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April 1, 2009
Rain Sued Again for Concert Cancellation
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Singer Rain
South Korean pop singer "Rain" faces another multi-billion dollar lawsuit for the abrupt cancellation of his world tour concerts between 2006 and 2007.
The 26-year-old singer and actor, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoo, has already been ordered by a U.S. federal court to pay about $8 million to Hawaii promoters for canceling a 2007 concert in Honolulu, one of the artist抯 35 worldwide concert destinations.
This new lawsuit against Rain and his then-agency, JYP, was filed by Star M, a domestic concert promotion company. It seeks 4.57 billion won ($3.34 million) in compensation from the entertainer and JYP to pay.
The agency, which filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, said, "We paid 10 billion won ($7.32 million) to the singer and agency to obtain exclusive rights to host Rain抯 world tour concerts. But of scheduled 35 events, 16 were abruptly cancelled for a copyright problem over the singer抯 stage name."
The Korean singer has been unable to perform any profitable activity in America because of a copyright challenge from a Beatles tribute band named "Rain." The petitioner added, "The copyright problem emerged soon after we signed the exclusive contract with JYP. But the agency did not immediately notify us and even lied that the problem would not affect the concerts."
The local agency claimed the cancellation had caused significant financial damage and undermined its business reputation. JYP and Rain have not responded to the suit.
Meanwhile, Rain抯 current agency, JTune Entertainment, said Jung is considering appealing the ruling made in Hawaii last month. Following the decision, a Honolulu-based agency has taken legal steps to provisionally seize Rain抯 and JYP抯 property, including the singer抯 building in Cheongdam-dong, estimated at over 15 billion won in value.
The Hawaii concert was canceled just days before the scheduled June 15, 2007 performance at Aloha Stadium, disappointing many fans who paid as much as $300 per ticket and flew to Honolulu from as far as away as Japan and South Korea. It was the first stop on the ``Rain's Coming拻 U.S. tour.
Credits: pss@koreatimes.co.kr |
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Thanks deka_if at soompi.com for the highlight
April 1, 2009
Bae Yong-joon tourism ad given praise
image from hankooki
A full page print ad featuring top Hallyu-star Bae Yong-joon posing at Gyeongbok Palace has been selected by Japan's Yomiuri Shinbun as a "good advertisement," Bae's management company Boundaries of Forest said Tuesday.
image from Innolife
The ad shows the 37-year-old actor standing in front of the open Geumjeongmun gate on the foreground, looking much like his "Winter Sonata" character that catapulted him to fame throughout Asia, with the prominent view of the throne hall in the background.
The ad, which had been sponsored by the Korea Tourism Organization, has been shown in Japan's major newspaper outlets such as the Yomiuri and Asahi dailies since last month.
The copy on the ad includes a quote from Bae saying, "Come visit Korea where future and tradition coexist, with a variety of attractions at your finger tips."
According to BOF, "The ad recorded a 70 percent rating based on a reader survey and was given merit for boosting interest in and creating favorable impressions of (Korea)." They further added that newspapers containing the full-page advertisement had been sold out due to Japanese fans buying up existing hard copies.
Credits: kws@heraldm.com |
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April 1, 2009
Lee Na-young signs with Hollywood agency
Actress Lee Na-young has signed with one of Hollywood's largest talent houses, the William Morris Agency, according to the 30-year-old actress' management company Boundaries of Forest yesterday.
The William Morris agency houses some of the biggest names in entertainment such as Russell Crowe, Eminem, Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keyes.
Lee will join Rain and "Lost" star Kim Yun-jin among the WMA's roster of Korean stars.
The company, which was founded in 1898 as a vaudeville booking broker, is the oldest and one of the largest talent agencies in the world. It has become one of the most influential talent agencies in Hollywood representing actors, musicians and filmmakers with an annual cash flow between $275 million and $300 million.
Lee is currently looking for her next film project. Her latest film "Dream" directed by controversial director Kim Ki-duk garnered the lanky, doe-eyed actress wide praise for her riveting portrayal of a sleepwalker.
Credits: [email protected] via koreaherald.co.kr |
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Thanks to deka_if at soompi.com
April 1, 2009
Rain ordered to pay $8 million for cancelling concert
The Associated Press reported that Korean pop star Rain was ordered by a U.S. *federal jury to pay $8 million for cancelling a concert.
Rain's Hawaii concert was *called off a few days before it was to occur. The concert was expected to be held at the Aloha Stadium on June 15, 2007.
The jury reached the *verdict that Rain and his former managing company JYP Entertainment had *breached a contract with their Hawaiian promoter, Click Entertainment. Two other promoting companies who helped organize Rain's concert were also involved in the lawsuit.
