4 am were night clubs. I fell for a woman there and talked to her often.”
He continued, “There weren’t any cell phones back then. I was in Hong Kong and my girlfriend was in Korea, so when I wanted to call I had to go to the telephone company. When I called her, I would say things like ‘honey’, ‘is it cold in Korea?’, and ‘Kiss.’ However, I became busy and didn’t have the money to call so over time we naturally grew apart. If it was easy like it is now to make phone calls, I would’ve married her.”
Meanwhile, Jackie Chan is promoting his new movie ‘Chinese Zodiac‘ where viewers can get a taste of his real action moves.
Actor Song Seung Hun revealed how he is doing by uploading a picture.
On February 28, Song uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “Hello Singapore.”
In the picture, Song looks chic in a leather jacket and sunglasses. He showed off his manly charms with his sharp chin.
Netizens commented: “Song Seung Hun is still so handsome.” “The picture looks like a pictorial.” “Handsome.” “He is so charismatic.” “I look forward to ‘When A Man Loves.’”
Song Seung Hun will appear on MBC’s When A Man Loves, which will be broadcast in April.
There is some unfortunate and surprising news from singer and entertainer Eun Ji Won, and it comes in the form of a press release by his agency, revealing that the star and his wife have actually divorced.
The agency belatedly revealed the news on the 28th, writing, “Eun Ji Won and his wife Ms. Lee, who married in Hawaii back in April of 2010, divorced in August of 2012. Due to differences in personalities, the two had a difficult time adjusting to one another and just decided to make fresh new starts and go on their separate ways.”
As this bit of information has been revealed 6 months after the divorce actually took place, the agency also offered their response to the delay in delivering the news: “In order to protect the privacy of Ms. Lee, who is a non-celebrity, we didn’t publicly announce it when the divorce actually took place. So that Ms. Lee can continue to retain her privacy and lead her life as normal even now that the divorce has been revealed, we hope there will not be too much attention and maintained interest in this.”
“Eun Ji Won spent some time with his parents after the divorce, but he is back to living on his own now, and is focusing on getting ready for new music releases and broadcast activities,” they concluded.
Source: XsportsNews, Newsen
If you were a fan of the original ‘1 Night 2 Days‘, we have some good news for you: the producer of the famed variety program has announced that he will be launching a new variety show!
After moving agencies to CJ E&M last December, producer Na Young Suk – who led the KBS program until its replacement by a ‘Season 2′ last year – will be starting a new program early this year, if everything goes according to plan.
“We have finished planning the writing team, and we’re in the process of preparing for launch,” he said. “If everything goes right, it looks like it’ll debut in the first half of this year. We’re holding idea meetings every week.”
The new program will also mark the return of writer Lee Woo Jung, who was a part of the original ’1 Night 2 Days’ team and recently scored a massive hit with the enormously successful ‘Reply 1997‘.
What do you think the new program could be about?
Source: Newsen via Nate
Yes you heard it right! Korean hearttrob Hyun Bin will be in Singapore this April to meet the fans! Hyun Bin rose to fame in 2005 when he acted in the Korean drama My Name Is Kim Sam Soon. His popularity further skyrocketed after his 2010 hit drama Secret Garden. At the peak of his career, Hyun Bin enlisted into the military in March 2011. The “Hyun Bin Fever” never goes away even though the artist left the entertainment scene for 2 years. Fans across the world waited patiently for their idol and rejoice when Hyun Bin was discharged from the military in December 2012. To date, Hyun Bin continues to be one of the most sought after commercial models and actors.
Despite his tight schedule due to many projects on hand, Hyun Bin sets fan meeting as his top priority. Hyun Bin has only held fan meeting in South Korea and Japan. For the first time, he is traveling in Asia between March and April to meet and greet his fans. Singapore is the final leg of Hyun Bin First Asia Fan Meeting Tour. Fans were surprised and overjoyed when Faith & D Entertainment released news that Hyun Bin will be staging a fanmeet to meet his fans in Singapore. It is indeed a dream coming true to fans in Singapore to meet the superstar up close and personal.
This fan meeting promises a fun-filled evening and an emotional connection experience with Hyun Bin. Fans will be “wow” by the elaborate concert stage and the special effects specially created for the event. Hyun Bin will unleash his singing talent during the fan meeting. There will also be a lot of interaction between the artist and audiences. Hyun Bin Fan Meeting Tour In Singapore is definitely an event not to be missed!
So take out your calendar and mark down the date! Hyun Bin First Asia Fanmeeting Tour in Singapore will be held on 27th April at The Max Pavilion. This event is organized by Faith & D Entertainment and O& Entertainment, and produced by Superdome Production Co., Ltd.
For more infos regarding the fanmeet and ticketing, please visit Faith & D Entertainment’s facebook page here.
Source : Faith & D Entertainment ,
Korea.com
JYJ will donate all profits from their appearance at KBEE (Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo) to UNICEF.
On February 26, C-Jes Entertainment, JYJ’s agency, reported that JYJ will donate all profits from KBEE 2013 to the Korean Committee for UNICEF on March 5 at 2:00 p.m. Jae Joong will personally make the donation.
JYJ were named honorary ambassadors for Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo, which was held in Osaka, Japan, in November last year.
Despite their hectic schedule, they did a lot of work as honorary ambassadors, so they even won commendation from the Knowledge and Economy Minister.
Jae Joong said, “JYJ members were really happy to be able to participate in KBEE last year. We now want to help the poor. By making a donation to UNICEF, we want to give comfort to the poor children all over the world.”
Park Dong Eun, the president of the Korean Committee for UNICEF, says, “JYJ have participated in many events for KBEE as honorary ambassadors while they were busy with their schedule. I was very surprised by the news that they donated all profits from the events. I believe they can certainly give hope to the society.”
Kim Byung Kwon, the director of KOTRA, says, “The world is paying close attention to Hallyu. I believe such a social contribution JYJ have made will attract more attention to Hallyu from the world. KOTRA will do its utmost to make a positive contribution to the extension of Hallyu with such warm-hearted Hallyu stars as JYJ.”
Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo is sponsored by The Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and hosted by KOTRA and KOCCA. For three days, over 30,000 people and over 800 buyers and investors visited the expo.
On the 25th, media outlet ‘Sunday Seoul‘ reported an exclusive interview with ‘B’, a person said to be the best friend to trainee ‘A’ and was present on the night of Park Si Hoo sexual assault scandal.
In the interview, ‘B’ reported that Park Si Hoo and his hoobae had not had a sip of any of the alcohol, and had only told ‘A’ to drink. ‘A’ reportedly drank only one bottle of soju, and ‘B’ asserted that there was no way ‘A’ could get drunk from one bottle, and that there must be drugs involved because ‘A’ had felt different than usual. ‘B’ also reported that ‘A’ had sent a text message to her parents saying that she’d go home soon, but had lost consciousness in the car.
Also, ‘B’ reported that Park Si Hoo already had a condom on when ‘A’ opened her eyes in the morning, and his hoobae touched her while she was naked. However, these statements seem to be a little different from the previous reports by ‘A’, who claimed she had already been sexually assaulted when she woke up. ‘B’ also mentioned in the interview that Park Si Hoo had worn a mask from when he was coming out from the apartment, so he had been planning the assault from the beginning.
However, Park Si Hoo’s side slammed the interview as being completely fabricated from ‘A’. His new law firm said, “As you already know, Park Si Hoo’s alcohol tolerance is very low. But on the day of the incident, Park Si Hoo drank about 10 shots of soju over the course of 3 hours. Therefore, the reports that he didn’t drink anything are false.” They also confirmed that Park Si Hoo always wears a mask coming in and out from the apartment so he wouldn’t be recognized, and that this fact could be checked through the daily footage of CCTV.
Not only so, but the new law firm added, “‘A’ said that she had lost consciousness for about 13 hours when she went into Park Si Hoo’s house and came back out during her investigation, but she seems to remember all the very minute details about Park Si Hoo that would be used against him that people wouldn’t normally remember, so her account is not very believable. Her articles use terms such as that she felt fuzzy, insinuating as if the National Forensic Service’s results had already come out that drugs had been used against her, so we very suspicious about her comments.”
They added on, “‘A’ went home perfectly fine at around 2PM after the incident, and you can confirm this through CCTV footage. Not only so, but she texted Park Si Hoo’s hoobae multiple times afterwards.”
However, although there has been no official decisions made, it seems that the favor could be tipped for Park Si Hoo now, as test results from the National Forensics Service showed that no traces of any drugs were found in ‘A’. Because ‘A’ had asserted that there was no way she could have gotten so drunk with just one bottle of soju, the investigators had taken samples of her hair, urine, and blood to be sent to the National Forensics Service to check for traces of any date-rape type drugs. All of her tests came out to be negative.
There is still a possibility that the drugs had been flushed out of her system by the time the tests were conducted. Forensic experts said, “If it had been less than 24 hours since the incident, the drugs will have most likely still remained in her system. However, after 24 hours, it is highly possible that the drugs would have dissociated in her system or have been flushed out.”
Source(s): TV Report, Chosun.com, New Daily via Nate
Actress Song Ji Hyo recently fascinated Gary with her cute action.
On the episode of SBS TV’s Running Man that aired on February 24, actor Lee Dong Wook and actress Han Hye Jin appeared as guests.
Gary, Song, and Lee Kwang Soo played hide-and-seek at a restaurant as a mission, and Gary determined the order to play the game.
Realizing that becoming the first player is not good, Song acted cute in front of Gary, pushing out her lips. Gary got embarrassed, but Song kept acting cute, making him feel good.
Gary eventually designated Song as the last player, and Lee became the first player. Lee got laughs by saying, “You two can’t be together even if you do this.”
At the end, Gary, Haha, and Han Hye Jin won the race.
JYJ’s Yoo Chun recently visited China in celebration of Daeboreum.
On February 24, Yoo Chun attended a special festival for Daeboreum in China. He performed the main theme song of MBC TV’s drama series Missing You, which is currently popular in China, and said hello to the audience in Chinese.
Yoo Chun also said he would like to appear in a Chinese film. He said, “I want to work with actress Tang Wei and director Chen Kaige.”
Yoo Chun came to China on February 23 at 10:00 p.m. to attend the festival. As he’s very popular in China along with his drama series, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, The Rooftop Prince, and Missing You, nearly 1,000 fans swarmed over to the airport to see him.
Dogged by a sexual assault scandal, actor Park Si Hoo has appointed a new defense counsel, as well as requesting a delay associated with his case.
On the afternoon of the 24th, his new law firm, Pureumae, announced that their client would not be attending the scheduled police interrogation session, due to be held later today. “Actor Park Si Hoo, due to circumstances, will not be going to the interrogation that had been scheduled for 7 PM today,” the firm stated.
“This afternoon, Mr. Park Si Hoo has named us as the defense lawyers for his case. We are planning on mounting a stronger defense than before and going on the offensive,” they said.
“According to the regulations behind the transfer of a prosecution case and its investigation, we have decided that this case, currently under investigation at the Gwangju Seobu Police Station, would be better served at the Gangnam Police Station. Today, we have filed paperwork asking for a transfer,” they said.
“Due to the circumstances and due process surrounding the above move, our client could not attend the interrogation session scheduled for today. We apologize and ask that people refrain from speculation,” Pureumae concluded.
“Park Si Hoo pledges to go forward with full and honest cooperation with the police, and this law firm will do everything in our power to defend the actor and his pride. We will update the public on any further developments after consultation with our client.”
Before today’s sudden change, Park Si Hoo had been represented by lawyer Lee Duk Min, who had specialized in celebrity cases.
Source: Star News via Nate
The SBS program ‘Running Man‘ will be broadcasting next week what is sure to be an epic episode, together with extra-special guests Jackie Chan and Super Junior‘s Siwon!
The ‘Running Man’ cast members exploded in surprise at seeing the world-famous actor and Chinese action star in person. What could the show possibly have in store for one of the world’s most well-known stuntmen? Tune in next week to find out!
A picture of JYJ member Yoochun relaxing in a private jet to China has been revealed!
On the 23rd, JYJ’s Facebook uploaded the above image with the caption, “Park Yoochun’s 24-hour visit to China! Park Yoochun’s 007 operation for a 2-day live broadcast in China! Does the expression [he makes while sitting] inside the chartered plane make you curious? We are only slightly revealing this much.”
Although the caption teases the fans, leaving them much to be desired, it has been reported earlier this month that Yoochun will be attending China’s Lantern Festival special TV program, titled ‘Yuan Xiao Jie Show‘, as a guest star.
The ‘Yuan Xiao Jie Show’ is a program hosted by the crew of Chinese variety show ‘Happy Camp‘. It is a highly popular program that has ranked number one in terms of popularity for fifteen years. Yoochun will be attending as the Korean celebrity representative.
Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong was greeted by 800 fans when he arrived in Brazil.
According to his agency, Key East, on February 24, Kim arrived in Brazil through Sao Paulo International airport. This day, hundreds of Brazilian fans waited for Kim’s arrival.
Kim left for Brazil to represent other Korean singers for the event, 50th anniversary year of immigration between Korea and Brazil. When the news of Kim coming has spread, 800 Brazilian fans came to the airport in the early morning to greet him. Kim greeted his fans with a bright smile.
On February 24 at 50th anniversary year of immigration between Korea and Brazil, Kim will be performing “Breakdown” and “Lucky Guy.” Later on, he will travel to Lima in Peru to hold his solo fan meeting.
Actor Gong Yoo recently posed for a new spring and summer advertisement.
Gong re-signed the contract with the outdoor brand Discovery Expedition for two consecutive years. In the advertisement, Gong is in a hot-air balloon, floating high above the ground.
When the hot-air balloon rose into the sky, Gong drew a lot of attention from the childlike look on his face.
He wore a fresh blue windbreaker jacket and showed off his appeal as a fashionista. Gong did a perfect job portraying pleasure and a refined image of the brand.
An official for the brand says, “We wanted to make the advertisement look fun and exciting. Gong has a happy and refined image, which works in great harmony with outdoor activities.”
Gong re-signed his contract with the coffee brand Kanu last year. He is also keeping himself busy working as a representative for the business casual brand Mind Bridge for four consecutive years.
Actor Lee Dong Wook proved that he can be sexy in a pictorial for ‘W Korea‘.
Lee Dong Wook gave a serene vibe with his blue fashion and swooned the ladies with his tough expression. He was able to make fans forget about his friendly image as a past MC on ‘Strong Heart‘ and the female staff members who attended the photo shoot become mesmerized by his sexy charisma.
Netizens commented, “He is sexy”, “Where can you find men like him?”, and “I’m mesmerized by his charisma.”
Its no wonder Girls’ Generation‘s Jessica couldn’t keep his hands off of him during their kiss scene on ‘Wild Romance‘. But it seems like Lee Dong Wook will enter a new love line with Song Ji Hyo for upcoming drama ‘Mandate of Heaven‘ to premiere this April.
Super Junior’s Choi Siwon recently said hello to his Taiwanese fans.
On February 20, Choi posted a picture on his Weibo account with the comment, “Long time no see, Taiwanese friends. We’ve just arrived!”
In the picture, Choi is smiling for the camera in a turtle neck sweater and wearing glasses. His hairstyle, which looks very spikey, drew a lot of attention.
People who saw the picture responded: “Welcome.” “Your hair looks sharp.” “He looks like a boss.” “I can tell that he is a rich boy.”
Super Junior-M will hold a fan party on February 21 and 23 in Taiwan and on February 24 in Chengdu, China.
Everyone knows Kim Hyun Joong is a representative of the ‘flower boy’ trend, but he took it a step further for his photo spread with ‘High Cut‘.
The singer-and-actor dazzled fans with his ‘flower’ smile, adding on actual flowers for the full effect. The theme of the photoshoot borrowed from his trademark ’4th dimension’ character. As expected of Kim Hyun Joong, he managed to even make an old-style vacuum cleaner and a paper bag look good.
Check out his spring photoshoot below!
Image(s): High Cut
Tip: Muriel
Hyun Bin is planning to appear on the screen.
On Feburary 18, Hyun Bin’s agency reported, “Hyun Bin is currently thinking of appearing in a movie as his next project. For now, he’s not thinking of appearing in drama series.”
It was reported earlier that Hyun Bin is currently planning to work with Lee Kyung Hee, who wrote the hit drama series Nice Guy. Regarding the news, a spokesperson for Hyun Bin said, “Hyun Bin hasn’t decided anything yet, but he’s thinking of appearing in a film as his next project.”
Getting discharged from the military service in December last year, Hyun Bin hasn’t decided his first project after the discharge yet.
Receiving a lot of attention with his role in the drama series Secret Garden, which aired in 2011 before he started doing his military service, Hyun Bin is currently one of the top actors in Korea.
Except for shooting a TV commercial after his discharge, Hyun Bin hasn’t done any official projects, yet.
Julien Kang and Yoon Se Ah recently said that they are considering leaving MBC’s We Got Married.
On February 18, each spokesperson for Yoon and Kang said, “We came up with an idea for leaving the show while we were arranging our schedules. We haven’t set any details yet.”
The exact date for their shooting hasn’t been set. They said, “We don’t know when we are going to record the show but we will follow our original shooting schedules.”
Yoon and Kang have been appearing on the show since last August. The couple showed off their sweet appeals by calling each other ‘Shoulder’ and ‘Cherry.’ On the February 16 episode of the show, they had a Korean traditional wedding ceremony.
After Oh Yeon Seo and MBLAQ’s Lee Jun left the show, Go Jun Hee and 2AM’s Jung Jin Woon replaced them on the show as an imaginary couple. The real musician couple Jo Jung Chi and Jung In may appear on the show after Kang and Yoon leave the show.
JYJ’s Kim Jae Joong took a self portrait right after his concert.
On February 17, Kim tweeted a picture with the comment, “I had fun in Thailand. I’m taking a break because I caught a cold.”
In the picture, Kim is posing for the camera with a tired look on his face, right after performing the concert. Even though he looks tired, his unique charisma drew a lot of attention.
People who saw the picture responded: “Good luck on your Asia tour.” “You look beautiful working hard as a musician and actor.” “Be successful with the rest of your concerts.” “I hope you will feel better soon.”
Kim held the ‘Your, My, and Mine’ in Ilsan on January 26 and 27. Then he went on an Asia tour on February 17 in Thailand.
Kim Jae Dong revealed a funny picture taken with Lee Gwang Soo.
On the afternoon of February 18, Kim uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “Communion.”
In the picture, Kim is feeding grass to Lee Gwang Soo, also known as the “giraffe” on SBS’s Running Man. Unlike Kim, who is smiling brightly, Lee’s stiff look evokes laughter.
Netizens commented: “Are you having a meal with the giraffe?””You two look good together.”“I can feel how much you love the giraffe.”
Currently, Kim and Lee appear on SBS’s Healing Camp and SBS’s Running Man respectively.
Super Junior’s Choi Siwon was recently selected as the richest idol.
The February 18 episode of SBS’s Good Morning made a list of rich idols, who are keeping themselves busy performing as musicians.
On the show, Choi was selected as the richest idol. He previously appeared on MBC’s Radio Star and talked about his father’s financial power.
At the time, Leeteuk said, “Choi is the richest idol. He always says that he will take care of everything if our group members get in trouble. He says that he will talk to his father. I feel so relieved.”
JYJ members, who are known to have luxurious cars and houses, ranked second and KARA’s Goo Hara, who drew a lot of attention by buying a house worth 1.1 billion won, ranked third.
BoA, who is known to have an expensive building in Cheongdam-dong, and Big Bang’s G-Dragon, who makes hundreds of millions of won by producing songs, ranked fourth and fifth.
Super Junior‘s Siwon has been ranked as the wealthiest idol.
On February 18, SBS‘ ‘Good Morning‘ gathered the wealthiest idols in the industry to rank them in order.
Siwon earned the top spot and is known for his wealth from being a Super Junior member, as well as his family background. On MBC‘s ‘Radio Star‘, Leeteuk had shared, “Siwon is the number one in wealth out of all the idols. When something happens to Super Junior members, Siwon always says, ‘I’ll take care of it‘.” He also revealed on ‘Strong Heart,’ “Siwon ranked first in Super Junior’s earnings in 2011. Since he shoots many CFs in Thailand, China, and Taiwan, we can’t catch up to him.”
Then Eunhyuk added, “No matter how much we earn, it’s less than how much Siwon already has.”
Siwon was followed by JYJ‘s Junsu in second, KARA‘s Hara in third, BoA in fourth, and Big Bang‘s G-Dragon in fifth place.
MBLAQ’s Lee Jun recently expressed his feelings about leaving MBC’s We Got Married for the first time.
On February 7, Lee attended a press conference for KBS’s new Wednesday-Thursday series Iris 2 in Seoul and made short remarks, “I’ll do my best.”
When he was asked about leaving the show and the note that he left on his fansite, he answered shortly, “I’ll work hard and do my best.”
Lee previously left the show with actress Oh Yeon Seo.
The new series is about revealing the secret organisation Iris and Mr. Black three years after Hyun Jun (played by Lee Byung Heon) died on the previous season.
The series will air on February 13 when the current airing series Jeon Woochi goes off the air.
Super Junior’s Yesung uploaded a self-taken picture.
On the afternoon of February 7, Yesung uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “With Siwon who is meditating^^”
In the picture, Yesung is wearing black rimmed glasses and looking at the camera with an elegant look. Behind Yesung, Siwon is closing his eyes with his head down.
Netizens commented: “Yesung looks so charismatic.” “Is Siwon really meditation? Isn’t he sleeping?” “Where are the other members?” “He is so handsome.”
Previously on January 31, Super Junior was double-crowned at 22nd High One Seoul Song Festival.
As it just turned February 3rd in Korea, fans of both Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun and miss A‘s Jia celebrated their birthday.
Fans of Kyuhyun took to Twitter to trend the hashtags #조규현생일축하해요 (Cho Kyuhyun Happy Birthday) and #HappyKyuDay while fans of Jia trended the hashtag #HappyJiaDay. All three tags were under Worldwide Trends (non-tailored) while #조규현생일축하해요 enjoyed being the #1 non-promoted hashtag.
Jia turns 24 while Kyuhyun celebrates his 25th birthday. Happy Birthday to both Kyuhyun & Jia!
As previously reported, 2PM‘s Taecyeon is said to be in talks for a ‘world version’ of the popular faux-marriage variety program ‘We Got Married‘, and now there is word on who his partner may be if the idol does indeed star in the show.
According to a report, an insider from the Taiwanese entertainment industry revealed, “Wu Ying Jie [stage name: Gui Gui] has been confirmed to appear as Taecyeon’s on-screen wife on ‘We Got Married – World Version’… The contract has already been completed, and she is waiting for the filming date.”
Wu Ying Jie, who is also known as Gui Gui, is a Taiwanese singer and actress, who debuted as part of the idol group ‘Hey Girl‘. Since then, she has been active in the entertainment industry taking on acting roles as well as MC roles. She is also said to speak three languages including her native language as well as Japanese and English.
Regarding the report, JYP Entertainment told one media outlet: “Taecyeon is still not confirmed for the ‘world version’ of ‘We Got Married’. He is still looking over the offer… MBC has not revealed any information to us, so we don’t know anything [regarding his rumored partner]. As of now, Taecyeon is still looking over it.”
To another source, they commented, “Several stars are in consideration to become Taecyeon’s partner. Wu Ying Jie is one of them, but nothing is certain…. Everything will probably be confirmed next week.”
As mentioned before, the ‘world version’ of the show will star two couples with one member of each couple being from Korea, and the other member being from overseas.
Once filming is completed, the show is planned to be broadcast in many countries, but whether it will be broadcast in Korea as well, is unknown at the moment.
In related news, KARA‘s Nicole is said to be the other idol in consideration for the same ‘world version’ of ‘We Got Married’ and is currently in discussion about taking on the offer.
Source: TVReport, Newsen, Star News
Tip: Xesyre
Comedian Park Myung Soo revealed an instance when he shed tears.
The January 31st broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Happy Together‘ aired ‘the Weak Men’ special with guest stars, Kim Tae Won, Lee Yoon Suk, Yang Sang Kook, and INFINITE‘s Sunggyu.
During the episode, Yang Sang Kook commented, “I shed tears while watching a human documentary which is more of a real program than dramas and movies. How can you watch that kind of a program and not cry? If you don’t cry after watching that documentary, you’re not a human.”
MC Park Mi Sun replied, “Park Myung Soo didn’t cry. He never cries.” and talked about Park Myung Soo, who is known for his lack of tears.
Park Myung Soo made the guests erupt in laughter by revealing, “I don’t cry as long as I don’t experience physical pain. When I got double eyelid surgery, I cried buckets.“
2NE1′s Park Bom recently talked about the performance she gave without wearing shoes.
On January 31, Park performed “I Love You” at the 22nd Hi One Seoul Music Awards, which was held at the SK Olympic Handball Stadium in the Olympic Park. While she was singing, one of her shoes suddenly came off, and she just finished the performance with bare feet.
Park tweeted, “Today was a very special day! I was really surprised! One of my feet was cooled off. I think it will be part of my valuable memories. I was surprised, but other members were so funny. CL seemed to say okay to me and try to encourage me. After the performance, she said she kept an eye on me because she was worried about me.”
People who read Park’s comment responded: “Park Bom was so passionate with bare feet. She was so professional.” “I think Park Bom knows how to enjoy on stage.” “Park Bom is the best.” “I think the other members were also very surprised, but they were all professional.” “Congratulations on winning the award.”
2NE1 received the Artist of the Year at the 22nd Hi One Seoul Music Awards.
SISTAR’s unit group SISTAR 19 ranked first as soon as they released their new song.
On January 31, the song “Gone Not Around Any Longer” was released at noon and ranked first on several music sites, including, Melon, Bugs, Cyworld, and Soribada.
The unit group composed of Bo Ra and Hyo Lyn also received an explosive response with their song “Ma Boy” in 2011. Nineteen represents the transition between an innocent girl and sexy lady.
Bo Ra and Hyo Lyn will give powerful yet sexy performances. They will dance with transparent chairs, which make them look like they are sitting without chairs.
Hit song maker Brave Brothers, who composed many songs, including, “Push Push,” “So Cool,” and “Ma Boy” for SISTAR, was in charge of the unit group’s new songs as well.
The song ”Gone Not Around Any Longer” is a hip hop portraying a fading love. A girl is turning into a lady after she experienced painful love.
Bo Ra was recording a New Year’s special for MBC, The Idol Track and Archery Championship, on January 28 when she injured her legs competing in a 700-meter race. However, she will be able to perform as a member of the unit group.
On January 31, KBS made an official announcement on reasons why they decided not to air the TV series City Conquest through their network.
KBS said, “We are very sorry that the production company for the series insists that our decision is an agrivation. They even said that we are feeling constraint in the new government, which is completely not true.”
“We held four meetings to review the series and whenever the series receives a suspension we asked the production crew to make the series stronger.”
“However, the recent proposal that they handed in for the latest meeting is insufficiently competitive and contains a lot of violence to air through public broadcasters. That’s why we decided not to air the series,”
“We clearly stated in the letter that if the script for the series is insufficiently competitive, it is not allowed to air. Even though we made the decision through our official process, the production company is insisting that we are cowing to the new government. They also used an expression we consider a defamation of character.”
KBS added, “We are determined to sternly deal with the claims that the production company made.”
Miss A’s Suzy uploaded a cute picture.
Previously on January 27, Suzy uploaded a picture on the Chinese Twitter, Weibo with the caption, “Miss A appears on Zhejiang Satellite TV’s 我爱记歌词 at 10:00 p.m today. Don’t miss it!”
Suzy with long, wavy hair is looking at the camera. Unlike her innocent look, she gave an angry look at the camera.
Netizens commented: “You are lovely even with the angry look.” “Your beauty shines.”
Miss A attended the recording of Zhejiang Satellite TV’s 我爱记歌词 on January 26.
Kim Hyun Joong, Ailee, Baechigi, and Ongals will be performing in Brazil for the ‘2K13 FEEL KOREA‘ event.
The ’2K13 FEEL KOREA’ event is being held to commemorate the 50th year of Korean immigration into Brazil, and will feature a K-pop concert, a non-verbal performance, and various other Korean culture classes. The event will have makeup classes to teach the ways to apply K-pop’s trendiest makeup and to teach Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” dance.
The concert itself will take place on February 24 at the São Paulo at the Clube Esperia. The show will include Kim Hyun Joong, Ailee, and Baechigi. Ongals is a non-verbal performance team that participated at the Edinburgh Festival and gained the highest score for two years in a row.
On February 25, the participants of the events will visit a children center in São Paulo to give them gifts and spend time with them.
Changmin‘s 19+ rated comment surprised the other panel members of ‘Moonlight Prince‘.
On the January 29th episode, a discussion on the Shakespeare tragedy ‘King Lear‘ came up. As the variety show that revolves around books, there is a segment where viewers can quiz the panel. The prompt was, “When I look at men, I find myself looking at their noses. I realized why there is a nose in between our eyes after reading this book.“. To this, Changmin said, “Noses are important to men. People say noses represent men“.
Changmin also added, “I heard that if your nose is big, it means good luck“. However, Brave Brothers (Kang Dong Chul) said, “There is another meaning as well“, teasing Changmin. Changmin hesitated for a moment, but added, “I heard that if a man’s nose is big, the man also has a lot of [sexual] energy“, causing the studio to explode in laughter.
Lee Gwang Soo and Song Ji Hyo recently demonstrated the growing-tall exercise.
On January 29, Smile ENT, the importer of the animated film Marine Police Marco, which will be released on February 14, released a video of Lee and Song demonstrating the growing-tall exercise.
The exercise demonstrated by Lee, who has long arms and legs, and Song, who has a slim body, is easy for young kids to follow because it’s simple and fun.
Starting with a movement of raising both arms over the head and swinging from side to side, Lee and Song spread their arms over their heads, bend their knees and stand up, make a circle with their arms, and shout, “Yeah!” in a cheerful voice.
People who saw the video responded: “Can I grow up like Lee Gwang Soo if I follow the exercise?” “Kids, go ahead and do the exercise.” “It’s funny because Lee Gwang Soo does it.”
Marine Police Marco is a story about a timid yet righteous marine policeman named Marco struggling to protect the world of monkeys. Lee voiced over Marco, and Song voiced over Lulu.
Actor Hyun Bin was recently spotted in a recording room.
On January 29, Samsung Electronics released some pictures of Hyun Bin narrating the TV commercial for the Samsung Smart TV in a recording room.
In the pictures, Hyun Bin is wearing a headset in a recording room. He seems to be concentrating on the work, checking the part he needs to narrate with a pencil and putting some air in his cheeks.
Since January 19, he has appeared on TV through the TV commercial for the Samsung Smart TV.
He’s currently reviewing some scripts to make a decision for his next project.
A group picture of Super Junior has been revealed.
On January 28, Super Junior’s Choi Siwon uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “We have just finished! We are the Super Junior. See you all at Myung-dong on January 30.”
The members of Super Junior’s unit, Super Junior-M, Sungmin, Ryuwook, Choi Siwon, Eunhyuk, Kyuhyun, Donghae, Henry and Chomi are all posing in training pants. They showed off their friendliness by posing in a silly way with comical expressions.
Netizens commented: “Everybody in Super Junior look so bright.” “The training pants are pretty.” “I want to play with you too!” “Why in Myung-dong?”
JYJ‘s Jaejoong successfully held his first solo concert with 16,000 fans.
Jaejoong held his first concert, ‘Your, My, and Mine‘, in the form of a mini-concert and a fanmeeting on January 26th and 27th at the Ilsan Kintex.
The concert was separated into 3 parts. During the fanmeeting, he played rock-paper-scissors with his fans, and gave presents to those who won. He even acted out various roles per his fans requests. He cooked for his fans and personally fed some of his fans, and revealed some personal cell phone photos. Jaejoong paid close attention to any fan who had something to say to him, and sang without background music for his fans as well.
He also had a phone video camera chat with Junsu on the 26th and Yoochun on the 27th. The members were surprised by the sudden call, but revealed their everyday life and even revealed songs they’d been working on.
Jaejoong sang “Mine“, and other songs with his live band, as well as other famous songs from the past. He also sang “Only Love“, a song he composed but had not revealed. He said, “I was so happy to be with you guys for 2 days. I’m touched by all the love you gave us. I’ll hold this in my heart and always bring more, better songs. I’ll respond back with a warm heart. Thank you so much.”
Jaejoong will be going on an Asia tour next, starting with Thailand in February.
Moon Geun Young and Park Si Hoo recently expressed their feelings about completing a TV series.
SBS series Cheongdamdong Alice went off air on January 27 and their last shooting scene was aired on the January 28 episode of SBS Good Morning.
Moon said, “I feel like I’m going to be an unemployed starting tomorrow. And I also feel like that I have to shoot the series tomorrow too.”
Park also said, “I wanted to finish shooting the series when I had to work overnight but now I feel sad. Thank you for loving the character that I played on the series. Please place your hopes on me and love me.”
On the last episode of the series, Cha Seung Jo (played by Park) accepted Han Se Kyung (played by Moon) as his love and had an happy ending.
f(x)’s Victoria recently took self portraits in Taiwan with food.
Victoria posted pictures that she took with food in Taiwan on January 26 and 27 on her Weibo account and drew a lot of attention.
She took the self portraits with dumplings, bubble tea, and a piece of strawberry cake with a satisfied look on her face.
She also commented on each picture, “Huge bubble tea in Taiwan. I will go to Changsha tomorrow.” “I finished performing successfully. Thank you I was happy to see many of you.”
People who saw the pictures responded: “You came here to eat.” “Eat a lot.” “I don’t know if her face is small or the bubble tea is big.” “She always looks pretty.”
f(x) attended the Red and White Entertainment Awards in Taiwan on January 26 and went to Changsha to shoot the Chinese variety show Happy Camp.
On January 29, Lee Joon Gi is to release his new album both in Korean and Japan, simultaneously.
Early on January 27, IMX that manages the actor reported that Lee’s new album which is scheduled to be released on January 29 was prepared with utmost secrecy.
About the album, the agency said, “It’s made for his fans and in our hope of becoming a small present for them. He recorded the album not intending it to give performances as a singer, but more like keeping his fan meeting tours entertained which are to be held in and outside the country.”
The title for his new album is “Case by Case” which is abbreviated as “CBC.” The title track is “Lost Frame” and reveals his intention to challenge himself to and enjoy many things, not restricting to one thing and become obsessed by it.
According to his agency, Lee has included many different genres such as ballad, rock, and electronic in the album, as well as new metal and hybrid in which hip hop, rock, and lyrical are effectively combined together.
The title song which is to be released in Japan is “Tonight.” It is a sweet love song written by Lee Joon Gi in which he hops that the love-at-first-sight would come true.
For now, the star is revising thoroughly on the selecting his next work. Last year, he appeared in MBC’s Arang and the Magistrate that closed in October.
MBLAQ’s Lee Jun recently expressed his feelings.
On January 23, Lee wrote a note on his fansite, “Am I a robot? Who am I working for? I’ve had enough and I have opinions too. Did anybody apologize to me? I feel bad deceiving and since I’m a human, I can’t lie to people and they know I’m lying.” The note was deleted soon but it has been spreading through several social networks.
On the same day, Lee’s agency, J. Tune Entertainment, said, “The note uploaded on an official fanstie was written by Lee. He is very busy and wanted to seek a compromise with us.” The agency admitted that it’s was all their fault.
Since Lee is well known as a talented performer, he has a tight schedule appearing on variety shows, movies, and TV series, recording songs, and performing abroad.
Lee asked the agency to give him enough time to do his work sincerely.
The agency said, “We couldn’t do a good job listening and responding to what he wants. Lee wanted to give the public better quality performances. But since he got so tired physically and mentally, he ended up expressing his emotions carelessly.”
“We were a little puzzled but we can understand him as our family member. We will do our best for Lee so that he can do his work sincerely in good condition.”
The official posters of KBS 2TV’s new drama series Iris 2 were recently released.
On January 23, the production team of Iris 2 released a teaser poster and two different official posters of the series, which features seven different characters in the series.
In the posters, the seven actors and actresses show off a charismatic look with an exploding airplane in the background. The charismatic look in their eyes increase expectations for the battle they’ll have in the series.
Iris 2 is a sequel to the hit drama series Iris, which aired in 2009. It’s an action drama series about NSS agents tracing the identity of Mr. Black and Iris, who have penetrated into the governments of all countries.
The series stars Jang Hyuk, Lee Da Hae, Lee Beom Soo, Oh Yeon Soo, Im Soo Hyang, B2ST’s Du Jun, and MBLAQ’s Joon and will start airing on February 13 after Jeon Woo Chi goes off the air.
Actor Kim Soo Hyun and miss A’s Suzy recently shot a commercial together.
An online community posted several pictures with the caption, “Kim Soo Hyun and Suzy are shooting a commercial for Beanpole in Bangkok.”
In the pictures, Kim and Suzy are shooting a commercial in Bangkok, Thailand. They look energetic and peaceful while shooting the commercial.
The two were perfect partners for each other. Kim and Suzy are two of the most handsome and beautiful entertainers, who have the ability to make ordinary pictures look like pictorials.
People who saw the pictures responded: “Kim and Suzy look so good together.” “They are handsome and beautiful.” “Are those not pictorials?” “They are the best couple.” “Men envy Kim and women envy Suzy.”
Kim and Suzy flew to Thailand on January 21 to shoot a commercial for the clothing brand Beanpole.
Some pictures taken at a birthday party of JYJ’s Jae Joong were recently released.
On January 22, Hong Seok Cheon uploaded a picture on his Twitter account with the comment, “At Jae Joong’s birthday party. It was really fun. All of Jae Joong’s friends came to the party and celebrated his birthday.”
In the pictures, Jae Joong is enjoying his birthday party with his friends, including Hong. He’s especially attracting a lot of attention by showing off his clean-cut features and sharp chin line.
Soon uploading another picture, Hong commented, “Song Seung Hun, Jung Seok Won, and director Lee Jae Han also came to the party and had a great time.” In the picture, actors Song Seung Hun and Jung Seok Won are in a friendly pose.
People who saw the pictures responded: “Jae Joong has a lot of popular celebrity friends.” “Happy birthday, Jae Joong.” “Jae Joong is so handsome.”
Jae Joong’s birthday is January 26, but he had an early birthday party because of his hectic schedule.
On January 19, it is reported that Lee has been managing a construction for a detached house in Jeju Island since last year. She was fascinated by beautiful features of the island and often visited the place, but it was not until recently that she decided to build a house there in order to visit that place more often and comfortably enjoy her time there. The house does not seem to be fore residence, rather a place for leisure.
Her agency took a cautious position about the news. It told Starnews, “It’s about her personal life, so we don’t really know about the details, but it’s true that she’s building a house in Jeju. Our guess is that she will still live in her current home even if the construction is completely since she’s involved in many activities in Seoul.”
As taken from a view of her agency, there is more chance for her to stay in Seoul to carry out her work as a celebrity, but visit her new house in Jeju to revitalize herself.
The star is currently working on her new album which is scheduled to be released in spring.
H.O.T and Sechskies, the ’1st generation idols’ who were brought back to mind through the drama ‘Reply 1997‘ and swept the hearts of fan girls all across Korea during the 90s, have hinted on their possible comebacks!
H.O.T’s former leader Moon Hee Jun who recently made a comeback with new solo single “Scandal” revealed, “All of the members want to reunite. The only issue is that since all of our agencies are different, we are in a situation where we can’t move based on only our thoughts.”
He also revealed that they had previously set a comeback date in mind, but that it is currently delayed to another date. “Honestly, our comeback date was set for September 7th this year. We were discussing in detail about our comeback last year, but currently it has been delayed. We want Moon Hee Jun, Tony An, Jang Woo Hyuk, Kangta, and Lee Jae Won to reunite and show our charms as H.O.T on stage.”
Sechskies’ Kang Sung Hoon, who had been caught up in several scandals last year, also hinted on his group’s possible comeback as he commented, “I want to show the re-emergence of Sechskies to our fans. After resolving the incidents, I want to repay the faithful fans through promotional activities.”
Sechskies’ representatives clarified Kang Sung Hoon’s statement and confirmed, “It is unknown whether all six members will make a comeback. There are members who completely retired from the entertainment industry and members who honestly don’t have the desire to reunite. However, we will prepare [for a comeback] in the best direction possible to not tarnish the name of Sechskies.”
H.O.T. made their highly successful debut back in 1996 and disbanded in 2001 while rival Sechskies made their debut in 1997 and disbanded in 2000.
Last time, news of BoA coming back to the Japanese music industry have made her fans excited. It was revealed that she will be making a comeback with the Japanese version of her Korean song, “Only One”. There will be two versions of album that will be sold, the CD only version and the CD + DVD version. Recently, a short audio of the song had been released making fans anticipate it more. The album will drop on the 27th of February 2013.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: TheQueenofKpopMusic
Actress Han Ji Min recently dyed her hair brown and red.
An online community posted a picture with the caption, “A picture of Han Ji Min taken today.”
In the picture, Han is showing off her new brown and red dyed hairstyle. The two toned hairstyle is very popular these days.
Her beautiful appearance received considerable attention. Pink makeup complemented her lovely appeal and her moisturized skin also drew a lot of attention.
People who saw the picture responded: “She’s so pretty.” “I want to see her in person.” “She still looks feminine with two toned hair.” “She is definitely a goddess.” “I can only say that she’s beautiful.”
Han is currently considering her next job after appearing on SBS Rooftop Prince.
JYJ’s Park Yoo Chun gave Yoon Eun Hye a triple kiss.
On the nineteenth episode of MBC’s Missing You that aired on January 10, Han Jung Woo(played by Park Yoo Chun) visited Soo Yeon(played by Yoon Eun Hye) who is falsely accused of being a murderer and kissed her saying, “Tteokbokki, sundae, and cider.”
Soo Yeon’s mother(played by Song Ok Sook) was at the spot with them. So Han Jung Woo also kissed Kim Myung Hee on the cheek saying, “Aren’t you jealous?” He only kissed her once and said, “This much for the lover.”
Kim was embarrassed at first but expressed her jealousy by saying, “Why did you kiss me only once?” Jung Woo answered, “I have to save my lips for later.”
In the same episode, Hwang Mi Ran(played by Do Ji Won) said that she doesn’t need money or anything and regrets meeting Han Tae Joon(played by Han Jin Hee.)
Yoo Seung Ho’s acting is getting more and more improved. He’s perfectly portraying a psychopath in his 20s.
In the January 11 episode of the drama series Missing You, all the crimes committed by Hyung Jun (played by Yoo Seung Ho) get revealed by Jung Woo (played by JYJ’s Yoo Chun). Hyung Jun is found to be a scary person who has committed murder since he was a child. He has murdered a lot of people, but he never feels guilty.
Hyung Jun is a complicated character. The trauma he suffered when he was a little child controls his mind. He’s got wealth and power that can control everyone, but he gets controlled by the childhood trauma. He’s a rational person who quietly plans for revenge, but he’s also a romantic man who only loves Soo Yeon (played by Yoon Eun Hye).
Yoo Seung Ho didn’t portray the character perfectly from the first time. However, his acting improved rapidly. Yoo is very potential because he’s only twenty years old. Many viewers are wondering what kind of ending Yoo’s character will bring to the series.
Hyun Bin will be returning to the public eye through a coffee CF.
On January 10th, Lotte Chilsung Drinks stated, “We have recently signed on Hyun Bin as the new face of Cantata. After the drama ‘Secret Garden‘ ended and Hyun Bin voluntarily entered into the Marine Corps his popularity soared. We felt that he was our best model and we have been in frequent contact for quite some time.”
Cantata is a popular canned instant coffee line that comes in various flavors.
They added, “So far, Cantata has been signing the best actors such as So Ji Sub and Lee Min Ho who are popular with the young demographic. Hyun Bin has finished his enlistment and has the image of a top male actor. Cantata will be writing a new ad story line with him.”
The coffee CFs featuring Hyun Bin will begin airing in February.
Jung Woo (played by JYJ’s Yoo Chun) and Soo Yeon (played by Yoon Eun Hye) have a date on a snowy field on MBC TV’s drama series Missing You.
On January 9, the production company of the series released some still photos of the scene. In the photos, Jung Woo and Soo Yeon are walking on a snowy field, holding each other’s hands. Even though they’re not doing anything special, they look happy because they can smile together at the moment.
The production company says, “The scene shows that Jung Woo and Soo Yeon can be happy as long as they’re together. However, Harry (played by Yoo Seung Ho) is currently framing a murder on Soo Yeon, so please look forward to the next episode to see whether or not they can have a happy ending.”
JYJ’s Kim Jae Joong is showing off his power in the overseas charts with his new solo venture.
His first solo “One Kiss,” which was released on January 8, ranked first on the iTunes in five countries, including, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, on January 9.
An official for his agency says, “Kim’s sweet voice and perfect harmonies go well with the powerful sounds of the trendy song. It’s refined melodies are also receiving a lot of attention from North America and Europe. He will top the music charts all over the world with his solo EP.”
Kim will release his first solo EP Mine on January 17. The EP includes various rock genres of songs.
Super Junior M recently held a press interview in Beijing, China.
According to Super Junior M’s agency, Super Junior M held a press interview at CGV International Theater in Beijing, China, on January 7. They held the press interview in advance of releasing their second album, Break Down. Such major Chinese news sources as MTV, Honam Satellite TV, Dongnam Satellite TV, Sina, Sohu, Wangi, and Yinyuetai attended the interview.
Two hundred fans of the group, selected previously on a first-come first-serve basis, received a chance to see the interview. Despite the cold weather, they stayed up all night in front of the theater to see the group. As too many people swarmed over to the theater, officers from the Public Security Bureau in China were sent to the place.
Super Junior M appealed to the interviewers with their friendly charms in fluent Chinese. They introduced “Break Down,” the lead track of their new album, and talked about some behind-the-scenes stories about the making of a music video of the song. Donghae and Kyuhyun performed part of the song.
Super Junior M will hold fan meetings all over Asia, starting in Nanjing, China, on January 19.
JYJ’s Yoo Chun recently said he cries everyday as MBC TV’s drama series Missing You is almost over.
In the series, all the clues to the kidnapping of Jung Woo (played by Yoo Chun) and Soo Yeon (played Yoon Eun Hye) fourteen years ago have been revealed, and the murderer who killed Sang Deuk and Sang Cheol has been revealed to be Harry (played by Yoo Seung Ho). As the story is going to the climax, the actors are also doing their best.
On January 8, C-jes Entertainment, Yoo Chun’s agency, reported, “Yoo Chun cries everyday because of the role he plays in the series.”
In the fifteenth episode, Yoo Chun tries to calm Soo Yeon in his arms when she cries, and in the sixteenth episode, he gets comforted by Soo Yeon as he cries because of his greedy father.
He also cries a lot whenever he is with Soo Yeon’s mother (played by Song Ok Sook).
Yoo Chun says, “I feel so sad whenever I meet people appearing in the series. When I was shooting a scene of Song Ok Sook saying to Jung Woo, ‘I missed you so much today,’ I almost cried. It was one of the saddest scene I’ve ever shot. Please look forward to the last three episodes of the series.”
SHINee’s Min Ho, f(x)’s Sulli, MBLAQ’s Lee Jun, and ZE:A’s Kwang Hee will appear on a special idol actors episode of SBS Running Man.
On January 8, an official for the show said that the idol stars are currently shooting the Running Olympic 2013 at Incheon International Airport and elsewhere.
Several online communities posted pictures of the idol stars playing games with the show members in ice hockey uniforms.
Min Ho, Sulli, and Kwang Hee have appeared on SBS series To The Beautiful You and MBLAQ’s Lee Jun has appeared on the movie Ninja Assassin and he will appear on KBS series Iris 2.
Kim Jaejoong had made headlines with news of his solo debut as a singer following the footsteps of his fellow member, Kim Junsu. Jaejoong surely knows how to make his fans happy with the release of teaser photos and a video teaser showing his preparation for his first solo album. Following it, he also pre-released a track in his album titled “One Kiss”. The song is about a sad story of a young man that is quite unforgettable. The song consist of drum playing, fuzzy bass, rock elements and Jaejoong’s husky voice making it sound sad and dark.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: BubbleFeetGravityCH3|YT
MBC Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You decided to air one more episode.
On January 8, MBC said that the series will air an additional episode, which makes twenty-one episodes in total and the series will go off air on January 17.
The production crew for the series said, “We will make the series perfect for the audience by airing an additional episode.”
The TV series 7th Grade Civil Servant starring Choi Kang Hee and Joo Won will start airing on January 23 after the current airing series Missing You goes off air.
