Author: Denise Coley
Actor Ji Soo is steadily rebounding his career starting with the Philippines. Actor Ji Soo’s career took a wrong turn after school violence allegations in 2021. As a result, the actor issued an official handwritten apology and terminated his contract. Nonetheless, Ji Soo has continued to claim his innocence citing being a victim of wrong accusations. In the meantime, the actor enlisted in the military and has been steadily working on his comeback in the Philippines. Ji Soo has so far been cast in Philippines’ ‘Black Rider’ drama and ‘Rainbow’ film. The actor has also appeared in magazine covers including…
Trigger Warning: Article discusses suicide and depression. Please scroll to the bottom of the article for links and numbers to helpful sources. You are not alone. On December 18, 2017, many heard the news that SHINee’s Kim Jonghyun passed away. The 27-years-old was more than just the leader of one of the world’s biggest K-Pop groups, he was also someone’s role model, a brother, a friend, a son, and a human being whose job was to entertain people. The latter is something many lose sight of as we put pop stars and other celebrities on a pedestal and…
BOYNEXTDOOR band had introduced its official characters. BOYNEXTDOOR revealed it’s animated characters by the name BBNEXDO. The characters represent each of the members and include Catbbi (Sungho), Darling (Riwoo), Myngmyng (Myung Jaehyun), Han Tatpung (Taesan), 312 (Leehan), and Woonbaby (Woonhak). . BOYNEXTDOOR members participated in creating the characters to give each a personal touch. BBNEXDO characters are scheduled to be launched in 2025. —-Karen Mwenda #BOYNEXTDOOR #OfficialCharactersIntroduced #BBNEXDOCharacters #Catbbi (Sungho) #Darling (Riwoo) #Myngmyng (Myung Jaehyun) #HanTatpung (Taesan) #312 (Leehan) #Woonbaby (Woonhak) #kcrushamerica #kpop #koreankpop #kcrushmagazine #kculture #kcharacters #BOYNEXTDOORcharacters #kpopboygroup #hallyu
Park Chal Yong has signed as a trainee under MBK company. On December 13, MBK Company announced it had signed Park Chal Yong as its trainee. Park Chal Yong will train under the agency before his debut. The company also manages other notable artists including Kim Hyun Gyeol. Park Chal Yong was a contestant at JBTC’s ‘Project 7’ idol audition program. Chal Yong is scheduled to debut with an upcoming MBK Company’s new boy group once his debut period is over. —-Karen Mwenda #ParkChanYong #Project7contestant #ParkChanYongsignswithMBK #MBKCompany #kcrush #kpop #kpopidol #kpoptrainee #koreankpop #JBTCProject7IdolAuditionProgram #hallyu #kpopindustry #kcrushmagazine
VICTION’s member Seungwoo has signed with a new agency. On December 13, AURA Entertainment agency confirmed that it had signed VICTION’s Han Seungwoo. Seungwoo will be joining notable artists including Lee Soo Ho and Kim Young Heum. VICTION debuted under IST Entertainment in 2016. In April 2023, Byungchan, Hanse, and Subin decided not to renew their contracts with the agency after the expiration date. Seungwoo, Seungsik, and Sejun had their contract periods changed due to military service. —-Karen Mwenda #VICTION #Seungwoo #SeugwoosignswithAURAEntertainment #AURAEntertainment #kpop #kcrush #kpopidol #kcrushamerica #kcrushmagazine #Byungchan #Hanse #Subin #Seungsik #Sejun #contractended #kmusic
Hyukoh’s Oh Hyuk walked down the aisle with his partner, Model Hwang Ji Min. On December 14, Hyukoh band’s member Oh Hyuk married model Hwang Ji Min at a church in Seoul. The couple enjoyed a private ceremony surrounded by family and friends On November 29, DooRooDooRoo Artist Company confirmed that Oh Hyuk was set to marry in December. —-Karen Mwenda #Hyukoh #OhHyuk #OhHyukeds #HwangJiMin #model #DooRooDooRooArtistCompany #OhHyukWedModel #kmusic #kfashion #kcrushamerica #kcrushmagazine #weddingnews #weddingceremonyinSeoul #koreanculture
Hyerim, a former Wonder Girls member, is now a mother of two. In an exciting post, Hyerim revealed they had welcomed their second baby. Nicknamed Kong, this is Lim’s second son. Lim could not hide her joy, especially now she is a mother of two. Hyerim walked down the aisle with Shin Min Chul, a taekwondo athlete, in July 2020. The two welcomed their first son in February 2022. —-Karen Mwenda #Hyerim #WonderGirls #HyerimWelcomes2ndChild #kcrush #ShinMinChul #taekwondo #kpopgirlgroup #kpop #kidol #koreankpopidol #kpopidolwelcomes2ndchild #kcrushmagazine #kcrushamerica #LimHyerim #koreanidol
