KBS’s upcoming drama, “Poseidon”, holds first production conference

On September 15th, Super Junior‘s Choi Si Won, Lee Sung Jae, Lee Si Young, Han Jung Soo, and other co-stars attended the press conference for KBS‘s upcoming drama, “Poseidon“, and discussed their anticipation for the drama.
Choi Si Won will play the role of a corporal named ‘Kim Sun Woo’ from the special forces in the marines.  When asked about working with many respected seniors in the industry, he replied, “They all help me and teach me so many things.  My nervousness has been transformed into a newfound excitement of what’s to come.  There’s a lot of great team working going on, and I’d like to consider this drama as a new challenge in my life.”
When asked whether Super Junior gave him any support, he amusingly replied, “They didn’t do anything special, really.  They’re all working hard on their own individual activities.”
Choi Si Won also touched on the harsh view being put on idols that are making advancements into the acting industry without any real talent or experience.  He stated, “The only way to break the stereotypes against idol-turned-actors is to just work hard.  If you work hard, people are more understanding of your mistakes.  No matter how hard each episode is, the only way to overcome it is to do your best so that you are left with no regrets.”
When asked who the ‘atmosphere maker’ on set was, Lee Sung Jae chose Lee Si Young with no hesitation.  “It’s usually rare for an actress to play jokes with me, but I was thankful for Lee Si Young-ssi for approaching me first.  She’s always practicing boxing on the set and treats her male co-stars like sandbags.” Lee Si Young answered, “Lee Sung Jae senior’s cold gags really help liven up the atmosphere.  He loves doing word plays.”
Han Jung Soo added, “He does the kind of gags where you don’t know where you’re supposed to be laughing.  About 40 of us will be sitting there with a straight face while only Choi Si Won laughs at his joke.  I really thought he was quite the mannerly kid then.”
Lee Sung Jae continued to tease Choi Si Won by continuing, “There’s a popular phrase that Choi Si Won always says once he arrives on the film set, and it’s either ‘How did it come out?’ or ‘Are you okay?’”
Director Yoo Chul Yong concluded, “The one thing that I’m confident in for ‘Poseidon’ is the cast’s teamwork.”
“Poseidon” will begin airing on September 19th.

JYJ and Sung Shi Kyung battle it out on digital charts

Sung Shi Kyung and JYJ are going head-to-head on the digital charts!
On September 15th, Sung Shi Kyung released his 7th official album, ‘The First’, after a three-year hiatus, while JYJ released their first Korean album, ‘In Heaven’, on the same date.
Fans have waited a long time for their respective comebacks, and so they’re determined to ensure that their preferred artist grabs the coveted 1st place position on the real-time charts. Currently, JYJ’s “In Heaven” and Sung Shi Kyung’s title track, “I Like”, are rising and falling between 1st and 2nd place.
Their music videos also garnered positive reactions from casual music fans as well, with JYJ’s MV boasting emotional performances from Junsu and Song Ji Hyo, while Sung Shi Kyung’s video has a kiss scene between the singer and Jo Yeo Jung.
With the comeback of various idol girl groups this Fall, Sung Shi Kyung and JYJ are gaining more attention for providing a different option of music for people to choose from.

Heechul addresses netizens’ accusations about his military position

Super Junior‘s Kim Heechul recently addressed the accusations surrounding his position in the army as a ‘public service personnel’.
On September 14th, MBC‘s ‘Radio Star‘ aired a new episode featuring Kim Heechul, who explained why he wasn’t going to perform active duties like other Korean soldiers.
A public service personnel deals with public services, such as working at train stations and selling tickets or transporting goods for the military. It’s a fixed hourly job that doesn’t involve a lot of physical stress.
During this pre-recorded program, Yoon Jong Shin cautiously asked the idol, “There have been a lot of negative accusations regarding your assigned position, right?”  Kim Gura added, “People are confused as to why you’re serving as a public service personnel when you appear to be a healthy dancer on stage.”

