On the 7th, Key starred on SBS Strong Heart, where he unveiled stories of when he was being raised by his grandmother.

He stated, “My grandmother raised me as my mother become ill as soon as I was born, while my father was busy working. I was a bad grandson that made my grandmother worry a lot.” He shed tears as he added, “I would say, ‘I never asked you to take care of me, so why are you going through so much trouble doing it?”

Key continued saying, “When I was leaving for Seoul to walk down the road to become a singer, my grandmother gave me a note and money. I could not stop crying on the train when I read her short note, telling me that she loved me.”

He brought the note that his grandmother gave him. The note read, ‘Grandmother loves Kibum’. Key expressed his love to his grandmother saying, “I still carry this around. This note gave me lots of strength and I will love her more for that.”

Key also revealed his grandmother’s theory on becoming popular as a singer.

He stated, “When we were promoting Juliette, my grandmother told me the song was too hard, and that ‘hook songs are the trend‘. She also gave examples that you have to sing songs like Super Junior‘s Sorry Sorry or Son Dambi‘s Saturday Night.”

He continued, “When we were promoting Ring Ding Dong, my grandmother said, ‘This is it,’ and it really was successful. When I asked her about Lucifer, she said she would have to watch over it some more.” Key caused laughter in the studio by saying that he speaks to his grandmother everyday, but her ringtone has been Hyun Young‘s Nuna’s Dream for the past few years.

To finish off his many episodes with his grandmother, Key delivered a video message to her. He expressed his warm heart as a grandson by saying, “Your Kibum has grown up a lot, so you don’t have to worry. I will work harder and take better care of myself. I love you, grandma, for always giving me strength.”

Source: Moon Da Young @newsen.com
Translation: ch0sshi @kpoplive.com

Busan’s tough guy Simon D and the original tough guy Kim BoSung have met.

On the 7th, Simon D updated his Twitter saying, “Took a picture during filming with the best tough guy, Kim BoSung. He’s Korean’s Steven Seagal!” along with the picture.

They were tightly holding one hand with each other and staring at the camera with tough expressions on their faces. Simon D was frowning slightly whilst Kim BoSung wore sunglasses and gave off the aura like the original ‘Tough Guy’ should.

The fans who visited the Twitter left comments such as, ‘Simon D is almost as good at Kim BoSung!’, ‘Woah~ he’s not far behind’ and ‘Kyungsang-do pose Baby!’.

cr: Kwon SooBin @newsen.com
trans: kimbap @ kpoplive.com

After their outstanding performances in Staples Center in Los Angeles, the nine fabulous girls of SNSD proceed to Japan and China for another promotion and presentation!

SNSD has been busy recently promoting its albums throughout the continent, thus gaining much popularity in North America and Asia.

The lovely girls are scheduled to leave for Japan on the 7th or 8th for the release of their first Japanese single Genie.

Gracing the cover of popular Japanese magazine Nikkei Entertainment, they have become a hot topic in the country with their posters all over the streets. The group’s DVD has also ranked first place on the Oricon DVD charts.

With the addition of  SNSD’s concert in China on the weekend, these girls are well on their way to dominating Asian music charts!

Source: Kim Hyungwoo @Newsen
Translation: soCOOL @soshified.com
Written by: reindrops @kpoplive.com

Said like a future leader of the free world, but that’s just Super Junior’s Kyuhyun proving the noticeable observation that most idol maknaes tend to be the serious brooding kinds. Or, it maybe just him goofing around with a fan.

In the evil maknae’s recent UFO posts, he gives deadpan replies to fans’ messages, quote:

#1
ELF: ( ºДº)!!!!!!!
Kyu: ㅡ.ㅡ ??

#2
ELF: I’m playing a crossword puzzle. It’s so hardㅜㅜㅜㅜ
Kyu: If it’s really very hard then just give up.

#3
ELF: You really..!! It’s okay even if it’s just a ‘.’ Please just reply meㅠㅠ I won’t wish for much. Just reply a ‘.’ and I’ll be very happy.
Kyu: If you really just want a dot, I won’t reply you. People should have more hope.

Kyuhyun seems to be giving his fans mixed messages, but the dorky, straightforward manner is quite consistent. Evil Kyu strikes again!

Source: UFOTown (Korea)
translation by: 小果, muffin4kyu@princekyu

Written by: aetria@kpoplive.com

Between promoting a hit album, going round the other end of the world for concerts, and attending to the needs of his dongsaengs, Onew has yet another gig.

