‘Say Yes’ is a Korean band with five talented members who are musical enough to compose, produce and write lyrics for their own music and play their own instruments.
Since ‘Say Yes’ released their first mini album titled, “Virus” in July 2013 last year, this year on June 26th, ‘Say Yes’ has come back reloaded with a newer image through their new mini album ‘SAY ?’ – Get Out’, an album packed with six tracks the band’s members composed, produced, mixed and did other miscellaneous works on.
These talented and very skilled musicians are with the names, Ho-Kyung Song, Su-bin Kim, Sung-Kyu Ji, Si-on Park, Jun Hyoung Kim. Plus what’s very special and positive about this band, ’Say Yes’ is that they know how to proficiently handle their instruments, which differentiates them from the standard idols in other words, they own a firm control of their sound and music.
For this 2nd mini album, ‘SAY ?’ – Get Out’, the five members of ‘Say Yes’ participated in writing the lyrics, composing, producing and overall, created the whole record by themselves. They are said to have spent sleepless nights in order to create the songs and the first single for this album ‘Get Out’, which was also mixed by them, as well as all the composing and producing resulting in the album being acclaimed by the music critics for its quality sound and beat.
For their single, ‘Get Out’ – Su-bin, the vocalist of the band contributed his piano skills (he’s played for over 20 years), Jun Hyoung who usually plays the djembe, this time took over playing the matching snare and blew the whistle.
A matching snare is often used in military bands, the concept of using the matching snare like this has never been thought of anywhere in the world. This album consists of many musical genres from rock, ballads, pop…these guys are already approved for their musical ability, showing a stable fan base in Japan and other Asian countries. And, the guys have plenty of potential to develop and achieve their dreams.
As the members state in our interview, their goal eventually is to make it to the top in America, so Kcrush readers check out their interview and decide if they have the musical drive and zeal to fulfill their dreams and please, enjoy reading. And, thank you to the Say Yes members. We wish them all the best in their music career.
‘Say Yes’ Members
The leader, guitarist, vocalist and flutist of ‘Say Yes’
Name: Ho-Kyung Song
Date of birth: Oct. 8th 1985.
Hobbies: Watching movies, sports, travelling, cleaning-up
Specialty: Playing the guitar, singing.
Main vocalist, writer and composer, producer of ‘Say Yes’
Name: Su-bin Kim
Date of birth: Oct. 29th 1986
Hobbies: Soccer games (Winning eleven), listening to music, Youtubing
Specialty: Writing and composing songs, piano, voice impersonation,
Guitarist, vocalist and pianist of ‘Say Yes’
Name: Sung-Kyu Ji
Date of birth: Apr. 23rd 1990
Hobbies: Yoyo, piano, Japanese,
Specialty: guitarist, keyboard player and composing
Drummer, base guitarist, violinist and rapper
Name: Si-on Park
Date of birth: Feb. 10th 1992
Hobbies: Sports, computer games, watching movies
Specialty: Violin, rapping
Djembe player, drummer and rapper of ‘Say Yes’
Name: Jun Hyoung Kim
Name of birth: Mar. 16th 1994
Hobbies: Watching dramas, visiting tasty restaurants, chatting, piano
Specialty: Playing music with objects, composing, playing the drums, eating hamburgers quickly
The interview with Say Yes….
Hello… Say yes! Please, introduce yourselves for Kcrush readers…
Ho-Kyung: Hello everyone! My name is Ho-Kyung Song and I’m a vocalist and guitarist of Say Yes.
Su-bin: Hi, I’m Su-bin Kim who is in charge of the vocals and keyboard.
Sung-Kyu: Hello, this is Sung-Kyu Ji and I’m a vocalist and guitarist and keyboard player of ‘Say Yes’.
Si-on: Hello, I’m Sion who is a rapper, drummer and base guitarist of Say Yes.
Jun Hyoung: Hello, I am called Jun Hyoung Kim, I’m a rapper, drummer and djembe (A west African percussion instrument) player from Say Yes.
How did you all become members of ‘Say Yes’?
Sung-Kyu: I was on a TV program called ‘Prodigies Under The Sun’ when I was a 6th grader in elementary school – featured on the show as a yoyo genius. Our company’s CEO watched me on TV and he wanted to meet me, and that’s how I got to meet him. Plus, we happened to be living in the same neighborhood. That’s how I got to audition for this band and became a member.
Ho-Kyung: I used to be in a band based in Hongdae (Short for the Hongik University area) and one day by chance, our current company’s CEO offered me to audition myself, and thus, I came to join the company.
Su-bin: I was working as a song writer and the CEO of our company came to hear my song by accident and asked me to audition, that’s how I came to be here.
Si-on: I was previously a member in a band called Song Hoseop, and after I wrapped up my work there I came to meet our representative and got offered to take an audition for this group.
Jun Hyoung: I was an art high school student at the time and one day the head of our major recommended me to our company’s CEO and I came to meet him that way.
How long have you been trained to become singers?
Sung-Kyu: It has been about four years since our band ‘Say Yes’ has been formed as five members – I started in the music business since I was in 6th grade in elementary so it’s been 10 years for me.
How do you describe Say Yes’ sound and music?
Ho-Kyung: First off, the music and the lyrics from the whole album were by Say Yes. Of course, that includes the producing and the mixing. And, all our members participate in writing the music and lyrics for the album. Each of our members knows how to handle more than 2 musical instruments.
Who is the actual leader of the band?
Ho-Kyung: I am the leader of Say Yes. Since we are all musicians we respect each other’s individuality and we look out for each a lot, so considering those points we get along very well.
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
Si-on: Since we are all musicians we all have different tastes to the music we enjoy listening to. Because I’m a rapper, I listen to a lot of Hip hop genre and jazz.
Ho-Kyung: I tend to enjoy listening to pop music.
Sung-Kyu: I also like listening to pop, but nowadays I’m listening to a lot of old gayo. (The word to describe Korean pop)
Su-bin: I’m in the similar state with Sung-Kyu, but I’m listening to old pop songs.
Jun Hyoung: Since I do a lot of research on performances, so I enjoy live music with videos.
How would you describe Say Yes’ music?
Su-bin: Our band’s music does not concentrate only on one particular genre. We consider our genre of music to be something that is suited for the current generation. And, letting the public hear what they want to listen to.
Do you have any artist you want to collaborate with?
Jun Hyoung: Maroon 5! We are both bands, so we could produce really interesting music, if we do a collaboration work with them.
Which member of ‘Say Yes’ has the best personality and also, who is the most difficult member?
Ho-Kyung: The member with the mildest personality is Sung-Kyu. He’s comforting to the younger members and looks after the older members well; he’s the most mild and kind. But the funny thing, the fussiest member is also Sung-Kyu as well.
When did you start playing your instruments?
Ho-Kyung: I played the classic guitar since I was in elementary school. When I got into uni I started on the electric guitar, and since, I’ve been playing the electric guitar.
Su-bin: I learned to play the piano since I was 4 years old. When I was younger I dreamt of becoming a professional pianist and I’m still playing it.
Sung-Kyu: I played the piano since the age of 6, but at the time I liked jazz more than the classical music. And, I started playing the guitar when I got into university and still playing it.
Si-on: I first started the classic guitar when I was a third grader in elementary school. Then I got to learn the drum when I got into middle school and started on the base guitar when I got into university.
Jun Hyoung: I started playing the drums since I was in middle school and started playing the djembe when I got into high school.
What are your hobbies other than music?
Ho-Kyung: My hobby is doing sports. When I work out I can release my stress and feel refreshed.
Su-bin: My hobby is voice impersonation. I can always figure out peoples’ characteristics.
Sung-Kyu: My hobby is to play computer games. I enjoy the competition between friends when we play games together.
Si-on: Sleeping is my hobby. I can sleep absolutely anywhere I can rest my bottom.
Jun Hyoung: Watching films is my hobby. I enjoy it, because I consider it as passive experience.
Which country would you like to visit and the reason please…
Ho-Kyung: America! Because our band’s goal is to be, get number 1 on the billboard charts.
Su-bin: It’s America for me as well. All of my cousins live there and I don’t get to see them that often.
Sung-Kyu: I want to visit Finland. I once saw from a film, and fell in love at one glance with the scenery, so I really want to be there.
Si-on: It’s Switzerland for me. I want to be able to see the natural scenery with my very eyes.
Jun Hyoung: I want to visit Canada…my relatives who live there, because I haven’t seen them for a long time, I want to visit and see them.
What kind of person are you most attracted to?
Ho-Kyung: I like a woman with a kind heart. I like people who are good natured.
Su-bin: I like a woman I can be comfortably friends with.
Sung-Kyu: I like a woman who is like my mother. My mother is really fun and beautiful.
Si-on: I like a woman with long hair whom I can talk well and connect with.
Jun Hyung: I like a female who can cook well!
What is your favorite song that you listen to the most?
Ho-Kyung: Mine is called “Good Feeling” which was our title song for our 1st album! It’s a very precious song for me, because it was from our debut album.
Su-bin: I like, “We Are The World” that was sung by all the artists from all over the world. I felt such inspiration when I first heard it playing.
Sung-Kyu: For me it’s Craig David’s “All The Way”…! That song I listened to extremely frequently back when I was at school, so that song brings reminisce to my school days.
Si-on: I would choose our band’s recent album’s title song, “Get Out” for my favorite song. It was also, a song that showed a different side to our band and, so I’m excited about it. So, I usually listen to it often.
Jun Hyoung: Mine is the ballad song from our debut album called, “I Wish It Was You”. Whenever I hear it, that song makes me a very emotional.
Do you have any special skills or hidden talent?
Sung-Kyu: I can do the yoyo! When I was younger I was on a program that was similar to the ‘Star King Show’ these days, because I was considered a yoyo genius.
Please name one movie you’d recommend to the fans.
Sung-Kyu: The movie I’d recommend is a movie called ‘Kamome Diner’, which is a Japanese healing movie. And, it’s something that is enjoyable you can easily watch without much thought in your mind. The movie is based in Finland, I recommend you guys to watch.
Su-bin: I recommend the Harry Potter series. There movies are entertaining, but the books are unbelievably enjoyable to read!
How do you deal with stress usually?
Ho-Kyung: I release stress by working out. My body gets healthier and my mind gets fresher as well.
Su-bin: What I do is eat tasty foods. I love to eat extremely spicy foods and hot or extremely sweet cookies
Sung-Kyu: I meet up with my friends and play video games or go to coffee shops and chat with them.
Si-on: I go to the noraebang (karaoke room) and sing my heart out for full two hours.
Jun Hyoung: I play the drums! Playing the drums is the best to get rid of stress.
Who is the most precious person to you?
Ho-Kyung Song, Su-bin Kim, Sung-Kyu Ji, Si-on Park and Jun Hyoung Kim – we are Say Yes! The five of us are like brothers and all our members are equally precious to each other.
As a band, which country do you want to advance to?
Ho-Kyung: To get to America and become number 1 on the billboard chart is our goal.
Su-bin: The same goes for me. I share Ho-Kyung bro’s goal.
Sung-Kyu: Same here! It’s our dream to become on the top in the American charts.
Si-on: The U.S. for me as well.
Jun Hyoung: It’s the U.K for me! I really want to perform at the rock concerts in England.
Say Yes! Please say something to the fans reading this interview. And thank you so much for your time – we wish you a wonderful success in your music career this year!
All members: We are still a new group, so it’s our priority to let the public know about us. We really hope that everyone would become happier through listening to our music.
“Get out” – Say Yes
COMPOSED, LYRICS BY, SAY YES
Hey! Why? You know what time is it now? Grrr!
Say yes! One (one) two (two) Dararara!
Wow wow
?? ? ?? ???? (dararara) What have you grow up eating?
??? ??? ???? (dararara) How come you’re this pretty?
?? ???? ???? (dararara) From head to toe
??? ??? ? ??? Crazy, crazy, you’re crazy.
Wow Wow
?? ??? ???? (dararara) As if I’m hypnotized.
??? ? ??? Red sun (dararara) I’m fully into you.
?? ??? ?? ???? (dararara) My head is spinning around & around
??? ??? ? ??? Crazy, crazy, you’re crazy.
Every say Yeah! (Yeah!) Yeah (Yeah!)
?? ? ???? Hey lady oh beautiful lady I can’t think straight
Every say Yeah! (Yeah!) Yeah (Yeah!) oh no!
I want you I want you I want you baby
? ?? ?????? Why are you tormenting me?
Please Get out Get out ???? I’m going crazy
Get out Get out, Out of my mind
Get out Get out ? ???? ?? ??? It’s all because of you, please get out, Out of my mind
Da Da Dararara Say yes!
Da Da Dararara Oh my lady
Da Da Dararara ?? Red sun To me
??? ??? ? ??? you’re crazy.
???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? (Be okay!)
?? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ? (?!)
?? ????? ? ?? ?? ? ??? ??? ???? So mad
?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ? ?? ?? ????
Come on boys, Let’s gonanana nanana nananana
Okay, ladies! nanana nanana nananana
And tha.. Everybody! nanana nanana nananana
Hee~ha!
I want you I want you I want you baby
? ? ?? ????? Why can’t I forget you
Please Get out Get out ???? I’m going crazy
Get out Get out out of my mind
Get out Get out ? ???? ?? ??? It’s all, because of you, please get out
Out of my mind
??? ?? ? ??? ?? ? ??? ? ??? ?? ?
Can’t let go of something inevitable, I am still missing you.
I want you I want you I want you baby
? ? ?? ????? Why can’t I forget you
Please Get out Get out ???? ???? I’m going crazy, come back
Get out Get out Out of my mind
Get out Get out ? ???? ?? ??? It’s all, because of you, please get out
Out of my mind
Wow ??? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???
I heard something, shall I run on the battlefield known as the stage
???? ??? ?? ? ???? ? MIC
My mic shakes as the sound of the drums hit my eardrums
? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????
My rapping is a dynamite, unapproachable final highlight
???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? Fever time
Don’t worry about this and let’s run I’ll entertain you like no other
??? ??? ? ??? Crazy, crazy, you’re crazy.
Da Da Dararara
B.I.G (Which stands for ‘Boys In Groove’) is a just-released five-member boy band from Korea.
Since debuting with their first single, ‘Annyeounghaseyo’, which is a greeting for ‘Hello’ in Korean, the boys have already marked themselves as a Hip hop and street dance group, but that doesn’t mean their genre of music is limited. The members are into and able to perform to diverse music and dance – one was the member called Benji is a former violinist who studied classical music.
‘Anyeonghaseyo’ is fun and entertaining with lyrics not only in Korean and English but in Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Arabic. The music and the lyrics were written by Noneun Urini (Kim Wonhyun) who previously wrote songs for KARA, UKISS, A-Pink and etc.
When G.H Entertainment unveiled the boys in early July they stated that the boys were put into a lot of training each day to debut. And, the 5 boys in groove are excited to be launching their career.
