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Translation 111126 Meeting TVXQ in Las Vegas, “Popularity Kings in America? We Are All National Representatives of K-Pop

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[TRANS] 111126 Meeting TVXQ In Las Vegas, “Popularity Kings In America? We Are All National Representatives Of K-Pop”

Popular boyband TVXQ took on the epicenter of trends, America, showing the charm of Kpop and exposing it to more people.

On 25 November at 4.30pm, TVXQ attended the “2011 Bilboard K-Pop Masters” press conference held at the meeting room of MGM Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. They said “We are very happy to have a chance to help educate people about K-pop in a famous city such as Las Vegas. As compared to the fact that this  is held specifically in America, we are happy to be able to spread our culture to more people.  As a representative for all of our country, we will work hard, and we hope that everyone can give us more love and care.”

Answering an American journalists question of “Did you know that you are in fact very popular in America?” U-Know Yunho said, “ We were a little embarrassed when we heard about that. It makes me want to show even more of the Korean culture to everybody. We will express our gratitude via today’s show.”

On this concert, TVXQ said, “Every group’s performance has reached a flawless level. The last performance will be “Arirang” (a Korean folk song). We specially prepared this to enjoy it with the audience. It would be great if everyone could use their cheers to express their happiness towards this show. We want to spend a meaningful day with everybody.”

As for “The American musician you would like to work with,” they replied “We live by listening to music from a variety of singers, and if we had to pick just one, it would be difficult. If there is a good opportunity, we would want to work with them, We hope that we can work together to produce an even better album.”

Responding to the K-pop fever, this press conference saw many famous local media such as FOX channel, MTV and The Huffington Post.

After the press conference, TVXQ had an outdoor red carpet event, and appeared in suits. With this world tour that went to places such as America, France, Japan, China and others, they have left a deep impression, courageously meeting up to the large cheers. Any movement made by TVXQ is capable of igniting passion from the audiences.

Bonnie Wong (22) who watched their performance in LA, when evaluating K-pop artists, said “I feel that their vocal and dancing abilities are exceptional as they move towards a global stage, and it is amazing. Their performances are full of charm, and that attracts me even more.” Stacy Kay Gully, who was present in Las Vegas, praised K-pop, saying “I don’t have an accurate understanding of the lyrics, but I can still feel the passion and depth of their music. Korean music touches my heart first, and not my ears.”

With the soaring K-pop fever reaching Las Vegas, the “2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters” is a large-scale music festival organized by Billboard Korea and MGM. This is an activity to celebrate the opening of the Billboard K-Pop chart on 26 August. Artists include TVXQ, SHINee, Brown Eyed Girls, Beast, MBLAQ, G.NA, 4minute, Sistar and other artists. It starts at 8pm on 25 November, and will run for 2.5 hours.  It will be held again the next day, on 26 November.

Source : [BaiduTVXQ + Billboard Korea]

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NEWS K-Pop Singers Leading ‘German Asian Music Chart’

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[News] K-pop Singers Leading ‘German Asian Music Chart’

K-pop has grown its roots in German. In accordance to released  ‘German Asian Music Chart’ ratings, K-pop singers are all over the chart.

This rating is given after compiled results of voting by local Germans, one can vote any Asian artist viz Korean, Chinese, Japanese. Recently, they revealed the October’s top 20 Asian artists and strikingly K-pop singer were all over it.

JYJ with ‘In Heaven‘ is on first position of the chart followed by MBLAQ‘s ‘Mona Lisa‘. Brown Eyed Girls‘ ‘Sixth Sence‘ and CN BLUE‘s ‘In my head‘ are on 3rd and 4th respectively. JYJ’s another song ‘Get Out‘ got 7th and KARA‘s ‘Step‘ on 8th. Super Junior‘s are on the chart with there songs ‘A-Cha‘ and ‘Mr Simple‘ on ninth and thirteenth.

Hear are the top 20 Asian singers on ‘German Asian Music Chart‘

1. (new) JYJ – In Heaven 
2. (1) MBLAQ – Mona Lisa 
3. (new) Brown Eyed Girls – Sixth Sense 
4. (new) CN BLUE – In My Head 
5. (new) U-Kiss – Neverland 
6. (new) Infinite – Paradise 
7. (new) JYJ – Get Out 
8. (new) KARA – Step 
9. (new) Super Junior – A-Cha 
10. (new) Verbal Jint – You look Good (feat. The Black Skirts)
11. (6) 2NE1 – I am the best 
12. (5) Infinite – Be Mine 
13. (3) Super Junior – Mr. Simpe 
14. (11) G.O – Even in my dreams (feat. Mir)
15. (new) Jay Park – Demon 
16. (2) Bang Yong Gook – I remember (feat. Yang Yo Seop)
17. (4) BEAST – Fiction 
18. (new) Money Rain – We Make it Rain 
19. (new) TVXQ! – B.U.T (BE-AU-TY) 
20. (new) Wang Lee Hom – Open Fire

credit:remarkable forum + korea.com
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[TRANS] 111031 JYJ “Challenges Japan Using J-Pop, Battles It Out In Europe With K-Pop” (Interview)

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[TRANS] 111031 JYJ “Challenges Japan Using J-Pop, Battles It Out In Europe With K-Pop” (Interview)  Posted on November 1, 2011

JYJ has successfully taken their first step into Europe with a successful concert, partying it up with 3,000 fans on 29 October at Poble Espanyol, ending the Spain leg of their European tour in triumph. This day, JYJ and the 3,000 fans became one, enjoying this historical moment of JYJ’s first European concert together.

