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February 11, 2008
Japanese Fans Launch Official Fan Club for Choi Ji-woo
Japanese fans have officially launched a fan club for Korea's top actress Choi Ji-woo, who has led the Korean wave by starring in hit TV dramas such as 'Winter Sonata', 'Beautiful Days' and 'Stairway to Heaven.'
The name of the fan club is 'Lily,' a flower which fans say well-represents Choi's pure and innocent image.
The official website of the fan club will open on March 1 after a pilot run. In the summer, the website will organize various events in which the actress will take part.
On lunar New Year's day, Choi unveiled a new year's message which she personally wrote on the website.
She also left a video message for her Japanese fans expressing her happiness over the launch of her long-awaited Japanese fan club. In her message, she also promised the fans that she will work hard to show her true self through 'Lily' and hoped she would be able to meet them in person soon.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1506727_11692.html |
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February 11, 2008
Hong Sang-soo抯 Film Vie for Berlin Award
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
"Night and Day" by Hong Sang-soo competes
at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival
While Korea celebrated Seollal on Feb. 7, on the far side of the globe, Germany greeted cineaste and cinephiles from all over the world for the 58th edition of Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which runs through Sunday. This year, Hong Sang-soo's "Night and Day" competes for the Golden Bear award while three other Korean films make their mark at one of the most exciting and large-scale film events.
"Night and Day" is Hong's eighth feature film and it is the first time the acclaimed director competes at the Berlinale. Known as an innovative minimalist, Hong had competed in Cannes with "Woman is the Future of Man" (2004) and "Tale of Cinema" (2005). Before flying to Berlin, he stopped by Geneva earlier this month because "Woman on the Beach" (2006) was invited to the Black Movie Festival.
A recipient of the 2005 Korean Film Council Production Support for Art Films, "Night and Day" was mostly shot in Paris. It is about a successful artist (Kim Young-ho) who, about to be arrested for smoking marijuana, flees to France, leaving behind his beloved wife (Hwang Su-jung). He meets a pretty art student (Park Eun-hye), and falls head over heals for the beauty and mystery of Paris and the young woman.
For the makers of "Night and Day," however, it was a rocky road to Berlin. There were deep financial hardships, and it became recently known that leading lady Park Eun-hye volunteered to star in the film with no guarantees given.
Park said in a statement that appearing in Hong's film itself was a great honor. The popular actress, who became well known through the hit TV series "Jewel in the Palace," had auditioned ― and failed ― thrice for Hong's previous works. She finally makes her big screen debut with Hong's piece.
"Night and Day" will be released in Korea Feb. 28.
Three other films have been invited to various sections of the Berlinale. In the Panorama division, newcomer Juhn Jai-hong presents his feature debut piece "Beautiful," which is about how a woman's mesmerizing beauty results in her own tragic downfall. Celebrated director Kim Ki-duk, who also produced the work, wrote the original story. Juhn has made a name for himself with his short films, among which "Fish" competed at Venice last year.
"Beautiful" will come to theaters here Feb. 14.
In addition, the documentary "Grandmother's Flower" by Mun Jeong-hyun is being screened in the Forum section. The diaries of Mun's late grandmother reveal not only secrets of his family's past, but embody all the tragedies of Korea's modern history.
Last but not least, Lee J.P.'s short film "Light My Fire" is part of Berlinale's Generation 14 Plus. The 30-minute flick is about a North Korean boy who loves Jim Morrison's rock music and escapes the country with a guitar to come to South Korea.
Korean cinema is taking part of the world film feast, with the Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) and Korean Film Council hosting a party and major Korean film companies participating in Berlin's European Film Market. On sale include last year's box office hits like "Le Grand Chef" (SHOW EAST) and critically acclaimed pieces like "Happiness" (Showbox/Mediaplex).
Particularly notable in the Film Market is the participation of INDIESTORY. It is the first time for Korea's leading distributor of independent films, and the opportunity is hoped to heighten attention to domestic independent films. Movies for sale include "Life track," a Chinese-Korean co-production that won the top prize at the 2007 PIFF, and as the omnibus film "Fantastic Parasuicides," which screened in Busan and the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/02/141_18682.html |
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February 12, 2008
Top Star Rain Joins WMA
Singer and actor Rain is set to launch his career in the United States. He recently signed a contract with William Morris Agency in Hollywood.
Rain's management agency said it has decided to join hands with an internationally renowned agency WMA. The two agencies will hold a press conference at Lotte Hotel in Seoul.
The press conference will be attended by officials from WMA and Warner Brothers and formally announce Rain's activities in the United States, including the opening of 'Speed Racer', a film featuring Rain.
WMA boasts a 100-year-old history, helping legends like Elvis Presely and Marilyn Monroe rise to stardom. It has also discovered actors, writers and directors that eventually took part in hollywood blockbuster films like 'Spiderman 3', 'X-Men' and 'Kill Bill'. In addition, the agency took part in producing and distributing popular TV shows like '24', 'Lost' and 'American Idol'.
International stars like Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Eminem also belong to the WMA.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1507021_11692.html |
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February 12, 2008
Singer-Turned-Director's 'Fearless' Endeavor
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Director Juhn Jai-hong, 30, speaks about his unconventional debut into the movie world in an interview with The Korea Times last Monday at a cafe in Seoul, before attending the 58th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)./ Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The nickname "Little Kim Ki-duk" after one of Korea's most celebrated filmmakers tails director Juhn Jai-hong ― especially now that his feature debut piece "Beautiful," based on an original story by Kim, won him a ticket to Berlin. But the nickname doesn't seem to bother the 30-year-old, who fearlessly jumped into the movie industry only three years ago.
"I like being called 'Kim Ki-duk Two,'" he told The Korea Times last week before leaving for the 58th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), which runs through Sunday. "Beautiful," which was also produced by Kim, is being shown in the out of competition section, Panorama.
"Kim Ki-duk is my idol. He changed my life," he said. "I saw Kim's film '3-Iron,' and was completely enraptured."
Born in Seoul, Juhn started receiving vocal lessons in the third grade. He moved to the United States at the age of 15 and after graduating from an art school in New York, continued studying the art of singing in Vienna. But upon graduation, he would attend an American business school there instead. So why now a filmmaker?
The singer-turned-business major-turned-director says it was all a part of preparing himself for his ultimate dream, cinema.
"I pursued the path of an opera singer for more than 20 years. I had completed my studies, but felt that classical music limited my expression. I also studied drawing as well, and I felt that cinema was the perfect way to express all these things together."
"I finally decided to do what I really wanted to do," he said.