B.I.G’s five members are called GunMin, Gookminpyo, Benji, J-Hoon and HeeDo. And, their management company announced that their profiles will gradually be introduced as time goes along.
But, at this time, what we can offer our readers is an interview of B.I.G’s members. We took the time to ask the group how they are enjoying themselves as the new comers in the K-pop scene, what kind of person they are attracted to and what they are the most good at. And other questions you might find interesting.
They may be just starting now, but who knows where they’ll be in the next few years. We send our best of luck to the boys and thank you for the great interview.
Hello B.I.G…! Could you briefly introduce yourselves, please?
Gun Min: Hello! I’m Gun Min and I am the vocalist and dancer of B.I.G.
Gook Min Pyo: Hello…my name is Gook Min Pyo and I’m the rapper of B.I.G.
Benji: Hi, My name is Benji. I play the violin, sing, rap and sort of cook. I also like pandas.
J-Hoon: Hello. I am called J-Hoon and I’m B.I.G’s vocalist and dancer.
Hee Do: Hi, I am Hee Do, the maknae of B.I.G. My role in the band is rapping.
You are in a group now but what was your dream as a child growing up?
Gun Min: When I was younger, I had this vague dream of wanting to be on a TV program called X man. And that dream came more definite and it brought me where I’m am now.
Gook Min Pyo: Before I dreamt of being a singer, I wanted to work in an art area as an illustrator.
Benji: Before I had the dream of becoming a singer I had loads of dreams of being a chef, magician and etc., and later a violinist.
J-Hoon: I street danced for about 8 years and so my childhood dream was a street dancer. But I love singing and got to choose this profession as a singer.
Hee Do: My dream when I was small was about all sorts, like police officer, magician, airport staff and more as well as wanting to be a singer. I’m currently very happy that I achieved just one of those many dreams.
Could you tell us what your first audition was like?
Gun Min: I was a freshman in High school when I took the audition and because I was so nervous my hands were shaking the whole time I was singing. I think one of the staff took pity on me and he rubbed my shoulders telling me to relax but I was still shaky.
Gook Min Pyo: I couldn’t speak properly and messed up. I wasn’t able to perform what I’d prepared even. And, I was so trembling.
Benji: I was really nervous, but I tried my best and it went okay.
J-Hoon: Because I had the experience of being on stage before I thought I wouldn’t be nervous, but unlike my previous stage performances I was very nervous. I recall having regrets after, because of making mistakes.
Hee Do: I was extremely trembling and made mistakes. I was nervous from the time I lined up for the audition until I got home. The person lined in front of me kept practicing his dance, so I remember my practicing moves as well.
Have you had any working experience or any part time jobs before your debut?
Gun Min: Except helping out simple tasks in an English academy, I haven’t had much experience.
Gook Min Pyo: I served in rice noodles restaurant; dish washed in buffets and worked in construction sites and demolition sites.
Benji: No part time jobs, but I did gigs as a violinist in quartets & orchestras.
J-Hoon: I have experience teaching kids the poppin dance genre at a street dance academy. And, I’ve worked part time at cafes and a cinema.
Hee Do: I’ve done part time work at a convenient store. The convenient store I worked in sold soft ice creams separately. And, I used to give out more ice creams if the customers were young kids.
What color do you think describes you the best?
Gun Min: I like the color purple, but I think I suit black the best.
Gook Min Pyo: I think I suit colorless colors the most. My wardrobe is mostly of white, grey and black clothes.
Benji: Red!!
J-Hoon: I have quite a bright skin tone, so I think I suit white or black which contradicts it.
Hee Do: I think I suit bright colors because I have a dark skin color. I would describe myself as the color light purple. It’s a color you get drawn to the more you look at it.
Could you tell us about your ideal person?
Gun Min: I haven’t got a set ideal, but when I see someone in purple I keep getting to look at her.
Gook Min Pyo: Someone who has a broader mind, who is thoughtful and deep.
Benji: I like girls who have musical abilities. Also, dancers are very cool in my opinion
J-Hoon: My ideal is someone who smiles at me a lot and whom I can communicate well with.
Hee Do: Someone who is cute and suits hoodies well.
What kind of music or genre do you normally listen to and, which artists do you admire?
Gun Min: I enjoy listening to hip hop or R&B. I respect artists who are in that genre Chris Brown, Ne-yo and Taeyang sunbaenim I respect out of Korean artists.
Gook Min Pyo: Before I used to listen to a lot of Hip hop music. I listen to a lot of Korean indie artists and these days I’m trying to listen to a lot of music from different countries.
Benji: Right now I’m really into Hip Hop, but my musical tastes change once in a while. I really am inspired by artists like Usher, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson.
J-Hoon: I enjoy R&B and ballads. I respect song-writer Jung Key Kim and Brown Eyed Soul sunbaenims.
Hee Do: I am really into Hip hop and really like indie band music as well. I like listening to most songs you can hear easily playing in coffee shops normally.
Do you have any hobbies & personal interests?
Gun Min: I like games and watching movies, but I like to watch dance or live performances on video when I have free time.
Gook Min Pyo: I like to draw. And, I like to get my inspiration from animals, patterns, tattoos and such.
Benji: Food, cooking, composing, fashion.
J-Hoon: My hobby is watching movies. My interest is checking out new movies and the actors, but these days it’s a pity I can’t watch any movies, because of work.
Hee Do: Of course, I like to watch movies and listen to music. I also, love eating good food. I used to enjoy watching animation, but nowadays I don’t get to do that much.
Where would you like to travel in the world the most?
Gun Min: I want to visit New Zealand. When I was younger I saw on TV the beautiful beaches in New Zealand that had emerald lighted sea, so I really want to go there.
Gook Min Pyo: My aunt has visited England and has told me stories about the place, so that is why I want to visit there.
Benji: I really want to visit Hawaii some day and also Paris.
J-Hoon: I want to visit America. Especially go to the New York Times Square.
Hee Do: I want to go visit Europe. I will later when I can. I want to get to experience the architecture, food and the culture that is different to Korea. And, I want to visit Australia and see the wide prairie and the natural environment.
What is your favorite movie of all time that you’d recommend to the fans?
Gun Min: I want to recommend a movie called ‘Life of fire’. I think I’ve seen it 5 times, but I wanna watch it again. I really enjoyed watching it, because the movie gave me a feeling of getting out of the reality.
Gook Min Pyo: I wanna recommend the “Iron Men” series. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever watched the same movie 3 times.
Benji: “The Usual Suspects”.
J-Hoon: The most recent movie I saw was called “Edge of tomorrow”. The story was so good and the actors performed greatly, so I recall watching the movie really enjoying it.
Hee Do: I like movies that have a twist. I enjoyed watching “Inception,” “Shutter Island” and others. I would recommend the movie “Triangle”.
How do you relieve stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Gun Min: I take a lot of medicines and health products, but I can’t be bothered and forget to take them sometimes. I like doing sports, so when we are on schedule, I work out briefly before heading to bed.
Gook Min Pyo: By always eating well and eating diverse foods. I do stretching before getting to sleep. And, I think it helps to overcome fatigue.
Benji: Listening music or writing song lyrics. Drink lots of yoghurt for good digestion and take occasional cold showers.
J-Hoon: I usually just sleep a lot and drink coffee in a café to maintain my mental health.
Hee Do: I like going to saunas, but I can’t go that often, because of our schedule. I like to sit at a café and listen to songs to release stress. For my health, I take the vitamins and protein shake my mother sends me.
How many hours do you get training daily?
Gun Min: The days we don’t have any broadcasting schedules, we train for 12 to 14 hours a day. I think we train during the hours except for the time taken for dinner and the time for sleep.
Gook Min Pyo: We train for 12 hours at least I think.
Benji: 12+ hours a day usually. I like to sing/rap more than dance, so I practice that more.
J-Hoon: It seems we train for 12 to 14 hours out of the 24 hours we have a day. Of course, we rest in between training since it will be unreasonable to train continuously during that time.
Hee Do: We train for 12 to 14 hours on average. We are doing what we like doing so it isn’t hard or tiring and don’t feel the time is passing.
What song do you sing the most often when you go to noraebang?
Gun Min: I haven’t been to the noraebang since middle school, but I remember singing Kim Dongryul sunbaenim’s ‘Truth in wine’.
Gook Min Pyo: “The Way To Me” by Sung Si Kyung sunbaenim.
Benji: G-Dragon – “Crayon”
J-Hoon: Crush – “Sometimes” / Jung key – “Truth”/ Chungki/ Jung Key – “Get To Forget”.
Hee Do: Yoon Dohyun sunbaenim’s “Sending You”.
What are you the most good at or the most proud of?
Gun Min: I was always proud of my good looking fingers. They’re long and thin…I regret not having learned to play the piano.
Gook Min Pyo: Rapping and illustration.
Benji: My ears! a.k.a, my listening ability.
J-Hoon: I’m good at freestyle dancing. I am able to dance to whatever song that is played.
Hee Do: Sitting down and doing the computer for a long time!!! I’m just kidding. I am able to impersonate a few voices really well.
Who do you most respect in the world?
Gun Min: My parents. I think it will be really tough for me, if I have a son like myself later on. I respect my parents who raised me the most.
Gook Min Pyo: My mother. She’s someone I love and respect the most.
Benji: My parents! They’re the best people ever.
J-Hoon: I respect my parents the most, because they went through a lot to raise me, so I always have gratitude for them.
Hee Do: Abraham Lincoln. I read his biography when I was younger and it was very inspiring.
What kind of activities do you want to do in the States?
Gun Min: A concert held in the U.S! I really want that to happen later on. Of course, later on would mean when we are out with a better song when a lot of people really like us.
Gook Min Pyo: I want to visit Benji bro’s home. I want to walk the street in America and go see musicals, performances and etc.
Benji: I want to go on a national music concert and food tour.
J-Hoon: I really want to do a concert and although I’m not very good at English, I want to communicate with our fans through signing events, etc.
Hee Do: What I really want with our own concert, but would also really want a K-pop concert with our senior singers.
What are your plans and goals for the future?
Gook Min Pyo: I’d like people to know more about B.I.G and our diverse music and performance not only in Korea, but worldwide.
Benji: Make good music & good memories. I want B.I.G to become respected as artists.
J-Hoon: Firstly, I’d like to work hard on our first single “Hello” and when that is done whilst doing the preparation on the next album, I’d like to work on my personal abilities and shoot a street dance video.
Hee Do: Since our debut song is about introducing Korea, we’ll let people know about Korea through our activities. And, we’d like to let our group, B.I.G become known to the K-pop fans across the world.
Could you say ‘Hello’ to the fans in the U.S and other countries?
Gun Min: We’d really like to one day visit America and perform there. We will try our hardest, so that day comes sooner. Please, wait for us and thank you!
Gook Min Pyo: Please, show a lot of interest and love on what we do. Thank you.
Benji: Hi! I’m Benji! Please, look forward to our new music and thank you all for your support!
J-Hoon: We promise to hold our stage oversees soon and show you our group’s diverse side through various areas of our activities. Thank you.
Hee Do: Thank you very much everyone for your interest, support and advice. B.I.G will always try to show you our great side. Please, keep your eyes on us
Wassup is a Korean girl group formed under Sony Music and Mafia Records, which debuted in August 2013, after being in training for three years. Wassup’s music video for the first single “Wa$$up” was released on August the 7th, which was in no way like any other ordinary girl group video, bright and loud, plus, displaying quite a lot of ‘twerking’ moves.
When Wassup came out, it was announced by Sony Music that the group will be very different to the ‘standard’ K-pop girl groups. According to their management company, Wassup’s music would consist of genres like dancehall, reggae and hip hop. Overall, their very unique sound and performance drew considerable attention on the net, their music videos brought along a lot of controversy due to their sexy wardrobe and dancing.
Wassup’s 7 members are named Jinju, Dain, Nada, Nari, Jiae, Sujin, and Woojoo in the order of their age. Jinju is the group’s leader and the main vocalist of Wassup at the age of 24, Dain is, also 24 years old rapper and lead dancer. Nada is 23 and her role is the main rapper and lead dancer. Nari is 21 and acts as the main dancer and rapper. Jiae is an 18 year old main vocalist, Sujin is, also an 18 year old lead rapper and sub-vocalist while Woojoo is the youngest member vocalist who will become 18 in August.
Since their debut, Wassup has released one debut album ‘Nom Nom Nom’ and four singles including ‘Hotter Than Summer’ and ‘Fire.’ Like their name, ‘Wassup’ – these young ladies and their music, well, what they are bringing out is extremely fun and entertaining to listen to with less cover ups in their performances and song lyrics. Wassup claims their music is spot on for the summer occasion.
We’ve prepared an interview with Wassup for you. These young ladies are determined to make it huge. Their drive and enthusiasm is second to no other. Read about how the WASSUP girls are enjoying what they do at the same time fighting hard for their dreams. Please, enjoy Kcrush readers…
Hello Wassup! Thank you for taking the time out to do an interview with Kcrush.
Did you all dream of being a celebrity when you were growing up?
Dain: Yes~ I wanted to become a celebrity since I was young.
Jinju: I dreamt of being a celeb for a long time at a very young age but when I started attending school that dream was switched to something else. I think you get to dream about what you really want to do later in life.
Nada: I majored in Art until I was in High school but my dream was to be a celebrity.
Nari: Yes, after knowing that it was a job that requires dancing and singing.
Jiae: It was my dream since I was in kindergarten.
Sujin: I started dreaming of being one when I was n middle school.
Woojoo: My dream was to be a zoo keeper when I was younger but after I starting learning to dance as a 5th grader at elementary, I dreamt of becoming a singer.
Ok…so are you all excited for the summer back? How are you all feeling?
Dain: I’m dying to get on the comeback stage as soon as possible. I can’t wait to meet our fans with our new music.
Jinju: All the members including myself are really anticipating and waiting for it.
Nada: Yes. Would really want to make a comeback and amaze everyone with our new music and new look.
Nari: Yeah, I really want to have a comeback soon and do active work.
Jiae: Really expecting it to happen, want to make a comeback soon!!!!!
Sujin: Yes, we’d like to show how we’ve improved soon.
Woojoo: Yes, we’d like to suddenly appear transformed in a cool way.
How old were you when you started training to dance and sing?
Dain: I loved to sing and dance as a kid, but I started training since I was 17.
Jinju: I think it’s been about 4 years since I had proper training.
Nada: Started when I got into Mafia Records at age 21.
Nari: I learned to dance in the 2nd year of middle school and got vocal training since 17.
Jiae: I started getting trained when I was 10 years old.
Sujin: Since I was 17.
Woojoo: I first learned to dance when I was a 5th grader in elementary school then started learning it properly when I got into middle school. And I started learning to sing when I was 17.
Can we ask how your parents initially reacted when you decided to get into the music industry?
Dain: At first they said no and opposed of the idea. I think I studied hard and most of all tried convincing them by showing I was passionate and sincerely determined to do this.
Jinju: I think they just looked on half in doubt. Then when I started to focus on getting prepared, my parents seem to get concerned and began to stop me.
Nada: They went against it at first, because I was preparing to get into one of the top schools, but my parents said they’d trust me since I do my studies and everything I do sincerely.
Nari: They said they would fully support me in whatever I wanted to do.
Jiae: My parents wanted me to become a singer from the start so they helped me a lot and they also really like what I do.
Sujin: My parents told me I could do it, if that was what I wanted to do.
Woojoo: My parents initially wanted me to do this as a hobby, but later on, they actively supported me to do as I chose.
How would you describe Wassup’s music?
Dain: Could we describe it as a collaboration of Hip hop and other genres? Our music is based on Hip hop compiled with other genres of music coated with Wassup’s own color to bring out a ‘Wassup-ish’ music.
Jinju: Hip Hop + uniqueness.
Nada: It’s like burning hot summer music.
Nari: I think we are sexy, energetic and well-suited to the summer season Hip hop girl group.
Jiae: Our sound is Hip hop, and you would know from listening that our songs are very different to the rest. It’s a very unique sound which collaboration of dancehall, reggae and other genres.
Sujin: Hot!!!
Woojoo: Hip hop is the basic genre. And, I think our songs are very suitable for the summer.
Why do you think people consider Wassup’s performances sexy?
Dain: I think our performances are considered sexy, may be, because the 7 members with diverse charms get on the stage united in one mind enjoying ourselves on stage with confidence. Thank you ^^..
Jinju: I reckon it comes from the vitality of our performances and the energy we display.
Nada: Are we sexy? Uhm…Wouldn’t it be due to our confident performances?
Jiae: Our choreography show sexy dances, but I think it’s, because of the healthy beauty the 7 members have!
Sujin: May be, it’s the confidence we show on the stage?
Woojoo: I think it could be the healthy beauty that people find sexy about us.
Did you have any part time jobs before joining the group?
Dain: Before our debut, I had a lecturing job teaching kids at an academy who had the same dreams as I did. I remember getting very motivated from teaching them which got me to try harder for myself.
Jinju: I’ve tutored kids and worked in a coffee café making coffee.
Nada: Yes. I’ve worked at a young age until I debuted, working in mean restaurants, sushi restaurants, Korean restaurants and etc… I was practically a part time monster. Ha ha.
Nari: As soon as I graduated high school, I came to Seoul and had a job briefly for around 3 months.
Jiae: Yes, I’ve worked as other singers’ back-up dancer, so being on the stage with them got me determined to be on stage under my name.
Sujin: I have no experience.
Woojoo: I was the type to earn my own money, so I’ve covered a lot of various part time jobs.
Do you all like to cook or do you usually choose to eat out?
Dain: I like to cook and I’m quite good at it too ^^. When we’re working there’s less time we can spend in the dorms, so I don’t get to cook much.
Jinju: I’m not really interested in cooking, so I’m not very good at it. I eat out once in a while.
Nada: I can’t cook at all and I get scared of the knife. I eat the stuff Nari cooks me or eat out.
Nari: I am good at cooking, but when we’re working we spend time, more time outdoors, so we tend to eat out more often.
Sujin: When I’m in the dormitory I have deliveries over often, but I don’t dislike cooking.
Woojoo: I have quite a lot of knowledge on cooking. Both my parents were great cooks, too. But, now I’m living away from home. Now, I think I eat out frequently.
What kind of beverages do you enjoy drinking?
Dain: I think I don’t spend a day without drinking coffee. With the current weather I take ice Americano all the time.
Jinju: Coffee.
Nada: Ice coffee, hot coffee and cold coffee, in other words coffee.
Nari: I like milk tea so much.
Jiae: Because, I’m on a diet 365 days a year, I enjoy drinking coffee as well.
Sujin: I really like to drink soda pop.
Woojoo: I like sweet drinks with powdered grain, coconuts and taro.
Could you share any helpful tips for maintaining health or skin health?
Dain: Out of the Wassup members, I am probably the one most interested in keeping good health. I concentrate on moisture management more than anything. I drink vegetable liquids which is good for the health on a regular basis. For healthy skin, moisture management is the best!!
Jinju: Sleep. Nothing is more effective than getting enough sleep.
Nari: I use a lot of facial masks.
Jiae: I use facial masks on the days I have heavy make-up. I always remember to use sun cream when I’m out. And carry my mist with me all the time.
Sujin: I like working out, so I work out a lot.
Woojoo: If I feel I have damaged skin, I visit the dermatologist often and I try to work out on a daily basis.
Could you briefly describe what your charm is and what kind qualities your ideal person should have?
Dain: I guess my charm is my bright and active personality. I can become close friends with anyone in no time and I consider my friendly personality my charm. I think I feel attracted to someone who focuses only on me and has a gentle attractiveness.
Jinju: My attractiveness would probably be my fair skin. And, strangely enough my ideal is someone with fair skin and broad shoulders. And, mostly we must share the same sense of humor.
Nada: Someone who is really interesting to a point everyone thinks he’s bizarre (We both need to have the same laughing code). I am attracted to someone who has a pride for his work and who is able to focus on it.
Nari: I think my charm is that I have a very easy going personality unlike my appearance. I feel very attracted to very manly masculine men.
Jiae: I think my charm is that I take good care to look after other people and I feel attracted to a person who is indifferent to others, but who is like a really a sweet lamb towards me.
Sujin: I think the charm I have is my voice, which exceeds peoples’ expectation. My ideal is someone who can protect me and make me feel I’m taken well care of.
Woojoo: My charm is my reversed attraction. People tend to think I’m difficult to approach, but when I get to know them I talk a lot and have a really bubbly personality. I feel attracted to someone who is… willing to put up with my complaints, kind and gentle person…someone I can learn from.
Can you speak foreign languages? Do you have any languages you are learning?
Dain: English. I can speak basic greetings in Japanese. I want to learn English more. ( I envy Jinju)
Jinju: I can speak English since I was able to learn it at a young age, so I like learning it a lot. I want to learn Chinese, French and Spanish.
Nada: I don’t speak any foreign languages, but I’d like to learn English..
Nari: I learned Japanese briefly, but I’m not very good at it, so I want to further learn. I have a lot of craving to learn many other languages.
Jiae: I can just say few greetings in Japanese and Portuguese. I want to learn Japanese and English more.
Woojoo: I don’t have any foreign languages I can speak fluently, yet, but I’d like to focus on learning English.
Who are your favorite Korean and oversees artist?
Dain: For Korean artists, I like Hyori Lee and Hyo Shin Park sunbaenim. For oversees artists, I like Beyonce and Tinashe.
Jinju: I have so many artists I like but nowadays, I listen to Crush the most. The oversees artist I like is Lana Del Rey.
Nada: In Korea I like Hyori Lee and Swing sunbaenim. And Rihanna and Nas for oversees artists.
Nari: I really like Nicole Scherzinger who is the main vocal who’s also doing a solo act.
Jiae: I like Jessie J for my favorite artist.
Sujin: I like Karina for my favorite oversees artist.
Woojoo: I like Maroon 5 so much. Love Maroon 5.
Why do you think you have more fans from abroad than in Korea?
Dain: I think it’s, because Wassup’s concept and music is unique to what you can normally find in K-pop groups. A fresh attraction, may be?
Jinju: Really, when we first debuted, we were amazed and grateful to the fans. I think the fact that we weren’t trying to conceal ourselves, but by expressing ourselves and energy naturally, we were able to approach the fans abroad easily and honestly.
Nada: Probably, because we have both the eastern and western charm unified very well
Nari: I think the fact that our choreography and concept, which differentiates us from the other girl groups, played a big part.
Jiae: Our genre of music is bright, cheerful and not common.
Sujin: I think, because we have a different feeling compared to the general K-pop music.
Woojoo: As Nari sis pointed out, our choreography and concept that is different to the other girl groups.
For the outfits you wear to events and on stage, do you usually pick any yourselves or do you have your stylists do it for you?
Dain: Usually our stylists pick outfits for us, but at times we do prepare our own styling, accessories and shoes
Jinju: Our stylists always takes great care on what we wear, but they also, include our opinions on fashion items and our company’s ideas.
Nada: Usually, our stylists picks our outfits, but we get to choose as well. We talk a lot about styling between the members.
Nari: The concept of the outfits usually comes from out stylists and our company’s representative.
Jiae: We get to choose our shoes accessories and hair styling.
Sujin: Stylists prepare our outfits. A lot of the shoes we wear are our own.
Woojoo: Accessories and shoes are prepared by the members. And, I think the shoes we wear are nearly all chosen by us.
Which countries do you want to visit the most?
Dain: America! I really want to visit there.
Jinju: I want to go to the European countries since I’ve never been there.
Nada: America, Brazil.
Nari: America and Japan are the countries I mostly want to visit.
Jiae: The top 3 countries for me would be Japan, America and England.
Sujin: The U.S.A.
Woojoo: America Australia and Japan!
If Wassup has a world tour, would you be coming to the U.S?
Dain: Yes! Of course! Just call us. We are all set to play.
Jinju: Of course. For me America is a place I want to visit over and over
Nada: Certainly!! If you’re willing to have us!!
Nari: Probably, and we hope for that. We want to meet fans from other countries
Jiae: Sure! That is my dream.
Sujin: Yes, I’d love to visit, ^^
Woojoo: Of course, we’d really love to go!!!!!!!!!
Do you have anything you regret that you’d like to change?
Dain: Well, I’m not the type to linger on what’s behind me…So, I am going to continue living the same way not regretting on anything.
Jinju: I really don’t like having any regrets and I don’t think I have anything I want to change or have anything I regret, but I do think I should have started learning about the things I am doing currently earlier.
Nada: I wish I had started music sooner; this isn’t a regret but rather a slight reluctance.
Nari: I do think of what might have happened, if I had put more effort in the past, but the present is what is important, so I’m going to try my best at present.
Jiae: I think that I have everything in the present, because of the past, so I’m going to try the best everyday for the future.
Sujin: I have none.
Woojoo: Because, I’m still at a young age, I don’t have any regrets or have anything I want changed.
Could you tell us about Wassup’s latest single ‘Fire’ and state the reason why you think it’s a great song…
Dain: It’s the first time Wassup has released a world cup song that is of a reggae genre. We were showing our cute side that we never showed before. And, the fun and interesting choreography added to the song in my opinion.
Jinju: ‘Fire’ is a Wassup styled support song for the 2014 World Cup, featuring M TySon oppa. Because, of the exciting rhythm and simple melody and choreography it is an extremely easy to sing along to. And, I’d recommend it to people to listen to this summer.
Nada: It’s an exciting cheery song revived with a reggae feel to it that features M TySon oppa ~ it has a lighter feel than our previous songs…And, because we were able to do slightly…cute ^^ performances and we really got to enjoy ourselves.
Nari: We were able to show our different charm. The song made us enthusiastically sing and dance
Jiae: The exciting song was written for the World cup theme, also the choreography and the cute wardrobe. These three elements of the song suited well I think.
Sujin: You can get a vibrant feeling every time you hear the song.
Woojoo: The choreography for the song is really cute and I guess people would have seen a new side to us.
Thank you very much Wassup for your time… We wish you all the best in your career…
HyunA’s A Talk came out July 28, and it’s something to talk about! HyunA is mostly known for her sexiness and for her work with 4Minute, and for many non-KPop fans, her appearance in Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Although she’s had quite a few solo releases and albums, few were memorable in exception of “Bubble Pop” and “Change” as well as her work in Trouble Maker subunit with B2st’s Hyunseung.
A Talk, however, changes many of the thoughts associated with HyunA involving how she’s nothing more than a pretty face. The mini album is filled with addictive songs that show how much of a talent HyunA could be, and shows how much she’s grown as an artist.
“A Talk” does a nice job introducing the album. It has a good mix of singing and rap that accompanies the mid-tempo beat.
HyunA’s singing has definitely improved! Her voice is soothing and shows great range, so it’s surprising she doesn’t sing more. Instead, the majority of her songs are laced with talk-rap that doesn’t really stand out in an industry overwhelmed with rapping idols. But, her singing can stand out, because it’s soft without being too underwhelming. And, it has enough strength to propel a song forward. If “A Talk” was more than an intro, it would have been nice to hear more singing, especially as it leads into “French Kiss,” A Talk’s stand-out song.
“French Kiss” is the album’s best. The chorus has pretty melodies, which is unexpected given the song’s dance beat. The instrumentals don’t drown out the vocals, which is something that usually happens in a HyunA song. Hearing her actually carry a song by her own merit is a breath of fresh air. Even the rap portions stood out as better than HyunA’s usual as it wasn’t as high-pitched as previous music releases from her. Toward the end of the song, it did start to sound a bit processed with extra auto-tune and synthesizers, which were wholly unneeded. The song stood out without these little extras.
The title track, “Red,” upon the first listen, sounded a bit too 2NE1-ish; the opening chords didn’t sound unique. While listening, the song felt more Dara than HyunA while the Middle Eastern sound samples felt more fitting to a 2NE1 standard.
“Red” is not a bad song, not in the least. It’s catchy with an electrifying beat, and the MV is just as fun. “Red” is a title track that can compete with “Bubble Pop” and “Change” as HyunA’s best. It shows off her fun side as well as her propensity to be sexy. It’s a song that will get stuck in a listener’s head, especially the chorus. There is a lot going on with the instrumentals and vocals, which normally would seem like a bad thing, but not in this case. Everything comes together for a party-feel.
B2st’s Yoseob lends his voice for “From When Until When.” Hearing him open this jazzy tune is the icing to the HyunA’s soft vocal cake. It’s nice to hear her work with someone else from B2st, because her voice compliments them well. Usually, HyunA is a bit on the high, squeaky end for some listeners. Those who aren’t typically fans of her rapping may enjoy how she takes on a lower range while Yoseob hits the high notes to make for a strong mid-tempo rap ballad. This collaboration should have happened a long time ago because they just sound lovely together.
As a whole, though, Yoseob feels like he’s more of the star since his voice is considerably louder and more prominent. It would have been nice to hear HyunA sing with him to show off her range over just rapping, but not all wishes can come true.
The one song that is amazing is “Blacklist” because it’s so nice to see some EXID-love with LE being featured! But, that’s where the greatness ends.
“Blacklist” is harder-edged compared to the album’s other’s songs. While it’s not the popular opinion, at times, the chorus’ instrumentals felt like CL’s “MFTB.”
The unnecessary swearing takes away from the potential coolness. It is possible to be tough without obscenities, and that’s one of the things that’s troubling about some of the K-Pop songs that have come out this year like Ga-In’s “Fxxk U.” Perhaps this appeals to some members of the Western audience, but it’s not cute; it’s more trashy than anything. While the song seems to be getting love on many of the K-Pop forums, it’s a song that had potential to close an album on a strong note, because it has an amazing track, and LE and HyunA’s voices blend excellently. Its potential was wasted by trashy lyrics. What a shame.
If you’re a parent looking to fulfill your child’s K-Pop love with a HyunA album, go with an iTunes purchase and avoid “Blacklist”, if you don’t want the dirty lyrics.
Overall, A Talk is worth talking about and one of HyunA’s best albums to date. There are more hits than misses. She has grown as an artist. The ending was a bit disappointing, but HyunA, hopefully, should only go up from here.
Grade: B-
By: Joelle Halon
In South Korea, people take education very seriously. Education taught in Korea is known for a variety of reasons including very high results of major roles that helps develop the economy, but it has also, brought about a high rate of suicide among some students. So, it’s good and bad. It’s very common to see students from a very young age (elementary) to high school students walking around the neighborhood late at night. When you see them at night, it can either mean that they’ve finished their tutoring lessons at academies and are returning home, or they still have more lessons to go to. Usually elementary students return home no later than 10pm, and for middle school and high school, some stay out until 3 or 4am and get only 3 hours of sleep or may be not even that much, because when they return home, it will be time for them to go to school. And, their schedule will be like this until they graduate high school.
Like here in the US, Korean students have to take a test similar to the SAT to get into college. Most parents prepare their kids from 1st grade to build up their skills, so that when they get to a higher level, they won’t struggle as much. This test is a big deal, because if you don’t get a good score on it, then you probably won’t be able to go to college that year, because they will not get accepted into schools without a good result. Also, they have a limited number of schools they can apply to, so if you’re not accepted, that means you will have to go back to high school and complete another year and take the test again. Because, it’s so complicated, it’s very common for students to go back to school for an additional year, and retake the test.
The reason why education is so important in Korea is, because it has been one of the deciding factors in economic advancement since the Korean War, which ruined the economy. It took several years to gain it back. And, South Korea used to be one of the poorest countries, but is now richer than the average of the European Union.
The after school education, tutoring academies, are worth about 12.5 billion a year and South Korea is the 2nd best country in the ‘Pisa global test of academic excellence.’
Education has always been a top priority in South Korea. Parents will do anything for their children to get the best education even when they can’t afford it. Every parent wants their children to get into top universities in Korea and the students will do their best to make their parents proud. In Korea, school hours are very long. It starts early in the morning and it usually goes until night. There are mandatory classes after school that end in the evening or sometimes at night, if they choose to stay later to study.
After that, students go to academies for tutoring lessons and it goes on for a few hours. Things went a little too far that the government decided to introduce a law that you can’t stay at the school after 10pm. Even with a law, many avoided this rule and it’s very common for students to return home later than midnight. It’s not only that, but these students don’t even get a normal vacation. During winter/spring/summer breaks, they are told to come to school to study and they have to pay a fee to take classes during breaks. Not everyone goes during the breaks, but many do.
This may be way too much for students to handle and it can sometimes lead to depression, or some will commit suicide from all the stress they couldn’t handle.
These pictures below, kind of gives you an idea of what it feels like to be a student in South Korea.
Things are so different here in the U.S., and we should be thankful that the school doesn’t control our lives. But, even though the U.S. is different, we want to encourage the Korean students to continue to do their best, and do not become discouraged with their educational process. Work through it. Things get tough, but you be tough, too!!!!
LU:KUS is a newly emerged all male band, whose members are fully equipped with vocal, rap and dance skills… LU:KUS consists of 5 members with the names Donghyun, J. One, Kyungjin, Choi, and Jinwan. And, the band was formed to target fans from their homeland (Which is Korea) and also other countries and continents around the globe. Their name means ‘Look at us- Look us’, and pronounced as the latter. Lukus actually means a star, indicating that the group was named, so they wanted to be like stars.
LU:KUS members are not only great entertainers and dancers, but excellent athletes, too with their noticeable build getting recognition for their height. (The average height of the members being 184.4 cm (6 ft. ½ in.) – the youngest member Junwan is 188cm (6’2”) tall.
The nickname the public has given to them is currently ‘Giruckgi-dol.’ ‘Giruckgi’ is slang for ‘Height’ and ‘Dol’ is informally a shortened term often used to refer to idols.
After Donghyun J. ONE, and Jinwan left their former agency Open World Entertainment to join Box Media, they formed a group called LU:KUS. On the 3rd of June 2013, last year LU:KUS announced via their fan site in Daum that they had switched to their present management company, Pan Entertainment. Their first single, “So Into You” 기가막혀’ is an up-beat song with lyrics expressing infatuation at first sight in a club.
Brief introduction to the members
J. One is the leader and the sub vocalist of the group. He was born on June 20th 1991. He is able to compose and write lyrics, play the keyboard, drums and guitar. He is also multi-lingual, being able to speak 4 languages English, Japanese, Russian and Korean.
Donghyun was born on April 28th 1991, and is one of the main vocalist of LU:KUS. His former stage name was Taefung.
Choi whose real name is Seokhoon Choi, was born on 21st May 1993. He is one of the main vocalists of LU:KUS. He claims his hobbies are writing lyrics and music.
Kyungjin is a sub vocalist of LU:KUS who was born on July 11th 1992. He is part of a Kpop group now, but as a youngster he wanted to become a soccer player.
Jinwan is the youngest, but the tallest member of the group at the age of 18 and being 188 cm (6’2”) tall is the tallest member. He was born on Sept. 9th 1995. He has his role in the band as a rapper.
We took the time out to chat with the 5 members about their current lives, what their interests are and what they expect from this group that just recently debuted.
LU:KUS Interview
What do you guys most wish to achieve as a band?
As the members of LU:KUS, we would like to hold our own concerts and various performances abroad. And appear on a lot of entertainment shows and do acting as well.
Could you tell us about your first audition?
J. One: My first audition was through Cyworld.
Choi: I recall having the first audition for JYP Entertainment~
Jinwan: From the first audition, I was left with a lot of disappointment, because my rap didn’t come out as I had practiced.
Kyungjin: I was so nervous and shaky, but I preceded, determined it was my last audition.
Donghyun: The first audition was not a public one, but I remember being extremely nervous and trembling.
Have you guys ever had experience working in part time jobs before debuting as a band?
Donghyun: I worked in a meat restaurant when I was a sophomore in High school.
Kyungjin: I have worked in a convenient store and I was pleased with myself thinking I gained some financial sense even if it was only to a small extent.
Which colors suit you the most in your opinion?
Choi: White suites me in a variety of clothes.
Kyungjin: I think I go well with white and red.
Donghyun: I reckon I suit the colors blue and white the best.
Jinwan: Black& white.
J. One: Blue, navy, sky blue and other blue colors suit me.
Do any of you have any concerns or worries about other band members?
J. One: I don’t think there is in particularly.
Donghyun: I don’t have any concerns about other members but I think I have a lot of worries for myself.
Kyungjin: I assume all the members are having worries thinking we need to focus more.
Choi: There’s none.
Jinwan: Our members have a really great relationship with one another, so I don’t think there is any worries or concerns.
What kind of a person is your ideal? Could you briefly give us a description?
Jinwan: A neat person and with a lot of charm who can fit right into my arms.
J. One: Someone who isn’t too tall, sweet, cute, nice and someone I can trust.
Donghyun: Someone innocent, who does her work diligently and overall a good person.
Kyungjin: My ideal is someone who does her job well and someone who is only looking at me.
Choi: My ideal would be someone who is a great cook, who is more attractive as you get to know her.
What kind of music or genre do you normally enjoy listening?
Kyungjin: I normally listen to dance music and ballads. These days I’ve gotten more into hip hop.
Choi: Overal, I listen to all the recent releases and personally I like R&B and Soul.
Donghyun: Usually I listen to a lot of Gayo(Kpop) and pop music.
Jinwan: I enjoy listening to Hip hop and club music.
J. One: I like any kinds of music that is good. And, I listen to different genres depending on how I feel.
Where do you usually like to hang out with your friends?
Choi: I enjoy playing basketball a lot, so I go out to the basketball court alot.
Donghyun: I haven’t been out anywhere these days, so I want to go to the seaside.
Kyungjin: I like quite places, so I go chat with my friends in the corner of a café.
J. One: I go hang out near the seaside or valleys. I want to go hiking in the mountains, too but, my friends find it hard to climb, so it is a bit of a pity.
Jinwan: Because I like to play sports I often go bowling and the billiards room.
Back when you were growing up, were your childhood dreams to be singer? What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Jinwan: I wanted to be a policeman when I was younger, but as I grew up I dreamt of becoming a singer.
Donghyun: At first my dream was to become a soccer player. I played on a team since I was young, but due to my leg injury I had to give up playing.
Kyungjin: Since I played soccer at an early age I wanted to become a soccer player.
Choi: Yes, my dream was to become a singer since I was really young.
J. One: When I was younger, I wanted to be an actor. Then after learning music, I started to dream about being a singer, but I am still trying hard to pursue my dream as an actor.
Which places in the world would you want to visit the most?
J. One: I’d like to visit Australia, Mexico and Spain.
Jinwan: I want to travel to Guam.
Choi: The U.S.A..
Kyungjin: The States and Spain! I want to visit America to experience and communicate with diverse of the people and its culture. I want to visit Spain to enjoy a soccer match held there since I love soccer.
Donghyun: I really want to go to Paris.
How do you release stress when you’re fatigued and burned out?
How do you maintain your health?
Donghyun: I take a lot of vitamins and when I am stressed out I play video games or just nap listening to music.
Jinwan: I eat healthy foods and usually just take and rest and sleep.
J. One: I think vitamins are necessary to recover from fatigue. And, I eat a lot of broccolis.
Choi: I eat a lot of good food and take sleep to recover when I am fatigued. It helps to watch fun and entertaining things and laughing a lot to maintain your health is good.
Kyungjin: I tend to sleep quite well. Sleeping is the best way to maintain health in my opinion.
How many hours per day do you train and practice?
During our work period we train for three to four hours a day and if we feel we need further practice, we take five to six hours.
Name one song you like to sing the most?
Jinwan: Supreme team’s 땡땡땡. (Ttaeng Ttaeng Ttaeng)
J.One: Moon Sae Lee’s, ‘Forever With You.’
Donghyun: Lee Juck’s, ‘It’s A Relief’
Kyungjin: Songs by Gi Chan Lee, Junil Jung, Seok Jun Lee, Yun Gwon Na sunbaenims’ (Meaning seniors in Korean).
Choi: ‘You Are My Lady ’- Jung Yeop.
Do you have any special interests and other hobbies? Do you have hidden talents?
Donghyun: My hobbies are sports and I especially have a passion for soccer.
Choi: My hobbies are writing lyrics and songs.
J. One: My hobbies are swimming and playing the drums.
Kyungjin: I’ve played sports since I was young, so I am confident in doing anything that can be done physically. I enjoy, and the most confident in soccer.
Jinwan: My interests are watching films, dramas and listening to music.
Who do you feel the most respect for in the world?
Choi: I respect my parents the most.
Kyungjin: My father!! I always learn from him when I see how he’s always working hard to play his role in the family. I will be striving to become a father like him one day!
Donghyun: I respect myself the most, because I’m precious~
Jinwan: The person I respect the most is, of course, my parents who gave birth and raised me.
J.One: I respect my father the most.
Do you wish to do any fan meetings, signing events and concerts in America?
J. One: I would like to visit America and hold concerts. My younger sister is over there, so I really want to visit.
Jinwan: We would like to do a concert the most and of course do a fan signing event.
Donghyun: If we get to go to America, I would like to meet our fans that like us in person. I think it would seem surreal.
Kyungjin: First, I’d like us to have our concert under our name, LU:KUS. And, of course do fan signing events, fan meetings. And do performances to promote LU:KUS!!
Choi: Events~! And, I wanna do signing events too! Want to be broadcasted and guest on radio shows.
Jinwan: I want to let other people know more about LU:KUS.
Choi: Our group, LU:KUS’ goal is to become artists that are respected by our Juniors.
Kyungjin: First off, I want to promote our team, LU:KUS. Another goal is to receive the New Comer’s award and we will try our best to become stars in all fields of the media.
Donghyun: We will keep on promoting our debut single, ‘So Into You’. And, we will try to show ourselves a lot in other fields of our activities.
Would you like to say hi to the fans in the States and the fans from beyond? And thank you guys for your time wish you a great start of your career and have lots of fun!
Donghyun: To the fans in America, it is so wonderful that there are people in the States who like us and we would really like to do a concert there. LU:KUS will be working hard. I love you. ♡
J. One: Thank u everyone. I’ll be there ^^Choi: LU:KUS has just started and will be steadily be doing a lot media and other musical activities.
Choi: We’ll try our utmost to show you our best. For the fans, we ask you to please, give your attention~!
Jinwan: From now on, we LU:KUS as a group will be showing you guys a lot of ourselves in a lot of areas of our activities, so please, give us your interest~!! Please give us your vast support, Saranghamida (Love you)~
Kyungjin: At last, as LU:KUS we are standing in front of you. We will be showing our members’ diversity reversed attractiveness~!! We will always be interacting with you guys a lot, so please, show us your interest and support!!
Thanks and we will try our best until we can shine like stars!
