Shinhwa to Hold Last Concert in Tokyo

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Korean pop group Shinhwa will bid "sayonara" to its Japanese fans with two concerts in Tokyo in April.

Yonhap News reported that Open World Entertainment, the agency in charge of Shinhwa's overseas concerts, said the six-member group will be holding two concerts on April 18 and 19 at the Nippon Budokan, central Tokyo.

This is expected to be the last concert featuring all the Shinhwa members, at least for the next few years. Open World Entertainment said all the Shinhwa members, except for Shin Hye-sung, will be enlisting in the military this year. All Korean males are required to serve in the military for two years.

Shinhwa has a strong fan base in Japan and had already performed sold-out concerts in Nagoya and Tokyo last December, as part of its world tour.

Group member Lee Min-woo, also known as M, recently held his solo concerts "2008 M Style Japan Live" in Tokyo on Feb. 10 and 11.

"Shinhwa will always love our fans. Please wait for us to come back", Lee told fans during the concert.

Shinhwa, which made its debut in 1998, is considered the longest-running boy band in Korea. The group has released eight albums, while the members have successfully pursued solo careers in acting and music.

The group announced that it will release its ninth album next month and will hold its 10th Anniversary Live Concert on March 29 and 30, in the Olympic Gymnasium, Olympic Park. Sales of tickets will begin on Feb.18 at www.interpark.com (Korean only). Ticket prices range from 33,000 won to 110,000 won.

Fans residing outside Korea and Japan can apply for tickets for the Seoul concerts through the booking agency In Next Trend, until Feb. 15. E-mail applications, in English or Chinese, can be sent to innexttrend@gmail.com. For inquiries, visit http://www.goodemg.com or call (02) 3446-3226.

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