IU decides to forego college for her career

Singer IU has declared that she will not be applying for college after she graduates from high school.
IU, who will be a high school senior in 2011, met with Sports Donga for an interview and stated, “I will not be applying to colleges next year. When I feel that I want to go, I will apply then.”
When asked about the reason for her decision, IU responded, “I will be a lot busier next year than I am now, so I haven’t even thought of preparing for my entrance exams yet. I’m planning to just focus on my promotions without thinking of college for now. I haven’t been able to study as much and I’m not at the skill level to enter college yet.”
The singer is enjoying her rise in popularity lately, with her comeback track, “Good Day,” sweeping the charts, and her appearance in KBS’s upcoming drama, “Dream High,” earning high anticipation.  Despite her busy schedule, she’s been known to try to attend her classes as diligently as possible.  She’s often seen taking taxis to school without her manager, and sometimes even appears on broadcast programs while still wearing her school uniform.
IU continued, “I want to just enjoy high school without relating it to college. I want to make memories with my friends and teachers.”
Last week, IU passed out rice cakes and drinks at her school in celebration of her win on the December 19th episode of “Inkigayo.”
She concluded, “When I’m just studying, it’s manageable. I studied hard until my second year in junior high, but even then, I was too young at the time to really call that studying. Currently, I’m more confident in my singing than my studying.”
Source: DongA via Nate, allkpop

“Poseidon” and “City Hunter” to air on SBS in 2011

Shinhwa’s Eric has been working aggressively to make his comeback drama, “Poseidon“, a blockbuster hit. Addressing questions on when the new action drama will air, SBS has announced that “Poseidon” will air in the first half of 2011. Unfortunately, they’ve yet to release a confirmed start date.

“Poseidon” is garnering a high amount of interest because it’s the first Korean drama to focus on the life of marine police. Additionally, it boasts a stellar cast - Kim Kang Woo, Yunho, Kim Ok Bin, Jun Hye Bin, Kim Gab Soo, and many others have been contributing their efforts alongside Eric’s.

SBS officials have also revealed that Lee Minho’s comeback drama, “City Hunter”, will be delayed to a May broadcast instead of the original March schedule. No specific reasons were given for the delay.

“City Hunter” is an adaptation of the popular Japanese manga of the same name.

Source: Star News, Newsen via Nate, allkpop

HIT-5’s “Afraid of You” reveals MV teaser feat. Girl’s Day MinAh

Back in November, we revealed that MinAh of Girl’s Day had cameoed in an MV for one of China’s leading idol groups, HIT-5.

For the MV of “Afraid of You” (怕了你), MinAh plays the girlfriend of member Yang Fan.

“Girl’s Day’s MinAh was casted because I remembered her talent and the image she showed when I directed their “Nothing Lasts Forever” music video. I’m thankful that she never lost her smile, despite the cold and snow during filming,” expressed director Kwon Dok Eun.

The MV was shot in two days from November 27th to the 28th in Korea.

HIT-5, who was first known to Korean fans through the recent “Korea-China Song Festival“, also had a Korean influence in the MV for “Running“, as it was directed by Kwon Soon Uk (BoA’s brother).


source allkpop

KARA’s Nicole, Yoo In Na, & IU to cover Madonna for SBS’s “Entertainment Awards”

IU, Yoo In Na, and KARA’s Nicole will be channeling Madonna for the opening stage of SBS’s “2010 Entertainent Awards“, scheduled for December 30th.

The three “Heroes” members will be wearing wedding dresses to perform a sexy choreography that confirms Yoo In Na’s confession on “Strong Heart” of almost debuting as a girl group member. Fans are also excited to see IU’s bridal transformation, as her previous maid costume garnered a hot response nation-wide.

Shin Bong Sun and Jung Ga Eun will also be transforming into Lady Gaga for the following performance as well.

–

Hmm… wedding dresses and Madonna? The only song that we can think of is Madonna’s “Like a Virgin“, but guess we’ll have to wait ’til the 30th to find out!

Source: Star News via Nate, allkpop

After School to debut in Japan next year

After School will be joining the Hallyu wave in Japan next year after receiving many love calls from Japanese agencies.

Representatives of Pledis Entertainment revealed, “We’re currently holding discussions with a few Japanese agencies over the group’s debut in Japan next year.”

The girl group already has a considerable fanbase in Japan, as they won the rookie award at the “Billboard Japan Awards” this past January, and even participated in the OST for “Tokyo Girls” with “Dream Girl.” The group’s sub-unit, Orange Caramel, has a strong fanbase there as well.

