Chie Izuno works full time at an office Branch. Though she’s 30, she’s very young at heart and kind of innocent. She tries hard to go into the dating field but finds herself struggling due to her weight and self-esteem issues. She meets up with one of the company’s investors, Jin Harada, a super sucessful and young business man. However Jin has a severe lack of social skills. Chie strives to make a deal with Jin in order to aide her in her goal to lose weight and gain confidence, she tells Jin she can help him with his own flaws. Where will this agreement lead them to, and can two total opposites and flawed individuals overcome their personal demons?
Korea doesn’t receive as much attention as other Asian countries like Japan or even China when it comes to real estate investment.
With promising demographics and a GDP per capita that will surpass Japan’s in a couple of years, Korea has an interesting future ahead.
// Hyosung Corporation is one of the biggest industrial conglomerates in South Korea. It owns multiple subsidiaries working in IT, trade, chemical industry, industrial machinery, and real estate.
The company was founded in 1966 with a current annual revenue of around USD 17 billion. They have 25000+ employees, which is impressive.
Mr. Hyeon Jun Cho and Gyu Yeong Kim are the co-presidents.
“When a new change for the future aims at a better tomorrow everyone dreams and hopes for, the change can have true value. A change with value breathes inspiration into numerous industries and technologies, and a creative company that leads the change presents a better tomorrow faster than anyone. This is what Hyosung considers the most valuable kind of “Creativity.””
// ShinYoung Greensys Co Ltd. is a leading real estate development company based in Seoul. It was founded in 1984 as ShinYoung, but later changed name to ShinYoung Greensys Co. Ltd.
The chairman of the company is Mr. Choon Bo Jeong and they’ve won several awards for their projects in the past years.
Shinyoung Greensys Co Ltd operates domestic engineering and construction businesses. The Company specializes in public architectural projects. Dong Sung’s projects include construction of commercial and residential buildings, especially apartment complexes.
// Dongbu Corporation was established in 1969 and it is one of the oldest and most well recognized property developers in Korea.
It’s part of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates, the Dongbu Group.
The company has several subsidiaries working in real estate, manufacturing, shipping, insurance, chemical industry, and in finance. Some include: DB, DB Savings Bank, DB Capitale, and DB Hitek.
Mr. Jung-Gil Lee is currently the chairman of the company with 1000+ employees there.
Dongbu Corporation views itself as a ‘Total Construction Service Provider’ unmatched by competitors. To achieve this view, we are committed to further expanding our specialized business capabilities to create higher added-values through innovative project delivery methods. Dongbu Corporation, while securing and enhancing future growth potential that allows quantum advances in each of the corporation’s business markets, works with clients to provide quality services based on the latest technology.
// Korea Housing Corporation was founded in 1962 and was a government owned real estate developer. In the same year, the company developed the first ever apartment complex in Korea, called Mapo.
The company has 9 divisions, 1 research institute, and 47 departments. They own several subsidiaries and apartment brands that include A Thousand Trees, Jugong Green Vile, Tranchae, and Hummonsia.
The CEO of LH is Sang Woo Park. In 2009, it became the first real estate developer to complete construction of two million houses.
It aims to eliminate overlapping functions, such as the establishment of housing development projects carried out by the Korea Housing Corporation and Korea Land Corporation, and to contribute to the development of the national economy by providing new funds.
// Kangwon Land is a casino and resort developer in Korea. It was founded in 1998 as a casino and resort company, but now owns multiple subsidiaries that include High1 Entertainment Inc., High1 Sangdong Theme Park Inc., and High1 Chooco Park Inc.
The company has it’s headquarters in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon province.
The federal and provincial government has shares in the company and the current CEO is Hahm Sung-hee.
It operates two hotels with 674 rooms, two condominiums with 403 rooms, an 18-hole golf course, a ski resort with 18 slopes, and a casino with 132 table games and 960 slot machines on 2,800 acres of land. The effort to diversify sales continues today, as Kangwon Land is constructing a new convention hotel and 2 more condominiums. A new water park is scheduled to open in 2015 to complete the family-oriented year round comprehensive resort.
Kangwon Land offers a scholarship to students in abandoned mine areas and also spends 2 billion won each year to treat pneumoconiosis patients and support their livelihood.
// Founded in 1957, Hines is one of the oldest and most well-known real estate development and investment companies in the world. It’s based in Houston, Texas (the US) but operates in 24 countries and in 201 cities.
Although it’s an American company, their fame and success in Korea is something to be noticed.
The South Korean office was established in 2013 in Seoul and Yong C. Lim is the managing director and has been working with Hines since early 2009.
Lately it has acquired the Allianz Campus Berlin on behalf of a Korean real estate fund managed by Vestas Investment Management in a share deal forward funding transaction. Hines acted as investment manager for Vestas Investment Management and is taking on the long-term asset management of the property.
The property was sold by CORPUS SIREO Real Estate. CORPUS SIREO Real Estate and FOM Real Estate will retain responsibility for completing the construction of the building.
Hines has 128 developments currently underway around the world, and historically, has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,348 properties, totaling over 444 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 512 properties, representing over 223 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most respected real estate organizations in the world.
—-Ped Ruh
On Monday May 13, 2019, FNC Entertainment announced Mina will depart AOA and the company after her contract comes to an end. The company confirmed Mina’s departure while confirming that Jimin, Yuna, Hyejeong, Seolhyun, and Chanmi renewed their contracts in a statement.
Hello.
This is FNC Entertainment.
We recently renewed our contract with five AOA members Jimin, Yuna, Hyejeong, Seolhyun and Chanmi.
The five AOA members agreed to maintain their team and renew their contract with a unified support for their fans.
We have been working with AOA based on mutual trust, and we will provide full support for the five people who have renewed their contracts.
After seven years together and deep discussion with the members and the company, Mina decided to take a different path to make her new dream come true.
We decided to terminate the contract and leave the team because we respected Mina’s choice.
Please support and encourage Mina’s decision after a long time of thought.
Mina is the third member to depart AOA since the group’s debut in 2012. Youkyoung was the first to depart the group following the end of her contract October 15, 2016. Youkyoung only appeared during the group’s band promotions, so AOA was known as a group that had seven members plus one. However, for band promotions following the end of her contract, she has said she would appear as a guest member.
In June 2017, while many Knetizens thought her departure was due to her allegedly dating gaming company CEO Lee Suk Jin, ChoA departed the group and FNC Entertainment due to “depression and insomnia.”
The remaining AOA members will carry on as a five-piece as Mina departs to pursue her new career goals.
—-Olivia Murray
2PM’s Taecyeon will be discharged from his 20-month military service May 16, 2019.
