SHINee‘s Taemin will put on his independent stage performance.

The singer successfully completed his first solo stage performance during a recent filming for KBS2‘s ‘Immortal Song 2‘.

Fourteen of today’s best vocals gathered to pay tribute to legendary singer Song Chang Sik, but all eyes and ears were focused on Taemin who sang “At Least Once” before a live audience.

In the past, he has captivated his fans with his adorable image and powerful dance moves, but this ‘Immortal Song’ stage is a bit out of his comfort zone.

Before he went on stage, he remarked that he was “nervous about standing on the stage alone“, but he impressed with his ability to sing live, and performed well with the orchestra that played in the background.

“Song Chang Sik sunbaenim smiled proudly at me throughout my entire performance, and so I was able to sing a little more comfortably,” he explained.

Singer Song Chang Sik who was marveled by Taemin’s performance did not hold back his praise for the young singer.

Taemin will make his debut on the January 28th episode of Immortal Song 2 scheduled to air at 6:15 PM KST.

Source & Image: SportsChosun via Nate

Some people aspire to be like celebrities, some idolize them, and a select few will actually take the time to create fake SNS accounts pretending to live their lives. It’s been revealed that CNBLUE‘s Jung Yonghwa is the latest celebrity to inspire an impostor account on a social networking service.

On January 24th, a netizen pretending to be the singer wrote on me2day, “Kang Dong Ho senior sang CNBLUE’s “Love” on a Lunar New Year special. ^^ Thank you Kang Dong Ho sunbaenim“.

It seemed as if Jung Yonghwa was personally thanking actor Kang Dong Ho for his cover of CNBLUE’s song on SBS‘s ’Pop Star Actor‘.

However, CNBLUE’s agency firmly denied that such an account exists.

On January 26th, FNC Music spoke with TV Report and stated, ”Jung Yonghwa does not have a me2day account. The account in question has been created by a netizen impersonating him.”

Jung Yonghwa is the latest celebrity to have inspired a fake account in his name. Others in the long list include Kim Yeojin, Kim Yujin, Ryu Seungbum, Jung Ilwoo, BoA, Park Shin Hye, Park Han Byul, Lee Byung Hun, Rain, Lee Hyori, Jang Geun Suk, Son Dambi, IU, B2ST‘s Yoseob, YG Entertainment artists, and more.

Source & Image: TVReport via Nate

Photos of Girls’ Generation member Seohyun with singer Kim Hyun Joong were shared online.

The above photos surfaced on an online community site on the 26th, and were taken while the two were filming an advertisement for a cosmetics brand.

Kim Hyun Joong’s simple white shirt only drew more attention to his good looks, and Seohyun looked charming and feminine in her off-the-shoulder dress.

Both looked classy and trendy, and netizens felt they would make a good ‘campus couple’.

Netizens remarked, “That’s a lot of skin for Seohyun“, “They still look awkward“, and more.

Do you agree that they make a good ‘campus couple’? Let us know below!

Source & Image: IlganSports via Nate

2NE1‘s Gong Minzy successfully transformed into a charismatic Michael Jackson.

The singer posted the photo above via her official Twitter page on January 27th and wrote, “Listening to Michael Jackson’s “Bad“.. Completely channeling my inner Michael Jackson.”

Her loud outfit seemed like something the king of pop would have opted to wear himself, and her charismatic gaze also reminded fans of the legendary singer.

Netizens who saw her transformation remarked, “Little Michael Jackson“, “Cool Jacket“, “Cute and tough at the same time“, “Pretty“, and more.

She didn’t reveal what the outfit was for, but the King of Pop would have approved, nonetheless.

Source & Image: Minzy’s Twitter

A bicoastal sold-out U.S. tour last year was simply not enough for AZIATIX and their fans. To kick off 2012, the three members have announced a 13-city tour starting in February, including a show at SXSW on March 16^th.

AZIATIX will perform selections from their chart-topping self-titled debut, fusing elements of Soul and Hip-Hop, all with a Pop/R&B touch. The group conquered overseas, primarily Asia, with a #1 album on iTunes Japan, three Top Ten records on the iTunes Japan charts, and a sold out tour. They have set out to do the same in the United States, and it’s slowly all happening. After winning the Best New Artist award at the MAMAs, more awards are sure to come. In the meantime, don’t miss out on catching AZIATIX in their favorite element: live on stage amidst their fans.