Rain and JYP Entertainment were each ordered to pay $2.4 million in *punitive damages. Apart from the punitive damages, they also had to pay for damages related to *fraud and breach of contract.
Lee Seung-su, president of Click Entertainment *testified that the amount of money he lost due to the cancellation was about $1.5 million. The cancellation also damaged his business *reputation. Lee also said that Rain and his former managing company had no *intention to perform in Hawaii.
Rain's current and former managing company both seemed surprised with the verdict.
"We did not know the verdict would be reached so quickly. This is a result we never expected so I think we will discuss with the *defense attorney on what legal measures we will take," the Yonhap News quoted Jo Dong-won, president of J.TUNE Entertainment as saying. J.TUNE Entertainment is Rain's current managing company.
"We definitely thought this was a winning lawsuit but after hearing the verdict we were surprised," said Jung Wook, president of JYP Entertainment.
Rain is recently involved in another similar lawsuit. Rain's concert scheduled to be held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles in July 2007 was cancelled on the day of the concert.
Credits: Yeom Min-a ([email protected]) via The Korea Herald |
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April 1, 2009
Singer Rain still under a cloud
Pop singer Rain, 26, faces yet another suit worth 4.5 billion won, this time from a Korean event organizing agency over canceled concerts in the United States.
The Seoul Central District Court yesterday said entertainment company Wellmade StarM Inc. has filed a suit against Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) and his former agency JYP Entertainment for damages.
Wellmade StarM argues that it paid Rain 10 billion won between 2006 and 2007 for concerts in the United States, but that 16 of the 35 shows were canceled due to business mishandling by JYP.
Earlier last month, Rain and his managers were ordered to pay over $8 million in damages to promoters in Hawaii for canceling a 2007 concert in Honolulu.
A similar lawsuit was also recently filed in Los Angeles, where Rain's concert was canceled just hours before the starting time.
Credits: angiely@heraldm.com |
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April 2, 2009
Jang suicide probe subpoenas ahead
People allegedly involved in the sexual exploitation of late actress Jang Ja-yeon in room salons and karaoke bars are soon to be summoned for questioning, police said yesterday.
Officer Lee Myeong-gyun reported during a press briefing that questioning times are being arranged with figures who Jang allegedly was ordered to provide with drinks and sex.
揥e are planning to subpoena those who allegedly exploited the late actress at nine spots in the Gangnam area. But if we fail to prove the exploitation charges, we will only be able to question them as references by visiting them, |
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April 2, 2009
How Korean-American Tim Kang Became a Hollywood Success
Tim Kang
Tim Kang, 37, is one of the most sought-after Korean-American actors in Hollywood. Kang is currently playing the role of Kimball Cho in American TV series "The Mentalist," and has appeared in "Rambo IV," "The Ghost Whisperer," and "The Office" as well as a number of commercials.
Born in San Francisco, Kang speaks perfect English and understands Korean quite well, having learned the language at the Korea Language Institute at Yonsei University in 1998. "Because we all speak Korean at home, I naturally picked up the language from childhood. I pretty much understand most Korean," said Kang.
"The Mentalist," which began airing on CBS last year, is a psychological crime series. It will start screening in Korea from Apr. 6 every Monday and Tuesday through cable channel tvN. The calm, taciturn Kimball Cho, who Kang plays, is one of the five investigators on the show.
After graduating with a degree in politics from the University of California, Berkeley, Kang led the life of an ordinary office worker, working at a securities firm. But one day he was swept up with a passion for acting. "Nearby where I lived, there was an American Repertory Theatre (ART), Harvard's professional theatre in residence. I would pass by the ART on my way to and from work, and this idea of wanting to become an actor suddenly overwhelmed me," he said.
He never expected that something he started for fun would take over his life, especially after his acting career got off to a slow start. "I would barely get one role from about a hundred auditions," recalled Kang, probably because there weren't many roles available to Asians in Hollywood. But he never gave up and in the end achieved his dream.
His advice for Korean actors who want to work in the Hollywood is to master English. "The English language is the biggest obstacle they have to overcome to enter the Hollywood," said Kang.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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April 2, 2009
Why Erotic Blockbusters Appeal to Female Crowds
Erotic movies, often with scenes of nudity, are hugely popular in Korea. Ignited by "Lust, Caution," which drew 3 million viewers in 2007, the fervor continued throughout last year with " Portrait of a Beauty" attracting 2.5 million and "A Frozen Flower" 4 million viewers. Then came "The Reader," starring Kate Winslet, and "Elegy," with Penelope Cruz. About 60 percent of those booking seats for the last two are women, and 20 percent of them are in their 40s or older, according to movie booking site Maxmovie.
