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K-pop

K-pop 'old girls' to perform at Australian comedy festival

Celeb Five will head for Australia to participate in Melbourne Comedy Festival. Courtesy of Contents Lab VIVOBy Dong Sun-hwaCeleb Five has been invited to perform at the 33rd Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April. The self-styled comic-themed K-pop girl group's average age is most likely the highest in the category with the youngest aged 35 and the oldest 46. K-pop girl groups often have members in their teens. The quartet will perform its flagship song “Shutter” on April 17 at “Upfront,” a gala event of comediennes. The group will also be involved in “Very Big Laugh Out” and “Festival Club” events on April 19. “We feel like taking our first step to our dream of appearing on the U.S. talk show, 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,'” team leader Kim Shin-young said. “I look forward to seeing how people overseas will react to our gig.” The quartet will be the third Korean group to have performed at the festival, one of the world's three most recognized comedy festivals. The others are the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Apr 1, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
K-pop 'old girls' to perform at Australian comedy festival
Shows & Dramas

VIDEO 77-year-old internet sensation meets celebrity heartthrob

Ji Byung-soo, right, performs with K-pop diva Son Dam-bi on KBS TV “Entertainment Weekly” on Friday. Captured from Naver TV account of “Entertainment Weekly”By Dong Sun-hwaA man, 77, who has become an internet sensation by performing a mind-blowing gig on a televised singing show on March 24, had his long-cherished dream come true ― seeing K-pop diva Son Dam-bi up close and personal and singing her song “Crazy” with her. It happened when Ji Byung-soo was invited to KBS TV “Entertainment Weekly” on Friday. When he was belting out “Crazy” on stage, Son made a surprise appearance. They exchanged awkward greetings, but soon regained their composure to sing and dance together.Watch the pair's gig: bit.ly/2WyVSbS“I am feeling very good. It has been my long-time dream to sing a duet with Son,” Ji said. “I have been her fan for 10 years.”Son said, “It was an unexpected, but meaningful performance. I thought Ji's gesture was extraordinary, and later found out he used to do Korean dancing.”Ji has be

Mar 31, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
77-year-old internet sensation meets celebrity heartthrob [VIDEO]
K-pop

SS501 member accused of sexual assault

By Dong Sun-hwaKim Hyung-jun claims the sex was consensual. Capture from Kim Hyung-jun's InstagramKim Hyung-jun, a member of K-pop boy band SS501, has been accused of alleged sexual assault. A woman, who met Kim at a bar in 2010, filed a complaint at a police station in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, on March 25, claiming the singer, then drunk, “raped” her at her home. Kim admitted having sex with her, but said it was consensual. He plans to file a countersuit against the woman for “false accusation” and defamation. Police questioned the alleged victim and will soon summon Kim. Kim, 32, debuted as the youngest of SS501 in 2005. He was discharged from the army in December and recently released an album “SNAP SHOT.” He has been holding concerts overseas and will return to Korea by the beginning of April for the inquiry.

Mar 31, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
SS501 member accused of sexual assault
Law & Crime

Court upholds Chinese man's five-year prison term for attempted murder

A Chinese man who tried to kill a co-worker last year will serve five years in prison. gettyimagesbankBy Dong Sun-hwaAn appeals court has upheld a five-year prison term for a Chinese man who was indicted on charges of trying to kill a co-worker last year.The Gwangju High Court said Wednesday it confirmed the lower court's sentence for the man, 61, who stabbed his fellow countryman, 57, for “not working hard” in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, June 27.The attack left the victim with injuries requiring four weeks of medical treatment. The perpetrator later turned himself in to police and was indicted for attempted murder. He admitted attacking the victim in a fit of anger, but denied he intended killing him.“The victim could have died if he did not receive medical treatment immediately,” presiding Judge Hwang Jin-koo said. “The lower court's sentence does not seem heavy for the crime.”

Mar 28, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Court upholds Chinese man's five-year prison term for attempted murder
K-pop

MAMAMOO's April concerts sell out in two minutes

Girl group MAMAMOO will hold concerts April 19-21 at the Jangchung Gymnasium in central Seoul. Courtesy of RBWBy Dong Sun-hwaMAMAMOO fans took less than two minutes on Wednesday night to snap up tickets for the K-pop girl band's April concerts in Seoul.Tickets for the “2019 MAMAMOO CONCERT 4Season F/W,” which is scheduled to be held at the Jangchung Gymnasium April 19-21, were sold out soon after their release at 8 p.m.During the concerts, each of the four members ― Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa ― will stage special solo performances, according to their PR agency I-JE COMPANY.The concerts are a grand finale for MAMAMOO's “Four Seasons Four Colors Project,” which was launched in March 2018 to re-create the group's identity. As part of the project, the group has released four mini-albums and held one major concert over the past year.MAMAMOO, which is known for vocal bravura and colorful performances, rose to fame with hit songs including "Um Oh Ah Yeh.” On March 14, it released its ninth mini-album, “White Wind.”

