[News] Drama, Movies, Actors & Actresses

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May 14, 2010

Sister of Cinderella" leads Wed-Thurs night TV ratings

Reporter.Lucia Hong Editor.Jessica Kim

Chun Jung-Myun and Moon Geun-young in "Sister of Cinderella" [KBS]

KBS TV series "Sister of Cinderella" continued to stay the most-popular drama on Wednesday and Thursday nights, rolling past its competition in the same time slot with solid ratings.

According to statistics released by TNS Media Korea on Friday, "Cinderella" brought in viewership ratings of 18.1 percent on Wednesday and 18.7 percent the following day, showing a decrease by an average 1.6 percentage points from the previous week.

Figures by AGB Nielsen Media Research revealed slightly lower ratings for the drama as well, recording a mean score of 17 percent for May 12 and 13, indicating a drop of 1.8 percent from last week.

This week, the No. 1 drama in the country focused on Ki-hoon's (Chun Jung-myung) love confession to Eun-jo (Moon Geun-young).

"Personal Taste" maintained its position as the second most-watched show in the primetime line-up with its ratings standing in the 12 to 13 percent range, while "Princess Prosecutor" recorded marks in the ten to 12 percent range.

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

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May 14, 2010

Moon Jung-hee to Represent Safe Kids Korea

Moon Jung-hee

Actress Moon Jung-hee has been named goodwill ambassador for Safe Kids Korea.

International children's rights group Safe Kids was established in the U.S. in 1987 to help prevent children under the age of 14 from becoming victims of accidents. It now has branches in 18 countries.

Moon said, "I'll do my best to be a goodwill ambassador working with children in the field, not just be satisfied with a nominal title."

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

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May 14, 2010

Korean films hot at Cannes film market

Reporter.Ko Kyoung-seok Editor.Lynn Kim

Official poster for film "Into The Fire" [Taewon Entertainment]

Korean films "Blades of Blood" and "Into Fire," which both star Korean actor Cha Seung-won, have scored overseas distribution deals at an ongoing film market in France.

The two pics were picked up by foreign movie buyers at the Cannes Film Market where movie industry officials buy and sell their movies during the annual Cannes Film Festival.

M Line, which handles overseas sales for "Blood," announced Thursday (France time) that the film has been sold to four European countries including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. "These countries were interested in the film and decided to buy it before the Cannes film market opened," an official at M Line was quoted as saying. "We are expecting additional sales after the screening."

The premiere screening for "Blood" was held Thursday morning for companies that had taken part in the film market. "Blood," directed by Lee Joon-ik of 2005 hit film "The King and the Clown", opened in Korea last month and attracted over one million viewers within two weeks of its release.

"Into Fire," which stars actors Cha Seung-won, Kim Seung-woo, Kwon Sang-woo and T.O.P. of idol group Big Bang, also signed a distribution deal with Ascot Elite Entertainment Group. The war pic had caught the company's attention when it was first shown at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and got picked up at Cannes even before the film's screening there, explained its distributor Lotte Entertainment.

Korean films are proving to be a dominant force at Cannes this year; Lee Chang-dong's "Poetry" is said to have received numerous sales inquiries and interview requests while Im Sang-soo's erotic thriller "The Housemaid" received many -- though mixed -- reviews after its premiere and gala screening.

Both "Poetry" and "The Housemaid" are up for competition at this year's film fest.

Official poster for film "Blades of Blood" [Cinus]

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@ Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" pre-sold to France's ARP

Reporter.Lucia Hong Editor.Jessica Kim

Still cut of "I Saw the Devil" [showBox]

Upcoming Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" has been pre-sold to France's largest distribution company ARP, according to the film's promoter on Friday. The overseas sales representative for Finecut explained through a press release that the publication rights for "Devil" was sold over to ARP France on May 13, the first day of the Film Market at the Cannes Film Festival.

ARP bought the rights for the movie, which is still in production, after receiving information on the director, cast and synopsis for "Devil." "We trust in the film because of how director Kim Jee-woon is able to show his own style of work through various genres like in his previous work 'The Good, The Bad, The Weird,'" ARP C.E.O Michele Halberstadt was quoted as saying.

He also added,"The moviegoers in France are big fans of Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik so we have high expectations for this film."

The promotional video of "Devil" is scheduled to be shown in theaters at Cannes today and Sunday.

"Devil," helmed by famed director Kim Jee-woon, is about the revenge between a psychopathic serial killer (Choi) and a top secret agent (Lee) whose fiancee becomes one of the killer's victims.

The movie is set to premiere in Korea this summer.

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

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May 14, 2010

Hyun Bin, Joo Jin-mo to star in film "Beautiful Us"

Reporter.Ko Kyoung-seok Editor.Lynn Kim

Korean actors Hyun Bin (left) and Joo Jin-mo

Korean actors Hyun Bin and Joo Jin-mo have been cast in a film tentatively titled "Beautiful Us," according to an executive for movie's sales firm Miro Vision.

The executive, currently promoting the pic to foreign movie buyers at the Cannes film market in France, distributed booklets in which the two actors were introduced as the film's male leads.

"Us," a war drama to be filmed in 3D, will be helmed by noted Korean filmmaker Kwak Kyung-taek, who has directed both actors in previous works -- Hyun Bin in MBC TV series "Friend, Our Legend" (a small screen adaptation of Kwak's 2001 hit movie "Friend") and Joo in 2007 film "A Love."

The film is based on the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong which occurred in June 2002, when a North Korean patrol boat crossed the sea boundary line and engaged in a marine confrontation with South Korea. "Us," to be produced on a 15 billion won budget, will go into shoot starting next month.

Hyun Bin, also the current boyfriend of top Korean actress Song Hye-kyo, has been a star in the Asian region since appearing in MBC's smash hit TV series "My Name is Kim Sam-soon in 2005.

Joo Jin-mo, who starred opposite actress Kim Ah-joong in film "200 Pounds Beauty," is set to appear in the Korean remake of John Woo's classic Hong Kong noir film "A Better Tomorrow" this year alongside Hallyu star Song Seung-heon.

Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@ Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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May 15, 2010

Song Seung-hun to Star in Remake of 'Ghost'

Actor Song Seung-hun will appear alongside Nanako Matsushima of Japan in a remake of the Hollywood blockbuster "Ghost."

The film's production company CJ Entertainment on Wednesday announced, "'Ghost,' probably the best romantic fantasy of the 20th century, will be revived 20 years after the original was made. The roles originally played by Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze will be reinterpreted by Song and Matsushima."

Song said, "I made up my mind to do it right after I read the screenplay, since the original was exceptional. I'm honored to have the part and I'll give it my best shot."

Song Seung-hun (left) and Nanako Matsushima

Matsushima is well-known in Korea as well through her performance in the Japanese version of the popular drama "Boys Over Flowers."

The film is being co-produced with Andrew Cripps, president of Paramount Pictures International. Shooting is scheduled to start in June, and a release date is being worked out.

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

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May 15, 2010

'Housemaid' Screened at Cannes Film Festival

Director Im Sang-soo’s “Housemaid” was screened at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival early Saturday, Korean time.

Im and the film’s leading actors Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Jeong-jae and Yoon Yeo-jeong walked down the red carpet ahead of the screening and posed for photos. It was the second time for actress Jeon to walk down the event’s red carpet, including the time she was named best actress at Cannes in 2007 for her role in "Secret Sunshine.”

After the film was screened, some two-thousand viewers gave a standing ovation that lasted nearly five minutes.

“Housemaid” is a remake of a 1960 film by the late director Kim Ki-young. The film harshly criticizes the shallow and materialistic side of capitalism.

Meanwhile, director Lee Chang-dong’s "Poetry,” which is the other Korean film competing in the festival, will be screened on Thursday.

Source: KBS World

If interested for a very detailed and complete update & photos of 'Housemaid' in Cannes, please refer its wonderfully compiled soompi thread HERE. Thanks.

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May 16, 2010

Korea under Cannes spotlight

Asia stepped into the spotlight at the Cannes film festival Thursday, with offerings from China and South Korea making grand entries, according to a news report.

Applause from world critics rang out in the festival's theatres for acclaimed Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai's father-son drama, "Chongqing Blues" as well as for "The Housemaid", a warped erotic tragic-drama by South Korea's Im Sang-soo, AFP reported. They were the first of an impressive batch of five Asian feature films competing for the top Cannes award, the Palme d'Or.

"The Housemaid", a remake of a 1960 movie which premieres Friday, stars Jeon Do-yeon, who won the 2007 best actress award at Cannes in Lee Chang-dong's "Secret Sunshine," it said. The report added she plays a young maid employed by a rich couple who gets pregnant by the man of the house and is turned on by his wife and mother-in-law with gruesome consequences.

The original "Housemaid" is a classic thriller by renowned South Korean director Kim Ki-young, though the vengeful climax of the remake falls somewhere between thriller, horror and melodrama.

Actress Jeon Do-yeon (AP-Yonhap)

Actor Lee Jung-jae (Yonhap)

Director Im Sang-soo and actress Jeon Do-yeon (Yonhap)

The cast members, along with the producer and the director, arrive for the screening of "The Housemaid" presented in competition at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on May 14 in Cannes. (Yonhap)

Source: koreaherald.com

May 17, 2010

Crew and cast members arrive for the screening of "The Housemaid" presented in competition at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on Friday. From left, producer Jason Chae, director Im Sang-soo, actress Jeon Do-yeon and actor Lee Jung-jae /AFP-Yonhap

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

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May 16, 2010

Hallyu to cushion culture shock after S-N reunification

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Staff reporter

Prof. Park Jung-sook

More and more North Koreans can access the latest soap operas that were aired in South Korea just a couple of days earlier, according to North Korean defectors.

Some North Korea watchers claimed approximately 80 percent of North Koreans are being informed on what's going on outside the hermetic kingdom through radio or contraband CDs.

Prof. Park Jung-sook of Kyung Hee University in Seoul commented that the growing awareness of North Korean residents of the cultural codes and popular trends of their southern neighbor will help a unified Korea spend less time and money bridging the two very distant cultures.

In an interview with The Korea Times last Friday, she elaborated on how the Korean wave in the North will work in cutting so-called unification costs if the two Koreas become unified in the future. "Regardless of how unification happens politically, a widespread sense of cultural sameness will cushion the inevitable shock and displacement and expedite the adjustment process," she said.

The Korean wave expert presented her insight on the role of Korean dramas and movies in narrowing what she called fault-line conflicts between the two nations at the Korea Vision Forum held at a hotel in Seoul last week. It is illegal in the North to listen to anything other than state-run radio. But North Korean defectors here testified that residents there are able to secretly tune in late at night.

