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01-15-2007
Prescription for Melodramatized TV
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
If you suffer from an "imbalance" because of watching the same-old soaps with same-old love triangles and affairs, dramas about medical doctors may be just the prescription you need.
This year, four new medical dramas will air, attracting viewers who want to see something new and unconventional.
They are "Hayan Kotab" (White Big Tower), "Oegwauisa (Surgeon) Bong Dang-hui," "Ibalsadul" (Barbers) and "Chonghappyongwon 2" (General Hospital 2).
These dramas are not the first to center on lives of doctors at hospitals. In the mid-1990s, "Chonghappyongwon" (General Hospital), "Haebaragi" (Sunflower) and "Uigahyongje" (Doctor Brothers) were huge successes.
Although they were set in hospitals, their main stories dealt with romance between doctors. But the emphasis of these new dramas is on portraying the work and the lives of doctors as realistically as possible.
These dramas have whopping production budgets, an average of 3 billion won, and special sets that were exclusively created for the show and feature operation rooms, emergency rooms and expensive medical equipment.
"Hayan Kotab" has been on air on MBC since Jan. 6. It started with a viewer rating of 11 percent on its first weekend and increased to 17 percent last weekend.
The Saturday-Sunday mini series is a remake version of a popular Japanese drama of the same title. Set in a general hospital, the drama deals with the hierarchy in the doctors' world and doctors struggle for success.
Program director Ahn Pan-seok introduced his drama as a "political drama set in a hospital."
"It's not just about doctors taking care of patients, but rather about a big hospital as a place where people fight for promotion and compete for hegemony," Ahn said during a news conference early this month.
Another medical drama "Surgeon Bong Dal-hui," which will air on SBS from Jan. 17 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, is a story about how novices go through tough trials to become real surgeons.
To appeal to broader audiences, the drama is less serious than "Hayan Kotab" and includes romance between doctors.
But it also aims for a realistic depiction of the lives of doctors complete with scenes of operations and emergency situations at hospital. One series is expected to carry at least three or four operation scenes.
"Ibalsadul" and "Chonghappyongwon 2" are now in pre-production.
"Ibalsadul" is slated for a May airing on SBS, and its director Lee Jae-gyu is famous for popular soap operas such as "Tamo" and "Fashion '70s."
The drama takes its cue from medical doctors' and barbers' similar white gowns, and it tells a story about doctors who are alienated but show superb skills.
"Chonghappyongwon 2," is written by Choi Wan-gyu, who wrote the script for "Chumong," a popular epic drama that currently airs on MBC.
It is a sequel to "Chonghappyongwon," which starred top actor Jang Dong-gun when he was an emerging star. It was a huge success, dealing with friendship and love between resident and intern doctors.
Critics attribute the boom in the production of medical dramas to the influence of popular blockbuster American medical dramas such as "Grey's Anatomy," "E.R." and "House" which air on cable channels, along with the thirst for a new genre.
"It's an valuable effort to try a new genre," pop culture critic Kim Heoun-sic, said. "But it is questionable whether the four new dramas can appeal to local viewers who have enjoyed such well-made American medical dramas through cable channels."
"The key to success may lie in how the Korean dramas can differentiate themselves with unique Korean touches in the relationship between doctors and doctors and patients."
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...18441511690.htm |
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Jan 15, 2007
An actor turned activist, later in life
Profile: Kwon Hae-hyo answers civic call, years after his college days
"I served as a ambassador at large for both the Unite our People Movement Headquarters and the Abolish the Family Registry and Create Family Equality Organization, as well as a member of the Cultural Alliance for Peace at Daechuri and supporter of the Minkahyup Human Rights Group, not to mention as a moderator and leader for countless assemblies and protests."
These are the words of Kwon Hae-hyo, better known to most Koreans as an actor. Outside of films and plays, he is an "activist who lives by the people抯 rhythm," as he describes it. Yet why did it take some ten years from his college days for him to take up a central role in various social movements?
Of his college days, Kwon says that "it was a time when I would try to decide which path to school would be free from tear gas, and brag about my well sought-out route to my friends...It was a time when I lacked the courage to throw rocks."
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Jan 16, 2007
Pop Star Prepped for Better Year
"I gave it my best last year, but a lot of unfortunate stuff happened. Hopefully this year will be better. Instead of looking for simple popularity, this year I'm hoping people will see I'm improving my singing, dancing and acting skills."
Thanks to a plagiarism scandal that flared around the title track from her album "Get Ya," Lee Hyo-lee (28) called last year the worst of her career. Now, after weathering the storm, Lee has emerged even stronger, with a new agency, a W2.2 billion contract and a role as "Anystar" in a commercial for Samsung Anycall mobile phones. Lee is anticipating the reaction to a digital single album of three songs due Jan 17 and an upcoming hour-long music drama. Keeping the stress at bay is a matter of will-power. "I try to keep calm by thinking of it as a warm-up for the full album later this year" she said.
Asked how she felt winning the country's highest-ever entertainment contract, she seemed surprised to hear that it really was the highest. "I think I was pretty naive to stay with my former agency for eight years without a contract. But now I've got an agency that I think can really help me. I抦 happy with the notion that my value is being recognized."
She admitted that the plagiarism flap still stings. "That album was the result of a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, so it hurt when all that happened," she said. "When that song first came to me, I did think the rhythm might be similar to Britney Spears' song, but I never expected it would create such a serious fuss. I guess I didn't realize how much attention I would draw." "In the end, I came through that experience with more than what I lost," she added. "The most valuable thing I got from it was realizing how much I love singing on stage."
Lee Hyo-lee found herself unexpectedly in the media spotlight last October after coming to the aid of a drunk who had fallen in the street. A witness tipped off the Chosun Ilbo bout her Good Samaritan performance.
"I passed out on the street once myself, and it wasn't very nice. If you pass out in the summer you get attacked by mosquitoes, and in the winter you can freeze to death. So if I see a drunk woman in the street I'll try to make sure she gets home. If it's a man, I'll wake him up. Usually people don't recognize me, but that time the guy's brother showed up to collect him. Maybe I meddle too much in other people's business."
In a recent survey by a women抯 magazine, Lee ranked third among the country's top 10 most powerful women, following former Grand National Party head Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. "I'm very honored. I think people chose me because I look friendly," she said. "I don抰 know if I deserve to be called the top female star, but I can accept it if they call me the female singer who receives the most attention." As for Lee's role models, she finds inspiration in Madonna's trend-setting style and self-assurance.
Lee's new album is a mix of ballads, dance and mid-tempo songs. At a concert late last month, she debuted her latest track in a sexy lingerie outfit with some hot feline-like dance moves.
"I don't want to be remembered as just some sexy star, of course. But for humans as well as animals, dancing in front of the opposite sex is one way to lure your target. In that context, I think I've succeeded as an entertainer. I still want to be sexier than anyone in the world."
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0701160012.html |
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January 14, 2007
Seoul to make Hallyu map to entice tourists
Surrounded with hip-hop clubs, some Latin bars and live band clubs, Hongdae (the area around Hongik University) is a famous spot with young Koreans and foreigners, especially on weekends. This area is popular not only for those who love clubbing but also for the Korean drama 揝pring Waltz |
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01-16-2007
Queens of Ads, but Flops on Big Screen
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Top-class actresses Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Tae-hee, Ko So-young and Moon Geun-young could be considered jewelry in the world of advertising. But when it comes to the big screen, their glitter doesn't sparkle as brightly.
These actresses appear in television and newspaper commercials and on billboards for cosmetics, clothes and beverages _ ads any top-rated actresses would kill for.
But why doesn't their success as brand models lead to the success in the movies?
One of the obvious answers may be the lack of acting skills, which could be true of Kim.
She made her film debut with the local blockbuster fantasy epic "The Restless" last year, but the film sold only 1.5 million tickets nationwide.
Although the film's failure can't be totally attributed to Kim, critics says that her clumsy acting made the weak film worse.
Kim first attracted huge attention because of the high expectations people held of her. In many commercials, she projected the image of being pure, innocent and intelligent.
