Conan O'Brien lands in Seoul to thunderous welcome Conan O’Brien, left, and Sunny Lee / Courtesy of InstagramConan O’Brien looked momentarily dumbstruck as about 500 enthusiastic fans and blinding camera flashes welcomed his arrival at Incheon International Airport on Sunday afternoon. But the American show host quickly recovered, grabbed a loudspeaker and roared back, “Anyounghasayo (Hello)!”O’Brien had used Instagram to invite fans to greet him at the airport.“Attention #Korea! Come greet me today at the Incheon airport. I'll be the tall talk show host...” he posted.O’Brien decided to visit Korea when a Korean student named Sunny Lee sent the comedian a fan letter and a package of local snacks.“Here is my motto, and I want this to get out all around the world: If you send me free snacks from your country, I will travel there in person to thank you. That’s what I do,” he told the audience on his show.O'Brien posted online SNS photos he took during his trip to Korea / Courtesy of InstagramIndeed, O’Brien met Lee at the airport to thank her personally for theFeb 15, 2016
China's leading entertainment agency to enter Korean market China's leading entertainment firm said Monday it will advance to the South Korean market by opening its Korean unit in Seoul."We will soon launch a 'Yue Hua Entertainment Korea' office in Seoul to introduce and develop a new paradigm in the entertainment industry in South Korea," an official of the firm said.Yue Hua has already been testing the waters by collaborating with South Korea's Starship Entertainment, which manages the girl group Sistar and singer K.will, to produce five-member boy band UNIQ. A girl group named Cosmic Girls is set to debut in the first half of this year under the two firms' partnership. "China is the largest market with a 1.3 billion population, while South Korea is the leading entertainment content producer in Asia," the official said. The official said China's high market potential and Korea's content-producing capabilities will create a great synergy effect, forming "one Asia market."Established in 2009, Yue Hua is a general entertainment firm on music, film and TV drama production as well as artist management.It will also participate in the two countrieFeb 15, 2016
Ugliness a new virtue in Infinite Challenge (From top) Woo Hyun, right, Lee Bong-ju, (bottom) Ha Sang-wook, left, and Kim Tae-jin from "Infinite Challenge" on MBC / Courtesy of MBCMale celebrities deemed “ugly” by MBC’s TV variety show “Infinite Challenge” are proving that ugliness is a new virtue in Korea’s show business.On the weekly show’s feature segment “Let Me Introduce My Ugly Friend: Season 2,” 50-something actor Woo Hyun was voted by 16 co-starring “ugly” celebrities as the ugliest in the first impression evaluation.Olympic silver medalist marathoner Lee Bong-ju, guitarist Kim Tae-jin and poet Ha Sang-wook followed.The real fun lies in the stars denying their ugliness while still trying to stand out as funny entertainers by emphasizing their “sub-par” looks.In the first season, TV personality Noh Hong-chul was selected the ugliest in the final vote.“They are not just ugly but also attractive people with unique characteristics,” said online daily OhMyNews.“The segment keenly satirizes the country, which is deep-rooFeb 14, 2016
Voracious Hani new idol queen of food Hani, second from left, with other hosts of "Baek Jong-won’s 3 Top Chefs" on SBS / Courtesy of SBS“It would have been a real tragedy for singer Hani if she had not joined 'Baek Jong-won’s 3 Top Chefs a month ago’” online daily OSEN said on Sunday, pointing out the singer from K-pop girl band EXID’s outstanding skill as host of SBS’s TV cooking variety show.Most of the news about Hani these days is from the show, which features her funny comments and facial expressions as she tastes food in front of an audience.But her comedy does not damage the star’s image ― in fact, the opposite. The more the pretty foodie passionately gobbled the food, the more the public loved her.She joined three hosts, including chef-entertainer Baek Jong-won, in late January. Hani, 23, said that as the only woman, she would “represent women’s tastes.”She seems to bring to her role with more zeal and joy than when she performs with the band. When she made a rare scene of sucking hidden meat out of pig bones from haejangguk (a hot soup with pork bFeb 14, 2016
Stars in love with Valentine's Day Kim Jung-eun, left, and Ray Yang / Courtesy of InstagramCelebrities might be busy with their regular agendas, but some did not forget to share Valentine’s Day holiday, Feb. 14, with their fans online.Health trainer and TV personality Ray Yang posted a photo of herself with a box of chocolate garnished with a floral decoration.“Express your heart to those you love with a nifty gift this holiday,”she saidKim Jae-kyung / Courtesy of InstagramSinger Kim Jae-kyung from K-pop girl band Rainbow posted two Instagram pictures of tarts she said she cooked. Hashtags such as “I stayed up through last night,” “Wait for me Rainous (the band’s fan club)” and “20160215” hinted she would hand out the cream-filled pastries topped with strawberries, raisins and other fruity delights to fans at a showcase introducing an album a day after the holiday.Actress Kim Jung-eun, who will marry her Korean-American boyfriend in late March, on Sunday posted an Instagram photo of herself holding flowers.Joo Young-hoon and his wife, actress Lee Yoon-miFeb 14, 2016
Park Jin-young to work on project with Conan O'Brien Park Jin-young, singer and founder of JYP Entertainment / YonhapPark Jin-young, singer and founder of JYP Entertainment, will work on a joint project with American talk show host Conan O'Brien next week, Yonhap reports.The two are expected to work together on Thursday in South Korea. O’Brien is set to arrive in Seoul for a five-day trip Sunday to shoot his “Conan” show in Korea, the report said, citing a local fan who claims to have been contacted by the “Conan” team.During his stay, O’Brien might tour downtown Seoul and visit a traditional Korean village near Seoul.There are also rumors that Park and O’Brien will shoot a music video together. JYP Entertainment, one of South Korea’s top three entertainment agencies, is home to such bands as 2PM and missA. Feb 13, 2016
'Cheese in the Trap' stars get bonus holiday in Phuket / Courtesy of tvN Crew and actors from popular tvN drama “Cheese in the Trap” will holiday in Phuket, Thailand, next month to celebrate the program’s success.The five-day trip will begin on March 2.The Monday/Tuesday drama has topped national ratings with an average of 6.5 percent.Actors Kim Go-eun, Park Hae-jin, Seo Gang-joon and Lee Sung-kyung star in the webtoon-based drama.The last episode will air on March 1.Feb 12, 2016
Late-blooming star Lee Ae-ran reveals past poverty Singer Lee Ae-ran / Courtesy of her official websiteSinger Lee Ae-ran, who has shot to stardom with “100-Year Life,” has disclosed that her poverty meant she did not have the money to take her sick father to hospital.Lee, 52, is a leading Korean singer these days and a video for “100-Year Life” has garnered about 2 million views.But she was a virtual unknown for 25 years and she elaborated on what that meant for her family while on a Korean cable talk show on JTBC. The full version of the show will air on Sunday. Her father died in May last year, she said, and that she could not afford one hospital treatment because of her poverty.“My father passed away without ever finding out what his illness was,” Lee was quoted in the talk show as saying.She also talked of her youngest sibling who is battling leukemia.Feb 12, 2016
Wedding ceremony for Kim Ga-yeon, Lim Yo-hwan Kim Ga-yeon, Lim Yo-hwan / Korea Times fileActress Kim Ga-yeon and professional video gamer Lim Yo-hwan have decided to hold a wedding ceremony in May, five years after registering their marriage.The couple have been together since 2011 and Kim gave birth to a daughter in August.Comedian Yoo Jae-suk will host the ceremony.Kim is known for her tough action against those who leave vicious comments about her and her daughter on message boards and social media.The actress has filed lawsuits against 91 online commentators, and 40 have received fines or other penalties. Feb 12, 2016
Stars shine in small-screen dramas Actors Rain and Oh Yeon-seo in this promotional photos for the upcoming drama "Please Come Back, Mister," which will start airing Feb. 24. / Courtesy of SoompiDramas featuring top hallyu actors are slated to start airing later this month.One of them is SBS’s “Please Come Back, Mister,” starring top hallyu star Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) and Oh Yeon-seo. Promotional photos for the drama released this week showed nuanced chemistry between Jung and Oh.“Please Come Back, Mister” is about two middle-aged men who die but are given a second chance in life in much younger, good-looking bodies.The first episode will air at 10 p.m. on Feb. 24. It will go head-to-head with another much-anticipated drama, “The Descendants of the Sun,” featuring Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki on KBS.Feb 12, 2016
