Actors, Kpop Idols, Entertainment Moguls Donate to Sewol Relief Fund

 Actor Kim SooHyun and Actress Park Shin Hye

 As the entertainment industry remains effectively shut down and South Korea continues to grieve for the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking, more Korean celebrities have donated money for the victims of the tragedy. Below is a long list of many famous entertainers, idols and public figures offering large sums of money:

• Actor Kim Soo Hyun, who starred in the hit drama You Who Came From the Stars, donated 300 million won
• 2PM’s Junho gave 30 million won to the Korea Disaster Relief Association and Miss A’s Suzy donated 50 million won
• Actress Park Shin Hye and Chu Sung Hoon provided 50 million won each 
• Rapper Tiger K donated 100 million won
• MBLAQ’s Lee Joon also gave 10 million won 
• TV host Kang Ho Dong donated 100 million won
• Super Junior’s Kyuhyun gave 25 million won to Danwon High School, from which most of the passengers of the Sewol ferry came from
• Couple Sul Kyung Gu and Song Yoon Ah also donated 100 million won
• After School's UEE donated 30 million won to the Korean disaster relief association, Breeze of Hope
• While Chief Lee Soo Man personally gave 500 million won, SM Entertainment also donated 500 million won for a total of 1 billion won 
• Head of  YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun Suk has donated 500 million won
•  High-profile actor Song Seung-heon donated 100 million won to the Red Cross. Soon after, actor On Joo-wan donated 10 million won to the charity organization.
• Actress Ha Ji-won also gave 100 million won
• Actor Jung Il-woo privately donated 30 million won to Hopebridge-Korea Disaster Relief Association, while actors Kang Dong-won, Yoo Ah-in and actress Song Hye-gyo had sent goods and supplies to Jindo through their agency UAA
• Actor Kim Bo-sung also contributed 10 million won to the Community Chest of Korea, a charity organization
• Actress Jeon Jihyun has donated 100 million won under her real name to the Korean Red Cross
• Figure skater Kim Yu-na donated 100 million won to Unicef Korea 

  Some stars headed to Jindo to partake in rescue and relief efforts. Other artists expressed their condolences as they cancelled or delayed concerts, promotional events and album releases including popular boy bands EXO, Block B, Infinite, singers Lena Park, Kim Jin-ho, G-Na, Junggigo, and Ji-yeon from T-ara.
 

Source: newsen

Promo: Nature Republic Official EXO Mini Standees

 

EXO mini standees with their own signatures! Hurry to their nearest boutiques located at SM Fairview, SM North, Festival Mall and other leading malls. Offer only runs until supplies last!

 

Source: Nature Republic PH Facebook

'Triangle' 2nd Teaser: Jaejoong in Underwear Mad Dash (video)

Upcoming MBC drama Triangle released the second teaser, focusing on the good-for-nothing second brother as played by JYJ member Kim Jaejoong.

In this clip, Jaejoong is seen making a mad dash to escape what looks like thugs in nothing but underwear, even looking like he has somehow "dug his own grave" at one point, showing that he is indeed the troublemaker of the family. 

Triangle is set to premiere on May 5, Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 for 24 episodes. It will star three good-looking studs Lee Bum Soo, Jaejoong, and Im Siwan, playing the roles of brothers Jang Dong-soo, Jang Dong-chul and Jang Dong-woo respectively. They got separated at a young age after their parents died in an accident. They meet again 20 years later, but in an unexpected twist of fate, they find themselves at odds with each other.


Video Source:  JJYCJSYJJ

2NE1 to Grace the Cover of NYLON

 

Korean girl group 2NE1 has landed the cover of the Korean version of NYLON Magazine.

 

The collaboration between 2NE1 and NYLON was arranged as Marvin Scott Jarrett, the editor/photographer of America’s magazine, named and picked 2NE1 as the most original and interesting musician.

According to an affiliate of NYLON, the 2NE1 members shot the photos as if they were singing and dancing, with a free and lively spirit. In the cover picture, the girls are striking casual but cool poses while wearing their trademark unique clothing.

