After School Abruptly Removed From Music Bank

Everything might look fine this past Friday on KBS Music Bank but fans of girl group, After School must have felt that they have been shortchanged after they were pulled from the list of performers at the very last minute.

In the original list of performers released by KBS Music Bank on their website on the 29th, After School had been scheduled to perform and was also listed. But on the same night, Pledis Entertainment apparently received a call from the Music Bank PD saying that they had been cut from the show.

The reason that had been given for the group’s removal was that all of the performing artists on Friday had lengthy performance times while After School had the shortest performance time. Hence, they had to cut out After School from the performers’ list to fit everyone in for the program broadcast.

The performers for the 31st January episode were Baek Ji Young, SS501, K.Will feat. Kang Eun Hye, Lyn, TaeGoon, M, After School, Gavy NJ, May Doni, Untouchable feat. HwaYoung, Wink, Jessica H.O, Brand New Day, Blue Spring, Dear Cloud, Tae.1 with So Nyeo Shi Dae having their comeback stage.

So Nyeo Shi Dae got their 3rd consecutive K-Chart win on this day.

credit: svisual@soompi (information)

Fake Son Ye Jin Obscene Picture Creates Uproar In Korea

The picture below of Son Ye Jin might look harmless at first glance. This is because the picture has been cropped to remove the obscene part.

The photoshopped picture had accompanied the news which reported on announcer Jin Hyeon Mu who nearly became Son Ye Jin’s brother-in-law. But due to negligence while editing the news, they did not realize that the Son Ye Jin picture that they used was a photoshopped one and you could clearly see the exposed nipples from the see-through dress. But of course, the body was not Son Ye Jin’s one but merely superimposed by someone onto another person’s body. But the technique was extremely top-notch and looked flawless.

Although the news had been deleted by the news portal on which it was originally posted shortly after it was discovered, the damage had already been done as it spread rapidly thanks to the high-speed broadband in Korea.

Many netizens have voiced out that the reporter who did the original news report should be held accountable for his sloppiness. “Its kind of ridiculous to simply put it down as a mistake. This is so irresponsible of them to publish a report without any thinking”, “This will be hotly debated overseas and it’s going to be a laughing stock”, “Although the photo itself is problematic, but using any photos found on the internet without any copyright is also a big issue.”

Barunson Entertainment representing Son Ye Jin has announced that although regrettable, they will not be pursuing the matter, believing that this is a one-off incident. But it is hoping that laws can be created to prevent such malicious photoshopping of celebrities photos from surfacing in the public domain.

Geum Jandi and Goo Joon Pyo Shares A Moment; Gal Eul Hold Hands With Yi Jung

Fans of the Lee Min Ho and Goo Hye Sun couple should rejoice as they will finally lock lips in KBS Boys Before Flowers. Not only are they going to share a short kiss tonight, there will be another long kissing scene in episode 10.

Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho) and Geum Jandi (Goo Hye Sun) goes on a double date with Ga Eul (Kim So Eun) and a friend Gong Soo Pyo (Lee Jeong Joon) tonight. But the date goes awry and ends in a fist fight between Joon Pyo and Soo Pyo. Jandi misunderstoods Joon Pyo in the aftermath but reconciles with Joon Pyo thanks to Ji Ho (Kim Hyun Joong), resulting in the kiss.

For episode 10 which airs tomorrow night, Goo Joon Pyo’s mother Kang Hee Soo (Lee Hye Young) will come into the picture. To stop their blossoming romance, she takes away Jandi’s father laundry business, resulting in Jandi’s family being in debt and have to resort to opening a stall beside the highway. Upon seeing this, Joon Pyo goes over to Jandi and kisses Jandi right in front of his mother as an act of defiance. What will happen next? Well, just stay tuned.

Lee Min Ho expressed, “There were many times (in the drama) where we could have kissed but didn’t quite make it in the end. So I am hoping to make this particular scene look really manly and show the style that Goo Joon Pyo has.” Goo Hye Sun said, “This kissing scene is the most intense one ever in my career. Lee Min Ho did a really great job but I was quite shocked by him frankly.

Over the next 2 episodes, we will also learn the reason for Yi Jung’s playboy-like behavior towards girls. This after witnessing his father’s actions.

The hands holding scene should delight fans of the Gal Eul - Yi Jung couple.

credit: sookyeong@kbites

Choi Soo Jin, Soo Young’s Sister Is Indeed A Beauty

As reported earlier, Choi Soo Jin, elder sister of So Nyeo Shi Dae member Soo Young appeared on MBC Introducing Star’s Friend on 7th February. Netizens had already been talking about how beautiful she was from pictures before the show and the show’s PD had expressed that Soo Jin was the most beautiful non-celebrity to appear on Introducing Star’s Friend since it started.

She certainly did not disappoint, looking even prettier in person than from photos. Soo Jin also showed that she was no bimbo, as she performed a song admirably and even performed So Nyeo Shi Dae’s Gee with style.

When they were children.

Before the show started.

Singing and dancing.

Decision time.

Soo Jin ended up with Daesung’s friend.

Watch it on video if you are not convinced from pictures.

credit: pictures from MBC website + HarueKorea (videos)

Viewers Confused Over Park Ye Jin Image

With the high popularity of variety shows in recent years and the notable exposure that one gets when they are on it, it has now become a stage after dramas for artistes to build up their image among viewers. Yoon Eun Hye performances in SBS Xman won her a role in Goong/Princess Hours and the rest is history. Although a variety star was lost, an acting star was born.

But what are the consequences if someone tries to appear on both a variety show and a drama at the same time and having 2 totally different images? Park Ye Jin whose popularity has grown thanks to SBS Family Outing, is currently filming a KBS mini-drama, Hateful But Once Again simultaneously.

Park Ye Jin carefree and brave (catches chickens with her bare hands without flinching, knocks out fishes and cuts them up with gutso) behavior on Family Outing had left viewers with a straightforward, pure image of her. Kim Su Ro often remarked that she was someone who would become a virtuous wife.

But following the broadcast of her new drama Hateful But Once Again on the 4th, Park Ye Jin’s entirely different image from that shown in Family Outing has viewers doubting whether she can do well in her acting role. Viewers expressed that because they are too used to Park Ye Jin’s image in Family Outing, they are unable to adapt to her vicious and unscrupulous role, Choi Yoon Hee.

While most artistes uses variety shows as a platform to other things, Ye Jin is trying to handle both variety and drama at the same time. Although time is most often the reason for artistes leaving variety shows for their acting or singing commitments, another reason is probably trying to discard their variety image and build up a new one for their new works. It will be interesting to see how viewers will take to differentiating Ye Jin when they watch her now.

Son Tae Young and Kwon Sang Woo Have A Baby Boy

Actress Son Tae Young has given birth to a healthy baby (son) at a maternity hospital in Kangnam, Seoul on 6th February. It was reported that Son Tae Young had felt a series of sharp pain the day before and eventually gave birth to her newborn son through natural childbirth means at the local hospital, 3 weeks in advance of her estimated delivery date on 27th February.

According to the report, Son Tae Young and her newborn son are both in healthy conditions and have gone back home for recuperation. Someone related to Son Tae Young revealed during a phone interview with Newsen on the 7th, “Son Tae Young left the hospital shortly after giving birth and is currently resting at home. The usual procedure for a woman after giving birth is for her to stay in the hospital for a few days. But Son Tae Young said that there was nothing wrong with her health and expressed her desire to rest at home.”

This insider also said: “Son Tae Young and her son made a short stay at her parent’s place before returning to their home in Cheongdam-dong. Of course, her husband Kwon Sang Woo is by her side, aiding in her recovery.”

The newly-turned father, Kwon Sang Woo has received blessings from families and friends. It was said that he even teared due to extreme joy. Someone close to Kwon Sang Woo said, “He said that he felt a heavy sense of responsibility after becoming a father and will do his best to be a good father.”

Everything seems to be happening really fast for Kwon Sang Woo and Son Tae Young. They announced their sudden marriage plans in July and got married 2 months later on 28th September. Then it was revealed last December that Son Tae Young was already 5 months pregnant and was expecting a child in 2009. Anyway, best of wishes to them for becoming parents and their baby son!

