Ji Hyun-woo takes main role in 'Wanted' Ji Hyun-woo/ Courtesy of TwitterBy Lee Jin-aActor Ji Hyun-woo will play the leading role in the SBS TV's thriller “Wanted,” which will be aired in June.The broadcaster is reportedly holding last-minute negotiations to cast actor Uhm Tae-woong and actress Kim Ah-joong.Directed by Park Yong-soon, the Wednesday/Thursday drama is about police trying to rescue the kidnapped child of a top actress.Ji, 33, will play a police officer with a strong sense of justice, who puts his safety on the line to solve crimes.The actor is also widely known as a talented guitarist who leads indie rock band, The Nuts. May 15, 2016
Popular comedians lose appeal against game company verdict Noh Woo-jin (left), Kim Byung-man and Ryu Dam / Screen capture from KBSBy Kim Da-heeThree popular comedians have lost an appeal against a decision that cleared a game company they sued for breach of contract, Seoul Southern District Court said Sunday.Kim Byung-man, 41, Ryu Dam, 37, and Noh Woo-jin, 36, famous for their “Expert” sketch on the KBS variety show, “Gag Concert,” had sued IX2 GAMES for using their images without consent, seeking 100 million won ($85,360) in damages.The company signed a contract with the comedians in 2009 to advertise its online website “nolto.” The agreement included a radio recording and photo shoot for the website, was renewed three times until 2012.However, the comedians sued for breach of contract, claiming the company used their images when it recruited affiliated Internet cafes.Seoul Southern District Court dismissed the initial case on Sept 15, 2015, saying, “There is no evidence that the company distributed images of the comedians to its affiliated Internet cafes since June of 2010.”The comediansMay 15, 2016
Rapper Mad Clown ties the knot Mad Clown/Courtesy of Starship EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aPopular Korean rapper Mad Clown married his non-celebrity girlfriend at a private ceremony in Yeouido, Seoul, on Sunday.“Thank you for your congratulations on my wedding,” the hip-hop musician said on his way to the venue. “I will keep trying my best to produce the best music.”Mad Clown, 31, made his debut in 2008 with the single “Luv Sickness.” His popularity grew with “Stupid in Love,” which features Soyou from K-pop girl band Sistar.He now stars in the fifth season of cable music channel Mnet’s popular hip hop audition program “Show Me the Money.”May 15, 2016
Former K-pop diva marries golfer Park Jung-ah/Courtesy of Jellyfish EntertainmentBy Lee Jin-aPark Jung-ah, a former member of K-pop girl band Jewelry, married professional golfer and businessman Jeon Sang-woo at the Raum Art Center in Gangnam district in southern Seoul on Sunday. “I am happy because I met a man who is caring and thoughtful,” Park was quoted as saying in a report. Her wedding ceremony was held with blessing of the band’s six other members _ Seo In-yeong, Lee Ji-hyun, Jo Min-a, Kim Eun-jung, Ha Joo-yeon and Kim Ye-won.The bride and gloom started dating in 2014 after meeting at a gathering of amateur and professional golfers.Park made her debut in 2001 as a main vocalist of Jewelry and left the band in 2010. She has since developed her career as actress, starring in several hit TV dramas, including “Glamorous Temptation (2016),” “My Daughter Seo-young (2012)” and “Prosecutor Princess (2010).” May 15, 2016
S.M. Entertainment inks deal with Chinese firm to develop tourist site S.M. Entertainment said Saturday it has inked a deal with a Chinese state firm to develop a tourist site in China.S.M. said it has joined hands with Shaanxi Huashan Tourism Group to operate a concert venue inside Huashan Scenic Area in Shaanxi Province, northwest China, and also to develop neighboring regions.The signing ceremony was held at Crowne Plaza Xi'an on Friday, S.M. said.Also under the agreement, the two companies will jointly draw up plans to build and operate cultural and commercial facilities in the Huashan tourist district.S.M. will provide K-pop hologram content and handle the planning of the cultural facilities, while Shaanxi Huashan Tourism Group will oversee construction and marketing."This project is quite significant, as South Korea and China are greatly expanding their tourism and cultural exchanges," S.M. was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. "The goal is for the two companies to continuously develop a wide range of cultural content and grow (Huashan Scenic Area) into a world-famous tourist attraction." May 14, 2016
