[News] Drama, Movies, Actors & Actresses

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April 9, 2010

"Cinderella" beats rival programs to top TV charts

Reporter.Lucia Hong Editor.Jessica Kim

Official drama poster "Sister of Cinderella" [KBS2]

The ratings for KBS TV series "Sister of Cinderella" increased this week, indicating it may continue to keep a firm hold onto its position at No. 1 amongst Wednesday and Thursday primetime dramas.

According to estimates released on Friday, "Cinderella" conquered TV charts this week with its fourth episode scoring ratings of 18.0 percent and 17.7 percent in surveys by TNS Media Korea and AGB Nielsen Media Research, respectively.

The show, which premiered last week, had averaged ratings of 16.5 percent on TNS' poll and 15.2 percent on AGB's poll.

Other shows in the running for the top spot, including MBC's "Personal Taste" and SBS' "Princess Prosecutor," both scored ratings between nine to 12 percent yesterday.

"Cinderella" features an all star cast of Moon Geun-young, Chun Jung-Myung, Seo Woo, Taecyeon and veteran actress Lee Mi-sook, portraying the un-fairytale like story about Cinderella's sister.

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 9, 2010

[10LINE] Actor Gang Dong-won

Senior Reporter.Kang Myoung-Seok Editor.Lee Ji-Hye, Lucia Hong

Clockwise from top center: actor Jo Han-sun, actor Won-bin, director Lee Myung-se,

director Choi Dong-hun and actor Song Kang-ho [10Asia]

Gang Dong-won

"Just talking about you is cool and you're handsome and all I can say is that I love you a lot. That's the truth." -from the movie "M." Being handsome is important but you need something more than just the looks. Just like actor Gang Dong-won.

Ha Jung-hwa

He was Gang Dong-won's physical education teacher from middle school. Gang wrote a letter thanking Ha in the magazine "Good Friend." When he was younger he was smart and athletic and he reached the height of 180cm after growing 25 cm during his middle school years. However, his parents did not approve of him playing soccer and he began to rebel during puberty. That is when Ha constantly persuaded and set him straight, and soon after Gang went back to studying hard, receiving a 192 out of 200 points in the unified high school entrance examination. Once he entered high school however, he lost interest in studying and instead chose his friends, drinking and getting high scores in billiards. Sometimes he would hand in blank sheets of paper for his tests and ranked 198 out of 200 in the whole school. Nevertheless, Gang did not want to disappoint his parents and began to study very hard during his senior year of high school and successfully made it into a college. In other words, Gang was the kind of student who could but didn't.

Jo Sung-mo

Singer. Gang starred in Jo's music video for the song "I Swear." Before Gang entered college, he lived alone in Seoul. Whenever he would walk down the streets in Seoul, he would be offered street castings due to his eye-catching appearance. In the end, Gang signed with a trustworthy looking company and began his modeling career. Gang had longer legs than the other models in his height group and in the modeling world, "Modeling may look fancy on the outside but one can fall out of the competition if the model doesn't take the time to take care of themselves or put in any effort" and with that in his mind he debuted into the overseas market walking in Pret-a-Porter, Paris. But after thinking about his future, Gang decided to pursue acting after starring in Jo's music video. At the time, Gang had a hard time acting out the kissing scene with his co-star that he just met. Also, Gang did not like that fact that as an actor he would be treated with favoritism at the fashion shows and has not appeared in a fashion show since.

Kim Jung-hwa

Co-star of MBC series "1% of Something." Gang played the cold yet upright son of a chaebol, quickly developing a fandom by playing a character who is completely different from him. His seemingly unrealistic good looks combined with his character who is completely realistic made his character created a fantasy as if he could be someone who actually existed. He was also able to portray a doctor who spoke in a regional dialect for the MBC drama "The Funny Wild Girl."

Kim Ha-neul

His female co-star in the movie "Too Beautiful To Lie." Just like his role in the drama "The Funny Wild Girl," he played a simple and naive country pharmacist in "Too Beautiful To Lie." Director Bae Hyung-joon said, "I was bit worried at first because how can this 'handsome guy who looks like he is from Japan' be able to pull off the role of a countryman but Gang was able to bring a sense of innocence for the role of Hee-chul." In order to create a more realistic expression, he mixed wasabi on the spicy peppers from Cheongyan for a scene in the movie. Kim said "he is an expert in portraying difficult facial expressions" because he has shown various looks. If his slightly slow and articulate way of speech he showed in all his roles, excluding "M," is the characteristic to his acting, being able to show a variety of expression which suit his character was the reason he was able to break away from the stereotype that he is a 'model-turned-pretty-faced actor.' He is the actor that is able to make the women crazy with his dialect or his laugh.

Jo Han-sun

His co-star for "Romance of their Own." Gang appeared in this film as he had just stepped out of a romantic comic for his role in "Romance of their Own" and he was so popular that when he walks on the street, girls would try to pull out his hair. He was able to shoot action sequences just like the memorable scene in "Romance" where he does a 'fly kick after stepping off a wall' and learns to cry on cue. Gang and Jo quickly became friends after working out and playing games together. Gang did not know the basics of how a movie was made but "Romance" increased his popularity as well as his knowledge about movie sets and acting. Due to his sudden popularity from "Romance," he became the leader in teen romance films as well as raising him to movie idol status. But when he played a man full of greed on SBS' "Magic" it did not live up to the success of his other projects.

