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I have a long weekend today so I’ll try to catch up with requests and updates later on tonight. As for now… important news! My fave member Yong Jun! And what is it with Mnet not putting in the effort to hold them back? Surely it makes as though Mnet doesn’t mind if all SG Wanna Be members leave… But on the otherside… i’d be happy if Yong Jun decides to go and join up with Dong Ha, signing up with another company. It’d be great if Jin Ho follows suit. But then morally…it’s a bit unfair for the new member…. unless Mnet decides to create a wholly new SG Wanna Be… Ah…so many possibilities… Fingers cross for the best outcome >.<
Kim Yong Jun, Chae Dong Ha, Kim Jin Ho
Since information came out that Kim Yong Jun’s exclusive contract with Mnet Media will expire this June, it has been spreading that like Chae Dong Ha, who has now split from the trio, Kim Yong Jun will also be leaving SG Wanna Be. The contract of Kim Jin Ho, the trio’s other original member, is only until December of this year.
Here is what Mnet Media had to say regarding the issue: “In mid-May, we’ll be finally discussing with the members on extending their contracts for 2 or 3 more years. If they decide to go, we won’t hold them back.”
According to Kim Yong Jun, he is really thinking hard on whether he will extend his contract with Mnet Media.
On the other hand, SG Wanna Be finished its concert in Japan last May 8 and will return to Korea on the 11th. SG Wanna Be is scheduled to hold its 5th album nationwide tour starting May 24.
Credits to krnloop & newsis
OMG~~~~~~~~~~ What the hell?!!! I’m sooooooooo sadddddddd…..!!! I just found out that Min Soo, aged 23, died in a motorbike accident today. Omg, I was anticipating their concert and was planning to make my booking tomorrow when it opens. But, when i checked the site again, the concert was no longer available. It’s true~~~~ Let’s all mourn for him and give our respects. This must be the saddest week ever for me. First, my all time fave group SG Wanna Be member, Chae Dong Ha leaves. Monday Kiz is my second fave group, now Minsoo has passed away… ㅠ ㅠ He was an excellent singer, at such a young age….. ㅠ ㅠ
Kim Min Soo from Korean group Monday Kiz lost his life early this morning in an motorbike accident. They just released their album a month ago on 31st March.
The incident happened this morning at 6:20am where the motorbike that Kim Min Soo was riding on crashed into a tree along the road. According to his management, he was immediately whisked off to Boramae hospital after the accident but was pronounced dead at 6:50am by doctors. His pillion rider who goes by the name of Lee suffered serious injuries.
Kim Min Soo had met with an accident last September involving his motorbike and was warded for four months in hospital. But this time, he couldn’t escape death and makes one wonder what it might have been.
Can Entertainment representing Monday Kiz expressed, “Kim Min Soo had said after his accident last year that he wouldn’t ride a bike again. I really can’t believe that this had happened. I really don’t know what else to say. We are awaiting the results from police investigations.”
Credits to coolsmurf.wordpress.com
Click below to see pics.
April 27, 2008
K-pop’s representative sexy rivals Lee Hyo-lee and Ivy plan to make comebacks in June. Lee Hyo-lee, aiming for a June album release, is recording and collecting songs now. Ivy plans to draw an end to her inactive period and has begun discussing the June release of an album. The two already went head to head last year, with February’s hit songs. They’ve now got fans curious as to what sort of sexy showdown will ensue.
Credits to Arirang
April 27, 2008:
Fans of the 13-member group Super Junior are buying stocks of the band’s management agency. They’re doing this to be able to oppose the group’s addition of a new member. Confirmed stock purchases as of March were 58,206 shares. These make up 0.36% of the agency’s stocks. But while these stockholders have begun actively trying to have an influence on Super Junior with their opinions, the agency has said, “We thank you for your interest, but Super Junior is not a group with a set number of members.”
Credits to Arirang
Woah..impressive
April 27, 2008:
The album “2008 Love Song” is receiving love calls from Japanese business circles. “2008 Love Song” is planned as a follow-up to the compilation album “Love Song,” which was released in 2001 and sold 2 million copies. Japanese businesses are proposing $5 million for a music video DVD starring Korean Wave actors Song Seung-heon and Park Yong-ha, album circulation and a large-scale concert. They’re showing a great deal of interest indeed. On a related note, the song “One Love,” sung by combative sports fighter Choo Sung-hoon prior to the album’s release, is being applauded by netizens surprised by his exceptional vocal skills.
Credits to Arirang
I still haven’t bought this album yet but it’s a must buy!
April 25, 2008:
The popular pop idols of Korea and Japan, TVXQ and Arashi, ranked in first place concurrently on the April 22nd Oricon charts.
TVXQ!’s 22nd single “Beautiful You” ranked first on the April 23rd Oricon Daily Singles chart after selling approximately 21,000 albums.
The single was very popular with fans of the Bae Yong-jun TV drama “Legend,” as it features the theme song to the drama which started broadcasting in Japan on the 5th.
Arashi’s original eighth album “Dream ‘A’ Live” shot to the tops of the Oricon charts on the day of its release. It contains the tracks “Happiness” and “Step and Go.” Both were ranked number one on the weekly singles charts. The album was a limited edition that also included a special CD with each of the five members singing solo.
The live DVD they released on the 16th, “Summer Tour 2007, Final Time,” was recorded as the best-selling DVD this year and commanded first place on the April 28th Oricon DVD Weekly Charts.
Credits to KBS Global
April 24, 2008:
Singer Seven will perform in front of a live audience prior to his official debut in the U.S.
Seven will sing three songs, which are included in his U.S. debut album, at the preview party to be held at Highlands, a famous nightclub in Hollywood, Los Angeles on May 2.
“Darkchild” Rodney Jerkins, a renowned American music producer will personally introduce Seven on stage. Jerkins has produced one of the songs in Seven’s album entitled “Girls.”
