Singer Hwayobi releases VR song teaser A scene from “Do You Love Somebody?” music video / Screen capture from YouTubeHwayobi / Courtesy of FacebookSinger Hwayobi, 33, has released a 360-degree virtual reality (VR) teaser video for her new song.The teaser for “Do You Love Somebody” was released on management company Studio Curiosity’s YouTube channel Wednesday.The 40-second clip shows a man trying to call his girlfriend. The girlfriend sees the incoming call but does not take it.Viewers can move the screen around 360 degrees and see the man and woman sitting at opposite sides of a cafe. The teaser also breaks the sound into two parts so viewers can hear what the man and woman hear from each side of headphones.The song is scheduled for release Friday.Jul 16, 2015
Henry apologizes for album spoiler Henry from his Instagram post on Wednesday / Courtesy of InstagramSinger Henry from idol boy band Super Junior-M -- an eight-member unit from 13-member boy band Super Junior -- has apologized for spoiling the latter’s new album with a recent Internet post. Henry, 25, posted a 15-second video of clips with music playing in the background on his Instagram page Wednesday. But the music was from Super Junior’s new album, “Devil,” released Thursday. The special album commemorates the band’s 10th year in K-pop.Netizens criticized Henry for revealing the music before its official release.Henry apologized to Super Junior’s fan club, “ELF,” on his Flitto account. He said he was surprised his Instagram post, which he did for fun, had caused such controversy.Jul 16, 2015
Ilgwang group chairman accused of threatening Clara Prosecutors have cleared actress Clara and her father of suspicion of threatening Ilgwang Group Chairman Lee Kyu-tae, 65, Yonhap reported Wednesday. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office instead indicted Lee without detention for alleged blackmail, the report said.The 29-year-old actress and Lee, also CEO of Polaris Entertainment, have been involved in a series of legal battles mainly over her contract with Polaris and Lee’s alleged sexual harassment. In the process, each accused the other of blackmail.Clara, who also models, gained high popularity in 2013 through her appearances on entertainment programs and a base-ball pitch.Jul 15, 2015
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
