I really love this comment by jeeelim5 (the translator of the article):
"-Commenting as a regular reader, not as the translator-
Okay first of all, I hope SNSD does well in Japan, because they're Korean and I want people from my country to succeed.
But Kim Young Min, I have a couple of bones to pick with you.
"Girls' Generation's primary goal is to become 'No.1 in Asia', so it is essential that we construct a system for them..."
So what was our primary goal? What was BoA's or TSZX's? 'No.1 in my backyard'? (actually... that might have been kinda nice..) Do you even know WHY you now have the leisure to construct such a system? Do you THINK this kind of system would have worked if there had been no BoA or DBSK or Se7en or whoever else in Japan first to create a smoother path? HMMMMM???
In the wise words of music critic Kang Tae Gyu "Japanese fans have now become more familiar with K-POP thanks to Korean artistes such as TVXQ. The girl groups of today must never forget why they are getting to start off on such a good foundation."
and fyi, Young Min, let me take you through the history of DBSK, though you should know this WAY better than I do. One of DBSK's main goals when they debuted was to reach markets all over Asia, and not just Korea. That's why they were already in China in 2004 and debuted in Japan in 2005. So if according to you DBSK didn't really focus on the rest of Asia till their success in Japan (which I'm presuming you're implying either Summer Dream or Purple Line), WTF was everything before that? Their O Asia Tour? Their international HUG album? All the awards and overseas endorsements they received?
And oh this one.
"Seeing TVXQ, who were already top stars in Korea, perform on a small stage in Japan may have made people think that they were having a hard time when they weren't."
EXCUSE ME? EXCUSE ME?!?!?!
Are you trying to sell me some form of bull******* that DBSK weren't having a hard time in Japan. Do you think we haven't seen pictures of them performing O with handheld cord mics on a piece of black cloth in a small university in Japan right after their Grand Slam in 2006? Do you think we haven't seen them having to perform Proud on a staircase because they had no other place to perform? Oh let's not forget their dismal single sales in the beginning and those weird programs they had to go on to raise awareness of themselves. Oh and the depression they had because they were stuck in a country where they could barely speak the language. ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL THAT THEIR TEARS WERE LIES?!?!
ugh, I have nothing else to say to you. Have some form of respect for the two DBSK members who are still under your company, you vile being."
@Natalia: Well, I wish SNSD as a group all the best and I would love them to be succesful in Japan too, but SME is their company =/ As long as they don't come close to JYJ, I'm happy
