Producer and sometimes pop act, JYP dished about pop act turned producer Rain.

JYP revealed that Rain auditioned 18 times before he was picked up as a trainee for JYP Entertainment on the cable channel program, “Olive Show” on December 10th.  JYP admires Rain’s strong work ethic and knew that it would get him far. However, he was surprised that that hard work would land Rain in a leading role in a Hollywood movie.

And now that they have gone their separate ways, they call each other and drink together more often than before-probably because Rain wants to ask for advice.

JYP also revealed what he looks for in a potential trainee? that special something something. After he finds someone who has “it” quality, then producer thinks about what makes them so special. The common thread that runs through his successful pop acts such as G.O.D, Rain, Wondergirls, 2PM are that they are shy and innocent. Is that an attractive quality?

With his new track, “No love, no more,” JYP will be hitting the stage with his“Naughty Party: Heartless Tour” around the nation. Special guests are Joo, 2PM and 2AM.

Sunny of idol group, Girls Generation has a secret to keep her makeup on-she doesn’t wash her face!

Gagwoman, Kim Sook revealed this tidbit at the taping of the KBS2TV program, “Star Golden Bell” that will air on November 28th:

Sunny and I were taping “1 night, 2 days” and after waking up the next day, everyone was without makeup except for Sunny. Her makeup was perfect. I was surprised and asked her what time she woke up to put on her makeup.

Sunny simply replied:

Unni, what are you talking about? I didn’t wash up. I am just putting on more makeup”

Dang, no matter how tired you are, you need to wash the makeup off! Woman will be paying for that later with her skin.

Or do they?

Even celebrities don’t look good in their ID photos. Check out the mugs of Girls Generation members of Hyo-yeon (above), Jessica, Seo-hyun, Soo-young, Tae-yeon, Youna and Yoori.

(left to right: Jessica, Seo-hyun, Soo-young, Tae-yeon)

(left to right: Youna, Yoori)

…but that’s a good thing.

Narsha of girl group, Brown Eyed Girls revealed that her worthless ex-boyfriend was a two-timing cheater on the variety program,”Star Golden Bell.”

I was dating someone who already had a girlfriend…. later he dumped me and went back to her, but soon afterwards, they broke up.

Who wants to waste their time with a “yang-dari” (two-timer) anyways?

While filming an upcoming episode of, “Hello Baby” on KBS JOY, the Soo Young and Yoona of Girls Generation played a truth game that made them reveal their ideal man.

During the same game, Soo Young and Yoona confessed that their ideal man is the ever-so-popular Lee Seung-ki.

They playfully fought over who could win his heart, and between the two, Yoona might have a bigger advantage. On a past episode of “Strong Heart” recorded in October 2009, Lee Seung-ki supposedly showed some interest towards her.

Could this be a romance in the works? Stay tuned.. we’ll keep you updated.

F.Y.I. This is the same game where Tiffany revealed that her ideal man was 2PM’s Jo Kwon.

Alex and Ho-ran? Can these two be in love with each other?

Nah, more like co-worker/best friend love. Got to keep it professional, folks.

Clazziquai members, Alex and Ho-ran, spoke honestly about their feelings for one another, and about the other Clazziquai members on tvN’s “Taxi“. As a group that’s never in the spotlight for every little irrelevant thing their members do, this latest episode of “Taxi” will shed some personal light on the group.

On the show, Alex and Horan spoke out about shacking up with each other. They completely deny it, and are dumbfounded by the mere question. They found the question absolute ridiculous, because they never had those sorts of feelings toward one another.

Alex stated that he doesn’t want to be unprofessional; that kind of feeling never existed and never will. He wants to stay just friends with Ho-ran forever, but he speaks about how easy it was for him to become so friendly with her. Alex being a human, judged Ho-ran by her appearance and expected her to be very arrogant from his first impression.

After having eight bottles of soju, however, along with some chicken and eel, they became the closest of friends. How close? Not “too” close since they don’t share an apartment, but close enough.

Many assume that Clazziquai is just a three member group, and that is what the media also usually portrays them as, but of course, assuming makes an “ass out of you and me” because that’s dead wrong. From my personal experience, I do recall Alex on “Star Golden Bell” clarifying that there are four members, but apparently no one ever took notice of that fact.

