How to listen and watch Kiss The Radio?

To listen and watch Kiss The Radio, there are few ways. These 2 ways work well for me.

1) Online streaming sites
The streaming sites are by fans who have KBS KONG and they stream it online for other fans to watch. It is easy since you just need to go to their site, and you do not need to log in at all. The down side, slight delay in broadcasting and you are not able to leave message to the DJs. And if the adminstrator is not free that day, you will not get to see any stream at all.
Recommended streaming sites:
http://www.livestream.com/foreverasia
http://www.livestream.com/yososexy (This site stream Heechul's YoungStreet as well)

2) KBS KONG
This option is more complicated. You need to become a member of KBS first, download the software KONG, then you are able to listen and watch Bora of KTR. Good thing about this is that it is faster and you can leave message on it, where the DJs will read during broadcasting. Leaving messages on KONG is free. Here is the step by step on how to get membership and use KONG.

Enroll as member of KBS
Before you sign up, please get ready of a softcopy (jpeg or pdf format) of your identity card or passport. According to Korea government rule, all online site which require log on, request users to register using real identification.
Go to KBS website to register.
https://sso.kbs.co.kr/SSO/KBSWeb/foreign/ForeignSelect.aspx

Select Foreigner Living in Aboard

Click on to agree on Terms of Service and Privacy Protection Policies.
Fill up the identification check form. If you have your ID card ready, click on the ID card. Vice verse for passport.

After you filled in, a pop up window will appear, just click ok.

Fill up the form at the next page. Remember to click the "By upload image file", else you will have to find a fax machine to fax your ID copy over and hell knows when they will process your request!

Upload your softcopy of your ID and passport. Fill up the rest of the form and click the button at below. 

You will receive an email from KBS saying that they are processing your request. Then the waiting game starts. My registration process took about 2 weeks. My friend got hers within 3 days. So depend on luck I guess. You will receive a confirm email after your registration is approved. 

Next is to install KBS Kong.

You can download Kong software from here http://www.kbs.co.kr/radio/kong/install/index.html

Click on the new version of Kong. A window will pop up. Select the download link base on your PC system. Download and install it.

When you first on your Kong, it will prompt you for ID and password. Remember to select remember ID and password so it will not prompt you again the next time you open it.

How to use KBS Kong?

I'm still exploring it as well. Let me know if you found more features. :D

 Bora 

Click on this button, you will be able to see the viewable radio.

Write

To send KTR a message? Just click on this button and a box will pop up below. Just type your msg in.

 

Select 2FM for KTR.

How to check the bora schedule? 

You can check the bora (watchable radio) schedule at KTR official website.

http://www.kbs.co.kr/radio/coolfm/kiss/

Or at Kong window, there is a schedule button.

3) Mobile phone apps

Lately there is another way to listen and watch KTR, which is on your mobile! If you have iphone or Android phone, you can install the apps from the apps store.

Just search for "Kiss The Radio KBS", and you should be able to find the apps.

Tab on the spectacle icon, and you will be able to Bora! Have fun!

KBS Kiss The Radio

For an ELF, if you go Korea, one of the must go place is of course, KBS Kiss The Radio. It is a place where you can see Eeteuk, Eunhyuk and Yesung (currently replaces Eunhyuk as DJ for 2 months) almost everyday. So here I will post an entry of how to go, when to go and what to expect for KTR.

How to go?
KBS is located in Yeouido, Seoul. Yeouido is an island on Hangang river. Many broadcasting buildings are located there. There are 2 KBS buildings, KBS and KBS Annex Building, on that island, KTR is located in KBS, so make sure you go to the correct one.
The easiest way to get to KBS is by subway. Nearest subway is National Assembly Station. Exit from exit 4, go straight, and turn right into a road between two tall condominium alike buildings. Far in front you should be able to see the fences of KBS. Walk till you reach the fences and turn left. Follow the fence and turn right which is the main entrance of KBS. Climb up the stairs and you will see some glass windows room at the left. Kiss the radio is the one on far left. You won't miss it as there will be many fans around there.

Fan viewing area, outside KTR studio.

When to go?

I didn't do enough research when I first visit KTR, I went on a Saturday. Met a kind security guard and we then knew KTR only have live broadcast on weekday. Even so, it is not definitely will be live on every weekday too, so be sure to check the bora (live broadcast term in Korean) schedule on KBS Kiss The Radio website before you go. As it is an easy and open way for fans to see their idols, do check who is the guest for the night before you go. There will be less fans if there is no special guest. So if you only like Super Junior and no other else, go on a night where there is no guest or go after 11pm (Korean Time), because the guest will leave after the first hour.

KTR ends at 12pm so most probably there is no more subway back to where you stay. But Seoul taxi fare is relatively reasonable, so you can share a cab if there are few of you. Make sure you tell the taxi driver on where you want to go before you board the taxi, and the taxi meter is on before it drives off. Once one want to charge me 30,000won from KBS to Myeongdong. I waved him off and took another one with meter which cost only 9,000won!

What to expect from KTR?

You can watch KTR live stream from some live stream sites or directly from KBS Kong. So you know that sometime the DJs might do something special during live broadcast. They will open the mic to chat with the fans outside the studio occasionally. The DJs and fans are 1 rooms, 2 windows apart. The control room is between the studio and fan area. So make sure you have a camera with good zoom function and disable your flash when taking them. If you stay till the 2nd hour, wait for them to come out from the studio and carpark. Just follow the fans there, they know where they are going. You will be able to see them up close when they come out from the studio and carpark, and the DJs will wave at the fans.

To get a good standing seat at KTR is quite hard, unless you want to go there early in the morning to reserve a place with a piece of paper. Yes, you can do that. Write your name, contact and time you reserve on a paper and paste on to the floor area you want to reserve. I heard that fans do obey this rule but I never bother to do that. I just go there try to get a good viewing place without annoying the others, and good thing I'm not very short. :P

The view from fan area.

 MBLAQ as guest.

BEAST as guest

EeTeuk and EunHyuk DJ

2nd Visit to KTR

Reason for my 2nd visit, Donghae! The lady beside him is Jae from Brown Eyes Girl.

Why journey and fandom?

I had a blog long time ago, not a very well maintained one and I had hard time trying to load pictures to it. Soon facebook took over my interest over it until recently I found that I no longer can express myself in facebook. Why? Because big brother is watching....

So the thought of getting a new blog to share my interests comes up again. Hope this time I can be with it for a longer period. (LOL)

Why journey and fandom? Those who know me well knew that my life mainly comprises of two things, travelling and fandom. They are like oxygen and water to me. I work hard, not to have big houses or have many digits in my bank, but to (1) travel around the world and (2) fandom aka idols worshiping.

So I'll try to post my travel journals and idol chasing experiences here. Hope you guys find them useful, especially you have the same hobbies that I have. Cheers!