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July 11, 2012
Jang Keun-suk on vacation is a sensation in Paris
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Hallyu entertainer Jang Keun-suk can add France to his ever-growing list of countries conquered.
When Jang touched down at Charles de Gaulle on July 9, despite the fact that the 24-year-old was there for pleasure; fans flocked to the airport to greet the star.
With signs that read “I Love You” and “Jang Keun Suk” in Korean, Jang’s European followers treated the Korean entertainer to a fanfare.
Ahead of his visit to the City of Light, Jang had expressed his desire to tour Europe as a singer.
“I don’t like complacency; I want to keep striving and get out of my comfort zone. At the end of this year I’d love to perform across clubs in Europe,” Jang said.
The Hallyu entertainer has a dance music album on his list of credentials: His album “Lounge H: The First Impression” comprising of 10 songs was a collaboration with his musical partner Big Brother.To my beloved fans who have been supporting me all the time |
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July 11, 2012
Chae Si-ra to star in new SBS drama
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Chae Si-ra is set to play the lead in the new SBS drama “Five Fingers.”
According to the program’s production company, Chae has been cast alongside T-ara’s Ham Eun-jung and actors Ju Ji-hoon and Ji Chang-wook.
In the drama, Chae will play Chae Young-rang, a woman who once dreamed of being a successful pianist.
“Chae Young-rang is a character who possesses both an angelic and a demonic side. Her cruel and malicious side is unveiled when her maternal instincts are put to the test. Overall, she’s a very complex character,” said a spokesperson from the drama.
The program will tell a tale of conflict and passion involving musicians and businessmen from a piano manufacturer.
The writer behind “Five Fingers” is Kim Soon-ok, who did the hit dramas “Temptation of Wife” (2009) and “Smile, Mom” (2011).
The show will air starting Aug. 4, taking over the time slot of SBS’s current weekend drama “A Gentleman’s Dignity.” |
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July 11, 2012
Kim Ji-hun to be discharged from Army
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Kim Ji-hun’s fans will be happy to know that the 31-year-old actor will be discharged from the Army today.
After about 21 months in uniform, Kim will be released at noon at an Army base in Yongsan District, central Seoul.
After the discharge ceremony, the star will take some time to talk to any fans who come out to greet him.
Kim followed the lead of many other entertainers, from Hallyu actor Lee Joon-gi to singer Mithra Jin, who served in the Korean military.
Kim made his debut in 2002 in the KBS drama “Loving U.”
He also starred in the movie “Natalie” in 2010 and appeared in such dramas as “Secret Investigation Record” (2010), “Empress Chun Choo” (2009) and “Great Inheritance” (2006).
Yesterday, the excited actor used Twitter to express his thoughts on being released.
“I am discharged tomorrow … Feel free to congratulate me. Finally I got the freedom. Give me a hug.” |
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July 11, 2012
Batman Director Chats Online with Korean Fans
ChosunIlbo
Film director Christopher Nolan says "thank you" in Korean during an online live chat with fans on Monday.
Film director Christopher Nolan's favorite Korean movie was "The Chaser," he revealed in an online live chat with Koreans on Monday.
Nolan said that he has not seen many Korean films but enjoyed Na Hong-jin's thriller.
The web chat was arranged because Nolan was unable to stop by Korea during his worldwide promotional tour for the new installment of the Batman franchise, "The Dark Knight Rises." |
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July 12, 2012
Korean film 'The Concubine' sold to 8 countries
YonhapNews
SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean film "The Concubine" has been sold to eight Asian countries, including Singapore, China and Japan, its distributor Lotte Entertainment said Thursday.
Directed by Kim Dae-seung, the erotic period drama is about the love triangle involving a Joseon-era king, his concubine and another man.
The film has sold more than 2.6 million tickets since opening at local theaters on June 6, according to the company. |
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July 11, 2012
Star-studded 'Thieves' takes different route from 'Ocean'
By Kwaak Je-yup The Korea Times
A scene from “The Thieves” shows, from left, the characters Johnny (Derek Tsang), Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), Zampano (Kim Su-hyun), Yenicall (Jun Ji-hyun), Pepsi (Kim Hye-soo),
Macau Park (Kim Yun-seok), Julie (Angelica Lee Sin-Jie), Chewed Gum (Kim Hae-sook),
Andrew (Oh Dal-soo) and Chen (Simon Yam Tat-Wah). The $120-million burglary-themed
blockbuster by director Choi Dong-hoon is slated to open on July 25 in theaters nationwide.
/ Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex
A bunch of thieves collaborating to steal a rare diamond from the gambling capital of the world? Sounds suspiciously like Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series.
The similarity does not stop there: Choi Dong-hoon’s latest film “The Thieves,” which opens on July 25, also has an all-star cast packed with some of the most bankable actors in Korean cinema, comparable to George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Robert in “Ocean’s Eleven.”
But that’s about it. “Thieves” is not a fun-filled and stylized celebration of high-skilled, high-tech burglary like the American franchise; it is fundamentally a cynical portrait of avaricious human nature with sporadic comedic moments for side entertainment.
The quality of the screened version comes somewhat short of his previous hits like “Woochi” (2009), “Tazza: the High Rollers” (2006) and “The Big Swindle” (2004) — its enormous scale makes the work a little spotty on several occasions — but “Thieves” has a lot to like, even outside the mouthwatering multinational star-studded cast.
Choi’s screenplay, for the most part, keeps the audience guessing until the end; it is never clear who will win from this deal.
There are 10 thieves, Korean and Chinese, teaming up in Macau to take on the biggest heist of their lives. But everyone has his/her own agenda. Almost everyone betrays each other at some point. One is even a detective trying to arrest the biggest criminal in Hong Kong who is also the diamond’s owner.
Choi’s comment at the post-screening press conference Tuesday revealed his priority: “This is a movie that can kill a director. It’s a movie where I must make sure that every actor shines.”
And that preoccupation certainly shows in every scene, to the work’s detriment.
By tiptoeing around the stars’ egos, he has made sure every actor gets their time to shine, but the overall quality of the work suffers from this loss of focus. The 135-minute running time drags on because of this need of “fair” distribution of spotlight.
Until some of them are actually eliminated by death or arrest, the movie fails to find a real direction.
Not that any of the actors perform poorly; without their presence, the movie would fall apart entirely.
All of them have done more than a passable job here, especially veterans Kim Yun-seok, Kim Hye-soo, Simon Yam Tat-Wah and Kim Hae-sook standing out as mastermind Macau Park, his former lover Pepsi, head of the Chinese team Chen and his partner Chewed Gum, respectively.
Malaysian-born Chinese actress Angelica Lee Sin-Jie also manages to keep the attention on her against her rather underdeveloped role.
They all have something in common: they are given real story arcs, which make them easily relatable. They act tough but are vulnerable to love and family. Other characters are given nothing comparable. Why have they become thieves in the first place? And why do they have awkward-sounding nicknames and call each other by them — when their Chinese counterparts do not? There is no explanation.
The biggest waste of talent befalls Jun Ji-hyun (a.k.a. Gianna Jun, who became the country’s most popular actress with “My Sassy Girl” in 2001). She makes a triumphant return to form after years of missed opportunities here and abroad, holding her ground against the biggest stars with her natural delivery, sometimes coming close to stealing some scenes.
The press reception was the warmest to her, too. She was subjected to the biggest number of questions at the press conference, sidelining other big names seated next to her.
But her character Yenicall lacks depth. Who is she? Why does she steal? Why does she keep rebuffing the advances of Zampano (Kim Su-hyun, Korea’s answer to Taylor Lautner)? Without any answers, her value is mostly comic relief, although a very fine one.