Singer Rain who is currently serving the army, has been placed under probation.
On January 8, Ministry of National Defense placed celebrity soldier Rain who created a stir by violating the decree on military service, under seven-day probation.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Rain did post-production editing three times: November 23, December 2 and 9 for a new song in Cheongdam. After the work was done, he met Kim Tae Hee in private and came back to the army in her car, violating the decree on military servie.
Besides the usual training and education, Rain who has been placed under seven day probation, will have time to reflect upon his mistakes instead of doing his regular duties. As for disciplinary actions, there are demotion of rank, confinement, restriction on a furlough and probation. The disciplinary action probation that Rain is under is the lowest level of action.
Previously on January 1, a media revealed that Rain who is serving the military is in a relationship with Kim Tae Hee. He has been captured riding Kim’s car and returning with a paper back in his hand. Therefore the vacation hours of Rain became an issue and created a stir.
Why did Han Ga In’s 2013 calendars become a hot issue online?
A behind-the-scenes story of making calendars with Han Ga In’s photos attracts a lot of public attention lately.
The calendar was revealed through the posting uploaded on an online community board with the title “The goddess shots of Han Ga In on the new year’s calendar.” An online community of DC Inside called “Han Ga In Gallery” designed it.
There is a reason why Han’s calendar is so special. When she learned that her fans were making a special calendar of her, she took several shots herself and sent them from Japan.
Her self-portraits look as if they were professionally shot. In one of the pictures, she turns sideways and appeals with her best charm whereas she makes a cute pose as she eats something in her earplugs in another.
Netizens who saw the posting gave enthusiastic response: “Her calendar looks fabulous. She looks beautiful.” “I like her care for her fans.” “She looks like a goddess in her calendar. Yeon Jeong Hoon must be a happy man.”
On January 4, CNBLUE released a teaser photo for their teaser video on their official teaser website. In the picture, each member poses individually. Jung Yong Hwa holds his hand to his mouth with a serious look on his face, and Lee Jong Hyun is smiling at the camera. Kang Min Hyuk looks sad, and Lee Jung Shin is holding a rose.
The group’s agency, FNC Entertainment, said, “We are planning to release four teaser videos by the four members on January 7 at midnight.”
On January 14, the 3rd anniversary of their debut, CNBLUE will come out with a new song written by Jung.
I’m back with a new post about Hangul (한글)!~ Today I’m going to talk about pronunciation or 발음. Hangul is a phonetic alphabet. This means that each character is always pronounced the same and it is very simple to read. HOWEVER, as a learner of the Korean language, you will find that, sometimes, Koreans’ pronunciation [...]
A few days after the report of actress Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Jang Woo being involved with one another, ‘We Got Married‘ has made their official decision regarding what to do with the Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Joon couple of the show.
The production staff of the show revealed, “After the report of the relationship scandal between Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Jang Woo, the production team met with Oh Yeon Seo and confirmed whether it was true.”
According to the staff, Oh Yeon Seo is said to have told them “Lee Jang Woo and [I] are just close sunbae-hoobae and we have no romantic feelings for each other at all, and the relationship scandal is not true at all.”
They continued, “From what we have found, the relationship scandal is not true. Therefore, Lee Joon-Oh Yeon Seo couple will not be leaving the show and will continue with broadcast and filming as normal.”
This comes after the varying statements released by Oh Yeon Seo’s representatives and the official press release statement that had stated, “They’ve only spent time with each other about 2~3 times with acquaintances present, so we can’t say they’re officially in a relationship.”
What do you make of all this?
Source: Newsen
Lee Seung Gi‘s “Looking Back” is still going strong by topping Billboard‘s ‘K-Pop Hot 100‘ chart for the sixth consecutive week, setting a record!
According to Billboard on the 4th, “Looking Back” has consistently ranked #1 on the ‘K-Pop Hot 100′ since its release back on November 22nd. The single has even surpassed Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” and IU‘s “You And I“‘s outstanding record of maintaining the #1 spot for five consecutive weeks.
Trailing behind is Girls’ Generation‘s “Dancing Queen” in 2nd place, Akdong Musician‘s “You Are Attractive” in 3rd, and B2ST‘s Yoseob‘s “Caffeine” in 4th.
Baek Ji Young has released her music video for new single “I Hate It“!
Renowned pianist Yiruma and composer 2FACE, who have teamed up as ‘Mind Tailor’, have written and composed the single, lending a hand to the soloist’s anticipated comeback.
WS Entertainment stated previously, “Baek Ji Young and Yiruma’s collaboration is their first project [together] through which the two artists’ were able to express their common musical and emotional understanding. ‘I Hate It’ is more than just a ‘cross-over’ of classical and popular music, but it is a ballad song based upon Yiruma’s trademark ability to bring out emotions with and Baek Ji Young’s sorrowful voice added on to form a beautiful melody with a story.”
Check it out below!
Here comes news about another real life celebrity couple for it’s been revealed that actors and co-stars, Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Jang Woo, are dating!
The two currently star in MBC‘s popular drama, ‘Oh Ja Ryong Is Coming‘ and much like their characters on screen, who are developing feelings for one another (well more Oh Yeon Seo’s character than Lee Jang Woo’s at the moment), are revealed to be in the midst of a blossoming relationship!
They were spotted enjoying what looks to be a date as they snuggle up close to each other in the cold weather while enjoying each other’s company. The two have been allegedly enjoying secret dates with Lee Jang Woo dropping off Oh Yeon Seo at the end of their dates and Oh Yeon Seo even apparently blowing a kiss at him to show her thanks.
The photos are said to be from the 26th, the day after Christmas, captured after they finished eating. As co-stars, they had lot to discuss about their current project and are thought to have developed feelings for one another as they both shared same goals of helping out in the success of the drama.
One broadcast insider commented, “Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Jang Woo are currently meeting well. I think they got close having met often to film their daily drama. Since there isn’t much of an age gap either and they share similar interests, it seems they were able to connect.”
Another insider commented, “Since the two must lead the daily drama until May, I think they’ve become really close. They are also sunbae and hoobae of Dongguk University.”
Oh Yeon Seo’s agency confirmed the news as they commented, “It seems they are currently getting to know each other and started seeing each other about a month ago.”
Another person affected by this news is Oh Yeon Seo’s current on-screen ‘husband’, Lee Joon of MBLAQ, whom she is currently starring with as wife and husband on variety show, ‘We Got Married‘. With the outbreak of the news, the representatives of ‘We Got Married’ are at a loss of what to do at the moment. One staff member remarked, “This is the first time while filming in ‘We Got Married’ that a relationship scandal has been reported. We will be holding a meeting to discuss this.” Currently, all eyes are on whether Oh Yeon Seo will be withdrawing from the show.
Stay tuned for updates!
Lee Joon, what will you do now?
Now Playing- It’s WAR – MBLAQ
Source: Sports Seoul, TVDaily, TVDaily(2)
MBC’s new Monday-Tuesday series Goo Ga Eui Seo will air when Horse Doctor goes off the air.
On January 2, MBC reported that the new series will follow the current airing series Horse Doctor.
The new series starring singer Lee Seung Gi and miss A’s Suzy is about a half human and half animal named Choi Gang Chi trying to become a human. Even though he can’t become a human, he tries his best to live a human life.
Writer Kang Eun Kyun, who has become popular with Glory Jae In and King of Baking Kim Tak Goo, and producer Shin Woo Chul, who has worked for A Gentleman’s Dignity, Secret Garden, and On Air will work together.
Lee, who will appear on a historical series for the first time, will play the role of a half human, half animal. Suzy will play opposite Lee.
Some pictures of Han Ji Min taken before she attended an award ceremony were recently released.
On December 31, some pictures of Han that were taken before she attended the 2012 SBS Drama Awards were uploaded on an online community board.
In the pictures, Han is wearing a black chiffon dress to attend the awards. However, she looks somewhat different from the look she showed at the awards.
Sitting on stairs, Han is attracting attention with the bottom part of the dress. Holding the floaty chiffon dress, she’s having a bright smile on her face. She looks like a goddess.
Han received the Best Actress Award and the Best Couple Award on the day.
Leessang‘s Gary made a promise to ‘Running Man‘ viewers at the ‘2012 SBS Entertainment Awards‘.
After winning the Excellence Award (along with fellow member Ji Suk Jin), Gary stood on the stage and delivered a short thank-you speech.
“Thank you. At first, this country boy who had only done music for 10 years decided to try variety because he wanted to see celebrities,” he said.
“Now, I’ve become a mature celebrity myself. I want to say thank you to the ‘Running Man’ producers and members who made me into one. Next year, I won’t try to quit the program, but work hard instead.”
Check out their comments below!
JYJ’s Jae Joong recently talked about his thoughts on receiving the second Best New Actor Award.
On December 31, Jae Joong tweeted, “The second Best Actor Award. I’ll take it as encouragement. I appreciate director Han Hee and director Oh Hyun Jong, Chang Joo from C-jes, Yoo Chun, and Jun Su. I love you. I also appreciate all the fans who have supported JYJ! Thank you so much.”
Playing the role of Kim Kyung Tak in the drama series Doctor Jin, Jae Joong received the Best Actor Award at the 2012 MBC Drama Awards. After receiving the award, Jae Joong said, “I’m so nervous. I’m also very happy to receive this award, which is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for actors.”
Jae Joong received the New Star Award at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards.
Pictures of MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You were released on December 26.
In the pictures, Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye are wearing the same red mufflers and walking along the street sharing in the Christmas spirit.
Yoon looks surprised but Park is smiling at her while putting his arm on her shoulder. They look like a real couple and it made the audience wonder what will happen on the series.
Park’s smiling face and sweet behavior captured many female fans’ hearts.
The production crew for the series said, “Even though the weather was so cold, Park and Yoon performed perfectly as Jung Woo and Soo Yeon for the series. They went on a Christmas date and realized each other’s feelings but their harsh reality will make the series sorrowful. Please tune on the fourteenth episode of the series.”
The fourteenth episode of the series, in which Park and Yoon go on a Christmas date, will air on December 26 at 9:55 p.m.
2012 proves to be a year of achievements for G-Dragon. This time, he earned the recognition of being the Best Dressed Celebrity of the Year. In a poll conducted by the Chosun Ilbo, 25 fashion designers and stylists were asked who they felt were the leading trendsetters of the year. The top 15 advanced to the second round of voting, where the top 10 were decided.
G-Dragon, the leader of world renowned group Big Bang, came first with 10 votes. Establishing himself as a fashionista early in his career, he is known for his wide range of styles, from street fashion to luxury, and is said to be capable of making any piece of clothing his own.
In second place is actress Ko Joon Hee, getting six votes for being sophisticated and bold. Experts said that she makes clothes look more beautiful with her well-proportioned body, and she knows how to create her own style without the aid of stylists.
Sharing the third spot are actor Song Joong-ki and actress Kim Nam-joo with five votes each. Song looked neat and trim in the film “A Werewolf Boy” and TV drama “The Innocent Man,” which suited his natural and subtly edgy image. Kim, who appeared in KBS soap “My Husband Got a Family”, created a buzz with the clothes she wore to the set. Experts praised her improved fashion sense and attention to detail when matching her clothes to the occasion.
Actress Ko So-young, who still appears in commercials for cosmetics, clothing and fashion accessories after childbirth, and actress Jung Ryeo-won, who looked natural in unique outfits on TV drama, shared fifth place with four votes each. Both pay a lot of attention to matching accessories and bags to their body shape and clothes.
Actors Gong Yoo and Yoo Ah In, who both worked on TV dramas this year, received three votes each and came seventh. Both actors love trying on different clothes and know what suits them, both.
Ninth place was shared by rapper Psy and actors Ryoo Seung Bum and Jang Dong Gun. According to the experts, Ryoo knows how to maintain his own style in both the public and private sphere, while Jang is very versatile when it comes to styling. As for Psy, he “is the only male celebrity who know what to do with tuxedoes,”
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Big Bang’s G-Dragon recently showed off a stylish look at an airport. On December 5, a fan of G-Dragon uploaded a picture of G-Dragon at an airport on G-Dragon’s fan site GD World.
In the picture, G-Dragon is having red hair, which is different from the hairstyle he had when he promoted “One Of A Kind” and “Crayon,” the tracks from his second solo material. In a dark olive green knit shirt and a woolen rider jacket, he’s showing off a stylish look.
What attracted the most attention from people who want to copy G-Dragon’s fashion style was the red ribbon on his right chest. The red badge, which matches his hair color, gave an accent to his look.
Big Bang’s Taeyang, T.O.P, and Seungri were also spotted wearing the badge, so many people were wondering what it is.
Some of the people looked into what exactly the red ribbon is, and it was found out that the red ribbon is a badge that proves the person who is wearing it is a fan of the Special Olympic Games for the mentally challenged. At this, many people enthusiastically responded to Big Bang’s warm hearts.
The red ribbon is also part of Be a Fan, a campaign sponsored by the 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympic Organizing Committee and Coca Cola to encourage people to pay attention to the Special Olympic Games.
Big Bang recently held a concert in the UK on December 15 and in Japan on December 22 as part of their world tour, Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour 2012.
The hottest Korean actors that has marked their names on the TV screens and cinemas through their agency Storms Company: Song Seung Hoon and Jo Hyun Jae had set aside a special hello through their respective official Facebook pages, and was shared by their company. We have missed these 90s heartthrobs, and with this we also hope for them t release projects and activities soon! Meanwhile, watch them say hello below:
Which other actors or actresses would you like to be greeted in the end of 2012?
JYJ’s Jae Joong has recently decided when to release his first solo material and is currently preparing for a concert.
On December 26, C-Jes Entertainment reported, “Jae Joong will release his first solo EP on January 17.”
The EP will mostly contain rock numbers and songs written by Jae Joong.
Jae Joong is also preparing a special concert in celebration of the release of the EP and his birthday. He will hold concerts on January 26 and 27 under the title of Your, My and Mine.
The agency reported, “The concert will be held on a large scale. The whole concert will be divided into three parts. It’s a distinctive type of concert that combines a concert and a fan meeting. The audience can see Jae Joong’s live performances for the tracks from the first EP. It will be the first time for Jae Joong to talk about his previous projects and life after the fan meetings in four Asian countries in November.”
The concerts will be held on January 26 and 27 at the Ilsan Kintex.
KARA’s Han Seung Yeon recently expressed her anger against people who have left malicious comments about her.
On December 24, Han tweeted, “I’m not sure if you can really become a sainted person, an expert, or a person who has power if you leave comments in the name of public without your real name. I was so surprised. If you feel disgusted, don’t look at me. If you don’t like me, just leave me alone. Do you have to express your hatred for me? Thank you so much.”
It seems that Han left the comment on her Twitter account because of some people who have left constant malicious, insulting comments about her.
She also tweeted, “Hey. While you’re wasting your time to make the person you hate feel bad, I’m spending my time for more valuable things with good people, so don’t worry. Think about it carefully. Who needs to look at things more clearly?”
People who read the comment responded: “She must have been really mad.” “The malicious comments about celebrities are really scary.” “They should haven’t done that.” “Han Seung Yeon is still young. She must have been hurt.”
f(x)’s Sulli recently attracted a lot of attention after a picture of Korean geisha Lee Nan Hyang (1900-1979), who was born a hundred years ago, was released.
The picture was uploaded on an online community board under the title of “Korean geisha Lee Nan Hyang who was born at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.” She was a very popular woman at the time for her pretty face and singing ability.
When she became one of the most popular geisha, she married to a newspaper reporter and became a housewife. However, she was so enthusiastic about singing that she received a song from Ha Gyu Il, a popular composer at the time. With the enthusiasm, she recorded the first album with the songs she received from Ha. What attracts the most attention from people is that she resembles Sulli.
Both have big eyes, drooped eyelids, small lips, sharp nose, and milky-white skin.
People who saw the picture responded: “Sulli and Lee Nan Hyan really look alike.” “Isn’t a picture of Sulli superimposed on the picture?” “Is Sulli reincarnated as Lee Nan Hyang?” “I was so surprised by the picture.”
Super Junior’s Siwon recently appeared in a Santa costume.
On December 24, the singer tweeted, “Merry Christmas,” and attached the picture.
He looks into the camera with a deep gaze wearing a Santa costume. Nearly half of his face is covered with a fake white mustache, but his gorgeous appearance stands out.
Netizens who saw the posting reacted: “Siwon looks gorgeous even in the Santa costume.” “What made him change into Santa?” “I like his new look as a Santa.” “I thought there were lasers coming out of his eyes.” “Can I have a gift, Santa Siwon?”
In the meantime, Siwon is enthusiastically performing in SBS’s Monday-Tuesday drama series The King of Dramas (written by Jang Hang Joon and Lee Ji Hyo and directed by Hong Seong Chang) as the top star Kang Hyun Min with a unique personality.
Super Junior’s Siwon recently showed off a cute look.
On December 23, Siwon uploaded a picture of himself on his Twitter account with the comment, “Hyun Min is naughty.”
In the picture, Siwon is standing in front of a wall with a picture of paper money fluttering down. He’s laughing out loud, spreading his two arms wide.
People who saw the picture responded: “Hyun Min loves money.” “He’s so cute.” “The picture makes me laugh.” “I love Siwon so much.” “I wish that happens to me.”
Siwon is currently playing the role of Hyun Min on SBS TV’s drama series The King Of Dramas.
Multi-talented artist, Lee Seunggi wow fans as he graced the cover of At Star 1 magazine. In the photos, he showed off his sexiness by wearing a fitted black sweater and skinny jeans. He also showed his mature side as he rock the modern theme with a suit.
At Star 1 also released the behind the scenes footage of the photoshoot wherein Seunggi showed how professional he can be as well as his lively character which made everything enjoyable not only to him but also to his staffs.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: couchkimchi, atstar11|YT
INFINITE‘s Sunggyu and Woohyun performed Song Dae Kwan‘s hit song “The Day the Sun Rises” on the December 22nd trot special of ‘Immortal Song 2‘.
The two idols appeared in black suits to perform their dance cover of the trot song, catching attention with their handkerchief routine in the middle of their performance.
Before they stood on stage, Sunggyu commented, “We didn’t have the easiest childhood. We sang this song thinking about when the sun will rise for us.”
Check out their performance below!
Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye
On the thirteenth episode of MBC’s Missing You that aired on December 20, Han Jung Woo(played by Park Yoo Chun) and Lee Soo Yeon(played by Yoon Eun Hye) kissed each other.
In this broadcast, Soo Yeon encounters sleeping Jung Woo at Hwang Mi Ran(played by Do Ji Won)’s clothes store by chance. She tells him, “Forget about me now…” admitting that she is Soo Yeon.
Han Jung Woo did not miss the opportunity and grabbed Soo Yeon. He kissed Soo Yeon after thinking of the time when they first kissed on a bus by accident fourteen years ago and said, “This is not our first time.”
Kim Hyun Joong‘s wax figure is now completed.
He previously had measurements done for a figure to be displayed at Madame Tussauds Busan. Madame Tussauds Busan said, “Starting from December 21st, we will be holding Kim Hyun Joong’s wax figure on display.”
Madame Tussauds Busan had previously displayed wax figures of Bae Yong Joon, Nichkhun, and president Lee Myung Bak, but this is the first time that Madame Tussauds Busan had chosen Kim Hyun Joong for a figure. The figure displayed is wearing Kim Hyun Joong’s outfit from his Asia Tour, and even has accessories he wore during the performance that were donated to the museum.
The figure was built after 500 measurements were taken, and the total cost of the figure was said to be 200 million KRW (approximately $186,000 USD). Madame Tussauds said, “The fact that there are Korean celebrities and famous figures in the 13 Madame Tussauds all over the world means that there is a lot of interest in Hallyu stars. Kim Hyun Joong especially is a leader in spreading hallyu globally. He wrapped up his Asia Tour successfully and ranked #1 on Japan’s Oricon Charts.”
Tip: Muriel
JYJ’s Yoo Chun was recently selected as an advertising model and an honorary ambassador for Standard Chartered Bank’s Good Library Project.
On December 20, Standard Chartered Bank reported that Yoo Chun will let applicants who want to share their talent through their voices know how to participate in the project and will participate in the making of a commentary film and an audio book for the visually handicapped people.
People can apply for the project on Standard Chartered Bank’s official website (http://www.standardchartered-goodproject.com) or the bank’s Kakao Talk Plus Friend until January 13.
Yoo Chun will let the applicants know how to participate in the event over the phone, and the applicants can hear Yoo Chun’s voice.
All applicants will be invited to the Good Voice Festival, which will be held on January 19 next year at COEX. The selected hundred people will receive a chance to participate in the making of the commentary film and the audio book with Yoo Chun.
The film and the book will be donated to the Korea Association for the Welfare of the Visually Handicapped in April next year.
Yoo Chun says, “I thought it’s good that everyone who want to give help can participate in the project. I hope people can share the joy of helping others by doing volunteer work for the visually handicapped people.”
Richard Hill, the president of the bank, says, “Standard Chartered Bank, which entered the Korean Market in early 90s, has a strong will to devote itself to Korea. The Good Library Project is a good way to show its strong will to devote itself to Korea by doing a meaningful event for the Korean society based on the Here For Good spirit of the bank.”
KBS has announced the 14 couples nominated for their ‘2012 KBS Drama Awards‘.
Scheduled to be held at 8:50 p.m. on December 31st at the KBS Hall, the award will be given to the best couple determined by 40% online votes, 40% journalist votes, and 20% expert votes. Due to the high reflection of online votes, the award will largely be determined by fans.
Most noted is the Joo Won and Park Ki Woong couple from ‘Bridal Mask‘, who although were rivals in the drama, managed to capture the attention of female viewers with their past friendship and friendly relationship off set.
Despite being the only ‘male-male couple’ featured in the nominations, they have a strong chance as any of winning the title, especially since another nominated male-male couple, Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In, came away with a win at the 2010 awards as a couple for ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘.
Check out the rest of the nominations below!
1. Gong Yoo and Lee Min Jung for ‘Big‘
2. Baek Sung Hyun and Suzy for ‘Big’
3. Kim Kang Woo and Jo Yeo Jung for ‘Haeundae Lovers‘
4. Shin Hyun Joon and Kim Jung Eun for ‘Oohlala Couple‘
5. Um Tae Woong and Lee Bo Young for ‘The Equator Man‘
6. Joo Won and Jin Se Yeon for ‘Bridal Mask’
7. Joo Won and Park Ki Woong for ‘Bridal Mask’
8. Song Joong Ki and Moon Chae Won for ‘Nice Guy‘
9. Cha Tae Hyun and UEE for ‘Jeon Woo Chi‘
10. Yoo Jun Sang and Kim Nam Joo for ‘You Who Rolled In Unexpectedly‘
11. Kim Sang Ho and Shim Yi Young for ‘You Who Rolled In Unexpectedly’
12. Lee Hee Jun and Jo Yun Hee for ‘You Who Rolled In Unexpectedly’
13. Lee Sang Yoon and Lee Bo Young for ‘My Daughter Seoyoung‘
14. Oh Chang Suk and Hwang Sun Hee for ‘Love, Love‘
Everyone’s favorite actor these days, Song Joong Ki, took on two opposite charms for a pictorial with ‘High Cut‘.
In his new photoshoot, Song Joong Ki posed in all white for the innocent side of the photoshoot, yawning and pulling on socks in photos as to depict a young man getting ready for work in the morning. The one particular photo of him pulling on his socks while seemingly pantless drew in fans who were left chuckling over his blank expression and the mismatch between the pantless bottom and the trench coat slung over his shoulder.
In the other set of photos, he took on the bad-boy image instead, slicking his hair back and donning leather jackets.
His two different charms once again captivated fans who had been missing him with the conclusion of ‘Nice Guy‘.
The magazine will be released on December 20th, but check out some of the revealed photos below!
Super Junior’s Choi Siwon challenged himself to do the horse dance of “Gangnam Style.”
Choi Siwon’s horse dance video has been uploaded on the official homepage of SBS’s King Of Dramas.
In the video, Siwon is doing the horse dance with comedian Park Gyu Sun. Siwon does the horse dance in a funnier way after Park demonstrating and telling him, “I will show you how to go crazy.”
Choi asks, “I don’t know this dance that well. How do you do it?” but he imitates the dance with ease, showing off his dancing skills.
Choi’s horse dance will air on the fourteenth episode of King of Dramas that airs on December 18.
A lot of goodies coming towards the fans of JYJ! In addition to the group album that Junsu hinted at earlier, it seems Jaejoong will be releasing his first solo mini album!
C-JeS Entertainment revealed the exciting news – “Next year in January, Jaejoong will be releasing a very special solo mini album. Kim Ba Da, previous vocalist of legendary rock group Sinawe, has directly participated in the album, and the album will contain various rock genre songs. You’ll be able to hear Jaejoong’s husky and rough high notes that you haven’t heard before with JYJ, as well as see his new charms.”
Having worked with Jaejoong, Kim Ba Da did not hold back his praise, commenting, “Jaejoong possesses a nature fit for a good rock vocalist. He is also very sincere about music, so because of him, I also developed much affections for this project. Jaejoong’s slightly sexy and glamorous singing style is charming. We decided to make a rock number that will be recognized no matter where we put it out… For rock music, you have to be able to pull out the stories you’ve kept buried in your heart, and Jaejoong’s composing sense is outstanding. I thought, isn’t it now time for him to be recognized as an artist rather than an idol?”
Jaejoong has been building up quite a reputation for himself as a singer-songwriter, recently proving his abilities as he helped write and compose songs in Junsu’s album, and he’ll be doing it again this time around for his own album as he has written the lyrics himself.
C-JeS added, “The details about the album are an absolute secret. The album jacket as well as video teaser will be revealed in order in the following weeks, and we’re also preparing a music video to go along with the song as well. As a special album, also containing OST songs from the movie ‘Jackal is Coming’ (‘Code Name Jackal’), this will be a surprise present for all the fans this winter.”
A representative from the album production company also increased the excitement of fans as they shared, “An album containing Jaejoong’s outstanding vocals and his ability to express himself has been completed. This winter, Jaejoong’s explosive vocals and soothing voice will captivate everyone.”
Actor Park Yoo Chun recently said that his TV series will not conclude with a happy ending.
On December 17, Park attended a press conference for MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You and talked about an ending for the series.
Park said, “I think many people are wondering about the ending. Since there is foreshadowing in the series, I don’t think it will conclude with a happy ending.”
“I’ve talked about an ending with the production crew and they said that it will be hard to conclude with a happy ending. But we can’t be so sure about that.”
Park also talked about variety shows. He said, “I haven’t appeared on variety shows for a long time. I think the last time I appeared on a variety show was in 2008.”
Park said that he wants to appear on The Law of the Jungle because he likes experiencing new things. He said, “I want to sleep in a tent in the back country. I think it would be fun to fight with mosquitos.”
The series is a classical melodrama about a man and woman who have wounded hearts from their first love. Besides Park, Yoon Eun Hye and Yoo Seung Ho appear on the series.
Park plays the role of a detective named Han Jung Woo, who still misses his first love. The series airs every Thursday and Wednesday at 9:55 p.m.
Fans all over the world celebrated XIA DAY for Junsu‘s birthday on December 15th.
C-JeS Entertainment commented, “Fans not only in Korea, but also in Japan, China, USA, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, and Poland celebrated XIA DAY.”
The fans made special cakes for Junsu, held a photo exhibition, and even wrote letters to Junsu from their own countries. Brazilian fans went on a trip together, and Peruvian and Venezuelan fans held the photo exhibitions.
The XIA DAY celebration was held in a total of 20 cities in Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Germany, Poland, Puerto Rico, USA, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, and Brazil.
Celebrity Video for XIA DAY:
JYJ‘s Yoochun confessed that he wanted to appear in ‘Laws of the Jungle‘.
Yoochun, Yoon Eun Hye, and Yoo Seung Ho attended a press conference for their drama ‘I Miss You‘ on December 17th.
At the press conference when asked about potentially appearing on variety shows, Yoochun stated, “Of course I want to go out on variety shows. I haven’t been on a variety show in a very long time. The last time I appeared on one was back in 2008. I think it’ll be fun to be on a variety show. It’s going to be different when we talk while we’re being recorded compared to when we talk in private. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
He continued, “I want to appear on ‘Laws of the Jungle’. I really enjoy stuff like that. Before I started working on this, I went out on a random trip without a destination early in the morning equipped with just a tent. I got bit by mosquitos all over the place when I tried to make a tent at 3 in the morning. I’ve been wanting to appear on ‘Laws of the Jungle’ ever since it began airing.“
A special pictorial from his Japanese EP Unlimited was recently released and drew a lot of attention.
The pictorial, which was released on December 14, was specially ordered to be made for his Japanese official fan club Henecia Japan.
Through the pictorial, Kim is showing off his various looks that he had never shown on TV programs. He plays the guitar and poses for the jacket photos of his new EP.
The black and white still shows his unique charm with illustrative effects.
He also shows off his muscular figure in a sleeveless shirt and jeans as a tough and free spirited man. His emotional eyes also complement his refined and manly look.
People who saw the pictorial responded: “I thought this is a fashion pictorial. He is always the best.” “Look at his emotional eyes! I even feel jealous over the guitar! Good luck to you.” “He ranked first on the Oricon and he released a pictorial! It’s like a big Christmas present.”
Kim released his first Japanese regular EP Unlimited on December 12 and ranked first on the Oricon Daily. He will hold twelve concerts in ten Japanese cities, including, Kobe, Saitama, Nagoya, and Fukuoka starting in January, 2013.
Three years old pictures of SNSD’s Yoona are drawing a lot of attention. An online community posted pictures with the caption, “Don’t put makeup on Yoona’s face like that.”
The pictures were posted in the November issue of a magazine, which was published in 2009. In the pictures, Yoona is showing off her sexy appeal with thick eye lines and provocative pose rather than showing off her innocent and pure appeal.
SNSD is currently preparing to return with their fourth EP.
His video is the most watched in YouTube history and in a short few months he’s risen to household-name status in America, but a decade before PSY unleashed “Gangnam Style” he was known for his fiery opposition to the Iraq War and the U.S. military’s presence in Korea.
PSY (real name Park Jae-sang) has gone into damage control mode and apologized Friday for using “inflammatory and inappropriate language” during popular protests earlier in his career.
In 2002, he joined a rally concert to decry the deaths of two Korean schoolgirls in an accident with an American military vehicle. The then-25 year old singer belted a song called “Killer” and held up a “plastic model of an armored vehicle and smashed the plastic prop onto the floor,” according to the Korea Herald. He reportedly further pulvarized to model with his microphone stand to the “thunderous roar of agreement and excitement from the audience, mostly teens.”
Two years later he lent his vocals to a hard-edged protest song called “Dear American” in response to the murder of a South Korean missionary in Iraq. The context is important: An Islamist group videotaped the beheading of missionary Kim Sun-il after the South Korean government refused to cancel plans to send 3,000 troops to aid the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. What followed was widespread protests across the country, one of which PSY performed “Dear American” with the Korean metal group N.EX.T.
In the song, PSY rapped, “Kill those f—ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives/Kill those f—ing Yankees who ordered them to torture/Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully.”
Calling his words a “deeply emotional reaction” to the war and civilian deaths, PSY now acknowledges “there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted.”
Sensing the brewing scandal — which threatens to harm his until now-sterling reputation in America — PSY quickly issued a statement to MTV News on Friday:
“As a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world. The song I was featured in — from eight years ago — was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two innocent Korean civilians that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time,” the statement read. “While I’m grateful for the freedom to express one’s self I’ve learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I’m deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused anyone by those words.
I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months – including an appearance on the Jay Leno show specifically for them – and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology. While it’s important we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that though music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology.”
This scandal could potentially cause problems for President Barack Obama. PSY is scheduled to perform alongside Diana Ross and Scotty McCreery during the annual “Christmas in Washington” special, which airs Dec. 21 on TNT. The holiday show is traditionally attended by the President and First Lady.
The rookie singer Hi.ni has appealed with her mid-low voice tone which went opposite with her mermaid-like costume in M.net’s M Countdown.
In the live episode of December 13 episode of M Countdown, the singer appeared in a beautiful dress which reminded viewers of a mermaid. But as she began to sing her ballad song “Legend of Tears,” her voice immediately grabbed ears because it was very low just like the one of Kim Dong Ryul.
As opposed to her feminine appearance, she overwhelmed the audience with her peculiar mid-low tone of voice, also appealing her outstanding singing skills.
It has also come to light that Hi.ni has spent six years vocal training and working as a guide vocal before her debut. In September, when she was recording “Miss You,” one of the soundtrack recordings for tvN’s series The Third Hospital, as a guide vocalist, a personnel from music corporation kept a close eye on her and proposed a surprising deal. Eventually, she debuted as an official singer in the industry
Popular ballad singers like Baek Ji Young, Heo Gak, and Yangpa left positive comments about her on SNS, and people started to become more interested in her.
On December 3, she released her second single, “Legend of Tears.”
‘Introduction to Architecture‘ revealed a deleted scene of Suzy and Lee Jae Hoon.
The scene was originally supposed to be superposed to Han Ga In and Um Tae Woong‘s kiss scene, but was taken out of the movie to keep the sadness of the scene. However, the scene was added back in for the DVD release of the movie. Both Suzy and Lee Jae Hoon flew down to Jeju Island to film the scene.
Upon seeing the scene, fans commented, “The deleted kiss scene is really intense“, “Their bodies are really close together..“, and “It’s even more interesting because it was deleted“.
After the announcement that BoA will be holding a Korean concert, she also revealed that she will be making a comeback in Japan after two and a half years. She will be releasing a single album that will consists of the Japanese version of her song, “Only One” and “The Shadow”. The single is set to be released on the 20th of February next year. There will two types of version of the album as posted by AVEX and the tracklist has been revealed as well.
Version 1: CD+DVD
CD:
DVD:
Version 2: CD Only
CD:
Source: avex
2PM‘s Jun.K will be entering Kyunghee University‘s Media Information Graduate School.
He will be entering the graduate school starting in 2013 and will be participating in the Public Arts and Culture Contents program. JYP Entertainment commented, “Jun.K will be entering graduate school. Jun.K has always had a passion to expand his knowledge on composing music and writing lyrics as related to the public arts. After he enters graduate school, he will be attending school and participating in 2PM activities at the same time.”
Most other idols take a special exemption exam reserved for idols but Jun.K’s acceptance into the graduate school is even more special because he applied as a normal student, and took the graduate school exam as any other normal student would.
Jun.K entered the Dongah Institute of Media and Arts while majoring in Media Entertainment back in 2009, through his hard work he received a full scholarship which further showed his ideal image.
Kim Jong Kook promised to get married before he turns 40.
Kim Jong Kook was a guest on the December 11th episode of KBS2TV‘s ‘1 vs 100‘, and promised to get married in the near future after discussing HaHa and Byul‘s marriage.
He confessed, “When HaHa got married, I was shocked. My best friends Cha Tae Hyun and Jang Hyuk are both married. Sometimes, they bring their wives and children when we get together. When that happens, Hong Kyung Min and myself feel so left out.”
He promised, “I will definitely get married before I turn 40.” The MC told him, “You don’t have that much time left“, because he turns 38 next year. The MC then stated to Kim Jong Kook to make an appeal to women on camera, and he immediately replied, “I’m a really great guy. First of all, I don’t drink or smoke. I’m an ambassador to prevent smoking. I don’t play around outside, and I always go home. I’m good to my parents, and I’m good at saving money.”
SHINee have released their Japanese single “The World Where You Exist“.
The song is the B-side track of their single album ‘1000 Years Always by Your Side…‘, which is also the name of their title song. “The World Where You Exist” is a ballad song fit for the wintertime that features the use of piano and percussion.
Check out the PV for “1000 Years Always by Your Side…” if you missed it, and listen to the B-side track below!
SNSD will soon come out with new material. It’s been fourteen months since they released the last album in Korea.
On December 11, some people in the music industry reported that SNSD are secretly working on their fourth album to be released in January next year.
They reported, “SNSD have been working on albums to be released in both Japan and Korea. They will most likely to release a new album in Korea early in January next year.”
According to them, SNSD will release a new album in Korea early next year. Since they released the third album, The Boys, in October last year, they haven’t released a new album in Korea.
In April, Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun released an EP, Twinkle, in the name of SNSD-Tae Ti Seo. However, it’s been fourteen months since the group released the last album in Korea. Because SNSD are one of the most popular girl groups in Korea, many people are looking forward to their new album.
SNSD are also mentioned as the next-generation artist to succeed Psy, whose song has been a worldwide hit. SNSD are nominated for the World Best Group at the 2012 World Music Awards, which will be held on December 20. SNSD’s new album release is expected to attract a lot of attention from people all over the world.
A spokesperson for SNSD says, “SNSD have almost finished working on their new album because they have already decided the lead track of the album. We haven’t decided when to release the album, yet. It’s also too early to talk about whether or not they will release a new album in overseas countries.”
SNSD are currently promoting their second album, SNSD 2 Girls and Peace, released in Japan on November 28.
Super Junior dominated the physical album sales for 2012.
Even though digital sales have been steadily taking over the physical album sales, this year many idols sold more than 100,000 physical copies of their albums. Even though the digital trend is still growing, more fans bought physical albums in 2012 as compared to recent years.
According to Hanteo, there are 8 groups who sold more than 100,000 physical albums from January 1, 2012, to December 9, 2012. In 2011, only 5 groups had sold more than 100,000 physical copies for the entire year, showing the increase of physical album sales in 2012. In 2009 and 2010, only 2 groups had sold more than 100,000 copies.
Super Junior is the king of album sales as the group has ranked at #1 on the physical album sales for 3 consecutive years. In 2010, they sold more than 130,000 copies of the A version of ‘Bonamana‘, and in 2011 sold more than 200,000 copies of the A version of ‘Mr. Simple‘, ranking #1 for both years. Super Junior came back in the latter half of the year with ‘Sexy, Free & Single‘ on July 4th, but sold 177,718 physical copies so far, ranking at #1 for the entire year. Not only so, but they sold a total of 357,633 physical albums this year, including the versions of all their past albums. Super Junior ranked #1 in the ’2012 Singer Award’ category.
Following in 2nd place was Big Bang with 156,382 copies of their mini album ‘Alive‘. G-Dragon himself sold 113,038 copies of ‘One of a Kind‘, ranking 7th. They ranked #2 in the ’2012 Singer Award’ category as well, selling a total of 271,544 physical albums this year.
TVXQ ranked 3rd overall with 152,112 copies of ‘Catch Me‘, and also ranked 3rd in the ’2012 Singer Award’ by selling 240,862 total albums. SHINee ranked 4th with ‘Sherlock‘, selling 138,810 copies. B2ST ranked 5th with ‘Midnight Sun‘ and sold 118,490 copies. INFINITE ranked 6th with 115,746 copies of ‘Infinitize‘, and Busker Busker ranked 8th with ‘Busker Busker: Spring Wind‘ selling 109,237 copies.
Even though EXO-K and Jay Park have not yet reached over 100,000 physical album sales they are running close in fast with 99,047 and 90,653 copies sold respectively. Four of the top 10 sellers are from SM Entertainment and 2 are from YG Entertainment, proving the power of the big companies. Additionally, the male idols were very popular in 2012 as evidenced by fact that the entire top 10 of physical album sales were by male idol artists.
All the numbers above are from just physical album sales (digital album sale figures are not included).
Hanteo TOP 10 as of December 9th
1. Super Junior – ‘Sexy, Free & Single’ – 177,718 copies (SM Entertainment)
2. Big Bang – ‘Alive’ – 156,382 copies (YG Entertainment)
3. TVXQ – ‘Catch Me’ – 152,112 copies (SM Entertainment)
4. SHINee – ‘Sherlock’ – 138,810 copies (SM Entertainment)
5. B2ST – ‘Midnight Sun’ – 118,490 copies (Cube Entertainment)
6. INFINITE – ‘Infinitize’ – 115,746 copies (Woollim Entertainment)
7. G-Dragon – ‘One Of A Kind’ – 113,038 copies (YG Entertainment)
8. Busker Busker – ‘Busker Busker: Spring Wind’ – 109,237 copies (CJ E&M)
9. EXO-K ‘MAMA’ – 99,047 copies (SM Entertainment)
10. Jay Park – ‘New Breed’ – 90,653 copies (SidusHQ)
CNBLUE‘s Yonghwa and rookie soloist Juniel snapped a photo backstage during their ‘Inkigayo‘ promotions.
Uploaded to the official CNBLUE Twitter account, Yonghwa and Juniel are posing casually with each other. As both hail from the same company – FNC Entertainment – their genuine friendship and senior-junior relationship can be seen in the photo.
“Everyone!” Yonghwa tweeted. “Meeting Juniel, not as an idiot, but as an emcee and an artist! It was fun emceeing for the first time in a while! Juniel fighting! Stupid~ I’m stupid~”
Yonghwa, along with B2ST’s Kikwang, made a special appearance on this week’s ‘Inkigayo’ as special MCs.
Kim Hyun Joong has revealed the full PV for his new Japanese track, “Save Today“!
The new track is a part of his upcoming album, “UNLIMITED“, which will be his first solo album release in Japan.
The album, to be released on December 12, will come in 3 different versions: Limited Edition A, Limited Edition B, and a Regular Edition. The Limited Edition A will include a DVD that contains the PV and making of “Your Story” while Limited Edition B will include a DVD that contains the PV and making of “Save Today“.
Check it out below!
Tip: jin
Actor Yoo Seung Ho and child actress Kim So Hyun recently took pictures together.
On December 7, MBC’s series Missing You posted a video on their official website of Kim visiting the set to record her lines.
In the video, Kim looks shy meeting Yoo for the first time. The director for the series says, “Take a picture with Yoo and show off at your school.”
Kim hesitates and Yoo says, “Goodbye. If you don’t want to take a picture you don’t have to. I’m embarrassed.” Kim says, “No, I will take a picture with you.”
Yoo and Kim finally posed for the camera and the beautiful actor and actress created a happy atmosphere on the set.
Soloist Eru has laid out his future activities on the December 8th edition of KBS‘ ‘Entertainment Relay‘.
During the interview segment, the singer was asked about his future activities, to which he responded by saying, “Following the conclusion of my year-end concert, I’ll be flying over to Indonesia to hold my first solo mini-concert.” In addition to Indonesia, it’s been revealed that Eru is scheduled to perform in countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Eru then left a short video message to his overseas fans, thanking them for their continuous support. “To my overseas fans. I believe it’s because of you guys that I’m able to return from Indonesia with good results, so I’m very thankful. I’ll work harder to become a better singer, so please watch over me.”
Back in November, Eru headed for Indonesia to begin his Indonesian promotions. He became the first Korean singer to perform on eight different Indonesian music programs.
Siwon revealed the present Kyuhyun gave him.
On December 8th, the Super Junior member tweeted, “Actually, I collect refrigerator magnets that represent each country or a city. Every time the ‘Radio Star‘ Kyuhyun goes overseas, he buys me magnets. When I’m tired because of overnight filming, these gifts are like sweet rain on dry land ^^“.
He included a photo of the present that Kyuhyun must have bought in Chile. A portion of the post-it message included in the photo with the magnet was covered, but the visible parts read, “To. Siyuan. It wasn’t there ㅠㅠ -Kyu-“.
Seems like the Super Junior members are always thinking of each other!
Source: Siwon’s Twitter
Actor Song Joong Ki received the Best Actor Award.
On December 8, the ’2012 K-Drama Star Awards’ was held at the DCC Convention Center in Daejeon, Korea.
Song appeared on stage and said, “First of all, I want to thank you for this honor.” His fans constantly shouted for him and Song made people laugh by saying, “Please let me talk.”
“I’m honored to received this prize. It’s ridiculous that I won considering all the other incredible nominees. It means a lot to me because Daejeon is my hometown.”
“Thank you for supporting my TV series Innocent Man. I think the people who love K-Dramas are the best. I’m honored thanks to the audience. I will become a better actor who is always modest and works hard,” he added.
Besides Song, Kim Sang Joong of The Chaser, Shin Ha Gyun of Brain, Ahn Jae Wook of Light and Shadow, and Han Seok Gyu of A Deep-rooted Tree were nominated for the Best Actor Award.
Singer Son Dam Bi and actor Lee Sang Yeop recently took an intimate picture.
On December 7, Son tweeted a picture with the short comment, “With Sang Yeop. He’s looking good.” In the picture, Son and Lee are intimately posing for the camera.
The two stars are making the V sign in front of a Christmas tree. Their bright smiling faces drew a lot of attention among the public.
Their sharp chins and clear cut features look alike. The picture made many people wonder how they become close friends.
JYJ’s Park Yoo Chun is capturing female fans’ hearts with his smiles.
On December 7, the production crew for MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You released pictures of Park with the caption, “Park Yoo Chun has three different smiles.”
The pictures feature Park playing the role of a charismatic detective named Han Jung Woo, who earned the nickname ‘Crazy Rabbit’ but is also very bright.
When Park gives a sweet smile, it puts even a fiery command from a senior detective in the shade. When Park is with his mother, he gives a childlike smile.
However, when he meets his first love Lee Soo Yeon (played by Yoon Eun Hye), who he met again 14 years later, he smiles with emotional eyes.
These three different smiles from Park captured the audience and made them fall in love with Park.
SS501′s Park Jung Min, who was very popular as an idol, is ready to become a musician. He is also ready to capture Asia as a Hallyu star.
He released his new EP Beautiful in Korea for the first time in twenty-two years. He produced his own EP for the first time because he wanted to be recognized as an artist rather than as an idol singer. He said, “I was worried about what the audience would think about my music but I also had great expectations.”
He added, “I wanted to show my real self to the fans. I’m thankful to be a member of SS501 but I’m trying to stand on my own feet. Please watch me as I become a musician.”
The concept for his music is based on a band. Refined acid pop song “Beautiful” and his other song, including acoustic sounds are very different from his old music that he performed when he was a member of SS501.
Since he is keeping busy in Asia, he tries to change his performance for each country. He showed off his bubbly appeal in China but he showed off his kind appeal in Korea. He likes to meet with his Japanese fans for a more specific plan.
He will hold a concert in Japan next year with two more concepts. “I’ve never had this kind of plan before. My fans are enjoying my two different appeals. It also made me broaden my music field.”
His overseas debut was a huge success. He ranked high on the Japanese Oricon chart and he will shoot a movie and TV series next year. His Taiwanese TV series also received positive results by receiving twenty percent of the audience rating.
Park is also planning to debut in Europe. He will hold his exclusive concert on December 18 and 19 in Tokyo, Japan and he will keep busy in Korea and overseas.
“I still remember when I first debuted but next year is my tenth anniversary. I want to become a senior singer that other people will be proud of,” he said.
Kim Hyun Joong aroused admiration with his look in a long-coat.
On December 7, Kim Hyun Joong’s agency, Key East, revealed the scene of the music video of his title song “Your Story” from his first official Japanese album, Unlimited that will be released on December 12.
In the picture, Kim is showing off his perfect body proportion as that of a character in a fantasy movie. In other picture where he is holding a microphone, he showed off his pretty face.
Before the release of his first official album, Kim received fervent response by revealing a teaser and preview of “Your Story” that has warm acoustic guitar sound. Expectations are on the rise as Kim is said to have maximized the sorrowfulness in the music video with his outstanding acting skills.
Kim Hyun Joong’s first official Japanese album, Unlimited that has 14 songs including the title song “Your Story” will be released on December 12.
Singer Lee Seung Gi ranked first place beating the world-renowned star, Psy.
On KBS’s Music Bank that was held at Yeouido KBS Public Hall on November 23, Lee Seung Gi beat Psy’s “Gangnam Style’ with his new song “Return.”
“Return” is the title song of his 5.5th album, Forest that was released on November 22. Lee’s sorrowful voice, repeating melodies of the chorus and heart-moving lyrics stand out.
The lyrics reminisce of past memories, “The end of that uncertain season / Did I really love you. Thoughts of you cross my mind all the time / The look of you that resembled the sun in spring.”
In spite of not appearing on any music shows after the release of his album on November 22, he ranked first place on Music Bank.
Psy, who beat SNSD and made a record by taking first place for ten consecutive weeks, stepped down and gave his place to Lee Seung Gi.
B2ST’s Yang Yo Seop will appear on a TV series.
According to broadcasting officials on December 6, Yang will make a cameo appearance on KBS’s weekend series My Daughter Seo Young.
Yang will play the role of a beloved star, who is very popular among the public. Kang Sung Jae (played by CNBLUE’s Lee Jung Shin), who wants to become an actor, and acting teacher Seo Eun Soo (played by Seol Hyun) will interact with Yang.
