Rain to kick off world tour this week /Courtesy of R.A.I.N. CompanyActor and singer Rain, 33, will launch a world tour later this week, starting in China, his management agency R.A.I.N. Company said today.His world tour will start from Changsa of Hunan province on Saturday and held in various parts of the country, including Shenzhen, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu and Nanning. The tour will continue in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the Americas from next April to May.He is also scheduled to meet local fans, planning to give a concert in Seoul next month after releasing a single.This is his first move in the R.A.I.N. Company, an independent entertainment agency he established last month after leaving Cube Entertainment.“Based on experience so far, I plan to show more passionate performance than just flashy one,” he said by the agency. “I hope you guys support my new step.”Nov 3, 2015
Lee Byung-hun talks about new film after blackmail scandal /Courtesy of ShowBoxTop hallyu actor Lee Byung-hun, 45, said he hopes to be remembered as a good actor.Lee made the comment at a press interview Tuesday before the release of his new film, “Inside Men.” The movie’s release comes about a year after he was embroiled in a blackmail scandal with two women.He said the incident happened while he was working on the film, so he tried to focus on it so other staffers and actors were not affected.Lee filed a lawsuit against a fashion model and a female singer for blackmailing him with a video clip showing the three exchanging lewd jokes in September 2014. Lee denied he had any sexual relations with the women.Lee won the lawsuit as the court gave the two blackmailers suspended jail terms. Lee was criticized for being involved in such a scandal while his actress wife Lee Min-jung was pregnant. But there now is less criticism of the top-rated actor who has starred in Hollywood films “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), “Red 2” (2013) and “Terminator Genisys” (2015).“Inside Men” isNov 3, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
ZICO zooms to top of music charts ZICO, left, and Babylon from "Boys and Girls" music video / Screen capture from YouTubeRapper ZICO from boy band Block B swept Korean music charts on Tuesday with his new song “Boys and Girls.”The hip-hop number featuring vocalist Babylon topped charts on the nation’s eight poplar online music websites, including Melon, Bugs, Mnet and Olleh Music.ZICO, 23, released his latest single album on Tuesday, which includes the song. The song’s music video was also released online.The musician, who debuted with the band in 2011, shed his usual tough-guy image in the video and acted with fresher, more playful charm.Nov 3, 2015
Musicians fight state textbook move Korea’s rockers, rappers and other media personalities will gather in Hongdae -- Seoul’s popular hipster hotspot -- to raise their voices against the government’s controversial move to author history textbooks.Dream Factory, the entertainment agency led by singer Lee Seung-hwan, said the musicians will hold a free concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, it was reported. The concert, “Don’t Make Us One-eyed,” is aimed at ages 15 to 29.Participating musicians include Lee, 10cm, Garion, Daybreak, Pia, Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio, Tatles, cartoonist Kang Full and journalist Joo Ji-nu.Lee Seung-hwan, left, and Joo Ji-nu“All the guests agreed to take to the stage as they decided to cheer the young adults who decided to challenge the adults in higher seats who wield unfairness and act unethically,” media reports quoted Dream Factory as saying.“We want to show the adults who try to cover our eyes that ‘we will only learn the legitimately written history and are monitoring the reality straight with eyes wide open’.”The goveNov 3, 2015
Academia begins to eye K-pop /Korea Times fileScholars are focusing on Korean pop culture as it broadens its global presence.The phenomenon, known in Korea as “hallyu,” is becoming an academic subject, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.According to the article, it asks: “Are Korea’s girl groups more popular because their members are, on average, 10 centimeters, or about 3.9 inches, taller than their Japanese counterparts?”The story also highlights the annual World Congress of Hallyu Studies, a conference dedicated to the topic, with the third annual conference held in Dubai. More than 150 scholars attended to present their latest findings on K-pop.Uwe Reinhardt, a Princeton University economics professor, even