Thieves Nabbed for Robbing House of Actor's Mom

Three burglars who robbed the house of popular actor Kim Rae-won's mother were apprehended three months after the break-in, police said Monday.

Yongsan Police Station said the thieves stole money and valuables worth about 150 million won ($120,000) in January. Among the stolen items were medals, checks, luxury watches and other jewelry.

Since last October, they had robbed dozens of houses in wealthy districts in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Police said the three thieves, who got to know each other when they were in jail three years ago, spent all the money mostly on entertainment.

Among them, a 41-year-old Chung and 29-year-old Lee were arrested, while another thief Park, 42, was booked without physical detention.

The robbers used some of the stolen checks at a gas station in Seoul, allowing police to trace their car as it was recorded by surveillance cameras there.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

Rain visits Korea

He is going through court because he is being sued by companies in Hawaii for cancelling his concert due to some difficulties that Rain faced.

Rain's fans are cheering for him to have strength and courage to win the court!

He has appeared at a fan signing to promote a certain cosmetics brand. Rain looks like he's been stressed. His complexion is pale, he hasn't shaved, and he has lost some weight! Here he is waving to his fans with a big smile.

Source: cyworld.com

Rain-JYP Mired in Another Lawsuit

Korea's superstar Rain and his former management company, JYP Entertainment, just seem to get deeper and deeper into legal troubles. In the wake of the stunning verdict in Hawaii, Rain and JYP are sued this time by Star M, a Korean concert production company, for 4.57 billion won or nearly 3.4 million dollars in damage compensation.

Star M claims that Rain and JYP failed to uphold their end of the bargain in 2006, when the singer cancelled 16 out of 35 concerts planned. At the time Rain and Star M had agreed to hold concerts in China, the U.S., Vietnam, Australia, Japan, and Korea over the period of one year from October, 2006. However, the American patent office had denied the registration of Rain's concert trademark "RANY" for its similarity with another America singer's trademark. The rejection had made it impossible for Rain to hold any concerts in America. Star M claims that Rain and JYP knew about the problem, but didn't tell them about it.

Meanwhile, Rain lost in a lawsuit filed by a Hawaiian entertainment firm that was in charge of his concert in 2007. The Hawaiian court ordered the singer and JYP to pay more than 8 million dollars in damages. Rain's legal team is getting ready to appeal the court's decision.

Source: world.kbs.co.kr

'Female Big Bang' About to Be Revealed

A new girl group groomed by YG Entertainment, one of Korea's biggest entertainment agencies, will reveal themselves in a commercial where they appear alongside the idol boy band Big Bang.

Referred to as the "female version of Big Bang", the group consists of four members -- Sandara Park, a Korean who became a star in the Philippines show business; Park Bom, who appeared in a commercial with singer Lee Hyo-lee; Kong Min-ji, a granddaughter of legendary traditional Korean dancer Kong Ok-jin; and rapper CL, who is fluent in four languages.

The commercial featuring the group is scheduled to go on air on Saturday, and before that on Friday, the new group's digital single "Lollipop" will be released. The commercial is also part of an ad series for LG Cyon's Lollipop mobile phone, created in music video format. The whole series will be completed by early April.

YG said, "G-Dragon, a member of Big Bang who also writes, composes and produces songs for his group, is producing the girl Big Bang's album. Although they will appear in a commercial first, they will officially debut in May. Since they have prepared for their debut for as many as four years, they will be able to show all the best they have".

Source: english.kbs.co.kr

Rain Faces Provisional Seizure of Property

A building in Southern Seoul, in Cheongdam-dong; (as seen above) owned by K-pop star Rain may be provisionally banned from being disposed of following his loss in a compensation lawsuit in the United States over a concert cancellation.

But Rain's agency, JTune Entertainment, said that any provisional seizure of the building would be impossible according to domestic law.

Last Thursday, a federal court in Hawaii ordered the 26-year-old star and his then-agency, JYP Entertainment, to pay more than $8 million (11 billion won) in compensation to Honolulu-based promoter Click Entertainment. They also have to pay lawyers' fees for Click, with the total compensation reaching $9 million (12 billion won).

The concert, part of his world tour "Rain's Coming", was canceled several days before its scheduled date in June 2007. Click President Lee Seung-su testified that he lost about $1.5 million and suffered damage to his reputation and business due to the cancellation.

After the verdict, Lee said Monday that he will take a step to provisionally seize Rain's and JYP's property, including Rain's building in Cheongdam-dong, which he purchased last year. The price of the building is estimated at over 15 billion won. Lee said he would also seek authorization to attach all earnings that Rain has made with the William Morris Agency, an entertainment company with which Rain signed a contract last year for his U.S. activities.

JTune and Click, however, have different opinions about whether the latter can seize the building.

JTune said Tuesday that even if Click starts a provisional seizure process, the seizure is impossible.

"The seizure of JYT's real estate in the U.S. and here may be possible, but the request to attach Rain's Korean property is impossible according to Korean law. Click may be able to seize Rain's earnings through William Morris", an official of the company said.

Meanwhile, Click said a "provisional" seizure was possible while actual seizure was impossible, saying a Korean court would likely allow the former if the company submits the U.S. court's ruling as evidence.

In the ruling, the federal court ordered Rain and JYP to pay $2.4 million each in punitive damages, $1 million for damages related to fraud and $2.2 million for breach of contract.

Rain's lawyer said they cancelled the concert because a proper stage was not ready and Rain could not use his name in the U.S. due to a copyright challenge from a Beatles tribute band named Rain. The star also testified that he had every intention to perform and he had no hand in the cancellation.

JTune said it is preparing an appeal. It is said that Rain and JYP spent more than 500 million won in fees for five lawyers.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

U.S. Court Orders 'Rain' to Pay $8 Million

A court in the United States has ordered Korean entertainer Rain to pay more than US$8 million for cancelling a scheduled concert in Honolulu in 2007.

A federal jury in Hawaii said the 26-year-old and his agency should pay Click Entertainment, the Hawaiian promoter, compensation including punitive damages of nearly $5 million.

However, Rain and JYP Entertainment say they fulfilled their obligations for the concert and Click's contract was with another promotion company called Revolution Entertainment, which then owned the North American rights to Rain's concerts.

Source: arirang.co.kr

So Ji-sub more popular than the pretty boys?

Although Lee Min-ho, Kim Beom and Kim Hyeong-jeong's popularity is higher than ever, the popularity of So Ji-sub beats it!

So Ji-sub had narrated the film, "Gift" and in the survey that went along with this film, the fans have chosen So as a man to be in their dreams where they would give a gift to over the actors from "Boys Ovr Flowers".

The film, "Gift" will be released on the 26th of March and is anticipated greatly.

Source: www.cyworld.com