The Wayne Wong directed women epic film SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN caught attention as Li Bingbing and Gianna Jun Ji-Hyun earlier appeared on the July U.S. edition of VOGUE. The most recent time Asian film stars were on the pages of U.S. VOGUE was six years ago with MEMOIR OF A GEISHA’s Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi.

Recently Li Bingbing and Jun Ji-Hyun appeared in a Mainland fashion magazine cover as well. In the film their tragic lives made people cry. This couple also were much more open to satisfy the audience’s imagination. Li Bingbing not only put her arm around Jun Ji-Hyun’s shoulder but also wore a transparent silk top and black undergarment in an embrace with Jun Ji-Hyun. They even lay on the carpet in elegant clothing and played with flowers.

Starting July 8, the film will be released in almost 40 nations around the world and land in North America on July 15. Li Bingbing and Jun Ji-Huun in mid July will head to the U.S. to attend the New York and Los Angeles premieres with producer Wendi Deng and director Wayne

Source

On March 15th, YG Entertainment announced that they’ll be donating $500,000 USD to the relief efforts in Japan.

The agency had set up a charity campaign four years ago, through which they help various charitable organizations by donating a portion of their total album sales. This year, YG Entertainment has decided to donate $500,000 USD in emergency relief funds.

A representative of YG Entertainment spoke with OSEN and revealed, “We are still discussing which organization to donate to. Funds for the campaign donations were taken from album sales, and a lot of Japanese fans have taken part in the campaign throughout the years. This donation will be made to give back that support the Japanese fans have shown us.”

They continued, “Campaign donations were always made at the year-end, but due to the sudden disaster in Japan, we’ve decided to go ahead and run the campaign earlier this year to aid in the relief efforts. We’re all extremely upset with the natural disasters affecting the nation.”

Other stars who have publicly donated relief funds include Bae Yong Joon, Ryu Shi Won, Choi Ji Woo, Kim Hyun Joong, Jang Geun Suk, Lee Byung Hun, Song Seung Hun and KARA.

Source + Photos: OSEN via Naver, Star News
Translation: VITALSIGN@allkpop

During the time of crises in neighboring country, Japan, many k-pop stars are offering aid through financial means. One of such cases is the girl group KARA who made a more than successful debut there. The popular act decided to donate the entire profits made from the sales of their latest single.

KARA plans to release their third Japanese single, “Jetcoaster Love” on March 23rd. Reps of the girls shared that KARA members were brainstorming of different ways to help out, and came up with the solution of giving away the full amount earned from “Jetcoaster Love” to help those affected by the natural disasters.

The group’s label, DSP Media stated, “The KARA members are saddened to see the damage caused for their Japanese fans that showed them such love. They all keep glued to the TV news and internet news, hoping that no additional damage is caused and that the country recovers as soon as possible. After considering possible ways to help out in the recovery process, they’ve decided to donate the full profit earned from their new single.”

Source: KBS Global

Korean “hallyu” stars including actor Bae Yong-joon are expressing their condolences to Japanese earthquake victims via donations and Twitter messages.

Bae, affectionately called Yonsama by fans in the neighboring country, gave 1 billion won to a Japanese governmental organization, Monday, said his agency Key East.

The endowment is intended to provide displaced victims with first aid kits, meals and other daily necessities, said the agency. “Mr. Bae was very concerned when he heard how victims are under inadequate conditions, without enough food or water in this cold weather. He insisted that the cash gift be used first and foremost for emergency relief such as foodstuff, blankets and other essential items.”

“My heart aches to hear about the increasing damage and aftershocks. I will look for the best way to help,” Bae wrote on his official Japanese website Monday morning, prior to making the bequest.

Meanwhile, singer-actor Kim Hyun-joong also gave 100 million won to his Japanese agency DA, asking that it be used for aid relief. “It’s a small sum, but I pray for a fast recovery and I hope it can help victims,” he said. Kim returned safely back home Saturday from Japan, where promotional events for his TV series “Naughty Kiss” were cancelled.

Jang Geun-suk also offered 10 million yen (some 137 million won) to the Japanese Red Cross. It remains to be seen whether the actor’s upcoming March 27 event in Tokyo, in which he was slated to meet some 20,000 Japanese fans, will take place.

A local rock festival will also make contributions. All proceeds for Rock Dog Korea 2011, which will take place in Hongdae V-Hall on Saturday, will be donated to aid relief.

In the meantime, Taiji, a former member of the popular Japanese rock group X Japan, will not feature in the event due to circumstances concerning the earthquake. Other programs in the festival will be held as scheduled, according to the organizers. The festival also plans to create a banner featuring messages from festivalgoers and send it to Japan.

Singer-actor Ryu Shi-won told Yonhap News that he is composing a letter to Japanese fans and is thinking of ways to help victims, such as through a donation.

Many other stars are expressing their concern in cyberspace.

