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August 10, 2012
Actresses dismiss rumors of wig fight
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Han Chae-young denied rumors that she got into an argument with Chinese actress He Zhuoyan over a wig, which was supposedly a part of her costume for the drama they are co-starring in.
BH Entertainment, the actress’s agency, said the rumors are “not true at all.”
“Han Chae-young is not even wearing a wig in her drama, so it doesn’t make any sense to claim that such a thing happened,” a representative of the agency said.
“Zhuoyan is a good partner for Chae-young. She always takes care of her and has always been thoughtful.”
Han Chae-young herself also refuted news of the dispute carried by a Chinese media outlet.
“What is this? Should I feel bad about such a groundless piece? My friend Zhuoyan don’t feel bad about this,” the Korean actress posted on her microblog Weibo.
The Chinese actress also commented on her Weibo, saying, “Who gave them the right to write this absurd article? How can they be so reckless?” |
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August 10, 2012
'Masquerade' Lee Byung Hun's Charismatic Dual Role Play
BY KOREAPORTAL STAFF WRITER
The veil of actor Lee Byung Hun in his first historical work, film 'Masquerade,' has been uncovered.
'Masquerade' is a film about Chosun's King Kwang Hae on the brink of being poisoned and the episodes that follow low-class Ha Sun disguising himself as the king. It is the hidden story of a 15-day period that has vanished from history.
In addition to the film being his first historical genre attempt, Lee Byung Hun will play two roles. 'Masquerade' is currently attracting attention for its grave tension and dramatic story, as the main trailer portrays the overwhelming charisma of Korea's representative actors.
The main trailer begins with the image of King Kwang Hae, and followed by the meeting of Heo Kyun and Ha Sun, as the music becomes louder and the speed intensifies. Ha Sun enters the palace and appears in front of the king as a splitting image.
'A man who shouldn't be a king becomes the king of Chosun,' film 'Masquerade' stars Lee Byung Hun, Han Hyo Joo, Kim In Kwon, and Shim Eun Kyung. Audiences can anticipate a spectacular synergy created by the stars' acting abilities as well as a strong story line.
'Masquerade' will premiere this coming Chuseok. |
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August 11, 2012
ChosunIlbo
Shin Min-a (left) and Lee Jun-ki pose at a press event for their new TV drama in Seoul on Friday. |
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August 11, 2012
CN Blue's Lee Warms to TV Acting Role After Initial Stage Fright
ChosunIlbo
The SBS drama "A Gentleman's Dignity," which has garnered high viewer ratings, focuses on the romantic entanglements of a group of middle-aged men, but it is a handsome younger man that is grabbing viewers' attention. He is Lee Jong-hyun, member of the idol group CN BLUE, who plays the role of a young boy who makes his way to Korea from Japan in search of his real father.
Lee flashes his charm on his acting debut and was brought in to appeal to a younger audience demographic among a cast of veteran actors -- Jang Dong-gun, Kim Soo-ro, Kim Min-jong and Lee Jong-hyuk.
"I rarely cry, even when watching tear-jerkers or moving dramas, but now I often find my eyes filled with tears as I get more involved in the role," said Lee. "I discovered another side of myself through acting."
Lee said it was hard to play the role because the character is a man of few words. "I initially thought it would be easier as there weren't many lines, but it was more of a challenge because I had to express a wide range of emotions through gestures and expressions," he said.
"I read the script whenever I had time, but when the cameras started rolling, I tried to forget what I had rehearsed so I could act more naturally, thinking that if I were him, what I would do in this or that situation," he said.
Dialect was another concern as Lee was born in Busan, a region known for its thick brogue. He said he refrained from talking with people who speak the same dialect and even reduced the amount of time spent speaking to his family by phone.
A perfectionist, Lee said his weaknesses as an actor continue to haunt him, and pointed to the parts of the script where he has to speak Japanese as something that tripped him up.