In March, Seven held a preview party in the iro Ballroom of the Maritime Hotel in New York. At the time, a DJ played the three songs but at the upcoming L.A preview party, Seven will perform the songs live on stage with his backup dancers. Reports say a number of famous musicians from the U.S. pop music industry have been invited to the event.
U.S. mobile communications company Verizon will also take part in the party as Seven’s official sponsor. According to the singer’s management agency YG Entertainment, Verizon has highly rated Seven’s potential to succeed in the U.S. market.
President of YG Entertainment Yang Hyun-suk as well as the YG staff will leave for Los Angeles on May 1 to attend the event.
Credits to KBS Global
Here it goes again. I’m hating this by the day. What happened to the gentle looking Se7en I used to like? He has definitely lost his shine. Truthfully, i think he’s trying to hard to fit in. I guess the over tan and hair gives him the confidence he needs *eeww..*
Btw, does that poster appeal to you?
April 23, 2008:
The idol group Big Bang is hot in Thailand as well as in Korea.
Members of Big Bang recently visited Bangkok, Thailand to promote the live album of their Great Concert. The members took part in a press conference at a special outdoor stage of Bangkok’s Siam Tower and signed autographs for 300 local fans.
Big Bang’s management agency YG Entertainment said despite the sweltering heat, Thai fans arrived at the Siam Tower at nine in the morning, six hours before the scheduled event. By the time the press conference started, some 5,000 fans gathered at the venue. Some fans were also seen crowding around the large windows of nearby buildings to get a glimpse of the members. More than one hundred press personnel were also present at the event.
An official in charge of the group’s promotional activities in Thailand said the number of Big Bang’s Thai fans are increasing every day, especially after the release of each new album.
Less than a year since the group released its album in Thailand, the songs “Dirty Cash,” “Lies,” “Always” and “Last Goodbye” topped Thai MTV’s international charts.
Meanwhile, upon its return from Thailand, Big Bang will prepare for its performance at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju on April 27.
Credits to KBS World
April 22, 2008:
Andy, a member of Korea’s longest running idol group Shinhwa, held his first solo concert “Propose in Shanghai” in China. Some 5,000 fans crowded Andy’s two-day concert in Shanghai, making his first overseas concert a great success.
His fans shouted out “I love you, Andy” when he sang “I Love You.” Andy invited his fans to join him in singing “A New Dream,” composed and written by his Chinese fans. His immense popularity in China was evident when dozens of Chinese and Hong Kong media attended his press conference. Also bodyguards had to protect him from hundreds of fans waiting outside a restaurant where an after-concert party was held.
Andy’s representative said that Andy had to return to the stage three times at the calls of encore from the audience. Andy left a note of thanks on his personal homepage, saying that he was surprised and thankful for such wildly positive responses and promises to return to China with a much improved
Credits to KBS World
April 7, 2008
An online poll asks asks ajuma(s) to vote for which male celeberity they would most want to see marry their daughters and become their son in law.
While voting, they were also asked to give a reason for the choice.
An online poll asks asks ajuma(s) to vote for which male celeberity they would most want to see marry their daughters and become their son in law.
While voting, they were also asked to give a reason for the choice.
1. Siwon (rich, gentleman, reliable)
2. Jeong Kyungho (down-to-earth, capable, persevering)
3. Xiah (Kim) Junsu (gentle, warm smile, friendly)
4. Shindong (usually the chubby ones are very kind-hearted)
5. U-know (Jeong) Yunho (caring, responsible, hard-working)
6. Max (Shim) Changmin (adaptive/ good at school, can’t become a bad guy)
7. Goong Yoo (very elegant, very cute)
8. Kim Junghoon (very prince-like, very pretty, charming)
9. Hero (Kim) Jaejoong (good cook, helpful/ warm-hearted)
10. Kangin (capacity to keep house, is able to do the chores)
credits to:kuro@AsianFanatics and Sina
Credits to NiNjA25@Arirang
April 7, 2008:
Paran, a five-member male vocal group which debuted in 2005, has made inroads all across Asia, including China, Indonesia, Laos, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.
Members of Paran held a showcase concert at the amphitheater of Rao Itecc, an exhibition center in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on April 5. It was the first concert by a male foreign group to attract 10,000 audience members. The event will be televised on Lao Star TV, the public broadcaster of Laos.
Laotian fans, who frequently enjoy Thai TV shows, raved over Paran’s performance, although they did not understand the Korean lyrics.
Fans frantically took photos of the group, waved photographs of the members in the air, screamed and blew kisses to the stage.
Paran returned to Korea and April 7. Soon after their arrival, members of the group wrapped up recording their third studio album, which is slated for release on April 11. The album will be released simultaneously in six Asian countries.
The members recently said they plan to sweep their Korean fans off their feet with their new album.
Credits to KBS Global
April 4, 2008
Shinhwa member Jun Jin will hold his first solo concert in Japan, the same year Shinhwa reaches the 10-year anniversary of their debut.
Jun Jin has planned two performances on the 26th (2pm, 7pm) at the C.C. Lemon Hall in Tokyo for 5000 fans. There was only one show originally scheduled but when the 2500 tickets sold out in five minutes, they decided to add another performance.
April 3, 2008:
Rapper Turtle Man (real name Im Seong-hoon) of pop trio Turtles (Geobugi) died of a heart attack early Wednesday morning. He was found by his manager, who came to check up on him when he didn’t answer his phone. Turtle Man’s management agency announced that he apparently passed away in his sleep around 2 o’clock in the morning.
Turtle Man had collapsed in April 2005 after complaining of chest pains and difficulty in breathing. He was rushed to a hospital and underwent an emergency heart surgery. He was released after a month-long stay in the hospital, but had to receive another surgery in October 2005.
Nonetheless, the group Geobugi came back in 2006 with their fourth album “Buy a Turtle” and earned wide recognition with their hit “Airplane.” Geobugi’s other hits include “Bingo” and “Four Seasons.” Turtle Man’s funeral will take place on Friday and his remains will be rested in the same place where the remains of actresses Lee Eun-joo and Jung Da-bin are kept.
Credits to KBS World
April 2, 2008
Idol group Super Junior will hold a big meeting with its fans on July 8th at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Titled “Super Junior’s 1st Premium Even in Japan,” the event will captivate some 10,000 Japanese fans with the full repertoire of their biggest hits and interesting chats.
This is the first fan meeting by Super Junior, and it’s unprecedented for a foreign music group to hold such a grand event at the prestigious Nippon Budokan without having officially debuted in Japan. This goes to show how much Korean stars are admired in Japan.
Marking their first big event in Japan, Super Junior opened a Japanese language homepage on Tuesday to provide Japanese fans with information on concerts and its members.
Credits to KBS World
April 4, 2008:
Former H.O.T. member Kang Ta began his 24-month mandatory military service Tuesday. When he arrived at the training camp in northern Gyeonggi Province, Kang was accompanied by ex-H.O.T. member Shin Hye-sung and close friend Lee Ji-hoon.
Sporting the short military hairstyle, Kang Ta appeared to be relaxed and eager to start his service. He said that he slept well and his fellow H.O.T. member Moon Hee-jun, who finished his military duty just a few months ago, advised him to just follow orders and everything will be alright.
Now that Kang Ta has left for the military, only Tony Ahn and Lee Jae-won out of five H.O.T. members need to fulfill their military. Before starting his military service, Kang Ta held his last performances last Saturday and Sunday to reassure his fans that he will return as a stronger and better man.
Credits to KBS World
March 23, 2008
Former H.O.T.-member Kang Ta will enlist for active duty April 1st. According to his management, his military enlistment was confirmed not too long ago. He has released a final pre-enlistment album and will hold a solo concert. He is the 3rd H.O.T. member to join, following former members Moon Hee-jun and Jang Woo-hyuk. Kang Ta is currently busy in his 12th year in the music biz. He is preparing for a solo concert on the 29th in Seoul following the release of his 4th full-length album “Eternity-Young-won.”
Credits to Arirang
March 20, 2008
SM Entertainment Agency announced that there was an online survey done by Coca-Cola China, a public sponsor of the Beijing Olympics (http://www.icoke.cn), and Han Kyung of Super Junior was voted first place as carrier of the 2008 Olympics torch. After deliberations, the Olympics organizational committee sealed the deal.
“The [Olympics] committee chose Han Kyung because they recognized his part in the cultural exchange of China through his activities in Korea and the rest of Asia,” the agency stated. “Han Kyung will be participating in the carrying of the Olympic torch in Beijing from August 6th to the 8th.”
Han Kyung will be taking his solemn oath at the “Coca-Cola National Olympic Torch-Bearer Ceremony” as a representative of the Olympic flame on the 24th in China. The ceremony will be broadcast on CCTV-5 and Guangdong TV, the official Chinese channels for the 2008 Olympics.
Han Kyung stated, “I’m extremely pleased and honored to be a torch-bearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.”
Credits to KBS Global
March 20, 2008
The group Shinhwa recently filmed a music video for their 9th studio album. The music video was filmed in a field of reeds near a dinosaur fossil site in Songsan-myeon in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province.
The scene involved five members rescuing Eric, who is held as a hostage by enemy gangsters.
March 24 marks the 10th anniversary of Shinhwa’s debut. The music video shoot was a special event as members Eric and Kim Dong-wan are preparing to begin their military services.
March 17, 2008
And BoA has passed the baton! TVXQ! will hold a massive concert for 180,000 Japanese fans. From the 19th of this month through May 6, the group will embark on an 8-city arena tour hitting Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. The concert will be called “TVXQ! 3rd LIVE TOUR 2008~T~.” Their single “Purple Line” shot to number 1 on a weekly Oricon chart. Tickets to every show of their concert tour have sold out. It looks like TVXQ! is about to take over Japan.
Credits to Arirang
March 17, 2008
Chinese R&B singer ZhangLiyin, who debuted first in Korea and has incited the interests of many, is poised to debut in her home country of China and officially starts being active there. She held a first showcase on the 27th of last month in Sung Kwang in Beijing, going public with her first album “I Will.” More than 70 media outlets attended, including a daily Beijing newspaper, CCTV and MTV. This translated into about 150 highly interested members of the media. Super Junior’s Han Kyung participated in the event, congratulating ZhangLiyin.
Credits to Arirang
March 17, 2008
Super Junior’s Shin-dong has completed the first solo recording since his debut! He has rapped the OST song “Don’t Cry,” the theme song for Oh Ji-ho’s character in the TV drama “Single Dad Dating,” in which Shin-dong currently appears. Oh Ji-ho plays his older brother. In contrast to his typically funny image, rumor has it Shin-dong has rapped in a sensual, composed and whispering style. Shin-dong said this about his first solo endeavor: He couldn’t sing more than a few bars as a member of Super Junior, but he enjoyed being able to sing as much as he wanted.
Credits to Arirang
March 10, 2008
Shinhwa-member Jun Jin, after releasing his second solo album at the end of this month, will proceed to kill two birds with one stone. According to reps, he’s wrapping up his 2nd album now and it features mostly dance songs instead of ballads, which is part of Jun Jin’s effort to show fans a different side of him compared to his 1st album. With Shinhwa’s 9th full-length album slated for release in March, Jun Jin will be active in both capacities. Shinhwa, which celebrates 10 years since its debut this year, will hold its 10th anniversary concert March 28th and 29th.
Credits to Arirang
March 10, 2008
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Top star Rain plans to debut a solo female artist and male group by year’s end, making his own debut as a producer. In February, he revealed at a press conference his intention to debut 2 new teams within the year. According to Rain’s reps, these artists are a solo female and a male group. Though teens, they’re exceptional singers and dancers and the bearers of much expectation. Rain also recently made news for being awarded the “Korean Image Stepping Stone Award” on the 19th for elevating Korea’s image
Credits to Arirang
March 10, 2008
KCM created buzz with music videos for his 4th album featuring sophisticated story development and scenes of a building explosion, gunfire and more spectacular visuals. Now he will produce music videos for all his album’s songs. Following his title track “Classic,” he recently released music videos for “Daily Diary” and “Excitement.” After presenting “Because I Love You” and “Grace” in March, KCM will produce music videos for his album’s 14 songs by May, including “I Am,” for which he wrote the music and lyrics, and “Conditions of Love,” which he sang with Zia.
