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 Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 7:57 pm
Korean Pop Idols to Hold Summer Concerts 05/23/2007
Some of K-pop's most popular idol groups TVXQ, Super Junior and Big Bang are to hold concerts that will surely delight their young, mostly female, fans this coming summer.
S.M. Entertainment is gathering its top stars TVXQ, Super Junior, Kangta, Jang Ri-in and Cheong Sang Ji Hee The Grace for the ``SM Town Summer Concert" on June 30 and July 1 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Olympic Park in southern Seoul.
The concert will coincide with the release of the annual SM Town summer vacation album, which features songs from all the artists. However, S.M. Entertainment's biggest female star BoA is not in the line-up.
TVXQ, composed of Yunho, Hero, Max, Micky and Xiah, is one of the most popular boy bands in the country and around Asia. Since their concert in February, TVXQ has been absent from the local music scene. Known as Tohoshinki in Japan, the group is currently in the midst of their Japanese concert tour.
Super Junior, another popular boy band, is making a comeback after a car accident injured four of its members last month. Composed of 13 members, Super Junior also has sub-groups such as the R&B trio K.R.Y. and trot group Super Junior T.
Kangta, former member of the boy band H.O.T., has recently been concentrating more on his singing and acting career around Asia. He has starred in a Chinese drama, and last year, he formed a duo with Taiwanese singer Vanness Wu.
Cheong Sang Ji Hee The Grace, a girl group composed of Dana, Jin Bo-ra, Lee Ji-yeon and Stephanie Kim, recently released their first album ``One More Time, Okay?''
Jang Ri-in is the first female Chinese solo singer in the local music industry, and has released her single ``Timeless."
Meanwhile, hip-hop group Big Bang is also holding their ``Want You" concert tour starting July 15. The concert will be held at the KBS Changwon Hall in Yeoido, Seoul.
Big Bang, a popular group from YG Entertainment, made their debut only last year but has already gained many fans. Composed of five members namely G-Dragon, Tae-yang, T.O.P., Dae-sung and Seung-ri, the group has released three singles and one album.Source: Koreatimes
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:52 pm
Rain Becomes First Korean Star to Perform at Tokyo Dome 05/28/2007 Korean pop star Rain wowed nearly 40,000 fans at a concert at the Tokyo Dome on Friday evening, becoming the first Korean singer to hold a solo concert at the stadium.
Rain performed 21 songs during the concert, including his Japanese language single ``Free Way." He also spoke some Japanese, delighting his mostly female fans.
As the first K-pop star to perform at the Tokyo Dome, Rain admitted he was nervous at first. The Tokyo Dome is the biggest concert hall in Japan, where only a few foreign artists such as Madonna, Mariah Carey, Rolling Stones, and Japanese superstars like Ayumi Hamasaki, SMAP and Arashi can perform.
``When Japanese producers suggested a concert at the Tokyo Dome, I doubted if I could do it. But I am glad that tickets have sold well," Rain said, in a press conference before the concert.
His Tokyo Dome concert proved Rain's immense popularity in Japan. Japanese celebrities such as members of the popular male group SMAP, namely Masahiro Nakai, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Shingo Katori were seen at the concert. Korean celebrities such as Ha Ji-won and SS501 were also there.
The concert is part of his ongoing world tour, which brought him to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Australia and ends in the United States next month. Rain said the world tour was a good opportunity for him to challenge himself before making his U.S. debut.
Rain is also preparing for his supporting role in the Hollywood movie ``Speed Racer," a live action adaptation of the iconic Japanese animated car racing series. He will attend the film's press conference on May 31 in Berlin, Germany. Rain will play the role of a rookie car racer in the movie, which will be written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, creators of the ``Matrix" movie series.Source: Koreatimes
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:12 pm
Se7en to Leave Korea for US 28/02/2007 In: Korea K-pop star Se7en’s acting debut has been a disappointment to many fans, as shown by the lackluster ratings for his drama "Kung S" (Palace S).
Se7en will try to win back his fans with what he does best: singing and dancing. He will hold a solo concert "747 - Se7en for 2007” on April 7 at Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium in southern Seoul.
The concert will be a test of Se7en’s popularity, which may have been affected by the poor reviews of his acting and the low ratings of "Kung S." The drama made its debut in January with ratings of 15.3 percent but since then has averaged less than 10 percent.
