9th Korean Music Festival: the Secret’s out of the bag?

Attendees have been anticipating the fourth (& presumably final) batch of artists to be revealed for the Korea Times Korean Music Festival this year, and though no official announcements have been made on the official Facebook or Twitter pages, it looks like girl group SECRET will officially be in attendance!
Fans who were scrolling the event’s official webpage (koreanmusicfestival.com) noticed that the female quartet was part of the image slideshow, leading many to believe that SECRET will be the final artist to attend. The slideshow also features Bobby Kim and Jeon Young Rok.
Whether or not there will be any other groups in the final batch is still questionable — since these three additions bring the performers list to fifteen (there were twelve parties in 2010), some believe this will be the final listing. As Korea Times hasn’t confirmed whether more artists will be added, stay tuned to allkpop as we continue to follow this matter.
The line-up now includes: SECRET, Jay Park, U-KISS, 4minute, SISTAR, K-Will, Baek Ji-Young, G.NA, DJ D.O.C, Jeong Soo-Ra, Sul Woon Do, Kim Jang-Hoon, Lee Eun-Ha, Bobby Kim and Jeon Young Rok. Buy your tickets, mark your calendars to see these stars & win free allkpop goodies, and keep your fingers crossed!

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IU & TVXQ’s Yunho in discussions for figure-skating program, “Kiss & Cry”

Singer IU and TVXQ’s Yunho have begun preparations for their appearance in “Kiss & Cry“!
According to industry representatives, IU and Yunho have both confirmed their appearances for unique figure-skating program, which is similar in concept to Mnet’s “Ice Princess“. Both shows cast stars for an intensive figure-skating training program, which is overseen by a professional figure skater.
In preparation for their upcoming film schedule, the two have been training intensively.
One representative revealed, “You don’t just wake up one day and become a figure skater, so they’re starting their training early while they still can.”
“Kiss & Cry” producers, however, are sparing their words, and stated, “There is nothing confirmed yet.”
The program itself will be led with the help of Olympic gold medalist, Kim Yuna. Other celebrities expected to appear include Kim Byung Man.
His representatives commented, “We did receive an appearance request, but because the broadcast date is unconfirmed, we have yet to make a final decision.”

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Why did Luna cry over Kang Ho Dong’s words?

Yesterday, we reported about how f(x)’s Luna cried because of Kang Ho Dong. Most people assumed it was because he had said some harsh words to her, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
On the latest episode of “Strong Heart“, Luna shared a story from her debut days, which stretched back to 2009.
When she first debuted, people commented frequently that she looked very cold. She didn’t have many opportunities to show off her personality until she got asked to be on “Star King“. She was scheduled to appear on the show with fellow member Victoria, and she decided that she would try really hard to show off her true personality.
But on the day before filming, a friend called her and said, “Luna, be good to Ho Dong! Don’t get too hurt by him. Even if you’re good, he only likes pretty girls so he won’t even look at you. Anyways, do well on ‘Star King’! ”
Luna said, “I was worried after the phone call, but I tried really hard during filming and got a permanent guest spot on the show. Ho Dong oppa gave me so many chances to show off athletic and singing talents that I really was able to make my name known.”
Lee Seung Gi added, “It’s clear that Kang Ho Dong likes pretty girls since he helped you out.”

It seemed that everything was running smooth for Luna, until a certain day when all the members of f(x) were invited onto the show. The talk revolved around physical activities, and Luna was called upon to show her “horse thighs”. She thought people would make fun of them and brought a hat to cover the tears she expected to shed.
However, contrary to the criticisms, she actually received a compliment from Kang Ho Dong himself! He surprised her with, “I swear, if you keep working this hard, in 10 years, you will be really successful.”
After hearing this, she started sobbing so much that she had to sit in the back row so no one could see. She says she was really touched by his kind words.
On “Strong Heart,” Kang Ho Dong said, “I could tell that Luna genuinely loved people and had eyes like jewels so I advised her to trust herself.”

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miss A’s Suzy and Jia show off their BFF love

These besties can’t seem to put the camera down!
miss A’s Suzy and Jia snapped more photos of themselves, this time from the practice room. Jia wrote, “We practiced way too much~ We haven’t forgotten how to act pretty in photos! Hoo… We have no energy! Break! Break!”
The two are lounging on a couch, but you can tell that they’re pretty worn out. Could it be that they were preparing something for their eventual comeback?
Fans wrote, “They look so close and friendly,” “Suzy unnie, you look so pretty right now,” and “I have a fond smile on my face right now.”

