Supernova prepares to show their Hallyu power for the ’26th Golden Disk Awards in Osaka’

With the D-13 countdown to the ‘26th Golden Disk Awards in Osaka‘ kicking off, fans all over the world are looking forward to the ceremony to catch performances and awards from their favorite stars.
To be held at the Osaka Kyocera Dome on January 11th through 12th, the ceremony is aiming to be one of the biggest, if not the best, of its kind. A long list of Hallyu stars have been invited to the event, among them being Supernova, a group that received the honor of attending the ‘Golden Disk’ the year of their debut in 2007.
There are a couple of important points that make Supernova’s attendance to this year’s ceremony special. One is that this will be the first time the team stands as five members since their leader Yoonhak enlisted in the army in October. Since their fan meet three months ago, this will be their first official stage.
Upon hearing the news, fans in both Korea and Japan have been scrambling for invitation tickets. “The ‘Golden Disk’ is an important award for many artists. Supernova will make it a memorable stage, one that will fill the empty void left by Yoonhak.”
Supernova will also be performing a medley of their Japanese hit songs in addition to their Korean hits. Representatives stated, “Since it’s their first time meeting their Korean fans in a long while, we’ve created a special arrangement of ‘On Days I Miss You‘. We will create a stage that will satisfy both Korean and Japanese fans.”
Officials of ‘Golden Disk’ also expressed, “Supernova received a lot of love in Japan. They’ve been teaching Korean through NHK’s ‘Korean Lessons Through the Television’ and have played a major role in the cultural exchange between Korea and Japan. The ‘Golden Disk’ is moving overseas for the first time as a K-Pop festival and as one of the efforts behind the K-Pop boom, they’ve been invited as a Hallyu star.”

IU and SNSD trio visit “2011 Seoul Doll Fair”

On the afternoon of December 28th, pop idols IU along with Taeyeon, YoonA and Seohyun of Girls’ Generation visited the “2011 Seoul Doll Fair” held at the Samsung-dong Coex, Hall A.
IU, Taeyeon, YoonA and Seohyun all met up with their own dolls and took photos with them, whilst also taking in the sights of other dolls on display at the fair. Unexpectedly, their reactions upon seeing their dolls were of shock expressions, after seeing how similar they look compared to themselves.
The Girls’ Generation dolls were wearing outfits from their “Genie” promotions while IU’s doll outfit was from her recent “Last Fantasy” album promotions.
Fellow girl idol group, T-ara had visited the fair earlier on Christmas Day to see their own dolls.
“The 2011 Seoul Doll Fair” is currently in it’s 4th year of running and will run from December 23rd until January 2nd of 2012.

24 member girl group Leader’S debut showcase leaves reporters disappointed

Businesses have been increasingly working hand in hand with celebrities to create a synergistic effect through different and unique marketing tactics.
The first positive case of such a collaboration was Sidus HQ and cafe franchise Caffe Bene. By using Caffe Bene as its background in dramas and having its celebrities like Han Ye Seul actively promote the brand, Caffe Bene quickly rose to the top as a coffee franchise.
However, not all collaborations provide to be as successful. Much attention was put on the debut of Korea’s first ever 24 member girl group, Leader’S, but little was known about their partnership with coffee franchise ‘Scentimor‘. Reporters were in for a surprise when they showed up for the group’s debut showcase on December 28th.

Reporters immediately noticed that the focus was on the investment opportunities for the coffee franchise and not in the girl group’s debut. The 20 media outlets that had gathered had shown up for the unveiling of a 24 member girl group project but were instead met with endless explanations on the business behind their franchise, and some reporters even had to give way to let investors in.
Once verbal fights began to erupt, reporters left the scene, clearly disappointed with the turnabout of the events.
‘Scentimor’ had also failed to consider the equipment Leader’S would need for their showcase, so the girls lipsynched their debut without any spotlights to properly show their dance performance.
Unfortunately, the debut of Korea’s first 24 member girl group ended up being a scheme to attract investors to a new business. Their intentions were seen and heard, and reporters left with a loss of trust.

