nathaniel

[12.07.31] Core Contents Media, "Because the poster was a teen, we will not punish" T-ara's agency Core Contents Media has found the person who posed as a trainee and spread false information. Through a press release on the 31st, an official said, "T-ara's agency has found the poster and he is not an actual trainee. He resides in Anyang, Gyeonggi. He is a teenager who voluntarily posted the post." Core Contents Media originally said they would take strong legal action, but the person seek forgiveness and so they came to a decision to have no consequences. Core Contents Media has contacted a lawyer already though to correspond for them. Core Contents Media asked, "Please don't publish things without confirmation." *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n26311 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] Tony Moly, Daewoo Securities and Wild Roses removing T-ara's images from advertisements T-ara's advertisement deals are being shaken after the Hwayoung incident. Core Contents Media's CEO Kim Kwangsoo revealed on the 30th that Hwayoung's contract with the agency would be terminated. After this, T-ara's agency as well as companies that T-ara are models or ambassadors have been flooded with phone calls, Internet homepages being spammed and calls for "product boycotting." T-ara are models for the cosmetic brand Tony-Moly and their contract doesn't expire until the end of August, but they have decided they will not renew the contract. The consumer protest has begun and stores have decided to recall and remove all posters and images related to T-ara in their store. Eunjung is a solo model for Daewoo Securities and they have also decided to replace Eunjung's image on the ads. Although her contract expires in the end of September, they have recognized the seriousness of the current situation. Update: Despite their contract expiring next year in March, outdoor clothing brand Wild Roses did not reveal a position on the situation, but have removed all of T-ara's images from their site. " We also feel that the recent news regarding T-ara is unfortunate. Wild Roses always hopes for everyone's happiness" is the message that appears when you visit their homepage. In addition, T-ara models for "Look Optical" and they have said that they are being sensitive about this incident and looking into it. *** Source: http://news.nate.com.../20120731n18962 / http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n22675 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] Police Department say Core Contents Media has not contacted them Core Contents Media, home of T-ara, recently announced a "police investigation has successfully tracked the IP address of the back-up dancer post," but it seems to be untrue. A Seoul Seocho Police Department official said, "We have no received any reports connected to Core Contents Media or T-ara. The media reports that Seoul Seocho Police Station's cyber-crime investigation center was contacted by CCM is false." The latest articles about the "outcast" member of T-ara have attracted heavy criticism and have gotten reported on yet being from unreliable sources. In response Core Contents Media has said some of these reports are untrue. *** Source: http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=008&aid=0002885595 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] T-ara to temporarily halt activities After Hwayoung left T-ara, the group has suffered and will now stop activities for the time being. Tomorrow (August 1st) T-ara will perform at the SBS "Yeosu Expo Super Concert" which will be their last performance/schedule for a while. T-ara's agency said on the 31st, "In order to prepare for their follow-up song, they will not engage in any schedules at this time. It's not a suspension of activities, but more that we haven't specifically determined (schedules) yet." T-ara had schedules lined up, but they've canceled and haven't been seen in public instead. T-ara member Eunjung initially was supposed to attend the VIP premiere of the movie "I Am A King" yesterday but she absent from the premiere. Core Contents Media made an announcement to terminate Hwayoung's contract with T-ara because she acted like a "top star" and had behavior problems on the 30th and since then there has been backlash after backlash. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n16259 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] T-ara's agency, "We will take legal action against creators of back-up dancer and trainee posts" Core Contents Media will take legal action over the false testimonies being posted online to protect Hwayoung and T-ara. Core Contents Media said on the 31st, "There are accounts being posted in the online cafe T-jinyo (We want the truth from T-ara) that are later being published as articles before being confirmed. We will take legal action to protect Hwayoung and T-ara." "Tajinyo (We want the truth from Tablo) created a big bruise in the music industry in the end of 2010. T-jinyo is also becoming controversial now. From these unconfirmed reports being published, not only are T-ara and Hwayoung suffering, but their parents are too, so I ask the press not to publish unconfirmed reports. The 'back-up dancer post' as well as the 'second-year trainee post' are all false and we will seek to take legal action against people saying these things." All of this is happening because of the recent decision from CCM to cancel T-ara's Hwayoung's contract. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n12055 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] Core Contents Media trainee's post about T-ara becomes a hot topic An article written online by a trainee has been attracting a lot of attention. In the post they wrote, "I'm currently a trainee at GM Media = Core Contents Media = Mnet Media (3 related companies) for the past two years. Seeing the T-ara incident has made me frustrated. After making this post, I decided to quit being a trainee and will disappear." She continued by saying, "Hwayoung made her debut on December 3rd, 2010 and I became a trainee on April 18, 2010. Our company goes to the practice room while we practice to look at our cell phones and wallets. You're screwed for life if you're here. When T-ara had a day off, they visited the studio. Hyomin gathered all the trainees who were preparing for debuts and said we should all introduce ourselves to each other." "I heard someone say that Hot Blooded Kangho was dating Jiyeon. They (Jiyeon/Kangho) asked me my age, where I live, my ID, etc, and I told them. Then I heard Kangho say, 'This xxxx hasn't smoked? Idiot. Let's take her to a club tonight.' There was also one time where Jiyeon threw a high-heeled shoe at me. I still have the scar." The authenticity of this post is unclear but it's became a hot topic amongst netizens in light of the recent T-ara drama. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n08938 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] T-ara's Soyeon will not attend "Haeundae Lovers" press conference tomorrow T-ara's Soyeon will be absent at "Haeundae Lovers" because of controversy After Hwayoung's contract termination, more and more setbacks are coming for T-ara. Soyeon will be unable to attend her drama "Haeundae Lovers" official press conference tomorrow. "Haeundae Lovers" has it's first broadcast on August 6th on KBS2, and Soyeon has a role in it as Lee Gwansun. It's Soyeon's first time to act in a drama, so she has prepared a lot. Sadly, because she's associated with the Hwayoung controversy, the red light status has turned on for her first acting challenge. In particular, the "Haeundae Lovers" message boards on the official site are full of netizens saying they don't want to watch if Soyeon is appearing in the drama. A drama representative said on the 31st, "Soyeon being taken off the drama has not been talked about, but she will be absent at the press conference. Soyeon being absent was decided before the situations arose because she has other schedules she inevitably has to attend. It is not related to the recent incident." Currently there is a lot of support from netizens to get Soyeon and Eunjung removed from their drama roles. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n11936 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.31] Kim Kwangsoo, "Hwayoung and Hyoyoung's parents understand my decision" Core Contents Media's CEO Kim Kwangsoo urged media to have restraint when publishing Internet rumors. In a phone interview with Star News on the 31st, Kim Kwangsoo said, "Yesterday rumors were spreading about a post made by a back-up dancer and it became highly controversial. Of course, the content of the post is not true." He continued, "Yesterday (3oth) the decision of terminating Hwayoung's contract was made because of denying to appear at events including live events and from the opinions of staff. She can become a great singer on her own because she's talented." In fact, he said yesterday, "Hwayoung has a lot of potential as a rapper" when he terminated her contract. "I believe that she'll be able to develop more as an artist and create her own identity." Kim Kwangsoo said, "After the decision was made yesterday, completely unrelated bullying issues as well as malicious, false and odd rumors were spreading by people. These malicious lies are all over the Internet and articles, and it's making it harder for Hwayoung and T-ara. People take these things to mean more than it should while fueling more false reports and creating more damage." He revealed that, "Yesterday I met with Hwayoung and Hyoyoung's parents and told them the background of the story and they understand. They both wished the best for Hwayoung and T-ara and are hurt by the hateful articles coming up about Hwayoung." He finished by saying, "The spread and continuous posting of malicious and false rumors without a break is giving the other parents a harder time as well so I hope reporters can check with our agency before publishing articles." *** Source: http://media.daum.ne...s=txt&nil_id=25 Translated by: Nathaniel + Elly @ Diadem

