The Thursday-Friday tvN's drama "Familiar Wife" is dominating the viewership ratings since its first episode aired in Korea. The captivating storyline and expressive acting made the story more personal and relatable, which explains why it has also received much anticipation across Southeast Asia especially in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The previous episodes have shown the bittersweet memories between Cha Joo Hyuk (played by Ji Sung) and Seo Woo Jin (played by Han Ji Min). The entanglements surrounding Joo Hyuk and Woo Jin that ties together the past and the present, and Woo Jin's confession has made a turning-point in the drama. The change in their relationship will immerse viewers in the drama even further. While eagerly waiting for the next episode, check out the exclusive written-interview with the main casts Ji Sung and Han Ji-min - taking about their chemistry and characters in Familiar Wife.

Q: Tell us more about your characters in Familiar Wife.

Ji Sung: Cha Joo-hyuk is simply a typical ordinary guy. He is sincere, responsible and has a kind heart but sometimes has this immature side which hurts Woo-jin’s feelings.

Han Ji-min: Seo Woo-jin is a working mother who struggles between her job and her family. It’s quite fascinating to act such role for the first time, though I try to keep the character real and natural as the story itself contains fantasy.

Q: Tell us your chemistry or teamwork with the co-stars.

Ji Sung: I’ve had a strong faith in Han Ji-min from the start. Her straightforward personality reminds me of Woo-jin and she is perfect for this role. She is indeed a lovely and passionate actor in real life as well!

Han Ji-min: Ji Sung is an actor I’ve always wanted to work with. He’s very reliable, confident and positive. I always thank him for giving the positive vibe to me as well, cheering me up all the time on set.

Q: What comes into your mind when you first read about the script?

Ji Sung: I carefully think about what kind of story the drama delivers and how I as an actor can make the viewers empathize with the character. Also, I sometimes objectively watch if there is any part I missed out on.

Han Ji-min: I heard from many married couples around me that marriage contains numerous conflicts regardless of love. I could relate to both women and men. Though I have never experienced such, I’ve really looked forward to the excitement of expressing myself being in the situation through this drama.

Q: You are well known for taking challenge in different roles through different dramas. This time, you will be playing as an ordinary employee in Familiar Wife. What attracted you to take this role? 

Ji Sung: During the days when I was new to acting, I wasn't sure of my own style so I have tried various styles but this didn’t built up my “own” character to be a long-term actor. Throughout the diverse spectrum of experience, it gave me another level of acting potential and this is what I am proud of. I’ve tried my best among uncertain future in my 20s. As for now, I can’t stop learning. I continuously train myself every day. I always feel there's always a room to be filled to be a great actor.

Q: Do you find any similarities between you and the character, Cha Joo-hyuk? 

Ji Sung: Well, Joo-hyuk feels refreshed after playing games sometimes. For me jogging is my stress reliever and energizer. Even if I lack of sleep, I still go jogging. I can never skip it and I can certainly call it as a hobby that I can never give up.

Q: You’ll be playing as a working mum in this drama. Tell us how do your approach to the role, Seo Woo-jin?

Han Ji-min: Woo-jin’s occasional anger management issues due to excessive stress leads to lots of screaming, giving me some kind of catharsis while acting time to time.

Q: Can you give us some hints as to what can the audiences looking forward to? 

Han Ji-min: The fantastical factor of the drama makes it possible to take free control of time. Through time lapse, you will have a chance overview your past, forgotten moments back in life again. Though this setting may seem too comical, you will be able to relate deeply with the characters as to what other paths you could have taken.

Familiar Wife airs on tvN every Thursday and Friday at 9.45PM in Singapore and Malaysia. Catch the drama on Singtel TV 新电信电视 Ch. 518 / 619 or StarHub TV 星和视界 Ch. 824 or on-demand via Singtel TV GO or StarHub GO in Singapore; and on Astro Ch. 395 or unifi tv Ch. 211 or on- demand via Astro GO or unifi play tv in Malaysia with subtitles in English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia.

About Familiar Wife

"Familiar Wife" talks about a married couple who's struggling in their 5th year of marriage. Cha Joo-hyuk (Ji Sung) is an ordinary employee at a bank who has to suppress himself in front of his boss and wife; his wife Seo Woo-jin (Han Ji-min) is a “working mum” who tries hard to juggle between her job and family. The cruelty of life has swept their good old days and drowned this ever-sweet couple in tediousness. At this critical moment, an unexpected incident gives Joo-hyuk the ability to move back and forth from his past. Familiar Wife draws keen attention to how this ability ultimately impacts his life as the story unfolds.

The hottest girl group, Red Velvet, will finally be holding their first solo concert in Singapore with their brand-new concert tour, ‘REDMARE’! ReVeluvs who have been eagerly anticipating the quintet’s solo gig in Singapore are in for a night full of exciting performances from the group. Red Velvet 2nd Concert [REDMARE] in Singapore will be taking place on 20 October 2018 at The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre.

Red Velvet kicked off their second concert ‘REDMARE’ in Seoul on August 4, with the two-day extravaganza held at the Seoul Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium selling out all 10,000 tickets shortly after they went on sale.

REDMARE’s concept is that of an amusement park, with the show divided into five segments in order to showcase the girls’ varying charms to their fans. Among the themes are Fantasy, Amazon and Parade, and ReVeluv were also thrilled to watch them perform ‘Power Up’ for the first time in Seoul leg. Their previous hit tracks, including ‘Happiness’, Dumb Dumb’, ‘Russian Roulette’, ‘Peek-A-Boo’ and ‘Bad Boy’ were also on the agenda that night.

With the five members of Red Velvet ready to take the stage by storm, their first-ever solo concert in Singapore is definitely not one to be missed!

Tickets for Red Velvet 2nd Concert [REDMARE] in Singapore are priced $288, $248, $208, $168 and will go on sale on 8th Sept 10am via APACTix ticketing channels. For more information on the concert, please visit www.facebook.com/OneProductionSingapore.

Red Velvet consists of 5 members IRENE, SEULGI, WENDY, JOY and YERI. They made a debut in 2014 with ‘Happiness’. They released their first mini album, Ice Cream Cake, with the double title tracks ‘Automatic’ and ‘Ice Cream Cake’, which drew rave reviews from fans and critics alike. 

Among the numerous accolades that the group has earned throughout the years include topping many music programs in Korea in 2015 with Ice Cream Cake. Their first full-length album, The Red, which was released in the same year, did likewise. Following which, their second mini album, The Velvet, third mini album, Russian Roulette, and fourth mini album, Rookie, achieved the same level of popularity as well. 

‘Red Flavor’, title track of Summer mini album, The Red Summer, which was released in 2017, not only peaked No.1 on many music charts, albums, and music programs in Korea but also topped the Billboard World Albums Chart. Their second studio album, Perfect Velvet, also peaked No.1 on the Billboard World Albums chart. With this, Red Velvet topped the Billboard World Albums chart 4 times in total for the first time among Korean girl groups. Their lead single, ‘Power Up’, from summer mini album, Summer Magic, which was released recently on 6th of August achieved all-kills on Apple Music Korea Popular Album chart and various Korean music charts such as Melon, Genie, Bugs music, Mnet music, Naver music, Soribada, and Monkey3 along with topping the iTunes album chart in 28 regions.

(from left) Kim Ki-Soo, Model, Kaka Azraff, Kim Jung Min, Min

Followed by the grand success of Get It Beauty On the Road in Singapore, tvN Asia continues the hype by bringing the shooting to Asian country, and guess what? Malaysia is in the list! tvN Asia's brand-new original production in 2018, Get It Beauty On the Road - Malaysia segment features former Miss A member, Min, Korean beauty mentor Kim Jung-Min and our local celebrity, Kaka Azraff.  Thanks to Fast Tracks Events, GOkpop was given an opportunity to visit the studio and sit down with the hosts to talk about their future plans and share some of beauty/fitness tips. 

Get It Beauty On the Road Malaysia segment follows the main concept of the Korean show by exploring K-beauty products and inviting Korean Beauty/Fitness influencers to identify beauty, skincare and wellness problem faced by the locals.

Kim Ki-Soo demonstrating how to apply makeup

Last week, the hosts have been travelling around Kuala Lumpur for shooting and the famous Korean make-up artist, Kim Ki-Soo also joined the team in sharing the latest beauty trends and helped the team in tackling the common issues faced by each individual.

Check out what Kim Jung-Min (KJM), Min and Kaka Azraff said during our studio visit:

The hosts of Get It Beauty On the Road - Malaysia segment sharing their beauty tips

Q: What you have been done lately? Any future plans for your solo activities? 
Min: I have been working on music, collaborating with other artists and musicians and have featured in a single, “Marathon” by Deepshower.

Q: Do you have any beauty item that you would like to bring any time? 
Min: Lipstick!

Q: How do you feel being able to partner alongside with Min and Kim Jung Min for Get It Beauty On the Road? 
Kaka Azraff: This is like a big opportunity for me. I feel honored to be part of the team.

Q: Which Korean makeup do you like the most? 
Kaka Azraff: The simple and natural makeup. I like how they use the products to enhance beauty rather than cover it up.

Q: What’s your daily must use item when you stay indoor or outdoor? 
Kaka Azraff: Sunscreen and moisturizer is a must to apply especially for the hot weather here in Malaysia. The hot weather will cause aging and we need to stay hydrate every time, so these 2 items is a must to apply.

Q: How do you maintain a fresh-look in such a hot weather? 
Min: I apply a very light foundation to maintain a fresh-looking make up. Try to keep it light.

Q: Have you tried any Malaysian food? 
Min: I went to China Town, Jalan Alor and my Malaysian friends brought me out for some good Malaysia food.

Kim Jung-Min first back-packing trip was in Penang!

Q: What’s the difference shooting in Malaysia and Korea? 
KJM: In Malaysia, we have indoor and outdoor shooting. I feel like I am able to share more realistic beauty tips to the audiences. / Malaysia is the first country that I went for back-packing trip. It’s a meaningful country to me. So, what I want to say from here is that I feel very thankful that K-beauty has received so much love.

Q: The team has been touring around KL for shooting, so what aspects of Malaysia do you find charming? 
KJM: I have skin trouble whenever I go for travel, but this time I am not sure whether it’s the food, weather or water here (in Malaysia), I doesn’t have the skin trouble. Recently, I am interested in Halal beauty products and have started to use it during the shooting, I feel like my skin has become healthier throughout the shooting. I am really surprise and think this might be the aspects that I find it charming.

Q: Do you have any plans to return to acting? 
KJM: I have been emcee for many years. No matter is drama or variety show, I would like to take on new challenge, so, if there’s an opportunity, I would definitely give it a try. I would be great if my fans or audiences in Malaysia able to see that.

Q: How do you stay healthy while having a busy schedule? 
KJM: Beauty is not only on the face but from started from taking care of our own mental health. Meditation and yoga really help in building the inner beauties. My yoga instructor in Korea is actually from Malaysia, she taught me how to greet in Malay. (ps: this explains why KJM’s Malay pronunciation is so great :) )

Get It Beauty On the Road - Malaysia segment will premiered on 24 September

Get It Beauty On The Road answers every girl’s pressing questions on beauty, by providing the latest information that they didn’t even know they need! In addition to makeup how-to’s, audience will get practical beauty tips directly from the hosts and K-beauty expert the Korean way! 

There are no ugly ladies but only lazy ones! Get perfect transformations from Get It Beauty On The Road beauty tricks!

Get It Beauty On the Road in Malaysia Airing Schedule:

*a total of 4 episodes 

photo source: Fast Track Events

Asia’s leading entertainment and merchandising company CJ ENM announced dates and locations for its flagship global music festival ‘2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards(MAMA)’. 2018 MAMA will span across three different locations in Asia - Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong from December 10th to December 14th.

‘MAMA WEEK’ – a one week tour to celebrate music culminating the biggest nights in Asian music – will begin in Korea(venue to be announced) on December 10 th , Japan(at Saitama Arena) on December 12th and make its final stop in Hong Kong(AsiaWorld-Expo, Arena) on December 14th.

Starting last year, MAMA expanded from a previously one-day event into a weeklong event known as ‘MAMA Week,’ that spans three Asian countries to promote exchanges between different Asian music markets. This year, 2018 MAMA will also be held in three hub regions: Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, in addition to the Professional Categories which invites renowned music icons, industry leaders, and insiders contributing to the development of the global music industry to come together. 

“Over the years, MAMA has emerged into one of Asia’s most prominent global music festivals, where international artists, industry leaders, icons across countries come together. Each year, we are heavily invested to set new standards to bring the most innovative productions and mega-scale performances. We will continue to strive to establish MAMA as an iconic global music festival, acknowledged by music fans, artists, and leaders in the music industry” said CJ ENM’s Head of Music Content Unit, Shin Hyung- kwan. 

Last year, over 100 world famous artists, producers, and teams across Asia joined to celebrate 2017 MAMA, including teams from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, etc., solidifying MAMA’s presence as Asia’s most influential music festival and adhering to the theme of ‘co-existence’. Global fans also joined the festivities, as 2017 MAMA was simultaneously broadcasted in 14 different countries across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, and Oceania.