Month: September 2019

Categories
Features

Sung Hoon Names Kian84 as the ‘I Live Alone’ Cast Member Whose Lifestyle is Most Similar to His

Variety star and charming actor Sung Hoon was in Singapore on Friday (27 September) to kick off the Meet & Greet series in the lead up to StarHub Night of Stars, which will be returning this November.

Before the Meet & Greet session in the evening, Sung Hoon made an appearance at the press conference and shared his thoughts about being a cast member on the popular variety program ‘I Live Alone’, which has been nominated for the Favourite Variety Show award for StarHub Night of Stars 2019.

Although he has appeared in other variety shows like Law of the Jungle and Running Man, Sung Hoon’s casting in I Live Alone has received much support and love from the audiences, as he showcases a new side of him through his daily, normal life.

The actor emphasised on the importance of being real in front of the cameras, stressing that he didn’t want to be controlled by a certain image through the program, nor pretend to be someone else whom he isn’t.

“During my first meeting with the PD and production team, we discussed about my appearance on the show and I told them that I wouldn’t want to appear if I had to create a certain image through this program. It gradually became comfortable filming in my house as I can show audiences that this is how I live and how I spend my day.”

Sung Hoon also added that each cast member is distinctive in their own way, which makes the program fun and enjoyable to watch as there isn’t any script to follow during the shoot. Rather than admiring any celebrity’s lifestyle, he’s the type of person that focuses more in his day-to day life, which he describes to be a normal and comfortable lifestyle that’s similar to Kian84, another cast member on I Live Alone.

Known for his big appetite, Sung Hoon also shared thoughts on the possibility of creating more contents for his fans, such as meeting fans through mukbang (eating) broadcasts and lifestyle videos on his channel.

To catch more of Sung Hoon, make sure to tune in to Oh!K (StarHub channel 816) to watch ‘I Live Alone’ every Sunday at 10:50pm (SGT). Fans can also cast their votes for the nominated variety show for StarHub Night of Stars 2019 on StarHub’s Facebook page.

Find out more about the current wave of artistes attending StarHub Night of Stars 2019:

https://www.hallyusg.net/2019/09/19/starhubnightofstars2019/

(Photos: Nicole)

Categories
Features

Yeo Jin Goo Talks about the Decision Factor to take up role in ‘Hotel Del Luna’

In Singapore earlier this week to promote the tvN drama ‘Hotel Del Luna’, Yeo Jin Goo was beaming with delight when he turned up at the press conference and greeted local media with his trademark smile.

Even though the drama has already ended its run in Korea, it certainly didn’t seem like the buzz will be dying down any time soon. In the fantasy romance drama, Yeo Jin Goo plays the role of Gu Chan-seong, the newly appointed hotel manager who runs Hotel Del Luna (a hotel for dead souls) together with CEO Jang Man-wol (played by IU) and the establishment’s employees.

The drama has not only achieved No.1 in ratings, it also sets record as the highest-rated drama in tvN history. Responding to the media about the drama’s success, Yeo Jin Goo revealed that the overwhelming love and support from audiences around the world did took him by surprise, but it made filming on set even more enjoyable when viewers loved the plot.

The young actor also attributes the success to two factors; the drama development and the characters.

“The storyline goes back and forth, and the characters were involved in the past and present. Just this spectrum of timeline within the drama makes it appeal well in the fantasy part of the plot. Each character also has their own storyline with an interesting background.” (Yeo Jin Goo)

Having starred in 3 dramas one after another this year – ‘The Crowned Clown’ (Jan-Mar), ‘My Absolute Boyfriend’ (May-Jul) and ‘Hotel Del Luna’ (Jul-Sep), Yeo Jin Goo shares that the previous dramas were able to help him in preparing for Gu Chan-seong‘s role.

Compared to his earlier roles, Gu Chan-seong’s character is more serious and mature. Even though the character development throughout the drama isn’t huge, it’s a character that brings a lot of changes to Hotel Del Luna and its past stories.

Before deciding to take up the role, the actor did a lot of research and study on the character, as well as communicated often with the director. But ultimately, it was this line in the script by the hotel’s general manager (Manager Noh; Gu Chan-seong’s predecessor) that put a spell on him, “Aren’t you interested to find out a role that no one knows about?”.

