Hyun Bin pays a visit to Indonesia due to popular request

Actor Hyun Bin, who’s currently serving with the Korean Marines, left for Indonesia on October 4th from Incheon International Airport.
The Department of Defense has revealed that Hyun Bin will be staying in Indonesia from the 5th to the 7th for a three-day, two-night official visit. On the 5th, the actor will be attending an Armed Forces Day event, before going to meet with a local Indonesian navy battalion on the 6th.
While currently off-duty as a star, Hyun Bin’s visit to Indonesia is credited to his hit drama, ‘Secret Garden‘. It was revealed that the drama, which was broadcast in the Indonesia recently, received much love and popularity from the local populace. So much so in fact, that Indonesia invited the actor to visit their country. The Department of Defense approved of his invitation and allowed him to fly out to meet his fans.
This wasn’t the first time that Hyun Bin received a love-call as a celebrity while on duty. Last month, Hyun Bin made an official visit abroad after participating in a marathon. In addition, he was involved in a promotional Marine Corps photoshoot last summer.
Hyun Bin’s visit to Indonesia isn’t just a PR move for the Hallyu wave — it’s said to be directly connected to Korea’s military exports, as Indonesia decided to import Korea’s advanced equipment, T-50s, and submarines.

Source: allpop+ Newsen

Ock Ju Hyun gets hospitalized for poor health

It’s just been revealed that singer Ock Ju Hyun has been hospitalized for health complications.
Ock Ju Hyun has been recuperating for four days now, and so far, there’s no word on when she’ll be officially discharged.
Representatives of her agency spoke with Newsen and revealed, “She was feeling sick in the morning so we took her to the ER.  She was discharged that same day, but her condition worsened, and we decided it’d be best for her to be hospitalized.  The schedule for her discharge has not yet been decided.”
Ock Ju Hyun was unable to attend her 12 PM live broadcast on her radio show, KBS 2FM‘s ‘Gayo Plaza‘.  Singer Illack took her place for the day.
Stay tuned for updates on her condition.
Source + Photos: Star News+allpop

’2011 Yangpyung Wonder Breeze Music Festival’ faces heat for canceling two days early

The ‘2011 Yangpyung  Wonder Breeze Music Festival‘ is receiving a ton of backlash for abruptly cancelling concerts. The event was supposed to take place from October 1st to the 3rd at Yangpyung’s Life Sports Park in Yongmunmyun. While a concert was held on October 1st, organizers had to suspend performances for the remaining two days.
One of the groups who were scheduled to make an appearance was 2AM. An official from Big Hit Entertainment commented on October 3rd, “One month earlier, we made plans for 2AM to attend this concert. However, prior to the concert, we received a cancellation notice…We’re aware there was a financial issue.”
Indie band, The Koxx, was also scheduled to perform. An official from their company, Master Plan, stated, “We received a notice that the concert couldn’t continue on… It seems that the organizers had extremely difficult financial problems from the start.”
The cancellation drew loud complaints from all those who anticipated going, as the concept and line-up were said to be top-notch. The event revolved around a “romantic autumn getaway” concept, and the artists scheduled to perform included Leessang and Jung In, BMK, 2AM, Kim Tae Woo, The Koxx, and Guckkasten. In addition, 39 other teams were also slated to perform music that fit the overall theme.
In response, the event organizers posted an apology on their homepage. They stated,

“We sincerely apologize to the performers for any inconveniences. The event did not proceed as smoothly as we had hoped…We ended the event two days early because we faced changes in the musician lineup…We also canceled the third day because we faced an unavoidable circumstance…Following the musician line-up change on the second day and the third day cancellation, we prepared refunds. Please expect to get your refunds within four days.”

Meanwhile, the sponsors of this event have threatened to file a lawsuit against the organizers for the abrupt nature of the two-day cancellation.
Source: allpop

Chocolat reveals they made a cameo in Jay Park’s ‘Mr. Idol’

It’s been revealed that five-member girl group Chocolat has made a special appearance in the upcoming movie, ‘Mr. Idol‘.
The members played the role of Korea’s top idol group, and according to staff on set, they delivered a convincing performance. The filming crew were particularly impressed by Chocolat, as the girls filmed this cameo before making their official debut.
Chocolat revealed, “We were very nervous when filming. Now, we can’t believe that we participated in a soon-to-be-released movie. In the film, we took on the role of being Korea’s top idol group; we will work hard towards living up to that role, and hope to spread our name more in the future. Please give much love to Chocolat and ‘Mr. Idol’.”
‘Mr. Idol’, which stars Jay Park and Park Ye Jin, will be released in theaters across Korea on October 27th.
Source + Photo: Sports Donga via Naver+allpop

Semi-trot girl group Aurora makes a comeback with new members

Female semi-trot group Aurora (remember their song “Double“?) has revealed that they’ll be switching out their members for their ‘second generation’ comeback.
Aside from main vocalist Jung Eun, the rest of the members have been replaced by Jiwon, Joa, Ahyoung, and Gumji.  High Star Entertainment explained, “The original members, Eun Seol and Sun Young, left to pursue their dreams of acting and performing in musicals.  Kyura and Yeonji had personal reasons for leaving the group.”
New member Jiwon is an all-around entertainer who’s already starred in quite a few CFs.  Joa was the vocalist of the group Jaja and already has four albums under her belt.  Ahyoung and Gumji also have solo experience.  “Since we joined late, we’re going to work hard so that we don’t stand in the way of the other members.  Please look forward to a new Aurora.”
Their company continued, “The second generation members are adjusting well and everything is harmonious.  Please support them so that they will do well.”

Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver+allpop

KBS president under fire for banning “Pierrot”

The president of KBS has announced that JYJ can request for a re-evaluation regarding their banned song, “Pierrot“.
On October 4th, congressman Jun Byung Hun confronted the president at the Ministry of Culture Korea Communications Commission, and asked, “You banned JYJ’s ‘Pierrot’, citing reasons that ‘P.S.M.’ [in their lyrics] targeted a specific individual. What exactly are your standards?”
President Kim responded, “According to the review board, the lyrics that were deemed as problematic in JYJ’s ‘Pierrot’ was that ‘P.S.M.’ targeted a specific individual.  JYJ’s representatives explained that it stood for ‘professional’, ‘success’, and ‘music’, but this explanation does not make sense, considering the overall meaning of the lyrics.”
He continued, “They are welcome to resubmit their song for another evaluation.”
Congressman Jun fired back, “Is KBS the spokesperson for Lee Soo Man?  The person that wrote the lyrics clarified that it was not about him, why are you not believing that?  Must you interpret P.S.M. to stand for Lee Soo Man?”
President Kim replied, “The review board claimed that it was a common name to associate.  I will ask that they interpret it with more flexibility.”
Source + Photos: Star News via Naver

KARA’s Gyuri cries as she wraps up her final episode of ‘Shimshimtapa’

On October 3rd, KARA‘s Gyuri officially wrapped up her DJ-ing activities on MBC FM‘s ‘Shimshimtapa‘.
Her overseas schedules with KARA led to a lot of absences, leading Gyuri to personally make the decision to depart from the show. Although it was her decision, she couldn’t hold back her tears as she wrapped up her final episode after a year and five months.
Gyuri stated, “Being a DJ is a precious position that I could never replace with anything else in my life. On my final day, all of our PDs, writers, and fixed guests all came together, which I heard was something that rarely happens. Thank you so much for always being there for me.”
She continued, “This radio show means more to me than just work. I think every morning, I’ll feel empty and out of place when I’m not in the radio booth like I’m meant to be. It will be hard to escape that feeling. If I receive another such opportunity, I’d love to return as a DJ. My dream is to work as a DJ for a long, long time, for over 20 years, and hopefully one day receive the Golden Mouth award.”
Gyuri will be starting her ‘200 Pound Beauty‘ musical in Osaka, Japan from October 8th.

Source + Photos: Issue Daily via Naver+allpop

A closer look at G-Dragon’s latest tattoo

As photos revealed a week ago, it looks like Big Bang leader G-Dragon has added yet another tattoo to his collection, this time of none other than a Dragon Ball from the well-known Japanese anime ‘Dragon Ball Z‘. A recent photo upload has revealed the inked design up close!
As you can see, the new ink is located just below his left shoulder, and netizens are already showing a hot response to the revealed photos, leaving comments like, “Don’t get too many tattoos!” and “A dragon ball, how appropriate.”

What do you guys have to say about G-Dragon’s new tattoo?
Source + Photos: Star News, Studio Zila by Zini

Rookie artist Fat Cat to debut as an actress next year

Rookie artist Fat Cat has been stirring up attention lately for activities unusual of a brand new artist.
It’s just been revealed that Fat Cat has signed an exclusive contract with the biggest drama agency in Korea, Curtain Call Media.
Her company, Yoori Entertainment, stated on October 4th, “Recently Fat Cat has signed a joint management contract with Curtain Call Media, which has produced ‘My Princess’, ‘Miss Ripley’, and ‘Gyebaek’.”
Receiving support under the joint management of Yoori Entertainment and Curtain Call Media, Fat Cat is showing potential as the next Hallyu star.
Fat Cat will also be making her debut as an actress in 2012.
Curtain Call Media stated, “We signed with Fat Cat after assessing her talent and potential for growth as a star. She possesses the qualities of a future Hallyu Star… We will not hesitate in supporting her both materially and morally to help her grow as a singer and an actress.”
With the release of her digital single album, ‘Indifferent Love’ on September 26th, Fat Cat has grabbed the attention of many with her outfits that showcase her individuality and unconventional stage performances, to become the #1 searched term on various portal sites.

Shinhwa’s Eric to take a break with his family in New York

On October 4th, representatives of Shinhwa‘s Eric revealed that he will be taking a break with his family in New York at the end of this month.
After completing his KBS mini-series, ‘Spy Myung Wol‘, on September 6th, Eric has been on break in Seoul.  The drama itself was highly stressful to complete despite it being his comeback project following his discharge because of several issues regarding Han Ye Seul‘s refusal to film.
According to officials, the amount of passion Eric had for the drama was reflected in the energy he drained for it.  Thus, he’s decided to stay with his family and recuperate under their care.
Representatives stated, “After resting with his family in the States, Eric will be returning by the year’s end.  After his return, he’ll be working on his music production and planning his next project.”
Source + Photos: Star News via Naver+allpop

Park Min Young poses in a nurse’s uniform for ‘Man of Honor’

A set of photos of actress Park Min Young looking beautiful and professional in a nurse’s uniform has recently been attracting much attention from netizens.
Currently busy filming for her role in KBS‘s upcoming drama ‘Man of Honor‘, the actress will be playing the character of ‘Jae In’, a cheerful and bright nurse who perseveres under difficult circumstances.
Stars who will also be participating in this much-anticipated drama include Chun Jung Myung, Lee Jang Woo, and Lee Jin (of Fin.K.L fame).
Make sure to check out ‘Man of Honor’ when it airs its first episode on October 12th!
Source + Photo: Sports Donga via Daum+allpop

INFINITE successfully completes Japanese concert tour, “Leaping Over”

Late last month, INFINITE greeted their Japanese fans with their first solo concert, “Leaping Over“!
Kicking off at ZEPP Osaka on September 21st, the concert traveled to the Yokohama Blitz for the 23rd and 24th; reportedly, the boys performed for over 10,000 fans.
The two-hour long concert saw INFINITE show off their trademark choreography and powerful stages. Amazingly, fans followed along to every song, even though some of them weren’t ever released in Japan. By the end, some fans were left in tears over the passionate concert.
Footage of the scene will be broadcast through TBS on October 29th.  Ahead of its broadcast, however, TBS will be airing special coverage of INFINITE’s Korean activities on the 24th.
INFINITE is currently preparing for the release of their first Japanese single, “Before the Dawn“, on November 19th.
Source + Photos: Donga via Naver+allpop

Leeteuk and Boom make a grand entrance as new ‘Star King’ MCs

On October 3rd, Super Junior‘s Leeteuk and Boom made an impressive debut as the new MCs for SBS’s ‘Star King‘.
The two emerged on stage with great fanfare, popping up in the middle of a cheerleading team’s routine. As the panelists cheered them on, Leeteuk and Boom managed to pull off a complex standing lift, looking as confident as ever.
Boom continued to lead the show with his witty ad-libs, while Leeteuk used his five years of experience as a ‘Star King’ panelist to comfortably lead viewers through the show’s transitions.
Leeteuk stated, “I’ll make sure to provide healthy, bright laughter.  I’m going to laugh that much more now as well.” Boom added, “The viewers are the stars of ‘Star King’.  TeukBoom will do our best to respectfully attend to you, so please stay tuned!”
Source + Photos: Newsen+allpop

2PM and miss A attend production conference for ‘Touch Korea’

On October 4th, 2PM and miss A attended the production conference for their 2011 interactive campaign movie, “Hello“, at the Lotte Cinema in Seoul. The two idol groups were honorary ambassadors for ‘Touch Korea‘ and the Korea Tourism Organization.
“Hello” is an interactive movie created to spread awareness about Korea’s beautiful traditional culture.  In the movie, the idols take a trip across Korea with fans and viewers to introduce the nation’s history and culture.
The Korea Tourism Organization stated, “We will be appointing 2PM and miss A, the representative idol groups of Hallyu, as honorary ambassadors for the Korea Tourism Organization.  2PM and miss A have been earning widespread popularity all across Asia, and we feel that their influence will be best used to raise awareness for Korea.” 

The movie is scheduled for release by the end of this month.  Check out photos from the event below!

Boyfriend teams up with Sweetune for “Don’t Touch My Girl” comeback

Boyfriend has teamed up with composer duo Sweetune for their upcoming second single album comeback!
Sweetune has worked on several hit releases this year with KARA and INFINITE and are hoping to continue their momentum with Boyfriend’s “Don’t Touch My Girl“.  Although the teaser only showed 30 seconds of the song, listeners were nevertheless impressed with the emotional melody that they were able to bring out.
The song is described to be a sweet synth-pop song.  On their Twitter, they wrote, “In this fresh season, we hope to approach you with warm music.  BOYFRIEND … WITH SweeTUNE.”
Netizens commented, “Didn’t know it was Sweetune, I’m excited!”, “I can already tell without listening that it will be awesome”, and “I think Boyfriend will fit well with the clear feel”.

Source + Photos: Sports Chosun+allpop

Wheesung to enter military training this November

allkpop previously reported that singer Wheesung planned to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military training this year. It seems that Wheesung has finally decided to enlist as it’s being reported he will enter Choong Chungnam army base on November 7th at 1PM KST.
Apparently, Wheesung has been visiting the hospital often to measure his health as he intended on joining the army as an active duty serviceman. He stated, “I visited the hospital because I wanted to enlist with a healthy body, but the doctor told me that with my body’s condition, I would not be able to.”
Wheesung added, “Though it hurts a bit, I want to serve as an active duty soldier so I’ll be going to the hospital often for treatment.”
Source + Photo: TV Report via Nate+allpop

JYJ discusses “In Heaven”, the meaning of ‘PSM’ & dreaming of Yunho & Changmin

On September 30th, the members of JYJ met up with reporters for their “In Heaven” press conference at a cafe in Jungdong, Seoul.  In a heartfelt interview, the men answered questions regarding TVXQ, their recent controversy with ‘PSM‘, and their hopes for the future.
Jaejoong began,

“First of all, this album is one that contains all of our memories and feelings over the course of the past two years.  It’s an album that has a lot of scents in it.  There are tracks that convey our honest feelings, as well as tracks that beat around the bush in expressing ourselves.  No matter how much we beat around the bush, though, those that have been with us through it all will know what to imagine while listening to these songs while the regular public will just listen to the song for what it is.  It’s an album with a passcode.  Like I stated, it’s an album that contains everything we’ve felt and done over the past two years.”

Junsu continued, “I worked on the album by conversing a lot with the other members.  It’s an album that shows the true colors of JYJ.  I believe that we were able to create such a great result because we regarded as the production of it as a positive opportunity and experience.”
Jaejoong added, “The reason we started our individual activities was to get the name of JYJ out there.  Since the three of us cannot go out on music programs, we had no option but to get JYJ’s name known individually.”
Junsu stated,

“We began our careers as singers and I hope that we’ll continue to eternally walk down the path of a singer.  Because we’re restricted in so many areas as singers, we decided to take the performance route.  Even if it’s hard to see us on TV, we’re trying to work with our fans by performing at events and fan meetings, as well as other small events.  Our focus is on creating an environment where we can communicate with our fans and enjoy the performance aspect of it together.  A concert is not just a place where we show what we want to show, but a place where we can converse with them.”

When asked what ‘PSM’ meant in their song “Pierrot“, Jaejoong stated,

“It’s weird that a song that’s not even our title track is worthy of being in the media headlines for not passing regulations, but it’s actually quite heartbreaking.  SBS actually asked us what ‘PSM’ meant, meaning that they’ll give us a chance even if it wasn’t okay to pass.  KBS, however, didn’t even give us that chance and just interpreted it however they wanted to, completely ignoring the creator’s intent.  That is so frustrating.”

He continued,

“PSM stands for ‘Performer’, ‘Success’, and ‘Museum’.  Everyone has a future and everyone hopes that their life can shine.  In order to accomplish that, however, they must borrow the strength of others since it’s not possible on your own.  They’re then physically taken advantage of by a museum that creates that success for you and at times you’ll find yourself acting something that you don’t want to do.  It’s a song about people that use innocent people that are only innocently searching for hope.”

Jaejoong stated, “A lot of time has passed.  The time we’ve spent apart might have created misunderstandings, but as for us, a lot of that has passed.  I just hope for us to all meet again.  Yunho and Changmin appear in my dreams often.  Once, all three of us dreamt of them at once.”
He continued, “I still don’t keep in contact with Yunho and Changmin.  Please let us contact them.”
Jaejoong also revealed that he might have the opportunity to see Yunho.  “The lighting director for Yunho’s drama, ‘Poseidon‘, is also the lighting director for ‘Protect the Boss‘.  He once told me to come and visit during an after party.  I might be able to see him then.”
–
Source: Mydaily, Everyday Economy, World Journal via Naver

Narsha looks tiny next to model Hyun Yi

On October 3rd, the Brown Eyed Girls‘ Narsha surprised netizens with a picture comparing her height to model Hyun Yi.
Narsha wrote, “A baby cicada just born from an old tree with model Hyun Yi.  Yes… I know you’re a model.”
Narsha only stands 158 cm tall (5’2″) so the 20 cm (8″) height difference between her and Hyun Yi, who’s 177 cm (5’10″), seems very dramatic from the picture alone.
Netizens couldn’t help but laugh at the comparison, commenting, “How can she be stuck to her like that”, “I thought Narsha was taller than this”, “So this is the difference between a model and a non model”, “It’s not embarrassing to be short!” and “I wonder how they got closer.”
Source + Photos: Newsen+allpop

Jang Geun Suk to sing Korean anthem at charity baseball match in Tokyo Dome

The second annual Korean / Japanese Dream Games at the Tokyo Dome will be taking place on the 24th, and Hallyu star Jang Geun Suk is scheduled to sing Korea’s national anthem at the event.
Dream Games is a match between the retired All-Star Japanese pro baseball players against a baseball team made up of Korean celebrities. This year’s event will raise money to help the victims of the earthquake victims of Japan. Jang Geun Suk will also be throwing the first pitch for the game.
Jang Geun Suk will be in Nagoya on the 20th, Osaka on the 22nd – 23rd, and Tokyo from the 25th to the 26th. He is currently filming ‘Love Rain‘ (directed by Yoon Sukho) with SNSD‘s Yoona.
Source & Image : SportsChosun via Nate+allpop

K-pop craze expanding in London

Thanks to SNS sites such as Twitter, Facebook & Youtube, international fans can get easy access to K-pop from anywhere in the world. The Hallyu Wave has spread to the rest of Asia,  overseas to America and now to the rest of the world.
With Big Bang recently being nominated under the “World Wide Act Asia Pacific Nominees” category at the MTV Europe’s Music Awards, & 2NE1 being nominated by MTV Iggy for “Best New Band in the World”, its quite obvious that the Hallyu wave is proving to be a growing strong force in Europe as well. This is further evidenced as the Evening Standard (Daily London newspaper) recently reported about the K-pop craze in the city of London.
Paul Wadey from the Korean Culture Centre stated that London fans were first attracted to K-pop because of the unique fashion styles, and now they have gotten to know the artists’ through their lyrics, and are impressed with the different genres of music incorporated into K-pop, as well as the state-of-the-art music videos. Nights dedicated to K-pop are regularly taking place in clubs all over London and it goes without saying that the fans are creating flash mobs, where they gather to emulate the artists’ dance moves, songs, and watch music videos together.
In regards to the K-pop nights, Wadey remarked, “We didn’t advertise or anything and about 95 per cent were non-Koreans.”

“When we play it ar our club nights it fits in and even Westerners enjoy it… It’s different but at the same time not too different as they can still relate to the music.”

The hottest K-pop names in London are none other than Big Bang, 2NE1, Super Junior & SNSD.
You can view the full article on the London Evening Standard website.
Source & Image : London Evening Standard

Jo Kwon tweets a picture of 2AM exercising

2AM leader Jo Kwon tweeted a photo of his members and himself enjoying a light workout.
Along with the above photo he added the caption, “Rooloo lala~”. In the photo, the boys seem to be outdoors, enjoying the fall breeze.
Jinwoon & Jo Kwon are on the exercise machine, both wearing knit sweaters and khaki pants while Changmin looking sharp in a striped tee and a chic blazer is leaning on the machine with one elbow with his hand in his pocket.
Netizens responded to the photo with comments like, “Kwon’s legs look so long” and “You guy are so cute.”
2AM recently held a fan meeting in Korea and they have plans to make a Japanese debut in the near future.
Source & Image : MoneyToday StarNews via Nate+allpop

Block B poses for attractive pictures on ‘Starry Night’

Fans are already used to it by now, but it remains shocking all the same for music fans not accustomed to the bizarre antics of Block B.
On October 2nd, members Zico, Jaehyo, and Kyung guested on Younha’s radio program, ‘Starry Night‘, and showed their disregard for maintaining an idol image with their various crazy poses.
Additionally, on the radio show, the boys discussed some popular songs of the moment and made some recommendations for viewers as for their own favorite songs.  What are they currently listening to?  Jaehyo chose Rollercoaster‘s “Habit” while Kyung chose the Brown Eyed Girls‘ “Sixth Sense“.  Zico chose Block B’s “Is It Only Me?“.
In related news, MTV Korea has confirmed for a spin-off special of their joint reality show with B1A4, “Match Up“.  For a total of four episodes starting October 16th, episodes will cover the group’s four city sold-out Japanese showcase tour earlier this month.


Source + Photos: Starry Night Official Homepage, Match Up

T-ARA and TVXQ dominate the Oricon weekly charts

Via tokyohive:
The weekly Oricon charts have experienced another ‘first’ thanks to the Korean wave. It’s the first time in the 42-year-long history of Oricon that South Korean artists have claimed first in both, the single and the album ranking at the same time.
The two artists who achieved this are girl group T-ARA with their Japanese debut single, “Bo Peep Bo Peep“, and the now two-member boy group TVXQ with their newest album, ‘TONE‘.
T-ARA sold 50,000 copies in their first week and they’ve also become the first foreign group and first female artist(s) to reach first place with their debut single. The only foreign artist who ever achieved this before T-ARA, was Jang Geun Suk with his debut single, “Let me cry“. Other popular South Korean girl groups such as KARA and SNSD / Shoujo Jidai debuted at fifth and fourth place respectively.
The girls of T-ARA commented, “Thanks to everyone’s support we’ve reached first. We are very happy and will continue to work hard in order to earn the love of even more people. Please continue to support us.”
TVXQ’s album sold 205,000 copies in its first week, which also is an outstanding achievement for foreign male solo artists and groups. The last artist that also sold over 200,000 copies of an album during their first week was Bon Jovi with ‘Crash‘ back in 2000.
Yunho commented, “I’m really thankful to our fans. It makes me happy that our growth as a group seems to have reached our fans as well.”
Changmin added, “We wanted to create an album that is filled with our gratitude towards all of our fans who have been waiting for us. Please also look forward to our nation-wide tour next year!”
Source: Oricon+allpop

Nichkhun shows off his lucky four-leaf clover

On October 3rd, 2PM‘s Nichkhun shared a cute photo of himself holding a four-leaf clover with the tweet, “I thought four-leaf clovers were really rare..I went looking for some and I found 8 of them hahaha“.
In the photo, Nichkhun is posing cutely for the camera while holding up a four-leaf clover for his fans to see.
Fans left comments like, “You uploaded this the day before my exam, thank you!”, “You are so lucky!”, and “I’ve never even found one, and you found eight?!”
It looks like Nichkhun has a lot of luck heading his way thanks to his eight four leaf-clovers!
Source + Photo: Nichkhun’s Twitter

T-ara’s Jiyeon transforms into a boy!

T-ara‘s Jiyeon showed off her boyish transformation.
On October 3rd, Jiyeon uploaded a photo through her Twitter with the caption, “Disguising as a man is hard work… aigo.”
In the photo, Jiyeon is seen wearing a black suite complete with a bow tie, as she looks into the camera. Her dramatic short hair style adds to her ensemble to complete the more masculine transformation.
Netizens commented, “She looks totally handsome,” “It really suits her,” “Are you sure you aren’t a guy?”, and “She’s the best.”
T-ara is currently in the midst of Japanese promotions and has reached #1 on Japan’s Oricon chart as well as #1 on various Korean charts.
Source + Photo: Osen

Actor Joo Ji Hoon to make a comeback in November after a three-year hiatus!

Actor Joo Ji Hoon will finally be returning to his fans in November following his discharge from the military!

After being involved in a drug scandl back in 2009, the actor decided to enlist in the military in 2010, and signed an exclusive contract with Key East Entertainment earlier this year.

Although Joo Ji Hoon is forbidden from making on-air appearances on both KBS and MBC, plans for his return to the industry seem to be on track, as a representative from his agency revealed, “After being discharged from the military in November, he will be holding a fan meeting on November 27th and resume his activities“, marking his comeback after a long 3-year hiatus.

Joo Ji Hoon is known for his roles in previous hit works such as ‘Princess Hours (Goong)‘ and ‘Antique‘, and fans’ anticipations for the actor’s comeback are higher than ever.

Source + Photo: Newsen via Daum

TVXQ breaks 11 year record with “Tone” on Oricon weekly album chart

Via tokyohive:
It’s been revealed that TVXQ‘s “Tone” release has charted first on the Oricon weekly album chart! Released on September 28th, the album ranked first on the Oricon daily album chart and has maintained its place all week-long, recording 205,000 copies in sales.
On October 4th, Oricon reported, “By recording 205,000 in sales, TVXQ has risen to the top of the Oricon weekly album chart.  This is the first time in 11 years and four months since Bon Jovi‘s ‘Crash‘ that a foreign male artist has sold over 200,000 copies in the first week alone.”
They continued, “This is also TVXQ’s first time since their ‘Best Selection 2010′ album a year and seven months ago that they’ve returned to the Oricon weekly album chart, and is considered their first album to rank at the top.  In addition, 205,000 copies sold in their first week is the best they’ve achieved so far in regards to their full studio album releases.”
Although TVXQ has achieved first place on the Oricon weekly singles chart nine times, this is their first time ranking first on the weekly album chart with an official album, not a best of album.
Source + Photos: Sports Chosun via Naver+allpop

Super Junior’s Leeteuk successfully completes first recording as ‘Star King’ MC

After completing his first recording as the new MC of SBS‘s ‘Star King‘, Super Junior‘s Leeteuk expressed his feelings on the start of his new role.
On October 4th, Leeteuk tweeted, “The first recording for ‘Star King’!  I’ve completed it well.  SBS’s CEO, general manager, PDs, writers – all of whom have helped someone so lacking!  Our fans and members, the panelists that all laughed and clapped together!  And our Ho Dong-hyung…  Thank you.”
He continued, “I’m still lacking so very much.  Please help and teach me as much as you can.  I’ll be sure to study as diligently as possible.  Thank you!  Ah… It feels a bit weird.  Fighting!”
Leeteuk’s episode will begin airing on October 15th.
Source + Photos: Joongang via Naver+allpop

Kim Hyun Joong unveils album jacket photo for comeback mini-album, “Lucky”

SS501‘s Kim Hyun Joong has finally unveiled his album jacket photo for his second mini-album comeback, “Lucky“!
Dressed in a vintage casual look, Kim Hyun Joong made a ‘dandy’ transformation that all comes together for a stylish and charming concept.  His mini-album kicks off with a rock ‘n’ roll track titled “Do You Like That“, which features a danceable beat and a powerful arrangement of band instruments.  There are a total of five tracks, including his title track, “Lucky”, a traditional ballad titled “I’m Your Man“, and a sweet love song titled “U“.
His title track itself features a rhythmical electric guitar and brass rock band sounds.  It’s categorized as an up-tempo American punk rock song, something that Kim Hyun Joong has always wanted to try musically.  To make it possible, he’s enlisted the help of the members of Day Break and Common Ground.
Stay tuned for its release next month!
Source + Photos: Sports World via Naver

Hyun Bin to visit Indonesia and help jump start negotiations on importing Korean jets & submarines

Actor Hyun Bin, currently active as a Korean marine, is scheduled to visit Indonesia in the next few days.
According to the Ministry of National defense, Hyun Bin (birth name Kim Tae Pyung) will be in Indonesia for 2 nights and 3 days, starting on October 5th through the 7th. He will be there to attend the Armed Forces Day celebrations and also visit the Marines Corps base in Indonesia.
The Indonesian government had personally invited Hyun Bin to this event, in order to jump start the negotiations of a $1 billion deal to import Korean made submarines and advanced training models of Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 Golden Eagle multirole fighter jets to Indonesia.
His popularity in Indonesia is obviously undeniable, especially after his drama ‘Secret Garden‘, but some people are criticizing the fairness on recruiting an active duty soldier for these sorts of activities.
On the 16th of last month, The headquarters of the National Defense Committee (Democratic Party) stated that they are looking into Hyun Bin serving as an official spokesperson for the Korean Marines Corps before his promotion.
Hyun Bin took part in the Marines Corp marathon on the 25th, and served as an MC at the Marine Corps band performance on the 30th.
Source & Image : StarNews+allpop