 

The famous girl group is busy with promotional activities since releasing its second full-length album AON. Full 2NE1’s photos and interview will be available in the May issue of NYLON Korea.

Source: NYLONTVKOREA

SBS’ “Roommate” Airing in May

 

Living under one room, SBS's Roommates is a new reality show in which 11 celebrities of all ages and genres of work gather to live in a share house. The 11 participants include EXO’s Chanyeol, 2NE1’s Park Bom, After School’s NaNa, host-model Lee Sora, comedian Cho Seo Ho, fighter Song Ga Yeon, actress Hong Soo Hyun and actors Lee Dong Wook, Park Min Woo, Shin Sung Woo and Seo Kang Joon. The cast finished their four nights and five days filming in March.

 

The first episode was scheduled to air on April 20 following the conclusion of K-Pop Star, but the airing of the show was cancelled due to the April 16 Sewol Ferry tragedy. SBS previously announced the show would be postponed to April 27. However, the April 27 broadcast was also canceled, and the show is expected to premiere on May 4. 

Exciting?!

Credits: SBS

Yellow Ribbon Campaign for Sewol Tragedy

  

 a yellow background with a bow and the words “하나의 작은 움직임이 큰 기적을” (A small movement for a great miracle

After the promotion of the hashtag #PrayForSouthKorea, several online communities in Korea have also begun a new “Yellow Ribbon Campaign” to mourn for the victims of the Sewol ferry accident.

Yesterday, several posts encouraging people to change their SNS profile (Facebook, Twitter, Kakaotalk among others) pictures to a specific picture of a “yellow ribbon” had been uploaded, and has gathered the attention of the whole country, and now the world.

A week has already passed since the tragedy, yet there are still 181 missing people, and 0 rescues.

The “yellow ribbon” symbolizes the wait for the return of a loved one. This campaign aims to portray that the entire SoKor is currently waiting for the missing passengers to return back to their family and continue on with their lives.

Have you changed your profile photos to the Yellow Ribbon yet?

Source: MBN Star

EXO-K "Hawak Kamay" (Video)

Hawak-kamay

Di kita iiwan sa paglalakbay

Sa mundo ng kawalan...

 
Since Samsung Music has put on hold their EXO "Overdose" comeback scheduled last Monday, and as my way of support to the #PrayforSouthKorea, I am sharing you guys this video cap of  EXO-K singing "Hawak-Kamay". To the much delighted and surprised fans, the famous Korean boy group performed this Tagalog song, originally sang by Filipina singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino, during one of their performance breaks in their last year's one-night concert titled Kpop Republic (together with SHINee and Dal Shabet)  held in Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was also sang first during the entire EXO group Manila performance, the Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert, held at SM Mall of Asia concert grounds also in 2013.

Hawak-Kamay means to "holding hands or by your side", is an inspirational song and it really does touch peoples hearts. Basically, the meaning of the song is that no matter what you're going through in life, if you're going through some hard times in your life and struggling, stay strong and never give up on faith because no matter what the situation you're in, whether it's good or bad, you'll make it through and you won't be alone. just keep your head up high and don't lose hope.

#PrayforSouthKorea
 

Video source: blogger's personal file

2NE1's First Global Tour FREE Concert Screening at KCC

Blackjacks, are you ready for the AON Concert?! Let's take a trip down memory lane as Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and 2ne1ph relive 2NE1's First Global Tour for this month's FREE Concert Screening, Friday April 25.


GET YOUR FREE TICKETS HERE: http://tiny.cc/kccconcertscreening-2ne1

HOW TO GET TO KCC: http://tiny.cc/howtogettoKCC






  #KoreanCulturePH ^^

#PrayforSouthKorea

#PrayforSouthKorea

 

Photo is not own by the blogger

EXO's "Overdose" Mini Album preview

Source: SMent.EXO Facebook

Kpop Joins the Grieving of the Sinking of the Korean Ship

A truly devastating and horrible event has held the attention of everyone in Korea, including K-Pop.

