HALLYU Magazine No.10

OLD SCHOOL ISSUE

BROWN EYED GIRLS

BEFORE ABRACADABRA WHO

ROCKED

IT BETTER? blonde vs blonde

HALLYU Hottest COMEBACKS

South Korean FASHION TRENDS

LOVE PASCOL TOP 5

RUNNING MAN

Moments

HALLYU

Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief/ Head Director Korea Manager Publicist Translator

ART

Chief-Art-Editor Art Editors Senior Artist Artists

Photographers

WRITING DEPT. Head Writing Editor Deputy Writing Editor Editors Writers

SPECIAL THANKS &ASSOCIATION 105 One.O.Five Cafe (SEOUL, KR) 24/7KPOP COAST2COAST Entertainment TIPTOP Entertainment AMN Radio USA KoreanCandy KPOP DREAMS Asia POP Radio Australia DRAMAfever DreamStar Entertainment Mafia Records HS Entertainment Music Factory BrosMedia Entertainment NEWTON &ALL Our Affiliated Friends

Learn More About Us www.hallyumagazine.com Send Us A Tip info@hallyumagazine.com

PR&MEDIA PR Director KOREA Staff

SouthEast Asia Staff

USA&Canada staff

PHOTOSHOOT Director Creative Coordinator

Nadezhda Hope KyoungJun Woo (KJ Woo) Ly Nguyen Kh HyeongJin Kim/Kyung Min Boo Nadezhda Hope Asel Sadekova Phoungpaulica Lay Dena H Nguyen Kirsy Marlin Crystal Srock Cheryl Mui Hon Liang Yi Asher Yeo Xin-Yi KJ. Woo (limephoto lab SEOUL) June Saladino Korapun Sritongsuk (ASIA) Stefanie Johnson Darla Cornett Algie Lesia Stephens Josephine Chew Amy Saiauski Gabrielle Luu Ryann Ellis J’mescia Price (JP) Maria Smith Theng Hui Tay Tamar Herman Nadezhda Hope Yuzu Lida HyukJoon Lim Yubin Jeon Grace Kang Korapun Sritongsuk (TH) Pharttana Anantawana (TH) Kay Lee (MY) Muhammad Faiz Bin Azman (MY) Wilson Chee Chan Weng (MY) Darren Kwok (SG&MY Team Leader) Stephanie Chee (SG) Cheryl Tan (SG) Emily Heng (SG) Joan Heng (SG) Son Ju Eun (SG) Janice Quek (SG) Phyllis Koh (SG, twitter) Oktantri Putri A. (INDO) Theresia Sylvanny (INDO) Jeannada Nathasya Laya (INDO) Frisanty Marissa (INDO) Amy Saiauski(FB/twitter/me2day) Dena H Nguyen (Tumblr) Josephine Chew Cassie Clifford Emilie Heilman Asel Sadekova Lida Yuzu (KOREA)

Contents

4

The Promise of Return G.O.D JAE CHONG Interview

8

SS501’s Fleeting Popularity From Zero to Hero to Idol Back When Your Idol’s Boss Debuted Actors Who Became Emperors Know Your Ajusshis &Ajummas Crazy Hair Of The Time Icon Old School Stage Outfits

16

JANG GUEN SUK Asia’s Prince 1999 Nostalgia

18

PASCOL Cover Interview

25

DELIGHT Cover Interview NEWTON &FLASHFINGER Interview

32

LEE SEUNG GI: Brilliant Prince Of South Korea 12 PLUS in Thailand Girl De Provence with SNSD

36

RUNNING MAN’s Fan Meeting RUNNING MAN’s Press Conference BTOB in Thailand

41

We Like To Party With JAY PARK All Hail HALLYU Wave A-JAX Do The Nastalgia Dance

46

GIRL’S GENERATION Girls &Peace Tour

48

KIM KIBUM Memory Of Sandwiches And Trolling No Longer The Newest Kids In Town: NUEST

52

Getting Into HALLYU Wave How Variety Shows Have Changed

54

B-BOYING Their Way Into History: MORNING OF OWL World Tours No Longer Limited To Asia

56

Top 5 Underrated Drama OSTs Top 5 RUNNING MAN Moments Crisis Management, You’re Doing It..

59

HALLYU’s Hottest Comebacks MARSHMALLOW Kitchen &Bar LEE MIN HO Fever To Return With THE INHERITORS Born To Be Blonde: Blonde VS Blonde

66

HALLYU MAGAZINE’s Super KPOP Concert BROWN EYED GIRLS: Pre Abracadabra LEE CHAE YOUNG

Autumn/Winter 2013 Issue No.10

3

HALLYU Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine

THE

OLD SCHOOL issue 4

The Promise of a Return...

On September 26, Joon Park, the leader of one of the first generation K-Pop groups, G.O.D, sent this tweet out: “Yo~ not to worry god will be back~ I ALWAYS keep my promises~ Remember that placard "In Joon We Trust”

t

his is not the first time mentions and hints have been dropped about the once wildly popular group returning. Earlier on September 3, 2013, Joon had also tweeted:

“...god&fangodskyblue will ride again~” In 2006 the group announced they would be taking a break while the lead vocalist of the group, Kim Tae Woo, went to service his mandatory military service.

However, it was never officially stated that the group had disbanded. While the members are currently pursing solo activities and interests, it seems that K-Pop fans may be in for a pleasant surprise in the future based on Joon’s recent tweets. Fan God’s might want to break out those boxes that hold their sky blue light sticks and balloons, and keep them on hand.

WRITTEN BY AMY SAIAUSKI

INTERVIEW WITH

JAE CHONG Hallyu: As a new music artist in the 90's how did you feel producing for Baby G, The Funky Few, and Soul Selection?

Jae Chong: I was fortunate to witness the birth of 1990's hip hop first hand. Some consider the 90s the Renaissance of hip hop music. As a producer, I was able to travel with these and experience the true underground scene in LA at the time. It's my experiences then that still affect the way I approach music today.

Hallyu: What made you decide to launch Machi EnterHal tainment in 2003?

Jae Chong: My close friend Jeff (former member of LA BOYZ) and I have always wanted to start an entertainment company in Taiwan. Since both of us were artists it came very naturally for us.

Hallyu: In 1997, you and Coco Lee began working together. Was this the first International Female artist you worked with?

Jae Chong: Coco was definitely one of the first international female artists to come out of Asia. I was fortunate to work with her and she taught me so much about the music business in Asia as well as outside.

Hallyu: Are there any interesting stories you can tell us about when you were in SOLID? Jae Chong: I just remember fans being in front of my door 24 hours a day. Most of them are married with kids now.

Hallyu: What can you tell us about KPOP in the 90's Hal compared to KPOP today? Especially with some of the groups that you've worked with such as JYJ and BoA? Jae Chong: The 90's was a very different era with no internet, social network, etc. so the artist had to do much more to get known. And most artists were only active domestically. Today, artists are branching out to just about every country in the world. Artists like JYJ and BOA are great examples of that.

Hallyu: Looking back to the times that you were in a KPOP group, is there anything you miss about it?

Jae Chong: There are a lot of things that I miss about it.

Top of that list would be the fans. We were like family. I miss all of them. I got to meet some of them during tours with AZIATIX and it was really great to see them after all these years.

Hallyu: With this being said is there anything you don't miss?

Hallyu: What type of influence do you think your music has on the people that listen to it?

Jae Chong: I don't miss living in the van almost day and night. We were on the road most of the time. I remember only getting 2 hours of sleep each day for more than 3 months.

Jae Chong: I would like to think "positive" influence. Also, I always like to push the limit and try to do something a bit different every time. I really don't like to do the same "run of the mill" kind of stuff. I would like to challenge people always to push the envelope and try to improve things.

Hallyu: Were there any specific groups you wanted to Hal work with in the 90's?

Hallyu: If you could host a SOLID reunion would you?

Hal Why or why not?

Jae Chong: I always wanted to work with Shin Seung Hoon, and Kim Gun Mo who were the top artists in Korea and I was fortunate to work with both of them.

Jae Chong: Sure. I think it would be fun. I would love to meet our fans again and see how they are now.

Hallyu: How did it feel to compete with H.O.T in 1996 when they debuted?

Hallyu: Was it hard adjusting to the new style of music or were you able to adjust fairly quickly?

Jae Chong: Actually, we didn't really get to perform in the same time period. We were already on our way back to LA when H.O.T. debuted. Their manager was and still is a great friend of mine so I was very happy to see them succeed. I just remember they were cute little kids when I first met them.

Jae Chong: I grew up listening to so many genres of music, it I can adjust to different styles quite easily.

