HALLYU Magazine No.11

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HALLYU

Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief/ Head Director Publicist Translator

ART

Chief-Art-Editor Art Editors Senior Artist Artists

Photographers

WRITING DEPT. Head Writing Editor Deputy Writing Editor Editors Writers

SPECIAL THANKS &ASSOCIATION The AU Review 24/7KPOP COAST2COAST Entertainment ISS Entertainment NIKON Singapore AMN Radio USA KoreanCandy KPOP DREAMS Asia POP Radio Australia DRAMAfever DreamStar Entertainment SIMTONG Entertainment BrosMedia Entertainment GreenTeaGraffiti &ALL Our Affiliated Friends

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

PR&MEDIA PR Director KOREA Staff

SouthEast Asia Staff

USA&Canada staff

PHOTOSHOOT Director Creative Coordinator

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


Contents

4

A.CIAN Cover Interview ALPHABAT Cover Interview

16

24K Interview MRMR Interview New Beginnings

35

AOA Interview Sundown Festival The Queens of KPOP 2NE1

42

AU Review’s MBLAQ Interview

44

AU Review’s AILEE Interview CRYAON POP Interview

48

BTOB In Thailand The Best KPOP Debuts Of All Time American Remake: Boys Over Flowers The Comebacks: Kings &Queens JYP’s Wedding DONGHO’s New Life: His Struggles Idols and Fans Donate to Phillippines

56

Mnet Asian Music Awards

58

ONE HD Drama Releases TVXQ: Past The 5 Year Curse..Twice! RAIN’s Comeback New Years Festivals In Korea SBS 3-D Broadcasting

64

SM WEEK: EXO JAY PARK: Showcase in Malaysia SUPER JUNIOR Super Show 5 in Malaysia

70

Running Man’s Top 5 Moments New Births Barefoot Friends Introducing DEMION

74

DRAMAFEVER: The Heirs Upcoming Dramas Featuring GLOW’s New Album PULSE Island Village Teacher INFINITE One Great Step World Tour KOLLABORATION Star 2013 LEE KWANG SOO Fanmeeting in Malaysia MELON Music Awards 2013 KPOP Vaganza With GEKKS, SA, PHANTOM S.O.S. in Indonesia

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VIXX’s USA Tour The Milky Way 2014 Predictions A Raggae Weekend With HAHA &SKULL

Winter 2014 Issue No.11

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HALLYU Korean Entertainment and Culture Magazine














INTERVIEW WITH

24K HALLYU: Great meeting you guys! Can you each introduce yourself ? Kisu: Hi, I’m Kisu the cute icebreaker of 24K. Pleasure to meet you. Sungoh: Hello, I’m Sungoh. Cory: Hi, I’m the leader and a foreigner, Cory. Pleasure to meet you. Jeunguk: I’m Jeunguk, the youngest in 24K. Daeil: I’m Daeil of 24K. HALLYU: Please explain to us what is 24K, how did you come up with the name? Sungoh: The name 24K means pure gold in Korean. We want to maintain our original way of thinking and behavior and shine like pure gold. Cory: A group, 4K was already founded before our group. It is an acoustic ballad group. Everybody thought it was unique because there is no acoustic style group. We also think so. 4K has a very unique style. HALLYU: Someone isn’t here, is he?

[

]

INTERVIEWER: JOONGHAN BAE PHOTO: YUZU LIDA & PARE KORAPUN TRANSCRIBER: LEE TAEKYEONG TRANSLATORS: JOONGHAN BAE & ALFONSO BOO EDITORS: AMY SAIAUSKI & JOSEPHINE CHEW

Cory: Yes, Byungho isn’t here right now...he’s in the hospital. He is the charismatic one in 24K, so he is quite taciturn actually, but...he just got better now. Dear fans, please don’t worry about him! HAL HALLYU: In other idol groups, the members have their own roles. So, what are your roles in 24K?



Daeil: I’m AB. Co Cory: I don’t know (laughter). I never got my blood tested, and I don’t know if I’m a B, O, or an A because my mom’s an A...no my mom’s O and my dad’s A, so I’ve got to be one of them, right? It’s weird because some of these guys think I’m O, some of these guys think I’m A (referring to his members), I don’t know yet. We’ll figure that out later on. I think...well people think I’m O, so that’s what I’m going with right now. Kisu: I can’t be sure it is caused by blood types, but we do have different tastes. So, when we have to choose the menu, we have an argument. Co Cory: When we choose what we are going to eat, we get all excited because we all love eating, so it’s really rowdy and crazy when we try pick what we’re going to eat. HALLYU: What was your first impression of the person to your left? Kisu: When I first saw Sungoh, he was a little bit chubby, had curly hair, and wore a red knitted top. He looked a little bit old-fashioned, not nice like a university student, but he has gotten a lot better now. HAL HALLYU: Out of your songs, which are your favorites? Kisu: I personally think “Secret Love” is suitable for winter. Sungoh: No, “U R So Cute” is better than “Secret Love.” Co Cory: No, “Wow” is the best in our first album. Jeunguk: I like “Rocking Girl” the best.

Cory: He (Jeunguk) likes bullying me. cute image. He is the youngest one and my roommate. Co Cory: I personally like both of them, but considering that we are all boys, I Jeunguk: And, Daeil, like we said ear- prefer showing some strong guy stuff. lier, has a distinctive smell. It is inter- Since we are idols, people might easily esting (laughter). think that we prefer cute concepts (images), but since we are men, this is Daeil: He’s been talking about my really hard. It’s a great experience foot odor since September last year though. (laughter). Sungoh: But it’s true that young fans Daeil: Byungho doesn’t have any likes cuteness and we would like to habits. He’s just there. That’s his bond with them, so eventually we like habit. I like his calmness. Like he has both. reached nirvana. HALLYU: Is there any musician you Sungoh: Mobile game! It is his habit. want to work with some day? Kisu: I hardly do mobile games. Kisu: For me, Big Bang. HALLYU: Which member is the most romantic, and why? Sungoh: I like JYJ. Daeil: When he speaks, he does like it. Cory: I really want to work with YG’s “I’m Kisu” producer, Teddy, someday. Kisu: Don’t kid around! (laughter) Everybody (laughter). We are all romantic, but we usually are mischievous boys. But Sungoh is more gentle than others. So, he’s got the romantic atmosphere. Daeil: Let’s make a story. Imagine...a girl is angry because of you. You once treated her well, but not anymore, so she’s upset. How would you show your love to her within 3 words?

HALLYU: Which animal best represents the person to your left? Kisu: Animal! I’m quite similar to a gorilla.

