Monday, January 1, 2024
Kim Woo-bin Donates 100 Million Won to Seoul Asan Hospital
Actor Kim Woo-bin began the new year of 2024 with heartwarming news.
His agency, AM Entertainment, announced on the 1st, "Recently, Kim Woo-bin donated 100 million won to Seoul Asan Hospital to support vulnerable patients."
Starting in 2014, Kim Woo-bin began donating anonymously to help low-income teenagers. Every year, he continues to provide support for children with cancer through Seoul Asan Hospital and consistently donates to marginalized groups. Whenever social disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, or floods occur, he naturally participates in relief efforts, adding warmth to society. Especially last July, when heavy rain caused widespread flooding across the country, despite being abroad at the time, Kim Woo-bin quickly stepped forward with a donation, hoping to help those affected.
Furthermore, on Christmas Eve last year, December 24th, Kim Woo-bin sent Christmas gifts to over 200 children in the pediatric ward of Seoul Asan Hospital, offering his support. Demonstrating his meticulous care by preparing custom art sets, school supplies, and tumblers for the children in 2022, Kim Woo-bin also sent a handwritten card this time with the Christmas gifts, writing, "I hope more miracles happen this Christmas. I wish that 2024 will be filled with even healthier and happier moments than this year. Fighting! Merry Christmas♡."
Consistently seeking places where help is needed and hoping to make a difference with his donations, Kim Woo-bin's continuous acts of kindness serve as an inspiration to many.
-Yeongdo, I love you.
-Every time I see such donation news, I think he's cool and great.
-I hope Kim Woo-bin's donation is used effectively so many children can become healthy!
-Wow, he consistently donates. So cool.
-When you go to Asan Hospital, there are many familiar actors' names in the list of major donors, like Lee Kwang-soo, Jo In-sung, etc. ㅎㅎ
-Cool ㅜㅜ Always be healthy and happy.
-It's nice to hear such warm news for the new year.
-He's truly an angel.. so cool ㅠㅠ
-Consistently donating large amounts is really impressive...
-Kim Woo-bin is cool 💕
-Such a great person ㅜㅜㅜ
-Seeing him being so consistent, gentle, and kind-hearted was comforting.
-He truly is consistent.
-Really cool, always supporting him👍🏻👍🏻
-He's an admirable person.
-Kim Woo-bin seems like a genuinely warm person.
Sunday, December 31, 2023
It looks like Sung Hanbin's ears are going to burst during the rehearsal
-My ears are so redㅠㅠ
-But he looks so bright and cheerfulㅠㅠㅠ
-Wow, they're really red???
-Let's change clothes right now ㅠㅠ 😭 He has a schedule abroad tomorrow and a rehearsal the next day. He'll catch a cold.
-His ears are extremely red ㅠㅠㅠ Put on ear covers.
-At this point, it must feel like their ears are being slicedㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-The earpiece color matches, right?ㅠㅠ
-It'll be colder at nightㅠㅠ
-My hamster will freeze, bring him a fur coat right now.
-Ah, it's upsettingㅜㅜ
-I want to give them a long padded coat and earmuffs right now...
-Isn't that an earpiece?
-This isn't right ㅠㅠ He'll get frostbite.
Starbucks Korea Offers '24 Free Drinks' for the New Year 2024
Starbucks is introducing a 'Lucky First Visit' event to welcome the new year.
Starbucks Korea announced on the 31st that they will be hosting an event where they will offer a free drink and a lucky sticker to 24 customers who visit their stores on the first day of the new year.
The event targets the first 24 customers who place an order in-store on a first-come-first-served basis.
The complimentary drinks include two new beverages for the new year: the 'Blue Dragon Classic Milk Tea' and the 'Blue Dragon Hazelnut Latte'. Each person can get one drink, which is a Tall size.
Additionally, a lucky sticker celebrating the year 2024 will also be given. It features an image of a blue dragon symbolizing the 'Gapjin' year (2024 in the traditional lunar calendar) with the phrase, “May your year shine even brighter! Wishing you a wonderful start to 2024,” inscribed on it.
The 'Lucky First Visit' event starts at different times depending on the store's opening hours. However, some special stores are excluded from this event. The list of non-participating stores can be checked in the 'what’s new' section of the Starbucks app.
-They might already be lining upㅋㅋ
-Aren't they supposed to give out 2024 of them? ㅜ
-Only 24 cups?
-Just 24 people? Please give out to 2024 peopleㅠ
-Just 24 cups? Are they joking?
-They should give out to 2024 people, not just 24..
-Just 24 cups, doesn't seem cool at allㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wait, 24 cups per store is quite a lot, isn't it??? They wouldn't be giving out 24 cups in the entire Starbucks country, right?
-They wouldn't be that stingy to have a lineup for a free event.
-Seriously, people in our country are so full of complaints. Even if they do something, there's always an uproar.
-Just 24 cups doesn't seem cool. It might be better not to do itㅋㅋㅋ Who's counting nationwide? Just look at the stores nearby. Why look at it nationwide? Saying 24 cups is a lot nationwide is laughableㅋㅋㅋ Why are consumers looking at it from a nationwide perspective?
During the year-end music festival performance, an idol got injured and eventually carried
아니ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ pic.twitter.com/8j63DkmJkt
— 영훈아식장잡았다 (@n359891) December 31, 2023
당장일산가자고.. pic.twitter.com/ij1xwR3GVb
— 멍 lee🫧 (@juu_dog) December 31, 2023
-Ugh, can't stand that outdoor stage.
-Please... let's not make it dangerous...ㅠㅜ
-If it's an outdoor stage, they should've adjusted the choreography. Why make them perform in such cold weather?
-It's not just because it's outdoors, but the choreography itself is too intense, right?? It's really too risky.
-Besides the choreography issue, why insist on an outdoor stage in such cold weather?
-But honestly, the choreography itself is too risky.
-Why is MBC insisting on an outdoor stage in this cold weather?
-They should've adjusted the choreography ㅠㅠ
-The choreography looks too riskyㅠ.
-But really, in this weather, they should've adjusted that choreography. Even indoors, that choreography seems dangerousㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Is he okay now?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Ah, my heart hurts just thinking about it.
-Is that choreography even safe?
-Why on earth are they insisting on an outdoor stage in the heart of winter? It must be too cold and unhealthy for both the singers and the fans.
-But shouldn't the company have adjusted the choreography if it's outdoors?
-They should change such choreography in advance... And ideally, they should avoid including such injury-prone moves from the start. It gradually wears down the knees, even if they don't get hurt right away.
-I hope they're okay after such a dangerous choreography outdoors ㅠㅠㅠ Please be safe, Yeonghoon? ㅠㅠ Please wear safety gear ㅠㅜㅜ
-Is it THE BOYZ?
-Seriously, this is just heartbreaking...
Jeon So-mi deleted the Starbucks photo due to the controversy
SOMI already deleted her video that includes the genocidal brand, and acknowledged what she did was stupid, saying no stupidity and give love this 2024. sure it was the bare minimum but it’s a step. i’m glad that she’s aware of what she did. +++ https://t.co/yqosh02W6K pic.twitter.com/4s6GH1zWwr
— lía | SOMI GAME PLAN 🎲 (@somiiiyah) December 30, 2023
Yesterday, she mentioned on Bubble Live about deleting the TikTok post... For those who may not know the full context of the situation, currently among international K-pop fans...
List of Kpop idols supporting Starbucks who are zionists [THREAD]
— 𝒜ngel🪐🇵🇸🇨🇩🇸🇩 (@angelcanmiss) December 23, 2023
1. JEON SOMI pic.twitter.com/iIifYmH4Xl
In particular, Starbucks and McDonald's are the main targets of the attacks. Just by posting a photo of Starbucks, they're accusing you of supporting mass murder and attacking you. The model for McDonald's is also under intense attack. Korean fans are saying that Starbucks in Korea belongs to Jung Yong-jin, not to mention that it's not even recent. They're attacking even over Starbucks photos from years ago, arguing without logic and foundation, saying things like: 1. The problem is promoting Starbucks. 2. Did the war happen just a day or two ago?
If you look at that tweet list, you'll see that it includes every K-pop idol who has just had Starbucks. But among them, Somi is especially targeted, possibly because she speaks English (making her more accessible to criticism) and because she's more mainstream than core-based, resulting in fewer fans defending her. This combination results in her being especially targeted, which is why she deleted the TikTok post.
I don't want to showcase hate comments, so I'm not quoting or anything, but it's just too serious. Somi is Somi, but overall, K-pop idols are being heavily criticized, not just on Twitter but also on individual idols' personal SNS, Weverse, etc. Everything's in chaos.
Translation:
Of course, not all international K-pop fans are like this.
Ironically, Palestinians are upset because K-pop idols are flooding social media with Starbucks drinking posts, causing genuine news about Palestinian suffering to be overshadowed in search results. Fans in countries like China, Japan, Thailand, and other non-Muslim-majority K-pop fan countries are also puzzled and frustrated about why there's such an obsession with Starbucks or McDonald's. They are joining in the criticism, but the opposing numbers are overwhelmingly large.
Especially concerning for K-pop fans these days is that the Golden Disk Awards, scheduled for January next year, will be held in Jakarta.