Some have even compared Se7en to Lee Hyo-ri , a K-pop star who failed to make the transition to acting. Lee's acting debut in "Three Leaf Clover" also had low ratings.
"Kung S" may have suffered from high expectations, especially since the original "Kung" was such a big hit, boosting the careers of newcomers Yoon Eun-hye and Joo Ji-hoon. Viewers have criticized "Kung S" for its storyline, which they say is too similar to the original drama, and poor acting by the leads.
Se7en is not letting the failure of the drama deter his plans to break in the United States market.
In a message posted on the YG Entertainment Web site on Feb. 15, the management company’s CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, said the April 7 concert will be Se7en’s last performance in Korea this year. After the concert, he said Se7en would go to the United States to start shooting his first music video.
Se7en has already recorded his first single, featuring rap star Fabulous, which will be released in the United States in the second half of the year. Rick Harrison, who has also worked with American stars such as Beyonce, Janet Jackson and Alicia Keys, produced it.
He also collaborated with Korean-American R&B singer Amerie on a single included in her upcoming album "Because I Love It."
Se7en is also planning to promote a new Japanese single and to hold a concert tour in Japan in June. He has already released a Japanese-language album and several singles.
Last November, Se7en released his album "Se7olution." However, his promotional activities for the album were cut short because of the schedule for his drama.
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:46 pm
Korea: Rain Has to Postpone US Concerts Because of His Name
06/11/2007
Rain postponed his concerts in the United States this month, as he faces a lawsuit over the use of the name ``Rain.'' Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, was originally scheduled to hold concerts in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 15, Atlanta, Georgia on June 19, New York City on June 23, San Francisco on June 27, and Los Angeles on June 30. This was part of his ``World Tour 2006-2007 Rain's Coming,'' which ends this month.
However, Rain Corporation filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Rain, his former management agency JYP Entertainment, Ltd. and concert organizer Star M Entertainment over the use of the name ``Rain.'' The case was filed at the Nevada district court in Reno last February 16. Rain Corporation, a music company, claimed it has the copyright over ``Rain,'' which is the name of its Beatles tribute band. According to its Web site www.rainthebeatlesexperience.com, four American musicians formed the band in the mid-1970s. They named themselves Rain, after the title of a Beatles song.
Since the filing of the lawsuit, Rain's U.S. concert promotional posters had been changed to ``Ji-hoon's World Tour 2007.'' It is still unknown when Rain will resume his U.S. concert tour.
Rain is scheduled to start filming for the Hollywood film ``Speed Racer'' next month in Germany.
Meanwhile, American comedian Stephen Colbert continued his so-called ``feud'' with Rain, even poking fun at the Korean media's reaction. In his comedy show ``Colbert Report,'' Colbert said Korean media lashed out at him for earlier comments against Rain. He quoted a Korean news article saying `` (Korean) netizens were enraged that it was white supremacy.''
``White supremacy? This whole thing is about how I came in second. If anything, it's Korean supremacy. I'm the one who should be mad. Koreans have been trying to keep the white man down ever since we invaded their country,'' he said.
Colbert ranked second in Time Magazine's online poll of the most influential people of 2007, following Rain who landed the top spot.
``I am just an artist trying to share my music with the world and if I happen to crush a certain Korean punk in the process, so be it,'' he said.
Korean Singer Close Up: Rain
Real Name: Jung Ji-hoon
Nickname: Collie
Date of Birth: June 25, 1982
Birthplace: Seoul
Height: 184cm
Weight: 74kg
Blood Type: O
Family Members: Father, sister (younger)
Favorite Music: R & B/Hip-hap/Punky
Favorite Singer: Michael Jackson、Usher
Source: Koreatimes
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:33 pm
Korea: Super Junior to Attend Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan 06/12/2007  Korean boy band Super Junior has been invited as a special guest to the Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. The award ceremony, in its 18th year, will be held in Taipei on Saturday and is one of the most prestigious music awards in the Chinese-speaking community. Super Junior is the sole Korean guest, and it will be the group's first visit to Taiwan.
Super Junior's management agency says the invitation reflects SJ's explosive popularity in Asia, including China and Thailand. SJ will take the stage as an award presenter and also perform its songs 'Miracle' and 'U'.