SHINee’s Taemin goes out on a date with f(x)’s Krystal?

e included in the SM TOWN movie 'I AM.'

Not in reality…. but in MBC ‘High Kick 3‘? Yes!
On December 28th broadcast of ‘High Kick 3′, f(x)‘s Krystal who plays as Ahn Soo Jung will be going on a date with her past friend who recently broke up with his ex-girlfriend.
That friend is none other than SHINee‘s Taemin!
The preview for episode 65 has already gotten many Shawols riled up as some could not bare to see their favorite idol-oppa go on a date with another woman. However, they need not worry as it’s all just an act! Check out the preview below yourselves!

Park Min Young goes chic for ‘Singles’

Actress Park Min Young made a chic transformation in a photoshoot for ‘Singles‘ magazine.
Photos of Park Min Young were recently revealed for the January of issue ‘Singles’ magazine where she was able to draw out her chic charms with her enchanting gaze and beautiful back. In one particular photo, Park Min Young is showing off her slim figure as she is laying across a couch and making a sexy pose.
On top of her poses, Park Min Young also displayed dark, smoky make-up for the photoshoot, further drawing out her beauty.
A representative from ‘Singles‘ praised Park Min Young’s diligence, stating, “Even though Park Min Young is busy with her drama schedule for ‘Man of Honor‘, she put in all her effort during the photoshoot, giving off chic poses and perfectly expressing the concept of the photoshoot.” ‘
Meanwhile, Park Min Young’s current drama ‘Man of Honor‘ aired its final two episodes (23, 24) on December 28th.

Check out the remixed tracks from Girls’ Generation Japanese Repackaged Album of “The Boys“

On December 28th, Girls’ Generation unleashed their Japanese repackaged album, ‘Girls’ Generation – The Boys -‘.
The new album consists of tracks from their 1st Japanese album, but with five new additions. Fans will find the Japanese version of “The Boys” as well as a new song called “Time Machine” which can be found here.
Additionally, there are three superstar remixes of “Mr. Taxi“, “The Great Escape“, and “Bad Girl“. Electronic music lovers will recognize the names of Steve Aoki and Dev along with the The Cataracs, who contributed their talents to deliver a new spin on Girls’ Generation’s songs.

Super Junior’s Leeteuk wraps up 2011

Super Junior‘s Leeteuk showed his gratification for a fulfilling year by leaving a special message for his fans.
On December 28th, he wrote on his Twitter, “There isn’t much left to 2011. It was such a happy year. I’ve always received so much love and I’m grateful to be spending the last year of my 20′s like this. In 2012, I’ll run as hard as the love I’ve received! They say that a man’s life only begins when he turns 30, so I’ll work hard to improve myself. Thank you.”
He continued, “I didn’t really feel anything at the end of my teens and 20′s, but I feel a bit off now that I’m at the end of my 20′s. Hm… what is this feeling?”
Netizens commented, “Leeteuk also has normal thoughts like any other 29 year old“, “He’s at the age where there are a lot of things to consider now“, and “Leeteuk fighting! Let’s be together into your 30′s!“.

Super Junior’s cumulative album sales for 2011 reaches 350,000 units – crowned “Album King”

Asia’s hottest idol group Super Junior set a new record, becoming the top artist to sell the most albums over the past 3 years.
The ‘2011 Singer Awards‘ reflects the artists that sold the most albums according to sales data from Hanteo, and Super Junior sold 355,900 albums between January 1st, 2011 and December 27th, 2011.
Super Junior’s cumulative album sales (of all 32 singles and albums they’ve released to date) for 2011 amounted to 350,000 units. This was the highest number of sales since the ‘Singer Awards’ were established back in 2009. Seo Taiji boasted 248,800 units in 2009, while Girls’ Generation set a new record last year by moving 309,400 units.
Super Junior’s full length album ‘Mr.Simple‘ was a big factor that contributed to their impressive sales numbers. ‘Mr Simple’ Type A alone sold 199,300 copies while Type B sold 53,500 copies and their repackaged album sold 73,900 copies. All together, their fifth album alone sold 326,800 units. Behind Super Junior was TVXQ who sold 230,000 units and Girls’ Generation who sold 226,700 units.
The two names that stood out on the list, however, were INFINITE and IU. The boys of INFINITE came in at 7th place selling 124,100 units while singer IU was the only soloist to break the top 10, selling 92,900 units at #9.
Hanteo charts calculates the data by collecting 85% of their information from nationwide music sales and 15% from accumulations in their own information database along with national sale estimates.

