K-pop star Wonho has been cleared of all charges by Seoul police in an investigation into allegations of past drug usage.
On Friday (March 13), Starship Entertainment announced that the former Monsta X member had been cleared of all charges by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after an investigation was launched against him last year following a series of allegations made against him.
“During the investigation, Wonho actively cooperated with the police and all investigation procedures, including scientific examinations by the investigative agencies,” reads a statement from Starship. “The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s drug investigation unit conducted extensive investigations for the past five months but was unable to find any charges. Finally, on March 10th, Wonho’s internal investigation was concluded.”
Though the singer, who is known as both Lee and Shin Ho-seok legally but has used the stage name “Wonho” for his entire career, left Monsta X and halted his career as an artist last year, Starship’s statement hints to a renewed future path for the beloved star, whose departure from Monsta X amid the investigation resulted in widespread protests from fans. “We will continue to fully support Wonho for developing his own career in the future,” said Starship. At this time, there is no clarification regarding what his “own career in the future” entails.
Wonho most recently participated in Monsta X’s English-language All About Luv LP, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in February.
VIXX’s Hongbin And LABOUM’s Solbin To Star In Upcoming Drama For Disability Awareness
VIXX’s Hongbin and LABOUM’s Solbin will be donating their talents for an upcoming drama!
Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, the Republic of Korea Ministry of Education, and the We First Campaign plan a drama for disability awareness each year. Hongbin and Solbin have been cast as the leads of “Shining Sounds” (working title), the 2018 drama of the yearly project. The drama will follow the school life of two students as they work to understand each other and grow together.
Hongbin will play the role of Joo Hyun Sung, a high school student who was born with hearing impairment. Through his mother’s efforts and training, he is able to communicate well through spoken word, so most do not know about his disability at first glance. He want to create a bowling club at school as he has strong passion for the sport.
Solbin will play the role of Lee Soo Ah, the most popular member of idol group GirlStar. One day, rumors spread of conflict within the group, and she surprises everyone with her decision to take a break and attend school. She is classmates with Joo Hyun Sung, who is a fan of her fellow group member Ellie.
KBS’s 10-episode drama “Shining Sounds” will be broadcast in April 2018 for National Disabled Persons Day.
On October 16, industry representatives reported that EXO’s Suho, f(x)’s Luna, VIXX’s Leo, and musical actor Kai have been cast in the musical. SM Entertainment and Jellyfish Entertainment confirmed Suho, Luna, and Leo’s appearances. Suho, Leo, and Kai will be playing the role of Crown Prince Rudolf, while Luna will play the role of Rudolf’s lover Mary Vetsera.
“The Last Kiss,” also titled “Rudolf” in other countries, is well-known for its music by Frank Wildhorn. It is set to run from December 14, 2017 to March 11, 2018 at LG Art Center in Gangnam, Seoul.
VIXX’sHyukhas been cast in the movie ’Goodbye My Father’.
The idol has been confirmed to star in “Goodbye My Father” (literal translation) alongside veteran actor Park Sung Woong.
“Goodbye My Father” is about Suk Jin (Park Sung Woong) who barely gets by with the money he earns from playing his saxophone at night. It promises to be a touching, humane film about a father and son’s tough life, and their success story. Hyuk will be playing the role of Ha Neul, the filial son to his father.
Other confirmed cast members include Song Sae Byuk, Choi Ro Woon, Kwon Hae Hyo, Jung In Ki, Sung Byung Sook, and Ryu Sung Hyun. Filming began on October 14, and the movie is set to be released sometime next year.
This will be his second movie after his role as a troublemaker high school student in ’Chasing’. His role in ‘Goodbye My Father’ will be a lot different than his 'Chasing’ role, and he’ll be able to show his acting through this role as well. The movie will start playing next year.
Singer Wonho has signed an exclusive contract with Highline Entertainment.
Highline Entertainment revealed on the 10th that “Wonho has recently signed an exclusive contract with us. Wonho, who has shown his talent in writing, composing and producing based on his attractive mask and distinctive voice, will start anew as a solo artist and producer.”
Wonho said “I’m deeply reflecting on my past actions” and “I am thankful to the fans for giving me this opportunity & I will do my best to repay their support”.
Highline Ent is also home to artists like DJ SODA, Producer Dress and PLUMA, and it is a subsidary of Starship Entertainment.
[TRANS] Rough translation of what was said in Yuehua’s statement:
Excess workload that caused the girls to be stressed mentally and physically.