Shin Yong-wook

The acting coach who taught Gang about theatre before he made his debut. There was a time when Gang once said he wished he had the same passion as Shin had. Between his roles in “Too Beautiful To Lie" and “Romance," Gang said, “I usually don’t have the perseverance to finish something besides soccer but acting is becoming a lot more fun.” That was the starting point of when he began to enjoy acting. When he was acting with his senior actors who were playing supporting roles in “Too Beautiful To Lie” he learned, “How well you act outside the spotlight is more important than how you act when in the spotlight." And by permission from the director, he intentionally played his character in a dull manner. At the time, Gang was not expecting to surpass his acting abilities but was concerned about “how much can I improve from now on.” He did think a lot about his acting, knowing that he must “broaden on my scope of emotions and experience much more," leading to him to take on a larger variety of roles. After “Magic,” the roles that he chose for himself were in different genres and styles. “For me I don’t do things roughly or compromise” and this is when Gang’s greed in acting began.

Won Bin

One of Gang’s closest senior actors. They are both in the celebrity soccer league ‘Winners’ and they enjoy playing the soccer video game “Winning 11.” With the money that he received from shooting "The Funny Wild Girl" he purchased a motorcycle and when asked what his favorite 10 things were he answered soccer, "Winning 11," RC car and others showed off his masculine tastes. He enjoys reading the cartoon "Gantz" because of the "unbelievable violence and elaborate developments which is just incredible" and he claims that is the type of guy he wants to be acknowledged as -- "a guy that other guys will acknowledge as a guy." With his personality and romance comic-like look, he brings eccentricity to the characters that he plays. In the movie "The Duelist" he plays an assassin and in "Maundy Thursday" he brings innocence to a role where he is condemned for committing homicide. In "Duelist," even though he is the male lead he seems to be more feminine than his co-star actress Ha Ji-won through his "sad eyes" which excellently combined Gang's character and the image that he was going for.

Ha Ji-won

His co-star in the movie "The Duelist." "Duelist" is the first action movie that Gang has starred in and "it's weird that I had a hard time on other sets but it was really fun on the set of "Duelist." The audience has seen it in his previous films before "Duelist" but now they clearly see the extreme limits and 'how-to of Gang Dong-won.' In "Duelist," he was able to accurately relay his lines without speaking but through his 'sad eyes' to the viewers. The way he looks at his first love Ha Ji-won, shows that he is an actor that can deliver anything through his acting and make the audience think at the same time. Photographer Park Ji-hyuk said, "Gang is the perfect subject because of his model background and the deep experiences that he gets from acting." However, Gang didn't harvest from the success from "Duelist" but through the movie he began to create his territory.

Lee Myung-se

The director of "The Duelist" and "M." If Gang showed his outer side in "Duelist," he portrayed his inner side through "M." In each scene, he is able to go back and forth in his acting and set the tone of “artificialness and exaggeration” through the everyday life of a writer. In "M" his keen and sharp expressions were shown to the audience. In real life Gang said, "Instead of forgetting one thing while keeping in mind of other things I rather be an antagonist" because he had a distinct color. When he is working he is highly temperamental and sensitive. A Confucian analects says, 'People who have a lot of knowledge is liked by others, but those with the knowledge cannot enjoy it as much as them.' Gang is the kind of person who only wants to do things he enjoys but once he does something he is a perfectionist. His perfectionist personality was shown through the movie "M" and he exaggerated the role with his actions and tone. Gang's character in "M" portrays his own character as well.

Choi Dong-hun

Choi thought of casting Gang in "WOOCHI" even during the planning stages. He was complimented on his ability "to entertain the audience without being overly excessive but with his own light humor." He rose to the status of a stand-out Korean blockbuster star after showing his abilities from his dance-like action moves in "The Duelist" and "WOOCHI." Unlike the other tough male blockbuster stars, even though Woochi can do rough action sequences, he still seems like he stepped out of a romance comic. He is able to pull off the balance between his character in "WOOCHI" wearing plain Korean traditional costume to extravagant contemporary clothing while performing the action sequences with humor. Before, Gang had a hard time adjusting to the atmosphere on set but while filming "WOOCHI" he would have drinks with his fellow cast mates and director Choi said, "All the staff members became a fan of Gang." He is one of the actors in their late 20s who can draw in huge crowds to his blockbusters.

Song Gang-ho

Actor who starred in "Secret Reunion" with Gang. He played a "secretive and stuffy" North Korean spy. However, his character was neither dangerous nor full of secrets but closer to a wounded young man who lost his way. That is why the audience wanted his character to have a happy ending; he was the warm breath of air with his harmony with Song even in the cold basis. Gong Ji-young, the writer of “Maundy Thursday,” explained his face is “so good looking that most people will want to abolish the death penalty” but Gang shows an image that only he is able to express. That is how Gang is able to leave his color in the projects that he has done. It is just like what Gang says "doing something you enjoy" and if you accomplish that the mass public will accept that which becomes power. In the beginning of his acting career he said, "How far will my looks get me in this industry? It doesn't matter if you're a soccer player or actor, but if you last longer than others then you are good at what you do." So far, Gang has been doing a good job.

