Lee Byung Hun 이병헌 Byunghun Lee

[peonie]

22 hours ago, rubie said:

Lee Byung Hun's man, representative of BH Entertainment
 

Source: Woman Sense // Photos provided by BH Entertainment

 

 

Representative Sohn Seok-woo, a banker, jumped into the entertainment industry for the first time with the dream of producing music. In 2001, he partnered with top star Lee Byung-hun to start working for the future together.

 

 

@rubie   Thank you so much for this translation.  We gain insight into our favourite actor every time there are  an in-depth interviews either with him or in this case with his manager.  Without any doubt, Sohn Seok Woo has assisting Lee Byung Hun's in shaping his brilliant acting career.  I remember LBH admitted that he took on the "Mr. Sunshine" project because of Mr. Sohn 's high recommendations.  

 

It is such a pity that the Coronavirus outbreak has impacted negatively the box offices in Korea.   "The Man Standing Next"  should have surpassed 5 million in viewers.  

 

 

[rubie]

February 25, 2020

 

Lee Byung-hun's ₩100 million donation, “To help prevent the spread of coronavirus.. please continue to have strength”

 

Source: Naver (Google-translate)

 

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun has donated 100 million won to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Korea.

 

Lee Byung-hun delivered a 100 million won (US$ 82,368) donation to the Social Welfare Community Fund to assist in the efforts to overcome the spread of coronavirus with hope that the public well-being will be strengthened. 

 

The donation will be used to help people from all over the country who needed assistance, including children with disabilities and the elderly, low-income families, as well as medical staff in need of protection. Previously, Lee Byung-hun donated 100 million won to affected families in the Gangwon-do wildfires last year.

 

Lee Byung-hun, meanwhile, is about to shoot the movie 'Emergency Declaration' and drama 'HERE'.

 

Source: @BillyRocks_13

 

 

[rubie]

Source: Soompi

 

On February 25, Shin Min Ah’s agency revealed that the actress had donated 100 million won (about $82,300) to the Community Chest of Korea. They stated, “She donated in hopes that it will help medical professionals in their efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and also protect vulnerable social groups.”

 

On the same day, Lee Byung Hun’s agency confirmed that the actor had also donated 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea. They stated, “He understood the seriousness of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and decided to make a donation in hopes that it would give people strength.”

 

The Korea Disaster Relief Association revealed that Yoo Jae Suk had donated 100 million won on February 24. His donation will be used to purchase masks, hand sanitizers, and other items in the prevention effort.

 

[rubie]

Source: The New Paper

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT (NC16)

4/5 

 

You will be kept on the edge of your seat throughout this South Korean historical suspense thriller, which depicts the complex web of emotions going through Kim Gyu-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun), the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA).

 

It revolves around the intense power struggle between Kim and chief presidential bodyguard Kwak Sang-cheon (Lee Hee-joon) that reaches its peak during the last 40 days of the President's (Lee Sung-min) regime before the latter is assassinated by Kim in 1979.

 

The two men also compete to prevent a former KCIA director (Kwak Do-won), who is exiled to the US where Koreagate investigations are under way and knows all about the government's operations, from publishing his memoir.

 

While The Man Standing Next tries to incorporate all viewpoints of why the assassination happened, it takes a slightly sympathetic stance towards Kim.

 

Lee's portrayal of Kim is excellent as it fully encapsulates the woes of any person bounded by circumstances such as his.

 

Definitely an interesting watch for history junkies. - ELAINE LEE

 

Art by wonyun_

 

[rubie]

Thanks to the highlight on twitter, this photo posted by the make-up artist (wearing mask). Lee Byung Hun was not wearing a mask as he's been filming a CF in Incheon today.

 

Photo: paek__kh

 

 

February 27, 2020

 

Lee Byung Hun selected as advertising model for 'Geomam Station Royal Park City Prugio' 

 

Source: Chosun.com (Google-gist)

 

DK Urban Development announced that actor Lee Byung-hun has been chosen as 'Geomam Station Royal Park City Prugio' TV advertising model in which the pre-sale started in February. The housing complex is located in the area of Geomam Station and Incheon Subway Line. It is not just an apartment but a 'resort city' that includes leisure, recreation, culture, education, and commercial facilities.

