Kidnappers turn War on Terror on head

“The Abduction”By Tish Wells(McClatchy Washington Bureau)In Jonathan Holt’s first book, he introduced readers to Capt. Kat Tapo of the Venice Carabinieri (police). She and 2nd Lieutenant Holly Boland make two interesting sleuths, along with the reclusive Daniele Barbo, creator of Carnivia, an elaborate online world that reflects Venice itself.His newest novel, “The Abduction” deals with the kidnapping of an American girl, interrogation techniques used by the United States in the War on Terror, d

BooksJune 12, 2014

Psy says thanks despite mixed reactions

South Korean rapper Psy expressed his gratitude to even those who “disliked” his music video as the MV for “Hangover” reached 30 million views on YouTube within 50 hours.“Good things and Bad things make Everything!! THX to all ya!!” Psy wrote on Twitter right after the music video on his official channel exceeded the milestone on Wednesday.In the picture Psy attached to the post, a screenshot of his YouTube page shows both counts for “Likes” and “Dislikes.” Numbers at the time showed 3.4 million

June 12, 2014

‘Joseon’s Gunman’ releases images expressing five characters‘ role

In an aim to provide a better understanding of the drama plot for “Joseon’s Gunman,” KBS-2 released on Thursday images of the five main characters of its new drama to be aired on June 25.The five included Lee Jun-ki, Nam Sang-mi, Jun Hae-bin, Han Joo-wan and Yoo Oh-sung. Viewers are currently raising their expectations of the new drama, a follow-up to “Golden Cross.”  1. Gunman with a knife/ Park Yoon-gang (played by Lee Jun-ki)Following his father’s path, Yoon-gang wants to become an outstandin

June 12, 2014

Actor Lee Jong-suk steals China’s heart

Actor Lee Jong-suk’s popularity is continuing to increase in China, attracting the attention of head hunters who are targeting the mainland.Dubbed as one of the “Fantastic Four of Hallyu,” all of Lee’s recent shows -- “School 2013,” “I Hear Your Voice” and “Doctor Stranger” -- have been successful in Chinese-speaking countries, proving his popularity among Chinese fans. The other three are Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min-ho and Kim Woo-bin.To respond to his international fans, Lee Jong-suk streamed scenes

June 12, 2014

Photo shows behind scene of ‘Avengers 2’

South Korean actress Soo-hyun revealed a photo from behind the scenes of the movie “Avengers 2” on her Facebook, Wednesday.The picture of three chairs emblazoned with the owners’ names is more than special. The seats are for Chris Evans, who plays ultimate soldier Captain America, Chris Hemsworth, who plays god of thunder Thor, and Claudia Kim, also known as Soo-hyun, who will star as a genius scientist in the upcoming film. (Facebook)“Two Chrises and Claudia. The 3Cs. Three actors of ‘Avengers’

June 12, 2014

YB says Psy’s experiment should go on

Yoon Do-hyun, vocalist of South Korean veteran rock band YB, left a heartfelt comment about world star Psy’s latest song “Hangover.”  (OSEN)“Putting music or its contents aside, I can feel Psy’s agony from his latest song ‘Hangover.’ I hope the huge pressure and high expectation on him does not narrow the range of his musical experiments,” Yoon said on his Twitter on Thursday. 　“Hangover,” unveiled on June 9, is back under the international spotlight, garnering more than 41 million views by 3 p.

June 12, 2014

Lee Hyori tells of her 'ironic life'

South Korean pop diva Lee Hyori talked about her life in Jejudo Island on Thursday on her blog, portraying it as “ironic.”(OSEN)“I don’t eat land animals, but I like eating sea animals. I love dogs, but I wear leather shoes,” she wrote. She went on to say, “I don’t drink milk, but I love ice cream. Fireflies are beautiful (so I cannot kill them), but I kill mosquitos. I love the forest, but I ruin it by building a house. I don’t eat pork, but I bow before a pig’s head during traditional rituals.

June 12, 2014

SNSD behind-the-scenes photo goes viral

A shot of Girls’ Generation filming on a Chinese TV show was unveiled Wednesday by Chinese entertainer Peng Yu.(Facebook)　Girls’ Generation, along with Super Junior M, carried out the shooting for the upcoming episode of Chinese TV show “The Ultimate Group” on June 10. 　The nine members pose in the photo, making a “V” sign or thumbs-up.　“The Ultimate Group” is a Korean-Chinese joint TV show, hosted by f(x)‘s Victoria, Super Junior-M’s Zhoumi, Jeon Hyun-moo and Peng Yu.　By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.o

June 12, 2014

Jin Se-yeon reveals sexy look

Actress Jin Se-yeon struck a sexy pose in a photo shoot for male fashion magazine ARENA.   (ARENA)Jin, lying on a sofa, looks alluring in a vivid red dress. The smoky makeup also adds to the sexy look. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

June 12, 2014

Park Shin-hye shows off self-written song

Actress Park Shin-hye revealed a glimpse of the music video for her self-written song on Twitter on Wednesday. Park posted a picture of her riding a bicycle in a music video shoot for the song “My Dear.” “I was shy but I sang the song word by word with a guitar on one fine day. Enjoy the rest of the night with the song. Good night,” she said on Twitter. The song was written by Park and composed by her brother. B2ST member Yong Jun-hyung also featured in the song. The music video was released Wed

