Baek Chung-gang, winner of MBC Star Audition Season One, will have to cancel his entire September schedule and perhaps further as well for health reasons, his management agency said via its official website on Aug. 31. Multiple local dailies have claimed that Baek is suffering from rectal cancer while others claimed that it is an adenoma. Thor Entertainment, the Yanbian-born singer’s agency, stated that Baek underwent surgery to remove a 4-centimeter-large benign tumor in his rectum and is curre

Sept. 3, 2012

Big Bang leader G-Dragon will make a comeback on Sept. 1 with a new single “That XX.” YG Entertainment’s official blog posted a teaser photo of G-Dragon’s new single on Aug. 29, formally announcing his return.The 24-year-old singer released the music video of another new song “One of a Kind” which received more than 3 million views and 3,000 comments on the day of its release on Aug. 25. G-Dragon’s teaser photo is also getting much attention from his fans for its “19 and over” sign, indicating t

Aug. 29, 2012

The producers of the SBS drama “Five Fingers” have removed T-ara’s Ham Eun-jung from the cast, and filled the main role with Jin Se-yeon of KBS2 drama “Bridal Mask” (Gaksital) on Aug. 22. An angry public is demanding official apologies to both Ham and the audience. “Jin Se-yeon took the role of pianist Hong Da-mi and successfully finished her first shoot of the drama,” said one of the associates of SBS on Aug. 24, adding that “her first appearance in the drama can be seen in episode five schedul

Aug. 26, 2012

What will new season’s ‘SuperstarK,’ ‘K-Pop Star’ and ‘Star Audition’ bring?SuperstarK ― arguably South Korea’s first major music reality program ― kicked off its fourth season last week, signaling the start of a near year-long song-and-dance marathon. MBC’s “Star Audition 3” and SBS’ “K-Pop Star 2” are following close on its heels with scheduled start dates in October and November, respectively. Mnet’s “The Voice of Korea 2” is slated to run early next year. This is good news for music auditio

Aug. 24, 2012

Samsung Electronics announced that Korean pop star IU will publish a book of photo essays called “20-year-old IU’s Photo Shoot Play,” which was made using the company’s smartphone Galaxy S III. The book, produced with the help of photographer Kim Han-jun, contains photos taken with Galaxy S III camera and features IU’s daily life, along with the photographer’s tips on taking photos with the smart phone’s camera.The book will be handed out to the first 500 customers who visit the Galaxy Zone at C

Aug. 21, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Phyllis Diller, the housewife turned humorist who aimed some of her sharpest barbs at herself, punctuating her jokes with her trademark cackle, died Monday morning in her Los Angeles home at age 95. “She died peacefully in her sleep and with a smile on her face,” her longtime manager, Milton Suchin, told the Associated Press. Diller, who suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1999, was found by her son, Perry Diller. The cause of her death has not been released.  She was a stap

Aug. 21, 2012

Lee Byung-hun, Lee Min-jung admit their romantic relationship, but deny wedding rumorHallyu stars Lee Byung-hun and Lee Min-jung admitted on Sunday that they have been dating since early this year. The two celebrities said they are in a “serious relationship” but denied rumors that they are getting married in November.“I found someone I want to be with. Now she (Lee Min-jung) has become the most important person for me and I want to take this relationship seriously,” the 42-year-old actor wrote

Aug. 19, 2012

Scandals tend to have a nasty way of lingering in the air, especially in this Internet world. Not one but two controversies threaten to haunt SBS’ new weekend series “Five Fingers.”Recent rumors that “Five Fingers” actress Ham Eun-jung and fellow girl group T-ara members bullied former member Hwa-young put the group under public fire, with some demanding that Ham step down from her upcoming role in the series.  Despite the furor surrounding T-ara, Ham made her first public appearance after contr

Aug. 17, 2012

Japanese comedian Ayabe Yiji is rumored to be in a romantic relationship with actress Fujita Noriko, who is 30 years his senior.Japan’s news reports said on Friday that the two have been in a romantic relationship since they have first met on a television program in last May.The 34-year-old comedian reportedly visited Fujita Noriko’s place located in Tokyo to enjoy their secret love affair two weeks ago.Meanwhile, the two parties have firmly denied the rumor amid numerous witnesses being reporte

Aug. 17, 2012

Ryu Seung-bum and Gong Hyo-jin have ended their 10-year relationship, according to the agency representing the celebrity couple. “They decided to remain good friends,” the agency Soop Management said on Wednesday.The couple broke up their relationship in April. They had a hard time making a decision, the agency said.Ryu and Gong began to date in 2001 when they played a couple for a TV drama. The couple broke up in 2003 but reunited in 2008. Ryu is one of the Korean movie industry’s best known ac

Aug. 15, 2012

S.M. Entertainment-produced ‘For You in Full Blossom’ in the gray zoneWhen news broke that music giant S.M. Entertainment was venturing into the production side of television with the establishment of subsidiary S.M. Culture and Contents, some might have cringed. Past S.M. Entertainment drama co-production “Paradise Ranch” failed to bring in high viewer ratings, not a good harbinger for S.M. Culture and Contents’ first endeavor, SBS’ “For You in Full Blossom.” The upcoming series’ stars, however

Aug. 14, 2012

 Korean comedian and rapper Haha’s agency said Tuesday that he will soon announce plans to marry singer Byul.The 33-year-old will host a press conference on Wednesday to reveal details about his wedding, according to QUAN Entertainment.The agency said Haha, whose real name is Ha Dong-hoon, had been dating Byul since March. “Haha and Byul were attracted to each other because they had so much in common,” said an employee from QUAN Entertainment.The wedding will take place on Nov. 30, according to

Aug. 14, 2012

Actress goes from nine-tailed fox to ‘amnesiac, single, girl ghost’Never mind that actress Shin Min-a is one step closer to becoming the girl you sign on to play supernatural heroines, her latest endeavor, MBC’s “Tale of Arang,” bears all the trappings of a great success. A mash-up of horror, mystery, comedy and romance, this refreshing period piece set in the Joseon period is in good stead to top the Wednesday and Thursday prime time ratings race. “I play an amnesiac, single, girl ghost,” the 2

Aug. 12, 2012

Korean actor Lee Seung-kyu died following a motorcycle accident early on Saturday, his agency said on Sunday.“Lee was involved in a motorcycle accident and hit his head on the guardrail. He was killed on the spot,” said an official from Lee’s management Taepoong Entertainment. According to news reports, Lee had been heading home after watching the Olympic bronze medal soccer match between South Korea and Japan with his friends.The 30-year-old actor made his debut in 2000 in the situation comedy

Aug. 12, 2012

Lee Min-ho stars in thriller blending action, fantasy, melodramaActor Lee Min-ho has yet to reprise the success he saw with his breakout performance in the hit KBS series “Boys Over Flowers.”After he won fans over as a prickly, rich brat in the rom-com, he seemed to play it safe with yet another sweet romance opposite Son Ye-jin in MBC’s “Personal Taste” before following it up with the action-packed “City Hunter.” Neither series racked up the massive ratings of “Boys Over Flowers,” putting him i

Aug. 9, 2012