Two Pinoy fans win in KBS K-pop contest in Seoul

By JONATHAN M. HICAP
Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines – Three K-pop fans, one from Singapore and two from the Philippines, won in a K-pop sing and dance contest held by Korean TV channel KBS World in Seoul, South Korea to celebrate its eighth anniversary on July 1.

GD & TOP’s album cover changed due to Playboy trademark infringement

MANILA, Philippines - Big Bang’s agency, YG Entertainment, has announced that it will stop the sale of G-Dragon and TOP’s first album after it admitted that it infringed on the bunny logo trademark of adult magazine publisher Playboy Enterprises.

GD & TOP's album in question (extreme left), which is similar to the Playboy logo (center). At right is the new cover of the album. (Photos courtesy of Playboy and YG Entertainment)

Two more Korean celebrities convicted

By JONATHAN M. HICAP
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines - Two more Korean celebrities have been convicted for separate offenses by Korean courts.

Rapper Kim Jung Min of Seoul Connection was sentenced by the Seoul Central District Court to two years probation after he was found guilty of using marijuana.

(Clockwise from top left) Kim Jung Min, Kim Yong Joon, Jeong Jin-su, Lee Sung-jin, Jeon Chang-geol and Yeo Wook Hwan. (Photos courtesy of Newsen.com, Naver and edaily.co.kr)

Kim Hyun Joong: 'Woman Who Drinks Little Is Not Charming'

Singer Kim Hyun Joong appeared on the episode of KBS 2TV’s “Happy Together” that aired on June 23, and talked about his individual ideal type of woman.

Sandara Park creates buzz with anime hairstyle on 2NE1's comeback

By JONATHAN M. HICAP
Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines - Girl group 2NE1 is creating a buzz in the K-pop music scene not only with their latest   single “I Am the Best” but also with their new fashion style.

Lawyer: Daesung may receive minor, lesser conviction in motorcyclist's death

By JONATHAN M. HICAP
Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines – Following the declaration of the Seoul Yeong Deung Po Police last June 24 that tagged Big Bang member Daesung as the suspect in the death of a motorcyclist that her ran over with his car last May 31, thousands of fans are asking what will happen to the K-pop idol.

Lawyer: Daesung may receive minor, lesser conviction in motorcyclist's death | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

Lawyer: Daesung may receive minor, lesser conviction in motorcyclist's death | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

Korea opens first K-pop concert hall

Korea’s first pop concert hall opened in Seoul on June 22.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation cooperated for the establishment of the concert hall by renovating Olympic Hall, located inside Olympic Park.

With newly upgraded facilities, the main concert hall can accommodate up to 3,000 people and the adjacent small concert hall can accommodate up to 240 people.

Seoul Visit: Richard Gere spotlights Tibetan plight in photos

Richard Gere shared personal photographs which he says attest to the cruelty inflicted by the Chinese on Tibetans in Seoul Wednesday.
An avid Buddhist and supporter of the Dalai Lama, the Hollywood actor took the initiative to make strong political statements regarding human rights in Tibet.

From Korea.net

(VIDEOS) Lady Gaga, SHINee, Girls Generation perform at the MTV Video Music Aid Japan

Fresh off the MuchMusic Awards, which she opened and closed in Canada last Sunday, Lady Gaga kicked off the MTV Video Music Aid Japan benefit show as part of a two-hour event that was expressly devised to benefit the Japanese Red Cross. The event was broadcast live from Makuhari Messe and aired to more than 30 million households on MTV Japan, MTV Korea, MTV SEA and MTV China.