Hallyu: Do you think the fans of the 90's and early 00's are less crazy, more, or about the same?

Jae Chong: Oh‌Many times. We pretty much trade marked the whole suite with no shirt look. haha. Very 90s.

Jae Chong: I think fans in the 90s were definitely crazier –mainly, because they didn't have internet back then. The only way they would get a glimpse of an artist is if they see them physical often times. So a lot more fans used to camp outside artists' houses, etc. and go absolutely crazy over artists.

Hallyu: What made you decide to become a KPOP artist Hal then continue through the years with music?

Hallyu: Is there anything that you had to wear on stage that you thought, "What in the world was my stylist thinking?"

Jae Chong: I just wanted to make music at the time, and being an artist was a great way to get my music out there.

Korea gave me a chance to do just that. Little did I know what we did back then would influence this HUGE movement called KPOP.

BACK WHEN YOUR IDOLS’ THE BOSS DEBUTED ACTORS WRITTEN BY DARREN KWOK

SEO TAIJI & BOYS Now, all bosses in their own rights, one of the member, Yang Hyun-suk formed one of the most successful K-Entertainment companies in South Korea, known as YG Entertainment, home to idols such as Lee Hi and the Akdong Musicians.

RAIN Known as one of the most iconic seniors of the modern K-Wave, Rain had also started his own company in 2007, J.Tune Entertainment which is home to idols such as MBLAQ and TWO X. In 2010, it was announced that J.Tune Entertainment would merge with JYPE.

PARK JIN-YOUNG Park Jin-young, or more known as JYP, formed JYP Entertainment, home to idols such as 2PM and one of the kickstarter groups in the Korean wave, the Wonder Girls. It is good to note that JYP is still active as a singer, having released his latest album, Halftime.

LEE SOO MAN Lee Soo-Man had a decent stretch of years being a singer and had been a successful TV Host. He has also become the owner of SM Entertainment, which is home to groups like Girls Generation and SHINee. Under him, SM has become a mega business.

SHINHWA They used to be under SM and then Good Entertainment. Now, these idol legends who are still active as an idol groups, formed their own company, known as the Shinhwa Company.

Andy also founded Top Media which is the home to groups like Teen Top and 100%.

WHO BECAME EMPERORS WRITTEN BY DARREN KWOK

01. Lee Tae Gon Actor Lee Tae Gon plays the role of Damdeok, later known as Supreme King Yeongnak, a monarch and skilled warrior that manages to restore the former Goguryeo dynasty to its former greatness, having vowed to restore it to its once great position due to his father’s death from fighting with Baekje forces.

Tae Gon represents the stereotype of a strong willed monarch, his charisma strongly reflecting in the drama.

02. Song Il Gook Song Il Gook plays the role of Jumong Taewang, the founder of the kingdom of Goguryeo. In the drama, Song Il Gook plays a man who is a leader who serves for the people, by the people, refusing to abandon his people even when it would turn out in his favour.

This drama was incredibly successful, with ratings even reaching 80% in countries such as Iran.

03. Choi Soo Jong Choi Soo Jong plays the role of Emperor Taejo, who is noted for the unification of Korea during the Three Kingdoms era. The drama revolves around the careful yet tactful personality of Emperor Taejo, who has to pull through a difficult period in court, due to politics and external warfare while attempting to reunite the Three Kingdoms.

Written by Hon Liang Yi

KNOW YOUR

AJUSSHIS & AJUMMAS

In an entertainment industry where hot bods seem to rule the roost, you have appreciate the veteran actors!

1. CHOI MINSOO More famous for his role as the ‘hunter’ on variety show Running Man, the burly Choi Minsoo came from a asddd family of equally illustrious sadsg Korean stars. Jumping into more than 30 roles in both television asd and movies, his acting has won asd him numerous awards – most notably, his acting won him two out of the seven Baeksang Awards that add 1995 drama Sandglass won in 1996.

While he has been popping up in Running Man a couple of times to get revenge on grasshopper Yoo Jae Suk, he has also recently starred in Imperial Korea melodrama The Blade and the Petal as nobleman Yeon Gaesomun.

2. BAE JONG-OK Seen her as the manipulative Secretary Wang who terrorizes Oh Young (played

by Song Hye Kyo) in That Winter, the Wind Blows, Bae Jong-ok has been an actress since 1985. Slowly working her way up the ranks, she won herself the 1987 Popularity Award in the KBS Drama Awards for her numerous works in two years. She continued acting in dramas like My Husband’s Woman as well as movies like My Beautiful Girl, Mari.

Her latest projects include working with Jo In Sung in That Winter, the Wind Blows as well as playing the starring role of Alzheimer-stricken Yoon Bok-hee in Wonderful Mama.

3. BAEK YOON-SIK

4. AHN SUNG-KI

He is the man with an iconic face– SDD having no facial expressions at all! Kicking off his debut in 1970, Baek Yoon-sik took on sdaa lead roles in four films, like Excellent Guys and Only With you with Seo Mi-kyung. His sd acting career turned to televidsf sion for a while, but it was not until the acclaimed Save the Green Planet! where he was seen as a cult figure for his role as an arrogant company executive believed to be an alien –when he skyrocketed into the public spotlight. He is set to appear in The Face Reader as general Kim Jongseo.

The UNICEF representative who speaks multiple languages appeared in more than 100 films since the 1980s, most notably the 1960 celebrated film, The Housemaid.

With his wisely appearance, he portrayed the President of South Korea twice –in The Romantic President and Hanbando. For his outstanding and extensive work, he was selected to be one of the two Korean actors to leave their hand and foot prints on the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood – the other actor was Lee Byung-hun. Catch this grand man in 2014 movie Leaflet, where he stars alongside Kim Kang-Woo and Park Sung-Woong.

5. LEE HYE SOOK Rounding off our list of veteran actors is the beautiful Lee Hye Sook, who has had her fair share of motherly roles of late, in dramas like You Are My Destiny and Dream High. She has come a long way from her youthful days in Senoya back in 1989 to her latest roles in I Summon You, Gold! and My Love, Madame Butterfly, where she plays Sylvia Choi, a woman with a devastating truth to uncover. While she may not be as well recognized as the maknaes, fans have consistently applauded her for her rec ability to play almost any role.

R I A H Y Z A R C

OF THE TIME

By Ryann Ellis

F

rom spikes and crazy braids all the way to the neon colored highlights, it seems that there were no limits to the range and uniqueness of hair back in the days. Sure some things haven’t changed much since then, but I’m sure unless it’s an old school themed event you won’t be seeing these styles very much anymore. I guess you could say that when it came to hair, if it fit the event then go ahead and wear it.

As far as male groups went the typical spikes looked to be the most fitting. DBSK and H.O.T were definitely the culprits of the spiky look. At one point in all of the members careers they went with a spiky look.

SS501 is also another group that sported the subtle spike when they debuted back in 2005. Male groups weren’t the only people who tried a spiky look female groups such as BabyVox tried out this popular look and to many peoples surprise it looked good for the time. Moving on from spikes we saw another style that rocked the 90’s and early 2000’s; braids and neon highlights. The first group that comes to mind when I think of this is Sechskies. They rocked every hairstyle and made it look hot.

(Referring to the picture below) It can definitely be said while keeping a certain look up for the fans, the hairstyles were a lot more “free” than they are now.

An idol could sport the craziest look on their heads and fans would be quick to attempt to have the same look within a week of it being shown.

ICONIC

It

is undeniable that the catchy tunes and the tightly synchronized moves of the Hallyu wave have successfully taken the world by storm. Riding on top of that wave, the Korean fashion industry is starting to find its place in many hearts. Korean designers are increasingly being noticed by the world of haute couture and even Hollywood Star, Hugh Jackman would ask, ‘Is this (jacket) Gangnam Style?’

OLD SCHOOL STAGE OUTFITS

By Stephanie Chee

Has the Korean fashion industry always been in the front line? Or has it evolved through the years to become what it is today? Let us travel back in time to take a look at how things were done back then.

1

Take a look at the light pink, cotton candy-like pants and suspenders from H.O.T’s promotional photo for Candy in 1996. Who would have thought that this style would make it back to the industry so many years later through Katy Perry’s promotional photo for Teenage Dream (albeit the fact that hers looks a tad skimpier)?

2

The novelty glasses that were once oh-so-popular in the 80s/90s found their spotlight on the runway once again Spring 2013, this time, in other holographic forms. But lo and behold, the members of Sech Kies were already rocking these futuristic pieces for one of their title tracks, Chivalry, in 1997.

3

Remember the camo prints that everyone was raving about back in the 90s? 14 years after the T.T. MA girls rocked these camo overalls in their performance of Prism, we see the return of the edgy military print this Fall.

