Yong Jun-hyung releases solo album teaser

K-pop group BEAST member Yong Jun-hyung released a teaser for his first solo EP “Flower” on his official social networking page on Monday. The teaser image, to be used as the album jacket, is a black-and-white photograph of Yong with vintage spectacles and a unique tasseled hat. The album includes a total of five songs and will be released online on Friday. Yong is the main rapper of six-member boy group BEAST, but has done much more than just rapping for his new album. The artist participated i

Dec. 10, 2013

Lee Hyori to collaborate with CL

K-pop diva Lee Hyori and “Baddest Female” CL will collaborate and take to the stage on SBS’ “Gayo Daejun,” an annual year-end music program broadcast at the end of December. The pair is currently in early discussions on the kind of performance they would like to deliver. Although it is the first time the two have come together to collaborate, Lee has collaborated with YG Entertainment before, surprising audiences with a risqu performance with Big Bang member T.O.P. at the Mnet KM Music Festival

Dec. 10, 2013

Psy retains K-pop YouTube crown

Psy’s “Gentleman” music video was the most viewed K-pop music video on YouTube in 2013, marking the second straight year the South Korean sensation grabbed the most views on the U.S.-based video-sharing website.YouTube unveiled the 10 K-pop music videos Tuesday that have attracted the most traffic from December 2012 until November 2013. According to the list, Psy’s “Gentleman,” released on April 12 this year, generated about 600 million hits on YouTube, followed by Girls Generation’s “I Got a Bo

Dec. 10, 2013

Singer Min Kyung-hoon discharged from army

South Korean singer Min Kyung-hoon, the former member of rock band Buzz, has been discharged from military service, the local media reported Thursday.Min had a small gathering with his fans in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the location of the unit he served in for 21 months. The 29-year-old signer plans to work on his solo album after a period of rest. Min made his debut in 2003 as the main vocalist of Buzz, which rose to stardom with many hit songs. He continued his career as a solo singer after t

Dec. 5, 2013

Jang Geun-suk donates W100m to typhoon victims

Hallyu entertainer Jang Geun-suk has donated approximately 100 million won ($94,200) to UNICEF to help with typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines, where thousands have died and millions more have been displaced without food or water. “Jang Geun-suk receives love and support from his fans from all over the world, especially with his reappearance on the small screen. He wants to give back to his fans through this donation,” a representative of the star said in a statement.Jang began working as

Dec. 3, 2013

Jang Jae-in joins Mystic 89

Singer-songwriter Jang Jae-in has signed with agency Mystic 89, joining a pool of other talented artists such as Cho Jung-chi, Lim Kim and Park Ji-yoon. “Jang Jae-in is a unique singer-songwriter unlike anyone in Korea,” the agency said in a statement, adding, “Not only musically, but as a brand and beauty model she is a diverse artist and is a good addition to Mystic 89.” Jang became recognized for her unique voice and talent through popular audition program “Super Star K2” on Mnet in 2010. The

Dec. 3, 2013

Verbal Jint to release new version of ‘Take Care of Christmas’

Rapper and producer Verbal Jint will release a newly-arranged version of his song “Take Care of Christmas” to celebrate the season. The new track will also include a featured mystery artist. The single will be released online on Friday at noon. “‘Take Care of Christmas’ will be produced by Verbal Jint himself,” a representative of the artist stated, adding, “He is also currently working on his upcoming 6th studio album.” “Take Care of Christmas” was originally included on his EP, “Go Easy 0.5,”

Dec. 3, 2013

Korean singer embroiled in legal spat with mother

A South Korean singer has become entangled in a legal fight with her own mother and a member of her fan club.According to the Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, the former leader of a fan club filed a report to the police last month, claiming that Jang Yun-jeong, a well-known trot singer, abused her own mother by beating her, locking her up and tracking her location.Jang’s mother appeared at the police station Tuesday to explain her position, and suggested that Jang intended to h

Nov. 28, 2013

G-Dragon, TVXQ and KARA top Japan music charts

K-pop singers grabbed the top slots on the Japanese Oricon music charts on Wednesday, led by G-Dragon, TVXQ and KARA.“G-Dragon’s solo debut album is looking to break the record for most albums sold out of Big Bang as a group and other members as solo artists,” said YG Entertainment, citing Japanese music industry officials.G-Dragon ranked second on Oricon’s Daily Albums Chart the day “Coup D’etat” was released with 34,597 copies sold in Japan. Meanwhile, TVXQ hit second on the Daily Singles Char

Nov. 28, 2013

‘Korean movies need universal storylines for U.S. success’

This year alone, the Korean film industry has made leaps and bounds in its attempts to capture a more global audience with Korean-directed, English-speaking international films such as “Stoker,” “The Last Stand” and “Snowpiercer.” Last week, the 2013 Dicon International Content Conference ― hosted by the Korea Creative Contents Agency ― conducted the “Korean Americans in Hollywood Mentor Seminar,” in which a number of Hollywood executives and U.S. entertainment industry leaders gathered to share

Nov. 26, 2013

TVXQ to perform at Tokyo Dome once again

K-pop superstars TVXQ will be performing at Japan’s Tokyo Dome for the third year in a row. They are scheduled to hold a total of 26 performances for their “2014 Japan Live Tour.”It is the first time foreign artists are holding a concert at Tokyo Dome for three years in succession. TVXQ was also the first foreign group to ever hold a concert at the Tokyo Dome.The duo will kick off the tour at Yokohama Arena on April 22 and move on to 11 different cities in Japan, ending in Osaka Dome on June 18.

