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Nov 30, 2006
Lee Wan to Appear on Japanese Drama
Actor Lee Wan has been cast for a leading role in a Japanese drama. The Japanese press reported that Lee had already concluded an agreement with Fuji TV to appear in the melodrama "Magnolia."
A love story between a Korean man and a Japanese woman studying in the U.S., the drama will begin shooting in New York next March.
Anne Suzuki will play Lee's opposite. Suzuki, who began her acting career when she was a little girl, has appeared in a number of TV shows and films, including "Hana and Alice," "The Blue Light," "Start Line", and "Stand Up."
Lee has enjoyed growing popularity in the island country since the Korean drama "A Tree in Heaven" was aired on Fuji TV in April. He held a fan meeting in Tokyo and Osaka on Nov. 10 and 12, which some 2,000 fans attended.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...7873_11858.html |
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Nov 30, 2006
Bae Yong-joon Japan's All-Time Favorite Son-in-Law
Actor Bae Yong-joon, Japan's favorite son-in-law who is nicknamed "Yonsama," demonstrated unflagging popularity despite a long absence when he attended the opening ceremony of the "Hallyu (Korean Wave) Expo in Korea" on Jeju Island on Wednesday.
Having participated in the shooting of new drama "The Four Gods" for several months on Jeju island, Bae arrived at the expo 10 minutes late sporting a ponytail and a grey suit. Upon his arrival, his Japanese fans who came to the event to see him cheered and waved, which caused Jeju Governor Kim Tae-hwan to pause while delivering the opening speech.
The media also showed great interest in covering Bae. When Bae emerged from behind the stage and not from the entrance where he was expected to appear, cameramen destroyed the photo line to scramble toward him, causing havoc. And later when he left the stage, reporters even scuffled with the event抯 staff trying to chase after him.
Bae's Japanese fans showed their passion for the Korean actor by staying until he left, despite cold weather. A wife from Tokyo even said that Bae had saved her life. Having fought with breast cancer since 2005, she said she had experienced a "three-part miracle," with the first part being her healing of the spreading cancer, and the other two parts her complete recovery after she fell in love with the actor.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...7874_11858.html |
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11-30-2006
Actress Moon to Wed Film Director
By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter
Actress Moon So-ri will tie the knot with film director Jang Joon-hwan on Christmas Eve. "Because Chang is currently in Japan, details will be worked out next week," Yonhap News Agency quoted a representative for Moon as saying. The spokesperson added that the wedding will be held in Kyonggi Province but released no further details.
Both Sungkyunkwan University alumni, the two reportedly met on the set of a 2003 music video in which Moon was cast in the female lead and Jang was the director. Their professional relationship developed off set into a romance.
Moon, 32, is a promising young actress known for performances in "Peppermint Candy," "A Good Lawyer's Wife," and most recently "Family Ties." She garnered international acclaim when she won the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2002 for her portrayal of a polio survivor in the movie "Oasis."
Chang's debut was as the assistant director of "Motel Cactus" in 1996. He also penned the script of the 1999 thriller "Phantom: the Submarine." In 2003, he directed "Save the Green Planet" for which he won the best new director award at both the Moscow International Film Festival and the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200...19403644430.htm |
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11-30-2006
'Once' Travels in Time for Love
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Love from the past tends to feel more pure, innocent and beautiful than it was in reality because of time. Time erases details, and sifts out any chance that you can damage the memory, especially if it was a good one.
New melodrama "Once in a Summer (Ku Hae Yorum)" tactfully takes advantage of that tendency. It tells of a couple抯 love story that is inextricably intermingled with turbulent modern history. The result is that the couple抯 love appears rather pathetic and the hardships that they go through are felt severely.
Lee Byung-hun, left, and Su Ae star in "Once in a Summer."
Directed by Joh Keun-shik, director of the 2002 hit comedy "Conduct Zero," the melodrama is set in 1969. It's the year when man walked on the moon for the first time, but a lot of citizens and university students here fought against the dictatorship of then-President Park Chung-hee and anti-communist movements victimized innocent lives.
In the film, the year is vividly remembered by professor Yoon Suk-young (played by Lee Byung-hun) as the time when he met his first and unforgettable love, with whom he spent 10 precious, life-changing days.
The renowned professor who now leads a single life recalls his fatal love when a television scriptwriter visits him and asks him about his past.
In 1969, Yoon, a college student, goes with some schoolmates to a small rural village to help farmers. He joins the activity that summer to escape from his demanding father. Back then, he was just a mischievous young man from a rich family, who didn't take anything seriously including the students' movements or romances with girls.