Son Tae Young is the latest Korean celebrity to become a mother in 2009 after Park Kyung Lim, Kim Hee Sun and most recently, Jeon Do Yeon.

credit: hanfever (translation)

Park Min Young Revealing Bath Scene Attracts Eyeballs

Bathing scenes seems to be a normal occurence in saeguk dramas nowadays. In recent memory, Goo Hye Sun in King and I, Moon Geun Young and Moon Chae Won in Painter of the Wind, Jang Hye Young in Return of Iljimae. This not only ensures that the drama will make headlines but the actress too.

Pictures of Park Min Young in a revealing bath scene for Princess Ja Myung Go has indeed attracted lots of eyeballs after being released recently.

The filming for Park Min Young bath scene took place in mid-January at SBS Ilsan production center with only a handful of staff filming the scene including director Lee Myung Woo, camera director Yoon Dae Young and the lighting director.

The bathing scene that was filmed on that day happened in the aftermath of the mystical wardrum being destroyed by Princess Nak Rang (Park Min Young). But in her fierce fight with Princess Ja Myung (Ryeo Won), Princess Nak Rang got slashed and sustained a wound near her upper right breast. The bath scene which ensues sees her maid attending to her wounds. By releasing these pictures, SBS hopes that more attention can be drawn towards the drama when it finally airs in March. These pictures are indeed very revealing.

Rest of the bath scenes.

Princess Ja Myung Go was supposed to air after Terroir which ends on 17th February in the Mon-Tue timeslot. But SBS decided to postpone the airing date after some discussions and in its place will be edited versions of 2 dramas written by acclaimed screenwriter Kim Soo Hyun back in 2000 and 2004 respectively. The edited versions will cover 4 episodes in 2 weeks.

Although SBS has claimed that it hopes to bring some degree of warmth to viewers in these difficult times through the high quality works by Kim Soo Hyun, analysts believe that they are only trying to make sure that Princess Ja Myung Go will face less formidable competition from the onset of its debut.

It is only wise of SBS to postpone the airing date so that Princess Ja Myung Go will not be left in the dust by the established viewership base which competing dramas KBS Boys Before Flowers and MBC East of Eden already posseses.

SBS has poured lots of money into this 50 episodes saeguk drama and the opening ratings (not always so though) usually decides the future of the drama against its competitors. To make sure Princess Ja Myung Go gets maximum exposure, this was a decision that had to be taken. So with that in mind, Princess Ja Myung Go will make its debut on 9th March instead.

Joy and Woe for KBS as Boys Before Flowers Surfaces on Youtube

Not only is KBS Boys Before Flowers highly popular among television viewers in Korea as shown by the high ratings it has obtained, it is the same situation for viewers outside of Korea who are relying on video sharing websites like Youtube.com to be on the same page with their Korean counterparts.

But videos uploaded onto video sharing websites are not authorized in anyway by KBS. KBS and Group Eight have been working with Youtube.com to remove the copyrighted material in terms of picture slideshows and videos pertaining to Boys Before Flowers but are increasingly fighting a losing battle.

If you do a simple search or just view the video rankings, you would have noticed that videos of Boys Before Flowers are simply dominating the charts on Youtube.com. 1 particular cut of episode 10 has yielded an impressive viewcount of 160,004 hits after just 3 days. Similarly, videos of Boys Before Flowers are also dominating the monthly charts in addition to the weekly and daily charts. Many non-korean viewers are highly interested especially in videos that has english subtitles. Other than 1 So Nyeo Shi Dae Gee MV, all other videos belong to Boys Before Flowers showing its immense popularity.

Although KBS and Group Eight have every right to be delighted with the response, they are also worried about the copyright infringement committed by the uploaders which they can do little about. A KBS representative expressed, “We have asked Youtube to take down videos that infringes on our copyright and because its illegal. But there is a limit to the crackdown. For every video that is taken down, 2 - 3 more would be uploaded in its place.”

Some netizens are hoping that the crackdown can be stopped as the videos, some even with fan-made subtitles can go a long way in spreading Korean entertainment and culture to the rest of the world with relative ease.

KBS however expressed that there are legal and normal ways that can be taken to spread Korean culture to other parts of the world. They are not overly concern with the illegal uploads that infringes on the copyright but are highly worried that it paints a wrong picture to the rest of the world in that, Korea does not enforce proper intellectual property laws within the country.

The internet subsidaries of the 3 major Korean tv broadcasters KBSi, iMBC, SBSi have been tasked to work actively with video sharing websites to remove uploaded material deemed to have infringed on their copyright.

Kangin Changes His Outlook on Women and Marriage

Things are looking up for Super Junior member Kangin who will be starring in his first leading role for Zero Flawed Task Force drama which will air over MBC Dramanet (cable channel) starting 14th February. In a press conference for the drama on the 5th, Kangin revealed that his perspective of women has changed since being paired with actress Lee Yoon Ji on MBC We Got Married.

Kangin explained, “Usually I would go for appearances when I date the opposite sex. But after being on We Got Married, I will first consider her financial status and how our next generation might look like.”

Kangin added, “I have just returned from my honeymoon in Japan (as seen in the pictures) for We Got Married. Since our concept was a frugal college couple, I really had to rack my brains to make our honeymoon feel alright instead of a badly done one (cheapskate). In the past, I would have wanted to get married as soon as possible. But there are actually many things to consider so I would think twice now plus there’s a lot of things that I still need to learn.”

Kangin ended, “It’s a reality that marriage cannot be sustained purely with just love. While mutual respect is a must, each party must also accomodate each other’s requirements before getting married and then live happily ever after.”

credit: talove1000 (pictures)

Ga-In To Debut As A Movie Actress

Ga-In To Debut As A Movie Actress

February 7, 2009 by coolsmurf

Brown Eyed Girls member, Ga-In will soon make her screen debut in the movie My Love By My Side alongside Kim Myung Min and Ha Ji Won.

Although Ga-In has had some experience from being in a MBC variety sitcom, My Love By My Side directed by Park Jin Pyo is her movie debut. Ga-In management, Nega Network announced on the 6th, “Ga-In has decided to act in the movie My Love By My Side. She is personally very nervous since its her first time taking on a movie roel. But just like how she trains hard to practise her singing, she will also work doubly hard on her acting for the movie.”

The movie My Love By My Side is about a man (Kim Myung Min) who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease (progressive neurodegenerative disease) and the self-sacrificing woman (Ha Ji Won) who takes care of him. Ga-In plays an athletic female high-school student who becomes disabled after an accident.

My Love By My Side will start filming on 10th February.

Choi Soo Jin, Sister of So Nyeo Shi Dae member Soo Young Attracting Eyeballs

I am not sure why siblings are allowed when the show’s title is called Introducing Star’s Friends. But male viewers are in for a treat this Saturday evening, 7th February when Choi Soo Young’s elder sister, Choi Soo Jin will appear in the latest broadcast of the MBC variety show. Pictures of the sisters have attracted lots of attention since it surfaced on the internet.

Netizens were mightily impressed with Choi Soo Jin appearance and remarked that good genes certainly runs in the family after seeing the pictures. Some suggested she should enter the entertainment industry like her sister. There were even some who mistook Soo Jin to be a member of So Nyeo Shi Dae to which her sister, Soo Young belongs after viewing the photos.

According to someone from the show’s production team, “Choi Soo Jin is even prettier in person than in the photos. And she is the most beautiful person (sounds familiar) that has been on the show since it started!”

It’s revealed that Soo Jin will showcase her talent by dancing and singing to impress the guys while her sister Soo Young also lends a helping hand.

You can also expect a lot of laughter on the same episode when S4 turns up, a parody of the current hit drama series Boys Before Flowers F4. To give Seung Ri and Daesung some encouragement and support, fellow Big Bang member G-Dragon and their boss, Yang Hyun Seok will also turn up in person.

Can you piece together who is who?

Tae Yeon and Hyung Don In Bangkok for Honeymoon

There were talks earlier that Tae Yeon might miss the recording of MBC We Got Married with her make-believe husband, Jung Hyung Don because So Nyeo Shi Dae was scheduled to perform in Bangkok, Thailand this Saturday. But that has been laid to rest with news that Jung Hyung Don has flew to Bangkok as well for a trip with Tae Yeon and filming will take place as per normal.

One official said on the 5th, “So Nyeo Shi Dae will leave the country on 6th February for a concert in Thailand and Jung Hyung Don will join them.”

On the afternoon of 7th February, So Nyeo Shi Dae will be part of SM Town Live ‘08 in Bangkok Concert at the Bangkok Rajamangkala National Stadium. The concert was supposed to take place last year but was postponed due to the political turmoil. Besides So Nyeo Shi Dae, DBSK, Super Junior, Shinee plus other artistes will take to the stage and party with their fans in Thailand.

It was revealed that Hyung Don decided on the trip to Thailand so that he could cheer and give strength his young wife, Tae Yeon, who will be performing for the first time in Thailand. Expect to see something like what was shown when Solbi went to see Andy at Shinhwa’s 10th anniversary concert.

We can expect to see Yuri and So Nyeo Shi Dae again on We Got Married soon. This will only be the second time that We Got Married is going overseas after Hwang Bo visited Kim Hyun Joong in Japan while promoting with SS501.

You can count on Soshified.com for the expected quick translations.

credit: juhyun@soshified.com/forums (translation)

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• Tae Yeon and Jung Hyun Dong Confirmed for We Got Married
• [Info]Tae Yeon and Jung Hyun Dong Confirmed for We Got Married
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Tablo and Kang Hye Jung Are Dating

It was revealed that actress Kang Hye Jung (27) is now in a relationship with Epik High leader, Tablo (29) and is now the headline story for today.

According to a close friend of Kang Hye Jung who revealed, “Kang Hye Jung and Tablo met during a gathering last year and only recently confirmed that they were dating. Both of them have similar tastes in terms of music, movies, etc and thus they already left a good impression on each other after their first meeting. After a few successful dates, they are now in a stable relationship.”

Compared with other celebrity couples who usually keep their love stories from the public eye, Kang Hye Jung is going the opposite direction by confirming her relationship with Tablo. Many fans have given the lovebirds their blessings. There were already rumors earlier of them in a relationship after eagle-eyed fans spotted the both of them dating around coffee joints in Kangnam.

YG Entertainment to which Kang Hye Jung is contracted under told reporters today that Kang Hye Jung did not want to conceal it at all and had admitted to their relationship. One representative expressed, “They are now dating blissfully and they would like to thank everyone for their concern.”

Overplaying of Soundtrack in Boys Before Flowers Criticized

Just 2 days ago, KBS Boys Before Flowers ascertained their high popularity with an impressive rating of 30.5% (TNS Media Korea). But on the other hand, the relentless use of songs from the official soundtrack in the drama has led to netizens commenting, “Are we watching a music video or a drama?”

In episode 10 shown on 3rd February, there was an insane amount of background music inserted and had an effect on the overall episode quality. In the total 69 minutes of footage, the total length of songs that were played amounted to around 20 minutes. T-Max Paradise, SS501 My Thoughts Are Bad, TB One More Time, etc were played at least twice in this episode.

If the production team overly promotes the soundtrack to viewers in the hope that they will buy it, then they have every right to be unhappy about this. There wasn’t any real need to do this since the soundtrack was selling like hotcakes and there were lots of pre-orders for it before its release. There were also cries of nepotism directed towards SS501 and T-Max singing for the soundtrack because their members Kim Hyun Joong and Kim Joon are part of F4 in the drama. And so naturally, their groups gets to sing it because of that.

Criticism was also directed towards the inappropriate use of music for some scenes in episode 10. Some expressed their discontent at the countless number of times that Ashily Lucky was played when Jandi appears in the episode.

Another inappropriate use was when Jandi chanced upon Ji Ho playing the piano and Ashily Lucky started playing again. Another example was when Joon Pyo dashes out of the car and goes towards Jandi to kiss her. But the moment was spoiled by T-Max Paradise suddenly playing in the background.

