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Squid Game Season 2 Adds ZE:A’s Siwan

Squid Game Season 2 has revealed the new cast members who are joining the games. A new teaser for the second season of the Netflix series confirms ZE:A member Im Siwan will join the show.

Squid Game Season 2 Announcement Video Reveals New Cast Members

The official cast announcement video was shared during TUDUM 2023, a global fan event for Netflix’s projects held in Brazil. The video confirms the return of Lee Jung Jae as Seong Gi-hun. Additionally, the second season will give Lee Byung-hun’s The Frontman an even bigger role to play.

There is an interesting surprise in the video as it confirms Wi Ha Joon will reprise his role as Hwang Junho. In the first season, the police officer was killed by his own brother who turned out to be the Frontman. However, it appears he survived and will continue to play a major role in the show.

The video also revealed four new actors who will be joining Squid Game next year. Yim Siwan is the first new cast member confirmed. The ZE:A member had previously appeared in the Netflix film Unlocked.

Park Sung-hoon (The Glory), Kang Ha-neul (The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure), and Yang Dong-geun (Connect) will also join Squid Game Season 2. Their roles in the series are still undisclosed.

The teaser for the second season of Squid Game also confirmed that Gong Yoo will be back. In the first season, the Train to Busan actor played the recruiter who convinces Gi-hun to join the games.

One actor who will not return is Jung Ho-yeon who played Kang Sae-byeok in the first season. Sae-byeok was a fan favorite but was ultimately killed by Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo).

Squid Game Season 2 was not yet given an official release date. However, the second season of the series is already expected to premiere on Netflix in 2024. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

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BILLLIE’s Suhyeon Temporarily Suspends Activities Due To Health Concerns

Suhyeon is taking a break to focus on her health. The BILLLIE member is halting all activities to deal with health concerns.

Mystic Story shared a statement to the BILLLIE fan café addressing Suhyeon’s health concerns. “Our agency artist Billlie’s Suhyeon has halted her activities for health reasons,” the statement announced.

“Following an expert’s opinion that she needs rest, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend her activities for the recovery of her health,” it continued.

The agency also assured fans that Suhyeon’s recovery is their top priority.

“We will do our best for Suhyeon’s treatment and quick recovery, and do everything we can for the health and safety of our artists in the future too. We apologize for causing concern to fans with this sudden news and ask for your support for Suhyeon’s quick recovery,” it concluded.

Suhyeon is not the only member of BILLLIE who had to take a break in the past few months. Moon Sua had been on temporary hiatus following the passing of her brother Moonbin. The rapper had served as chief mourner at the late ASTRO member’s funeral. Moreover, Sua has been inactive since the latter half of April.

However, Moon Sua is finally becoming more active. She recently posted a video of herself and her brother on Moonbin’s 49th day since passing.

“As rumored, Mr. Door-Frame-Moon’s backside was as broad as a door frame and warm,” Sua wrote. “I should’ve climbed on it some more when I had the chance.”

“Next time I see you, give me more rides,” she continued. “My dearest, one and only brother. Still, always, and forever, I’ll love you on and on. Don’t be sick, be healthy, eat your meals, and be happy.”

Suhyeon’s sudden break also coincides with Moon Sua’s return to group activities. Hopefully, BILLLIE will soon have all members active.

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FANTAGIO Will Take Legal Action Against Malicious Rumors About ASTRO’s Moonbin

FANTAGIO is taking malicious rumors about the late Moonbin very seriously. The agency announced that they are taking legal action against netizens spreading unconfounded rumors about the ASTRO member.

FANTAGIO Threatens To Take Legal Action Against Netizens Spreading Fake Rumors About Late ASTRO Member Moon Bin

FANTAGIO issued a statement regarding their plans to face the fake rumors about Moon Bin.

“While we initially planned to proceed with this quietly, because there are many fans who are worried about our artist, we have decided to make a brief statement to inform you of our plans,” the statement read.

“Recently, we have become aware of severely malicious posts that have gone too far, and we decided that we could no longer just sit by and watch,” it continued. “Therefore, we are already in the process of taking legal action. We are also informing you that, if similar incidents should arise again in the future, we will respond with strong legal action without leniency then as well.”

“We also plan to ramp up our monitoring, and we will continue to respond [to malicious posts] with strong legal action. Once again, we would like to emphasize that there will be no leniency whatsoever in carrying out [this legal response],” it concluded.

Moonbin’s Mother Pens Emotional Letter Asking People To Stop Spreading Fake Rumors

Moonbin’s mother had previously shared a letter on ASTRO’s official fan cafe. In the letter, she urges people to stop spreading rumors about the “Mermaid Prince” actor.

“These kinds of rumors are so difficult for me to see as a mother, and I am also worried that because of these false rumors, many people will suffer damages, and the fans who have been grieving for my son might suffer heartbreak,” she wrote.

“I don’t want my son to become fodder for gossip, and I entreat you to please not start any more rumors or spread unconfirmed facts,” she added. “I don’t want the fans whom Bin loved so dearly to live on with broken hearts.”

She concluded, “I sincerely thank all of you for your heartfelt mourning.”

Moonbin passed away in his home on April 19, 2023. The cause of death was not officially revealed.

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SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan Meets Alice In Borderland Star Kento Yamazaki

Jeonghan was in good company in Berlin. The SEVENTEEN member recently attended the Saint Laurent Men’s Summer 2024 show where he met Kento Yamazaki. In addition to that, the “Dream” singer caught up with fellow K-pop idols at the event.

Jeonghan Impresses Kento Yamazaki At Saint Laurent Men’s Summer 2024 Show

On June 12, Saint Laurent debuted their 2024 spring/summer menswear collection in Berlin, Germany. Yoon Jeonghan of SEVENTEEN was one of the celebrities attending the event and he quickly made friends with other guests.

One celebrity who clearly enjoyed meeting Jeonghan was Japanese actor Kento Yamazaki. The Alice in Borderland star shared a selfie with the SEVENTEEN member on his official Instagram account.

Several videos taken from the event also proved that Jeonghan bonded with Yamazaki. Yoon Jeonghan also posted an image from the fashion event that featured the Your Lie in April actor.

Kento Yamazaki isn’t the only handsome face that Jeonghan was seen with at the YSL show. Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello shared snaps of the SEVENTEEN member with other K-pop idols. The photos show Jeonghan with NCT’s Ten and GOT7’s Mark as well as Thai actress Kitty Chicha.

The images prove that Jeonghan can easily make friends even when he isn’t with the other members of SEVENTEEN. Moreover, CARATS were thrilled to see some interaction with other K-pop idols.

In related news, SEVENTEEN member Hoshi celebrated his birthday by giving CARATs a special gift. The Performance Team leader dropped the MV for Stay, a self-composed track that he had prepared for his birthday.

The best part of Hoshi’s gift is that he shared it at a special time. The Stay MV was uploaded at exactly 10:10 PM KST. It’s a cool reference to Kwon Soonyoung’s “10/10 vision”. It is also the same time that the group’s variety show Going Seventeen used to be uploaded on YouTube.

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(G)I-DLE’s Yuqi Reveals Why She Chose CUBE Over SM Entertainment

Yuqi has opened up about some important decisions she made in her career. The (G)I-DLE member revealed that she turned down SM Entertainment to debut in CUBE Entertainment’s girl group.

Here’s Why Yuqi Decided Against Signing With SM Entertainment

Yuqi was recently a guest on the MBC talk show Radio Star. During the show, the hosts pointed out that Song Yu Qi had always been a huge K-pop fan.

She confirmed, “In middle school, I was in a dance team. We even held a K-Pop festival.”

The (G)I-DLE main rapper then revealed that her initial goal was to become a trainee for SM Entertainment.

“I am a very big fan of Super Junior. So it was always my dream to go to SM Entertainment,” Yuqi said. “I auditioned for SM Entertainment’s global auditions in Beijing four times.”

She added, “After the fourth time, I saw that CUBE Entertainment was also having auditions the week afterwards, so I went ahead and auditioned for CUBE too. But then, I got a call back from both companies.”

It’s not surprising that both agencies wanted Yuqi to sign with them. However, it also meant that the Chinese idol had a huge decision to make.

“It was a huge struggle, choosing which company to go to,” she admitted. “SM was always my dream, after all. But then at that time, 4minute was making it big at CUBE.”

Yuqi continued, “So then I thought, ‘Well, it’s true that I’m cute and pretty and my visuals fit SM, but my voice is so CUBE. It is husky and more fitting for a girl crush concept’.”

So what made Yuqi decide to sign a contract with CUBE Entertainment? It was a simple offer.

“At the time, the director at Cube promised me, ‘Yuqi, if you sign with us, you will be able to debut by next year’. That was why I chose Cube,” she admitted.

It’s a relatable reason and we can’t blame Yuqi for making the decision. After all, most trainees have to wait several years before they could debut. Luckily for Song Yu Qi, she debuted as one of the talented members of (G)I-DLE.

(G)I-DLE is currently promoting their sixth EP I Feel. The group will begin their I AM FREE-TY World Tour in Seoul on June 17, 2023.