But Suh Jung-in (by Su Ae), who works as a librarian in the village, knocks on his lazy heart with her inexplicable attractions.
Superficially, Suh is always cheerful and energetic. But inside, she hides a tragedy _ her parents went to the North leaving her alone in the village and she led a hard life while trying to step out of the shadow that her communist parents left.
Suh appears to Yoon as cute and adorable, a woman who sings a clumsy song in front of the students and reads an adult novel to illiterate middle-aged male neighbors while eliminating the sexually suggestive parts.
Yoon cannot help but be attracted to her. Likewise, Suh also slowly opens up to him, seeing him as her fate that soothes her pain.
But their separation was destined. Like many innocent people, they couldn't escape from what that chaotic year brought upon them.
They accidentally become involved in a protest, and what awaits them is not a rosy romance but a witch trial due to Suh's parents political ideology. Suh is perplexed and determined to do what is better for Yoon.
Now Yoon, who has spent the past 30 years missing her and remembering her, attempts to find her with the aid of the staff of the TV program before his remaining time drains away.
It seems what the audience expects from a melodrama is not only how it ends but also how people love, which is surely satisfied by the main characters' brilliant performance. Although it doesn't belong to "happily-ever-after" kind of melodrama, it is quite enjoyable as a heart-warming film and many will probably project their own experiences and memories on many scenes in the film.
But it's still a bit disappointing that the film leads the audience to a trite ending despite the frequent time journies, back and forth from the present to the past.
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...21155510970.htm |
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[MAYA, To Debut In China & Japan Next Year]
MAYA, who recently released her album "Road to Myself" will be debuting in Japan and China next year. "Unexpectedly, it seems that in China, I am viewed as a sexy singer", MAYA said. The singer has already studied Chinese for 3 years for her debut in China. Next year, aside from China, she will do an album in Japan. MAYA intends the album to have Korean rock.
Credits ~ KBS World Radio + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom |
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BIG BANG "Heart beat so fast when I saw IVY before my debut"
New face BIG BANG member revealed the time when he experienced his heart beat so fast when he saw a showbiz celebrity before his debut.
A member of the group seemed to have returned to being a fan when he saw a senior singer.
Seung-ri, the youngest in the group revealed that when he saw IVY for the first time during Se7en's music video shoot, his heart beat so fast and found her very beautiful. He admitted that he wanted to get her signature but he did not have enough confidence so he gave up.
Credits : Innolife + Digital YTN + Joynews24 + NEWSIS + kpopper + kpopkingdom |
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2006/12/02
Korean movie director makes glorious return with romance comedy
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- When director Park Chan-wook, who has earned critical fame for his prize-winning revenge films, said a year ago that his next film will be a romance comedy, many fans and critics wondered whether his new attempt would make the grade.
They were still in doubt and some even suspected he was trying to use star power to push his film when he cast singer Rain, who has become a pop icon and a heartthrob among Asian women, as hero of the film in January.
Shrugging off their suspicions, however, the flick, "I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay," shows his captivating charm with experimental storytelling and stylish shooting that come with bright humor and a message about life.
The romantic comedy marks a glorious return for the director, who won the Grand Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival with "Old Boy" and the New Trend best film award in Venice last year with "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance."
After a media preview on Friday, the 44-year-old South Korean director said he is satisfied with his latest work.
"I don't know about other directors, but I am much satisfied with the way my movie looks right after it is completed," Park said.
"That's probably because I want some compensation for the filmmaking process that is painful, laborious and challenging. I can say I'm quite satisfied about this one, too."
Set in a mental hospital, "Cyborg" follows two young quixotic patients who dwell in their own worlds -- Yeong-gun (Lim Soo-jung) who believes she is a cyborg and Il-sun (Jeong Ji-hun, Rain's real name) who lives in fear of perishing from life. Their separate worlds start colliding when Il-sun gets to hear Yeong-gun's secret dialogue with machines.
Yeong-gun refuses to eat as a cyborg. Il-sun, a former electricity clerk, devices a machine that transforms food into electric energy so that the cyborg can have meals and live.
Defying the traditional frame of the kind where a doctor is the savior of a patient, "Cyborg" delves into the world of the patients and shows how they can save each other. The key is empathy.
"If he was a doctor or a normal person he would try to cure her illness. So his goal would be removing her illusion as being a cyborg. But Il-sun enters Yeong-gun's fantasy, which means he accepts her irreparable condition as it is. His love is to accept her condition and also do work to make her live," he said.
Their unlikely romance is so captivating that one can hear other audience members hold their breath at some points like when Il-sun plants the energy device into Yeong-gun's back or when he finally gets her to swallow a spoonful of rice. The emotional moments always follow with bright humor, such as Il-sun's comment meant to assure her that "After service is guaranteed for lifetime."