Kim Heechul began his reply with a funny anecdote that caused the hosts to laugh. He explained, “Prior to my enlistment, people were complaining about my poor dancing skills. Later, when my assigned position was revealed, people complained again and scolded, ‘You practically fly on performance stages, and yet you’re only assigned a public service personnel position!?!’“.
Heechul continued, “Four years ago, I was in a huge car accident. My left leg was severely broken and I required many rods,” thus explaining that his leg wasn’t in a strong enough condition to handle the physical stresses of active duty.
Netizens commented, “I didn’t know you were in a car accident“, “‘Radio Star’ is going to be boring without Heechul…“, and “I’ve seen those netizen comments and they were really harsh“.

KBS’s ‘The Princess’ Man’ snags #1 in drama ratings

Described as the ‘Romeo and Juliet‘ story of the Chosun dynasty, KBS‘s ‘The Princess’ Man‘ has been receiving a lot of love from viewers for its heart-wrenching tragic love story, well-written story line, and intense action scenes.
According to a report by AGB Nielsen Media on September 15th, the 17th episode of ‘The Princess’ Man’ recorded a 24.6% in viewer ratings, placing the drama well ahead of its competitors.

Starring Moon Chae Won as the cheerful and bold ‘Lee Se Ryung’ and Park Shi Hoo as the smart and handsome ‘Kim Seung Yoo’, the drama tells the tragic story of two lovers who are turned against each other due to the rivalry and hate between their families.
Meanwhile, competing dramas SBS‘s ‘Protect the Boss‘ and MBC‘s ‘Can’t Live with Losing‘ each recorded 13.2% and 6.7% in viewer ratings respectively.

f(x) Victoria reveals a cute snapshot from L.A.

f(x)‘s leader Victoria recently paid a visit to Los Angeles to help judge the “K-Pop Dance Cover Festival” along with fellow member Amber and miss A‘s Suzy and Min.
On September 14th, the singer uploaded this photo through her me2day and commented, “Came back from the States~ Time sure flies…My summer vacation is already over..”
Victoria seems to have enjoyed her visit to L.A., as she’s seen beaming for the camera. Her casual style drew compliments from many fans, as it gave off a feel that was both edgy and classic.
Netizens commented, “I just found out that you went to the States T_T“, “Looks like you had fun, I can’t wait to see your future projects“, and “You should’ve taken hubby Nichkhun with you!.”
Victoria and 2PM‘s Nichkhun will be leaving ‘We Got Married’ on September 17th.
Also, check out a few videos from the ‘K-Pop Dance Cover Festival’ event below!

Jang Geun Suk confesses he broke up with his first love for another woman

Actor Jang Geun Suk truthfully revealed why he and his first love broke up.
On September 14th’s broadcast of MBC‘s ‘Golden Fishery – Knee Drop Guru‘, Jang Geun Suk revealed that his first love was three years older than him, and that they dated for two years while studying abroad in New Zealand.
During the program, MC Kang Ho Dong asked, “Didn’t your first love visit during the filming of ‘Nonstop 4‘?”. Jang Geun Suk replied, “This is something that all the cast and staff members knew.”
When asked why they broke up, he answered, “Because we were long distance, even when we wanted to see each other, all we could do was call and e-mail. I think I was impatient.”
But Kang Ho Dong was unsatisfied by this answer, and accused Jang Geun Suk of giving a typical ‘broadcast’ reply. It led Jang Geun Suk to confess, “I had a prettier girlfriend. I dated this person for almost 5 years.”
Jang Geun Suk also grabbed much attention during this broadcast for wittily debunking his nose job rumors.

Jay Park wins the ‘most chic’ netizen poll

Music portal Bugs held a week-long survey from September 6th to the 12th asking netizens who they thought was the #1 ‘chic idol that best fit the fall season.’
A total of 1,391 netizens participated in the survey, and the results were revealed on September 15th.
The idol that came out on top was none other than Jay Park with 36% or 493 of the votes.  The star recently released “Demon” and wrapped up his promotions on ‘Immortal Song 2‘.
Coming in at second place was Big Bang‘s T.O.P. with 29% or 402 of the votes. Hilariously, fans have nicknamed him ‘ChicTop’ for a while now, thanks to his charming style. T.O.P. is currently gearing up with leader G-Dragon for GD&TOP‘s Japanese debut this November.
Third place was taken by Super Junior‘s Choi Siwon with 24% or 326 of the votes, and fourth place was taken by G.NA, who received 6% or 74 of the votes.