They said that South Korean dramas, movies and actors have filtered through all strata of society. Once Korean dramas first air in the South, they are copied on to CDs in China and then these CDs are sold to distributors who deal with North Koreans near the border between China and the North, according to them. "I understand that hallyu or the Korean wave is not just a flash in the pan but a lasting society-wide phenomenon, despite the authorities there trying to ban their availability as well as top their circulation," Park said.

She used the term "organic power" to describe the bottom-up process of intensifying cultural interactions and its effect on a possible unified Korea in the future. "Hallyu's popularity is a bottom-up process of individual choices that occur without specific and prior political intent,'' she said. "Therefore its popularity in the North represents an organic consumer-driven process in which the main forces driving the process are individuals.''

It is not planned or directed anyway from the top-down, she added.

Credits: hkang@koreatimes.co.kr

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May 16, 2010

New drama to bring more than coffee

By Han Sang-hee

Staff reporter

A new drama on SBS titled "Coffee House'' begins airing this week and it has already made headlines thanks to its star-studded cast and producer Pyo Min-su.

Coffee and books may seem like main ingredients for a typical romantic comedy targeting young women, but Pyo, who created popular works such as "Worlds Within,'' "Full House'' and "Pretty Insun,'' is adding a bit more philosophy and thought to the series.

The soap stars hallyu star Kang Ji-hwan, along with actresses Park Si-yeon and Ham Eun-jeong.

Kang plays successful novelist Lee Jin-su, who seems like the perfect catch but underneath is one of the pickiest people on the planet. One of Lee's biggest pet peeves is bad coffee, so he becomes an expert in grinding and making his own high quality brew.

Park will appear as Seo Eun-young, the head of a famous book company where Lee is contracted to, and shows off her comical side. The two can't stand each other, but they consider themselves professionals and endure daily interaction without realizing their true underlying feelings.

Ham, who is also currently a member of the girl goup T-ara, will play the clueless barista-to-be Kang Eun-jeong, who coincidently becomes Lee's assistant. Determined that this is her one chance to become a coffee-making expert, Kang follows Lee around like a puppy, despite all the snapping from the proud writer.

The three characters seem to be enough to create chemistry, as the backdrop (cafes and bookstores) and materials (coffee and books) easily combine to form a romantic and trendy atmosphere on their own. "I think it's not possible to decide on a specific genre because there are so many different genres mixed into one. `Coffee House' may follow the rules of a typical romantic drama, but there is comedy and each episode will deal with different stories, just like a sitcom,'' Pyo said during a press conference last week at SBS headquarters in Mok-dong, northern Seoul.

Viewers may be concerned that the new soap will actually resemble two other popular dramas: "Coffee Prince'' (MBC) and "Full House'' (KBS). Korean dramas have already been criticized by viewers and critics for repeatedly dealing with similar plots and storylines, but Pyo emphasized that his drama is unrelated and completely different from the other two. "I enjoyed watching 'Coffee Prince' myself. But I'm thinking of bringing a bit more meaning to our drama. Something real and current. I want to deal with the gap between the rich and the poor,'' Pyo said.

"I am a very cultural person and I wanted to make a drama that dealt with people who are not cultural. Books are food for the soul and coffee accompanies the intake. I wanted to fuse the two together and come up with a cultural story,'' the producer added. Moreover, the series will also feature the competitive world of professionals and amateurs.

The two characters Lee and Seo may have trouble getting along personally, but when it comes to work, they have the same goal: perfection. They may argue and complain that they hate each other, but they have to admit that their collaboration brings the best results. For Kang, on the other hand, the world of such professionals dazzles her, and she promises herself that she will soon become an expert exactly like them.

"Everybody wants to be a professional, but it's not an easy process. I think it's not about trying too hard, but naturally enjoying the work. The drama deals with how we can all become professionals in our fields. It's about the characters' lives, not just about coffee and books,'' Pyo explained.

"Coffee House" starts airing tonight at 8:50 p.m. on SBS.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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May 14, 2010

[10LINE] Actress Son Ye-jin

Senior Reporter.Kang Myoung-Seok Editor.Lucia Hong

Clockwise from top center: actor Cha Tae-hyun, actor Jung Woo-sung, actor Song Il-kook,

director Han Ji-seung and actor Lee Min-ho [10Asia]

Son Ye-jin

Pretty. Popular. She has been hurt because of rumors. But she overcame the rumors through her acting skills. She respects actress Shim Eun-ha and loves actress Nicole Kidman. She makes one wonder what kind of legacy she will leave behind as an actress.

Kim Hye-soo

The main star of the first television commercial Son appeared in. Son felt "so obliged" and "wondered if it was okay to appear in a commercial with such a senior actress like Kim." Due to growing up in Daegu known as a "conservative city," she had no thoughts of becoming an actress even though she "felt something deep down inside" herself during middle school. But she became the first-ever celebrity from her high school on chance of appearing in the commercial and Son moved to Seoul which had "many downtown areas unlike Daegu which only had one."

