The Seoul Story

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[SINGAPORE] Coach unveils next generation retail concept at Wisma Atria store

Singapore, 24 August 2015 – Coach, a leading New York design house of modern luxury accessories and lifestyle collections, unveiled the brand’s next generation retail concept at its Wisma Atria store.

EXCLUSIVE LAUNCH OF NEW STORE CONCEPT

Coach hosted a private reopening party at the store with Mr. Ian Bickley, President of Coach International Group, Mr. Andrew Stanleick, President of Coach SEA & Oceania, as well as a special appearance by South Korean superstar, Jay Park.

The brains behind the new store design was none other than Coach Executive Creative Director Stuart Vevers. In partnership with with world renowned creative firm Studio Sofield, the duo sought to reinvent the Coach brand and drew from a wide range of influences, placing a premium on contrasting textures and luxe materials.

“We are thrilled to unveil our modern luxury retail concept at the Coach Wisma Atria flagship store,” said Mr. Stanleick. “I believe the new incarnation of the Coach store that Stuart and William Sofield created will trigger a powerful change in the perception of Coach. It is sophisticated and refined, yet playful and authentic.”

STAR-STUDDED GUEST LIST

As one would expect of a party hosted by Coach, a variety of celebrity guests attended the reopening party, including local actors Jeanette Aw and Elvin Ng and style personalities Yoyo Cao, Arissa Cheo, Velda Tan, Melissa C. Koh and Jessica Tham. The guests brought their A game and dressed stylishly in chic, shearling and leather-accented pieces from Coach’s Fall 2015 collection.

South Korean rapper Jay Park was undoubtedly the star of the show, with both guests and fans clamouring for photographs with him.

At least 150 fans showed up to catch a glimpse of Jay Park at the event. Upon entering the flagship store at Wisma Atria, Jay struck a friendly chord with the guests and fans, speaking to them animatedly in perfect English. He also had a guided tour of the new store, and finally took his place at the photo wall on the black carpet.

COMPLETE RANGE OF PRODUCTS

The store will house the full range of men’s and women’s lifestyle collections, and is notably the first to feature a dedicated craftsmanship bar to provide guests with complimentary personalization services. The photo above features the special hot foil embossing machine that can be utilised for monogramming - a nice touch to complete the luxurious shopping experience.

The Coach Wisma Atria flagship store is located at Wisma Atria, #02-19/27 and is open daily from 10.00am to 09.30pm.

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[UPCOMING EVENT] The 6th Korean Film Festival in Australia

Calling all lovers of Korean culture and film buffs in Australia!

The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is back for its 6th year and it already looks to be to be an amazing installment to the series. KOFFIA is the most celebrated annual festival in Australia to showcase the very best and latest in Korean cinema.

From ground breaking blockbusters like ‘The Admiral: Roaring Current’ and ‘Cart’ which have won numerous accolades, Arthouse delights like the indie ‘Han Gongju’ to heartwarming rom-coms such as ‘Love Forecast’ starring Hallyu powerhouse actors Lee Seunggi and Moon Chaewon, there is no doubt something in the line-up for everyone to enjoy!

Presented by the Korean Cultural Centre Australia and Samsung, this year’s festival goes with the theme of harvest and is set to engage all Australians with the ‘cream of the crop’ from the Korean film industry.

Featuring a complement of 20 features and 4 guest visit sessions, the festival will see over 80 screenings take place across Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide. The exciting list of films is as follows:

How To Steal a Dog, A Hard Day, The Target, The Divine Move, The Face Reader, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, KUNDO: Age of the Rampant, Love Forecast, The King of Jokgu, My Ordinary Love Story, A Matter of Interpretation, Factory Complex, Clearer Than You Think, Han Gong-ju, Revivre, My Dictator, Cart, Gangnam Blues, Tazza: The Hidden Card and Madonna!

If you are a fan of trying something new and different or simply an appreciator of good film, KOFFIA is a must for all backgrounds and ages! All films screen with English subtitles. For more information and ticket bookings, visit KOFFIA’s website here.

Dates and venues:

Sydney August 12 – 20 : Event Cinemas, George Street

Brisbane August 25 – 31: Event Cinemas, Brisbane City Myer Centre

Melbourne September 3 – 10: Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square

Canberra September 5 – 6: Palace Electric Cinema, NewActon Nishi

Perth September 17 – 20: Event Cinemas, Innaloo

Adelaide September 24 – 27: Event Cinemas, Marion

Stay tuned to The Seoul Story for coverage and reviews from the Melbourne leg of the festival!