And business administration? "Directing and business management are very similar. A director must lead the entire project and all of his cast and crew _ it's all about management," he said. In fact, he decided to study business administration in order to solidify his filmmaking pursuit.
Afterward, he moved to New York, paid $200 for a handheld camera and started shooting short films. That was three years ago. He soon had over a dozen short films under his belt, among which "Color" competed at the 2005 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.
"I had no fear. I had no knowledge about movies, which was what actually enabled me to do it," he said. Plus, being in Manhattan was a great advantage because there are so many venues to shoot and getting permits is relatively easy.
He finally met Kim by chance in Cannes, and told him how he wanted to learn filmmaking. He thought it would be the best way to learn, better than attending a film school.
"He was so kind and said, why don't you come back to Korea, and I did," he said. He went back to New York, packed his bag in eight hours and headed to Seoul. It was his first time in 14 years.
Juhn worked on Kim's crew team for "Time" (2006). He then made a name for himself when his short film "Fish" was invited to compete at Venice last year. It was during the post-production process of "Fish" that Kim handed him the synopsis for "Beautiful." He was given two months to write up the script, or else "leave quietly for New York," he said with a laugh.
And so he fearlessly explored the story. "Beautiful" is about how a young woman ends up being doomed by her own beauty. "It's a fairytale that's deeply rooted in reality," he said. Like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, the protagonist is plagued with stalkers. One of them rapes her.
Now, a few months later ― and an amazingly short shooting schedule, completing the film with just a dozen or so shoots ― he is heading to one of the biggest film festivals.
"Had I jumped into the film industry earlier, I don't think I would have arrived where I am now. I think the many years of waiting prepared me and intensified my drive," he said. Singing for example, helps him overcome his inhibitions. He learned to overcome his fears when hitting high notes, and does the same for movies.
"But with feature films, you must think of the results. You have a bigger budget and a whole team that depends on you. However, as always, I must isolate myself from my fear," he said.
"It's different from being confident. Having no fear is being true to yourself and believing in yourself,'' he said.
"I've read some critics say (after watching 'Beautiful') that I am a copy of Kim Ki-duk," he said. "'Beautiful' is an original story by Kim, and I wanted to respect that. But right now I really don't care. I'm still young and have much to learn."
Other than Kim Ki-duk, Juhn said he admires versatile filmmakers like Ang Lee and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and hopes to pursue a colorful array of movie genres and styles. In his next work "Doll," unlike "Beautiful," he will focus on the visuals, like color and form.
"I'd like to take one step at a time. When 'Color' was invited to New York, I wanted to compete the next time and I did with 'Fish' at Venice last year. I'm ecstatic that 'Beautiful' was invited to Berlin this time,'' he said.
"Filmmaking is like chocolate," he said. "You get a taste of it and keep craving for more. You never stop thinking about it"
Perhaps his next step may be to enter into the competition round. He smiled. Korean ― and world ― cinema have much to expect from this newcomer as he continues his fearless cinematic endeavors.
"Beautiful" will open across theaters in Korea Thursday.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/02/135_18761.html |
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February 11, 2008
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(5)] Tasting the mirage-like Korean Wave
In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the fifth in a series of essays by a select group of foreign scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.
Korea was hard-hit by the Asia-wide financial crisis in the late 1990s, which sent its economy in a tailspin. Korea's face-loving people were rather ashamed. Not too far away, fellow tiger-economy Taiwan heaved a sigh of relief that it was not embroiled in the financial turbulence. Some people in Taiwan probably were gleeful that their economic rival would be going down the drain. Little had they imagined that the Koreans would be demonstrating their perseverance in a fighting spirit, staging a rapid comeback by standing together at home and overseas while donating what resources they could - including personal jewelry - to rescue the nation's economy. Korea's national campaign to tide over the difficulty enabled the country to clear its debts to the International Monetary Fund ahead of schedule. What was even more exciting was yet to come. Emerging from the financial crisis, Korea went on to surprise its Asian neighbors by creating, in a graceful manner, what is now known as the "Korean Wave" of cultural exports that won the respect of its neighbors.
In Taiwan, the story of how the Korean Wave hit the island started with the import of Korea's TV dramas. The professionally made and artistically packaged Korean soap operas whipped up Taiwanese interest in Korean history and culture. On the other hand, any exports, cultural products included, must win a permit from the importing country before they are allowed in. The importing country needs also to be quite open and inclusive - and mature, too - to accept cultural imports. Taiwan is exactly such a country. An island that is 36,000 square kilometers in size, Taiwan has been overlooked for much of the past 400 years. However, its geographic position as a trade and military point d'appui has attracted sea voyagers, international traders, military adventurers and all sorts of settlers who now make up the main population on the island.
For whatever reasons, those who settled in Taiwan were mostly adventurous pioneers with little interest in entrenching cultural roots. This explains why Taiwan does not have a deep-rooted culture of its own. It also explains why there is no social atmosphere to resist foreign culture in Taiwan - a tradition that forms its generous and accommodating character. An absolute majority of Taiwan's inhabitants have their cultural roots in China, making the island a good stepping stone and testing ground for all foreign exporters trying to sell their products to China. Korean Wave products are no exception. Exchanges across the Taiwan Straits that began in the late 1980s, and China's rise as an economic power since the 1990s, have attracted a huge amount of Taiwan's financial and human resources, those in the entertainment industry included. Most of Taiwan's artists and performers, who share the same cultural roots with the Chinese, are doing quite well in China, partly because they enjoy a pop culture advantage over local Chinese, who look upon Taiwanese entertainers as their "compatriots." When Taiwanese suddenly realized that their favorite singers and entertainers had not appeared in the local media for some time, they knew they had moved to new stages and new theaters in China.
Before Taiwanese audiences became entranced by Korean TV dramas, they were not aware that they might have heard some Korean songs, or even sung K-pop in karaoke lounges. A typical example is the singer Hsu Huai-yu, who came to prominence in 1988, had helped popularize scores of Korean songs in the early stage of her career. Of the 10 songs on her first album, four - including "Fly Up" (original: "Sang Sang Sok Eui Nur" by Noise) and "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful" (original: "Do Si Tal Chul" by Clon) - were Korean songs. Five of the 11 songs on her second album, titled "Rushing Forward," (origina song composed by Kim Chang-hwan) were Korean songs, including one bearing that same title, and "Weird Animal" (original: "Wae Bul Rur" by Diva), to whose tune even kindergarteners sing and dance. "Ducks," (original: "Na Nun Na" by Zoo Zoo Club) a song made popular by Su Hui-lun, had its origin in Korea, as did many other famous songs sung by well-known Taiwan pop singers such as Jeff Chang, Jolin Tsai, Show Luo, Shin Band and so on.