Even though he appears on the series for a little while, he did a great job performing with the other actors.
The episode, in which Yang appears, will air on December 8.
Many people wondered what Hyun Bin did on the first day after his discharge from the military service.
On December 7, a spokesperson for Hyun Bin said Hyun Bin went to his parents’ house immediately after his discharge on December 6 and said hello to his parents. He spent some time with his parents and had a party with people from his agency in the evening.
At the party, prepared by Hyun Bin’s agency, many people who have worked with Hyun Bin attended and celebrated his discharge.
The spokesperson also said, “It was a party to celebrate Hyun Bin’s discharge and to encourage him. Many people who have worked with him for a long time attended the party. They had a great time together.”
Hyun Bin was discharged from the military service on December 6. It’s been 21 months since he started his military service in March, 2011.
Despite the snow and the cold weather, around a thousand fans and a hundred reporters went to the headquarters Marine Corps to see Hyun Bin.
In a loud voice, Hyun Bin said hello and thank you to the fans and the reporters. He seemed deeply touched and even shed tears when he said he wanted to act so much. He said, “I now can start acting again, and I will show my appreciation for your support by fully preparing for my projects.”
Hyun Bin also visited all buses where his fans were on board and said thank you to them. A spokesperson for Hyun Bin said, “Hyun Bin wanted to say thank you to his fans personally because he knew that they had a hard time coming to see him.”
Super Junior‘s Leeteuk received the title of ‘The King of Shooting‘ in the army.
On December 5th, Leeteuk finished 5 weeks of basic training and he’s set to work on the musical ‘The Promise‘. During the basic training graduation ceremony at the training facility, Leeteuk stepped forward and commanded the entire group as the squadron leader. He was also awarded for receiving perfect marks in shooting, reportedly hitting every bullseye on target from start to finish at the shooting skills test.
Check out the video and pictures from his graduation!
[Images credited as tagged]
Brian Joo had just officially announced that he will be making a comeback next year. No details has been announced but this revelation sure had his fans spazzing in excitement! Others can’t help but be curious as the singer promised that his upcoming comeback is gonna be huge.
Source: @Brianjoomuzik|Twitter
Will JYJ’s Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye get back together on MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You?
On December 6, the production company for the series released pictures of Han Jung Woo (played by Park) missing Lee Soo Yeon (played by Yoon).
In the picture, Park is thinking of Yoon at the playground, where he met her for the first time when they were fifteen years old. They promised to become friends at the playground.
In another picture, Yoon is looking at Park from a distance with a complicated look on her face.
A spokesperson for the series says, “The pictures are from the tenth episode of the series, which will air today. The two characters will start over and the pictures represent their feelings.”
The playground scene also aired on December 5 as a preview and drew a lot of attention.
Super Junior‘s Yesung made a shocking hair transformation.
The idol posted to Twitter on December 6th, “The color pick that I like ~~ I feel like my hair has become warmer ^^. Yoo-hoot!” He also attached two photos of his brand new hot pink hair. Though Yesung has previously rocked a bleached-blond look as well as darker hair colors, this is the first time he’s gone for something so bright.
Fans commented, “OMG”, “You dyed your hair? All the oppas seem to like bright colors”, “I like pink too +_+. Oppa, I was shocked. It looks good on you”, and more.
What do you think of Yesung’s new hair color?
Super Junior’s Kibum will play a lead role in a Chinese drama series.
On December 6, SM Entertainment, Kibum’s agency, reported that Kibum was recently cast in a lead role in the new Chinese action drama series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Kibum plays the role of a prince who is kind and humble in the series.
The prince escapes from the palace in order to avoid learning martial arts that can kill others. However, he learns martial arts by chance and becomes a master of martial arts.
Kibum says, “I’m so honored to be part of a great drama series and play a nice role. It’s the first time for me to appear in a Chinese drama series, but I’m doing my best to portray my character perfectly through many times of conversation with the director.”
Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is written based on a martial arts novel of the same title. It’s about people with distinctive personalities trying to save their martial arts. The series will start airing in China at the end of next year.
The series is directed by Yan Jianmei and also stars Wallace Chung and Zhang Meng.
Actor Hyun Bin is coming back to us.
On December 6, Hyun Bin will be discharged from the military service at the headquarters Marine Corps.
As this will be the first time for Hyun Bin to appear in public after his discharge, lots of fans and reporters are expected to come to see him. Hyun Bin’s agency will place guards in order to protect Hyun Bin from a crowd of people.
Starting on March 7 in 2011, Hyun Bin did his military service for 21 months in the Marine Corps. He attracted a lot of attention by voluntarily joining the Marine Corps instead of the army at the time.
Having become highly popular with his drama series Secret Garden before he started his military service, he had received a lot of offer from advertising agencies, film productions, and drama productions even before his discharge.
Hyun Bin will say hello to people for about ten minutes and leave the place to spend time with his family.
You can become a handsome man by changing your hairstyle to one that better suits the shape of your face. Let’s look into some male celebrities’ hairstyles that can serve you as the best examples.
Lee Seung Gi creates a noble image with a neat hairstyle that isn’t overly stylish. Lee’s hair is long, but it’s just curly enough and doesn’t look too heavy. If you give a wavy perm to that hairstyle, you can make yourself look younger than you actually are. You can take care of this type of hair with hair gel or wax, leaving it natural-looking. It’s best to dry the hair with a dryer after washing it, but avoid damaging the hair roots.
If you want a stylish, urban look, take some tips from B2ST’s Ki Gwang and Big Bang’s T.O.P. T.O.P created a chic look by dyeing his hair grayish-gold and cutting his bangs asymmetrically. Ki Gwang achieved an urban look with medium-length black, tiered hair. This hairstyle looks three-dimensional with the sides short and the top wavy. The wavy top can be made using hair gel and wax. This type of hairstyle suitable for a variety of face shapes, including oval, round, square, and inverted triangle.
If you want to look manly, take a close look at the hairstyles of JYJ’s Yoo Chun and Big Bang’s T.O.P. Their hair is tiered and not too short. It’s important to cut the hair unevenly. This type of hairstyle fits a square face, an inverted-triangular face, a rectangular face, or a round face. Yoo Chun created a charismatic, manly look with short hair. T.O.P made his hair look light by cutting it unevenly. His grayish-brown hair makes him look exotic.
The Mohican style became popular after the world-famous soccer player David Beckham tried it. This style is also called “comb hair” because it resembles a rooster’s comb. In addition to Big Bang’s Taeyang and B2ST’s Jun Hyung, many male idol group members like that hairstyle. If the top part of the hair is not too long, it looks stylish, and if the sides are short, it gives a rebellious image.
CNBLUE‘s Yonghwa took over a Japanese OST chart with “You’ve Fallen for Me“.
Japan’s music site Dwango revealed that “You’ve Fallen for Me” ranked #1 for 2012 under the K-Pop OST ringtone category. 2nd place went to Jang Geun Suk for “Love Rain“, and 3rd place went to “Still” from ‘You’re Beautiful‘.
The drama, ‘You’ve Fallen for Me‘, features Yonghwa as the main character. The story line revolves around an arts university, incorporating dance, music, theater, and pop culture to draw out the romance and loyal friendships the young students form on campus. It aired on Fuji TV from July to November, gaining high popularity not only in Korea but also in Japan.
JYJ‘s Jaejoong proved his unchanging popularity in Japan.
Jaejoong’s DVD ‘Jaejoong in ‘Protect the Boss’ Special Making‘ ranked 3rd on the Oricon DVD Weekly Chart. The DVDs went on pre-sale back in July, and ranked at #1 for presales on HMV, Amazon, and Rakuten.
The DVD contains various videos from ‘Protect the Boss’, including an in depth look behind the filming set, Jaejoong practicing the script, and the press conference with Jaejoong’s narration.
A representative said, “This result was pleasantly surprising because Jaejoong hasn’t been active in Japan for nearly 3 years, and this is a making DVD rather than a new song or a concert DVD.”
Congratulations to Jaejoong.
Did Big Bang dress up at the ‘Angry Birds‘ characters at the ‘2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards‘?
A fan recently shared the above photo on an online community board. The fan noted that the Big Bang members were dressed in certain colors, and then noticed that they looked very similar to the birds from the popular mobile game, ‘Angry Birds’.
Seungri was dressed in white, T.O.P was dressed in pink, G-Dragon in red, Taeyang in yellow and black, and Daesung in all black. They were then matched up to the white, pink, red, yellow, and black birds from the game.
Upon seeing the photo, netizens commented, “They look more like the Power Rangers to me“, “It’s Angry Bang!“, and “They sort of do look like the birds…“.
Which outfit was your favorite?
Source: bnt News
TVXQ‘s Yunho has been cast in the new SBS drama, ‘Yawang / Queen of Ambition.’
According to the production studio, Yunho will appear with lead actors Kwon Sang Woo and Soo Ae. The script reading along with the filming schedule will be planned out shortly.
‘Queen of Ambition’ is based off of Park In Kwon’s comic, ‘Daemul – Yawang Jun.’ The story is about a woman named Yoon Na-ri (Soo Ae) who escapes extreme poverty to become the First Lady along with a man Choi Kang-chan (Kwon Sang Woo) who sacrifices everything for her through love, betrayal and greed.
‘Queen of Ambition’ will be led by the team that worked on ‘The Chaser,’ Jo Nam Kook and Jo Young Kwang. The writer for ‘Rooftop Prince,’ Lee Hee Myung will work on the script. The drama will air after the conclusion of ‘King of Dramas‘ and the first episode is scheduled to air in January 2013.
Yunho debuted in 2003 at the leader of TVXQ and this is not the first time he will be acting. Yunho appeared in the 2009 MBC drama, ‘Heading to the Ground‘ and also had a special appearance on KBS2TV‘s ‘Poseidon‘.
Super Junior‘s Leeteuk and Mighty Mouth‘s Sangchu have been recruited as workers in the National Defense Public Relations department.
Both Leeteuk and Sangchu were recruited first from the Ministry of Defense. The two did not formally participate in the auditions for the selection of the 4th round of National Defense Public Relations Workers, but were recruited directly from the Ministry of Defense.
Leeteuk will be leaving his original post on the 6th, and will be active as a National Defense Public Relations Worker. One of his new tasks will be working on the musical ‘The Promise‘ with Ji Hyun Woo and Kim Moo Yeol.
Super Junior has ranked #1 overall on Japan’s Tower Records ‘2012 K-Pop Top 20‘ chart. While 2PM charted #1 on the singles chart, and Girls’ Generation charted on top of the DVD chart.
Tower Records released a total of 31 charts on December 4th for the year of 2012, including genres such as K-Pop, Japanese music, Western music, and Classical music. The charts were calculated with data collected up to November 30th. Tower Records commented, “In 2012, K-pop advanced not only in Japan and other parts of Asia, but all across the globe. Concerts were held all over America and Europe, and the popularity of the artists’ has increased.”
The ‘K-Pop Top 20‘ lists Super Junior’s ‘Sexy, Free & Single‘ as #1, and then ranks Big Bang‘s ‘Alive‘ at #2, Girls’ Generation’s ‘Girls & Peace‘ at #3, KARA‘s ‘Super Girl‘ at #4, Girl’s Generation’s “The Boys” at #5, EXO-K‘s ‘MAMA‘ at #6, KARA’s ‘Girls Forever‘ at #7, T-ara‘s ‘Jewelry Box‘ at #8, SHINee‘s ‘Sherlock‘ at #9, TaeTiSeo‘s ‘Twinkle‘ at #10, Big Bang’s ‘Still Alive’ (Special Edition) at #11, G-Dragon‘s ‘One of a Kind‘ at #12, B2ST‘s ‘Midnight Sun‘ at #13, F.T. Island‘s ‘20‘ at #14, Super Junior’s ‘Mr. Simple‘ at #15, Girls’ Generation’s ‘Mr. Taxi‘ at #16, f(x)‘s ‘Electric Shock‘ at #17, XIA‘s ‘TARANTALLEGRA‘ at #18, CNBLUE‘s ‘Code Name Blue‘ at #19, and Jang Geun Suk‘s ‘Just Crazy‘ at #20.
On the K-Pop singles chart, 2PM took the top 2 spots with “Masquerade” and “Beautiful“, respectively. SHINee took #3 with “Dazzling Girl“, Kim Hyun Joong took #4 with “HEAT“, and SHINee’s Japanese version of “Sherlock” wrapped up the list at 5th place.
For the K-Pop DVD ranking, Girls’ Generation took #1 with ‘Girls’ Generation Complete Video Collection‘. KARA followed with ‘KARA Best Clips II & Shows‘ at #2, and then SHINee with ‘SHINee The 1st Concert in Japan “SHINee World”‘ at #3. Girls’ Generation had another in the top 5 as ‘Japan First Tour Girls’ Generation‘ ranked 4th, and 2PM finished the top 5 with ‘2PM Arena Tour 2011 “Republic of 2PM”‘.
Singer Lee Seung Gi has been staying on the top of music charts for the past two weeks with his newest track, “Looking Back“.
“Looking Back” has ranked 1st from November 26 to December 3 on Monkey 3‘s weekly charts. “The Words I Love You” from the same album is ranking 3rd, while “Forest” is part of the top 10. “Looking Back” is an emotional song that Lee Seung Gi collaborated on with Epitome Project about wanting to return to past days.
Others on the chart include B2ST‘s Yoseob at 4th with his debut solo song “Caffeine“, Juniel‘s “Bad Man” at 5th, and Lee Hi‘s “Scarecrow” at 6th.
Check out the MV below.
JYJ‘s Junsu expressed his love of soccer.
On the 3rd, Junsu tweeted: “It’s been one day since I’ve been in Germany. I played soccer today too. Even though it’s snowing, the snow hits my face, and my body freezes, what can I do when I like it. What’s snow again? Even if there was rain and wind or a storm hit, I’d still play soccer.” The JYJ member recently wrapped up his world tour in Germany, and it seems he put time aside to play his favorite sport.
Fans commented, “It looks like it was really cold. I’m impressed”, “No matter how much you like soccer, be careful!”, “Your singing and soccer skills are the best!”, and more.
2NE1 will be releasing a ‘live CD’ including live versions of their songs from their concert ‘New Evolution in Seoul‘ today (December 4th)!
Starting this past summer, 2NE1 had their first global tour ‘New Evolution’ and captivated their devoted fans around the world. Those who have worked with famous artists Michael Jackson, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga also worked on this concert, further upgrading the performances.
2NE1′s global tour kicked off with back to back concerts in Seoul on July 28th and 29th, 2012, and touched fans with their unrivaled powerful stage and sound. It is from this concert that the new live CD has been recorded.
Divinity Roxx, who was the sound director as well as bassist for Beyonce’s world tour, participated in 2NE1′s concert as well. And so, a new band sound can be heard for 2NE1′s hit tracks like ‘Fire‘, ‘I Don’t Care‘, ‘Can’t Nobody‘, ‘I Am the Best‘, ‘I Love You‘, and more on this new live CD.
The 2NE1 live CD ‘New Evolution in Seoul’ will be released offline as well as online through YG Music and iTunes on December 4th. There is also a planned DVD release featuring their heart stopping live performances coming up at a later date.
Hyun Min (played by Super Junior’s Siwon) finally swims in the ocean.
The scene of Hyun Min swimming in the ocean will come out in the next episode of SBS TV’s drama series The King of Dramas.
Hyun Min refuses to shoot the scene and asks writer Go Eun (played by Jung Ryeo Won) to revise the part. However, he eventually shoots the scene.
The Morning in Kyungsung is produced by Anthony (played by Kim Myung Min). Hyun Min and Min Ah (played by Oh Ji Eun) strike sparks off each other, and Kenji (played by Jang Hyun Sung), the son of investor Watanabe (Jeon Moo Song), tries to retrieve the investment at first, but it gets finally produced.
Hyun Min is forced to shoot the swimming scene in the series, but Siwon actually shot the scene gladly.
Siwon recently shot the scene near the beach in Gangwondo. The temperature was below zero, and it was very windy. Siwon asked the crew to take a picture of him in the ocean and said, “Please show this picture to writer Jang Hang Joon.”
The King of Dramas is about a producer, a writer, and a top celebrity struggling to make a drama series. It stars Kim Myung Min, Jung Ryeo Won, and Siwon.
Actor Song Joong Ki will appear on KBS’s Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook.
On December 3, a senior official of KBS said, “Song decided to appear on a special episode of the show for the end of the year. He will record the show on December 11.”
The official added, “I heard that Song is in Hong Kong right now. We have to discuss the concept for the show with him after he arrives in Korea.”
Top vocalists Jung Jae Hyung, Lucid Fall, John Park, and Sung Si Kyung appeared on last year’s special episode.
Park appeared on the stage in a spotted dog costume and Sung appeared dressed up as a character from Avatar and surprised the entire crew and the audience.
Song attended the ’2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards,’ which was held on November 30 in Hong Kong as a presenter.
Nell has released the latest single album ‘Holding Onto Gravity‘. The album contains four tracks: 1. “Coin Seller“, 2. “White Night“, 3. “Holding Onto Gravity“, and 4. “Blue“.
This is the start of the Nell’s “Gravity Trilogy” of albums that will include ‘Holding Onto Gravity’, another single album, and one regular album.
After teasing fans with several MV previews, the group has also finally revealed the full music video for title track “White Night” through Woollim Entertainment‘s official YouTube channel. The mv features a frosted setting crossed with flashback scenes and scenes of the group performing.
According to Woolim the “Guitar, base, piano and drum are combined to make an electronic beat of the band sound. Piercing through these melodies, the string music comes in and makes a beautiful artwork together“.
Watch the MV below and tell us what you think.
The group also released a CSI (Coming Soon Interview) with their thoughts on the recent comeback with English subtitles.
Coin Seller
Holding Onto Gravity
Blue
It’s a rap-line battle on today’s WWIB! Big Bang‘s G-Dragon wore this all-gold outfit to the launch of his Ambush collaboration on September 20. He wore a necklace from his line, pair of colorful sneakers, dark sunglasses, and styled his pink and blue hair into a windswept puff.
On September 28, T.O.P wore gold pants to a press conference for Big Bang’s Alive Galaxy Tour, along with this shirt by 8seconds (also seen here on SHINee‘s Taemin and F.T. Island‘s Hongki), a dark blazer, and sunglasses.
On November 26, Block B‘s Zico wore gold pants to perform at the 2012 AIDS Prevention Campaign Concert. Unlike the other two, his pants are only gold on the front. He also wore a long, fur coat, gold jewelry, and black, mid-calf boots.
I know it’s a tough choice, but who wore it better? Cast your vote in the poll, and be sure to tell us why you voted that way in the comments!
Actor and ‘1 Night 2 Days‘ cast member Cha Tae Hyun revealed his baby daughter, Tae Eun, on the latest episode of the travel variety program.
Along with guests Yoo Hee Yeol, Yoon Jong Shin, and Yoon Sang, the ’1N2D’ cast members put on a music festival at an island village.
Before embarking on their latest voyage, the actor filmed himself at his house practicing music with his daughter. Smiling brightly at the camera, the similarities could definitely be seen between father and daughter, down to the bright smiles and cheerful personalities.
Big Bang’s T.O.P overwhelmed the stage with his look.
On 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards that was broadcast live on November 30 at 7:00 p.m at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, Big Bang gave a fancy performance with the theme, ‘Monster in Me.’
This day, T.O.P surprised the audience and revealed charisma by wearing different color lenses in his eyes. His low voice and sexy gaze fluttered many women’s hearts.
Netizens commented: “My eyes were glad.” “My heart fluttered when T.O.P came up the screen.” “Big Bang was awesome!” “T.O.P is so sexy.”
Big Bang received two prizes: Best Male Group and Artist of the Year award on MAMA.
SBS‘ ‘King of Dramas‘ Jang Hang Joon PD recently shocked viewers by revealing that Choi Siwon‘s character, Kang Hyun Min, is based on real-life stars.
Jang Hang Joon PD revealed, “I can’t point to one person and say it’s them. But Kang Hyun Min’s character is based on the characters of a couple real-life people. The entertainment industry has a variety of actors. Among them there are stars who are stiff necked and actors who are not that wise. Kang Hyun Min is a character made up of a mix of these personalities.”
During a recent press conference for the drama, Choi Siwon was asked whether there is a Super Junior member closest to his character to which he replied, “In real-life, none of the members are like that. Everyone is sensitive and kind.”
What actors or idols do you suspect of having this kind of personality?
Lee Seung Gi had a playful exchange with Yoo Hee Yeol.
Lee Seung Gi appeared on the December 1st broadcast of KBS2TV‘s ‘Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook‘. During the interview portion he stated, “I want to meet Kim Dong Ryul,” which surprised the host. Yoo Hee Yeol and Kim Dong Ryul are known to be close friends and Yoo Hee Yeol gets really jealous when people tell him that they like Kim Dong Ryul, Lee Juk, or Jung Jae Hyung.
Yoo Hee Yeol said to Lee Seung Gi, “You must like cows,” as he playfully got mad at him. Lee Seung Gi replied, “I like his music and lyrics and he has an aura about him that I think guys are envious of.”
Lee Seung Gi wanted Yoo Hee Yeol to feel better so he tried to sweet talk him a bit but it was not easy. Yoo Hee Yeol said, “Who am I talking to right now,” and jokingly scolded him bringing laughter from the audience.
Check out Lee Seung Gi’s performances below!
Epik High’s Tablo has recently revealed a photo taken with Song Joong Ki.
On December 1, the singer tweeted the photo with the comment “The mind of a young boy + A Werewolf Boy. We be chillin.”
Tablo in the photo has participated in the 2012 M.net Asian Music Awards, a.k.a. MAMA, held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on November 30 at 7:00 p.m. With a big smile, he is friendly posing with Song Joong Ki who presented awards to the winners.
Netizens who saw the posting reacted: “What the heck is the mind of a young boy?” “They are adorable.” “Song Joong Ki seems to have a big face in this picture.” “I need the picture with better quality.” “I really liked the Joker makeup at MAMA.” “Because he looks very young for his age, he really looks like a young boy.”
Epik High received the Best Rapper Performance Award at MAMA.
Singer Kim Jong Kook shared a story about a time he was humiliated because of his small eyes.
On SBS E! ‘TV Cultwo Show‘ a woman caller called in and said, “I have a son in elementary school and whenever he watches SBS’s ‘Running Man‘ he thinks Kim Jong Kook is running around with his eyes closed,” embarrassing the mosquito voiced singer.
But Kim Jong Kook was not flustered and revealed an instance that he had faced a bit of humiliation due to his eyes. “One time I was on an airplane and got in a comfortable position and was watching the screen. But because of my eyes, the flight attendant must have thought that I was asleep because she walked by and turned off my screen. I was a little surprised but I thought she might feel embarrassed about it [if she knew] so I just pretended to be sleeping,” he revealed.
JYJ‘s Yoochun was recently revealed to have been greeted by over 1,000 Japanese fans on the set of his MBC drama, ‘I Miss You‘.
It has been revealed that over 1,000 Japanese fans visited the drama set to see Yoochun in action on the 1st, and Yoochun will hold a fan meeting with them on December 2nd.
C-JeS Entertainment commented, “We thank the overseas fans who always give their love and support.”
Catch Yoochun and co-star Yoon Eun Hye in ‘I Miss You’ every Wednesday & Thursday at 9:55PM KST!
Last month, JYJ‘s Jaejoong deleted his @mjjeje Twitter account.
Fans were quite saddened as this was a way that they could keep up with the singer. However, it seems Jaejoong has returned to the world of Twitter with a new account.
On December 1st, JYJ’s Junsu began following the @bornfreeonekiss Twitter account, he also wrote:
@bornfreeonekiss yo!!!!!!!!!
— 김준수 (@1215thexiahtic) December 1, 2012
Jaejoong added a few photos and he’s quickly gaining a lot of followers as word spreads that he has a new account.
Source: @bornfreeonekiss
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Super Junior expressed their longing for leader Leeteuk.
The group attended the press conference after the ‘Mnet Asian Music Awards 2012‘, where they won the Best Album Award and the Global Group Award.
At the press conference, Kangin said, “I know hyung watched us from the army. He must have been very happy, and also sad that he couldn’t stand on the same stage with us. Super Junior is the best when we’re complete, so he must have been the most disappointed that he couldn’t be here with us.”
He added, “MAMA was live, so we couldn’t say everything we wanted to say to Teukie hyung. He was always there for us, so none of us ever imagined him not being here. Now that we’re promoting without him, we really miss him.“
Jang Geun Suk attracted a total of 163,000 fans for his Asian Tour, ‘The Cri Show 2‘.
The tour started back in July and went through 9 different cities, including Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Shanghai, and Taipei. The final date of the concert tour occurred on the 29th at Saitama, 5 months after his starting date. He had a total number of 16 concerts during the 5 month period.
Each concert was about 3 hours long, and he sang more than 19 songs to the delight of his many fans. His label said, “Jang Geun Suk became the producer for this year’s tour. It’s a musical-type of concert where both stories and videos were incorporated.”
Jang Geun Suk commented, “I want to sincerely thank all my fans for supporting me for half a year. This is not the end, but a new beginning“.
It has been reported that Song Joong Ki and YG Entertainment will be in the spotlight during 2013.
On November 29th, there was a vote at the D-Cube Art Center in Seoul for who people think will be ‘The First Brand in Korea for 2013‘. Song Joong Ki and YG Entertainment got the top votes.
This voting takes place every year, and people are asked who they think will be leading the entertainment side of Korea in 2013. About 700 people gathered for the vote this time around.
People who chose Song Joong Ki commented that it is not just because he is good looking, but also because they think that he will be one of the top actors in the next year and are looking forward to his performances. Song Joong Ki was most recently seen in KBS2′s ‘Nice Guy‘ as well as the hit movie ‘Wolf Boy‘ and is receiving a lot of love.
Those who chose YG Entertainment mentioned Psy‘s “Gangnam Style“, which took the world by storm and also ranked #2 on the Billboard charts and received over 700 million views on YouTube. Also, the agency is home to top acts like Big Bang and 2NE1.
On November 27th, Yang Hyun Suk and company was listed by KOSDAQ at a net worth of about $200 million dollars, which is the top for any agency in the entertainment business.
Song Joong Ki and YG Entertainment will attend an award ceremony on January 22nd at the Hyatt Hotel in Seoul to receive an award for the ’2013 Spotlight Brand’.
Others who will receive a special award include Samsung Electronics, Kakao Talk, and Uniqlo Heat Track.
Super Junior’s Siwon expressed his sense of frustration at not being able to attend Mnet’s ceremony, MAMA due to the shooting of a series.
On the afternoon of November 30, Siwon uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “I couldn’t attend the ceremony but I’m watching, MAMA.”
Sitting in a car, Siwon is pointing at the camera with a DMB in his hand.
Netizens commented: “It’s so sad.” “Well, you have other things to do…” “It’s so good to see that you care for each other.”
Currently, Siwon is playing the role of Kang Hyun Min on SBS’s King of Drama.
The Best Male Group Award of MAMA went to Big Bang this year.
On November 30 at 7:00 p.m., 2012 M.net Asian Music Awards a.k.a. 2012 MAMA was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The Best Male Group Award which presents a group with greatest achievement of the year went to the “idol” group Big Bang.
Since 1999, M.net has been holding MAMA over ten years now, and it is known as the the biggest annual music awards ceremony of the broadcasting system.
This year, Psy who has aroused a syndrome around the world made appearance alogn with other leading K-pop stars such as Super Junior, Big Bang, Sistar, Park Jin Young, Epik High, and Dynamic Duo. Also, famous celebrity of Great China Region, Wang Leehom, and pop stars B.o.B and Adam Lambert appeared.
2012 MAMA broadcasts live in 16 different countries including Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the U.S. and Australia. It will be recorded and aired in 69 more countries such as France, Finland, Greece, and in the Middle East.
TVXQ will perform live on December 3.
On November 30, TVXQ’s agency reported, “TVXQ will meet their fans through Naver Music On-air with their new song, ‘Humanoids.’ In celebration of the release of the repackaged album, Humanoids, they’ll perform the song live on December 3 at 9:00 p.m.”
TVXQ will hold a special event along with the live performance. They’ll also have a talk time with their fans.
TVXQ will perform on KBS 2TV’s Music Bank on November 30, MBC TV’s Show! Music Core on December 1, and SBS TV’s Inkigayo on December 2.
TVXQ will soon come out with a new song, “Humanoids.”
JYJ‘s Junsu discussed his thoughts on the ending of the legal battle with SM Entertainment.
Junsu took part in a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Essen, Germany to mark the ending of his 1st World Tour. He said, “The legal battle lasted for 3 years and 4 months. To be honest, it should have ended earlier… But at the same time I also feel that the results came out suddenly. Having had a hard time for 3 years and 4 months, I felt like that time was not spent in vain… I heard the news when I was leaving for Germany, so I actually don’t know all the details of the settlement.”
He continued, “Because of that, it’s hard to say too much on this. The important thing is that we were able to obtain good results. I haven’t talked to the members yet, but I want to when I get back to Korea.”
When asked about what JYJ has been able to gain from the settlement, he responded, “I’m happy not because we achieved what JYJ or we wanted to achieve, but because we might have helped our hoobaes. I think we helped in making the environment better for our hoobaes. Contracts of 13, 10 years have been changed to basic contracts, and even that alone was consolation during our lonely legal battle. It’s what kept us going.”
On the issue of appearing on variety shows, he said carefully, “If this type of result allows for us to appear on broadcast, then it should have been possible three years ago when we first filed (to become independent).” He added, “I don’t know if it will be possible for us to appear on variety shows through this result. We always dream about it, but I want to ask all you reporters, do you think we can?“
One unfortunate result of the lawsuit was that there will probably never be a 5-membered TVXQ. On that subject, he said, “A lot of time passed, but one unfortunate fact is that we can no longer have activities under the TVXQ name. We wanted to fight against the company’s unfairness, it wasn’t that we wanted to leave TVXQ. It just had to happen. It’s regretful and saddening. I feel sorry to the fans, but the title of TVXQ will remain forever. But realistically, it’s going to be difficult to promote as TVXQ again.”
Source: Newsen
Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk and actors Kim Moo Yeol and Ji Hyun Woo, who are currently serving in the army, will appear in a musical together.
According to several broadcasting officials on November 29, the three stars will appear on the musical The Promise, which was created by the Ministry of National Defense.
Besides the three stars, entertainers, who are serving in the military, will join together for the musical. The Ministry of National Defense will make an official announcement as soon as the the details are confirmed.
The musical will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. It is based on real people such as general Baek Sun Yeop and war correspondent Marguerite Higgins.
The musical will be played in January, 2013 at the National Theater of Korea.
Lee Seung Gi recently topped a download chart and defeated Roy Kim, winner of Super Star K 4.
Officially recognized music chart Gaon released the first week of December download chart on November 29. According to the chart, Lee’s new title song “Return” from his new EP Forest ranked first by scoring 420,958 downloads.
His another songs “Forest” ranked eighth (194,746 downloads) and “Words That Say I Love You” ranked twelfth (167,686 downloads).
Roy Kim, who won first place on Super Star K 4, ranked second with his song “October Rain” by scoring 335,629 downloads.
Hot rookie singer Lee Hi ranked third with her new song “Scarecrow” and showed off her power. The song has scored 321,264 downloads. Her official debut song “1, 2, 3, 4″ also ranked seventh by scoring 195,823 downloads.
Another solo Juniel ranked fourth with her song “Bad Man” by scoring 289,749 downloads.
A spokesperson for the chart says, “There is no idol group in the Top 10 list. Except the songs from Super Stark K 4, all songs are sang by solo artists.”
Infinite’s Kim Sung Kyu ranked first with his solo EP Another Me on Week Chart. B1A4′s new EP In The Wind ranked second and Lee Seung Gi’s Forest ranked third.
Jung Woo (played by JYJ’s Yoo Chun) notices the real identity of Joy (played by Yoon Eun Hye).
In the seventh episode of MBC TV’s drama series Missing You, which aired on November 28, Jung Woo traces the person who killed Sang Deuk (played by Park Seon Woo).
Having traced Sang Deuk’s whereabouts after being released from prison, Jung Woo finds out that Sang Deuk was hit by the car of Hyung Jun (played by Yoo Seung Ho) and there was Joy next to him through a surveillance camera. Seeing Joy getting frightened as Sang Deuk approaches to her, Jung Woo notices that Joy is Soo Yeon (played by Yoon Eun Hye).
At this, Jung Woo makes an approach to Soo Yeon. Holding a yellow umbrella, which has unforgettable memories for both of them, he says to her, “I’m late. I heard it would rain today.”
Soo Yeon says, “Harry is coming soon. We’re going to get engaged,” but Jung Woo says, “I heard you’re not. You said you can’t lie but you just did.” He also says, “I’m not interested in becoming your secret friend. Why don’t we date secretly?”
Missing You is a love story about a man and a woman who live with painful memories about their first love. They miss each other and realize that they have loved each other for a long time.
Nell has released the teaser for the drama version of “Holding Onto Gravity“.
After releasing a 30-second teaser earlier, the group has released another teaser through Woollim Entertainment‘s official YouTube channel. The new teaser features a frosted setting, along with a woman who seem to be reminiscing about her love from before. The line at the end is the same as their previous teaser and states, “I need you“.
“Holding Onto Gravity” will be released on December 3rd, but in the meantime, check out the MV teaser below!
The ‘19th Acting Prize of Republic Korea‘ award ceremony was held on November 28th at the Gyeonggido Bundang Seongnam Art Center.
For the singers, Super Junior and f(x) received the ‘Group Singer Award‘ while Huh Gak and Byul received the ‘Ballad Singer Award‘. Donghae and Yesung were present from Super Junior to receive the award, and f(x)’s Victoria, Amber, and Krystal stood on stage to accept for the group.
EXO-K and Juniel received the ‘Rookie Singer Award‘.
For the radio and TV programs, KBS‘ ‘Hello‘ received the ‘Best Variety Program Award‘, and SBS‘ ‘Healing Camp‘ was awarded the ‘Best Program Award‘. The ‘Radio DJ Award‘ went to Kan Mi Yeon for her ‘Kan Mi Yeon’s Best Friend‘ and Jo Eun Hyung for his ‘Gayo World‘. The ‘TV MC Award‘ was given to Nam Hee Suk and Lee Young Ja.
There were other awards given to senior singers, song editors and producers, choreographers, ballerinas, and other entertainment fields.
Check out some of the photos below!
[Images credited as tagged]
The conflict between SM Entertainment and JYJ over their exclusive contract has recently been ended. It’s been three years and four months since they started the dispute.
On November 28, it was reported that SM Entertainment and JYJ recently decided to terminate their contract as from July 31 in 2009.
They also decided to withdraw all suits filed against each other and came to an agreement that they won’t interfere in each other’s work. JYJ can now work free from interference of SM Entertainment.
TVXQ now consists of only two members, Yunho and Changmin. Jun Su, Jae Joong, and Yoo Chun are now members of JYJ, which was formed in September 2010. Both TVXQ and JYJ are popular in and out of the country.
As SM Entertainment and JYJ came to an agreement, there’s no possibility for the five members to get together again. TVXQ and JYJ are now free from the dispute.
Debuting in 2004 as members of TVXQ, Jun Su, Jae Joong, and Yoo Chun submitted an application for provisional disposition to terminate the validity of their contract with SM on July 31 in 2009. They formed a new group JYJ in September 2010 and have been embroiled in a legal battle against SM Entertainment.
B2ST member Yoseob‘s previously revealed his debut solo album ‘The First Collage‘, and now has followed up with the much anticipated music video for his title track!
As mentioned earlier, his solo album contains five songs including: “Look At Me Now“, “Caffeine“(title track), “Just Do As You Always Did“, “Even Then, I“, and “You Don’t Know“. The album is said to have been produced by fellow B2ST member Junhyung.
The music video showcases a Yoseob like you haven’t seen before, so check it out below!
The legal battle between JYJ and SM Entertainment has finally come to an end!
After what seems like forever, the two sides are reported to have come to a mutual agreement on the 28th.
It is said that SM Entertainment and JYJ have both withdrawn all lawsuits against one another, and have agreed to not interfere with any of each other’s activities.
The long drawn out fight was started back in July 31st, 2009 when the initial lawsuit was filed against SM Entertainment by the three members of JYJ, who were part of TVXQ, requesting for the cancellation of their contracts. Since then, the two sides failed to reach an agreement every time and was due back in court again later this year.
It seems the legal battle is now over, and both sides, especially JYJ, can work towards moving forward free of the legal issues that had been holding them back.
Source: Hankooki, Asia Today
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
‘Wolf Boy‘ will be re-released with a new ending in December.
CJ Entertainment revealed, “A Director’s Cut of ‘Wolf Boy’ with a newly edited ending will be re-released in December.” The new version will add 2 minutes onto the original movie, and its running time will increase to 127 minutes. After fans requested to see the unrevealed ending, CJ Entertainment decided to release the movie again with a new ending to comply with the requests those who have shown the movie so much love.
However, not everyone is happy about the news as some commented, “I have to pay for the entire movie again to see 2 minutes?“, “If the movie got so much love, shouldn’t you respond by releasing the 2 minutes for free…“, and “Even the Hollywood hit ‘I Am Legend‘ released 10 minutes of the Director’s Cut ending for free, so what is this?“.
What do you think about the decision?
Big Bang‘s Peruvian fans donated rice to commemorate the groups recent visit and holding a concert in their country.
Peruvian fans had donated 524 kg (approximately 1155 lbs) of rice, and donated the rice to care centers, women protection centers, and children protection centers in Big Bang’s name.
The Peru stop of Big Bang’s ‘Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour 2012‘ marked the first time that the idol group had held a concert in the country. The fans response as a result was incredible, and even the media followed Big Bang, broadcasting not only their airport arrival, but the hotel they stayed at.
One Way‘s Peter revealed that Super Junior‘s Donghae and Eunhyuk will be releasing a new song soon!
On the 25th, Peter tweeted,
New song for @donghae861015 and @allrisesilver produced by Peter & Young Sky of Team Onesound coming real soon. U thought Oppa Oppa was good
— Peter(Team Onesound) (@onewaypeter) November 26, 2012
Donghae and Eunhyuk had made a hit with “Oppa, Oppa“, a track also produced by Peter and Young Sky. As Team Onesound will be producing the song again, fans are highly anticipating another hit for Donghae and Eunhyuk.
Are you looking forward to the song?
Source: Peter’s Twitter
After alerting fans on their comeback with a mysterious teaser photo, Nell has now unleashed the music video teaser for “Holding Onto Gravity“.
Released through Woollim Entertaniment‘s official Youtube channel, the 30-second teaser begins with a piano sitting in an empty hallway and shows the band performing while they’re being covered with snow. The lyrics at the end simply state, “I need you.”
“Holding Onto Gravity” will be released on December 3rd, but in the meantime, check out the MV teaser below!
Tip: Grace
On November 24th, talented vocal group 4men successfully held their first overseas showcase at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The trio met with Indonesian fans and performed a series of their hit tracks like “I Can’t“, “Once While Living“, “Baby Baby“, “Reason“, and “I Couldn’t“, captivating fans with their perfect harmonization.
In addition to their mini-concert, 4men held a photo and autograph session, as well as various other events for fans who attended the showcase.
Member Shin Yong Jae expressed, “This is our first time in Indonesia, so we’re very thankful for receiving such a warm welcome. With the showcase in Indonesia as a start, we look forward to our activities throughout areas in Southeast Asia.”
Meanwhile, 4men will be holding their year-end concert on December 21st at the Mary Hall in Sogang University.
It was only a matter of time, and we’re happy this happened on a slow news day over the weekend: Psy’s viral music video hit “Gangnam Style” just passed Justin Bieber’s “Baby” to become the most popular video in the history of YouTube. The video has now been watched over 805 million times.
The video made its YouTube debut on July 15 and currently has over 5.3 million likes and about 320,000 dislikes. Bieber’s “Baby” – which had a nice run at the top of YouTube’s charts since its debut in February 2010 – only has about 1.4 million likes and a whopping 3.2 million dislikes. At least Bieber’s corporate parents won’t be too unhappy about this development: since September, Psy and Bieber work for the same music label.
Thanks to Psy’s (and his management’s) relatively hands-off approach to fan-made remakes and parodies, the song itself has likely been heard quite a bit more often on YouTube. According to one metric, these fan remakes have garnered over 220 million views. The first live performance of the song on Korean TV also has a full 152 million views.
With the exception of “Charlie bit my finger – again,” every single video in the YouTube top 30 is now a music video and sadly, this list also includes the “Tootin’ Bathtub Baby Cousins” with 251 million views and “The Gummy Bear Song” with 265 million views. We’ll leave it up to future anthropologists to decide what this all means…
On November 25th (KST), U-KISS member Kevin celebrated his 21st birthday (22 in Korea).
Kevin took the time to post a thank you message to Kiss Me‘s, writing,
Thank you Kiss Me for all of the birthday wishes! I am truly blessed to have such wonderful fans around the world. I love you guys ♥
— Kevin ★ 유키스 케빈 ★ ケビン (@Kevinwoo91) November 24, 2012
Kevin also retweeted a photo of the cake taken by fellow member Kiseop.
Happy Birthday to Kevin!
Source: Kevin’s Twitter
Super Junior‘s Leeteuk sent a handwritten letter to his fans.
On November 23rd, a letter that he hand wrote to his fans was uploaded onto the official Super Junior board.
In the letter, he wrote,
To. My lovely Fans! My everything is in the ELF’s two eyes…
I’m Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk!! Ah… I’m the 85th recruit, Park Jung Soo right now!! How are all of you? I’ve gone past Euijungboo and I’m now at the White Horse RTC (Recruit Training center) and having a good time with fellow soldiers that are 10, 11 years younger than me!
I’ve gone from being Super Junior’s leader to now being the leader in my squadron as a recruit. Even here, I’m feeling a lot of popularity. ^^
Before I came here, I was really nervous and scared, but now that I’m actually here I’ve realized that it’s really nothing compared to what I did before. ^^
Thank you so much for the hand written letters and the internet letters! I read every letter clearly here and sometimes I even tear up. Thank you.
I’m just always thankful. I had the most people come when I enlisted? You’re really the best!! I was supposed to take care of our 7th anniversary and the college entrance exams, so I’m sorry. As I work here, do you know that I miss you even more? I miss being on the World Tour with the other members and seeing the blue glowsticks and hearing all the cheers.
Ah! The DVD that we released in Japan was 1st! And ‘Boys in City‘ and there are a lot of other things that you can see me in, so please look forward to it!! I hope everyone can smile brightly through the end of the year awards and conclude everything nicely! I miss, miss, miss you and I really really really really really want to see you guys…. You all have to be happy and healthy! There is a saying that goes, ‘You don’t laugh because you’re happy, but you’re happy because you laugh. So everyone, take care of yourself!!
ELF!! I love you…
From leader Teuk!! ^^
His letter touched the hearts of fans who were already missing him after his enlistment. Are you missing him yet?
Source: Super Junior’s Official Board
INFINITE‘s Sunggyu has released his debut solo album, ‘Another Me‘!
The talented leader has built a ton of anticipation towards his solo debut with the previous release of various teasers and his pre-release song, “Shine“.
Sunggyu finally took to the stage to debut with his title track, “60 Seconds“.
Check out the charming performance below!
Hot news during last 12 hours. This will help catch up what happened during the night.
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Lee Seung Gi recently topped the charts with his new song.
On November 22 at noon, Lee released a new album, Forest. “Turning Back,” the lead track of the album, is currently topping such major charts as Melon, Mnet, Olleh Music, Bugs, Soribada, Naver Music, Daum Music, and Cyworld Music as of 9:00 a.m. on November 23. “Words Of Love,” another track of the album, ranked first on Monkey 3.
“Turning Back” has topped the charts for two days, proving Lee’s popularity as a singer.
The song is written by Epitone Project, an independent band popular for their relaxing songs. It’s characterized by Lee’s mature voice, poetic lyrics, and an emotive melody.
Lee Hi ranked second on the charts with her new song, “Scarecrow.”
Singer Lee Seung Gi has immediately dominated the music charts with the release of his newest track “Looking Back“.
Lee Seung Gi has shown his incredible popularity by immediately ranking first on MelOn, Mnet, and Bugs.
The song’s steady rhythm, beautiful lyrics, and Lee Seung Gi’s voice created perfect harmony that it was greatly enjoyed by listeners instantly.
This song is included in his 5.5 mini album and pictures taken were in the form of a photo essay, which showed his mature and masculine side.
For his promotional activities, Lee Seung Gi is planning on focusing more on concerts rather than broadcasting activities. He will be having a concert from December 1st and 2nd at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Stadium.
JYJ‘s Jaejoong recently revealed how he broke up with his girlfriend of 4 years to pursue his dream of becoming a singer.
During an interview with Star Today for his upcoming movie ‘Code Name Jackal‘, Jaejoong stated, “Most singers have to endure hardships during their trainee days. I had difficulties during my trainee days too. I broke up with the person I was dating because I was having such a hard time.”
Jaejoong’s character in the movie is a top star who broke up with his girlfriend during his days of being a nobody. Jaejoong revealed he went through a similar situation back when he was younger. He explained, “When I was younger I broke up with my girlfriend of 4 years in order to come to Seoul and pursue my dreams. After I made my debut with TVXQ I contacted her. However, she told me we shouldn’t contact each other anymore.”
He continued with, “I wanted to stay friends with her but I think she wasn’t able to do that. As an important figure in my past, she will always be in my memories.”
As for his bizarre role in the movie, Jaejoong stated, “I do not feel pressured [about acting it out]. I am very thankful because this piece opened a new path into the big screen world. I now want to try different movies.”
‘Code Name Jackal’ was released on November 15. Check out the trailer below!
JYJ‘s Junsu will be holding a special year-end concert this year titled ‘2012 XIA Ballad&Musical Concert with Orchestra‘.
On November 22nd, C-JeS Entertainment revealed, “Junsu has decided to hold a year-end solo concert. The concert will be done completely live, including an orchestra, band, and chorus. Fans will be able to hear his musical numbers, drama OSTs, and ballad songs included in his album. It’s a concert concept that hasn’t been tried before.”
The concert will be held for three days on December 29th, 30th, and 31st at the COEX D-Hall. Considering his successes in various areas this year including his win at the 18th Korean Musical Awards and his drama OSTs bumping up the viewer ratings for his dramas, the concert is likely to be a surefire hit if his solo album sales are any indication. His solo album and English single sold 120,000 and 55,000 copies respectively.
A representative stated, “Kim Junsu has infinite potential, and this is a concert concept made only possible because it’s him that’s doing it. The concert will be directed to further emphasize his charming voice as a present that fans will surely never forget.”
Tickets open through Interpark starting on December 4th. Junsu will also be holding his world tour finale in Europe on November 30th.
Super Junior‘s ballad unit Super Junior-K.R.Y. successfully completed their solo concert in Yokohama titled, ‘Super Junior-K.R.Y. Special Winter Concert 2012‘.
Held at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center from November 19th through the 21st, the concert brought in a total of 15,000 fans. The unit group has previous experience completing a successful Asia tour in Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan, so the group sold out tickets with ease.
This is their second concert in Japan since their ‘Special Concert in Japan 2010‘, and fans responded enthusiastically as pre-order tickets sold out within three seconds after going on sale on October 27th.
The unit sang a number of songs off of Super Junior’s albums as well as OST tracks and individual stages for a total of 22 live tracks. Unlike Super Junior’s standard power dance-filled performances, the entire concert was completed with a live band to make for highly emotional stages.
To celebrate the upcoming holidays, the boys also threw in festive remake performances of “Silent Night“, “Last Christmas“, “Christmas Eve“, and some Japanese covers like EXILE‘s “Believe” and Hitoto Yo‘s “Hanamizuki“.
Fans were also in for a treat, as they performed “Promise You” off of their upcoming Japanese single slated for release on January 23rd, along with a first reveal of the teaser video.
The unit will continue their winter concert in Kobe from the 22nd through the 24th and the Budokan from January 22nd through the 24th.
Source + Photos: SBS E! via Nate + Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, Yesung‘s Twitters
Actress Park Hye Mi expressed Song Joong Ki as ‘a sponge-like actor.’
In the recent recording of KBS’s Generation Sympathy Saturday, Park Hye Mi said, “I previously recorded the series, My Lovely Prince and Princess. I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I think of it now, he is like a sponge.”
It has been revealed that Park amazed the audience by singing one verse of the musical, New Roly-Poly.
The show will air on Saturday at 9:05 a.m.