When asked how he wants to be remembered if he goes to the afterlife, Yeo Jin Goo says, “I want to be remembered as an actor that tries various roles in a variety of productions, movies and dramas – very actively until the last moment.”

‘Hotel Del Luna’ will air its final episode on tvN in Singapore and Malaysia on 2 October 2019. Be sure to tune in to watch the finale on tvN (StarHub Ch. 824 & Singtel TV Ch. 518/619) at 9:45pm! Full series of the drama is also available to catch up on Viu.

(Photos: Nicole)

ALSO READ: [TRENDING] Hotel Del Luna Filming Locations

Filming Locations for K-Drama ‘Hotel Del Luna’

Categories
Features

Cold Storage Introduces Brand New Range of Korean Products, Available in All Outlets from 27 Sep to 10 Oct

Fans of all things Korean are in for a delicious treat this 27 September to 10 October, as the nearest Cold Storage, Market Place and Jasons stores are about to be invaded with a treasure trove of goodies coming all the way from Korea!

Step into one of these supermarkets during the Seoul Delicious 2019 K-Food fair to find an extensive range of products imported from the land of Korea, including all-time favourite Korean snacks, instant noodles, fresh produce, condiments, alcoholic beverages, top-quality seafood, and more.

Here are some items you can expect to find:

(Disclaimer: Pictures are for illustration purposes only)

Dongwon Cheese Tteokbokki

(Photos Credit: Dongwon F&B, Pickledplum.com)

BARISTA Rules Coffee

(Photo Credit: Baristar.kr @ FB)

Korean Abalone (Boiled/Frozen)

(Photo Credit: Naver Blog @ seamarket0)

Yangban Rice Porridge (Abalone/Tuna)

(Photo Credit: Dongwon F&B)

Dongwon Real Crabs (The King Original/Lobster)

(Photo Credit: Dongwon F&B)

What’s more, there will be product sampling stations at selected Cold Storage stores (Takashimaya, Plaza Singapura, Causeway Point, Bugis Junction, Compass One) on 27-29 September and 4-6 October from 11am to 7pm, where a wide range of Korean products will be available for tasting.

WIN A TRIP TO KOREA!

From 27 September to 10 October, any minimum spend of $25 (single receipt) at Cold Storage with two participating products from Korea will entitle you a chance to participate in Seoul Delicious 2019’s lucky draw!

Shoppers must have a KrisFlyer membership to win the Grand Prize of 100,000 KrisFlyer miles, which can be redeemed for two economy-class tickets to Korea. There’ll also be ten consolation prizes of 10,000 KrisFlyer miles to be won.

📍Seoul Delicious 2019 Opening Ceremony on 28 Sep

Join in the opening ceremony of Cold Storage’s K-Food Fair, Seoul Delicious 2019, at Great World City Atrium on Saturday (28 September) from 12pm to 1pm, where there’ll be several exciting activities to look forward there!

This includes a ceremonial mixing of a Giant Bibimbap bowl, a dance performance by local K-pop dance crew (DXM), and a friendly cook-off between Celebrity Star Chef Park Joon Woo and MasterChef Singapore’s first runner-up Gen Lee.

His Excellency Mr Ahn Young-jip, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Singapore, will also be present as the esteemed Guest of Honour to deliver his speech at the opening ceremony. Mark the date and see you there!

Seoul Delicious 2019 K-Food Fair is supported by The Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation.

Categories
K-Pop

ITZY Gears Up For Premiere Showcase Tour Globally, To Meet Singapore Fans on December 13

Updated on 18 October 2019:

Ticketing details have been released for ITZY’s upcoming Premiere Showcase Tour in Singapore. Check out more information below:

Details of ITZY PREMIERE SHOWCASE TOUR ‘IZTY? ITZY!’ IN SINGAPORE:
Date: December 13, 2019 (Friday)
Venue: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre (Hall 601 – 604)
Time: 8PM
Ticket Pricing: (excludes booking fee)
S$268, $208, $188, $148 (excludes booking fee)

There will be a priority sale for SingTel mobile customers on 25 October, 10am to 11:59pm across all APACTix channels, while Live Nation members pre-sale will commence on 26 October, 10am to 11:59pm via https://www.livenation.sg/. Public sale will take place on 27 October from 12pm onwards via APACTix.

