New member?!!

FT Island's management (F&C) has swiftly replaced Oh Wonbin, with 18 year-old Song Seung Hyun, who weighs in at 60kg and stands at 180cm's tall. I guess Wonbin was pretty pretty damn expendable.

Song Seung Hyun stated:
"Since I've just recently joined the group, I will be lacking lots of experience, however I will try my best to not fall behind and will work hard to gain the love of fans."


Anyway, the idol rock band will continue as usual and will be coming back with a mini-album in February.

I honestly didn't even know who Oh Wonbin was, until the news of him quitting the group. And apparently F&C agrees. Who can blame them though, Wonbin was about as significant as a convertible in the winter. Although I've actually seen some douche bags driving around in their convertibles with the top down in this 14 degree weather, is it really necessary? Of course not. But get this dumbass a convertible, he totally earned it!

Thanks to LL and jeshicaa for the tip.

Source: Newsen

credits: allkpop

Oh Won Bin will be leaving

So the rumor we heard was true! It's been confirmed that FT Island's guitarist and sub-vocalist, Oh Won Bin will be leaving the team. The company explained on the 28th that even though Wonbin is leaving, the group will not remain as a 4 member team and that the search for a new member in progress. FT Island is still planning on releasing a mini album sometime in February with this new member.

According to the company, Wonbin had come to this hard decision after thinking about it for quite some time. The other members have stated that "it is sad to see him go and that we hope to be able to grow through this rough transition." 

What a huge loss for the team and for the kpop scene. Seeing as how FT Island was one of the few idol groups with talent, I don't know how they'll fill up his spot. I just hope they actually get someone with the skills and the talent to carry on the FT Island name. After all, we wouldn't want FT Island to become some idol group that just uses their face to get famous.

credits: allkpop.. 

please. 

jangan oppa.. 

jangan pergi.. 

saranghae~.. T.T semua.. kenangannya.. akan tinggal kenangan.. 

ft island bukan ft lg.. 

Spanish singer plagiarizes from Super Junior

A Spanish singer / artist is receiving a lot of Latino heat after a clever netizen discovered that he plagiarized the song "U" from Super Junior. This news was originally posted on the HATO fan club, which is a fan club for Latin American / Spanish Super Junior fans.
“There is a music festival called Eurovision Song Contest. This is a contest of sorts where all the European (and even some Asian) countries send their best contestants with brand new songs to represent their respective countries.

It’s a great contest, believe me. I've followed this contest for the past 8 years and what I’m about to say is something that I still can't believe.

In Spain, they had an open internet poll to choose their favorite contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest. More than 455 songs were uploaded to a web page and all the people (not just Spanish people) voted for their favorites. I was voting for all the ones I liked when I found out something so disgusting, so humiliating for all of us ELF.

It’s the instrumental version of U with lyrics from another singer. That’s not fair at all! He broke one of the most important rules: to make a full original (lyrics and music) song.

Eurovision-spain.com, the official Spanish fanbase of the Eurovision Song Contest wrote something about this after I reported the plagiarism, this is their response: 

"We are disappointed about this news. Adriel's Solo Un Segundo was published around October 2008. He broke our contest rules by using the instrumental version of "U", a hit song from Korean Boyband Super Junior which was published in 2006. In response to our inquiry, Adriel admitted that he used the instrumental version of "U" because of lack of time and that he will now remake the song."

credits: allkpop.

Rumors: Wonbin leaving ft island

Rumors have been popping up all over the place that FT Island's Wonbin may be leaving the group. The "Primadonnas," have already started their protesting to keep the group together. All this on their 600th day anniversary. Just a rumor or truth? Perhaps it's just all hype for the announcement of a new album, who knows. But the press conference should be taking place within a few hours, we'll keep you posted.

Thanks to Phillip for the tip.
credits: allkpop

Tohoshinki member Jaejoong celebrated his 23rd

TVXQ / DBSK / Tohoshinki member Jaejoong celebrated his 23rd (24 in Korea) birthday in Japan today. Here he is pictured with his cake: (Picture credit: Prettyhyun5 at Naver. jihye as tagged.)

Happy Birthday!

Here is a translation of their interview in PINKY Magazine. Translations by pinkulemon at LiveJournal.
Fan 1: I am also interested in the boy my best friend likes. We’re not dating, but we’ve been meeting up in secret and I feel guilty about it.

YH: Why Did I Fall In Love With You………..? (T/N: The title of their song, どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう 8D)
YC: Idiot~! Ahahaha!!!
JJ: *plainly* Men choose friendship over love!
YC: I’d give up on a girl if my best friend liked her, definitely.
JJ: I’d do something about it to make myself not fall in love with her. I’d look for all her bad points and give up.

PINKY: How about Junsu?

JJ: AS SOMEONE WHO’S HAD THE EXPERIENCE!!
All: *burst out laughing*
JS: If I fell in love with her it would be a showdown! I would fight in order to obtain love.
YC: But isn’t love not something to do with who wins or who’s in the wrong?
JJ: That’s certainly true. For example, if I ended up falling in love with the girl Yoochun liked, I’d say, “Yoochun, I’m going to give up on her so you definitely have to give her happiness.” And then, if Yoochun broke up with her……I’d date her *laughs*! I’d say, “I’ll give you happiness in Yoochun’s place.”
CM: Huhhhh…*sighs* I’ve always thought this, but….if that person really was a best friend I was really close to, a BEST FRIEND (T/N: said in English), I would give up on her first.
JS: Changmin is really that type of guy!

PINKY: Everyone, have you had that kind of experience? Where you stole your friend’s girlfriend or something…Ah, you’re grinning!!