A Taiwanese cable channel will air the event live in China, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and all over Asia. Also, to mark the boy band's first visit to Taiwan, a special edition of the group's first single 'U' will be released there on Friday. The album includes a handwritten message written by group members to Taiwanese fans as well as autographs.Source: KBS
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:12 pm
Korea: BoA Launches Personal Blog in Japan
06/12/2007
Asian superstar BoA unveiled a hidden talent on Wednesday with the launch of her personal blog in Japan (blog.oricon.co.jp/boa). The pop diva plans to use the blog as a new way to interact with her fans by showing her offstage life and sharing her day-to-day musings. She also plans to showcase her own photography, a talent that most of her fans were unaware of.
"Recently I've been thinking of becoming a photographer," BoA said in an interview not long ago. "I'm usually the one photographed rather than photographing, and I find it fascinating how my look can change depending on who's taking the photos. I'm interested in photos and cameras, and I take my camera everywhere to take pictures of landscapes and people."
In the first post on her blog on Wednesday, BoA wrote, "I plan to write about what I think and feel. Recently I've been taking lessons and working on a production in Korea. I'll write a lot about my work in Korea."
She also posted two photographs that she shot. The blog was quick to attract her fans' attention and was rated first in blog listings by Japan's OriconStyle just one day after it opened.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:06 pm
O.O THAT RAIN LAWSUIT IS GAY!!!!!!!!!! RAIN IS RAIN!!!!!!!!!
WHO CARES ABOUT THAT COMPANY THINGY!!!! WE LOVE RAIN!
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Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:03 pm
cRzY cHiNeSe GrL O.O THAT RAIN LAWSUIT IS GAY!!!!!!!!!! RAIN IS RAIN!!!!!!!!! WHO CARES ABOUT THAT COMPANY THINGY!!!! WE LOVE RAIN!
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:36 pm
Korea: Lee Hyori and Kangta to Sing in Vietnam 06/20/2007   Lee Hyori and Kangta are set to perform in Ho Chi Minh City on July 3. They will go there to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Korea.
Besides Kang and Lee, pop groups like Seo Ji Young, Wonder Girls, Paran, Super Junior T, Chae Yeon, Jeoin Jin, Baek Ji Young, and Lee Jeon Hyun will also perform at the show titled KOVINA Friendship Concert. Vietnam’s top singers Lam Truong and My Linh will join the Koreans.
Organized by the RoK’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the event, to be held at the 6,000-capacity Phu Tho Stadium, will be broadcast live by Korea’s SBS Television.
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 5:15 pm
MimiShaoJie Korea: Lee Hyori and Kangta to Sing in Vietnam 06/20/2007 Lee Hyori and Kangta are set to perform in Ho Chi Minh City on July 3. They will go there to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Korea.
Besides Kang and Lee, pop groups like Seo Ji Young, Wonder Girls, Paran, Super Junior T, Chae Yeon, Jeoin Jin, Baek Ji Young, and Lee Jeon Hyun will also perform at the show titled KOVINA Friendship Concert. Vietnam’s top singers Lam Truong and My Linh will join the Koreans.
Organized by the RoK’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the event, to be held at the 6,000-capacity Phu Tho Stadium, will be broadcast live by Korea’s SBS Television. that gurl has really tan skin...very pretty to!
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Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:16 am
Korea: 20,000 Tickets for Se7en's Japanese Concerts Sold Out
29/06/2007
Tickets for Se7en’s Japanese concerts are completely sold out according to a Korean web portal Starnew. Se7en’s ‘2007 Japan Tour’ will begin on June 30th in Nagoya, then go to Osaka (July 2nd) and Tokyo (July 7th and 8th). This Japanese tour is probably Se7en’s last performance in Asia this year. After that Se7en will focus on his debut album in the United States so he will not perform in Asia until next year.
YG entertainment announced that Se7en will sing his new Japanese single for the first time at the concert. He has been practicing the songs for 2 weeks. Se7en plans to stay in Japan until the end of July and will leave for the United States in August for the sound-recording work of his American debut album which will be released at the end of this year.
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Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:46 pm
Korea: Super Junior Member Kyu Hyun Released from Hospital  Super Junior member Kyu Hyun is getting better and he was released from the hospital last Friday (July 6th). According to SM, he can stand up on his own, but he’s still not able to walk. Kyu Hyun still has to undergo further treatment, but at least he gets to rest at the comfort of his own house. Due to his current disabilities, he won’t be joining his Super Junior pals any time soon.
