SHINee Jonghyun and Sin Se-gyeong spotted dating

Boy band SHINee member Jonghyun and actress Sin Se-gyeong [10Asia]

Popular boy band SHINee member Jonghyun and actress Sin Se-gyeong have been spotted dating by a local media outlet.

Local sports daily Sports Seoul on Wednesday carried a report revealing photographs of the two on a date on October 20 along with confirmations by their agencies that they have romantically involved for about a month now.

In the photos, the couple, strolling at a park near Sin's house in the southern Samsungdong district of Seoul, were seen smiling and talking while Jonghyun had his arm around the actress or holding hands.

The paper also quoted sources close to the couple as saying that the two mostly talk over the phone or text message each other since they are often too busy to meet.

Another source said, "They became close quickly because they have similar thoughts and interests. They also both became stars at a young age which I'm sure has also been difficult for them in certain ways so I think they can talk to each other in this sense as well."

The report explained that the two first met at a concert in May for which Sin was one of the emcees and SHINee performed. They met again by chance at a get-together of a mutual acquaintance.

"I think it's been about a month since they've opened their hearts to each other. I think they're in the process of getting to know each other with fond feelings," an official at Sin's agency Namoo Actors was quoted as saying.

Jonghyun's agency SM Entertainment admitted to the relationship as well, explaining, "I think they've just started [dating each other]. I had heard they had met several times through an acquaintance."

Sin, 20, had garnered much attention when she first debuted at the young age of eight as the model of the poster for hit singer Seo Taeji's "Take 5" album.

After spending a few years off the screen, she then returned with a role in movie "My Little Bride" starring Moon Geung-young and Kim Rae-won in 2004, and played several more acting roles, but shot to stardom last year through MBC smash hit sitcom "High Kick 2."

She is currently promoting her film "Acoustic," an omnibus pic also starring boy band 2AM member Seulong and CNBLUE members Lee Jonghyun and Kang Minhyuk.

Jonghyun, also 20, debuted as the lead vocalist of his five-member band in 2008. SHINee is one of the most popular groups not only in Korea but throughout Asia.

They recently enjoyed a successful return to the music scene with their second repackaged album "Hello" and are readying for their first concert to be held in December in both Korea and Japan.

Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

'Best Star Actors in Second Half of 2010 Are Won Bin and Shin Min Ah'

The research institute Leespr announced on October 28 that Lee Seung Ki and Girls Generation, and Won Bin and Shin Min Ah have been surveyed as the most popular female and male singers and actors, respectively, during the second half of 2010.

The institute had conducted a survey from September 25 until 30 targeting 1,324 people from the age of 13 to 65 to ask their about favorite stars during the second half of 2010. Actors Won Bin and Shin Min Ah earned 17.6% and 26.7%, respectively, and became the most popular male and female actors. Among male actors, Jang Dong Gun and Kang Dong Won ranked second and third by gaining 15.6% and 10.1% support. Actress Kim Tae Hee and Kim Hye Soo followed Shin by gaining 13.5% and 8.5% of the votes. For the male singer category, Lee Seung Ki ranked at the top with 14.7% support, defeating Rain (14.4%) and 2PM (12.2%). Among female singers, Girls Generation gained the highest voting of 24.6% and Lee Hyo Ri (14.0%) and 2NE1 (10.3%) followed. In the male comedian category, Yoo Jae Seok gained 38.7% support and beat his rival Kang Ho Dong (23.9%). Lee Soo Keun (21.9%), Kim Byong Man (11.5%) came after them. Female comedian Shin Bong Sun, who gained 38.4% of the votes, ranked in first place, defeating Park Mi Sun (22.2%) and Kim Shin Young (18.6%).

In the category of sports stars, Park Ji Sung and Kim Yuna earned an overwhelming majority. Park Ji Sung gained 45.6% support and overwhelmed other male sports stars such as Park Tae Hwan (12.5%), Park Chan Ho (10.0%), and Lee Cheong Yong (9.9%). Kim Yuna gained 61.9% support and defeated other female stars including Jang Mi Ran (18.9%), Yeo Min Ji (13.2), and Park Se Ri (8.6) by a huge margin. The survey had been conducted as a form of individual interview in the capital area including Seoul and in the major cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, and Kwangju. For the separate categories, two from the female and male group had answered the survey, and the survey had an accuracy of 95% with a margin of error plus or minus 2.69% in the confidence interval.

source: KBS Global

Lee Min-jung for High Cut

source: www.highcut.co.kr

Kim Tae-hee to expand career into Japan

Korean actress Kim Tae-hee [Asia Economic Daily]

Top Korean actress Kim Tae-hee will be expanding her career overseas.

Kim made the announcement during an interview with Japanese newspaper Nikkan Sports, adding that she will soon launch her activities in the country.

The interview also revealed that she signed a contract with a Japanese entertainment company and hopes to make a debut in Hollywood.