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2PM Haru*Hana Magazine Vol. 2 (All Interviews)

Japan Debut
Special Interview
A preview before their debut! They want to show people a manly and powerful performance

2PM is a boys’ group that boasts overwhelming popularity in Korea. With their powerful performances and overflowing wild charms, they leapt to the top of the Korean music scene right after their debut in September, 2008. In recognition of the group, the term “beastly idols” was also born in Korea. We have asked 2PM, the strongest and brightest group in K-POP, about their thoughts on their Japanese debut.
CHAN: We’re very grateful and fortunate to have this chance. Lots of Korean artistes are active in Japan, so we will do our best not to lose to our seniors.
WOO: I don’t want to forget the feelings we had before our debut. Of course I hope we’ll gain popularity in Japan, but for now, I’m referring to the challenge of how people will view our music.
KHUN: First, I want to learn Japan’s culture and language. After that, I will work hard to let everyone recognize 2PM and every one of our members.
The term “beastly idol” was born for 2PM. What meaning does that nickname hold for the group?
TAEC: It’s a phrase that came up for the first time as a way to describe us, so we’re grateful and very honoured. Originally, the word “beast” seems to be used in negative situations where, for example, a woman screams at a man, “Kya, you beast!” (laughs) But in our case, it’s used in a positive light, and we’re thankful that it helped to spread the name of 2PM, too!
WOO: I think this beastly idol image is one of the reasons why Japanese people are interested in us. So I want to show them a manly, passionate and powerful performance.
This summer, they held their first concert in Seoul and Busan. Extra concerts were also added, before they closed their performances with great success.
JUNSU: We didn’t have much time to prepare, but I think we managed to produce a good concert within that limited time. Many people came to our concert and had fun with us, so it went very well.
JUNHO: It was our first standalone concert and the first time the hall was filled with just our fans, so I was very happy. A lot of Japanese fans came to the concert, too. It strengthened my wish to hold a concert in Japan soon.
KHUN: I also learned that we had a lot of room for improvement. I’ve felt, once again, how truly difficult it is to produce a good concert. But more than that, I was happy to be able to become one with our fans.
Each of them gave ideas for their respective solo pieces, resulting in stage performances shining with individuality. The members told us some backstage stories from the concert.
TAEC: Chansung, you ripped off your clothes, didn’t you? (laughs)
CHAN: I had no idea what to do for my solo corner. The other members were going to sing, some were going to dance, and some were even going to perform with an instrument. So, while I was deciding what to do, I realized that no one was going to expose their body. (laughs) 2PM can’t get away from their manly image, after all. (laughs)
TAEC: So that was your intention. (laughs)
CHAN: I figured someone had to do it, so I sacrificed myself. (laughs)
JUNHO: For this concert, we showed a parody video of “Cinderella’s Sister” , didn’t we? Once we get better at speaking Japanese, it’d be great if we could take a parody video of a drama in Japanese, too.
The boys tried to speak in Japanese by using as many words as they knew in the interview. They appear to be furiously studying Japanese now, in preparation for their debut in Japan.
JUNSU: We can sort of pick up what people are saying in conversations, but speaking is still difficult. I’ve also tweeted in Japanese on Twitter, but I’m still not fluent at all, so I’m learning from a friend in Osaka.
All the members are currently using Twitter. While staying Taiwan, they put up a tweet of the members disappearing with only their clothes left behind, causing a sensation amongst fans.
TAEC: I shared a room with Junsu, but when I returned to the hotel, Junsu was missing with only his clothes left behind. I couldn’t find him no matter how hard I searched, so after I took a picture of his clothes, I called the other members. Then one by one, all of us started this game of taking off our clothes and disappearing somewhere. (laughs) So, it was Junsu who started it. At the time, Wooyoung was so sleepy, he didn’t join us, though. (laughs)
2PM’s closeness with each other is part of their charm. On December 8, you can see these boys with your own eyes at their first live event.
WOO: A lot of people will be meeting us for the first time, so instead of doing something special, we want to show them our natural state in order to let them know what 2PM is like.
KHUN: To everyone in Japan, we’ll see each other very soon! We’ll show you the efforts of our hard work, so please wait a little longer!