The ‘Sewol’ ship, which had been carrying 459 people on board, with 358 of them being Ansan’s Danwon High School students on a camping trip to Jeju Island, hit a coral reef in the middle of the ocean, causing the ship to completely capsize within just 2 hours.

Currently, the death toll is at 5, in which 3 have been confirmed to be students on the camping trip. Approximately 280 people are still missing and only around 175 people have been saved.

Due to this deeply saddening event, almost every television program and film release event in Korea had been cancelled or delayed, as well as the schedules and special events of several K-Pop artists, as everyone is grieving and mourning for all the losses.

A Pink were to have a 3-year anniversary fan meeting on the 19th of April at Kwangun University, however they have cancelled this fan meeting, as it was just impossible for the members to be singing a bright and happy song in front of their fans amidst all this. Their agency announced that another date for the fan meeting will be discussed and revealed upon agreement.

Furthermore, EXO were to have an interview and official event for their comeback on the 17th of April, however they have also postponed these schedules to mourn for the victims of the sinking.

Block B were also due to release their new song “Jackpot” on the 17th of April, however they also announced on their official fan cafe and SNS accounts that they have decided to postpone the release due to this incident, and also due to the fact that the members were not ready to release this song under these circumstances. They also expressed that they were deeply sorry to their fans who waited for a long time, and that they expressed their deepest condolences for the victims of the Sewol sinking, and that all of the missing persons return home safe to their families.

Many other artists expressed their condolences and wished for the safe return of all the missing people, including Kim Changryeol, Super Junior’s Ryeowook, Jay Park and KARA’s Kyuri.

Currently, the Korean Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team and America’s USS Bonhomme Richard are carrying out night searches, looking for more survivors of the ship.

Our deepest condolences go to those families who have lost loved ones, and pray that all missing persons are returned to their family soon.

Source: Koreaboo

Fly to the Sky Comback!

After hinting at a possible reunion for a few months, Fly to the Sky will be coming back as a duo for the first time in five long years!

According to various Korean media sites, the R&B duo, consisting of Korean American Brian Joo and South Korean native Hwanhee, will be making their grand return as a duo in mid-May. Details are being ironed out as the duo are preparing to a lot to deliver a quality album, their best yet, an official at their agency said.

Shortly after the news broke on, Brian took to his Twitter writing, 

"OFFICIAL news~ Guess who's coming back next month? #FlytotheSky of course with my partner in crime @codename911 #HwanHee & myself #BrianJoo".

After they release their new album, the group are expected to hold a solo concert in honor of their 15th anniversary in early June.

In 2009, the duo released 10th anniversary celebratory album “Decennium,” after which they focused on their solo activities, but not before becoming the #1 R&B duo in Korea at the time.

Fly to the Sky made their debut under SM Entertainment with 'Day By Day' in 1999 and has since had several hit songs, including “Missing You,” “Like a Man,” etc. Below is the MV of Missing You song.

Stay tuned for confirmation and further news regarding Fly to the Sky's comeback.

Source: various media 

축하합니다, Manny!

Congrats, Manny!!!

Photo Credit: Pinoy-Kpop-Memes

Ailee Covers Whitney Houston's Classic 'I Will Always Love You' (Video)

 Ailee channeled Whitney Houston's soft yet powerful voice in her own touching version of the late diva's classic song "I Will Always Love You" on the April 12th installment of 'Immortal Song 2'.

The 24-year old Korean-American singer is known to have gained fame from a video she made of herself singing the said song. "From a young age, I listened to Whitney Houston's songs and liked them. She's one artist I want to be like.", she said.

Ailee's slaying stunned the whole audience, including fellow performers.Two thumbs up...as always!


Source: KBSKpop

EXO - Overdose (MV Teaser)

It's almost here!

