VIXX's N at the Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyongchang, South Korea. This will be the second time South Korea has hosted an Olympic event since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and the country's first Winter Games.
On September 12, VIXX's leader N, shared on his twitter page that he was selected to be a torch bearer for the Winter Games. He shared a picture of his preparation (above). If his ability to get through VIXX's choreo is any indication, we don't think he'll have any problems running with the torch. Good luck, N!
Military enlistments
If you're a newer K-pop fan (and not Korean), you might not know about South Korea's mandatory military service. Basically, all eligible Korean men must complete about two years (depending on where they serve) in the military. It's common for idols and actors to put off their service until they get into their late 20s.
October has seen some big enlistment news. HIGH4's leader Sunggu enlisted on September 12, although no details are known about his enlistment. Sunggu was reportedly leaving HIGH4 in February, though there was never an official announcement.
It's long been known that Akdong Musician's Lee Chanhyuk was planning to enlist this year. In a January interview, Chanhyuk said he planned on enlisting within the next year. According to an insider, Chanhyuk plans to enlist in the marines on September 18. Chanhyuk's bandmate and sister, Lee Suhyun, said she plans to continue making music and promoting while her brother is in the military.
2PM's Taecyeon has an interesting enlistment story. In interviews, Taecyeon often spoke of his desire to enlist and his dedication was clear. He held an American permanent residence visa, which he had to give up to be eligible for enlistment. Taecyeon also had two back surgeries so that he could become an active soldier. He quietly enlisted on September 4th.
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MAMA announces four dates
For the first time ever, the Mnet Asian Music Awards will span four days, across four countries: Hoa Binh Theater in Vietnam on November 25, Yokohama Arena in Japan on November 29, W Hotel in Hong Kong on November 30, and finally, the AsiaWorld-Expo Arena in Hong Kong on December 1.
We don't know yet what awards will be announced on which days and which artist will attend each show. Until we get more details, we will withhold judgment on whether or not this is a good move. But one problem that could arise is that the other big K-pop award show, the Melon Music Awards, will be held December 2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
This could impact whether we'll see this year's biggest acts perform on both shows.