JYP Entertainment to overhaul hallyu strategy By Kim Jae-heunJYP Entertainment said Tuesday that it will overhaul its export strategy for hallyu (Korean wave) and adopt a new system to stem recurrences of controversies involving its members.Its move came after Chou Tzuyu, a Taiwanese member of JYP Entertainment’s girl band Twice, was embroiled in a controversy for waving a Taiwanese flag on the online show “My Little Television,” last November, which triggered anger among Chinese consumers. “We have several foreign members in our K-pop bands and we plan to make a new system to thoroughly study sensitivity issues, such as political conflicts between countries,” said a JYP official in a phone interview with The Korea Times. “It will not only apply to K-pop stars but all staff members in the company.” He said the company will institute a more effective system to prevent recurrence of similar disputes.China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, although Taiwan has ruled itself since a 1949 split from the mainland after a civil war.The agency quickly released a videotaped apology by the Jan 19, 2016
Park Si-hoo returns to TV after three years Actor Park Si-hoo / YonhapActor Park Si-hoo, who was embroiled in a sex scandal three years ago, returned to TV Tuesday with a drama on cable channel OCN.Park, 38, has been absent from the Korean entertainment scene after being accused in February 2013 of raping an aspiring actress. The prosecution dropped the cast a few months later, at the woman’s request.In a press conference for the drama “Neighborhood Hero,” Park said he is grateful for the chance “to stand on stage like this.”“I was able to review my life in the past three years and spend time with precious people,” Park said. “I went mountain climbing throughout the nation.”Park, who worked in China, also said he spent a lot of time thinking about his future during his absence from Korea.In “Neighborhood Hero,” Park plays a former secret agent who was bent on personal revenge but ends up helping a neighbor, along with a police officer and a job seeker. Jan 19, 2016
Former AKB48 singer promotes Zico's album Mariko Shinoda from a teaser video for Zico's "It was Love" / Screen capture from YouTubeJapanese entertainer Mariko Shinoda, a former member of girl band AKB48, has appeared in the teaser video for rapper Zico’s new single album.Shinoda, also an actress, features in the 46-second clip for the rapper’s song “It was Love,” the album’s second track.Zico’s management company, Seven Seasons, released the video Tuesday.With an orchestra playing in the background, the video hinted at the rapper’s departure from his usual drumbeat-filled hip-hop sounds.Shinoda, a captain of the band’s Team A from 2012, left the group the last year.The album will be released Jan. 25.Jan 19, 2016
Super Junior Ryeowook's first solo album ready to go /Courtesy of SM EntertainmentK-pop boy band Super Junior’s Ryeowook will release his first mini-album, “The Little Prince,” his management agency SM Entertainment said Tuesday.The album will be available online at midnight on Jan. 28.It is also the first release under Super Junior’s own label -- Label SJ -- which SM Entertainment established last year.Ryeowook has demonstrated his talent through various shows, original sound track releases and the sub-unit, Super Junior K.R.Y.Meanwhile, he is scheduled to hold his first solo concert, “Ever Lasting Star - Ryeo Wook,” from Feb. 19 to 21 at the COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Jan 19, 2016
Psy's 'Daddy' hits 100 million YouTube views Psy / Korea Times fileKorean rapper Psy’s music video for the single “Daddy” has shot past 100 million views on YouTube in less than two months, Yonhap reported.The video, featuring CL, leader of K-pop girl band 2NE1, reached the mark on Tuesday morning.Psy, 38, is the first Korean artist to achieve this with four consecutive music videos.The rapper’s breakthrough single, “Gangnam Style,” is nearing 2.5 billion views for its music video. His following release, “Gentleman,” earned 920 million views, while “Hangover” is around 241 million. Jan 19, 2016