On 28 October, at the same location, a Korean-Spanish press conference was held, and JYJ spoke honestly about their feelings, worries as well as the gratitude in their hearts. Following their concerts in Asia and America, this is their first concert in Europe, and is also the first time a Korean artist has ever held a solo concert in Spain.

“Hoping To Go To More Places, And Show More Of Ourselves To Everyone”

When talking about his feelings on this concert in Spain, Park Yoochun said “It’s the same feeling as when(we were) going to America for concerts, a greed of wanting to go to more places, and show more of ourselves to everyone. When we were in America, I felt a sense of hope as my eyes were opened to new possibilities, and we feel the same way about Europe.“

Following which, he said “Honestly speaking, it’s been hard to gauge how much influence JYJ will have in Europe. However, starting in Spain and Germany feels like we’ve created a stepping stone to slowly but steadily getting JYJ’s name out there. This may not be a large-scale concert like those held in Asia, but this concert is our motivation and in our hearts, we feel that we could possibly hold concerts on the big stages of Europe and America in the future.“

After the concert in Spain is concluded, JYJ will be holding their second European concert in Berlin, Germany on 6 November.

With regards to the selection of Spain and Germany as the European concert locations, Junsu said, “Although it would be great to be able to hold concerts in all parts of Europe, this is still not possible (as of now.) We still do not know the degree of our influence here, and instead of just challenging it in an unreasonable manner, we felt that it would be better to do this in a geographical manner,  gathering the fans in Western Europe to Spain, and those in Eastern Europe to Berlin. We want to say that in the future, when we do concerts in Europe for a second time, it could be possible to include more countries, and hold more concerts for everyone to see,” his words brimming with anticipation for the future.

When the reporters asked, “Was anything special prepared for the Spanish Stage?” Kim Jaejoong replied “We are working together with local dance group Rafa Mendez’s dancers, and we’re working on the choreography together to do a simple performance. Even though JYJ already has the basic dances, we’ve prepared a concert that includes the passionate performance methods unique to the Spanish as well as a skillful stage with acrobatics.”

“More People Than Expected Knew About Us, Gave Us A Shock”

During the time of the press conference, fans could already be seen a day before the concert, setting up tents outside the gates of Poble Espanyol. These fans carried the flags of Italy, France and other countries and cheered for JYJ. A concert management personnel said that these fans were willing to stay out overnight so that they could get better seats for the concert.

On the topic of whether they could feel their popularity in Europe, Kim Junsu said, “There were more fans than expected, which was a shock. Actually, we all knew that Spain was a country that was famous for its football, but we didn’t know very much beyond that, so when we found out that the (concert) tickets were sold out, we were shocked. “

“Yesterday I went out and walked around for the first time, and quite a few people recognised me which was another shock. There were two (people) at Starbucks, and when I was walking on the streets I was recognised two or three times, once by an Italian fan who was holding our CD and was hoping for my signature, it was truly amazing. Because of this, I’m even more determined to do well during the Barcelona and Berlin concerts. “

– How do you feel about standing on a stage that is smaller than your previous ones?

(Kim Jaejoong) Although this stage is smaller than previous ones, it bears a totally different meaning. In Korea and Japan, we started from small stages, and slowly gained the love of our fans. Therefore, although this European concert stage is small, it still feels like a very good starting point. Instead of creating an overly exaggerated large-scale concert in Europe, beginning with a small-scale stage with the mindset of starting afresh seems like a better idea.

– K-Pop has been relatively popular in America, as well as Paris, but the popularity of K-Pop in Spain doesn’t seem as visible, so is this a fear or burden to you?

(Kim Jaejoong) I wouldn’t call it a K-POP boom, but a K-POP craze that was created from the Korean groups’ fanbases that rose up. The majority of the 3,000 or so fans that have come for the Barcelona concert are probably JYJ fans. Therefore, I hope that they can sing along to our Korean songs, and are looking forward to a Korean style performance. Because of this, there isn’t any real burden or pressure.

– As the first Korean group to hold a concert in Europe, surely some mental preparation was required.

(Kim Junsu) I think this is an adequate opportunity for us to show that small-scale performances are feasible and it doesn’t always have to be a concert by a big agency. During the Asian concerts, we would work with local dancers, and stacked up some experience on overseas performances. As these are fans who have come for K-pop, we have to consider carefully what kind of European elements to include, what kind of effect it will have and we hope to show a multi-faceted side to everyone.

“Although Japan Was Challenged Using J-Pop, The Battle In Europe Is With K-Pop”

– You are starting with small steps in Europe, but the small starting steps you took in Japan resulted in immense popularity. Although these are just small steps, what is your broad aim for the future?

(Kim Junsu) In Europe, it’s K-pop, and we are hallyu (representatives) here. In Japan we always hoped to work hard as J-pop artists, and the starting steps we took are different to that of the steps taken currently by Korean artists entering Japan. When we were rookies in Japan, we stood on a staircase, or on makeshift stages, holding corded microphones while singing and dancing, and these were the ways that we performed. Because of this, I think that our starting steps in Europe differ from that of Japan. Although the process is important, the results produced are important as well. Therefore, we hope that someday, we will have the chance to hold a concert in a venue with 10,000 seats or more. With this kind of thinking, I believe that to do this, we should focus on what our European fans want from us.

 

– We heard that you took the No. 1 spot on a Peruvian radio (Recently, JYJ took the no. 1 spot on the Peruvian program “Teen Top”)

(Kim Jaejoong) We heard about that, and for people to be able to listen to our music, and like our music, is something that makes us feel really good, and we are really thankful. For those countries that we have not yet been to, we hope that one day, we will be able to go to there and sing. Before this concert in Spain, we attended a global manga event, and I think it was a good opportunity for us to perform on a celebratory stage and sing our songs for a larger audience.

– The worldwide album was released in Spain as well, do you have plans for a second worldwide album?

(Kim Jaejoong) We’re in the middle of discussions about this. The worldwide album that was released last year received a great response, so we’re currently planning for a second album. There are still many countries that K-pop artists have yet to reach, and we want them to be able to listen to our music. However, due to time constraints, this has not been easy. We’ve been on a world tour and each of us has participated in individual activities. I often feel that there really isn’t enough time, and I often think, “How good would it be if there were 24 months in a year.”

– Compared to the concerts in America, will this Spanish concert be any different?

(Kim Junsu) There isn’t much change in the set list, but the dance and various elements have been tweaked with acrobatics.  The reason why we didn’t make any special changes to the concert set list was due to the fact that the Spanish and European fans are seeing us for the first time, so there is no need for too much of a change. It’s going to be a concert that shows the unique colors of JYJ.

“Intensive Choreography And Live Singing Performances, These Are The Key Elements Of K-Pop.”

– What do you think are the key reasons why K-Pop has been able to enter Europe and become popular?

(Kim Jaejoong) I heard that it was in 2006 that K-pop made its way into Europe, and that was around the time that we were active as TVXQ, and synchronized group dances were all the rage in Korea. The charm of Korean artists being able to do intensive dance performances while singing live probably attracted fans from then on, and this has slowly become its popularity today.

 

– When producing the Worldwide album, you worked with Kanye West and Rodney Jerkins and others. Have you considered working with music producers from Europe?

(Kim  Jaejoong) I’ve heard and studied a lot of European music, and I really like it. When doing activities in Japan, about 50% or more of our songs were European style music. We would buy European music and sing it at times so it’s quite familiar to us. If we’re lucky enough to get to know some European producers, we would definitely want to try it out. Although there isn’t much time for this during our concerts in Europe, we would definitely want to try it out in the future.

– You’ve done activities in Asia, America and Europe, and your music is known in counties that even Korean singers don’t know much about. And yet, it’s so hard to see you perform in Korea.

(Park Yoochun) Honestly speaking, being able to appear on programs is not something we think about anymore. I just wish for the system to be more fair. We know that we can’t do anything about the fact that we are excluded from ranking charts, but I would like for the objective value of album sales and the love we receive from the public to be recognized, to repay our fans for their love.

– After the concerts in Spain and Germany, what are your plans for the future?

(Kim Jaejoong) We hope to go more places, in Europe, aside from Spain and Germany. If we have other plans, we hope that we can go to other European countries, other cities and if we have time in the future, we hope to come back to Spain and Germany to hold (events) and thank the fans. In December, we’ll be having a rest period, but it would be a waste of time to just relax and take a break, so I think we’ll be working on some music and preparing for January, 2012.

Source : [BaiduTVXQ + Star News via Nate]

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INFO KPop in Singapore –TVN Audition Top 2

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[Info] KPOP in Singapore – tvN Audition Top 2

Seoul, here they come…
by sharingyoochun.net

Twenty contestants had been selected for a live audition in front of hundreds of spectators and only two would then go on to the next round. This was not your typical talent show – this was tvN Kpop Star Hunt Singapore and the prize for winning? A chance of a lifetime to be trained by CUBE Entertainment in Seoul, Korea; and that was it.

Held at Novena Square 2, the audition showcased the talents of these young aspiring Kpop idol hopefuls. Christina the youngest audition contestant at 12 years old it turns out has not told her father about her participation in the competition. And this was in spite of having gone through to the next round.

