INFINTE ready to rock on new world tour INFINITE /Courtesy of Woollin Entertainment K-pop band INFINITE will launch its second world tour early next year, starting in Canada, Woollim Entertainment said Tuesday.Titled “2015 INFINTE Effect,” the tour will begin in Vancouver on Jan. 1 and play Los Angeles on Jan. 10. The tour will continue in Mexico, Chile and New York.The last concert will be in Hong Kong, the company said.The band’s first world tour played 12 cities in 11 countries, including Taiwan and China, and Europe in August.INFINITE is a seven-member boy band with Sungkyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Hoya, Sungyeol, L and Sungjong. Nov 24, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
U-Kiss' Hoon posts photo with KBS drama cast Hoon, center, poses with cast from KBS drama "Honey Jar in Our Home." / Courtesy of nh MediaHoon, a member of K-pop boy band U-Kiss, has posted an Instagram photo of himself with the cast of the new KBS drama “Honey Jar in Our Home.”Hoon stars as a young man who pursues his musical aspirations despite parental opposition. Hoon is seen sitting with actors Lee Young-ha, Kim Min-su, Lee Jae-jun and Kim Yoo-suk, who plays his father.The drama, which airs daily at 8:30 p.m. on KBS 1, is topping the ratings at well above 20 percent.Meanwhile, U-Kiss completed a six-city tour of Japan with a Sept. 18 concert in Tokyo. They performed 20 concerts, bringing in an audience of some 60,000. Nov 24, 2015
Sex vibe makes JYP stronger Park Jin-young from "Who's your mama?" music video / Screen capture from YouTubeSBS talk show “Healing Camp” on Monday proved that singer Park Jin-young is probably the only artist in Korea who is bold enough freely to express sexual desire in his music.“The upcoming album that I am working on right now will have the strongest sex vibe in my music career,” Park, CEO of celebrity management company JYP, said.Since his debut in 1994, Park’s trademark has been his sexually provocative songs.“Elevator,” from his second album, released in 1995, depicted two strangers -- a man and a woman -- getting intimate in an elevator. And his latest hit, “Who’s your mama?,” reveals his appetite for women with slim waists and big buttocks.From a rookie singer to a mature music producer globally recognized, the veteran musician’s songs have faithfully represented his pursuit of sexual freedom.But this has not just been represented by his songs. The controversial vinyl costume showing his underwear -- that he wore during a performance -- Nov 24, 2015
Stars light up thriller movie 'Tunnel' /Korea Times fileTop actors Ha Jung-woo, Bae Doo-na and Oh Dal-su have teamed up for new thriller film “Tunnel.”Bae plays Ha’s wife in the film, directed by Kim Sung-hun, famous for “A Hard Day,” released last year.”Tunnel” is based on the novel of the same name, written by So Jae-won in 2013. It is about a man (Ha) stuck inside a collapsed tunnel. Oh plays a rescue worker.Kim’s “A Hard Day” is a crime action-thriller that was selected to compete in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Nov 24, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
IU sings 'Zeze' at concerts despite controversy IU /Korea Times fileSinger IU sang her new song from her latest album at concerts over the weekend, although the track has been embroiled in claims that it offends victims of child sexual abuse.The song, “Zeze” from her fourth album “CHAT-SHIRE,” has been criticized for painting pedophilia in a positive light.IU said the song was inspired by a Brazilian children’s novel, “My Sweet Orange Tree.”The singer introduced “Zeze” as “a song I continue to love” in an apparent allusion to the controversy.The lyrics in question include “You have a pretty name; I want to keep saying it. That unspeakable naughty imagination is lovable” and “You're very innocent but definitely cunning. You may seem pure as a child but deep down, you're dirty.”IU apologized earlier this month“for hurting people’s feelings,” but did not say she would exclude or change the song at her concerts. Nov 23, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Top MC -- and actor, too Yoo Jae-seok from MBC's "My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol" / Courtesy of MBCTop television MC Yoo Jae-seok made a surprise appearance in Sunday’s episode of the MBC drama “My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol” and received positive feedback.Yoo played a painter and a new secretary of the main female character Shin Deuk Yee (Jun In-hwa).Yoo’s appearance came after he was “sold” to MBC’s entertainment show “Infinity Challenge” on Saturday.Five members of the show auctioned off their “24 hours” to producers from the network’s TV drama and radio programs. The bidding pool of 47.3 million won ($40,000), went to charitiesYoo, who was sold for 20 million won ($17,000), attracted positive reviews.Comments included: “20 million won million won well spent,” “I want to see him again in a TV series” and “The drama’s TV rating will certainly jump.”Comedian Jeong Hyung-don, one of the regular members of “Infinity Challenge,” missed Saturday’s episode after announcing earlier this moNov 23, 2015
China company buys stake in Korea's FNC From left, Yoo Jae-seok, CN Blue and FT IslandChina’s Suning Universal Media has bought a 33 billion won ($28 million) stake in Korea’s FNC, reports said Monday.FNC, a listed company, represents some of Korea’s leading celebrities, including rock bands CN Blue, FT Island, girl band AOA and MC Yoo Jae-seok.The deal bonds FNC and the rich subsidiary of China’s major conglomerate Suning, one of China’s top 100 richest conglomerates.With the deal, FNC is expected to expand into China.In September, online corporate tracker Chaebul.com ranked FNC’s CEO Han Seong-ho No.3 in the stock-rich celebrity ranks.Nov 23, 2015
Lee Hyo-ri shares recent life on SNS /Screen capture from InstagramSinger Lee Hyo-ri has shared her recent life via social media.Famous make-up artist Jung Saem-mool uploaded photos with the singer on Sunday, saying, “She has been doing well. I feel always close to her, as we always exchange postcards and pictures we drew.”In the photo, Lee stands with her arms around the make-up artist’s shoulder.Lee has been living on Jeju Island since she married singer Lee Sang-soon in 2013. Lee announced she was taking a break from her entertainment career for a year. Nov 23, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Gummy finally unmasked Gummy with the mask she wore on MBC's King of Mask Singer / Courtesy of Facebook Singer Gummy turned out on Sunday to be the mysterious masked singer who mesmerized TV viewers over the past 10 weeks on the TV show King of Mask Singer.The star revealed her face on the MBC program -- in which celebrities are invited to sing with their faces covered and viewers guess who they are -- after she was eliminated.Masked singers lock horns in pairs, and audiences vote to decide which singer goes on to the next round.Those who lose must take off their masks, which is the most exciting part of the program.Gummy, a solo artist who debuted in 2003 with YG Entertainment, has been reigning supreme since September, winning four competitions in a row -- and becoming the 13-16th king.Only Kim Yeon-woo has reigned for longer -- as 4-7th king./ Courtesy of Naver blog“I imagined that taking off my mask would be the scariest moment on the program,” Gummy said after taking off her mask.“But now I feel so refreshed. I am thankful for the audiences that have been listening to my songs.&Nov 23, 2015
Singer shows he is up to the challenge Jung Jin-woo / Captured from SBSAmid a general slump in the popularity of survival audition programs, a re-try candidate on the SBS program “K-Pop Star 5” has surprised judges and applicants.Jung Jin-woo, who earlier had to drop out because of vocal cords nodules, had judges Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment, Yang Hyun-suk of YG Entertainment and Yoo Hee-yeol of Antenna, pounding their “pass” buttons enthusiastically when K-Pop Star 5”began its fifth season on Sunday.Jung was 18 when he first caught the judges’ attention with his version of a famous Korean song “Because I Love You.”This time, he sang his own song “Satellite,” winning a rave response.The song can be bought online.Nov 23, 2015