EXO-K_중독(Overdose)_Music Video Teaser 

EXO-K_중독(Overdose)_Music Video Teaser 

Source: SMTOWN

Nature Republic UV Lock Flower Non Chemical Sun Liquid

Summer is here! Who doesn’t want to be outside sunbathing, swimming or just walking on the beach? While summer means fun in the sun, make sure you’re not getting too much of a good thing. Avoid consequences of over exposure to the sun such as sunburns, premature aging of the skin and wrinkling by using proper sun protection.

Since everyone needs a good sun block this summer, Korean brand Nature Republic has just the right skin care product for you!

Nature Republic UV Lock Flower Non Chemical Sun Liquid 

It has sunflower oil that protects skin from UV rays. And the aloe vera content offers moisture and nutrition to soothe tired skin. Plus, its 100%-naturally mineral-filtered sun liquid can be used for sensitive skin, including infants. 

You can get this in any Nature Republic boutiques located at SM Fairview, SM North and Festival Mall.

•  Benefits: Whitening, Wrinkle - Improvement, UV Protection
• Ingredients: sunflower oil, aloe vera, nature-originated mineral filter
• SPF50+/PA+++
• Net W/VL: 50ml
• Price: Php745.00 

 

Source: Nature Republic Philippines

Globe Telecom Introduces Duo Korea

Let your friends and loved ones in Korea call you without worries on long-distance costs!

Get your own Korean number in the Philippines with Globe Duo Korea. DUO Korea assigns a Korean number to the Globe or TM mobile of your loved one in the Philippines, so you can call them anytime without worrying of cost. Calling a DUO Korea number is just like any other number within Korea, resulting to significant savings.

Subscribe from April 12 to May 12 and avail of the US$10 promo price for a 30-day subscription.

To register, simply visit: duokorea.globe.com.ph

Globe, Creating a Wonderful World!

Happy SEHUN-Yehet Day

             

Our rainbow-haired EXO-K subgroup maknae, Sehun, turned 19 today!

In 2007, Sehun was scouted by a casting agent in the streets when he was 12, and in 2008 he was successfully cast into S.M. Entertainment after going through four auditions in two years. He was formally introduced as a EXO member in January 2012. Sehun is a former Ulzzangis, a popular best-face in Korea.


 Real Name: Oh Se-Hun (오세훈)
Stage Name: Sehun (세훈)
Nickname: Senshine
Birth Place: Seoul Special City
Date of Birth: 12th April 1994
Nationality: Korean
Height: 181cm

Position: Dancer, Rapper, Sub-Vocalist, Maknae
Specialties: Dancing, acting
Personal Motto: Let's live while doing things we like!
Trivia: He has this habit of always sticking out his tongue and has an adorable "S" lisp.

Source: all-about-korea18

Basic House Mid-Season Sale

Korean fashion brand BASIC HOUSE is having mid-season sale until May 4. Drop by any of their shops: Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Metro East, The Shops, Greenhills Shopping Center, Glorietta 5, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Ayala Center Cebu and Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro and enjoy as much as 30% off on selected lines.

 

Source: BasicHousePH

Relationship of Korean Stars Going Public

Following the trend of going public with their relationship in the last few months, like Lee Seung Gi and SNSD’s YoonA, fellow Korean stars who also jumped onto the bandwagon are:

• Jessica of SNSD and Korean-America entrepreneur (ex of HK singer Gillian Cheung) Tyler Kwon

• SNSD's Choi Soo-young also in relationship with Korean actor Jung Kyung-ho  

 

• another SNSD member Tiffany and Nichkhun of 2PM are dating for four months

• Super Junior's Shindong recently confirmed dating Korean model Kang Shi Nae

Credit: various news portal

'Mnet XOXO EXO' New Reality Show Airing April 18

 

EXO's new reality show 'Mnet XOXO EXO' will be aired on April 18, 10:10 pm KST. It is EXO's New Variety Show about their real life & comeback preparation.