CM: Me?!?! No, not me! IT’S NOT ME!!
JS: No, there was, but he only realized after doing it…
JJ: WHY IS JUNSU ANSWERING!
CM: I’ve never told Junsu that……
All: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
CM: But he’s right…
JS: I know just by looking at your eyes…
YC: There was, there was something like that! The girl I liked had a boyfriend at first. When she broke up with him and was feeling really depressed, I started dating her myself!
YH: As for me, a long time ago, two months after I broke up with my girlfriend, my best friend started going out with her…

(The five members simultaneously start talking about their own stories)

PINKY: Um~ our reader’s problem…?

YH: I think it might be good for her to talk to her best friend honestly about what’s been going on. And I think she should confess to that guy about her feelings. If you like him that much, you should say so, after all. If not…it would be better for you to give up on him soon.
YC: He may not be the guy of your destiny.

Fan 2: My boyfriend was devoted to me at first, but recently he’s not been making any effort. How do I get him to go back to becoming the kind boyfriend he was when we first started dating?

JJ: IMAGE CHANGE! Even if it’s just the color of your hair it really changes a lot. And by doing so that really gets men interested.
CM: What if the girlfriend cheated on him?
All: OOOOOOOOOHH~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YC: WITH YOU?!
JS: It’s about giving your boyfriend a shock.
JJ: If your boyfriend doesn’t become kind to you even after you’ve gone that far, break up with him! It’d be good if by doing so, you became more and more beautiful.
JS: I understand this girl’s feelings a little, but I think it’s impossible for men to be able to perfectly satisfy women. I want her to understand that. I want all girls to understand that too, a little.
YH: If you keep on saying, “I want to see you, I want to see you,” men come to feel like running away. It’s a balance. When you’re dating aren’t there periods when you kind of want to be separated, when you want to come back together, all kinds? We give thoughts about us and our girlfriends serious consideration too. But men can’t say these things.
YC: I understand that!

Sasaki Nozomi, representative of the PINKY models: All of you who have been living together for so long, what is the trick to living well with someone who is not part of your family?

JJ: *points at a PINKY magazine* The same girl?! THE SAME GIRL?!?!
JS: You have to start by understanding everything, the best points and the worst points, of the person you’re staying with. If you have that, there’ll be no secrets between the two of you, and it’ll be easy for you to be together.
JJ: We’re lucky. Whether it’s the others’ personalities or their emotions we understand them very well, and the fact that the five of us have lived together for seven years, to be honest I think that’s a very difficult thing.
YC: But we each have our own private lives, don’t we?
JJ: Stuff like, “You absolutely cannot touch this.”
CM: Even if both parties don’t say anything, that’s something we understand.
JJ: On the contrary, right now, I think Tohoshinki would not be able to live separately. Everyone, you wouldn’t be able to, would you??
All: *nod*

Fan 3: I am completely unable to do so-called domestic chores, cooking, or anything a girl should be able to. Do men dislike girls like me?

JJ: You have to do them!
JS: It’s okay if you aren’t able to do them, but…
YH: It’d be a bigger plus if you did.
JJ: When you say you’re “unable”, do you mean you’re not good at it? Or is it that you just don’t do it?
JS: “I don’t want to do housework!” That’s no good.
JJ: Not good at all.
JS: If you’re still not good at it, or haven’t done it before, that’s completely okay.
CM: Please do it *laughs*.

PINKY: What would you all say to your girlfriends if they didn’t do the housework?

JJ: “Do a little hard work for me”, or “Give it a shot”. If I say that and she still doesn’t fix herself, it’d be the worst, I might even consider breaking up with her…
YH: I’d say, “I wanna eat this~”, or something with that kind of mood. “I really love motsunabe~♡” or something. (T/N: Motsunabe is hot pot with offal) This is just an example! I wouldn’t be able to say it firsthand.
YC: Anyway I think when you fall in love with someone, you naturally start to cook.
YH: If you meet someone you really love, your heart is moved.

Fan 4: I don’t have a good relationship with my parents. When I speak to them we do nothing but fight and I just can’t be obedient with them.

JJ: What if you drank sake with them?
JS: The most important thing is to create opportunities for you to talk.
All: *nod violently*
CM: But I think it’s all about your own intentions…
YC: You want to become obedient with them, don’t you? If you have that kind of heart, you’ll be alright.
YH: If you watch movies or play sports together, you’ll naturally be able to talk to them.
YC: A first date with your parents.
JJ: Night-time jogging or something.
All: *burst out laughing*
JJ: You naturally become able to talk while running.
CM: It might be good for you to live by yourself, be separated from them once. That’s one method. You will understand once you’re separated. That you have to treasure your parents after all.

Fan 5: My boyfriend is really a narcissist. He cares about nothing but his clothes and his hairstyle, and that’s really not manly.

All: *look at Jaejoong*
JJ: Caring about things like that…saying that’s not manly, isn’t that a little strange?? Aren’t there manly people who care about things like that??

PINKY: You’re rushing, aren’t you? *laughs*

JJ: I myself care about my clothes and stuff quite a lot…..

PINKY: You’re saying that caring about your clothes and not being a man are different things, right?

JJ: Right!!
JS: Huh……*sighs* Please break up with him…
YH: Please break up with him…
CM: Not being manly and being a narcissist have nothing to do with each other. If you really dislike that about him I’d want you to break up with him…
YC: If you really hate that part about him.
JJ: …But, that boyfriend might be strange………yeah.

PINKY: Why all of a sudden??

JJ: I thought about this question one more time….this guy is definitely a narcissist, who ISN’T manly. But there are QUITE a lot of narcissists who are!

PINKY: And who are you talking about here?!

