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August 5, 2012
MBC dramas to air in Latin America
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Korean broadcasting company MBC said the dramas “The First Shop of Coffee Prince” and “Goong” will be broadcast in Latin America.
Paraguay’s Red Guarani will air “The First Shop of Coffee Prince” starting next month and “Goong” in January.
SERTV, Panama’s government television network, started broadcasting “Goong” a week ago, according to the Central and South America branch of Korea’s broadcasting company.
“Korean dramas appeal to Latin American people, helped by the K-pop boom in the region,” said Jeong Gil-hwa, head of the branch. “‘Goong’ attracted attention here due to the unique setting featuring a royal family under the constitutional monarchy system.”
“As for ‘The First Shop of Coffee Prince,’ it may draw attention because people in the coffee-growing region can easily relate to a story revolving around baristas,” he said.
“The First Shop of Coffee Prince” scored the highest viewership rating in 2007 in its time slot in Korea. |
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August 6, 2012
S. Korea's first Hollywood-invested film starts filming
YonhapNews l Nate
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Yonhap) -- Shooting began for "Running Man," the first South Korean film to be invested by a Hollywood studio, late last month, the studio's local unit said Monday.
The movie about an everyman who happens to get embroiled in a high-profile murder case and tries to run away began shooting on July 28, the 20th Century Fox Korea said in a release.
South Korean actor Shin Ha-gyun plays the protagonist named Jong-woo in the picture invested by 20th Century Fox, a major Hollywood studio.
"Unlike Hollywood-made hero films, this movie has an average lower middle class citizen as its main character. It also has an unpredictable development of incidents and action scenes," a company official said.
Running Man is set to open in South Korea next year. |
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August 6, 2012
CNBlue's Lee Jung-shin to debut as an actor in 'My Daughter Soyoung'
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Lee Jung-shin of boy band CNBlue has been cast to play a main character in the upcoming KBS drama “My Daughter Soyoung.”
The drama is set to be broadcast after “You Who Rolled in Unexpectedly” on weekends. It will be directed by Yoo Hyun-gi, who previously worked on
“God of Study” and “Brain,” and written by So Hyun-kyung, who also authored “49 Days” and “Shining Inheritance”. The drama revolves around a complex relationship between a father and his daughter.
The bassist follows in the footsteps of his fellow boy band members, all of whom have become involved in acting.
FNC Entertainment, the agency of the four-member group, said that, “Lee Jung-shin has been receiving calls for drama roles.”
“He has spent a lot of time preparing and has long aspired to acting,” the agency added. “Please look forward to his debut.”
The first episode of the drama will be aired on Sept. 15. |
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August 6, 2012
Filming for 'Running Man' begins with U.S. studio support
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Filming for the Korean movie “Running Man” began on July 28, and the film is scheduled to hit theaters next year.
The movie drew a lot of attention after the Korean operation of 20th Century Fox decided to invest in the film, marking the first time a Hollywood film distributer has made a financial commitment of this sort to a Korean production.
“The Korean movie centers on an ordinary main character, unlike Hollywood movies, but still provides diverse action scenes and unexpected plot twists,” a staff member from 20th Century Fox told media outlets.
The movie distributer said earlier this year that it intends to invest in, produce and distribute five Korean movies, each costing up to 5 billion won ($4.4 million).
“Running Man” centers on a runaway who was unexpectedly involved in a murder case. Shin Ha-kyun and Lee Min-ho have been cast for the movie. |
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August 6, 2012
Actor Lee Jun-ki also a stuntman
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
MBC’s “Arang and the Magistrate” unveiled teasers of its male lead Lee Jun-ki where the actor escaped a dangerous situation on horseback.
In the stills, Lee is said to shoot the horseback scene himself with no stunt double.
He also performed martial arts for a scene in the drama.
“Lee Jun-ki was good at martial arts,” said a representative of the show. “He is not only good at action scenes but also has been thoughtful of other colleagues.”
The 30-year-old actor, who was recently discharged from the Army, is making his screen comeback. Shin Min-ah and Yoo Seong-ho will also star in the TV series.
“Arang and the Magistrate,” set in the Joseon Dynasty, is a romantic fantasy drama based on the folklore of Arang, who died unjustly and returns as a ghost in order to reveal the circumstances surrounding her death.
