Sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.

In a recent  interview with “Sports Dong-A“, Shinhwa member Andy gave his two cents on the current legal troubles going down between DBSK and SM Enertainment.

For those unaware, Shinhwa had their own messy split from SM Entertainment a few years back. After buying out the rights to their name and switching companies, the “legendary” idol  group managed to  make a successful comeback releasing several successful albums in the following years.

In response the situation Andy said:

“Leaving the company is the second trial which is harder from the debut time…It will be hard, like having to debut all over again.”

Having started a label of his own (ND Entertainment), the “single man” was able to speak on the topic from both the idol and executive point of view. Though he expressed his desire to see DBSK and their fans bounce back, he did give SM some credit, stating:

“Idol groups that gained popularity quickly think that their efforts are what’s important, but still thinking that it is dangerous…You must acknowledge the fact that the company has capabilities and talent.”

Thus far, Andy is the second Shinhwa member to weigh in on the DBSK situation. Lee Min-woo also  gave the group some advice a few months back.

Yup, it’s none other than f(x)’s resident “cutsey girl,” Sulli. This is the thirteen year old Sulli filming the movie “Vacation” alongside DBSK’s Yoo-chun.

If there’s anything netizens seem to do exceptionally well it’s digging up old pictures of stars. Now, it’s Sulli’s turn. It seems no surprise that G-Dragon is interested in the girl, seeing as her career was launched from her pretty looks. She was the winner of 2005’s “Pretty Children Competition”

Seen alongside DBSK’s Yun-ho at an unspecified SM party.

Isn’t she a cutie? Meanwhile, Sulli is promoting with her group f(x) to moderate success with their single “LA chA TA“.

Check out Sulli now~

…and so it begins.

A recently updated poster for the much anticipated 2009 Dream Concert has been released and it’s missing a few faces.

For starters, idol group DBSK has been completely removed from the poster. That’s because it has been recently confirmed by the  Korean Entertainment Producers Association (the organizers of the concert)  that due to the group’s current lawsuit with SM Entertainment, DBSK will most likely not be performing at the event.

KEPA released a statement saying:

“About this unforeseen incident, Korean Entertainment Producers Association and SM Entertainment has been having discussions in regard to former performers matter, and currently meet in the decision that under present condition, starring TVXQ in the concert is very difficult, therefore for everyone who is looking forward to TVXQ performance, we’re really sorry and sincerely apologize.”

In addition, 2PM’s former leader Park Jae-bum has been removed from the poster, as he is no longer a member of the group. The rest of the group members appear, however,  indicating that they’ll still be be performing (just without Jae-bum). No official statement has been made to the contrary.

The 2009 Dream Concert will be held on October 10th  at Sangnam World Cup Stadium and will feature acts like Super Junior, Big Bang, MC Mong, Jewelry and 2PM (minus former member, Jae-bum).

Here’s a picture of the old poster for comparison~

Looks like Yun-ho is cute and cost-effective.

During a recent filming of the upcoming drama “Heading to the Ground“, starring DBSK’s  Jung Yun-ho, about 4,000 fans showed up (after being notified only an hour beforehand) as extras to view the star film a scene for the drama. Cast, crew, netizens and even Yun-ho himself were left in awe at the amount of support shown that day.

Well, it looks like production is happy for another reason. Due to the overwhelming fan attendance, the show saved some money. How much, you ask? About 200 million won (nearly $160,000). In place of fans, the show would have had to call in extras to fill all of the empty stadium seats for the shot, which would have cost them a pretty penny. Yun-ho’s fans, however, showed up free of charge.

In addition, the fans “worked” well, needing little instruction from production on how to cheer for their favorite star. One “Heading to the Ground” representative stated:

“Because the fans have diligently created various cheers for TVXQ during their concerts, they were complete pros when it came to cheering. We didn’t need to guide them at all.“

Lesson learned: never underestimate the power of fangirls. They may not be tame 100% of the time, but they sure are reliable in a pinch.

Here’s a video shot on that day of  filming~

Are you excited?!