JJ: I AM NOT A NARCISSIST!!
All: *stare at Jaejoong for a short period again*
YC: This interview is fun.
JJ: That guy definitely, probably behaves like a girl, right?
JS: Because narcissism is an instinct to men, women have to accept this. Moreover that girl might have begun to date him based only on his appearance. You cannot date someone until getting to know his personality.

Fan 6: I was told by my parents that I have no sense of humour. What can I do in order to become someone who is called funny by others?

CM: Please follow Junsu’s example.
JS: There is one method. Whether it’s funny or not, you’re sort of telling a joke, right? Whether the person you’re telling it to laughs or doesn’t laugh…
YC: You yourself must ABSOLUTELY not laugh!
JS: Right! That way even if the other person doesn’t laugh, they won’t know you were trying to tell a joke.

PINKY: That’s an amazingly sneaky trick!!

JS: That is the point of comedy. That itself might be funny. But if you don’t laugh at that point, that is the end of everything!!
JJ: I am also bad at jokes……..
CM: I’m the same as well. I…am not very funny. So I don’t work hard to make people laugh.
All: You are funny! CHANGMIN!!

credits: Allkpop.

Lee-teuk visited Son Jae-hee

Son Jae-hee was diagnosed with brain cancer on her birthday in 2007. She underwent two operations and 10 chemotherapy treatments and became much better; so much so that she appeared on the SBS variety program.

However, in December 2008, Son Jae-hee’s health took a turn for the worse. The tumor is back and it is spreading.

Super Junior’s Lee-teuk, who played the keyboard for little Jae-hee during her Star King appearance, visited the girl recently. He left her a personal message in an autographed CD.

Lee-teuk isn’t the only one who has visited Jae-hee. Kang Ho-dong dropped in on Jae-hee on Dec 23 last year. His visit was recorded for a Star King episode. Check out the clip below…before it is yanked off the Net.



Source: MSN News
credits: kpopped

Big Bang iStation PMP CF

Big Bang is featured in a CF for a new PMP (Portable Media Player) by i-Station. It looks like the CF was filmed a few months ago because their hair styles look like it.

The CF features a girl playing with the PMP and each of the Big Bang members doing a task. First, TOP starts beat boxing while Seung Ri dances, Taeyang is up next and sings his song for the girl. G-Dragon comes on after and dances like a little kid, Daesung dances to his trot music wearing a flashy hot pink blazer, and then each of them take a turn dancing. It ends with all of them in the girls room and they run out as the mom approaches. Daesung gets caught though and the mom says why the hell is Daesung in here as he slowly walks out.

thanks so much to allkpop!

credits: allkpop

Big Bang Seung Ri gets Strong Results on M Countdown

The Big Baby of Big Bang finally got a first place for "Strong Baby." Seung Ri achieved his first ever placing of first on Mnet's M Countdown. He beat those scandalous bitches known as KARA and this time they weren't surprised that they lost.

thanks so much to allkpop!

credits: allkpop

2009 MBC Star Dance Battle

The 2009 MBC Star Dance Battle took place on January 25th, 2009. Top K-Pop groups and stars were pitted against each other in a dance off and although I don't agree with all of the results, it was entertaining nonetheless. Check out the battles between, SHINee, 2PM, Super Junior, SS501, Taegoon, KARA, Girls' Generation, Jewelry, VOS, Seungri and Taeyang. For those wondering who judges the dance battles, it's the studio audiences vote. 

SHINee vs. 2PM (Winner)

SS501 (Winner) vs. Super Junior

Taegoon vs. KARA (Winner)
Part 1: Powerful Dance Battle

Part 2: Pretty Dance Battle

Girls' Generation vs. Jewelry + VOS (Winner)

Seungri vs. Taeyang (Draw)

thanks so much to Allkpop.com 

credits: Allkpop.com

Hyeona

Former Wonder Girls member Hyeona (현아) will make a comeback in February '09. Hyeona used to be a member of JYP Entertainment's Wonder Girls before she left, and was later replaced by Yoobin. 

Hyeona's management company, Cube Entertainment representative said "Hyeona is currently training hard and will make a comeback to the entertainment scene in end February with a new album." He also said that Hyeona is enthusiastic about her comeback and she will be showing vast improvements from her Wonder Girls debut days. Hyeona is now managed by Cube Entertainment, a JYP Entertainment sister company.

Back in February 2007, Hyeona was part of Wonder Girls and they made a debut with the single The Wonder Begins. The group was just about to take off when Hyeona was plagued by health problems. She suffered from chronic enteritis (inflamation of the small intestine). Finally her health problems got the best of her and Hyeona had to leave Wonder Girls in July 2007. She was later replaced by Yoobin.

Source & pic credit: Newsen 

http://k-popped.com/

Joo Ji Hoon

Joo Ji-hoon (Goong) will be debuting on the musical stage in the Korean production of Don Juan (돈주앙). Joo will play Don Juan, the legendary fictional libertine. He will assume the lead role but will alternate with musical actors Kim Da-hyun and Kang Tae-eul. Korean actors will take the acting (speaking) roles, while dancing will be performed by 13 authentic Spanish flamenco dancers! 

http://k-popped.com/

Seung Ri of Big Bang performed Se7en's "I Know."

On January 15th's M! Countdown, Seung Ri of Big Bang performed Se7en's "I Know." 

"I Know" was a hit song back in 2006 and was #1 on various charts for weeks.

Seung Ri wanted to perform Se7en's music because Se7en has been concentrating on America and people in Korea haven't seen or heard Se7en's material in a while. He also said that even though my performance won't be an exact duplicate of Se7en's, I hope that people will think of him while they're watching the performance.

http://www.allkpop.com/

Bolero- TVXQ

TVXQ / DBSK performed "Bolero" on January 16th's Music Japan program. Although it aired for the first time today, this performance was actually pre-recorded back in early December.