4

The sheer fashion that M.I.L.K’s Seo Hyun Jin sported in this picture from year 2001 rose to its popularity in Summer 2009. Till today, sheer pieces remain as a statement piece and a must-have especially in Spring and Summer.

Jang Geun Suk asia’s prince

By Ryann Ellis

W

hen you think of Jang Geun Suk the first thing that comes to mind is the Prince of Asia right? Well lets just say that he wasn’t always considered royalty. In 1992 Geun Suk began his career as a child model. He was only five years old, but seeing his potential, the agent that had signed him into the modeling job let him continue with his parents permission. In 1997 Geun Suk made his acting debut in the drama Selling Happiness. Becoming inspired by a Japanese pop band, Jang Geun Suk traveled to New Zealand to learn Japanese and English, but due to scheduling he returned to Korea again. Soon after returning back to his homeland, he fell into a depression thinking his acting wasn’t good enough but he vowed to work extra hard to become the best actor that he could be. In 2005 he came back in the drama Lovers in Prague and his career took to the sky. He started becoming more popular through his dramas especially Beethoven Virus and Hong Dil Gong. He was also casted into some major films including Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do and Baby and I. After 6 years of television and film performances Jang Geun Suk debut as a singer with his single Let me Cry which topped the Japanese Charts and selling 119,149 copies of his album within the first week. Finally, in 2012 he toured Japan with Big Brother under the name Team H where his popularity shot through the sky amongst Korean, Japanese, and American fans. His most recent album won the 27th Japan Golden Disk Awards under the category for the Best 3 Albums.

So as you can see this prince didn’t always start off as royalty. The actor, singer, and overall comedian went through many ups and downs as his stardom became bigger and bigger, but through constant persistency and hard work, he worked his way up to the top and now everyone around Asia calls him Prince Jang Geun Suk.

1999

NOSTALGIA

WRITTEN BY TAMAR HERMAN

Shinhwa and Lee Hyori greeted each other with 90-degree bows, wishing each other luck on stage and discussing their music show awards. No, it’s not the late 90’s, but 2013.

2013 welcomed comebacks by popular variety idols Shinhwa and Lee Hyori, enabling them to win several awards. Tony Ahn, Eun Ji Won, Moon Hee Jun, Danny Ahn, and Chun Myung Hoon got together and performed as H.J.G.R. Korean Techno Queen, Lee Jung Hyun, teamed up with director Park Chan Wook to make a comeback with V. Drunken Tiger returned after four years with an album filled with emotions.

Like most Korean artists, fans greeted them with loud cheers—the same fans who had cheered them on in 1999.

These were the same artists who ruled the Korean music scene in 1999. Although there have been some changes: Lee Hyori was still in Fin.K.L and the singers of H.J.G.R were members of H.O.T, g.o.d, Sechs-

kies, and NRG; all of these artist groups were performing in 1999. Fourteen years later, they’re stillmaking a splash. Fans were there to cheer them on, whether they were fans from fourteen years ago or new fans who were finding “new-old” idols to cheer for.

The late 90’s was the start of Hallyu, so it’s no surprise that these artists are famous around the world, but the fact that they are still performing and relevant in Korea fourteen years later is fascinating. They are no competition to the newest idol fads like EXO or Sistar, but these comebacks and the reception from their fans prove that Korean fans are loyal to their artists, even fourteen years later. Artists can stay relevant by moving into other aspects of the Korean entertainment industry, such as producing or acting, but it is only when they sing that fans really have a sense of nostalgia.

Will 2014 have comebacks from 2000? Or will the 1999 crop still be the new old-timers on the Korean music scene? Only time will tell.

Interview:

LOVE PASCOL

[

Written and Edited by: Darren Kwok Interviewed by: Grace Kang Photography by: Hope Nadezhda

]

[

HALLYU Magazine had the chance to sit together with the talented girls of Love Pascol. Known for their amazing voices and personalities, here is a chance for you to ind out more about the girls and Love Pascol!

>> KNOWING LOVE PASCOL

]

>> MUSICALLY TALENTED DUO

(cont) participated in making all of our songs. Oh, maybe that’s why our songs couldn’t become popular!

Hallyu: Are there any countries you wish to perform in, outside of South Korea?

Pascol: Last time we had a performance in Denver, the United States. There were so many Americans and Koreans who live there. We were so proud of ourselves and it was so cool. If we can have those chances again, it would be really nice. Before that we want to have performances in Korea, because there are many K-Pop sunbaes who are very popular all over the world. In the future, I hope we do.

Hallyu: Will we be seeing a comeback soon?

Pascol: Come back stage on air is going to start from next week. (The interview date was 10th of October).

We were on the show, called “SBS Challenge 1000 songs” last week. We are planning to be on some broadcast shows next month. We usually have performances in areas such as Hongdae.

>> FUN LOVING LOVE PASCOL

Hallyu: What variety shows would you two like to go on?

Pascol: I watch all kinds of variety shows. And especially “Hello Counselor (An-nyeong-Ha-se-yo)” is really fun.

If we have chance, we want to be on the show. I like the of a talk show. It’s so funny. And we also like the show “A

mood of a talk show. It’s so funny. And we also like the show “A Real Man (Jin-ja-sa-na-i).” We want to participate in the training.

Hallyu: Are there any funny habits that you two observe from each other?

Jay Sun: Moon bin is really creative. When she shows me her writing stuff, I ask her what it’s about. But she says “I have no idea” (laughs). But many times her writing became some parts of the lyrics. She’s such a good at cute things like nail art, writing stuff. She’s girly.

Moon Bin: (Laughs) not really. Jay Sun is good at drawing.

She likes to draw something. When she draws something on her smartphone stuff, she looks so cool. And she’s very active and good at playing basketball.

Jay Sun: Yes, it was irst time to hear from girl, “You look nice” when I was playing basketball. The girl was Moonbin.

Moon Bin: I’m not good at sports. Last time we learned to play catch ball and she was really good at it.

Hallyu: What is Love Pascol’s dream?

Pascol: As I said before, we want to make exciting songs. We often say that someday our own fans will come to see our performance and sing along. It would be really awesome. To become a “no.1” on music charts could be cool. But what we really want to be is not that. When we have a performance, everybody sings along with our songs, that’s what we want.

Pascol: I don’t know if it’s right to say as an acting experience, we were on the advertisement of *mart. Our characters were college girls and at the time we realized that acting is so hard.

If you guys can understand our unatural acting, we want to act funny; have active charactes.

Hallyu: Who is your ideal type?

Moon Bin: Yes, because I used to call her with her real name. But you know people don’t know her real name, but I sometimes accidently call her real name on the stage. So everyone was like, “Who is that?” Since then I prefer to call her as “Sun” now.

Jay Sun: Why?

Hallyu: What activities do Love Pascol do together for Hal fun?

>> LOVE AND OTHER THINGS Moon Bin: Lee Jong Seok! Actually my ideal type is always changed. But these days I love Lee Jong Seok, he’s awesome. I want to meet him once.

Moon Bin: There’s no reason … There’s no reason to love somebody (laughs).

Jay Sun: I like a person who is polite. I wrote about it in lyrics. I like a person who has inner beauty more than good looking. If I have to choose one, Park Jun Seok sunbae (Taesaja’s member) who belongs to our company is my ideal type. He’s really nice and polite. And he is good looking (laughs).

Hallyu: What is your ideal date?

As I told you already, double date!

Hallyu: What nicknames do you have for each other?

Jay Sun: Well, she usually calls me “Sun~” “Sun-ah”.

Jay Sun: Yea, I call her just “Moonbin” or “Moonbin Zang”.

Well, making songs together. And we play catchy ball together these days. It’s really fun.

Hallyu: We are coming to an end to the interview… Can you say something to our readers at HALLYU?

Moon Bin: Actually when we irst heard that we have this interview, we already started searching for the magazine. All the articles were in English. We were embarrassed, but we needed to prepare for this, so we tried to read them. And we igured out that many people like the HALLYU magazine. I hope you guys enjoy reading this interview and hope you guys have fun and smile. Hope you all love to listen to our music.

Jay Sun: Firstly, I really thank you for all your interest in K-pop. Also thank you for giving us this opportunity interviewing. We will try hard more and more, so please remember us and Love Pascol! Thank you!

Special Thanks to 105 One.O.Five Cafe in Seoul, KR

29

NEWTON /’nutn/ n.

makes us think about scientist, apple, and smartness. Like this we want to find out something special.

HALLYU: Do you have a memorable performance?