Taecyeon, who enlisted September 2017, served his mandatory service as an active-duty soldier in 9th Armed Forces Division in Gyeonggi Province. Taecyeon gave up his United States citizenship and received surgery for a herniated disk so he could serve in the Korean army.
During his tenure, he was awarded for his exemplary service and promoted to sergeant this past February.
“I’m very honored and grateful to receive this award on behalf of the many people who serve in the military. I’ve learned so much during my time here. I’ll continue to work hard until my discharge, and I’ll do my best to be better,” Taecyeon said upon receiving the award.
Upon his discharge, Taecyeon plans to meet with fans and the press.
Taecyeon, who is no longer with JYP Entertainment and now signed with 51K, expressed desire to go into acting following his discharge. However, he still wants to promote with 2PM and his 51K contract will allow him to do so if 2PM promotes again.
Are you excited to see Taecyeon again? We know we are!
—-Olivia Murray
Giveaway: Mother’s Day Skincare Prize Pack!
Mother’s Day is May 12, 2019, so we’re giving away an amazing prize pack of Korean skincare for you AND your mom. How sweet will it be for you and your mom to share in the fun of being pampered and gorgeous through glowing skin? This giveaway is part of our amazing fifth anniversary celebration!
Prize Package:
- The winner will receive two cosmetic cases filled with skincare ranging from face cleansers to creams and masks. Each case will have identical items with only one difference between them.
- The prize package is worth $150 total, so you’re getting some exciting products to try and have fun with!
- Many of the items were previously reviewed by Kcrush staff, so what you’re receiving comes highly recommended by our writers.
- We’re not going to tell you what products you will receive, but we promise, the surprise will be worth it!
Entry Period:
- The entry period is 12:00am Friday May 10, 2019 to 11:59pm Wednesday May 15, 2019.
Entry
- To enter, use the hashtag #MothersDayGiveaway on this post or on the Facebook post. In the past, our hashtag giveaways have been successful, so we’re keeping the format.
- Comment why your mom’s the best.
- One entry per person on Kcrush.com and on Facebook for a total of two entries.
- Any comments before or after the allotted time will not be included in the giveaway.
- Winners will be selected Thursday May 16, 2019.
- Giveaway is open to all our fans globally! Hooray!
Good luck to all who enter!
ARMY has more reasons to be excited!
Netmarble, the company behind the mobile games Lineage 2: Revolution and Marvel Future Fight, announced on May 9, 2019 that pre-registration for their upcoming BTS World game opened.
Created in conjunction with BTS, BTS World is a mobile, story-based simulation game that will take players on an interactive journey with the group. Users will not only get to play using their favorite members, but they will also have access to 10,000 new photos and 100 exclusive video clips of BTS.
“BTS World was developed with the players in mind from the very beginning,” said Seungwon Lee, Chief Global Officer of Netmarble. “Not only do they get to experience something entirely different, but they’re also getting access to a tremendous amount of new and exciting content we created with BTS specifically for the game.”
Players who pre-register for the game will receive perks as they will get to see an introduction to the game, an exclusive BTS story, and a sneak-peek of the game’s mobile functions that will allow players to virtually interact with the group. A short quiz available on the site will also match players with a BTS-member.
The game will be released on iOS and Android. Information about the game can be found on Netmarble’s website and the game’s official Twitter account.
Khalid Collaboration Announced
In another piece of news, RM (Rap Monster) stated during an interview on 102.7 KiisFM that a collaboration with singer-songwriter Khalid.
“Actually, I have to mention Khalid, [our friend*] it’s really happening,” RM said. “So, please stay tuned for our Khalid collaboration.”
The collaboration news also comes after the announcement that Map the Soul: Persona has been certified gold by the Radio Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The album has now sold more than 100,000 copies.
BTS continues to score many honors. The future still looks bright for the monster idols!
—-Olivia Murray
On May 10, 2019, Jung Joon Young and his legal representation appeared at the Seoul’s Central District Court to plead guilty to 11 charges of filming and distributing illegal, sexually explicit videos via social platforms.
“We admit to all indicted charges and agree with all of the evidence presented by police,” Jung’s attorney said.
Jung’s court appearance was for his first preparatory hearing for violating Korea’s Special Act on Punishment of Sexual Crimes. A preparatory hearing allows courts to decide how to proceed with a case after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the defense.
While he was not required to appear, Jung was present for the hearing. With him was “Mr. Kim,” a former Burning Sun employee was indicated for “quasi-rape.” Four defense attorneys as well as a lawyer representing the victims were also present.
In addition to admitting to all charges, Jung’s attorney’s commented on other aspects of the investigation, including the case against former FTIsland member Choi Jonghun.
“The police investigation for Choi Jonghun, who is said to have been an accomplice, is in its final stage. It won’t take much longer [to wrap up]. We wish to hold a combined trial,” one of the lawyers said.
“We suspect that there are two victims [of illegally filmed footage],” Jung’s representation said. “We see the need for the Ministry of Justice to appoint public defenders for the victims so that we can reach settlement.”
Attorneys have requested that Jung and Choi’s trials be held at the same time.
“When these charges are pressed, please adjust [Jung’s] court schedules so that both cases can receive trial at the same time,” an attorney said.
Additionally, the defense stated they wish to reach a settlement with the victims.
“Please appoint a government lawyer to represent that victims, as we hope to come to settlements,” a legal representative said.
The Ministry of Justice took the lawyers’ requests to hold a joint trial for all charges into consideration and set the next hearing to take place on June 14, 2019. Stay tuned for updates.
—-Olivia Murray
We are proud to inform you that the dates for the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN or PIFAN) is out, along with the reveal of this year’s official posters.
The unicorn in Ridley Scott’s movie Blade Runner – the movie was based on a novel by Philip K. Dick – is said to be the main inspiration for the two posters for the 2019’s International Film Festival held in Bucheon, South Korea. As many of you know, Blade Runner is an acclaimed sci-fi movie, released in 1982; set in the year 2019.
The two unveiled posters promote the science fiction genre, which is also the Korean Film Festival’s theme and concept for this year. Even for those who have watched the film (or its sequel Blade Runner 2049) may find it ambiguous on what the origami unicorn actually represents.
The first poster displays an image of an origami unicorn and Cells of Fantasy descending from a BIFAN spaceship, filling up the Bucheon’s sunsetting sky. Mountainous scenery with masses of buildings can also be seen below.
The second poster shows the majestic unicorn-shaped piece of origami that has now landed on a complex building of Bucheon, and a couple of spaceships, like the one featured in the first poster, invading the territory. And what looks like a streak of lightning lights up the night sky. The imposing unicorn doesn’t have eyes, but its stance makes one wonder whether it has the ability to see, dominate, or control the surrounding scene.
Through the two official posters of this year, BIFAN is evidently promoting the sci-fi genre, which is the primary concept for the 23rd BIFAN, as mentioned.
The 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is to be held over the course of 11 days, from June 27 until July 7, 2019, in the city of Bucheon. Bucheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, known as a satellite city of Seoul, 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the country’s capital.
▶ Dates for the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival: From June 27 (Thurs) until July 7 (Sun) 2019.
▶ Dates for B.I.G 2019: June 30 (Sun) to July 4 (Thurs) 2019.
[INFORMATION & CONTACT]
Foreign Press Manager┃Jennifer EARWOOD
23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Jun 27 ~ July 7, 2019)
Fantastic Office Bldg. @Bucheon City Hall, 210 Gilju-ro, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, 14547, South Korea
M. +82 (0)10 5036 7019 F. +82 (0)32 322 9629
E-mail. bifan.intlpress@gmail.com, foreignpress@bifan.kr
—-J. Chung
In a sad piece of news, actress Han Ji Sung, 28, was killed in a three-car crash early May 8, 2019. Initially, Han’s name was not released.
According to reports, Han and her husband pulled over on the right lane of the Incheon International Airport Expressway, so her husband could use the bathroom. While he was away, Han exited the vehicle and was then struck by two cars in succession. According to the police, the vehicle’s warning lights were on.
According to Allkpop, Han was struck by a 56-year-old taxi driver and a 73-year-old male driver. Both may face charges in Han’s death.
Police are investigating why Han didn’t pull over on the shoulder and why she may have stepped out of the vehicle. However, since Han was killed on-impact, that answer may never be known.
“When I returned to the car after using the restroom in the vicinity’s bushes, the accident had already happened,” Han’s husband told the police.
Han’s acting resume included roles in the dramas Happy Sisters, Moonlit Gymnastics, Second to Last Love, and the film Sori: Voice from the Heart. She also had a role in the upcoming film, One Punch.
Prior to acting, Han got her start in Harvest Entertainment’s 2010 idol group B.Dolls where she went by the name Seo I. She appeared in the MV for “Winter Story,” the group’s second release. B.Dolls has been inactive since 2011 and is considered disbanded even though an official announcement was never made.
“Han Ji Sung left us in a tragic accident. She was a wonderful actress who had a great passion for acting. She had so much ahead of her in the future. It’s such a shame she passed away so suddenly,” one of Han’s acquaintances said.
We send our condolences to her friends and family.
—-Olivia Murray
On May 6, 2019, Big Hit Entertainment announced plans to change TXT’s fan club name after the name, Young One, stirred controversy.
Fans weren’t happy that Big Hit’s male rookie group announced Young One was their chosen fan club name as it is the same name as Tiffany Young’s fan club. Young, who is still considered a member of Girls’ Generation despite leaving SM Entertainment in 2017, announced Young Ones as her fan club name in 2018 and expressed the significance of the name. Her fan club and SONE reached out to Bit Hit asking them to reconsider TXT’s fandom name.
On TXT’s fan café, an admin posted a message addressing the controversy.
Hello,
This is TXT’s official fan community manager.
After TXT’s official fan club name was announced on April 25, it has come to our attention that the name is currently being used by the fandom and fan club of other artists.
In the process of deciding on the official fan club name, similarities to pre-existing fan club or fandom names were not fully cross-checked.
We apologize to all the patient fans and anyone that might’ve been offended by the announcement.
At this time, we have decided to revise TXT’s official fan club name.
We plan to carefully and thoughtfully check the fan-submitted ideas before the official announcement.
Please check the announcement regarding the revision for more information.
Thank you.
When a new fandom name will be released has not been announced, but TXT fans may not have to wait too long, especially since Big Hit seems willing to appease fans and other fandoms. Stay tuned for a new fandom name!
—-Olivia Murray
On May 7, 2019, Girls’ Generation member and actress Sooyoung signed with Saram Entertainment!
“Choi Sooyoung has showed stable performances through various characters, regardless of genre, including movies and dramas,” Saram Entertainment said. “She has proved infinite potential by continuing her global career based on a positive mindset and confident attitude. We will fully support her efforts to continue her activities in more diverse areas based on trust and communication.”
Sooyoung’s transition into acting has been met with much success. In 2014, she won the Excellence Award for the miniseries My Spring Days (MBC Drama Awards), and in 2015, she won the Actress Excellence Award for the same series at the 8th Korea Drama Awards.
Since 2008, Sooyoung has appeared in 18 television, film, and variety roles.
While under Saram Entertainment, Sooyoung joins fellow celebrities Honey Lee, Uhm Jung Hwa, Kwon Yul, Go Sung Hee, Han Ye Ri, Lee Je Hoon, Jo Jin Woong, and Yoon Kye Sang.
You can check out Sooyoung’s acting chops in 2019’s TV series So I Married an Anti-Fan and the films Memories of Dead End and Girl Cops.
Congratulations to Sooyoung on her new agency!
—-Olivia Murray
Congratulations are in order again for BTS, as they just snagged two awards at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards!
During the May 1, 2019, BTS scored the “Top Social Artist” award for the third consecutive year. This year, they were nominated alongside EXO, GOT7, Ariana Grande, and former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson.
You voted and the results are in! Congrats @BTS_twt, our #BBMAs Top Social Artist! pic.twitter.com/javTPx2ces
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 1, 2019
Additionally, the group also snagged the “Top Duo/Group” award. BTS won over Dan + Shay, Maroon5, Imagine Dragons, and Panic! at the Disco.
During their award speech, BTS thanked ARMY for helping them achieve the award.
In addition to winning their two awards, BTS performed “Boy with Luv” with Halsey.
Congratulations again to BTS on their wins!
—-Olivia Murray
May 2019 is shaping up to be a hot month for comebacks as Ladies’ Code have also thrown their hats into the comeback ring!
On May 3, Polaris Entertainment released a teaser photo featuring Ashley, Sojung, and Zuny with the comeback date as May 16, 2019.
This will be Ladies’ Code first comeback since “The Rain” and the mini album Strang3r in October 2016; they released the digital single “The Last Holiday” in December 2018.
Between group activities, Ashley and Sojung both released solo tracks. Sojung released “Better Than Me” and “Stay Here” and May 2017 and March 2018, respectively. Ashley released “Here We Are” in July 2018. Recently, Zuny was cast in her first drama role in the KBS2 drama Justice. The drama, which is set to air in July of this year, is about a lawyer who signs a contract with the devil in order to seek revenge on another man. Zuny will play a young woman who’s going blind named Shim Sun Hee.
Ladies’ Code’s contracts are also expected to be up this year as most K-Pop contracts last seven years, so there are fans that feel this may be Ladies’ Code’s last comeback before their contracts end.
We hope Ladies’ Code’s comeback will be successful. No matter what the future holds, we hope it’s bright for them!
Related: Check out our interview with Ladies’ Code that we held earlier this year!
—-Olivia Murray
On May 3, 2019, Banana Republic provided an update on the contract talks with EXID. In a statement, the company announced the LE, Solji, and Hyerin have renewed their contracts, while Hani and Junghwa have decided to look for new agencies.
Upon the announcement, Banana Republic released the following statement:
Hello, this is Banana Culture Entertainment. This is our official statement about EXID’s contracts.
Solji, LE, and Hyelin expressed their wishes to remain with the agency and re-signed with us. Hani and Junghwa have, after a long discussion with the agency, reached an agreement with us and decided to go their separate ways after their contracts expire at the end of May 2019.
The three EXID members who have renewed their contracts with us will be focusing on their individual promotions for the time being. Solji and LE are preparing to promote as solo artists, highlighting their singing, rapping, and producing talents, and Hyerin is planning on tackling a variety of broadcast and music activities with her various talents and appealing image.
EXID is an important group to Banana Culture as well as the fans, and as such, we are not thinking of this as the group disbanding. The members are also thinking of it more as a turning point from which they can take on new challenges. We are deliberating on ways in which EXID can promote together in the future.
We will do our best so that Solji, LE, and Hyerin can carry out stable and active solo promotions.
We also express our deep gratitude to Hani and Junghwa. Though their contracts are officially expiring, we sincerely wish them the best in their future endeavors.
We ask for your encouragement and support for the five members of EXID, who have new roads ahead. Thank you.
On May 3, Banana Culture also stated the group will make their final full-group comeback on May 15, 2019. In a statement, Banana Culture said the girls will carry out promotions overseas and domestically.
“EXID will be making a group comeback with a new mini album on May 15,” Banana Culture said. “After this mini album release, EXID will carry out various broadcast promotions both in Korea and overseas throughout May, before taking a temporary hiatus as a group. We have come to an agreement with Hani and Junghwa, who will not be renewing their contracts with us, that they will still carry out all of EXID’s comeback promotions to the fullest before they seek out new agencies.”
Banana Culture added, “As the members are preparing for a new chapter of their careers, they also said, ‘Let’s do our very best this time for our fans,’ and are currently practicing diligently. We ask for your anticipation and support toward the new album.”
The company and group are not using the word “disbanded,” so there is some hope they may work together in the future. We wish EXID the best with their future endeavors.
—-Olivia Murray
*Japan is made up of 6,852 islands. The four largest are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu – over 400 of these islands are inhabited.
*Japan’s capital city, Tokyo hosts over 36 million people. The name was originally “Edo” but got changed to “Tokyo” in 1890, in light of the Meiji Restoration. Tokyo is believed to be the second most expensive city in the world to reside in.
*The highest point in Japan is the Mount Fuji, at 3,776m (12,388ft). Over one million people climb the volcanic mountain each year, during the climbing season of July and August.
*Japan hosted the 1964 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo and will hold it again in the coming year of 2020. Japan also hosted the 1972 and 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo and Nagano.
*The birth rate in Japan, is categorized as one of the lowest in the world. There are more seniors than children, 21% of the Japanese population is elderly, which is the highest proportion in the world. (There are also more pets than children.)
*Japan has the second most McDonald’s in the world (after the U.S).
*Japan has more than 1500 occurrences of earthquakes per year, on average.
*Japan boasts of a public bathhouse culture which originated centuries ago.
*Japanese consumes more fish than any other nation in the world – around 17 million tons per year. It’s also common knowledge that Japan is famous for raw fish – sushi, but Horse meat is also considered a healthy delicacy, eaten sliced thinly and eaten raw.
*Geisha means “person of the arts” and the first geisha were men dressed as women.
*There are 19 Nobel Prize winners from Japan, which is highly impressive, considering that there are many nations that don’t have winners.
*The Japanese citizens do not elect their political leaders directly, and have a parliamentary system of government, which was adopted from England.
*Baseball is hugely popular in Japan. It was first introduced by American Horace Wilson, who was an English professor at the Kaisei Academy in Tokyo. The first game ever held there was in 1873, in Tokyo.
*In Japan, the roads don’t have names and only displays numbers. Apart from in Kyoto and some Hokkaido cities, most Japanese streets are nameless.
*The Japanese typically eat KFC on Christmas Eve, ever since the 70s. Sales soars during this festive season.
*The Japanese enjoy fiesta; some companies allow employees to take 30-minute naps between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. This practice is called inemuri, and valued as a sign of dedication and hard work.
*Hikikomori refers to half a million young Japanese citizens, who seclude themselves from all social ties to spend most of their time on the internet, playing video games, pointlessly killing time alone, at home. This is considered a social issue which stemmed from a downturn of economy.
*Japan is known for Hello Kitty, Nintendo and Harajuku – and anything that is considered cute. The word “kawaii” is derived from a phrase that means “a radiant face” of someone who is embarrassed. This later mutated to the modern “cute” and means “able to be loved.”
*There is no tipping in Japan – it may be taken as an insult, so don’t consider doing it.
*In Japan, the “go” lights are more of a turquoise or aqua color, and in some areas they’re just plain blue.
*For Russia and Japan, World War II isn’t over yet. Moscow and Tokyo never signed the peace treaty that would’ve ended the war. The animosity continued due to the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, an island located between the two nations, which Russia invaded in 1945 and continues to occupy. Presently, 30,000 Russians live on the island with missiles pointed to Japan.
*Godzilla was given Japanese citizenship and appointed as the ward’s tourism ambassador.
*Japan is the only country in the world with a reigning emperor. The first time that the Japanese citizens heard their emperor’s voice was when he announced the country’s surrender in World War II, via radio.
*Japan owns more than a dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites.
*Scientists in Japan invented ice cream bars that do not melt. While they experimented to help farmers affected by the aftermath of the tsunami in 2011, they accidentally discovered a chemical that solidifies cream almost instantly, in a wholly organic way that will maintain its shape and not melt for hours.
— J.Chung.
After 19 days of denials, the now-former singer and actor, Park Yoochun (TVXQ, JYJ), has admitted to taking drugs. His admission comes days after he tested positive for drugs following a hair sample analysis and days following his arrest.
On April 29, 2019, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency stated that Yoochun confessed to the drug allegations after he began meeting with his former fiancée, Hwang Hana, again. The confession came after his April 27 questioning.
