Kuala Lumpur, 27 June 2013 - K-POP enthusiasts will be dazzled by three of the biggest Korean acts - BEAST, 4Minute and G.NA at the AIA K-POP 2013 concert to be held at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur tonight. Themed “Be real. Love it. Live it.”, the event is the first ever concert sponsored by a life insurer in the country.
At a press conference held this evening to introduce the star-studded line-up, Bill Lisle, CEO of AIA Bhd said, “AIA has been privileged to do business in Malaysia for 65 years and this is something we do not take for granted. To celebrate this important milestone with the people who help us make a difference – our customers, employees, agency members and partners – we’ve brought a taste of Korea’s famous pop acts to Malaysia. The concert also provides the perfect opportunity for AIA Bhd. to connect with the younger generation.”
Present at the press conference was BEAST, a six-member boy group which achieved commercial success when they debuted in 2009 with hit songs like “Bad Girl”, “Shock”, “Fiction” and “Soom”. After their successful “Beautiful Show” international tour last year, BEAST is planning a comeback this July with a new album. Prior to the launch, the band had released their digital single called “Will you be okay?” on May 29 which topped all major music charts in Korea.
The AIA K-POP concert also features 4Minute, which derived their name from the belief that they could charm the audience with a four-minute-long performance. Comprising five-members, 4Minute made their debut with “Hot Issue” in June 2009. The group has two studio albums and five mini-albums to date. Their latest title track “What’s your Name?” from the mini-album “Name is 4Minute” reached the No. 1 spot on various charts, including Billboard K-POP Hot 100.
A solo act in Korea’s pop scene, G.NA has released two studio albums and four mini albums. The K-POP sensation has also acted in several Korean dramas as well as hosted and starred in various television programmes. Her latest single “Oops” from her “Beautiful Kisses” mini-album has clinched the top spot in one of the most popular Korean music shows called “K-Chart”.
“With Korean pop music now a phenomenon which is taking the world by storm, this concert will give us the opportunity to support some of the amazing talents Asia has to offer while capturing the interest, energy and real passion of today’s younger generation,” Lisle concluded.
Leading up to the AIA K-POP Concert 2013, AIA Bhd. had organized many fun contests and events, giving fans a chance to win concert tickets and exclusive AIA K-POP merchandise. The official AIA K-POP site www.aiakpop.com.my was launched in May to update K-POP fans on the latest concert news, photos and videos of their favorite K-POP artistes.
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For further information, please contact:
Darshini M. Nathan
Head, Corporate Communications
About AIA K-POP 2013’s Stars
BEAST is a six member South Korean boy group consisting of Doo-joon, Hyunseung, Junhyung, Yoseob, Gikwang, and Dongwoon. Since the group’s debut in 2009, BEAST has released one Korean full-length album, six Korean mini-albums, one Japanese full-length album and various singles. They have achieved significant commercial and critical accolades. Their new song Beautiful Night won Triple Crown on one of the most popular music shows in Korea, further proving their popularity in the region. The song also gained the #1 spot on many music charts.
4Minute is a five-member South Korean girl group comprising Ji-hyun, Ga-yoon, Ji-yoon, Hyun-a and So-hyun. 4Minute debuted in 2009 with the single Hot Issue. They have since released one Korean full-length album, three Korean mini-albums, one Japanese full-length album, six Japanese singles and various Korean singles. The girl group has held successful concerts across the world, including Japan, Australia, France and the United States. Their latest song Volume Up was released in April 2012.
G.NA, a Korean-Canadian singer, made her debut in 2010 and has since released one Korean full-length studio album, one international digital album, four Korean mini-albums, and various singles. A woman of many talents, G.NA has also acted in several Korean dramas, including Salamander Guru and The Shadows, Reply 1997 and Welcome to the Show. In addition, she has hosted and starred in TV programmes such as The M Wave, Doctor’s Penalty, Music on Top and Romantic & Idol: Season 2. G.NA released her fourth mini-album “Beautiful Kisses” early this year. With her new song “Oops”, G.NA has clinched the ‘K-Chart’ #1 spot on one of Korea’s most popular music shows.
About AIA Bhd.
AIA Bhd., formerly American International Assurance Bhd., is a leading insurer in Malaysia, where we have been privileged to do business since 1948. We offer a suite of high quality products including Protection, Health, Personal Accident, General Insurance, Employee Benefits, Retirement and Family Takaful options to meet our customers’ protection and financial security needs at every life stage. Through our wide and diverse distribution footprint which comprises a tied agency force of close to 17,000 members, our exclusive bank partner’s branches nationwide as well as corporate sales teams and brokers, we give our customers the choice of deciding how, when and where they connect with us.
Part of the AIA Group, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group, AIA Bhd. in Malaysia has the financial strength, experience, service centre network as well as a well-trained team of more than 2,000 staff to serve its over 2.6 million customers nationwide. As at end 2012, AIA Bhd.’s total asset worth was RM23 billion, with a paid-up capital of RM242 million.