LU:KUS – So Into You – 기가막혀 (Lyrics & music by Steven Lee)
(The expression ‘Gigamakhyeo’ is used to describe something incredulous or stunning- it is also used in a negative form when something is stifling or bothersome)
(Tag)
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀
Gigamakhyeo
(Verse)
Girl, 처음 봤어 널
믿기지가 않는 걸
Hello hello
You’re stunnin’, stunnin’
뜨거운 클럽 안에
Everybody’s slowing “down”
Warning, warning
She’s burnin’ burnin’
Girl, I first saw you
I couldn’t believe it
Hello hello
You’re stunnin’, stunnin’
Inside the hot club
Everybody’s slowing “down”
Warning, warning
She’s burnin’ burnin’
(Pre-Hook)
처음이자 마지막일 것만 같은
이 느낌을 놓지 않을래 (Let’s do it now)
It feels like it’ll be the first and the last
Won’t let go of this feeling (Let’s do it now)
(Hook)
(Yeah) 기막혀 나 (Yeah) 이 밤이다 (Yeah) 지나기 전에 널 내꺼로 만들래
(Yeah) 숨막혀 나 (Yeah) 내 전부다 (Yeah) 보여줄 꺼야 난 다른 남자완 달라
(Yeah) Gigamakhyeo I am (Yeah) Gonna make you mine before this night all is over
(Yeah) I am breathless I am gonna show you all of me (Yeah) I’m different to the other guys
(Post Hook)
나와 너 너, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
너와 나 나, 오늘 밤 밤 what you want want, what you want want want girl
Me and you you, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
You and me, tonight night what you want want, what you want want want girl
(Tag)
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀
Gigamakhyeo
(Verse 2)
도도한 척도 Chic한 척도 하지마 Come on, come on, No playin’, playin
숨바꼭질 할 시간은 없으니까 Stop hidin’, hidin, Get ready, ready
Don’t pretend to be arrogant or chic, Come on, come on, No playin’, playin
Cos here ain’t no time for hide and seek Stop hidin’, hidin, Get ready, ready
(Pre Hook)
처음이자 마지막일 것만 같은
이 기분을 놓지 않을래 (Let’s do it now)
It feels like it’ll be the first and the last
Won’t let go of this feeling (Let’s do it now)
(Hook)
(Yeah) 기막혀 나 (Yeah) 이 밤이다 (Yeah) 지나기 전에 널 내꺼로 만들래
(Yeah) 숨막혀 나 (Yeah) 내 전부다 (Yeah) 보여줄꺼야 넌 다른 여자완 달라
(Yeah) Gigamakhyeo I am (Yeah) Gonna make you mine before this night is over
(Yeah) I am breathless I am gonna show you all of me (Yeah) you’re different to the other girls
(Post Hook)
나와 너 너, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
너와 나 나, 오늘 밤 밤, what you want want, what you want want want girl
Me and you you, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
You and me me, tonight night, what you want want, what you want want want girl
(Rap)
여자 맘을 잡긴 어려워, Lady 근데 넌 계속 붙어있어, 내게 (Whew)
내 매력을 느껴봐 그리곤 니 맘을 내게 맡겨봐 Baby
그리 멀지 않아 너와 나의 거리
높이 날아 만나 너를 take it
우리 둘의 역사의 첫 Page
너의 모든 게 나를 바꿔 change
It’ hard to capture a woman’s heart, Lady but you keep hanging on, to me (Whew
Feel my charm and give your heart to me, Baby
The distance between you is not far
I meet you flying up high, take it
Make history for us first, page
Your whole being changes me, change
(Hook)
(Yeah) 기막혀 나 (Yeah) 이 밤이 다 (Yeah) 지나기 전에 널 내꺼로 만들래(Yeah) 숨막혀 나 (Yeah) 내 전부다
(Yeah) 보여줄꺼야 난 다른 남자완 달라 (Yeah) Gigamakhyeo I am
(Yeah) Gonna make you mine before this night all is over
(Yeah) I am breathless I am gonna show you all of me (Yeah) I’m different to the other guys
(Post Hook)
너와 너 너, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
너와 나 나, 오늘 밤 밤, what you want want , what you want want want girl
Me and you you, slow it down down what you want want, what you want
You and me me, tonight night, what you want want, what you want want want girl
(Tag)
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
기가막혀
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀, 숨막혀
Gigamakhyeo, it’s breathtaking
기가막혀
Gigamakhyeo
All celebrities have their sense of fashion, but there are those who are a bit over the top. You may have already heard about some of these people, because they’re highly recognized and known for their good fashion styles.
G-Dragon
A leader of a popular boy group Big Bang, G-Dragon is known for his unique fashion style. His fashion sense is so different than the others and that’s what makes him stand out. It’s almost like; even the worst outfits will look good on him. He always tries new things and many designers from all over the world have sent him clothing, accessories, etc., for him to have and wear freely.
Gong Hyo Jin
Gong Hyo Jin, not only is she famous for her talented acting skills, she also has very good style. She is known as one of the biggest fashion icons in South Korea.
Gain
A member of Brown Eyes Girls, Gain has a very casual style, but these looks seem good on her than anybody else. It’s a very simple look, but she always adds on a few accessories to make herself stand out.
Sohee
Former member of Wonder Girls, Sohee has a very innocent, young face, but has a great body figure. She is only 5’3, but has very long legs and that gives her an advantage to look good in any type of clothing. She usually wears clothes that show both of her boyish and feminine sides. Sohee, also appeared in various fashion magazines such as Vogue Korea, and CeCi Korea.
Key
Shinee’s Key has fashion sense for both males and females. He chooses different concepts with each of his outfits, which shows his creativity. He looks good in any type of clothing from a masculine look to a hip-hop look.
Jessica
Girl’s Generation’s Jessica has a simple and chic style and it suits her perfectly. She has a bit of a cold look to her fashion and it seems like she always dresses to that concept. Jessica is one of the consistent idols who just sticks to one image and doesn’t change her looks often.
Jia
Miss A Jia’s fashion is very different than the others. Even though she’s a girl, she is able to pull of a masculine look, which is very cool, because not many people can do that. At the same time as having a masculine look, she also maintains a feminine image, and that’s a hard thing to do if you don’t have the right fashion sense.
Hyunseung
All the B2ST members have unique fashion styles, but Hyunseung definitely stands out with his bright color clothing, or some really cool patterns. It’s hard to describe his fashion sense, because he always changes things up. His fashion goes from all black clothing to really bright colors and random patterns. But one thing I know for sure is that he sure knows how to dress.
CL
2NE1’s leader CL is the most stylish K-pop idol. 2NE1 the group itself is already known for their fashion, but on top of that CL is known for her shocking styles. She is a close friend with Jeremy Scott, who is a fashion designer and has been in Jeremy Scott’s clothing line.
Hyuna
4 Minute’s Hyuna is known for her sexy concepts from her hit singles “Change”, “Bubble Pop”, and “Ice Cream”. She has very good fashion sense, but it’s often covered by her sexy concepts. She has also launched her own clothing line called ‘HyunA x SPICYCOLOR’.
Generations is a Japanese pop boy group, who is signed under the sub-label, Rythym Zone, and the agency, LDH. The boys were trained well in terms of singing and dancing, making them experts in what they do. All the members attended Exile Professional Gym, which is a school where people can have dance and vocal lessons. The idol group consists of seven members: Shirahama Alan (Performer), Katayose Ryota (Vocal & Performer), Kazuhara Ryuto (Vocal & Performer), Komori Hayato (Performer), Sano Reo (Performer), Sekiguchi Mandy (Performer) and Nakatsuka Yuta (Performer).
Generations debuted in 2012 and, right now, they have various singles, a special collaboration with labelmates, J Soul Brothers, one full album and some remixes, too. Their debut track was ‘’Brave It Out’’ and was released in November, 2012. The song was a hit on the charts, becoming their first Top 3 ever. It was also used as a theme song for the drama, Sugarless.
After that huge success, the group’s label didn’t wait long to release another single. In January of 2013, ‘’Animal’’, Generations’ second official single, dropped. Just like its latter, this track was also a massive hit, peaking at number two on the Oricon weekly charts. ‘’Animal’’ was also used as the ending theme for the TV Show, Onegai! Ranking. The tune has an english version.
Months have passed since their second single and, in May of 2013, Generations made, finally, a comeback with a brand new song called, ‘’Love You More’’. The track became their third consecutive Top 3 hit, on the Oricon weekly charts. Like ‘’Animal’’, this track has an English version, as well. In the summer of 2013, Generations paired with their labelmates, J Soul Brothers, and released a single EP as a collaboration between the two boybands. The digital release included three exclusive songs, plus instrumental versions of them. The title-track was ‘’Burning Up’’, which ended up being number one on the charts, making the first time that Generations had accomplished such a ranking.
The idol group later came back, in October, with a brand new single and an album to follow. The new song was, ‘’Hot Shot’’, which preceeded their first debut CD, ‘’Generations’’. For a fourth consecutive time, the boyband won themselves the Top 3 spot, again. ‘’Hot Shot’’ debuted at number two, on the charts, making the second time they did so, the first being with ‘’Animal’’. ‘’Hot Shot’’ has an English version, just like the previous singles.
Their first album, a self-titled one, was released in November of 2013 and features all their songs, plus brand new ones and another from the joint single they had with J Soul Brothers. Speaking of ‘’Burning Up’’, that track gained also a Generations-only version, which is also included on their album. The CD was out in three different types: CD, CD+DVD and CD+Blu-Ray. The DVD features music videos and a special docummentary that the boy group filmed. The album sold pretty well, debuting at number one on the charts. That wasn’t a surprise, actually.
A bunch of hits, an album selling a lot of copies, a fan base growing… You can say that these seven guys were pretty lucky and they didn’t stop there! This year (2014), Generations released a new single titled, ‘’Never Let You Go’’. The song was released in April.
Much continued success to this hard working group.
K-Fans feel I-Fans don’t understand what it’s like to be K-Pop fans, because we don’t wait in line to purchase albums and merchandise, don’t wait for hours to catch a glimpse of their idols, or stand in long queues for music shows. They also say we don’t understand what it’s like to invest time and money into a group in order to make them who they are.
As an international fan, I can attest that many of us do all these things even though we’re far from Korea. When B.A.P came to Chicago, the line to get into Star Plaza was out the door and spilled into the parking lot. A large number of Babyz arrived super-early in hopes of getting the golden ticket that was the High-Five pass. And, on rare occasions when the music shows scan the crowds, the faces of international fans can be seen. So, at times, we do spend time and money to head to Korea to see our favs.
We international fans are just as dedicated as K-Fans.
But, being an international fan comes with hardships K-Fans don’t have, because they’re the home crowd. Few realize what we go through to support artists in the name of a fandom. The struggle is real.
“It’s 5am, but VIXX won again! Now I have to sleep an hour before I get ready for school.”/ via Microsoft Office
Music Shows
Watching music shows is pretty much a way of life. For countries in Asia, these shows are on during reasonable hours. For those of us in other countries, especially those of us on the other side of the International Date Line (PST still have reasonable hours), these shows are either very late at night or very early in the morning. We’re talking 2am, 4am, 6am… A lot of us sacrifice sleep or morning routines, because we want to see our biases. Then, if we have to wake up early for work or school, we have to suck it up, guzzle coffee, and accept our zombie statuses.
Poor Quality Streams
Some of the channels block feeds for the U.S. audience, so we can’t rely on official means to watch our shows from time-to-time. That means we have to rely on the kindness of K-Fan friends to help with show livestreams.
B2st performs “Good Luck” on the July 12, 2014 edition of Music Core. Note the grainy image. It was a bad stream night./via MBC YouTube
There is one person out there who has amazing high-quality streams, and those of us who converge on that stream thank him immensely. But, there are times when that one person is MIA and we’re left with low-quality streams that are pixelated messes with hiccupy sound, then you have conversations like this with K-Pop buddies:
“Is f(x) performing or did B2st borrow their voices?”
“No, I think that’s Henry using K.Will as a body double.”
But, we put up with bad quality sometimes, because we just want to see our biases.
Waiting for Translations
While many of us are trying to learn Korean, some of us just aren’t gifted in the language-learning department. For example, when I tutored English Language learning, I was trying to learn Chinese to communicate with my students better. The student teaching me said I could “single-handedly destroy the Chinese language.” Ouch.
I’m pretty sure this isn’t what Himchan said, Google Translate. If it is, White Day just got really weird. / via YouTube, TS Entertainment
While K-fans can watch shows right away, sometimes I-Fans have to wait a week or more for translations from dedicated translators. Or, we may end up being a week late on a drama so we end up playing the spoiler-avoidance game.
And don’t get me started on some of Google’s YouTube translations.
The Waiting Game
I-Fans are just as excited about purchasing a new album or merchandise as K-Fans, and some K-Netz feel we just download everything illegally (this came up during arguments over the Baekhyun-Taeyeon “controversy”). We try to find retailers that count toward the music charts. But, I-Fans—depending on country—have to wait a month plus (unless we spend more for rush-shipping) for items to arrive. Sure, we can purchase music from iTunes, but some albums aren’t available. Plus, K-albums have awesome packaging. You can’t download that!
Customs Can Be a Pain
Part of the waiting is due to customs causing issues. Over the past few years, as I found out from one of the stores I frequent, customs in Korea, Hong Kong, and China have gotten strict with what is shipped to the United States. There may be an additional month tacked on to the already long wait for merchandise.
Downside: Longer wait. Upside: I have the complete “No Mercy” photocard set.
The Postal Service has it In for You
For a while, I had a lucky streak on Arirang’s radio shows winning books and CDs. After winning, the waiting game commences, but I waited a long time… and still waiting.
Sometimes, the postal service loses packages. Since they’re prizes, there’s no tracking number; there’s no way to tell where a package got lost. Is it in the country? Was it shipped to Antarctica? I swear penguins have my goods. Three years later, I’m still waiting for an SNSD album; one year later, I’m still waiting for signed Veloce and TEENTOP albums. The latter I spammed the Super K-Pop forum since my niece loves them, and I wanted to win for her. Perhaps I should be glad I didn’t hold my breath?
The Agony
More often than not, packages do arrive, but when they do, panic attacks may occur. Apparently, there are package handlers who care not for your international mail:
Left: Two very bent B.A.P “Unplugged” posters. Center: B.A.P “Crash” album with ripped corners. At least someone at the postal service taped it after it apparently crashed? Right: Tatsmato had a rough journey in a very smashed box.
Left: Two very bent B.A.P “Unplugged” posters. Center: B.A.P “Crash” album with ripped corners. At least someone at the postal service taped it after it apparently crashed? Right: Tatsmato had a rough journey in a very smashed box.
The horror! Considering that product and shipping prices are a bit higher for imports, it’s disheartening to receive smashed boxes and taped goods. Perhaps it’s outlandish to expect perfection, but when money is spent on goods, this shouldn’t be what arrives.
Ridicule
Liking K-Pop can sometimes breed disdain among friends and family. There are times we international fans endure ridicule for enjoying the genre. Some of us sometimes take to hiding our love while others don’t seem to care. So in a way, K-Pop is like a forbidden or secret lover, because of how some people don’t accept the relationship. It’s part of being an international fan.
So, International Fans don’t understand what it’s like to be a K-Pop fan? We understand what it’s like, and sometimes our fangirling and fanboying has to come with a little more patience.
Pack Your Bags For Korea– What You Need?
If you do a quick Google search, you will see lots of blogs with helpful information detailing lists of things you might want to carry into Korea. Lists suggest silly items from honey (which is readily available all over Korea) to other items more universally recognized that foreigners can’t live without. Some of these items are readily available in markets for foreigners in Seoul (specifically Iteawon), but if you plan to stay outside these areas, be sure to stock up.
The Drug Store
For some reason I never really understood in my three years in Korea, there is no antiperspirant to be found in Korean markets (E-Mart, etc.). I imported several sticks of my favorite brand every time I came back to Korea, and never encountered it any time in my travels in Asia. Do you like Q-tips with the fluffy cotton tips on them? Me too! Bring some with you, the Korean versions are not soft.
While many Korean over-the counter medications for cold and flu are available, a lot of them simply jolt the system with caffeine, so the workday isn’t interrupted. I always imported both Dayquil and Nyqil (neither of which were available in Korea) for colds. Since “sick day” isn’t really in a Korean business vocabulary set, whatever comforts you for minor cold, flu, or chronic illnesses are an absolute must-have. Do NOT assume that it is available in a Korean pharmacy.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that until you are fluent with the language, and if you are not in Seoul, you may find yourself in a Korean pharmacy miming to a pharmacist what the problem is, and doing your best to understand the directions that you are given.