Sungoh: (Acting in response) “Ba- Kisu: Oops! The person on my left? by...(laughter), you are my number one.” Sungoh: I’m no gorilla. Kisu: He is the only one capable Kisu: Sungoh’s kind of a bird, like a parrot? among us.

Daeil: He has a good voice like Sung Si Kung, so he can be sweet. I have a strong southern accent with a thick HAL HALLYU: Can you tell us an interest- voice, so I can’t do it. He is very sweet, ing/odd fact about the member to but we are all romantic guys. ALL! your right? HAL HALLYU: “Hurry Up” and “U R So Kisu: Sungoh talks when he is sleep- Cute” is quite different in concept. ing. He has insomnia now, but when Which one do you prefer? he talks in his sleep, he is cute. Cory’s habit is eating too much like a pig. Daeil: Umm, well I like both of them. There are so many good things in Sungoh: He eats when he is full, when both of the songs, so it’s hard to he wants to sleep, he just constantly choose between the two songs, I like it both. eats. Sungoh: And, he gives us food habitually. He buys us food a lot. One day, he bought me too many tacos. It was too oily, so I ate ramen.

Daeil: I would welcome anybody. We will always welcome anyone! (laughter)

Daeil: (Acting as the girl) “ You don’t Cory corrects Kisu that the question care about me nowadays oppa. I’m was intended for the person to their angry.” left.

Daeil: For me, it’s “Hurry Up.”

Daeil: He loves eating.

Jeunguk: I’ll be a huge star and will work with Chris Brown.

Jeunguk: To be honest, I prefer “Hurry Up” I was not in 24K when we were doing “Hurry Up.” When we have a concert, I feel like I am able to bond with our fans when having some strong image rather than having a cute image.

Sungoh: Cory looks like Diglett from Pokémon. The one that lives under the ground, like a mole and anteater. Sungoh then goes on the tease Cory saying he looks like Timon from the Lion King. Co Cory: I’m not sure of the name. I kind of look like a dinosaur, but actually we all looks like some characters in poke monster. Jeunguk: Such as Diglett (laughter). Cory: Besides me, Jeunguk looks just like a lizard. Jeunguk: Speaking of Pokémon, Daeil can be described as Charmander. He hears a lot that he looks like Charmander. (laughter).




Kisu: Did she come after? Sungoh: Well...no...I guess I should stop right here. Cory: How about if it was anyone else? Sungoh: I cannot even wait for 15 minutes. Daeil: If someone (a member) is late for two minutes, we go crazy. Sungoh: I think Daeil might make the girl wait. Daeil: Don’t talk about that please (laughter). HALLYU: In your free time, what will you do when it is snows? Jeunguk: Of course we should play outside! Daeil: As I am growing older every year, I prefer not to go out when it snows. Kisu: The snow really shouldn’t come down so heavy. It’s hard to clean the roads and…I drive, so I like watching the snow in the car, I’m from Busan, and it’s hard to see snow there. Jeunguk: In Busan the coldest temperature is about 1 or 2 degrees Celsius, but when I first came to Seoul, there was a heavy snowfall which was breaking the record in decades and it was below 20 degrees Celsius. Because it was snowing too much, it made me annoyed, but I like snow fighting. Kisu: If it snows heavily, we will make a 24K snowman and tweet it!

Thanks for getting to know the amazing boys of 24K! We hope you had a fun read. HALLYU will be sure to bring you their latest album, so please continue to love 24K and their music. Stay tuned for the full interview, behind the scenes footage, and the photoshoot making of—look out for them on our YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/HallyuAudioVid)!









NEW S G N I N N I BEG

LL A F O S S E C C U THE S G N I T S A R T N . O R C A D E N Y A S I G H N I T R D A E BUT OMP AN ARTICLE EC ROOKIE GROUPS THAT DE TH JU [WRITTEN BY

EUN]

G N I R U FEAT O] X E [ ] A C I P S [

R] E N N I W [ ] P [CRAYON PO

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IA C I S U M G N O D [AK








Q&A DURING PRESS CONFERENCE You are the group representing Korea this year, how do you feel?

What personal message do you have for your fans?

We are delighted and honoured to be here as Korea’s representative and we have prepared a lot of performances. Please enjoy the performance.

We were here last year and we’re excited to be able to perform in front of the fans. We are looking forward to it and hope that you’re looking forward to it.

1

You guys have the band and the dance group, don’t you guys get confused? And how do you maintain the long legs?

4

We have been preparing both the band and the dance group before debuting and hence nothing will be confused. We eat healthily and have been exercising a lot.

2

Since your team is Angels, whose the most angelic among all?

3

Aren’t we all angelic? Any plans for AOA to promote a come back as a whole as eight members?

5

We recently promoted as four and four, but we have just finished recording as a seven member group. We don't have a fixed plan yet, but in the near future we look forward to promoting as a 8 member group again.

SEATED WITH ANGELS With that, HALLYU and another media team proceeded to a conference room where the girls of AOA were waiting for the group interview. They showed how polite they were by con stantly bowing, and confirmed that they were extremely camera shy, often not looking at the photographer’s camera for more than a few seconds before breaking away into a shy smile.






DA

2NE1

COMEBACK

MINZY

R A

BOM

WRITTEN BY

JULIE CARLSON

THE QUEENS OF K-POP,

2NE1, are gearing up for their world tour in March and Blackjacks could not be more excited! This past summer, CL, Dara, Bom and Minzy premiered their new reggae-vibe hit “Falling in Love” and their equally fun dance tune “Do You Love Me.” Last November, prior to the ladies’ comeback on SBS Inkigayo they held a press conference to announce the tour. “It’s something you have been waiting for,” said Bom. The tour will kick off in Seoul, then head to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. 2NE1 hinted at also making possible stops in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. Rumors have been swirling about the possibility of 2NE1 disbanding due to

4

CL

their contract ending this year and their older age, but that does not seem like it will happen anytime soon. CL mentioned in a recent interview in Korea Star Daily that it is time for some of the members to have a solo career. Minzy and Bom are currently working on albums which will showcase their own unique personalities and different musical tastes. The group recently dropped the raw and emotional ballad “Missing You.” The song relays missing a former lover, but also has more significant meaning to 2NE1. The ladies want to continue making lasting memories for themselves and their loyal fans. And we definitely can’t wait!


AUReview:

MBLAQ TALKS ABOUT SMOKY GIRL, NEW ALBUM IN 2014 AND MORE!

[

Transcribed by Asher Yeo. Special thanks to our friends at the AU Review (Johnny Au) for allowing us to pick up this fantastic interview. You can watch the full interview at the AU Review’s Youtube Channel.