The first episode of the drama will air Aug. 15 after “I Do, I Do” on Wednesday and Thursday.
Last edited by katt on 6-8-2012 11:48 PM \n\n |
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August 6, 2012
Jang Geun-suk wows music festival
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Jang Geun-suk performed for an audience of 30,000 last Saturday at the Ultra Music Festival Korea 2012.
Team H, a project group formed by Jang and his musical partner Big Brother, were invited as a special guest for the electronic music festival held at Olympic Stadium, southern Seoul.
They performed six songs for 30 minutes specially arranged for the festival.
An official YouTube channel of the festival offered real-time coverage of the event, attracting more than two million fans. Many of them posted comments that Jang’s deejaying was great.
Team H is also scheduled to perform at Summer Sonic 2012, the largest urban music festival in Asia. The festival will feature such world-famous artists as Green Day and Rihanna. Meanwhile, Jang Geun-suk finished his “2012 Jang Geun Suk Asia Tour” while preparing for a concert this Saturday in Shanghai.
He also plans to perform Sept. 1-2 at Taiwan’s Taipei Arena. |
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August 6, 2012
Ko Doo-sim graces 'Dance Lesson'
By Kwon Mee-yoo The Korea Times
Actress Ko Doo-sim, right, plays the role of retired teacher Lily and actor Ji Hyun-jun
her dance instructor Michael in “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” by Richard Alfieri.
The play runs through Sept. 2 at Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall in central Seoul. / Courtesy of CJ E&M
Veteran actress Ko Doo-sim returned to the theater after a five-year break, dancing to her heart’s desire in the play “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” at Doosan Art Center Yonkang Hall in central Seoul.
Ko, who made her debut in 1972, is one of the top actresses in Korea. She has mostly played maternal roles in movies and television dramas such as “Twinkle Twinkle” (2011) and “My Mother” (2005), and her theatrical credit in “Mother” (2007). However, she showed what a mature actress can present on stage in “Dance Lesson.”
Written by Richard Alfieri, the play portrays how a friendship blooms between Lily Harrison, a retired teacher in her 70s, and her dance instructor Michael Minetti. Their first encounter is riddled with misunderstandings and lies, but they get to know each other’s secrets and scars, and become friends.
The two are very different — Lily is a formidable upper-class woman living in an apartment with a breathtaking view, while Michael is a homosexual dancer living from hand to mouth. The elegant woman is halfhearted about this instructor who tells one lie after another and her bluffing gets on Michael’s nerves. Later they discover what they have in common — being a minority — and embrace each other’s problems as friends.
As Lily learns from Michael for six weeks, a variety of dance performances grace the stage. They start with lively swing and sexy tango move to romantic waltz. Lily shows talent in the foxtrot, cha-cha-cha and contemporary dance as well. Such animated dance moves light up the stage and show how much practice they undertook. Ko changes costumes for each dance, providing another attraction.
Ji Hyun-jun, who recently appeared in the musical “Moby Dick” as Queequeg, plays her counterpart. His sly portrayal of a gay dance instructor and beautiful dance movements adds zest to the play.
Though Ko looks younger than her character, her flawless dancing provides a spectacle for the audiences, mainly mid-aged women. But her acting seems not as realistic and natural as it was on the small and big screen, lost in the differences between screen acting and live theater.
Ko displayed deep affection for her character. “Many women in their 40s and 50s will relate to Lily. They live a hectic life raising their family, but do not look after themselves,” Ko said at a press preview of the play. “I sympathized with the line that Lily says ’I was a woman’ and decided to play Lily.”
She added that “Dance Lesson” will heal women and help them finding their true self. “This play is about dance, but when looked closely, it is more about life,” Ko said.
The play runs through Sept. 2. Tickets cost 50,000-70,000 won. For more information, call 1588-0688. |
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August 7, 2012
Fans Inspire Kim Hyun-joong to Make W50 Million Donation
ChosunIlbo
Singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong donated W50 million to the Beautiful Foundation, a charitable organization, on Monday (US$1=W1,129).
His donation comes just days after his fan club donated W10 million to the foundation to help single elderly people in need.