Super Junior subgroup Super Junior K.R.Y. made up of members Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung has just released a teaser for their upcoming Japanese single, “Promise You“.
The song features a R&B sound carried out by the lovely voices of these three talented vocalists.
“Promise You” is officially set to be released in Japan on January 23rd, 2013. As a coupling song, they will be covering Hitoto Yo‘s “Hanamizuki“. In the meantime check out the teaser below!
Brand New Entertainment has made an announcement regarding Phantom and their comeback.
They tweeted,
A gift for all Phantom fans.
1. Revealing a new song from Phantom’s new mini album that will be released in January for the first time.
2. A live performance of all songs Phantom released
3. A joint stage with the Brand New artists and HybRefine where you can hear HybRefine’s music
4. A stage of song from Hanhae’s mix tape, ‘Eargasm‘
5. A CD package of all Brand New artists that will be gifted through raffles (10 Set – Including the single CD of “Hole in Your Face”
6. One fan will be chosen through raffle to dine with Phantom
7. A live performance of “Homeground” with Verbal Jint and Swings
8. The last joint stage of Sanchez and Verbal Jint’s “You’re Pretty Enough”You can meet all this on ‘Brand New Year’.
Please send us ideas for ‘Brand New Year’ through mentions.
If you are chosen, you’ll be sent a signed CD from the relevant artists.The presents will continue…
The concert we make together, ‘Brand New Day vol. 2 ‘Brand New Year”
The tweet gave information about the concert, and fans immediately noticed that Phantom will be releasing a new mini album in January. Are you excited for their comeback?
Source: Brand New Entertainment’s Twitter
The new segment, “Strange Mountain Cabin,” of Come To Play is determined to be hosted by Super Junior’s Eunhyuk.
On November 21, a representative of MBC told Starnews, “Recently, there was a change to the director of Come To Play and the segment ‘Concert on the Floor’ got cancelled along with the opening of a new segment titled ‘Strange Mountain Cabin.’
“The new segment is designed to lead a talk show in a place decorated like a real mountain cabin. The place will generate a comfortable, familiar atmosphere so that invited guests will feel free to share their stories.”
According to the representative, Eunhyuk will be added as a new permanent emcee for the segment in addition to the current emcees, Yoo Jae Seok, Kim Won Hee, and Eun Ji Won. The first shooting with Eunhyuk will be on November 21.
Prior to this recent change, the two segments titled “True Man Show” and “Concert on the Floor” opened as the program reorganized its structure since September. Particularly in the “True Man Show,” men in their twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties gather together as a representative of their age group and frankly share their stories.
“Concert on the Floor” primarily aimed to reenact the music stage of high quality as the one of C’est Si Bon, but it lasted only for two months, having the episode with professor Yoo Hong Joon as the last broadcast on November 12.
The November 19 episode of Come To Play was only about “Truman Show,” excluding the segment of “Concert on the Floor.” In the episode to be aired on the 26th, “True Man Show” and “Strange Mountain Cabin” will be featured.
Park Yoo Chun finally made a highly anticipated appearance in the series Missing You.
In the 5th episode of MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You, which aired on November 21, the JYJ member makes his first appearance in the series as Han Jung Woo.
Jung Woo visits Sang Deuk at jail, who is a sex offender who raped Jung Woo’s first love, Lee Soo Hyun (played by Kim So Hyun).
The evil criminal rubs Jung Woo’s fur the wrong way by saying, “Did you get in touch with your ex-girlfriend? She was really pretty.” With a stiff look on his face, Jung Woo roars: “I will get rid of you. That’s why I become a detective. You have three days to go until you finish your jail term. After you get released, be careful that you’re not killed. You’re not allowed to be killed, because I’m going to kill you.
Netizens responded: “The evil guy is still alive. Disgusting!” “We need stricter law about sex offenders in Korea.” “Oh my, Yoo Chun’s first appearance just makes me happy.”
Singer and actor and emcee Lee Seung Gi recently revealed that he had taken up cooking.
On the episode of SBS’s Midnight Entertainment TV that aired on November 21, Lee Seung Gi, who recently came out with a new EP Woods, had a pleasant interview.
When asked “Except acting, singing, and emceeing, what would you like to be good at?” the all-round entertainer replied, “I took up cooking a year ago. I cook every now and then.”
He added: “I used to go to a baking class with my mom. The instructor said she’d never seen mom and son take a baking class together.”
Lee also said: ”I’d love to appear in a movie but people think I don’t like to appear in a movie for a reason. That’s just because I haven’t found out a movie that suits me.”
After the announcement of Yoseob‘s official solo debut, Cube Entertainment has revealed a teaser image for the upcoming solo artist!
The singer stands before a backdrop that appears to be a deserted circus ring with Yoseob standing nonchalantly with a cup of hot beverage in his hands.
As mentioned, Yoseob’s first solo album, ‘The First Collage‘ will be released on the 26th, and will be produced by fellow B2ST member Junhyung.
[Update] – We have now received confirmation that the teaser image is indeed for “Caffeine” as the cup hinted at, and that the song will be Yoseob’s title track!
Tip: infispirit
A pictorial of CN Blue’s Jung Yong Hwa for the December issue of the fashion magazine Singles was released on November 21. Getting away from an innocent, gentle look, Jung shows off a chic, charismatic look in this pictorial.
The concept of this pictorial was a modern military look. During the photo shoot, Jung showed off a charismatic look with his poses and facial expressions.
He also showed off a chic look in an outfit that reminds people of a noble man in the Middle Ages. He was praised by the crew for expressing a variety of emotions while posing for the camera.
The pictorial of Jung with a classic setting can be seen in the December issue of Singles and on the official website of the magazine (www.thesingle.co.kr).
Lee Seung Gi will soon come out with an emotive healing ballad.
Lee’s new album has been produced by Epitone Project, who are popular for their emotive songs.
On November 21, Lee’s agency introduced the tracks from Lee’s new album, which will be released on November 22, saying, “Lee Seung Gi created lyrical lyrics and emotive melodies in collaboration with Epitone Project.”
Lee’s new songs are characterized by lyrical, emotive lyrics. The titles of the songs are also very distinctive.
The lead track, “Turning Back,” is characterized by repetitive melody and lyrics in the chorus part. The third track, “Forest,” is a slow song that makes listeners feel relaxed.
Lee also wrote lyrics to some of the songs. Through the song, “Words of Love,” Lee expresses the feelings of a man letting his lover go without saying any words of love.
A spokesperson for Lee says, “Lee Seung Gi loves Epitone Project’s music, so he asked the group to produce his new album, and the group gladly gave him new songs. Most of Lee Seung Gi’s new songs are very relaxing and slow. The lyrical lyrics of the songs are also very impressive.”
Lee released the fifth album, Tonight, in October last year in collaboration with such singer-song writers as Rady.
Lee is planning to perform the songs from his new album for the first time at his concert, Lee Seung Gi’s Hope Concert, which will be held at the Gymnastics Stadium in Olympic Park on December 1 and 2.
Lee was also recently cast in the lead role in the new drama series Goo Ga Eui Seo.
Korea’s most beautiful season is probably the Fall season.
However, Korea has short autumn season and the season is coming to an end soon in Korea, as temperature gets below 0°C during the night.
Let’s enjoy some of the beautiful autumn pictures that I took during this awesome season. Enjoy!
Autumn in Changgyeonggung (창경궁), Jongno-gu, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn in Changgyeonggung, Jongno-gu, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn leaves on a wall in Jongno-gu, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn Ginkgo Trees in Garosugil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn Trees along the road in Garwol-dong, near Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn Trees in Sungkyunkwan University, Jongno-gu, Seoul Special City, Korea
Autumn Trees in Chimyeongjasan(Martyrs’ Mountain), Daeseong-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju City, Jeollabukdo, Korea
Autumn in Jeonju Hanok Village, Wansan-gu, Jeonju City, Jeollabukdo, Korea
See also:
Autumn Fashion 2012
Korean Female Idols Autumn Look 2011
Autumn Fashion 2011
Garosugil
Source: Seoul Awesome: Your K-blog
SISTAR‘s Bora expressed her feelings about the end of ‘Invincible Youth‘.
On the 17th, Bora tweeted,”‘Invincible Youth’ is over…ㅜㅜㅜ Sob sob ㅜ I’m so sad… Thank you so much for watching ‘Invincible Youth’!!! I’ll be even better from now on^^* Please love me and my family a lot and watch over us!!! Aja~~!!” and attached a selca of herself.
‘Invicible Youth’ aired its last episode this week, and the members all expressed their sadness at the ending on the episode. Fans likewise expressed their disappointment by saying, “We won’t be able to see G5 anymore“, “It was fun but sad“, and “You did so well“.
Source: SISTAR’s Twitter
INFINITE‘s Sunggyu has released song previews for his upcoming debut solo album, ‘Another Me‘!
Sunggyu has already revealed the track list information for ‘Another Me‘ as well as the pre-release song “Shine“. The full release of ‘Another Me’ is coming up soon on November 19 KST, and Sunggyu will be making his debut performance on next week’s ‘Music Bank‘.
Until then, check out the previously released video teaser and piano teaser if you missed them, and listen to the song previews below!
Rookie band LUNAFLY recently held a performance at the KBEE 2012‘s ‘K-Pop Rookie Showcase‘ held in Osaka on the 16th, impressing fans with their harmony.
LUNAFLY stated, “Because this is our first opportunity to perform live in front of everyone in Japan, we were nervous but had a good time singing on stage. We want to share our music with even more people in the future. We will practice and work hard to make the attendants at the live concert in December happy,” referring to their upcoming first solo live performance in Tokyo’s FM Hall on December 1st.
Check out their performance below!
Boy group SHINee will return to Japan with a new single 1000 years, Always Be By My Side on December 12th.
On November 16th, the five member group released a special trailer for the ballad song. The trailer is a bit disheartening as a young boy undergoes a surgery that will change his family’s lives forever. Gone are the days of happiness – in its place are sad and melancholy days. SHINee makes an appearance at the end, dressing in all black.
On November 16th, actor Song Joong Ki held a fan signing event at Hongdae’s Custom Mellow for the ‘Good Shopper Good’ project.
Song Joong Ki’s immense popularity was evidenced when the streets of Hongdae became frozen when an overwhelming number of fans showed up to catch a glimpse of their favorite actor.
This is the third charity event held by Custom Mellow and the ‘Good Man Song Joong Ki Fan Signing’ was held from 4PM and the ‘Good Shopper Flea Market’ was held from 5:30PM to 9PM.
On another note, Song Joong Ki has been receiving much attention for his roles in ‘Nice Guy’ and ‘Wolf Boy’.
[Images credited as marked]
JYJ has received the Commendation of the Minister award at the opening ceremony of ’KBEE 2012 (Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo)‘ held in Japan.
The boys of JYJ were previously appointed as ambassadors for ‘KBEE 2012‘.
The opening of the expo was held at the INTEX International Exhibition Center in Osaka, Japan, on November 15th, and many representatives from government facilities such as the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and other officials were in attendance along with JYJ.
JYJ received this prestigious honor because they had been judged as the top Hallyu stars that are active and have the most influence in all branches of culture. One major contributing factor accounted for was that their 15-city world tour brought in more than 210,000 fans. They also helped draw in many Japanese fans to visit Korea through their various activities.
At the event, JYJ commented, “We were happy because it seemed like many fans loved our music and Korea through our concerts and fan meetings. It means a lot for us to receive this award, and we will be even better with improved activities.”
Actor Lee Gwang Soo recently talked about how he felt about the end of the KBS series Innocent Guy.
On the final episode, which aired on November 15, the story goes on after seven years. Park Jae Gil lives a happy marriage life with Kang Cho Ko and their little girl. Park has been a close friend of Ma Roo (played by Song Joong Ki).
In one of the photos taken on the set for the final episode, Lee strikes a pose, pointing out a wedding photo of his character from the soap. In the scene in which he is given a morning kiss by an actress, he looks seriously focused.
What’s more, in the scene in which he is reading a book for his daughter, the actor looks like a real doting father for the girl.
The actor spoke about how he feels about the end of the series, which came to an end with high popularity. “Before we even started doing the series, we really hit it off. We enjoy having a meal together and talked a lot. That’s how we’re all absorbed in the work, and I loved working in a friendly atmosphere. It was really congenial that everyone worked in a really happy mood.”
The boys of 2PM performed their latest Japanese single “Masquerade” on the November 16th episode of ‘Happy Music‘.
The song was released on November 14th and placed 2nd on the Oricon Chart, selling over 100,000 units to date.
Nichkhun joined the boys for the performance, singing and participating in the impressive mask removal choreography.
Check out the performance below!
Tip: Paula
Actress Han Ji Min recently confessed that if she were given a limited lifetime, she would spend it with her family.
On November 16, there was a press conference of the movie Ending Note (directed by Mami Sunada, distributed by Jin Jin) at Cine Code Sonje in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
The actress said, “A lot of things came across my mind as I watched the movie. Nobody knows when he will face his death. Instead of possessing something, I thought spending meaningful time with your loved ones will be very important.”
Ending Note is about an ordinary salesman, Mr. Sunada who has also been a faithful husband and a father of child, planning his second life after retiring but unexpectedly is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Before his gives an eternal farewell to his life, he joyfully and thoroughly carries out his “final” tasks of life.
For the barrier-free premiere of Ending Note, director Choi Jin Ho of Executor directed the film as a part of his talent-donation and Han Ji Min participated in narration. The movie will open on November 29.
Actor Lee Min Ho candidly talked about his feelings when acting with an older actress.
In a recent interview with the celebrity magazine @Star 1, Lee said, “I try not to let age difference cause awkward feelings when I’m around older actresses.”
For his appearance in Faith (2012), Personal Taste (2010), and Boys Over Flowers (2009) with Kim Hee Sun, Son Ye Jin, and Ku Hye Sun, Lee has attracted much attention because he was always younger than the lead actress. But at the same time, his ability to engage in a good bonding relationship with older actress gave him a nickname Chemi-Shin. The term is to describe someone who is good at bonding with others and it is a compound for chemistry and shin which means “God” in Korean.
Lee said, “I didn’t know what Chemi-Shin meant in the first place. Well, I try to work in a friendly manner with my partner actress. Though she may be older than I am, I call her by her character name in the series and play around her. Before we begin working together, I try to have a serious conversation about acting.”
You can learn more about the candid interview with Lee Min Ho in December issue of @Star 1 at www.atstar1.com.
People give heated reaction toward JYJ receiving a minister citation.
On November 15, JYJ received a commendation from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy at the opening ceremony for the Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2012. Their comprehensive activities in cultural industry were highly recognized.
JYJ said, “We were very glad to see many people loving our music and Korea through our concerts and expos. We humbly and gladly take the award and will try to pay you back with better performances.”
The group’s agency said, “The award can be viewed as the result of successfully advertising Hallyu culture through the world tour that visited 15 different cities around the world involving 210,000 fans and helping Japanese fans find a means to visit Korea by giving domestic performances and holding fan meetings and expos though we were given limited activities in Japan.”
Netizens gave various reactions at the news: “JYJ is awesome.” “The award practically proves JYJ’s popularity around the world.” However, some gave critical feedback: “There are other singer who contributed far more than JYJ. It’s kind of weird.” “Award other Hallyu stars with the commendation.”
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk updated his status.
On the afternoon of November 16, Super Junior’s Yesung uploaded a picture on his Twitter with the caption, “A surprise visit from the handsome young brother Eunhyuk. It’s my turn next time.”
In the picture, Eunhyuk visited the coffee shop that Yesung’s parents are in charge of and showed off his friendship. Eunhyuk is holding up the coffee vibrator and smiling brightly.
Netizens commented: “It’s good to see that you are all so friendly.” “I’m relieved that Eunhyuk seems to be fine.” “Yesung will soon be visiting the bakery right?” “So cute.” “What is Yesung holding?”
After the news of Juniel‘s comeback this November, FNC Entertainment recently release the MV teaser for “Bad Man”. The music video features, Juniel herself. The video started off with a happy Juniel then the scene turned to a dark one wherein she is seen in a lot of pain. She will be making a comeback with a second mini album this coming November 20, 2012.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: OfficialJUNIEL|Youtube
Boyfriend recently topped the charts with their new album, Janus.
On November 16, the Hanteo Chart reported that Boyfriend’s new album, released on November 14, topped its real-time chart and daily chart.
This achievement of Boyfriend is especially attracting a lot of attention because several boy groups, including B1A4 and Block B, also recently came out with new materials.
Boyfriend’s new song, “Janus,” is characterized by an emotive piano sound, a lively bass rhythm, and the members’ mature voices. The song is about a man who tries to let his girlfriend go happily, hiding his sad feelings.
Boyfriend’s agency says, “Boyfriend’s new album, Janus, topped the charts even if it was released at brick-and-mortar stores later than the originally scheduled date as all CDs had to be discarded. We appreciate the fans who have waited for it.”
Boyfriend are currently promoting their new album.
When asked about his group’s performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, a bleach blonde G-Dragon of K-pop group BIGBANG says under his breath, “I wish it was better.”
A refreshingly candid answer in the very formal, professional world of K-pop where the stars are more cute than sexy, scandals are minimal, and its stars spend years training. But this is BIGBANG — an act that rewrites most of the conventions in K-pop by composing most of their own music, go shirtless in music videos, and have found themselves in the midst of several controversies just this year alone.
Backstage, the five members are in their opening number outfits — heavy-duty, sparkling white suits looking like edgy Prince Charmings — but G-Dragon walks around without his jacket on and huge sunglasses before sitting down for some pre-show interviews. Each member personifies himself in their demeanor. The elusive T.O.P., known for his low-bass timbre rapping, wears dark sunglasses and shows little emotion. Handsome Seungri sits straight up juxtaposing G-Dragon’s casual answers and laid back appearance. Taeyang, in long braids, acts in a calm manner answering many questions with an impressive grasp of English similar to G-Dragon. While Daesung, the group’s charismatic powerhouse vocalist, spends most of his off-camera moments warming up his voice with lip trills. Each has his own bottle of Fiji water (with a bottle of Welch’s white grape juice for T.O.P.) with G-Dragon’s attitude seemingly not improving just minutes before show time.
The show is scheduled to begin only ten minutes behind schedule (a big difference to the 90-minute plus delay label-mates 2NE1 fell into in August) with little commotion backstage. One back-up dancer scurries out of the female dancer’s changing room, being sure to slow down and give a little bow upon passing Taeyang, but all in all, it feels calm before the final American stop of BIGBANG’s Alive Tour.
Who knows what happened in the final ten minutes before wrapping interviews to the show’s kick-off (perhaps it was the ear-shattering screams filling the sold out arena show), but when BIGBANG took the stage Friday night, G-Dragon and co. appeared in high spirits throughout the entire performance. Kicking off with “TONIGHT,” the band’s frenzied electronic track, G-Dragon ran down the stage’s runway looking as if he would almost fall off the stage into the vivacious pit of fans if he hadn’t slowed himself down sooner (he repeated this same gesture several times throughout the show). The show started off with banging tracks moving quickly to “Hands Up” and “Fantastic Baby” (which peaked at No. 2 on the K-Pop Hot 100). As the show moves on, G-Dragon receives a loud response whenever his parts begin, but Daesung and T.O.P. get equally impressive screams. (Particularly when teasing that fans may be hearing his new solo material soon.)
Throughout the show BIGBANG took a stage approach similar to the likes of One Direction — using little choreography, relying more on jumping around stage and interacting with the crowd. Stage props were used minimally, but effectively. “How Gee” saw T.O.P. and G-Dragon riding around in bedazzled, upholstered segues and Daesung attaching humongous angel wings during appropriate solo track “Wings” to attach himself on a cable and essentially soar over the crowd.
BIGBANG’s musical styling ranges from hip-hop to electronic pop (see No. 1 K-Pop Hot 100 singes like “Blue” and “Monster”), but in-between tracks concertgoers saw a deeper connection to the hip-hop world with members beat-boxing for each other while the group spit raps or harmonized together (including a highlight where G-Dragon offered English verses of “Crayon,” [his solo track that peaked at No. 4 on the K-Pop Hot 100] indicating a proper English debut may not be too far away for he or BIGBANG). Concertgoers were treated to breakdancing and Taeyang’s gymnastics for a few on-stage flips.
While speaking to the crowd, the group had a tendency to sing the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ New York anthem, “Empire State Of Mind,” making their East Coast admiration clear. “It was really tough to get here, three flight changes,” Taeyang told the crowd of the problems his band found in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Focusing on the positive he wrapped with, “Let’s make it unforgettable.”
Today’s male pop or hip-hop stars wouldn’t be caught dead in the flamboyant fashion the group brought for their Alive Tour (with outfits including brightly colored suit jackets and the tightest jeans imaginable). Yet the look completely works for BIGBANG with nothing sacrificed from an artistic standpoint. One got a sense of the dedication the fans (affectionately known as VIPs) when BIGBANG dropped out singing to let concertgoers take the chorus to their hit song “Haru Haru.” The fact that such a large East Coast venue could be filled with the lyrics of a song called “Haru Haru” by the concertgoers is truly remarkable in and of itself.
G-Dragon seemingly recognized his group’s amazing accomplishment with his energy never fading throughout the showcase. “You guys are amazing… I love you,” he told the audience to fans’ delights. “I promise you we will come back soon.” He spoke a similar phrase in Korean, but to lesser cheers.
But with tubs of Brooklyn Lager and bottles of Hennessy backstage provided by the venue, it was clear that regardless of whatever language they were singing (or speaking) in, the final American stop of BIGBANG’s Alive Tour was a success for all.
Ma Roo (played by Song Joong Ki) and Eun Gi (played by Moon Chae Won) make a happy ending.
In the final episode of KBS2’s Wednesday-Thursday series Innocent Guy, which aired on November 15, Ma Roo and Eun Gi rekindle their relationship.
Ahead of an operation, finally noticing Eun Gi roaming around a ward, Ma Roo heads outside and comes across Eun Gi at a cross walk.
Then, Min Young appears out of nowhere and tries to kill Eun Gi, but Ma Roo moves himself to her place so quickly that he is stabbed instead of her.
After 7 years, Ma Roo works as a doctor, losing the memories about the past, and Eun Gi runs a sandwich house, lingering around Ma Roo.
Ma Roo, at last, proposes to Eun Gi, who’s been openly showing him her heart, which makes a happy ending.
‘Nice Guy‘ released still cuts of Song Joong Ki directing a photoshoot.
In the revealed still cuts, Song Joong Ki is focusing on a photoshoot with models for his in-drama company. During the shoot, the actor played out parts such as checking details with the camera director and choosing photos from the shoot in a realistic manner, awing the filming staff.
When netizens saw Song Joong Ki focusing on the shoot, they commented, “He fits really well with the set“, and “Song Joong Ki looks more like the fashion model“.
U-KISS will be appearing on Eli‘s food program ‘K-Pop Tasty Road‘.
U-KISS recently joined MCs NS Yoon-G and Eli to try their hand at making kimchi. Even though it was everyone’s first time trying, the members got over their initial confusion and poured over the recipe following the steps to make kimchi. There will be competition with one team headed by NS Yoon-G and the other team headed by Eli with the winning team receiving a prize of Kimchi BoSsam (Korean Pork Belly with Kimchi).
The episode also talked about the top 3 attractions in Korea as suggested by K-pop stars. The episode will air on November 17th.
CNBLUE‘s Yonghwa was recently spotted at the airport and caught everyone’s attention with his blindingly white sneakers.
Photos of Yonghwa’s sneakers became a hot topic online and left fans both amused and amazed at how shiny they appear.
Yonghwa later explained the incident on CNBLUE’s Twitter and shared, “How are you? It’s me Yonghwa again… My sneakers became an issue….. My shoes don’t have fluorescent lighting.. [It's] scotch…kekekeke I should wear them often…hehe” and later tweeted, “Also…they are normally like this…”, with photos showing how normal his sneakers look in real-life.
Check out his shiny sneakers below!
Source & Image(s): Yonghwa‘s Twitter
SS501′s Park Jungmin has made a return to the Korean music scene with his second single album Beautiful.
Beautiful marks the singer’s first foray in the KPOP scene since debuting early last year with Not Alone. Since the release of his solo debut, Park Jungmin has been busy with activities in Japan and Taiwan, where he debuted earlier this year as ROMEO and starred in a drama series, respectively.
Check out the MV for Beautiful below and leave us your thoughts!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Super Junior’s Kyuhyun recently sang a song for SBS’s series Daepungsu.
Kyuhyun sang the ending theme song “Once,” which was released on November 14 through several music sites.
The song is an emotional ballad about a man expressing his feelings towards his love. Kyuhyun complemented the song with his soft and sweet voice.
Kyuhyun is recognized for his superb singing skills as a member of Super Junior and Super Junior-K.R.Y. Since he previously sang several songs for TV series, the song “Once” is also receiving considerable attention.
The song will start playing on the eleventh episode of the series and to make it more enjoyable.
Psy joined American pop legend Madonna on stage at her Madison Square Garden concert on the 13th EST.
According to Yahoo news, Madonna said that Psy flew ”all the way from Frankfurt, Germany this morning,” where he attended the MTV EMA (Europe Music Awards). She also shared that she was a big fan of Psy and loved his bright red suit.
Apparently, the “Gangnam Style” artist expressed that performing with Madonna at Madison Square Garden was the greatest experience he’s had so far during the past few months.
Check out Psy’s surprise appearance and his smash-up performance of “Gangnam Style” and “Give it 2 Me” with Madonna below!
Tip: Thanks to those of you who sent this in.
Big Bang received a tremendous welcome from their fans in Peru.
Upon their arrival at Jorge Chavez International Airport on the 13th for ‘Alive Galaxy Tour 2012‘, the Big Bang members were met with crowds of fans who were waiting with banners and signs.
The airport as well as Big Bang’s hotel are reported to have been filled with thousands of fans, freezing all traffic. Media also showed up to cover the event.
After completing their concert in Peru on the 14th, Big Bang will head to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Japan for their world tour.
In related news, Peruvian VIPs camped out to buy tickets a week before Big Bang’s ‘Alive Galaxy Tour 2012′ concert, and all 7000 tickets were sold out within three hours.
Ma Roo (played by Song Joong Ki) suggests Ein Gi (played by Moon Chae Won) elope with him.
In the 19th episode of KBS2’s Wednesday-Thursday series Innocent Guy, which aired on November 14, Ma Roo suggests that she should get away with him for their love.
Ma Roo tries to persuade Jae Hee to stop doing evil things and get back to him, ascribing all her downfall to himself.
Jae Hee, however, is not content as Ma Roo still seems to care about Eun Gi, so she suggests a final deal presenting Jae Hee with documents and films that disparage Eun Gi. Jae Hee tells Ma Roo that ti he fails to bring a voice-recorded tape of Seo Jung Gyu, she’s never going to turn herself in.
Confused by the mixed-up situation, Ma Roo says to Eun Gu, “We should get away from here on our own to somewhere. I’ll go to anywhere as long as you’re with me.”
Super Junior’s Siwon will now appear on the drama series The King of Dramas.
Siwon appears for the first time in the series in the third episode, which will air on November 12. He plays the role of Kang Hyun Min, one of the most popular celebrities in Asia. He’s rude but simple and indecisive.
Siwon is actually one of the most popular celebrities in Asia in the real world as a member of Super Junior, one of the most popular Hallyu groups. However, he will portray a different type of Hallyu star in the series. Kang Hyun Min is very handsome but not perfect, making a lot of mistakes.
In the third episode, Siwon meets Anthony (played by Kim Myung Min) and talks about a new drama series with him. Producer Anthony and writer Lee Go Eun (played by Jung Ryeo Won) struggle to cast Kang Hyun Min.
The third episode will air on November 12 at 9:55 p.m.
Psy received the Best Video at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA 2012).
On November 12, at EMA 2012, which was held in Frankfurt, Germany, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” received the Best Video, beating Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake,” Lady Gaga’s “Marry The Night,” M.I.A’s “Bad Girls,” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”
Psy appeared on the stage with tears in his eyes, receiving a big hand.
Psy gave his thoughts on receiving the award, saying, “I’ve lots of things to say because I’m a rookie singer, so please give me some time. I really appreciate everyone who have helped me write ‘Gangnam Style’ and make the music video of the song and who have watched the video. I especially appreciate the Korean people, YG Entertainment, and Scooter Braun who have supported me a lot. I also want to say thank you to my wife who have lived with this man who has a selfish job for six years.”
At the end, Psy said thank you in Korean.
Before the awards started, Psy performed “Gangnam Style.” He received a big hand by giving an enthusiastic performance for the audience with some female backup dancers. At the end of the performance, lots of male backup dancers came out, dressing up like Psy, and entertained the audience.
Hankyung, who used to be a member of Super Junior, recently received the Worldwide Act at MTV EMA 2012.
On November 12 at 6:00 a.m. (Korean time), Hankyung attended the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards, which was held in Frankfurt, Germany, and won the Worldwide Act.
Dressed in a stylish suit, Hankyung attracted a lot of attention with a sharp look. He gave his thoughts on receiving the award in English and Chinese. He said, “I love China, music, and everyone in the world.”
MTV EMA introduced Hankyung as “One of the most influential male celebrities in China.” It said, “Hankyung is very popular in Southeast Asia. He debuted as the only Chinese member of Super Junior in 2005 but left the team in 2009.”
Hankyung received over twenty awards, including the Artist of the Year and the Popularity Award, in 2011 and released his second album, Hope in the Darkness, in July, 2012.
Psy received the Best Video and performed at the awards.
Lee Seung Gi revealed that his current favorite girl group is none other than SISTAR.
On the November 10th broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Entertainment Relay‘, Lee Seung Gi featured as a guest to discuss his upcoming comeback as a singer.
When asked if there’s a hoobae in the music industry he’s been keeping an eye on, Lee Seung Gi responded, “I’m not doing variety shows these days, so I don’t really have a reason to run into any.”
He continued, “I don’t get the chance to meet girl groups, so I watch them on TV. These days, there are a lot of girl groups that are big hits.” However, when reporter Angela Kim asked, “Which girl group do you like?” Lee Seung Gi answered, “I like SISTAR.”
On the same episode, he commented on rumors about his relationship to Brown Eyed Girls‘ Ga In, saying, “It’s the most surprising rumor I’ve heard since my debut.”
Super Junior’s Leeteuk made a deep bow to the audience saying that he will be back after completing his military service.
Leeteuk appeared on the November 10 episode of SBS’s Star King and welcomed the returning Kang Ho Dong to the show as an MC.
Kang thanked Leeteuk for appearing on the show even though it was recorded the day before he joined the Army.
Leeteuk said, “I will be back safe and sound after two years. I will deliver more healthy laughs when I return.” He entered the 306 boot camp on October 30 in Uijeongbu.”
Kang, who returned to the show as an MC, showed off his changeless emceeing skills and lead the show with his power and wit.
Se7en celebrated his 28th birthday (Korean age: 29) on November 9.
He tweeted:
10 years ago… 19th bday!!! instagr.am/p/RzEUbrnTr8/
— 세븐 SE7EN (@officialse7en) November 9, 2012
29th BDAY… #happybdaySE7EN instagr.am/p/RzEqe9HTsG/ — 세븐 SE7EN (@officialse7en) November 9, 2012
Se7en’s fans also got together to celebrate his birthday, preparing banner messages that say: “Happy 29th birthday to Se7en, who is still a 20-year-old oppa in our eyes” and “[I'll call you oppa anyway.] Choi Dong Wook, I sincerely wish you a happy birthday” along with a special video.
@officialse7en YG사옥 앞에서 발견한 세븐 생축 현수막! 축하합니다! Found this B-day banner infront of YG building today! Congrats SE7EN! twitter.com/ygent_official…
— YG Family (@ygent_official) November 8, 2012
Happy~ RT @daeguluckyse7en: @officialse7en 또다른축하메세지♥ twitter.com/daeguLUCKYSE7E… — 세븐 SE7EN (@officialse7en) November 8, 2012
“@ceciliase7en: Here is the first video! Happy birthday to Se7en! youtube.com/watch?v=uhgyJ5… @officialse7en #HappybdaySE7EN #Se7en4evayoung”
— LUCKY SE7EN (@se7enupdates) November 8, 2012
Happy Birthday, Se7en!
Super Junior and their fans celebrated the group’s 7th anniversary since their debut this past week, and now, a post by former member Hangeng has come to light.
Hangeng posted the following message to his official Weibo account on November 6:
“It’s been seven years! It was all of you who gave me the best gift in that period. On this journey, there are many people who are better than me, there are many people who work harder than me, but I was the luckiest because I had you all. Seven-year debut anniversary, I love you all!”
Some fans are speculating that his post may have been intended as a message to Super Junior, while others are saying it was only a message for his own fans.
In other news, Hangeng was selected as the ‘Best Asia Act’ over Super Junior at the MTV EMA last month.
New York Times recently reported on Big Bang’s world tour.
On November 10, the New York Times reported, “Big Bang, the long-running K-pop boy band, played its first show in the New York area at the Prudential Center here on Thursday night.”
Big Bang received a lot of attention from the public in the United States. Local media outlets fiercely competed against each other to report on the group. Big Bang also expressed their feelings on their sell out concert.
The group completed the ‘Alive Galaxy Tour 2012′ in New Jersey on November 9. Over 24,000 people attended their Los Angeles concert on November 2 and 3, and over 24,000 people also attended their New Jersey concert on November 8 and 9.
Big Bang will continue touring Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Eru will become the first Korean singer to perform on eight Indonesian music programs.
Eru’s representative said, “On the 21st, Eru will leave to Indonesia and stay for about 10 days doing Indonesian promotions. He will be the first Korean singer to perform on 8 Indonesian music programs, so this means a lot.”
He will be going through about 5 different schedules per day, and because of this, the government has decided to help with his transportation. In addition, he will also be promoting his Indonesian movie “Hello Goodbye“.
The representative said, “Eru is very popular in Indonesia. His song “Black Glasses” as well as the song that’s not well known in Korea, “Even if I’m Born Again“, were big hits in Indonesia. Even though his concert ticket prices are expensive, they are showing him endless support.“
Kim Hyun Joong turned into a casual winter guy for apparel brand HANGTEN.
He snagged the attention of his fans while donning colored outerwear, matching his trademark chic looks with HANGTEN’s styles. He matched a red padded jacket with an argyle knit for a classic and casual mood, and also matched an orange jacket with black pants for a more masculine look.
Fans commented, “Kim Hyun Joong is just always good looking“, and “That red jacket is so cute.”
HANGTEN said, “The padded jackets are a ‘must have item’ that is already popular to many men, and we’re getting good results with this endorsement.”
CNBLUE Jungshin‘s ‘manner legs’ has melted the hearts of his fans.
Recently, a photo of Jungshin taken on the set of a photoshoot was released to the public. In the photo, Jungshin is getting his hair and makeup fixed. However, his daunting height of 187cm (6’1″) made it very difficult for the stylist to reach up to him. In response, Jungshin parted his legs and bent down so the makeup artist would have easier access to reach his face. His kind image swooned the hearts of fans who saw the image.
The photo was revealed to be a BTS photo from his ‘Marie Claire‘ December photoshoot. He showed off his chic and masculine sides and awed the staff with his easygoing personality.
A photo of Super Junior’s Eunhyuk shirtless and IU in her pajama’s is currently going around. The photo was posted onto her (IU) Twitter, (most likely accidentally) and then taken down within 2 minutes.
The photo shows Eunhyuk clearly, but only shows a part of IU’s face. The most shocking part is that the two seem to be lying on a bed, and that Eunhyuk has no shirt on.
Furthermore, fans have pointed out that the pajama is the same one that IU got from her fans, that she tweeted in the past. She tweeted it when she burnt her top after she tried to make ramen.
As you can see, the top part of the pajama is the same, down to the button detail.
Rumors that the two are dating have been going around, with much ‘proof’ saying the two have couple items. On an episode of ‘Strong Heart‘, where IU was a guest, Leeteuk wrote, “Meeting Eunhyuk’s woman again..“, Eunhyuk wrote a simple heart on his board, and IU wrote, “Oppa, I’m here“.
Screenshot of Yfrog before photo was taken down
What do you think? Are the two actually dating? Stay tuned to allkpop for further details!
Yoochun at first script reading for 'I Miss You'
JYJ‘s Yoochun shared his thoughts on the first episode of the new MBC drama ‘I Miss You‘.
On November 8 KST, Yoochun posted to JYJ’s official Facebook: “Did you watch the broadcast yesterday? [I miss you and feel so sorry I could go crazy]. These days, I read the script and say, ‘I’m going to go crazy,’ a lot. Please give ‘I Miss You’ lots of love,” making a reference to his character Han Jung Woo’s lines in the drama.
He also shared the above photo from the first script reading session.
Fans commented, “Yeo Jin Goo and Kim So Hyun act very well, so you probably feel a bit of pressure!”, “I’m looking forward to your acting”, “Seeing your thoughts on the first episode, I feel like you’re already getting into the character of ‘Han Jung Woo’”, and more.
Kim Jong Kook was spotted hanging out with his mom at an arcade recently.
Photos of the mother and son enjoying a friendly game together surfaced online on the 9th. Fans are commenting that it’s another side to the singer, who’s known for his masculine, ‘Sparta’ character on ‘Running Man‘ as well as other variety programs.
Agency JK Entertainment commented, “When he has no programs in his schedule or if he goes on vacation, he usually takes his mother with him. On this day, it seems like he went to the arcade with his mom to reminisce over his childhood days and create more fond memories.”
Kim Jong Kook recently made a comeback with “Men Are All Like That“ from his 7th full-length album ‘Journey Home‘.
Natthew, Thai singer and winner of ‘Academy Fantasia‘, a Thai audition show, is preparing to make his debut in Korea with “She’s Bad“.
Through a joint venture between CJ E&M and a Thai company, Natthew will be making his debut on November 15th.
Natthew already has many accomplishments under his belt in Thailand and hopes to continue his streak in Korea as he tries out the K-Pop market in his quest to become a global artist.
He’ll be unveiling his album in Korea on the 15th as well as holding his debut stage on ‘M! Countdown‘, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, check out the video teaser below!
Singer Eru has lent his voice for the drama ‘Rascal Sons’ with the song “One Person“.
“One Person”, like its title, is a song that describes the longing felt towards one individual in a one-sided love, and is another ballad that showcases the gentle vocals of Eru
Check it out below through the music video that has been released featuring scenes from the drama.
Actor Song Joong Ki will be out in the Free Agent market soon.
Song Joong Ki’s current contract with Sidus HQ will expire next month in December. Because he is currently the hottest actor in the market, with both ‘Wolf Boy‘ and ‘Nice Guy‘ doing so well, many entertainment labels are expressing their interest in signing Song Joong Ki. It has been reported that many large labels are preparing to offer him lucrative deals to join their company.
Many fans are looking forward to which company he will eventually sign with, giving various opinions such as, “It’d be nice if he stayed with Sidus HQ“, “How about BH? With Lee Byung Hun, Go Soo, Han Hyo Joo..“, and “Go to O& Entertainment with Shin Min Ah and Hyun Bin would be nice.”
Which company would you like to see Song Joong Ki sign with?
On November 8th, ‘Code Name Jackal‘ had its VIP screening at Lotte Cinema in Seoul.
The movie features Song Ji Hyo and JYJ‘s Jaejoong.
Yoochun and Junsu attended the VIP screening to show support not only for their fellow group mate but also for their label mate Song Ji Hyo.
[Images credited as tagged]
miss A’s Suzy recently talked about shooting her last episode of KBS’s variety show Invincible Youth 2.
On November 7, Suzy, who shot the last episode of the show, said, “I feel like I’m completing a TV series.”
“I saw an album of the show and it reminded me of the many things that I’ve done for the show. When I was on my way here, I realized that today is the last day.”
“I have lots of hard memories and good memories from the show. Since this will be the last episode that I’m shooting with the members, I feel sad.”
Suzy has been shooting the show for the past year with G5 members, including SNSD’s Hyoyeon, Jewelry’s Ye Won, KARA’s Kang Jiyoung, and SISTAR’s Bora.
Suzy said, “I will miss the members a lot. I’m happy that I got to know with the other members through the show. I think we will meet again through music programs and other variety shows. I feel like we are real sisters and I think we will keep in touch with each other for a long time.”
She added, “I was happy to make the audience laugh through the show not as a member of a girl group but as a person.”
The show started airing on November 12 of last year and it will go off air on November 17.
MBC’s new Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You recently released posters.
The posters feature Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye sharing emotional feelings. They are looking in different directions like their unfulfilled love.
In another poster, child actor and actress Yeo Jin Goo and Kim So Hyun, who play the young Park and Yoon, portray their fresh first love.
The series is a classical melodrama about a man and woman who have wounded hearts from their first love. The first episode of the series will air on November 7 at 9:55 p.m.
The JYJ member then communicated with his fans in a quirky way of typing his replies on the iPad in response to the questions targeted at him. Newer fans who probably know JaeJoong from his slew of dramas were entertained by the screening of the few iconic scenes from his past dramas which ended up in shreks of envy and support. The silent fanmeeting was filled with warmth and laughters as JaeJoong gave sincere and atFans in attendance were definitely in for a treat when a rare Hi-5 and photo session was conducted to commemorate the fanmeeting. 4000 fans hailing from all around the world, such as Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and from Indonesia itself lined up in anticipation as it was the first time
for many to be in such close proximity with the singer. Screams from the crowds erupted again,
signalling that JaeJoong had re-emerged on stage after the change of clothes.
Read his Q&A Session excerpt, kindly provided by SH Entertainment here. We hope you enjoyed all the coverage of Kim Jae Joong in Jakarta on Korea.com!
CNBLUE has completely sold out tickets to their 4th concert.
CNBLUE have sold out all the tickets for every concert they have held so far. CNBLUE will be holding their concert ‘2012 CNBLUE Live Blue Night in Seoul‘ on December 15th and 16th. On November 6th, tickets went up for sale and all 8000 tickets were sold out within 10 minutes. Not only that, but as soon as the official sales opened, so many fans tried to access the site at once and the servers had trouble handling the surge in traffic and was inaccesible for a lot of fans.
FNC Entertainment said, “This solo concert ‘Blue Night’ is to properly end 2012 and to give back to the fans for their unchanging love. The members are preparing hard for the concert.”
CNBLUE is also currently planning to comeback with a new album in January 2013.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
INFINITE members showed support for their leader Sunggyu‘s solo debut.
Sunggyu recently released his debut single, “Shine“, and his fellow group members took to Twitter to show their support. Maknae Sungjong was the first to tweet, “Leader Gyu’s song is out!!!! o.o It’s the be~~~~~~st!!!!!!!! The early release song~ Listen to the song “Shine” a lot ♥♥♥“.
Hoya followed a few moments later with, ““Shine”… Sunggyu hyung’s solo album’s early release song!!!!!! It’s really good… I’m going to be his fan from today kekeke“. Woohyun followed next with a simple, “Sunggyu – Shine“, and then L with another simple message of “Shine congrats“.
Dongwoo wrote the longest support message, and even included a selca of himself as he tweeted, “INFINITE’s leader hyungnim Gyu-jiji. The master of emotions has finally had his solo invasion! The early release song is right next to me! I get refreshed just from the name “Shine”. I’m going to spend this winter with this friend..☞☜ Hyung, the second oldest is next to you, fighting!!“.
Sungyeol tweeted, “I will support INFINITE’s Sunggyu’s first solo activities for life!! Listen to “Shine” that was released early today. It’s just the best, if you listen to it, it’s the best! Sunggyu-god♥♥ Fancafe chariman: Sungyeol“.
Finally, the singer himself wrote, “Hi? I’m Gyu. My new song “Shine” was released today. Thanks to my family INFINITE dongsengs for cheering me on and thank you so much to Jong Wan hyung for giving me such a great song. I’m really excited right now!!! kekeke“. A few hours later, he tweeted, “My dongsengs who came to cheer me on – except L“, and uploaded a photo of the INFINITE members with cake.
Tip: infispirit
Song Joong Ki is receiving considerable attention thanks to his bright smile.
On November 5, KBS’s series Innocent Man posted a picture on its official website with the caption, “On the day that he shot the scene, where he drops his watch.”
In the picture, Song is smiling at a boy. He looks like he saw a boy passing the set while shooting the scene. He is smiling radiantly at the boy and captured many female fans’ hearts. His father-like smile also drew a lot of attention.
People who saw the picture responded: “Please look at me with that look too.” “He is so great.” “He smiles like a father.” “Am I the only one who envies the boy?”
Super Junior has become the first foreign male artists to win a ‘Triple Crown’ on the Oricon Weekly Chart.
According to SM Entertainment, ‘Super Junior World Tour Show 4 Live in Japan‘ has ranked 1st on Oricon’s daily and weekly DVD charts, DVD music chart, and Blu-ray Disc chart.
‘Super Junior World Tour Show 4 Live in Japan’ was released as a DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on October 31, and includes footage of two concerts held at Kyocera Dome Osaka last December and the Tokyo Dome this past May.
In related news, Super Junior K.R.Y will hold their solo concert ‘Super Junior – K.R.Y. Special Winter Concert 2012‘ in Japan on November 19 to the 21st and December 22 to the 24th.
Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong will be immortalized as a life sized wax figure.
The Madame Tussauds in Busan announced that they will display a wax figure of Kim, a beloved star in Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Japan, starting in December.
Since the museum selects renowned celebrities to immortalize as wax figures and display at thirteen museums in the world, entering the museum is a very honorable event.
Starting November 7 through 14, the museum will hold an event through their official Facebook and Twitter accounts asking people to guess what kind of pose he made for his wax figure. The museum will choose several people randomly on November 15 and send them invitations to Busan.
A spokesperson for the museum says, “Many Korean tourists visit Madame Tussauds in Busan. Since Kim is very popular in Korea and Asian countries, other branch museums in Asia are paying a lot of attention to his wax figure.”
The Madame Tussauds in Busan displays seventeen wax figures of world famous celebrities, including, Bae Yong Jun, Lady GaGa, Johnny Depp, Spider Man, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Audrey Hepburn, and Jackie Chan.
KPOP fans in Bangkok are definitely excited for the upcoming SMTOWN Live World Tour III that will be happening this month. SM Entertainment’s official Youtube account, SMTOWN revealed a promotional video wherein their artists shows how excited they are to perform and see their fans in Bangkok. The event will held at Muangthong Thani Stadium this coming November 25, 2012. For more information regarding this, kindly check here. Check out the promotional video below:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: SMTOWN|Youtube
Park Yoochun, who has been gaining praises and popularity through his acting skills is featured in a video about knitting by Save the Children for their “Newborn Hats Knitting Campaign”. The video has six (6) parts from introduction, knitting tutorial, garter stitch, stockinette stitch, reducing the top and the finishing/perfecting part. This campaign is for raising awareness and funds to provide safe births and healthy newborns. Learn how to knit below!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: savethechildrenkr|Youtube
As I’ve noted before, Google’s shift to social as a company comes with great responsibility. As the company makes this transition, there are a lot of things to think about when building social layers to scale to the masses. One of those responsibilities is the safety and security of its users.
Today, the company rolled out new safety and security controls for Google+, and they include comment moderation and reporting, as well as new controls for Hangout.
The changes are important, because it lets you granularly report to Google why you are blocking someone or why their content or actions are offensive. This is information that will help the company make better decisions on its products, as well as properly carry out the proper measures, including kicking people off of the service if things are extreme.
Here’s what Google’s Pavni Diwanji had to say about these measures:
Keeping the community safe and secure
We understand how much you value safety and security online. It’s why we’ve built tools like comment moderation (http://goo.gl/3EkPV) and hangout controls (http://goo.gl/ZLiA1) into Google+ to weed out bad behavior. But we’re always looking to do better. Today we’re excited to roll out new controls that will ensure our community remains a place where people look out for each other.
Reporting content in the stream
You’ll now have more options when reporting bad posts, comments, profiles or photos. This will mean we can deal with misconduct more quickly, and prevent abuse from happening again.Reporting people in public hangouts
If you ignore someone in a hangout, we immediately mute their audio and video to keep you safe. Now when you report someone in a public hangout, we’ll also automatically record a small snippet and notify the room. We can then check for bad behavior—and once we’ve done that we’ll delete the clip.Thanks to millions of community members worldwide, Google+ is a secure and inspiring place to spend time. With today’s improvements, and your help, we’ll keep it that way.
Take a look at this screen for example, once you’ve marked someone to report:
What you see above lets you tell Google exactly what the issue is, and the addition of “this person may be hacked” is helpful. People can decide on whether a friend is acting weird, not a machine. For example, if you saw me posting about how much I love strawberries, you know that it’s not me. Why? Because I’m allergic to strawberries.