"I lived in Japan for four years, so I have no problem speaking in Japanese for everyday conversation, but my lines sounded awkward at first on-screen," he said. "I realized speaking a language, and acting using it, are two completely different things."
He said he was hesitant to try his hand at acting initially out of fear that he would not be able to rise to the challenge, but that now his confidence has been buoyed.
"Now I've started acting, I will keep trying to improve my skills to meet the expectations of my fans," he said, adding that he wants to move into action movies.
"I feel confident that I can perform action scenes myself, without a stuntman, as I used to practice judo. I'm sure I can do it really well."
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August 12, 2012
Shin Min-a returns to supernatural in 'Tale of Arang'
By Jean Oh The Korea Herald
Actress goes from nine-tailed fox to ‘amnesiac, single, girl ghost’
Never mind that actress Shin Min-a is one step closer to becoming the girl you sign on to play supernatural heroines, her latest endeavor, MBC’s “Tale of Arang,” bears all the trappings of a great success.
A mash-up of horror, mystery, comedy and romance, this refreshing period piece set in the Joseon period is in good stead to top the Wednesday and Thursday prime time ratings race.
“I play an amnesiac, single, girl ghost,” the 28-year-old actress said at the drama’s press conference in Seoul, Friday, tossing out a statement that would be terribly misleading if taken out of context.
Shin is tackling a classic Korean horror icon ― the single lady ghost (generally depicted as a creature with dangerous anger management issues and long, unkempt hair) ― except that her heroine, Arang, is disarmingly cute.
In short, viewers expecting a traditional horror story will be sorely disappointed.
“Our drama transforms the standard Korean ghost story into a Korean-style fantasy,” said director Kim Sang-ho, who already cut his teeth on the genre with 2009’s dark-and-twisted MBC series “Hon.” Kim is teaming up with scriptwriter Jung Yoon-jung, who honed her police procedural writing expertise on the first and second seasons of the Joseon period cable TV thriller “BSG Police (ByeolSunGeom).”
“Tale of Arang” stars Shin Min-a (left) and Lee Joon-gi attend the drama’s press conference in Seoul on Friday. (MBC)
“I think if it isn’t new, then it is a waste of time,” Kim said.
It was precisely this refreshing take on a reinterpretation of a well-known Korean legend that attracted “Tale of Arang” co-star Lee Joon-gi to the project, his first television series since he completed military service.
The 30-year-old actor said, “It caught my attention. It was very different.”
Though Lee, who has seen great success with the period piece genre in SBS’ “Iljimae” and the film, “King and the Clown,” said he had been less concerned about who would star opposite him and more worried about how he would interpret his character, he looked utterly at ease in his new role as a “prickly and chic government official” with a heart of gold in the highlight reel.
While this is Lee’s first time playing a Sherlock Holmes-esque, ghost-seeing role opposite a supernatural leading lady, the same cannot be said for co-star Shin.
Shin has had previous experience with dramas that revamp a classic horror icon into an endearing creature in dire need of rescue by a knight-in-shining armor with SBS’ “My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.”
In the series, Shin portrayed the nine-tailed fox (“gumiho” in Korean) as a sweet, rambunctious creature that bore little resemblance to the standard depiction of the shape-shifting fox as a seductive man-eater.
While Shin admitted the set-up, where a supernatural heroine enlists the help of a human hero, is similar to her previous drama, she assured reporters that the similarities ended there.
“Gumhi was an adorable and lovable infant,” she elaborated. “Arang is wild and rough.”
The highlight reel unveiled at the press event gave reporters a glimpse of a series that, as Shin said, bears little resemblance to her last fusion-fantasy.
Comedic spats between Lee Joon-gi’s spirit-seeing government official Eun-o and Shin’s Arang were artfully spliced into a larger format that hinted at a plotline where Eun-o and Arang join forces to solve cases in a series that promises to fuse the thrill of a police procedural with that of a horror film. Add a healthy dose of romance between the two unlikely protagonists, and that is what one can expect from “Tale of Arang.”