[12.07.31] Core Contents Media answers "What will happen to 5dolls Hyoyoung?" After Hwayoung's contract with T-ara has been terminated, the focus has shifted onto her twin sister, Hyoyoung, who is a member of Coed School and 5dolls. Hyoyoung's tweets in particular were used and focused on when the "bullying situation" in T-ara first appeared. Hyoyoung was appearing to defend her sister, as they are sisters and both are in Core Contents Media. Core Contents Media said on the 31st that, "Hwayoung's situation has nothing to do with Hyoyoung," and emphasized that Hyoyoung's current position will not change. Hyoyoung debuted in September of 2010 with Coed School, and now is a member of the girl group 5dolls. Yesterday, it was announced that CCM has terminated Hwayoung's contract with T-ara. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120730n18709 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] YAMA&HOTCHICKS Bae Youngjong, "The post is not true"' T-ara's dance team YAMA&HOTCHICKS' team captain Bae Youngjong has responded to the recent post posted on the Internet about T-ara saying that the incident is completely false. Bae Youngjong captain revealed, "This place is a public location where any outsider or celebrity can freely walk into so such harassment and beatings would have been impossible to have taken place." T-ara's agency Core Contents Media has said, "The malicious things being written on the Internet and in various articles related to T-ara are written without any verification or confirmation." Core Contents Media terminated Hwayoung's contract yesterday and afterwards, a back-up dancer for T-ara revealed online that "T-ara's Jiyeon slapped Hwayoung in the practice room" and that the girls "don’t want to sit by her in the car so they blatantly play rock, paper, scissors right in front of her face (to decide who sits by her)." It quickly became a hot topic in the news. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120731n07416 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] Kim Kwangsoo, "There is a possibility for Hwayoung to re-join.." Core Contents Media, who just have announced they terminated Hwayoung's contract with T-ara after being with the group for 20 months. Hwayoung, who joined the team later than the rest, has been the center of the hot topic of "being bullied" by other members. T-ara fans think that this is wrong or are very shocked by the announcement. And now fans are rooting for the most desired situation: a peace between Hwayoung, T-ara and the agency so that she can return. On the 30th, Kim Kwangsoo said to Star News, "If Hwayoung truly realizes her wrongs, it's possible to talk with the T-ara members and staff about her rejoining. Once again, this is if Hwayoung looks over her previous actions and self-reflects so she does not repeat the same behavior. Clearly, the probability of this situation is low, but there is a small glimpse of a reverse situation happening. Right now, it's left for Hwayoung to decide. *** Source: http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=106&oid=108&aid=0002160987 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] SBS PD's controversial statement, "I won't reach out to T-ara in the future" After the controversial announcement of T-ara Hwayoung's contract termination, SBS PD's "Will not contact T-ara in the future" is attracting attention. "A big surprised captured" when the SBS PD Ryu Cheolmin left a post on his Facebook, "Aigoo Hwayoungah. Ah this oppa will not reach out to T-ara in the future." Ryu PD's remarks are in response to Core Contents Media's CEO Kim Kwangsoo announcing he is terminating Hwayoung's contract with T-ara, which is currently attracting an enormous amount of attention. Ryu PD's remarks also attracted a reply from the MBC drama "Lights and Shadow" PD/director Lee Sangyub who said "Oh~ Me too then." From the comments, it appears as if the PDs side in the favor of Hwayoung. However, some netizens have suggested that the PDs should not talk about this publicly because it can be considered "inappropriate." *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120730n25747 