MBLAQ singer in glass attack Yang Seung-ho /Screen capture from Twitter A member of Korean boy band MBLAQ, Yang Seung-ho, has apologized over an alleged assault involving a former staffer of his management company, J.Tune Camp.The former employee, identified only as “A,” has been booked without detention. “A” allegedly hit Yang’s head with a glass while the two were drinking at 3:10 a.m. Friday in a Seoul bar.Yang reported the attack, but the singer said he did not want “A” to be punished, police said.A J.Tune Camp spokesman said Yang and “A” had an argument over a misunderstanding, which they resolved after police questioning.“A” left the management company two years ago.Sep 11, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
IU to greet fans in Hong Kong IU / Korea Times fileSouth Korean singer IU will hold a fan meeting in Hong Kong, her official Facebook fan page showed Friday.The event will take place at Landmark North, a large office and shopping complex in the heart of the city, at 3 p.m. Saturday, the page showed.Her agency was not immediately reached for comment.IU amassed fans from all over Asia for her role in KBS 2TV's "The Producers," an office drama set at the entertainment department of a fictional KBS, in which she plays a stoic singer. Actor Kim Soo-hyun co-stars as a rookie producer who changed jobs for a woman. The show concluded its one-month run in June.IU is scheduled to hold a concert and a fan meeting in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 11. (Yonhap)Sep 11, 2015
Boy band Supernova soars to the top /Courtesy of Maroo Entertainment Korean boy band Supernova’s 7th Japanese album 7IRO has topped the Oricon Chart, Japan’s most respected album chart.The group topped the Oricon Daily Chart on Wednesday.According to Japan’s largest music site Oricon Style, 21,909 copies of the album were sold during the within 24 hours of its release. Sep 10, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
'Ballad Emperor' to release first album in nine years /Courtesy of Dorothy CompanySinging icon Shin Seung-hun will release his 11th album, his management company Dorothy Company said Thursday.It has been nine years Shin released his 10th regular album in 2006.The new album is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut in 1990 with the legendary hit song “Your Smile in My Memory.”Since then, Shin has enjoyed immense popularity, earning the title “The Emperor of Ballads.”In 1991, his second album “Invisible Love” topped the MBC music chart for 11 weeks and topped the SBS music chart for 14 weeks, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.The 11th album will contain various music genres, Dorothy Company said.Sep 10, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Idol singer shows body is no fake Seol Hyun from SBS's “One Night of TV Entertainment” / Screen capture from Naver tvcastSinger Seol Hyun showed on TV her famous slim body seen in recent ads is free of digital gimmicks.Appearing in SBS’s “One Night of TV Entertainment” on Wednesday, the singer, 20, from idol girl band AOA stood next to one of the ads. Seol Hyun from SK Telecom adThe singer wearing blue jeans and a waist-revealing top stood next to a life-size board image of herself wearing the same clothing. Standing with her back to the camera and glancing back, the singer looks exactly as she does in the ad.Seol Hyun has appeared in various ads, including for mobile carrier SK Telecom. Sep 10, 2015
Hong Kong gives big welcome to hallyu actress Son Ye-jin / Courtesy of InstagramIt is common for celebrities to face crowds of reporters in public spots. And it may be satisfying, because it shows the stars are still getting the publicity they need to maintain their fame.In a photo that actress Son Ye-jin posted on her Instagram webpage on Thursday, a crowd of reporters surrounds her in Hong Kong during an event to promote a cosmetic brand on Wednesday. “The Bad Man Must Die” posterWearing a white dress, Son is smiling with an army of reporters just inches from her face.Son stars in the Chinese action black comedy movie “The Bad Man Must Die” scheduled for release in 2016. Sep 10, 2015
DJs in new survivor battle A new TV show puts musicians in an unprecedented DJ competition.Mnet’s “Headliner” invited 10 DJs from Korea and one from Thailand in a survival competition.Thai DJ Anan won the program’s preliminary competition among Asian nations. Also among the musicians is singer Moon Jun-young from idol boy band ZE:A who has just one year’s experience as a DJ. The rest of contestants are professional Korean DJs.Singer Moon Jun-young from "Headliner" / Courtesy of MnetIn the first episode on Tuesday, fellow competitors criticized Moon for his poor skills as a DJ. Each DJ played a song in a blind test so the other musicians would only listen and evaluate only the songs.Criticism of Moon included the comments, “He’s using too many effects,”“That’s just interrupting the musical flow” and “It sounds like he is randomly trying this and that.”Sep 9, 2015
Comedian sheds clothes and gets wet Hong Seok-cheon from “Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education” on KBS2 / Screen capture from KBSGay comedian Hong Seok-cheon shed his clothes on a TV show to demonstrate his swimming skills.KBS2’s “Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education” on Tuesday invited Hong to swim in a race against four of the show’s regular members.The fun was not so much in seeing how skillful the celebrities are at swimming as checking out the half-naked bodies of the male participants.Before the race, Hong demonstrated his backstroke but ended up short of breath, making a fool of him.The program challenges celebrities to learn a variety of sports and play against people from local sports communities. Sep 9, 2015
So Ji-sub, Shin Min-a to star romantic drama /Korea Times file Actor So ji-sub and actress Shin Min-a will star in a TV drama “Oh My God” on KBS in November.The drama is about a man and woman trying to lose weight. So, 38, will play Kim Young-ho, a star-trainer who has had a tough childhood. Shin will play Kang Ju-eun, a 33-year-old lawyer who neglects her health. Sep 9, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Veteran singer Lim Jae-beom to do a duet with Taeyeon of Girls' Generation Lim Jae-beomTaeyeon of Girls’ GenerationIt seems an unlikely duet but veteran singer Lim Jae-beom will perform with Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation, according to Yonhap.Lim will remake his popular song “Pain Deeper Than Love” to mark the 30th year of his debut.The 52-year-old singer debuted in 1986 as a vocalist for the Korean rock band Sinawe. He also participated in other rock bands since then.He came back into the limelight in 2011 by appearing in the first season of the popular MBC TV show “I Am a Singer,” in which A-list vocalists and bands try to eliminate each other week after week. The show was so popular that its format was sold to Chinese network Hunan TV.Taeyeon is main vocalist for the popular K-pop band Girls’ Generation. She has released solo albums featuring such songs as “If.”Lim will release a new album around September or October, and start a 10-city tour throughout the nation with the first concerts slated for Oct. 30 and 31 at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium in Seoul. Sep 8, 2015
