Super Junior to release travel book

K-pop group Super Junior members are becoming tour guides with their new travel book, “Super Junior’s Experience Korea NEWS+Seoul.” The two-volume guide, which will include four separate sections titled “Tasting,” “Feeling,” “Making” and “Enjoying,” is set to hit the shelves Aug. 16.For the making of the book, 10 of the group’s members traveled in pairs around Korea during different seasons. Siwon and Donghae traveled to the northern part of the country, Kyuhyun and Yesung to the east, Shindong

Aug. 7, 2013

Mnet’s ‘M Countdown’ to hit L.A. this month

Mnet, a cable music channel owned by CJ E&M, will be bringing its popular weekly music program “M Countdown” to Los Angeles later this month. Titled “M Countdown What’s Up LA,” the program will be part of the Korean culture festival “KCON 2013” that will run for two days starting on Aug. 24. The lineup for the event includes K-pop artists G-dragon, 2AM, Dynamic Duo, f(x), EXO, You Seung-woo and more. Marking Mnet’s first entry into the U.S., the event aims to show just how influential K-pop is b

Aug. 7, 2013

Hallyu Camp 2013 kicks off in U.S. capital

The King Sejong Center in Washington, D.C., has kicked off its annual Hallyu Camp once again this week, giving young American children the opportunity to immerse themselves in workshops and activities all revolving around traditional and pop culture. The camp is designed to give fans of Korean pop culture a more in-depth understanding of the country and its people. During the five-day program, participants get to experience what it means to be Korean through a variety of interactive workshops, l

Aug. 6, 2013

PaperTree seeks to heal

Despite debuting nearly two years ago, the members of rock trio PaperTree are still trying to make their mark on the Korean indie scene. After a recent member change, the band is now back to its original founding members ― Song Young-keun on vocals and bass, Kim Tae-hyun on guitar and Lee Ye-chan on drums. “Our name means a tree made with paper. And paper is made from trees, it is like an infinite cycle. We wish the same for our music careers. We get motivation and a purpose to keep pursuing mus

Aug. 6, 2013

New bands get a boost from ‘K-Rookies 2013’

Emerging rock bands PaperTree and OopsNice will take to the stage in the last installment of the “K-Rookies 2013” concert series to be held at Muse Live, a 240-seat entertainment venue at Seoul Olympic Park, southern Seoul, on Aug. 17. This is the third concert featuring new bands, following performances by Je’she and Some Birds on June 22 and Round Heads and South Carnival on July 20. Organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and launched last year, “K-Rookies” aims to support talented, em

Aug. 6, 2013

Actor’s son accused of sexual abuse

Popular actor Cha Seung-won’s son is to be investigated by police for sexual assault, Seoul Prosecutors’ Office announced on Monday.According to Seoul Prosecutors’ Office, an 18-year-old high-school girl recently filed a complaint against Noah Cha, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the 24-year-old multiple times while held captive in a property owned by his grandfather.The elder Cha offered his apology online on Saturday, saying he felt “responsible” as a father for the situation “regardles

Aug. 6, 2013

Ex-Wonder Girls member Sunmi to make solo comeback

Sunmi, a former member of the K-pop group Wonder Girls, has announced she will be making a comeback as a solo artist. More than three years have passed since Sunmi left the girl group in 2010 to pursue academic studies. She is still affiliated with her original agency, JYP Entertainment, which stated on Monday, “Sunmi is preparing a comeback as a solo artist. Final dates are still being worked out.” According to the agency, Park Jin-young, the agency chief, is going to play a major role in her c

Aug. 6, 2013

MBLAQ to hold first exclusive concert in Mexico

The five-member K-pop group MBLAQ is to hold an exclusive concert in Mexico City on Aug. 8.The concert titled MBLAQ Mexico 2013 will start at 8 p.m. at Mexico City’s Pepsi Center, allowing the country’s fans to see the singers in person for the first time. Arirang TV and Mexico’s biggest broadcasting company Televisa are both covering the concert. During their five-day stay in Mexico, MBLAQ will perform at various venues and make media appearances.MBLAQ’s hit track “Mona Lisa” topped various cha

Aug. 6, 2013

Yang Yo-seob to perform in Sumi Jo’s upcoming concert

World-renowned soprano Sumi Jo will be joined by K-pop group BEAST member Yang Yo-seob at her outdoor concerts to be held in Olympic Park, Seoul, on Sept. 14 and 15.The concert, titled “La Fantasia,” is not a typical classical concert: It will take place at Olympic Park’s 88 Lakeside Stage, where audiences will be able to listen to the coloratura’s lyrical melodies under a moonlit autumn sky. The audience will be able to enjoy an interesting mix of performances by not only prominent classical mu

Aug. 5, 2013

Kim Junsu to hold solo gig in Australia

JYJ member Kim Junsu is planning to hold an exclusive concert in Sydney, Australia on Sept. 28.The singer’s agency, C-Jes Entertainment, announced that Kim would be performing in Big Top Sydney, a multi-purpose venue capable of holding more than 3,000 people. This will be the star’s first time performing Down Under. Kim, 26, released his sophomore solo album on July 15, receiving rave reviews from within the country as well as abroad. On July 20 he started his Asia tour for the latest album, “In