The representative continued, “Their sexy and sophisticated performance style are hard to see amongst Japanese girl groups. We fully believe that they’ll do well.”

–

Source: Sports Korea via Nate, allkpop

Preview revealed for BoA’s guest appearance on “Athena”!

We reported back in September that Asia’s pop princess, BoA, would be making a special guest appearance on an episode of “Athena: Goddess of War“. After the reveal of some stillcuts, fans of both the series and the star became highly anticipative of this collision of worlds.
Well the wait is almost over, as a preview of BoA’s cameo on “Athena” has finally been unveiled!
On December 29th, BoA tweeted, “Next week, on Athena’s 7th and 8th episode, BoA will be starring as ‘BoA’. To act out as ‘BoA’ was a bit awkward. It seems like it was only yesterday that I wondered when the episode would be broadcasted after I finished shooting the scenes. Now it’s only a week away! It is, after all, a guest appearance so even if I’m lacking, please enjoy watching it.”
To recap, BoA plays the role of a pop icon who is targeted by terrorists to be a hostage. Actor Jung Woo Sung will play as her bodyguard.

It looks like SBS has pulled out all the stops for ”Athena”, as the drama boasts an impressive list of cameos from other A-list stars, including Choo Seung Hoon and Kim Seung Woo.

Source + Photo: Money Today Star News via Nate, allkpop
Tip: helloworld33

SBS, KBS & MBC Year-End Shows: 2010 Schedule Guide

As we reach the final days of 2010, Korea’s popular primetime channels SBS, KBS and MBC will be hosting a multitude of award shows to wrap up the year with a bang. With eight programs on our plates –that’s three gayo daejun (music festivals) shows, two entertainment award events and three drama award ceremonies– allkpop has compiled a handy schedule guide to sum up what’s to come.
Since announcements are still being released daily, this guide is still incomplete and will be updated accordingly, so remember to keep checking back!

- – -

Overview:

Wed, December 29th: MBC Entertainment Awards, SBS Gayo Daejun
Thurs, December 30th: SBS Entertainment Awards, KBS Music Festival, MBC Drama Awards
Fri, December 31st: KBS Drama Acting Awards, MBC Gayo Daejun, SBS Drama Awards
(Note: The KBS Entertainment Awards took place on December 25, check out the winners list & performances here and their official site here.)

- – -

( check current time in Korea here )

December 29th:

★ MBC Entertainment Awards (9PM KST)

MCs: TBA
See official site here.
★ SBS Gayo Daejun (9:55PM KST)

MCs: Jung Yonghwa, Jo Kwon, Hwang Jung Eum & Kim Heechul
Performers line-up: 2AM, 2NE1, 2PM, 4minute, B2ST, BoA, CNBLUE, F.T. Island, GD&TOP, KARA, miss A, MBLAQ, SE7EN, SHINee, SNSD, Super Junior, TEEN TOP  (and more)
Special Stages: Opening by TEEN TOP, B2ST’s transformation into T-ara, Maknae ‘Circus’ + ‘Actresses’ movie collab (Jiyoung, Taemin, Chansung, Mir, Sulli & Lizzy), SISTAR vs miss A ‘cops and robbers’ collab, MBLAQ & 4minute, 2NE1 & Kim Gun Mo collab, 2AM & Baek Ji Young collab, GDTOP & Se7en, CNBLUE & surprise senior guest
See official site here.

December 30th:

★ SBS Entertainment Awards (8:50PM KST)

MCs: Shin Dong Yup & Jang Yoon Jung
See official site here.
★ KBS Music Festival (9:50PM KST)

MCs: TBA
Performer’s line-up: TBA
Special Stages: 2AM’s Changmin, 2PM’s Junsu, SHINee’s Jonghyun & B2ST’s Yoseob for Bohemian Rhapsody
See official site here.
★ MBC Drama Awards (9:55PM KST)

MCs: Kim Young Man, Lee So Yeon
See official site here.

December 31st:

KBS Drama Acting Awards (9PM KST)

MCs: TBA
Performers line-up: JYJ and more
See official site here.
★ MBC Gayo Daejun (9:55PM KST)

MCs: Ryu Si Won, Tiffany Hwang & Kwon Yuri
Performers line-up: 2AM, 2NE1, 2PM, 4minute, After School, B2ST, BoA, CNBLUE, Da Vichi, F.T. Island, f(x), Homme, Hong Jin Young, GD&TOP, INFINITE, IU, KARA, K. Will, Lim Jung Hee, miss A, Narsha, Rainbow, SECRET, Seo In Young, SG Wannabe, SHINee, SISTAR, SNSD, Son Dambi, Song Dae Kwan, Super Junior, Supreme Team, Tae Jin Ah, T-ara, U-KISS, Younha, ZE:A
Special Stages: Khuntoria mini drama
See official site here.
SBS Drama Awards (9:55PM KST)

MCs: TBA
See official site here.

