The tickets were sold out in just 30 minutes for SS501 first Asia tour Seoul concert performances 1st window sales.

SS501 will be performing in Seoul on 1st and 2nd August for their ‘THE 1st ASIA TOUR PERSONA’ concert.

Tickets were sold out 30 minutes after the 1st window sales were opened. It was said that the traffic on the online ticket sales site increasedly significantly when the sales opened.

SS501 also spoke up about this, “We are very impressed by our fans especially since this is our first Asian tour. We will showcase our best at the performances.”

The 2nd window for ticket sales will take place end-June.

source: kbites

Credits : SS601.com + (English Translation) xiaochu @ Quainte501.com
and asianfanatics

Results are 100% voted by netizen, there was a strong competition in the popularity category among entertainer-turned-musical actors. Especially in the male actor category where it is monopolize by idol stars.

From a total of 13,996 votes, male popularity award goes to Big Bang’s Seungri with 3,072 votes.

2nd place goes to SS501’s Park JungMin (2,749 votes) with his appearance in ‘Grease’, 3rd goes to Big Bang’s DaeSung (1,827 votes), 4th is Super Junior’s Kim HeeChul (1,395 votes). In the female category, Ock JuHyun claimed the 1st place with 2,005 votes, followed by Choi SungHee (1,351 votes), Hong JiMin (1,340 votes).

Credits: nownes.seoul.co.kr + Elsa菜 @ doubles501.com + (English translation) SS5014ever @ quainte501.com and asian fanatics

The center of the Korean Wave/Hanryu, how good is SS501's Japanese?

SS501, who returned along with the cast of "Boys over Flower" on the 19th, caused a stir with their Japanese language skills, especially Kim Hyun Joong, who's fluent Japanese greatly helped interviews with the cast to go smoothly.

Famous for being quiet, Kim Hyun Joong took up the microphone and spoke up for the cast during Japan's TBS broadcast and the event at Tokyo's JBC. His fluent Japanese grabbed the attention of everyone.

It's the 4th year since SS501 started having events in Japan and Korea simultaneously. SS501 members who were on stage at the end of the event also won the applause of the 5000 people who were present with their Japanese language skills.

How did SS501 learn their Japanese? How good are they?

SS501 explains in the interview that it was totally "on the spot learning"

"It was unlike other groups, who'd learn the language before going overseas", recalls Kim Kyu Jong, "The members didn't know anything when we went to Japan, and we could only stay in our hostel watching a TV with no foreign channels", "the teacher who came occasionally didn't speak Korean", "Initially it was to overcome the feeling of glumness, subsequently it was due to the need to survive that we learnt Japanese."

When asked who picked up the language the fastest, everyone unanimously chose Park Jung Min. Kim Hyung Jun said laughingly, "Jung Min's also the most fluent in Korean", "Jung Min seems to have a talent in learning languages. Initially we didn't think much of it but when he was conversing with Japanese fans after the musical Grease, we were really shocked. It was really cool seeing his interaction with the audience."

"But the hidden talent is Heo Young Saeng!" Kim Kyu Jong, who said this, talked about an incident that occurred not too long after they had started learning Japanese. "Members were hard at work learning Japanese, Young Saeng hyung only watched but he started having an earnest conversation with a Japanese friend without our knowledge." Kyu Jong's comments caused Young Saeng to be embarrassed, though he cleverly remarked "I only talk to locals."

A staff from SS501's company, DSP ent, said, "After their debut, Korea and Japan activities were the main focus, so all the members gradually had the ability to speak Japanese, at the very least, they won't feel unease in their daily life", "During Japan's fan meeting, even without the help of a translator, most of them can converse without a problem, so the atmosphere is good."

Concentrating heavily on activities in Korea since last year end, SS501 is slated to start their Japan activities from next month. There'll be a Japan-Korea combined fan meeting on the 2nd and they will also be promoting the release of their 2nd Japan album in May.

The five-man band SS501 will take its Korean and Japanese fans to Jeju Island on chartered planes for a fan meeting there, DSP Media, the band’s agency, said on Thursday.

Jin Air is to provide the two flights between Gimpo and Jeju and Busan and Jeju for the event scheduled for May 2 and 3. The group's five members will be divided into two groups to board each plane and personally serve the fans in the cabin.

In Jeju, the band will hold a fan meeting at the International Convention Center and a garden party at a hotel, and take part in a tour program with fans.

A Jin Air staffer said, “As soon as we started to receive bookings on our website, so many people visited it that all seats were booked in two hours.” Some 200 Japanese fans also made reservations.

The music channel Mnet will accompany the flights to cover the event to broadcast a program under the title of “SS501 Romantic Sky" in late May.

Meanwhile, the band will release a regular album in July.

credits: KBS Global, Quainte and asianfanatics