Netizens commented, “This is not the first time actually (overplaying and inappropriate use) but it was simply overdone in the latest episode”, “This is the 1st time that I felt that it was so agonizing listening to music while watching a drama”, “The soundtrack of this drama is a bit scary”, “I really hope that they can tie in the music with the scenes more appropriately in future”.

With regards to the criticism, Group Eight expressed, “The reaction from fans towards the songs from the soundtrack has been very good, so we decided to increase the use of the songs. We will accept all praise and criticism directed towards the drama through our forums and then adapt accordingly.”

Group Eight also dismissed rumors of a possible extension to Boys Before Flowers and assured viewers that the 24 episodes will be sufficient.

YoonA To Appear On Family Outing After T.O.P.

The exit of another idol star will see the entry of another following the latest recording of SBS Family Outing. Following hot on the heels of Big Bang member T.O.P. whose episodes will air on 8th and 15th February, So Nyeo Shi Dae member YoonA will be the next guest family member on Family Outing.

YoonA will be the 21st guest family member to appear on Family Outing but is only the 3rd female guest among them after fellow group member Tae Yeon and actress Lee Soo Kyung. The recording will begin tomorrow, 5th February, lasting 2D1N at a local village located in Chungcheong Province with her episodes airing on 22nd February and 1st March respectively. The recording will tie in with the first full moon day of the lunar year (9th February) as the concept.

PD Jang Hyuk Jae explained the reasons for inviting YoonA, “She (YoonA) has a postitive vibe about her and it fits in well with our show. We wanted a female guest this time because we had been having male guests all this while.”

Soshified will definitely be subbing this I guess.

Jung Joon Ho Added to Spy Thriller Drama IRIS

Charismatic actor Jung Joon Ho recently confirmed his participation in IRIS and joins an already impressive looking cast on paper which include the likes of Lee Byung Hun, Kim Seung Woo, Kim Tae Hee and Big Bang member T.O.P..

IRIS has already generated quite a huge interest because of its 20 billion KRW budget and its stellar cast of Lee Byung Hun and Kim Tae Hee. The addition of Jung Joon Ho recently has once again increased the drama anticipation.

Jung Joon Ho has been widely acknowledged as a charismatic actor in the industry over the years thanks to his roles in his drama and movies. In IRIS, Jung Joon Ho will act opposite Lee Byung Hun as his colleague in the same organization with their relations along the lines of friend and foe.

According to someone from the production company, IRIS will begin filming in March in Akita province in Japan. The first scene that will be filmed there will be a big-scale action scene involving Kim Tae Hee, Jung Joon Ho, Lee Byung Hun and T.O.P.. The station that will broadcast IRIS (20 episodes) is yet to be decided but it is estimated to greet viewers in the latter half of 2009.

Lee Min Ho and Park Bo Young Photos Generates Interest

Lee Min Ho had predicted earlier in a report that there would be scandals written about him together with Park Bo Young, Choi Eun Seo and Moon Chae Won. Well, one of them has come true after photos of him together with Park Bo Young surfaced on several Korean portal sites on 2nd February.

Lee Min Ho has possibly become the breakout star of 2009 thanks to his Goo Joon Pyo role in Boys Before Flowers. The same goes for Park Bo Young whose movie Overspeed Scandal with Cha Tae Hyun has been setting new box-office records in Korea almost weekly despite being released last December.

The photos of Lee Min Ho and Park Bo Young together has generated much interest among netizens. Both were seen together in the movie Our School E.T which aired last year. In one of the photos with the background resembling a sandy soccer pitch, Lee Min Ho is seen sporting a wide grin and has his hand over Park Bo Young’s shoulder, posing a “V” (victory) sign. Lee Bo Young has an awkward expression etched on her face though. On closer inspection, Lee Min Ho looked like a giant towering over Park Bo Young with Min Ho’s hand seemingly able to cover the whole of Bo Young’s face with ease.

Netizens were once again mightily impressed by Lee Min Ho’s height (1.86m) and many expressed their wish in seeing Lee Min Ho and Park Bo Young paired up together in a drama in future. Certainly 2 stars worth looking out for!

And this concludes everything.