- – -

Note: All music shows (Music Bank, Music Core & Inkigayo) will return the following week.
So, which shows and performances are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments section below!

source allkpop

Koyote’s Baekga reveals that Rain cried for him in the hospital

Koyote’s rapper Baekga was unfortunately diagnosed with brain tumor around a year ago. Thankfully, his surgery was a success and it finally seems that he has recovered, as he made an appearance on SBS’s Strong Heart.

On this week’s episode, he revealed a heartwarming story about his close friend Rain.

He stated, “I’m close with Rain and while I was ill, he was having a concert in another country. I didn’t call him because I thought he would be worried. After hearing about the news, he visited my house. Rain is a strong and vicious friend, the last time I saw him cry was eight years ago when he was talking about his mother. When I told him that I was sick, he started crying with his mouth shut. At the time, he told me that he would always be with me at the hospital whenever he had no oversea concerts and that my surgery would go well. He really did stay at the hospital everyday, which became a big source of strength for me.

I never thought of getting cancer or a tumor. I considered it as something that would never happen to me, and I was scared. For two weeks, I cried by myself at home and I had no idea how to handle the situation. I went to my parents and tried to be strong about the matter but after seeing their faces, I was the one who ended up crying first.

Even at the moment, I don’t have much of a left brain. The tumor grew past the skull and the scalp so the bone was cut and replaced with things that are not mine. I was left with a huge scar so I couldn’t even look at the mirror. I thought to myself, ‘Why me?’ I thought I lived being kind to others but such an incident brought me down.

But the important thing is the fact that a person like me overcame it, which means everybody out there can do it as well.”

The studio was overwhelmed with emotion, including Baekga himself, who showed some tears.

Source + Photo: Newsen, allkpop

After transforming into an actor, Hwanhee will make his return as a singer with his newly released digital single Strangers.

Hwanhee, who has received lots of love thus far for his exceptional singing skills, revealed his new duet with rookie singer May Doni on the 29th. The single Strangers was revealed through music site Melon, ranking in real-time charts soon after its release.

This combination of Hwanhee with his powerful singing and musical talent, and May Doni, who has been called the ‘second BoA’ and ‘female Se7en’, has raised the anticipation amongst fans until the official release of the single.

Strangers was created by hitmaking composer Kang HwaSung. Kang created songs for Fly to the Sky as well as Brown Eyed Soul. Songwriter Cho EunHee, who wrote songs such as Even Though My Heart Hurts and Did We Really Love, also took part in this new single. The lyrics express feelings after separation calmly.

Hwanhee is currently active playing a role in the MBC daily drama Hurricane Couple as a freewilled documentary producer. He is planning on remaining busy for the remainder of the year with upcoming activities as a singer as well.

Check out the song below.

source tvbanimeonline.com

Jo SungMo Facing Troubles With S-Plus Entertainment

Problems have emerged between singer Jo SungMo and his current management company.

Earlier this year, Jo SungMo signed an official contract with S-Plus Entertainment, meaning there is still a fair amount of time left on it. However, due to differences in the direction of his activities, it was informed that they are currently disucssing a separation.

On this matter, S-Plus revealed, “Nothing has been decided on.”

Meanwhile, Jo SungMo got married back in November with Goo MinJi.

Source: newsen.com,tvbanimeonline.com
Translation: ch0sshi @kpoplive.com

BEAST Releases Practice Video for ‘Beautiful’

The BEAST boys recently released their hit single Beautiful, last month, and this month they have finally released the practice dance video.

As usual the boys are in sync and make this whole dance routine look dead easy with their smooth choreographed moves , and an extra added dose of cuteness.

Check them out below.

source tvbanimeonline.com

Brown Eyed Girls’ Jea’s New Single Contains a Curse Word?

Brown Eyed Girls’ member Jea, has been garnering attention from netizens since she released her first solo single ‘Because You Sting’, yesterday, but it is not the attention that you would expect.

It has come to light by netizens, that the song itself contains a curse word, and it is heard near the end of the song. At precisely 3 minutes and 22 seconds into the song, MBLAQ’s G.O sings the part which marks the supposed curse word, which is a word equivalent to f*** in Korean.

