#singles korea 2008

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

SHINee for Singles Korea August Magazine Issue

[eretzyisrael]

By Bassem Eid

Outside obfuscators often try to misplace blame for the suffering onto Israel's "blockade" on the Strip, but a brief consideration of the timeline shows the absurdity of this conceit. Israel unilaterally withdrew all of its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. Within hours, Hamas-aligned looters had stripped bare and destroyed the greenhouses and farms Israel had left behind for local sustenance. In 2007, Hamas seized military control of the strip in a brutal local coup against the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority (PA), throwing its supporters off the roofs of buildings.

Since then, rather than engage in peacemaking and economic development, Hamas, like a Mediterranean North Korea, has diverted all of its resources to warfare. It and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have repeatedly fired rocket salvos into central Israel—in 2008-9, 2012, 2014, and 2021. In October 2023, Hamas breached all precedent with an all-out invasion of Southern Israel, massacring over 1,200 innocents in a single day—including 300 young people at an all-night nature dance party celebrating peace.

Rape, torture, and bodily mutilation were reported on a systemic scale, and over 240 innocents were dragged back to Hamas's terror emirate in Gaza as hostages. Hamas is still holding over 130 of these innocents hostage.

As a human rights activist and a human being, I recognize that it defies all rules of geopolitics, morality, and human nature to suggest that Israel not respond militarily to dismantle Hamas and rescue its people, who we now know are being raped and psychologically tortured in captivity.

And yet, amidst the intensity of the ongoing war, Israel has facilitated the transfer of international aid to Hamas-controlled territory—while Hamas has been seizing these essential supplies and transferring them for military purposes. Hamas has built a massive network of tunnels under the Strip that exceeds the New York subway system in length, where hostages have been kept underground without light and used as human shields to protect terrorist commanders. Hamas's cannibalization of the civilian economy has gone so far as to dig up water pipes and convert them into makeshift rockets to fire into Israeli territory.

[beardedmrbean]

How can we understand the terrible, self-imposed deprivation now gripping the people of Gaza? The heart-wrenching stampede that unfolded in Gaza last Thursday casts a stark light on the brutal reality of life under Hamas's rule. It is a somber reminder of the urgent need to address the suffering of Gaza's people, but it also serves as a crucial moment to clarify the accountability for Gaza's plight.

The chaos and desperation that led to this tragedy are direct outcomes of Hamas's governance, which prioritizes violence and killing Jews over the welfare of its population. The stampede, occurring during an aid distribution, tragically underscores the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Driven by sheer desperation, people found themselves in a deadly crush, a situation that should never occur.

To pave the way for peace and stability for my brothers and sisters in Gaza, it is essential to acknowledge the root causes of their suffering. Hamas's diversion of resources, suppression of dissent, and neglect of civilian needs must end. The international community, along with the Palestinian people, must demand accountability and seek a future where governance prioritizes human dignity, economic opportunity, and peaceful coexistence. Only through addressing these fundamental issues can we hope to prevent such tragedies and build a brighter future for all Palestinians.

As a Palestinian human rights activist deeply sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinian people and the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that the terrorist group Hamas is responsible for the suffering of Gazans.

Outside obfuscators often try to misplace blame for the suffering onto Israel's "blockade" on the Strip, but a brief consideration of the timeline shows the absurdity of this conceit. Israel unilaterally withdrew all of its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. Within hours, Hamas-aligned looters had stripped bare and destroyed the greenhouses and farms Israel had left behind for local sustenance. In 2007, Hamas seized military control of the strip in a brutal local coup against the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority (PA), throwing its supporters off the roofs of buildings.

Since then, rather than engage in peacemaking and economic development, Hamas, like a Mediterranean North Korea, has diverted all of its resources to warfare. It and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have repeatedly fired rocket salvos into central Israel—in 2008-9, 2012, 2014, and 2021. In October 2023, Hamas breached all precedent with an all-out invasion of Southern Israel, massacring over 1,200 innocents in a single day—including 300 young people at an all-night nature dance party celebrating peace.

Rape, torture, and bodily mutilation were reported on a systemic scale, and over 240 innocents were dragged back to Hamas's terror emirate in Gaza as hostages. Hamas is still holding over 130 of these innocents hostage.

As a human rights activist and a human being, I recognize that it defies all rules of geopolitics, morality, and human nature to suggest that Israel not respond militarily to dismantle Hamas and rescue its people, who we now know are being raped and psychologically tortured in captivity.

Read more

I'm a Palestinian. Hamas Alone Is Responsible for the Blood Shed in Gaza

We Palestinians Must Dump Our Leaders and Accept Israel's Offers for Peace

Hamas Is Committing Terrorism Against My Palestinian Brothers and Sisters

And yet, amidst the intensity of the ongoing war, Israel has facilitated the transfer of international aid to Hamas-controlled territory—while Hamas has been seizing these essential supplies and transferring them for military purposes. Hamas has built a massive network of tunnels under the Strip that exceeds the New York subway system in length, where hostages have been kept underground without light and used as human shields to protect terrorist commanders. Hamas's cannibalization of the civilian economy has gone so far as to dig up water pipes and convert them into makeshift rockets to fire into Israeli territory.

Beyond economic manipulation, Hamas's rule in Gaza is marked by a severe crackdown on political dissent. Opposition and press voices are silenced, often violently, with human rights organizations reporting arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings. LGBTQ+ individuals, and anyone else who defies the harsh religious extremism governing all life in the Strip face torture and execution.

The real victims of Hamas's governance are the ordinary people of Gaza, who endure the consequences of their rulers' bloodthirsty actions. The youth, facing unemployment rates that are among the highest in the world, see their futures evaporate in an economy stifled by mismanagement and artificially exacerbated conflict. The sick suffer from a health care system in disarray, with hospitals overwhelmed and under-resourced, in part due to the diversion of medical supplies to serve Hamas's fighters and the repurposing of these healing spaces into military command centers.

As a Palestinian human rights activist, my loyalty lies with the Palestinian people, whose rights and future have been compromised by a cruel leadership that prioritizes military and terrorist objectives over human welfare. For those of us caught in the middle, the path forward requires an honest confrontation with the reality of our situation.

The plight of Gaza is a wound at the heart of the Middle East, a testament to the failures of an international policy that has foolishly coddled a brutal tyrant and implacable foe. Only by dismantling the governing rule of the irredeemable Hamas can we begin to heal this wound and move toward a future where the rights and dignity of all Palestinians are upheld, and peace and economic development alongside our Israeli neighbors can at last bear fruit for both sides.

Bassem Eid is a Palestinian human rights activist. He lives in the West Bank.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

[boltvolta]

A (non)comprehensive evolution of the US Army field jacket, from 1945-2007. These are all original specimens, with or without optional items, and thus is incomplete before 1945, because using reproductions is never 1:1 and is cheating. (Unless its SMWholesale.)

1943-1953: M1943 Field Jacket, Civil Defense.

Pictured here is a Civil Defense variant, which outlived its military counterpart in service life. (This one is here because I haven't gotten around to focusing my autism on collecting them yet.)

1950-1953: M1950 Field Jacket.

An update to the M1943 with interior buttons for liners, a swing-out arm gusset and other improvements, mostly for making it more presentable for dress uniform. The M1950 makes its debut in Korea, is found wanting for actual combat, and within a year is superseded.

1951-1970s: Early M1951 Field Jacket.

A more field use oriented jacket, the M1951 introduces a zipper and snaps to the field jacket, while still retaining button in liners. The M51 survives Korea and enters Vietnam. Later production M51s can be discerned by white labels and green buttons, whereas early M51s have an ink stamp and brown, WW2 production buttons.

1965-1990's Early/Vietnam Era and Post-War OD M1965 Field Jackets.

The M65 iterates further on the field jacket, while adding additional features and simplifying manufacturing. most notably a stowable built-in wind hood and velcro wrist cuffs with stowed flaps to extend over gloves. The early Vietnam era M65s are distinguished by having 2 white cotton inkstamped labels, one on the neck, and one behind the right lower pocket, alongside aluminium zippers like the M51. Post-1973 M65s have brass zippers and either still retain the 2 labels, or have a single, larger label at the neck. (The Vietnam Era one here was acquired in Vietnam and was used in the war, and was repaired numerous times by many people until it found its way to me.)

1981-2008: Early and Late Woodland pattern M1965 Field Jackets.

The only significant difference on the early woodland M65 from its predecessors is its change to camouflage, entering service with the BDU in 1981, but served alongside the OD M65 all throughout the 80s and 90's, never fully replacing it. Early and Late Woodland M65s can be differentiated by a change from brass Talon zippers to green coated YKK zippers, and from white letterpressed or inkstamped labels to green letterpresses labels. (There is also the change of using woodland fabric to OD fabric in the hip pockets but that varies by manufacturer.)

1989-2008: 3 Color Desert M1965 Field Jacket.

A contract of 3CD M65s were made in 1989 for potential actions in desert areas around the globe, made to the same cut as the Late Woodland M65s with tan coated YKK zippers. Few made it in time to be issued in Desert Storm, among with the DCU, but saw more extensive issue in the rest of the 90s, and in Desert Shield, Iraq and Afghanistan. Another batch was made in Contract Year 2003, and changed the cut to the final iteration of the M65, without shoulder or nametape velcro. (I am too lazy to photograph this one right now.)

2004-2008: Universal Camouflage Pattern M65.

The last breath of the M65 in service to the US. By the time it was issued it was no longer competitive with other cold weather clothing systems, and many commands did not authorize them for dress uniform. Other parts of the M65 system were made in UCP, but befell the same fate. Velcro for shoulder patches and nametapes were added, and liners in the same color were even made for them. Only a single contact year was ever ordered, and by 2008 the M65 was phased out of service. Maybe, someone high up might get nostalgic, and order new ones to be made in the current camouflage for dress uniform, but if ever that happens, the story ends here.

[lctus-eater]

Debuting on the small screen in 1999 in School 2 as Lee Kang-san, although it was only a ten-episode role. Jung Kyungmin is a South Korean actor managed by Gods Complex Media, originally debuting under Lilac Actors.  He gained some popularity from his debut role, however he gained mainstream popularity after securing a lead role in the 2005 drama My Girl. 

In 2011, he starred in Scent of a Woman, which is credited as his breakout role and earned him the nickname Korea’s Boyfriend. However, in Hell is Other People (2019) he would earn the title of Korea’s Favorite Villain.

⏤    GENERAL   INFORMATION 

Also known As. Elliott Jung, Korea’s Boyfriend & Korea’s Favorite Villain 

Labels. Lilac Actors ( 1999 - 2016 ), Gods Complex Media ( 2016 - present )

Debut Date. May 8, 1999 

Debut Project. School 2

⏤    FILMOGRAPHY 

SCHOOL 2 ﹙ television series    ──    1999 ﹚

SECRET ﹙ television series    ──    2000 ﹚

SCHOOL 3 ﹙ television series    ──    2000 ﹚

FOUR SISTERS ﹙ television series    ──    2001 ﹚

PURE HEART ﹙ television series    ──    2001 ﹚

LAND OF WINE ﹙ television series    ──    2003 ﹚

ISLAND VILLAGE TEACHER﹙ television series    ──    2004 ﹚

PRECIOUS HEART ﹙ television series    ──    2004-5 ﹚

MY GIRL ﹙ television series    ──    2005-6 ﹚

ARANG ﹙ film    ──    2006 ﹚

THE PERFECT COUPLE ﹙ film    ──    2007 ﹚

BITTERSWEET LIFE﹙ television series    ──    2008 ﹚

HEARTBREAK LIBRARY ﹙ film    ──    2008 ﹚

BOYS OVER FLOWERS ﹙ television series    ──    2009 ﹚

THE RECIPE ﹙ film    ──    2010 ﹚

SCENT OF A WOMAN ﹙ television series    ──    2011 ﹚

WILD ROMANCE ﹙ television series    ──    2012 ﹚

THE FUGITIVE OF JOSEON﹙ television series    ──    2013 ﹚

HOTEL KING ﹙ television series    ──    2014 ﹚

THE BEAUTY INSIDE ﹙ film    ──    2015 ﹚

BUBBLE GUM ﹙ television series    ──    2015 ﹚

GUARDIAN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD  ﹙ television series    ──    2016-17 ﹚

SUSPICIOUS PARTNER ﹙ television series    ──    2017 ﹚

LIFE ﹙ television series    ──    2018 ﹚

TOUCH YOUR HEART ﹙ television series    ──    2019 ﹚

HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE ﹙ television series    ──    2019 ﹚

BRUTAL ﹙ television series    ──    2019-21 ﹚

TALE OF THE NINE TAILED ﹙ television series    ──    2020 ﹚

BAD AND CRAZY ﹙ television series    ──    2021-22 ﹚

TALE OF THE NINE TAILED 1938 ﹙ television series    ──    2023 ﹚

SINGLE IN SEOUL ﹙ television series    ──    2023 ﹚

BLEEDING DOVE: The Plastic Dove Tour  ﹙ judy tour documentary    ──    2023 ﹚

BRUTAL: UNHINGED ﹙ television series    ──    2023-24 ﹚

A SHOP FOR KILLERS ﹙ web series    ──    2024 ﹚

trigger warnings. mentions murder via stabbing.

Birth Name. Jung Kyungmin 정경민

English Name. Elliot Jung 

Date of Birth. December 3, 1981

Zodiac Signs. Sagittarius & Rooster

Date of Death. November 20, 2023 ( 42 )

Place of Birth. Los Angeles, Californa, USA

Home Town. Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea

Ethnicity. South Korean

Nationality. Korean-American 

MBTI. entj-a

Height. 184.8 cm (6’0″)

Face Claim.  Lee Dong Wook

The firstborn and only son of actress Lee Bitna and director Benjamin Chiwon Jung, Jung Kyungmin was brought into the world in the early morning of December 3, 1981. He was in the limelight before he was even born, his parents being beloved figures in the film world and their love story was akin to a fairytale. Sadly, their love story would fall apart a short six months after his birth – Chiwon would marry model Lee Hyemi, a fellow director; with whom he had his second child, Jung Kyunghwa, in 1989. They divorced in 1996, and he once again remarried in 2000, this time to Soo Miyoung,  a Korean-American actress, she gave birth to his third and youngest child, Jung Kyungsook in 2003. His mother, Bitna, remarried in 1985 to Henri St. James, a French-American actor.

Jung lived with his mother in California until he was six when his mother remarried and moved them to Seoul, South Korea. Jung described the move as “traumatic”, being unable to understand and socialize with his peers. He graduated from the prestigious Whimoon Middle School and Gaepo High School, where he excelled academically. He participated in his school’s drama club. He struggled socially in school; 

 " I didn't know how to be social, my parents would speak for me in those situations. I wasn't used to speaking for myself. Joining drama clubs helped me a lot in that area."

Jung inherited his love for acting from his parents, he participated in plays his schools would hold. Despite his parental connections, it was hard for him to obtain roles, mostly getting background characters. 

After high school, he signed with Lilac Actors. He obtained his first role after two months, playing Lee Kang-san in School 2. His career would kick off from then. 

In 2001 his career was put on hold, deciding to attend Konkuk University; however dropped out in 2003.  

In 2011, he starred in A Scent of a Woman, which launched him into nationwide popularity, even gaining some global attention. His role as Kang Ji-wook gained him the nickname The Nation’s Boyfriend. Once again, in 2015 he enrolled himself in college — this time at Hanyang Cyber University. He graduated with a bachelors in Film. 

 Jung began a relationship with soloist JUDY in 2017. They announced their engagement in 2020. 

In the nighttime of November 20, Jung and his sister Kyunghwa were leaving a dinner party when Jung was stabbed by an unknown assailant. The stabbing took place at about 8:30 pm. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead at 9:15 pm, aged 42.  Kyungmin’s funeral was held privately at an undisclosed funeral hall in Seoul and was attended by his family, JUDY, Daphne Choi, and several other close friends and family. After his November 30th funeral, a 2-day public service was held at Asan Medical Center Funeral Home. Fans were able to bid farewell to the actor. He was laid to rest at an undisclosed location. As of 2024, letters and gifts from him often appear at the steps of Gods Complex Media’s headquarters.

According to Seoul Police, the man who was suspected to have stabbed him turned himself in not long after the attack. Both the authorities and the actor’s label have refused to release his name.

[srslyscary]

┊┊. OTHER RELATIONSHIPS !

⟿ HER BROTHER !

> CONTACT NAME ᕯ lil bro kyle (<3)

➠ her little brother is just a big ol’ sunshine, like felix but make it way different.

➠ surprisingly kabi gets along with her brother and they have a very strong bond, they’ve been like that since kyle was born.

➠ gets in trouble with his older sister than he does with his parents. kabi calls him his full name over the phone when she’s mad (kyle daniel somun).

➠ yes. his middle name is daniel.

➠ they rarely use each others korean names.

➠ the internet knows all about her brother since she’s always with him. most of her instagram posts are about her brother and their crazy adventures together when they were younger.

➠ her family all lives in seoul with her, so she often goes to see her brother at their family home.

➠ kabi is definitely planning to buy kyle a house for his graduation present.

➠ loves her brother to death, he’s always been a little goofy sweetheart. he gets most of his humor from his older sister.

⟿ HER GIRL BESTFRIEND !

> CONTACT NAME ᕯ queen connyyy

➠ best friends since she was a small girl. she currently lives in canada.

➠ conny’s actual name is constance, but when kabi was younger, she could never actually say her name so she started calling her “conny”. conny’s nickname for kabi is “junie”, hence the way she would say it as a small kid (and because of her birth name ‘journee’).

➠ they met in first grade and almost finished elementary together. kabi left canada after her 5th grade year in 2008, to finish school in korea.

➠ luckily in that year they had SOME type of communication devices, considering kabi was only 11 at the time.

➠ they lost contact for a while, but in 2017 kabi happened to take a family trip to canada and ran into conny in a store. she didn’t recognize her at first until conny spoke up while seemingly remembering her. they caught up and exchanged new numbers.

➠ conny is only 3 months younger than kabi (november 5, 1996).

➠ conny has been on only ONE of kabi’s skz vlogs during one of her visits to canada.

➠ one of her non-idol friends to support her in her career.

⟿ HER BOY BESTFRIEND !

> CONTACT NAME ᕯ diddy lol

➠ this.. is tak daesung… also known as diddy.

➠ very handsome fella.. but has never had a girlfriend.

➠ the nickname “diddy” is a little joke that runs around the both of them due to a mispronounced word.

➠ has a black cat named miso.

➠ daesung and kabi met in korea, she met him during middle school and graduated highschool with him (May 21, 2015).

➠ they still keep in touch till this day, even after kabi became an idol.

➠ she doesn’t hang out with him as much as she used to, but she tries her best. they hang out with each other on each other’s birthdays to celebrate.

➠ they were born a day apart, daesung was born the 14th of august.

➠ daesung is a content creator (youtube and twitch), and talks about kabi on his twitch livestreams the most.

➠ kabi joined daesung in a stream once, and wasn’t surprised everyone knew who she was.

➠ another one of her non-idol friends who supports her in her career. blasts skz songs like every single stream on his waiting screen.

⟿ HER CATS !

> NAMES ᕯ tazi and bada

➠ tazi is a mixture of a maine coon and a balinese cat breed (on the left), bada is a mixture of a maine coon and a siberian cat breed (on the right). tazi is a female while bada is a male.

➠ tazi was adopted on november 18, 2020 at 4 months old. she weighed just enough for a healthy cat and was taken home by kabi as soon as she saw her. she was named after kabi to somewhat match her stage name, and she thought tazi was the cutest cat ever. tazi is now 4 years old.

➠ tazi’s name actually comes from the tasmanian devil, because tazi is a very wild cat.

➠ bada was adopted on may 2, 2016 at 9 months old. bada is a very quiet cat, like the ocean (hence his name being “bada” which is ocean in korean). bada has never been a wild cat, and he enjoys the quiet moments with kabi when she’s home. bada is now 8 years old.

➠ bada was kabi’s support animal throughout the rest of her trainee years.

[r5lette]

— WHO IS ROULETTE?

ROULETTE is a fictional five-member girl group under BE:Ond Media. Their label was originally created for the purpose of music, but has had more success in the areas of television and film, producing some of the most critically acclaimed films of the past fifteen years. As for their music department, the lineup was extremely lackluster. There have been two groups that debuted since BE:Ond's launch in 2008; VYBE, a boy group that lasted from 2009-2013 and LUMIN8, a girl group that lasted from 2012-2019. VYBE was lauded as a flop group and LUMIN8 had a few popular songs, but it was never enough to gain them real traction.

It wasn't until ROULETTE debuted with their digital single "UNFORGIVEN" that BE:Ond's music branch would be put on the map. The song was a moderate success. It didn't get them any wins, but it attracted a lot of eyes to the group. Netizens were particularly interested in how this group from a company with such bad luck and mismanagement of their previous groups managed to not only produce extremely talented trainees but also trainees who were somewhat popular on their own in the case of members like CHERRY and JIHYE. Their major break would come after their third release and first mini album, "BEAT OF MY DRUM". The song went viral for its strange sound and its complete deviation from their debut release. The song earned them their first two wins.

They're now known as 4th generation trendsetters and are one of the most recognizable groups of the time. Their success has shown no signs of slowing down, but fans and antis alike wonder how long the group can hold up before it comes crumbling like their sister and brother groups.

— MEET THE MEMBERS!

YASMIN BROOKS was born in London to two musical theatre actors. The couple met on the West End production of The Lion King, with her mother playing Nala and her father a dance captain and ensemble member. Music and dance was always a part of her life. From a young age, she was heavily involved in musical theatre classes and projects. At age 10, her family relocated back to New York, where her father was originally from. In New York, she attended performing arts schools through high school. After school, she joined a dance crew and performed as a background dancer. BE:Ond held an international audition in New York and Yasmin auditioned and signed with the company.

Yasmin only trained for a year and a half since she already had a lifetime of vocal and dance training. Although she had over 15 years of experience, she states that this year of her life was the hardest she'd ever had to endure. Being placed in a new country with basic knowledge of the language, thousands of miles from family, and being judged every day by superiors and peers was an extreme shock for Yasmin. Fans noticed that during the group's first year, Yasmin was notably the quietest and most reserved. It wasn't until the group started to get their footing that Yasmin began to show her personality more. Now, she's one of the most popular members internationally and is known for her stage presence.

BIRTH NAME: yasmin brooks DATE OF BIRTH: september 2, 2000 ZODIAC: virgo BIRTHPLACE: london, england HOMETOWN: london, england ETHNICITY: black NATIONALITY: british-american GROUP: rouletteSTAGE NAME: yasmin YEARS TRAINED: one year POSITION: rapper and vocal HEIGHT: 5’4 FACECLAIM: indiyah pollack

NAM CHAE-RI was born in Sokcho, South Korea to a schoolteacher mother and a chef father. Her father owned a restaurant near the beach that was fairly popular with locals. One day, a BE:Ond scout came to her family's restaurant and Chae-ri happened to sing a song for one of the regulars. The scout gave her parents his card afterward and she was soon signed as a trainee at the company.

Though she had no prior training, her secret weapon was her ability to memorize. She could learn a full choreography and execute it with ease in a few hours. Her dance ability and hard-working mentality quickly made her a favorite trainee around the BE:Ond building. Her hard work started to pay off when she went on PRODUCE48. She made it up to rank 18 before being eliminated. Her time as a Produce 48 contestant brought a lot of initial eyes to the group's debut, as Chae-ri was a fan favorite who seemingly disappeared after the show. Cherry is known most in the group for her dance skills and visuals.

BIRTH NAME: nam chae-ri DATE OF BIRTH: april 17th, 2000 ZODIAC: aries BIRTHPLACE: sokcho, south korea HOMETOWN: sokcho, south korea ETHNICITY: korean NATIONALITY: korean GROUP: roulette STAGE NAME: cherry YEARS TRAINED: five years POSITION: dancer and rapper HEIGHT: 5’6 FACECLAIM: hwang yeji

WU MEI-HUA was born in Shanghai, China to a mother who was a former model and entertainer and a father who works in finance. The details of her father's occupation are vague, even to Mei herself, but the one thing that can't be contested is that her family is loaded. Beautiful beach getaways and trips to Milan were commonplace for her family.

With their stacks of money, Mei had access to amazing vocal coaches who trained her already sweet tone into one that sounded like honey. She auditioned for BE:Ond when she was sixteen and quickly joined the company. From the group's debut, there have been rumors that Mei's father bought her way into the company and/or into ROULETTE's lineup. Both Mei and BE:Ond have vehemently denied any sort of foul play in the selection process.

BIRTH NAME: wu mei-hua DATE OF BIRTH: july 23, 2002 ZODIAC: leo BIRTHPLACE: shanghai, china HOMETOWN: shanghai, china ETHNICITY: han chinese NATIONALITY: chinese GROUP: roulette STAGE NAME: mei YEARS TRAINED: three years POSITION: vocal and visual HEIGHT: 5’3 FACECLAIM: ning yi zhuo (ningning)

MALI SUPARAT was born in Hat Yai, Thailand as the second youngest of seven children. Her childhood wasn't the best; she was raised more by her older brother than her parents because they were busy trying to provide for their family. When Mali turned six, her aunt who lived in L.A. offered to take in Mali and her younger sister to help alleviate some of her parent's stress. A few months later, she was in the States.

While living in L.A., she got extremely interested in dance and K-pop. One of her favorite groups in middle school was LUMIN8. Mali decided to send an online audition to BE:Ond, performing one of LUMIN8's most popular songs, Catch Me If You Can. This audition tape went viral after ROULETTE's debut and Mali was asked to perform it at nearly every variety show during their debut run. Out of all the girls, Mali has had the most scandals regarding her attitude and comments towards antis, obsessed fans, and even other idols. She's explained that things are taken out of context because of her blunt nature and sarcastic jokes, but it has made Mali somewhat of a polarizing ember in the lineup.

BIRTH NAME: mali suparat DATE OF BIRTH: may 30, 2001 ZODIAC: gemini BIRTHPLACE: hat yai, thailand HOMETOWN: los angeles, california ETHNICITY: thai NATIONALITY: thai-american GROUP: roulette STAGE NAME: maliYEARS TRAINED: three years POSITION: vocal and dancer HEIGHT: 5’5 FACECLAIM: anatchaya suputhipong (natty)

KWON JIHYE was born in Ulsan, South Korea as the only child of a former model and a talent agent. Her father wasn't in the picture a lot outside of birthdays or Christmas. Maybe a visit once else throughout the year, but nothing substantial. Jihye's time was consumed most by beauty pageants, dance classes, and private lessons. Her mother pushed for her to be the best in all areas. If she couldn't achieve all the milestones she wanted in her modeling career, she would make sure that her child had the opportunity to.

At the young age of 14, her mom applied for her to audition for SM Entertainment. She was rejected on her first try but was accepted as a trainee on her second try a few months later. Jihye became a part of SM Rookies and was a well-known trainee around the company. In 2020, she left SM to join BE:Ond for better chances at a debut. Jihye has always been one of the more popular members due to her experience and calm, alluring personality that draws fans in.

A year after their debut, Jihye went on hiatus. Fans were shocked and upset, especially since it was extremely sudden; the night before Jihye was on live, seemingly in good spirits and there was no mention of a hiatus at all. The next morning, BE:Ond announced that the group's following comeback would only be as four. The exact reason why she was leaving was never revealed. The most the company or Jihye gave was an "unexpected health emergency". When Jihye returned, some select fans turned into OT4 supporters and believed that the group was better without her in it.

BIRTH NAME: kwon jihye DATE OF BIRTH: october 30, 2000 ZODIAC: scorpio BIRTHPLACE: ulsan, sk HOMETOWN: ulsan, sk ETHNICITY: korean NATIONALITY: korean GROUP: roulette STAGE NAME: jihye YEARS TRAINED: six years POSITION: vocal and dancer HEIGHT: 5’7 FACECLAIM: ha sooyoung (yves)

[pinkscaped]

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧      ANALISE was a soloist under FLOWERBANK Entertainment. She was once a member of ALLUME's THIRD GENERATION as their main vocalist and center. Once graduating the group in 2015, Analise would go on to have a prolific solo career and was on the rise to being the top-performing soloist under Flowerbank. Tragically, just three years after her solo debut in 2019, she passed away in hospital due to unknown reasons. In 2021, sasaengs of the late singer would go on to reveal she died of a drug overdose in an attempt to tarnish her name even after death.

TW // DEATH, CHILD EXPLOTATION, ONLINE HARASSMENT, AND DRUG OVERDOSE.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   ONE.     ──     HUMBLE   BEGINNINGS.

Analise Yan was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 21st, 1997 to an Irish-American mother and a Chinese father. Her mother was a set designer and her father was a talent manager. Analise has no memories of her life without a camera in her face, her first memory being of her on the early 2000's sitcom "Our House" when she was just three years old. She had a very successful acting career, becoming a silver-screen darling before age ten. She scored multiple TV show roles, direct to VHS/DVD movie roles, and began a music career.

Her music career was primarily targeted towards children her own age, performing on the Disney channel and having her music videos showcased on Nickelodeon. In 2007 at just ten years old, she starred in the popular and now classic Nick TV show iCarly as the character "Melody" who acted as Carly and Spencer's youngest sister.

Her run on iCarly was shortlived as in the second season in 2008, she would leave the show due to unknown reasons and would disappear from the American entertainment industry for good.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   TWO.     ──     THRID  GENERATION.

After she vanished from the American limelight, Analise shocked many by appearing in the Korean Pop Scene. At just 13 years old, she debuted in the third generation of ALLUME. During their debut ceremony, Analise revealed she had begun training in 2008 after leaving iCarly. She also would say she was a big fan of f(x), 2NE1, and Wonder Girls and they inspired her to take up Flowerbank's offer to begin training for the third generation of Allume.

Though showing exceptional talent at just 13 in singing and dancing, she was heavily scrutinized by netizens for a multitude of reasons. From her mixed heritage to her "annoying" persona, she seemed to be the target of online harassment. The harassment continued off-screen as well, often being yelled at by fans of the other members to "get out of the way" or having marriage proposals shouted at her.

Despite having a hate train against her, she remained one of the most popular members during her run in Allume many comparing her to the likes of Jung Krystal or Bae Suzy in terms of icon status and notoriety. She's easily considered one of the most widely-known idols in South Korea in the 2010s.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   THREE.     ──     SOLOISMS  .

After her graduation from Allume in 2015, she instantly began her highly anticipated solo career. She debuted solo just a month after her graduation with the mini album "Graduation" with the promotional track "I'm Shy" which became an instant chart-topper and K-pop classic.

The success of her debut would be repeated with each comeback, growing in fame and popularity with every performance she gave. In every sense of the word, Analise was a star. You could not walk down the street without seeing her face or hearing her music.

She picked up acting again in 2016, acting in her first major movie role in "The Train to Busan" to major success. She also starred in "My Annoying Brother" and made her drama debut in "Love In Our Hands" as the lead actress. Her acting was highly praised, with many saying Analise is the perfect all-rounder and can do anything she sets her mind to.

Throughout her musical career, she had six mini-albums, seven singles, and three full albums. You can find her discography on the Flowerbank Website (WIP).

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   FOUR.     ──     THE  CONCLUSION.

In the early morning of June 15th, just two weeks after announcing her third full album, news broke that an unnamed idol had been rushed to the hospital via ambulance under mysterious circumstances. This news sent social media into a frenzy as people attempted to uncover the identity of the idol and the nature of the incident.

For about three hours, netizens engaged in wild speculation, tossing around various names in an attempt to solve the mystery. Eventually, the Seoul police department stepped in, issuing a statement that identified the hospitalized idol as Analise Yan, who was in critical condition. However, the specific reason for Analise's hospitalization was never disclosed due to "personal reasons," a detail that sasaeng fans did not respect.

Sasaeng fans began making numerous harassing calls to various hospitals in an effort to uncover the truth behind Analise's condition. This prompted the police to issue another statement, warning of legal consequences for anyone who continued to pester hospitals for information.

Finally, after five hours of intense speculation and uncertainty, Flowerbank Entertainment released a statement on behalf of Analise.

"Hello, We are Flowerbank Entertainment, During the early hours of the morning, our beloved artist, Analise, required immediate medical attention and was transported to the hospital under urgent circumstances. To safeguard her privacy and well-being, we must emphasize that the specific reasons for her hospitalization will not be disclosed. We are committed to taking legal actions against any attempts to breach her privacy. At this moment, Analise's condition remains critical. Regrettably, we are unable to provide additional details. We kindly request your heartfelt thoughts and prayers for Analise as she faces this challenging period. Your unwavering love and support are deeply appreciated. With gratitude, The Flowerbank Entertainment Team"

Tragically, on June 18th Analise passed away in the hospital after three days in the hospital. There are still little to no details about her final days in the hospital. Flowerbank would release a statement around three hours after she passed

"Hello, This is Flowerbank Entertainment, It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we must share the devastating news. Our beloved artist, Analise, has passed away at the hospital. Analise fought valiantly during her time in the hospital, but despite the best efforts of the medical team, her condition became insurmountable. She departed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. We extend our deepest condolences to Analise's family, friends, and all those who cherished her and her artistry. This is an immense loss, not only to Flowerbank Entertainment but to the entire entertainment community. Analise's memory will forever live on through her music and the impact she made on the world. We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. In memory of our dear Analise, The Flowerbank Entertainment Team"

Analise's funeral, against the wishes of her family and loved ones, was very publicized. The entire industry mourned the beloved child star turned superstar, all of her co-workers, co-stars, and labelmates attending her funeral as well as other notable celebrities. Hundreds of fans gathered to pay their respects at various balloon-releasing ceremonies and fans held memorial services.

Flowerbank would create a memorial site for Analise in their building for fans to mourn her, leave letters and flowers for her, and celebrate her as an artist. The memorial site is still up in their museum.

At her personal request, Analise was buried at Yeongnak Park in Busan, South Korea, and is where she currently rests.

🩰𓈒 ⋆ ⑅ ˚ ₊ ୨୧     CHAPTER   FIVE.     ──     LIFE  AFTER DEATH.

Even in her passing, Analise continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Flowerbank Entertainment and the broader K-pop community. Her posthumously released third album not only climbed to the top of the digital charts but also sold an impressive 1.5 million copies, solidifying its status as one of Flowerbank's best-selling soloist albums.

The title tracks from the albums "New" and "One Chance" enjoyed a remarkable ten-month reign atop the Goan charts before gradually descending from the top ten. Meanwhile, the B-side track "My Sky" maintained its chart-topping position for an impressive seven months. Furthermore, all the associated music videos garnered over ten million views within just one week, marking a significant milestone in her career.

Every year, Flowerbank Entertainment commemorates Analise's birthday on their social media platforms, as well as the day she departed this world, ensuring that her memory lives on and reminding the world of the star she was.

However, in 2021, despite her enduring popularity, there were those who sought to tarnish her legacy by leaking her hospital records, which revealed the tragic truth that she had succumbed to a drug overdose. This revelation answered the long-standing question surrounding her passing. Flowerbank Entertainment promptly took legal action against the individuals responsible for the leak, who have since refrained from posting online.

Nevertheless, despite these efforts to sully her image, Analise remains an artist who is adored and cherished by countless fans.

[mybeingthere]

Park Seo-Bo, a key figure in South Korea’s Dansaekhwa Movement, died this month at the age of 91.

Born in 1931 in North Gyeongsang, a Japanese-occupied region of South Korea, to a family of eight children, he pursued training in traditional painting at Hongik University in Seoul. In 1950, his education was interrupted when he was drafted to serve in the Korean War.

“There was no food, no job opportunity, everything had gone back to ashes; all conventional values and ideas were laid naked and bare.” the artist said in a 2008 interview with the New York Times about the affects of war on him and his peers. He looked at painting as self-referential. “For me, painting has become a mere tool and method to cleanse and purify myself,” he said.

Park Seo-Bo is one of the leading figures in contemporary Korean art, widely acknowledged as the father of the ‘Dansaekhwa’ movement. Encompassing works from the 1970s to this year, this exhibition at White Cube West Palm Beach serves as an introduction to Park’s influential practice, as well as being the first opportunity to see his work in the US since it was shown at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in 2019.

A series of vividly coloured ceramic works made in the past year reveal an artist continuing to innovate into his nineties. In collaboration with a master ceramicist’s studio, Park has worked with wet clay in a similar manner as he has previously when he is manipulating the wet pulp of hanji paper, a medium he uses in other works. For this group of works, successive layers of wet clay slip are pinched and pushed line by line into long, parallel ridges, and, after firing and sanding, contrasting pigments are then carefully applied to the furrows and peaks of the fired surface. This latest evolution of technique and introduction of a new material is true to the energetic, naturalistic materiality and tactility that characterises Dansaekwha.

Park’s use of traditional Korean hanji paper, hand-made from mulberry bark, an earlier innovation dating from the 1980s, is represented here by exceptional large-works in subtle shades of grey-black and in blazing, vibrant red. The remarkable durability of hanji has ensured the survival of some of the most ancient scriptures of Buddhism in Korea and is integral to the structure of daily life, including being used in wall coverings and door panels. To Park, the material not only offered endless opportunities for experimentation but represented the connection between his work and the natural world which he had begun to regard as essential. When applied on to a canvas backing and soaked with water, the hanji reverted to a pulp that could be pushed and scraped into sculptural forms.

Park mixes pigments that further evoke connections to nature, as well as to personal memory. The black works have the deep, matte darkness of the charcoal and soot that built up in layers around the artist’s childhood hearth, while the vivid red was inspired by the maple forest in autumn foliage around Mount Bandai near Fukushima in Japan. Within the compositions, smooth rectangular areas or ‘windows’ of single colour offer a textural contrast and a ‘breathing hole’, to let the mind rest.

Several exceptional works from the 1970s testify to the epiphany that was to prove so formative to the development of Korean minimalism or ‘Dansaekwha’. Park calls these ‘Myobop’, a word taken from the Chinese characters ‘to draw’ and ‘a method’, which has been translated by the French term ‘Écriture’ (writing). Centring on an exploration of drawing within painting and on the union of action and spirit, they reflect a consistent approach, one that is inextricably linked to time, space and material; concepts that underpin all of Park’s practice. In these works, mark-making becomes akin to breathing and emptiness is achieved through reduction, a process that Park has termed “forgetting the self”. Executed within a single sitting, harnessing an energy flow through meditative action, they combine technical skill with mental focus, within a defined period of time. This method reflects that, for Park, the making of art is rooted in a spiritual methodology, drawing on Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy as well as the Korean tradition of calligraphy.

[stvrkendrc]

✹ ˚₊ 𝖮𝟭. ﹚ ꗃ BACKGROUND ⸃

[ ## trigger warnings: mention of depression and anoressia. ]

Raised into a wealthy and “privileged” family, Kang Saetbyeol — mostly known by the English given name, Kendra Kang — has always been interested in music, since young age, her big influence she claimed to be her own father, Kang Yicheol, who was since the early 2000 years an active artist in the industry, before retiring to focus on managing his empire, DASK. Though she loved music, she wanted to try something different, for this reason she decided to audition as a model — with her mother’s surname Joo— in many companies, the only company who accepted her was YG Entertainment, which Kendra signed a contract in 2008 at the age. She started as a joke, but she eventually got really immersed up into modeling. Her journey to become “super model” was hard, she loved getting the attention she couldn’t deny, but she also felt like she was pressed by her company, constantly wanting her to be on perfect shape, always practicing her walk. Kendra’s schedules where already ethic at such a young age that she don’t have the time to spend time by herself or her family.

Kendra told her father about the situation, who was firmly supported her, he told her that the best way was to leave the agency, as a CEO himself, but also as her dad, she couldn’t see her daughter so tired of… life. Because Kendra was diagnosed with depression, she was also not in a good relationship with food which brought her into anoressia, this slowly ruined her mental state. Saetbyeol Kang was sick, the best choice was to leave the agency, take some time off and maybe starting off something new. In late 2013, she asked for her contract’s cancelation but it got rejected, instead she was obligated to make her acting debut, since according to the company she was gaining attention due her facial features.

In 2014 decided to give the company the ultimatum, she wanted her 7-year contract to end, she was sick of waiting, she was determined into getting a lawsuit, but with surprise her contract was announced to be ended by her boss, she would later found out that her father and Yang Hyunsuk had a talk which he apparently talked about her daughter under the company. Kendra was angry with her dad, but she will later understand that he did it for her own good. That was she wanted the most.

Kendra was finally free, she had the time to rest, to heal her mind and especially body, but she also thought at what doing next, she wasn’t going to stop her career, she wanted to continue, but that needed time. Only in 2015 it was announced that her and her brother Kang Seungyoon founded a company: SEVEN SINS LABS, which Kendra would later debut under as the first artist.

✹ ˚₊ 𝖮𝟮. ﹚ ꗃ BASICS ⸃

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ BIRTH NAME. Kang Saetbyeol

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ BIRTH DATE. October 23th, 1996

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ BIRTH PLACE. Manchester, England

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ RESIDENCE. Soul, South Korea

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ ETHNICITY. South Korean

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ NATIONALITY. South Korean 1/2, British 1/2

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ HEIGHT. 1.79 cm ❪ 5’10 ❫

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ MBTI. INTP ❪ the logician ❫

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ ZODIAC. Scorpio

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ PIERCINGS. eleven

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ TATTOS. none

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ FACE CLAIM. Park Soojoo ❪ model ❫

✹ ˚₊ 𝖮𝟯. ﹚ ꗃ CAREER ⸃

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ STAGE NAME. Kendra K. or Kendra Kang

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ YEAR ACTIVE. 2009 — present

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ COMPANY. KK Studio ❪ currently ❫ ; DEADLY SINS LABS ❪ currently ❫ ; YG Entertainment ❪ former ❫

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ OCCUPATION. model, actress, singer, producer, composer

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ DEBUT DATE. June 5th, 2015

。𓍢𓍢 ★̶̲ ꜜ ˒ DISCOGRAPHY.

ꗃꠂꠥ. THIS IS HOW WE DO ; single ❪ 2015 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. KIDULT FEELS ; single ❪ 2015 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. BE THE ONE ; single ❪ 2015 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. RISING STAR ; extended play ❪ 2015 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. KK VEGEANCE ; single ❪ 2016 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. CONSEQUENCES ; single ❪ 2017 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. +WDYT+ (write down your threat) ; single ❪ 2017 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. DON’T START NOW ; single ❪ 2020 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. RHYTHM CLUB ; album ❪ 2020 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. WHAT TYPE OF X ; single ❪ 2022 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. PHYSICAL ; single ❪ 2023 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. SPICE (FEAT. W.U of ASHOY) ; single ❪ 2023 ❫

ꗃꠂꠥ. PANIC ON STORE ; album ❪ 2023 ❫

MORE DETAILS IN THIS PAGE !

[warningsine]

The generational war is not the one we think it is. It's not between the over-50s "boomers" and the under-25s, but within younger generations themselves, between the two sexes. Several studies and surveys recently published in British media have examined this puzzling phenomenon.

It can be summed up as follows: Girls are becoming increasingly progressive, while boys of the same age are leaning more and more towards the conservative side. A Gallup poll unveiled by The Financial Times on January 26 revealed that American women aged 18 to 30 are 30 points more liberal (in the American sense, in other words, to the left) than their male counterparts. Six years ago, this cultural and political gap did not exist. It is also 30 points higher in Germany and 25 points higher in the UK, has no equivalent among older women, and is not unique to the West: It's just as prevalent in South Korea, China and Tunisia, the newspaper pointed out, analyzing a series of data on the subject. Everywhere, a potentially dramatic gap is widening between young women and young men.

It most likely is in part a consequence of the #MeToo movement, which not only enabled women to speak out about harassment but also legitimized the sense of injustice felt by those who are no longer hesitant about expressing it. Compounding this is an educational divide. Progressive stances tend to increase with years of study. European women aged 25 to 34 now have more higher education qualifications than European men of the same age: 46% versus 35%, according to Eurostat.

Despite this progress, gender inequalities remain high. In 2022, the average salary of French women was 23.5% lower than that of French men. The responsibility for 80% of single-parent families in our country lies with mothers; 20% of women – and 34% when they have children – fall into poverty after a divorce, compared with 8% of men, as was shown by a study published by the Women's Foundation on March 14. Women's pensions are 28% lower than men's, and even 40%, if we exclude survivors' pensions.

Angry young men

This has not prevented a male "backlash" against women's emancipation. One illustration is the rise of masculinist movements, which advocate for a virilist view of the world and relationships. Worse still, this gulf in values between young people is already having palpable consequences in politics.

In Germany and in France, men under 30 are turning more to far-right movements than their elders, noted The Economist on March 13. The British newspaper also recalled that 72% of young American women who voted in the 2022 general election supported the Democratic candidate, compared with 54% of young men. In 2008, this gap was virtually nonexistent. In Portugal, the right-wing populist Chega party thrived in the March 10 legislative elections thanks to the massive support of young, poorly educated, male voters.

It's as if some workers under the age of 30 feel they're on globalization's losing side, have little or no qualifications and come from declining industrial regions, and are now directing their resentment toward women – especially those who are educated and emancipated. It's hard not to think of the phrase that the feminist activist Claudine Monteil attributed to Simone de Beauvoir: "All it takes is a political, economic and religious crisis for women's rights – our rights – to be called into question. You will have to remain vigilant throughout your life."

Political figures like Donald Trump are already going strong thanks to these young men's anger; abortion rights are being rolled back in the US and threatened in Italy. The process that might end up undermining decades of female emancipation and the march toward equality is being put in place before our very eyes within democracies themselves. Beauvoirian vigilance is called for. But it may not be enough.

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

Partly for the prolific volume of projects artists release each year and partly for the fluid definition of an album (running anywhere from three to 13 tracks), an annual ranking of K-pop albums is never easy. As South Korea continues to extend its global musical influence, certain projects transcend hit-song compilations, presenting larger visions and conceptual narratives.

In 2023, stars like V, WOODZ and ONEW used their latest solo projects to share the music that inspires them at their core as artists and let listeners settle into sonic worlds they’ve developed.

[...]

First Place: Onew, Circle The First Album

While it’s somewhat criminal to think that 15 years after ONEW’s debut with SHINee in 2008 we only just received his first full Korean album, the singer-songwriter himself would say that now was the perfect time for Circle. A musical journey unlike anything released this year, ONEW shared that he had attempted to record the album’s title track before dropping his Dice EP in early 2022, but felt it wasn’t at the level of perfection it deserved and held onto the song. ONEW then involved himself in every aspect of Circle‘s production process, from meticulous mixing and mastering to tuning, beats, recording and mastering, attesting to the singer-songwriter’s dedication to artistic expression.

The single “O (Circle)” opens the album with an intriguing blend of electronica and strings, while its gospel-tinged chorus emphasizes lyrics about the circular nature of life and how memories, feelings and dreams are all fleeting. The 10 tracks on Circle develop unique transformations from start to finish: the breezy melodies in “Cough” are paired with loneliness-themed lyrics and a melancholy instrumental breakdown, while “Rain on Me” starts with aggressive acoustic guitar strumming before transitioning into an atmospheric, percussive ballad. Sweet surprises abound, too: ONEW scats on the jazz-rap hybrid “Caramel” and gives a glimpse into his indie-rock side on “Parachute.”

The album’s effortless flow is anchored by ONEW’s famously solid yet understated vocals. As Circle concludes with the tender piano ballad “Always” which addresses themes of loyalty and resilience, the listener wonders if it’s an allegory for ONEW’s public journey through health challenges, including vocal cord surgery. Even without any writing credits on Circle, ONEW’s presence is undeniably felt in this seamless collection that boasts an emotional depth brought on by 15 years in the game. That’s the kind of introspection you can’t rush or doctor through A&R but need to cycle through and arrive at when the moment is right. From scheduling this album’s release to the messages on the final track, time is definitely on ONEW’s side to deliver such a project. — J.B.

source

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 31/08/2024 (Fontaines D.C.'s Romance, Sabrina Carpenter, Coldplay)

Well, Sabrina Carpenter has done what Taylor couldn’t do: fill out the top three with her hits, though only the #1 debut - her third song to top the chart - is new, that being “Taste”, with her #1 album, which sold over 89k here, launching other Short n’ Sweet hits “Please Please Please” and “Espresso” to #2 and #3 respectively. Hell, while we’re here, let’s just chalk out Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” at #4 and Chase & Status’ “BACKBONE” with Stormzy at #5. It’s… one of those weeks. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: sexual and mental health references

Rundown: Oasis Special

This week has a lot to discuss, a decent amount happening, but it’s all scattered throughout the entire chart and, really, not much of it is all that interesting, though that may just be a me problem in this case. There’s plenty of interest to many fanbases, including one of the biggest in the country but I personally can’t call myself a fan of Fontaines D.C., Sabrina Carpenter - the album was good, though - or even Oasis, the divisive but still massively successful Britpop band who have “reunited” (let’s be tentative about this) for a tour after over a decade of inactivity, though many people don’t recall or respect the years of shovelling out garbage that occurred long after their heyday, so it may seem like even longer. They do have three of their biggest, most respected hits on the chart this week, though only one of their eight #1s - more a demonstration of their quantity of hits than any comment on their lasting legacy.

Firstly, the song used in headlines about the reunion as if this really isn’t the most unstable tempering of relations since North and South Korea: “Live Forever” is back at #19. It debuted and peaked at #10 for two weeks in 1994, whilst Wet Wet Wet’s “Love is All Around” was #1, and made appearances lower down the chart for pretty much all of the 90s… and then 2017. It’s Liam Gallagher’s personal favourite Oasis song, and has since become a bit of a tribute ballad due to its sentiment.

At #17 is “Wonderwall”, which is possibly their most iconic tune and has spent a whopping total of 90 weeks on the chart, yet never matching its first-week peak of #2 in 1995, being blocked by a double-A-side release by Robson & Jerome that nobody remembers. It spent a couple weeks meandering throughout the 90s but resurged on digital sales platforms since 2008 and occasionally makes appearances lower down on the chart since, most recently in November of last year. Though the track may go down as one of the most-covered songs of all time, only a few non-Oasis renditions have appeared on the UK Singles Chart. The Mike Flowers Pops Orchestra actually took it to an identical peak of #2 that Christmas, being blocked my Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”. 1996 would see dance versions by Bombayblue and De-Code reach #82 and #69 respectively, and American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams charted in 2004 with his rendition at #27. For my money, the best version of “Wonderwall” is when JAY-Z pettily butchering the song at Glastonbury in response to Noel Gallagher indicating his genre wasn’t welcome at the festival. Other than straight-up covers, you can hear elements of the track in Simple Plan’s 2008 hit “Your Love is a Lie” (#63) and Bugzy Malone’s 2017 hit with Tom Grennan, “Memory Lane” (#65). They are, like the original song, not worth listening to.

Finishing the Gallaghers’ trio of songs is my personal favourite of the three, “Don’t Look Back in Anger” which has actually spent barely over half of the weeks “Wonderwall” has on the charts. It debuted at #1, peaking there for one week in 1996, beating out spacemen, hippies and children. It dwoddled around for the next year, returned in 2017 and returned even higher today. The Wurzels reached #59 with their version in 2002.

As for the rest of what’s going on, well, don’t we usually start with the notable dropouts? Songs exiting the UK Top 75, which is what I cover, after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40? Yes, you’d be correct, I guess I just decided some angry middle-aged Mancunians was of more importance. Regardless, this week, we say farewell to: “You’re Gonna Go Far” by Noah Kahan, the “Set My Heart on Fire” mashup of “I’m Alive” and “The Beat Goes On”, overall credited to Majestic, The Jammin’ Kid and Céline Dion, “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman, “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat, “Birds in the Sky” by NewEra and Natasha Bedingfield with both “Unwritten” and the Badger remix of “These Words”.

As for our notable gains and re-entries, we have the return of Fontaines D.C.’s “Starburster” thanks to their album release - we’re actually going to review more songs from them than Sabrina - then solid boosts for a handful of tracks, thoe being “Close to You” by Gracie Abrams at #68, “Bring Me Joy” by Rudimental and Karen Harding at #61 and “Cry Baby” by Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and David Guetta at #51. Now that’s all out of the way - in a different order this time - let’s crack down on the songs that arrived on the boat this week.

New Entries

#73 - “Diet Pepsi” - Addison Rae

Produced by Luka Kloser and ELVIRA

Sigh… first of all, I’m a Dr. Pepper girl myself. Secondly, Addison Rae is the exact kind of person I would never care about: a TikTok personality largely famous for being a social media “it girl” that makes industry-backed moves into traditional media outlets but never really performs too well, gaining a cultish fanbase in part because of that. You can say that she served only for long enough until people start asking, well, “what did she serve exactly?” I had the same opinion of Ice Spice when she first came out, but Rae is being propped by people I actually care for like Charli xcx and A.G. Cook, so surely there’s something there… no, there is not. Bizarrely, for an Internet personality, this feels dated and out of time with what is actually popular. This is a 2018-era falsetto-driven alternative R&B-esque track, complete with weirdly-mixed trap-adjacent percussion that really loves my left ear and synths straight out of The Weeknd’s Google Drive he shared with, like, Halsey, watt, Post Malone and co. back in the late 2010s. There are vague references to Lana Del Rey who approached this sound better on “Summer Bummer”, but there really just aren’t many lyrics here at all in this murky sex jam to form much of anything. The bridge is a vocaloid drop circa 2017 EDM but without any of the build-up, impact or even bothering to properly resolve that aborted bridge. It all just reeks of wanting to be interesting and not actually going for it.

#69 - “Favourite” - Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

I have yet to listen to Irish indie outfit Fontaines D.C.’s most recent record, Romance. I said when reviewing “Starburster” a few weeks ago that I was not familiar and the single had convinced me on them, but I guess I have my priorities, like relistening to middling James Blake albums from 2019 and contemplating the marketing tactis of the Grimace Shake. At the same time, of course. They would have topped the albums chart on any non-Sabrina week and are at #2 today, but we have more debuts from them to discuss, and I may be missing out on some greater album context, so bear with me on that regard. This was another pre-release just charting in the top 75 for the first time, and starts with a cascading guitar riff not dissimilar to 80s post-punk with a reverb-affected mix that cleans up quite nicely overall but does give vocalist Grian Chatten an interesting dynamic where despite a technically good and clear recording, he appears to purposefully restrain himself from hitting the notes exactly or enunciating all that well, meshing in with the thematically dazed content. He reminisces on simpler times, but ensures to place those times in context and understand that a lot of that nostalgia comes from an ignorance that he no longer has, or has to be strewn out on numbness to experience it, not that it helps since now, all that numbness does is prevent him from feeling anything at all. I will say that amidst the driving jangle of the track, there isn’t a solid hook, which again makes perfect thematic sense for the disoriented dream he’s having here but doesn’t string me back to this song in particular. That main riff is incessantly catchy but it feels a bit wasted on a more hypnotic structure that thrives more on that droning tedium emphasising how distant they are from youth and how paranoid that’s made him in his relationships. This is still very good, but outside of knowing how it fits into the album’s themes, I’m not sure why I’d choose this song in particular.

#53 - “Wait for You” - Myles Smith

Produced by Peter Fenn

Oh, the world’s just been waiting for the “Stargazing” follow-up. This is similarly plucked straight out of 2014, with the folk pick-up and over-processed vocals that really reach a territory difficult to listen to in that pre-chorus, and become a full-on wall of vocal on the chorus about waiting for this other person to be… happy. Okay, so lyrically, there is an interest to this that there isn’t really to its instrumental - I like the perky drums that pick up the pace in the second verse, though - as whilst it’s not too specific, it appears to be about an undying loyalty to a friend struggling with mental health, always being by their side, but also, it hits a weird note on the idea of waiting, not actually acting upon the compassion he has for this person, and because of the focus on Myles himself and just how he wants to wait for this person to be okay, it fails to be inspirational or a generic empowerment anthem, yet it cannot function as a love song either because of how dedicated he is to the mental health angle. Some of the lyrics downplay the issue, though, deriding it as “words in [their] head”, and that trust me, he knows what it’s like, but it’s still their problem to deal with it. It appears well-meaning until that one line in the chorus: “you can’t push me away”. It almost seems obsessive and hopeless, that Smith is clinging onto someone who he’s already tried helping with the meaningless platitudes he fills this song with. I may just be reading too much into a badly-written folk-pop motivational song, but there’s a hint of weirdness to the emotional balance here that is very distracting and self-focused, that I can’t help but think this won’t connect on the same level as “Stargazing”, even if it’s a bit more tolerable on a sonic level to me.

#52 - “In the Modern World” - Fontaines D.C.

Produced by James Ford

Our second of the pair of Fontaines songs is much newer, with the album pumping it up to their highest peak so far, and I’m starting to find it really interesting just how numb these tracks from an album titled Romance are. I also start to understand why this one in particular was what got so high, given the on-the-nose lyrics about just feeling nothing in particular in the 21st century - not feeling anything, but at least not feeling bad - and the clearly post-Britpop strings that bring this into 2000s UK radio rock territory. This really isn’t that far from mid-era Feeder’s wheelhouse, which is not a comparison I think I’d have made for a charting song in 2024, but hey, if I get Feeder propaganda out there, I will. Some empty promises are made to a lover that they complete Chatten, help him belong and hence he’ll make sure that when he does feel some life, she’ll be included, and it’s largely thanks to her… but he doesn’t want to dwell on that too much, he wants to remain some sense of authority in that softly-spoken bridge. The back-and-forth between Chatten and the even wispier Conor Deegan on the chorus is a really unique take that feeds into these lyrics but, wow, the song just goes nowhere. It ends about as empty and airy as it started which actually does not fit as well to me as the less solid structure of “Favourite”. This could be taken to much grander spaces and feel arbitrarily shortened, or at least having cut some paths in the songwriting process that might have actually been worth exploring. This is far from bad, but it’s somewhat disappointing that the song feels like this much of a draft, though it iis pleasant enough to listen to, and I do think that given its middle placement on the album, this could be a case of needing to understand how it plays into other tracks. As far as I can tell, though, this is far from what it could be.

#44 - “WE PRAY” - Coldplay featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and TINI

Produced by Max Martin, ILYA, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green and Michael Ilbert

I saw the album’s tracklist. I knew this was happening. Yet it still doesn’t make sense when it’s being written out like that. This is a Max Martin-produced Coldplay track with conscious rapper Little Simz, Nigerian Afrobeats crooner Burna Boy and barely substantial vocal contributions from Palestinian singer Elyanna and Argentine TINI… in less than four minutes. Now, as of recent, Coldplay have done similarly off-the-beaten-path, artsy stringing together of disparate collaborators and ideas for vague conscious platitudes, Everyday Life is probably the most obvious example, but this really does not function properly as a song, over anything. As a reflection of multicultural understanding and collaboration, it’s something, but it also sounds like Imagine Dragons. That weak hip hop beat is placed under some grandiose strings that are at least clearly orchestrated and expensive, but Chris Martin’s vocal delivery is not very inspired, and his lyrical framing of being on the outside looking into struggles experienced not just by unnamed brothers and friends, but specific indigenous political activists in Guatemala, but still claiming to be “in the valley of the shadow of the death”, is either a misunderstanding of the phrase or giving himself some detached self-importance that does not help the populist tinge of what is supposed to be a relatively inspirational track, praying for better times to take us out of the difficulties of now. Burna Boy sounds great and I actually appreciate that he and Simz get to play off each other in backing vocals but by that point, the song’s nearly finished and both Elyanna and TINI are rendered part of the choir singing a wordless refrain, turning what I’d call meaningless platitudes about a better world into, well, literally and objectively meaningles lyrics. I don’t think Virgilio Aguilar Mendez can “la-la-la” their way out of false arrest and systemic oppression. I’m also just ashamed that the one time I talk about Little Simz on this series, she delivers her most generic and phoned-in verse that, for what it’s worth, spreads the love more evenly than Martin’s. I really wanted something like this to work, for the sake of the promising ambition and social context it’s supporting, but I really don’t like this at all. It has the grandiosity to pick up the entire world in its mix but does little more than shake it around and make pleas, which… honestly may be a more fitting analogy for modern society than I’d hoped for.

#1 - “Taste” - Sabrina Carpenter

Produced by John Ryan, Ian Kirkpatrick and Julian Bunetta

This was far from my favourite on Short n’ Sweet - in fact, I think it’s relatively unremarkable, even if still good - but its narrative about a breakup between Sabrina and her partner, who’s gone back to his ex-girlfriend but now has the lingering influence of his relationship with Ms. Carpenter when he’s back together with her, or at least that’s what Sabrina wants to believe, makes for a good, sapphic music video where actress Jenna Ortega murders her boyfriend because she hallucinated that she was kissing Sabrina instead. Carpenter - in seemingly both the video and the song - plays a nonchalant but quietly obsessed figure who drives the two to paranoia through very specific and often sexual remarks that are cute, pointed references to her own public image and potential celebrity feuds. It’s definitely the ultimate pop star move for the social media age, but the song’s just fine: the slick guitars are cute and I like the subtle distortion in some of the vocal takes and drum patterns, particularly that moment before the chorus, that adds an edge to what is otherwise a very shiny little song, made to be an earworm but also a flickering reminder of her existence to this new girlfriend that doesn’t really connect with me because… well, who cares? Relationship drama on this level without higher stakes doesn’t really grab me as anything worth caring about, especially without a whammy of a bridge to really hold it together. I prefer it to “Please Please Please” but the album overall, a very nice collection of pop songs that’s lackadaisical and surprisingly organic, has a better selection of songs to choose from. “Good Graces”, “Sharpest Tool”, “Juno”, “Dumb & Poetic”, to name a few. I’m definitely not complaining about this new #1 though, it probably has a lot of legs, I can see this one sticking to people real fast.

Conclusion

Well, that was… something, wasn’t it? I feel like there are genuinely just a ton of mixed bags here, not just between songs but within them: a lot to love, a lot to dismiss and a fair bit to just be unsatisfied with. Best of the Week goes to Fontaines D.C. for “Favourite”, but it’s not that impressive and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” gets a very faint Honourable Mention. It’s the same case for Worst of the Week, though, as nothing in here is offensively bad, just sighworthy. Honestly, Coldplay might get Worst of the Week for having the gravitas for a mostly empty statement in “WE PRAY”, whilst Addison Rae is close behind with the very ignorable “Diet Pepsi” as the Honourable Mention. As for what’s on the horizon, Rizzle Kicks will swoop in at #1, mark my words. Welcome back, lads. Thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy, and I’ll see you next week!

[skz-jieun]

Jieun's Family

💓🤍💓🤍💓🤍💓🤍💓🤍💓🤍

Disclaimer: All characters are completely imaginary and do not exist in real life. Names, places, occupations, and experiences are all made up. All the pictures are from Pinterest and are not mine. Credit to the owners.

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[Parents / Single Father – Lee Minhyun & Oliver (Junhyuk) Ki]

Jieun’s mother Lee Minhyun was born in 1979 in Gimpo, South Korea. She grew up with a single mother and as an only child. She was a good student and always loved music and art. In 1995 she auditioned for the newly founded SM Entertainment and was accepted.

Jieun’s father Ki Junhyuk, or Oliver Ki, was born in 1978 in Salford near Manchester in England. He grew up with his british mother, korean father and a twin brother. He is incredibly talented in math and is a pretty technical thinking person. At 16 years old he did an exchange year in Korea.

The two met in 1994 in school and immediately started hanging out. Junhyuk was adopted into Minhyun’s friend group, and it didn’t take long for them to develop feelings for each other. However, there was one problem. Minhyun’s dream of becoming an idol. She was technically not even allowed to date as a trainee and therefore the two kept it a secret.

Eventually Minhyun was told she could debut in an upcoming girl group in 1997. Minhyun had to face the difficult choice of either living her dream as an idol or loving the person she wants. And she chose the latter. Leaving SM Entertainment and therefore the entertainment industry to get married to Junhyuk in the same year, 1997.

The two moved from Korea to the small town of Rey in East Sussex, England. Here Minhyun gave birth to a baby girl, named Ki Minji or Sarah Ki, in the year 1998. She got a job as a hair dresser in the small town and Junhyuk started work as a police officer.

A whole four years later in 2001 their second daughter and last child, Ki Jieun, or Elizabeth Ki, was born. Their little family was perfect. They had everything they needed.

In 2008 tragedy ripped Minhyun out of her family as she died in a robbery with only 29 years old. She leaves behind her grieving husband and two daughters, Minji and Jieun.

From then on, Junhyuk had to raise his daughters alone. While Minji was ten years old, Jieun was merely seven. And only a year later, his youngest daughter Jieun wanted to join a Kpop company. He was skeptical at first but in hopes that she could live the life Minhyun never could, he let her go.

With 17 his older daughter Minji had the vision to create her own business and with his help she build up a small cosmetic company.

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{Sister – Ki Minji (Sarah Ki)}

Jieun’s older sister Ki Minji, or Sarah Ki, was born in 1998 in Rey, East Sussex. She was an extraordinary student and had inherited her father’s business skills.

Minji took after her father and had the same skills such as management, math, and strategic thinking. Jieun took after her mother with a love for dance and singing.

She and her sister got along great. They were always joking around and balanced each other perfectly. While Minji is the more rational one, Jieun is more on the emotional side. The head and the heart. That’s how their parents always used to call them.

In 2009 her little sister left to live her dream while Minji still tried to handle their mother’s death. Since 2013 she had the dream to create her own business and with the help of her father she finally managed to open a small cosmetic business in 2015. They didn’t have much room and had renovated the old guest room into a little lab to create the cosmetics. Unexpectedly the company blew up. So much so, that in barely a year, they had to expand and were able to buy a full laboratory and business building. At only 19 years old Minji was a CEO of her own cosmetic company with 9 factories all over the world and thousands of employees. Over the following years the business only grew and Minji couldn’t believe what she had accomplished with her father.

In 2018 she met a chinese model named Haoyu who modeled for her company and fell in love with him. They started to date in the same year and eventually made their relationship official. Since then, they have been living together and while Minji still leads the company, Haoyu continues his model career.

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© skz-jieun - all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, or translate my work on Tumblr or other platforms.

[svt-yeseul]

Yeseul's Family

💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤

Disclaimer: All characters are completely imaginary and do not exist in real life. Names, places, occupations and experiences are all made up. All the pictures are from Pinterest and are not mine. Credit to the owners.

🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜

[Parents / Single Mother – Lee Sunyoung & Xú Jingyi]

Lee Sunyoung was born 1967 in Busan, South Korea. She grew up with her korean parents. She struggled at school and never excelled like her siblings, struggling with her mental health. Eventually she dropped out of high school and began to work in a retail store.

Xú Jingyi was born in Shanghai in the year 1966. He grew up with an older brother and his chinese parents. He was an excellent student and eventually moved to Korea to study engineering.

The two of them met when Jingyi went to the retail store that Sunyoung was working at. He was starstruck immediately. The two flirted and he asked for her number, in clumsy korean, but she hesitated. She made him a deal. If he would come to this store every week on the same day for two months, then he could get her number.

And so, he showed up every Wednesday at the same time for two months. Every time the two would flirt or Jingyi would make stupid jokes and they’d laugh together. They both liked the game. After Sunyoung gave him her number the two tried to outdo each other by organizing the best dates for each other. They fell in love without even fully realizing.

In 1993 they finally got together officially and moved together to Anyang, South Korea. They were so in love with each other it was painful to watch for friends and family. But truly, they were happy for the two. They were good together. In late 1994 Jingyi proposed (on a Wednesday of course) and mid-1995 they had wanted to marry.

But sadly, it would never come this far. In early 1995 Jingyi had a sudden seizure and was brought into the hospital. Here the doctors found a brain tumor, too late to be treated. His body began shutting down. Sunyoung’s world came crashing down. She watched the love of her life, mere months after proposing, collapse and die right in front of her eyes. On the 15th of February 1995 Jingyi died from his brain tumor. Which was a Wednesday.

But Sunyoung was in for another life changing discovery. She was pregnant. With Jingyi’s child. And so, on the 18th of October 1995, she gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl. Lee Yeseul. The 18th of October 1995 was a Wednesday.

While trying to raise their child alone and grieving the love of her life, Sunyoung began to take up education again. She picked up high school again and graduated. She started studying finances and business administration and majored in it. All while raising her daughter. And she made sure to stay in contact with Jingyi’s parents. Sadly, they died young as well with only 68 and 71 years old. She taught Yeseul about the part of her that was Jingyi, her dad. She brought her to China, taught her Mandarin and Cantonese, and taught her recipes. She tried her best to let the young girl know that her dad was still there. As a part of her.

She decided to follow her true dream. In 2005 she started her own horse ranch alongside a therapy program for traumatized children and adults. She and her daughter also started teaching liberty for horses and even performed occasionally. In 2008 Sunyoung became a professional equestrian and expanded her ranch to have room for guests and offer vacation homes. She doesn't make a lot of money but she is happy. Since then, she has raised her daughter to be an independent and strong woman. Full of love, strength, heritage, and power.

💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜🖤

©︎ svt-yeseul - all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, or translate my work on Tumblr or other platforms.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.13 (after 1940)

1945 – World War II: The siege of Budapest concludes with the unconditional surrender of German and Hungarian forces to the Red Army. 1945 – World War II: Royal Air Force bombers are dispatched to Dresden, Germany to attack the city with a massive aerial bombardment. 1951 – Korean War: Battle of Chipyong-ni, which represented the "high-water mark" of the Chinese incursion into South Korea, commences. 1954 – Frank Selvy becomes the only NCAA Division I basketball player ever to score 100 points in a single game. 1955 – Israel obtains four of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls. 1955 – Twenty-nine people are killed when Sabena Flight 503 crashes into Monte Terminillo near Rieti, Italy. 1960 – With the success of a nuclear test codenamed "Gerboise Bleue", France becomes the fourth country to possess nuclear weapons. 1960 – Black college students stage the first of the Nashville sit-ins at three lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. 1961 – An allegedly 500,000-year-old rock is discovered near Olancha, California, US, that appears to anachronistically encase a spark plug. 1967 – American researchers discover the Madrid Codices by Leonardo da Vinci in the National Library of Spain. 1975 – Fire at One World Trade Center (North Tower) of the World Trade Center in New York. 1978 – Hilton bombing: A bomb explodes in a refuse truck outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, killing two refuse collectors and a policeman. 1979 – An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge. 1981 – A series of sewer explosions destroys more than two miles of streets in Louisville, Kentucky. 1983 – A cinema fire in Turin, Italy, kills 64 people. 1984 – Konstantin Chernenko succeeds the late Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 1990 – German reunification: An agreement is reached on a two-stage plan to reunite Germany. 1991 – Gulf War: Two laser-guided "smart bombs" destroy the Amiriyah shelter in Baghdad. Allied forces said the bunker was being used as a military communications outpost, but over 400 Iraqi civilians inside were killed. 1996 – The Nepalese Civil War is initiated in the Kingdom of Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre). 2001 – An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter magnitude scale hits El Salvador, killing at least 944. 2004 – The Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announces the discovery of the universe's largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093. Astronomers named this star "Lucy" after The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". 2007 – Taiwan opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou resigns as the chairman of the Kuomintang party after being indicted on charges of embezzlement during his tenure as the mayor of Taipei; Ma also announces his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. 2008 – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes a historic apology to the Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations. 2010 – A bomb explodes in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India, killing 17 and injuring 60 more. 2011 – For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe, are able to hunt and harvest a bison just outside Yellowstone National Park, restoring a centuries-old tradition guaranteed by a treaty signed in 1855. 2012 – The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted the first launch of the European Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. 2017 – Kim Jong-nam, brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, is assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. 2021 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump is acquitted in his second impeachment trial. 2021 – A major winter storm causes blackouts and kills at least 82 people in Texas and northern Mexico.