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BRIAN TEE

HALLYU

Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine

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

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Nadezhda Hope Michael Choe Ly Nguyen Kh HyeongJin Kim/Kyung Min Boo Nadezhda Hope Asel Sadekova Phoungpaulica Lay Dena H Nguyen Kirsy Marlin Crystal Srock Nindea Isaac Luna Chang K.J Woo(limephoto lab SEOUL) Lauren Higuchi Kaile Rooney Cristiano J. Jorda Henry Kutniawan Korapun Sritongsuk (ASIA) Stefanie Johnson Darla Cornett Algie Lesia Stephens Amy Saiauski Gabrielle Luu Mei Ling J’mescia P Maria Smith Nassha d’Queen Marcus Im Kashfia Tamar Herman Nadezhda Hope Lily Jennifer Jaelle Hwang Korapun Sritongsuk (TH) Pharttana Anantawana (TH) Kay Lee (MY) Muhammad Faiz Bin Azman (MY) Wilson Chee Chan Weng (MY) Darren Kwok (SG Team Leader) Stephanie Chee (SG) Cheryl Tan (SG) Emily Heng (SG) Joan Heng (SG) Amy Saiauski(FB/twitter/me2day) Dena H Nguyen (Tumblr) Josephine Chew Asel Sadekova Josh Brewer Aaliyah Grose Phoungpaulica Lay Lida Yuzu (KOREA)

Contents Summer 2013 Issue No.8

Special JENNIFER SONG Wedding Interview Weddings of 2013 Ideal Idol Types for Marriage Traditional Korean Wedding

TOUCH Interview BAEK A YEON Coming to Thailand

BRIAN TEE Interview

C2C CEO KAY OH Interview SM New Solo Artist THE GLOSS Debuting With A European

N-TRAIN Profile 2013 Military Returns RAIN To Make Beautiful Legacy with CUBE

KPOP Cosplay MBLAQ on SNL Is HALLYU Wave Dying In Singapore Fighting The Stigma BET Awards And Addressing Racism in KPOP

PSY Of Gentlemen And The Entertainment Industry Pros And Cons: Concept Change Crisis Management, You Are Doing it.. SS501â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Return Top Underrated Drama OSTs ONE HD July 2013 Highlights

BTOB Press Play Party Fan Meeting in Thailand CN BLUE Blue Storm in Bangkok SNSD True Byeond Event in Thailand TVXQ Catch Me Concert in Malaysia ZO IN SUNG Promo Tour That Winter The Wind Blows KBS World Music Festival in Thailand Press Conference

SUPER JUNIOR Super Show 5 Indonesia&Hong Kong UKISS at Press Con Korean Music Sensation Vol.1 StyleXStyle Fashion Show Concert w/ 2NE1 &SNSD G-DRAGON One Of A Kind Press Con in Singapore PARK SHIN HYE Kiss Of Angel Asia Tour

Staying Cool In Korea Coffee Shop Culture Alternative Eating In Seoul EJ KOH: A Profile

HALLYU Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine

SPECIALJennifer Song wedding interview wedding team Videography: Bokeh Pictures http://seebokeh.com Photographer: Sylvia G Photography http://sylviagphoto.com Makeup Artist: Ma Hikari Murakami http://www.facebook.com/HikariMurakamiOfficial

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1. What was your wedding like? Would you change anything about how you did it? Our wedding was beautifully put together by my mom while I was still in Korea. I honestly never imagined having an extravagant wedding - I wasn't one of those girls, so my expectations were close to nonexistent. John and I really wanted to focus on preparing for a great marriage and not just a wedding. It ended up being so beautiful! My mom's church New Life Mission Church in San Jose opened up their doors to us and helped my mom put everything together. We don't have much family in the States but her closest friends really supported us by helping us get flowers, decorations, reception preparation, and even throwing an intimate dinner for family members. My Wedding Team (Videography, Photography, Makeup Artist, Hair) were all done by professionals who all happened to be my friends. I couldn't have asked for a better team. I really couldn't have done it with Bokeh Pictures, Sylvia G Photography, Hikari Murakami, & Krystal Abucayan. I've heard so many stories of bridezillas and that was the last thing I wanted to be. If I could change anything I probably would have found more comfortable shoes. 2. Did you have any Korean-specific influences in your wedding ceremony? The only thing that was obviously Korean was when I wore Traditional Korean White Flats underneath my dress after I couldn't stand in my high heels anymore. Looking back now I wish we had time to wear HanBoks but maybe in our ten year anniversary! 3. How did you decide on your honeymoon location?

We knew that we wanted to budget ourselves well so that we can prepare moving in with each other so we decided it would be the most practical to do a road trip. I had never driven cross country before so it was awesome to spend a whole lot of time with my new husband. We stopped by Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma City, Cit Tennessee, Arkansas, & finally ended in Georgia! We had been long distance for a little bit - me being in Korea and him being in Georgia. It only seemed fitting to drive across the US to close the gap together. 4. What the best thing about being married in comparison to just dating? The commitment factor is unmatchable. To know that this man wanted to give up his "bachelorhood" to do life with me forever.. what more could a woman really want? He has so much going for him and he's still in his twenties so there really is no rush for him to get married! But he chose me and I still can't believe it sometimes. A whole lot of faith is ignited when two people decide to commit to marriage together. The way you live life changes because you aren't just your own being; you become one. Even when it comes to arguing, the arguments happen to better learn about each other. We know that in the end of the day there is going to be resolutions and you get reminded everyday how this person is the right one for you and just how much love is there. Don't ever sleep without resolving. Hold each other at the end of the night and pray. It's really a beautiful thing. 5. What was the hardest thing to adjust to after you got married? I grew up pretty much with just my mom and brother. We're a small family but we went through everything together. We definitely had family friends who felt like family, but our immediate family never really had huge celebrations like Thanksgiving or Christmas with my husband

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husband's family, there were so many of them and their relationship ties was something I realized was extremely foreign to me. I continue to be humble and the love they have for one another is awesome. It was also really hard for me to get acclimated to Georgia. I had just lived in Korea for the past 8 months so going from California to Korea then to Georgia, I felt isolated in my own mind. John was there for me whenever he wasn't working but making friends could be really hard in a new city. But it's been two months and I feel so much better now and home really is where the heart is; and my heart is here with my husband and the Lord. 6. Did your husbands habits after you got married change or surprise you? He still farts a lot (laughs) so I'm glad that's not something he bombed on me all of a sudden. No pun intended!

7. Does your husband help with the housework and cooking? Yes! He's honestly not the "stereotypical" Korean man who just works and sits around after work. He's always asking if he can help me with anything. He's the one who cooked me breakfast in bed even before I got to do it for him! It's so important to find a mate who wants to treat you better everyday and doesn't get complacent with what they have. John challenges me to love bigger and better. 8. Is it hard to juggle work life and married life? It was really hard at first because John was working two jobs back to back and I was staying at home doing my social media work. We knew it was a hurdle we had to go over but it's imperative that couples find times to continue pursuing each other with dates and sweet gestures. I think John and I are naturally servants in those senses so it's a nice work in progress and it can only get better.

to love â&#x20AC;&#x153;John challenges me bigger

and

betterâ&#x20AC;?

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9. Do you think that getting married will influence your music? Definitely. Definitel John is a musician and we'll be moving into our loft soon where we plan on setting up our home recording studio. We're really excited to work on music together, but he also inspires me to sing love songs. If you listen to my songs, they're mostly about falling out of love or maybe almost falling in love. I'm in a place where I am in love and will continue to be in love. It also makes you look at the world extremely differently. With marriage you have to put yourself in your significant other's position. You'll learn so much about them but most importantly, importantl yourself.

photo credits: Sylvia Chigs Gunde

of 2013 Every year, couples enter a new chapter in their life through marriage. Here are a few celebrity couples that tied the knot in the past year. Wonder Girls member Sunye (23) kicked off the year by marrying her boyfriend of two years, James Park, on January 26th. Though fans were happy for Sunye, many were worried about the future of Wonder Girls. Sunye stated that, “the members will be focusing on individual activities. And one day, I will too, be standing on stage as a singer once again.” After seven years as a couple, comedians Yoon Hyung Bin (33) and Jung Kyung Mi (32) finally got married. On December 12th of last year, Hyung Bin proposed to the national fairy on KBS2TV’s “Gag Concert” during a segment in which Kyung Mi joked about going on a blind date if Hyung Bin did not propose. Hyung Bin then appeared, stating, that he was there to “press charges on Jung Kyung Mi…for stealing my heart and my everything.” The two were happily married on February 22nd. Finally, cting couple Park Sol Mi (35) and Han Jae Suk (39) got married in front of a thousand guests on April 21st. The couple first met while filming the KBS drama Merchant Kim Man-deok. Individually, both have landed quite a few notable acting roles. Sol Mi debuted in the 2001 drama, Our House, and has since appeared in dramas and films such as Bad Girls, Winter Sonata, and Dear You (2012). Jae Suk debuted in the 1995, Jazz, and has taken roles in many dramas including Glass Slipper, Women in the Sun, and Oohlala Spouses (2012). Congratulations to the new couples and may they spend the rest of their lives happily together!

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IDEAL IDOL TYPES By Darren Kwok

BEASTLY MEN Lee Joon Nicknamed “Muscle Fool”, as long as you are not doing any mathematics with him, his innocence as well as subconscious aegyo should just make your heart flutter! He has also revealed himself as one who does not conduct Push-and-Pull, so for those girls who love direct and honest men, what are you waiting for? Let me hear you say, “Oppa!”

Yunho Don’t let the term Yunniebear fool you. Yunho has a body that will make the eyes of ladies turn if he gets into his swimwear. Yunho is known for being manly on stage, but when caught unaware turns into a slightly childish person. For ladies who like guys with a drive, Yunho’s competitiveness will strongly appeal to you other than his charismatic manliness.

Taecyeon This beastly idol of 2PM is currently “married” to Chinese singer and actress Gui Gui, but on this show he has already shown his knack of being flexible when confronted with a language barrier and not showing any signs of awkwardness when around his lady. Also, he can be cute and bubbly, manly as well as downright childish. For girls who like this type of guy, he is the one for you!

skinny boys

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Jo Kwon

Taemin

Dongho

Jo Kwon, though inexperienced in dating, has been trained by ex-virtual-wife, Ga In, and he is also extremely dedicated to the girl he is with, remembering all of their little needs, though he has a tendency to overdo it as he goes to an additional, unneeded extent. For girls who like guys who pay attention to little details and remember every little small promise, he is for you.

The soft-spoken, Xtreme sports loving Taemin loves a girl who pay attention to only him, cute and kindhearted. He also seems to have a way with girls, as demonstrated with Na Eun of APink in their virtual marriage.

The U-Kiss member, Dongho, is known for his love to eat as well as his fun and quirky personality. He is also the type to stay out of trouble and drama, so girls who like guys who do not personally like to turn their life into a living drama, go for him.

For girls who fit that list, join the queue. When their virtual marriage ends, you may have that 0.1% chance.

Marry him and create the best love drama.

your aegyo girls Sunny This Girls Generation member is dubbed as the Queen of Aegyo, for her acts of cuteness have already shown that you could irritate someone a lot until they ball their fists. She also has little experience in dating, according to her on Invincible Youth 2, stating that she has gone for dates but she has had no boyfriends. For boys who love aegyo-packed girls into fun-size, pick Sunny. You probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret it.

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Lizzy This After School member is packed with natural cuteness, having a tendency to punctuate every sentence to soften the hearts of male fans and people around her, from members of the Running Man cast, the show which she was formally on, to fan service, her natural aegyo would leave you wobbling at the knees and sighing in happiness. Lizzy is one person you would love to marry if you like a warm, bubbly person.

Your chic styles

Gyuri This KARA member herself has admitted that she “plays alone”, and in their trainee days, when her fellow members wore jeans and shirts for practice, Gyuri turned up in a dress. In her conversations and TV appearances, she gives off a very high class and “posh” feel to everything she says, even her gestures. Guys who are interested in girls with a princess and posh air around them, look no futher; KARA’s Gyuri is the one you are looking for.

Sohee Sohee is awkward if you ask her to perform aegyo on the spot. However, she actually performs them subconsciously, which makes it all the more cuter and appealing. She also, though awkward, has very priceless reactions as well as a quick mind though she is shy. Running Man fans would remember the several smart remarks she made against opposing teams. If you are into girls who are shy, Sohee is the one you should marry.

Lee Hi In a recent interview, even the Akdong Musicians have fingered Lee Hi as being the hardest person to approach within YG Entertainment, citing that she has a very “chic” feel around her. Also, being the “Monster Rookie”, Lee Hi’s current success also perhaps intimidate males from approaching her, just as how all the groups above were, when they first debuted –in a seemingly unreachable position. When she gets older, perhaps Lee Hi will be your Baddest Girl.