Jun Ji Hyun confirms that she is in a relationship

Just earlier, it was reported that rumors about Jun Ji Hyun dating the grandson of designer Lee Young Hee had been circulating.
On December 29th, J&Co. Entertainment reported, “Like it has been reported in the media, Jun Ji Hyun is dating. Like any non-celebirty, they were friends before they developed mutual feelings for one another. However, the rumors regarding her marriage plans are not true, as she has not made any decisions or plans to get married in the near future.” They continued, “We ask that you refrain from releasing exaggerated or distorted stories regarding her significant other, as he is not a celebrity. Please support their relationship.”
Representatives of Lee Young Hee added, “Jun Ji Hyun and Choi have known each other since they were little and remained friends since then. It is true that they are now dating.”
Netizens were also interested in the brother of ‘Choi’ who was reported to have been an idol. After some digging, they have uncovered that the brother was a member of ‘X-Large’, a 5-member group that debuted in 2001 and disbanded in 2002.

2NE1′s Minzy shows off a dance mix on Minzy’s TV #3

2NE1‘s youngest member Minzy isn’t shy when it comes to revealing her dancing talents to all of her fans. Now, she’s back with a new dance mix.
Earlier today Minzy uploaded a video via twitter with the caption, “DANCE DANCE DANCE !! MINZY’s TV #3“. The dances are broken down into 4 parts:
1- OMG (Usher)
2- Imma Be (Black Eyed Peas) along with YG Entertainment dancer Park Jung Heon
3- Sexy Ladies (SHIT KINGZ) along with with YG Entertainment dancer Yong Deuk
4- Get me Bodied (Beyonce) by Minzy

Won Jun & Jangwoo’s mother shed emotional tears on ‘We Got Married’

Some of the ‘We Got Married‘ cast members shed spontaneous tears, leaving the staff and management members on set a bit dumbfounded.
On the episode of ‘We Got Married’ that aired on the 19th, Won Jun was asked how he felt about being married for 200 days now. Thinking back on all the happy memories, Won Jun suddenly began tearing, shocking his on-air wife Sohyun as well as the studio MCs who did not know how to react.
Additionally, another person shed tears on the show and it was none other than the mother of Jangwoo.
Jangwoo’s mother was invited to the Jangwoo-Eunjung couple’s on-air home, and she prepared lunch for the two as well as presented them with gifts. His mother also received traditional bows from the couple, and when asked how she felt, she suddenly began tearing before she could say a word.
MCs Park Mi Sun and Kim Na Young who were watching from the studio also followed suit by shedding their own emotional tears, causing the entire set to become a sea of tears.

Park Shin Hye’s “Hayate the Combat Butler” drama to be shown in Korea

Actress, Park Shin Hye’s first Taiwanese idol drama, “Hayate the Combat Butler” (旋风管家) will be airing soon in Korea.
The drama which averaged a rating of 1.14 earlier in the year during its run on FTV in Taiwan from June to September, also stars Taiwanese actor, George Hu (胡宇崴), and will air through Korea’s cable channel, DRAMAcube starting from December 2nd.
“Hayate the Combat Butler” is an adaptation from a Japanese manga novel of the same name, and is a love story between an out-of-luck debt ridden boy who becomes a butler for a rich girl under acrimonius circumstances and their subsequent love story.
Park Shin Hye expressed, “Being able to group people of different characters into this drama, is what constitutes the charm of this drama. There are also a lot of pretty boys in the drama.”
Park Shin Hye has been kept really busy recently, having recorded a variety show in China and also signing a contract with a Japanese management agency.