Dates and locations for the 2012 AZIATIX US Tour are as follows:

Feb 24 Thunder Valley Casino Resort Sacramento, CA

Feb 26 The Crocodile Seattle, WA

Feb 27 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN

Feb 28 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL

Feb 29 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, MA

Mar 02 Highline Ballroom New York, NY

Mar 03 Rock N Roll Hotel Washington, DC

Mar 16 SXSW, Austin, TX

Mar 28 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA

Mar 30 The Glass House Pomona, CA

Mar 31 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA

Apr 01 The Belly Up Solana Beach, CA

Make sure to show the boys some support on their Facebook page.

Singer Brian Joo shed some emotional tears while recently guest-featuring on a radio program.

Brian Joo guest-featured on a recent airing of ‘Kim Young Chul’s Fun Fun Today‘ on SBS Power FM and expressed his deep regret of being unable to spend Lunar New Years with his parents who currently reside in New Jersey.

As he began to read his message to his parents, he could not overcome the overflowing emotions and the tears began to stream down his face.

The singer has been living away from his parents for 13 whole years now, and he apologetically admitted that there were times because it was troublesome he would lie and tell his mother he had to record on TV.

He tried to fight through the tears to say, “I never once said I love you even though you always loved me, but I truly do love you,” which caused everyone who heard him to get choked up as well.

There were a high number of fans who listened to the episode through a podcast after it aired, and it has become a hot topic amongst listeners everywhere.

In related news, the singer has recently released his new mini album, ‘ReBorn Part 1‘.

ReBorn Part1 – 브라이언 (BRIAN) on iTunes.

Source & Image : TVReport via Naver

Things heated up between T-ara‘s Hyomin and the older brother of INFINITE‘s Woohyun.

On a recent recording of ‘T-ara’s Flower Boys‘ which assigns a new mission each week, the girls were out to discover the best ‘flower-boy’ chefs. Among the contestants was the older brother of Woohyun, who had gone to culinary school. Both, he and Hyomin paired up to complete their mission together in the kitchen.

The other members were also paired up with a partner to prepare dishes, however, none of them had the chemistry and teamwork that Hyomin had with Woohyun’s brother. The two looked as sweet as a newlywed couple cooking together in their home for the first time.

The episode promises to be a good one, as good-looking college students who possess the finest culinary skills also had some chemistry with the T-ara members on set.

The episode airs on January 28th at 11:00PM KST on SBS E!

Maybe Hyomin should have stayed to film ‘We Got Married’ in Korea?

Source & Image: MyDaily

JYP Entertainment who has discovered some of the best talent in the country recently held their 9th talent auditions.

This round of auditions has received more attention than usual, after news broke that JYP trainees JB & Jr. who came out on top during the 5th talent auditions landed leading roles in the KBS drama, ‘Dream High 2‘.

Thus, applicants with dreams of becoming big in the industry are more ambitious for the auditions more than ever before.

JB & Jr. who impressed at a previous audition with their remarkable dance performances are also known for their good looks and adorable charms.

Fans already have high expectations for the boys on the show, as they are following the footsteps of 2PM‘s Jang Wooyoung who was also victorious at the very first JYP Entertainment auditions.

JYP’s talent search team remarked, “After people heard that JB & Jr. who were discovered at the auditions would be making their debut on ‘Dream High 2′, we have been receiving calls non-stop from people trying to get more information about the auditions. People are also interested in finding out what kinds of new talents we will discover next, as the previous auditions proved to be effective in finding capable candidates such as Wooyoung, JB, and Jr.”

The auditions began on January 7th, traveling to Chungjoo, Kwangjoo, Daejoo, and Busan, and will continue in Kangneung on the 28th, and finish off in Seoul on February 4th & 5th.

Source & Image: SBS via Nate

Ahead of their performance in Peru, the boys of JYJ are receiving a lot of press in the local area.

A Peruvian news program Frecuencia Latina ‘Punto Final’ introduced the boys for ten minutes straight, talking about the level of fame they have in Korea.

The program is one that airs every Sunday, delivering news regarding politics, economics, entertainment, and more. The anchor remarked, “JYJ’s influence continues to grow by the day. Both online and off, their fame and popularity is explosive.”

Furthermore, the boys’ concert was also advertised on an influential local media source, El comercio.

Their agency CJES Entertainment remarked, “All 5,000 tickets sold out in a matter of two days. The fans that could not get their hands on a ticket did not stop calling to ask for more seats, and we are even considering adding about a thousand more.”

JYJ’s concert in Peru will take place on March 11th.

Source & Image: OSEN

T-ara member Eunjung who recently injured her knee will reportedly need a full six weeks to recover, and therefore has canceled her filming for MBC‘s ‘We Got Married‘.

T-ara’s agency informed MyDaily through a phone conversation, “The day she broke her leg was the same day the shoot for ‘We Got Married’ was scheduled. She was told she needed a full six weeks to recover, and we asked them to understand and apologetically had to cancel the shoot.”