Jessica This Girls Generation member’s nickname is the Ice Princess, known for appearing to be cold at first to people who meet her for the first time. However, she herself has stated that it she is a warm person after people get to know her. So for those who like the types with a cold touch to their relationship, this Girls Generation member is for you.

traditional KOREAN WEDDINGS While many girls dream of getting married in big white dresses, in Korea there is a history of getting married in red. Of course, even in Korea there are less and less traditional marriages nowadays. That may have to do with the fact that traditional Korean marriages have some very interesting practices. The first of these is the tradition of the groom giving a goose to his soon to be in-laws. The wedding ceremony traditionally took place in the home of the bride, and after arriving at her home the groom would present a wild goose. This used to be an actual living and breathing animal, but nowadays it is often simply a wooden goose. Because geese mate for life, the symbolism means that the groom promises the parents that he will take care of their daughter for life. The ceremony itself entails the

bride and groom washing their hands so that they enter the marriage with a pure body, as well as several sets of bows. The bride bows twice then rises, and then the groom bows once to her. After doing this procedure twice, the two would end up bowing to one another, as a commitment to each other. After a ritual drink, where the groom drinks from a cup and then it is passed to the bride, the two perform three bows together: first to their parents, second to their ancestors, and third to the wedding guests. After the

wedding, the two perform a small ceremony called Pyebaek, where they bow to the husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents. Traditionally, the bride bows four times and presents her new in-laws with jujubes and chestnuts, which symbolize children. Of course, along with the ceremony there are the clothes that the couple wears. There arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t white dresses and penguin tuxedos in traditional Korean weddings. Instead, the bridal couple wears court style outfits, with the bride wearing a wonsam, elaborate

topcoat with red silk on the outside and blue silk on the inside, and the groom wearing a samogwandae, which is a robe that is an imitation of what was worn by Joseon Dynasty’s lowest ranking officials. The groom’s outfit is traditionally maroon or blue and has two white cranes depicted on the chest. The groom’s headpiece is also an imitation of Joseon officials hat, but the bride wears a small cap called a jokduri and a hairpin, which is usually shaped like a dragon, with a long piece of silk embroidered with

gold writing that hangs down her back. And, of course, she has the red dot make up that historically has had a diverse symbolism ranging from an expression of virginity to merely being for luck, since red is a lucky color in Korea. All in all, the outfits worn by the couple are extremely elaborate and beautiful, but nowadays they only get worn occasionally by couples, because most favor western style weddings.

“WEdon’t

just want to be singers, WE WANT TO BE

FRIENDLY neighbors and

brothers”

touch

Exclusive Interview

News / Entertainment Hallyu: Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

Sang-wook(상욱), Sung-yong(성용), Chul-Min(철민, Leader), Jae-wook(재욱), Sun-woong(선웅)

Chul-min: A tambourine? In Karaoke? (Laughs) Just kidding. Almost everyone knows how to play at least 1 instruments. Sung-woong plays a piano, Sang-wook can play a harmonica, tambourine is mine. (Laughs) I play a guitar and a piano.

Hallyu: Why did you decide to become singers?

Sung-yong: I learned a guitar little bit, and Sung I can play a violin

Chul-min: During my childhood, I liked to listen to music and play instruments, so my way of life has naturally been decided.

Hallyu: Do you think singing is more about passion or about talent?

Jae-wook: My dream was being a singer. One day I took a chance, so I could study practical music. After the audition I became a member of TOUCH. Sun-woong: I have played church music, Sun and participated in a music competition. After that, I was casted, and became TOUCH. Sang-wook: I yearned for ‘Rain,’ so I folSang lowed his way. My high school was the same as rain’s high school (Anyang Arts High School). Sung-Yong: When I was a middle and a high school student, I liked rock ballad. But I found another way, and became TOUCH member. Hallyu: How long do you practice each day? Chul-min: We usually practice singing during practicing dance for live. Or we practice individually. Sometimes we just have too little time to practice for live performances, so we just practice “as much as we can.” Sung-yong: “Do our best “ Hallyu: Do any of you know how to play any instruments?

Sun-woong: I think it’s about passion. Chul-min: So do I. Because of talent, starting point could be different, but we can make the distance close with passion. Hallyu: Do any members have a hidden or special talent? Chul-min: Well, I don’t know because we live together, so we don’t have something secret, or hidden. Other members: ‘ballet.’

Sang-yong

studied

Sang-wook: Actually it’s ‘modern dance’, not ballet (laughs). Hallyu: How do you feel when you are on stage and performing? Chul-min: Even though we became familiar with performing, we always become nervous before being on stage. We always feel new, and nervous. Jae-wook: That’s the reason that we can do better. Hallyu: Is there a member you are particularly close too? Members: we are always together, so, all of us are close

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Hallyu: Would you rather have a girl cook you dinner, you cook for her dinner, or the two of you make it together? Sung-woong: I would. Chul-min: Together? Cooking dinner would be funny. Jae-wook: I would cook dinner, because my girlfriend is also a human being, so she can make a mistake. Other members: So you don’t want to eat food with bad taste (laughs). Hallyu: If you could travel to any country what would it be? Chul-min: Foreign countries would be nice, but Korea is better. I want to go to Jeju Island. I have been there once before, but I didn’t have much time to look around. Sung-yong: Britain, because I like soccer so much. Jae-wook: Bora Bora Island. I don’t know the exact location, but I want to go there for my honeymoon. Sun-Woong: America, because I’ve never been Sun there. Off road, like Grand canyon. Sang-wook: Britain. I’d like to walk around the street there. Hallyu: Give a member to your left a nickname? Sun-woong to Jae-wook: “Glutton,” “Pig.” He never leaves his food. Jae-wook: how about giving nicknames to “right”? Jae (laughs). Jae-wook to Chul-min: “Machine Chul-min.” Sometimes he answers without emotion, “without soul.” Chul-min to Sung-yong: “Fool.” Because he is so pure. And sometimes we attach “gu”, like younggu, a fool. “Sung-yonggu”, “Yonggu”, or “Dalpaenggu(Dalpaeng is a snail)”

Sung-yong to Sangowook: “Lanky,” he looks tall and skinny.

Other members: You better wear clothes at first.

Sang-wook to Sun-woong: “Flower bro,” the first time I saw him, he was so handsome.

Chul-min: Well, I just want to.

Other members to Sun-woong: “Devastator,” because he broke other member’s belongings. Sun-woong: “By accident” (Laughs). Hallyu: Which of the members is like the mother of the group? (Or very caring towards all members) Chul-min: Me. Because I’m the oldest, and I’m the leader of the team. Hallyu: If you had a piece of cotton candy, gym suit and football what would you with them? (Come up with scenario) Chul-min: Well, I don’t wear any clothes, and want to play soccer. I want to cover my body with a piece of cotton candy. And I will find a gym suit.

Sung-yong: I wear gym suit, and a piece of cotton candy will be in my pocket, so I’ll be angry, and kick the ball. Jae-wook: I’ll make Sung-yong to eat Jae cotton candy, and make Chul-min wear his gym suit. After that I’ll kick the ball to Sun-woong (Laughs). Sun-woong: I wear the gym suit. I eat cotton candy, and I’ll be hit by the ball Jae-wook kicked (Laughs). Sang-wook: After a sports festival, me and Sang my girlfriend will share a cotton kiss. Hallyu: Do your fans have a name yet? Chul-min: Yes, They do. The name of our fan club in Korea is “Touchable,” and “Touch me” in Japan.

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Hallyu: If you could appear on a variety show which one would it be? Chul-min: Saturday Night Live in the U.S, because I saw “The Rock Obama.” And Oprah Winfrey’s show, because sometimes she gives big presents to audiences. Sung-yong: Running man, I want to run. Sang-wook: “우리 결혼했어요”(We got marSang ried).

Hallyu: Sangwook as the newest member what was it like for you to join the group? Are you excited? Nervous? Sangwook: Before military service, I applied the audition. And luckily, I was chosen. I was very happy, but nervous. And I felt heavy responsibility for being a member of TOUCH. Hallyu: You have been to Japan recently, what was your favorite part of the trip?

Chul-min: “We got married” with our fans.

Chul-min: Many things happened, but especially I liked Japanese local foods.

Hallyu: What are three items you always carry with you?

Sung-yong: In Gobe, I liked the night view of the city.

Jae-wook: An Ipod, 2 batteries, and a watch.

Hallyu: How do you want TOUCH to be viewed by your fans?

Chul-min: Tablet PC, Wallet, and a car key. Sang-wook: Necklace, wallet, and a hand cream.

Chul-min: We don’t just want to be singers, we want to be friendly neighbors or brothers.

Sung-yong: A bag(a phone, tablet pc, ‘socks’, etc...

Sung-yong: “Touch.” I want my fans to be touched.

Sun-woong: Wallet, perfume, brush, and a lip balm.

FAN Questions: 팬들의 질문

Hallyu: What is your favorite song right now?

Fan: Are there any other idol groups that you are close too?

Chul-min: Our song.

Sun-woong: Well, I had… but these days, I was so busy in Japan, so I don’t feel close to them these days.

Sung-yong: When practicing, we hear our song every day. Jae-wook: Bumkey, Mad romance(Bad girl). Sung-yong: Choyongpil’s songs, “Bounce.” Sun-woong: “Give it to me.” Sun Sang-wook: Pop songs, old pop, like “we are the champion.”

Chul-min: “대국남아”(The boss), because we both are in Japan together. Jae-wook: I was in Busan before, and I was a friend of members of 24k, and Big Star. Fan: Do any of you have siblings?

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Sun-woong: Younger sister. Chul-min and Sang-wook: Younger brother. Others: Only child. Fan: Has there ever been a time when a fan said something that touched your heart? Chul-min: Every words of our fans are touching, but “I’ve been waiting for you”, or “I’ve missed you” were quite touching because I knew that it’s not easy to wait or miss someone. Jae-wook: Mentions of twitters. “Thank you for today’s performance again.” Sometimes I was very touched. Sung-yong: Korean fans wrote letSung ters in Korean, of course. Some of our fans in foreign countries, however, wrote letters in Korean. Language might not be so important, but I can sense what they feel. Fan: What were some of the challenges you faced to become an idol? Chul-min: Well… not challenges, but responsibilities. I should always keep the principles, even though there is no one around me. That’s the time I feel difficult. Jae-wook: Our life pattern is not constant. Fan: Do you all live together in a dorm or separately? Members: We live together in a dorm.

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Fan: Do any of you have a favorite sport or Sang-wook: 닭꼬치(Skewered chicken) with Nuhobby? clear bomb in streets. My family members like to eat spicy foods. Chul-min: Sports, soccer. Jae-wook usually likes many sports. Sun-woong likes sports for (Extra question of translator) It’s the final queshis health. tion, so you can tell me what would like to say to your fans? Members: We think that all of us like soccer toChul-min: Thank you very much always. In any gether. country, we will do our best, so please always support, and watch us. Fan: What is the spiciest dish you ever had? Chul-min: 동대문 엽기 떡볶이(Dongdaemoon bi- Jae-wook: I don’t even have a word, but say zarrerie rice cakes in hot sauce.), 불닭(fire “thank you.” chicken) Sun-woong: Thank you. On twitter, I found many fans who Sung Jae-wook: A thai pepper. I didn’t know it’s so Sung-yong: have awaited us. I always feel very sorry for not spicy, so I was very surprised. being able to be with them, and thank you for Sun-woong: 청양고추(Chungyang pepper), but I waiting for us. like spicy foods. Sang-wook: We should do our best. We will give our loves back as much as our fans gave us.

touch

baek a yeon to make appearance in thailand

2013 KOREAN CULTURE CENTER JYP Entertainmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new artist, Baek A Yeon, is scheduled to make an appearance in Thailand for the 2013 Korean Culture Center grand opening on July 4th. As always, Hallyu Magazine will be there to provide coverage of this event; stay tuned!

Interview with

BRIAN TEE Interviewed by: Asel Sadekova Transcribed by: Amy Saiauski

Twitter: @brian_tee FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBrianTeePage WhoSay: http://www.whosay.com/briantee/

WOLVERINE HALLYU: If you had to describe your role in wolverine in one word what would it be? Brian: Wow, one word? This is totally diﬃcult in one word. HALLYU: What about in a phrase? Brian: I think he is a typical politician that rides the line. HALLYU: Is there any particular line that stood out to you throughout the movie? Brian: He’s a politician so he’s constantly talking... there isn't a particular line that sticks out. HALLYU: What did you do to prepare for this role? Did you have to read any X-men or wolverine comics? Brian: (Enthusiastic) I was a big X-Men fan as a kid, I kind of grew up reading comic books. X-Men was my favorite team and Wolverine was my favorite guy. I remember dressing up for Halloween several times here in the states as the Wolverine character. I read all the comic books, and also the origin stories. I could relate to them in the sense of him going to Japan and me being half Japanese. There was a deﬁnite connection there. As far as the movie, I just read about politicians, the corruptions. I did a lot of his own back story about his connections. I did a lot of research, and I even dropped some weight to play this character. The role basically needed somebody who didn’t necessarily look like a super hero, just kind of a regular guy. HALLYU: Did you watch older Wolverine movies? Brian: I did, I’ve watched probably every Marvel comic book movie they’ve made so far. HALLYU: What would you say is your favorite marvel movie? Brian: That’s a tough one! I think to be really honest, because I’m a purist, I love the original X-Men. HALLYU: What do you hope the audience can gain or learn from Wolverine? Brian: Honestly I think the audience will love this movie, I feel like it’s the ultimate wolverine movie.