MBLAQ: Hi, we are MBLAQ! Thunder: And you’re watching the AU Review. Interviewer: MBLAQ, your last comeback track was Smoky Girl, can you tell me about the meaning of the song and the concept of the music video? Seungho: The song draws on a sexy man. Also the concept of the music video is a sexy man, which can be seen through moderate dance moves we used fluorescent and glowing colours to give the MV the atmosphere of a club. Seungho: We made a comeback after a year and four months. We did a concert in Korea; it’s been a

]

long time since we have seen our fans in Korea. We really had so much fun there, we loved it Interviewer: What are your individual future plans and what can we look forward to? Lee Joon: For me I have plans to take part in a number of films I will try my best to exceed your expectations. Maybe humor? (In English) Joking! G.O: We have various plans, we are currently working on our new album. We are also taking part in various programs like films and musicals. Please cheer for us in these appearances. Interviewer: I believe this is the second time sssssss


MBLAQ has been to Australia, the last time was the K-Pop Music Festival in Sydney, what was the most memorable part of that trip? Seungho: What we remembered most about the last trip were our fans and our first concert in Sydney. Normally when we travel overseas for concerts we always go straight back to Korea but for our previous Sydney visit, all the artists and crew members all the time to go on a cruise to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Sydney. We could see the Sydney Opera House. We all have great memories of the beautiful Australian scenery Interviewer: What kind of performances can we expect tonight at the Feel Korea concert? Mir: Every performance is a must see! We prepared 4 songs tonight with different concepts and amazing stage performances! Interviewer: Tell me about your fans, A-plus . Thunder: Our fans are great people, A-plus was first established in Korea and has expanded from Asia to South America and beyond. They greet us at airports, some of them go on long journeys to meet us. They really are our energy. Interviewer: MBLAQ, last question for you, do you have a message for your fans out there? Seungho: We always spend a longer time preparing our albums than other artists. From now we plan to meet our fans more often than before and we are currently working hard on our new album and more concerts. You will see us as MBLAQ soon. Interviewer: MBLAQ, thank you for your time. MBLAQ: Thank you.

[

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We always spend a longer time preparing our albums than other artists.


AUReview:

AILEE TALKS ABOUT U&I AND 2014 COMEBACK

[

Transcribed by: Asher Yeo The original interview is by the Johnny Au of the AU Review. You can watch the full interview at the AU Review’s Youtube Channel.

]

Ailee: What’s up? I’m Ailee and you are watching the AU review

like working with the “Uber” K-pop producer Shinsadong Tiger?

Interviewer: Can you tell me about the meaning of U&I and the concept of the music video?

Ailee: Shinsadong Tiger… he’s a really great guy, he has a really strong character he’s really funny. When I was recording with him, he was like “Okay, this sounds good!”, “That sounds good too!”. Recording with him was really comfortable and the way he directed the song made me feel more confident about my singing, so I think that’s why the track came out really good.

Ailee: U&I is basically a breakup song. Pretty much the female character in the song is saying “I don’t care what you do from now on, you and I are over.” So the concept of the music video is kind of similar, at the beginning of the music video I take a phone call, my significant other was supposed to come and watch my show but doesn’t end up coming. So I get that message, that information through the phone call and I’m saying, you know what? Fine, don’t come, I don’t care about your little presents, what you give me, I’m through with it, I’m just going to continue on with my show. Interviewer: It was a great track, it was a big, brassy bold track, it was fantastic. How does it feel like

Interviewer: What are your future plans and what can we look forward to Ailee in 2014? Ailee: In 2014, hopefully soon, everyone will be able to hear a new song come out, so, maybe, a hint of comeback? Interviewer: Is that a scoop? Ailee: Maybe! But I’m not telling you when. Keep you guessing.


Interviewer: Now I believe this is your first time performing in Australia, we finally got you! Ailee: I know… I missed one chance before, I was supposed to come out and I felt really bad, so I’m really happy to be here this time. Interviewer: What are you looking forward to the most in your time in Perth? Ailee: I wanted to see some Kangaroos and Koalas but they said I can’t see it from anywhere around here, so hopefully, during my stay, a Kangaroo will just show up in front of my hotel. I’m also looking forward to meet my Australian fans; I missed the chance to see them, I think last year? I felt really uneasy about that. I’m really really glad that I’m finally here, I’m really excited to see everyone’s reactions. Interviewer: What kind of performance should we expect from Ailee tonight? Ailee: Tonight, the usual, a powerful, energetic, passionate stage is ready for tonight. I’m really looking forward to the connection between myself and the audience tonight, so hopefully I’ll get a really good response. Interviewer: Any Beyoncé covers? Ailee: You’ll have to watch the show for that. Interviewer: Tell me about your fans, Aileeans Ailee: My little Aileeans. Well, they’re very devoted, and very kind, so I’m really thankful for that, very supportive as well. So, I really really love my fans, so much, thank you. Interviewer: Do you have a message for your fans, any special Christmas message you want to leave them? Ailee: Oh, Christmas already? Oh yeah, it’s kind of weird recording a Christmas message in such beautiful weather. Have a great Christmas and thank you, always for your undivided support and unconditional love for me, it drives me to do better and motivates me to make better music. So thank you so much for everything, I hope everyone gets wonderful gifts and presents. Have a happy, happy Christmas and a very merry New Year! Interviewer: Ailee, it’s so great to have you here, we can’t wait to see you on stage. Thank you very much for spending time with us! Ailee: Thank you so much.


CRAYON POP


“BAR BAR BAR”


PHOTOGRAPHY BY PARE KORAPUN



[

THE BEST

K-POP DEBUTS

]

OF ALL TIME BY EMILY HENG

There are K-pop stars that take years of dedication and hard work to painstakingly claw their way to the top. Then, there are those that explode onto the scene like a comet, achieving instant popularity and fame with well-executed dance moves and catchy tunes. They are the ones with the most successful debuts ever in K-pop history. Take popular girl group, 2NE1, for instance. The group debuted on May 6, 2009, with their hit song, “Fire,” that received over a million views within 24 hours. They then proceeded to scoop up many awards like ‘Rookie of the Month’ and ‘Song of the Month’. Or how about CNBLUE, South Korea’s favourite rock band? They debuted in Korea in 2010 with “I Am a Loner” and proceeded to peak on the number 2 spot of the Gaon chart for two weeks. They currently hold the record for achieving number one on South Korea’s television music charts program in the shortest time since their debut. With an increasing number of rookie groups brimming with potential debuting every day, we can only hope that they too, can achieve the same level of success.