On camera, there are only three people on stage, but off camera and in the recording studios, member number four, Christina, shines. Alex explained that their mysterious extra vocalist Christina is actually his sister. It’s a nice notion for them to include her in their member roster, even though she is officially only a behind the scenes member.

You can catch more informational tidbits on tvN’s “Taxi” on September 24th.

For adopting an adorable Korean baby girl!

Although this isn’t exactly related to KPOP, it’s still relevant as pop culture in Korea.

Katherine Heigl, U.S. cinematic gold at the moment, has surprised both Korean and American audiences by revealing pictures of her and her singer husband Josh Kelley’s newly adopted baby: Nancy Leigh or ”Naleigh” as they like to call her. Naleigh is also a special needs child, although it is not quite clear to the media what exactly her special needs are yet.

Heigl explained that she had always been anticipating the adoption of a Korean baby, seeing as her sister, Meg, is a Korean adoptee herself. Her husband was understanding and, from the looks of the pictures, more than willing to adopt the child. Congrats to the new parents of Naleigh! I wonder if this little Korean-American will break out into American show biz when she grows up. It’s always nice to see couples open their hearts to adoption.

Who doesn’t melt when seeing those man-doo cheeks on babies?

Yup, we get to properly hear So-hee speaking English…finally~Through their official youtube channel, the Wondergirls have been letting their fans get to know them a bit better through a casual English interview. I have to say these are a good set of questions. Nothing too probing, but you get some insight into their personal preferences.

Are their American personalities interesting enough to hold the attention of potential U.S. fanboys? Check out the video introductions for yourself here~

In order of release:

Sun-ye, for some reason, still has a very thick accent, which at times is kind of distracting, but it’s all right. 

I really surprised at how eloquent Sun-mi is. It’s a shame she doesn’t speak more during English interviews.

Ye-eun has picked up English like nothing. She just continues to improve.

Yoo-bin was the most easygoing character during her interview, which makes her the most enjoyable to watch.

So-hee also amazes me with her English skills. She must have the gift of gab behind the scenes because she is just damn quiet in public. Her interview was the shortest, but she answered her questions the quickest.

Sorry no major idols here.

In a survey conducted from July 10th to the 16th, Koreans were asked to name the movie actor or actress that they would want to have a summer getaway with. The winners were Ha Jung-woo and Ha Ji-won!

Ha Jung-woo stars in the summer sports Olympic flick, “Ski Jump“ (국가대표), about the plight of the Korean national ski jump team. It released in South Korea on July 29th on the big screen.

Ha Ji-won stars in a different kind of summer flick, the blockbuster action-disaster movie, “Haeundae” (해운대). It was released July 22, 2009 and is currently playing in theaters in South Korea.

Popular soju ad queen, Shin Mina, came in second place. The battle between the two leading ladies will continue with the release of “A Million” (10억) in August. Perhaps the ratings would have been different if the premiere of “A Million” had been closer to the time of the survey.

The list of actors and actress chosen are all stars of this summer’s releases, which include monster/horror flicks, “Chaw“ (차우) and “Living Death“ (불신지옥), and the romantic melodrama “Five Senses of Eros” (오감도).

Anyway, here are the rest of the rankings from the survey!

Actors:
1. Ha Jung-woo (Ski Jump) 34.1%
2. Lee Chun-hee (A Million) 18.3%
3. Uhm Tae-woong (Chaw) 9.1%
4. Lee Min-ki (Haeundae, A Million) 6.5%
5. Park Hae-il (A Million) 6.3%

Actresses:
1. Ha Ji-won (Haeundae) 46.8%
2. Shin Mina (A Million) 17.5%
3. Nam Sung-mi (Living Death) 13.1%
4. Uhm Jung-hwa (Haeundae, Five Sense of Eros) 10.8%
5. Jung Yoo-mi (Haeundae, Chaw) 3.2%
6. Go Eun-ah (A Million) 3.1%
7. Lee Eun-sung (Ski Jump) 2.7%

Who would you personally like to take on a vacation getaway?

