Top choreographer Hong Young-joo put the fun into dancing

Park Bom of 2NE1 and young K-pop rookie starlet Lee Hi have combined vocal forces to take on Mariah Carey’s holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The duo unit dubbed “BOM&HI” is releasing the digital single as the first of a series of collaborative projects titled “YG x SAMSUNG MUSIC.” The Christmas track was pre-released at midnight Tuesday on Samsung Music and will be officially r...

The rising hip-hop star Zion.T, with one of the most distinctive voices in the industry, has announced that he will be releasing a new mini-album titled “Mirror Ball,” which will feature a fusion of traditional Korean trot-style sound with dubstep in a single titled “Miss Kim.” The album’s lead track “Miss Kim” is said to incorporate the old-time style of Korean trot music while giving it a mode...

Hwa-young, a former member of K-pop girl group T-ara, has signed an exclusive contract with a new agency named Wellmade STARM on Monday. “We have signed a contract with Hwa-young since we discovered her potential to become an actor,” said Wellmade STARM. “Through her transformation into an actress, she will develop new aspects of her that she hasn’t shown to the public yet.” Other actors the ag...

“The contract with Sohee ends on Dec. 21 and we have decided to respect her decision to focus on her acting career after much discussion,” JYP Entertainment said in a press release. The contract with the other Wonder Girls members -- Sunye and Yeeun -- are also to expire on the same day as Sohee. The contract for Yubin will expire in September next year. The group’s agency said apart from Sohee,...

Suzy, a top-rated South Korean star, is expected to maintain an exclusive contract with JYP Entertainment through March of 2017, according to the agency’s public disclosure filings for investors. Suzy, a member of K-pop girl group Miss A, is one of the most lucrative talents discovered and nurtured by JYP Entertainment, which is listed on the KOSDAQ stock market. She is single-handedly dominatin...

Idol band CNBLUE is set to embark on a Central and South American tour next month. The band will be the first K-pop artists to launch an extended tour in that part of the world. The tour will kick off on Jan. 26 in Mexico City’s Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico, and then move on to Parque del la Exposicion in Lima, Peru on Jan. 28, and Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile on Jan. 31. Movistar Arena has ho...

K-pop group BEAST member Yong Jun-hyung released a teaser for his first solo EP “Flower” on his official social networking page on Monday. The teaser image, to be used as the album jacket, is a black-and-white photograph of Yong with vintage spectacles and a unique tasseled hat. The album includes a total of five songs and will be released online on Friday. Yong is the main rapper of six-member...

K-pop diva Lee Hyori and “Baddest Female” CL will collaborate and take to the stage on SBS’ “Gayo Daejun,” an annual year-end music program broadcast at the end of December. The pair is currently in early discussions on the kind of performance they would like to deliver. Although it is the first time the two have come together to collaborate, Lee has collaborated with YG Entertainment before, su...

Psy’s “Gentleman” music video was the most viewed K-pop music video on YouTube in 2013, marking the second straight year the South Korean sensation grabbed the most views on the U.S.-based video-sharing website. YouTube unveiled the 10 K-pop music videos Tuesday that have attracted the most traffic from December 2012 until November 2013. According to the list, Psy’s “Gentleman,” released on Apr...

South Korean singer Min Kyung-hoon, the former member of rock band Buzz, has been discharged from military service, the local media reported Thursday. Min had a small gathering with his fans in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the location of the unit he served in for 21 months. The 29-year-old signer plans to work on his solo album after a period of rest. Min made his debut in 2003 as the main voca...

Hallyu entertainer Jang Geun-suk has donated approximately 100 million won ($94,200) to UNICEF to help with typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines, where thousands have died and millions more have been displaced without food or water. “Jang Geun-suk receives love and support from his fans from all over the world, especially with his reappearance on the small screen. He wants to give back to h...

Singer-songwriter Jang Jae-in has signed with agency Mystic 89, joining a pool of other talented artists such as Cho Jung-chi, Lim Kim and Park Ji-yoon. “Jang Jae-in is a unique singer-songwriter unlike anyone in Korea,” the agency said in a statement, adding, “Not only musically, but as a brand and beauty model she is a diverse artist and is a good addition to Mystic 89.” Jang became recognize...

Rapper and producer Verbal Jint will release a newly-arranged version of his song “Take Care of Christmas” to celebrate the season. The new track will also include a featured mystery artist. The single will be released online on Friday at noon. “‘Take Care of Christmas’ will be produced by Verbal Jint himself,” a representative of the artist stated, adding, “He is also currently working on his u...