Lee Hyori spotted wearing a ring

On November 19th, ‘Sexy Queen’, Lee Hyori uploaded the funny pajama photo above through her Twitter account.
Along with the picture, the queen left a short caption, “Heung! Chit! Bbong!“.  For those who do not know, “Heung! Chit! Bbong!” is sort of an Onomatopoeia where Heung! and Chit! are used to indicate that you are annoyed or pissed off at someone.  Bbong! depicts the sound from a rear trumpet in a cute way.
Lee Hyori seems to be taking it easy these days with no major activities after the release of her H-Logic album in 2010.  Fans were able to catch a glimpse of her ordinary life at home as Hyori is seen well asleep with her dog, Soon Shim on a sofa.  Her lazy appearance cracked up netizens as she rocked a loose pajama while laying down in a similar pose to her pet.  However, what caught the eyes of netizens was the ring on her hand.

G8 members reveal their bare morning faces on ‘Invincible Youth 2′

On November 19th, KBS2 ‘Invincible Youth 2‘ aired and revealed the natural faces of top female idols without any make-up whatsoever!
In the second episode of the show, viewers saw hosts, Boom and Ji Hyun Woo make a surprise visit to the dorms of the G8 members who were well asleep at the time.  First, Ji Hyun Woo visited the residences of miss A’s Suzy, Rainbow, along with Sistar’s Bora where he played his guitar as a sign for good morning.  The girls were all shocked by the host’s sudden visit and attempted to quickly cover their bare faces.  Meanwhile, Boom visited Kara‘s Ji Young while he was wearing a face mask.  Ji Young who seemed annoyed by the cameras and immediately plunged inside her blanket.
Despite greeting the cameras without any visual preparation, the girls were still able to captivate the audience with their natural beauty.
Check out the segment from the episode below!

Actress Choi Jung Yoon to marry former Eagle Five member, T.J. Yoon

It’s being reported that actress Choi Jung Yoon will be getting married to Yoon Jae Toon, the eldest son of E-land Group‘s Vice President and the former member of old-school K-Pop group, ‘Eagle Five‘.
The media reported that Yoon Tae Joon (or T.J. Yoon, as he was known back in the day) was born in April of 1982, and he graduated from a university in Indiana in 2009. He is currently running a franchise business completely separate from E-land Group.
Yoon Tae Joon joined ‘Eagle Five’ in 1999 when they released their second album, ‘Love Story‘. The group unfortunately disbanded after promotions for their second album came to a close, ultimately ending Yoon’s career as a musician as well.
When news of Choi Jung Yoon’s engagement first began to spread, netizens accidentally believed her fiance to be Eagle Five’s leader,Yoon Sung Jun, but Yoon Sung Jun got married last year and is now the proud father of his first child.
At the time, Choi Jung Yoon felt frustrated by the confusion and expressed her feelings on Twitter, saying, “It appears as though I’m marrying a man I don’t even know. Does the identity of my future husband really matter to everyone? I’m just another human being who wants to get married. I’m not doing this alone. This is a matter between two families. Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, people need to be a little more careful?”
Choi Jung Yoon and Yoon Tae Joon will be walking down the aisle in December. E-land Group stated, “The two wanted a very private wedding with only their family and close friends in attendance.”
For those of you who need help remembering who he was, here’s an Eagle Five MV to help refresh your memory.

Girl’s Day and Teen Top win Rookie Award at ’18th Republic of Korea Entertainment Arts Awards’

On November 19th, the ‘18th Republic of Korea Entertainment Arts Awards‘ ceremony was held at the Goyan Aram Nuri Arts Center where Teen Top and Girl’s Day won the Best Male and Female Rookie Award!

Regarding their win, Teen Top uploaded the above photo and tweeted, “Yahoo! we won the rookie award!! We are so happy!! We will try even harder and harder from now on!”
Netizens congratulated the boys with, “Wow that’s awesome! I feel like I won the award too! I can’t wait for your Japanese concert!“, “Congratulations! Next up are the daesangs and bonsangs, fighting!!!“, and “Congratulations~~I’ll pray that you get a bigger award next time“.

