2NE1 Announces First World Tour

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - K-pop girl group 2NE1 will hold their first world tour this year.

YG Entertainment said that the tour dubbed "New Evolution" will visit 10 cities in seven countries in Asia, the Americas and Europe and the number of cities is likely to rise due to numerous requests.

2NE1 will be the first Korean girl group to hold a world tour (Photo by www.newsen.com)

Gaon chart releases K-pop rankings for May

By JONATHAN HICAP

MANILA, Philippines - Gaon chart, Korea's version of the Billboard charts, released the single and album rankings for K-pop for the month of May.

TaeTiSeo, the subunit of Girls Generation, topped the singles and album rankings.

Girls' Generation Reaches 'Million' Status In Japan

By JONATHAN M. HICAP

MANILA, Philippines - K-pop group Girls' Generation reached another milestone when their first Japanese studio album sold 1 million copies in Japan.

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) issued on June 8 the list of certified works for May that includes the Korean group's "Girls' Generation" album which has reached "million" status after being released in June last year.

Clockwise from the top) Girls Generation, Super Junior and Jang Geun Seuk.
(Photos courtesy of www.newsen.com and Super Junior Facebook page)

2AM leader Jo Kwon greets the Philippines with a photo

2AM leader Jo Kwon greeted the Philippines by posting of photo of himself and Jinwoon. The photo was taken during 2AM's promo tour in the Philippines in April last year. 

JYJ's Jaejoong posts several selcas on Twitter

JYJ's Kim Jaejoong certainly got time today as he posted several "selcas" on his Twitter account. 

f(x)'s music video for "Electric Shock"

f(x)'s music video for their song "Electric Shock" was released today.

RECIPE: Dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken)

Here's another delicious Korean recipe from Maangchi.com, dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken).

Between Loneliness And High Wages

Filipino Workers Face Sacrifices In Korea, New Land Of Opportunity

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin 

MANILA, Philippines --- To many Filipinos, South Korea beckons as the new land of opportunity. And the key to the gate of that land is the Employment Permit System (EPS).

The EPS is the South Korean government’s program that allows small-and-medium Korean enterprises to hire foreign workers.

KBS Star Kitchen with U-KISS

U-KISS members Kevin, AJ and Eli  joined Chef Seri in making different Korean dishes on KBS "Star Kitchen." 

Ban on Smoking on the Street (in Gangnam)

(KBS World) Smoking in Gangnam Daero, an area with the heaviest foot traffic in Seoul, has been banned starting on June 1st. Public places like parks have often been designated as no-smoking zones, but this is the first time that a ban on smoking has been placed on the entire length of a street.