Lee Min Ho for Trugen, Summer Collection 2010

source: Naver

Lee Jun-ki to Start Military Service

Actor Lee Jun-ki starts his military service on Monday.

Lee had been told by the Military Manpower Administration to report for duty on April 12 but asked for a postponement because he is still shooting the film "Grand Prix" as well as being booked to appear in the TV series "Faith" in the second half of this year and represent Korea as a goodwill ambassador at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

But the MMA declined, so Lee agreed to start his service on May 3, his agency JG Company said Thursday.

"It's a pity that the decision was made at such a short notice and fans have had so little time to prepare," the agency said in a statement. Lee will enter the Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province for the five weeks of basic training that start off his two-year service.

source: Chosun Ilbo

Xiah Junsu Sings Theme Song for Micky Yoochun’s Drama

Xiah Junsu, who is a member of Dong Bang Shin Ki which recently suspended its activities as a group, sang the theme song for a drama that another member, Micky Yoochun, appears in as a main character.

The newspaper Sankei Sports delivered the news on April 28 that Micky Yoochun will debut as an actor in the mobile broadcasting company Bee TV’s new drama “Beautiful Love - if you are by my side” and that he will act speaking in Japanese. Also, it added that songs by Xiah Junsu, who debuted as a solo singer, were chosen as the theme song for the drama as well as background music.

The drama “Beautiful Love - if you are by my side” is scheduled to air from June 4, which is Michky Yoochun’s birthday, and it will tell the love story between an offspring of a Korean chaebol and a magazine copy writer who wants to be a novel writer. The female lead will be played by Japanese teenage star Omasa Aya (19).

The producer of Micky Yoochun’s debut drama, Azuma Yasuyuki, explained the casting and continued to praise Micky Yoochun, saying, “I could sense that Mick Yoochun would be a new star as an actor when I saw that he had concentrated on his acting. I fell in love with him as an actor and I personally wish that he will appear in Japanese dramas continuously.”

Micky Yoochun, who made his first attempt at acting, said, “It was very difficult, but, at the same time, it was a very pleasant experience. It is amazing that I can have a different life and experience another person’s life while I act. I was impressed.” Also, he revealed his strong ambition towards both acting and singing by saying, “I want to act again, but I also want to sing again as soon as possible.”

Xiah Junsu, who will release his single album entitled “XIAH” on May 26, sang the theme song “If you are by my side - Beautiful Love” and the background song “Intoxication,” which are included in the single album. Xiah Junsu delivered a cheerful message, saying, “Since Micky Yoochun is cast as the main actor and also because the storyline of the drama is very nice, I did my best to sing these songs to brighten up the mood of the drama.”
source: KBS Global

Girl Group Kara Records Cheer Song for World Cup

Girl group Kara is turning its charm to the sports arena. The five-member group has recorded a World Cup song for Team Korea to be released within this month. The dance track is full of energy to boost the festive mood and its lyrics cheer on the national team and hope for victory.

The passion in their voices shines throughout the song and listeners will find the melody easy to learn, the song's producer said. "We hope it will help unite people to root [for the national squad]," he added.

"As Koreans and soccer fans, we recorded the song with a strong sense of commitment," the girl group said. "We're honored to represent the people in singing the cheer song for the national team."

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source : Chosun

Shin Se Kyung shows her sexy side for Arena magazine

source: Daum

2NE1 for May 2010 issue of Ceci Korea.

Jang Dong-gun, Ko So-young Expecting Baby

Actress Ko So-young revealed that she is three months pregnant, Thursday, ahead of her marriage next month to heartthrob Jang Dong-gun.

"Ko So-young has reached the third month of her pregnancy. She will become a mother around September or October,’’ Jang’s management agency AM Entertainment said.

The couple revealed in November 2009 that they had been dating since 2007, and announced plans to tie the knot in March. Rumors of Ko being with child started circulating when the couple made visits to each other’s parents ― which is considered a formal gesture to wed here ― in mid-February.

"When the two began preparations for the wedding earlier this year, they considered having children the top priority. Considering their age, both sets of the couple’s parents wanted them to have a baby as soon as possible,’’ said the agency about Jang and Ko, who are both 38 years old.

"Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young, as well as their parents and family, are extremely delighted about the pregnancy and are celebrating. They think it is the best wedding gift ahead of the ceremony.’’

