Author: Denise Coley
Another K-Pop group will be touring North America! VAV (Very Awesome Voice) will embark on their North American tour starting April 25, 2019 until May 5, 2019. This will be the group’s second North American tour since 2018. The A-TEAM Entertainment group recently made a comeback with their fourth mini album Thrilla Killa and lead single of the same name. So far, Thrilla Killa has been VAV’s most successful album to date, peaking at number 20 on the Gaon Music Chart. This year’s tour includes a meet and greet and a performance. Be sure to check VAV out…
On April 4, 2019, BLACKPINK made their much-anticipated comeback with “Kill This Love.” The single also includes three new B-sides: “Hope Not,” “Don’t Know What to Do,” and “Kick It.” While “Kill This Love” has racked up several honors including over 50 million YouTube views in under 24 hours (a new record and a first for any music group) and several number ones on global music charts, the track isn’t one BLINKS or K-POP fans earned or deserved. BLACKPINK are about to embark on their In Your Area tour. With this, they’ve already laid down the groundwork for a…
Rothy is an up-and-coming South Korean singer and musician, who is currently just 19 years of age. Not only is Rothy known for her angelic voice and obvious musical talent, she initially garnered much attention from the media for being the protégé of Korea’s legendary singer-songwriter Shin SeungHun. Rothy’s debut single Stars, which is a dreamy ballad infused with hip-hop, was released in November of 2017; fully showcasing her vocal ability and raw talent in music. She went on to feature in various soundtracks for Korean drama series, including What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, The Beauty Inside and Jugglers.…
As NCT-127 prepare to advance into the American market, SM Entertainment announced that the group as signed with Capitol Music Group (CMG) for their North American promotions. The signing also includes a deal with CMG’s sub-label Caroline, which will handle the group’s global distribution. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Kim Young-Min (Group CEO of SM Group) and Nikki Semin Han (CEO of SM Entertainment) to further the phenomenon of NCT-127 around the world,” CMG chairman and CEO Steve Barnett said through a press release. “The band’s potential for global success is virtually unlimited, and SM Entertainment is a…
Katie Kim, who also goes by KATIE, recently joined American recording label AWAL. AXIS Entertainment, Kim’s Korean label, confirmed the signing on April 5, 2019. AWAL helps independent artists distribute music globally according to their website. Musicians submit their work through AWAL’s online application platform; the company then decides if the artist’s work is worthwhile by checking it against their criteria list, then they sign an artist to be part of the team. Currently, AWAL’s roster includes Little Simz, Madison Beer, deasmau5, The Naked and Famous, Aly & AJ, and Greyson Chance. Kim, who is Korean-born but hails from…
On March 22, 2019, K-Rapper, KK (KEIKEI), became paralyzed following a diving accident in a Thailand resort swimming pool. In an Instagram post, KK posted that he broke his neck in two places. Following the accident, it was revealed that KK may be paralyzed even though doctors do remain hopeful there is a possibility for rehabilitation. KK, whose real name is Kim Kyu Wan, had two surgeries at Chiang Mai Hospital following the accident. While at the hospital, he also contracted pneumonia, which caused an inability to travel abroad. On April 4, KK, via his wife, posted on Instagram…
On April 5, 2019, actor Lee Il Jae passed away following a battle with lung cancer. He was 59-years-old. Lee revealed his cancer diagnose in 2018 while appearing on The Victory with Doctors. While on the show, he expressed how he planned to fight his cancer and eventually return to acting. Lee, born November 13, 1960, was a graduate from the Department of Theater and Film at Hanyang University. He was a stage and screen actor best known for his roles in the General’s Son trilogy, Bridal Mask, King and I, and King’s Dream. He was a prominent figure…
On Thursday April 4, 2019, a transformer fire started a wildfire in Eastern Gangwon Province. The fires then spread to the cities of Sokcho and Gangneung according to Reuters. According to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters, fire broke out on a roadside in Goseong before spreading to a nearby mountain. Strong winds in the region are blamed for the fire’s quick spread. Meanwhile, a separate fire also started on Thursday April 4 in Okgye County, Gangneung. The fire in the Sokcho region has been contained, the South Korean government said, while about 50 percent of the fire in the Gangneung region…
Roy Kim, the once squeaky-clean singer of the hit songs “Bom Bom Bom” and “Love Love Love,” has now been implicated of passing around explicit photos in the infamous Jung Joon Young Kakao chats. Kim, who is currently in the United States attending Georgetown University, was booked by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for distributing illegal photos on April 4, 2019. Police have requested he return to South Korea for questioning immediately. Kim initially received a summons to appear for questioning April 2, 2019. According to Insight, Kim allegedly said that he wanted to become a singer because he “wanted girls.”…
On April 4, 2019, former Superstar K 4 contestant and singer-songwriter Eddy Kim was revealed as another participant of the sexually-explicit Jung Joon Young KakaoTalk chats. Originally, he was named as a witness and questioned on March 31, 2019, but on April 5, he was booked on charges of spreading illegally taken photos. Kim is the eighth person booked in connection to the chats. His reveal comes on the heels of the police-booking of fellow Superstar K 4 contestant, singer, and friend Roy Kim. Roy Kim was booked for allegedly sharing lewd photos within the chats. Eddy Kim’s agency, Mystic…