 

[rubie]

February 27, 2020

 

Stars donate to fight coronavirus

 

By Esther Chung INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Korean stars are opening up their wallets and donating what they can to help fight the coronavirus outbreak.

 

Actors Kim Woo-bin, Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a and entertainer Yoo Jae-suk have each donated 100 million won ($82,200) to organizations including Hope Bridge - Korea Disaster Relief Association and Community Chest of Korea this week. The donations are to be used to provide masks, hand sanitizers and other relief aids for low-income families.

 

Singer Lee Seung-hwan also donated 30 million won to the Hope Bridge - Korea Disaster Relief Association, as did TV personality Lee Hye-young, who donated 10 million.

 

Actor Ahn Jae-wook donated 20 million won to Red Cross Korea to help out residents of Daegu, which is currently the epicenter of the virus outbreak, Ilgan Sports reported.

 

Singer-turned-actor Hyeri also donated 100 million won to Save the Children, which will be used to help underprivileged kids in Daegu.

 

February 26, 2020

 

Celebrities Donate Money to Fight Against Coronavirus

 

Source: The ChosunIlbo

 

Several celebrities have donated money to the fight against coronavirus.

 

Actor Lee Byung-hun on Tuesday donated W100 million to the Community Chest of Korea to help fight the spread (US$1=W1,214). Lee said, "I realize the severity of the virus and hope to help pool people's strength" to overcome it.

 

From left, Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, and Park Seo-joon

The money will be used to help low-income households and senior citizens protect themselves against the virus as well as buying protective gear for health and quarantine workers.

 

Actress Shin Min-a also donated W100 million to the Community Chest of Korea, while actor Park Seo-joon donated the same amount to Daegu city, which has been hit hardest by the new epidemic. Comedian Yoo Jae-suk made a donation to the Korea Disaster Relief Association. 

[rubie]

February 27, 2020

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT

Korean Movie Opens in Indonesia (2/26) and Singapore (2/27)

 

Source: DetikHot

 

 

Source: Cinema online SG

 

[rubie]

Photo: changgyunkim

 

 

[rubie]

February 27, 2020

 

The Man Standing Next Review: Lee Byung-Hun Shines In Intense & Intriguing Korean Political Thriller

By TAY YEK KEAK TODAY Online

 

It’s about the assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-Hee in 1979.

The Man Standing Next (NC16)

Starring Lee Byung-Hun, Kwak Do-Won, Lee Sung-Min

Directed by Woo Min-Ho

 

The Man Standing Next. Strange title. Next to what? The toilet? The smoking bin? The water cooler?

 

Okay, I'm being a wisea**. The man, a top intelligence chief played by pretty boy Lee Byung-Hun, is standing next in line to be the president of South Korea. But he's a patriot so good and decent in the cesspool here, he doesn't want the job while others worship and besmirch it.

 

Boy, when you see this intense and intriguing snake pit of a political drama-thriller, you'd think that Korean government leaders and military top brass are all ruthless, murderous crooks. Not just mere wrongdoers. But outright despicable and corrupt criminals.

 

Imagine the head of the supreme intelligence agency of the nation assassinating the president of the country. The incredible thing is that this really happened in 1979 during the fearful dictatorial rule of President Park Chung-Hee (Lee Sung-Min from The Spy Gone North).

 

This tale recounts the tense 40 days of in-house skullduggery and international espionage which escalated out of control right up to the assassination carried out personally by the president's own spy chief.

 

I'm nominating this shooting-off-the-snake's-head-at-a-private-dinner sequence here for Best Assassination Scene Ever because it's simply riveting and utterly jaw-dropping for being an actual event. “When the nation goes haywire, we all die. We kill him tonight,” goes the cryptic order.

 

You've got to be ideally Korean, a conspiracy theorist, army buff or a sick coup d'etat enthusiast to fully soak in this film without being confused. It just goes straight into the proceedings as if everybody watching it knows Korean history by heart. But if you're shallow enough to see this crazy true story — well, more or less true — because this is the place where BTS hails from, this very serious flick is still pretty gripping.

 

You just need to pay attention. Because the devious manoeuvring, jostling and backstabbing are breathtakingly Machiavellian and quite hard to follow. Even shadows chase their own shadows here and competing factions actually have their own sneaky spies and loyal hitmen to eliminate their Korean rivals in elaborate kill-capades staged in even as far away as France.

 

Which means things are so murky you'll need to know this crucial pointer to wade through the convoluted power play. Among the inglorious bastards assembled, only Lee playing Kim Gyu Pyeong, the director of the formidable KCIA (Korean Central Intelligence Agency), has some morals and principles. Although even he isn't opposed to terminating someone he knows well when the need arises.

 

Back in the tumultuous 1970s, Kim's good friend, Park Yong Gak (Kwak Do-Won from The Wailing), an ex-KCIA director himself, flees to America and threatens to expose all the shady dealings of the Park government in a tell-all book, a move which turns the president demented with vengeful rage.

 

It puts current director Kim in a tough dilemma as he micro-manages this national-security problem to go away. He talks to his exiled colleague face-to-face in the US in deep stealth as a go-between, ala in a John le Carre novel.

 

Of course, things are simply too dirty and people too nefarious for treason to be resolved so easily. Wearing solemn spectacles and a sharp suit, Lee's Kim is the conflicted shining light amid the overall darkness.

 

Depicted in a very sympathetic manner here, he's the last honest powerful man in Korea who still naively believes in serving his country while the vile roosters are raiding the farm.

 

You know this because he becomes visibly sick when, after climbing like a monkey into a safehouse to personally eavesdrop on the president, he finds out that the man he's sworn utmost loyalty to wants him out of the way too. “I will always stand by you,” Kim vows to his big boss, a close friend and former comrade in arms who, drunk with greed and power, doesn't think twice about betraying that trust.

 

Every time the cruelly callous president says “You have my full support; do as you please”, he's giving the green light for someone to be tortured brutally or bumped off secretly.

 

Disposal methods include shoving a dead dude into a wood-cutting machine.

By the way, although President Park portrayed here is a real person, the other main characters are fictional names based on real officials.

 

Fortunately, the movie tells you who's who in what position since so many different Kims, Parks and Lees swirl in this unholy mess you'd likely to be confused all the way to the next coup.

 

Now, this film's director Woo Min Ho previously helmed another dirty-politics pic, 2015’s Inside Men. I'm actually concerned for his safety due to the plot's stark and unrelenting portrayal of pure chief executive evil with zero redeeming features.

 

Basically, the president is depicted as a traitorous SOB to the revolutionary cause.

He abandons the wisdom of his formerly trusted KCIA chief and instead embraces his shamelessly boot-licking head of security, Lieutenant-Colonel Gwak (Lee Hee Joon), who's a crass, scheming bully willing to massacre even his own citizens just to appease his boss.

 

“Killing one or two million people with tanks is nothing,” he brags about putting down a people's revolt brewing in the opposition stronghold of Busan. Man, I haven't seen very senior officials fight like schoolkids — Kim and Gwak literally draw guns — in a government building since John Bolton butted heads in the White House.

 

Anyway, I'm scared because what if diehard Park fanatics still lurk in the shadows today? It isn't too far-fetched since the assassinated prez was the father of the also-deposed former female president, Park Geun Hye. FYI, she herself is currently languishing in prison in a kinda traditional Korean fall-of-the-mighty merry-go-round.

 

The Man Standing Next suggests that the late Park was so rotten to the core that even the American CIA bugged him right in his office. Which gives Lee an opportunity to speak really good English with a lot of heft.

 

All the leads are spot-on good here. But Lee — recently seen in volcano-disaster flick, Ashfall — truly exudes star power alongside his authority despite being as glum as a funeral all through the film.