According to local reports, Ko had been spotted frequenting an OB/GYN in southern Seoul. Last year, Jang quit smoking cold turkey, following Ko’s suggestion, and some speculate that it was part of preparations to have a baby.

The mother-to-be recently spoke about having children in an interview with Instyle magazine. "If we have a child I want to help (him or her) do what (s/he) wants. It would be nice if s/he does something creative, such as architecture or fine art.’’

Photographs of the couple in wedding wear were released this week, ahead of "D-day,’’ creating a stir. The wedding will be held at 5 p.m., May 2 at Shilla Hotel, Jangchung-dong. Veteran actor Park Jung-hoon will host the event while balladeer Shin Seung-hoon will sing

The couple has already been moving furniture and appliances into their new home in Heukseok-dong.

Jang and Ko met on the set of the 1998 melodrama "Love Wind, Love Song’’ and became friends.

Next month, in addition to getting married, Jang will also start shooting his next film project, "D-Day.’’ Meanwhile the trailer for his Hollywood debut piece, "The Warrior’s Way,’’ co-starring Kate Bosworth and Geoffrey Rush and produced by Barrie Osborne the maker of "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,’’ was recently revealed ahead of its summer release.

credit to: Lee Hyo-won (hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr)
source: koreatimes.co.kr

Lee Hyo-ri for May issue of Vogue

Ex-2PM Member Jaebum Set To Star in "Hype Nation"

After months of being one of the hottest topics in k-pop, it has been confirmed by the officials of the movie project "Hype Nation" that Jaebum (aka Jay Park) will be returning to Korea in June. He has been casted in a main role in the film which will be set 70% in Korea.

After returning to the US last September, Jaebum has been anything but quiet. He has been uploading videos on YouTube and even performed at a university event. There's been a lot of speculation over the private reason why JYP Entertainment found it unsuitable to have Jaebum rejoin the group.

Regardless of all the media mess, this movie seems to be a potentially big, career-altering break for the young entertainer. Aside from Jaebum, American group B2K is also set to play a role in the movie which will be about b-boys from the east and the west. A Hype Nation official also revealed that different k-pop girl group members are being considered to fill the spot of Jaebum's character's sister.
source: KBS Global

SM Entertainment Fires Back With a Lawsuit Against the Three TVXQ Members

After months of legal dispute between entertainment giant SM Entertainment and the three members (Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yoochun) of the five member group TVXQ, the group recently had announced stepping on the brakes of all their activities in Japan. Fans thought that was big news. Well, the situation has proven to have become even stickier.

After winning the lawsuit in 2009 over allegedly unfair profit distribution, SM Entertainment announced on the 13th, that they're lashing back with a legal lawsuit of their own. The company released a statement saying that they have done the best that they can to maintain the group as a whole. However, being that the three members had recently filed for an injunction, and because they have halted all activities as a group, the company was left with no choice but to retaliate. SM Entertainment is objecting against the trio's stance on the contract terms between both parties and is seeking to verify the contract's remaining validity.
source: KBS Global

Lee Da-hae Has Big Plans After 'Slave Hunters' Success

If Lee Da-hae looks happy, it is probably because her debut in a historical TV drama has been a resounding success with viewers. "The Slave Hunters" aired on KBS2 allowed Lee to expand her range as an actress.

"Shooting 'The Slave Hunters' was quite tough. Apart from the uncomfortable dresses, because I had to wear a traditional hairdo, I lost a handful of hair almost every day. Also, the set was in a remote location and was very, very cold," she recalls. "Some bloggers said I looked as if I gained weight toward the end of the series, but it was because I had to wear so many layers of clothing in the winter. When the shooting started in the summer, I didn't have to worry about keeping my body warm so I only had to wear what is seen. But in the winter, it got so cold, I had to wear a thermal vest, three T-shirts, and padded warmers and hot packs."

Things did not start smoothly. Early in the series, Lee was at the center of acute criticism of her polished nails and claims that she was wearing a watch underneath the traditional dress. A scene that showed a bit of skin upset some viewers, who claimed it was inappropriate for a historical drama. "First of all, all of them were groundless. In fact, I didn't think those things were serious enough to make such an issue of. I think it was because the series was so popular. If it had lower ratings, it wouldn't have been that big a deal."

But while she was upset at the time, "I'm also very forgetful, so now it seems like such a long time ago and I wonder if it actually happened."