On Sunday, movie star Lee Byung-hun wrote messages of hope on his online website, while others shared their thoughts through Twitter. Boy band JYJ member Kim Jun-su, who returned from a photo shoot in Japan on Saturday, said, “Japan is our closest neighboring country, and their pain is ours. Let us pray all together as one.”

Actor Park Shin-yang wrote messages in Japanese and English: “Can’t believe what has happened to my friends of JAPAN! I’d like to send my deepest condolences to all the victims affected by the earthquake… and hope the aftershocks will calm down soon. Wish you all the best! GANBATTE!”

Pop star BoA twittered in English, “Heard about Japan earthquake, and especially Tokyo got huge earthquake.. Hope everybody’s OK….”

Park Joong-hoon, who starred in the local tsunami film “Haeundae,” remarked that the disaster in Japan “is much more horrendous than the movie” and prayed for the victims.

Rocker Kim Jong-suh, whose family lives in Japan, informed fans through the social networking tool that his family is safe. “I hope there will be no more damage in our neighboring country,” he wrote.

Taekyeon of pop group 2PM and Nam Ji-hyeon of girl band 4Minute, as well as rock star Yoon Do-hyun and other local celebrities also voiced their worries.

Source: Korea Times

The girl group Girls Generation will hold their first concert tour in Japan beginning from May. Their agency SM Entertainment said on March 8, “Girls Generation will begin their concert tour entitled ‘Arena Tour Concert’ on May 18 by holding their first concert in Japan Yoyogi National Stadium located in Tokyo, and then they will hold a total of seven concerts in large concert halls in four major cities including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka.”

Before they begin their concert tour, they will release their third single in Japan entitled “Mr.Taxi / Run Devil Run” on April 13. Among the songs included in the album, the song “Mr.Taxi” is a completely new song that has not been released in Korea, and the song “Run Devil Run” has already been released in Japan last January as a digital single and it has ranked atop the various music charts such as the ringtone chart and download chart. In addition, Girls Generations’ previous two singles “Gee” and “Genie,” which had been released in Japan last year, were ranked in first and second place, respectively, on the “Oricon Annual Singe Ranking.”

Source: KBS Global

After the four members of KARA previously announced that they filed to terminate their contracts with DSP Media, representatives of the agency have finally released an official statement on January 19th.

It reads:

“DSP Media will be making an official statement regarding the contract terminations reported by Jung Nicole, Han Seungyeon, Kang Jiyoung, and Goo Hara of KARA. We received a one-sided declaration from their lawyers, Landmark, on January 18th, but Goo Hara has decided not to join the others in terminating her contract.

According to their claims, the 10-month hospitalization of CEO Lee Hoyeon caused the management to become inefficient in planning and promoting the group’s activities, but that is not the truth, as the CEO’s wife ran administration in place of the CEO. KARA’s explosive popularity with the Hallyu wave in Japan testifies to these efforts, further proving that the management did not mishandle their activities.

CEO Lee Hoyeon was not able to run the company himself beginning March of 2010, and KARA’s Japanese achievements were made five months later in August. DSP Media has done all they can in supporting and preparing KARA’s Japanese advancement.

Regarding the income distribution claims made by Nicole’s mother and their lawyers, the information they revealed was distorted and is a complete misunderstanding. Income was distributed in a manner that was most profitable to the KARA members, and unlike what they claimed, every employee was paid at the same time the moment profits were received.

They also claimed that DSP Media used its stature to force unwanted schedules and activities, but this is also a baseless claim. This is a claim that only defames the company employees who have worked their hardest to raise KARA as one of Korea’s top groups and leaders of the Hallyu wave.

And regarding speculations from another report about a competing agency attempting to persuade their parents and lawyers to terminate the girls’ contract with DSP, we ask that they stop such actions immediately. Should such requests be made repeatedly, we will make sure that they are met with legal consequences.

As the company that has poured their sweat and effort into creating who KARA is today, we hope that such issues are no longer exaggerated. Should there be issues between both parties, adjustments and reconciliation should be the appropriate step in continuing to promote themselves as a representative girl group of Korea.”

Regarding news of Hara staying with DSP Media, representatives continued, “Hara has decided not to comply with the terminations.” The possibility of further changes in the remaining three contracts is now at center stage.

Source: Newsen#1 #2via Nate
Trans: AKP

Han Geng抯 揊irst Contact?with Movie, Outfit of Classic Style

Han Geng抯 揻irst contact?with movies is to take part of the movie 揟he Founding of the Party? He is playing a pioneer youth Zhao Shiyan. Zhao Shiyan, getting to know the revolutionist pioneer Li Dazhao in his early years (played by Zhang Jiayi), was elected as the General Director of the Student Union in the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University. In 1920, he went to France for study, and along with Zhou Enlai (the first Premier of the PRC, played by Chen Kun) and others, established the communist group and the Youth Community Party in France.