Below, you’ll see some of the actions being taken in Google+ Hangouts, which include spelling out the rules and regulations of participating in them. This helps users who are reporting issues know whether something is indeed breaking the rules or not:
Google will even record a portion of the Google+ Hangout when something egregious is reported. For example, this could include nudity or other things that just aren’t welcome on the system and aren’t good for the userbase.
I really like the approach Google is taking to safety and security for the community, it’s easy to understand and it’s easy to use. Of course, all of these things will evolve over time, but by setting itself up to get more details on the actual report, the company can only get better at handling these situations in a human, and social way.
[Photo credit: Flickr]
Leeteuk spoke up about the controversy he had with Kim Yuna 5 years ago.
Five years ago, Leeteuk had said that he requested to be friends with champion figure skater Kim Yuna, but had been rejected. Angry ELF had gone to the skater’s Cyworld, terrorizing the site. However, it turned out that Leeteuk had actually exaggerated the situation, and he was forced to step away from many of his shows because of his lie.
On ‘Strong Heart‘, he confessed, “With that incident, I became the first Super Junior member to fill up one page of a newspaper. It must have been around 2007, and Super Junior and Kim Yuna were models for a school uniform brand together. We were taking a break from the CF filming, and Yesung was on the computer. Yuna asked Yesung, ‘Oppa, what are you doing?’, and Yesung answered, ‘I’m on my mini-hompy. Do you want to be my friend?’ I was nearby and I asked, ‘Can you be friends with me too?’. We all became friends, but we never really talked to each other.”
He continued, “On a bus during a broadcast, we were talking about the members’ secrets and embarrassing stories. I was going to reveal the story with becoming friends with Kim Yuna on Cyworld, but someone told me, ‘Hyung, that might hurt Kim Yuna’, and I said, ‘I was going to but it didn’t happen’. The article before the broadcast interpreted it as that I was rejected and that it was an embarrassment.”
Leeteuk revealed, “I apologized on air. Kim Yuna told me that everything was ok in person. I have no ties with her now.” He sent a message to her saying, “It’s a touchy subject, and you are a national hero that represents our country. I want to apologize again. I hope you work hard until the Sochi Olympics and make our country shine again.“
TVXQ’s U-Know Yunho recently revealed that it was a hit by Lee Jung Hyun that he covered in SM Town’s audition that made him singer.
On the episode of SBS’s Strong Heart that aired on November 6, U-Know Yunho revealed, “I survived in SM’s audition that made me singer by covering a song originally done by Lee Jung Hyun.”
The heartthrob said, “On my way to Seoul from my hometown, Gwangju, I was mugged in the street and was taken all the CD I was carrying for the audition. It was pretty late at night, so all music stores were closed.”
The superstar seemed to remember the nervousness and the excitement he felt before and after the big SM audition that made him a singer. “I headed off to my relative’s place, feeling hopeless and devastated. But when I get there, I found a CD of Lee Jung Hyun’s and listening to all the songs on the album. Then I chose the song “Peace” for the next day’s audition as I had a feeling something good with the song. Thanks to the song, I luckily survived in the SM audition.”
Meanwhile, Lee Jung Hyun reveals, “I’ve seen Yunho in just a shower gown in a hotel,” which aroused great curiosity.
Photo Credit: karheng photography
“Tonight with Lee Seung Gi in Malaysia” showcase, organized by Jazzy Group was held at Kenanga Wholesale City on 2nd November 2012. Fans from as far as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, China etc had travelled to Malaysia to watch the multi-entertainer perform and interact with fans as part of his Asia Tour having stopped in Singapore and Taiwan earlier on.
The show started at 8:30pm with MC Mynn Lee getting the crowd roaring in excitement and Seung Gi hit the stage with his dancers belting out “Alone in Love” as the first song. Seung Gi proceeded to greet his fans in English expressing his happiness to finally be here in Malaysia.
Next up was the interaction session which saw many lucky fans having the opportunity to interact directly with Seung Gi as well as win autographed merchandise as well as hugs from Seung Gi! First game was the ‘Singing Game’ where 8 lucky fans were called on stage (via lucky draw picked by Seung Gi) to take part. When the song came on and Seung Gi sang a few verses, as the music stopped, the fan that ran to the mic to sing the correct verse thereafter would earn a point. A few times it was the audience who gave away the answers and Seung Gi had to cheekily shush them from giving the answers away.
Popular scenes from Seung Gi’s dramas were also played on the screen for the audience to watch and along side were some Q&A on the drama scenes. One of the scenes which got most fans screaming in excitement was the famous bicycle scene from the drama ‘Brilliant Legacy’. Two lucky fans were chosen to reenact the same scene with a bicycle pedaled by Seung Gi!
Seung Gi went on to perform “Losing My Mind” and thereafter chose another 6 lucky fans to go on stage to perform the dance steps to this song. He patiently taught the fans the dance steps and the winner (as judged by Seung Gi) received a back hug from Seung Gi!
A video produced by the Malaysian Airen Fan Club for Seung Gi was played on the screen and at the end of the video, fans seated at the front row had screamed for Seung Gi to look at their direction as the first row audience held up placards in Korean which said “Malaysia Airens loves Lee Seung Gi”. Two representatives from the MAFC presented also Seung Gi with a “Wau Bulan” momento and a caricature of him.
Seung Gi went backstage to change and kick start the mini-concert where he belted out 5 of his popular songs, namely: “Aren’t we friends”, “Will you marry me”, “Smile Boy, “Let’s go on a vacation” and Because you’re my woman”. After singing “Because you’re my woman”, Seung Gi expressed that he felt emotional after singing this song, something which he has not felt before even after singing this song countless of times. Fans started shouting for an encore performance and Seung Gi promised to deliver one last song.
The last song for the night was “Slave” and Seung Gi got everyone up on their feet again dancing and screaming away. Fans were on a high jumping and singing along with him and it can be seen that Seung Gi gave his all and did not dissapoint. Seung Gi delivered an outstanding performance for the night, something which all Airens will always remember. The showcase ended with a group photo session for the VIP ticket holders.
Korea.com would like to thank organizer Jazzy Group for the kind invitation to attend this showcase. Stay tune to Jazzy group for news on future concerts/showcase events!
Super Junior and ELF are celebrating their 7th anniversary.
The members had celebrated beforehand to share the event with leader Leeteuk before he went to the army. However, since November 6th is their official debut date, the members and fans celebrated the event through SNS.
A few days ago, Siwon tweeted,
Thank you all ! always our lights! youtube.com/watch?v=K9-cda…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) November 2, 2012
Attaching a video that ELF made for their 7th anniversary.
On the official anniversary date, Donghae was the first to tweet, “Super Junior 7th!! 7 years that Super Junior and ELF has been together!! We’re going to be together from now on, too!! I love you!!” and uploaded an older photo of Super Junior that included Leeteuk as well as Super Junior-M members Henry and Zhoumi and staff members.
Thank you E.L.F. being our soulmate! Let’s celebrate our 7th anniversary! cheers! twitter.com/siwon407/statu…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) November 5, 2012
ELF also took to arms, setting two trends on Twitter, #슈퍼주니어7주년 and #HappySJ7thAnniversary. The first hashtag currently ranks at #1 on the trending list, right below the promoted trend, and the second hashtag was near the top spot as well.
Congratulations to Super Junior!
Brian Joo recently tweeted the above photo of himself with 2AM members’ Jinwoon and Jokwon. He tweeted that he enioyed a lunch date with the two. He also revealed that they are currently in Jeju Island. Below is the screencap of his original tweet.
He also tweeted other pictures with Jinwoon and Jokwon but this time NS Yoonji was also present. They look happy and it seems like they are really enjoying themselves.
miss A’s Suzy recently drew a lot of attention for her fashion style at an airport.
Suzy attended ‘The 2nd Glamping Festival’ with the urban outdoor brand Bean Pole Outdoor from Cheil Industries.
Suzy appeared at the airport in a stripped T-shirt, raccoon fur red vest down jumper, and jeans. Her simple and bubbly outdoor fashion drew a lot of attention from the public and reporters.
People who saw the pictures responded: “Suzy looks pretty in casual fashions.” “I think that is the perfect fashion to go to the airport.” “Looks light and good.”
miss A is currently keeping busy with the title song “I Don’t Need A Man.”
This Tuesday’s episode of SBS‘s ‘Strong Heart‘ has been revealed to be a ‘goodbye special’ saying farewell to the program’s fixed cast member of three years, Super Junior‘s Leeteuk.
When asked for his thoughts by the MCs, Leeteuk replied,“When this is broadcast, I’ll be receiving my training,” he reflected. “I still can’t get my head around it.”
The broadcast was recorded five days prior to Leeteuk’s enlistment, and will also feature fellow same-day conscript Sangchu of Mighty Mouth, along with boy groups TVXQ, Super Junior, and SHINee.
Source: Newsis via Nate
In honor of JYJ‘s Park Yoochun, a road will be named ‘Park Yoochun Cherry Blossom Road‘.
The ‘Park Yoochun Cherry Blossom Road‘ will be a small section of a larger road scheduled to be built in the city of Incheon, near the waterway on its west side. The road will be completed some time in 2013 and the Park Yoochun named section will stretch for 100m (approximately 328 ft). The entire road will be 1.8 km (approximately 1.1 miles) long and is being built as a grand entrance way for the Asiad Stadium and the 2014 Asian Games.
The stretch of road was honored in his name because Yoochun‘s fanclub continuously donated to a campaign to help the ecosystem for the waterway that will run near the road. It also donated many clothing items for a campaign to collect used clothing to help those in need, and their total donation adds up to 10 million KRW (approximately $9,100 USD). Those in charge of the road decided to thank the fanclub by naming a part of the cherry blossom road after Yoochun.
Kim Jong Kook revealed the story of how he came to acquire his trademark ‘mosquito’ voice.
On ‘Happy Together 3‘, Kim Jong Kook revealed, “Actually, when I was young I almost died. Back then, mosquito repellent came in a can and you had to blow it to use it. I thought it was a soft drink, so I drank the entire can. I got my stomach pumped, and my mom told me my voice was like this after that.”
The others didn’t believe him at first, so the singer further added, “I might have gotten an injury in my throat because of the pumping.“
U Kiss that consists of AJ, Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop, Eli, Kevin, and Dongho, successfully fired the first flare of the South America project.
According to their agency, NH Media, on November 3, U Kiss successfully ended their solo concert at Estadio Monomental in Lima, Peru on November 1.
A publicist of the agency says, “7,000 people, the number of the people gathered and their enthusiasm was beyond our expectations.” This was the second time that a Korean artist performed in Peru after JYJ.
The media showed a lot of attention towards U Kiss’ concert. The biggest broadcasting company American Channel made a special live talk show before the concert.
After the concert, many broadcasting companies and acquaintances of multiple broadcasting media have sought them out for various events.
U Kiss’ agency reveals, “We don’t think of South American market as a one-time issue. Starting with Peru, we are planning and adjusting our promotion schedule in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Columbia. We will be the first Korean artist to tour around five countries of South America.
U Kiss will come back to Korea after a fan meeting with 2,000 fans on November 2.
We previously reported that JYJ‘s Jaejoong‘s Twitter account had been deleted. With fans voicing their concerns and false rumors spreading, C-JeS Entertainment has addressed the reason behind the deactivation of the singer’s Twitter account.
As mentioned previously, the last tweet seen on Jaejoong’s Twitter had read, “I must be getting punished..” It turns out those words had not been written by Jaejoong, but rather by an individual who had hacked his account.
C-JeS told TVdaily, “Early in the morning, Kim Jaejoong had symptoms of a cold so he posted ‘Ah.. I’m getting a cold.. My head is starting to hurt.. Anyways.. Jackal is Coming Aja’, and then went to sleep.” They explained that the account had been hacked afterwards and Jaejoong had decided to leave Twitter due to the incident.
In addition to the hacking, rumors had been afloat that Jaejoong had been rushed to the emergency room after receiving shock due to getting hacked. However, C-JeS put the rumors to rest as they commented, “This is not true. He had a bit of a cold and since he needs to leave the country for a fan meeting, he just went to the hospital to check up on his condition.”
“When he had woken up to go visit the hospital, he realized his Twitter had been hacked, and after informing the agency about the hacking, he decided to leave Twitter,” they further explained.
As fans know, this is not the first time the singer has been hacked. He warned previously that if he was continued to be hacked that he would get rid of his Twitter, and it seems he has now followed through with his warning.
Source + Image: TVdaily
JYJ‘s Jaejoong‘s Twitter account (@mjjeje) has gone missing.
The singer had tweeted earlier this morning “Ah… I’m starting to catch a cold.. My head is starting to hurt.. Anyways.. Jackal is Coming Aja”.
Then a few hours later, he wrote “…” and changed his profile name to ‘…’ as well, which was when fans started to become a bit concerned about what could be going on. The last tweet from the singer was then posted, which read, “I must be getting punished..”
Since then, it seems the account has been deleted or deactivated, leaving fans panicking as another means of keeping up with the singer and the group is gone.
It is not yet clear what has happened and no explanation has been offered, so stay tuned for updates.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Actor Song Joong Ki showed off his talent in both acting and singing.
Song is receiving many favorable reviews for his acting in KBS 2TV’s drama series Nice Guy. He also ranked in the top ten of the charts with a soundtrack of the series, released on October 31.
“Really,” a soundtrack of Nice Guy, sung by Song, is a ballad that describes the feelings of Maru (played by Song Joong Ki) towards Eun Gi (played by Moon Chae Won). It reminds listeners of the story of Maru and Eun Gi with its lyrical melody and sad lyrics.
As the story reaches the climax, the song is attracting more attention. The sad, innocent voice of Song touches many viewers.
Song has become popular for not only his acting but also the soundtrack of the series.
The episode of Nice Guy that aired on November 1 recorded an audience rating of 17.1 percent, the highest of those of the series that aired at the same time.
The passionate kissing scene of JYJ’s Jae Joong and actress Kim Ji Won is currently attracting a lot of attention.
On November 2, a spokesperson for singer Baek Seung Heon released a teaser of the music video of “Until The Sun Rises,” Baek’s debut song. In the teaser, the kissing scene comes out. In some snapshots of the music video, Jae Joong is kissing Kim passionately.
Kim has received a lot of attention in the commercial for Oran C, which she shot in May, 2010, when she was a high school student. She has become popular in MBC TV’s sitcom series High Kick 3, The Short Legs Counterattack, SBS TV’s drama series To The Beautiful You, and the film Romantic Heaven.
“Until The Sun Rises,” Baek’s debut song, is written by Beom Yi Nang, who also wrote Heo Gak’s “I Can Only Say I Want To Die.” It’s a medium-tempo song, accompanied by a drum beat and bell, brass, and electronic piano sounds.
Its melody is very addictive unlike other songs that are easy to get sick of, and its lyrics are also very impressive. The lyrics describe a man who has just fallen in love with a girl with a frank message that says, “Please stay with me until the sun rises.”
The song and the teaser of the music video will be released on November 2 at noon.
Kim Jong Kook revealed that he had become close friends with famous soccer star Park Ji Sung through ‘Running Man‘.
On a recent episode of YTN‘s ‘Issue and People‘, he said, “I think my image as a variety person solidified because of ‘Running Man’. I recently visited an elementary school, and I was really surprised. One of the students actually didn’t know that I was a singer and instead recognized me because I was on TV. On one hand, that’s a little troubling, but ultimately I’m just happy that the public recognizes and likes me. I recently started again as a singer. Lately, the trend is to put out singles and mini albums, but I put out a full album because I wanted to mark a new beginning. I thought it would be disrespectful to just put out a single. I want to meet my fans again with a solid album.”
He also revealed that he had talked about his album with Park Ji Sung and fellow soccer player Son Heung Min. He said, “Park Ji Sung became really close with all the members after he appeared on ‘Running Man’. We sent him a support video before one of his soccer matches. He also sent support in return for my album. I told him that I was working on a new album, and he said, ‘Hurry up and release it. I’m going to get focused on my matches through listening to your album.’”
SBS‘s new drama, ‘The Lord of the Drama‘ (former title: King of Drama), has been highly anticipated because it features actors such as Super Junior‘s Siwon, Jung Ryeo Won, and Kim Myung Min.
The drama has now released a trailer video before its first episode on November 5th, featuring a teaser that flips back and forth between seriousness and humor. It is also loaded with references to the movie ‘The Lord of the Rings‘, which is also reflective in the title. Kim Myung Min’s character has a ring while he is called ‘The Lord of the Drama’, but his life goes quite literally down the drain when he loses his ring.
Check out the video below!
Recently, Moon Chae Won proposed to Song Joong Ki.
In the 16th episode of KBS 2’s drama series The Innocent Man that aired on November 1, Eun Gi (played by Moon Chae Won) was spotted proposing to Maru (played by Song Joong Ki).
As Eun Gi is talking to her ex-boyfriend Jung Hoon (played by Denny Ahn), she remember some memories with Maru and directly goes to see him.
Maru is on his way out from the police station as he clears himself of a false charge of assault. Eun Gi welcomes him and as she tells him that she remembers things from the past, Maru becomes sincerely glad.
Very excited and happy for remembering her memories with Maru, Eun Gi says, “Let’s get married. I want to get married to you, nothing like a false fiancée but involved in a real marriage.”
She proposes him as she continues, “I want to get married with Mr. Maru and become his real family. A warm, and supporting family. Let’s get married. What do you say?” Maru accepts her proposal as he answers. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Following a pre-release of selected songs from his new album, Kim Jong Kook has released his 7th full length album ‘Journey Home‘ after a long hiatus.
As mentioned previously, his fellow ‘Running Man‘ members HaHa and Gary also participated in the album to support the singer’s return to the music scene as well as actor Song Joong Ki, who starred in the newly revealed music video for the track “Men Are All Like That“.
Check out the music video below and stay tuned for audio clips of the tracks off his album!
Super Junior‘s Choi Siwon recently shared his views on love and stated that he is very careful when it comes to love.
The idol revealed his thoughts on October 31st while talking with reporters during the press event for his new SBS drama, ‘King of Drama‘.
He revealed, “I am open when it comes to meeting someone, but I am extremely careful and cautious when it comes to love.”
He continued, “I wanted to break Choi Siwon’s image. I wanted to be light and free, not heavy. I wanted to give a gift with the word ‘delightful’,” and revealed why he chose to work on this project.
‘King of Drama’ will focus on a drama producing company and the happenings around the company. The company is led by Anthony Kim (played by Kim Myung Min), drama script writer Lee Go Eun (played by Jung Ryeo Won), and an out of this world top star Kang Hyun Min (played by Choi Siwon).
With a diverse cast, a story by writers Jang Hang Joon and Lee Ji Hyo, and led by Hong Sung Chang PD, it is a drama that is being highly anticipated. The drama will air after the end of ‘Faith‘ with its first broadcast scheduled for November 5th.
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First up we bring you the frighteningly titled 'Red Mask Girl'! Yeah, ok, doesn't sound that menacing, but you wouldn't want to meet this lady on a dark night. The story goes that this young woman underwent plastic surgery, however something went wrong and the surgeon cut her mouth from ear to ear. Sexy… To cover her face, the woman wears a red mask and now stalks the night for unsuspecting passers by and harasses them by asking if they think she's pretty. The dreaded question! But wait, this tale gets scarier than that. If you say 'no', she'll get angry and give you a matching smile. If you say 'yes', she'll accuse you of lying and cut your throat. There's just no pleasing some people! WHY SO SERIOUS? (you see what we did there?)
If you're walking at night and manage to avoid the 'Red Mask Girl', you're not safe yet! There's an octogenarian who's lost her cat. Yup, more terrifying tales. 'Hong Kong Grandma' was on her way to Hong Kong with her beloved moggie when the plane crashed and poor beloved Hong Kong Grandma and her cat died. But her love for her cat was so strong that their spirits merged creating a catwoman (not the sexy leather clad version but a half and half face version…) and now she wonders the Earth trying to locate her beloved pet. (Hint: You ARE the cat, Grandma!) Never fear though, there are some fail safe rules to follow if you're confronted with this confused woman:
"If you go outside your house after sunset, you will meet the ghost of the Hong Kong Grandma. If she asks you a question you must always make sure to add "Hong Kong" at the end of your answer. If she asks to see your fingernails, you must never show the white part, you have to turn your fingers the other way. Sometimes she also calls your name from outside the window, in which case you must never open the window." Quote from this website.
Source: Korean Class Massive
Following the release of the still cut photo for Yoo Seung Ho, MBC‘s ‘I Miss You‘ has released still cuts of main characters Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye.
The photos show the two standing in dark settings, sometimes next to a rainy window. In all photos, both look sorrowful, expressing their sadness of their past pains.
Yoochun surprised the staff because he was able to cry on the spot as he was filming. Yoon Eun Hye has expressed her resolve to leave her cute, bright image behind to perform a more serious, heavy role.
The first episode of the drama will air on November 7th, but check out the still cuts in the meantime below.
‘Strong Heart‘ revealed that there are nearly 40 idols looking to audition for Leeteuk‘s now vacant spot on the show.
A representative from the show stated, “There’s an active search to fill Leeteuk’s vacant spot. We’re thinking of idol members with various charms that also have variety skills.” They will be going ahead with the ‘variety intern’ strategy, letting various idols film for the spot and choosing out those who have good feedback from the staff and public.
The representative continued, “There are 30 to 40 idols who are actively trying out for the spot. We haven’t filmed anything yet, but there will be something set up where they can battle for Leeteuk’s vacant spot, and that will also be aired on the show.”
Who would you like to see take over Leeteuk’s spot?
Singer Lee Seung Chul recently shared a photo of his family in celebration of Halloween.
On October 30, Lee tweeted a photo of his family with the caption: “My daughter, Won and her buddy, along with my wife.”
In the photo, Lee’s wife, his second daughter Won, and her friend strike a pose. Lee’s daughter and her budyy are dressed as princesses in celebration of Halloween.
Lee’s missus, in a witch hat, and her cute daughter are all smile.
The singer is currently appearing in Super Star K4 as a judge.
Korean American singers Brian Joo and Heather Park collaborated with a team of Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy winners in the new US-produced Broadway-style musical, Loving the Silent Tears. The musical was held on October 27th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and raised $300,000 which will be donated to three organizations: Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Animal Defenders International, and Worldwide Veterinary Service.
More than 6,000 people were in the audience and the huge cast also featured Tony-winning Broadway stars, Grammy-winning pop music icons, and international stars: 2-time Grammy Award-winning music icon Jon Secada, Grammy winner R&B/pop star Jody Watley, Tony winner Debbie Gravitte, Tony nominee Patti Cohenour, and Emmy winner and Tony nominee Liz Callaway.
Also adding their unique voices were many top international singers: Grammy-winning reggae legends Black Uhuru, Arab singer Camellia Abou-Odah, French singer Flo Ankah, actor Junior Case, award-winning actor Luke Eberl, Vietnamese pop star Hồ Quỳnh Hương, Italian tenor Mark Janicello, award-winning Israeli singer Liel Kolet, Irish soprano Katie McMahon, award-winning Brazilian singer Fabiana Passoni, Persian superstar Siavash Shams, and Chinese platinum pop star Kay Tse.
In a statement, Brian said, “I’ve never imagined to be a part of a production of this caliber. Music has always been the main reason for who I am and to be able to perform and share the stage with these many talented artists is like meeting the Supreme Master Ching Hai herself. I am honestly more humbled than ever before, and cannot wait to see where this night will go. Let the journey begin!”
Heather also stated, “It’s an incredible honor to be included among such a diverse, talented, beautiful cast. I’ve been a personal fan of Jon and Jody since I was younger, as well as Black Uhuru.”
“Loving the Silent Tears” told the story of an older, bereaved woman named Joy (played by Patti Cohenour from “The Phantom of the Opera”) and an ambitious young man named Pete (played by Luke Eberl from “Planet of the Apes”) who are both struggling in ways that we all could relate to. They go on magical train ride through 16 countries as they also embark on an inner journey toward peace.
“The musical’s message is faith, compassion, gratitude, finding your way out of despair, and finding your inner peace and joy,” explained the legendary Jody Watley.
When the train stopped at a beautiful Korean winter scene, Brian and Heather, in roles that simply represented their culture, performed a moving song titled “Singing Praise.” Their song stood out as one of the softer and more ethereal songs in the whole show. The music was by Oscar and 2-time Grammy winning composer David Shire, who scored famous Broadway musicals like “Baby” and for movies like “Saturday Night Fever. Two-time Oscar-winning composer Al Kasha (“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “The Poseidon Adventure”) was inspired to bring Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poetry collection, “Silent Tears,” into a musical medium. A team of eminent composers including Kasha and Shire set the poems to music, including 6-time Grammy winner & 2-time Oscar nominee Jorge Calandrelli (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Emmy winner Doug Katsaros (“Footloose”), 2-time Grammy winner & Oscar nominee Henry Krieger (“Dreamgirls”), Tony and Emmy winner Don Pippin (“La Cage aux Folles”), and Grammy winner Nan Schwartz (“Harry Potter”).
As Heather Park sang a line in English, Brian echoed her words in Korean; their voices were both clear and harmonious together. They were dressed in ancient traditional Korean costumes but with fantasy-like details.
Check out some photos from the special night below.
Lee Seung Gi will be making his comeback as a singer in late November!
A representative from Hook Entertainment stated, “Lee Seung Gi will be making a comeback with his 5.5 mini-album on November 22.“ The as-yet-unnamed mini-album is his first release since his 5th album ‘Tonight‘ last year.
Lee Seung Gi himself is reported to have asked Epitone Project to work with him on the upcoming mini-album. Though the album will feature the singer’s trademark ballads, it will steer away from the rock ballad genre to a more soothing sound.
He’ll also be holding the ‘Lee Seung Gi Hope Concert‘ at Seoul’s Olympic Park Gymnasium on December 1 and 2 KST.
On the October 30th episode of SBS‘ ‘Strong Heart‘, A Pink‘s Eunji featured as a guest and revealed how she received an angry phone call from her CEO and dad following her kiss scene with co-star Seo In Guk in the hit drama ‘Reply 1997‘.
Eunji shared, “First off, people around me were surprised by the kind of role I was given. I am a girl group member, I just turned 20 years old, and [it was unusual for me] to play a 33-year-old mature character. To put it simply, people around me were flabbergasted, especially by my kiss scene with Seo In Guk.”
She continued, “After watching that scene, my dad called in from abroad. He doesn’t usually make international calls, but he called and said, ‘What are you doing on the stairwell without my permission?’ and expressed his anger. I think he was shocked to see his daughter doing that in public. So I explained to him that she is ‘Sung Shi Won’ and I am Jung Eunji, but he replied, ‘Either way, that’s your face’.”
Check out the “stairwell kiss” scene that caused her dad’s reaction below!
Leeteuk recently gave his thoughts on starting his army service.
On October 30, Leeteuk tweeted, “Please send me lots of letters so that I don’t get lonely! Take care! I’ll be back soon! Please wait for me just a little bit.”
On October 29, Leeteuk uploaded a picture of his bedroom on his Twitter account with the comment, “My room. I liked this room a lot, so I didn’t go back to my parents’ house often. I’m showing you my room for the first time.”
At this, Leeteuk’s fans replied: “Take care of yourself.” “I’ll wait for you and send you lots of letters.”
Leeteuk has been suffering from his back pain, which worsened after he got into a car accident in 2007. However, he got to serve in the army as a full-time soldier after receiving constant hospital treatment. Leeteuk enters the 306 boot camp on October 30, receive basic military training for five weeks, and serve in the army for 21 months.
Super Junior’s leader Leeteuk and Mighty Mouth’s leader Sang Choo start their army service on October 30.
They’re both entering the 306 boot camp on October 30. Receiving basic military training, they will serve in the army for 21 months.
Leeteuk will say goodbye to reporters and his fans before entering the boot camp. To see him off, all Super Junior members will come with Leeteuk. Because Super Junior are popular all over the world, many overseas fans are expected to be there.
Sang Choo is also entering the boot camp on the same day. Shorry, another member of Mighty Mouth, will come to the boot camp to see him off.
On October 30 at around 7:00 a.m., Sang Choo tweeted, “I’ll take care of myself well! I feel so happy now. It was great to see that there are so many people who care about me and love me. I could also look back into my life, reflect on myself, and realize how valuable every moment was. I tried to spent this month well not to regret. I’m Mr. energizer Sang Choo! I Love You! Please take care of Shorry and Duck&Chichen! Sang Choo is coming back soon!”
Sang Choo also uploaded a picture of himself with Leeteuk on his Twitter account with the comment, “Leeteuk and Sang Choo yesterday. Everything has become a reality now. Let’s smile.”
They were allowed to work as public service workers at first, but they decided to serve in the army as full-time soldiers after receiving hospital treatment.
Super Junior’s Leeteuk attracted attention by saying his last goodbyes with his fingers before entering the army.
On the afternoon of October 29, Leeteuk uploaded a picture on his Twitter, “I promise to meet again in 21 months. Good Bye.” In the picture, the letters of ‘Good Bye’ are written in each of his fingers. Leeteuk expressed his heart through this greeting.
Fans responded, “I will wait for you.” “Your goodbye makes me feel sad and a little big bitter.” “I will definitely wait for you.”
On October 30, Leeteuk will be entering 306 replacement depot of Uijeongbu and receive the basic training as a military soldier. He will then be serving the army for 21 months thereafter.
Super Junior‘s Siwon has asked fans to support his decision on his next hairstyle.
He tweeted earlier on the 26th, “I have something to discuss with ELF today. Please anticipate it”, leaving fans in suspense as they wondered what the singer had in store.
A few hours later, he announced the topic of discussion, shocking many of his fans as he tweeted, “My dear ELF. I have heard that you are strongly opposed to me growing out my hair. However, I will not yield and I will grow out my hair like the picture. So could you support [my decision] now ^^? My beautiful ones *_*”
친애하는 앨프님들. 제가 머리기르는거에 대해 강력히 반대하신다는 얘기를 들었습니다. 하지만 전 굴하지 않고 사진속 저 머리만큼 기를것입니다. 이제 그만 서포트하시죠^^? 이 아름다운이들이여 *_* twitter.com/siwon407/statu…
— SiwonChoi (@siwon407) October 26, 2012
So what do you think about his next hairstyle? Does he have your support?
[Thank to everyone who sent this in!]
Singer John Park shared his concern as he confessed, “I’m not very popular among men.”
In the episode of KBS’s Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook that aired on October 27, John Park shared, “Most of men don’t like me. If I have 100 fans, only two of them are male. I have no idea why there’s such a big difference in the male and female ratio.”
On hearing this, the host Yoo Hee Yeol started to encourage men in the audience to ask him questions in the hope of providing solution to his “problem.”
The first question he received was, “Since when did you become aware of your good looks?” Park answered, “My first appearance in TV helped me realize that.”
Then second question followed, “Do you tend to have naughty thoughts when you feel lonely?” The star candidly replied, “Actually, I do. A lot.”
The episode also covered Park performing “Falling” and his new track “Childlike.”
Leeteuk was a guest on MBC Music‘s ‘All the K-Pop‘.
On the show, he talked about his upcoming enlistment, stating, “I’ll safely finish my army life and come back as a man.” He tried to be stoic, but couldn’t help but tear up when Boom and Shindong showed up. However, he got up immediately and managed to brighten up the mood of the show again with his usual variety skills.
A few hours before the episode aired, Leeteuk tweeted, “I’m going to shave my hair now.. I thought of this song.. It was a song I sang a lot when I was little.. Shave your hair bald……. I only look good with my hair.. I’m ruined kekekekekekekekekekekekeke“.
Leeteuk will reveal his shaved hair during the filming for ‘Star King‘ on the 29th, which is also Kang Ho Dong‘s return episode.
JYJ’s Jae Joong recently showed off his face without makeup.
On October 25, Jae Joong uploaded a picture of himself on his Twitter account with the comment, “My day passed all right today. Let’s cheer up, again! Good night.”
In the picture, Jae Joong is exposing his forehead without wearing makeup. However, his skin is very clean. He even looks prettier than girls.
People responded: “He’s prettier than I am.” “Are you going to upload another picture next morning?” “Jae Joong is so nice to his fans.”
Park Si Yeon blamed Song Joong Ki about leaking confidential information.
On the thirteenth episode of Good Guy that aired on October 24, Jae Hee(played by Park Si Yeon) blamed Maru(played by Song Joong Ki) about leaking confidential information.
Jae Hee even forged and made up evidence to blame Maru.
The blame was that Maru, who used to be an information broker, leaked confidential information about Taesan Incorporation to its competing agency.
When Maru came to her after hearing the charges against him, Jae Hee warned him, “I assure you that you won’t be able to get out of this one easily. The fact and evidence that you did it is all over, but it will be hard to find proof that you did not do it.”
She added, “So drop everything and go right now. If you do so, I’ll contact a prosecutor I know and cancel all the charges against you.”
Super Junior leader Leeteuk shared his feelings as his enlistment date quickly approaches.
Leeteuk tweeted on October 23rd, “D-7. I will try to make this the happiest week of my life.”
Leeteuk will film his final episode of SBS‘s ‘Strong Heart‘ on the 25th and conclude all of his broadcast commitments. On the 30th, he will report to Gyeonggi-do Uijeong-boo to join the 306 unit for his enlistment. Leeteuk will take part in basic training for 5 weeks and then serve the remaining 21 months as an active duty soldier.
Netizens who saw Leeteuk’s comment wrote, “You are really going to leave in one week“, “Who will fill the void that is made once he leaves“, “I hope you truly make the happiest week of your life“, and “Please keep us updated on how you are doing while you are in the army.”
Source: Leeteuk’s Twitter
Super Junior and Psy will perform at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards, which will be held in Hong Kong on November 30.
Super Junior topped the charts with their sixth album early this year, and their music videos are also popular in many Asian countries, North and South American countries, and Australia.
Psy is currently popular in such countries as the U.S., the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands with his song, “Gangnam Style.”
Han Dong Cheol, a director of the 2012 MAMA, says, “Super Junior and Psy are all world-famous singers. After we announced that the 2012 MAMA will soon be held, many people from such nearby Asian countries as Hong Kong inquired about Super Junior and Psy’s appearance. They have already given high-quality performances for their fans on music awards held by Mnet. They’re expected to give upgraded performances for the audience at the 2012 MAMA, so please look forward to them. More world-renowned singers will perform at the awards. We’ll announce their names one by one.”
Names of the nominated singers will be released on October 23 at 5:00 p.m. on Mnet’s WIDE.
The 2012 MAMA will be held on November 30 at HKCEC (Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center).
The official poster for the new film Jackal is Coming, the first film for JYJ’s Jae Joong, was recently released.
On October 22, Lotte Entertainment released a poster for Jackal is Coming. In the poster, killer Bong Min Jung (played by Song Ji Hyo) and top celebrity Choi Hyun (played by JYJ’s Jae Joong) are in contrasting poses. Bong Min Jung is drinking water, leaning against a refrigerator, and Choi Hyun is staring at her with fear in his eyes.
Song is showing off a charismatic look in a black outfit, holding a gun in her hand and wearing heavy eye makeup, and Jae Joong is reading Song’s countenance, tied by sticky tapes.
The film Jackal is Coming is about killer Bong Min Jung who kidnaps top celebrity Choi Hyun as her last mission. It will be released on November 15.
All actors and actresses are ready to shoot MBC’s new Wednesday-Thursday series Missing You, which will start airing in November.
On October 22, an official for the series said that Yoo Seung Ho decided to appear on the series with JYJ’s Park Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye. Child actor and actress Yeo Jin Goo and Kim So Hyun will appear as a young Park and Yoon.
Park, Yoon, and Yoo will create a love triangle in the series and are drawing considerable attention.
Park will play the role of a detective named Han Jung Woo, who still misses his first love. He is delightful but chases criminals like a fierce animal.
Yoon will play the role of a fashion designer named Lee Soo Yeon. She is always bright and confident in herself, but she is also hiding her sadness deep inside her mind.
Yoo will play the role of an asset manager named Kang Hyung Joon. He looks gentle but he seeks vengeance upon Han Jung Woo.
The series is written by writer Moon Hee Jung, who wrote Can You Hear My Heart and The Last Scandal Of My Life. Producer Lee Jae Dong, who produced Thank You, will work with the writer together for the new series.
Super Junior’s Choi Siwon recently received a lot of attention by delivering flowers to his fans as an event.
The surprise event was conducted by cosmetic brand Mamonde to celebrate the release of their new product First Energy Serum and opening the Siwon and Yuri’s Flower House.
Among customers, who participated in the event, Choi chose one and delivered a bunch of flowers.
He also gave the customer the First Energy Serum and took pictures together. He also communicated with his fans by giving flowers to them on the street.
The event will continue until November 18. You can participate in the event on the Mamonde website (www.mamonde.co.kr) and through the Siwon and Yuri’s Flower House (phone 010-4040-0202/010-4748-0204).
Choi will appear on SBS’s new Monday-Tuesday series Lord of the Drama with Kim Myeong Min and Jung Ryeo Won. Through the series, he will show off his great sense of humor.
The pictorial of Super Junior’s new unit, K.R.Y(Kyuhyun, Ryuwook, and Yesung) is creating a stir.
K.R.Y revealed their sentimental pictorial on Men’s Magazine, L’Officiel Hommes.
K.R.Y is a new unit of Super Junior’s vocals: Kyuhyun, Ryuwook and Yesung. The name of the group means that it is an extension of Super Junior’s activities and is an abbreviation of each member’s initials.
Fashion photographer Bori shot the pictorial, revealing different charms for each of the members.
Kyuhyun gazed about with a gloomy look and Ryuwook revealed sharp yet indifferent charms. It has been said that Yesung amazed the staff by making a fancy and sexy ambience throughout the shooting.
This coming activity of the new unit will likely be loved by many fans who are waiting for Super Junior’s new album and activities.
The pictorial of K.R.Y will be available on the November edition of L’Officiel Hommes.
Singer Kim Hyun Joong revealed the main jacket of his first Japanese album.
On the morning of October 22, Kim’s agency, Key East revealed a teaser image of his first official Japanese album, Unlimited that will be released on December 12.
Holding a guitar, Kim is showing off his mature looks with cold eyes. He looks tough yet carefree because of his tattoo.
The title song of the album, Unlimited that contains 14 new songs and hit songs, is “Your Story.” Modern rock band, Daybreak’s bassist Kim Sun Il played and rearranged the song. In the album, “Save Today” is a collaboration of Korea’s popular rock band, Pia, Downhell, and Daybreak.
It seems like Japanese record media is paying attention to the news of Kim Hyun Joong’s upcoming album. An acquaintance of Japanese media says, “Kim Hyun Joong has high achievements such as ranking the top in the Oricon charts and various other charts with both his singles. He really is the leading K-pop star. He already is a big threat to other K pop artists and even Japanese artists.”
Currently, Kim is busy shooting for KBS 2TV’s upcoming TV series, Conquest of The City and preparing his upcoming album.
The members of JYJ have once again left fans smiling over the display of their friendship.
Junsu revealed a conversation exchanged between himself and Yoochun through smartphone app Kakao Talk on Twitter with the words, “The ordinary, everyday conversation between two 27 year old men.”
The first screen shot showed Junsu commenting “The response to my Kakao Talk [message] came this fast? I’m touched”. Yoochun replied, “Hahaha. What are you doing??” to which Junsu teased, “Thinking of you…”
However, Yoochun was quick to shoot back, “Get out”, which left Junsu to send a crying emoticon in response. The two then went on to exchange various emoticons with one another as shown in the second screen capture and both ended the conversation with laughter.
Lee Seung Gi’s agency is displeased about the rumor that Lee will host a variety show, which is scheduled to air after SBS TV’s Go Show goes off the air.
On October 18, Hook Entertainment, Lee’s agency, reported, “Lee Seung Gi is willing to do variety shows as long as they’re good. SBS has been asking him to host a variety show since he left Kang Shim Jang. He was also asked to do a new variety show, which will be produced by Seo Hye Jin.”
The agency went on saying, “We said we will make a decision after reading a program proposal of the show, but we haven’t received it yet. Many TV stations are trying to cast Lee Seung Gi on their variety shows, but we wonder why all the rumors about Lee Seung Gi and variety shows are always related to SBS.”
Lee’s agency also said, “We feel displeased when such rumors come out. We’re afraid that Lee Seung Gi is seen as a person who often changes his mind. The case of 100 People’s Table was also the same. He decided not to host the show after reading a program proposal of the show, but it was reported that the show was canceled to air because Lee Seung Gi changed his mind. We’re displeased when this kind of news gets reported before Lee Seung Gi makes a decision.”
SBS said they asked Lee to host a variety show, but he hasn’t made a decision yet.
Super Junior’s Leeteuk will invite his friends to his last episode of SBS TV’s Kang Shim Jang.
Before joining the army, Leeteuk will shoot his last episode of Kang Shim Jang on October 25. Leeteuk’s friends will also appear on the show as guests.
On October 18, a spokesperson for the show reported, “We’ll hold a special event for Leeteuk in his last shooting of Kang Shim Jang. Leeteuk’s friends will come and see him. We haven’t decided who to invite, but we’ll try to create a friendly mood for Leeteuk, who has done so many things for the show.”
Leeteuk has been active not only as a leader of Super Junior but also as a host or a guest of many variety shows.
Leeteuk has appeared on Kang Shim Jang as a regular guest along with Boom and comedian Yang Se Hyung. He also appeared on Star King as a regular guest. He used to appear on MBC TV’s We Got Married with Kang Sora but left the show on September 8.
Leeteuk will enter the 306 military training camp on October 30, receive basic military training for five weeks, and serve in the army for 21 months.
Singer and actor Lee Seung Gi and producer Na Young Seok recently said that they are not planning a return to variety shows.
On October 19, a spokesperson for Lee’s agency said, “We’ve never heard of it. Yesterday, they said that Lee will appear on SBS’s variety program, and today, they say Lee will appear on KBS’s variety program. We have to check why these rumors are spreading.”
A spokesperson for KBS also said, “We’ve never heard of it. Producer Na is working in another department.”
A media outlet previously reported that Lee will return to a variety show with producer Na.
Lee, however, recently decided to appear on a historical TV series, in which he will play the role of a half human and half animal character.
Producer Na took some time off to rest after leaving the show One Night And Two Days. There was a rumor that he would return to a variety show with Kang Ho Dong, but it was revealed to be just a rumor. Kang is currently preparing for a new variety show with producer Lee Ye Ji.
B2ST’s Yoon Doo Jun was recently cast in the TV series Iris 2.
Taewon Entertainment, the production company for TV series and movies, announced on October 19 that Yoon will appear on the series Iris 2.
Yoon will play the role of Seo Hyun Woo, who is very self confident and bright. He is like a vitamin of NSS and an elite agent, who is good at shooting, martial arts, code breaking, and speaking foreign languages. He will also be involved in a love triangle with Jang Hyuk and Lee Da Hae.
Yoon previously appeared on the movie Married to the Mafia 5: The Return of Family as a grandson named Young Min and he proves himself to be a strong actor.
The series Iris 2 is receiving considerable attention by casting Jang Hyuk, Lee Da Hae, Lee Beom Soo, Oh Yeon Soo, Kim Young Chul, Kim Seung Woo, and Lim Soo Hyang in. Producers Pyo Min Soo and Kim Tae Hoon will direct the series together. They will start shooting the series in November to air it in the half of 2013.
As previously reported, Kim Jong Kook is finally making his return to the music scene with the release of his 7th full length album!
Although the release date has not yet been officially announced, it is expected to drop at the end of this month with a song being pre-released on the 23rd!
The singer has been serving as a member of variety show ‘Running Man‘ as well as ‘Crisis Escape No. 1‘, building up his reputation as an all-around entertainer, so his return to the music scene is something that many of his fans are looking forward to.
His comeback is becoming more and more of a reality as he has released a video teaser for a song called “Men Also Feel Sad“, which is presumed to be the pre-release track coming up.
Check it out below!
The multi high-end lifestyle concept select shop ‘Koon With a View‘ held an opening party for its flagship store on October 18th.
The store opened in Seoul Shinsadong Garosu-gil, a street well known for it’s high end fashion. The store rose up five floors and even had a basement floor, opening 6 floors for shoppers to enjoy.
Girls’ Generation‘s Jessica, Super Junior‘s Siwon, 2AM‘s Seulong, 2PM‘s Junho and Chansung, Honey Lee, Park Hyo Shin, Lee Jong Suk, Go Joon Hee and others attended the opening party.
[Images credited as tagged]
The JYJ members made their fans giggle with their funny selca photos.
On October 18th, Jaejoong tweeted, “Junsuya ha” and shared the top picture of all three JYJ members. The picture showed Jaejoong and Yoochun smiling brightly while Junsu stared at them with his mouth open as if he were a vampire.
Jaejoong revealed another picture of him and Yoochun as he tweeted, “He came up all of a sudden and said ‘Hyung, let’s take a selca!’ and it turned out like this.”
The second picture showed Jaejoong and Yoochun making funny expressions.
After seeing the pictures, the netizens commented, “The three brothers that allows us to have healing“, “I like this kind of smile so much“, “It’s been a long time seeing Yoochun on Twitter“, “Are they filming for an advertisement?“, and “It’s nice to see them smiling so brightly.”
Source & Image(s): Jaejoong‘s Twitter
The boys of JYJ were recently named the ambassadors for the ‘2012 Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo (KBEE)‘.
They had already been selected, but were formally appointed on the 17th through a press event. On appointing JYJ as ambassadors, KOTRA, the KBEE 2012 host, said, “JYJ have been selected as the ambassadors for ‘KBEE 2012′. We’re looking forward to them becoming the icon of exchange between Japan and Korea because they are Hallyu stars that are well loved in both countries.“
[Images credited as tagged]
Super Junior’s Kyuhyun recently released a photo of the emcees of MBC’s Radio Star in celebration of the first anniversary of his emcee work.
On October 17, Kyuhyun tweeted a photo with the caption “It’s been a year since I joined this show. Tune in for Radio Star on Wednesday nights, please~ Happy Anniversary!”
In the photo, the four emcees of Radio Star―Yoon Jong Shin, Yoo Se Yoon, Kim Gook Jin and Kyunhyun― strike a friendly pose.
The hilarious foursome are all smiles, sitting side by side.
The youngest and fairest-looking host joined the group of the emcees of the show in October 2011, replacing Super Junior’s Heechul.
Lee Byung Hun is expected to receive more than 1 billion won for appearing on the movie, Gwanghae.
The 378th episode of SBS’s Night of TV Entertainment that aired on the afternoon of October 17, talked about money in the entertainment industry.
Especially, the show attracted attention by revealing that Lee Byung Hun, who starred on the movie, Gwanghae, received 600million won as his basic fee for his act. On top of that, Lee will be receiving more guarantee fee, totaling up to 1 billion won.
The show also introduced Han Seok Gyu as the first person to receive guarantee fee. Han is known to have received 950million won as his guarantee fee with his movie, Swiri.
The guarantee fee means the incentive an actor receives if the movie exceeds its expected profit margin.
It has been announced that Kim Hyun Joong has decided to renew his contract with Key East Entertainment.
The singer and actor previously signed with the agency back in June 2010 and upon the nearing of the expiration date, Kim Hyun Joong has opted to renew his contract.
An insider revealed, “Kim Hyun Joong is following the footsteps of Bae Yong Joon and is being recognized as a Hallyu Star. Kim Hyun Joong regards highly Key East’s ability and know-hows of how to enter the market in Japan and across Asia.”
Meanwhile, Kim Hyun Joong is currently filming for his upcoming drama, ‘City Conquest‘, which will premiere at the start of 2013.
Source + image: Hankooki via Nate
Tip: Muriel
The first still cuts of MBC‘s drama, ‘I Miss You‘, showcase the two main characters acted by JYJ‘s Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye.
Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye participated in their first filming for MBC’s new Wednesday-Thursday drama last weekend.
The two stars were able to express the touching romance between Han Jung Woo (acted by Yoochun) and Lee Soo Yeon (acted by Yoon Eun Hye) with their meaningful glances towards each other.
The still cuts portray Han Jung Woo’s attempt to hide his sadness, while Soo Yeon sheds tears as she looks towards Jung Woo, previewing the melodrama tone of the drama.
A representative of ‘I Miss You’ stated, “As Park Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye are able to act together for the first time through ‘I Miss You’, they are perfectly expressing the emotions of their characters.”
