TRCNG’s Taeseon and Wooyeop Sue TS Entertainment

 

TS Entertainment faces more allegations of wrongdoing now that TRCNG’s Taeseon and Wooyeop have announced they’ve filed a lawsuit against the company for abuse.

On November 18, 2019, Taeseon and Wooyeop, through their lawyer, Jung Ji Suk, announced their lawsuit plans along with the allegations against TS Entertainment. Jung, who is part of the Namkang Law & IP Firm, said in a statement:

 

TS Entertainment boy group TRCNG’s members Jo Wooyeop and Yang Taeseon sent a certification of contents to the agency on November 4, 2019 to notify the termination of their exclusive contracts, and they filed criminal complaints to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against two individuals including Director Park Sang Hyun for charges including habitual child abuse and injury resulting from violence on November 12, 2019.

The reasons for the termination of their contracts include (1) Long-time absence of a CEO and the agency’s loss of management abilities due to legal disputes with its celebrities and (2) Director Park Sang Hyun’s habitual child abuse to the members who are minors and choreography director Yoon causing injury due to violence to Jo Wooyeop.

 

Among the complaints, Wooyeop and Taeseon cite that a lack of CEO since the April 2018 passing of CEO Kim Tae Song has been a standing issue with the company. They also state there are long-standing issues with lacking power and water in their dorms. Their claims align with former TS Entertainment rapper Sleepy’s allegations brought up in his lawsuit earlier this year. The lawsuit also lodges a complaint regarding the length of time between single and album releases.

However, these complaints are minor compared to the child abuse allegations both parties state occurred while working with director Park Sang Hyun and choreography director Yoon.

According to Taeseon and Wooyeop, director Park forced TRCNG members to practice from 5pm to 5am daily, then they were expected to report to the company at 10am for vocal training and personal practice every day as well. Because of the schedules, the pair could not attend their respective schools, and even when they transferred schools to be closer to TS Entertainment, the pair fell behind in their educations and allege they are now two years behind their peers.

Both parties allege that director Park assaulted them under the guise of playing a game. According to Taeseon and Wooyeop, choreography director Yoon assaulted Wooyeop with a metal chair back in June. The now-former TRCNG members state that TS Entertainment did nothing to alleviate the situation including allowing Wooyeop to seek medical assistance, so he sought medical help on his own for the incident and took two weeks to recover. Purportedly, TS Entertainment tried to cover the incident by saying Wooyeop got sick drinking and hanging out with multiple women. 

In another incident, Taeseon and Wooyeop state they had to seek medical assistance themselves after injuring themselves B-boying. They state the company did not help them.

Wooyeop also states TS Entertainment also extorted money from him.

In his case, Taeseon states that since he was a trainee, he has been scolded and hit often because he was the group’s leader. He states that his catalyst for leaving the company was watching the abuse Wooyeop went through.

In their own statement, TS Entertainment denied the claims and announced they would sue Wooyeop and Taeseon for defamation. TS also removed the duo from TRCNG.

 

Hello. This is TS Entertainment.

This is an official statement regarding TRCNG.

We clearly state that what was claimed by TRCNG members Taeseon and Wooyeop through the news reports today is not true.

What they are claiming is only one-sided from Taeseon and Wooyeop, and the TRCNG members do not all agree with this.

In addition, Taeseon and Wooyeop’s actions are causing harm to TRCNG’s group activities, and we plan on taking legal action for the damage caused to our agency including defamation.

We thank everyone who shows interest for our agency and gives love and attention to our artists.

Thank you.

 

However, on November 19, 2019, Dispatch released evidence that refute TS Entertainment’s claims. Photos Dispatch shared* show some of TRCNG’s living conditions at their dorm including non-working toilets and floors with water damage. Dispatch also revealed the TRCNG members and members of their dance crew were tasked with selling Nike shoes online. The tabloid also has chat logs between the mothers of TRCNG members discussing the living conditions in the dorms.

TS Entertainment has yet to respond to Dispatch’s report as of this writing.

With Taeseon and Wooyeop’s lawsuit, TS Entertainment has been sued by almost all of their artists and even their own employees since 2014. This year, Untouchable’s Sleepy and Sonamoo’s Sumin and Nahyun filed suits against the company. SECRET’s Jieun and Hyoseong had separate suits in 2018 and 2019. In 2014, all six B.A.P members also filed a lawsuit.

With so many lawsuits,  it’s a wonder TS Entertainment stays afloat. The cases involving Taeseon and Wooyeop are stilling developing, so more details are expected to emerge.

*Images not shared due to copyright.

—-Olivia Murray

Kcrush K-Pop Top 30: October 2019

 

 

WOW! Y’all really voted well this month. While the #1 song won by ten votes within the last two days of the voting period, the top three flip-flopped A LOT. It was close with only two votes separating numbers two and three. From there, only one vote separated them from spots four and five. With that said, the top five actually toppled the other 25 by a landslide, so it’s clear voters knew what they wanted! We hope November is just as exciting! We also hope the voting for the K-Pop Awards will also be as exciting. Y’all rock!

#Nell #LadiesCode #Hashtag #MonstaX #Zelo #Youngjae #Daehyun #CallLee #Limesoda #Day6 #Winner #AleXa #Wengie #Minnie #GIdle #Nuest #EricNam #SunnyHill #MCMong #ParkBom #Zico #Bumkey #Chancellor #WonderWoman #BrownEyedGirls #GreatGuys #Jenyer #Soloists #Kpop #Beenzino #Yoonmirae #Yubin #SuperM #GirlPower #Ateez #Drag #DragQueens #LimKim

*All clips are well under 20 seconds and applicable under Fair Use. Kcrush does not profit off these videos.

 

As many of you know, one of our goals is to reach out and interview people who have unique and inspiring stories to tell.

Camilla is the only Danish person that I’ve ever come across, so I was personally very intrigued to hear about how she first became interested in Asian culture, her work exchange in Korea, her interests and so on.

We’d like to thank Camilla for this great interview and wish her all the luck for her future.

 

Would you please briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

My name’s Camilla, I’m a 24-year-old, freelance artist, part-time traveler, taekwondo enthusiast and pureblooded Dane.

 

How did you initially get interested in Asian culture?

I think like many other young people in the west, I was in my teens influenced by Asian culture and media, in particular Japanese, in the form of tv shows and books; Anime and Manga particularly. I recall shows such as DragonBall Z and Naruto, which in particular was huge. And as an artist, I was fascinated with this, to me, a new way of drawing. Even though those influences and experiences are from years ago, that was really the catalyst for me, and what I think was the jumping board for me to later travel to Asia.

I find things in my life often come around, so it wasn’t that huge of a surprise, when I approximately 4 years ago started listening to K-pop music, and watch K-dramas. That set off a new exciting journey for me in terms of learning the Korean culture and language better, and planted a seed, that South Korea had to be a new travel destination of mine.

 

Tell us about your recent work exchange in Korea.  

After a month’s stay in Korea, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to leave yet.

In fact, I would love to stay as long as possible – but the money was getting short. So, I had to find some way in which I could stay for longer, but without having to pay rent, like I previously had done. Work-exchange! I had heard of some foreign friends doing work-exchange at a hostel in Korea (and I knew this to be an option, as I had done it myself in Australia) so I thought I might as well give this a go in Korea as well. Luckily enough, just as I was searching, a hotel/hostel, happened to be looking for new staff. Hostels seem to always be busy, so they were quick to accept me.

The experience of working there in general was pretty much as expected: work in exchange for a place to stay, and free breakfast. Nothing fancy, but personally I’m not one in need of much. Everyone there, including the boss, was super nice and accommodating. If you wish to practice a foreign language, do work-exchange at a hostel where primarily Chinese and Korean people work and stay, and you’ll quickly try to divert to the little Korean you know.

The work in itself is pretty simple housekeeping work, and it’s usually around 3.5 hours a day, 6 days a week. I did find myself working overtime every now and then, which I’d heard was pretty common, so that’s something to take into account. But for me it was worth it anyway, if it meant I got to stay in the city I love for a little longer, at no expense accommodation-wise.

 

What would you recommend other people about Korea?

My two and a half months stay in South Korea, was spent in Seoul, so unfortunately, I didn’t get to travel outside it. But Busan and Gyeongju is somewhere I was recommended several times! In regards to in Seoul, I feel like there’s so much you can go see, depending on what your interests are!

There of course are all the palaces; Gyeongbokgung in particular being one I’d recommend, and the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung. Bukhansan National Park is great if you like a good hike! Hanggang Park is lovely as well, and of course the more touristy-shopping areas, such as: Myeongdong, Hongdae and Insadong.

It’s probably been mentioned over and over, but in terms of other recommendations I would just say: the food. Korea really seem to take pride in its cuisine, and it’s easy to understand why; it really is delicious.

 

Did you have any kind of culture shock when you arrived in Korea?

I think for me, I was fairly well-prepared because I was already interested in the culture before I came, so I somewhat knew what to expect. But I can imagine if you don’t, you’ll be quite surprised. I guess what shocked me the most was the confirmation of all the things I’d heard/read about. And In particular just how nice everyone is.

A good example, was my very first day in Seoul: I found myself sitting on a curb in the 35 degrees heat with my suitcase at hand, just waiting for my Airbnb to be available. That’s until an elderly Korean man approached me and asked for me to follow. He ended up bringing me along to a small café’ where he and several other people were eating. I hardly had time to register anything before I was served up with several dishes, and told to eat and drink. They were all so incredibly accommodating and lovely, that I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness. I had never experienced such before. You would definitely never experience that in Denmark. So that, was a bit of an overwhelming feeling for me; just how nice and welcoming everyone were.

Of course, it always takes a moment to adjust to different cultural customs, regardless of how well-prepared you are. But nothing shocked me to the point not having heard of if beforehand. Maybe a minor surprise, was how little English the young people spoke. I knew that not everyone was fluent or the likes, but I was a bit surprised to how little they actually know, or rather, how uncomfortable they seem talking in English.

 

 

How does the Korean and Japanese culture differ in your opinion?

As I only spent 6 full days in Tokyo, I didn’t’ get to fully dive into the underlying deep cultural difference, like I would’ve liked to. So, the first surface level differences I noticed, were things like: Fashion, makeup and the underground layout. The fashion in Tokyo didn’t seem as seamless (no pun intended) as in Seoul. In Seoul you quickly get the sense that people are following the same and newest style/trend, and I personally just didn’t get that feeling in Tokyo. Which perhaps could make people seem a little bit more laid back in that aspect.

I did however notice one too many ambulances outside Tokyo station, told by my friend that that’s a common sight, as people, perhaps older, easily get exhausted and accidentally trip/get bumped into by the many people in the underground and injure themselves. That brought up the aspect of overworking oneself, something I didn’t experience to quite that extent in Seoul.

I have a hard time expressing whether I for example find one culture more polite or welcoming than the other, because they in my opinion are both, but perhaps in different aspects.

 

Do you think it’s difficult to be a Vegan in Asia? Let us know your thoughts.

I’m in the belief that things are only as difficult as you make them. However, I would be lying if I said being a vegan in Asian countries isn’t a test for sure. On one hand there’s lots of great vegetable side dishes, and rice of course, but on the other it’s a huge meat culture – and when you can’t read hangul on the packaging of things it doesn’t make it easier to guess what ingredients are in it.

