Lee Joon to part ways with MBLAQ

Lee Joon, member of the popular boy band MBLAQ, has announced his plans to leave the idol group in order to focus on his acting career, news reports said Monday.According to the reports, Lee’s contract with entertainment agency J. Tune Camp was recently terminated and the singer opted not to renew his contract so he could pursue other interests. Despite the end of his contractual obligation with MBLAQ, it was announced that Lee still plans to participate in the group’s upcoming solo concert, “MB

Oct. 13, 2014

Epik High returning after two years with ‘Shoebox’

Officials at YG Entertainment have finally answered the question of “Who’s Next?” as it was announced on Monday that Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz of hip-hop trio Epik High will be lacing up their sneaks for the release of the group’s eighth studio album, “Shoebox.” For weeks, YG had been releasing a string of “Who’s Next?” teaser posters, baiting fans with its mysterious taunts about which one of the company’s artists was next in line to return to the airwaves with something new.  Epik High.

Oct. 13, 2014

Lee Joon to leave MBLAQ : report

Boy group MBLAQ member Lee Joon plans to leave the idol group to focus on his acting career, news reports said Monday.According to the reports, the contract between Lee and his agency, J. Tune Camp, was recently terminated. The singer decided not to renew his contract to pursue acting.Despite the contract termination, Lee is to participate in the MBLAQ concert “MBLAQ Curtain Call,” which is scheduled to be held Nov. 29-30. After the concert, Lee will officially end his involvement in the group.L

Oct. 13, 2014

Seo Taiji reveals personal side on TV

Less than a week before legendary ’90s K-pop icon Seo Taiji is slated to perform his highly anticipated comeback concert on Saturday, the singer continues to prep and hype the public with his return to the limelight. Seo appeared on the popular KBS2 TV program “Happy Together 3” last week, giving the public a rare glimpse into his personal life as he talked about the birth of his daughter and his surprise marriage with the lesser-known actress Lee Eun-seong last year. Following the announcement

Oct. 12, 2014

SM Entertainment hit by Chinese idols’ defections

Luhan, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, became the third Chinese idol to launch a legal battle against his label SM Entertainment, spawning speculation over the reasons behind their defections.Luhan filed a lawsuit against SM and its chief executive Kim Young-min, demanding the termination of the contract he signed with the nation’s largest talent agency in 2010. The exact reason for the lawsuit was not publicly revealed.K-pop insiders, however, speculate that the legal action resulted from mistr

Oct. 12, 2014

EXO Luhan sues S.M. to end exclusive contract

Luhan, the Chinese member of K-pop boy band EXO, filed for the termination of his exclusive contract against S.M. Entertainment chief executive Lee Young-man and the star agency on Thursday.EXO Luhan (OSEN)Luhan submitted the legal documents to the Seoul Central District Court allegedly to partially nullify the exclusive contract that he had signed on entering the country’s largest entertainment agency by market capitalization. Although the specific cause of the lawsuit was not publicly revealed

Oct. 10, 2014

TVXQ’s Yunho denies rumored romance with rookie actress

TVXQ member Yunho denied Thursday the relationship rumor with a colleague in a TV drama, saying both are just friends. Earlier in the day, a news outlet reported that Yunho was dating actress Seo Ye-ji who is appearing with him in MBC’s “The Night Watchman.” Acting as cousins in the drama, both became closer and started to feel more than just colleagues for each other, Sports Seoul saidMostly staying in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to film the drama, the pair dated outside work once a week, mainly

Oct. 9, 2014

Cha Seung-won cleared of libel charges

Actor Cha Seung-won was cleared of libel charges as the biological father of his stepson Cha No-ah dropped the case, the actor’s agency said on Wednesday. According to YG Entertainment, No-ah’s biological father, only identified by his surname Cho, dropped his 100 million won ($931,000) lawsuit against the action movie star, after the actor issued an official apology. Cha apologized for telling a “white lie” about his stepson No-ah, a professional gamer, by alleging they were biologically relate

Oct. 8, 2014

Kim Kyung-ho to wed Japanese in November

Kim Kyung-hoRock vocalist Kim Kyung-ho, 43, will marry next month a Japanese businesswoman 13 years his junior, according to multiple news reports Wednesday. Kim met the bride-to-be through a friend back in 2011 and their new home will be in Seoul, the reports said. The singer has been open about their relationship. “She is much younger than me, but always considerate. She understands that I can’t spend enough time with her due to my schedule as a singer,” Kim said to the press last year. The si

Oct. 8, 2014

BEAST to make comeback with ballad

BEAST (Cube Entertainment)K-pop boy group BEAST will release a new track in mid-October, its agency Cube Entertainment announced on Wednesday. The agency posted a teaser image ― with the caption “Time 12:30” ― on its official social networking site to herald the sextet’s new release. Composed and produced by Good Life, “12:30” is a mellow song about a couple looking in different directions after their break-up, the agency said. It will become available on major online music sites on Oct. 20 at 1