AMERICAN REMAKE OF

Boys Over Flowers WRITTEN BY JOAN HENG

Four handsome and rich men thought they had it all until they met that one poor girl. Sound familiar? Like you have probably guessed, the scenario above was taken from the famous drama, Boys over Flowers. Causing a widespread sensation when it was released, this drama remains as a favourite among many. Well, loyal fans of the series need not fret as WillKinn Media has announced that they will be producing an American remake of Boys over Flowers. Consisting of a total of sixteen episodes, the American version aims to adhere to the original Japanese manga, except with slight changes to suit the American context. For example, Zoey (Jan Di) is now a dancer who enters Elliston University after passing public auditions. In addition, viewers can also expect to see more screen time devoted to Noah (Woo Bin). With a new cast and minor changes made to the storyline, we can only anticipate as to what type of chemistry will be created through the American remake of Boys over Flowers. Will it live up to its hype or will it crash and burn?


THE COMEBACK Kings & Queens Written by Emily Heng

Nothing worries K-pop fans more than a chart topping song from their favourite group. It is inevitable. After all, once the hype dies down, the question hanging from everyone’s lips will always be “How on earth are they going to top this?” More often than not, they don’t. But there are a few rare exceptions that have earned the title of Comeback Kings or Queens. Girls’ Generation is one of the groups that have rightfully earned the title of Comeback Queens. Just when you thought the hit song “Gee” was going to be the highest point of their careers, they came back strong with “Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)”, the single that topped on ten different digital music charts within a few days. Or how about Korea’s favourite boy band, Big Bang? After a nearly two year hiatus, they came back with the single Tonight that was the very first K-pop album to reach the top 10 on the U.S. iTunes chart. To sum it up, the K-pop industry is ever changing and fickle, but fret not, our favourite stars will always be here, ready to come back stronger than ever.




IDOLS AND FANS

DONATE TO THE

PHILIPPINES Written by Joan Heng C

ausing massive destruction and thousands of lives to be lost, Typhoon Haiyan/ Yolanda is said to be the strongest typhoon that has occurred in the Philippines. In light of the recent tragedy, Korean idols and fans have come together to provide aid to the victims. One example would be celebrity siblings, Dara (2NE1) and Thunder (Mblaq) who have launched a charity campaign on the WeGeneration website to raise funds for the disaster victims. The campaign will last for six weeks and aims to raise 5 million Korean Won (US$4,715) for the World Share Organization, an institution responsible for emergency aid in the Philippines. Another idol that has contributed to the relief efforts would be Jang Geun Seuk. In an attempt to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan, he donated 100 million won (US$94,625) through UNICEF. K-pop fans have joined the cause as well. For instance, Soshified (SNSD’s international fan club) has raised US$11,660 worth of donations. In addition, Cassiopeia Philippines (DBSK’s fanclub) has also collected various necessities and sent them to the Kapuso Foundation. All in all, Korean idols and fans have demonstrated a sense of kind-heartedness and we can only hope that their efforts are of help to the Philippines.


MNET ASIAN MUSIC AWARDS Written by Johnny Au

2013

Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), one of the biggest Music Festival and award show in Asia, was successfully held in Hong Kong. Many stars from the entertainment industry attended this event which was held in Hong Kong for the second year in a row. G-Dragon was the biggest winner among them. He received four awards including “Artist of the Year” and “Best Male Artist”. Boy group EXO won the “Album of the Year” award. Members were very touching when they gave out their acceptance speech. At the beginning of the show, Trouble Maker had made a dramatic story when they sang ‘Now’. It was a very impressive and sexy performance. Infinite won the ‘Best Male Group’ and performed ‘Before the Dawn’ and ‘Destiny’. Superstar group 2NEl performed their new song ‘Missing You’ which was the first time it was performed to the masses.


Crayon Pop and Norwegian comedic duo Ylvis had collaborated to show an interesting and happy stage. They have mixed ‘Bar Bar Bar’ and ‘What Does The Fox Say’ together. And there was a big balloon fox with a helmet on the stage. Everyone sang and jumped with them happi happily. As expected EXO's performance was very popular with the crowd singing along to ‘Growl’ and ‘Wolf ’. They had presented a new and different stage to heat up 2013 MAMA. Also, it is the first time Rain had visited Hong Kong since he was discharged from military service. Rain not only performed a perfect stage, he had revealed that he will comeback soon with ‘Real Rain’ to the masses. As Running Man is very famous around the Asia, when Sung Ji-Hyo introduced the performance of BIGBANG, all people were very excited to see her and screamed for her name. Not only the fans, many artists had claimed that they looked forward to seeing BIGBANG. TOP and TAEYANG had performed their new song ‘DOOM DADA’ and ‘RINGA RINGA’. And the whole crowed stood up and sang when BIGBANG were performing ‘ Fantastic Baby’. Finally, Stevie Wonder received the ‘Music Makes One Ambassador Award’ and sang with Aaron Kwok and Hyorin of SISTAR. Stevie Wonder successfully shows what is ‘Music Makes One’. Paris Hilton closed out 2013 MAMA with a DJ set. This was probably the only down point to a terrific evening. It would have been more fitting to have the major award winner G-Dragon close proceedings. Alas it wasn't to be but it didn't detract from a very well run and polished MAMA.


DECEMBER

ONE HD RELEASES

I HEAR YOUR VOICE Reruns 15 December 2013, 12.45pm & 8.45pm, airing on Every Sunday on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393) 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. He crosses paths with two public defenders who always 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-defender. Their work takes an interesting turn with Park’s help…

WONDERFUL MAMA Premieres 23 December 2013, 7.40pm, airing on Every Monday to Thursday First & Exclusive on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393) Working her way up from a market merchant to a millionaire loan shark, and eventually owning a commercial building, self-made millionaire Yoon Bok Hee (Bae Jong Ok) also dotes on her 3 children, providing them with all their monetary needs. Her priorities start to change when she is being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, a degenerative disease that threatens her ability to manage her business and her daily life. She decides to force her children to mature and grow up, hoping eventually they can take over her business, before her memory starts to fail her completely.


ONE SWEET WORD Premieres 30 December 2013, 8.55pm, airing on Every Monday & Tuesday First & Exclusive on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393) One Sweet Word is a drama that depicts the conflicts and complicated marriage life of two married couples. Ji Jin Hee takes the role of Yoo Jae Hak, a good looking man who has a successful career and a nice family. However, an extra marital affair on his part will soon disrupt his family life.

