Celebrities to return from military in 2017 By Park Jin-haiLee Seung-gi / Korea Times fileChoi Si-won / Korea Times fileKim Hyun-joong / Korea Times fileA new year has just kicked off and it will be a great year for fans who have long awaited the return of the hottest male celebrities following nearly two years of hiatus after serving their mandatory military duty.Many male celebrities are still weary of the enlistment since their absence from popular culture may take them out of the public spotlight and they could be forgotten. However, actors Song Joong-ki of megahit “Descendants of the Sun” and Yoo Seung-ho of “Remember -- War of the Son” were able to set good examples by taking the time to refresh their boyish images and succeeded in landing roles with more mature and manly characters.A total of eight notable celebrities will be returning this year. The first to return is singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong.Kim enlisted in May 2015, and served on a border patrol at Paju, Gyeonggi Province. He is set to return to the screen in February.His return is expected to draw a lot of media attention due to an ongoingJan 2, 2017
JYJ's Jae-joong to hit concert trail Kim Jae-joong / Korea Times fileBy Hong Dam-youngKim Jae-joong from K-pop boy group JYJ will hold concerts in Korea and Japan, kick-starting his career on returning from mandatory military service.The “2017 Kim Jaejoong Asia Tour in Seoul,” also known as “The Rebirth of J,” will play at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium in Seoul on Jan. 21-22.The same show will play in Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya throughout February, according to Kim’s agency C-Jes Entertainment on Monday.The agency said Kim was giving the concerts to express his thanks to fans for supporting him during his two-year military service.He was discharged from the army’s 55th Infantry Division in Gyeonggi Province on Friday.“The reason why Kim can hold the concerts so soon after being discharged is because he had been working on a new album before the enlistment,” an agency official said.Ticket sales for the Seoul concerts will open at Melon Ticket website at 8 p.m. on Monday. Jan 1, 2017
K-pop star So Chan-whee to wed bass player Korean bass player Roy, left, and rock star So Chan-whee are planing to marry this spring. / Courtesy of Wide EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aKorean rock star So Chan-whee and double bass player Roy of Street Guns plan to marry this year.According to So’s agency, Wide Entertainment, on Sunday, the musicians recently registered to marry and are preparing to wed in spring. The exact date is not yet confirmed.So, 44, whose real name is Kim Kyoung-hee, and Roy, 38, whose real name is Kim Kyoung-ryul, started their romance three years ago while collaborating on the album “So Chan-whee Project with ROY.”Debuting in 1988 as a guitarist, So started her vocal career in 1996 with her album “Cherish.” She is now one of Korea’s legendary female singers with several hit songs such as “Tears” (2000), “Wise Choice” (2006) and “Chance to Farewell” (1996).Roy is a member of Korean rock band Street Guns, which won the “Hard Rock Rising 2016” competition, beating nearly 10,000 artists worldwide.Jan 1, 2017
JYJ's Jaejoong, Super Junior's Sungmin return from military Jaejoong of boy group JYJ and Sungmin of Super Junior were discharged from their nearly two years of mandatory military service Friday.Hundreds of fans braved the cold weather of minus 10 C to congratulate the singers on their return.More than 500 local and foreign fans gathered in front of Jaejoong's Army division, with some holding placards that read, "We've been waiting, Jaejoong" and "New start JJ.""I was able to complete my duties safely thanks to my comrades and people who have been cheering for me," said Jaejoong, who served in the 55th Army division situated in Yongin, south of Seoul.Sungmin, who served in the 17th division in Incheon, west of Seoul, also thanked his fans.The Super Junior member got married in 2014 and was enlisted four months later on March 31, the same day Jaejoong was enlisted.All able-bodied South Korean men are subject to compulsory military service for about two years in a country that faces North Korea across a heavily fortified border.The JYJ member is slated to hold a fan event Saturday. (Yonhap)Dec 30, 2016
Reality shows on single life gain popularity A scene from SBS’ reality show “Mom’s Diary _ My Ugly Duckling” / Courtesy of SBSBy Park Jin-haiThis was definitely not a good year for local entertainment shows. The once-popular shows “Running Man” and “Infinite Challenge” struggled amid their single-digit viewership ratings while cooking shows and reality programs searching for musical talent have fatigued viewers.The representative long-running variety show “Running Man,” whose viewership once topped 20 percent, had been suffering from falling ratings that tumbled to below 6 percent, before SBS decided to end the long-running show. A dispute surrounding the production team’s unilateral decision to sack two original members — Song Ji-hyo and Kim Jong-kook — made the six-year-old show’s final farewell less graceful.MBC’s 10-year-old variety show “Infinite Challenge” is in the same position. It is struggling, maintaining ratings slightly over 10 percent. Its rival, KBS’ “2 Days & 1 Night,” hDec 28, 2016
