"G-Dragon thanks his supporters who made donations with a hand-written letter" plus 19 more

Big Bang‘s G-Dragon penned a hand-written letter for his fans who made donations to good causes in his name.

Among G-Dragon’s ‘Kwon Ji Yong Supporters‘, group ‘Moderato‘ who regularly donate to children’s associations donated a total of 100,000,000 KRW (~$88,000) as of this year. They began donating in 2008 to various organizations that assist in raising children overseas, support junior high school students’ tuition, assist child patients with rare diseases, as well as Sean’s ’10,000 KRW Happiness’ to fund Children’s Rehabilitation Hospitals, Naver’s Happy Bean, and much more.

The group donated 16,570,000 KRW (~$14,600) in 2008-2009, 26,432,700 KRW (~$23,300) in 2009-2010, 33,722,630 KRW (~$30,000) in 2010-2011, and 20,000,000 (~$17,600) to Seoul’s Children Hospital to help children with rare diseases and childhood cancer, as well as 1,000,000 KRW (~$800) to the Children’s Abuse Prevention Center and the Children’s Sexual Abuse Prevention and Protection Center.

In regards to this, G-Dragon had written, “You guys are amazing! Awesome, beautiful, lovely, admirable, cute, attractive. Let’s continue to do good deeds in the future. I feel so good and reassured. Happy.”

Meanwhile, the singer is thoroughly preparing for his second solo comeback.

Source & Image: SportsChosun
Tip: Darayang

Idol group INFINITE has participated in a recent photo shoot for W Korea magazine, and a BTS (Behind The Scenes) video of the shoot has just been released!

The mischievous boys tossed aside their youthful charms and played up their sporty and more masculine appeals.

While you wait for the pictorials to be released in the September publication of the magazine, get a sneak peek from the video clip below!

Tip : Dominique

On August 21st, the members of B.A.P made an appearance on SBS‘ Power FM program ‘Choi Hwa Jung’s Power Time‘.

At one portion of the show, the members were asked to dance to Psy‘s viral hit “Gangnam Style” and they obliged.

Check out their humorous dance moves below!

Tip: cherry tomato

Photos of A Pink Eunji‘s face morphed with her ‘Reply 1997‘ castmates are receiving a lot of attention online. It was revealed a couple weeks ago in a spoiler article, that “future” Siwon, Eunji’s character in the drama was not only married, but pregnant! However, the question of who the father might be has yet to be answered.

Meanwhile, netizens morphed photos of Siwon and the possible candidates, Yunjae (Seo In Guk), Junhee (INFINITE‘s Hoya) and Taewoong (Song Jong Ho), to generate possible images of what each couple’s future baby might look like. Among them, Eunji and Seo In Guk’s future baby is receiving the most support online.

Netizens responded, “After seeing the baby photos, I think the husband should be Yunjae. So pretty,” “Ever since I saw Taewoong introducing Eunji to the special advisor, I made up my mind that Taewoong is her husband,” “It would be daebak if later on Siwon’s real husband is revealed, and the baby really looked like that,” and “They say daughters take after their fathers, these babies all resemble the dad’s side.”

In related news, tvN‘s ‘Reply 1997′ is a comedic drama that revolves around the life of H.O.T fangirl Siwon and her high school friends.

Source + Image: Xports News via Daum

SISTAR grabbed their final meals in Russia before returning home. The four-member girl group was overseas attending the ‘2012 K-POP Cover Dance Festival‘ as the event’s official ambassadors.

Hyorin posted to SISTAR’s official Twitter page on August 21: “Final Russian meal before leaving for Korea… At ‘Kitayegorodskaya stena’ restaurant~~~ The Russian President comes here often!!! Whoa +o+,” along with the photo above. The girls’ styles in particular have been getting a lot of interest.

Fans commented, “Yes, Russia xD,” and “Hyorin’s hat and Soyu‘s expression are so adorable!”

Source: SISTAR’s Twitter

Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” phenomenon has hit the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The artist previously posted on Twitter hinting at his possible appearance at the baseball game.

On the 20th PST, Psy did indeed attend the Dodgers vs. Giants baseball game with his acquaintances. After the end of the 5th inning, “Gangnam Style” was played across the stadium after which Psy jumped up to perform his signature “horse riding” dance in front of 43,000 people who cheered him on.