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] T-ara Eunjung's "Five Fingers" role is in jeopardy Following the departure of T-ara member, Hwayoung, another issue rises for T-ara from the 'Five Fingers' side. T-ara member Eunjung has recently been casted as part of SBS' 30-episode drama, "Five Fingers". Reviewstar sat down with the drama's officials for a phone interview and they stated that "We still do not know what kind of action we will be taking in light of recent events. It's only been a little bit over an hour since the news of Hwayoung's departure came out, so we are still unable to present everyone with an official statement." "Five Fingers" message board has became filled with hateful messages and viewers commenting that "they will not watch the drama if Eunjung is there." *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120730n19715 Translated by: Elly @ Diadem

[12.07.30] T-ara's concert getting mass refund requests while 6,300 people leave their fancafe After the news of T-ara member Hwayoung's contract termination, their concert is left in a crisis with the possibility of being canceled. T-ara fans are turning their back against T-ara amongst the agency's official announcement. More than 6,300 fans have left T-ara's fancafe "Mystic" after the member withdrawal news. T-ara's first solo concert in Korea "Jewelry Box" which will be held on August 11th at the Jamsil Gymnasium is also in a state of panic now. Fans aren't able to hide their disappointment in the news about T-ara's Hwayoung, and have gone on to cancel their reservations for the concert. Originally, all seats were sold out but are quickly being canceled one by one. On Twitter, a tweet with the image of a canceled ticket reservation is floating around rapidly saying, "Because of the wrong decision that CEO Kim Kwangsoo made, the group is no longer a 'crown/tiara' but a 'loner (someone who has been bullied'). T-ara's first solo concert in Korea since their debut three years ago is being held on August 11th. T-ara have completed their Japanese tour on the 25th and 26th in the Budokan arena. T-ara's fans are raising their voices fast about their disappointment with T-ara's agency. T/N: Mystic is NOT T-ara's official cafe. Mystic changed into an anti-T-ara cafe/pro-Hwayoung cafe and lost 6,000 members. fant-ara is the official one ran by CCM staff which has steadily gained a few members. *** Source: http://reviewstar.hankooki.com/Article/ArticleView.php?WEB_GSNO=10054230 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07. 30] T-ara's agency "Hwayoung, refused to perform during a live show, 'I can't go on stage.'" Hwayoung's inappropriate behavior was revealed by her company. It has been revealed that after returning to Korea from the Japan Budokan concert T-ara's Hwayoung suddenly left before T-ara's live stage performance for the July 27th Music Bank stating that she could not go on stage. According to T-ara's company, Core Contents Media, due to Hwayoung's leg injury she would do her rap part in a chair and had even completed camera rehearsal. However, when T-ara was to be the the 3rd in line to perform, she suddenly said she wouldn't perform and acted inappropriately. Following this, the company's staff members and T-ara members scramble to ensure there were no broadcast issues during the Music Bank performance. In a short amount of time, members Eunjung and Hyomin prepared to do Hwayoung's rap part to ensure there were no broadcast issues. Unfortunately, due to being nervous, Hyomin made a mistake after the rap part. After refusing to go on stage, on her way home, in front of fans and reporters, Hwayoung threw her crutches and threatened to start screaming in front of everyone to her manager. Additionally, she acted beyond the control of her managers, and this was witnessed by fans and reporters on scene at Music Bank. T-ara's CEO Kim Kwangsoo revealed "It wasn't just the Music Bank incident," but a number of other incidents as well. However, he does not wish to reveal any further incidents to protect Hwayoung. He also found what Hwayoung said on Twitter "very unfortunate." *** Source: http://m.media.daum....120730143910166 Translated by: bokchoi @ Diadem