FLASH FINGER: Ansan valley rock festival (this is the biggest festival in Korea) JOOBOOM: Ansan Valley Rock Festival, Jara Island Festival, and Korea Live Music Festival.

HALLYU: Can I ask you to introduce yourselves?

JOOBOOM: Hi, I am Jooboob and I am a guitarist.

JO JK: I am a part of Mixing.

FLASH FINGER: Hi, I am the leader of Newton.

HOJUN: I am a drummer of Newton.

ROY: Hi, I am Roy. I am a bass of team.

(Jooboom has been a students of Flash finger, Roy played musical with Flash finger, JK was a member of former band, and Flash finger collaborate with 국카스텐, YB, 백지영.

HALLYU: You must be very busy with your schedule but in your free time, what do you do?

FLASH FINGER: We don’t prefer drinking. I usually FLA go clubbing and hang out with my friends.

JK: I mix music when I am free.

JOOBOOM: Now a days, I am a director of one musical. It makes me busy when I am free haha.

HALLYU: Do you have a motto that you live by?

FLASH FINGER: A rolling stone gathers no moss JOOBOOM: I trust myself. Main character in my life should be myself.

HOJUN: People are my property.

ROY: Too much is as bad as too little.

HALLYU: If you were to go on a world tour, what are some of the countries that you would like to go to?

FLASH FINGER: I want to go to the U.S.A., EU, Sweden.. Haha I want to go to every country.

JOOBOOM: I have been to the Middle Eastern Asia JO and Taiwan to have concerts and it was really funny. I want to go there again..

HOJUN: I used to live in L.A. I miss that.

ROY: Nowhere.

HALLYU: What is the meaning of the team name?

Newton makes us think about scientist, apple, and

smartness. Like this we want to find out something special.

HALLYU: Is there any old school kpop artist that has inspired you or you grew up listening to?

FLASH FINGER: Peter pan complex give me inspiration.

HALLYU: Do you have any addictions? Like coffee or facebook.

FLASH FINGER: I am addicted to SNS, I usually contact friends in Europe through facebook.

HALLYU: How would your friends describe you to other people?

JOOBOOM: Most of my friends describe me a musiJO cian who is in a band.

JK: They describe me a paranoiac hahaha. Actually, I like to arrange my stuffs in a row.

ROY: Nothing. I will be there, if someone wants to know about me.

FLASH FINGER: I am a composer, but my friends

make me singing haha.

HOJUN: I was a lecturer at a college. So, my friends call me a professor.

HALLYU: If you could be a doctor what kind of doctor would you be and why? (Ex. Eye doctor, to be able to show the person a beautiful world.)

JOOBOOM: When I was young, I wanted to be a pediJO atrician, because I was very sick, when I was young, so, I went to a hospital, and the doctor was admirable.

JK: Plastic surgeon, I want to earn a lot of money hahaha.

HOJUN: Ob/gyn. I want to see a beauty of birth.

ROY: Urology, it seems no one wants to do it.

HALLYU: Please provide an encouraging message to HALLYU readers and your fans.

We are working for next album. We are promising you that we will make a music which has Korean tastes but not weird for you too. Thank you.

Lee Seung Gi: Brilliant Prince of South Korea

Photography by Faith & D entertainment Written by hon liang yi Lee Seung Gi is a man of many talents. He’s a singer, actor and host – and in addition to that he’s been voted ‘Best Travel Mate’, and of course, ‘Best Husband Material’. With all these achievements and his adorably good looks, you can’t help but agree – this man certainly sounds like Mr Perfect.

So this skeptical reporter decided to take all her research with a bucket of salt. Going to the press conference, I decided that I would ignore what I’ve read and see if he really was that awesome.

The results? He is indeed as awesome. Here, I’ve listed three reasons why.

1 – He’s 100% Husband Material, Inside Out!

Fans voting Lee Seung Gi as ‘Top Male Celebrity one will immediately say ‘Yes’ to when asked for their hand in marriage”? Fine, he is pretty charming. Having a near perfect score of 95 out of 100 on a wedding consultant agency’s rating system? Okay, that is a little telling. But when Lee Seung Gi was asked about his thoughts on what made a good husband, his answer sealed his status as Best Hubby Material. “A good husband would be one who thinks for the family first,” he told the fans and the media. One of them next to me tried to contain her excitement. “The best quality of a husband would be being good to the family and taking care of the family.”

2 – He is Utterly Devoted!

You’ve got to admire Lee Seung Gi’s dedication to his careers – all of them. He shared his adoration for singing, acting and hosting, and he expressed his hope to do all three of them at once – but whatever he may be doing, you can be assured that he will do his best. “I tend to focus on the one I’m involved at the moment, so my favourite would be the one I’m doing at the moment.” He has revealed that he would be joining variety show Grandpas Over Flowers, so look out for that!

3 – Mr Perfect actually isn’t that perfect.

Which makes him so much more likeable than he already is. “Frankly, I’m very scared of ghosts,” he admitted, when he was asked about how most of his dramas, like Gu Family Book and even My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, involved a female ghost. He even admitted a massive bad habit of his – taking too much care of something new. “I won’t treasure it for a very long time though – it’ll last only about a month but after that it just becomes one of the old things that I have.”

12+ The time is

The beautiful Kim Tae Hee came down to Thailand to show her support for Thai cosmetic brand 12 Plus’ new product, 12 Colorista, alongside Thai actor Mark Prin. Thanks to 12 Plus for the chance to show you guys photographs we’ve snagged of the lovely pair during the event!

GiRL de Provence Thank You Party with YoonA, Seohyun and Jessica

It’s official - Thailand has been Soshi-fied! When the adorable trio came down to invite us to attend the GiRL de Provence Thank You Party , we couldn’t resist their charms! Here are some snapshots of the event.

RUNNING MAN IN SINGAPORE

By Darren Kwok | Photography by Phyllis Koh

PRESS CONFERENCE Smiling warmly, Ji Sukjin, Kim Jongkook, Gary, HaHa and Jihyo walked into the hotel function room where the press conference was being held. When asked about what they liked most about Singapore, most replied, surprisingly, the greenery in the country – befitting the status of the Garden City. However, HaHa added that he had loved the Chilli Crab that he had eaten, and other Running Man members sang praise for it as well. The emcee of the show jokingly indicated that perhaps Kim Jong Kook can become the green ambassador of Singapore (he indicated that he was previously in Singapore, he had praised the country about the greenery before).

However, the press was not willing to let them go off so easily. The first question shot off with the media asking why Gary had been so daring in his advances with her Monday Girlfriend (Monday Couple), even giving her a kiss on the cheek in the show. Being calm, Gary replied, “It could have been possible that I was crazy at that point of time.”

When Jihyo was directed the same question, she began to hesitate, before fellow cast member, HaHa, betrayed the both, revealing that Gary had already advised Jihyo to say that she felt good about it. Laughing, Jihyo said that she liked it. At this instance, Gary stood up and cheered, and the other Running Man members, especially HaHa, urged them to kiss again which drew laughter from the floor.

Then, Jihyo was asked how it felt being the only female member in the Running Man team. Jihyo said that the fellow cast members do not treat her as a girl, just a fellow member, in which Jongkook hilariously interjected, that she is not a girl for reasons that she is stronger than most of the male members, sometimes even the famous Sparta himself.

The members were then quizzed –among them, if they had the ability to, which strength would they remove from their fellow Running Man? Ji Sukjin and HaHa had the same person in mind– Jongkook (his muscles and power).

HaHa also wished to take away Sukjin’s old age. A member of the media also asked Jongkook about his injured back that was recently revealed to be plastered with medicinal tape in an episode when he fought with Chun Jung Myung. Jongkook then assured fans the he was fine and the medicinal tape was only reinforce his back. there to help rein The five of them also indicated their gratitude as having becoming trend setters – for example, the hat Jihyo wears has become a popular accessory. Sukjin then indicated his interest to conduct a Running Man race in Singapore near the iconic Singapore flyer.

Rounding off their meeting, the five of them expressed their gratitude to all who have made their way to the press conference and hoped that everyone will continue loving Running Man.

running man: MEN OF MANY TALENTS (and fanservice)

Written by Chan Yee Chun | Photo Credits: ONE Proving the popularity of the mega-Asian variety show hit, Running Man embarked on their Watsons! Race Start in Singapore Fan Meeting Asian Tour 2013 over the weekend with their collective and own quirky charms.