As previously reported, SHINee’s leader is starring as the lead character in Korea’s performance of Broadway musical Rock of Ages. We have updated you with shots from the pictorial and Onew at work. Take a look at another one below, as the idol tries on a guitar for size.

With a few more weeks of practice on those strings, Onew should look a little something like this onstage.

An impressive transformation, don’t you think? The dubu leader’s fans can catch him and his other SM Entertainment cast members when the musical premiers in Korea this September.

Source: shaziki, chocolatheia@weareshining
Written by: aetria@kpoplive.com

YG Entertainment talents G-Dragon and Park Bom captivate us with their newest hair of auburn-red!

Big Bang‘s G-Dragon and 2NE1‘s Park Bom have become eye-catching lately  as they show off their red hair in photoshoots and music videos.

The fierce 2NE1 member appeared in photo teasers for the group’s official comeback and sported a new hairstyle, with the usual smoky makeup.

On the 7th, G-Dragon also captured fans’ attention in a forum on a portal site with the title “G-Dragon, who recently changed his style to red head.” The site revealed screen captures of the Big Bang leader wearing a sleeveless shirt paired with a pink scarf.

The two groups are currently preparing for their comeback soon. 2NE1 will make their comeback on SBS Inkigayo on the 12th with their newest album To Anyone to be released on the 9th.

The five boys of Big Bang are also getting ready with their full-length album, which is expected to be released within the year.

Source: Nate
Translation: seungie @Tumblr.com
Written by: reindrops @kpoplive.com

One of Korea’s pretty faces Kim TaeHee revealed in a talk show the female celebrity she would like her brother to meet!

Kim TaeHee appeared in KBS 2TV‘s Win Win on September 7th and was asked to choose a female celebrity she would like to introduce to her brother Lee Wan.

The Korean star picked SNSD‘s Taeyeon and added, “Taeyeon can sing well and seems like she has a good personality, so I think it would be nice if I could introduce her to him.”

Kim TaeHee currently stars in the upcoming movie Grand Prix, which will premiere on the 16th.

Source: Hankuk Kyungjae
Translation: taengbear @soshified.com
Written by: reindrops @kpoplive.com

Teen Top‘s Niel shares how he started singing and who influenced him to become the young idol he is now.

We previously revealed the debut diary of the Teen Top member, in which he admitted that he realized he wanted to sing after accidentally hearing a pop song played in the radio. This song that started his dream was Michael Jackson‘s classic hit Ben.

Niel instantly became a big fan of the King of Pop. He listened to Michael Jackson’s other songs and watched his concert videos. He already knew he wanted to be like the American recording artist, so the Teen Top idol attended to a singing academy where he learned the basics.

In one family outing in an amusement park, Niel tried his luck in a public audition for aspirant singers. But seeing the huge crowd in front of him, he felt uneasy and almost couldn’t remember how to sing!

However, the amusement park incident didn’t stop the young boy from pursuing his dream. One day, he received a call telling him, “You have a pretty voice and your songs are full of emotions. You really stood out but at the public audition’s finals, you were a bit lacking compared to your other friends. Anyway, I believe in your potential, so I’ll give you a chance. Show me what you can do.”

With this second chance, Niel promised to do his best in his career and be hailed as Korea’s Michael Jackson.

Source: Asia Economy Daily
Translation: BGSS2Maknae @6TeensonTop
Written by: reindrops @kpoplive.com

Oh, it sure was!

On the 4th of September, SM Entertainment artists held a concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Many 2nd generation Korean- Americans attended the concert to witness the hot performances their idols were able to conduct.

The concert started with an opening-act by J-Min, who is active in Japan.  Next-generation girl group f(x) followed with La Cha Ta and Chu~♥.

Following that were SNSD‘s Jessica and f(x)’s Krystal with their own version of Tik Tok, then KangTa and Ara with their duet of “7989″ featuring SHINee‘s Onew, and Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun and SNSD’s Seohyun singing “Call With All My Heart” together.

BoA also performed her song “Energetic” gorgeously. DBSK‘s Yunho and Changmin entered the stage flying in the air, with wires of course, and performed“Maximum”.

But when SHINee performed “Juliette“, followed by the performances of SNSD and Super Junior, the excitement in the Staples Center was at its peak.

But that excitement was already evident even before the concert. The fans lined up early and sang and danced to the artists’ songs.  They even made banners with their idols’ names.