Credits to Arirang
March 19, 2008
Singer Seo Taeji has announced plans to launch a nationwide tour to celebrate the release of his 8th studio album in collaboration with Yedang Entertainment Company.
Yedang announced on Wednesday that it has signed a deal with the artist regarding the distribution of his 8th studio album as well as his nationwide tour which will make up the bulk of his promotional activities. The entertainment agency will be in charge of organizing 11 tours starting with the first in Seoul.
It is also reviewing possibilities to launch overseas tours including Asian tours.
Yedang is expected to earn profits of 10 million dollars as the contract includes distribution rights to Seo’s live album, DVD contents, MD projects and IPTV performances.
The company said Seo is nearly done with recording his 8th album and the contents of his upcoming concert is confidential. It added, however, that it is working hard with Seo to make the concert a unique performance arts experience for Korean music lovers.
Credits to KBS Global
March 13, 2008
Yoo Young-jin, singer-turned-songwriter for SM Entertainment’s singers, was full of praise for BoA and TVXQ.
In a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, Yoo was asked which pop artist had displayed remarkable growth and potential. He answered, “I believed BoA to be unique even as I gave her “ID: Peace B,” her debut song…When I brought her the demo tape, the song was still rough and a bit unclear but at the recording three days later, she sang it with such clarity. It turned out better than I had originally imagined.”
He went on to explain that BoA had a “keen sense” when interpreting a musical piece. “She knows when to add rhythm and where the song needs to be sped up in tempo. Even now, BoA continues to grow,” he added.
During recording sessions with TVXQ, Yoo Young-jin said that he could “sense how much contemplation the boys put into their music.”
He commented, “[They] only have a week-long break during the year as they work in Korea and Japan. It’s exhausting but their vocal skills have grown exponentially in relation to their age.”
Credits to KBS Global
March 13, 2008
Popular boy band TVXQ has been named Asian envoys for Universal Studios Japan (USJ).
According to USJ, it has decided to designate TVXQ, which debuted in Korea in 2004, in Japan in 2005 and went on to debut in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand, as its Asian envoys.
The appointment ceremony will take place on March 28 at the Universal Studios Japan located near Osaka. Once appointed, TVXQ will travel around Asia for a year to promote the attractions of USJ.
A USJ publicist said TVXQ was chosen for their international appeal, as they can speak both English and Japanese. The publicist also said that considering 70% of USJ visitors are female, it has high expectations that the popular boy band will lure many tourists from all over Asia.
Credits to KBS Global
March 1, 2008
Singer/producer Seo Taiji is slated to release his 8th album during the first half of this year - in May, at the latest. His comeback started gaining visibility at the end of last year, through a concert commemorating 15 years since Seo Taiji’s debut, and continued with a vehicle commercial earlier this year. Recent commercial footage shows the artist being confident about his 8th album, calling it pretty great. Seo Taiji has donated the clothes and props from the commercial to a charity auction. He’s received bids for a bracelet going for $900 and a T-shirt costing $227.
Credits to Arirang
March 1, 2008
TVXQ’s Hero has been selected as Asia’s number 1 heartthrob. A viewer’s poll conducted by Guangdong’s satellite broadcast channel Star TV in China surveyed Asia’s male-teen heartthrob trend. Hero ranked 1st, receiving more than 10% of the total votes, which made for 4,180,000 ballots. At number two was Uhn Seung -wook, from F4, a popular Taiwanese group. TVXQ’s leader U-Know came in 3rd with 3,530,000 votes.
Credits to Arirang
March 1, 208
Top stars BoA and Se7en are slated to enter the U.S. market this spring and engage in some friendly competition. BoA is currently preparing an English album with plans to debut it in May. Se7en has announced he will release his U.S. debut album in 2 or 3 months, which means both artists will be debuting at similar times. Many famous U.S. producers are slated to participate in both albums. We hope BoA and Se7en, both of whom have gained popularity in Japan, China, Thailand and other Asian countries, enjoy successful U.S. debuts.
Credits to Arirang
March 1, 2008
Talented female singer Esther, who’s made a comeback after 5 years, has taken part in an Asian hip-hop project album as the rare Korean singer. The work is an Asian hip-hop compilation album titled ‘IZM WILL NEVER DIE’ and entirely produced by representative Japanese hip-hop name, Yas. Zeebra, You the Rock and other famous artists in the genre have participated. Esther sang ‘Sphere of Influence’ and ‘We Can Make It Better’ as part of a duet, showing off a more powerful and intense vocalism than in her recent song, ‘Lingering Attachment.’
Credits to Arirang
February 25, 2008
Three former members of the top pop-idol group H.O.T. are poised to compete this spring as solo artists. H.O.T.-leader Moon Hee-joon, who has completed his military service, plans to make a comeback in March with a 5th full-length album. Kang Ta, who’s busy throughout Asia and focused on China and Japan, plans to make a comeback this spring with his 4th album. Tony An, for whom military service is pending, is speeding up his work on a last album for pre-enlistment release. Fans can expect great results from the friendly competition between these solo artists.
Credits to Arirang
February 25, 2008
Singer Hong Kyung-min has drawn attention for saying he coined the description ‘cattle-call vocalism,’ which refers to the R&B vocal style associated with Park Hyo-shin, SG Wannabe, See Ya and others. It’s now become a common description for the practice. Hong Kyung-min says he went to a concert by Park Hyo-shin during his debut years, heard his unique singing style and came up with the description almost as a joke. Artists who practiced the cattle-call style of vocalism were rare at the time, which made Park Hyo-shin’s voice all the more unique and charming.