“Jihyo SABOH!” “No, no, no, no, I love you~” As it is Song Ji Hyo’s first promotion tour with Running Man for their Asian Tour and first time in Singapore, the two short days in Singapore have definitely brought about many ‘firsts’ for her and the rest of the cast. Having learnt the Singaporean term for the word “betrayal”: saboh (short for sabotage), they then proceed to use the term liberally, as in the exchange above between the show’s iconic Monday Couple between Kang Gary and Ji Hyo when the Mond latter danced with fellow cast HaHa. With it being the first time that Ji Hyo – the shyer and more passive half – exclaimed her affections, the fans of Monday couple shouted their cheers and support for the on-stage couple.

During the chat sessions, Gary notes that this is the first time Monday Couple are together in a Running Man fan meet and immediately quips that he likes Ji Hyo because she’s pretty, to which the “Commander”, Kim Jong Kook, SS

quickly rebutted with his humourous answer that it’s because “she has a lot of gold. She’s Gold Jihyo.”

The five members present a constant image on both television and in real life. Ji Hyo doesn’t need to speak much but manages to endear herself to all, judging by the loud cheers she gets by both genders; Gary poses with his signature peaceful look when taking Polaroid photos with lucky fans on stage; HaHa is very much the lively imp who wants to “eat chilli crab in the club afterwards”; Kim Jong Kook simply owns the game (we could almost see the “Commander” caption in our minds when he finally won the game that dragged out for too long) and Ji Suk Jin bumbles around, giving his 100 per cent in everything and drawing laughter from the crowd as he indiscreetly exchanges seats with Gary so as to let the Monday Couple sit together.

In their interaction with each other, the members of Running Man (excluding absentees Yoo Jae Suk and Lee Gwang Soo) fool around and banter with each other comfortably non-stop, seen by how HaHa daringly lifts Jong Kook’s shirt up more than once for the fans to appreciate the latter’s rock-hard abs and how Jong Kook clears up his common misconception that he’s the most competitive SSS.

member when he faces claims of not being human by Suk Jin and being Hulk instead by Ji Hyo. “I don’t always wanna win, I just want to let them win every time… I’m a very generous person,” he says, to the amusement of everyone.

Fans were then given a rare treat: live singing performances by all five Running Man stars. Suk Jin sang ‘I Swear’, a throwback to his comedic audition in 1993 and a Running Man gag; Gary, who is one half of Leessang, performed the hip hop duo’s songs frequently featured in the show; while Ji Hyo joined him for Leessang’s ‘Turned Off the TV’ (fun fact: check out the lyrics). HaHa amped up the atmosphere with a medley, bringing his previous reggae showcase in Singapore (link to Skull&HaHa’s showcase article?) to mind, and Kim Jong Kook serenaded the audience with ‘One Man’, the song featured whenever Jong Kook attempts to get a love line with guests.

With plenty of thanks for the warm welcome and promises to be back with Jae Suk and Gwangsoo (and hopefully to even film an episode here!), all five then sang each others’ songs together and brought a suitable end to the Watsons Race Start! in Singapore as they sang Leessang’s Hard To Be Humble. Seeing how the crowds ate up the fan meet tickets within hours, I suppose it would indeed be difficult to remain humble with that amount of popularity.

List of songs they sang: Suk Jin – I Swear Gary – You’re The Answer To A Guy Like Me; The Girl Who Can’t Break Up, The Boy Who Can’t Leave; Turned Off The TV Ji Hyo – Turned Off The TV HaHa – Story of A Little Kid You Are My Fate Rosa Busan Vacance Jong Kook – One Man Today More Than Yesterday All five – Kim Jong Kook’s Lovable Leessang’s Let’s Meet Now Hard to be Humble To watch RUNNING MAN Every Friday at 11.45pm On channel ONE StarHub TV channels 124, 820, 823 and 876 SingTel mio TV channels 513 and 604

Born to Beat,

Born to party BTOB invites Thai fans to join them with a New Year’s Eve event: BTOB YEAR END PARTY WITH MELODY IN THAILAND. An end of the year party fans cannot miss, it is set to be a fun-filled event together with nine exclusive songs to be performed.

This fan-filled party is the first of its kind in Thailand, hosted by the hottest boy band, BtoB. In this New Year’s Eve party, the seven men of BTOB plan to incorporate Thai tunes to the show along with close interactions with their fans.This event will include all seven members: Seo Eun Kwang, Lee Chang Sub, Jung Ilhoon, Lee Min Hyuk, Im Hyun Sik, Yook Sung Jae, and Shin Peniel. BtoB will be preparing a special surprise for their Thai fans with games that will make their relationship with them closer.

With hits from their first album to their recent one “THRILLER”, there will also be a birthday celebration for BtoB’s leader, Seo Eun Kwang. He said, “So many fans have showed their support and love towards us. So we would like to have this opportunity to return our love and support to the fans as well.”

Join the fun with BTOB on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at 6pm at Center Point Studio, Soi Sukhumvit. 105 tickets will been sold on Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10 am at www.thaiticketmajor.com, booth Thaiticketmajor, TTM CALL CENTER 02-262-3456. Ticket costs range from 1500 Baht (Thai currency) to 4500 Baht. Each ticket purchased will include a franchise.

Pre-sale prices for 500 VVIP tickets will be 4,500 on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand Sukhumvit 15-17 from 12pm – 4pm only! For more details, visit our website at https://www.facebook. com/kcathailand. After the pre-sale date, tickets will then be sold again from October 26 – November 1, 2013. Fans will be eligible to win a signed CD album from BTOB. 80 albums will be given away.

ticket information:

vvip 4500 baht:

royal 2500 baht:

vip 3500 baht:

standard1500 baht:

One lucky fan will get to high-five all BtoB members on stage and one in seven VVIP ticket holders will get to play games with BtoB. Everyone will receive a poster.

Everyone will receive a poster and you may stand a chance to snap a photograph with BtoB right after the concert! In this category, your chances are much higher so grab your tickets while you can!

40

Everyone will receive a poster and you may stand a chance to snap a photograph with BtoB right after the concert! For folks who want a chance at that, this is the perfect category for you.

You’ll get to catch all the entertainment and you’ll also receive a free poster, so book your seats soon!

we like 2 party with

jay park

We met the ever-fabulous JAY PARK at his I Like 2 Party Tour Live in Bangkok on October 5 recently and we were definitely overwhelmed by his charisma and suave-ness. Dubbed the ‘Fresh Prince of South Korea’, his fan-meeting at JJ Mall was certainly nothing short of fresh. Check out the photo highlights right here!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STANFORD HO

WRITTEN BY HON LIANG YI PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN YU XIN XIANG

Up against the likes of APink and NU’EST, it felt like a Herculean task for A-JAX to match up to them. And A-JAX did the complete opposite – instead of hiding in the shadows of these titans, the group stood out more for their love for their fans than their music.

A- JA X

Performing six songs, the boys charmed their small but utterly devoted fans with their explosive hits – too explosive.

When they kicked things off with ‘One 4 U’, the bass overwhelmed the group’s vocals, which made for a rather weak start to their concert. But that was soon fixed, and A-JAX won us all over with their sleek dance moves and equally hot vocals, especially from lead vocalist Yun-yeong, whose soaring vocals hit all the right notes.

Like APink, they wasted no time going from one song to the other, with well-rehearsed moves that dazzled their starstruck fans. But it was during the close interaction where A-JAX scored. The boys roamed the stage and played their own informal games with fans while the emcee was explaining the game.

They posed for photographs constantly and waved back at any fans who were waving at The silver-haired them.

Seung-jin in particular was rather enthusiastic in having fun with his fans – when this reporter gave him a thumbs-up for his effort, the rapper and lead dancer reciprocated by flashing a thumbs-up back.

1

KIBUM HAVING FUN

After 15 minutes of stalling, Kim Kibum finally decided to show himself –and made fans scream in half-horror, half-surprise as he emerged from the back of the concert hall. It all went downhill from there –we’ve never seen a celebrity so at ease with his fans before. He would purposefully fiddle with stage props while his host spoke to fans –he actually took a bowl and wore it on his head, much to the delight of the audience. And when it was time for the lucky draw, Kibum tried to read out the person’s handphone number –all of it. “Don’t you know what privacy is?” the host chided him playfully, snatching away the slip of paper. For someone who seemed so suave at his press conference, he really let loose –and that was probably the most enjoyable part of his fanmeet.

2

“I’VE NEVER COOKED FOR

anyone else except my motHer”

Lucky fans got a chance to stand on stage and let Kibum serve up some sandwiches. Before he started, he said almost apologetically, “I was going to go backstage and wash my hands, but you guys are here already so…” Then he admitted that the only other person he prepared food for was his own mother, which elicited happy screams from fans.

Mama’s boy then whipped up sandwiches – at first, at a painstakingly slow pace because “the cheese broke”, but eventually, he managed to serve his sandwiches to some of his adoring fans. When one fan asked for just half of the sandwich, Kibum teased, “Why? Are you scared my sandwich isn’t nice?”

