Singer Kim Hyun-joong countersues ex-girlfriend Singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong has sued his ex-girlfriend for wrongfully accusing him of causing her miscarriage, his legal representative said Wednesday.The 29-year-old lodged a counterclaim of 1.2 billion won (US$1.0 million) last Saturday in response to a damages suit filed by his ex-girlfriend, identified only by her surname Choi, Kim's attorney Lee Jae-man said.Choi is seeking 1.6 billion won in compensation for the psychological trauma Kim allegedly caused her.The Kim-Choi saga started last August when Choi accused the singer of beating her and causing her to miscarry. Believing this as the truth, Kim at the time paid her 600 million won as hush money, Lee said.Kim, however, recently found out from Choi's gynecologists that she was never pregnant.Lee said the sum doesn't include the financial loss Choi has caused Kim for making false accusations.Kim plans to lodge another counterclaim once his management agency confirms the extent of the financial damages.Kim had earlier admitted to the charge of physical abuse and was fined 5 million won in January.The drama flared up again wJul 15, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
Z. Tao tweet confirms comeback solo mini album Huang Zitaoa / Courtesy of WeiboSinger Huang Zitao (also known as Z. Tao) has finally ended doubts about a comeback after a two-month absence. Tao, who was with boy band EXO, unveiled the cover of his coming solo mini album, “Z. Tao Comeback,” on his Twitter page Monday. Although S.M. Entertainment still denies that Tao has officially left EXO, Tao and his father announced in early May the singer’s move to Los Angeles to pursue his studies. Tao’s father had already expressed concern about Tao’s participation in EXO in mid-April due to an ankle injury that prevented him from performing in promotions for the band’s album “Exodus.” On May 29, the company released a statement about Tao’s standing in EXO, saying “negotiations were still being made.” Despite S.M.’s denial, representatives from Tao’s recently created one-man agency said on the day of the Twitter post: “Huang Z. Tao will officially be making a comeback as a solo artist with his first mini album. Please look forward to it.&Jul 15, 2015
Shin Joo-ah reveals 'love story' on TV talk show Sin Joo-ah in scenes from "Taxi" / Screen capture from YouTubeKorean actress Sin Joo-ah reveals how she met her husband -- the son of a paint company owner in Thailand -- on TVN’s live talk show “Taxi” next week.Shin says she met him while holidaying in Bangkok. “A friend of my husband insisted on a meeting with ‘a close friend’ of his,” she says. “I had put off the meeting about three times when it occurred to me that maybe I should meet him.”After several meetings and communicating through translators, her husband sent Shin an “unforgettable” message on the day she returned to Korea. “He sent a text in Korean. ‘You won’t have to speak English nor translate. I will do the translating so as you can be comfortable. I will soon move to Korea to meet you.’ I was tremendously touched.” After seeing each other for five months, he proposed. Shin mentions the hurtful comments that claimed she married for money. But she has remained positive, saying they had bought each other’s loJul 15, 2015
Ilgwang group chairman accused of threatening actress Lee Kyu-tae, left, and Clara Lee / Korea Times fileProsecutors have cleared actress Clara Lee and her father of suspicion of threatening Ilgwang Group Chairman Lee Kyu-tae, 65, instead indicting without detention the businessman for alleged blackmail. The authorities have discovered that Lee had once allegedly threatened Clara and her manager by saying he is capable of “slitting throats.”The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Wednesday it found Lee, also CEO of Polaris Entertainment, had met Clara, 29, and her father at a coffee shop in Seoul in August 2014 and threatened them. Lee had sued them in October for threatening and blackmailing him by saying they would report him to police for making sexually harassing remarks if the actress’ contract with Polaris was not terminated.Lee had also bragged about his past careers in the spy agency and the police, and told her he could “rummage through her smartphone activities whenever he wishes,” reports said.Previous reports said Lee had allegedly asked Clara several times to stop her acting career and be hiJul 15, 2015
