Sexy diva Seo In-young to collaborate with Zion.T

K-pop diva Seo In-young is to team up with hip-hop artist Zion.T this fall, her agency IY Company stated Tuesday. 　The 30-year-old singer will unveil the track featuring Zion.T on Oct. 15, a year after the release of her EP “Love Me.” 　Her upcoming EP is drawing more attention than usual as the sexy icon has joined hands with the well-known hip-hop figure to create a new style of music. 　Zion.T is a famous record producer as well as rapper who debuted in 2011. He rapidly gained recognition after

Oct. 8, 2014

'Gangnam Style' tops 2.1 bln YouTube views

"Gangnam Style," a mega-hit single by South Korean rapper Psy, has surpassed the 2.1 billion mark in YouTube views two years after it was released, his management agency said Tuesday.The video hit the 2.1 billion milestone on Monday and 2.101 billion views as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, YG Entertainment said.Uploaded on July 15, 2012, "Gangnam Style" topped 100 million views on the 52nd day and 1 billion views on the 161st day. In May this year, it became the first YouTube video to garner 2 billion views

Oct. 7, 2014

[Herald Interview] Billboard’s Janice Min talks potential and future of K-pop

With the pursuit of using music to connect countries, people and content across geographical boundaries, the annual MU:CON Seoul music conference kicked off on Monday with the opening address of keynote speaker Janice Min, copresident and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media’s Entertainment Group.As the copresident and CCO, Min oversees the prestigious American entertainment media publications The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. In 2010, the former journalist took the reins of The Hollyw

Oct. 6, 2014

2PM OKs Nichkhun-Tiffany dating publicly

Wooyoung from the K-pop boy band 2PM said that the group has no problem with his bandmate Nichkhun openly dating Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany. “2PM is okay with Nichkhun seeing Tiffany. Our fans, of course, take it sensitively, but dating is an extension of (their) musical career for singers,” the 25-year-old idol said during an interview with a local media outlet. “It does not make sense for us to write and sing love songs without loving someone,” he said. The popular idol couple made their rela

Oct. 6, 2014

GOT7 tops weekly albums chart in Thailand

Rookie K-pop group GOT7’s latest album released in Thailand topped the weekly albums chart at a local record store, its label JYP Entertainment said Monday. 　The septet dropped the compilation album “GOT7 Thailand Special Set,” composed of its first EP “Got It?” and second EP “GOT♡,” on Sept. 25 in Thailand.  After the album was released it immediately rose to the top of the B2S international albums chart for the week of Sept. 22 to 28. B2S is Thailand’s largest record label.　The up-and-coming b

Oct. 6, 2014

JYJ enthralls 50,000 fans in Gangnam

True to the name of JYJ’s world tour concert “Return of the King,” the trio seemed like kings who had conquered the K-pop world on Sunday. 　On Sunday evening, tens of thousands of people flocked to Gangnam, an affluent southern district of Seoul, for the K-pop concert featuring JYJ.The entire seven-lane Yeongdong road in front of the Korea Electric Power Corp. headquarters in Samseong-dong, blocked off for the two-hour concert, was filled by some 50,000 fans from home and abroad.　As admission to

Oct. 6, 2014

Dynamic Duo‘s Gaeko to release solo album mid-October

Dynamic Duo’s Gaeko will drop his first studio album on Oct. 16. 　The 33-year-old rapper is to make his first official solo release with his upcoming album “Redingray,” two years after his first EP “Rhythm is Life.” 　 (Ameba culture)The album’s name reflects his greed, aspirations and fantasies, represented by red, while living in a gray city. 　His album is to drop online at noon on Oct. 16, and in stores the next day. 　Dynamic Duo, one of the country’s best-known hip-hop acts, debuted in 2004 w

Oct. 6, 2014

Ailee tops ‘Inkigayo’ with ‘Don’t Touch Me‘

K-pop diva Ailee took the top spot on SBS music program “Inkigayo” with her track “Don’t Touch Me” on Sunday. 　The Korean-American vocalist won the top prize, outshining Girls’ Generation subgroup TaeTiSeo and the duo SoYu X Urban Zakapa.Wearing red striped shorts, Ailee wowed the audience with her powerful dance moves and stable vocals.　Ailee’s victory comes only a week after the 25-year-old singer returned to the K-pop scene with her third EP “Magazine” on Sept. 25. 　The Sunday music show also

Oct. 5, 2014

‘Running Man’ team on Asia fan meeting tour

South Korean entertainer Ji Suk-jin released a photo that he took with costars from SBS’ variety show “Running Man” on Sunday.　The picture features “Running Man” cast members Ji, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, Lee Kwang-soo and Song Ji-hyo posing for the camera after a fan meeting in Hong Kong on Saturday. 　“See you again, Hong Kong. Thank you,” Ji wrote on Twitter alongside the picture. 　Following the fan event on Saturday, the “Running Man” team will host the event in Indonesia on Oct. 25, Malaysia on N