 

Just to see him cling on to futile hope in the goodness of man while everything conspires against this notion is an ironic thrill. “He'll step down slowly. I'll be helping him,” he proffers as the Last Great Fool about his gone-case heinous boss even as his own influence wanes.

 

The Man Standing Next may be too steeped in incomprehensible Korean history to truly connect with local viewers. But, luckily, The Man Standing Here is Lee Byung Hun.(***1/2)

[peonie]

March 1 2020

 

Partnership between Actor and Director:   Kim Jee Woon  -   Lee Byung Hun enhance each other (A translation) 

 

Film director Kim Jee Woon and actor Lee Byung Hun showed their respective directing and acting styles.

 

OBS, ”Unique Performing Arts News" (Planning, Director, Supervisor Yoon Kyung Chul, Author Park Eun Kyung, Kim Hyun Seon) met with  key directors of the movie industry to understand the actors. It is reported that Kim Jee Woon and and Lee Byung Hun who collaborated for the first time in the film “A Bittersweet Life”  have collaborated on 4 works.  It is reported that at that time director Lim Jee Woon also performed face to to  face Lee Byung Hun  in order to cast him.

 

The two met again in the movie “ The Good, The Bad, The Weird". However, Lee Byung Hun did not dare to agree easily when director KIm appraoched him for that movie.

 

In response, Lee said, “It took a lot of time to decide to appear in this movie. The reason was actually whether I could play this role normally.” Then he added, "At first it felt like the movie (Mad Max. ). Do you think I chose this movie well?”

 

However, Lee continued to star in films like “A Bittersweet Life”, “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” , “I Saw the Devil” other works directed by Kim Jee Woon. He defined a distinctive style of acting using delicate feelings with charismatic eyes and voice.

 

With respect to a scene in :The Good, The Bad, The Weird” Dir. Kim praised Lee Byung Hun Hun’s acting skills and said, 'This scene has short hair of different sizes, but Lee’s amazing concentration is outstanding. ‘

 

In view of the fate between the Director and Actor, Lee Byung Hun made a special appearance in the movie “The Age of Shadows”, despite his limited screentime, Lee overwhelmed the entire movie with his mesmerizing eyes.     

 

Lee Byung Hun said, “I usually say to Dir. Kim that we have a ‘love-hate ‘ relationship' , a relationship like smoke;  just a very interesting joke. Of course, in the shooting process, compared to other directors, people who make relatively difficult demands on actors are right.  Although the director is really hard and tenacious, I think maybe all actors want to experience this kind of director at least once.”

 

Source:   Weibo

 

https://www.weibo.com/tv/v/IwgpXhA1W?fid=1034:4476895257886743

 

 

 

 

[rubie]

Lee Byung Hun in ROYAL PARK CITY PRUGIO TVCF

 

 

Published on February 29, 2020 by DK도시개발 검암역 로열파크씨티 푸르지오

 

 

Published on March 1, 2020 by DK도시개발 검암역 로열파크씨티 푸르지오

 

 

[rubie]

The film-making video of the ROYAL PARK CITY PRUGIO TVCF, our thanks to alatus_deus for the highlight

 

ROYAL PARK CITY PRUGIO MAKING

Published on February 27, 2020 by 이선

Spoiler

 

 

 

[rubie]

March 3, 2020

 

Lee Byung Hun as Paradise Group's new PR model 

 

Source: Naver.com (Google-translate)

 

 

[Financial News] Paradise Group has selected actor Lee Byung-hun as a new promotional model for Paradise brand.

 

Paradise Group plans to spur marketing activities to introduce Korea's representative landmark 'Paradise City' to the world with the Korean wave star Lee Byung-hun as their model.

 

World star Lee Byung-hun is performing a wide range of acting not only in Hollywood, but also on screens and CRTs. In the recently released movies, 'The Man Standing Next' and 'Ashfall', he demonstrated his charisma and intense performances, proving his strength as a global artist.

 

Lee Byung-hun will work as a multi-resort Paradise City and Paradise casino model for foreigners operating in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Jeju. In April, together with Lee Byung-hun, a new advertisement campaign video will be released to showcase the diverse attractions of Paradise City.