“Tale of Arang” starts airing Aug. 15 on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 9:55 p.m. on MBC. |
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August 12, 2012
Korean actor killed in motorcycle crash
By Yoon Min-sik and News Reports The Korea Herald
Lee Seung-kyu (Tapoong Entertainment)
Korean actor Lee Seung-kyu died following a motorcycle accident early on Saturday, his agency said on Sunday.
“Lee was involved in a motorcycle accident and hit his head on the guardrail. He was killed on the spot,” said an official from Lee’s management Taepoong Entertainment.
According to news reports, Lee had been heading home after watching the Olympic bronze medal soccer match between South Korea and Japan with his friends.
The 30-year-old actor made his debut in 2000 in the situation comedy “Golbangi” and appeared in a variety of plays and television dramas, including “Queen Seondeok” and “Yi San.”
Prior to his death, Lee had been playing the role of Kim Hong-chi in MBC drama “Mu Shin,” a historical drama depicting chaotic power struggles between prominent military figures that took place during the time of the ancient Korean dynasty of Goryeo.
The drama crew said they are planning to modify the plot in light of the young actor’s untimely death.
Lee’s death is the latest in a string of traffic accidents that have claimed the lives of young Korean celebrities. Two years ago, actor Kang Dae-sung crashed his motorcycle and was killed.
In 2008, model-turned-actor Ieon and singer Kim Min-su of group Monday Kiz both died in a motorcycle crash. |
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August 12, 2012
Oh Ji-ho dreams big
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
‘The Grand Heist’ actor reveals his ambitions, street-smart nature
Known for his looks and nice-guy charm, actor Oh Ji-ho is known by many for his roles in TV romantic comedies.
Some of the most memorable roles of his acting career, including that of a smart-but-awkward office worker in KBS’ 2006 drama “My Wife is a Superwoman,” and as a young handyman who takes care of his orphaned nephews in 2006’s romantic comedy “Couple or Trouble,” had that “nice guy” appeal and personality.
But behind his benign smile is a street-smart person eager to succeed in the competitive local entertainment industry. The 36-year-old actor recently made a silver-screen comeback with director Kim Joo-ho’s period comedy “The Grand Heist.”
Once again, he plays the good guy in the film, which takes place in the late Joseon Dynasty. He’s a warrior with a great sense of justice ― which says enough. But Oh says he tried to make the “good” character as entertaining as possible, in spite of the series of arguments with the director during the shoot. Clad in blue jeans and sneakers, the actor looks laid back and comfortable in a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.
“Oh, the last thing I want to do is to bore the audience,” the actor tells The Korea Herald. “The director’s idea was to make this guy a true warrior. You know, someone who is very masculine, tough, good-hearted, serious and so on. But from my experience ‘nice’ characters can easily bore most viewers. People these days don’t have the patience to endure good guys just doing good deeds throughout the running time.”
Actor Oh Ji-ho poses for a photo prior to an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)
Thanks to Oh’s own interpretation of the character, the warrior turned out to be an inflexible individual with a number of weak spots. This humanizes the character, and his rigid attitude creates humor and entertainment, he says.
The plot of the movie develops as the warrior, named Baek Dong-su, gets involved with a plan to rob Seobingo, the royal ice box of Joseon, with nine other people including Lee Duk-mu (played by Cha Tae-hyun).
Both Baek and scholar Lee were actual figures of the Joseon Dynasty, and the two, along with a few others, shared a close friendship. Both Baek and Lee were born to an aristocrat father and a concubine mother, and therefore belonged to the class of “jungin,” who were regarded to be in between the aristocrats and commoners. The movie, however, only focuses on its original narrative, which pivots around the ice robbery.
“Ice is the key in this film,” Oh says.
He seems to have formed his own philosophy on what makes a good commercial flick.
“A good commercial film has to entertain people. It has to be funny, it has to be engaging, and it has to be visually stimulating. But it can’t be cheap. Most of the action scenes, drama, as well as the computer graphics have to do with the ice in this film. You know, the actors slide on ice like pros and it looks epic. My hair flies in the air. I think the movie has a bit of everything to be a good commercial film.”
