May Pang's Asian Media Internet News

The winning bid of the city to host the 2018 Winter Olympics was awarded to South Korea’s Pyeongchang on Wednesday, July 6th. The city had lost the two past biddings for the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games to Vancouver, Canada and to Sochi, Russia.  The people of Pyeongchang celebrated the winning victory with much excitement.

Pyeongchang was among two other cities, Munich, Germany and Annecy, France up for the Olympic vote.

This will be South Korea’s first time hosting the Winter Olympic games. The country’s capital Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988.

The slogan for Pyeongchang’s hosting of the winter games is “New Horizons.”

The announcement was made in Durban, South Africa with representatives from all three cities present to make their cases to the committee members.

source: The Baltimore Sun, CNN

Fans of music legend Seo Taiji, the leader of hit group Seo Taiji and Boys, have gone from shocked to outraged in a time span of just 24 hours.

On April 21, Korea time, it was revealed to the public that the star had not only had a relationship, but had, in fact, been married to upcoming TV star Lee Ji-ha for 14 years. And that the two filed for divorce. Rumors spread like wildfire and it wasn’t until April 22 that the dust finally settled and most of the facts came to light.

Seo and Lee married in 1997 in the US, when they were 25 and 19. Seo had gone to America to study after his group disbanded and Lee had moved there in 1994 for education reasons. The two moved around, living in Georgia and Arizona, but they separated after Seo returned to Korea in 2000 to resume his music career. They filed for divorce in 2006 and it was finalized in 2009, but now Lee has filed an alimony lawsuit against Seo, asking for $4.6 million for her share of their properties during their marriage and for more than $460,000 in alimony. Rumor has it that Lee is currently in a relationship with her Athena co-star Jung Woo-sung and that the couple has two children, though Lee’s agency, KeyEast, has denied in an official statement released on April 21 that they have children.

KeyEast said the two split because of differences in personality and lifestyle and that Lee filed the lawsuit in January after the two could not come to a compromise in their divorce settlement.

Fans of both stars are in an uproar over the secrecy surrounding the relationship, saying they deceived the public. However, pop culture experts in Korea have stepped up to defend the stars’ decision and said it should be respected.

“Seo Taiji is the epitome of mystique and secrecy,” said Shim Jae-cheol, professor of media studies at Korea University to Korean media. “He may have wanted to stay mysterious forever. And in the 1990s, it wasn’t considered as fashionable (for celebrities) to openly talk about marriage or relationships as it is today.”

Most experts say that when the couple first married, celebrities would often risk losing fans of the opposite sex if they revealed a relationship with anyone, regardless of whether it was with a fellow celebrity or just a regular person. Also, Seo Taiji has made a name for himself by being incredibly private and mysterious. It seems only fitting that he would keep his marriage a secret.

Other experts have said that the two were simply keeping their private life private, something that is seemingly impossible nowadays for celebrities, especially in Korea, where fans believe they have a right to know everything about their favorite stars. One expert, a professor from Kyung Hee University, said it is an abnormal situation for Seo and Lee, since they were simply trying to take control and keep their lives private, but fans criticize them for being deceptive.

But all experts agree that there should be certain limits for public discussion when it comes to marriage and divorce, even if public figures are involved, since they are personal decisions.

Source: Yonhap News

Having their contract signed last year with Avex Japan, it’s time for 2NE1′s debut in Japan this spring.  Although the exact track list and debut date is not yet confirmed, it is announced on their Japan official website that their debut single will be last year’s hit song “Go Away” (Japanese version).  On 16th March, their licensed album “2NE1″ will be released in Japan.

The track list for “2NE1″ as below:

• 1. FIRE
• 2. I DON’T CARE
• 3. IN THE CLUB
• 4. LET’S GO PARTY
• 5. PRETTY BOY
• 6. STAY TOGETHER
• 7. LOLLIPOP
• 8. I’M BUSY
• 9. PLEASE DON’T GO
• 10. KISS

I believe the fans can’t wait for the charismatic girls’ hot debut in Japan!

Source: 2NE1 Avex Japan Official Website

The popular idol boy group U-KISS is expected to lose two of its members. Alexander and Kim Ki Bum have decided to leave the group. Alexander made the decision to leave the group to pursue his studies and Ki Bum wanted to pursue his Piro-Piro business , a character company with his brother, SS501 member Kim Hyung Joon.

U-KISS’s agency is still open to accepting members to join U-KISS but will this effect the group? New members adding could either make or break the group. We wish the best of luck to Alexander and Ki Bum in their future endeavors and to the remaining members of U-KISS in their musical success.

source: allkpop, NTN Seoul, Star News

The K-pop world has been shaken by yet another contract dispute, this time involving the highly successful girl group, KARA.

Four members of the group announced through a law firm, Landmark, last month that they were terminating their contracts with their agency, DSP Media, on the grounds that the company misused its power. According to reports, the girls were forced to participate in unwanted activities, were personally insulted and were forced to sign contracts without being informed of what was in them. The four- Han Seung-yeon, Gu Ha-ra, Nicole Jung and Kang Ji-yeon- said they had had enough after suffering from depression and frustration for years. Their law firm stated that the girls were distressed and disappointed that their agency would use them in this way.

“KARA is in full bloom in Korea and Japan, but the agency is trying to use the girls for commercial purposes and the members could not take it anyone,” their legal representative, Hong Myung-ho, said in a statement published in local newspapers.

Since the initial announcement, member Goo Ha-ra has reversed her decision to terminate her contract, but the three remaining members stand firm in their decision.

The case brings up memories of the legal suit against SM Entertainment by three Dong Bang Shin Ki members just last year, causing the group to split. That case has yet to be resolved and many fans are worried that KARA will walk the same road since leader Park Gyu-lee did not take part in contesting the contract from the beginning and now Goo has followed her.  If the group does disband, it will come at a pivotal time in the girls’ careers. They have had relatively large success in Korea with their hits “Lupin” and “Mister” and debuted in Japan just last year. They even starred in the Japanese drama “URAKARA”.

The controversy has even sparked rumors that the split may be due to internal conflicts, rather than a conflict with the girls’ agency since the whole group did not file the complaint. Their lawyer and their families have both released statements contesting this, saying all the girls hope to remain a five member group and there is a possibility that the three seeking termination could return to DSP Media.

The girls’ complaints have added more fuel to the fire of how Korean entertainers are treated by their agencies. In the past few years, several scandals have popped up, shedding light onto what really goes on behind the scenes. The most famous case being actress Jang Ja-yeon, who killed herself in March 2009 after being forced by her management to give sexual favors to industry executives and other bigwigs, and was reportedly beaten by her manager.

The future of KARA currently hangs in the balance while the four members await their agency’s response. Will they disband at the height of their careers? And why did Park not contest her contract as well? Fans both here in Korea and abroad eagerly await these answers.

Sources: Korea Times, The Korea Herald, Yonhap

After months of investigation, the prosecutor’s office in Seoul has indicted 12 Korean netizens for spreading false information online about popular rapper, Tablo, from Epik High. They also have put together a wanted list with six others who live outside Korea, including the owner of the online community that started all the scandal.

About 20 bloggers started the rumor back in November 2009 by claiming that Tablo did not really graduate from Stanford University, because they could not find his name on a list of graduates. The controversy really picked up steam in May 2010 when the online community, ‘Tajinyo’, which means “We want the truth from Tablo” in Korean, started up, followed by a second, called ‘Sangjinse’ or “The world where common sense is truth.”

Tablo fought the allegations by showing his diplomas, a Bachelor’s and Master’s in English Literature, only to have netizens claim he forged them. A group of four members from Sangjinse filed a petition with the Seoul Prosecutor’s Office in September, demanding that they launch an official investigation into the matter. The police thoroughly analyzed transcripts from both Tablo and Stanford and other evidence, and concluded that he was indeed a Stanford grad.

Tablo filed a lawsuit against 22 netizens in October, and in response Tanjinyo’s owner, user ID ‘whatbecomes’, begged for Tablo to drop the charges in exchange for their apologies. The website promptly shut down after the findings were released.

Libel in Korea is punishable by a fine, and unlike the US, does not require that the defamatory information be false, just damaging. However, this case has shown that cyber bullying is becoming a huge issue in the country and new regulations should be made. Many observers and experts believe the Tablo incident went above and beyond what is tolerable by free speech and are calling for concrete guidelines on what is considered ‘defamation’ on the internet in order to prevent future victims.

Sources: Arirang News, Korea Times

It’s a sad day tonight for ‘We Got Married’ viewers, especially fans of the infamous Adam Couple. 2AM’s Jo Kwon and Brown Eyed Girls Son Ga In announced on the radio Shim Shim Ta Pa, Thursday evening that they will be leaving We Got Married. Fans knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, but they didn’t expect it to be like this.

The Adam Couple has made a huge impact on We Got Married, them being the longest couple to have ever been on the show, by breaking the one-year mark. Viewers laughed and cried watching the couple grow on the show, seeing the changes in each individual. Just last week, Kwon showed some confidence by surprising Ga In with a kiss on the lips as well as a tear jerking event that would leave girls swooning and wishing their boyfriends would do the same.

It is still a mystery whether or not Kwon and Ga In are dating in real life, as they did say, if they were to date, it would be in private. This writer approves if it ever happens. And if it does happen, I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind at all.

As a fan of the show, I would like to thank the Adam Couple for their 1 year and 3 month contribution on We Got Married. Best of luck to both on their future achievements to come. We will miss you!

It was a dreary day in Seoul after FIFA executives announced overnight that the 2022 World Cup tournament would not be returning to South Korea, but instead going to Qatar in the Middle East.

South Korea made a passionate plea during its bid presentation on Wednesday, saying that the event could be seen as a ‘gateway to a reunited Korea and a peaceful Asia’. The country had previously proposed allowing North Korea to host a couple of the games during the tournament, as a sign of goodwill. FIFA officials at first seemed interested in the idea, but it could have possibly ended up working against South Korea. Analysts say that the recent outbreak of military tension between North and South Korea, as well as the fact that South Korea co-hosted the tournament with Japan in 2002, could have been reasons behind its loss.

This is the first time for the world’s most watched sporting event to be held in the Middle East and citizens of Qatar celebrated upon hearing the news. An evaluation of all the bid countries held a few weeks ago listed the high summer temperatures in the region as a possible concern, but the country has promised to overcome the blistering heat with air-conditioned outdoor stadiums.

Qatar won in every round of voting yesterday, with a final vote of 14-8 over the United States. Representatives from the United States said the Middle East country won simply because of money, since it is rich in oil and natural gas. They also said Qatar may struggle with hosting the event because the number of visitors during the World Cup will be twice the size of its population of 1.7 million.

Other countries up for the bid were Japan and Australia. FIFA also announced that Russia, another first-time host, will have the 2018 World Cup.

It’s been a bumpy ride for JYJ’s attempt at making a US debut. Their Hawaii leg of their US tour had been canceled shortly before their performance. Since then, the boys have been in NYC since the 9th awaiting their NY leg. With rumors of the whole US Tour being canceled earlier today, we are finally given some clarity on what’s going on.

Entitled Entertainment has released an apology and an explanation from JYJ on the situation:

Dear Fans,

As you all know, we have not had it easy in this journey. It seemed as though every step of the way, it became more and more difficult to share our lives’ passion with all of you. Recently we were denied the ability to perform in the US by a rejection of our visa but – the show MUST go on.

In appreciation of all of you being the best fans in the world, we’ve decided to do the US Showcase Tour for FREE. Thank you for all of your loving support and understanding.

Can’t wait to see all of you very soon.

AKTF
Jejung / Yuchun / Junsu

Entitled Entertainment also released this statement:

JYJ’s P1 Visas Denied for US Performance

Members decides to pay for showcase themselves to honor their commitment to their fans in the US

11 November 2010 – JYJ has decided to go ahead and perform for their fans in the US despite being denied of their P1 visas. Cjes Management, the management company for JYJ has stated that it is of utmost importance that JYJ keeps their promise to their fans and they have been in New York since the 9th to await the decision only to be given the disappointing news.

According to US lawyers advising the team on the situation, JYJ will still be able to take stage on the condition that the performance is free and they receive no monetary benefit for the performance. Due to the fact that substantial costs has already been incurred by the promoters for production, flights, accommodations, there will still be a financial responsibility to be fulfilled which JYJ has decided to undertake this upon themselves to make the events happen.

Says Cjes Entertainment CEO, Mr Baek Chang Ju, “We are still awaiting the official reason to why their P1 visas have been denied since the band has followed every procedure required and also did their interviews accordingly. We are extremely puzzled by this matter and will continue investigations into it. For now, JYJ’s primary objective is to make sure that fans are still able to catch the showcase. Hence we have decided to step in on all costs associated with putting on the show to make sure that the events go on as planned.”

All venues have been informed on setting up FAQs on how fans can receive a refund on the tickets they bought. In addition, fans who have paid for a ticket will also receive a ticket to the free showcase. The rest of the tickets will be allocated on a first come first serve basis from Ticketmaster.

The refund process will start at 12pm on the 11th November 2010.

It’s quite unfortunate to see such talented boys go through one struggle after another. Their lawsuit against SM Entertainment was bad enough and now this. The band is now patiently waiting for a response as to the reason why their visas were denied.

For those who purchased tickets, go to http://www.entitledent.com/jyj/ and find your city so that a full refund can be made.

May Pang’s AMIN will be at the New York concert to bring to you coverage of this event. We wish the boys the best of luck on the rest of their US Tour.

Source: Entitled Entertainment – JYJ US Tour

It’s official. Epik High’s Tablo did actually graduate from Stanford University in five years with both a Bachelors and Masters Degree, hopefully putting an end to a nearly year-long internet witch hunt.

The rapper came under fire last November when a group of netizens questioned whether or not his degrees were real after he appeared on a TV show bragging about his accomplishments. This led to a huge online campaign with several websites popping up completely devoted to proving that Tablo did not graduate from Standford.

Through the campaign, a group of netizens filed a complaint with police, who then launched an offical investigation into the matter. The rapper show his diploma and transcripts, but netizens still called foul. It was until Tablo took a TV new team to Stanford to chat with school administrators to prove that, yes, he is a Standford grad. Also, just last week, police released the results from their probe which backed the entertainer’s claims.

Tablo has filed a libel suit against 22 netizens in response to the online forums. One forum administrator apologized on his website, begging for the star to drop the charges. So far there is no word on whether or not he will.

More than anything, Epik High fans are breathing a sigh of relief in the hopes that the nearly year-long dispute is finally over. Experts say the campaign could have been launched out of a sort of combined jealousy the group felt for Tablo, triggered by his boasting about Stanford, which is viewed as a university of mythical proportions in Korea.

Source: Korea Times