"Right now I am learning Japanese because I want to appear in Japanese dramas and movies," Kim was quoted as saying during the interview.

The actress' popularity in the country rose after the blockbuster hit TV series "IRIS" began its run on local TV channel TBS in April.

The show, which dominated TV charts during its two-month run in Korea, will be honored with the foreign project award at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2010 next week.

Kim, 29, rose to stardom after appearing in the popular SBS drama "Stairway to Heaven" in 2003 alongside Hallyu stars Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo.

She has also starred in several movies including "The Restless" with Jung Woo-sung and her latest "Grand Prix."

Reporter: Cho Bum-ja anju1015@
Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Girls Generation to Release Mini Album 'Hoot' on October 27

Star girl group Girls Generation will release a new mini album entitled "Hoot" on October 27. Their agency SM Entertainment said on October 19, "The mini album 'Hoot' is drawing attention not only from fans in Korea but also from fans in Asian countries. As they are planning to release their second single album 'Gee' in Japan, they are expected to be ranked atop both in Korea and Japan."

Members of Girls Generation (from left, Tiffany, Jessica, and Seo Hyun)

Girls Generation is now actively participating in an event held all around Asian countries. After achieving huge success in Korea with their songs such as "Oh!" and "Run Devil Run," they advanced to Japan last August by holding a large-scale showcase with more than 22,000 fans in Japan. Their first single "GENIE," which had been released in September, was selected as a Gold Disk (with 100,000 total sales) by the Japanese Record Association. In addition, they also set the record in terms of attracting the largest number of audience members among foreign singers as they had drawn 24,000 audience members when they held a concert at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan from October 16 to 17.

A spokesperson for the agency said, "This album is produced as part of a surprise gift for fans at home and abroad who have cheered for Girls Generation, which is actively participating in various events at home and abroad. You can find members' photos and listen to part of the title song in the teaser at the website http://girlsgeneration.smtown.com that opened on October 19."

source: KBS Global

G-dragon's Childhood Photos

credits: http://ibigbang.wordpress.com

Twelve Asian Stars to Appear in 'Asia Song Festival'

Star singers including Rain, BoA, 2PM, Lee Seung Chul from Korea, AKB48 from Japan, and Jane Zhang from China will appear in the “Asia Song Festival.”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on October 14 that twelve star singers from six Asian countries will appear in the “2010 Asia Song Festival” that will be held at the Seoul Jamsil Olympic Stadium on October 23.

This year’s festival, which is the 7th event, has been entitled “Let’s Go G20 Concert,” and it will be held to commemorate the hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit. This event will be co-hosted by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, Seoul city, and UNICEF, and will be supported by the G20 preparation committee and the Ministry of Culture. Among the Korean singers, the "king of live concerts" Lee Seung Chul, world stars Rain and BoA, ballad group 2AM, and idol groups Kara, 4Minute, and Beast will appear, and singers from other countries such as AKB48 from Japan, Jane Zhang from China, Joe Chang from Taiwan, Bie The Star from Thailand, and Michael Wong from Malaysia will also appear on the stage. As the preliminary event, the showcases of new Asian singers will be presented, and the performances of singers such as “Teen Top,” whom MTV in the US has mentioned as a next generation idol group, star girl group “Rainbow,” female rapper “E.Via,” Kim Yeo Hee, who had appeared in the chorus of “Qualifications of Men,” “Ari Band,” and “Nine Muses” will be showcased.

More detailed information can be found on the official website of the Asian Song Festival. (http://www.asf.or.kr)

source: KBS Global

Who's The Ultimate Autumn Man This Year?

Wonbin can attribute his new title as the ultimate "Autumn Man", to his successful film "Man From Nowhere" which gave him a tougher image that just exudes redemption. Wonbin beat out fellow hearthrobs So Ji-seop and Kim Nam-gil as the man that best matches the season of fall.

A mens hair salon, Blue Club, conducted a survey from October 4-8 among 442 20 to 50 year-olds. The official title was "2010 Fall: The Ultimate Autumn Man and Hairstyle".

33% of participants chose Wonbin, followed by 28% of voters selecting So Ji-seop. Out of those who voted for Wonbin, it was a fair distribution of both men and women. This suggests that after shedding his pretty boy image, Wonbin was able to successfully attract fans of both sexes with his heightened masculinity. Voters for So were mostly male -- 61.8% male to be exact.?

Regarding the second half of the survey, when a pool of male participants were asked what type of hairstyle they wanted to adopt for the fall season was, 33.6% opted for Nickhun's "dandy cut", 22.3% for Lee Seung-gi's "baby perm", and 17.1% for Wonbin's "soft Mohican cut".?

source: KBS Global

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Jang Dong Gun and Ko So Young Give Birth to Boy

Star actor couple Jang Dong Gun (38) and Ko So Young (38) had a son on October 4.

Jang Dong Gun's agency announced on October 4 that Ko So Young gave birth to a son at a hospital located in Gangnam on October 4 at around 4 am.