Embattled company, TS Entertainment, is back with another lawsuit as they are reportedly seeking to sue former SECRET member Song Jieun for damages. TS Entertainment claims that when Jieun signed with Haewadal Entertainment in January 2019, she was in violation of her exclusive contract with TS Entertainment. As part of their claim, TS Entertainment wants Jieun to pay double the contract termination fees. A few days ago, Jieun and Haewadal parted ways as her contract was terminated on mutual grounds after only three months with the company. “The mutual decision was made to terminate the contract as we came to…
K-Pop group A-JAX announced their official disbandment March 31, 2019. Their agency, DSP Media, confirmed the news by stating the group members’ contracts have ended. In a statement, DSP said: Hello, this is DSP Media. We would like to deliver news related to A-Jax. We would like to announce that the contracts for the 5 members of A-Jax have expired today, March 31. In the future, the A-Jax members will carry out their entertainment activities individually, and we ask that you continue to support the members in the future endeavors. Thank You. Upon disbandment, A-JAX consisted of members Hyeongkon,…
Korean actor Shin Ha-kyun was born on May 30, 1974 and raised in Seoul, Korea. His best-known films include Joint Security Area (2000), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Save the Green Planet! (2003), and TV drama series Brain (2011). Shin studied at Seoul Institute of the Arts and worked as a theater actor since 1993. In 1998, he was cast in director Jang Jin’s first ever movie The Happenings and has since appeared in almost all the director’s productions. In 2002, that Shin got his breakthrough with the film Joint Security Area (based on a novel DMZ by Park Sang-yeon) directed by Park Chan-wook; where the actor was…
After nine years with the company, singer and actress Bae Suzy departed JYP Entertainment (JYPE) at the end of her contract. On March 26, 2019, JYPE confirmed the news in a statement. Hello. This is JYP Entertainment. We are announcing that JYP’s exclusive contract with artist Suzy will end on March 31. We have had thorough discussions over the past few months, and we came to the mutual decision to not renew the contract. Following Suzy’s debut with the group miss A in 2010, she has worked her hardest in JYP while showing exceptional passion. In 2017, her contract…
Thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Jack Sparrow, new generations have turned to learning about pirate lore. Beyond Blackbeard (Edward Teach, 1680-1718), Black Bart (Bartholomew Roberts, 1682-1722), and Ned Lowe (1690-1724), did you know that some of the most feared and successful pirates were women? Anne Bonny and Mary Read are two of those notable female pirates, but Ching Shih (Cheng I Sao, 1775-1844) is the most successful female pirate, if not one of the most successful pirates of all-time. Ching, who was born as Shi Yang (also listed as Shil Xiang Gu or Shil Gang…
The BABY fandom didn’t have to wait long for B.A.P members to re-emerge onto the music scene as four of the six have either released albums or plan to release albums in the next two months. Bang Yongguk, B.A.P’s leader, released his album, BANGYONGGUK, March 15, 2019. The 15-track album is a fusion of Rap, R&B, and Soul and features “Portrait,” “Journey,” “am4:44,” and “Hikikomori,” the lead single from the album. Yongguk’s album, released by Interpark, is a mix of darkness and hints of inner darkness. The overall album has a solid flow to it as it transitions between tracks,…
Crucial Star is a South Korean rapper, lyricist, singer-songwriter and producer, who made his debut at age 17, as a member of the hip hop group Libra Twins. In the year of 2008, he won an open-audition at Soul Company, beating out 300 applicants and landing himself a deal with the label. In 2010, he made his official debut with the digital single “Mad Clown VS Crucial Star”. Crucial Star has indeed come a long way since then. In December of 2018, he released his second album Maze Garden which consists of 17 tracks, divided into 3 chapters, and is currently signed…
The 2018-2019 figure skating season essentially wrapped up this weekend with the completion of Worlds. This year’s competition was plenty buzzworthy with Nathan Chen taking home his second consecutive World title (the first American to do so since Scott Hamilton did between 1981 and 1984) ahead of Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu; China’s pair skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong skating a to a record-breaking free skate and overall competition score; Russian phenom Alina Zagitova took home her first world championship; America’s Vincent Zhou landed a surprise third-place finish ahead of Japan’s Shoma Uno; and Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva took home a surprise bronze to…
Chie Izuno works full time at an office Branch. Though she’s 30, she’s very young at heart and kind of innocent. She tries hard to go into the dating field but finds herself struggling due to her weight and self-esteem issues. She meets up with one of the company’s investors, Jin Harada, a super sucessful and young business man. However Jin has a severe lack of social skills. Chie strives to make a deal with Jin in order to aide her in her goal to lose weight and gain confidence, she tells Jin she can help him with his own…
Wu Chun (吳尊) is one of Brunei’s most prolific celebrity. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a model for Yilin in Taiwan and Diva Models in Singapore. During a trip to Taiwan, he was scouted for a Taiwanese boy band called Fahrenheit (飛輪海 where his debuts shot him into celebrity status in 2005. Fahrenheit’s popularity first started in Taiwan and Mainland China but quickly reached neighbouring countries such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and the whole of South East Asia. This exposure led to Wu Chun’s career in film and television with his first appearance on…