Ever wonder why we don’t hear anything about Hyun Bin in the rumor mill? Well, the actor would rather just keep his mouth shut about his personal life.

In a recent interview with Star News, Hyun Bin stated that he doesn’t disclose any personal information about girlfriends, family or anything else dear to his heart. The secretive actor prefers that his fans don’t cross over to his personal life. Being secretive a la Keanu Reeves will only feed speculation. For example, if he is so tight lipped, we can only assume that he is hiding a girlfriend or even gay (not that it matters)….. but that’s how rumors start.

So is it better for stars to be open about their personal lives or secretive like Hyun Bin?

Nothing like reaching the masses through a chick magazine.
First, our pint-sized diva was interviewed for Entertainment Weekely, and now she’s moving on up to a media outlet that reaches a large majority of young female readers, “CosmoGirl!“. She was only asked five general questions, but that just means you won’t have to strain your eyes to read a long interview about nothing.

Here is the CosmoGirl! interview. Learn anything new?

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A POP STAR/FAMOUS IN KOREA?

“Well, I definitely feel a difference when I’m here in the States and when I’m back home. It’s a difficult lifestyle and a lot more guarded. That’s why it’s cool to be in L.A. and walk around wherever I want.”

HOW DO YOU LIKE THE UNITED STATES SO FAR?

“Well so far I still haven’t been all over America but I’ve gone to several cities since I moved here for radio promos. I live in L.A. and I kind of enjoy it. But I have to say that I really, really love New York City. Because it feels like my home.”

WHAT AMERICAN ARTISTS OR MUSICIANS DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE LIKE OR LOOK UP TO?

“There’s so many great artists out there like Kanye, T-Pain, Lady Gaga. So I used to really, really love Michael Jackson so my dance moves came from his moves. But these days I’m more focused on pop. To learn more about the American music industry.”

WHAT IS THE BEST RELATIONSHIP ADVICE YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?

“Be honest. Honesty is the most important part in a relationship because it builds trust, which is just as essential.”

WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH?

“The actor from The Hangover. Also in He’s Just Not That into You. Bradley Cooper! I just Googled it!”

“World stars” Rain and top figure skater Kim Yuna both command upwards of over 1 billion won (800 thousand USD) per CF in Korea, topping off as the highest paid commercial actors.

Second in line are Ko Hyun-jung, Lee Young-ae, Kim Tae-hee, Song Hye-kyo and Big Bang who receive anywhere from 800 to 900 million won (650 to 750 thousand USD) per CF. And finally, rounding out the top 3 groups, Han Yeh-seul, Yoon Eun-hye and Jo In-sung earn a respectable 600 to 700 million (450 to 550 thousand USD).

With these celebrities endorsing multiple brands, there isn’t much room for anyone else.

Despite their debut early this summer (and young age), 2NE1 are living in high style.

Surrounded by sleek black leather sofas, big flat screen tv and hard wood floors, the girls showed off their luxury apartment on the July 15^th episode of the Mnet program, 2NE1TV. How do we know? Well, apartments with scenic views of the Han River are worth a pretty penny. The 30-40 pyeong highrise apartment is probably located on the south side of Seoul-one of the richest and flashy areas.

Generally the apartments of idol groups are more humble and no frills.

I know I do.

For those of you who don’t fully comprehend the Korean language but are just craving some 2NE1 exposure, Royal Ace Subs has got you covered. Rather than just constantly putting up 2NE1 related videos marked with their magic touch, we’ll just give you the one-stop source and you can handle it yourself…right?

Fine all right, we’ll show you one this time, but next time you’re going to have to learn yourself, buster. Of course in the future, if I feel like you must see something from their collection and I can’t rely on you to do it yourself, I might just do you that favor.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes special of 2NE1’s most recent photo shoot for their first mini-album to be released on July 8th. Watch Bom bribe her members into thinking she’s the nicest, Dara wish she was the maknae of the group, Minji remind us she is too young for you, and CL adore her Ji-young oppa.

Do you care?

Yoon Eun-hye confessed that her ideal man is someone who is basically nice. How boring.

Her ideal man was revealed on a KBS celebrity show on June 20th.  However, the Coffee Prince actress added that when she was younger, she was attracted to good looking “bad boys.”