‘I Miss You’ will air next month after ‘Arang and the Magistrate‘ and will tell the story of a man and woman who fall in love as teenagers but are torn apart and later run into each other again as adults.
JYJ‘s Jaejoong made a shocking confession about his love life.
On October 16th, Jaejoong attended a press conference for his movie ‘Code Name Jackal‘. In the movie, Jaejoong plays top star Choi Hyun that is incredibly popular with his beautiful looks and nice manners. However, behind the scenes, he enjoys annoying his manager, ignores his fans, and has no morals. He is kidnapped by Song Ji Hyo‘s character Bong Min Jung, a famous killer, and is faced with incredible danger.
After a question was asked what he would if he were Song Ji Hyo’s character, Jaejoong confessed, “If I became a killer that kidnaps people, there are a lot of people who I would want to kidnap. I like a lot of people, so there are a lot of people I want to kidnap. If there’s a woman I like and she keeps pushing back marriage or doesn’t want to date me, I think I would want to kidnap her. I want to date her by kidnapping her.”
On October 16, JYP Entertainment broke the news that miss A had gotten into a car accident on the morning of the day.
The girl group was reportedly on its way to the set of MBC Music’s Show Champion.
From the accident spot, the group members were immediately taken to a hospital nearby for a close examination. However, just after the examination, the idol stars jumped back to their work to compete the schedule.
The result of the examination hasn’t come out yet, but all the members are purportedly in a good condition without major injuries.
The formidable foursome will return to performing on October 18 on Mnet’s M!Countdown with the single “I’m Fine without a Guy,” from their new EP.
The return of Kang Ho Dong on SBS’s Star King has been confirmed for October 29.
A publicist of SBS Entertainment industry revealed to Starnews on October 15, “Kang will be coming back on Star King starting with the recording on October 29. There might be changes but as for now, the date has been set.”
Kang returning on Star King is creating a stir because this will be his first show as his comeback. Not only that, as the popular producer Jang Hyuk Jae who directed the variety show, Family Outing held hands with Kang, people are paying attention to the upcoming changes.
The variety show, Star King has been emceed by Kang Ho Dong since its first broadcast on January 2007 and has grown into one of the major shows. After the absence of Kang in September of last year, Boom and Leeteuk has been emceeing for the show ever since.
The friendship between JYJ’s Jae Joong and Psy recently attracted a lot of attention.
On October 14, Jae Joong tweeted, “It’s really interesting,” mentioning KBS 2TV’s drama series Nice Guy. At this, Psy replied, “I think the song that you wrote is more interesting.”
Jae Joong replied to Psy, “I wrote a different song eventually. I’ll let you listen to it later. The interruption to the inspiration made me to write a better song. ‘Gangnam Style’ is the best.”
People responded: “The friendship between Jae Joong and Psy is quite unexpected.” “Are Jae Joong and Psy friends? That’s great.” “How did they meet each other?” “I cannot imagine Jae Joong and Psy listening to the same song.”
On October 16, Jae Joong will attend a press conference and a showcase for the production of the film Jackal is Coming, and Psy went to Australia on October 15. Psy showed off a cute look in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt at the airport.
Some snapshots of JYJ’s Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye shooting MBC TV’s new drama series Missing You were recently released.
In the snapshots, Yoo Chun and Yoon are facing opposite directions with tears in their eyes.
This is the first time for both of them to work together. However, their teamwork was good in the first shooting. Yoo Chun plays the role of Han Jung Woo, and Yoon plays the role of Lee Soo Yeon.
In the snapshots, Yoo Chun seems to try not to express his sadness, and Yoon is standing next to him with tears in her eyes.
A spokesperson for the series says, “Yoo Chun and Yoon Eun Hye perfectly understand their characters, so they know how to express their emotions.”
Missing You is a melodrama about a man and a woman who live with painful memories about their first love. Yeon Jin Goo and Kim So Hyun play the childhood of the man and the woman.
The series is written by Moon Hee Jung, who wrote Can You Hear My Heart and Smile, Love, and directed by Lee Jae Dong, who directed Can’t Lose and Thank You. It will start airing in November.
Son Dam Bi is set to show her comedic acting skills on the upcoming episode of tvN‘s ‘SNL Korea‘.
Contrary to her sexy image on stage, Son Dam Bi will transform into laugh-out-loud characters for the show, increasing viewers’ anticipation for the singer’s comedic side.
Son Dam Bi stated, “This is my first time doing comedic acting, and it’s a live broadcast, which makes me nervous and excited. Please look forward to it as I’ll be showing another side of Son Dam Bi with the help with the show’s solid staff.”
Tune in for this hilarious episode on October 20 KST!
Source + image: TV Report via Nate
Popular group Big Bang successfully completed their first concert in Indonesia. Their ‘Alive Galaxy Tour 2012‘ brought 30,000 fans to Jakarta’s Mata Elang International Stadium. reportedly the largest Indoor Stadium in South East Asia.
YG Entertainment stated that Big Bang succeeds popular Indonesian boy groups Hitz and XO IX, girl group PRINCESS, male solo artist Gadaffi Ismail Sabri, and actor-model Ryzal Jaafar as performers in the stadium.
On October 12th and 13th, Big Bang opened with “Still Alive“ and continued with hit songs “Lies“, “Haru Haru“, “Heaven“, and “Fantastic Baby“, performing a total of 23 songs for fans.
Indonesia SCTV‘s Liputan6, as well as several online news sites, covered the group’s arrival in Indonesia plus their concert rehearsals and events on October 11th.
Big Bang will continue their tour in October in Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia; Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Peru in November, and Hong Kong then a Japan dome tour in December, as well as an additional concert in Osaka on January 12th and 13th.
JYJ’s Kim Jae Joong has over one million followers on Twitter.
On October 11, Kim’s agency, C-JeS Entertainment, said, “Kim has had over one million followers on Twitter since October 10.”
The news received considerable attention on Twitter and Twitterians from all over the world sent him celebrating messages. The ‘#Jaejoong 1Million’ also appeared on the world issue words list.
Kim is an active Hallyu star who uses Twitter to stay in touch with his fans. He talks about his group members and releases pictures of himself. Since he has many fans all over the world, his followers have increased.
Besides Kim, there are many idol stars who have over one million followers on Twitter. Super Junior’s Choi Siwon was the first star, who had over one million followers in December of last year. He currently has over 2.7 million followers on Twitter, which is the highest record in Korea.
Super Junior’s Donghae, Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Eunhyuk, Shindong, and Kyuhyun also have over one million followers on Twitter.
miss A’s Suzy is the first female star to get over one million followers on Twitter in Korea.
The movie Jackal Is Coming, starring Kim and Song Ji Hyo, will be released soon.
The beautiful Kim Tae Hee was captured wearing a hanbok for the Chuseok holiday and many fans were mesmerized at her beauty in traditional clothing.
A photo of Kim Tae Hee modeling in a hanbok was recently uploaded onto an online community site and shows Kim Tae Hee greeting fans through a warm smile while wearing a brightly colored hanbok which accentuates her milky skin.
Upon seeing the photo, netizens commented, “She is so pretty”, and “Her hanbok is gorgeous too.”
In related news, Kim Tae Hee was recently chosen as the endorsement model for cosmetics brand, ‘Allerman‘.
Having various teasers for their newest album, U-KISS has finally brought out their 7th mini album, ‘STOP GIRL‘ and its music video for the title track of the same name.
The group previously had fans waiting in suspense while teasing with their latest digital release, “Cinderella”, and their teaser photos and video. The wait has finally come to an end and the MV and album for ‘STOP GIRL’ have been released.
Check out the ‘black & white’ version of the music video below!
Yoon Seung Ah sits on Donghae (of Super Junior)’s lap.
On September 7, Channel A released some snapshots from the next episode of Panda and Hedgehog.
In the snapshots, Yoon is whispering something in Donghae’s ear, sitting on his lap. They’re even looking at each other tenderly. According to the production team of the series, Yoon was very shy on Donghae’s lap when she was shooting the scene, and Donghae was considerate of her throughout the shoot.
Panda and Hedgehog is a drama series about young people’s growth and love with a bakery as a setting. A genius patissier named Go Seung Ji (played by Donghae) and a positive girl named Pan Da Yang (played by Yoon Seung Ah) are the main characters.
In the previous episode, Go Seung Ji and Pan Da Yang create macaroons for lovers. At the same time, they feel something for each other. In the seventh episode of the series, which will air on September 8, Pan Da Yang gently sits on Go Seung Ji’s lap in a romantic mood.
It’s also revealed that both Go Seung Ji and Choi Won Il (played by Choi Ji Hyuk) have been trying to take revenge on Choi Jae Gyum (played by Hyuk Suk). The series airs every Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on Channel A.
A doctored image of singers Psy and IU titled “Psy U” has created a stir on the Internet.
Recently, a picture titled “The appearance of Psy-U” was posted on an online community board and gave a big laughter to netizens.
The picture is a jacket image of IU’s album in which Psy’s face is photoshopped into IU’s. It looks as if Psy has done his hair into two pigtails and sitting modestly. His smile even makes him look like a shy girl.
At a side of the picture, “PSYU” and “Gangnam Fantasy 2” are written, supposedly referring to the name of the singer and the title of the album respectively.
Netizens who saw the posting commented: “It cracked me up.” “Psy’s face and style go well with the image.” “I want to see PSY-U in real life.” “It looks like there is a person who looks exactly like him.” “Gangnam oppa, you look like an innocent girl.” “The meeting of two great musicians, Psy and IU.”
On August 30th, JYJ‘s Yoochun received the ‘Outstanding Hallyu Drama Male Actor Award’ at KBS‘s ‘2012 Seoul Drama Awards‘ for his performance on SBS drama ’Rooftop Prince‘.
Yoochun saddened viewers when he stated with a hint of tears in his eyes, “I am glad to have received an award for such a great drama. I want to dedicate this award to my father, who was not able to watch“.
Yoochun’s father unfortunately passed away this past March. Yoochun participated in filming ‘Rooftop Prince’ after the funeral service.
In addition to the ‘Outstanding Hallyu Drama Male Actor Award’, Yoochun also received the ‘Netizen Popularity Award’.
Source & Image: Ilgan Sports via Nate
Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” phenomenon has hit the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The artist previously posted on Twitter hinting at his possible appearance at the baseball game.
On the 20th PST, Psy did indeed attend the Dodgers vs. Giants baseball game with his acquaintances. After the end of the 5th inning, “Gangnam Style” was played across the stadium after which Psy jumped up to perform his signature “horse riding” dance in front of 43,000 people who cheered him on.
It’s reported that when the song first came on, Psy seemed to hesitate for a brief second, but as soon as his face appeared on the giant screen, he whipped out his sunglasses, put on a comedic facial expression, and started dancing, providing an entertaining show for the whole crowd. The Dodger Stadium is known for playing the most popular songs during “dance time” for the baseball fans to sing along to and enjoy.
Check out a clip from the event below (Psy’s appearance ~30s)!
Source + Image: Joongang Ilbo Via Nate
Video tip: Kenny
Rock band CNBLUE will be holding a live concert in London this September!
‘CNBLUE IN LONDON‘ will be organized by CJ E&M‘s global concert brand M-Live alongside AEG. AEG Vice President, Susan Rosenbluth, stated that she was impressed by CNBLUE and F.T. Island‘s joint concert in Los Angeles held this past March.
This is definitely another chance for CNBLUE to hit the global market. It’s been reported that the LA concert set a high record in sales and that 80% of the audience was non-Korean, so there’s a lot of anticipation about how the band will fare in London.
Check out the details for the concert below!
CNBLUE LIVE IN LONDON
Date: September 22, 2012 at 7PM
Venue: IndigO2 in Greenwich
Ticket Prices:
Floor Standing- ₤ 45
King’s Row- ₤ 55 (Seating)
Front Balcony- ₤ 35 (Seating)
Rear Balcony- ₤ 35 (Seating)
Big Bang‘s G-Dragon has updated his Twitter with a link to a mysterious countdown timer.
The time ticks off every second, and it seems the countdown will hit 0:00 on August 18th at 12AM (KST), which happens to be the day of his birthday. Although nothing else has been revealed and despite rumors of a possible delay, fans have been speculating the countdown to be the release date of his 2nd solo album.
Stay tuned to allkpop for more updates!
Source: G-Dragon’s Twitter
Tip: Emily
B1A4′s Gong Chan shows off his humorous side.
In the episode of B1A4′s Hello Baby that will air on August 1, B1A4 members play a quiz game to know about Seoul. Many questions, which range from general information about Seoul to a Seoul accent, are given to the members. The members, who are mostly from local areas, compete against each other with their knowledge about Seoul.
Gong Chan especially shows off his humorous side throughout the episode and gets praised by the special host Jang Dong Hyuk. In an interview, Gong Chan says, “80 points out of 100,” to the question, “What score would you like to give to your sense of humor?”
B1A4 members also surprise the crew by giving weird answers to some of the given questions.
Based on a result of the quiz game, B1A4 members will be divided into two groups, one with the best scores and one with the lowest scores, and experience Seoul in two opposite conditions. At this, the members try their utmost to win the game.
B1A4′s quiz game, B1A4! Ring the Golden Bell, will air on August 2 at 12:20 a.m. on KBS Joy’s B1A4′s Hello Baby.
After making a grand entrance to the cheers of 3,000 fans on their first visit to Thailand, EXO has been enjoying widespread popularity and support as they finish up their promotional activities in the country.
Their four day stay made it hard for anyone to believe that the group was just four months into their debut, as every place the boys stepped in, fans swarmed in to catch a glimpse. EXO managed to meet with about 10,000 fans in just one day alone, as they completed a fan signing, mini-live, and TV appearances.
EXO opened up their fan signing at the Siam Paragon mall on the morning of July 28th and gathered 1,200 fans for a memorable event. During the afternoon, they opened a mini-live outdoors at the Siam Discovery Plaza which brought in over 5,000 fans despite the heat. The boys performed “MAMA“, “History“, and a special Thai commentary that earned an enthusiastic response from the audience.
Their appearance on ‘Asian Lover Special‘ will broadcast for the next eight weeks, starting August 4th, further solidifying their popularity in the country.
Having successfully completed their debut promotions in Thailand, the boys will be focusing on their new upcoming album release.
Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver
In response to his rising popularity all over Asia, JYJ‘s Yoochun has announced that he’ll be setting off on an Asia fan meet tour.
On July 27th, C-JeS Entertainment confirmed, “‘Rooftop Prince’ concluded two months ago, but Yoochun’s popularity both in Korea and overseas leaves no rest. Yoochun began earning widespread popularity through his 2010 drama, ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘, so we felt that it was time to decide on a fan meet tour for his Asian fans.”
Starting with Shanghai on August 25th, he’ll be traveling to Taiwan and Thailand, as well as one or two more countries depending on the number of fan requests. According to officials, Yoochun’s popularity in China, Taiwan, and Thailand has been the highest yet, especially with the broadcasting of his past dramas like ‘Miss Ripley‘ and ‘Rooftop Prince’.
Recently, a Taiwanese entertainment outlet polled 22,000 viewers asking who their favorite male drama lead was, and Yoochun came out on top with 71% of the votes.
Yoochun stated, “I’m really thankful for receiving so much love from Asia. I believe that this will be a fun opportunity to share my time with my international fans and talk about my memories with Lee Sun Joon, Song Yoo Hyun, and Lee Gak.”
Source + Photos: Sports Seoul via Naver
Big Bang’s G-Dragon is creating a stir by posting a product review.
Recently on an online community board, G-Dragon’s product review was uploaded. This was originally posted on the internet shopping mall of organic dog food, which he bought for his loyal dog, Gaho.
G-Dragon uploaded a picture that displayed his backside and posted, “Hello, this is Gwon Ji Yong. I carefully selected this organic food since Gaho will be eating it. Have a good and healthy summer!” His muscles that were exposed created a stir among netizens.
Netizens commented: “G-Dragon’s product review is awesome.” “Is he really G-Dragon? He’s cute.” “I didn’t know he was this witty.” “I bet that product will become a hit thanks to G-Dragon’s product review.”
JYJ‘s Yoochun has been chosen as the hallyu star that could promote the city Seoul the best.
The city of Seoul held a survey titled ‘Seoul’s Hallyu Story Survey’ and Yoochun was selected by foreigners as the star that could best promote Seoul . Runner ups in the survey were Lee Minho and Kim Soohyun.
The survey was held from June 20th to July 3rd through Seoul’s official homepage and 2,474 foreigners along with 326 Koreans participated in the survey totaling 2,800 participants in all. Out of those 2,800 participants, 326 were men, and 2,747 of them were women. 1,920 participants were in the age range of 10-20s, 761 participants were in their 30s-40s, and 119 participants were 50 and over.
Some of the reasons given on why they chose Yoochun include that he is a person who works hard to thrive for success, he has handsome looks along with a soft image, and his acting / singing skills.
Yoochun has many fans for his music through his activities as a member of JYJ and he has also proven to be a successful actor by receiving best new actor awards for his work in KBS’ ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘ and MBC’s ‘Miss Ripley‘. He has further shown his acting skills through his role of Crown Prince Lee Gak in his most recent drama ‘Rooftop Prince‘.
On another note, native Koreans chose Girls’ Generation as the star(s) that could best promote Seoul.
NU’EST has finally returned with their latest single “Action“!
Fans have been anticipating NU’EST’s comeback ever since a teaser photo was released at the end of June.
The wait is finally over now for fans and NU’EST definitely did not let anyone down. They came back with fierce dance moves and the title of the song says it all, it’s filled with action.
Check out the boys dominate the stage below, and be sure to catch the rest of today’s performances here!
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Super Junior has revealed that they’ve employed the use of matrix cameras for their “Sexy, Free & Single” music video!
The music video was shot at a set in Gwangju mid last month and was directed by Hong Won Ki. To capture as much of the boys’ powerful performance as possible along with their group jump shot, the director brought in matrix cameras, amplifying the energy factor.
The video will be released for the first time through the boys’ comeback press conference on the morning of July 3rd and will be released later on the day through their official homepage and YouTube.
Their teaser video alone has amassed over two million videos three days into its release, and the album ranked at the top of iTunes Japan‘s combined album and pop album chart, as well as ranking first on China’s ‘Ting‘, signifying the group’s global popularity.
Super Junior will mark their comeback through Mnet‘s ‘M! Countdown’ on the 5th.
Source + Photos: TV Report via Nate
After revealing the first teaser photo featuring Eunhyuk, Super Junior has unveiled their second teaser photo for their upcoming 6th album featuring Donghae!
Donghae is seen in a see-through black top with a white veil-like piece flowing down his back, giving off a soft yet mysterious feel to the teaser photo.
As announced previously, the group’s 6th album ‘Sexy, Free & Single‘ will drop on July 1st online and will be followed by the offline release on July 4th.
Stay tuned for the release of other teasers to come!
Source + photo: Osen
A past photo of miss A‘s Suzy sporting a daring haircut is garnering a lot of attention online.
On May 16th, the above photo was posted on a Korean portal site bulletin with the title, “Suzy took on a wild wolf haircut in the past“.
Suzy flashed an awkward smile towards the camera, wearing a pink sweatshirt that contrasted with her layered, boyish cut. The hairstyle gave her a tougher, more rugged look, causing netizens to compare this photo to more recent photos of the singer. It looks like Suzy’s style has come a long way as she currently has a more girly image with long, straight hair.
Netizens who saw the photo commented, “Her face is gentle, but her wild side is seriously overflowing,” “Suzy looks pretty no matter what she does, but she looks so different now,” and “It’s okay because it’s Suzy’s wolf cut.”
Source & Image: Ilgan Sports via Naver
Actor Lee Byung Hun will appear in movie Red 2 (directed by Dean Parisot) with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
On May 10 (local time), Summit Entertainment, the production company of Red 2, reported Lee was cast in Red 2 as one of the main characters. It will be released in February 2013.
Red 2 is a sequel to Red (directed by Robert Schwentke), released in 2010. Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, and Helen Mirren, who appeared in Red 1, will also appear in the sequel. The movie is especially attracting attention as it’s reported that Catherine Zeta-Jones, the heroine of Chicago and No Reservations, will also join the film.
Red 2 is about retired CIA agents fighting against their enemies. It attracted attention as it was written by Jon Hoeber of Man On A Ledge and Battleship.
Lee won confidence of Hollywood produces as his power in Asia was acknowledged by them when he appeared in G.I. Joe.
G.I. Joe 2 will be released on June 21, and Lee’s currently shooting movie King of Chosun (directed by Choo Chang Min), which will be released in fall.
Casual clothing brand ‘Omphalos‘ has just released their newest S/S pictorial featuring their endorsement models, B1A4!
Since their debut, B1A4 has turned heads for a fashion style they could confidently call uniquely their own. From bold prints to loud patterns, B1A4 has covered almost everything on stage, attracting the attention of officials from the advertisement and fashion industry.
For ‘Omphalos’, the boys toned it down with a vivid yet casual look that still retains their boy-next-door charm in preppy collared shirts and basic shorts.
‘Omphalos’ will be coming up with a variety of fun events for consumers and fans, so if you’re in Korea, be sure to look out for B1A4′s fan sign events as well.
Source + Photos: Newsen via Nate
MBC Everyone‘s ‘Weekly Idol‘ revealed the results of a newly conducted poll where they asked idols to choose the idol they most want to bring into their own group.
miss A, FT Island, TEEN TOP, B1A4, and more participated in the poll and selected the idol they most wanted in their own group for various reasons such as entertainment skills, musical abilities, good looks, and more.
The one idol that was selected the most by his own peers was none other than SHINee‘s Taemin. “He’s young but he sings and dances really well,” they said, and also selected his ‘pretty’ appearance as another reason why he would be a good addition to their team.
MC Jung Hyung Don was surprised after looking at a photo of Taemin dressed as a female, and remarked that even he was momentarily attracted to Taemin’s good looks.
f(x) member Sulli and miss A’s Suzy were also selected as lovely girl group members to have in your own group. Other male idols that ranked in the top were fashionista and song-writing genius G-Dragon, and JYJ‘s Junsu for his amazing vocals.
The results of the ‘BEST 10 Idols We Want to Steal for Our Own Group’ will be revealed on the April 18th episode of MBC Everyone’s ‘Weekly Idol’.
Source: SportsWorld via Nate
SHINee released their mini-album “Sherlock” and fans have been anxious for the music video. Well, the wait is finally over!
True to the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ theme, the MV has a bit of a detective story and in true SHINee fashion, the choreography is outstanding. Additionally, Jessica of Girls’ Generation makes a cameo appearance!
Check out the MV for “Sherlock” below.
Don’t forget to support the group’s hard work by purchasing the album!
Bindaetteo
Bindaetteok Gongdeok Market established itself in the early 1970s but is currently struggling after discount retailer E-mart opened only 200 meters away early last month. According to Gongdeok Market Association, having E-mart just around the corner has been a challenge for the more than 400 people within the market.
One portion of the market that is still thriving, however, is an alley lined with bindaetteok restaurants.
The market became famous for bindaetteok during the 1980s and Mapo Grandma, merchants say, was the first to open.
According to its owner, starting the restaurant wasn’t an easy task.
“I tried selling ice cream and fruit but nothing worked and bindaetteok was my last option,” said Seo Mun Jung-ae, owner of Mapo Grandma.
Seo is now in her 70s and still makes the bindaetteok herself. “For more than 25 years, I’ve woken up around 5 a.m. to prepare the ingredients,” Seo said.
Seo said the number of bindaetteok restaurants has increased on the back of the creative innovations of the restaurant owners as they tried to beat their competition.
“New ideas for bindaetteok come along and that’s how the number of bindaetteok restaurants has increased over the years,” Seo said.
Seo’s edge lies in the color of the bindaetteok she makes. She serves 20 types of bindaetteok, made from diverse ingredients such as mung beans, oysters, fish cake, shiitake mushrooms, sesame leaves and more. These ingredients give her bindaetteok its unique color.
“I don’t like artificial coloring, so the colors are made naturally with the vegetables I use,” Seo said.
Mapo Grandma
Mapo Grandma offers a colorful selection of bindaetteok (right) made from fresh vegetables and other ingredients and a range of equally colorful fried foods that together form an eye-catching display in the restaurant’s front window.
Price: 2,000 won to 19,000 won
Hours: Open 24 hours
(02) 715-3775
Actor So Ji Sub recently released his mini album Corona Borealis.
The songs from So’s album were released online on March 20 at midnight. So transforms into a rapper through the album.
Popular songwriter Kim Kun Woo, who has written songs for many singers, including, Supreme Team, Jewelry, and SG Wannabe, produced the album. The album portrays a variety of aspects, including break ups between lovers and it also includes songs that the public can easily relate to.
He included more songs in the album than his last single album Pick Up Line, which was released in 2011. Many artists, including, Bobby Kim, Huh Gak, and soprano Han Kyung Mi, who is a jury member for tvN’s Opera Star, helped him to make the album perfect.
Famous vocal trainer Mellow, who has worked with Huh Gak, Lee Hyo Ri, Baek Ji Young, and Ivy, was featured in the title song “Some Kind of Story” from So’s album.
The song is about a man who wants to leave and a girl who doesn’t want him to leave. Many people are saying that the song feels like a TV drama. Bobby Kim also sang the duet “1 Year Ago to the Day” with So and drew a lot of attention.
So decided to appear on SBS’s series Ghost (working title), which will start airing in May. He will make his comeback to the small screen through the series in 2 years.
Recently, five men idol group Big Bang is attracting worldwide attention.
Big Bang is attracting public gaze because they ranked the top of iTunes Chart in various countries including
Britain, France, and Brazil. Not only that, many news regarding Big Bang were broadcast on America’s popular music shows and award ceremonies.
On March 13, Big Bang has been introduced to world-famous music chart, Billboard. Billboard introduced Big Bang with the title, “Big Bang is Unstoppable.”
Billboard also mentioned, “Big Bang’s fifth mini album, Alive ranked 150th place on Billboard 200. The music video for one of the album’s songs, ‘Blue’ exceeded 14 million views.”
The show also introduced Big Bang’s world tour. Billboard stated, “The first day of world tour, Alive Tour 2012 in Seoul, was a great success. Thirty thousand fans visited the site. They will be performing in 25 capitals of 16 countries including Asia, North and South America, and Europe.”
The MC of the show added, “Almost all the songs from the album Alive entered top ten of the K Pop Charts. Big Bang will make a tremendous change in the upcoming K Pop Charts.”
Last month, Arirang TV‘s ‘Showbiz Korea‘ opened up a three week long poll on their official homepage that asked international netizens to pick their most favorite Korean drama.
According to 2,024 international participants, the drama that won over the most hearts was none other than SBS‘s ‘Secret Garden‘, which came in at first with 16.1% of the votes.
Following in the ‘Top 7′ were ‘Boys Over Flowers‘, ‘You’re Handsome‘ ‘Coffee Prince‘, ‘Goong‘, ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal‘, and ‘Full House‘.
When asked to choose a male actor that they would like as their boyfriend, 15.3% chose Hyun Bin while 13.9% chose Ha Ji Won as the female character they would like to be reborn as.
Source + Photos: Mydaily via Naver
The Korea Times Korean Music Festival, undoubtedly one of the most anticipated events for kpop music fans in North America, has just announced the first batch of artists that will be performing at the event!
After bringing huge artists like TVXQ, the Wonder Girls, Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, 2PM, KARA, BEAST, SHINee, G.NA, U-KISS, SISTAR, DJ DOC, SECRET, K.Will, Jay Park, and 4minute and more in past years, the concert will be back for its 10th year on April 28th, 2012.
After much anticipation, the first batch of artists for the concert has been revealed:
Nam Jin
Im Tae Kyung
Love & Peace
The Korean Music Festival tends to draw a crowd from all across the continent, as well as some from overseas, who make the journey to see their favorite kpop artists live at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
It hasn’t been confirmed when the second batch of artists will be announced, so in the meantime, let’s take a trip down memory lane and reminisce on last year’s Korean Music Festival through allkpop‘s extensive coverage, complete with an event recap, high-definition photo sets, videos, and more.
And of course, expect to see me and the other allkpop staff at the concert again this year – we’ll have more surprises planned for both concert attendees and allkpop readers around the world!
SBS ‘K-Pop Star‘ has finally narrowed the competition down to the Top 10, and is now officially starting their search for the top star. The show has been popular not only because 3 of Korea’s top agencies are represented (SM, YG, and JYP), but also because the 3 judges’ tastes are so easily distinguishable and it is fun to watch and listen to them and the contestants.
The viewers’ anticipation and curiosity is growing over the results of the “real” competition and who the winner will be, especially since the contestants who made it to the Top 10 are all very talented.
The contestants who passed through multiple auditions and made it to the live broadcast are Baek Ji Woong, Baek Ah Yeon, Kim Na Yoon, Lee Jung Mi, Lee Ha Yi, Yoon Hyun Sang, Lee Michelle, Park Ji Min, Park Jae Hyung, and Lee Seung Hoon.
The three vocal coaches who are training these contestants are Jang Jin Young from SM, Choi Won Suk of YG, and Song Yumi from JYP, and they have called the Top 10 contestants “diamonds in the rough.” The contestants need to have the courage to prepare a new stage which shows the judges a different side of them, and the vocal coaches are advising the contestants to take care of themselves so they can be in good condition for the live broadcast mission.
Here are the Top 10 contestants who made it to the live broadcast mission, which will air on March 4th:
◆ Kim Na Yoon = Excellent performance in both song and dance
Kim Na Yoon was able to land a spot in the Top 10 through her confident expression and steady vocals on stage. She has also shown advancement in skill, and her efforts have not gone unrecognized. Her singing and performance style are all or nothing.
Choi Won Suk of YG said regarding Kim Na Yoon, “She has the exceptional skill to pull off the retro concept. If not done well, the person can look corny, but she has a feel for it and can pull it off. She also doesn’t have any preconceived notions about a song, so she has the ability to put her feelings and spin on songs. Maybe it’s because she has experience being a cheerleader, but she is very expressive in her performances.”
◆ Park Jae Hyung = Unique voice and classy Korean sensibility
Park Jae Hyung, the “guitar boy” who came over from America, was able to secure his spot in the Top 10 through his distinctive acoustic songs. He possesses good looks, sensitive guitar playing skills, and a unique voice color.
SM’s vocal coach Jang Jin Young praised Park Jae Hyung, stating, “First and foremost, his voice is unique. He has the kind of look that girls and women like, and his expression of feelings when singing is excellent. His strong point is that because he’s not from Korea, he conveys a unique but classy Korean sensibility. He has his own color which can’t be pigeon-holed.”
◆ Park Ji Min = A diamond in the rough who possess different colors and unlimited potential
Park Ji Min was able to show her huge potential of being a singer, despite her young age. Her range is wide and clear, and her voice tone is charming. Her vocal ability and skills are a given, but she also possesses a great sense of rhythm, which makes her a diamond in the rough with just the skills she has alone.
JYP vocal coach Song Yumi said of Park Ji Min, “As much as Park Ji Min is young, she has that much unlimited potential. When you let her do whatever she feels like doing, she shows her different charms. She already has so many talents, so she has the ability to make many different songs her own. So far, she’s received praise just from performing songs that have groove or possess high notes, but she is also able to sing simple, refreshing songs extremely well.”
◆ Baek Ah Yeon = Excellent fundamentals expressed through keyboard playing
Baek Ah Yeon moved to the Top 10 live broadcast through her keyboard-backed, emotional rendition of Big Bang‘s “Day by Day” (“Haru Haru“). Her charm lies in her pure voice, and her control of feelings and expressiveness are also key.
Jang Jin Young (SM) said of Baek Ah Yeon, “Her knowledge of musical fundamentals are strong, so she doesn’t waver when performing any song. As a vocalist with a strong foundation in music, she knows how to sing songs crisply and cleanly. She can sing a wide variety of genres, play the keyboard, sight read, and her clear voice is excellent.”
◆ Baek Ji Woong = Charm of a sweet voice
Baek Ji Woong, who captured women’s hearts with his soft voice, joined the Top 10 with his rendition of Kim Jo Han‘s “I Love You.” After receiving coaching for his rigid facial expression while singing, he was able to show a more developed image and expressed more emotions during his audition for the Top 10, making viewers anticipate his further developed image.
Jang Jin Young (SM) described Baek Ji Woong as “possessing a soft and sweet voice. His strong point is a clean, refreshing voice that many women would like, and his voice color is soft. I’m anticipating him singing something with more groove and a more sticky feeling. However, he needs to work on managing his high notes.”
◆ Yoon Hyun Sang = Singing/songwriting skills with wide range of expression
Yoon Hyun Sang, who poured out his emotions to his lyrically sensitive keyboard-playing every week, was able to catch the judges’ attention through his songwriting ability. He was also noticed because of his deep understanding of music.
Song Yumi (JYP) said Yoon Hyun Sang, “has a lot of interest in music. Rather than just singing well, he knows and understands how to make songs his own, maybe because he is good with instruments. He is very expressive, and has a sense of adventure when it comes to wanting to win. It’s not just his expressiveness that is excellent, but also his sense of rhythm.”
◆ Lee Ha Yi = Passionate, energetic charisma
Lee Ha Yi was able to capture viewers’ attention with her unique voice color and her stage manners. She has the ability to sing rhythm-filled pop, standard ballads, and a wide variety of genres. She advanced to the Top 10 amidst praises from the judges and was overwhelmingly voted #1 during the pre-vote.
Choi Won Suk (YG) praised her, saying, “Her passion is amazing. She has the exceptional ability to put her own color into the songs she sings. Her lower range is almost like that of a man’s, but she can also hit the high notes, which means she has great range. She is also very expressive, and when you look at her stage manners or expression, she seems to have an energetic charisma. She can also sing trendy music, which was unexpected, and she has a wide musicality.”
◆ Lee Michelle = Vocalist with excellent skill and expression
Lee Michelle is one of the favorites to win. She was able to overcome the obstacle of vocal chord nodules, but maintaining top condition is key. Her ability to sing soul is excellent, and she sings it in a way that is hard to find in Korea.
Choi Won Suk (YG) said, “She had a hard time because of her vocal chord issues, but her ability to hit the high notes and her expressiveness is the best. More than anything else, she is special because she can sing soul-style music. Perhaps it’s because she systematically studied music, but her range of expression is very wide, and her singing creates a unique atmosphere where Korean sensibility and R&B mix.”
◆ Lee Seung Hoon = Rap and choreography that goes beyond imagination
Lee Seung Hoon has confidently made it to the Top 10 of an audition program whose key criterion is singing skills, through dancing and rapping alone. He has been called the “Idea Bank” and expresses himself in songs through choreography, showing viewers a “lyrical hip hop” stage.
Choi Won Suk (YG) praises him, saying, “He gives off an extremely creative feel. He has so many ideas that he shows us things most of us have never even thought of, and he is an exceptional choreographer with his unique imagination. He has his own unique style of thinking and expressing music.”
◆ Lee Jung Mi = Understanding of songs, exceptional feeling in ballads
She had a miraculous recovery and was able to make it to the live broadcast. She can expressively sing ballads, and possesses an ability to understand songs very quickly.
Song Yumi (JYP) said of Lee Jung Mi, “She is very smart. She is quick to understand, and is quick to try to fix her weak points. Although her voice color isn’t too unique, she gives off a sad feeling when she sings, making her very good at expressing herself with ballads. She can sing sad songs, but she can also sing up-tempo songs as well.”
Catch the broadcast of ‘K-Pop Star’ on Sundays on SBS to see the fate of these Top 10 contestants!
Source + Image: Star News via Nate
Group Big Bang will appear on SBS’s Running Man.
In the March 4 episode of SBS’s Running Man, Big Bang members surprised the entire crew by appearing in a helicopter wearing red leather jackets. Then the show members appears in a jeep wearing black leather jackets.
The show members arrive in Jamsil first and they hear the sound of helicopter. They say with surprised faces, “Today’s guests are coming in a helicopter?” Then when the helicopter lands and Big Bang members appear, the show members look so excited and say, “Big Bang is really hear!”
The show members say, “Since we have been running and racing every week, we have acquired the know-how.” Big Bang members, however, replied, “We are younger than you.”
The group members and the show members will be divided into two teams, attack team and defend team. Each team has to bell each other’s shoes. Big Bang members will analyze characters of the show members to plan their strategy.
The show will air on March 4 at 4:50 p.m.
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Recap for the hottest articles. This will help catch up what happened during last 12 hours.
Despite some tough competition, to no one’s surprise, the boys of Big Bang came out on top to claim this week’s #1 on Billboard‘s ‘K-Pop Hot 100‘ chart.
The March 1st list shows Big Bang‘s “Blue” topping miss A‘s “Touch” and Lyn‘s “To Turn Back Hands of Time“. Other notables on the top 10 include K.Will with “I Need You” at #4, Ailee with “Heaven” at #5, John Park with “Falling” at #6, Davichi with “I’ll Think of You” at #7, and F.T Island with “Fiercely” at #10.
Congratulations to Big Bang and you can find the full top 10 below!
Source: Billboard
Tip: hellokaylie
Earlier today, allkpop reported that rookie girl group EXID would be performing their own rendition of B2ST‘s hit “Shock” on today’s episode of ‘M! Countdown‘.
The girls showcased their poignant charisma through their fierce performance of “Shock” for the special stage segment of the show, which gives rookie artists an opportunity to perform their interpretation of a former #1 song.
Although cut a bit short, their performance was definitely intriguing, displaying their dancing, rapping, and singing skills all in unison.
Check it out below, and be sure to view the rest of today’s ‘M! Countdown’ performances here.
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Recently, MBLAQ’s Mir has made a confession that he broke up with his ex-girlfriend by sending her a text message because he was afraid of getting slapped.
In the episode of JTBC’s Idol Quiz Show which is to air on March 2, Mir of MBLAQ will make an appearance sharing some of his personal stories.
On March 1, the production crew of Idol Quiz Show unveiled some of what Mir had shared in a recent shooting: the reason why he broke up with his ex-girlfriend. He had a girlfriend when he was still a trainee. Because he spent a long time with her, he began to feel weary of the relationship and acted like a “bad boy” to break up with her. When she knew about this, she put out her rage saying, “Can I slap you?”
Mir said, “When I heard her saying that she wanted to slap me, I couldn’t see anything but her hand. I told myself, ‘No. I can’t get hit,’ and pretended to be a weak guy.’”
When Mir got back to his dormitory, he sent her a text message to break up with her, eventually succeeding the “breaking-up without getting slapped” project.
Towards the end of the shooting, Mir sent his ex-girlfriend a video message. He said, “Hey friend, I’m sorry that I avoided getting slapped. Now I became less afraid, so do slap me whenever you see me on the street,” giving a good laugh to the audience.
There’s been a lot of news in the past about 2NE1 working with Will.I.Am on their US album.
Well, according to this fancam, 2NE1 made an appearance at the famous Club Answer in Seoul and Will.I.Am had played a snippet of their upcoming track at the club!
Check it out below, from what we can hear so far, it sounds pretty damn awesome.
2PM member Chansung talked about how close the 2PM members really are.
On the February 29th episode of MBC‘s ‘Radio Star‘, Chansung who served as a guest remarked, “We have about 3 years left on our contract with JYP.”
“Whether we renew our contract or not, we’re always going to be together.” He continued, “We are even planning on enlisting in the Korean military together.”
The surprised MCs then asked if Thai-citizen Nichkhun would be enlisting as well, and Chansung answered, “Nichkhun hyung will be actively promoting here in Korea.”
Source & Image : MyDaily
MBLAQ’s Lee Jun shares his unusual motto of his frugal life.
Recently, Lee appeared in a recent shooting of JTBC’s Idol Quiz Show and shared some of his stories.
On March 1, the production crew of the show revealed that Lee Jun has recently purchased a house and talked about some unusual frugal principles he has which made the purchase possible.
According to staff, other members of MBLAQ who appeared in the shooting exposed Lee’s frugality saying, “I’ve never seen Lee Joon shopping.” “He always sees the sponsors in person and greets them.”
In fact, Lee tends to write letters to his lover instead of giving her expensive presents when involved in a love relationship. Lee explained, “Because it’s not about marriage and we might break up, I think it’s a waste of money. I simply give her my heart.”
Also, Lee confessed that he becomes very obsessive in love relationships. He said, “When I’m doing something on my computer, I put my phone on speaker and redial.”
Towards the end the shooting, Lee ended up sending a video message to his ex-girlfriend saying, “I’m very sorry for what I’ve done. I’ve learned a lot and please forgive me.” Yet, he still refused to buy expensive presents if he starts dating again, inspiring laughter from the audience. The broadcast will be on March 2.
A friendly photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun and singer Huh Gak has been receiving attention.
The photo recently appeared on an online Korean community. Both stars are seen wearing well tailored suits looking sharp and handsome.
The netizens were mostly amazed at the similar sizes of Kim Soo Hyun, who is known for his extremely small head, and Huh Gak’s head. They commented with, “How do they know each other?” and “I knew Huh Gak’s head was small but I didn’t know it was to this extreme.”
Source + image via Naver
As you all know, Block B has been swept up in controversy over their behavior during an interview in Thailand. Their carefree behavior in front of cameras has been criticized as disrespectful and insensitive towards the people of Thailand. Both the Korean and Thail media have been reporting up a storm about this issue, and as such, the boys found themselves in the headlines, and the subject of fury amongst netizens all over the world.
Although it seems clear that the boys never intended to offend anyone, it seems their actions are seen as unforgivable by many. Petitions have been going around insisting on Block B’s retirement and blocking their appearances from broadcasts, and have gained 10,000 signatures so far.
However, there are also plenty who sympathize with the boys and have been speaking out against these petitions, especially after seeing how truly sorry the boys were and realizing that they had never intended any harm – since part of Block B’s charm lies in their carefreeness.
The boys have already written apologies, bowed 90 degrees on their latest music show appearance, and Zico shaved his head in remorse.
In addition, they have released another apology today, this time in the form of a video on their YouTube page with subtitles in Korean, Thai, and English. The boys’ remorse and pain are visible on their faces as they apologize once again to the people of Thailand, and bow to show their sincerity.
2PM’s Taec Yeon recently showed off his perfectly sexy abs for a men’s health magazine..
Men’s Health, an international men’s lifestyle magazine, is well known for choosing stars with perfect figures, as their cover models.
They carefully selected a star who will be featured on the cover for their special edition to celebrate the 6th anniversary of their creation. Since 2PM’s Taec Yeon is well known for his manly and charismatic charms, he appeared on the cover of the magazine.
In the pictorial for the magazine, Taec Yeon is not wearing a shirt and is only wearing a pair of training pants. He also talked about the secrets for a firm body.
The pants that Taec Yeon is wearing are already getting a lot of attention. They are from Freddy, a famous Italian sports brand, which is very popular among male idol stars.
The pants have a band attached at the waist part and it makes them look like underpants. They complement the abs very well and make men look sexier. The pants are a big issue among lots of men.
A spokesperson for the magazine says, “Even though he is very busy doing his oversea schedules, he shot three different styles of covers. He will also tell you how to make your body handsome. You can see Taec Yeon’s variety of charms and strengths through the magazine.”
Girl group 2NE1 has revealed a preview for the Japanese version of “Love is Ouch” through a CF for ‘CanCam‘ magazine.
‘CanCam’ is a popular women’s magazine in Japan that focuses on fashion and lifestyle. With 2NE1 being at the forefront of both fields in Korea and Japan, CanCam decided to utilize a song from the girl group for their new CF.
“Love is Ouch” was originally part of 2NE1′s 2010 album, ‘To Anyone‘. The Japanese version of “Love is Ouch” will be included in 2NE1′s new Japanese album, ‘Collection‘, scheduled to hit shelves on March 28th.
Check out the CF below!
Recently, Kara’s Goo Hara has denied the report that she was going to transfer to a different agency.
On February 22, Kara’s agency clarified, “It is not true that the exclusive contract between Goo Hara of Kara and her agency, DSP Media, expires in August.
But the thing is the contract with Universal Music, Kara’s music distribution industry in Japan, was signed in August 2010 and is to be expired this year in August. But DSP Media and Universal Music are showing positive regard toward signing another contract. In the matter of exclusive contract of Goo, all members of Kara have two or more years left under the contract with DSP Media.”
In the early February 22, a newspaper press reported, “Among all five members of Kara, Goo Hara will be the only one out of contract in August, therefore entering FA market.”
Yesterday, Big Bang kicked off their comeback by unleashing their music video for “Blue“, their first single from their 5th mini-album, ‘Alive‘.
In just 24 hours, the MV drew over 1.5 million views on YouTube, and the numbers are still going strong. It’s very likely that the video will hit over 2 million before the day is through.
Additionally, Big Bang released ‘Part 2′ of their mini-series describing the song, “Blue”. The boys said that it was a “new style of song” for them and that listening to it would help “recall memories and feel sympathy.” They concluded with the observation that it was a great song to usher in the Spring.
Check out their interview below!
FT Island’s Lee Hong Ki recently transformed into a traffic police.
On February 22, Lee tweeted, “We just recorded a show! I couldn’t sing very well because my vocal cords had some problem. We are now singing the traffic safety song for SBS’s Inkigayo!”
Then about 30 minutes later, he tweeted pictures with the comment, “I’m a police officer! This club is for performing the song.”
In the pictures, Lee is wearing a police uniform. He is making a cute face while wearing sunglasses and pouting his lips. He looks like he is saying “Be careful” to people while holding a red club.
People responded: “You are cute.” “Is it okay if a police officer is that handsome?” “They way you act looks like you are a gangster.” “You are a bad cop.” “I can’t wait to listen to the song.” “People will believe if you say you are a police.” “Please don’t be sick.” “Take a good care of your throat.”
FT Island is keeping busy with their new album Severely.
World renown hip hop producer Swizz Beatz expressed his hopes to one day see a collaboration between Rihanna and 2NE1.
On February 20th, Swizz Beatz held a press conference at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul to discuss the growing impact of K-Pop on the global music industry.
Swizz Beatz revealed,
“I think Korea’s K-pop is a kind of expression. The world is looking for something new and K-pop is a new trend. I want to play a part in making Korean music known worldwide.
As I travel around the world, I learn about the sound of each country. I’m not only interested in hip hop, but other musical genres as well. For Korean artists, I think KARA, Big Bang, 2NE1, and BoA (among other musicians) have many strengths. K-pop is an opportunity, and the future is bright.“
When asked about the potential for K-pop in the American pop music market, Swizz Beatz said,
“Although Korean people are accustomed to American pop music, K-pop may be unfamiliar to American people. However, the world’s hearts are open to music. K-pop has great potential. I think if 2NE1 and Rihanna got together, the effect would be great.“
Swizz Beatz has worked with top-tier artists such as Jay-Z, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Kanye West, U2, and many others. He currently has a business partnership with Korea’s Omen Media and has a new project in the works.
Source + Image: Star News
Earlier, Se7en gave fans a sneak peek into his photoshoot with ‘Dazed & Confused‘. Now he’s followed up by unveiling his cover shot for the magazine’s March issue.
Se7en shared the cover shot through his personal Twitter on February 18th under the caption, “SE7EN – DAZED Korea March 2012!!!”
The singer brought out a look with tons of personality, from his self-assured expression to his big blow-out hairstyle. Fans can look forward to a pictorial with tons of quirky elements that deviate from Se7en’s more soulful image.
Stay tuned for more cuts from Dazed & Confused’s March issue!
Source + Image: Se7en’s official Twitter
Editor’s note: Pedram Keyani has been an engineer at Facebook since 2007. He is a manager on the Site Integrity team, the inventor of Keg Presence and a Hackathon enthusiast.
Looking for internships and jobs after college can be exhilarating, especially for people with engineering and other technical expertise. In an otherwise tough job market, demand for software engineers is higher than ever right now. You may find that companies are actually competing to pay you for the knowledge you worked so hard to acquire in school.
But as pumped as I was when I started out, I also felt a lot of stress: the uncertainty of facing an interviewer; the big differences between companies; the difficulty of deciding which company would be best for me.
Companies, like people, have distinctive personalities. Just as you won’t get along with every person you meet, you aren’t going to get along with every company that offers you a job. And vice versa. To figure out your best fit, you’ll need to ask some meaningful questions to help you figure out what you value beyond the salary. What is the pace of work? What kind of bosses would you like to have? Will that fast-growing start-up be around a year from now? Will that big, established company be boring?
I would love to say that if you are a talented engineer, Facebook is the obvious place for you. But it wouldn’t be true, because the fit between a person and a company is more complicated than that. It’s not just about matching up technical skills and money. It’s also about whether a company’s culture and mindset resonates with you. In other words, you should be interviewing the company at the same time they are interviewing you.