During his admittance, Yoochun said, “I was afraid to let go of myself. I feel like I need to accept what needs to be accepted and ask for forgiveness on the things that need an apology.”
Initially, Yoochun, who will be 33 in June, was charged with buying 1.5g of Philopon, a Japanese methamphetamine, and using it five times, but he also admitted to a sixth time where he used meth.
Meanwhile, Hwang Hana was arrested, but apparently has been released despite admitting her own drug use. She’s currently active on Instagram. As previously reported, articles and information pertaining to her confession and any mention to her connection to the Yoochun case have been removed from Korean media outlets. Hwang is the granddaughter of Namyang Dairy’s founder and allegedly has several chaebol connections.
Following Yoochun’s confession, his lawyer, Mr. Kwon, resigned from the case on April 30.
“I would like to notify that all of my activities regarding Park Yoochun will halt starting this day. Yesterday on April 29, Park Yoochun admitted to all of his charges, and is receiving his investigation in honesty this time, as reported by the media,” Mr. Kwon said. “Please understand that I was unable to respond to each reporter’s questions until now due to preparations for the police investigation and the arrest warrant decision.”The concession comes to the shock of his fans who stood by him and vehemently tried to refute the drug charges by stating the story was to cover the Burning Sun scandal. Those same fans tried to dispute questionable photos of Yoochun, while others tried to explain how meth could appear in one’s system even if a person never took it.
In Incheon, Yoochun’s name has been removed from Park Yoochun Cherry Blossom Road, a 5,500,000 won donation project from Blessings Yoochun, a fan club for the now-disgraced star. His name has been removed or painted over in each place where it appeared including nameplates attached to various contents from his interviews, dramas, and social media.
Yoochun was last active as a celebrity in February 2019 when he released “Slow Dance.”
—-Olivia Murray
Seungri’s scandal continues to get uglier, since another female is now claiming that she was raped by one of the men in question.
A reported on “SBS 8 O’Clock News”, on April 19, the woman who only goes by her surname Lee, visited Korea from abroad to give her testimony.
Lee made a statement that she was invited to a get-together overseas in 2016, to join Seungri, Roy Kim and former Yuri Holdings CEO (and Seungri’s business partner) and other unnamed members of their clique. She didn’t know any of the males but accepted the invitation, because her female friends were invited and they were promised separate sleeping space from the men. The SBS news broadcast also shared a chatroom conversation where Seungri said, “Eight have been recruited”, around the time of the event.
Lee revealed that she blacked out after having dinner and drinks with the men in the living room. By the time she woke up the next day, she was unclothed in bed in a room adjacent to the living room. She said, “My friends found me in another room connected to the bathroom but on the other side from where they originally left me. They were yelling at me to wake up and open my eyes. Apparently, they had been trying to wake me up for over 30 minutes. I’m known for being able to hold my liquor when I’m with friends, so I knew there had to be a different reason.”
When Jung Joon-young’s chat logs were released to the public, only then Lee realized what had happened to her, 3 years ago.
At the time, Kim had posted a video of her in their Kakao chatroom, where actor and former boyband member Choi Jong-hoon replied that it was too short. Jung got into the conversation that “(You) raped her”, and added laughing characters.
Kim: shares video file
Choi Jonghun: “What is this. It’s so short”
Kim: shares another video file
Choi Jonghun: “What is this. She is passed out”
Kim: “What if she is”
Jung Joon Young: (Lol) you r*ped her
When questioned by the police, Kim just claimed that the sex was consensual. As usual, Seungri’s representative also stated that the former Big Bang member was not aware of the incident. And like nothing ever happened, these men remained in contact with Lee until now. Lee commented, “I was always thought that I’d never have something like this happen to me. But anyone can become a victim. I don’t want there to be any more victims, I want them to be punished, so I thought I made the decision to come out.”
The police confirmed that Lee is the female in the video, Kim was then charged for engaging in sexual intercourse with someone unconscious or unable to resist, which would be categorized as rape.
——————————————————-
Many of you would totally agree that these reprehensible scandals have gone on long enough. It has just been reported that the authorities will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant on Seungri, by the end of this week. He’ll be facing a list of charges including, soliciting sex, usage of drugs, distribution illegal videos, issues surrounding Burning Sun nightclub and more.
The police have announced that they own enough evidence to prove all these charges, and that they are currently at the last stages of the investigation.
— J.Chung.
NATURE is a Korean girl group, consisting of nine members from Korea, Japan and China – the group has three sub-units – Charming, Twinkle, and Cutie. The name of their fandom is LEAF, which is a natural complement to the group’s name.
NATURE was formed by n.CH Entertainment in August of 2018, and the company’s founder is the former SM Entertainment executive Jung Chang-hwan. On August 3, 2018, NATURE made their debut with the single album Girls and Flowers, Allegro Cantabile, which is a remake of the opening to Nodame Cantabile, a Japanese anime.
In August, NATURE won their first ever award, “New Artist of the Year” at Soribada Best K-Music Awards.
We would very much like to thank the members of NATURE and their staff for making this interview happen, as we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. As always, we wish that KCrush readers would enjoy reading and learning more about NATURE and their music.
Thank you for taking a time out for a KCrush Interview. Please introduce yourselves to our readers…
Aurora: Hello, this is Aurora of Girl group, NATURE. I’m 22 years of age, from Xi An, China.
Saebom: Hello, I am Saebom. Hope you all have a Happy Spring!
Lu: Hello, this is Lu ~ I am the leader of NATURE!
Chaebin: How are you? This is Chaebin from NATURE’s sub-unit Twinkle!
Gaga: Hello, everyone. I’m Gaga from NATURE.
Haru: Hello… This is the cutie powerful dancer, Haru!
Loha: Hello! I am NATURE’s Aloha ~ Loha, the happy virus!
Uchae: Hello! I am Uchae, the youngest blooming flower of NATURE!
Sunshine: Hello, I am Sunshine, the real “maknae” of NATURE ~
(*Uchae and Sunshine were born a month apart.)
What were your childhood dreams, while growing up?
Aurora: I wanted to be a comedian when I was in elementary school, and a teacher. I currently want to start my own business, selling board games.
Sae-bom: Musical actor, singer and kindergarten teacher, since I loved to dance, dance and also, children.
Lu: I wanted to be a singer or a celebrity.
Chaebin: I had vocal lessons since I was in elementary, so I wanted to become a professional opera singer. But I gradually got immersed in mainstream pop music that later enabled me to pursue a career in pop music.
Gaga: My childhood dream was to become an actor.
Haru: A dancer or a celebrity for me.
Loha: I always wanted to be an idol singer since the age of 5, and that dream never changed. I’ve always loved to dance and sing in front of an audience since I was really young.