 

Source: twitter.com/EXO_Intl

 

 

Metronome: Ready for Some Jay Park? (MV Teaser Video)

The Metronome teaser dropped on yesterday through Jay Park’s Youtube channel. The video carried a very peculiar atmosphere with metronome balls swinging around. The next scene is a sexy preview cut to the famous b-boy, music performer-producer sitting under a spotlight, getting cozy with a mysterious, curvy lady sitting on his lap.

The new single will mark Jay Park's first release in nine months since "I Like 2 Party" last July. What makes the comeback more excited than any other? Metronome was created by TASTEmakers and will feature his co-CEO of AOMG, Simon D and co-AOMG artist Gray.

Watch the full video on April 11.


Source: JAYPARKOFFICIAL

BigBang’s T.O.P to Hold Exhibition in Celebration of His Pictorial Book

 
BIGBANG’s T.O.P will be holding the “FROM TOP EXHIBITION” from May 1-4 in celebration of the release of his first pictorial book at the JnB Gallery located at Gangnam’s Horim Art Center

“1st PICTORIAL RECORDS FROM TOP,” was officially released yesterday, April 9. The exhibition will showcase diverse images of T.O.P along with additional photos that are not included in the pictorial book that T.O.P personally selected.

T.O.P ventured to New York with photographer Hong Jang Hyun last December in order to shoot the pictorial. Despite his busy schedule, TOP reportedly directly selected which photos he would be displaying at his exhibition. The 400-page photobook also comes with a video that follows T.O.P throughout his daily life as a 27 years old rapper and member of the Korean-sentation group BIGBANG.


Anyone who purchases a copy of the book is invited to the exhibition. People who did not purchase the pictorial book can still enjoy the four-day exhibition. But it is still open to anyone and the tickets will go on sale online through G-Market starting on April 11 at 10 AM, KST. Music site, Melon.com, will be hosting a giveaway event for tickets to the exhibition.

Check out T.O.P’s message uploaded March 26 below!

 Credits: YG Entertainment

Miranda Kerr Promotes Eric Nam's Digital Single via Selca

Kor-Am singer Eric Nam and Victoria's Secret angel Miranda Kerr shared a friendly “selca” together to promote his new digital single “Ooh Ooh”.
The two had apparently met when Eric Nam interviewed Miranda Kerr when she visited South Korea for promotional activities last year.
Due to his excellent hosting, Miranda Kerr was interviewed by Eric Nam again when she visited Korea for another promotional schedule this month.
During the interview, Miranda Kerr heard about the release of Eric Nam’s new album and so expressed that she wanted to promote his song as well, thus took a selca with Eric while holding up a piece of paper with “Ooh Ooh” written on it.
Also, Eric Nam sang a little bit of “Ooh Ooh” for her during the interview, and Miranda Kerr commented on how she loved the song and found the main melody addictive, thus continued to sing it even after the interview was finished.
Meanwhile, Eric Nam will be having his first comeback stage on MBC’s Music Core on the 12th of April.

Source: E-Daily

Below is the digital single album and MV for your viewing pleasure:

The music so light and fun to watch and has a lot of funk. Reminds me a lot of Bruno Mars' Treasure.
Loved how Kevin, Brad of Busker Busker and Boa Kim of SPICA made cameos! And Hoya of Infinite just did a great job with the rap! Enjoy!


[Single] Eric Nam - Ooh Ooh
에릭남 – 우우 (Ooh Ooh)
Release Date: 2014.04.08
Genre: Dance
Language: Korean
Bit Rate: MP3-320kbps

Track List:
01. 우우 (Ooh Ooh) (Feat. 호야 Of 인피니트)
02. 우우 (Ooh Ooh) (Inst.)

Download: http://k2nblog.com/single-eric-nam-ooh-ooh/

ALBUM RELEASE: Make Your Move OST

 

 

 

 

 

Make Your Move is an upcoming dance-romance movie  that co-stars Dancing With The Stars‘ Derek Hough and Kpop singer sensation BoA, due out on April 18.

