Kim Yun Jin 김윤진

[rubie]

January 31, 2015
'Ode to my Father' becomes one of the top 5 most successful Korean films Source: STARN News

'Ode to my Father' became one of the top 5 most successful Korean films.
As of January 30th, movie 'Ode to my Father' surpassed 12,320,000 viewers.
'Ode to my Father' had achieved the highest opening score (184,972), and on January 1st, 'Ode to my Father' attracted 751,123 viewers just in one day.
'Ode to my Father' is the 8th Korean film to surpass 12 million viewers after 'Taegukgi (11,746,135),' and 'King And The Clown (12,319,542).'
'Ode to my Father' is on its 7th week, and on January 29th, it debuted #1 on Box Office Chart, winning over many other hit films that were released after. If this pace continues, 'Ode to my Father' will be able to surpass the highest score of 'Miracle in Cell No. 7.'
Meanwhile, 'Ode to my Father' is being played at every movie theaters around Korea.
/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

[rubie]

February 5, 2015
'Ode to My Father' Remains Strong at Box Office
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
"Ode to My Father" has become one of the most successful films in the history of Korean cinema. The film attracted 12.82 million viewers as of Tuesday, becoming the most successful melodrama. 
The film keeps breaking records as it drew the largest number of moviegoers in a day with 751,253 viewers on Jan. 1 and became the first film of the year to attract over 10 million spectators. It still remains at the top of the box office eighth weeks after its release in late December.
It remains to be seen whether the film will break the records set by "The Thieves" (12.98 million viewers) and "The Host" (13.02 million).
The touching story of modern Korean history involving a man's sacrifices for his family is receiving rave reviews from viewers of all generations.

[rubie]

February 7, 2015
Kim Yun-jin Takes Advantage of Success to Help Children in Need
Source: The Chosun Ilbo


Actress Kim Yun-jin touched hearts with her role in "Ode to My Father," playing the wife of a man who sacrifices himself for his family in the vortex of the Korean War. 
She falls in love under difficult circumstances while working as a nurse in Germany alongside Korean miners. The film's emotional storyline and nostalgic scenes resonate with viewers, especially older people who lived through the time. 
"Many people said they watched the film twice -- once with their friends and again with their parents," Kim said. "I asked my fans to take their parents, and I'm glad to say they did."
Though Kim played several strong maternal figures in films like "Seven Days" and "Harmony," they were not that explosively successful. 
"As the title suggests and the director also said it is dedicated to his father, the film conjures memories among older people and reminds them of their own past when they struggled to survive but were happy because they had dreams." 
Before the film was released, Kim promised to donate W12 million (US$1=W1,090) to help children in need should more than 12 million people see the film. When that target was reached on Jan. 22, she raised the stakes with a promise to donate an amount equivalent to total viewership. 
Kim will leave for the U.S. in late February to get ready for the third season of ABC soap "Mistresses."

[rubie]

February 9, 2015
Actress Kim Yun-jin

South Korean actress Kim Yun-jin gestures during a news conference held in Berlin on Feb. 8, 2015, to promote her latest film "Ode to My Father" ahead of the opening of the Berlin International Film Festival. (Yonhap) (END)
Source: NateYoon Je-kyoon and Kim Yoon-jin from "Ode To My Father", press conference in Berlin
Actress Kim Yoon-jin and director Yoon Je-kyoon from "Ode to My Father" are posing for the press at the Berlin International Film Festival Press Center. "Ode to My Father" was nominated for the BIFF panorama category.

[rubie]

February 9, 2015
'Ode to My Father' 2nd Biggest Box-Office Hit of All Time
Source: The Chosun Ilbo


"Ode to My Father" had drawn over 13 million viewers as of last week, according to the Korean Film Council.
It is now the second biggest box-office hit in the history of Korean cinema after "Roaring Currents," which attracted 17.61 million viewers last year.
The melodrama, which drew 13.02 million moviegoers in the two months since its release in late December, also moved past a previous record-holder, Bong Joon-ho's "The Host" (13.01 million). If foreign films are counted, it is now the third-most-successful film ever released in Korea, after James Cameron's "Avatar."
"It is expected to beat the record set by 'Avatar' soon, as it is still attracting many moviegoers," the film's production company said Sunday.
The film, which depicts a man's sacrifices for his family while caught in the vortex of the Korean War, has been invited to this year's Berlin International Film Festival, which wraps up its weeklong schedule of events this weekend.

[rubie]

Source:  Nate

[rubie]

February 9, 2015

Poster Exhibition of Korean Films in the History of Berlin International Film FestivalA Chance to Witness ‘Hallyu’ from 1960s Berlinale by NA Won-jung /  KOBIZ  Korean Film Council (KOFIC, Chairman: KIM Sae-hoon) organized a special event in commemoration of the relationship between Berlin International Film Festival and the Korean film industry. Korean film was first invited to Berlin in the 60s. Starting with KANG Dae-jin’s 1961 film A Coachman and SHIN Sang-ok’s To the Death in 1962, Korean films won the Silver Bear back to back, bringing recognition to the films from Korea. However, “Most film industry professionals attending Berlin believe that Korean films have only come into the spotlight recently,” said Korean Cultural Center in Berlin’s LEE Jung-il. This is one of the reasons why the Korean Cultural Center and KOFIC organized the special poster exhibition of past Korean films invited to Berlin this year.
 
On the second day of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, the 2nd floor of the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin was filled with 20 or so film posters from old to new. The exhibition included the poster of A Coachman, IM Kwon-taek’s 1986 film Kilsodeum which went to Berlin’s competition, the winner of 2004 Best Director Prize Samaritan Girl, by KIM Ki-duk, the winner of 2007 Alfred Bauer, PARK Chan-wook’s I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK, HONG Sang-soo’s 2013 film Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, as well as this year’s five invited films including Ode to My Father in panorama, Revivre in Critics’ Week were hung up together. On the other side of the space, the directors who attended Berlin in the past had their profile photos printed in black and white. The exhibition was accompanied by Korean traditional snacks for the viewers to enjoy. The Korean Cultural Center in Berlin is also the very space that is used every year during the Berlin International Film Festival to hold the Korean Film Night reception where KOFIC introduces Korean films to international industry delegates. On the 9th of February, with a retro theme, the reception is planning to play music from the 70s to the 90s with different kinds of Korean traditional food. Some market screenings of smaller Korean films also take place in the building. 
Korean Film Council’s Woody KIM said, “the event is a chance to look at the footprint of Korean films at Berlin International Film Festival…I hope this year’s Korean Film Night will be able to shine a new light on Korean films to the festival guests and the international industry delegates.” The exhibition which glances at the history of Korean films at Berlin International Film festival will be open until Saturday February 28th. On the festival’s closing weekend, the center will be open from 10am to 7pm. After the festival closes on the 15th, the exhibition will be available during the weekdays from 12:30pm.

[rubie]

February 9, 2015
'Ode to my Father' becomes second most-viewed Korean film
Source: The Korea Times ‘Ode to my Father' took the number two spot on the list of most-watched Korean films, as it surpassed 13 million in ticket sales, Saturday. / Korea Times file
Director Youn Je-kyoun's ‘Ode to my Father' took the number two spot on the list of most-watched Korean films, as it surpassed 13 million in ticket sales, Saturday.
It made an accumulated 13,023,664 in ticket sales as 89,809 people viewed it at 489 theaters across the nation that day, according to the Korea Film Council, Sunday. The milestone comes 53 days after the film's release in mid-December.
The sales figure surpasses that of ‘The Host,' which was previously number two in ranking with 13,010,000 viewers.
The Korean film that attracted the most viewers so far is ‘Roaring Currents' released last year and had 17,610,000 in ticket sales.
Ode to my Father ranks third in number of viewers when foreign films released here are taken into account. ‘Avatar' is in second place with 13,620,000 viewers.
Ode to my Father is still playing at some 500 theaters, eight weeks into its release, generating speculation that it could surpass Avatar's record.
The film centers on the life of a man played by Hwang Jung-min, who sacrifices his dreams as the main breadwinner for his family through the 1950s to the present. It was selected to be screened in the Panorama section of the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival that kicked off Feb.5 and runs through Feb. 15.

[rubie]

February 10, 2015

Korean Weepie Screened at Berlin Film Fest
Source: The Chosun Ilbo

"Ode to My Father" was screened on Sunday in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festiva, which wraps up this weekend.
The weepie, which has broken all records in Korea, portrays a man's sacrifices for his family throughout the vertex of Korea's modern history.
The 273 seats of the Zoo Palast, the screening venue, were fully occupied. Of the around 60 ethnic Korean spectators, 20 were first-generation immigrants whose experiences are portrayed in the movie.
Kim Yun-jin (third from right), the star of "Ode to My Father," and director Yoon Je-kyoon meet former Korean nurses dispatched to Germany in the 1960s, after a screening at the Berlin International Film Festival on Sunday.
Director Yoon Je-kyoon and actress Kim Yun-jin met the older expats after the screening.
The tearjerker is also scheduled for a special screening near Washington on Wednesday.

[rubie]

Source: Nate

[rubie]

February 10, 2015
[65th Berlinale Special Report] ODE TO MY FATHER Screening Invites Miners and NursesFirst Screening in Berlin Brings Waves of Tears

by NA Won-jung /  KOFIC  
A film that joined the ten million admissions club this year and recently snatched the 2nd spot in the all time box office, Ode to My Father looks at the difficult lives of the recent past. The film which deals with fatherly love also induced the tears of the Berlin International Film Festival audiences. Programmed at the 65 Berlinale in the Panorama section, the screening invited 20 special Korean guests who have worked as real miners and nurses in the region just like the characters in the film. The screening took place at the Zoo Palast. The Zoo Palast is the official festival screening venue which also housed Win Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine and Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan led Life. The approximately 1000 seats in the theater was fully filled after the doors opened at 6:30pm. KIM Dong-ho, Chairman of Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment, Busan International Film Festival’s Vice Festival Director JEON Yang-jun, as well as Korean Film Council, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Korean Cultural Center in Berlin were in attendance. “Just like its title, Ode to My Father is a film made for my father,” said director JK YOUN as he introduced the screening. When main characters Duk-soo (HWANG Jung-min) and Young-ja (KIM Yun-jin) looks down at the cityscape of Busan, Korean audiences were already absorbed into the film while looking at their long-missed motherland. When Duk-soo’s family become separated during the Korean war, the audiences expressed their discontent by clicking their tongues. Soon, they started to murmer in empathy when Duk-soo chooses to move to Germany to take up the mining job. The audience grew with Duk-soo through the film, and the crowd laughed out loud and shed tears throughout the cultural and historical events. 
It seemed like the German audiences had a chance to learn the history of Korea that was unfamiliar. In the scene where Duk-soo barely holds onto his breath after being stuck in the coal mine, a female audience grabbed for her handkerchief. While at Duk-soo’s wedding, his friends hit the bottom of Duk-soo’s foot until they get what they wanted. This traditional event is very culture-specific, but even the audiences that didn’t know much about Korean culture bursted out laughing at Young-ja’s awkward song. Ending credits rolled and a German audience in her twenties had red eyes. “It’s a heavy story but the way the drama was intertwined within the history was good,” she said. Another audience commented, “I don’t know much about history, but losing one’s family and having that guilt overpower your life led him to sacrifice himself and that was something I could related to.” He added, “because I knew about the miners and the nurses from that period in Germany, I was attracted to their story. I wish I knew more about the references to historical figures as I didn’t catch anyone else except for Hyundai motors.” JK YOUN and KIM Yun-jin came up on stage for the Q&A and many praised KIM for her German. YOUN said, “the modern Korea was thanks to the sacrifice of our parents’ generation and I wanted to tell that story to the younger generation.” YOUN then followed up with a discussion of his film for about ten minutes. Although it was more of a presentation than a Q&A, there was no doubt that the film’s fatherly love crossed the border from Korea to globally. The screening of the film will also take place on February 9th, 10th, and the 14th in a total of four screenings at the festival. 
Berlin Local Media Claim, “Korean History Learned Through ODE TO MY FATHER” Still making new records after becoming second on the all-time domestic box office chart, Ode to My Father also moved the hearts of people half way around the globe. Invited to the 65th Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama Section, the film held its official press conference on February 8th. JK YOUN and actress KIM Yun-jin was in attendance to answer questions not only about the film but also about Korean history. After a thorough explanation from director YOUN on the importance of the International Market and the conditions in 1960s Korea, actress KIM Yun-jin threw a light joke that changed the mood of the conference. After debuting in the film industry through My Boss, My Hero (2001), this is YOUN’s first invitation to an international film festival. When asked about how he felt, he answered in short, “it’s an honor for the family.” Actress KIM said, “This is also my first film festival so it holds a special place in my heart...it’s especially an honor to show a film about the pains of a nation’s division in Germany, since it was also once a separated nation.” One African journalist commented, “I didn’t know much about Korean history before, but I finally came to understand a little through Ode to My Father.” Continuing on, “the 60s Europe was overpowered by the three big nations and the pain that went through that period is something I can also relate to. Especially the female characters like Duk-soo’s mother and Young-ja were memorable.” To this, YOUN added, “I’m thankful to KIM for her work...she often played strong roles before, but once you get to know her, she’s very feminine and also funny. She was the perfect actress to be the person that begs the Germans to help Duk-soo when he gets stuck in the mines. Also, she proved herself that she’s fitting for a romantic comedy role as well.” 
After working in Hollywood through Lost and Mistresses, KIM Yun-jin was asked about her experience in jumping from huge American productions to smaller Korean films. KIM said, “Ode to My Father is a big budget film made in Korea...but the size of the project doesn’t matter to me. The job of the actor is to throw questions to the audiences and introduce them to a new story. Film or a TV series, production costs don’t matter.” One local journalist said, “I didn’t get a chance to watch Ode to My Father yet but I heard the press conference was successful...I thought it would be a foreign subject for me but with the positive response from the conference, I started to have interest. Just looking at the history of a nation’s division, this is a film German audiences should watch.”

[rubie]

February 11, 2015
'Ode to My Father' grosses over $2 million in North America
The Korea Herald
"Ode to My Father," a South Korean box-office hit, grossed more than $2 million in ticket sales in just five weeks of screening in North America, according to the film's distributor on Tuesday.  The movie, which tells the story of an ordinary father who sacrificed himself to support his family through the country's turbulent modern history since the 1950-53 Korean War, topped the $2 million mark on Monday, the U.S. arm of CJ Entertainment & Media said.  The film is so far the fourth-highest grossing South Korean movie in North America after "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring," and "The Host."  Screening the film in North America are 18 theaters in Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Toronto and Vancouver. In South Korea, the movie surpassed the 10 million viewer mark in less than a month since its Dec. 17 opening. It is the 14th film ever to attract 10 million viewers at the local box office. (Yonhap)

[rubie]

February 11, 2015
Korean film via stamps -- 'Swiri'
Source: Korea.net
The film "Swiri" (1998), a spy action movie, is set in Korea, one of the world's last divided countries. Only 10 days after its release, the film attracted 1 million viewers to theaters. The film also set a box office record of a total of 5.8 million tickets sold during its theater run. 
The film, directed by Kang Je-kyu, stars Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-shik, Song Kang-ho and Kim Yun-jin, among others. A swiri is an indigenous fish that lives in fresh water, but in the film, it is a secret code word for a team of North Korean special forces that infiltrates the South. 
Secret agent Yu Jong-won, played by Han Suk-kyu, and his colleague Lee Jang-gil, played Song Kang-ho, chases Lee Bang-hee, a North Korean sniper. Yu and Lee Jang-gil investigate who was behind the murder of arms dealer Yim Bong-ju, who was shot to death by Lee Bang-hee. In the meantime, Park Mu-young, another North Korean spy, succeeds in stealing a powerful liquid explosive while it is being transported. 

The film 'Swiri'(1999) is directed by Kang Je-kyu and produced by Kang Je-kyu Film. (image: Korea Post)
The two agents realize that important confidential information is being leaked, as Lee Bang-hee takes action before they do at every crucial turn of the plot. Yu Jong-won and his fiancée Lee Myung-hyun, played by Kim Yun-jin, get married, an omen for another misfortune. Yu hides his true identity from his spouse. However, he comes to the painful realization that the North Korean spy Lee Bang-hee, whom he is after, turns out to be Lee Myung-hyun herself. 
The movie cost KRW 2.4 billion to make, which was considered a huge amount of money at the time. The film used some 3,000 extras over a one-year period. The film's producer used advanced computer graphics and miniature buildings to create explosions, something unprecedented at the time, and rewrote Korean film making. 
"Swiri" won the Special Jury Award and the Best Editing Award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in 1999. In the same year, it also received six other awards, including the Best Actor Award at the Daejongsang Film Awards. The film also helped Han Suk-kyu and Choi Min-shik reach stardom in the film industry. 
By Limb Jae-un Korea.net Staff Writer jun2@korea.kr 

[rubie]

February 13, 2015

Eight Korean films shown at special Berlin film festival event
BY JIN EUN-SOO [jes@joongang.co.kr] INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Eight domestic films were introduced during Korean Film Night on Monday amid the ongoing Berlin International Film Festival celebrations in Germany’s capital city. 
Co-hosted by the Korean Film Council, the Busan International Film Festival and the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin, the sideline event was held local time on Monday evening. It was attended by some 600 people, including the executive committee of the 65th Berlinale, as the festival is called for short. 
There were no Korean films nominated for the festival’s competitive section this year, but several were screened in various non-competitive areas, including the noteworthy panorama and culinary segments. 
Monday’s reception highlighted the Korean film industry’s achievements last year.
“Ode to My Father,” which was also invited to the panorama section that promotes a broad spectrum of film genres, was among the eight films introduced to attendees.
The movie’s director, Yoon Je-kyun, and lead actress Kim Yoon-jin were also at the event.
Internationally acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho of “Snowpiercer” (2013) was also spotted at the event. He was in Berlin acting as an international jury member for the film festival. 
“An Omnivorous Family’s Dilemma” by Hwang Yoon was another movie profiled at the Korean night. It was also nominated in the culinary section. 
Attendees also viewed previews of short film “Hosanna” by Na Young-kil and Korean-German joint production “Cancelled Faces,” directed by Israeli director Lior Shamriz.
At the German festival, which is known to invite films of all genres and from all around the world, the state-run Korean Film Council set up a Korean booth in order to hold business meetings with foreign buyers and promote Korean films. 
“We are holding countless numbers of meetings everyday, realizing the Korean movie’s boom here,” said the council in a press release. 

[rubie]

February 16, 2015
'Ode to My Father' Passes 'Avatar' on All-Time Box-Office List
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
"Ode to My Father" has become the second-most-successful film ever released in Korea, trailing only "Roaring Currents," which attracted 17.61 million viewers last year.
The weepie drew over 49,000 moviegoers at 418 cinemas across the country on Saturday alone, bringing total ticket sales so far to 13.31 million and taking the film past James Cameron's "Avatar" (13.30 million) in the all-time box-office rankings. 
The film, which portrays a man's sacrifices for his family as Korea's tumultuous modern history unfolds, was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this month.

[rubie]

February 21, 2015
Movie 'Ode To My Father' becomes the 2nd most successful film of Korean Box Office history Source: STARN News
Movie 'Ode To My Father' became the 2nd most successful film of Korean Box Office history.
According to Korea Film Council's recent database, movie 'Ode To My Father' became the 2nd most successful film of Korean Box Office history as of February 20th, reaching 13,811,287 viewers, and surpassing 'AVATAR,' which had attracted 13,624,328 viewers.
It has been 10 weeks since 'Ode To My Father' was officially released, but it has attracted 19,720,000 people just in one day on February 20th.
Currently, 'ROARING CURRENTS,' which had attracted 17,611,963 viewers, remains as the most successful film of Korean Box Office history, and many people are now focusing their attention to whether 'Ode To My Father' will be able to break the record of 'ROARING CURRENTS.' 
'Ode To My Father,' starring Hwang Jung Min, Kim Yoon Jin, and Oh Dal Soo, is a movie that depicts modern Korean history from the 1950s to the present day through the life of an ordinary man as he experiences events such as the Hungnam Evacuation of 1951 during the Korean War, the government's decision to dispatch nurses and miners to Germany in the 1960s, and the Vietnam War (from Wikipedia). 
Meanwhile, 'Ode To My Father,' which broke the highest opening score of Korean film history, is currently being played at every movie theaters in Korea.

/Reporting by Lee Mi-Ji en@starnnews.com

[rubie]

February 21, 2015

“Ode to My Father” Edges “Avatar” and Becomes Second Most-Watched Movie in Korean Box Office Historyhttp://www.soompi.com/2015/02/21/ode-to-my-father-edges-avatar-and-becomes-second-most-watched-movie-in-korean-box-office-history/


The movie “Ode to My Father” has broken the record set by “Avatar” (2009) and has taken the second place spot on Korea’s box office rankings.
On February 20, its 66th day since opening, “Ode to My Father” hit 13,811,287 viewers, putting it ahead of the most popular foreign movie in Korea, “Avatar.” “Avatar” had 13,624,328 viewers, and had been second place on Korea’s all-time box office rankings.
In just one day on February 20, which was part of the Lunar New Year holidays, “Ode to My Father” gained 190,072 viewers. It is now in its 10th week since opening, but is still near the top of the box office.
“Ode to My Father” now looks forward to breaking 14 million viewers for the first time since “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), and for the second time ever.

[rubie]

March 6, 2015
Kim Yun-jin with 'Rouge & Lounge'

Actress Kim Yun-jin attends an event in Seoul on March 6, 2015, to promote the accessory brand "Rouge & Lounge." (Yonhap) (END)

[rubie]

March 6, 2015
[65th Berlinale Special Report] Interview with ODE TO MY FATHER’s KIM Yun-jin“Berlin understands the meaning of national separation more than anywhere else.”
 by NA Won-jung / KOFIC


KIM Yun-jin may be more familiar to international readers through to her roles in American TV series Lost (ABC) and Mistresses (ABC). However, her recent international film festival invitation was through a Korean film, making it more meaningful for her. Invited to the 65th Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section, Ode to My Father is a human drama that starts with the division of the country to the more recent history. In the film, KIM takes the role of Duk-soo’s wife. Duk-soo is someone who barely gets on through the hurdles of life during the hardest times in Korean history. The two protagonists meet in Germany as a dispatched miner and a nurse. KIM’s well versed German and her strong character grasped the attention of many audiences. For KIM, it was more meaningful for the film to be invited to Berlin who understands the meaning of national separation more than anywhere else. Ode to My Father is your first film to be invited to an international film festival. What are your thoughts in attending Berlin?I’ve been to Cannes in 2012 as a model for a cosmetics company and I had interviews there with the Korean media but I was a little embarrassed. I wasn’t there for a film and didn’t know what to talk about. However, the invitation to Berlin is a huge honor. The film deals with the story of the dispatched Korean nurses and miners in Germany and also the audiences here can identify well with the conditions of a separated nation. For these reasons, I think it was meant to be. Although this is your first international film festival with a Korean film, there seems to be many international media and press that recognize you from your works in Hollywood.Even so, I consider my base and home Korea. It’s like going to work and coming back home. If I had gone to Hollywood auditions in LA, it’s likely I would have starred in a Hollywood film. But I naturally wanted to work back home. American TV series run by seasons. When I play the same character multiple times then find a refreshing Korean character offered to me, I’m very excited. If I start to miss having my own time in an organized system, then I go back to America. If we work overtime on a Hollywood set, the wage is 1.5 times more. That’s why just going to the washroom is a task and we have to report it to other crew members. It’s more about keeping the shooting schedule on time rather than the taking care of the actress. Those are the times I miss the sets in Korea where we look out for each other. Going back and forth from the two places, I think it has helped me not only in my career but also my life as they feed on each other through repeated tension and relaxation.  We’ve heard you’ve become a bridge between Hollywood and Korean film industries and that you are responsible in exporting the Korean cable series, Nine (2013).I really enjoyed watching Nine and decided to act as a producer and tried to export it to the US. Fake Empire Entertainment who are the creators behind Gossip Girl and The O.C. took over the production and we’ve gotten as far as the pilot scenario. Unfortunately it didn’t broadcast, but this is quite normal in the US. For example, if ABC gets a hundred scenarios, 10 to 15 of them get made into a forty minute pilot show. Out of these, two projects that have passed the final assessment get broadcasted. The time travel concept in Nine worked well with the high concept drama American viewers are attracted to, but unfortunately it didn’t make the final cut. The contract is for two years and we’re almost at the end. If CJ E&M would give me another chance, I’d love to try again to make Nine an American cable drama. Do you have plans to work on other projects other than Nine?I think I would be closer to recommending works than becoming a bridge between the two industries. That’s as far as I would get. Nine is a special case. I’m better fit as an actress. American dramas are usually light so I want to try working in a British series where human relationships are greyer. Also, isn’t it great that British series have shorter seasons? There are still many things I want to try as an actress.

[rubie]

March 25, 2015

K-Drama Actors Who Would Ace An English Exam

BY Julie Jones | KDramaStars.com

Ko Ah Sung plays Seo Bom in the drama "Heard It Through The Grapevine." Because Seo Bom comes from a poor family she surprises her wealthy in-laws with her mastery of English. When her character had to read the pages of a difficult English book, her command of the language also surprised many k-drama fans.

The 23-year-old actress does have a gift for languages but she perfected her English when she played Song Kang Ho's daughter in the Bong Joon Ho film "Snowpiercer." The film had an international cast with many English-speaking characters. Playing Yona, a girl who grew up hearing many different languages spoken, she said she had to tailor her English in that film.

"Yona can speak little bit of every language existing on the train," said Ko in an interview with tenasia. "So I spoke with an accent that was a mix of the Philippines, India, the United States and other places. People in Korea complemented me on my English pronunciation, but it would sound funny to a native speaker."

Another k-drama actor known for his fluency in English is Im Si Wan. He took The English proficiency TOEIC exam shortly after he wrapped up his role in the hit drama "Misaeng." His exam score was 820 out of 990, which he was very happy about. He only hoped to reach a score of 800.

Being able to speak English fluently is key to landing Hollywood roles. Some actors who improved their English skills enough to make the transition are Lee Byung Hun, Kim Yunjin and Bae Doona.

Lee Byung Hun has had several roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as "Red 2" and can soon be seen in "Terminator Genysis." Yunjin Kim currently appears in the TV series "Mistresses" and played a pivotal character in the hit television show "Lost." Bae Doona has appeared in several Wachowski productions, including the film "Cloud Atlas."

Being fluent in English is no guarantee that an actor will land an English-speaking role.  2PM's Ok Taecyeon is another actor whose English is commendable, which is not surprising since he attended high school in the U.S. The singer-actor appeared in "Dream High," "Who Are You?" and earned praise for his performance in the weekend drama "Wonderful Days." But despite having language skills he has yet to interest any Hollywood producers.

Krystal Jung, the star of "My Lovely Girl" is also fluent in English but that's because she was born in San Francisco. The actress and f(x) singer was discovered by a talent agency on a family trip back to Korea.
English language skills also come in handy when a drama is set partly in the U.S., as was the case in "The Heirs," which Krystal played a role in.