But starring in good commercial films is only a process to reach his ultimate goal, which is to star in a great human drama. His role model is Denzel Washington, and his dream director to work with is “The Unjust” and “I Saw the Devil” director Kim Ji-woon.
“You have to succeed in commercial films to finally star in films that have the real substance,” he says. “That’s the rule here in this business.”
Although he hardly gets asked to play the baddies, mostly “because of his good looks,” he jokes, he is very much interested in playing a villain or even a psychopath.
“I always ask whenever I run into directors,” he says, “I ask if he or she has a villain character in their upcoming script. I’m very much interested in playing different roles, and playing a solid villain character would definitely be a stepping stone in my career. I no longer want to hear ‘You’ve got everything, but you are just too good looking’ as a reason for rejection.”
Originally from Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Oh moved to Seoul at the age of 17 on his own. Aside from his acting career, he says he hopes his future children can enjoy more things than he did during his own childhood. He also wants to open his own movie theater in the future.
“The theater will play two commercial films, one indie film, and one film that I’d like to play all-year-long,” he says. “I don’t know when it’ll happen. Maybe when I’m over 60.” |
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August 12, 2012
Lee Seung-gi denies Army rumors
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
Korean singer and actor Lee Seung-gi denied a news report that he plans to enlist in the Army in the second half of next year.
“Nothing has been finalized yet,” said a representative of Hook Entertainment, Lee’s agency. “The groundless rumor makes us feel uneasy, especially as Lee Seung-gi is only focusing on his concert preparations.
“Those rumors seem to come out because he is largely absent from television shows.”
Although no decision has been made as to when he will enlist, the 25-year-old actor reportedly wants to serve as a common private soldier rather than sign up for the post reserved for entertainers in the Army.
“Lee Seung-gi made it clear that he is not planning on waiting too long to enlist,” the representative said.
Lee discussed the military issue earlier this year in an interview with local media, saying, “The Army is a place where all able-bodied Korean men are supposed to serve.
“I cannot announce the exact date but will certainly enlist.” |
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August 12, 2012
'K-pop' officially in Oxford Dictionary
By Park Eun-jee Korea JoongAng Daily
K-pop has taken the world by storm as the Korean Wave sweeps across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Now it’s made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary.
Washington broadcasting station WTOP announced last Friday that the prestigious dictionary has added “K-pop” to its vocabulary list. It defines K-pop as Korean pop music, and offered as example of usage “ The band has a style that mixes European music and K-pop.” The lexicon showed example of the word being used as a modifier “K-pop fans,” putting it under the mass noun category. Other words that made the new list include “Tiger mother” and “infomania.”
Being listed in the OED is the latest sign of the Hallyu’s growing popularity. Billboard has established a K-pop chart and releases rankings every week while YouTube and Facebook have launched separate pages for the music genre. Groups like Girls’ Generation and TVXQ have held sold-out concerts across the world.
Having begun in 1888, the OED is one of the oldest and most used English dictionaries in the world. |
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August 12, 2012
Seung Gyu dies in motorcycle accident
By Moon So-young Korea JoongAng Daily
Seung Gyu, the actor known for his role as a warrior in the historical drama “Mushin” (“God of War”), died in a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning. He was 32.
According to Taepung Entertainment, Seung Gyu’s agency, his motorcycle crashed into a guardrail while he was turning a corner in Anyang, Gyeonggi, on Saturday morning.
Although he was wearing a helmet, he was pronounced dead on the scene due to serious head injuries. He was returning to his home in Sadang-dong, southern Seoul, after watching the Korea-Japan men’s soccer match with his friends.
The actor made his debut in the OCN drama “Kid Gang” in 2007.
He also appeared in the KBS drama “The World They Live In” in 2008 and several other TV shows.
