T-ARA and TVXQ dominate the Oricon weekly charts

[gardenintheair.livejournal.com]

The weekly Oricon charts have experienced another 'first' thanks to the Korean wave. It's the first time in the 42-year-long history of Oricon that South Korean artists have claimed first in both, the single and the album ranking at the same time.

The two artists who achieved this are girl group T-ARA with their Japanese debut single, Bo Peep Bo Peep, and the now two-member boy group Tohoshinki with their newest album, TONE.

T-ARA sold 50,000 copies in their first week and they've also become the first foreign group and first female artist(s) to reach first place with their debut single. The only foreign artist who ever achieved this before T-ARA, was Jang Geun Suk with his debut single, Let me cry. Other popular South Korean girl groups such as KARA and Shoujo Jidai debuted at fifth and fourth place respectively.

The girls of T-ARA commented, "Thanks to everyone's support we've reached first. We are very happy and will continue to work hard in order to earn the love of even more people. Please continue to support us.

Tohoshinki’s album sold 205,000 copies in its first week, which also is an outstanding achievement for foreign male solo artists and groups. The last artist that also sold over 200,000 copies of an album during their first week was Bon Jovi with Crash back in 2000.

Yunho commented, "I'm really thankful to our fans. It makes me happy that our growth as a group seems to have reached our fans as well."

Changmin added, "We wanted to create an album that is filled with our gratitude towards all of our fans who have been waiting for us. Please also look forward to our nation-wide tour next year!"

Oricon
tokyohive

Congrats!
That first sentence though...

2NE1: SUCCESS OR FLOP?!

[blancapslove.livejournal.com]

( h8r bye! )

Soompi

KBS President under fire for banning “Pierrot”

[cc9095.livejournal.com]

The president of KBS has announced that JYJ can request for a re-evaluation regarding their banned song, “Pierrot“.

( Read more... )

Source + Photos: Star News via Naver
Translation: allkpop

Infinite ArirangTV Showbiz Korea

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

InspiritELF

[breaking news] North Korean leader's grandson has a facebook

[unreal.livejournal.com]

Facebook accounts believed to belong to the North Korean leader's grandson have caused a stir in the South.

South Korean media discovered accounts thought to belong to Kim Han-sol, the 16-year-old son of Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-il's eldest son, on Saturday.

According to reports, the posts revealed a teenager who said he was in favour of democracy and that his favourite film was "Love Actually".

Photos showed Kim Han-sol with bleached blonde hair and dressed stylishly.

He is now believed to have blocked public access to his social networking accounts after being bombarded with South Korean media attention, the Korea Herald reported.
( Kim Han-sol's sense of fashion )

Source: bbc

Insight: South Korea stares down demographic dilemma

[unreal.livejournal.com]

Kim, a doctoral student in her 30s, personifies many of the qualities that make South Korea such an economic force -- relative youth, education and ambition.

The trouble -- for corporations and policymakers -- is that she is equally typical by not wanting to have children.

"I just want to live happily with my husband without having to worry about kids or making sacrifices for them," said Kim, asking to be identified only by her surname.

South Korea is not alone in facing a plummeting birth rate and rapidly aging population -- neighboring Japan and China, as well as much of Europe, face similar challenges.

But it is getting there at astonishing speed. Over 40 years, it has gone from having one of the highest birth rates in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) of advanced economies to the lowest, while life expectancy has surged.
( By 2018, 14 percent of its population will be over 65 )

Source: reuters

Masked North Korean refugees arrive in the South for resettlement after escaping country on boat

[unreal.livejournal.com]

The North Korean defectors arrived at Incheon Airport in South Korea with identities hidden to protect their families still living under the dictatorship

Nine North Korean defectors found floating in a small wooden boat off the coast of Japan three weeks ago have been resettled in South Korea, officials said.

The three men, three women and three boys arrived at Incheon International Airport near Seoul, after the Japanese honoured their wishes to be sent to South Korea.

The defectors were shown on South Korean TV wearing sunglasses, masks and hoods in an attempt to conceal their identifies and protect the safety of their families left behind in the North.
( Family members could be punished because of their relatives' defections )

Source: dailymail

Song Joong Ki + Kim Sun Ah to guest on Running Man

[gloomyclock.livejournal.com]

The much-beloved former castmate of SBS‘s 'Running Man', actor Song Joong Ki, might be making a brief return to the show as a guest!  On October 4th, various fan accounts made their way on social network services (SNS) like Twitter and Me2day, citing that Song Joong Ki and actress Kim Sun Ah were spotted filming for the show.

According to these accounts, the two were filming near the Eunhaeng-dong area of Daejeon. Fans wrote, “The ‘Running Man’ team is currently filming near my company”, and “They were doing jump ropes!”

This will be Song Joong Ki’s first return to the show since his voluntary departure five months ago. The two are said to be on the show
as guests promoting their respective dramas.

Netizens commented, “I’m looking forward to Song Joong Ki”, “Can’t wait for this episode”, and “I wonder how he’ll reunite with the ‘Running Man’ members”.

Source: E-Daily, Everyday Economy + akp

so excited, but I wonder if jihyo will make it or not.

WATCH QUICKLY! LEAKED SNSD "THE BOYS" TEASER #2!!

[xkat-attackx.livejournal.com]

Source: SNSD -Girls' Genies Team

Someone from Japan recorded this and it's been circulating on Youtube. SM is quickly removing the videos so hurry and watch! It's really bad quality, but you get a good look at the girls.

The girls look great, but the video looks very Super Junior-ish... they filmed it in that box thing.


*Edit: Posted another video since the last one was taken down.*

Who is the best? TVXQ is the best

[gardenintheair.livejournal.com]

It's been revealed that TVXQ's TONE release has charted first on the Oricon weekly album chart! Released on September 28th, the album ranked first on the Oricon daily album chart and has maintained its place all week-long, recording 205,000 copies in sales.

On October 4th, Oricon reported, "By recording 205,000 in sales, TVXQ has risen to the top of the Oricon weekly album chart. This is the first time in 11 years and four months since Bon Jovi's Crash that a foreign male artist has sold over 200,000 copies in the first week alone."

They continued, "This is also TVXQ's first time since their BEST SELECTION 2010 album a year and seven months ago that they've returned to the Oricon weekly album chart, and is considered their first album to rank at the top. In addition, 205,000 copies sold in their first week is the best they've achieved so far in regards to their full studio album releases."

Although TVXQ has achieved first place on the Oricon weekly singles chart nine times, this is their first time ranking first on the weekly album chart with an official album, not a best of album.

Naver
allkpop

Today 5,400 copies were sold so it's over 210k in total. Still at no.1. :')

GDRUGGIN: CAUGHT SMOKING WEED + UPDATE FROM YGE

[turdferguson.livejournal.com]

It has been reported that Big Bang‘s leader G-Dragon has been caught by the police for smoking marijuana.

“We indicted G-Dragon on the charges of smoking marijuana,” said a representative for the Seoul police on October 5th.

According to investigators, G-Dragon had smoked marijuana sometime in
the middle of May this year, and had taken a drug test in July.
Although the results had come back negative with an initial urine test,
further tests overturned that decision, and he had confessed at the time
that he had been taking the drug at a Japanese club when he had visited
the country for a concert.

“I smoked a cigarette that someone had given me at a club,” G-Dragon said. “The
smell was somewhat different from that of a regular cigarette so I was
slightly suspicious that it was marijuana, but it is true that I smoked
it,” he said.

According to investigators, since the amount of marijuana was so
small and G-Dragon had no prior offences, they decided to give him a
warning.

Stay tuned to allkpop as the story unfolds.

UPDATE:

( Read more... )

Source: Sports Seoul, Kyunghyang via Nate ALLKPOP
second update Source: StarIn via Naver ALLKPOP

prayer circle!!!!!!!!!!!

WELCOME TO JUNKAY AREA~

[taecmyheart.livejournal.com]

2PM'S JUNSU JUN2DAFUCKINGKAY TO RELEASE HIS SINGLE ALBUM!!!
( RELEASE INFO )

( PHOTO VOMIT HERE )

CREDIT: 2PM FANCAFE, 2PM'S FACEBOOK, 2ONEDAY.COM (TRANS)
FINALLY OMG. AND THIS IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK. (earlier jyp made a mistake and said it was november, but they updated the fancafe and changed it to october. -0- BUT YESSSSSSSS)

Trollmates trolling Junsu, what's new?

[captainmarvel.livejournal.com]

Source: ecaisme9


I see no difference. Pre-debut Jaejoong lol so cute ♥