Around the turn of the millennium, Korean pop culture and entertainment started popping up everywhere in Asia. Korean Cinema saw a new renaissance with the domestic and regional popularity of movies like My Sassy Girl, Friend, and My Wife is a Gangster. The music industry ushered in a new generation of teen idols whose fame extended beyond Korea. Most significantly, Korean dramas invaded televisions across Asia, with series like Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum reaching an unprecedented level of Pan-Asian popularity. The fervor for Korean dramas and Korean television stars like Bae Yong Joon, Choi Ji Woo, and Lee Young Ae was so great, the phenomenon was dubbed the Korean Wave. Fast forward to 2010, Korean entertainment is still spreading its sphere of influence in Asia and beyond, but the focus is shifting away from Korean dramas. There’s a new wave sweeping out of Korea, and this wave is led by K-pop.

The K-pop wave isn’t content with just niche markets, dubbed soap operas, and Japanese fan meetings, not when domestic album sales are flagging and there’s a world out there for the taking. We’re now in a time when Rain can star in a Hollywood movie, Dong Bang Shin Ki can top the Oricon charts, Wonder Girls can tour with the Jonas Brothers, and Nobody and Sorry Sorry can be heard from every karaoke box in Asia. K-pop is more popular than ever in Asia, and thanks to the Internet and the proliferation of online social media, it’s also traveled farther outside of Asia and inspired dedicated fanbases in every region imaginable. Standing at the forefront of this K-pop wave is entertainment juggernaut SM Entertainment.
Founded in 1995 by former singer Lee Soo Man, SM Entertainment has produced some of the biggest K-pop stars of the past decade including H.O.T, S.E.S, BoA, Shinhwa, Dong Bang Shin Ki, Super Junior, and Girls’ Generation. Though K-pop’s other two giants JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment also have their own formidable lineup of stars, as a talent label SM Entertainment is clearly the biggest player in K-pop. According to year-to-date domestic sales figures reported by the Hanteo chart in mid-August, SM Entertainment artists own the top seven best-selling albums of 2010 so far. SM does everything bigger – bigger groups, bigger stars, bigger sales, bigger fandoms, bigger controversies, bigger heartbreaks – and it’s been doing it bigger and better than the rest for a while.

Super Junior, Strength in Numbers

With TVXQ splitting their time between Korea and Japan, SM introduced another group in 2005, Super Junior 05. Comprised of a whopping 12 members, the band was originally conceived as a rotating-membership unit, with plans for a different “Super Junior 06″ lineup the following year. The group’s great popularity after the release of their first album, however, prompted SM to rethink their plans. Much to the relief of fans, in 2006 Super Junior became an official group, with one more member added (the youngest, Kyu Hyun) to bring the count to 13. As K-pop’s biggest group, Super Junior vaunted to the top with the hit single U, and they’ve stayed there ever since.

Super Junior’s smorgasbord of vastly different talents and personalities opened up whole new possibilities. Like in most groups, there were some members better known for singing (Kyu Hyun, Ryeo Wook, Ye Sung), dancing (Dong Hae, Eun Hyuk, Han Geng, Shin Dong), and rapping (Ki Bum, Eun Hyuk). But Super Junior’s deep lineup also included actors (Ki Bum, Hee Chul, Si Won) and talkers who quickly emerged as new-generation emcees (Lee Teuk, Kang In, Hee Chul, Shin Dong). The group’s hosting and variety show prowess, in particular, created an image different than the typical idols. Super Junior is also the first group to debut with a foreign member, Han Geng, starting a precedent that is now quite common in K-pop.
Super Junior’s strength in numbers made them a formidable force that grew with every album. The releases of Don’t Don, Sorry Sorry, and their most recent Bonamana were all big events in K-pop. Sorry Sorry, in particularly, launched the super-sized boy band to a new level of fame in Asia. Other than group and individual activities, Super Junior have also formed sub-units targeting different musical styles. K.R.Y, the first Super Junior unit introduced, is a ballad group, while Super Junior T tackles trot and Super Junior Happy makes, er, happy music.

The most significant Super Junior unit though is its Chinese spin-off, Super Junior M. With a Chinese member in the group, Super Junior has had a foot in the Chinese market since their debut. In 2008, SM made a full-fledged foray into Chinese music with the formation of Super Junior M comprised of Han Geng, Si Won, Ryeo Wook, Dong Hae, Kyu Hyun, plus two additional new members, Chinese-Canadian Henry Lau and Mainland native Zhou Mi. The addition of two non-Super Junior members into Super Junior M created a good deal of controversy among Super Junior’s famously dedicated fanbase, but the project went ahead with the members spending significant time promoting and performing in China. Most fans were won over by the time they released their first mini-album Super Girl which garnered the group a Golden Melody nomination.
Other than Super Junior M, SM also debuted Chinese female artist Zhang Li Yin in 2006. The young R&B singer’s Korean single Timeless won her the Best New Solo Artist award at the M.net Asian Music Awards, a first for a foreign artist. After making her mark in Korea, she released her first Chinese album I Will two years later.