In the currently airing MBC drama “God of War,” Kim was playing the role of Goryeo-period (918-1392) military official Kim Hong-chui. |
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August 13, 2012
Caught up in a Korean Wave
The Korea Herald
Not since Zorro’s “Z” has a letter evoked more passion in the popular psyche than “K.” The “K” here, of course, stands for Korea, and it has grown to be a top prefix in today’s popular culture from K-pop (music), K-drama and K-movie to K-tech.
Its popularity has made it a coveted prefix for various local arenas other than culture and entertainment too, such as business and politics.
At the recent One Million Youth Gathering 2012 in Putrajaya, K-pop acts were featured to attract young voters, while many politicians have not hesitated to K-pop name drop on their social media network to hip up their image.
In Malaysia, this craze for Korean pop culture, known as the Korean Wave or Hallyu, is thought to have begun with the debut of the Korean hit drama Winter Sonata on TV3 in August 2002.
While the term Hallyu, coined in 1999 by Chinese journalists when China started being flooded by Korean TV dramas and pop music, was not yet widespread then, South Korea had already gripped people’s imagination by becoming the first Asian team to finish in the last four of 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament that June, which it also co-hosted with Japan.
Once captivated by South Korean World Cup hero Ahn Jung-Hwan, many Malaysians especially women were quick to fall for the charms of Winter Sonata’s main lead Bae Yong-Joon, elevating the series, along with Bae, to a cult status. (His co-stars Choi Ji-Woo and the late Park Yong-Ha also garnered a big following, but not as big as Bae’s.)
By the time Jewel in the Palace and Autumn in My Heart arrived on Malaysian shores, the Korean drama trend had spread like wildfire, especially with Japan catching the fever in 2003 to drive the Yon-sama (as Bae was tagged in Japan) frenzy higher.
Korean Tourism Organisation Kuala Lumpur managing director Yun Jae-Jin affirms that Winter Sonata helped to promote South Korea and its culture to the world.
Not surprisingly, KTO, the Korean government and many of the republic’s businesses have been quick to ride the rising wave to sell the country and their products globally.
According to Yun, the surge of Hallyu can be divided into three stages the spread of Korean drama series and movies (approximately 2002-2007); K-pop (circa 2008 until now); and the not-so-well-known aspects of Korean culture like computer games, animation, history and traditional arts.
“It’s a long-term effort of branding South Korea and, as you can see, Winter Sonata has been successful while K-pop is now pushing the brand further,” Yun says, highlighting that the Korean government is in the midst of planning for the development of the infrastructure for stage three of Hallyu.
One industry that Winter Sonata has clearly helped to boost is the country’s tourism, particularly to Nami Island near Chuncheong, Gangwon Province, where it was filmed.
Some 90,000 foreign tourists visit Nami Island each year, notes Yun, adding that Malaysia is the fastest growing inbound market for Korea with a 40 per cent growth in 2011 (156,281) and 44 per cent in 2010 (up to 113,675 from 80,104 in 2009).
KTO expects the number of Malaysian travellers to reach 200,000 by the end of this year due to the growing number of Hallyu fans.
Jumping from the Hallyu platform, KTO now hopes to promote other tourist attractions of Korea, particularly its natural wonders, traditional culture, local festivals (Korea has more than 1,000 traditional festivals in a year) and historical sites.
K-pop swing
Although Korean dramas remain popular among Malaysian fans, K-pop has garnered an equal, if not bigger, number of followers over the last few years.
In 2006, TVXQ became the first Korean band to perform in Malaysia, opening the gates for other K-pop stars such as Rain, Super Junior, Wonder Girls and Girls’ Generation to showcase their music here.
Nini Yusof, country manager (advertising sales Malaysia) with Universal Networks International (which runs the E! channel, among others) feels this growing interest is reflected in the increasing number of K-pop acts that have performed here. “Now, you can see at least one K-pop act performing here every three months.”
DiGi, which has been hosting various K-pop “parties” with stars like 4Minute, Beast, G.NA and recently Jay Park, is also a proponent of K-pop here.
