Idol singer declares war on cyberbullies Taeyeon / Courtesy of InstagramTaeyeon / Korea Times fileOne girl band idol singer is fighting back against cyberbullies, threatening legal action.Taeyeon, 26, from the eight-member Girls’ Generation, said on her Instagram webpage Monday she has been collecting posts left by cyberbullies and now wants to punish them with legal action. She also asked fans to send her web posts left by cyberbullies so she can use them as additional evidence.“I have been checking all the web posts left by cyberbullies,” said the singer from SM Entertainment. “They have long been assaulting me, my family members and my fans since I debuted (in 2007).”Last year, Suzy from Miss A reported a cyberbully, a woman in her 30s, who was booked without arrest by Gangnam police. She had attacked the star, 20, on her Twitter account, wishing her to “die in a car accident.” The woman confessed she acted out of jealousy because her husband liked the singer. Suzy, left, and Seo Ji-soo / Korea Times fileSeo Ji-soo, from seven-member band Lovelyz, recently reporteJul 21, 2015
EXO fans treated to Chinese version of 'Love Me Right' K-pop group EXO performs at its second solo concert in Beijing over the weekend. / Courtesy of EXOdicted Screaming fans waving silver glow sticks and signs emblazoned with “EXO-L,” the name of Korean boy band EXO’s fan club, filled the MasterCard Center in Beijing over the weekend for the band’s second solo concert tour, EXO Planet #2 The EXO’luXion. The group began the concert with their 2014 hit “Overdose,” following it up with “MAMA,” “Wolf,” and “Call Me Baby.” They eventually surprised fans with a Mandarin version of “Love Me Right.” According to SM Entertainment, EXO performed 28 songs in the three-hour concert. “The group drew explosive responses from their fans with powerful music and a stylish performance,” a SM representative said Monday. The next stop in EXO’s world tour is Chengdu, China in August. Jul 21, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
Actress Jun Ji-hyun faces second heyday with 'Assassination' Actress Jun Ji-hyun Actress Jun Ji-hyun was once called "box-office poison" despite her presence as one of the hottest stars. For a decade since the domestic comedy "My Sassy Girl" became a sensation, her follow-up titles ranging from "The Uninvited" (2003), "Daisy" (2006), "A Man Who Was Superman" (2007) to "Blood: The Last Vampire" (2009) experienced box-office failure.It was "The Thieves" (2012) by director Choi Dong-hoon that helped her derail her long box-office free fall in a single strike. She was showered with favorable reviews for her role as "Yenicall," a foul-mouthed, professional cat burglar.So, Jun decided to be in Choi's follow-up film "Assassination" even before the script arrived."I had not a tinge of worry about the decision," Jun said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul Monday."When I filmed 'The Thieves,' I worked in perfect harmony with the director, even in terms of what I like, dislike and don't know what to do. So I often felt great joy about my acting career thanks to the bond of sympathy."Her career upturn continued with "The Berlin FileJul 21, 2015
Rapper's sex act using bamboo wife stirs TV rap show Black Nut takes off his pants while auditioning for "Show Me the Money 4." / Screen capture from YouTube A rapper used a “jukbuin” or a bamboo wife -- a traditional Korean house item woven from bamboo cane -- to perform a sexually explicit skit while auditioning for TV rap competition music show “Show Me the Money 4.”The bamboo wife, which is larger than a pillow, is usually hugged to keep cool while sleeping.The male rapper, who uses the stage name “Black Nut,” irritated the program’s celebrity rapper judges with the controversial performance. The producers temporarily stopped recording of the program to discuss the matter.An insider was quoted as saying the judges suggested Black Nut’s performance was inappropriate for the program.The rapper performed another sexually disturbing rap routine in the preliminary rounds in late June when he took off his pants and revealed his underwear.Netizens have criticized Black Nut’past“underground” performances because of indecent lyrics.“Show Me the Money” drew crJul 20, 2015