At the beginning of the contract discussion, it was established between Yuehua Ent. and Zhou Tian Ent. (Rocket Girls’ management company) that MeiQi & XuanYi would be promoting with both Rocket Girls & WJSN and it is written in the contract that they were allowed to promote with both groups. Yuehua has tried multiple times to communicate with Zhou Tian Ent. to reasonably plan the girls’ schedules so that they could alsopromote with WJSN, however they were denied with their requests.
On August 7th, Yuehua has officially requested to terminate MeiQi & XuanYi’s contract with Zhou Tian Ent.
Wanna One from “Produce 101 Season 2” has made their much-anticipated debut!
On August 7 at 6 p.m. KST, the group dropped their first mini album “1X1=1 (TO BE ONE)” with the music video for the title track.
“Energetic” is the group’s first title track which was voted for by the fans against “Burn It Up.” The lyrics were written by PENTAGON’s Hui and Wooseok, and the song was composed by Flow Blow and Hui.
On August 8, a source from CJ E&M confirmed that the former “Produce 101 Season 2” contestant recently signed an exclusive contract with the company.
Although he is with Wanna One under YMC Entertainment right now, he will become an artist of CJ E&M once Wanna One’s promotions end next year. CJ E&M will take complete charge of his individual activities beginning in late 2018.
On the August 3 episode of KBS2’s “Happy Together,” Wanna One’s Hwang Minhyun was asked about his dating experience.
MCYoo Jae Suk asked, “They say that you have been single since birth. I can’t believe it.”
Hwang Minhyun explained, “I haven’t been single since birth. I dated someone when I was in my third year of middle school.”
He continued, “But the dating wasn’t really dating. We were chatting on a messenger and we ended up dating because we had agreed upon it. We just did that and then we broke up.”
Others on the show teased him and said, “That is being single since birth. That’s just cyber dating.”
Hwang Minhyun further explained, “We broke up naturally. The confession was done through a text message. I ended up confessing because my school friends pushed me to.”
The singer described their relationship and said, “When we broke up there was no text message; we just broke up naturally. It was awkward when we met at school. Since we had only talked through the messenger, I was only affectionate on the messenger.”
The MCs then asked him if he had gone on a date with her and Hwang Minhyun answered that they had not gone on a date together.
He also revealed that his first experience of physical touch with someone of the opposite sex was with a fan since he debuted at a young age. Hwang Minhyun said, “I experienced physical touch for the first time when I hugged and shook hands with fans at a fan meeting. I was so nervous and my heart was fluttering.”
As “Produce 101 Season 2” fan-imagined group JBJ is gearing up for debut, a second group may be in works!
This new group is known as Rains and consists of C2K Entertainment’s Kim Seong Ri, GON Entertainment’s Hong Eun Ki, K-Tigers Entertainment’s Byun Hyun Min, 2Y Entertainment’s Lee Ki Won, 2ABLE Entertainment’s Joo Won Tak, and WH Entertainment’s Seo Sung Hyuk.
The trainees have been constantly posting photos together on Instagram in recent days:
(other images could not be retrieved but you can find it on their instagrams)
The posts have come with mysterious captions such as, “It’s raining, and we met again. Let’s meet again also when it doesn’t rain,” “It’s great seeing your faces so often,” and “Now, this is the beginning. Let’s go, let’s go!”
Hong Eun Ki and Lee Ki Won also covered Heize’s “You, Clouds, Rain” together.
Fans have been anticipating a possible debut from the group with the frequent meet-ups and caption hints.
What do you think of Rains as a possible project group?
It looks like we’ll be able to see a few Wanna One members interacting with kids!
On July 26, a representative from KBS 2TV’s “The Return of Superman” stated, “Wanna One’s Kang Daniel, Park Ji Hoon, Ong Sung Woo, and Yoon Ji Sung are currently filming with Daebak.”
It has further been revealed that their guest appearance is part of the show’s “uncle special” that takes place every year.
Are you excited to see Kang Daniel, Park Ji Hoon, Ong Sung Woo, and Yoon Ji Sung as Daebak’s babysitters?
Wanna One members Kang Daniel and Park Ji Hoon are confirmed for another variety appearance!
On July 24, industry representatives revealed that the two will be appearing on JTBC’s “Let’s Eat Dinner Together” in August.
In response, a source from the program commented, “Kang Daniel and Park Ji Hoon are confirmed to make an appearance. The recording date and broadcast date have yet to be decided.”
Even ahead of their debut on August 7, Wanna One has been confirmed for various variety programs. Earlier in the day, it was revealed that five members would be appearing on “Happy Together 3,” and Kang Daniel will be starring on an MBC pilot program. The group will also appear on “Weekly Idol,” “SNL Korea,” and their own reality show on Mnet.
The Wanna One members appearing on “Happy Together 3” have finally been confirmed!
