BigBang to attend 'Gaon Chat K-pop Award' BigBang /Courtesy of YG EntertainmentK-pop band BigBang will attend “The 5th Gaon Chart K-pop Awards” to be held on February 17 at Jamsil Students Gymnasium in Seoul.Gaon Music Chart weekly chart ranks the nation’s sales of songs and albums. Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the chart aspires to be as significant as to the music industry as Billboard in the United States and the Oricon charts of Japan.BigBang’s appearance at the Gaon awards will be a long-awaited return for the fans. The band has announced that it will miss the year-end music award festivals on three networks _ KBS, MBC and SBS _ to focus on its new album.BigBang raced to the top of the nation’s major online music charts with its comeback project “MADE,” released earlier this year.The “MADE Series” was issued in 5 parts, with a song released at the beginning of each month starting in May. The band’s music video for “Bang Bang Bang” was the most-watched K-pop video of the year on YouTube.The band has also been performing arDec 23, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Drug abusing TV star to leave Korea Lee Yoon-ji / Korea Times fileThe Korean Immigration Office has ordered TV personality Lee Yoon-ji, better known by her stage name Amy, who has been found guilty of drug abuse, to leave the country before Dec. 31.Lee, 34, reportedly will leave for Guam, a U.S. territory, on Dec. 30, according to media reports Tuesday. She originally planned to depart for China but the immigration office ordered that the Korean-American star must go to the country of her citizenship.On Nov. 25, a Seoul High Court appeals court dismissed Lee’s suit against the head of the office in 2014.She was fined 5 million won ($4,300) in September last year after it was confirmed she bought Zolpidem, a common prescription sleeping drug, without prescription.Lee, better known by her stage name Amy, debuted as a TV actress in 2008. / Courtesy of Naver blogThe office had also ordered her to leave the country before March 27 this year.The departure order came after Lee broke her conditions after she was sentenced eight months’ jail, suspended for two years, for abusing the psychotropic drug Propofol iDec 22, 2015
Radio DJ legend lights up TV variety show Bae Chul-soo from JTBC's "Non-Summit" / Screen capture from Naver tvcastRadio show host Bae Chul-soo showed on Monday his legendary reputation as a DJ has bought him praise and respect when he appeared as a guest on the TV variety show “Non-Summit.”On the weekly JTBC program -- where 12 celebrities from different countries debate a topic -- Bae, 62, talked about whether sticking to classic pops might tarnish one’s social standing, or was it a legitimate musical taste.A former member of rock band “Songolmae,” meaning falcon, from 1979 until 1991 and host of MBC’s ongoing global pop music show “Bae Chul-soo’s Music Camp” since 1990, Bae talked about world singers who have been on his radio show.Songolmae, with Bae second from left / Korea Times fileHe also joined a discussion about which songs were good for a marriage proposal or for ex-girlfriends over the Christmas holiday season.Italy’s Alberto Mondi, Ghana’s Samuel Okyere and Germany’s Daniel Lindemann performed Songolmae's hit song from 1982. Bae, despite the Dec 22, 2015
Song Il-gook and triplets to leave 'Superman Returns' /Korea Times fileActor Song Il-gook and his triplet sons _ Dae-han, Min-gook and Man-se _ will leave the KBS2 reality show “Superman Returns.”There has been speculation that Song and his sons will depart from the popular entertainment program, but it has now been confirmed that they will no longer be involved.“Song Il-gook and the boys filmed their last episode yesterday,” the producers of the show announced on Tuesday. “Their last episode will be aired next February." “We apologize for the confusion over the widespread rumors about his leaving."“Please understand that we could not confirm whether they would leave or not, because we were discussing the exact timing."“We'd like to thank all those who have loved Song and the boys, and we have been happy to be with them for one-and-a-half years.”Song and his sons joined the show in July last year. The boys’ cuteness has contributed to the show’s popularity. Dec 22, 2015
