Gong Yoo to Hold Live Concert In Japan in December

The protagonist of the hit drama “The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince,” Gong Yoo (real name Kong Ji Chul), will hold a live concert in Japan.

The CJ Media Japan, which operates Kong Yoo's official fan club in Japan entitled "With YOO" (http://gong-yoo.jp), announced on September 14 that Gong Yoo would hold the concert entitled "Love Song for You" at the Yokohama Arena on December 5.

Gong Yoo is reportedly planning to hold the concert as a form of "mini live performance," and he will present his new image as a singer, not as an actor, by showcasing his new song made only for his fans for the first time during the concert.

Gong Yoo had been discharged from the army last December and held the fan meeting entitled "Gong Yoo Fan Meeting 2010 - With YOO" along with his 7,000 fans in Kobe and Yokohama last February. At that time, he had performed the finale by singing a song to which he had written the lyrics himself with the help of singer Jung Yeop, and had drawn a favorable response from his fans.

source: KBS Global

Bae Yong-joon Garners More Laurels with Book About Korea

Korean wave superstar Bae Yong-joon's book "Travel in Search of Korea's Beauty" has become a steady seller in both here and Japan, and now he has published it in Taiwan as well.

The Korean version, which was published in September last year, went into a 13th impression just a month after it was launched, and the Japanese version, which hit stores simultaneously, also became an instant bestseller and garnered positive reviews, which is rare for a collection of travel essays. It was especially praised for offering fresh insights into Korean culture as Bae himself sought out artisans in obscure fields.

One of the reasons the book was popular here was that it was seen as a book to give a foreign friend, and indeed many foreigners were impressed and felt they had gained a deeper understanding of the country.

SBOOKER, the publisher of the Taiwanese version, said it received consistent requests to publish the book there, not only from Bae's fans but also from general readers. Unlike other celebrity books it is a great guide to Korean culture, and the firm expects a positive reception from readers of all ages.

Chinese and English versions are also in the works.

source: Chosun Ilbo

Pop Queen Lee Hyori Maintains Status As CF Queen

When it comes to commercial (called CF in Korea) contracts, most stars are replaced by a new, fresh face when the term comes to an end. In some cases, the company will ask the star to re-sign for another term. However, re-signing of contracts never exceeds more than two or three times for most celebrities. But then again, Lee Hyori is not just your average celebrity.?After eight years -- ten if you count her FINK.L days -- she is still dubbed the "CF Queen".

The best example of Lee being a powerhouse in the CF industry is her contract with the soju brand, Like The First Time. Lee Hyori's hold on the liquor advertisement realm has not weakened after ten long years. She broke the record that she herself had set by re-signing with the company for the sixth time. A Like The First Time official said that the pop star not only raised brand awareness, but increased overall sales.?


After all these years, the new and re-signing offers are still rolling in. This is even after all the plagiarism controversies over her latest album. Related officials from the advertisement market are saying there's no star that can take her place and that she's still the number one choice for most companies. If you do the math, Lee has earned over five billion won this year alone.?

Currently, the singer has her toe dipped in several sectors: liquor, food, beverage, sports, home appliances, and fashion. It's hard to say how many deals she has in total because there are a number of pending contracts that haven't been officially announced. So far though, seven different contracts have been confirmed. At least two to three are almost guaranteed to be added to the list by the end of this year.?

An advertisement insider shared that a star is considered to be a long-term CF model if they can pass the three year mark. However, in Lee Hyori's case, she's not only passing the eight year mark, but she's spent those eight years as one of the cream of the crop CF faces. Whether there's bad press or good press, the diva has her own unique charm that has kept her in the game for this long. He added that it's almost entertaining for liquor companies to all sit back and watch, to see how much longer she's going to stay on top.

source: KBS Global

Super Junior Yesung reveals childhood picture

Super Junior member Yesung's little brother Jong-jin (left) and Yesung (bright) [Official Twitter site of Yesung]

Super Junior member Yesung has revealed a childhood picture of his brother and himself.

The singer uploaded the photo on his official Twitter page yesterday, in which Yesung is seen wearing yellow gym clothes and standing next to his younger brother with a comment saying, "My younger years with my little brother ^^."

Fans who have seen the picture have left responses such as. "You look so lovable" and "The two of you are so adorable."

Yesung, whose real name is Kim Jong-woon, was discovered and trained by SM Entertainment, one of the biggest talent agencies in Korea.

He made his debut as one of the lead vocalists in the 13-member boy band Super Junior. The group has released numerous albums and hits song including "Show Me Your Love," "Don't Don," "Sorry Sorry" and "BONAMANA."

Yesung has recently been cast to play one of the male leads in upcoming musical "Spamalot." He has starred in two other musicals including "Namhansansung" and "Hong Gil-dong" with group member Sungmin.

Yesung is also currently taking part in the "SMTOWN LIVE '10 World Tour," alongside other SM artists, which kicked off in Seoul last weekend. The next show will be at the Staples Center in Los Angles on September 4.

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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