"Bolero" will be TVXQ's 25th Japanese single and is scheduled to be officially released on January 21st.

The performance was excellent as usual despite being abruptly cutoff, I expected them to sing a little longer. They have another Oricon Chart Topper on their hands.

http://www.allkpop.com/

the MV

10th anniversary

The pair held a party-cum-fan meeting at the Grand Hilton Seoul Hotel at 6.30pm. In addition to that, the pair also celebrated their birthdays with their fans! Brian turned 28 on Jan 10 while Hwanhee will turn 27 on Jan 17.

During the party, the pair announced that they were in the midst of completing their 8th album. The long player is set to hit stores at the end of Jan. 

http://k-popped.com/

Band of Brothers

SuJu’s Heechul and Kangin along with Trax’s Jay and Jungmo are the Band of Brothers, one of SM Entertainment’s (SME) side projects.

Band of Brothers came together for a showcase at Hongik University on Jan 13 at 5pm. It was recorded for Mnet. The quartet had been practising for the showcase for the past three months.

Heechul banged on the drums while Kangin played a mean riff on bass. Meanwhile, Jay serenaded the crowd while Jungmo strummed the guitar.

The showcase will be aired on the Mnet channel on Jan 23.

http://k-popped.com/

Lee Hongki "The noona that was 2 years old than me who I met in my 1st year of high school was my first love"

FT Island's Lee Hongki revealed about his his first love.

Lee Hongki appeared on the latest episode of Mnet�s �추적 X-보이프랜드 시즌2′(Pursuiting X-Boyfriend Season 2) and confessed that "My first love was a noona that was older than me by 2 years".

Lee Hongki who was listening to the younger man, older woman couple problem, he let out that "My first love was a year 3 noona who I met when I was in year 1." He revealed that It wasn't a student and workrelated relationship but a student to student relationship so their wasn't any problems. But sometimes you'd think that they say that you're too young.

Lee Hongki revealed that he was violent and even cheated on his ex-girlfriend and he deeply regrets it. He told the 2nd person "Don't ever resort to violence. If you do, whenever she doesn't listen to you or does something you don't like, you will end up being violent again." This episode aired at 11 PM on the 17th.

http://search.asianfanatics.net/

Rise to popularity

On September 5, 2007, Good Entertainment, the talent agency for the popular boy band Shinhwa, sent their trainee Yoo bin to JYP Entertainment as a replacement for Hyuna. She made her debut three days later in the group's live performance of "Tell Me" on Music Bank .

Their first full-length album, The Wonder Years, was released the following week, on September 13, 2007, with "Tell Me." Due to the last-minute addition of Yubin, the album version does not contain her part. However, the performance version of the song was reworked to include a bridge with Yubin's rap. The single was a hit and reached number one on various Korean television and internet music charts, including KBS's Music Bank.

The choreography for the song was simple and widely imitated: by October, many fan performances of the dance circulated on video sharing sites such as YouTube and Daum, including one by a group of policemen who were eventually profiled on SBS's Star King. The dance became so popular it was known as the 'Tell Me Virus' and earned them the title of 'Korea's Little Sisters'.

Wonder Girls had an extensive promotional schedule for their album and in December 2007 they began performing the second single from the album, "이 바보" ("This Fool"). They made numerous appearances on variety and game shows, sang live on radio, at music festivals, on music shows, and in special joint performances with other groups such as Big Bang. MTV has also aired three seasons of The Wonder Life, a reality TV series starring the girls. In January 2008, however, they ceased promotion of their album to prepare for their concert in United States that was scheduled for March 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/ 

Wonder Girls

The Wonder Girls (Korean: 원더걸스) are a South Korean girl group.They are produced by singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young and are signed to his talent agency, JYP Entertainment. Each of the five original members were selected through auditions. Debuting in early 2007, they became popular in the fall of that year with the song "Tell Me."

DEBUT 

The Wonder Girls debuted on February 10, 2007 on Show! Music Core, singing "Irony", the hip-hop single from their debut mini-album, The Wonder Begins. The mini-album went on to become a minor hit, selling 11,454 copies in 2007.

Throughout the rest of 2007, however, the Wonder Girls were beset by various injuries and health problems. On June 25, Sohee was sidelined for a month after tearing a knee ligament falling off a motorcycle during the filming of 뜨거운 것이 좋아 (I Like It Hot).The remaining four members continued performing until late July, when Hyuna was removed from the group due to their concern over her health—in particular, chronic gastroenteritis which had her hospitalized briefly in March and April.

Wonder Girls-Tell Me

http://en.wikipedia.org/

Beautiful Life (2007)

Both Xiah Junsu and Max Changmin are adorable and hilarious in this one. Xiah shines in his performance as a guy who always gets into uncomfortable situations with a local lass named Young Shim (Park Hee-bon).

She catches him taking a leak in the open numerous times, is hit in the head by solid objects a couple of times and eventually bullied into impersonating a grandson for a lonely Grandma.

Meanwhile, Max’s stint as a postman is laugh-out-loud funny, thanks to the Grandmas who find the strapping, pretty boy attractive. He gets molested a lot by the old women when he goes about delivering mail.

Xiah and Max are taking their break together. The pair travels to a remote village that only has 23 people made up of mostly elderly folks. Once there, Xiah literally bumps into an old man, who is the village postman, and causes him to hurt his back.

The pair makes amends by helping the old man out now that he can’t deliver letters. Max is tasked with being the village postman, while Xiah gallivants around the village getting into all sorts of trouble with Young Shim.