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He’s vulnerable both physically and emotionally. He’s basically caught in this war of his own nature, and he finally has to embrace his. Mangold has done an unbelievable job, I think James Man with story, character and depth to The Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is amazing and has taken his character to a whole other level. I think what audiences will feel, is a connection to The Wolverine, not just as a superhero, but as a person you can relate to. HALLYU: What was the most difficult aspect of filming? Brian: I think everyone was great and amazing, the cast and the crew, the director the producers, everyone was just fantastic. I think the hardest part was the heat in Japan, because when we were filming in August and September, it was just hot and the humidity was at like 100% We were just melting. HALLYU: Was the entire movie filmed in Japan? HAL Brian: Most was shot in Australia and then Japan HALLYU: Did you find it easy to relate to your character? Brian: I actually did, I guess I’ve I been known to play villains in the past, there is definitely a dark side of me. And what I like to do for every role, this one especially, I don’t feel that he in his own way thinks he is a bad person, he’s just doing what is best for himself. It’s all perspective, and subjective, and what you feel is right. HALLYU: Do you prefer playing a good or evil role? Brian: I love both, but I think you can get away with a lot more playing the bad guy but I love when I have opportunities to create a positive figure or hero per say in particular for film or television. HALLYU: Is there any particular event you remember from filming? Like a funny part or something that was more dangerous.

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Brian: It’s funny but everything that I really remember is the relationships that I created in doing this ﬁlm, and one of the ones that sticks to me the most is all of us coming together and surprising Hiroyuki Sanada on his birthday. A lot of the cast were there, a lot of the stunt guys and our Director James Mangold, were there and celebrating Sanada and him being one of the true classiest people I’ve ever ev met, So professional, so giving so loving, a tremendous talent and actor that I respect. It sets a warm place in my heart that we were able to share that moment with him and those are the kind of moments that stick with me the most.

“

Photo Credit: Ben Rothstein

HALLYU: Were there any funny moments on the set? Brian: There was a lot. The funniest moment for me was one of the last scenes I did. I can’t get into details but I can say when the fans watch it they will defiantly know why I had a good time. HALLYU: What attracted you to play the role of Noburo Mori? Brian: Firstly with X-Men and Wolverine being my favorite. It was like one of my childhood dreams come true. What intrigued me about Noburo, he’s a thinker, he’s a politician, he fights with his mouth more so then with his fists. I think there is complexities to him that I hope comes through in the movie. HALLYU: What sort of stunts did you have to do yourself? Brian: There was one really big stunt that we had the best stunt guys for. I respect them so much. HALLYU: Was there a specific actor or actress that became a mentor while you worked on the film? Brian: Hiroyuki Sanada I watched and just kind of soaked in his essence and his presence as a human being more so than his amazingness on camera. As a human being he’s just the sweetest kindest man along with Hugh Jackman. Their presence and their essence is how I like to see actors at that level. I respect and admire everything they did on and off the screen. HALLYU: What were your thoughts when the filming offiHAL cially ended?

”

Brian: It was bittersweet, we’re elated that we accomplished this, and then we get the sad moments where you spend so much time together and then you have to walk away. But you hold on to the memories and experiences that you had while shooting it. Its bittersweet, but film is forever and you can always go back and watch it and say you know we had a good time and we did a great job. I hope to work with some of these people if not all of them again one day. When you’re on a film all working together and helping each other out, you create a type of family you’ll never forget as you go on in your career and cherish the opportunity that was given to you. HALLYU: How long did it take to film the movie? Brian: Actual shooting production was about 4 months, maybe a little more. It was an amazing time, an amazing experience. HALLYU: How do you want the audience to remember your character? Brian: I just want them to enjoy the Mori that I created, I think it’s a compliment to me if they say they hated him,

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The last 2 were definitely up there as some of my favorites. You create this attachment to your characters. If there was one character that I truly was honored to be, it was in a movie called “We Were Soldiers” it’s based on the non-fiction book based on the Vietnam war, and the experiences of this photographer. I was gifted with the opportunity to portray one of the American soldiers. A true hero. It was an honor and privilege to portray him. To me that’s my favorite but also one because it was one of the first roles I ever got. And me being a young upcoming actor you tend to remember those ones and they have a place in your heart forever. And also I got to be a true American hero. It’s such a moving experience both on camera and off camera for me.

HALLYU: Do you ever find yourself staying in character? Brian: Sometimes, I think it depends on the character I don’t think I’ll ever take a character home, through the entire shoot. HALLYU: What do you usually do before filming starts? Brian: Well it all depends on the character. HALLYU: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? HAL Brian: I see myself as definitely consistently acting. Playing characters that make people laugh, make them cry, make people like them and make them hate them. HALLYU: Do you have a moral that you live by?

HALLYU: What would you recommend for young actors and artists?

Brian: I love to live life. I think we are all here only for a short period of time. Life is too short to be unhappy.

Brian: To make acting a career you have to love it, you have to absolutely love it, it is not about being famous. It’s purely about the art of craft that drives you. It’s a hard road to climb If you have that love, that drive, that perseverance, I feel that you have to be able to back it up with the talents that you have and the talents that you learn. To become the actor that you need to be. Study, continue to study, always study study study, because when that opportunity comes you have to be ready. Though you love it and you’ve driven yourself to get that opportunity to audition you have to be ready.

HALLYU: Do you have a favorite actor or someone that you HAL always wanted to meet and did you end up meeting them?

HALLYU: Did you have support when you were trying to become an actor? Brian: I had a very supportive family, especially my grandmother. HALLYU: What do you look for when you are choosing a role to audition for? Brian: One, I have to have a challenge; I look at the complexity of a character. What can I bring to it and what can the character bring to me?

Brian: There are so many unbelievable ones out there, that I would love to work with and learn from. Too many to name. HALLYU: Your fans want to know …do you stay active in any HAL charity work or support any global or local organizations that make Earth a better place? Brian: I love to support the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics I’ve been going to the last three years and its one of those moments where my wife and I love going, because when you go to an event like that there is no other place in the world where you feel pure joy, pure happiness, There is absolutely no ﬁlter. When you can feel that true essence of laughter, love and happiness that comes out of these special needs kids, because they don’t have a ﬁlter, it just invigorates you, it moves you…it moves you in ways you never really thought possible. Those kids do so much more for me then I could ever do for them. So I’m a big supporter of the Special Olympics, and I want to continue to be.

FAST AND FURIOUS HALLYU: Did you go to see the fast and furious 6 premiere? Brian: Absolutely HALLYU: Since the end of the movie they have a connection to Tokyo Drift. Would you consider going back on the set for a Fast and the furious 7? Brian: Again, Absolutely, I think Tokyo drift was one of the movies that really helped my career. I think even today it’s a character most know me by. I would do it in a heartbeat. I hope the fans would want me as well. We’ll just have to wait and see. HALLYU: In Tokyo Drift they ask if you drifted in real life? Brian: I would say in the movie we had the most amazing stunt drivers in the world.. We actually had the real drift king do some of our stunts. I have nothing but respect for them. HALLYU: What is your favorite type of car? Brian: I love my car, mine is the Nissan 350z is the one I drove in drift it will always have a piece of my heart. Someday maybe I’ll get one. It won’t be a 350z any more, or maybe it will be and I’ll go back. HALLYU: Have you seen all the fast and furious movies? Brian: I have. HALLYU: Which one did you like the most? Brian: Tokyo Drift..of course! They’re all amazing. And I think Justin Lin really truly is… the mastermind and the captain behind that giant ship that is continuing to go. For Justin to believe in me in his ﬁrst Fast and Furious movie was a complete honor, and I greatly appreciate him for that opportunity and I would love to work with him again one day. He’s by far one of my favorite directors. And Tokyo Drift is one of my favorite movies, and I know I’m totally biased but that movie was really about the cars, and that experience that I had with those people was something that th lived beyond the actual movie. There was an energy there. HALLYU: Have you ever made kimchi? Brian: My grandmother made original kimchi, I made it with her help. I don’t know if I’d be able to do it on my own. I’ll always compare other people’s kimchi to hers.

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HALLYU: In the Korean culture aegiyo is adored by many, do you think you would do this and if you did would it ruin your image? Brian: I don’t think it would ruin my image and I grew up on it. HALLYU: Which Korean actor or singer do you think has the potential to be popular in the western media? Brian: Lee Jeong Jin, he is one of my favorite people in the whole entire world. I love him like a brother, he is incredibly talented and gifted and has this particular charisma and air to him that I feel that if he ever wants to do something in the states he would really shine. He’s a dear friend of mine and again one of those other people I would love to work with. HALLYU: Did you ever get on the wave of Gangnam Style? Brian: I think everyone has done a Gangnam move, and I think they would be lying if they didn’t try it even once. I feel how he rode that wave, he did it the right way. HALLYU: Where are your to go spots in Seoul? Brian: Anywhere JJ wants to take me I’ll go. It is such an amazing place I can’t really pick one of them. It’s been so long, but I would love to go back. It’s been about four years.

“

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What do PDL, Klassik and SiEun bring to C2C? PDL definitely brings energy, Klassik brings raw lyrics and SiEun is definitely helping us with our image. Until now everybody thought we were just scary. Do they have SNS for fans to follow them? PDL : Twitter.com/_PDL Klassik: Facebook.com/Kevin.j.park.3, Twitter.com/klassik__ (2 underscores) SiEun: Facebook.com/ohsieun Are there plans for any other artists to join C2C in the near future? We have a trainee right now named Shyone. I gave him 6 months to come up with 4 tracks. And if it’s sick I told him I’ll give him all my support, so he’s trying really hard right now and that’s something that I love to see. It drives me to become a better leader and not forget why I’m doing what I’m doing.

ROKSHOP As planned you have opened ROKShop.co.kr, we’ve noticed that the Spider seems to be a signature mark. Why did you choose it? Does it have a special meaning? Yes. If you look at our logo sideways it says C2C. Your youtube video of B-Boy Furious wearing ROK Shop merchandise sends a powerful message to your buyers. How did you come up with the concept? Well I met B-Boy Furious at the gym working out. His B-Boy crew Gamblerz won the world title a few times. I wanted to let our consumers know that our clothing is as tough as they are. The concept of the commercial we shot was to let the buyers know the trials and tribulations they go through to have that title: “World’s Best.” And that C2C ROK (Official brand name) will support them and will not wear out. We noticed you modeled some of your clothing. How was it? Embarrassing. PASS.

pdl

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Have you ever passed someone in the street wearing ROK clothing? Yes. But it was actually someone we sponsored, and it kind of surprised me how much love she showed by rocking it everywhere. She is Amber from F(x) and she is THE COOLEST Idol chick I have met thus far. Down to earth and all around type of girl and she got a freakishly good heart! Shout out to Amber! Your face!! What type of consumer does brand C2C ROK appeal too? Anybody who loves good clothing but mostly people who like to dress comfortably. One thing I can say about my brand: it’s comfy. You had mentioned last time that you want to carry more than just hip-hop clothing, what other types are you thinking about?

Can we expect ROK snapbacks in the future? Nope. Too many sizes for me to deal with but I am planning and trying to work with Snapback company Mutated Nations real soon. Do you offer shipping outside of Korea? Of course. Right now I’m currently thinking about shutting down ROKSHOP.co.kr and redesigning and remaking the whole thing from scratch. I feel like I can do better. And instead of having separate page for foreign consumers now I know it can be done all in one. So just hold on!

PARTYCOREA

Well as of now I’m also into concert planning; having my first ROK Da MIC Vol.1 Hip-Hop concert July 27th. I want to get into Import/Export business as well. I’m meeting with a lot of people about new items I can hustle out to the rest of the world. I have met some people who have invented merchandises out of this world. I’m picking out items that I feel like I can connect with my label and I hope to have them sold in every country in the world. Look out for my stuff!

The last time we talked with you, you were preparing for the launch of the application PartyCorea, now that it is up and running is it all you had hoped it would be?

Will you be carrying clothing designed for women also?

How has the reaction been to it? Favorable or unfavorable?

Yes, of course. Women’s Apparel is something I’ve always wanted to get into. Firstly because I would definitely have more fun picking out female models than male models (laughs) and I feel like it’s a bigger market. I see girls Internet shopping ALL DAY! Our first female Boy Shorts are planned to come out sometime late this year.

