K-pop band Sistar tops Chinese charts with 'I Like That' K-pop girl band Sistar’s new song has topped China’s weekly K-pop chart. /Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aK-pop girl band Sistar’s new song topped China’s popular weekly K-pop chart just a week after its release, its agency said Wednesday.Lead track “I Like That” from the band’s new album topped the Yinyuetai chart during the fourth week of June, Starship Entertainment said. The song hit Korean and Chinese markets last week.“I Like That” scored 98.64 points from Yinyuetai users, a record-high rating.Meanwhile, the song took first place on the K-pop weekly chart in QQ Music, China’s music streaming app that has more than 80 million users."We are grateful that Sistar's new song has gained much popularity in both Korea and China, despite the group’s almost year-long hiatus," the agency said.Sistar debuted in 2010 with “Push Push.” They gained popularity through hit songs “So Cool” (2011), “Alone” (2012), “Touch My Body” (2014) and “Shake It” (2Jun 29, 2016
K-pop band CNBLUE leader quizzed over alleged insider trading /Courtesy of Korea Times FileBy Lee Han-soo K-pop band CNBLUE leader Jung Yong-hwa is under investigation for allegedly making 200 million won ($171,600) from illegal insider trading, prosecutors said Wednesday. The singer is suspected of having bought 21,000 shares in his listed management agency, FNC Entertainment, in early July last year after learning the agency was trying to sign Korea’s top comedian, Yoo Jae-suk. The agency announced the deal with Yoo on July 16, which instantly sent the share price to 27,000 won from 20,800 won.Jung pocketed about 200 million won in profit by reselling his shares, prosecutors said.An FNC executive was recently questioned over allegedly helping in the singer’s suspected illegal gain.The prosecution recently raided Jung’s house and the FNC office in Seoul. The prosecution is widening its investigation after finding evidence that other FNC employees and a registered celebrity also were allegedly involved in insider trading.They refused to elaborate because the investigation is ongoing. Jun 29, 2016
Namkoong Min wins best villain award Namkoong MinBy Park Jin-haiActor Namkoong Min, 38, received the Best Villain Award at the annual 2016 DramaFever Awards hosted by the online Asian drama-streaming site DramaFever, his agency said on Tuesday.The actor won the award for his role in the SBS drama “The Girl Who Sees Smells (2015).” Namkoong was featured as a serial killer, Kwon Jae.The U.S.-operated DramaFever is one of the largest online video streaming sites for Asian dramas and movies in North America, receiving over 20 million visitors every month.It gives awards to the most-loved Korean dramas and actors through fan votes each year. This year’s vote was carried out in 19 categories.The Best Actor Award went to Ji Sung for the 2015 MBC drama series “Kill Me, Heal Me,” while the Best Actress Award was given to Park Bo-young, the heroine of tvN’s romantic comedy “Oh My Ghostess.”Jun 28, 2016
Model Jang Yoon-ju pregnant with first child Jang Yoon-ju is pregnant with her first child. /Courtesy of ESteem Entertainment By Lee Jin-aModel Jang Yoon-ju will become a mother next year.“Jang is three months pregnant and she’s going to deliver the baby in January next year,” said her agency ESteem Entertainment.She will continue to work only if it does not endanger herself or the baby.“I want to learn more about love as a mother,” Jang said. “I am thankful for this blessing in our family. I’ll try my best to be a good mother.”The model, 35, married a businessman four years younger than herself in May last year.Jun 27, 2016
Another sex scandal slams K-pop scene Lee Ju-noPark Yu-chunBy Park Jin-haiThe local entertainment industry, which has been hit hard recently by a series of sex scandals involving top actors and comedians, has again been slapped with a new alleged sex crime case.This one implicates a former member of legendary boy band Seo Taiji and Boys.Lee Ju-no, 49, a former member of the group, has been questioned for allegedly sexually assaulting two women at a club, Yongsan Police said Monday.The victims allege that Lee hugged the women from behind and groped their breasts forcefully at a club in Itaewon, downtown Seoul, Saturday. Lee also allegedly slapped the club’s owner in the face as the staff dragged him out of the club.Police said they will summon Lee for questioning soon.This is the second time for Lee to be accused of sexual harassment. The singer-dancer was investigated for sexual harassment charges in 2002. He invited a woman in her 20s to his recording studio and allegedly harassed her. At that time, the police suspended Lee’s indictment after the woman agreed to drop the charges.The local entertainment Jun 27, 2016
