Lee Tae Gon 이태곤

[rubie]

November 29, 2011

[Exclusive]

'Gwanggaeto The Great Conqueror' To be Extended to 100 Episodes

Source: CJ E&M enewsWorld Lee, InKyung l Nate

KBS1’s historical drama, Gwanggaeto The Great Conqueror will be extended by 20 episodes to 100 episodes. The drama was scheduled to end with 80 episodes when it kicked off in early June, but the production team has decided to extend the hit drama.

An insider with the drama said, “The production crew suggested to main cast members in the middle of this month that the drama be extended by 20 episodes to 100 episodes. After thinking over the suggestion, the cast agreed with the idea. To be sure, cast members who are against the idea or who cannot make it due to other schedules will drop out of the drama.”

Gwanggaeto The Great Conqueror has been gathering popularity among the middle-aged or older viewers, ranking first or second among weekend dramas, touting a viewership rating of 20 percent. The drama, which has aired up till the 52 episode, has just entered its second act. The episodes to be aired in December will be covering a triangle love story among Dam Deok (Lee Tae Gon), who rose to the throne in the 45th episode, Yak Yeon (Lee In Hye) and Do Young (Oh Ji Eun).

Meanwhile, the drama was exported to Japan for around three million dollars at the MIPTV, the world′s entertainment content market, which took place in Cannes in April.

Photo credit: Kim Byung Gwan

[Guest honzbear]

This is good news for Lee Tae Gon and bad news for me. I don't want to keep watching KGTG forever. I really need a break from watching it. I was hoping it would end at 60 episodes.

It will be received well in Japan I think. It's a quality production and should be exported to as many countries as possible.

Three million dollars is too cheap a price.

[Guest katherinekang]

Yipee, 100 episodes is too good to be true. I was quite disappointed when it was supposed to end at 60. Thanks Rosie for the news. Too bad, Honzbear if you don't like long dramas.

Now, I hope that King Gwanggaeto the great will win some awards at the end of the year, then my cup of joy will be complete. Good fighting, King Damdeok!!

[Guest honzbear]

It's not only that I don't like long dramas ... the series has taken over my life! Like you, I live and breathe this drama. Mainly because LTG is in it. I was hoping to soon have a break from following this drama.

I hope that the writers don't use the extension to put in too many side stories that don't really advance the main plot. Not too many plot-fillers hopefully. And I also hope that the quality doesn't go down with the longer length of the series. Quality trumps quantity imo. Jumong dragged in the last half with too many side stories. The writers might go for the soap opera angle now that they have many episodes to play with. That is bad news if they do – I would like them to stick to the history angle as much as possible rather than go down the other route. Fewer personal story lines and more story lines about Koguryeo.

[Guest honzbear]

I don't understand why so many people loathe Lee Tae Gon as King Gwanggaeto (I found this out from reading a site about the drama). They dislike his acting to the point where they won't keep watching the drama. I don't get it.

What kind of acting is required to act the part of a wang in a Korean historical drama anyway? You dress the part, walk in, shout your lines and sound tough, strong and majestic, and then you walk out. It's not exactly rocket science. You or I could act in a historical drama if we were given the right directions. 

Okay, I can accept some people might find his acting mediocre or the character he portrays not to their taste, but to say his acting is so bad that he has put them off from watching the drama altogether  ... I find that very strange.

I wasn't sure whether to post this comment here or in the King Gwanggaeto thread but anyway here it is.

By the way, Lee Tae Gon has many male fans judging from various fan sites. This is what struck me about him – the number of male fans he  has.

[Guest katherinekang]

Dear Honzbear, I have the same thoughts as you. But, like I said the actors and actresses have to act according to producers and directors' instructions..be it shout, scream, screech or roar. You just can't please everyone.

BTW, I had just came out from Facebook page and learnt that LTG may be acting in a drama titled 'Shingisaengdyeon' with Lee Da Hae around May 2012. Wow, dun u think it is good news for LTG. I hope it will be true but at the same time, afraid that he would not have enough time to recover from KGTG. But, since he is young, he will be able to pull through the saguek stress.

[Guest honzbear]

Also, I think there is the danger of overexposure. A series that long has a tendency to drag. Some people might stop watching it when the plot slows down and not pick it up again. And they might get sick of the drama and seeing LTG's face even though they keep watching. So he has to consider that. Act in a great drama but stop early enough to leave the viewers hanging for more and wishing that it would go on and on. That's the best time for a successful drama to end. Not when the viewers think, "This has been going on for so long ... I wish it would end soon."

A hundred episodes of any drama is just too long. Overexposure is deadly. You want your viewers and your fans clamoring for more, not less. So I think this isn't such good news for Lee Tae Gon. And the quality of the drama suffers when the writers know that they have lots of room to play with. They don't have to pack so much into the one episode. They can string it out which makes for boring viewing.

If they had, say, 15 episodes left to finish the drama, they would have put in all the remaining stories, cut out all the unimportant stuff, and the drama would have moved along at a cracking pace, finishing on an exciting note, leaving the viewers satisfied but at the same time wanting more.

In addition, Lee Tae Gon will be exhausted by the end of the drama and he will not be fresh for his next project. He will be quite spent by the time the drama finishes and won't have all his faculties together to pick his next drama/movie well and think about his future properly. And there is the danger he will be typecast as a sageuk actor. Viewers might too strongly identify him as Damdeok/Gwanggaeto and they might not accept him in another type of role.

When an actor is hot property, there is the risk that managers will push the actor into each and any role that comes along so as to capitalize on his burst of fame. They don't care about the longevity of the actor's career; they just want to cash in now on the actor when they can and make the most of the actor's rising star as quickly as possible. So there is the potential problem of his taking on roles that aren't suited for him - they might be big budget and give him a big salary (of which the managers take a cut) but they may not be well-written projects. And the actor might rely on his managing company to guide him and so fall into the trap of rushing into things that are bad for his career in the long run.

It looks already like he is doing just that if the news that Katherine posted above is true. The new drama doesn't sound really interesting and it's filming too soon after Gwanggaeto finishes. He needs a rest.

I looked up the drama 'Shingisaengdyeon' and it looks like it already aired.

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/New_Tales_of_Gisaeng

Unless they are planning on making another one.

[rubie]

rubie and Katherine, I didn't know it was his birthday. Thank you for reminding us on the thread. And thanks, rubie, for starting this thread and keeping it up over the years. It must have been a lonely task at times when it seemed like nobody else was interested. I'm only a relative newcomer here. I'm really impressed that you have been a fan since 2007. That's real dedication. And I appreciate all the posts and media you've posted on Lee Tae Gon over the years.

Thanks for the warm words but to be honest, I really didn't do much for Lee Tae Gon's thread. There isn't much updates (in English) to be shared and I usually do not follow his series when it was airing in Korea (except for Winter Bird that was rather excruciating to watch because he wasn't the main character).. usually much later and in leisure pace like for Dear Heaven and Assorted Gems.

And probably making it worse is that I have a few other threads to update/maintain as well but that is no excuse. Even though this thread was started in 2007, it should have been more informative and up-to-date which I haven't been doing lately. Reason being.. apart from having too many threads, I'm also more inclined to other actors' threads that I actively follow.. way before I saw LTG in Dear Heaven. Having said that, it doesn't mean I appreciate him any less.. not at all. My choices of actors are not the pretty boys/girls or idol actors. They're just who they are.. actors whom I like in my book.. all the same. Some I've been following a lot longer like Lee Byung Hun especially.. since 2001, because of him.. I've come to appreciate a number of actors/actresses including Lee Tae Gon.

rubie, are you not interested in watching it or are you saving it up to watch in the future?

I think he's too good of an actor to return to playing in weekend family dramas. He has too many diverse talents. I would like to see him in a major motion picture where he can act his macho self. I don't think he's been in a movie before, just TV dramas. If he can secure a role in a movie and the movie is successful, it will really enhance his career. I really look forward to him getting into a project like this ... I think if he gets cast in something like what Lee Byung Hun usually gets cast in, he will do very well in it. They both have the same aura of manliness and coolness (though I am not a fan of Lee Byung Hun). However, these days not that many good movies are being made compared to the heyday of Korean cinema so there would be a lot of competition to get cast in movies.

I trust Lee Tae Gon has good instincts about what to go for and I really shouldn't worry. Something good will come his way. If he is paired with a sexy actress then it will be even better. So far most of his co-stars have been 'good girl' types or played 'good girl' characters.

I'm not really into long historical dramas unless it's shown on local tv and subbed.. I'm most likely not be able to sustain my focus if I couldn't understand what the plot is all about. The only historical dramas I've seen were Dae Jang Gum and Hwang Jin Yi.. ages ago -- both had highlighted the female protagonists instead. I've not even watched the other popular & well-received series like Jumong, DongYi, Queen Seon Duk, etc despite some of my other faves acting in these sageuks.

Anyway.. as I've said before.. LTG seems to be attracted to or offered the long-episodes series.. be it modern or period series. Maybe he himself is more inclined to such projects. While it's good that the fans/audience can watch him longer onscreen and that he would be 'one' with the character in the long run.. it could be a waste of his talent and time if the writers ran out of substance to entice the viewers to keep watching.

If it's true that LTG would act with LDH in 2012, that would be awesome news. I like LDH since watching her recent drama Ms. Ripley and I hope the collaboration will follow through.

ps: honzbear, would you like to take over the first post of LTG's thread to maintain/update his profile and info? I meant to update the post for so long but haven't been able to do so. I don't mind giving up the thread to you because I know and I'm sure it'll be better maintained for other (new) fans of Lee Tae Gon.

[Guest honzbear]

ps: honzbear, would you like to take over the first post of LTG's thread to maintain/update his profile and info? I meant to update the post for so long but haven't been able to do so. I don't mind giving up the thread to you because I know and I'm sure it'll be better maintained for other (new) fans of Lee Tae Gon.

I would be honored to do that. I just hope I am up to the task.

[rubie]

December 4, 2011

Lee Tae Gon thread edited upon request & goodwill.

Thread previously started by rubie will now be maintained by honzbear with related actor info, updates, etc. Thank you for the warm effort and all the best.

Everyone please keep on posting and sharing. Also please abide the Korean Dramas & Movies Forum RULES.

ps: honzbear, due to the Soompi forum reformatting & major upgrade mid of last year.. the codes in the first post have been changed completely. But it's probably a good thing as you'd be able to edit everything with your own sharing & style. Thanks again for doing this, I personally appreciate the goodwill and effort from the bottom of my heart.

Anything at all, feel free to let me know here or via PM.

[Guest katherinekang]

I second Rubie on Honzbear taking over the thread. She is well versed and writes well. I hope Honzbear makes an excellent job while I sympathise Rubie over her lack of time.

I have been to many threads and some of them really flat out after a few exciting moments, so I hope LTG's thread will not die out. MUST NOT DIE OUT!!!

Honzbear, I support you.

[Guest honzbear]

Thanks, Katherine. I know you will help me a lot with this. Thanks, Rubie, for changing the codes and maintaining this thread up until now. You did great work.

I have been out of action for a while, suffering from jet lag, so I haven't done anything yet.

I just caught this from Lee Tae Gon's Facebook page:

Lee Tae Gon and Lee Da Hae will play the new SBS drama?

 On 24/11, a source from the two actors SBS name Tae Gon Lee and Lee Da Hae will be available in the new weekend drama entitled "Shingisaengdyeon". The manufacturer is conducting negotiations with the two actors mentioned above. "Shingisaengdyeon" is the latest work of women writers Im Seong Han, specializes in creating the family drama like "The Little Mermaid" 2002, " Love Paradise "2005 and" Family Gem "in 2009. The film 50 episodes long, scheduled to air May 1.2011 after " Secret Garden "ends. grossing work of screenwriters Im Eun Na Go (Family gems) also starred in the film on 25/11, Lee Da Hae denies reports on twitter acting 이다해 "임성한 작가 '신기생뎐' 출연설, 사실 아냐" Sources Nate (http://kst.vn/) GR@krfilm.net - KST Community

Since this is from his Facebook page, he must be seriously considering the role. Katherine's report turned out to be right. A drama with the same name aired already early this year so this one probably is another story of a gisaeng. It's curious that Lee Da Hae denies reports of her involvement. 

It is yet again another weekend drama.

I am not sure about this drama. I think it's good that it's a period piece but that it's not really like a typical sageuk. It's a different role to the ones he's played in the past. The first Shingisaengdyeon did not do well in the ratings though this isn't always something to go by when judging how good a drama is. I can't imagine Lee Da Hae in this role if she does take part in the drama because she has played the good girl in her other dramas and acting as a gisaeng would be quite a change in image for her. I imagine this would be less of a family drama too considering the subject matter. I was actually hoping he would act in a contemporary drama for his next project. At least it is a departure from the lovelorn 'brother-sister' romance dramas that we have seen him act in three times now, and that has to be a good thing in my thinking.

Anyway, his star seems to be up. He is attracting many new fans with Gwanggaeto. The executive producers appear to be happy with his performance. He's gone far from the days when he was an unknown swimming instructor. I think he's having fun being an actor and a celebrity. Every time he meets his fans, he has a huge smile on his face as if he's really surprised at how much they like him and go out of their way to meet him and see him in person. It's very nice to see. I think he genuinely appreciates his fans and he reciprocates their adulation by thinking of nice things to do for them so that they all enjoy themselves at his fan meetings.

[Guest honzbear]

Video of interview in Japan

When he's reading the letter from the fans addressed to him, near the end when he reads that they wish him happiness and good health, he is almost overcome by emotion (and then he quickly bows his head) ... so touched was he by the sentiments in that letter. Later, in an interview he talks about tearing up after reading the letter. His first fan meeting in Japan was in spring 2009.

Korean entertainment news about Lee Tae Gon's visit to Japan.

We see him arrive at the airport. He towers over his Japanese female fans. He is like a giant walking among them.

During the fan meeting, he walks through the throng of fans shaking hands with them and driving them wild with excitement.The bodyguards following him are redundant I feel.

I wonder if we will see videos of his most recent visit to Japan.

Here are some snapshots of his Osaka fan meeting in July 2011. He has become a "king" (King Gwanggaeto) since his Japanese fans last saw him.

He beams a wide smile when meeting his fans. He looks good in a black shirt. He has slimmed

down since his last fan meeting. He seems light-years away from when he was the sweet, affable

and cute Wang Mo.

Suave and charming.

In casual down-home garb

I think he's handing out autographs

Photos are from his website: mynameiskorea/leetaegon

This visit to Japan must have occurred when he had already started filming King Gwanggaeto the Great. He is in the process of growing his hair long for the part and his moustache and beard too.

As always he is warm, friendly and gracious to his fans. They will be in for a treat when King Gwanggaeto is shown there. His fans in Japan will increase in number after this. The Korean and Japanese TV executive producers I am sure have taken note of his popularity in Japan and that is one of the reasons the drama is being sold to Japan.

I wish there was the same kind of thing in Korea. The Korean fans are awfully quiet. There doesn't seem to be anything organized for him - no fan meetings, no birthday events - nothing.

I know he probably doesn't really worry about that kind of thing but I just feel it's strange that in Korea he's not as popular as he is in Japan. On the mynameiskorea website, there is a Japanese language option. I haven't joined but I think the Japanese board would be very active.

[Guest honzbear]

2011 KBS Drama Awards nominations became open to the public in December to vote for their favorites.

Lee Tae Gon is one of the candidates for his role in King Gwanggaeto the Great.

Here is the link to the news article about it.

http://news.nate.com.../20111209n07297

It would be super if he won the Daesang award. I am rooting for him and wish him all the best. It's time this natural and talented actor was recognized in Korea.

I think KGTG is really entertaining because of Lee Tae Gon being in it. I also think KGTG should win an award for best drama or something because there is nothing like it on TV.

----------------------

These are my own personal impressions about Lee Tae Gon. Feel free to disagree.

Korean men like Lee Tae Gon. Case in point - my male neighbor is an avid fan of the show. I also see the guy selling fruit in the street watching it on his small portable TV one night as I walk past. Male subway passengers are always peering interestedly over my shoulder whenever I play King Gwanggaeto the Great on my tablet. I think Korean men like the idea of a very macho male actor representing a great Korean figure like King Gwanggaeto on the screen. They respond well to his style of acting.

Non-Korean men (except for Iranians - see below) do not like Lee Tae Gon. Americans in particular don't like him. They resent him for the same reasons Korean men like Lee Tae Gon - the macho style of acting etc.

Korean women are not very much into Lee Tae Gon. They seem to prefer prettier less macho men. They are also less interested in watching action sageuks like King Gwanggaeto the Great than Korean men are.

Japanese women LOVE Lee Tae Gon. You can say they are early adopters.

Iranians, both male and female, like Lee Tae Gon. Outside of the Japanese, they represent the largest contingent of foreign fans.

Korean TV executives like him a lot. They are mostly (Korean) males so that's another reason for them to like Lee Tae Gon - see point one above.

[rubie]

Related excerpt from The Korea Blog

December 12, 2011

Korean TV period dramas of 2011

Published By Suzy Chung

Great King Gwanggaeto (광개토태왕)

One part of the Three Kingdoms, founded in 37 BCE and falling in the 7th century, little had been explored in TV-land about the kingdom of Goguryeo until the 2006~2007 season, when the drama about the founding king of Goguryeo, Jumong (주몽), became a smash hit, with the series being extended to a whopping 81 episodes.

More dramas about Goguryeo have been made since, and in 2011, another famous king became the main character of a series: Great King Gwanggaeto. Like Great King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty, Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo (R. 391–412 CE) was always called daewang (대왕) or taewang (태왕). Although little detail is known of his personal life, his accomplishments as a great warrior and monarch are well-known, having been inscribed in a huge stele centuries ago. He expanded Goguryeo’s territory to almost the entire Korean peninsula (both Baekje and Silla were tiny in comparison) and all the way up to south Manchuria, even annexing the Wa kingdom overseas.

These facts alone make for a great drama already, but like most period dramas, the scenario takes fictional license and derives from historical fact, adding in an older brother (played by period actor extraordinaire Jeong Taewoo (정태우), who has played all the prominent princes and kings in Korean history since he was a kid), and of course, a romantic interest to dilute all the fighting scenes, making the drama quick-paced and interesting. Inner personal conflict, politics, battles and wars all create obstacles as Gwanggaeto embarks on the road to become the Great King.

Lee Tae Gon (이태곤), who had already played another Goguryeo general Yeon Gaesomun several years ago, takes on the role of the Great King quite effortlessly and convincingly and is joined by an amazing cast.

The series started in June and currently shows Sat-Sun on KBS at 9:40 pm.

http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/greatking

[Guest katherinekang]

I am happy that Lee Tae Gon is nominated in the annual 2011 KBS TV Drama as this shows that he is been recognized for his tremendous works in KGTG. No doubt, he has really worked very hard for this drama which is slowly and steadily drawing viewership from around the world. Never mind, he is not quite liked in the States cos maybe the people there have not really understand the fuss around KGTG or maybe they were expecting a 20yr actor to role in it.

Like I said, I never know LTG before KGTG and when introduced to the crew, I was disappointed with the choice .Then, when the drama started in Singapore, I was taken back by this powerful character and after the second chapter, I was further impressed. I hope that he will be cast in more strong roles in future cos he can appeal to many viewers with his strong character and extreme charm.

LEE TAE GON, keep up the good work and may your charm last forever.

[rubie]

December 15, 2011

Lee Tae Gon at 19th Korean Cultural Entertainment Awards

by MrTuxedo allkpop.com l Nate

On December 15th, the ‘19th Korean Cultural Entertainment Award‘ ceremony was held in Seoul, and awards were handed out to deserving winners under a variety of categories, including ‘Drama’, ‘Movie’, ‘Entertainment’, and ‘Music’.

A total of 70 nominees were elected for these awards; finalists were chosen based on votes from netizens and suggestions by experts. The filtered candidates from this process were then reviewed by a jury, before the winners were finally named.

The awards were granted to the following stars:

Music Segment

Idol Music Grand Award- MBLAQ

Senior Music Grand Award- Song Dae Gwan

Most Popular Singer Award- Park Sang Chul

Movie Segment

Movie Grand Award- So Ji Sub (‘Always’)

Best Actor Award- Ryu Seung Ryong (‘Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon’)

Best Actress Award- Moon Chae Won (‘Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon’)

Rookie Award- Lee Jae Hoon (‘Bleak Night’), Min Hyo Rin (‘Sunny’)

Drama Segment

Drama Grand Award- Lee Tae Gon (‘King Gwanggaeto the Great’)

Best Actor Award- Lee Tae Sung (‘Hooray for Love’)

Best Actress Award- Lee Da Hae (‘Miss Ripley’)

Entertainment Award- Moon Hee Jun, Kim Shin Young

Hallyu Grand Award- SNSD, Jang Geun Suk

-

Congratulations to all the winners!

Source + Photos: Nate

Tip: Luna Fairylin

[rubie]

December 15, 2011

So Ji Seop, Lee Tae Gon, and Mblaq receives Grand Prizes at Culture Entertainment Awards

Source: Starnews by ilnungcha en.korea.com l Nate

Actor So Ji Seop, Lee Tae Gon and idol group Mblaq won the Grand Prize for the 19th Culture Entertainment Awards.

They each won the awards in the movie section, talent section, and singer section at The 19th Korean Culture Entertainment Awards that took place at Yeouido 63 City Hall on December 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Korean Culture Entertainment Awards is an awards ceremony that encourages and congratulates many cultural entertainers that have excelled in various fields throughout the year.

The awards were given out to 70 people who excelled in the singing, movie, drama, comedy, advertisement and service fields.

Netizens votes and professionals from various fields chose the candidates for the awards, and the judging committee chose the award-winners.

Only You’s main character So Ji Seop received the Best Actor Awards in the movie section.

Ryu Seung Ryong who starred in War of the Arrows took the grand prize, and Moon Chae Won who appeared in the same movie received an excellence award. The Rookie Awards were given to Bleak Night’s Lee Jae Hoon and Sunny’s Min Hyo Lyn.

Lee Tae Gon who appeared on KBS 2TV’s King Gwanggaeto, received the Best Actor Award. The grand prizes were given to Miss Ripley’s Lee Da Hae and Horray For Love’s Lee Tae Sung.

Mblaq was nominated as the best idol group. Song Dae Gwan received the grand prize for adult music, and Park Sang Cheol was nominated as the most popular singer.

As for the entertainment section, Moon Hee Joon and Kim Shin Young received the awards.

SNSD and Jang Keun Suk were nominated as best K pop stars. SNSD expressed their feelings through a video since they could not participate due to their hectic schedule.

Korean idol stars appeared and held special performances. Mblaq, ZE:A, After School, 4men, Dalshabet, and Heo Gak sang their hit songs and other representatives from various fields such as actors, singers, and comedians appeared and heated up the stage.

[Guest katherinekang]

Congratulations to Lee Tae Gon for his Best Drama Award in the Cultural Entertainment Award 2011. This is his reward for the outstanding work he has given in King Gwanggaeto the Great. We all love you. Next, we hope that he will win an award in the end year KBS Award. Great work and many blessings to you.

[Guest honzbear]

Congrats to LTG. That's sweet news. He is making an impact with Gwanggaeto the Great. Let's hope the ratings hit the thirties. I wish I'd been there to see him get his award. He looks a little tired in those pictures. (And he also looks like a hobo with his long hair, moustache and beard. lol) He's probably thinking, "God ... it's only 56 episodes so far. Forty-four more to go ..." I hope he's looking after his health. Filming sageuks as the lead actor can be grueling. I am sure though that he feels honored to play King Gwanggaeto the Great. It's a real career-booster for him. I just wish that the drama had been screened during the weekdays and not the weekend for his sake. It seems to be a big waste to put all that effort and money into the making of such an epic and it doesn't even hit the 30s in the ratings when a drama like this - Ojakgyo Brothers, which isn't as expensive to make - does and takes the number one spot in the ratings as well (the drama also screens on the weekend but earlier, at 8pm.) This is just one random example I picked.

I found out that KBS, MBC and SBS are all government stations so there is very little rivalry between them, I think. That could explain why actors were given permission to act in other dramas while they are still acting in King Gwanggaeto the Great.

I didn't know LTG wore glasses until I caught this picture a few pages back. He looks studious with glasses. He must wear contact lenses when he acts.