Netizens have been complaining to the management company to amend the lyrics. The management company are baffled to this unexpected complaint and have commented the following,

“There is no reason for a ballad to have curse words in the lyrics. We didn’t notice it when recording, but after listening to it with the thought of it sounding like a curse word in mind, it does sound like it, leaving us stumped. However, we did not put any curse words in the song on purpose.”

Check the music video out below if you haven’t seen it yet.

What is your say on this issue?

Source: Lee Hye Rin@Osen.co.kr, tvbanimeonline.com

Ga-In reflects back on her success in 2010

There’s no denying that Brown Eyed Girls member Ga-In was a hot star of 2010. As of December 28th, Ga-In became the first celebrity to reach over 50 million visits on her minihompy. Comparing that with the nation’s figure skater, Kim Yuna, who only just reached 33.5 million clicks, it’s clear that Ga-In has been receiving interest and popularity from all different kinds of realms.

One can consider that Ga-In’s solo album release in the latter half of 2010 with her title track ‘Irreversible‘ had a great role in her rise in popularity. But what truly kick-started her fame would have to be her permanent role as part of the ‘Adam Couple’ with 2AM’s Jo Kwon on MBC ‘We Got Married’, which was followed up by her regular casting for the daily sitcom, ‘All My Love’.

On December 28th, Ga-In sat down with Money Today Star News to talk about her successes of 2010. “This year was a satisfying year for me, because I was able to do the things I’ve always wanted to do (laughs). I was able to show my colors in music through my solo promotions, and I was also able to learn more about acting through ‘We Got Married’ and ‘All My Love’.”

Regarding her regular casting for ‘All My Love’, Ga-In expressed, “To be honest, for me, I still find acting in sitcoms is harder than in conventional dramas. You have to really express your character’s feeling and emotions, and this is the part where I’m most worried about. However, Kim Kab Soo, Kwon and Doojoon are really giving me a lot of strength.”

“Since it was this year in which I was able to learn and enjoy myself a lot, next year I want to be able to weave all my developments together. My biggest goal right now is to put in as much devotion into Brown Eyed Girls’ new album next year,” said Ga-In.

Finally, when asked about her hopes for 2011, Ga-In responded, “I’m going to concentrate on BEG’s new album production.” She paused and laughed, “If you’re talking about my ideal man, then I guess I’d like someone who I can express my inner feelings to.”

Source: Star News via Nate, allkpop

2PM’s Taecyeon Birthday Surprise

As many of you know already, 2PM member Taecyeon celebrated his birthday on December 27th and he recently was surprised with a celebration while he was filming for KBS 2TV’s upcoming drama, “Dream High.” The whole incident was video taped and uploaded to 2PM’s official youtube channel via Real 2PM.

It seems they gathered some champagne, a cake, party hats, and a tablet device (possibly iPad) with a photo of actress Ha Ji Won. It’s well known that Taecyeon is a big fan of Ha Ji Won, so it was appropriate for the occasion. Check out the antics below and Happy Birthday to Taecyeon.

source allkpop

“Jekyll and Hyde” JYJ emerges for the camera!

Bizarre facial expressions from the JYJ members have been a hot topic amongst fans and netizens recently.

The picture was actually a screen capture from a video, and because of it, the trio’s normally beautiful faces were forever immortalized in their monstrous forms.

Netizens commented, “This is a bit… I almost didn’t recognize Yoochun,” “This makes me say “Who are you” almost immediately”, “They’re lovable whatever they do,” and “You can only love them even when they do things like this.”

Source: TV Daily via Nate, allkpop

Audio Preview of JYJ’s Korean Album revealed

We recently reported that JYJ is scheduled to release a new Korean album in January of 2011 (no definitive release date at this time), and it was revealed that this new album will be in the form of a written photo book, or “photo essay”.

Now, a audio preview of six tracks from the album – ‘Mission’, ‘Nine’, ‘Puppet’, ‘Fallen Leaves’, ‘ID.S’, and ‘Nameless Music Part1′ was revealed through their official website.

Judging by the preview it seems they went a bit of a different route from their global album “The Beginning” and went a bit back to their roots. It sounds like it’s going to be an awesome album!

The “photo essay” album will contain handwritten messages by the members, along with their photos. As part of their fan service, the members will be writing about their gratitude for their fans’ support.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
source allkpop

MBLAQ releases their 1st album teaser!

At midnight in Korea on December 29th, MBLAQ’s comeback teaser was finally released through J. Tune Entertainment’s official youtube channel!

Prior to this, a representative from J.Tune Entertainment expressed, “We are very happy that there is so much anticipation for MBLAQ’s teaser. You will be able to see an artful performance in the video. There will be some transformations to each member’s image such as changes in hairstyle.”