Park Sung-soo

The director of Son's debut drama MBC's "A Delicious Proposal." He had been holding auditions in search of new actors with potential when he cast Son by chance. And Son rose to stardom with the success of the "A Delicious Proposal." However, Son experienced difficulties because she didn't know the basics that went into producing a drama. And at the start of her career she had to go home after failing to cry on cue for a commercial, tried out for the role again, but ended up failing. During that time she spent most of her earlier years being recognized only for her pretty looks.

Cha Tae-hyun

Her co-star from films "Sad Ballad" and "Crazy First Love." Son Ye-jin proved she could be a commercial success through the two movies as well as with her role in "Classic." Among the three, Son picked "Classic" as the film which represents her -- she was acknowledged for showing solid acting skills because she was able to pull off the role of a comical yet tragic female character at the same time. Instead of all three films leaning toward one aspect such as the innocence or liveliness of Son, they proved she was an actress who can show a wide range of acting, from comedy to crying. Rather than just showing one image, she displayed a strength in films which are romantic yet where she plays characters where she tries to persuade the audience by adding various characteristics to her role. This may be why starting then, Son used her experiences from then to choose her successive productions by taking the following into consideration in the following order: 'character, story, director, co-stars.'

Kang Ho-dong

Emcee. Son Ye-jin made an appearance in the segment titled "Knee-Drop Guru" on MBC talk show "Golden Fishery" hosted by Kang. She went on the show and explained each rumor that concerned her, reflecting the pains she felt because of every rumor. Vicious rumors about her had first begun to spread among the general public after the release of the so-called 'X-File.' During the show Son said, "It's hard living as a 28-year-old actress. I have cried because unintentional incidents and wounds which have occurred outside of acting." Even if the rumors were true, the world becoming "even more harsh when it comes to the mistakes of an actress" and "thoughts that an actress can hit rock bottom at any moment" is wrong. It is not as if Son committed a crime.

Jung Woo-sung

Son Ye-jin's co-star in the movie "A Moment to Remember." Son grew as an actress through this movie. “A Moment to Remember" falls under the same category as her previous works in the sense that the story is fundamentally a melodrama through which she was able to show various images of a woman -- from when she is living her everyday life to when she's in dramatic situations. But in "Moment," she was able to pull off the role of a woman who works, shoot love scenes with Jung, and urinate on herself because of dementia. This female who had been known for her innocent image, left behind that image at the age of 22 and played a character that was older and more complex. Through “Moment,” Son learned to “look at people around me and not just at my own acting” and she showed that she can get along with and act alongside an older actor like Jung. She who had said “only love can really move a person,” was able to actually touch the audience through her acting.

Song Il-kook

Her co-star in the movie "The Art of Seduction." In the "The Art of Seduction" she played a flirt who danced crazily at a nightclub and acted coy in front of her boyfriend. She succeeded in portraying the character by utilizing rumors about her which made her into someone who is 'fake' and 'coy.' As she herself says, Son has never starred in "a film that brought in five million moviegoers" but she was able to capture the audience in the two films which focused on portraying the relationship of a man and woman with the details that she put into playing the 20 something year old woman who has dementia in “A Moment to Remember” and a flirt in "The Art of Seduction." Son gained moviegoers' trust through her acting skills which showed her exceptional interpretation of a main female character and detailed acting.

Han Ji-seung

The director of SBS TV series "Alone in Love." Son Ye-jin, who had been worried she may be "focusing only on one aspect when there is so much more to show," took on "Alone in Love" although she was told by Han that the drama may never become popular enough to breach the 50 percent mark in viewership ratings. But it turned out to be the best choice for her. Through the long takes of the drama, Son was able to show the details of her character with more depth and diversity than she had done through movies, and she had enough time to fully interpret her character since the show was being produced ahead of time. In particular, her character Eun-ho was not a woman who could be described merely by images such as innocent, vivacious and sad. Eun-ho, who lived a normal life as a divorcee who hurts others feelings at times, was the most ordinary character Son had played to date, yet she had the appeal to make viewers understand and support Eun-ho's life. She was a character who was quite realistic yet never before seen through Korean dramas nor movies. In every scene of "Alone in Love," Son showed acting which was good enough to be called excellent acting and such display of talent mowed down all other talk about her.

Ko Soo

Actor who starred opposite her in film "White Knight." In "White Knight," Son played the role of a woman who asks the man she has loved since her childhood days yet has been unable to meet easily, to commit a murder. That is how different a role it was for Son but the outcome was not great. Due to the fact that "White Knight" also starred Korean actors Han Suk-kyu and Ko Soo and that the mystery thriller pic tried to win over the audience just by its storyline, its failure at the box office should not be blamed on Son. But different from that, Son's acting was unnatural and awkward compared to in her previous works. It may be attributable to the fact that, as she described of herself, "not the kind of actress who improves with each take because of my fast-moving emotions" and "hates fantasies," making her character something more than ordinary and her knowing few details about the character which would make it harder for her to portray emotions. "White Knight" was unable to show Son's strength of creating a vivid character through the chemistry with her co-star because there were rarely any scenes she appeared in with the other actors. Son had several successful productions under her belt over the years due to the good chemistry with her co-stars only in melodramas but other than that, she did not achieve success in other genres. In the future, will Son be focusing on her strengths or try to decrease her weaknesses?