All CAT 1 ticket holders will be entitled to ONE guaranteed fan benefit (Hi-Touch/Group Photo/Fan Sign/Autographed Poster). Fan benefit will be randomly assigned and full details of the fan benefit activities will be announced on 10 December.

Original Article:

ITZY is gearing up for their Premiere Showcase Tour “ITZY? ITZY!”, where they’ll be visiting multiple destinations out of Korea to meet their global fans. Dubbed the monster rookies of K-pop in 2019, ITZY has gone on to win several titles since their debut in February, such as “The Female New Artist” at 2019 Genie Music Awards, “The Rookie Award” at 2019 Soribada Best K-Music Awards, and more.

The 5-member girl group is best known for their hit releases “DALLA DALLA” and “ICY”, whose flashy dance moves and catchy lyrics have been well received by the audience. Come November onwards, ITZY will be going on a tour worldwide, which includes cities like Jakarta, Macau, Singapore, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Houston, New York and more, just to name a few.

Check out the dates and cities from the official tour poster and in the meantime, mark these dates down in your calendar! The Singapore stop is scheduled to take place on 13 December 2019 (Friday). Stay tuned to more information soon.

(Photos: JYP Entertainment / Live Nation Singapore)

Categories
K-Pop

IU Gets Fans Excited with Announcement of “Love, Poem” Tour Concert, To Perform in Singapore on December 7

Updated on 7 October 2019:

IU will be setting foot in Singapore for her solo concert at The Star Theatre this December 7 and the full ticketing details have been announced:

Details of 2019 IU Tour Concert [Love, Poem] in Singapore
Date: December 7, 2019 (Saturday)
Venue: The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre
Time: 4PM
Ticket Pricing: (exclude booking fee)
S$268, $228, $188, $148

A 1-day SingTel priority sale will be taking place on 11 October from 10am to 11:59pm (find out more on SingTel’s FB page), while general public sale will commence on the following day, 12 October from 10am onwards via APACTix website, hotline (+65 3158 8588), islandwide SingPost outlets, The Star Performing Arts Centre Box Office and Singapore Indoor Stadium Box Office.

Check out the seatmap below:

(Pic Cr: tvN)

Original Article:

For the month of November and December, IU will be going on a concert tour to meet her fans around Asia! Named “Love, Poem”, the tour will kick off in Gwangju for 2 days on November 2 & 3, followed by other cities in South Korea such as Incheon, Busan and Seoul, before the singer makes her way to various stops in Asia.

After wrapping up the drama filming for “Hotel Del Luna”, IU has been making preparations for her 11th anniversary Fanmeeting which took place earlier today (Sep 21) in Korea at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Peace Palace. As expected, all 6,000 tickets to both shows were sold out as soon as the ticketing site was opened for booking, once again proving her explosive popularity.

IU is slated to hold her concert in Singapore this December 7 (Saturday) at The Star Theatre, and she will visit Taipei, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Jakarta as well. Check out the dates and venues for other cities below:

(Pic Cr: IU Official Facebook Page)

Find out what went down at her sold-out 10th anniversary tour concert in Singapore last year:

https://www.hallyusg.net/2018/12/17/cover-iuinsg/

In other news, her “Hotel Del Luna” co-star Yeo Jin Goo will also be making a special appearance in Singapore on September 23 as part of the tvN drama promotional tour.

ALSO READ: [TRENDING] Filming Locations of Hotel Del Luna

https://www.hallyusg.net/2019/07/24/filminglocations-hoteldelluna/

Categories
K-Pop

WINNER Announces Dates and Cities for Upcoming [CROSS] Tour, Singapore Stop Scheduled in February 2020

Get excited, Inner Circles! WINNER has announced plans to tour around Asia beginning with a 2-day concert happening on October 26 & 27 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. After which, the group will be bringing their [CROSS] Tour to cities like Taipei, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore.