 Formerly called Cobu 3D, Make Your Move is a Romeo and Juliet-inspired independent dance film  directed by Duane Adler who wrote the script for the movies Save the Last Dance (2001) and Step Up (2006). Aside from the lead stars, singer Yunho from TVXQ has a cameo appearance.

Below is the movie OST album track released two days ago.

 

 

 

Make Your Move OST
Various Artists - Make Your Move OST
Release Date: 2014.04.07
Genre: OST
Language: English, Korean
Bit Rate: MP3-320kbps

Track List:
01. Light Up This City - Candy Coated Killahz
02. Say Yes (Feat. KRIS of EXO) - 제시카 (Jessica)
03. Let Me In - Michael Corcoran
04. You Found Me - Shannon La Brie
05. Cobu Love Theme Static Invasion (Feat. Tasha `Dash` Schumann) - The Outfit
06. Dance To The Drummers Beat - Herman Kelly
07. Runnin` On Empty - 동방신기 (TVXQ)
08. The Road (Finer Things) (Feat. Nicky Da B) - NOLA Fam
09. Fall For You - Stephen Gordon
10. NU 예삐오 (NU ABO) - f(x)
11. Simple Simon - On Fire Music
12. Cheap Creeper - 소녀시대 (SNSD)
13. Catching Shadows - Felicia Barton
14. Now We Know - The Outfit
15. Breathing Love - Melodye Perry

Download: http://k2nblog.com/album-v-a-make-your-move-ost/

ANNOUNCEMENT: KCC 2014 Summer Korean Class for the Youth!

Today (12:00NN) is the booking of slots for the 2014 Summer Korean Class for the Youth! Be sure to be online to secure your slot.

Onsite Registration is on April 12, 2014.

Download the registration form and syllabus here: http://phil.korean-culture.org/navigator.do?siteCode=phil&langCode=null&menuCode=201002010014&action=VIEW&seq=52878

SOURCE: http://koreanculture.ph/

M.JOON's Choreo of Gaeko's "Cyper" (video)

M.Joon choreography CYPER by 개코

Check out this ridicool choreo to Gaeko's "Cyper" done by M.JOON in Seoul. GV Wednesday to all!

Credit: https://www.youtube.com/user/Eight8drop

EXO Comeback Title Song ‘중독 (Overdose)’ to be released on the 15th of April

Brand new EXO is coming back with  ‘중독 (Overdose)’, the title song of their mini album to be released on the 15th of April.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of EXO's debut, and EXO will be holding the first concert "EXO FROM EXOPLANET #1 - THE LOST PLANET" on May 24-25 at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Gymnasium. The ticketing for the said concert will begin on the 16th of April, 8PM (KST) through Gmarket.



Credit:EXO official LINE account, www.newsen.com

2NE1's Dara snaps a pic with ‘The Walking Dead’ actor Steven Yeun

DARA: “It was very nice meeting you with #StevenYeun”.

2NE1 Dara shares a photo taken with ‘The Walking Dead’ actor Steven Yeun who plays the role of ‘Glenn Rhee’ in the AMC hit post-apocalyptic horror drama TV series. One of the successful Kor-Am actor in Hollywood to date, Yeun is born Korean but migrated to Canada and grew up in the US.

credit: http://ygunited.com

Hallyu-wood: the Rise of Korean Films

Sometime in mid-2007, The New York Times wrote a story with the headline “Korea emerges as epicenter of Asian film and music”, focusing on the rise of Korean films in world cinema.

The fame of Korean flicks is almost not surprising, given that they are both plot and character driven, and offer a refreshing change from the formulaic scripts of Western films. Korean films cater to every taste: romance, suspense, comedy, fantasy – or all of them at once. I bet you have watched movies such as My Sassy Girl, 200 Pound Beauty and JSA, which all gained world-wide acclaim and popularity. Another Korean movie, ‘The Tale of Two Sisters’ was also remade by Hollywood. Its rights cost doubled to that of the Japanese hit horror movie ‘The Ring’. But if you haven’t watched any of these Korean movies, below are five (5) Korean films you must watch to get an idea of the rich cinematic experiences and of what I think fall into standard of my taste and categories of what are the best of the best out there. Enjoy! ^^

Seducing Mr. Perfect
Baby and Me
The Host
Tidal Wave
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring

Korean Food: Hak-seng!