It’s reported that when the song first came on, Psy seemed to hesitate for a brief second, but as soon as his face appeared on the giant screen, he whipped out his sunglasses, put on a comedic facial expression, and started dancing, providing an entertaining show for the whole crowd. The Dodger Stadium is known for playing the most popular songs during “dance time” for the baseball fans to sing along to and enjoy.

Check out a clip from the event below (Psy’s appearance ~30s)!

Source + Image: Joongang Ilbo Via Nate
Video tip: Kenny

The ladies of JYP Entertainment treated themselves to a day of shopping in Tokyo.

On August 20th, miss A‘s Min tweeted the above picture along with the message: “Shopping Time in Tokyo!!!!!!”

The photo shows Min posing with fellow members Jia and Fei as well as Wonder Girls‘ Lim and Yubin. They all captured the viewers’ eyes with their stylish fashion. Jia looked sexy in her shorts and red stockings, Lim looked cute in a boxy dress, Min sported a colorful shirt and sunglasses, Yubin looked chic with her black shirt and ripped jeans, and Fei showed off her fashion sense with a simple shirt and jean shorts. Netizens are saying that they were able to get a glimpse of each idol’s personality after seeing their outfits.

Fans commented, “They all dressed uniquely,” “Jia’s stockings are shocking,” “Yubin likes black clothes,” “Lim’s clothes look comfortable,” and “Min and Fei are really pretty!”

Source+Picture: Min‘s Twitter

Singer and actress Jang Nara has canceled her schedule following her manager’s sudden death.

According to the star’s official homepage, Jang Nara’s manager, Mr. Kim (32), passed away at 1:36PM on August 21 KST in Beijing, China. He’s reported to have suffered a heart attack on the way to Jang Nara’s promotions for her upcoming film ‘Flying With You‘. Jang Nara and Mr. Kim are said to have been very close friends, and she’s reported to have canceled everything in her schedule for the time being.

Her agency stated, “Though Mr. Kim was sent to the emergency room soon after his heart attack, he’s met his fate. With Jang Nara’s film release ahead, he worked hard to get her around China to meet the events in  her schedule, and there is no way to suppress the [sad news of his loss]. Our agency will be managing this [situation] quickly for the deceased and his family. [May he rest in peace].”

An acquaintance of Mr. Kim commented, “I don’t believe he had a disease. I’m not sure why this had to happen because his baby will be born within this year. His family will be dealing with funeral procedures [tomorrow].”

Source: Osen; Sports World via Nate

On August 20 KST, singer Byul congratulated her soon-to-be-husband HaHa on his 33rd birthday.

She posted to Twitter: “Happy Birthday To U ~~ ♥“, along with a cute photograph of her wearing birthday cake sunglasses.

Netizens commented, “Hope you two live happily together for years to come,” “I’m jealous of this couple,” “HaHa must’ve really liked this,” and “Byul unni, you’re so cute.”

In related news, Byul and HaHa are planning to get married on November 30 of this year.

Source + Image: Byul’s Twitter

TEEN TOP‘s Niel and Ricky got colorful for a recent shoot.

On August 20th, the two posted to TEEN TOP’s official Twitter: “Acting cool, wwww we’re Daechi-dong style. Using a 45 degree angle to accentuate his sharp jaw line, Ricky style. Currently happy to be on the set of a photo shoot and challenge ourselves to a new, unique style.”

The photo Niel and Ricky attached definitely showed the unique, colorful style the two had to rock for the photo shoot.

Fans commented, “They can pull off those hairstyles because they’re TEEN TOP,” “I have a feeling Daechi-dong style will become popular,” and “Pretty.”

In other news, TEEN TOP is currently promoting their summer track “Be Ma Girl“.

Source: TEEN TOP Twitter

EXID has released footage from their comeback showcase for ‘Hippity Hop‘.

To promote their latest album, the group held a showcase on August 15, and today, agency AB Entertainment posted the clips of the event on their official YouTube channel.

Check out the music video for EXID’s title track “I Feel Good” here, and watch clips of the comeback showcase below!

On the upcoming episode of SBS‘ ‘Strong Heart‘, ZE:A‘s Kwanghee will reveal more details about an interesting situation he found himself in. Kwanghee confessed during filming that he once got in a car accident while on a date with his idol girl group member girlfriend at the Han river.

The singer revealed, “I got into a fender bender while on a date at the Han river to avoid the paparazzi. The other party [involved in the accident] was a top actor,” surprising everyone on set.

He raised the curiosity of everyone on set when he continued, “My girlfriend at the time was a girl group member everyone would know if her face was revealed.”

Tune into this week’s episode of ‘Strong Heart’, airing the 21st at 11:15PM KST, to catch other ‘To the Beautiful You‘ stars such as SHINee‘s Minho, f(x)‘s Sulli, Lee Hyun Woo, and more.

Source + Image: My Daily via Naver

SHINee has revealed Key‘s teaser photo for their upcoming Japanese single, "Dazzling Girl"!

"Dazzling Girl" is described as an electro-pop number with a polished beat and refreshing melody. It represents the start of a romance with a dazzling woman and the emotional intensity one feels when in love.

The single was produced by Jeff Miyahara, and mixed by Miles Walker. Tom Coyne (Sterling Sound) also participated with the mastering of the single.

The dance was choreographed s**t kingz, while the hair, makeup, and outfits for the PVs and jacket covers were done by KEITA MARUYAMA, Tomizawa Noboru, and Watanabe Yuki.

"Dazzling Girl" is slated for release on October 10th.

Source: SHINee Japan
Tip: Jackie

With the return of 2NE1, NS Yoon-G, and EXID as well as the much-anticipated debuts of D-Unit, EvoL, A.O.A, GLAM, and Tiny-G, the second half of 2012 is shaping up to spotlight some ridiculously talented girls.

While we’re all super pumped about A.O.A playing their own instruments and EvoL writing their own songs, there aren’t a whole lot of K-Pop girl groups that do both. It was a breath of fresh air when earlier this week, I stumbled across indie rock band Nia, and their latest release, ‘Summer Wink‘.

Never heard of Nia? The four-member band had some mainstream success around 2010, making TV appearances and doing some radio and magazine interviews. Since then, they’ve had some member changes and somewhat gotten away from the mainstream market, focusing more on the indie rock scene.

‘Summer Wink’ (released August 10) is a short album, but it packs a punch. Nia kicks things off with the title track, a spunky, summery bit of pop-rock that is probably a lot of fun at live shows. The lyrics talk about a person wanting to go to the beach with a special someone and confess her love. The tight, straightforward instrumentals, powerhouse vocals, and well-executed harmonies remind me of F.T. Island‘s peppier tunes, such as “Flower Rock“. The music video is very pretty, but simple- it features footage of the singer going to the beach, intercut with shots of the band playing the song. She’s not great at lip synching, but since this band always sings live, she probably doesn’t get a lot of practice. It’s something I’m sure we can all live with.

“Sensation” starts off with a heavier feel than “Summer Wink”, but quickly settles into a Bee Gees-disco-funk groove with a rock edge. I feel like the instrumental overpowers the solo vocals a little, but when the girls sing in harmony, it sounds great.

There are two versions of the ballad “Sad Feeling” included on the album. The lyrics speak of feeling confusion and regret over a past love- the singer knows her ex has forgotten her and moved on, but she can’t seem to do the same. Both versions have different colors to them, but they’re each very emotional and expressive in their own way.

The first version of the song is a rock ballad. It starts out softly, with breathy vocals over a fingerpicked, acoustic guitar. The arrangement has an ebb and flow; the verses are soft and quiet, while the choruses are more powerful, bringing in heavier drums and some electric guitar.  I think this would make a great OST- it kind of reminds me of the OST for ‘You’re Beautiful‘, but with a slightly edgier sound.

The second version is dubbed the “piano version”. I really appreciate that they recorded the vocals for both tracks separately- I can’t stand it when a group puts out a “ballad version” of a song, but keeps the same vocal recording from the original. Vocalists need to hear the music as they sing, so that their voice will add to the instrumental instead of fighting with it. Nia’s lead singer, Nara, rises to the occasion, capturing the emotion of both versions with sensitivity.

Be sure to check out their Facebook page, where you can see several live performance videos of their own songs, as well as a couple of cover song performances. I’m a massive SECRET fan, so I loved seeing Nia tackle “Magic” in their own style. While you’re taking a listen to all the fierce girl bands’ music that’s coming out these days, be sure and give Nia a listen too!

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What are your thoughts on Nia′s ‘Summer Wink’? Leave an honest rating and your thoughts in the comments below.

SISTAR member Dasom shared a photo of herself in Russia!

Dasom updated fans via SISTAR’s official Twitter account on August 20th with the mesage: “[Dasom] I’m at the Red Square in Russia! Although it’s summer… it’s chilly here. And I met with fans here in Russia >o< I’ll never forget it!”