Senior Reporter: Kang Myoung-Seok two@10asia.co.kr Editor: Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr, Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 9, 2010

Sung Min-woo of "Oh! My Lady" is not just a pretty boy

Reporter.Choi Ji-Eun Editor.Jang Kyung-Jin, Lucia Hong

A look into Choi Si-won's character from TV series "Oh! My Lady"

A scene from "Oh! My Lady" [sBS]

Sung Min-woo

His noticeable feature is his six-pack and his specialty is kissing. He stopped counting the number of girls he has gone out with after 30 and believes that all girls love him so if you merely glance at him he will say, "Bring a piece of paper, I'll give you my signature." He likes simple roles that extenuate his physical features and if he is told to practice he says, "I don't feel like it today" and if someone questions his acting skills he will get upset and impatiently state, "Let's not talk about the horrible acting." On the outside he claims that he likes the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho but he actually complains "Next time, pick an author with an easier name. Paulo Coelho, it's hard to pronounce." When he receives a scenario about Tae-jo, the first king of the Joseon Dynasty, Min-woo will throw facts he knows about the king that he knows from his shallow knowledge. But he is able to think fast on his feet when it comes to dealing with emergency situations such as covering up the burnt spot on his shirt by revealing his abs or kicking his manager out of the house that his hidden daughter is staying at by saying "I hate you because your feet smell." If he gets ignored by another person, he insists, "You need a human being with fundamentals? Didn't you say you needed a star? What if you had to choose one? It's hard to find both qualities in a single person because everyone does what the star wants." And when you try to encourage him and tell him not to worry about failure, he will pretend to be strong by saying, "Did I ever say I was scared of doing it?" but such bluffing is done in style.

Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@10asia.co.kr Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr, Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 10, 2010

Lee Da-hae Has Big Plans After 'Slave Hunters' Success

Lee Da-hae

If Lee Da-hae looks happy, it is probably because her debut in a historical TV drama has been a resounding success with viewers. "The Slave Hunters" aired on KBS2 allowed Lee to expand her range as an actress.

"Shooting 'The Slave Hunters' was quite tough. Apart from the uncomfortable dresses, because I had to wear a traditional hairdo, I lost a handful of hair almost every day. Also, the set was in a remote location and was very, very cold," she recalls. "Some bloggers said I looked as if I gained weight toward the end of the series, but it was because I had to wear so many layers of clothing in the winter. When the shooting started in the summer, I didn't have to worry about keeping my body warm so I only had to wear what is seen. But in the winter, it got so cold, I had to wear a thermal vest, three T-shirts, and padded warmers and hot packs."

Things did not start smoothly. Early in the series, Lee was at the center of acute criticism of her polished nails and claims that she was wearing a watch underneath the traditional dress. A scene that showed a bit of skin upset some viewers, who claimed it was inappropriate for a historical drama. "First of all, all of them were groundless. In fact, I didn't think those things were serious enough to make such an issue of. I think it was because the series was so popular. If it had lower ratings, it wouldn't have been that big a deal."

But while she was upset at the time, "I'm also very forgetful, so now it seems like such a long time ago and I wonder if it actually happened."

In the long term, she dreams of going to the U.S. "First of all, I want to take rest, but if I feel there are things to learn, I hope I can take a short course in an acting school in the States. I want to act in Hollywood next year or the year after. If I get a chance, even if it means a lot of hardship ahead of me, I would love to experience it," said Lee. "I don't have huge problem with English because I went to high school in Australia. I can get by in Chinese because I learned the language since I was little. But I felt that I needed to study English more when I recently hosted a show in English, the Mister World competition."

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

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April 11, 2010

Yang Breathlessly Returns With Comedy

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

Yang Ik-june, 34, who rose to stardom as the director and lead actor of the multiple award-winning

film "Breathless," speaks to The Korea Times in Seoul, April 5, about his new movie. The comedy

"Searching for My Wife’’ is now showing in theaters. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

He seemed a little out of breath from running around the film festival circuit.

A year since making a mark on the cinema map with "Breathless,’’ director-actor Yang Ik-june cast off his hardboiled image to play a goofball in "Searching for My Wife,’’ which is now showing in theaters. "Wow it’s already been a year, exactly," the 34-year-old said, pensively gazing out the cafe window during a recent interview with The Korea Times in southern Seoul."I lived a year as if it were 10 years,’’ he said about being invited to 60 film festivals and picking up 23 prizes, as he burst into one of his hysterical laughs. The film, a partly autobiographical story about domestic violence, is now showing in Japanese theaters, and is waiting to be released in Canada and France. He will soon be traveling to Poland to attend another film festival.

One may have expected him to take a long vacation. But for Yang, shooting "Searching for My Wife" was his break. His supporting role opposite hallyu star Ji Jin-hee and funnyman Lee Mun-sik was palpably less burdensome compared to doubling as a producer and director as he did for "Breathless.’’ "I only had to act and didn’t need to worry about anything else,’’ he said. "If I didn’t shoot 'Searching for My Wife,’ I would have drowned in the stress. There were so many things to take care of and worry about, like taxes. There was nothing I did on my own will during the past year," he said.