Apart from the fact that it stars the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, "The Reader" is also drawing the crowds with sex scenes between Winslet and a boy 15 years her junior. "Elegy," too, has been noted besides quality -- it was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival -- for lingering shots of Cruz's breasts.
Scenes from "Lust, Caution (left)" and "The Reader"
That nudity alone is not enough was shown by the disappointing turnout of "Shortbus," which was finally released after two-year struggle between the distributor and the rating board but drew only 16,000 viewers. "Normally, erotic films appeal to the voyeurism of spectators. But when a film contains too many graphic scenes, people are naturally put off by the idea of watching it together with strangers. They usually end up watching such film at home instead of going to the cinema," says Shim Eun-jin, a professor at Cheongju University's Department of Performing Arts and Film Arts.
A film should also have an emotional appeal. "The reason why these films have been successful was because they not only had strong sex scenes but also a powerful story that won the hearts of viewers," said Hwang Sang-min, a psychology professor at Yonsei University.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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April 2, 2009
Kang Moon-young Divorces for the Second Time
Kang Moon-young (file photo)
Actress Kang Moon-young's second marriage ended in divorce after a year-long battle in court, reported the Star News on Wednesday.
Kang married a businessman identified by his surname Hong in 2007, and had a daughter in July of that year. "At the time of her marriage two years ago, Kang was pregnant, but she didn't live with Hong," Star News quoted Kang's close friend as saying. "They didn't really want the marriage but, because of the stigma that an actress would face if giving a birth to a child out of wedlock, they had to get married."
However, Kang began a legal battle for divorce against Hong last year, as well as the custody of her child. Kang has obtained custody of her daughter, reported Star News.
After taking some time off, she plans to return to acting.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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Shortlist announced for Seoul musical awards
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- The shortlist for South Korea's largest musical awards announced Thursday attests to the "movical" boom in the country and the strength of crossover actors and actresses.
"The Harmonium in My Memory" and "200 Pounds Beauty," musical adaptations of domestic box office hits from 1999 and 2006, respectively, earned the highest number of nominations in nine categories each, including best play and best actor.
Struggling with shoestring budgets amid the ongoing global economic downturn and a limited fan base, a growing number of musical producers are turning to popular cinema for "old but proven" ideas. In the process they've created what's come to be known here as the "movical boom."
"We were thrilled to see the musical industry growing at an overwhelming speed despite the economic downturn. Korea is, indeed, the fastest rising market in the world," Ahn Ho-sang, chief of the event's nomination committee, told a press gathering. "This year, we have made more of an effort to examine plays with a fair, domestic method."
The candidates competing in the Musical Award, to be held April 20 in Seoul, were selected among works staged for a one year period from April 1 last year through March 31 this year in Seoul and the adjacent Gyeonggi Province. Winners will be selected by a nine-member jury, 50 culture journalists and 100 audience members.
The inclusion of audience members in the jury panel is one of the most notable features of the awards, established in 2007. "These are the people who bolstered the musical sector through difficult times," the award's chairman Yoon Ho-jin explained. "It is important that we reflect their opinion."
Seventy candidates have been shortlisted for 17 categories. Four plays, including "Really Really Like You" and "Brave Brothers," will be competing for the best creative musical prize, while "My Scary Girl," "Symptom of Adolescence," "Caffeine" and "Time.." have been nominated for best small theater musical.
Crossover actresses including former vocalist Sonya, and Choi Sung-hee, better known as "Bada" of the former girls' pop group S.E.S., have been nominated for best actress along with two other candidates for their leading roles in "Jekyll and Hyde" and "200 Pounds Beauty," respectively.
Five actors, including Oh Man-seok of "The Harmonium in My Memory" and Kim Ho-young of "Zanna, don't" will be competing for best actor.
Credits: [email protected]
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/ ... 0402005100315F.HTML |
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NEWS INDEX page 99
April 2, 2009: Actor Kim Sung-su Vows to Give All to Acting
April 1: 'Oldboy' director back from the dead
April 3: Actor Touches Comfort Women in Novel
April 3: New John Woo film canceled
April 3: Cinderella couple
April 2: Boys over Flowers" Draws Its Curtain
April 2: 揓ungle Fish |
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April 2, 2009
Actor Kim Sung-su Vows to Give All to Acting
Actor Kim Sung-su has held his first fan meeting in Japan. Having gained popularity since the KBS2 drama "Full House" was aired there, Kim met some 500 fans at the Yamano Hall in Tokyo on Sunday.