A spokesperson for the agency said, "The baby weighs 3.23kg, and both the mother and the baby are healthy. Jang Dong Gun and his family members had watched Ko's delivery."

Jang Dong Gun delivered his feelings through the agency by saying, "I am very glad that So Young and the baby both look very healthy. I really appreciate that, and I really thank everyone who has shown concern for us."

Jang and Ko were married on May 2, and at that time, Ko So Young had been in the four month of pregnancy.

source: KBS Global

Actor Ryu Si-won to wed October 26

Top Hallyu star Ryu Si-won announced on Wednesday, the day of his 38th birthday, that he will get married on October 26.

He broke the news through a posting to his fans on his official fan page Ryusiwon.net www.ryusiwon.net early in the day, after thanking the several thousands of fans from around Asia who turned up for his birthday party over the weekend.

He also said that his bride-to-be is pregnant and will give birth in a few months. "I think I will also become a dad next spring," Ryu wrote.

He then apologized for not being able to inform fans of the news at an earlier date but explained that it was because his fiancee is not a celebrity.

No information has been revealed about her other than that she was a dance major in college. The two are said to have dated for a year after meeting through an acquaintance.

Ryu will hold a press conference later in the day where he will explain more details about his marriage.

Ryu, singer and actor, made his debut in 1994, and has starred in various dramas including "Secret" (2000, MBC), "Beautiful Days" (2001, SBS) and "Style" (2009, SBS).

He has led a particularly successful career in Japan since debuting in the country six years ago, selling out all five of his concert tours held throughout the country.

Most recently, he has been both the director and racer of his own pro car racing team 'TEAM106,' he set up entertainment company 'abnormal106' and turned producer for singer Rottyful Sky.

Jessica Kim jesskim@
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

Rain: 'I Will Join the Army Next Year'

Rain will play a flirty private investigator in the KBS drama, "The Fugitive: Plan B."

Singer and actor Rain (real name Jung Ji Hoon), who will make a comeback to the small screen after a five-year break by appearing in the KBS 2TV Wednesday and Thursday drama "The Fugitive: Plan B," spoke up about the rumors of his upcoming military duty.

At the production presentation of the drama "The Fugitive: Plan B" held at the Lotte Hotel in Sogongdong on September 27, Rain said, "The time to join the army might be around next year."

There has been rumors that he would join the air force as his scheduled time to be recruited to the army approached, but the Military Manpower Administration has accepted his application to postpone the timing to join the army, so it has been delayed to next year.

Rain explained, "I think that the rumor that I would start my military service in the air force had come only because I decided to appear in a movie about combat planes after finishing 'The Fugitive: Plan B,' but actually there is no specific plan about filming the movie yet."

He commented on "The Fugitive: Plan B,” saying, “I took the role of an extraordinary character who cannot be found on TV Channels or in the movies. I had decided to play the character only because I had wanted to create a totally new character in this drama.”

“The Fugitive: Plan B,” which is an action drama filmed in many cities in Asian countries, will tell the story of an astronomically valued gold bar which had disappeared during the Korean War. It is also noteworthy as the production director Kwak Jung Hwan and writer Chun Sung Il, who had participated in producing the drama "The Slave Hunters," have formed a production team again.

Rain said, “When I watched the drama ‘The Slave Hunters,’ I wanted to perform in that kind of drama, and soon after that, I was able to meet the writer Chun Sung Il. At that time when we first met, we both did not have any specific plans, but finally we could work together as the production director Kwak had brought us together.”

Jung Ji Hoon will play a private investigator named Ji Woo who cares greatly about money and women. Ji Woo has a shameless and positive personality, but he will be challenged by becoming involved in an unfinished case to solve with his special abilities based on fast decision making and driving force. As he had received a request to take on the case from a mysterious woman named Jin Yi (Lee Na Young), he ended up engaging in a large-scale conspiracy involving the highly valued gold bar that had disappeared during the Korean War.

Rain added, “The writer told me that he wanted to make a character who is very serious but focused person when it comes to issues of women and money, and I totally agreed with his idea.” Ji Woo will continuously be chased by a policeman named Do Soo (Lee Jung Jin), so the chase scenes take up a large portion of the drama.

Rain said, “I had to run as much as I would want to run for my whole life. At first, the director had asked me whether I could do such difficult scenes, but if I did them, then he prepared even more difficult scenes later. I even had to climb a wall that was three meters high along with actor Lee Jung Jin. The director continuously made us shoot guns and climb walls” (laugh).

He also said, “I feel really good about this drama. I actually had a very auspicious dream, but I did not buy any lottery tickets so I could apply all that luck toward the drama’s success instead. If the viewer ratings for this drama reach more than 40 percent, I will disclose what the dream was about.”

The drama “The Fugitive: Plan B” will air its first episode on September 29 at 10:00pm as a follow-up drama to the drama “Bread, Love, and Dreams.”

site: KBS Global