In the comedy, written and directed by Lee Ha, Yang stars as Dong-min, an aspiring filmmaker that helps his friend (Ji Jin-hee) look for his wife who has disappeared after leaving a goodbye letter. The buddies, however, become increasingly lost as the search reveals more and more uncanny facts about the woman in question ― who also happens to be Dong-min’s ex-girlfriend ― and things become more complicated when a con man (Lee Mun-sik) who claims to be her brother joins them.

After Yang shot to stardom, scripts started pouring in but he declined the roles. He waited a week ― "out of laziness" he said ― to read the story penned by its director Lee Ha. "Reporters are always underwhelmed when I say that there wasn’t anything special about my choice. Things just fell into place, and it was a fun project," he said. "There were a lot of cuts," he said, recalling the shoot. Indeed Yang’s droll character gives the film life and substance _ and compensates for the discomfort that some members of the audience may feel while watching Jin’s mismatched screen persona.

When it comes to acting, Yang upholds the notion that actors, ironically, should not act. "I hate those words, acting or transforming. You reach inside yourself and use what’s already in you. You can’t transform, say, vitamins to cigarettes," he said. In short, fictional characters are ultimately an extension of the actor himself.

So how does he relate to his character? Contrary to the reputation earned from his previous work ― of being a penniless director-actor who moved three times to fund "Breathless ― he said he never aspired to become a director like Dong-min. But he said he had a ball playing the role. "The director was gracious and let me be myself," he said.

Even with a new film showing, the weight of "Breathless’’ seems to remain on his shoulders. But it has little to do with living up to the success of his feature film directorial/leading role acting debut. It’s more about a personal struggle within. "I experienced so much over the past few months. Something seems to have burst open inside my heart, and I can feel myself evolving. I want to continue developing as a person. I feel confident that I’ll be able to persevere through whatever lies ahead, though of course this doesn’t mean it’ll be all rosy."

No directorial projects, nor anything specific for that matter, are planned ahead, he said. Perhaps he just needs to take a deep breath.

"Searching for My Wife’’ is now showing in theaters. Distributed by Sponge ENT.

Credits: hyowlee@.koreatimes.co.kr

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April 12, 2010

Korean film "Bestseller" in talks for Hollywood remake

Reporter.Lynn Kim Editor.Jessica Kim

Official poster for Korean film "Bestseller" starring Uhm Jung-hwa [Daisy Entertainment]

Korean film "Bestseller" is already in discussions for a Hollywood remake prior to its local release on Thursday, according to the film's production company Daisy Entertainment on Monday.

Daisy explained in a press release that they have been contacted by U.S. film production company Vertigo Entertainment, who offered to buy remake copyrights for the thriller pic.

Vertigo is owned by Roy Lee, a Korean-American movie producer who is known for turning Asian hit films into Hollywood remakes. Some of his successful re-productions include "The Ring" (2002), "The Grudge" (2004), "My Sassy Girl" (2008), "The Uninvited" (2009) and the Oscar-winning "The Departed" (2006), which Martin Scorsese directed based on the hit Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs".

"Bestseller", which stars Korean singer and actress Uhm Jung-hwa, is about a successful novelist who becomes accused of plagiarism and hears voices in a remote cabin she escapes to.

The film is scheduled for release in Korea on April 15.

Reporter: Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 12, 2010

Soo Ae to Star as Double Agent in ‘IRIS Season 2’

Actress Soo Ae is cast as the heroine of the spy-action drama “IRIS Season 2 - Athena: Goddess of War,” the production company Taewon Entertainment announced on April 9.

In the drama “IRIS Season 2 - Athena: Goddess of War,” which is a spin-off of the original IRIS drama, Soo Ae will play a double agent, Yoon Hye In. She belongs to National anti-Terror Service (NTS) as a female profiler and also takes a role within a secret organization as a special agent.

Soo Ae has revealed her pure and graceful beauty until now, but this time, she will transform into a cold-blooded spy and will perform difficult action scenes in the drama. As soon as she finishes filming the movie “Late Night FM,” she will join the shooting of the drama.

The drama already cast Jung Woo Sung and Cha Seung Won as the lead actors before it cast the female lead. As it has now finished casting the female lead, the drama “IRIS Season 2 - Athena: Goddess of War” will begin filming in June.

Source: KBS Global

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April 12, 2010

Lee Na-young and others renew contract with KEYEAST

Reporter.Kang Seung-hun Editor.Lucia Hong

Actress Lee Na-young [Asia Economic Daily]

Famed Korean actresses Lee Na-young, Choi Gang-hee and E Ji-ah have renewed their contracts with their agency KEYEAST.

"We reached a mutual understanding with the three actresses who again decided they will pursue their careers our company," an official with KEYEAST said on Monday.

Lee, who has been with KEYEAST for four years, is one of the most sought-after faces in the local TV commercial industry. She first rose to stardom with TV series "Ruler of Your Own World" and later won an award for best actress in film "Someone Special" at the 25th Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Choi has appeared in several films and movies since her debut in 1995, most recently her hit film "Aeja" which topped the Korean box office last year.

E made her debut in MBC's hit TV series "The Story of the First King's Four Gods" as Suzini, the love interest of Hallyu star Bae Yong Jun.

KEYEAST, of which top Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon is a major stockholder, engages itself in various facets of the entertainment industry including managing celebrities, exporting Korean cultural content and producing and investing in films.