The Singapore stop will be taking place on 8 February 2020 at The Star Theatre. Meanwhile, check out the dates that have been announced for other cities:

(Photos: YG Entertainment)

Categories
Show Review

EXO Showcases Powerful Performances at EXplOration Tour in Singapore

EXO was in town last Sunday (September 15) for their EXplOration tour, held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The stadium was filled to the brim, with fans decked out in white for the boys – to represent the white cat in their “Power” music video.

The concert was kicked off with a bang with one of their many big hits, “Tempo”, before they moved on to “Transformer” and “Gravity”. Despite having only six members attending this time, their high energy and strong stage presence truly filled up the entire stage right from the get-go.

Not only did they have group performances, fans were also treated with solo stages from the members. Starting off the solo stages was Baekhyun with “UN Village”, showcasing his beautiful vocals while the entire crowd sang along.

EXO then heat up the evening with “Love Shot”, a song known for its iconic sexy dance moves. The boys also got the crowd pumped up with strong numbers like “Ooh La La”, “Monster” and “Oasis”.

As Suho performed his solo stage “Been Through”, fans went wild when he ripped off his shirt towards the end of the performance. Following up with the solo performances was Chen with “Lights Out”, showcasing his pitch-perfect vocals which echoed throughout the stadium, and Kai with a powerful “Confession”.

Sub-unit EXO-SC, comprising Sehun and Chanyeol, brought some hip-hop vibes into the evening with “What A Life” and “Closer To You”.

EXO ended the exciting night with some of their most popular hits “Growl”, “Overdose” and “Call Me Baby”, before coming back on stage again for the encore performances “Unfair”, “On The Snow” and “Smile On My Face”.

Before they left the stage, Sehun shared that his condition that night was not at its best, but because of Singapore fans’ energy, he still very much enjoyed the evening.

All members expressed that it was a pity they got to perform only for one night in Singapore, and wished they could have stayed longer. Suho added, “We will be back with a new album and new concert. Please wait for us. I love you Singapore!”

(Official Photos: ONE Production)

Categories
Show Review

Epik High Wraps Up Singapore Stop of World Tour with A Resounding Success

Korean hiphop trio Epik High was in town last Saturday (September 14) for the Singapore stop of their 2019 world tour, where they performed at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa. The group’s return to Singapore after their last visit in 2015 (for Skechers Sundown Festival) proved to be worth the long wait, as they created many lasting memories with fans that night. 

Epik High started off the show with performances of “In Seoul”, one of the tracks off their latest album, and “No Thanxxx”.

The members then did hilarious and witty introductions of each other, where they had prepared comedic, dramatic sound effects and screen backgrounds. Tablo introduced DJ Tukutz as “The veteran of K-pop, the creator of K-pop!”, and Mithra Jin as “The youngest of Epik High, he is the cutest of Epik High!”, which had everyone laughing so hard. 

Tablo added on that the stress, pain or heartbreak they were experiencing would be taken away that night through their music and with that, they continued the show and performed “Burj Khalifa”, a track which has a very distinctive and addictive beat. It was a clear fan-favourite as cheers from the crowd were deafening throughout the performance.

After a series of high energy tracks one after the other, the group performed a mellower, chill track “Bleed”. Between songs, the members were fooling around so much with one another as well as the fans. Tablo jokingly did mistranslations of what Mithra Jin said in Korean, which sent fans into fits of laughter!

During “Lovedrunk”, they requested fans to switch on their phone flashlights to turn the entire place into a constellation, and it was truly a beautiful sight to witness.

The crowd went wild during the performances of “Happen Ending” and “1 Minute 1 Second”, and just as everyone thought the energy could not get any more intense, Epik High continued the show with even more fervent performances of “One” and “New Beautiful”, which created a positive energy that radiated throughout the venue.

The trio ended the night on an explosive note with the perfect encore songs “Born Hater” and “Don’t Hate Me”, which had everyone in the crowd going wild and jumping along.

For fans who’ve attended, the concert definitely left an impact. And for those who missed out, it seems like you gotta keep your radar on for future show announcements as Epik High has reassured fans that they will be back in Singapore next year in 2020!