When Max finds a lonely Grandma, his heart goes out to her and after asking around about her, discovers that Grandma – who is about to celebrate her 80th birthday – is pining for her Grandson. Since Grandson seems to have forgotten about Grandma, Xiah is recruited to assume the identity of the Grandson.

http://k-popped.com/

The Way U Are (2007)

His story has a doppelganger twist to it and Hero easily takes on the role of a sleazy conman, an action hero (sic) and a punching bag  apart from playing his rather clueless self.

Hero’s story is about mistaken identity. He looks exactly like a thug named Changshik, who is in a whole lot of trouble with the club owner he works with - Changshik stole his boss’ money to help pay for his Mom’s surgery.

The story begins when Hero is about to get his ticket for his much-needed vacation. He is grabbed by Changshik’s former boss’ men and beaten up.

Nobody believes him when he tells them who he really is (Changshik used the same tactics – saying that he’s Hero of TVXQ – to escape) so he has to deal with all the baggage the illusive Changshik left behind – and that includes a pissed off girlfriend.

http://k-popped.com/

Eternal (2007)

Micky Yoochun enters a twilight zone of his own as he returns to the little seaside town he spent a part of his childhood in.

It’s a journey of self-discovery for Micky, who is tired of living the life of a popular star.

Feeling depressed and hemmed in, he is reminded of a childhood promise/wish by a very close friend that indirectly (or directly, if you wish) made him who he is today.

Micky “returns” to 1994 and meets himself as a boy. He then relives an incident in the past that brings back memories of the wish he made with his then best friend, Joojin. And with that, he becomes more appreciative of who he has become – depression and loss of freedom and all.

http://k-popped.com/

Kim Heechul is more comfortable kissing boys

Super Junior member Kim Hee-chul (25) revealed in an ETN reality show recently that he will save his first kiss (to a girl) for his future wife. Heechul expressed that he feels uncomfortable when the director of the musical Xanadu asked him to do a kissing scene with a female actress. But we all know that Heechul has no problems kissing fellow Super Junior member Sungmin on stage. 

There are so many Super Junior boys that it is hard to keep track of their activities. Each of them are busy with their own projects and occassionally come together as a group which makes the fans super happy.

Heechul and Kangin have landed themselves roles in a musical entitled Xanadu. In the ETN reality show To be Kangin and Heechul, you will see both Kangin and Heechul's preparations for the above-mentioned musical.

Xanadu will be playing in Seoul, September 9th - 11th 2008.

http://k-popped.com/

Super Junior Lee Teuk masquerades as a catwalk model

While two of his bandmates, Kang-in and Kim Hee-chul are keeping busy performing in the Korean production of Xanadu, this member is making some extra cash, being a catwalk model. 

While his friends were busy, Lee Teuk was seen at designer Park Jung Chul's 09 S/S Seoul Collection. The fashion show was held at Seoul's SETEC on the 18th October. Lee Teuk was one of the main models! 

http://k-popped.com/

Korean production of XANADU releases OST

The Korean production of the broadway musical Xanadu will be releasing the OST today (15 Oct). Super Junior members Kang-in and Kim Hee Chul appear in the musical; they are both currently performing in the show. You will be able to download the OST from Korean Online music sites and enjoy Xanadu tracks like Suddenly and Don't Walk Away in Korean! 

Both Kangin and Hee Chul play the lead role Sonny who falls for the immortal goddess Kira. So Kangin is Hee Chul's understudy and vice versa. ;-) They take turns.

The producers of Xanadu licensed the exclusive South Korean-language rights of the show for two years to Tin Tin Entertainment. So if you are in South Korea, catch Xanadu, featuring Super Junior members as the lead.

http://k-popped.com/

Solo activities

Fany starred in the MBC series Over the Rainbow with co-stars Kim Ok-bin and Ji Hyun Woo. The series first aired on July 26, 2006, and ended on its 16th episode on September 14, 2006. Fany's portrayal of cocky rock star Rex, the protagonist of the show, was met with mixed reviews.The drama had struggled with low viewership well below 10% throughout its airing. The finale garnered meager ratings of 9.3% and was criticized for its predictable ending.

After the contract to SM Entertainment expired, the duo, Brian in particular, has appeared frequently on variety shows since 2005. Brian became one of two MCs for MBC's "Music Core" on May 6, 2006. This helped Brian gain publicity and expand his fanbase in ways he could not have in the early days of his career. After the duo officially took a hiatus from their sixth album, Brian continued to appear on variety shows such as Love Letter, and is still the MC of Music Core.

Hwanhee (over the rainbow OST)- Tomorrow

Brian's solo album was released December 18, 2006. Brian performed his first single, "Gajima" (Don't Go) on Mnet Countdown on December 7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_to_the_Sky

Lee Jun Ki

It’s about time we profiled the pretty boy. The model-turned-actor is a martial arts enthusiast whose first TV appearance was back in 2001. It was in a commercial for the fashion label So Basic.

He then landed minor roles in various dramas in the following years, but hit it big when he was aptly cast as an effeminate entertainer in the period flick The King and the Clown (2005).

Set in the 15th century, Lee plays Gong-gil, an entertainer forced to satisfy the sexual and emotional cravings of King Yeonsan. The film became one of the highest-grossing locally-made flicks in South Korea.

After getting noticed, the 26-year-old appeared in a supporting role for the Lee Da-hae and Lee Dong-wook drama, My Girl. His movie, Fly, Daddy, Fly was released in 2006. The following year, the actor toplined the action drama Time Between Dog and Wolf.

