BIGBANG IS BACK

Currently, K-pop programs are filled with new faces such as Sunny Hill, or B.A.P., but that is about to change. Many groups are returning to the stage here in the coming weeks after wrapping up their schedule abroad or dedicating their time to new albums. 

Boy band Big Bang will climb out of its incident-filled slump with the mini album “Blue” on Feb. 29. The song “Blue” was the first of the seven-track album to be released Wednesday. The list of the entire album is released, but YG Entertainment, the groupagency, labeled every song of the album except for the intro as “title track.” 

“Usually only one song is designated to represent an album. This time, we wanted to give equal weight to all the songs that theband worked very hard for,” said an official at YG. How this approach will affect the five-member band’s schedule is undecided. “We are still figuring out how to execute this plan. The goal is to give the fans as much opportunities as possible to fully enjoy all songs.”

Last year was a tough one for the K-pop group. In November, G-Dragon, the leader, had an indictment suspended by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office after being questioned on charges of smoking marijuana.

Another member, Dae-sung, was investigated after he ran over a 30-year-old man lying on the road before crashing into a parked taxi on Yanghwa Bridge on May 31. The prosecution cleared Dae-sung of charges for causing the death due to a lack of evidence. 

Following the release of the mini album, the group will embark on a world tour “Big Bang Alive Tour 2012.” Starting with shows in Seoul Olympic Park from March 2 to 4, Big Bang will perform in 25 cities in 15 countries. The group recently shot the music video for “Blue” and “Bad Boy” in New York. 

Miss A, a four-member girl group from JYP Entertainment, released its mini-album “Touch” on Monday. It includes six songs — “Touch,” “Lips,” “Rock ’n’ Rule,” “No Mercy” and “Over U.” The title track “Touch” is a catchy song about a heart break produced by Park Jin-young, the president of the agency. Upon release, it ranked number one in various music listings in the country such as Melon, Bugs, Mnet and Olleh Music. The music video is an experimental work that uses psychedelic images as well as frequent zooming techniques that accentuates the choreography. Incorporating sets and attire from the aesthetics of Shanghai in the 1980s, the footage manages to bring out mature beauty from the four young members. The video topped a Chinese music chart Yin Yue Tai on Monday. Miss A will be performing on channel Mnet’s “M Countdown” today.

Rock-inspired K-pop group CNBLUE will be returning home in March after a successful year in Japan. Their second single in Japan “Where You Are” ranked number one on the Oricon Chart in January, as the first foreign artists since Canadian rock band Mashmakhan in 1971. On March 9, CNBLUE will perform in LA with F.T. Island, another K-pop group. 

Ballad group 2AM from JYP Entertainment will break its long overdue silence at home on March 13 with a new release. This return marks their first full length album since October 2010. The single “Saint O’Clock” released in Japan in January sold over 50,000 copies. Jung Ji-woon, the youngest member of the group, is starring in the KBS 2TV sitcom “Dream High.”

Sejong the Great and Hangul, Korean alphabet

[ENG]DEEP ROOTED TREE by kpopwave

Sejong the Great and Hangul, Korean alphabet

Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. 

King Sejong the Great profoundly impacted Korean history with his introduction of hangul, the native phonetic alphabet system for the Korean language.

Sejong the Great was a Seonin (an elightened being) who came to Earth in order to spread Hangul and to contribute scientific development of Joseon in the foundation era. 

Before the creation of Hangul, only members of the highest class were literate. 

King Sejong presided over the introduction of the 28-letter Korean alphabet, with the goal that Koreans from all classes would read and write. 

According to him, it was not easy to persuade scholars to create new letters because they did not understand why it is necessary. 

Then, Sejong himself began this work. His smart sons and daughters helped him in the beginning. It was a secret project. Without love for his people, he could not be able to begin this project. 

According to him, the power of letters is significant. In order to awaken one’s consciousness, you need education. Without easy Korean alphabets, they were not able to read books and this means their consciousness stays all the time. 

Letters have their own life power, thus they are to be spreaded and this is what he meant when he first created Hangul although he knew it would not be well received in the beginning. 

Even today, art is considered something that people of upper class can only enjoy. However, the more society is evolved, the more art would become ordinary. Everyone becomes artist and everyone enjoys art. That is how the world gets richer and full of art. 

Tree with Deep Roots

Tree with Deep Roots: Korean King Sejong the Great and Hangul, Korean Alphabet The setting of this Drama gets back to 15th century, Joseon Dynasty of Korea. King Seojong was the fourth King of Joseon. Joseon dynasty is the last empire before Korean Republic was founded. Today, let's talk about Hangul. Thanks to Korean drama, many people around the world started learning Hangul. One is because they like the sound of Hangul, the other says she wants to talk in Korean with Korean pop starts. Either way is fine. Learning a different language is a reat way to understand one's culture.

Three main characters in Tree with Deep Roots Sejong the Great and Hangul, Korean alphabet Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. King Sejong the Great profoundly impacted Korean history with his introduction of hangul, the native phonetic alphabet system for the Korean language. Before the creation of Hangul, only members of the highest class were literate. King Sejong presided over the introduction of the 28-letter Korean alphabet, with the goal that Koreans from all classes would read and write. He also attempted to establish a cultural identity for his people through its unique script. According to him, it was not easy to persuade scholars to create new letters because they did not understand why it is necessary.

Then, Sejong himself began this work. His smart sons and daughters helped him in the beginning. It was a secret project. Without love for his people, he could not be able to begin this project. In the beginning of Hangul proclamation, people did not use it much. Like it takes some time when a new wave arrives in one’s era, it was not widely used by Korean people within Sejong’s time. However, when one wrote a novel criticizing politics of Joseon dynasty in Hangul around Jungjong era, 11th King of Joseon dynasty, it received an enthusiastic support from people of middle and lower classes. It was all thanks to Hangul. If it had been written in Hanja, a language of upper class, ordinary people could not understand the content.

Sejong the Great was a seonin (an elightened being) who came to Earth in order to spread Hangul and to contribute scientific development of Joseon in the foundation era. According to him, the power of letters is significant. In order to awaken one’s consciousness, you need education. Without easy Korean alphabets, they were not able to read books and this means their consciousness stays all the time. Letters have their own life power, thus they are to be spreaded and this is what he meant when he first created Hangul although he knew it would not be well received in the beginning. Even today, art is considered something that people of upper class can only enjoy. However, the more society is evolved, the more art would become ordinary. Everyone becomes artist and everyone enjoys art. That is how the world gets richer and full of art.

JYJ Documentary Cancelled Out of Sudden

The plan to release “The Day,” a documentary about K-pop group JYJ, on Feb. 9 was shelved Monday, according to the artists’ agency C-JeS Entertainment. The 90-minute footage follows the three members of the JYJ roup, Jae-joong, Yu-chun and Jun-su, in their daily schedules. On Jan. 18, the agency announced it would be shown at 20 CGV theaters. (News from Korea times) If you, however, read more news papers, something is behind in it. JYJ is one of the top idol groups in Korea. Fans are waiting to see the JYJ video. There is no reason to cancel it. According to many Korean internet news, this is not the first time. It says there is outside pressure to bother JYJ's promotion activities. JYJ is still have a legal issue with SM where they used to belong.

When you suffer from the relationship with others, think of these three things. 1. Do I love her/him sincerely? 2. Is it worthwile that I try to love her/him? 3. Am I respected by her/him? Neither does satify the relationship, I would like to say it is better to end the realationship. If you suffer from your spouse and you do not love him/her, then there is no reason to continue the relationship. If you feel, doing something else if you can spend your time which you should spend for your spouse or if you are not respected, then end the relationship. I do not mean you should do it physically all the time but do it in your mind. Do not think about him/her and do something else if you have time to think about the relationship. Stop thinking and do something else. (From a book "how to soothe wounds from love, suseonjae, www.suseonjae.org)

[eng}JYJ- GET OUT

This is JYJ's new music video, Get Out. Lyrics are meaningful. JYJ is always nice and good-looking, Asia's no.1

The moon that embraces the sun

[eng]The moon that embraces the sun 해품달 by kpopwave

Movie Hwangjini by Songhyekyo

Hwang Jini. The famous female poet and gisaeng (Korean geisha) in the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. She is one of the seonins (enlightened beings) who descended to the Earth. While she was here she studied love. After attaining Enlightenment, she returned to Seongye again Love Stormy

JYJ's Get Out No 1 in MTV Czech

JYJ’s Get Out is No.1 in MTV Czech Wishlist chart. 
The music video garnered 50% of the votes to reach the top spot.
The song can stay in the chart for a maximum period of 10 weeks if it continually receives votes.
Voting always starts on Friday and continues till Wednesday of the next week.

