What time is it? It’s 2PM!

Young Pinoy fans throw a rousing welcome in the K-pop boy band’s first Manila concert

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

When Korean agency JYP Entertainment announced last January that boy band 2PM would be holding its first-ever concert in Manila, Filipino fans were thrilled that their dream to finally see the boys in person would soon come true.

My 2PM article in the Manila Bulletin, March 13, 2013

Spring Festivals In Korea from March to May 2013

The cold winds and freezing temperatures of winter have passed and spring is drawing near. In Korea, spring temperatures range from 5? to 20?, and the return of warm weather brings wild flowers to bloom all over the country. As the weather improves, so do people's spirits, and springtime festivals are held throughout the country. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the good weather by participating in Korea's flower, food, and culture festivals. 

Psy To Unveil Follow-up To 'Gangnam Style' On April 12

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Can Psy produce another global hit like "Gangnam Style?"

The Korean rapper will release his follow-up song to "Gangnam Style" on April 12, a day before he holds a concert in Seoul, South Korea.

Psy performing at the Future Music Festival in Australia
(Photos courtesy of Future Music Festival's Facebook page)

MBLAQ To Hold Showcase In The Philippines

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Korean boy band MBLAQ will visit the Philippines and hold a show this month.

MBLAQ will headline the event "MBLAQ: First Contact: The Invasion Continues" that will be held on March 31 at the Aliw Theater.

MBLAQ (Photo by www.newsen.com)

Remembering the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami

On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9 hit Japan that spawned a massive tsunami. 
Almost 16,000 persons were killed in the earthquake and tsunami. 

Culture Ministry sets guideline for Romanizing Korean names

There’s good news for people who struggle to spell Korean names correctly in English: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Friday decided to standardize the Romanization of Korean names into “family name + given name” instead of the widely used “given name + family name” as written in Western countries.

In an attempt to respect the Korean tradition of placing more value on family names, the government said the new guideline would affect all Korean names on government documents, websites and name cards of public officials. 

My wish: a chart win for U-KISS

U-KISS has released the group's third full-length album "Collage" last March 7. 
And may wish is that U-KISS will finally win a music TV chart award because the boys deserve it. 

Top Young Actor Secretly Enlists In The Military

BY JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Top young Korean drama actor Yo Seung Ho, 20, secretly entered the Korean military on March 5, catching his fans by surprise.

Yo Seung Ho enlisted at an army camp in Chuncheon in Gangwon province accompanied by his family and CEO of his agency.

Fans only learned of his enlistment when he posted a message and video on his fan cafe.

Photos by www.newsen.com

Which K-pop Artist, Company Dominated Album Sales?

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Boy band Super Junior and their company SM Entertainment dominated physical album sales in 2012.

Rankings of album sales by company and artist were posted on Korean music chart site Instiz, which showed percentage sales top K-pop artists got last year.

Clockwise from top left) Super Junior, Wooyoung and Big Bang (Photos by www.newsen.com)

Which K-pop Artist, Company Dominated Album Sales?

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - Boy band Super Junior and their company SM Entertainment dominated physical album sales in 2012.

Rankings of album sales by company and artist were posted on Korean music chart site Instiz, which showed percentage sales top K-pop artists got last year.

Photos by www.newsen.com