"Kim said he was moved by his fans, who took the initiative to help those in need on his behalf, so he decided to follow in their footsteps," the foundation said.
Around 60 percent of the money will be used to help elderly people who live alone, while W20 million will go to a scholarship fund that the foundation created in the star's name. |
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August 7, 2012
CNBLUE's Lee Jung-shin Cast In New KBS Drama
KBS Global
Following in the footsteps of his bandmates, Lee Jung-shin of CNBLUE has been cast as a main character in a new upcoming KBS weekend drama titled "My Daughter So-young".
The new drama will take the time slot of "You Who Rolled In Unexpectedly". It will be directed by producer Yoo Hyun-gi, who was also the brains behind "God Of Study" and "Brain". The storyline is about a distant father and his daughter.
This completes the list; all members of CNBLUE have acting experience.
"My Daughter So-young" will start airing on September 15th. |
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August 7, 2012
Yoo In-na Will Not See Boyfriend Ji Hyun-woo Off To Military
KBS Global
Actress Yoo In-na has stated she will not be there at the site of her boyfriend Ji Hyun-woo's entry into the military.
According to Yoo's agency on August 6th, Yoo has decided not to be there at the site on August 7th, when Ji will be starting his compulsory military duties.
The agency continued, "Of course Yoo wants to be there, but she has decided to not attend because it may take away from the fans. She wants it to be a time solely for Ji Hyun-woo and his fans."
Yoo also didn't attend the last fan meeting that Ji held for his fans before his service on July 23rd.
Ji will be entering on August 7th at 2 PM at the training facilities in Chuncheon. He will spend the one hour before with his fans to say goody-bye. |
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August 7, 2012
Filming for "Old Boy" remake to begin in October
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Filming for the remake of Korean classic Old Boy will begin on October 1, according to U.S. movie-specialized website ComicBookmMovie.com. The first shooting will reportedly take place in New Orleans.
The American-made version of Park Chan-wook’s Old Boy will be directed by Spike Lee and will star Josh Brolin and Sharlto Copley.
The posting also provided a casting call for the adaptation, listing some 20 roles. Steve Spielberg, at one point, had plans to team up with Will Smith on the remake project, but that failed to pan out.
The information on the upcoming movie is few and far between, but main casts have revealed a few details.
Josh Brolin said that Spike Lee decided to keep hammer-fight and octopus-eating scenes while Sharlto Copley commented that “It’s dark and gritty. They’re not sort of softening it,” when asked about the approach to adapting its source material. |
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August 7, 2012
Actor Ji Hyun-woo enlists in the Army
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Ji Hyun-woo signed up for military service yesterday in Chuncheon, Gangwon. After spending four weeks at the training facility, the 27-year-old actor will undertake 21 months of mandatory military service in the Army.
He was supposed to enter July 3, but had to postpone the date due to medical treatment. Ji was hurt while shooting scenes on horseback for the drama “Queen In-hyun’s Man.”
The actor publicly declared that he had fallen in love with co-star Yoo In-na, saying, “I wanted to say this in front of all the fans of the drama. I love Yoo In-na” at a press conference to mark the drama’s end.
The two celebrities have been officially dating, and Yoo In-na said in June on her radio show that she also has feelings for Ji.
“The two enjoyed a date a day before his enlistment. Yoo decided not to go to the military base because a lot of fans will bid Ji farewell,” said a representative of Ji’s agency. |
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August 7, 2012
Ha Ji-won to lecture on film in China
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Korean actress Ha Ji-won and director Kim Ji-hoon plan to give a lecture on movie production in China as part of CJ CGV’s cultural exchange program Toto’s Workroom.
“I am really pleased to act as a mentor and I want to play a role in exchanging cultures between China and Korea through this program,” Ha Ji-won said. “I am already looking forward to meeting teenagers from both countries.”
The program is designed to encourage teenagers from China and Korea to engage in film production. The students will learn how to draw storyboards as well as shoot and edit film during the event, which runs from Aug. 13 to 17 in Beijing.
The actress and director, who worked together in the movie “Sector 7,” will present an award for the best movie on the last day of the program.