Something to wonder about Sohee, second from left, and Sunye, fourth from left, as Wonder Girls in this 2012 file photoSunye and Sohee are no longer JYP Entertainment “Wonder Girls”, with both having quit the five-member group.Sunye married a Canadian-Korean missionary in 2013, and Sohee is pursuing an acting career with BH entertainment after leaving JYP in 2013.Meanwhile, the revamped group, with former member Sunmi returning, is planning a comeback in August as a four-member group. Jul 20, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
Lim Ji-yeon hopes new role will obsess TV audience Actress Lim Ji-yeon Actress Lim Ji-yeon, who made her debut with a leading role in the film “Obsessed,” will be MC for the MBC entertainment news show “Section TV.”The network said Monday that Lim, 25, would replace actress So Yi-hyun as the main female MC.So will go on a maternity leave, with the baby due in December. In “Obsessed,” Lim starred as a Chinese-Korean wife who has an affair. She is starring in the TV drama “Upper Class Society.” Her first appearance on “Section” will air on Aug. 2.Jul 20, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
MC Mong to make concert comeback Rapper MC Mong will hold concerts in September, his first in six years, DreamT Entertainment said Monday.The musician, 37,will perform solo in “The Best Time in My Life at Lezhin Comics V-Hall in Seoul from Sept. 4-6, and 11-13.MC Mong has been widely criticized over allegations that he had surgery to avoid military service in 2010. He was booked on suspicion that he had healthy teeth extracted to dodge the mandatory service.The court cleared him of the charges surrounding the surgery, acknowledging it was done for medical reasons. But the court handed down a suspended sentence for his attempts to delay enlistment.MC Mong made his comeback with the album “Miss me or Diss Me” last year.Online critics flooded the Internet, even though his songs soared up the charts.Jul 20, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Actor So Ji-sub turns to hip-hop So Ji-subActor So Ji-sub will release a hip-hop album in collaboration with Soul Dive on June 22, the actor’s management company 51K said Monday.It has been a year and a month since the actor unveiled “18 years.”Last November he released a rap song titled “So Love” online.So, who made his debut as a model in 1995, is to star with actress Shin Min-a in a new TV drama, “Oh My God” on KBS 2TV.The show is scheduled to go to air this yearJul 20, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Infinity Challenge festival to shake K-pop market From left, Taeyang, Hwang Kwang-hee and G Dragon in a scene from Infinity Challenge / Screen capture from Naver tvcastK-pop fans are eagerly awaiting new hits that will be introduced this summer at a high-profile music festival hosted by TV entertainment show Infinity Challenge.Saturday’s episode on MBC showed the six regular members brainstorming over what songs to perform at the Infinity Challenge Music Festival. The event has been held every two years since 2007 and each time it has created a real buzz for the songs made by the program’s stars alongside professional singers. Jeong Hyeong-don, right, and rock band Hyukoh in a scene from Infinity ChallengeAs the program is gearing up for the launch of the festival, the public’s interest has grown. The program’s previous episode made headlines as the members met six groups of musicians and each teamed up with one group to perform at the festival. Some teams have drawn more attention from the public than others, raising curiosity over what songs they will cook up and how well they get along whileJul 19, 2015
Blast from the past makes origami master a winner Kim Young-man in scenes from MBC's My Little Television on July 18 / Screen capture from YouTubeOrigami master Kim Young-man from the 1980s has become a TV star after appearing on Saturday in MBC’s “My Little Television,” a reality show where celebrities compete to draw the most number of netizens by broadcasting their own show online.Kim, who made his debut in 1988 with a children’s show where he taught origami, drew the attention of netizens interested in his origami lessons. He referred to them as his old fans from 27 years ago who had now grown up. Kim’s online show once attracted the most number of visitors to his channel out of four competitors, including the nation’s hottest chef-entertainer Baek Jong-won.Kim sobbed as he thanked his viewers.Netizens praised Kim, saying they used to love watching his origami lessons when they were children.Kim is a member of the Korea Paper Culture Foundation.Jul 19, 2015
