Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

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January 5, 2020

 

Celebrity Fashion: Lee Byung Hun Wears His Suits Perfectly

 

Source: Chosun Online (Google-gist)

 

 

Representative Korean wave star, actor Lee Byung Hun, who commands a considerable presence in his name alone, appeared in public wearing mainly neat suits, has shown a style that is unique to the actor.

 

Lee Byung Hun shows a variety of style, with the vest and pocket handkerchief as the centre points, wearing many classical suits as well. In addition, there's the warm-colored velvet jacket with a simple appearance organized in an elegant style.

 

Particularly, at his wedding with actress Lee Min Jung on August 10, 2013, he chose a patterned tuxedo and showed off the fashionable groom. On the other hand, going away for his honeymoon, he put on white denim pants, white loafers, and a checkered shirt.

 

 

 

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Some more pics from the Chosun Online article 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE MAN STANDING NEXT promo videos from Showbox

 

 

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Published on Jan 10, 2020 by HanCinema

 

The Man Standing Next - WHY History Telling Trailer

 

 

Source: CINE21

 

COVER STAR ㅣ THE MAN STANDING NEXT
The new film by Director Woo Min-ho from Inside Men.

This film is a reconstruction of the October 26 incident in which the former chief information officer Kim Jae-gyu assassinated former President Park Chung-hee. Following the 40 days before the incident, Park shows the relationship between the two.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

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                  C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! 

                                                   

                A S H F A L L  8  M I L L I O N !

 

January 14, 2020

 

Korean Box Office: ‘Dolittle’ makes an impact with debut

 

BY LEE JAE-LIM INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
 

Spoiler

Robert Downey Jr. and his animal buddies took over the local box office for the weekend.

 

“Dolittle” attracted 718,0000 people to 1,290 screens in its debut weekend - not a bad start, but a mediocre opening considering that Korea was the first international market to get the film in 4DX. The Hollywood film was the first of three movies being released this month in Korea about animals. The other two, “Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP” and “Secret Zoo,” are scheduled to hit local theaters in the next two weeks.

 

The film tells the story of Doctor Dolittle (played by Downey), a famous but eccentric veterinarian with the ability to talk to animals. Dolittle travels around the world with the love of his life, his wife Lily, with his animal friends. However, when Lily dies during one of her voyages at sea, Dolittle becomes heartbroken and hides himself away in his mansion for years, with only his animals to keep him company.

 

But when Queen Victoria falls gravely ill, the entire kingdom’s fate is suddenly in the hands of Dolittle, as he is the only person who can travel to a mystic island to acquire an antidote for the queen with the help of his animal friends. The animals are voiced by stars such as Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Kumail Nanjiani, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson and more.

 

Local disaster blockbuster “Ashfall” amazingly beat out heavy contender “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” by a narrow margin and held on to second place, drawing 265,000 moviegoers to 881 screens. According to the latest update from the Korean Film Council, the film has surpassed 8 million ticket sales as of Monday morning.

 

The ninth and final part of the “Skywalker saga” seems to have failed to earn approval from local fans, landing in third place for the first weekend. The Hollywood blockbuster was seen by only 262,000 people at 948 screenings. The film details the final battle between Rey, the last Jedi of the Resistance, and Kylo Ren of the First Order and ultimately, the Galactic Emperor Palpatine.

 

Local historical drama “Forbidden Dream” took the fourth spot after it was seen by 138,000 people at 685 screens.

 

War film “Midway” finished off the weekend in fifth place, gathering 103,000 moviegoers to 581 screens.

 

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January 14, 2020

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT Character Poster

 

Source: Naver News // Alatus_Deus

 

 

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January 15, 2020

 

Press Preview: New movie 'The Man Standing Next'

 

Cast members of the new movie "The Man Standing Next" pose for a photo during a press preview at a Seoul theater on Jan. 15, 2020. From left are Kwak Do-won, Lee Sung-min, Lee Byung-hun and Lee Hee-joon. The flick, which is about plots between former and incumbent spy agency chiefs during the 1970s in South Korea, will hit local screens on Jan. 22. (Yonhap)

 

YTN

 

Sports Donga

 

ISplus

[peonie]

January 15, 2020

 

Lee Byung Hun, Kwak Do-won and Lee Hee-joon were interviewed by an Australian journalist in Korean for the movie "The Man Standing Next".  

