Infinite is in your variety shows, stealing your spotlight

[cwazy-weiven.livejournal.com]

( [Pictures] Hoya recording Let's Go Dream Team Season 2 (shaking and crying rn idek) )

( [Pictures] Woohyun, Sungyeol and Sungjong recording Star King 110228 )

Source: Keksprinzessin, 2, 3.

I had no intention of posting anything today but then I saw this EPIC news and AHDSGJHDGHJSDJHSGDJGH SO EXCITED!

T-ara’s Eunjung says goodbye to ‘Yoon Baek Hee’

[albondiga.livejournal.com]

After concluding “Dream High” this week, T-ara’s Eunjung underwent an image transformation to signify the end of her role.

On March 2nd, she wrote on her Twitter, “Dyed my hair and painted my nails. The day after I said goodbye to ‘Yoon Baek Hee’… hehehe.”

Fans commented in response, “You lost a lot of weight~”, “Goodbye Baekhee, Hello Eunjung~”, and “Still so beautiful”.

Before she revealed her transformation, the star wrote an honest confession about her feelings on concluding the drama. She tweeted, “I feel so uneasy, I can’t fall asleep.”

After thanking her castmates and staff members, Eunjung continued, “We all had such a great atmosphere. I grew so affectionate towards everyone, I really will miss you all. For the past four months, ‘Yoon Baek Hee’… I think I’ve kept her inside of my heart, it hurts. I feel sorry that I couldn’t do her better, or maybe it’s just subconscious disappointment. I’m tearing up a bit today. But thanks to all of you, it was really fun. Thank you so much.”

She concluded, “Thank you so much to everyone who hated and loved ‘Baek Hee.’”

Once she found out that netizens made a love line between her and Apjung, she commented, “Baek Hee <3 Apjung? Sure, thank you for the couple line. Yeah yeah, pfft! I’m so lonely!”

Sources: akp, nate, nate

SHINee’s goddess maknae Taemin transfers to an arts high school due to his busy schedule

[aishiteruyuto23.livejournal.com]

SHINee’s maknae Taemin will be transferring into an arts high school in order to better accommodate his hectic schedule.

On March 2nd, a representative of SM Entertainment spoke with Newsen and revealed, “SHINee’s Taemin will be leaving Chung Dam High School to attend an arts high school.”

Taemin, who will be entering his senior year this year, has decided to transfer in order to focus on his schedule for SHINee’s Japanese advancement. The decision came about because his career commitments made it difficult for him to meet the required attendance figure for Chung Dam High School.

Netizens commented, “It’s an important year for him, I hope the change doesn’t mess anything up” and “He’s leaving in order to fulfill his dreams, so I don’t think it’s anything bad. I respect his decision.” 

source: akp
akp's sources: Newsen and Economic Star Daily News via Nate

omg. i hope Taemin wont get bullied in school anymore. he`s precious. <3

New girl group Swincle revealed

[gloomyclock.livejournal.com]

The new girl group Swincle has finally unveiled its five members and their roles.

Having been trained intensely for the last two years in singing and dancing, Swincle is comprised of rapper Mika (21), Jihee (19), main vocal Songhee (22), leader Jisoo (20), and vocal Haeran (21). It is said that they all have unique personalities, ranging from cute to confident.

Their agency, Kant Entertainment, stated, “Swincle wants to be like KARA in terms of musicality. They currently lack too much to match KARA’s reputation, but their powerful, cute, and confident image can surely captivate the fans“.

They also added, “Swincle finished recording and mastered the choreography in January, but considering the KARA issue, we delayed their debut to March“.

In mid-March, Swincle will release their mini album “Shake Ur Body” online, and will actively promote the album.

On the other hand, Swincle’s leader, Jisoo, is gaining attention for reportedly having trained to debut as a Rainbow member.
Kant Entertainment announced, “The leader of Swincle is Jang Jisoo, who trained with DSP Media to debut as a Rainbow member“.
( more pics )

Source: DIPTS, Newsen via Nate and allkpop

Song Jieun's "Going Crazy" MV

[highestofhighs.livejournal.com]

DaumCorp

Hyun Bin in High Cut

[-ochre.livejournal.com]

( sob )

Source: high cut

It doesn't sound nice, but there's plenty of it

[unreal.livejournal.com]

Natalie Hambly discovers a food that means as much to Koreans - and tastes as weird to foreigners - as Vegemite does to Australians

After spending a week in South Korea I wondered what would stand out as being the most memorable moment of the trip.

