Kim Bum Cast as Bruce Lee for New Chinese Drama

Kim Bum will be taking on the role of the legendary Bruce Lee for an upcoming Chinese drama.

The Chinese media has reported on September 29 and 30 that Kim Bum has been casted to portray Bruce Lee for the drama “Yip Man and Bruce Lee,” which will start filming in China this month.

The director and producer of the drama, Pan Xiaotian, said, “Bruce Lee was an international star. People from across the world honored his mentality. Why does a Chinese actor have to be Bruce Lee?”

Chinese media reports that several well-noted actors such as Li Yi Feng, Yang Yang, Huo Jianhua (Wallace Huo), Kevin Cheng, and William Chan were candidates for Kim Bum’s role.

“While I was attending Busan International Film Festival, a friend recommended Kim Bum,” Pan Xiaotian said.

Kim Bum is being introduced in China as a worthy actor who has been nominated for the Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Award from the Baeksang Arts Awards. He has also taken on a big role in a Hong Kong epic movie in the past.

“I love Bruce Lee. I’ve enjoyed his movies since I was young,” Kim Bum said.

His managing agency has also stated he is ready by saying, “Kim Bum is working out every day and collecting information on Bruce Lee for research. He’s ready to successfully play the role of Bruce Lee.”

“Yip Man and Bruce Lee” is co-produced by Jiangxi Television, Yangzhou Television, and Suzhou television. Filming will start in October and crew from Korea will also partially be helping out.

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Hyukoh Perform Surprise Concert At G-Dragon's New Cafe

(Photo : Instiz)

 When your fave is a fan of one of the most talked about bands in South Korea, that says something!

Indie band Hyukoh recently had a surpise performance at The Monsant Cafe, owned by Big Bang leader G-Dragon. The somewhat-labelmates to GD made the news known on leader Oh Hyuk's Instagram account with a simple message: "Hello, everyone in Jeju Island. I'm going to be holding a guerilla concert in a bit at 6PM at Monsant. See you in a bit."Adding to the excitement of fans, G-Dragon took to his Instagram account to regram the post and added, "I want to go, too." He might not be able to sneak into his Jeju Island cafe unnonoticed, but fans of both artists definitely noticed that he is a fan, too!

Hyukoh - comprised of members Oh Hyuk, Im Dong Gun, Lim Hyun Jae and Lee In Woo - debuted in 2014 and have since moved from their old label to HIGHGRND, a subsidiary of YG Entertainment led by Tablo of Epik High. The foursome, all born in 1993, are the first act signed to Tablo's independent music label.

Now that they are under the same roof as other amazing YG Family artists, maybe a collaboration or two are in the works? You never know what could happen!

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Big Bang's Seungri Reaches 2 Million Twitter Followers

Big Bang's Seungri (Lee Seung Hyun) has reached a new milestone on his Twitter account.

The youngest Big Bang member now has 2 million followers on Twitter.

As Big Bang continue to show their popularity around the world, Seungri is not the only member to make a splash on social media. Leader G-Dragon (Kwon Ji Yong) recently reached 6 million followers on Instagram and T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun) was highlighted by the photo-sharing network for being one of the most-followed new accounts.

The group soon will embark on the North American leg of their ongoing MADE World Tour, kicking things off in Las Vegas on Oct. 2 before making additonal stops in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

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1TYM Member Baekkyoung Announces Engagement To Longtime Girlfriend

1TYM member Song Baekkyoung announced that he is engaged to his girlfriend.

Song Baekkyoung and his girlfriend have been together for a long time - 14 years to be exact - and are finally ready to make things official with the announcement of their recent engagement.,

A representative for Baekkyoung confirmed the engagement to Korean media outlets, but noted that the date and location of the wedding have yet to be determined.

Reports also indicated that after popping the question, Baekkyoung contacted the other members of 1TYM, asking them to get together to sing at his wedding. They are expected to sing their single "One Love" at the ceremony.

Baekkyoung isn't the only 1TYM member happy in love.  Oh Jin Hwan and Danny (Im Taebin) are married, while Teddy Park is in a relationship with actress Han Ye Seul.

All are busy working with individual activities. Danny is in Los Angeles doing his own show for Mnet America, Danny from LA. Teddy is one of the main producers for YG Entertainment, and Baekkyoung is currently on another project with MoogaDong.

1TYM, while still signed to YG Entertainment, has been on hiatus since 2006. They last released the album One Way in 2005 with the title track was "Do You Know Me?" 

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CNBLUE's Yong Hwa Requests Fans Respect His Privacy

One member of CNBLUE recently asked fans to respect his privacy.

Jung Yong Hwa, the lead vocalist of K-pop band CNBLUE, took to Twitter on Wednesday to ask fans to respect the privacy of his family and not visit his family phone. The singer's tweet explained that fans visiting his home over Chuseok, a Korean holiday, was inappropriate.

"I understand and am grateful for your love, but I would like to ask you not to come to my home," Yong Hwa wrote. "My parents were shocked when they [fans] visited me over the Chuseok holiday."

Chuseok is a traditional Korean holiday, and began on Sept. 27. During Chuseok, most people in South Korea have off from work, and spend time with their family.

After making his polite request, Yong Hwa also wished his fans a good night.

The K-Pop Herald reported that Yong Hwa has continuously faced similar problems from so-called "sasaeng" fans, or the intense fans who invade the private lives of celebrities.

Numerous K-pop idols in the past have struggled with fans overreaching into their private life. In 2013, "SNL Korea"addressed the situation with a comic sketch, particularly highlighting the intense fans devoted to SM Entertainment boy group EXO.

Yong Hwa debuted with CNBLUE in 2009, and rose to fame both as a singer and as an actor. He appeared in popular Korean dramas, including "You're Beautiful" and "Heartstrings." 

CNBLUE made made a comeback in Korea earlier this month with their first album of 2014, "2gether," featuring the single "Cinderella."

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iKON Release Teaser For 2nd Title Track 'Airplane'

Not to long after revealing the teaser poster for "Rhythm Ta" iKON is back once again with another chic poster for their second title track "Airplane."

On September 29, YG Entertainment uploading the teaser to iKON's official Facebook page. "Airplane" has the boys looking sleek in monochromatic colors as they walk confidently towards the camera. Unsurprisingly, iKON's charismatic natures shine through in the still image as well. Fans were especially pleased to see each member's face this time around since "Rhythm Ta's" poster only showed off their backs.

"Airplane" is the second title track from their debut half album Welcome Back. The debuting group will feature their two title tracks, both with music videos, until the release of their full twelve track album in November. In an earlier interview YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk revealed that the group will have at least five music videos. Since fans have already seen "My Type," iKON's warm-up single released earlier in September, the anticipation for the four remaining videos is quite high.

Before the official release, iKON will also be hosting a live stream event on September 30 via the "V" app. There they will play games and introduce their half album and upcoming concert.

Welcome Back will be released digitally on October 1 with a physical release following on October 5.

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Seventeen, Dancing And East-West Ideals [BLOG]

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(Photo : Pledis)

One of the first things we notice when becoming K-pop fans is the influence of western pop. Musically, K-pop blends a whole host of genres otherwise unheard of in the east. These influences give K-pop an international edge allowing it to cater to a lot more fans than their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. This fusion usually comes in a musical and visual form. 

Hip-hop sounds and visuals are hugely prevalent in the last few years as K-pop senses the U.S. market opening ever so slightly. Where it is not so obvious, however, is in performance. That's where Pledis Entertainment's new boys Seventeen come in, they've got something new to show us all.

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