Events

BUSAN, South Korea -- Continuing the special bond with the Busan International Film Festival, Tang Wei will host the Festival’s Opening Ceremony this year.
 
Tang Wei gained international fame with her role in Lust, Caution, and was selected as one of Variety’s up-and-coming stars under 20 in 2007. She visited the Busan International Film Festival with her film Late Autumn in 2010 and Xu Xia in 2011. 

SEOUL, South Korea -- K-pop stars T-ara member Hwayoung has left the eight member group as of Monday according to local reports.

The 19-year-old rapper's contract has been canceled according the group’s agency Core Contents Media. Rumors of infighting between Hwayoung and the group surfaced recently when the group held the concert “T-ara Jewelry Box” in Japan on July 25 and 26 according to the Korea Times. Hwayoung, who injured her leg before the shows, was not able to perform except for the recent track “Day by Day.” Other band members started to post tweets that stirred up talk of infighting. Hyomin tweeted, “Everyone has a different level of determination and will to do something.”

SEOUL, South Korea - Singer Jo Kwan-woo was stabbed in the neck Sunday night after drinking with a former employee according to Yonhap News.

The Ilsan Police Station said they have requested an arrest warrant for the 44-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Jeon, on charges of attempted murder.

Conflicting reports have the star singer receiving between 10 and 100 stitches after the fight, which occurred in front of the singer's house.

"Jo has returned home after the surgery as his condition is not life-threatening," said a representative of Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital.

The two were frequently known to drink together and were heavily intoxicated when the fight occured.

SEOUL, South Korea - Kim Yu-mi, a 22-year-old film studies major at Konkuk University won the title of Miss Korea yesterday at the Grand Peace Palace of Kyung Hee University in Seoul.

Kim beat out 53 other contestants in which they were judged in community service activities, including working with a volunteer group to make lunch for the elderly, and giving a variety of dance performances for them including ballet, traditional dance and flamenco according to the Korea Times.

Kim, whose hobbies include reading and listening to music, will represent Korea in the Miss Universe 2013 contest.

SEOUL, South Korea -- One of the best-selling artists in the world, Eminem, is making his way to the peninsula this summer as part of the Hyundai Card series of concerts. The controversial rapper from Detroit will be performing at the Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul on August 19.

The rapper, known by his real name Marshall Mathers III, has sold more than 90 million albums in a 13-year career, yet this performance will mark his first appearance in the country.

According to a Hyundai Card spokesman, “There will be a live band accompanying him, which means the quality of the sound will be incredible.”

BUSAN, South Korea -- Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz will take the stage in Busan at BEXCO on Friday, June 8 at 8 p.m. In the same vein as Lady Gaga kicking off her world tour in Korea, Mraz's will start his here as well in support of his fourth album, Love is a Four Letter Word, released earlier this month.

Mraz has done well in the Korean market selling more than 200,000 copies here, placing him among the more popular foreign acts in Korea's K-pop-drenched music scene.

SEOUL, South Korea -- The nice thing about being a travel blogger is the seemingly endless array of places to write about. Since I started, I’ve made it a point to visit a new place, event, festival, or something new every single week. It’s also quite nice to retain an independent mindset (i.e. not paid by officials or a government).

SEOUL, South Korea - Minors under 18 will be prohibited from attended the Lady Gaga concert in Seoul after the show was deemed unsuitable for younger audiences, organizers said Friday.

According to Yonhap News, the concert had an initial age rating of 12 and older, but South Korea's ratings board adjusted it upward last week, according to the organizer Hyundai Card.

Lady Gaga will be performing in Seoul at the Olympic Stadium April 27th at 8 p.m. The concert kicks off her 2012 "The Born This Way Ball" tour.

Tickets range from 55,000 won to 155,000 won and can be purchased on Interpark. The concert is promoted by Hyundai as part of their Super Concert Series.

SEOUL, South Korea - Korean heartthrob So Ji-sub is set to star in a new drama tentatively titled "Ghost" will play the role of a perfect detective named Kim Woo-hyun according to the Joongang Ilbo. The SBS drama revolves around the challenges of cops who specialize in cybercrime.

So also launched his own magazine entitled SONICe today, and an EP entitled “Northern Crown” later in the month. The magazine focuses on dating ideas, and his favorite food and books.

Cho rose to stardom in 2004 for his roles in "What happened in Bali" and "I'm sorry, I love you."

SEOUL, South Korea - Actress Jun Ji-hyun has moved her wedding to April fueling speculation around the Internet that the 30-year-old may be pregnant according to the Joongang Ilbo.

The wedding, originally scheduled for June 2nd, has been moved to April 13th. The wedding will take place at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul.

Her agency has denied rumors of a pregnancy, instead releasing the statement: “The location of the wedding still remains the same, but it’s just that we had to bring the date forward so that Jun can continue filming a movie overseas.”

The actress will tie the knot with Choi Jun-hyeok , a financial worker for the Bank of America. Jun is currently shooting the film "Berlin", and due to its scheduling change, the couple has decided to move the date for her to focus on the film.