 

An official of the Paradise Group said, “Lee Byung Hun, who is loved for his versatile acting, will be able to convey the charm of Paradise City, which has an artistic sensation value.. expecting Paradise's global brand status to be even higher. ”

 

Paradise Group is leading the domestic tourism industry by developing businesses such as complex resorts, hotels, gaming, travel, and leisure. In April 2017, Paradise City, the first complex resort in Northeast Asia, opened to expand into a tourism platform that integrates diverse cultural contents. Paradise City is a facility that combines various tourism and entertainment such as hotels, casinos, conventions, spas, theme parks, wonder boxes, plazas, art exhibition spaces, studios and clubs.

 

By yccho@fnnews.com

[rubie]

February 18, 2020

 

THE MAN STANDING NEXT review thread on twitter 

 

Thanks to Beyond the Screen@btsarmycinema
·

Description: In the 1970s, South Korea is under the absolute control of President Park, who controls the KCIA. The organization with an edge over any branch of government.

SUMMARY

This film was one of my most anticipated Korean releases of 2020, and it more then delivered. This thriller follows the last 40 days of President Park Chung-hee, the military dictator of the 60s and 70s.

For those not as familiar with Korean history, this film does a phenomenal job at using creative liberties to condense and explain the gradual fall of Park’s regime.

It covers both Koreagate and the assassination, with gripping espionage and political power moves. Though names are changed and dates of certain events altered, it is a very serious adaptation of the events covered in the non-fiction novel of the same name.

CHARACTERS

 

Kim Gyu-pyeong/Kim Jae-gyu:

Played by Lee Byung-hun, this is a very nuanced portrayal. The character comes across very stoic to begin with, a very measured restrained being a defining part of his role.

 

However slowly you see that restrained begin to wither away, and Lee Byung-hun’s performance of Kim’s paranoia and conflict left quiet an impression. The moments where his walls begin to crack are so well placed in the narrative.

Lee Byung-hun does a great job at communicating his emotion though his eyes, and small bits of body language such as fixing his hair. I would have to go back and watch this again before I say anything for certain. But I think this is may be one of his best performances.

He does an incredible job, and the ending when he was looking at his hands in the car, gave me chills. I think perhaps the reason some might question this, is comparing this to his roles in I Saw the Devil and A Bittersweet Life for example (or even The Good, The Bad, The Weird),

The Man Standing Next is a much more restrained and nuanced performance. To me this shows he has a great range.

Park Yong-gak/Kim Hyong-uk:

I didn’t expect this, but I actually think Kwak Do-won’s performance is my favourite. Or at least as memorable as Lee Byung-hun. He was so good at expressing the different facets of the character, the emotions were particularly a driving force.

 

Spoiler

 

I think my favourite moments are when he is in a heated discussion with the character of Deborah Shim, and that last moment in Paris. Something about his portrayal felt so very human and I enjoyed watching him every moment he was on screen.

 

President Park/Park Chung-hee:
Aside from the great job done to make him look like Park Chung-hee, Lee Sung-min does a great job in this role. He is similar to Lee Byung-hun’s portrayal in that both are very restrained and nuanced, but there are defining differences.

 

Spoiler

Lee Sung-min puts malice and an air of superiority to the forefront, to show a ruthless man now just trying to hold onto power. This as a result has President Park less restrained then Kim, this slight juxtaposition enforcing their tension.

Lee Sung-min and Lee Byung-hun played really well off of each other, the chemistry was very strong. You could feel the complex dynamic through even the simplest of gestures. Such as Kim watching the President whisper to someone else, or a lingering exchanged look.

Kwak Sang-Cheon/Cha Ji-chul:
This may not have been my favourite performance but Lee Hee-jun does a solid job to the very end. The rivalry and dynamic between his character and Lee Byung-hun’s, is very well developed.

 

Spoiler

So much so that you can see the release of frustration from Kim very clearly at the end. Another powerful aspect to this portrayal is just how much you can tell Kwak believes in President Park.