The love story also shows animosity towards the power people, such as doctors or judges, like his previous works. Yeong-gun identifies herself with her schizophrenic grandmother rather than her pretentious mother. To revenge for her ill-treated grandmother, the girl air-strafes and guns down the "white men" in her illusion.
Despite her quirky behavior, one comes to nod and identify with her when she asks a question that is relevant to every human being: "I still don't know. What use I'm for. Why was I made?"
With his acclaimed revenge trilogy -- "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance," "Old Boy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" under his belt, Park said he wanted his first romance, or seventh feature, will be a low-budget, experimental one. Shot with the new generation of high-definition digital camera and made with 3 billion won (US$3 million), excluding marketing costs, the "Cyborg" presents lots of fantasy scenes, but is still easy to follow.
The casting of Rain somewhat changed his direction, he said.
"I thought this as an in-between film (before the next project "Bat"). Not that I intended to make it fast and rough but make it more experimental. It would cost less and I would have less burden for its commerciality, which is rarely possible in usual cases. I wanted it to be very bold and experimental, even though the majority of the audience may not understand. But that idea was thrown out in the beginning, because Jeong Ji-hun was cast," he said with a smile.
"I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay" is to be released nationwide on Dec. 7.
[email protected]
Source: Yonhap News
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20061202/...02095423E6.html |
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Dec 2, 2006
Fresh From the Army, Song Seung-hun Heads to Japan
Korean Wave star Song Seung-hun, who was released from the military on Nov. 15, is scheduled to make his first visit as a free man to Japan this month. The website of the Sankei Sports reported recently that the actor will soon be treading Japanese ground, where many expect his popularity to top even that of "Yonsama" or Bae Yong-joon.
As a guest at an annual event put on by Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV, the star will be in Japan on Dec. 12-14 and meet his fans. The paper introduces Song as a handsome 180 cm tall heartthrob with a well-muscled body and cites the explosive popularity of "Autumn in My Heart", the soap he appears in, which gained him an official fan club that already has more than 10,000 members.
According to the paper, Fuji TV is considering a special security detail for the star, and predicts that his presence could kick of a second round of K-Wave mania in the country.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 2/200612020006.html |
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Dec 2, 2006
Lim Soo-jung: 39 kg, but That's Okay
Lim Soo-jung had to get her weight down to just 39 kg to shoot her latest film. The actress went through a punishing weight loss process to act as Young-gun, who believes herself to be a cyborg, in Park Chan-wook's new movie, "I'm a Cyborg, but That's Okay."
"The hardest thing about shooting the film was having to make Lim starve," the director confessed. Lim endured a few months of eating only raw sweet potato and pieces of apple. On top of that, on days when she did not have to go to the set, she went to a fitness center to work out. The movie is released on Dec. 7.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 2/200612020004.html |
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Dec 2, 2006
Singers-Turned-Actors: the Best and the Worst
In Korea, singers don't just sing to make a living any more. They try hard to map out a career cycle as entertainers, with the arch usually taking them into acting ventures of varying success. In soap operas particularly, some acquit themselves well. Others, however, provoke derision from Korea's merciless Netizens for the way they flounce and pout around the sets.
In fact, the majority of soap leads are played by singers today. The Chosun Ilbo asked 14 writers and producers of hit dramas who the best and worst of the bunch are. We asked them to rank the top three in each category by giving three points to the best, two to the second best and one to the third.
From left: Rain, Kim Chang-wan, Kim Dong-wan, Lim Chang-jung and Eric
Among men, famously ambitious Rain came top with a score of 29 for appearances in "Full House" and "A Love to Kill." Praise was fulsome. "He successfully appeals to the public with his ability to express feelings in a sympathetic way and by making the transition from singer to actor very naturally," one panel member enthused. "He's a jewel. It would have been such a loss if he hadn抰 decided to act." In second was Kim Chang-wan with 13 points, followed by Kim Dong-wan with 10 points and Lim Chang-jung with 9. Mun Jeong-hyeok or Eric, who landed in fifth with 8 points, got mixed reviews. Some said he was "taking full advantage of his pretty face and ability as an entertainer." Others were less kind.
From left: Jung Ryoe-won, Uhm Jung-hwa, Eugene, Seong Yu-ri and Lee Hyo-lee
Among women, Jung Ryoe-won came top thanks to her part in "My Name is Kim Sam-soon." Jung "is able to reflect her own natural image into the role she plays in the drama," one panelist said. "She works hard at learning her craft. If you look closely at her eye movement, tempo, breathing and reactions to her partners, you can see that she studies the script really hard." Uhm Jung-hwa came second with 17 points and Eugene in third with 12. Uhm is said to be able to play a wide range of parts, have a lively spirit as an actress and act very naturally. Eugene drew favorable responses thanks to her fluent dialect in the drama "I Really Really Like You" broadcast this year. She was praised for speaking dialect very well, which is not easy at all.
Overall, Rain came top with 27 points, followed by Uhm Jung-hwa with 14, Jung Ryeo-won with 12, and Lim Chang-jung with 11.
Who, then, is the worst singer-turned-actor? Seong Yu-ri held the sorry title with 21 points, followed by Lee Hyo-lee with 14, Park Jung-ah with 13, Kangta with 8, and Eric again with 5. Seong, our panelists said delicately, "has starred in several dramas but still has a long way to go." Lee Hyo-lee, who was featured in the drama "Three-Leaf Clover," was denounced as woefully miscast. The glamour girl "did not suit the character of a factory worker," they said. In Park抯 case, the difference between the singer's image and her soap character was also judged too glaring.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 2/200612020002.html |
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2006-12-01
Jung Ji Hoon, "Wanted to take director's abilities"
"If I could, I thought that I wanted to take the director's abilities."
Singer Rain (Bi) who is also actor Jung Ji Hoon had a meaningful initiation rite. Jung Ji Hoon who is making his screen debut through the movie 'Cyborg, but that's okay,' that will be opening on the 7th and is directed by Park Chan Wook, showed more charm as an actor than his previous drama series.
At a press conference held just after the premiere on the 1st, Jung Ji Hoon commented regarding his character Park Il Soon, "Before I started acting this character, I was very frustrated and worried."
The 'mentally ill' Il Soon who constantly commits theft after thinking the reason his mother ran away was because of himself meets and falls in love with Young Goon (played by Lim Soo Jung) who believes herself to be a cyborg. Through Il Soon's 'serious' efforts to feed Young Goon who is suffering from anorexia, the audience soon realizes the true meaning of love.
In response to a question asking what type of ability he would steal if he was able to just as Il Soon, Jung Ji Hoon said, "I wanted to become the president when I was young. Of course that cannot be achieved by stealing someone's abilities. During the filming, I wanted to steal the director's abilities and switch the positions we were in," indirectly expressing his distress as an actor.
"It was hard to express the many different emotions in the mental hospital such as the melodrama, thrill, pain, sadness, and others. But after thinking 'this type of genre and character has never been created before so I can create it myself,' I became a little more comfortable. The character seems to be normal one second and confused in a third dimension the next. The set environment was great so I think Lim Soo Jung and I were both able to act naturally in a confused state."
Lim Soo Jung who played Cha Young Goon, a character that closes herself off from the world after being forced to part with her grandmother who believed herself to be a mouse, commented, "I had to constantly be on a diet through the filming so I was naturally able to understand Young Goon's emotions."
Lim Soo Jung who was not able to have a complete meal due to the character's anorexia said, "Whenever the meals were served, Jung Ji Hoon, the director, and even the entire staff seemed so mean. I was always hungry, always angry, and felt it was unfair that I was the only one that couldn't eat. So when Young Goon sang 'Silent food (Goyohan bap; bam-night, bap-food), Holy food (georookhan bap)' I was better able to understand her state of mind. Lim Soo Jung is said to have weighed as less as 38kg during the movie.
In regards to the character Young Goon, Lim Soo Jung said, "She is a very unrealistic character. I wasn't sure how to express her but when Song Gang Ho at the crank up ceremony told me, 'You are very lucky as an actress to have been able to meet such a character and movie. The character is a white sheet of paper that can play around freely within the fences that the director, co-stars, and staff have set up,' all my worries disappeared at once."
[Copyright © 2006 Yonhap News. All rights reserved.]
Source: http://www.broasia.com/lwboard/lwboard.php...pg=1&no=122 |
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[BIG BANG's 3rd Single, First Place]
BIG BANG rose to first place in an album sale chart, confirming that they are the "new face to be feared".
BIG BANG, who released their 3rd single last November 22 ranked first place in the daily album sale chart of "Hanteo Chart" on the noon of November 23. Son Ho Young, TVXQ!, Lee Seung Hwan and Junjin ranked number 2 to 5 respectively.
The single includes 5 songs: "Victory", "BIG BANG", "Forever With You", "Goodbye Baby" and "Laugh", a solo song of Daesung.
On November 25, BIG BANG will start their 3rd single activities at MBC Show! Music Core. The group's first album will be released next month and first solo concert will be held on December 30 at the Seoul Jamsil Gymnasium.
