Gaon Chart K-pop Awards hit sour note Big Bang By Kwon Ji-younYG Entertainment’s dominance at the Gaon Chart K-pop Awards has cast doubt on the event’s fairness and raised questions about whether the winners made significant contributions to the development of K-pop last year.YG artists swept 10 trophies in 17 categories at the ceremony at Olympic Park in southern Seoul, Wednesday. BigBang won five with its album “MADE”; Psy was named “Artist of the Year” for December; WINNER member Song Min-ho won was “Discovery of the Year” in hip-hop; iKON was named “New Artist of the Year”; and YG chief Yang Hyun-suk was “Producer of the Year.”SM Entertainment artists followed YG in the trophy count with eight.EXO won five awards, including the “Popularity Award” by fan vote; Super Junior was named “Artist of the Year” in the third quarter; and TaeYeon was “Artist of the Year” for October. Red Velvet won an award for “hot performance.”But whether WINNER member Song earned an award in hip-hop is questionable, esFeb 18, 2016
SM plans 'EXO convenience store' EXO/Courtesy of SM EntertainmentTop Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment will open a convenience store chain.The agency, which represents Girls' Generation, EXO, Super Junior and TVXQ, is preparing to open “SUM Market” that sells content related to SM artists, along with drinks and snacks. Media outlets reported Wednesday that the so-called “EXO convenience store” will open its first shop inside the SM Entertainment office building in Samseong-dong, Seoul, as early as next month. "SUM," a celebrity shop in SMTOWN@coexartium in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, sells souvenirs and fashion items that SM artists have designed or recommended. /Courtesy of SM Entertainment SM artist-themed food, including “Super Junior nuts,” “EXO Seaweed snacks” and “Girls’ Generation wines,” will be sold at the convenience store.The agency already operates celebrity shop chain “SUM,” which sells fashion accessories related to SM artists. The agency wanted to extend its business and has decided to collFeb 18, 2016
Unsolved cases that 'Signal' could crack By Kwon Ji-younCable network tvN’s “Signal,” starring Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong and Lee Je-hoon, tells the story of three investigators working on unsolved cases as the statute of limitations for first-degree murder is scrapped.With the show’s growing popularity, attention is turning to some of Korea’s most infamous unsolved cases, those that will remain unsolved because only cases that occurred after 2000 are subject to the National Assembly’s revised bill that abolished the 25-year statute of limitations. The poster for the 2003 film “Memories of Murder” /Korea Times fileHwaseong serial murdersThe murders occurred from Sept. 15, 1986, to April 3, 1991, in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.Ten women aged 14 to 71 were found bound, gagged, raped and murdered over a four-year, seven-month period. Most were strangled by their own clothes, such as pantyhose and socks.The case, which was re-explored in the 2003 film “Memories of Murder,” was one of the first serial murders that had a clear method. The total number of suspects grFeb 18, 2016
K-culture supporters' group organized in Russia A group of local Russians has launched an organization to introduce and support the Korean culture wave of hallyu, which has been earning widespread popularity in Russia.The newly organized "K-culture supporters" have begun full-fledged activities after a launching ceremony at a Russian hotel on Tuesday (local time) in a bid to assist cultural exchanges between South Korea and Russia while supporting the spread of hallyu.The 17-member organization includes figures representing the Russian culture, art and academic fields including Yuri Kolosov, chief of the international relations bureau of the Russian film makers association, and Anatoly Levin, chief conductor of the symphony orchestra of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.Other members also include bloggers publishing monthly K-pop magazines, university students and Russian attendees who learn Korean language and culture at the private cultural center here.According to sources, the K-pop supporters will actively participate in exchange programs between the two countries in the fields of cinema, music, literature and Korean sFeb 18, 2016
Lee Ha-nui gets host gig on SNL Korea Lee Ha-nui / Courtesy of SARAM EntertainmentFormer Miss Korea Lee Ha-nui, 32, will host the first episode of the Korean version of Saturday Night Live (SNL) season 7 next week, Daily Sports reported Thursday.Lee, an actress, will be the main host with regulars Shin Dong-yup, Kim Min-kyo and Jung Sang-hoon.Singer Kim Ye-won, who has faced public scrutiny for allegedly arguing with actress Lee Tae-im, will also join the regulars.Lee won Miss Korea in 2006. She has been pursuing an acting career since. Lee has been dating singer-turned-actor Yoon Kye-sang, 37, a member of first-generation K-pop band g.o.d. Feb 18, 2016
