K-Pop Idols to Hold Summer Concerts

TVXQ

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

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. Tickets priced at 66,000, 55,000 and 44,000 won, are available at www.ticketlink.com.

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 boybands 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 boyband, 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 boyband 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 have 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.

Tickets for the Big Bang concert are priced at 39,600 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr