Search Results

#ourblues #우리들의블루스 #leebyunghun The stars have been aligned, and they have created a masterpiece! Cultural and social issues are addressed in an emotionally heart-wrenching fashion! Our Blues starring (from top to bottom, left to right) Shin Min-A, Kim Woo-Bin, Lee Byung-Hun, Han Ji-Min, Cha Seung-Won, & Lee Jung-Eun. Photo by Kdrama World. *Contains spoilers. 4.3/5 Stars Welcome to Jeju Island! This small island, known as the 'Hawaii of South Korea', is home to approximately 690,000 people. And on this island sets the backdrop for 'Our Blues', a star-studded cast of A-list actors and actresses that we've all seen on the big screen. Our Blues follows a group of ordinary hard-working individuals that come across everyday problems; including money, teenage pregnancy, divorce, and friendship. Through the ups and downs of friendship battle over money, relationships are tested and loyalties are revealed. Shin Min-A & Lee Byung-Hun Our Blues poster. Photo via Soompi. This drama series format is quite interesting as each episode is focused on different characters and their issues. Written by Noh Hee-Kyung, who won KBS Drama Awards: Best Writer (More Beautiful Than A Flower 2004), this 20-episode drama was first aired on April 9, 2022. Our Blues continues to be the most-watched drama currently in South Korea and is scheduled to finish on June 12, 2022. Although this drama is still ongoing, there are many social and cultural issues at play. For example, single parents, especially fathers, are faced with raising their pregnant teenagers. This has become a big issue in South Korea since many Koreans still uphold traditional family values. Additionally, a divorced mother fighting the custody of her son while rekindling feelings with a long-lost friend from school is another topic worth discussing. We feel that these are strong and important issues that many Koreans face today and are being overlooked. Our Blues brings to light these issues and we want to lead the discussion! Check out this cute interview between Bae Hyun Sung and Roh Yoon Seo with Cosmopolitan Korea! What do you think about these issues in today's society? How are the characters in this drama handling them? Let us know in the comments!

#runningman #yoonjaesuk #kimjongkook Running Man 런닝맨 star Yoo Jae Suk continues to take his stardom responsibilities very seriously. The 49-year-old Korean gagman (comedian) donated 50 million won (approximately $38,760 USD) to help women and children in need. The GFoundation, part of the International Development Cooperation NGO (non-governmental Organization), is an organization that helps young children and low-income families to develop their dreams and ambitions in a safe environment. Yoo Jae Suk. Photo by images.wikia.com. The president of the GFoundation praised the tv star by saying, "We express our gratitude to Yoo Jae Suk once again for continuously delivering warmth to our marginalized neighbors. We will transparently use the precious contribution that has been donated to help vulnerable social groups.” Yoo Jae Suk has been making periodic contributions to GFoundation since 2020 totaling 200 million won (approximately $155,000 USD). Yoo Jae Suk starring in 'Six Sense 3' alongside Jessi, Lee Mi Joo, Oh Na Ra, & Lee Sang Yup. Photo by tvN. Rarely do we hear Korean celebrities or businessmen make charitable donations to help the less fortunate in Korea. We question whether this is to Korean culture or whether donating is not a priority for most Koreans. We asked this question to some young Koreans and the overall response was that most young Koreans favor donating. Since many Koreans are struggling to make ends meet, they feel that the need for a certain amount must be needed in order for them to donate. What do you think about this? Should the Korean news report more of these celebrity donations? Let us know!

#alexa #americansongcontest #alexakpop Tears of joy ran down the 25-year-old singer/dancer Alexa as she fell into her mother's arms when the American Song Contest final results were announced on May 9. Alexa is the first winner of the contest singing 'Wonderland' with 710 points. She beat nine other artists including four-time Grammy award winner, Michael Bolton. Once 'Wonderland' started, it definitely gave a K-pop vibe as the elaborate set and costumes entered the stage. Alexa wowed the crowd with her amazing dance skills and awesome singing. The first people she thanked when she received the award were her backup dancers. She is truly a class act! Alexa will also perform 'Wonderland' at the Billboard Music Awards, Sunday, May 15! The Tulsa, Oklahoma native was signed with the South Korea Zanybros 'ZB' entertainment label in 2018 and trained there for roughly two and a half years. During her time there, she competed on Produce 48 and was eliminated in the first round at #82. Alexa released her third single album Tattoo earlier this year on January 6. Alexa. Photo via The Bias List. This is wonderful news for K-pop since Alexa is American and speaking Korean is difficult for her. Many Koreans were questioning why they should be paying attention to her when she's an American artist who won an American show. But I think we've all come to realize that K-pop is much bigger than South Korea. The fact that there are competitions and awards for the K-pop genre is a testament to the soft power that Korea has. Shouldn't we all be proud of that? Let us know your thoughts about Alexa and the soft power of K-pop!

#ABO #BoyBand #ISTEntertainment #kpop ABO boy group line-up. Photo by Allkpop. Fresh faces to look out for as IST Entertainment announced the debut of the new boy group, ABO, in the second half of this year. The final lineup consists of 7 talented and fresh faces, who were selected through the agency's survival audition, which aired from March 19 to May 7 in collaboration with Kakao TV and MBN. Jeong Seung-hwan, Oh Jun-seok, Seok Rak-won, Ryu Jun-min, Bae Hyun-jun, Yang Dong-hwa, and Kim Yeon-kyu will surprise and entertain us in no time soon. Apink. Photo by The Bias List. The Boyz. Photo by Channel-Korea. Intending to be original in the K-pop scene, the soon to debut boy group's name stands for "At the Beginning of Originality". With the guidance of their management, the soon to debut boy group will have a high chance of success, a lot like the girl group, Apink, and the boy group, The Boyz, who are also managed by IST Entertainment. Let us know who is your favorite member from the soon to debut boy group at first glance!

#BTS #BillboardMusicAwards #Kpop BTS. Photo by Korea JoongAng Daily. The upcoming Billboard Music Awards will be held on May 16th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am (Korea Standard Time) in Las Vegas. According to the group's agency, Big Hit Music, BTS will not attend the said event despite getting nominated for several categories such as the top duo or group, and top song sales artist. BTS' "Butter" single was released in 2021. Photo by Big Hit Music. BTS will skip the 2022 Billboard Music Awards to concentrate on preparation for the release of a new album comeback. With the boy band's big hit single "Butter" they are more likely to receive more awards in the upcoming awards show. Travis Scott. Photo by People. Sad to hear this news for many BTS fans and supporters but expect that also a lot of great and talented artists will attend this year's Billboard Music Awards including artists such as Travis Scott, who is set to perform and entertain us on the 16th. Who else will you be rooting for besides BTS? Let us know!

#lesserafim #kimgaram #kimgaramscandal What out folks! There's another K-pop scandal brewing and it doesn't look good for the world of Korean pop music! LE SSERAFIM (르세라핌), meaning I AM FEARLESS, is a 6-member girl group under HYBE and Source Music which consists of members from Japan and Korea are currently under investigation by netizens demanding that their management company, HYBE, look into 2nd announced member, Kim Garam's (born 2005) sexual social media posts and her history of school bullying. LE SSERAFIM wowed fans with their May 2, 2022 debut from their 1st mini album "Fearless". LE SSERAFIM. Photo via Source Music. The members of the group consist of multi-talented individuals ranging from Sakura (age 24), who is also a very talented actress, to Yunjin (age 21) a trained opera singer, Kazuha (age 19) a trained professional ballerina, to Kim Garam (age 17), known for her pure beauty. The controversy began with Kim Garam making her debut with the group with a picture of her posing against a backboard with sexual content in the background. Image via Kbizoom.com A person, claiming to be Kim Garam's friend, posted on social media that Garam was forced to take the pictures without knowing what was drawn behind her. The friend also stated that once Garam found out what was drawn behind her, she asked for the pictures to be deleted. Additionally, allegations arose on Twitter stating that Garam bullied underclassmen which resulted in the classmate being hospitalized. Kim Garam. Image via Source Music. On the morning of April 6, 2022, Source Music and Hybe officially announced via a Twitter tweet that they would look into the matter. Many netizens are still waiting for repercussions from this matter and hope that this issue is resolved soon. Tweet via Source Music. This isn't the first time a K-pop idol has been accused of bullying. Soojin from the group (G)I-dle, Cube Entertainment, also denied that she bullied classmates during middle school in South Korea last year in August 2021. After six months of allegations, Soojin left the group and the group continued with its five remaining members. Scandals such as these have become very common in the K-pop landscape. Many Koreans feel that if one company lets go of one of their star idols, other companies should follow suit. This collective thinking in Korean society is one way of creating "equal" justice for all. What do you think about these situations? Would this happen in your country? What repercussions would happen? Let us know!

#hellokitty #hellokittynike #nikeprestohellokitty Everyone's childhood most popular kitten is back, and cooler than ever! The Japanese sensation from Sanrio that captured every little girl's attention is now collaborating with one of the world's coolest brands, Nike! The much anticipated collaboration is rumored to be dropping sometime in May. You can be sure that it will instantly sell out in South Korea! Hello Kitty With Nike. Image via Nike SNKRS. The collaboration features one of the most comfortable Nike sneakers (in our humble opinion) ever made, The Presto. The light blue Hello Kitty logo design is splashed everywhere on the collaboration. The Hello Kitty collection includes a white tee shirt with the Kitty and Swoosh logo, a light blue Hello Kitty logo hoodie, and a light blue Hello Kitty sweat pants. Hello Kitty x Nike Presto Collection. Image via Nike SNKRS. The very detailed collaboration features the kitten's facial features at the heel tab or the sneaker. Her patented hair bow is located on the tongue of the sneaker. The campaign Swoosh logo also features the hair bow, which we think is an awesome twist of branding! What's your favorite feature of the sneaker? Keep it tuned to Dojeon Media to see when it'll drop! Check out Nike SNKRS for more information! Let us know if this collection is a cop or drop! Which piece of the collection is your favorite?

#baeksangartsawards #squidgame Squid Game for best film. Photo by CNN Indonesia. For Korean drama or film fans out there Baeksang Arts Awards is one of the most awaited annual events in the Korean entertainment industry. It is indeed the Oscars version of South Korea, where exceptional Korean variety shows, K-dramas, K-movies, and even Korean theater productions get recognized. Famous Korean celebrities- Bae Suzy, Shin Dong-yup, and Park Bo-gum hosted the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards for this year 2022. From left: Shin Dong-yup, Bae Suzy, and Park Bo-gum hosted the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards. Photo by The Korea Herald. For the television category, Squid Game garnered the grand prize award, and its director, Hwang Dong-hyuk won the best director. Actor Lee Jun-ho of The Red Sleeve got the best actor award while actress Kim Tae-ri of Twenty-Five Twenty-One was awarded best actress. (Top) Squid Game cast and crew and Escape from Mogadishu film director, Ryu Seung-wan on stage. Photos by Yonhap News Agency. (Bottom) Lee Jun-ho and Kim Tae-ri won best actor and actress respectively. Photo by India Today. Escape from Mogadishu film director, Ryu Seung-wan accepted the grand prize for the film. The film, King Maker also garnered several awards including the best director won by Byun Sung-hyun, Sol Kyung-gu for best actor, and Jo Woo-jin for the supporting actor award. Did your favorite K-drama, film, actor, and actress make it to the podium? Let us know who your bets are to win the awards for the next Baeksang Arts Awards.

#myliberationnotes #netflix #kdramareview Three siblings, that really cannot get along, but intriguing! Monotony can be addicting! Son Suk-Ku and Kim Ji-Won star in My Liberation Notes. Photo via Netflix. *Contains spoilers. 4/5 Stars Who thought monotony can be so addicting! My Liberation Notes rises to number 2 on Netflix's Korean drama list. The ongoing series comprises three adult siblings living very much boring lives on the outskirts of Seoul. Yeom Mi-Jeong (Kim Ji-Won Mr. Sunshine 2018) is the youngest of the three and goes to a marketing office job she hates, with a supervisor she hates. Every day she passes a sign on the side of a building that states "Something good will happen to you today", but the never-ending cycle of the monotony of her life just gives her false hope. Enter the mysterious Mr. Gu (Son Suk-Ku D.P. 2021) who helps out on the Yeom family farm and Mi-Jeong's father's sink business. Mr. Gu doesn't seem that he can go a day without a bottle, or two, of soju and seems to be running away from something. When the three siblings, each with their own personal and professional relationship issues, vow to create a more exciting life by each doing something they haven't done before, their lives are thrown into a whirlwind of catastrophe and emotional turmoil. The series continues in a monotonous way, just like the lives of the characters. It starts slow, very slow, and progresses along until someone decides to break their monotonous lifestyle. Then, we're given a chance to see some much-needed excitement. My Liberation Notes is not your typical K-drama with peppy characters and colorful dialogue. It is a slow and character-revealing story, much like how the reality of living in Korea really is. This drama really depicts the lives of ordinary Koreans. Life in Korea can often be shown as fast-paced, but there are many people who are struggling in a big city. This drama shows the reality of Koreans that are hiding behind mountains of credit card debt and relationship trust issues, either personal or professional. We highly recommend this drama if you want to experience the reality of life in Korea and the troubles and hardships that come with it. Let us know what you think of this drama! Would you recommend it to your friends?