This’s how y’all should treat this kpop idols promoting Starbucks n Mc pic.twitter.com/lkuaiBsbFw
— yasmin (@itsyaxsi) December 25, 2023
Currently, the majority of those criticizing K-pop idols are from Indonesia. When K-pop idols openly go to Starbucks or McDonald's, these fans say they will retaliate. They post such images and videos, garnering a huge number of likes (the situation in the video seems to be a dramatization by a Chinese influencer). There are concerns that if even one person goes overboard and actually commits an act of terrorism, what will happen? Some are suggesting that the Golden Disk Awards should just be held domestically to avoid such issues.
Disclaimer: The translations provided here are excerpts from comments and do not represent the sentiments of all Korean netizens. Additionally, the views expressed in these comments are solely those of the individuals who posted them and do not reflect the translator's opinions or beliefs.
-It's not just because they're Muslim (especially in Indonesia where secularism is strong). It's because most of Southeast Asia has strong nationalist sentiments. They're just picking on minor issues; they just want to beat South Korea and K-pop in numbers. It's the same in most of Southeast Asia...
-I really hate how these overly obsessed people are only annoying towards K-pop. Please, just leave.
Now they'll probably selectively mistranslate this comment thread and accuse Koreans of racial discrimination on Pannchoa and Allkpopㅋㅋㅋ.
-They write more about harassing K-pop idols than war-related articles. How is that supporting Palestine? They believe that if someone buys a McDonald's hamburger once, they are war supporters and Zionists, and it's right to harass them in groups. And they think using Twitter is okayㅋㅋㅋㅋ. The funniest part is that they find reasons to justify their actions when they are the ones doing it.
-Ah... Somi, my heart aches for you.
-It's the same everywhere. People like this always think they're doing the right thing and leading the world in the right direction. They think they're Joan of Arc. If they don't know, they should learn.
Lee Hyori's song released after 6 years was a flop, but... She challenges herself as an MC in variety show
After confidently releasing new music for the first time in six years, Lee Hyori's impact was minimal. Despite steady updates and maintaining her presence, she seems unable to relive her past glory, raising questions about her current capabilities.
Last October, marking her 26th year in the industry, Lee Hyori returned to her main profession. She released a new single titled 'Hoodie Shorts,' declaring her comeback. At the time of its release, she had stated, "Even as times change, I will showcase the unchanging charm of Lee Hyori."
Lee Hyori has been known for her vibrant and unique music, but this time she presented a song with a completely different vibe, exuding a more relaxed and confident feel. However, unfortunately, the outcome was disappointing.
On Melon Hot 100, she consistently ranked around the 80th position and failed to enter the top 100. The buzz around her comeback was also subdued. Critics pointed out that the public felt Lee Hyori lacked her distinct color in this release.
Despite her low chart rankings, Lee Hyori did not receive a positive response from her commercial advertisements after 11 years. A decade ago, she had vowed not to do commercials that did not align with her values and declared herself a vegetarian for animal protection.
When she suddenly started appearing in various commercials for major corporations, consumers expressed their difficulty in forming a connection with her as an advertising model. Industry insiders also commented on the lack of synergy between her and the brands. Regardless of how popular a star is, they must have a common image with the brand, which seemed lacking in her case.
Lee Hyori, however, has a new card up her sleeve. With her eloquent speaking skills, she is set to make her solo debut as a music variety show MC for KBS 2TV's 'The Seasons.'
'The Seasons' is a late-night music program on KBS 2TV that aired from February 5th. Starting with the first host, Park Jae-beom, followed by other MCs like Jannabi's Choi Jung-hoon and Akmu. Lee Hyori returns as an MC with 'Lee Hyori's Red Carpet' after a decade, marking her first solo MC role since her debut.
-Is this even an article?
-Does the journalist have some kind of grudge against Lee Hyori?
-Can't journalists be sued for writing such malicious comments?
-Why do they always target Lee Hyori?
-Wow, why would they write an article like this? Isn't it malicious?
-Is there something wrong with their life to write an article like that?
-This article seems to be filled with malicious intentㅋㅋㅋ. They probably earn their salary this way.
-What's wrong with these journalists?
-It's so evident what intention the journalist had in selecting the title and writing the article; it's nauseating.
-Just say you're jealousㅋㅋ Stop being so petty.
-How can you use the term "failure" for something someone worked hard on? It's not like it was produced illegally and harmed people.
-Is this what it looks like when a malicious commenter becomes a journalist?
-The journalist seems like an anti-commenter. Why did I click, trying to remember the journalist's name? Isn't this journalist famous for writing such articles?
-What's the fuss about? I've been listening to her music just fine.