"When I was a ninth grader, I first saw from cable TV what was being broadcast on Korea's Channel V: hit songs and music performed by H.O.T., Fin.k.l, Sechs Kies, Shinhwa and other bands. I was intoxicated by Korean performers' cool and dizzying styles; I immediately fell in love with their looks, singing and dancing. I have been enamored with them ever since," said Miss Chuang, an office girl in her 20s, of her first encounter with Korean pop culture.
She noted that it was around 1998, when she was struggling with the upcoming university entrance exams, that K-pop songs and dances, with their touching tunes and moving lyrics, gave her great comfort in the midst of great pressure to move ahead academically. She said it gave her great pleasure to realize that she was immensely surprised by the H.O.T. idols whose "damn cool" make-up and outfits were packaged as "the most evil juvenile group" - a most daring slogan. When she graduated from high school with high honors, she decided to continue her pursuit of her Korean knowledge by choosing Korean language and literature as her major at National Chengchi University, the only national university that offers such courses in Taiwan; there is one private university that also does so. Miss Chuang continuously won scholarships during her university years, a prime example of learning Korean in Taiwan. |
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Many of Taiwan's Cable TV channels and radio stations featuring variety shows would air programs about Korean pop music and entertainment news. These include the Channel V, MTV, English-language ICRT (International Community Radio Taipei), pop music radio HitFM, and other broadcasters. They regularly broadcast hit songs from Korea and Japan, helping fans in Taiwan to keep abreast of their Korean and Japanese counterparts, thus contributing a great deal to promoting Korean pop songs, and fanning the vogue of Korean language study.
A widow in her 40s who cleans houses for a living and who has to raise two kids, Miss Hwang is a great fan of the Korean singer Rain (Jung Ji-hoon), the male star in "A Roomful of Romance" (original: "Full House"). How entranced is she by Rain? She is willing to fly to Korea on a buying spree for ALL of Rain products before the Korean versions of his CDs and MVs are exported to Taiwan - with her own hard-earned money. When Rain performs in Taiwan, just like a 20-something fan, she buys the highest-priced ticket for the "honor" of being "touched" by her great hero, in the very front row. She explains that K-pop and Korean soap operas are "a miracle" that has added spice to her life and made her feel much, much younger.
Music knows no national boundaries. So K-pop naturally mixes into Taiwan's pop music. How about Korean TV dramas? Cultural affinity dictates that Taiwan's audience can easily catch the fine points in the similes of the shows - be they about traditional ethics, in love stories, about humor and comedy, husband-wife relationships, or those between kings and lords or among brothers and sisters. Some people may say that history is boring. But audiences' responses to Korean histories vary a great deal. The Taiwanese love ancient Korean history dramas for different reasons: some look at the stories as actual historical happenings, while others look at them from a more rational standpoint. Some even get angry over how the shows extol Koreans as "the greatest people on earth." No matter what, the fans all in unison in being drawn into the touching plots and the excellent skills of the actors. Mrs. Shen is a successful career woman approaching 50. She did not start to enjoy Korean TV dramas until people around her strongly recommended them to her. When she met the parents of her son's classmates, all she heard was about Korean TV dramas. Not wanting to be an odd woman out, she rented the whole series of "Dae Chang Geum" (original: "Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace)". She was almost immediately attracted by this court politics story full of human interest and ethical issues - as well as by the slit-eyed, scholarly looking male star who has the nickname of "women killer." She simply could not pass up this intriguing TV series.
A senior journalist, surnamed Chou, said, during a seminar on the history and theatrics surrounding Queen Min after a Korean TV drama series of that title (original: "Myung Seong Hwang Hu (The Lost Empire)", had been aired in Taiwan, that he would love to heap praise on the series. Chou, a history major who has served as chairman of a public radio station in Taiwan, said he could not resist the lure of the Korean TV series which so delicately and artistically tells a great Korean story. "As I have been too busy with my work, I have chosen to record each and every part of the series for a close look during my leisure time," he said.
While Taiwanese audiences were happily enjoying Korean TV dramas, Taiwanese actors had to take to the streets to bring attention to the threat to their livelihood. These actors were mostly those who could not speak local Taiwanese dialects. A majority of them were forced out of the job market because the ruling party that took power in 2000 promoted the mother tongue (Minnanese or Taiwanese) - a language spoken by the majority of people in Taiwan, and which is quite different from the Mandarin spoken by the so-called mainlanders.
Some of the Mandarin-speaking actors, sandwiched between government-promoted Taiwanese programs and the increased imports of Korean and Japanese TV dramas, had no other resort but to seek a new leash of life in China.
In 2002, some people in Taiwan called for a boycott of Korean TV dramas. The government was asked to ban prime-time programs of foreign content. Such calls, however, failed to dampen Taiwanese enthusiasm for Korean TV shows. It looks like Taiwan, as a market economy, will not shut its doors to foreign competition. Those who've been at ease for too long in Taiwan, enjoying a sort of protected cultural market, might actually be awakened to the harsh reality that real competition is coming from abroad.
Mr. Wang, who teaches Korean at the National Taiwan Normal University's Language Training Center, said he himself is not so impressed by Korean dramas or pop culture, but added that he was quite encouraged by the Taiwanese people's acceptance of the Korean Wave. In this phenomenon, he sees not only Korean TV dramas but also Korea's pop culture as a medium through which Taiwanese get in touch with Korea's overall culture - an exposure that helps them realize that Koreans have a different "taste" than theirs and that they can enjoy creative cultures from other places.
Taiwanese fans have found that Korean TV dramas are played out in quick tempo by highly professional actors. There are, to be fair, stereotypes of young and handsome "great lovers" with huge wealth, and beautiful and pitiable female characters who, tear-jerkingly, fall incurably ill. But it's not their sin to be handsome and beautiful if they act out life in all its forms and fashions professionally, bringing out the joy and laughter and tears from the hearts of an admiring audience. As for the K-pop lovers, they know that Korean singers and dancers far outdo their Taiwanese counterparts.
The success of the Korean Wave in Taiwan can be attributed to the cultural similarities and geographic proximity between the two countries, Taiwan's social milieu that welcomes foreign cultures, and the fine content and creative ideas of Korea's TV dramas and pop culture. Any particular popular culture usually will be phased out, sooner or later. But the Korean Wave may continue to sweep Taiwan because, in its various genres and styles expressed against the background of traditional Oriental culture, Taiwanese sense a different taste from that of their seniors. As long as the Korean Wave enables people to "enjoy dreaming" and to "taste mirages," it will keep gaining ground, even as a second wave pushes it toward the beach.
