Kim Hyun Joong Releases Surprise Single for Fans

Although June 6th is Kim Hyun Joong’s birthday, it was actually the artist who gave a present to his fans.

The singer surprised everyone on his birthday by releasing a single entitled, “The Reason I Live” (aka “Why I’m Alive”). The lovely ballad expresses his appreciation to the fans which have supported him so faithfully over the years.

Although fans had been expecting the release of the singer’s “Tonight” album, most of them were surprised and grateful for the singer’s single released for his birthday.

The singer will perform the song for the first time in public on June 8th at a fan meeting in Seoul. June 8th is also the anniversary of the group ss501, of which Kim Hyun Joong is the leader. Several of the members have made comments lately which hint at a reunion, so some fans are wondering if the rest of the band members will be making a surprise visit at the “2013 KHJ Show- Party People,” since it coincides with the group’s anniversary as well.

The release of the single comes on the heels of a special event KHJ held in Tokyo, where he spent approximately 6 hours shaking the hands of over 8,000 fans. Reports say the singer even showed concern for his fans standing outside in the hot sun and asked them to be escorted inside. Time after time, the talented singer and actor has expressed his gratitude to his fans and continues to show his appreciation by these special events and surprises. Along with his many talents, his humility and true appreciation for his fans continue to earn him more support and respect from Kpop fans around the globe.

We wish Kim Hyun Joong a very happy birthday and many years of continued success! 

Ivy’s new number is a dance song made in collaboration with JYP

On June 7, Ivy’s agency released a teaser image bearing the words “IVY X JYP, I Dance, Feat. Yubin, 6.” Since June 3, the agency had been arousing people’s curiosity, releasing mysterious teasers consisting only of letters and numbers. Strong red letters announce the title of the new song, “I Dance,” and the collaboration with Park Jin Young. Park Jin Young was in charge of producing Ivy’s debut song, “Tonight’s Secret,” which catapulted her to “sultry singer” status. It played an indispensable role in creating the “Ivy Syndrome.”

“I Dance” is an experimental song that combines the three genres of tango, hip-hop, and electronic music. Park Jin Young took part in writing the words and music, including the rap. Yubin, a member of the Wonder Girls who is represented by JYP, is featured in the song as the rapper and has promised to help Ivy with her performances of the new number.

Ivy will be unveiling “I Dance” not on a music program but on tvN’s SNL Korea. The program will be broadcast at 11:00 p.m. on June 8. Ivy’s second EP will be released on June 13.

• Source: TV Report

Shinhwa begin their Asia tour and sell a souvenir necklace commemorating their 15th anniversary

On June 7, Shinhwa’s agency announced that the group will begin their Asia concert tour, the 2013 Shinhwa Grand Tour Classic, at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo Arena on June 8. After Hong Kong, the tour will proceed to Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Beijing, and then on to the finale in Seoul. The total audience in the six cities is expected to reach about 100,000.

A staffer from the group’s agency says, “This is the first time for Shinhwa to hold a concert in Hong Kong since they debuted, so the concert will be especially meaningful not only to the fans but also for the members of  Shinhwa themselves.

Commemorating their 15th anniversary, a necklace dubbed “Forever” well be on sale at each concert venue. Shinhwa is going to donate part of the earnings to the city where the concert is held. The design of the necklace is same as the one worn by Dong Wan and Jun Jin in the music video of the song “This Love,” from the group’s 11th album.

• Source: TV Report

Fashionable “flower boy” Kim Beom visits Hong Kong

The actor Kim Beom, who is beloved in Chinese-speaking countries thanks to such TV dramas as Boys Qver Flowers and That Winter, The Wind Blows, is on a visit to Hong Kong. According to a June 7 report by CFP (China Foto Press), Kim arrived at Chek Lap Kok airport on the afternoon of June 6 to attend a promotional event for a cosmetic brand. Accompanied by several people including his manager, Kim was wearing a white T-shirt under a gray shirt and slim-fit black pants, making for a fashionable entry at the airport. Smiling at the fans who had gathered there to welcome him, he got into a car and left the airport.

Kim has become a popular Korean-wave star in Chinese-speaking countries thanks to the popularity of the TV series he has appeared in. He is also going to appear in the Chinese TV series V Love (微时代之恋 in Chinese), a love story of the younger generation.

• Source: TV Report

Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung Announce their Wedding.

Much has been said about the relationship between Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung, and just recently they have announced about their upcoming wedding. Lee Byung Hun’s agency, BH, made the announcement last Wednesday stating that the couple are to tie the knot in August, with the ceremony to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul.

Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung have been a couple since August 2012, and are set to get married exactly one year later.

• Source: Chosun Ilbo

MBLAQ holds a showcase of their new album

 On June 4, boy group MBLAQ held a press conference and showcase at an art center in Seoul to promote their fifth EP, Sexy Beat. Through the showcase, the group announced the release of the new EP, which contains six songs, including “Smoky Girl,” the strong electronic dance number. This is their first new work in 17 months.
First, the group performed “Smoky Girl” dressed in suits, showing manly charisma on the stage as they announced their new release to fans. Park Gyung Lim emceed the showcase, and leader Seung Ho expressed his feelings, saying, “During our work, I’ve always felt that we have learned a lot by sharing the stage with senior singers, and we want to learn more. We will try to do our best to bring greater maturity to our performances.”
Chun Doong says, “We are here with help of great songwriters and choreographers. We will do our best to give something back for their support.”
The song “Smoky Girl” is an electronic dance number. It was written by Primary and Jianty, and Simon D. joined to make the rap.

• Source: Starnews

2PM makes an appearance on SBS’s Running Man

 Teac Yeon and Chan Sung of 2PM showed up for the recording of the episode of Running Man that was shot on June 3, showing off their athletic ability, after returning from from the K-pop Festival 2013 in Gumamoto, Japan.
In spite of their hectic schedule, they looked lively and happy and were well focused during the shooting. An official of the show says, “The guest cast of the show include such people as martial arts director Jung Doo Hong and other martial artists. The strongest man will be chosen as the winner, making this an exciting competition.” It will be interesting to see how the singers do against such athletic opponents.

• Source: Starnews

Junho apologizes for his absence from a movie press conference

 Sending a wreath with words of apology, Junho expressed his sorrow for being absent from a press conference to report on the production of his first movie, Cold Eyes,  (directed by Jo Eui Suk and Kim Byung Seo, produced by Zipcinema). The press conference was held at CGV Apgujeong in Seoul on the morning of June 4.

Junho makes his screen debut in this film in the role of an ace member of a surveillance team, nicknamed Squirrel. Because of a 2PM concert in Japan, Jun ho could not attend the conference. On the wreath he sent, he wrote “I wish I could be there, too!”

Han Hyo Joo gave her impressions of working with Junho on the film, saying, “He performed enthusiastically even though it was his first time. You’ll be surprised when you see the movie.” Jung Woo Sung also praised him, saying, “Junho really devoted himself to his acting when we were on location. There were times when he had to wait for eight hours, yet he maintained an attitude of willingness to learn from every experience of shooting. He did a great job.”

Cold Eyes is an action thriller that tells the story of a special police surveillance team. It will be released on July 4.

• Source: Starnews

Victoria is a judge on Superstar China for one day: “It was a good experience.”

 Victoria, of the girl group f(x), recently appeared on Superstar China (我的中國星), which is Chinese version of Superstar K, as a special judge for a day. On the evening of June 4, Victoria uploaded a photo of herself on the judging panel, with the caption “我的中國星(Superstar China),” which is the title of the program. In the photo, she is dressed in tasteful black, giving the thumbs up and looking at the camera with a smile. Prior to this, Victoria had announced her visit to Wuhan, China, on her Weibo account. Now fans know why she visited the China.

Along with the photo, Victoria gave her impressions of being a special guest for a day, “Although I was a special judge just for a day, it was a really great experience for me and I learned a lot. Principal Tan (Alan Tam, a singer and actor in Hong Kong) and teacher Sha Baoliang (singer), I thank you all! It was an honor for me to be with you! I thank you all the participants for their efforts. I hope that all of you can achieve your dreams. Believe in yourself. Go for it! I also thank all the staffers and fans who were waiting for me outside. Go, Superstar China (我的中國星)!”

Getting the news that Victoria took part in Superstar China as a special guest, fans showed a variety of responses: “I’ll be waiting for the broadcast.” “I’m wondering how you judged.” “I will watch the broadcast.” “Wow, Victoria! Now you’ve become a judge!”

Superstar China is the Chinese version of Korean cable channel Mnet’s audition show. It is produced by HBTV and CJ E&M. The first episode will be broadcast on HBTV, on July 7.