I honestly did have quite a tough time, and when you’re on a budget it doesn’t make it less painful, because I found certain vegetables to be quite expensive. I’m sure there’ll come a day when it’s a lot more convenient and you’ll see soy milk and vegan cheese in the marts too – just not quite yet. At least, the tofu is cheap!

I would however say that despite it not being a common thing, I found Koreans to be super welcoming to my dietary needs! (may I refer back to my first day experience, where they started to cook up new dishes for me, without meat – so nice!) No-one really looked at me funny, and even if they thought it was weird, they acted very polite about it.

 

Which country or continent do you wish to visit in the future?

There are so many places I wish to see, but I think Canada, Norway and Austria is the highest on my list right now. I would love to experience the nature and the mountains. And I would love to go back and experience more of Japan, and South Korea, as well.

 

*Which region of the world would you recommend for a perfect holiday?

It depends on what kind of holiday you’re looking for really. But if it’s what I assume to be a bit more of a family one, with sightseeing and relaxing, I would probably say Europe.

Especially Italy or France, I just think it’s the perfect combination of a diverse and different cultural experience, but nothing that’ll sweep you off of your feet and leave you drained for days. It’s chill and accommodating, with such a great warm ambience and nice people. It’s great for the family who wants to experience culture together, yet put their feet up and relax.

 

Thank you very much for your precious time. Last question, what would you advise to anyone who wishes to spend a working holiday in Asia?

Do yourself the favor and learn a few words or even phrases, and common cultural gestures of your country of destination. You’ll thank yourself later, and the locals will be impressed – even a little goes a long way. Be polite and welcoming to everyone you meet, and they’ll likely be the same to you. Stay positive, put on your best attitude and go have a great time – that’s what we’re here for after all, isn’t it?

 

 

––J. Chung.

The singer Kang Sung Hoon from the first-generation K-pop idol group Sechs Kies is holding a free fan meeting at the end of the month. On November 2nd, he announced a fan meeting event to be held on November 30th. Fans have been able to apply for seats from the day after the announcement. The event is the first in a long while, mainly because the singer has been involved in several legal issues.

Kang made his debut in 1997 as the main vocal of Sechs Kies, an all-male dance music band whose popularity was second only to H.O.T. After the disbanding of the group, Kang released solo albums but never reached the fame and success level of Sechs Kies.

Sechs Kies announced its reform in 2016, and had considerable success for the second time under the management of YG, one of the biggest entertainment companies in Korea.

Before this occurred, Kang had been sued a couple of times for failing to pay his debtors back large sums of money to debtors, and was even held in custody for months for fraud; he was released on probation. Kang was therefore banned by the broadcasting companies from appearing on television for potential bad influence. It seemed that he was driven out of the entertainment industry altogether.

 

 

Things took a turn for the better for Kang, when he was welcomed back on the air as a member of Sechs Kies in 2016. This was literally a second chance to rebuild his life as a K-pop singer. This came to an end, however, when he was sued for fraud by his fans. He had failed to keep his promise to donate the profits of a film showing he held. The film consisted of footages of the group Sechs Kies, and Kang’s claim to profit from the showing had been based on his promise of donation for good cause in the group’s name.

In addition, he was dropped by YG because his contract for a concert in Taiwan had not been approved by the management company, though Kang had implied that it was. After being kicked out from Sechs Kies, Kang’s embarrassing behavior could only be seen through social media. Ever since, he became the center of attention for several videos, including his making threats to his former manager and his disparagement of younger singers’ looks.

In July this year, Kang donated the profits from the 2017 film showing, and was not charged. The prosecutor over his case decided that fans had paid for tickets, rather than meaning to donate money for a good cause, although donation in the name of Sechs Kies had been promised by Kang.

Kang Sung Hoon’s free fan meeting is, then, an attempt to gather his fans who have not yet been turned into anti-fans. It may be interesting to see what may come out of the event and the singer’s career for the future.

 

 

— J. Chung.

 

GreatGuys (멋진녀석들) consists of 9 members: Jae I, Horyeong, Haneul, Daun, Donghwi, Dongin, Hwalchan, Uiyeon, Baekgyeol. Great Guys debuted on August 25, 2017, under DNA Entertainment.

 

Thank you for taking the time out for a KCrush interview. Would you please introduce yourselves to our readers?

Jae I (Charming Guy): My name is Jae I, and I am the team’s leader and main dancer.

Horyeong (Reliable Guy): Hello, I am Horyeong, the vocalist and the second oldest one of GreatGuys.

Haneul (Nice Guy): Hello, I am Haneul, and I am the sub-vocalist.

Daun (Lucky Guy): Hi, I am the team’s main vocalist, Daun.

Donghwi (Pretty Guy): Hello, I am Donghwi, the main vocalist of the team.

Dongin (Tough Guy): Hi, this Dongin and I am the main rapper.

Hwalchan (Energetic Guy): Hello, I’m Hwalchan and I am in charge of the bulk of the vocals in the group. 

Uiyeon (Loyal Guy): Hello, this is Uiyeon and I am the rapper and visual of the team. 

Baekgyeol (Innocent Guy): This is the group’s cutie maknae, Baekgyeol.

 

 

Please let our readers know how you formed as a band.

Jae I: I got in after passing an audition. 

Horyeong: I joined after having an audition and was made to train for a while before becoming a part of Great guys. 

Haneul: I starting taking interest in dancing since high school and began having dancing lessons at an academy. Then when I got in uni, I got into a dance team and got to take an audition to join GreatGuys.

Daun: I became the last person to join Great Guys after getting through to the audition. 

Donghwi: Through an audition.

Dongin: I got to train at the company after taking an audition, then I got to join the band.

Hwalchan: I became a Great Guys member after passing an audition here.

Uiyeon: Through an audition. 

Baekgyeol: I got in the group after an audition.

 

 

What has changed the most for you after you made your debut?

Jae I: I think my personality has changed much after spending time with the rest of the members. 

Horyeong: I think I now feel prouder of myself after accumulating a lot of experiences like broadcasting here and there.

Haneul: I guess, my outward appearance has changed due to taking care of myself.   

Daun: My personality and the way I manage and take care of myself has changed too.

Donghwi: My personality has changed a lot.

Dongin: My mindset has been more firmly set thanks to gaining more responsibility after debuting.

Hwalchan: Like the rest of the group, my personality and preferences in things have changed for me.

Uiyeon: Like Jae I, I think my personality has changed much and my weight has been altered as well.

Baekgyeol: I lost a lot of weight and the overall mindset on how I manage myself has changed. 

 

 

Which one of your songs are you the most attached to, and why?

Jae I: I think, Black & White is a great song. The vibe from the beat and the melody is very like western pop, which I like. 

Horyeong: I’m the most attached to Butterflies – 가슴이 떨려 널 생각하면 because they lyrics have what we wanted to convey to our fan base, Grace.

Haneul: Personally, I like GANDA which is our second digital single. It showcases our member’s personality and traits well, I think.

Daun: Butterflies is one of our songs that I am the most attached to because when I shot my first video, I use the instrumentals for this song, and the vibe fit so perfectly, so I have a lot of memories connected to the song.

Donghwi: Stay, because I love ballads and the lyrics are also quite heart-wrenching.

Dongin: It’s GANDA for me. The reason is because it was the first time for me as a rapper to have credits to the rap making, I really learned a lot from the process and that’s why I am the most attached to that song.

Hwalchan: Black & White from our mini album. I love its style of beat and melody.

Uiyeon: I like STAY the best. I think I’m attached to it because it’s a ballad, which I love.

Baekgyeol: R.O.M.L – the song fits my voice well and I would like to recommend it since the melody is great.

 

 

Which artist/musician do you respect the most?

Jae I: I respect BTS subaenims a lot.

Horyeong: I personally respect and like EXO’s Kai the most.

Haneul: Mark sunbaenim from NCT.

Daun: V sunbaenim from BTS.

Donghwi: A male solo singer called Im Hanbyul.

Dongin: Zico sunbaenim and Kendrick Lamar.

Hwalchan: I like and respect Taemin sunbaenim.

Uiyeon: I respect Mad Clown sunbaenim.

Baekgyeol: I like Crush sunbaenim and I listen to his music a lot.

 

 

What kind of hobbies do you have? Do you have your own specialty in something?

Jae I: I enjoy doing freestyle dancing to all kinds of genres of music.

Horyeong: I love listening to music. I love pranking and having fun, so my specialty is in living up the mood. 

Haneul: My hobbies are going to well-known cafes to taste different types of coffee and going to the Han River to skateboard. My specialty is doing dance covers of girl groups.

Daun: My hobbies are taking videos and editing. My specialty is in singing ballads. 

Donghwi: My hobby is singing cover songs with my guitar and my specialty is in singing in high tones.

Dongin: My hobby is beat making and my specialty is rap making. 

Hwalchan: My hobbies are gaming and sports. I’m capable of covering all kinds of sports. 

Uiyeon: I love going to the movies. I can move my ears and eat a choco pie in one mouthful. 

Baekgyeol: I like to search for nice restaurants or watch moving videos on YouTube. My vocal ability is my specialty.

 

 

What is the first thing that you normally do when you get up in the morning?

Jae I: I wash and prepare to leave for the studio.

Horyeong: Head to the gym to work out to fight off sleep as much as possible. 

Haneul: I massage my face with an ice pack and drop by at the coffee shop and get myself a coffee and go to the gym.

Daun: The first thing that I do it head to the gym.

Donghwi: I go to the gym to work out before going to practice.

Dongin: To the gym. 

Hwalchan: I work out or get prepared to go practice.

Uiyeon: I head to practice or whatever is scheduled.

Baekgyeol: I drink a lot of water because I get dry in the throat overnight.

 

 

Name one thing that is the most precious to you?

Jae I: I regard my old training shoes the most precious.

Horyeong: I consider my family photographs that I keep in my wallet the most precious to me.

Haneul: Photos of my acquaintances and letters that my fans gifted me.

Daun: I have a 50 thousand Korean bill covered in gold that one of my friends gave me, which I cherish.

Donghwi: My guitar.

Dongin: I do all my work via a MacBook, so I guess, my MacBook.

Hwalchan: My phone and the photos in my wallet.

Uiyeon: Photos that I took with other people and my shoes.

Baekgyeol: My mobile.

 

 

What kind of person is your ideal type?

Jae I: I don’t have a set type but I think someone who I can connect with well, would be great.

Horyeong: My ideal is someone who pays attention to what I have to say and has a beautiful smile.

Haneul: My ideal is someone who works hard and has pride in what they do, by spending each day happily.  

Daun: My ideal type is someone who is humorous and can communicate with me well.

Donghwi: Someone with pretty eyes. 

Dongin: Regardless of their age, nationality, my ideal is someone who is considerate and who has a nice smile.

Hwalchan: Someone who has pretty shoulders and feet whom I can communicate with.

Uiyeon: A person with a nice smile with nice hands, overall, someone who can connect me well.

Baekgyeol: I like someone who can get along well with my personality and has a pretty way of talking.

 

 

Let us know what kind of song or album you listen to a lot.

Jae I: I enjoy listening to a lot of Pop and R&B Soul.

Horyeong: Depending on my mood of the day, I think I listen to ballads and rap music. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Jukjae – Let’s go see the Stars, the lyrics are really fantastic.

Haneul: I like to listen Jazz and pop music, and recently I’ve been listening to Ariana Grande’s Jason’s Song frequently. It’s a song that showcases Ariana Grande’s cool vocal tone – the track was featured on limited deluxe edition as a bonus of her album in Japan.

Daun: I don’t normally listen to pop music much on a regular basis but I listen to it while working out. Oh My Girl – Destiny is the song that I listen to a lot.

Donghwi: When it comes to songs, I like acoustic music. There’s a singer called Beom June Jang (of Busker Busker) and I love his second album’s lyrics and melody so much, you should all listen to it. J

Dongin: Zico sunbaenim recently released an album called, THINKING and there is a song with a great melody with the title HUMAN, its lyrics say “When I saw my grown self when I was younger, I was definitely smiling but…” and I could really relate to that. So, that’s a song that I’d recommend to you guys, And I listen to Kendrick Lamar – DNA and Humble a lot.

Hwalchan: I like Hip Hop a lot and I listen to pop music often too. These days, I listen to Song Minho sunbaenim’s Lonely – 위로 해줄래 frequently.

Uiyeon: Back Number – Happy end. It’s a soundtrack to a movie that left a big expression on me, so I love the song all the more.

Baekgyeol: I often listen to Two Melodies by Zion T. & Crush. I used to listen to it all the time in high school.

 

Share with us any movies, books or musicals that you’ve enjoyed recently.

Jae I: I love Avengers: Endgame. 

Horyeong: I really enjoyed Avengers: Endgame.

Haneul: I watched the Joker movie recently and Joaquin Pheonix’s acting was so on point, and the fact that he even lost 30kg to play the Joker part, was admirable. I also read the late Jonghyun sunbaenim’s novel Skeleton Flower: Things That Have Been Released and Set Free, so I read the book while listening to the songs mentioned in the book.

Daun: La La Land is the movie that left a big impression on me.

Donghwi: This isn’t something that I watched recently but my favorite film is About Time. It’s about a man who can time travel and the movie is about the importance of being in the present time.

Dongin: The Japanese movie called, My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.

Hwalchan: I haven’t watched a movie recently that left a big impression on me but my fav movies are La La Land and The Notebook. I like romance movies.

Uiyeon: Avengers: Endgame and Joker.

Baekgyeol: I recently read a book called The Temperature of Language. I like the fact that one word can be expressed differently depending on the emotion and the feeling.

 

Where do you think is the best place to visit or tour in Korea?

Jae I: Amusement parks! You’ll get rid of all your stress if you take a ride.

Horyeong: The beach at Namhae, Gyeongnam is really great. It’s the beach that I used to go often as a kid, so I have good memories of the place.

Haneul: I want to recommend Jeonju Hanok Village to you. You can taste traditional Korean food and it’s an area where a lot of tourists from abroad visit.

Daun: In Suwon, there is Gwanggyo Lake Park that has a really cool night scenery. It’s where I go frequently during the summer nights.

Donghwi: Gwangalli (Millak) Waterside Park in Busan. The night scenery of the Gwangan Bridge is incredible! You should all visit.

Dongin: Busan is the best place to visit, in my opinion. In the summer, it’s the most healing place to go because there’s the Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach to hang around at, and because the night scenery in Gwangalli Beach is so fantastic, I am certain that it would make a great trip if you go there with someone special!!

Hwalchan: Daegwanryeong, in Gangwondo. It’s chilly there, but the scenery and the wildlife are great, very relaxing.

Uiyeon: You could get the best of the past and future at Gyeongbok Palace and Lotte World Tower, respectively.

Baekgyeol: Dolsan Park in Yeosu, because the sea view at night is fabulous.

 

Let us know what your hopes and plans are for the future. Add something memorable for the fans as well. Thank you!

Jae I: We want to see k-pop music trending around the world, hopefully through us too. We’ve got nothing but thanks for our fan club, Grace! We’ll strive to be better guys for you. Love you all!

Horyeong: Hopefully, the plan is to become better known by performing and appearing on broadcasts in Korea and overseas. We’re always thankful for our fan club Grace, and I just want to say how much we love them.

Haneul: We’re still growing and improving- hope to let the whole world see our progress. We’ll never forget where we’ve come from, and will keep working to make our fan club Grace really proud. Love you a lot.

Daun: Our goal is to be more active here and abroad and be known more. We thank you so much, our Grace, for supporting us. We’ll keep up our hard work, hoping you will keep up your love and interest in us.

Donghwi: We hope to be in more activity here, and also overseas concerts. Thanks for all your love, and we’ll do our best to return it. We love you!

Dongin: We’ll do all that we can in everything we do, to reach more and more people. For Grace, I’d like to say thanks for being Grace, and we’ll return your great love with good music. We won’t forget you’re with us and we hope to impress you with our music. We love you, Grace!

Hwalchan: Hope to show you our progress with the mini album, and we’ll keep growing. Thanks, Grace.

Uiyeon: Like always, we will never forget how we started out. Grace, love you all!

Baekgyeol: We plan to focus on activities both domestically and abroad. Thank you, Grace for sticking with us through thick and thin, we’ll continue to make you smile for always ~

 

 

—J. Chung.

 

Fashion Designer Park Younhee’s first brand Greedilous was launched in 2009; it is a global fusion of futuristic and geometric graphics and fashion. With her training in fashion and industrial design, Park came to be called the Queen of Prints: Her collections are based on changing patterns and their sensitivity, and completed by strong visual silhouettes.

Greedilous has grown into a global brand beloved by national and international celebrities, and after its launch, has taken part in different exhibitions around the world, and has buyers in the U.S., Hong Kong, China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, France…

We would like to thank Ms. Park for her precious time in taking this great interview and wish her all the best in all her future endeavors!

 

*Where did the name of the brand Greedilous come from?

Greedilous is a name for a goddess of beauty, who is both “greedy” and “fabulous”. My father, who is a doctor in English Literature, helped me with the naming. I’m also very greedy, especially when it comes to work. The identity of the company suits my own very well.

 

 

*Do you have an episode from this collection? And where did you get the inspiration for it?

The 2020 S/S Greedilous collection was inspired by Cleopatra, the queen of ancient Egypt. Her luxury was symbolized by a chandelier. Within its beauty, I reinterpreted the geometric print, with its balance particular to fashion, with a retro feeling to give birth to the atmosphere of Greedilous.

I think a woman completes her own fashion with her own values and stories. Her beauty receives the finishing touch from the balance of her own circumstances and identity. I think most of the women living today wish to become symbols in any given situation, because of their strong identities. I call this the chandelier power effect, with the chandelier as a totem that reminds us of Cleopatra as she appears in our thoughts. As crystals gather into a luxurious and magnificent chandelier, the geometric shapes and moods make up a silhouette, and the luxurious attitude to go with it was shown casually.

 

 

What is your advice for upcoming designers?

I’ve been sleeplessly busy in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul, but very happy doing what I love. Rather than pursuing money, the pursuit of dreams will naturally string the money along. The question is to find what makes you happy, what you really want to do, and keep at it and work hard.

For young designers, I’d like to advise them to be positive, even when parents and teachers may say things that don’t sound very nice. Respect for other people, and knowing that you can never live alone, helps you with your dreams. Nobody is perfect. If you treat others with this in mind, your view of the world will change.

 

*Where would you be in 10 years from now? What are your plans and hopes?

Personally, I should be married, and as a designer I dream of creating a house brand with its own history, here in Korea, like Chanel or Dior. I have hopes of making Greedilous into a global brand for women’s wear to represent Korea.

 

 

—J. Chung.

*India is the second most populous country in the world.

*India is also the largest democracy and the seventh largest country in the world.

*The word ‘India’ is derived from the river Indus, which is a valley that people settled in thousands of years ago.

*There is only one time zone in India.

*The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947, while India has never attacked any country.

*Calculus, Trigonometry, Algebra and Yoga originated from India.

*The first mining of diamonds started in India.

*Chess was invented in India before the 6th century AD.

*Indian Lotus is its national flower.

*Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

 

 

*India is the largest buyer of gold in the world.

*Bollywood is the largest movie industry in terms of output, followed by Nollywood – Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry.

*Tea is the most popular beverage in India and its largest producer in the world.

*Mango is India’s national fruit, while the Peacock is its national bird.

*It is illegal to carry Indian currency, Rupee, outside of India.

*Indian railway employs more than a million workers – the largest employers in the world.

*’The highest bridge in the world’ – the Baily Bridge, was built in 1982.

*Cows are believed to be holy in Hinduism, and the Constitution prevents the sale and slaughter of cows.

*Around 29~40% of the people are vegetarians, due to the practice of Hinduism.

 

 

*KFC had to introduce a “vegetarian” menu, exclusively for India.

*The Karni Mata Temple in Rajasthan is home to thousands of rats whom pilgrims consider to be their ancestors and worship.

*The Lifeline Express is the world’s first hospital train taking its services to remote villages.

*1.2 million tons of mangos grow in India every year.

*Shampoo is an invention of India. Also, plastic surgery had its roots more than 4000 years old in India.

*World’s 70% of spices are produced in India.

–J. Chung.

The energy of Fashion Week has finally died down worldwide but the buzz over two shows from Seoul Fashion Week lives on. On October 19, 2019 the 2020 Spring/Summer collections proved that retro fashion is still in and making a statement on the runway is just as important as one’s comfort in their clothing. Here, we revisit the final day and highlight the artistry of GREEDILOUS and Graphiste Man.G.

 

Like any other Fashion Week experience, everyone wants to be seen. You’ve got bonafide celebrities and runway faces everywhere, like Hong Seok-Cheon (who had as many outfit changes as the models themselves… I’m not even mad about it.) and Somali-American Muslim beauty Ridwan (the beauty who Rihanna glammed up during her Fenty Beauty debut in Korea!). Sprinkled around are established, up-and-coming, and aspiring designers; buyers and fashionistas from all corners of the globe, and media attendees trying to capture all the magic. Language barriers are immediately broken with every camera click and new friends are added on social media followings.

 

I mean that genuinely — it’s serious magic. Where else could a jeans-and-tee girl like me be graced with the presence of Min Jee (Young), Director of Ari Arts Company, draped in head to toe vintage Chanel?!

 

On Show: GREEDILOUS

 

Seoul Collection exhibitions take place in the legendary Art Hall 2 within Dongdaemun Design Plaza and placing Park Youn Hee’s show in the middle of schedules was perfection because of how lively it was. GREEDILOUS was once defined by emerging Asian designer collective Porte Mode as carrying it’s designer’s personality and that, “Their bold prints, sleek silhouettes, and surprising details all capture Youn Hee’s youthful and rebellious spirit.” All facts.

 

 

 

 

Black, white, and muted pastels were the colors of this collection as Moon Gabi opened the show. The silhouettes played between beach-to-street and country club to club VIP. Nothing was too tight yet the fit was loose on each model. It’s hard to imagine and explain, but it worked! Shoulder pads — something we’ve watched become edgier and more pronounced since 2017’s shows — were curved and welcoming to the mid-90s aesthetic. Denim played very little into the designs and I’m still unsure if Lycra was used or not in several outfits. Whatever the textile is or was, many outfits could fit with “Clueless” but without the loudness of some of that era’s patterns. Ms. Park kept things light yet eye-catching with her unique patterns. Almost every person seated in the VIP front row was in a piece from the designer’s various collections, too. Talk about brand loyalty and support!

 

On Show: Graphiste Man.G

 

I liked the first show — the pieces whispered, “Look at me but don’t look at me… now look at me!” — but my goodness I. LOVED. THIS. SHOW. Designer Man. G went with the concept “Drag. Drug. Man.g.” and delivered on a show that has to be historic in most South Korean social circles, if not controversial. The brand’s edgy, unisex and animated. Actually, the animated aspect came as little shock once I realized that he studied animation art during his university days. It was sickening and I mean that with all the love I can muster up. The show was unapologetic in its representation and gender-neutrality. The audience was one of the most ambiguous witnessed in all the years we’ve attended Seoul Fashion Week. I wondered about the ages of those in attendance, those secure in their own vibe, and I felt… too “normally” dressed! There were the overtly beautiful, the plain janes, and the flamboyantly unbothered all amongst one another and Man. G’s line fully supported such diversity.

 

 

From the moment a hit from pop icon Madonna’s catalog began, the 80s/90s scene exploded onto the runway. Models stomped the plasma out of the runway with various mantras scrolled across the fashions. Everything was a cut that is on trend. Man. G promoted fashion for anyone, period. Just ask the drag queen who kicked the show off.

 

Ashley Charlton Griffin is a diverse content creator, writer, and YouTube Personality. She specializes in Hallyu Wave entertainment, with an emphasis on K-pop. Learn more about her at www.multifacetedacg.com.

 

Wings of the ISANG is a 4-member Post-rock band from Seoul, South Korea. The band was featured on the KBS’ Top Band Season 2.

For this interview, we wanted to focus on learning their music, how the band’s name was created and what their hope and wishes are and so on. And, if you haven’t already, we very much recommend you to check out the band’s distinctive and quirky rock music and get to enjoy their sound as much as we do. We’d like to thank the four members of Wings of the ISANG for offering their precious time for this great interview and wish them all the very best in all their endeavors. We also hope our readers will enjoy this interview!     

 

Hello, please introduce yourselves briefly. Did you always want to become musicians since childhood?

Tae-bong: Hello, I’m Kim Tae-bong, the guitarist in the group Wings of the ISANG. Well, maybe not since I was a child, but from the time I entered college and joined a band, I got interested in activities as a musician.

Choong-hoon: Hi, my name is Choong-hoon and I play the drum for Wings of the ISANG. I hadn’t realized what I wanted to do when I was younger but somehow, I

found myself on this road!

Min-Kyu: Hi! I play the bass guitar in Wings of the ISANG. I’m Min-Kyu. I actively play all genres of music, in all kinds of music scenes.

I began playing bass in the last year of middle school, and I thought then that I’d have become a rock star like Metallica by the time I’m…well, the age I’m at now.

Obviously, that was far from easy. 

Jung-min: Hello…I’m Moon Jung-min from Wings of the ISANG. I loved music since I was a little kid but never imagined I’d be living the life of a musician.

It had always been a hobby but it was after my military service that I began to look at it as work.

 

How did Wings of the ISANG become a group?

Jung-min: I was in a band with Tae-bong, our guitarist, since we were 20 years of age. We played thrash metal then, went to the army, finished school and applied for jobs, and took time off our band life. We met sometimes for little projects, and ended up releasing a digital single, containing four songs, in 2006 under the team name of Detuned Radio. We began producing a new album around 2010 and that was when we changed our group’s name. In the year after that, we released an EP and became a proper band.

 

How did you come to name your group Wings of the ISANG?

Jung-min: Our former team name, Detuned Radio, wasn’t exactly memorable or easy to pronounce for the Korean public. We personally wanted a more Korean name too, unlike many other bands with names in English. We also wanted to make music that was free, like flying in the sky, and we came up with the idea of Wings.

Tae-bong agreed at the time, but then, everyone around us, when they heard Wings, kept asking us, “What? Wings by Isang?” Yi Sang is also a renowned Korean fiction writer, known for his short story The Wings.

That gave us an idea, because it seemed different as a band name, and we liked the plural meanings of the word Isang (which also means an “ideal” in Korean). In Korean, we write our name as 이상의날개, without any spaces. And we’d like to repeat here, that Isang in our name doesn’t refer to the writer, nor an ideal, dream or hope. We wouldn’t have chosen this name if we wanted a single, official meaning. We’d like it to be interpreted by each person and that is why we chose it. 

 

Who influenced you most in your music?

Tae-bong: Personally, I like the feel of bands like Underwears Band and No respect for Beauty, so you could say our sound was somewhat influenced. 

Jung-min: Well, I’m not too sure. If we’re talking about the overall sound rather than particular tracks, there’s probably no band that influenced that much. One thing I could say is that I’ve thought hard about making sounds different, and free from typical rock music’s dry, raw and meticulously full drive, and other stereotypes. Soundscape-wise, I wanted to express sceneries and images in my mind or head.

 

 

Which song are you the most attached to out of all your tracks?

Tae-bong: The track The End from our EP Lost. It sounds a little dated now but I love the sentiment from that time.  

Choong-hoon: Singles from about two years ago, No Longer Human or Lost from our first album, or Forgotten.

Jung-min: I actually mentioned in our old interviews, that I’m very much attached to Crimson Sky. When I listen to it, I remember the sunset in the Western part of the sky on the day I first had the idea for that song. Looking at the sunset makes me think of life like a panorama, with the hopes for the future and despair crossing each other, and that’s exactly like me, on the verge of hope and despair. I wanted to express the feeling of the last flight, taking off from the cliff unto the sunset. Nobody knows the end to that scene. Did the flight reach the unreachable place? Nobody knows.

 

Who do you look up to the most?

Jung-min: My father and mother, from the moment of my birth and forever.

Min-Kyu: Me, myself.

 

What are your special skills or hobbies?

Tae-bong: I prefer short trips and fishing, something to change the mood.

Min-Kyu: My skill is the bass, and my hobbies are travelling, watching movies and taking walks.

Jung-min: I’m skilled in remembering people’s faces and names really well. I find this skill very useful in life. As for hobbies, I haven’t been able to continue sports, but I manage to take a rest in unpopulated locations on my travels or camping. At home, I enjoy a lot of computer games and movies.

 

What are your best and worst food or beverage?

Tae-bong: My favorite beverage is coffee. My worst is sugary drinks.

Min-Kyu: I like beer and soju, and maggeolli. I’m not too keen on hot spicy foods.

Jung-min: I love seafood, maybe because I was born by the seaside. I always prefer it to meat. There’s no worst food or drink for me. I’m not particular.

 

Where would you recommend a foreigner to travel, in Korea?

Tae-bong: It would have to be Seoul, or Jeju?

Min-Kyu: Jonglo, where the past and present coexist!

Choong-hoon: I recommend the live concert halls at Hongdae!

Jung-min: I personally like Sokcho. I have many memories there as a child. And I always recommend the Mount Seol-ak, where you have the tremendous mountain and the East sea, to everyone.

 

 

Where would you like to play music in the future, thinking globally?

Tae-bong: Anywhere our fans wish to see our performance, regardless of country or location..

Min-Kyu: I want to tour Europe!

Choong-hoon: We’ll go anywhere that wants us. Personally I want to play in Northern Europe.

Jung-min: We love and feel thankful wherever we are wanted. We can play anywhere with passion, when there are people to listen to us and feel with us.

 

Thank you for your precious time! Please share your plans for the future and add a nice message for your fans.

Tae-bong: We thank you so much for listening to Wings of the ISANG, in Korea or abroad. We wish to be able to play live on stage, face to face with you guys, in the near future.

Min-Kyu: I’m so thankful that many people like our music. I’ll keep working hard to make good music, enjoying myself with the other members. Please keep an eye on us. Thanks!

Choong-hoon: We are working on our official second album, and the little delay is due to our wishes to make better music. We’re working hard on it!

Jung-min: It has been enjoyable, doing an interview in a long while. It’s been three years since our official first album and we’re working on the next one. We’re taking so much care that it’s a little late. I’d say we’ve done about 70~80% of the tracks, and hope to see it done by next year! I’m hoping to see you all at concerts someday. Thank you!

 

–J. Chung.

Following their October 28, 2019 comeback, Monsta X will now continue as a six-piece after Wonho announced his departure from the group.

On October 31, 2019, Wonho and Starship Entertainment announced that the singer/songwriter will leave the group “amicably” following “malicious and distorted claims” being made about the now-departed member. Starship posted the announcement in Korean and English in a Twitter post.

 

안녕하세요.
스타쉽 엔터테인먼트입니다. pic.twitter.com/2MSbpudbvf

— STARSHIP Ent. (@STARSHIPent) October 31, 2019

 

Wonho’s decision to depart from the group is based in his wishes to avoid causing the band trouble. 

This past week, Wonho has been accused of theft, smoking marijuana, and mocking the #MeToo movement. With the latter, he and fellow member Minhyuk apologized for their actions that came across as insensitive.

Prior to Monsta X’s comeback, an alleged “friend” of Wonho’s, Jung Da Eun, announced that Wonho borrowed more than $35 thousand USD and never paid her back. Wonho and Jung appeared on Comedy TV’s Ulzzang Shidae prior to Wonho’s Monsta X debut. Jung posted on Instagram an image of Wonho on TV with the caption “Ho Seok, when are you going to pay me back?”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

호석아 내 돈은 대체 언제갚앙?ㅋㅋㅋ

A post shared by Daeun Jung (@cvors) on Oct 29, 2019 at 3:10am PDT

 

Embattled former K-Pop trainee, Han Seo Hee— who seems to be involved in every K-Pop scandal the past few years— also chirped in with “Give Da Eun her 30 million won.”

Jung also accused Wonho of also being in juvenile detention due to aggravated theft back in 2008.

 

 

“I know exactly what you did in 2008 — that aggravated theft charge at Suwon Detention Center,” Jung said in her tweet.

Dispatch uncovered information regarding the theft claims Jung mentioned. In their report, Dispatch states Wonho received probation while an accomplice received punishment.

Later, Jung also shared chats between herself and someone claiming to be Wonho’s lawyer where she claims to also be a victim of theft.

Lawyer: “I’m MONSTA X Wonho’s lawyer. We’re currently checking whether a post you recently made is true. Please give me a detailed explanation of what you meant by ‘Hoseok, when are you going to pay me back?’”

Jung: “Tell Shin Hoseok to contact me himself.”

Lawyer: “Can we meet in person? I’ll relay your message as well.”

Jung: “Come to Songdo. Meet me in front of XXXX XXXX in Songdo.”

Lawyer: “Can you come to our office instead? It’s in Gwanghwamun.”

Jung: “I don’t think I have a reason to go all the way there. Since I’m the victim, it’s not right for me to go all the way there.”

Lawyer: “In what way were you victimized? Wonho doesn’t think he owes you any money, so we’re very curious. If you tell me how you were harmed, I’ll relay the message in detail, and we’ll make sure you won’t become a victim.”

Jung: “He thinks paying me back 2 million won (~$1700 USD) settles it? I’m speechless. We lived in Yeoksam-dong together before, and we were supposed to split the rent 50/50, but Shin Hoseok didn’t pay his part, so my 10 million won (~$8500 USD) got taken. He also stole all my stuff and sold them online, and he borrowed 3 million won (~$2500 USD) and 5 million won (~$4200 USD) at a time and promised to pay me back. And until 2016, he used the excuse of his balance not being settled at his agency, and when I asked him to pay me back in late 2016, he said his daily spending limit was 1 million won (~$855 USD) so he just sent me that amount for two days.

Lawyer: “I will confirm this with my client. Please give me a more detailed list of the items and amount.”

Jung: “Talk to my lawyer at XXX-XXX-XXXX.”

Dispatch released the list of items Wonho allegedly stole from Jung. Those items include Balmain jeans, a Canon camera, and an iPod. An acquaintance of both Jung and Wonho claim the items were listed on a second-hand sales website, and this acquaintance claims he traced the phone number back to Wonho.

Starship Entertainment has said the claims are not true in a statement.

“We plan on submitting a legal complaint via our legal representative. We will release an official statement as quickly as possible,” the company said October 31.

Also on October 31, Wonho released a letter to fans on Monsta X’s fan café announcing his leave.

 

 

This is Wonho.

First, I would like to apologize for not being able to keep the promise that I would only provide good memories to our fans and for causing them pain. Furthermore, I apologize for causing concern to many people due to my personal issues.

I have received undeserving blessings and love while promoting as a MONSTA X member. I sincerely thank you for making precious memories for me. To the members who worked hard with me and stayed with me, I would like to tell them that I’m thankful and that I love them. [I would also like to show them] my apologetic heart.

There was a time when I was immature and have made big and small mistakes, but after becoming a trainee and making my debut, I stayed on track and worked hard to avoid being ashamed of myself.

I am announcing that I am leaving MONSTA X today.

I am apologetic for causing harm to the members due to the unfortunate issues related to me. More than anything, I am sorry for disappointing my fans who believed in me. I have reached this decision after seeing many people having a hard time because of me.

In addition to our members, I once again sincerely bow my head in apology to the fans who have believed in me and supported me.

Please give strength to MONSTA X.

The members have nothing to do with me.

I carefully ask that you at least give support and encouragement to the members.

They are people who are too good to stop and get hurt like this because of someone like me.

I am so thankful and apologetic to the staff, members, and lastly our fans who have allowed me to enjoy such happiness until this point.

 

On November 1, 2019, Dispatch released reports that Jung and Wonho used marijuana together in 2013 and were allegedly caught by Burning Sun director “Jo.”

Jo, who is currently held at the Seoul Detention Center on allegations of marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and ketamine usage, alleged Jung and Wonho smoked marijuana at Jung’s residence in October 2013. Jo stated he was at the house unbeknownst to Wonho and Jung even though Jung gave Jo the house code so he could enter the house to borrow a Balmain belt. Jo claims that Wonho and Jung discussed smoking marijuana while he lurked in the house, then he claims he smelled them smoke it. Wonho then took a phone call outside, and that’s when Jo claims he confronted Jung before leaving. He said Jung asked him to ignore the issue, and that he left before Wonho knew Jo was there.

Following the marijuana story, Starship Entertainment terminated Wonho’s contract.

 

Hello, this is Starship Entertainment.

 

Regarding the report released on [November] 1, Wonho did get his luggage and body examined at the airport after returning from the concert in Germany in September 2019, but it was a simple process, and we were informed that it is part of the customs inspection. We were not notified separately of an investigation, and we were not aware at all of Wonho being under investigation, of the suspicions of marijuana use in 2013, and that an investigation is undergoing.

In relation with this case, the judgment has been made that we can no longer maintain our contract with Wonho and terminated our contract with Wonho as of November 1, 2019.

We feel heavy responsibility for causing trouble to many people due to the current situation, and we will work to fulfill our responsibility until the end so that he can diligently participate in the investigation.

We once again apologize to the fans who sincerely cherish MONSTA X. We apologize.

 

Meanwhile, monbebe (Monsta X’s fandom) have been petitioning Starship Entertainment to re-instate Wonho. The fans have mentioned that Wonho’s marijuana scandal isn’t new as he has admitted in the past that he made poor choices and promised to learn from them. Fans have also pointed out the Han Seo Hee’s involvement is enough to cast doubt on the entire story.

Starship, however, has removed the Wonho-supportive messages.

More information is expected to come with the allegations, so this is a developing story. However, all parties are innocent until proven guilty.

 

 

 

—-Olivia Murray

On October 11th, Korea’s Supreme Court has reversed and remanded the case of the Korean-American singer, Yoo Seung-jun (Steve Yoo), whose entry into the Republic of Korea has been banned by the Military Manpower Administration of the country since 2002.

The reversal and remand of his case means that the Supreme Court finds fault with the legal procedure, evidence or interpretation of law in the lower courts. This spells possible return for the singer, aged 43.

The lawsuit is pursued by Yoo himself, to ask the courts to cancel the decision of the Military Manpower Administration all those years ago. The first and second rulings before the Supreme Court’s decision had been that it was legally sound for the singer to be banned from entering Korea.

Yoo was a big success in the Korean pop music scene back in late ‘90s to early 2000s. He was undoubtedly the most successful male solo singer who mainly released dance music. His persona on television was always the “good” guy. He was viewed as a good singer, dancer, and rapper, who had more global style of music to offer as someone who lived in the United States since early teen years.

In 2002, his sudden choice of nationality as an American was widely condemned by the Korean public and the press, because this came about just before he was supposed to enter the mandatory military service, a duty imposed on every young Korean man. On top of it all, the authorities did something unheard of, either before or after: they banned Yoo from returning to the country. It didn’t’ help that Yoo had been viewed as a very straight type who would not shrink from his duty. He was stopped at the Incheon airport and was not allowed to enter Korea, and that moment was reported live.

 

 

After being stopped from entering Korea, Yoo had musical success in China. He returned to Korea briefly to mourn the death of his fiancé’s father, and talked about the state of affairs regarding Korea in an interview in China, but the Korean public remained critical and cold towards him. He had other numerous attempts to persuade, apologize and explain his actions, and released music in Korea. None of these actions have been particularly successful.

In 2015, Yoo applied for the F-4 visa at the Los Angeles consulate general, but was denied. It was then he began to pursue an annulment of the ban itself. The F-4 visa is issued to people of Korean descent who now have different nationalities. This means that Yoo has not been able to enter Korea on any type of visa.

Now, with the recent decision of the Supreme Court to send back his case to the Seoul High Court, Yoo may be entering Korea quite soon. According to the current Immigration Control Act, anyone who gave up their Korean nationality to evade military duty should not be restricted from receiving a visa to stay in the country when they reach the age of 41. Therefore, it could be easily argued that Yoo’s case had been more or less made an example for others, rather than based on regular legalities.

Yoo’s critics point out that the singer had never attempted seriously to return to Korea before he had turned 36, which is when he would be exempted from military service even if he gave up his US citizenship. This follows Yoo’s appeal that he would give it up to carry out his duty in the army, if given the chance. Yoo’s critics believe that he had known this was not possible, but used the argument anyway, to get what he wanted the most: to sell music in Korea again.

On the other hand, are also a lot of people who feel that what happened to him was harsh. Yoo maintains that all he wants to do is return to his motherland.

Amidst the recently-kindled hopes, Yoo has begun active communication with the Korean public through his YouTube channel. The singer has appealed to his viewers that his sons have never been able to visit Korea through no fault of their own. He has also thanked critical commenters for taking an interest in him.

It seems clear that he wants to stay relevant and in the limelight regarding the Korean public. This time round, he has a better chance of returning to the country than he has ever had in the last 17 years.

 

 

— J. Chung.

 

AleXa (previously as Alex Christine) is an American singer and dancer, born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States to a Korean mother and American-Russian descent father.

In 2016, she participated in audition competition program Rising Legends and won under the dancer’s category. The following year, she participated in Rising Legends: Season 2, and won the grand prize winner which gave her the chance to take a trip to Seoul, in order to fulfill her dreams.

In May 2018, AleXa participated in Produce 48, representing ZB Label, and she made her solo debut with Bomb on October 21, 2019.

We’d like to thank AleXa and her team for this great interview and wish them all the best in all their future endeavors!

 

Would you briefly introduce yourself to our readers please?

Hello, my name is AleXa. I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised there my entire life. My father is Russian/American and my mother is a Korean-American adoptee. I fell in love with K-pop in 2008, and that has led me on my journey thus far. I’m signed under ZanyBros’s music label, ZB Label, and participated on Produce 48.

 

Could we ask what your daily schedule is like these days?

To be perfectly honest, every day is different. However, I can give you a breakdown: wake up, run, practice, eat, more practice, go to the office, practice.

 

What do you like most about performing and being in front of the camera?

As AleXa, being in front of the camera means that I get to be somebody else for a moment. It’s nice to drop being Alex Christine and step into AleXa’s shoes.

 

What do you think has changed the most for you since debut?

My passion had grown stronger. This whole process has been like a light under a fire, and now the bomb (pun intended) has gone off!!

 

How would you describe your music and sound?

“Bomb” itself is a mix of electro beats and Brazilian funk. During my training, I trained in Afrobeats and Dancehall, which utilizes Brazilian funk. In the future, I want to make music with a very globally incorporative sound.

 

Who do you admire the most in the world? And, please name some artists that you admire in the music industry.

My mother is the number one person that I look up to in this world. She’s been through so much, and persevered through it all. She is such a strong woman, and I aspire to be like her. The artists that I really look up to are Taemin of SHINee, Hyuna, and Um Junghwa.

 

What is your favorite song/album that you listen to the most often?

I am an avid fan of the Gorillaz, so I listen to a lot of their discography. Also, I enjoy several rock and metal bands. To pinpoint one exact group or song is difficult.

 

What is your fav food? And why…

My favorite food is probably my mother’s kimchi stew. She cooked it a lot at home, and I very much so miss the taste of it.

 

What are your hobbies or interests?

My hobbies are writing song lyrics, photography, and make up.

 

 

Where do you want to perform in the future? Any venues or countries that you have in mind?

It would be a dream come true to have a concert in my hometown at the BOK Center. That is one of the largest venues in my hometown, and to fill that stadium for a concert would be incredible. I would love to tour South America and Europe next year.

 

What kind of person is your ideal type to date?

My ideal type is simply someone that I can be honest with. If they can respect me as a human, then they have my respect. In addition, a similar sense of humor and good conversational skills are lovely traits to possess, in my eyes.

 

Where do you want to go on a vacation the most?

Seeing as that my manager is from Sweden, I have heard so many lovely things about Sweden. I would absolutely love to go to Sweden, when given the chance.

 

Could you say something nice to the fans, and let them know your plans and wishes for the future?

To my fans, whether you have been with me for years or a few days, thank you for the support. It is an absolute honor to have all of you behind me to lift me up, so I will work harder to be worthy of your love and support. I hope to someday hold concerts in your hometowns to meet all of you and thank you in person. Thank you so much for everything.

 

 

 

 –J. Chung.

 

In limited theaters in Canada:

Believe the hype! Parasite is the best reviewed film of the year with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes! Don’t miss visionary director Bong Joon Ho’s acclaimed masterpiece taking over theatres in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal beginning October 25th.

 

For showtimes and to purchase tickets now click
https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/parasite-korean-west

 

Movie Trailer

Marketing & PR is마케팅과 홍보는 POP! Goes The World 에서 진행됩니다. 더 많은 정보를 원하시면 pgtw@kpopcanada.com 로 이메일 부탁드립니다.
PR & Promotions nationally by PGTW – contact pgtw@kpopcanada.com

 

South Korea is often said to be one of the safest nations on earth to live or travel in, with the homicide rate being very low and continuing to decline as the years go by. It’s actually quite safe to walk around at late hours, even at dawn, compared to a lot of places around the world.

Of course, a death by murder is just as terrible as anywhere else, but the fact remains that South Korea’s homicide rate is low. However, it is a shame that we cannot say the same about its suicide rate, which in reality is horrifically high.

According to WHO, the suicide rate in South Korea is currently the tenth highest in the world and (shockingly) the second highest among the OECD nations, just after Lithuania. And it is not because of a recent increase either; until very recently, South Korea had taken the highest spot.

In 2012, suicide was reported to be the fourth highest cause of death for South Koreans, which is tragic, to say the least. It is also the top cause of death amongst the younger generation; in fact, the most frequent form of death for Korean citizens aged from 10 to 39. And, from most celeb deaths by suicide that you read about on the news, you’ll notice that the average age group of suicidal celebrities is 20s to 40s.

But South Korea’s extremely high suicide rate is mostly due to the vast number of deaths by suicide among its elderly and retired citizens – and the extent of widespread poverty among the senior citizens in South Korea is ever increasing, with half of the country’s elderly population living below the poverty line. Many people feel that life is not sustainable through the existing social safety net, and this often results in the elderly committing suicide – not to become financial burdens on their families, since the old social structure where children looked after their parents has largely disappeared as of late.

We see the highest suicide rates in elderly Korean citizens residing in rural areas, especially because of general lack of jobs, especially in the case of the elderly. With 85.7% of those in their 50s experiencing job discrimination due to ageism, on top of the general poverty rate, suicide rates are ever on the increase for these groups.

The time of the year is also relevant, because autumn usually sees a particularly high suicide rate in South Korea. The condition of many victims of depression tends to worsen during this time, according to a study.

Another study says that happiness is very hard to achieve in South Korea, with its strong societal sense of competition and materialism. South Korea really needs to work to address its serious suicide rate in as many ways as possible.

 

J. Chung.

You voted, you decided! Here is your K-Pop Top 30 for September 2019. There were definitely some surprises in there! Please stay tuned as the October 2019 voting list will be available soon. All clips used under Fair Use. Video is promotional. Kcrush does not profit from these videos.

#FTISLAND #PIERCE #Dreamcatcher #SuperJunior #Chen #EXO #Minty #Wings #GWSN #3YE #AmberLiu #Zico #WeGirls #PurpleBeck #CLC #Sonamoo #Kpop #Koreanmusic #Jessi #Choa #Way #CrayonPop #Hoody #ANS #Bol4 #Laboum #FinKL #Saturday #TWICE #Gaho #Davichi #LeeHaeRi #KuHyeSun #GooHyeSun #AKMU

 

 

WYNE (Jang Subin) is a Korean R & B singer who competed in the sixth season of SuperStarK, where she was highly praised by singer-songwriter Yoon Jong-shin for her tone, and soon signed with his label Mystic Story. She parted ways with the company in late 2018 and is currently signed with The 015B.

We’d like to thank Wyne and her management for making this interview happen and wish them the best in all they work to accomplish.

 

Hello, briefly introduce yourself to our readers please.

Hello, I am a singer-songwriter called Wyne. I am 24 years of age and work in Seoul, Republic of Korea. I sing and write R&B music.

 

Was it your dream to become a singer/musician since a young age?

Yes, I loved singing since I was very little and was so very immersed in music. If there were any singing contests or competitions held at school, I would compete; and I remember dancing and singing a lot. I guess, that is how I built my dream as a singer.

 

Please tell us how the name WYNE come about.

I got my name from Amy Winehouse, whom I really respect and admire. And, I also got this name in hope that I’d become a musician who makes better music as time goes by, like fine wine.

 

Which one of your songs are you the most attached to?

I like all of my songs, but I am the most attached to a song that will be released this November called 물거품 (which literally means Water bubbles).

It’s my most favorite song that I’ve written thus far – I recall putting in a lot of work and effort for every wording, melody, and track.

That maybe why this song feels just like me.

 

How do you usually take care of your voice?

I wear a mask a lot. It’s the best in protecting your bronchial tube because it effectively humidifies the throat area. When the weather gets cold, I wear a mask wherever I go. At home, I always have the humidifier on and drink water frequently.

 

What is the first thing that you do when you get up?

I clean out the cat litter. I live with one cat and it’s my soulmate that makes me happy all the time.

 

Which artist or musician do you admire the most?

Amy Winehouse. I respect her not only because I find her voice and song lyrics very attractive, but the fact that she touches people’s souls through her music.

At times, I go into the corner and even cry while listening to her songs, and I think her ability to move someone in her songs is superb. I want to take after her in that respect.

 

Do you have a favorite color or dress code?

The color coral, and simplistic fashion.

 

Do you have any food or beverage that you like or dislike the most?

My fav food is chicken. I dislike any food that has spices or coriander in it. For beverage, I love iced Americano the best.

 

 

What is your hobby or interest outside of music-related?

I enjoy watching movies and TV dramas a lot. I normally watch them via Netflix and gain musical inspiration from the stuff that I watch too.

 

Where do you most like to perform in the world?

Anywhere in the States and Europe would be great. I want to perform at Glastonbury Festival and Coachella as well.

 

Thank you for your precious time. Can we wrap this up by letting us know your hopes and dreams for the future? Add something nice to the fans too.

The single is out in November and I plan to continue holding performances. My hope is to keep making great music and become a great musician!

To all the fans, I thank you and love you, all!

 

 

—J. Chung.

 

3YE (pronounced “Third eye”) is a three-member Korean girl group signed under GH Entertainment. The group debuted on May 21, 2019 with ‘DMT – Do Ma Thang’. Previously, all three members were part of GH Entertainment’s previous girl group Apple.B. We would like to thank the girls and their management for making this great piece of interview happen. We wish them all the best in all they want to achieve.

 

Hello, would you like to introduce yourselves to our readers?

Ha-eun: Hello, I am Ha-eun, the mood maker and maknae (youngest) of the group. I’m 21-years-young, and in charge of doing mid-range and deep, low vocals.

Yuji: Hi, my name is Yuji and I am a 22-year-old charismatic leader and main dancer of 3YE. I love watching films and dramas alone, and enjoy shopping since I have a liking for clothes! I can dance, rap, act and able to do variety entertainment as well~

Yurim: Hello, this is Yurim, who has a chic visual and unpredictable charm! I may look cold on the outside but in reality, I’m really bright and laughing out loud.

I’m also 22 years old.

 

We’re curious to know how you three initially got into this Hip-Hop girl group. What were your dreams growing up?

Ha-eun: I think we were put into this group, because we’re a very different group of this genre than the rest. I’ve always wanted to be an all-round entertainer since I was very young. My mom recommended me to learn, so I started learning dancing in elementary school, and I got to really love it. I’d perform and compete in contests, then I was casted by my first company. I learned how to sing in the process and began dreaming of becoming an entertainer.

Yuji: I loved being on stage to sing and dance since I was in kindergarten. I would always play around with a dance video on at home. I got the chance to learn belly dancing when I got into elementary school. After that, I wanted to learn other genres of dance, then moved on to do acting and singing as well. That’s how I began wanting to be an entertainer/celebrity.

Yurim: When I was younger, I saw a flight attendant on a TV drama and thought she looked so cool, which got me dreaming of becoming both an actress and flight attendant. I wanted to be a flight attendant and act different characters at the same time, so I’ve always wanted two careers lol. I loved going to the acting academy as well, so that’s why I wanted to be an actor, and later a celebrity.

 

How did the group name come about?

Yuji: The name stands for “the third eye”, so as to differentiate ourselves from other standardized groups. It could be interpreted that we’re totally different from the rest and we wanted to show a unique charm that only we’re able to emanate.

 

What has changed the most for you since your debut? Do you have any fun memories with the fans?

Ha-eun: Before we made our debut, we used to practice with songs by other artists, but it’s great to have our own songs to practice on! We definitely have more interaction with the fans now too~

Yuji: Before going on stage for an outdoor performance, we interacted with the fans’, played games with them and had a lot of fun.

Yurim: Before going on air, we took turns to become our manager for a day and it was a new experience and lots of fun. I wish we could do more stuff like that in the future too.

 

Musically speaking, what do you think is 3YE’s uniqueness?

Yuji: Each part of our songs has been produced differently and has an addictive chorus, with strong and dramatic music, only 3YE has those unique charms.

 

 

What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

Ha-eun: While I am still sleepy, I head towards the fridge, where I take out a red ginseng and two probiotic pills and take them.  

Yuji: For my health, I take a vitamin with lukewarm water, then massage my chin!

Yurim: Because so many of our fans upload new stuff about us online each day, I search 3YE, the first thing when I get up!

 

Which 3YE song are you the most attached to?

Ha-eun: I feel attached to both of them but OOMM (Out of My Mind) was more unique and fun in a way.

Yuji: We love both our singles! But if I had to pick one, it would be DMT (Do Ma thang), which is our debut song.

Yurim: Love the two songs equally but I would have to choose OOMM (Out of My Mind) because it’s catchy and fun.

 

Share with us a song or an album that you listen to the most often.

Ha-eun: I listen to Rihanna – Love the way you lie frequently. ^^ If given the chance, I’ll sing it for you.

Yuji: I’ve been listening to a lot of Zedd, Kehlani – Good Thing lately. It’s great to listen to when you’re working out lol.

Yurim: Kassy – Story of Nightfall, I am a fan so usually listen to her songs a lot.

 

Do you have any food that you especially like or dislike?

Ha-eun: I used to hate mushrooms when I was younger, so my mom would slice them into little pieces and make me mushroom rice. I can eat them now, since I’ve grown up lol.

Yuji: I can eat all kinds of food but stuff like oysters that have fishy taste and smell, I find difficult to eat, I think.

Yurim: I also eat any kind of food, except for… peas. I dislike how they feel and taste.

 

 

Do you have preference to any style of clothes? What would you say are your favorite shades?

Ha-eun: I have a preference for black & white and nude tones, but I don’t hate any other colors. I normally like to dress in a street, simple and modern casual/vintage styles; I also personally like a brand called Wonder Girl.

Yuji: I like simple colors like black and white but don’t really like orange. I wear Lap and More day brands a lot. I prefer to style myself with modern, Amekaji, casual and street look.

Yurim: I think I wear black the most often but I don’t have any colors that I dislike in particularly! I prefer modern, feminine, casual outfits.

 

What are your hobbies and interests? What are the most confident at doing well?

Ha-eun: I normally enjoy watching movies and variety shows on TV. I can’t say that I’m good but I have an interest in interior designs. What I’m best at is singing emotional songs in a mid-range and low voice. Ha ha.

Yuji: My hobbies are watching films, dramas and shopping. I am the most confident at dancing and I would love to try out all sorts of different genres of dance in the future.

Yurim: I love shopping and watching movies. I love adorning – so styling is what I am pretty good at!

 

Who do you most admire in the world?

Ha-eun: I respect my parents and consider my older sister as an idol, lol. �

Yuji: I love and respect my parents ❤️

Yurim: I also respect my parents the most. ??

 

 

Recommend us any books, musicals or films that you’ve enjoyed lately.

Ha-eun: I recently watched a movie called Tall Girl. I found the main character really memorable and intriguing, to watch her overcome her inferior complex and find confidence in the end.

Yuji: I went to the cinema lately to watch Exit on my own. It was nerve-wrecking and there were scenes that made me nervous but since it was both refreshing and emotional, I want to watch it again some time.

Yurim: I watched the movie Slumdog Millionaire and it left a big impression on me. It’s about winning a TV quiz and it reflects on the main character’s life which has a moral that even the littlest things in life are precious.

 

Where do you think is a place to visit in Korea?

Ha-eun: I’d love to recommend Paju, where I was raised! It has a lot of incredibly fun places with a lot of cultural sites that people can visit too!

Yuji: I think Gyeongju would be great ~ It would be a very meaningful trip for foreigners. I recommend you all to visit!

Yurim: I think Jeju Island is a great place, there’s a lot to see and eat. It’s so beautiful too.

 

Where do you want to perform in the future?

Ha-eun: There aren’t any specific locations in mind, but we’d go to as many countries as possible to do a tour!

Yuji: Would love to do our own concert in the States. Or is this too much to dream about?

Yurim: I’d really love to tour around Europe.

 

 

Please let us know any plans, goals and wishes you have for the future. Say something nice to your fans too.

Ha-eun: We want to evolve and become a world-wide known group. Please stay with us! For the future, 3YE will be really improving as a group. ❤️I Love You!!

Yuji: Thank you all for always staying with us and hope we can take this journey together for life ~ Please have a great day today and listen to our music! Please take good care of yourselves so as to not catch a cold! Love you! ❤️

Yurim: Thank you so much for always supporting and loving us. ❤️ We’ll be showcasing better stage performances for you guys so, please stay with us ~~~ Love you! ❤️

 

 

 

– J. Chung

 

As Korea’s first ever Beauty Director and the Founder and CEO of Lovely & Beauwork, Oh Min has also recently been appointed as the head of BOS Beauty Contest which is to be held in November of this year. This beauty contest is open for beauticians from Korea, China, Cambodia and Vietnam.

For this interview, Mr. Oh has shared with us his passion and philosophy when it comes to having the right mindset for success – and what his goals are for the days to come. We like to express our gratitude towards Mr. Oh , especially since this is the second interview that we have had with him, which makes him the only person in KCrush America we’ve had two interviews.

We wish Mr. Oh and his creative team all the best in all his future endeavors. As this week is Seoul Fashion Week, we expect more fashion-related articles and interviews to be available to our readers. 

 

Hello, thank you for taking the time out for this interview. What have you been up to since the last time we talked to you?

As you know, I’ve been working in this field (as a hair designer and Beauty Director) for so many years, and on August 27, 2019, I was made the chairman of BOS Beauty contest and commission. I personally think it’s somewhat a pity that beauty contests and competitions nowadays, are corrupted and not evolving in the way they should be. I intend to put in my part, in order to search and find more productive and talented people in the K-Beauty industry.

 

And what do you mainly require of the beauty contestants?

Back when I was in charge of operating my own beauty education institute, I was asked countless times to have some of my students compete in their beauty contests, but since I was aware of how these contests are in real life, I recall enrolling students to my academy after confirming that they were not going to compete in beauty contests. Later, three of my students asked me several times if they could enter a beauty contest for their own development purposes, so I gave in and gave them permission after making them promise five conditions, stated below. 

1. Winning an award at the contest should not be your ultimate goal.
2. You should develop your own work.
3. Record your work process while preparing to enter the contest.
4. Do not rely on your connection (or personal acquaintance) with any instructors.
5. Do not enter the contest using an abnormal route.

I was told by one of the staff members that they received a strange phone call from the organizers of a certain beauty contest, a week the contest was to be held. They phoned in to thank the three of my students for entering and said they would reward two of the three students, and they asked me to prepare which one of to be rewarded which prize. So, I strongly opposed their idea, saying it was beyond me that they could think of picking the winners without even having the contest. 

 

 

Vogue, Christmas Edition

 

Which fashion show do you recall as your best work from your 30-year career?

I’ve worked on over 4500 shows in the last 30 years – took part in the opening of the 2012 London Olympics (viewed by the entire world) with Designer Lie Sang Bong and fashion shows which was praised by the vip guests including the IOC members. We very honored when asked by Victoria and Albert Museum, to donate our Dancheong tiles which were created by me.

Likewise, myself and my team (Oh Min’s Creative Team) have worked across 5 continents and 6 oceans – basically, all over the globe. I am currently in charge of the hair styling at various fashion shows including Pret-a-Porter Busan, Daegu Collection, Seoul Fashion Week and all kinds of fashion shows outside of Korea. Each year, I do approximately 200 fashion shows, TV dramas, films, commercials in total, as a Beauty Director with my team members.

 

Where do you usually get the inspiration for all the shows?

There’s a rule that I seek from my apprentices and peers that I work with. I ask them to research and work hard to acquire the necessary information and to think outside of the box in order to fulfill the given tasks. We go to the extremes to challenge ourselves and experience in all aspects that we can – and go beyond just fashion and beauty.

 

When do you feel the most gratified or rewarded?

Well, I’d say that I am the most rewarded and thankful whenever I see how much my students or juniors have evolved. I always demand that they have to rise beyond myself, Oh Min – so, I feel really emotional and gratified when my juniors come up with something that is far beyond what I could’ve done.

 

This dress is from ‘Over the Rainbow: Dancheong’, Lie Sang-Bong’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

It is inspired by the Dancheong, the Korean pictorial art used to decorate and protect the wooden structure of traditional architecture.

 

What would you advise to anyone who wants to get into this business?

My message to the established beauty professionals is this: be true professionals. I’ve seen beauty salons of mammoth scale, franchises and famed Cheongdam beauty clinics, behaving despicably and breaching the principles of the fashion industry. Often, they service the hair and make-up in fashion shows, perhaps to advertise their institutions, for free. It is a shame to see them slaving themselves with no reward, and at the same time asserting their prestige.

Once, a model came to stand with our team, waiting for her turn on the catwalk. She was a stranger, and when we asked why she did not join her own group, she said that the beauty services rendered for free made her feel awkward. And her team happened to be a big salon with franchise shops all over the country. You might think such a salon would ask for more guarantee, but that was far from the case. The model called her team just hairdressers. The owner of such salons will have all those shows and collections on their sleeve, by hiring out their staff for free. What are they teaching their own staff? When the workers have their own salons, how could they avoid doing the same, the same as their teachers and mentors?

At another occasion, a new fashion designer was so eager to work with us because the free wigs provided for his last show were disappointing, to say the least. When he expressed his surprise and dismay at the guarantee we asked for, I had some strict words with him. If we were to do it for free and he needed diamonds for hair, would we have to offer those for free as well? Where do we draw the line? My point was that everything, from a tiny comb, needed to be paid for, everything from materials, accessories, not only for themselves but their fabricating costs. He did pay for everything and now is a famed designer.

Not to say that I did all those shows for just money. We do voluntary work for free, for example for building habitats for the needy. In professional work, we are not servicing but cooperating, in charge of the whole show as a project.

I tell my staff that they will have to overcome me, who is currently the best in this generation. I also tell them that in the future, they would have to demand 120% of what I do. The inheritance I have for them exceeds the value of my salon itself. The beauty work that I do now is the inheritance, for nobody but myself and my staff. I tell my fellow and junior beauty directors to be true professionals. We are also the provider of many new jobs. If beauty refers to everything beautiful, a beauty director creates, makes decisions, completes and solves the problems of beauty. In other words, a beauty director is a term that encompasses everything to do with beauty, as a master, even a president of everything in the whole world to do with beauty. And I hope to see many others coming forward to dream this beautiful dream of becoming a professional beauty director.

 

You’re a mentor to quite a number of people, but who is your mentor?

Reflecting back on my life, my mentor would be my father. He was a second-generation only son in his family, and he raised seven children by himself, and I think about him a lot when I raise my children.

My father would say that children are reflection of their parents. He’d wake me up at every dawn and say, “Early bird catches the worm” and this is what I always say at the end of every lecture that I do!! When you’re lying down asleep, you can only dream. But when you are staying up and actually working, you can fulfill your dreams!!

 

 

What do you advise to your juniors during fashion shows?

Our team may seem like a spartan-styled organization but it’s moderate on all sides. Some call us crazy for working excessively but we’ve never missed a show ever. I tend to stick by what I say and promise, and for all the blunders that my staffs make, I take full responsibility. I never ask the staff to take care of any mistakes they’ve caused. This is because we don’t make the same mistakes and I do not consider first-time mistakes, as a mistake. There’s something that I always tell my team members.

I tell them to work, not in front of me, but where I don’t see them. Which means, they should enjoy what they do. In reality, I know my team members like to find what to work on and they’re experts at what they do. I also advise them to keep studying and researching. We’re the best at what we do, when it comes to fashion, so I tell them to work harder on something unrelated to fashion. That’s how we can go beyond and further from where we stand. There’s something that I want to tell my juniors as well. Failure is something that we can all experience, and the other thing is, repetitiveness is a pain we all go through and only we don’t know we’re improving. These are the kind of things that I tell my juniors all the time. I tell them to enjoy the wait too. Your door to success is always waiting for you.   

 

 

Thank you very much for this interview. Lastly, let us know your future plans and goals.

My line of skincare products is coming out this season of Autumn. Oh Min’s perfume series is coming out at the end of this year. My new fashion brand of sunglasses, bags, shoes, accessories and other fashion goods is in plans too. My second line of sunglasses are being prepared to launch soon – the first collection received unbelievably well from the public and got sold out.

The beauty artist that I admire the most is Paul Mitchell. He developed diverse products in many different categories and was such a special artist. Even parasols, umbrellas, shampoos were designed and created in his name. I also started off my career as a beauty director but I am currently developing all kinds of goods. It’s already been over 10 years since I changed my work title to Beauty director.

That’s why when I released my line of sunglasses, the consumers didn’t find it that strange or unexpected. A beauty director is someone who manages and watches over the whole show and work, from head to toe, and develops and introduces a new trend for the people. Generally, if I were still working as a hair artist or makeup artist, I don’t think it would’ve been easy for me to tell a story between artists and release diverse line of collections.