went so far as to say he would forgo teaching economics to teach “Introductory Korean Drama” and posted a fake syllabus for the course on the university's website.But as author Jonathan Cheng points out, K-pop scholars have also run into “ivory tower resistance,” with orthodox Korean studies professors concerned that “erudite works on subjecNov 3, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Gap signs Krystal for Chinese campaign Krystal of K-pop girl band f(x) will be Gap model in Chinese-speaking countries. / YonhapKrystal of K-pop girl band f(x) will be the model for American clothing brand Gap in Chinese-speaking countries, Yonhap said Tuesday.She joins top Asian stars including Singaporean singer JJ Lin, Chinese actress Bai Baihe and Taiwanese actor Chang Chen in the “Let’s Gap Together” campaign. Krystal will appear in a duo with JJ Lin, the report said.The advertising will be released Sunday in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.Meanwhile, f(x) last week released its fourth album "4 Walls." Nov 3, 2015
양현석 "케이팝, 글로벌 시장에서 밝은 미래 보여" 1. 몇 년 사이 한류의 위상이 아시아를 넘어 전세계적으로 뻗어 나갔습니다. 하지만 아직도 K-pop은 월드스타 싸이의 ‘강남스타일’을 제외하고는 팝의 고장인 미국과 영국에서 빛을 보지 못하고 있습니다. 그 이유는 무엇이고, 미국의 진출과 성공은 무엇을 의미하나요?미국에서 ‘강남스타일’을 뛰어넘는 케이팝이 쉽게 나오기 어려운 데는 사회적, 정서적, 문화적 등 언어적인 여러 가지 이유가 있다고 봅니다.강남스타일’이 유튜브 조회수에서 신기록을 갖고 있고, 빌보드차트 2위까지 오르는 등 미국과 영국서구식 조크와 신나는 음악과 춤이 어필했기 때문에 가능했던 것 같습니다. 외국 곡이 히트하는 경우를 보면 정서적으로 자극하는 콘텐츠가 있는 경우가 많습니다.전세계 많은 아티스트들이 미국에서의 성공을 꿈꾸는데, 미국 진출은 '팝의 본고장’이라는 의미가 있기 때문이죠. 또 세계 음악시장의 30% 가까운 점유율을 갖고 있는 빅마켓이기 때문에, 모든 아티스트는 큰 무대에서 성공하길 희망하고, 미국 진출을 꿈꾸는 것 같습니다..그러나 최근에는 빌보드나 영국차트뿐만 아니라 아이튠즈 차트, 유튜브 조회수 등 인기 척도를 판단할 수 있는 다양한 지표가 나오고 있습니다. YG 아티스트 중에는 빅뱅의 새 앨범이나 아이콘의 새 앨범이, 별다른 활동 없이 미국 아이튠즈 차트에서 3위, 26위에 오르면서 호응을 얻고 있고요.빅뱅의 미국투어는 연일 관객이 매진되면서 현지에서 뜨거운 인기를 입증하고 있습니다. 최근에는 미국뿐만 아니라 다양한 글로벌 시장에서의 인기가 미국에서의 성공 못지 않은 중요한 의미가 있다고 생각합니다. 2. 한국과 미국의 엔터테인먼트 산업구조는 너무나 다릅니다. 한국 출신 가수가 미국에서 성공하려면 어떠한 전략적 접근이 필요하고, 개인은 어떤 노력과 재능이 필요한가요?미국 팝시장은 알고 계시듯이 규모도 크고, 구조가 한국과 완전히 다릅니다. 한국 출신 가수가 미국에서 성공하려면, 당연히 눈길을 끌만한 실력과 콘텐츠가 있어야 합니다. 미국의 거대한 미디어의 공감도 이끌어 내야 하구요.YG에서는 2NE1의 리더인 씨엘의 미국 데뷔를 준비하고 있습니다. 씨엘은 2NE1의 멤버로 이름을Nov 3, 2015
Stars 'planning to marry' Jung Yeo-won, right, and Park Hyo-shinActress Jung Yeo-won and singer Park Hyo-shin are secretly planning to marry, reports said Monday.Kookmin Ilbo reported that the stars had already contacted a wedding planner to choose a wedding hall and wedding dresses.The paper said people had seen Jeong at Park’s concert in December 2014 and at his musical show “Phantom” in May this year.Park, 33, who debuted in 1999 as a singer, has broadened his career to musical theater.Jung, 34, debuted in 2000 as a member of girl band Chakra. She left in 2004 to pursue an acting career.Nov 2, 2015
TV announcer denies romance Kong Seo-young, right, and Huh Kyeong-hwan / Courtesy of InstagramTV announcer Kong Seo-young has denied she is romantically involved with comedian Huh Kyeong-hwan.The reports began on Sunday when TV viewers saw Kong visiting Huh before he entered a military camp as part of MBC reality show “Real Men.”The program invites celebrities to experience the hardships of military training. On the same day, Kong posted Instagram photos of Huh and herself saluting together and smiling in front of a camera.After the TV show and online photos surfaced, viewers wondered whether the two were dating.Kong then posted on Twitter a hashtag reading “not dating.”Nov 2, 2015
Yang Hyun-suk sees bright future in K-pop in global market By Kim Jae-heunYang Hyun-suk/ Courtesy of YG EntertainmentYang Hyun-suk, chief executive officer of Korea’s leading record company YG Entertainment and a former member of the boy band Seo Taiji and Boys, is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the Korean music industry.Yang first rose to stardom in 1991 through his debut as a backing vocalist in the legendary boy group that was highly successful and credited for changing the Korean pop music scene.Two years after Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded in 1996, Yang established YG Entertainment that took up name after the abbreviation of his nickname “Yang Goon.” The entertainment company has produced top star artists, such as 1TYM, Big Bang and 2NE1. The world pop artist Psy of “Gangnam Style” also joined the company in 2010. YG Entertainment has recently debuted young rising artists Lee Hi, Akdong Musician, WINNER and iKON, who are sweeping the K-pop music charts in Korea as well as overseas.Yang has expanded his influence not only in the music industry but also in the fashion and beauty businesses, lNov 2, 2015