Credits to Arirang
February 28, 2008
World star BoA rose to the top spot of Japan’s Oricon daily album chart with her sixth regular album “The Face.”
Released simultaneously on February 27th in both Korea and Japan, BoA’s newest album climbed to the top on the very first day of its market release by selling over 22 thousand copies.
This is the seventh time that BoA’s album topped Japan’s premier daily album chart. “Listen to My Heart,” her debut album in Japan released in March 2002, first reached No.1 on Oricon, followed by her second Japanese album “Valenti,” third one “Love & Honesty,” fourth album, “Outgrow,” fifth album “Made in Twenty,” and the compilation of her best hits “Best of Soul.” Four of her single albums - “Shine We Are,” “Do The Motion,” “Tomorrow of Nine Colors,” and “Winter Love” – also finished No.1 on the Oricon daily single chart.
Credits to KBS World
February 26, 2008
Singer/actress Yoon Eun-hye returns to singing three years after leaving female group Baby Vox. She demonstrated that she still has what it takes to be a singer in the hip hop group Mighty Mouth’s first single album.
Yoon’s soft and sweet vocal was a perfect match to the rap of Mighty Mouth in the album’s title song “I Love You.” Yoon was first approached by Lee Hyun-do, a former member of the popular 90’s group “Deuce,” and she gladly agreed to do a featuring for the hip hop piece. This is the first time that Yoon sang publicly since she left Baby Vox in 2005.
Since her departure from Baby Vox, Yoon has made a name for herself in acting. She has starred in such huge TV drama hits as “Palace,” “The Vineyard Man,” and “Coffee Prince.”
Credits to KBS World
February 26, 2008
Singer Cho Kwan-woo and the female vocal group Gavy NJ took part in singing the theme song of a new film entitled ‘Fate’ starring superstars Song Seung-heon and Kwon Sang-woo.
‘Fate’ will be the first drama Song will star in since his discharge from the army and Kwon’s first role as a villain. In the drama, the two best friends end up becoming arch enemies after they are betrayed by a close friend. It is a high-energy drama filled with large-scale action scenes.
The heartbreaking ballad song ‘One-Sided Love’ which Cho Kwan-woo sings in the original soundtrack of the drama was written by songwriter Kim Do-hun who wrote past hit songs like ‘Toc Toc Toc’ for E Hyo-lee and ‘After I Met You’ for Yangpa.
Meanwhile Gavy NJ sings ‘Remember,’ a medium-tempo song written by Min Myung-ki who wrote songs for the female vocal group in the past including ‘Happniess’ and ‘Life Goes On.’
‘One-Sided Love’ and ‘Remember’ were announced to the public on February 21 and have been getting rave reviews.
Credits to KBS World
February 25, 2008
Singer Lee Seung-ki underwent surgery to mend a broken finger on his left hand and will be out for a while.
A regular member of popular “One Night & Two Days” segment in variety program “Happy Sunday,” Lee was filming a scene for “One Night & Two Days” in Jeju Island last Thursday when he sustained the injury. He didn’t think the injury was serious and even finished the filming, but the pain grew worse. Soon after he was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with a broken finger. After an emergency treatment, Lee was flown to Seoul and underwent surgery on Sunday.
Lee’s current condition is stable, but he will be out for at least a month or two. His entire left hand is in cast, so he will have to suspend all his TV appearances. Lee has gained enormous popularity since he started appearing in “One Night & Two Days” on a regular basis.
Credits to KBS World
February 21, 2008
Having debuted on screen with film “Crazy in Waiting,” former idol group g.o.d. member Danny Ahn is trying his hands at stage acting this time with a role in “Closer.” Patrick Marber’s most renowned work is about human relationship and communication as projected in the love and friendship of four men and women. The play has debuted in 1997, and has been translated in 30 different languages and performed in 100 cities worldwide.
Danny Ahn will play the role of obituary writer Dae-hyun, who loves two women at the same time. His character is very romantic, but also quite selfish in that he does not want to be the one getting hurt in a relationship. Ahn says it will take all his acting capacity to convincingly portray the complex emotional state of Dae-hyun.
“Closer” will start on March 28th at the Seoul Arts Center. Ahn’s fans can also see him in “The Shanghai Brothers,” an upcoming Korea-China collaborative drama produced by Dramax.
Credits to KBS World
February 21, 2008
Amidst a hectic schedule which shuttles ‘TSZX The Grace’ back and forth between Korea and Japan, the female group is preparing to take their performances live on-stage in Japan.
TSZX The Grace released their debut single for Japan in 2006 and ever since, the group has been a breath of fresh air in the Japanese music industry. Next month, they will hold their first live solo shows in Japan entitled ‘TSZX Grace Party, Vol. 1.’
The first is at ‘MUSE,’ located in the Shinbaishi area of Osaka (March 20th); the second show is at ‘Club Asia P,’ in Shibuya, Tokyo (March 23rd).
This will be the group’s first solo performance, and TSZX The Grace member Dana left a post on their official website about their progress. “Please look forward to seeing us,” she wrote.
For their J-pop debut, TSZX The Grace released their first studio album ‘Graceful 4′ in both Japan and Korea last November. High hopes await the a capella foursome and their explosive skills in the upcoming live concerts.
Credits to KBS World
February 29, 2008
Hallyu stars Song Seung-hun and Park Yong-ha will “fight” at a club in Seoul.
The two actors will be shooting a fight scene at an Apgujeong-dong club for the music video for “2008 Love Song.”
Song Seung-hun assumes the role of a fight club competitor and member of the mob. Park Yong-ha and Ha Suk-jin play undercover cops who infiltrate the fight club, mob headquarters, as contenders. Park Yong-ha gets in the ring against Song Seung-hun; Ha Suk-jin’s cover is blown and he is later killed by the mobsters.
“2008 Love Song” is the follow-up album to Lee Mi-yeon’s hit compilation, “Love Song,” from 2001. The 2008 version will include popular R&B and ballad songs released in 2004-2008. The music video is set to be released at the end of March.
Credits to KBS Global
February 28, 2008:
Musicians Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Juck, and Lena Park pull together the ‘Taean Project Group’ and prepare an album to aid in the Taean oil spill. The album sales will be donated to support cleanup efforts in Taean.
The album was organized by Lee Hyun-woo, who has been an active member of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) for several years. After visiting Taean to lend a helping hand, Lee began working with KFEM and other singers on the “Support Taean” album. Further details will be released at an upcoming press conference.
The album contains songs about the heart-aching reality of the oil spill’s effect on Taean and its citizens. Besides Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Juck, and Lena Park, singers of all ages and genres helped with the album, including JK Kim Dong-wook, Lee Han-chul, Woong San, and Yang Dong-geun.
Credits to KBS Global
February 18, 2008:
The 5-guy group Paran is in the process of creating an album custom-made for Asian fans. Popular in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Taiwan and other countries, Paran plans to release its 3rd full-length album in March. It will be produced in a global style and fully supported by U-main, which worked on N’Sync’s music, as well as Japan’s Johnny’s Productions. The group also plans to shoot several music videos to correspond with each country, filming in Thailand, Japan and other locations.
Credits to Arirang
February 15, 2008:
The hit group SG Wannabe, which has also debuted in Japan, will sing the theme song for the Japanese film “Hanakage (Flower Shadow)” starring Korean actor Kim Rae-won in the lead role.
The film, to open next month, is directed by Gawai Hayato, known for “Bayside Shakedown.” Japanese actress Mirai Yamamoto will play opposite Kim.
SG Wannabe, active in both Korea and Japan, was asked to record the title song because the story of the romantic film takes place in both countries. The title song is SG Wannabe’s hit ‘Arirang.’
Ahead of releasing their original debut album ‘I love SG Wannabe’ on March 19, the group will hold special events for album buyers and begin earnest activities in Japan.
Credits to KBS Global
February 15, 2008:
Korea’s longest running idol group Shinhwa will hold a concert to mark the 10th anniversary of its debut.
Shinhwa first burst into the music scene back in 1998 and the group will celebrate this momentous occasion with “Shinhwa 10th Anniversary Live in Seoul” concert on March 29th and 30th at the Gymnastic Stadium in the Seoul Olympic Park. Shinhwa is the first idol group in the Korean pop industry to stay together for a decade without disbanding or changing its members.
Shinhwa’s first Korean concert in two years, the 10th anniversary gala will be particularly meaningful for both the members and their fans, as it will be the last performance in Korea for Eric, Lee Min-woo, and Kim Dong-wan before they go off to serve the mandatory military duties. The tickets will go on sale on the internet starting on February 18th. Shinhwa is currently working on their 9th album due out in March, in addition to preparing for the concert.
Credits to KBS World
February 13, 2008:
Former Shinhwa member Andy left for China Wednesday morning to launch his solo career in China. He recently released his first solo album “Love Song.”
Andy is not a stranger in China and Japan, as Shinhwa already held super concerts and gained a huge following in both countries. Late last year he held his first solo fan meeting in Japan and plans to do the same in China in time for Valentine’s Day. He also plans to hold a solo concert in China in April.
Andy’s close associate says that Andy has been courted by the music industries of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan while he was preparing for his solo album. The fan meeting in China is just the starting point for his career overseas.
Credits to KBS World
February 1, 2008:
”Shorty,” “Little one,” and “The M.A. Ha,” are the nicknames of Haha or Ha Dong-hoon. The member of MBC’s “Infinite Challenge (Muhan Dojeon)” is going to the military on Feb. 11.
Netizens are worried about his spot in the “Infinite Challenge.” They are suggesting other remaining members of not accepting a new member. Most of the viewers of the program want Haha’s spot available until he comes back from the military. “Infinite Challenge” went to India recently. It will be Haha’s last appearance on the show.
Because of his great popularity, his first album was re-released. The album was prohibited in 2001 because of its indecency. Haha was the member of a group, “Jikiri.” Haha wrote the lyrics of four songs from the album.
Credits to The Edu Times
February 4, 2008:
Girls’ Generation’s Yoon-a has starred in Lee Seung-chul’s new music video and showed off some great acting. Girls’ Generation has recently been enjoying plenty of success with their remake of Lee Seung-chul’s song, “Girls’ Generation.” To show her gratitude, member Yoon-a decided to star in the music video for “Propose,” featured in Lee Seung-chul’s 9th album. Filming was completed for the piece on the 15th, at a studio in Seoul’s Kangnam area. In return, Lee Seung-chul thanked Yoon-a by personally thanking her with a wallet.
Credits to Arirang
February 4, 2008:
Younha, who rose to fame in the music world last year with the song “Comet”, has decided to take a break from being active in Korea and head to Japan. She kicked off her schedule there on the 18th, when she participated in the opening ceremony for “Okyo! Japan Week 2008″ as a Korean tourism goodwill ambassador. More events are to follow. Younha gave rise to a piano rock genre in Korea, taking home best new artist awards last year for “Secret Code 486″, “Comet” and other songs and establishing herself as a super newbie.
Credits to Arirang
February 4, 2008:
The 3-guy group SG Wannabe is stealing much attention from netizens with romance rumors. It was recently reported that member Chae Dong-ha has been dating See Ya’s Lee Bo-ram, who belongs to the same management agency. Now, another member - Kim Yong-joon - is reportedly dating former-Sugar member and lovely actress Hwang Jung-eum. They started dating 6 months ago, being part of the same agency. With 2 of SG Wannabe’s 3 guys currently caught up in romance, all eyes are now turned to sole single member Kim Jin-ho.
Credits to Arirang
February 4, 2008:
BoA, the star of Asia, is appearing in her first alcohol commercial. She was recently chosen as the model for a beer commercial and has completed filming. Alcohol commercials have thus far been dominated by beautiful top female stars, but this is BoA’s first time being selected. Reps for the beer company say they wanted a flashy star who also has a hidden but compassionate sort of charm. This is why they chose BoA, who was tipsy for the shoot to be her most natural.