[12.07.30] SBS "Five Fingers" staff, "Regardless of T-ara's issues, Eunjung is not being replaced" Girl group T-ara's recent "bullying situation" has blown up online, and SBS drama "Five Fingers" which Eunjung is cast in has responded. "Five Fingers" content producer said to Star News on the 30th, "Currently, Eunjung's appearance in 'Five Fingers' and everything related to it is staying the same. Because of the changes happening in T-ara, it is not relevant or directly related to Eunjung's role in the drama." He continued, "We hope that viewers can separate the personal matters and differences going on between the members and separate it from the content and appearance of Eunjung in 'Five Fingers'. Such problems are about T-ara and currently there are no problems with Eunjung." Eunjung will star in "Five Fingers" which will have it's first broadcast in August. Meanwhile, T-ara's agency Core Contents Media revealed that Hwayoung's contract had been terminated today, and that it "had nothing to do with the bullying situation." *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120730n17763 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.30] T-ara's CEO, "Hwayoung's contract has been terminated" T-ara's agency has revealed Hwayoung will be leaving T-ara. Core Contents Media's CEO Kim Kwangsoo revealed today. Kim Kwangsoo said, " I've gathered feedback from 19 people (including five stylists and seven make-up artists, five on-site managers and two group managers) and I came to the decision to terminate Hwayoung's career as a singer." Kim Kwangsoo said on the background of the announcement, "T-ara as a group and their teamwork has already been tainted by the talks of a member being excluded and bullied. Because of this, what's said will be overlooked. Core Contents Media staff and I have listened to the opinions of T-ara and others since morning trying to find out the right thing to do, and many people have suffered because of this." "Meanwhile, on behalf of T-ara, I'm sorry for burdening and putting the inconvenience upon fans. T-ara debuted three years ago and I'm sorry to have to announce the bad news on a third anniversary. Finally, the T-ara members wish that Hwayoung will find success as a great rapper." Hwayoung joined T-ara 20 months ago, and T-ara will promote from now on as Boram, Qri, Hyomin, Soyeon, Jiyeon, Eunjung and Areum. At the end of this year, a new member will also join them. *** Source: http://star.mt.co.kr...&outlink=2 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.29] What is the big T-ara announcement about? "Replacing members was never mentioned in the past" T-ara has been shaken by a bullying scandal and their agency Core Contents Media's CEO Kim Kwangsoo will make an announcement about it on the 30th. Before then, there is immense speculation. Recently, T-ara went to Japan for a concert but member Hwayoung was unable to perform because of an injury. After the concert, tweets made by members Jiyeon, Eunjung, Hyomin, Soyeon and Boram gathered together appeared to be bullying Hwayoung and became a question amongst fans and later appeared in articles online. T-ara's CEO Kim Kwangsoo said he would make an announcement on the situation on the 30th. In regards to this, T-ara's agency addressed this in an interview on the July 29th broadcast of MBC "Section TV Entertainment". Their agency responded to the details surrounding the big announcement, members withdrawing, a feud between members and further media reports by saying, "Looking at the articles, there are rumors going on, but we've never had talks of replacing members. But before Kim Kwangsoo returns, there is no saying or do we know what will happen." They didn't say anything else besides this. Meanwhile, T-ara met 20,000 fans at their sold-out concert at Budokan in Japan on the 25th and 26th. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120729n09756 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.28] Core Contents Media's CEO to make a very big announcement regarding T-ara on the 30th With the recent attention on T-ara, Core Contents Media's CEO will make a big announcement regarding T-ara on the 30th. Core Contents Media said on the 28th, "Core Contents Media's CEO is currently in Japan for meetings and T-ara's Japanese concert and will return on the 30th. At 1 PM KST, he will make a very big announcement regarding T-ara." According to the press release, because of the unavoidable circumstance that arose from the situation, their agency will reveal their official position on the situation at a scheduled press conference. CEO Kim Kwangsoo will directly make a big announcement about the theory about Hwayoung being bullied. It's confirmed that he will announce a serious decision. Core Contents Media officials said, "Kim Kwangsoo has a lot of concerns. He'll take direct action to avoid any disruption to promotions." The content of the announcement is unknown, but it's likely related to the situation that happened recently on Twitter in which it looked like some members were insulting fellow member Hwayoung. Meanwhile, T-ara were in Tokyo on the 25th and 26th for their "Jewelry Box" tour at the Budokan arena. Because of an ankle injury, Hwayoung wasn't able to perform. *** Source: http://news.nate.com.../20120728n04647 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.27] "Power vocal vs cutie rapper," T-ara's new members make their debut on Japanese stage T-ara's first Japanese tour. For the finale on the 25th and 26th, T-ara performed the prestigious Budokan concert arena. On top of that, T-ara's new members Areum and Dani made their debut on the Japanese stage, where they showcased their personalities. Areum (18) possesses the vocal skills of a lead vocalist. At the show, she gave a live performance of the popular American song "Price Tag". "Price Tag" features an intense rhythm with a mix of hip-hop style and from the beginning of the end, Areum successfully showed off her powerful vocals and showed off a cool powerful side of her. In addition to her vocal talent, she showed off her dancing skills. Areum wore a black mini-dress with back-up dancers surrounding her. She performed intense choreography to fit the powerful song. The other T-ara member also recognized Areum's talent. Eunjung said, "When you watch Areum on stage, you think she is well-equipped with her talents in singing and dancing. She has a lot to learn since she joined T-ara late, but she's doing well so far and learning our old songs at a very fast rate. It seems that in the future together with Areum on stage it'll be good." Areum addressed the journalists at the press conference on the 26th and said, "It was my first concert on stage and it was burdensome that for the first, it was held in such a large venue. Fortunately, each of the T-ara members gave me tips and encouraged me so I'm thankful. I'll show a better image in the future." On the other hand, T-ara's new maknae Dani (14) showed off her unique rapping skills. In the middle of the concert, the T-ara members called Dani to stage. Dani grew up in the United States since she was four and thus is proficient in English. Dani gave a smooth English introduction followed by an awkward introduction in Japanese and then a short rap in English. Dani's rap was full of personality. T-ara's existing rappers Hyomin, Eunjung and Hwayoung all have their own style of rapping, and Dani brings a new style to the table. Dani's rapping is different from the strong/intense raps of the other members with her high voice and "cutie" style. She appeared on stage with a white t-shirt and jeans which showcased her innocence. Originally introduced as a cute girl, Dani transformed into an intense cutie rapper. Soyeon said, "Dani is such a young age, so we thought she would be best fitted for a cute concept.. but rather than cute, she says she wants to try a chic and sexy concept in the future." She praised her and said, "As T-ara expands in various activities, she's likely going to become the principal member." T-ara's new members were introduced to Japanese fans today and had two opposite charms. One is distinctly a vocalist and the other is a rapper and each will build their own position in the group over time. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120727n09073 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.26] T-ara's Hyomin, “Fashion-idol? I still have much to show you” The idols' fashion is not limited to the stage anymore. Their sense of fashion such as ‘everyday/civilian fashion’, ‘airport fashion' etc is becoming the center of attention lately. It is most likely because the general public can easily imitate their 'real way' (normal) fashion and style. Whenever an idol's paparazzi or self-posted selca photo is posted online, the first thing people focus on nowadays is their fashion. Even though the same sweatsuit is worn, the sales for that sweatsuit immediately rises when a fashion-idol wears it. So it is no surprise that an industry would often send a love call to a fashion-idol. A company/enterprise will even open an online shop with an idol if he/she is a popular fashion-idol with an exceptional sense of style. Currently, a popular fashion-idol is T-ARA's ‘Hyomin’. She recently opened an online shop ‘Hyomin Shop’ on Gmarket. Her fashion lifestyle is constantly being posted online and receiving much love and response from netizens. Fashion-idol? Sunbae G-Dragon is the true fashion-idol~ What does Hyomin think of the ‘fashion-idol’ nickname given to her? “Honestly, it's a bit burdensome. When you look at the fashionistas, they have their own distinct style – it becomes that style's pronoun. But I don't have my own style yet. That's why I think it's an overstatement to call me a ‘fashion-idol’, ‘fashionista’ right now. I just enjoy dressing up,” she responded. I was curious who the modest Hyomin thought was Korea's fashion-idol. “I think Big Bang's G-Dragon sunbae is. He constantly tries out unique and diverse styles. More than that, every item