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TVXQ

Template:Korean name image hanja

TVXQ (Tong Vfang Xien Qi) is a Korean boy band. This group is composed of five members specializing in the areas of dance, acappella, various drama acting, and pop with an R&B vibe. The group has gained popularity in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and other East Asian countries. Currently, it is one of the top pop groups of the Korean Wave (hallyu).

The name is translated to "Rising Gods of the East." The Japanese equivalent of the group's name is Tōhōshinki (abbreviated as THSK). The group debuted in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China in 2004.

Musical style

Initially marketed as an "a cappella" group, most of TVXQ's music is mainstream K-pop. Their debut single "Hug" was a romantic and upbeat pop song, whereas their follow up single "The Way U Are" was a dance/R&B number, complete with stylized outfits and heavily choreographed dance moves. Their third major single release, "믿어요" (I Believe), in contrast, was a ballad. TVXQ concluded the year with a Christmas album that also had an acappella version of "Jesus, Joy Of Man's Desiring". With their releases in 2004, the group showed a versatility in style and has managed not to be permanently typecast as a certain "genre style" (as opposed to Fly to the Sky's ballads or Koyote's dance songs).

With consecutive releases, they have not moved from this formula, as their second and third albums have had a similar mixture without moving outside of the mainstream label. The second album's singles, for example, included a dance song (their first release) and a ballad (their follow up). As the third album's releases have so far been dance, ballad and pure pop tracks, TVXQ has continued to move from genre to genre while staying mainstream. Although the group has given many a cappella performances, and have included various acapella tracks on their albums, TVXQ has yet to release an a cappella (or an otherwise mostly vocal) single.

History

2003 - 2005: Pre-fame and debut

Typical of a boy band, the members were separately chosen by SM Entertainment through various auditions. The trainees in the company including members of Super Junior were divided into groups of their peers and received training to find potential talents. The five members of TVXQ were originally the lead vocals of other singing groups.

The first member to join was Kim Junsu (김준수). He enjoyed singing at his church when he was young. At the age of 12 he was brought into the band through a televised talent search in which Moon Hee Jun and Kangta from H.O.T. were judges. His vocals won over the judges and won him through training for the next six years until he debuted as Xiah Junsu (시아준수; Xiah is pronounced Shee-ah in Korean). Xiah was a stage name that Junsu himself chose, explaining to his fans that the name was short for "Asia," as Asia is pronounced "a-shee-a" in Korean. "Xiah" would be a reference to his desire to become not only a star in Korea, but a star recognized all throughout the continent.

The group’s second member, Jung Yunho (정윤호), secured his spot in TVXQ through a dance competition, winning first place. Prior to this, he accumulated some musical experience as a rapper and backup dancer for Kpop singer Dana in her Diamond video. As a dancer, he accompanied many Korean singers, travelling to China as well. His chosen stage name is U-know Yunho from his Korean name Yunho; U-know is pronounced "You know" in English. However, it is meant to mean "Yunho 'Knows You'" (presumably, based on how one would say it in the Korean grammatical order) in regards to understanding the other members as their leader. He is the second oldest member in TVXQ.

Kim Jaejoong (김재중) left his hometown in Chungnam to audition for SM Entertainment. Having left the shelter of home, he experienced poverty and strife before becoming a celebrity. He debuted under the name a fortune teller foretold years before: YoungWoong JaeJoong (영웅재중). Youngwoong means "hero" in Korean, hence his international name, Hero. Jaejoong was selected from an audition of 5000 people. Jaejoong won first place, both in best looking and best vocals. That made him the main vocal of TVXQ.

Shim Changmin (심창민) was grouped with the youngest participants in the audition. Like Xiah Junsu, he impressed the judges with his voice. He joined the band under the name Choikang Changmin (최강창민; the English counterpart to his stage name is Max). Choikang in Korean means "the best;" "Max" became an international rendition of this name.

Six months before the group’s debut, a final member was added. Park Yoochun (박유천) lived in the State of Virginia for roughly four years and was found by SM Entertainment at a singing competition in Virginia. Yoochun's stage name, Micky, written as 秘器 in Hanja (Chinese characters), means "hidden weapon", which symbolises his desire to become a "hidden weapon" in the music industry. Micky was also his English nickname when he lived in Virginia. As the winner of a talent show, he was granted the opportunity to sign with SM Entertainment in Korea. He now performs under the stage name Micky Yoochun (믹키유천).

TVXQ made their first appearance on December 26, 2003 during a BoA and Britney Spears Showcase. They performed their debut song "Hug" as well as an acappella rendition of "O Holy Night" alongside BoA. The group eventually released two physical singles (Hug and The Way U Are), accompanied by photo books, before their first album in 2004. TVXQ reached #1 on Korean music charts in three months after their debut.

An official fan club was created, named after the Cassiopeia constellation near the Big Dipper. TVXQ's fans chose the name "Cassiopeia" for their fan club because the constellation has 5 stars in its galaxy, and TVXQ has 5 members. When traced on a computer keyboard, "TVFXQ" makes the constellation Cassiopeia.

2006

Going Overseas

Before returning to South Korea with their third album in Fall 2006, TVXQ attempted to spread their sphere of influence out of Korea. The group has released albums and singles in parts of Asia. SM Entertainment had once considered adding a Chinese member to the group to help boost popularity within the country, but the idea was abandoned due to fan opposition.

TVXQ has toured in concert, made guest appearances, and participated in numerous commercials throughout several Asian countries. In 2006, they held concerts in Malaysia, Thailand and Japan. TVXQ was one of the first Korean groups to perform in Malaysia, in the Bukit Jalil Stadium. In Thailand, their concert was named "Channel V Thailand & LG Mobile Presents Be my Chocolate concert TVXQ! Rising Sun Live in Bangkok 2006", held at the Impact Arena. In Japan, they held their "Heart, Mind and Soul" tour.

Their move to stretch outside of South Korea has been successful. They were the first Asian group to win two Thailand Music Awards for both Best Music Video ("Rising Sun") and Favorite Asian Artist. Their seventh Japanese single Sky hit #6 on the Oricon weekly chart. TVXQ's singles peaked at #3 in the weekly rankings on the Japanese Oricon Weekly Chart with their eighth single, Miss You. They have topped both the Japanese and Korean charts on the Malaysian radio show "988" twice with their singles "Begin" and "The Fighting Spirit Of The East". The show has an audience of about 4.2 million listeners, reaching as far as Singapore.

Return to Korea

The group returned to Korea in late August in order to prepare for their third album. Titled 'O'-正.反.合 ('O' - Jung.Ban.Hap), the album was released on September 29, with one edition containing a poster and a photo book and the other with a poster and a special DVD. In the first month of its release, the third album surpassed the 100,000 mark in South Korea, and to date has sold over 330,000 copies.[1]

'O'-正.反.合 was re-released on November 11, 2006, less than two months after its original release date, to coincide with the image change. The new release contains new versions of "Balloons" and "Get Me Some", along with a new track named "네 곁에 숨쉴 수 있다면 (White Lie...)" which was written and composed by TVXQ's Xiah. As with the original release, there were two versions of the re-release, one containing a DVD of their Vacation drama, and the other with a DVD of all their Korean music videos to date.

SM has released a statement saying that the album has done well in Taiwan, and that the lead single has topped the Asian singles chart and is #5 overall.[2]

As of December 2006, the group is still promoting their third album. Their current single is called "Balloons" which, in contrast to the heavy R&B/techno beats of "O", their first single, is a giddy dance song. The music video features each member wearing animal outfits with balloons and young children who are similarly dressed. Following the video's theme, their live performances have seen them wearing "child-themed" outfits, such as the Smurfs, the Seven Dwarves, Peter Pan, Super Mario Brothers, and Harry Potter.

The members of TVXQ have appeared on numerous variety shows, including X-Man,Heroine 6, and Love Letter both separately and together. Due to the group's strong and devoted fan base, hosts and other participants were, at times, jokingly careful not to harm them or otherwise show them in a negative light, making it seem as if the band members were given special treatment.

TVXQ were special guests at the 51st Asia Pacific Film Festival, held in Taipei. They presented an award together with Taiwanese actress Ariel Lin and performed O-Jung.Ban.Hap.

Their third album has won them many awards. At the 2006 MKMF Music Festival, the group won four awards, including Best Group and Artist of the Year.[3] At the 16th Music Seoul Festival, which was held on the 1st December, the group won a total of three awards which included "Daesang," equivalent to Artist of the Year award.[4] They also won the Daesang at the 21st Golden Disk Awards 2006, held on December 14th, in addition to a Bonsang.[5] At the SBS Gayo Awards 2006, held on 29th December, the group won another Daesang in addition to a Bonsang, making the group the king of the awards show sweeping four Daesangs in four major Korean music awards.

Their wins in major award shows coincided with increasing criticism of such shows. Doubt and discontent regarding the group "sweeping" the Daesangs were expressed by netizens whose votes are used as a measure of popularity. The results of the polls are "determined by mouse clicks of passionate fans," not the public.[6] Veteran artist Jang Hye-Jin raised concerns to establish the "Korean equivalent of the Grammy Awards."[7] The awards also had a long list of absentees such as Lee Hyo-ri, Rain, and PSY, and YG Family. While Lee and Rain cited busy schedule as a reason, their move was seen as a boycott.[8]

As of February 2007, they are currently away from Korea doing overseas promotion. On March 14, 2007, TVXQ will release their second Japanese album entitled, Five in the Black.

2nd Asia Live Tour Concert 'O'-正.反.合

As the album has been released in seven Asian countries (South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China and Hong Kong), the band will have its second Asian tour in support of their third album called, "The 2nd ASIA TOUR CONCERT 'O'." The tour will start on the 23rd of February 2007, in Seoul and travel through six other cities, (Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur).[9][10]

Controversies

Cyanoacrylate drink incident

While the group was filming a variety show in October 2006, U-Know was rushed to the hospital from drinking a beverage given by an anti-fan. [11] Although the container was visibly open, U-Know unsuspectingly drank from the bottle, believing the giver was a worker. As a result, he was quickly instructed by his manager to vomit immediately after drinking it. The cyanoacrylate was rumoured to have caused his lips to stick to the container, which would have significantly damaged his lips.[12] However, that rumour turned out to have been false, and the fact was that Yunho had passed out from shock after vomiting [citation needed]. The female suspect, whose surname is Ko, apprehended on October 16, was a member of an anti-TVXQ website for over two years. In a threatening letter to U-Know, the letter states

You watch your mouth! Ever since the debut you people (members of TVXQ) were so stuck up. (middle fingers) You people won't last after a couple years... You would be forever seen as some teen idols not real singers. Do you know your limit? [The limit is that] Only little kids like you!...I really want to kill you.

[13][14]

Despite the culprit's confession, the incident still leaves many unanswered questions, such as why U-know drank from the open container, and how the culprit managed to enter the building of the broadcast station.[15] Yunho called the police personally to request them not to press charges [16] because "he has a little sister who is almost the woman's age."[17] Because of his request, she was not charged.[18]

Yunho's friend Hee Chul of Super Junior reacted to this event by posting on his Cyworld that the anti-fans are mean-spirited and told them to come after him instead. Following Hee Chul's post, TVXQ's anti-fans promised to make him and his close friends in Super Junior, Han Kyung and Kim KiBum their next targets for further violence.[citation needed]

As a result, TVXQ continued with its promotional activities as a 4-member group until their performance on KBS's Music Bank on October 22, Yunho's first since the incident. Since then, the tensions have seemingly died down, and TVXQ is back doing performances around Korea to promote their third album. At a Korean variety show (a gag concert where mean jokes can be told), Yunho spoke about the incident for the very first time but later his words were edited out of the show because he said that he was "only drinking water now" jokingly.[citation needed]

Custody battle over Hero

On November 21, 2006, a man by the last name of Han filed a lawsuit against Hero's current legal guardians. Han claimed that he is the biological father of Hero, and thus wants custody of Hero.[19]

Han cited the reason for the lawsuit against Hero's legal guardians as "for not going through the proper procedures before registering [Hero] in [the legal guardians'] custody."[20] He divorced Hero's biological mother in late 1980s, and gave up his custody over his child, leaving him under Mrs. Han's custody. However, he had found out some years ago Hero had been adopted by a third party, not his biological mother. A DNA test was to be performed in order to prove validity of Han's claim. Many legal consultants comment that since the adoption had taken place correctly according to the corresponding law, no legal change will be involved regardless of the outcome.

The first hearing was to be held in Kongju, Hero's hometown on November 29, 2006. The fans of TVXQ were generally appalled by this news, questioning why Han did not privately contact Hero regarding this and why he did not keep in touch with his son before he rose to fame.[21]

On November 22, Han dropped the charges against Hero's legal guardians.[22] Han said that he originally intended to resolve his biological son's military duty conflicts after being informed of dual citizenship by Ministry of Military Affairs, which involved verifying the fact that he is the biological father. He did not expect his intention to lead to such a scandal, and states that he was scarred by speculations that he wanted to take advantage of Hero's fame.

In reaction to the matter, Hero uploaded a journal entry on his official fan club website, and said that he was informed of the existence of separate biological parents by his mother two or three years ago, and it had been quite a shock to him. With his current mother's support, his biological mother has been able to keep in touch with him, and to meet occasionally, but whereabouts of the father had been unknown.[23]

He vigorously expressed his will to live by the name of "Jaejoong Kim" not by his birth name "Jaejoon Han", and promised to be loyal to all four of his parents. He also lamented the fact that his family history was exposed to the public due to this incident.[24]

Despite the termination of this issue, many still question why Han decided to drop his plan for a lawsuit after only a day, and what truly motivated him to change his mind. The dispute was resolved when Hero's biological father retreated his lawsuit and apologized for causing uneasiness in his son. After TVXQ received their big award on the MKMF Festival, Hero thanked his biological mother with gratitude to both families.

Solo projects

  • Kim JunSu
    • Featured in Jang Ri In's "Timeless".
    • "Beautiful thing" featured on Vacation OST.
  • Park Yoochun
    • Composed "Yeuwoobi" ("Like Weather/Fox Rain", Hangul:"여우비") featured on Vacation OST.

Acting

Banjun Theater

In 2005 and 2006, TVXQ released Banjun Theater, which aired on Korean television station SBS, that featured the boys as budding actors. They have acted in their own one- or two-episode dramas titled First Love (Parts 1 and 2), The Masked Fencer, The King's Men, Yunho's Tokyo Holiday, Dangerous Love, Finding Lost Time, Uninvited Guest, and The Most Unforgettable Girl in My Life.

Theatrical Drama

File:Mainposter.jpg
The main poster for the drama, VACATION.

VACATION

VACATION consisted of four episodes and a special: Cassiopeia (U-KNOW), Beautiful Life (Xiah and Max), The Way U Are (Hero) and Eternal (Micky), which were first shown at Yonsei University from July 7 to August 8, 2006, and were later released on the third (C) version of their third album "O"-正.反.合. as a separate DVD. For this drama, the band recorded an original soundtrack which consisted of two tracks and their instrumental versions.

DATING ON EARTH

DATING ON EARTH involves all five members, but only Micky and Hero are main characters. The drama has Micky married to a high school teacher, who Hero falls in love with. U-Know, Max, and Xiah play minor roles. Although filming has been completed, the drama currently has no release date.


Member profiles

File:Jaejoong02.jpg

HERO JaeJoong
Stage Name : HERO | YoungWoong JaeJoong (영웅재중 or 英雄在中)
Real Name : Kim JaeJoong (김재중, 金在中)
Birthdate: January 26, 1986
Birthplace: Chungnam (충남 or 忠南)
Position: Main Vocals

File:Yunho.jpg

U-KNOW YunHo
Stage Name : U-KNOW | U-know YunHo (유노윤호 or 瑜卤允浩)
Real Name: Jung YunHo (정윤호, 鄭允浩)
Birthdate: February 6, 1986
Birthplace: Gwangju (광주)
Position: Baritone, Leader

File:Yoochun.jpg
Template:Unverifiedimage

MICKY YooChun
Stage Name : MICKY | Micky YooChun (믹키유천 or 秘奇有天/秘奇有仟)
Real Name: Park YooChun (박유천, 朴有天)
Birthdate: June 4, 1986
Birthplace: Seoul (서울)
Position: Bass-baritone

File:Junsu.jpg
Template:Unverifiedimage

XIAH JunSu
Stage Name : XIAH | Xiah JunSu (시아준수 or 细亚俊秀)
Real Name: Kim JunSu (김준수, 金俊秀)
Birthdate: December 15, 1986 (registered on January 1, 1987)
Birthplace: Gyeonggi (경기 or 京畿道)
Position: Baritenor
Religion: Seventh Day Adventist Church[25][26]

Credits to www.asianfanatics.net

MAX ChangMin
Stage Name : MAX | ChoiKang ChangMin (최강창민 or 最强昌珉)
Real Name: Shim ChangMin (심창민, 沈昌珉)
Birthdate: February 18, 1988
Birthplace: Seoul (서울)
Position: Tenor
Religion: Buddhism[27]

Discography

Further information: TVXQ discography

References

  1. ^ "Music Industry Association Korea - Sale figures of November 2006" (in Korean). 2006-11. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "TVXQ Conquers Taiwanese Music Charts". KBS GLOBAL. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ KBS Global. TVXQ Wins 4 MKMF Awards. November 27th, 2006. Retrieved November 29th, 2006.
  4. ^ 이, 경란 (2006-12-15). "동방신기, 뜨거운 자축의 밤 보내". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ "2006 골든디스크 홈페이지에 오신것을 환영합니다" (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  6. ^ 김, 원겸 (2006-12-15). "가요시상식, 공정한 심사시스템 절실하다". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ 박, 미애 (2006-12-16). "장혜진, "권위 있는 하나의 시상식 필요" 일침". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ 김, 상만 (2006-12-15). "'퇴출' 몰린 방송사 가요시상식". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "TVXQ to Tour Asia". KBS GLOBAL. 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "2nd Asia Live Tour Concert 'O'-正.反.合 - Dong Bang Shin Ki". KBS WORLD. 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2007-02-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ "TVXQ Member Recovers from Poisoning". KBS GLOBAL. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ 이, 재환 (2006-10-14). "동방신기 유노윤호 '음료수 테러' 응급실행, 활동 중단 위기(종합)". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ "동방신기 유노윤호 음료수 테러 사건 전말". Daum (in Korean). 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ 이, 진성 (2006-10-16). "10대 왕따 문화가 '극단적' 안티팬 만든다". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ 이, 규림 (2006-10-15). "유노윤호, '본드음료수 사건'의 의문점들". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  16. ^ "유노윤호 "선처해달라"…피의자 불구속". Daum (in Korean). 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  17. ^ "유노윤호, 경찰에 전화해 피의자 선처 부탁". Daum (in Korean). 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  18. ^ 김, 성훈 (2006-10-16). "'윤호 테러女' 불구속 수사키로". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ 뉴, 시스 (2006-11-21). "악재 겹친 '동방신기', 비상". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ 김, 상호 (2006-11-21). "동방신기 영웅재중, 친자 확인 소송". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  21. ^ 뉴, 시스 (2006-11-21). "악재 겹친 '동방신기', 비상". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  22. ^ 류, 철호 (2006-11-23). "<속보>영웅재중 생부 가족, "재중이 위해 소송취하하겠다"". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ 강, 수진 (2006-11-22). "영웅재중 "난 김재중으로 살고파"". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  24. ^ 강, 수진 (2006-11-22). "영웅재중 "난 김재중으로 살고파"". Daum (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ 김, 선미 (2006-01-09). 별’ 시아준수의 신앙고백① "신년특집-'아시아의 별' 시아준수의 신앙고백①" (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ 김, 선미 (2006-01-10). "신년특집-'아시아의 별' 시아준수의 신앙고백②" (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  27. ^ 박, 재덕 (2004-12-21). "동방신기, 크리스마스때 뭐 할까?" (in Korean). Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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