Mar 28, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
MAMAMOO's April concerts sell out in two minutes
K-pop

PHOTOS Brutal April? Big K-pop names set to return in droves

By Dong Sun-hwaApril will be a month of cutthroat competition for K-pop stars. Several big names, such as BTS, BLACKPINK and TWICE, are set to return next month. 1. BTSBTS will return on Apr. 12. Courtesy of Big Hit EntertainmentK-pop heavyweight BTS will return with the fresh album “MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA” on Apr. 12. The team will stage a comeback gig on Apr. 13 (local time) on “Saturday Night Live (SNL),” a popular U.S. comedy showcase. The host of the episode will be Hollywood actress Emma Stone. The seven-piece boy band has already had over 2.6 million preorders, according to the album's distributor, iRiver. BTS dropped its third repackaged album, “LOVE YOURSELF 'ANSWER,'” in August, which reigned atop the Billboard 200 Chart. The group will embark on a world tour on May 4. 2. BLACKPINKBLACKPINK will release its “KILL THIS LOVE” album on Apr. 5. Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBLACKPINK, a four-member girl group represented by scandal-hit YG Entertainment, will return on Apr. 5 with the album “KILL THIS LOVE.” YG has alre

Mar 27, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Brutal April? Big K-pop names set to return in droves [PHOTOS]
Shows & Dramas

VIDEO Man, 77, wows millions with 'Crazy' gig

Ji Byung-soo sings “Crazy” on KBS TV's “National Singing Contest” that aired on March 24. Capture from YouTube account of “KBS my K”By Dong Sun-hwaA man, 77, has wowed millions of people by performing his age-defying “Crazy” gig on a televised singing contest. Ji Byung-soo belted out K-pop diva Son Dam-bi's up-tempo song “Crazy” on the March 24 episode of KBS TV's “National Singing Contest.” He danced awkwardly to the song, but the performance went viral on major social media platforms. The clip of Ji's jaw-dropping act has garnered nearly 2 million YouTube views in only three days. Watch Ji's performance: bit.ly/2FCuHri“I realize my popularity,” Ji said on Tuesday. “I love singing, regardless of genres. It was also rewarding to entertain people.” Son Dam-bi presents her “answer dance.” Capture from Son's InstagramSon, who released the song in 2008, thanked Ji for singing it. In a show of appreciation, Son uploaded a clip of her dancing to the song and a thank-you message on he

Mar 27, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Man, 77, wows millions with 'Crazy' gig [VIDEO]
K-pop

YG faces ruthless 'test for survival'

YG Entertainment's stock price is shown slipping down since Feb. 26 when police started an investigation into BIGBANG member Seungri over suspicions that the K-pop star had procured prostitutes for foreign investors in his business. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulThis is the second in a two-part series about YG Entertainment's uphill battle with a drug/prostitution scandal involving disgraced K-pop star Seungri. ― EDBy Dong Sun-hwa, Lee Gyu-lee, Park Si-soo A scandal can be short-lived, but its aftermath drags on much longer. This is the prospect financial analysts have for scandal-struck YG Entertainment. They said the ongoing investigation into the drug/prostitution scandal involving disgraced K-pop star Seungri could come to an end in the coming weeks, but it won't be the end of the hard times facing the nation's second biggest K-pop label.Rather, the end of the investigation may mark the beginning of a new challenge for YG on the business and financial fronts, which will essentially test the company's ability to survive. If YG endures, the company could see a chance to reboun

Mar 27, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
YG faces ruthless 'test for survival'
  • YG in perfect storm
K-pop

Singer-actress Suzy to leave JYP

By Dong Sun-hwaSinger-actress Suzy will leave JYP Entertainment. Korea Times fileKorean heartthrob Suzy said Tuesday that she will end her contract with JYP Entertainment, March 31, and move to Management SOOP, an agency representing several prominent actors including Gong Yoo and Jeon Do-youn.Suzy has been with JYP since 2010 ― her first seven-year contract ended in 2017, but she re-signed for two more years. She debuted as a member of K-pop girl band miss A in 2010, launching her acting career in the KBS 2TV drama, “Dream High,” the following year. She has since forged a career in both singing and acting.Suzy is currently filming the TV series “Vagabond” and the movie “Mount Baektu.”

Mar 26, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
Singer-actress Suzy to leave JYP
K-pop

YG in perfect storm

The drug/prostitution scandal involving former YG artist Seungri, top, has spiraled out of control, striking YG Entertainment and its founder, Yang Hyun-suk. Photos from Yonhap, Hankook Ilbo, YG EntertainmentThis is the first in a two-part series about YG Entertainment's uphill battle with a drug/prostitution scandal involving disgraced K-pop star Seungri. ― EDBy Dong Sun-hwa, Lee Gyu-lee, Park Si-soo YG Entertainment is under siege on all fronts. The nation's second-biggest K-pop label has seen its image tossed into the mire as the drug/prostitution scandal involving disgraced Seungri has spiraled out of control. The unsavory brouhaha has given YG fans an excuse to turn away; and the fallout is likely to hurt other “innocent” YG artists such as BLACKPINK, WINNER and iKON ― and possibly pre-debut trainees. A recent sell-off by investors is a visible indication that YG is in serious trouble that may not abate for some time. More than 220 billion won ($193 million) of capital has evaporated since the scandal hit the headlines nearly a month ago. The scandal has also struck

Mar 26, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa
YG in perfect storm
  • YG faces ruthless 'test for survival'
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