The Kitchen
While you will hopefully cook lots of Korean food in your new home, you should be prepared for homesickness to kick in around 3-6 months after you have left your country. I was shocked how wonderful simple Greek seasoning, a brown gravy packet, or a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing tasted. It’s difficult to get vanilla extract, dill weed, cloves, and many other western spices.
If you happen to like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I highly recommend you bring a stash, I have yet to see them anywhere in Korea, even in Iteawon. Remember, if you can’t live without it, it’s probably a good idea to bring a bit, just in case.
Wardrobe
I’m quite tall for a female, and therefore, wasn’t able to do any shopping for clothes in Korea (again, with the exception of Iteawon). Everything had to be either brought with me, or shipped from home. If you are “average” sized, there are a wide variety of clothing options, but if your body fits into any category other than small or average, do not plan to buy any clothes in Korea. This is true for both men and women, clothes, shoes, and outerwear.
Iteawon
Once you have arrived, if you live in the provinces, you will discover Iteawon. Iteawon, a neighborhood that caters to foreigners, has many foreign items including plus sized clothes and shoes, foreign toiletries (you may not get the brand that you prefer though) and all kinds of interesting western ingredients that expats get a hankering from all over the world: American cheese, English tea, South African Braii meat, etc.
My first trip to Korea, I had heavy bags laden with deodorant, Dayquil, clothes, socks, and a giant sized bath towel. As I dragged my bags up the stairs and unpacked them, I wondered if I had brought too much with me. As it turned out, every year when I returned to Korea, my bags were stuffed with the same items. Check to see how far from Iteawon you will be living, and remember you can always ask a friend to ship you something from home, if you decide you can’t live without it.
SpyAir – Japanese Indie 2005 To Today…
SpyAir is a Japanese rock band from Nagoya formed in 2005. Previoulsy 5, the band now consists of only 4 members: Ike (vocals), UZ (guitar/programming), Momiken (bass) and Kenta (drums). The former member was the DJ Enzel. Until now, SpyAir has a total of three albuns, another old four that were self-produced and various singles released. Their name comes from the word, spyware.
In the time they were formed, the band produced all of their own music, making four entire records (‘’Can You Listen?’’, ‘’NEXT STAGE and Vol.1’’, ‘’Alive’’ and ‘’I’LL BE THERE’’) on their own that no one knew or heard of. The band held various free concerts, where they earned money by selling their CDs. However, that lasted until they were signed to U-Project, an Indie label. Under that recording label, SpyAir released the independent singles:”Japanication” and “Kanjou Discord”.
Even though, the band released those two songs, their first major debut-single was a track called, ‘’Liar’’, after they got signed to the major recording label, Sony Music, back in 2010. ‘’Liar’’ dropped in August 11 and it was the theme song of the drama, ‘’Hammer session!’’. Its follow-up single, ‘’Last Moment’’, was used as an ending of ‘’Bleach’’. SpyAir re-released ‘’Japanication’’ as an official single, in 2011, and dropped also their fourth one, ‘’Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot!!)’’, which was used in the anime, Gin Tama. All those singles, plus ‘’BEAUTIFUL DAYS’’, were included on SpyAir’s first major record, ‘’Rockin’ the World’’, which was released in September, 2011. The album sold pretty well, peaking in the Top 10 of the Oricon weekly charts, for 7 consecutive weeks. Despite the album selling amazingly good, all the singles from it flopped miserably, with not even one song peaking under the Top 10 chart.
2012: New year, brand new tracks and a sophomore CD, as well. SpyAir began their newest chapter with the single, ‘’My World’’, which was used as the second ending theme of Mobile Suit Gundam AGE. Then, they were given a chance of participating on the official ‘’The Amazing Spider Man’’ OST, in 2012, with the song ‘’0 Game’’. SpyAir produced a second song for Gin Tama called, ‘’Genjou Destruction’’. Following the release of ‘’Naked’’, in September, 2011, the band announced all the details for their second album, ‘’Just Do It’’. ‘’Naked’’ was the official title-track of the record. Just like the previous ones, all the singles from ‘’Just Do It’’, flopped on the charts.
All those situations didn’t stop the band as they were just starting and the albuns sales were impressive. They released another theme song for a drama called, Koi Suru Hae Onna. That track is called ‘’Wendy ~It’s You~’’. However, the single didn’t come with good news as DJ Enzel announced its departure from the band, in December, 2012. Luckily, he still had a chance to perform one last night, at Nippon Budokan. The concert was a total success, which caused them to announce also a new single, “Sakura Mitsutsuki”. The song dropped in March of 2013 and served as the opening theme for Gin Tama. Another two singles, ‘’Niji’’ and ‘’Genjou Destruction’’, were released and their third album, ‘’MILLION’’, came afterwards. The album sold pretty well (peaking at number 2), in its first weeks, but started to drown slowly.
They released two new tracks, throughout the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, called, ‘’Just One Life’’ and ‘’Imagination’’, respectively. The latter became their first Top Ten hit, peaking at #9 on the Oricon weelky charts. ‘’Just One Life’’ was used as the theme song for Samurai Flamenco, while ‘’Imagination’’ served as the opening theme of Haikyuu. Unfortunatly, SpyAir isn’t recording anything new due to the vocalist, Ike, being diagnosed with Acute Chorditis and Vocal Chord Polyp.
We wish Ike a speedy recovery and much success for the band to continue to produce great music.
“Happiness” Returns With Juciy Love
Happiness is Japanese pop girl-group, who was formed in October 2008, and are produced by LDH, aka, their company. The idol-group currently has seven members, however, they were previously only a five member group: Kaede, Miyuu, Mimu, Karen, and Sayaka. Arisa Mikyuu is the leader of the group. Some members of Happiness, along with other girls from labelmates, ‘’Dream’’ and ‘’Flower’’, are also part of a unit called, ‘’E-Girls’’, created by their company. As of now, the girls have seven singles and one studio-album, which is called, ‘’Happy Time’’.
Before they got really famous, the group used to be back up dancers for the ‘’Exile Live Tour’’, from the Japanese Pop/R&B boygroup, EXILE, back in 2008. The sixth member, Yurino, joined the group, in the summer of 2009, after the ‘’LDH Dream Girls Audition 2008’’, in which she won. Their debut single was a track called ‘’Happy Talk’’, however, since it was released under an indie label, the song flopped hard on the charts. Despite not having a lot of success, ‘’Happy Talk’’ was used in a commercial for ‘Mister Donut’. After such a tragic debut, the girls tried one more time and, this time around, they decided to release their first major debut-single, ‘’Kiss Me’’, in 2011. The song is described as a love ballad for the Valentine’s Day and charted far better than their previous single, however, it wasn’t still not enough since it peaked only under the Top 20. Two more singles were released afterwards, ‘’Friends’’ and ‘’Wish’’ and became more successful than its predecessors, peaking at #20 and #12, respectively.
Unfortunatly, one of the members, Mimu, decided to graduate, from the group, in January of 2012. But that situation didn’t stop the idol-group as they were ready to unveil one more song, ‘’We Can Fly’’. The track was used as an ending theme for a TV show called, Piramekino. ‘’We Can Fly’’ had the same success that its previous singles had. All of their tracks, plus brand new ones, were included in their first studio-album, ‘’Happy Time’’, released in the summer of 2012.
They may be called ‘Happiness’, but sadness is what the group felt after another member had to stop her activities. Due to a medical treatment, Sugieda Mayu was forced to the group, during August 2012 to August 2013. Even though, she was set to return in 2013, Mayu decided to leave ‘Happiness’ in order to pursue a career as a solo artist.
Two have left the group, but another two were added! In May of 2013, Suda Anna and Kawamoto Ruri, from the unit, E-Girls, were added to the girl-group. Now with seven members, the girls released a new song by the summer of 2013. ‘’Sunshine Dream ~Ichido Kiri no Natsu~’’ was released in July and became their first Top 10 hit ever, peaking at #7, on the Oricon weekly charts.
In their beginnings, Happiness signed with an indie label, from LDH Company, called, ‘Rythym Zone’. During the course of their career, the group signed under Universal Sigma, a sub-label from Sony Music Japan. However, the girls were then transferred from that agency to NAYUTAWAVE RECORDS. As of 2014, Happiness returned to their first label, Rythym Zone, and released a brand new single: Juicy Love. The track became their second consecutive Top 10 hit, peaking again at #7, on the charts.
Members Takeda Kyoka, Dobayashi Kaede, Fujii Karen and Suda Anna were, also part of the TV Drama, Koibumi Biyori, from January to March of 2014.
Celebrity couples: How it’s viewed
– Juyeon Oh
The number of celebrity couples has been increasing a lot lately, and there has been mixed reviews coming from the fans. Some turned out to be very negative and some were positive. Since celebrities are always exposed to cameras, it may or may not bring problems into the relationship. Once people find out about the couple, it can go 2 ways. The fans will either wish them a happy relationship, or they will demand for a break up. When negative comments get out of control, the couple usually ends up breaking up, which happens quite often to idol group members, because they have a lot of younger fans. It really depends on the situation though. When the other person has a lot of anti-fans, the fans will want them to break up, so that it doesn’t ruin the other person’s image. The younger the fans are the more drama there seems to be. Problems and constant fan outbursts are not always the case though. There are many couples that are supported by the fans and are doing just fine.
Let me just introduce a few couples:
Lee Byung Hun and Lee Min Jung
Lee Byung Hun is one of the famous actors in South Korea and is also known in Hollywood for movies he has filmed. Lee Min Jung is also a popular actress in South Korea. These two first met back in 2006 and quickly fell in love. They broke up, because they were so busy with their schedule, but in the year 2011, they met again and got married in 2013.
Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young
These two are both famous in South Korea. They met while filming a movie “Save the Last Dane for Me” back in 2004 and announced to the public about their relationship in 2007. They got married in 2013 and are one of the most influential celebrity couples in Korea.
Ki Sung Yong and Han Hye Jin
Famous soccer player Ki Sung Yong and actress Han Hye Jin got married in 2013 after several months of dating.
Oh Jong-Hyuk and Park So-Yeon
There has been a rumor that these two were dating a couple of years ago, but was not confirmed back then. Photos of them meeting at a coffee shop was later released in 2013 and it turns out they have been dating for 3 years.
Jung Ji-Hoon (Rain) and Kim Tae-Hee
Jung Ji Hoon, aka Rain is a singer, dancer, actor, screenwriter, model, producer, and a designer. He is the owner of a music record label called J. Tune Entertainment that is located in South Korea. Kim Tae Hee is a popular actress who is also known for her beautiful looks. The news states that they have been secretly dating and Rain confirmed their relationship to the public a year later.
Sun Ye and James Park
Wonder Girls leader Sun Ye got married to a Korean-Canadian missionary James Park. She was the first idol to get married while still maintaining her career. They had their first baby last October. It’s not official that Sun Ye left the Wonder Girls, but as for now it’s unclear if the group will release another album.
Lee Seung Gi and Yoona
When Lee Seung Gi returned from his concert in Japan, he picked up Yoona from her apartment and they enjoyed an hour-long date. Few years ago he mentioned Yoona was his ideal type at a show called ‘Strong Heart’ that he hosted. They’ve been together for several months now and is the hottest couple in Korea
How is the World Cup celebrated in South Korea?
– Juyeon Oh
Some of you may be wondering how World Cup is celebrated in other countries, and today, I’m going to talk about what it’s like to celebrate the World Cup in South Korea. Before I get into details, let’s take a few minutes and learn about the history of South Korea’s national soccer team.
South Korea is one of the most known, and successful teams in Asia. They have participated in 8 consecutive, and 9 overall FIFA World Cup tournaments, which is the furthest any Asian team has ever gotten. Even though the team went through 5 World Cup tournaments, and not winning a single match, South Korea became the first and the only team from Asia to make it to the semi-finals when they hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. Since then, the team improved a lot and was finally able to reach Round 16 in 2010 World Cup. They also, won the first 2 editions of AFC Asian World Cup back in 1956 and 1960. Not only just that, but they finished second in 1972, 1980, and 1988, and finished third in 2000, 2007, and 2011.
The team is usually called as “The Reds” by the fans and the media, because of the color of their kit. This led to a creation of the Red Devils in 1995, which is an official supporting group. The mascot for the Red Devils is a legendary figure from the ancient Chinese and Korean history. It is a symbol for victory and a guardian figure. The membership is open to anyone who wears red and supports the team during the games.
Couple of hours before the game starts, about ½ of the population or more gets together at stadiums, theaters, and public plazas where they can watch the game live on large screens. Everyone in the crowd wears red t-shirts to support the team. Cheering is also a big part of the game. The most common cheer is a combination of shouting and clapping saying: Dae~Han Minguk! Which means, Republic of Korea, and is followed by 5 claps. During the clapping part, instruments such as drums and thunder sticks accompany it to keep on going with the beat. The fans also sing a famous folk song called : “Arirang”, and several other songs that were made for the World Cup.
You can also watch concerts from popular singers/idol groups when you go to the bigger stadiums. The stadium itself already has great atmosphere and with concerts involved, it can get way more tense. Not only that, but also many celebrities come to watch the game, so you’ll be able to see one or two famous people cheering in the crowd when you go to these places. But really, the most important thing is being able to get together with hundreds of people and cheer as a whole, because you don’t see this happen very often. It’s great to see everyone get along to enjoy the moment especially since this is very rare in this generation.
While most people are outside of their homes to watch the game, many choose to stay home and enjoy the game with only their family. People who stay at their homes, usually order chicken and beer, which is like a traditional food when it comes to World Cup, (it’s similar to how we eat Doritos during Super Bowl). Chicken and beer may sound a bit nasty if you have never tried it, however those two are a great combination.
You now see and understand how and why the World Cup is such a big deal to the world, but to South Korea’s population especially.
Summer Gold: Girl’s Day Fourth Mini album Exceeds Expectations
Joelle Halon
“Whooo, ooh, ooh, ooh! It’s summertime!” This summer, every day is Girl’s Day!
Girl’s Day made their summertime comeback July 14 with their fun and cool mini album Everyday 4. The upbeat sound is enough to take away your troubles, and despite only having four songs (excluding “Darling’s” instrumental companion), it’s worth purchasing, because it’s just that enjoyable from beginning to end.
Right out of the gate, “Summer Party” featuring David Kim sets the tone. The Caribbean Island-vibe of the song just transports a listener to a warm, friendly island where it’s a nonstop dance party. David Kim is hardly noticeable in the song as he’s mostly just background, and that’s a good thing ,because it really should be about Girl’s Day. It’s different to hear them engage in some rapping, but it doesn’t sound weird or out of place. In fact, this is one of those rare K-Pop songs where the standard formula of singing-with-a-complimentary-rap-thrown-in felt perfect in order to set the mood and get listeners excited.