Brown Eyed Girls release new single, “Hot Shot”

Fans have been waiting over a year for their return, and this four-member girl group made their comeback with a ferocity that’ll be hard to rival!
The Brown Eyed Girls have just released their new single, “Hot Shot“, a smooth track that showcases their improved vocals while retaining that characteristic sass.
These ladies trashed numerous drafts to make sure that their 4th album would be nothing less than deeply satisfying, and if this single is any indication, we’re sure that they delivered.
The Brown Eyed Girls will be releasing their 4th album on September 23rd, in the mean time check out Hot Shot below! Remember to support by purchasing the music!

B1A4 releases new mini-album, “It B1A4″

  Idol group BIA4 are ready to make a splash in the K-Pop industry once again with their second mini-album, “It B1A4“.
Their title track is called “Beautiful Target“, and it highlights the boys’ improved vocals, all while retaining that ‘sweet boyfriend’ feel in their melody that drives nuna-fans wild.
Check out “Beautiful Target” and the rest of their tracks below, and don’t forget to support the boys by purchasing their album here.
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01. Beautiful Target

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02. My Love

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03. 쮸쮸쮸(Chu Chu Chu)

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04. Wonderful Tonight

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05. Fooool

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TEEN TOP’s Chunji to make his acting debut

TEEN TOP‘s Chunji will be making his first acting debut on SBS‘s sitcom ‘Oh My God.’
TEEN TOP has been on the rise as one of the male idol groups to look out for, with the positive response to their latest hit song, “Don’t Spray Perfume”. Chunji has also attracted the interest of Netizens for his resemblance to 2PM’s Nickhun in a recent photo taken with the 2PM heartthrob.
Although fans were able to see Chunji’s acting skills in TEEN TOP’s “Don’t Spray Perfume” music video with Park Shi Yeon, his sitcom appearance will mark his official acting debut.
Chunji will play the role of Lee Ye Young‘s boyfriend, who is under the constant surveillance of her dad, Lee Byung Joon, and the subject of his excessive jealousy. Fans will be able to catch Chunji’s first appearance on the show on September 19th.

The Wonder Girls to release new movie and album in the States next year

Five-member girl group, Wonder Girls will be seeing more of the spotlight soon as it’s being reported that they will be releasing a new movie and album in the states next year.
The Wonder Girls will be starring in their own film ‘Wonder Girls at the Apollo‘ on well-known cable network channel Teen Nick. They’re also reported to be releasing an album around the same time.
Though their American album was originally planned for release somewhere between mid to late 2011, filming for their movie caused a delay. To adjust, they created a new timeline so the film and album could be released around the same time and promoted together. The Wonder Girls are expected to finish filming for the movie at the end of October.
The new Wonder Girls album is being produced by Claude Kelly who has worked with artists such as Britney Spears, David Stewart, and Kelly Clarkson. Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is also said to be featured in the album.
The Wonder Girls will also be making a short one month comeback in Korea in November as they plan to release a new single. It will be a year and a half since they last held their comeback in Korea with “Two Different Tears.”
In order to finish recording their album and filming their movie, the Wonder Girls are reported to have spent Chuseok in America. Fans can expect promotions for ‘Wonder Girls at the Apollo’ to begin this December.

Ha Ji Won’s “Sector 7″ to play in select U.S. theatres!

Superstar Ha Ji Won became the talk of the town a few months back when she declared that she was tackling new blockbuster project called “Sector 7“, a movie that involved monsters, some intense action scenes, and a tough new look.
Fans of her “Secret Garden” character were thrilled at seeing Ha Ji Won bring back her fierce side for this new work, and many of us were envious of the lucky Korean fans who got to watch the movie in local theatres.
CJ Entertainment America has revealed to allkpop that “Sector 7″ will now become available to fans in the States. Starting September 16th, the movie will be playing in select theatres across the country!
“Sector 7″ will hit up cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Dallas, New York, and many more, so check out the list below for details.
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“Sector 7″ will be released on September 16th in the following theatres:

• AMC Cherry Hill 24 (Philadelphia)
• AMC Hoffman 22 (DC)
• AMC Rio 18 (DC)
• AMC Grapevine Mills (Dallas)
• AMC Empire (New York)
• AMC Ridgefield Park (New Jersey)
• AMC Colonial 18 (Atlanta)
• AMC Niles 12 (Chicago)
• CGV Cinemas (Los Angeles)

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Synopsis:
Something awaits 8,000 feet under the sea off the southern tip of Jeju Island.
‘The Eclipse’ is an offshore drilling rig stationed at Sector 7, a mining area in the vast open sea located off the southern tip of Jeju Island. The oil drilling excavations end in failure and headquarters gives the order for the crew to withdraw.
Captain Jeong Man (Ahn Sung Ki) is sent to oversee the crew’s withdrawal from the Eclipse. However, Hae Ju’, the equipment manager (Ha Ji Won), is adamantly opposed to the headquarters’ order, as she’s certain that oil could be discovered in Sector 7. Motivated by Hae Jun’s conviction, the Captain allows one last drilling exercise.
While Hae Jun and the crew are fully engaged in their final attempt, they lose communication with headquarters, and the crew is overwhelmed by the feeling that something is out there.
As bodies begin disappearing one by one, the surviving few need to think fast and fight for their lives in a gruesome battle against the mutant monster from the sea. Survival looks unlikely, but Hae Jun and the crew are determined to take any chance to get out of Sector 7 alive.

Members of 2PM & 2AM share some secrets for their muscular bodies

2PM and 2AM recently revealed some secrets on how to obtain muscular and fit bodies.
On KBS 2TV‘s ‘Living Show Your 6PM‘, idol groups 2PM and 2AM, known for having spectacular abs and muscular bodies, have finally revealed their secrets on how they achieved their bodies.
2PM and 2AM picked trainer Hwang Jin Ho as the best trainer to get you back in to shape. The first to get personally in contact with this famous trainer was 2AM’s Changmin and Jo Kwon. The two started exercising to add some muscle to their previous slim figures.
According to trainer Hwang Jin Ho, Ok Taecyeon is unique in that he develops muscles 5 times faster than a normal person and to live up to his nick name of ‘Ripped Taecyeon’, he focuses more on his chest area when working out.
In addition, trainer Hwang Jin Ho also revealed 2PM’s Nichkhun secret on obtaining his perfect lean muscles, as well as 2AM Seulong‘s meals and diet.

U-Know Yunho and Choi Siwon transform into coast guards for ‘Poseidon’

Super Junior‘s Choi Siwon and TVXQ‘s U-Know Yunho transformed into coast guards recently.
Choi Siwon tweeted, “U-Know Yunho playing the part of Kang Eun Chul. One day in Japan, and one in America, no matter how busy and tired he is when the cut is finished, he’s the kind of passionate senior that yells, ‘Director, one more time!’ I want to clap for the person that is Yunho. You worked hard!”
He also added a photo of the two dashingly good-looking men with their thumbs up in their coast guard garbs.
Fans commented, “I’m so looking forward to ‘Poseidon‘,” “The uniform looks good on both of you,” and “You two are really handsome.”

2PM’s Chansung, Junho re-enact a scene from ‘Lovers in Paris’

During a recent recording of the ’2PM Show’, the boys of 2PM re-enacted scenes from popular dramas and movies, like ‘Lovers in Paris‘ and ‘Friend‘.
A representative from SBS E!TV stated, “On the recent recording for the ’2PM Show’, the 2PM members tried to act like men with [wide hearts and minds] using various props, and had competitions amongst themselves.”
The members had to eat extremely spicy jjampong for one competition, and apparently it was so hot that they began to shed tears and get runny noses. In the end, they decided to use the jjampong as a prop, and act out various scenes from films and dramas.
Chansung and Junho went first and played the roles of the lovers in ‘Lovers in Paris’. Chansung parodied the famous lines by actor Park Shin Yang, and shouted, “This jjampong is my jjampong, why can’t you say it?” with Junho replying as Kim Jung Eun, “How can I?”
This episode of the ’2PM Show’ will be broadcast on September 17th at 11PM KST.