Are you intrigued yet? Check out the teaser below and find out for yourself!

MBLAQ’s 1st album is slated for release on January 10th and they will have their comeback stage on January 13th via Mnet M! Countdown.

Source: Newsen via Nate, allkpop

Park Han Byul wears a wig for her movie shoot

Actress Park Han Byul recently revealed a picture of her surprise change in hairstyle.

The actress wrote on her minihompy, “I’m Yoon Hye Ji! Hoo Hoot 2010. I’m currently filming for the movie. This is a really natural wig for bangs.”

Park Han Byul is currently filming for the movie, “My Black Minidress”, and plays the role of ‘Yoon Hye Ji’, a celebrity since birth. With her straight bangs, the actress looks much younger and cuter than before, and received vast compliments from her fans.

Fans replied, “You suit it well ^^”, “I thought you cut your fringe~ So pretty, you look like a doll~”, “The color matches well with your hair color, it looks really natural keke It’s a new feeling.”

“My Black Minidress”, which is scheduled for a nation-wide release in March 2011, illustrates a story about women in their twenties, and features actresses Yoon Eun Hye, Park Han Byul, Yoo In Na, and Cha Ye Rin.

Source: Newsen via Nate,allkpop

Japanese artist Mano Erina tweets about listening to B2ST and 2AM

Japanese solo artist Mano Erina has been tweeting a lot recently about listening to K-pop, specifically regarding boy bands B2ST and 2AM.

Showing her linguistic skills, she tweeted three times in Korean, once in English, and once in Japanese about the popular Korean groups.

On Christmas Eve, she wrote in Korean, “I will be taking a bath while listening to 2AM’s album!”  Then hours later, she wrote in English, “Listening to 2AM’Saint O’clock’ trying to go to sleep…Good night:)“.

Earlier today, she was at it again, and this time it seems that she has found B2ST to her liking, as she tweeted in Korean once again, “Today, I will be taking a bath while listening to B2ST’s album. Yoseob’s voice in ‘Lights Go On Again‘ sounds beautiful.”  Minutes later, she tweeted in Japanese for her domestic fans, “Today, I took a bath while listening to B2ST-san’s album.”  She was back to 2AM again before sleep though, saying in Korean, “Practice is over! I will be going to sleep while listening to 2AM’s album. I think how it would be nice if lots of people overseas would listen to my songs like this.  Ah~… Korean is hard…”

It certainly seems like K-pop has caught on with another Japanese celebrity, and her endorsement of the two groups seems to bode well for the future success of B2ST and 2AM in Japan!

Source: Mano Erina Official Twitter 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /5

Super Junior’s Siwon confirms that he is not in a slave contract

Super Junior’s Siwon confirmed that he was not entangled in a ’slave contract’ in front of government officials during a press conference for “Athena: Goddess of War.”

Held on December 28th, the hour-long press conference was met with visits by government officials (such as Minister Yoo In Chon of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism), as well as by the CEO of the drama’s production company, Taewon Entertainment. The conference was called in order to listen to and discuss in detail some of the issues that the drama was going through, such as location rights and copyrighting.

Mid-conference, Yoo brought up the topic of unfair income distribution in contracts between entertainment agencies and their artists. Yoo had turned to Siwon and asked if such contracts still existed.

Siwon replied, “No, there are no such issues at the moment.”

When the Free Trade Commission’s standard entertainment contract was mentioned, Siwon stated, “All contracts are being made according to the FTC’s standards.”

When asked whether he felt any difficulties in acting in TV dramas, Siwon answered, “There isn’t anything too difficult. I will continue to do my best.”

Source + Photos: EDaily, C News, allkpop

KARA sells over 200,000 units of their first album in just one month

KARA has managed to sell 200,000 units of their first Japanese album, ‘Girl’s Talk‘, in just one month after its release.

According to the Oricon Chart on December 28th, KARA’s ‘Girl’s Story’ ranked in at 8th place for the weekly album chart; the girls have sold 21,933 units alone this week. Having placed 2nd on the same weekly chart for selling 100,000 units in its first week, KARA has sold 206,845 units in total during its first month.

Having recently received a Platinum Award for their ‘Mister‘ ringtone (over 250,000 downloads), KARA is expected to receive another Platinum Award from the Japanese Record Association in January if the rate of their album sales continue in this upward trend.