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CREDITS
Taken from: YesAsia
Shared By: danica @ TwELFs.com

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Park Gyuri and Shindong from idol groups Kara and Super Junior showed off their uncommon friendship.

Gyuri revealed a picture on her twitter on the 18th, confirming that she has sent a hat as a present to Shindong. Gyuri left the message saying ‘A present I bought back from Japan Harajuku ^^ Take a photo with the hat >_< Haha, Shindong oppa, it really suits you!’

In the picture, Shindong wore a mainly black cap with fancy patterns, a huge smile and a content expression on his face.

Netizens left messages on the photo saying ‘Really envy the friendship between the two’, ‘Seems like their relationship is really good’ etc.

CREDITS
Original Source: TVDaily
Chinese Translation: SJF.嘉敏@SJ家族（www.sjfamily.cn or www.sjfans.cn）
English Translation: heart_beat327@super-legacy.com

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The pride of Asian boy bands Super Junior, what is so special about idols in the resting room?

The members, who held ‘Super Show 3’ in Seoul Olympic Stadium on the 14th and 15th, revealed their photos from backstage. They, who love taking pictures, one by one posed for the camera, from seducing poses to naughty ones. So far the boy band with the most members, they gave the impression of constantly helping and caring for each other even in backstage. Members of SNSD and TRAX, also from the same company, went backstage as well. Everyone was still in the trance of Super Junior members’ charisma.

Super Junior members took pictures together before going onstage. In the photo, their hands were stacked together, encouraging each other. It is already their 3rd tour, however they were still very nervous, therefore in need of support from one another.

In addition, Heechul took a picture with two members of SNSD. Heechul performed ‘The Way To Break With An Idol’ in this concert, as well as imitating Lady Gaga as ‘Lady Hee Hee’.

‘Warm charisma’ leader Leeteuk in the changing room showed his warm smile with his fellow members in front of the camera. With Yesung, the two did not expose their nervousness at all. In the middle of performing, cameras also took pictures of them being drenched in sweat.

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CREDITS
Original Source: hankooki
Chinese Translation: 悦鑫@SJ公会 (sjgonghui.com)
English Translation: heart_beat327@super-legacy.com

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Korean idol group Super Junior’s new album ‘Bonamana’ released 3 different versions. Just version A even sold over 120,000 copies in Korea. Along with the sales of versions B and C, it totals to around 210,000 albums sold, making SJ the ‘sales king’ of this year up until now. On the ranking, the first 7 are also albums from artists of the same company, SM Entertainment.

A site researching the sales of Korean albums ‘Hanteo’ released yesterday the sales of Korean albums from January 1 this year till the 17th of this month. Super Junior’s ‘Bonamana’ was relased in May in Korea, releasing 3 versions in only 3 months, totaling to over 210,000 copies sold. However, this album only sold around 45,000 copies in Taiwan.

Artists under SM Entertainment successfully achieved the first 7 rankings of the list. Super Junior respectively took 1st, 5th and 7th.

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CREDITS
Original Source: Apple Daily
English Translation: heart_beat327@super-legacy.com

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Promotions of Super Junior’s new song ‘Tok Tok Tok’ has been tremendous. A lot of members used Twitter to promote their new song.

On the 17th, Kim Heechul tweeted: ” ‘Tok Tok Tok’ Give my heart a knock~ I’m willing to be a self promoting idol..”. Shindong tweeted, “Super Junior’s traditional TROT single Tok Tok Tok says ‘give my heart a knock’, while listening to the song you’ll soon get addicted to it!!!”. Eunhyuk tweeted, “~Who is it? Ever since I was young I always heard people say I was smart, but I would have never guessed that one day I would sing a song like Tok Tok Tok……Hehe? Good, now SM has decided to hand us over to the media” They all left a message through Twitter.

It seems like the three members have planned to go on Twitter to promote their new song at the same time, as Heechul has described, ‘self promoting idols’.

Also, the melody, performance, editing and vocals of Super Junior’s new song ‘Tok Tok Tok’ are all traditional TROT style and was released on different public websites on the 16th.

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CREDITS
Chinese Translation: 香淑_小抽@sujudian.cn
English Translation: ❝Cherylbchow☆❞@super-legacy.com

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One of Asia’s most popular groups Super Junior’s 3rd tour ‘Super Show 3’ officially started. The performances held on the 14th and 15th in Seoul Olympic Stadium attracted many overseas fans to come and watch. Shindong got the audience laughing by pretending to be Chinese for a certain part; Kangin who entered the army also performed with his fellow members on stage by 3D projections, causing the fans and even Leeteuk to tear up.

Eunhyuk and Shindong took over the stage designs
The Seoul concert performed on the 15th, the family of the members also came. Leader Leeteuk jokingly said ‘Even my mother was surprised, how Super Junior became so fashionable and elegant.’ The members hung on wires, jumped out of moving lifts, rode pushcarts around the stage in order to get closer to the fans. All this came from the creativity of Shindong and Eunhyuk. Shindong said ‘The hardest part is that there is no extra money for it.’ Yesung who has a fear of heights said ‘From the pain on our hips, we can confirm that we are real men.’
Heechul and Shindong respectively disguised as ‘Lady Hee Hee’ and ‘Beyonce’*, the image with tights and high heels cracked the fans up. Shindong however said ‘My appearance was a bit dirty, hopefully in the other performances it doesn’t have to be me.’

Many little situations; Siwon accidently fell
Some small accidents also occurred at the concert. While Siwon was singing ‘A Man In Love’, he lost his balance and fell. Although he immediately climbed back up, the fall was obviously very painful, and couldn’t help but drag his leg while walking on stage. Sungmin also got his shoe stuck in the moving platforms, so he took off his shoes and socks and performed ‘U’ onstage barefoot. Eunhyuk even helped to retrieve his shoe later on. As there were many fans from overseas, in the specially prepared VCR, each of the members dressed up as if they were from other countries. Leeteuk said ‘Sometimes I’m worried our popularity in Korea would lose to overseas.’ Shindong even wore a long robe and sang a classic Chinese song live. ‘Super Show 3’ is expected to be held in Taiwan early next year in the Taipei Arena. However, the vocal group KRY made up by Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung might be coming to Taiwan by the end of the year for a performance.

* Originally it was a word play of Shindong’s Chinese name with Beyonce’s

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CREDITS
Original Source: Unknown
English Translation: heart_beat327@super-legacy.com

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Shindong posted a comical photo taken of the Super Junior members on his Twitter.

Shindong posted a picture onto his Twitter on the 17th, and added ‘Still not used to the time difference. Was drunk and I think that day and night are going to turn upside down! Wine is the one good thing at that time ~~~ don’t over drink though. Bonus circus troupe!’

In the photo, he along with members Leeteuk and Eunhyuk all put their right pinkies into their noses, broad smiles on their faces, looking very comical. What they were wearing – red, blue and yellow flowery outfits – also added to the amusing atmosphere. Fans who saw the picture couldn’t help but laugh, and also said ‘Seems like I just walked into a fairytale kingdom’, ‘There is no doubt of them being funny young men’ etc.

On the other hand, Super Junior successfully finished their ‘Super Junior The 3rd Asia Tour: Super Show 3’ held on the 14th and 15th in Seoul Olympic Stadium.

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CREDITS
Original Source: Newsen
Chinese Translation: SJF.嘉敏@SJ家族（www.sjfamily.cn or www.sjfans.cn）
English Translation: heart_beat327@super-legacy.com

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• Why I love Super Junior? I wasn’t into K-Pop when Super Junior debuted, I started noticing them only after they released Sorry Sorry (in my opinion, THE song that shot them to superstardom and got them where they are right now). My first impression of them was “Why so many members?” and “What’s with the haircut?” While watching EHB, it was then when I realized that these boys began to grow on me. They have a nonchalant approach to fame and they don’t take themselves too seriously, that’s a quality I rarely find in other K-Pop groups. I realize in Korean entertainment world, idol images are shaped and they have to maintain that, but every so often, with SJ members, their real personalities appear in interviews, variety shows, radio broadcasts and especially Super Show. They way they interact with each other make me feel like I’m watching the boys-next-door, approachable, funny, dorky and humble. I guess that imperfection shows that they are real and relatable.
  
  Why I love TwELFs and SPL? When I first started collecting information about Super Junior, I stumbled upon several fanbases, but TwELFs stood out to my attention immediately for several reasons: quality content, good English, pleasing to the eyes & easy to navigate.Like any other new converts, I joined in the fandom bandwagon and participated with gusto especially on Trending Topic projects. I was surprised to know that TwELFs founders were still in college, because they ran a tight ship with the blog and Twitter account. I was even more pleasantly surprised when I communicated via Twitter with the founders, because they were so friendly and unpretentious. TwELFs blog has meaty content without sacrificing entertainment value. It is informational without sounding too serious and at the same time, provides all the fun tidbits for fans –newly minted or veteran.
  
  SPL is oozing with creativity (e.g. forum members referred to as Students and Super Junior members as Professors!) and over a short period of time has gained the reputation of being one of the most acclaimed international forums for ELFs. SPL keeps making changes for the better and continues to carry out credible projects for Super Junior and ELFs. SPL is a labor of love, and I salute the people behind it, who are such dedicated hard-workers.