Author: Denise Coley
Chuseok (literally meaning the Autumn Evening), or Hangawi (the Middle of Autumn), is one of the most important holidays in Korean culture. It is, in essence, a form of Thanksgiving for the harvesting season. Held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month – a day of the full moon – the holiday of Chuseok lasts for several days, typically three weekdays next to the weekend. As it is based on the Lunar calendar, the exact date of Chuseok varies from year to year. This particular year’s Chuseok is Friday 13th October. Climate-wise, the Chuseok holiday usually represents the…
After a successful tour in Europe, MyMusicTaste is happy to announce 2019 PLANETARIUM RECORDS 1ST TOUR “WE GO HOLIC” IN USA. This will mark PLT’s second tour with MyMusicTaste, a global online service that allows fans to request their favorite artists to their city. South Korea’s records label PLT (Planetarium Records) embarks on their first US tour starting October 18. South Korea’s emerging record label, Planetarium Records is coming to the US as part of their first tour 2019 PLANETARIUM RECORDS 1ST TOUR “WE GO HOLIC” IN USA. After successfully performing in 5 European cities in February this year, PLT…
In celebration of Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday – Chuseok (Autumn Eve), we’re introducing a healthy and fun-to-make Korean dessert recipe for all the adventurous cooks out there. Omija is a Korean word for Magnolia berries or Schizandra – these wondrous, medicinal berries provide five diverse flavors in one berry: sourness, bitterness, spiciness, saltiness and pungent sweetness! Omija berries are completely natural, untouched by modern mechanisms, and maintains all the healing properties. These amazing red berries can effectively stabilize both body and mind, the antioxidant can also fight harmful reactions and bacteria in the body, and assist to revive the consumer’s…
Lee Sun-ho (age 29), the only son and heir of CJ Corporation’s CEO Lee Jay-hyun, was caught smuggling marijuana into Korea at Incheon International Airport on September 1, – this incident is obviously forecasted to cause great damage to domestic and international businesses even remotely linked to CJ Group. Smuggling or distribution of marijuana is considered a serious offence in South Korea. CJ Corporation is a South Korean conglomerate holding company that owns multiple businesses and ventures in industries from food, pharmaceutics, entertainment media, home shopping and the long list goes on. CJ used to be a branch of…
D-CRUNCH (디크런치 in Korean) is a 9-member Korean hip-hop group signed under All-S Company led by Lee Jong-seok, the producer of now disbanded girl group Girl’s Day. The group officially debuted on August 6 of 2018, with the single album 0806. The group released its first mini-album M1112 (4colors) three months later. D-Crunch went on to receive the Focus Award at the Asia Artist Awards just four months since their debut, and their second mini-album M0527 dropped in May of 2019. D-Crunch explores many genres in creating music and O.V, Hyunwook, and Hyunoh form a songwriting team, G.I.G. All 9 members take…
While in B.A.P, Yoo Youngjae expressed an interest in wanting to act, and now he’s earned an opportunity to do so! Youngjae will play the character of Kim Seok, a skilled computer hacker masquerading as a PC café worker in the upcoming drama 9.9 Billion Won Woman. He will be associated with Kim Kang Woo’s character, who will be the male lead. 9.9 Billion Won Woman is about a woman who comes into money with the premise of using her money in a “her vs. the world” manner. The KBS2 drama will premier in November. His role in 9.9…
A few days ago, f(x)’s Amber Liu opted to not renew her contract with SM Entertainment. On September 5, 2019, Victoria and Luna also elected to not renew their contracts. Krystal still has some time left on her contract. “Amber and Luna’s exclusive contracts with SM have come to an end,” SM Entertainment said in a statement. “Krystal still has contract time left with us, and we’re discussing a new way to collaborate with Victoria.” While Luna has not commented on her departure as of publication, Victoria did confirm her departure via her Weibo account. 10 years have…
On September 3, 2019, South Korean professional basketball player Chung Jae-hong passed away following a heart attack. He was 33-years old. Chung, who played for the SK Knights, was at Severance Hospital (Yonsei University Hospital) in Seoul awaiting surgery to repair an injured wrist. The wrist surgery was supposed to occur September 4. According to the hospital, Chung had just finished his meal when he fainted. He reportedly showed signs of cardiac arrest. According to The Korea Times, hospital staff performed CPR for three hours before declaring him dead at 10:40pm local time. However, according to Hani, Chung was…
Viewers of Thai dramas may notice how female students sometimes wear short skirts and tight shirts as school uniforms. According to the Thai Education Ministry, the images portrayed in Thai dramas aren’t far off from how female Thai students allegedly stylize their school uniforms, but the ability to express oneself using short skirts and tight shirts has now been banned in Thailand. On August 31, 2019, the Thai Education Minister, Nataphol Teepsuwan, announced regulation changes that govern student behavior. These changes mean stricter uniform policies that aim to suppress “sexually suggestive clothing and behavior” and “inter-school violence and rivalries.” According…
With the K-Pop Wave crashing upon multiple countries’ shores, the seeds of dreams of K-Pop stardom and careers in South Korea have been implanted in the minds of many young people. Of course, this comes with potential dangers as “agents” promise to fulfill those dreams in order to lure unsuspecting K-Pop hopefuls into the darkest realms of society. Recently, five men were arrested in connection with selling seven Brazilian women into prostitution where they were sent to live in brothels in South Korea. One of the women managed to contact the Brazilian Embassy in South Korea on August 17, which…