has a story behind it and even the smallest detail contributes a theme. His attention to detail stands out. I think he mix-and-matches really well.” Wouldn't one of the reasons why Hyomin's fashion stands out be because her slim body? I asked what her secrets were in maintaining her figure. “I can't always go on a diet because I do a lot of strength-consuming activities. But if there was a specific method I had, it would be decreasing the greasy/fatty foods intake as much as I can. When I eat grilled meat, I squeeze out as much oil as possible; and when I eat fried foods, I try to avoid eating the fried batter. Oh, and I also try to decrease the salt intake as well. If possible, I usually eat things bland.” Hyomin is always careful in what she eats and takes good care of her body because her eating habits and lifestyle largely affects her skin health in addition to her diet. But she says she doesn't have time to take care of her body due to the busy schedule until February next year. Thoughts on concept-idol? I just said what I wanted to say~ On memorial day, she revealed the meaning of memorial day through her personal SNS account, and was called the ‘concept-idol’ thereafter. Then what did Hyomin do on memorial day? “I was in Japan due to preparations for our Japan promotion. They were calling me the concept-idol, but I was really embarrassed. It's not like I said something no one thought of, so I was really surprised when the logical (and natural) statement I made became such a big issue. Actually, my grandfather is buried at the memorial cemetery. That's why I visited the memorial cemetery on memorial day ever since I was little. But since I was in Japan this year, I couldn't visit the cemetery on memorial day, and my uncle texted me a photo of Mugunghwa (national flower of Korea, rose of Sharon, hibiscus). However, I saw on the news that the young students did not know the meaning of memorial day. So I posted the meaning with the intention of sharing the knowledge with everyone. I just did what was expected and necessary.” If I am a Hallyu-idol, I should enjoy the time on stage~ By diligently preparing for T-ARA's first Japanese album release at the cost of being unable to visit her grandfather on memorial day, ‘Jewelry Box’ rose to #2 on the Oricon chart and started off with a success. T-ARA is currently on their Japan tour concert. “I am very thankful and surprised by all the love and interest we've received in Japan. We didn't expect it at all. I was really nervous at first. Our overseas promotions started a lot sooner than we expected, and we weren't able to learn Japanese before leaving for Japan. We were just told to learn Japanese firsthand while we're there. It was also a bit scary because of the attention we received even before we were able to grasp the language. But we will study hard, learn the language, and perform well to satisfy our fans' expectations.” The 7,800 seats for their first concert in Thailand was also all sold out. They are currently exceeding Korea and entering the Hallyu position as idols. I asked what her resolutions were as a Hallyu-idol. “I think we were able to receive this much love because we were lucky enough to join the Hallyu wave at its highest. I don't want to disappoint the many people who love KPOP. I think it is important for us to have fun and enjoy the stage while performing – our courtesy to our fans. We need to work hard.” Hyomin believes it is a singer's duty to have fun and enjoy the stage. She says she tossed her heels aside and had fun while energetically running around barefooted during the Thailand concert's encore performance. She enjoyed that impromptu performance, and still has a big smile whenever she reminisces and thinks about that moment. Hyomin wants to meet her friends not only as a singer but also as an actress. She has been cherishing her dream to be on the big screen for a long time. “I want to work on a serious movie project. It was hard to immerse in my character when filming ‘Ghastly’ (aka Gisaeng Spirit) because I was also busy as a singer. If I get the chance to be in another movie, I am going to go all-in and give my undivided attention and time. I want to play the role of a strong character like sunbae Sori Moon's character in ‘Oasis’.” She wants to act on a role that will leave a strong impression rather than just a pretty role. We look forward to Hyomin's future self that will receive much more love than right now as she is featured on TV and on the big screen in the future. *** Source: http://bntnews.hankyung.com/apps/news?popup=0&nkey=201206211513253&c1=04&c2=03&nid=04&mode=sub_view Translated by: x은영이 @ Diadem