One fan, Vyridiana, who is 22 years old, put up a sign that said, “Buying Ticket” for four hours before the concert. She stated, “I’m a fan of Super Junior’s Siwon. I got to know Korean artists through Youtube last year and I was waiting for this concert, so I would really like to buy a ticket and be able to watch.”

And another fan, Peter (23), who was seen wearing a pink shirt with SNSD’s international fansite Soshified said, “I came to know of SNSD through a video my friend sent me. Many American pop songs have dark moods and express anger, but I like SNSD’s songs because they are so fun.”

And after the concert, fans were more than pleased with what they’ve experienced.

A fan named Cane said, “That was a fantastic performance. I think Korean singers have a lot of different talents besides just singing and dancing.”

The concert was also filmed in 3D, a first for any Korean artists.

Kim Youngmin, a representative of the company stated, “We are so happy to hold a concert at a venue that is symbolic in America. If we could get the opportunity, we would like to take on an American tour.”

It was also said that 70% of the tickets were sold to non-Koreans.  This only proves that the Korean wave is not only evidently happening in Japan, but in America, too.

The SM Town World Tour started in Seoul, then Los Angeles. The artists will b e travelling on the 11th for their concert in Shanghai, China.  They will move on to Tokyo, Japan early next year.

Source: kjwan @ hankyung.com
Photo Credit: black_cat @ SJ-World.net
Translation: taengbear @ soshified.com
Written by: hanjibear @ kpoplive.com

Ahead of their official September 8th debut in Japan, SNSD has upped the excitement and anticipation with the release of the dance version of their hit single Genie. Are you all ready to learn the dance that has swept an entire nation? Check it out below!

Source: wonderfulgeneration3 @youtube.com

Written by: mocha @kpoplive.com

SS501 member and Royal Avenue CEO, Park JungMin, has recently been tweeting away on Twitter after a good long rest from it. It made many Triple S‘ very happy to see multiple messages, as well as the news that he got a Facebook page for people to follow along with his activities.

However, that isn’t all. Along with a never before seen picture of JungMin as the default, there is also an album created with the title “Vacation” featuring 8 new pictures of the star having fun. What seems to be just a bit odd is that this K-Pop star actually created a Facebook account where you can add him as a friend! It is unknown if he is actually accepting these friend requests or not, but it certainly is new to hear something so personal as an actual Facebook user page to be made.

Click HERE for JungMin’s Facebook page and click HERE for the personal facebook page.

Source: facebook.com/ParkJungMinOfficial
Written By: Laura @ kpoplive.com

Photo’s of GaIn’s slender legs have been posted up and discussed fiercely on various forums and sites. Amidst all the discussions on GaIn’s goddess-like legs, netizens have commented  “GaIn has an al naturale attitude and poise, and a pair of unbelievably beautiful legs”, “It’s really beautiful, these are the only pair of legs that beautiful without plastic surgery” and “I’d really like to see this for myself! So envious of JoKwon kekeke“.

All of these comments can only prove Gain’s status in the ‘beautiful legs’ category.

Credit: eugene@4-everlastings.com
Translated By:  fireflystardust@soompi
Written By: Alvin@kpoplive.com

Actor Kim SooHyun posed for Korean brand Andew‘s winter clothing line. Kim SooHyun started his acting career last year in SBS‘s Will It Snow for Christmas? and he gathered his popularity through this drama too. He recently starred in SBS’s GIANT, where his excellent acting skills received lots of positive responses and also the audience’s recognition. Kim SooHyun expresses his different sides through this pictorial for Andew, looking stylish and cool in dark clothing. Furthermore, he shows the perfect match of a leather jacket, camouflage clothing and various styles of topcoat.

Although they spent a lot of time on the photoshoot, Kim SooHyun and model Jang YoonJu still livened up the studio with their laughter. The person in charge said: ” Even though Kim SooHyun is a rookie actor, he doesn’t have stage fright! This is why the pictorial was able to be successful.”

The netizens were surprised by this and commented “Although he is a actor, he did well as a model too!“, “He was always beyond my imagination!” and “He is over-dazzling!”

For more of KimSooHyun pictorial for Andew, do visit Andew’s official website and Twitter.

Source: Kim JiHyun @tvdaily.co.kr

Translation + Written by: Jessie0029 @Kpoplive.com

With only two days away from 2NE1‘s comeback, YG Entertainment has been keeping fans on their toes as they tease with brand new images of the girls almost everyday.