BIGBANG’s G-Dragon teamed up with producer Kim Tae Bo to create the “GD and Friends” variety show scheduled for release in 2025. “GD and Friends” is a variety show featuring G-Dragon who will be hosting other celebrities. According to Kim Tae Ho, the show is still in production and the ‘GD and Friends’ is a tentative title that might change. Given BIGBANG’s recent reunion at the 2024 Mama Awards, fans are hoping that members Taeyang and Daesung will appear as guests in the show. Some of the celebrities whose appearances have been confirmed include Im Si Wan, Jung Hae In,…
NewJeans has opened a new social media account. On December 14, NewJeans launched a new social media account. The group chose a catchy name, Jeanzforfree, for their new journey. The 5 members uploaded a video on the new account confirming it is their real account. The account has gained over 1 million followers so far. NewJeans held an official briefing in November confirming that they would terminate their contracts with ADOR as of November 29. ADOR later refitted the claims and even filed a lawsuit claiming the group’s contract validity. NewJeans fought back claiming that they have the right to…
BB Girls, formerly Brave Girls, has signed a contract with GLG entertainment agency. On December 11, GLG Agency announced that BB Girls had joined their team. The agency, which houses H1-KEY and other artists, expressed its excitement and committed to helping BB Girls band soar. BB Girls debuted as Brave Girls in 2011 before rebranding to BB Girls in 2023. Yujeong left the group in April 2024 leaving the band with 3 members. —-Karen Mwenda #BBGirls #BraveGirls #3membergirlgroup #BBGirlssignwithGLGAgency #GLGAgency #kcrush #kpopgirlgroup #kpop #kcrushamerica #kcrushmagazine #newstart #Yujeongleftthegroup #HIKEY #GLGEntertainmentAgency #hallyu
Former national defense minister Kim Yong Hyun a key suspect in the December 3 martial law case is reported to have attempted suicide. On December 11, the Ministry of Justice’s correctional bureau head, reveals the incident during the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session. Shin Yong Hee stated that a duty officer at the control room came to know of the suicide attempt at 11:52 pm while at the waiting bay before a warrant was issued. The duty officer indicated that Kim Yong Hyun attempted suicide using a string made from his clothes. The individual gave up his…
Actor Um Ki Joon will be walking down the aisle with his partner this December. On December 12, Um Ki Joon’s agency clarified that their client would marry on December 22. The actor is set to marry his non-celebrity wife at a private event in Seoul. Um Ki Joon made his relationship status public in May announcing the exciting engagement news. Um Ki Joon, who debuted in 1995 with the ‘Richard 3’ play is known for his acting skills in several drams including “Little Women” and “The Penthouse: War in Life” among others. —-Karen Mwenda #UmKiJoon #koreanactor #KoreanWedding…
South Korea’s president asserted that his martial law declaration was in order and that he would fight to the end to protect the country. On December 12, south President Yoon Suk Yeol released a statement with regards to calls for resignation and martial law declaration. The president said that he has the legal power to declare martial law to return the country’s administrative affairs to normalcy and save it from administrative paralysis. The president also added that perceiving an emergency act, meant to rescue the nation, as an act of treason portrays the grave danger in the country’s legal system.…
BTS’ Jin and renowned chef Baek Jong Won have teamed up to launch a traditional Korean liquor. According to reports, Jin and Baek Jong Won have already started their traditional liquor venture after co-founding the ‘Yesan Doga’ agricultural corporation scheduled to release ‘IGIN’ distilled liquor soon. The duo’s company will also launch ‘IGIN Sweet Tonic’ and ‘IGIN Tangy Tonic’ ready-to-drink beverages. It’s also been reported that “The Godfather of Korean Traditional Liquor”, Park Rok Dam, will serve as the product development and quality advisor. —-Karen Mwenda #JIN #BTSJIN #launchIGIN #ChefBaekJongWon #IGINSweetTonic #IGINTangyTonic #kcrush #kpop #kidol #BTSIdol #readytodrinkbeverages #koreanculture…