• Source: TV Report

EXO draws attention with their fascinating performance

EXO drew a lot of attention with their fantastic performance of the song “Wolf” from their first studio album. An official of their agency said today that the dance moves were the collaborative work of world-renowned choreographer Tony Testa and SM entertainment performance director Hwang Sang Hoon. The performance is so compelling from the beginning that watchers are not able to take their eyes off it.
Testa has done choreography for such world-class pop stars as the late Micheal Jackson, Kylie Minogue, and Janet Jackson. He also choreographed TVXQ’s “Catch Me” and SHINee’s “Sherlock” and “Dream Girl.”
The EXO members play werewolves in a forest wolf cave in their performance, which has a story to it, like that of a musical. They released their album in two versions (Chinese and Korean) at the same time and have started performing in both countries. It’s fun to compare the two different kinds of dance performance.
Their first studio album, XOXO (Kisses & Hugs), is sweeping various album charts.

• Source: TV Report

BIGBANG’s Daesung Sells Out Japanese Tour And Plans New Single

Big Bang member Daesung, known in Japan as D-Lite, has sold out his Japanese tour and appears to have plans to release a new single next month.

Daesung released his first solo album, “D’scover”, in Japan on February  27, 2013. It consists mainly of remakes of well-known Japanese songs, as well as Japanese versions of his original songs “Baby Don’t Cry” and “Wings”. The album effectively showcases Daesung’s powerful vocal abilities. It now seems that Daesung, known to Japanese fans as D-Lite, is working on a new Japanese single which is to be released on July 31. The picture above has been released today and has sparked the curiosity of fans, with the words “New Single 2013.07.31 Release!!” clearly indicating the singer’s comeback at the end of next month.

Meanwhile, Daesung is currently completing his Japanese Tour, “D’scover Tour 2013″, which started on March 23 and is due to finish on June 18. Due to high demand, over 20 additional tour dates were added by YGEX, all of which have been sold out. This was highlighted in a short spot which Big Bang’s official YouTube channel released today.
 
There is no doubt about Daesung’s huge popularity in Japan, and we are looking forward to learning more about this new upcoming project of his.

•  Source: nazoyo.com

Girl’s Generation hold their first solo world tour

 The group Girl’s Generation (Taeyeon, Tiffany, Jessica, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun) are going on their first world tour, starting with two days of concerts in Seoul at the Gymnastics Arena in Olympic Park on June 8 and 9. This concert will be their third solo concert in Korea and the opening of the 2013 Girls’ Generation World Tour: Girls & Peace, their first such tour since their debut in the summer of 2007. Fans both at home and abroad are showing a lot of interest in the tour, which will go on to cities around the world after the Seoul premiere.

Recently, Girl’s Generation won the first prize in a poll titled Today’s Greatest Girl Group, which was organized by the American music site Popdust. Defeating the American vocal group Cimorelli, the British group The Saturdays, and the American group Fifth Harmony.

• Source: Starnews

After School is back with a song “First Love” written by Brave Brothers

 According to an announcement by their agency on June 4, After School is coming out with a new song called “First Love,” written by the hit songwriters the Brave Brothers, for the first time in four years. The group’s performance of this number will be entirely different from their previous ones.
An agency official said they will give a compelling performance comparable to what you might see in a Las Vegas show and says, ”After School is totally different from other girl groups, and their song ‘First Love’ is not like any of the usual songs you hear. In the teaser video, you can feel the funkiness and a dim yearning for love.”
They are shooting a music video of the song and will perform it publicly for the first time on June 13.

• Source: TV Report

Big Bang tours Japan’s six big domes

 The male group Big Bang is holding a concert tour at the six big domes in Japan. This will be a first for foreign performers. On June 1, the group’s agency, YG Entertainment, said, “G-Dragon, along with the other members of the group, released this news in front of 40,000 people at the final Nagoya Dome concert of the G-Dragon 2013 World Tour — One of a Kind — Japan Dome Special.

Big Bang’s first international tour was the Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour, which toured the Americas, Europe, and Asia last year. The tour consisted of 48 concerts in 24 cities of 12 countries and drew 800,000 spectators. In Japan, they brought in a total audience of 455,000 at 19 concerts in 6 cities, including the big domes in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

This time around, Big Bang will perform at Seibu Dome (November 16 and 17), Kyocera Dome Osaka (from November 29 to December 1), Fukuoka Yahoo Dome (December 7 and 8), Nagoya Dome (December 14 and 15), Tokyo Dome (December 19 and 21), Sapporo Dome (January 4 of 2014), and Kyocera Dome Osaka (January 11 and 12) for a total of 15 concerts in six cities. About 721,000 people are expected to attend.

YG says, “This is a first for foreign performers, not only for a group but also for solo artists. Including local performers, this is only the second time, following a tour by the group Mr. Children.”

• Source: Starnews