The Korean culture is quite unique in its approach to food. And food seems to permeate every aspect of their life. If you have watched a Korean drama or movie you will undoubtedly have noticed that in at least one scene someone is eating. There are even entire films and dramas based around Korean cuisine. For Koreans food is much more than something to fill the belly. It provides taste, medicine, and a connection to the country. Below I have listed 5 dishes that, in my opinion, are truly the most delicious; these are foods that every Pinoy will love as much as Koreans.

Buldak
Ddukboki
Pajeon
Japchae
Bulgogi
Demo Cooking
Haemul Pajeon or Buchimgae

Korean Pop Style Dressing

The Korean wave phenomenon has made its ways all over the globe. By now, there are more and more people becoming aware of the impact these cultural buzz affecting our living style. On top of that, Korean fashion statement is making their mark on the world’s fashion house because of the increasing popularity of Korean celebrities in the eyes of the world. Thus, these celebrities are becoming the Korean fashion’s ambassador to introduce Korean clothing lines to the world and to increase their fellow Korean designers’ profile on the fashion world. But what exactly distinguishes Korean fashion from other fashion?

Men usually have one to two options regarding clothes. They can only wear minimum designs and prints of t-shirts even with pants and jeans. The simpler the better, as what they have said before to show masculine. But Korean fashion is at the forefront of trendy and wearable fashion. With heavy influence from luxury styles and runway fashion, their trends are always chic and unique.

Men’s Korean Fashion 101
My 5 Korean Fashion Idols
My Top 5 Favorite Online Korean Fashion Sites
My 10 Personal Korean Fashion

K-POP: MY LOVE

Hallyu or the Korean wave, is a term that refers to the growing popularity of Korean entertainment, culture, food and language in many countries.  The Korean wave can be traced back to the 1990s when audiences in China, Japan and Taiwan were first exposed to South Korean dramas. Korean dramas are essentially soap operas that last for about three months with around twenty episodes or so.  Korean dramas are known to contain highly addicting plotlines. 

With the export of Korean dramas, Korean pop music followed in popularity.  Boy bands with flashy dances and upbeat rhythms soon captured female audiences.  The most well-known of these boy bands is TVXQ, a five-member group consisting of songs that range from hip hop to more pop songs.  Additionally, solo artists like Rain and BoA would rise to top the music charts and perform concerts in countries like Japan.

But what makes K-Pop so good that even people who don’t even speak the language get so into it?

K-Pop in the Philippines

Since the rise of K-Pop in 2005, more and more Filipinos are fast becoming devoted fans of these Korean cultural sector. Recent K-Pop artists who have debuted in our country include Super Junior and 2NE1. In mid-2009, the Philippine nation found itself dancing to the Wonder Girls’ dance hit, Nobody, which was the first Korean single to make it to the US Billboard Top 100.

In addition, Philippine fan groups/fan forums are rapidly increasing in number. Among the Philippine chapters of K-Pop artists’ fan clubs are WONDERFUL PH, GIRLS’ GENERATION PH, VIP PH and CASSIOPEIA PH and Super Junior United PH. In the social networking site Multiply, on the other hand, there is a growing population of online shops which sell Korean clothes. And even Korean fashion and hair-styling are seen anywhere.  

My Top 10 Favorite KPop Idols

My Top 10 Favorite KPop Songs

My Top 10 Favorite KRap Songs

My Top 10 Favorite KRnB/KHip-Hop Songs

My Top 10 Favorite KDrama Songs

My Top 10 Favorite KPop Music Videos

Anyeong!

