Cha Seung Won discusses acting in T-ara’s new music video

Earlier, we reported that Cha Seung Won was cast to play a major role in T-ara‘s new music video. On October 19th, the actor was on set in Pusan filming alongside the girls, but he took a few moments to share his thoughts on his career.
Cha Seung Won commented, “I thought while seeing T-ara work so hard during filming that they had the potential to branch out. All the members have varying skill levels, but all of them do quite well.”
He also revealed that he’s had previous experience acting for music video.
“Previously, I was cast in the MV for Position‘s ‘I Love You‘. I became involved in T-ara’s video because I know their agency head.”
Cha Seung Won continued, “I’m not sure if it’s because I usually get no time off, but after ‘The Greatest Love‘ ended, I wanted to act again and I got a request to be in this music video. But after doing this music video, I’ve decided that I wanted to rest again.”
Still, it looks like there might be something in the works for Cha Seung Won. “There’s something for early next year, but nothing’s been decided.”
T-ara’s new music video will be a 30-minute drama, and is being filmed for one week with little breaks in between sessions. Actor Ji Chang Wook will also be in the music video.

After School’s Jungah pulls UEE in for a tight hug

On October 19th, After School‘s UEE updated her official me2day with a sweet photo of her and fellow member Jungah giving each other a tight hug.
UEE wrote, “Hello, my Me2 friends!! It’s been such a long while, right!! I’ve stopped by to update with a picture~ It’s a picture I took with our Jjung Jjung mommy!! ^^ We look great together, right??!! ^^.”
The two are holding on to each other for dear life, to the point where Jungah’s bending backwards! Fans commented, “Your long legs shine here!”, “Definitely look great together”, “Both are so gorgeous”, and “Both are so tall!”

TVXQ announces new Japanese single, “Winter”

Via tokyohive:
Tohoshinki (TVXQ) has announced that they will be releasing a new single, titled “Winter“, on November 30th!
The single will feature Tohoshinki’s very first Christmas song, “Winter Rose“, and a winter version of their song, “Duet“.
Stay tuned for more information on this upcoming release! In the mean time, check out the track list below!
-
<CD + DVD>
01. Winter Rose
02. Duet -winter ver.-
03. Winter Rose -Less Vocal-
04. Duet -winter ver.- -Less Vocal-
DVD:
01. Duet -Video Clip-
02. Duet -Video Clip- (Member Version)
03. Off Shot Movie
First Press:
01. Christmas specifications
02. Jacket size card (1 out of 6)
03. DVD off-shot movie
-
<CD-Only>
01. Winter Rose
02. Duet -winter ver.-
03. Winter Rose -reversible ver.-
04. Winter Rose -Less Vocal-
05. Duet -winter ver.- -Less Vocal-
06. Duet -winter ver.- -Member Chorus ver.-
First Press:
01. Christmas specifications
02. Jacket size card (1 out of 6)
03. 12-page booklet

SNSD’s Jessica poses for W Korea magazine

Jessica of SNSD transformed into a lovely Parisienne woman in a recent photo shoot for the November edition of W Korea magazine.
She looked absolutely mesmerizing exposing her bare shoulder in a long ruffled skirt, and gave a fierce pose in a gold-colored tube dress that traced her long, shapely legs. Her flashy yet delicate & feminine pink eye-make up caught the attention of netizens everywhere.
Earlier in the year, W Korea revealed pictorials from ‘SM Town Live in Paris’ pictorials featuring SNSD, Super Junior, TVXQ, SHINee, f(x), and many others.
Although the shoot took place in the early morning hours after their SM concert in Paris, the fans reportedly still showed up, trying to steal a glimpse of their favorite artists.

Fashion Park Han Byul shows off her luxurious home

Actress Park Han Byul showed off her new home for the November edition of Instyle Magazine.
The photos of her wearing short pants and a tank top sitting on the kitchen counter top enjoying a leisurely brunch caught the attention of readers, as well as a pink-color themed bedroom in which she had framed pictures of her and boyfriend Se7en.
The interior of her home is quite contemporary; the kitchen is open towards the living room and the earthy-colored decor warms up the white rooms, giving it a modern and contemporary feel.
Check out all of the photos of her new home in the November edition of Instyle!

HyunA & Taeyang voted as the next Lee Hyori & Rain

Today’s hottest idol stars were asked who they thought would be best qualified to be the next Lee Hyori and Rain, two very iconic personalities in Hallyu.
Although there were a wide variety of opinions, 4minute‘s HyunA and Big Bang‘s Taeyang came out on top of the ranking.
Runner-ups included B2ST‘s Lee Kikwang, Jay Park, SNSD‘s Yuri, and G.NA.
This poll was especially interesting as members of Infinite, MBLAQ, U-KISS and B1A4 all actively voted for HyunA as the next Lee Hyori.
MC Jung Hyun Dong who is close to HyunA called to congratulate the singer, and HyunA remembered to thank everyone who voted for her.
The full results of ‘The 2nd generation Lee Hyori and Rain – BEST 5′ will be revealed on MBC Everyone <Weekly Idol> on October 22nd at 2PM!

Interviews SECRET share their thoughts on SNSD’s ‘The Boys’ MV

Group SECRET recently shared their thoughts on SNSD‘s newest MV release for ‘The Boys‘.

Through an interview with OSEN, the girls remarked that they saw the newly released MV today and they all agreed, “It was pretty awesome.”
Sunhwa exclaimed, “They all look really pretty in it. SNSD never disappoints!” and gave it a thumbs up.
Ji Eun also remarked,  ”We actually have the same MV director as SNSD. He’s been working with us since our debut, but he chose to film their MV first… Director, do your like the SNSD unnis better than us?” she joked.
Hyosung added, “It’s an honor just to be performing on the same stage as them. We will think of this as a great opportunity and work harder.”
SECRET has just released their full album ‘MOVING IN SECRET‘ along with the MV for ‘Love is Move‘ while SNSD released their album ‘The Boys‘ on the 19th.

MYNAME looks up to TVXQ as the ‘perfect boy group’

With their debut coming up at the end of this month, Hwanhee‘s boy group, MYNAME, sat down for an interview with Star Today to let new fans know what they’re all about.
Check it out below!
–
Q. “You must be busy rehearsing before your debut stage.”
Insoo: “We practice every day from 2 PM to 8 AM. It’s been about two months since we’ve trained like that.”
Seyong: “Insoo hyung is scary with the way he’s always working. He’s always trying his best.”
Q. “You’re debuting under the title of ‘Hwanhee Boys’. How has that helped you?”
Insoo: “I’ve been a fan of him since his Fly to the Sky days. He’s very confident in his singing abilities so he’s always emphasizing the importance of singing. He also directs our recordings.”
Seyong: “Not only in singing, but he’ll always help us during choreography practice. He was actually a b-boy so he’ll help us out during some of our dance parts where we have b-boy moves. More than anything, he stresses the importance of singing live.”
Insoo: “He’s both our senior and hyung. He’ll secretly come to our dorms and buy us beer and teach us about character (of course, no beer for our group’s minors, Jun Q and Chaejin).”
Seyong: “Also, he tells us to always be humble, but to never lose.”
Q. “Which group do you look up to?”
Gunwoo: “I think the TVXQ seniors are perfect in all aspects. They lack nothing in singing, dancing, and performance. I truly think there isn’t a group more perfect than them.”
Insoo, Seyong: “In order to become a perfect group like TVXQ, it’s important to work hard and do it well. Every group works hard, so we think that’s a given, which is why we also want to both work hard and do it well while we’re at it.”
Q. “Concluding the interview, any last thoughts?”
Gunwoo: “We’re going to show 100%, just as much as we’ve all worked hard for. Since it’s our first single album, we want to hear people say, ‘They’re good’ and ‘They’re not bad’.”
MYNAME: “Please look forward to us. We’re confident that we can do well.”

SNSD on their new concept, their past, and future plans

SNSD, who was once referred to as the nation’s dongseng girl group, has grown up and tossed aside their aegyo image. The girls, who used to sing “I love oppa” in their songs, have matured to a point where they can confidently tell “The Boys”, “I’ll lead you.”
This transformation comes as no surprise, since the girls are about to make their debut as a world star through their 3rd official album, which was released on October 19th. In addition to their songs being sold all over the world through iTunes, their single will also be released in the U.S. in November through Interscope Records.
Still, the girls who came in for the interview were as cute and lovable as ever, and they were brimming with a natural self-confidence. They stated, “We really like transformations,” and that “We were the one who insisted on doing the more powerful dances in this song. We want to show [a SNSD] who continuously grows and matures.”
Check out the interview they had with OSEN down below!
–
Q. What are thoughts about the release of the 3rd album? It was a little delayed.
Taeyeon – “SNSD has received a lot of love from all over the world. We prepared this album in return [for all the love].”
Sooyoung – “We were a little disappointed about the delay in our comeback since we, in our hearts and minds, were ready. But, since the delay was because of the venture into the U.S., it was all good. I think this will be a meaningful comeback.”
Q. You worked with the famous producer Teddy Riley. How did you feel?
Sunny – “He brought a comfortable atmosphere. Rather than putting in special requests, he just told us to sing. He catered to the members, so a lot of the members’ individual colors were incorporated.”
Seohyun – “He complimented us a lot while we were recording. He also danced to the song.”
Q. Are you satisfied with your title song, “The Boys”?
Tiffany – “SNSD’s songs hardly have any raps. This was our first time showing off our rap skills, so we were really anticipating it. I think the song came out well, so I’m very pleased. Instead of SNSD’s usual lively and girly image, we are anticipating that a more mature and cooler image will be shown [through this comeback].”
Q. The choreography has become more powerful.
Sooyoung - “We tried hard to make it match the song, however, it’s not as aggressive or powerful as we thought initially. The ‘going down’ movement during the rap portion came about because there needed to be an impact at that point. The choreography team was trying to decide whether or not to include that move, but we insisted that we’d do it. They asked if it would be okay to just have 4 of the members do it, but all the members stated that they wanted to do it.” (laughs)
Q. What did you emphasize the most in this 3rd album?
Sooyoung – “We tried to branch out so that we wouldn’t be limited to just one genre. If you listen to the album as a whole, you’ll see that rather than just a catchy hook phrase, the overall composition [of the song] is done well. Our vocals were heavily emphasized as well.”
Q. This was the first time that Sooyoung composed.
Sooyoung – “I thought about what it would be like if there was someone who gave me such immense love. If there is someone who gives you a lot of love, this is a song you can listen to while you think of that person.”
Q. I’ve heard that you are studying a lot about composing and producing, but your ideas don’t seem to be included a lot.
Tiffany – “I composed the English rap in “The Boys”.
Taeyeon – “I’m practicing a lot, but they are very strict. They don’t give us any advantage because we are SNSD members. We have to compete on the same playing field as regular composers and producers.”
Q. “The Boys” image was surprising because it is much stronger than the usual SNSD image.
Sunny – “The lyrics’ [meaning] are up to the interpretation [of the listeners']. Rather than just the simple meaning of girls giving boys support, it can be interpreted in many ways. The girls could be telling the boys that we’ll take the lead, giving off a more tough image. It could also be interpreted as girls telling the boys to get their act together and cheer up. (laughs) The song is also aims to give courage to people, whether they’re girls or guys, who are tired out [by life].”
Seohyun – “With every album we release, we want to show you our growth. During the 1st album, we wore tennis shoes and showed you a young girl image. After that, we wore a white T-shirt and jeans like a college student. For this time also, we want to grow musically as well as in other areas.”
Taeyeon – “We really like transformations. I think fans also want to keep seeing different sides of us as well.”


Q. You have accomplished a lot in the past year. What is it that you remember?
Seohyun – “Japan tour. Personally, I think I have learned a lot about how to enjoy the stage. I think I learned how to collaborate with fans for the first time. The collaboration between ourselves has gotten even better also.”
Tiffany - “During the Arena Tour, which had all of us traveling together for 3 months, the members spent a lot of time together and conversed a lot. It was another chance for [our friendship] to be strengthened. We ate yummy food and went to a hot spring, just as if we were on a field trip.”
Jessica – “The concert in Paris is memorable for me. Paris is my dream city.”
Yuri – “I also remember Paris the most. It was very sentimental. People with hairs of all different colors were singing along to Korean lyrics. Just the fact that they knew who we were made it so enjoyable.”
Q. What are things you want to accomplish in the future?
Taeyeon - “To hold our own concert at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.”
Tiffany – “I want to try a world tour. I want to visit South America.”
Q. You must feel a sense of responsibility as a representative of Korean singers.
Yoona – “There is a sense of responsibility and pressure, but we are thankful that people see us as leaders. We don’t set up a goal and say ‘we have to achieve it’. Rather, we just enjoy each moment and try to bond with each other more. I think that’s why good things have been happening. We are honored to be a part of this great time period to let more people know about K-Pop.”
Q. Have you made a goal for your venture into the U.S.?
Tiffany – “Of course we have goals and anticipations, but we think that even having the opportunity to challenge ourselves is meaningful in itself. Rather than a venture, we just want to pay back our fans.”
Q. It seems that you might have to promote with Wonder Girls.
Taeyeon – “I’m very curious, what kind of song will they come out with? I have a friend within the group, so I think I’ll be glad to see her.”
Q. When rookie girl groups debut, they are often compared to SNSD. You are brought up a lot.
Seohyun - “To make us even a subject of discussion is an honor for us. Honestly, even when people say ‘SNSD, you’re amazing’, I’m still not sure. (laughs) So I think that I really have to try even harder.”
Q. You are quite a ‘sunbae‘ ['senior'] group now.
Yoona – “It’s not because we’re getting old, it’s because many young girls have been coming out. (laughs)”
Yuri – “I was in the waiting room while serving as the MC for MBC‘s ‘Music Core’ when hoobaes came to greet me with their albums. It feels like it we had been doing just that just a few days ago, so it was a weird feeling.”
Sooyoung – “Truthfully, we didn’t have much of a chance to see sunbae female singers’ performances. We saw Lee Hyori sunbae, Beyonce, and Christina Aguilera‘s concerts, but we heard that the hoobaes these days want to see SNSD’s performance. They also said they were influenced by us. It was a very weird feeling, but at the same time made us very proud and happy.”
Q. What has been the past 4 years like for SNSD?
Sunny – “To be honest, we didn’t know anything in the beginning and just went for it. As time passed, we started to develop a know-how. However more time passed, and we thought ‘Ah, there really isn’t a trick to all this’. But we were very proud and happy that we have been able to achieve a lot of things during the 4 years. Rather than thinking about the past 4 years, we are trying to figure out how to move forward.”

KARA’s Goo Hara opens up about her relationship with B2ST’s Junhyung

On October 19th, KARA‘s Goo Hara opened up in person for the very first time about her relationship with B2ST‘s Junhyung while guesting on MBC‘s ‘Radio Star‘.
The MCs began by asking, “Did you tell Yong Junhyung that you were going to guest on ‘Radio Star’?” to which she replied, “I didn’t.”
On her relationship first hitting the media, Hara stated, “I was most apologetic to my fellow members.” Gyuri then responded, “We were worried for her in case she’d be attacked through hateful replies.”
She was then asked, “Have you guys been drifting apart? I heard rumors of you two breaking up.” Hara replied, “We’re still getting to know each other, but we haven’t been meeting up or keeping in contact that often because of our busy schedules.”
The MCs continued by asking, “Isn’t it okay to just meet up front since everything’s out in the public now?” Hara truthfully answered, “I honestly don’t know.”
Hara also hilariously took the time to apologize to elementary school fans after being told that they had been causing a ruckus upon hearing confirmation that Junhyung and Hara were indeed dating.
When asked of her ideal date, Hara simply replied, “I just want to eat a meal with him.”

Choi Siwon’s bus wins the lottery

Some people must have hit jackpot for Super Junior‘s Choi Siwon to casually stroll onto their bus! On October 19th, Siwon shared two ‘proof shots’ of him taking public transportation.
Through his Twitter, Siwon wrote, “This was taken probably two months ago. It was on my way home after meeting up with teacher Ahn Hyuk Mo. Say cheese pose with all of the students behind me ^^.”
His casual style can’t hide his handsome looks, and his smile seems to brighten up the entire bus. The students behind him must’ve recognized him, as they’re also seen posing for the camera.
Fans commented, “So jealous of the students. Not only are they on the same bus as you, but even got their picture taken!”, “A bus that won the lottery”, “Such a handsome being he is!”, and “It’s cute to see him posing like that.”

Source + Photos: Siwon’s Official Twitter

Shindong transforms into a sexy Goo Hara on ‘Strong Heart’

On the October 18th episode of SBS‘s ‘Strong Heart‘ Super Junior‘s Shindong shocked the audience with his sexy transformation to KARA‘s Goo Hara.
Imitating Goo Hara from KARA’s music video ‘STEP‘, Shindong had a high long ponytail, wore sexy makeup, and vibrant clothing. Completing his look, Shindong moved his hips and perfectly danced to the choreography for ‘STEP’.
Goo Hara and Park Gyuri also joined in for the dance.
Netizens commented on how well the dolled up Shindong looked with all the makeup and complimented him on his recent weight loss.
You can watch Shindong and the girls dancing to ‘STEP’ below:

SHINee sets a new record in the 44 year history of the Oricon

The boys of SHINee recently released their third single “LUCIFER” in Japan on the 12th, and they have rose towards the top of the Oricon chart along with famous rock band L‘Arc~en~Ciel, seizing the #2 spot!
Their previous Japanese singles “Replay” and “JULIETTE” along with the most recent “LUCIFER” have all ranked in the TOP 3 on the Oricon singles weekly chart. This marks the first time for a foreign artist to achieve this mark, meaning SHINee has set a new record.
Furthermore, on Oricon’s main page, it read, “This is the first time in the 44 year history of the Oricon that a foreign artist (soloist included) released three different singles, and all 3 have ranked within the TOP 3″, making this achievement all the more significant.
SHINee has plans to release their first full-length album “THE FIRST” on November 23rd, and their fame in Japan will only grow from here.
The boys will also be holding independent concerts on the 27th in Nagoya Gaishi Hall, as well as on November 24th & 25th in Osaka.

KARA’s Gyuri addresses “loner” rumors on ‘Radio Star’

KARA‘s Park Gyuri recently addressed the rumors about her being a “loner” in her group.
On the latest broadcast of MBC’s ‘Radio Star‘, KARA was questioned about their time in Japan, romance, and the issues they had with their agency, DSP Media.
When the hosts asked Gyuri about the loner rumors, she responded, “I feel bad about the word ‘loner’. Those who know me already know this, but I’m the kind of person who would turn my back against the world before the world turns their back against me.”
Fellow group member Han Seungyeon also commented on the rumors of snobbery. She stated, “I’m the one with the personal rice cooker. All the members are on a diet so they don’t eat much, and if I cook enough food for everyone, I feel it’s a waste so I have my own rice cooker. People make it seem like I don’t want to eat with the other members.”

T-ara reveals photos from the set of their new MV

Anticipation is on the rise for T-ara‘s new music video, as the girls released photos from the set today!
T-ara and actors Cha Seung Won and Ji Chang Wook began filming in an empty warehouse on October 18th. The MV was announced to be a 30-minute drama-style video, and judging by the pictures, it seems like we can look forward to a bunch of heart-racing action scenes.
Cha Seung Won had praised the girls on their acting skills, bringing even more attention to their upcoming MV.
The video for “Lovey-Dovey” and “Cry Cry“ will be released in two parts. “Lovey-Dovey” was produced by Shinsadong Tiger.

SECRET’s Hyosung receives an IV drip for fatigue

TS Entertainment put fans’ fears to rest after they revealed that Hyosung will make SECRET‘s ’M! Countdown‘ comeback stage after getting an IV treatment.
TS Entertainment stated, “Hyosung was on the verge of getting the flu last week. After going through eight different schedules in such a short abount of time, her condition worsened. Consequently, we took her to the hospital during the night for an IV treatment.”
Reportedly, the members of SECRET suffered from fatigue as they took on many schedules in both Korea and Japan.
The representatives continued, “For a while, Hyosung’s voice wouldn’t even come out regularly. She was worried because she wanted to do her best for this long-awaited album. After her last schedule, she was taken to the hospital. Hyosung felt that as the leader, she should have taken better care of herself for such a comeback. ”
The girls’ new song, “Love is Move” has consistently been in the top two spots on music charts after their 1st official album got released.
Stay tuned to allkpop for coverage of SECRET’s comeback stage later on!