[News] Ella Chen breaks down on set of new movie 'Bad Girls'.

[News] Ella Chen breaks down on set of new movie 'Bad Girls'.
Cr. - http://www.dailycpop.info/

Taiwanese starlet Ella Chen got more than she bargained for in her new movie, Bad Girls.

Ella who had a number of action scenes in the movie, had insisted on not using a stunt double, to make it look more realistic. However, she broke down and cried when she had to endure grueling practice sessions before the actual shoot.

When asked if she felt that the scenes were too tough for her, Ella replied with a smile, "I don't have a choice, I had a higher payout."

When the movie premiered two days ago in Taiwan, Ella's band mates, Selina Jen and Hebe Tien, sent video messages to congratulate her, moving her to tears. Hebe complimented Ella for having good acting skills, while Selina hoped that the movie will be a box office success.

Ella's kissing scenes with co-star Mike He were also the focus of media attention, since Ella will be marrying her Malaysian fiancé Alvin Lai in May.

Mike expressed that he is not afraid that Alvin would be jealous, because they "kind of know each other", to which Ella retorted, "Who's close to you?"

The actor added, "Kissing her is just like kissing another guy."

[News] Kim Soo-hyun becomes “Angel-in-Us” model.

[News] Kim Soo-hyun becomes “Angel-in-Us” model.
Cr. - http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/

Hallyu actor Kim Soo-hyun has become the face of “Angel-in-Us” coffee chain store.

“Those in their twenties and thirties are our major target market. Thus we thought it was crucial that we select someone with enough pull as well as a soft and mellow image like Kim Soo-hyun,” said a representative from the Korean coffee chain.

The franchisor said that Kim successfully filmed the TV commercial at a store in Mugyudong in Seoul on March 24. A throng of crowd gathered around the store to catch a glimpse of the heartthrob causing quite a chaos.



The TV ad is slated to air from April 1 and the “Making-of” footage will be available online shortly after. On March 21, Kim also became the face of Cass beer and bringing his tally of exclusive contracts to exceed more than 15. When the announcement of Kim’s contract with Cass was announced, Kim’s agency estimated that.

The star’s combined deals would bring in more than 5 billion won ($4.5 million) for the young star, who skyrocketed to fame while appearing in the MBC drama “The Moon Embracing the Sun” (2012). Kim is also known for his roles in “Dream High” (2011) and “Giant” (2010).

[VOD / Photo & News] Ahn Jae-wook To Make Singing Comeback After 3 Years.

[VOD / Photo & News] Ahn Jae-wook To Make Singing Comeback After 3 Years.
Cr. - http://english.kbs.co.kr/

Actor Ahn Jae-wook will be making his long-awaited comeback as his other role, a singer.

Ahn will be releasing his new mini-album, ending a three-year-long hiatus in singing. What will be his third mini-album, "At This Moment", will be released in Korea and Japan simultaneously on March 28th. The song "Best Friend" will be released a week earlier, on March 21st, as a pre-release treat.

"At This Moment" will contain four tracks in total: Best Friend, Me Who's Still Dreaming, That Guy, Though I Hate You, Though I Hate You". Song composer Yoo Hae-joon (who wrote "Thousand Year's Love") and Jeon Hae-seong (who wrote "That Man" from the "Secret Garden" drama soundtrack) participated on the album. Notable talented musicians like TRAX's Kim Jung-mo also featured on the songs.

Ahn took part in the producing of this album. The buzz is that the songs are inspired from Ahn's personal experiences, with the theme of friendship and love, and they ring deep with honest lyrics.

[News] Hyun Bin’s Improved Looks in the Army?

[News] Hyun Bin’s Improved Looks in the Army?
Cr. - soompi

Recently, two photos of Hyun Bin in his military uniform was posted on an online community board. In the photos posted under the title “Hyun Bin looking better after joining the army,” the star actor is seen wearing the formal wear of Korean marines.

Despite the crew cut hair, Hyun Bin still looks sharp and sophisticated, and the classy uniform adds to his supposedly “improved looks.”

The person who shared the photos added, “I think he got more handsome after joining the marines. This is the level of Korean Marines.”

Netizens seemed to agree, as they commented, “Isn’t this from a past magazine photoshoot?” “Unreal. If all Korean soldiers are like that, I’m joining the army right away,” and “I miss Hyun Bin from ‘Secret Garden.’”

[News] Lee Dong Gun to make his comeback through drama ‘Can’t Lose’.