Lee Jung-jae in the role of Popeye is another victim of this spotty screenplay. He starts strong when the spotlight is given to him early on but falls flat as soon as his rival Macau Park makes his entrance. His presence almost becomes trivial after, and his jealousy towards him is unconvincing.
It is to be seen how the last-minute editing will change the film, but even tweaks to the strange sound effects and cliched music choices will not save it. The characters have no motivation other than money, and we will just have to accept that theft is a perfectly normal career option if given a chance.
“The Thieves” opens on July 25 in theaters nationwide. Runs for 135 minutes. Rated 15 and over. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex. |
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July 12, 2012
Lee Joon-gi and Shin Min-a in bed together for a teaser
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
MBC Drama “Arang and the Magistrate”
A teaser for Lee Joong-gi and Shin Min-a’s new drama “Arang and the Magistrate” aired for the first time on July 11 on MBC.
Public watched while holding its breath, as action scenes as well as an intimate scene featuring Lee and Shin laying down together was screened.
The drama is based on the Korean folklore of “Arang,” --name of a female ghost who met an untimely death-- which hails from the region of Milyang in South Gyeongsang.
The drama’s plot revolves around a mischievous young ghost named Arang (played by Shin) who wants to reveal the curious circumstances surrounding her death.
As his first role since being discharged from the Army in February; Lee will play the role of Eun-oh, a district magistrate who has the unique gift of seeing dead people. Lee’s character is said to be searching for his missing mother.
MBC network is expecting good results from its second period drama for the year; following in the stead of “The Moon that Embraces the Sun,” the show is set to be the “big period drama” for the second half of the year. |
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July 12, 2012
Chinese fans donate to help the blind
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
The Chinese fan club of Park Si-hoo has decided to show its affection for the Korean actor by donating to Orbis, a charity dedicated to helping the blind in developing countries.
Park’s agency reported yesterday that to mark its second anniversary, the fan club raised 10 million won ($8,715) for Orbis.
This isn’t the first time the fan club has undertaken a good deed in Park’s honor. In 2009, before it was officially formed, Chinese fans of the Hallyu star donated to local schools in their home country.
“It’s so nice to see fan club culture at its best. Park promises to work hard to deserve the fans’ love,” said a spokesperson from the star’s agency.
Of late, the 34-year-old star’s fame seems to be skyrocketing across Asia.
In April, Park went on a Japan fan meet tour to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. The Tokyo fan meet was on the actor’s birthday and fans and staff prepared a special birthday cake for Park. After partaking, the entertainer took to the stage to sing and dance. |
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July 12, 2012
Kim Hee-sun, Lee Min-ho start filming
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Actors Kim Hee-sun and Lee Min-ho have begun filming their new drama “Faith” in Jangheung, South Jeolla.
The two leads joined fellow cast and crew on Tuesday for a good luck ceremony.
The show is a time-travel drama that revolves around the love between a warrior from the Goryeo period, played by Lee, and a present-day doctor played by Kim.
It will be directed by Kim Jong-hak, who has also directed “Hourglass” (1995) and “The Four Guardian Gods of the King” (2007).
Production was originally scheduled to begin in 2010 and there had been rumors that MBC would carry the show, but they never materialized, and the show will instead appear on SBS.
The public has been enthusiastic about Kim’s return to drama for the first time since she got married in 2007. The actress says she is excited to take part in the SBS drama. “I’m thrilled to be working with a great cast and crew. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun working together,” Kim said. |
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July 13, 2012
'Deranged' Draws 2 Million Viewers in 8 Days
ChosunIlbo
The horror flick "Deranged" has attracted over 2 million viewers in about a week since its release, faster than any other Korean movie this year. It broke the previous record set by "Nameless Gangster," which took 10 days to draw the same number.
"As of Thursday afternoon, 'Deranged' attracted more than 2 million moviegoers in eight days of its release, according to box office data by the Korean Film Council," said the film's distributor. The movie's plot revolves around deadly parasitic worms that brainwash their human hosts, causing them to drown themselves.