“My father still doesn’t know. I have no intention of telling him because I know he’ll disapprove. I’ll only tell him if I make it through to the next round. Perhaps then, he’ll recognize my dreams.”

Asked if the lack of parental support affected her, the cheery adolescent grinned and turned to 15 year old Phedra, her fellow audition group mate who made it through as well. It turns out that the two girls have bonded very quickly despite having only met less than a day ago.

“We’re already friends on twitter! We’ve got each other and even our mutual friends have come down to support us. Everyone’s excited and I just hope our hard work pays off. I’m actually rather nervous actually,” she confessed, hands clasped tightly with Phedra’s.

“I’m nervous too! I just hope I don’t forget my lines but I think if I focus on the judges, I won’t feel so pressured. Then again, I have the support of my friends who came down today. I’m just thankful they didn’t prepare any fan boards or something,” Phedra added, rambling as her friends fussed to take Polaroid pictures with them.

Another fellow contestant, Amira, had another reason to be thankful for her friends who had come down to support her.

“I actually wouldn’t even be here without them. They submitted the audition clip without me knowing and so I was very surprised when I got the call to audition yesterday. I’m so very grateful for them and their support in me,” she mused with a gentle smile on her face.

The crowd that had formed since before noon quickly swelled as the auditions grew nearer. The Jinjo Crew opened up the auditions, executing a series of highly entertaining break dancing moves such as handstand and back flips much to the delight of the audience. However, the loudest screams were reserved for the top twenty contestants.

Mr Eddy Tan, one of the esteemed judges, explained to an eager crowd that it was the contestants’ first time on stage with music and using a wire to hear their own selves. The day before, in the previous audition most of the contestants sang with no music. The audience, it seemed didn’t need any explanation – they were enthusiastically cheering for each and every one of the contestants despite setbacks like missed cues or forgotten lyrics. It seemed as though everyone was having the time of their lives as the twenty contestants sang and danced their hearts out, hoping to impress the judges with possibly their last performance.

Ha Boyi, the founder of Boom Korea Pte Ltd , was spotted in the audience.

“I feel that the audition hopefuls today were better compared to audition hopefuls in previous auditions held one, two years ago. There is a noticeable difference in terms of the showmanship and the quality of the performances. It’s like there’s already a generation change. I would say that the standard of the audition hopefuls today are almost or already on par with the audition hopefuls in Korea. I’m very impressed with all of them, particularly with Vanessa Lum who danced in high heels,” she remarked when asked about her take on the auditions.

Tension quickly filled the air as the results of the competition were revealed. There were loud applause and screams of joy as Jasmine Tan (16), a student at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School, and Maressa Zahirah (23), a mass communications graduate from Oklahoma City University, were announced as the winners of tvN KPop Star Hunt Singapore. Ambassador Oh Joon (Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Singapore) and Mr Steve Yong (Director of Korean Tourism Organization, Singapore & Indonesian Office) presented the air ticket prize to the two finalists who would fly the Singapore flag in the regional competition.

In the press conference held later in the day, Mr Park Jaehyun remarked that the two were chosen because they suited CUBE Entertainment’s style and that he really liked their personalities.

“I am very satisfied with the quality of the auditions in Singapore. These two were actually not within the top 2 yesterday but they really impressed everyone today. That’s why they were chosen.”

Mr Eddy Tan added, “There were a lot of outstanding performances today but these two have the overall package and the stage presence.”

Ms Irene Ang the host judge elaborated that the two girls were chosen for their exceptional skills and their ability to perform well on-stage.

“Jasmine has such rhythmic and precise dance movements. And she is very calm on stage, very professional. I believe that her calmness will take her far and set her aside from the others. Maressa’s voice is a cut above the rest. She can do really powerful emotive songs well. Being multi-lingual and being of Javanese and Pakistani-Portuguese origin will set her apart from the other representatives.”

She even shared that despite one of them being sick the day before and the Jasmine having her major examinations the next day; they both gave exceptional performances that surpassed the judges’ expectations – they both went ‘through an amazing transformation from yesterday’s audition to today’s final’.

Asked if Maressa’s age and both girls being non-Korean would affect their marketability in the fickle Kpop music scene, Mr Park replied with a smile.

“For idol groups, they start very young because they need more time to prepare, to perfect. However, it really all depends on the concept of the group. So no, I don’t think it’s a very big issue. We are looking to groom a star for the Asian market.”

Mr Eddy Tan was quick to add that the Hallyu wave has grown very big.

“This competition is more than just looking for a Kpop star. We are looking for someone who has a regional appeal, someone who can appeal to the whole of Asia, even international. Kpop is now no longer confined only to the Korean market. We have to change our approach and be less-focused on a singular market.”