A student of prestigious Seoul National University, she began her career in show business with a TV commercial and then worked as a model for many brands and products, including mobile phones, cosmetics and snacks. She even starred in commercials in Japan.
But neither of Ko nor Jun lack acting experience.
With a 13 years career, Ko has been working hard since returning from a three-year hiatus last year. She appeared in movies and as a model in numerous ads for cosmetics, beverages and apartments
But the horror film "A.P.T." she appeared in last year _ her first since her return _ flopped. Her latest film, "Project Makeover," has sold only 18,000 tickets nationwide since its release on Jan. 4.
Jun shot to stardom with her most successful film, "My Sassy Girl" (2001), but since that film, she has had no successes. Her films "The Uninvited" (2003), "Windstruck" (2004) and "Daisy" (2006) were commercial flops.
Jun enjoys more recognition in advertising. Her face and body appear in numerous commercials selling cosmetics, clothes, beverage and electronic goods.
Perhaps what these women need is to break away from the typical images they have long maintained in commercials and to show new sides of their character in movies. At least, that's the view of Moon.
After the success of "A Tale of Two Sisters" (2003) and "My Little Bride" (2004), Moon enjoyed huge popularity, affectionately being called "the nation's little sister."
Buoyed by that image, she has starred in many advertisements for products ranging from cookies and cosmetics to a bank and an oil refinery.
Last year, the Korea Advertisers Association voted Moon the best entertainer to sell products.
But after her two successful films, her acting career in her next films, "Innocent Steps" (2005) and "Love Me Not" (2006), in which she played a woman in her early 20s were not so successful.
In many recent interviews, she said that she simply wanted to grow up.
"Because I am a girl now, it's only fair for people to see me as a girl. But as time goes by, I believe I will understand sorrow, love and pain," Moon said in a recent interview with Reuters.
In her latest appearance in a TV commercial, she challenged herself to show her other sides as a grown-up sex icon with sexy costumes and dance moves.
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...20073011690.htm
[ Last edited by katt at 17-1-2007 02:07 AM ] |
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Jan 16, 2007
Netizen surveys, "Pay is never too high for Lee Young Ae"
While skyrocketing actor and actress pays have become an issue of debate, Lee Young Ae (36) ranked first in a survey of actresses who are worth being well paid.
The radio program SBS Love FM (103.5MHz) 'News and Joy' along with media research specialists Real Media recently conducted a phone survey to 768 portal website Cinetizen users over 19 years of age. In this survey, Lee Young Ae received 26.3% support followed by Moon Geun Young at 20.1% and Kim Tae Hee at 18.1%.
Based on gender, women (29.3%) tended to support Lee Young Ae more than the men (23.3%), and one-third of those residing in the Taegu and Kyoung-buk region (33.2%) supported Lee Young Ae indicating the highest numbers in the country.
On the other hand, Jeon-buk (39.4%) and Kwangju & Jeon-nam regions (36.9%) showed more support for Moon Geun Young, placing her first of that region.
[Copyright |
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January 17, 2007
Orange goo is crucial for Wayne's world
Shooting games usually feature Caucasian or AfricanAmerican heroes, but a newly released game in the genre features an Asian as the main character― Korean actor Lee Byung-hun.
揕ost Planet: Extreme Condition |
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Jan 17, 2007
Models Pick Ryu as Korean Wave Star
Actor Ryu Si-won has been selected as the Korean Wave star chosen by models.
He will receive the prize at the 2006 Korea Model Festival Award on Friday evening at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Seoul. The event is being hosted by the Korea Model Association.
Three thousand Korean male and female models chose the honorees, including Ryu, through votes.
The 'international exchange' award went to Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki, and Korean actor Lee Jun-ki received the special Korean Wave award. The meritorious Korean Wave honor went to producer Yoon Seok-ho of the hit drama series Winter Sonata.
Screen stars Jeong Joon-ho and Son Ye-jin were chosen as the best model-turned-actors for TV commercials, and Kim Seong-soo and Lee Seon-jin were recognized in the fashion model category. Actors Chun Jung-myung, Kim Ah-jung and singers Park Sang-min, Bada and Son Ho-young received the popularity prize.
The Friday award ceremony that will gather together all the top Korean models will also feature a special performance. Twenty five Korean models and Chinese and Japanese models will hold a fashion show together.
Foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Seoul will be invited to the event.
Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...5571_11858.html |
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January 15, 2007
Classic films still touch hearts today
Korea抯 new generation of directors tip their hats to giants of yesteryear
There is no denying the fact that recent Korean films are being acknowledged worldwide, but the pull of the past is still strong. The films Korea抯 preeminent directors grew up watching linger in their memories, and they want more moviegoers to see the classics that deserve to be seen.
Directors Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Ryoo Seung-wan had a lot to say about this when the three maestros sat down together last week at the Seoul Arts Cinema, an old art house near Insadong. They were at the opening of a local film festival, 揕es Amis de la Cinematheque, |
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Jan 17, 2007
Lee Byung-heon Visits Japan to Promote his Movie
Actor Lee Byung-heon known, as Byonsama in Japan, flew to Japan on Tuesday to promote his recent film "Once in a Summer."
The Japanese press reported Wednesday that the top Korean star came to Japan along with actress Su Ae, who played opposite his role in the film. When they arrived at Narita International Airport, they were greeted by cheers and applause by some 1,000 fans who were waiting for them from early in the morning, it added.
According to the Japanese sports newspaper Spornichi, Lee smiled and waved at the fans and expressed his gratitude by saying "Thank you, and I am pleased to be here."
The two stars will attend the film's preview on Wednesday and hold a press conference on Thursday.
"Once in a Summer" performed poorly at the Korean box office, but is expected to do well in Japan. Sold to Japan for 4 million US dollars before its release in Korea, the movie will be released across Japan on Jan. 27.
Source: KBS Global, jp.chosun.com
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...5633_11858.html |
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01-17-2007
Actor Oh in Public Spotlight Over Ex-Girlfriend's Suicide
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Oh Ji-ho
Actor Oh Ji-ho has admitted that a woman, who killed herself on Jan. 9 after breaking up with him, was his ex-girlfriend and that he truly loved her.
The 31-year-old actor confessed his feelings about his ex-girlfriend, a 28-year-old hostess who is identified only as Lim and worked at a bar, on the Internet homepage of his management agency on Tuesday. The woman strangled herself at her apartment in Socho-dong, southern Seoul.
Oh, who achieved stardom in his latest MBC drama, "Couple in Trouble," attracted public attention when a rumor over his relationship with the woman spread quickly after her death.
The Internet was swamped with suggestions that Oh was her former boyfriend.
But Oh denied it, saying that the rumor was groundless and he would take legal action against those spreading it. She had known Oh for slightly over a year.
Oh abruptly confessed the truth about his relationship with her on this homepage and said he actually loved her, but could not reveal her position because she was a bar hostess.
"I lost words because I was shocked by her death. I cannot believe she passed away and I just can't help shedding tears," he said on his homepage.
"I truly loved her. I didn't care where she worked. She suddenly left me and I regretted that I just let her go," he said.
He also said that he felt sorry about the recent media coverage of him and his ex-girlfriend. He said that the articles created rumors and misunderstandings about her and distorted her image just because of her job.
He said that as a celebrity, he couldn't make their love public, as he was too afraid of public attention.
But her friends and bereaved families insisted that Oh dumped her on Jan. 3 seriously hurting her and driving her to kill herself on Jan. 9.
Oh won huge popularity by starring in the hit romantic soap opera, "Couple in Trouble" on MBC with actress Han Ye-sul and a new gangster comedy film, "My Wife is a Gangster 3," after being almost unknown in the seven years since he began his career.
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200...17084352920.htm |
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Jan 17, 2007
Moon Geun-young's Bid to Grow Up Hits World Headlines
The Korean actress Moon Geun-young, dubbed the "nation's little sister," is seeing her fame extend beyond her native country. Wire agency Reuters recently published an article on Moon titled "South Korea's Little Sister Wants to Grow Up," which was picked up by newspapers in the U.S., U.K, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. This proves her potential to rise to world stardom.
Reuters reports that Moon, with her sweet and innocent image, is "the country抯 most sought-after celebrity for advertisers." But Korea seems unwilling to allow her to change and grow up. Shaking off the image is proving anything but easy. The movie "Love Me Not," the first she shot after turning 20 and where she plays a grown woman, performed poorly at the box office. And there is the risk that she could lose everything she has in her quest for a more mature identity. As part of her efforts, she appeared in a racy commercial for a mobile company, where she projected a sexier image.
"Because I am a girl now, it is only fair for people to see me as a girl. But as time goes by, I believe I will become a real woman who understands sorrow, love and pain," Moon told Reuters. "But the interest in me is sometimes too much. Expectations are high and I loathe to let people down."
The news agency took due interest in her college life, quoting her as saying, "I am having so much fun in college. If I want to express different images and emotions on screen, I have to learn lessons from real life. It is only when my personal life takes shape that my career as an actress can take shape."
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0701170034.html
Jan 18, 2007
Daniel Henney Digs Into Own Life for New Movie
The movie "My Father" drew attention even before it started shooting because it stars the half-Korean heartthrob Daniel Henney. The film follows a Korean adopted by an American family who comes to Korea to seek out his biological parents, only to find that his father is on death row.
Henney plays James, who volunteers to join the U.S. Forces Korea as a way to find his biological parents. On the first day of shooting on Jan. 10, he successfully shed his gentlemanly image for his role as the young adopted man who slowly opens his heart to his jailed father. "I will try hard to use my personal experience of living in the U.S. to play James, who has lived his life feeling estranged as an adopted child," Henney said.
"My Father" is the feature debut of director Hwang Dong-hyeuk, who attracted plaudits at home and abroad with his short film "Miracle Mile" starring Karl Yune. Kim Young-chol plays Henney's father.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0701180009.html |
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Being Mom
JANUARY 18, 2007
揑 had a vague sense of confidence that I would act well, because I抦 also a mom. Above all, I liked the intention of the film in catching the criminal. I felt that I抦 participating for a good cause, |
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01-18-2007
Familiar Jokes on 'Mapado 2'
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Lee Mun-sik is outfoxed and outwitted by five grandmas
in "Mapado 2," sequel to 揗apado," a surprise success.
The new film "Mapado 2" is a sequel to a 2005 comedy, a story about a strange island where only a bunch of old grandmothers live.
The original was an unexpected hit, selling over 3 million tickets nationwide _ a huge success, especially given its low production budget of $3 million and its lack of big stars.
However, compared to the original, the sequel may be seen as a lazy and boring voyage to the same destination.
Most crewmembers from the original are on board for the sequel with only a few new members hired, including the director, Lee Sang-hoon.
But despite a few efforts to differ from the original, the film promises a safe journey with the familiar jokes and humor, which are, however, funny and enjoyable.
In the film, former detective Chung-su (played by Lee Mun-sik) takes a secret mission from a dying president of a big company. The businessman wants to see his first love before he dies.
The only information the detective has is that the man's first love's name is Kkotnim and she now lives on an island called Tongbaek, off one of the country's southern ports.
He rides on a private boat to the island with an anonymous passenger, dreaming of the big bucks he will get when he completes his mission.
But the boat is wrecked in a fierce storm, and Chung-su and the passenger find themselves lying on the shore of a strange island.
In the struggle to escape from the island, Chung-su meets up with the same five strong-willed grandmothers who had given him trouble two years ago in the original, and he realizes that he is back on Mapado Island.
Later, he finds out that the island used to be called Tongbaek, which leads him to think that one of the five grandmothers must be Kkotnim. Now he begins to investigate the grandmas |
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
Cha Tae-hyun tries comic film role - again
Cha Tae-hyun established himself as a leading Korean Wave star with his comic act in "My Sassy Girl" in 2001. So powerful was his innocent-yet-playful image in the Asia-wide hit that most cinema goers tend to associate him with comedy.
But a lesser known fact about Cha is that he has formal credentials as a singer. Previously, he released two music albums, and got a couple of songs climbing high on the local music chart for a while.
The unexpected problem for Cha is that no one takes him seriously when he sings; a far from pleasant development for the talented actor.