Currently, the androgynous actor is trying to expand his influence overseas. He has appeared in a Japanese-Korean joint production, was approached by Chinese director Chen Kaige to make a movie, and inked a contract with Emperor Entertainment Group to aid his endeavours in the Chinese-speaking territories of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In Oct 2007, the Busan native was honoured with the Rising Star Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival.

The latest news on the rising star is that he’s about to launch his career in China through a remake of a very popular Chinese drama series.

Name: Lee Jun-ki/ Lee Joon-ki (이준기)
Date of birth: April 17, 1982
Height: 178cm
Weight: 66kg
Blood type: B
Family: Parents and a younger sister
Education: Seoul Arts College, majored in acting
Martial arts: 1st degree in Hapkido and Taekyon, 3rd degree in Taekwondo

Movies:

Virgin Snow (2007) – Korea/Japan co-production
May 18 / Splendid Day (2007)
Fly, Daddy, Fly (2006)
The King and the Clown (2005)
Flying Boys (2004)
Hotel Venus (2004) – Japan production

TV dramas:

Time Between Dog and Wolf (2007)
101 Proposal - cameo (2006)
My Girl (2005)
Drama City, Eps 234 “What Should I Do?” (2004)
Star’s Echo (2004)
Nonstop 4 (2003)

http://k-popped.com/

Fly To The Sky

Fly to the Sky (Korean: 플라이 투 더 스카이) is a South Korean R&B duo, consisting of U.S.-born Brian Joo and South Korean native Hwanhee.

Initially marketed as a duo that can sing, rap, and dance, their early works featured bubblegum pop and upbeat techno music. The duo later changed their image and style with the release of Sea of Love in 2002. With their subsequent albums, the duo solidified their status as R&B artists and are credited as the first R&B duo of South Korea.  

Debut and the early years

The duo was formed in late 1998 by SM Entertainment. Brian Joo auditioned while he was attending Holy Spirit High School in New Jersey. Hwang Yoon-Suk, later to be known as Fany, was encouraged to audition by a staff member working for the label at his high school festival. Fly to the Sky officially debuted on November 21, 1999 at the LOG-IN H.O.T. Concert and SM Festival Concert '99.

Soon after, the duo released their debut album Day by Day on December 9, 1999, and made their first official television appearance two days later. Unlike their predecessors on their label, popular teen idols at that time, they shied away from upbeat techno and dance music, opting for mid-tempo ballads. The debut became highly successful selling over 250,000 copies.[4] The duo acquired status as the next-generation stars as they won Best New Artist award in 2000.[3] At the same time, the duo failed to rise to instant stardom unlike their predecessors such as H.O.T., whose album sales have passed the one million mark.[5]

Their popularity rapidly climbed with the release of their second album The Promise in 2001, which featured more diverse genres than its predecessor. With more upbeat tracks, it peaked at #2, but quickly disappeared from the charts.[6] In the same year, they held a joint concert with Korean R&B singer Kim Jo-Han. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_to_the_Sky

Seung Ri's new solo single Strong Baby

Now Seung Ri releases his new solo single Strong Baby (‘스트롱 베이비’). He's more buffed and claims to be a man, but alas, he does not quite reach the mark. Seung Ri looks more comfortable waving a giant fabric lollipop doing the "Wonderboy" thing rather than trying to sell us a strong masculine, sexy image.

Only in his teens - nineteen to be exact (but in Korean age, he's 20), Seung Ri is trying to create a sexier, more mature image in his newly launched MV for Strong Baby. The music video was launched on 01 January, 2009 at 12noon! The MV features fellow Big Bang band mate G-dragon.  

http://k-popped.com/ 

Seung Ri (Big Bang)- Strong Baby

FT Island Celebrates the 1st Anniversary of their Japanese Fanclub

5-member band, FT Island, held a live concert “GIFT” on 22nd Oct to commemorate the first anniversary of their Japanese fanclub “Primadonna” at Tokyo’s Shibuya-Ax. A total of about 1,600 fans attended this event.

FT Island performed a total of 17 songs during the concert and even shook hands with their fanclub after the event.

During the concert, Lee Hongki also revealed that he will be acting in the new SBS drama “The Lord of Study”. FT Island will be releasing a new single on 17th Dec and they will be holding a concert on 2nd Jan at Tokyo DOme’s JCB Hall.

Credits: yonhap news + ying_1005@soompi (trans) + primanoona (reup)

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/

Butterfly pin on FT Island’s Heaven MV

Is actually from an accessory shop, “indah“. They have an online presence at http://www.myindah.net, but also a number of physical shops in Korea. One of them, was used as a location for Heaven MV filming last month. 

According to indah’s blog, the MV filming was done on 16 September 2008, where there was only one FT Island member (the lead vocal; Hongki), filming the scene.
The filming completed in just one day (for that few second scenes only), and there were a lot of crew involved just to film that scene.

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/

[MV] FT Island - “Love Is”

The song is from FT Island’s 2nd album “Colorful Sensibility” (Part 1), titled “Love Is”. It’s really a cutesy and light song, complete with cheeky and aegyo-ish voice of Hongki and Wonbin as vocals.

The MV is also a longer movie trailer of an upcoming movie, “앤티크” (Antique), starring Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jae Wook, Choi Ji Ho and Yoo Ha In, as owner and employees of an antique cake shop.
The movie is a remake of a popular Japanese manga “Antique Bakery“, and it is opening on 13 November 2008.

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/

Big Bang Signs Modeling Contract with FILA Korea

Members of the male vocal group Big Bang have been chosen as models for Italian sports brand FILA. FILA Korea recently said it has signed a modeling contract with the fashion-savvy members of the popular group. 

The company said Big Bang had modeled for FILA Korea early last year and that it will be its second time working with the group for one of its ad campaigns. The six-month contract will go into effect in December although the photo shoot will begin in November. 

