A Pink members face stress due to their final exams

The time of suffering has come for idol group members, as it is now every school’s final exam period in Korea.

Many of the active girl group members now are high school students, and there used to be some leniency to students with a celebrity status, but things are different now. Excusing a student merely for their celebrity status has been reduced significantly due to recent backlash and criticisms, and it has also been a long while since they stopped letting students take all their tests in one day. Students must now attend school every day and take their tests, especially since the public is keeping a watchful eye.


Aside from A Pink’s leader, Chorong, the remaining six members are students. Even though they are busy promoting their new follow-up single, most of the members can be seen walking around with a book in one hand. Also, their dorm has reference books lying around everywhere, and older, studious members can be seen busily teaching math to their younger members.

Member Na Eun, who attends a contemporary arts high school, was able to complete her exams early compared to her other members because she took practical exams. Na Eun recently stated during an interview, “In our waiting room, in our dorm, whenever I had time, I prepared for my tests.”



Possibly due to her lack of sleep, Na Eun continued to say with her eyes half closed, “After our debut, there wasn’t enough time to practice everything for our follow up promotions and study at the same time. Honestly, I was scared because I didn’t get to study that much. This made me think that I really had to study. I asked my parents for reference books and now I am studying in our dorm. It was really difficult but once I made up my mind to do well, I was able to push through it.”

The group’s maknae and middle school student, Ha Young, is receiving much help from her older members, particularly in math. Ha Young said, “There are a lot of members that like math so when I don’t know a problem I’ll always ask“. Recently, Ha Young was gifted a set of reference books with the writing “work hard and become an admirable person” from an older uncle fan.



A Pink isn’t the only group stressing out because of school. Whenever final exams come around, management officials that foster groups let out a deep sigh because it isn’t easy to organize their schedules, and during this time, school has to be their priority.

One management official stated, “Even about 5-6 years ago it seemed that they were more lenient to celebrities, but it isn’t like that at all anymore. In life, academics are a very important aspect as well. There are some broadcasts that we are disappointed in having to miss out on, but we are trying very hard to make school a priority.”

source: allkpop

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SECRET’s Hyosung tries to ‘act pretty’

On June 28th, SECRET’s Hyosung uploaded an adorable sel-ca of herself trying to ‘act pretty’ while backstage of SBS’s ‘Inkigayo‘.

On her Me2day, she wrote, “This is Inkigayo’s waiting room. Pretending to be pretty, eww.”

In the picture, Hyosung is sporting pigtails and posing with her finger to her mouth to give off that stereotypical aegyo expression. It goes without saying that she definitely doesn’t need to act pretty since she’s already plenty pretty already!

Fans commented, “You’re not pretending to be pretty, you are pretty”, “It seems like starlight moonlight is shining from your face”, and “I feel like my eyes are becoming purified.”


source :allkpop

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2PM’s Wooyoung’s parents almost divorced because of him + childhood photos revealed!

The mother of 2PM’s Wooyoung recently guested on SBS’s ‘Dalgona‘ and revealed that she and her husband almost got a divorce in the past because of Wooyoung.

She explained that Wooyoung’s father, who had previously served as a government official, was a very conservative man and did not approve of Wooyoung’s dream to be a singer. As a result, Wooyoung’s mother had to always act as a mediator between the father and son.



She also shared a story of how before he became a trainee, as Wooyoung had secretly attended dance classes, but one day was caught by his furious father.

Later, when Wooyoung passed the first round of JYP Entertainment’s open auditions, his father voiced his objections even until the day Wooyoung signed a contract with the agency. At that point, Wooyoung’s mother finally decided enough was enough and boldly declared to her husband, “If you see two bodies floating down the Han River tomorrow, know that they will be the bodies of Wooyoung and I.” It was after this declaration that Wooyoung was finally able to start his trainee life.

Also revealed during the recording were Wooyoung and Taecyeon’s childhood photos.

Wooyoung’s photo below was from when he had received first place at a ‘Pretty Children Contest‘. It was said that his cute appearance and amusing dances won over the judges at the competition.



Taecyeon’s photos were taken during his elementary school days, and you can see that he never lost his mischievous and bright smile.



Check it all out when it airs on July 1st!

source: allkpop

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SNSD’s Seohyun leaves a message for fans on birthday + tears during concert

In celebration of her birthday on June 28th, SNSD’s Seohyun left a sweet message for her fans through “UFO Town“.

She said, “Hello~ I’m SNSD’s maknae Seohyun, who just celebrated her 21st birthday today ^-^ I’m not sure as to whether I’m deserving of such love and messages of congratulations from this many people. I would first like to genuinely thank my parents for giving birth to me!! What could I say to properly deliver my feelings… I sincerely thank everyone to the point where it can’t be expressed with my writing skills.”

Seohyun continued, “For giving me a reason to sing ever since my debut, for always allowing me to shine on stage, for always helping me stand back up and smile whenever I went through hardships, for always believing in me… Thank you ^^”.



Seohyun also shed some tears when her fans sang her a birthday song during her arena tour. Fans had prepared a special electronic display board that read, “Seohyun! Happy birthday~!” Through tears, she replied, “I’m receiving messages of congratulations from so many people. I’m such a happy person.”




source :allkpop

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F.T. Island reveals their Japanese music video for “Let It Go”!

F.T. Island just wrapped up their “Hello Hello” promotions in Korea and have now released their music video for their upcoming Japanese single, “Let It Go“.

In the music video, F.T. Island are found wearing all-black as they are rocking out in an all-white building. Simple color panels were used to bring color into the room, livening up the setting to fit the upbeat mood of the song.

This “Let It Go” single will mark F.T. Island’s first fully self-written and self-composed single. The single will include three tracks: “Let It Go” (written by Lee Hongki and Choi Minhwan, composed by Choi Jonghoon), “Dream Sky” (written by Song Seunghyun, composed by Song Seunghyun and Choi Minhwan), and “Someday” (written and composed by Lee Jaejin).

Check out the music video below!




source: allkpop

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T-ara releases “John Travolta Wannabe” mini-album!

T-ara has been turning heads with their step back into the 70s with their mini-album, “John Travolta Wannabe“, and after releasing “Roly Poly” earlier this week, the ladies have unveiled the mini-album in its entirety today!

Give it a listen below and tell us what you think!










source : allkpop

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f(x)’s Krystal tears up while talking about being the maknae

It appears that many tears were shed on this week’s episode of MBC’s ‘Come to Play‘.

First, it was f(x)’s Sulli, who showed her gratitude towards SNSD’s Tiffany and Taeyeon. This time, fellow f(x) member and maknae, Krystal, shared a personal story about her own hardships.

“As the group’s maknae, I couldn’t comfortably join in with the others because of the age difference. Even when we went out to eat together, I felt a distance between me and the others.”

Feeling sad about those difficult times, she began to shed tears.

She said, “We were trainees during different periods so we hadn’t spent much time together. I always acted carefully, thinking that it would be awkward if I tried to become too close to them. Now I think that I should make the first move toward intimacy.”

In response to both Sulli and Krystal, Tiffany said that she wishes to take better care of her juniors, as many of them may be upset and going through hard times.

Watch the video below!

f(x) Sulli & Krystal's Confession ft. SNSD (720p) ENG SUB



source: allkpop

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[Review] “I Am The Best” by 2NE1

Not long ago, 2NE1 laid down the gentle and restrained single, ”Lonely“, and while it shined a light on the girls in a way that no one had heard them before, we might as well have considered it the calm before the storm that they were preparing to unleash upon us next.

I’m probably not alone in saying that it wasn’t going to take long before 2NE1 marched their way back to the loud and hectic sound they call home, and that’s precisely what happened this month.

From “Fire” to “Can’t Nobody“, 2NE1 has continuously been cranking up the decibels in their music and refining their unconventional style year in and year out to bring that swag and kick that they are known for to today’s K-pop.

Now 2NE1 are back at it again; this time, with their latest smash hit, “I Am The Best“.

—

Much like the lead singles before it, “I Am The Best” encompasses everything 2NE1 sets out to serve: fierce verses, monstrous hooks, and a beat so high-energy that it could survive in the busiest clubs without a trace of vocal add-ons.

Yet, it’s those vocals and how they bounce off the background noise that fans exalt over, and if anything, this may actually be one of their sweetest up-tempo vocals in a while.

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Before this 2011-phase came around, 2NE1 were glued to what the world has come to condemn: auto tune. The worst use of it on these four was hands down in “Don’t Stop The Music“, which although a mere CF song, was very brutal on the ears.

But truth be told, 2NE1 won’t be letting go of auto tune any time soon because they depend on it. They debuted with it and they will retire with it (unless the music industry at large calls for a global ban on its use, which is very unlikely). However, auto tune isn’t just that distorted vocal processing you hear in mainstream/techo/electronica/every-other-genre-of music, it’s written in its name; the use of it corrects or tunes vocal pitches where pitches need tuning, and it’s used just about everywhere because it’s a standard of vocal production.

There’s nothing wrong with pitch correction, but it’s that aforementioned over produced, glitchy vocal treatment that has become the bane of everyone’s existence.

Well this time around, it seems like YG Entertainment (or producer Teddy) has caught whiff of the stench, because the use of it has been reduced throughout “I Am The Best”, if only slightly.

It’s still very much present, but it’s not nearly as pervasive as before.

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In “I Am The Best”, 2NE1 sound their best in the verses and hook, both crucial to the success of this song, and it’s what ultimately kept it from crumbling like it could have. What YG Entertainment’s songwriters are vicious in is coming up with crazy-good verses. They flow so well within themselves with syncopation to boot, which is something that happens here.

What also works in “I Am The Best” is the ‘naega jeil jal naga‘ hook. Yes, we’re calling this a hook because this song lacks something very vital that we’ll get to in a second. The hook is introduced by CL at the beginning of the song, which is also paired with the even more engaging and addicting chant, ‘bam ratatata tatatatata‘. It looks ridiculous in writing and I wonder how this line was pitched to the head honcho of YGE, but it’s as rhythmic as the beat, and so catchy that it works. In fact, so much so, that it could have easily been manipulated to contain actual words and exist as the driving force of a chorus, but as it stands, it is the missing link in “I Am The Best”.

In other words, there is no prevailing melody. Although this song comes off as edgy and badass, 2NE1 are still pop artists and are delivering music to mainstream audiences in that fashion. “Fire” (this song’s parent, if you will) had all the same components, but with a memorable chorus. “I Am The Best” has everything but that – it almost feels like it had a chorus, but was abruptly skipped altogether.

===

2NE1 are incomparable for their style, but they walk the fine line of being all style and no substance with this song. Listeners are at that point where they can pin-point 2NE1’s every move before they make them.

At the beginning, they blew everyone out of the water because they brought something very unique to K-pop, and things have never been the same since. Today, 2NE1 have stuck to their guns, but in doing so, have become somewhat predictable and repetitive. Basically, ”I Am The Best” is exciting, over the top, and in line with the trends of Western pop music.

Stating what I just did above would have you thinking this is just an average tune, but in the same breath, it’s the fact that 2NE1 know exactly who they are as pop artists that makes their music worthwhile

The structure of “I Am The Best” is disjointed (it feels like someone had a dozen ‘cool’ ideas, and rather than spreading them throughout different songs, decided to plop them all into one), but because 2NE1 as entertainers bring so much of that sass, swag, and fearless presence to K-pop, it doesn’t ever completely compromise the overall effects of their music.

They have yet to top anything on their debut EP, but since this year’s work is a step higher than last year’s serving, we may actually run into some of their best work yet.



source: allkpop

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2PM releases behind-the-scenes video for “Hands Up”!

Following up their victorious streak of placing #1 on various online and offline charts for their latest track, as well as already gaining over two million views for the music video, 2PM finally unveiled the behind-the-scenes making-of video for the “Hands Up” MV!

As reported earlier, 2PM‘s latest dance track has been gaining explosive popularity on all sorts of music sites, and even managed to score an “all-kill” on chart rankings upon its release.

2PM released the making-of video of their “Hands Up” MV on June 27th through Cyworld Music, through which fans were able to view more of their relaxed and jokester personalities.

At the beginning of the MV shoot, some of the members felt a bit uncomfortable and nervous when using equipment they’ve never dealt with before. However, after a few trial-and-error mistakes and discussions with the director, the members were able to pull off the scenes seamlessly on screen.

Check out the video below!



source: allkpop

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SNSD’s Yoona’s sexy see-through “goddess” white lace outfit!

SNSD’s Yoona’s sexy see-through look is gaining widespread attention on the Internet.

Recently, a few photos highlighting Yoona’s ‘ant waist’ have been uploaded onto an internet community site, and among these was a picture of Yoona wearing a white lace jumpsuit for a performance in Japan.

Yoona matched a silver tank top and hot pants with her jumpsuit, pulling off a sexy see-through look.





source: allkpop

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T-ara delays release of “Roly Poly” MV (Part 1)

On June 28th, Core Contents Media announced that they would be postponing the release of T-ara’s new music video, “Roly Poly“, to the morning of the 29th.

Representatives explained, “We were originally planning to release it at 5 PM KST today, on the 28th. Unfortunately, about a minute’s worth of footage experienced an error while it was in the editing process, so we decided to postpone it by an hour and release it at 6 PM.”

They continued, “The file, however, was not able to be recovered at all, so we’ve decided to go into emergency filming and edit for the rest of the night today.”

Part one of “Roly Poly” will be released at 11 AM KST on June 29th. Part two will be released at 10 AM KST on July 4th. Stay tuned!


source: allkpop

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SM Town artists reveal the top trainees from back in the day

On the June 27th SM Town special episode of MBC’s ‘Come To Play‘, the artists revealed which members of the company were the top trainees back in the day.

The three members chosen were DBSK’s Changmin and Super Junior members Choi Siwon and Shindong.

Leeteuk explained, “When top quality trainees first join the company, all the other trainees hear rumors about them and start to feel a sense of rivalry. Back in the day, the top three trainees were Changmin, Siwon, and Shindong.”

“Changmin garnered a lot of attention because he was a straight A student and looked a lot like our senior, Kangta. Siwon was also famous because of his good looks.”

“As for Shindong, we all assumed he’d have explosive vocals to sort of make up for the way he looks,” stirring laughter amongst the audience.

Shindong later added that the company has prohibited him from standing in the middle, on the off chance that his rotund figure could create the illusion that the other members were round as well.

source: allkpop

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Fans believe B2ST’s Junhyung previously hinted at relationship with KARA’s Hara

Since the reveal of the newest celebrity relationship to rock the K-pop world, fans have been busy dealing with both heartbreak and excitement for B2ST’s Yong Junhyung and KARA’s Goo Hara.

Netizens though are now speculating that Junhyung had indirectly hinted at being in a relationship in previous interviews, as well as through his Twitter.

In particular, netizens have been focusing on B2ST’s May 28th appearance on KBS’s ‘Entertainment Weekly‘ for a guerilla date. When the group was asked, “Which member do you think will be the first to reveal a relationship to the public?”, the members unanimously chose Junhyung.

Though nobody thought much of it at the time, netizens are now saying that they must have been hinting at his relationship with Hara.

In response, Junhyung had replied, “If I get a girlfriend later on, I would love to let the public know about it.” The reporter joked, “Why don’t you tell us about it today?”, to which Junhyung laughed and said, “Not today“, a clever statement that netizens now believe was a foreshadowing confession.


In addition, fans are also taking note of Junhyung’s previous tweets.

On April 29th, Junhyung wrote on his Twitter, “I’ve mustered strength just from one phone call“, to which F.T. Island’s Lee Hong Ki replied, “Is it me is it me? Cause I just called you! It better be me, or else.”

Soon after, Junhyung left a cryptic reply, saying, “Of course it’s Hong.. Hong Ki ^ㅡ^ hohoho hahaha. You were already expecting it,” and added, “Even though people say that pretty girls usually don’t look as great from the back, you’re beautiful from every angle.”

