Scalpers use macros to grab bulk of K-pop gig tickets K-pop boy band EXO. Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaThere are calls to curb scalpers who use “macro” programs to sweep tickets for K-pop singers' concerts and then sell them at a huge premium. According to reports, scalping has caused the price of concert tickets to skyrocket up to 10 times the original price of 110,000 won ($99).Buying tickets to major K-pop concerts is extremely challenging as numbers are limited and many people flock to buy them online at the same time. Scalpers use a macro program that allows repetition of a certain action to get the tickets. Ticket sellers are aware of the problem, but have been unable to stop the scalpers because they continue to develop new macro programs to get around any barriers. Scalping is illegal, but there are few legal ways to punish online scalping. Jun 20, 2018
Former Miss Korea to head judging panel for 2018 pageant Actress Kim Sung-ryung. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaKim Sung-ryung, winner of the 1988 Miss Korea Pageant and now a successful actress, will head the judging panel for this year's final in Seoul on July 4. It is the first time a former Miss Korea has been given the job. Dubbed one of the most beautiful Miss Koreas, Kim has forged a career as an actress. “At first I felt uncomfortable evaluating my juniors, but I wanted to join and do something meaningful for the 2018 Miss Korea Pageant,” Kim said. “I accepted the role as the head judge since I could give some guidelines and help.”A host of the pageant, the Hankook Ilbo E&B, said Kim is well known for taking good care of her juniors. “Thanks to Kim, who agreed to take the role, the 2018 Miss Korea Pageant is set to have another heyday,” the host said. The final with 32 contestants will be broadcast live on MBC Every1 and MBC Music at 7 p.m. on July 4.Check www.misskorea.or.kr for more information. Jun 20, 2018
Happy ever after: Celebs lead trend of marriage to foreigners Actress Lim Sung-min and her husband Michael Unger. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaInternational marriages have become common. Last year, 20,835 couples were hitched in international marriages, accounting for 7.9 percent of all weddings. And celebrities are leading that trend.TV personality and actress Lim Sung-min married American Michael Unger in 2011. They met at the Busan International Film Festival through a mutual friend. “My husband fell in love with me at first sight,” Lim was quoted as saying. “Then I got dressed to kill for the red carpet.”Unger moved to Korea to be with Lim and is teaching at Sogang University. Actress Shin Joo-ah and her husband Sarawut Rachanakul. From Shin Joo-ah's InstagramIn 2014, Korean actress Shin Joo-ah, 34, tied the knot with Chinese-Thai millionaire Sarawut Rachanakul, whose family runs Thailand's JBP International Paint. Shin met Rachanakul while she was traveling in Thailand. “When we first met, we did not know much about each other,” Rachanakul told her wife at a Korean reality show. “It was not easy to understJun 20, 2018
Charitable BTS aims to help eradicate violence against kids K-pop boy group BTS. Courtesy of Big Hit EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaA fundraising campaign Billboard chart-topping K-pop boy band BTS and its agency Big Hit Entertainment began last November with a donation of half a billion won ($440,000). The “LOVE MYSELF” project total has hit 1 billion won in just five months.The money will go to UNICEF for a campaign to eradicate violence against children and minors across the world over two years. Meanwhile, BTS fan clubs from Thailand celebrated the group's fifth anniversary with a blood donation project. They collected more than 200 liters of blood that can help save about 1,500 lives. Jun 20, 2018
Chinese social media stars on Korean wave tour Chinese SNS stars, or “Wang Hongs,” with trainee girl group members. Courtesy of Wannabe AcademyBy Dong Sun-hwaFour Chinese SNS stars, or “Wang Hongs,” are in Korea at the invitation of Incheon and experiencing hallyu or the Korean wave. “Wang Hongs” are Chinese social media stars who have a significant number of followers and are particularly influential with Chinese people in their 20s and 30s. The four are “Emma Tam,” “Yeki,” “Jin Yu Xuan Xuan Xuan,” and “Ginger Jiang” who have about 7.8 million followers between them. They visited the Wannabe Academy for K-pop idol trainees, participated in singing and dancing auditions before judges and learned the songs and choreography of a girl band in the making. They are expected to film and upload videos of Incheon's major tourist attractions and food to their social media accounts. Jun 19, 2018
