Song Joong-ki lookalike stars on Chinese plane Flight attendant Feng Ming bears a close resemblance to actor Song Joong-ki./Courtesy of TwitterBy Lee Jin-aPhotographs of a Chinese flight attendant have gone viral because of his strong resemblance to actor Song Joong-ki, a Korean news outlet said Wednesday.According to Dong-a Ilbo, several passengers mistook the attendant for the actor. They screamed in surprise or posted photos and statements online saying they had seen the star of “Descendants of the Sun” on the plane.Nine years younger than Song, Feng Ming, a steward with China Southern Airlines, has a light complexion, and soft features, and is as tall as the actor ― 178 centimeters.Actor Song Joong-ki /Courtesy of Blossom EntertainmentIn one photograph, Ming places luggage into an overhead compartment.The media report said passengers stood in line to have their picture taken with Ming.Photographs of Ming during his daily life are constantly uploaded on Weibo, a Chinese social networking service. Jun 9, 2016
'Oh Hae-young' hits 10 percent viewership A scene from “Another Oh Hae-young” / Courtesy of tvNBy Park Jin-haiViewer ratings for cable channel tvN’s Monday-Tuesday drama “Another Oh Hae-young” are about to climb past 10 percent.The popular rom-com has been renewing its own records of viewership. Its latest episode, aired June 7, recorded an average 9.9 percent viewership, another 0.5 percent climb from the previous episode, according to Nielsen Korea.The 9.9 rating marks a new height for Monday cable dramas. “Another Oh Hae-young,” starring Eric Mun and Seo Hyun-jin, airs every Monday and Tuesday at 11 p.m. It’s about an unlucky woman named Oh Hae-young who keeps suffering mishaps due to her charming colleague of the same name. Mun plays the role of Oh’s love interest Park Do-kyung, a sound director who may be clairvoyant.In the 11th and 12th episodes, all the misunderstandings separating the two main characters have been unveiled and their love story has faced a breakthrough. After Park foresees his own death, viewers are anxiously waiting to see what comes nexJun 8, 2016
K-pop academy opens in Mexico South Korea has opened an academy in Mexico that allows locals to experience first-hand what it is like to be trained into a K-pop star, the Korean Cultural Center here said Tuesday.The Mexico K-pop Academy is sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is part of the programs offered at Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and the Korean Cultural Center in the city.The 10-week program is divided into two parts ― the first six weeks will be dedicated to learning Korean lyrics, mastering Korean pronunciation and vocal and dance training. In the following four weeks, participants will receive advanced training in singing and choreography, the center said.South Korea's Howon University, which is in charge of the program's execution, has sent professional vocal trainers and choreographers who have worked with top Korean groups such as TVXQ, JYJ and Girls' Generation.Natasha Aguirre, who has signed up for the six-week beginner course, said she has always been curious about South Korea's star training system."I'm excited to experience K-pop as aJun 7, 2016
K-pop duo look to repeat 2014 love song sensation Rapper San E and Raina of After School will release a new love song "Dalgona" on June 17. / Courtesy of Brand New Music By Lee Jin-aRapper San E and Raina of K-pop girl band After School will reunite for another love song, two years after their first song, “A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness,” was a big hit in 2014.Their new song, “Dalgona,” will hit the market on June 17, their agencies said. Dalgona is a sugary street junk food popular among Korean teenagers.“San E and Raina poured their heart and soul into making the song to return the love they received from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness,” the agencies said in a joint statement. “As you can read it from the title, ‘Dalgona’ is as sweet and upbeat as the previous song.”On its release in the summer of 2014, “A Midsummer Night’s Sweetness” swept major music charts and received prizes in year-end awards. Jun 7, 2016
Reigning masked singer finally steps down Ha Hyeon-woo from indie rock band Guckkasten / Courtesy of MBC By Yun Suh-youngThe reigning champion "Our Neighborhood Music General" who was vying for his 10th win in the MBC singing competition show "King of Mask Singer" stepped down from the throne Sunday, failing to clinch his 10th straight win.The singer who performed under the name "Our Neighborhood Music General" behind the mask turned out to be Ha Hyeon-woo from indie psychedelic rock band Guckkasten, as many had expected. He made his last appearance on the 62nd episode of the show Sunday singing "A Very Long-Lasting Couple" by 015B. He handed over the top spot to the new champion who went by the nickname, "I Can Do It -- Escape from Joblessness" who beat him by singing "Nocturn" by Lee Eun-mee. The audience voted for the latter by 66 to 33.In the program, participants wear masks to cover their identities and face off against other singers in one-to-one battles. Their faces are revealed only after they lose a round. In the first round, two contestants perform the same song on stage and the one whose performance receJun 6, 2016
tvN soap opera 'Another Oh Hae-young' spreads worldwide Soap opera "Oh Hae-youn Again" / Courtesy of tvN networkBy Lee Han-sooCable TV network tvN’s drama “Another Oh Hae-young” has been successfully sold in 10 countries, according to CJ E&M in an interview with Sports Seoul, a Korean daily.The news comes after the Monday-Tuesday drama surpassed the ratings of dramas of major broadcasters and set the highest rating for the cable network with 8.4 percent.“The drama has already started to air in the U.S., Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan,” CJ E&M said. “We have finished signing the contracts with Japan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Israel and Europe and the drama will air in the near future.”The drama is about an unlucky woman named Oh Hae-young (Seo Hyun-jin) who keeps running into mishaps due to her charming former colleague with the same name. She forms a romantic link with her neighbor Park Do-kyung (Eric Mun), while her life is in disarray due to a past broken engagement and her namesake showing up as her new boss.Jun 6, 2016
Jamaican daily eyes Korean reggae stars Haha(left) and Skull in the front at a Hongdae festival in Seoul / Courtesy of Naver blogBy Ko Dong-hwanImage cover of "Love Inside" A Jamaican newspaper has published a full-page interview with Korean reggae singers Skull and Haha, a rare spotlight on Korean celebrities by a foreign media outlet.The Jamaica Observer released the article on June 3. It highlighted the duo’s collaboration with Jamaican-American reggae musician Stephen Marley, the son of reggae legend Bob Marley, for the single “Love Inside” released in Korea on Mar 29.Titled “Korean acts eye Jamaica,” the article said Skull, growing up listening to Marley’s music, “really respected him” and reached out to him for the collaboration. It said the duo “has made their mark on the growing Korean reggae scene and hope to do the same in Jamaica.”It took the duo almost two years to persuade Marley to do the collaboration, according to a Korean media outlet.Skull, 36, whose real name is Cho Sung-jin, posted an image of the article on Instagram on Sunday.Skull's InsJun 6, 2016
Mouthwatering experience at YG cafeteria The YG cafeteria’s lunch last Wednesday consisted of multi-grain rice, cold sea mustard soup, bulgogi (Korean grilled marinated beef), spicy fish ball, seasoned bean sprouts, kimchi and salad. / Korea Times photo by Kim Jae-heunBy Kim Jae-heun YG Entertainment is Korea’s leading hip-hop label that has produced many hit idol groups such as Big Bang, 2NE1, Winner and iKON. But the company is now getting a reputation for its cafeteria’s tasty fare ― whether it wanted the fame or not ― and the dining hall has become a must-stop attraction in the neighborhood of Hapjeong, western Seoul.The rumor about the mouthwatering meals has been around for a long time in the entertainment industry. But because the cafeteria is for YG employees and artists, and their guests, it is not open to the public, which piques more curiosity.As interest has grown in the cafeteria, YG has shown it in several television shows, including SBS’s “K-Pop Star: season 1” and MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” in 2012 and 2013.A view of the YG EntertJun 5, 2016
June is major comeback month for K-pop singers (From left) EXO, FIESTAR, SistarBy Lee Han-sooK-pop singers from diverse genres are set to make a tidal wave of comebacks this month.They include Wheesung, Younha, Lee Hyun-woo, rock band Kiha & the Faces, boy band EXO and girl band Sistar.Girl bands EXID, CLC and FIESTAR have already completed their comebacks.Wonder Girls are still considering their comeback date.(From left) CLC, Wonder Girls, EXID Fans have waited a long time for some comebacks -- Kiha & the Faces have not had a new song since 2014.Lee’s single album is set for release on June 7, EXO’s third album on June 8 and Kiha & the Faces’ fourth album on June 16.Wheesung, Younha and Sistar are scheduled to make their comebacks in mid-June.(From left) Younha, Wheesung, Lee Hyun-woo, Kiha The many new songs are expected to make competition for first place on the Gaon Chart more interesting.Baek A-yeon, one of three finalists from K-pop Star: Season 1, is now at the top of the chart with her new digital single “So So.”Jun 5, 2016
EXID Hani's 'fancam' passes 20 million views By Lee Han-soo A “fancam” video of Hani from K-pop girl band EXID dancing on stage has exceeded 20 million views on YouTube, setting a record.In the video, Hani dances to the song “Up & Down.” It was filmed at a concert for soldiers on Oct 8, 2014, at Paju, Gyeonggi Province.The fancam has been crucial in getting the group into the music charts. After it was released, it set an unprecedented online video viewing record and placed the band on top of the national Gaon Singles Chart.The band was also invited to perform on Korean TV music programs such as “Music Bank” on KBS and “M Countdown” on Mnet. The band reached first place in the programs by the end of 2014.“I would like to thank first everyone who is still enjoying the video,” said Hani, according to media reports. “The video reminds me of our time of hardship and I still watch the fancam to cheer up whenever I’m down.”EXID is set to make a comeback on June 5 with theJun 5, 2016