I thought it might be the fantastic shopping (so much range, so cheap!), the 24-hour malls or even South Korea's extensive history (10 Unesco World Heritage sites). Perhaps it would be the stunning autumn colours, the beautiful temples and the grand palaces.
( rest of the article )

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

S. Korea's defense minister tells troops to act fast if provoked

[unreal.livejournal.com]

South Korea's defense minister instructed his troops on Tuesday not to hesitate to act immediately if they are attacked by North Korea, as he toured the western inter-Korean border wrought with tension after Pyongyang threatened to fire if provoked.

"During an operation, don't ask whether to shoot or not.

Report after taking action first," Kim Kwan-jin said during his visit to the First Army Corps, which oversees the tourist zone of Imjingak that the North on Sunday threatened to shoot at,

officials said.
( Kim's comments, relayed by the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul )

Source: businessghana

Park Hyo Shin wants to duet with JYJ's Junsu!

[zeus.livejournal.com]

On March 1st, singer Park Hyo Shin replaced Lee Jun Ki as a one-day MC for Jun Ki’s radio program for the Korean Armed Forces, "Lee Jun Ki’s Sharing Heart & Stories to Hear".

While introducing a requested track, he revealed his close friendship with JYJ’s Kim Junsu. "I once said that I wanted to duet with Kim Junsu a long time ago. I think I’ll get hit with a rock if I say I’m close with him, though," he laughed. "All jokes aside, he’s a junior I really adore, and he likes me a lot as well. We meet often when we’re not promoting and talk about music."

Park Hyo Shin entered the military as an active duty soldier last December and was selected to serve as an entertainment soldier in January alongside Dynamic Duo’s Choi Jae Ho, Kim Yoon Sung, Andy, Lee Dong Wook, Lee Jun Ki, and Boom.

src: joynews via akp

See What Happened When HeeDiva Met 8 Dorks and 1 Robot at Young Street

[qrizta.livejournal.com]

Credit: ssfsubs6

SM calls Changmin after 3 days of his audition cause that’s just how good he is

[rosetta16.livejournal.com]

 

TVXQ’s Changmin revealed the reason behind his auditioning for SM Entertainment.

On the March 2nd’s episode of “Knee-Drop Guru“, Changmin surprised everyone by revealing, “I had no dreams of becoming a singer“.

He explained, “I was playing badminton during gym class and a strange woman was observing me. After school was over, the woman gave me a name card. She was a staff member at SM Entertainment and told me to audition“.

Changmin also credited his mother for getting to audition for the entertainment company. He said, “My mother asked me ‘Am I able to see BoA?’ and was really excited. That is why I participated in the audition and performed the ‘army clap dance’. They told me they would get back to me in 3 weeks, but I actually got a call in 3 days. It was surprising”.

MC Kang Ho Dong was suspicious and asked, “Did your mother invest in SM?“, and the idol explained, “She just really wanted to see BoA“.

On the episode, Changmin also revealed his fast-paced journey to becoming a star, leaving Yunho bitter as he dreamed of becoming a singer since his childhood years.

Source: Newsen via Nate
allkpop

TVXQ talk about JYJ on “Knee-Drop Guru”

[shikonira.livejournal.com]

 TVXQ poured their hearts out on March 2nd’s episode of “Knee-Drop Guru“.

Explaining their feelings about JYJ breaking off from TVXQ, Yunho stated,”It was a shock to me at that time. I didn’t know [they] filed an injunction. My heart was broken by thinking that our big success at such a young age caused all of this“.

He added, “I was also disappointed as a member that they even took the situation as far as filing a lawsuit. I can personally handle being called a ‘traitor’ but I regretted the situation influencing my beloved and respected parents“.

Changmin revealed his feelings, saying “The situation has been written in the papers and some talked badly about my parents. My father is still a teacher so I felt bad about him getting hurt. I also felt bad at the thought that my siblings or friends would become adults holding this pain in their hearts“.

Changmin reminisced about the then 5-member TVXQ’s final performance in 2009 at NHK’s ‘Red and White Collaboration‘ saying, ”I looked at my schedule and I didn’t see anything. We were performing at a prestigious and memorable event, and I felt sad at the thought that this could possibly be our last stage. We advanced into Japan as raw newbies and it was a great time to profit from it, I didn’t know why I was performing a sad song at such a happy and fun stage”.

Yunho said, “I felt uncomfortable singing on that stage. We had a lot of memories and we came all the way here with one shared dream and I felt afraid that our last stage could take place at one of the most prestigious awards shows. So I felt as if I sang with a sad face, I’d be acknowledging (the situation) so I sang even harder.”

