Hello readers, and welcome back to another edition of Week in Review. Here’s some news:
Serious News
- Dagwon High School, which lost many students the Sewol ferry sinking, and authorities are currently feeling the heat for a special University entrance pathway for its graduating pupils. Many other students have voiced their opinion that this less competitive route into the nation’s top universities is a rather strange, and potentially alienating, form of compensation.
- Rapper Swings has been discharged from military duty 11 months early, due to his mental illness issues. He used Facebook to relay this development, as well as his plans to seek treatment during the remaining 11 months of his intended service time.
- Tasty has taken legal steps to terminate its contract with Woollim Entertainment, filing a lawsuit on Monday.
- Super Junior’s Siwon has always been known for his Christianity-driven homophobia. But this weekend saw him apologise on Twitter for airing such views, after copping flak for a retweet supporting Kim Davis, AKA the US county clerk recently arrested for denying marriage licences to same sex couples. The tweets have since been deleted.
Debuts & Comebacks
- Nell whipped out the VHS tapes for their latest MV, “Star Shell.”
- CN Blue returned with the disappointing “Cinderella.” What did you think of the song?
- MBK Entertainment‘s new idol act, and T-ara‘s sister group, DIA debuted with “Somehow.”
- YG‘s Team B, now known as iKON, revealed its pre-release single “My Type.” Keep an eye on Seoulbeats for our MV review!
- Super Junior dropped its repackage for Devil, with a MV for new single “Magic.”
- SM Entertainment‘s The Story kicked off on Thursday with Jonghyun’s Story Op. 1. Lead single “End Of A Day” is apparently inspired by Jonghyun’s dog!
- Tough girl Jessi dropped “Ssenunni.” Watch her watch herself beating a guy in the boxing ring!
- Roh Ji-hoon takes a turn for the sweeter in his new MV “If You Were Me.”
- Sweet Sorrow celebrates their 10th anniversary with this ode to their old studio in “Ahyeondong.”
- New girl group Vividiva debuted with “Service,” dressed accordingly as … bunny maids?
Teasers & Announcements
- JYJ‘s Junsu is making a solo comeback! Expect an album from him in October, followed by an Asia tour. Xia(h) is already hard at work, with C-JeS Entertainment instagramming a pic of him in the studio.
- 2NE1‘s Dara has been cast in her next web drama. She will star as the North Korea representative to the 2020 Miss Korea pageant inKBS’ Missing Korea. The drama is slated for an October start, to coincide with the reunion of separated Korean families.
Upcoming release The Throne (also known as Sado), starring Song Kang-ho, Yoo Ah-in and Moon Geun-young, has been selected as South Korea’s entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards. The film will come out later this month.- Veteran singer Lee Seung-hwan will be releasing his new EP, 3 +3, on October 1st. A pre-release track, “That One Person” will be dropped on Monday. The song was previously featured in the OST for K-drama Discovery of Love.
- Leessang‘s Gary, of Running Man fame, will be releasing another album! The rapper put out an image teaser and tracklist for 2002 on Instagram earlier this week, before Leessang Company dropped the teaser for single “Get Some Air” yesterday.
- Got7 announced a surprise comeback: look out for “Mad” on the 29th!
- After his contract with Cube expired, Rain aims to set up his own agency. Sorry, J.Tune Camp.
- SNSD leader Taeyeon will be holding her first solo concerts, starting in late October! This means we can definitely expect her solo album soon — if the timing of the news about her break-up with Exo(-K)’s Baekhyun wasn’t clue enough.
Other News
- The Best South Korea Act nominees for this year’s MTV EMAs have been revealed! G-friend is the only girl group among B1A4, BTS, Got7 and Vixx. Do you think another K-pop group can follow in Big Bang‘s footsteps and win Best Worldwide Act?
- Choi Minho stuck to invading others’ SNS accounts rather than making his own. The latest victim was SNSD’s Sooyoung, who attended Coach‘s New York Fashion Week show with the Shinee member this week.
- f(x)‘s Amber revealed a special birthday gift on the 18th: a special MV for song “Beautiful,” off her debut solo mini album of the same name.
Happy birthday, Llama!
(Asiae, Facebook, The Fact, The Guardian, Instagram[1][2][3][4], The Korea Herald [1][2], MTV, Mwave[1], Nate[1], Naver[1][2], Twitter, Variety, YouTube[1][2]. Images via: SM Entertainment, CéCi, Showbox/Mediaplex)
