Like Sprite

:lol: Said I wouldn't go post here again but this is another important topic...   Depends what you mean by forced? The word forced implies the action is done under duress, those involved had no desire and wouldn't have done these actions  otherwise.   Moonbyul and Solar doing fanservice for fans is a fact, as I  said before: But that is very different from them being forced to fanservice or the fanservice being forced/fake because they aren't as close as they seem. Moonbyul and Solar are close, that's why they feel comfortable "showing off" their closeness; they have nothing to hide and aren't different from other BFF couples around.   The belief is, the closer you are, the more at ease you should be with skinship and words. The problem is a lot of these skinship and words look "gay" to foreigners. Even if they know Korea has skinship culture they can't stop from seeing actions as gay and so Intl' fans see the fanservice as gay fanservice or romantic couple fanservice. But it's not, fanservice is not meant for fans to think artist are gay or having feelings/dating each other, it's meant to show off closeness because interpersonal ties are valued in a collectivistic (as opposed to individualistic) culture like Korea.   Saying Moonbyul/Solar fanservice is forced isn't right when at the end of the day they are close. The fanservice comes into play when you show off closeness all the time when in reality even the closest BFFs won't because everyone needs their space every once in a while. Fanservice, by default, is for fans and Korean fans at least understand this and see their actions for what they are. Fanservice isn't truly fake by default, it's only fake when the duo fanservicing aren't that close BTS and would never, ever do those actions BTS either.   Fans should enjoy their closeness and be at peace. :)   Sorry if I misunderstood your post (don't think I did nor did I mean to make "an issue") though I was sharing my opinion on the topic as a whole not just your post. I see what you meant but like I said fanservice and forced actions aren't mutually inclusive. Fanservice doesn't have to be forced/fake, most of the time the fanservicing duo is just augmenting their actions or simply showing off what they already have BTS. Never mentioned you said or implied they weren't close with each other; my post was answering yours but also in general. People could argue Moonbyul/Solar are fanservicing because this brings them more fans but from what is seen they are just showing off closeness they have BTS too. Not like they aren't spotted out and about with each other and other Mamamoo members. More than fanservicing for more fans, would be said showing off closeness is something they know Moomoos like. Moomoos love how the girls are playful on stage, V App, etc. and they let them know when interacting with the girls.   All in all fans are supposed to enjoy fanservice; nothing more, nothing less.    I really should stop though :lol: and I think your English is bettering fast.    Moonbyul/Solar fanservice is just them showing off their closeness and there's no reason they shouldn't, they have nothing to fear and they know fans like their relationship. It's the same with Wheein and Hwasa, when you have a group of girls who are close, showing off closeness is natural.    Though not all close people will show off or have same skinship and words. In the end, the type of skinship a person does depends on their relationship with the other person (family/friends/colleagues/senior-junior/etc.), their upbringing (family), their environment (community) and their own temperament.   ~~ Not surprised by the comments about SNU's newly elected Student Body President. Like I mentioned before the lowest form of "acceptance" in Korea is the belief gays should just live but not broadcast their lives, basically do whatever you want but keep it to yourself. Younger Koreans are more accepting overall but seldom will they rise against the older, more conservative/ignorant/homophobic people. In the end they are older and the pressure, not just from others but from within thanks to ideas instilled since birth, to honor their thoughts with silence is immense. Korea will change with time and as ignorant as some of those comments are if the majority really cared and was overwhelmingly against queers, she wouldn't have been elected. Even if technically she was the only candidate anyhow and her position before was Vice President, the students could've voted no confidence.

Everyone can be assured the company is well aware of Apink's image, brand and status as Korea's representative 'innocent pure' group. Company CEO was part of a seminar where he spoke of the company's two artists and their trajectory. In the 'Q&A' segment there were questions regarding Apink's continued existence as an 'innocent pure' group in a time where most groups display sexy concepts. Company CEO answered other concepts are have always been considered and that, as an entertainment company, Acube is always aware and receptive of public sentiment. He did not however say, imply or mean to imply Apink will "turn sexy" nor that Acube will change concepts freely simply to make more money. Nor did he say anything new or course altering, he has always said other concepts are considered but Apink prevails as an 'innocent pure' group because that is what suits them best, what fans want and the girls are comfortable with. Intl' fans shouldn't forget a special stage in an awards show or concert is simply a way to show new colors, something every group does. But special stages in no way indicate changes in direction for a groups concept nor a desire for a change. A special stage is just a special stage, one sporadic performance isn't the same as continually having to display that same concept. Cool heads and wise tongues devoid of speculation would be appreciated in these testing times. As I always say, the girls forever think of their Panda and Panda have continually spoken of what they want and expect of Apink. There shouldn't be fear a segment as important as fans will be freely disregarded. Apink is still 'innocent pure' but they have matured since debut and they will continue maturing with age in the right way, the Apink way. The first is a Japanese show "Music On TV", Japan has strict controls over content, finding most of Apink's appearances on media sites won't be as easy as Korean. The second is a Korean show from KBS translated into The Human Condition, Bomi's episode: Had no idea what you meant till I searched Netizenbuzz (something told me to check there first), as expected of this trash site. Yes, once again they have mistranslated matters to attract attention to their site regardless of the potential negative outcome for Apink. Shameful but standard behavior by Netizenbuzz, Koreaboo and their ilk. The title isn't what the actual Korean article title said and it's not what the CEO said. There's an enormous difference between we have [always] considered other concepts (which includes 'sexy') to we are considering Apink to be a sexy group implying an impending reversal. In the end, Apink fans and Panda know Apink; what it stands for and what it hopes to achieve. When others will doubt or try to cause strife for shameful reasons; Apink fans and Panda have faith and hope to keep them strong. Chorong fighting! Apink fighting! Acube fighting! Panda fighting!

 Yes, I wish Intl' fans understood this about Koreans. Not shipping is not a sign of homophobia it's a sign of respect for the person because we know how shipping negatively affects them. Also since fans mostly know (but keep quiet) who their celebrity is dating, there isn't sense to pretend they date someone else. Would be disrespectful to their real relationship as well.   Learning about different cultures is good for humanity; we find humans have lot of variety but also similarities which binds us all together. :) I can see how a Korean friend could seem very "gay" with their skinship with close friends. :lol:  Yes, the phrase is not a "gay" phrase, it's a simple praise everyone says without much meaning behind. ​ I searched on Intl' sites and found the series and other Korean content is available in a site called Hulu. I don't know if people out of USA can access since the site seems to be from US.      I know my words can anger many people which is why this will be my last post in this thread. :)     Seonam faced backlash because it's the first of its kind (first female same sex kiss in K drama) but also because the series was on time and rating that could be seen by young people. From what I remember the male K drama kiss was on later night drama? Even so, male couple and gay male characters are mostly used for joke and not romance. Seonam treated the lesbian couple as any romantic couple in K drama. ​  Most queers never come out, some because they're afraid but many because "coming out" is not an important thought in Korea compared to the West. Yes, you are gay but unlike the West in Korea even gay think this is small part of their self. Do you come out also as lover of manhwa or pet lover? Why the need to "come out"? Most will think you bring attention to issue that is personal, most think just live your life.   For queer couples depends but my comment was aimed more at couples part of the entertainment industry. It's not that a secret couple won't have any interactions but they are far more cautious and covert compared to those who aren't in relationships. Those not in relationships can be as open as they please because there's no fear of outing and backlash but those dating have to worry every single day.    From what has happened problems arise if shippers are too obvious and they start bringing edited images and romantic/sexual boards to concerts/fanmeets or scream shipping motto when they have interaction.   Our time will come and you're welcome.   I think your English is fine for communication; knowing many languages can be confusing sometimes. [spoiler]France has worldwide support now. I like French philosophers, the French Revolution is an interesting subject and many humanistic ideals and laws began there.[/spoiler]   Well, this is good bye and in the spirit of this thread a quote by Antoine de St-Exupéry: Aimer, ce n’est pas se regarder l’un l’autre, c’est regarder ensemble dans la même direction.   :) Edit: Jo Kwon was asked many times if he liked women; in Korea skinship is not gay but if you act too much like “stereotypical gay” then you can be suspected. If a man is very effeminate, he can be suspected; if a girl is too “butch” like Amber, she can be suspected. There are many suspected/known gays but unless they are stereotypical, MCs and media won’t ask public questions. There is a big difference between known gays in industry, open secrets you can say, and what the media will report. But about the “general public” that is an impossible question because old/older people ignore existence of gays. Jo Kwon is loved by ajummas and grannies but grannies probably don’t think he’s gay because gay person is not a thought in their minds. But for younger people gays do exist and you are easily suspected if you do certain things. Heechul is the same as Jo Kwon but he has a different image that makes fewer questions be asked because he is known as a perverted oppa. Mamamoo as a whole is dedicated to on stage fanservice not unlike GsD and 9Muses where the fanservice involving members are built into their choreography and the fanservice continues on fanmeets, V App, etc. In Korea, fanservice isn’t a bad word, after all they want to make fans happy and for Korean fans, they don’t misunderstand fanservice like Intl’ fans seem to. Overall you can say women are more accepting than man; for woman its more disgust reaction for men gay is a slight against masculinity and being men so they want no relation. But there are levels of acceptance; some accept gays are human deserving same rights and freedoms and love is love; some think straights should have no say in life of gays like gays should have no say in life of straights, I call this intellectual acceptance because these people can have problems personally with gay people or think it’s disgusting but they accept that doesn’t mean gays shouldn’t have rights; some think gays should just live but not broadcast their lives, a case of Do whatever you want but I don’t want to see it. I understand what coming out is in other places (and I don't disagree), I just explained why many in Korea don’t. Different thinking, different culture. For many gays, the rights they don’t have aren’t a problem until they want to get married, have kids. But now even straights get married later, now average marriage age is early 30’s, gays then have little incentive for fight about something they don’t care much about for many younger years.

Thankful your response was positive, not everyone reacts positively to realism. I’ve received hate before even accused of being homophobic! Nonsense, I’ve never hidden the fact there are known queers in the entertainment industry at all levels and job descriptions. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to make hetero into queers, if a girl dates male as far as can be traced and never female why believe her a lesbian? Why believe her in a relationship with another woman? Trying to make hetero into queers is an insult to real queers same as those trying to make queer into hetero. Traveled to Europe before and I witnessed very intimate same sex affection, but I knew French culture is not like Korean, those were romantic couples not friends. Amazing how a same action has different meanings and connotations for different cultures. Many Intl’ fans are confused with Korean skinship because in their own cultures there are actions not seen between friends, in their cultures certain actions are “reserved” for lovers. Korea is different, if Intl’ fans came to Korea they would probably think all Korea is gay at first. :lol:   But then they would see how school aged girls walk in hands or grab each other without observers blinking an eye, they would see ajumma in their 40s and 50s laughing while they pat each other on the knee or thigh, they would see an ajusshi in his 60’s grab another man’s hand and hold it while they sit at talk. Somewhere down the line the reality skinship is part of Korean culture would start sinking in. It’s not just skinship though, phrases like ‘I would date/marry you if I was a man/woman’ isn’t what Intl’ fans think it means as I explained in my earlier post. I’ve read many posts over the years using this as proof the person is gay and in love with who they chose when in reality it’s simply a means of praise. That’s if they even mean it because the question overused and many celebrities just answer whatever. Might sound weird but I would invite any Intl’ fans to watch “Grampa Over Flowers”, not only are the Grampas sweet but if you see how men in their 60’s to 80’s behave you will understand more how what you see with idols is nothing out of the ordinary. There’s a “saying/joke” I’ve heard many times reading Korean site if popular for Intl’ shippers for sure they aren’t dating. There seems to be an opposite correlation with Korean couples dating and who Intl’ fans ship. If a ship is popular enough to be “the main ship” in an Intl’ fandom, this is the clearest sign they are not dating. A same sex couple in Korea is a secret couple, a hidden couple. A same sex couple in the entertainment industry more so. A same sex couple in a same group (for example) would be the highest level of secret. Real couples aren’t free, real couples are scared, real couples are scolded; real couples are protected by fans. Most Intl’ fans think that because skinship is accepted in Korea a real couple would behave like everyone else thinking how can anyone notice the difference? But they ignore how scared they are of being found out and how Korean would be able to spot a difference. And they know if they were ever found out that is the end of their group and their careers. If there are two people who have no problems using suggestive language, being full of skinship, showing off couple items, freely talking of vacations they take together, playing around on stage, etc all while their members, staff and company are OK and even egg them on or join; they aren’t a couple. Reason why close friends have no problems showing their close relationship is they will face no backlash as they aren’t a romantic couple. A problem does arise when Intl’ fans start shipping them and they notice, most will then grow colder in public and ultimately privately as well. In the ironies of life, shippers are cause of their beloved ships “dying” because shipping has a bad view in Korea but most Intl' fans don't know this.   Korea is changing for the better but change takes time, this is true for culture as it is for nature and evolution. But compared to Western countries Korea is changing at a faster pace in terms of overall time; part thanks to Western countries proving how change is possible. Every decision abroad does give hope to younger queer Koreans; old Koreans are mostly a lost cause for queer and many other topics. But their time will end and when younger Koreans finally have time of power and decision, there will be change in Korea because younger Koreans are a lot more accepting than foreigners imagine.   Thank you! I always strive to bring Korean reality for Intl’ fans because it is very different from other cultures. Ignorance is never bliss because you are in the dark; I find knowledge is better even if it hurts a little to understand you misunderstood too much before.   Is that so? French is a beautiful sounding language, the French are excused for not learning well others. :lol: Your English is good enough for comprehension, you must be a special French. The image of a French accent with Korean words is interesting; I cannot imagine when they sound so different. Must be very difficult for a French person to speak Korean, I cheer your effort in trying. Fighting! [spoiler]Although this is not relevant to the thread but I would like to extend condolences for the attacks suffered by your people. I change my signature in support though it’s not much. [/spoiler]

Thank you for reading! I appreciate your kind words today more than any other day, if I can be frank. My initial message dealt only with the misconception of the second V App video being a broadcast error instead of the planned hidden camera it was; and with fans minding their words about Chorong's illness and recuperation since I'd read some concerning posts. Seeing fans worry about the PANN post was upsetting since at that point in time only an irrelevant PANN post and one main article which focused on her apology were known. So I edited post and assured fans because Chorong did feel bad with those comments even if they had no support but what good would it do for fans to know? Least was needed for fans to worry even more. That was almost 24 hours ago, before some truly appalling edits and posts were found. It's not the first time, this is not the first time I encounter filth involving the girls, I have seen so many during my searches and analysis of communities and it never gets better. This time isn't worst than the rest but enough is enough. There is a clear difference between a general hater post saying someone is bad at singing or ugly to disgusting, dehumanizing, filthy edits and posts which seek to emotionally destroy their target and their readers. I won't say more as I always try for my posts to be devoid of feelings and opinions, facts are all I share but this is a hard topic. What I can say is Acube has been planning action for quite a while, amassing evidences from many communities, many sources. I've always said the girls safety and security is a priority and this is no different. Yes, Chorong is having a hard time right now, a very hard time in the most inconvenient of times. But if she sees fans publicly suffering she will worry even more so please try to be publicly as positive as you can. Focus on your love for Chorong and the other girls, not on the hate others have for them. Hate never wins over love, caring and understanding. Tweet her, the other girls and Acube account messages of support. If you come across any truly malicious post/tweet/instagram/image/video then please email Acube. If you are so perturbed by the post/image/video then you can PM me the information and I'll deal with the matter. Again, thank you MercyFang for your kind words. I'll take this a pleasant surprise. I know you mean well but please be careful with words like 'depression' concerning the girls. Edit: Thank you both, very much. That's good to hear, it's up to fans to spread love and positivity. For all the strength the girls have given fans all these years, now is the time to stand up and be counted. No, reports don't need to be in Korean though Korean would be preferred since those dealing with evidences have varying degrees of comprehension in other languages. What does matter (if you will submit a report on your own) is that you make the email as clear and 'professional' as possible. Link to specific sites, posts and images if possible; make the job of compiling the evidences as easy as you can. Chorong fighting! Apink fighting! Acube fighting! Panda fighting!

:) Links to previous posts and discussions: http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6067190 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6135405 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6259501 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6304259 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6343278 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6350444 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=6926974 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=7375818 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=7517963 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=7551933 lunaandartemis: http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=7552485 http://onehallyu.com/topic/71-which-female-idol-is-lesbian-in-k-pop/?p=7749393 All posts are mine except for the one by 'lunaandartemis'; topics range from Korean skinkship reality to queers and queer couples in the entertainment industry aside from other Korean culture posts. Tried my best to share the links in order of posting but there may be some errors, please excuse. Some of the posts can be a bit longer to read, please have patience. :lol:  I hope these posts are of some value to all the new/newer posters in this thread in understanding the differences of Intl' fan view and Korean reality.  Extra: [spoiler] [/spoiler]

While I'm still catching up to the happenings of the thread, after reading the last few recent posts, there is higher importance clearing some developing misunderstandings. There was no broadcasting error during Bomi and Namjoo's recent V App presentation. The girls did a consult for some 40 odd minutes and the broadcast was successfully ended. Shortly after a second broadcast was started, this broadcast began with a hidden camera for fans. Bomi and Namjoo pretended the camera was on (again) and they didn't notice, however this was mere acting; anyone who can understand the video should notice the hidden camera. A few relevant facts: 1. The camera angle was changed from the initial broadcast for ambiance and to help the girls not look straight at the camera before the reveal. *Not sure how successful that was in the end considering points #2 and #3. 2. Bomi and Namjoo tried their best to believable but both looked right at the camera before the hidden camera was revealed. 3. Bomi and Namjoo's reactions weren't as shocked as they should during the "reveal". 4. The camera 'phone' wasn't the only tool used on site to view the broadcast, there was a larger screen and tablets. 5. Bomi and Namjoo had a larger screen right in front of them which showed the broadcast as it was broadcasting, simply put they always knew the app was broadcasting. A reason for the extra video was the selcas they took in the main broadcast weren't usable and fans (who won't receive the selcas) like to see what the 'winners' will receive. There was also an interest in the broadcast being fun which is harder with the consult series. Also Bomi and Namjoo called Hayoung for a longer time after having to cut short their call during the main broadcast for time constraints. Thus for fans who endure with Apink even in a late night, especially those students having finished their 'KSATs', a funny conclusion was created. There were broadcasting problems in terms of the video recording and buffering, data issue arose with the second video which hampered re-uploading, also problems with subtitles as well. These problems can arise at any moment, this is the risk taken when using electronic machines. The ending 'hidden camera' video is available in video sharing sites (as I've been able to see here) so anyone wanting to view the video can regardless of V App. ~~ Many times I say to fans mind your words but I don't say for naught. Most Intl' fans have no knowledge of Korean and they believe the reverse is true when it's not. Most Korean of a certain age have good English comprehension to understand posts on Intl' communities and SNS; this includes fans and anti. Words some think are meaningless and could never hurt the girls, Apink or Acube will because they lead to baseless speculation and "rumors". Wanting the best for the girls is good, wanting the girls to be healthy is good, worrying when they are sick is good but any speculation about their health is not. In the end, their health is a private and intimate affair which belongs to them not the public. A statement was already issued about Chorong's condition; explanations about what the specific ailment and condition are is not information that is owed nor should be expected in any way. The lack of knowledge doesn't excuse speculation; there have already been more than enough shameful hysterics for a rumor mill to start yet again. In the end all fans can do is pray and send well wishes for a speedy recuperation, all while remembering to behave in a manner that won't harm the girls. Even the simplest of speculations can be used against them and this means needless extra worries for the girls and staff, extra time from an already packed schedule having to be devoted to dealing with rising rumors via statements or videos then having to deal with lingering doubts which affect Apink brand and image. Everyone is responsible for their words; the girls think of Panda and work hard to make Panda happy. Those who call themselves Apink fans and Panda so too should think of the girls. ~~ Edit: About the topic of Chorong’s seconds long typo… Chorong apologized as the kind, caring person she is. Not only worrying for perhaps having offended someone who was affected by the terrorists attacks but fans reading hateful comments and worrying for her since she is recuperating. However this doesn’t mean there is a scandal in Korea; there is no scandal, there is no issue, there is no witch-hunt, there is no true backlash. The irrelevant yet hateful PANN post was made by an anti with full intent to harm. Nevertheless the PANN post and hateful comments have no support (as seen from the low upvotes). This is a case of antis feeding each other but antis are not representative of Korean sentiment; in fact there is no Korean sentiment at all since this is no real issue. This is the dark side to popularity; popularity and achievements bring envy and when a person gives little opportunities for real judgment, haters will try to use anything (no matter how insipid) to hurt them. Others less known can make the same action but be ignored because they haven't incited enough envy in haters yet. Yes, the PANN post was unfair. Yes, any 'hate' towards Chorong for the typo is unfair. But that's where this ends; Chorong is fine, Apink is fine. This is not affecting her, the group or their careers in any way. In fact, I've found that needless and shameful hate tends to invigorate fans and even create new ones. Netizenbuzz/Koreaboo (and their ilk) thrive on perpetuating the illusion of scandal and strife so readers will visit their sites. Apink fighting! Panda fighting! Good news will soon arrive.

Glad to see this anti banned; those who read their previous posts carefully should've noticed how their concern posts were actually insults to Apink. At every bend did they minimize their achievements and efforts, all under the guise of "concern". At every bend did they help increase and give life to baseless rumors under the guise of "being a new Panda" who didn't know about certain topics. A sad reality but a reality everyone has to understand: not only Apink fans and Panda post in this thread. Everyone needs to be aware and careful of what is posted, never assume the poster's intentions are pure. Not all antis take a direct approach to harm their target, the most insidious kinds will mimic fans to cause trouble within the fandom and for the fans with other fandoms, they will create and spread baseless rumors masquerading as concerned fans. Be wary of any posts which bring negativity to this thread, whether their target is the girls, Apink or Acube. To all of you, thank you. Thank you, for minding your words. Thank you, for not feeding into negativity. Thank you, for recognizing lack of knowledge for business matters. Thank you, for recognizing hard work of multitude of nameless, faceless company workers. Thank you, for recognizing company wants best for the girls even if there is never perfection in decisions. Thank you, for being humble and grateful for Apink's milestones. Thank you, for caring enough for Apink and the girls to behave as fans should. Apink fighting! Panda fighting!

Read this term before by Intl' fans but don't completely understand the context. Is this like Koreans saying 'father figure'/'like a father' or are there other diverse meanings? Need to understand what some of these terms mean and their usage to know what is being said of the girls. Namjoo said Eunji was feminine because she has interest/talents associated with females like cooking and knitting thus 'feminine'. Same with her 'motherly side' as mothers are females thus mother qualities are 'feminine'. Korea has rather firm definitions of what is father, mother, female, male, man, woman, masculine and feminine; people and their actions are classified strictly regardless of their actual gender. There are reasons why Eunji and Bomi always get called 'men', boyish, 'being like men' by those who know them best, because they are. Family, friends, company staff, colleagues, show/event staff and fellow stars all use these terms. They aren't slights to the girls, these are merely terms used in Korea to describe females who exhibit traits classified as masculine/male. Journalists and fans followed suit, not only relaying what others said but what they witnessed themselves. I've read posts from Intl' fans before alleging Eunji and Bomi are 'forced' by the company to dress/act boyish for reasons of attracting a 'certain type of fan'. I'm not entirely sure what they mean by a 'certain type of fan' but this is incorrect. Neither is forced to dress or act boyish, if anything they are told to act more feminine, as do all the girls. From what I've seen, Intl' fans seem to group Bomi and Eunji as the boyish members. While this isn't incorrect, they ignore the fact the rest of the girls are boyish as well. There isn't a single girly, full feminine in Apink; they all have high levels of boyish. Apink is innocent-pure and their image is 'fairy idol' which is very feminine view but none of the girls are innately, so they work hard. Similar occurrence with Chorong being singled out as the 'conservative' member. While not incorrect, this ignores how the rest of the girls are conservative as well. Nothing wrong calling Bomi or Eunji boyish, nothing wrong calling Chorong conservative but at the same time fans cannot ignore how other members share similar traits. Ultimately fans have open their hearts and minds to the girls as they truly are. That's nice to hear, shows you care for Apink. Thank you. Being mindful about the impact of their words is something everyone should worry about; careless remarks always hurt one way or another. Only those who mind their words and are respectful can call themselves Panda. Fans seem to like that particular line of Petals, very cute. I think fans liked the MV for Petals as well, reception seems overwhelmingly positive. ~~ There were several users asking for the original, unedited streams Namjoo recorded for MLT; did a quick search of Intl' media sites and found: This media content belongs to MBC, please treat with care. When face condition is not good, a face is blurred or blocked to save image, the same was done with Namjoo here, this is standard procedure. So this is the infamous tumblr post I kept hearing about during my morning scouring of Intl' fan sites. Rather shameful outburst but there's no sense discussing the "content" of the post; it's completely baseless and devoid of meaning and reality. What is important is to separate this person from a Panda, like I said before: Actions determine true intentions and if their actions are incompatible with their words then words must be disregarded as lies. If a person who never studies, never attends school and fails their exams says they are a good student, is it true? Of course not. Then is a person who calls themselves Panda, says they don't begrudge other members yet slights the other members a Panda? Of course not. Everyone needs to start using the correct terms for themselves and others; there are casual fans, music-only fans, variety show-only fans, one member fans, multiple but not all member fans, drama-only fans, visual fans (those who only care for celebrities appearance) and more. All these type of fans have different characteristics but they share one very important one, they are not Panda. A Panda cares for all members, supports all members, never slights any member, never uses a member against another. A Panda knows, understands and supports what Apink stands for, what Apink is trying to achieve. A Panda loves all members just the way they are. A Panda may connect better with some members than others but this is never to the detriment of their support to all members. While the actions of the person behind this post are negative, they're not 'in the fandom', they're not Panda so their actions don't reflect on the fandom. They're a one member fan and Apink anti, everyone needs to acknowledge and act accordingly. There will be times that Panda make mistakes, make the fandom feel embarrassed, make the fandom lose standing in the eyes of others; no one is perfect, Panda are human too. But those who don't act like Panda can't be allowed to call themselves Panda nor be referred to as Panda by any means. Apink fighting! Remember fighting! Pink Season fighting! Panda fighting! Edit: I see Apink haters are still camping in this thread downvoting with force. We will take your hate and triumph!

Hello! I was going to give a brief explanation (as I don't have time for more) but then made the "mistake" of reading following pages to see if there was any more misinformation to correct. That's when I found this post: And now find myself in the same position as the past few months, wondering is this even worth it? The only reason I'm here is because there is concrete evidence misconceptions/misinformation started or propagated in the Intl' fan communities will reach Korea and be used by antis no matter how baseless they are. To stop the content used by anti there was no choice but trying to eradicate the problem at the source. However this can only work if we are dealing with Apink fans and Panda not anti. I see so many calling themselves Apink fans and Panda yet act like anti. People are not Apink fans because they say so, people are not Panda because they say so. You have to behave like Apink fans, behave like Panda to be one. Actions determine what you are, words without supporting actions or worse, contrary actions, are the mark of liars and traitors, of anti. Being a fan doesn't mean blind worship but does require respect; respecting them as human beings, respecting them as women, respecting them as Koreans, respecting them as entertainers. To any actual Apink fans and Panda, I do apologize and hope you don't take my words negatively nor as a reflection of the girls, Apink or the company. I always try minding my words as not causing negative feelings in Apink's thread but bringing positivity of facts. There is immense burden for me not making a misstep, every post carefully crafted. However, I now understand the real misconception is the fact some like calling themselves fans when they don't behave as such. When some do not mind their words, behave negatively, slight the members (in any way), disrespect the members (in any way), start/propagate rumors (of any topic) carelessly, propagate misinformation without corroborating facts with official and/or knowledgeable sources and more, doing so all while calling and presenting themselves to others as fans, this is the real source of the problems. So today, can't and won't keep silent because I see now that all this time the real source of the problems was never dealt with. Those who want to follow and support a Korean group need to understand what it means to follow and support a Korean group and act accordingly. Do you know the immense stress their looks and bodies cause the girls? All of them have so many worries, comments hurt them a lot. But none are more negatively impacted than the two maknae and of the two, for various reasons, Hayoung is most. Comments hurt but to read comments from those are supposed to support you are especially damaging. You have no idea how hard loving themselves is sometimes, fans like to think success and adoration can wipe away any pain but they're not robots. Hurts, Hayoung has lots to handle to have so-called fans throw around careless remarks like this. The immense pressures of perfection and image are not to be taken lightly. ~~ In Korea, Apink and Panda are family; this is why Panda are so protective of Apink, this is why Apink always think of Panda. For those who understand and feel the same as them I say, ignore baseless hate as the hate leaves no trace. Letting haters not mind their words will soon enough reveal how pathetic and unscrupulous they are, in effect, they will destroy themselves with their hate. Let them. Focus solely on Apink as Apink focuses on you. All they think about is their Panda. Will Panda like this? Poor Panda, the weather is bad but they came to support us. This show is very late our Panda must be tired already but they support us, hope they keep their health. Panda. Panda. Panda. Even if tired they push themselves to the limit and beyond. If they fall sick, if they can't attend event, if they cannot perform to perfection they feel bad and like failure for not being able to show their best side. Even if Panda say it's OK they keep apologizing and feel sorry to them with open hearts. They never take any success achieved for granted, not a single one. Not just them but everyone in the company knows nothing is forever and at any point there could be a plateau, everyone works hard and humbly because nothing is ever certain. Greater than accolades, music show wins, chart performance, CFs is knowing they've had a positive impact in someone's life. When Panda share how they helped in dark times, how they gave strength, that's their greatest happiness, this is when they shine the brightest. ~~ All I will say of the talk related to Pink Island is the company did not 'mediaplay' in any way, there was no lying or misrepresentation. The girls, Apink or the company are not at fault or responsible for misinformation caused by the unclear translations by 'news sites' and incorrect interpretation of readers. There was never a statement declaring the concert, the entire concert to be 'sold out'. The statement said 9K seats sold (or sold out as this means the same) not that Pink Island was a 9K seat concert and they all 'sold out' or any other interpretation. I've had the displeasure of reading the troll Pink Paradise thread, there is one specific poster who's not a mere troll but a consummate Apink anti. This individual and others like him hail from a site known as AKP where they post such lies and filth I cannot repeat even to dispel as they are that damaging. So its best to ignore them, the only action fans can take is reporting and not giving them a place to post their filth but take care not to engage them in any way. They are one of the worst I've encountered and wouldn't be surprised if this escalates to legal matters as I don't see them stopping 'nicely'. Freedom of speech doesn't apply to libel and vicious attacks with the obvious intention to harm their target. ~~ Again, I apologize for any ill feelings my post can potentially cause in readers, anyone who has ever read my posts knows my aim is anything but ill feelings. But today realized how I was failing my enterprise and thus failing the girls and Apink. Sometimes one needs to look, acknowledge and accept wrongfulness to be able to grow and show a better side, not for image but demonstrating real progress. Apink fighting! Remember fighting! Pink Island fighting! Panda fighting!

As busy as I'm right now I have to clear up a couple of matters, the central being Instiz chart is irrelevant in Korea and I'm wondering why Intl' fans don't seem to know this. Truly, tell any Korean that you are happy because a particular song is #XYZ on Intiz and they will look at you strangely and ask what is their rank on Melon. Instiz chart is an aggregate ranking, basically the "sum" of the top media sites, only relevant to verify “all-killsâ€. But there are some aspects to note: 1. Intiz chart doesn't include all major/minor download sites in Korea. In the past the chart included more sites but it stopped tracking them for irrelevancy. In the future they will stop tracking more as all music sites fade further into irrelevancy while Melon continues to command an ever increasing percentage of the market. 2. Instiz uses a complex weighted value algorithm for ranking songs. However their algorithm isn’t perfect and they take into account their own chart (Instiz) as a value, further skewing results. The reason a song that is performing better than other songs in all followed charts can have a lower Intiz rank than another. 3. Melon has over 60% of the market share but this percentage is not fully represented on Instiz. This means 60% of Koreans use Melon and the rest are divided between Mnet, olleh, Soribada, Genie, Naver, Bugs and Monkey3. Actually, the remaining 40% is divided between more music sites than the current 7 Instiz tracks, thus the importance of chart performance is highly skewed towards Melon. However the algorithm doesn’t take this fully into account (as it should), thus Intiz never fully represents the true digital landscape at any point in time. A simple example of how this works: song A is in the top 5-10 on Melon and top 20-30 on the other sites tracked by Intiz. Song B is top 20-30 on Melon and top 5-10 on the other sites. In fact, let’s make it more dramatic, song B is currently #1 on the other sites while still being top 20-30 on Melon. Song B is on a higher rank than song A on Instiz chart, which song is doing better digitally? The correct answer is song A. Since Gfriend was mentioned, let’s see their current* situation as displayed by Instiz: #31 Melon #9 Mnet #8 Bugs #6 olleh #5 Soribada #5 Genie #17 Naver # -- Monkey3 Now let’s look at Apink: #4 Melon #10 Mnet #6 Bugs #11 olleh #6 Soribada #7 Genie #6 Naver #25 Monkey3 *At the time of writing this post, there will be a delay from actual Intiz chart when its posted and read. Currently* GF is #5 and Apink #6 on Instiz but which release do you think is doing better digitally? Which song is being heard by a larger audience? Also fans should note when a song is at certain rank; depending on the time, the balance between general public and fans can be skewed to either group. Songs that rise during the early hours of the morning but go down during the rest of the day are indicative of fandom strength but not as wide general public acceptance/liking. At these hours some of the general public but mostly passionate fans are streaming as such groups with bigger fanbases tend to rise as their percentage of passionate fans will also be larger by default. Songs that rise during “prime time†hours of the day (later morning till early evening) are indicative of general public acceptance/liking; this is the time normal fans plus the general public starts streaming. As of now, Remember has its lowest ranks on Melon during early hours of the morning when groups with bigger fandoms like Big Bang, Beast and Infinite increase streams. Then rises again once the later morning hours arrive, continuing almost unchanged for the rest of the day until late night/early morning time comes and the cycles starts once again. This type of daily performance can only be achieved thru joint fandom and general public streaming and downloading songs, this is true for all songs. ~~~ I won't be writing the required analysis as that would take too much time, time I haven't available, but anyone who thinks Remember is doing "less than expected/less than Apink's normal" is categorically wrong. This is not a matter of opinion but fact, Apink is performing exactly like expected by the company. If anyone had different expectations, they were not supported by industry data and analysis, making them invalid expectations in the first place. A comeback that was in preparation for over a year, in fact this has been in preparation (early stages) for a long, long time while every comeback was fitted like a jigsaw puzzle, cannot be reduced to petty arguments and numbers. This comeback has a reason to be, just like LUV, Mr. Chu and all before. If only you had an idea of the incredible odds to bring each one into fruition and as haphazard as Acube can be in some areas, there is a method to the madness. Music show wins are ‘nice’ but they are not the most important mark or achievement in a comeback. I hope Apink fans and Panda’s desire to help Apink win music shows remains pure and positive; the reason for the wins to see a smile on the girls faces. Not tainted and negative reasons like “showing haters†or “Apink slaying their faves†or to boast and belittle other groups in any way. Apink work hard, humbly and with a positive outlook; fans need to emulate them and not take actions that will increase baseless hate on Apink. Fans shouldn’t be arrogant saying Apink will do this, Apink will achieve that; words before a fact are meaningless and harmful to Apink. Fans need to wait for achievements to be realized and then humbly celebrate while wishing for hopefully better performance next time. That said, Intl' fans can help with downloads/streams on Melon, SNS votes and Youtube views. These are the areas where any Apink fan and Panda can stand and be counted. Korea's entertainment industry is under protected status as such foreign platforms like iTunes are blocked in Korea. But Intl' fans can access the Korean market via purchasing a Melon package thru iTunes. Intl' fans in this thread can help you with the process as I remember seeing a guide being posted here before. Anyone who wants to help Apink digitally needs to do it via this Melon package as digital purchases in non-Korean sites will be invalid to count for digital points for music shows and awards. Thank you for your interest in Apink's digital performance, hopefully in the future you may be able to personally contribute. Yes. It's better to host images on Intl' sites like imgur, flickr, photobucket or tumblr; images from Korean, Japanese and Chinese sites tend to stop displaying after a while (if they displayed at all). Regardless, thank you for trying to bring relevant, current content in an organized manner to Apink’s thread. Apink fighting! Pink Memory fighting! Panda fighting!

Of course they did, I'm here to post accurate information dispelling misinformation/misrepresentation that may harm Acube, Apink or the girls. Even though I knew there was a last minute schedule for accounts promotions, all the previous communications didn't seem to stop the confusion some were showing in this thread. That's why I posted, the confusion could harm Apink's comeback by catching Intl' fans unaware if they had the wrong time for digital and MV release; and confusion can spread just as quickly as excitement does. Intl' fans can't do everything they would like to help in this comeback, there are some "burdens" only Korean fans can bear but Intl' fans can be of great help with SNS voting and watching MVs on Youtube since Koreans face connections "blocks" to viewing content in this site. So please watch the MV after release on the official channels and vote. Apink fighting! Panda fighting! Pink Memory fighting! But that's it for me now because there's 1 hour to go and there's still much to do before the release. Good luck to all and hope you enjoy all the sights, sounds and the infusion of innocent swag because the 90's are back with a twist. ~~~ Reposting in case someone hasn't looked at the initial days schedule: Pink Memory Digital Release: 7/16/2015 at 00:00 KST (12 am). Melon Showcase: 7/16/2015 at 20:00 KST (8 pm) on 1theK Channel. Comeback Stage: Music Bank on 7/17/2015. Physical Album Release: 7/20/2015. Current date in Korea: 7/15/2015. Current time in Korea: 23:~ (11 pm). Countdown: 1 hour to go for digital release. *Technically 50 minutes.

Pink Memory Digital Release: 7/16/2015 at 00:00 KST (12 am). Melon Showcase: 7/16/2015 at 20:00 KST (8 pm) on 1theK Channel. Comeback Stage: Music Bank on 7/17/2015. Physical Album Release: 7/20/2015. Current date in Korea: 7/15/2015. Current time in Korea: 19:00 (7 pm). Countdown: 5 hours to go for digital release.

Dozens of girls groups debut every year, a rather small portion end up making an impact, an even smaller percentage end up making a lasting impact. New groups debuting every year is a fact of the industry but the industry is cutthroat and a "good debut" and a "good company" backing them is no guarantee for success. The streets of Seoul are littered with the crushed dreams and 'what if's' of groups who seemed destined for something great. Apink's concept is not cute, Apink is 'innocent, pure' fairy-dols and for now they are alone in this segment because girl groups generally debut with a fresh concept and then switch to whatever their true main concept is supposed to be. If another group debuts with a similar concept and continues for a long time, there will be a time delay for recognition and acceptance, should they ever achieve it. Competition is healthy and good for never resting on laurels; direct competition is no more threatening than indirect competition. In the end, every single group type; boy groups, girls groups, idols, musicians and indies are all trying to carve out a space for them in the industry. Acube might not have "company stans" but Apink has a very loyal fanbase that keeps expanding every month and year. As said before, their popularity and fanbase grew without losing steam in years when their overall popularity and general recognition was far lower than now. The pace of growth has accelerated not stalled or slowed down with each passing month for years and now is no exception. Apink never truly goes 'off radar' anymore between comebacks, at least not in Korea. There is always SNS contact, variety shows here and there, pictorials, attendance to industry events, festivals all over Korea, indirect appearances/references on all types TV shows (dramas, variety, reality, etc.) and their songs/videos played in businesses and places all over plus everything related to web/written media (everything from interviews to random articles). To summarize... It's understandable why fans worry, in between comebacks there is not much else for fans to do and Intl' fans have basically 0 contact with Apink. Korean fans have the benefit of being able to experience Apink directly and indirectly essentially every day. They also know more of the industry and how things work so there's less cause for worrying. Now that I think about it, being an Intl' fan must be very hard, it's commendable. There are some true Pandas around here and I'm so glad for the love and support they give the girls. LOH is the game in Korea, used to be WOW years ago but the last few years are LOH and LoL kingdom, LoL is even bigger.

I know it could be rather lengthy but here’s my post again: What I wrote before were reasons behind them not appearing in show; these reasons are combined; wasn’t just one of them. Wrote reasons for this specific case but they can be used for any activity Apink (as a whole, some members or solo) has had and will have. Read some comments about appearance fees; while there are some industry standards, every company has their own structure and way of operating. Generally speaking, group fees which members only receive if they are present apply to musical events; events were they will perform for an audience. Fees are not computed the same way for TV shows (various kinds), pictorials, general industry events, etc. As explained earlier, for rookie and trending groups, a show can basically have all members for the ‘price of one’ but for top groups there is nothing in terms of ‘savings’ by having the entire group, in fact having an entire group will be costlier overall. The analysis and negotiations behind the scenes for any activity are complicated and grounded in business, vastly different than a fan’s scrutiny. What might not make sense or be against a fan’s wishes is many times part of a carefully crafted strategy. But as I said before, surprises can happen, fans should not concentrate on what they think are missed opportunities, all the girls are where they serve best. There’s a saying in English “When in Rome… do as Romans doâ€; those who travel or immigrate to a country are making an implicit pact to observe the customs of the country they visit or relocate to. The situation is the opposite for artists; when a promoter brings an artist from another country, not only are they importing the musical act and their songs but their culture as well. Part of the job of the promoter would be to observe the customs of the artist and fans are no different; having a foreign artist in home soil is not a right but a benefit. The rules of engagement for an artist during their professional time and their down time are different. What other musical acts (from wherever) have experienced, other countries are like, other situations have been, other companies have reacted is pertinent to those cases only. A no more than 5 second fancam is small glimpse which does not give a reliable account of reality; none of the girls are left to their own devices and there was no detected danger at the university. The company can be singled out for overprotection but not under-protection. Because of population density in many Asian countries; close proximity and large groups are treated differently. In the West a large group of people mostly means something happened while in Asia there will always be large groups moving about, part of everyday life. Here it’s normal for fans to surround and walk with celebrities to and fro the airport; not purposely get in their way or touch them. This is why only sasaeng terrorists (sasaengs are not fans) exhibit the shameful behavior of grabbing, touching and impeding the path of celebrities. Finally, intention is irrelevant; fans may not have wanted to act disrespectfully, fans may not have wanted to cause uncomfortable situations, fans may not have wanted to violate societal norms from where we come from but ultimately some did. The fact most had never seen the girls before and probably thought another chance might be difficult explains their behavior but doesn’t excuse. Would like to reiterate the girls did not complain; they were gracious and accommodating even when the situations weren’t entirely comfortable. The previous post wasn’t meant a slight but informative, a reply to the vilifying of those who were simply doing their job, and awareness that all actions have consequences. Apink's popularity in Korea is not new, they are not a trending group like AOA or EXID who suddenly shot up the ranks in 2014. Apink has been consistently gaining popularity since debut; they trended in a more palpable manner in 2013 with NoNoNo. After Mr. Chu and LUV, their rank as top group was cemented. Apink will "trend" with every release they make and any activity they participate in like top groups generally do. But they stopped being a 'trending group' a long time ago; they are not in jeopardy for status. Never forget Apink achieved all they have while having no less than 7-9 months between comebacks since their second year of existence. Other groups would've (and have) faded into obscurity with such a lengthy absence but not Apink. Their popularity and fandom increase has never slowed down before when their rank was lower; there is no analysis that shows they will now. For years I've read Intl' fans complaining about the long hiatuses but none of them were a fluke; said it many times already, Acube has a unique way of operating. There is never planning for just one activity or comeback, many are juggled at the same time and fit like pieces in a very complicated puzzle. Korea and Korean Pandas are not being abandoned; Apink is a Korean group with Korean members who want to have good professional lives in Korea. But fans need to understand that 2015 in Japan can be like 2013 was in Korea for Apink. They started gaining popularity since debut (even before as their debut was highly anticipated) but its no secret 2013's NoNoNo made their run at the top have a more accelerated pace than before. Taking the steps so Apink can have a reasonable career in Japan is logical and necessary for the company. Everyone is well aware of the situation, the career would be within the confines of Kpop's current state in Japan, but putting the effort can be the difference between scrapping by and reaching the target markets to the max. Much of the company's decisions may make little to no sense to fans but the company knows business; as I said months ago, fans have much to rejoice about and expect. Can't say everything will happen at the time and pace some fans desire, but what's important is for fans to rejoice and cheer on Apink once they do materialize in public. The girls like these clothes; they had a larger hand in the creation for LUV era than before. The inspiration is Victorian Europe; meant to evoke a classic, classy, eternal feeling marrying with the image for LUV of a relatable, age old feeling for a lost first love. Perhaps this is a case of Lost in Translation, not unlike Bomi's hair, kept reading Intl' fans say this was stylists' decision when it was she who wanted to try the style. Clothes for each promotion cycle can be thought as uniforms, they will be worn all thru the cycle and beyond depending on the event. Wearing a set only once is fiscally irresponsible, there are budgets to consider. Of the girls, Bomi can be a little forgetful of lyrics sometimes but this case wasn't her doing; it was those ill-suited bubbles. If the bubbles hadn't made Namjoo sneeze then Bomi wouldn't have been distracted long enough to miss the beat and fail to realize it was her turn. The audience took the mistake well so that was a good result. Edit: https://youtu.be/WvWlHDWfyqw?t=1m54s https://youtu.be/FzXy2k2WZOw?t=1m39s

The behavior at the airport by Intl' fans was shocking but also unexpected, reason why there was less preparation than needed and why managers were told to be firmer from then on. Intl' fans should realize, even if the girls travel abroad, they are still Koreans with a Korean mindset and sensibilities. Fans should follow the rules of contact (or lack of thereof) practiced in Korea, especially males. I saw a fancam where a male fan touched/tried to touch Namjoo's back; this is completely inappropriate and unacceptable. The girls are professionals and they try their best for fans but they are human, they get uncomfortable and scared at times. Fans should try limiting their actions to those who don't burden the girls. Because even if the girls would sacrifice their own comfort for fans' sake, the company will not. If the situation is analyzed and a destination is deemed dangerous, it will be cut from future plans. Anything not worth the hassle of potential dangers will be cut; it can be not going out thru a normal airport exit, not going to a specific event or region. So Intl' fans should exercise caution or the benefit of seeing the girls in their soil could disintegrate. Being a manager is such a thankless job sometimes; the higher ups are always demanding more efficiency and perfection while many fans seldom recognize all a manager takes care of. The managers got vilified but it was the CEO who gave the command to rein in the girls, does anyone expect these orders to be disregarded? He was right there. Worse than managers being vilified is this silly take on events making Eunji to be a rebel flaunting orders like a Robin Hood of signatures. Eunji knows to toe the line, same as the rest; when she got explicit orders by the CEO to cease, she did. There was no rebelliousness, she saw fans at the side with merchandise for signing so she went to them. Nothing more, nothing less. In some ways, everyone involved (company) can be accused of overprotection, but at least the girls are well protected from the seediness that taints so many. That was not a ‘fancam’, there were no fans backstage, only performers, their staff, entourage and event staff. Tiny was there as part of Cool’s entourage being of that circle of artists and LA Korean scene. All performers had a reasonable expectation of privacy there and didn’t know they were being filmed. If he hadn’t decided to show “what happens backstage†uploading the video then no outsiders would have seen this. It’s fairly accurate, though Eunji is a boomerang; she interacts with others if there are acquaintances but returns to the group. She’s never wanders alone though, the girls are escorted at all times backstage. Read some fans wondering who Eunji is talking to and it’s probably Bada as Eunji spent her time talking to seniors at KMF. Don’t quote me though; the video is not even 10 seconds long, a rather small glimpse. And unlike movies with 360 degrees of view, memory and videos with odd angles are not perfect matches. Read some fans were having trouble making sense of the bracelets. The rest of the members took pictures in the van and the dorm but Eunji and Naeun decided taking a picture of their bracelets a day they wore similar clothes with an odd angle for the shot. This was back in late March, these bracelets are not new. The girls have so many group/couple items and they get more every time they travel. For many reasons; concisely: shared show, funds (budget), targeted promotion, interests merge and schedule conflict. 1. The division of show segments and the inclusion of others meant including all 6 members was rather difficult and burdensome. This is the least important reason for this instance. 2. This is a new show and like all new shows, they have a budget to get up and running before securing better advertising revenue. Apink is not a rookie group or a sudden trending group; with those types of groups, shows can essentially get all members for the price of one, a group fee of sorts. Whereas Apink has appearance fees for all members, there is no group fee to save money on, and budget only goes so far. 3. The company wants the girls visible but not all mediums are created equal; it’s not an issue of sending them to any show. There is careful consideration on who would do best for in what medium and who would benefit best from the appearance. A TV show is just one of the mediums available; there’s radio, pictorials, industry events, etc. 4. While the company has their strategy, the show has theirs and for anyone to appear both have to agree. Sounds simple but there’s a lot of bartering and analysis behind the scenes. 5. When the recording schedule directly or indirectly conflicts with a previous engagement which is greater in importance and/or beyond the range of cancellation. Doesn’t mean Eunji and Naeun will never be in this or any other show the other members appeared sans them and vice versa. There can be surprises. The goals of the station and Acube differ from a fan’s; fans concentrate on seeing their group on TV shows but this a business at the end of the day. Apink is the group where members wear safety shorts while wearing short pants. Could anyone actually believe the pther girls, the managers, the stylists and the CEO would ever let a member go out in a see thru dress in their undergarments? Absurd. Namjoo was wearing short jeans, an under shirt, the “dress†and a sweater; the dress was merely for style. Chorong ah, what would the children do without their RongMama? Every day is Unnie this, Unnie that; sometimes I wish fans could see more, know more. They would surely love and appreciate all you girls more knowing the sacrifice, pain and tears but especially you as leader. Wasn’t easy before and while different it’s still not easy now but you never complain.

Hope all of you are aware this interview is 8 years old and it's the reason her queer rumors started back then, rumors in community sites not the media to be clear. Also like I said before that one BI Intl' fans keep mentioning, the true BI, was nothing alike to what was "translated" into English. The original BI had nothing of Yuri or Han Ye Seul; that was anti work because both SNSD and HYS were at a peak of popularity but HYS was "erratic" so time after the real BI, the various "versions" came out, some written to "hint" at SNSD and HYS but only after they got a peak. In others words, the real BI, which is the basis for all the fakes is nothing like what was "translated" time later and that real BI is the BI that was taken down not the silly anti versions.   [spoiler]The OH thread in the link is horrendous; if there was ever any doubt Intl' fans have no filter and will noisily believe and disperse anything they hear, that doubt is no longer existing for anyone in the Korean entertainment business. Find quite telling the Koreans in this site (that I know of) stayed away from that thread, there's no good way of handling that barrage. :unsure:  Thankfully SYJ is powerful and well protected; she's more prominent now that she was back then and both Yuri/HYS have their relationships. What I do hope is the original BI is never brought up again, now that one was too obvious, damaging and would create a scandal. I'd take the fake anti versions being spread in media happily over the truth. :imstupid: [/spoiler]   Feel free to believe what makes you feel happy but be aware of the work of antis. :)   Actually Intl' fans can have quite the impact as most couple "rumors" are created by Intl' fans with their shipping. These "rumors" reach Korea, as Koreans can read English (the most widely used language for Intl' sites). Fans of the celebrity know its not true but antis will spam the "rumor" on media articles and community sites in hopes the media runs with the story. I've spoken about this before here, what I said there applies to basically all "rumors" in general (#1-#3,#5). Also "negative replies" are rather irrelevant; whether Intl' fans are positive or negative regarding this Instiz post, the fact is they are talking, believing and spreading the post. No one pays attention in Korea because everyone knows the anti filth in trash sites like PANN, Instiz, Ilbe but Intl' fans spread anything "translated" like wildfire thru forums and SNS. To be honest, a new modality for more enterprising antis is using Intl' fans, as they know these facts, to spread their damage more easily. They are targeting Intl' sites with their own (or the anti groups) posts on PANN and the like which they "translate", a recent example. The OP tried sounding helpful and gullible but no, they were an anti. Of course I had words with them and they are gone now but many more remain here and in other Intl' sites. :imstupid: Homosexuality is still a taboo subject in public (this includes online) in Korea, a fan of celebrity would never make such a post on an open forum. The intentions are clear and this is the type of anti post fans in Korea would work to bury, not spread. The content is not as scandalous as the "translation" makes it seem but the intention behind posting in that manner is. :)

I understand why you would say that but you and I are not in the same position and that is not the meaning of my post in the least. I never implied Namjoo is having a 'bad day' when she may momentarily look less than cheery; I said her normal face seemingly looks forlorn/sad/angry-ish to outsiders but its merely a result of her being too occupied with inner thoughts to successfully control her expression. Namjoo isn't the only one, I see all the girls with their normal and lost in thought faces all they time; controlling expression when you are very tired is hard but the girls try their hardest, to exhaustion, for fans. All for their Pandas. My post aims to dispel any baseless speculation of Namjoo's current demeanor; the last thing we need at this critical point in time is Intl' fans creating baseless, damaging rumors of dissent in Apink. Because antis will notice and use this against them in any media site and news articles with aims to circulate the rumor in Korea to bring Apink down, that is their job. I understand why fans worry and in a way they are caring and showing love for their celebrities when they do but it's very important to mind words as not to harm them.

Many fans wonder how their celebrities are feeling and being outside looking in, it's understandable any look that seems less than cheery can worry fans. Ironically this is a worry and pressure celebrities face, appearing perfectly collected and happy no matter what for the sake of fans. Fans can't forget celebrities have many pressures in their lives and many thoughts in their heads, all while having to work as close to perfection as they can. Namjoo has many pressures, not saying the other girls don't but some pressures are unique and every person processes them differently. She has professional, educational and personal pressures; coupled with the fact she's prone to overthinking/worrying, creates some instances where fans may 'catch' her looking less than cheery. However Namjoo's 'normal face' when lost in thought can seem forlorn/sad/angry-ish but doesn't reflect her actual demeanor. All the girls try their best to make sure fans the best side but no one is perfect and when many cameras are around, there might be small moments when a glimpse of them being lost in thought is captured. When they are lost in thought controlling their expression becomes difficult and that's when expressions of less than cheery faces appear but they are human. If fans took videos of themselves lost in thought or being worried about something unrelated to what is currently happening, would they look happy? Chances are they would not, when people aren't controlling their expressions most look serious, sad or angry; would be a minuscule minority of people who seemingly live with a smile plastered on their faces. To be honest, I'm very surprised with your comment. While everyday pressures can be immense, right now is a positive season (overall) for Namjoo; there have been far more trying seasons, surprising for any worry to arise now.

The two posts of mine you highlighted are about two different topics.   That said, some people do know a celebrity is queer. Some know because they happen to witness something, some know because they are long time fans who know much of their private life (sometimes when years pass the lines between celebrity and fan can blur), some know because they are close to company/media/industry people who by a mistake or thinking the person is trustworthy share and some are not fans but sasaeng who take illegal and immoral steps to know everything about a celebrity's life. :imstupid:   One important fact is in Korea (unlike the West) queers don't make a point of "coming out" most of the time. Call them open secrets, living in a glass closet (at least for Korean standards) but sitting down and telling people close to them I'm ____ is something most don't bother with, especially celebrities. Because in Korea there is no sense in labeling yourself as anything, especially something that is still very taboo for a certain age range. If you don't go out of your way to be obvious, no one will ever tell you anything negative.   There are a lot of queers working in the entertainment industry in all possible echelons: PDs, directors, stylists, hairstylist, photographers, managers, company staff, station staff, etc. This is a fact of life but no one goes around making a big show of they or others being queer; everyone has their own life. :)    Being honest, I would forget about that so-called triangle rumor; what Intl' fans obtained is the tattered, fictional, manipulated version of the rumor. Thank you, that's very nice to hear. :)    You're welcome. :lol:   Expanding on the skinship topic... In a culture that views same sex people holding hands, hugging, back hugging, touching parts of the body when talking/interacting, sitting in each other’s lap, etc as normal will not bat an eyelash at a celebrity nor be suspicious of sexual orientation no matter how much skinship they do. The most a celebrity goes thru is being questioned if they love skinship a lot and the exchange goes like this: MC – Do you like skinship that much? Celebrity A– Yes, I love it. My family loves skinship/I'm from _______  so I grew up like this. MC –  It’s so cute how you’re always holding your members hands. Celebrity A – I’m always holding their hands. Celebrity B – Unnie, always holds my hands and takes good care of me. OR Celebrity B – Celebrity A is a cute dongsaeng, all the unnies love her unique charm. MC and audience (if there is any) does the equivalent of ‘Awww’ and then they move on. The End.   Not at all; this is the happiest she's been in a long time. After all those relationships that hurt her, she might have found the person who treats her well and till now he has been treating her well. No one can speak for the future but compared to the toxic of the past, everyone should be joyful.   I did previously say Yuri was taking the piecemeal approach of slowly releasing information to minimize any negative effect when the relationship became public. :)

If you mean the thread of 6 EXO members dating, the thread is still active: http://onehallyu.com/topic/162818-pann-6-members-of-exo-are-currently-dating-chanyeol-and-joy-are-dating/page-1 This thread will only be deleted (as it should) if its reported as the troll thread it is, the PANN post translated is an anti post. Posted twice in the thread clearing up particular topics: http://onehallyu.com/topic/162818-pann-6-members-of-exo-are-currently-dating-chanyeol-and-joy-are-dating/page-18?do=findComment&comment=7727349 http://onehallyu.com/topic/162818-pann-6-members-of-exo-are-currently-dating-chanyeol-and-joy-are-dating/page-18?do=findComment&comment=7727804 Ignoring troll threads and hate directed at Apink, their single is actually performing a little (but just a little) better than expected. Rising to #1 at certain points in real time for several sites and #10 on Instiz for many hours, going as high as #6. Apink fighting! Panda fighting!

Apink always have the night/day light/dark POV for photoshoots for different magazines; effective strategy to show different charms without crossing any lines. Namjoo has improved greatly in still form shoots thru the years. I remember smilling to myself months ago when Intl' fans were obsessing over Bomi getting "hate" for her appearance on Real Men and how Apink didn't have the amount of pictorials they thought a group of their "stature" should have. Tried explaining there was no such hate on Bomi, her appearance had been positive and the effects would be felt months and months into the future; then her first two solo pictorials were publicly revealed. And now some of the planned shoots for Apink. I wonder, is it finally enough or do they want more still? Apink will never be a quantity over quality group; I wish fans would understand this and not worry so much. Such an exciting year; so much being considered and produced. Doubtful as the culture is different between Dongguk and Sungkyunkwan; the girls tend to be cautious if there is a large enough group around (as anyone else would) but Naeun was in no immediate danger. This is not possible as any of these images and videos don't belong to me, I lack authorization for sharing elsewhere.

Has nothing to do with popularity; Namjoo does attend college but her university is Sungkyunkwan University. This is one of the top universities in Korea, students are normally focused and well mannered, you won't see the sort of behavior displayed in other colleges. The university wouldn't accept the behavior either, should anyone even try. Also fan taken images Intl' fans are allowed to see are a small percentage of what is taken; most are posted to communities only Koreans can access or not shared at all.

The scenes weren't re-used, per se, as the Japanese MV was shot at the same time as the Korean MV. Unlike NoNoNo or Mr. Chu Japanese version, there was no different set or MV filming time. When the MV was filmed, the Japanese song version was already recorded and its release planned for spring. The shots filmed were mean to be useful for both MVs with a localization for the Japanese market being the introduction of spring clothing, taking seasonal change into account. A different MV could've been shot but for LUV it was not necessary unlike NoNoNo and Mr. Chu, both which required reshoots as there was too much time lag between the Korean and Japanese releases. This is an industry wide cost-saving measure and while the concern of some fans is understandable, a new shoot for LUV was difficult to achieve economically and time-wise. The calendar fans see might look empty compared to during a promotional cycle but every day is filled with work. I’ve spoken about Acube’s way of preparing for comebacks and how they never work on just one at the time; how changes in development sometimes mean a comeback scheduled for a year ends up in another year or vice versa. There’s a lot of juggling these days for Acube and Apink but I hope fans don’t misunderstand filming both MVs at the same time as a slight to Japan or Japanese Panda. Nor that Acube is faulting attention on Apink because Apink are the priority in the company by far. This is our Bomi, our Apink. The girl's have many noteworthy characteristics and talents but what I love most of all is their beautiful heart. I hope their heart touches and spreads positivity to everyone. --- Forever your day dear 5th child, our second Maknae. Congratulations on your 21th birthday! This year will be interesting with all the projects planned and your studies. Pay attention to your courses and good luck on upcoming examinations. Edit: Apink haters downvoting positive posts in Apink's thread. Why do you lurk here?

This is true; Eunji and Bomi are continually called boy/man, described with male terms and put in the male position in certain occasions. This is how their boyishness is verbalized and acted upon, there is no offense meant and they both do the same as well. Boyishness does not preclude femininity; both have their feminine qualities because they are females after all. Re-tweeting isn't using SNS for us; 'not using SNS outside of fancafe' means Apink do not interact with fans outside of fancafe. To be honest, we are wary of outside SNS for the long history of negative impact on celebrities' lives. SNS mistakes have toppled careers, damaged images, lead to harassment and more. This is not an issue of Apink having something to hide but even the most well meant posts can be twisted and become a source of headache for Apink. Apink are now in a position were any negative news would affect them greatly, caution is necessary and for now that means highly regulated SNS and lives. Chorong does support in the way she can, re-tweeting. --- --- Proud Korean Eunji who dances Korean folk dance to 'Let me take a selfie'; please expect Ari-arirang Suri-surirang Dance Remix Version. Exciting times of hard work but it will all pay off very soon.