Favorable. Because it helps foreigners find clubs a lot easier. But club info needs to be updated, yet I’m so busy!!!

And more. Because of PartyCorea it helped me become recognized by a lot of club owners who offered me to throw parties and concerts. So it was very much of a plus for me.

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Why should people download this app?

What exactly is Rok da MIC Concert Vol.1

If you’re a clubber, it’s a must have. Because it states the days and when the club opens and closes. This is really important because some clubs are open 7 days a week while most are opened only Thurs-Fri-Sat or Fri & Sat only. It helps the users by not having to look them up on the internet. Oh, and it’s free.

A Hip-Hop concert and Bikini party. Enough said.

Will the concept of PartyCorea only be for phones or will you have a website for it for PC users? Nope. I feel like it won’t b useful if it’s on PC. I made it so that they can look up the clubs easily when PC access is not available. In subways, bus, cabs and etc. We heard you had worked with Arirang radio, what did you do there? Can you tell us why you decided to leave? Was it a conflict of interest? I was a guest over there for a segment called “K-Pop Etc” where I talk about behind stories of K-Pop, Gossips and Etc. I was actually fired because I got into a conflict with another Entertainment owner. He went out of line at a Company dinner and I reacted very aggressively, and they said they had to let me go a week later. Well, their loss, not mine. I was getting paid like doodoo anyways. Don’t get me wrong I love all the hard workers in Arirang radio. I’ve met great people who work really hard and are very ambitious to get big in this entertainment field. Shout out to Shi Hyun, Steve and my favorite Screen writer Cecilia! MAD LOVE! Ya’ll deserve a raise!

Kay we know you have been a busy man, with everything going on do you still have time for your music? I’m actually drifting far away from my music. But I have my duties as a leader and my crew looks for me to guide them. So I don’t want to let them down. Music will always be part of my life and I will always do it as a hobby, but for now I want to grow my company and make enough money to support my crew. I feel like I won’t ever be too old to do music. I never did it for fame or money. I always did music because I enjoy it. Right now, just making a career out of it is on pause. You’re obviously no stranger to hard work and dedication, have you been able to take time for yourself and just relax and enjoy seeing your dreams come to life? Being busy alone lets me know how far I came. Sometimes it’s stressful; actually most of the time I am extremely stressed out but I’m from the rock bottom. This is nothing but lack of sleep. It beats being hungry and having to wander around or doing bad things just to get by. I take this stressing as blessing and I feel like if I can’t do it no one can. So yeah, stressing is seeing your dreams come to life. Thank you, HallyU, for always showing love and support!

klassik

T-Ara's Boram and D-Unit's Wooram are the daughters of singer Jeon Young Rok and actress Lee Mi Young. Their brother, Lee Chang Hoon, is also a comedian. Several members of SM Entertainment started the "Milk Club" for the members of their groups who were depressed. This was founded by Super Junior's Leeteuk and SNSD's Taeyeon and Yoona, but members of Shinee and DBSK were also in the "club." Seunghyun from F.T Island has a webseries called "Good Morning Bob" where he displays his 4D personality and awful English skills.

Kim Hyun Joong of SS501 once wrote a fanfiction where he made fellow member Park Jungmin think that a nuclear holocaust had happened because he was in love with him and wanted to be together but Jungmin was married.. Shinhwa's Hyesung was order by Lee Soo Man to not make any movements on stage that weren't specifically choreographed for him after he performed too outrageously on stage, trying to get the camera to notice him.. At a Brown Eyed Girls concert, Narsha and Ga-In kissed, then when Ga-In realized that both her mother and "husband" Jo Kwon were in the audience the two kept denying that they were lesbians.. Former members of rotating band Xing have debuted in U-Kiss, Beast, The Boss, A-Peace, X-5, and LU:KUS.

B.A.P's Bang Yongguk has a twin brother. Kim Gura of Radio Star graduated high school in 1988. Kyuhyun of Radio star was born in 1988. 2AM's Jung Jinwoon's mother has set up an entertainment company. JYJ have a track called "Untitled Part 1" that is most likely an expression of their upset with SM Entertainment. Nu'Est's fanclub is "L.O.Λ.E" because the hangul is 뉴이스트. Dongwoo from Infinite farts while he dances. At Dream Concert this year, Kara's Hara and Shinee's Onew danced and sang along to 4Minute's Hot Issue during the performance.

Henry Lau thought Super Junior was gay when he met them because Korean guys are so touchy.

CNU of B1A4 tweets depressed fans telling them not to kill themselves.

Track List Trap 1-4-3 (I Love You) My Everything Ready 2 Love Holiday I would Trap (feat. Kyuhyun of Super Junior) Trap (feat. Taemin of SHINee)

SM DEBUTS

NEW SOLO ARTIST By: Amy Saiauski

n May 28th SM Entertainment released two photos of their new male solo artist with his face hidden. The news stunned fans and led to much speculation as to who the man could be but SM did not make them wait long. The following day it was revealed that their new solo artist would be none other than Super Junior-M’s very own Henry Lau. Henry is the first male artist SM has debuted in over a decade. The last being former H.O.T leader Kangta in 2001 as a Pop and R&B singer and folk singer Chu Ga Yeoul in 2002. Henry is skilled in numerous fields, he is fluent in three languages and is familiar with four others, besides singing he is gifted with the violin, piano, and drums. He is also skilled in several different dance styles and has experience in acting and composing songs. Henry joined SM Entertainment in 2006 and fans were first able to see him perform during Super Junior’s “Don’t Don” mv in 2007 where he played the violin. In October of 2007 he was announced to be a member of Super Junior’s new subgroup Super Junior-M. When it was revealed that the new artist was Henry the reactions from fans were to the most part enthusiastic and supportive. His first mini solo album “Trap” was released on June 7th, the mv was released on the same day with fellow Super Junior-M member Kyuhyun and label mate Taemin from SHINee joining him in his solo debut song “Trap.”

THE GLOSS

DEBUTING WITH A EUROPEAN WRITTEN BY MARIA SMITH

K-pop has always been an international thing, the languages they speak are different, the fans come from all over, the concerts are held around the globe, but all the members of the groups are of some Asian descent. For the first time in K-pop history, a European is set to debut in a girl group! MGMC Korea announced they were debuting a fourmember girl group called ‘The Gloss’. At first, they look like any other rookie girl group. Their four members are young, fresh-faced, and have a lot to offer. Liz and Sol-E are from Korea, Grace is a Korean-American from Chicago, and then there’s Olivia, a European girl they found in France during their global auditions. Despite the group not officially debuting yet, she’s already caused some stir. Most K-pop fans are excited for a westerner to become an idol. However, there are some that criticize MGMC’s actions, for many different reasons.

This isn’t the first time there’s been controversy over a non-Korean entering the K-pop world. While it seems silly to make a big deal over a K-pop Idol being Chinese, that’s exactly what happened to Hangeng when he debuted with Super Junior. At first, he was the most notable member of the group, but towards the end of their first year, people stopped caring that he was “the Chinese guy” and realized he was a talented musician in the end. While The Gloss hasn’t debuted yet, they’ve released three teasers, each being a cover of a popular song. They first covered Justin Timberlake’s ‘Sexy Back’, where fans got to see Olivia’s powerful singing abilities, and Grace’s amazing English rapping abilities. In their cover of PSY’s ‘Gentlemen’, the group showed off their acapella voices, and Olivia even sang a bit in Korean. You can tell in each of the teasers that the group is talented, they care for each other, and they are bound to make a hit in the K-pop world.

introducing

N-TRAIN

Jungkyun

Seunghyun Sangwoo By: Amy Saiauski

Yujin

Soul J

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Members: Jungkyun: 11/27/87 Leader, tenor vocalist (A) Seunghyun: 6/14/87, Rapper (A) Sangwoo: 2/22/92 Maknae, lead Vocalist (A) Yujin: 2/22/92 Maknae, bass Vocalist (O) Past Member: Soul J(Jongmin): 10/25/88 Main Vocalist (B) *Did NOT debut* Myung Gyun (went into the army) Eui Chul

Company: MediaLine Entertainment Debut Song & Date: One Last Cry, 5/26/11 Fan Club Name: Eternel Fan Club Color: n/a Status: Active MV: One Last Cry Come Back To Me Reality Shows: MNET M-Pick N-Train Story

Other Facts: Jungkyun was a member of the 2007 group Tachyon Jungkyun had a duet with JB in 2009 called Don’t Leave, under the stage name of a.R.tery Jungkyun speaks Japanese and English When Jungkyun was a member of Tachyon Jaejoong from DBSK helped to protect him from fraud from someone claiming to be from Avex Japan. Seunghyun speaks Japanese, English and Spanish Seunghyun was a former member of Gary Gold Smith -2009-stage name Smith Seunghyun was a former member of Monster-2007- stage name Heaven Yujin and Soul J were back up dancers to rookie girl group VNT Sangwoo’s brother is baseball player Kim Sangsoo SNS: Official Page:n/a Twitter: https://twitter.com/N_Train_officia Jungkyun: https://twitter.com/unfinished12 Seunghyun: http://twitter.com/MLs77777 Sangwoo: https://twitter.com/tkddneh2 Yujin: http://twitter.com/ujin3304 Soul J: http://twitter.com/S0ul_J Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/medialinesound Facebook: n/a Café Daum: http://cafe.daum.net/eternelboys

Single: One Last Cry I’ll Forget You Mini Album: eNTRAIN OST: Seunghyun with former Seung G.G.S. group mate Gary K. –Just Friends- “Red” Seunghyun-Just Friends“Believe”

Covers: Boyz II Men: End of the Road Chris Brown: With You Jungkyun: DBSK-Whatever They Say Jungkyun: Beautiful Thing Jungkyun: Michael Jackson- You Are Not Alone Jungkyun, Seunghyun, and Soul J: When I needed an Angel Yujin: Now or Never Yujin: Wanted-I promise You Soul J, Yujin: Neyo- One in a Million Soul J: Ra.D- I’m In Love Soul J: A Long Walk Soul J, Sangwo: R. Kelly- I believe I can Fly Sangwoo Ft Joongjae: Jason Mraz- I’m Yours Sangwoo: Ordinary People Sangwoo: Brian McKnight-Back at One McKnigh Sangwoo: Eric Benet-The Last Time Sangwoo: Big Bang-Bad Boy Sangwoo and Soul J: Narsha- I’m In Love Sangwoo, Yujin, Soul J: Dynamic DuoConfession

2013

News / Entertainment

Military Returns

For some fans the words military service can darken their world as one of the idols they like leaves to serve his mandatory 21 month minimum required service. Every year male celebrities leave to complete their duty and while they leave, others return. This year brings about the return of the following idols that have fulďŹ lled their service to their country. To those returning this year, welcome back, your fans have eagerly been awaiting you.

By Amy Saiauski

Choi Hwee Sung Hwang Yoon Seok

Jung Ji Hoo

Jung Yunhak

Kim Heechul

Kim Hye Seong

Kim Jae Wook

Kim Joon

Kim Kyung Rok

Kim Sung Won

Lee Dari

Park Kyung Wook

News / Entertainment

TO CREATE A RAIN BEAUTIFUL LEGACY WITH CUBE E

By Amy Saiauski

arlier this year it was announced that upon his discharge on July 10th Jung Ji Hoon, also known by his stage name of Rain, will be joining the Cube Entertainment family. CEO Hong Seung Sung is the former president of JYP Entertainment, the company in which Rain made his officially debut into the music scene in 2002. In the latter half of 2007, Rain left JYP to form his own company, J.Tune Entertainment. Less than three years later he sold J. his shares of J.Tune to Park Jin Young founder of JYP Entertainment when he started his required military service. Rain will be bringing over ten years of his experience in the entertainment business to Cube, which includes not only singing but also his experience in acting, dancing, producing, and songwriting. The news was met with mixed reactions as a subsidiary of J.Tune Entertainment, J.Tune Camp is home to the artist MBLAQ whom Rain mentored and helped train, and are considered rivals to Cube’s own group BEAST who debuted at the same time. Fans seem to be divided over feeling that Rain is abandoning MBLAQ while others are happy he will be reuniting with his old mentor and friend. In the official announcement released by Cube concerning Rain joining the company, Hong Seung Sung thanked Rain for his loyalty in choosing his company among all the offers he had received and though he will not avoid any steep or risky paths he is thankful they will be walking them together and he will do his best as a partner to him. He has pledged that he will return the fans never ending love and support of Rain as he is committed to the company leaving a beautiful legacy.

