Wonder Girls Mulled as Game Characters

By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

Good news for Wonder Girls fans: If simply watching the girl group wasn't satisfying enough, wait till the end of this year ― you'll actually be able to control each and every motion of the superstars through the push of a keyboard button.

This is JYP Entertainment's ambitious way of bringing fans closer to ― and get them more hooked on ― its most-profitable asset.

Industry insiders say that South Korea's leading entertainment agency, which manages and represents Wonder Girls, is in the finishing stages of developing an online game dubbed "Star Tales'' in conjuction with China's Shanghai Magic Grid Network, a gaming technology firm.

The product will be released by the end of this year at the earliest, they say.

However, JYP Entertainment did not officially comment on the plans.

Star Tales, which has been under development for three years, is reportedly equipped with Unreal Engine 3, a top gaming engine that powers many of the best-known games on the market.

Industry sources say that the new product will break away from traditional dance games, as it will likely enable users to customize everything from outfits to accessories, giving them more flexibility to dress up their favorite pop icons.

A similar dance game featuring Wonder Girls is already popular in China, but the officially released version is expected to include more quality options. 2PM, a popular boy group, and other singers belonging to JYP Entertainment may be featured as well.

While the jump into the game business is a new one for JYP Entertainment, it is a late starter compared to its rivals SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and J. Tune Entertainment.

J. Tune and YG teamed up with GameHi, a local online game maker, to kick off a joint gaming venture, while SM entered the lucrative industry in 2006 by acquiring a domestic game firm.

credit: jhan@koreatimes.co.kr
source: koreatimes.co.kr

Tags: Wonder Girls/korean singer/Star Tales/2PM

Tablo and Kang Hye Jung to get married!

Epik High's Tablo and his girlfriend, Kang Hye Jung, announced today that they are going to get married this coming October! And to add a little spice to this hot news, they are expecting a baby as well!

Tablo expressed in a statement through his company, "It was love at first sight for me. Now we are planning to get married in the fall. We are expecting a baby in the middle of next year...It was generally really tough for me this year, but Hye Jung was with me at all times and encouraged me. I wish you guys support us and our love, peaceful love is the most important thing for us at this point. And let's hope the baby looks like the mother!"

Congrats to them!

source: allkpop

Tags: Tablo/Kang Hye jung/Epik High

Hyun Bin, Song Hye-gyo's Trip to Japan Cancelled

Actor Hyun Bin and actress Song Hye-gyo were to make a trip to Japan together for the first time since announcing their relationship, but the trip has been cancelled.

The Japanese agency Avex was to hold an event marking the release of the DVD and music album of the TV drama "Worlds Within" on September 26 in Yokohama, but Song cancelled the trip because of "problems in the Korean agency" that produced the drama.

Hyun, who will visit Japan on September 23, will celebrate his 28th birthday with some 2000 fans from Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, China and Singapore on September 25 at the Pacific Hall in Yokohama. On September 26 he will attend events related to "Worlds Within."

source: KBS Global

Tags: Hyun Bin/Song Hye kyo/World's Within

Jang Jin-young Love Story Revealed

Actress Jang Jin-young, who died of stomach cancer on Tuesday afternoon, had married her new boyfriend in a secret ceremony in the United States in July. Jang's agency Yedang Entertainment on Wednesday said the man, identified only as Kim, "proposed on June 14, Jang's birthday, and they got married in Las Vegas on July 26, promising each other eternal love."

The two registered their marriage in Korea on Aug. 28, only four days before the actress' death. Kim An-chul, a spokesman for the agency, said, "Jang and Kim first met on Jan. 23, 2008 when an acquaintance introduced them, and he was by her side while she was battling cancer until she drew her last breath."

"The reason why they kept their marriage secret was because they wanted to protect their love," he added. Jang's inheritance will go to her parents.

The love story drew much media attention, especially after Jang was diagnosed with cancer. Kim is second son of former lawmaker Kim Bong-ho and majored in photography at university. He worked for a company before becoming a businessman. Jang wanted to break up with him when she found out she had cancer, but Kim insisted on caring for her.

Credit: englishnews@chosun.com

source : Chosun

Tags: Jang Jin-young/korean actress

Song Hye Kyo in Vogue Magazine September 2009

source: Allkpop

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Actress with Cancer in Critical Condition

Acclaimed actress Jang Jin-young is reportedly in critical condition at a hospital in Seoul. She has been battling stomach cancer since last fall. Her condition has gotten worse in recent days, relying only on morphine to kill the pain. Her representative at Yedang Entertainment has not released any statement, claiming that there is nothing to say about her health at the moment.

She first found out that she had stomach cancer last year when she went to the hospital to treat what she thought was ulcer. Upon finding out that she had cancer, she suspended all her activities and have focused only on getting well. She appeared to have been getting better, talking on the phone with a reporter for a TV news program last November and attending a concert by Kim Gun-mo with her friends in May. The actress has been staying in the United States to receive cancer treatment until early August.

source: KBS Global

Tags: Jang Jin-young/korean actress