“She should be able to film next week’s shoot, but we will remain cautious and make a decision depending on her progression,” they continued.

Eunjung slipped and fell on the 24th after the heavy snowfall and ruptured her kneecap, however, should be fully recovered in six weeks.

Source & Image: MyDaily via Nate

On January 25th, Kim Hyun Joong released his new Japanese album ‘KISS KISS/Lucky Guy‘ and placed 2nd on the Oricon Charts. To further promote his new album, Kim Hyun Joong performed on the January 27th edition of TV Asahi‘s Music Station.

Kim Hyun Joong held a short interview and also performed “Kiss Kiss“, check it out below!

Intro:

Interview + Performance:

The JYP Entertainment team seems to be making big moves. With a mysterious teaser featuring J.Y.Park playing the piano and a title of “JYP introducing…“, there were hints at the possibility of a new artist debuting in the near future.

The teaser was released on the 26th via JYP’s official homepage as well as J.Y. Park’s Twitter page. He wore a black suit and sat before a grand piano, playing a melodious ballad piece. On his Twitter, he also wrote, “It’s my first project of 2012. Whose song do you think it is?”

Some circles around him are speculating that he may be creating a second generation of Wonder Girls. Like Wonder Girls and miss A, they expect his new girl group to become just as talented and established in the music industry.

And as the Wonder Girls are currently promoting in the States, the fans are eager to see a JYP girl group in Korea as well.

JYP Entertainment remarked, “This is first line up being unveiled by JYP in 2012. We feel a lot of people may be surprised. We ask you to look forward to this new project, for which J.Y. Park devoted his heart and soul.”

Whatever it is, it sounds exciting. Stay tuned to allkpop for updates!

Source & Image: OSEN

On a recent recording of MBC Every1‘s ‘Weekly Idol‘, comedian Jung Hyung Don had jokingly asked if YG Entertainment recruited gagmen in hopes of joining the label.

The episode featured a segment where Jung Hyung Don called up YG Entertainment officials to tell them news of G-Dragon winning yet another poll held amongst idols. During the call, he asked, “Does YG not recruit gagmen?”

Although it was said as a joke, YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk readily welcomed the gagman. On January 27th, in an interview with E-Daily, he revealed, “If Jung Hyung Don really meant what he said, I would like to discuss a management contract with him.”

He continued, “Not only myself, but the majority of our company staff are fans of Jung Hyung Don. If he would come, I think I’d actually be really thankful.”

Jung Hyung Don actually isn’t signed with an agency at the moment, and his relationship with YG stars dates back to ‘Infinity Challenge‘, where he collaborated with Big Bang‘s G-Dragon.

Source + Photos: E-Daily via Nate

The face of Jun Ji Hyun‘s new boyfriend Choi Jun Hyuk has been revealed, becoming a hot topic of conversation amongst netizens online.

This is the first time the actress has publicly acknowledged a relationship, and by doing so has further evoked curiosity amongst her fans as to who he could be.

It turns out that Choi Jun Hyuk was featured on a television program with his mother 7 years ago, and screen captures from the video were recently posted online.

Jun Ji Hyun’s new man boasts a handsome face with a defined jaw line. He looked like he could also pass for a celebrity, earning the praise of those who came across the photos.

He is reportedly a fashionista, is in tip top shape and stands over 6 feet tall.

He is also known to be employed at ‘Bank of America‘, and is the grandson of designer Lee Young Hee, whom established a Korean museum in New York. His brother is Choi Junho, a former member of group X-Large.

Source & Image: SportsChosun via Nate

The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) has announced the winners of “The 26th Japan Gold Disc Award” on January 27th, and many Korean artists were featured.

The “Japan Gold Disc Awards” was first launched in 1987 to recognize outstanding artists (and works) that have contributed to recording industry. Awards based on the actual sales number, and 2011’s winners utilized data from November 10, 2010 to October 31, 2011.

Check out the Korean winners of “The 26th Japan Gold Disc Award” below!

Best Album of the Year (Asia)

Girls’ Generation – “GIRLS’ GENERATION”

Best 3 Albums (Asia)

KARA – “Girls’ Talk” Girls’ Generation – “GIRLS’ GENERATION” TVXQ – “Tone”

Song of the Year (Downloads – Asia)

KARA – “Jumpin’”

Best 5 Songs by Download

3. KARA – “Jumpin’”

Best Music Video (Asia)

KARA – “Best Clips”

Best Asian Artist

KARA

New Artist of the Year (Asia)

2PM

Best 3 New Artists (Asia)

Jang Geun Suk 2PM B2ST

Best Enka/Kayokyoku New Artist

Park Hyunbin

Congratulations to all the winners!