With the intro song, it’s clear Girl’s Day keeps improving with each album. Their voices have more power to them, and that should be attractive to a listener. Harmonies and English pronunciation are better, the latter of which should please some of the International listening community.
The sound introduced in “Summer Party” carries over to the title track “Darling.” The song starts out with a mambo vibe. And, if anyone out there remembers Lou Bega’s 1999 summer hit “Mambo Number 5,” the introduction of the song may remind you of it a little bit before shifting to a cute 1940s big band sound.
The chorus of the song is ridiculously catchy and infectious. The lyrics are super-adorable, which is part of the reason the song is just so perfect for warm weather: It’s a soundtrack of first-love, a date on the beach, and everlasting memories rolled into one bubbly package.
While “Darling” is overall fun, at times, the high notes may grate on some listeners’ ears. The chorus is rife with high notes in the background, and while they seem to fit the song, depending on your listening mode—headphones or stereo—it might be overwhelming. Through headphones, the notes tend to drill right through your head in a startling fashion. On a stereo, this isn’t much of an issue. If you’re sensitive to high pitches, exercise caution when using headphones.
“Look at Me” takes listeners a different direction with its mid-tempo beat. The instrumentals at the beginning of the song sound just as incredible as the song itself. It has an uplifting spirit with lyrics like “look at me now. Look what you see. I’m a beautiful lady.” There’s a certain warmth, beauty, and fragility about the lyrics paired with the instrumentals that make the song stand out more than others including the title track! The only downfall was that the low rap felt out of place a bit. The low tone wasn’t the issue, but the rap could have been left out, because it changed the feel of the song a bit. But, if Girl’s Day needed a second single from the album, this would be it.
“Timing” brings back the upbeat sound to close out the album. As with “Darling,” “Timing” is a listen-with-headphones-with-caution track not, because of the vocals, but because of the track’s chirpy whistling playing in the background.
The chorus, though, is what makes the song wonderful. The rise in their voices makes the song complete and exciting and perfect for a summer road trip to the beach. It’s bright, filled with warmth, and good vibrations. Turning the song up on a good stereo and dancing around the house is advised, especially since it will cancel out the background whistles.
Fresh from their megahit “Something” earlier this year, some fans worried if returning to a cute vibe would hurt Girl’s Day’s chances for further popularity. From the sounds of the album, the girls have nothing to worry about! Way to go, Girl’s Day!
Grade: A-
JJCC (pronounced as Double JC) is a South Korean hip-hop boyband, created by Jackie Chan. The group was signed under the label, Jackie Chan Group Korea, making the first time that the chinese actor formed a boyband and debuted them in Korea. JJCC consists of 5 members: SimBa, E.co, EDDY, San-Cheong and Prince Mak, they debuted officially on Mnet’s M! Countdown, back in the 20th of last March.
The name of the band combines the words, ‘’Jackie Chan’’, with ‘’Joint Cultures’’, therefore, ‘’Jackie Chan Joint Cultures’’. However, the band’s name pronunciation, ‘’Double JC’’, stands for ‘’Double Joy Creative’’. Overall, Chan just wanted to spread K-pop, since he’s a fan of it and sees its potencial and development, while uniting cultures and creating the double joy, through Asia. So, for that reason, JJCC also symbolizes all the effort that Jackie Chan put on the group.
Each of the member received an individual training, especializing their own personality, stunts, vocal abilities, dancing skills, songwriting and, off course, rapping. There were no boundaries, Chan always made sure they knew every type of dances they could, including popping, b-boying or ballet. Will they only sing in Korean, you ask? No, aside from singing in the Korean language, JJCC also trained English and Chinese, so they could appeal to different countries. As for the members’ nationality, four of them are Korean (SimBa, E.co, EDDY, San-Cheong), and the other one is a mix of Chinese with Australian (Prince Mak). Do you wanna know a little more detail? Eddy competed on 2012’s ‘’Master Chef Korea’’, proving his good cooking skills, while Prince Mak participated on the Chinese version of the talent show, ‘’So You Think You Can Dance’’, back in 2013. SimBa was also at a TV show, he appeared on the second season of ‘’Let’s Go Dream Team!’’, this year.
But if you think Jackie Chan is all alone in this project, you’re totally wrong! Veteran producer-composer, Choi Jun-Young, helped the boyband with their songs while serving as their executive producer. Sha-Sha Lee also, helps the Chinese actor, being the official CEO of his record label.
Korean music is still very unknown in western cultures, however, with Chan’s presence on the management of the group, JJCC received some attention from American media prior their debut. They appeared in traditional papers and news outlets, such as, New York Post, making a possibility that, because of JJCC, K-pop can become more mainstream in USA or beyond.
The band has only one single, until this day. Their official debut song is called ‘’첨엔 다 그래’’ (which can be translated to “Everyone Is Like This At First”), however, the international title was shortened to simply ‘’At First’’. It’s a track that combines a melancholy hip-hop beat with bits of R&B. Unfortunatly, member Prince Mak doesn’t appear on the song’s music video due to injuries during the shoot.
The group promoted ‘’At First’’ on music shows, such as, Music Bank or Inkigayo, however, they also performed on a charity event, created by Jackie Chan, called, “2014 Peace, Love and Friendship”, in Beijing, on the 6th of last April.
A proposed new single may be coming out mid-July, 2014 with the possible title “Heart Attack”. We can only hope that it is true.
For many, K-Pop is more than just music: It’s a lifestyle. People choose different music for a variety of reasons, but the main reason is because it speaks to them in a whole different way other genres cannot. But why dislike a person or a particular genre just, because it’s something you may not listen to personally?
Dear K-Pop, We Hate You Because…
Many international K-Pop fans greet this issue. When some say K-Pop is their favorite genre or name a Korean artist as their favorite singer or group, sometimes this is met with sneers and snarky comments.
“I hear ‘how can you listen to that ching-chong music?’ all the time from my family. ‘How can you understand it? It’s not in English,’” a commenter said via an anonymous Survey Monkey survey. The survey drew over a hundred responses from people between the ages of 13-30 years-old. The majority of participants were female (80%), but some of the male participants also had plenty to add.
“I had a friend once who said he loves all music,” a male participant said. “I asked him if he liked K-Pop like I did and he said ‘heck no! Ew, who listens to that crap?”
Over the past decade, K-Pop’s popularity has grown with international fans. Many of them jumped onto the K-Pop bandwagon through listening to J-Pop and K-Pop artists who’ve crossed-over into that market; whereas others learned of K-Pop through Starcraft, online radio, and YouTube. However, while the international fandom continued, and continues, to grow, so does the number of “haters” who feel K-Pop is “over-processed,” “plastic,” “disgraceful,” and “not music.” With this, those who dislike the music extend the disdain to the fans, calling them “close-minded,” “racist,” “annoying,” and “defensive.” Online, many Facebook groups, Tumblr pages, and online forums document people’s dislikes.
On one Facebook anti-K-Pop page, some of the many reasons they list for hating K-Pop and its fans include:
- How some male performers look female
- Plastic surgery the idols undergo
- Auto-tuned vocals
- Fans are viewed as narrow-minded, “delusional,” and racist toward other country’s music
- Annoyed by fans using Korean words
- Annoyed by fans who feel K-Pop is superior to other genres
- Dislike how obsessed fans get over their idol biases
Only Connected to K-Pop?
Many of the issues brought up on many hate-forums are often issues that are not solely unique to the K-Pop industry, though.
For decades, all music genres have experienced their share of fanboys and fangirls. For example, when the Beatles and the “British Invasion” occurred in the 1960s, women would swoon over John, Paul, George, and Ringo and dress in British fashion; men would have their hair and clothes styled after many British boy bands for a touch of cool. During the 1980s when “hair bands” and glam rock were all the rage, men grew their hair to mimic the likes of Poison and Guns n’ Roses. And, Bon Jovi posters graced the walls of many females.
Today, most music is processed and auto-tuned so artists can bring their best voices forward; and young fans scream and cry over the likes of Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and One Direction, even avidly defending them for their missteps. In fact, even non-Korean stars have their share of “sasaengs” and people who will do anything to feel closer to their idols.
“Plastic Barbie Dolls on Stage”
For many, K-Idols seem to go too heavy on plastic surgery. Even K-Fans will agree that the K-Pop industry and their need for idols to look perfect and fit a certain beauty ideal is a bit excessive.
Destinee, 36, a Reddit commenter, said “While I like the music, I can’t stand the plastic surgery. There’s too much! A lot of these people are nice-looking pre-debut. K-Pop is a business, yes. But, why take the business to people’s faces and bodies? This is what turns me off to K-Pop a lot of times. Why not just let talent speak for itself?”
South Korea is the leading market for plastic surgery, so it’s no surprise many idols undergo plastic surgery to achieve the right “look” from double-eyelid surgery, jaw shaving, cheek implants, and eye-widening surgery. Many feel that the image South Korean artists bring forth helps perpetuate impossible beauty ideals, especially for K-Pop’s preteen and teen target demographic.
“Each country has ideal beauty,” K-Blogger Maria Sanchez said on Tumblr. “While many see K-Pop as plastic Barbie dolls on stage, the same can be said for Hollywood actors and actresses. Even singers from across the globe may feel pressure to look or act a certain way by their companies. I do feel the K-Pop industry should allow more artists to be natural. It would be nice. In fact, if this happened, perhaps people will take K-Pop seriously as a musical genre as opposed to a fad.”
The Polarizing Genre
In the Survey Monkey poll, many participants said friends and family made them feel weird for liking K-Pop. Many said they had parents who felt K-Pop was the new “stage” for kids growing up; parents who commented were confused by the whole concept. As one participant said, “I am really not a fan of K-Pop. It all sounds alike to me. Is K-Pop, like, how the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC were for us in the 1990s? If so, kids will grow out of it in a few years, and this conversation won’t matter. If these kids turn out like me, they’ll laugh someday and wonder why they even listened to it or spent money on the merchandise.”
One comment that cropped up often was how listeners were made to feel as if they were turning their backs on their own country’s artists and music. Those who experienced these comments said they felt like they weren’t supposed to enjoy something they loved in fear of being ridiculed or bullied. Sammy, 18, was one of these people. She took down her K-Pop-related content on her Tumblr and Facebook pages because of the comments she received.
“Because of some attitudes people have with K-Pop, I feel like I should be locked in a closet,” said Sammy. “If I say anything or post a video on Facebook from B1A4, my bias group, I get teased. ‘Oh, that one looks like a girl!’ ‘The lyrics make no sense!’ Why should any of that bother anyone? I also, hear ‘Sam, why don’t you listen to American music?’ I do listen to American music! Just because I like K-Pop, it doesn’t mean I don’t like everything else.”
“I guess I’m one of those fans antis hate,” said Tumblr user D’Ante, 22. “My half-sister introduced me to Epik High about, maybe, five years ago? Since then, I haven’t listened to any American music. People stare at me funny since I am 6’2” black man in college, but who cares! I’ve even had my friends razz me and say I turned my ‘back on my roots’ according to them.”
But, K-Pop-hater Yumi feels differently: “People who like K-Pop act like they’re elitists, like they are cooler than everyone else. No, you’re not cool. You’re trying to be something you’re not. You’re not Korean. Your country has its own music, you should be supporting that and trying to make that music number one. Then, everyone is like ‘Oh! K-Pop is so cool! Saranghae, oppa!’ These idols aren’t your ‘oppa.’ And because of K-Pop’s rise, everyone forgets about their roots. Other countries’ music is forgotten too. A lot of these people who are like ‘wee, K-Pop everywhere!’ used to like J-Pop, now they hate it and act like Korean is perfect.”
Yumi’s comments are echoed on many anti-K-Pop sites, too. A lot of antis do not like how some K-Fans place K-Pop above other music, often without giving another music genre a chance or being open-minded toward other country’s music. Anti-fans would like to see K-Pop placed on a pedestal,l less. With this, they hope fans will not force the music upon them.
It’s Okay to Hate It… to a Point
While some of the anti-fans have great points in asking K-Pop fans to be more open-minded and less forceful, on the same token, many K-Pop fans feel antis could be nicer about stating their opinions.
Kelsey Pierce, 17, said “I respect anti-fans. I have many friends who are antis. However, these ones who hate for shallow reasons, these ones who call those of us who are fans ‘stupid,’ ‘blind,’ ‘deaf,’ and ‘foolish’ are the ones who get to me. Why am I all these things because I like Korean pop? If you have a good, valid reason for hating the music that makes me feel so happy and alive, then I am willing to listen. But don’t insult and put down others. What are you trying to achieve by being nasty? Are you hoping your meanness will make me stop loving my music?”
While antis feel those who love K-Pop are far from open-minded, this is also a sentiment shared with fans as the feel those against K-Pop should be less close-minded.
“My way of being open-minded is to make it a goal to figure out why a group is liked,” one survey responder said. “Open-mindedness is a much better alternative to hating other groups for getting so much attention. We could do with less hating in this world.”
Another responder said, “I don’t like K-Pop. I don’t want to like it. Don’t force it upon me. If you don’t, then I will accept your taste in music more.”
Find a Common Ground
Like with anything in life, there will be lovers and haters. Just because people are on opposite ends of the K-Pop-Love spectrum, it doesn’t have to be a fight to the death. If someone doesn’t enjoy it, don’t force them to, but on the same token, don’t make someone feel bad for loving something. Music doesn’t have to be polarizing.
Things I Learned While Watching Asian Film– Joelle Halon
Asian cinema has a lot to offer from weepy melodramas to outlandish comedies guaranteed to make you say “what the heck did I just watch?” That’s part of its beauty: There’s something for everyone, and most will keep viewers on their toes. Many of us eat these films up without a second thought.
Recently, I went to an Asian film marathon and engaged the part of my brain that spent years in school learning how to analyze and see the deeper meaning in things. As it turns out, I did not need to tap into these skills because Asian media often has a spill-over of life lessons for all to see, if they care to pay attention. It’s easy to learn something from these films as I found out. Here is what I discovered.
Ending scene from 200 Pounds Beauty, 2006 /via YouTube
Trying to be Perfect May Not be Worth It
There are too many times we try to be perfect, fit into an ideal, or try to change in order to feel accepted in society. But, by trying to adapt to what people may want or expect from us, we get further away from who we really are. We should accept our flaws and let our beautiful selves shine! Remember, it’s okay…
Japanese film NaNa, 2005./via Wiki Creative Commons
…To Be Ourselves
You may be quirky, a tomboy, or an extreme girly-girl. You may be obsessed with a band, a hobby, or even a job. You could be like me: Dropping everything and struggling to chase the dream of becoming a writer, but you may want to be a singer or an actor. You may question your decisions. You may want to throw in the towel, scream your frustrations from a mountain, or even run away from it all. Some days, you may feel like the world wants you to conform, but it’s your responsibility to let your personality and every unique element that makes you who you are take center stage. You only have one life (YOLO!), so be you! No one else can take that from you, but keep in mind,
Korean film, Love so Divine, 2004/via YouTube
Life is Crazy-Unpredictable!