THAT WINTER THE WIND BLOWS

Rerun on 11 December 2013, 6.25pm on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393) Airing on Every Monday to Friday

Oh Soo (Zo In-Sung) known as the best gambler in the Cheongdam neighbourhood lives a meaningless life after being abandoned by his parents and failing at his first love relationship. He is also a con artist who preys on the rich. In order to pay his debt, he starts living with Oh Young (Song Hye-Kyo), the sole heiress to a large corporation, who has lost her parents and her eyesight. These two individuals, who isolated themselves from the world, begin to understand the meaning of life together. Premieres 24 December 2013, 11.45pm, airing Every Tuesday First & Exclusive on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch393)

KPOP STAR 3

Kpop star is back with a third season. The new season features a new judge, veteran singer-songwriter, Yoo Hee Yeol. Jun Hyun-moo replaces Yoon Do-hyun and Boom as host. Yang Hyun-suk and Park Jin-young return as judges. BoA is replaced by You Hee-yeol, as she focuses on her music career instead. Applications began being received in June, with preliminary auditions taking place in Seoul and throughout South Korea, as well as Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago in the United States until September 2013. With the changes in judges for the third season, the three judges will no longer represent the "Big 3" management companies but rather themselves and the music industry. Changes to the format will occur, including the choice of company for debut to be made immediately on the live finale.


PAST THE

e c “5 YEAR CURSET”wi

Written by Chan Yee Chun

TVXQ


R

rain’s Comeback

AFTER SERVING THE MILITARY

BY STEPHANIE CHEE

W

ith his recent discharge from the military, Rain has all eyes on him. DDD Ever since his official debut in 2002, the talented artist has wowed dd the world with his songs, dance moves, and acting skills. With seven D albums - one of which is in Japanese, 19 singles, and multiple international awards, it is no wonder why the whole world is attracted to him like bees to honey, even throughout his entire close-to-two-years hiatus. During the 21 months spent serving in the army, the veteran Hallyu idol was involved in several scandals, and those controversies really put his reputation on the line. But with the recent change in companies, is he going to come back bigger than he had ever been?

Going back a little in time to year 2007, Rain first left JYP Entertainment to start his own company, J.Tune Entertainment. However, 3 years down the road, Rain chose to sell a substantial amount of his shares in J.Tune Entertainment to Park Jin Young. A year later, Rain was enlisted in the army. Now that he has finally completed his military term, Rain made a shocking decision to sign a contract with Cube DC, a sub label of Cube Entertainment. Some of his fans are upset about the fact that he has seemingly ‘abandoned’ MBLAQ, his mentees at J.Tune, to join the ‘rivals’, Beast in Cube, but what his fans do not know is that the CEO of Cube Entertainment, Hong Seung Sung, was actually the former President of JYP Entertainment during Rain’s early years. On May 28 2013, CEO Hong Seung Sung wrote a message on the company’s official website regarding Rain’s choice to join the company. “I want to thank Rain for his loyalty despite receiving many offers from other places.” and “I’m preparing every single day like a partner and friend. I promise that I will return your never-ending love and support for Rain and make sure the company leaves a beautiful legacy. I will wholeheartedly and sincerely do my best as his partner. I will not avoid risky paths, but will be thankful that we can do this ttogether.” With such strong ties and sincere wishes, fans can only sit back, relax, trust Rain’s decisions, and wait for him to ride on the Hallyu waves once again.


29



SM TOWN WEEK:


Jay Park SHOWCASE

PHOTOS BY SANDRA YAP


Super Junior BRINGS THE HEAT AT

Super Show 5 in Malaysia WRITTEN BY SANDRA YAP SIOW SHIN PHOTO CREDIT: STAR PLANET, FAIZ AZMAN

23 November 2013, Kuala Lumpur – The long awaited comeback to Malaysia has finally arrived for Super Junior fans as the Super Show 5 concert was held at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil. Fans were given an extra surprise as the 9 Korean members; Siwon, Kyuhyun, Donghae, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, Kangin, Shindong and Heechul were joined by their sub-unit Super Junior-M members Henry and Zhoumi. The concert boasted one of the most ingenious concert stage designs ever set-up in the stadium as special 3D visual effects were designed to impress the fans and provide a jaw-dropping experience. The stage work involved heavy workmanship with some props taking over a month to be completed. RM1.65 million was spent for stage production costs as most concert equipment, machineries and props were built and shipped from abroad. Handsomely donned in black and gold suits, Super Junior kicked off the concert with Mr. Simple, followed by Bonamana and Super Girl. ELF (Ever Lasting

Lasting Friends) held up their lightsticks to create a blue ocean amidst the crowd. After the first 3 songs, Super Junior formally introduced themselves and they each had a short say: Shindong: Hello everyone! My name is Shindong. I will guarantee you have a great performance today just to make sure you have the best time as possible, alright? Sungmin: Apa khabar (How are you)! It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here. I really missed you guys. Let’s make a meaningful time today guys. Thank you! Ryeowook: Malaysia, apa khabar! Hope to make a good time with you guys and let’s make a good night today! Donghae: Malaysia! Apa khabar? My name is what? Fans: Donghae! My name is what?? Fans: Donghae! That’s right. I saw you guys when I came, you guys so pretty…. cute…. so sexy…. awesome.


Donghae: Long time no see, you’re my baby. Did you miss me? (Fans:Yes!) Me too. I have something to say for you, Malaysia, (kiss). Hope you guys enjoy tonight. Kangin: It’s very chilly in Korea now. There was a first snow in Korea. But when I arrived here, I could feel the warmth from the country. And I know the reason why now. Because of your support and love towards us. I will make a good performance tonight to show you guys. Let’s have fun tonight guys. Siwon: What a beautiful country, Malaysia! It’s been a really long time since my last time with you. Did you all miss us as much as we did? Can you explain to me? Really? Ok, 1-2-3- Scream! I miss you guys so much. I would like to say, Aku cinta padamu (I love you). Yeah baby! Kyuhyun: Let me introduce myself. My name is Cho Kyuhyun. I am… a member of popular boy band Super Junior. Uh huh. So I am happy. Are you happy? (Fans:Yes!) Oh my god. Let’s have fun tonight. Have a good time! Thank you. Heechul: Apa khabar! I’m Heechul! It’s been such a Hee long time since I came here. I’ve been here a few times. We really had a good time shooting the ‘Dancing Out’ music video in Malaysia last time. Let’s have fun tonight guys. Thank you.

