Jang Geun Suk, Most Followed Celebrity on Weibo

Actor Jang Geun Suk has reached over 5 million followers on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, further proving his immense popularity in China and cementing his status as “Asia’s Prince”. He became the most followed international celebrity, passing Tom Cruise who has 4.4 million followers.

Jang Geun Suk is currently on his ‘2012 Jang Geun Suk Asia Tour : THE CRI SHOW 2‘. He will perform at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China on August 11th, and at the Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan on September 1st and 2nd.

Jang Geun Suk to Pick Crazy Mission Sent by Fans

Yahoo! Korea and Jang Geun Suk has launched “World Prince Jang Geun Suk’s Crazy Mission Diary” event online. “World Prince Jang Geun Suk’s Crazy Mission Diary” launched its special event websites on Yahoo! Taiwan K-Wave, Yahoo! Hong Kong K-Wave, and Yahoo! Korea Celeb and will be receiving missions from various Yahoo users.

Jang Geun Suk will pick out which missions to execute among all the unique missions sent in by Yahoo users in Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Each execution of a mission will be filmed and revealed online from August 22 until September 12 in order. The lucky participants whose missions get chosen by Jang Geun Suk will receive autographed copy of Jang Geun Suk’s CD, Poster, and other goods.

“World Prince” Jang Geun Suk has previously been recognized at Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards 2010. Moreover, his undying popularity in Asia and beyond have helped him go on several concert tours, including the ongoing “2012 Jang Geun Suk Asia Tour The CRI Show 2.” “The CRI Show 2″ started in Seoul, Korea on July 7 and will be visiting Japan’s Yokohama Arena on July 21 and 22. Jang Geun Suk plans on continuing “the CRI Show 2″ tour in the second half of the year throughout Asia.

CEO Lee Kyung Hwan of Yahoo! Korea commented, “We are excited to launch a special event with one of the biggest Hallyu figures to encourage Hallyu boom in Asia even more. We hope to offer high quality Korean entertainment contents to many Hallyu fans in the world through a successful launch of K-wave websites with industry leaders like CJ E&M, and Arirang TV.”

T-ara Hwayoung asked for fans' support

Amidst the controversy currently brewing around T-ara with their tweets, member Hwayoung recently updated her Twitter with a message that has left fans curious. On the morning of July 28th (KST), she wrote, “The support of my family and my fans is worth so much to me. Please watch over me.”

She also previously tweeted a photo of herself and twin sister Hyoyoung holding hands, writing, “Ryu! Thanks for being by my side. I love you”, which seems to be a response to the supportive messages Hyoyoung had written on her own Twitter.  Hwayoung's ambiguous tweet had left netizen wondering what she could be referring to and  the rumor that Hwayoung is an outcast in the group keep heating up the Internet.

Meanwhile, just after the rumor of T-ara feud started to spread, T-ara’s Hyomin switched her profile photo on her SNS account On July 28, 2012. The photo is part of the cover of the book by Mira Kirshenbaum titled “Everything happens for a reason.” Netizens began to speculate that  she must try to say something with the title of the book, which seems meaningful regarding the rumored feud.

In regard of this incident, the president of T-ara’s agency Kim Kwang Soo has also announced that he will be releasing a statement regarding T-ara on July 30th.

Psy:"My agency held discussion about my looks"

On the July 27th broadcast of SBS ‘GO Show‘, singer Psy revealed that his former agency (before he joined YG) once held a discussion about his looks. Psy said, "At first, I was picked because of my voice. I posted my song online, and an associate of the company said that he liked my voice when casting me.”

He then brought the studio to laughter when he further revealed,”But when they saw my face when I came into the office for the first time, they started discussing what to do right in front of me. The CEO turned to the manager, who picked me from my voice online, and asked, ‘what are you going to do about this?’”

2PM’s Wooyoung was asked out by an older actress

On the July 28th broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Invincible Youth 2',  2PM‘s Wooyoung revealed that he’s been asked out by an older actress. He stated, “Iwas asked out by an older actress before. The actress asked me, ‘Do you want to date?’, but (at that time) I wasn’t ready for it, so I turned her down.”