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[15.08.08] BTS ‘THE RED BULLET’ in Bangkok 

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[UPCOMING EVENT] GOT7 1st Fanmeeting in the Philippines

The fast rising boygroup GOT7 is coming back to Manila for the second time around! After their first event in the Philippines less than a year ago, Mark, JB, Jackson, Jr., Youngjae, Bambam and Yugyeom are ready to set foot to hold their first ever fanmeet in the country. They are going to sing, dance, interact and have a lot of fun with their Filipino iGOT7s.

GOT7 is the group behind the hit ‘Girls Girls Girls’, ‘A’, ‘Stop Stop It’ and their newest single ‘Just Right’ which gained more than 13 Million views in Youtube in just a short amount of time. GOT7 is known for their passionate singing, amazing martial arts tricking and also entertaining personalities.

Event Details: Date: November 14, 2015 (Saturday) Venue: Smart Araneta Coliseum Time: 8:00pm                 Organizer: All Access Productions

Ticketing Details: SVIP: P7,500  VIP: P5,500 Gold: P3,500 Silver: P2,000

*400 SVIP ticket holders will have a free hi-touch or photo op with GOT7.

Prices are subject to ticket service charges.

Please check All Access Productions for more details.

Stay tuned to The Seoul Story for more information on GOT7 1st Fanmeeting in the Philippines!

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[PHILIPPINES] VIPs Party With BIGBANG in Manila

It has been 3 years since Alive Tour and it has been almost 3 years since BIGBANG last came to Manila. Filipino VIPs did not fail to show the kings how much they’ve missed G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri. And these 5 didn’t disappoint anyone with their stage presentation, props, dancers, amazing vocals, and astonishing music quality! They even had a moving ramp installed!

As soon as the lights went off, the beautiful yellow crown lightsticks of Filipino VIPs lit up the arena like fireworks. And the boys began appearing as they start the show with ‘Bang Bang Bang’, making everyone squeal, jump and party like there’s no tomorrow. They didn’t miss any of their hits like ‘Haru Haru’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Bad Boy’, ‘Blue’ and many other songs that the fans knew by heart. Star-like lights illuminated during Bigbang’s performance of ‘If You’ making the venue feel even more serene as the song goes by.

The second part of the concert was filled with solo stages as well as collaborations. Seungri started off with ‘Strong Baby’ and ‘Let’s Talk About Love (feat. G-Dragon and Taeyang)’ followed by Daesung who sang ‘Wings’. TOP graced the arena with his handsomeness as he performed his hit song ‘Doom Dada’ and the fans started singing along as Taeyang passionately sings ‘Eyes. Nose. Lips.’. After the mellow atmosphere, the VIPs started dancing again when GD appeared to perform ‘Good Boy’ with Taeyang and stayed at the stage to sing ‘Crooked’.

Daesung showcased his drumming talent as he did the drums on the whole ‘Sober’ performance, followed by ‘Bae Bae’. They then expressed how much they’ve missed Manila, even learning some Filipino words like “Pogi~ pogi (handsome)”, “Gusto niyo ba? (Do you want it?)”, “Nakikita niyo ba ko? (Do you see me?)”, and “Pabebe”. The boys even granted the wish of Filipino VIPs, which is for them to sing a snippet of a song that’s going to be released in the ‘E’ album of the MADE series.

They ended the unforgettable show with ‘We Like 2 Party’, ‘Fantastic Baby’, ‘Hands Up’ and yet again ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and ‘Bae Bae’. The humble boys did not forget to thank everyone (even the staff, dancers, the band, and even Dara of 2NE1, who is also present that night) as they began to say their goodbyes.

Filipino VIPs were truly left speechless as they leave the arena. BIGBANG is really one of a kind and that moment where the VIPs all danced, sang, screamed, chanted, and cried at the same time and at the same place to the group that they all love, that night, was really such a beautiful night.

The Seoul Story would like to congratulate and thank Pulp Live World for the successful event as well as the opportunity to cover this event!

Written by: Jackie

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[UPCOMING EVENT] 2015 BEAST ‘Ordinary’ Fanmeet in Singapore

Singapore B2uties, heads up! BEAST (Doojoon, Hyunseung, Junhyung, Yoseob, Kikwang, Dongwoon) will be heading to Singapore this September for a one-night only exclusive fanmeet, titled ‘Ordinary’! Named after their latest 8th mini album of the same name, BEAST are currently in the midst of domestic Korean promotions for title track ‘YeY’.

Since debut, BEAST has released two Korean full-length albums, seven mini albums, one Japanese full-length album and various singles. The group has also achieved significant commercial and critical accolades with time

The fanmeeting will comprise of at least 12 of BEAST’s hit songs and 2 game segments. The show will run for approximately 100 minutes, and promises to be anything but ‘Ordinary’! Don’t miss out and check out the event + ticketing details below:

Event Details:

Date: 24 September 2015 Venue: Suntec Convention Centre 601 to 604 Time: 8pm

The official seating plan will be released on Monday, 3 August after finalization with SISTIC.

Ticketing Details:

Price Categories: S$268, S$208, S$168 & S$128

The official Cat 1 VIP ticket (S$268) launch will be held on Saturday, 8 August 2015 from 10am to 5pm at SCAPE Orchard (2 Orchard Link, Level 5-Media Hub). As it will be a cash transaction ONLY, please bring along the exact amount. No change will be given. VIP ticket sales at SCAPE will end at 5pm. Any balance tickets will then be made available for sale via Sistic from Thursday, August 13. 

Each person is entitled to purchase a maximum of 4 tickets at the SCAPE VIP ticket launch. Cat 1 VIP ticket purchasers at SCAPE on 8 August are entitled to a lucky draw where 500 winners will win a High Touch pass with BEAST.

High Touch Lucky Draw: clearly fill out the lucky draw portion of your ticket and drop it into the bowl/box immediately after you have purchased your tickets at SCAPE. Each person is only allowed to fill in your name once. Representatives making purchases on behalf of others must fill in the names of those that they are making the purchase for.

Details for High Touch will be announced together with the winners list on 29 August.

Tickets will be sold on a first come first serve basis and while stocks last.

Official ticket sales for Cat 2, Cat 3 & Cat 4 will also begin on 8 August. Tickets will be available via all SISTIC platforms (Online, Hotline, Mobile Apps & Sistic Counters) from 3pm onwards.

2015 BEAST ‘Ordinary’ Fanmeet in Singapore is proudly presented by IME Productions Singapore and Three Angles Group. Stay tuned to The Seoul Story for more information for this upcoming event!

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[NEWS] City Square Mall in Singapore presents the Korean Fair and Super Shiok Food Fair

This year, City Square Mall will be celebrating the nation’s 50th birthday with an exclusive Korean Fair from 27 July to 2 August!

Stock up on everything you’ll need to create a sumptuous Korean meal and bring home some authentic Korean snacks! In City Square Mall’s Korean Fair, you’ll not only find food and drinks like traditional spicy Korean condiment kimchi, noodles and even Korean cookware!

Event Details: Date: 27 July 2015 - 2 August 2015 Venue: City Square Mall, Level 1 Atrium (180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539) Time: 2:00pm-9:00pm   

Besides the Korean fair, City Square Mall-goers can enjoy exclusive offers and stand a chance to win $1,000 worth of vouchers from 17 July to 30 August. Satisfy your appetite with enticing dining deals such as lunch sets below $15 and to sweeten it further, enjoy free weekday lunch time parking at the mall!

In addition, shoppers can also redeem a SG50 Juicer Bottle with a minimum spending of $250* ($350* if inclusive of NTUC FairPrice receipts). The first 500 Pioneer Generation cardholders will receive an additional umbrella.

City Square Mall is also commemorating SG50 with a lucky draw where five lucky winners will win $1,000 worth of City Square Mall shopping vouchers each.

For more details, visit www.citysquaremall.com.sg or check out City Square Mall’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/citysquaremall.

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[15.07.10-12] BTS in Sydney/Melbourne ‘THE RED BULLET’ Australia Tour

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[15.07.10-12] BTS in Sydney/Melbourne ‘THE RED BULLET’ Australia Tour

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[UPCOMING EVENT] Apink set to represent Korea at MTV World Stage Malaysia 2015

MTV World Stage Malaysia returns with a bang in 2015, with popular K-pop girl group Apink (Chorong, Bomi, Eunji, Naeun, Namjoo and Hayoung) announced as one of the acts in the star-studded lineup! In addition, Japanese band SEKAI NO OWARI will also be in attendance.

Recorded live for global telecast, MTV World Stage Malaysia is an exclusive one-night only outdoor event and one of the biggest Southeast Asia music nights of the year. The concert brings exciting multi-genre talents with global relevance, on a single stage and to an international audience of more than three-quarters of a billion households in over 160 countries.

Event Details:

Date: 12 September 2015 Venue: Surfbeach @ Sunway Lagoon Time: 7pm

Ticketing Details:

MTV World Stage passes are not for sale and may be won by fans through game contests that will open on 28 July. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fans can receive information by following MTV Asia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news updates on MTV World Stage Malaysia 2015.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mtvasia

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mtvasia

Instagram: mtvasia

Hashtag: #worldstagemy

Stay tuned to The Seoul Story for more information on MTV Asia World Stage in Malaysia 2015!

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[UPCOMING EVENT] Dal Shabet to grace the stage at NTU Fest 2015

In conjunction with Singapore’s golden jubilee and to mark the start of the academic year, 6-member K-pop girl group Dal Shabet (Serri, Ah Young, Jiyul, Woohee, GaEun and Subin) will be in town to perform at Nanyang Technological University‘s NTU Fest 2015!

NTU Fest is a student-run initiative, with the goal to unify the student population for a worthy cause. The NTU Fest concert is one of the major highlights of the event, where various artistes including local and international artistes will perform onstage in an exclusive celebratory concert.

Last year’s NTU Fest 2014 attracted a massive crowd, with Gary (hip-hop duo Leessang, Running Man) and singer Jung-in as guests for the successful event. This year’s concert will be held in the evening and hosted by 987FM radio DJ duo Gerald Koh and Joakim Gomez.

Aside from that, MediaCorp artistes including the cast of Channel 8 drama Sealed With A Kiss: Elvin Ng, Rebecca Lim, together with up and coming young actors Shane Pow and Jeffrey Xu will also be in attendance. In addition, the cast members of Channel 5’s new drama series Tanglin: Nathaniel Ho, Eswari Gunasagar and Elfaeza Ul Haq will be special guests at the event as well.

Event Details: Date: 29 August 2015 (Saturday) Venue: The Promontory @ Marina Bay Time: 2:00pm-9:00pm               

Ticketing Details:

For information regarding mosh pit passes to the event, check out the official event page here and NTU Fest 2015′s official Facebook page! Check back to the official event page regularly for upcoing promotions to see how you can win or get one of these limited passes!

Stay tuned to The Seoul Story for more information on NTU Fest 2015 in Singapore!

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[NEWS] First look at Channel ONE’s August premieres - ‘The Gang Doctor’ and ‘Mrs. Cop’

As hit Korean TV series ‘Mask’ and ‘The Privilege’ come to an end on ONE’s unprecedented ‘PPALI-PPALI! Within 24 Hours’ program, the channel has unveiled their August lineup of prime-time dramas!

The ‘PPALI-PPALI! Within 24 Hours’ program airs not 1 but 2 shows from top broadcasting network Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), within 24 hours from its premiere in South Korea. The dramas will air with localized subtitles too, so don’t forget to tune in!

1)     The Gang Doctor (流氓医生) (previously known as Yong Pal)

Cast: Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee Synopsis: Joo Won stars in the role of a medical prodigy, who makes illicit house calls to the wealthy. He saves a chaebol heiress (played by Kim Tae Hee) who has been kept in an induced coma by her half-brother. Check out the teaser below:

The Gang Doctor premieres 6 August, airing every Thu and Fri at 8.55pm on ONE.

2)     Mrs. Cop

Cast: Kim Hee Ae, Lee Ki Kwang, Lee Da Hee, Son Ho Jun Synopsis: The drama centers around Kim Hee Ae, who stars as the lead detective in a violent investigation crime unit.

Mrs. Cop will launch on 4 August, airing every Tue and Wed at 8.55pm on ONE.

ONE is available in Singapore on: Singtel TV Ch 513, 604 and StarHub TV Ch 124, 820 and 823.

ONE’s TV programs are also available on demand on: Singtel TV Ch 514, 605

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[AUSTRALIA] BTS takes Australia by storm & brings the ‘Red Bullet’ tour Down Under!