(Article By: Sarah | Official Photos: CK Star Entertainment)

Categories
Features

Her Private Life’s Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook To Grace StarHub Night of Stars in Singapore

Updated on 7 October 2019:

With the announcement of the return of StarHub Night of Stars, fans will be excited to know that some of Asia’s hottest celebrities will be gracing the star-studded event this November 24.

During the first wave of artiste announcement, South Korean actress Park Min Young, 54th Golden Bell Award nominee James Wen (溫昇豪) and Taiwanese actress Tian Xin (天心) have all confirmed their attendance for the stellar award ceremony.

(Pic Cr: tvN)

Chic actor Kim Jae Wook, who starred alongside Park Min Young in the hit drama ‘Her Private Life’, will also be making his way to Singapore to grace the event, as confirmed by StarHub in their latest line-up which includes TVB’s leading actress Natalie Tong (唐诗咏) and Chinese actor Xu Kai (许 凯).

This year’s award ceremony will once again be hosted by the super trio – Dennis Nieh, Lulu Huang and Kate Pang. While more names are slated to be announced for the main event, fans can also look forward to a series of meet and greet sessions coming up in November.

Tickets to StarHub Night of Stars will not be available for sale, but fans can visit StarHub’s Facebook page and participate in contests or other planned engagement activities to win tickets for the show. For more information, visit here and stay tuned to the full artiste line-up soon!

Check out what went down when Korean actor Sung Hoon was in town recently for the first StarHub Night of Stars Meet & Greet event:

https://www.hallyusg.net/2019/09/29/coverage-sunghooninsg/

Categories
K-Drama

Yeo Jin Goo to Make Special Appearance at ‘Hotel Del Luna’ Star Tour in Singapore on 23 September

Hold your breath because actor Yeo Jin Goo will be making his way to Singapore this September to meet fans of the highly popular drama, “Hotel Del Luna”! As part of tvN Hotel Del Luna Star Tour, the dashing actor will be making a special appearance at the invited-only event on September 23, where lucky fans will have the opportunity to meet him, or even enjoy a date together with the ‘elite hotelier’ at Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights 9 Haunted House.

Exclusive passes to the event can be won through tvN Asia and StarHub contests, with entries to be received by 18 September, 12pm (SGT).

Yeo Jin Goo recently starred alongside IU as the male lead in tvN’s highest-rated drama, “Hotel Del Luna”, winning over the hearts of fans with his unique charms. The drama is currently airing on Singtel TV Ch 518 / 619 and StarHub TV Ch 824.

If you’re a fan of the drama, here are some popular filming locations to check out in Korea:

Filming Locations for K-Drama ‘Hotel Del Luna’

(Photos: tvN)

Categories
Show Review

Jay Park Heats Up Singapore with SEXY 4EVA Tour

Korean-American rapper and singer-songwriter Jay Park graced Singapore last Friday (Sep 6) for the Singapore stop of his SEXY 4EVA tour held at the Shine Auditorium. Fans were treated with an explosive setlist and special guests – namely his AOMG label buddies Woo Won Jae and HAON, as well as Singapore’s very own Shigga Shay.

Opening up the concert was Woo Won Jae with songs like “Go High”, “Taste” and “We Are”, setting the mood and energy for the night.

Fans went wild as Jay Park kicked off his set with “Forget About Tomorrow”, before showing off his amazing dance moves in “Me Like Yuh” and “Solo”.

Jay Park shared that this was his sixteenth time in Singapore, and even called Singapore his “second home”.

The multi-talented rapper then performed fan-favourites like “JOAH” and “All I Wanna Do”, with the entire crowd singing along, before bringing his special guest – homegrown rapper Shigga Shay on stage with him.

Just as the energy of the crowd was on a high, Jay Park heat up the atmosphere even further with sexy performances like “Dank”. After a series of energetic performances, he then slowed things down that night with ballads “The Truth Is” and “Stay With Me”, showcasing his strong vocal abilities. 

His AOMG labelmate, HAON, then took over the stage, with the crowd bursting with excitement at “NOAH”.

Jay Park shared that the SEXY 4EVA World Tour is his first official world tour despite having debuted 11 years ago in 2008. “It’s an honour to come here and perform for you all,” he added.