“Cosplay,” short for “costume play,” is an activity in which participants portray fictional characters from comics, animation, movies, etc. It has always been a popular activity among fans of anime, but there have been some instances in which those in the K-Pop scene have utilized their creativity and crafted costumes from their favorite music videos and performances. Some of the most recognizable cosplays are pulled from old favorites such as Girls’ Generation’s “Genie,” “Gee,” and “Oh!“ and KARA’s “Mister.” Other popular groups that are often cosplayed due to their distinct appearance are YG Entertainment’s Big Bang and 2NE1. Those without the time or talent to sew from scratch can find clothing similar to idols’ casual looks, though this may be written off as fashion rather than cosplay. While most groups will cosplay Korean stars in order to create a dance cover or mirror a music video, others attend events such as conventions to showcase their hard work. Though some K-Pop cosplays may go unnoticed at anime or comic conventions, K-Pop conventions have also been appearing recently (the first being from the Philippines.) As K-Pop becomes more popular around the world, more people become interested in cosplaying their favorite idols. Whether the cosplay is as simple as the outfits in Sistar19’s “Ma Boy” or intricate as Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby,” constructing the perfect replica certainly produces a rewarding feeling.

K-POP COSPLAY

MBLAQ ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE By Amy Saiauski

n the June 1st broadcast of SNL Korea members of MBLAQ made their appearances in several 19+ rating skits. While all the skits were funny, for me the one I found to be the funniest was the New Kids on the Block Step By Step parody. Having been born in the 80’s I was struck with fond memories while seeing Lee Joon in overalls, Seungho rocking a bandana, and all of the members with funky hair. The song consisted of the members introducing themselves to a girl. Seungho made sure to tell her he was not Yoo Seungho but he was the leader of MBLAQ, Lee Joon introduced himself as the ballet dancing machine and made a reference to his time on “We Got Married”. Mir was the successor to a farm, GO made sure she knew how to spell his name and pokes fun at his acting in Love and War. Thunder ends the introductions with telling the girl who he is and that his sister is Sandara Park from 2NE1. Throughout the whole video MBLAQ once again proves their variety show skills as they bring laughter with their antics. A Star Trek parody in which Mir, Lee Joon, and GO dressed up as Vulcans was a big hit with female fans when Mir’s stomach and GO’s chest were revealed. Lee Joon was the lead in the ballet skit “The Black Swan”, fellow MBLAQ members Mir, Thunder, and GO were also in it. Of all the skits the group performed in this was the one most designed around adult humor. Thunder had a non-speaking part in the “Living By Myself” in which he was dressed up as a teddy bear and conveyed a wealth of meaning with just his eyes alone. This skit also was designed around adult humor although not quite to the extent as “The Black Swan”. Seungho had a brief walk on part for the skit “Voice of the Guy”. GO starred in “Brutal Days of Group Project” in which Lee Joon also participated in. Though the humor was a little dark it got across the frustration a person feels when they are the only member working on a group project.

THE HALLYU WAVE

dying in Singapore?

By Darren Kwok

In the local newspaper, Straits Times, it was written that the Japanese Wave that had infected Singapore years ago had died, though it still commands a sizeable and loyal fan base. Within that fan base, the journalist has also noted that a lot of them are fans of Korean Pop.

“You would feel a stronger emotional attachment to your idols if you had seen them from up close. So if they stop coming, it is possible that I leave their fanbase for a more active one. Be it Japanese, English or even Chinese.” Stephanie Chee, 18, remarked, being a devoted fan of CNBlue’s Jung Yong Hwa.

It was then predicted that Singapore would be central to Hallyu’s projection of power, being central in South East Asia and with proper facilities for concerts readily available. However, it became baffling to Singaporeans when Indonesia, Malaysia and other neighbouring countries were chosen for the first few Korean concerts held outside of South Korea since the success of Wonder Girls’ Nobody and Super Junior’s Sorry Sorry. It was during this period where people slowly started to leave the Korean Wave, feeling that the Korean Wave had neglected the tiny island nation in the Southeast. However, these days, one would be slammed as being ridiculous if he or she stated that the various entertainment companies in South Korea have neglected Singapore. This year alone, CNBlue, Nu’est, UKISS, Girls Generation and 2NE1 among others would be performing here. Even members of the Running Man cast, HaHa and Kwangsoo would be coming, following the sellout fanmeet of fellow cast member, Kim Jong Kook. However, in the brief years that Singaporeans considered that the Hallyu has neglected Singapore, did it contribute towards various members leaving their various fan bases? The last time popular girl group, Brown Eyed Girls have performed was in 2010, following up on their success on Abracadabra. However,

within Singapore, 4everlastings (name of Brown Eyed Girls fan club), popular support has not waned.

“THE MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE IN SOUTH KOREA EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT COME TO SINGAPORE IN YEARS.” NICOLE SOH, 18, A STUDENT SAID.

Wave if there is another long hiatus before popular groups come to Singapore again. However, this seems unlikely, as last year; SMTown was held at the Float in Singapore, to a sell-out audience, with idols like BoA, SHINee, f(x) and Girls Generation performing. The Korean Wave is probably here to stay in Singapore, for a much longer time than the Japanese, English or Chinese Wave had been.

12 JUNE 2013 IN SINGAPORE The members have come up with their own individual hits, with member Ga In releasing Brunch recently, and starring in PSY’s Gentleman MV while leader JeA has debuted as a solo artist with While You’re Sleeping. ELFs (Super Junior’s fanbase), in Singapore, have helped contribute to Super Junior’s sell-out concerts in 2011 and 2012. Yeo Xin-Yi, 19, remarked that even though, “… from 2009 to 2011, they did not come to Singapore, the very active members within Super Junior have helped to keep the fanbase alive.” In part, many have agreed that even though the idol groups, actors along with actresses are not active in Singapore, and fans here are more than content to seeing their idols on the computer and television, this may eventually cause the death of the Korean

News / Entertainment

fighting the stigma By: Amy Saiauski

outh Korea’s conservative culture has made it difficult to shake the old stigma that a person with tattoos is a member of a gang or has gang affiliation.The last several years, however, have seen an increase in celebrities getting inked. While most do not outright flaunt them, choosing instead to cover them with long sleeves or pants while out in public, they do not hide them in shame either. Several K-Pop idols labels have gone so far as to require them to either cover their tattoos with clothing or use makeup to conceal it. This has led to fans wondering why it is okay to have temporary tattoo’s, which are often flaunted during a groups promotion, but it is not okay to show their real ones.

The answer could lie in the fact that a person’s permanent tattoo has a meaning that only the owner can fully appreciate and also that the temporary tattoos are designed around the concept of the promotion and therefore fit with what the label is trying to convey. Korean hip hop artists tend to have more leeway with expressing themselves and are usually able to freely show their ink while performing. There are several artists who are well known for their tattoos such as Jay Park, Big Bang’s G-Dragon, Dok2, 5Zic from M.I.B, and JYJ’s Jaejoong and Yoochun. Other known artists with tattoos include: 100%-Changbum, 2AM- Jo Kwon, A Prince-Sungwon, Beast- Junghyung, Big Bang-Taeyang, Block B- Zico, Block B- Taeil, Block B- Jaehyo, Brian Joo, BTOB- Changsub, CIIC- Kay Oh, DMTN-Daniel, DMTN-Dari, EXO-M-Kris, F.I.X-Nuri, Huh Gak, LeessangKang Gary, Myname-Gunwoo, N-Sonic-Black J, N-Train- Soul J. Se7en, Super Junior- Kangin, NSuper Junior- Shindong, Super Junior- Sungmin, Teen, Top- C.A.P, U-Kiss- Eli. Ladies: 4Minute-Hyuna, BoA, Brown Eyed GirlsNarsha, F(x)- Amber, Kahi, Lee Hyori, Miss A-Jia.

bet awards and addressing

racism by Darla Cornett

in kpop

News / Entertainment

s of the writing of this article, T-ara N4 is slated to be making an appearance at the 2013 BET Awards on June 30th. By the time this article is published, the event will be over and done with, and the K-Pop community will surely have something to say about the event. Thus far it has only been confirmed that the T-ara subunit is set to walk the red carpet with American R&B artist Chris Brown; if the group is to join Brown in his performance during the ceremony, there is no information about this on BET’s website. T-ara N4 could make an unexpected splash at the awards show aimed at highlighting the success of black entertainers, or they could be completely relegated to the background (and perhaps not even seen on the red carpet if photographers and cameramen decide to only do close-up shots of Brown). No matter what the outcome T-ara N4’s appearance, this event highlights an intriguing question for K-Pop fans to consider: Is the hip-hop/R&B community the best avenue for Korean musicians to enter into foreign music markets? Depending upon who your target market is, enlisting the aid (and fame) of an established entertainer in a certain genre could be very helpful in creating both a buzz and a presence for artists hoping to enter a new market. Various Korean entertainment companies and artists have taken different approaches to breaking into markets outside of Asia. S.M. Entertainment has mainly relied on a “go it alone” approach, using the star power of their own talent and focusing on the already established community of K-Pop fans in the countries they visit. JYJ relied somewhat on the start power of the hip-hop/R&B community, including Kanye West and Malik Yusef on their English language debut single, but they have largely focused on their own talents afterwards. On the other hand, any article discussing the possibility of a U.S. debut for 2NE1 inevitably mentions at least one of the established producers and/or artists they are expected to work with. Based on 2NE1’s style, it is not surprising that YC Entertainment would aim for exposure of the group in the same genre abroad. However, an entry though this particular market may end up brining more harm than benefits to Korean artists attempting to make waves in other countries. It is no secret that racial sensitivity is a topic that sorely needs to be reconsidered by the Korean entertainment industry. Any more, it seems that a week does not go by without a new outcry from angry bloggers about an offensive action by a Korean performer, blackface (sadly) being the most common cause of complaint. The more exposure K-Pop gains in other countries, particularly in America, the more this controversy is going to get attention. Well known English language blogging sites, including Jezebel and MSN.com, have picked up the story, and “racist kpop stars” and “wtf is up with kpop and blackface” show up as related searches to K-Pop on Google. Yet blackface is not the only action offensive to a specific race of people that has occurred in K-Pop. Both SHINee and T-ara have dressed in “Indian Chic” for performances, meaning they have used the traditional clothing of Native Americans to make a fashion statement, and have imitated “stereotypical” Native American behavior as well. The previous descriptions of racially insensitive actions leads us back to the question that opened this article: Is the hip-hop/R&B community the best avenue for Korean musicians to enter into foreign music markets? Obviously these racial caricatures represent an open wound for many fans of K-Pop, one that is growing rather than shrinking as it has widely failed to be addressed. Yet we must consider when, and where, would be the best time to address this issue? If K-Pop continues to make headway abroad, it seems inevitable that the use of blackface will be brought to the attention of hip-hop and R&B fans on a broader scale, a large portion of whom are black, including the artists with whom some K-Pop stars are working.

News / Entertainment

When these artists are confronted with this story, and chances are it will be via a viral blog post or surprise presentation of it during an interview (because shock valued sells), who do you think these artists will side with? Even if 2NE1 or the members of T-ara N4 have never engaged in blackface, their association with acts that have (particularly in the case of 2NE1 and their label mates Big Bang), they will still be caught up in the conflict that will inevitably occur. Sides will be taken, harsh criticisms and rude or misunderstood defenses will be made, more people will join the fray (if only to make themselves relevant for a moment by voicing an opinion on the matter), and all this will be done through the filtering of the lens of media outlets, most of whom will be more interested in further inflaming the conflict for the sake of ratings. The bigger the fallout, the greater the impact on the entire K-Pop community, and the greater the difficulty there will be for any K-Pop artist wanting to debut abroad as the specter of racism, one of which they may have never been a part of, will continue to be associated with all Korean acts. The discussion about racist actions performed by Korean entertainers desperately needs to be held, and it needs to be conducted with established members of the industry actually listening. If I were an intrepid reporter looking to establish a name for myself by any means necessary, I would print out a picture of K-Pop artists doing blackface and confront the members of T-ara N4 with it on the red carpet of the BET awards and ask them why Korea thinks this is ok and how can they feel comfortable being at the BET awards when this is the attitude Korea has towards people of African decent. Therefore, before such an event can occur, it would be wise of Korean entertainment companies to take a step back from trying to ingratiate themselves in a musical genre largely dominated by a group of people their artists routinely offend. Once the realization has occurred that it is wrong to work with and seek help from someone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage you unapologetically offended in the past, and whom you looked down upon in the process, then reaching out to the hip-hop/R&B community would be a wise move for Korean artists who owe much of their success to adopting this genre of music. However, as the situation currently stands, the coming together of K-Pop and hip-hop has a far greater chance to do potentially irreversible harm to the former. The Korean entertainment industry needs to update their archaic views on race, and they need to do so before the damage it has already caused becomes permanent, especially if the spreading of the Hallyu wave is going to continue.