 

 

 

This is one of the funniest you tube clips that I have ever seen.  LOL

 

Source:  A Hong Kong LBH fan sent it to me.   

 

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January 16, 2020

 

A short excerpt from the Press Preview (A translation)

 

 

LBH = Lee Byung Hun

LSH = Lee Sung Min

 

Q:  What are the box office expectations for the movie to be released before the New Year holidays? 

 

LBH:  I think the film is suitable for all ages, whether the people who know the events at that time, or the younger generation who has heard the story but seemed very distant to them.  After seeing the movie, there are  plenty of topics to discuss.  In respect of the box office, “The closet” will be released at the same time.  Ah, will that be the biggest “Obstacle”?

 

LSM:  Well... Movies have to be varied... Fortunately, the two films are completely different in genre, and both will be good    I watched “The Man Standing Next”   for the first time today.  It is very interesting and a Well-Made movie.  Although the story is old, for those who remembered the story, they will find it very interesting.  This movie has a completely different point of view from previous movies and TV dramas;  it has a unique perspective.  It will generate all kinds of dialogue and is a very interesting movie.  I think a lot of people will see it.

 

Source:   https://www.weibo.com/tv/v/IpDDJubSa?fid=1034:4461105238441995

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@peonie Thanks so much for the TMSN vs The Korean Englishman clip. I totally agree that it's the funniest interview clip we've seen so far. It's my first time seeing this channel although I've seen a few foreigners in Korea clips and all of them speak very good Korean . It's strange at first that they let the not-so fluent guy to conduct the interview instead the other one but LBH, KDW and LHJ were really cool and sporting about it. It's just so funny and the usually serious interview mood is filled with laughter plus we get to see the mukbang we wanted to see.. Byunghun eating the toast. He was hesitating at first when KDW ate his straightaway.. but could not resist it after that. Everyone do watch the clip at the youtube page and read the comments there.. they're really good & positive about the actors. It's really not the usual interview we're so used to seeing, quite the clever promo by Showbox..

 

On the other hand ASHFALL is now down to number 4 as more new movies are released this week. It's been a great & exciting run to cross the 8 million mark and the movie is still in the top 10, so anything is still possible. We hope TMSN will have a great response at the Korean Box Office. Initial feedback from the press preview yesterday have been really good, even better than Inside Men. So, we hope the public response will be especially positive as well.

 

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January 16, 2020

 

Another short excerpt from the Press Preview (A translation)

 

 

WMH = Director Woo MIn Ho
LBH = Lee Byung Hun

 

WMH:  This is the second work that I have collaborated with Lee Byung Hun Sunbae.  Compare to the first work, this is more comfortable.  However, in contrast to “Inside Men”  the shooting is more intense.   I also communicated a lot with Sunbae.  I did not see this type of facial expression on his face in ”Inside Men”;  he has mastered the role of Kim Kyu Pyeong.  I feel so blessed. 

 

LBH:  This time,  there is no need to have a mutual adaptation process with the director.   It is more comfortable than shooting “Inside Men.”  The director was originally a passionate person.   When the time of shooting “Inside Men” the director expressed his emotions of happiness and anger.  This time the director was very calm. The shooting coincided wiith the release of “Drug King”.  Was it because it was not so perfect that he became calm.  Haha haha,  the director's personality changed a lot.

 

Source:  https://www.weibo.com/tv/v/IpDda9ahJ?fid=1034:4461088549306373

 

 

 

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Source: CJ Entertainment

Thank you audience of BAEKDUSAN

Long-term screening in cinemas 

Unforgettable Ashfall Moments

Celebrity Stills Public Disclosure 

 

 

 

 

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1/16 Media photos from LBH-TMSN interview articles published today.. mostly monochrome pics.