Source: MTV Czech

Jaejoong is having a fan meeting in Turkey.

JYJ members

This is a great news that JYJ's Get Out is no. 1 in Czech. Jaejoong is going to have a fan meeting in Turky next month. At Audio Trans, a radio station in Peru is featuring JYJ's songs :

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KldVOQWmkQ0 (this is the link)

Whose your favorite member? I found most Westerners like Jaejoong but here in Korea, Micky Yoochun is girls' no. 1. My fave is Joonsu. He sings very well.

Why do you think they are so popular around the world? JYJ, Tohosinki is leading Hallyu. I guess there must be a reason. Most of all. they enjoy their work no matter how hard it is, they don't give up. I am also looking for what my true way is through meditation. It is not easy. Sometimes I feel envious of those people who already found what they have to do.

I heard work is something that you do in order to live your day fruitfully.
Artists like singers, actors, painters are those who introduce people to a new world through what they know. They devote themselves so that they can awaken every audience.

You have to do something only you can do, right?
If this doesn't occur to you, you have to motivate yourself to have this idea.
Why? Because you have to live.
Anyway, you have to do it so do you want to do it unwillingly like a cow going to the butcher?
If you are wise, you will do it with high spirits. You have to do it in a way that makes you excited, and for others who see you doing it to be excited too.

Hey guys, let's find our own way regardless of what others say.
Find it and make it.

Love,
Stormy

거미(Gummy, singer) is placed at the top of 나는 가수다 (I am a singer)

거미(Gummy, singer) is placed at the top of 나는 가수다 (I am a singer)
One of my favorite K-pop singer Gummy is placed at the top of this week's competition at 나는 가수다 (I am a singer) Her powerful voice and decent attitude on the stage reminds of Whitney Houston.

She made this week's performance in a musical form. In her mini sexy silver twinkling dress and dancing, she was a pop diva. Every weekend around the dinner table my Korean friends and I watch this show - I recommend this show 100% to you. - and it is not just fun. It contains each singer's own human story.

My Sassy girl, Jun Ji hyun reveals his boy-friend

Last year in the Korean media, it said actress Jun Ji Hyun(my sassy girl) was dating a famous Korean designer's grandson. She is one of the top Korean actresses and famous for her mega hit movie, my sassy girl. This is the very first Korean movie I saw. She was pretty and looked a dream type girl of boys there. = ) I guess lots of Korean men feel sorry for her having a boy friend. She was born in 1981. Having a boy friend or a husband to be is not early then. She is becoming 32 already! Choi Junhyeok, is a name of him. He is a grandson of Lee Younghee, hanbok designer and now works at a foreign bank in Korea. Jun and Choi were childhood friends and they have been friends for more than 10 years and recently they got closer.

These are his pictures that Korean netizens found on the web. Koreans are now quite curious whether they would get married. I guess it is no wonder even though they do. Can I add some of my opinions on marriage? Well...I guess marriage itself does not mean a lot nowadays. If you look back on the history of marriage, it was to stop the war between different tribes, kingdoms or countries. Until recently, there were not many people who got married because they loved each other but they were meant to get married due to affairs of two different families. Kings and queens are the very examples that tell how marriage was like in reality. Love = Marriage is no longer 100% correct. Love actually doesn mean you have her or him. That is possession. From a book I read, it says the Love is something that you feel grateful just by the fact that you can live under the same sky. Do you have such love?

The Moon Embracing the Sun: No Star Big Hit

Every Wednesday and Thursday I watch the moon embracing the sun with my Korean friends around the dinner table. Females friends are more into Kim Suhyeon, the king here but I am of course into Han Gaian. She doesn't quite look Korean but pretty. I heard this drama has no big hallyu stars but gains a lot of popularity. Today in the Korean entertainment news said per episode this drama earns 3 billion won. It's huge, huh?

Han Gain to me kinda looks like a Turkish girl. She doesn't look an ordinary Korean with thin eyes. Kim Suhyeon, the King in the drama, is a good actor. Though he is about my age, he is very professional when he acts. I guess he has good potential to grow a nice actor.