• IVE Makes Waves in Japan with Historic Tokyo Dome Concert, Japanese Media Highlights Success

    IVE (members: Ahn Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, Leeseo), often called the 'MZ Generation's Icon,' made a huge splash in Japan, landing on the front pages of major newspapers.

    On September 5, Starship Entertainment shared that Japanese media outlets, including Nikkan Sports, Tokyo Chunichi Sports, Sankei Sports, and Sports Hochi, dedicated special editions to IVE’s Tokyo Dome concert.

    Headlines like "IVE's First Descent on Tokyo!" and "IVE Creates Historic Performance with DIVE Over Two Days" grabbed attention. The papers also highlighted a special moment for Rei, who fulfilled her childhood dream.

    IVE’s Tokyo Dome concert is part of their first world tour, ‘SHOW WHAT I HAVE,’ serving as an encore show.

    Their first performance on September 4 drew over 40,000 fans, and today (September 5) marks the final show. Altogether, around 95,000 fans attended the two-day concert.

    The scene around the Tokyo Dome was packed with fans, showing IVE's incredible popularity. The excitement and large crowd proved that IVE's entrance into the Tokyo Dome was a huge success.

    In addition to their concert success, IVE’s latest mini-album ALIVE, released in Japan on August 28, has been dominating local charts.

    ALIVE ranked first on the Oricon Daily Chart for three consecutive days (August 28-30) and took the top spot on Billboard Japan's "Top Album Sales" chart for the week of September 4.

    Source: [1]

  • Song Kang Ho Reveals Shocking Reason He Rejected "Joint Security Area" Role at First — Find Out Why He Changed His Mind

    Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

    On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

    Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

    During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

    He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

    Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

    Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

    Source (1)