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

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Clip: Showbox, thanks to mistymorning for the message translation

 

Hello everyone, this is Lee ByungHun who is Kim GyuPyung in the movie <The Man Standing Next>. <The Man Standing Next> is about 40 days before the assassination of President Park on 1979. This will be released on Jan. 22, 2020. Hope all of you can watch this movie.

 

 

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Whoa.. the Daejong (Grand Bell) Awards had changed its usual end of the year ceremony to February this year and LBH is in the Best Actor nomination for Baekdusan/Ashfall. What a nice surprise! 

 

Just the gist right now, there'll be lots of English updates later.

 

January 17, 2020

 

56th Daejong Awards on February 25: Parasite and Baekdusan Nominations 

 

Source: Sports Donga ++

 

 

Best Actor:

Seol Kyung-gu (Birthday)

Song Kang-ho (Parasite)

Lee Byung-hun (Baekdusan)

Jung Woo-sung (Innocent Witness)

Han Suk-kyu (Forbidden Dream)

 

 

 

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Yonhap's review on ASHFALL before was a bit lukewarm but very encouraging nonetheless but this time for THE MAN STANDING NEXT, we can almost hear a resounding positive tone from the beginning till the end of the write-up.

 

Oh.. today is the Lotte Cinema Live Chat Showcase event.. right?

 

January 17, 2020

 

(Movie Review) 'The Man Standing Next' chronicles 1979 presidential assassination

By Kim Boram

 

A poster of "The Man Standing Next" provided by Showbox (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) -- On Oct. 26, 1979, two gunshots changed modern Korean history. President Park Chung-hee, who had been in power for 18 years, was assassinated by Kim Jae-gyu, then director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) and considered No. 2 in the regime.

 

Park, who took the helm through a military coup in 1961, had sought to stay in power for good but lost his life to his most trusted and closest confidant and a key member of the military maneuver 18 years ago.

 

More than four decades have passed, but there has been a heated debate on Kim's motives. What made the second most powerful figure in the authoritative government pull the trigger on his boss and what was his real goal after the assassination and the power vacuum still remain unanswered.

 

A scene from "The Man Standing Next" provided by Showbox (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The political film "The Man Standing Next," directed by Woo Min-ho, looks through these unsolved questions by tracking the 40 days leading up to the Oct. 26 incident.

 

It is based on a nonfiction best-seller, "KCIA Chiefs," published from 1990 to 1992 in the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper. The book covers the beginning and the end of the KCIA, which was established by President Park after the coup in order to engage in pervasive surveillance of politicians, government officials and citizens.

 

But the movie focuses on the intricate power struggle among second-in-command characters that reaches its peak during the last 40 days of the Park regime.

 

Incumbent KCIA chief Kim Gyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun), who took office in 1976, is in fierce rivalry with chief presidential bodyguard Kwak Sang-cheon (Lee Hee-joon).

 

Gyu-pyeong increasingly feels that he is sidelined from the core of the political power as Sang-cheon has been winning more confidence of the president as time goes by.

 

The two men compete to stop former KCIA director Park Yong-gak (Kwak Do-won) from publishing a memoir to reveal the dirty deals of the Seoul government with U.S. lawmakers to maintain its autocracy.

 

Gyu-pyeong finally kills Yong-gak, his close friend who also participated in the 1961 coup, in a bid to capture the president's eye. But his action seems to be too late as the president has already turned a cold shoulder to his No. 2 official. There is only so much he can do.

 

The film closely follows the psychological changes in Gyu-pyeong's decadeslong loyalty to the president and the subtle transition of the balance of power in the presidential office on a daily basis, while the strongman gets more reliant on his rival and thinks of killing millions of democratic demonstrators.

 

Its emotional and psychological description of the characters and cliff-hanging storytelling make the predictable plot more interesting and entertaining. Even though the audience knows the ending, the movie compels them to sit on the edge of their seats for about two hours.