I love Korean’s pop culture; it’s refreshing and cute. There are so many reasons that I fell in love with it and that it happened almost without me knowing it. To start with, Korea has a wonderful mix of ancient culture and traditions; and an ultra-modern, high-tech society that changes both extremely fast and not at all.  More than any other country I’ve known, well, aside from Japan, Korea has been able to keep its culture while simultaneously modernizing into a G-20 nation almost overnight. And it’s thriving… not only in Asia but all over the world too.

Now talking about it, Hallyu wave is spreading Korean pop culture everywhere from Asia to the Western countries.  Hallyu, by the way, is the term which some Korean marketing genius probably came up with to increase tourism and raise the profile of Korea in the world. The term “Hallyu” means the love for Korean pop culture, or the appreciation of all things Korean. Hallyu began roughly 5 years ago when the rest of Asia discovered Korean soap operas. One of the breakthrough dramas was a series called Winter Sonata. After that, more Korean dramas saw their way to foreign shores and Korean films and music started to follow suit. And they dubbed this flow “The Korean Wave” or Hallyu.
Below are a pictures with my Filipino, Japanese and Korean friends, my most experiential Hallyu. ^^



Music
I love music and found several bands and singers that I enjoyed.  But what is it about Korean music that makes it very appealing? Is it the catchy beats? The idols’ good-looks and adorable personalities? Maybe the addictive dance moves, awesome props, and glitzy stage costumes? Or is it their over-reactive and overprotective fans? For me it’s everything and more!

A difference between American music and Korean music can be noted concerning the messages conveyed in the differing music cultures. Concepts relayed through in popular American hip-hop music often consist of money, sex, alcohol, drugs… etc. For example, Rihanna‘s song S&M: “Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it”. Although I myself may not fully understand Hangul, I would say that KPop is more modest and innocent, a factor that reflects upon Korean culture.
My fascination with Korean pop music started with this video:
This is the all-time famous, all-time favorite JapKor boy group TVXQ, or Tohoshinki in Japan. I used to be a JPop fan (I love Arashi, WaT, Morning Musume, Ken Hirai, Yuna Ito and Teriyaki Boyz) but eventually converted into a KPop follower after I was introduced to JapKor artists like BoA and TVXQ.
Dramas & Movies
Though I’m not really into watching Koreanovelas, Korea produces some very entertaining TV shows – Protect the Boss will always be my favorite but there is something for everyone.   There are also tons of great flicks – and My Boyfriend is a Type B was the first I watched and still a favorite. Below is the trailer.

A lot of Korean dramas and movies deal with this subject of first love. I’ve heard that a lot of Koreans think your first love is the purest and truest love you’ll ever have. I don’t really know if a lot of Koreans think that actually, but the popular culture certainly does seem to be overwhelming them with this message.
If you’d like to watch KDramas, by the way, you can download them here. I have to warn you though, it can be addicting – really! You’ll think to yourself, “This is stupid. Why am I watching this?” But then you won’t be able to stop! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Food
I love Korean food!  Aside from being healthy, It’s all so yummy.  Okay, it really helps that I like spicy food because a lot of Korean food is spicy but there’s something for everyone.  The meat… the veges. When you visit Korean restos, don’t be afraid to try something new.  My favorites include ddukboki, pajeon, kimchi of course, and bulgogi.
By the way, I worked before in a Japanese tourism magazine wherein I did some sales, marketing and editorial jobs.

Yup! That’s me in the lower left part! Haaaha! Anyway, my love for Korean food started around this time during our photo shoots and food tasting in different Korean restaurants. Below is a sample of Korean food tasting we did and that I photographed and layout.



Fashion
Korean fashion is more of the “clean and smooth” type not the dirty hot type of American fashion. K-fashion is a little safer and pretty much conforms to trends all the time. Koreans prefer to be VERY classy and tasteful but it can also go over the top. It’s undeniable that most Koreans have this crazy trend-driven style going on with them and some crazy layering as well as mix-matching. Ehem. Below is my photo entry during the Super Junior Super Show contest wherein in dressed up like Lee Donghae  of SuJu just to win concert tickets. Such a shame and such a desperate act, huh?! LOL