10,12 July 2015 - Rising hip-hop boy group BTS (Bangtan Boys), comprised of Rap Monster, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, definitely got off to a fantastic start on the Australian leg of their world tour. Both concerts in Sydney and Melbourne were completely sold out as their fans, affectionately called ARMYs, got behind the boys and banded together to give the band a warm welcome to the southern hemisphere.

Fresh off triple-track promotions from their latest, chart-topping album ‘The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt.1′, anticipation was rife as fans in Sydney and Melbourne would be among the first to hear and see BTS perform their hit track ‘쩔어 (Dope)’ live. The boys certainly did not disappoint and even brought out a set of snazzy new stage outfits for the shows!

ENERGY-FILLED SONG AND DANCE ROUTINES

Demonstrating their famous military-style choreography routines and showcasing impressive rapping and vocal skills, fans in both cities were treated equally to an electrifying show and had a whale of a time, singing along loudly and raising their light sticks high up into the air. BTS showed their amazing versatility, from performing high-energy dance tracks like ‘N.O.’, to soothing ballads like ‘Just One Day’ and even songs that called for the fans to join in the chorus like ‘Miss Right’!

FUN (BOYS) & GAMES ONSTAGE

The fun-loving boys were full of vigour and entertained the audience to no end. They faced off in an impromptu game of ‘Scissors, Paper, Stone’ onstage in Sydney, where youngest member Jungkook ultimately lost and gamely performed a cute dance as punishment. In Melbourne, V placed last and did aegyo, much to the delight of their fans!

Besides that, the boys also made sure to speak and interact with the audience members. One particularly memorable tidbit from leader Rap Monster: he said that on a school exchange in New Zealand, he had watched a horse race held in Melbourne on TV, but now he is the one running (around the stage) in front of a huge crowd. What a twist of fate indeed!

ENDING MENT

When the members gave their speeches at the end of the concerts, the boys thanked the crowd for their warm support. J-Hope, in particular, asked everyone to check out their new album and to wait for them. We hope that means the boys will return to Australia in the near future!

The concert ended on a high note, with bursts of confetti during the final encore stage. VIP ticket holders then had their chance to participate in a special high-touch session with BTS.

We would like to extend a big Thank You to Fast Track Events for organizing this event and for extending invites to The Seoul Story to cover this event :)

*Photos courtesy of Fast Track Events.

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[UPCOMING EVENT] 2015 First SH Music Power with BTS in Jakarta

Indonesian A.R.M.Y should brace themselves for the sudden news SH Entertainment brought them. BTS (Bangtan Boys) comprises of Jungkook, J-Hope, Rap Monster, V, Suga, Jimin, and Jin will finally make their first way to Indonesia for “2015 FIRST SH POWER MUSIC with BTS” on 11 September 2015

Being a sensation even right after their debut, BTS has always receive praises for every of their comeback tracks such as “No More Dream”, “We are Bulletproof”, “Boy in Luv” and even for the recent one with their 3rd Mini Album ‘I Need U’.

The group’s visit to Indonesia will be different. Not only that fans are able to witness the group’s fascinating performance but also interact directly by taking pictures and high-five session. This event is truly something you wouldn’t want to miss.

Event Details: Date: September 11, 2015 (Friday) Venue: Kasablanka Hall Jakarta Time: 6PM (4PM for VVIP & Major General ticket holders) Organizer: SH Entertainment

Ticketing Details:

*Tickets will be available to purchase on 24 July 2015

Privilege:

VVIP: high-five session & group photo

Major General: high-five session

Lucky draw for all ticket holders, 100 winners will be chosen and win a special gift from BTS

Official Ticketing Partner :

Indotix (online & offline)

Website : http://www.indotix.com/

Twitter : @indotix

Outlets :

Jakarta:

Senayan Trade Centre (STC Senayan) Lantai 2 no 1044

Ruko Grand ITC Permata Hijau Blok Sapphire No. 27

Bandung:

Bandung Ticket B0X

YES 24 Indonesia (online)

Website : http://www.yes24.co.id/

Twitter : @yes24indonesia

Snow Bay, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (offline)

Twitter : @SnowBayID

Outlet : Counter Snow Bay, TMII. ( Jl. Pintu II, Komplek Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 13560)

Website : http://shentertainment.qstore.id/

Qoo10:

Website : http://shentertainment.qstore.id/

Twitter : @qoo10INDO

Tickets : ONLY Major and Sergeant Class

Promotion: Buy 1 BTS ticket, get 1 free ticket for SnowBay.

Promotion : Discount 10% on each ticket purchase at Snow Bay, TMII counter.

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[SINGAPORE] SKECHERS Singapore welcomes arrival of new flagship store with newest brand ambassadors SISTAR

1 July 2015 – Footwear brand SKECHERS Singapore celebrated the opening of their brand-new flagship store in Ngee Ann City. From a star-studded VIP opening session to an exhilarating after-party held outdoors at ION2, The Seoul Story were honoured to be part of the glitzy festivities and bring you the highlights of the event.

Official Store Opening

SKECHERS executives, staff and VIPs posed for photos at the photo wall and filed into the store to utilize special shopping privileges, mingling and chatting as wine and canapés were served. The main draw of that event was definitely SISTAR’s arrival at Ngee Ann City. The newly minted brand ambassadors smiled and blew kisses as they took their turn at the photo wall, and afterwards declared the store open with a burst of confetti. The media clamoured for photos of the quartet and they spoke of how delighted they were to be in Singapore for a second time. Congratulations to SKECHERS Singapore for the successful launch of the new store!

Fashion Show at ION2

The crowd then moved to ION Orchard for the official after-party. A huge stage was set up at ION2, and several dancers took the stage before making way for a special fashion show. Models dressed top-to-toe in SKECHERS apparel – some with props and accompanied by adorable children – strutted down the extended stage, showcasing the latest SKECHERS GOWALK 3, Kids, Performance and D’Lites range. Personally, we had our eyes on the striking shoes in the D’Lites collection – be sure to check them out from the store at Ngee Ann City’s civic plaza!

SISTAR’s celebratory performance

The most-anticipated part of the night was undoubtedly the performance by girl group SISTAR, as fans crowded around the barricades on all sides of the tent and the crowd put down their champagne glasses to snap photos and videos of the popular band. They appeared on stage in sporty, neon outfits, which enhanced their fresh, energetic and youthful appeal that reinforced how great a fit they were as ambassadors and spokeswomen for the SKECHERS brand. The girls interacted enthusiastically with fans throughout their performance, singing and dancing to 3 of their hit summer anthems: ‘Shake It’, ‘Ma Boy’ and ‘Touch Ma Body’. Afterwards, 100 lucky fans participated in an exclusive event to meet the band in person.

The Seoul Story would like to thank SKECHERS Singapore for extending invites to us for this event :)

More HQ photos: Facebook More HQ videos: Youtube Daily Korean Entertainment news updates: Twitter Preview pictures from events: Instagram

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[SINGAPORE] SECRET Fan Meeting in Singapore 2015: A Magical Night of Fun & Laughter

Jeon Hyosung, Han Sunhwa, Jung Hana and Song Jieun graced Singapore on 28 June and brought the house down with energetic SECRETTIMEs at the Resorts World Theatre!

SECRET BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN

The familiar sound of the saxophone sent fans into frenzy once lights were dimmed in the theatre. Secret kicked start the fanmeet with “Poison” and fans were thrilled by the enticing dance moves and superb vocals showcased right in front of them. The four girls then channeled their inner “Madonna” during the next song, the upbeat melody rousing another wave of cheers from the crowd.

PLAYING GAMES AND ANSWERING CURIOUS FANS’ QUESTIONS 

Sunhwa divulged that she had been learning Chinese and showed off her newly-acquired skill to the delight of the fans, while Hyosung confessed that promoting her recent solo album had been a daunting challenge. On a lighter note, Jieun, who when asked what kind of superpower she would like to have if she could have any, cheekily answered that she would like to have the ability to eat without gaining weight! What was unanticipated was when Hana suddenly revealed that she is currently working on her own solo album, garnering a round of supportive yells from ardent SECRETTIMEs in the audience.

The Q&A session afterwards disclosed the concept which each member would like to try next, to which Jieun answered that she would like to try a jazz concept. On the other hand, Hana replied that she was interested in an androgynous concept, while Hyosung was keen on a punk rock one! An indie band image was what Sunhwa suggested for the group’s next comeback. All these varied answers only served to titillate the fans, who were excited by the possibility of SECRET coming back with a never-before-seen concept!

Unfortunately, the first game was cancelled due to an unforeseen technical error. There was a sudden lull of disappointment before Hyosung lifted everyone’s spirits by singing a bit of “Goodnight Kiss”, a song from her first mini solo album. Luck was with the fans who participated in the second game where first four male fans who took their shirts off got to pair up with a SECRET member each. Of course, hilarity ensued during the game of charades. The lucky contestant who won got a group photo with all four beautiful girls at the end of the game.  

SECRET SHOW HOW MUCH THEY CHERISH THEIR FANS

“Yoohoo” and “Shy Boy” were among some of the other songs SECRET performed during the fan meeting. They proclaimed their thoughts regarding fans during the next talk segment. Hyosung praised the fans for being friendly while Jieun expressed her surprise at how forward her female Singaporean fans were. It was after Jieun said that she would like to stay with the fans forever that the lights dimmed and everyone held up papers which said “SECRET 우리의 사랑”, meaning, “SECRET Our Love”. It was on that note that SECRET sang “Together”, inducing a somber yet emotional atmosphere in the theatre.

But of course, the girls appeared onstage once again afterwards for an encore, entertaining the audience with “Love is Move”! To show how much they love the fans, SECRET even took a group photo with everyone in the audience before thanking everyone for coming down to see them. Unfortunately, time flies when you’re having fun. The girls had to bid goodbye to the fans soon after, gratefully bowing before they made their way backstage.

The Seoul Story would like to thank Unleash Productions for organizing the event and for giving us the opportunity to cover this wonderful event! More HQ photos: Facebook More HQ videos: Youtube Daily Korean Entertainment news updates: Twitter Preview pictures from events: Instagram

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[SINGAPORE] 2015 SG KPOP CON: Celebrating 40 Years of Diplomatic Bilateral Relations between Singapore & Korea

25 June 2015 - Dressed in their finest K-Pop inspired stage outfits, aspiring singers and dancers from Singapore put up an incredible show and showed their passion for the Korean culture during the inaugural 2015 SG KPOP CON. The event was held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic bilateral relations between Singapore and Korea. The winning team or soloist of the K-Pop Cover Competition would take home the prize of an all expenses paid trip to Korea, representing Singapore in the KBS Kpop World Festival and Kpop Festival.

A SHOWCASE OF TALENTS FROM SINGAPORE AND KOREA

Singapore's Korea International School Choir opened the event with their rendition of “You Are My Sunshine”, capturing the audience’s hearts with their youthful and beautiful voices. After performing a few more songs from their repertoire, the Nanyang Polytechnic Chinese Orchestra (NYPCO) was announced as the next act. Led by conductor Mike Chiang, the NYPCO enthralled the crowd with their legendary medley of K-Pop songs. Everyone was flabbergasted by the fact that Chinese musical instruments are able to give a new take on K-Pop songs and make them sound so refreshingly different.

PERFORMERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH EACH OTHER TO WIN AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID TRIP TO KOREA

The atmosphere heated up when Dee Kosh announced the start of the K-Pop Cover Competition, and everyone was thrumming in their seats as they awaited the first performer onstage. Fresh Messz kick started the competition, followed by A-Team, Alicia, ME5CALINE, SWAGirls, Andrea, Xinli Lam, CUBIX, B.PROOF, Stella Ang, Lerene Tong, STARREseconds, and last but not least, SGK! Everyone gave their all, dancing and singing to their hearts’ content, and The Seoul Story would like to congratulate everyone who had participated in the competition. Dr Danny Tan, Jacky Lim and Clement Chen were the judges for the night, and we could see how difficult it must have been for them to make a decision!

The Best Vocal title was awarded to Xinli Lam, while the Best Performance title went to ME5CALINE. The Best Cover Dance title went to STARREseconds, who blew everyone away with their magnificent performance and will be representing Singapore in the upcoming KBS Kpop World Festival and Kpop Festival.

SINGAPORE’S MISS KOREA ELECTRIFIES THE EVENT

The next highlight of the event was none other than the special performance by Jojo, a local talent well-known from the television series, “Miss Korea”. Together with a group of dancers, she kept the crowd on their toes and made sure everyone stayed invigorated up till the announcement of the winners. It was definitely a splendid performance and we enjoyed every minute of it.

The Seoul Story would like to thank SG KPOP CON for giving us the opportunity to cover this event! Do head over to our Facebook page for more photos from the event :)