[12.07.25] Quick News - T-ara's setlist at Budokan concert Hwayoung only performed for some songs because of her leg injury Gangkiz were the guest performers (MAMA & Honey Honey & Talk) Areum performed Jessie J's " " Dani had a solo rap performance Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon performed EXILE's " " Qri and Boram performed AKB48's " " Soyeon performed Koda Kumi's " " *** Credit: http://ccmxgmc.tumblr.com/ + Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.20] T-ara's 20,000 seat concert dates at Budokan are sold out Girl group T-ara have sold out their show at their at the Nippon Budokan arena. According to Core Contents Media, T-ara have sold out all the 20,000 seats at their two dates at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo on the 25th and 26th of this month. Rather than the shows being on a weekend, they shows are on a weekday and still were sold out. T-ara's popularity in Japan has been confirmed by this. Selling out the Budokan is the dream of Japanese singers, and some Korean singers have performed there in the past including TVXQ, Lee Seunggi, 2PM and FT Island. In June, T-ara had concerts in various Japanese cities including Osaka and Fukuoka and most recently in Hokkaido. The Buddokan concerts in Tokyo will be the finale. Last summer, T-ara's debut song "Bo Peep Bo Peep" set a new record by being the first Korean girl group to debut at #1 on the Oricon Daily and Weekly charts. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120720n11977 Credit: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.19] T-ara's Eunjung, "We want to enjoy the stage without the pressure of being #1" Girl group T-ara’s “Lovey-Dovey” is the #1 song downloaded for the first half of 2012. “The pressure to get new #1 songs is there now, but we enjoy making the song come alive every stage,” T-ara said. Gaon recently released their chart rankings for the first half of 2012 and T-ara’s “Lovey-Dovey” was downloaded over 3.33 million times, making it #1. OSEN was able to interview T-ara’s Eunjung over the phone. In a phone interview with a reporter, Eunjung said, “I just heard the news. It’s really unexpected and hard to believe that we were able to be ranked number one when there were a lot of senior groups who promoted too, but I’m really happy.” “I want to tell the rest of the members soon. Everyone will like this news. We’re working hard promoting our current song ‘Day by Day’ so this will be really encouraging to us,” Eunjung said. T-ara’s “Roly-Poly” was the #1 song of last year on the same chart. When asked what T-ara’s secret to getting popular hit songs, Eunjung said it’s “variety.” “We have our own color despite taking on the challenge of doing a variety of different genres,” Eunjung expressed. “Our strength is that our music and the feeling when watching us on stage is different than normal. For example, “Lovey-Dovey” had a fun and colorful shuffle dance which became popular and helped us gain more love.” T-ara plan to continue with their popular hook songs “Bo Peep Bo Peep”, “Roly-Poly” and “Lovey-Dovey” in the 2nd half of the year. The pressure to get another #1 is very clear for them. Eunjung said, “It’s a burden where we rank on song charts. I think it’d be nice to have every song be #1 (laughs), but getting rid of our greed, I want to enjoy and have fun on stage. For our current song ‘Day by Day’, T-ara is showing our existing image but fans can expect a new image for our new song. Our members are all excited for it.” T-ara will comeback on August 15th with “Sexy Love” after promoting “Day by Day”. *** Source: http://news.nate.com.../20120719n03500 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem

[12.07.18] T-ara's first solo concert almost sold out, "No plans for another show" Girl group T-ara will hold their first solo concert in Korea on August 11th at the Jamsil Gymnasium. T-ara's first solo concert tickets went on sale yesterday (the 17th) and in about 20 minutes, the majority of seats including all the standing seats were sold out. There are only 600 seats not yet sold. Core Contents Media expects the remaining seats to be sold out soon. T-ara's Japanese fanclub made a request to reserve all 600 seats, but T-ara's agency responded with, "We want every fan to have an equal chance" and restated that the tickets are sold through Interpark on a "first come, first serve" basis only. The staff and promoters for T-ara's concert strongly pushed to add another date but the T-ara members declined the offer and said, "We want our first Korean concert to be a special performance for fans that will hold a lot of memories." T-ara have been preparing to show new sides and charms to them for the last few months for the concert on August 11th. *** Source: http://news.nate.com/view/20120718n36206 Translated by: Nathaniel @ Diadem