Hyun Bin Update!

Hyun Bin, a South Korean actor best known for films such as Secret Garden, is currently enlisted in the military and serving in the Marine Corps. He has been in military service since early March 2011 and has been assigned to a camp in Baek Ryung Do. A photo of Hyun Bin with a fellow soldier in camouflage uniform has recently surfaced online. Viewers have noticed his sleek, handsome appearance with his new dignified posture. The photo received many comments such as "Come back! I want to see him soon!" and "Please take care in the cold" by fans. 


To learn more about The Year of the Dragon and other Asian themes, please visit Fujimini Island, find Fujimini Island on Facebook, follow Fujimini Island on Twitter.

K-Pop Star Rain Joins South Korean Army, Learn more about K-Pop

Korean popular music, also known as K-pop, is a musical genre that is made up of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music all originating in South Korea.  What started with the debut of the musical group Seo Tai-ji & Boys in the early 1990s, who incorporated elements of rap and techno into their music, led to the outbreak of many hip hop duos including Deux, Shinhwa, and Sechs Kies. 

Eventually, the increase in the popularity of this genre led to the opening of South Korea's largest talent agency, S.M. Entertainment. S.M Entertainment was founded by Korean entrepreneur Lee Soo Man in 1995. This agency publicized the first K-Pop girl groups and boy bands and inspired the founding of other talent agencies such as YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. These talent agencies produced talent as rapidly as the public could consume it. In recent years, K-Pop has become very popular in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. 

In addition to music, K-Pop has grown into a subculture among teenagers around the world. It is a representation of fashion and style for people who listen to and idolize the Korean groups and singers. 

Through Facebook fan pages, Itunes, Twitter, and Youtube the genre of K-Pop has continued to grow and flourish among people worldwide. 

For more information about what is happening in the world of K-Pop visit: http://k-popped.com/