Aug. 4, 2013

Psy’s new release due September

Psy has announced plans to release a new album in September. The release date has yet to be specified. Psy is currently in Los Angeles working on new tracks with songwriter Yoo Kun-hyung, who worked with the singer on megahits “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman.” “Psy really likes some of the new songs,” his agency YG Entertainment stated, adding, “This time he will not be releasing a single but an album with multiple tracks on it.”  Psy and his team are also deliberating on whether the title track

July 30, 2013

Super Junior’s ‘Super Show 5’ gathers 110,000 fans

Some 110,000 people attended Super Junior’s “Super Junior World Tour ― Super Show 5” in Japan’s Tokyo Dome on July 27 and 28, S.M. Entertainment said.This was the boy band’s fifth “Super Show” since their first exclusive concert in February 2008. The Tokyo Dome concert marked the 80th show for the group. Including Super Junior’s audience in Singapore for the “Super Show” on July 6, more than 1 million people have attended the concerts.  Super Junior performed past megahits such as “Sorry Sorry,”

July 30, 2013

f(x) makes vibrant comeback with ‘Pink Tape’

K-pop group f(x) has made a splash with their second album “Pink Tape,” not only for their unique songs but also with choreography showcased in their comeback performances.Last week f(x) made several appearances on television music programs and turned heads with a unique performance for their new track “Rum Pum Pum Pum,” which was created by famous choreographer Jillian Meyers.  The choreography includes a dance routine of the same name with patty-cake-inspired moves and other unique moves that

July 30, 2013

Jang Keun-suk to launch ZIKZIN FESTIVAL in Japan

Hallyu star Jang Keun-suk is launching the ZIKZIN FESTIVAL, a unique expo that revolves entirely around Jang, from Aug. 3 to Aug. 4 in Osaka and Aug. 24 to Aug. 25 in Tokyo. ZIKZIN is a company that Jang launched. In March the singer-actor successfully opened ZIKZIN’s first cafe, ZIKZIN CAFE & DINING, in Tokyo. The festival will include Jang and his project group Team-H’s energetic performance as well as various programs and events.ZIKZIN FESTIVAL is unique because it is organized like a theme p

July 30, 2013

Busker Busker album release, concert planned for September

Busker Busker, an indie band that came to fame through Mnet’s audition program “Superstar K,” is planning an official comeback in September with their sophomore full-length album.Busker Busker’s agency, Chungchun Music, announced through its official Facebook page that the band was busy making final touches to their album. To commemorate the release of their new album, the band is also planning a nationwide tour for their “2013 Busker Busker Concert.” “The band is working very hard for the relea

July 30, 2013

Lee Jong-suk warns Facebook imposter

Rising star Lee Jong-suk from the popular television drama series “I Hear Your Voice” has posted a warning on his official me2day account, addressing a Facebook account that has been impersonating him.On Sunday he posted, “I don’t have a Facebook account. I have a me2day account because it’s easier. … What are you gaining by impersonating someone like me? I also play different roles in my work and it’s very difficult. Please don’t.” He ended the post on a lighter note saying, “The day feels so l

July 23, 2013

Hallyu star Jang Keun-suk attracts 10 million followers on Weibo

Actor and singer Jang Keun-suk’s Weibo account followers have surpassed 10 million as of July 18, according to his agency Tree J company on Monday. Weibo is a Chinese social networking service website, which claims to have approximately 287 million active users. Jang so for has the greatest number of followers on Weibo for a Korean celebrity. Jang first opened his account in August 2011. Recently, popular Chinese variety show “Happy Camp” on HBS channel topped the ratings by doing a special epi

July 23, 2013

[Photo News] Gaffe scandals hit S. Korean celebrities

Ken, a member of boy band VIXX, is facing a firestorm of criticism after reports surfaced on Monday that he said he would “slap fans” if they ever left him. The controversial remark by the 21-year-old singer is just one in a string of high-profile blunders by local celebrities, thanks partly to the social networks’ superfast circulation. Famous TV actress and former comedian An Sun-young also joined the list by saying on TV that she thinks real men should make 1 million won more than she does. A

July 23, 2013

Actress Uhm Ji-won dating architect

Uhm Ji-won’s agency has announced that the star is in a relationship with architect Oh Young-wook. “The couple were introduced to each other by close friends, and only recently began dating,” the agency said, adding, “Currently, there are no wedding plans but if there are in the future, we will announce them.” Since making a television drama debut with “Golden Wagon” in 2002, Uhm, 35, has acted in a variety of other dramas such as “Sign” and “Childless Comfort.” She was nominated for Best Suppor

July 16, 2013

Psy to release new album in September

Psy’s seventh full album, which will mark his international debut, is expected to be released in September, his Korean agency YG Entertainment said on Sunday. No further information about the album was revealed, but it was reported that the singer was also planning another large-scale concert in Korea in December.“Psy is currently staying in L.A. and working on his new upcoming album. There is no special event planned to commemorate July 15,” a YG official stated. Monday, July 15, marked the fir

July 16, 2013