KIMkibum

MEMORY ofsandwiches and trolling

[ ]

Written By: Hon Liang Yi Photography By: Korapun Sritongsuk

Kim Kibum’s Memory of Love fanmeet in Singapore deceives all with its name – it is not about looking back at memories of love, it is about creating new crazy memories with him and loving him anyway. Check out the top highlights of his fanmeet here.

3

SORRY SORRY

[

Despite his playful demeanor, Kibum was surprisingly apologetic at times. He had to play the Korean game “cham cham cham”, and he had the opportunity to use a hammer and hit his fans on the head if they lost to him. “I don’t feel like hitting any fans…” he told the audience. But later, when he gamely hit a fan on the head, he immediately apologized, “Sorry.” And he really did sound sorry! While he was having a lot of real fun, he was always making sure that his fans were happy as well. From apologizing about not being able to wash his hands before making sandwiches to apologizing to fans because they didn’t win, Kibum made fans feel like princesses (or princes).

4

MAGIC... NOT REALLY

The one act that elicited the most laughs was his magic act. “I’ve been practicing magic for the past two days. I have no experience doing this on stage but just to show it to you, I decided to try,” he explained to fans. His first trick ended catastrophically, when the cup he was trying to balance with another cup smashed to the ground, taking him by surprise. “It’s my first time!” he tried to explain. Then he did a typical prediction magic trick. Getting a volunteer up on stage, he tried to predict the sum of a series of seemingly random numbers generated by both the volunteer and himself –and succeeded. “Next time, I’ll make the tiger appear in front of you,” he promised.

5

FLIRTY BUM

The fanmeet was like a two-hour reminder that we may just have a chance with the handsome man. “If there’s a girl for me in Singapore, I want to stay here,” Kibum told the crowd, to rapturous cheers. Naturally, the host decided to press him for more details, including when he was planning to get married. “I don’t want to get married so soon…maybe when I’m 30. Do you think it’s too old?” Then he started haggling with the host, and it was soon decided that he will marry at the age of 35. And for girls who want Kibum’s baby, listen up: Kibum wants to have a daughter. “I don’t want to have a lot of kids because I want to spend a lot of time with my wife. Maybe one daughter, because I think my wife will be too tired.”

]

“WOULD I LOOK WEIRD IF I JUST STAND HERE

AND SMILE?”

–Kim Kibum, the man with the “killer smile” when asked to flash a smile to the audience.

One of the highlights of Vizit Korea Festival this year, Korean boy band NU’EST dedicated two hours of non-stop interaction, songs and dance for Singaporean fans in an intimate setting.

Being back in Singapore four months after having their 2013 NU’EST L.O.Λ.E TOUR IN SINGAPORE in Kallang Theatre, the showcase in Expo started off with a montage of the boys’ debut teasers, raising the fans’ anticipation as well as the volume of their screams for the boys.

Showing off their professionalism, technical mishaps could not throw their charismatic demeanor off and the members made their long-awaited appearance to the first song, Beautiful Ghost from their newest

Sleep Talking album, before performing to the similarly high-energy song, Action. Much to the frenzied cheers of fans, the boys, consisting of JR, Baekho, Ren, Min hyun and Aron charmingly smiled and assured them that they were feeling fine despite the obvious streaks of perspiration running down their faces and the band’s visual, Ren, tweeting about having a nightmare the night before.

“We want to repay the fans’ love for us,” says leader, JR, during the chat session, while wiping off his perspiration.

Perhaps that’s exactly why some fans went back home feeling extremely privileged. Singaporean fans are the first to feast their eyes and ears on NU’EST’s live performance of Pretty, a light-hearted pop song from the Sleep Talking album. To much laughter from fans and media alike, Los Angeles-born Aron attempted to announce the Singaporean names and addresses of the lucky fans who would receive posters and hugs, as well as having a group photograph with the boys.

“Tam-pines…? I think I got it wrong – hey don’t laugh at me!” he says, laughing at his own pronunciation as well.

Five even luckier fans, picked by the boys themselves, received personal items of the boys. As the emcee of the night puts it, “it’s very precious – you can’t even buy this with money”, which was true – Baekho gave his cap; both Minhyun and Aron gave their T-Shirt; JR gave his compass to a male fan and Ren gave his bag to a young boy fan.

For 14-year-old Cynthia Yap, whose name was drawn in the lucky draw to receive a poster, waiting for almost 12 hours in the moshpit queue was worth it. “I queued up since 8.40am, but we weren’t even the first few people in the queue,” she said.

In one of the well-deserved short break (for the boys, that is), the filming and behind-the-scenes of Fine Girl music video in Thailand was played to entertain the fans, which showed them being general goofy boys-next-door playing water polo (simultaneously showing off their lean, muscular bodies), to the excited response of the fans.

What would be a better way to end a heartfelt session than with promises to be back soon? “Singapore is a very clean and beautiful country and the fans here are very beautiful too, so I was really surprised. I am so happy to be here and thank you so much. We want to be back here again,” says Ren, while Baekho confided that amongst the three times they had been to Singapore, that was their most enjoyable day and he hopes to see all the fans again. Till then, boys – but for now I’ll go back listening to your albums again.

Aside from that, variety shows have also

become increasingly open to participation from the public and are not just limited to celebrities. One example would be ‘Dream Team’, which has a few episodes featuring civilians competing against their celebrity cast. Talk shows such as ‘Hello Counselor’ have jumped on the bandwagon as well by selecting members of the public and interviewing them about their eccentric problems.

The number of variety programs based on real life issues and experiences are also steadily increasing as compared to the past. For instance, in ‘Dad, where are you going?’, five inexperienced fathers are tasked with the responsibility of taking care of their children while traveling together, which is an aspect of life that many families can relate to and therefore attributing to its popularity. popularit

Running around in hot pink underpants

and competing against elementary school children in a test of wits- these are just some of the scenes commonly seen in variety shows today. The formula behind these shows is simple: strong camaraderie between cast members, thrilling expeditions and seemingly ‘impossible’ missions. However, despite the similar premise, there are several ways in which variety shows have changed.

Firstly, like K-pop, Korean variety shows, have too become global. Through social media such as Youtube, broadcasters are able to reach out to an international audience and cater to their tastes. As such, filming locations are no longer restricted to a particular set or area in Korea. Depending on the show’s concept and demand, they are filmed in all sorts of exotic locations such as a jungle in Madagascar (Laws of the Jungle) or a busy street in Vietnam (Barefoot Friends).

Most importantly,

the biggest difference between variety shows of the past and present will be the level of spontaneity. Back then, entertainment programs were expected to follow a certain format in terms of their activities.

Take the program, ‘X-man’ as an example.

Throughout the show, guests had to participate in a fixed series of games before deciding on who the ‘perpetrator (X)’ was. ‘1 Night, 2 Days’, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. The cast are expected to make do with the resources given and improvise accordingly, whether be it making their way out of a deserted mountain or de ciding what to cook for dinner. As such, this leads to a lot of unexpected and amusing situations, which makes for good entertain-

B-Boying

THEIR WAY INTO HISTORY Written by Amy Saiauski

Morning of Owl is a B-boying team from Suwon who has been taking the Bboy community by storm this year! Last year they were ranked 22nd with a total of 1927 points –up 64 spots from 2011 when they had 219 points. This year they have taken no prisoners and brought it to the Bboy community, taking 1st place in the current ranking as of the beginning of October with an impressive 10,772 points!

Morning of Owl was formed back in 2002 with the intent to expressing originality and creativity in their dance. Winning or losing, they keep going, never giving up, never quitting. The members of this talented crew consists of Issue, Pocket, Cho, Code, Sknuf, Chibi, Kayi, Owl’d, Birdie, and Sez. While already winning several battles during the course of the year, Morning of Owl was in for one battle that would keep the audience riveted as they watched. This year at the 2013 Sony Xperia B-Boy Championships World Finals, Morning of Owl competed against Japan’s Floorriorz in a high powered, fierce battle and emerged victorious, thus earning the coveted title of “World Champions”.

WORLD TOURS are

NO LONGER LIMITED TO ASIA With the spread of Hallyu across the globe it is becoming popular for idols to take world tours. For several years “world tours” have consisted of only Asian locations but over the last few years since 2011, tours have expanded to include stops on other continents, thus making them “true” world tours. While the United States is no stranger to K-Pop, this year idol groups VIXX, and Infinite are moving away from the standard locations of just Los Angeles, and New York. Infinite is moving further south east than any other group by holding a concert in Fairfax, Virginia, while VIXX decided to forgo New York and appeal to their fans in the south by making their way to Dallas, Texas.

