Wonder Girls' Hyerim to interview DiCaprio /YonhapHyerim, a member of K-pop band Wonder Girls, will interview American actor Leonardo DiCaprio in Los Angeles later this month.The singer, 23, will be a guest reporter for “Entertainment Weekly” on KBS2 and interview DiCaprio, who stars in “The Revenant.”The film is a biographical survival thriller based on Michael Punke’s novel. Tom Hardy also stars in the film, which premieres next month.“Entertainment Weekly” said Hyerim was pleased to accept the invitation, saying she was glad to do an exclusive interview with the Hollywood star.Hyerim will meet DiCaprio on Dec. 16.Dec 8, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Actress Hwang Jeong-eum reveals romance Actress Hwang Jeong-eum / Korea Times fileTop hallyu actress Hwang Jeong-eum admitted Tuesday she is dating Lee Young-don, a golfer-turned-businessman.Hwang, 30, confirmed the story that an online news outlet ran a day earlier. It had photos of Hwang and Lee, 34, holding hands.“Hwang recently began a relationship with someone whom she was introduced to by a mutual acquaintance,” said C-JeS Entertainment, Hwang’s agency. “They are not at the stage of discussing marriage yet. They have just started dating.” Hwang and Lee have been dating for four months, the earlier media report said.Hwang, a former member of K-pop girl band Sugar who has been etching a career as an actress through dramas such as “Kill Me, Heal Me,” recently wrapped up filming the popular K-drama “Pretty Woman.” Hwang had dated Kim Yong-jun of the band SG Wannabe for nine years. They broke up in May last year. Dec 8, 2015
'Cheese in the Trap' gains popularity in China /Courtesy of tvNNew tvN drama “Cheese in the Trap,” based on a popular webtoon, has gained popularity in China, even before its premiere.As of Nov. 26, the drama ranked 21st on Weibo’s Korean-Japanese TV drama chart with 656 million hits.The drama is about the relationship between Hong Sul and her boyfriend Yoo Jung. Yoo, played by actor Park Hae-jin, is senior to Hong, played by actress Kim Go-eun. Actor Seo Kang-joon also stars in the drama as a former prodigy-turned-loser Baek In-ho.It will air on Jan. 4 next year.Dec 8, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Zico criticized for copying G-Dragon On top, Zico, right, from "Eureka" music video; G-Dragon / Screen capture from YouTubeCover of Zico's mini album "Gallery"Rapper Zico from Block-B has shrugged off cyber bullies who criticized him for copying the music style of G-Dragon, the global star from boy band BigBang.“I don’t follow his path,” Zico reportedly told a press conference at the launch of his mini album “Gallery” on Monday, according to media reports.“I appreciate people comparing me to a big star like G-Dragon. But my future course will be different from his.”Zico said the cyber bullies might not be G-Dragon fans.He said that while he took some comments to heart, he tried to ignore other malicious comments.The star has been dominating the music charts, with “Say Yes or No” topping the charts in October and “Boys and Girls” doing the same in November."Eureka" from his latest album has also taken No.1 spot as of today.Dec 7, 2015
Most watched K-pop video of 2015: BigBang's 'Bang Bang Bang' BigBang / Korea Times file Boy band BigBang’s music video for “Bang Bang Bang” is the most-watched K-pop video of the year, Yonhap reported Monday, citing YouTube.The five-member band’s video topped the list of top K-pop videos on the American video-sharing site. BigBang’s four other songs on its latest album, “MADE,” also made the list. BigBang’s music video for “Loser” was the second most-watched K-pop video of the year, while “Bae Bae” was fourth, “Let’s Not Fall in Love” sixth and “Sober” ninth.And BigBang’s YouTube channel was tops in terms of the biggest increase in subscribers from Nov. 24, 2014, to Nov. 23 this year.SM Entertainment’s boy band EXO’s “Call Me Baby” was the third most-watched video and its “Love Me Right” 10th. Label-mate Girls’ Generation’s “Party” was fifth. Other K-pop groups on the “top 10” list were 4minute with “Crazy” at seventh and missA with “Dec 7, 2015
Annual music festival binds Korea, China From left, Ailey and members from AOA and f(x) on stage of the 17th Korea-China Music Festival held in Beijing on Nov. 4 / Screen capture from YouTube, Courtesy of TwitterThe 17th Korea-China Music Festival, held in Beijing on Nov. 4, aired Sunday on KBS, showing more than 20 “musical units” from both countries performing in front of 1,200 people.The annual festival was held at Star Park Stadium, with 11 teams of musicians from each country. Korea sent soloists Lim Chang-jung, Seo In-guk, The One, Ailey, Ali, Roy Kim, as well as idol bands f(x), BTS, AOA, VIXX and Red Velvet.Chinese musicians included SNH48, Lay Zhang, Shang Wenjie, Liu Yan and Tan Weiwei.During the 100 minute concert, the singers not only performed their own numbers but also collaborated with other musicians from China.Lim performed “Gone with the Wind” and “Dance with the Wolf” with Chinese band SNH48, and The One and Tan performed an original sound track from Korean romance film “Classic.”The artists held Korean and Chinese flags as they marched into the stadium to sDec 7, 2015
Young contestant from New Jersey wows judges Yoo Jei on "K-Pop Star 5" / Courtesy of SoompiAmid a general slump in audition programs, “K-Pop Star 5” is showing its contestants have plenty of talent.Yoo Jei, 15, from New Jersey, is an example. On Dec. 6, she sang Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” wowing the judges.Judge Park Jin-young, head of JYP Entertainment, said the performance was the best he had seen on the show in the past five years.Judge Yang Hyun-suk, head of YG Entertainment, and Yoo Hee-yeol of Antenna, also praised Yoo’s performance.Yoo said she chose the song because she hailed from New Jersey, a train ride from New York.“I really love New York,” she said. “ I wonder what it would be like to live somewhere so grand.”The audition program, which airs on SBS, has been holding preliminary auditions in Korea and around the world since May. The show returned to the screens on Nov. 22. Dec 7, 2015
Scandal puts Bulgarian chef in a stew Mihal Spasov Ashminov from “Take Care of My Refrigerator” on JTBC / Courtesy of JTBCBulgarian chef Mihal Spasov Ashminov, who regularly appears on the JTBC cooking show “Take Care of My Refrigerator,” is engulfed in a scandal involving his Bulgarian restaurant and his allegedly false work experience.Media reports said on Monday that a woman, identified only as Oh, had tipped off a media outlet that she had sold the restaurant “Zelen” in Itaewon to Ashminov for 700 million won ($600,000) in 2005, but he had not paid.Income from his appearances on the JTBC show was being paid to Oh as a provisional attachment, the reports said.Oh also claimed Ashminov’s purported experience as a chef at the Westin Chosun hotel during 2002-2005 was fake, because he had worked only there as a waiter.But associates of Ashminov have denied Oh’s accusations about his work experience, reportedly disclosing a certificate of employment at the hotel.“It appears part of Oh’s argument is one-sided,” an associate was quoted as saying.A prDec 7, 2015
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
