FAKE TICKETS AND CELL PHONE RIOT MAR TVXQ'S ASIA TOUR

Police have begun looking into complaints by pop music fans who claim they were tricked into buying fake concert tickets that were out for “resale” on Web sites.

Many of those who bought the fraudulent tickets for up to 90,000 won ($96) were teenagers eager to scoop up Asia Tour concert tickets in time to see their favorite five-boy band, TVXQ at Olympic Park in Seoul.
“There are over 150 people who are victims of ticket fraud so far,” said an Internet user who described himself as a “big fan of TVXQ” on the band’s official Web site. “That’s over 11 million won.”

Meanwhile, fans who were able to go to the concert on Feb. 23 were just as angry because it was hours before they could go home after the concert ended at 10:30 p.m. Concert organizers prohibited all cell phones and digital cameras inside the concert hall and collected them at the door.

But when it was time to return the devices, the check room became chaotic when fans crowded in all at once. The riot continued until 4 a.m.
Worried parents showed up at the concert because they were not able to contact their children.

Source: INSIDE JoongAng Daily
Credit: auntieyong@kpopkingdom.com

BIG MAMA leaves YG, transfers to "Manwoldang"

The contract of the 4-female group BIG MAMA with YG Entertainment and M-Boat expired in February. The group has now transferred to "Manwoldang" and plans to release a new song in May.

Yang Hyun Suk, director of YG Entertainment, conveyed this sad news at the YG homepage on March 2. Last year, Wheesung transferred to Orange Shock and this time, it was BIG MAMA's turn to leave the YG-M-Boat nest.

According to Yang, YG was in charge of album production while M-Boat took charge in producing the album but during the 4 years, changes occurred in the roles of parties - BIG MAMA directly produced the album and M-Boat went on with its own business [I think he also meant like a business similar to YG]. He admitted that various problems happened. BIG MAMA decided not to sign another contract with YG-M-Boat. Because of the fact that BIG MAMA has already left, the YG-M-Boat project has also ended.

"Because BIG MAMA has great talent in singing, I believe that wherever they go, they will be alright. YG Entertainment and M-Boat had created an impact in the industry. The memories and gratefulness we shared will never be forgotten", Yang ended his post, making clear that both parties will still have a good relationship with each other.

Credits ~ KBS World Radio + K-Plaza + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom

Rain Pours Out To Fans

K-pop star Rain met with 3,000 fans from 20 countries during a special fan meeting event held at the Weight Lifting Stadium in the Olympic Park, southern Seoul on Sunday.

The meeting titled "Rain’s Friend _ '07 Meeting of Rain’s Fans" gave the pop star an opportunity to become closer with members from his fan club.

During the meeting hosted by popular MC Kim Je-dong, Rain spoke candidly about his life and career, much to the delight of his fans. Fans were allowed to ask Rain some questions.

One fan asked how he felt about the negative comments and rumors about him circulating on the Internet. Rain said anyone can be hurt by bad comments, but he sees this as a strong motivation to work harder and prove his detractors wrong.

Rain also talked about the five reasons for his existence _ first, the hope of having a daughter that resembles his future wife, not him; second, to give happiness to his family, who went through tough times; third, for his mentor Park Jin-young, staff and close friends who support him; fourth, his fans and fifth, food.

When asked about his ideal type of woman, Rain said he is attracted to a pretty face, knockout figure and a good personality. He said that if he has a chance, he wants to get married as soon as possible and have three children.

Around 3,000 fans from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom attended the event.

Credits ~ Korea Times + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom

Lee Jun-ki's New Movie to Open in Korea, Japan

The opening date of the joint Korean-Japanese movie “Virgin Snow” starring Korean actor Lee Jun-ki and Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki and directed by Han Sang-hee has been announced recently.

The movie, whose completion is slated for late March and which is entitled “First Love” in Japanese, will open across Japan in May during the “gold week,” with the premiere scheduled to take place at the Garden Cinema in Tokyo. Movies that open during the gold week -- the longest holiday season of the year in Japan -- compete fiercely. The production firm of “Virgin Snow” chose this period for the opening because it is more than confident in its success.

“Virgin Snow” is a story about a high school student named Min (played by Lee), who goes to Japan to study and falls in love with a young girl named Naname (played by Miyazaki), whose melancholic personality captivates his heart.

Miyazaki drew the spotlight for her role in the NHK TV drama “Synesthesia” and has emerged as a top star for her role in the movie “Nana.” Her role in “Virgin Snow” has already drawn significant attention from the Japanese media as she plays opposite Lee, whose status has rapidly elevated from a promising newcomer who debuted in the movie “King and the Clown” to a rising actor.

Meanwhile, Lee will hold his first meeting with his Japanese fans on March 10 in Osaka. The next day he will talk about his acting career during a talk show that will be recorded at the Swiss Hotel in Osaka. Both the meeting and the talk show, in which Lee will show off his charm as an actor and good dancer, are expected to boost his popularity as a top hallyu star. Moreover, “Virgin Snow,” which opens concurrently in Korea and Japan in May, will also solidify Lee’s status in Japan.

credits: KBS Global

CATS Soon Shim is a Japanese!