“Asia is the new Hollywood. When television first showed Korean dramas, many would have said ‘What is this, I don’t understand!’People expected the trend to last one maybe two years max. Yet ten years later and we have all the aunties still watching dramas, with the aid of subtitles. Look at Kpop itself. Our youth are so interested that they actually self-taught themselves the language to better understand the songs. Hence, I believe that art, music and drama can and will transcend language barriers.”

She cheekily added, “And it’s about time we earn money back!” drawing much laughter in the room. “As we all know, Singapore has no natural resources. Talent is all we have. ”

The witty judge however shared her concerns about the two girls, even giving them invaluable advice in the process.

“Korea has very stringent criteria for training. They are really serious about the craft. I’m worried that the girls are too sheltered, very innocent and not tough enough. They need to prove that we Singaporeans have the substance to succeed, they must be hungry enough.

Go for training classes on your own, if you find you’re weak in vocals or dance. Keep polishing yourself to go further. If you want to survive, you have to sow the seeds first. Continue to train so that you don’t start from scratch when you begin your training in Korea.

You got to have a strong mind and a focused heart. Stay strong and persevere. I hope that the two of you will fly our flag proudly and if possible last a few rounds lah. Don’t be sent home after the first episode!”

Mr Park ended the press conference by sharing about the reality television contest as well as his take on training in Korea.

“After three weeks of training, the ten finalists will have to complete elimination missions until only one survives and crowned the winner of the regional competition. Although in Seoul, we have vocal and dance training, Korean language classes, mental conditioning classes and so forth, the hardest thing is homesickness, so far away from your family and friends back home. This happens to all the trainees but is especially bad sometimes for international trainees. They need more care at times. So be prepared in the heart and mind. Be passionate for success.”

We wish the two girls all the very best as they embark on an exciting chapter in their lives and we would also like to wish all audition hopefuls…

FIGHTING!

Performance Videos


credit: virginangelic

Momma’s Source: sharingyoochun.net

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[TRANS] 111026 The Japanese Media Says, “The Japanese Music Industry Has Become A Slave To K-POP”

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A provoking voice has emerged in Japan, saying that the music industry is ‘a slave to K-POP’.

Japan’s Shueisha recently made sarcastic remarks about the K-POP Hallyu Wave through an article with the title, “Incensed by the lack of Shin Ramyun, the Japanese Music Industry has Become a Slave to K-POP”.

The article claimed that though Girls’ Generation has sold over 600,000 copies of their album that was released in June, it’s hard for groups such as TVXQ, T-ARA and KARA to bring in much profit though they’re popular. One representative stated, “We spend 50 million Yen (approximately 700 million Won) on singles and even 15 million Won (approximately 200 million Won) on small events in promotional costs.” The article criticized that the flood of Korea-related magazines being published is overheating the publishing industry.

It was also stated that it is hard to meet the needs of Korean agents. One representative revealed that he was fired because he disagreed with an agent who wielded great power working between his record company and a Korean entertainment agency. It was published that another stated, “Once, a Korean staff member became incensed because he couldn’t find any Shin Ramyun to eat while the celebrity was completing their schedule.”

Source: [hankooki]

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News European JYJ Fans Crash Server As Berlin Concert Tickets Are Made Available

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NEWS] European JYJ Fans Crash Server As Berlin Concert Tickets Are Made Available

Group JYJ’s European Tour Is Currently Receiving Explosive Attention From K-Pop Fans At The Site

JYJ has already surprised concert staff by selling 80% of the tickets for their 5000 seat solo concert at Poble Espanyol in Spain in just three days. The group has again proved their European popularity with German fans crashing the server for the ticketing site as soon as tickets went on sale for their concert in Berlin to be held in November.

An associate of the concert has revealed his sentiments about this occurrence with, “Since this event is not even a project concert of a giant entertainment company, but a solo concert, this situation is that much more startling. Once again, I came to realize the great popularity of K-Pop in Europe as well as the high popularity of JYJ.”

Regarding the European tour, JYJ had also stated, “Since this is the first European tour we’re having, we’ve had some fearful feelings, but we thank people for their attention and we’ll prepare a hot concert (for them). The Spanish ambassador in Korea thanked us for performing in Spain and gave us encouragement. Upon hearing that the ticket sales are flourishing like this, we’re full of excitement for the concerts we’ll hold with the European fans.”

JYJ has also been invited for the Spanish manga fair that gathers over 60,000 people that come to attend the event. Through the performance in this festival, JYJ plans to present their exclusive charms to the Spanish press and the west European public.

credit: soompi
shared by: iXiahCassie

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Video Translation: German K-Pop Night 2011– JYJ Shout Out

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[Vid] German K-Pop Night 2011 – JYJ Shout Out

 
Trans:
The Korean boyband “JYJ” wants to give a concert in Europe for the first time. Although the date is not fixed yet, we want to come as fast as possible to meet our fans in Europe. We want to give a show that wants you to see more, so that you´ll come to our concerts in the future. We hope to meet as much as possible of you at our concert. Thank you!

credit/trans: ColorsOfKorea

Momma’s source; sharingyoochun.net

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NEWS 110822 Questions Remain Over K-Pop Idols Conditions

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News] 110822 Questions remain over young K-pop idols’ conditions

Sexual overtones, lack of diversity among challenges to overcome

Since the Korean pop music idol group’ concerts in June in Paris, the K-pop industry is leading a second Korean Wave around the globe. This is the last installment of the two-part series of articles looks at the bright and dark sides of K-pop, respectively. ― Ed.