Oct. 8, 2014

Luhan sends message of support to Chinese hit by earthquake

Luhan, a member of the K-pop boy band EXO, sent a message of support on Wednesday to those hit by an earthquake in southwestern China on Tuesday night. 　“May the blessing be with you in the disaster-hit area. I hope my people there are safe,” the Chinese member of the idol band wrote on his Weibo account on Wednesday morning. 　Luhan’s concerned message came after an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 6.0 shook the Weiyuan city area of Yunnan province on Tuesday night, leaving at least one p

Oct. 8, 2014

Seo Taiji reveals mysterious cover image of upcoming album

Legendary K-pop idol Seo Taiji unveiled the cover image of his upcoming album “Quiet Night” on Wednesday. 　The album’s cover, designed by artist Kim Dae-hong, features a hand-drawn girl with short hair and wearing a white dress. The straight-faced girl stares ahead with a purple-colored night sky filled with stars in the background, creating mysterious effect. 　“It is an art work that metaphorically expresses symbols that contradict with a pure girl. We reflected the theme of the entire album th

Oct. 8, 2014

Lee Hyori on date with husband in Jejudo Island

K-pop star Lee Hyori shared a glimpse of herself on a date in the countryside with her singer-songwriter husband Lee Sang-soon through photos on Wednesday. Lee released the photos, titled “Jongdal-ri date,” on her blog. In a photo, the couple firmly hold hands against a blue door while smiling. In the other, they kiss each other. “I live on the beautiful Jejudo Island, but I normally stay at home except when I walk my dogs. Sang-soon might have pitied me and asked me out to the east,” she wrote

Oct. 8, 2014

G-Dragon, Kiko Mizuhara spotted on date: report

G-Dragon, member of K-pop idol group Big Bang, has been dating Japanese model-actress Kiko Mizuhara for four years, according to Korean entertainment news outlet Dispatch on Wednesday. The news went viral after Dispatch unveiled several photos of G-Dragon and Kiko, taken on Sept. 16, while they were supposedly on a date in Seoul. The two were not on their own, but having a party with friends. But they looked as if they were a couple outside a lounge bar located in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

Oct. 8, 2014

Idols increasingly dominate dramas

With an array of new pop bands flooding TV screens every day, it is becoming more difficult for the newbies to stand out in the music scene. Aspiring idols, thus, are turning to acting to swiftly gain popularity from the public and broaden their presence in showbiz. Now it is common to see idol stars in the Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday-Thursday dramas on major TV networks.Among them are two girls -- Krystal of K-pop quintet f(x) and Sooyoung of megahit girl group Girls’ Generation -- who are vyi

Oct. 8, 2014

Jung Kyung-ho yet to have plan for marriage with Sooyoung

South Korean actor Jung Kyung-ho said Tuesday that he is in a good relationship with his girlfriend Sooyoung, a member of the K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation. But he has no plans for marriage just yet. The 31-year-old actor’s remarks came during an interview with local media ahead of the premiere of his film “Manhole.”Asked about his marriage plans with Sooyoung, the actor said that he had not decided anything but he could get married early if there was a chance. Jung also talked about Sooyou

Oct. 8, 2014

Red Velvet to make comeback with remake track

Rookie K-pop group Red Velvet is to return to the scene with its second EP “Be Natural” this fall, its agency SM Entertainment announced Tuesday. The album will be unveiled at noon on Oct. 13 through major music streaming sites, two months after the release of its debut EP “Happiness.” “Be Natural” is a remake of a song by the first-generation idol group SES. Group members Seulgi and Irene performed the song when they were in SM’s predebut team SM Rookies. The quintet is SM Entertainment’s first

Oct. 8, 2014

EXO ex-member Kris to sign contract with Chinese agency: report

Kris, a former member of K-pop idol group EXO, is about to sign a contract with a Chinese agency, local media outlets reported Tuesday. Korean daily Ilgan Sports reported that Kris is to sign a management contract with Hwai Brothers, one of the biggest talent agencies in China. It added that he failed to strike a deal with YUEHUA, the entertainment powerhouse that manages Super Junior’s ex-member Hangeng. Kris came under the spotlight when he filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment on May 15. H

Oct. 8, 2014

Who is next from YG this October?

YG Entertainment, home to some of the biggest names in K-pop, released a teaser image that reads “WHO’S NEXT?” on its official blog on Tuesday, heralding another YG musician’s imminent debut or comeback this October. The black-and-silver teaser photo -- with the caption “2014.10.10 0AM” alongside a question mark -- indicates that a YG artist or group will make a comeback or debut at midnight on Oct. 10. The poster does not specify who it will be. This year, the entertainment powerhouse has been

Oct. 8, 2014

Embattled rapper MC Mong to release album

The embattled South Korean hip-hop artist MC Mong, who was once mired in controversy over draft evasion, will drop a new album in November, his agency DreamT Entertainment announced Tuesday. The 35-year-old rapper will unleash his sixth studio album, five years after he released his fifth full-length album “Humaniman” in 2009. A slew of well-known K-pop acts including veteran musician Lee Sun-hee, rapper Gary, singer Baek Ji-young, Huh Gak and Ailee participated in the recording of MC Mong’s upc

Oct. 8, 2014