Star chef dishes up facts on sales fall Lee Yeon-bok on talk show "Taxi" / Screen capture from YouTube By Park Jong-hoChinese-food master chef Lee Yeon-bok has confirmed on MBC special documentary series “Chef who came from the Stars” previous comments about falling sales at his famous Seoul restaurant, MokranLee originally mentioned the decrease on tvN talk show “Taxi,” which aired in May.“Total sales keep decreasing despite the restaurant being very busy,” Lee said during the show that introduces the lives of star chefs. “Total sales per month used to be 100 million won ($9,000) but have decreased to 80 million won ($ 7,000).“My restaurant used to have regular customers who ordered several courses, but after the restaurant became popular, we now have more customers who want to order a single dish.”Lee’s episode of “Chef who came from the Stars” was shown on June 15.Jun 16, 2015
TVXQ holds last concert before military enlistment Jung Yunho, left, and Shim Chang-min during their concert in Osaka, Japan in 2012 / Korea Times fileTwo-member idol boy band TVXQ completed possibly its last concert on Sunday, with one member set to begin his military duty next month.With Jung Yunho (stage name U-know Yunho), 29, set to start his 21-month duty on July 21, the band, managed by SM Entertainment, held the concert “TVXQ! Special Live Tour” at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu district, eastern Seoul, on Saturday to Sunday. Shim Chang-min (stage name Max Changmin), 27, said at the concert “I never thought I would see a lot of changes around me two years ago. But after two years, I found I was wrong.You fans will eventually change and stop being our groupies. But I will never forget this moment and wish to come back on stage in front of you all.”Jung said he became a singer not because he wanted to impress his fans but to inspire them.“I will keep sending positive messages to my fans,” he said.Jun 15, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
Lee Soo-geun's return show Korean comedian Lee Soo-geun returns with the show “Juk-bang Legend”.Lee, 40, after taking 2 years of self-restraint time at home, returns with billiards competition show “Juk-bang Legend”. Before filming the first episode of the show, Lee said “I will restart as it is my first time.”“Juk-bang Legend” is competition show that celebrities play billiards against hidden pro-players among salary men.Lee, after convicted with illegal gambling at 2013, quit every TV show that he had been filming. His first return show “Juk-bang Legend” will be first broadcast today at 10 p.m. Jun 15, 2015
Football star kicks goal with cooking skills / Courtesy of FacebookFootball star Park Ji-sung’s wife Kim Min-jee has boasted online about her husband’s cooking skills.The former SBS TV announcer posted on her Instagram webpage photos of kimbab that Park cooked for her. One photo shows the former national captain rolling kimbab.Kim, pregnant with Park’s baby, said on her SNS webpage that the baby, whom she referred to as a “dumpling,” needed kimbab and Park cooked it.Kim previously posted photos of steamed chicken that Park cooked.The Facebook page of JS Foundation, a football foundation that Park established in 2011, said in May that Kim was pregnant, with the baby due in November. Jun 15, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
Personalities reveal high IQs Educational talk show "Desire for Grade" / Screen Capture from YouTubeBy Park Jong-hoKorean personalities Oh Sang-jin and Kang Yong-suk revealed their IQs on tvN educational talk show “Desire for Grade,” which debuted Thursday.Oh, 35 and Kang, 46, said their school records showed IQs of 148 and 152, respectively.Oh said: “Math was my favorite subject and my counselor recommended that I try Seoul University with sociology as a major. But I chose Yonsei University with economics as the major because economics uses math most among humanities courses.”Kang aroused laughter while reading a teacher’s comment that said “I wish Kang was not so egotistical.”The program features guests who show how to prepare college applications.Jun 12, 2015
Star's sexy photos spark new interest Oak Joo-hyun from SURE magazineAfter musical actress Oak Joo-hyun’s visit to TV talk show “Radio Star” on Wednesday, netizens have been drawn to the star’s previous magazine photos.Fashion and beauty magazine SURE’s April 2014 issue showed three photos of the actress, 35, in an article headlined “Reshaping Beauty,” which introduced her beauty tips. Clad in tight and revealing clothes, she filled four pages of the magazine. Oak debuted as lead vocalist with four-member girl band FinKL in 1998 with the album “Blue Rain.” Her recent musical performances include “Marie Antoinette” last March and “Wicked” in May 2014. She is now performing in “Elizabeth” at Blue Square. It runs until September 6.Jun 11, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