Asia's biggest model festival soon to open in Suwon Asia's biggest beauty and culture festival will open this weekend in the South Korean city of Suwon as part of Visit Suwon Year events, with 125 models from 25 Asian nations to be present, the event's organizer said Friday.Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, 50 kilometers south of Seoul, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site that was built by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), from 1794-96.The 11th Asia Model Festival, which will run from May 15-21, features three categories -- the 2016 Asia News Star Model Contest, the 2016 Asia Mi (beauty) Festival and the 2016 Asia Model Awards -- the organizer said.In particular, the Asia Mi Festival is Asia's biggest event for fashion and beauty industries that will introduce Asian fashion and beauty industries to the world. The festival will also provide chances for top Asian models, artists and designers to demonstrate their skills and abilities through such shows as traditional costume shows, fashion shows, hair shows and beauty shows.Earlier, Suwon selected the model festival as one of the main events for the Visit Suwon Year. (YonhaMay 13, 2016
Bangtan Boys becomes first K-pop artist with own Twitter emoji Idol group Bangtan Boys (BTS) has become the first South Korean artist to start a Twitter emoji campaign, its management agency said Friday.Twitter Korea launched it earlier in the day to allow fans from all over the world to communicate with one another during the boy band's ongoing Asia tour, Big Hit Entertainment said.The emoji appears when #BTS or #방탄소년단, the group's Korean name, is typed, and will only be available from Friday to June 22.BTS was chosen among scores of other K-pop artists because of its "global popularity" on Twitter, American music website Billboard reported Thursday, local time.Only a select group of users has been bestowed an emoji campaign, including "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Justin Bieber and the NBA All-Star Games, the website added.BTS currently commands more than 22 million followers on the social media website.Its group selfie posted during the 2015 MelOn Music Awards in South Korea became the most viewed tweet in the country with 2.9 million views.Its latest album "Young Forever" entered the Billboard 200 at 107th earlier this month, the group's sMay 13, 2016
AOA sorry for poor history knowledge /Courtesy of TwitterBy Lee Han-sooSeolhyun and Jimin from K-pop girl band AOA have apologized after sparking a national controversy over their poor history knowledge.The controversial moment came during Tuesday’s episode of variety show “Channel AOA” on cable network Onstyle. The two stars failed to recognize a picture of Ahn Jung-geun, a freedom fighter who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, the Japanese resident-general of Korea, in 1909, before Japan's colonization.The event sparked massive criticism from the public with numerous netizens pointing out the two stars’ immature historical consciousness.The controversy still rages, despite the stars’ apologies on Instagram Friday.“I regret not showing a sincere attitude towards our history as a Korean citizen, even though I should have,” Seolhyun wrote. “I am ashamed of the incident and apologize from the bottom of my heart to all the viewers who felt uncomfortable.”Jimin said: “I apologize to all viewers who felt discomforted by my light attitude. As a public figure, I should have fMay 13, 2016
Audition girl band riles fans Jung Chae-yeonBy Ko Dong-hwanIn less than a week since its debut, K-pop girl band I.O.I has already upset fans, with news of a member leaving and claims the band was late for a gig.Jung Chae-yeon, one of the band’s 11 members, will return to girl band DIA next month. DIA’s agency, MBK Entertainment, said Wednesday Jung, from TV network Mnet’s audition program “Produce 101,” will rejoin DIA, according to media reports. “Produce 101,” which aired from January to April, selected 11 girls out of 101 trainees from various entertainment agencies to form a new girl band.“MBK and YMC Entertainment (I.O.I’s agency) had agreed to Jung’s move in advance,” MBK said. “Jung, while her activity is bound by I.O.I until the end of this month, still has the right to pursue her own goals in show business, as long as it does not clash with I.O.I’s schedules.”But Jung has disappointed fans. Some even dubbed her move controversial, saying she was used as a marketing tool for DIA. Others felt sorry for the 90 girls who missMay 13, 2016
'Comedy Big League' gets government warning Jang Dong-min, right, from tvN's "Comedy Big League" on Sunday / Courtesy of tvN By Bahk Eun-ji The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has warned “Comedy Big League,” tvN’s comedy skit show, for violating human rights and using improper language.The warning came after comedian Jang Dong-min was embroiled in controversy for mocking socially disadvantaged people on the show.In an episode aired last month, Jang, 36, made fun of children from divorced families while playing a preschool boy. In the show, he sees one of his friends from a divorced family boasting about his new toy and asks: “Did your separated father send you money?” He keeps joking: “Great. You receive birthday presents from two families. That’s a good financial move.”Jang then portrayed a child exposing his penis to his grandmother, which quickly drew criticism that he had made fun of child sexual molestation.After the segment, a civic group promoting the rights of single-parent families sued the show’s producers, tvN’s executivMay 13, 2016
