Chinese video site promotes tourism attractions in S. Korea Major Chinese video site Youku will air a travel show introducing hot tourism spots in South Korea, featuring top celebrities from the two nations, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Wednesday.Liai, a top Chinese model and MC, visited major sightseeing sites here from July 25-28 for the third annual series of the program to be aired on Thursday.The program, which introduces Korean fashion, beauty and lifestyle for young urban women, drew 20 million and 40 million views for the 2014 and 2015 editions, respectively.This year, Kim Dong-jun, the lead vocal of ZE:A, accompanied Liai to explore the best sites for couples.The two toured the Grevin Seoul Museum, the fourth venue of France's famous beeswax museum, and walked along the Han River that runs across the capital city and stone wall road surrounding Deoksu Palace in front of the city hall.They also took a pedicab ride to wander around the traditional village in Seoul and visited the filming sites of famous TV series "Descendants of the Sun," the KTO said.The KTO said it will step up efforts to develop various tourisAug 16, 2016
Black Pink dominates music charts Eight days after their release, Black Pink’s songs, “Whistle” and “Boombayah,” are still hot on major Korean charts./ Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Yeo Ye-rimRookie K-pop band Black Pink continues to dominate Korea’s major online music charts with its title song “Whistle.”The YG Entertainment band debuted on Aug. 8 with its album “SQUARE ONE.”The group members are Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and YG’s first non-Korean artist, Lisa from Thailand. “Whistle," one of two tracks on “SQUARE ONE”_ the other is “Boombayah” _ continued to dominate the charts in Melon, Genie, Olleh Music, Naver Music and Mnet eight days after the album’s release. The music video for “Boombayah” has also had more than 13 million views in YouTube.Despite public criticism that they are a copy of 2NE1, YG’s widely successful girl band, Black Pink’s popularity has continued to soar.Aug 15, 2016
Blackpink's 'Whistle' tops music charts BlackpinkBlackpink, YG Entertainment's new girl band, swept the music charts with their song "Whistle" which is off their newly released mini-album "Square One." The album consists of two songs "Whistle" and "Boombayah.""Whistle" has topped local music charts Melon, Bugs Music, Naver Music, Olleh Music, Mnet, Gini and Soribada as of 9 a.m. Sunday. The song is hip-hop based on whistling with drum beats and bass."Whistle" also recorded 10.5 million viewers on YouTube as of 8 a.m. Sunday following the success of "Boombayah" which recorded 12.2 million viewers on YouTube the previous day. Aug 15, 2016
Taiwanese singer to debut in Korea Kris KA Taiwanese actor and singer Kris Shen will debut in Korea as Kris K, his agency JSL said Sunday.Kris K will release his first mini album "Evolution" in Korea, Tuesday, and perform some Korean shows.The letter "K" stands for "Korea," "King" and "Kim," which is a common surname in South Korea, according to his agency.His songs, "Baby Girl" and "Some Kind of Love," which are on the new album, will be offered in both Chinese and Korean. Kris K also participated as producer of the album."Some Kind of Love" is a ballad based on a young couple's quick-changing love. "Baby Girl" is a dance song with rap added to an R&B rhythm.The agency already released a 1 minute 30 seconds teaser of the song "Baby Girl" last week.Kris K, 23, said he will "perform like he was performing for the first time." Kris K has appeared in various television dramas in Taiwan and is also known as a member of singer duo AK.Aug 15, 2016
Female stars in SNS controversies Jung Ka-eun posted on Instagram on Aug 11 a controversial photo of herself breastfeeding her baby. / Courtesy of InstagramBy Ko Dong-hwanWhile the global community is focused on the Rio Games, some Korean stars have been up to controversial SNS escapades. On Aug 11, female TV personality Jung Ka-eun posted on Instagram a photo of herself breastfeeding her baby.Such motherly affection should not be a subject of scorn, but Jung’s photo was different.With her baby’s back turned toward the camera, she smiled and held up a “V” hand gesture. “Now that I have gotten used to breastfeeding, I can finally take some selfies while breastfeeding with my breasts not exposed thanks to my handsome baby,” Jung said.The picture immediately drew a slew criticism from netizens saying Jung was “just begging for attention” or asking why she had to involve her baby in such a way.The star, in her late 30s, coolly responded to the comments on SNS. She said she was simply “so eager to brag about” her child.“I cannot live upAug 15, 2016