Credits ~ Starnews + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom |
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YG female new face Park Bom, unveiled herself in BIG BANG's stage
YG Entertainment's new singer Park Bom unveiled herself.
After failing her audition, she continuossly knocked on YG's door for 3 years. All her efforts paid off because she is now YG's trainee.
Before officially debuting, Park Bom made herself known in BIG BANG's 3rd single performance at MBC Sow! Music Core, which was broadcasted on November 25.
Park Bom and G-dragon did the vocals while T.O.P. rapped in the song "Forever With You".
Park Bom is planned to debut early next year. She is already receiving the hot interest of Netizens even though she is still a YG trainee.
Source: newsen + kpopper + akimototsubaki@kpopkingdom
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[Jang Hye Jin, Ilac & Monday Kiz, Formed A Project Group]
Jang Hye Jin, Ilac and Monday Kiz formed a project group called "Voice One". Last November 24, they released in advance their digital single entitled "Love Actually" online. The album will be released on November 30.
Credits ~ KBS World Radio + Kpopper.com + noV@Kpop Kingdom
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[Third Time Lucky For Maya Fans]
Singer Maya has created a bold new image for herself that rings out through her third album. Take a look at the cover and her new image is clear -- in sleeveless shirt she reveals her thigh for a group of topless men. Turn the CD over and she抯 exposing her entire back, with the gang of guys this time wearing just underwear. A marked contrast from her former trademark of riding breeches, the popular singer is clearly emphasizing her femininity for the new album. 揑 don抰 usually wear revealing clothes, but I wanted to show a different, feminine side to myself this time. I had a tough time posing for cameras with these clothes on though, |
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2006.12.04
PARK Chan-wook Unveils as Anticipation Grows
With the release date of December 7 drawing near, the already high - anticipation for I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok steadily builds-up and makes its renowned writer/director PARK Chan-wook a much sought after man by the media.
"Believe it or not, I made this film," PARK was quoted saying after being asked about I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok's great departure from his previous violent vengeance trilogy.
His next upcoming film is a romantic comedy, but the protagonists are mental patients in a mental hospital. PARK who studied philosophy said that the film deals with the "purpose of existence", but rather than letting rational thinking people like doctors determine what and how, he explores "how to live" and love through a girl who thinks she's a cyborg and a boy who believes that he can steal human qualities.
LIM Soo-jung plays the female lead and the boy is played by JUNG Ji-hoon, better known as the popular singer Bi (Rain).
PARK also added his personal touch in the art direction. He abandoned the standard mental institute's representation as a clinical setting for a colorful place, because this way the "film's style supports the story and the characters".
Even though PARK made a romantic film suitable for children, the film's characteristics seem to reflect his acclaimed personal style from his previous films: non-standardized characters, story and style, complemented with touches of humor.
Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)
Source: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/news/news_view...or_news_num=484
The Host's Rare Inclusion in Hollywood Dominated 'Must-See' List
One of America's leading film magazines Premiere included the Korean film The Host in their Fall's 75 Must-See Movies in their U.S. edition. The list of 'must-see' films this fall is quite extensive, but consists almost entirely of Hollywood films. The few exceptions besides The Host are the Chinese Fearless starring Jet Li and the European The Science of Sleep directed by Michel Gondry.
French director Michel Gondry is already a well-known name in the U.S. and he's best known for directing The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carey and Kate Winslet as the leads. Jet Li has a fan-base in the U.S. for quite some time where he also starred in several films.
The Host's director BONG joon-ho, and the leading actors SONG Kang-ho and BAE Doo-na lack a similar kind of recognition in the U.S. However, the film's selection by numerous film festivals, and the consistent reception of praise from critics and audiences in North America have resulted in an upcoming U.S. release of The Host, making it visible for recognizing it as a 'must-see' film.
The Host is a monster film that includes many allusions to Korean society. The film broke numerous box office records and became Korea's most popular film.
Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC)
Source: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/news/news_view...or_news_num=483
Korea Wins Six at Asia Pacific Film Fest
South Korean films won the majority of the awards at the 51st Asia Pacific Film Festival which concluded November 25th in Taipei after a four day run. All-time record holder The Host did extremely well, winning three awards: Best Editing for KIM Sun-min, Best Sound for CHOI Tae-yeong, and Best Supporting Actor for BYUN Hee-bong.
Both Best Actor and Actress awards were won by South Koreans. Child actor LEE Jae-eung took the Best Actor award for his central role in Bravo, My Life. Actress SON Ye-jin picked up an award for her lead role in melodrama April Snow by director HUR Jin-ho.