The most common question is “why do you like these boys – they’re so weird”. And yes, the western culture of masculine men with muscles and beards who can move heavy objects around and spend hours in the gym, with humor that somewhat is derogatory towards women – So, to us westerners, K-pop idols are a breath of fresh air. With teens, it’s a bit more complicated. K-pop is appealing to teens on a level of attractiveness that isn’t comprehensive to many westerners. The overall visual of K-pop is very appealing – a man, taking care of himself: having clean…
Chie Izuno works full time at an office Branch. Though she’s 30, she’s very young at heart and kind of innocent. She tries hard to go into the dating field but finds herself struggling due to her weight and self-esteem issues. She meets up with one of the company’s investors, Jin Harada, a super sucessful and young business man. However Jin has a severe lack of social skills. Chie strives to make a deal with Jin in order to aide her in her goal to lose weight and gain confidence, she tells Jin she can help him with his own…
On August 31, 2019, Amber Liu announced that she has left SM Entertainment following the expiration of her exclusive contract. In a handwritten letter posted on her Twitter page, Liu said: Hey everyone, I would like to announce my contract with SM Entertainment has ended today, and I have decided to part ways with the company. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank everyone who believed in me and have been patient with me all these years. I can’t wait to show you what’s in store in this next chapter of my career. Again and…
The last week of August brought some good news as three free agent K-Pop artists signed with new agencies! On August 29, 2019, B.A.P’s Yoo Youngjae signed on with Dmost Entertainment. The signing comes after he released his solo debut album, Fancy, on April 19, 2019. For his Fancy release, which included the lead single “Another Night,” Youngjae was under his own label, J WORLD Entertainment. However, Dmost will now be Youngjae’s home. “We are so thankful toward Youngjae for his decision to work with DMOST, trusting in our company,” Dmost Entertainment said in a statement. “We will not…
On August 28, 2019, FNC Entertainment revealed that FTISLAND’s Lee Hongki will be enlisting as an active duty soldier soon. “Lee Hong-Ki will be enlisting as an active duty soldier on September 30,” FNC Entertainment said. Regardless of the announcement, Hongki has been busy with different promotions and is expected to continue with those promotions up until the day before his enlistment date. Currently, he is rehearsing for his role in the musical I Loved You, a show that runs from September 20 to October 27. He is scheduled to perform up until September 29, then he will rescind…
Being wrapped up in Jung Joon Young’s KakaoTalk controversy wasn’t enough for CNBLUE’s Jonghyun to leave the group, but apparently being caught sliding into someone’s DMs was convinced the embattled lead singer and guitarist to depart the group. Earlier in 2019, Lee Jonghyun admitted to receiving and viewing lewd images and videos via a secret KakaoTalk messaging group tied to former singer Jung and other celebrities. At the time, Jonghyun elected to not leave the group but instead stated he would reflect on his actions. “He is reflecting and is [aware] he deserves criticism as he watched the videos…
-What are they offering and How to access them- Just got your Roku and don’t have a clue about how to access Asian channels and what to watch? You have come to the right place 😀 What is Roku? Similar to AppleTV, Roku devices are essentially boxes or flash drives that you plug into your TV and thus gain access to over 3000 channels, which Roku is currently offering. Some are free, some are not, but Roku’s broad selection of content and features like voice control are why many are arguing that it is the best service for those…
Despite the recent news that she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, TWICE’s Mina reportedly participated in the MV filming for TWICE’s upcoming comeback! According to a JYP Entertainment representative, Mina filmed her MV portions for the group’s upcoming single. “It’s true that Mina participated in the comeback MV filming. She relied on the members a lot but was able to get through her portion of filming” the representative said. Initially, JYP Entertainment did not confirm or deny Mina’s participation in the new MV, telling Newsen, “We are not able to confirm such a report at this time. We…
Former M.I.B member and current singer and TV personality, Kangnam, will be tying the knot soon! Kangnam, who announced recently that he will be giving up his Japanese citizenship to work on becoming a Korean citizen, has been dating former Olympic speedskater, Lee Sang Hwa. Kangnam’s label, Dmost Entertainment, confirmed the news. This is Dmost Entertainment. We want to share joyful news today regarding Kangnam and Lee Sang Hwa. Kangnam and Lee Sang Hwa will be tying the knot with love and trust for one another. They will be holding their wedding on October 12 (Saturday) at a…
Back in June of 2019, K-pop’s leading girl group TWICE’s Japanese member Mina had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder after recently pulling out of the world tour. This revelation got the fans worried when it was confirmed by Mina’s agency that she had been struggling with ‘extreme anxiety and insecurity towards performing on stage. — Anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that can lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, concerns and the various. These disorders can alter how a person processes their emotions and behavior. An anxiety can be expressed as an emotion characterized by feelings…