Actresses E Ji-ah (left) and Choi Gang-hee [Asia Economic Daily]

Reporter: Kang Seung-hun tarophine@asiae.co.kr Editor: Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 12, 2010

Korean film "Sex Volunteer" causing a stir overseas

Reporter.Ko Kyoung-seok Editor.Lucia Hong

Official movie poster of "Sex Volunteer" [Achimhaenori]

Korean dramatic film "Sex Volunteer" has been sold overseas, according to the movie producer Achimhaenori on Monday.

Achimhaenori explained that they have signed a contract directly with a local distribution company in Brazil last month.

"Volunteer" is scheduled to be released in Brazil in July, while other countries including the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, are currently in talks with the company.

"Sex Volunteer," helmed by director Cho Kyeong-duk, received the Humanitarian and International Jury award at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival last year.

The film has also been invited to several prestigious film festivals including the upcoming Houston International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Films and Reel World Film Festival.

"Sex Volunteer" starring Jo Kyeong-ho, Lee Yoon-ho, Han Yeo-rum and Hong Seung-gi, is about the discovery of an organization that offers sex to disabled people. It is set for release in Korea on April 22.

Reporter: Ko Kyoung-seok kave@asiae.co.kr Editor: Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 12, 2010

Jessica Gomes to Appear in Local Film

By Han Sang-hee

Staff Reporter

Jessica Gomes

Australian model Jessica Gomes is branching out to acting in Korea through the new movie “George and Bong-sik” (working title).

Directed by newcomer Moon Woo-seong, the comedy film revolves around a Los Angeles police officer named George, played by Jung Jun-ho, and a countryside policeman Bong-sik, played by fellow actor Shin Hyunjune. Gomes will appear as Jung’s love interest and fellow cop. This is the first time for the 24-year-old to appear in a local film.

“I am very happy to be working for a Korean film, which has become an interesting subject among Hollywood actors these days. I decided to join the production because of the script, which could also work in Hollywood,” Gomes was quoted as saying by her agency.

Gomes started her modeling career at the age of 13 and has appeared in fashion magazines Vogue, Glamour, the Victoria Secret catalogue and also numerous ads for brands, including Adidas, Gap, Motorola and DKNY. In 2008, she appeared in various advertisements and entertainment shows in Korea and became famous for her looks, easy-going personality and fashion style.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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April 12, 2010

Park Jae-beom offered role in Hollywood film "Hype Nation"

Reporter.Kang Seung-hun Editor.Lynn Kim

Korean pop singer Park Jae-beom [Asia Economic Daily]

Park Jae-beom, Korean singer and former leader of boy band 2PM, has been offered to appear in a Hollywood film titled "Hype Nation", according to an industry source on Monday.

"Park and the film's producer Young Lee have been friends for a long time," the source explained. "From what I know, Lee had offered the role to Jae-beom back when he was working as 2PM and recently asked him again." The singer has yet to announce his plans regarding the movie, known to be about a dance contest between an American dance crew and South Korean dancers.

"Nation" had originally cast Korean female singer Son Dambi for the lead role, but Son reportedly pulled out of the project when production got delayed due to the U.S. economic recession.

Park, 22, had sparked national controversy last September after remarks -- including "I hate Korea" -- he had written on his MySpace account before his debut became public. He quit the boy band four days later and returned to his hometown of Seattle. He was expected to make his much-awaited comeback to the group this year until agency JYP Entertainment (JYPE) terminated its contract with the singer last February due to "a huge personal wrongdoing" on his part.

Last month, he was seen participating in a b-boy dance contest in Vancouver, Canada with his dance crew Art of Movement.

Reporter: Kang Seung-hun tarophine@asiae.co.kr Editor: Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 9, 2010

Korean filmmakers awarded at Green Planet Movie Awards

One of Hollywood’s largest award ceremonies, the 2010 Green Planet Movie Awards presented 4 prizes to Mother by South Korean auteur BONG Joon-ho. The deftly executed crime-drama, which had its local release in 2009 and a limited US run last month, picked up awards for Best Foreign Language Film, Best International Director, Best International Film and Best International Drama.

The ceremony, held March 23rd in Los Angeles, honors works from both Hollywood and Asia through a viewers’ choice poll of critics and film lovers from around the world. The event hands out 100 awards in categories that span Asian, Hollywood, Humanitarian and Environmental films.

Along with Mother, actor and pop-sensation Rain (JUNG Ji-hoon) was named Best International Entertainer, Asian Cultural Ambassador of the Year, and one of 10 Outstanding Asians in Hollywood.

Actors CHOI Min-sik and LEE Byung-hun were both selected among the 10 Best International Actors of the Decade while top Korean screen actress KIM Hye-soo and KIM Yun-jin of US TV series Lost and Korean film Seven Days were named one of the 10 Best International Actresses of the Decade.

Credits: Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

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April 9, 2010

Korean Film Festival DC runs April 4 to May 16

This April the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. will kick off the annual Korean Film Festival DC, running April 4 – May 16. Opening the event is rising auteur LEE Yoon-ki’s fourth feature My Dear Enemy, starring Cannes-winning actress JEON Do-yeon. The event also features a spotlight on independent director JEON Soo-il who will attend the several screenings in person.