PSY

gentlemen ENTERTAINMENT & THE INDUSTRY By Darla Cornett

News / Entertainment

One surefire, though not necessarily positive,

way to know you have “made it” in the entertainment industry is when one of your celebrity peers feels compelled to publicly insult you. The assurance of your own fame is doubly secured if your detractor has never even met you and still feels the need to call you out. Such an incident oc curred for Psy in early May. For reasons yet unexplained, Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of punk-pop band Greenday, posted the following on his Instagram account: “This dude is the herpes of music. Once you think it’s gone, it comes back. #herpes #flareup #pleasegoaway” Included with the statement was a picture of Psy doing the (in)famous horse dance from “Gangnam Style.” This out of the blue rudeness represents Psy’s first celebrity feud since finding fame across the Pacific. While reports of conflicts of the rich and famous are certainly discussed in Korea, they tend not to receive quite as much attention as in countries like America where every week glossy tabloids entice curious readers with promises to expose who hates who in Hollywood and to provide all the lurid details, and pictures if we are lucky, of the latest confrontations. And indeed, this diss directed at Psy did make headlines. MTV, noted celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, the Huffington Post, and more all took up the story. Psy once again made headlines abroad, though not exactly for the right reasons. However (or perhaps unfortunately for those who thrive on celebrity gossip), this feud was over before it really began. In what was surely an attempt to continue the battle by inciting the next strike, a reporter from Fuse TV asked Psy what he thought of the comment during an interview. In seemingly keeping with the character of a gentleman, Psy stated “I kinda like it, it’s cool… He said I’m like the herpes… that keeps coming back. I think that’s really cool. Thank you.”

Be it a misunderstanding in meaning or a calculated response, Psy’s cool reply appears to have doused the flames of Billie Joe’s anger as he has not made any comments about the Korean sensation since. While fans of Psy might simply dismiss the words of the Greenday front-man as jealousy or a desperate attempt to stay relevant, it should be noted that Armstrong serves as a representative of people who are simply sick of Psy. It’s impossible to deny that “Gangnam Style” received a lot of exposure, and there are surely some people who felt it was an overexposure. Not everyone liked the track many of us find so catchy the first time they heard it, and still more people likely began to think the song was less catchy after hearing it ten or more times (this author had a similar experience with Maroon 5 when, one summer, every third song on my local radio station was one of the band’s hit singles). That more people do not feel this way about Psy, and that he did not become a one wonder, is due to a combination of his talent, the way he presents himself, and luck. Fortunately, this minute feud clearly had no impact on Psy’s career. His “Gentleman” PV garnered 100 million views by its fourth day on Youtube, and it eventually overtook “Gangnam Style” in number of views. He also appeared on “Live with Kelly and Michael,” the finale of “Germany’s Next Top Model,” and Russia’s “Muz-TV Awards” to promote his new single, along with keeping up promotions in his native Korea. While many celebrities seem to rely on conflict and other negative press to keep the spotlight trained on them, Psy has shown us that this is not necessary. Perhaps other entertainers can learn from his ample and promote themselves by being classy instead of being trashy, as any true gentleman or gentlewoman would.

PROS & CONS:

CONCEPT CHANGE

It isn’t rare for one K-Pop group to go through multiple concept changes to christen a new single, mini-album, or album. This may sometimes make it difficult for one group to establish their own unique sound and identity as they shift from hardcore to cutie-pie within a few months. Those who are just discovering a group can easily become confused with the changes in appearance and sound, and may shy away if the change is too drastic. For example, SM Entertainment’s Girls’ Generation had been known as a very popular nine-member girl group with songs without rapping. In late 2011, “The Boys” was released, then in 2013, “I Got a Boy,” which both featured moments of rap and hip-hop, which fans had seen very little of from Girls’ Generation. The immediate reaction, for the most part, was not as strongly positive as past music videos, yet the group’s following remained strong. Because veteran groups often have legions of fans around the world, they are able to experiment with new styles with little consequence. However, lesser known groups may choose to de velop their core image before venturing into a new style. At the same time, if one is able to pull it off, these changes in concept proves the broad range a group has as well as its ability to adapt. Fans may also agree that being able to see a different side to their oppas and unnies is exciting and refreshing; such is the case with B.A.P.’s “Crash” and “빗소리 (Rain Sound)” which are both shown in a completely different style—both in presentation and sound than their typical, powerful performance they’re known for. This, however, does not lessen the importance of developing a fundamental image that can only be associated with one group, as B.A.P. has done to set itself apart from the many idol groups in the industry. The three-year old female group, Sistar, has also recently risen in popularity and success with their changing image. Though their ap pearance is much different compared to their debut, they have changed in a way that highlights their maturity. Still, fans are able to know exactly when a Sistar song plays, and this should be one of the main goals of a group: to achieve this level of recognition.

Crisis Management

News / Entertainment

You are doingBy Darren it... Kwok

This list seeks to root out those who have acted well (and not so well), according to their situation and settled a scandal in the most peaceable way. This article is just of personal opinion and may not reflect popular sentiment.

Right

Won Bin & Sooyoung dating rumors:

No, it is not SM Entertainment who did well this time although both of them were good in not blowing this situation out of proportion. Among the two, Won Bin’s agency, Eden Nine Entertainment, amidst this mess, came forward and not only denied the dating rumors but has also stated even to the extent that Won Bin “does not even know which member is which.” Yes, this seems to be cruel, however, when a statement is phrased strongly and decisively, it instantly roots out most of the confusion that has spread since the scandal has taken place. SM also did the same, stating that the two had never met. However, this usually does not dispel or root out most possible alternative venues of gossip and false information as the alternative thinking that the two had met in secret is possible. With Eden Nine’s strongly worded statement, this dispels any notion of that.

Wrong

Lee Jangwoo & Oh Yeon Seo’s dating rumors:

When the photos of them having dinner together surfaced on the internet, Oh Yeon Seo’s agency released unclear statements, stating that Oh Yeon Seo was still “getting to know” Lee Jangwoo, and that Oh Yeon Seo as well as Lee Jangwoo “were meeting each other” and to make matters worse, commented that the timing was “a little unfortunate”. Following this, Oh Yeon Seo’s representatives then completely rejected that the two were dating. Throughout this, Lee Jangwoo’s agency kept silent. Contradicting statements as well as words that seem to mock the popular Lee Joon when Oh Yeon Seo is a relatively unknown actress, can only do negativity to her battered image from the scandal. Lee Jangwoo’s agency however, also allowed any rumours to spread without disputing them, permitting negativity to the actor’s image.

News / Entertainment

SS501’S W

RETURN?

ith the recent celebration of SS501’s 8th anniversary and the video message made by the four of the members , hope has risen among Triple S, also known fondly as Green Peas, that there may be a chance of SS501 coming back together soon. On June 8th Heo Yongseang, Kim Kyujong, Park Jungmin, and Kim Hyunjun took to their personal twitters to comment about their 8th anniversary as SS501. Yongsaeng tweeted a simple message of the other members’ names including their leader Kim Hyunjoong (who was busy with a fan meeting that day) and signed it with a heart and his name. When fellow member “Baby” Hyunjun tweeted a link to a video message the four of them had made, Yongsaeng retweeted it with another simple message that brought smiles to their fans: “nothing’s changed”. Kyujong and Hyunjun also expressed their thanks for a bus that Arabic and Japanese fans had come together to advertise SS501 in celebration of the anniversary. Jungmin thanked his fans also on his Twitter account and promised to work hard. Several days prior, the members had posted a couple of pictures of each other together, which caused a surge of excitement in fans at the hope of an announcement that the members would be returning together as SS501. Although the members went their separate ways in 2010 after their contract expired with DSP Media, SS501 has never been formally disbanded. Over the years the members have insisted that one day SS501 will return and have asked for their fans to wait patiently for them. Right now, though, it seems Green Peas will need to wait just a little longer for their return as Kyujong is currently serving his military service, and Yongsaeng will be leaving for his service in November of this year. It has also recently been announced that Hyunjun will be starting his service in 2014.

By Amy Saiauski

TOPunderrated

News / Entertainment

KOREAN DRAMA OSTS

by Darren Kwok

I LOVE YOU - TAEYEON DON’T YOU KNOW - DAVICHI

Davichi has often been out-shadowed by label mates, T-ARA. However, this does not mean that the ballad duo is poor or lacks quality. The same exact sorrowful voices from the singers that brought the world Don’t Say Goodbye and Turtle bring back the exact same sadness in this drama OST of IRIS.

Athena: Goddess of War, feature Taeyeon’s soothing vocals as well as sad lyrics about a girl hoping that her lover will not forget her and that she loves him. More amazingly, the entire OST has only 11 lines but Taeyeon’s voice fully convey the sadness and sorrow of the song.

FOOL FOR YOU - JEA

3 2

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL - BOA Veteran singer BoA, shows her skills in this song for Shark, as the song starts off with a dreamlike tone followed by one is melanchonic.

Brown Eyed Girls leader, JeA, has the most powerful voice within the girl group. In this song, her powerful voice is used to convey a girl’s confused and sad feelings about falling in love with someone who does not even remember her for the drama, Padam Padam.

MOONLIGHT IS SETTING - HEORA

Heora? Heora who? Chances are that after you hear this, you will be a great fan of her. Her voice brings not only sadness but also gives a sense of hope to the listener. It is an amazing song to listen to.

News / Entertainment

ONE HDJuly 2013

HIGHLIGHTS I hear your voice

Premieres 3 July 2013, 8.55pm, airing on Every Wednesday & Thursday First & Exclusive on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393)

series synopsis I Hear Your Voice is a 16-episode fantasy romance court-room drama by Park Hye Ryun, the writer of Dream High. It stars Lee Jong-suk as Park Soo Ha, a high school boy with the supernatural ability to hear people’s thoughts.

get assigned defendants with virtually no chance of being acquitted. Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young, A Dirty Carnival) is a comical yet tenacious public defender, while her partner Cha Gwang Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun, Secret Garden), is a passionate police officer-turned-defendHe crosses paths with two er. Their work takes an interpublic defenders who always esting turn with Park’s help…

series synopsis Ghost is a crime drama following the work of a cyber crime investigation squad to uncover the secrets of criminals hiding behind advanced cyber technology.

So Ji Sub is back for the first time in two years on the small screen with "Ghost". The series is helmed by producer Kim Hyun Sik from TV series "Sign" and "I Am Legend". This is also the second time So Ji Sub is So Ji Sub plays Kim Woo working with producer Kim HyHyun, the only son of a high eong-sik following the 2009 ranking police officer who grad- drama "Cain and Abel". uates from the police academy as its top trainee. He joins the cyber investigation squad where he is a cold, anti-social Yoo Gang Mi (Lee Yeon cyber crime detective and works Hee) with Lee Yeon Hee who plays Yoo Gang Mi is Woo Hyun’s Yoo Kang Mi, his female colsidekick in the investigation league and love interest. unit. Together, they aim at bringing Hades, a cyber criminal down as they solve the puzzling cyber cases.

ghost

Re-runs 8th July 2013 on ONE HD, Astro B.yond Channel 393 Airing Mondays at 2:20pm

character Kim Woo Hyun (So Ji Sub) descriptions Kim Woo Hyun, the only son of a

high ranking police officer, enters the police academy and graduates with flying colors. He then joins the Cyber Crime Investigation Unit. Woo Hyun is a perfectionist. His missions entitle him to crack evidences and reveal secrets existing within the cyber world.

BTOB PRESS PLAY PARTY FANMEETING 2013 BTOB left for Bangkok, Thailand on May 16 to meet with fans through their week-long fan meet events. BTOB held their ‘BTOB Press Play Party in Thailand 2013’ at the Scala Theatre on May 18. BTOB’s Thai fan meeting sold all of its 1,000 tickets in five minutes of going on sale during the ticketing in early April.

2013CNBLUE

BLUE MOON WORLD TOUR

LIVE IN BANGKOK

The handsome guys of CNBlue keep turning heads with their “Blue Moon World Tour,” and this time the wonderful city of Bangkok had the opportunity to see them live! Hallyu didn’t miss it and neither can you! Check out the amazing photos!

GIRL’S GENERATION TRUE BEYOND EVENT IN THAILAND

TVXQ takes MALAYSIA by storm with their Live World Tour â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catch Me,â&#x20AC;? and we just had to be there for you! From the Press Conference to the concert on May 18th, 2013, Hallyu was there to 20 provide full coverage on this incredibly handsome and amazingly talented lented duo.