Pledis Entertainment’s founder Han Sung Soo received a government commendation for his contribution to the global growth of K-content Han Sung Soo received commendation from the Prime Minister for his contribution towards the expansion of Korean content. Sung Soo is the founder of Pledis Entertainment which houses notable groups like SEVENTEEN and TWS. On December 11, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism hosted the 2024 Korea Content Awards where Han Sung Soo received accreditation under the Overseas Advancement Contribution accreditation area. —-Karen Mwenda #PLEDIS #PLEDISEntertainment #SEVENTEEN #TWS #kcrush #MinistryofCultureSportsandTourism #kpop #KoreanContent #2024 KoreaContentAwards #HanSungSoo #accreditationundertheOverseasAdvancement #Contributionaccreditationarea #koreanculture…
The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) has called out NewJeans and Min Hee Jin in their recent statement. On December 13, KMCA expressed its concerns on the rising tampering attempts that have tainted and undermined the integrity of Korea’s music industry. Tampering involves preemptively engaging with artists or artist representatives before contractual agreements are concluded with current agencies. This follows recent cases including FIFTY FIFTY’s poaching incident, NewJeans’ contract termination incident, and Min Hee Jin’s tampering allegations. KMCA stated that producers working for entertainment agencies are misusing their power to sway young artists into canceling their contracts. KMCA called out…
Seventeen, Stray Kids, and BTS’ Jungkook showcased K-pop’s global footing through outstanding performances and taking home awards. On December 13, the 2024 Billboard Music Awards took place at the Santa Monica Pier. Seventeen and Stray Kids mesmerized the attendees with classic performances. Seventeen performed ” Love, Money, Fame” track while Stray Kids performed “Jjam” and “Chl Chl Boom” tracks. Seventeen took home the ‘Top K-Pop Touring Artist’ award. On the other hand, Stray Kids bagged the ‘Top Global K-Pop Artist’ award. Jungkook won the ‘Top K-Pop Album’ for the Golden album and ‘Top Global K-Pop Song’ award thanks to the…
As the year comes to an end, here are the top 10 K-pop boy group rankings for December. 1. SEVENTEEN SEVENTEEN took first place with a brand index ranking of 6,106, 152. The band rose from its November’s no.2 position whose brand index ranking was 4,562,920. 2. BIGBANG BIGBANG made the most improvement after moving from last month’s no.16 to position 2 this month. BIGBANG’s brand index rankings improved from 1,064,193 to 4,696,756. 3. BTS BTS dropped from no.1 to no.3 this month. The group brand index ranking also fell from 5,447,345 to 4,533,725. 4. Stray Kids Stray Kids rose…
Taemin, the renowned K-pop artist, is set to embark on his first solo world tour, the 2024-25 TAEMIN WORLD TOUR [Ephemeral Gaze], across Europe. Kicking off in South Korea, the tour has already captivated audiences across Asia, and is now moving to Europe. Taemin will perform in five vibrant cities, bringing his highly anticipated solo performances to fans across the continent. The dates and cities for the tour are as follows: March 4 (Tuesday) Helsinki, Ice-Hall March 7 (Friday) Frankfurt, Stadthalle Offenbach March 9 (Sunday) London, Troxy March 11 (Tuesday) Tilburg, 013 Poppodium March 12 (Wednesday) Paris, Zénith Paris –…
For her debut feature film Pierce, writer and director Nelicia Low (Freeze, Let Her Eat Cake) took a look back to her past a member of the national Singapore fencing team, and her curiosity at the complicated relationship between her and her older brother who is autistic, to craft a technically impressive and emotionally dynamic story about a very intensely dysfunctional relationship between two brothers that share a love of fencing and mistrust of each other. Image courtesy of Magnify There’s no one that can understand you and frustrate you like a sibling can, and for Zi-jie (Liu Hsui-fu)…