But since you have to get an internship offer before worrying about which company to pick, let’s go over the nuts and bolts of that process.
What They Didn’t Teach You in School
When you solve problems for school, you’re usually writing on paper or using your keyboard. But if you’re given a problem to solve in an internship or job interview, you will be doing something more: you’ll be projecting the kind of person you are. Your words will indicate what you know, and your demeanor will indicate how you think and what kind of disposition you have. Are you calm and patient, or restless and energetic? Confident, cocky or humble? Can you communicate with those around you? There isn’t a “right” or “wrong” type, but the interviewer will be taking it all in.
To prepare yourself, I have three words for you – practice, practice, practice. Interviewing well is a skill they don’t teach you in school, but it’s crucial. Fortunately, you can gain the basic skills you need in a Saturday afternoon.
Start by picking a few fun programming problems, printing them out and taking them to a whiteboard. To simulate the stress you might feel in an interview, time yourself as you write the solutions and talk them out. Don’t worry if you get tripped up — interviewers are more interested in how you wrestle with the problem, and whether you keep working at it, than whether you come up with a perfect answer. Doing this a few times should make the format feel more comfortable so when you get to the interview, you’ll look less stressed because you will be less stressed. That’s important, and it will give your interviewer a better sense of who you are.
Sampling the Buffet
Assuming you passed your interviews, you may have several different internship options. This is when the fun begins. My advice is that you should never intern at the same place twice, even if it’s a huge company and you can try a different group. Why? Because internships are like appetizers — you get to try out different bite-sized morsels and see which ones you like best before diving in to the main course. Before starting my first real engineering job, I had internships at four great companies, from Sun Microsystems to Google, and each gave me a very different taste. Sure, you may like the company you were at last summer, but you might love the next company. Use internships to go to big companies, small companies, companies near home and companies in different states or even countries. Why not? What do you have to lose?
The Main Course
If you do well in your internship, you may very well get a job offer at the end of the summer. If so, great! But if not, don’t worry. You now have strong work experience and will know what to expect in the interview room.
But since even the most thorough practice can’t fully prepare you for interviewing at your dream job, my advice is to line up interviews for companies from least desirable to most desirable. By the time you are at that last interview, you’ll be a pro.
In that interview, it may help to act as if you already have the offer. You shouldn’t be arrogant, but it may be helpful to pretend that you have to decide by the end of the day if this is where you want to work. This is when it gets interesting, because now you’ll be interviewing the company instead of the other way around. It can be tough to get the answers you need, so ask questions that can reveal concrete details about how the company works. Here are some questions that worked for me. See which ones are important to you:
The Negotiation
Let’s assume that you got the offer (hopefully multiple offers). Before I get started with specifics, let’s deal with the elephant in the room: money. Most of us don’t like talking about money or acting as if it’s important. That’s fine, but you should be prepared for that conversation because the only time you can negotiate your compensation is before you start. Once you have signed on, your pay is entirely based on your performance and you won’t have much opportunity to re-negotiate (other than by being promoted).
Your offer will likely consist of a salary component and an equity component, and both parts are fair to negotiate. Each company will have its own range for new hires based on factors like the candidate’s school, degree, and interview strength. It’s hard to advise exactly how to
negotiate, but don’t be afraid. If you think you want more salary, ask for it and see what they come back with. You can negotiate until the recruiter says, “this is our final offer” or “this is the best we can do.” At that point, you have to decide whether to take the offer or politely decline.
Equity is a bit more nuanced. You can’t simply look at the number of shares a company is offering, or even their current value. The big question is how much you think the company will grow in the future. This is the classic risk/ reward calculation, and it’s a judgment you have to make for yourself. Big, established companies usually offer less equity than small startups because their futures are more secure. A startup has to offer you more stock because it may be gone in a few months. You face two questions. First, how bright do you think the company’s outlook is? Second, what’s your appetite for risk versus reward?
During this process, you will be talking to a recruiter who serves as the company’s ambassador to you. Even if he or she casually asks how much salary or equity you want, know that this isn’t a casual question, and it’s not wise to throw out a number in that kind of conversation. You haven’t had a full-time job, so you can’t be expected to have a reasonable sense of what’s fair. It’s better to tell the recruiter that you haven’t thought about exact numbers but are excited to see what your offers look like. The recruiters aren’t trying to cheat you, but you are both part of a negotiation and each side has its own interests.
Your First 100 Days
A new job can be rough because you are starting from scratch and have to prove yourself. Don’t worry, this phase will pass. With every task and project, you will learn something new and start to take on bigger tasks. It’s important to remember that the people around you are there to support you and help you get up to speed (if you’ve picked correctly). You are going to make mistakes and it’s going to suck, but you will learn from the mistakes and keep going.
When things get tough — and they will — don’t beat yourself up with thoughts like, “I’m not smart enough” and “everyone around me knows more.” The truth is that everybody was new at some point, and everybody has strengths and weaknesses. If you are having a hard time, ask your manager or mentor to tell you about their first jobs or internships and the issues they dealt with. A little perspective goes a long way. Instead of agonizing over your stumbles, focus on doing what you enjoy and give it your very best shot. Trust me, the rest will follow.
[image via Flickr/felixtsao]
Editor’s Note: Contributor Ashkan Karbasfrooshan is the founder and CEO of WatchMojo, he hosts a weekly show on business and has published books on success. Follow him @ashkan.
Last week, Forbes contributor Eric Jackson published a list on the 9 lessons that Jeremy Lin can teach you; number 2 on his list was “Seize the Opportunity”. Lin’s not the first, and he won’t be the last, but his meteoric rise has reminded us once again that anything is possible if you seize the opportunity.
In this article, we’ll expand on that and discuss how you can seize your opportunities. It is, after all, easier said than done.
Carpe Diem Is More Than Words
Jackson rightfully pointed out that Lin “got to start for the Knicks because they had to start him.” Indeed, with Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby, Iman Shumpert, Baron Davis and Carmelo Anthony all injured – and the Knicks playing abysmally – Lin got the call (the Knicks even considered releasing him to sign another player). What makes Linsanity truly insane is that Lin pounced on his opportunity like a cold-blooded and calculated assassin.
All Overnight Successes Are Years in the Making
While to most onlookers Lin was the “overnight success”, he was anything but. In fact, while it’s debatable whether leaders are made or born, they don’t appear overnight, so don’t get disappointed if you don’t have a breakthrough moment. Successes are rarely the result of hail marries, but rather, successive 10-yard gains as you march down the field, with the occasional setback (there will be setbacks).
Build on a Strong Foundation
For what it’s worth, Lin comes from a solid family (his father taught him the sport at the Y). He was the editor of his school paper. As a high school senior, he captained Palo Alto High School to a 32–1 record, winning the state title.
In other words, don’t expect to slack off all of your life and then be handed an opportunity on a silver platter. It actually does take years of work and sacrifice.
Even When You’re Good, You May Not Be Lucky
Lin wasn’t unknown. ESPN’s Dana O’Neil reported that Lin “was the runaway choice for player of the year during high school by virtually every Californian publication,” with the “instincts of a killer” according to then-Harvard assistant coach Bill Holden. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla picked him among the 12 most versatile players in college basketball while Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun added: “I’ve seen a lot of teams come through here, and he could play for any of them. He’s got great, great composure on the court. He knows how to play.”
Take the Road Less Traveled
Despite all of the praise, at 6 feet 3 inches, Lin didn’t get any scholarship offers and attended Harvard University, which hadn’t produced an NBA player in 50 years!
Undrafted by the NBA, he signed a two-year deal in July 2010 with the Golden State Warriors, his favorite team growing up, becoming the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent in the NBA.
You Can Only Succeed If You’ve Failed
His stint with Golden State was unsuccessful, by his second year he was in the NBA’s D-League. In December 2011, Lin was cut on training camp opening day.
The Houston Rockets claimed him off waivers only to cut him on December 24th. Merry Christmas, indeed, to the Evangelical Christian whose ancestors emigrated from China to Taiwan in the 18th century (Lin himself was born in California).
The good news is that in life, you get more than one opportunity. The bad news is that you don’t get that many, so don’t think that patience is necessarily a virtue, either.
No Flash, All Substance
Part of what made Lin unsuccessful at the draft explains his success with the Knicks – his third pro team.
University of San Francisco coach Rex Walters opined that the NCAA drafting rules hurt Lin: “Most colleges start recruiting a guy in the first five minutes they see him because he runs really fast, jumps really high, does the quick, easy thing to evaluate.”
Lin didn’t disagree: “I just think in order for someone to understand my game, they have to watch me more than once, because I’m not going to do anything that’s extra flashy or freakishly athletic.”
In other words: keep it simple.
Make Your Doubters Pay At Every Level
After being outscored 38-34 by Lin and losing to the Knicks, LA Lakers Kobe Bryant noted: “Players playing that well don’t usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed.”
Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob added that “Stanford’s failure to recruit Lin was really stupid. The kid was right across the street. If you can’t recognize that, you’ve got a problem.”
People are driven by fear and greed. Make the fear of them doubting or not backing you haunt them, forever.
Loyalty Matters
Despite effectively filling the injured Carmelo Anthony’s role, it was he who suggested to coach Mike D’Antoni that Lin should play more. In other words, you need to be humble and understand the dynamics of loyalty.
Respect the Chain of Command
Yes, before drilling that game-winning three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors, Lin held on to the ball to kill time. It was a gutsy move; but if you look at the footage, Lin clearly turns to the coach and gets clearance. Strategically it was a sound move, tactically he nailed the shot, and yes, luck was on his side, but luck is required to succeed in life – along with vision, ambition, execution, determination and timing.
No Risk, No Reward
Ultimately, he took the risk, he prevailed. That’s how you seize the opportunity. As they say: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Everything happens for a reason: maybe it was a good thing that he had a chance to fail in a smaller market before hitting the prime-time in the Big Apple.
Jeremy Lin didn’t just give hope to the Knicks and the NBA, he made underdogs around the world walk taller.
Image credit to nikk_la
With the recent influx of singing competition shows sprouting faster than Jeremy Lin fans, I try avoiding them like people with bad breath. However, it wasn’t until I saw a preview of ‘SBS KPOP Star’ at the conclusion of a hilarious ‘Running Man’ episode that baited me to check out a few clips of the auditions. One YouTube clip led to another and another (curse you ‘Recommended Videos’ section!), and before I knew it, I was watching full episodes of the show from its inception.
As Michelle Lee appeared before the judges for the first time, she stood anxiously grabbing the mic with both hands and introduced herself. She spoke in fluent Korean, throwing the judges and myself off guard, because she was… different. The curvy, darker skinned contestant in frumpy attire revealed that she is half black and half Korean, born and raised in Korea. She then delivered an impressive acapella of “Chain of Fools” that Aretha Franklin herself would approve of, immediately garnering the respect of the judges.
‘Wow,’ I thought to myself. ‘She’s gooooood… But in the back of my mind I also thought that she’ll never win.’
O_O
Some of you might be saying ‘WTF’, but the rest of you who live in the real world were probably thinking the same thing. However, for the sake of argument, I’ll be the one to tell the kids that Santa isn’t real. I don’t mind being the bad guy, I’ll say what no one wants to: Michelle Lee will not win KPOP Star because of her appearance.
Before you go logging into your 6Theory accounts to curse my unborn child, hear me out. My deduction may seem cold and racially insensitive on the surface, but I’m merely relaying the status quo of nationalism in South Korea and the standards of beauty as promulgated by K-pop fans and the media. Yes, we’ve seen the atypical underdogs win these competitions before (see: Susan Boyle), but the requisites are different here, as indicated by the literal title of the show in big, bold, pink font. This show is looking for a K-pop star.
WHAT IS A KPOP STAR?
Let’s be real. We all know there are more than a few idols out there with mediocre singing ability. With respect for the wrath of the K-pop netizen, I won’t name names for fear of my own safety, but I will say that almost every group has at least one. Entertainment companies cleverly conceal this lack of talent by designating specific roles to group members like ‘main vocalist,’ ‘sub vocalist,’ ‘dancer,’ etc., or the most creative one I’ve seen yet, ‘sexy charisma’. L-O-L.
While exceptional vocal ability is not common in every idol, the ideal physical idiosyncrasies are – the crescent-shaped eyes complimented with double eyelids, the cute button nose, the milky-soft skin, and the S-line figure forged from the perfect ratio of athletic tone and starvation—whether they’re God-given or not.
The point is, that in K-pop, image takes precedence over talent. Is it justified? I’ll be the first to admit that I often fall victim to the pretty face. I rotate crushes on female idols like Big Bang members change their hairstyles. But to answer the question, hell yes. The voice might sell the 99 cent song on iTunes, but it’s the face that sells the posters, clothes, cosmetics, and bottles of soju. We, the fans, the consumers, the drooling dupes who are attracted to shiny things, are the ones to blame for the perpetuation of this criterion.
As the future idols of K-pop now endure the battle auditions and prepare for live performances where elimination is partially influenced by viewer voting, we should start seeing the development of the inevitable transformations in aesthetic presentation. My inner nerd can’t help but compare this to the recent Captain America movie, where a scrawny Steve Rogers is injected with the ‘super soldier’ serum and comes out all jacked up as if he were auditioning for the next season of ‘Jersey Shore’. So as our own contestants are about to head into their proverbial stasis chambers, I’ve noticed a few contestants’ metamorphoses have already begun. The judges have specifically asked Lee Ha Yi and Park Ji Min (two leading favorites to take it all), among others, to lose weight. Anyone notice that mum’s the word for Michelle?
DISCRIMINATION IN KOREA
New York Times, 2009 ‘South Koreans Struggle with Race‘
“In a report issued Oct. 21, Amnesty International criticized discrimination in South Korea against migrant workers, who mostly are from poor Asian countries, citing sexual abuse, racial slurs, inadequate safety training and the mandatory disclosure of H.I.V. status, a requirement not imposed on South Koreans in the same jobs. Citing local news media and rights advocates, it said that following last year’s financial downturn, “incidents of xenophobia are on the rise.”
For most of its modern history, South Koreans were taught to take pride in its ethnic homogeneity. Its ‘pure-blood’ nationalism was fueled from the foul tastes of Imperialist invasion and subjugation from its bigger neighbors, but I’ll save the full history lessons for your boring professors.
Before I go on, I want to clear the air. My intention here is not to denounce the Korean people as jingoistic beasts, nor is it to justify their sociological attitude that’s governed them for decades. South Korea has made strides in improving its internal disposition. According to the aforementioned New York Times article, in 2007, they urged public education to further condemn widespread use of terms like ‘pure-blood’ and ‘mixed blood’. Political parties also planned to draft legislation that would “provide detailed definition of discrimination by race and ethnicity and impose criminal penalties.”
Now some of you Hottests and Aff(x)tion-ites are itching to point out that there are actually quite a few idols in the industry that aren’t ‘pure-blood’ Koreans, exempli gratia Nichkhun, Victoria, Amber, Fei, and Jia to name a few. Being a computer science major, my argumentative response would refer to the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing’s logic test for inductive reasoning to rationalize this contrasting principle: “If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” So yeah. I’m reaching, I know.
Interestingly though, Michelle would not be the first black-Korean to hit the Korean mainstream music scene. Yoon Mi Rae aka Tasha Reid, Lady T or T, is in my opinion, the best female rapper in the world. Like Michelle, Yoon Mi Rae was born to a Korean mother and African-American father. She debuted in a duo at the age of 16 in 1999, was a member of Uptown and has had a successful career as a solo artist, but not without conflict. Throughout her life, she often faced discrimination because of her mixed heritage, as can be validated by the emotional lyrics of her songs.
“Black Happiness” (translated)
“I was young, but I could see my mother’s sadness.
I was ashamed—thought it was all my fault.
I scrubbed my face twice every day,
My tears melted the white soap
Because I hated my dark skin.”
Even not too long ago, Yoon Mi Rae experienced racism after her husband, famed rapper Tiger JK, brought their 21-month old son Jordan onstage with him at ‘Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook’. Sadly, after the show, Tiger read some hateful racist comments about his son and family that led to this Twitter tantrum.
On the flip side, discrimination in the entertainment industry isn’t exclusive to South Korea, as we’ve seen many cases of Asian artists having difficulties being accepted in America and other countries as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m not saying we should hand the crown over to Michelle by default. There are a handful of very talented contestants that could easily win it. If she didn’t win, I’d have no qualms with it… if she’s outperformed. I honestly don’t think we’ll get a fair trial though.
Her only advantage and ray of hope is that advancement to the next rounds are heavily influenced by the judges and not entirely by viewer voting as is the case on other shows. In the opening minutes of the very first episode where the judges are introduced, they are each asked what they’re looking for and what their standards of judging will be based on:
YG: “I hope to create a new kind of star that has yet to be established.”
J.Y. Park: “The standard for KPOP Star is… originality. A person with their own style. One who can express themselves through singing or dancing. That is the person we want to find.”
BoA: “For me, rather than someone who is already well-polished, I want to find someone with potential who can be polished in the future. I hope to find someone who’s like a clean, white canvas.”
If these truly are their ambitions, then Michelle has a shot. Yang Hyun Suk, Park Jin Young, and BoA are three of the most influential icons of the industry that have shaped the K-pop landscape into what it is today. These judges, CEO’s and ambassadors of their respective companies, have continually tried to penetrate the western market with their best arsenal (Wonder Girls, Rain, Se7en, and BoA herself), and while they’ve made progress, they’ve ultimately failed by most standards. Perhaps its time to try different ammunition.
Maybe instead of the catchy tune backed by the pretty face, you try sheer, unadulterated, magnificent talent? How will America respond? Ask Adele’s eight Grammy’s.
It’s a good thing that Adele wasn’t born as a half-black/half-Korean though… because then we wouldn’t ever know.
SBS‘s popular audition show, ‘K-Pop Star‘, has announced that it will air its final episode on April 29th.
A related source reveled to OSEN that “K-Pop Star’s last show will air on April 29th. We are currently holding discussions for a second season. We think the current judges – BoA, Yang Hyun Suk, and J.Y. Park — want to continue judging for the second season.”
Though the judges could very well return for another season, the source did not reveal whether producer Park Sung Hoon would come back with them.
‘K-Pop Star’ has been gaining a lot of attention due to the heavy involvement of SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. The final winner will get to win a substantial cash reward and debut through one of the three companies.
Source: OSEN
Earlier, allkpop reported that contrary to their initial report, Big Bang wouldn’t be promoting two tracks, but four.
In their latest announcement, however, Big Bang has revealed that they would be promoting the remaining two tracks on the album (excluding the intro). This brings the final count to six title tracks: “Blue”, “Bad Boy“, “Love Dust”, “Fantastic Baby“, “Not Funny“, and “Wings“.
Big Bang will release “Blue” first on February 22nd, ahead of their actual mini-album release on the 29th. A teaser for “Blue” has already hit the airwaves, featuring a mini interview clip with leader G-Dragon himself. Big Bang will continue to release teasers in cooperation with Naver Music, featuring footage of their honest thoughts about their return to the K-Pop scene after a long hiatus.
Big Bang will also be embarking on their ‘BIGBANG ALIVE TOUR 2012‘, starting with performances in Seoul on March 2nd through the 3rd.
Stay tuned to allkpop for more details on Big Bang’s comeback!
A documentary movie, featuring JYJ’s everyday life, will officially hit Lotte Cinemas.
On February 14, JYJ’s agency, C-JeS Entertainment, said, “Since CGV decided not to release the documentary movie The Day, we will release it in Lotte Cinemas on February 23. The movie is a perfect version of the JYJ story for their fans.”
“Since we had to change our schedules, JYJ members will not able to visit all the theaters to meet people. But they will visit several theaters in Seoul on the day of its release and during the weekends. They also prepared a surprise video for fans who live outside of Seoul.”
The group members also sent a message to their fans through a video for Valentines Day.
They said, “Happy Valentines Day! We love you.”
The movie will be released on February 23 in 17 Lotte Cinemas.
MBLAQ‘s Mir has revealed that MBLAQ is already working on their next album.
On February 13th, Mir tweeted,
“G.O.-hyung [is] completely absorbed in recording the guide [vocals] for our next album.“
The members have just completed promotions for “This is War” on ‘Inkigayo‘ this past Sunday, but it looks like they’re already back in the studio for their next musical project.
Fans expressed their excitement for MBLAQ’s next album with comments like, “Kya~! I’m looking forward to it!” and “I’m so excited!”
Stay tuned to allkpop for more info on MBLAQ’s upcoming album!
Source: Mir’s Twitter
Tip: c00kiemonster
Kim Hyun Joong is proving to be quite a force to be reckoned with in Japan, as his album has reached ‘Gold’ status in just two weeks!
According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)’s ‘Million Singles/Albums’ list, Kim Hyun Joong’s ‘Kiss Kiss/ Lucky Guy’ has achieved ‘Gold’ after being released on January 25th.
The RIAJ reviews the sales of various albums and awards different rankings depending on the amount of album sales. ‘Gold’ status is awarded to those who have sold over 100,000 copies, which Kim Hyun Joong was able to surpass easily as he sold 71,812 copies on the first day alone and 100,000 copies in the first week.
With such high figures, he easily clinched the #2 spot on the Oricon chart, and also set a new record for an overseas artist for the amount of first day sales. Talk about impressive!
In related news, Kim Hyun Joong held a concert commemorating his debut on February 5th and met with 20,000 fans. He expressed, “Thank you for giving me, a rookie, such a great outcome.”
Source + Photo: Star News
Actress Song Ji Hyo took part in her first ’Running Man‘ shoot after news broke out about her relationship with the CEO of her agency, C-JeS Entertainment.
The shoot took place in Busan on February 6th, and fans were anxious to know how this would affect her relationship with co-star Gary on the program. Song Ji Hyo and Gary make up the ‘Monday Couple’, a team that’s drawn great popularity on the program because of the couple’s affection for one another.
‘Running Man’ PD Cho Hyo Jin informed MyDaily that, ”It was the first shoot after the news broke, but the atmosphere on set wasn’t much different from how it’s always been. As always, it was a pleasant shoot. Nothing special.”
After her relationship was made public, the actress had apologized via text messages to all her ‘Running Man’ cast members, including Gary, who responded via Twitter.
Cho PD remarked, “To be honest, it’s nothing she needs to feel or be sorry for. I think she did that because she’s just a really sweet girl. They did mention her new relationship during the shoot, but they were supportive and encouraging. If it’s funny, we will include it in the episode; if not, it will get edited [out].”
“Song Ji Hyo and Gary were also on the same team, and they were their usual ‘Monday Couple’ selves,” Cho continued. “They weren’t awkward at all, nothing different from how it’s always been.”
In related news, Lee Da Hae and Oh Ji Ho served as the special guests on the episode. ‘Part 1′ will air on the 19th, while ‘Part 2′ will air on the 26th.
Source & Image: MyDaily via Nate
Images of miss A member Suzy receiving kisses from 2PM‘s Taecyeon and actor Kim Soohyun have surfaced online.
The above photos as well as a video were shared on an online community site with the the title, ‘Kim Soohyun & Ok Taecyeon giving Suzy kisses‘.
The video was footage from the ‘Dream High‘ season 1 poster photo shoot that took place last year, featuring the main characters Suzy, Taecyeon, and Soohyun, and was recently posted, drawing attention.
Suzy played the role of Go Hyemi, the girl that caused a love triangle between Song Sam Dong (Kim Soo Hyun) & Jin Gook (Taecyeon), and the photo shoot pictorial expressed their complicated relationship.
Envious netizens who saw the video remarked, “Jealous…“, “She looks shocked but happy“, and “I wish I was Suzy.”
Source & Image: SportsChosun via Nate
The teaser video of Ailee’s digital single Heaven, revealed on February 7 via major music-downloading sites such as YouTube and Melon, features Ailee and B2ST’s Gi Kwang as a romantic couple.
In the teaser video, Ailee and Gi Kwang play a refreshing, romantic couple who just confessed their ardent love. The beguiling combination of Ailee with a shy smile and Gi Kwang in a chic black suit drew an explosive response from people who saw the teaser video.
In particular, Ailee is recently attracting the focus of the greatest attention thanks to her impressive appearance in Dream High 2 as a talent with superior dancing and singing abilities.
Earlier, Ailee appeared in a special pilot TV show on the MBC network, showing off her excellent singing ability before senior singers. They highly praised her well-honed performance. Thanks to the brief appearance of the show, she could gain some fame even before making her debut. That’s why the recent release of her debut song’s teaser attracts such a huge attention.
Recently, T-ara signed a commercial contract worth 1 billion won. This is the greatest amount of money that an “idol” group has ever been on contract in history.
Core Contents Media, T-ara’s agency, said on February 6, “T-ara was guaranteed with the most shocking amount of money in the world of ‘idols’ and signed a contract with the Gibalhan Chicken for a year.” In addition to 1 billion won on the contract, the group will receive royalty fees of every franchise the company owns, rising as a hot issue in the industry.
The Gibalhan Chicken says, “When we were looking for an exclusive model for our company, we found T-ara. It has gathered many fans in different age groups, from teenagers to the ones in their sixties, with their songs ‘Roly Poly,’ ‘Cry Cry,’ ‘We Were In Love,’ and ‘Lovey Dovey.’ The group has a popular image, and that’s why we have chosen this group.”
T-ara says that they will break the old tradition and come up with a brand-new style of commercial for fried-chickens appealing a friendly image like a family. They are also planning on holding many events, and one of them will be an autograph session at one of the finest franchises of the Gibalhan Chicken.
Meanwhile, T-ara will release its third single Roly Poly in Japan on February 29 and focus on their activities in Japan for a month from February 16.
B2ST has started their world tour amid enthusiastic cheering of nearly 12,000 fans.
B2ST (Du Jun, Gi Kwang, Hyun Seung, Jun Hyung, Yo Seop, and Dong Woon) held an exclusive concert, under the title of “B2ST 1st World Tour – Beautiful Show in Seoul,” at the Gymnastics Stadium at Olympic Park on February 4 from 6 p.m. for about 2 hours.
This concert in Seoul has attracted special attention from people in the music scene because it’s the first concert of B2ST’s world tour, which will take place in about twenty cities all around the world.
As befits a concert that has received wide attention, the Gymnastics Stadium at Olympic Park, which is the biggest indoor concert hall in Korea, was filled with nearly 12,000 domestic and overseas fans. They cheered B2ST members on the stage with an enthusiastic response.
B2ST started the concert with their hit songs, “Breath” and “Shock.” Their performances were very intense as befits the group’s character.
After the opening, B2ST said hi to the audiences, saying, “Did you miss us a lot?” They also got a laugh and hearty cheers from the audiences, saying, “The title of this concert is ‘Beautiful Show,’ and we can see so many ‘Beauties’ here.” Beauty is a name of B2ST’s official fan club.
At the concert, B2ST also performed rock versions of “Lights Go On Again,” “B2ST Is Best,” and “Master Mind.”
They also got the audiences excited by performing their new R&B song, “I Knew It,” released at the end of January, for the first time at the concert. Jun Hyung, a member and a producer of the group, also performed his solo song, “Living Without You,” for the first time at the concert.
Except for group performances, B2ST also had unit performances: Du Jun and Dong Woon’s “When The Door Closes,” Gi Kwang and Hyun Seung’s “Let It Snow,” Yo Seop and Jun Hyung’s “Thanks To,” Du Jun, Gi Kwang, and Jun Hyung’s “Should I Hug Or Not.”
Including their hit songs, “Fiction,” “The Fact,” “Bad Girl,” “On Rainy Days,” and “Beautiful,” B2ST performed nearly 30 songs at the concert.
The audiences cheered the six members on throughout the concert.
B2ST will hold another concert in Seoul on February 5 at the Gymnastics Stadium at Olympic Park.
Successfully finishing their first concert in Seoul, B2ST will continue their world tour at Columbiahalle in Berlin, Germany, on February 12. Columbiahalle is well-known as a concert hall where many famous musicians, like Sting and Boyz II Men, have performed. B2ST is holding next concert in Shanghai, China, on February 25.
After that, they will hold concerts in Spain, LA, New York, and San Francisco (U.S), Vancouver and Toronto (Canada), Singapore, five cities in Japan, Bangkok (Thailand), Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.
CEO Hong Seung Sung of Cube Entertainment, B2ST’s agency, says, “B2ST are currently receiving attention from many other countries, where K-pop boom has recently started, besides Asian countries. In the year 2012, we will see how potential B2ST are and also prove the sustainability of K-pop through B2ST’s world tour.”
Ahead of his official March 6th Japanese debut, singer Lee Seung Gi released new jacket cover photos for his new Japanese album ‘Alone In Love‘, further heightening the anticipation of his fans everywhere.
The Japanese media is keeping close watch of the singer, as he will be performing at the Nippon Budokan in Japan just three short months after his debut. The Budokan is a large-scale venue, usually reserved for the most elite of stars and Lee Seung Gi is determined to hold his first concert there to begin his career in Japan off right.
Lee Seung Gi will be unable to dive right into his Japanese activities as he has a few filming obligations in Korea for the time being, but will kick his Japanese promotions into high gear immediately after his drama filming comes to an end. His new single album will include the Japanese version of “Alone in Love“, as well as his hit song, “Because We’re Friends“.
In addition to releasing a successful fifth album in Korea and now promoting overseas, the multi-talented star is also serving as a witty MC on a variety of entertainment programs.
Source & Image: StarNews via Naver
JYJ’s Kim Jae Joong will hold a fan meeting on February 5 in Turkey. He was invited by the Korean Cultural Center at a university in Turkey.
Since his Korean TV series aired in Turkey in 2005, Hallyu has also arrived in Turkey. The biggest Hallyu fan club, Korea Fans, has over 40,000 members.
The Korean Cultural Center in Turkey invited Kim to hold a fan meeting so that they can promote cultural exchange between Korea and Turkey and spread Hallyu.
The six hundred tickets for Kim’s fan meeting sold out after 30 minutes and over 2,000 people applied to buy the tickets. People who couldn’t buy the tickets asked the Korean Cultural Center and South Korean Embassy for more tickets.
A major daily newspaper in Turkey reported on Kim’s fan meeting on February 1.
Lucky 7s, the wait is over: Se7en has just released the full music video for “When I Can’t Sing“, a track from his new mini-album!
The singer has been going all out for this comeback by drawing talent from all over the board to support his new album. He’s joined forces with J.Y. Park for this smooth R&B track, and enlisted the help of labelmate G-Dragon to make a special cameo in the MV.
Without further ado, check out his video below!
‘Dream High 2‘ aired its first episode today, and its team has released the first OST song!
Sung by J.Y. Park himself (who also acts in the drama), the track is called “Falling“. This mid-tempo love song describes a lover’s feelings as they fall in love. The mature tinge in J.Y. Park’s voice melds perfectly with the R&B melody, giving this drama’s OST series a promising start.
Check it out below and remember to support by purchasing the music!
On January 30th, Super Junior‘s Donghae celebrated two unforgettable moments: reaching over 1 million followers on Twitter and baking his first ever cake!
The idol began by tweeting a picture of his homemade creation. “I made this cake [for the] first time,” he wrote in English before continuing in Korean with, “I made my first cake today. I will show you prettier cakes from now on~”
A few minutes later, Donghae expressed happiness at reaching over 1 million followers on Twitter. He then shared a second photo of his cake with his pastry instructor.
If you want to send Donghae a message of congratulations, you can add him to your T-list here!
—-
Source + Image: Donghae’s Twitter
[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
The OST, “Back In Time“, from the drama ‘The Moon that Embraces the Sun‘ has been sweeping online music charts.
“Back in Time”, performed by Lyn, has been ranked number on popular music sites such as Olleh Music, Mel0n, and Naver since the 27th of this month. It is currently ahead of other popular songs such as T-ara‘s “Lovey Dovey“, B2st‘s “I Knew it“, IU‘s “You and I” and more.
The drama has also been doing well on viewer ratings as it hit a high 30% by the eighth episode. A representative from the music chart KT Music stated, “Because of the increasing popularity of dramas, the popularity of idol stars are decreasing. These (“The Moon that Embraces the Sun”) OST’s have been ranking at least top ten on every online music chart.”
Source + image via Nate
Name: The Front Line (고지전)
Running time: 133 minutes
Director: Jang Hun
Actors: Go Soo, Shin Ha Kyun, Ko Chang Seok, Lee Je Hoon
Genre: War, Historical, Action
Notes: Images of war and everything that goes with that
Where can I get it? Available to buy from Cine Asia on the 27th February
Source: Korean Class Massive
T-ara’s Eunjung misses a shooting of MBC’s We Got Married because of the injury in her leg.
On January 27, producer Kim Joon Hyun of We Got Married said to Starnews on the phone, “Eunjung got injured on the day of shooting We Got Married, so we had to cancel the shooting.”
Eunjung slipped on an icy road on January 24 and has hurt her left knee. She is also told that her injury will take six weeks to heal completely. However, Eunjung was willing to shoot the episode, despite her injury, but the production crew postponed the shooting considering her condition.
Producer Kim said, “Despite her injury, she insisted on coming to the shooting set without a cast on her leg. But we thought it would be better for her to take a rest as long as it wouldn’t cause any problem for the program, so we postponed the shooting.
We already have some episodes recorded for two or three weeks, so there wouldn’t be any problem. The shooting will begin again regarding Eunjung’s recovery.”
In the episode that airs on January 28, second part of the blind date between the members of Super Junior and actresses will broadcast.
With Park So Hyun and Kim Won Joon leaving ‘We Got Married’, fans of the show have been looking forward to seeing which new couple would replace them on the show.
With rumors of numerous couples being ‘confirmed’, Kim Joon Hyun PD of ‘We Got Married’ has firmly stated that they’ve yet to choose an official couple.
He revealed to Sports Seoul on January 27th that, “With the exit of the Park So Hyun – Kim Won Joon couple, we plan to recruit a new couple to continue on the show with three couples. We are currently still looking for a new couple, so nothing has been confirmed yet.”
Recently, Super Junior‘s Donghae and Son Eun Seo were spotted holding hands on their double date with Leeteuk and Kang Sora during a shoot for ‘We Got Married’. This led to speculations that Donghae and Son Eun Seo had been officially recruited for the show as the new permanent couple.
However Kim Joon Hyun PD refuted, “Their story will be broadcast for the meantime, but they have not been confirmed as a permanent couple on the show. There have been other guests on the show besides these two had expressed their wish to ‘date’, so if they wish, we plan to carry on filming them as well.”
When asked what age groups the PD was looking for to replace the Park So Hyun – Kim Won Joon couple, he answered, “We don’t take age into account when we do the casting. They could be a couple who are both 20 years old, or they could be a couple with an age difference.”
Source + Photo: Sports Seoul via Naver
Super Junior‘s Choi Siwon is known for being the social media prince of K-Pop (as voted by the international K-Pop community here on allkpop). Unfortunately, that means he became a bigger target for attack.
On January 28th, Siwon sent out a notice that his Twitter account had been hacked.
“Someone hacked my account,” he wrote. “I know who did [it], but I’m not gonna tell. JUST DON’T DO THAT ANYMORE. Please.”
Concerned fans immediately rallied to support Siwon, sending messages of sympathy and annoyance at this invasion of his privacy.
It seems that Siwon put it out of his mind, however, as he was determined to enjoy his final day in London. He shared a last photo from his trip, along with the words, “Last day in London. Regretful glance.”
Getting hacked and having to deal with a security issue while abroad is definitely not a great way to end a trip, but hopefully Siwon managed to fully enjoy his UK vacation.
–
Source: Siwon’s Twitter
Super Junior’s leader, Leeteuk shares his problem of being a workaholic.
On January 28, Leeteuk tweeted, “Taking a rest is stress to me. I don’t know what to do.
Being workaholic. How can you fix this? It drives me crazy because it’s more serious than I thought. When I take a rest, I become depressed. I think I’m going crazy. Should I go on a trip by seaside?”
Netizens who saw his tweet comment: “Working hard is a good thing, but you need to take a rest as well.” “He’s such a working bee, our leader Leeteuk.” “Go on a trip and blow those stresses away!”
miss A‘s Suzy has attracted attention with her ‘dorky disguise’.
On January 27th, the idol tweeted, “Im in Macau – kyakya~“. She then attached a self-taken photo to the message, surprising fans with a look they’ve never seen on Suzy before.
The young idol is often seen in mini-dresses and fashionable pieces for miss A’s events, but in this photo, Suzy rocked a more relaxed look. Wearing trendy glasses that take up half her face (and the selca), Suzy completes the youthful style with a wool cap, headphones, and a studded jacket.
Fans commented, “A dork, but still very beautiful“, “Why are you so perfect?”, and “Even without making an effort, you still look like a model…”
Source + Image: Suzy’s Twitter
SHINee‘s Taemin will put on his independent stage performance.
The singer successfully completed his first solo stage performance during a recent filming for KBS2‘s ‘Immortal Song 2‘.
Fourteen of today’s best vocals gathered to pay tribute to legendary singer Song Chang Sik, but all eyes and ears were focused on Taemin who sang “At Least Once” before a live audience.
In the past, he has captivated his fans with his adorable image and powerful dance moves, but this ‘Immortal Song’ stage is a bit out of his comfort zone.
Before he went on stage, he remarked that he was “nervous about standing on the stage alone“, but he impressed with his ability to sing live, and performed well with the orchestra that played in the background.
“Song Chang Sik sunbaenim smiled proudly at me throughout my entire performance, and so I was able to sing a little more comfortably,” he explained.
Singer Song Chang Sik who was marveled by Taemin’s performance did not hold back his praise for the young singer.
Taemin will make his debut on the January 28th episode of Immortal Song 2 scheduled to air at 6:15 PM KST.
Source & Image: SportsChosun via Nate
Super Junior’s Shindong recently went skiing with Boom.
On January 26, Shindong posted a picture with the comment, “I’m skiing with Boom at Konjiam Resort in Gwangju. It’s really fun! I’m snowboarding and Boom is skiing. Everyone, let’s go skiing together.”
In the picture, Shindong is wearing a blue hat while making a funny face. Boom staring at the camera behind Shindong. Even though he is covering half of his face, crescent-shaped eyes and sharp nose caught the public’s eyes.
People responded: “They are really close friends.” “Are they that close to each other to go skiing together? Take me there with you.” “You both look good.” “Boom is handsome!”
Mnet’s “M! Countdown” is back with another episode of spectacular performances with all the artists you love! Special MC’s for this episode include members from TEEN TOP and Rainbow Pixie.
Aside from the usual stages tonight, both Brian Joo and Dal Shabet made their long-awaited comebacks.
Competing for the #1 spot, it was a hot battle between MBLAQ, T-ara, and TEEN TOP, but in the end, it was MBLAQ who clinched the win tonight with “This is War“!
Congratulations to MBLAQ and their dedicated fans A+ for their ‘M! Countdown’ trophy today!
B2ST’s new song “I Knew It” ranked first on several real time music charts.
The song ranked first on the music site, Monkey 3′s, real time chart, after the song was released on January 26. The song is also currently ranking high on several other music sites, including Melon and Bugs.
This is the first song B2ST has released in eight months. The song is about a pure-hearted man, who loves a girl even though she suddenly changes.
Lee Jung Kyu from Monkey 3 says, “B2ST proved that they are the most popular boy group by ranking first on our real time chart. We haven’t seen a boy group rank first in a while. Since B2ST is back performing, boy groups will become hot again.”
Actress Ku Hye Sun was recently selected as the No. 1 Korean natural beauty by Spanish fans.
On January 25, an online community posted a note with the caption, “Ku Hye Sun was selected as the No. 1 Korean natural beauty by a Spanish website.”
The Spanish website did a survey asking “who is the most beautiful girl in Korea” and Ku ranked first with 32.08 percent of the votes.
Song Hye Kyo ranked second with 27.09 percent of the votes and Shin Min Ah ranked third with 12.13 percent of the votes. Both Lee Min Jung and Son Ye Jin ranked fourth with 10.24 percent of the votes.
It seems like people chose Ku because of her clean skin and easy-going personality.
People responded: “Ku is really pretty.” “She was the queen of her high school.” “I’m enjoying your TV series.” “Foreign fans know how attractive Ku is too.”
Ku is currently appearing on SBS’s series Please Captain as Han Da Jin.
Hyun Bin, who is in the Marine Corps, is capturing the public’s eyes.
An online community posted a picture with the caption, “Hyun Bin looks still handsome even in army underwear.”
In the picture, Hyun Bin is standing and staring at the camera in an army uniform with another soldier. Hyun Bin looks charismatic and confidence. Even though he is wearing underwear, it makes people think he is friendly to them.
People responded: “He is still handsome. He hasn’t changed a bit.” “I can’t wait to see him in movies.” “Be careful not to catch a cold.” “Hyun Bin is wearing underwear! I feel like I’m in close connection with him.”
Hyun Bin joined the Marine Corps on March 7 of last year and he will be discharged from military service in December.
2PM’s Jun Ho recently released a picture which was taken when he volunteered in Ethiopia.
On January 25, Jun Ho tweeted a picture with the comment, “I met my brother in Ethiopia. His name is Felmeta. It was difficult to hang out with him because he is very shy. He wants to be a teacher. Isn’t he pretty? How about making little brothers or sisters?”
In the picture, Jun Ho is wearing a big happy smile in a white T-shirt and jeans. Ethiopian boy Felmeta is wearing a blue jacket and a Pororo necklace, which looks like Jun Ho gave him. Their intimate pose made many people smile.
People responded: “Jun Ho looks really happy.” “He is really nice. I hope you will be happy after all your good deeds.” “Their smiling face look alike. I’m very touched.”
Jun Ho flew to Ethiopia on January 16 to do volunteer work.
Super Junior’s Eunhyuk recently went snowboarding.
On January 25, Eunhyuk tweeted a picture with the comment, “I did a pretty good job snowboarding even though it was the first time. I was the ace member of Dream Team. I want to go snowboarding again.”
In the picture, Eunhyuk is posing in a ski resort. He is wearing a blue hat and white board suit. He is looking at the camera while sitting on snow.
He previously appeared on KBS’s Go Dream Team and was named the ace of the team. Even though he have never snowboarded before, he showed off his good athletic sense.
People responded: “He is the best athlete and dancer. Super Junior is the biggest star in the universe.” “He is still ace. You are great.” “He looks so excited. Take me there with you.”
Here are some recent posts on TechCrunch Gadgets:
Tim Cook: Apple TV IS Still A Hobby, But I Couldn’t Live Without It
App-maker Moonbot Gets An Oscar Nomination
Full Circle: Boxee Brings OTA HDTV And Basic Cable To The Boxee Box
T-ara’s Eunjung recently fell down on a snowy road and sustained an injury that would take six weeks to heal.
On January 24, Eunjung was on her way home after she practiced for performing their song “Lovey-Dovey” and fell down near her house. As a result, her orthotic for kneepan on her left knee was broken. At the time, there was a very heavy snowfall and the road got frozen.
She was taken to an emergency room right away and took an x-ray. Then she went to see the doctor on January 25 to have it checked out.
The doctor said that her injury will take six weeks to heal completely. The doctor took her blood out of her knee to make her scar get better. She drew 30 milliliters of her blood out of her knee with syringe and she has to come to see the doctor several times.
Eunjung is currently wearing a cast on her leg, which was swollen up a lot.
T-ara’s agency, Core Contents Media, says, “We will see how her legs will get better to rearrange her schedules.”
Legendary idol group, Shinhwa, has opened their official Twitter in preparation for their March comeback!
Speaking through Star News on January 25th, Shinhwa’s representative stated, “Shinhwa Company’s official Twitter will be opened tonight… The account is @ShinhwaCompany with ‘S’ and ‘C’ capitalized.”
He contiued, “Although we did test out the Shinhwa Company Twitter on the 17th, today is the official opening day… From now on, you’ll be able to keep up with various news directly through the Shinhwa members… After the opening of the Shinhwa Company twitter, Shinhwa will start promotions for their March comeback in early February.”
The ‘Shinhwa Company’ is a company established by the six members of Shinhwa: Eric, Kim Dong Wan, Shin Hye Sung, Lee Minwoo, Jun Jin, and Andy. It will be in charge of all Shinhwa’s activities as a whole, while the member’s individual activities will continue to remain under the direction of their respective agencies.
In related new, Shinhwa’s comeback concert will be held on March 24th at the Seoul Olympic Park. This will be their first comeback in 4 years, and the concert will mark their 14th debut anniversary. The members are also hard at work on their new album.
At the time, the only member who has not yet returned to the entertainment industry is Lee Minwoo, who is currently completing his military service. He will be discharged in March, just in time for Shinhwa’s comeback.
Source + Photo: Star News
Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young have broken up in six months.
On January 25, The Daily Sports exclusively reported, “It has been found out that Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young, who started dating in July last year, broke up at the end of the year. Although they broke up last year, they’ve had a hard time to let their agencies know about it until now because they both were considerate of their agencies.”
In regards to this, Kingkong Entertainment, Park’s agency said, “It’s true that Park Min Young has broken up with Lee Min Ho.”
A spokesperson for Kingkong Entertainment said, “It’s a little bit hard to say that they have broken up because they were just getting to know each other when they first confessed that they were dating. They tried to get to know each other better, but their relationship didn’t develop any further from that.”
Lee and Park confessed about their relationship as paparazzi captured and released pictures of their date last year. They both appeared in SBS TV’s drama series City Hunter as lovers and surprised a lot of people later by confessing that they were dating for real.
A few hours ago, the Korean media reported that 2AM‘s Seulong and the Wonder Girls‘ Sohee were dating.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), their management company, JYP Entertainment, has released a statement denying all rumors of a relationship between the two idols.
“Rather than dating, Sohee and Seulong are just close friends,” JYP explained. “All JYP artists have close friendships.”
Big Hit Entertainment, who jointly manages the ballad group 2AM along with JYP Entertainment, also professed to having no knowledge of their relationship. “Seulong is in Japan for his 2AM schedules, and we are in the process of verifying the particulars,” they said. “We will get back [to the media] once everything is confirmed.”
Source: Star News via Nate
B2ST took first place on a race walk at Idol Track-And-Field Championships.
On MBC’s Idol Star Track-And-Field and Swimming Championships, a special program for the Lunar Year that aired on January 24, B2ST received a gold medal for the race walk relay.
In the race where ZE:A, Infinite, Mighty Mouse, Kim Jong Min and Kim Gyung Jin also competed, B2ST’s third man Yoon Du Jun turned the table around and won the race.
The members of B2ST celebrated their win by saying, “We were able to win this because we went all-in in walking.”
Super Junior’s Choi Siwon is currently on a travel to London.
On January 23, Siwon uploaded a picture and tweeted, “Hello amazing city London! Let’s make a beautiful time with me. Find me now.”
Despite his casual wear, Siwon attracts attention with his handsome looks. It is said that he left for London through Incheon International Airport on January 21.
Netizens commented, “Have a good time~” “You look like a European man~”
Super Junior received a Grand Prize on the 21st High 1 Seoul Song Festival that took place at Seoul Olympic Stadium on January 19.
Microsoft Points are dead! Or, they’re dying. At least according to InsideMobileApps. Dead, dying, being taken to a farm, whatever — but man do I hope it’s true.
Citing a “source with knowledge of the company’s decision”, InsideMobileApps says Microsoft is planning to ditch the Points system on Windows Phone (where it’s only used for in-app purchases, oddly), Zune Marketplace, and Xbox Live by the end of the year. Of course, given that it’s January, “by the end of the year” is about as precise as saying “before the end of time” — but in the end, what matters is Points going away.
For anyone who’s somehow managed to avoid Microsoft’s silly-ass points system, here’s the idea: instead of buying content with, you know, money, you buy content with Microsoft Points. Points… which you buy with money.
Imagine you’ve gone to the store, and you want to buy 3 pineapples. You take them to the counter, and the guy at the register says “Great! That’ll be 7 bloo-blops.”
“What? I don’t have any bloo-blops. I only have dollars. Can I just give you dollars?”
“No. You have to give me bloo-blops. Fortunately, I have this pack of 10 bloo-blops right here.”
“..But I thought you said I only needed 7 bloo-blops?”
“You do. But I only sell them in packs of 10. Don’t worry! You’ll have 3 bloo-blops left over to buy anything you want!”
“Oh, okay. What can I buy with 3 bloo-blops?”
“Nothing.”
See? Garbage.
Now, there’s some logic behind the point system — at least for Microsoft. It lets developers set one “price” (in points) globally — if something is 400 points in the US, it’s 400 points in Japan (though what 400 points works out to obviously varies by country.) But it also totally works out in Microsoft’s favor: the dollars-to-points ratio (80 points per $1) makes things seem a bit cheaper than they actually are, and that you always seem to have points left over after each purchase (but never enough to buy anything else) means pretty much everyone with an Xbox is constantly floating Microsoft a few pennies. (It also lets Microsoft cut down on credit card fees, which isn’t a bad thing.)