In June, Ha attended a special screening of the movie “As One” in Los Angeles. The movie began screening in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia as well as Vancouver and Toronto from June 1. |
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August 7, 2012
From Ob-gyn to transgender rock singer
Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Park Geon-hyeong has seen it all on TV dramas and the recent musical ‘Hedwig’
After finishing a drama series in which he played a devoted bachelor,
Park Geon-hyeong goes back to his roots - musicals - this time
as a transgender rock singer. “I want people to believe that I am
a woman so that they can fall in love with me,” the actor said. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Park Geon-hyeong has played a wide range of roles throughout his acting career. His most recent character in “I Do, I Do,” Cho Eun-sung, is a devoted bachelor and Ob-gyn who falls in love with a pregnant woman. Now Park is acting in live performances in the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” in which he plays a transgender rock singer.
The 34-year-old recently wrapped up the MBC drama “I Do, I Do” last month and says his role in “Hedwig” is a significant challenge. But as the stage is “where he comes from,” the role is also fulfilling.
Park first debuted as a musical actor back in 2001 and has since been active on both television and stage. He has starred in the KBS2 dramas “The Kingdom of the Winds” (2008) and “When Spring Comes” as well as the JTBC program “Syndrome” (2012).
The actor sat down with Ilgan Sports, a daily affiliated with the JoongAng Ilbo, to discuss his current work in the musical and his various roles in dramas. The following are excerpts from the interview.
Q. You start your musical performance on Saturday without any rest after the drama series. How were you able to transition so quickly from television to the live performance?
A. Even now I just came from my practice session. People around me worry that the work may be too demanding, but I actually have a lot of energy and this production is very meaningful to me. For the first time in my life, I am going to wear women’s clothing by taking on the role of a transgender rock singer Hedwig.
How does it feel to dress like a woman?
As soon as I chose to take on the role of Hedwig, I wore a skirt. “Oh my, is this really how it feels to wear a skirt? It feels so empty underneath!” I also tried on a bra, and I think that women are amazing for wearing something so inconvenient all day long. In the end, I felt like my broad shoulders were not “woman-like” and that was when I felt like trimming some of my bones. I wanted to be a truly magnificent woman. I now understand why women say that they want to trim off their bones [Laughs].
I’ve heard that while working on “Hedwig,” you have set a special goal for yourself.
I want the people who come to the show but don’t know me to truly believe that I am a woman so that they can fall in love with me. This musical is both a great challenge and a pleasure, and this is why I decided to become an actor.
Isn’t it hard to go from TV to the musical stage and vice versa?
There is a lot to fight for. When I am doing a drama, I need to reduce some of the musical-like showy energy because otherwise, it looks too heavy on TV. It is important to stay on the same level as the other person. On the contrary, on the musical stage, it is necessary to give off a peculiar kind of energy. It is indeed not an easy job to move back and forth, but I am happy.
It’s hard not to mention your recent project, “I Do, I Do.” The character of Cho Eun-sung is hard to understand in real life because he loves a woman who is pregnant with another man’s child, and later on, he wants to become a godfather-like figure for the newborn.
I thought a lot about the character while taking on this role, such as thinking about what love really is, at exactly what point does a man feel love toward a woman, and why a man and a woman still love each other even after incessant fighting. I think the character is not unrealistic, but just rare, and I wanted to show that kind of standpoint.
But what if this kind of situation happened in real life?
In a strictly standardized moral sense, there would be no explanation for that. People close by would ask questions like, “Are there really no other woman at all? Why does it have to be that woman?” But when you think about it, the only possible answer would be that it is because of that woman.
That sounds very romantic.
What I learnt throughout this role is, “To all the men out there, don’t think that you know everything about women.” I think that women are people who are in constant transformation and that with each transformation, something improves. Things like navigation need to be changed and upgraded once a year, but it seems like women change every three minutes, so how are we to possibly stick to their pace? Men shouldn’t be so bigheaded about knowing women.
Are you currently seeing anyone?
No. When I am in love with someone, I’m not the kind who plays “hard to get.” Rather, I am totally at their disposition, which is probably why the other person loses the will to play any tricks on me.
Like your previous project with JTBC’s “Syndrome,” you once again took on the role of a doctor in “I Do, I Do.”