The K-pop boom and the popularity of Korean idols are often attributed to Korean entertainment agencies’ tough training that nurtures talented aspirants and turns them into global idol stars.

However, what one person might see as “passion and devotion” for practicing singing and dancing for long hours every day can be viewed by another as “exploitation” of young aspirants by management agencies.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Girl group KARA, who were once embroiled in a dispute with their management agency over a contract, performs at the 2011 Korean Music Wave Festival at the Incheon Munhak Stadium on Aug. 13. (Incheon Tourism Organization)

As more K-pop idol groups perform overseas and become exposed to the international entertainment business, hidden sides of the K-pop in terms of harsh labor conditions will surface, one critic said.

“When they (Korean idols) go overseas, the first thing they will see is the different perspectives on their work. Those considered as a typical practices in Korea are not really typical practices overseas. If your contract says you’ll work only eight hours a day, you don’t work longer than that overseas,” pop music critic Cha Woo-jin said.

“In Korea, part-timers in the entertainment industry work as if they were ‘volunteering.’ They often travel to remote areas and stay the night frequently without extra pay. But in advanced countries, employers’ contracts with part-timers are strictly adhered to. Otherwise, employers can be sued and fined.”

The tight performance schedule of Girls’ Generation in June led many fans of the girl group and Internet users to wonder how the group managed to cope.

According to the official schedule disclosed on the group’s website, Girls’ Generation’s concerts and entertainment activities were as follows: “MJ presents special” on June 8; “Samsung Taiwan Anniversary” on June 9; “SM Town in Paris” on June 10-11; “NHK Music Japan” on June 12; a five-day break; “Japan Arena Tour” in Tokyo on June 17-18; “MTV VMAJ Fan Meeting” in Chiba on June 25 and another “Japan Arena Tour” in Tokyo on June 28-29. The nine members of the girl group have not complained about the schedule, though.

The tight schedule for performances and events was the major cause for former TVXQ members taking legal action against S.M. Entertainment. Junsu, Yuchun and Jejung ― who later split off to form JYJ ― had claimed in a 2009 lawsuit that they were forced to perform too many shows under an excessively long 13-year contract.

An entertainment industry insider, however, asked why people think training an athlete and training a singer are different.

“Korean people don’t raise issues with tough training and long workout hours of a national sports star striving for a gold medal. Why can’t K-pop stars be regarded as the same?” said an industry insider who requested anonymity.

“The hard and tough training system is the driving force of the K-pop boom.”

Sexualizing K-pop teens is another frequently raised issue.

Kim Su-a said in her book “Idol: Culture Report on Idols from H.O.T. to Girls’ Generation,” that Korean male fans of girl groups call themselves “samchon fan” (uncle fan) to justify sexualizing teen idols.

“Setting a family-like relationship with the idols effectively blocks criticism that they love them because they want to actually touch and hold them,” the writer said.

Will Cote, a 28-year-old lecturer at Sungkyul University, raised issues with what the expatriate called the “superficial appearances and robotic dances” of the K-pop idol groups.

“Why I’m not interested in K-pop? I don’t like the sexual overtones in it. I don’t like the dancing,” Cote said.

“To me, it sounds all the same and pretty superficial.”

He added that K-pop bands seemed to have been created by entertainment agencies to make money and that they only appeal to teenage groups.

“I’d rather call trot music more Korean. It’s old-fashioned but I like music to have deeper meanings to it,” he said.

Lack of diversity in terms of musical genre is another challenge that K-pop needs to overcome, experts say. When people refer to K-pop, the music of indie bands, folk singers and rock groups is still excluded from the discussion.

Although there were some bands holding a showcase in Japan or in Southeast Asia recently, the proportion of such rock bands is only a fraction of K-pop idol groups who have a strong impact and presence in the global market.

On the Gaon Chart, the national Korean pop chart, almost half of the top 100 songs in July were by idol groups. The rest were either cover versions featured in the MBC reality show “I Am a Singer” or songs co-produced by hosts of the MBC program “Infinite Challenge.”

In terms of indie or rock music, only three songs by indie band 10 cm were on the list but that was because the group was featured in the MBC program “Infinite Challenge.”

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldm.com)

credit: koreaherald
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NEWS 110729 Pop Idols Bringing Korean Wave To Germany

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[News] 110729 Pop Idols Bringing Korean Wave to Germany

The growing popularity of K-pop bands in Germany indicates that the Korean Wave may have finally made its way to Western Europe.