[News] Lee Dong Gun to make his comeback through drama ‘Can’t Lose’.
Cr. - allkpop

According to his agency, actor Lee Dong Gun, who was recently discharged from the army, will make his comeback in the drama, ‘Can’t Lose‘

Lee Dong Gun, whose real name is Lee Dong Gon, was discharged recently, and was greeted by countless fans and reporters. Fans came to congratulate Lee Dong Gun as he ended his successful service to the nation with banners and a cake.

On this day, Lee Dong Gun said, “The photos and letters that my fans sent me while I was serving were a big strength. I was grateful that you not only supported me, but my comrades as well.”

Afterwards, Lee Dong Gun quoted his famous line from his hit drama, ‘Lovers in Paris,’ and said, “You are inside me,” which brought a loud cheer from the fans.

Lee Dong Gun told the people gathered, “I chose my next project.” His agency, Mask Entertainment told TV Report that, “He will star in the drama, ‘Can’t Lose’. We are in the final stages of negotiations.”

[News] Park Jin-young Opens Luxury Korean Restaurant in Manhattan.

[News] Park Jin-young Opens Luxury Korean Restaurant in Manhattan.
Cr. - http://english.kbs.co.kr/

Singer and producer Park Jin-young opened a luxury Korean restaurant named "Kristalbelli" in Manhattan, New York on March 26 (local time) to provide Korean foods to New Yorkers. Park Jin-young held an official press conference on the opening day and explained the reason why he opened the Korean restaurant, saying, "The Hallyu boom has spread in many countries all around the world, and more local people are asking for information about Korean foods, but I actually found it very difficult to recommend any good Korean restaurant to the locals. This is why I have decided to open this Korean restaurant".

The special characteristic of the place is a crystal pan to grill meats unlike other ordinary restaurants which usually utilize a gridiron made of steel or stone. Park Jin-young said, "Whenever I go to a restaurant to have grilled meat, I thought that it took too much time to grill with an ordinary gridiron, and it looks old-fashioned besides the fact that an unpleasant grilling smell remains on your clothes. So I wanted to make a completely new gridiron. At first, the shareholders of JYP Entertainment opposed my idea, so I personally invested 30 million won to invent the new gridiron over the past three months".

The grilling smoke goes under the gridiron before the smell of meat and smoke can permeate one's clothes, and the convex shape of the pan is ideal for draining oil. Park added that the crystal pan helps to grill meat more quickly. Park already applied for a patent and copyright for the newly invented gridiron. He will operate the restaurant chains and open more restaurants in other cities where the Hallyu boom is spreading, beginning from the first location in New York to other locations in LA, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, and Seoul.

The restaurant will sell Japanese beef produced in the USA. As artificial seasoning is not used by the restaurant, the price for the beef will be higher compared to the other Korean restaurants in New York, but the other menu items except beef will be sold with similar prices to other restaurants. The size of the restaurant is around 600 square meters, and it can accommodate 220 people.

Park Jin-young also mentioned the globalization of Korean food, saying, "It is important to globalize Korean food, but a more important point is how to create an ideal image of Korean foods. We have to make Korean food have a luxury image rather than an image of simple and easy-to-cook food. I think that we can appeal to the upper class in other countries with only legitimate Korean food without making fusion Korean food".

[VOD & News] "Lie to Me" Is Gaining Popularity in Japan.

[VOD & News] "Lie to Me" Is Gaining Popularity in Japan.
Cr. - soompi

“Lie to Me” which stars Kang Ji Hwan has been broadcast on the Japanese channel TBS since March 15. The drama has a high viewership rating and is continuously gaining popularity.

A representative of the Japanese company that owns the right to the drama stated, “Currently Kang Ji Hwan’s character ‘Hyun Ki Joon’ has won the hearts of Japanese female viewers by amplifying the charms of sweet romance. Kang Ji Wan currently has expanded his fan base in Japanese women and we believe that his popularity from the public will grow as well.”

A Japanese broadcast representative stated, “Currently many viewers are asking to broadcast other dramas that have Kang Ji Hwan. Fans are also spreading the drama by word of mouth.”

In 2011 when “Lie to Me” was broadcast in China it became that year’s best Hallyu drama.

[News] Jo Hyun-jae joins Song Seung-heon and Lee Young-ae's agency.

[News] Jo Hyun-jae joins Song Seung-heon and Lee Young-ae's agency.
Cr. - 10asia

Korean actor Jo Hyun-jae has signed an exclusive contract with talent agency Storm S Company, the firm said on Friday.

With the his decision to join Storm S Company, he will become a lablemate with the Hallyu actress Lee Young-ae, actor Song Seung-heon, Kim Jung-eun from "Lovers and Paris" and Kim Min-jung from "New Heart."