VIXX will also be the first K-Pop artists to perform in Stockholm, Sweden, and Milan, Italy. In 2012 JYJ were the first Korean artists to perform in Peru and Chile, and in 2013 U-Kiss became the second Korean artist to perform in Mexico, but the first idol group. The first artist to hold a concert in Mexico was JYJ’s Junsu.

Europe is also seeing an increase of artists with idols such as Jay Park who just wrapped up his European tour which took him to London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. He was joined by the male group Victor on this tour.

With the ever increasing demand of K-Pop concerts from international fans, numerous companies are finding themselves with requests from all over the world for their idols to perform there. For the fans that despair of ever having K-Pop artists come to their country… don’t give up, the Korean wave is still flourishing, and making its way around the world

by Amy Saiauski

5 OSTS TOP DRAMA UNDERRATED

BY DARREN KWOK

5. LOVE & SLOW – G.NA

Sexy queen G.NA shows her vocal prowess and that her voice can not only pull off “sexy” but also, cute and innocent. In Love & Slow for the drama, Mate, this song’s light and slightly upbeat tone is pulled off perfectly by G.NA.

4. I CAN FEEL IT – NAVI

Navi demonstrates her powerful vocals for the drama, 49 Days, where use of high notes is common in this song. A song about feeling strong love for that special someone, Navi’s vocals are perfect for it.

3. SHOWER – JOO HEE (8EIGHT)

Joo Hee? Who is Joo Hee? Perhaps after hearing this, you will become a fan of hers. In this song about missing the one who has left her, Joo Hee’s voice is able to fully convey the sad emotions of the song.

2. THE ONE AND ONLY YOU – KIM SOO HYUN

One would usually assume an actor or actress cannot sing. Though untrue, it is generally the case. Or is it?

In this OST for The Moon Embraces The Sun, actor Kim Soo Hyun showcases his golden vocals for this sorrowful song. His voice is nothing short of the term, powerful.

1. SO I RUN – KIM TAEWOO

The bear Taewoo, as he is loveably known from his size and time spent on Invincible Youth, amazingly deviates from the powerful ballads or R&B songs that he usually delivers but successfully pulls off an upbeat song. It is little wonder that he is a senior in the industry.

TOP 5 R M unning

an oments

by Darren Kwok

5. Yoo Jaesuk dancing Expectation In the idol special, Yoo Jaesuk appears with Minah and Yura in tight pants and suspenders, following the lovely girls’ concept in the song Expectation. His dance caused the members who were watching to yell their displeasure and laugh out loud as his incredibly “sexy” dance, coupled with a straight face from trying not to laugh proved hilarious.

4. Yeon Woo ah!

Avid watchers will remember an episode where actress Han Ga In appeared. However, before that, she was hidden in a carriage along with one that would act as a fake (it obviously had Go Dong Wan, the troll maknae FD in it). People would remember that Kim Jong Kook obeyed Han Ga In’s will and helped her throughout the game as he was an avid fan of her drama, Moon Embracing The Sun. 3. Jackie! Jackie!

In the Running Man Treasure Hunter special, world star Jackie Chan appeared and shocked the entire Running Man cast. Don’t lie, it shocked you too!

2. Being Informal As Sparta Kook submerged his face under water to hold his breath, his team mates ran off to find the items in several buildings, the opposing teams set off to disturb Kim Jong Kook’s concentration. Kwangsoo used his ultimate attack, by dropping all honorifics when calling Sparta Kook.

The enraged tiger emerged and hit the rebellious giraffe.

1. Kim Jong Kook dancing Alone Sistar’s dance for Alone was extremely feminine, using their legs in gentle elegant movements. Kim Jong Kook had the moves. If you do not believe me, check it out.

Written by Darren Kwok

CRISIS YouMANAGEMENT are doing it... [ ] Note that the content is the writer’s opinion and does not reflect HALLYU’s position on the issue.

Right

SEUNGRI’S SEX SCANDAL

Few companies realise that sometimes, all you need are a few statements of strong words and tough language (minus the threats to sue), the large fandoms of idols can serve as a first, second, or even last line of defence against complete destruction of the idol’s image.

As demonstrated in this case, where Seungri was alleged to have slept with a Japanese lady. Details aside, Seungri merely briefly disappeared from the spotlight for a case of “self-reflection” while his fans picked up the shovels and dug trenches, defending him- some even attempting to prove that the photo was doctored.

YG cleverly used their fans as a form of controlling the damage done to his reputation, and with BIGBANG’s reputation nowadays, I doubt Seungri’s image took nothing more than a gentle hit- perhaps upwards.

SM’S ATTEMP TO ADD Wrong CHINESE MEMBERS TO SJ SM failed to understand that ELFs (Everlasting Friends) or Super Junior’s fanbase, are made up of diehard fans who would do anything to keep the number at “13”.

When SM ignored the protests held outside their headquarters by massive number of fans, demanding that SM keep the number of members at 13, ELFs did the unthinkable. They bought 58,206 stocks, in an attempt to gain a seat within SM to protest against the addition. The fans even initiated a “One Fan, One Stock” movement so that fans all over the world can join in the protest.

SM finally cracked under this enormous pressure and declared that the subgroup’s Chinese members will not be added to Super Junior.

Ridiculous? No? However, this is representative of how far fans can go.

hallyu’s

hottest comebacks taeyang

ringa linga

jaejoong (jyj) just another girl

fiestar i don’t know

ukiss she’s mine

trouble maker troublemaker now now

LEE MIN HO FEVER TO RETURN WITH

THE INHERITORS The Inheritors premieres on 6 November 2013 Airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.55pm (SG, MY) / 7.55pm (JKT) First and exclusively on ONE

Malaysia, 1 November 2013 – Heartthrob Lee Min Ho is back on TV! Following his last hit The Great Doctor, his legion of fans in the region is set to welcome the dashing South Korean star back in his brand new drama series, The Inheritors, debuting this November across Asia.

Premiering on 6 November, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.55pm first and exclusively on ONE HD (Astro B.yond ch393), The Inheritors promises to be a cross between the US teen drama Gossip Girls and Boys Over Flowers, the very series that Lee Min Ho (City Hunter) shot to fame with. A trendy romantic comedy following the friendships, rivalries and love lives of a group of extremely wealthy and privileged high school students being groomed to take on their families’ business empires, The Inheritors stars Lee as Kim Tan, an arrogant and self-centred heir to the Empire Group.

Sent to study in the US, Kim Tan is in reality forced into exile as his capable and accomplished elder half-brother Kim Won (Choi Jin Hyuk, My Daughter the Flower) takes over the family business back in South Korea.

While in the US, Kim Tan meets Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye, You’re Beautiful) by chance as she arrives in search of her elder sister. He falls for Cha without realizing she is actually the daughter of his family’s housekeeper. The complete opposite to Kim, the down-to-earth and ordinary Cha works part-time jobs to help out her family. Things get complicated when Kim’s fiancée Rachel Yoo (Kim Ji Won, To the Beautiful You), heiress to fashion label RS International, arrives to take him home. Yoo’s stepbrother Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin, A Gentleman’s Dignity), heir to the Zeus Hotel Group and a school bully, also falls for Cha...

Sent to study in the US, Kim Tan is in reality forced into exile as his capable and accomplished elder half-brother Kim Won (Choi Jin Hyuk, My Daughter the Flower) takes over the family business back in South Korea.

While in the US, Kim Tan meets Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye, You’re Beautiful) by chance as she arrives in search of her elder sister. He falls for Cha without realizing she is actually the daughter of his family’s housekeeper. The complete opposite to Kim, the down-to-earth and ordinary Cha works part-time jobs to help out her family. Things get complicated when Kim’s fiancée Rachel Yoo (Kim Ji Won, To the Beautiful You), heiress to fashion label RS International, arrives to take him home. Yoo’s stepbrother Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin, A Gentleman’s Dignity), heir to the Zeus Hotel Group and a school bully, also falls for Cha...

Making up the rest of a truly stellar cast are K-pop girl group f(x)’s Krystal Jung as Lee Bo Na, the daughter of Mega Entertainment’s CEO and Kim Tan’s ex-girlfriend; Kang Min Hyuk of rock band CN Blue plays Cha’s best friend Yoon Chang Young; and K-pop male group ZE:A’s Park Hyung Sik is in the role of Jo Myung Soo, the lazy son of the CEO of top law firm Victory.

Malaysia, 1 November 2013 – Heartthrob Lee Min Ho is back on TV! Following his last hit The Great Doctor, his legion of fans in the region is set to welcome the dashing South Korean star back in his brand new drama series, The Inheritors, debuting this November across Asia.