“K-pop is a music genre that is very close to the hearts of our customers, especially among the youths,” DiGi’s head of marketing services Sulin Lau had said at a press conference promoting K-pop star Jay Park.
In fact, a KTO survey conducted in May last year showed that K-pop has indeed overtaken K-drama as the main purveyor of Hallyu in Malaysia and elsewhere.
The survey revealed that, driven mainly by the Internet and social media network, more than 53.3 per cent of 12,085 fans from 102 countries chose K-pop as the Hallyu aspect that interested them most.
The K-pop influence online was proven when YouTube invited K-pop stars TVXQ and Kara to headline its seventh anniversary concert in California recently. The 22,000 fullhouse reception for the concert reflected how the K-pop fanbase has grown not only in size but also range.
In June last year, the European media was blown away by how a concert in Paris by unknown artists (to them) from a faraway land managed to sell out within minutes. Another date was added, but it was sold out just as fast. The event, recorded as the “official” debut of K-pop on the European stage, was a joint performance by artists attached to leading South Korean management company SM Entertainment, such as Girls’ Generation, Shinee and Super Junior.
To the European media’s further bemusement, the audience, made up largely of teens and 20-somethings from all over Europe, not only shouted out the names of each singer but also sang along with the lyrics in Korean, and copied the dance moves.
Later in the year, the same event was held in the United States to a similar reception while the Internet was abuzz with fan demands from Central America and South America for the concert to be held in their hometown.
That is the power of the Internet, which is now driving K-pop and Hallyu around the world, says Nini, who knows only too well how the Internet is blowing up the Hallyu craze.
Their entertainment news show E!News Asia has had to include Korean entertainment news in the last year. As she puts it, if you claim to be on the pulse of Asian entertainment, then you would need to keep up with Korean entertainment. |
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Global impact: E!news Asia’s Rooftop prince photo message campaign shows how popular Korean dramas are getting around the world, including in places traditionally not Hallyu crazy.
In April, E!News Asia and Korean TV network SBS invited fans from all over the world to e-mail photos of themselves and messages describing how they were enjoying the SBS drama series Rooftop Prince.
The response they received came from fans from over 40 countries, which included those not normally known as “Hallyu-crazy”. These included Chile, Peru, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Iran and even Nigeria.
“What amazed the Korean network and its drama production team was that this was the first Korean drama that has not even finished broadcasting in Korea but was already making a big impact around the world. And it is all because of the Internet,” says Nini.
The Internet factor not only opened up the window for a bigger base of fans but also various business ventures (see accompanying story on Korean drama portal maaduu.com.)
Another factor is the expansion of Korean broadcast networks to the region. Due to the Hallyu explosion, Astro began broadcasting KBS World, a South Korean TV channel operated by the Korean Broadcasting System in Malaysia in October 2009.
AC Nielsen figures show that 1.1 million Malaysian viewers, most of them in the Klang Valley, tuned in to KBS World from November to December 2010.
The higher demand for more Korean programmes prompted Astro to launch its second Korean channel in high-definition One HD in October 2010.
Ricky Ow, executive vice president of Sony Pictures Television’s Networks Asia (which runs One HD), says that since Winter Sonata sparked the wave, Korean entertainment has been growing exponentially over the last decade.
“We see the adaptation of Korean movies in Hollywood, we see K-pop topping the charts as far away as Europe and Latin America and even more evident is the fact that Korean dramas have been delivering stronger ratings than local dramas on terrestrial stations,” says Ow.
Power appeal
Many have tried to explain the appeal of K-drama and K-pop, especially the Winter Sonata phenomenon.
Most fans would admit now that they found the 2002 melodrama overly mushy with its convoluted plot and starring an actor with a dodgy fashion sense. Revolving around the love of two high school sweethearts who discover that they might be long-lost siblings, Winter Sonata’s plot was as dated as it was far-fetched.
The inexplicable appeal, however, and the rippling effects it caused, could not be denied.