It’s also really cool to know Lee Hee-jun put on weight, 25 kilos, for this role. It proves just how much each of these actors took their roles seriously, and wished to do justice to this period in history and the real people they were portraying.

 

ANALYSIS

By starting this film at the end, and winding back the clock, the feeling of time ticking away is further enhanced. Pared with Lee Byung-hun’s performance, this really has you on the edge of your seat leading up to the finale.

The framing and lighting of characters is always done with great purpose, highlighting the emotion and mental state of each of the characters. The way the film is shot is most certainly done to emphasis the gradual collapse within President Park’s inner circle.

There are lingering shots of characters observing one another, or simply sitting alone, which are used to stoke the growing paranoia and communicate the psychological hurdles each of the characters face.

The extent of this technique is best paired with Lee Byung-hun’s performance, because each shot helps translate to the audience the way his final choice begins to build in his mind. Kim must choose between his country or his president.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you are interested in history or political thrillers, I highly suggest you look to see if this film is currently showing somewhere near you, and go see it. The times I’ve been lucky to see a Korean film in theatres, have always been memorable experiences.

[rubie]

Here's the English update on BH's new endorsement with Paradise City.. under the travel and cuisine section.

 

March 3, 2020

 

Paradise hires actor Lee Byung-hun as new model

 

Source: The Korea Times

 Actor Lee Byung-hun has been chosen as a new model for Paradise Group's integrated resort complex Paradise City and foreigner-only casinos. / Courtesy of Paradise Group          

             

By Jun Ji-hye The Korea Times

 

Paradise Group said Tuesday that it had chosen actor Lee Byung-hun to promote the company as part of a business strategy to utilize top hallyu, or Korean wave, stars to make its integrated resort complex Paradise City known worldwide and to attract more foreign guests.

 

The group, which operates hotels and casinos here, opened Paradise City in April 2017, in partnership with global companies such as Sega Sammy of Japan, on a 330,000-square-meter block of land on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport. Paradise City is the first global integrated resort in Northeast Asia.

 

The resort complex includes a five-star luxury hotel, casino, convention center, theme park, art gallery, spa and club.

 

Actor Lee, who made his debut in the 1990s, has appeared in dozens of Korean films and dramas as well as several Hollywood productions that raised his international profile.

 

The group said Lee will promote Paradise City and its foreigner-only casinos in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Jeju Island.

 

A new ad for Paradise City featuring Lee is scheduled to be unveiled in April.

 

"We believe Lee, who has been very popular among fans on the back of his excellent performances, is the optimal figure to introduce the attractions of Paradise City that seeks to embody the new concept of an 'art-tainment' resort with abundant cultural assets," a Paradise Group official said. "We also expect Lee, who has performed on the world stage, to contribute to raising our brand awareness globally."

 

jjh@ktimes.com

[rubie]

First time seeing this as a magazine (and already at vol.106?), usually an online entertainment news site. If it's in English, wonder if the copy is available outside Korea. 

 

Thanks to ljy_2_6 for the highlight on IG

 

[rubie]

Source: BH Entertainment

 

Hello, this is BH Entertainment.
We recently noticed the spread of false facts about a particular religion towards our artists.
In this regard, we would like to inform you that we will take a strong legal response to the rumors formation and malicious slurs.
We will also take strict legal action against any acts that injure the reputation and personality of our artists, such as spreading and reproducing rumors indiscriminately.
In the future, we will make every effort to protect our artists through continuous monitoring to prevent further damage, and we will take strong legal action without notice.
Thank you for always loving and supporting our artists.
BH Entertainment.

 

 

March 5, 2020

 

Stars threaten legal action for spreading Shincheonji rumors

 

By Yoon So-yeon INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily

Celebrities warned that they will be taking legal action against anyone who spreads rumors that they are members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, after a post containing names of multiple stars went viral on Tuesday night.

 

The number of people infected with the coronavirus saw a rapid increase after patient No. 31, a Shincheonji follower, was diagnosed last month in Daegu, leading to public anger toward the religious group.