Mega idol bands new K-pop trend Lee Soo-man, the founding chairman and producer of S.M. Entertainment / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBigger is better in the K-pop industry this year, with mega idol bands all the rage.With huge sums of money and the experience of major entertainment companies, large-scale bands are being readied for their debut.Cable channel Mnet’s new reality girl band survival show, “Produce 101,” premiered on Jan. 22 and a mega-band will result. Produce 101 / Courtesy of Mnet“Produce 101” puts together 101 trainees from 46 entertainment companies to produce a girl band of 11 finalists.They will release an album right after finishing the show. Boys 24 / Courtesy of CJ E&M CJ E&M’s “Boys 24” is a male version of “Produce 101.”The company will invest 25 billion won ($20 million) in the project over three years. After selecting 24 boys through auditions, they will receive rigorous training and get a chance to appear on TV. The auditions, which began on Jan.18, will continue until Feb. 19. SM EntertainmentFeb 18, 2016
Exclusive 4Minute in pursuit of new style of music This is the first in a series of interviews with K-pop idols. The following interview was conducted with the five members of girl band 4Minute. ― ED.By Kim Jae-heun K-pop girl group 4Minute of Cube Entertainment is already in their seventh year since they first debuted in 2009 with their first album “Hot Issue,” which instantly propelled them to stardom.Two weeks ago, the five-member group released their seventh mini-album which features the title song “Hate” co-produced by popular American electronic music producer Skrillex. The day after 4Minute released the new track, it reached the Top 10 on iTunes charts in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and China.Unlike the band’s previous albums, which have instantly swept the domestic charts but drew little attention from abroad, the new track is receiving more positive feedback from abroad while local fans are offering mixed responses. Nonetheless, the members are proud that they have, once again, come up with their own new style of music, as they have always been pursuing different sFeb 17, 2016
Overwork fells popular TV stars Kim Sung-joo hosts “King of Mask Singer” on MBC / Courtesy of MBCAnother hugely popular TV host is taking a break because of overwork, adding to viewers’ consternation. Kim Sung-joo is giving up his television shows for a few weeks to take a vacation.Kim’s agency, Tipping Entertainment, said Tuesday the star will have a three-week holiday after filming MBC variety music show “King of Mask Singer.”The agency said Kim, also MBC’s sports announcer who hosts six TV programs and one radio show on KBS Cool FM, has been suffering fatigue, according to Yonhap news agency.Despite Kim’s comeback in March, his absence for the rest of this month will likely affect his shows in terms of fun and, ultimately, ratings.Jun Hyun-moo from "Hidden Singer" on JTBC, left, and Jeong Hyung-don from "Weekly Idol" on MBC every1Two other A-list TV show hosts, Jun Hyun-moo and Jeong Hyung-don, have made headlines for abruptly vacating their spots.Jun, a TV announcer-turned-entertainer, was forced to rest late last month because of vocal cord nodules caused byFeb 17, 2016
'Comeback kids' reveal K-pop secrets Ryang Hyun Ryang Ha from JTBC’s “Two Yoo Project: Sugar Man,” Tuesday / Courtesy of FacebookBefore the term “hallyu,” or Korean wave, was coined and K-pop stars like Girls’ Generation, Psy and Rain became famous on global stages, there were twin brothers, 12, who caught the public’s attention with catchy songs and skillful dance moves.They were Kim Ryang-hyun and Kim Ryang-ha, who went by the stage name Ryang Hyun Ryang Ha.Breaking into K-pop in 2000 and flying below the radar in 2007 after releasing a mini album, “RYANG-HYUN RYANG-HA 2+,” they seemed to have been forgotten. But the pair, who many remembered as two small children with hair dyed yellow, wearing hip-hop fashion and singing about playing video games and not going to school, popped up again in a TV music show Tuesday. Ryang Hyun Ryang Ha in 2000 / Korea Times fileThe stars visited JTBC’s “Two Yoo Project: Sugar Man,” which invites singers with K-pop hits from the 1980s to the early 2000s to recount stories behind the numbers.Feb 17, 2016
Believe it or not, it's up to you! Everyone loves gossip, especially when it is related to celebrities. But foreign fans may find it difficult to access such information ― mostly on love affairs and rivalries ― that is circulated under the table due to linguistic barriers or for whatever other reason. To break down the barriers and give foreigners a hand accessing the darker side of Korea’s increasingly complicated showbiz industry, The Korea Times introduces “Believe It or Not,” a column reporting unconfirmed celeb stories currently making the rounds on social media. This weekly series may upset or titillate you. We have removed all names to avoid defamation. One thing you need to know is that the following stories are brought to you without fact-checking. So, believe it or not, it’s up to you.― ED.Well-known names have been included on “secret lists” of actresses and actress hopefuls allegedly being matched with sponsors, usually deep-pocketed and powerful names from major corporations. One particular actress, recently married, is said to have attracted sponsors with morFeb 17, 2016