My current dream is what my late wife wanted when she was alive. I want to build a museum in my own name, where I’d exhibit all my countless past work and data. An example would be, the Dancheong tiles that was donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The two pieces out of the 6 tiles were given to the museum, one is with Designer Lie Sang Bong and the remaining 3 pieces are currently with me. I own so much that could later be displayed at my museum, and I would love to dedicate the opening to my late wife.

 

 

Only the people who do their utmost deserve to see a beautiful future. The harder work you’ve put in right now, is really what is going to brighten up your tomorrow.

Rookie actors in films or TV dramas, tend to work hard to show their physiques but real stars show their souls. If you regard yourself a professional, you need to spend the time working to show your soul in what you do. This is how a professional should operate. And we’re truly all professionals. I wish you would work really hard on what you do, so you’d want to do the same even in the next lifetime. You have to push harder to be respected and become the best in your field. We’re all in this together.

 

 

– J. Chung.

 

#KoreasFirstBeautyDirector #OhMin #fashion #koreanfashion #koreanbeauty #SeoulFashionWeek #CEOofLovelyandBeauwork #OhMinPerfume #OhMinSunglasses #OhMinHairDesigner #LieSangBong #AllEyesOnKorea #2012LondonOlympics #DifferentDreamKDrama #beautydirector #kcrushinterview

 

On October 14, 2019, 25-year-old singer and actress Sulli (Choi Jin-Ri) was found dead at her home in Seongnam after her manager could not get a hold of her. Her body was discovered at 3:20pm local time. Sulli’s manager last spoke to her around 6pm local time the day prior.

According to the Seongnam Fire Department, when paramedics arrived on the scene, Sulli had signs of cardiac arrest and post-death paralysis (rigor mortis), indicating that she passed several hours before being found.

So far, police have stated there are no signs of foul play in her death. A spokesman said they even checked security footage around her apartment and did not notice any unusual activity. Suicide is speculated in Sulli’s passing, but police will not confirm or deny the reports. They have stated that Sulli battled severe depression, which is something she herself has been open about in the past.

“The investigation is ongoing and we won’t make presumptions about the cause of death,” police official Kim Seong-Tae said.

Police did not find a suicide note at the scene, but they did find writings from Sulli. They have not released the contents to the public.

Following the news, SM Entertainment, released a statement confirming the starlet’s passing.

This is SM Entertainment.

We apologize for conveying such sad and unfortunate news.

Sulli has left our side.

We cannot believe the situation now and we are just filled with grief.

For her family who is grieving after the sudden news of her passing, we earnestly request that you refrain from writing speculative articles or spreading rumors. We express our deep condolences.

Friends and fellow celebrities have taken the news hard. Several artists including Amber Liu, Super Junior, SuperM, NCT Dream, Nu’est, and SF9 canceled activities out of respect, while many others, including close friend Hara (who recently received help following a suicide attempt), Gyuri, Ahn Jae Hyun, Kyla Massie, Kevin Woo, DinDin, and AOA’s Mina have shared thoughts on social media expressing their shock and grief.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

그 세상에서 진리가 하고 싶은 대로 ..

A post shared by 구하라 (@koohara__) on Oct 14, 2019 at 7:55am PDT

 

Hara wrote, “In that world, I hope Jin-Ri can do whatever she wants.”

Gyuri said, “A beautiful and cheerful person. It’s difficult to express how I’m feeling in words. I hope the world will become a bit more tolerant to everyone.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

예쁘고 밝았던 아이 어떤 말로도 심정을 담기 힘든 조금 더 모두에게 관대한 세상이 되었으면

A post shared by 박규리 (@gyuri_88) on Oct 14, 2019 at 6:50am PDT

 

U-KISS’ Jun said, “You went through so much… I hope you will not be concerned about anything there and I hope you will be really happy, noona. Rest in peace now.”

 

너무 고생 많았어요..
거기선 아무 것도 신경 쓰지말고 정말 행복하게 지냈으면 좋겠어요 누나.
이제 편하게 푹 쉬세요.

— JUN (@JuN97L) October 14, 2019

 

Sulli has been open about her depression, anxiety, and panic disorders, and she most recently discussed these issues on Reply Night (also known as A Night of Hate Comments).

“My life is actually empty, so I feel like I’m lying to everyone by pretending to be happy on the outside,” Sulli said on Reply Night earlier this month. “I asked around a lot for advice. They told me, ‘Everyone has a dark side in their lives, but they live pretending that they don’t. Don’t think of it as weird.’”

In 2018 prior to the airing of her reality show Jinri Store, Sulli posted about her anxiety issues and social phobia in a now-deleted Instagram post, “Even close people left me. I was hurt by them and felt there was nobody who understands me, which made me fall apart.”

Sulli has been the target of Internet trolls and cyberbullying in recent years. Everything about her life from dating to her apparel choices have been criticized by Netizens. In an Instagram story from this year, Sulli asked, “I’m not a bad person. Why are [they] talking bad about me? Tell me one thing I did to deserve this?”

The Busan-born star began her celebrity career in 2005 as a child actress. From there, she debuted in f(x) in 2009 with the song “LA chA tA” before leaving the group in 2015 to focus on her mental and physical health and to turn to acting. She recently appeared in the drama Hotel del Luna and recently made a comeback in the music scene with “Goblin,” a track and video about someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Her comeback as a singer was met by Netizen backlash.

 

 

Sulli leaves behind family and many friends. As per her family’s request, her funeral will be private.

“The mourners and family do not want this. We ask reporters to understand with a generous heart. We ask that you cooperate so that Sulli’s last journey will be beautiful,” SM Entertainment said.

Words cannot express our shock and grief over Sulli’s passing. We wish her and her family peace.

 

If you or someone you love is struggling with depression, there is help.

United States

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line: A 24/7 nationwide text-messaging hotline. Text 741741 to talk to a trained counselor.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255- Available 24 hours every day.

The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386. Crisis and suicide prevention services available to the LGBTQ+ community.

Trans Lifeline: Call (877) 565-8860.  Crisis and suicide prevention services for trans and non-binary individuals.

Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 for help. Text 838255 for text-based services. This service aids veterans.

Canada

Kids Help Phone: Call 1-800-668-6868. A 24-hour service for youths 20 and under.

The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention:  Assistance is available in French and English. However, they are not a crisis center, but they do have links to crisis centers in each Canadian province.

Trans Lifeline: Call (877) 330-6366

Youthspace: This service helps people aged 30 and under. Text them at 778-783-0177. The service is available from 6pm to midnight PST.

 

For a complete list of suicide and crisis lifelines available in many countries, please visit Wikipedia’s list of resources.

 

—-Olivia Murray

 

*The founder and first leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, created the country’s policy which cut off North Korea economically from the rest of the world.

*Kim’s dictatorship has ruled North Korea for over 70 years, by three generations of the family. Kim Jong Un – grandson of Kim Il Sung – came to power in 2011, after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

*It is officially forbidden to give children the name born by their Leader, so if a child had been named like this before his accession, the parents must change the name.

 

 

*North Korea’s total population is around 25,49 million, while South Korea is more than double the number.

*North Korea is one of the most undernourished nation in the world – an estimated 41% of the population, or 10.5 million people, are believed to be undernourished – ranking 109th out of 199. The situation has been severe since the famine in the 90s, and 2 million people died from the result.

*The obesity rate is near-to-zero in North Korea.

*200,000 North Koreans, who commit political crimes are in prison camps with their entire family imprisoned with them. Around 40% of camp prisoners die from malnutrition while mining and agricultural work.

*Pyongyang’s citizens are known to be loyal to the regime, and the government decides who and if someone is worthy to live in the capital.
*In 1997, North Korea accepted the new chronology, and started counting the year after Kim II-Sung’s birthday in 1912, so it’s still year 107, while the rest of the world is in Year 2019.

*Every North Korean household are given a government radio that can’t ever be turned off, but only allowed to turn the volume down.

*North Korea restricts internet to its citizens, and not even 1% of the population has internet access. Citizens are relegated to using a state-controlled, domestic-only intranet network. If you own a computer, the service is free and allows access to only a short list of censored websites.

*North Korean government makes $50 million or so per year from drug production and producing fake US currency. N.K has denied the claim but the UN suggests the illegal funds help fund Kim’s luxurious lifestyle.

*Only 8% of all North Korea’s roads are covered with a surface. Since most transport inside the country is controlled by the authorities, only military people and politicians can afford to own a car – most citizens travel by bicycle.

*North Korea mainly trades with China, which makes up around 60% of the country’s exports. North Korea is among the top 20 countries exporting fishery products – Seafood, makes up a quarter of all goods sold abroad.

*North Korea is said to be sitting on a wealth of mineral deposits, with one estimate reaching nearly $10 trillion. The deposits could include more than 200 types of mineral, including iron, gold, zinc, copper, and graphite – plenty of rare metals used in smartphone production.

*Defecting is becoming extremely difficult since Kim Jong-un took over the North Korea regime in 2011. Defectors pay brokers $12,000~$17,000 to defect to South Korea. In 2012, the price was around $2,000 or $3,000.

*There are said to be about 28 “approved haircuts” in North Korea, but none of the men’s approved haircuts can be similar to their supreme leader’s. The men’s hairstyle can be less than 2 inches long and unmarried women must have short hair, but married woman can have more options.

*Wearing jeans is illegal in North Korea.

*North Koreans are only allowed to listen to music if the artist/song is approved by the government

*North Korea has their own rules for basketball. You can get 4-points, and missed free throws result in losing points. Slam dunks are worth 3 points.

*The Rungrado Stadium in North Korea is the biggest stadium in the world, with staggering 150,000 seats.

 

 

*Mount Paektu is almost 1000 meters taller than the highest mountain in the Korean peninsula.

*If someone breaks the law, the whole family for three generations forward gets punished as well. South Korean TV programs are very popular, and are illegally broadcasted or smuggled in, if the regime finds out about it, it could mean a death penalty.

*North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests since 2006, in violation of international law. Two were conducted in 2016, including a hydrogen bomb – but the United States doubted that claim.

*North Korea is one of the few countries in the world whose residents do not pay taxes. Taxation got abolished in 1974 and only organizations and individuals who are making money outside the country pay tax. However, it is rumored that the government plans to reintroduce income tax in the future.

*At the Korean border, lies the village of Kijong-dong, specifically built to show the southern neighbors the privileges of living in the North. It was constructed in the 50s when electricity was a luxury. Later, it became clear that these buildings were nothing but empty boxes with no floors, ceilings, or inner walls.

 

 

 – J. Chung.

 

After signing with A Entertainment in March 2019, B.A.P’s Zelo announced on social media that he and the company have parted ways.

In a screenshot shared on Instagram, Zelo stated “My relationship with A Entertainment ended.” The confirmation comes after he hinted that he was no longer part of the company via Instagram stories.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @byzelo on Oct 3, 2019 at 7:11am PDT

Currently, Zelo has posted on social media that he is looking for artists to collaborate with him. One message reads “Beatmakers who are interested in working together on music, please DM me.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @byzelo on Sep 21, 2019 at 6:17am PDT

If you’re a musician and you live in Korea, you might have a chance to work with Zelo if you message him. Some dreams could come true?

 

—-Olivia Murray