Crayon Pop, known for their “series five-cylinder engine dance” set to the song “Bar Bar Bar,” has signed with world-famous label Sony Music Entertainment. Crayon Pop differentiated themselves from other girl groups by making a debut decked out in matching polo shirts, track pants, skirts and bike helmets. Instead of going for the stereotypical sexy or cute concept, the group aimed for a girl-next-door style, gaining fans and sparking a slew of parodies of their famous dance. “When Sony Music En

Actor Kim Woo-bin has been named the new host of music channel Mnet’s “M Countdown.” The previous hosts of the program were Tony An of H.O.T. and FT Island’s Lee Hong-gi, making Kim the only host who did not debut as a K-pop artist. Kim appeared as a special guest emcee on the program in April and received positive feedback for his hosting abilities.  “Kim Woo-bin has a steady voice and has the ability to be a capable host,” the production team for “M Countdown” stated. “He has gained recognitio

Girl group KARA is to release a new album in September. DSP media, KARA’s agency, provided a glimpse of the styling for the upcoming album in a teaser image released on Monday. The black-and-white album cover shows the five members dressed in black suits, sporting dishevelled, pulled-back hairstyles. The group has deviated from their usual sexy and cute look, moving toward a more androgynous, edgier vibe.  The upcoming album will be the K-pop group’s 4th album release in Korea. Their last full-l

South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun tied the knot with actress Lee Min-jung on Saturday after seven years of dating. About 900 guests, mostly close friends and film industry figures, were in attendance including actor Jang Dong-gun and director Kim Ji-woon. Hundreds of fans from Japan and other countries also gathered to catch a glimpse of the stars at the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, where the ceremony took place. Ahead of the private wedding ceremony, the high-profile couple gave thei

Popular actress, filmmaker, singer and artist Ku Hye-sun is to hold a solo art exhibition in Shanghai, according to her local agency YG Entertainment.The upcoming exhibition, scheduled to be held at the Korean Cultural Service Shanghai from Aug. 17 to 31, will feature some 20 artworks by Ku. The 28-year-old’s works are said to explore the themes of nostalgia and memories.On the opening day of the exhibition, Aug. 17, Ku will attend a special event where she will meet underprivileged children in

K-pop group Super Junior members are becoming tour guides with their new travel book, “Super Junior’s Experience Korea NEWS+Seoul.” The two-volume guide, which will include four separate sections titled “Tasting,” “Feeling,” “Making” and “Enjoying,” is set to hit the shelves Aug. 16.For the making of the book, 10 of the group’s members traveled in pairs around Korea during different seasons. Siwon and Donghae traveled to the northern part of the country, Kyuhyun and Yesung to the east, Shindong

Mnet, a cable music channel owned by CJ E&M, will be bringing its popular weekly music program “M Countdown” to Los Angeles later this month. Titled “M Countdown What’s Up LA,” the program will be part of the Korean culture festival “KCON 2013” that will run for two days starting on Aug. 24. The lineup for the event includes K-pop artists G-dragon, 2AM, Dynamic Duo, f(x), EXO, You Seung-woo and more. Marking Mnet’s first entry into the U.S., the event aims to show just how influential K-pop is b

The King Sejong Center in Washington, D.C., has kicked off its annual Hallyu Camp once again this week, giving young American children the opportunity to immerse themselves in workshops and activities all revolving around traditional and pop culture. The camp is designed to give fans of Korean pop culture a more in-depth understanding of the country and its people. During the five-day program, participants get to experience what it means to be Korean through a variety of interactive workshops, l

Despite debuting nearly two years ago, the members of rock trio PaperTree are still trying to make their mark on the Korean indie scene. After a recent member change, the band is now back to its original founding members ― Song Young-keun on vocals and bass, Kim Tae-hyun on guitar and Lee Ye-chan on drums. “Our name means a tree made with paper. And paper is made from trees, it is like an infinite cycle. We wish the same for our music careers. We get motivation and a purpose to keep pursuing mus

KOCCA program fosters alternatives to K-pop offerings

Popular actor Cha Seung-won’s son is to be investigated by police for sexual assault, Seoul Prosecutors’ Office announced on Monday.According to Seoul Prosecutors’ Office, an 18-year-old high-school girl recently filed a complaint against Noah Cha, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the 24-year-old multiple times while held captive in a property owned by his grandfather.The elder Cha offered his apology online on Saturday, saying he felt “responsible” as a father for the situation “regardles

Sunmi, a former member of the K-pop group Wonder Girls, has announced she will be making a comeback as a solo artist. More than three years have passed since Sunmi left the girl group in 2010 to pursue academic studies. She is still affiliated with her original agency, JYP Entertainment, which stated on Monday, “Sunmi is preparing a comeback as a solo artist. Final dates are still being worked out.” According to the agency, Park Jin-young, the agency chief, is going to play a major role in her c

The five-member K-pop group MBLAQ is to hold an exclusive concert in Mexico City on Aug. 8.The concert titled MBLAQ Mexico 2013 will start at 8 p.m. at Mexico City’s Pepsi Center, allowing the country’s fans to see the singers in person for the first time. Arirang TV and Mexico’s biggest broadcasting company Televisa are both covering the concert. During their five-day stay in Mexico, MBLAQ will perform at various venues and make media appearances.MBLAQ’s hit track “Mona Lisa” topped various cha

World-renowned soprano Sumi Jo will be joined by K-pop group BEAST member Yang Yo-seob at her outdoor concerts to be held in Olympic Park, Seoul, on Sept. 14 and 15.The concert, titled “La Fantasia,” is not a typical classical concert: It will take place at Olympic Park’s 88 Lakeside Stage, where audiences will be able to listen to the coloratura’s lyrical melodies under a moonlit autumn sky. The audience will be able to enjoy an interesting mix of performances by not only prominent classical mu

JYJ member Kim Junsu is planning to hold an exclusive concert in Sydney, Australia on Sept. 28.The singer’s agency, C-Jes Entertainment, announced that Kim would be performing in Big Top Sydney, a multi-purpose venue capable of holding more than 3,000 people. This will be the star’s first time performing Down Under. Kim, 26, released his sophomore solo album on July 15, receiving rave reviews from within the country as well as abroad. On July 20 he started his Asia tour for the latest album, “In