MBC has finally released official teasers for the highly anticipated drama starring DBSK’s Yun-ho and Koh Ara, “Heading to the Ground“. From what can be seen in the teaser, it looks like the drama’s going to be quite comical. Yun-ho jumping around and playing top-less soccer is surely more than enough to rake in Cassiopeans, worldwide. But will Yun-ho be capable of charming the older viewers and beat the viewer ratings of “Take Care of My Lady” starring Yoon Eun-hye?

“Heading to the Ground” is scheduled to broadcast this coming September 9th. I’ll definitely be tuning in, will you?

He might just know what he’s talking about.

Many stars are currently speaking up about the current DBSK vs. SM Entertainment legal drama and it seems Shinhwa member Lee Min-woo has added himself to that list. In a recent interview, the singer offered the group some advice.

In case you’ve forgotten, Shinhwa had some trouble with SM Entertainemt a few years back. When the group’s contracts ended, SM refused to renew every member’s contract so the boys banded together, bought the rights to their name and switched companies. It was a difficult process, but the boys bounced back.

According to the interview, M has previously met with DBSK and he admired the group’s togetherness and fighting spirit. The boys prayed together and encouraged each other, much the way Shinhwa members do.

Here’s what M had to say:

“My dear younger brothers, TVXQ does not just belong to TVXQ. Don’t think too much and over-complicate things, just keep thinking about your fans who have spent precious times with you and who have always protected you. I hope that all of you can steadfastly protect the proud name of TVXQ. You definitely can’t disband, hyung is counting on you. After the current issue is resolved, the 11 of us should go out and have fun.“

Honestly, when I heard about DBSK‘s lawsuit, I immediately remembered Shinhwa, and M is right! It was the group’s dedication and fans’ suport that helped Shinhwa come back stronger than ever. Let’s hope DBSK can come back from all this as well.

Let the accusations fly!

Ever since the Dong-Bang-Shin-Ki contract debacle, netizens have been ravenously working to discover if the circumstances were similar for other idol groups.

The talk of the world wide web is that other celebrity singers are also under “slave contracts.” Yoona of Girls Generation is speculated to have a contract similar to DBSK: 13 years. Both Shinee’s and Super Junior’s contracts, depending upon the member, range from 5-13 years. Yet, is SM Entertainment really the only culprit?

Reports state that the Wonder Girls‘ contracts with JYPE are seven years, while Big Bang’s contracts last for 5. SS501’s contracts with DSP Entertainment also reportedly last for 5 years.

The Fair Trade Committee has inspected 20 entertainment agencies (including YG and Star Empire) to find 19 of the 20 with harsh agreements in 230 celebrity contracts. Some conditions involve stating their specific locations at all times, refraining form retirement without consent, and even not being able to talk to other stars. Okay, the last one was a lie.

Remember, these are all rumors the netizens have supposedly “investigated.” Until official statements are made from either side, we’ll have to wait and see if the industry is really as greedy as the rumors accuse. What do you think? Is it all fluff or is there indeed truth to these netizens’ accusations?

Is K-Pop really CORPpop, or do these singers just need to understand that this is what they wanted?

Although its not an official 5th album, the boys of Dong-bang-shin-ki will be releasing their live concert album, ‘DBSK: The 3rd Asia Tour Concert ‘Mirotic” on July 30th.

The new live concert album, will consist of footage from their February 2009 concert at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. The two CD album, consists of newly re-made songs including ‘Hug’, ‘Balloons’, ‘The Way U Are’, as well as a few of their Japanese tracks including, ‘Somebody To Love’and ‘Sky’.

What’s unique about their new 34 track live concert album is that it includes solo tracks from each member. Yunho’s contribution is the self-produced track titled ‘Checkmate.’ Junsu also produced his own track titled ‘Xiahtic’ featuring Shinee member Key. A solo by Chang-min titled, ‘Upon This Rock’ and one by Jae-joong titled, ‘It’s My World’, have also been included. In addition, DBSK fans can also hear a piano track, performed by Yoo-chun himself titled, ‘Love Bye Love’.

That’s not all. DBSK will also release another DVD series titled, ‘All About DBSK Season 3′ on August 13th.