Since the Japanese Record Association combines album sales that are not reflected in the Oricon, KARA could receive their Platinum Award as early as the first week of January. This will not only be a first achievement for any Korean girl group, but they’ll also be the second Korean group to receive the award after TVXQ. Seeing as how TVXQ sold 200,000-300,000 albums for each of their official albums, KARA’s accomplishments are nothing less than extraordinary.

Source: Newsen via Nate,allkpop

JYJ’s Junsu signs a ‘no-marriage’ contract

JYJ’s Kim Junsu has formally agreed to remain as a bachelor until… well, until he gets married anyway.

During a fan meeting, instead of handing a picture to sign, a fan handed Junsu a contract which stated that he must not marry from December 22, 2010 till the day he gets married.

Hilariously, Junsu did end up signing the paper next to where his name was typed! The document has garnered explosive popularity amongst fans, but unfortunately, one fan clarified: “That picture was uploaded onto Naver’s ‘Knowledge iN’ (equivalent to Yahoo! Answers) and a lawyer even replied back. The lawyer answered that the contract has no effect whatsoever.”

Netizens replied, “Kim Junsu is so cute”, “Are you even allowed to hand those things at a fan meeting? I want one…”, and “That person has great originality!”

Source: TV Daily via Nate,allkpop

[UPDATE] “Dream High” rewritten to give IU a larger role

IU has quickly become a respected figure in the industry, sweeping up awards left and right and coming up as one of the hottest artists of the year. It seems her influence has also managed to seep into KBS’s upcoming drama, “Dream High“.

Despite there being five other leading cast members - Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Suzy, Kim Soo Hyun, Eunjung - the writer and producers were enamored with IU’s exceptional acting skills. Consequently, screenwriter Park Hye Ryun decided to rewrite the script in order to give IU a larger role, and thus reflect IU’s real-life popularity.

The producers are currently in talks with her agency, in order to confirm details on the longer filming requirements that come with the larger role.

Source: TV Report via Nate

—

[ UPDATE ]

In response to fans’ concerns, Star News contacted the producers of “Dream High”, who asserted that TV Report’s story was false.

Dream High’s representative clarified, “We are fully aware that IU’s popularity has been soaring lately, but giving her a larger role in the drama is impossible at this time. We’ve written up to six episodes worth of scenarios now, and her role in the drama has not changed before or after she gained popularity.”

They continued, “IU is certainly one of the hottest figures in the industry lately, but because there are so many other leading roles, it’s not possible to stretch or shrink the roles. IU is also quite busy herself, so she probably would not be able to handle the schedule. The only thing possible for revision at the moment is the script for her character.”

Source: Star News via Nate,allkpop

T-ara nominates their best and worst dancers

Who is the worst dancer from T-ara?

December 28th saw the broadcast of MBC’s “Happy Day“, in which the busy lives of the T-ara members were documented and aired on the show.

After finishing a live performance, T-ara returned to their practice room and began rehearsing for the year-end ceremony performances. The interviewer asked, “Who’s the stiffest member?” Soyeon answered while laughing, “Boram-unni.” Boram seemed to be having a difficult time learning choreography that she wasn’t used to, and she confessed, “My body won’t follow me like I want it to.”

New member Hwayoung also kept getting the dance wrong, as she was called out by Hyomin. Hwayoung revealed that her dancing wasn’t very good: “I must be very uncoordinated.” She still decided that she was better than Boram, and picked herself to be the runner-up for being the most uncoordinated dancer.

If they nominated the worst dancers, then who’s considered the best?

Jiyeon was picked as the best dancer, as she could reinterpret new choreography to match her style very well.

Source: Newsen, allkpop

Girl’s Day transformed into “Boy’s Day”?

The members of Girl’s Day recently uploaded hilarious pictures of themselves wearing stick-on mustaches.
Min Ah tweeted, “Girl’s Day have transformed into Boy’s Day….?!”, and uploaded a picture with fellow members Hye Ri and Sojin.
From left to right, we have Charlie Chaplin, a French artist, and a ‘flower-boy’ sheriff.
Min Ah later uploaded another photo of herself wearing a classic disguise, and tweeted, “Big Nose man ^___^.”

She also wrote, “I love all kpop ^___^ playing the cool girl look…”

Girl’s Day recently ended their “Nothing Lasts Forever” promotions through “Inkigayo” last Sunday, and will return with a new album in February 2011.
Source: TV Report via Nate, allkpop
Photos: MinAh’s Twitter

Sunhwa reveals more selcas with “Invincible Youth” castmates

Yesterday, SECRET’s Sunhwa revealed a selca she took with f(x)’s Victoria, and now she’s back with more.

