shinhwa's ♥

China is putting Uyghur Muslims into Concentration Camps

This is one of the greatest attrocities and oppression taking place in the world today yet still it is one of the least talked about issues. It’s estimated possibly over 2 million Uyghur Muslims have been put into these concentration camps which China calls “re-edcuation camps” and the goals is to wipe out and clean them from their cultural and religious identity. They have built dozens of these camps with fortified walls and barbed wire fences which they hide from the world media.

China sees Islam as an ‘ideological disease’. Many of the people put in these camps don’t make it out alive due to to the harsh living conditions inside. Many leave behind children who are then sent to government run orphanages and are brainwashed from a young age removing their cultural and religious identity.

All about Shinhwa album ‘HEART’ and ‘Kiss Me Like That’ promotions.

▶️ YouTube playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfyfYq1u9CBo2bStYIh8CCxpAQuVYgkL

 includes:

‘Kiss Me Like That’ teaser, music video, MV making. 

Shinhwa Special Album ‘HEART’ Press Conference.

Album ‘Heart’ songs - official audios.

Album ‘Heart’ jacket making.

All Shinhwa performances on music shows - Kiss Me Like That / Don’t Leave Me.

MPD Fancams. Music Core & Show Champion official fancams.

All Members’ official individual fancams on music shows.

Official Kiss Me Like That Karaoke version.

‘Kiss Me Like That’ performances Eng Subbed on Music Bank.

Shinhwa performances on Korean Music Wave Festival KMCF

Shinhwa backstage interview on Show Champion.

▶️  Shinhwa Twenty Special Album ‘Heart’ on itunes.

▶️  Shinhwa Twenty Special Album ‘Heart’ on Spotify.

▶️ Eng Subbed Videos:

Shinhwa Special Album ‘HEART’ Press Conference. (subs by malpabo)

Shinhwa Special Album HEART VLIVE

Shinhwa Comeback interviews on Mcountdown, Music Bank, Music Core.

▶️ RAW Videos: 

[180905] Shinhwa Comeback interview on Show Champion.

[180911] Shinhwa backstage interview on Show Champion

[180916] Mnet Japan MCountdown backstage - Shinhwa

[180918] Shinhwa backstage interview on Show Champion.

[180915] Shinhwa Weibo Live Broadcast

▶️ [Fancams] Shinhwa HEART Fansign events:

180909 Fansign 1

180915 Fansign 2

180916 Fansign 3

▶️ [Eng Subbed] Compilation of Shinhwa variety shows in 2018

ugh I know it’s becoming hard to find many subbed episodes of ShinBang & even other shows TT .. many vids were taken down already.So, for you & everyone who want to watch Shinhwa Broadcast, here are the links for 65 eps out of 70 eps of ShinBang.

Watch/Download Shinhwa Broadcast:

ep 1 to ep 65 (all eng subbed):

Link 1:   https://mega.nz/#F!osZw3bwL!aefu9yEALnWKehNG8VwWpQ

(thanks to chajatta_tvxq)

Link2:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mg3hgoinre7e1fa/AAC69oc0KlGh9-vvYtoOJ6sea/Shinhwa%20Broadcast?dl=0

I used to share this link privately as to respect the original uploaders, but I’m sharing it here publicly for 1st time since many eps already been taken down & couldn’t be found anywhere & many people want to watch ShinBang.

Enjoy! :)

As we all know, Shinhwa debuted in 1998 under SM. After the group’s contract ended in 2003, SM wanted to disband the group & offered solo contracts to only a few members. But Shinhwa refused because they didn’t want to be separated & continue as a group. Therefore they decided to switch to another agency (Good Entertainment).

Since SM couldn’t legally stop Shinhwa as the group already completed their contract, so they refused to allow the members to continue using the name “Shinhwa” and perform their songs as the rights belonged to SM. Leader Eric had loooong negotiations with SM & ended up filing a lawsuit against SM for the rights to use their name “Shinhwa “ and perform their songs produced under SM. 

Shinhwa won the case and got the right to use their name and perform their songs, but had to pay royalties to SM. Since Shinhwa’s new agency back then, Good Ent. was still a small company with no enough funds to pay, so Eric stepped up and paid a HUGE sum of his OWN money to SM for the rights usage. It was really huge that he went broke afterwards. Following that, a contract was signed between SM & Good Ent. allowing the use of the group name ‘Shinhwa’ & songs produced under SM with Good Ent. Shinhwa then resumed their activities as a group under the name “Shinhwa” with their new agency.

