GOT7’s JB launched his own YouTube channel late Wednesday, drawing over 343,000 subscribers in 12 hours.

The name of the channel is “Jae Beom Lim,” the singer’s real name.

In the initial 40-second snippet, titled “THX. My Best Friends!” he said he had no specific plans for the platform but would communicate with his fans and put out good content. He asked them to keep their expectations high.

“I hope you love GOT7 a lot as well as JB,” said the leader of the band, making the peace sign. He wrote in advance that he’d pull down the clip when he had a new post. He shared the news via Instagram and thanked everyone when the number of subscribers reached 100,000 almost instantly.

The seven-piece act announced last month that it had chosen not to renew its contract with JYP Entertainment, though it has not officially disbanded. All seven members posted on social media with the #GOT7forever hashtag when the news came out. Meanwhile, JB posted a photo he’d taken with Jackson, Mark and Yugyeom on Sunday with a chain emoji.

Super Junior’s Choi Siwon meets Asian youth 

Choi Siwon of Super Junior participated in UNICEF’s ASEAN Kindness Leaders Conference, held online on Wednesday, and talked with young leaders from around the world.

The conference had over 2,000 young people from 10 countries in the region and discussed ways to prevent and respond to cyberbullying and violence in schools. It is part of the United Nations agency’s #StopBullying campaign.

The veteran idol, as UNICEF’s regional ambassador for East Asia and the Pacific, gave an opening speech and held a Q&A session with the students. When asked for advice, he said first you need to understand yourself. If you act with kindness and sympathy as the keywords, he said, you can make a new world.

Choi was appointed as the goodwill ambassador last year following years of devoting his time to children’s issues as special representative for UNICEF Korea. 

Meanwhile, he will make a cameo appearance in the film “New Year Blues” -- as an ex-boyfriend of Lee Yeon-hee -- in which she plays the female lead.

BTS, Blackpink nominated for Kids Choice Awards

US entertainment network Nickelodeon announced on Feb. 3 the list of nominees for the 2021 Kids Choice Awards. BTS and Blackpink were both among the candidates for favorite music group along with the Black Eyed Peas, the Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5 and OneRepublic.

Blackpink and Selena Gomez’s “Ice Cream” was one of six songs chosen to compete in the favorite music collaboration category, and BTS’ “Dynamite” is in the running for favorite song.

BTS also is vying for favorite global music star, representing Asia, against Taylor Swift from North America, Sebastian Yatra from Latin America, Savannah Clarke from Australia, David Guetta from Europe and Master KG from Africa.

The annual award ceremony celebrates stars loved by fans around the world spanning across film, television, music and sports. This year’s show will be hosted by actor/comedian Kenan Thompson, a past award winner himself, and will take viewers into celebrities’ homes while they interact and participate in live voting. It is slated to be broadcast live on March 13.

Twice unveils teaser image for online concert 
 

Twice shared a still photograph of Nayeon for its upcoming live online concert for Japanese fans.

The idol is wearing a lavender top with a white boatneck collar and two rows of large white buttons, giving a slight nod to the vintage uniform look, complete with a name tag on the chest. The retro outfit is topped off with a cream-colored beret with “Twice” on the front.

The image is part of a series of trailers for the band’s show “TWICE in Wonderland.” Twice canceled its Japan tour last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead will host an online concert that incorporates augmented reality and mixed reality technologies.

It will be a chance to reawaken everyone’s imagination so that Twice can reconnect and reunite with its fans, according to the group.

The nine-piece girl band will go live March 6, and the concert will be available on multiple platforms from smartphones and PCs to televisions. 

By Hwang You-mee (glamazon@heraldcorp.com)