On her minihompy, Sunhwa uploaded pictures of herself with “Invincible Youth” castmates, T-ara’s Hyomin and Brown Eyed Girls’ Narsha.

Taken during the recording of IY’s last episode, Narsha is seen leaning in for a kiss, while Hyomin is showing her sadness about the show ending.

Netizens wrote, “From now on, I cannot see these faces together on the show,” “They look so close,” and “I am looking forward to their activities with their respective groups.”

Source: Sports Today via Nate, allkpop

TEEN TOP to have the opening stage for “2010 SBS Gayo Daejun”

It’s been announced that boy band TEEN TOP will have the opening performance for the “2010 SBS Gayo Daejun“.

The group is scheduled to perform a remix version of their debut title track, “Clap“, and they’re also preparing for a dance battle against ZE:A.

A representative from TEEN TOP’s agency, T.O.P Media, revealed: ”It’s a bit stressful to think that a rookie group was honored with the opening stage, but we will be showing an awesome performance to match with the show festival. Please also look forward to the blockbuster opening video that the group spent filming in the nights of late December.”

Source: Sports Today via Nate, allkpop

JYJ to release new album in the form of a “photo essay”

JYJ will be releasing a new Korean album next year, and it’s been revealed to be in the form of a written photo book, or “photo essay”.

“The new, self-composed Korean album that JYJ will be releasing is in the form of a ‘photo essay’,” confirmed JYJ’s agency on December 28th.

The “photo essay” will contain handwritten messages by the members, along with their photos. As part of their fan service, the members will be writing about their gratitude for their fans’ support.

Source: Star News via Nate, allkpop

Meet SNSD’s 10th member – U-KISS’ Dongho!

U-KISS‘ Dongho has transformed into SNSD’s 10th member for his new sitcom, MBC’s “Real School.”

In “Real School,” Dongho plays the role of a ‘Jabbeuk-nam’, which is a term used for guys who faint at the sight of their own reflection because they believe themselves to be that handsome. His character believes that girls will float over at the sight of his killer wink; however, he receives a cold shock after being dumped by his first girlfriend. Dongho’s character ends up following her to the Real School.

Dongho said,

“I am nervous and a bit worried because through my Jabbeuk-nam character in ‘Real School,’ I will be showing a different side of myself than I have in the past… Please anticipate and love this Jabbeuk-nam character, that unthinkably begins with a humiliating cross-dressing image.“

A ‘Real School’ representative stated,

“Dongho was initially very shy and awkward with his cross-dressing appearance, but as soon as the cameras started rolling, he danced perfectly and acted unaffected, spurring a sea of laughter on the set.“

Source: OSEN via Nate, allkpop

Huh Gak and John Park release a teaser for “My Best”

The top two finalists of “Superstar K2” - Huh Gak and John Park - recently unveiled their teaser for “My Best“, an OST track for the movie, “Glove“.

Since the movie’s story is based on a baseball team trying to reach the top, the teaser contains snippets of John Park and Huh Gak giving advice on always having hopes for your dreams, and putting in your best efforts until the end.

Check out the teaser below!

Tip: TonyKPOPMV
source allkpop

Rain explains why he joined forces with Park Jin Young and JYPE

Top star Rain has personally revealed the reason why he decided to work hand-in-glove with JYPE and Park Jin Young, after leaving the agency three years ago.

Shortly after JYPE announced that they were to become the biggest shareholder of J.Tune Entertainment, Rain left the following message on his official homepage:

“It was simply a strategic alliance with the intention that both companies could work together to bring about the greatest synergetic effect – it does not mean I am becoming a part of JYP Entertainment. I would also like to say once again that I am just a celebrity in J.Tunes Entertainment; I have no shares with the company, nor do I have the power to make any changes.”
“The reason why I joined forced forces with Jin Young-hyung was because after the many discussions we had together, we decided that I should show a variety of sides to myself before my enlistment. Also, since I met with Jin Young-hyung 10 years ago and began my career as ‘Rain’, I thought it would hold a deep meaning to wrap up my activities alongside Jin Young-hyung before my enlistment.”

Source: Star News

UEE tweets about her upcoming return

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen After School’s UEE on stage after she had participated in the drama, “Birdie Buddy” which has finished filming but is yet without an airing date.

But she has now rejoined After School for group activities and will be with them at the year-end gayo show performances although the group will be without member, Bekah who is on vacation.

UEE uploaded pictures on herself onto her Twitter and wrote, “Practicing drums! ^^ My members accomplished this performance through months of sweat and effort! This time, I will be a part of it too! I am still lacking, but the members and staff are cheering me on! Thank you! ^^ Let’s surprise people at the year-end shows! Fighting! ^^”

In the photos, UEE is seen in a practise room rehearsing with her fellow members and a large band.