Finally, director SUN Jee-yeon took the Best Short Film award for Atomic Punch, My Darling. A seven-member jury headed by Taiwanese director Hsing Lee judged the films.
The purpose of the festival is to promote the regional film industry and strengthen ties in the Asia-Pacific filmmaking community.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
Source: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/news/news_view...or_news_num=482 |
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2006.12.04
Family Ties Takes Top Prize in Greece
Korean hybrid ensemble drama Family Ties was awarded the Golden Alexander for best film at the 47th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which had a ten day run ending November 26th. Director KIM Tae-yong was pleased to receive the top prize worth more than US$48 000 at an awards ceremony held at the Olympion Theater.
The film made a strong impression on both the Greek public and the festival jury, winning both the Audience award for best film in international competition and sharing the award for Best Screenplay with Brazilian film Suely in the Sky.
Success didn't stop there. Family Ties also picked-up the Best Actress award, which the jury felt all four actresses in the 3-piece film deserved. Moon So-ri, GO Du-shim, KONG Hyo-jin, and KIM Hae-ok shared the prize.
The film, which examines a trio of dysfunctional relationships that are seemingly unconnected, was also invited to both the Tokyo and Toronto International Film Festivals, before winning the top award in Thessaloniki.
It is the third feature from director KIM Tae-yong. His previous films were the documentary On the Road, Two (2005) and his debut Momento Mori (1999), a horror film which he co-directed with MIN Kyu-dong.
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
Source: http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/news/news_view...or_news_num=485 |
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Monday, December 4, 2006
[EDITORIAL]
Sustaining Hallyu
Popular Korean actors, actresses and singers wooed fans from abroad during "2006 Hallyu Drama Festival" held yesterday at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. The festival was aimed at encouraging tourism from overseas by exploiting the popularity of Korean pop culture in Asia, dubbed Hallyu, or Korean Wave.
On the southern island of Jeju, "Hallyu Expo in Asia" kicked off last week with an appearance by actor Bae Yong-joon, largely responsible creating Hallyu in Japan with the hit drama "Winter Sonata." Fans flew in from Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to see their idol in person.
The event which runs through March 10 is expected to attract 50,000 foreign visitors, generating about 7.5 billion won in tourism revenues, according to the organizers. Judging from the turn out on the first day, however, that estimate may prove to have been too ambitious. The fans did not seem to have much interest in anyone else after Bae made his exit. Bae is indeed a great Hallyu star but for the Korean Wave to have staying power, other hit products need to be created and new stars discovered and promoted.
There are already signs that the popularity of Korean pop culture in Asia may be waning. China where the period drama "Daejanggeum" was a phenomenal success has been restricting the flood of Korean dramas there recently, albeit by informal means. In Japan, Korean dramas are facing serious competition from Chinese-language programs from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong. While there is a steady base of loyal fans, the challenge is to recruit new fans by offering new products. Recycling a particular drama can only go so far.
The favorite stopovers of Korean drama fans when they visit Korea are reporting a decline in the number of foreign visitors. Nami Island in Gangwon Province made famous by "Winter Sonata" has seen a 28 percent drop in foreign visitors over last year. The city of Chuncheon, where the drama was shot, also experienced a similar fall in tourist figures from more than 260,000 in the period covering January to September last year to some 220,000 in the same period this year.
The popularity of Korean dramas, films and pop music that has been sweeping Asia faces an uncertain future unless new cultural content is developed to keep the Korean Wave riding high.
An attempt at discovering new sources of Korean Wave is "Korea in Motion" taking place this week. The festival of non-verbal performances has been conceived as a forum to explore the possibilities of non-verbal performances as a viable Korean cultural product aimed at foreign visitors. Judging by the success of existing non-verbal performances such as "Nanta," "Jump" and "B-Boy" in attracting foreign audiences, pursuing this avenue of Hallyu seems to be a step in the right direction.
Korean Wave not only promotes Korean culture abroad but also boosts sales of Korean products and generates tourism revenue. These are reasons enough to formulate plans now to develop and sustain Hallyu before the wave dies out.
Source: The Korea Herald
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00612040015.asp |
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December 05, 2006
Mr. Vengeance back for romance
After the completion of a trilogy on the theme of revenge, director Park Chan-wook has taken an unexpected turn toward romantic comedy. But his new film will be different from the ordinary sweet and cute romantic melodramas.
Park, who was nicknamed "Mr. Vengeance" by the New York Times Magazine, said that the film is not only to cool himself down but also to try to experiment more boldly.
"This was originally something light between big movies," Park said Friday (Dec.1) during a news conference after the preview screening of his new film "I Am a Cyborg, but That's OK" at CGV Yongsan multiplex theater in Seoul.
"But it doesn't mean I was going to make it without doing my best or something. I just wanted to make it without feeling much pressure about commercial success, which I believed could allow me to do more experimental and bold things so that it could be a kind of movie in which a lot of people may not understand what's going on," Park said.
The film, which Park introduced as "a kind of romantic comedy," is set in a mental institute, where a male patient and a female patient fall in love. The couple is played by two big stars -- Rain, who is one of the most popular singers in Asia, and Lim Soo-jung, who gained huge popularity throughout Asia with the television drama series "Sorry, I Love You."
Rain plays Il-sun, who believes he can "steal" other people's characteristics, and Lim's character is Young-gyun, who thinks she is a cyborg.
The two stars' huge popularity seems to be an advantage for the film, but Park said that they were an obstacle to his experimentation.
揥hen Rain and Lim were cast for the film, the planned experiments were screwed up, |
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Dec 4, 2006
Yoon Eun-hye Offered Role in Taiwanese Drama
Singer-turned-actress Yoon Eun-hye has been offered to play a leading role in the sports film "Dunk" to be produced in Taiwan.
Based on the Japanese manga "Slam Dunk," the film will be produced with a budget of some 10 million US dollars, and Taiwan抯 leading star Jay Chou has already been cast as the male lead.
The offer seems to have been extended to Yoon because of the popularity she enjoyed in Chinese-speaking nations as a member of the five-woman group Baby V.O.X and through "Princess Hours," the MBC hit drama where she played a leading role.
In July, an AP report had said that pan-Asian star BoA would act in "Dunk," but her agency denied the report, saying, "No offers have been made to us, so we do not know anything about it. If we receive an official offer, we will consider it."
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/enterta...8409_11692.html |
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Dec 4, 2006
Busan Shapes Up as Another Hong Kong
"It feels like I'm in Hollywood" "This is such a fabulous city that it can compete with the world's top class cities." These are just some of the compliments hotel staff and public officials in Busan heard from ethnic Korean businesspeople from around the world who were in the southern port city for the Fifth World Korean Business Convention recently. A staffer with the Paradise Hotel Busan says he was proud to hear the compliments. "People who last came here five or six years ago always say how much Busan has changed."
Busan seen from the sea. On the right is Haeundae Beach and on the left
Gwangan Grand Bridge.
Busan is becoming Korea's Hong Kong. The costal city has a world-class port and holds international conferences of all sizes. Plenty of foreigners also enjoy its beautiful natural environment, lovely views and clean air. Infrastructure has made remarkable progress over the last decade, from Gwangan Grand Bridge with its stunning lighting that produces more than 20,000 colors to the Pusan International Film Festival, which has consolidated its status as Asia's largest. The Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), which holds conferences and exhibitions almost every day, the newly built subway lines No. 2 and No. 3, Centum City, which is to have the largest shopping mall in Asia, a media center and IT zone, 40-50-story apartments in the Sooyoung Bay landfill, the APEC Nurimaru House, where leaders of 21 countries in the Asia Pacific region got together for their summit: the list goes on.
Lee, an office worker who last visited the city 10 years ago, was stunned. "I saw so many high-risers near Haeundae Beach, it reminded of Hong Kong," he said.
Busan Exhibition and Convention Center or BEXCO holds international conferences
and exhibitions almost every day.
Movies are another thing Busan shares with the city that gave rise to Jackie Chan, Leslie Cheung Chow Yun-fat and Maggie Cheung. But if Hong Kong抯 film industry is shrinking, Busan's is on the rise. The PIFF, which celebrates its 11th anniversary this year, is a symbol of the rapidly changing city. It is the main success story among international events away from the capital. Movie stars from home and abroad take part in the festival, which draws audiences of more than 160,000. Festival director Kim Dong-ho says, "PIFF has grown to the point where figures in the global movie industry beg for invitations." PIFF launched an Asian Film Market this year where investors, distributors, directors, cutting-edge movie equipment suppliers and actors get together to network, invest and make casting decisions, an ambitious project to link the movie festival and culture with the industry. Some 3,500 people and 560 companies from 40 countries took part in this year's AFM.
Both Busan and Hong Kong are international port cities. Hong Kong has the world's second largest container port, processing 22.42 million containers last year, and Busan has the fifth largest with 11.84 million, after Shanghai with 18.08 million and Shenzen with 16.19 million. Hong Kong came top two years ago and Busan in third place until 2002. Busan was ranked third after Hong Kong and Singapore in 2002, but Singapore topped the list processing 23.19 million containers last year. Thus if Hong Kong and Busan compete, they also need to cooperate to hold their own against the other major ports.