Shinhwa members were too innocent & trusted SM that they didn’t ask for further precautionary procedures to protect their right to use the name “Shinhwa” & songs. 

In 2004, around 6 months after Shinhwa moved to Good Ent., “sweet” SM registered the trademark “Shinhwa” under SM company’s name !!. In 2005, after completing registration of the trademark for ‘Shinhwa’, SM entrusted the trademark’s ownership to Open World Entertainment (later known as Jun Media) !!. In 2006, SM completely transferred the ownership of the trademark to Open World Ent.(Jun Media). 

(Take note that SM didn’t even transfer the trademark ownership to Shinhwa’s new agency back then, Good Entertainment !!! -_-) 

In 2006, Good Ent. singed a contract with Open World Ent. (Jun Media) for the rights to use the name “Shinhwa” and perform their songs. The contract lasted until the members went into the military service hiatus in 2008.

(take note here that Open World Ent (Jun Media) didn’t register the trademark after it was handed over to them from SM in 2006. They did that later in 2013).

In 2011, Shinhwa wanted to establish “Shinhwa Company”, so Leader Eric & Minwoo held long & numerous negotiations with Open World Ent (Jun Media) & the members’ individual agencies. Finally, after really tiring meetings, they reached an agreement & signed a contract to allow Shinhwa Company the use of “Shinhwa” trademark, meanwhile open World Ent (Jun Media) manages the group’s overseas activities plus Shinhwa’s official Japan fanclub “The Legend”.  

In 2012, Shinhwa, somehow, found out that Open World Ent (Jun Media) didn’t register the trademark after it was transferred to them from SM in 2006, so Shinhwa Company requested Jun Media to show proof documents that they’re indeed the owner of the trademark “Shinhwa”. 

In early 2013, as Shinhwa Company didn’t get any reply from Jun media, so they filed a lawsuit against Jun Media to cancel the trademark rights usage contract and requested for the return of contractual fees as well as the profits from the 2012 concert and partial earnings from the Japan fanclub. In Feb 2013, Shinhwa Company also filed a “provisional attachment” for the trademark “Shinhwa”. 

Jun Media (already hurried to register the trademark) filed a counter lawsuit saying, “We hold the rights to the trademark so pay up the profits from the 2013 concert as stated in the contract.”

In July 2014, Shinhwa Company partially lost & won the case. They partially lost because they couldn’t cancel the contract with Jun Media as the judges stated that despite it was a belated registration, but it was effective and the trademark “Shinhwa” was and is still a trademark owned by Jun Media. As for the “name usage fees”, Shinhwa had to pay ~318,922 USD to Jun Media, a portion of their earnings from their 2013 concert. Shinhwa Company partially won as Jun Media had to pay Shinhwa ~181,509 USD, a portion of the earnings from the 2012 concert as well as from the running of Shinhwa’s official Japan fanclub.

On 26 July 2014, Shinhwa Company released a statement stating that they intended to appeal the parts of the suit that they lost.

(Take note that in 2012, Open World’s CEO Jang Seokwoo got arrested after sexually harassing trainees. Afterwards, the company changed its name to Jun Media in 2013)

On 29 Aug 2014, Shinhwa Company had officially changed their company name to “ShinCom Entertainment” to prevent problems from growing larger in their on-going lawsuit with Jun Media back then and to prevent the use of the name “Shinhwa” being recognized as a use of the trademark rights. Shinhwa had to delete “Shinhwa” name from 11th album they already released in 2013 as well as their 12th album in 2015. They refrained from using “Shinhwa” name & used only their logo. Shinhwa said “We’ll do our best to protect the name Shinhwa. Please wait and see.”

On 20 April 2015, ShinCom Ent. & Jun Media failed to come to a compromise, so the court made a compulsory arbitration decision. Following that ShinCom Ent. representatives raised their objection.

on 27 May 2015, ShinCom Entertainment (ex Shinhwa Company) and Jun Media participated in another arbitration at the Seoul High Court and have accepted the Court’s arbitration proposal regarding the transfer of the trademark rights. An agreement was finally made over the trademark rights and ShinCom Entertainment have received the trademark rights to ‘Shinhwa’.

On 29 May 2015, Shinhwa Independence Day, the trademark rights to “Shinhwa” was finally handed over to ShinCom Ent. They are able to use the name ‘Shinhwa’ without any restrictions in the future. Shinhwa finally got the full rights and trademarks of their name after 12 years!

Afterwards, ShinCom Ent. changed its name back to “Shinhwa Company” after completing the process of having the name transferred. 

Now, Shinhwa totally OWN their name “SHINHWA”!. After such a thorny road they had to walk through, “SHINHWA” finally belongs to Shinhwa.

Jun Media didn’t play a fair game with Shinhwa (so was SM) as Jun Media kept messing with their contract with Shinhwa, received the greatest benefits from Shinhwa’s activities. Made Shinhwa continuously pay money for them. Made Eric go through a very tough time when he wanted to establish Shinhwa Company. Threatened Shinhwa & the fans. Not to mention their CEO publicly attacked Eric & Andy on Twitter. And SM, who registered the trademark in 2004 so Shinhwa cannot use the name in the future. Sold the trademark to an agency other than Shinhwa’s … backstabbed their former group. 

Can you believe how tiring & loooong this journey was! Frankly, if it was any group other than Shinhwa, I believe they would’ve given up & gone their separate ways. Shinhwa had to walk such a long thorny road that was filled with obstacles, sacrifices, losses, yet they insisted on being together as a group & fighting for their name “Shinhwa”. The kept on producing albums & appearing on shows, goofing around & joking, while having such burden over their shoulders. And the greatest thanks goes to this awesome Leader, Eric, who had to pay HUGE sum of his own money to keep the group together under the same name, studied law to defend Shinhwa, had to go to the court continuously. had to put up with Jun Media sneaky ways, got to manage the long negotiations with Jun Media to establish Shinhwa Company, got to keep the group intact all through those tough times. As the members stated, Eric struggled the most during this long journey until Shinhwa got their name back. He worked in silence, behind the scenes for Shinhwa & the fans. And we never heard him talking about what he did for Shinhwa for even once.

I’m soo proud of this group! I’m really lucky that I’m their fan. They’re incredible! Their long journey is full of life lessons that can even be taught in classes. Despite all the struggles they went through, Shinhwa never gave up and insisted on walking on the thorny path together as a group & even set up their own agency.

Happy Shinhwa Independence Day. We are SHINHWA! Always by your side ♥

SHINHWA since 1998: Full Albums (Korean) + Music Awards (Culture & Tourism/Fashion/Photogenic Awards omitted)

Eric Mun, one of the best leaders, if not the best, sets an example of what true leadership is. What has he done for Shinhwa that the group became the longest-running idol group?

Let’s start from the very beginning. After winning a street dance championship in the US, Eric was selected by Lee Soo Man in March 1997 & he debuted as the leader of the 6-member-group Shinhwa on 24 March 1998

In 2003, Shinhwa’s 5-year-contract with SM came to an end. At that time,many 1st generations groups faced disbandment, like H.O.T & Secks Skies. So it was expected that Shinhwa would disband too. When Shinhwa’s contract with SM ended, the company wanted to disband the group & offered solo contracts to only some members. But Shinhwa’s aim was that the 6 of them would stay together as a group and could not be separated. So, Shinhwa refused the solo contract offers with SM, which was undoubtedly a shock in the industry. So far no artist had ever dared to offend the big boss of the Korean entertainment industry, and they were the first.

So, what did Eric do to avoid disbandment and keep the members together after the contract expired? 

Eric, the leader who chose to keep his group together over money. His first priority has always been his group. 

“Honestly, others would think about this offer for a month, but Eric rejected them immediately, just to let the members be together.”

and to Eric, his choice wasn’t a sacrifice .. it was the best decision he has made in his life.

So after Eric chose Shinhwa over money & suggested moving to another agency, then came the next step. Leader Eric had to fight for the rights to “Shinhwa’s” name.

Shinhwa left SM among much controversy after refusing to extend their solo contracts. But since SM still owned the rights to Shinhwa’s name, so Eric had to put himself through a crash course in legalities to resolve Shinhwa’s contract issues. Eric was the one who negotiated with the management,& no one will ever know how much hardship he had to endure during the negotiations. Eric went to court against SM to retain the rights for Shinhwa’s name. He even studied law to find a way for Shinhwa to continue being active under the same name. He paid a HUGH amount of his OWN money to buy the name’s rights.. He went through hell during that period until in the end, Shinhwa left SM with the rights to their name.