The actor talked about the drama "My Precious You," in which he is currently appearing as a single father with two children. "I decided to appear in the drama because I liked the character's good personality," he said. "I learned a lot by playing the role. Child-rearing and housework are really hard jobs. I think mothers should get paid a lot."
He also told the fans about how he grew up, showing photos from when he was an infant to his high school years, and confided difficulties he had after becoming an actor. "I started acting rather late, but it was never easy. Feeling how poor I was at acting, I often blamed myself and cried," he said. "I became able to gain confidence since I appeared in "Full House," which became a huge hit."
"Meeting you [fans] like this makes me determined to work harder to be the best actor. I will take a role in a comic drama soon, and I ask for your continuous support," he added.
Having time to read his fate, he said that he has not experienced much luck in his life and that he believes he is destined to work his way up. "By working hard, I will be able to appear in a Japanese drama or film as well sooner or later," he added.
Kim sang "White Messages (Sono Mama)," a hit song by the famous Japanese group SMAP, in Japanese and "Love |
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April 1, 2009
'Oldboy' director back from the dead
Director Park Chan-wook seems in a class by himself. Even though he is a Korean filmmaker, his name is recognizable across the world, thanks to his salient talent demonstrated in the award-winning films such as "Oldboy" (2003).
His international celebrity, however, did not automatically translate into hefty box-office profits. For instance, "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" (2006) was not OK for investors and distributors because it failed miserably in terms of ticket sales despite the high-profile casting of Asia-wide star Rain.
When his next project, "Thirst," began to circulate in the domestic media in recent months, expectations surged again and critics lost no time talking up Park's newfound appetite for a vampire film, a genre unfamiliar among Korean moviegoers.
But Park seemed confident about his peculiar decision to tackle the traditionally Western subject, suggesting that he would whet the growing thirst of his fans around the world.
"I am in no position to say that 'Thirst' would be the best film in my career, but I can definitely say that this is my favorite movie ever," Park told reporters at a news conference held in Seoul on Tuesday to offer a glimpse of the well-shrouded film. A press screening is expected to be held in a couple of weeks.
Bolstering Park's confidence is the unprecedented amount of time and energy he has devoted to the film. Park said he spent 10 years in bringing this vampire story to the screen. Moreover, he said he has infused part of his self into the main character for the first time. "The character's weakness and absurd justification is very similar to my character, and even when I take a moviegoer's perspective myself, this film best reflects my taste," Park said.
Park pulled off an investment and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures International, marking the first deal of its kind for a Korean film. Under the deal, Focus Pictures, a unit of Universal, will distribute "Thirst" to the North American market.
The film starts off with a secret vaccine project involving a priest named Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho). An unexpected mishap in a medical experiment brings turns him into a vampire who has to struggle between his desire for blood and his religious faith. His newly transformed life, however, gets turned upside down when he comes across his friend's wife Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin), a relationship that turns out to be deadly.
Song Kang-ho, widely regarded as one of the most bankable Korean actors, said "Thirst" is eventually a tale about love. "This movie involves fatal love, melodrama and forbidden desire, but I believe the key message is love that is eternal and unlimited in scope," Song said.
Song first heard about the project when he was working with Park on "JSA" in 1999. "I was speechless when Park told me about the vampire story, because I couldn't get his idea at all and I wondered whether it would ever be made into a film," he said.
Director Park expressed his satisfaction about the casting. "Song Kang-ho is very smart and he has a great focus. There were a lot of requests for changes in acting on the set, but Song meets such abrupt demands perfectly as if he has practiced his performance for many days," Park said.
Casting Kim Ok-vin was deemed a surprise in the domestic film industry because her career has been relatively brief. But Park said he was pleasantly surprised by Kim's handling of her character. "I wanted an actress who could play an unstable character making observers worried and anxious, and Kim's performance topped my expectations," Park said.
"Thirst," distributed by CJ Entertainment, will be released nationwide on April 30.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr, related captures from daum.net |
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April 3, 2009
Actor Touches Comfort Women in Novel
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Actor Cha In-pyo speaks to reporters
about his debut novel 揋oodbye Hill |
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April 3, 2009
New John Woo film canceled
"1949" is no more.
The highly-anticipated film by renowned Chinese director John Woo, set to star Taiwanese actor Chang Chen and Korean actress Sohn Hye-kyo, has been called off, reportedly due to conflicts between Woo and the production company, China Film Group.
According to Sohn's management company, Woo has contacted her to apologize and has asked her to appear in future films that he will be directing.
Woo, known most recently for "Red Cliff," revealed plans for 1949 last year in May at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, announcing that shooting would begin in China and Taiwan by the end of 2008. The movie was scheduled to open in December.