"We plan to give our full support in helping Jo with his career in Korea as well as in Japan and the Greater China region," Storm S was quoted as saying in the statement.

Jo started his career in the business by appearing in a commercial for a sports drink, Pocari Sweat, in 2000. He became well-known in Asia for his roles in SBS' "Rays of Sunshine" (2004), "Only You" (2005) KBS' "Three Dads and One Mom" (2008) and in SBS' "49 Days" (2011).

He also appeared in movies "GP506" (2008) and "Untold Scandal" (2003) alongside Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon and Cannes best actress award-winner Jeon Do-youn.

He has been focusing on his acting career in China, starring Hunan TV's series "Rouge Overload" opposite Chinese actress Andy Yang.

[News] Which Actress Looks the Best in a School Girl Uniform?

[News] Which Actress Looks the Best in a School Girl Uniform?
Cr. - soompi

On March 30, a group of photos were posted on an online community board, under the title “Actresses in school uniforms.” They school girl photos, featuring Moon Geun Young, Han Ga In, Son Ye Jin, Kim Ok Bin, Lee Yeon Hee, and Kim Tae Hee, have sparked a fierce online debate on which actress looks the best in a school uniforms.

Moon Geun Young has often been featured in a cute, young student role, such as “My Little Bride” and “Cinderella’s Sister,” earning her the nickname, “The nation’s little sister.” Lee Yeon Hee and Kim Ok Bin look natural in their respective school uniforms, as they were high school students in real life when the photos were taken.

On the other hand, Han Ga In, Son Ye Jin, and Kim Tae Hee are relatively older than the rest of actresses. However, they don’t look out of place and perfectly fit the school girl character with their uniforms on. In particular, fans have taken notice of their braided pig tails, which make them look even younger than their actual ages.

Netizens who came across the photos commented, “Kim Tae Hee is a goddess in whatever she wears,” “Why can’t my school have any of those girls?” and “For some reason, they look extremely hot.”

Who do you think looks the best in a school uniform? Do you have any other actress in mind?

[News] Lee Dong Wook’s First Still Cut from SBS “Strong Heart”.

[News] Lee Dong Wook’s First Still Cut from SBS “Strong Heart”.
Cr. - soompi

On March 30, Lee Dong Wook revealed the first still cut from SBS “Strong Heart” through his personal me2day account. Under the caption, “Strong Heart preview…Please look forward to it,” Lee Dong Wook shared a photo of him in a classy black suit, with a fancy sports car parked behind him.

According to Park Sang Hyuk, the producer of the show, the photo comes from the title footage of the newly designed “Strong Heart.” He told TV Report, “This is the moment when Lee Dong Wook first meets with Shin Dong Yup. It was the first time the two worked together, but we filmed the show in a very happy environment.”

Netizens commented, “We’re supporting you two,” “I can’t wait for the new ‘Strong Heart,’” and “Lee Dong Wook is actually very hot.”

Meanwhile, Lee Dong Wook and Shin Dong Yup held the first recording of “Strong Heart” as co-MCs on March 29. Their first episode is scheduled for April 10.

[News] Jang Keun Suk to Begin 2012 Asia Tour in July.

[News] Jang Keun Suk to Begin 2012 Asia Tour in July.
Cr. - soompi

Beginning with his Seoul concert in July, Jang Geun Suk will start off his “2012 Jang Keun Suk Asia Tour.” Last April he had his “2011 Jang Keun Suk Asia Tour” in April which went through Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Shanghai. 2012’s tour will go through Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taiwan, Thailand, and China.

Jang Keun Suk’s concerts will be like a musical. He will communicate with fans through singing and other events.

Currently Jang Keun Suk is appearing on KBS “Love Rain.” On the show he plays two roles a college student “Seo In Ha” in the 1970s, and “Seo Joon” a cold-hearted photographer in the year 2012. Also, on May 30 he will release his first official Japanese album titled “Just Crazy.”

[News] Jang Keun Suk’s unit group ‘TEAM H’ ranks high on the Oricon chart.

[News] Jang Keun Suk’s unit group ‘TEAM H’ ranks high on the Oricon chart.
Cr. - allkpop

Jang Keun Suk‘s unit group ‘TEAM H‘ has secured the #3 spot on the Oricon chart in Japan.

According to leading Japanese music site Oricon Style, TEAM H’s new album ‘Lounge H The First Impression‘ has sold over 30,000 copies the first week, rising to the #3 spot on the Oricon.

TEAM H previoulsy performed at Jang Keun Suk’s arena tour as well as at his Tokyo Dome concert, and piqued fans’ interest at his fan meet that also took place in Tokyo.