Meanwhile, Girl’s Day Hyeri also expressed her excitement as she tweeted, “Thank you so much to our fans who came to cheer and congratulate us despite the cold weather.  Today was so inspiring…♥____♥.  This was all due to the love of our fans.  Thank you ^_^”
Fans commented, “Sorry our chant was so quiet..“, “I congratulate you with all my heart“, and “We are so happy too“.
In related news, the ceremony hosted a total of 87 artists and included numerous top idols.
Check out fancams of their win below!

2AM’s Changmin is addicted to ice cream?

On November 20th, 2AM member, Changmin uploaded a hilarious photo through his Twitter and wrote, “Ice Cream is the best thing in the whole world.  I wish I lived in a world where you can’t gain weight.  I will see you after the concert..my ice cream~“.
The photo had fans cracking up as they saw the singer’s sad face in saying good bye to his beloved ice cream cone.  Bits and pieces of the waffle cone stuck out of the idol’s mouth as he helplessly stared at the camera.
Amused netizens commented, “I see that it’s hard to maintain a healthy body” and “Anticipating your concert“.
2AM will commence their ‘2011 2AM Concert – Christmas‘ concerts on the 24th and 25th of next month at the Jamsil Student Gym.

CN Blue and FT Island might not attend domestic end of the year music award ceremonies

It was recently reported that there is a high possibility that CN Blue and FT Island will be absent from domestic end of the year music award ceremonies due to other obligations outside of the country.
On November 19th, FNC Music (the label company responsible for both groups) revealed, “Due to the Asia Tour and packed foreign schedules, the possibility of CN Blue and FT Island attending domestic end of the year ceremonies has weakened.”
They continued, “It’s become impossible for them to attend the ‘2011 Melon Awards‘ and ‘2011 MAMA’.  We can’t guarantee the other ceremonies as well.”
According to the agency, FT Island will be busy holding concerts in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand in addition to their domestic and Japanese Arena concerts.  If this isn’t enough, the boys will also be releasing their new Japanese single, ‘Distance‘ on the 30th and will back it up with a long series of promotional activities.
Unsurprisingly, CN Blue will also have their hands full as they are in plans to hold an Asia Tour across Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore.  To top it all off, the boys are scheduled to hold a nationwide tour in Japan starting in February of next year!
Regarding this matter, FNC Music stated, “Due to the packed schedules of both teams, it’s tough to even step foot in Korea.  In CN Blue’s case, they have schedules in more than 5 countries starting in 2 months.  We don’t even have a week to stay in Korea.  This goes the same for FT Island as well.  We really wanted to attend the ceremonies, but it’s not easy changing the schedules that were made long ago.”
Wow, talk about a packed schedule!  We know their activities are important, but we hope they get some rest too!

Miss S’ Jace to sing ‘female’ version of Verbal Jint’s “You Look Happy”

The ‘female’ version of Verbal Jint‘s single “You Look Happy” has been released. The main rapper for “You Look Happy Part.2” will be Jace of Miss S and Oh Soo Min will also feature in the newly arranged track.
Jace joined female hip hop group Miss S as a new member.  This collaboration with Verbal Jint will be her first sincer her two year hiatus.
“You Look Happy” tells the story the feelings of a man who comes across an ex-girlfriend after a long period.  Jace will be telling the other side of the chance meeting in “Part. 2″.
Mister Key, who was the lyricist and director for the original single, commented, “We arranged it to be different from the original by making it a soft and beautiful hip hop song with the scent of Fall.”
Jace will start promoting “You Look Happy Part. 2” this week.

Past photos of T-ara’s Jiyeon and f(x)’s Victoria in school uniforms emerge online

Long before they became singers, T-ara‘s Jiyeon and f(x)‘s Victoria were young models for school uniform brands. On November 19th, a netizen shared some of their old photos through an online community board, causing many others to comment on how the idols hardly seemed to have aged.
Jiyeon’s photo especially drew interest, as the idol showcased an innocent type of beauty. She brushed back her bangs and didn’t wear any makeup, which gave her a ‘pure-looking’ image. Meanwhile, Victoria looks as sophisticated as ever with her thick curls and deep bangs. Considering how both girls are now at the forefront of the idol-fashionista line, netizens couldn’t hold back their surprise at seeing their fresh-faced looks.
Comments on the board included, “Even though it is a past picture, you can’t find any flaws in it”, “Both girls were beautiful then too”, and “I think their innocent look is even prettier.”

