Actors’ military enlistment may put a brake on K-drama production

In South Korea, all able-bodied Korean men 19 or older are obliged to serve in the military for two years. Even the hottest stars like Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho can’t avoid enlistment.South Korean drama production companies and broadcasters are expected to face obstacles in casting A-list actors as many are preparing to enter military service as early as this year. “The stars who are preparing for military enlistment from this year and next are unexpectedly the most wanted actors for upcoming

March 27, 2014

[Uniquely Korean] K-pop trainees’ hard-knock life

It is certainly no secret in Korea that the training process to debut as a K-pop star is no quick or simple venture. Often referred to as music “boot camp,” K-pop training among some of the nation’s biggest talent agencies is intense, to say the least. And with only a fraction of trainees able to become K-pop stars, the atmosphere among trainees can be fiercely competitive and cutthroat. Although other nations’ talent agencies play a role in “grooming” acts to make it big in the entertainment in

March 26, 2014

‘Married ladies’ group challenges girls’ dominance

Fighting against all odds and the stereotype that girls wishing to debut in the K-pop industry have to be young and single, the new group Girl Hood is looking to break down those barriers. The quartet is making a splash in the K-pop world because the ladies are not in their teens, or even in their early 20s. The average age of a Girl Hood member is 34, with the ages ranging from 28 to 35. Also, it is not just their ages that makes them stand out from other groups: All four are married and three

March 25, 2014

Shinhwa marks 16th anniversary

Shinhwa, the longest-running boy band in South Korea, on Sunday returned to the stage with a show at the Olympic Gymnastics Hall, where they held their first-ever concert in 2001. Entitled “Here,” the show celebrated their 16 years as a band with the fans who have stood by them through the ups and downs. In the dimly lit concert hall, thousands of orange glowsticks welcomed five of the six members of Shinhwa ― Eric, Hye-sung, Min-woo, Dong-wan and Jun-jin. Andy did not show up, in accordance wit

March 24, 2014

Superstar K ballad singer puts on dancing shoes for first time

After playing on the streets of Hongdae for spare change as a struggling troubadour looking to help his single mother and himself make ends meet, former Superstar K4 contestant Hong Dae-kwang is rapidly putting his tough past behind him and looking toward a bright future as a singer.Hong released the second half of his “Silver Lining” album, “The Silver Lining ― Part 2,” on Friday. The new EP features the lead track “Thank You My Love,” and despite being relatively slow-paced, it has the most up

March 21, 2014

Lady Gaga adds K-pop act Crayon Pop to N. American tour

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― K-pop made fresh inroads Thursday when Lady Gaga revealed that South Korean girl group Crayon Pop will open her upcoming summer concerts in Canada and the United States.“I’m excited to announce June 26 through July 22 of Lady Gaga’s artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball will be opened by CRAYON POP!” the “Mother Monster” announced on her @ladygaga Twitter feed.The candy-colored quintet topped the K-pop charts last year when their danceable ditty “Bar Bar Bar” ― featuring their signature h

March 21, 2014

Tax agency launches investigation into SM Entertainment

South Korea's tax office said Thursday it has launched an investigation into the country's largest entertainment agency amid rumors of offshore tax evasion by the company that manages some of the top K-pop celebrities. The National Tax Service (NTS) recently sent dozens of auditors to the headquarters of SM Entertainment located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, to secure accounting books and other financial records, according to the NTS and company officials. SM Entertainment is the country's leading

March 20, 2014

Dreaming ‘the ultimate hallyu’

Investing in a country’s image abroad can be a costly wager. While it requires a well-coordinated strategy on various levels and dimensions, an army of skilled and passionate country marketers, and most importantly, sufficient time and money, there is no guarantee of measurable success, given its elusive target: global citizens. Yet, Won Yong-gi, Korea’s chief PR man, has a clear vision and ideas to realize it. “In the past, we may have lacked the substance (to show to the world.) But now we hav

March 19, 2014

Sunye of Wonder Girls to head to Haiti for missionary work

Sunye, the leader of the Wonder Girls, has announced that she will head to Haiti to carry out missionary work there for five years with her husband through their self-established NGO “Whitestone Global.”Sunye broke the news on the group’s official fan website on Tuesday by uploading a personal statement that explained her reasons for moving to the Caribbean nation with her missionary husband James Park.“During a short week that I spent volunteering in Haiti while living abroad, the direction of

March 19, 2014

Super Junior-M to unveil new album in China

A unit of the K-pop boy band Super Junior will make a comeback this week by releasing its new album in Chinese-speaking countries, the group’s management agency said Tuesday.Super Junior-M will upload its third EP, titled “Swing,” to various online music services in China on Friday, SM Entertainment said.It is the third and most successful subgroup of the 13-member boy band Super Junior and consists of Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, Eunhyuk, Henry and Zhou Mi.“Swing” is the first album to be

March 18, 2014

Short skirts and new beats: 4minute makes return with ‘4minute World’