Ahead of it’s official March 21st release, ‘Lounge H The First Impression’ was the #1 most pre-sold album at the time, drawing local fans’ interest after being promoted in TV and newspaper ads, club promotions, and more.

Check out the title track “Can’t Stop” below!

[VOD & News] Jang Nara Releases MV and BTS for "I Only Think of You".

[VOD & News] Jang Nara Releases MV and BTS for "I Only Think of You".
Cr. - soompi

This month, singer/actress Jang Nara makes her comeback with a digital single "I Only Think of You."

"I Only Think of You" is a sad ballad song about not being able to forget a past love. The music video was filmed last month at a ranch location on the East Coast of Gangwon Province's Daegwanryung area.

Her digital single was released on March 26 and also includes the Chinese version of "I Only Think of You" and another song "It Was You," which is a duet with Clazziquai's Alex.

As she has been focusing on her acting career the last few years, she recently starred in the KBS drama "Baby-Faced Beauty" in 2011. The last time Jang Nara had released an album was in 2008 with "Dream of Asia."

[News] 2PM Nichkhun Nominated for Thailand's "Kerd of the Year".

[News] 2PM Nichkhun Nominated for Thailand's "Kerd of the Year".
Cr. - soompi

It’s been belatedly revealed that 2PM’s Nichkhun had been naomindated for the “Kerd of the Year” in Thailand’s “Kerd Awards.” The “Kerd of the Year” is awarded to the most influential person in Thailand of the year.

The “Kerd Awards” is an award ceremony led by Thailand’s famous entertainer Woody and contains eight award categories: “Born to grasp the main scene,” “Born to be be famous,” “Born to be a comedian,” “Born to be pop,” “Born to be giver,” “Born to be together,” and “Born to be hot,” and the “Kerd of the Year.” Fans in Thailand will be able to vote for the winners through SNS.



Aside from his solo and 2PM activities in Korea, Nichkhun has been quite active in his motherland. He has endorsed numerous products in Thailand and has even acted in a Thai movie recently. On March 29, he left for Thailand to attend the ceremony, which will be held tonight, March 30.

Nichkhun stated, “I’m honored to have been invited to such a prestigious ceremony, and I’s also overwhelmed and nervous to have been nominated for such a big award. I’m very thankful for the nomination. It is a great honor. I would like to thank all my fans who always support me. Thank you.”

Nichkhun will return to Korea as soon as the ceremony ends to prepare for 2PM’s upcoming fan meeting.

[News] Son Ye-jin eyes role in upcoming film starring Kim Kap-soo.

[News] Son Ye-jin eyes role in upcoming film starring Kim Kap-soo.
Cr. - 10asia

Son Ye-jin was offered a role to star in an upcoming thriller, her agency MSteam Entertainment told 10Asia on Thursday.

The official noted that Son is considering of playing the female lead in the forthcoming movie "Confederate" (translated title), while actor Kim Kap-soo is known to play the male lead.



If Son decides to take the role in "Accomplice" she will be playing the daughter of an alleged serial kidnapper.

Son made her debut in 2001 through MBC drama "Delicious Proposal" and has since appeared in many successful TV series and movies.

Her credits include "Summer Scent" (KBS, 2003), "Alone in Love" (SBS, 2006) “Personal Taste” (MBC, 2010) and the romance movie "The Classic" in 2003.

She recently starred in romance thriller "Spellbound" opposite actor Lee Min-ki.

[News] Ji Sung visit Jang Keun-suk at 'Love Rain' filming site.

[News] Ji Sung visit Jang Keun-suk at 'Love Rain' filming site.
Cr. - enewsworld

Ji Sung’s kind act for his friend and cherished junior, Jang Keun Suk, has been revealed.

On March 29, Ji Sung made a surprise appearance to the set of KBS’ Love Rain in Gyeongi-do’s Gwangju, where he treated out 100 members of the drama’s staff to lunch through a meal truck.

The act was a reciprocating favor of sorts between the two best friends, as Jang had treated Ji Sung’s Protect the Boss staff with chicken in the past.



It was revealed Ji Sung did not even let Jang know he was coming, leading to a visibly surprised Jang.

A production staff member shared, “We were all surprised by Ji Sung’s visit. We were especially grateful Ji Sung would come all the way out to the Gyeongi-do shooting set to treat us out with a meal truck and the resulting warm atmosphere was overflowing.”

[News] ‘The King 2 Hearts’, ‘Rooftop Prince’, and ‘The Equator Man’ battle it out for viewer ratings.