Eunhyuk: Apa khabar? Nama saya Eunhyuk (My name is Eunhyuk). It’s so hot here today. That makes us want to take off our shirts (laughs) As far as I heard, it’s illegal to do so at a concert here. I heard if you take off your shirt, you should get married right after. I’m going to marry tonight with you! Let’s make a great performance tonight. Henry: Apa khabar Malaysia! What’s up? Ni hao? Apa Hen khabar? Annyeonghaseyo! It’s been a really long time since we’re back. How ya’ll been?! I’d like to thank everybody for just showing us so much love and all that support. It’s cause of you guys that we can be here tonight. So we’re so happy to be back and we missed you guys a lot. Thank you guys so much! Zhoumi: Apa khabar! Hi everyone, I am Zhoumi. I’m very happy to come to Malaysia to meet you all. They continued with the next song, It’s You, while screams of fans constantly echoed throughout the stadium the entire night as Super Junior wowed them with their strong showmanship. The crowd was hyped up even more when they changed into sizzling red and black outfits to go with Sexy, Free & Single which was followed by Boom Boom and Club No.1. Siwon, Henry, Donghae and Eunhyuk then took the stage with So Cold. On top of that, fans were not left disappointed as they were charmed by Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Zhoumi and Sungmin’s perfect English when they sung How Am I Supposed To Live Without You.


As mentioned previously, their showmanship never fails. Fans were screaming louder than ever during one of the main highlights of the night – when Siwon, Ryeowook, Kangin and Sungmin did a parody of female artiste’s performances by Son Dam Bi (Saturday Night), girl group S.E.S. (I’m Your Girl), Ga In (Bloom) and Hyuna (Ice Cream) respectively. The four of them then came together and re-enacted SISTAR’s sexy dance from their hit song ‘Alone’. Dancing in high heels proved no feat for Kangin, Siwon and Ryeowook! Besides captivating the audiences with their group performances, Henry from Super Junior-M performed Trap with Kyuhyun. The song was performed in Mandarin to suit the Malaysian audience. Heechul, who recently returned from a 23-month national military service, also entertained his fans with a solo perf mance of Close Your Mouth. The boys then came back together to perform Break Down, A-Oh, Go + Shake It Up and Rockstar. Rockstar managed to fire up the crowd’s adrenaline level as members began to roam about the stage and engage with fans in their own ways. Fans were jumping about in the rockzone and even those in their seats got up to feel the their body bo rock! After all that crowd pumping action, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook serenaded the crowd with Yesung’s song, Gray Paper. As Yesung could not be there in person, the screen showed flashbacks of Yesung performing the song and fans were emotionally touched by the sentiment. Fans were seen holding banners that said “Never Leave U” during their performance of Daydream. After soothing the audience with mellow songs, the boys returned in their superhero outfits during the song Wonder Boy and roused the fans once more. Siwon dressed as Captain America, Ryeowook as Spiderman, Henry as Goku, Eunhyuk as Wolverine, Donghae as Ironman, Eun Shindong as The Hulk, Heechul as a cute bear, Sungmin as Karate Kid, Zhoumi as Woody, Kangin as Thor and Kyuhyun as Loki.


During Sunny, the crowd was seen doing the dance moves together with the members as a video was shown on screen earlier that taught the simple dance steps. The boys then took a short break to interact with the audience and fans were highly entertained and tickled with Sungmin, Kyuhyun and Heechul’s adorable performance of ‘gwiyomi’. Super Junior also performed one of their famous old songs, Marry U, and fans once again held up banners that said ‘Let’s Get Married’. The curtains then closed for a period of time and the boys returned during the encore where they performed Sorry Sorry, Show Me Your Love and Sapphire Blue. As the show was coming to an end, Ryeowook cheekily asked the crowd, “Should we cancel our flight?” Donghae played with the audience as well by saying, “Don’t get an affair until we come back cause we just got married. (kiss)” On top of that, Siwon commented, “I was single just a while ago and now I’m married. See you around at SS6. I love you all.” Heechul then told the audience that they are always welcome to return with their families for SS6. Eunhyuk had the final say, “Today’s performance – Malaysia is almost the last destination this year for SS5, but because you have made such a good memory for us, I believe that SS5 has ended successfully. If there is a SS6, we’d like to see you again then. So I’d like to hear a promise from you, if there is SS6, will you come again? Will you promise me? me?” The concert ended with a beautiful performance of So I and the members waved their goodbyes before leaving the stage. Despite the many new younger boybands that has been coming up, it is clear that Super Junior will always remain in the hearts of the fans as they have been loyal to them since 2005. Super Show 5 in Kuala Lumpur was organized by Star Planet Sdn Bhd, presented to you by Spritzer and sponsored by Acer and Intel. Special thanks to Star Planet Sdn Bhd for inviting us to cover Super Junior’s Super Show 5 in Malaysia.

40


written by darren kwok

top 5 moments 5

Kim Jong Kook’s Chicken Fight

Remember the time when he fought off about 20 people alone in the game of Chicken fight? He is known as the Commander for a reason. While others like Yoo Jaesuk wobbled and hopped around the arena, the Commander stood his position and fought – and he won.

4

This is my Father’s factory!

3

100th episode

As Running Man leaves viewers utterly confused with how Kwangsoo possibly knows a factory area well, he later shocks members and viewers by revealing that the furniture factory that they were present at was his father’s. As Running Man members walked down a hastily thrown together red carpet ceremony, HaHa and Yoo Jaesuk were the most memorable ones. HaHa was asked, having had so many female guests, to pick which had been his favourite. He

bravely answered, “Why don’t you ask them instead?”

2

Gary’s postcards

1

Ji Sukjin’s First Win

Gary, having won a trip to Europe in the Running Man Super Power battle special with his “Lolol” abilities, wrote home to the Running Man members while he was there. The amazing thing was, his postcard got shorter and shorter. The member who had one of the longest postcard was to Yoo Jaesuk, with Gary requesting to be mentored to win an Entertainment Award. All Kwangsoo had was an autograph.

As the Running Man’s fight to paste a photo on a simple page intensified, an unlikely winner emerged – The Impala aka Ji Sukjin.That would be his first win in almost 165 episodes, effectively ending the “Race Starter” position he has held. For now, at least.


NEW BIRTHS of celebrity children and those who are expecting.

HAHA and BYUL One of our Running Man members had welcomed his baby, Dream (하드림), to this world this year on July and the couple had been giving occasional updates on Twitter. They looked like a happy family of three in their pictures and the fans all expressed their wishes that Dream will grow up well.

WONDER GIRL’S SUNYE & HER HUSBAND This beautiful couple got married and gave birth to their beautiful baby girl named Park Eun Yu or Hailey Park this year. From being a member of the Wonder Girls to getting happily married to even having a baby, fans are excited to see more of Sunye not as a celebrity but as a mother to her dear baby girl.

UHM TAEWOONG &YOON HYE JIN The former 1 Day 2 Nights member, and also brother of famous artist Uhm Jung Hwa, finally got married to the graceful ballerina, Yoon Hye Jin on January 9th this year after only seven months of dating. No wonder it was a big surprise to all when he announced the birth of his healthy baby girl, Uhm Ji On (엄지온) in June. We are more than happy to see Uhm Tae Woong settled down as a blessed father in a lovely family.