Lee Min-ho

Co-star in the current MBC drama "Personal Taste." "Personal Taste" was neither a dangerous nor obvious choice for Son Ye-jin. Unlike her previous works where she played characters full of charming appeal, in "Personal Taste" her role is someone who lacks femininity. However, Son's character in "Personal Taste" will become more charming and her strengths will be shown and a loving atmosphere is created as the show continues with more scenes with Lee Min-ho. Son was able to portray a better image with the various situations that occurred while living in the house with Lee than in the beginning when she "tried to look ugly." Apart from the execution of "Personal Taste" and the audience's reaction, Son will be able to prove that she will show what she knows how to do. The problem is what happens after that. For someone who is in their late 20s, she has played various melodramatic roles but what will the next choice be for an actress who has been acknowledged for her box office success and acting skills? She could challenge herself with other genres and choose a director and script where she can bring out the depth of the story in a melodrama production that "worries about human relations and love." But despite having undergone all sorts experiences, she is recognized for her star quality and acting skills. What will Son Ye-jin choose next?

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@ Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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May 17, 2010

Kim Yu-na, Lee Seung-gi Collaborate on World Cup Commercial Song

Kim Yu-na (left) and Lee Seung-gi

Figure skating champion Kim Yu-na and singer Lee Seung-gi recently recorded a song for KB Financial Group to be used during the upcoming World Cup, Lee's management agency Hook Entertainment said.

The two recorded the track separately, the agency added.

The 40-second song was mixed from parts of Lee's "Smile Boy" from his third album. The KB commercial featuring the song will be aired from May 24.

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Korea's Younger Sister To Sing Duet With Korea's Younger Brother

Many of Korean celebrities are given little nicknames by the press and public. For example, MC Yoo Jae-seok is considered the nation's (Korea's) MC and actress Moon Geun-young as the nation's kid sister. The same nickname for Moon was given to the international figure skating champion, Kim Yuna. How appropriate because the ice princess will be making her debut as a singer by teaming up with "the nation's younger brother" Lee Seung-gi for a duet.?This isn't the first time the two are coming together as the nation's "siblings" also teamed up for an ad campaign for a Korean bank.

The two will be remaking a song from Lee's third album titled "Smile Boy", set to be released on May 24th. Despite Kim's venture into the singing realm, fans shouldn't expect more projects like this in the near future...as of yet. There hasn't yet been any further talk of the Olympic superstar releasing her own album or advancing further into the music industry.

Source: KBS Global

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May 17, 2010

'The Housemaid’ in International Cannes Film Festival

Director Im Sang Soo’s movie “The Housemaid,” which is in competition at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, was released on May 13 (local time) at night through a press preview.

“The Housemaid” is a remake movie of late director Kim Ki Young’s original “The Housemaid, 1960,” but every part, including the basic storyline and characters, has been modified and portrays today’s situation in Korea, which capitalism has totally pervaded.

The preview which started at 10 pm drew great attention from the press, even enough to make it difficult to find a vacant seat. It might be thanks to actress Jeon Do Yeon, who garnered the Best Actress Award with the movie “Secret Sunshine” at the international Cannes film festival in 2007, trust toward director Im Sang Soo, who is popular in France, and the fact that the movie has advanced to the competition in the festival.

During the beginning of this movie when Eun Yi (Jeon Do Yeon) began to work at the mansion as a housemaid, Bazin Theater, where the movie was screened, was full of chuckles by reporters and people in the movie industry who had come from all around the world. When Hoon (Lee Jeong Jae) drank wine, audience members began to smile, and when Byeong Sik (Yoon Yeo Jeong) made a nasty facial expression after she found out the secret relationship between Eun Yi and Hoon, audience members laughed out. Unlike the beginning part of the movie, which is a mixture of melodrama and comic, the movie gradually portrays social problems, and audiences began to become serious, losing their smiles and laughter. The whole audience was silent when characters spoke out violent words and the movie reached its climax. The sound of a cough was the only sound that could be heard in the theater.

A movie reporter from Luxemburg, Jan Louis Shepon made a favorable comment by saying, “The movie is very stylish and showed great screen composition.” An American reporter in his fifties who did not reveal his name praised the film, saying, “I did not know that this movie is a remake movie, but my colleague told me it is the remake. Actress Jeon Do Yeon’s acting was really impressive.”

After the preview, there were clapping from here and there even though it was not enough to comprise loud applause. But press previews are not known to be generous regarding clapping, unlike official preview sessions. The movie “The Housemaid, 2010” was officially screened on May 14 at 10:30 pm at the Lumiere Theater.

Source: KBS Global

Director Im Sang-soo "won't be too surprised by Cannes win"

Reporter.Ko Kyoung-seok Editor.Lynn Kim

"The Housemaid" director Im Sang-soo [Asia Economic Daily]

Korean filmmaker Im Sang-soo, whose film "The Housemaid" is in competition at the Cannes Film Festival this year, has said he will not be "too surprised" if his film wins an award.

Speaking at a press conference with Korean reporters held May 15 (France time) at Residence Hotel in Cannes, the director talked about his first-ever nomination and potential to win at the prestigious film fest. "As a nominee, I do want to win, to be honest," the filmmaker explained. "But if I do win, I may be surprised but I don't think I will be too surprised. Even if I don't win this time, I think there will be more opportunities in the future."

Veteran Korean actress Yoon Yeo-jung, who was sitting next to him, remarked to his last comment, "Director Im, I told you not to say that. Just say 'It is an honor', 'Thank you.'"