'Trenders' shows changing lifestyle of consumers The poster of tv N’s “Trenders”By Yun Suh-youngCable TV channel tvN is broadcasting a two-part program focusing on current trends called "Trenders" as a New Year's special. The show will be aired on Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 at 11 p.m."Trenders" is a show where panelists discuss lifestyle trends for 2017 and delve into the meaning of those trends and how they affect consumer culture. "Buying well is living well" is the message the program aims to give to viewers to become "trenders" in the New Year.The newly created term "trenders" refers to trendsetters. The program's hosts and panelists consist of trendsetters selected diversely from the entertainment industry. They will introduce this year's keywords and select the best "trender" for 2017.The program hopes to become a "trend bible" introducing worldwide trends in an easy-to-understand format as well as introduce trendsetters from all over the world.The emcees include renowned trend researcher and Professor Kim Nan-do, freelance announcer Cho Woo-jong, model Han Hye-jin and American entertainer Tyler. The latter three wiDec 28, 2016
Rappers attack scandal-hit Park on JTBC show Park Gwang-sun (left) and MC Sniper from "Tribe of Hip Hop" on JTBC, TuesdayBy Ko Dong-hwanIt was definitely not like any other music competition show.Swaggering rappers with attitude, live instrumental sessions, toe-tapping rhythm-and-groove and a passionate audience were all there at the JTBC studio in central Seoul as weekly TV show “Tribe of Hip Hop” was being filmed for Tuesday’s episode.But unlike past shows, in which underground and celebrity rappers tried to beat each other with edgy rhymes and acerbic words, the musicians on that day did not compete against each other. Instead, they grabbed microphones in unison to attack the same target: President Park Geun-hye and her aides involved in a corruption scandal. The scandal has led to ongoing anti-president vigils nationwide that demanded her impeachment, and the arrest of Park’s alleged influence-peddler, Choi Soon-sil, and key accomplices.Some artists leveraged their unique bravado with cheery, playful lyrics to make the audience raise the roof. Others took on the more serious topic of the Sewol ferry Dec 28, 2016
'Star Wars' fans mourn loss of their princess This April 7, 2011 file photo shows Carrie Fisher at the 2011 NewNowNext Awards in Los Angeles. Fisher, who played Princess Leia in 'Star Wars,' has died at age 60, her daughter's publicist says. / AP - Yonhap By Lee Jin-aMany Star Wars fans are in deep mourning after learning that their Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher, 60, died Tuesday.The actress had a massive heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Dec. 23, according to reports.Fisher, who debuted in 1975 in the film “Shampoo,” played Princess Leia in the sci-fi blockbuster series “Star Wars” at the age of 20. Leia was the most loved character in her acting career.But Fisher was so much more than an onscreen princess.She was an outspoken feminist who fought sexism and ageism.Throughout her career, Fisher never hid her struggles with mental illness and drug use, admitting that she had abused cocaine during the filming of “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980). “Fisher easily could have fit a really predictable mold — a pretty girl who played a prinDec 28, 2016
K-Terminology Now hear this: You are my 'eardrum girlfriend' Woo Ji-yoon, left, and Ahn Ji-young of K-pop female duo Bolbbalgan4By Ko Dong-hwanThere’s a newly coined word in Korea’s urban dictionary: eardrum girlfriend.It may sound weird, but it hinges on the pleasurable sensation of being around one’s lover and listening to her.“Eardrum girlfriend” derives from a general understanding that one’s ear needs a break from listening to all sorts of babble from others.These can include oppressive bosses, nagging wives, mothers-in-law, bad neighbors and telemarketers. Or it might relate to Korea’s ongoing political maelstrom, with key suspects making excuses to avoid being charged at National Assembly hearings and by the special prosecutors’ office over the influence-peddling scandal engulfing President Park Geun-hye.What has soothed the growing number of young people affected by these acoustic hazards is something extraordinarily pleasant to listen to. The buffer, or “eardrum girlfriend” ― what Korean hipsters call it ― refers to the mesmerizing voices of certain musicians or other ceDec 27, 2016
Singer helps 'Three Meals a Day' end with success Eric in “Three Meals a Day” / Courtesy of tvNBy Yun Suh-youngProducer Na Young-seok has created yet another success to add to his filmography of reality TV shows.His latest reality cooking show, "Three Meals a Day" on tvN, ended with an 11.4 percent viewer rating for the last episode on Dec. 23. The highest viewership during the show’s run was 13.3 percent. A two-digit ratings number on cable TV is considered a huge success.With the 11th episode as the finale for the sixth season of the series, "Three Meals a Day" has ended its three-month journey that began on Oct. 14. Na has been producing the series since 2014 in different locations across the country. He has filmed three in inland regions and three in coastal areas. The recent season, dubbed "Three Meals a Day — Fishing Village 3," was the third filmed in a remote fishing village. It was on Deukryang Island in South Jeolla Province.Despite initial doubts on whether the new cast — Eric Mun of the boy band Shinhwa and actor Yoon Kyun-sang — would harmonize well with Dec 27, 2016
