Psy's 'Gentleman' breaks 900 million views A scene from Psy's "Gentleman" / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentThe music video for Psy's "Gentleman" has been watched more than 900 million times on YouTube in less than three years after it was shared on the video-streaming website.The music video "Gentleman" was released in April 2013, and has logged 918 million views as of 8 a.m. Monday.The "Gangnam Style" sequel took just four days to break 100 million views. It has taken two years and eight months since then to reach this latest milestone.Unlike what the title suggests, Psy plays pranks on women in "Gentleman" while dressed in his usual flashy wardrobe.Other videos by Psy have also been successful. As of Monday, "Gangnam Style" has been viewed 2.46 billion times, "Hangover" 228 million times and his latest release, "Daddy," 30 million times.Psy is scheduled to perform at Seoul's Olympic Park on Dec. 24-26. (Yonhap) Dec 7, 2015
After 20 years, S.M. Entertainment to expand overseas base Kim Young-min, CEO of SM Entertainment / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentS.M. Entertainment will continue to tighten its stranglehold on overseas markets, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, its CEO said Monday.Kim Young-min, who took the helm after founder Lee Soo-man relinquished the post in 2005, attributed the agency's success to its pioneering spirit."S.M. is what coined the terms 'hallyu,' 'K-pop' and 'Oricon chart No. 1' here," he told Yonhap News Agency in an interview. "S.M. continued the upswing by becoming the first South Korean entertainment company to be listed on the local bourse in 2000 and break the 1 trillion won ($858 million) mark in market value in 2012."S.M. started the first generation of Korean idol groups in the 1990s, with its signature boy band H.O.T. holding its inaugural China concert in 2000. Two years later, teen pop star BoA overtook Japanese music charts and the agency continued its trailblazing journey to France, where it held the first-ever K-pop concert in 2011.Its annual growth rates averaged 32 percent over the past 20 years, according toDec 7, 2015
'Single eyelid' new look of rising actresses Park So-dam, above, from "The Priests" and Han Ye-ri from “A Dramatic Night”Actresses Park So-dam and Han Ye-ri have drawn public attentions after appearing in recent theater movies “The Priests” and “A Dramatic Night,” respectively.The attentions, however, didn’t solely derive from the actresses’ impressive performance in the movies: It was also accounted for by their mystical, non-chiseled-looking faces with a “single eyelid” that has mesmerized the public.The fandom toward single-eyelid actresses is rather new in Korea. Korean women have long preferred double eyelid to single eyelid since as early as 1970s because double eyelid makes eyes look bigger, or, more western. Having double eyelid plastic surgery has been a popular beauty treatment for many Korean women.A media report has interpreted the public’s rave at single-eyelid stars as a sign that the nation’s standard of beauty has begun to diversify. Some reports also said actresses with single eyelid tend to have more versatility in playing roles,Dec 6, 2015
Acting couple now proud parents /YonhapActors So Yi-hyun and In Gyo-jin, who married last year, became parents of a baby girl on Friday,Keyeast Entertainment said Sunday.So, 31, and In, 35, had been friends for 10 years before they got together.So made her debut in the popular TV drama “Yellow Handkerchief” in 2003.In made his debut in the TV series “Lifetime in the Country” in 2000. He appeared in “Make a Woman Cry” in April. Dec 6, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