We can make all the plans we want, but fate may have something else in store. Always keep an open mind and never feel like your plans are cemented. Something will always come along to make you wonder why you planned anything at all and that fate’s plan may be the right path for you.
This one is an animated GIF I made. Attached separately as “Stairway to Heaven, 2003”
But it Really Depends on What Path You Take
According to movies, cars are pretty squirrelly and they will dramatically hit you during pivotal moments of your life. Fight with your boyfriend? Watch for them cars. Life-changing decisions need to be made? Perhaps it’s best to stay indoors in the comfort of your home under some comfy blankets and cushions. You need to run across town for a life-bettering job? For the love of puppies, look both ways before crossing the street! Otherwise, you will get hit and possibly die! Maybe you’re better off talking about things with friends.
Japanese film Kamikaze Girls, 2002/ Viz Media
Good Friends Will Hear You Out After All
You don’t have to deal with life’s struggles alone. If you have good friends, no matter how strange or indifferent they may be, they’ll have your back and may even help you fight the good fight. Don’t be afraid to be open!
Korean film Sunny, 2011/ CJ E&M
If You’re Feeling Down, Your Friends Will Pick You Up
Great friends know when you’re in need. Even if you may need a shoulder to cry on, don’t forget that friends will make you laugh, helping troubled times feel better even if it’s a temporary high. You don’t have to be alone when you have amazing friends who may drop everything for you. But if you lack these types of friends,
Japanese films Firefly Dreams (L), 2001; Grave of the Fireflies, 1998/ via YouTube
Sometimes Family Will Lift You Up
With some families, if one person is struggling, everyone else will struggle with you, creating a unified front. In some instances, family may be the only people you can count on when your world feels like it’s falling to pieces. They may help you,
Chinese-American, Saving Face, 2004/ via YouTube
Even If it Feels Like They Don’t Accept You
You may be surprised how much a family can help, if something is awry. You may not always agree on lifestyle choices and different topics such as politics, religion, whether a raw food diet is acceptable for children, or even, if getting a tattoo on your face is a brilliant idea, but that doesn’t mean love isn’t there underneath all the differences.
Japan: The Taste of Tea, 2004/ Viz Media
Families are Quirky
Part of what makes different families unique is that they’re all a bunch of different people—blood relatives, adopted individuals, foster kids, furbabies, or even friends who feel like family— thrown together under one roof. Everyone is on a separate journey trying to find his or her place in the world. Not everyone can see eye-to-eye, but we can learn to accept each other’s weirdness in order to see the whole picture of what our own life roles may become.
Clockwise from left: My Little Bride (Korean); Oasis (Korean); Love Com (Japanese); Shinobi: Heart under Blade (Japanese); Jeni-Juno (Korean); Saving Face (Chinese-American)
Love Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
Sometimes, friends and family may not be enough, so choosing a mate is in order. When choosing a partner, love comes in many forms. Never settle, but don’t set your standards so high you may miss out on some wonderful adventures. The right person may be there in front of you, but you may miss that person, if you keep hoping for someone who looks like TOP and has Bang Yong Guk’s heart, brains, and creativity, and Himchan’s sense of style and goofy sense of humor. Trust me, if this person existed, he’d be mine anyway, so stop looking for this person. Just kidding, but seriously, love doesn’t have a standard.
Memoirs of a Geisha, 2005/ via YouTube
Love Truthfully and with an Open Heart
Sometimes, we tend to close off aspects of ourselves when it comes to matters-of-the-heart. We may fear being judged by our partners, because of our pasts, our secrets, and our insecurities. Sometimes we feel that by closing off, we’re helping the other party, but we may end up pushing them away and hurting them despite our best intentions not to do so. Be open and truthful; you may
find you’re more of a team than you think.
Korean, Virgin Snow, 2007/ via YouTube
Keep Promises
Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. In relationships of any kind, promises are important and could mean a lot to the other person. Of course, if someone confesses a crime or something dangerous and asks you to promise to never tell, then all bets are off. Other than that, never bail on a promise.
Japanese, Millennium Actress, 2001; Madhouse
Cherish Memories
Memories—good and bad—are important and help make you who you are. Memories are your story, so never hesitate to tell anyone your tale, so your memories will live on. You never know whom your tale may impact, and you may not realize how important these memories are until…
Japanese, After Life, 1998/ via YouTube
…You Realize Too Late
Then you don’t realize what you had was important until it’s gone. Do you ever wonder what your favorite memory is? Do you ever wish to continue to relive that memory repeatedly?
We all experience loss, heartache, and pain. Usually when this happens, we realize all the things we should have said and miss all the memories we could have made with loved ones. Instead of living with regret, try creating memories worth reflecting upon later on in life.
Korean, A Moment to Remember, 2004/ via YouTube
Most Importantly, Never Forget to Say “I Love You”
These small words carry so much weight. They’re so small, yet they can mean so much to someone even if they may not mean much to you. One day, you may miss your chance to say them, but by then, you may not have another chance.
Japan, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, 2005/via Wiki Creative Commons
Life is a Journey
Despite the melodrama, craziness, and times where we may understand where we’re headed, life is a journey, and we need to grasp it. This is what I learned.
Looking back, did you learn anything from watching anything in Asian cinema or television? What could you discover?
“What are the most popular Kdramas of all time?”
Juyeon Oh
For those of you who are very interested in Korean dramas, but can’t decide what to watch let me introduce you to a list of top 5 most popular Korean dramas of all time with a short summary of what they’re about.
Boys Over Flowers.
First drama I would like to introduce is called ‘Boys Over Flowers.’ This story starts off as the main character Jan Di, who is an ordinary girl whose family owns a dry cleaning store, which is located by the luxurious and very well known Shin Hwa High School. Jan Di gets admitted to Shin Hwa High School by a swimming scholarship. In school, she tries to stay away from the four richest, and the most spoiled boys known as the F4, because she knows bad things will happen, if she gets involved in a situation with them. However, this all changes after she helps out a friend of hers who accidentally spilled ice cream on one of the members of the F4, Goo Joon Pyo. He treats her like she’s nothing and Jan Di sticks up for her friend, which gets her more involved with the F4. Now, I don’t want to give out all the details, so if you want to know what happens next, you’ll have to watch the drama.
Secret Garden.
Second drama I would recommend is called ‘Secret Garden.’ In this drama, Kim Joo Won is from a wealthy family. He runs a large company, which his family owns. Kim Joo Won’s cousin Oscar is a popular singer and he’s also a womanizer. Oscar asks Joo Won to pick up an actress Park Chae Rin from a shooting set, but Joo Won mistakes a stuntwoman Gil Ra Im for Park Chae Rin and takes Ra Im to a hotel. When they arrived at the hotel, Joo Won realizes that the woman he picked up isn’t the actress. During this time, he starts experiencing feelings towards the stuntwoman, even though she wasn’t his type. He tries to get her out of his mind, but he can’t stop thinking about her. One day, they end up switching bodies due to a magical accident and now they have to get use to each other’s lives.
My Love From the Star.
The third drama I’d like to suggest is called ‘My Love From the Star.’ This drama is about an alien named Do Min Joon, who arrived on the earth 400 years ago during Joseon Dynasty, but he couldn’t go back to where he came from, because he missed his “flight” back home. He tries not to get involve with humans, but this soon changes when a new neighbor moves in next door, who is a famous actress named Cheon Song Yi. Do Min Joon has many different kinds of powers such as powerful strength, great hearing, able to stop time, visions of the future, telekinesis, teleportation, and more. He also has many degrees and has studied law, psychology, medicine, astronomy, etc.
I Hear Your Voice.
The name of the fourth drama is ‘I Hear Your Voice.’ It’s a thriller/romantic comedy drama. Jang Hye Sung becomes a lawyer after she overcame her painful childhood memory. Park Soo Ha is another important character in this drama and he’s a 19-year-old boy who has the ability to read other people’s thoughts. Jang Hye Sung became Park Soo Ha’s first love after she went to court as a witness of Park Soo Ha’s father’s murder case 10 years ago. He promised to protect her from any danger and they reunite 10 years after the case and what they don’t know is that there is more danger coming their way.
That winter, the Wind Blows.
Last but not least, the fifth drama I’ll be introducing today is ‘That winter, the Wind Blows.’ This is a melodrama about a man and a blind woman who both believe there is no such thing as love. Oh Soo is an orphan who was left heartbroken after his first love passed away and he becomes a gambler. Oh Young is a lonely character that feels like she has to look after herself and others after her parents get divorced. But, she slowly finds herself becoming blind. After these two come together, they find the true meaning of love.
You probably have your own favorites. Tell us your favorites.
5 Life Lessons To Learn From Korean Dramas
With the upward trend of Korean fever, otherwise known as K-fever, Korean songs and dramas have been spreading like fire. Even Korean cuisine has garnered its likes and is sprouting across almost every other street internationally. Gone are the times of Japanese dramas with Korean dramas becoming the IN thing. Those eye candies combined with beautiful scenery and the addictive nature of the storylines means a great audience base. Who knew that you could actually learn a thing or 2 from Korean drama amidst the lovey-dovey cast and addictive plot? Here are some things I picked up while watching Korean dramas.
1. Change is desired
Whether it’s the makeup, outfit, or hairstyle, a change would always do you good. It could change the way people look at you, the way you feel about yourself, thus changing your life forever.
Lesson learned- Embrace changes instead of sticking to your comfort zone. You may never know what to expect, but positive things will come along the way, because of your mindset and attitude.
2. Forgive and forget
No matter how annoying the ‘enemy’ may seem in those shows, Korean drama always teaches us to shake hands and make up in the end. Even if they seem all-out evil, unrepentant and even unbending, they usually back down no matter how difficult it seemed initially. Therefore, learn to forgive and forget and make up as two always works out better than one.
Lesson learned- Keep your peace and calm. It’s easier to not make enemies than forgive and forget. Learn not to take things to heart as each individual has their own viewpoints. If you have already established bad terms with people around you whether it may be your colleagues or friends, learn to take the step to work things out, so that there won’t always be that hatred and anger consuming you.
3. Being rich doesn’t make you happy
Let’s put it this way. If you watched the Korean version of Boys Over Flowers, the F4, they were rich spoiled brats. They were a bunch of rich and elite kids who only stuck to people of their own status and had literally no idea how to interact with others. What made the drama bearable was that the seemingly plain Jane female lead would appear and transform their lives and make them learn how to be part of the world.
Lesson learned- Being rich and having the money is desired by all, but it doesn’t instantly make you a good or better person. It also, doesn’t mean that being rich will make you happy. Learn to be content, live and like where you are currently. Achieving that entire monetary goal may give you the materialistic items you want, but eventually, being happy is of the utmost importance.
4. Get out More
In these dramas, there’s always beautiful scenery and wonderful sights. The cast are always going somewhere. Whether is it camping, watching stars, going to the beach or just driving the car to Busan or taking a domestic flight to Jeju, they were always getting out.
Lesson learned-Get out more and learn to appreciate the beauty of the world with new eyes. Even going to the same place twice with different people could allow you to learn and discover new wonders. Sometimes, it just reminds you of how beautiful your life is and how the problems you were facing now seem so small.
5. Don’t Worry, be happy
The most important lesson that Korean drama teaches is this. Whatever situation or fixes you get into, whether it’s falling for an alien, being that poor kid in town and lusting after the rich hot kid, a birth secret, amnesia, coming across stalkers, falling in love with the enemy’s son, sickness, or whatever it is, Kdramas always manage to find a way to end the drama happily 99% of the time.
Lesson learned-Whatever happens, learn to take it positively and things will eventually turn out well for you. It doesn’t help anyone or any situation to be mopping around when nothing is done about it. Why not get out there with a positive attitude and attract the positive to come your way!
Other than the hot bodied shower scenes and eye candies, what attracts you to watch Korean Dramas? Feel free to share with us on your takeaways from these shows!
Travel to Korea in Kpop Style
Are you a self-proclaimed fan of all things Korean? Be it, because of the country, the cuisine, the dazzling celebrities, wide array of skincare, flawless makeup, amazing scenery, pop music with great dance moves, Korea is sparking a huge spike in tourist visits.
Being a tourist in a foreign country with just an address in hand, it’s easy to get lost while trying to hunt down the popular Korean drama filming locations or celebrity spotting café. Here, we share some popular locations to visit, with details and addresses, so you can easily execute your trip in Kpop style!
SM Entertainment Location Guide
Are you a fan of SNSD, Super Junior, SHINee, f(x), EXO or Boa? Try your luck if you could spot some of these faces around their office building.
Subway: Apgujeong line 3 Exit 2
Take bus number 4419 and get off at the 3rd bus stop.You can actually see the old SM Ent Building across the street.
Follow the map below and walk to the new SM Ent Building.
Cheongdam-dong, 106
Hakrim Coffee – You From Another Star ??? ? ??
With the popularity of this show, it’s no wonder this little known café shot to fame.
Details:
Hakrim Coffee ????
?? ??? ??4? 94-294-2
Myeongnyun 4(sa)ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hours: 10am to 12:00 mid night
Nearest Subway: Hyehwa Line 4 Exit 3
The Café is located along the main street and look for the signage
Coffee Prince Cafe in Hongdae
Were you a fan of this popular show? Then drop by to have a look when you go Hondae!
Directions:
Subway: Hongik Uni line 2 exit 8
Kang Gary 2nd Restaurant – Pocha Center ???? ?
Running Man’s Kang Gary opens his 2nd Restaurant. Take the chance to see if you can spot him there!
Directions:Name: POkka Center
Tel: 02-543-5882
Address: ????? ??? ??? 536-6
Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 536-6
Opening Hours: 17:00 – 05:00
Subway: Sinsa station Line 3, Exit 8
Miss A’s Suzy Caffe Soo ? in Korea,GwangJu
Fan of Miss A’s Suzy? Try spotting her here.
Here’s the OVERVIEW map
Step 1: Take a KTX Train from Seoul to GwangJu.
Step 2: Take bus number 47 in front or back of GuwangJu Station. Bus Stop name: ?????
Step 3 : Get off at the 6th Bus Stop (Bus stop name: ?????). ( not counting the GuwangJu station bus stop )
Step 4: Walk straight and turn left. Caffe Soo is located opposite GwangJu Library.
Finally you should be able to see Caffe Soo. The picture below is still show the old shop but you should be able to see the new shop – Caffe Soo
Do share with us some of the filming locations and celebrity cafes you would like to visit, and we will come out with a Part 2 just for you!