Keeping up with their unusual wardrobe, the girls can be seen wearing eccentric clothing that definitely catches the eye. Fans’ anticipation has been growing for the title track Go Away as nobody has heard a teaser yet. Though fans won’t have to wait much longer as the girls will release To Anyone on September 9th and will be making their comeback stage on the 12th through SBS‘s Inkigayo.

Not only were the behind-the-scenes images revealed on the YG Life website, but also a longer teaser for one of their title tracks, Can’t Nobody.

Source: YG Life
Video: gilbakk1110@youtube.com
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplive.com

SM Entertainment‘s rock duo TRAX has just made their way back to South Korea after performing at 2010′s SM TOWN concert in Los Angeles. Members Typhoon and X-Mas are now releasing their second mini-album titled Oh! My Goddess.

TRAX made headlines last week as images for their Oh! My Goddess music video began surfacing the net. Making an appearance as a bride was none other than SNSD‘s maknae, SeoHyun, much to the delight of SM fans. The song was written by member Typhoon (real name Jay Kim) with the thought of his own personal ‘goddess’ in mind.

Their new album stays true to their rock roots while still showing a different side to their music. So do mind grabbing yourself a copy!
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplive.com

Sistar‘s Dasom has recently become a hot topic as her graduation pictures were revealed through an online community website.

Dasom’s younger image almost seems like a completely different person as she sports long dark hair with a blunt fringe. For Sistar’s Shady Girl promotions, Dasom recently transformed into a blonde, which most fans have agreed looks great on the singer.

Though fans were happy to see this other side of Dasom, other netizens grew envious of her as they compared the old images with her new look. While it seems that Dasom lost weight for her debut, netizens were already starting rumours of plastic surgery because of her different look.

Meanwhile, fans were supportive and replied “Your looks only get better with age,” and “You really blossomed!”

Source: Joins.com
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplive.com

Six membered group Dalmatian has been a hot issue lately as they made their way to the stage with their debut track Round 1. Though fans and music lovers have already gotten a taste of their personalities on stage, fans will soon get the chance to meet the members through their own reality show.

Mnet‘s Dalmatian’s Manager Goes on Strike will follow the members as they get ready for debut and go through promotions with their manager. Although the group’s debut music was produced by MC Mong, it’s still unclear who their manager will be for the show.

Meanwhile, fans have been praising Dalmatian’s debut stage as someone uploaded a music removed version of the performance. Check it out below:

Thanks to our reader Haru for the tip!

Source: Daum.net
Translation by f*ckyeahdalmatian@tumblr.com
Video: CallMeJiayi@youtube.com
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplivve.com

Yoon EunHye recently revealed that she had been diligently practicing her guitar in order to perform for her fans at her upcoming Japanese fan meeting.

Actress Yoon EunHye recently posted a video on her twitter account that featured herself playing and singing along to the guitar. “Two weeks since I started learning the guitar for the Tokyo fan meeting!” she posted.

Although the EunHye’s strumming isn’t quite perfect, fans were glad to see the singer putting so much effort for her fans. Yoon EunHye is set to hold her fan meeting on the 18th of September.

Source: Kwon SooBin@newsen.com
Translation by CDBloom@yooneunhye.net
Video: jnccrs3@youtube.com
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplive.com

It’s been almost a year since the three girls of Gavy NJ have released a solo mini-album or digital single. The girls have now released a teaser for their upcoming music video for their title track, That’s Enough.

The girls are reportedly set to release a digital single titled Forget It on the 9th of September followed by their stage comeback on KBS‘s Music Bank. Their new title track That’s Enough will once again showcase the strong vocals of the three members. Check out the teaser below:

Video: AsianBangHD@youtube.com
Written by wonderwonders@kpoplive.com

Rookie, hybrid group F1RST debuted with 4 males and 4 females. They were recently invited into a photoshoot for Stuff Korea Magazine and of course, their sexy poses have attracted a lot of attention – especially F1RST’s main vocal, HaJi.

HaJi shows her sexy body figure through her tight clothing. This happened to be just the right style for this female warrior to let her look more fascinating. Netizens expressed their high expectations and interest on HaJi by commenting ‘Really sexy. ‘, ‘ HaJi has the unyielding style of female warrior! ‘ and ‘ She looks like catwoman… ‘.

After F1RST debuted through MBC‘s Show! Music Core, their popularity have risen through various Korean websites.

Credit: Cho UiJi @tvdaily.co.kr

Translation + Written by: Jessie0029 @Kpoplive.com