By Jennifer Pai
The author of the article is a journalist at the Central News Agency in Taiwan.
This was translated into English by Sheng-chao Chang, executive editor of CNA NewsWorld monthly. - Ed.
Source: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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February 12, 2008
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(7)] Bae Yong-joon: The image of South Korea
What is it about Korean popular culture that makes it so irresistible to consumers around the world? Industry professionals, economic analysts, and academics have been trying to figure out this vexing question for years.
One of the most common explanations is that Korea provided inexpensive entertainment at a time when the rising costs of television programming from Japan, long popular in other countries, skyrocketed out of the reach of most countries.
Although this factor may have played an important role in introducing Korean dramas and music to other nations, it cannot by any means be seen as a definitive answer to this question. Just because entertainment is cheap doesn't mean it will necessarily appeal to an audience -- a glance at American television proves that.
A second reason offered for the boom in popularity is that Korean dramas borrow heavily from Japanese "trendy" dramas, providing virtually the same type of entertainment at a lower cost.
Here again, though, the justification leaves something to be desired: Although many Korean films and dramas draw their inspiration from Japanese source material, the reinterpretation of this material is wholly Korean. A comparison of the 2002 MBC drama "Romance" and the Japanese drama that inspired it reveals several key cultural differences -- differences significant enough to render the two projects completely different. A third rationale, most often used to explain the popularity of Korean dramas, is that these works are based on solid moral principles, that the characters and their interactions glorify traditional values.
This is, in fact, somewhat true. However, it is interesting to note that in most cases the most moralistic characters -- cold-hearted mothers-in-law, uptight parents, stern authority figures -- are frequently revealed to be the most hypocritical, too. And while the story's resolution rarely, if ever, dares to question moral authority in an explicit way, it does offer viewers a chance to see that every culture has its weaknesses.
What, then, might account for Korea's sudden success in the global industry, taking it from unknown entity to global entertainment capital seemingly overnight? The answer, of course, lies in a variety of causes that happened to come together serendipitously just after Korea survived a devastating financial and cultural crisis.
Indeed, it is only by seeing the Korean Wave as a collection of phenomena rather than one distinct trend that we can understand its development and appreciate its success, a triumph that is far more extensive than the economic boom it has produced.
A different kind of wave
To talk about the Korean Wave is to try to define a phenomenon so complex, with cultural, political, and artistic significances so great, so far-reaching, that it defies classification. Hallyu's influence extends across not only national borders, but also into all areas of social and political life as well: It has played a key role in Korea's economic and cultural recovery, and influenced debates over the free trade agreement. It helped to ease tensions between Korea and Japan at a particularly difficult moment (the Dokdo crisis), and has brought communities of fans together throughout Asia and around the world.
Far from being just an economic trend, the Korean Wave has changed the cultural climate of Asia and its influence is being felt in other nations as well.
One of the biggest problems hindering Western critics' understanding of the phenomenon is that many assume that the term "Korean Wave" is meant to be a reference to other specifically cinematic movements, like the French New Wave of the 1950s, or the Japanese New Wave of approximately the same time period.
In fact, the term "Korean Wave" or "Hallyu" refers to a wave of a different kind. The phrase, coined by Chinese journalists in the late 1990s, is a play on words that equates the sweeping popularity of Korean culture with a cooling trend in the weather -- a "cold wave." To misunderstand it as merely the latest in a series of cinematic trends is not only to do Korean culture a great disservice, but also to miss the magnitude of the phenomenon.
Because of the myriad ways in which the Wave has created its unique magic, any attempt to pin down a single reason for its existence would undoubtedly prove to be as futile as trying to reconcile the individual opinions of the millions of fans who love Korean films and drama into one unified statement.
Face value
Rather than digging deeply into the economic and political influences that had to be in place in order for the Wave to take shape, I would like to take a look at a far more obvious, far more immediate quality apparent in recent Korean entertainment: Its aesthetics. More specifically, I want to examine the image more responsible than any other for selling Korean culture to nations around the world: the face of Bae Yong-joon.
In 1955, the French critic Roland Barthes wrote "The Face of Garbo," an essay that would became a touchstone for all studies of movie star images that followed. In a transformation straight out of a Hollywood movie script, Greta Gustaffson, an unassuming young woman from Sweden, became Greta Garbo, the Divine, an icon of beauty and desire, and a symbol of the magnetism of motion pictures.
Although other stars achieved notable success in the years that followed, none inspired the same hypnotic fascination that Garbo did. Barthes suggests that this is because Garbo appeared at a particular moment when the cinema still held a kind of religious or mystical quality. Garbo became a symbol of the magic of the movies.
However, despite her legendary popularity, Garbo's reign was brief, lasting less than two decades. By the late 1930s, she had gone into self-imposed exile, choosing anonymity over being forced to grow old in the public eye. At the same time, the technological advances that brought with them the introduction of sound and color to motion pictures changed films forever, replacing the ecstatic, devotional quality of the silent film experience with a more action-driven mode of spectatorship, making it all but impossible for a star to represent the kind of abstract idea that Garbo once did.
Some might find it surprising that a latter-day counterpart to Garbo would ever emerge at all, let alone, from anywhere other than Hollywood, and not from the cinema, but from television, but this is exactly what has happened in Korea. However, whereas Garbo's face was the symbol of an era in which cinema, an art created by the marriage of technology and industrialization, eased the shift from the traditional to modern, Bae Yong-joon's face represents a movement in the opposite direction, a longing, nostalgic glance back at a bygone era from one in which entertainment has become little more than empty repetition and in which every action, every emotion is telegraphed to the viewer.
If Garbo, for Barthes, represented an "idea," then the face of Bae Yong-joon is something even more basic: It is a medium -- the canvas onto which the idea may be represented. Like Garbo, he is at once unique and universal. His features, his actions, like Garbo's, blur the distinction between the masculine and the feminine, between the human and the divine. And like Garbo's, Bae's onscreen presence is not so much a performance as it is an attitude, like the posture of a figure immortalized in a work of art. |
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From actor to essence
Bae has become the personification of a love always desired, eternally sought after, but never experienced. His name no longer refers merely to a person, the actor, but conjures up an essence that is both separate from the characters he has played, and inextricably bound up with them, too. Here again, Bae resembles no one so much as Garbo, whose name became synonymous with an air of mystery, and whose attraction, as Barthes suggests, emerged from the interplay between her own face and its idealization as crafted by makeup artists and cinematographers.