Uchae: I had so many dreams while growing up. I wanted to be a singer, but also wanted to become a flight attendant, a vet, a police officer and many others…
Sunshine: I used to dream of becoming a firefighter, a chef and a flight attendant!
How did you form as a band?
Aurora: I was having a meal in Beijing, when I got a call from my dance teacher who told me to come for an audition.
Saebom: When I was at college, I wanted to learn how to sing, so I visited a music academy. The teacher there recommended that I should try out to be a singer; that is how I came to be a part of this company and debut as Sae-bom, a member of NATURE.
Lu: My voice coach recommended that I should take an audition at our company and that’s how I got to join this group.
Chaebin: After I sat for a college entrance exam, I was on my way home with a friend, and was casted by the team manager at our company.
Gaga: I was recommended to take an audition at my current company, and then started my training.
Haru: I was in Korea to study dance and then got casted.
Loha: I was a trainee at a different company for a while, then I made a decision to leave and returned to my hometown in Gwangju. I attended an academy there and started training. Our CEO had watched one of my K-pop cover videos, and asked me to come and take an audition. I got to join the group after passing the audition.
Uchae: I took part in a dance competition when I was a member of the dance club while I was in my third year of middle school. A staff at our company cast me, and I got in after taking an audition. I was trained for a while and became a member of NATURE.
Sunshine: In April of 2018, I went to watch an open audition held by various different talent agencies, and I was contacted by my current company. After about a month of talking to the people involved, I was made a member of NATURE straight away.
What has changed the most for you personally, since your debut as a group?
Aurora: My personality seems to have changed.
Saebom: There isn’t anything substantially different for me, but I can search myself on Naver, YouTube, Melon and anywhere else online now.
Lu: I’ve become more responsible of my performances.
Chaebin: Before, I wasn’t that interested in taking care of myself, but after we debuted, I see myself putting in the effort, so I think that has changed a lot for me.
Gaga: My way of thinking and dealing with problems has changed a lot. I think I’ve become more mature.
Haru: I’ve become more confident.
Loha: Firstly, I think my overall life has changed. Before debut, I had a more or less consistent lifestyle and routine. But now, we follow the given schedule which differs each day.
Secondly, I can look up “Kang Ye-jin” or “Loha” on the internet to find my photos, which is quite thrilling for me and my parents too.
Uchae: I would’ve normally been at school on weekdays, but I get to perform at broadcast stations now. Previously, I’d have been watching other people perform on TV, so this has changed the most.
Sunshine: I think my hairstyle has changed. I used to have long hair but since debut, I got it cut short into a bob.
Which song by Nature, are you the most attached to?
Aurora: 기분 좋아 (Girls and Flowers).
Saebom: I’m equally attached to all of our songs, but it would have to be 썸 (You’ll Be Mine) for me. I think we attracted the most attention when we had that single out, and the song was very unique from the usual style and concept. And since the choreography was very diverse, it felt more special.
Lu: 기분 좋아 (Girls and Flowers). The lyrics sound confident and the song gives you a really great feeling.
Chaebin: 꿈꿨어 (Dream About U) for me! I love all the songs by NATURE, but I think that this one is very addictive. The people I know have also told me that they’ve listened to this song the most.
Gaga: “You’ll Be Mine” is the song that I’m the most attached to, the rhythm and style of this song are really to my liking and matches my style well.
Haru: ‘꿈꿨어 (Dream About U)’ which is about telling your boyfriend that you’ve dreamt of him.
Loha: NATURE – 썸 (You’ll Be Mine), since I made my debut through this song when I joined the group, and because I normally like to have parties and do exciting things, this goes well with a party girl theme. The beat and the rhythm sound so fun too.
Uchae: I like all the other songs, but I think Allegro Cantabile (너의 곁으로) is the one I like best, because it’s a debut single and the first ever music by NATURE.
Sunshine: NATURE – Hey Jude (OST from K-drama Spring Turns to Spring)
What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Aurora: I have breakfast.
Saebom: Uhm… first I look at my phone. And drink water and then shower…
Lu: I go for a run.
Chaebin: I turn all the alarms off.
Gaga: Open my eyes?
Haru: I wash my face.
Loha: I yawn loudly and check the time from my phone. Then I watch two to three music videos that I like and lie around for a bit more, before I go and wash.
Uchae: I get up and wash up, then eat have an apple.
Sunshine: I yawn and turn the alarm off.
Tell us about your current hobbies or interests.
Aurora: I like spending time on the phone, watch animations, play games, and read novels.
Saebom: These days, I watch one or two movies (regardless of the genre), before going to bed. I also read books and write lyrics down on a note pad. I just write random things that come to my mind at night/dawn, and since I didn’t really learn it professionally, I’m just doing it as a hobby for now.
Lu: Crush is my favorite singer and I love to play the guitar. Crush makes music that I want to take after, while my guitar is my ambition and a lifetime companion.
Chaebin: My hobbies are going to the movies, the Coin Karaoke, and coffee shops to have iced Americano when my work for the day is over. I guess, it’s all about singing, watching movies and taking rest for me.
Gaga: I like watching dramas and movies in my free time, especially English and American dramas. Also, I love to travel and taste food with my friends all over the world.
Haru: Cooking.
Loha: I love watching American TV series and movies so much that I watch at least one episode before heading off to bed. I also enjoy doing decorating and interior designs. These days, I like to make my own choreography to some of my fav songs, or enjoy freestyle dancing with the music on. I also like interpreting lyrics to pop songs, which is a form of studying English as well.
Uchae: Since there are so many good songs out right now, I like to work out or read mystery novels with the music on. In the past, I used to like going out to movies and shopping a lot, but these days, I enjoy just sitting around and listen to songs.
Sunshine: My hobby is listening to music, by looking closely into the meanings and emotions behind the lyrics! At times, I put a song on repeat to concentrate on the drums, base and piano.
Tell us which songs or albums you normally enjoy listening to.
Aurora: 徐佳瑩 (Lala Hsu) – 失落沙洲
Saebom: I love hip hop, old pop, country, and just about any type of pop music. The song I am into these days is Joji’s Slow Dancing in the Dark, which I listen to frequently.
Lu: Michael Jackson – Rock with You. Because it’s so up-to-date and trendy, that I can’t believe it was produced 40 years ago. I love the melody and the back chorus of the song.
Chaebin: I tend to listen to a variety of songs, instead of just sticking to one song, but I listen to Ariana Grande’s breathin, a lot.
Gaga: I listen to different kinds of music and it’s hard to tell which I like the most. However, if I had to pick just one, I would say Highschool musical. Cuz it’s the theme song of the movie I liked most when I was a student.