Han Geng said, 搕o have an opportunity of being part of this movie is a very meaningful thing.?On that day, part of the shooting scenes were between Han Geng and Chen Kun. Han Geng said, 揑 am so willing to communicate with Chen Kun who is very experienced in acting. This is my first time acting in movie after all!?Han Geng抯 outfit and style are both eye-catching, his look of holding a book has young intellectual抯 temperament.

TN: Han Geng抯 movie stills will be released during the formal promotion period.

This movie has involved so many popular celebrities in China. Many of them would even like to play a role without any lines. Playing a role in this movie shows the recognition of Han Geng抯 status in mainstream Chinese entertainment industry.

Translation: forhangeng
Source:yule.cn

Idol groups BEAST and 4minute have received the Asia Influential Artist Award at the 2010 Asia Song Festival.

The groups performed and received the awards in Seoul, where the festival went on from 6pm to 10pm on the 23rd.

BEAST recently released their 3rd mini-album, and from their debut with “Beast is the B2ST” until now, they have become true boyband stars. Due to their hot promotions of their 2nd mini-album this year in places like Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, they have been selected for this prestigious award.

4minute, who debuted in 2009 with the worldwide chart-topper, “Hot Issue,” have shown their sexy and seductive charms through their powerful performances. This year with Universal Records they have taken a step into the larger Asian market.

Since releasing “Muzik” in Japan as well as “I My Me Mine,” throughout Asia, they have captured the attention of the Asian continent. On the 23rd their popularity showed while 40,000 fans were worked into a frenzy during their performance at the Asia Song Festival.

Source: Nate News /4minutes Forum

Korean female idols Kara have grabbed another title in Japan with their best album becoming the most downloaded record on iTunes Japan.

On Friday, the girls’ agency DSP Media announced that “KARA BEST 2007-2010″ was the No. 1 downloaded album on iTunes Store Pop.

It was the second best-selling album on the prestigious Oricon daily albums chart on September 29.

The special album features their hit songs such as “Pretty Girl,” “Honey,” “Lupin” and “Mister,” the last song also being the group’s Japanese debut single, starting from when they debuted in 2007.

Kara has led a successful music career in Japan since May this year, becoming the first Asian female group to place in the top 10 on the weekly singles chart with their album “Mister” and their DVD “KARA VACATION” reaching the highest rank for an Asian DVD.

They are currently preparing for their appearance on Asashi TV’s popular live music show “Music Station” on October 15.

The quintet will release their second Japanese single next month.

Source: 10Asia

Can pop stars be forgiven practically any offense? That is a question on many lips after the revelation that singer Lee Hyo-lee’s latest album “h.logic” contains no fewer than six plagiarized songs. Lee admitted to the wrongdoing and vowed to refrain from promoting the album. Yet she appeared on a recent SBS program.

The producers say Lee was not directly responsible for the plagiarism, but the public sees things differently. They feel it is unseemly for Lee to make out that she is a victim herself, and that the producers of TV shows should not sweep the problem under the carpet.

Unlike other artists accused of plagiarism, who deny their wrongdoings to the end, Lee owned up. But the fact that half of an artist’s album consisted of songs that had been stolen from foreign artists leaves an indelible stain on Korean pop music as a whole. Lee in a statement issued by her management agency Mnet Media said she had “no reason to be suspicious” since she was given the songs by the agency. She claims her rookie songwriter, a person by the name of Bahnus, lied to her.

It was after all not the first time that Lee has been accused of plagiarism. And given that she had been promoting herself as a consummate professional while producing her latest album, these comments seem rather pathetic. In an earlier interview she claimed the album contains songs that were strictly screened from 1,000 songs submitted by a wide range of composers. “We even checked to see if any of those songs were similar to other tunes out there using the iPhone application ‘SoundHound’.” The comments have lost all credibility.

Accusations of plagiarism surfaced on the Internet shortly after the album was released in mid-April, but she continued to market the songs until the end of May on various TV and radio programs. Bahnus had apparently left Mnet Media on May 10 “taking all responsibility” for the accusations of plagiarism. That means Lee and Mnet Media had about 40 days to recognize the suspicions, making it difficult for Lee and Mnet Media to escape criticism that they fooled the public.

The larger problem is how frequent such are. Many if not most singers releasing new albums these days are accused of plagiarism. This is because singers have become cash cows rather than artists who are able to communicate with the public. Singers who present original songs about their own emotions are an endangered species, while a handful of composers contracted by powerful management companies dominate the tunes that top the charts. This increases the risk of plagiarism as each one of these composing machines churns out more than 50 songs a year.

Lee’s biggest mistake was in fact her failure to take charge of her songs and her album, contrary to what she has been saying in public. If a 13-year veteran of the entertainment industry and Korea’s reigning queen of pop is in such bad shape, things must be even worse for the younger singers who are being groomed by their agencies. Veteran rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Shin Jung-hyun said in a recent interview, “There is no real music on Korea’s pop music scene these days. There is only greed”. Gone are the days when singers made their own music and conquered the stage with powerful voices and honest pride.

Source: hancinema.net