 

Moreover, there is no doubt in Lee Byung-hun's acting, whose expressive eyes and even face well portray the faint, subtle changes of Gyu-pyeong's determination.

 

"This movie doesn't display any political inclination or judge the merits and demerits of the historical figures," director Woo, who made the political crime action film "Inside Men" (2015), said in a press conference. "I just tried to show how the incident took place through the emotional and mental development of the key characters."

 

 

"The Man Standing Next" will hit local screens this coming Wednesday.

 

brk@yna.co.kr

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January 17, 2020

 

'The Man Standing Next' dramatizes assassination of Korean dictator

 

From left, director Woo Min-ho, actors Kwak Do-won, Lee Sung-min, Lee Byung-hun and Lee Hee-jun pose for a photo during a press conference for new film "The Man Standing Next" in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap

 

By Kwak Yeon-soo The Korea Times

 

Political thriller "The Man Standing Next" dramatizes the assassination of former Korean president and dictator Park Chung-hee, sparking a debate on how to interpret Park's legacy.

 

People remain sharply divided over the legacy of Park, who ruled the country for 18 years after taking power through a military coup in 1961. Some recall him as a brutal dictator who suppressed Korea's democracy, while others give him credit for accelerating the country's economic development.

 

"It's true that assassination of Park was a major event in the country's modern history, but I don't want politics to get in the way of assessing the film," Director Woo Min-ho said during a press conference for the film in Seoul, Wednesday.

 

"I want to let the audience decide whether the assassination was an act of high treason or revolution."

 

Set 40 days before President Park's assassination in 1979, the film unfolds a hidden story of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) and its political maneuvering in the 1970s. It also explores relationships and feuds between former and incumbent spy agency chiefs.

 

The KCIA chief Kim Gyu-pyeong, played by Lee Byung-hun, apparently becomes the second-in-command after former KCIA chief Park Yong-kak, played by Kwak Do-won, flees to the U.S. to testify against the Korean government.

 

However, Lee faces a power struggle as the chief officer of Presidential Security Service Kwang Sang-cheon, played by Lee Hee-jun, earns President Park's trust and outranks him.

 

The film was adapted from a journalist-turned-writer Kim Choong-sik's book with the same title.

 

"I first read the book in 1997 after being discharged from the army. I was amazed by how the author, then a journalist, dissects the story with an investigative mind," Woo said.

 

"After the film "Inside Men" became a hit, I contacted the author and expressed my desire to adapt this book into a screenplay."

 

At the press conference, Lee Byung-hun talked about the difficulty of playing a real-life character and filming close-up shots.

 

"It's pretty overwhelming to play a real-life character, who is so well-known," he said.

 

"Another challenging part was that there were a lot of close-up shots to allow the audience to focus on my character and emotions."

 

Lee Sung-min, who plays President Park, has been praised for his performance and many have noted his physical resemblance to former President Park.

 

"While shooting, I could feel the weight of history. I tried to stick to the authentic character as much as possible through voice, posture, fashion and prosthetic make-up," Lee said.

 

The film will hit local theaters on Jan. 22.

 

yeons.kwak@koreatimes.co.kr

[peonie]

January 17, 2020

 

Herald Interview] Lee Byung-hun talks about film on presidential assassination

 

By Choi Ji-won

 

Upcoming film “The Man Standing Next” goes back to the darkest period of Korea’s democracy, actor Lee Byung-hun said at a press event in Seoul on Friday. 

 

Directed by Woo Min-ho, the movie tells the story of what may be the most shocking event of the 1970s and 1980s -- a presidential assasination. On Oct. 26, 1979, former President Park Chung-hee, who had been in power for 18 years, was killed by one of his closest confidants. 

 

The film centers on the 40 days leading up to Park’s assassination. It is based on the non-fiction novel “Directors of Namsan” written by journalist Kim Choong-sik, who had covered the former president’s assassination. 

