Korea Observer

EXPO 2012 Yeosu Newsletter (May 2012)

EXPO 2012 Yeosu will feature the Korean Wave Concert on June 9 in Yeosu, South Korea.  Performers at the concert are BEAST, Jay Park, BTOB and A-Pink. 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Boy bands Super Junior, SHINee and FT Island held their various concerts over the weekend in Korea, Japan and Taiwan. After touring seven countries, Super Junior ended their Super Show 4 world tour on May 26 and 27 with encore concerts at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul. FT Island, Super Junior and SHINee. (Photos courtesy of their Facebook pages)

For me, Seoul is VIBRANT.  It is a city that is rapidly changing with technological advancement. This modernization is complemented with the preservation of Seoul's rich cultural and historical heritage and warmth from the people of Seoul. (Jonathan Hicap)  You can also view this photo at   http://twitter. com /Jonah_writer/status/207126504507838467/photo/1/large

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin   MANILA, Philippines - Pop superstar Justin Bieber, K-pop stars Jay Park and KARA, and Malaysian singer Mizz Nina will headline the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia 2012, which will be held on July 14.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Korean boy band Big Bang will release a special edition album while holding their world concert tour. The album will be called "Still Alive," and will be released in six versions online on June 3. The physical album will be released on June 6.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Rolling Stone website has picked 10 K-pop groups including 2NE1, Big Bang and Girls Generation that have the potential to break into the US music scene. The website noted that while K-pop artists BoA and Se7en failed in their American debuts in the past, "K-pop has garnered a strong following without the help of any major American backing." (Clockwise from top left) SHINee, BEAST, 2NE1 and SISTAR. (Photos by www. newsen . com )

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila, Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Nine-member K-pop group Girls Generation achieved another milestone in Japan with their single "Mr. Taxi" reached double platinum status in Japan.  (Clockwise from top left) Girls Generation, Kim Hyun Joong,  T-ara  and Bae Yong Joon. (Photos by SM Entertainment, Oricon, www.newsen.com and Keyeast)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Japanese fans have not forgotten boy band JYJ, based on their response to the first solo album of Xiah Junsu. Junsu released the album "Tarantallegra" last May 14, which topped real-time charts in Korea and Japan.

Watch the entire MBC K-pop Concert held in Mountainview, California. 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Keeping his promise to his fans, K-pop star Jay Park released his free English mixtape containing six songs, all of which he wrote in collaboration with other artists.

By JONATHAN HICAP Traveling to another country  for the first time is always worrisome. You don't know the people, coupled with having a hard time to get around. But it was different when I went to Seoul--South Korea's capital and a modern and  bustling city that is home to about 10 million people. Seoul is a fascinating city:  Itaewon (top) and Myeongdong (bottom). Photos by Jonathan Hicap

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin  MANILA, Philippines - It's confirmed! K orean boy band Big Bang will hold their "Big Bang Alive Tour" concert in the Philippines this year. A post on Big Bang's official Facebook account and on YG Entertainment's Twitter account proclaimed,  "BIG BANG ALIVE WORLD TOUR 2012 in MALAYSIA and PHILIPPINES confirmed!"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is giving away 20 tickets to JYJ's Xiah Junsu's concert in Thailand scheduled on May 27. 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin   MANILA, Philippines - Korean boy band Super Junior has successfully penetrated Japan's music market with massive attendance at their two-day concert and with the release of a new Japanese single. Super Junior in Japan (Photos by www.newsen.com and SM Town Facebook page) 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Korean pop groups 2NE1 and Girls Generation, as well as Filipino singer Sarah Geronimo made it to the 25 Sexiest International Singers You've Never Heard Of list by US-based music and trend site Complex.com. Filipino singer Sarah Geronimo, 2NE1 and Girls Generation. (Photos by www.sarahgeronimo.ph and newsen.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - K-pop quintet the Wonder Girls will make their debut in Japan in July, following in the footsteps of many Korean singers like KARA and Girls Generation. For their foray into Japan, Wonder Girls will release the Japanese version of their hit song "Nobody," which was originally released in Korea in 2008. The Wonder Girls (Photos by www.newsen.com)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has released its latest "Infinitely Yours, Seoul" series, this time featuring Korean boy band MBLAQ. 

JYJ member Xiah Junsu has released on May 14 his much-awaited music video for "Tarantallegra," his first solo album.  The song is awesome, which also features Flowsik. The cool choreography for the music video was made by Jeri Slaughter and his team.  Screen grab by @cassph

Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold a Free Speech Corner every Saturday from 12:00 to 16:00. Using the ‘Let me talk!’ stage in Cheonggye Plaza, Seoul citizens or foreigners visiting Seoul will be able to speak publicly about events , their impressions of Seoul, or any other topic. (Photo courtesy of http://english.seoul.go.kr)

MBC Music Core today featured performances of Taetiseo, SISTAR, BTOB, BAP, EXO-K, Ivy, Mighty Mouth and more. 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Japan is now the biggest music market in the world in terms of value of singles, CDs and DVDs sold. The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) issued its yearbook "Statistics Trends: The Recording Industry in Japan 2012," which showed that Japan has overtaken the United States in music sales in 2010. KARA and Girls Generation (Photos by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - The stars of "Men in Black 3" are in Seoul, South Korea for the world premiere of the movie. Will Smith, with wife Jada Pinkett, co-star Josh Brolin and director Barry Sonnenfeld walked down the red carpet for the "Men in Black 3" premiere held on May 7 in Seoul. They were also joined by Wonder Girls' Sunye and Hyerim. The stars and director of "Men in Black 3" with the Wonder Girls at the premiere in Seoul (www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - K-pop star Jay Park feels that through his new album "New Breed," he has now improved as a singer and songwriter. Jay Park wrapped up his "Jay Park Live" album signing and showcase events in Manila on May 6 with a performance at Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo. He kicked off the event, presented by by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and MCA Music, last May 4 at Eastwood Mall Open Park , followed by a show at Venice Piazza in Fort Bonifacio on May 5. (Left) Jay Park holds a copy of the Manila Bulletin containing my news story about his arrival in the Philippines. (Bottom right) His new tattoo. The interview was conducted at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Girls Generation’s new subgroup Taetiseo, composed of Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun, made a splash with their debut by entering the Billboard and iTunes charts and real-time Korean music charts. Photos by M! Countdown

By JONATHAN M. HICAP Hollywood star Jessica Alba said she wants to do a movie in  South Korea  and is looking forward to meeting famed Korean director Park Chan-wook. Jessica Alba tweeted this picture while they were in Seoul

By JONATHAN HICAP K-pop star Jay Park arrived in the Philippines on May 2. Upon his arrival, he was interviewed by the media. Here are photos of Jay at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.  Jay Park (Thanks to Mark Bonifacio of MCA Music for the photos)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Korean boy band Super Junior made history anew by topping a music chart in Taiwan for 100 consecutive weeks, a spot they’ve been holding on to since 2010. The boys' two albums, "Mr. Simple" and "Bonamana," have topped the chart on Taiwan's KKBOX, which bills itself as the "world's largest Chinese online music service." Super Junior (Photos by www.newsen.com and SMTown Facebook page)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines - Filipina actress Maui Taylor's foray into her first Korean film project proved to be a blessing. The movie, "The Taste of Money" (Korean title "Don-eui Mat"), has been officially invited to compete in the 65th Cannes Film Festival, which will be held on May 16 to 27.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin MANILA, Philippines – Korean dramas “Tree with Deep Roots” and “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” won top honors along with films “Nameless Gangster” and “Unbowed” at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards held April 26. The awards ceremony, held at the Seoul Olympic Hall, honored excellence in films and TV in Korea. Winners in the Baeksang Arts Awards. (Photos by www.newsen.com)