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GIRLS GENERATION’s YoonA and 2PM’s Junho Had The Same Reason For Working On “King The Land”

YoonA and Junho are working together for the exact same reason. The GIRLS GENERATION singer and 2PM member have shared why they agreed to work on King The Land. Interestingly, both Im Yoona and Lee Junho were looking for a change.

YoonA and Junho Discuss Working on New Rom-Com King The Land

Im Yoona and Lee Junho attended a press conference for King The Land ahead of the show’s premiere. During the event, YoonA confirmed she chose to work on the new JTBC romantic comedy for a change of pace.

“My last project was heavy and dark, so I wanted to work on a piece with a brighter tone for my next project,” she revealed. “I also felt that when I tried out a character with a bright personality in the past, many fans liked it.”

YoonA had previously worked on the crime drama Big Mouth alongside Lee Jongsuk. It was a very different project from her upcoming rom-com.

Lee Junho agreed with YoonA, admitting he took on King The Land to be set apart from the historical drama he previously starred in.

“I felt the same as YoonA,” Junho said. “Working on The Red Sleeve, I struggled through a lot of emotional stress.”

He explained, “It is based on a historical figure, which meant that I was aware of the story’s tragic developments even as I worked on the project. This time, I chose a project that is allowing me to empty my mind of stray thoughts. It is a production full of love and laughter.”

Although Junho had fun working on the new show, he also confessed that playing a character who doesn’t like smiles was difficult.

“I’m the kind of person who smiles and laughs easily, so acting out a character who doesn’t smile or laugh was actually a big challenge for me. I immediately smile or laugh after even cut,” he said.

Luckily, things were not that hard since Junho was working with YoonA. The Confidential Assignment star revealed that she was excited about working with the 2PM member.

“It’s our first time working on an acting project together,” YoonA said. “I’m so happy that I’m working with Junho, whom I’ve known professionally since we were young.”

“There were moments when we could comfortably look back on those days and talk about our experiences,” she revealed.

In King The Land, Lee Junho plays Gu Won, a chaebol heir who can’t stand fake smiles, and Im Yoona portrays the constantly smiling Cheon Sa Rang. The series will premiere on JTBC on June 17, 2023.

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BTS Suga Explains Why Agust D World Tour Did Not Include China

Suga has always been open to his fans whenever they have questions to ask. The BTS rapper addressed a query from an ARMY who begged him to perform in China. Min Yoongi had a simple explanation as to why the country was not included in the SUGA Agust D Tour.

Suga Reveals Why He Did Not Include China In Agust D World Tour

Suga recently interacted with fans during a live broadcast on Weverse. The “Haegeum” rapper took time to speak to ARMYs after his last concert date in Thailand. During the live stream, Suga noticed a comment from a fan asking him to “come tour in China.”

“But we can’t perform in China, how can I go tour in China?” Suga asked in return.

He added, “Are there any Korean artists performing in China? I don’t think there are any.”

“I want to go perform at all the places that ARMYs are mentioning. It makes me feel bad,” Suga continued. He then explained that he saw a few Chinese fans in the audience during some of the SUGA Agust D Tour dates.

“But I can’t perform in China,” he said. “I want to tour in China. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to China so I want to go but there is no way for Korean artists to go and work there.”

In 2018, China strongly objected to the deployment of U.S. Terminal High Altitude Defense missile systems in South Korea. This led to the implementation of the Korean Culture Ban which restricted the dissemination of content originating from Korea.

For now, it is still unclear whether Suga or any Korean act will be able to perform in China. In the meantime, the Asian leg of the SUGA Agust D Tour continues. Min Yoongi will be performing three dates at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from June 16 to 18, 2023.

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MONSTA X’s Shownu Confirmed As Judge On Street Woman Fighter 2

Shownu is ready to be a mentor to rising dancers. The MONSTA X leader has been confirmed to be one of the new judges joining Street Woman Fighter 2. This will be one of Son Hyunwoo’s first major gigs since his military discharge in April.

Street Woman Fighter Confirms MONSTA X’s Shownu As New Judge In 2nd Season

The production team behind the Mnet dance survival show confirmed the news in a statement.

“Shownu is an artist who has a strong fandom both domestically and globally, and he is also well-known for his powerful dancing as MONSTA X’s main dancer,” the producers said.

“Because he also previously served as a judge on Mnet’s CAP-TEEN, which aired back in 2020, we look forward to Shownu using his experience to help the dancers’ global performance on Street Woman Fighter 2 as well,” they added.