Special Cross Talk
All the 2PM members stand out with their individual personalities. We can see their relationships(?) and true nature in these special pair interviews!

JUNHO x JUNSU
We can instantly recognize our Japanese fans. (Junsu)

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T-ara’s Eunjung hints at what kind of husband she needs

Recently, allkpop reported that T-ara’s Eunjung was confirmed as the new ‘wife’ on MBC’s “We Got Married“.
Since the identity of her ‘husband’ has yet to be revealed, Eunjung posted a cheeky tweet about her preferences for her spouse. She wrote, “I need a person who can give me strength. If I give him strength, then I need a person who can give me more strength.*”
With her first broadcast scheduled for the 30th, it is only a matter of hours until she will find out if her ‘other half’ fulfills her needs! Stay tuned on updates about this new couple!
Source: Eunjung’s Twitter

Source: allkpop

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IU Bobby Kim, duet for ‘Wednesday Art Stage’

For Part 2 of the upcoming broadcast of MBC Life/MBC every1 ‘MBCPlusMedia Foundation 10th Anniversary Wednesday Art Stage’ set to air on the 30th, IU and Bobby Kim will be singing Jason Mraz’s ‘Lucky’ together.In addition, Yiruma, who is MC for the evening, will accompany IU on piano for a performance of ‘A Story Only I Didn’t Know.’A representative from MBCPlusMedia stated “Very stable and mature for her age, through ‘Wednesday Art Stage,’ IU was able to break the stereotype of most idol singers, and she will now be rediscovered as a musician who is passionate about her craft.”Meanwhile, for today’s recording, IU was joined by other talented artists such as Byun Jinsup, Buga Kingz, and Mate.IU went on to reveal that Byun Jinsup, who performed with Buga Kingz, is someone “my mother really likes.”Translation: janeberryblue @ WeHeartIU.comSource: Sports TodayOriginal Article:http://news.nate.com…/20110329n26947

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IU and 2AM Changmin, selected as ‘Idols with the Best Singing Abilities’

Recently, the music industry has been saturated with idols for awhile.A young and healthy idol singer’s singing and dancing abilities as well as talent can be said to lead to his/her explosive popularity, and yet, in female portal site Ezyday’s popularity corner and TV entertainment corner, an interesting survey was carried out to find out ‘among idols, which male singer and female singer have the best singing abilities?’Consequently, 2287 netizens participated in the survey and IU was selected as the best female singer, while 2AM’s Changmin was selected as the best male singer.

Of the 1131 netizens who answered the question about the female idol with the best singing ability, 41% of them chose IU. She has been receiving a lot of love from teenage students as well, for her outstanding singing ability and is currently gaining popularity for her song ‘The Story Only I Didn’t Know’.
Following her, SNSD’s Taeyeon, who received 18% of the votes, came in 2nd place and Seo In Young, who received 10% of the votes, in 3rd place.
In carrying out this survey, 10 female idol stars who are not only popular but also possess great singing ability were targeted, including Lee Haeri (Davichi), Park Bom (2NE1), Jea (Brown Eyed Girls), Luna (fx), Hyorin (Sistar), Narsha, (Brown Eyed Girls), Sunye (Wonder Girls), etc.
On the other hand, out of the 1156 netizens who answered the question about the male idol with the best singing ability, Changmin received 30% of the votes, coming in 1st place.
Following him, JYJ’s Xiah Junsu received 19% of the votes, coming in 2nd place and 8Eight’s Lee Hyun, who received 13% of the votes, in 3rd place.
10 male idols stars were targeted in the survey, including Jung Yonghwa (CN Blue), Lee Hongki (FT Island), Kim Junsu (2PM), Simon D (Supreme Team), Jonghyun (SHINee), Kyuhyung (Super Junior), Yoseob (B2ST), Daesung (Big Bang), etc.
Survey participants also gave their thoughts regarding idol stars possessing respective talents and being able to sing well. Netizen half-gazewrote in support of IU, “Already leaving us stunned and in admiration, IU’s singing ability and appearance are the best, isn’t it? That’s what I think.” Yet another netizen gorgeous lady wrote, “Changmin really sings well” and “In 2AM’s songs, it’s easy to pick out Changmin’s parts”.
The survey was carried out for 7 days from 14th to 20th March and the ratios for participants were male (25%), female (75%), in their 20s (17%), 30s, (39%) and 40s (27%).