SNSD’s Jessica sings Gummy’s “If You Come Back To Me” on ’1000 Song Challenge”

On November 20th, SBS’s ‘1000 Song Challenge‘ aired a new episode with SNSD‘s Jessica as one of its guests.
Prior to her performance, Jessica explained, “I was a trainee for seven years, starting from 2000 to my debut in 2007.”  She continued, “I don’t usually cry while listening to music, but this song made me cry a lot.”
Intrigued, the hosts couldn’t imagine what kind of song would make the ‘ice princess’ cry, and Jessica revealed that it was none other than Gummy‘s “If You Come Back To Me“.
Check out her performance below!

Seo In Young says “Oh My Gosh” on Inkigayo

Seo In Young made her comeback tonight on Inkigayo tonight with her fierce new track, “Oh My Gosh”.
“Oh My Gosh” is an upbeat electro track that showcases the diva’s charisma and features a cool shoulder-shaking routine.
Armed with an edgy new look, Seo In Young is ready to show the nation what it takes to be one of Korea’s top female soloists.
Check out her interview and performance below!

T-ara returns with “Cry Cry” on Inkigayo

The girls of T-ara made a comeback tonight with their highly-anticipated performance for “Cry Cry” on ’Inkigayo‘.
T-ara prepared three different versions of “Cry Cry” for their single, and tonight, they performed the “Ballad Version” as well as the “Normal Version”, giving fans a solid taste of their smooth vocals and slick dance moves.

Check out New.F.O SOYI’s impromptu Hollywood street performance!

An impromptu street performance video of New.F.O‘s SOYI has just been revealed!
The girls had wrapped up a mixing session for their upcoming single “Bounce“, and were walking down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, where they ran into some B-Boys tearing up the street with a dance routine.  SOYI couldn’t resist the beat, and jumped right in to have some fun.
Check out the video of New.F.O‘s hip hop dancer below.
 New.F.O
New.F.O will be releasing their second music video teaser for “Bounce” on November 22nd (KST), so stay tuned.

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/newfostyle
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/newfostyle
Official Group Twitter: http://twitter.com/newfostyle
Official Website: http://www.newfostyle.com

Tim releases MV for “…The Day is Long”

Ballad crooner Tim is back with a new song called, “…The Day is Long“.
“The Day is Long tells the story of a man who is unable to forget his past lover. The MV reflects that sorrow with its soft lightplay and despairing expressions of the actors.
Check it out below:

2011 MAMA to use 20 celebrity presenters rather than MCs to host the show

This year’s MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) will be experimenting with a brand new format, in which they won’t be using official MCs to host the show.
On November 17th, Mnet‘s Shin Hyung Kwan revealed to Star News, “There will not be many MCs hosting the 2011 MAMA. We will be challenging ourselves by deviating from the conventional awards show format.”
He continued, “We will be getting rid of MC hosts and instead, introduce a new ‘messenger’ concept. These presenters will be comprised of actors and TV celebrities who will freely help unfold the progress of the ceremony in the form of videos and voice announcements.”
“There are rumors of Yoon Se Yoon being appointed as an MC, but this is not the case. Instead, a total of 20 celebrities attending the awards show will help present the event.”
So far, the list of award presenters are as followed:

• Lee Byung Hun
• Song Seung Hun
• Go Soo
• Park Si Hoo
• Kim Soo Hyun
• Song Joong Ki
• Kim Hee Sun
• Han Chae Young
• Yoon Eun Hye
• Han Hyo Joo
• Kim Min Hee
• Ji Sung
• Kang Sora
• Bae Soo Bin
• Nam Gyu Ri
• Park Si Yoon
• Yoon Seung Ah
• Oh Ji Ho
• Kim Sung Soo