TVXQ to start first world tour in NovemberPopular Korean boy band TVXQ will kick off its first world tour in November, the group's management agency said Thursday. The tour titled "Catch Me" will begin in Seoul on Nov. 17-18 and will take the group to China, Thailand and other countries around the world until next year, S.M. Entertainment said. The countries to be part of the world tour have not yet been decided, except for China and Thailand, the company added. "Catch Me" is also the title of TVXQ's long-awaited sixth regular album scheduled for release on Monday. The group will perform various songs from their newest album, the agency said. The Seoul performance will be the group's first solo concert to be held in Korea since February 2009. The group is scheduled to resume its domestic activities after its album release on Monday. (Yonhap)Sep 20, 2012
IU on Billboard's top 21 list for underage musiciansKorean singer IU claimed the 15th spot on the U.S. Billboard's "21 Under 21: Music's Hottest Minors 2012" list, according to the magazine. Billboard, an international newsweekly magazine devoted to the music industry, said the 19-year-old singer "affectionately known as the nation's 'little sister,'" became a bona fide superstar this year for her "unique charm and undeniable hits." It said the singer's reign began with the release of her comeback single "You and I," the No. 1 song of Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100 chart of the past year, which was released in August. "While IU hasn't hit the same level of global viral awareness as Psy, her popularity has led to success in Japan, where she celebrated Hot 100 hits with Japanese versions of 'You and I' and her single 'Good Day'," the magazine said. The list was populated by artists such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and One Direction.(Yonhap) Sep 19, 2012
Musical as next ‘hallyu’By Kwon Mee-yoo A Korean production of musical “Jack the Ripper,” successfully opened at the Aoyama Theater in Tokyo, Sunday. Despite the high price of 9,500-16,000 yen ($120-$200) a ticket, the first night starring Sung Min of Super Junior was sold out and some 1,200 audience members gave it a standing ovation. The show, revolving around a serial murder case in London in 1888, is originally a Czech musical, but Japan wanted to stage the Korean adaption. The Korean rendition has new characters and choreography, adding more of a spectacle to the show. “Hallyu,” or Korean wave, stars such as Ahn Jae-wook and Sung Min attracted more than 40,000 foreigners to the show here following its Korean premiere in 2009. The show’s success is the result of endless efforts by Korean producers and actors to make inroads abroad. More and more foreigners are filling the seats of Korean theaters. According to ticket vendor Interpark, tickets worth about 3.5 billion won were sold last year through its global website and that of Visit Seoul, around 0.7 percent of total annual ticket sales of Sep 18, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
Psy's 'Gangnam Style' tops 200 million YouTube viewsKorean rapper-singer Psy topped 200 million views on YouTube with the music video of his hit single "Gangnam Style" on Tuesday. After the video recorded 206.4 million views as of 9 a.m., Psy left an English message on his Twitter account, saying, "Got 200 million views!!! Thx everybody!!!" "Gangnam Style" quickly became a global sensation after the music video was released on YouTube on July 15 and spawned a series of copycat videos on the Internet. The music video, highlighted by Psy's horse-riding dance moves, topped the 100 million mark on Sept. 4 and 150 million mark on Wednesday. On Saturday, Psy became the first Korean artist to reach No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Chart. He has been nominated for 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) for the viral video, along with the K-pop boy band Super Junior, according to the official Web site of the awards. The MTV EMA will be held on Nov. 11 in Frankfurt, Germany. (Yonhap)Sep 18, 2012
MBC to make sequel to popular TV drama 'Daejanggeum'Korea's second-largest TV network MBC said Monday it will make a sequel to its hit epic series "Daejanggeum," which triggered the latest boom in the popularity of Korean culture in China and other Asian countries. "We will make Daejanggeum 2 next year," the network said in a statement, adding that its president recently visited China for talks with his counterpart in China's Hunan TV on cooperation over the new drama series. Hunan TV, which aired the Korean TV drama series also known as "Jewel in the Palace" for the first time in China in 2005, has shown an intent to purchase and invest in the sequel series prior to its production, MBC said. But company officials said nothing has been decided regarding the production of "Daejanggeum 2," including the producer and the cast. Starring Lee Young-ae, the 2003-2004 drama series tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician. The show drew nearly 46.2 percent of viewers in South Korea and was later exported overseas to heighten the popularity of Korean pop culture.(Yonhap) Sep 17, 2012