June 12, 2014

Hallyu stars boast their fashion at ‘For the Emperor’ preview

Hallyu stars boasted their own unique fashion styles at the premiere of Korean film “For the Emperor” Tuesday evening. (OSEN)2PM member Teakyeon showed off manly fashion in all black. Loose-fitting pants and slip-on shoes added to a trendy style. (OSEN)Actor Hyun Bin chose a summer look with a green jacket and white T-shirt. While the general style could be flat, the leaf design of the jacket gave variety. He matched the jacket with denim jeans, showing off a comfortable look. (OSEN)Actor Jung S

June 12, 2014

Jun.K “No Love” music video released in Korean

2PM member Jun.K released the music video for the Korean version of his single “No Love” on Thursday from his first solo album “Love & Hate.”The song “No Love” talks about the reasons why one should give up on love.“Love & Hate,” which was first released in Japanese on May 14, received great attention in Japan. It placed first on Oricon’s daily chart and in the top three on Tower Records’ chart.Part of the album’s popularity came from the collaborations on it with popular Japanese artists. JYP E

June 12, 2014

Siwon acts in audio play to help the blind

[OSEN]Choi Siwon from group Super Junior has starred in an audio play in aid of the disabled.Choi recently volunteered to feature in the dramatization of Joachim de Posada’s bestseller “The Giant Peter: A journey to Find Meaning in Life.” This is not the first time he has donated his talent. Previously, he volunteered to perform for the disabled several times.  Even though he had to stay up all night recording “The Giant Peter,” Choi did not have any complaints. Choi is planning to donate the pr

June 12, 2014

Snap shot of Jang Dong-gun, Kim Min-hee in film revealed

Snapshots of the shooting of Korean film “No Tears for the Dead” were revealed Thursday. (CJ E&M)Jang Dong-gun, wearing a parka and earmuffs, takes a rest while working on the film. Kim Min-hee shows off various looks in the film.  (CJ E&M)Wearing a modern style coat, Kim looks chic and elegant.  (CJ E&M)Her red dress also highlighted her sexy style. (CJ E&M)On the other hand, the comfortable look with a knit cardigan went well with her film character who lost her family and remained in despair.

June 12, 2014

MBLAQ’s Mir cries on ‘Let Me In 4’

 Mir of MBLAQ shed tears upon hearing the heartbreaking story of an applicant for his show.On the third episode of “Let Me in 4,” two women applied to be selected for the reality makeover show by cable TV network “On Style.” Both of them were suffering from an “aged” appearance.The story of applicant Choi Gui-myung, mother of a 2-year-old daughter, brought many people to tears.The 21-year-old mom had gone through severe weight gain after giving birth. She also had rough skin and deep wrinkles on

June 12, 2014

Comedian Cho Won-suk again caught driving after drinking spree

Comedian Cho Won-suk, nicknamed “Guilty Min-sik” after top actor Choi Min-sik, has been caught driving while intoxicated for the second time and was imposed a 5 million won fine, Yonhap reported on Thursday.  Comedian Cho Won-suk (MBC)Cho, 38, was allegedly driving right after a drinking spree on May 24, and failed a breathalyzer test with a 0.21 percent blood-alcohol level. Under current law, driving with a 0.1 percent blood-alcohol level or higher is subject to the cancelation of a driving lic

June 12, 2014

SM artists to appear on Korea-China collaborated show

South Korea and China have joined forces once more to create an entertainment program on a Chinese channel, mainly featuring SM Entertainment artists, the management agency said on Tuesday.According to Chinese news reports, on the variety show program “Zui qiang tian tuan”, meaning “The Best Crew on Earth”, f(x)’s Victoria, Super Junior-M’s Zhou Mi, Korean talk-show host Jun Hyun-moo and popular Chinese celebrity Peng Yu will host.On the first episode of “Zui qiang tian tuan,” members of Super J

June 12, 2014

Lee Seung-gi undecided about returning to ‘You’re All Surrounded’

Lee Seung-gi’s agency said on Thursday it will observe the healing progress of the actor’s eye injury over the weekend before deciding whether he can return to SBS cop series “You’re All Surrounded.”The announcement came three days after Lee, 27, was poked in his left eye by a fake sword while filming an action scene on June 9 and immediately taken to a nearby hospital. He was found to have corneal damage and an intraocular hemorrhage. Actor Lee Seung-gi in “You’re All Surrounded.” (SBS)“Lee is

June 12, 2014

EXO ‘cover group’ Millenium Boy enrages EXO fans

Thai boy group Millenium Boy (MB), known as the “EXO cover group,” came under attack from the popular K-pop group’s fans for its excessive imitation.  (Facebook)EXO fans accused the “knock-off” group of getting out of hand, illegally stealing the K-pop sensation’s name only to boost its profile. After debuting in 2012, MB rose to fame in Thailand as a cover group of EXO, composed of 12 fanboys. A cover group is made of members who do not sing, but only dance to their favorite singers’ music. The

June 12, 2014

Crayon Pop’s agency debuts sexy short-haired Bob Girls

Although known for its creation of the off-the-wall, quirky, helmeted girl group Crayon Pop, Chrome Entertainment is looking to expand its image with the unveiling of the agency’s newest girl group, Bob Girls. Dressed in sexy short shorts and stiletto heels, Ji-na, Dan-bi, Yoo-jung and Da-hye sauntered onto the stage during Bob Girls’ debut showcase Tuesday, at Bear Hall in Gangnam. Aside from all the girls wearing hairbands resembling Mickey Mouse ears ― headgear being a signature of Crayon Pop

June 11, 2014