 

On Tuesday, a post titled “List of Shincheonji Celebrities,” containing some 50 names of stars, from actors and comedians to singers and even whole K-pop groups, spread quickly online.

 

Agencies of the mentioned stars denied the rumors on Wednesday, warning of “strong legal action” against those distributing false rumors about their artists.

 

“Our artists are in no way related to the religion, and the rumor is not true,” FNC Entertainment, home to Yu Jae-suk and Jung Hyung-don who were mentioned in the post, said in a statement.

 

“We will be taking strong legal action against these malicious posts without any negotiation.”

 

Other agencies also released statements denying the rumors, including Kingkong by Starship, home to actor Lee Dong-wook; Nandakinda, home to actor Nam Gyu-ri; Keyeast, home to Jung Ryeo-won, Son Dam-bi and Park Ha-seon; Namoo Actors, which represents Moon Chae-won and Shin Sae-kyeong; BH Entertainment, who works with Lee Byung-hun, Han Ga-in and Han Hyo-joo; and SM Entertainment, home to boy band TVXQ.

 

Source: Soompi 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[rubie]

March 8, 2020

 

March Movie Star Brand Reputation Rankings Announced

Source: Soompi by E. Cha

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for film actors!

 

The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community awareness indexes of 50 popular movie stars, using big data collected from February 6 to March 7.

 

Spoiler

The stars of the award-winning film “Parasite” dominated this month’s list, sweeping the top three spots for March (four if you count Park Seo Joon, who made a cameo appearance in the film and came in at No. 4 for the month).

 

Song Kang Ho, Jo Yeo Jeong, and Lee Jung Eun rose to No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 in this month’s rankings respectively. Several of their co-stars also made it into the top 15, with Choi Woo Shik at No. 7, Lee Sun Gyun at No. 8, Park So Dam at No. 12, and Jang Hye Jin at No. 14.

 

High-ranking phrases in Song Kang Ho’s keyword analysis included “Academy,” “Bong Joon Ho,” and “Parasite,” while his highest-ranking related terms included “recognize,” “attend,” and “donate.”

 

Song Kang Ho’s brand reputation index for the month came out to 10,978,294, while his co-star Jo Yeo Jeong followed close behind with a total index of 9,668,655. Finally, Lee Jung Eun scored a total index of 7,769,994 for March.

 

Check out the top 30 for this month below!

 

1. Song Kang Ho
2. Jo Yeo Jeong
3. Lee Jung Eun
4. Park Seo Joon
5. Hyun Bin
6. Son Ye Jin
7. Choi Woo Shik
8. Lee Sun Gyun
9. Gong Yoo
10. Kim Da Mi
11. Kim Hye Soo
12. Park So Dam
13. Lee Kwang Soo
14. Jang Hye Jin
15. Jung Woo Sung
16. Lee Byung Hun
17. Park Hae Jin
18. Kim Min Jae
19. Shim Eun Kyung
20. Ahn Jae Hong
21. Lee Jung Jae
22. Kim Nam Gil
23. Kim Min Hee
24. Kim Ji Young
25. Lee Yi Kyung
26. Yoo Jae Myung
27. Park Myung Hoon
28. Lee Young Ae
29. Jeon Do Yeon
30. Kang Ha Neul

Source (1)

[peonie]

March 10, 2020

 

This is a throw back clip of Lee Byung Hun when he hosted the 2016 MAMA in Hong  Kong. 

 

https://www.weibo.com/u/7345107797?refer_flag=1008085010_&is_hot=1

 

Special thanks @rubie who made this GIF. 

 

Source:  Special thanks to the Weibo LBH fan.  

[rubie]

This article could not be more spot-on about THE MAN STANDING NEXT. In a way, it was a consolation that the movie had accumulated so much and so fast in the first week of screening, going at an incredible rate daily till it surpassed 4 million and counting. It's just too bad that the high momentum was cut short by the outbreak. The movies that came after TMSN were not so lucky.. after many days with no competitors (new movies are all postponed) some could not even exceed 1M.