In addition, he revealed the hardships he went through in preparation for the new album, “For the new album, we needed to give off the TVXQ feeling / vibe with only 2 members, so it was hard filling the empty space. We practiced until the early morning, even after all the trainees left“.

At the question “Are the lyrics to ‘Keep Your Head Down’ targeting the JYJ members?“, Yunho replied, “It literally means ‘keep your head down’. Many people are thinking that we’re dissing the members but that was not our intent at all“.

He continued, “In our 1st album, there is a song called ‘Triangle‘, which has the lyrics ‘with a falling heart (I) cry bloody tears’. If we sang that at this time, people would mistake that we’re dissing (them). If we wanted to diss them, we would’ve never came out with this song“.

On the other hand, Changmin said, “I didn’t think we’d be able to dodge many questions for long. I felt we needed a time to jump over them”, giving a reason behind their decision to appear on the show.

TVXQ also revealed the story behind their stage name.

When MC Kang Ho Dong asked, “Were you all satisfied with the team name?“, Yunho said, “I didn’t like it. Our CEO thought about it for a long time and came up with ‘Dong Bang Bul Pae’. When I first heard it, I was really shocked. After that, our names were ‘Jun Muk Go‘ (A Whale Who Lives By Eating Legends), SM5, and Dream Team“.

Additionally, the two members came on the show with the concern, “We want to have more male fans“. Changmin explained, “In Cassiopeia, only 3.25% of the fans are male”.

Kang Ho Dong thought of a quick solution and made the whole cast laugh by saying, “Go to the army. If you go to the army, you can gain the hearts of 6,000,000 soldiers“.

Source: Allkpop, Sports Today #1 and #2, Star News #1 and #2

G.NA Teaches 4Minute English

[albondiga.livejournal.com]

In Episode 7 of 4minute's Mr. Teacher, Cube labelmate G.NA stops by 4Minute's new dorm. Originally she comes with a delivery of fried chicken and oranges but winds up becoming the girls' impromptu English teacher for their upcoming Thailand trip. 4Minute wants to practice their English when they hang out with Nichan and Zherleen Horvejkul.

Source: Youtube

Yoseob and Onew`s English Battle!

[aishiteruyuto23.livejournal.com]

 On a recent episode of KBS2TV’s ‘100 Points out of 100‘, SHINee’s Onew and B2ST’s Yoseob had their English skills tested by the cast members.

MC Park Myung Soo tested the two idols’ English by asking them to pronounce ‘Would you like something to drink?’ Onew said the line fluently while Yoseob stumbled over it, and the cast jeered over his ‘poor’ English skills. The cast called it the ‘English that you learn when you happen to make money quickly’.

Then they sang Eric Benet’s “The Last Time“, and Yoseob was criticized again at his poor pronunciation of ‘at all’. This time the cast made fun of him for making it sound like ‘ero’.

Check out the clip below:

sources: akp, 4everkpopgirL5 @ YT
poor Yangyo! the cast making fun of him. TnT i`m so Yoseob biased everytime I see him on Oh! My School, but i also love Onew! (so boo the cast for having them go against each other and if my mom sees this post and i side with Yoseob instead of Dubu she might fight me.) 

dear mods, sorry about the gap mistakes. :|

Super Junior’s Kyuhyun tests his friendship with TVXQ’s Changmin

[snoorella.livejournal.com]

On this week’s episode of MBC Every1’s “Super Junior’s Foresight“, the cast members and guests Kim Bo Sung and Kim Sung Su discussed the topic of friendship and loyalty.

( short article under the cut! )

Source: BNT News via Nate & allkpop

[2/2] Behind the scenes of East-West collaborations

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

SM searches abroad as overseas producers eye K-pop trends to keep hits coming



This is the final of a two-part series exploring the increasing involvement of foreign producers and composers in the K-pop scene. ― Ed. [Link to first part]

With the K-pop market going increasingly global, the pressure is on to churn out an array of catchy and addictive tracks that feed the public’s increasingly selective appetite for music.

In response to heightened stakes, more and more South Korean entertainment companies are diversifying their portfolios by collaborating with overseas producers and composers.

Despite potential language and culture barriers, such teamwork has been nothing short of successful; as evidenced by SM Entertainment, which has generated collaborative hits like Girls’ Generation’s “Hoot,” “Run Devil Run” and “Genie.”

( Read more... )

Source: Jean Oh @ The Korea Herald

Pledis Entertainment holding auditions for new male idol group, ‘After School Boys’

[hannahime25.livejournal.com]

Pledis Entertainment will be hosting their first 2011 audition in search of the last member for their upcoming debut group, ‘After School Boys’!

