20150808_seoulbeats_jessica_sulli_ameliepinkatnaverWelcome back to another Week in Review, everyone! Here’s all the happenings from this week:

Serious News

  • Sim Hag-bong , a lawmaker for the ruling Saenuri Party, has stepped down following accusations of sexual assault.
  • In response to a recent sexual harassment case in a school involving five teachers and 100 students in a high school, the government has introduced new measures to more strictly regulate the occurence of sex offenders among civil servants, like teachers. You can read about these measures here.
  • The first heat wave warning of 2015 was issued on the 7th. This is based on a technicality, though, as temperatures have been high for a while and already led to three deaths.
  • The Saenuri party is urging the National Pension Service, which has invested public money in Lotte Group, to intervene in an increasingly vicious battle between the founder’s two sons and the companies general manager. 1.5 trillion won has already been lost through share price drops.

Other Serious News

  • We finally got some closure today from SM Entertainment. Jessica has officially left the company; Sulli, meanwhile will stay with SM but not the group. f(x) is now a four-member team. I wonder if an announcement on Tao is forthcoming, too? Or will SM wait until Tao’s merch sells out the end of Exo‘s current tour?
  • On the other hand, the Kim Hyun-joong saga continues. Miss Choi filed a defamation case against Kim and his lawyer on the 7th.

20150808_seoulbeats_bigbang_gdtop_zutterDebuts and Comebacks

  • Shinee gave us the horror concept we deserved with “Married To The Music.” What would your Ultimate Shinee Member look like?
  • Big Bang concluded their M.A.D.E series with “Let’s Not Fall In Love” and GD&TOP song “Zutter.” Can’t wait to see the group perform these songs live in Melbourne!
  • The Wonder Girls brought back everything ’80s, from old-school synths to leotards (or swimsuits, your mileage may vary) to MTV, for “I Feel You.”
  • T-ara sailed the high seas with the nautical-themed MV for  “So Crazy,” from Brave Brothers.
  • Lee Michelle blessed us all with her long-awaited comeback “I Can Sing.” And he can rap, too! The MV is simple, but that only helps to better highlight Michelle’s self-confidence.
  • Unpretty Rapstar winner Cheetah rapped about her newfound fame in “My Number.”
  • Actor/rapper So Ji-sub is coming for that Rap God title, releasing Black and White versions of his latest single, “So Ganzi.”
  • A Pink released another single from Pink Memory, “Petal.”

Teasers and Announcements

  • Vixx has revealed its first sub-unit: Leo and Ravi! What do you guys think of this combination? Their teaser looks gorgeous, but I am geeking out too hard at the logo to notice the pretty idols.
  • CSJH The Grace member Stephanie will be releasing another solo track after 2012’s “Game.” Look out for “Prisoner” on the 10th.
  • FNC Entertainment is on a roll; after signing MC Yoo Jae-suk, the company will now be debuting a male dance idol group.
  • Hollywood is continuing to branch out into Korean film, with Warner Bros greenlighting Secret Agent, a Japanese colonial era film staring Song Kang-ho and Gong Yoo. Top director Kim Jee-woon will be at the helm.

20150608_seoulbeats_wonbin_leenayoung_eden9Other News

  • Lee Na-young is pregnant! She and husband Won Bin announced the pregnancy on the 3rd, a few weeks after their countryside wedding. Congrats to the couple!
  • Korean actor Song Seung-hun has comfirmed his relationship with Chinese actress Liu Yifei. The two met while filming the Korean-Chinese film production The Third Way of Love earlier this year. Again, congrats to the couple!

(Ilgan Sports, Inquirer.net, International Business Times, KBS World Radio, Korea Herald[1][2], Osen[1][2], Sports Seoul, Variety, Yonhap[1][2]. Images via: Facebook, Naver, YG Entertainment, Eden 9)