Hong Ki then replied with “Ah this is embarrassing!” to which Junhyung replied, “Of course Hong Ki’s calls give me strength, but just before you called… I’ll stop here.”

Hong Ki, known to be good friends with Junhyung, had commented on these tweets in a joking manner, and claimed himself to be the subject of Junhyung’s affectionate posts although it turned out otherwise


Also being noted is a recent radio interview during which Junhyung described his ideal woman with lyrics he had written for B2ST’s song, “I Like You the Best” – “a thin girl, kind of short with a small face and soft hair“, all characteristics that Goo Hara is widely known to possess.

Though these hints seem quite obvious in hindsight, fans didn’t have much else to work with until the official confirmation was recently made.

Looks like we gotta pay closer attention for more of these sneaky idol relationship hints in future!


source : allkpop

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miss A’s Suzy goes blonde for ‘Bean Pole’

miss A’s Suzy transformed into a blond fairy for ‘Bean Pole‘!

The enchanting idol recently tried out a long blond hairstyle for a ‘Bean Pole’ photoshoot. She showcased her fairy-like charms for the shoot, which was conducted under the concept of ‘mysterious fantasy’.

Suzy posed with bags from the ‘Celtic line’, which are known for their colorful vintage looks.

She also chose a cute bag from the ‘Kate line’ with a pony printed on the front, capturing her dreamy sensibility on a white canvas.












source: allkpop

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Check out the B-side tracks to NMB48’s debut single, “Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo”!

B-side tracks for NMB48’s upcoming single, “Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo”, have leaked about a month early!

All of the songs are quite catchy, so make sure to listen to them all.

Check out the tracks from their three versions below, but if you enjoy the songs, please buy the single on July 20th!

Boku ga Maketa Natsu - Located on Type-A & Theater Version









source : tokyohive

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Former Morning Musume member Lin Lin returns to Japan

Former Morning Musume member Lin Lin has returned to Japan!

On her blog, the eighth generation Momusu member wrote, “Everyone~~ I’m back!!!”, in both Japanese and Chinese, followed by multiple pictures of herself and the city.

Although she doesn’t state whether she’s come back to Japan simply to visit or on other business, Lin Lin also made sure to hang out with Morning Musume members Tanaka Reina and Niigaki Risa, both of whom updated their official blogs later on.


“What? W-w-what!! Lin Lin came~”, wrote Tanaka on her blog, along with several pictures of the two posing cutely together. “Yesterday, Kamei Eri-chan came too 3 Ehh? What about Jun Jun? (lol)”.

Lin Lin also took a cute two-shot with Niigaki, who wrote, “And! Today, Lin Lin came! I was surprised at how much she’s grown up ☆*:.。. o(≧▽≦)o .。.:*☆ But the way she talks and the atmosphere around her haven’t changed, it’s so cute and funny Morning Musume really loves you ☆*:.。. o(≧▽≦)o .。.:*☆ Thank you so much!”





source: tokyohive

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Check out the full PV for Hey! Say! JUMP’s “Ai-ing～Aishiteru～”!

In April, we shared a live performance of Hey! Say! JUMP’s new song, “Ai-ing～Aishiteru～“, and now the PV has been revealed!

This song will be the second song off the regular edition of their new single, “OVER“, which will be released on June 29th.

Check out the full PV below!




source : tokyohive

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‘TVXQ of Shinjuku’ KINO is on their way to becoming Hallyu stars

A Korean group named KINO is reportedly making waves over in Japan, as they were recently acknowledged by a KBS special titled, ‘K-Pop Makes the World Dance‘. The group is unique in that they’re under a different ‘Hallyu system’ that debuted them in Japan right from the get-go.

The five members formed in September of last year through an audition process that saw over 1,000 potential members. Comprised of Yang Haemin, Joo Jong Hoon, Kwak Yong Hwan, Noh Sung Hwan, and Baek Seung Jae, KINO has been promoting on the streets of Shinjuku and Shinokubo.

They’ve since grown into a formidable band and are considered a specialty of Shinjuku, and they’ve even been nicknamed the ‘TVXQ of Shinjuku’ for their growing popularity.