So what does this mean? Now that she’s hitting her 30’s  she wants to settle down with a rich but plain business-man type who is from abroad (i.e. Kyopo) or has studied abroad (i.e. rich enough to go to school in the U.S.).

Ah, Daniel must be out of the picture.

DEPRESSION!

Veteran girl group Jewelry will have their comeback in August, and that means the reality queen Suh In-young has been making appearances on variety/talk shows to put Jewelry back on people’s minds.

On a recent episode of KBS 2TV Entertainment Weekly set to air June 20th, she revealed that she used to conceal her emotions from her fellow members. Suh In-young expressed that in the past she was never envious of her fellow members’ talent, and would perform at bare minimum. Now, however, she realized that if she were more open and ambitious, instead of being complacent with her role, she would have grown more steadily into the singer she wanted to be. She also went on to say that she wished people wouldn’t label her as a “sexy singer” but rather a “shinsang (new product) singer,” which I am guessing means that she wants to be taken seriously as a good singer that constantly brings something new to the table. This is, however, the lighter side of the news.

On an upcoming episode of SBS YaShimManMan 2 set to air June 22nd, Suh In-young confessed that the reason for her hasty trip to America was depression. Suh In-young revealed that she used to deal with her depression during her busy schedule by taking prescribed stabilizers before going to bed. After the ant couple ended filming on We Got Married earlier this year, Suh In-young cleared her schedule and carted herself off to New York for a vacation. Suh In-young had a packed 2008, so she was stressed out and wanted a break, but fans were still worried over the pointy-nosed diva canceling activities and leaving for a foreign country all of a sudden without much reason.

Hopefully, the trip did Suh In-young some good because she’s about to throw herself back into fire with Jewelry’s comeback in August. It’s good seeing stars deal with depression before it gets too out of hand, with the best method apparently being vacationing in a foreign country. If that’s the only way Korea can deal with mental or stress disorders right now, just send them all on an exotic vacation, so at least in the future, there won’t be anymore lost lives.

The smoking hot Megan Fox was interviewed on the Australian radio show, “Kyle and Jackie O” on June 11th. At the very end of the short interview, Jackie O asked, ‘Who do you wanna date next?’ The response:

‘I, I think uh, I think uh. There’s this Korean Justin Timberlake named Rain. And I’m really on this situation right now, I’m trying to fix this situation up.’

The sexy star must have enjoyed the chicken breasts and chocolate abs (see above).

Hmmm…. so what does Rain think of this?

Check out the interview here or Kyle and Jackie O site

[Hat tip to SA and CV]

Of course, it wasn’t a recent issue. However, Tablo shared a few of his childhood stories at the taping of his brother Dave’s EBS show, ‘Star English‘ on the 9th. During the taping, Tablo and Dave shared stories of the rapper’s childhood love with a little German girl next door, part-time jobs, school and life growing up as a minority.  During the taping, Tablo didn’t hesitate to share his funny yet sad experience of wetting his pants while delivering newspapers either.

To come to think of it, I don’t why but when I was young I really wanted to deliver newspapers. But it was really difficult because there were so many places to deliver the papers to. Once I had to deliver papers on a rainy day and had the urge to use the restroom really bad. I couldn’t hold it in any longer and went to the nearest house that caught my eye and asked if I could use the restroom. Maybe it was because I was a little Asian kid that was soaking wet in the rain but they refused to let me use their restroom. Eventually I finished delivering all the papers and on my way home I just relieved myself in my pants. I cried a lot that day…

But really, who would actually let a stranger in to use the restroom? Would you? Probably not.

Tablo went on to share hurt-filled stories of his life as an immigrant in Canada including the racism he had to endure at school.

My life as a foreign exchange student didn’t go so smoothly either because of racism. The first day I went to school some student’s tied me to a tree and beat me up. I was given all sorts of names and insults you could ever imagine being said to an Asian and those names followed me everywhere. After returning to Korea and finishing highschool, I returned to America to attend college but things hadn’t really changed much. People weren’t openly as racist as they were in the past but there were still people that viewed and treated Asian’s differently subconsciously and discreetly.