Part of The Inheritors was shot on location in California, United States, including at an almond farm with Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye, as well as in various parts of Los Angeles including the beaches of Malibu. The 20-part series is currently enjoying a steady gain in viewership as the sixth episode rated among the top six shows nationwide in Korea. The star-studded series is written by Kim Eun Sook who has delivered hits such as Lovers in Paris and Secret Garden, and directed by Kang Shin Hyo, who was behind Midas and Tazza. Having always admired the works of star writer Kim, Lee Min Ho’s first collaboration with her in The Inheritors counts as a “wish fulfilled” for him. Similarly, Lee’s co-stars Park Shin Hye and Choi Jin Hyuk also expressed excitement at being able to work with the acclaimed screenwriter.

Premiering on 6 November, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.55pm first and exclusively on ONE HD (Astro B.yond ch393), The Inheritors promises to be a cross between the US teen drama Gossip Girls and Boys Over Flowers, the very series that Lee Min Ho (City Hunter) shot to fame with. A trendy romantic comedy following the friendships, rivalries and love lives of a group of extremely wealthy and privileged high school students being groomed to take on their families’ business empires, The Inheritors stars Lee as Kim Tan, an arrogant and self-centred heir to the Empire Group.

For fans of Lee Min Ho, The Inheritors is the culmination of the star’s hard work this year following the release of his first album entitled ‘My Everything’ as a “small present” for his fans. He also went on a 10-city promotional tour through China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. And with November finally upon us, the immensely popular actor, idol and now, singer, makes his highly anticipated return to the small screen and Lee Min Ho fever looks set to sweep through Asia once again with The Inheritors, only on ONE!

Born Blonde to be

Platinum blonde has been something of a fad in the K-pop scene and so we take a look at some of our favourite and not-so-favourite faux blondes in the industry.

By: Asher Yeo Xin-Yi

Boyish Blondes Lee Sungmin

Jang Wooyoung

VS Breaking his chain of subdued hair colours by opting for a platinum blonde look, Sungmin gives off an almost Vampiric vibe with his light locks, garnering much joy from swooning fans.

Going through a radical image change in his solo debut, some found playboy Wooyoung stunning, but many still prefer him in his black hair and good-ol’ boy-next-door image

Who Rocked it Better?

Sungmin, his rounded face looks better framed by blonde compared to Wooyoung’s slightly sunken features back when he had blonde hair.

Blonde Belles Kim Hyoyeon

Suzy

VS Rocked it better!

Hyoyeon went blonde for her First Look photoshoot. Her strong features complement her golden hairdo so much that she positively radiates some sort of glow here.

B.A.P

Suzy’s face shape simply does not suit platinum blonde hair. Besides, we all know that Suzy has long, brown, luscious hair. What do you mean she can dye it? No.

Rocked it!

B.A.P may officially stand for “Best. Absolute. Perfect “, but at the time of their debut, these six talented rookies quickly earned the far more appropriate nickname of “Blonde Asian People”.

Far outclassing our lousy tinfoil hats, the aliens from Planet Mato brought the colour back into the spotlight with their platinum helmets.

HALLYU’S

SUPER KPOP CONCERT

HALLYU Magazine celebrated 2nd year anniversary by hosting HALLYU’s Super KPOP Concert in Seoul, Korea at Hongdae’s V HALL! On October 26th seven artist line up took on impressive stage that lasted 4 and half hours! 200 tickets was given out for free to our readers, and any one who said “I Love HALLYU Magazine!” at the door got free unlimited access to the concert. I.C.E opened the concert with their sexy dance such as Trouble Maker. Followed by energetic ARIE Band and soulful duo of M-TIFUL. TRANSFIXION spiced up the crowed. TOUCH took over with their powerful dancing and DELIGHT was last girl group that got the crowd going. Final stage was taken by SAY YES, after performing all their tracks they treated the fans with extra encore song that melted everyone away. Happy 2nd Year with HALLYU! “Thank you for your continues love and support!”

- HALLYU family

TOUCH

DELIGHT

TRANSFIXION

SAY YES

M-TIFUL

ARIE BAND

I.C.E

Yes, I am talking about the Brown Eyed Girls in the pre-Abracadabra era.

If you place a photo of their pre-debut or even pre-Abracadabra era side by side with a more recent image (say, Kill Bill era), one can liken the transformation to this: Park Hwisoon had just turned into Park Hyunbin. Mean, but you get the point.

Brown Eyed Girls was not what it was called today.

Before they debuted under the name of Brown Eyed Girls, in their training days, they performed under the name of Crescendo, to build stage confidence and also as a form of training.

Some may be curious about the past of Brown Eyed Girls and how it was formed. Leader JeA, was already singing

OSTs before they debuted and rapper Miryo was an underground rapper from the Honey Family while Narsha was selling clothes at a clothing store. Maknae Ga- In apparently went for a talent competition known as Battle Shin Hwa, but she was, in her own terms, what the companies were not looking for.

Ga In had single eye lids and not the round, shapely eyes that defined KPOP in that era. Also, she was not as tall.

Crying inside a bathroom, a PD took note of her and linked her up with the group that had yet to debut.

JeA somehow got all of them together, and when they deJe buted, they first debuted as a ballad group. No, they did not start off with Dance Pop immediately, but belting out sweet nothings through their voices in ballads (a preferred genre in South Korea).

The group debuted as a “faceless group” with the track Come Closer . Why a “faceless group”?

Brown Eyed Girls did not make any attempt to appear on any forms of media, which included their own MV. The song was later re-released to include the song, Hold The Line which became a hit.

After a brief hiatus, they returned with the R&B track, You Got Me Fooled and they followed it up with singles which were titled Oasis and also, It’s Mine.

Girls and failed commercially.

Their break came in 2008, when they released their first mini album titled “With L.O.V.E”. Their title song, L.O.V.E was an instant success and they scored their first number one. Looking to strengthem their position, they returned with a second mini album, “My Style” where the title song, How Come, hit number one again.

After that, in the year 2009, it came.

Their first digital single was to be I Am A Summer which was later included in their second LP.

The wonderful, sexy hip-shaking song that revolutionised the Korean music scene known as Abracadabra that has all but become legend in the Korean Entertainment Industry.

Unfortunately for the Brown Eyed Girls, You Got Me Fooled was overshadowed by the Tell Me by the Wonder

WRITTEN BY DARREN KWOK

Lee Chae Young WRITTEN BY HON LIANG YI PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN YU XIN XIANG

Lee Chae Young dropped by VIZIT KOREA as part of promotions for her movie, ‘The Grand Heist’. In a short six-minute interview session, the beautiful and demure actress finally got a chance to share more about her movie, especially after NU’EST and APink stole the spotlight during the press conference when we first saw her.

‘The Grand Heist’ is a historical South Korean comedy film about a gang of 11 thieves who attempt to steal ice blocks. Set in the last years of the Joseon era, the film stars Cha Tae-hyun and Oh Ji-Ho, as well as Lee Chae Young and Sung Dong-Il who came to show their support at the festival.

Lee Chae Young is Seol-hwa in the film, a spy-cum-gisaeng (female entertainer or prostitute) who “gathers information for her team-mates”, said Lee of her role.

“In the Joseon era one prominent issue was that of the caste system with nobles and slaves, but it’s not shown that much in the film, so you can enjoy the movie without knowing this,” she explained when asked about any historical significance in the film.

Lee also shared about an interesting moment during filming, “The film is set during winter, but we actually filmed it in the summer so I had to act cold when it was not.”

And for fans of Lee Chae Young, don’t fret. The actress has promised to return to Singapore “to introduce more Korean movies to you”. She has recently wrapped up promotions for her latest film, ‘Secretly, Greatly’ which was released in Korea in summer, so catch that if you’re eagerly waiting for her return to Singapore!

South Korean NOV/DEC 2013 TURTLENECKS FASHION TRENDS

By Kirsy Marlin

It’s time to put away the shorts, bikinis and sunscreen bottles and bring out the heavy weapons! This season, the cold is here to stay –and for a long time, so we want to make sure you not only have the appropriate clothes for the season, but we also want you to be up to date with the latest fashion trends this fall! The first fashion trend we bring are the forever elegant turtlenecks!

Not only will they protect you from the cold, but they are also perfect for every occasion! Additionally, look classy and stylish everywhere you go with the wide variety of jackets and vests South Korea has to offer. SNSD’s Sunny is rocking varie a white turtleneck sweater with a dark orange vest on top. Now, that’s style!

JACKETS AND VESTS