G-Dragon's star soars on Instagram /Screen capture from InstagramG-Dragon, a member of BigBang, is enjoying great popularity on social media.As of Sunday, more than 7 million people were following his official Instagram account. The singer, 27, posted an image of his account that shows the number of followers on his Instagram page, saying, “Always Welcome! 7M.” /Screen capture from InstagramG-Dragon was named on Thursday as one of the K-pop stars with the most followers on Instagram.Dec 6, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Retro dominates music charts Psy from "Napal Baji" music video / Screen capture from YouTube Retrospective songs are dominating online music charts, with original sound tracks from popular TV hit “Reply 1988” and numbers by K-pop star Psy sweeping the top spots.According to Korea’s popular online music websites like Melon, Soribada and Monkey 3, OSTs for the TV series, including rock band Hyukoh’s “Girl,” soloist Lee Juck’s “Don’t Worry” and male duo band December’s “All I Can Give you is Love,” are among the top five on the charts as of Sunday morning.Psy’s “Daddy” and “Napal Baji,” two titles from his latest album “7 Cider,” also joined the top ranks.Many of the songs smack of retrospective styles of Korean pop culture.Hyeri, second from left, in the poster of "Reply 1988" “Girl” is Oh Hyuk’s rendition of the original version by Lee Moon-se in 1985. And, with “Reply 1988” being praised for its portrayal of the grassroots sentimeDec 6, 2015
Baseball star marries weather reporter /Screen capture from InstagramLotte Giants’ baseball player Kang Min-ho and weather forecaster Shin So-yeon married on Saturday.Shin, 28, posted a wedding photo on her Instagram page, saying she had a wonderful day, and that her heart was overflowing with gratitude.The wedding held at the Lotte Hotel in Busan.Kang, 30, and Shin met when she threw the first ball at the opening game in 2012.Dec 6, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Yoo to star as lawyer in thriller-melodrama Actor Yoo Seung-ho, left, and actress Park Min-young pose for photo during the press conference for “Remember — War of the Son” in Mok-dong, Seoul, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kim Jae-heunStar Yoo Seung-ho will appear in SBS’s new thriller-melodrama “Remember – War of the Son ” with Park Min-young that premiers on Dec. 9.Yoo, who rose to stardom as a child actor in “The Way Home” in 2002, became successful in both film and television, including his appearance in the teen drama “Master of Study,” suspense thriller “Blind,” and romantic comedy “Operation Proposal,” each in 2010, 2011 and 2012.In his new 24-episode television series, Yoo takes the role of lawyer Seo Jin-woo, who suffers hyperthymesia, a memory syndrome in which he remembers everyday life in perfect detail, including his emotion at the times. Yoo uses this terrible condition to prove his father’s innocence on false charges of murder. Jin-woo’s father, Seo Jae-hyuk, acted by Jun Kwang-ryul, loses his memory due to AlzDec 4, 2015
가짜 “개리 동영상” 최초 유포자, 소라넷 회원인 공무원 /Screen capture from Twitter지난 8월 온라인을 발칵 뒤집어 놓은 ‘개리 동영상’ 최초 유포자가 경찰에 검거됐다.유포자는 의사 자격증이 있는 특채 임용 5급 국가직 공무원으로 밝혀졌다. 특히 성인사이트 소라넷 회원이라는 점에서 더욱 충격을 주고 있다.경찰 조사는 동영상 속 실제 인물인 30대 남성 A가 올해 8월 영상이 인터넷에서 화제가 되자 “최초 유포자를 찾아 처벌해 달라”며 수사를 의뢰한 후 시작됐다.A씨는 경찰 조사에서 “유포자와 서로 야한 동영상을 주고받는 과정에서 내 얼굴이 나온 영상을 잘못 건네줬다”고 진술한 것으로 알려졌다.인천 부평 경찰서는 긴 수사 끝 최초 유포자를 찾았고 3일 성폭력 범죄 등 처벌에 관한 특례법 위반 혐의로 공무원 B(31) 씨에 대해 사전 구속영장을 신청했다.경찰 조사에 의하면 B씨는 성인사이트인 소라넷에서 채팅을 하던 중 동영상 속 실제 인물인 30대 남성 A씨로부터 2013년 12월 처음 이 영상을 건네 받았다.그 후, 지난 해 2월 성인 사이트에서 알게 된 신원 미상의 남성 2명에게 이 영상을 인터넷 메신저를 통해 처음 유포한 것으로 여겨진다.A씨로부터 영상을 받은 남성 2명은 아직까지 신원이 파악되지 않고 있다.한편, 개리동영상은 개리를 닮은 한 남성과 여성이 침대 위에서 성행위를 하는 장면이 담겨있다. 디지털 뉴스부 @ Dec 4, 2015
Noh Hong-chul in comeback Noh Hong-chul /Korea Times fileTV personality Noh Hong-chul, who had kept a low profile since being charged with drunk-driving and losing his license last year, appeared in a talk concert Thursday hosted by popular MC Kim Je-dong.Noh was at the show with singer Yoon Do-hyun when Kim brought him onto the stage.Noh appeared in an MBC reality program pilot in September, in which he hitchhiked through Europe.Noh will return to tvN shows “My Room’s Quality” and “Street Show” this month.Noh was one of the six hosts of popular reality show “Infinite Challenge” that MBC has aired since 2006. Dec 4, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