To hear Tablo’s full story of his life before Epik High, be sure to tune in to Dave’s EBS ‘Star English‘ show on June 19th and 26th.

So this is how they live.

If you didn’t know it, you would think that a regular family lives in the apartment…..

On the top floor of an apartment complex in the trendy Apkujong houses the 5 boys of SHINee with their 2 managers.  Sports Hankok got an exclusive peek at their homey abode. The reporter noted that the pad was clean for 7 men (because they have a cleaning lady/cook who comes in everyday) and that the bedrooms contained bunkbeds and a single bed for Onew.  Member Key had pink bedding and regularly checked (and replied) to fan mail on their official SHINee homepage.

Is there any more we should know?

Can you guess who this is?

It’s none other than 2PM’s resident prankster, Woo-young. Photographs of young Woo-young have been released, and netizens are just so fascinated that he wasn’t a boring looking kid. He also pretty much looks exactly the same as when he was a little kid minus the baby fat. Here’s a little compare and contrast to illustrate how far he has come.

Woo-young started performing live on stage since he was little. With that little unisex sports bra training outfit, he is obviously very comfortable in his own skin.

Woo-young has always been comfortable with public speaking and doesn’t mind dressing up for formal occasions. Quite the dandy little dresser.

You know that quiet intensity glare that all the boys employ to make the girls swoon? Woo-young has been wearing that expression since he was little and he knows the camera likes a stoic face.

After all those prepubescent years, training and puberty produced the little 2PM dork we have now.

And that’s the hardest thing in the world to accomplish.

There’s been a lot of news on fragmented group, T-ara, and it’s not going to stop quite yet. Having recently announced her leave from the group, Ji-won spoke out on her personal minihompy on May 24th, which is probably around the time she officially submitted her decision to Mnet.

“This is life, isn’t it. I realized a lot of things. And I have to be brave! My choice will turn out to be a right one. I thank you all for understanding me and throwing away any hate about it, about my decision. I know right now for many people, they are hating me for this, but I guess it is just a matter of time they will feel better. Be better. I will be a better person. It would be great if I get more happiness. I’ll be alone for a while.”

The girl sounds smart. She may be missing out on a good opportunity to debut in a major girl group, but with all that fame comes a mess load of sacrifices. With such a clear mind, someone as young as Ji-won should go back to school. Then after the debut of T-ara, Ji-won can probably strike out on her own with that voice of hers. Better to hang tough alone in glory, then share the fame, right?

But the candle reads, “20”

Youna of Girls Generation shared her birthday cake with fans via the girl group fan cafe. The pop act turned actress turned 19 on May 30th. So why does the cake say, “20”? Well, maybe it’s because in Korea, you are automatically a year older. This is good when young, but not when you get older.

Besides, the 15+ year difference between Youna and her leading man, Kwon Sang-woo on the drama, Cinderella Man doesn’t sound so bad, right?

No wonder girl doesn’t know what love is.

Revealing her best asset (i.e. skin), Lee Hyori lands a spot on Elle Magazine’s “2009 Power Woman” list as the mover and shaker in pop culture. If the 31 year old wears something, it will fly off the shelves. If she is featured in a magazine, it will sell. And of course, if she makes music… people pay attention.

Lee Hyori is featured in the June 2009 issue of Elle Magazine (Korea).

Want a chest like Seungri with spindly legs?

Well, we’ll tell you how he did it.

Big Bang turned solo act, Seungri trained using the high intensity Sparta method, concentrating mainly on his upper body- chest, shoulders and arms. As for his diet, his trainers told him to cut down the amount of food since he is from a region of Korea that is known for delicious cuisine (Kwangjoo).

Sounds simple?

Check out Daesung flexing beside his Big Bang brother.

Like all good sons, they open an ice cream store for their mothers.

That’s exactly what Yoo-chun of idol group, Dong-bang-shin-ki did for his momma. Yoo-chun presented his momma with a brand-spanking new ice cream shop in Seoul’s most expensive areas, Rodeo Drive in Apku-jong from his earnings as a member of one of Korea’s most popular groups.

Aw, how sweet. But what about a house?

Dong-bang-shin-ki is currently touring in Japan.