Barefoot

FRIENDS Written by Tamar Herman

The New Year will bring a new start for the

cast of Barefoot Friends, which is sadly coming to an end. The variety show caught a lot of attention for taking celebrities to foreign countries to explore, but due to expenses it ended up becoming a food show where the cast visited the homes of Korean celebrities. Due to ratings suffering, the show eventually got cancelled. The final episode featured SHINee and Kim Jung Nan, but even these celebrities couldn’t save the show. So what will the cast members be up to now that the show has ended? Kang Ho Dong has been receiving love calls to return to 1 Night, 2 Days. He was originally a cast member, so many fans hope that he will return to the show. UEE is currently appearing in the drama, The Goldent Rainbow, while Yoon Shi Yoon will appear in the upcoming drama Prime Minister and I. Eun Ji Won will be reuniting with two other former Sechs Kies member at DSP Media’s Festival in December, but neither he nor Yoon Jong Shin have revealed any further plans. It’s too bad that the show is ending so soon, but the New Year will surely lead to great things for each castmember.



D R A M A F E V E R THE HEIRS

WRITTEN BY JULIE CARLSON October was a big month in “Hallyuwood”, especially for DramaFever. The online video maven co-produced The Heirs starring Lee Min-ho, Park Sin-hye, Kim Woo-bin and Krystal. It is the first time DramaFever has ventured into the territory of producing K-dramas. The first two episodes were filmed in California which DramaFever, based in New York, was able to ordinate location scouting to sponsorships. Writer Kim Eun-sook (A Gentleman’s Dignity, Secret Garden) had a lot to say about shooting in the Golden State, because Lee Min-ho’s character is a rich surfer guy with a carefree attitude complimentary to California. The show was extremely popular among viewers and soared in the ratings. “The positive response from our audience has been amazing and there are new users every day coming to DF to check out K-dramas for the first time,”

explains co-CEO of DF, Suk Park. “Many of our Korean partners can’t believe how popular K-dramas have become in the last couple of years, and everyone is excited at the potential to grow the awareness for their content in the Americas.” Since 2009, DramaFever has provided top-notch foreign programming for International viewers. In the last few months, they have been working closely with Telemundo (U.S.) and RTVE (Spain) to provide Spanish language content to their audiences. They have also secured an exclusive arrangement with Fuji TV in Japan. DramaFever plans to also continue to provide Korean dramas. As Park said, “K-dramas are one of our core specialties and we strive to make this genre an important part of mainstream entertainment in America.”



F E AT U R I N G

G-SLOW’S NEW ALBUM

G-Slow

is a South Korean hip-hop music producer recognized for working with numerous Korean musicians. Since releasing his irst self-produced album “High Frequency” in 2009, approximately 100 pieces of his music have been released. His collaboration with Jerry K, "We are in Love, Anyway", has even been featured on the radio in Southeast Asia. In addition, one of the American broadcast stations that plays K-pop has even broadcasted a couple of the songs he pro duced, and performed by artists CRUCIAL STAR and Segment.

His new album “PULSE” was released on December 17, 2013 via Tumblr. It contains the different styles of music that interest this artist; going beyond hip-hop to create mixtures of this genre with other genres. This album consists purely of G-Slow’s own music as it pu was released independently and without the help of any entertainment company.

SONG LIST 01 WAKE 02 BOYS 03 STAY 04 GOT 05 SUNSHINE 06 AWAY 07 TRY 08 COKE

G-SLOW’S SNS Bandcamp: gslow88.bandcamp.com Facebook: facebook.com/gslow88 Twitter: twitter.com/gslow88 Tumblr: gslow88.tumblr.com





N IO

L O K

A L

O B

T A R

S

0 2 Ph

ph a gr Wri o t o


R A T S

K ollaboration Star 2013 was held on November 16 at the

3 1 0 le

ar P inahew n Ja e C i & hin L la sep e ng : Jo A y : hyten b it

e ag

Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The audience of 2,700 supporters included many well known Asian American entertainers such as Dumbfoundead, Shin-B, IAMMEDIC, and Eric Nam just to name a few of the more than 60 celebrities that walked the red carpet. Comedian David So was the host of the night and amused the audience in between the various acts. The six chosen finalists were composed of spoken word and pianist duo, Troy and Ariel, beatboxer Mikey “Silver-Yo” Silverio, vocalist Dave Yoon, singing group &Blue, the Rhee Brothers duo, and Toronto’s Plaitwrights and the Charleston Relay band. While all six performers blew the audience away with their talent, it was Dave Yoon who won the Verizon Audience Choice Award with a $1,000 prize and four-member group &Blue who brought home the grand $20,000 prize. Aside from the finalists, the night also boasted other talents. Dancer Mike Song and beatboxer Terry ‘KRNFX’ Im joined hands for a special performance. Comedian and Kollaboration founder, Paul ‘PK’ Kim, had the venue roaring with laughter from his comedy set and ended with an empowering spoken word piece. To finish off the night, the powerful rappers Tiger JK, Yoon Mirae, and Bizzy had the audience up and on their feet with an hour and a half long set. It did not matter that their songs were in Korean, the trio was able to make the audience forget the language barrier and to just enjoy the music.


LEE KWANG FANMEETING IN


G SOO N MALAYSIA







Known as having one of the most powerful vocals, Taeyeon from Girls Generation definitely does not disappoint for the OST of the popular drama, To The Beautiful You.

The reason this is here is because all of you have heard this song which is now associated with furious women fuelled by jealousy in the drama, Cruel Temptation, but do not know the singer. She has vanished off the industry at the moment, but we are eagerly awaiting news of her return.

Often criticised as being “useless” in the group though highly talented, Sunny proves all her antis wrong with this OST for Working Mom.

As a veteran singer from SS501, Park Jung Min delivers the best of his vocals in this drama OST for The Princess Man.

I know this acquired a perfect all kill but the reason I placed this here was because Yoon Mi Rae is a rapper and her voice is perfect and soothing for this OST for the drama, the Master’s Sun.




Photography by Angela Li

VIXX’S 1ST GLOBAL SHOWCASE IN LA “THE MILKY WAY”






T he reggae duo Haha & Skull

were excited to be in Malaysia for the first time ever to meet fans up close and personal. The press conference held at Renaissance Hotel began by showing Haha & Skull’s promo video. Signed in the United States under Morgan Carey (brother of Mariah Carey), Skull represents the leading Korean reggae artist who reaches out not only to an Asian-American fan base but also Caribbean and American audiences with his distinctive interpretation of the Jamaitincti can patois. Whereas Ha Dong Hoon (a.k.a. Haha, Haroro) has been the main cast of highly popular Korean variety show ‘Infinite Challenge’ since 2005 and ‘Running Man’ since 2010. Haha is also a presenter, deejay, actor, comedian and a singer!