The film was to be based on a tragic accident that occurred in the year 1949, when the ship Taiping collided with a cargo ship at sea. Of the over 1,000 passengers on the Taiping, only 38 survived. The film was to be written by Wang Hui-ling, the scriptwriter for Ang Lee's film "Lust, Caution."
Source: JoongAng Daily
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April 3, 2009
Cinderella couple
Actors Kwon Sang-woo and Yoona at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, central Seoul, on Thursday.
The two were cast in MBC-TV's new drama "Cinderella Man," which is about love and success in Dongdaemun Market, a center for fashion in Korea. [NEWSIS]
Source: JoongAng Daily |
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April 2, 2009
Boys over Flowers" Draws Its Curtain
A party was held on Wednesday to mark the show's ending.
The KBS2 mega hit drama "Boys over Flowers" ended its three-month run on Tuesday. To celebrate its success, the drama team held a party at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday.
Lee Min-ho, who played one of the protagonists, Gu Jun-pyo, said, "We had spent most of our time together while shooting it for five months, so we got really close and got to share lots of good memories. I will not be able to forget it because I enjoyed huge popularity, more than I deserved. I am really happy."
Ku Hye-sun, who played the female leading role of Geum Jan-di, said, "I was happy to appear in the drama. It was hard to work under a tight schedule as the shooting usually continued into the night, almost every night, but it was a great experience."
Kim Hyun-joong, who played another protagonist, Yoon Ji-whoo, said, "This was the first work I took part in after turning actor from singer, and I am so happy that it succeeded. I will always try to give my best whatever I do." He watched the last episode with his fans.
Kim Joon and Kim Beom, who played the other two protagonists, Song Woo-bin and So Ih-jeong, also shared their feelings by saying, "I feel so lucky that I could make an acting debut through this great drama," and "Living as So Ih-joeng for the last several months was a great pleasure to me."
The cast and crew said it was challenging for all of them to be part of the drama since the shooting took place at various local and overseas locations, including New Caledonia and Macau.
Meanwhile, the team took a moment to pay a tribute to Jang Ja-yeon, one of the casting members, who committed suicide on March 7. Song Byung-joon, the president of production company Group Eight, said, "I had wished only good things to happen to all of you while shooting the drama, but it seems that my wish was not realized. But still I wish you all the best and appreciate what you've done for the drama."
Song had to beat out many rivals to obtain the right to turn the Japanese comic book into a drama.
Source: KBS Global |
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April 2, 2009
揓ungle Fish |
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April 3, 2009
Ok So-ri in Fresh Claim from Estranged Husband
Ok So-ri (left) and Park Chul
The actress Ok So-ri is being sued by her estranged husband, Park Chul, for an additional W700 million after she lost her bid to overturn Korea's elderly adultery laws (US$1=W1,336).
Ok's side said Park filed another law suit against her for W100 million of alimony and W600 million of her assets. "According to the court decision, Park already gets a W870 million settlement. The new claim is just too much," an acquaintance of Ok's said.
Ok and Park are waiting for the second pleading at the Seoul High Court on Tuesday next week. The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court in September 2008 ordered Ok to surrender custody of their child and give Park W870 million. Ok appealed, and Park also appealed for more compensation as well as greater share of Ok's asset.
In a highly publicized case, Ok was given a suspended jail sentence last year and has told the press she was trying to escape a loveless marriage.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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April 3, 2009
Comedienne Committed to Giving Laughter
Jung Sun-hee
Popular comedienne Jung Sun-hee, who suffered a string of personal tragedies last year, has expressed her resolve to return fans' cheers by giving laughter to radio listeners.
Yonhap News Agency Thursday quoted Jung as saying, "I was in tears after reading some negative news stories about my return to broadcasting. But I'm grateful to listeners who enabled me to take the microphone again and I will try my best for them.''
"I am afraid that I might not be able to present listeners with pleasure as much as before. But I believe what's most important is listeners." Last week, Jung said she will make a comeback as a radio host for a SBS radio program in mid-April after a seven-month hiatus.
She left another major radio station MBC last year when listeners complained about her criticism of anti-American beef protesters. The 37-year-old then took a break from the entertainment scene altogether when her husband of less than a year, actor Ahn Jae-hwan, committed suicide in September 2008, and her best friend, actress Choi Jin-sil, also killed herself two months later.
Jung will re-enter the public radar as the DJ for a show on SBS Love FM (103.5 MHz) starting April 13. This also marks her return to SBS after 10 years.
Details about the radio show such as the title or content have yet to be announced. But considering Jung's hosting style, it will most likely feature people's life stories, according to SBS.
Source: koreatimes.co.kr |
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Author