Garbo, in her many roles, always remained Garbo; the public never lost sight of the performer-as-star, not because of a lack of talent or conviction, but rather because her overriding charisma insistently revealed the star behind the performance. Indeed, Garbo is not so much remembered for acting, for performing, as she is for being Garbo, for what early film critics referred to as "posing."
Like Garbo, Bae captivates audiences not with his performances, but rather, with his face, his image. Devotees, overcome by a near-religious fervor, flock in droves to see, to adore him; they make pilgrimages to attend his public appearances as they would to witness some miraculous apparition. His meetings with his public -- his "family," as he calls them -- are met with breathless reverence. According to one newspaper report, one Japanese woman gasped after finally seeing her idol in the flesh, "No I can die happy."
Interestingly enough, Bae's popularity is not, like that of Kwon Sang-woo or Song Seung-hun, based on his image as a sex symbol. In fact, many Japanese fans were disappointed after seeing his performance as the lascivious Jo-won in E. J-Yong's "Untold Scandal." For these fans, as is the case with many others, Bae Yong-joon, or Yonsama (a title of honor, much like Garbo's own title, "the Divine"), as he is known in Japan, represents a different kind of masculine ideal.
Bae has claimed time and again to be neither a particularly good actor nor unusually handsome. He modestly attributes his popularity to the power of the programs and films in which he appears, readily sharing the limelight with his co-stars and directors. This humility, this tendency toward self-effacement, further adds to the public's confusion over just who the striking young man with unruly hair, soulful eyes, and easy smile really is, and serves to further cement the bond that connects them to their idol.
In other words, because Bae's public persona is built around not words and actions, but attitudes and poses, his image remains somehow unfinished. It beomes, then, the work of fans to fill in the gaps, to create stories and fantasies of their own to complete the picture, just as it takes the Choi Ji-woo character to put the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle in place in "Winter Sonata."
Indeed, the public's perception of Bae is precisely that of an image, not an actor or a performer. Although Bae is far too critical of himself in claiming to be neither uniquely talented or exceptionally handsome -- no one could have achieved the kind of success that he has without considerable talent and good looks -- his observations do hold true in some sense: The reason fans are so drawn to him is clearly because, on some level, his overwhelming public persona is one based on the fact that, because they play such an active role in constructing the persona of Bae Yong-joon, they feel as if they actually know and understand him.
From persona to product
By all accounts, little is known of Bae's private life. This fact separates him from most of today's celebrities (certainly the American ones) who thrive on media attention. His image is conspicuously absent from scandal sheets, but can be found virtually everywhere else.
His likeness graces everything from socks to refrigerator magnets; from crystal plates to teddy bears -- objects sold to Koreans and to tourists alike. His image was immortalized on a series of Japanese and Korean postage stamps, issued, coincidentally, at a moment of tense political crisis between the two nations.
His face has launched at least a thousand ships and probably just as many airplanes, as fans from across Asia have traveled to Korea to visit the sites of favorite scenes television programs and movies to experience again, this time as active participants, the excitement they once felt as viewers.
Dating services that specialize in introducing Japanese women to Korean men have sprung up on the internet, and plastic surgeons report a significant growth in popularity of Korean stars as models for facial reconstruction. "Winter Sonata" has inspired an astonishing number of fan-authored fiction books in Japan, and has created close-knit communities amongst individuals who might never have known of one another's existence otherwise.
In fact, a magnet featuring Bae's photo graces the refrigerator of my own mother, who is the proud owner of all sorts of "Winter Sonata" -- and Bae Yong-joon -- related memorabilia, thanks to the tireless efforts of my friend Mac. Mom swears that she is Bae's No. 1 fan in the United States, although I think the competition for that title might be more aggressive than she realizes.
Both universal and unique
Korean dramas take as their themes common experiences such as unrequited love, economic hardship, and familial discord. These simple stories, with their focus on struggles between good and evil characters, are like fairy tales for adults, and thus, can appeal to audiences across socio-cultural divides. Because of their temporal structures, they hearken back to an earlier time, both in the lives of the characters (they often begin in the past) and in those of viewers (their "once upon a time" structure places the viewer in the position of a child, listening intently to a story).
As the narrative develops over a period of time, viewers become increasingly involved, eventually arriving at a point at which they may even see the frequent flashbacks that punctuate these works as not merely those of the characters, but, in fact, recollections of their own, given that they have several days or weeks watching the show, and as such, they are "remembering" this material too. The boundary between personal experience and viewing experience begins to erode away.
More significant than any of these considerations, though, at least for foreign viewers, is Korea's own status as "forgotten" nation. In his work on the subject, cultural critic Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park argues after a long history of being overlooked by the rest of the world, Korea has finally achieved the means (the Korean Wave) by which to go from being a "forgotten" nation to an "unforgettable" nation, and making "the Koreanization of world culture possible."
Magnan-Park's observations are particularly valuable for understanding the appeal of the Korean drama: Because viewers outside of Korea, including those in Japan, know so little about the country's culture, Korea, the nation and the setting of the drama, is both an "everywhere" -- a space defined not by geography, but by time -- and at the same time, a locale with fascinatingly different customs and behavior.
Korea, then, is both a real place -- a country that triumphantly emerged from the jaws of financial and political crisis to become one of the most important economic and artistic presences of the 21st century -- and a fictional site, populated by beautiful, polite people and filled with intrigue and excitement. Fans flock to the real Korea in search of the fictional one, but are evidently never disappointed in discovering this difference.
Here, again, it is important to recognize that the true power of the Korean Wave rests not only in its potential for economic exploitation -- that it is not a merely commercial venture. From a more distant perspective one may clearly see all of the exciting possibilities for cultural education and exchange that the Wave has provided -- capable of enticing legions of fans to learn more about the history, culture, cuisine, and language of the country they have only recently "discovered" through the magic of television.
What image, then, could better represent not only this phenomenon, but also the nation itself, than the face of Bae Yong-joon, which, like the Korean settings of his dramas, blends a reassuring familiarity and singular attractiveness? Bae's face, at once impassive and yet filled with the potential for emotion, both eternal and ethereal, has emblazoned itself on the minds of his adoring public and sparked a greater interest in Korean culture than anyone has ever seen before.
Korea has become the dream factory that Hollywood once was, and although the Korean Wave may one day fade from memory, its effects will remain. Korea is no longer, and will never again be a forgotten nation, and one of its most lasting images will most certainly be that of Bae Yong-joon.
By Robert L. Cagle
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ |
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February 13, 2008
Advertising queens but film flops
Despite being a hit in commercials, these Korean stars seem to be losing their box-office appeal
By Chang May Choon
KOREAN beauties Jeon Ji Hyun, Kim Tae Hee and Han Ye Seul have one thing in common - they are every advertiser's dream come true.