When asked if he had read reviews of the film by the foreign press, he answered "Not yet. All I know is that I am receiving a warmer response here than in Korea." "At the gala screening, people's wrists must have hurt when they clapped that long and I felt like I was receiving encouragement. I think I had been thirsty for it in Korea. For people like us, who live off of other people's support, the people at Cannes sure did encourage us."

Im also clarified any misunderstandings about his previous remark, when he said he was "gloating about coming to Cannes" at a press conference on May 14. "I signed a contract with a French film production company and wrote the script while staying in Paris for two years," the director explained. "But the project got flopped and I had to come back [to Korea] because I couldn't find another producer for the film. So I meant that I was gloating over the former producer."

"For a director like me, who walks the line between commercial and artistic films, coming to an event like this is not just an honor but it helps me with the movies I'll make in the future. It's not like me or my work is going to change just because I came to Cannes. But I do hope that the viewers, producers and investors change just a little."

"The Housemaid," starring Cannes' best actresses winner Jeon Do-youn as the title character, is a story about a young maid who comes to work for a wealthy couple and starts having an affair with the husband. The film, a modern adaptation of an old Korean classic, opened in Korea last Thursday.

The winner of Palme d'Or, Cannes' top prize, will be announced at the closing ceremony on May 23.

Reporter: Ko Kyoung-seok kave@ Editor: Lynn Kim lynn2878@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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May 16, 2010

Jung Ae-ri takes break from discovering her dark side

She’s played every stock character in Korean drama -- doting daughter-in-law, loving mother, working professional and even mediator for a television show that deals with troubled marriages. But these days the soft-spoken 50-year-old wants to expand her horizons into darker territory.

Jung Ae-ri stars in the stage production

of the 1996 television hit “Beautiful Farewell.”

The Best Play, Inc.

Though her latest role in “Beautiful Farewell” heralds her return to the stage after a three-year hiatus, she has begun taking on characters of sly, sinister women -- roles in which she has reveled. “There’s something engaging and almost seductive about playing villainous roles,” she told The Korea Herald. “As an actress, I’ve played similar roles of nice characters over the years -- sometimes even back to back -- and you sometimes get a bit bored, and for me taking on such different characters was refreshing.”

Until her high-profile role as cold-hearted stepmother in the 2008 KBS drama “Women in the Sun,” Jung had played characters viewers had either loved or related to. Since her debut in 1978 as an actress signed exclusively with KBS, she’s played attorneys, journalists and doctors in films, movies and on the stage.

However, Jung said it was never her intention to corner herself. “I didn’t go after roles during that time,” she said. “I made choices based on the scripts I would be given and the options presented to me during that time just so happened to have been roles of nice, pleasant women but in my mind, I’ve always had urges to change it up a bit but that didn’t happen often.”

That change in gear came in 1997 in the local stage production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Her role tandem role as both a ditzy nurse and an uncouth senior citizen brought her much acclaim and in the following year, she took home the Best Actress award at the Seoul Theater Festival. From there, offers of roles radically different from the ones she had been known for came pouring in.

But in her stage return for “Beautiful Farewell” she plays a role seemingly tailor made for her. It is a stage remake of the 1996 television drama of the same that scored big with viewers nationwide. People have dubbed it, “the drama that brought the nation to tears” as the story tells of a devoted homemaker and mother diagnosed with a terminal illness. Although her recent roles have been diverse over a wide spectrum, one thing is common in all of them.

They have all been portrayals of mothers. “I don’t think the character I portray in the play is someone who is strictly sacrificial and committed to her family,” she said. “She is someone who is the way she is because that’s the only way she knows how to live life. So I approached the role not in a way that would make her seem like that kind of woman but more as a woman who is just simply carrying on with what she’s always done.”

Jung believes such traits are inherent in Korean mothers and also their essence -- mothers who make personal compromises not because they are innately sacrificial but because that is the way they had been brought up. “In my previous roles as characters with objectionable traits, I didn’t try to take them on thinking I was going to be as nasty as I can be,” she said. “Instead, I tried to understand all of the variables and circumstances throughout their life that might have made them turn into such cynical and wicked people and that’s how I try to approach all of my roles.”

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

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May 17, 2010

KEYEAST reports most profitable Q1 yet

Reporter.Lynn Kim Editor.Jessica Kim

Korea’s talent management agency KEYEAST -- of which Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon is a major stockholder -- has seen its most profitable first quarter to date.

According to a quarterly report submitted by KEYEAST on May 17, the agency recorded sales of 8.2 billion won during the January to March period, up 223 percent from the same period last year.

During the three months, the firm’s operating profits jumped almost eightfold, from 73 million won last year to 586 million won this year, the quarterly figure even surpassing total operating profits for the entire year of 2009.

The agency explained that the increases can be attributable to the success of many of its artists including actors Bae Yong-joon, Lee Na-young, Choi Gang-hee, Lee Bo-young and E Ji-ah. “The merger with affiliate company BOF brought sales increase and a synergy effect,” an official at KEYEAST was quoted as saying. “The production, services and sales increase of the animation version of 'Winter Sonata' had a huge influence on the Q1 business results.”

The official further added that the company, as of present, is “actively pursuing various licensing and MD businesses overseas such as shooting the TV series ‘Dream High’ and producing a documentary.” The company also raked in profits from various activities that its biggest star Bae Yong-joon carried out last year including “The Tokyo Dome Event,” his photo essay “Discovering The Beauty of Korea” and other additional contents such as DVD sales and 3D theater releases.