A REGGAE WEEKEND WITH HAHA & SKULL ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SANDRA YAP SIOW SHIN

Q: You have just arrived in Kuala he is really crazy.” From head to toe everyLumpur, can you share with us your im- thing about him is reggae. I thought he pression of Kuala Lumpur? must be so tired everyday. The moment I fell in love with reggae, I started wearing Haha: Very, very beautiful this evening… reggae underwear as well. My life is just Well other than it being rainy, everything entirely reggae! Wooh, Marley! (Bob was beautiful, but I expected super sunny Marley) weather in Malaysia. Skull: Actually everyone thinks Haha is an Skull: Yeah, we just got here maybe 1 day entertainer. I didn’t know at first but lookago, so maybe Haha feels dizzy right now. ing at Haha, his love for reggae is beyond But I heard that Malaysia has very beauti- your imagination. Of course I love reggae ful culture and the people are so kind. and collect some items but he has 100 times more items than me, so yeah. He’s Q: Upon discovering reggae, how does really crazy… in a good way. it influence your lifestyle & music? Q: (To Haha) Before knowing Skull, I’m Haha: Well as you all know, Skull is like the sure that you love reggae right, so how leading industry person for reggae in did it start, because reggae is not the Korea. The first impression of him is, “Oh usual type of song played on the radio. SS

Haha: At first it’s not like I was so into reggae music but I just love their style, hairstyle, the fashion sense of reggae. So I started being more interested in reggae. Back then, I didn’t really have a lot of people around me who could give more inspiration when it comes to reggae… and then I met Skull and he was like the dream inspiration of reggae to me. Q: Supposedly, Haha was coming with other Running Man members but it was canceled. Did you feel any disppointment about that and how does it feel that you’re finally coming here with Skull? Haha: First of all, I really feel sorry that we couldn’t make it back then. Now, I’m here with Skull and I’m really happy, this is


the country I’ve been wanting to come. I have been to Malaysia so many times on Monopoly (board game) but physically it’s the first time so I’m really happy about that. Now I’m here with Skull so you will have a lot of fun with us! Q: We know how Haha fell in love with reggae, but how did Skull fall in love with reggae? Skull: Actually, when I was a high school student I heard the song ‘No Woman No Cry’ - Bob Marley song; on the street and I loved that song at the first time. I feel like it’s my destiny becase I became a reggae artist. Actually… reggae genre is a very lonely genre, but now more people are getgenr ting more interested in reggae. So me and Haha both feel very proud and we feel great because we love reggae music and we really try to spread our message in Korea and we finally got here in Malaysia… so yeah. Q: Will be there any new artist/rookies that you guys want to try to do a collaboration together? Haha: Reggae is not a very popular genre in Korea still. So when we first presented ourselves, a lot of people had doubt in us like, “Can they really last, as a reggae group?” But we kept pushing and tried really hard to push it this far and now a lot of people really want to make collaboration real albums and perform together on stage with some kind of mixture of reggae and their own music style. So this coming Christmas there will be a collaboration concert with LeeSsang and in 2014 there will be a lot more collab oration performances coming up from us and others. Q: Do you write your own songs and if you do, what is your inspiration? Skull: Actually we work together and when Haha is drinking… it really inspires me. Our lyrics are always honest, 100% honest and we are proud of it. We always tell you our story.


PRESS CONFERENCE AND FANMEETING Q: Being in the industry it must commented that Jeremy is more The meet and greet session then be stressful. So what do you do to handsome than him. What do you began as Cat 1 ticket holders lined think? up to take a photo with Haha and release stress? Skull on stage. Many fans excitedHaha: I will assure you, eating is MC: So have you tried other types ly took the opportunity to hug them personally and pass them the best way. Satay, roti canai, nasi of Malaysian food? gifts they have prepared. lemak, we always like to try out new food and even before we came to Haha: Satay! Last night we actually Malaysia, we were thinking what tried satay. After the photo session was done, should we eat when we get to Malaysia. That’s how much we love to MC: So at tonight’s showcase, Haha & Skull said “See you to7.30pm at KL Live, what can we night!” to the fans. And on that e at. expect from both of you? night... was when the real party began. Skull & Haha: Malaysia Boleh! Skull: Our performance is always The next morning, fans of Haha & energetic and never complete with- The showcase was held at KL Live, Live Centre and DJ IT made a Skull were thrilled to be able to fi- out you guys. guest appearance as the opening nally meet them in person that they crowded the Upper Atrium at Para- MC: Before we begin the meet act. DJ IT has worked with famous digm Mall since 10am. Those who and greet session, do you have artists in the industry such as Big bought the Cat 1 tickets were given any special messages you want to Bang, RAIN, Lee Hyori, YG privelege to have a personal photo say to your fans here and those Family, DJ Doc, Dynamic Duo, others. amongst many othe with Haha & Skull along with a coming tonight? pre-signed towel exclusively deAfter the first song, Haha greets signed for the event. Screams of Haha: I love you. the fans with “Hello Malaysia! fans echoed the area as the duo fiSkull: We really, really appreciate Today… Saturday… rainy day. But nally arrived on stage! you guys and we are really blessed thank you so much everyone for The meet and greet was hosted by and honored to be here. Thanks for coming to this concert! Are you DJ Jeremy Teo from RedFM, who letting me be here. We really, really ready? Really?” Then Skull and Haha caught fans unexpectedly has been said to be the Malay- love you. when they made an immediate dash sian-version of Haha as they look to the front of the stage! similar. Fans laughed away as Haha Haha & Skull: Malaysia boleh!


After a few songs, Haha mentions that Skull is still single, and so because of that, fans are allowed to touch him. Skull replies by saying, “Actually this is our job, so you can touch him too. Only tonight!” With such amiable personalities, it’s no surprise why the fans love them so much. Later on, Haha and Skull played a game with 10 hand-picked volunteers pl from the crowd. They each chose 5 persons for their team and Haha even pulled them onto stage himself ! Surely that will be a memory never to be forgotten by those lucky fans. The whole night was constantly filled with crazily energetic and passionate performances from the reggae duo. They even creatively changed Busan Vacance to Malaysia Vacance! To make the crowd party even harder, the duo requested that all lights in the hall be turned off and asked the crowd to put their phones up as the lights instead. They wanted everyone to feel less shy and just have an amazing time. Fans were not left disappointed at all as Haha and Skull provided one of the most dynamic live performances ever.

“WE CAN SING FOREVER BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS” -sKULL


Create your own picture

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