FILA Korea said it plans to continue to work with big names in the entertainment industry, including high-profile Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton and Big Bang. 

Big Bang recently released its third mini-album. Its title track "Day by Day" has been sweeping various K-pop charts in recent weeks.

http://www.kpopmusic.co.uk/

FT Island’s 2nd Island “Rock Prince” Concert (2008)

FT Island who has just released the “Colourful Sensibility Part 2″ album and currently busy with the promotion of title songs “Heaven” and “I Love You” will be starting their concert tour in Seoul on 27th and 28th December at Olympic Hall. They will also be holding concerts in other 3 major cities in Korea.

Besides performing together on the same stage, the members will also have solo performances to show off their individual talents.

Regarding the concert, leader, Choi Jonghun, expressed that, “After coming back from our short Japan study trip and releasing our 2nd album, our fans have never stop supporting us. We have been thinking hard on how to express our thanks to them. Therefore, we will show them a better side of us in terms of our music as well as performance during the concert.”

“FT Island 2nd Island Rock Prince” concert offers lots of conveniences for the audience. In order to cater more choices for ticket prices as well as seat categories, there will be many types of standing ticket categories. There will be a 360 degree stage whereby the audience will be situated in the middle, surrounded by the stage. Through this stage arrangement, the fans will have a closer interaction with FT Island and will be able to watch them perform at the nearest distance.

On the other hand, there will also be 10% discount for students who are taking their college entrance exams in Year 2008. There are also special discounts for the “Mother’s Room” as well as “Family” packages.

FT Island’s fans come mainly from the junior high school students. In order not to make the mothers worry for their children who will return home late, the management has arranged a waiting room for the mothers at the concert venue. For not making them bored, they have also arranged for interesting programmes to be shown in the waiting room. Light refreshments will also be served.

“Family Package Discount” will be applicable when the mother buys 4 tickets at one go for the family. There will also be special seats provided for the family package.

Management, “Good Concert”, expressed that, “Students will be the main audience crowd and they are able to come together with their family. We will do our best for this concert in order for them to share a memorable common discussion topic on the concert among themselves in future. In order not to cause inconvenience to the parents who come waiting for their children, we are doing lots of setting up preparations.” They also explained the various types of discount packages for the family as well as the “Mother’s Room”.

5-member band, FT Island, will be holding their end year concert “FT Island 2nd Island Rock Prince” on 27th and 28th December at Olympic Hall at the Olympic Park. They also plan to include 3 other major cities in Korea in their concert tour.

Credits: BreakNews + 매일경제 + ying_1005@soompi (trans)

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/

New Single- The One

Track List:

1. The One (4′03)
Written, composed by Shusui, Family Business
Arranged by Yoshihiko Chino

2. Life Like a Musical (3′54)
Written by Shusui & FTIsland
Composed by Shusui, Axel Bellinder, Stefan Engblom
Arranged by Sadahiro Nakano

3. You’ll Be In My Heart (3′33)
Written by KIM JAEYANG & FTIsland
Composed by Shusui, Anton Malmberg, Felix Persson
Arranged by Jun Ichikawa

Info: pori-san’s blog @ Yahoo

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/page/2/

Ft Island- The One

Hongki, Jonghoon, and Wonbin have all been accepted into the university

Thanks to their hard work, ALL THREE BOYS have all been accepted into the university, and will start coursework proper in 2009.

Both Wonbin and Jonghoon will start their new semester next year (year 2009) in Gyeonggi University, majoring in Digital Music.

Meanwhile, Hongki is going to enter Kyunghee University, majoring in Drama and Theatre, with fellow celebrities like See Ya’s Nam Gyu Ri and actress Na Hye Mi, who are doing the same major.

Hongki will be in the same cohort with other celebrities like 2AM’s Jo Kwon, Big Bang’s GD and Daesung, and Da Vichi’s Min Kyung (all of whom are doing a different major with Hongki).

Hongki will also be brushing shoulders with many celebrities who have entered Kyunghee before him (although different majors), like Rain, Wonder Girls’ Ye Eun, Park Hyo Shin, Lyn, SG Wannabe’s Kim Jinho, Buzz’s Min Kyung Hoon and many more.

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/page/2/

FT Island transformed into Photographers?

Idol club FT Island completed a photoshoot with a “Photographer” concept. FT Island has been picked for fashion magazine “Marie Claire”’s photoshoot to present an idol-style innocent attitude. FT Island’s photos will be featured on Marie Claire’s December edition. 

Cheerful and handsome idol band FT Island (Lee Hongki, Lee Jaejin, Oh Wonbin, Choi Minhwan, Choi Jonghoon) has been bitten by the camera bug.

At the photographing site, FT Island was very serious when taking their photos and looked like real photographers.
However, during rest time, their idol-style, bright and cheerful characters, became the mood makers at the photographing site.

Idol club innocence aside, FT Island becomes serious when it comes to music. Their special variety photos will be featured in fashion magazine “Marie Claire” December edition.

http://primanoona.wordpress.com/

Lee Hong Gi Casted for Leading Role in Master of Study

F.T. Island’s Lee Hong Gi has been casted for SBS “Master of Study” idol drama scheduled for broadcast in the Mon-Tue timeslot after the conclusion of “Tazza” expected in December. This is SBS’s answer to KBS idol drama “Boys over Flowers” scheduled for broadcast in end December. Exactly how will the idols fare against the incumbent star-studded “East of Eden” remains to be seen. 

According to one production staff from “Master of Study” today, they are now discussing over the final details with Lee Hong Gi over his involvement. Other cast members will be announced in the next couple of days. Lee Hong Gi’s involvement is more or less confirmed with details to be ironed out.