Thus, KEYEAST is expected to continue seeing its business increase with the so-called “one-source, multi-use contents business” in the years to come.

The agency recently extended its contracts with actresses Lee Na-young, Choi Gang-hee and E Ji-ah and looks set on recruiting more talents in the future.

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

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May 17, 2010

Experience Cannes in Seoul with special screenings

By Lee Hyo-won

Staff reporter

Attention international cinema buffs unable to travel to Cannes to take part in the world's largest film festival, ongoing to May 23. Local theaters are offering a piece of the French event by showing the two Korean competition titles with English subtitles.

Seoul City and major theater chain CGV have joined hands to facilitate foreign residents' access to Korean cinema. Im Sang-soo's "The Housemaid,'' featuring 2007 Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon, is being screened with subtitles at CGV Gangnam and Myeong-dong.

A remake of the 1960 Kim Ki-young film of the same name, the erotic thriller has been noted for its bold depiction of intrinsic human desires and the hypocrisy of double standards. It is about a cheerful divorcee (Jeon) who begins working for an upper-class couple. She is seduced by the husband and soon finds herself caught in a web of dirty family politics.

"Poetry,'' on the other hand, was written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, who directed Jeon's award-winning film "Secret Sunshine.'' Veteran actress Yun Jeong-hie makes a comeback after 15 years as a naive grandmother who discovers the beauty of poetry. But when confronted with a disturbing incident she discovers that life is not all about writing about pretty flowers. English subtitles are available at CGV Yongsan and Guro.

Meanwhile, "Hahaha,'' a Korean film that is currently showing in Cannes' non-competitive section, is also playing in local theaters. It is the latest feature by Hong Sang-soo, Korea's reputed minimal realist who is a regular on the international film festival circuit. The comedy is about two old buddies who find that the world is indeed a small place, when they realize that they have met the same people in the same city, though coming away with rather different experiences, while traveling. The film has been widely released across the country but English subtitles are not available.

Seoul City and CGV plan to release some 20 local films with English subtitles throughout the year. Visit www.cgv.co.kr.

Credits: hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

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May 17, 2010

K-pop siren morphs into small screen star

She is the husky voice that brings a sultry swagger to Clazziquai; the electro-acid jazz group that churned out hits like “Be My Love” and “She Is.”

Now, Choi Soo-jin a.k.a. Horan is following in the footsteps of fellow Clazziquai band member Alex, who recently starred in MBC’s “Pasta,” by steaming up the small screen as an intelligence bureau agent in KBS’ “Secret Agent Miss Oh.” “I felt like I should really grab this opportunity,” Horan, looking svelte in a decolletage-baring little black dress, said at the drama’s press conference on May 3.

After focusing her creative energies on music -- first with Clazziquai, then also as the vocalist for the band Ibadi -- the 30-year-old singer latched onto this particular role, in part because of the engrossing synopsis and because of the captivating characters. “I had a few offers before,” she said. “But I focused on establishing myself as a singer.”

Clazziquai singer Horan made her small screen debut this week

in the Monday and Tuesday night KBS series “Secret Agent Miss Oh.”

She plays intelligence bureau agent Choi Eun-suh. (YTREE MEDIA)

Now she is giving the small screen a spin, tackling the role of agent Choi Eun-suh, ex-girlfriend and work colleague to Go Jin-hyeok (Kim Sang-kyung) and love rival to Oh Ha-na (Lee Soo-kyung).

Though this is her first time acting, she has always harbored a fascination for the craft. According to co-star Kim Sang-kyung, she has a gift for it too. “I think she will nab many important roles once she gets the hang of the technical aspects of filming,” he said. “She is also great with a gun,” he said.

“It was my first time firing real rounds,” said Horan, who has been going to the shooting range for her role as an agent. “It was thrilling.” “My target accuracy was good, 93 percent,” she added. “From the time I first grabbed a gun, it was 93 percent.” In addition to target practice, Horan has been clocking in both acting and martial arts lessons. The martial arts is in preparation for action scenes. “Horan will be doing the hard-core action,” Kim joked.

Trimmed down and toned up, the singer-turned-actress pointed to band member Alex as her source of guidance. From the moment she received the offer, through the script and camera tests, down to the casting and the script rehearsals, he was there for her. “Even when I was dieting, he checked up on me, asking ‘Horan did you run? How many hours did you run? What did you eat today?’” she said. “The advice he gave me that really hit home, to be frank, was about what I should do when I am waiting in the wings,” said Horan, laughing before divulging his tips, which included always carrying something around.

When she is not getting advice from Alex or attending lessons, she is out on set, absorbing as much information and know-how as she can. “Even when she’s not filming, she comes and watches,” said co-star Kim. “She comes onto set and monitors other people.” “I think I learn the most from being on set,” Horan said.

Horan, who made her small screen debut in Monday night’s episode, said: “I went into this knowing it wouldn’t be easy, but it was much more than what I expected.”

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com) koreaherald.com

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May 17, 2010

Movie "Desperado" VIP screening

Photographer.Park Sung-Ki Editor.Jessica Kim

From left, newlywed actors Ko So-young and Jang Dong-gun arrive at the VIP screening

for film "My Wife Desperado" held at Lotte Cinema in Seoul, South Korea on May 17, 2010.