With all that said, it’s got one other major effect: making me not buy things. Of the many dozens of games I’ve gone to grab, the movies I’ve wanted to rent, and the stupid hats I would’ve bought for my avatar, I’ve ended up buying two — all because I didn’t want to deal with adding more silly bloo-blops Points. I know I’m not the only one.
“Hello, my name is Kang Min,” rookie actor Kim Hyung Jun greeted upon meeting with StarNew for an interview. The singer turned actor made his small-screen debut with ‘Sunshine Girl‘ which aired its pilot episode on January 7th.
“I feel like I’m still in character where ever I go,” he continued.
Kim Hyung Jun has been busy focusing on acting these days as top star Kang Min in new drama series, ‘Sunshine Girl’. According to the script, Kang Min is a woman-swooning jerk, a large contrast to his put-together appearance. He is arrogant and ruthless, but a character that the viewers keep wanting to see more of.
Kim Hyung Jun debuted in 2005 with his group, SS501 and is making his successful transformation as an actor with his new role.
“I don’t know how many months I spent preparing for this drama,” he said. “I was so confident before the shoot began, but once we actually started, I began drawing blanks. It’s like I’m a rookie all over again. Hi, I’m rookie actor Kim Hyung Jun.”
His new character is definitely different from his own innocent and shy image fans have come to know and love. We asked if he sees even a small part of himself in his new character.
“The real Kim Hyung Jun is as gentle as a pony,” he said. “The character has a personality that’s very different from my own, which makes it a little difficult. I added a little bit of rugged charm to my personality, and luckily I think it worked well.”
Perhaps it’s because it’s his first time acting, but he seemed dissatisfied with the way he performed on set. He could have cut himself some slack, as this is his first time, but it looked as though he set the bar pretty high for himself.
“When I look back on my scene, there are so many areas where it feels so unnatural. I am thinking of how I can improve, especially in areas where I have to deliver emotion or use a lot of gestures. There’s going to be no big change overnight, but I will continue to talk with the staff members and my co-stars to improve in the future,” he said.
The actor feels he is still lacking in a lot of different ways, and insists that he will improve with time, rather than boasting that he seems pretty good for a rookie.
We asked what he wanted to accomplish as an actor. “When people see my dramas or the characters I take on, I want people to recognize that it’s classically Kim Hyung Jun.”
The actor seems to show a lot of passion for acting. “When this drama is over, I would like to try a drama that airs on public television,” he said. ”But for a large-scale drama like that, I need to improve my acting drastically. I don’t want people to say that I’m a horrible actor, and so I need to try harder now.”
He also expressed his gratitude towards his co-stars such as So Ee Hyun, Park Kwang Hyun, and more. It’s a well-known fact that if the actors on set do not have good relationships, it makes it hard to act on-screen with them as well. Their relationships in real life affect their on-screen chemistry. Kim Hyung Jun expressed that he was really worried about this, but that now they are all like one big family.
“So Ee Hyun is like a real sister to me, while Park Kwang Hyun is like my older brother. They both take care of me really well. They always contact me first, offering to buy me a meal. I thank truly thankful for those two. They also give me advice on how to be more natural on camera. Even when the drama comes to an end, I would like to maintain our relationship,” he said.
The rookie actor creates a love connection with So Ee Hyun in the drama, and in the acting world, he is the current ‘it’ guy. Although he plays the role of a bad boy, viewers cannot get enough of him.
“I know that some viewers are not fond of my character, but a lot of them think that my character is cute and want to continue to see me throughout the program. I think this is the appeal of a younger man. And in 2012, I would like to become the nation’s official “it” young guy to date.”
Source & Image : StarNews via Naver
On January 22, one of media in Japan published an article with the title, “Will they be a savior of Avex Entertainment? A reunion project of TVXQ is emerging.”
The article says, quoting a source, “Avex Entertainment is suffering since the news about Ayumi’s divorce was released. A reunion project of TVXQ is emerging.”
According the source, the album sales of EXILE, an ace of Avex Entertainment, is also said to be below expectations.
“Considering JYJ’s Jae Joong having been the most iconic star, the reunion of TVXQ will be a savior to Avex Entertainment, which is going through hard times,” said the article.
The article also revealed Hamashaki Ayumi and JYJ’ Joon Su are of private acquaintance, and she is coordinating Jae Joong and the agency.
However, the article claimed there is little possibility of the reunion being realized. “Although there are thousands and millions fans who long for their reunion, the project has little possibility of coming true. Avex Entertainment is going through so difficult times that such unlikely project is being talked about,” said the article.
Actress Kim Ha Neul displayed her mature look in a pictorial.
Kim visited Hawaii and shot a pictorial for the February edition of a fashion magazine, Singles.
Kim showed off her shapely legs and her slim waist. Her natural hair and make-up that make her innocent beauty stand out attract attention.
Netizens commented: “Kim Ha Neul gets prettier every day.” “The ultimate innocent beauty, Kim Ha Neul.”
Kim Ha Neul’s charms can be seen in the February edition of the magazine, Singles.
While everyone is still playing Siwon’s cat and mouse/hide and seek game, it seems there’s another Korean celebrity who’s revealed they’re in London today. None other than Running Man’s Kang Gary tweeted a photo earlier, showing him outside London’s Hilton by Hyde Park!
Source: Korean Class Massive
An old photo of Big Bang members Taeyang and G-Dragon is causing quite the stir online.
The two Big Bang members are the same age, being born in 1988 and are known to be old friends who trained under YG Entertainment together since they were young. To celebrate the ‘Year of the Dragon’ Lunar New Year, Taeyang shared the above photo on his Twitter page saying, “Double Dragon.”
Different from the charismatic way they carry themselves on stage today, both boys looked like adorable innocent rascals grinning ear to ear.
Netizens who came across the photos responded with, “Both are so cute“, “They grew up so well“, and “It’s good to see they still have a close relationship“.
In related news, the Big Bang members released teaser images on the 21st for their highly anticipated comeback.
Will 2012 be Big Bang’s big year? Let us know your thoughts below!
Source & Image: Taeyang’s Twitter
Jang Keun Suk owns a building worth 10 billion won in Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul. The building originally belonged to entertainer Seo Se Won but Jang bought it in January of last year for 8.5 billion won.
The building’s foundation is 393㎡ and is a 1414㎡ facility. It has two sub basements and is six stories tall. The building is located on a popular street with high floating population. Since Jang is very popular in Japan many fans from all over the world come to see the building and take pictures.
Jang debuted as an actor when he was a little boy and earned lots of money working as an entertainer. He gained lot of popularity in Japan and earned enough that he could buy a building. Only one year after he bought the building, the price of the building has increased by 1.5 billion won.
KEB has set 3.9 billion won loan for the building. Jang’s mother Jeon Hye Kyung set one billion won in fixed collateral for the building.
Jang moved into a new apartment in October in Nonhyeon-dong in Seoul. His new apartment is a very nice and classic apartment, which cost around 4 billion won.
23rd January 2012 marks the first day of the lunar calendar. It is known as Seollal (설날) in Korea and this year marks the Year of the Dragon. Many popular Korean Idols are born in the year of the dragon. As we can see, these idols truly have the personality traits of dragons – confidence, energetic, fearless, full of enthusiasm and generous. Let’s take a look at our dragon idols!
Taecyeon and Nichkhun of 2PM/ 택연 & 닉쿤 – 투피엠
2PM: Taecyeon and Nichkhun (Photo: Coca Cola Korea)
Both Taecyeon and Nichkhun are known as the “visual” and rappers of the group. Taecyeon is also known for his acting skills such as Dream High (드림 하이) and Cinderella’s Sister(신데렐라 언니). Recently, he acted in a Japanese drama, 99 Days with a star (僕とスターの９９日) with A-list Hallyu star Kim Tae Hee. Recently, Taecyeon commented that this year will be the year of the black dragon, which he was referring to himself because there isn’t any celebrity born in the year 1988 who has darker skin than him. He also promised to work harder in the year 2012. Nichkhun is currently busy making his acting debut in Thailand.
G-dragon and Taeyang of Big Bang/ 지드래곤 & 태양 – 빅뱅
Taeyang and G-dragon (Photo: TVREPORT)
Both Taeyang and G-dragon are from the talented Hip-Hop group – BIGBANG. They were both signed with YG Entertainment at the age of 12 under the name GD & YB. Besides singing and rapping, G-dragon is also a songwriter and producer. While Taeyang is well-known for his solo hits – Wedding Dress and I Need a Girl. It wasn’t a very good 2011 for them. Let’s hope for a successful dragon year for BIGBANG!
Park Gyuri and Han Seungyeon of KARA/ 박규리 & 한승현-카라
Park Gyuri and Seungyeon of KARA (Photo:NEWSEN)
KARA had a successful 2011 with promotions both in Korea and Japan. KARA’s second Japanese full length album, “Super Girl” drew 360,000 pre-order sales the day before its release. Their Japanese single, “Jet Coaster Love” was an Oricon #1 hit single. All the proceeds for this single was donated to the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. Park Gyuri is known for her Japanese language ability. All these contributes to their success in Japan. It’ll definitely be another successful year for KARA in both Korea and Japan!
Eunjung of T-ara and Kim Soohyun / 티아라 은정 & 김수현
Kim Soo Hyun Eunjung (Photo: NEWSIS)
Kim Soo Hyun and Eunjung met while acting with popular drama, “Dream High (드림 하이)” last year. Both of them became close as they share the common traits of energetic and confidence. They have collaborated in SPRIS and was initially the rumoured couple for We Got Married. It has been a busy 2011 and 2012 for T-ara with their singles Roly Poly, Cry Cry and Lovey Dovey. The MV for Lovey Dovey was released in 5 different versions and one of the version was made like a movie. They are also busy with their promotions in Japan as they released Japanese versions of “Bo Beep Bo Beep”, “Yayaya” and “Roly Poly”. Kim Soo Hyun recently starred in the drama, “The Moon that Embraces the Sun (해를 품은 달)” as a fictional King of Joseon.
Kyuhyun of Super Junior/ 규현-슈퍼주니어
Kyuhyun (Photo: Naver)
Kyuhyun of Super Junior was selected by netizens as the No.1 celebrity netizens are most looking forward to in 2012 according to a poll by Community portal site DC Inside, beating the rest of the dragon idols born in the year 1988. Kyuhyun is known for his ballads. Let’s hope to see more of the makne of Super Junior in 2012!
In East Asian culture, Dragon is a divine animal and is said to be a good year. Let’s hope for a successful 2012 for the Korean idols and us!
See also:
Korean Idols Born in the Year of the Rabbit
Taecyeon and Nichkhun abs
Eunjung and Soo Hyun SPRIS
KARA Kouhaku Uta Gassen 2011
Source: Seoul Awesome: Your K-blog
All members of Super Junior visit a ski resort.
On January 20, Super Junior’s Donghae tweeted a picture with the comment “I’m at a ski resort with other members^^ As One’s ‘Only I’ is recently released, and I tend to be more excited^^ Spend a day like this with the song ‘Only U’ ^^”
In the picture, Donghae is at ski resort, his face covered in a hat and a neck warmer. Even with his face almost covered, his gorgeous look attracts attention.
Netizens who saw the posting comment: “So all of you went there!!!” “Where are you?!~!! I’ll be right there!!” “You can’t hide your gorgeous looks…”
Super Junior was awarded with the grand prize at KBS Joy’s Seoul Music Awards aired on January 19. Also, the group received the grand prize in music recording at the 26th Golden Disc Awards by JTBC on the same day.
Teen Top sends greetings for the Lunar New Year to his fans.
On January 20, Teen Top reveals some pictures of themselves in hanbok with the comment “Happy New Year” through its agency.
Netizens who saw the posting comment: “Oppas, you look amazing!!” “You guys look great in hanbok. What about shooting some Korean historical drama series? lol”
Teen Top released its new song “Crazy” produced by Brave Brother, known as a hit song maker, and is actively giving performances.
It’s time to be schooled in movie theaters. They’re just a little bit different in Korea.
First off going to the movies isn’t as a big a pasttime in Korea as it is elswhere. You probably won’t hear anyone bragging “I was THERE! At Midnight! On opening night!” or “I waited in line for 5 hours!” No… It’s not as a big a culture there. People prefer downloading movies illegally like a boss going to noraebang.
Although there are things called dvd bangs (dvd rooms) but… people don’t use them for watching dvds. (Ahem) MOVING ON!!
At Korean movie theaters, you get to choose where to sit. Not that you can choose wherever you want but the seats that aren’t x’d out are the available seats. All theaters in Korea have assigned seating. And people actually sit in the seats they’re assigned to! (GASP!)
This isn’t an option in every theater but just the fact that this is an option at all makes us light up! Korea is AWESOME!
These are couple seats. Gee. What gave that away? Not every theater has the couple seats so you’d have to research on where they’re at. These ones are CGV’s Sweet Box seats. They’re a little pricier but look, you get this nice couch. And it’s big! And when the movie snags a boring spot it’s a lot less awkward to cuddle.
These ones are located in Apgujeong off of Line 3, Exit 3 – CGV Sweet Boxes
DO eat dried cuttlefish at the movie theaters! It’s one of the great joys of snacking that, unless you’re in Asia, you can’t really enjoy elsewhere. No popcorn! Save that for a day indoors or something! Movie theater? Cuttlefish. Always.
OK not every movie theater looks as awesome as this one (located in Yongsan Electronics Market – aka – I’PARKmall) but most movie theaters at least have a really nice lounge area. And just like everywhere else in Korea, attention is given to the interior. If it doesn’t look nice you’re probably not in the right country.
Rock band Nell have announced that they will be making a comeback in February, thus breaking a four year hiatus.
Their agency Woollim Entertainment stated, “Nell are currently preparing for a comeback and their teaser will be released on January 20th.”
Nell released their last album in November of 2008, and were forced to halt their activities due to Korea’s mandatory military service rule.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Nell, they are an indie band who got mentored by rock legend Seo Taiji himself. The band has received much love over the years for their melancholy sound and bittersweet lyrics.
Check out a few of their hit tracks below:
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< “Stay: >
Many remember the first days after f8 when it seemed like you were seeing every Spotify song played by anyone you’d ever friended. Facebook wants to avoid such an onslaught tomorrow, and also make sure there are no overly spammy or misleading apps clogging Ticker. Unlike its games platform where third-party apps can be launched without pre-approval, Facebook told me in October it would be manually approving all Open Graph apps to ”make sure the initial experience with Timeline is really great”.
In late December, Facebook informed developers that it would start approving new Open Graph verbs and nouns to appear in the news feed, Ticker, and Timeline starting this month. Apps using “read an article”, “listened to a song”, and “watched a video” such as The Washington Post, Spotify, and Hulu are already in full swing, but tomorrow a new set of nouns and verbs will begin to appear. Partner apps will launch, and Facebook may also encourage more unpartnered developers to submit their apps for approval.
Here’s how they’ll work, using a charity app as an example. I could install the Open Graph app, opting in to giving it persistent permission to publish to my Timeline. Then whenever I take an action, such donating to a charity through the app, it will publish “Josh Constine donated to United Way” to my Timeline and to the home page Ticker and news feed where my friends will see it. My friends can then click though to install the app themselves, turning Open Graph apps into a big viral driver for their developers.
Spotify rode its Open Graph publishing to gain 3.4 million daily active users since f8, and 1 million more DAU in just its first month. It had the benefit of being one of the only Open Graph apps in the Ticker for a while, which will become much more crowded and Facebook will keep tighter control of tomorrow.
Still, some of Facebook’s lifestyle app partners stand to gain significantly. Ecommerce and ticketing apps could drive more sales, charity and crowdfunding platforms could raise more money, and sharing apps could gain users or traffic. Meanwhile, they’ll populate Timeline and the rest of the site with compelling content Facebook hopes will make it even more indispensable to people’s lives.
Facebook will also gain the ability to target users with ads according to their Open Graph activity. For example, Southwest Airlines could target anyone who said they “traveled” to Mexico. This highly accurate targeting, not just about what users Like but about what they do, could fetch a high price from advertisers and bolster confidence from investors leading up to Facebook’s IPO this summer.
Facebook’s partners are sworn to secrecy but here’s a list of some companies that could launch tomorrow by category, and the nouns and verbs you might start seeing. These aren’t confirmed but will give you an idea of where the Open Graph platform is going:
Ecommerce - “bought [product]“
Payvment ecommerce storefront
GiftRocket gift cards
Oodle social marketplace
Ticketing – “bought tickets for [event]“
EventBrite
Charity / Fundraising- “donated to [charity / project]“
FundRazr
Travel – “visited/stayed at [location]“
Airbnb
Sharing – “shared [content]“
Color
Cinemur.fr (confirmed to launch)
Comments / Q&A – ”commented on [article]” / “answered [question]“
Professional Networking – “[connected to] [user name]“
BranchOut
Other
Yummly recipes – “cooked [recipe]“
Grockit online learning – “learned about [subject]“
One last potential launch tomorrow: Netflix. Its Facebook app was stalled in the US by a privacy law, but it may now be free to tell your friends what you’re watching if you opt in.
[Image Credit: SimonsDigital]
SM Entertainment recently revealed their new group EXO-K and EXO-M’s sixth member.
On January 17, the agency released a new teaser video on their official website, YouTube channel, Facebook, and several Chinese websites including Weibo.
In the video, the sixth member Lay catches the public’s eyes with his powerful dance performance.
A spokesperson for the agency said, “Lay is a 20 year old boy who is very good at dancing and playing musical instruments, including piano and guitar.”
The new group EXO is making a stir by releasing their members with teaser videos. They have unveiled six members, including Kai, Lu Han, Tao, Chen, Se Hun, and Lay.
Actor Lee Min Ho and actress Moon Geun Young will not be able to graduate from their schools this February.
Lee and Moon entered college in 2006 but they failed to earn enough credits to graduate. The two stars worked hard both in school and entertainment business last year but they couldn’t earn enough credits to graduate. Lee is studying cinematography at Konkuk University and Moon is studying Korean language and literature at Sungkyunkwan University. They will take one more semester and may graduate in fall.
On January 16, a spokesperson for Lee said, “Since Lee appeared on the series City Hunter starting in May through July of last year, he was unable to finish all the required courses for graduation. He tried to cover the credits with assignments but since his attendance was so low, he decided to take one more semester.
A spokesperson for Moon also said, “She wanted to graduate this year but she took a temporary leave from school to work and perform. As a result, she is not able to graduate in February. I heard that she has to earn 8 more credits.”
These kind of situations imply that schools have become very strict on entertainers and their requirements for graduates. According to officials in the entertainment business, the entertainers could have graduated if their managers or coworkers had handed in reports in the past, but now that is not an option.
Actor Won Bin also had trouble graduating from his University. When he was about to graduate in 2003, he had to take a ski course to earn one more credit to graduate.
He became a graduate student to delay enlistment to the Army in order to shoot the movie My Brother.
It’s being reported that actress Moon Chae Won is reviewing a casting offer from SBS‘s upcoming drama, ‘Rooftop Prince‘.
The drama already made headlines after it was revealed that JYJ‘s Yoochun would be starring as the male lead. Moon Chae Won’s agency had stated, “The script was received three days ago and is currently being reviewed.”
While her representatives avoided a direct answer, they did say, “The script is excellent and it’s been put up for consideration.”
The casting offer drew great excitement from drama fans, since Yoochun and Moon Chae Won were both excellent in their respective historical dramas. Moon Chae Won especially has been considered to be the ‘blue chip’ of historical projects recently, thanks to her great performances 2011′s ‘Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon’ and ‘The Princess’ Man’.
“Rooftop Prince” is romantic fantasy drama about a Joseon dynasty prince who lost his princess. 300 years into the future, the prince and his subjects are reborn into the 21st century in Seoul, where he aims to complete his unfinished love in this lifetime.
This drama is aiming for a broadcast date of March 14th, right after the conclusion of ‘Please Take Care of Us, Captain’.
Source & Image: Sports World via Naver
Recently released by the organizor of Super Junior SUPER SHOW 4 in Singapore, Running Into the Sun announced that both shows are sold out. Super Junior will get a experience a full sapphire blue ocean in the stadium for 2 nights, once again after a successful SUPER SHOW 3 held last year, January 2011.The 9 boys will be making their way for a full-fledged concert, transforming once again for the Singapore indoor Stadium to a huge blue ELFs ocean!
Korea.com will be seeing everyone of you all ELFs at the venue, and should you guys not watch the show live, get the latest updates by following our reporter right on the concert spot in this 2-day sold out concert!
ELFs who are watching, check out Running Into The Sun for updates on the rules, conditions and event news.
SM Entertainment just released a preview for the upcoming animated movie, ‘Koala Kid‘ on their official Youtube channel. As earlier reported, Girls’ Generation member Sunny and SHINee‘s maknae Taemin are lending their voices to the film.
As earlier reports revealed, the film is follows Johnny (dubbed by Taemin), a white koala who embarks on an adventure to save Australia’s natural resources. Sunny will voice another koala named Miranda, who also plays an important role in the quest. Other voice actors include Yoon Da Hoon who plays Hammish and Jung Eun Byul who plays Miranda’s little sister, Charlotte.
The preview reveals clips from the film as well as behind-the-scenes footage of Sunny and Taemin in the recording studio. Check it out:
Source & Image: TVReport via Nate
Korean girl groups’ monetary profits earned in Japan during the past year have been revealed.
According to the results posted by Oricon that reported gross sales album numbers for 2011 (Dec 27th 2010 through December 19th 2011), girl group KARA earned over $63 million, while Girls’ Generation raked in earnings of over $52 million. Of all the artists to promote in Japan overall, KARA came in 4th overall in revenue, while Girls’ Generation came in at fifth place.
Famous J-pop group AKB48 who triumphed the K-pop girl groups earned a whopping $211 million, while boy group Arashi came in at #2 earning $199 million, followed by EXILE who earned $72 million.
A year before, KARA & Girls’ Generation came in at #1 & #2 who earned the most in Japan as rookies with $16 million and $11 million respectively. In just a single year, both groups’ profits have grown by 500%. The numbers reported by the Oricon exclude the profits made from miscellaneous promotions such as performances, CFs, royalties, and more.
Source & Image: SportsWorld via Nate
On January 13th, girl group T-ara topped Billboard Korea‘s K-Pop Hot 100 chart with their new single, “Lovey-Dovey“.
“Lovey-Dovey” was released on the 3rd and has been sweeping numerous music charts since with its infectious dance melody.
The girls also grabbed third place along with labelmates Davichi for “We Were In Love“. Meanwhile, Dynamic Duo came in 2nd with ”Without You” from the second part of their sixth album, ‘DIGILOG 2/2‘.
T-ara had also secured #1 on Mnet‘s ’M Countdown‘ on the 12th with “Lovey-Dovey”, making it a day of double-wins. Congratulations, ladies!
Source + Photos: Osen
Sunny Hill is back with a brand new track called “The Grasshopper Song“!
Their single was inspired by the Aesop fable, ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’, which tells the tale of a hardworking ant and a lazy grasshopper who each get their just desserts when hard times come. The fable meant to promote the virtues of industriousness, but Sunny Hill took a different interpretation.
The group takes the grasshopper’s side in the story, arguing what was so wrong with wanting to live life to the fullest? The song also incorporates a rich violin as a tip of a hat to the character who inspired them.
Check out their MV below!
Singer Yoon Jong Shin has revealed that an app has matched his looks almost 100% to actor Jo In Sung‘s!
On January 10th, Yoon Jong Shin appeared on SBS‘s ”Choi Hwa Jung’s Power Time“, where he talked about his talents as an entertainer and a musician.
During the broadcast, DJ Choi Hwa Jung asked Yoon Jong Shin, “Is it true that you’ve been claiming that you look like Jung Woo Sung?“, to which he replied, “It’s not just Jung Woo Sung only — a look-a-like search application on my phone has matched me 99% to Jo In Sung.”
He continued, “I’ve actually tried it three times, and all three times, I got Jo In Sung.” He then revealed his ‘proof’ to the DJ, who laughed uproariously.
In related news, Yoon Jong Shin released the January album for his monthly project on January 4th.
Source: Star News
Drama production company Lemon Rain is collaborating with ShinCine Communications to turn the hit 2001 Korean movie ‘My Sassy’ Girl‘ into a drama series. The producers are holding a public contest, where writers are being encouraged to send in scripts that are close to the original storyline or even better. The contest will begin on February 1st and be held until March 30th.
‘My Sassy Girl’ is the movie that launched actor Cha Tae Hyun and actress Jun Ji Hyun to stardom. The movie is still continuously being remade in Japan and China 10 years after debuting on the big screens, proving the powerful effect of Korean cultural content. The movie was also remade by Hollywood in 2008 and starred Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford.
‘My Sassy Girl’ is predicted to become a new craze once converted into a drama series, and it will be interesting to see what kind of original material many talented writers all across the world will be submitting.
All writers regardless of experience or lack thereof are welcome to submit their work, and collaboration work is also permitted. The title must still remain ‘My Sassy Girl’, and contestants must submit synopses for 16 episodes, and full-length scripts for two. Writers must also include production goals, main characters, and an overall summary of the story. There are no specific restrictions when it comes to content, however, it must follow the original story. The submissions may be made via e-mail, or mail.
A representative from Lemon rain remarked, “In order to create a drama series that will be a greater hit than the movie, we need fresh ideas and fresh, entertaining content. We expect that the drama series will once again be a big hit in Asia with the help of the many applicants.”
Source & Image: StarToday via Nate
Actor Song Seung Hun participated in the charity for Vietnamese children and donated about 60 million won.
On January 7, Song appeared in the charity held by the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (www.nfvc.org.vn) at the Vietnam National Convention Center.
The National Fund for Vietnamese Children was established in 1994 and has been supporting Vietnamese children in their studies, heart and eye operations, and some orphanages.
The Deputy Minister of Labour Doan Mau Diep, the Director of the National Fund for Vietnamese Children Vu Anh Dao, and the Korean ambassador to Vietnam Ha Chan Ho appeared at the charity. Along with putting Song Seung Hun teddy bear up for auction, he donated about 51, 857 dollars (about 60 million won) in a single day, showing off his influence as a Hallyu star.
Song said, “Whether in Korea or Vietnam, children are hope and future of the country. I hope this event of good intention would give some hope to the children in need.”
During his visit to Vietnam, Song has fascinated the local media by keeping a warm, friendly attitude. For the rest of his stay, he plans to visit the Korean Language Department at Ho Chi Minh National University and share some things about Korean language and culture with native Vietnamese students.
Actress Clara is becoming quite the hot topic lately, thanks to her figure flaunts in the new drama, ’Take Care of Us, Captain‘. The actress used to go by Lee Sung Min, but has since adopted the stage name ‘Clara’.
Last week, the audience got to see Clara in a sleek black dress that clung to her skin. It garnered such a loud response that SBS shared preview photos from this week’s upcoming episode.
In her scene, Clara strolls along the poolside in a cut-out one piece bathing suit.
Clara bashfully explained, “I thought a lot about which bathing suit to wear and finally decided on this unique, yet classy black swimsuit. I felt a little nervous about revealing my body, but I was curious about how it would come out. It was a fun experience.”
Clara plays the role of Hong Mi Joo, a tough ‘Wings Air’ managing director of business strategy. ‘Take Care of Us, Captain’ airs every Wednesday and Thursday.
Source + Image: Star News
Actress Go Ara recently posed for High Cut Magazine.
Through her photo shoot, Go Ara expressed her soft and feminine charms, dressed in a knitted one-piece dress that showcased her lean and shapely legs, as well as her S-line figure.
The celebrity’s tossled hair gave her a more sexy and grown up look, while her simple makeup brought out her natural beauty. Go Ara well pulled off each outfit, and the earthy-toned ensembles well-displayed her milky skin. The juxtaposition of her doll-like face with her glamorous figure was enough to melt fan boys everywhere.
In related news, Go Ara recently confessed on an episode of ‘Strong Heart‘ that five SM Entertainment stars had made moves on her in the past.
Source & Image : IlganSports via Naver
The G8 members Jewelry‘s Kim Yewon, miss A‘s Suzy, SISTAR‘s Bora, and Rainbow‘s Go Woori snapped a few different photos together.
Kim Yewon shared some of the photos above via her official Twitter page and wrote, “We met at the Idol Championships! It was tough, but it was fun ^_^* Wahoo~~~~ We’re cute, aren’t we?”
The photos were taken during the MBC Lunar New Year special, ‘Idol Stars’ Track-and-Field & Swimming Championships‘.
“We were supposed to give our best charismatic pose, but look at Suzy being cute for the camera all by herself!!!!!!!! This will never do,” she continued.
Different from her unnis that gave their best charismatic poses, Suzy smiled big and bright for the camera revealing her dazzling white teeth.
Netizens who saw the photo left comments such as, “The pretty members from each group?”, “Suzy is so cute“, and “Look at Yewon unni and Bora unni’s poses. Feel like I have to fork up all the cash in my wallet…”
Meanwhile, the MBC special ‘Idol Star Championships’ is scheduled to air on the 24th.
Source & Image: StarNews
Recently, actress Lee Hyo Ri attracts attention by perfectly acting the women who parts her lover.
Lee shows excellent acting in the music video of “Potently” just for the new group Spica, which works in the same agency as her. In the video, Lee expresses mysterious emotion between loneliness and apathy.
The new girl group Spica has been a hot issue since the biography of its members, as well as the name itself were revealed. It became the center of attention when Lee Hyo Ri decided to appear as the female leading character of its music video.
Along the lyrics of “Potently,” Lee plays the woman who parts her lover cold-heartedly. First, Lee shows up wearing lingerie in an empty room. With a vacant look on her face, she is lost in thought. She even treats coldly to the guy who came to find her, acting out her character perfectly with an apathetic expression.
Lee willingly said okay when the president of her agency asked her to appear in the music video of Spica. It is said that she is being such a big support for the girl group and pours much love to them for she was once in a girl group called Fin.K.L.
Meanwhile, all members of Spica have been a hot issue for their distinguished career before their debut.
The member Yang Ji Won was one of the Five Girls which disassembled just before its debut in 2007. The group Five Girls was composed of the Wonder Girls’ Yu Bin, After School’s Uee, Secret’s Hyo Seong, and the soloist G.Na.
Another member Park Na Rae was in top ten of M.net’s Super Star K which broadcasted in 2009. Kim Bo A has frequently featured on many girl groups’ hit songs, gaining a nickname as “female version of K.Will.” In addition, Park Joo Hyun and Kim Bo Hyung are also known to have excellent skills.
Spica debuts this month after releasing the soundtrack and music video of its slow-tempo song “Potently.”
Ahead of releasing the ‘Zombie Version’ of the music video for “Lovey Dovey“, T-ara has revealed a 3-minute-long behind-the-scenes clip from the MV set!
In the making-of film, actress Im Soo Hyang introduces the set to viewers and shares a sneak peek into T-ara’s zombie getup, as they get dressed into character.
In the music video, Im Soo Hyang turns into a zombie along with the members of T-ara and shuffles at a club to “Lovey Dovey”.
Check out the making-of film to ‘Zombie Dovey’ below!
Source: TV Report via Naver
Tip: jae-eun
On January 13th, Sunny Hill will release their new track, “In Praise of the Grasshopper“.
The pop quintet revealed the title of the new single and a cut from its music video via LOEN Entertainment’s official artist Twitter.
The unusual title was explained by a representative from LOEN Entertainment, who said, “Sunny Hill’s maxi single title track was motivated by “The Ant and the Grasshopper” from Aesop’s Fables. The track plays on the motif of the story and takes a unique concept.”
“In Praise of the Grasshopper” is a collaborative work between hit-making duo, songwriter Lee Min Soo and lyricist Kim Eana, who brought you IU‘s “You and I” and “Good Day”.
The LOEN representative continued, “As the title track was motivated from a children’s story, it has a fun, intriguing concept with an addictive melody that people of all ages could enjoy. We ask for your support and anticipation.”
Source: Star News
Go Soo and Han Hyo Joo fall in love in the movie Ban Chang Kko.
On January 9, BH Entertainment reported, “Go Soo and Han Hyo Joo are cast in the movie Ban Chang Kko.”
Ban Chang Kko is a movie directed by Jung Ki Hoon, recognized for his work, Aeja.
It is a love story about a fireman, suffering from the loss of his wife, falling in love with a female doctor, who closed her mind to love, and curing each other’s pain and sorrow.
Because this movie stars Go, who has worked with many beautiful actresses such as Han Ye Seul, Kim Ha Neul, and Kim Hee Sun, and Han, who worked with So Ji Sup in the movie Only You, people are now paying attention to whether or not they can create a greater love story.
They start filming Ban Chang Kko after Han finishes her film, King of Chosun.
Recently, SHINee’s Key and Tae Min uploaded a picture of themselves before Osaka concert to say hello to their fans.
On January 9, Key uploaded a picture on Me2day with the comment “At the venue in Osaka. I’m here with Tae Min to let you know guys how we are doing.”
Key and Tae Min are both wearing in black and posing mischievously in front of the camera. They make their fans laugh by posing as if they were to transform into something else and making a flower cup with their hands under the chin.
Netizens comment: “Key, and Tae Min oppa, you look super cute.” “Ah.. I want to see the rest of the picture, but Key’s face while making a flower cup is so funny.” “Please hold a concert in Korea soon!”
A picture of T-ara’s Soyeon and Ji Yeon is currently drawing a lot of attention.
An online community posted a picture of Soyeon and Ji Yeon. The picture was a captured image from KBS’s Vitamin, in which the two girls appeared before. They appeared on the show without wearing any makeup to be tested their skin to see how old their skin is.
In the picture, Soyeon looks no different than usual. But Ji Yeon, who was previously selected as the most beautiful idol star in real life, looks totally different.
People responded: “Soyeon is amazing.” “Even though she is not wearing any makeup, she looks so pretty.” “Is she really six years younger than Ji Yeon? Soyeon looks like she is the younger one.”
We’ve been reporting for months on the Wonder Girls‘ upcoming Teen Nick movie, “The Wonder Girls” (formerly known as ‘The Wonder Girls at the Apollo‘). With its release date only a few weeks away, the TV channel has finally released a trailer of the long-awaited film.
Although it’s very short, the trailer gave fans a preview of the girls’ acting chops and a snippet of dialogue from Ye Eun. There’s also a tense moment between the Wonder Girls and a rival group, who shove Ye Eun in a fit of jealousy.
‘The Wonder Girls’ is scheduled to air through Teen Nick in February.
Check out their trailer below!
So much excitement. This is my first CES and while MG may be correct to think that some of my fellow tech bloggers find this trip a tad tedious, I’m pink with barely controlled glee just from being here. But I’ve been excited about CES for a few weeks now, ever since I went to meet with Toshiba and get a sneak peek at their latest tablet.
The Excite X10 is now the world’s thinnest 10-inch tablet, measuring in at just .3 inches thick and weighing just 1.2 lbs. But don’t forget that the iPad 3 is presumably just around the corner (along with quite a few Android slates this week), so anything can change. A brushed magnesium alloy finish graces its backside, with Corning Gorilla glass up front to prevent any scratching. It’s really a beauty.
Under the hood you’ll find a TI OMAP 4420 1.2GHz dual-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. As far as the OS goes, however, Toshiba was a bit iffy. The tablet will either ship in mid Q1 with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, or a bit later with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather wait a bit longer for Ice Cream Sandwich.
The 10-inch screen boasts a resolution of 1280×800, and is built with a special direct bonding technology that allows for such a thin profile. A 2-megapixel front-facing shooter is present and accounted for if you’re into video chat, and a 5-megapixel shooter can be found on the backside of the tab.
Toshiba’s all about the ports, and has been with each tablet offering it’s brought to market. With the Excite X10, you’ll have access to a micro USB, mini HDMI out, and micro SD card slot. Obviously full-sized ports are more accessible, but fitting these smaller connectivity points onto such a thin tablet is commendable nonetheless.
Toshiba is also rather good at leaving Android alone, and has thus implemented very little of its own software. That includes its own media player featuring DNLA compatibility (which has been revamped from previous versions and looks much cleaner), Toshiba’s File Manager, Netflix, and QuickOffice. Toshiba’s also added an app to let you screen grab which has been sorely missing in Android for longer than I care to think about.
Android tablets have been quite the flop in the past year (with the exception of the Kindle Fire, sort of), but I have a good feeling about 2012 Android slates if this is the type of stuff we’re going to see.
Pricing is still unclear for this guy, but with its premium status I’d assume it’ll face off against the iPad more so than the Kindle Fire.
(Note on images: Regza is the tablet’s Asian name, and won’t appear on U.S. units)
T-ara‘s “Lovey Dovey” (drama version) music video is gaining much attention.
According to the view counts on January 7th, the video has gained over 3 million views in total on YouTube and GomTV within 5 days of release.
YouTube view count stands at 2.49 million while GomTV is reporting over 570,000 views, bringing up the total to over 3 million.
The music video also ranked #1 on GomTV’s real time music video chart, beating out IU and Trouble Maker.
The audience demographic for the video is widespread and records views from all over the world.
As reported earlier, there will be a total of 5 different music videos for “Lovey Dovey”, with the 2nd version being released on January 10th.
Source: Star News
Super Junior members had a get-together.
On January 7, Leeteuk uploaded a picture on his Twitter account with the comment, “Super Junior always have a get-together after concerts or shows. We only have ramen and Coke. The ramen family! Go! Rafam Juniors! Let’s always have fun and love each other just like now! I love you guys!”
In the picture, Leeteuk, Donghae, Gyuhyun, Eunhyuk, and Sungmin are holding Coke cups and making a toast. There’s a bowl of ramen in front of each member, and Sungmin is holding a ladle like a cellular phone.
Eunhyuk and Donghae get a laugh from their fans by making surprised looks on their faces.
People responded: “It looks like they are going to get drunk by Coke. It looks nice!” “They look like they are very close. I think some people in the restaurant will recognize them soon,” “Is it really Coke?”
It’s just been revealed that Rain participated in an interview with the Give Media Gift, a collaboration project with Naver‘s Happy Bean charity service.
Rain donated his personal mic and stage uniform to the cause. Should 5,000 people donate as well, his items will go up for auction to ensure a greater donation amount, which will all go towards helping children from low-income families.
In his interview, Rain was asked what the driving force behind his 11-year career was. He replied that family, personal pride, and respect for his fans were what kept him grounded throughout the years.
“At the time, I had to have economic power in society for my family’s wellbeing. At the thought of many seniors and people watching me, I also had to have pride in myself and my music to ensure that I would always be presenting progressive and improved music on stage,” said Rain.
Rain continued, “I respect my fans and genuinely thank them for purchasing such expensive albums, acknowledging my effort, and always watching over me. It was through them that I realized that I had to create and perform better music. From my youth, I remember the devastation, pain, hope, and finally bravery.”
As a message to the kids, he expressed, “Opportunity and success will come to those who wait. I believe that there is a car called Fate in life. Everyone is riding on a car of fate, just that for some, the road they’re on has traffic, which just requires a change in lane to pick up the pace again.”
Concluding the interview, he said, “I’d like to tell my juniors and everyone around me that if you work hard and wait, all of your dreams and hopes can come true.”
Source + Photos: OSEN via Naver
Recently, NS Yoon Ji got into a controversy for her revealing dress on KBS’ ‘Music Bank‘. Her dress had strips of skin color which viewers considered as revealing cut outs on the dress.
Recently, Yoon Ji tweeted and explained her dress to viewers, “I saw the comeback, people look surprise about my costume. These are not buffs nor it’s my skin!”
Yoon Ji has transformed into a blonde girl due to the concept of her new song ‘I Became a witch‘ and thats one of the reason of her bizarre costume.
Netizens commented, “She has very well transformed according to the concept” ,”She is not the type who would do such thing for publicity”
Source: Naver
Lee Hyuk of rock band Norazo has been revealed to be CHAOS‘s vocal instructor!
CHAOS recently released their debut single, “She Is Coming“, which was the result of much training by senior Lee Hyuk. Lee Hyuk is already known for his powerful, yet refreshing vocals from his fifth album, “Sales King” and through KBS‘s ‘Immortal Song 2‘. His ‘shouting technique’ in his singing has been acknowledged by fellow singers and fans.
After learning of this discovery, netizens commented, “No wonder they sing so well, they are juniors of such a senior,” “Now I want to hear how CHAOS would sing rock music,” “Hopefully CHAOS can be acknowledged for their talent like Lee Hyuk,” and “I wonder how Lee Hyuk would teach?”
If you’ve never heard Lee Hyuk belt out a song, check out a live performance video below:
Source + Photos: Star Today via Nate
It has been only eight months to the debut of these seven girls but they have proved to be no less than any other girls’ group. APink‘s debut song made a hit and commence the journey of success in Kpop. They have also been awarded as the Best New Female Artist in Mnet Music Awards 2011.
KBS’ Radio cheif producer Hong Soon Young said about their capabilities, “They seem to have the strengths of FinKL and Girls’ Generation, and the potential vocal abilities of teen singer IU.” whereas MBC’ radio chief producer Son Han Seo expects, “Because they have strong foundation in singing and dancing, expectations for their regular album are even bigger.”
They gran more attention with their rookie style targeting the people who still love 1990′s, the era of FinKL and SES, member Oh told, “Other girl groups these days tend to highlight their dancing skills and sexy looks, but our concept was an innocent and pure image. I think that’s why the audience felt comfortable with us”
The girls have high expectations and want to be like their idols. Jeong Eun Jee said that she is quite inspired to the character of Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson in ‘Dream Girls’ and believed to become like them. 17 years old Kim Nam Ju told how she encourage herself, “To boost our recognition, I think we have to build up our own musical repertoire. Frankly, we’re now on the stage to find our path in music”.
APink also told their thoughts about stage names and showed their discontent towards it, “I never thought of using a name other than the one my parents gave me. We will do our best not to tarnish our names”, said Park Cho Rang.
Source: chosun
Singer-turned-actress Hwang Jung Eum recently guested on KBS‘s ‘Star Life Theater‘, where she honestly revealed why she left the old school girl group, Sugar.
She explained, “I hated how we were called ‘Ayumi and the Idols’. I am Hwang Jung Eum, and obviously I had my own way of life. There were just too many restrictions placed upon me.”
Sugar debuted in 2002, and Hwang Jung Eum left the group after three years of promotions with them. At the time, Ayumi had been the most popular member because she had grown up in Japan and made cute Korean language mistakes which made her a variety favorite. Unfortunately for the rest of the members, they were overshadowed by her popularity.
Hwang Jung Eum also revealed that during their training process, they were cut off from contacting their parents and weren’t allowed to eat what they wanted, which all added up to her final decision to quit.
Source + Photos: Review Star via Nate
Fat Cat is back with a new music ‘Is Being Pretty Everything‘ on Music Core.
The music tackles the age-old proverb, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, but in this case, taken in the case of love. Fat Cat asks whether beauty is the only quality necessary to become loved, and does it in a video that stuns with its visuals.
Check out their performance below!
The boys of TEEN TOP are aiming to drive their fans wild with their strong comeback song, “Going Crazy“!
On January 7th, TEEN TOP returned to Music Core with their new song, which involved a dynamic choreography that included a hip hop influence and even a jump stunt. The members are definitely ditching their ‘flower boy’ image from “Don’t Spray Perfume” for a harder, more aggressive image.
Girl group T-ara brought the house down with their debut performance of “Lovey Dovey” on tonight’s episode of ‘Music Core‘!
The girls hinted that they would be using the ‘shuffle dance’ in their choreography, but fans weren’t expecting the group to bust out a 360-degree, left-to-right movement that transformed the stage into a real dance floor.
Check out their performance below!
Actress Son Eun Seo and Super Junior’s Donghae became a couple through a blind date.
In a recent shooting of MBC’s We Got Married, Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, Donghae, Sungmin, and Kyuhyun had a blind date with four actresses who are Kang Sora’s friends. It is said that Donghae and actress Son Eun Seo ended up as a couple.
This news soon developed into a rumor that Son and Donghae would appear as a new couple on We Got Married. However, the production crew said, “The blind date was just about Kang keeping a promise with Super Junior members. It’s not about making a new couple for the program, but rather, a special feature of the show.
There are always possibilities for a new couple to be added or replace an old couple, but we’re not considering that at the moment,” being cautious over the rumor.
The episode about this blind date will soon be broadcasted.
NS Yoon-G (formerly known as NS Yoonji) has released her new mini-album, ‘Neo Spirit‘.
As the title indicates, the singer has returned with a ‘new spirit’. She’s departed from her sweet pop flavor to something more edgy and loud, a transformation that’s reflected in both her image and sound.
Decked in leather and spikes, NS Yoon-G proves she’s made a dramatic image transformation with her title track “The Reason I Became a Witch“.
Check out her comeback performance on ‘Music Core’ below.
TechCrunch has received a response from Facebook to the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s letter urging the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate Timeline for privacy violations. Facebook says it has not violated user privacy or its November settlement with the FTC. That’s because Timeline simply makes historic content more accessible, not visible to anyone who couldn’t already see it. Also, Timeline provides Activity Log for managing the visibility of this content. I agree. Facebook may be bending the rules of privacy, but it hasn’t broken them.
In response to EPIC’s call for an FTC investigation, as reported by Identity Matters, Facebook’s Director of Public Policy Andrew Noyes tells TechCrunch:
“As we explained when we announced timeline in September, and we reiterated last month when it became available worldwide, timeline doesn’t change the privacy of any content. Everything is accessible to the same people who could or likely had seen it already in their News Feed sometime in the past. In addition, timeline offers a number of new, simpler, and more effective ways for people to control their information, including activity log, the most comprehensive control tool we’ve ever developed. We think these innovations are things privacy advocates should be applauding.”
Maybe ‘applauding’ goes a bit far, but privacy critics should be satisfied that Facebook has paired easier access to content with better ways to manage it. Before Timeline launched, to reach years old content one had to click the “older posts” button over and over. Profile owners were unlikely to go to this trouble, but someone intent on running a background check or defaming them might do so. In this way, the “privacy by obscurity” that EPIC says Facebook has violated may have been more dangerous than helpful to users.
The critical clause of Facebook’s FTC settlement is that it agreed to “obtaining consumers’ express consent before their information is shared beyond the privacy settings they have established.” The fact is that migrating to Timeline does not change one’s privacy settings. Anything set to friends, friends of friends, public, or a custom setting stays that way. Therefore, EPIC’s claim that “Facebook is changing the privacy settings of its users in a way that gives the company far greater ability to disclose their personal information than in the past” is simply false.
I’m a big advocate for users combing their Timeline for embarrassing content they might wish to remove. If the FTC wants to make a recommendation about Timeline, it should ask Facebook to more actively encourage use of Activity Log. But ultimately, it should see past EPIC’s sensational claims and conclude that Timeline does not violate user privacy.
The Wonder Girls have landed in Taiwan, and apparently the hotel staff are diehard Wonderfuls.
On January 7th, Lim tweeted the following message and image: “I got a little surprise from the hotel! How sweet”
A sweet monogram treat awaited the singer in her hotel room! What do you think of Lim’s fan gift?
Source: @WG_Lim
“Feeling back to normal… Thanks for all the well wishes! G’night,” tweeted the “Shanghai Calling” actor on January 6th.
Recently, Daniel Henney had been privately ailing from the stomach flu. Just days ago, he updated fans on his recovery process via Twitter.
Source: @danielhenney
After photos from Kwon Ri Sae‘s new advertisement for a Korean bag brand were released, netizens became suspicious of the singer’s new appearance, as it seemed too different from her usual self. Many began speculating that Kwon Ri Sae might have gone under the knife.
However, Kwon’s label company slammed those suspicions down during a phone interview with OSEN.
On January 6th, a representative from the company explained, “Kwon Ri Sae is preparing hard to debut in a girl group which is why she has been losing a lot of weight. She appears different because of make-up, outfit, lighting, effects, and weight loss. It is not because of plastic surgery.”
Netizens commented, “Her face has changed so much….“, “I still think she went under the knife“, and “The photos could have been photoshopped excessively“.
Kwon Ri Sae
Source + Photos: Osen
Video-sharing startup (and stars of Bloomberg’s TechStars reality show) Shelby.tv is about to launch a pretty nifty feature called 'Touch Play.' The new addition, a gesture-based remote control that works via Apple's AirPlay, will be shown off at next week's CES, with its launch planned for the week following.
