Why do I love SM Entertainment - is it the Korean Wave?

In recent years, the Korean Wave has yet again began to strike fans all around the world. This crave for everything Korean is getting to the point where things are spinning out of control. I've been noticing that a lot of Korean stars have been in the news lately, especially stars who I still love and fangirl over. I wonder why these numerous reports are flooding the media. Could it be the "K-pop curse?"

One of my favorite boy bands is TVXQ, or formerly known as Dong Bang Shin Ki/Tohoshinki/DBSK. They belong under the management of SM Entertainment, but in July of 2009, three of their members: Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yoochun filed a lawsuit against SME "for their outrageous slave contracts." SME claimed that the three members had breached their contract by belatedly canceling their Shenzhen concert after agreeing to it in 2008; however, a legal representative responded by revealing documents and claiming that the contracts with TVXQ's signatures were forged. The trio was also accused of fraud by the distributor of CreBeau products in China. What is happening to them? And what I was really surprised about was that the two remaining members, Yunho and Changmin, deliberately criticized their members for going overboard. Is this a war of love or hate?

A big problem that Korean stars have been facing lately is the excessive actions their fans make. "Fangirls burned with rage this month [November] when Lee Hyuk Jae inadvertently insulted idol group Battle during a radio show guest-starring with BEAST." Although the radio show host apologized, these fans still hold a grudge against him and are watching his every move even more carefully. Another issue that has been brought to the attention of the media is that a fan of Taecyeon from 2PM, wrote and sent a letter with her own blood. This disturbing report traveled fast and was posted on the internet soon afterwards. It was not just normal blood, it was her blood from what girl's get every month. I can't even believe someone would do that, that's absolutely disgusting and disturbing to the point where I would not even question why someone would do that. It's scary. Even though people accused her of faking it & using red paint, it still doesn't matter. And to top it off, another crazy fan slit her wrist and used that blood to write a letter to MBLAQ's Lee Joon. How much worse can this get?

MNET's Asian Music Awards [MAMA] were also a top controversial issue in the news of November. Many artists did not attend this event to protest their oppositions towards how MNET rigged the results. "Fans, reluctant to say goodbye to thei beloved MKMF, were further disappointed when trot singers, SM Entertainment artists, Pledis Entertainment and even MNET's very own Lee Hyori bowed out of the event, essentially leaving JYPE and YGE artists to take over the show." Adding on to this drama, the rumors of Jaebom's return to 2PM and Korea were flying everywhere. The former leader of the band is currently back in his hometown of Seattle, Washington, and in other reports, he has said that he will not be returning to rejoin his group. "Furthermore, the uncomfortable appearance of TVXQ's JaeChunSu trio to accept the Asia Representative Award coupled with SME's incensed reaction created even more buzz." Until this day, there is still no conclusion or ruling for the lawsuit filed by SME and TVXQ's JaeChunSu trio. November 2009 was a super exciting month for everyone indeed.

Now that it's December, things have cooled off for a bit. Many artists are making their comebacks and getting ready to kick off the new year with a new start. Stars are trying to focuse on their careers rather than what is going on in the media. Lee Hyori is back in the picture as she shows her caring side in a nationwide distribution campaign for children from impoverished families. She dressed up in a festive outfit and helped pack care packages for the children in need. SME's very own Super Junior and Girl's Generation teamed up to make a song dedicated to Seoul called "Seoul Song." They recently released the music video where it features scenes from this beautiful and vibrant city. SME's SHINee is also out promoting their new song, Jojo. Now that Taemin has recovered from Swine Flu, the group is continuing their reign.Oh, and did I mention the SNSD was the most popular group of 2009?! Woot!

Things are slowly brightening up since the many mishaps that have occurred over the past few months. I just can't wait until JYPE and SME announce who gets a callback from their global auditions! Go Korea! Fighting! I can't wait to hear more from my favorite SME artists.