Designer's TV appearance fires rumors Choi Beom-seok / Screen capture from YouTubeFashion designer Choi Beom-seok’s appearance on KBS talk show “You Are Flower” on Wednesday has reignited rumors of his involvement with two sexy celebrities.The first involved actress/model Clara Lee, who is best known for her body. The two worked together in the fall of 2014 on TV fashion competition show “Fashion King Korea: Season 2” on SBS. Choi, 29, designed clothes for Lee. Clara Lee, above, and Yoo Seung-ok with Choi Beom-seok / Courtesy of Instagram, FacebookThe rumors of romance developed when Lee was seen sitting next to Choi and repeatedly touching his bracelet while recording the show. Lee also reportedly said at the show’s promotion event that she bought bracelets and rings with Choi. She said she was “happy to have spent time with Choi when she could share precious moments with him.”An online photo of glamorous model Yoo Seung-ok, 24, and Choi has become the latest hot search. Posted on Yoo’s Facebook webpage on Feb. 16, the photo shows the pair smiling. ChJun 11, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
Model in tears over cyberbullies' attack Lee Jini from "High School Kings Top 10" / Screen capture from YouTubeTeenage model Lee Jini got teary on a TV talk show after cyberbully comments claimed she had used her actress mother's popularity to boost her career.Lee, 16, is the daughter of Hwang Shin-hye, who gained fame during the 1990s and early 2000s. Lee was a guest on tvN's "High School Kings Top 10" on Wednesday.During the show's recording, Lee saw comments that included "She must have avoided hardships experienced by ordinary model apprentices because of Hwang" and "I just saw her face and want to punch her stomach." Lee cried soon after seeing the comments."My name is an alias that I started to use since I debuted as a model," Lee said. "I chose to use the alias because I wanted to hide the fact that my mother is the popular actress." / Courtesy of InstagramLee said the criticism was unfair because she had tried her best to compete fairly with other models.Lee's professional modeling career includes S/S Seoul Fashion Week in October 2013 and F/W Seoul Fashion Week in March 2014.Jun 11, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
Idol singer dates basketballer Jeong Chang-young, left, Jung-a / Korea Times fileSinger Jung-a from seven-member idol girl band After School is dating a professional basketballer. The band leader, 32, is in a relationship with Korean Basketball League player Jeong Chang-young, 27, from Changwon LG Sakers, media outlets said Thursday. An entertainment industry insider was quoted as saying the couple "first met each other in a casual meeting and began to date." Pledis Entertainment, which manages the band, confirmed the relationship in another report. Jeong has been playing for Sakers since 2011. He returned to the team in January after playing for the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps basketball team as his military duty. Jung-a debuted in 2009 with the band's single album "New Schoolgirl."Jun 11, 2015
Idol band Sistar becomes batgirl, nine-tailed fox for upcoming album Teaser images by idol girl band Sistar / Courtesy of InstagramFour members of idol girl band Sistar released a “four people, four colors” image concept for their new album scheduled for its release in late June.Hyorin, Bora, Soyou and Dasom released four concept-based images on their Instagram webpages on Tuesday. While the images showed the singers in black silhouette, each image showed different color on background and each singer posed as a differently-themed character.One of the posted images on the SNS websites showed Hyorin, 24, posing as a nine-tailed fox with black background. The post was indicated with a text phrase that read “Nine lives.” Soyou, 23, posed as a woman who symbolizes evil with green background. The post had a hashtag that read “the queen of green.”From left, Dasom, Hyorin, Soyou and Bora / Courtesy of TwitterBora, 25, posed in another image with background half purple and half turquoise as a girl holding a bat over her head. The post read she was a “joker.” Dasom, 22, posed as a “batgirl” with wings Jun 10, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan
