110825 JYJ appointed as UNAIDS goodwill ambassador – The first ‘Korean wave’ star acclaimed by UN

JYJ (Kim Jae-joong, Park Yoo-chun, and Kim Jun-su), a Korean pop band, has been named as ‘UNAIDS regional goodwill ambassador’, one of the UN agencies.

Today (25th August), UNAIDS (the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) is going to announce JYJ’s acceptance of UNAIDS regional goodwill ambassadorship for the Asia and pacific region.

JYJ is appointed as the 13rd UNAIDS’ goodwill ambassador. Before JYJ, Michael Ballack (international football player of German), Emmanuel Adebayor (international football player of Togo), Naomi Watts (renowned actress how has starred in films including King Kong), Annie Lennox (the world renowned Scottish singer songwriter and women’s activist) and others have committed as UNAIDS international goodwill ambassador. Amr Waked (an Egyptian Actor) is also an UNAIDS Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa.

It’s known that JYJ’s the high recognition and popularity across the Asia and pacific is highly regarded by UNAIDS. Considering 3-40% of people living with HIV/AIDS are the youth, UNAIDS expect JYJ to encourage increased HIV awareness and fundraising for UNAIDS-related activities.

UNAIDs, which was launched in January 1996, has a role of protecting people from epidemic, monitoring it and supporting people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, UNAIDS provides a report on the global AIDS epidemic, hold a conference on HIV/AIDS issues, and put efforts on alleviating the impact of the epidemic.

UNAIDS is guided by a ‘Programme Coordinating Board’ with representatives of 22 governments from all geographic regions, 9 UNAIDS Cosponsors, and five representatives of nongovernmental organizations. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 169 countries (by 2011) are participating.

16th August, JYJ also accepted the role of official Ambassador for the 10th international Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP10), which is held by ASAP (AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific) and UNAIDS.

JYJ is going to appear 2011 10th Asia-Pacific AIDS Congress (ICAAP 10) opening ceremony which is holding in 26th August, BEXCO Busan, to attend an appointment ceremony. As a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for the Asia and Pacific region (Regional Goodwill Ambassador), JYJ is to attend a charitable concert, as well as shooting public service advertisements and volunteer activities and so on, for one year.

From TVXQ to JYJ..Making a new leap forward 

31st July, 2009. Hero Jae-joong, Micky Yoo-chun, and Xiah Jun-su, 3 members of ‘TVXQ’ submitted to the court for provisional disposition to terminate the validity of their exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. 

“Because of the SM’s unilateral schedule for 5 years, we are exhausted both in mind and body” was the reason. After this legal action, they got the name of JYJ. Instead of four-letter name, they found the real name (Kim Jae-joong, Park yoo-chun, and Kim Jun-su), too.

Since then, however, the time of hardships was started. Apart from the SM’s objection which has overruled, Avex which managed TVXQ’s promotion in Japan ceased their activities. Also, the Union of Korean Pop Culture and Arts Industry made each broadcaster refrain JYJ’s appearance by sending a public document. It caused that a range of JYJ’s activities have been drastically narrowed.

Even though JYJ published their 1st album ‘The beginning’ on 12nd October, 2010 and hold showcase and world tour, these 3 men couldn’t sing their song at major terrestrial broadcasters. 2010 KBS Drama Awards Celebration was the JYJ’s first stage, but they could sing only the original sound track of ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’, which Park yoo-chun acted as a main cast member. Last July, JYJ was scheduled to perform in a KBS broadcasted concert with other singers in Jeju for the 7 World Wonders campaign but received a cancellation notification unilaterally.

However, ‘restriction’ becomes a ‘plus’. Park yoo-chun carries his successful career as an actor, playing a main cast member in ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’(2010) and ‘Miss Ripley’(2011). Kim jae-joong, who already acclaimed as an actor in Japan, is now playing a role in a SBS’s high-rated drama series ‘Save my boss’. Kim jun-su also stood on the stage of musical ‘Mozart’ and ‘Tears in heaven’ in 2011. Recently, they are holding the photo exhibition ‘Mine’, showing people how JYJ spend their time and JYJ’s lifestyle.

Still, all they want is ‘standing on the stage’. Since they’re ‘singer’, they want to perform on the stage with their own album. Now, they’re appointing as UNAIDS regional goodwill ambassador for the Asia and pacific region. That’s the reason why JYJ’s the next move is attracting more attention.

credit: ohmynews
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110727 JYJ To Release Korean Album This Year‏

JYJ will release a Korean album in Korea finally. The release date is unconfirmed but JYJ has expressed that “The release is targeted to be this year and is currently in production.”

This Korean album release will be the 2nd album after “The Beginning” release during last year’s October. Upon reporter’s interview, they said, “Although it is good to fix the release date but it is still unconfirmed. This Korean album was prepared in order to thank the domestic fans.”

An interesting point this time will be whether JYJ are able to participate in promotional activities for this album. When the three members sang ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ theme song, Found You, the song came in first place in KBS’s Music Bank but was unable to appear on the programme and resulted in commotion. At that time, KBS expressed, “If it is an official album release, they will be able to appear on the music programme.” To this, CJeS said, “Hopefully there are not external pressure or prohibition this time.”

Additionally, JYJ received the cancellation notice for KBS’s “Jeju New 7th Wonder Wishes Special’ just four days before the broadcast and the representative company have submitted the complaint to the official committee.

source: donga.com
credit: loveissammi
trans by: rachui@sharingyoochun

110509 JYJ’s Beijing concert concludes and to start their North America tour

“JYJ World Tour”, which started from April for a period of two months, was held in Beijing, China on the 7th. In this performance, JYJ sang the songs from the co-produced album with Kanye West and Rodney Jerkins, “The Beginning” and their own self-compositions, receiving loud cheers from the thousands live audiences with the grandeur of the live stage. Beijing’s concert concludes the Asia Tour and this tour proves JYJ’s popularity as top star in Asia and Kim Jaejoong’s success as a director.

Kim Jaejoong has mentioned before the tour that the theme would be “The Challenge of Creativity”, using his experience as a singer to present an excellent concert for everyone. In these four performances, the stability of the structure, the uniqueness of JYJ’s performance, the unprecedented style and the stage that allows interactions with the fans, has caused the media from the different countries to write detailed reports. JYJ who has successfully finished the Asia Tour, expressed, “This world tour is JYJ’s new challenge and we wanted to express our kind of stage. To meet the fans after long absence through an official performance and to present them with a diverse exciting performance, we are elated and wanted to express our thanks to the fans who wholeheartedly supported us.”

Additionally, the four sold-out concerts has attracted a total of 43000 fans and this time round, they would be moving to Los Angeles and North America. The North America tour would begin on the 20th in Vancouver, Canada and would then be held on the 22nd in New Jersey, 27th in Los Angeles and 2nd of June in San Jose.

credit: koreastardaily
trans by: rachui@sharingyoochun

JYJ Setting Off for the World Tour: “We Do Not Regret It.”

JYJ Setting Off for the World Tour: “We Do Not Regret It.”

Bangkok Concert with Jaejoong as Executive Director Receives Large Response; Plans Tour of Taiwan, China, and North America in April through June.

Anyway, we suffered but working hard and life is good.
Despite someone’s torments, we try to really smile.

Our efforts are certainly not as a commodity
As a human being, the day I die
I don’t want regrets– to that is our efforts.

Yes, in the end, JYJ.

They poured out the rap as if they were pulling out the lumps from inside. The audience numbering around 11,000 and filling Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena on the 3^rd answered JYJ’s cries with a heated roar. On the inaugurating stage of the JYJ World Tour, JYJ for the first time showed off the live version of the Nameless Song, Part 1. As a song included in the Music Essay “Their Rooms” which was released in January, the lyrics which describe the process through which Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu stepped out from TVXQ to form JYJ gathered attention.

The uber-large stage that claimed the entirety of the (concert venue) floor was formed in the shape of the Chinese character Field (田). The small squares within the large square were filled to the brim by the audience. The three members who went and travelled all over the lines of the Field to sing and dance could be seen up close not only by the audience on the floor level but also on the second and third levels. When they sang the audience also sang, and when they danced the audience also danced. The border between the stage and the seats seemed thinner than a single sheet of paper.

This day’s performance was directed in its entirety by Jaejoong. In November of last year, he had stepped a bit into the world of directing the stage by taking on the function of tuning the (communications and the workings) of the multi-national staff from Korea, the US, and Japan for the Seoul Jamshil Olympic Competition Arena Concert. This time, he had pulled up his sleeves to lead. On top of (taking care of) the stage, sound, video, lights, and choreography, Jaejoong put his attention to even the minutiae— for instance, he himself picked the fabric of the stage costumes from Dong Dae Moon Market. The other members called such Jaejoong “Kim Director.”

“Until now, there were not many among the directorial staff who could know well the minds (and thoughts) of the singer. To merely create the stage and to command that the singer “follow the directions that I’ve created” is not the answer from the perspective of the singer. The ideal dream is that the direction adjusts to the singer and the singer adjusts to the direction to create one performance. Although today’s stage is definitely not on the final level of actualization (of that ideal), I feel satisfied to see the members sing with a reassured and confident heart.

On these words by Jaejoong, the other two members nodded. Yoochun said: “I felt more confident than in any other concert.” Junsu said: “I think I went on the stage with a heart that was more reassured than on any other occasion. I am so very thankful to Jaejoong Hyung.”

With the Thailand performance on the 2^nd and 3^rd as the start, JYJ will continue the tour with the Taiwan performance on April 23 and the Beijing, China performance on May 7^th. Furthermore, after finishing the North American Tour that will visit four or more cities in the US and Canada, JYJ will finish off its big run with the Pusan performance on June 11^th and 12^th. This World Tour is the last stop and the highlight which wraps up the activities of “The Beginning,” their first World Wide Album that was released in October of last year.

Junsu, looking back at the past few months in which they had struggled alone against the difficult circumstances involving the blocking of their TV appearances and the like, said:  “That although we received a song from Kanye West for our album, no one knows this fact except us and our fans; That although our album was #5 in the “Albums of this Year” (list) that Billboard readers picked last year, no one knows this fact but us; that we were not able to show (to the Korean audience) this album on a Korean stage. On these points I feel regretful. These are mountains we need to climb in the future. I feel that we’ve all become more solid. Today’s performance, too, was only possible because our members trusted and depended on each other. I am lucky to have met such members.

Source: Hankyoreh
Translation Credit: JYJ3'

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Interview with JYJ: Thailand Concert– the Concert in which We Felt the Most Comfortable

The following is the Question and Answer Session with the members of JYJ.

Q: How do you feel after the kick-off concert yesterday?

Yoochun: After it was finished I felt satisfied. During the preparation of the concert there were some parts that were lacking due to my schedule and I did not feel very confident. Normally when there arises occasions which are wanting you feel anxious because you know that such mistakes will happen. Yesterday, however, there were of course mistakes but I think it was a concert that had a high degree of completion.

Junsu: I wish that we had more room time-wise and on that I feel regretful. Because I had been doing musicals and had been preparing for many things there was some stress and I felt pressured. Even though the duration of the preparation was not long, because I had discussed a lot with Jaejoong Hyung on the phone as he prepared for the directing of the tour, and because I had such direct conversation (with the director himself), I rose to the stage with the full understanding of the concert at large. Because I did that, I felt so comfortable. If I recall my memories of kickoff concerts, this was the concert in which I felt the most reassured and comfortable. Among our kickoff performances, this was the best.


Q: How do you feel after having finished the first concert in Thailand as a director?

Jaejoong: I feel moved anew and because this was my first challenge as a director my heart fluttered and I felt tense. Because this was the first time I was in charge of directing I also learned very much. It was also a chance to experience firsthand the agony and the hardship of the directorial staff and other staff. In terms of scale, it is probably smaller than when we were debuting. But I tried hard to reinforce the aspects which, I felt, were uncomfortable for singers. I think one can tell that “he prepared quite hard.” The members themselves were satisfied.

Q: Was there a particular background or something that prompted you to take charge of directing?

Jaejoong: Until now many people took charge of directing the stage but I feel that there weren’t people who knew the best the mind of the singer. The (typical)  method was to set the stage and then to tell (the singer) to “follow,” and I thought that such was not the answer. I thought the stage in which the singer and the director adjust to each other was the ideal one, and I wanted to make such a stage. It is not yet on the final level of actualization (of that ideal), but I think that it was a satisfying stage.

Q: How do the other members feel about Jaejoong’s directing the stage?

Yoochun: I totally love it. Even when I just heard that he will take on the role of the executive director I thought that “if it is Jaejoong Hyung he will surely do well.” He himself prepared all of the stages (of directing)– the songs, the singing, the choreography.

Junsu: Jaejoong prepared everything himself—even the fabric of the outfits. Actually, if you stand on the stage, there are some aspects which only those who stand on the stage themselves can feel. Jaejoong Hyung knew well the know-how that he had felt so I felt comfortable. He had always been very interested in such directing and therefore had a nickname as “Kim Direct,” and this time he really became Kim Director.

Q: Are there episodes that happened in the preparation of this concert?

Yoochun: In fact there was one yesterday. Because Jaejoong was paying attention to his role as director he couldn’t pay attention to his role as a singer. *laugh*

Junsu: When you change the outfit and there is a minute you should prepare your performance, but he was thinking only of the stage directing. “The light was wrong in this way,” and such—he paid attention to only those things.

Jaejoong: In truth, because of the detailed aspects of the stage I wasn’t able to pay attention to the songs and the dances (as much as I would have liked). Because I was the director the range of the areas that I needed to do was wide. The design of the outfits and such aspects, I have to pay attention obviously. But because the mixing, writing of the songs, and the composition of the songs, each of them, were not up to my liking I paid even more attention to them, and it is also true that there was no room in terms of time.

Q: Was there something that prompted Thailand to be the start of the World Tour?

Jaejoong: There is no particular reason. For any country (in which we had performed) there are memories of its own.

Q: In the concert you show off four new songs. What kind of songs are they?

Jaejoong: Among the new songs, Yoochun and I wrote together the lyrics of ‘Get Out.’ ‘Get Out’ means ‘Piss off’ in Korean and the lyrics occurred (to us) while I was working in Yoochun’s house. The lyrics are very direct. I see right in front of my eyes the scene of love between the person I love and another man, and I put the words that I want to say to those two. The listener first gets the feeling that the song may be a ballad but then it goes to a high tempo dance beat. It is an upbeat, fun song.

Yoochun: ‘In Heaven’ is extremely moving and the harmony of the three members is very good. The lyrics are meant to be sent to a girlfriend who has died and is in heaven—it is a song with sad lyrics.

Q: The meaning of the current ‘World Tour’?

Jaejoong: Because over 80% of the songs of the concert are songs in which the members themselves participated to create, there is much meaning. If we are looking at just the performance itself, it is not a fancy one that has been created with immense investment of funds. I wanted to show the other side of JYJ’s appeal to the fans. I didn’t do any work that was meant to disperse the sight. I tried to create a stage in which one could concentrate on the songs, in which we could become closer to the fans.

Yoochun: It is JYJ’s first tour abroad. The pride at the fact that ‘now we have enough songs that allow for a concert’ came to me first. I want to leave a strong impression unique to three of us to many fans and also want to show us as competent. I think this concert is going to be one in which I can evaluate for myself—‘I myself am currently at x stage (of life/career) and can go and reach x.’ I think this will be an opportunity for us to grow as artists.

Q: Things that were disappointing or felt difficult while you were preparing for the World Wide Album that was released in October of last year or the showcases abroad last year?

Jaejoong: It was very difficult. That we did not have enough time and the situation that existed were so difficult that it drove one insane. If we can be said to have done the work of putting on the spoon on a set table, this time it was the work of creating something with the staff—it was the first time that we were attempting those things and the process of such creation was difficult. Because the staff and the members did their best I think we have done well so far. There must be many more stages (of these processes) left but I don’t care if the future is even more difficult.

Junsu: What was great about ‘World Wide Album’ was that we went outside of Asia. LA, New York… those American regions were a first for us. Even though the album itself is not even released officially in the United States, it became #5 in Billboard’s Album of the Year and I think that is a big achievement. I felt happy.

But if there is a regret, it is the fact that no one knows of these feats except for us. We received a song from the world-renowned artist Kanye West and released an album, but so many people who were not fans were unaware. We feel confident about the quality of the album but it was regretful that we could not show those good songs on stages of Korea. I think that these aspects are mountains that we will need to climb in the future. We will do our best.

Source: EDaily

Translation Credit: JYJ3

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110309 JYJ fans counter group’s suspension with website launch

The group is one of many engaged in a battle with management over controversial exclusive contracts

» Internet broadcasting station ilovejyj.com’s website, above, and a Seoul City subway station advertisement in support of JYJ.

By Lim Ji-sun

The Internet broadcasting site “ilovejyj.com” went into operation on Mar. 3. At 8 p.m. that evening, the time of its inaugural broadcast, the server went down, flooded by Internet user connections. Fans of the trio JYJ had come storming in to watch. The inaugural broadcast ended up being pushed back a day, with additional special inaugural broadcasts held on Mar. 5 and 6.

The site began service through the concerted efforts of fans lamenting the fact that JYJ has been unable to appear on terrestrial television networks. Funding and staffing for the site’s inauguration consisted purely of donations by fans. Some seventy fans, including 13 production team members, three video team members, seven web page production staff members, three sound team members, and seven Chinese and Japanese translators, lent their talents for the production.

JYJ is a team formed by Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, three members of the group TVXQ. In July 2009, the three of them filed a lawsuit to annul their exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. In the process, they publicly disclosed unfair provisions in the contract, including a 13-year term of service and revenue sharing of 0.4 to 1 percent of record sales. In October 2010, they released their first album, “The Beginning.”

Fans, however, were unable to see their faces on terrestrial networks. Yoochun enjoyed skyrocketing popularity last year with his starring role on the KBS miniseries “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” but was shunned by music video networks and entertainment programs.

An entertainment show producer at one terrestrial network admitted, “Entertainment show producers will not even consider talking to JYJ out of fear that it will spoil their relationship with the big entertainment management agencies.”

On Feb. 21, the 51st civil agreements division of Seoul Central District Court, under Judge Kim Dae-ung, delivered an indirect compulsory performance order ruling that SM Entertainment “is not to disrupt the entertainment activities of JYJ” and that “if it violates this [ruling] it must pay 20 million Won for each violation.”

The situation did not change. A cable network also abruptly canceled its plans for the “JYJ Reality Program,” which was to begin airing in mid-February.

In response, fans took it upon themselves to set up the Internet network, but running it has not been easy.

JYJ’s public relations official said, “The Internet site was made by fans, so there has been formal discussion on whether JYJ will appear.”

When a video featuring Grand National Party Lawmaker Chun Yu-ok offering her congratulations for the site’s inauguration went up on Mar. 5, fans objected strenuously, arguing that the broadcast “harms JYJ’s image.” As of Tuesday, the site’s managers had temporarily suspended broadcasting, leaving an apology for the content of the broadcast.

Meanwhile, calls from fans for JYJ’s appearance on terrestrial television have increased by the day. On Feb. 28, 86,418 overseas fans of the group submitted a petition to Seoul Central District Court demanding a guarantee that JYJ would be able to appear on television. On Monday, the “League of JYJ Fans” began posting advertisements in 21 Seoul subway stations, including Apgujeong and Hongik University Stations, bearing copy such as “JYJ, We Support Your Youth” and “Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu, Take the Express Train to Public Broadcasting.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

credit: The Hankyoreh
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JYJ #5 on Billboard's 2010 Reader Poll Album of the Year

Congrats, Cassies! We really are the best :D

Billboard writes:
What is your favorite album of 2010? This is the question we posed to Billboard.com's readers over the last month or so, and now the results are in. You voted early and you voted in droves, and a variety of different artists showed up on your top 10: from a trio of teen pop stars to a pair of hip-hop heavy-hitters, to two international stars with ultra-motivated fan bases. Who made the list? Check it out here:

READERS' POLL RESULTS: YOUR TOP 10 FAVORITE ALBUMS

Source: Billboard

Shared By: DBSK Sleepless Nights

First Broadcast of JYJ’s Music in Korea – Explosion of Popularity Creates Interest

The new album by Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu (henceforth known as JYJ), which cannot be heard on any station previously, was aired on the special broadcast by Radio 21 last weekend, and this has caused countless download hits after the broadcast, showing an explosion of popularity.

Due to the lawsuit with SM Entertainment (henceforth known as SM), this album cannot be broadcasted normally on the radio stations so the fans can only listen and spread the word (about the album) through the Internet.

During the interview today, reporter Kim said, “All these songs were not heard on air after the album was released; not on a single station” and “listening to their music through Radio 21 was the first time that their songs were aired in Korea, hence it received a lot of attention.”

Having heard about the issue of the broadcast, Jaejoong wrote a message on his Twitter, “Thank you Radio 21″, and after hearing the news, many of JYJ’s fans flooded the Radio 21 special bulletin board to express their gratitude, leaving messages like “I see hope in Korean broadcasts!” and “Thank you!”, as well as many other messages left in Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

Source: DBSK Sleepless Nights

Picture Credit: K-Pop Mall

CH[V] Thailand Asian No.1 Pop Artist of December – JYJ

Please look forward to the greatness of 3 hottest boys ‘JYJ’

Let’s celebrate the end of the year with the come back of JYJ with their 1st English album! The hottest trio ‘JYJ’ will come back as CH[V] Thailand Asian No.1 Pop Artist of December 2010!

You don’t have to wait for them any longer Cassiopeia, please welcome the come back of 3 hottest guys Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu under the new group artists ‘JYJ’ which came from thier initial name. JYJ come back with the 1st English album ‘The Beginning’.They have worked with the popular producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins who also produced the music for Lady GaGa and Britney Spears. The trio got a chance to compose the song in this album too.

Do not miss this Cassiopeia! JYJ will keep you company til the end of this year as Asian No.1 Pop artist for the whole month a CH[V] Thailand “To Ma Duay Kan Tow Pra Taed” by True Vision on D84, A31

Source: DBSK Sleepless Nights