The five starlets of 4minute, with many buzzing about HyunA’s attention-grabbing, see-through miniskirt and the group’s new sexy choreography, made their return official with their fifth EP, “4minute World,” on Monday. The group performed the title track “Whatcha Doin’ Today” for the first time at a showcase held on the Garden Stage at Lotte World Monday night. The single was composed and written by popular hit-making producer Brave Brothers and reached No. 1 on nine local real-time charts, incl

March 18, 2014

[Band Uprising] Galaxy Express looking to bounce back into spotlight

As the Korean music market is beginning to receive more international recognition, the local scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the third installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed.Known for going wild and their notorious antics both on and off stage, the rock stars of Galaxy Express started from humble beginnings. They then took their garage band sound further than any of the members had ever p

March 16, 2014

K-Pop concert booking site opens

Booking tickets for K-Pop concerts is now easier for foreign fans thanks to a new reservation website for Korean pop and cultural performances. The new website, created by the Korea Tourism Organization jointly with Interpark, one of Korea’s largest online shopping malls, enables visitors to browse current and upcoming concerts and performances, as well as choose seats and buy tickets by credit card.  Concerts available for booking on the website (www.kperformance.org) range from K-Pop and music

March 14, 2014

Girls’ Generation video hits 10m YouTube views

Girls’ Generation’s latest music video became the first K-pop video this year to hit 10 million views on YouTube.The video of “Mr. Mr.,” the title song of the group’s fourth EP of the same title, topped the 10 million viewer mark Wednesday night, 13 days after it was uploaded on the video sharing site.No other K-pop music video has surpassed the milestone this year.The track has been well received on iTunes and local online music services since it was released online on Feb. 25. “Mr. Mr.” is the

March 13, 2014

Jackie Chan’s K-pop group to release album March 24

HONG KONG (AP) ― Jackie Chan is transforming himself from action film superstar to K-pop band manager.The group named JJCC plans to release its debut album March 24 in South Korea, before promoting it in China. JJCC has five men in their early 20s. Four are South Korean, while one is Australian-Chinese. Sha-sha Lee, CEO of the Jackie Chan Group South Korea, said Chan was involved in auditioning the band members and will manage the group personally. The band name is a tribute to Chan as well as h

March 13, 2014

G-Dragon, CL feature on Skrillex’s ‘Dirty Vibe’

G-Dragon and CL, the leaders of popular K-pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1, respectively, are featured on a track of the upcoming album by Grammy-winning American dubstep producer-DJ Skrillex.The collaborative single “Dirty Vibe” ― made available Tuesday on SoundCloud ― is included on Skrillex’s new 11-track album “Recess,” which will be formally unveiled worldwide on March 18.A collaborative effort by Skrillex, the two K-pop stars, YG head producers TEDDY and CHOICE37 as well as renowned DJ Diplo,

March 13, 2014

Gypsy jazz band La Vie est Belle to perform in March

Up-and-coming gypsy jazz band La Vie est Belle is scheduled to perform live at Olympus Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul on March 21.Titled “Gypsy World,” the concert will feature a variety of songs ranging from upbeat, groovy compositions to gypsy-influenced tunes from the band’s recently released album “Gypsy Mood.”The gypsy band La Vie est Belle ― a French phrase for “life is beautiful” ― was formed under the influence of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli by five acc

March 12, 2014

Boyfriend stages first K-pop concert in Puerto Rico

K-pop boy group Boyfriend has become the first K-pop band to perform independently in Puerto Rico after successfully holding its first solo concert in the South American country last week, said the group’s management agency on Monday.On March 8, the six-member boy group staged its solo concert titled “Boyfriend, fan meeting en Puerto Rico” for 1,700 local fans who gathered at the Centro De Bellas Artes Luis A Ferre in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more than two hours, fans enthusiastically sang alo

March 11, 2014

GOT7 to launch first showcase in Japan next month

Up-and-coming K-pop boy group GOT7 is scheduled to launch its first showcase in Japan in April after signing with Japan’s Sony Music Entertainment.The seven-member act will stage its first overseas concert, titled “GOT7 Showcase 1st Impact in Japan,” on April 4 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan, where veteran JYP group 2PM had made its first Japan showcase four years ago.Although GOT7, which entered the K-pop music scene with its debut EP “Got It?” on Jan. 20, has yet to make a formal debut in Japan,

March 11, 2014

TVXQ sets new music chart records in Japan

Acclaimed K-pop duo TVXQ is making history in the Japanese music scene, setting fresh records on Japan’s biggest music chart Oricon with its third Japanese studio album “TREE.”Immediately after its release on March 5, “TREE” climbed to the top of Oricon’s daily and weekly album charts, becoming TVXQ’s fourth album to top Oricon after its compilation album “Best Selection 2010” (2010) and two studio albums, “TONE” (2011) and “TIME” (2013).“TREE” has sold roughly 225,000 copies since its release l

March 11, 2014