Saturday, March 29, 2008
Lee Dong Gun’s sad news
March 21st, 2008 ·
I read about the story of two Korean students stabbed in Sydney. Tonight, I’ve been reading that one of the victims is Lee Dong Gun’s younger brother. Lee Dong Gun gained popularity in the Philippines through the Korean drama “Lovers in Paris”. He recently broke up with long-time girlfriend Han Ji Hye.
Lee Dong Gun returned to Korea via Incheon Airport at around 6pm yesterday evening with his brother’s urn. He wore the customary black suit with a pained expression on his face as he exchanged a few words with grieved relatives at the arrival gate before swiftly departing the airport.
When Lee Dong Gun appeared at the arrival gate area with the urn yesterday, his relatives couldn’t bear the grief and started sobbing. Lee Dong Gun was expressionless and his blood-shot eyes tells us that the loss of his dear brother has bought him immense pain and we can only look on.
His brother, Lee Joon Yub, 19, collapsed and died on the footpath outside World Square after he and a friend became embroiled in a brawl with two Chinese teenagers and was stabbed outside Hungry Jacks on 20th March.
Lee Dong Gun who had been very close to his brother immediately flew to Australia with his parents the next day to claim his body after learning of the tragic news. His brother’s body was cremated in Sydney on 26th March.
Upon returning, Lee Dong Gun immediately headed for the Samsung Medical Center at Ilwon-Dong where his brother’s urn will be placed temporarily at the mourning hall. The funeral will run for four days while a memorial service will be conducted in a Catholic church through a mass format on 31st March.
Actress and former girlfriend of Lee Dong Gun, Han Ji Hye came to the mourning hall and used her tears to console him over the tragic loss of his brother. She arrived at around 11.30pm last night, just a few hours after Lee Dong Gun had returned with his brother’s urn from Australia.
According to someone from Han Ji Hye’s company, “After completing the filming for “I Hate You But It’s Fine” drama, she rushed over to the hospital immediately.” It’s understood that when she arrived, she started tearing because she had lost someone who was like a brother to her as well.
Han Ji Hye and Lee Dong Gun was a couple until the end of last year when they broke up which left many fans disappointed.
Lee Dong Gun is tentatively scheduled to come back to Korea on the 26th. Korean netizens sympathize with the actor and his family.
This isn’t fresh news, but thought I should post this to give my thoughts. We all know that losing a family member is the worst thing that can happen to us in our lives. And when Lee Dong-Gun found out he has just lost his younger brother, he must have been really shocked and felt like the world has been totally unfair on him. I’m not a big follower of Korean dramas as I only watch a few if I have time. Lee Dong-Gun was one of those celebrities that I know by face, but not by name (yes I DID NOT watch Lover's in Paris, I don't know why I missed it). I know this incident will spark some racial issues and questions yet again. I just wish we could all get along. All I know is that people need to stop being so ignorant and refrain from being too proud about their race, culture and religion, as it can start dreadful misunderstandings towards other groups. Cos the world still needs some serious growing up about these issues. Knowing this awful news of Lee Dong-Gun's brother's untimely death saddens me. Our condolences go out to him and his family. May his brother rest in peace.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
| Se7en | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Choi Dong-Wook (최동욱, Hanja: 崔東昱) (surname, Choi) |
| Also known as | Seven-Eleven |
| Born | November 9, 1984 |
| Origin |  Seoul, South Korea |
| Genre(s) | K-pop, J-pop, R&B, Pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer, actor, dancer |
| Years active | 2003–Present |
| Label(s) | YG Entertainment (South Korea) NEXSTAR Records (Japan) |
| Website | Hello7.com |
Se7en (Korean: 세븐, born Choi Dong-Wook, Hangeul: 최동욱, Hanja: 崔東昱, November 9, 1984) is a South Korean pop/R&B singer. He began training under a management agency YG Entertainment at the age of 15. After 4 years of training in voice and dance, he made his debut in 2003 and became successful throughout Asia.
Se7en has worked exclusively under the YG Entertainment label. Much of his career is composed of constant promotions for his songs through live performances on TV, radio shows, and occasionally, concerts. He also began learning Japanese in preparation for his promotional activities for his Japan debut in 2005.
Se7en has traveled throughout Asia, particularly Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and China. He has also performed a few times in the United States, specifically Los Angeles (Grand Olympic and Hollywood Bowl), New York City (Madison Square Garden), and Washington DC (DAR Constitution Hall).