Then Shinhwa moved to Good Entertainment. But unfortunately, not so many people were pleased with that decision & so they tried their best to bring Shinhwa down, asking them to disband like what other groups did back then. In 2004, a journalist once wrote an article heavily criticizing Shinhwa & blatantly used personal attacks on the Shinhwa members implying that they are failed musicians who try too hard with solo activities. He proceeded to slam Shinhwa with ruthless criticism, leading to a big media frenzy. It was then that Eric stepped up once again as the leader to speak out. He made a powerful reply to the reporter & published it on the Internet, asking for a more meaningful review. That reply of Eric went viral & found its way to the official school books in Korea, marking him as the 1st & only artist to have such feat. He ended the letter with: “It’s not so easy to see Shinhwa. If there’s anything, you can look for me.” & this line became very famous. Here’s an excerpt of his lengthy letter..

WOW! such powerful reply! Eric might be 4D & cute like a cute kid, but when someone of something threatens Shinhwa, he turns into a totally different person. totally dependable & trustworthy leader.

When Eric was at the peak of his success, being the nation’s flower boy after starring in the very popular drama “Firebird” in 2004, & dominating almost all CFs and he was dubbed the “CF King”at the time .. Many thought that he would leave Shinhwa & there were many articles released that urged him to go solo & pursue his successful career as an actor & rapper away from Shinhwa.

“I remember a conversation I had with Eric over drinks back when we were filming Firebird (Phoenix).  I said ’“It’s a good idea to go into acting.  Anyway, you can only be an idol for a few years, just make acting your lifelong career”. Eric turned serious and replied “NO! I’ll be with Shinhwa for  more than 10 years, for a lifetime. Please wait and see!” Firebird Director San Ray’s twitter (2012.03) He strictly showed to everyone what his top priority is, which is the group Shinhwa. Eric: “Shinhwa is everything. Without Shinhwa there won’t be the present me, and I would not meet precious friends and members who love me.”                  Eric: “Shinhwa is our root and it has to be our core.”

2008 - The group hiatus due to military service. Eric is always the leader who knew how to keep his word.

In 2008, Shinhwa held their last concert before the 4-year hiatus due to the army enlistment, & in that concert, they promised the fans that Shinhwa will come back after all members finish their military service. “Shinhwa will come back, please wait for us”

But .. during those 4 years of military service hiatus, Shinhwa was on the verge of disbandment. So the dependable & trustworthy leader Eric stepped up again to keep their promise to the fans & keep the group together.

and that’s how Shinhwa came back to us again, thanks to Leader Eric who lived up to his position as the best leader & the big brother to his group members. Couldn’t be more grateful to this AWESOME man! ♥

Eric: “Shinhwa must go on forever. Even if there is no company that wants us, we might just form our own company & carry on.”

In 2007, some members left Good Ent. (the company Shinhwa moved to after SM) & many people thought Shinhwa were going to disband. But the loyal leader Eric stepped up again and assured that Shinhwa will go on forever even if there’s no company that wants them, Leader Eric came up with the idea of forming their own company! He’s truly the leader that thinks ahead & seeks for what’s best for his group!

Eric’s efforts to gain the full rights to Shinhwa’s name.

But .. to establish Shinhwa’s company, there was a serious issue needed to be resolved. Shinhwa didn’t have the full rights to their name yet, since SM handed over the full rights of “Shinhwa’s” name to Jun Media Ent. in 2005. So before establishing “Shinhwa Company”, leader Eric went through a very tough time & had a loooong negotiations with Jun Media to use Shinhwa’s trademark. And Finally, after reaching an agreement, Eric’s dream came true & Shinhwa Company was established in 2011, marking Shinhwa as the first & only idol group to establish their own agency with their own name & personally run it. 

But due to many legal issues concerning Jun Media, so in 2012 Shinhwa filed a lawsuit & leader Eric went to court against Jun Media. He went through hell again with many trials & appeals & temporarily changing the company name to “ShinCom Ent.”. Until finally In 2015, Shinhwa won and gained the full rights to their name after 12 years.  This man, Eric, used to show up in varieties, all smiling & laughing, acting 4D & as 3 yrs old kid, while he had such hugh burden over his shoulders, fighting for years for Shinhwa to continue with their name. He makes me speechless!

The members expressed their gratitude & thanks to Eric as he was the one who struggled the most during the the whole process. Such a dependable Leader! 

The leader that always thinks of Shinhwa as family.

Eric always acts as the dependable big brother to all the members. “I always think of the members as my real brothers”. And as a real brother, Eric is always there for the members when anyone of them faces troubles & does his best to help the members out.

He is indeed the dependable, considerate & trustworthy leader.

As a reliable & selfless leader, Eric always thinks of Shinhwa before himself.

When he earned a large sum of money in CFs, he split up his pay and supported other members who had financial difficulties. When he was dominating CFs, he called the members to his house and gave them bonus money. He’s also filmed CFs originally meant for himself but he got the company to include the rest of the Shinhwa members.

Shinhwa’s appearance for China gag concert in 2015 was originally meant to have Eric as the only guest, but he refused & told the production team that if it wasn’t a SHINHWA segment, he wouldn’t attend. So, Shinhwa as OT6 was casted instead.

And for his solo activities , Eric always thinks of “us” before “me”!

To Eric, Shinhwa always comes as a top priority even before his solo work. When he does a solo activity, he does it because he knows it will benefit the group itself, not doing solo to shine away from the group. He does his solo work to promote Shinhwa.

Even when he gets a solo activity, he never decides on it by himself… Eric will first get the agreement of the members if there is something he wants to do for himself. If there is a solo activity that he wishes to do, he would first gather the opinions of the members & seek the agreements of all the members first!! .. Seriously who ever does something like this?!!!! .. such an attitude of his sets an example of what made it possible for Shinhwa to promote separately and together. 

  Eric & the other members’ solo activities.

Jealousy between the members? no not in Shinhwa. Eric has always been such a supportive Leader. Not being selfish & focusing only on his solo activities, but he always helps his members in their solo careers, showing ultimate support & encouragement to them & happily agrees to feature in their albums, and always expresses how proud he is as his members are doing great in their solos. While staying at home, he keeps on monitoring their performances & giving them very useful feedback & advises.

Eric: “Aside from our group activities, I’m really happy to see the members do well in their solo careers. If I can offer my help in any way, I’d like to help them continuously.”

& what does he gain in return for his massive help & as feat. fees in his members’ albums?! .. Pizza or sunglasses :D

Eric, the leader who leads from behind & puts the members in front. He doesn’t like to stand out and always stays away from the limelight, happily giving it to the members. 

and there is always that noticeable thing about Leader Eric. He has always been supporting Shinhwa from the back since debut. Never been bossy. He always stays away from the limelight, happily giving it to the members. You’ll find him standing quietly in the interviews. So humble & quiet to the extend that many people are still not aware that Eric is the leader of Shinhwa. This is because he is a man with few words and does not stand on the front of the group. His true features of taking care of his people shone brightly as him working behind the scenes. But when Shinhwa encounter a problem, he takes the front line, protecting the group & the members.

Eric Mun - The very humble leader!

Another thing about Eric is that he never thinks highly of himself!! he’s one of the most humble people you can ever meet. Like he’s one of the best leaders, if not the best, the trustworthy, selfless & dependable leader that’s been keeping Shinhwa for such a long time in the industry & still, he doesn’t think that he does something extraordinary!! 

Seriously, how can he even be this humble?!!.. Eric, you’ve been setting standards of how true leadership is! 

Whenever someone praises or says something nice about him, he’ll do some funny stuff to cut that person off & move to another topic. Like what he did in Shinhwa’s latest concert when Dongwan thanked him for him great efforts in getting the full rights to Shinhwa’s name back. Eric kept on kissing Dongwan to cut him off.

Or when someone praises his outer looks, & it’s known that Eric is one of the most handsome Korean celebs (he was once dubbed Korea’s handsome representative) but he never brags about his handsomeness for even once, and when others tell him that he’s handsome, he’s gets so shy & flustered & tries to change topics. 

and even though he’s the mighty Eric, with more than 20 years in the industry, regardless his fame, he remains the humble Eric who still bows 20 degrees to even the hoobaes & always bows, even 90 degrees, to the fans at Shinhwa concerts & on music shows. Eric really sets an example of no matter how famous you are, you should always be humble & down to earth with everyone.

The leader that always thinks of Shinhwa before himself

& he also doesn’t think he’s doing something extraordinary!!! 

and even during his solo activities, he seizes every chance to  promote Shinhwa & the other members’ solo work. 

The Leader who always protects Shinhwa’s signature color “Orange”

Since their debut & Orange has been known as Shinhwa’s signature fanclub color. When other idols tried to use orange, Leader Eric, quietly & wisely stepped up & defended the fandom’s color.  & recently, when some groups tried to use Orange as their color, Leader Eric showed up at Junjin’s fansign event, as a Bodyguard while Jinnie wore Orange. It was like he was conveying to others & to us that “don’t worry, I’m your bodyguard. I’ll protect you, us, & orange with all my might, heart & soul.”. Such a classy act from a very smart Leader!

Eric and Shinhwa Changjo

Along with leading the group, Eric takes care of Shinhwa’s fanclub too. Leader Eric has always been showing his love & appreciation to Shinhwa Changjo, always thanking them for their continuous love & support to Shinhwa. As I got older, I started to realize that there aren’t that many people who are with me, on my side, really. In my work, I’ve met many people who are out to hurt, people who gloat over misfortune, and those who try to end careers. I thought, there’s no one on my side at all. But I see all of you here, and you’re all on my side.” - Eric - 10th Anniversary Concert  

I can smile because of you, I exist because all of you. Yes! we make each other complete. - Eric to the fans.

He listens attentively to ShinChang’s comments & complaints & tries his best as the leader & ShinCom CEO to resolve any trouble the fans encounter. When SHCJ asked for the return of the orange raincoat, Eric listened to the fans & the raincoats are being manufactured now. When the fans said the tickets to the 2012 Big 4 Charity Concert were too expensive, he negotiated with the organizer and made it more affordable for everyone. At the same time, he never forgets to ask the fans to take care of their school or work & reminds them to not make their fangirling life affect their personal life. He, along with the members, always ask the fans to not skip school or work to come see Shinhwa. During Shinhwa’s promotions, it was snowing heavily, so when Eric went out of the kbs building & saw the fans standing outside, he asked them to go home to not catch a cold. Such a caring & thoughtful leader.

Then there is this meaningful quote of Eric, 

“It’s impossible for Shinhwa to disband now even if we wanted to. Shinhwa doesn’t just belong to us, it also belongs to the fans and people who love us.”

To any group, before disbanding, think deeply of this quote. Your group doesn’t just belong to you, it also belongs to your fans & people who love you!

Now.. With every anniversary we celebrate with Shinhwa, the group that debuted in 1998, let’s forever remember that the main reason behind Shinhwa’s longevity is Eric, the selfless, dependable, & trustworthy leader who always puts Shinhwa as a top priority over anything else..To him, the group always comes first. He really lives for Shinhwa!

Thank you leader Eric for all of what you’ve done & still doing to Shinhwa. Everyone of us appreciates your great efforts & dedication for Shinhwa. Plz continue on leading Shinhwa for more anniversaries & more success. 2gether 4ever, walking on the same road ♥

  Hi~! Welcome to Shinhwa Changjo Orange world :DEric’s style in leadership can be summarized by Nelson Mandela’s quote:“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”Eric is the best leader we could ever ask for! A loyal, reliable, trustworthy, a man of his words.He has always been supporting Shinhwa from the back since debut. Never been bossy. He always stays away from the limelight, happily giving it to the members. You’ll find him standing quietly in the interviews. So humble & quiet to the extend that many people are still not aware that Eric is the leader of Shinhwa. This is because he is a man with few words and does not stand on the front of the group. His true features of taking care of his people shone brightly as him working behind the scenes.“Eric isn’t a leader for nothing. His role as the eldest isn’t easy. Instead of standing in front, he has the kind of leadership where he takes care of things by the side. That is what made Shinhwa now” . -MinwooEric is a leader that thinks of Shinhwa before himself. When he earned a large sum of money in commercials, he split up his pay and supported other members who had financial difficulties. When he was dominating CFs, he called the members to his house and gave them bonus money. He’s also filmed CFs originally meant for himself but he got the company to include the rest of the Shinhwa members. During their China gag concert,  there was a whole segment assigned to have Eric as the only guest, but he refused & told the production team that if it wasn’t a SHINHWA segment, he wouldn’t attend. So, Shinhwa as OT6 was casted instead.When Minwoo had financial difficulty, Eric gathered money from the members to help him out of troubles & gave that sum of money as the members’ birthday present to Minwoo.Before pursuing any solo activity for himself, Eric will first get the opinions & the agreement of the members. Like what happened with his most recent drama “Discovery Of Love”. And such an attitude of his sets an example of what made it possible for ‘Shinhwa’ to promote separately and together.

A Leader who thinks of “us” before “me” while having solo activities.

When Shinhwa’s contract with SM Entertainment expired, Eric refused to sign a solo contract with a company that offered him a FORTUNE and decided to take the same path with Shinhwa members. He turned down that offer IMMEDIATELY, while others would think about that offer for a month.

“Eric rejected very high solo contract offers to ensure that the group stayed intact.“ To this Eric replied, “My choice wasn’t a sacrifice, it was the best decision I’ve made in my life.”  Couldn’t he be any more loyal & humble?!!

in 2003, following their contract expiration wz SM, SM wanted to sign wz only some members as solo artists, but Shinhwa & Eric refused & insisted on continuing as a group. Eric took the lead & negotiated wz other agencies alone to choose the best contract for Shinhwa (note that he was only 24 years old back then!). But moving to a new agency needed Shinhwa to gain the rights to their name “Shinhwa”. Eric really went through hell during that period, forking out his own funds to buy Shinhwa out. He even studied law after the contract expiration in order to find a way to continue being active under the same name & went to court against SM. In 2015 Shinhwa finally gained full rights to their name, & the members expressed their gratitude & thanks to Eric as he was the one who struggled the most during the progress.

In 2004,  A journalist once wrote an article heavily criticizing Shinhwa & blatantly used personal attacks on the Shinhwa members implying that they are failed musicians who try too hard with solo activities. Otherwise laid back, Eric, as the leader, was unable to sit still and made a powerful reply to the reporter on his website, asking for a more meaningful review. That reply of Eric found its way to the official school books in Korea, marking him as the 1st & only artist to have such feat.Eric & the members :). He is like the big brother to the other members, yet the youngest of them when it comes to playing pranks & joking with his members :). A caring, thoughtful, & dependable big brother whom the members always show their love & gratitude to. 

He always helps his members in their solo careers. Showing ultimate support & encouragement to them & happily agrees to feature in their albums. & always expressing how proud he is as his members doing great in their solos. While staying at home, he keeps on monitoring their performances & giving them very useful feedback & advises. Like what he did recently with Junjin, Wan, Syung.

& what does he gain in return for his massive help & as feat. fees? Pizza or sunglasses :D

Eric is truly the man of his words. In 2008: “Shinhwa will come back, please wait for us”. in 2012, Shinhwa came back, thanks to Leader Eric who gathered the members again & solved any misunderstandings between the members, in order to keep their promise to the fans.

Even during games, he keeps his promises.

Not to mention him seizing every chance during his solo activities to mention Shinhwa & the other members, and promote their solo activities as much as he can.

& Just recently, Leader Eric defended Shinhwa’s signature color Orange, which some other group tries to use as their fandom color. Eric made a decent tweet asking other artists to please refrain from using Orange. Then he showed up at Junjin’s fansign event, as a Bodyguard while Jinnie wore Orange. It was like he was conveying to others & to us that “don’t worry, I’m your bodyguard. I’ll protect you with all my might, heart & soul.”, like what he said. Such smart & dependable Leader!

Eric gives an example of no matter how famous you are, you should be always humble & down to earth. Leader Eric always bows 90 degrees to fans & other artists, even to rookies.

He’s indeed the Leader who lives up to his position the best.

Who lives for Shinhwa

Idol history written by Shinhwa

1. First idol to be a radio DJ: Shinhwa’s Kim Dongwan was the first idol to be a radio DJ! The members prank call made it an absolute blast. 2. First idol to act: Shinhwa was the first actor-dol! Eric was the first idol to be awarded Top Excellence award for Acting.

3. First idols to set up and run an agency: Shinhwa Company co-CEOs Eric and Lee Minwoo! It’s said that Eric even personally studied law for the company. 4. First long-running idol-only variety show: An idol-only variety show that went on for more than 1 year! It was possible because they are the famed variety genius Shinhwa.

5. First idol to be in an open relationship: A relationship is just that, outright open relationship! A true cool guy Eric who simply said he was in a relationship while on a radio show! 6. First shaved hairstyle: Idol shaved hair that was quite the shock back then! When everyone was going for the secretive yet pretty look, he alone went on the path of shaving his hair…

7. First to visit North Korea by road: Shinhwa was the first idol to visit North Korea by road! A historical moment with an unprecedented concert! 8. First idol to release a semi-nude pictorial: Idol semi-nude pictorial that was never seen again! And if there ever was another one, it feels like it’ll probably be Shinhwa to release it.

9. School uniform model for the longest period: A whooping 6 years! Shinhwa were school uniform models for the longest time! They are the first and last idols to wear school uniforms even after surpassing their 30s.

10. First idols to be models for suits: You can take it off now! Shinhwa takes off their school uniform for suits! After completing their military duties, they transformed into suited men and you can feel the sexiness of grown men!

11. First human model for Coca-cola Korea: The first appearance of humans in Coca-cola Korea’s CF! Shinhwa broke the ‘Coca-cola = polar bear’ formula! The 1 minute long commercial was even aired on prime time back then.

12. Original chair dance: Shinhwa’s ‘Wild Eyes’ was the first to try the chair dance. Lee Minwoo created the dance in 30 minutes for Shin Hyesung, who had injured his leg then! 13. First voguing dance: Voguing dance pioneers who follow the trends! It might be considered rather experimental but Shinhwa’s This Love was quite the success!

14. First rice wreath: The pioneer of rice wreaths seen at concert halls is Shinhwa Changjo! Started at Shin Hyesung’s 2007 concert! 15. Birth of Shinhwa Forest: Shinhwa fans are also re-writing records?! Set up via donations from fans, Shinhwa forest is good for the environment too.

16. First idols to hold 10th anniversary concert: Number 1 contributor to the lengthening of an idols’ existence! Shinhwa was the first idol to hold their 10th anniversary concert (in 2008). Not long ago, Shinhwa and Shinhwa fans successfully completed their 18th anniversary concert, and are continuing to rewrite history.

Shinhwa returns with their 13th album! Shinhwa released their new album at the start of 2017! The anticipation for “Touch”, the title track for their 13th album, is rising.

Their existence itself is a legend! Have a full of Shinhwa-pride day!

sr: 1boon Translation by malpabo.tumblr.com

In addition to #2, Eric is also the 1st idol to win Excellence In Acting Award or higher from all 3 networks:

Top Excellence in Acting Awards - Super Rookie (2005 MBC)

Excellence in Acting Awards - Invincible Parachute Agent (2006 SBS)

The ‘Three Meals A Day - Fishing Village 3’ was an attempt to revive the program’s original spirit with the strong focus on ‘Three Meals’. What added was the ‘cozy chemistry’ between the three brothers, Lee Seo-jin, Eric, and Yun Kyun-sang.

Especially Eric established himself indispensable to the show with his track record of 96 cooked meals for the Dukryang Three Meals family.

The nicknames such as ‘Culinary Genius’ or ‘E-chef’ tagged along Eric, whose cooking scenes made the best one minute scenes of the show.

We collected only the best recipes that made the cut - the ‘best one minute viewership’.

1. Tiny Octopus Bacon Stir-fry

The spicy ‘Tiny Octopus Bacon Stir-fry’ combined fresh, raw tiny octopuses with bacon.

First, chop onion, carrot, leek. And make a sauce using red pepper paste, soy sauce, and prune concentrate.

Cut the tiny octopuses into smaller sizes and marinate them inside a plastic bag along with thin bacon slices and the sauce.

Heat oil in the frying pan and stir-fry leek and garlic. Add the tiny octopuses and bacon to the pan along with all the other ingredients. Add pumpkin or cabbage to your liking.

2. Avocado Rice

This minimalist bento was the biggest hit.

First prepare avocado and other vegetables. Mix wasabi with tamari soy sauce for the dressing.

Put fried egg on top of the rice and mix with avocado, sauce, nori, and sesame oil to eat.  

3. Oyster Rice Porridge

[Oyster Porridge Artisans Place] The tasty ‘Oyster Rice Porridge’ that charmed oyster-phobic Lee Seo-jin is perfect for rainy days.

First, make stock using anchovy and radish.

Add onion, garlic to spice it up. Add watercress and garlic chives along with eggs for the final touch.