Although it was revealed on July 19 that the group will be recording for the program on July 28, the members appearing were still under discussion at that time.
On July 24, industry representatives revealed that Kang Daniel, Park Ji Hoon, Ong Sung Woo, Hwang Min Hyun, and Yoon Ji Sung will be participating in the recording. A source from the program confirmed that it will be these five members recording on July 28.
As Wanna One was formed by an Mnet survival program, there were concerns over whether they would be permitted on public broadcast channels, so fans are anticipating further possibilities that may open up with their appearance on the KBS program.
Wanna One’s episode of “Happy Together 3” is scheduled to air sometime in August.
Yoo Seon Ho and Lee Eui Woong from “Produce 101 Season 2” will be guesting on tvN’s variety show “Problematic Men” along with Im Young Min, whose appearance was confirmed previously.
The trainees participated in the show’s recording on July 20 and solved various problems. It was said that the atmosphere was very bright and fun.
The air date for Yoo Seon Ho, Lee Eui Woong, and Im Young Min’s episode has not been decided yet.
Meanwhile, “Problematic Men” airs every Sunday at 10:20 p.m. KST.
Brand New Music’s Im Young Min and Kim Dong Hyun will be making their debut very soon!
The duo appeared alongside fellow Brand New Music trainees Lee Dae Hwi and Park Woo Jin on “Produce 101 Season 2,” during which all four of the talented young artists gained a huge fan base. Lee Dae Hwi and Park Woo Jin grabbed spots in the final 11 and will soon be making their debut as members of Wanna One, and it was recently announced that Im Young Min and Kim Dong Hyun will be forming a unit to make their debut as well.
On July 21, Brand New Music revealed that the pair’s unit name will be MXM (BRANDNEW BOYS). “MXM” stands for both “MIX & MATCH,” meaning that the two members will be combining their charming qualities to present themselves with a new charming quality, as well as “MORE X MORE,” which signifies how they’ll be continuing to develop together.
A representative from Brand New Music has stated, “Im Young Min and Kim Dong Hyun are really putting their heart and soul into preparing this album for their fans who are waiting for them.”
Brand New Music founder Rhymer and fellow hit producers at the agency have all taken part in creating the duo’s debut pre-release single, which will be released on July 27 at 6 p.m. KST via online music sites.
“Produce 101 Season 2” contestants Ahn Hyung Seob and Lee Eui Woong will become special MCs for SBS MTV’s “The Show”!
“The Show” will be holding its summer special on August 1, and the show has confirmed that Yuehwa Entertainment’s Ahn Hyung Seob and Lee Eui Woong will be special MCs for the day.
The two trainees received a lot of love during their appearance on Mnet’s “Produce 101 Season 2.” Ahn Hyung Seob caught everyone’s eye from the very beginning and his evolution as a musician throughout the show was praised by many. Lee Eui Woong captivated viewers with his cute looks and charismatic rap performances. The two trainees, along with fellow Yuehwa trainees Justin and Jung Jung, have been receiving a lot of love as “The Yuehwa Sprouts.”
As special MCs, Ahn Hyung Seob and Lee Eui Woong will join “The Show” MCs Block B’s P.O and MOMOLAND’s Yeonwoo for the day.
“The Show” airs every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. KST on SBS MTV and SBS funE.
Wanna One and HOTSHOT member Ha Sung Woon has nothing but love for his fellow HOTSHOT members.
Star Crew Entertainment (formerly Ador&Able), the agency of HOTSHOT, revealed that Ha Sung Woon had sent a message of support to his fellow HOTSHOT members following the group’s comeback on July 15.
As Ha Sung Woon has been chosen to be a member of Wanna One, he was not able to join the other members of HOTSHOT for their recent comeback track “Jelly.”
The idol stated, “I felt like my heart was going to burst watching HOTSHOT’s performance on ‘Music Core.’ Whenever I have a moment, I look up HOTSHOT on portal sites and monitor news about them. I also call up the other members to nag at them.” He also added, “I feel like the height of the members in the group has become unbalanced now that I’m not there. It feels empty without the members by my side because we’ve always stuck together, and I miss them. I’m confident they’ll keep HOTSHOT thriving while I’m gone.”
An agency representative stated, “Ha Sung Woon feels apologetic to his fellow members and fans for not being able to perform as a member of HOTSHOT because of his Wanna One activities. However, he wants everyone to know that he’ll be with HOTSHOT in spirit, and he hopes fans will give all their love and support to both HOTSHOT and Wanna One.”
Group Wanna One will be appearing on “Weekly Idol” even before their official debut!
On July 12, their agency YMC Entertainment revealed that Wanna One will be recording MBC Every1’s “Weekly Idol” on July 26. They also relayed, “All of the members will be participating in the recording.”