The singer can be seen dressed casually and posing in the city square in Moscow, Russia. SISTAR was visiting the country as the official ambassadors for the ‘2012 K-POP Cover Dance Festival‘.

Fans left comments like, “There are SISTAR fans even in Russia,” “You’re so cute,” “Your s-line is visible,” and more.

Source: SISTAR’s Twitter

A picture of ‘Big‘ co-stars Gong Yoo and Lee Min Jung on the set of a photo shoot for a clothing brand has been gathering interest.

The photo was released on the 21st during a photo shoot for business casual brand Mind Bridge‘s 2012 F/W fashion line.

Gong Yoo and Lee Min Jung perfectly pulled off a sweet, fresh couple look for the pictorial. His soft and romantic charm along with her bright, lovable expressions brightened up the atmosphere on set. The two also showed their support for one another by monitoring each other’s photos.

In other news, Gong Yoo was recently cast as the main role for the upcoming movie, ‘The Suspect‘, and Lee Min Jung recently confirmed her relationship with actor Lee Byung Hun.

Check out some of Gong Yoo and Lee Min Jung’s photos for Mind Bridge below!

Source + Image: Newsen via Nate

Comedian Nam Hee Suk recently shared two adorable photos of his 5-year-old daughter, Ha Ryung, dancing to Psy‘s global hit, “Gangnam Style“.

On August 19th, Nam Hee Suk shared the first photo above (left) on Twitter and wrote, “Thanks to Psy, Ha Ryung is dancing to ‘Gangnam Style’ 10 times a day.”

A few minutes later, he tweeted, “Ah… Noh Hong Chul… You’re really… Because of you…,” and attached the second photo of Ha Ryung watching the music video on television and imitating Noh Hong Chul‘s elevator dance move.

Followers left comments like, “She looks so cute,” “Just looking at her from the back is adorable,” and more.

Source: Nam Hee Suk’s Twitter

On the August 20th broadcast of MBC‘s ‘The Lord of the Rings‘, singer Jang Woo Hyuk did his best to appeal to Kim So Yeon.

The new variety show includes a blind date portion, and this recent episode featured guests such as Ryu Tae Joon, Ji Sang Ryul, Tony An, Lee Chang Min,Lee Soo Hyuk, Kim Woo Bin, Nam Woo Hyun who all revealed their resume and assets to win the heart of Kim So Yeon.

Jang Woo Hyuk shared that he has his own personal swimming pool, stating: “I can eat cup ramen in the swimming pool,” surprising the other guests.

He also showed off a special dance for Kim So Yeon, after which she commented in content, “I feel like I’m in middle school or high school again.”

Meanwhile, ‘Lord of the Rings’ is a pilot program that was broadcast in place of the usual airing of the talk show ‘Come to Play‘.

Source & Photo: TV Report via Nate

f(x)‘s Victoria transformed into a ballerina for the September issue of Vogue Girl magazine.

Victoria reveals a softer, feminine look for the pictorial’s “Ballerina girl” concept. The f(x) member is known for her extraordinary flexibility and dance skills, both of which are obvious in the photos. She wore a graceful, cream chiffon dress and ballet shoes, adding to the ballet theme.

Check out some of the photos from Victoria’s ‘ballet’ shoot with Vogue Girl below!

Source: Sports Chosun via Naver
Tip: Dtp_jnr

‘Superstar K4‘ contestant Yoo Seung Woo has been getting noticed for his resemblance to Big Bang‘s G-Dragon.

On the August 17th episode of ‘Superstar K4′, Yoo Seung Woo, a contestant from the auditions in Seoul, grabbed the public’s attention not just with his vocals, but with his similarity to G-Dragon.

When comparing the two, it’s being said that Yoo Seung Woo has a similar round face and vivid eyes to that of G-Dragon’s. The similarity was strengthened when Yoo Seung Woo started singing his audition song, “Sukbongah“. A lot of viewers are saying that his unexpected talent and musicality also reminds them of G-Dragon.

Netizens commented, “It wasn’t just me who thought that way. They really are similar,” “‘Superstar K’ Yoo Seung Woo is G-Dragon’s doppelganger I agree. Out of the many images that G-Dragon has, he resembles the kindhearted image that G-Dragon has the most.”

What do you think? Do G-Dragon and Yoo Seung Woo look alike?

Source & Photo: bntnews via Nate