Among JEON’s films showcased at the fest are his first feature Wind Echoing In My Being (1997), his masterpiece Time Between Dog and Wolf (2007), Venice CICAE award-winner With A Girl of Black Soil (2007), and the Nepal-set drama Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells (2008) starring CHOI Min-sik.

Other films in the fest include LEE Myung-Se’s mysterious M, SHIN Dong-il’s elegantly awkward drama My Friend and His Wife, JANG Hun’s hit debut Rough Cut, HWANG Qu-dok’s For Eternal Hearts, KIM Ji-hun’s Gwangju uprising drama May 18, and badboy KIM Ki-duk’s latest Dream.

A panel discussion titled "Gwangju Uprising: 30 Years Later" will also be held, in which film scholar David E. James and historian Nam-hee Lee discuss the impact of the tragic events of May 18, 1980, on Korean history.

More information can be found at http://www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp

Nigel D’Sa (KOFIC)

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April 13, 2010

Han Hyo-joo Changes Tack in Costume Drama

Han Hyo-joo

The MBC drama "Dong Yi" is the first historical drama for Han Hyo-joo. The show is the latest work by director Lee Byung-hoon, who has established his name in the genre by directing a series of hits such as "Heo Jun," "Jewel in the Palace" and "Lee San, Wind of the Palace."

"At the beginning, I was determined to leave everything up to director Lee Byung-hoon, rather than doing anything on my own. But now, I want to make my own character of Dong Yi, rather than dreaming of becoming the second Daejanggeum," the lead character of mega hit "Jewel in the Palace" played by Lee Young-ae, said the 23-year-old actress.

Viewers who remember "Jewel in the Palace" are likely to search for similarities as both focus on the life of women who worked their way to the top. "It would be a lie if I say I don't feel any pressure from being compared to the last great work," Han said. "I will have to do well, and I'm sure I'll be able to. I had special lessons from the director for two hours a day until very recently."

Han debuted in sitcom "Nonstop 5" in 2005. Last year, "Brilliant Legacy," which was immensely popular with over 40 percent ratings, was her real breakthrough. "I was just doing my job, but people loved it," she says. She has an angelic and fragile image that can make her difficult to remember. "I go anywhere without makeup, and nobody recognizes me. But I think my inconspicuous face makes me versatile and enables me naturally to adapt to any given situation. I don't necessarily want to force an image change," she says.

"Dong Yi" has been airing on Mondays and Tuesdays since March 22.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Spy drama pulls S. Koreans to Akita

By CHIHIRO INOUE

Kyodo News

AKITA — South Korean tourists are flocking in large numbers to snow-covered Akita Prefecture thanks to a South Korean TV spy drama featuring the popular Lee Byung Hun.

TV tourism: South Korean tourists take pictures in front of a dome-shaped

"kamakura" hut made of hardened snow in Yokote, Akita Prefecture,

on Feb. 10. KYODO PHOTO

The Japan office of South Korean travel agency Hanatour said about 1,500 sightseers from South Korea showed up in January and February, about 50 times more than during the same period last year. The surge forced the agency to route tourist groups through Aomori airport north of Akita because the direct flights between between Akita and South Korea couldn't handle the extra numbers.

Akita Prefecture became a popular destination after the hit TV drama "IRIS" was broadcast from last October to December. Its average ratings exceeded 30 percent. Lee played an intelligence agent fleeing to Akita. The drama was partly filmed in 20 locations in Akita in March 2009, including snow-covered Lake Tazawa in Semboku and the Nyuto hot-springs resort.

Footage from Akita was used in four episodes, lasting a total of 100 minutes. "IRIS" hits terrestrial television in Japan this month, and it will also be shown in Taiwan and Hong Kong. he number of South Korean visitors to the Lake Tazawa ski resort in January rose five-fold from the same month last year. "We are really feeling the effect of the drama," a local tourism industry official said.

One of the slopes at the resort where Lee and actress Kim Tae Hee skied has been named "IRIS gelande." Photographs and some of the clothes Lee wore on location are on display in the ski lodge. The tourist association in Yokote put up two domed "kamakura" huts made of hardened snow in a park to re-create one of the show's scenes.

Korean Air's Akita office said the number of passengers on its Akita-Seoul route was up for four consecutive months starting in November over the same months last year and seats were fully booked through the end of March.

"This is our first visit to Japan," said Kang Kyung Seo, a 33-year-old company employee who was taking photographs of his family in front of a kamakura hut in Yokote. "We've been to location sites and they exceeded our expectations. The hot spring and Lake Tazawa are especially good."

Local people are working hard to keep the momentum going and make sure it is not a fleeting phenomenon.

The city of Semboku held an introductory course on the Korean language for hotel employees and other people in February.

Source: japantimes.co.jp

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April 13, 2010

Korean film "Mother" continues its stay on U.S. box office

Reporter.Ko Kyoung-seok Editor.Lucia Hong

Official U.S. poster of Korean film "Mother" [Magnolia Pictures]

Korean dramatic pic "Mother" continued to perform within the top 50 films on the United States box office into its fifth week of release. According to statistics by the U.S. movie chart of Box Office Mojo on Tuesday, the film grossed 34,405 dollars at 27 theaters to rank at No. 49 over the weekend, raising its accumulate total to 375,536 dollars since its release overseas March 12.