#legolandkr #legoland #lego Legoland is officially open in South Korea! May 5th marks the country's national Children's Day holiday. It is a holiday to celebrate the kids and for parents to take time off from their daily grinds to spend more time with their children. The perfect day to go to a theme park! Legoland Korea. Photo via mk.co.kr. The $255 million theme park operated by Merlin Entertainment started construction on November 28, 2014, in Chuncheon, South Korea, about 100 km or an hour drive. The 28-hectare park will house over 40 LEGO-themed rides including the Dragon Coaster and kids can get their own driver's license at the Driving School! The park also features a hotel for those who wish to stay overnight which includes LEGO-themed rooms and features. Dragon Coaster at LEGOland Korea. Photo via Legoland.kr. A single-day ticket pass for adults is ₩50,000 ($40 USD) and for a child is ₩40,000 ($30 USD). Tickets for the first day have already been sold out. Check out LEGOLAND Korea for more info! Let us know if you would like to go! Which rides are you looking forward to the most?

#hoyeonjung #nct #metgala2022 The most highly- anticipated fashion fundraiser event every first Monday of May has finally arrived, the Met Gala or Met Ball. This coveted fashion event, which started in 1948, gathers celebrities from diverse fields such as entertainment, music, sports, fashion, and even social media. Every year, special fans of these celebrities are invited to the gala and look forward to their idols’ get up and look, designed by world-renowned designers of big fashion house names. Paparazzi are almost everywhere chasing high-profile celebrities to take photographs of them. In recent years Korean celebrities have been invited to the prestigious Met Gala held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York along with American and other foreign stars. This year, famous Korean model and actress, Hoyeon Jung (Squid Game 2021), arrived at the gala in a Louis Vuitton mini dress and knee-high black boots. This year’s theme is ‘Gilded Glamor’ of the Gilded Era around 1870-1900 in U.S. history. The model-actress makeup artist, Nina Park, and hairstylist, Jenny Cho took inspiration from the paintings of John Singer Sargent and Robert Henri for her look. Hoyeon Jung at the 2022 Met Gala. Photo by Elle. Designer Peter Do designed K-pop star, Johnny of the boy band NCT’s, black ensemble. Other celebrities and icons such as Olivia Rodrigo, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Billie Eilish, Gigi Hadid, and fashion designers like Donatella Versace who made the model Gigi Hadid’s red corset and latex jumpsuit and Jeremy Scott were just some of the celebs who walked the red carpet. NCT's Johnny at the Gala. Photo by Vogue. Who were the best-dressed celebrities in this year’s gala in your opinion? We would love to hear them!

#psy #celeb #baesuzy The much anticipated Psy "Celeb" MV featuring Bae Suzy as the leading "celebrity" was just released two hours ago on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The fun and colorful music video features Bae Suzy as Psy's celebrity crush. According to Psy, "Celeb" is the 2022 version of his 2006 hit "Celebrity". As he sings over and over, "You're my celeb celeb celeb celeb celeb. Let's paint this town red with our love story." Check out the music video! The 44-year-old "Gangnam Style" superstar held a press conference on April 29th outlining his new album "Psy 9th" which was later released that day after a five-year hiatus. During the event, Psy explained that, “There are seven music videos, and all the tracks and the videos have been produced over a long period spanning from 2018 until early this year.” For "Celeb" Psy teamed up with rapper and producer, Zico, for the second time in writing and composing. Psy "9th Album" tracklist. Photo via Allkpop. We love the new album! It reminds us of the old Psy during his "Gangnam Style" days! Let us know your thoughts on this new album and which MV you're looking forward to the most!