Haru: NATURE’s ‘썸(You’ll Be Mine)’! I hope you all check it out!
Loha: The song that I listen to the most often is, Anne-Marie’s 2002. Because I’m a romantic, I find the lyrics extremely romantic and it makes me feel like a main character from a romantic movie. The album which I listen to the most is Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next.
Uchae: I usually listen to a lot of R&B and ballads. I especially like listening to Baek Ye-rin and Crush sunbaenim the most.
Sunshine: Kim Kwang-seok – 잊어야 한다는 마음으로 (With A Determined Heart To Forget You), Kim Hyun-sik – 내 사랑 내 곁에 (My Love, Next To Me), Vinxen – 전혀 (Not at all), SF9 – Fall in Love, BTS – Rain, DALJOHNBAM 달 좋은 밤 – Liar, Taeyeon – Fine, and Apink – Wishlist.
What kind of food or beverages do you like the most or dislike?
Aurora: I like meat and dislike creamy foods.
Saebom: There aren’t any kinds of food that I dislike. I especially like anything made of flour, anything sweet, spicy and rich. I love tteokbokki and cheese balls, and I’ve been eating a lot of that lately. I also love pizza, sujebi, pasta, macrons, chicken and all kinds of meat! I love noodles too. Love it all.
Lu: I like sushi and ice cream. I don’t really have any foods that I dislike.
Chaebin: I love chicken and pasta. I hate veggies. For beverages, I like them all, except for anything bitter.
Gaga: For drinks, I like avocado milkshake the best. For food, it is definitely hot pot! I don’t think there is food that I don’t like.
Haru: I love macarons and cheese. There is no food that I can’t eat.
Loha: I really love pizza and pasta the most. I also like soda, sikhye and fresh strawberry juice. I dislike green bell pepper, paprika and broccoli.
Uchae: I really don’t have any foods that I don’t like. I can eat just about anything so well. I love sushi the most. I’ve actually had a hundred of them when I went to a sushi buffet, the other day.
Sunshine: I love coke the best. I dislike to eat peas, bananas, shellfish and cucumbers.
In your opinion, which color suits your personality the most?
Aurora: I don’t know which color suits my personality the best, but I like yellow and white because it’s clean and fresh that represents hope.
Saebom: Black or red! I chose these colors, since red seems fierce, strong and glam, while black has both calm and peaceful aspects to it.
Lu: White and red.
Chaebin: White suits me the best! And it goes well with my personality as well. I am a pro-peace person and that may be the reason why.
Gaga: Light blue because it symbolizes freedom for me.
Haru: Pink.
Loha: The rainbow colors! I have extremely cheerful and eccentric personality and charm; which makes me very unpredictable and I suit all colors so well.
Uchae: I like it’s indigo, for me. When I asked the other members, they said indigo suits me the most because of my quiet and calm personality.
Sunshine: I think, purple goes well with me and my personality. The other members all said purple suits me too!!
Who do you admire/respect the most in the world?
Aurora: My mother!
Saebom: I don’t think I have one, as of yet.
Lu: No one.
Chaebin: Actress Jun Ji-hyun. I find it ever so fascinating that anyone can emit such natural and aura while acting.
Gaga: My parents. I am the only child in my family. My parents raised me for 18 years. Now, I’ve grown up but I had to leave and cannot accompany or look after them. They still support and inspire me a lot.
Haru: I don’t have anyone.
Loha: My parents and BTS sunbaenims for me! My parents are whom I admire and respect so much, purely by their existence. I love them more than anyone.
I admire BTS for working so hard and for still being able to focus and stay true to when they first got started. I admire and want to take after them, since they shine so much on stage and in everything they do.
Uchae: The emotional laborers. I recently saw a video about the subject, and I was very moved and cried when I saw how they handled and completed their required tasks, despite having to deal with people who were mad and rude to them.
Sunshine: The Korean poet Yun Dong-joo. I admire how he had his own way of doing independence movement.
What do you do to release stress and tension?
Aurora: I’m still searching for a way.
Saebom: I take walks while listening to music. Or I find something that I can concentrate on, so I can forget about the issues that I am dealing with at the time. I also watch movies or find a book to read.
Lu: I work out, play the guitar or watch movies.
Chaebin: I go out to watch movies with my friends to release stress, which helps a lot.
Gaga: Eat. The best and fastest way to release stress is to keep eating delicious food with my friends.
Haru: I go for a run.
Loha: I talk to my parents on the phone, or do a lot of energetic dances. I also go to sleep while listening to my fav songs, watch American drama series or movies.
I play with my dog, Wendy too!
Uchae: To release stress, I listen to music, while taking walks down Han River, meet up with family members or friends and have a nice meal or something.
Sunshine: I listen to music or watch a movie.
Do you have any habits that you’d like to fix?
Aurora: I tend to forget or lose things easily.
Saebom: I make a peculiar noise when I sneeze, and it’s pretty funny. I want to fix it to a more lady-like sound.
Lu: Want to stop being clumsy.
Chaebin: I don’t really have any.
Gaga: I like playing games so much that I sometimes forget to sleep, so I wanna change this habit.
Haru: I draw my eyebrows when I have free time.
Loha: I bite my nails, eat food any time I get hungry, and I have to watch a movie before falling asleep, even if I’m really fatigued.
Uchae: I want to stop having useless thoughts and stop worrying about things that will never happen.
Sunshine: I have a habit of continuously scratching my forehead when I’m in the waiting room.
Which country or venue would you most like to perform at?
Aurora: China.
Saebom: South Eastern countries, because I love the hot climate. I want to experience the passion from the crowds, and show our passion in return.
Lu: Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Chaebin: I can’t select just one place, and I’d love to go anywhere to perform.
Gaga: Definitely a world tour. But I want to perform in China the most. Since it’s my home country, and the best stage is a place where my family can see me doing what I do best.
Haru: Tokyo Dome.
Loha: My biggest goal is to perform at the Billboards Awards or the Grammy’s.
Uchae: If we can get our name out there, I’d love to go to perform anywhere!!! If we can get more people to become LEAF, then I would love to do a concert in Tokyo Dome!
Sunshine: I want to perform at Seattle, in the States. My brother is there for his studies, and he has never seen me perform before.
Tell us about your plans and wishes for the future – please say something for the fans too.
Aurora: For the fans that we haven’t gotten to meet yet – we are waiting and working ever so hard for the day when we can all meet. See you all, soon.
Saebom: Our goal is to show much more enhanced performances for our fans, LEAF, and be an inspiration to them. We’ll be working on our album so, see you all soon! Miss you lots!
Lu: We’ll be back with more to showcase. Don’t forget about us and we all look forward to our return ~
Chaebin: We’ll be back very soon! If given the chance, we want to show LEAF that we can act too. We’ll be back in no time, so please wait, love you LEAF. ♥.
Gaga: I will practice more to make further progress. For those who love me and support me, I will work harder become better, and not disappoint them.
Haru: Our goal is to let the world know about us. And we’re always so grateful for your support! We exist because of you, LEAF. Stay with us forever. ☺️
Loha: Our biggest goal is for NATURE to become successful, and my future plans would be to work hard to achieve and expand into acting and feature in commercials.
NATURE’s biggest ambition is to work hard to further develop ourselves, and go on to win a billboard or a Grammy award in the future.
We love you, LEAF, we’ll do our best to develop and grow so your time spent on giving us your love and support would not be wasted. Please stay with us in the future, as you’re doing now. Love you.
Uchae: We spent quite a long time promoting SOME and Dream About U – we managed to pull it off, thanks to all the people who came to see and support us. We aren’t certain when we’ll be back as of yet, but we’ll make sure to showcase a better version of NATURE that we can be proud of! I love you, LEAF! ♥ We hope that we can become a global group, and get to do what we want as individuals as well!
Sunshine: We’ll do our best to improve and enhance in various ways, so we’ll be back with great music for our fans in the future. We’ll also communicate with our international fans, a lot more too!!
— J. Chung.
Earlier, it was reported that HELLOVENUS would disband when their contracts end in May. Originally, Fantagio Entertainment denied the group would disband, but on April 26, 2019, Fantagio finally confirmed the female group will no longer be a group in a statement.
Hello. This is Fantagio Music.
First of all, we express sincere gratitude to the fans who have cherished and loved the group Hello Venus for a long time. The exclusive contracts of some members of Hello Venus (Alice, Nara, Lime, Yooyoung, Seoyoung, Yeoreum) with Fantagio Music will expire on May 8, 2019. After much discussion with the members about Hello Venus’s future activities, we came to the agreement to show support for each other in each individual’s desired activities in various areas for the futures of the members. Although the Hello Venus members still have a special relationship, we would like to cheer them on for each other individual paths.
Seoyoung and Yeoreum, who joined as Hello Venus members in 2014, will continue activities under our agency, and we are positively discussing with Yooyoung and Lime about contract renewals. Lastly, Alice and Nara made final decisions to [leave] on a positive note to chase their new dreams, and we have decided to respect those decisions. We express our gratitude to the six members of artist Hello Venus, who have always shown their best from their debut until now. In addition, we will cheer on and support the desired individual paths of each of the members, and we will do our best to help so that they can grow in the future. We express our sincere gratitude to the many fans who have sent constant love and support to Hello Venus over the past seven years, and we ask for your warm interest and support for the members who are awaiting new beginnings.
Thank you.
On April 27, Nara posted a letter to fans on her Instagram.
Hello. This is Hello Venus’s Nara.
It’s been a long time since I say hello with a handwritten letter. I am going to write this in a calm and orderly way with a heavy heart. You probably heard the news yesterday through the media. Alice and I will be starting fresh after leaving Fantagio, who we have been with for nine years. With the contract ending on May 8, even while working on my project, I made this decision after thinking it over a lot with the members and the agency. Although I am sad and also upset, this is the decision we made to show you each of our own dreams and to do our very best. Hello Venus’s debut on May of 2012 seems like yesterday and is still vivid in my mind. All Hello Venus members made many promises to fans, but I am sorry that we couldn’t keep them all.
All this time, I’ve wanted to do my best as Nara, and I’ve wanted to keep the promises I made to fans, but my heart aches because I don’t think I kept them all. Instead of thinking of it as the end of Hello Venus, I will think of it as another beginning to show my best to fans and will continue trying to show my best at all times. Please continue to watch over not only me, but also Alice, Lime, Yooyoung, Seoyoung, and Yeoreum, as we will do our best to show our best. So, I hope Hello Cupids are not too hurt. Also, I sincerely thank the people in Fantagio, who have been with me for nine years. All this time, I felt a lot of support when thinking about the love Hello Cupids gave to Hello Venus, and I was able to work while developing wonderful dreams.
Although I won’t be able to repay you as Hello Venus, I will work even harder to repay the love that you have given me so far as former member of Hello Venus, Kwon Nara. I hope you are always healthy and happy.
Hello Venus’s Nara. April 27, 2019.
As Fantagio’s statement suggests, the members will pursue their own individual activities. We wish the soon-to-be former HELLOVENUS members luck in their future activities.
—-Olivia Murray
Dallas BLINKs will now only have one chance to see BLACKPINK in concert as the May 9, 2019 concert has been canceled without an explanation.
While there was speculation the show may be canceled following Ticketmaster’s removal of the May 9 ticketing page, confirmation came April 27 from both Ticketmaster and AXS that the show has been canceled.
YG Entertainment has yet to provide a reason for the cancelation, but an explanation may be provided soon. AXS and Ticketmaster will be providing refunds to fans in the coming days.
The May 8, 2019 concert in Dallas/Ft. Worth will still go on according to AXS. The concert will be performed at the Forth Worth Convention Center Area at 8pm local time. On Ticketmaster, tickets are available for resale for various locations across the area. Tickets are not available on the AXS site.
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK successfully performed at Coachella and wrapped up their shows in Los Angeles and Chicago.
—-Olivia Murray
May’s already looking like an exciting month for comebacks!
On April 26, 2019, Oh My Girl (OMG) and Weki Meki both announced that they will be making comebacks in May.
OMG released a teaser image April 26 showing the girls dressed as dancers in an oil painting. WM Entertainment states the new album—OMG’s first full album—will be released May 8. The album, titled The Fifth Season, will be OMG’s seventh overall release and the first since Remember Me in September 2018.
“Oh My Girl has officially set their comeback date for May 8. As this will be the group’s first full-length album since their debut, the members are working harder than ever to prepare for it. Please anticipate Oh My Girl’s comeback,” WM Entertainment said.
News of OMG’s comeback was released April 10 when WM Entertainment said, “Oh My Girl are currently preparing a new album with aims to release in early May. Please look forward to it.”
This past January, OMG successfully completed a U.S tour. Their first U.S Tour visited Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Indio, and San Jose.
Meanwhile, Fantagio Entertainment announced that Weki Meki will also return in May, but an official comeback date has not been released.
Weki Meki’s comeback will be their first in seven months. In October 2018, they released their first album, Kiss, Kicks, and the single “Crush.” The group debuted in 2017.
Are you excited for the returns of OMG and Weki Meki?
—-Olivia Murray