In addition to performing, he has been featured on game shows in South Korea and Japan, and commercials for Samsung's Anycall, Baskin Robbins, Coca Cola, LG Telecom[1], Sprite (directed by David Fincher)[2] and most recently, K-SWISS[3] and KTF. He has held a total of five concerts in Japan: one held in 2005 at Yokohama, and for the year 2006, two held in Tokyo and two in Osaka[4]. He held a total of three concerts for his "24/SE7EN" album promotion June 2006 in Seoul, South Korea. His popularity has earned him an award for the Most Popular Korean Singer in the MTV Asia Awards 2006 at Bangkok, Thailand [5], and the MTV Best Buzz Asia Award 2006 [6].
On April 7, 2007, his 747 concert was held at Seoul's Olympic Park Stadium, which marks Se7en's last activity in Korea for this year. He is currently working on his oversea activities in Japan and the United States. He has held another Japanese tour called '7rhythm' in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in early July. According to his Japanese label, Nexstar Records, all of the 20,000 tickets for the concerts were sold out in a short amount of time[7]. Se7en is currently preparing for his U.S. debut, which is scheduled soon this year in 2008.
[edit] American Debut
Se7en and YG Family (including Big Bang, Jinusean and Gummy) have made an appearance on MTV K, followed by 3 concerts in Washington DC, New York City, and Los Angeles, to celebrate YG Family's 10th Anniversary [8] and to help promote Se7en before his American debut. The MTV K documentary aired on December 11, 2006.
Se7en is a featured guest on Amerie's Take Control on her album, Because I Love It, which was released in May 2007[9]. This remix is available on Asian versions of the album [10].
Se7en has been working with former CEO of LaFace Records, Mark Shimmel and Grammy-winner Rich Harrison on his first American album[11]. A new production team called Noize Trip, who produced The Black Eyed Peas' Disco Club[12] has also contributed some work. It was also reported that Teddy from 1TYM has produced a song for Se7en's American album and possibly will make more songs[13]. Darkchild has also joined the team and produced songs for Se7en[14]. It was also reported from Far East Movement's blog that they, as well as Three 6 Mafia will also participate in Se7en's upcoming English album[15].
Yang Heon Seok, (CEO of YG Entertainment) had announced that Fabolous will be featured in Se7en's first U.S. single[16]. However, due to a recent leak of his US debut song, "This is My Year" featuring Fabolous[17], on Myspace and YouTube, this will cause some changes in Se7en's U.S. debut.
Se7en is still recording tracks, but also taking the necessary steps to ensure his debut such as trademarking his name in America[18]. The release date for his first single is still unknown, but it is scheduled that his full length English language album will be released in the first half of this year.
Se7en held a White Day celebration and party at the Hiro Ballroom in New York City on March 14th for an event produced by Swerve Media and Base NYC. Three of his U.S. album tracks were played at this preview party. There will be a total of five album preview parties across the country (Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles) and in Toronto, Canada after wrapping up the finalization of a contract.[19]
Acting career
Se7en accepted the lead role for the Korean drama Goong S, a spinoff of the popular drama Goong. The first episode of Goong S premiered on January 10, 2007 on MBC; the average nationwide rating for the entire series was 9.7%, which was considerably lower than the ratings of its predecessor, Goong.
Despite the low ratings, Goong S was the most searched and rewatched drama online; it ranked higher than its competition: KBS2 Dal Ja's Spring and SBS Surgeon Bong Dal Hee[20]. The drama has also gained a wide variety of support from international fans in the U.S., Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Australia, and Singapore.[21].
Although he is aware that criticisms still remain, Se7en has taken note of those criticisms and is determined to continue acting in the near future[22]. Se7en had said that even though the drama was not of much of a success, he does not ever regret accepting the role of his character in the drama. It even helped Se7en to sing with more emotion during performances. He also mentioned that he was thankful to have a chance to work with the drama crew and take his career to a new level by acting.Voice
Se7en's vocal range can be classified in the tenor range. His voice can be described as smooth, mellow, and sometimes mildly abrasive (see vocal belting) when songs, such as "Crazy" and "I Know," call for it. He often sings with a vibrato in his voice that American R&B singers are known for, and also incorporates beatboxing into many of his songs such as "Passion." Se7en maintains an adamant belief that he should not lipsync during his live performances[24].
Dance
Additionally, Se7en is known for his dance moves. His dance style, like his vocals, can also be described as "leaning more towards freestyle" rather than heavy choreography. Some dance techniques he sports during live performances are gliding, popping of the chest, various one-handed handstands, swipe, and kicks. His signature handstand, which he executes during his "Come Back to Me" performances, is the Nike (see picture). Most recently, he has been executing the gainer and the pike (see breakdance) during his "I Know" performances.