The film is currently sitting at the top the local box office. It sold 189,191 tickets on Wednesday alone. |
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July 13, 2012
Celebrity Couple Ready to Donate Tissues
ChosunIlbo
Choi Soo-jong (left) and Ha Hee-ra
Celebrity couple Choi Soo-jong and Ha Hee-ra have agreed to donate their body tissue, the Korea Organization for Sharing Tissue said on Thursday. Having applied to the Korean Organ Donor Program in April last year, the couple now also want to donate their body tissue.
"Choi Soo-jong himself called us after being told about tissue donations in America and applied to register." A KOST spokesman said, "Choi gently declined when we asked him to give an interview, saying that his good intentions might be misunderstood."
Tissue donors agree to donate bone, cartilage, ligaments, skin, retina, heart valves, blood vessels, and other tissue after death. While about 865,000 people have signed up as organ donors in the event of their death, only about 86,000 pledged to donate tissue. Korea thus depends on imports for about 78 percent of tissue demand.
KOST chairman Park Chang-il said, "We can only reduce dependence on imports and readily treat patients who need tissue transplants if more than 20 per 1 million people donate their tissue, but there are no more than three tissue donors per 1 million people." |
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July 14, 2012
Kim Hee-sun to Return to TV After 6-Year Hiatus
ChosunIlbo
Actress Kim Hee-sun is returning to TV after a six-year hiatus to star in the upcoming SBS drama "Faith," which is scheduled to be aired in mid-August. In the drama, Kim plays the role of a plastic surgeon who is abducted by a warrior, played by heartthrob Lee Min-ho, and taken back 700 years in time to his era.
The Chosun Ilbo interviewed Kim about her decision to return to TV and her future plans.
"Before I got married [in 2007], I often found myself spending whole weeks in front of the cameras filming TV dramas and commercials, without even having enough time to properly study the roles I was playing," she recalled. "So there was a lot of criticism of my poor acting skills, and I decided to take a break. I wanted to seek out roles that I liked and take part in projects that I thought were more meaningful."
She said that as her daughter was born in January 2009, she now has more time to focus on other things and get her career back on track.
"I found that I had more time to watch TV dramas by myself, after my husband went to work and my daughter went to kindergarten. And I suddenly got this feeling that I could succeed in those kinds of roles. Then I received a phone call from several agencies asking me if I wanted to appear in a drama, so the timing was perfect."
On her future plans, she said, "I think I was too wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of being a celebrity before, but now I want to focus on becoming a more skilled actress."
"I also used to be too preoccupied with worrying about what other people thought of me, so I refrained from expressing my true feelings. But now I want to show more of myself. I hope I can play some villainous characters, which I have yet to do." |
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July 15, 2012
Actress has eyes set on Ha Jung-woo
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Ha Ji-won has her eyes set on Ha Jung-woo as her next acting partner.
“I want to act with Ha Jung-woo at least once,” Ha Ji-won said at a KBS celebrity report show televised on Saturday. “He is attractive as an actor.”
Ha, a 34-year-old actress who won the 2010 Top Excellence Award from SBS, has starred in movies and dramas with many of Korea’s heartthrob actors including So Ji-sub, Hyun Bin, Lee Seung-gi and Lee Seo-jin.
Ha Jung-woo, 34, made another impressive performance as a gangster in “Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time,” one of the biggest box-office hits this year.
The two Has are scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, slated to be held in Bucheon Gymnasium, west of Seoul, on Thursday. Both were named to receive Pifan producers’ choice awards last week.
“They are equipped with both perfect acting and box-office values and are on the path of completing impressive filmographies under their names,” the Korean Film Producers’ Association said. |
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July 15, 2012
Park Ji-sung, Bae Doo-na not dating
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Bae Doo-na did meet Park Ji-sung in London recently, but just as an old friend, not a lover, Bae’s agents said yesterday.
The statement was in response to rumors that the 32-year-old actress and 31-year-old Premier Leaguer are in a romantic relationship.
