Friday, March 23, 2012

Wonder Girls' Hyerim praises Charice: 'She's amazing'

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines - International singing sensation Charice held her Infinity Tour-Live in Seoul concert on March 21, the last leg of her tour.
It was her first concert in South Korea and Charice enthralled the audience with her powerful voice, belting out songs such as “One Day,” “New World,” “Before It Explodes,” “Pyramid,” “Tears in Heaven,” “Billy Jean,” and “I Will Always Love You.”
Charice (Photos by Romeo Samson and Katt S)

Girls Generation, Super Junior top 2011 earners for SM Entertainment

By JONATHAN HICAP 
K-pop groups Girls Generation and Super Junior are the top earning artists under SM Entertainment.
In a financial disclosure filed with Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service, SM Entertainment revealed that Girls Generation earned 21.73 billion won (P829 million) for the first three quarters of 2011.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

K-pop groups nominated in MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2012

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – The list of nominees for the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2012 is out and six K-pop groups are included.
2NE1, KARA, Girls Generation, 2PM, CNBlue and SHINee got nominated along with music heavyweights like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars.
(Clockwise from top left) KARA, Girls Generation, SHINee &2NE1
(www.newsen.com

Monday, March 19, 2012

Lee Da Hae’s plastic surgery

An online Chinese news site recently published an article on female celebrities with failed plastic surgeries.
Pictures of Lee Da Hae through the years. 
(Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com, chinanews.com and dramabeans.com) 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Funeral for Yoochun's father held

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – It was an emotion-filled morning Friday for JYJ member Park Yoochun as he and his brother Park Yoohwan held the funeral for their father, Park Hyun-geun,  who died of a chronic illness last Mar. 14 at age 51.
Brothers Yoohwan and Yoochun at the funeral. (Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com) 

Hit drama 'The Moon Embracing the Sun' ends with record ratings

The popular MBC drama “The Moon Embracing the Sun” ended its run on March 15 with its highest viewer ratings.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

JYJ Yoochun's dad passes away

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines – It was a tearful homecoming for JYJ member Park Yoochun from the band’s successful concert in South America when he learned that his father passed away on Mar. 14.
Yoochun at Incheon International Airport on March 14 (www.newsen.com)

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Koreans celebrate White Day, pick favorite celebrities

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines – Today, March 14, Koreans celebrate White Day, a traditional event observed a month after Valentine’s Day.
White Day is when Korean men are expected to give women candies and other gifts.
Kim Soo Hyun (www.newsen.com)

'Secret Garden' voted most favorite Korean drama


By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – The 2010 hit series “Secret Garden” was voted as the most favorite Korean drama by international fans, according to a survey.

Monday, March 12, 2012

SPIN magazine: How Jay Park Became the Face of a 'New Breed' of K-Pop R&B


The Washington-State born Korean pop lothario on his unusual career and Jeremy Lin
In the March/April issue of SPIN, David Bevan ventured to Korea to explore the country's fruitful system for producing top-flight pop stars. He'll be writing additional K-pop stories right here at #1 Crush.
"I got off the plane, and there was a different scent in the air." That's how Jay Park remembers his first seconds in Seoul, in January of 2005, just months before he graduated from high school back home in suburban Seattle. Park had been flown over to begin training for JYP Entertainment, one of three major entertainment companies headquartered in the South Korean capital. Only 17 at the time, he spoke little Korean and knew even less about Korean pop music — his passion was b-boying, which he utilized during a local JYP audition he attended at the behest of his mother. "I met all these people and I couldn't really communicate with them," he says of that first day. "I didn't even know what to eat."

Korea's fusion saguek

The MBC drama The Sun and the Moon is now all the rage throughout the country. The drama is based on the best-selling novel of the same title. It tells a love story set during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) of a fictional king, played by Kim Suhyeon, and the heroine, played by Han Ga-in. The drama immediately won over viewers and critics with its first airing in January for its tantalizing plot, lively characters, and well structured story. 
The Sun and the Moon cast (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News via www.korea.net)

JYJ members confirm invasion of privacy, surveillance by stalker fans

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin 
MANILA, Philippines – Korean boy band JYJ broke their silence on the issue regarding their sasaeng, or stalker fans, confirming they were victims of invasion of privacy and stalking.
JYJ

Friday, March 9, 2012

Big Bang debuts on Billboard 200 chart

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines - Boy band Big Bang’s new album “Alive” debuted on Billboard 200 chart, the first time for a Korean pop group.

Big Bang (YG Entertainment)

The new Korea.net page

http://event.redcomm.co.kr:8080/event/index.jsp

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Philippine clothing brand BENCH signs up Super Junior's Siwon and Donghae

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – It’s official: Philippine clothing brand BENCH has signed up Siwon and Donghae, members of popular K-pop boy band Super Junior, as its latest endorsers, seen as a move to capture the growing K-pop fan base in the country.

Donghaae during the BENCH photoshoot in Seoul and Siwon.
(Photos by SM Town Facebook and www.newsen.com)

K-pop singers and stalker fans

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines – Just days before they were to do a concert in Peru and Chile, members of boy band JYJ were swept into an issue involving the so-called “sasaeng,” stalker fans who follow Korean stars 24/7, harass them and invade their privacy.
JYJ: victims of sasaeng fans (www.newsen.com)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

New York Times: Social networking sites help popularize K-pop phenomenon

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines - The power of social media, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, is propelling Korean Wave, or hallyu, to new heights and helping the spread of its popularity to North America and other regions.
Super Junior (www.newsen.com)

Monday, March 5, 2012

Complete winners of the Billboard Japan Music Awards

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – Japanese girl group AKB48 swept the Billboard Japan Music Awards, bagging four awards including the Artist of the Year.
AKB48 (Billboard Japan)
T-ara (Billboard Japan)

Jeon Ji-hyun to Marry Childhood Sweetheart

Jeon Ji-hyun will marry the grandson of renowned hanbok designer Lee Young-hee at a hotel in Seoul on June 2, the actress' agency said on Friday.





Thursday, March 1, 2012

Winners of the 9th Korean Music Awards


By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines – Indie band Jang Kiha and the Faces swept the 9th Korean Music Awards, winning four awards including Album of the Year.
Held on Feb. 29, the Korean Music Awards recognized the musical talent of Korean singers rather than their popularity or album sales.
IU, 2NE1 and Infinite (Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com)
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