I.O.I releases final album Members of the K-pop girl group I.O.I, stage a song from their second mini-album “Miss Me?” at Yes24Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunCJ E&M’s project girl group I.O.I released its second mini-album “Miss Me?” on Monday, staging a showcase performance for their last official activity before their disbanding in January.The 11-member girl group was formed through the Mnet reality survival show “Produce 101,” which starred 101 trainees from various entertainment companies. They were contracted for only one year.The final 11, picked by the audience, released their first mini-album “Chrysalis” on May 4. Three months later, seven members of the group released the digital single “Whatta Man” that topped online music charts.Jung Chae-yeon of MBK Entertainment and Kim Se-jeong and Kang Mi-na of Jellyfish Entertaiment returned to their original agencies to pursue their own music careers _ Jung rejoining her original band DIA in June and Kim and Kang debuting in another girl band GuOct 17, 2016
BTS first Koreans to enter UK album chart K-pop boy band Bangtan Boys (BTS) / YonhapBy Hong Dam-youngK-pop boy band Bangtan Boys (BTS) have become the first Korean musicians to make it to the U.K. Official Charts.BTS’s second album “WINGS” entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100 at 62nd and 16th on the Indie Albums chart, according to the Official Charts Company on Monday.Korean rapper Psy’s global hit “Gangnam Style” had topped the Official Singles Chart in 2012, but this is the first time Korean musicians have made the album charts.Official Charts has a reputation equivalent to that of the U.S. Billboard Chart in the music industry.The seven-member band’s album released on Oct. 10 has been sweeping charts in Asia, including Korea.The album also topped the iTunes albums chart in the U.S. as well as iTune charts in 97 countries.The video for the lead track, “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” topped 20 million views on YouTube as of Saturday afternoon.The record was set 136 hours after the album’s release, the fastest time to reach the figure among K-pop boy bands.Oct 17, 2016
SISTAR's Hyolin to return with solo album K-pop singer Hyolin will make her comeback with a solo album next month. / Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aHyolin of K-pop girl band SISTAR will make a comeback with a solo album in November. Starship Entertainment, her agency, promoted her comeback on Monday by posting “Hyolin Coming Soon!” on its official social media sites.The agency said Hyolin will release a number featuring Korean rapper Dok2 on Oct. 26 and another one featuring Jay Park on Nov. 1. Her full album will be released on Nov. 8. Details of the album, including the title and names of the two songs, have not been revealed yet.“Hyolin’s upcoming album can be summarized using the numbers 3, 3, 3,” said Starship Entertainment. “It took three years to prepare of the album. There are three special concepts. And there will be three music videos.”Kim Hyo-jung, better known as Hyolin, debuted in 2010 as a lead vocalist of SISTAR. The four-member group gained popularity with songs “So Cool (2011),” “Loving U (2012),”“Give It to Me (2013Oct 17, 2016
Actor Park Hae-jin re-signs with Mountain Movement By Lee Jin-aActor Park Hae-jin / Courtesy of Mountain MovementKorean actor Park Hae-jin has renewed his contract with Mountain Movement.“Park has extended his contract based on mutual trust,” the agency announced Monday. “We will continue to fully support Park in his acting career.”The actor, 33, has been with the agency since 2010. He recently decided to continue his contract for two more years. Park rose to global hallyu stardom after his tvN drama “Cheese in the Trap” became a hit overseas early this year.He will return to the small screen in the JTBC drama series “Man to Man” next year. Written by “Descendants of the Sun” co-writer Kim Won-suk, the drama will also feature popular A-listers such as Park Sung-woong, Jang Hyun-sung and Kim Min-jung.Park Hae-jin will play a bodyguard and a former member of a special force unit who works with a hallyu star (Park Sung-woong). Oct 17, 2016
Fantasy period dramas hottest TV genre Park Bo-gum in “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” / Courtesy of KBS Crown princes make stories more intriguing By Park Jin-haiThe two hottest fantasy period dramas, “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” and “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” are heating up the local broadcasting industry, which has remained largely uneventful in the wake of the mega-hit drama “Descendants of the Sun” earlier this year.Park Bo-gum, who plays the crown prince in “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds” based on the eponymous web novel, is now at the center of media attention. The newly coined term “Bo-gum magic” has become popular among drama lovers, which means once you look at Park you cannot take your eyes off the star.Park, who only began captivating fans with his most recent appearance in “Reply 1988” as the Go player Taek, had not been expected to soar to this much popularity, together with co-star Kim You-jung, who was better known as a child actress. Producer Kim Seong-yun had forecast an 8 percent vieOct 16, 2016
