YG's new group iKON sweeps charts New seven-member boy band iKON / Courtesy of SoompiIt seems YG Entertainment is hitting all the right notes these days.Its new seven-member boy band, iKON, released “My Type” before the band’s official debut and the song has topped domestic music charts Melon, Mnet, Olleh, Bugs, Genie, Naver Music, Monkey3 and Soribada as of Tuesday at 8 a.m.The song also headed the iTunes Singles Chart in seven Asian countries including Hong Kong, Laos and Vietnam.Band members proved themselves when they appeared on survival audition program “Mix & Match” last year.Meanwhile, the group will release its debut album, “Welcome Back,” on Oct. 1, and the EP version on Nov. 2. The band also is scheduled to hold a concert on Oct. 3 at the Olympic Gymnasium in Seoul.Sep 15, 2015
Girls' Generation's Taeyeon, EXO's Baekhyun split: reports Girls’ Generation leader Taeyeon, 26, and Baekhyun, 23, of boy band EXO, have split up, Sports Today reported Tuesday.The entertainment news outlet cited sources close to SM Entertainment, the singers’ management company, as saying the pair have decided to remain friends. They became estranged while focusing on their careers, the source said.Taeyeon showed her affection for Baekhyun by attending EXO’s concert in March, but they reportedly were too busy with their demanding schedules to keep up the romance.The singers were together for 16 months. Sep 15, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Wonder Girls mesmerize TV talk show Ye Eun, left, and Hye Rim from JTBC's "Abnormal Summit" / Courtesy of JTBCMembers of idol band Wonder Girls mesmerized male members of the TV entertainment talk show “Abnormal Summit.”Ye Eun and Hye Rim appeared as guests on the JTBC program Monday and joined the discussion with the program’s regular members from 12 different countries -- “G12” -- about environmental issues.Hye Rim and Zhang Yuan shares a few Cantonese words during the program. Ye Eun impressed the G12 and three MCs by expressing her ideas clearly with the members about how to save the environment. Hye Rim showed her multi-lingual skill, conversing with the representative from China, Zhang Yuan, in Cantonese, and the representative from Canada, Guillaume Patry, in English.“Abnormal Summit” invites weekly guests to discuss with the G12 about various social issues.Wonder Girls released their latest album “Reboot” in August.Sep 15, 2015
Court bans cosmetics featuring actor's face Lee Min-hoA court has ordered companies that used actor Lee Min-ho’s image on their cosmetic products without an agreement, to stop selling the products.The court banned three companies from selling their mask packs, which feature a printed image of Lee as a character from his 2012 TV series “Faith,”Lee’s management company Starhaus said./ Courtesy of Naver blogThe actor had filed a suit at Seoul Western District Court, claiming the products violated his copyright and confused consumers.Sep 14, 2015
Han Hye-jin and Ki Sung-Yueng have daughter / Korea Times fileActress Han Hye-jin, 34, and football player Ki Sung-Yueng, 26, had their first child on Sunday.Han gave birth to a daughter at a hospital in Seoul, Sunday evening, her agency Namoo Actors said.Mother and baby are both well."We are so thankful and happy to meet the child we've been waiting for," the actress was quoted as saying."We as a couple will live happily with our child and the blessings we have received.”Han and Ki married in 2013.Sep 14, 2015By Kim Bo-eun
TV viewers angry over 'illicit affair' portrayal Park Han-byeol from SBS's “I Have a Lover” / Screen capture from SBSTV viewers are angry over a character who claims her illicit affair is not illicit.Kang Sully (Park Han-byeol from SBS’s “I Have a Lover.”) is a single woman deeply in love with a married man Choi Jin-eon. Kang is trying to persuade his wife Do Hae-kang) that she (Kang) will not stop loving him.“I didn’t steal the love,” Kang confronts Do. “The love came to me. And I thought I should never let it go.”Kang also asks,“What is an illicit affair? It’s when people are supposed to fall in love but don’t do so.”Kang’s brazen attitude towards Do has failed to draw viewers’ sympathy.Viewers say on the program’s website they are angry over Kang justifying her love for Choi. Some also expressed disgust at Kang trying to romanticize the very concept of an illicit affair.In the series, Choi is about to divorce Do.Sep 14, 2015
Lee Seung-hwan to give 15th charity performance /Screen capture from Facebook By Bahk Eun-ji Veteran singer Lee Seung-hwan will give his 15th charity performance on Oct. 3, his management company Dream Factory said Monday.The singer has appeared in the charity concerts every year since 2001. The concerts have raised nearly 620 million won ($525,000) for the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation.The“Live Good” concert will be at Olympic Park in Seoul. Special guests will include singers Kim Gwang-jin, Hong Dae-kwang, Bily Acoustie and web comic artist Kang Full.Lee will also sell his costumes and accessories at a charity bazaar.“We believe we should take an ongoing interest in people in need, and that’s the reason we have held these charity performances for a long time,” a Dream Factory spokesperson said. Sep 14, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
SHINee's Jonghyun to release self-composed album /Courtesy of SM Entertainment A member of boy band SHINee, Jonghyun, will release a self-composed album this week, his management agency SM Entertainment said Monday.“Story Op.1,” to be released on Thursday, contains nine songs he unveiled on “Blue Night with Jonghyun,” an MBC FM4U radio program.The main song, “End of the Day,” is a piano-based ballad offering words of hope to tired commuters coming home from work every day.Jonghyun will also kick off S.M. Entertainment's concert series dubbed "The Agit," comprised of 12 shows, next month.Sep 14, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Composer appeals over plagiarism ruling Roy KimSinger Roy Kim faces a long legal dispute with a composer over a plagiarism suit.The composer, identified only as Kim, has appealed after a court dismissed his suit late last month. The court ruled that his suit, which he had filed against the singer and his management company CJ E&M in 2013, lacked evidence.Kim had argued that Roy’s hit folk song “Bom Bom Bom,” released in April 2013, copied part of his gospel song. The court ruled the two song’s similarity was not enough to prove plagiarism.Roy rose to stardom by winning TV singing contest program “Super Star K: Season 4” in 2012. He made his professional debut with the song the following year.Sep 14, 2015
'New Journey to the West' dodges controversy Kang Ho-dong, left, and Lee Su-geun in a scene from Na Young-seok’s new web series “New Journey to the West” / Courtesy of tvNBy Kwon Ji-younStar producer Na Young-seok was right again.“New Journey to the West,” featuring members from the first season of KBS’s travel show “Two Days and One Night,” has surpassed the 22 million viewer mark as of Sunday, just three weeks after the producers revealed its first preview on Aug. 25. The clips have also garnered more than 10 million views on Chinese web portal QQ.“I’m glad to have met our goal of 20 million views so early,” said Na. “We will work even harder to produce content that is worth watching.”“New Journey,” starring comedians Kang Ho-dong, Lee Su-geun, singers Lee Seung-gi and Eun Ji-won, has continued to make headlines for its controversial cast, new ventures and the fact that Na, behind hits like “Grandpas Over Flowers” and “Three Meals a Day,” was helming the production. So far, 10 episodes have been uploaded over two Sep 13, 2015
