Hallyu fans and enthusiasts of Korean products are in for a WOW treat this weekend. Innovative home shopping platform CJ WOW SHOP, in collaboration with Korean TV network Channel A, is set to present Malaysian viewers ‘Sales King TV’, an entertaining variety show that combines selling on live television.

Shot and aired live for the first time on CJ WOW SHOP segments, the programme features four well-loved Korean celebrities as they take on the challenge of promoting and selling a series of interesting products on air. The team includes case members of all-time favourite variety show ‘Running Man’, Ji Sukjin and Yang Sechan, who will be joined by K-pop idols JeA from ‘Brown Eyed Girls’ and Sungjong from ‘INFINITE’. Viewers will be entertained by the fun-filled antics of their beloved K-stars as they compete to sell-out all products on the show.

✨✨ #SALESKINGTV casts will be making an appearance on our local homeshopping channel! They can’t return to Korea if they don’t sell all their products! Watch them live:

1. TV9 (Sat, 4 August) 9AM-10AM
2. 8TV (Sat, 4 August) 1PM-2PM
3. TV9 (Sun, 5 August) 11AM-12PM pic.twitter.com/Kts0Mmmx3L

— gokpop (@goKPOP) August 3, 2018

Mr. Kim Yang Hyun, CEO of CJ WOW SHOP said, “At CJ WOW SHOP, we’re continuously seeking new ways to deliver the shoppertainment experience to Malaysians. We double down this commitment through ‘Sales King TV’, making selling and buying on television much more entertaining for customers and viewers. These Korean celebrities will be assisted by the best of the best in home shopping to complete their mission. CJ WOW SHOP hosts Zaim Helmi, Fiza Saad, Jimmy Shanley, Lily Liyana, Shinkong, Kang Chee and Pauline will join in on the action, lending their expertise of selling on live television to the special guest stars.

 “Leveraging Korean star power for the first time, ‘Sales King TV’ will set CJ WOW SHOP apart as a sensational media commerce platform. This collaboration follows the huge success of our recent campaign with Wanna One. We hope it will also inspire a host of exciting collaboration possibilities, while putting Malaysia as a prime market for the Korean wave products,” Mr. Kim added.
Presenting customers with exclusive promotions, the home shopping variety show offers a curated assortment of high quality products including Dr Dental Care liquid mouthwash, The Yufit-V-Care Lifting Mask and one of the Korea’s hugely popular noodles, the Spicy Samyang.

Fans can tune in to CJ WOW SHOP on TV9 and 8TV this Saturday and Sunday (4-5 August 2018) to catch their favorite artistes in action as they showcase the respective products:
1. Saturday, 4 August TV9: 
    9am – 10am 

    Dr Dental Care 

2. Saturday, 4 August 8TV: 

    1pm – 2pm 

    The Yufit V-Care Lifting Mask 

3. Sunday, 5 August TV9:

    11am – 12pm 

    Spicy Samyang Noodles

Customers will be able to purchase the products seen on television by calling the toll-free hotline at 1800-18-0808. They can also make purchases online by logging on to www.cjwowshop.com.my or by downloading the CJ WOW SHOP mobile app via Android or IOS.

Today, Spotify reveals Stray Kids as the first K-Pop group to be featured within the Early Noise initiative. Early Noise aims to identify and recognize up and coming artists who are ready to break boundaries. Fronted by their strong moves, powerful beats and positive message, the group created a huge buzz in the K-Pop community with the release of their first album, “I am NOT” earlier this year. Although fairly new in the scene, the band has built a following and continues to drive excitement as they plan to release their next album “I am WHO” on August 6, 2018.

"We are excited to feature Stray Kids as an Early Noise artist. Stray Kids started strong since emerging onto the scene earlier this year and the reaction from our users underscores their growing popularity. Through the Early Noise initiative, we believe that Spotify can develop a global audience for Stray Kids and continue connecting these extremely talented artists with fans from all over the world,” says Chee Meng, Tan, Head of Artist & Label Marketing, Southeast Asia, Spotify.

Early Noise 2018

As a platform for discovery, Spotify showcases local music from every genre, region and generation alongside music from all over the world. The Early Noise 2018 playlist and the efforts behind this initiative highlights Spotify’s commitment to unearthing up and coming stars from around the region and connecting their music to fans across the globe. 

The Early Noise artist list is compiled using a combination of efforts from Spotify’s team of in-house music experts. Based on the analysis of millions of streams worth of current music listening data, the teams were able to identify these talented individuals. 

The criteria of selection include: 

Stray Kids on Spotify 

Following their recent successful album launch, Stray Kids are ready to drop their second album. The eight track album entitled “I am WHO” will be available on Spotify from August 6, 2018 (Monday) onwards. 

For those who are unable to wait for the album launch, Stray Kids has curated individual playlists for their fans. Listeners will have the opportunity to get to know Stray Kids in a more intimate level, as each playlist showcases the group’s favourite tracks and inspiration. From today, one playlist will be released per day over the next nine days. 

Apart from that, discover Stray Kids on some of your favourite K-Pop hub playlists; K-Party Dance Mix, Hallyu Boy Bands and Fantastic K-Workout. Follow Stray Kids on Spotify here. 

source: Spotify Malaysia

We bet many fans are counting down to attend TWICELAND ZONE 2: Fantasy Park in Malaysia which will be held tomorrow at Stadium Malawati. Not only you, we are excited to see TWICE live performance as well. Earlier today, 9 members of TWICE greeted the media at the press conference and talked about their upcoming concert, first impression about Malaysia and future plan as a group.

Many fans were seen waiting for TWICE arrival yesterday night just to catch a glimpse of the members. Tzuyu was really touched by the warm welcome from our local ONCE and Nayeon expressed that she's looking forward to tomorrow's concert as the fans are so passionate. When being asked about tomorrow's concert, the member further expressed that they'll be a special stage for the opening. (ps: even unit stages)

Here's what went down at today's press conference:

Q: What’s your first impression towards Malaysia? 

Tzuyu: Really touched because we saw there were lots of fans gathered at the airport yesterday. I am also looking forward to Malaysian cuisine because Malaysian food looks really delicious.

Q: What’s your impression towards ONCE in Malaysia?

Nayeon: They are so passionate and I am looking forward to meet them at the concert tomorrow.

Q: What can ONCE expect towards the concert tomorrow? 

Jihyo: We have done TWICELAND tour at a few countries and we are glad that Malaysia is part of the tour. We will be performing live on our new comeback song "Dance The Night Away" tomorrow and we are looking forward to performing it brightly for the fans. For the opening, we also prepared sub-unit performance so we hope that fans can anticipate and look forward to those performances. 

Q: Did the members give a lot of opinions about this concert? 

Jihyo: All of them gave ideas on certain areas such as the unit member stage. 

Q: What makes you the happiest being able to perform on stage in Malaysia? 

Chaeyoung: We gained a lot of energy from fans, as we are very excited to see them tomorrow at the concert. 

Sana: from the excitement showed by the fans it lightens me up and we hope to be able to see these happy faces again while performing. 

Q: What are some of the unforgettable memory you had in your mind? 

Jeongyeon: During a stage in our concert, the fans sang along when there was no instrumental music in the background. We were very touched at that moment and we are glad to be able to witness it. 

Dahyun: They are very passionate. There are fans who making videos for us and telling us not to try. I feel very touched. 

Q: What is the surprise event from fans that you can’t forget until now? 

Mina: There is a surprise event during a performance where the fans changed the lyrics of our songs and those lyrics were really touching and it teared us up. 

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

Jihyo: In 10 years time, we hope we will be able to come back to Malaysia as TWICE once again. We are really thankful for the support from Malaysian ONCE all these while and hopefully, we will be able to come back in the future. We really hope that you will enjoy the amazing performances that we prepared for you tomorrow and please look over us nicely! Thank you Malaysia!

With all the sweet messages from the members, we know you have been eagerly waiting for this moment. It's just a day away, so sleep tight, hoping for sweet dreams tonight and be prepared to 'Dance the Night Away' with TWICE.

official photo credit: IME Asia

Update: JYP Entertainment and organiser, IME Asia announced on 27 January night that TWICELAND ZONE 2: Fantasy Park in Malaysia has been cancelled due to safety concern. Ticket refund will be processed. 

Are you a huge fan of Law of the Jungle? Do you enjoy outdoor adventures surrounded by greenery and wildlife? You’d be thrilled to know that clan leader Kim Byung Man will embark on his journey to Sabah along with a star-studded tribe in the latest edition of Law of the Jungle on ONE HD (Astro Ch. 393)! Along with him are Ong Seong Woo and Ha Sung Woon from Wanna One, Eric Mun, Lee Min Woo and Andy Lee from Shinhwa, Tony Ahn from H.O.T, Kim Nam Joo from Apink, Lee Da Hee, Yoon Shi Yoon, Sung Hoon, Kangnam, Park Sol Mi, Park Jung Chul, Jang Dong Yoon and Park Sung Kwang!  

Sabah’s secluded location makes it a mystery to the rest of the world, and some parts are more hidden in secrecy than others. Nonetheless, the five hidden gems below are no longer the "best-kept-secrets" among travellers, as we are going to reveal them one by one to you!

Often referred to as ‘Sabah’s Lost World’, Maliau Basin is one of the remaining untouched and uninhabited areas in the world. It consists of the highest concentration of waterfalls in the country, but most of the area is still undiscovered with limited access to communications and safety facilities. The highlight of the adventure is to trek the majestic seven-tiered Malibu Falls. Endangered species such as Sumatran rhinoceros, clouded leopards, and Malayan sun bears can also be spotted in Maliau. Nature explorers who yearn for a remote, challenging and unique rainforest experience will love a three to four-day adventure at magnificent site.

Mount Trusmadi is the second highest mountain in Sabah, about 2.64m above sea level. However, the route to the summit is proven to be equally, if not, more challenging than Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia. Hikers need to climb the steep rocks that are mostly vertical, and with the help of a rope at times. They will also need to be aware of their surroundings as there will be fallen tree trunks and branches along the way. With a variety of flora and fauna, the area is bound to bring adventurers an intimate nature experience – a gem worth exploring!

Inscribed on the UNESCO’s list, Crocker Range Park has a rich biodiversity with an array of flora types. From tropical lowland forest and hill dipterocarp forest to upper montane forest, visitors get the opportunity to see numerous tropical wildlife which is rare outside Borneo. You can choose from a range of overnight packages which include the Salt Trail expedition, Gunung Alab hike and traditional Dusun village stay. Crocker Range Park is also a premier birding destination for spotting endemic birds of Borneo such as the Bornean Bristelhead and the Bornean Black Magpie.

Considered as the world’s most complex ecosystem, Danum Valley serves as a home to over 500 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians living in this untouched, lowland forest. Visitors not only get a chance to explore the ancient Kadazandusun burial site with belian coffins and ceramic spirit jars, they can also catch one of the best sunrises in Borneo from the top of Bukit Atur, as well as sleep in a stretcher hammock by the base of a waterfall.

In Orou Sapulot, you will get to experience the Murut hospitality such as drinking rice wine from huge ceramic jars and have endless chats with the tribe about their headhunting ancestors. For those who wish to enjoy epic adventures, you can climb the 800-foot limestone peak which is also known as Batu Punggul, explore mysterious caves, or sleep on stretcher hammocks in the jungle. Not only that, you can also feast on traditional Murut food and navigate rivers that run through unmarked rainforest on traditional longboats.

Wanna One is no stranger to Malaysian Wannables as they came to Malaysia this January for their 1st fans meeting and members, Seongwoo and Sungwoon came recently for their latest variety show 'Law of the Jungle' shooting in Sabah. This time, they returned to Malaysia as a group and performed the one-night-only Wanna One World Tour 'One: The World' in Kuala Lumpur on 21 July (Saturday) at Axiata Arena. 

Fans flocked to the stadium since early morning, some were seen giving out free hand-banners and some are getting ready to purchase the official lightstick outside the stadium. As the day turns into night, fans started to switch on the LED boards and lightsticks to be ready to party with Wanna One. Wanna One kick-started the night with our all-time favourite - 'Burn It Up', 'Never' and 'Energetic'. After the group performance, Minhyun remained on stage and performed solo. (ps: we bet many fans like us were waiting for his 6 packs showed in Seoul concert but sadly is not happen in Malaysia ><)

Bae Jin Young continued the solo stage and wowed the audiences with his classy dance moves. Kuanlin & Jinhoon then joined him and performed '11' as members of No.1. Let us bring you to a short introduction of the sub-units. Wanna One is divided into 4 different sub-units - No.1 (Nambawan), Triple Position, The Heal and Lean On Me through their most recent album, "1÷x=1 (Undivided)", so throughout the night, each unit group performed their own unit songs with their own rendition. 

During the talk session, Kuanlin commented, "It's nice to be here in Malaysia." and Minhyun said "I miss you guys. We really appreciate your love and support and so, we're back." Seongwoo brought the biggest laughter as when being asked about their impression about Malaysia, the only comment he had was, "Jungle...Sabah sabah..." (ps: seems like Sabah really gave a strong impression to Seongwoo ><) However, Daniel, the eater expressed his love towards our local food, nasi lemak and lastly leader, Jisung commented, 'KLCC'. 

The stadium filled with harmony when fans sang along 'Beautiful', 'I'll Remember', 'I Wanna Have'. and 'Always'. Without any fancy props, Wanna One indeed charmed the audiences with their powerful performances and melodic vocals. The members came up close and interacted with the fans when the classic songs 'Pick Me' and 'Gold' were played. (ps: did you receive all the flying kiss/hearts from the members?) 

The members thanked fans for making time to the show and each member expressed their sincere gratitude and promised to come back to perform as a group soon. Seongwoo commented, "I really miss you guys. Actually not 6 months, I just came to Malaysia. I have so many good memories in Malaysia. I promise to comeback soon. See you then." Jihoon said, "I feel so glad to see all Wannables. I promise to return with different colours."
Daehwi, however, said, "I just love how all Wannables sing along with us." (ps: the fanchant was really awesome!) Daniel then said, "We came to Malaysia previously for the fans meeting. We're so happy to return for a concert for you to see our growth and improvement." Minhyun then made his final comment, "Thank you for coming. We wish to come back as Wanna One. Aku Cinta Pada Mu banyak-banyak." (which means I love you very much). 

After the heartfelt messages from each member, Wanna One then ended the night with 'Light and 'I Promise You' which seems like giving a message that they will be returning to Malaysia soon.  

To be true, we are really proud of Wanna One (ps: Wannables, you agree with us right?). Debut less than a year, Wanna One proved their achievement was above and beyond a rookie group. Through each solo stage, we know each member has their own charms that will shine brightly in the K-POP industry. No matter how much time they left to promote as a group, we know the fans will continue to support them as 1 - Wanna One.

photo source: YJ Partners