“Syndrome” was a drama that was wholly focused on medical science, but since “I Do, I Do” was a drama in the genre of a romantic comedy, it was very different. When I received the script, I was like, “Wow, is this really for me?” and I really liked the concept of my character. Besides, isn’t it a compliment to hear that I look good as a doctor? Also, because of “Syndrome,” wearing scrubs wasn’t awkward at all, but actually very comfy. I was happy to not have to take on the role of a doctor who had to perform endless surgeries that were of life or death situations, but rather playing a doctor whose duty was to bring joy into welcoming a new life.
You seem to be an eager perfectionist.
That is a necessary trait to have for an actor. I constantly think about how much more I can present myself sincerely to the audience because at the end of the day, I am to become a gift for them.
[email protected] |
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August 7, 2012
Chinese, Japanese, English Subtitles for Some Korean Movies
ChosunIlbo
Six movie theaters in Seoul run by CGV and Lotte Cinema will feature Korean movies with subtitles in Chinese, Japanese and English twice a week starting Wednesday.
The Seoul metropolitan government said theaters in Guro in southern Seoul, home to a large population of ethnic Koreans from China, will feature Korean movies with Chinese subtitles, while theaters in the downtown shopping district of Myeong-dong which is popular among Japanese tourists will offer Japanese subtitles. Theaters in Yongsan, near the Itaewon bar and shopping district where Americans like to spend time, will offer English subtitles.
The move came because the size of the foreign population has grown to make it worthwhile. The Seoul metropolitan government chose CGV in Guro and Lotte Cinema in Cheongnyangni in northeastern Seoul for Chinese subtitles. Guro is home to 29,934 ethnic Korean Chinese and nearby Yeongdeungpo to 39,967. Cheongnyangni in the Dongdaemun district also has the largest population of Chinese other than ethnic Koreans in Seoul at 4,207.
Lotte Cinema in Myeong-dong and CGV in Cheongdam-dong are in shopping havens frequented by Japanese tourists, and CGV in Yongsan is close to Itaewon. Lotte Cinema near Hongik University was also selected for English subtitles due to the growing number of foreigners who visit the trendy entertainment district.
The subtitled films will be shown twice a week. The Lotte cinemas will feature them every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. The CGVs will offer subtitled movies at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Fourteen Korean films will come subtitled.
The number of foreigners living in Seoul rose 9 percent from 255,207 in 2008 to 279,220 in 2011. Chinese accounted for 76 percent, Americans for 4 percent and Japanese for 3 percent. |
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August 8, 2012
Ha Ji-won to Coach Aspiring Chinese Moviemakers
ChosunIlbo
Actress Ha Ji-won and director Kim Ji-hoon will serve as mentors for China's future filmmakers by participating in a cultural education program called Toto's Workroom organized by CJ CGV in Beijing from Aug. 13 to 17, the cinema company said on Tuesday.
The event, which is in its second year, is a cultural exchange program that sees 40 students from Korea and China make eight films over a period of five days.
Ha and Kim, whose profiles in China have been raised by the recent release of the movie "Sector 7" there, will lecture students on filmmaking and participate in fun events such as a photo puzzle. They will attend a screening of movies produced by the students and present awards in honor of excellent works on the last day of the program.
"With this year celebrating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, I hope that can act as mediators in cultural exchanges between the two countries," said Ha. |
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August 8, 2012
Actress Ha Ji-won Serves as Mentor for Korea-China Youth Culture Event
KBS Global
Korean actress Ha Ji-won and director Kim Ji-hoon will participate as mentors in the Korea-China youth cultural exchange program "Beijing Toto Laboratory", which is to be held in Beijing's Kwanggeomun Middle School on Aug. 13 through Aug. 17, CJ CGV, the event organizer, revealed on Aug. 7.
In the program 40 youths from both Korea and China will engage in film-making for five days. CJ co-hosts the event together with the Boys Vanguard of the Chinese Communist Youth Association. Both Kim and Ha have been widely known in China since the release of the Korean movie "Sector 7" in China. They will give a special lecture on film-making and take part in puzzle games with the participating youths.
On the last day, they will participate in the showing of movies made by the youths and award prizes to the winners. Ha Ji-won said, "I want to contribute to promoting cultural exchange between Korea and China through the event, being held on the 20th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic ties." [Yonhap] |
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