Fans wrote, “We’ll finally see UEE on stage,” “I will be waiting for an awesome performance,” and “Her makeup-free face is prettier.”

Source: TV Daily via Nate, allkpop

Handsome staff member of “We Got Married” captures hearts

The handsome looks of the floor director (FD) from “We Got Married” has captured netizens’ hearts after brief shots of him were shown on WGM’s Christmas special.

The FD briefly made an appearance during Nichkhun and Victoria’s segment, but it seems as if it was just long enough for netizens to catch a glimpse of his good looks. Despite the clip being a few seconds long, his image has been circulating on various portal sites since the episode’s airing.

Netizens were later able to identify him as ‘Kim Kang Suk (23),’ who is actually an FD for MBC’s other variety program, “Bouquet“. Unsurprisingly, he’s known to be quite popular among the MBC team too.

He was known earlier as Super Junior Kyuhyun’s twin lookalike through Donghae’s Twitter.

Netizens commented, “Even when Nichkhun was on the same screen, all eyes were on the FD,” “He looks mixed,” “His looks can slap a celebrity in the face!,” and “Maybe he will debut soon.”

Source: Star News via Nate

‘Monkey3′ selects SNSD’s “Oh” as the best song of 2010

Music site Monkey3 has declared SNSD’s “Oh” to be this year’s best song.
The ‘2010 Monkey3 Best 30 Songs‘ chart was determined by a tabulation of download and streaming numbers from January 1st to December 10th, as well as by user votes. The statistics made up 90% of the results, while the user votes made up the remaining 10%.
Aside from SNSD, Jo Kwon & Ga-In’s “We Fell In Love“, CNBLUE’s “Loner“, 2AM’s “Can’t Let You Go Even If I Die“, T-ara’s “I Go Crazy Because Of You“, KARA’s “Lupin“, Rain’s “Love Song“, After School’s “Bang“, f(x)’s “NU ABO“, Wonder Girls’ “2 Different Tears“, IU & Im Seulong’s “Nagging“, Super Junior’s “Bonamana“, and miss A’s “Bad Girl Good Girl” were also on the list.
Meanwhile, this year’s ‘Weekly Chart #1′ went to miss A’s “Bad Girl Good Girl”. After miss A debuted, they were #1 for four straight weeks, fully demonstrating their remarkable power as a rookie group. Monkey3 also selected the ‘Best Duet’ to be IU & Im Seulong’s “Nagging”.
The ‘Best Artist’ was 2AM, whose song “Can’t Let You Go Even If I Die” dominated charts for the first half of the year.
Source: Newsen via Nate, allkpop

KARA’s Seung Yeon wants to have a scandal with Kang Dong Won

KARA’s Han Seung Yeon made a shy love confession towards actor Kang Dong Won on KBS 2TV’s talk show, “Hello.”
In the “Me, Me” segment of the show, the members were asked to choose which option would be scarier – a scandal or a fight with another girl group?
Surprisingly, KARA expressed that they’d rather get into a scandal, which led to the question of whether they had anybody particular in mind. Without hesitation, member Goo Hara replied, “Han Seung Yeon is a hardcore fan of Kang Dong Won. I’d like for them to get entangled in a scandal.”
Han Seung Yeon elaborated, “I really like him and even make sure to watch his latest advertisements.“  When further asked what she would do if he proposed to her, she merely replied with a shy, sweet smile.
Seung Yeon expressed, “I’m upset in not having a chance to see him because of his service in the military.” She also received the opportunity to send an on-the-spot video letter for the actor, for which she cutely created a heart with her hands.

Seung Yeon's crush - Kang Dong Won

Source: TV Daily via Nate, allkpop

T-ara can’t go on dates, despite management’s permission?

On the December 28th episode of MBC’s “Happy Day“, T-ara members revealed that since they’re steadily approaching their mid-twenties, they want to start dating.
The members revealed, “Our management permits our dating. We’ve even been asked to date!” However they complained, “We don’t have enough time to date.”
T-ara’s promotions for their new song ‘Yayaya‘ is making the group so busy, that members get 2-3 hours of sleep at best. And now, they are swamped with rehearsals for year-end awards shows.

Eunjung falling asleep in the chair

The members also confessed, “During promotions, we’re always close with our senior and junior singers. But we don’t have time to meet separately. We can only watch each other’s television appearances and exchange messages.”

Source: Newsen, allkpop