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)

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.

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

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

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)