★emilybnb Loft #1

EMILY BNB#1 :  ★Sky View from Modern Loft in Central Seoul Emilt loft #1 is ideal for couple but also suitable for a family or up to 5 adults looking to explore the best of rich historical cultural past and its dynamic present at this center of Seoul city and you can look at  mountains from room on the highest floor.  ★The surrounding landscape from emilybnb #1,2,3,4,5 ■ THE NEIGHBORHOOD I love Jong-ro for many reasons, but especially there are a lot of different places that you can visit just by walking around,...

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Busker Busker album release, concert planned for September

Busker Busker, an indie band that came to fame through Mnet’s audition program “Superstar K,” is planning an official comeback in September with their sophomore full-length album. Busker Busker’s agency, Chungchun Music, announced through its official Facebook page that the band was busy making final touches to their album.  To commemorate the release of their new album, the band is also planning a nationwide tour for their “2013 Busker Busker Concert.”  “The band is working very hard for the release of their second album and concert...

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Super Junior’s ‘Super Show 5’ gathers 110,000 fans

Some 110,000 people attended Super Junior’s “Super Junior World Tour ― Super Show 5” in Japan’s Tokyo Dome on July 27 and 28, S.M. Entertainment said. This was the boy band’s fifth “Super Show” since their first exclusive concert in February 2008. The Tokyo Dome concert marked the 80th show for the group. Including Super Junior’s audience in Singapore for the “Super Show” on July 6, more than 1 million people have attended the concerts.  Super Junior performs during “Super Junior World Tour — Super Show 5” held in Japan’s Tokyo Dome on...

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Psy’s new release due September

Psy has announced plans to release a new album in September. The release date has yet to be specified. Psy is currently in Los Angeles working on new tracks with songwriter Yoo Kun-hyung, who worked with the singer on megahits “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman.”  “Psy really likes some of the new songs,” his agency YG Entertainment stated, adding, “This time he will not be releasing a single but an album with multiple tracks on it.”  Psy attends the premiere of “RED 2” at the Westwood Village Theater in Los Angeles on July 11. (UPI-Yonhap...

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Ex-Wonder Girls member Sunmi to make solo comeback

Sunmi. (J YP Entertainment) Sunmi, a former member of the K-pop group Wonder Girls, has announced she will be making a comeback as a solo artist. More than three years have passed since Sunmi left the girl group in 2010 to pursue academic studies. She is still affiliated with her original agency, JYP Entertainment, which stated on Monday, “Sunmi is preparing a comeback as a solo artist. Final dates are still being worked out.” According to the agency, Park Jin-young, the agency chief, is going to play a major role in her comeback,...

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New bands get a boost from ‘K-Rookies 2013’

KOCCA program fosters alternatives to K-pop offerings Emerging rock bands PaperTree and OopsNice will take to the stage in the last installment of the “K-Rookies 2013” concert series to be held at Muse Live, a 240-seat entertainment venue at Seoul Olympic Park, southern Seoul, on Aug. 17. This is the third concert featuring new bands, following performances by Je’she and Some Birds on June 22 and Round Heads and South Carnival on July 20.  Organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and launched last year, “K-Rookies” aims to support...

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PaperTree seeks to heal

Despite debuting nearly two years ago, the members of rock trio PaperTree are still trying to make their mark on the Korean indie scene. After a recent member change, the band is now back to its original founding members ― Song Young-keun on vocals and bass, Kim Tae-hyun on guitar and Lee Ye-chan on drums.  “Our name means a tree made with paper. And paper is made from trees, it is like an infinite cycle. We wish the same for our music careers. We get motivation and a purpose to keep pursuing music when the audience listens and loves our...

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Super Junior to release travel book

K-pop group Super Junior members are becoming tour guides with their new travel book, “Super Junior’s Experience Korea NEWS+Seoul.”  The two-volume guide, which will include four separate sections titled “Tasting,” “Feeling,” “Making” and “Enjoying,” is set to hit the shelves Aug. 16. For the making of the book, 10 of the group’s members traveled in pairs around Korea during different seasons. Siwon and Donghae traveled to the northern part of the country, Kyuhyun and Yesung to the east, Shindong and Eunhyuk to the west, Lee Teuk and Ryeowook...

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KARA to release new album in September

Girl group KARA is to release a new album in September.  DSP media, KARA’s agency, provided a glimpse of the styling for the upcoming album in a teaser image released on Monday.  The black-and-white album cover shows the five members dressed in black suits, sporting dishevelled, pulled-back hairstyles. The group has deviated from their usual sexy and cute look, moving toward a more androgynous, edgier vibe.  KARA. (DSP Media) The upcoming album will be the K-pop group’s 4th album release in Korea. Their last full-length release...

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Seungri releases explicit music video teaser

Big Bang member Seungri released an R-rated video teaser on YG Entertainment’s official blog for the title track for his upcoming solo album “Let’s Talk about Love” on Friday.  Viewers need to go through adult confirmation in order to watch the 28-second teaser, which overall has a dreamy ambience much different from the concept of his first solo album released in 2011.  The teaser, which doesn’t feature Seungri himself, shows provocative slow-motion scenes of models and artistic close-up shots of sexually symbolic objects.  A...

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Keeping it fresh

Underground hip-hop label Hi-Lite Records works to keep creative flow, gain more exposure This is the second in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed. According to Korean rapper Paloalto, promotion is difficult for independent labels in Korea. Lack of financing limits their promotional reach and makes it difficult for promotion companies to want to work with them. But a recent show put on by underground hip-hop label Hi-Lite Records saw hundreds crowd into the venue to support the...

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Summer essentials

Summer essentials From print dresses to cool blazers to sunscreen, things to get you vacation-ready As soon as the rainy season ends, sweltering heat blankets the nation, prompting those who haven’t gone on vacation to head to the beaches, go camping or enjoy the quiet, empty city.  August is the best time for summer shopping as some summer essential items go on sale. Before getting ready for the long-awaited vacation, some trends are worth keeping in mind. They may help you score some items that will make your holiday a blast.  Silk...

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Drama-inspired tourist program offers Korean cooking class

There is more to Korean culture than Psy and K-dramas. For those interested in the country’s traditions, the state-run Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation is launching a tourist program to promote Korea’s food, music, dance and more. Titled “HAN STYLE,” the program features the traditional Korean cuisine hansik, the traditional Korean costume hanbok, the traditional Korean paper hanji and the Korean writing system Hangeul, as well as traditional dance and music performances. Foreigners learn how to make Korean royal cuisine in Seoul’s Korea House....

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Seoul photo essay

seoul photo essay ...

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Taking a relaxing stroll through botanical gardens at Mount Yumyeongsan

A boardwalk built in Yumyeongsan National Recreational Forest (KFS) For busy city dwellers, even thinking of wasting several hours in a car, train or bus during a short summer vacation is stressful.  But just one hour’s drive east from Seoul is a marvelous driving course along Cheongpyeong Lake and through Cheongpyeong Dam. The road from Seorak-myeon all the way to Yumyeongsan National Recreational Forest immerses travelers in the lush greenery of the countryside.  For those who enjoy hiking, the trail of flat and steep slopes along...

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