B2ST talks about being compared to 2PM & Big Bang

B2ST has been named the strongest competitor for Big Bang and 2PM thanks to their recent streak of success, but the boys themselves don’t think so.

In an interview with E Daily, the members of B2ST opened up about their competition and the direction of their career. The boys began, “We’ve been really happy lately, and have even begun wondering whether we’ve ever received such love since our debut.”

On 2PM and Big Bang, they revealed, “A lot of people compare us to Big Bang and 2PM and say that we’re at the height of our fame. Although we feel good hearing that, it’s also scary. We honestly think that it’s too early for us to hear such praise.”

They continued, “If we’re already at the height of our fame, then there’s no way to go but down. We still think we have a long road left and promise to work hard at everything as if it was our first time.”
B2ST will also be going on an Asian tour soon after their Japanese promotions. Countries include Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and China.

Cube Entertainment said, “Due to the requests made by fans in each country, we’ve decided to create a fan-meeting. Fans can consider it a tour concert in style.”

cr: allkpop

Idol groups under fire for excessive performance fees at university festivals

The National Tax Service has begun a tax investigation on idol singers and universities after receiving complaints that idol performance fees for university festivals have skyrocketed as of late.
According to information revealed by CBS and No Cut News on April 5th, the National Tax Service began investigations on March 15th by asking universities to fill out a form detailing, from 2008 to 2010, which celebrities they had invited, how much they were paid and withholding tax, whether a contract was used, how they were invited, and other related information.
One university representative claimed that they speculated tax evasion on the celebrity’s end to be the cause, as festivals are usually paid for in cash without material evidence.
CBS reported that in 2010, the following idol groups received an average payment of:

Big Bang – $45,000 USD
2NE1/SNSD – $25,000 USD++
2PM – $25,000 USD
B2ST – $17,000 USD
KARA/T-ara – $16,000 USD
SECRET – $14,000 USD

The numbers are alarming in that most of the payments were within the thousands, rarely ever exceeding $10,000 USD, a couple years ago.
The topic of overpaying celebrities has been a hot debate for a while now, with many of the belief that the money should instead be invested in facilities for the students. While a guideline is needed, the National Tax Service has no right to block or bring down the worth of a star in the market.

cr: allkpop