Hailed as A-list stars, they make headlines whenever their new TV commercials get aired. And products fly off the shelves when their lovely smiles beckon consumers. Ironically though, these Queens Of Endorsements have turned out to be every movie investor's worst nightmare.
While there is always plenty of media hype before the release of their new films, their lacklustre box-office results is prompting critics to question their acting credibility and ticketing appeal. Willowy babe Ji Hyun, of My Sassy Girl fame, is the latest to be labelled a box- office flop, despite her commendable effort in trying to shed her picture-perfect image.
In her new comedy A Man Who Was Superman, she plays a chain-smoking, workaholic TV news producer who stumbles upon a man (Hwang Jung Min) who claims to be superman.
BREAKTHROUGH ROLE
It is considered a breakthrough role for her, as she reportedly made the ultimate sacrifice of smoking a cigarette for the first time in her life. To look her part, Ji Hyun, 27, also cut a fringe and messed up her signature silky straight tresses that helm a shampoo brand. She also appeared without a trace of makeup. But her efforts don't seem to have paid off.
Despite reasonably good reviews, The Chosun Ilbo reported that A Man Who Was Superman drew a disappointingly low number of 200,000 admissions in the first week of its release on 31 Jan in Korea. Industry experts were surprised, as the film also boasts two other trump cards - critically-acclaimed director Jeong Yoon Cheol (Marathon) and award-winning actor Jung Min (You Are My Sunshine).
A clearly-puzzled industry source told The Chosun Ilbo: 'Aren't fans waiting for (Jeon Ji Hyun) to break out of her Advertising Queen image and become a true actor?'
So, what went wrong?
One hint came from a trend study by Sports Seoul newspaper last month, which showed that big names in movies and box-office results are now in 'inverse proportion'. With cinema-goers becoming more sophisticated and demanding, A-list names are no longer a big enough draw - especially those who are not 'equipped with confident acting skills'.
Actress Tae Hee, for one, is lauded for her beauty and intellect - she graduated from the elite Seoul National University - but gets butchered for her lousy acting. When her two films - sci-fi flick The Restless in 2006 and action comedy Venus And Mars last December - both flopped in the box-office, critics were quick to put the blame on her.
In Venus And Mars, the 28-year-old stars as a hot-tempered glass artist who often gets violent with her husband (Sol Kyung Gu) whom she hates.
EXTREME MAKEOVER
Some reports raved over her extreme makeover and compared her to Angelina Jolie in Mr And Mrs Smith. Tae Hee's co-star Kyung Gu also praised her performance, adding that 'she hits you to the point where she hurts her own fist', reported The Korea Times.
The Chosun Ilbo noted that Tae Hee worked so hard during her movie promotional period that she fell sick and almost lost her voice. The paper also said in a separate report that a major problem in Venus And Mars was that it did not explain why the couple was fighting so vehemently.
The actress herself revealed during a media conference that she is not as demure as she appears to be. 'My brother calls me 'iron foot' because I used to kick him a lot. Once I broke a window trying to get him when he escaped to the veranda.'
But when the film drew mixed reviews and a mere 328,000 admissions after it opened on 13 Dec, detractors quickly fingered her bad acting as the sole cause. Meanwhile, Tae Hee has taken the torrent of criticism in her stride. She told The Chosun Ilbo that online criticism of her used to make her feel 'frustrated and angry to the point of not wanting to live anymore'.
'But at the same time, something inside me refuses to accept those comments and drives me to work harder to get recognition one day.' Luckily for her, her box-office failing has not affected her advertising appeal. A recent survey named her as the most preferred TV advertisement model by marketing companies in the second half of 2007, beating the 'unshakeable' No.1 queen, Ji Hyun.
Tae Hee is the face of at least six popular brands, including LG Cyon mobile phones, Hera cosmetics and Olympus camera. Just last month, Prugio condominiums signed her up as its latest spokesmodel, replacing actress Kim Nam Joo who helmed the brand name for the past five years.
FRONTING BIG BRANDS
Also doing well in advertisements despite failing at the box-office is feisty babe Ye Seul, 26, whose latest feat is becoming the face of sports giant Reebok. Never mind that her big screen debut Miss Gold Digger, last December, was a major flop with only 269,000 admissions.
The Korean-American actress, who shot to fame in late 2006 in the drama Fantasy Couple, plays a calculating woman out to hunt for a rich and capable husband. The Korea Herald slammed the film's 'shambolic product placement'. The Chosun Ilbo said although she was 'outrageous but cute' in the movie, she shared little chemistry with her male co-stars. But it seems that advertisers still adore Ye Seul.
American denim wear James Jeans recently appointed her as spokesmodel and she got to design and launch her own line of Leslie Jeans, using her own English name. With the Reebok endorsement, Ye Seul is also slated to appear in promotional activities with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson and China's basketball hero Yao Ming.
Perhaps the most seasoned box-office poison of them all is Ji Hyun, something of a one-hit wonder as all her films after the 2002 hit My Sassy Girl have bombed. But the face of Samsung Anycall mobile phone and Elastine haircare never gives up trying to challenge herself in unusual roles that may or may not bring in the audience.
She told Dong-A Ilbo last month: 'I feel easy about living as an actress and getting older as an actress. 'I think I will have more to show...in the future. It's because I think I can slowly improve.'
Source: The Electric New Paper
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/show/story/0,4136,156154,00.html |
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February 13, 2008
Korean Director's Film Draws Praise at Berlin
Director Hong Sang-soo's eighth film 揘ight and Day |
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Popular singer Rain holds press conference
Feb. 13, SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean pop idol Rain holds a press conference at Seoul's Lotte Hotel on Feb. 13 to talk about his plan to make inroads into the U.S. entertainment industry via the William Morris Agency, a U.S.-based global talent agency. (Yonhap)(END)
Source: http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/YNA/ ... ticlePhotoMain.aspx |
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February 13, 2008
Korean Rain Splashes on Showbiz Agent Giant
 
South Korean singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, also known as Rain, attends a press conference in Seoul to officially sign with the William Morris Agency, on Wednesday, February 13, 2008. [Photo: mydaily]
South Korean heartthrob Rain has joined the William Morris Agency, the world's largest talent agency and the creator of such legends as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
The 25-year-old Korean singer, actor and hip-hop dancer announced his new agent at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. Pan-Asia phenomenon Rain is constantly referred to as Asia's Justin Timberlake. He hinted at taking the opportunity with WMA to break into the Western world.
A WMA representative said at the press conference that Rain is likely to star in a Hollywood ninja movie soon. Rain's latest Hollywood effort is in the Wachowski Brothers' racing film, "Speed Racer," which is slated to open in May.
He also toured the United States in June last year, but his shows were postponed due to a lawsuit involving a U.S. band with the same name. The star, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, told the press on Wednesday that though his father expects him to proudly carry the name of the Jung family, he is partial to his stage name.
Source: Crienglish.com
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2008/02/13/[email protected] |
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February 14, 2008
Hollywood Calls for Rain
Rain speaks at a press conference held to announce
a strategic partnership between his agency J.Tune and the William Morris Agency
of the U.S. at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday. /Yonhap
Korean pop idol Rain has snagged his first leading role in a Hollywood film. The singer and actor told a press conference at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday that he has been cast as the hero in the action movie "Ninja Assassin".
The movie is to be produced by Joel Silver, the producer of "V for Vendetta," and the Wachowski Brothers, the directors of "The Matrix."
"It's such a huge opportunity that I feel like I'm dreaming," Rain said. "I'm not only working out to lose weight and training to build the perfect body, I'm also studying English hard."
This won't be Rain's first Hollywood movie. He recently shot a supporting role in the Wachowski Brothers' "Speed Racer", which is scheduled to open in theaters in May.
"You'll see Korean characters appear in some scenes in the movie," Rain said with a grin. "That's because I lobbied and sometimes pressured the producers to feature the Korean language."
Credits: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 2/200802140011.html |
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February 13, 2008
Ha Hee-ra Appears in Musical for the First Time in 10 Years
Actress Ha Hee-ra will make her first musical appearance in ten years.
Ha will co-star in the musical 'Goodbye Girl' with Jung Sung-hwa which will open at the Baekam Art Hall on March 28.
Ha will take on the role of 'Paula,' a beautiful divorcee and former successful Broadway dancer who gets her heart broken repeatedly by the men in her life.
'Goodbye Girl' is a romantic comedy musical based on a 1977 film written by famous U.S. playwright Neil Simon. Added to Simon's witty script is music by Marvin Hamlisch, well-known for his music in 'Chorus Line.'
Ha, who appeared in Simon's 1991 play 'I Ought To Be in Pictures,' said it was not an easy decision to return to the stage but said she really wanted the part as a huge fan of Simon's works.
Jung said she is honored to take part in a musical by a writer she has always respected and is happy to co-star with the veteran actress. She said she hopes to portray her unique sense of humor to the audience.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1507170_11692.html |
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February 14, 2008
Park Jin-young Top Celebrity Shareholder in Korea
Korea's top music producer Park Jin-young, who helped the Wonder Girls rise to stardom last year with their song 'Tell Me,' is the richest celebrity shareholder in Korea.
According to a recent assessment by Chabul.com, CEO of JYP Entertainment Park Jin-young held the largest shares out of all celebrity CEOs and celebrity shareholders of listed and unlisted companies in Korea, with shares worth 28 million dollars.
Hallyu star Bae Yong-jun who owns 4,344,602 (34.36%) shares of Keyeast Inc. came in second with shares worth 20.4 million dollars.
Coming in at number three in the rankings was Lee Su-man, the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment, a KOSDAQ listed company. His shares are worth 9.2 million dollars.
Following close behind was Joo Byung-jin with 8.7 million dollars and singer Rain with 8.3 million dollars.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/entertainment/1507359_11692.html
Park Jin-young Richest Entertainer in Stocks
By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
Singer and producer Park Jin-young is the richest entertainer in terms of stocks, followed by actor Bae Yong-joon, an analysis showed.
According to Chaebul.com, a business portal, Park, who runs JYP Entertainment, has 28 billion won worth of stocks. He has a 32.2 percent stake in the major artist management and record label company, which is not listed on the stock market yet.
Estimating the value of JYP Entertainment at 36,499 won per share as of the end of 2006, Chaebul.com said Park's stake in the firm amounts to 28 billion won. When considering the improved performance of the business recently, the value of the entertainment guru's stocks should be even higher now.
"JYP Entertainment achieved remarkable growth, recording 9.7 billion won in sales and 860 million won in net income in six months through its group Wonder Girls," the portal explained. The entertainment management firm's five-member girl band captivated the public with its hit song, "Tell Me" last year.
Analysts estimate JYP Entertainment may be considering a backdoor listing, through a merger with another company listed on the bourse.
Bae Yong-joon, who has become one of the most marketable Korean actors in Asia after the success of his TV drama "Winter Sonata," was the second richest shareholder in the entertainment business. He has a 34.4 percent stake in Key East, an entertainment company listed on the junior KOSDAQ. Bae's stocks in the firm are estimated to be worth 20.4 billion won.
Key East once rose to over 70,000 won per share after Bae acquired stocks in the firm, but it fell to around 5,000 won recently as entertainment stock lost steam.
Lee Soo-man, the biggest shareholder of artist management firm S.M Entertainment, the first entertainment business listed on the stock market, is estimated to have 9.2 billion won worth of shares, ranking as the third richest stockholder in the entertainment business.
Singer Rain, who has a 14.8 percent stake in J. Tune Entertainment, worth 8.3 billion won, is the fifth wealthiest entertainer in terms of stocks, after former comedian Joo Byung-jin, who owns Good People, an underwear manufacturer listed on the bourse.
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/02/123_18927.html |
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February 6, 2008
Upon the Chinese New Year, Lee Dae-hae prepared presents for all her staffs
For the staffs of SBS TV Wed-Thu drama "Robber", which she is currently starring in, she prepared health products for everyone. And she visited every one of them to say her thanks.
One of the staff said, "At the beginning we were worried about Lee Da-hae whether she could cope with so many crying scenes and tight shooting schedules. But she's doing a fabulous job and is an excellent character. It's too great that she had prepared such kind surprise for all the staffs because they gave up their Chinese New Years holidays to shoot the drama".
Lee Da-hae said, "Occasionally when I feel unwell or tired, I take those healthy products, which are immense help to me in present tight shooting schedules. And I thought that our staffs would need these more than I do, because they have to work in much harder conditions than I am".
Translated at hancinema.net
From original article at http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service ... &newssetid=1352 |
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February 10, 2008
[Style] The 4 female actors "stepping out of their comfort zones"
"Stepping out of the comfort zones"
Literally, an actor makes their living through their outer image. Thus they undergo an endless changes and transformation in order to unfold their hidden charms. Recently, the female actors who had been hidden under the tag of being 'sexy' or 'innocent' took a critical counterattack to bring out their true charms.
Korea's No.1 sexy beauties Jeon Ji-hyeon and Kim Jeong-eun transformed themselves into free and easy-going characters without any make-ups; and the No. 1 innocent beauties, Son Ye-jin and Lee Bo-yeong brought out their strong femme fatale sexiness. The following is the stories of HOT ladies' transformations in their HOT movies.
■Sexy beauty → Innocent beauty
▶ "A Man Who Was Superman" : Jeon Ji-hyeon
In her film, "The man who was a superman" (CJ Entertainment Co., directed by Jeong Yoon-cheol) Jeon Ji-hyeon transformed into a TV station producer and took away her previous image of having the perfect 'S-line' body.
Many agree that the boyish attractiveness in Jeon Ji-hyeon was rediscovered in her loose T-shirt and pants without any make-ups and jewelleries. With black and white as the main style, other colours were excluded and a fashionable bracelet was replaced by a black hair band which has a functional advantage of tying her hair whenever she requires.
The costume designer, No Mi-rye explained, "The director wanted practical and humble costumes for his characters. In order to satisfy his request, the new clothes and shoes were reformed to look worn out. It was quite a hard process because even the worn-out-looking costumes look stylish on Jeon Ji-hyeon. But we were able to bring out the boyish charm in her".
▶ "Forever the Moment" : Kim Jeong-eun
Kim Jeong-eun, who was known for her stylish sexy dresses on various red carpet occasions have turned into a handball player without any make-ups in her latest film "Forever the Moment" (MK Pictures, directed by Lim Soon-rye). Throughout the film, she only wears blue and red sport uniforms.
Even though she wears the casual clothes every now and then, she excluded all jewelleries and wore simple semi-formal suits in achromatic colours. Instead, some extra details were added on her uniforms to bring out styles in it. On a standard Adidas uniform worn by the existing players, the body contour line was added to emphasise the body lines. Also instead of adding various colours to the uniforms, only inner arms and the waist had the colour contrasts to emphasise slimness of the body.
The costume designer, Ko Hee-jung said, "Because Kim Jeong-eun has very stylish and sophisticated image as well as having long arms and legs, she looks fantastic even with just simple T-shirt. The gallant details were reduced and the simplicity was the key word in the designing process".
■ Innocent beauty → Sexy beauty
▶"Open City": Son Ye-jin
The leader of Korea's best innocent beauty is, of course, Son Ye-jin. Even so, in her latest film, "Open City" (SsamI Vision, directed by Lee Sang-ki) she transformed into a fatal sexy beauty. However, she is different to previous femmefatale characters, such as Kim Hye-soo from "The War Of Flower" or Lee Hye-yeong from "The Devil's Game".
Instead of the extreme exposure, she emphasised the sexiness from various costume materials such as silk, glittering gold and spandex. Particularly, the variety of hair styles including pony-tail and long permed hair; and the nail arts enhanced the overall style.
The costume designer, Han Song-kyung explained, "In the film, there is a scene where Son Ye-jin wears a leather beret and a scarf, which was entirely her idea. Because she has the pure image of first love by many male fans, the focus was to emphasise the mysterious attractiveness within her rather than look for femmefatale sort of sexiness in her".
▶"Once Upon a Time": Lee Bo-yeong
The innocent beauty, Lee Bo-yeong transformed into a lean 'S-line' bodied sexy jazz singer in "Once Upon a Time" (Won Entertainment, directed by Jeong Yong-ki). As a jazz singer, the sexy and splendorous costumes were essential. Most of her costumes were made out of red, black and gold with sparkling pearl.
In the process of costume making, silk was the main fabric to be used to emphasise the feminine body line, as silk effectively brings out the body contours. And there were deep cuts at the back and the breast and hip lines were designed tight. Thus successfully bring out luxurious sexiness of the Hollywood female stars like Marilyn Monroe.
The costume designer, Yang Min-hye said, "The context of this film is 1945 and the modern boy and girl look of the time has similar sophisticated aspects of present contemporary styles. And I thought rather than wearing separated two-piece dresses, it would fit the time better if Lee Bo-young wear one-pieced dresses instead".
Translated at hancinema.net
From original Korean article at http://news.naver.com/main/read. ... 0001939143&iid= |
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February 11, 2008
Kwon Sang-woo on world trip for a month after finish shooting "Bad Love" on 11th
Actor kwon Sang-woo is planning a month trip around the world after finishing 3-months-long shooting of KBS 2TV "Bad Love" on 11th. The end of "Bad Love" meant kwon Sang-woo's have successfully completed his comeback to TV dramas after 2 years long break.
After his hit drama, "Stairway to Heaven", kwon Sang-woo spend a considerable time deciding his next drama before he finally chose "Bad Love". Ever since, he devoted himself into the drama. Even though the viewing rate wasn't as high as expected due to the strong dominance from "Yi San" and "King and I", kwon Sang-woo's excellent performance won the viewers' praises.
His spokesman said, "He literally put himself into the character of Yong-ki for last 3 months and he did everything within his power to bring this character into life. After the drama, he's planning on a month trip around the world to do all the commercial and photo shootings which were set aside until now because of the tight drama shooting schedules.
Starting from Guam, kwon Sang-woo will be visiting Thailand, Australia and the US during his break. In the meantime, his delayed photo and commercial shootings will take place.
After his one-month-long holiday in February, kwon Sang-woo will be coming back close to the release of his upcoming film, "Destiny".
Translated at hancinema.net
From original Korean article at http://news.naver.com/main/read. ... 0001939016&iid= |
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February 14, 2008
Korean stars in Berlin
Actors Kim Young, left, and Park Eun-hye, center, and director Hong Sang-soo take part in a ceremony at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival, Tuesday. Their film 揘ight and Day |
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February 15, 2008
Kim Jung-hoon Releases Single Album in Japan
Actor/singer Kim Jung-hoon will resume his singing career by releasing his fourth single album entitled "Tears" in Japan on Feb. 20.
The album contains three tracks, two cheerful ones befitting the atmosphere of the spring and a melancholy one.
Kim will hold an event in Tokyo on Feb. 27 to mark the release of the album. On March 1, he will hold two fan meetings and high-touch events in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Kim drew attention for his excellent acting skills in the TV drama "Princess Hours" and in October last year released the album "Eternity." He also successfully held his first solo concert tour in Japan, which covered Fukuoka, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo and which brought him wider recognition as an artist.
After releasing his fourth single album and holding fan meetings in Japan, Kim will finally return to Korea.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mconten ... /1507540_11692.html |
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Author