“It is true that Bae Doo-na met Park Ji-sung, but they are just old friends,” an agent for Bae told local media outlets. “The meeting in London was so casual as friends as to leave no room for misunderstanding. We do not feel the necessity to explain.”
One netizen posted on the Internet on Friday that Bae and Park were seen on a date in London on a rainy day, sharing an umbrella as they walked down the street.
The news spread like wildfire through social networking services. Initially, Bae’s agency had denied the meeting between the two, saying Bae does not know Park personally.
“They must have mistaken another person for her,” the agency initially said. |
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July 15, 2012
Kim Dong-wan sees great success at box office
But Shinhwa guy remains loyal to his K-pop group
By Chung Hyun-mok Korea JoongAng Daily
Though his first film flopped, Shinhwa’s Kim Dong-wan proved critics wrong with “Yeongasi,” which beat “The Amazing Spider-man” at the box office on debut weekend. “Yeongasi” tells the story of two brothers desperately trying to discover the source of a parasite that drives human to suicide. By Kwon Hyuk-jae
The newly released Korean disaster film “Yeongasi” is the talk of the town, as it attracted more than 1.1 million viewers during its first box office weekend between July 6 and 8, topping even Hollywood blockbuster “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
The success of the film wasn’t always so certain, especially when Kim Dong-wan, 33, a member of Shinhwa but an inexperienced actor, joined the cast. Even fellow cast member Kim Myung-min, 40, voiced concerns about his colleague, who he feared might have trouble on the big screen.
But as shooting began, Kim Dong-wan worked hard to prove himself, assiduously studying his character to earn the approval of his colleagues, and later, audiences.
In the film, Kim stars as Jae-pil, a detective agonized with guilt for squandering the wealth of his brother Jae-Hyeok, played by Kim Myung-min, through a bad stock recommendation. But in a bizarre twist, a parasite epidemic gives the two a chance to bond. Together, they look for the source of the bug, which drives infected insects to the water so that it can breed, but leads to suicide when humans are infected.
The JoongAng Ilbo sat down with Kim Dong-wan recently to discuss his big break in the movie business as well as his thoughts on the unconventional horror-adventure film into which he put so much effort. The interview also touched on his roles as a TV host and K-pop idol.
Q. Your debut film “Spin Kick”(2004) wasn’t a box-office success. What changed with “Yeongasi”?
A. When filming “Spin Kick,” I only thought about myself. I exercised alone to build my muscles and I read the script alone to practice my lines. I later realized that team-work is of the utmost importance in filming a movie. This time, I’ve learned a lot from the directors and actors, getting along quite well with them.
There must have been a lot of pressure on the set of this new film.
Indeed. Otherwise I wouldn’t have started smoking again. If the film had failed at the box office, I knew I’d be up for criticism. People would have blamed me for the failure, and so I put every effort into my role for this film.
How did you prepare to play an actor with such a broken character?
I visited crime scenes with a detective who graduated from a college of theater and film. He showed me that adjectives like “fashionable” and “cheerful” could actually be applied to detectives, and so even though my character is different, I learned not to stereotype his personality. I also learned from Al Pacino’s detective roles because he is of a slight build - similar to my own.
Do you look back at any particular scene with regret?
The fire scene. Kim Myung-min prepared a lot for the scene, but I was sort of absentminded at that time and ended up having to do the scene again later. I should have prepared more thoroughly for the first take.
In your television show “Shinhwa TV” you play a very different role as a laughing stock of sorts.
On that show we just forget the camera is rolling when we’re playing around with each other. We often have a difficult time watching the edited shows ourselves because of our antics. In the MT episode [aired on June 30], there’s even a scene where we all take turns farting.
How does that show differ from “Infinite Challenge”?
We don’t have a host. We don’t have a leader. So, we do almost anything we want. Choosing to work with JTBC was in line with this goal, too, since we didn’t want to simply mingle with other celebrities. Just being with each other reveals our natural character. Min-woo is the silly one and Eric is the wild-eyed one. I’m the lax one.