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:20 pm
Korea: Interview With Shinhwa Member Kim Dong-wan
It may be hard to imagine, but even a long-time boy band member like Kim Dong-wan can get nervous when embarking on a solo career.
Even having sold hundreds of thousands of albums as a member of Shinhwa, Kim admitted he is a little apprehensive at the reaction to his first album ``Kimdongwan Is.''
``I'm kind of nervous to have a performance by myself, to stand on stage by myself and to do a whole song," he told The Korea Times at a cafe in Apgujeong, Wednesday.
Wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans, Kim looked relaxed and showed no sign of fatigue, even though he was in the middle of rehearsals.
Kim said it was Shinhwa's successful Asian tour last year, which brought them to Singapore, China, Thailand and Japan, that prompted him to decide to pursue a solo music career.
``I realized that Shinhwa was loved in Asia. I felt like I had something special I wanted to share with fans… Now I think this is the right time for me to debut as a singer,'' he said.
If the pressure of going solo was not enough, Kim also has to compete with fellow Shinhwa members Lee Min-woo, also known as M and Shin Hye-sung who are both releasing solo albums this summer.
``I consider them as my rivals,'' Kim said, with a smile. ``I want to win over the fans… But I still consider them as my friends, of course. We're friendly rivals.''
Even rivals help each other out, as Shinhwa members appeared on various songs in Kim's album. Lee composed a song called ``My Love," which also features a rap by Eric Mun. Shin sings a duet with Kim on ``Person Who Stays," while Andy Lee raps on ``I Like Summer."
Overall, Kim opted for a more Asian, if not, J-pop-influenced R&B sound for his album. ``Shinhwa's music is more of boy band music. It was more American R&B and candy pop. But my album is more of J-pop, and very Asian. I even remade a Japanese song by Glay and Exile in the album," he said.
His first single ``Handkerchief" is about a guy who consoles his girlfriend and wipes away her tears.
In preparation for his debut as a solo artist, Kim obviously dropped a lot of weight. ``I went on a diet, since it's not good for a ballad singer to have a muscular image. Someone singing ballads should have a lean, 'hungry-looking' image," he noted.
Kim has been in the music industry for over nine years now. When he was a high school student, he formed a group with his friend MC Mong. But he was soon asked to join Shinhwa in 1998, becoming one of the group's vocalists.
Despite Shinhwa's success, one of Kim's dreams was to become an actor. So he started pursuing an acting career, appearing in TV dramas like ``A Farewell to Sorrow, '' ``The Person I Love'' and the film ``Spin Kick.''
Being a singer-actor, Kim couldn't help but notice that Korean singers are not considered as popular or as influential as actors.
``The influence of actors is a lot stronger than the that of singers in Korea. But in Japan, it's the other way around. Japanese idols and singers are a lot more popular than actors. It's not just that they have more fans, but the Japanese idols can also sing, act and do other activities. I have the ability to be an actor and singer,'' he said.
In the past, Kim had said he would prefer a career in acting, but now things have changed. Now, he loves singing more than acting.
``When you watch a drama, you forget all about it after. But when you listen to music, it sticks with you forever. You can't forget it,'' he said.
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Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:37 pm
Korea: 'Princess Hours' Star Song Ji Hyo Joins 'Sex Is Zero 2'
Song Ji Hyo, who plays the beautiful ballerina in Korean drama ‘Goong’ or ‘Princess Hours’, will star in movie ‘Sex Is Zero 2’. Her drama ‘Jumong’ receives good ratings in Korea and she has become the new sex icon in Korea.
The movie will start shooting in July. It is a sequel to movie ‘Sex Is Zero’ which stars Korean actress Ha Ji Won.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:09 pm
Korean Actress Song Hye Kyo Has Handbag Named After Her
A handbag named in honor of South Korean actress Song Hye Kyo was released at a haute couture fashion show in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The limited-edition "Miss Song Bag" is priced at 18,888 Hong Kong dollars, or some 2,600 US dollars.
The bag will be put on sale in stores in Asia this October and its total amount will not exceed 100. All money generated from selling the bags will be donated to charitable organizations in the name of Song Hye Kyo.
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