According to the official audition poster that was uploaded by @pledisboss on Twitter, auditions will begin on March 3rd, where they will be seeking one talented male singer in their teens who has what it takes to debut with Pledis’ first male idol group.

You can visit the official Pledis website for more information or by clicking here.

Stay tuned to allkpop as we reveal more information about this mysterious rookie group in the near future!

The audition information video is here

ALLKPOP

TonyKPOPMV

Such a creative name...

[scans] Infinite in Junior Magazine March 2011 edition (cuteness overload)

[aozora7.livejournal.com]

( Cute... cute... cute )

Source: nolimitinfinite

Not in the best HQ quality but the overload cuteness is still unbearable for Inspirits' eyes to see (*0*)

Bae YongJoon and Lee NaYoung are STILL not getting married

[synykiss.livejournal.com]

A spokesperson from Bae Yongjoon's agency has dismissed reports of his April wedding to Lee Nayoung as groundless. Recently, Japanese magazine "Asahi Weekly" ran an exclusive article on "Bae Yongjoon and Lee Nayoung's impending April wedding." The article was based on alleged eye-witness reports of Lee Nayoung visiting Bae Yongjoon at his recently purchased house in Seoul's Seombok-dong.

However, Key East, the entertainment company that both Bae Yongjoon and Lee Nayoung are affiliated with, rejected the story, stating, "That is not true at all." Rumors of their marriage also surfaced back in 2008, though they were eventually let go. The magazine belatedly reported on the issue as if it were the truth, leading to a staggering amount of backlash.

While attending a charity event at the Tokyo Dome, Bae Yongjoon told reporters, "Labelmate Lee Nayoung and I are just close friends. It's impossible for us to get married."

Bae Yongjoon has since clarified things with the media through his Japanese management agency, and is currently considering his next step.

Source: Koreaboo

Big Bang finds further obstacles in the way of their appearance on “Music Bank”

[t-domination.livejournal.com]

Much debate has been taking place over the past few weeks regarding Big Bang’s appearance on KBS’s “Music Bank,” and although the producer for the show was open to giving Big Bang a comeback stage, recent updates have shown that it isn’t looking good for both parties.

According to information revealed by one broadcast representative, producers of ‘Music Bank’ were reported to have responded negatively to YG Entertainment’s appearance offer. While they previously offered Big Bang a two-track comeback stage, producers were revealed to have changed their stance to one that gave the impression of “If you agree to sing one track, then you can come.”

Regarding the issue, YG Entertainment’s promotion team responded, “Honestly, there has been nothing decided yet. We are continuing to work with ‘Music Bank’ over Big Bang’s appearance.”

Since “Music Bank” operates on a unique music chart system that awards points for broadcast appearances, Big Bang might not rank highly on ‘K-Chart’ itself if they fail to appear.

Ever since SBS aired their extravagant one-hour special on the boys’ comeback, KBS has been cautious of Big Bang’s comeback, especially now that there are talks of “Inkigayo” offering a three track, possible four track, comeback performance.

Representatives of KBS, however, retorted by revealing that YG Entertainment was uncooperative with their efforts. PD Kim Sang Ho spoke with Newsen on March 3rd and revealed, “Big Bang made their comeback through SBS last week, but will not be appearing on ‘Music Bank’ this week.”

He continued, “Representatives of KBS requested an appearance from Big Bang, but YG Entertainment refused. It didn’t seem like they were too pleased with the idea. We have always kept the opportunity open for them, but since they refused, there’s nothing else we can do. Nothing has been confirmed regarding Big Bang’s future appearances yet.”

Fans have been expressing their disappointment over the issue by voicing concerns, such as, “Isn’t this being too hard on them?”

S: nate + joins + akp

meh

BIG BANG GREETS MALAYSIAN FANS

[iruka92.livejournal.com]

Source : HaloMusicMalaysia



They're reported to be holding a fanmeeting/concert at Stadium Bukit Jalil on June 4th with 2NE1 too! Ticketing details regarding the event is yet to be confirmed by Red Star.

9th Korean Music Festival: First batch of artists announced!

