Psy to return to stage at MAMA Executive Vice President of Mnet Shin Hyung-kwan, center, speaks during a press conference at the CJ E&M building in Sangam-dong, Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of CJ E&MA poster advertizing the release of Psy’s new album / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Kim Jae-heunK-pop star Psy will hold his first performance after a break of three-and-a-half years at Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) at Asia World Expo (AWE) in Hong Kong, Dec. 2, a day after his new album is released.Industry insiders had already predicted that the singer would perform at MAMA, hosted by CJ E&M, after Psy’s agency YG Entertainment announced Dec. 1 as Psy’s official return date. However, CJ E&M neither confirmed nor denied the rumor until Wednesday.“All the musicians are subject to our casting for the show,” said Shin Hyung-kwan, executive vice president of Mnet, during a press conference Wednesday. “Everyone wants to see Psy at MAMA. But it is not the right time to tell. We will update you as soon as all the information is confirmed.”However, the rumoNov 20, 2015
iKON to perform first solo concert iKON / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentK-pop band iKON will stage its first solo concert next year, YG Entertainment said Friday.The concert, titled “Again,” will be held on Jan. 30-31 at the Olympic Gymnasium in southern Seoul.The band debuted in September with hit songs “My Type” and “Rhythm Ta.” It will release an album next month including two new songs, “Anthem” and “Apology,” which swept K-pop music charts when they were released on Nov. 16. Nov 20, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Kevin Oh wins Super Star K7 Kevin Oh / Courtesy of MnetKevin Oh has won the final of Mnet’s “Super Star K7.”Oh competed against Chun Danbi, the first female finalist, who is a former chorus singer.Oh sang “Blue Dream” in the first round and “Becomes Dream,” composed by veteran singer Shin Seung-hun, in the second.The program aired Thursday and the winner was decided on votes from the judges and viewers.Chun gained more votes from the judges, but Oh won because of online and text voting.Oh will receive 500 million won ($433,000), a Jaguar XE, an opportunity to perform at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and, most importantly, a record deal with a major label. Nov 20, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Rain, actress Kim Tae-hee deny wedding rumors K-pop star Rain, 33, and his actress girlfriend Kim Tae-hee, 35, denied Friday they will wed in December.The stars’ agencies said a women’s magazine’s report the two will marry on Dec. 24 was wrong.“How can there be a marriage that we don’t know about?” Rain’s agency, Rain Company, said. Rain has a concert scheduled for Shanghai on Dec. 25, the agency said. Rain is touring Asia and will perform in Seoul on Dec. 11-13.Kim’s agency also denied the rumor. The actress recently finished TV drama “Yongpal.”The couple have been dating since January last year and have repeatedly had to deny rumors of wedding bells this year.Nov 20, 2015
Heart attack kills actor Lim Hong-sik Lim Hong-sik /YonhapStage actor Lim Hong-sik has died after a heart attack.Lim, 62, had difficulty breathing after coming off stage at 10:19 p.m. Thursday.He was in “The Orphan of Zhao” at the National Theater Company of Korea. Police said he died at a hospital.Lim staged plays “Chimerica” and “Three Sisters.” He also starred in films “A Reason to Live” and “Crossing.”Nov 20, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Suzy sees former self in 'The Sound of a Flower' singer Singer actress Suzy / YonhapThe moment she picked up the script for "The Sound of a Flower," Suzy knew she had to be in the movie.A member of the girl group miss A, the 21-year-old had been asked to play Jin Chae-seon, an aspiring Korean opera singer in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) when women were banned from the stage.Suzy said reading the script had made her teary-eyed because she was able to relate with so much of the frustration and doubt Jin experiences."My parents didn't approve of my singing and dancing. So sometimes I hid the fact that I was going out to practice," she said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday. "There were many times when I felt I wasn't good enough. I remember crying helplessly at the dance studio because I wanted to quit. I was so frustrated and sad."Luckily for Suzy, wanting to become a singer isn't a crime, as it was for Jin, a real historic figure who became Joseon's first female "pansori" singer in 1867.In the Lee Jong-pil feature, Suzy dresses as a man and adopts a Jeolla dialect, playing a very different role from that in "ArchitecturNov 20, 2015
Actress Kim Hye-jung dies in traffic accident /YonhapActress Kim Hye-jung has died after a taxi hit her.Kim, 74, was walking on the crossroad near her house in Seocho, Gangnam District, at 4:20 a.m., on her way to an early morning church service, when the accident happened. Police said she died on the way to hospital.Kim starred in more than 200 films after debuting in 1958 with “The Spring.” She retired in 1969 after marrying Choi Won-suk, a former president of Dong AH Group. The couple ended the marriage five years later. Nov 19, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee Chun-soo chases TV role Lee Chun-soo/ YonhapRetired footballer Lee Chun-soo, 34, wants to build a career as a TV personality, Star News reported Thursday.Lee retired from football last month after 13 years. He played as a forward for the national team in the 2002 World Cup, the 2005 Summer Olympics and the 2006 World Cup.After the 2002 World Cup, he moved to Real Sociedad of Spain, becoming the first Korean to play in the Spanish league. Lee transferred to Al-Nassr in 2009 after joining Suwon Samsung and the Chunnam Dragons.Lee returned to the K-league in 2013.Lee told Star News he wants to begin his “second life.”“I always wanted to be a broadcaster,” Lee said. “I’ve received many offers to host or be a guest on TV programs.”Lee said his role model is Kang Ho-dong, a popular TV host and comedian, who is a former Korean traditional wrestler.Many athletes have switched to the entertainment industry. Former basketball player Seo Jang-hoon recently began appearing in reality shows, and former baseball player Yang Joon-hyuck has starred in a TV series with North Korean Nov 19, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Actor's devotion to mom warms viewer's hearts Park Sang-min, left, from "General’s Son III" (1992) / Screen capture from YouTubeActor Park Sang-min from the “General’s Son” movie trilogy (1990-1992) made headlines Wednesday after a TV documentary showed his devotion to his disabled mother.EBS program “Real Theater” followed Park and his stroke-affected mother’s trip to Japan over two episodes, starting last week.Park, who divorced in 2010 and battled his former wife over alimony until 2014, showed his heartwarming side as he cared for his mother. This was in contrast to his usual tough-guy image, reminiscent of his most popular role as Kim Du-han from the movie, which is based on a true story. In it, he plays the leader of a gang hustling the yakuza during the Japanese Colonial period.Park said one of the reasons for the divorce was that he did not like his wife’s attitude to his mother, who had the stroke five years ago.Tuesday’s episode changed viewers’ opinions of Park from last week’s show, in which he caused controversy by demonstrating how he slapped his forNov 18, 2015
Roy Kim returns with third album Roy Kim /Courtesy of CJ E&MSinger Roy Kim will make a comeback with his third album on Dec. 4, CJ E&M said Wednesday.The singer uploaded a teaser image on his social media pages, saying his new songs will be “full of the sensibility of winter.”Kim debuted in 2013 with hit song “Spring Spring Spring,” after competing in survival audition program “Superstar K” in Korea.He also participated in three soundtracks for popular TV series: “Reply 1994,” “Pinocchio” and “Twenty Again.” Nov 18, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