Oct. 5, 2014

Park Hae-jin, Ma Dong-suk go ‘manly adorable’

Photos of Park Hae-jin and Ma Dong-suk, two of the five lead actors of OCN’s new television action series “Bad Guys,” were released on Sunday. The photos showed Park and Ma leaning on each other’s shoulders while taking a short break between the scenes.  Actors Ma Dong-suk(top left) and Park Hae-jin (top right) take a break between the scenes for OCN's new television series "Bad Guys." (CJ E&M)The action drama portrays the alliance of two police officers and three outlaws who team up in a plea b

Oct. 5, 2014

Jo In-sung talks about break-up with Kim Min-hee

Top South Korean actor Jo In-sung said on Saturday that he does not know much about women, which led to his break-up with actress Kim Min-hee. 　The 33-year-old actor made the remarks about his recently-ended relationship on Park Kyung-lim’s “Talk Concert” held Saturday in Seoul by entertainer Park Kyung-lim. 　 (OSEN)Jo, a longtime friend of Park, made a surprise appearance at the concert, attended by some 700 women. 　He shared his thoughts on the women’s problems and presented one participant, w

Oct. 5, 2014

Heechul, Kangin, Taeyeon throw ramen party

K-pop boy group Super Junior’s Heechul posted a photo taken with Kangin and Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon on his Instagram on Saturday. 　The idols, all under the management of SM Entertainment, pose for camera with Japanese ramen noodles on the table. 　Super Junior kicked off a world tour concert in Tokyo on Saturday.　(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com) 　

Oct. 5, 2014

Miss A‘s Suzy shows off doll-like appearance

Miss A’s Suzy showed off a doll-like appearance in a selfie posted on Sunday on her Instagram. 　In the picture taken while filming for a commercial shoot, Suzy wears a green tank top with matching ruby red lipstick. 　Separately, Suzy is shooting for the film “Dorihwaga” to be screened next year. 　(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

Oct. 5, 2014

2PM idols talk past, present and future

　When 2PM made its debut in 2008 with the single, “10 Points Out of 10 Points,” the idol group captured the hearts of many K-pop fans with the members’ masculine, beast-like image. 　However, back then, the seven-member-turned-six-member boy band was not much more than an idol group that performed songs mainly composed by its agency’s CEO and producer Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment.　Now after more than seven years in the game, the members’ vast experiences as long-time K-pop singers have led

Oct. 3, 2014

Joo Won to hold charity fan meeting

Joo Won (SIM Entertainment)South Korean actor Joo Won will host a charity fan meeting on Saturday to raise money for a teenage patient with cerebral palsy, as well as for multicultural families, his agency SIM Entertainment announced Friday. The financial donations made at the event will help 17-year-old cerebral palsy patient Kim Young-soo receive some needed dental treatment, according to the star's agency. The funds raised will also go to support multicultural families in Korea in need of med

Oct. 3, 2014

‘K-pop Star 3’ winner Park debuting under JYP this month

Less than six months after being crowned the winner of popular singing competition program “Survival Audition K-pop Star 3,” Korean-American Bernard Park will officially be making his K-pop debut under JYP Entertainment this month. According to a press release from JYPE officials on Wednesday, Park is slated to drop his first single, which was produced and composed by JYPE founder and famed producer Park Jin-young, on Oct. 6. One week after the release of his debut single, Park will then unveil

Oct. 1, 2014

9 things to know about Jessica‘s exit from Girls’ Generation

Girls’ Generation, one of the most popular K-pop girl bands in Asia, is facing its toughest time since its debut in 2007 after Jessica claimed on Tuesday that she was “forced out” of the group by her agency. The news first went viral after Jessica accused her label SM Entertainment of unfairly dismissing her from the group without any warning through her Weibo account.The group’s fans refused to believe what Jessica claimed, and some even raised speculations that the account had been hacked. A f

Oct. 1, 2014

Jessica perplexed about SM’s unilateral decision

Jessica, the embattled former member of K-pop idol group Girls’ Generation, renewed her claims that her label SM Entertainment unilaterally dismissed her in a press release on Wednesday. “On Sept. 29, I was notified that I should leave the team. I am too perplexed and devastated,” she said through a press release made by the public relations agency for her newly-launched fashion brand.“I have put my career as a member of Girls‘ Generation first before my personal life or business. But I was info

Oct. 1, 2014

Half-naked celebrity cleared of drug charges

Model and actor Julien Kang was not high on drugs when he was caught walking around half-naked in public, the National Forensic Service confirmed on Wednesday. The local police said the Korean-French actor’s drug test results were negative, citing the state forensic agency. Model and actor Julien Kang. (OSEN)Kang was suspected of illegal drug abuse after being arrested on a busy street in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Sept. 25 while wearing only his briefs. He was taken to the local police for an

Oct. 1, 2014