Earlier, they had also confirmed that they will be appearing on “Happy Together.”
Meanwhile, Wanna One will be releasing their debut album on August 7. On the same day, they will be filling Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome with their showcase-concert, “Wanna One Premier Show-Con.
Cube Entertainment trainee and former “Produce 101 Season 2” contestant Yoo Seon Ho recently sat down for an interview and talked about the members of Wanna One.
“I have so much to say about them, but I’ll be brief,” he began.
“I’m really close to Kang Daniel. It was awkward with Park Ji Hoon at first, but we’re a lot closer now. Lee Dae Hwi is like a friend, and Kim Jae Hwan is a good singer who’s really funny and playful,” Yoo Seon Ho explained.
He further shared, “I’m really close to Park Woo Jin as well. We got close right before the final live broadcast. Lai Guan Lin is like a brother, Yoon Ji Sung is like a dad, and Hwang Min Hyun is my brother (laughs). Bae Jin Young’s really like a friend, and Ha Sung Woon is like a grandma. I always call him ‘grandma.‘”
Five-member boy group B1A4′s Jinyoung (Jung Jin Young, 27) and Baro (Cha Sun Woo, 26) have decided to leave their agency.
After a long discussion leading up to the 30th, it has been reported that Jinyoung and Baro have ultimately made the decision to not renew their contracts with WM Entertainment. On the other hand, the other members Sandeul (Lee Jung Hwan, 26), CNU (Shin Dong Woo, 27) and Gongchan (Gong Chan Shik, 25) have decided to continue their relationship with WM through a contract renewal.
Although B1A4′s contracts did mean to end on April 23rd with their seventh anniversary, their contracts were extended until the end of June for further discussions of contract renewal.
According to a broadcasting official, “With the end of their contracts coming up, all members had a final discussion with their agency, and members Jinyoung and Baro have decided not to re-sign.” As well, “We are aware that WM Entertainment will respect each member’s decisions for their futures. The two leaving members have already received numerous love-calls from other agencies, and talks of contact with actor management companies have also come up.”
Although two members will be leaving their agency, there is still a large possibility that the remaining members will continue on as B1A4.
The group may either take an approach of allowing for open possibilities for future team activities (like Girls’ Generation when a few members did not re-sign with their label), or the remaining members may decide on a way to keep the team going themselves.
B1A4 debuted in 2011 and have released a number of hits including ‘What is Happening’, ‘Solo Day’, ‘Lonely’, ‘Sleep Well Goodnight’, ‘A Lie’ and have received love from Korea, Japan, and throughout Asia.
Leader Jinyoung took on the role of producer for the team, and his skills as a ‘Composer-dol’ were recognized. He also showed off his acting skills through dramas like ‘Moonlight Drawn By Clouds’, ‘Warm and Cozy’, and ‘Persevere Goo Hae Ra’.
Rapper Baro starred in the 2013 tvN drama ‘Reply 1994′ and received spotlight as an ‘actor-dol’, which lead to other projects including ‘God’s Gift-14 days’, ‘Angry Mom’, ‘Manhole’ and other entertainment shows such as ‘Youth Over Flowers’.
Main vocalist Sandeul whose vocal capabilities were widely recognized was able to release his solo album, and participate in a number of drama OSTs. Meanwhile, Gongchan participated in the web-drama ‘Delicious Love’, and CNU appeared in KBS 2TV sitcom ‘Sent From Heaven’ and OnStyle ‘The Body Show 3:My Bodyguard’.
With their busy individual projects, B1A4 was not able to do anything as a group around their seventh anniversary. In 2009, the Fair Trade Commission created a standard contract period of seven years for entertainers, and many artists’ exclusive contracts have largely been set for this seven-year period, leaving the discussion of renewal and transferring from agencies to take place after this period for a large number of artists.
UPDATE: Official comments from WM
“We, WM Entertainment, have had long discussions with the members of B1A4 leading up to the end of their contracts. And in the end, we are fully respecting the decisions of Jinyoung and Baro, who have decided to walk their own paths in order to reach their dreams.”
“In their current positions they have decided to take on a new path, and so we will send them our truthful cheers for the members’ new beginnings.” “We will work our hardest and fully support CNU, Sandeul, and Gongchan in their growth moving forward. Also, for the many fans who love B1A4 and cheer for them endlessly, we will work hard for you too.” “We apologize for any trouble this may have caused in many fans’ hearts, and now at this new starting point, we ask for your blessings toward the B1A4 members, and for your never-ending warm love and interest toward them.”
Source:Yonhap News/OSEN Trans: roz @ bethe1all4one Please remove all translations with full credits to source and translator.