TVXQ releases special album before Yunho enlists K-pop boy duo TVXQ will release a special album, “Rise as God,” Monday.The album is a present for fans before U-know Yunho begins his military service on Tuesday. The album will have 10 songs with solo pieces from the two serving as double title tracks, reports said. The special album is the duo’s first since “Spellbound,” released in February.Max Changmin is also expected to begin his military service, but details are not yet firm.All able-bodied South Korean men are subject to compulsory military service for about two years in a country that faces North Korea across a heavily fortified border.Jul 15, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
BEAST confirms comeback with new mini album BEASTKorean boy band BEAST has declared an end to its nine-month break with the release of its eighth EP album, “Ordinary,” on July 27.This new mini album is expected to be different from BEAST’s past albums. According to Cube Entertainment, the group’s managing agency: “The album … has tracks from different genres depicting frank stories from the six members’ everyday lives.” Cube Entertainment also shared teaser images and an introductory video about the album on its official SNS pages Tuesday.Jul 15, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Bae Yong-joon, Park Soo-jin to wed July 27 Bae Yong-joonPark Soo-jinActor Bae Yong-joon, 42, will wed former idol singer Park Soo-jin, 29, on July 27, a local online news outlet reported Monday.The date for the two is earlier than expected. When the news of their marriage broke in May, the word was that they would wed in fall. The wedding is expected to take place at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in northeastern Seoul.Bae, otherwise known as “Yon-sama” for his role in the hugely popular K-drama “Winter Sonata” is also CEO of celebrity management company KEYEAST. Park, a former member of the girl-band Sugar, is affiliated with his KEYEAST company, through which the two met. They began dating in February.The couple reportedly completed their wedding photos in June.Jul 14, 2015
Footballer with five children on TV 'Superman' show Lee Dong-guk and his family / Courtesy of InstagramFootballer Lee Dong-gook will join a reality TV show with his five children.Family of the forward, 36, from K-League’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, will appear on “Superman Returns” on KBS. The program is about four celebrity fathers spending time with their young children.Media reports Tuesday said the program has finished shooting an episode with Lee’s family. It has not been decided whether the family will take part in a special episode or become part of the cast, the report said. / Korea Times fileThe program’s associate was quoted in one of the reports as saying: “There is high expectation for Lee’s family because they were the ‘No.1 pick’ for the program since it first aired in November 2013.”Visitors to Lee’s SNS webpage can see his family photos, which include the couple posing with their two sets of twin daughters and the youngest toddler boy.In one photo posted on his Instagram webpage, Lee quipped: “This is our family photo, not a group photo.&rdJul 14, 2015
Leading K-pop stars get Teen Choice Awards gig Top K-pop acts ­― boy band Super Junior and girl group Girls’ Generation ― will compete with global pop stars for this year’s Teen Choice Awards on the Fox TV network in the United States, SM Entertainment said Tuesday. They will vie with British boy band One Direction and Australian rock band 5 Seconds of Summer in the Choice International Artist Award division of the annual music awards show. American teens aged 13 to 19 will vote to choose the most popular and influential artists in music, film and television. This year’s event will be aired on Aug. 15 from the Galen Center in Los Angeles.Girls’ Generation released single “Party” on July 7 and the song has had more than 12 million views on YouTube.Meanwhile, Super Junior will release a special album titled “Devil” Wednesday.Jul 14, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
Former idol singer hosts TV beauty show Kan Mi-youn in a teaser video for "Beauty #" / Courtesy of Naver Former idol singer Kan Mi-youn has been selected to lead a new cable TV beauty show.The singer, who debuted with five-member idol girl band “Baby Vox” in 1997, has been chosen to host “Beauty #” on DongA TV. The show talks about women’s styles, beauty and lifestyle. Media reports on Tuesday said Kan, 34, got the job because she is famous for her beauty that seems to defy her age.Kan expressed her aims for the show through her management company MAKO Amusement, saying: “I will do my best to be the best ‘beauty mate’ by sharing all my know-how.” / Courtesy of TwitterThe show airs on Thursday evening.Jul 14, 2015