Formed as the 2nd Reds, CATS is a 4-member female group, who debuted with the song "Baby Cats".

Recently, news that CATS member Soon Shim can understand Japanese is circulating. Because her pronunciation and intonation of Korean are perfect, no one was aware that she is in fact a Japanese! She even was a singer in Japan.

"We are currently active in Korea but our goal is to be also known in Japan", commented CATS, also wanting to make a name for themselves in the country where one of their members started her career.

Credits ~ Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom

Song Hye-Gyo's Hwang Jin-Yi Finally Makes Her 1st Debut

“Hwang Jin-Yi” will finally debut this summer played by Song Hye Gyo who will give the character its elegant grace.

There will be two types of movie trailers released for “Hwang Jin-Yi” in which Song Hye Gyo plays a young female heroine who transforms herself into “Hwang Jin-Yi,” a talented gisaeng. The difference between the previous drama and this new version is that this one emphasizes on the heroine’s simple and elegant composure rather than focus on tribulations of Hwang Jin-Yi’s life by using rich, vibrant colors.

Especially, Song hye-gyo's photo that has tears in her eyes is created herself thinking of her character. It is said that this trailer well expresses the movie's climax.

This movie based on the novel of North Korean writer, Hong Seok-jung, will be about a romance between Hwang Jin-Yi, a Joseon gisaeng and Nomi, her servant. This is a sad love story trying to overcome social class divisions through love. The film is expected to be released this coming June.

credits: Tour2Korea

Super Junior T - Rokkuguh MV

Wonder Girls' Kim HyunAh Admitted To Hospital

It's been let known that Wonder Girls' member Hyun Ah has been admitted to the hospital for inflammation of the intestines.

The youngest member from Park Jin Young's five member group, Wonder Girls, fainted and was admitted to Seoul Yeongdong Saeblance Hospital on Feb. 27th after complaining about a stomach ache during their busy schedule. This gave the group an additional reason for stress on top of their busy schedule. Three days later, she left the hospital and was allowed to rest and get treatment at home.

The Wonder Girls had to go on stage to perform on Mnet Countdown without Hyun Ah. Hyun Ah's part in 'Irony' was divided amongst the four other members.

Debuting as Bi's trainees, JYP Entertainment's side of the situation was that, "Because Hyun Ah is so young, her sudden faint gives us reasoning that it was hard for her to follow the activties of the group. We did worry because she would often throw up, and ultimatley she fainted and was admitted to the hospital. Fourtunatley her condition is getting better and she will be joining the rest of the group with their activities by the 2nd."

The Wonder Girls is a five member group that had been debuted with confidence after preparing for five years. The fans love them as they showed their support/power by making them in the 11th spot of Mnet's countdown.


Source : newsen
Credits : 91130901230@soompi[translation] + kpopkingdom

BIG BANG, Intensive Japanese Lessons!

The long-awaited 1st album of BIG BANG was released last year while their live album, which was out in the market in February is gaining popularity. They have restarted their activities with the promotion of "Shaking".

BIG BANG members, who have made a name for themselves in Korea, are presently undergoing intensive Japanese language lessons. Actually, Taeyang, who is very much interested in Japanese, has been studying the language for 3 years now and has a high level of proficiency of it.

According to YG Entertainment, a Japanese debut for the group is already on its way. They plan on releasing a single in the first half of this year.

Credits ~ K-Plaza + Newsen.com + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom

Top Sexy Stars Promoting Global Brands

World-renowned fashion and sports brands are going after a new look in Korea to appeal to the younger generation by using the nation's top pop and movie stars in their marketing campaigns.

Calvin Klein, one of the world's fashion leaders, has picked bombshell singer Lee Hyo-ri as a new model for the company's new line of jeans, "Pure Calvin.''

Under the contract, Lee will not only represent the brand in Korea but also in Asia, making her the first Korean pop star to promote CK across the whole Asian market.

Chosen for her "sexy, modern and fresh image,'' Lee will begin appearing in CK ads next month, the company said in a statement.

Levi's Strauss & Company, a leading jeans maker, has also chosen movie actress Park Si-yeon to model for its" Levi's Lady Style'' brand.

The company previously used a Korean star BoA, to promote its brand in Japan which is a center stage for the young singer.

Park will be the first Korean actress to appear in Levi's ads exclusively for the Korean market.

Top global firms used to promote their brands in overseas markets by showing the same ads used at home with homeland actors or actresses. But to make their globalization successful, they need to localize first. Marketing experts claim that to this end, an increasing number of international companies will be looking for more domestic stars for marketing and advertising.

Reebok chose a Korean pop singer, Ivy, for her "independent, sincere and sexy image,'' as part of its efforts to boost its brand awareness that compared with Nike, Adidas and Puma is weak in Korea.

"She will be participating in Reebok's various promotional events starting in mid-March or early April and appeal to consumers interested in simple sports in daily life,'' said a Reebok spokeswoman.

Paul Harrington, CEO of Reebok International, said early this month that Reebok will aim to become the No. 3 in Korea by 2010 by spending 10 percent of its sales on marketing.

Lee So-yeon, a movie actress, has also landed a modeling job for Shiseido, a Japanese hair care and cosmetics manufacturer.

Credits ~ Korea Times + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom