Sleepninja wrote: http://www.allkpop.com/2012/02/block-b-stirs-controversy-with-thai-interview-draws-response-from-2pm

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/02/block-bs-thailand-incident-were-they-the-only-ones-at-fault

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/02/block-b-releases-a-video-apology

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/02/block-bs-zico-shaves-his-head-in-response-to-the-thailand-interview-controversy


Basically, they were being interviewed in Thailand and were goofing off. They said something that wasn't necessarily tactful and could be interpreted as disrespectful in regards to the floods in Thailand. (my heart goes out to the victims) Then people got angry and everyone (even a bunch of kpop idols) start attacking them. People are harassing them, telling them they should go die, signing petitions for their suicides. It's been blown way out of proportion. Y'all know me, I LOVE Thailand, but this is too much.


It makes me so mad. I can't believe people actually signed a freaking suicide petition. The youngest member was hospitalized as well.

What they did wasn't even that bad! They were just boys being boys! And when they mentioned about the floods they were joking around! They make donations! I'm not even a big Block B fan, I only know a few songs by them. But seeing stuff like this makes me sick. Who goes around wishing people would die and banning them from everything because they made a mistake. They should've been reprimanded, yeah, but the whole thing was blown way out of proportion like you said. It really is too much.

Making a post on our blog for anyone who's interested. Will hopefully have it posted by tomorrow morning.
WTF? Why did it quote my post too? Weird things like this have been happening all day. FB was acting all cray cray too earlier.
Jeaniessi wrote: I reported the FB page.


Thank you!


Crazy4You wrote: It makes me so mad. I can't believe people actually signed a freaking suicide petition. The youngest member was hospitalized as well.

What they did wasn't even that bad! They were just boys being boys! And when they mentioned about the floods they were joking around! They make donations! I'm not even a big Block B fan, I only know a few songs by them. But seeing stuff like this makes me sick. Who goes around wishing people would die and banning them from everything because they made a mistake. They should've been reprimanded, yeah, but the whole thing was blown way out of proportion like you said. It really is too much.

Making a post on our blog for anyone who's interested. Will hopefully have it posted by tomorrow morning.


Yeah, their poor families too. I heard they are being harassed as well.
where is this petition? you can report it as well if it's through a site like thepetitionsite or whatever i reported the page but i hate how fb makes you select a specific reason and then doesn't give enough options. a few times i've reported pages and the reason didn't fit into any of their choices and i had to just choose spam. it's aggravating because i feel like they won't take it seriously if the reason isn't accurate. like will they go look and say "nope not spam" and leave it up without looking into why it might have been reported? argh
ladyfaile wrote: where is this petition? you can report it as well if it's through a site like thepetitionsite or whatever

i reported the page but i hate how fb makes you select a specific reason and then doesn't give enough options. a few times i've reported pages and the reason didn't fit into any of their choices and i had to just choose spam. it's aggravating because i feel like they won't take it seriously if the reason isn't accurate. like will they go look and say "nope not spam" and leave it up without looking into why it might have been reported? argh



I'm not sure where it is. I think it was made in Korea.
So I don't know if this was posted yet, but here it goes:

Lee Jun ki and Shin Min Ah to star MBC's drama, Arang
[Invincible Youth 2] G8 members enjoy makeshift sleigh rides on frozen lake



The G8 members had a lot of fun on the February 25th episode of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Invincible Youth 2‘.

The G8 members visited a frozen lake and decided to play some winter games. They created makeshift wood sleigh’s and participated in various games such as relays for a good time on the frozen ice.

Unfortunately, Girls’ Generation members Sunny and Hyoyeon couldn’t participate in this episode as the recording took place when the girls were in New York City. Additionally, on the same episode, legendary trot singer Tae Jin Ah revealed that he would selected f(x)’s Amber as his ideal daughter in law.

Image Source: Xsportsnews |via: Nate & allkpop
Oricon [Japan] Charts President: "Too Many K-Pop Artists Rushing to Japanese Market"

http://soompi_images.s3.amazonaws.com/00da8d7c1a7e057ee60e750791e5c119_large.jpg[/IMG]

Koike Koh, the CEO of Japan's Oricon Charts, made an important comment regarding the influx of Korean artists into Japan. He stated, "The metabolism of Korean artists and music seems too fast for Japanese market. Japanese fans might get tired of them since way too many of them are rushing to enter the market. This might negatively effect Hallyu, the Korean wave."

Oricon Charts is considered the ultimate measure of success in Japan for many Korean artists. Oricon started compiling daily, weekly, and monthly charts based on sales records of approximately 26,000 music record stores all over Japan. Oricon charts' influence and credibility measure up to that of the U.S.'s Billboard Charts. Oricon Charts is well known to Koreans as many K-pop artists like BoA, Jang Geun Suk, KARA, and Girls' Generation have been ranked high on them.



Koike Koh visited Korea to partake in Gaon Charts K-Pop Awards. When asked about the future of K-pop in Japan, he pointed out that K-pop might have some roadblocks ahead. He commented, "[I]For now, the feminine looks and images of Girls' Generation and KARA are attracting many fans, but this is a very limited side of K-pop. Korean artists need to be more diversified to continue their success in Japan. Japanese fans expect something new that these artists have never shown before, not even in Korea. Recently, many Korean artists are staying in Japan only for a short period of time, remaining within the metropolitan areas. While this is working for now, this may pose as a roadblock in the future of K-pop in gaining more wide ranged popularity within Japan.
"

Koh added, "For Korean artists to continue their success, the roles of leading Hallyu figures like TVXQ, Girls' Generation, and KARA are very important. They have had huge success in Japan. But once their popularity and impact start to diminish, so will K-pop in general. Then people will see Hallyu as a temporary phenomenon."

http://soompi_images.s3.amazonaws.com/c409f0048441e148e188fdc79ea6e670_large.jpg[/IMG]

However, Koh was not entirely pessimistic about K-Pop. He highly valued the strategic preparation of K-pop and Korean artists and their strong fan base. He pointed out, "[I]When you look at the Korean artists who's made it to the top of Oricon charts, they have great musical talent and very unique visual concepts that have been strategically prepared for. Most of their songs were ranked highly on Oricon charts almost instantly after their releases. Also, many fans were previously aware of these artists through the Internet before they made their official Japanese debuts. Therefore, these artists gain a very solid fan base upon their debut.
"

Koh also talked about the recent anti-Hallyu movement, which led to the cancellation of Kim Tae Hee's Tokyo CF promotion. He dismissed this anti-Hallyu movement as a phenomenon restricted to a very small population. He said, "In my opinion, Kim Tae Hee and her agency overreacted in this case. The anti-Hallyu movement is not a major thing at all. Most Japanese people view Korean artists and entertainment very favorably. They enjoy K-Pop and K-Drama very much. Korean artists should not pay much attention to the distorted and disturbing opinions of the few."

Source: soompi
Pics of Lee Byung Hun in "King of Joseon"



The still cut for Lee Byung Hun’s first try at a historical drama “King of Joseon” was revealed for the 1st time. The story is about “King Kwang Hae” who was the most dramatic king during the Joseon Dynasty. A peasant named “Ha Sun” impersonates the king, in “The Prince and the Pauper” fashion.



The script is written by the writer for “Old Boy.”

Lee Byung Hun will play both the real “King Kwang Hae” and his imposter “Ha Sun.” The drama will have a stellar cast with interesting characters. The mysterious character “Huh Gyun” that puts the imposter on the throne is portrayed by Ryu Seung Ryong, the heroine “Joong Jun” who knows about the secret of the real and fake king will be portrayed by Han Hyo Joo.


Source: soompi
writer of Old Boy? this movie is going to be a masterpiece as well. cant wait for more details
SM Entertainment Ventures into Tourism Industry

http://soompi_images.s3.amazonaws.com/9e6a0da0ade940d4021ebdd8480147ff_large.jpg[/IMG]

On February 27th, 2012 SM Entertainment released a statement,SM Entertainment has acquired “Happy Hawaii,” a Hawaii-focused travel agency, and launched “SM Town Travel” to expand its business to the tourism industry. “Happy Hawaii” is an agency that used to be run by actor Jung Joon Ho.

With the acquisition of “Happy Hawaii,” “SM Town Travel” aims to expand its portfolio to study abroad programs, souvenir items, hotel and tourism, local transportation, real estate, and even the resort business as well. Some view this move as SM Entertainment’s first step towards running more hotel and resort business. It’s also viewed as a move to expand on its K-Pop star training facility being built in Kyunggi Do currently.

We’re first planning to develop more concert-related tourism packages. But we don’t have plans to acquire another hotel or resort type of business right now,” SM Entertainment said.

We’re going to combine entertainment, travel, and tourism to build a new type of travel service model. With SM Ent’s global entertainment business, there are plenty of synergy opportunities here,” SM Entertainment added.

Furthermore, they stated, “[I]SM Town Travel will combine SM Entertainment’s renowned brand with the global popularity of K-pop and Hallyu in order to invent various travel packages. It will also strive to become a cultural exchange business through education and culture exchange.


President of SM Town Travel Kim Jung Hyun said, “We will present services and products that differ from the standard travel agencies and will continue to work to create a synergy so that SM Ent can become a global entertainment and lifestyle agency.

Source & Image: OSEN |via: Naver, soompi, & allkpop

=======================================

SM Entertainment establishes a Hallyu star training center in Osan



On August 23rd, 2011 SM Entertainment announced that they had opened a K-Pop training center in Osan, Kyungkido.

Tentatively named the ‘SM Studio, International Entertainment Academy‘, the company held a signing ceremony with the city of Osan. Both parties expressed their hopes of advancing the Hallyu culture through this new establishment.

The event was attended by the governor of Gyeonggi-do, Kim Moon Soo, the mayor of Osan, Kwak Sang Wook, Lee Soo Man, and SM Entertainment’s CEO, Kim Young Min.

The city promised SM Entertainment the support needed to foster and train K-Pop stars, including help with the establishment, administration, and development of related content.

SM Studio’ is expected to be completed by September and will be open by the end of the year 2011.

Source + Photos: X Sports News |via: Nate & allkpop
Yang Hyun Suk Speaks About Future Plans for Big Bang, 2NE1 and New Groups

http://soompi_images.s3.amazonaws.com/3ec1b26b79a49b6f6fd20157b828a4f7_large.jpg[/IMG]

Yang Hyun Suk, member of the legendary group Seo Taiji and the Boys during the 1990’s has since reinvented himself as a leader in K-Pop’s global success. Fifteen years ago Yang Hyun Suk founded YG Entertainment which currently houses some of K-Pop’s biggest stars Se7en, Big Bang, and 2NE1.

I am not a child of a tycoon, so I began with nothing. Originally, I started out with little money and YG was just a tiny corner shop, which was up until I discovered Jinusean and 1TYM.YG Entertainment is now considered to be one of the top three record labels in Korea.

A lot has changed around Yang Hyun Suk since the early days. He maintains a beginner’s mindset in the sense that he remains curious about new things, as he shared his motto, “Live better tomorrow than you did today.

Yang Hyun Suk revealed his upcoming global plans for his artists, “Big Bang and 2NE1 will focus more on performing at festivals to further their global promotion. The United States and Europe are more fitting for 2NE1 and Big Bang. Meanwhile, Se7en will concentrate on his Japanese promotions. Each of our artists have strengths that match the local as well as global markets.

He commented regarding K-Pop’s potential, “This is just a start. No one is able to predict the impact that K-Pop can and will have on the market, however it does not appear to be merely a trend.

He continued, “[I]YG Entertainment plans to create office branches in the US as well as Europe to more efficiently manage our global efforts. Our goal is to become the world’s leading music company. In doing so we will try our best to offer compelling content which will boost interest in K-Pop.


YG Entertainment is the most sought after company to enter for new trainees, according to a Korean research poll. YG’s management style has the lowest job turnover rate among the entertainment companies.

Currently there are close to 40 trainees housed at YG Entertainment. It has been mentioned before, the entertainment giant plans to release a new girl and boy group sometime this year.

The girl group is said to debut in the first half of 2012. They are expected to be strong with roots in hip-hop music but rumors call them “YG’s answer to Girls Generation.” What can all of this mean?

"2NE1 is a blend of hip-hop, electronic, rock and rap music, the style for the rookie girl group is difficult to predict. YG's style of hip-hop comes out stronger than your average group." He has continued, “With Big Bang they debuted through a reality show. 2NE1 featured in a commercial. The new girl group will follow in their footsteps and you can expect they will make their debut in a new way.

Source: soompi
Eun Ji Won reveals he actually proposed to his wife twice

http://static.allkpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/20100627_eunjiwonwedding_2.jpg[/IMG]

Singer Eun Ji Won guest-featured on the February 28th episode of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Win Win‘ and shared how his relationship with his wife came to be.

Eun Ji Won studied abroad in Hawaii for some time, and fell in love at first sight upon seeing his wife who was working at a restaurant there. He too began working at the restaurant, and their relationship took off. He confessed that even while he was an idol star, he maintained a long-distance relationship with his now-wife.

But the singer admitted that over time, he stopped contacting her regularly and gradually they stopped contacting each other altogether. He then called her out of the blue five years later, asking her to marry him.

“[I]Then I thought, ‘Why am I getting married again‘?
” he said. After proposing for the first time, he did not call her again for another three years.

Hearing his absurd story, MC Kim Seung Woo remarked, “What is that? You’re not even one of those ‘bad guys’, you’re just a ‘crazy guy’!

Now I realize how cruel that was,” he admitted. He mustered up the courage to call her again and asked her to marry him, but for real this time.

The MCs were able to give his wife a surprise call, and asked how she felt at the time. “I felt really betrayed,” she said. “I realized what an irresponsible guy he was, and that I shouldn’t ever meet him. But when I did, everything was forgiven.

She went on to reveal that when the two had met again, Eun Ji Won could not say a single word. He simply held her hand and could not stop the tears from flowing from his eyes.



Source & Image : KoreaTimes |via: Nate & allkpop
Hierarchy of K-Pop Girl Groups by Height



Following the popular rankings of girl groups by popularity and talent, a new hierarchy chart surfaced, garnering netizens’ attention once more. This time, the hierarchy was based off of the average heights of girl groups. The categories are as follows: red equals giant; orange - tall; yellow - average; green - short; and blue - really short.

Unsurprisingly, “model idols” Nine Muses took home the number one spot with an average height of 171.9 cm. After School, the first of the ‘tall’ girl groups in the K-Pop industry, took 4th place with an average height of 168.5cm.

Girls’ Generation and the Wonder Girls were listed in the short category with an average height of 163.5cm and 163.6cm respectively. KARA, 2NE1, Secret, and Brown Eyed Girls, and were categorized as “really short.” Brown Eyed Girls had the shortest average height among the girl groups with 160.0cm.

Source: soompi
Cha Seung Won chosen as endorsement model for Maserati

http://static.allkpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120229_chaseungwon.jpg[/IMG]

Actor Cha Seung Won has become the new endorsement model for the automobile brand, Maserati.

Cha Seung Won attended the Maserati automobile gallery in Korea on the 29th, in order to advertise the brand. FMK stated, “[I]Cha Seung Won’s strong charismatic image will go well with the Maserati brand
,” explaining the reason why he was chosen.

In related news, Cha Seung Won had gained more popularity through his last drama ‘The Greatest Love’, creating a Dok-go Jin fever.

Source + image |via: nate & allkpop