Korea Observer

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin K-pop star G-Dragon's dream came true when he performed with Grammy-winning rapper Missy Elliott on stage. The two heated up KCON, the K-pop convention in Los Angeles, over the weekend when they sang together G-Dragon's new song for his new upcoming album "Coup d'etat."

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin "You're The Best, Lee Soon Shin," the KBS2 weekend drama of K-pop princess IU and actor Jo Jung-suk, aired its 50th and last episode in South Korea on Aug. 25 and ended a successful five-month run on top of the ratings. Photo: KBS

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Big Bang's youngest member Seungri said producing his second mini album "Let's Talk About Love" brought changes in him and he was satisfied with the results. Seungri released the album last Aug. 19, which was also the date when Big Bang debuted in South Korea in 2006. He is currently promoting the album on music TV shows. Seungri (Photo from Seungri's official Facebook page)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin The onslaught of heavy rains in the last few days has resulted in the postponement of the Manila visit of Big Bang member T.O.P and the launch of a mobile messenger application in the country scheduled today, Aug. 22. Big Bang's T.O.P and Sarah Geronimo (Photos by www.newsen.com and SarahGLiveOfficial on Facebook)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Thriller "Hide and Seek" and the drama "The Flu" topped the box office in Korea, earning a combined total of 30,817,723,000 won (about P1.2 billion) since the two films opened last Aug. 14. As of Aug. 19, "Hide and Seek," stars Son Hyeon-joo, Moon Jeong-hee and Jeon Mi-seon, has grossed a total of 16.85 billion won (about P658.35 million) as of Aug. 19 to top the box office. A scene from "Hide and Seek" (left) and "The Flu" star Jang Hyuk (right) (Photos by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin In the last few years, the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, has spread in many countries. From Asia, Hallyu has found its way to other regions like in Latin America, North America and Middle East. Hallyu stars (clockwise from top left) Super Junior, Choi Ji-woo and Bae Yong-joon in 'Winter Sonata,' Big Bang and Lee Young Ae in 'Jewel in the Palace' (Photos by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin An actor and theater director best known for appearing in the 2011 drama "Dream High" was found dead in what police said was a case of drowning. The body of Baek Won Gil, 42, was found at about 9 a.m. on Aug. 16 in the waters of Namdaecheon in Gangwon, South Korea. www.newsen.com

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Big Bang member T.O.P will be visiting the Philippines next week for a meet-and-greet event for a mobile messenger application. The "#KakaoTalkPH Lucky Fans Night" will be held on Aug. 22, according to an announcement by Kakao Talk Philippines on Twitter. T.O.P (Photos by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin A year after their debut in the K-pop scene, girl group Crayon Pop's career has finally taken off, thanks to their new single "Bar Bar Bar." The music video for "Bar Bar Bar" has spawned parodies since it was uploaded on YouTube in late June. Crayon Pop performing "Bar Bar Bar." (Photos by www.newsen.com)

By JONATHAN HICAP, Manila Bulletin Nine Korean films have been selected to compete for the country's entry to the Oscars next year, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). One entry will be chosen among the nine as South Korea's entry to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. A scene from the 'Berlin Film' (left) and Song Joong-ki in 'The Werewolf Boy' (Photos by www.newsen.com)