[News] ‘The King 2 Hearts’, ‘Rooftop Prince’, and ‘The Equator Man’ battle it out for viewer ratings.
Cr. - allkpop

There seems to be a change happening on what will be the top drama on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

If we follow the statistics given by the AGB Neielson Media Research group, on March 28th, the ratings for MBC’s ‘The King 2 Hearts‘, SBS’s ‘Rooftop Prince’ and KBS2′s ‘The Equator Man‘ was 14.5%, 11.2% and 8.1% respectively.

On March 22nd, ‘The King 2 Hearts’ recorded a viewer ranking of 16.5% meaning it dropped 2% this week. ‘Rooftop Prince’ was at 10.5% last week meaning it saw a rise of .7%, and ‘The Equator Man’ had very similar numbers from last week.

There was not much change in viewers for both ‘Rooftop Prince’ and ‘The Equator Man’, but there was a significant drop for ‘The King 2 Hearts.’ ‘The King 2 Hearts’ is still number one in the time slot but ‘Rooftop Prince’ had steady viewer growth through its first three episodes from 9.8% to 10.5% and finally to 11.2%, leaving it just 3.3% out of first place.

With so many great choices for drama these days, it is no wonder that all have similar numbers. We’ll have to keep an eye on how the ratings will change with the progression of the shows.

What is your favorite drama from this time slot?

[VOD / Photo & News] Jang Nara makes a triumphant return to music.

[VOD / Photo & News] Jang Nara makes a triumphant return to music.
Cr. - http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/

A track from Jang Nara’s first domestic EP release in four years, “Can Only Think of You,” has secured the top spot on various music charts online after being released on Monday.

“It’s been a while since Jang released a song and so she was careful and gave it her best” a representative from Jang’s agency said. “She’s stoked that it’s been received so well by fans.”

The title track of the three-song EP is a mellow ballad. The agency added that Jang’s melodic voice is her biggest asset, which resulted in the song performing so well despite being released just days earlier.

In the lead-up to the song’s release, a music video also scheduled to be made public on Monday was leaked two days earlier than planned when a cable television program mistakenly uploaded the video onto the Web before the release date.

The new single comes four years after Jang released her sixth album, “Dream of Asia,” in 2008. The singer-actress has been busy pursuing her career in China.

[News] Fans of BoA photoshop BoA’s face into a historical drama scene.

[News] Fans of BoA photoshop BoA’s face into a historical drama scene.
Cr. - allkpop

A recent photo created by some fans of BoA has tricked some netizens into believing the above photo is real.

The picture was first uploaded onto an online community board with the title, “BoA wearing a hanbok, is she filming for a historical drama?” A few fans apparently photoshopped BoA’s face into one of the scenes of a historical drama, making it seem as if the star would be seen on a television program in the near future.

Netizens commented, “I was surprised for a second, thinking that she was actually filming for a historical drama,” “BoA’s fans are very dexterous. How did they photoshop it so perfectly?“, “BoA unnie even looks good in a hanbook. She’s the 2nd Yeon Woo,” and “She should definitely take on a lead role in a historical drama.”

[News] Oguri Shun attends premiere event for “Uchuu Kyodai”.

[News] Oguri Shun attends premiere event for “Uchuu Kyodai”.
Cr. - http://www.tokyohive.com/

On March 28th, actor Oguri Shun attended a premiere event for his latest film, “Uchuu Kyodai“.

This marked Oguri’s first public appearance since getting married to Yamada Yu earlier this month. As fans called out, “Congratulations!“, he blushed and said, “Thank you“.

Although a wedding ring wasn’t seen on his ring finger, Oguri stated, “If I talk about it too much here, every article tomorrow will be about it. So today, I would like to just talk about the movie.”

“Uchuu Kyodai” is based on Koyama Chuuya’s popular manga of the same title. It tells a story about two brothers who promises to become astronauts when they’re older. As time passes by, the younger brother Hibito (Okada Masaki) has become an astronaut, however, the older brother Mutta (Oguri) is unemployed after being fired from his job. Although the brothers live two very different lives, Mutta receives a message from Hibito, which motivates him to aim for his dream once again.



Along with Oguri, Okada, Tsutsumi Shinichi, Arai Hirofumi, Inoue Yoshio, Shiomi Sansei, and Director Mori attended the event. The cast livened up the crowd by discussing their dreams as a child.

Tsutsumi commented, “I wanted to play for the Hanshin Tigers (professional baseball). Right now, I want to follow Oguri-kun’s example and get married.”

In response, Oguri joked, “When I was a child, I saw Higashiyama Noriyuki-san’s drama ‘The Chef‘, and wanted to become that kind of chef. Right now, I want Tsutsumi-san to get married.”

“Uchuu Kyodai” will open in theaters on May 5th.