Shinhwa is often called the ancestor of idol groups. How do you feel about that title?
We never expected to come this far. At first, we thought we’d be lucky to release a second album. Now I can safely see that we’ve been to the top.
Through all the ups and downs, though, our motivating mantra was “Who cares if we’re on top or not? Let’s just all be happy.” I think that attitude brought us to where we are today.
Now, we’re really a team. I’m only fully myself when I’m with my fellow group members.
One member quickly moves to fill a gap made by another who might be having a bad day. And this happens even before most of us notice. |
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July 15, 2012
Bucheon to throw its annual genre-film bash
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
PiFan to also hold genre-fiction book fair, camping opportunities and movie-themed parties
For horror, fantasy, mystery and animated film fans, Bucheon is the place to be this month.
The annual Puchon (Bucheon) International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan), which is considered the largest genre film fest in Asia, is opening this Thursday ― featuring a total of 230 films from 47 countries.
This year’s edition opens with Korean horror film “Horror Stories,” a joint project by six local directors: Jeong Beom-sik, Im Dae-woong, Hong Ji-young, Kim Gok, Kim Seo and popular commercial-flick director Min Gyoo-dong. Min, who this year made a box-office smash with his romantic comedy “All about My Wife,” was in charge of creating the bridge scenes between the different horror-themed episodes in the omnibus.
A scene from director Min Gyoo-dong’s “Horror Stories,” which has been selected as the opener of this year’s PiFan. (PiFan)
An unusual high-school flick based on a 1970s Japanese manga “For Love’s Sake,” directed by Takashi Miike, widely considered as the “Japanese equivalent of Tim Burton,” will close the festival.
“Puchon Choice,” PiFan’s official competition section, will introduce 24 features and shorts this year. Notable submissions in the section include Indonesian director Upi Avianto’s psychological thriller “Belenggu,” which tells the story of a young man who is haunted by images of a gruesome murderer in a rabbit costume.
PiFan’s “Vision Express” section this year offers a number of cutting-edge, original genre films from all over the world. Must-sees include Brazilian directors Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra’s feature “Hard Labor,” which delves deep into the social issues of the contemporary Brazil ― such as class conflict, migrant workers and unemployment ― through the story of a middle-aged housewife whose newly opened grocery store’s wall starts to crumble and stink.
Another notable film of the section is director Rebecca Thomas’ fantasy film “Electrik Children,” in which its 15-year-old heroine Rachel gets pregnant simply by listening to forbidden rock music. Meanwhile, director Tanya Wexler’s history-based period fantasy “Hysteria” offers an interesting account on the invention of the vibrator in the Victorian era, and what the medical treatment of hysteria in the 19th century had to do with it.
For horror and animated movie fans, Patrice Leconte’s animated film “The Suicide Shop,” Taiwanese horror “Zombie 108” and Japanese director Junji Ito’s animated horror “Gyo” are worth checking out.
This year, PiFan is hosting a special section titled “Korean Retrospective- Wild Laugh: A Certain Wave of 1970s Korean Comedy.” It features six Korean comedies released in the 1970s, which were influenced by the oppressive political climate, rapid economic growth, as well as cultural shifts of the era. The films in the section include director Shim Wu-seob’s “A Man and a Gisaeng,” Pyeon Keo-young’s “Girls from Eight Provinces,” Lee Hyung-pyo’s “Cheeky Man,” and Ahn Il-nam’s “Outlaw on a Donkey.”
Aside from the film screenings, PiFan this year offers a lot of cultural events and programs.
Moviegoers who are also into reading graphic, horror, SF or fantasy novels should check out this year’s PiFan 2012 Literary Genre Book Fair. Participants will be given an opportunity to talk to some of the most esteemed genre-fiction authors, who write for prominent multi-genre literary magazine, the “Mirror.”