Source: Japan Golden Disc Awards website [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]

Girls’ Generation member Yuri will be stepping down from her position as an MC on MBC‘s Show! Music Core.

A representative wrote via Girls’ Generation official web page on the 27th,

“Hello, everyone. MCs Tiffany & Yuri will be featuring on this week’s January 28th airing of MBC’s Show! Music Core, however this will be Yuri’s last day as an MC on the program. Although she would like to continue, she is stepping down in order to take up more challenging roles to improve herself as an artist for her fans. We hope that all of you will show your support for Yuri who has worked hard to show her best efforts thus far.”

Both Tiffany and Yuri began hosting the show in 2009, but stepped down the following year due to other obligations. It has not been long since they began hosting again, but it looks like Yuri will be busy with other activities, such as preparing for her leading role in new drama series, ‘Fashion King‘. No official word yet on who will take Yuri’s place as Tiffany’s co-host.

Who would you like to see co-host with Tiffany?

Source: SMTown

Girls’ Generation US album ‘The Boys‘ has placed high on the Billboard chart.

The album has ranked 22nd on the ‘Heatseekers Albums‘ category of Billboard, while impressively placing 2nd on the ‘World Albums Chart‘.

This is quite the achievement for a Hallyu artist who has recently made their debut in the US.

Congratulations! The ladies are scheduled to appear on both ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ and ‘Live! With Kelly‘ next week.

Source & Image: Billboard, (2)

Tip: John Blaede

The Gaon Chart is the national chart of South Korea and is intended to be the equivalent of Oricon in Japan and Billboard in the United States.

Check out the chart rankings for the week of January 15th to January 21st below!

===

< Gaon Chart National Digital Singles Ranking >

1. T-ara– “Lovey Dovey”

2. Dynamic Duo – “Without You”

3. 10cm– “Sorrow”

4. Sunny Hill– “The Grasshoppers”

5. Jung Jun Ha– “Tall Old Bachelor”

6. MBLAQ– “It’s War”

7. Lyn – “Back in Time”

8. Wonder Girls – “The DJ is Mine”

9. Hyorin- “I Choose to Love You”

10. Davichi & T-ara– “We Were in Love”

—

< Gaon Chart National Physical Albums Ranking >

1. T-ara – ‘Funky Town EP’

2. Sunny Hill – ‘The Grasshoppers (Maxi Single)’

3. Girls’ Generation – ‘The Boys’

4. MBLAQ – ‘MBLAQ 4th Mini Album 100% Ver’

5. Teen Top – ‘It’s’

6. Super Junior – ‘Mr. Simple 5th album Repackage’

7. IU – ‘Last Fantasy’

8. INFINITE– ‘Paradise’

9. Various Artists – ’2012 Grammy Nominees’

10. Young Joon (Brown Eyed Soul)- ‘Easy’

—-

Source: Gaon

After unveiling two tracks from their upcoming album yesterday, Big Bang has done it again with two additional songs.

On January 28th, YG Entertainment uploaded an image to their YG-Life blog with the title and information for two new songs. “Love Dust” and “Bad Boy” both contain lyrics written by G-Dragon, and also feature raps from T.O.P. Teddy lent his talents once again for the composition and arrangement of “Love Dust”, while producer Choice 37 assisted G-Dragon for “Bad Boy”.

There will definitely be more teasers ahead, so stay tuned to allkpop for more Big Bang updates!

–

Source + Image: YG-Life Blog

The boys of the JTBC program, ‘SNSD and the Dangerous Boys‘ successfully put on their first guerrilla concert.

Ahead of their Street Jam Dance Competition scheduled to take place on February 5th, the boys put on a surprise guerrilla concert at an Arts College in Seoul.

Even before the performance began, a large crowd began to gather, waiting to see the boys perform on stage. The throngs of people caused so much commotion in the area the show was actually postponed for some time.

This was the boys’ first official live performance and they seemed to look a bit awkward and nervous, but they impressed the audience with their unexpected talent. They practice 6 hours a day each day to perfect the moves for the Street Jam Dance Competition, and it truly showed.

But instead of all five members, only four stepped forward on stage making the fans curious as to where Hwang Yong Hyun was.

According to a staff member, “All five of them were scheduled to stand on stage together, however, Hwang Yong Hyun had some personal problems and therefore could not be there with them. I know many people must be curious to know why, but we ask that you watch the program this week to find out.”

The next episode airs on January 29th at 7:30PM.

Source & Image: OSEN via Nate