According to the VIVA Online Clip Charts, girl group 2NE1′s recently released song “I Am the Best” ranked top of the charts this week. This was followed by “Mona Lisa,” by boy band MBLAQ, and Beast’s “Breath.” Songs by 2PM, Super Junior-M and Big Bang also made their way into the top 100.

The VIVA chart is compiled by German music TV channel VIVA based on the number of downloads and music video hits the songs receive online. The station is equivalent in clout to MTV in the U.S., and is in fact now under the management of MTV following a recent acquisition and merger.

VIVA News reported on Wednesday that K-pop, a new force to be reckoned with in the mainstream music industry, has recently moved beyond Asia and into Europe. It said this is similar to what happened in the 1990s with Japanese music, when J-Pop became hugely popular around the world. One of the key to K-pop’s success, it said, is the attractive looks of its singers, many of whom have undergone cosmetic surgery.

“K-pop idol groups such as Beast, 2NE1, TVXQ, MBLAQ, Super Junior and Big Bang were modeled after boy bands and girl groups in the West,” it reported. “Korean management agencies, notably SM Entertainment, discover young talents and nurture them into becoming highly successful groups. Many Korean groups are immensely popular in Japan, so they sometimes sing in Japanese.”

Meanwhile, JYJ, another local boy band, has expressed its wish to hold a concert in Germany at either the end of October or in early November, the Korean Embassy in Berlin said.

“JYP Entertainment, which manages Wonder Girls and 2PM, is also considering holding concerts in Germany,” it added.

englishnews@chosun.com / Jul. 29, 2011 11:33 KST

credit: englishnews@chosun
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Trans 110726 New Topic In Kpop Overcome Three…

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[Trans] 110726 New Topic In Kpop : Overcome Three Main Barriers

Currently, K-pop has broken past the first barrier. That is to say, they have already established the value of their existence. However, this is just the beginning. To globalize K-pop, there are three main issues they need to overcome.

Break away from “Idol Stars”

The first generation of Hallyu was led by actors. Korean dramas were pushed forward in large numbers, with Bae Yong Jun, Lee Byung Hyun, Song Seung Hun, Kwong Sang-Woo and other actors becoming popular as Hallyu idols. However, due to extensive “blank periods” and poor management, the hallyu wave that was led by actors became stagnant.

During this time, the idol stars seized the opportunity and took over this space. Led by TVXQ, and now SNSD, Kara etc, a large volume of girl groups have been gaining the attention of overseas markets. They spearhead the Korean Idol culture, and have broken the geographic barriers between countries.

However, this trend is starting to be a little overdone, and has established the stereotype that “Hallyu = Idol stars.” Aside from music, even dramas such as “Playful Kiss” and “You’re Beautiful” star members from idol groups. To ensure that Hallyu wave can make better progress, aside from appealing to the younger age groups with idol groups, we urgently need to grasp and establish ourselves in a broader age categories and a variety of Hallyu elements. A person related to one of the idol groups said, “We need to discover new hallyu stars, to appeal to the overseas fans who do not like idol groups. If we can give them a stage (opportunity,) then the hallyu wave will be able to progress further.

Break Away From The Japanese Market

Japan, which is located next to Korea is one of the biggest appreciators of the Hallyu culture. From another angle, you can say that it was the Japanese fans’ support that have helped the hallyu stars to grow. Aside from Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and various Asian regions have seen a rise in popularity for Hallyu stars. However the truth is, a majority of the hallyu stars are over-reliant on the Japanese market’s support.

With TVXQ, Big Bang, SNSD, Kara and others, recently everyone is trying to break into the Japanese market. They are very sensitive towards the Oricon rankings. The strange thing is that, compared to the current lack of emphasis on song ranking programs in the Korean market, Korean singers are more sensitive to the ranking charts in Japan. This shows that they are using this (Oricon rankings) as a measure of their popularity in Japan.

Aside from Japan, starting from the time of H.O.T., Hallyu stars have been enjoying great popularity in China. However, the issue is that the public is only focused on a specific few stars. Although Super Junior, Rain, SNSD and other are very popular, but China, unlike Japan, is still unable to allow more groups and singers to actively promote there.

And under such circumstances, the group JYJ released their first English album “The Beginning” in October last year, and was judged as “daring to try something new.” JYJ joined hands with famous American producers Kanye West and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, and using the new group name “JYJ” released their first album produced in English. This album bears the significance of “starting their journey towards the world stage.” The three members, who have dominated the Japanese and Asian markets, have set their sights on the global market, and can be regarded as leaders in “breaking away from Japan.”

Someone in the music industry said, “When you analyze the structure of the Chinese market, it’s not hard to know that they are more appealing than the Japanese market. But so far, the progress of singers has not been as smooth as in Japan. Aside from that, they should also be looking at Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan etc, and create more roadways for the Hallyu wave.”

Break Away from Stereotypes!