[whatsdignity.livejournal.com]

The KoreanTimes Korean Music Festival is no doubt one of the most highly-anticipated events for kpop music fans in North America – after bringing huge artists like TVXQ, SNSD, the Wonder Girls, Big Bang, BEAST and more in past years, the concert is back for its ninth year on April 30, 2011.
After much anticipation, the first batch of artists for the concert have been revealed: Sul Woon Do, DJ D.O.C. and SISTAR.
The Korean Music Festival, which takes place in Los Angeles every late spring at Hollywood Bowl, tends to draw a crowd from across the continent with a few fans even traveling overseas to see their favorite kpop artists live.
It hasn’t been confirmed when the second batch of artists will be announced, so until then, reminisce and take a peek at allkpop’s extensive coverage of last year’s Korean Music Festival through our event recap, high-definition photo sets, videos and more. And of course, expect to see me & other allkpop staff at the concert again this year – we’ll have more surprises planned for both concert attendees and allkpop readers around the world!

For more information:
Official Website
Facebook page

Source: allkpop

Cube is better than your oppars & unnirs company

[desty-chan.livejournal.com]

[Cookie Entertainment] Group BEAST and G.NA have participated in Fukuyama Masaharu’s (Actress and Singer songwriter) remake album.

BEAST and G.NA had each sung the remake version of the song included in her special album ‘With Special Guests – Fukuyama Masaharu’ which contains a compilation of the songs she created in her 20 years of singing and songwriting.

BEAST had sung the remake version of Fukuyama’s best hit song and drama OST '虹'(Niji: Rainbow). G.NA’s remake song was ‘Milk Tea' which is about a female talking about her feelings towards love, and G.NA portrayed the song is a new view with her loving voice.

Meanwhile, BEAST had gained popularity by placing third in the DVD Oricon chart with ‘Genesis of BEAST’ and they are planning for an official album release in mid-March.

G.NA had placed 1st in many music programs with her title song ‘BLACK & WHITE’ and is fulfilling her schedules with excitement.

Source; Daum News, B2STRISING
Translation; yongism@B2STRISING

CCM's desperation to promote 5Dolls

[douchecannon.livejournal.com]

T-ara's Hyomin, Eunjung, and Jiyeon will be performing with their friends from Core Contents Media, Co-Ed's subunit, 5Dolls.

The eight ladies will be taking a full trip around the broadcast channels starting on the 3rd at Mnet's 'M-Countdown,' then Music Bank, Music Core, and lastly, Inkigayo. Together they will be promoting 5Doll's newest song, "I'm Talking To You."

The T-ara members voiced their desire to perform along side 5Dolls, and collectively decided to do just that.

Source: Sports Today via Paran
Soompi

4minute, Nichkhun, & Nichan reveal childhood photos

[aishiteruyuto23.livejournal.com]

For 4minute’s new reality show, ”4minute’s Mr. Teacher“, the members met up with Nichkhun’s older brother, Nichan, in order to learn more about his alma mater and their childhood.

When Nichkhun and Nichan’s childhood photos were revealed, 4minute couldn’t help but express how handsome the two were, even as kids. Two exclaimed in awe, “Definitely superior genes,” and “Their cuteness is still visible in their features!”
( 4Minute's baby pictures + 1 more of the brothers! )

source: akp, newsen via nate

Sherleen looks like Nichan! ohmaigawd!!
*the sister in the picture is Yanin
**Sohyun, Jiyoon, Gayoon and Hyuna (clockwise from top left)

2NE1 to debut on Japanese TV on March 11th!

[itangeisha.livejournal.com]

South Korean girl group 2NE1 will make their official Japanese debut by releasing their first Japanese album “2NE1” on March 16th, but today TV Asahi announced that they’re already schedule to perform on their long-running music program “Music Station” on March 11th.

This will make them the first foreign artist in Japan that will receive the honor to perform on Music Station prior to their actual Japanese debut.

The four members of 2NE1 – CL, MINZY, DARA and BOM – will arrive in Japan on March 9th and two days later they will perform for the first time on Music Station. Since 2NE1 is known for their wonderful music, performances and individual styles, their Japanese fans can’t wait for them to perform on the show.

Leader CL is enthusiastic about their Japanese debut, “We want to appeal to everyone in Japan with our individuality as a group and with our different characters.”

Sources: Sanspo | Tokyohive
A GO GO GO~!!!

Even their sleeping poses are syncronized!!

[aozora7.livejournal.com]

Seoul, Korea —

Picture of members Sung Kyu and Dong Woo in their waiting room revealed “Sleep with discipline!” 
 

( Short article goes here ... )

 

Source: JTN (Original article in Korean)
Photo from JTN DB
Translated by Sung Kyu Chang / Korea.com

Aww... my poor babies (T_T)
Until they get to the first place and change dorm there won't be any time for them to get some proper rest (>.<)