For those who would like to experience a one-of-a-kind horror-themed party, check out PiFan’s “PiFan Holic’s Night” on July 22 at Sky Garden in Jung-dong, Bucheon.
The festival will also offer camping opportunities for those who don’t want to miss out on the midnight outdoor screenings. Visitors can bring their own tents and camping equipment, or rent them at the festival site in Bucheon.
PiFan runs from July 19 to 29 at various venues in Bucheon. For tickets and this year’s full line-up, visit www.pifan.com. |
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July 16, 2012
Entertainers hugely in debt: report
The Korea Herald
Some Korean entertainers who own expensive buildings in Seoul are saddled with heavy debts because of massive real estate purchases, according to a report by Chaebul.com, a local website offering public information about wealthy Korean tycoons and entertainers.
The entertainers borrowed billions of won to buy buildings but property prices have dropped, leaving some in negative equity, the website said.
It conducted an analysis on 27 commercial buildings owned by 26 entertainers, based on property prices disclosed by the National Tax Service.
According to the report, the aggregate market value of buildings owned by 26 celebrities was 116 billion won and the aggregate mortgage was 96.6 billion won, sending the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio over 80 percent. Some celebrities have taken loans which are well over triple the amount of their buildings’ aggregate market value, raising concerns about a real estate bubble.
YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyeon-seok borrowed about 10.1 billion won, mortgaging the office building of YG Entertainment in Hapjeong-dong. The building’s market value was about 3.3 billion won and the LTV ratio reached 301.4 percent.
Actor Jang Dong-gun purchased a building located in Hannam-dong for 12.6 billion won in June 2011. However, its market value dropped to 3.4 billion won in 2012, far below the 4.8 billion won he borrowed against it.
Meanwhile, actor Song Seung-heon was the owner of the most expensive building among celebrities, according to the report. His building located in Jamwon-dong is valued around 10.7 billion won.
Musician Seo Tae-ji followed Song with his building in Nonhyeon-dong. Its market value was 9.2 billion won. Seo was also the richest building owner among entertainers, as his buildings’ aggregate market value reached 12.6 billion won.
([email protected]) |
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July 16, 2012
Park Jung-chul is flying high on love
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Park Jung-chul, 35, has confirmed that he is indeed dating a flight attendant, hours after the news first broke on July 16.
Park’s agency said, “Due to the star’s cool and honest personality, he doesn’t want to deny the fact that he is indeed in a relationship.”
The company added that close acquaintances to the star had known for some time that he was seeing an air hostess who is 8 years younger and renowned for her beauty and wit. The couple has been dating for more than four years.
Park made his debut back in 1997 through the KBS network’s talent search and rose to prominence for his good looks.
Of late, he starred in the JTBC drama “Happy Ending” and last year’s hit drama on KBS “Gwang-Gae-To the Great.” |
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July 16, 2012
So Ji-sub flavors to hit town
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
To mark the one year anniversary of his café franchise, A Twosome Place, actor So Ji-sub developed and released two non-coffee beverages to be sold during summer at his 51K store in Apgujeong, southern Seoul.
Following the success of the drinks, CJ Foodville Corporation announced yesterday that the two drinks: Green Tea Lemonade and Citron Gingerade, will be sold across some 250 of Twosome outlets nation wide.
“Both the drinks were So Ji-sub’s idea; he just wanted to come up with new offerings to show thanks to the patrons,” said CJ Foodville.
The 34-year-old entertainer, who is currently starring in the TV drama “Ghost,” stumbled upon the idea of green tea lemonade while traveling abroad.
“He worked on the recipe development from spring and took part in all stages of taste testing to get it right.”
It was also the actor-turned-businessman’s idea to launch the lemonade in large-size cups “to cure the heat of summer.”
So has always been a big dessert and coffee enthusiast, and as well as being the official model for the coffee franchise, when he opened his own store he took the time to personally design the interior as well as take part in recipe developments. |
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