Excited?

SM Entertainment promises a variety of footage for the new “All About DBSK” DVD, which includes the standard making films from their 4th album, ‘Mirotic’.  The new DVD also includes new content such as a “small talk” corner titled, ‘Couple Talk’ featuring Yoo-chun and his pet ’Harang’ and Yunho’s pet ‘Taepoong’, an introduction to DBSK members favorite places to eat, no-cut version of the taping of SBS TV’s ‘Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate’, footage from their fall mini-concert, ‘Here comes, DBSK!’ a special corner filmed in Saipan and much more. The new ’All About DBSK Season 3′ will consist of a total of 6 DVD’s and a special 60 page Saipan special photo album.

All you DBSK fans better start saving up your allowance, because by the looks of it, these new DVD’s sound pricey!

Okay, girls you can stop drooling now!

DBSK’s Yun-ho, who was recently cast as the main role for the upcoming MBC drama, “Headbutting the Ground“ has already began filming for the drama. A lucky netizen was able to get a few pictures of Yun-ho at the film site, and does he look good or what?! Even in a worn out white T-shirt and red shorts, the boy looks off the hook.

Here’s another picture for you Yun-ho fans to indulge in for the time being.

Hopefully, Yun-ho does a good job of transforming into his character, Cha Bong-goon, and surpass the curse of less than 5% viewer ratings that seems to be the fad these days.

DBSK fans rejoice, you guys just hit the jack-pot!

First Jae-joong, then Yun-ho and now it’s Chang-min’s turn to make his debut on the small screen! Looks like the boys are slowly creeping their way back into the arms of their fans in Korea.

Chang-min will be making his official debut as an actor through the upcoming drama, “Paradise Ranch“. The drama is a joint production between Sam-hwa Networks and SM Entertainment, and will be a romantic melodrama story drawn out on a romantic ranch in Je-ju Island. The writers for the drama are also look promising with Jang Hyun-ju, who is the co-author of the hit drama, “Coffee Prince“, and Suh Hee-jung, the author of the drama “Into the Sun“, working together.

Casting for the supporting roles, including Chang-min’s love interest, and the air date of the drama have yet to be scheduled. However, it has already been agreed that “Paradise Ranch” will broadcast abroad in Japan and the Southeast Asia region. Production for “Paradise Ranch” will begin sometime at the end of August.

Three down, two more to go~

Who doesn’t love a charitable soul from a hot bod like Yun-ho?

Recently, DBSK’s leader Yun-ho, returned to Korea on June 18th after their concert in Beijing. Yun-ho, along with his father and a few high school friends, volunteered at the orphanage for a day of cleaning, serving food and playing with the kids. Apparently, not even his agency, SM Entertainment knew that Yun-ho had returned to Korea to volunteer at the orphanage. Of course, no good deed goes unnoticed by fans. It was fellow volunteers at the orphanage that noticed Yun-ho and uploaded pictures of the star on their blog.

A staff member of the orphanage highly praised Yun-ho stating,

It’s not often the children get to see a celebrity and they were surprised and delighted by U-know Yun-ho’s surprise visit. Yun-ho gifted the children with music by giving them a live performance and also showed his devotion by helping those around him, touching the hearts of many.

After volunteering at the orphanage, Yun-ho quietly returned to Japan to resume promotional activities. Even if he’s not making a comeback in Korea, at least he’s leaving a good mark.

Where else would they have it?

Yesterday was raining, but that didn’t stop 45 thousand fans from seeing their favorite performers at the 5.5 hour SMTOWN LIVE 08 concert extravaganza. For a total of 39 performers including Boa, Super Junior, Dong-bang-shin-ki (DSBK), The Grace, SHINee and Girls Generation (SNSD).

Shouts out if you were the one of 45,000 screaming girls at the concert.

SMTOWN LIVE 08 will take their show on the road to Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok, starting in September.

Dong-bang-shin-ki (DBSK)

SHINee (what happened to their pastel outfits? With the somber black tones, I thought they were DSSK)

Girls Generation (SNSD)

Super Junior Happy