TVXQ

catch me tour

CHARMS “THAT WINTER, THE WIND BLOWS” FANS AT MALAYSIA MEET & GREET

May 21, 2013 – Zo In Sung was invited by Astro ONE HD to visit Malaysia and Singapore to promote “That Winter, The Wind Blows” on a two day publicity tour from 21-22 May 2013. At the Malaysia meet-and-greet held at Paradigm Mall, Upper Atrium Level, Zo In Sung was enthusiastically greeted by the huge turnout of the drama’s fans. The event host, Natalie of Hitz.FM proceeded to ask him a few questions :

to be ? ZIS : Maybe a giraffe? Gwangsoo is more famous being known as a giraffe. Well it could’ve been great if I was born as a puppy? MC : Okay, so what is the most craziest or memorable thing that a fan has done for you? ZIS : Well, one of my fans has given me an iguana. But there was another person who could take better care of the iguana so I gave it to that person. MC : So moving on from pets to ice cream flavours. What flavour do you like for ice cream and why? ZIS : Vanilla, choco. MC : Is there anything you want to say to the fans in Malaysia? ZIS : I really have no idea what this gwiyomi is so next time I’ll practice and show you this. Thank you all for being here today for me and I really didn’t expect so many people like this to come see me here today. You guys are just so awesome that it just makes me feel like I’m coming back here again very soon.

MC : What is the similarity between you and your character, Oh Soo? ZIS : Well a lot of people ask me the same question but I think that Oh Soo character is very similar to myself because I truly sincerely participate in acting so, it’s just part of me. MC : Life as a celebrity has a lot of limitations, if you could live a normal life for a day, what would you do? ZIS : Well today made me realize that its just better to live as a celebrity. MC : Alright good answer! So if you were not an actor, what would u be doing for a living? ZIS : If I wasn’t an actor I would’ve continue doing taekwondo? MC : If you were an animal what animal would you choose

Next, Zo In Sung was asked to judge 3 groups of people

who were to re-enact the famous cotton candy scene from â&#x20AC;&#x153;That Winter, The Wind Blowsâ&#x20AC;?. He chose couple No.2 as he said they really showed him what a couple is supposed to be. After announcing the winner, the 3 groups of people were given a chance to take a polaroid photo with him. Zo In Sung was so nice to shake hands with them and even offer them hugs! The 16-episode drama series will be back on ONE HD due to popular demand from 1st June 2013, airing on Saturdays and Sundays at 3.15pm. Thank you ONE HD for inviting Hallyu Magazine to cover the meet-and-greet!

kbs

K-POP WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013 TO BE HELD IN THAILAND KBS K-POP World Music Festival 2013 in Thailand will be held on August 17th, 2013 at Rajamangala Stadium. Artist Line-up: EXO-M & EXO-K Boyfriend Sistar 4Minute BtoB Vixx Shinwha BIGBANG 2PM CNBLUE 2NE1 Beast FTIsland B.A.P Infinite Secret B1A4 ZE:A ZE: F(x) MissA Ticketing will be available internationally on July 1st at http://www.thaiticketmajor.com/.

SUPER JUNIOR LIVE WORLD TOUR

Super Junior made sure to share the love with Hong Kong and Indonesia during their Live World Tour “Super Show 5.” And Hallyu was there to make sure you got some love too! These greatly talented boys didn’t fail to amaze everyone with their charms and sense of humor. Check out our updates on both concerts and see for yourself why these men are one of Korea’s top bands!

korean music sensation vol.1 With a line up consisting of 4Minute, MBlaq, B1A4 and U-Kiss, Korean Music Sensation Vol. 1 promises to be an unforgettable show. Hallyu followed U-kiss’ AJ and Soo-hyun this time to the concert’s press conference. As always, they didn’t fail to express how thankful and happy they were to receive their fans’ support!

STYLEXSTYLE

2NE1 & SNSD

WRITTEN BY DARREN KWOK

Photography by Cheryl Tan

Style x Style Asia promised a night of good fun for both Korean and Japanese Pop loving Singaporeans as well as global fans. We were not disappointed.The long queues were definitely worth the wait. After the Tokyo Girls Collection, the KPOP collection began. However, it was not until later that the highlights of the show came out. 2NE1 as well as Girls Generation. 2NE1 appeared first, led by their charismatic leader, CL, who has recently shot to popular acclaim with her song, “The Baddest Female”. They first performed Fire, followed by “Can’t Nobody”, “I Love You” and “Lonely”. 2NE1 then declared that they had missed Singapore a lot and requested that everyone sing to their last song if they know the lyrics. It was as if she expected everyone to. However, she was right. Wrapping it up with “I Am The Best”, 2NE1 once again had to force security to make everyone sit down as most fans were already standing, some even on their chairs. When Girls Generation came out, instead of the usual nine, only eight members were there, with Sooyoung filming her drama, “Dating Agency: Cyrano”. They announced that they would be returning to Singapore in October as part of their world tour and had the crowd screaming as they kicked off with “Hoot”, followed by “Dancing Queen”. However, even Sooyoung’s absence could not keep out the fact that they had all the fans screaming. They even briefly triggered a stampede crisis when the fans surged forward towards the stage. After “I Got A Boy”, Girls Generation performed their last song for the night, “Gee” which had everyone chanting along. That day, the team in Singapore had also seen fans of Girls Generation giving out pieces of paper to people queuing for tickets that read, “Happy Birthday Seohyun!” Seohyun’s birthday was coming and the fans were prepared as usual. It was a truly star studded night that day, and despite the haze in Singapore, the girls, both from 2NE1 as well as Girls Generation were looking and performing at their best.

G-DRAGON: ENDING HIS TOUR

NOT WITH A FIZZLE,

BUT WITH A BANG! Written by Emily Heng Photos by Stephanie Chee

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he atmosphere is fraught with excitement at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront ballroom. There is a sudden murmur of interest and the cameras start flashing as G-Dragon, one of K-Pop’s superstars, strides in. Dressed simply in a black shirt, a white hat, shades and a pair of stylish monochrome pants, G-Dragon sits down to answer all our questions about his tour and his upcoming album. G-Dragon’s world tour has been going on for about three months now and has received rave reviews and critical reception. It is not just his slick choreography and his catchy tunes that have garnered attention but his unique costumes as well. “Particularly, I like the costumes I have from the opening from every tour. It looks very cool on stage and I’m sure you guys will like it too.” He says. G-Dragon has also recently collaborated with Tokyo based clothing company AMBUSH to create a 5 piece capsule collection, thus further cementing his status as a fashion icon. G-Dragon also works with several big names for this tour, with Travis Payne and Stacy Walker being two of them. Both are renowned choreographers who have worked with Michael Jackson for his ‘This Is It’ tour.

He expresses gratitude towards all the other artistes he has worked with so far as well and when asked if he has faced any sort of pressure from them, he says, “It was great as they had such experience and big names in the industry so I could learn a lot and they helped me along the way and for that I’m very grateful.” The final leg of G-Dragon’s world tour takes place in Singapore with 2NE1 being his special guest stars. With both Big Bang and 2NE1 being from YG Entertainment, we wonder what kind of chemistry will there be between G-Dragon and 2NE1 during the concert? When asked, G-Dragon states, “I definitely trust them as a performer too and also, as it’s the last tour here in Singapore I wanted to make an enjoyable atmosphere during the concert and also have a impact for my last tour.” Though his world tour is coming to an end, fans of G-Dragon need not fret, with his solo album in the works. “I’m working really hard on it. I’m not sure when it’ll be out. For me to produce an album, I want it to be perfect for all my fans and I want to be satisfied with that kind of work that I produce. So it may be out August, but I’m not exactly sure yet but please give me all the support and have a little patience with me. Thank you.”

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ark Shin Hye successfully held a fan meeting in Thailand on June 29th, 2013. The “2013 Park Shin Hye Asia Tour Kiss of Angel” concludes her 10th Anniversary Tour to celebrate her 10 years old career. During the event, Park Shin Hye sang, danced and even played the piano. Different VTRs of her and her past and present co-stars were shown, and even a surprise VTR as part of a special project from her fans. The surprise moved her to tears and she couldn’t help but express her gratitude towards the Thai Starlight Angels for supporting her career throughout the years. The fan meeting ended with a fan sign event.

PARK SHIN HYE

STAYING COOL IN KOREA

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that time of year, when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost unbearable in Korea to take a step outside without wanting to run back in to the nice air conditioned room that you just walked out of. The humid heat in Seoul is broken only by the monsoons that soak every inch of the ground

So if you’re planning on being in Korea during the summer, or where you live is also pretty hot, you should try some of these tips that Koreans follow to stay cool. Of course, you can just eat a lot of ice cream or take a cold shower, but there are some things that Koreans in particular do in order to stay comfortable in the heat. One of the most noticeable signs of the summer heat in Seoul is that girls are starting to wear dresses. So, if you’re a girl (or not!), maybe this summer try to wear a light dress. It can be short or long, but whatever the length is it will let in more air than pants. Shorts are another good option and many guys and girls wear them in Seoul, but skirts are still super popular in Korea because they let girls look a bit more feminine than the pants that most girls wear during colder weather. Another option for many people in Korea, especially when they know that they will be outside for a long time is to use a hand fan. There aren’t only the traditional fans that most people are used to, but also cute hand fans that are more like circles of cardboard. These fans are pretty popular, because they often have faces of celebrities on them. Stores sometimes give them out as advertising campaigns too, so they’re accessible to most people. Another thing that is nice about Seoul in the heat is that the Han River bisects the entire city. This means that it’s pretty easy for people to get to the riverside, where it is much cooler thanks to the breeze of the river. It’s popular for people to go have picnics, rent bikes, or simply walk along the river because of this. There are also public pools, and water parks like Ocean World that make a hot day into a really fun experience. Of course, going to a water park is expensive and it’s not something that people do every day. But on any given weekend, the bus to Ocean World is filled with children hoping to have a fun, cool time. If water parks aren’t your cup of tea, there’s the go to answer for everything Korean: coffee. If you order a drink in Korea once the summer heat begins, most cafes will assume that you are ordering an ice drink unless you tell them otherwise. Another good thing about coffee shops is that most of them have really nice air conditioning, which makes cafes a great place to meet with friends in the summer. Of course, there are a lot of ways in Seoul to stay cool during the summer; people just have to make sure that they take advantage of them.

COFFEE SHOP CULTURE Think about the last drama you watched. Was it a historical drama? No? Then it probably had a coffee shop featured pretty prominently throughout the episodes.

There’s a reason for this: Korean cities are havens for coffee shops. If you’re not within walking distance of three coffee shops, than you probably have left Seoul, Busan, or any other city in Korea. The most popular drink in Korea is easily the Americano, which is essentially espresso with hot water, and it can be served hot or iced. The idea of American coffee, simply coffee with milk, is almost entirely absent from Korean coffee shops and asking for it will cause confusion. Lattes, cappuccinos, and Americano’s are the way to go. Of course, tea is also an option, but even late at night Korean’s will most likely order a heavily caffeinated drink. In the summer, ice drinks are extremely prevalent. It’s not uncommon to see people walking in the streets with a cup of coffee, but it is more common to drink inside cafes rather than not because coffee shops are a great meeting place in Korea. Many young people will spend time in cafes because of the fact that they live at home with their parents. Unlike the United States where many people have space in their home to entertain friends, in Seoul most people live in small apartments and it is much easier to meet up with friends in a public place. People will often sit in cafes for hours, simply talking to friends about nothing, or use it as a study place. It is also not uncommon to be asked to meet up with someone in a coffee shop simply because they are bored and want to enjoy your company. There are many big coffee chains in Korea, like Holly’s

Coffee, Tom N Toms, Angel In Us, Caffee Bene, A Twosome Place, and American chains like Starbucks and The Coffee Bean. But while these are the most popular chains, there are also many small cafes that range from themed coffee shops, like Hello Kitty and puppy cafes, to chic cafes that look more like a bar than a coffee shop (there are even some coffee shop and bar combinations,) to cozy little places with mismatched chairs and pillows. If you come to Korea, there is no doubt that you will end up finding a favorite café.

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WHEREto go on VACATION? By Amy Saiauski

hoosing a vacation or a honeymoon location can be a daunting task with so many beautiful places all over the world as options.While Hawaii seems to be a favorite destination for many people, Wonder Girls member Sunye and her new husband decided on the beautiful and remote(yet expensive depending on where you are traveling from) Maldives. Korean singers Haha and Byul traveled to Vietnam for their vacation as a newly married couple. A popular favorite among Koreans, celebrities and none alike is Jeju with its stunning views, beautiful beaches and array of attractions for people of all interests. It is not uncommon to hear this location mentioned in Korean dramas such as Boys Over Flowers where a couple of episodes were shot. Hong Kong and Macau also tempt vacationers with the promise of historical and romantic locations or for those more inclined to modern day comforts they offer shopping, casinos and exciting nightlife. Malaysia is popular for both honeymooners and families on vacation alike because of its beautiful beaches and quaint colonial towns. Other destinations that are very popular are Bali and Singapore to name just a couple.