As the night slowly inched to an end, Jay Park performed one of his biggest hits “Mommae”, which got the entire audience grooving along. Just as fans thought the night was over, he came back on stage with encores “All Day” and “Giddy U”, before ending the night with the powerful “Who You”, promising to come back to Singapore again soon.

Special thanks to Onion Production for the media invite!

(Article by: Erny Kartolo | Photos by: Nicole)

Categories
K-Movie

[Film Review] Exit – A No Frills, No Fuss Action Film That is Exciting Yet Endearing

Entering the cinema with little to no expectations, this is as honest as a review is going to get. With only some background knowledge on the two leads, Jo Jung-suk and Im Yoon-ah, I was pretty excited to see where this film was going to go after knowing that the both of them were co-stars. 

Jo Jung-suk has always been known to portray very memorable comedic acts (think Architecture 101) while on the other hand, Im Yoon-ah has always been on my radar for being an idol-turned-actor. Not only was I interested to see the type of chemistry they would give out as a pair but I was also excited to see how their talents would shine in ‘Exit’.

In this film, Jo Jung-suk and Im Yoon-ah play as friends from the same varsity Rock Climbing Club who had some sort of history before losing contact with one another. Fast forward a few years into adulthood, both of them have once again crossed paths and met at an event, albeit awkwardly. 

Yong-nam (played by Jo Jung-suk) is an unemployed adult who is having a bit of tough luck finding a job. Still a rock climbing fanatic, he spends his free time doing crazy workouts at the nearby community park to the point his nephew shuns him, his family desperate.

On the other hand, though Ui-ju (played by Im Yoon-ah) is an assistant manager at a banquet hall, she is constantly troubled by her self-centered manager and his advances.

Unbeknownst to them, this fateful meeting soon turns into a disaster as an act of terror springs upon the city late into the night. As a result, this film takes an unexpected twist, turning from a heartwarming youthful film to something that potentially came out from the books of ‘Train to Busan’.

The two of them are thrown into a hazy situation where they had to save themselves and Yong-nam’s family. And you guessed it, with the help of the duo’s rock climbing skills.

No fancy-schmancy plot or complicated characters build ups, just pure action with strings of comedy tied into the film to keep you on your toes the entire time. Don’t let that gripe you though, as this film is easy to digest yet fun to watch, a family-friendly film for sure.

It was a hit with the crowd and you know the director is doing something right when you hear the entire theatre exclaiming and shouting with each intense scene. At the height of the film, it was so crazy that we just couldn’t take our eyes off.

As with every comedy, expect to see the cast being put in ridiculous funny situations that make no sense, some over the top reactions by all the actors as well as some dramatic music to make each scene pop. Definitely not underwhelming or overwhelming in any way, it had the right amount of everything all mixed into one. 

And seeing how director Lee Sang-geun attempted to tie in some comedic aspects into seemingly what would have been a boring plot, he did a great job keeping the film alive while pacing it well at the same time. For a directorial debut, I would say he wasn’t off to a bad start and I cannot wait to see what else he has to offer in the future.

This film also marks the first time Im Yoon-Ah has a leading role in a Korean film. While she did a decent job bringing life to the character, her role as Ui-ju was not as impactful as I had hoped for it to be. Many times, she could be seen as just “Yong-nam’s University Crush”, I wished she would have been given the opportunity to make more of an impact or at least, expand and develop on that role a little more.

Furthermore, Jo Jung-suk, while being an extremely talented actor, seems to play the same type of funny, guy-next-door character a little too often than not. His character here resembling many of the ones he previously did before, we secretly hope to see him expand his repertoire in the future.

In short, ‘Exit’ is a joy to watch with your friends and family, this film is sure to keep you entertained in classic Korean comedy style. A recommended watch for someone who is looking for a bit of action with laughter.

Actor’s Appeal: ★★★★☆

Plot: ★★★☆☆

Cinematography:★★★★☆

Sense of Satisfaction: ★★★★☆

Total: 3.75/5

‘Exit’ opens in Singapore cinemas from 12 September 2019. Watch the official trailer and find out more about the film here:

[K-Movie] Korean Box Office Hit ‘EXIT’ to be screened in Singapore 12 September, Stars Cho Jung-seok and Lim Yoona

(Photos: Purple Plan)