Top Chinese model denies romance with Choi Si-won Liu Wen, left, Choi Si-won / Screen capture from InstagramChinese model Liu Wen has denied she is romantically involved with Choi Si-won, an actor and a member of K-pop band Super Junior, Chinese media reported Monday.Choi and Liu starred in the Chinese version of TV variety show “We Got Married” as a virtual married couple for about three month since April.During the shooting, a show host asked Liu: “Are you and Choi actually together?” Liu avoided he question, and asked the audience, “Have you eaten? If you don’t, cook will provide you food.”The episode sparked a romance rumor among Chinese fans.Liu’s management company has denied the romance, saying,“Choi and Liu are not actually dating, but they just acted as a couple for the show. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but Liu is a single now.”Choi is serving his mandatory military service in Korea, after shooting a popular MBC drama “She was Pretty.”Dec 22, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Sung Yu-ri uses voice to help child refugees Actress Sung Yu-ri / Korea Times fileActress Sung Yu-ri is using her voice to help child refugees from Syria, Yonhap reported Tuesday.She was asked to do the voiceover for international non-governmental organization World Vision’s “Happy ANDing” campaign, and recently finished recording.The campaign aims to heighten public awareness.“I have learned a lot about the child refugees through this campaign, and I hope many people will open their hearts and join in,” said the former K-pop girl band Fin.K.L member-turned actress, 34.Money raised from the video donation drive will be used to help child refugees sheltering at emergency relief sites. Dec 22, 2015
Actor Kim Hyun-joong's ex says she has his child Actor Kim Hyun-joong's ex-girlfriend said Monday she is "99.9 percent sure" her child is his, introducing a new twist to an ongoing legal battle between the two.The woman, identified only as a 31-year-old surnamed Choi, said via her attorney that a recent paternity test conducted at the Seoul National University College of Medicine confirmed that Kim is the biological father of her three-month-old child."Kim framed my client as a pathological liar and fraudster without any evidence," attorney Seon Jong-mun said in a statement. "He slaughtered her dignity by threatening her to 'take responsibility' in case the paternity test showed a negative result."The attorney called on Kim to "repent, apologize and show responsibility as the father of this child."The Kim-Choi saga started in August 2014 when Choi accused the actor, who is also a member of the boy band SS501, of abusing her and causing her to miscarry.Kim paid her 600 million won (US$508,000) in private to prevent her from embarrassing him publically but later realized that she may not have been pregnant after reviewing the rDec 21, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Ha Jung-woo, Jung Woo sign for ghost movie Ha Jung-woo (left), Jung Woo / Korea Times file Top actors Ha Jung-woo and Jung Woo have been cast in a new film, “Along With the Gods.”The film, based on Ju Ho-min’s web comic of the same title, is about Korean traditional ghosts in the world after death.After death, Kim Ja-hong, is brought to trial for 49 days with death angles (I cannot understand this). Koreans believe spirits stay in the world for 49 days before they depart.The Realize Pictures movie has a 15 billion won budget.Ha, 37, will play Kanglim, a messenger of death, but the role of Jung Woo,34, has not been disclosed.Cha Tae-hyun and Oh Dal-su have been considering starring roles in the film, but both have not decided. Dec 21, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
'Reply 1988' sets ratings record A scene from "Reply 1988" / Korea Times fileCable channel drama “Reply 1988” has broken another record, averaging a 16 percent rating for its Saturday episode, Yonhap reported. Double-digit ratings for cable television dramas are still a rare achievement, although it is more common in TV dramas aired on networks.The retro-drama is about five families in Ssangmun-dong, Seoul, in 1988 when Korea hosted its first Summer Olympics and was on the cusp of entering its boom days. The drama airs Fridays and Saturdays on tvN and posted its highest rating of 17.4 percent for the 14th episode.With that feat, “Reply 1988” is becoming the most popular among the “Reply” editions - “Reply 1994” and “Reply 1997.” In the latest version, Sung Deok-sun (played by Girl’s Day’s Hye-ri) lives in Ssangmun-dong, where she and four male friends grow up before she marries one of them. Singling out the husband, whose identity is still under wraps, has been a central part of the “Reply” series. Dec 20, 2015
클라라,김현중부터 유승준,신은경까지…2015 연예계 스캔들 올해도 연예계는 바람 잘 날이 없었다. 스타들의 각종 스캔들과 의혹이 온라인을 뜨겁게 달구며 누리꾼의 입방아에 오르내렸다. 전 여자 친구의 임신, 이혼, 불륜 논란 등 사생활 문제를 비롯해 전 소속사와 분쟁, 만취난동, 원정 도박설 등 스캔들의 종류도 갖가지였다. 각종 사건은 진실 공방으로 치닫거나 진흙탕 싸움이 됐고, 이 과정에서 일부 스타들은 이미지에 치명타를 입고 활동을 중단하기도 했다. 온라인에서 '광클'(미치도록 빠르게 클릭)을 불러온 스타들의 힘겨웠던 한해를 돌아봤다. ◇ 김현중·서세원·강용석·바비킴 등…사생활 때문에 가수 겸 배우 김현중은 지난해부터 1년 넘게 계속된 전 여자 친구와 분쟁으로 이미지가 추락했다. 급기야 지난 2월에는 전 여자 친구의 임신 사실이 알려지며 낯뜨거운 폭로와 법적 공방이 계속됐다. 법원은 친자 확인을 위한 유전자 감정 수검 명령을 내렸고 지난 5월 입대한 김현중은 군 복무 중이던 이달 서울대학병원에서 전 여자 친구, 아이, 변호인과 참석해 친자 확인 검사를 받아야 했다. 지난해 5월 부인 서정희로부터 폭행 혐의로 피소된 방송인 서세원은 지난 5월 징역 6월에 집행유예 2년을 선고받았다. 지난해 쌍방이 이혼소송을 냈던 부부는 결국 8월 결혼 32년 만에 이혼에 합의했다. 방송인으로 활약한 강용석 변호사는 유명 블로거 '도도맘' 김미나 씨와 불륜설에 휩싸여 곤욕을 치렀다. 그는 불로거의 남편으로부터 고소를 당하는 등 논란에 휘말렸고 이 과정에서 두 사람이 해외에서 찍힌 사진 등이 공개돼 파장을 일으켰다. 결국 강 변호사는 지난 8월 모든 방송에서 하차했고 10월 김씨는 한 월간지를 통해 "불륜이 아니다"고 반박했다. 가수 바비킴은 지난 1월 미국행 비행기에서 만취해 난동을 부려 벌금형을 선고받았다. 항공사가 좌석 승급 당시 실수하는 Dec 20, 2015
