Park Jin-young announces U.S. tour with 2AM

Korean singer and producer Park Jin-young will be performing in two U.S. cities with his latest boy band creation 2AM later this month, according to a press release by agency JYP Entertainment (JYPE) on Friday.

JYPE announced in a press release that its founder and CEO Park will be performing in New York on May 21 and in Los Angeles two days later, as the U.S. leg of his tour titled "2010 The JYP Tour with 2AM."

Now into its third year, the annual "JYP Tour" has attracted sold-out concert crowds in Korea since first kicking off in 2008.

The upcoming U.S. tour, JYPE said, is an "upgraded version" of the original gig, organized especially for the Korean-American communities and non-Koreans interested in K-pop music.

"With strong support from the local fans, Park Jin-young is working even harder to prepare for the concert ," explained an official at JYPE.

The concert will also feature four-member band 2AM, who rocked various music charts earlier this year with hits "I Can't Let You Go" and "I Was Wrong." 2AM members are said to be excited about their first-ever U.S. performance.

Park, 38, debuted in 1994 with his first studio album "Blue City" and has since released six more full-length records and mini-album "Sad Freedom" (2009).

In 1997, he established his own record label JYP Entertainment where he discovered and trained many new talents, most notably Asian superstar Rain. He was also the creative mastermind behind some of the most successful K-pop groups such as G.O.D., 2PM, 2AM and the Wonder Girls.

Park has often remained a source of controversy from his early fashion style -- he was notorious for performing in tight leather or transparent vinyl pants -- to his outspoken personality and openly sexual lyrics.

However, the singer is largely credited with paving the way for Korean artists to break into the American pop market, where he has written a song for Will Smith and introduced the Wonder Girls last year.

"2010 The JYP Tour" will take place at Manhattan's Roseland Ballroom on May 21 and Wiltern Theatre in L.A. on May 23. Tickets will be available on www.powerhouselive.net.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@