Being a judge on Street Woman Fighter 2 is just one of several confirmed projects for Shownu this year. He will debut in the first MONSTA X subunit with fellow member Hyungwon this July. The subunit has already been announced to join the KCON LA 2023 line-up.

KCON LA 2023 will also feature Stray Kids, ITZY, Rain, NMIXX, Kep1er, JO1, ATEEZ, IVE, THE BOYZ, ZEROBASEONE, CRAVITY, xikers, and INI. It was recently announced that SHINee’s Taemin, NCT’s Taeyong, (G)I-DLE, WayV, Lapillus, and EVERGLOW will join the line-up.

KCON LA 2023 will occur at Crypto.com Arena and LA Convention Center from August 18 to 20, 2023. The event will also be streamed online.

The first season of Street Woman Fighter premiered in 2021. It follows various female dance crews as they compete to be the No. 1 team. K-pop legend BoA and NCT‘s Taeyong served as the judges in the first season.

Street Woman Fighter 2 is currently scheduled to premiere on Mnet in August 2023. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

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Love Letters: ARMY’s Heartfelt Song for BTS on Their 10th Anniversary

In celebration of BTS’ momentous 10th anniversary, fans worldwide have come together to express their unwavering love and support for the septet through “Love Letters,” a beautiful tribute song. This composition reflects the bond between BTS and their fanbase, ARMY, highlighting everything they’ve been through together.

Challenging Years

The past few years have been filled with ups and downs for both BTS and ARMY. From the global pandemic that disrupted plans to each BTS member’s enlistments and impending solo endeavors, it has been a period of constant change. Luckily, the bond BTS has with ARMY allowed both parties to find solace and thrive amidst these challenges.

The creators behind “Love Letters” hope this song will resonate deeply with ARMY, reminding them of the profound impact BTS has had on their lives. It serves as a beacon of hope, assuring the fans that, no matter what happens, BTS and ARMY will always be one. The lyrics capture the essence of this sentiment, encouraging fans to trust the group and believe that the best is truly “yet to come.”

For a Cause

“Love Letters” is special as it contributes to charitable causes. All proceeds generated from the song’s sales and streams will be donated to UNICEF, adding a layer of meaning and purpose to this special tribute. By helping “Love Letters” succeed, fans worldwide can continue BTS‘s tradition of helping others through music.

As this year’s anniversary celebrations continue, the release of “Love Letters” demonstrates the creativity and unity of the BTS fandom. Other groups are also preparing their own musical tributes to BTS. For instance, the Global ARMY Song is set to be released in September, providing fans with even more musical expressions of their love for BTS.

Cheers to a decade of BTS‘s groundbreaking achievements, and here’s to a brighter future filled with infinite possibilities. Stay tuned for updates on the funds raised with “Love Letters” as those behind the song look for more ways to pay it forward, reflecting the benevolence and compassion of BTS and ARMY.

Featured Image: BTS Twitter page

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Jennie Apologizes For Not Finishing BLACKPINK’s Melbourne Show

Jennie is breaking her silence after a recent health scare. The BLACKPINK member apologized to fans after she left in the middle of a Melbourne concert.

Jennie Pens Apology To Australian Fans For Leaving BLACKPINK’s Recent Melbourne Concert

During BLACKPINK’s Melbourne concert on June 11, Jennie left the stage in the middle of the group’s “Lovesick Girls” performance. Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa then finished the show as a trio. YG Entertainment later confirmed that “Jennie was unable to complete the stage due to her deteriorating condition.”

Since then, Jennie has been resting in preparation for BLACKPINK’s future shows. The “Solo” singer also took to her Instagram account to share an apology to Melbourne BLINKs who missed her performance.

“Dear Melbourne Blinks – I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to finish the show on Sunday,” she wrote. Jennie also assured fans of her current state.

“I am doing my best to recover atm. Your understanding and support means the world to me,” she continued. Finally, Jennie expressed her gratitude towards her fans.

“Thank you everyone who came to our Melbourne show, Love you guys!” she concluded.

BLACKPINK will continue with the BORN PINK World Tour in Australia and is scheduled to perform in Sydney this week. The group is set for a two-night show in Sydney on June 16 and 17, 2023.

In related news, YG Entertainment addressed the rumors about Jennie’s possible casting in a Marvel film. A report suggested that the BLACKPINK member has been cast as Seol Hee aka Luna Snow, a K-pop idol who becomes a superhero after gaining ice-based powers.

The rumored project will reportedly introduce the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Asian superhero team which is believed to be Agents of Atlas. Although fans were already excited about Jennie joining the MCU, YG Entertainment has confirmed that the casting news is not true.

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