From left, newlywed actors Ko So-young and Jang Dong-gun pose upon arriving

at the VIP screening for film "My Wife Desperado" held at Lotte Cinema in Seoul, South Korea on May 17, 2010.

Actor Hyun Bin arrives at the VIP screening for film "My Wife Desperado"

held at Lotte Cinema in Seoul, South Korea on May 17, 2010.

Actor Hyun Bin poses upon arriving at the VIP screening for film "My Wife Desperado"

held at Lotte Cinema in Seoul, South Korea on May 17, 2010.

Photographer : Park Sung-Ki musictok@ Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr 1 l 2 l 3 l 4

More Celebrity Photos HERE.

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May 17, 2010

[PREVIEW] KBS' Drama Special "Lollipops"

Reporter.Choi Ji-Eun Editor.Lucia Hong Photographer.Chae ki-won

Director Hong Suk-goo, scenarist Noh Hee-kyung, actress Park Si-yeon and actor Lee Jae-ryong

of KBS' "Lollipops" [photographed by Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

"I honestly like that girl. The girl with the red candy, I really like her." The drama begins with the shabby-looking Jae-bak (played by Lee Jae-ryong) stumbling down the center of downtown. Jae-bak, in his 40s, is living a boring and stifling life as a salesman of a small publishing company, father to two children of which one is a son in high school and daughter which came much later along, and frequently mentions divorce to his wife. His only pleasure in life is gazing at Yoo-hee, (played by Park Si-yeon) an employee of an associated company, who rides the same subway as him every day and night. And then one day, his world changes when what seemed to be an illusion becomes a reality when Yoo-hee enters his everyday life. Jae-bak spends every moment raptured in bliss eating out, buying groceries and traveling to the ocean with Yoo-hee but starts feeling the burden on his shoulder for the responsibility he feels towards his family and the rumors surrounding Yoo-hee. Will the 'love' that he found later in his life be happy until the end?

Anticipation Quotient (1-10 points)

If you want to see a foundation for Korean dramas established - 10 points

If there is no way a young lady can ever like an older man - 8 points

Screen shot of KBS' "Lollipops" [KBS]

KBS' Drama Special, back for the first time in two years, returns with its first episode "Lollipops" about the love between a married man and single woman. "Love is just love but the judgements that come after it define what it is whether it is a crime. What is so wrong about a 40-year-old shabby-looking man finding love like the welcoming rain," is what scenarist Noh Hee-kyung thought of while writing "Lollipops" which focuses on the love between people who comfort one another just like in her previous works "Lie" and "La Lecon d'amour." Even before going on air, it is criticized for 'beautifying adultery' yet is worth respecting because it raises the issue of how "others can severely lash out towards one woman, other people's love and issues that don't involve myself and my own relationship."

"The show is more significant in that it's the first episode for the 'Drama Special,' rather than for it being our production," said director Hong Suk-goo, about the fresh and interesting production of a one-act play. As the love that seemed like a fantasy between Jae-bak and Yoo-hee slowly falls apart, the story is created based on the emotions that are exposed. It is sad however that the show was not given a longer time slot because of the sudden ending and fast changing emotions within the 70-minute time frame.

Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@ Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@ Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10.asiae.co.kr

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May 18, 2010

"Blades of Blood" sells to 9 countries at Cannes film market

Reporter.Lynn Kim Editor.Jessica Kim

Official poster for film "Blades of Blood" [Cinus]

Korean film "Blades of Blood" has been sold to nine countries including the U.K., Thailand, Iran and Indonesia at an ongoing film market in France.

According to a press release by the film's marketing firm Ziness, the action flick received much praise and sold for "an unprecedented price" at the Cannes Film Market, where movie industry officials buy and sell their movies during the annual Cannes Film Festival.

M Line, which handles overseas sales for "Blood," had announced last week that four European countries including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg had bought the film even before the market opened.

After seeing the film at the screening last Thursday morning, U.K. movie distribution firm Metrodome, who had previously bought Korean hit film "The Chaser," as well as Thailand's J-Bics, Iran's IRIB and Indonesia's Camila Internusa requested to buy the film. "Asian traditional dramas are usually not very popular in Europe," one French buyer was quoted as saying. "But I think 'Blades of Blood' will be a huge hit in the European market because it has many appealing characters that viewers can relate to regardless of nationality and time."

An executive at German firm Splendid also expressed his satisfaction for the pic, saying "With the never-ending, high-quality action scenes throughout the film, I don't think it will let down Asian movie fans in Germany. I am happy to have put in an advance sales order."

"Blood," directed by Lee Joon-ik of 2005 hit film "The King and the Clown", opened in Korea on April 28 and has attracted over 1.2 million viewers to date.

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

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May 18, 2010

Ex-Actress Shows Up at Husband's Seoul Campaign Office

The former actress Shim Eun-ha on Sunday showed up for the first time at the campaign office of her husband Ji Sang-wook, the hard-right Liberty Forward Party's candidate for Seoul mayor.

Shim (38) visited his campaign office in Jongno, Seoul to celebrate her husband's 45th birthday. Her appearance prompted speculation that she has started lending a hand in her husband's campaign.

Shim had planned to attend the opening of Ji's office last month but relented for fear of violating the election law if fans rushed to the scene. /Newsis

Source: englishnews@chosun.com