In the long term, she dreams of going to the U.S. "First of all, I want to take rest, but if I feel there are things to learn, I hope I can take a short course in an acting school in the States. I want to act in Hollywood next year or the year after. If I get a chance, even if it means a lot of hardship ahead of me, I would love to experience it," said Lee. "I don't have huge problem with English because I went to high school in Australia. I can get by in Chinese because I learned the language since I was little. But I felt that I needed to study English more when I recently hosted a show in English, the Mister World competition."

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source : Chosun

Dong Bang Shin Ki to Suspend Activities

Dong Bang Shin Ki announced that they will suspend activities as a five member group in Japan following their suspension in Korea, so their future activity plans have attracted attention. On April 3, Dong Bang Shin Ki’s Japanese agency, Avex, made an announcement that Dong Bang Shin Ki will discontinue activities as a group, but the agency will continuously support individual members’ activities.

Dong Bang Shin Ki already suspended its activities as a group in Korea due to a legal battle with their agency, SM Entertainment (hereafter referred to as SM), in which three members, Xiah Junsu, Young Woong Jaejoong, and Micky Yoochun, were involved in July last year. But they had continued their performances as a five member group in Japan until December last year and even ranked atop the Oricon Single chart at the beginning of this year with two new single songs. Therefore, this announcement has incited rumors about their disbandment. There are many opinions about their future activity plans.

Meanwhile, each member has already started individual activities. Xiah Junsu appeared in the musical “Mozart” in January and will release a solo album on May 26. U-Know Yunho also appeared in the drama “No Limit” in last September and performed in a commemorative event for Michael Jackson last month.

Young Woong Jaejoong will appear in the Japanese TV drama "I Can't Be Honest" and the movie “Heaven's Postman,” which was filmed and already released last year in Korea. It will be released all around Japan from May 29. Choi Kang Changmin is also at the height of filming the drama “Paradise Meadow” on the Jeju islands. Another member, Micky Yoochun, is also preparing for individual activities.

Since the original group is divided into two parts at the peak of the group’s popularity in Japan at this time, there are some opinions that it is possible that the three members who experienced the legal battle with SM in Korea will still continue their activities in Japan with other members as a group. A person who knows the J pop industry predicted, “The group is already divided into two parts and it might be impossible for all five members to perform together as a group. Basically, the five members will focus on individual activities, but three members who were engaged in the conflict with SM could work both individually and as a separate group in Japan.”

The world of pop music has bemoaned the fact that the five member group has suspended their activities. A representative of a management company expressed the feeling by saying, “To make a group like Dong Bang Shin Ki, a huge investment is required over many years. It is very regretful that they suspended activities at this moment when they are at the peak of their popularity in Japan.”
source: KBS Global

Yoon Sang-hyeon Branches Out with Debut Album in Japan

Actor Yoon Sang-hyeon is now also a singer as he released his debut single album on the Sony Music label in Japan on Wednesday.

Yoon had previously showed off his vocal skills by singing for shows and TV dramas, notably on the soundtrack of TV drama "My Fair Lady." He had frequently expressed his lifelong dream of becoming a singer.

Yoon finished recording the album in December last year, and appeared in the music video of the title song.

"Because it's the first album under my name, I worked on it with great passion and dedication," Yoon said from Japan where he is promoting the album. "While I'm nervous because it's a new challenge for me, I'm also thrilled by the fact that my dream has finally come true."

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source : Chosun

Boy band 2PM gearing up for comeback

Six-member idol group 2PM are in preparations to make a comeback to the local music scene in late April, according to their agency JYP Entertainment on Monday.

"There have been a series of unfortunate events lately such as the sinking of South Korea's naval ship Cheonan but if there aren't any other problems, we hope to release the new album this month," a representative from JYP explained.

"The group will return with a mini-album and are currently rehearsing their dance moves for the stage," continued the rep.

2PM made their debut originally with seven members in 2008 with their first single album "Hottest Time Of The Day."

Leader Jae-beom however, quit the group last September after sparking national controversy over comments he made on his MySpace account before his debut.

Despite a much-anticipated comeback to the band, the former singer parted with his agency for good in February over "a huge personal wrongdoing," according to JYP.

The group had continued their singing career with six members since their leader's departure last year, making a successful return with their first full-length album "1:59PM" in November which featured their title track "Heartbeat."

Members of 2PM have ventured onto individual projects starring in variety programs and appearing in dramas.

Reporter : Park Kun-ouc kun1112@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr
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UEE for Ceci april 2010

Park Shin Hye for Vogue Girl

Photo credits to youcapturedme