 

TMSN may not reach 10 or 5 million it deserved but the strong critical acclaim & recognition will make up for it.

 

March 10, 2020

 

Bleak future for post-virus cinema

Shortened summer break, Olympics cast shadow on Chungmuro

 

People in masks pass movie posters at a theater in Seoul on Feb. 11. Korea Times file

By Park Ji-won The Korea Times

 

Director Woo Min-ho's "The Man Standing Next" was unstoppable at the local box office.

 

After premiering on Jan. 22, rosy prospects for the movie dominated.

 

During four days of the Lunar New Year Holidays from Jan. 24 to 27, the movie, which fictionalizes the death of President Park Chung-hee ― who was assassinated by his security chief on Oct. 26, 1979 ― traces the spy agency chief's whereabouts for 40 days before the tragic day. The movie has attracted 2.8 million viewers.

 

It appeared just a matter of time before the thriller joined the 10-million club.

 

But such optimism crashed abruptly in early February when the movie, like many others in cinemas at the time, was hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. Since then, moviegoers have deserted theaters, wreaking havoc on filmmakers, investors and distributors.

 

"The Man Standing Next" strove to hang in there but distributors eventually gave in. It disappeared from theaters while failing to reach its break-even point of 5 million tickets.

 

Several blockbuster movies had the same fate. And movies that were to be screened in spring put their schedules back.

 

People in the film industry are anxiously awaiting the end of the virus outbreak.

 

Will Chungmuro, Korea's Hollywood, be better off when and if the virus goes? Considering what's next, it is fair to say hard days for movies may continue until summer at the earliest.

 

The shortened summer break and the Tokyo Olympics add pressure on the film industry as a sharp drop in ticket sales is inevitable.

 

Since local governments and companies are encouraging workers to stay home to limit the impact of the infectious disease, the situation has led to a surge in demand for online-based entertainment content, especially streaming services like Netflix, Watcha and Wavve. The effect on movie theaters has been huge, with customer numbers decreasing daily.

 

Spoiler

 

According to the latest data from the Korean Film Council, only 230,752 people went to movie theaters last weekend, the lowest since 2011. On the previous weekend, from Feb. 29 to March 1, 286,396 people went to the movies.

 

The opening of over 50 films scheduled for February and March has been delayed due to the virus. That includes the black-and-white version of "Parasite," "Time to Hunt," "No Time to Die," "The Informer" and "Mulan."

 

The movies are expected to be released in May and July, but could be further delayed depending on the spread of the virus.

 

The film industry also is worried that it might not have a chance to start promoting the movies, leading to fewer customers during the summer break ― which is one of the most important times for the movie industry.

 

Normally, film distributers start promotions several months before the release of new movies and production starts about a year earlier. However, for now, most have not decided when to release their new movies.

 

CJ ENM was originally planning to release "Seobok," starring Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, in July and musical film "Hero," starring Jung Sung-wha and Kim Go-eun, in August. But the plan has been suspended. Earlier, it decided to run other films such as "Dambo," starring Kim Yun-jin, in April and "Dogul," starring Lee Je-hoon, in May. But the schedule can be adjusted depending on the situation, according to officials from the distributor.

 

"Summer breaks and holidays are among the key promotion periods throughout the year," an industry insider said. "But as schools delay the beginning of new semesters due to mass infections from the coronavirus, and thus have shorter breaks than average years, movie theaters may not have the ticket sales as planned.

 

"It is difficult for low-cost movies compared to blockbusters to find the right timing to make their movies to survive."

 

The Tokyo Olympics in July and August also may take customers away from theaters.

 

According to market insiders, the number of moviegoers fell when the Olympic Games were held in neighboring countries China and Russia.

 

Analyst Kim Hyung-oh told Yonhap that there were 10 million moviegoers when the Beijing Olympics were held between Aug. 8 and 24, 2008, down 1 million from 2007.

 

When the 2014 Winter Olympics were held in Sochi, Russia, the number of moviegoers decreased by about 3 million.

 

 

jwpark@koreatimes.co.kr