ALTERNATIVE EATING IN SEOUL If you are a vegetarian, vegan, or have any dietary restrictions while in Seoul, be prepared to get a lot of weird looks and even expressions of disgust from Koreans when you explain to them that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat meat. In Korea, meat is essentially the best thing in the world. But, do not worry. With the amount of foreigners living Korea, there are options for alternative diets. If you eat fish, you are all right because seafood is almost as popular in Korea as meat. But if you are completely against eating animals, you may have a bit of a harder time traveling in Korea, especially if you do not have the leisure of having your own kitchen or enough time to cook. But do not worry; you will not only have to eat rice and vegetables!

seafood is almost as popular in Korea as meat. But if you are completely against eating animals, you may have a bit of a harder time traveling in Korea, especially if you do not have the leisure of having your own kitchen or enough time to cook. But do not worry; you will not only have to eat rice and vegetables! One of the most popular food options for vegans in Korea is temple food. Because Buddhism abhors killing, Buddhist monks do not eat meat. So a while a temple-stay experience is one way to get some animal-free food, there are also several temple-style restaurants. In Insadong specifically there are several restaurants that serve temple food. But, temple food is often very simple. If you are looking for a taste of Korean food, like Soondubu jjigae (tofu stew) or jajangmyeon, the best option is probably Loving Hut. Loving Hut is a food chain that has several branches throughout Seoul, and offers both Western and Korean-style food that has no animal byproducts in it. The food is as tasty as its animalinclusive counterparts, and despite being specialized vegan the prices are very reasonable. There are several other small restaurants that specialize in vegetarian and vegan food. The Korean Tourism Organization has an entire list on their website, www.visitkorea.or.kr.

IDOLS AND THEIR SWEET RIDES Fans are surely envious of their Hallyu idols’ lifestyle. The glitz? The glam? The fashion? And of course, not forgetting their fast cars. We are familiar with JYJ members spending extravagant amounts on luxurious cars, but it seems like they are not the only Hallyu idols that are willing to do so. Here is a list of some of the male celebrities that are willing to splurge on their ride:

Since most of the male Hallyu idols tend to go for powerful and speedy racing cars to boost their masculine image, one would expect most of the female Hallyu idols to go for smaller cars with the likes of Mini Coopers and Volkswagen Beetle which reflects the sweet and adorable image which most of these female Hallyu idols portray. However, it seems like these celebrities beg to differ:

Kim JunSu (JYJ) – Lamborghini Aventador Kim Jaejoong (JYJ) - Lamborghini Murciélago LP-640 Park Yoo Chun (JYJ) - Ferrari California G-Dragon (Big Bang) - Bentley GT Lee Teuk (Super Junior) – BMW 320i

Sandara Park (2NE1) - Range Rover Jessica Jung (Girl’s Generation) - BMW 3 Series Yoona (Girl’s Generation) – Volkswagen Scirocco R-Line Lee Hyori – Mercedez Benz E-class IU – Porsche Cayenne

Reviews / Movies

Cast: RYOO Seung-ryong (Yong-gu), KAL So-won (young Ye-seung), PARK Shin-hye (adult Ye-seung) Director: LEE Hwan-kyung Release Date (South Korea): January 24, 2013

In the new generation of South Korean actors

and actresses, few can match the rising success PARK Shin-hye. She shot into superstardom with the drama, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Beautiful, starring alongside JANG Geun-suk, and has surely cemented her superstar status with her recent blockbuster success, Miracle in Cell No. 7, which currently holds the record as the third highest-grossing domestic film. Park plays the adult Ye-seung, a law student trying to defend the innocence of her father, Yong-gu (RYOO Seung-ryong, Masquerade), a man with the mental capacity of a child, who is in prison for kidnapping and murder. As a child, Ye-seung (KAL So-won in her movie debut), and her father loved to watch Sailor Moon together. Singing the theme song and mimicking the heroic poses, these two are not only father and daughter, but best friends. Every day, they go to a neighborhood store to look at the one thing in the world Ye-seung would most like to own: a yellow Sailor Moon backpack. A couple of days before Yong-guâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payday, the pair goes to look at the coveted backpack, only to see a well-dressed couple purchase the last bag, the one in the store window, for their little girl. Not knowing any better, Yong-gu tries to take the bag away from the girl, telling her that it belongs to his Ye-seung, when the father, believing him to be an attacker, slaps Yong-gu away from his family. A few days later, the child appears at the grocery store parking structure where Yong-gu works, telling him that

Rating:

By Estar H. Park

Reviews / Movies

Cast: LEE Jung-jae (Lee Ja-sung), HWANG Jung-min (Jung Chung), CHOI Min-sik (Kang Hyung-chul)

NEW WORLD

By Estar H. Park

Fresh off the success of Thieves, the South Korean blockbuster of 2012, popular actor LEE Jung-jae joins veteran actors CHOI Min-sik (Old Boy) and HWANG Jung-min (Dancing Queen) for the noir crime drama, New World. Lee plays Lee Ja-sung, a police officer recruited by Team Leader Kang Hyung-Chul (Choi Min-sik), to go undercover as the right-hand man of Jung Chung (Hwang Jung-min), number 3 in command of Goldmoon, a criminal syndicate. Despite efforts by the law to prosecute Goldmoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chairman, Seok Dong-chool (LEE Kyoung-young, Vampire Prosecutor), lack of compelling evidence leads to his non-indictment. Shortly after the verdict is handed down, Chairman Seok dies in a mysterious car accident, and Lee gets caught up in the violent struggle between Jung and Lee Joong-goo (PARK Sung-woong, Bridal Mask), number 4 in the line of succession. With his wife pregnant and his fear of discovery escalating, Lee is desperate to be finished with this mission, but Team Leader Kang needs him until his new task, Operation New World, the insertion of a figurehead Chairman under the thumb of the law, is complete. In this volatile situation, to whom does Lee owe his loyalty?

Rating:

Director: PARK Hoon-jung Release Date (South Korea): February 21, 2013

The standout performances here belonged to Lee and Hwang. Their buddies/brothers relationship, in which Lee plays the straight man to Hwang's gagman, is layered over twin dueling emotions, both evident in the two men: helplessness and anger. Ja-sung's helplessness in escaping this undercover operation alive, and the simmering rage he feels at Team Leader Kang's empty promises of extraction, mirror Chung's inability, as a Korean-Chinese, to escape the racial prejudice of the other Goldmoon members, a motivating factor in Joong-goo's animosity towards him, his subsequent refusal of Chung's right to succession and his grab for power. The two men are more tightly tied together than they know, and this unspoken bond is the driving heartbeat of the film, rather than the plot or visuals - the plot is straightforward, and the necessary fight scenes are bloody, but of no particular exception. Indeed, the similarity of the characters in their desires, fears and actions, despite being on opposite sides of the law, is the compelling element in the film. In such a character-driven film, the superb acting chops of the actors, notably Hwang, energizes its success and etches its well-deserved place in the genre.

EJ KOH: A PROFILE On a sunny spring afternoon on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, among the newly budding oak leaves and sidewalk seating, a spirit sat waiting for a gimp. The spirit is EJ Koh, award-winning Korean-American author. I am the gimp, hobbling into Mill, a Korean restaurant with decor circa 1987. Koh is the spirit. You'll find out what this means later.) we said our hello's and I explained why I was using a cane to walk some leg issue - and we sat down to eat some nengmyun and her work and her life.

Koh recently published her debut novel, Red. It is a sci-fi thriller with a heavy dose of poetry and philosphy. It is intense. Red is a revenge story. Sera is energetic, curious, tenacious, driven and determined. Sera, a young spirit, the novel's term for arc-angel, loses her mother-figure and she sets out to avenge her death. In order to succeed, she thought she would have to battle wakes, novel's term for demons. But demons aren't as bad as they seem. And adding to that, Sera discovers her true identity. She is neither good nor bad, neith white nor black, she is Red, an all encompassing being. In order to make use of the powers within her, she must first come to earth and learn what it takes to be a human. It is in this human form from which she can succeed. Koh like her protagonist. While attending Columbia Uni-

versity's MFA program, against the advice of many industry-veterans, she pursued all of her interests at once: poetry, translation, and, now, novel. She embraced the world of new media by foregoing the tedious process of agency submissions, where her work would be relegated to the dreaded slush pile - industry speak for a pile of unread manuscripts that aspiring literary agents read through to discover good new writers. Instead, Red was published as an ebook on Amazon.com, where it has from time to time reached 4th bestselling books in its genres. Kohâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent streak comes from her history. Her parent left her behind in California when she was in high school in the care of her older brother, who was a University of California Davis undergrad. Her father took a jobs with Samsung. Her parents decided that their daughter

would receive a better education if she remained in the United States. Koh had to move in with her brother in Davis. Her brother was a brother, not a parent. He wasn't ready to handle the parental responsibilities, and he didn't. Koh had to fend for herself at school, where she was one of very minority students in a farmtown, unlike the Davis of today, a thriving collegetown. She had moved there from Silicon Valley, a place with many educated Asians. The differences in the midset of people were too great. Koh didn't fit in. Plus, there was no school bus and her brother couldn't always drive her to school. So she spent many days at home alone. She discovered her passion for writing in college at University of California Irvine. A poetry writing workshop sparked her interest. She was encouraged to write more, her professors seeing great potential in her. Koh published a number of works in literary journals, winning awards. Then when the opportunity to spend a few years in New York, she took it. That's how she ended up at Columbia University. Sera is a lot like the author who conceived her: strong willed, strong convictions, and accepting of the fact that she isn’t like anyone else. Other aspects of Koh are also apparent: Sera’s unflinching physical fortitude, single-minded drive, and resourcefulness to survive. Sera is uber-Koh. Sera is a spirit, the novel’s equivalent to an angel. But then again she seems to have the powers of a wake, devil-equiv alent. The combination within her makes her uniquely capable of becoming the rare form known as red. The story sets her on a path to avenge the death a mother figure. In order for Sera to succeed, she must learn to fit in with humans on earth. She must learn to adapt to her new surroundings and find the limits of her human body. Clearly, Koh imagines on a scale and breadth most people can’t even conceive. Not that it is news anymore, but at Columbia University, ebooks aren’t very credible. Even setting aside the pretensions, one can see the point: major publishers have spent lifetimes amassing knowledge about readers’ tastes, while ebooks are not much more than a blog. But to Koh, Red is experimental, raw, and unpolished. She wants to present it that way. She doesn’t want to have it fall neatly in a genre. She isn’t the type and neither is her work. She would rather forgo the industry validation to be honest with herself. She shows me her tattoos and explains that one is her weapon (a revolver with a fountain pen as its barrel), and the other is herself if she were a Giacometti sculpture (a house that seems slightly unfinished and ready to be built higher). She wears her integrity on her arms. Lately, business has been occupying her mind. She wants to embrace her independent path. She has taken engagement with her readers to a whole new level, combing through the internet for comments from her growing fan-

base to identify individuals for opinions about what to do for her next book. She has every intention of bridging the worlds of literary fiction and genre fiction. Forging this new path requires piecemealing parts of business models to create a new one. She not only has to create the art but she has to be its CEO. She seemed unphased by blazing her own trail. For her she has the one equipment she needs: her ability to learn. She learns from her fans and she learns from those who inspire her. I have spent an evening with her, discussing her life and her work over dinner, coffee and dessert. We said our goodbyes. I limped my way toward Broadway to catch a cab. Koh seems to be leading a charge to protest the very establishment that pigeonhole many writers from ever getting published. One can’t help but root for her.

News / Entertainment

FASHION TRENDS

Summer fun by Kirsy Marlin

Sundresses It’s that time of the year again! Put the winter coats away and bring out your swimsuit! This summer Hallyu brings you the latest fashion trends so you don’t miss out on the fun. And what better way to welcome the summer heat than with sundresses? These extremely comfortable pieces of clothing come in all shapes and styles; from straight to high-low cuts, from maxi dresses to knit dresses, short sleeves or strapless; the choice is all yours!

Swimsuits And of course we wouldn’t forget the best part of summer: swimsuits! Everyone deserves to enjoy a nice day at the beach or maybe just a BBQ next to the pool with their friends, but first you need to make sure you have the appropriate outfit to stand out in a positive way! This summer brings once again a wide variety of swimsuits that will make it hard for you to decide which one to get first! Oh, but don’t you worry, the good news is you can get more than one!

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Shorts And we wouldn’t forget the guys this summer! The sun’s unforgiving heat keeps getting harder and harder to bear every day, but what better way to fight it than with comfortable, high quality clothes? Well, we have one word for you: shorts! Become a trendsetter with the variety of shorts that can be found in the stores of South Korea. Choose your own fabric, the length, and even the pattern you want to wear and you are ready to go!

Hats

& Accessories Now, don’t get us wrong, just like the ladies, guys also need the complementary accessories to go with their choice of clothing. And we are talking about the coolest hats (in every shape or form), bags, scarves and, of course, sunglasses! These accessories are the latest trends for men in South Korea right now; charismatic and fashionable, trendy, and most importantly, affordable!

Are you ready to Mambo with A-Prince?

www.ROKshop.co.kr

G-DRAGON

ENDING WITH A BANG

Ideal Idol Types

Interview with

TOUCH SUMMER 2013 FASHION TRENDS

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