'International World Music Festival” revived after 28 years From left, NGM CLUB Chairman Park Hae-sik, Koomworld Co. Ltd President Lee Yang-joo, Davinci FNE Co. Ltd President Lee Seong Chae and Davinci FNP Co. Ltd President Choi Jeom-sun pose after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Hanmaru Building in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, to use crowd funding to host the International World Music Festival. / Courtesy of KoomworldThe International World Music Festival, hosted by Koomworld Co., Ltd, and organized by Cantara Global, will be revived after 28 years in February, 2017.The festival has featured high profile singers, such as Yoon Bok-hee, who sang her hit-song “Everyone” there.Financial platform operator Davinci FNE Co. Ltd. and hallyu entertainment content planner Koomworld signed an agreement, Thursday, to seek 5 billion won ($4.53 million) in crowd funding for the upcoming music festival.Davinci FNE President Lee Seong-chae, Koomworld President Lee Yang-joo and NGM CLUB Chairman Park Hae-sik participated in the signing ceremony.Koomworld will use the money raised to produce the festival and will promote it through variAug 12, 2016
BigBang to hold Hawaii fan event in October K-pop boy band Bigbang / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentKorean idol group BigBang will hold a meet-and-greet fan event in Hawaii in October, its agency said on Friday.The "BigBang MADE V.I.P. Tour in Honolulu" will take place on Oct. 22 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Arena, according to Seoul-based YG Entertainment, the band's management.This is the globally popular K-pop group's first official event in Hawaii."There have been some South Korean musicians who did performances in Hawaii, but BigBang is the first to perform on a large 'arena-scale' stage," said an official of YG Entertainment.Celebrating its 10th anniversary since its debut, the all-boy quintet has kept busy this year, holding meet-and-greet events around the world. In March, June and July, BigBang drew some 110,000 fans to its fan meeting tour of the Chinese cities Shenyang, Foshan, Nanning, Qingdao, Harbin, Dalian, Chongqing and Chengdu. Tickets sold out in the blink of an eye, according to the South Korean agency.Prior to the Hawaii event, BigBang is slated to hold fan meeting events in Macau on Sept. 3 and 4, then in Aug 12, 2016
Production site of 'Descendants of the Sun' opens as tourist attraction The film site of South Korean hit television series "Descendants of the Sun" opened to the public in Taebaek on Friday, attracting tourists from home and overseas with the global popularity of the drama.The film site is a restoration of the Taebaek leg of the military romance-action series. The municipality of Taebaek in Gangwon Province poured some 270 million won ($245,000) into the project. Launched on local terrestrial broadcaster KBS on Feb. 24, the Wednesday-Thursday series tells the love story of doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) and Army Capt. Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) in the fictional war-torn country of Uruk.The Taebaek film site is the location where, in the 16-episode series, the medical camp led by Kang and the Taebaek military troop headed by Yoo were stationed.At the tourist site located 271 kilometers east of Seoul, visitors can browse the medical camp and military base wearing costumes with the same design as those worn by the cast.The military camp is equipped with combat uniforms and boots, bullet-proof helmets, military blankets and ammunition belts. OutsidAug 12, 2016
EXO eyes 3rd million-seller with repackaged album K-pop idol group EXO may win the triple million-seller crown with its upcoming repackaged album, the band's agency predicted on Friday.Next Thursday, the K-pop boy group will release "Lotto," a repackaged album of its third and latest full-length album "EX'ACT," according to S.M. Entertainment."Lotto" has a total of 13 songs, including nine songs from "EX'ACT" and four new songs, including title track "Lotto."After selling 800,000 copies of “EX'ACT,” the country’s largest K-pop label expects “Lotto” will quickly make up the leftover, selling 200,000 copies to reach the 1-million mark.EXO has two million-breaker trophies under its belt - the first for album "XOXO" and its repackaged album "Growl," and the second for album "EXODUS" and its repackaged "Love Me Right."The new album's title song "LOTTO," a hip-hop-influenced track with powerful bass, compares a fateful encounter with a woman to winning the lottery.On Aug. 19, the day after the album’s release, EXO will appear on KBS 2TV’s “Music Bank.” (Yonhap)Aug 12, 2016
K-pop band EXID to greet fans in Taiwan EXID is set to hold a fan meeting in Taipei on Sept 25. / Courtesy of Banana CultureBy Lee Jin-aKorean girl band EXID will meet fans in Taiwan next month.According to the band’s agency, Banana Culture, EXID will hold a fan meeting -- “Leggo World in Taiwan” -- at the Taipei International Convention Center on Sept 25.This is the band’s second international fan meeting after “2016 EXID’s Leggo Show in Shanghai” in March.Proving its popularity in Taiwan, the five-member group topped the annual K-pop chart of the island’s largest music website, KKBOX, with “Up & Down” in 2015. It also ranked first on the Taiwan iTunes album chart with its first full-length album, “Street,” in June. Debuting in 2012, EXID is best known for hit songs "Up & Down" (2014) and "Ah Yeah" (2015). After four years, the band’s official fan club, “Leggo,” will hold its inauguration ceremony on Sept 11. Aug 11, 2016
