Korea Observer

Monday, March 12, 2012

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

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)

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.