Psy becomes 1st Korean to top iTunes chartKorean rapper-singer Psy on Saturday topped the iTunes Chart with his single "Gangnam Style," making him the first Korean artist to reach No. 1 on the U.S. online chart. YG Entertainment, Psy's agency in Seoul, said the chart-topping feat appears to have been aided by the singer's live performance in New York for NBC's "Today Show" on Friday. "It's surprising to see a Korean song by a Korean artist to reach No. 1 on the iTunes chart, which accounts for about 80 percent of the U.S. online music market," the agency said. "I think it will be difficult to match Psy's accomplishment." "Gangnam Style" debuted at No. 52 on iTunes on Aug. 27, and then broke the top 10 on Thursday. The following day, Psy performed his hit single live at Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan for the "Today Show" before hundreds of fans. He also made a surprise appearance to teach Britney Spears his signature dance moves on NBC's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and is scheduled to reappear as a main guest next week. Psy already made Billboard history earlier this week when "Gangnam Style" debuted at 64thSep 15, 2012
'Gangnam Style' Psy new sensation for Korean TV adsKorean pop star Psy is poised to rock the local advertisement market after sweeping YouTube with his wacky "Gangnam Style" music video, market watchers said Friday. Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest technology company by revenue, on Friday announced Psy and actor-singer Lee Seung-gi as the new faces of its kimchi refrigerator brand. Ads featuring the duo are set to air later this month, the company said. Lee, popular for his dandy schoolboy image, has frequently starred in Samsung advertisements but the announcement marks Psy's debut in home appliance ads, a field which has been largely ruled by big-name celebrities. "Psy has emerged as an iconic figure both at home and abroad. He's in the center of a popularity whirlwind," said a Samsung official, who declined to be named due to company policy. "While female models dominated home appliance ads until a few years ago, male celebrities such as Lee Seung-gi have proven to be a success. We hope the duo will create a synergy for Samsung products," the official said. Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video, which pokeSep 7, 2012
Major TV networks allowed to offer 24-hour serviceThe government on Friday announced its decision to lift a decades-long ban on late-night broadcasting of terrestrial television broadcasters to put them on an equal footing with cable TV channels. The decision was made during a plenary session of the Korea Communications Commission, which oversees the government's broadcasting policies, according to the commission. Currently, the nation's three terrestrial TV broadcasters -- KBS, MBC and SBS -- can air programs for 19 hours a day (from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day) while paid TV channels are free from the regulations. They had to seek permission from the commission in order to broadcast sports games or other special programs after 1 a.m. The decision will allow the broadcasters to operate for 24 hours a day for the first time since TV broadcasting began in the country in 1961, the commission said. The commission originally planned to scrap the ban early this year but has delayed the plan due to strong backlash from newspapers and paid cable TV channels. They have argued that the measure would only increase major TV netwSep 7, 2012
Wonder Girls performs live on US radioWonder Girls has performed a live show on "iHeartRadio," the largest online radio platform in the United States, the group's management company said Friday. The K-pop group gave an hour-long concert on a music program on iHeartRadio Wednesday (U.S. EST) in New York, JYJ Entertainment said. The show was aired live through online sites of some 70 major radio stations throughout the country. The band performed hit songs including "The DJ is Mine," "Like This," "Be My Baby," "Tell Me" "So Hot" and "Nobody." The group also performed unreleased songs including "Stay Together" and "Wake Up." The same day, the girl group visited New York-based radio station Z100 for a live video chat with fans around the world, according to JYP. (Yonhap) Sep 7, 2012
TV networks ready for comedian Kang Ho-dong's returnMajor television networks and entertainment businesses on Thursday appeared to be busy devising plans on how to use famous comedian and entertainment show host Kang Ho-dong when he returns to the small screen after a one-year hiatus. Kang Ho-dong tentatively left the entertainment world a year ago after allegations of tax evasion sparked a public uproar. The 42-year-old athlete-turned-comedian was leading multiple top-rated entertainment shows of three major TV networks, KBS, MBS and SBS, at that time. He was one of the country's two top show hosts along with his rival Yoo Jae-seok, who is also a comedian. After he signed a new contract with S.M. C&C, an S.M. Entertainment affiliate, and unveiled a decision to resume broadcasting activities within this year last month, media speculation has mounted regarding when and to what TV show he will return. But TV stations say nothing has been confirmed yet. TV stations seem to be carefully expecting him to be a savior of their talk, reality, and other types of entertainment shows that have suffered from declining viewership sSep 6, 2012