Nov. 26, 2013

Park Myung-soo to team up with Dynamic Duo

Singer and comedian Park Myung-soo will join rap duo Dynamic Duo on the stage at “Countdown Seoul,” a music festival that will kick off on Dec. 31 in Times Square, Yeongdeungpo. The line-up includes Dynamic Duo, Norazo, Jay Park, IDIOTAPE, Rhythm Power, Squatters and more. Park Myung-soo will be performing as a DJ under the name Great Park. “Artists with both skill and popularity will be performing,” a staff member of the festival stated, adding, “We are working to organize a memorable end-of-th

Nov. 26, 2013

SHINee to host concert in Shanghai

Boy band SHINee is heading to Shanghai to hold the “SHINee Festival Tour,” a concert that will commemorate the group’s 5-year anniversary. On top of preparations for the performances, the group is also preparing a special stage for the concert, which will take place on Nov. 30 in Shanghai Gymnasium. “We are paying a lot of attention to the lighting and musical aspects of the stage,” a representative stated, adding, “We are checking even the smallest detail to make a perfect performance that fans

Nov. 26, 2013

Han Ye-seul and Teddy in a relationship

 South Korean actress Han Ye-seul and YG Entertainment’s music producer Teddy admitted on Monday that they are in a relationship.“Teddy and Han Ye-seul have been dating for about six months,” YG Entertainment acknowledged. It said those who are close to the two celebrities already knew about their relationship before the news broke out, including Yang Hyun-suk, the CEO of YG Entertainment, and K-pop group Big Bang.Both of them lived in the United States, a factor that is said to have helped acce

Nov. 25, 2013

Lee Young-ae hosts Korean food dinner with diplomats

South Korean actress Lee Young-ae, who is also popular in other Asian countries for her lead role in the smash-hit epic series “Daejanggeum,” threw a traditional Korean food dinner for foreign diplomats in Seoul, a local TV network said Friday.The event was taped Wednesday for “Lee Young-ae’s Dinner,” a SBS documentary hosted by the actress and set to air on New Year’s Day on the lunar calendar, SBS said.Couples of foreign diplomats in Korea, officials of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kore

Nov. 22, 2013

Gong Yoo named UNICEF special representative

Actor Gong Yoo will be named a special representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund in Korea. The star will officially be given the title in a ceremony Wednesday morning. It will also commemorate the 24-year anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Gong became interested in the rights of children after he starred in the movie, “Silenced,” which shocked the nation with its raw portrayal of the abuse of disabled children in Korea. He began to actively part

Nov. 19, 2013

Crayon Pop to release Christmas single

Members of girl group Crayon Pop are donning Christmas headbands instead of their usual helmets for the release of a special Christmas single at the end of the month. The song, titled “Ccoohristmas,” was written by the same composer who wrote hit song “Bar Bar Bar” and will be released on Nov. 26. The group released a teaser image for the song Monday, showing the five members dressed in festive green Christmas outfits and accessories. The group debuted in 2012 with their first EP but failed to g

Nov. 19, 2013

‘Infinite Challenge’ to host photo exhibition

Popular MBC comedy program “Infinite Challenge” will be holding a special photo exhibition around Seoul from Nov. 27 to Feb. 16. Admission is free. Sponsored by Hyundai Department Store, the exhibitions will rotate between five store branches around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in Gireum-dong, Samseong-dong, Chungcheong-dong, Jung-dong and Ilsan. A collection of more than 200 images of the members and special guests on set for the shooting of “Infinite Challenge” taken by professional photographe

Nov. 19, 2013

A fan bursts into stage of Crayon Pop

A male fan of K-pop group Crayon Pop jumped on to the stage and tried to hug a member at the end of a live performance last week, the group’s agency said on Monday.The man turned up on stage in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on Thursday, while the group members were staging their latest hit song “Bar Bar Bar,” Chrome Entertainment said. He pretended to shake hands with Cho-a, who was walking down from the stage, but then dashed toward her for a surprise hug. She quickly moved to avoid the

Nov. 18, 2013

Gangnam tourist center offers hands-on hallyu experience

Gangnam Tourist Information Center is not your average information center with a bored employee behind a desk with free pamphlets. The multi-dimensional center, created by the Gangnam-gu local government, is not only staffed by highly-qualified employees, but also facilities such as a medical tourism and hallyu experience zone. Since its opening in June, an average of 200 people have visited the center each day. Due to its convenient location in the vicinity of Apgujeong subway station near Hyun

Nov. 12, 2013