 

Namsan was where the Korean Central Intelligence Agency -- currently the National Intelligence Service -- was located and represented centralized power during the military dictatorship. The journalist released his coverage as a series in a local newspaper in the 1990s.

 

In the film, actor Lee takes on the role of Kim Kyu-pyeong, a fictional character inspired by Kim Jae-gyu, who was the director of the CIA and the right-hand man of the president before he killed Park. 

 

Although Park’s assassination has been the subject of multiple productions, Lee says “The Man Standing Next” is different in that it focuses not on the event’s political significance but on the relationships between characters and the changes in dynamics between them, telling the human side of the story. 

 

The movie revolves around the period when longtime military dictator Park became obsessed with the loyalty of his staff. 

 

Kim Kyu-pyeong breaks down after hearing from former CIA Director Park Yong-gak -- played by Gwak Do-won -- that his position as second-in-command has been replaced. 

 

Veteran actor Lee Sung-min stars as President Park, while Lee Hee-Joon takes the role of the head of the president’s security team. Kwak Sang-cheon who stands between the president and Kim Kyu-pyeong, tries to become the new right-hand man. 

 

As Kim Jae-gyu remains a controversial figure, Lee Byung-hun says he tried to stick with the script as much as he could so that he would not distort the audience’s understanding of Kim. 

 

“The public’s opinion on whether Kim had acted for the good of society or out of his personal feelings (against the president) is still very controversial, and the director and I wanted to make sure that this fact does not change even when people leave the cinema after watching the film,” he said.

 

To that end, Lee invested much time and effort in studying historical documents and information related to the incident, trying to get into character by understanding Kim Jae-gyu’s decisions and behavior. 

 

In the movie, Lee’s emotions and words are restrained, reflecting Kim Kyu-pyeong’s psychology and sense of betrayal -- close to madness -- through tiny hints in facial expressions and behavior.

 

The conflict peaks at the climactic last scene where Kim is ready to kill the president. 

 

“In the scene, like anyone in his shoes, Kim is not in his right mind, and I wanted the audience to be captivated by his madness,” Lee said. “I tried to show the momentary seconds when Kim comes back to reality in order to maximize the confusion and delusion that he is going through.”

 

Echoing the words of the film’s director, Lee said the interpretations of both the historical event and the movie are up to the audience.

 

By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)

 

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January 17, 2020

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT interview featured on Section TV episode 993

 

Watch the English-subbed segment here, at 31:32 - 41:34 time-mark

 

Highlighted by 쉼표@rmflrhdhsmf on twitter

 

USA: Korean Political Thriller "The Man Standing Next" Hits Theaters Jan. 24 (Buena Park), Jan. 31 (Los Angeles)

 

Source: HanCinema.net

 

 

Political thriller delves into the untold true story of scandal and intrigue in the Korean government

 

"The Man Standing Next", a South Korean political drama, will open at CGV Buena Park on January 24th and CGV Los Angeles on January 31st. The film tells the untold story of a 1970 scandal in the KCIA, the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, and is based on the non-fiction hit book "KCIA Chiefs".

 

In the 1970s, Korea is under absolute control of President PARK (Lee Sung-min) who controls the KCIA, the organization with an edge over any branch of government. The director of KCIA, Kim Gyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun), is a shoe-in for second-in-command. In the midst of reign of fear, a former KCIA director, PARK Yong-gak (Kwak Do-won) who knows all about the government's obscure and illegal operations, exiles to the U.S., where he opens the floodgate to the investigation of 'Koreagate'. As tension escalates, stifling political maneuvering by those desiring power collide explosively.
 
"The Man Standing Next" stars Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Kwak Do-won, Lee Hee-joon, and Kim So-jin and is directed by Woo Min-ho. The film is distributed by Capelight Pictures.

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Source: AlatusDeus

 

TMSN Promotional Advert

 

 

 

Photos: Red Carpet @redcarpet_712

 

BH at the Lotte Cinema Live Chat (1/17)

 

 

 

 

Spoiler