Wooyoung then was asked about his previous statement about being approached by three idol singers. MC Lee Young Ja commented, “I really think that Hyoyeon asked you out.” The Girls’ Generation member responded, “That never happened,” while KARA‘s Jiyoung added, “Today’s the first time I’ve talked to him.”

Jang Keun Suk Received a lot of Attention in Japan

Actor Jang Keun Suk received a lot of attention from several Japanese media sources in a promotional press interview for the drama series Love Rain. The interview was held before Love Rain starts airing on the Japanese private TV channel Fuji TV on July 25 .

More than 130 Japanese reporters from 90 major news sources, such as Yomiuri and Mainichi, attended the interview, showing their interest in Jang and the series. Jang was in a flood of flashlights and questions throughout the interview, and the police were even mobilized as lots of Jang’s fans brought traffic to a standstill by surrounding the place.

Jang Keun Suk and his costar Yoona were both seen greeting each other happily at the waiting room. The two of them carried the friendly atmosphere to the press conference, where their chemistry and playful comments brightened the mood. Those at the press conference only elevated their expectations while seeing the two actors get along so well.

Jang Keun Suks "Love Rain" has already aired on one cable channel in japan, KNTV, in May. Their drama has been praised by Japanese directors as a lovely and sweet love story. Their next broadcast is in hopes to revive the hallyu drama wave in Japan yet again.

2NE1 Cancel Upcoming Single

YG Entertainment announced that they have decided to postpone the release of 2NE1‘ upcoming single, which was originally scheduled to be released on July 28. Instead, the girls will be returning in October with a new album.

2NE1 will kick off their “New Evolution” tour this weekend in Seoul, traveling to the United States and Japan. It was decided that promoting the single and continuing their world tour would take a toll on the girls’ health. Meanwhile, 2NE1 will kick off their first “New Evolution” concert on July 28 and 29 at the Seoul Olympic Gymnasium. The girls will perform in New Jersy on August 17, Los Angeles on August 24, Osaka on August 31-September 2, Nagoya on September 7-8, Yokohama on September 11-12, and Saitama on September 28-29.

Song Joong Ki as a Medical Student in Nice Guy

Stills from the upcoming melodrama "Nice Guy" featuring lead actor Song Joongki have been released. In these images, he gives off an innocent look, sporting a blue and red plaid shirt with a backpack on. He plays the character of Kang Maru, who has a pure heart and an IQ of 158. In this drama, he’s a good man to his lover Han Jae Hee (played by Park Si Yeon), but he changes into a bad man when he uses Seo Eun Gi (played by Moon Chae Won) for his revenge.

A spokesperson said, “Kang Maru, who has sincerely lived his life without losing hope even if he had a hard time, becomes a bad man after getting hurt by people. I feel that the audience will be surprised to see what a great actor Song is through his transformation from a nice guy to a bad guy."

The drama's supporting cast features many strong personalities. Lee Kwangsoo will be playing Kang Maroo's best friend Park Gaejil, Lee Sangyeob will play Park Joonha and Kim Yeongchul will play Eungi's father. Nice Guy is set to broadcast in September after "Bridal Mask."

T-ara's Hwayoung Being Ridiculed by Felow Member?

On July 25th and 26th at the Budokan in Tokyo,T-ara held their first independent concert. Prior to their concert, T-ara apologetically announced that Hwayoung would only be able to be on stage for part of their concert due to her leg injury. When the concert was nearly over, T-ara performed their hit song “Day By Day“ and Hwayoung performed her rap portion on stage seated in a chair.

After the concert, T-ara members wrote tweets that netizens assumed was directed towards fellow member Hwayoung in a teasing manner and they shocked to see the girls' attitude that publicly ridiculed Hwayoung's determination / commitment level. The fans suspected that the girls got lost in the competition of becoming the main spotlight in the group and began to question their teamwork

Their agency argued that the girls’ twitter accounts had been hacked, but it seems unlikely that all of their individual Twitters could have been hacked at the same time. Following are their tweets:

Hyomin started by posting, “The differences in levels of determination^^, Let us all have more determination. Fighting!!!”

Jiyeon then wrote, “The differences in levels of determination ^^, Always be humble ^^ and sensible ^^ I applaud you, acting genius ^^”

Eunjung added, “A position can make or break a person, but determination can make a person too. Sigh, it’s unfortunate. You have to know how to take care people around you.”