Credits to Arirang
February 5, 2008:
The duet Leessang will include in its new album a song paying tribute to the late boxing champion Choi Yo-sam, whose organs were donated to medicine after he was pronounced brain-dead.
The duet’s fifth album comes after a one-year hiatus. The members used to learn boxing in their early 20s at the same boxing gym with Choi, and were long-time close friends. The song could be chosen as the title track of the duet’s album, as it deals with Choi’s tragic death and his organ donation.
A WBC light flyweight champion, Choi successfully defended the WBO Intercontinental flyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Heri Amol of Indonesia on Dec. 25. He was knocked down a few seconds before the end of the match but beat the count and went on to win the fight.
However, he eventually collapsed and underwent emergency surgery. He was pronounced brain-dead Jan. 3.
Credits to KBS Global
February 4, 2008
Producer/singer Park Jin-young and singers from his agency, JYP, have launched a U.S. tour.
Park as well as the girl band Wondergirls and singers Lim Jung-hee, Min and G-Soul will hold “The GYP Tour” Feb. 29 at the Wamu Theater at the New York Madison Square Garden and on March 8 at the LA Wiltern Theater.
The tour is the continuation of Park’s solo concert that he staged in Korea under the title “Bad Party.” He has organized the tour to bring together talented artists that are trained by his agency.
A manager of Madison Square Garden said Park’s “rider” showed that Park has prepared perfectly for the concerts.
Park says though the upcoming tour will focus on himself, he wants to nurture the tour into an Asian music festival featuring top artists, and that he and his staff have been working day and night to that end. “I’ll do my best to ensure good results,” said Park.
In the future, the tour will cover Atlanta and San Fransisco as well.
Credits to KBS World
February 4, 2008:
Singer Maybee, who had suspended her radio DJing career due to a vocal cord cyst, has made a comeback after three weeks of rest.
Maybee resumed her career at KBS Cool FM as a DJ on Feb. 4. Up to now, she had been replaced by actress Choi Kang-hee.
The production team of the singer’s radio show said they were concerned about her health but that they were happy to see her upbeat and cheerful.
Maybee’s agency said the singer’s condition could deteriorate if she pushes on with her DJing and singing career, as her disease takes time to heal. The agency added that it will adjust Maybee’s schedule according to the results of medical tests and the singer’s condition.
Credits to KBS World
February 1, 2008
The group Big Bang has won the grand prize at the 17th High1 Seoul Pop Music Award granted by the Sports Seoul newspaper.
In the ceremony Thursday, they received not only the grand prix but also the main award and the digital music award.
The main award went to ten teams in total: Super Junior (’Don’t Don’), SG Wannabe (’Arirang’), Big Bang (’Lie’), EpiK High (’FAN’), Jang Yun-jeong (’First Love’), Baek Ji-young (’Your love is enough’), See Ya (’Love’s Greeting’), Eru (’Because we are two’), MC the Max (’My heart can’t go on’) and V.O.S (’Every day every day’).
The new singer award went to Girls’ Generation (’Girls’ Generation’), Wonder Girls (’Tell Me’) and the boy band FT Island (’Lovesick’).
Credits to KBS Global
January 30, 2008
Korea’s hottest idol groups TVXQ and Super Junior topped the Thai Channel V music charts.
Dynamic quintet TVXQ won the top spot on the Top 10 of No.1 on Year Chart 2007 with the group’s 13th single in Japan “Shine,” which placed first for four weeks straight from November 3rd through 24th last year. TVXQ got the same nod from Thai fans the year before with its hit “O-jeong-ban-hap,” so this is back-to-back honor for this super hot group. There seems to be no end to the phenomenal popularity of TVXQ in Asia, as the group’s 14th single in Japan “Forever Love” also shot up to the number one spot on the Channel V international chart.
Meanwhile, 13-member Super Junior topped the Top 100 of 2007 International Chart with the song “Happiness” from their “07 Summer SMTown” album. The award went to 100 songs that received most requests from viewers in 2007.
Credits to KBS World
January 31, 2008
Actress Kim Sung-eun and singer Tablo have been chosen as the new hosts of ‘Music Bank Live’ on KBS 2TV. The new hosts will take over for Ha Ha and Lee Hyun-ji starting February 15.
The producers of the show chose Tablo and Kim for their ability to appeal to a wide range of viewers, not just teenagers.
Tablo, who is a member of popular group Epik High, attracted numerous fans by hosting a variety of radio and TV shows with his polished speaking abilities. Kim has also been gaining her share of popularity through her “tone-deaf”
Credits to KBS Global
January 22, 2008
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Idol groups such as the Wonder Girls, Big Bang and Girls’ Generation dominated the pop charts last year. This power of youngsters in the Korean pop music industry will likely to continue this year, steered by the big entertainment companies.
Amid the overall slump in the K-pop industry, JYP, the entertainment company run by singer-producer Park Jin-young, hopes for another successful year.
Referred to as “the jewel of JYP,” Joo is certainly the most prominent new face of the year.
Joo participated in SBS’s talent show “Super Star Survival” (2006) in collaboration with JYP. Though not the winner of the show, she got into the training program at JYP.
Since JYP has produced many hit singers such as G.O.D, Rain and Wonder Girls, expectations on Joo were high even before her debut.
Joo finally debuted through KBS Music Bank, the only pop-chart program aired on network television, on Jan. 11. It is rare for such a newcomer to be on the show, especially one who had not even released an album yet.
Her title song “Because of You” shot up the music charts and took fourth place in two weeks.
Nonetheless, Joo already faced criticism when pictures of her smoking and drinking spread through the Internet. JYP admitted that Joo once smoked and drank out of curiosity when she was in middle school but emphasized that she is now clean and apologizes for her former mischief now. The agency also admitted Joo has had plastic surgery.