"Mother" had peaked during its third week of showing, placing at No. 35 from its screening at 38 theaters which brought in 81,508 dollars. The Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin starrer movie helmed by famed director Bong Joon-ho, is about the mother's fight to prove that her mentally challenged son did not commit a murder.

The production has been collecting numerous awards both locally and internationally including winning top honors at the Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong last month, raking in the awards for best picture, best actress and best screenwriter.

Reporter: Ko Kyoung-seok kave@asiae.co.kr Editor: Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.kr <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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April 13, 2010

Actress Choi Ji Woo: ‘I Was Happy While Helping Others’

Star actress Choi Ji Woo participated in charity work in Africa and a program entitled “Choi Ji Woo Stands on the Dark Land” aired on April 13 at 12:20 am on MBC TV to show her activities in Africa.

The program covered what she did in Swaziland. Choi Ji Woo visited the Madlangamphisi region in Swaziland where the international relief organization World Vision has been helping to develop the area, and implemented a hand pump by herself. Also, she taught children about sanitation and hygiene using animation.

Choi Ji Woo communicated with children by playing music using an MP3 player and made puffed maize with corn, which is the staple food of the region.

Choi Ji Woo said, “By sharing, I could feel happy again. Even though there are some children who are suffering from childhood obesity in other parts of the world, some other children are suffering from food shortages and even cannot drink clean water in other parts of the world, like here in Swaziland. I hope more people realize this situation and are able to feel happy by helping others.”

She continued to say, “I had agonized over the entire long journey here about what I could do, but, instead, I learned many things while I was watching the children and people who live here.”

Swaziland, which is the second smallest country in Africa, has been blessed with a wonderful natural environment and has even been called the “Switzerland of Africa,” but the death rate of people who are under 40 years old has reached nearly 48 percent due to serious drinking water pollution.

A spokesperson of World Vision said, “Through the hand pump that Choi Ji Woo installed with other inhabitants of the village, more than 500 people can finally drink clean water.”

Source: KBS Global

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April 13, 2010

‘Housemaid’ May Feature at Cannes

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff Reporter

Award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon appears as a maid in Im Sang-soo's "The Housemaid."

The erotic thriller, due in theaters next month, is a remake of the 1960 piece of the same name

by Kim Ki-young. /Courtesy of Sidus FNH

Kim Ki-young’s 1960 erotic thriller, “The Housemaid,” was digitally restored ― under the auspices of maestro director Martin Scorsese ― to feature at the 2008 Cannes Festival. This year, a remake by Im Sang-soo may possibly be shown in the upcoming event next month.

“All I know is that a rough copy of the film is at Cannes,” Im told reporters Tuesday in Seoul. The film’s special connection with the French festival does not end there; the new version stars 2007 Cannes Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon as its notorious leading lady. “This is my sixth feature film, and I've never worked with such an impressive cast,” said Im.

Jeon plays the role of an innocent housemaid who is seduced by the young, handsome and powerful master of the house (heartthrob Lee Jung-jae). Suspense and intrigue ensue as the wife (up-and-coming “Paju” starlet Seo Woo) and elder housemaid (veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung) learn about the liaison. “It is in short a luxuriously produced cheap melodrama,” said Im.

When asked to compare his reinterpretation with the original film, the “A Good Lawyer’s Wife” director confidently replied that the basic premise remains unchanged. “A peculiar housemaid comes to work for a high-class family and has an affair with the man of the house. The plot is the same as Kim Ki-young’s piece. “But considering how 50 years have passed, there will be parities in terms of production quality and size, as well as how the actors interpreted the characters,” he said. “Kim is a master director, but he was younger than I am now when he directed the movie. Though age has little to do with anything, I felt I should do a better job.”

Jeon said it was not an easy decision to take part in the project. “I gave it a lot of thought but I chose to do it because of the director. When I read the script I had no idea Eun-i (the housemaid) had to go that far, playing multiple roles. It was physically strenuous but I had a great time, and it was a very enjoyable project,” she said.

The 37-year-old actress, who showed a whole new level of emotional vulnerability in “Secret Sunshine,” pushed the limits of her physical capabilities for “The Housemaid.” “I didn’t realize it when I wrote the script, but Jeon had to hang suspended from a wire, do sex scenes, scrub the tub, have all these tubes stuck in her body at the OB/GYN, and even simple-looking scenes like carrying a tray of wine and glasses up the stairs were not easy. I felt really sorry... But Jeon was so professional and tried so hard. I have great respect for her,” said the director.

Jeon, however, said that she was never able to fully understand her character. “I couldn’t understand her because she is too pure and innocent, and is thus overly confident and candid. I always had my doubts about my interpretation, but the director trusted me and I thank him for that.”

Youn complimented her co-star for her stellar performance. “I wonder if I soaked up everything the director said like Jeon when I was her age,” said the actress, 62, who made her big screen debut through a Kim Ki-young film some 40 years ago. This is also her fourth time working with Im. “I feel grateful that I am able to carry on an acting career this far.”

Lee may have played the role of an ill-intentioned, domineering man in the film, but as the only male actor in the film (besides the child who played his six-year-old son), he said it wasn’t easy to work with such intimidating women as Jeon and Youn on the set.