The first pioneers of the hallyu wave were dramas. “Jewel in the Palace,” “Winter Sonata” made it big, and big stars like Bae Young Jun and Lee Young-Ae were born. Recently, due to “You’re Beautiful,” Jang Geun Suk has become the new hallyu star, but compared to the time of “Winter Sonata,” the power of dramas in the hallyu wave has been considerably diminished.

And the space left by the dramas was filled by K-pop. The hallyu market which was dominated by male idols has now hit a turning point led by SNSD and Kara. K-pop can be considered as the successor to J-pop, which has captured the Asian music market.

On the other hand, the power of the hallyu wave at Chungmuro (T/N: refers to the film industry – Chungmuro is the street in Korea that is famous for culture & film) has become plain. Actors who have become hallyu stars through their dramas also boosts the popularity of the movies they are featured in, but using popularity to break into the Japanese film industry is not enough, a situation where “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Someone related to sales in the hallyu market said, “Korean movies have been promoted in various overseas markets, but the effect is not strong enough to be considered part of the hallyu wave. Unlike television dramas which can be watched on public broadcast, movies require an entrance fee, so the visibility among the masses is lower.”

If we want to the multi-faceted Korean culture to be embraced in all fields, not just for dramas and music, we need to promote our movies, games and food as well as other areas, and introduce more variety.

Source : [Jrw8008 + Hankooki]
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Translation 110715 TVXQ Rocked The Stage At “K-POP FESTIVAL — MUSIC BANK in TOKYO”

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[Trans] 110715 TVXQ Rocked The Stage At “K-POP FESTIVAL －MUSIC BANK in TOKYO”

“K-POP FESTIVAL －MUSIC BANK in TOKYO” was held at the Tokyo Dome on the 13th this month. There were 15 groups of Korean artistes that performed at this concert, including TVXQ, Kara, Girls Generation, attracting a total of 45000 fans. This concert was organised by KBS’s “Music Bank” programme in Japan.

15 artiste groups, including popular artistes like TVXQ, Kara, 2pm and Beast rocked the stage during the 3 hour concert. The atmosphere was pushed to the climax when TVXQ took the finale stage. They performed 3 songs, including “Rising Sun”. Yunho could not hide his happiness for being able to perform on Tokyo Dome once again since 2 years ago. He shouted, “ It’s been a long time, Tokyo Dome! I’m really happy to be able to meet everyone here with the other artistes!”, causing the atmosphere to reach the climax.

The concert will be broadcasted in 2D on 25 August, 6pm through “Skyper”, and in 3D on 28 August, 1pm. For more details, please visit http://www.skyperfectv.co.jp/. This concert will also be broadcasted in Korea via KBS on July 22nd at 6:05pm.

Source: [baidutvxq]
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Changmin. Rest that wrist as much as possible. You and Yunho need some serious R&R. <3

Translation 110617 Sohn Ji Chang Deletes His Twitter Account, “I’m Blindly Taking SM’s Side?”

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[Trans] 110617 Sohn Ji Chang Deletes His Twitter Account, “I’m Blindly Taking SM’s Side?”

Sohn Ji Chang, who pointed out that a portion of the press is looking at the K-POP craze in Europe in a skewed view, has revealed that he will be deleting his Twitter account.

On the 17th, Sohn Ji Chang wrote a long tweet that read, “I think today was a really long day. I didn’t know that my tweets would make that great of an impact… I was surprised once more when I realized that my opinion could be distorted to such a degree by watching certain fans do nothing but criticize me, saying that I’m blindly taking SM’s side.”

He continued to say, “I realized once more that it’s hard for a person to express his thoughts in words. If my words hurt JYJ fans, I sincerely apologize though that wasn’t my intention. But I know that I’m not the only person who missed the five-member TVXQ as I watched that concert.“

Sohn Ji Chang also explained, “If even that is so wrong of me to think, then I really have nothing else to say. And I believe that those who read my words properly will understand what I meant when I wrote about the French press. I wasn’t saying that they were completely at fault, I was trying to talk about Korea’s press that used parts of the French press’ articles to write tasteless articles.“

He ended with, “I’m planning to delete my Twitter account. Though I was only here for a short amount of time, I won’t forget those who communicated with me and supported me. Thank you for making great memories with me. I pray that you will always be healthy and happy.”

Seeing this, netizens left comments such as, “I didn’t think you’d have to leave because of attacks from stupid fans.. It baffles and disappoints me”, “This must be why the online world is such a scary place. Because some get hurt and decide to kill themselves,” and “I hope your trip to Europe doesn’t become a bad memory for you.”

On the 15th, Sohn Ji Chang pointed out the distorted views on the K-POP wave of certain press mediums when he said, “During my trip to Europe, I went to the SM Town concert in Paris. Most of the people there were foreigners, most probably from Europe, and had memorized and were singing along to the Korean lyrics. The venue was really alive with the energy and passion. So I’m baffled by the skewed articles, such as the one from Le Monde. Why can’t they see the concert for what it truly was?“

Source: [newsen]
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