According to culture critics, one pull is the escapism value.
Winter Sonata was therapeutic, Korean culture critic Lee Young-mi told the Korean daily The Korea Herald, especially after the “collective trauma of the 1997 financial crisis”.
In Malaysia, like many South-East Asian countries, escapism is a major appeal of Korean dramas, not only for those who aspire to a better lifestyle but also for those looking for safe entertainment which has no explicit scenes that you would normally get in shows from the West.
While academics grapple with the psycho-sociological aspects, industry players like Yun put it down to the production standards the Korean drama industry upholds, supported by the huge capital investment poured into it by both the government and corporate sector.
Ow agrees, and cites another “winning formula” which is a big factor a strong cast and a good script.
Whether it’s a Hollywood or Korean production, the winning formula remains the same, he says.
“And what is interesting in Asia, and Korea in particular, is that there are still a lot of good stories to tell, and the strong pull for the audience are that these are stories that the current Asian viewer can easily relate to.”
K-drama content is constantly evolving to appeal to a wider demographic, he notes.
“We have seen a change in content catering to what used to be a largely mature, female demographic (the highly popular tragic dramas in the Winter Sonata era) to a wider demographic such as the young working adults (City Hunter) and the teens (Rooftop Prince).”
As they say, success begets success.
The success of the Hallyu has thus resulted in a higher volume of more sophisticated, quality dramas produced on a bigger scale with a bigger production budget.
“Ultimately, it’s not the topics that matter, but how the stories are told a skill that the Koreans have mastered well, in creating a wide variety of material that resonates with the audience,” says Ow.
Trading boost
Hallyu has also bolstered other areas of Korea’s contemporary culture such as its cosmetics and beauty industry as well as fashion.
Online Korean entertainment portal Maaduu.com chief executive officer Dennis Lee points out that the culture is so widespread in the region that if you go to Bangkok or Jakarta, you will feel that you are in Seoul.
“Everyone’s sporting the same style influenced by the K-pop scene: same clothes, same hairstyle, same cosmetics and, of course, humming (or yelping) the same music.”
Another boost is in trade between South Korea and Malaysia.
South Korea is Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner, accounting for 4.2% of its global trade, while Malaysia is South Korea’s 12th largest global trading partner. The republic is also the country’s seventh largest export destination, while Malaysia is South Korea’s 21st largest export destination.
The spread of Korean products and businesses to Malaysia can be seen in some ways in the growth of Korea town in Kuala Lumpur.
In Ampang Jaya, Selangor, you can find many restaurants offering authentic Korean fare, grocery stores and mini marts selling all manner of South Korean delights and necessities, as well as tuition centres and Internet cafes bedecked with signage and advertisements in the Korean language.
These places are seeing customers not only among Korean expatriates, whose number has been increasing over the years, but also Malaysians who are interested in all things Korean.
By Hariati Azizan
(The Star) |
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August 13, 2012
"Masquerade" couple Lee Byung-hun, Han Hyo-joo pose at presser
Reporter : Lucia Hong KStar10
Actress Han Hyo-joo (left) and actor Lee Byung-hun (right) link arms
and pose in front of reporters at the press conference for their 1st historical film
"Masquerade" held in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012. [Lee Ki-won/10Asia]
Hallyu actor Lee Byung-hun and actress Han Hyo-joo were in attendance for the press conference for their upcoming historical film "Masquerade" held at a movie theater in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012.
With director Choo Chang-min at the mic, "Masquerade" focuses on the story the episodes that a low class man goes through in order to become king of the country.
Lee plays the double role of Gwanghae, the 15th King of the Joseon Dynasty, and Ha-sun, a man born into low class.
Unlike the other historical figures in Korean history, King Gwanghae is known to be one of the misfortunate figures in the Joseon Dynasty's history. As he was deposed by the Westerners faction in a coup, historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong.
Meanwhile, Han plays the queen and actor Ryu Seung-ryeong helps Ha-sun rise to sit on the King's throne.
Both Lee and Han's first historical film, "Masquerade" is slated to open in local theaters over the Korean Thanksgiving holidays.
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August 13, 2012
"Masquerade" main stars Lee Byung-hun, Han Hyo-joo speak at presser
Editor: Lucia Hong KStar10
Actor Lee Byung-hun speaks to local media outlets at the press conference
for his 1st historical film "Masquerade" held in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012. [Lee Ki-won/10Asia]
Actor Lee Byung-hun speaks to local media outlets at the press conference
for his 1st historical film "Masquerade" held in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012. [Lee Ki-won/10Asia]
Hallyu actor Lee Byung-hun and actress Han Hyo-joo were in attendance for the press conference for their upcoming historical film "Masquerade" held at a movie theater in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012.
With director Choo Chang-min at the mic, "Masquerade" focuses on the story the episodes that a low class man goes through in order to become king of the country.
Lee plays the double role of Gwanghae, the 15th King of the Joseon Dynasty, and Ha-sun, a man born into low class.
Unlike the other historical figures in Korean history, King Gwanghae is known to be one of the misfortunate figures in the Joseon Dynasty's history. As he was deposed by the Westerners faction in a coup, historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong.
Meanwhile, Han plays the queen and actor Ryu Seung-ryeong helps Ha-sun rise to sit on the King's throne.
Both Lee and Han's first historical film, "Masquerade" is slated to open in local theaters over the Korean Thanksgiving holidays.
Actress Han Hyo-joo speaks to local media outlets at the press conference
for her 1st historical film "Masquerade" held in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012. [Lee Ki-won/10Asia]
Actress Han Hyo-joo attends the press conference for her first historical film
"Masquerade" held in Seoul, South Korea on August 13, 2012. [Lee Ki-won/10Asia] |
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August 13, 2012
Kim Nam-gil's first step back into spotlight
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Kim Nam-gil’s first public appearance since being discharged from the Army was at the Jechon International Music & Film Festival.
Kim was invited through his contribution to the documentary “Ensemble,” which he helped produce.
At the film fest, Kim introduced the film to the public and said that he was thrilled to be back in the spotlight.
“It’s such an honor to be here upon being discharged, and especially to stand here in front of you as a member of the crew and not an actor,” said Kim.
Kim was discharged on July 14 after serving two years as a public service worker as part of his mandatory military service. |
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August 13, 2012
Han Ga-in is face of Unicef campaign
By Carla Sunwoo Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Han Ga-in has become the face of Unicef’s online campaign, “Gifts That Give Back.”
According to Han’s agency yesterday, as well as being featured on the international children’s aid organization’s Web site, Han’s campaign will be promoted through Naver’s collective donation portal, Happy Bean.
“Han took on the project with a lot of passion and determination,” said the star’s agency, adding that she will continue to contribute in the campaign to eliminate child poverty worldwide.
Although Han has been active as an entertainer for 10 years, she found fame this year in the “The Moon That Embraces the Sun,” alongside Kim Soo-hyun.
As well as playing Kim’s love interest in the MBC drama, Han also starred in the movie “Architecture 101.”
In June, the 30-year-old actress flew to China to take part in the Shanghai International Film Festival, where the movie was screened as the finale of the event.
The melodrama was a phenomenal success in Korea when it was released in March. The movie exceeded 4.1 million in ticket sales and drew a record number of men. |
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August 14, 2012
Celebrity Couple Attend Psy's Concert
ChosunIlbo
Celebrity couple Jisung and Lee Bo-young were seen on a date at rap singer Psy's concert in Seoul last Saturday. Some of the other stars enjoying the show were BoA, miss A, and After School.
Jisung and Lee, both sporting baseball caps, grey T-shirts and couple rings, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Psy's entertaining concert, dancing and singing along to the music. They have been romantically attached for five years.
Jisung and Lee Bo-young, wearing couple rings, watch Psy's concert
on Saturday in this video footage taken from SBS. /SBS |
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