EXO, GFriend sweep local K-pop charts Members of EXO speak during a press conference to promote their new album “EX’ACT” at SMTown in Seoul, June 8. / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop boy band EXO and girl group GFriend each topped the album and digital rankings in the first half of this year according to the Gaon chart, a weekly national music chart compiled by the Korea Music Content Industry Association.EXO of S.M. Entertainment recorded 452,607 album sales with its recently released Korean version of “EX’ACT” that ranked no. 1 on the Album Chart Top 100. The Chinese version of the boy band’s third album sold 235,594 to rank third, totaling 688,201 as of June 18.Big Hit Entertainment’s boy group Bangtan Boys (BTS) ranked second with their third mini-album “Young Forever” selling 316,095 albums, followed by Pledis Entertainment’s Seventeen, who recorded almost 200,000 in album sales.Eight albums sold over 100,000 copies including the four previously mentioned artists’ albums, and the rest are recently released albums of Got7, TJun 27, 2016
Nicolas Cage and Korean-American wife split Nicolas Cage and his third wife ended their 11-year marriage in January. /Courtesy of TwitterBy Lee Jin-aHollywood actor Nicolas Cage and his Korean-American wife, Alice Kim, ended their 11-year marriage earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reports.The paper said the couple, who have a son, 10, had been separated since January.Cage, 52, met Kim, 32, in February 2004 when she waited on his table at a Los Angeles restaurant. They were engaged two months later and married in July the same year.The marriage was Cage’s third. He was first married to actress Patricia Arquette for five years, and then to singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley for four months.Cage also has a son, 25, from a relationship with model Christina Fulton.Jun 26, 2016
Thousands swoon over BTS, Seventeen, Ailee at KCON NY Thousands of fans flocked to KCON New York over the weekend to experience "hallyu," or K-pop, K-dramas and K-culture trends, which is expanding its sprawling fan base all over the world.The convention in Newark, New Jersey, was the second KCON in the greater New York City area since the event's inauguration in 2012.Some 42,000 fan girls from all over the United States took various means of transport, even boarding cross-continental flights, to be in the presence of their favorite artists, namely BTS, Seventeen and Ailee, said CJ E&M, the South Korean entertainment company hosting the event.The festival chain that started in California has rapidly grown in size and locations over the years. This year has been the most far-reaching yet, with the conventions hitting Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Paris, which are cities not particularly known for their hallyu fan bases.At New York, the number of programs has tripled since last year. Panels discussed specialized topics, including the life of 30-something K-pop fans and how to stay on budget as K-culture aficionados. At theJun 26, 2016
Adult movie director charged over nude scene Kwak Hyun-hwa, left, and Lee Soo-sungBy Ko Dong-hwanProsecutors have indicted film director Lee Soo-sung for allegedly releasing a “director’s cut” of an adult movie without agreeing with the actress who was nude in it.The Seoul Central District Court has charged Lee with infringing the sexual violence crime punishment laws and making a false charge in his counter-accusation against Kwak Hyun-hwa, the actress.Kwak, who starred in Lee’s movie “House With a Good View” in 2012, did not want to be part of any nude scene. Lee persuaded her that he would consider cutting out such scenes when editing the film and insisted she go topless, to which she agreed.“House With a Good View” posterThe movie opened in theaters and did not contain Kwak’s nude scene. But he later sold the movie’s “director’s cut” version, which contained Kwak’s nude scene, on file-sharing Internet sites and internet protocol TV.Kwak sued Lee in April 2014 and prosecutors indicted him.“Although Lee kept the promise with Kwak whJun 24, 2016
Actor in coma after second suicide attempt Kim Sung-minBy Ko Dong-hwan/ Korea TimesActor Kim Sung-min is in a coma after trying to kill himself Friday morning.Police said they found Kim hanging by a necktie and unconscious in a bathroom at his home in Seocho-gu, Seoul, about 2 a.m.They called an emergency rescue team that took him to the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary Hospital.About 1 a.m., Kim’s son told police his father was physically harassing his mother, surnamed Lee. Police visited the star’s apartment but Lee asked them to leave, saying the matter was only minor. She then left with her son, telling Kim, who was drunk, they would stay the night at a nearby relative’s home.Ten minutes after leaving, Lee called police and asked them to check on Kim. She told them that when Kim was drunk he would tell her he was going to kill himself. Police returned to the apartment and found Kim, 43, hanging.Hospital medical staff said Kim is in a “grave situation,” according to online news outlet Star News.Kim tried to kill himself in October 2014 after he argued with Lee, who he married a yearJun 24, 2016