January 21, 2008
Stephanie, a member of the girl band Chunsangjihee, has “transformed” into a ballerina in Singapore.
The singer has recently unveiled her photo album in which she appears as a ballerina. The photo shoot was held in December in Singapore and shows Stephanie as an elegant ballerina. Stephanie says she once wanted to become a ballerina before she debuted as a singer. The album’s mobile version will be released first.
The singer says she wanted to convey her unique charm as an individual rather than as a band member, and that she hopes her photo album will receive a faborable response.
Stephanie is currently staying in Japan and will return to Korea Jan. 22 to announce the production of her photo album at the Apkujeong CGV in Seoul.
Credits to KBS Global
January 14, 2008
Two SG Wannabe members were recently revealed to have been dating fellow colleagues which has been acknowledged by their management.
Kim Yong Jun from SG Wannabe was revealed to be in a relationship with ex-Sugar member, Hwang Jum Eum. According to sources, they have been dating for six months already. Because they were in the same company, they had many chances to meet each other and they subsequently became a couple.
With regards to their relationship, many of their colleagues gave them their best wishes. One of them said, “Both of them are kind-hearted and they get along well. I feel that they are very compatible and seeing that they both look out for each other really makes one feel envious of them.”
Kim Yong Jun debuted in 2004 with SG Wannabe and won the Daesang Award at the recent 22nd Golden Disk Awards. Hwang Jung Eum debuted as part of girl group, Sugar but left in 2004 to become an actress. She is now working towards her goal and starring in weekend drama, “Winter Bird”.
Meanwhile, another SG Wannabe member, Chae Dong Ha was also recently revealed to be dating Lee Bo Ram from SeeYA and this was acknowledged by their management company. Amidst the recent spate of couple breakups, this is good news indeed
Credits to coolsmurf.wordpress.com
Yong Jun this time~~ *sniff sniff* lol. Don’t know much about the girl though.. @_@
Wah~~~~ All my fave artists packed into one. I love these guys! Just can’t wait~~~~~~
Plus, well known composer Kim Myung Ki!
먼데이 키즈 (Monday Kiz), 브이 오 에스 (V.O.S.), 일락 (Ilac)
Single Title: Friendship
Release Date: 15 January 2008
Company: Seoul Records Co. Ltd Korea
Three friends joined by musical passion present Friendship, a remarkable effort pulled off by rare talents in today’s music industry: Monday Kiz, V.O.S., and Ilac. The special single release containing two songs plus their instrumental tracks is filled with the trio’s amazing harmony. The principle number, Geukat Sarang (Track 1), features each singer’s own strength and characteristics melted into a beautiful harmonious blend. Composed by Kim Myung Ki, the man behind hits like S.G Wannabe’s “Biting Lips” and KCM’s “Nine Wishes for You”, the song’s grandiose orchestral arrangement projects so much energy that it may very well be a soundtrack for a big-scale epic drama. In addition, Lee Jin Sung of Monday Kiz showcases his creative side by penning and arranging the pop ballad number Saranghaji Malgirl Geuletsur (”Shouldn’t Have Loved”) (Track 2).
01. 그깟 사랑 (Keuggat sarang) - Monday Kiz (진성 Jin Seong) & V.O.S (현준 Hyeon Joon) & 일락 (Ilac)
02. 사랑하지 말걸 그랬어 (Saranghaji malgeol keuraesseo) - Monday Kiz (진성) & 일락
03. 그깟 사랑 (Instrumental)
04. 사랑하지 말걸 그랬어 (Instrumental)
Information credits to YesAsia and aladdin.co.kr
January 8, 2008
This year, some of the hottest male stars in Korean entertainment will temporarily leave the spotlight to enter the military as part of the two-year service compulsory for all Korean males.
“Coffee Prince” star Gong Yoo met with around 1,000 fans in a special meeting Sunday. He asked fans not to worry while he was serving in the military, but became emotional during the event.
Gong’s red-hot career will have to be put on hold for the next two years. The actor, who recently gained popularity for his role in the hit MBC drama, will enter the military Jan. 14.
Last week, actor Chun Jeong-myoung, who appeared in the film “Hansel and Gretel,” and pop group NRG member No Yoo-min started their military training.
Hallyu stars Zo In-sung, Cho Hyun-jae, Yang Dong-keun, Lee Dong-gun and Kim Rae-won are also expected to enlist this year.
The K-pop music industry will also suffer the temporary loss of Shinhwa members Eric Mun and Kim Dong-wan, singers Eru and Sung Si-kyung, as well as former H.O.T. member Tony An.
January 12, 2008
“If you’re going to make a comeback, do it after 6 years!” Or so the saying goes, considering the success of artists who returned in 2007. Yangpa, Park Jin-young and Toy all made comebacks after 6 years and experienced huge success. Yangpa arrived on the scene last May and her song, “Love? What’s That?” was a hit. Park Jin-young returned to fans not as a producer, but a singer with his 7th album. “That House You Live In” and “Kiss” are doing really well. Also, Toy returned with a 6th album - “Passionate Goodbye” - and is enjoying explosive popularity. We hope these returning artists, whose major success puts to shame their time off, continue to shake up the music biz!
Credits to Arirang
January 12, 2008
Female group Jewelry has revealed its new members and is beginning to make a comeback. Reps introduced the new gals - Ha Joo-yeon and Kim Eun-jung - on the group’s mini-homepage not too long ago. Ha Joo-yeon, also known as Baby J, is the daughter of actress Ha Jae-young and rapped on the title song of Seo In-young’s 1st album, “I Want You.” And new member Kim Eun-jung, who was selected through an audition, was a back dancer for Seo In-young. Jewelry debuted in 2001. Lee Ji-hyun and Cho Min-a left the group in 2006, which left the group with just Park Jung-ah and Seo In-young.
Credits to Arirang
January 12, 2008
Top music star Lee Hyo-lee and top movie star Lee Mi-yeon will portray friends in the music video