“The Housemaid” is due in local theaters on May 13.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

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April 13, 2010

Jeon Do-yeon to bare all again in new film

In Jeon Do-yeon's latest film, the 38-year-old will bare all once again as if she is allergic to clothes.

At a press conference yesterday to announce the forthcoming May 13 release of “The Housemaid” at a multiplex in southern Seoul, the theater was abuzz with talks of the film’s nudity and racy sex scenes. “My standards in choosing film projects have not changed since marriage,” she said. “I was an actor before I got married and I’m still an actor, so nothing has changed as far as my choices in roles go.”

These were certainly topics that wouldn’t rattle the chains of someone who has become one Korea’s most acclaimed actresses. Jeon, who won a Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 for “Secret Sunshine,” has also starred in her fair share of films that have teetered on the border of soft-core pornography. She has since become known for her bold disposition on nudity and sex on-screen.

Consider that if you type her name on Google or Naver search, the first keyword search results are "Jeon Do-yeon bed scene" and "Jeon Do-yeon nude." "But there were times when I doubted myself and asked why I chose to star in this film knowing I would be required to do certain things that the story needed me to do," she said.

In ”The Housemaid,“ she plays the seemingly naive and innocent title character who begins a torrid affair with a wealthy married man played by Lee Jung-jae. She described an awkward reshoot of a key sex scene in the film: ”If I can remember, the dialogue between me and (Jeon) wasn’t too raunchy but when we agreed to a reshoot by the insistence of our director, the new dialogue he had given us was shocking to say the least." "These were things I could not put into words so I ended up contemplating for about five minutes before I agreed to do it,“ she said. He then joked, ”After it was done, I couldn’t throw away that piece of A4 paper that contained that bit of dialogue, so I later showed it to Yoon Yeo-jung and told her that was what we had to say during our reshoot.“

Yoon Yeo-jung stars alongside the two leads as an aging caretaker-cum-all-seeing eye that catches wind of her employer’s sexual relationship with his maid. Think the crazy nanny from "The Omen" and the creepy old lady in ”Rosemary’s Baby.“ "This is my fourth film with (director Lim Sang-soo) and honestly he’s the only man that calls me to give me some work,“ she joked. ”To be featured in this remake was an honor as I was in the second of the original three-part series 40 years ago.“

The unenviable task of remaking the 1960 original fell into the hands of Lim Sang-soo -- the director of ”A Good Lawyer’s Wife.“ "The director of the original, Kim Ki-young, was younger than I am now at the time he made this film, so I didn’t feel much pressure at all and made it full of confidence,“ he said. ”This is the first time in my career that I’ve worked with a truly all-star cast and I tried to make the most of it by making a better version of the original.

From the brief clips shown before the start of the press conference, the film looks to be a suspense thriller in the Hitchcockian mold. The production design seems inspired by a classic Victorian-era motif featuring a mansion which was built just for the film that its production designer stated in its press release “was designed as if it was a character of its own in the film.”

The film is set to roll out in theaters nationwide on May 13.

By Song Woong-ki (kws@heraldm.com) via koreaherald.co.kr

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April 13, 2010

'40 Percent of Actors Considered Suicide'

By Bae Ji-sook

Staff Reporter

Actress Park Jin-hee

Four out of every 10 actors here have been suffering from depression and have had suicidal urges from time to time, according to a degree paper by actress Park Jin-hee, Tuesday.

About 20 percent have actually purchased toxic agents or "devices" for suicide, she revealed, claiming that the extreme stress to stay attractive and to remain in the limelight drives them to mental instability and leads them to make drastic choices.

For her masters degree paper for Yonsei University, "Studies on Depression and Suicidal Urges Among Actors," Park, who has played leading roles in numerous movies and TV dramas, interviewed 260 actors last year with incomes ranging from 10 million won-per-episode to less than 1 million won a month.

She found that 40 percent were suffering from depression.

Respondents were quoted as saying, "I am sick of being alive. I want to die" and "I want to commit suicide and have often thought about going through with it." About 20 percent of them actually bought pills or other harmful devices to kill themselves and another 20 percent said that they have confessed to others about their urges.

Park said most of these symptoms derive from their "unstable status" in life. They thought their employment status was too rocky and that their talents weren't received well enough by the public and industry insiders. The gap between the general public's perception that entertainers "live flamboyant and happy lives" and their actual life being "not so glamorous" also caused them mental anguish.

They were often forced to hide their real characters or feelings from others to remain "likable" and some of them thought "having to stay young and blissful" was self-consuming. Their stress index marked 53.12 out 100, which is higher than that of self-employed men at 48.12 and salaried workers, at 48.18.

Park's report is expected to create a whirlwind in the showbiz world recently reeling from many celebrities committing suicide and the possible copycat syndrome among their fans. Actresses Lee Eun-joo, Chung-Da-bin, Choi Jin-sil; actor Choi Jin-young and pop singer Yuni are just some of the well-known celebrities who have taken their own lives of late. After the suicide by the late actress Choi Jin-sil in October 2008, the number of suicides jumped by 60 percent compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Korea.

"The numbers show that people, who seem to be in the middle of amiability, love and glamour, are some of the most lonesome and troubled," Park said in the paper.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr