Korea Observer

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Korean superstar Lee Min Ho will be visiting the Philippines next month to hold his first ever "My Everything - World Tour 2013" and he's hoping to spend a great time with his Filipino fans. The Manila leg of the concert tour will be held on July 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Lee Min Ho will visit  10 cities for the tour including Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Osaka, Hong Kong and the United States.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Korea's Ministry of National Defense is investigating celebrity soldiers Se7en and Sangchu of Mighty Mouth after an SBS TV report allegedly showed the two men going to a massage parlor after a military concert in Chuncheon, Gangwon province. The two together with pop star Rain, KCM and Kim Kyung Hun attended and performed at the event held last June 21. Se7en and Sangchu (Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin K-pop boy bands Big Bang and 2PM won at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2013, which was held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on June 22. 2PM bagged the Album of the Year award for "Legend of 2PM," the band's second Japanese album which was released last February. 2PM and Big Bang (Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com and Big Bang's Facebook page)

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines has revealed the 10 finalists of the 2013 Pinoy Kpop Star. 

Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

Sistar reigns Billboard K-pop Hot 100 chart Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Four choir groups from the Philippines won in the 2013 Yeosu International Choir Competition and Festival held from June 11 to 17 in Yeosu, South Korea. The competition, which had a total prize money of $140,000, drew 63 choirs from the US, Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Lithuania, Philippines and South Korea. Six choirs represented the Philippines. 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Korean rapper Psy was awarded the Viral Video of the Year for his global hit "Gangnam Style" at the MuchMusic Video Awards 2013 held in Toronto, Canada on June 16 (June 17 in Manila). Psy, who co-hosted the awards, opened the show with "Gangnam Style" and closed it with "Gentleman."

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin It's more fun in the Philippines and K-pop star Ailee is helping to promote various places in Metro Manila to attract more Korean tourists. Ailee has been tapped to boost Philippine tourism through short interactive videos that feature her visiting and introducing places in the metropolis.

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin If there's one thing that endeared Korean boy band CNBLUE more to their fans during their "Blue Moon: 2013 CNBLUE World Tour" in Manila concert on June 15, it was their effort to connect to the audience by speaking in Filipino and English. From "Masaya ba kayo? (Are you happy?)," "Sabay-sabay (All together now)," "Kantahin (kantahan) natin siya (Let's sing for him (Yonghwa))," "Nagugutom na ako (I'm hungry)" to "I love you Philippines," "Make some noise," CNBLUE made sure that the fans who went to the concert at Araneta Coliseum would have fun and could relate to what they were saying.

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin If given the chance to visit a place in the Philippines besides Manila, K-pop rock band CNBLUE said they want to visit Cebu, which has become a popular destination for Korean tourists and celebrities. "Cebu [for] fishing," said 21-year-old Jungshin.

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Korean pop rock band CNBLUE arrived in Manila this morning, a day before their scheduled concert on Saturday. CNBLUE landed at around 11:10 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 1 via Asiana Airlines flight OZ 701 from Seoul, South Korea. Photo from CNBLUE Philippines Facebook page

My friend in Seoul sent me this photo. She took this photo today of a still unidentified Korean star who was doing a photoshoot at a cafe in Seoul.  Who is this? 

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Hollywood star Brad Pitt said coming to Korea was a real pleasure and that he loved Korean barbecue the first time he was in the country two years ago. Pitt and his nine-year-old son Pax arrived at Gimpo International Airport in Korea from Australia on June 11 to promote his new movie "World War Z," which he produced and starred in.  He is touring countries to promote the film.

Big Bang is hitting the road in November for a concert tour in Japan, the members revealed during the Nagoya leg of G-Dragon’s world tour last Saturday. Big Bang is slated to hold a total of 15 concerts in six cities starting with two sets at the Seibu Dome on Nov. 16 and 17. Photo courtesy of Taeyang's Instagram

TV personality in drug case fled to US before trial Link to my original article on Manila Bulletin online:Email me at sangchusan(at)gmail.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin A Korean court dismissed the lawsuit filed by boy band Block B against their own agency, Stardom Entertainment, last January, ruling that there was not enough evidence to issue an injunction to stop their exclusive contracts with their management. The boy band accused Stardom of not paying their income and mismanagement. They also alleged that Stardom's CEO, a certain Mr. Lee, collected 70 million won (P2.68 million) from their parents and ran away with the money. The money was supposedly used for promotion.

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By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Actor Kim Soo Hyun proved his star power when his new film "Secretly, Greatly" drew 1 million audience in just two days to break box office records in South Korea. "Secretly, Greatly" opened in theaters in South Korea on June 5 and drew 498,284 people on the first day to set the record of having the highest first-day attendance for a Korean film. Kim Soo Hyun (Photos by www.newsen.com)

SEOUL, 4 June 2013 – The Embassy reported to the Department that Post’s Tourism office received two prizes at the recently concluded 26th Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA). Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in South Korea

SEOUL, 4 May 2013 – The lone Philippine entry to the International Competition of the 14th Jeonju International Film Festival was chosen as Best Picture among the 10 films in competition at the recently concluded nine-day festival, the Embassy said on Saturday.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Korean star Kim Hyun Joong is celebrating his 27th birthday today, June 6, and has released his third Japanese single as a gift to fans. The singer released his maxi single "Tonight" on June 5 and in just one day, it sold 101,818 copies to rank second on Japan's Oricon daily singles chart. It also contains two other songs and was released in five different CD covers. Photos by KeyEast Entertainment

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Hallyu actor Kim Jae Won, who starred in Korean dramas such as "Can You Hear My Heart" and "Wonderful Life", surprised his fans when he announced that he's getting married. The wedding will be held on June 28 in Seoul and it turned out that his non-celebrity girlfriend is three months pregnant.

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin  Boy band EXO released their first studio album "XOXO (Kiss & Hug)" on June 3 and the title song "Wolf" zoomed to the No. 1 spot on real-time charts in Korea. Upon its release, "Wolf" topped the charts on Olleh Music, Naver Music, Soribada and Bugs. EXO (Photo by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin A former contestant in the Season 9 of "American Idol" and in Korea's "Superstar K3" was found guilty by a court for fraud and intimidation. Chris Golightly was sentenced to one year in prison suspended for two years in a case filed by his former Korean girlfriend last year. Photo by www.newsen.com

International singing sensation Charice has admitted on a Philippine showbiz TV show that she's a lesbian.  "Opo, tomboy po ako ( Yes, I'm a lesbian )," Charice told TV host Boy Abunda on the show "The Buzz," which aired June 2.  Charice on 'The Buzz'

Last March 31, Korean boy band MBLAQ was supposed to do its " MBLAQ First Contact Showcase " in the Philippines.  However, the organizer of the event, K&P, cancelled the show hours before the showcase.  MBLAQ (Photo by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin  Korean rapper Psy spread his “Gentleman” fever in Europe when he performed at the finale of “Germany's Next Top Model” and “The Voice of Italy.” Psy got reunited with supermodel Heidi Klum, who is the host of “Germany’s Next Top Model,” on the show. Psy with Heidi Klum (Photo from Psy's Twitter account)

Note: I reposted this from  http://heartmindand5eoul.tumblr.com/post/51795876796/an-account-regarding-the-chaos-among-fans-at-exos before anything else,  i would encourage you to take the following account as OPINION ONLY  rather than strict fact. you may have heard something different from other fans who were there, and it may conflict with my own observations. i am only recording what i personally experienced. please keep an open mind.