131023 T-ara Explains Why They Chose to Come Back

Girl group T-ara recently met with the press to talk about their 8th mini-album, “Again,” and how the controversial departure of ex-member Hwayoung had changed everything.

On deciding to make their comeback in spite of all the hate and controversy, the girls said, “It pains our hearts the most when we know that we won’t be able to receive applause from the audience when we’re standing on stage. But we want to stand on stage anyway. What can we do so that we can show a better side of ourselves again? It would be great if we knew the answer to that question, but we feel like we don’t know where to start. Even our ‘tiger’ CEO (Kim Kwang Soo) lost all of his confidence. He told us that we have to bring merit back to our group and to work hard while not pushing ourselves too hard. He told us we should continue this together…”

T-ara also talked about how their relationship with their fans had also changed.Hyomin said, “We were wrong to let our fans, who have always loved us, to bear such disappointment in us. There’s nothing we can do now to change that fact. No matter what we do, it’s not like we can undo the past. We continue to reflect on how our behavior back then was immature and childish. Our first priority right now is to keep working hard.”

Eunjung added, “Back then, we weren’t able to, but we wanted to tell everyone what was in our hearts as soon as possible. We often wonder if that’s why the public reacted more strongly to the issue. We should have shown the public a better image of ourselves through our actions, not just with words.”

T-ara was at the height of their popularity before the Hwayoung bullying incident drastically affected their image as a group. Eunjung shared, “In the past, I took popularity for granted. I don’t think that anymore. To have been a runner-up for first, even for us was higher than any ranking we imagined was possible. Even if we were in 10th place, we would be happy.”

The girls also shared their feelings about watching their CEO struggle with the aftermath of his sudden and insufficiently supported decision to remove Hwayoung from the group. Soyeon said, “Our CEO has always been overflowing with confidence, and we have always followed his instructions. The results on anything we did was always good. But now, our CEO is more careful than we are on everything, and he seems more nervous. While staying up through the night to work, he didn’t seem so confident anymore. It was the first time we had seen that side of him, and it pained us.”

Eunjung also opened up about how their interactions with other celebrities had also changed saying, “We have always been good friends with groups like Girls’ Generation and KARA, but because of all the bad news we were surrounded by, we find it difficult to approach them for the fear that they might try to avoid us. Instead of being able to act as we normally would and according to how we truly feel, we act more reserved. As human beings, things like that can really hurt.”

Soyeon also shared what it was like for T-ara to watch other girl groups grow their fan bases while the members of T-ara were on their hiatus. “Girls’ Generation,SISTAR, and Girl’s Day were able to make such big strides and frankly, we did feel envious. Other girl groups are always trying out new things. To start all over again, we feel like we should play it safe. We don’t feel it’s the right time for us to try out new things yet. T-ara has always received love in the past for their friendly girl-next-door image. We believe that there are fans out there waiting for the T-ara image they have been familiar with.” 

The girls also addressed the rumors that they were going to disband. “That rumor has always followed us. I think it still floats around because people are interested in us. We know that we obtain the best results when all of us are together as one group,” said Eunjung.

The girls have since posted a handwritten letter to the public apologizing for the controversial issue involving ex-member Hwayoung, who was a victim of their bullying. T-ara’s agency, Core Contents Media has also filed civil and criminal lawsuits against media outlets that published “speculative articles” about T-ara’s controversy. Hwayoung also recently updated her fans with her status and sincerely wished the best for T-ara. She has expressed an interest in acting, despite all the love calls from different agencies and is currently studying at Kyunghee University as a theater major.

Source (1)

131018 T-ARA Hyomin Attends ‘Tokyo International Film Festival’ Due to Schedule Changes

T-ARA member Hyomin, who was originally not able to make it to the ‘Tokyo International Film Festival’, was able to make it due to sudden change in schedule.

Core Contents Media stated yesterday that she would be taking a plane straight to Tokyo after her Mnet prerecording then attend ‘TIFF’ and quickly take the plane back to Korea to resume her activities in Korea.

T-ARA Hyomin was cast as the female lead for the Japanese movie, “Jinx.” She will be stepping on the red carpet to represent the movie at the festival.

The movie will officially release in Japan on November 16.

131017 T-ara's Ji Yeon Receiving Treatment After Injuring Her Knee Before "M!Countdown"

T-ara‘s Ji Yeon went to the hospital after filming for “M!Countdown” due to knee pain.

Her agency, Core Contents Media, said in a statement, “Ji Yeon hurt her knee during dance practice and went to the hospital after filming for ‘M!Countdown’.” According the agency, to accommodate Ji Yeon’s knee troubles, the group chose to sit down for their pre-recorded performance.

At the hospital, Ji Yeon was diagnosed with Knee Synovitis, an inflammation in the area around the joints. She received treatment and went back to “M!Countdown” for the live show. It was then reported that Ji Yeon went back to the hospital to receive acupuncture.

Later, Ji Yeon told Star News, “I apologize for making people worry…I want to show a good performance and not worry the fans.”

T-ara recently released their second version music video for “No.9.”

131016 T-Ara Turning a New Leaf? Members Explain Negative Comments are Constructive Criticism

After a pretty nasty bullying controversy that shook the Korean media last year, and a few line up changes, the members of girl group T-Ara have tried their best to reach out to fans and make a strong comeback in the past week.

The group made their official comeback on October 10 with the release of their eighth mini-album and its two title tracks, “Number 9″ and “I Know the Feeling.”

Despite a lot of personality critiques from internet users, the two songs instantly charted well on several digital charts within their first 48 hours, with “Number 9″ making it to number one on Bugs, Soribada, and Cyworld.

“I Know the Feeling” was spotted in various other digital charts ranking within the top three and a couple other songs from the EP made it into the top ten including “Hurt” and “Don’t Marry.”

So it seems the six members of T-Ara have been able to move beyond their rocky past and continue to be a top girl group in South Korea – or does it?

Yes, T-Ara are having a fair amount of success with their most recent comeback, but that does not mean they are not still the victims of some rather harsh and hurtful comments from internet users and former fans.

During an October 14 interview, the girls opened up about their past controversies and explained how they are using the negative comments and criticism to grow and change as individuals and as a unit.

Hyomin discussed the constant bombardment of negativity online directed are her group.”I don’t look at it carefully, but I skim through it,” she said.”In the past I would search a lont of negative comments… But not I try to find positive comments.”

“These days I feel better if encouraging posts increase a bit,” she continued.”[Our members] say ‘fighting’ to each other and read the posts to each other sometimes.”

The T-Ara members say they are learning a lot from all the hateful comments.

“The negative posts help us reflect on ourselves and realize new things,” explained Boram.

“I don’t think of it as negative posts, but I think to myself, ‘We did it this way and we should fix it,’ and I try to receive it positively,” she added.

If T-Ara’s current music chart success is any indication, the positive thinking is serving them well so far.

After being labeled as K-Pop’s mean girls, the T-Ara members seem to be taking the negative criticism to heart and really putting effort into turing a new leaf.

“I think [the negative comments] are for our benefit and growth, so rather than getting hurt, I learn from it,” finished Boram.

What do you think?It T-Ara’s recent comeback success reflective of former fans finally forgiving the members for their shortcomings?Share you ideas in the comments section below!

131016 T-Ara Soyeon, “I Had To Think Carefully About Dating Oh Jong Hyuk”

Girl group T-Ara’s member Soyeon revealed that it took her a long time to come to the decision to date actor Oh Jong Hyuk.

In a recent interview, Soyeon said, “Because he had to go to the army and because I’m an idol member, we had to be very careful to come to the decision. Because our dating started from trusting each other, in a way, waiting for him while he was gone for the army was the easiest part. He must’ve had a hard time at the army too but whenever I had a hard time with anything, he took really good care of me. It was actually better that we had those 2 years to build trust in each other.”

Soyeon and Oh Jong Hyuk had started dating 3 years ago and the relationship continued throughout Oh Jong Hyuk’s 2 years of service in the army. He had even volunteered to stay one more month, catching much attention.

Soyeon said, “As his girlfriend, of course I was worried. But I couldn’t express it. But I’m proud of him. He did well.”

Photo Credit: OSEN

131015 T-ara Singer Soyeon Park Says She And Boyfriend Oh Jong Hyuk ‘Haven’t Really Talked Marriage’

Soyeon Park of the K-pop girl group T-ara claims she and boyfriend, singer Oh Jong Hyuk, haven't really discussed getting married, but that doesn't mean she's shy about discussing the matter with reporters.

Soyeon Park of the K-pop girl group T-ara claims she and boyfriend, singer Oh Jong Hyuk, haven’t really discussed getting married, but that doesn’t mean she’s shy about discussing the matter with reporters.

At a press conference on Monday in a café in Seoul’s Gangnam District, Soyeon opened up about her and Oh’s past present and potential future.

“We dated for a while, but because I was waiting for him while he was in the army, we couldn’t talk about marriage a lot,” the singer said, according to the publication eNEWS.

“We both have very important things in each other’s lives, so we haven’t really talked marriage in detail.”

Soyeon, who has reportedly been dating Oh since 2010, also had some feisty words for any of Oh’s fans that have questioned what he was doing with her.

“I hear that my boyfriend is too good for me,” she quipped before adding, “I’m glad that there are many people who like my boyfriend.”

The T-ara singer said Oh serving out his mandatory service in the South Korean army caused her to seriously consider the depth of their relationship.

“Because [Oh] went to the army a little after we started dating, I had to think very carefully about it,” Soyeon said.

“But because I really liked him, waiting was the easiest. I think we grew a lot of faith and trust in each other during that time.”

When asked why she was being so candid in a South Korean entertainment industry where many top stars protect the details of their social like matters of national intelligence, the singer’s answer was simple.

“I didn’t want to lie or hide our relationship to the people who like us,” Soyeon said. “We believe it’s right to reveal it after dating for a certain period of time.”

The two stars revealed the news last month, through their respective record label reps.

”They’re a couple that’s dated a long time,” said a rep from Oh’s label, DSP Media. “Please encourage them since they are [getting along] beautifully.”

T-ara released their fifth EP, “Again” on Thursday.

131015 Why Does T-ARA Keep Switching Leaders?

T-ARA explained why they keep changing their leader.

On the October 14th episode of YTN’s “Ho Joon Seok’s News In” Qri revealed, “There’s still someone who hasn’t been a leader, but I’ve been chosen to be the 5th leader. As each member plays the role of a leader, she learns to be more responsible, and that’s why we keep changing leaders.”

The anchor asked, “Do you change leaders when someone says it’s time to change leaders?” Eunjung answered, “It can’t be that way. Each member has a good influence on the group. Everyone influences each other and is in turn influenced by the other members. The leader has the overall responsibility.”

Boram spoke on the topic of hierarchy in the group and said, “There is no hierarchy. Rather, no matter who is older or younger, we all treat each other like family.”

Photo credit: Ho Joon Seok’s News In screen capture

131015 T-Ara, “We Work On 2~3 Hours of Sleep”

T-Ara revealed that they are suffering from sleep deprivation.

In YTN “Ho Joon Suk’s Newsin” aired today, T-Ara came out as guests and revealed that they are living busy lives.

Member Soyeon talked about the preparation period they had before their comeback. She said, “We receive the song and we go through the process of confirming the song, recording, and choreography. We have to pass through many different professionals for our stage performance before we actually go on the stage.”

Qri said, “Our practice hours aren’t settled but from the day our comeback date is set, we practice with barely any sleep.”

Boram said, “It’s hard to fight sleep, but because we’re at our busiest period right now, we get about 2~3 hours of sleep every night.”

T-Ara recently came back with their mini album AGAIN.

Photo Credit: YTN

131015 T-ARA’s Musical Inspiration Found in IU and SHINee?

Girl group T-ARA stated that IU and SHINee as the top musicians that inspire them.

T-ARA appeared on YTN’s “Ho Joon Suk’s News In” on October 14th, and talked about their new album and current affairs.

In this broadcast, the anchor Ho Joon Suk asked T-ARA members, “Which musician stimulates you?” To this Hyomin replied, “No matter which singer or which stage, we are stimulated by them all,” and “We’re often jealous of those with unique concepts. It’s not about learning, but more the thought of, ‘What would it feel like to do something like that?’”

Soyeon said, “I think the rookies are doing especially well,” and “Recently a lot of teams are making their comebacks this season. I’m stimulated especially by SHINee and IU.”

IU’s new song “The Red Shoes” features a musical-esque performance, and is a hit with fans. SHINee will release their new song “Everybody” on October 14th, which is attracting attention among music fans.

T-ARA released their 8th mini album on October 10th, featuring their title song “Number 9,” and have been busy promoting their new mini-album.

131015 T-Ara Thanks Their Fans For Lunch ‘Group V’

T-Ara revealed their special lunch.

On October 12 T-Ara’s agency posted a picture of T-Ara, saying, “T-Ara received lunch from their fans on the day they returned to MBC “Music Core” after a year and a half.” In the picture, T-Ara members made a V at the camera while holding up the lunch boxes that their fans made them.

T-Ara released their 8th mini album “AGAIN” on October 10. Their double title songs are “Number Nine” and “Because I Know.”

Photo Credit: Core Contents Media

131015 T-ara brings gifts to waiting fans

Once upon a time, fans used to bring gifts to the taping of programs that featured their favorite stars, hoping the small bribe would help get them a seat in the audience. Today, however, the situation seems to have reversed, as stars prepare gifts for their fans to thank them for their support and time.

Case in point: girl group T-ara, who brought enough tteokboki, or spicy rice cakes, to serve 300 people lining up for a TV taping at SBS early Sunday morning. According to local reports, the thank-you snack wasn’t even paid for by T-ara‘s management; rather, the group paid for the food themselves.

“We wanted to do something for fans who had to wait for a long time”, the group said.

“We prepared enough so that fans waiting for other celebrities could also eat the food”.

And T-ara wasn’t the only group.

Boy band My Name prepared cushions for fans, to spare them from sitting on the cold ground. “Be comfortable while you wait, we love you”, the group said on its Twitter on Sunday.

SHINee also delivered food to fans last week, after a scheduled performance was delayed.

By Lee Sun-min

131013 T-ara’s Jiyeon Greets Fans While Half-Asleep

On January 6, a few pictures of T-ara’s Jiyeon, under the caption, “Jiyeon greets fans even when she just woke up,” has surfaced on the internet through an online community website.

The pictures show her sleepy and tired eyes, which are still half-closed, and her exhausted facial expression. However, she does not neglect her fans and waves at them, even when she is barely able to keep her eyes open.

Netizens who caught a glance of these pictures praised her by commenting, “Aaah~ Cute. Even while rubbing her eyes, she is greeting us,” “She looks like a baby,” and “This side of hers is different than what we see on stage.”

Meanwhile, the group T-ara just released their new hit single “Lovey Dovey” on January 3 and performed for the first time in this new year on January 5 on Ment’s “M! Countdown.”

131013 T-ara give out snacks for their waiting fans in Inkigayo

On October 13, T-ara make their 300 fans, who are waiting outside of Inkigayo, surprised.

T-ara entertained their fans and thanked them for coming early to watch Inkigayo pre-recording. They gave over 300 of their fans some snacks such as ricecakes and fishcakes.

The snacks were bought from members’ own pockets and personally prepared the surprise. They stayed with their fans and interacted with them from 7-8:30 in the moring.

T-ara expressed, “Since then, we’ve get alot from our fans. Even simple, we wanted to do something in return to show our gratitude. Our fans and others as well, have hard time getting up this early in order to see our short performance, so we’d like to see them eat well today.”

They concluded, “We aren’t singers without the fans, so we never forget to thank them. We will do our best on performance for them.”

T-ara is going to have their comeback stage on SBS Inkigayo at 3:40KST.

Written by KYUriShana@dkpopnews.net
Source: Nate

131011 Seo In Young, Picture With T-ara Jiyeon “With the Dinosaur”

Singer Seo In Young revealed a picture taken with T-Ara’s member Jiyeon.

Today, Seo In Young posted on her Instagram, “With the eating dinosaur” along with a picture. T-Ara and Seo In Young had both performed at Mnet “M! Countdown” today.

In the picture, Seo In Young had her blonde hair braided to her sides. Jiyeon revealed shorter hair, making the same pose as her.

Internet users who saw this commented, “I really like your new song,” “T-Ara made their comeback too,” etc.

Photo Credit: Seo In Young Instagram

131010 T-ara releases MV for second title track “I Know The Feeling”

After releasing the “Number 9” MV, T-ara has now unveiled the full music video for second title track, “Because I Know”.

“I Know The Feeling” is a sad song with an addicting melody composed by Baek Hyun Jung and Baek Deok Sang. The song is a medium-tempo number that maximizes the emotion. Eunjung reportedly participated in the acoustic arrangement of the song.

Check out the MV

131010 T-ara releases “Number 9” MV

Making yet another epic comeback, T-ara released their 8th mini album ‘Again’ as well as the full music video for one of the two title tracks, “Number 9”.

“Number Nine” is co-composed by Sinsadong Tiger and composer Choi Gyu Sung. The song starts out balladical and changes into strong electronic in the chorus part.

The second title track “I Know The Feeling” is a sad song with an addicting melody composed by Baek Hyun Jung and Baek Deok Sang. The song is a medium-tempo number that maximizes the emotion. Eunjung reportedly participated in the acoustic arrangement of the song.

Check out the MV

131010 T-ARA Releases Countdown Teaser for Comeback on October 10

Girl group T-ARA released a countdown teaser image online.

T-ARA, who is to make a comeback tomorrow on October 10, released their last teaser image on their official homepage.

For their last image teaser, they released a photos of them from their music video shoot.

T-ARA will be releasing double title songs, “Number 9″ and “I Know the Feeling.”

They will also release both songs music videos tomorrow as well.

They hope to showcase their wild and sexy concept through their new album release.

131008 Eunjung takes part in arrangement of T-ara’s title track “I Know the Feeling”

Eunjung was revealed to have participated in the arrangement of one of T-ara’s upcoming title tracks “I Know the Feeling”.

According to Core Contents Media, “T-ara’s title track ‘I Know the Feeling’ was composed by Baek Deok Sang. He also worked on the acoustic arrangement of the song in collaboration with T-ara’s own member Eunjung.”

Eunjung shared, “I took part in the arrangement for a T-ara song for the first time, and I had fun. I carefully prepared for it and I am excited for the fans to hear it. The acoustic guitar melody shows off a different side of us, and is a good song for autumn season. I hope everyone likes ‘Number 9’ and ‘I Know the Feeling’.”

131008 T-ARA Eunjung Helps Produce ‘I Know the Feeling’, ‘First Time Producing’

T-ARA member Eunjung helped produce their double title song, “I Know the Feeling.”

Producer Park Duk Sang, who was in charge of T-ARA’s new song, requested that Eunjung, who had always been a fan of acoustic music, to help in producing this album.

Eunjung, who had never produced before, as excited to be able to take part in the making of the song.

She stated that she was able to learn a lot and hopes that many people will enjoy their new songs.

They will release their new album and two music videos on October 10.