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Jiyeon and Lee Joon became friends through ”Jungle Fish 2”

-How did you end up doing a voice act for ‘Gnomeo’?While recording for (KBS2), Jiyeon mentioned it by saying “Oppa, did you know that?We are working together again!”. I found out that I was casted for Gnomeo through Jiyeon.-At that time, what thought did you had in your mind?I am meeting with her again.-What kind of relationship are you guys in?Haha! We are friends. I am a hoobae, but I am a lot older than Jiyeon. We became friends through .-How was it like doing the voice act?I didn’t know that it will be that difficult. Expressing English in Korean was mostdifficult. There are a lot of different versions for “Wow!”. It was difficultexpressing slight differences.-What aspect did you most paid attention to while recording?It was a voice tone. Since it is an animation, it was most important to live up to the voice of the character.I gave changes to low and high tones by using a ‘high tone’ for exclamations and a‘happy tone’ for conversations.-When did you had a desire to act?Even before the debut as a singer, I was an aspiring actor. I am very serious about acting.I am working hard since I do not want to hear the word of “Since you are an idol singer,you gain opportunities to act easily”.-‘When I think of ‘Lee Joon’, I think of ‘strong abs’.I was originally skinny, but my body grew large suddenly after filming (2009). (laughs)My body was not a body with abs at all. It maintained continuously threw a lot of exercises that I did during that time.-It looks like you are skinny now.That’s correct. Currently, I am not exercising on purpose. Since I am also a human, I don’t always have abs.I got a lot skinnier, so I don’t take off my clothes on stage nowdays purposefully.(laughs)-Ei, I don’t believe it.I am saying the truth! There’s no time to exercise when you sing, act, and do dance practice!Source:Movie WeekOriginal article link:http://www.movieweek…contcode=020401Translated and reupload by seunghoeyecandy@mblaqattackDO NOT ADD OR EDIT CREDITS WHEN TAKEN OUT OF MBLAQATTACK

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[2011.03.27] IU, wearing Cho Youngnam's black horn-rimmed glasses... looking cute!

IU was seen wearing Cho Youngnam’s signature black horn-rimmed glasses.

MBC ‘Section TV Entertainment Report’, airing on the 27th, met with IU and Cho Youngnam on the set of their latest CF shoot.

For this recording, IU sang while playing the guitar. What stood out was that she was wearing the same black horn-rimmed glasses as Cho Youngnam. However, far from looking dull, she made them look fresh and lively.

Meanwhile, Cho Youngnam shocked many by dressing in drag. To this he responded, “Even to me, it’s quite shocking.” Having enjoyed working with IU, they promised to share a stage sometime in the future.



Translation: janeberryblue @ WeHeartIU.com
Source: Newsen
Original Article: http://newsen.com/ne...103271651501001

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[VIDEOS] 11/03/27 IU - Inkigayo MC CUTS

MBBmusicshow

IU with CN Blue (interview)

shu101224

credit : IU Tumblr

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[PHOTOSHOOT] 11/03/27 IU - Honeybee Flowers Ads

MAY BE TAKEN OUT WITH FULL CREDITS

Credits:  honeybee flower blog + iu's daum cafe (Sources) via WeHeartIU;

WooUFacts.blogspot (Re-up)

Credit : IU Tumblr

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IU - CUTE MEXICANA CF

Video : IU Tumblr

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Music Core performances from March 26th

MBC’s Music Core is back once again with yet another fun and exciting show!

Besides the usual stages, CNBLUE and LPG made their comebacks, while rookie girl groups CHI CHIand Bella launched their debuts. Elsewhere, B2ST’s Junhyung linked up with Wheesung for his stage.

MC Cuts.

Other performers who took to the stage this afternoon included TVXQ, Big Bang, INFINITE, ZE:A, K-Will, G.NA, Song Ji Eun (feat. Bang Yong Guk), Kan Mi Youn, Lee Hyun (feat. 8eight’s Joohee),5dolls, Girl’s Day, Lee Jung, and Dalmatian.

Check out their stages below!

Credit : allkpop

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