AOA's 'neglected' drummer quits AOA Black's You-kyungBy Ko Dong-hwanYou-kyung from K-pop instrumental girl band AOA Black has left because the band has not released a song for three years.AOA Black is a five-member project unit of idol group AOA. While four members of AOA Black have been performing under AOA as well, You-kyung performed as a drummer with AOA Black.“I have had many talks with my agency and decided to depart the band that I have been sticking around for the past five years,” You-kyung said on the band’s fan site on Saturday.“I have not performed a lot throughout my career that started from my late teens until 24.“I feel sad and thankful for those who had cheered AOA when we first debuted.“My leave is not permanent. If AOA Black gets to release a new track, I will always fill the drummer’s seat.”AOA leader Ji-min's Instagram post of a photo of AOA's eight members, including You-kyung (far left)On Sunday, AOA leader Ji-min posted on her Instagram a photo of AOA’s eight members, including You-kyung.AOA Black released its first mini album “Moya&Oct 16, 2016
WINNER member quits after mental illness WINNER's Nam Tae-hyun By Ko Dong-hwanIdol star and actor Nam Tae-hyun from K-pop boy band WINNER has stopped all public activity due to mental illness.His agency YG Entertainment told Hankook Ilbo that Nam had indefinitely quit show business because of a psychological problem.Nam, 22, has had the problem since he began with the agency, but the condition has worsened recently.“We talked to Nam’s mother and decided it is no longer safe for him to continue with the band’s schedule,” the agency said.Nam left the dorm where he lived with the band’s other four members and moved to his parents’ home.The band has postponed releasing its new album.Debuting with the band in 2013, Nam also acted in TV dramas and reality variety shows, including MBC’s “Girl of 0AM” (2015) and SBS’s “Late Night Restaurant” (2016), and “Under the Black Moonlight” (2016) and tvN’s “Actor School.”Although the band’s youngest member, Nam is the main vocalist and known for his production skill.He wroteOct 16, 2016
K-pop band I.O.I has new album K-pop band I.O.I will release its final album on Monday. / Courtesy of YMC EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aK-pop girl band I.O.I will make a comeback with its album “Miss Me?”According to the band’s agency, YMC Entertainment, on Sunday, the 11-member group will release its second mini album at 12:00 a.m. on Monday.Composed by Park Jin-young, a singer and founder of the nation’s one of the biggest entertainment agencies, JYP Entertainment, the band’s title track “Very Very Very” is an upbeat song with a fast rhythm and a synthesizer sound. The song’s teaser video was released on YouTube on Oct. 13.Created through cable network Mnet's reality audition program "Produce 101" in April, I.O.I is a project group consisting of 11 female artists from different talent agencies.I.O.I’s album is expected to be its last activity before its members disband to pursue individual activities.Oct 16, 2016
tvN reveals first collaboration TV show with ESG Producer Jeong Jong-yeon of “The Society Game” speaks at a press conference at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo, southwestern Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of CJ E&MBy Kim Jae-heun CJ E&M’s cable TV channel tvN revealed its first show in collaboration with global entertainment content producer Endemol Shine Group (ESG) on Wednesday, the next step in realizing its goal as a global content trend leader, as its slogan says.ESG produces well-known TV shows like “Big Brother,” “MasterChef” and “1 vs 100,” which have worldwide distribution and put the company at the top of its industry.The collaboration project debuts in Korea on Sunday with the title “The Society Game,” on which the director Jeong Jong-yeon worked with ESG in planning the content format first and produced the show in Korea on his own.The series is a mock society game where 22 contestants are divided into two groups and compete for 14 days in a controlled village. One group votes for a leader every morning while the other has one leader reigningOct 14, 2016
Reporters sentenced over actress' sex tape rumor Korean actress Lee Si-young / Korea Times fileBy Hong Dam-youngA court has punished reporters who spread a false rumor about Korean actress Lee Si-young’s alleged sex tape.A reporter from an unidentified magazine, 35, who released the rumor on social media, was sentenced by Seoul Central District Court on Thursday to a year in prison for defamation, suspended for two years, and 200 hours of community service, according to online news outlet Newsis. The rumor surfaced in June 2015. It said: “Lee had been forced by her agency to make a sex video, and that she tried to commit suicide when the video was investigated by prosecutors.”Prosecutors found that a newspaper reporter, then 29, had falsely informed the magazine reporter about the tape while they dined in June 2015. The college alumni meeting was also joined by lawmakers’ secretariesThe next day, the magazine reporter wrote a story about the rumor and released it through social media.The newspaper reporter, who no longer works as a journalist, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspeOct 13, 2016