What's next for 'Reply 1988' stars? Lee Hyeri from "Reply 1988"With TV drama “Reply 1988” achieving huge popularity nationwide, its stars are pondering their next steps after the show’s end.The cable television drama achieved record ratings of 19.6 percent for its last episode on Jan. 16.Crew and actors are celebrating the production’s success with a group vacation in Phuket, Thailand, from Tuesday until Saturday, according to Yonhap news agency.Lee Hyeri, the female lead who played high school girl “Seong Deok-seon,” has a busy schedule this month.She filmed K-pop TV show “SBS Inkigayo” on Sunday, standing in as host. On Tuesday, she is scheduled to participate in a fan meeting in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, before leaving for Phuket.From Phuket, she heads to Hong Kong on Friday for the “Listen to Your Eyes” concert with her K-pop girl band Girl’s Day on Saturday and Sunday.She returns to Korea on Sunday for media interviews from Monday to Wednesday, and to film commercials from Wednesday. Since her role in the drama, she has filmed 13 ads and raked in about 6Jan 19, 2016
Veteran comedians launch gag tour of US From left, Kim Won-hyo, Kim Jae-wook, Park Seong-ho, Jeong Beom-gyun and Lee Jong-hoon in a poster for their comedy show in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, in January / Courtesy of Naver blogFive veteran Korean comedians will tour the U.S. and other countries to tickle the funny bones of ethnic Koreans.The team -- Park Seong-ho, Kim Jae-wook, Kim Won-hyo, Lee Jong-hoon and Jeong Beom-gyun -- will begin the tour next month. Starting in New York City, the show moves to Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. In June, they fly to Sydney and Melbourne, followed by Auckland.The team’s target audience is ethnic Koreans.The five have years of experience through TV comedy programs like “Gag Concert” on KBS and “People Looking For Laughter” on SBS, as well as on stage.The team had its first performance last September at a small theater in Hongdae, Seoul. The event sold out.“I want people come to our shows with an intention of just having fun with us rather than to test us, thinking ‘Try me’,” Jeong told OSEJan 19, 2016
Child actors who became 'irreplaceable' Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from "Revenant" (top) and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993)Hollywood western thriller movie “Revenant” grabbed No.1 spot in box office last weekend and embossed its lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who won the Best Performance in Drama category in the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, with impressive performance.A media report suggested Monday that his charisma as an actor has been chiseled since his early career as a teenage actor, debuting with sci-fi horror movie “Critters 3” (1991) at age of 17. The American star, now 41, was praised for his supporting role in drama movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993) where he portrayed a kid with developmental disability.In Korea, several actors and actresses who are now boasting irreplaceable presence in motion pictures and TV have also been active in the field of acting since they were a teenager or a pre-teen.Yoo Ah-in in a scene from "Boys of Tomorrow" (2006)Actor Yoo Ah-in, who spent the hottest year of his career in 2015 starring in movies “Veteran,” “TJan 18, 2016
Gang Dong-won signs with YG Entertainment Gang Dong-won / Courtesy of YG Entertainment Actor Gang Dong-won has signed with YG Entertainment, the company said Monday.YG uploaded Gang’s photo on its Twitter page, saying, “Welcome to YG & Happy Birthday Gang Dong-won.”Rumors have around since last week that the actor, 34, could be joining YG, because his contract with United Artist Agency (UAA) ended last November.Because he is one of Korea’s top actors, there has been a lot of interest in which company would sign him.YG has a strong overseas presence, especially in Asia. YG said it would set up an exclusive team to support Gang. Jan 18, 2016
Multicultural group to lodge complaint over idol's apology A private multicultural organization said Monday it will file a complaint later this week with the national human rights watchdog against an entertainment agency chief who reportedly forced a 16-year-old Taiwanese K-pop singer to apologize for waving the island's flag.The Center for Multicultural Korea (CMCK) in Seoul denounced Park Jin-young, chief of JYP Entertainment, for allegedly forcing the young girl to make the apology, which it calls a "serious racial discrimination and human rights infringement."K-pop singer Chou Tzu-yu, a member of the South Korean girl group TWICE managed by JYP, waved Taiwan's national flag on a South Korean entertainment TV program in November. This incident has been thrown into a political row between Taiwan and mainland China.The center said in a statement that a "16-year-old girl waving the national flag of her own country is very natural, but Park Jin-young forced her to make an apology under pressure from Chinese netizens.""We will ask the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to investigate whether the apology was forced or not," it said, addiJan 18, 2016