“Master of Study” is adapted from a popular Japanese manga “Dragon Zakura” and talks of how students with the worst grades gets into Seoul University and their study process. Filming will begin at the end of this month with a broadcast date of 1st December if everything goes as scheduled.

http://coolsmurf.wordpress.com/

Debut and First Album

The members were professionally trained primarily in singing and dancing, but some members were also selected to be trained in acting and modeling. Many of the members already had made names for themselves in the Korean entertainment industry through their participation in magazine ads, television commercials, and small television appearances. For nearly two years, Korean websites speculated about which of the female SM Entertainment trainees would be placed into the group. Before the official release of the group name, Girls' Generation, it was rumored that the group would be named "Super Girls" after their so-called counterpart, Super Junior. 

On July 19, 2007, Girls' Generation had their first performance on M.NET'S M!Countdown. Although this performance was never broadcast on television, many videos were shot by fans and uploaded onto the internet. The song the girls performed was called "다시 만난 세계 (Into the New World)", which ended up being their first single.

On August 2, 2007, the single "다시 만난 세계 (Into the New World)" was released. This single included two other songs, "Beginning" and "Perfect For You (소원)", later renamed as Honey for their self-titled debut album "Girls' Generation". An instrumental of "Into the New World" is also included.

The group began promoting the single soon after its release. On August 5, 2007, Girls' Generation made their debut performance on SBS's Popular Songs, performing their first single. Although it was their first televised performance, it was lip-synched, making netizens doubt their live performance capabilities. A few days later, on August 11, Girls' Generation did their first live performance on MBC's Show! Music Core, which was met with mixed reviews. The day after, the group performed live for the second time on KBS's Music Bank. This performance also had mixed reviews by netizens. Despite this, on October 11, 2007, Girls' Generation won first place with their popular song, "Into the New World" in M!Countdown, beating Lee Seung Gi by a couple of votes.

During their debut, there were various behind-the-scenes documentaries showcasing the girls. Girls' Generation Goes to School (소녀...학교에 가다) began airing on July 27, 2007 on MNET. There were a total of nine episodes, with seven focused on their performances, one "behind-the-scenes" look at the girls' world, and the last being a bonus episode of the girls performing at Sunny's high-school. Another show, broadcast on MTV Korea, shows each of the girls at home.

After a short break, their first full album was released on November 1, with the lead single "소녀시대 (Girls' Generation)", a cover of Lee Seung Chul's hit. Promotion for the single started in early November. Marked by cutesy dance routines and vocals, "Girls' Generation" was a hit for the group, and the album has sold 121,143 copies to date, placing 12th in the year-end charts.[1] In January 2008, Girls' Generation began promoting their second single, "Kissing You". The music video featured Donghae from Super Junior. This song achieved the #1 spot in the three main TV music rankings—SBS Inkigayo, M.Countdown! and KBS Music Bank. On March 13, 2008, the album was re-released, now titled Baby Baby. A third single, "Baby Baby", was used to promote the album throughout March. As of April 2008, the girls have ceased promotion of their album; however, a digital EP featuring Jessica, Tiffany, and Seohyun was released on April 7, 2008, titled Roommate. The single from the mini-album is "오빠나빠" (literally "Bad Brother", although contextually it refers to an older male (boy)friend).

The group marked their first North American appearance by performing at the annual Korean Festival Dream Concert held at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. The concert featured a slew of other Korean pop and folk singers, including management mates TVXQ and Super Junior-T. The concert took place on May 17, 2008.

Girls' Generation, along with fellow SM artists such as TVXQ, BoA, Super Junior, SHINee, CSJH the Grace and other SM artists participated in SMTown Live '08. The concert took place on August 15, 2008. The tour will expand its route to South Korea, Thailand, and China. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls'_Generation

SNSD- Baby Baby

Girls' Generation- SNSD

Girls' Generation (Hangul: 소녀시대; Hanja: 少女時代) is a South Korean nine-member girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2007. The members include (in order of official announcement) Yoona, Tiffany, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Taeyeon (the leader), Jessica, and Sunny. International Girls' Generation fans usually refer to the group as SNSD, the acronym of the group's Korean name So Nyeo Shi Dae as well as their Chinese name, Shaonü Shidai. Many of the members had already pursued an entertainment career before Girls' Generation's debut through acting, DJ-ing, and modeling. Their official fanclub is known as S♡NE (소원) also one of the titles of a song from their re-package album.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girls'_Generation

Cho Shin Sung- Supernova

Cho Shin Sung (초신성), is a South Korean boy band formed under Mnet Media. Its six members specialized in the areas of singing, dance, acting, rap and pop. Since debut, the group gained popularity in South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, and other East Asian countries.

Choshinsung fans use various versions of the group's name in different countries. In South Korea, the group is known as Choshinsung (초신성), while in Japan they are known as Choshinsei (超新星), in Chinese known as Chao xin xing (超新星), and in English Supernova. Their name translates as "Supernova". The name "Supernova", meaning an explosion of a star emitting luminosity far greater than that of the sun, was chosen from a list of numerous fan contributions. All the members are above 180 cm in height.

Like their name suggests, these six boys are gearing up to explode onto different entertainment venues, showing off their talents as singers, dancers, and actors. Their confidence stems from a two and a half years of extensive vocal, dancing, and acting training. In order to distinguish themselves from other boy bands, Supernova sports a formal look over casual attire - accentuating their masculine appeal. They are known for starring in music videos such as Seeya's & FT Island's. They have also performed at the Big4 Concert back in December 2006. They were featured on Mnet's M!Pick Season 6.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choshinsung

Cho Shin Sung- Super Star