KINO performs three times a day at a K-pop live concert hall and have reportedly performed for over 60,000 people since their debut. The members are all fluent in Japanese and are skilled in showing off their various talents, such as dance.

Their first mini-album, “Actually“, was released in March and sold out within a week of its release. All 500 of their mini-concerts have been sold out, in addition to eight of their official concerts.

KINO will be crossing over to Korea next month and will be holding their first Korean showcase at the KT Olleh Square Hall.





source: allkpop

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Wonder Girls leave messages for birthday girl, Sohee!

On June 27th, the Wonder Girls congratulated Sohee on her birthday through Twitter messages.

First to tweet was Yubin, who said,

“Happy Birthday Sohee. Let’s burn it up later“

Lim also mentioned Sohee, saying,

“Sohee, Happy Birthday“

In the afternoon, Yeeun posted,

“Our Sohee is 20 years old. I can’t believe it.“

Fans who saw the tweets commented, “Though it is short, they show each member’s character“, “Looks like Yeeun can’t believe that Sohee is an adult now“, and “Yubin seems like a wild unni“.

Several netizens are waiting for leader Sunye’s final congratulatory message. Some have said, “Can’t believe the leader Sunye hasn’t posted a message yet. I wonder if she is waiting to give her message last” and “She probably already congratulated Sohee in person but I wish she would post a message too.”

source :allkpop

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KARA’s Nicole and Hara at it again

Did KARA’s Nicole’s hair miraculously grow?

Nicole recently tricked her fans by faking a ‘new’ hairstyle by ‘borrowing’ Hara’s long locks.

On June 26th, the idol tweeted, “How about long hair?“, and uploaded two pictures.

In the first picture, Nicole is captured posing with her new hairstyle, but the second picture reveals Hara standing behind Nicole.

Netizens commented, “You look good with long hair,” “What a funny picture,” and “You two are so funny.”




source: allkpop

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Brown Eyed Girls’ Jea and Ga-In attend Im Jae Bum’s concert

The Brown Eyed Girl’s Jea and Ga-In have caught the “Im Jae Bum-syndrome”!

On June 26th, Jea wrote on her Twitter, “We came to Im Jae Bum sunbae-nim’s concert! Kyak~ Put your hands up!”

In the picture, Jea shows off her innocent face while posing with her thumb up. Next to her is Ga-In, who is sticking her tongue out at the camera. Despite being in the midst of a large crowd, it shouldn’t be hard for fans to have spotted them at the concert, especially considering their ‘celebrity aura’.

Netizens said, “Both of you guys must be deeply in love with Im Jae Bum,” “Gain is a lot more noticeable because of her large sunglasses,” and “You must have sat in the regular seats, not the VIP seats”.

source: allkpop

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Yoon Eun Hye buys 100 pairs of jeans for ‘Lie To Me’ staff

Yoon Eun Hye has been receiving love not only for her role in the SBS drama ‘Lie To Me‘, but also for her uninhibited generosity. A representative of Verdi Entertainment revealed that the humble starlet presented 100 of the drama’s staff members each with a new pair of jeans, wanting to relieve their stress with her thoughtful gesture.

The representative explained, “On June 23rd, Yoon Eunhye gifted DPSR jeans to the entire staff. Since the drama is coming to a close, filming has been hectic and everyone’s schedules have become harder to handle, especially in this hot weather. All the staff are so grateful for her gift.”

“Lie To Me” will air its final 16th episode on June 28th KST.


source: allkpop

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Photos from the SM Town “Come To Play” special

Earlier, we revealed that SM Town artists would be coming together for a special episode on MBC’s “Come To Play“. Official photos have finally surfaced ahead of the show’s broadcast.

A total of 11 SM Town artists - TVXQ’s Changmin, SNSD’s Hyoyeon, Tiffany, Sooyoung and Yuri, f(x)’s Sulli and Krystal, Super Junior’s Leeteuk, Yesung, Eunhyuk and Shindong – were present for this special recording which took place on June 22nd. Because of their varied schedules, it reportedly took a lot effort from the production crew to bring everyone together for the recording.

Check back after the June 27th broadcast to see what juicy stories they shared!












source: allkpop

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