BEXCO gained global attention by holding the 2001 World Cup Draw and the APEC summit in 2005. It recently held the World Korean Business Convention where 1,500 ethnic Korean businessman from 170 countries gathered together and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Ministerial Conference on Transport, which drew 1,000 people from 62 countries. Thanks to that, Busan has made it into the top 10 Asian cities to host international conferences only four years after the center opened. The city overtook Jeju as Korea抯 no. 2 after Seoul in terms of hosting international exhibitions and conferences. Busan held 49 international conferences last year and Jeju came third with 42. Among venues, COEX in Seoul came top by holding 32 international conferences and BEXCO second with 22.
But Hong Kong is also a global financial center and a tourism and shopping Mecca. Many multinational banks such as Standard Chartered Bank have their Asian headquarters there. Hong Kong is also famous for its beautiful night landscape and the diversity of its cuisine. These are areas where Busan is trying to catch up. First of all, it is to get four skyscrapers taller than 100 stories within the next decade. Busan Port Authority announced last October it will build two landmark buildings, one 100 stories tall and the other 120, in the city's special zone to be set up to promote international business and exchange as part of its master plan to redevelop the North Port. In addition, a 107-story Lotte World is under construction at the site of the old municipal government building, while property developer Solomon Group is to build the World Business Center Busan, a high-riser with between 102 and 110 stories in Centum City near Haeundae. When construction is completed, Busan will be on a par with Seoul in terms of the number of tall buildings.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0612040002.html |
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December 5, 2006 KST
Screen sirens vie to win first place on film's hit list
December 05, 2006 ㅡ Who's the sexiest girl on screen? For this month let's narrow the choice down to five: Eom Jung-hwa, Kim Ah-jung, Kim Tae-hee, Hyun Young and Yim Soo-jung. If this is still too big a list, movie fans can select just one themselves, as all five starlets are due in multiplex cinemas before the New Year.
▶ Kim Ah-jung in "It Isn't Easy Being a Beauty"
and right, Provided by distributors
So December will be the cruellest month for this celluloid quintet. While moviegoers enjoy being armchair critics, the five actresses will be nervous, studying which film moviegoers like best.
The first on deck is "I Am a Cyborg, But That's Okay" starring Yim Soo-jung, who has an innocent look that makes her look barely 20 (although she is 27 according to the official profile released by her agency). To star in director Park Chan-wook's new romantic comedy, she had to reduce her weight to 39 kilograms (86 pounds) and she bleached her eyebrows blonde to play a cute doll-like character who believes she is a cyborg and must be recharged like a battery.
"It was actually very painful to starve [for the skinny figure I had to have for the character] while the rest of the crew were having their meals," Yim admitted with what looked like a hungry expression during the press conference held last week.
▶ Eom Jung-hwa after a screening
of "Seducing Mr. Robin."
Also opening on the same day is "Seducing Mr. Robin" starring Eom Jung-hwa, a singer and actress, who is commonly called the "Korean Madonna" because of her sensational dress sense. But unlike her previous films, including "Marriage Is a Crazy Thing," which raised eyebrows because of its provocative material, the latest film by director Kim Sang-woo has been edited for viewing by a general audience ? one reason it has a chance of gaining a younger, wider following.
Model-turned-actress Kim Ah-jung appears in "It isn't Easy Being a Beauty," a screenplay adapted from a Japanese comic. Kim begins as a sad girl with weight problems but turns into a supermodel after surgery and a makeover. Fans will see plenty of Kim in skimpy bathing suits and mini skirts. The film was directed by Kim Yong-hwa.
Kim Tae-hee chose luxury as her trademark. In director Cho Dong-ho's fantasy, "Restless," she is a goddess-like figure. CJ Entertainment spent 10 billion won ($11 million) to make this winter blockbuster. It is the producer's first big bet after they failed with their previous mega-budget film "Typhoon."
The last up is Hyun Young. She might be on a sticky wicket since she is fairly new to the film industry and is more popular as a host on entertainment shows. But "My Wife is a Gangster 3" is the final installment of the popular trilogy and features Zhang Ziyi as well.
As for the viewers looking for the sexiest guys on screen, these five ladies are appearing with co-actors who are almost as beautiful: Yim with Bi (Rain), Eom with Daniel Henney, the model Kim with Ju Jin-mo, the actress Kim with Jung Woo-sung and Hyun with Lee Bum-su.
by Lee Min-a <[email protected]>
Source: INSIDE JoongAng Daily
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200612/04/2...0091009101.html |
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Author
Post time 1-12-2006 10:49 AM