In response to these tweets, Hwayoung tweeted, “Sometimes, even determination alone is not enough. At times like these, I feel upset but I trust that it’s a blessing in disguise from the heavens. God, you know everything right?”

Jang Keun Suk, Hottest Korean Heartthrob in Taiwan

On July 24, Jang’s agency reported that Jang Keun Suk ranked first on the top ten most Korean popular male celebrities of the first half of 2012 on Yahoo, the biggest portal site in Taiwan. According to the agency, KBS 2TV’s Love Rain is currently airing in Taiwan and the leading actor Jang is popular among Taiwanese viewers because of his handsome face and his character’s carefree personality.

Besides Jang, Kim Hyun Joong ranked second and JYJ’s Yoo Chun ranked third. Jang recently finished his concert tour, the 2012 Jang Keun Suk Asian Tour – The Cri Show 2, in Seoul and Yokohama, Japan, and will continue in Taipei, Taiwan, on September 1 and 2.

Girls' Generation (SNSD)'s Phone Number Being Sold $4 Each

SBS‘ ‘One Night of TV Entertainment‘ reported July 25th that the phone numbers of today’s top stars are being sold online.

A call was made to the seller asking for the numbers of Girls’ Generation, and the seller remarked, “I have all of them. Each of them are $4.” The seller also explained that if you purchase multiple telephone numbers, you can receive a discount or receive more numbers for free.

When the seller was asked about the source from which the numbers came from, the response was, “There are people who sell them, saying they have connections with people in the industry. I think a sasaeng fan posted it on an online café.” The fan café in question is currently shut down.

"Big" Ended with "Big" Dissapointment?

Gong Yoo and Lee Min Jung’s recent drama, “Big” has seen its finish while recording its personal high on viewership ratings for the last episode. According to the AGB Nielson reports, the last episode of “Big,” which aired on July 24, recorded a rating of 11.1% or 1.4% higher compared to the second to last episode, recorded 9.7%. “Big” hadn’t seen ratings in the double digits and settled for 3rd place in terms of ratings among the other Monday/Tuesday dramas.

Although the drama had a happy ending, some weren’t too happy with it. Some didn’t like how Daran’s love for Seo Yoon Jae just fizzled out. Some thought that Daran’s love for Kyung Joon could not have been 100% real because he was still stuck in Seo Yoon Jae’s body. Finally, some say that Daran and Kyung Joon’s reunification, totally disregards Seo Yoon Jae, which was disappointing.

Super Junior's Kim Kibum Suffers an Atopic Condition

After concluding the filming for the drama series "I Love Italy," Super Junior's Kim Kibum went to the hospital due to the symptoms of the illness showed up suddenly and later was diagnosed with an atopic condition. The hot weather and exhaustion from filming could have contributed to the symptoms he experienced.

The spokesperson said, "He was taking a break, but he showed the symptoms of an atopic disease all of sudden. The doctor said he would be fine by next Monday. Fortunately, he doesn’t have any special schedules like commercial shootings this week."

"I Love Italy" finished airing on July 17th through tvN and Kibum was cast as Keum Eundong, the lead character. The drama left viewers impressed with his performance, his innocent demeanor, and good looks.

Cha Tae-hyeon Only Dated One Girl

Actor Cha Tae-hyeon announced on KBS 2TV's talk show program "Win Win", that he had only dated one girl, who is now his wife.

On the show that aired on July 24, Cha said that he met his wife when he was in second year of high school. He said that his wife was his first love, but after dating in high school, they broke up, a gap period which Cha's wife used diligently, while Cha didn't.

"After we broke up, I think she dated about three or four other guys", guessed Cha. To confirm the details of his wife's past loves, the hosts of the show called up Cha's wife Choi Suk-eun who said that she did indeed date other guys, "but it wasn't serious".

"If I had the choice to go back in time, I'd still marry him", said Choi, reaffirming her love for her husband. "You know people see me as this romantic guy because I married my high school sweetheart", Cha jokingly said, "but the thing is I really had no other options".

Super Junior‘s Kyuhyun revealed that Sungmin wears pink dress as pajamas

Kyuhyun, Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, Ryeowook, and Sungmin of Super Junior guest-featured on the July 23rd broadcast of KBS 2TV‘s ‘Hello‘ to listen to the concerns and worries of the participants on the show. During the show when Leeteuk revealed his obsession over the color white, Sungmin also announced that he used to love the color pink explaining that ”I thought that pink looked the best on me.” However Eunhyuk interrupted, “He has a bit of the ‘princess-syndrome’.”

Maknae member Kyuhyun added much to the embarrassment of Sungmin, “I used to be his roommate, and he wore a pink dress as a pajama for 2 to 3 years.” Sungmin then defended himself by continuing, “Once on the air, I said that I liked pink, and fans sent me pink pajamas, clothes, and even socks. I tried [the pajamas], and it was comfortable,” confirming the claims of him wearing the ‘pink dress’. When MC Jung Chan Woo asked, “How do you go to the bathroom?“, Sungmin evoked much laughter by reenacting how he handled his business in the dress.

Jang Keun Suk warned sasaeng fans (stalker) once again

On July 22, Jang Geun Suk posted on his Twitter, "Attach an antenna on the taxi, follow the car, and get GPS transmission... You have so many various techniques. I tell you repeatedly, I don't need such things like stalker fans, so get out of here. I don't need you!"

Jang Geun Suk had also posted in October of last year, "Dear stalker fans. I bet you are giggling amongst yourselves that you know everything about me. But did you know? You're getting that much farther away from me. Smile when you can. I'm a scary person when I'm mad."

Gong Yoo Released Single Track "Because It's You" for Big OST

Gong Yoo finally contributed his vocals to the soundtrack for his drama "Big," which is currently airing on KBS. The actor has sung his own version of Davichi's "Because It's You," already included in the OST.

Following the completion of the recording, Gong Yoo stated, "It was a happy experience that let me think about the viewers and forget about my exhaustion." The song was released on midnight of July 23rd (KST).

Kim Jongmin in Relationship?

The ‘Jeongdongjin Vacation Special’ has been broadcasted on the July 22nd episode of KBS ’1 Night 2 Days’. The members were prohibited from making left, right, and u-turns and they had to get to their destination within 7 hours.  The mission required the members to give up their cell phones and Uhm Tae Woong looked very depressed. As it turns out Uhm Tae Woong is addicted to the internet. Kim Jong Min also started to send a text message to someone.

The members got a peek of the text Kim Jong Min was sending and the message read, “They’re seizing my phone so..”, and the members all said, “Kim Jong Min’s in a relationship again after a long break.”

Kim Jong Min explained that he was sending the text to his mother and Lee Soo Geun countered, “Maybe his girlfriend’s name is mommy.” Kim Jong Min then said, “Mother, I love you”, but Kim Seung Woo quickly countered, “You didn’t text like you would to your mother just now. You texted ‘It’s only you’”, exposing Kim Jong Min’s actual text message.

Alex Caught Drunk Driving

Singer Alex was arrested for drunk driving at 2 AM on July 18th. According to police, he was caught driving his white BMW while under the influence for about 2 km in Sinsa-dong, Seoul in the early hours of the morning. Alex told police he had drunk about one and a half bottles of soju with acquaintances. There were no other passengers in the car.

Through his agency on July 18th, he confirmed that he was caught driving under the influence. He added, "I'm not sure what is going to happen to my future plans, but for now, self-reflection and repentance is my first priority. I'm sorry to the fans. I apologize for committing a deed that's bad in the public eye". It's still up in the air what will happen with his role as the emcee for the show "Be My Singer, Song Composing King".

Kim Hyun Joong Got an IV at his Japanese Concert

On July 15, Kim Hyun Joong got an IV prior to his premium concert at the Saitama Super Arena entitled 'Kim Hyun Joong Heat 2012'.

With Kim Hyun Joong's hectic schedule from fan events and guerrilla performances in different parts of Japan for his single, shooting his drama 'City Conquest', and the collaboration concert the previous day with Japanese musician, Naoto Inti Raymi, he got an IV on July 15 after the rehearsal and thus the first show which commemorated the release of his Japanese single, 'Heat', was delayed for 1 hour and 13 minutes.