However, hope is at hand with a turning point looming. In "Highway Star (Bokmyeon dalho)," to be released on Feb. 15, Cha does not have to worry about the unintended and unwanted blending of his comic image and serious singing talent. His primary role here is to sing as comically as possible - and this is not a joke.
Cha Tae-hyun at the showcase event of "Highway Star"
on Wednesday. [Yang Sung-jin/The Korea Herald]
The movie, co-directed by Kim Sang-chan and Kim Hyeon-soo, pushes Cha to a throat-vibrating terrain of melodramatic Korean popular songs - a genre known here as "trot" that is quite similar in melody and words to Japanese melodramatic enka songs. Cha plays Dal-ho, a seemingly clueless rock star wannabe in a rural area. One day, a recording company head (played by Im Chae-moo) sees potential in this young man and encourages him to take a chance by becoming a trot singer.
The qualifications for a trot singer, however, are tough. One has to don overly gaudy costumes, learn special body gestures and capture the emotion overflowing from trot music. Thanks to the genre's characteristics - most leading tot singers and fans are in their middle age - Dal-ho is forced to break with his creativity.
The answer he finds is to put on a mysterious mask, conjuring up an image of the unknowable among starry-eyed middle-aged trot fans. The movie, to make a long trot music drawl short, is unlikely to be truly creative because the plot has few surprises and the focus is, as always, placed on the comedy instinct of Cha.
Late Wednesday, Studio 2.0 and its joint production partner In & In Pictures held a showcase for the press at a culture center in eastern Seoul. In recent months, a growing number of film productions offer showcase events to increase the odds of box-office survival amid intensifying competition.
Following some warm-up sessions by other cast members, Cha emerged onto the center stage with his trademark sheepish smile and playful eyes, and quickly showed off his newly acquired ability to sing a throaty trot song.
"To tell you the truth, I really loved rock music and my own experience helped me forge the Dal-ho character," Cha told reporters at a news conference. "But adapting into a popular melodramatic music genre was very challenging because I tried to imitate other leading trot singers but that's impossible."
The solution: Cha decided to be faithful to his own image and style. "When I first got this scenario, I liked the situation-oriented comedy. Personally, I love playing a role in a movie that can offer a dose of two-hour-long fun to the audiences," Cha said.
Pulling off a box-office success might be more daunting than learning one or two melodramatic trot songs, largely because Cha's public appeal has been steadily declining, and "Highway Star" does not attempt to radically redefine his image. A series of films - "My Girl and I," "Two Guys," "Happy Erotic Christmas" - relied on Cha's trademark comic talent in recent years, but failed to win laughs in the end, especially with movie executives reviewing lackluster ticket sales.
Together with Cha's bid to revive his sagging popularity, media attention is trained on Lee Kyung-kyu, a television comedian and co-producer of "Highway Star." He was at the showcase stage, but tried to avoid the media spotlight throughout, as if distancing himself from memories of his first film that turned out to be a huge flop.
([email protected])
By Yang Sung-jin
Source: The Korea Herald
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00701190017.asp |
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Jan 20, 2007
Lee Mi-yeon: Still in Love With Acting
"Acting has produced the biggest energy and the greatest pain in my life. I can't promise you that I'm going to be an actress for the rest of my life. When I fall out of love with acting, I抣l quit immediately. But I抦 still in love." So says Lee Mi-yeon, who will return to TV screen, with a new SBS soap opera fittingly called "Crazy Over Love." It starts airing on Feb 3, six years after she starred in "Last Empress" in 2001.
Lee isn抰 interested in being in dramas all the time, but she has remained in the public consciousness due to her frequent appearances in commercials. "It is dangerous for an actor to feature in too many TV commercials," she admits, but adds, "People seem to have been looking out for me even during my break because of my healthy image."
In the drama, her character falls in love with the man who killed her fianc |
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January 21, 2007
Storming ahead - Rain on fire
The rags-to-riches story of Rain, the super-duper young singer from South Korea. |
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Lucrative deals and that torso
Still, bad reviews and box-office takings may not prove to be much poison.
Besides snaring lucrative endorsement deals from brands like BMW, Pepsi, Ralph Lauren and DHC skincare last year, Rain flies around in a special Airbus 330-300 plane |
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01-21-2007
Singer Dies in Apparent Suicide
Yuni
Pop singer Yuni was found dead on Sunday after an apparent suicide at her home in Inchon City, west of Seoul, according to police.
Investigators presumed that Yuni, a 26-year-old actress-turned-singer, killed herself around noon, quoting her 71-year-old grandmother as stating that she found the body hanging from the bar of a closet with a white waistband around her neck.
The grandmother, identified as Lee, reported the case to police right after she found the body upon returning home from church.
Yuni's mother told reporters at the mortuary that her daughter had been suffering from depression. "She was an introverted child, and it seems she has been hurt many times as she debuted at an early age," she said.
The news struck her fans by surprise especially because Yuni was scheduled to release her third album today and to make a music video.
While the police investigation into the exact reason for the death is underway, some believe the immense stress of her comeback after two years' hiatus was behind her death.
A graduate of Kyunghee University, whose real name is Lee Hye-ryun, she started acting in TV dramas and movies in 1996. After a brief hiatus, she released her first album in 2003, putting on a sexy image as a dancing singer.
Internet users were expressing concern over continuing suicides among those in the entertainment businesses and their possible influence on the youth. In February 2005, actress Lee Eun-ju, then 25, committed suicide out of depression. In 1996, pop singers Seo Ji-won and Kim Kwang-seok also killed themselves.
[email protected]
Source: The Korea Times
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...22341911680.htm |
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Jan 22, 2007
Pop Singer U;Nee Dies in Apparent Suicide
A photo of singer U;Nee who died of an apparent suicide is displayed at a hospital
in Incheon Sunday. U;Nee was found hanged to death Sunday afternoon in her
apartment in Majeon-dong, Incheon.
Actress and pop singer U;Nee was found hanged to death in her home in Seo-gu, Incheon, Sunday. U;Nee's grandmother Lee (71) found the woman's body in her 22nd-floor apartment Sunday afternoon, dead of an apparent suicide. Lee said she had come home from a church service to find the singer hanging from a door frame.
The death came as a surprise to fans who were awaiting the singer's latest album "Honey", her third. U;Nee, whose real name was Hur Youn, also performed under the stage name Lee Hye-ryeon.
Police investigating the death said that people close to her testified that U;Nee seemed to have been suffering from depression. There is speculation that U;Nee was upset by online criticisms and attacks. Police told reporters that U;Nee had been able to hide her stress well, saying that even her own family didn't know she was depressed. U;Nee left no suicide note or will, police said. Her wake is being held at Onnuri Hospital in Majeon-dong, Incheon.
U;Nee came to public attention under the name Lee Hye-ryeon with her debut in the KBS TV drama "Grown-ups Just Don't Understand" in 1996. She appeared in the movie "Seventeen" in 1998 and later in TV dramas "Theme Game" and "Tears of the Dragon".
Her debut album "Go" was released in 2003 and she gained even greater popularity with the 2005 release of her second album "Call Call Call." Her sexy dance moves and revealing fashions made her the favorite of teenagers across Asia.
U;Nee, born to an un-wed mother, suffered a difficult childhood, she said in a KBS talk show in 2005. "I lived with just my grandmother when I was a child. It was really hard to live without a father," she said. The experience, she said, led to a vow to help the needy.
Singer and actress U;Nee, seen here, was found dead of an apparent suicide in
her Incheon apartment Sunday.
Reports of U;Nee's death caused a stir with online fans Sunday, as visitors flocking to a web site to leave condolences caused the computer server to overload. Within an hour of her death being made known, nearly 3,000 messages were posted on her homepage. Most posters expressed shock that the singer would kill herself before her next album could come out. Many expressed condolences such as, "May she rest in peace in Heaven."
U;Nee's feelings were also allegedly on display at her Web site in a posting that pre-dated her death. "I feel everything is empty. I am again walking down a path to reach a destination that I don't know," the posting said.
Source: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 1/200701220006.html
[ Last edited by katt at 22-1-2007 08:31 PM ] |
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