Korean comedian to marry German boyfriend Kim Hye-seon and her German boyfriend. Captured from Kim Hye-seon's InstagramBy Dong Sun-hwaKorean comedian and fitness instructor Kim Hye-seon, 35, will marry her German boyfriend this fall, according to her agency, The Love Entertainment, Tuesday. The couple met in Germany while Kim was studying there. Kim went to Germany in 2014 and returned to Korea in 2017. The exact date for the marriage is not yet known. Kim debuted as a KBS comedian in 2011 and appeared on KBS 2TV comedy show “Gag Concert.” Jun 19, 2018
VIDEO Singer Lena Park charms Hungarians with Budapest show Singer Lena Park. Captured from JTBCBy Dong Sun-hwaKorean-American signer Lena Park, or Park Jung-hyun, enthralled Hungarians with her captivating voice during a live performance in the country's capital Budapest. Park appeared Friday on JTBC's music variety show “Begin Again 2.” In it, top Korean singers go overseas and perform in front of locals who barely know about them. Park, Korean singer Hareem, a vocalist from the Korean duo Akdong Musician, Lee Su-hyun, and Henry Lau who used to be a member of a K-pop boy band unit Super Junior-M went to Budapest for the show. It was Park's second gig. Her first was in Portugal. The performance was at a club and Park's songs included the popular “Sweet” while other members jammed with the singer. Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZejziBRVrJIThe show also featured “You Mean Everything” by Park and “You Know Me” by Akdong Musician. Jun 19, 2018
K-pop celebrity creates Korean first at Milan Fashion Week Changmin of K-pop group TVXQ. Courtesy of SM Entertainment.By Dong Sun-hwaK-pop boy band TVXQ's Changmin is the first Korean celebrity invited to participate in Milan Fashion Week's Prada Collection. Changmin, also known as Max, appeared on Sunday in the 2019 Prada Spring/Summer Collection Show in a print shirt and slim pants.Dressed to impress: TVXQ's Changmin from his own InstagramHis trendy fashion styles were seen on his Instagram on Monday.TVXQ presented its live tour, “Begin Again ― Special Edition in Nissan Stadium,” from June 8 to 10 in Japan. Jun 19, 2018
Rebellious violinist redefines classical music Taiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen / Courtesy of Mast MediaRay Chen steals show for unconventional fan outreachBy Park Jin-haiTaiwanese-Australian violinist Ray Chen is a familiar name to younger audiences, even though they are not such huge classic music fans. The musician became famous, partly because of his constant, active “communication” with them.Dubbed a “classical musician in the 21st century” or a “rebel of classical music,” the 29-year-old violinist has been continuing his unconventional moves in the music circle. Through his comical video clips on social media featuring him playing music in the shower, playing violin with his bow between his legs and falling flat on his bed after five seconds of practice as well as his playful and passionate playing style, Chen has been breaking through in interactions with fans. He also recently performed a surprise in-flight concert to calm passengers on a plane to Lisbon that made an emergency landing. “I try not to overthink any titles that might be associated with me, because being an artJun 18, 2018
'Third hallyu' blooming in Japan K-pop girl band TWICE. Courtesy of JYP EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaA third-generation of “hallyu” is blooming in Japan, according to recent reports.Fans aged from 10 to people in their twenties, are uninterested in soured Korea-Japan relations or politics in general. TWICE, a girl group that includes a Japanese member, with hits such as “Cheer Up” and “Knock Knock,” and BTS, the Billboard chart-topping Korean boy band, are leading the new wave. TWICE joined NHK's Red & White Year-end Song Festival, a major festival in Japan that invites only a few selected singers.K-pop boy group BTS. Courtesy of Big Hit EntertainmentBTS's “Fake Love” is a hot act in Japan as well. Japan's NTV produced and broadcast a special feature about BTS on June 7. According to Japanese reports, the first-generation hallyu started in 2003 with K-drama “Winter Sonata” starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo. The second followed in 2010-2012, with boy band TVXQ and girl group KARA. Jun 18, 2018
